the hands of many And those things that are made crooked by power and force mis-employed are rectified and made straight by reason and Counsel rightly weighing the disposition of the People and what is practicable as to time place persons and other circumstances Noscenda natura vulgi est saith Seneca quibus modis temperantur habeatur The nature and disposition of the people is to be prudently observed and by what means they may be temperately ruled otherwise there can be no rational consistency of Government The wisest men that ever treated of Civil Governments have taught us that a State or City where moral virtue and prudence is banished and vice and prophaneness encouraged cannot long continue and prosper and that it is much better and more rational to gain the love and good will of the People by making wholesom Laws and by the exercise of wisdom and clemency which usually confirmeth and assureth the State than to keep them in awe by rigour and severity Although in some Cases and at some times there is more need of severity whereof the most rational experienced persons are best able to judge Firmissimum id Imperium quo obedientes gaudent saith the wise Historian (e) Tit. Liv. Dec. That Empire is most firm where the Subjects so obey as that they rejoyce Nor must we judge of the reason and wisdom of Counsels or of the sufficiency and capacity of Persons by Success and Events which oftentimes fall out alike to wise men and fools nay the latter sometimes have more success in their heady unadvised Enterprizes than the former in their discreet and prudent Counsels Eccl. 9.2 And therefore it was a wise Answer that was given to some persons that marvelled and were astonish'd at the ill success of their Business considering with how wise and mature deliberation it was undertaken that they were Masters of their deliberations but not of the success of their affairs for that was in the power of the Supreme Cause and Being which seems to sport it self with all our fairest Designments and Counsels overthrowing in a moment that which hath been for a long time projected and deliberated and in outward appearance strongly fortified as to future Events CHAP. VIII Of the Exercise of Reason and humane Prudence in Church matters LEt it be granted that the Essentials of Worship and Church Government are Jure divino and may be evinc'd and demonstrated from Scripture yet doubtless as to the outward Exercise and Administration thereof the Light of Reason and Moral Prudence is of excellent use if we will so manage matters in the Church of God as to honour the Christian Religion and derive a due Reverence thereunto And indeed whatever the several Parties pretend as they are now distinguish'd by several names which is a thing to be much lamented yet all of them make use of Reason and humane Prudence in one kind or other in their several Church Administrations though some more and others less according to their capacities The Light of Nature and Reason if attended to and improved by those that are members of Churches and Christian Societies will teach them to walk orderly and to maintain Peace and Unity yea in many respects it will be exceeding helpful unto them First Reason it self will suggest unto us (f) Dr. Stilling-fleet his Irenicum That there must be a Society and joining together for the visible Worship of God Gen. 4.26 As the number of Men increas'd so they grew into Societies that they might more conveniently worship the Lord all men generally agreeing in some kind of Worship though differing as to the manner and object of it The very Heathens had this from the Light and Law of Nature that they look'd on a peculiar distinct Society as necessary for the Worship and Honour of that Deity which they served They did not only consider themselves in a private personal relation and capacity but as members of a Society engaged to attend on the Worship of God in that Society And indeed Man is a sociable creature who loves to joyn and associate himself with those of his own kind if he had all other Comforts of life and wanted Society he would think himself miserable This sociableness of Man's nature is much improved by Religion which is that strong ligament that knits and joyns Societies together and without which no Commonwealth can long subsist Reason and Experience tells us that Religion hath had and still hath a very great Influence upon all Societies and Governments and from the Light of Reason we may gather that the more God is worshipped in Societies the greater honour redounds unto Him and certainly we should worship God in such a way as makes most for His honour and glory Secondly Reason will also tell us that Societies for the Worship of God should be maintain'd and govern'd in the most convenient manner so as Truth and Peace and Order may be preserved There must be some distinction of persons and a superiority of Power and Order placed in some persons over others in a Society or else it cannot long subsist or be maintain'd in peace Though the form of Church Government and the manner of Investing Church Governors in and with their Authority be not determined by the Light of Reason and Law of Nature yet that there should be a governing Power in a Society for the preservation of it is a dictate of the Law of Nature if all be Rulers then every man is sui juris and none will obey and so there can be no Society no Order no Government forasmuch as there is no subordination no superiority nor inferiority all being equals In all Societies Civil Military Ecclesiastical yea in Families which are the smallest Societies there are Governours and governed Rulers and ruled where every one is a Governour there can be no Government and where every one is a Ruler there can be no Order but Confusion and therefore in every Society that is regulated by Reason as there are some to rule so there are others to obey And thus it is in Religious Societies for God is the God of Order and not of Confusion in his Churches Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers are all Governours If the whole Body were an Eye where were the hearing if the whole were hearing where were the smelling But God hath set the several members every one in their places in the Body or Society even as it pleased him 1 Cor. 12.17 18 29. 