â—MPRIMATUR GVIL JANE Nov. 24. 1677. Mr. HALES's TREATISE OF SCHISM Examined and Censured By THOMAS LONG B. D. and Prebendary of EXETER To which are Added Mr. BAXTER's ARGUMENTS FOR Conformity WHEREIN The most Material Passages OF THE TREATISE of SCHISM ARE ANSWERED LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1678. Mr. HALES's TRACT OF SCHISM AND Schismaticks Printed by the Original Copy EXAMINED AND CENSURED Who is it can think to gain acceptance and credit with reasonable Men by opposing not only the present Church conversing in Earth but the uniform consent of the Church in all Ages Mr. Hales in his Miscellanies set forth by Mr. Garthwait Anno 1673. p. 260. LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1678. TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD THOMAS LORD BISHOP OF EXETER IT was prophesied of our Saviour that the Government should be upon his shoulders Is 9. 6. and though he have devolved that burden upon mortal men which is Angelicis humeris formidandum yet doth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put under his shoulder and help them to bear it or they would soon sink under it For however it fares with the Church whether it be under persecution none are so much exposed to a fiery trial as they or whether it enjoy peace and plenty Pride and contention swels up some corrupt members to the daily vexation of their Heads Governors And how blameless soever their Persons be their Office is made a Crime Better things might have been expected from the Author of the Treatise hereafter considered wherein there is so much contempt poured out upon the Episcopal Office and on all Church authority and administrations that the Ink is not more black than the Calumny But where should the impetus of discontent and faction vent it self but against those rocks that are set by God Himself to give check and bounds unto it Now that in the Apostles days this sacred Order was appointed among other great ends as a remedy against Schism is acknowledged by such as are its reputed Adversaries In the Church of Alexandria from the time of St. Mark the Evangelist they were continued as a bulwork against Schism saith St. Hierom in his Epistle to Evagrius And in the Church of Corinth when Men begun to say I am of Paul and I of Apollo this Office was appointed that the seeds of Schism might be taken away saith the same Father on the first Chap. to Titus And he tells the Luciferians in a Dialogue with them That unless an eminent and uninterrupted power be by all given to the chief Pastors there will be as many schisms as there are Priests In all this St. Hierom followeth the more ancient Fathers Passibus aequis for Ignatius advised the Trallians to do nothing without their Bishop Which advice he repeating again tells them It is not my word but the Word of God and if ye suspect me to say this as understanding that there are Divisions among you he is my witness for whom I am in bonds that it was not man but the Spirit that declared this to me St. Clemens in his Epistle to the Corinth p. 57. says That the Apostles foreseeing that Divisions would arise as Christ had foretold did establish Bishops And the 32. Canon of the Apostles ordained That if any Presbyter or Deacon should make conventions without his Bishop he should be deposed In the 4th Oecumenical Council of Calcedon consisting of 630. Fathers there was read an Ancient Canon of the Council of Antioch to this effect If any Presbyter or Deacon contemning his Bishop shall separate and erect another Altar and will not obey the Bishop calling him home once and again we do utterly condemn such a one Which Canon being read by Aetius an Arch-Deacon the Fathers with one consent proclaimed This is a righteous Canon of the Holy Fathers In the Second Council of Carthage by the Eighth Canon it was provided That if any Presbyter lifted up with pride should make a Schism against his Bishop let him be accursed But in defiance of all these Canons and curses they have been accounted the only blessed Men in our times who have most vehemently decryed this holy Order and successfully maintained a Faction against them To whom if they are yet capable of any Counsel I would commend the moderation of Mr. Calvin who speaking of Popish Bishops Instit l. 4. c. 10. S. 6. saith If they were true Bishops I would yield them though not so much authority as they do require yet as much as is requisite for the well-ordering of Ecclesiastical Government And what he means by true Bishops he explaineth S. 1. The form of the Ancient Church sets before our eyes a pattern of the Divine institution for the order of governing his Church For though the Bishops of those times did set forth many Canons in which they seemed to express more than was expressed in the Holy Scripture yet they composed their whole Oeconomy with such caution according to that only rule of God's Word that you may easily perceive that they held nothing in this respect differing from the Word of God And in S. 4. he repeats the same Si rem intuemur reperiemus veteres Episcopos non alium regendae Ecclesiae formam voluisse fingere ab eâ quam Deus verbo suo praescripsit With how much truth and reverence doth this Learned man speak of those ancient Bishops of whom he says not only that they did not actually swerve from God's Word as to their Government but that they would not This Candor is much wanting in such as pretend to be Mr. Calvin's Disciples with whom this Sacred Function and all its Administrations are defamed as Antichristian and Popish and a Covenant for extirpating them root and branch is still pertinaciously adhered to But though the authority of these men be despised yet methinks that of our Saviour who hath made them his Ambassadors and Apostolus cujusque is est quisque and hath told us Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me should not be rejected nor those severe penalties under which he exacts our obedience to his Officers be slighted For whoever will not hear the Church is to be accounted as a Heathen or Publican and Mark 6. 11. Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of Judgment than for them And though wicked men do securely despise the censures of the Church yet hath Christ said Matth. 18. 18. of his Officers Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven which authority the Church of God would not have exercised in the purest and most primitive times by so many and dreadful Anathema's if their great Lord had not authorized them or if they had not experienced the good effects