1 Cor. 14.33 Thirdly The Light of Reason will also convince us That the persons employed in the immediate Service and Worship of God who administer Holy things to us and are entrusted with the power of Office for governing the Society should have respect and reverence yea and maintenance too rendered unto them by the members of the Society answerable to the nature of their Employment This has been generally practised in all Nations and Countries where there has beeen
Court of his own Conscience and in reference to his own faith and practice he should so examine and judge of the things that relate thereunto as to be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14.5 He should so prove all things as to hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Thus Christ in his infinite wisdome goodness and faithfulness hath given two sorts of judgment to his Church and people One publick belonging to an Assembly of Godly Pastors and Elders for of that which the Prophets teach let the Prophets judge and the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets The other is a more private personal judgment which concerns all the faithful who are to judge of what is taught and to try the Spirits in both these judgments we should remember that Christ hath committed nothing to the Church but the ministry of giving judgment for as touching the Soveraignty of Judgment and Authority it belongs only to him Councels may expound and declare the doctrine of the Scriptures but they have no power from Christ to make any new Doctrines or Articles of faith And every Christian ought in a rational way to judge of their determinations according to the word of God and not yeild blind obedience thereunto for this were to unchristian yea to unman himself Of this opinion are all the Protestant Churches in general and particularly the Church of England (k.) See Rogers on 39. Articles P. 103. who maintains that every sound member of the Church hath Authority from Christ to judge in controversies of faith and so to imbrace truth and avoid error The Church as a faithful witness should give Testimony of the Doctrine of Christ but ought not to judge the word nor to judge otherwise then Gods word judgeth General Councels consisting of men that are not infallible may err The things therefore that are ordained by general Councels do so far bind as they are Consonant to the word of God and no further for we are not to ground our faith upon them but only upon the Authority of Gods word Now that such a rational judgment or a judgment in foro interno as hath been asserted belongs to every Christian so as he may and ought to make use of his Reason in judging of the Doctrines of Religion and of Ecclesiastical Laws and determinations is thus proved and demonstrated First From those plain Texts of Scripture Take heed that no man deceive you Mat. 24.4 Prove all things and hold that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.1 He that is Spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no man 1 Cor. 2.15 Which Texts together with many other that might be alledged do not only concern publick Ministers but also private Christians yea chiefly them as being most in danger to be seduced Secondly This hath been also the approved practice of the faithful thus to search the Scriptures and try the Spirits and exercise their Spiritual Senses that they might discern things that differ Heb. 5.14 The Bereans are counted more noble then others because they searched the Scriptures and tryed Pauls Doctrine by the Scriptures though he spake from an infallible Spirit Acts 17.11 The Church at Ephesus is commended for trying them that said they were Apostles and were not and finding them lyers and deceivers after tryal Rev. 2.2 And Christ tells us that his true Sheep will follow him for they know his voice but a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him Joh. 10.4 5. Now this they could not do unless they did exercise a rational judgment in matters of faith Thirdly Every Christian is to give an account of his faith and practice to God yea he should be alwayes ready to give an Answer to every man that asketh him a Reason of the hope which is in him 1 Pet. 3.15 But how can he do this rationally and understandingly without tryal and examination If he be found to embrace whatever his superiors shall impose upon him truly then the blind implicite faith of the Collier will serve well enough Is this according to the Scripture which tells us that we cannot truly believe unless we have knowledge That every man should be perswaded in his own mind concerning the things which he doth believe and practice and that whatsoever is not of faith is sin Fourthly How shall a Christian cleanse his heart and wayes but by taking heed thereto according to the word of God Psal 119.9 How shall he walk as a Child of light unless the word be a Lamp to his feet and a light to his paths Psal 119.105 How can he walk wisely and Circumspectly as he ought to do understanding what the will of God is as the Apostle speaks Ephes 5.17 if we do not allow him a judgment of discretion and discerning in matters of this nature that so he may try Spirits and Doctrines Fifthly were it the duty of a private Christian to receive all Doctrines that are proposed to him by his Superiors without tryal and examination then could not he be justly charged with sin and guilt who receiveth error in stead of truth from those that are above him in dignity and Authority but we find that this will not excuse him If the Blind lead the Blind both shall fall into the pit Luk. 6.39 and we are to fly from Strangers and not hearken to the words of those Prophets that speak the visions of their own hearts and not out of the mouth of the Lord Jer. 23.16 We must not believe every Spirit but beware of false Prophets and Seducers which no Christian can avoid upon good grounds unless he pass a rational judgment upon them and their Doctrines Why was Ephraim oppressed and broken in judgment but because he willingly walked after the Commandment of his Ruler and Governor corrupting the worship of God and did not impartially examine and judge of the same by the rule of Gods word Hos 5.11 Sixthly God hath furnished a Christian with abilities for this end with Reason as man he hath a reflexive faculty which Beasts have not he hath a rational understanding Soul which is the Candle of the Lord that enableth him to compare one thing with another and to deduce genuine inferences and conclusions from such premises as are laid down and propounded And then further God hath not only given his people the light of humane Reason and understanding as rational men but hath also infus'd into them a principle of divine light and knowledge as Christians to search and try the Doctrines of Religion whether they be true or false God hath given them a Spiritual unction or understanding as the Apostle speaks 1 John 2.27 Chap. 5.20 that they may know him who is truth it self and they need not that any man teach them but as this anointing teacheth them which is truth and is no lye If any man
are proved by the Scriptures but as for the Scriptures they prove and evidence themselves sufficiently to the judgment of every true Christian by their own light manifesting their divine Original They are primum visibile not like colour that cannot be seen till light make it apparent but like light it self which maketh all other things manifest and it self too by its own proper quality Now then if a true believer should be ask'd why he believes the Articles of the Christian Religion he may truly answer thus because they are revealed in the holy Scriptures If it be further demanded how he can assure himself that the Scriptures are the word of God he may answer that he knows it by the Scriptures themselves the Spirit of God enlightning his understanding to see those lively characters of divine truth which are imprinted upon those sacred Volumes If yet it be further demanded how he knows whether that is the right meaning of such or such a place of Scripture he may likewise truly say that he knows it by the Scriptures which being diligently examined and compared together do plainly discover to the humble teachable Soul their own true sense and meaning in the things which concern everlasting Salvation And thus the faith of a Christian is finally and ultimately resolved into the infallible word of God or a divine Testimony and into nothing less As for the Authority and Testimony of the Church and the judgments and writings of the Godly learned they are good helps to make us see the Truth but no causes why we believe it this we do for its own sake not for their sayings or determinations which if they do not accord with the Scriptures we ought not to assent thereunto Though we should give due Reverence to the Assemblies of Godly judicious men and thoroughly examine and weigh with humility and self-denyal the grounds of our dissent from them yet the bare Authority of men though never so eminent for learning and piety should not command our assent to any Article of Religion that shall be proposed to us For our faith should not stand in the wisdome of men as the Apostle speaks but in the power of God and the Testimony and demonstration of his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 5. The first and chiefest ground whereon is built the certainty of faith's assent is the infallible truth and Authority of divine Revelation because God hath said it we are to believe it and assent to it for whatsoever God saith is true now this is a principle of Nature and Reason which is deeply ingraven into the heart and Conscience of every Rational man that God himself is so infinitely wise that he can be ignorant of nothing nor can any Creature circumvent and over-reach him and withal he is so infinitely good holy and just that no lye or untruth can proceed from him wisdome it self cannot be deceived truth it self cannot deceive and God is both And therefore wheresoever any Revelation is certainly known or believed to be of God there the reasonable Creature doth fully assent to the truth of things revealed But now the great question will be how we know infallibly that God is the Author of the Scriptures and that what we find written therein is of divine inspiration the very Oracles of God Here lyes the great yea the irreconcileable difference between the Church of Rome and us for whereas we maintain according to the truth that the Scriptures are known to be of God by themselves and by their own light and power they hold that we cannot be certain of their divine Authority but by the Testimony of the Church which as they say doth infalliby propose unto us what is to be believed and what is not to be believed And so by this means our faith shall be resolved either into nothing at all for they differ exceedingly about the Church representative and the supreme Judge of controversies here on Earth or at the furthest it shall be resolved but only into humane Authority and so shall be but a humane faith That Circle which they falsly charge upon us (m.) Mr. W. Pemble nature and properties of grace and faith P. 210 211. they themselves are guilty of and can never be dis-intangled therefrom by their Principles For ask a Romanist why do you believe that the Pope cannot err he will tell you