on the 14th day of the Moon For the Eastern Churches alledging the practice of S. John and Philip for the 14th day had a better ground for it than a Jewish custom namely that of Christian Charity and Baronius notes it as worthy of our observation that the Apostles had anciently appointed that though Easter were observed on the Lords day by the generality of Christians yet they should gently tolerate the Judaizing Converts which were of the circumcision and were in great numbers in the Eastern parts See Baronius's Annals ad Ann. 167. p. 168. Now the Western Churches pleaded for their practice which was the observation of the Sunday following the Authority of S. Peter and S. Paul who had fully convinced the Gentile converts that all Jewish rites were to be laid aside as having had their full completion in Christ but yet as in other like cases they were instructed to bear with the Jews as for some time they did for the first time that this controversie was agitated was between Anicetus Bishop of Rome and Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna who according to the custom of other Asian Churches celebrated Easter day on the 14th of the Moon For which practice Polycarp alledged the Authority of S. John And Irenaeus in an Epistle mentioned by Eusebius l. 5. c. 18. tells us that Polycarp came to Rome to discourse with Anicetus concerning this and other different observations between the Eastern and Western Churches and having after some conference amicably agreed other controversies they still differed about this observation but without any violation of the bond of Charity for they communicated together Anicetus giving leave to Polycarp to perform the offices of Divine Worship in his Church and it was then concluded That both Churches should be at liberty to observe the Ancient customes delivered to them from their Predecessors But about the year of Christ 198. Victor Bishop of Rome revives the controversie with Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus who was then 65 years old and came within a little time of S. John being cotemporary with Polycarp Victor pleads that the custom of his Church was derived from the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and that all his Predecessors had celebrated Easter on the Lords day See Eusebius lib. 5. ch 21 22 23. And Nicephorus l. 4. c. 36. Polycrates in his Epistle mentioned by Eusebius l. 5. c. 24. replies That all the Provinces of Asia observed it according to an Ancient tradition received long before i. e. before the second Century from S. John and S. Philip from Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna from Thraseas Bishop of Eumenia Sagaris of Laodicea Papirius and Melito Bishops of Sardis who always practised according to the same Canon and all the Bishops of Asia then living consented to and subscribed his Epistle Upon this Victor beginneth to storm and threatneth to Excommunicate the Bishops of Asia as Heterodox and to that end he assembleth the Bishops under his Jurisdiction who with one consent declared for peace desiring his forbearance and disliking his too great severity The Epistle of Irenaeus to Victor on this occasion is yet extant in which he declares That although for his part he was resolved to observe the Feast of Easter on the Sunday according to the practice of the Western Church in which he lived yet he could not approve that the Eastern Church should be Excommunicated for observing an Ancient custom and mindeth Victor that the Bishops before him had never broken the Churches peace on this occasion But no mediation would prevail Victor was Victor still and proceeds to denounce an impotent sentence against the Asian Churches Baronius says something to excuse the severity of Victor viz. That as long as those Churches were Catholick and incorrupt they of Rome thought it expedient to tolerate that custom but when from that custom Schism and Heresie brake in upon the Asian Churches for Montanus having diffused his Heresie through Asia those Asians began to plead that they had received this Tradition from their Paraclete that the Pascha ought to be celebrated on the 14th of the Moon and on no other day and that all such as practised otherwise were in an error then Victor thought it his duty to restrain this error 2. This Opinion of keeping Easter after the Asian manner was taken up by many Hereticks and so spread it self that it invaded the very bosom of the Roman Church and pluckt thence one Blastus who in the face of that Church maintained the Asian against the Roman Custom Tertullian speaks of this Blastus in his book de Praescriptionibus c. 53. saying that he endeavoured to bring in Judaism affirming that the Christian Pascha was not to be kept otherwise than was prescribed by the Law of Moses And this opinion of Blastus drew away so many after him that Irenaeus wrote a book of Schism directed purposely against Blastus but could not recal him And now let the indifferent Reader judge whether the subject of this controversie were most unnecessary most vain as our Author declaims Victor indeed did prosecute it with too much heat insomuch that the Cardinal knows not what to say in his excuse An verò quod potestate jure faciebat