because the Scripture saith so thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and I have prayed that thy faith may not fail and the like Texts of Scripture But how know you that this is the infallible word of God and that your interpretation is the right sence and meaning of these places To this he answers because the Pope and the Councel of Trent say so or as some of them hold because the Pope only saith so or as others of them because a general Councel saith so If we further urge him yea but how know you infallibly that the Pope and Councel do not err in saying so he will answer you because the Scripture affirms they cannot err for thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church c. And thus they run round in a Circle (n.) The Popish Circle described and are so intangled that the wisest and most learned of them know not how to deliver themselves Indeed they accuse us with open mouth as if we were intangled in a Circle running round from the Scriptures to the Spirit and again from the Spirit to the Scriptures as thus how know you the Scriptures to be the word of God by the Spirit revealing the same to my heart and Conscience but how know you this Revelation of the Spirit to be true By the Scriptures which testifie that the secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him But then further how know you this and the like places of Scripture to be the word of God we know it by the Spirit which reveals to us the things that are freely given us of God And thus they pretend that they have caught us in a Circle but they greatly mistake us though we do not mistake their Doctrine we teach indeed that we know the Scriptures infallibly to be the word of God by the Spirit of God inwardly revealing and testifying the truth of them to our Consciences But what kind of Revelation or Testimony is this It is not any inward suggestion or immediate inspiration different from those Revelations of Divine truth that are in the Scriptures themselves as if the Spirit of God did by a second private immediate Revelation assure me of the truth of those former Revelations contained in the Scriptures we have no warrant for this in an ordinary way but the Spirit of God reveals and testifies to our Consciences the divine Authority and truth of the Scriptures by removing those impediments that hindred as namely our ignorance and unbelief and by bestowing upon us those graces that make us capable of
any appearance of the face of Religion and may it not be feared that even the Turks and Heathens many of which do exceedingly reverence and honour those that administer their religious Rites and Service will rise up in judgment against many forward Professors of the Gospel who do on the other side as much contemn and despise their Ministers affording them neither countenance nor maintenance which is quite contrary to the Light of Nature and Reason whilst they pretend to the Light of the Gospel and supernatural Revelation The Apostle plainly shews even by Arguments taken from the Light of Nature 1 Cor. 9.7 that the Ministers of the Gospel who labour in the Lord's Vineyard should have due maintenance and encouragement As Tyranny in Church Officers is dangerous and destructive on the one hand swallowing up the liberties of Christian Societies so a Contemptible mendicant Ministry such a Ministry as is enslaved to the dictates and humours of the People is as dangerous and destructive if not more dangerous and destructive to Religion on the other hand as our own reason and daily experience will tell us Fourthly Societies for the solemn Worship of God being agreeable to the Light of Nature and Reason as well as to the Holy Scriptures we may hence gather that every Christian is under an Obligation to joyn himself to one Church-society or other where he may solemnly worship God according to his Judgment and Conscience and not walk at random without rule and order for as he should worship God in secret so being a member or part of the Church of God which is a Body politick he ought to manifest it by being visibly united to other parts of the Body And although Churches are much divided and corrupted at this day yet seeing there are many true Churches of Christ and some of them purer and more agreeable to his own Judgment than others he is bound by the Ordinance of God and this the very light of Nature and Reason will also suggest unto him to joyn and adhere to that Society which he judgeth to be most pure and most agreeable to the Rule of Scripture and his own professed Principles All Nations throughout the World that acknowledge a Deity are convinc'd even by the light of Nature that it is their duty to associate themselves with others for the participation of those Religious Rites and Ordinances that belong to the Worship of that Deity which they acknowledge Fifthly It is an irrational absurd thing and argues an Imposing spirit as any rational impartial man may easily judge to make that to be a ground and condition of Church Communion which the most holy wise God hath not required in His Word What will men be wiser than God will they lay Burthens on the Consciences of their Fellow-Christians where God hath left them free As this practice of theirs opposeth the Word of God and the Christian moderation of the purest Primitive Church so it riseth up with a high hand against the Light of Reason which would have us do no more to others in things of this nature than we would have them do unto us What reason can be given why Christians now should not stand upon the same terms and grounds of Church Communion which they did in the times of Christ and His Apostles Or that they should be bound up to more than Christ hath obliged them unto Or that any should be excluded from Church Communion who have Communion with Christ and shall be admitted into His heavenly Kingdom Surely this is unreasonable