recténe fecerit dubitatum est saith the Cardinal Doubtless the Asian Churches were sui juris not under the jurisdiction of Victor or if they had been yet was he not unblameable in Excommunicating all the Churches of Asia for the fault of some few that had crept in among them whom in due time they would have restrained by their own authority He was also too precipitate in not yielding to the mediation of his own Bishops in behalf of those Churches And lastly he was much more culpable for imposing this observation on the Asian Churches as a matter of Faith and judged them to be heterodox and excommunicate that would not submit Baronius his words ad annum Christi 198. p. 191. of the Antwerp edition are Totius Asia Ecclesias cum aliis finit imis tanquam alterius fidei opinionis à communi unitate Ecclesia amputare conatur Nor were the Asian Churches without fault for yielding so long to a Jewish Ceremony which might long ere that time have been decently buried as other Jewish customes had been And also for suffering some among them to teach a necessity of observing the Christian Pascha on the 14th day and no other So that to conclude though the Roman Church was in this particular stronger in the Faith yet as our Author saith they should have born with the imbecillity of their weaker Brethren a thing which he observes S. Paul would not refuse to do p. 218. To which I say that S. Paul did comply for a while with the Jewish Converts in the Case of Circumcision but when some of them pleaded for a necessity of Circumcision he thunders against that Opinion as loudly as Victor did against this saying That if they were Circumcised i. e. with an Opinion of the
to teach but command 1 Tim. 4. 11. to give charge concerning widows 1 Tim. 5. 1 7. how to receive accusations against Elders 1 Tim. 5. 19. how to ordain 1 Tim. 5. 22. and see that they held fast the form of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. to suppress striving about vain words and prophane bablings such as were the discourses of Hymenaeus and Philetus which did eat as a canker and overthrew the faith of some 2 Tim. 2. 14 16. to rebuke authoritatively such as would not endure sound doctrine but agreeably to their own lusts did heap up teachers to themselves having itching ears 2 Tim. 4. 2 3. And in like manner that Titus should suffer no man to despise his authority Titus 2. 15. but diligently discharge the duties for which the Apostle setled him in Crete i. e. to set in order things which were wanting and to ordain Elders in every City Titus 1. 5. and to reject hereticks after a second admonition Titus 3. 10. Besides we find the Spirit of God commending the Angel of the Church of Ephesus for shewing her hatred against the Nicolaitans and blaming the Angel of the Church of Pergamus for tolerating the Doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans and the Angel of Thyatira for permitting the Doctrine and practice of Jezebel Rev. 2. 6. c. Nor did I ever hear yet of any Conventicle that pretended to have the face of a Church that did not exercise some authority over their members for as the Synod of Dort declared No order nor peace can be preserved in the Church if it should not be lawful for it so to judge of its own members as to restrain within bounds wavering and unsetled spirits This hath been the practice of the Churches of all Ages the particulars to which their authority did extend are not now to be reckoned nor the arguments for vindication thereof necessary to be insisted on I shall shut up this with that of Beza de pace Ecclesiae Neque enim Dei gratiâ ignoro Ecclesiam esse veritatis testem extra quam non sit salus Orthodoxorum consensum in Synodis adversùs Haereticos plurimi fieri par est Patrum in interpretandis Scripturis in refutandis erroribus in admonendis populis labores adeò non contemni oportet ut secundo à Scripturis loco meritò habeantur These things do certainly infer that Church-authority is something However our Author p. 224. dares to tell us that They do but abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christ's institution have any superiority above other Men further than of Reverence And the reason which he gives for it is this For we have believed him that told us that in Jesus Christ there is neither high nor low and that in giving honour every Man should be ready to prefer another before himself Which reasons do as certainly conclude against Magistrates as Bishops viz. that there is no obedience no tribute or homage due to them by Christ's institution nothing further than an airy superiority of reverence which if the other were denyed would be but a mockery Like that wherewith the late Royal Martyr was Reverenced when the Usurpers robbed him of all that God and the Laws invested him withall and gave him only the superiority of reverence in a Noble Death But as to Bishops let our Author's Assertion Answer it self For first It grants that Bishops were by Christ's institution because by his institution they had a superiority of reverence above other Men. 2ly This superiority was grounded on their Office as Bishops that is Overseers of the Flock committed to their charge which Office was assigned to them by the Holy Ghost Acts 20. 28. And now I would have the Reader consider whether those that by the institution of Christ and of the Holy Ghost were made Rulers and Governors of the Church have no other superiority above other Men beside that of reverence There is more expressed Hebr. 13. 17. in these words Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves And when St. Paul instructs Timothy in the office of a Bishop he tells him how he should learn to rule the House of God 1 Tim. 3. 4. by ruling well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity Again when he chargeth Timothy 1 Ep. 5. 