The question is not whether the things commanded and required be lawful or no nor whether Indifferencies may be determin'd by the Church or the Magistrate But Whether those persons do in a rational way consult the Advancement of the Protestant Cause the Churches Peace and Unity and the benefit of Brotherly Communion who suspend it upon such things as God hath not made the Ground of Church-Communion and is contrary to the Example and Practice of Christ and His Apostles for they would lay no other Burthen upon the Churches besides the things that were necessary Acts 15.29 Doubtless the main Inlet of those Divisions and Confusions that have been and are yet in the Christian World was and is by adding other Conditions of Christian Communion than Christ hath appointed Hereof none are more guilty though none more apt to accuse and condem others than the Schismatical Church of Rome who by adding to the Rule of Faith and to the true Grounds of Church Communion hath caused no small Trouble to the Churches of Christ which come to be establish'd in Peace not by rigorous Impositions but by mutual forbearance and condescention in such Indifferencies as are not determined in Scripture And this our own reason will tell us that the Unity and Peace of the Church lies not so much in a bare Uniformity in Opinion and Practice touching these things as in an unity of Love and Affection and a prudent forbearance and moderation for which Christian moderation the Primitive Church is much commended and herein we should imitate her She judged it saith the Ecclesiastical Historian (g) Sozom. Hist Eccles l. 7. cap. 19. and that very justly a foolish and frivolous thing for those that agree in the weighty matters of Religion to separate from one anothers Communion for the sake of some petty Customs and Observations For Churches agreeing in the same Faith often differ in their Rites and Customs And withall he tells us of many Cities and Villages in Egypt not only differing from the Customs of the famous Church of Alexandria but from all other Churches besides in their publick Assemblies on the Evenings of the Sabbath and receiving the Eucharist after Dinner And thus they freely allowed liberty unto and did not rigorously Impose upon dissenters in matters of this nature carrying themselves towards them with much moderation and sweetness of deportment without making such observances in Worship as were disputable and not clearly determined in Scripture the Indispensable Conditions of Communion with a particular Church And what reason can be alledged for such Injunctions Is not the Rule of Church Communion plainly laid down and fix'd by Christ himself to the things which he hath Commanded Matth. 28.19 20. After this when some persons would have impos'd the Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies for which there was yet more Ground than for our Impositions the Apostle bids the Churches stand fast in their liberty so as not to be the servants of men in these things yea and after the Apostles days when Victor Bishop of Rome would have imposed on other Churches in the point of observing Easter he was worthily condemned by Irenaeus and others If it be lawful for any persons or Churches to assign unscriptural conditions of their Communion will it not hence follow That Christ hath fixed no certain Rule of Communion among Christians which doubtless he hath done as appears plainly in the Scriptures And if
such persons or Churches may devise and assign new Rules and Conditions of Church Communion where shall the bounds and limits be set Reason it self will tell us that there will be no end no bottom of it some men especially being witty to devise a multitude of Ceremonies and outward Observances whereof Augustine himself complained in his days and which sufficiently appears in the Church of Rome in our days Sixthly The Light of Nature and Reason will also inform us that such as are admitted into a Church Society should freely consent to be governed by the Laws and Rules of it Nor can those be look'd upon rationally as stated members of a Society that will not submit to the Rules of the Society as they were constituted at the time of their entrance into it if they will partake of the Priviledges of a Society 't is but reasonable that they should submit to the Laws of it and perform those Duties that are incumbent upon them as members of it otherwise they do but weaken and not strengthen the Society whereof they are members Yea it is highly rational that in a well ordered Society every offendor should give an account of his Actions to the Governors of it and submit to the Censures inflicted upon him by them that so the Society may be preserved in peace and order and the Laws and Ordinances of it administred with authority and success And when a Christian is actually joyned in Church Society with others he should not upon slight grounds break off Communion but should continue still with them till his Communion become sinful for there is nothing in Scripture or Reason that can justifie a total separation from such a Society but the unlawfulness and sinfulness of continuing any longer in it Though there be many defects in that Society as there are in all the visible Churches of Christ yet if there be nothing Imposed upon him that is sinful but he may partake of the Ordinances of Christ without Sin he ought not to withdraw from such a Society A Christian may easily discern by the light of reason That if Church-members will withdraw upon every slight occasion and make themselves Judges of the Grounds of their withdrawing there will be no end of separation and withal this practice which is so common will at length be ruinous and destructive to the peace and order of every Church Society Indeed the Case is otherwise where a Church is guilty of great Corruptions both in Doctrine and Practice which it awoweth and professeth and also requireth the owning them as necessary conditions of Communion with her in such a case there ought to be a withdrawing from the Communion of that Church in which we cannot continue without Sin this is no Schism but rather the Duty of every Christian who ought to abstain from that Communion by which he will contract guilt upon his own Soul The departure therefore of a Christian from a Church is either lawful or schismatical according to the reasons and grounds of it which ought to be wisely and diligently inquired into before it be undertaken So long as we may communicate with a true Church of Christ of which we are stated members without Sin though there be some Corruptions tolerated but not imposed by her we should not utterly forsake her Communion but endeavour to preserve the Society and in a sober rational way to reform those Corruptions and Abuses according to our Places and Callings Seventhly The Law of Nature and Reason dictates to us That all things in a Religious Society should be administred with much seriousness and gravity and not in a slight superficial manner which causeth much lightness and vanity of Spirit in the members of it whereas the Governors and Ministers of such Societies should so manage the Affairs thereof that the Ordinances and ways of God may be rendered awful and majestical and not vile and contemptible in the Eyes of the People by their means God will be reverenced in Church Assemblies where nothing should be done or practised but what becomes the Majesty of God and his Holy Worship If there be much disorder and confusion neither Ministers nor People duly keeping their places in a Church Society this must needs be displeasing unto God as being very unsutable to the nature of his Church and Worship which requires the greatest order and seriousness Here certainly if if in any Assembly all things should be done decently and in order nor should scandalous vicious persons be admitted to the participation of the Sacred Mysteries of Christ in his Churches for if these things be promiscuously used and made common to good and bad they will in a rational way lose their lustre and become contemptible and so they are at this day in those Church Societies where no Discipline at all is exercised What 's the reason that Religion flourished so much and that there was so great a veneration of the Mysteries of Christ in the Primitive times but because they used much strictness and Christian prudence in their admission of Church-members as is fully described by Origen and others who tell us that they inquired into the Conversations of the People to discover their seriousness in the profession of Christianity and requir'd of them true repentance and reformation of life before they were admitted to the participation of the Sacred Mysteries And Justin Martyr in his Apology speaking of the Celebration of the Lords Supper tells us That there was required of those persons that were admitted to the Lords Supper a profession of Faith in the Truths of the Gospel and a Life answerable thereunto without which it was not lawful for them to participate at the Lord's Table This causeth the Mysteries of God to be reverenced but where there is a promiscuous Admission and Administration and none excluded that will offer themselves this will in a short time take away that Majesty and Authority that should accompany such Holy Administrations in Church-Assemblies Eighthly The Light of Nature and Reason will tell us that there must be a way or means to determine and decide Controversies and differences arising in such a Society which immediately tend to the breaking the Peace and Unity thereof otherwise there would not be sufficient provision made for the maintenance and preservation of the Society Now this must in reason be supposed in all Societies That when they are first entred into it must be upon such terms as may be sufficient to maintain and keep up those Societies in peace and order The Body of Man is furnish'd by Nature not only with a receptive and concoctive faculty of what tends to its nourishment but with an expulsive faculty of what would tend to the ruine of it Thus it is also with Civil Societies they have not only ways to strengthen them but likewise a power to expel those noxious humours and qualities which tend to their dissolution and doubtless the Church of Christ which is a Religious
lay aside his Reason and understanding and to be wholly concluded by humane Authority and the names of men in matters of faith As in other points the Church of Rome which is made up of lyes and contradictions would impose upon us as if we had neither Sense nor Reason in us so more especially in the point of Transubstantiation and the corporal carnal presence of Christ in the Sacrament which is against Sense against Reason and against Faith First It is against Sense now of all demonstrations amongst men whereby we prove things of this kind nothing is more firm then that which is taken from Sense 'T is an undoubted truth in Divinity that in all matters of Sense Sense is a compleat Judge understanding it of objects proper and peculiar to Sense otherwise we say the Eye is not able to judge of Sounds nor the Ear of Colours Thus Christ when he would prove that he had a true and real Body he sends his Disciples to their Senses a Spirit hath not flesh and blood as you see me have Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my Side In turning water into wine Sense might easily judge of the change you would think it a strange and incredible thing if Christ should have come to to the Master of the Feast requiring him to believe it was wine though he saw and tasted nothing but water or if God should have said thus to Moses well thou seest nothing but a Rod yet thou must believe notwithstanding that it is changed and is really a Serpent so in this case of the Sacrament when all the Senses tell us it is Bread which we see and touch and taste why should any man be so foolish and vain as to say with the Papists that the Bread ceaseth to be truly Bread and is Transubstantiated into the very Body of Christ Again Secondly As this Doctrine is against Sense so it is against Reason namely that Christ should be in Heaven and have but one Body and yet at the same have Ten Thousand Bodies on Earth that his Body should be a true Body as ours is and yet without Circumscription and other inseparable properties of a true Body that the substance of Bread should be abolished so as it shall remain no longer Bread and yet we find the very quantity taste whiteness substance and nourishing vertue of Bread If you ask them after all this whether it doth nourish the Body or no they will tell you with impudence enough if they be true to their own principles that it doth not nourish quite contrary to Reason and experience This monstruous opinion of theirs is so irrational and absurd that the most learned amongst them are puzled and not satisfied therewith but leave it as a miracle I have taken some pains saith a learned judicious man in his late Sermon against Popery to consider other Religions that have been in the world and I must freely declare that I never yet in any of them met with any Article or Proposition imposed upon the belief of men half so unreasonable and hard to be believed as this point of Transubstantiation is Thirdly As it is against Sense and Reason so it is against Faith which though it be beyond Sense or Reason yet it is not contrary thereunto Sense and Reason are Gods works as well as Grace and Faith Now one work of God doth not destroy another for if so this would argue imperfection in the workman faith feeds on Christ spiritually in the Sacrament being the evidence of things not seen now if Christ be corporally present in the Sacrament what need the receiver feed on him spiritually by faith as being absent what need he do this in rememberance of him till he come let us in this and other things shew our selves men and not Beasts let us make a right use of our Senses and of that Reason which God hath bestowed upon us 'T is we that believe and act in matters of Religion whoever requires the same of us these are our Acts if therefore we will shew our selves to be men endued with Reason and understanding we must examine what is propounded and offered to us that so we may assent or dissent upon judicious grounds we are men and should do things as men we are Christians and should do things as Christians Blind faith and blind obedience should be utterly Banished out of Christian Assemblies nor should we pin our faith upon any man or company of men be they never so Godly and learned for this were to wrong God and to set man in his Throne and attribute that to man which is proper to God alone Hereby also we exceedingly prejudice and wrong our own Souls and are in danger of Apostacie when we adhere to an opinion or way of which we are not rationally and knowingly perswaded that it is the way of God what is this else but to comply with a way or party out of faction and partiality not out of Judgment and Conscience which therefore cannot have any true Consistence or constancy in it They rather bring their feet then their hearts into a way of Religion that adhere to it without due tryal and examination Herein we should use our own eyes and judgments and not wholly trust to others Herein we should diligently exercise our own Reason if we will judiciously and profitably receive the truths of God not that we should judge of the highest Gospel mysteries according to natural corrupt Reason but yet we should make use of our own understandings and judgments being enlightned by the Spirit and word of God in comparing one thing with another that so our faith and knowledge may not be fluctuating and uncertain but steady and stable It will perhaps be objected that if every man may judge in matters of Religion according to his Reason then so many men so many minds which will breed endless confusion every man pretends to Reason and one man thinks his Reason to be as good or better than another mans and so according to this opinion there shall be no order no settlement in the Church I confess there is much danger on this hand especially where people are running headlong into confusion and will not submit to Ecclesiastical order and government yet this should not make men throw away their Reason and believe with an Implicite faith only as the Church believes In things of this nature there is a twofold judgment a judgment in foro externo or publico and a judgment in foro interno or privato The former of these is an Authoritative judgment belonging to Christian Synods and Counsels duly and lawfully assembled where the Christian Magistrate presides such Counsels debating and determining matters in difference either as to doctrine or practice have been of excellent use from time to time in the Church of God But besides this there is belonging to every Christian a judgment of discretion or discerning a rational self directive judgment in the
Society is also endowed with a power to maintain it self in Peace and Purity which cannot be without some way or other to decide Controversies and remove Scandals Now this is agreeable to the light of Nature and Reason when such differences arise in the Society either that the lesser number should acquiesce in the determination of the greater for Pars major jus habet universitatis The greater part hath the power of the whole or else which indeed is founded upon the Law of Nature there must be a subordination of powers in Congregations and a right of Appeal granted to an injured person from the lower and subordinate Power to the higher and superiour And in order to a redress of wrongs and ending Controversies our Reason will tell us that Appeals must not be infinite but there must be some Power or other from whence there shall be no appeal And truly it is against the natural reason and right of every man for any particular Society under what denomination soever so to ingross all Ecclesiastical power into their own hands that no liberty of appeals for redress can be made from them This is to usurp upon and invade the Civil and Religious Rights of Christians for it leaves men under a causeless Censure without any Authorative vindication of them from it And it is not much better in this Case and more agreeable to Reason to have matters in controversie either as to Doctrine or Practice judiciously debated and determined in a grave pious Assembly or Synod than by two or three men who perhaps by their parts or Popular interest without any sufficient ground from Scripture and Reason can easily sway those Societies or Congregations that are of their particular Opinion and so be it right or wrong the supposed Offendor must be determined by it Shall it be thought rational and fit that every particular Society though consisting but of a few persons shall have power over its own members to determine Controversies arising between them But yet if one or many of these particular Societies shall erre and go astray there shall be no Authorative power left for deciding what shall be done in this Case Surely if Christ who is the wise Governor of His Church hath made sufficient provision for the Cases of particular persons he hath also made sufficient provision in a rational way for the Cases of particular Societies Thus we have briefly shewed what use may be made of the Light of Reason both in Civil and Ecclesiastical Societies we shall now briefly declare how it may be proved by Reason That there is a God or supreme Being That the Soul of Man is Immortal That the Christian Religion is the only true Religion and That the Scriptures are the Word of God which Points you may find proved at large by Reason in the Learned Books of Lessius Morney Grotius and Sir Charles Woseley a Gentleman so well qualified and employed that I could heartily wish that our English Gentry would Imitate him CHAP. IX The light of Reason proves that there is a God THere is no Nation so Barbarous saith the Heathen Orator (h) Cicero de Natura Deorum no people so savage in whom there resteth not this perswasion That there is a God Even those Nations which in other respects seem very little to differ from bruit Beasts yet keep up and maintain a kind of Religion and Worship and have some sense of the Eternal Godhead impress'd upon their Hearts Yea Idolatry it self is a substantial proof of this perswasion for how willingly doth Man abase himself to honour other Creatures above himself when he will rather worship a Block or a Stone than to have no God at all Hence it appears that this imprinted perswasion of the Godhead is of great force and impossible to be quite oblitegated and razed out of the mind of Man To come to the knowledge of an Eternal Deity there are two ways namely by Faith and by Reason Faith indeed is the much better and nearer way for our Reason is much weakned and depraved and God Himself who is the supreme Being is infinitely above our Reason No man can make a perfect demonstration by his Reason in natural things he cannot fully demonstrate that his Father is his Father or that he is his Son so that in these and the like things there is a necessity of some faith or belief If a man tell you that he hath seen such or such a place he can make no demonstrative reason of it for the circumstances are not capable of demonstration In this Case there must be belief and much more in Religious and Divine matters Howbeit the Light of Reason so far as it reacheth for it is but an inferiour derivative Light like the light of the Moon and Stars will prove unto us that there is a God or supreme Being The Creatures afford Arguments and our Reason gathers by the force of those Arguments that there is a God First It may be clearly proved and made evident to our reason by the Frame of this great Universe even those things which the Eye seeth and the Ear heareth Rom. 1.20 Suppose a man forty years old who had never seen the beauty of this World before should now behold it would not the sight thereof make him wonder and inquire after the maker and contriver of it and force him to conclude that Man being not able to perform such a great and glorious work it must needs be effected by one that is infinitely wiser and better and more able than Man And who should that be but God Himself Who can cause such a consent and agreement amongst the Creatures so different and contrary one to another hot and cold moist and dry but this wise and sovereign Commander As in a Musical Instrument on which are twenty dissonant strings whence comes the Harmony but from some excellent skilful Musician that had the tuning of it Whence comes the fitting and composing of one thing to another but from this wise God As we say he is an Artist that fits the Wheels of a Watch one to another and 't is the skill of a Joyner or Smith which makes curious Tools and Works one fitted to another the sheath to the knife and the scabberd to the sword Whence comes the dependance of the Creatures one upon another and their mutual help and assistance one of another but from God! Beasts nourish Men the Grass nourisheth them and the Influence or Dew of Heaven maketh the Grass to grow and all from God Hos 2.21 These things can no more come to pass by accident than a multitude of Letters cast together by chance can without the Art of man make a Poem or History and therefore they direct us even by the light of reason to a supreme Providence Secondly It is proved by the Original of all things whence is this Original but of God As for Man he must needs be made by God for the Father that