17. to provide that those Presbyters that did not only rule well but laboured above others in the Word and Doctrine should be counted worthy of double honour he intended somewhat more than a superiority of Reverence namely an Honorary maintenance such as was the portion of the elder Brother under the Law not a precarious Eleemosynary stipend but that which was as due to them as the hire is to the labourer and I suppose that this is by Christ's institution the Apostle assuring us that as it was setled by a Divine institution under the Law Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1. Cor. 9. 14. Besides the Apostle grounds the superiority of Reverence on that of the office of governing labouring and watching for the Souls of the People So 1 Thessal 5. 12 13. We besseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake And that the Apostles were superior in office not only to the People but to the 72. Disciples and to the Deacons is clearly evinced by the Scriptures for upon the miscarriage of Judas another being to take his office Acts 1. 20. the Apostles met together and in a solemn assembly after prayer and supplication the lot fell on Matthias who was one of the 72. Disciples and had accompanied the Apostles all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them And this method was to continue by Saint Paul's advice to Timothy 1. Ep. 3. 13. where such as had used the office of a Deacon well are said to purchase to themselves a good degree i. e. as the Assembly expound it doth deservedly purchase to himself the honour of a higher office in the Church And whereas we read Acts 1. 3. that our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection conversed 40. days with his Apostles speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God i. e. the teaching and governing of his Church and when he ascended up on high he gave some Apostles some Prophets c. not only for the work of the Ministry but preventing of false Doctrines and Schisms Ephes 4. 11-14 compared with 1 Cor. 12. 25 28 29. it is evident there was a superiority of office as well as of reverence given to the Teachers Governors of the Church For God hath set these several orders in his Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets c. all are not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Teachers there were some even by God's institution above
which we translate Priests Sacrifice and Altars and our translation is not intolerable if Priest come from Presbyter I need not prove that if it do not yet all Ministers are subordinate to Christ in his Priestly office And the word Sacrifice is used of us and our offered Worship 1 Pet. 2. 5. Hebr. 13. 15 16. Phil. 4. 18. Eph. 5. 2. Ro. 12. 1. And Hebr. 13. 10. saith we have an Altar which word is frequently used in the Revelations in relation to Gospel-times We must not therefore be quarrelsome against the bare names unless they be abused to some ill use The Ancient Fathers and Churches did ever use all these words so familiarly without any question or scruple raised by the Orthodox or Hereticks about them that we should be wary how we condemn these words lest we give advantage to the Papists to tell their followers that all antiquity is on their side The Lords Supper is by Protestants truly called a Commemorative Sacrifice Of the Communion table c. Qu. 123. May the Communion Tables be turned Altarwise and railed in and is it lawful to come up to the rails to communicate Answ 1. God hath not given a particular command or prohibition about these circumstances but only general rules for edification unity decency and order 2. They that do it out of a design to draw men to Popery or to incourage men in it do sin 3. So do they that rail in the Table to signifie that Lay-Christians must not come to it but be kept at a distance 4. But where there are no such ends but only to imitate the Ancients that did thus and to shew reverence to the Table on the account of the Sacrament by keeping away dogs keeping boys from sitting on it and the professed doctrine of the Church condemneth Transubstantiation the real corporal-presence c. in this case Christians should take these for such as they are indifferent things and not censure or condemn each other for them 5. And to communicate is not only lawful in this case where we cannot prove that the Minister sinneth but even when we suspect an ill design in him which we cannot prove yea or when we can prove that his personal interpretation of the place name scituation and rail is unsound for we assemble there to communicate in and according to the professed doctrine of Christianity and the Churches and our own open profession and not after every private opinion and error of the Minister Of the Creed Qu. 139. What is the use and authority of the Creed is it of the Apostles framing or not Answ It s use is to be a plain explication of the Faith professed in the baptismal covenant And for the satisfaction of the Church that men indeed understand what they did in Baptism and professed to believe 2. It is the Word of God as to the matter of it whatever it be as to the order or composition of the words 3. It is not to be doubted but the Apostles did use a Creed commonly in their days which was the same with that now called the Apostles and the Nicene in the main 4. And it is easily probable that Christ composed a Creed when he made his Covenant and instituted baptism Matth. 28. 19. 5. That the Apostles did cause the baptizable to understand the three Articles of Christs own Creed and Covenant and used many explicatory words to make them understand it 6. It is more than probable that the matter opened by them was still the same when the words were not the same 7. And it is also more than probable that they did not needlesly vary the words lest it should teach men to vary the matter And lastly no doubt but this practice of the Apostles was imitated by the Churches and that thus the essentials of Religion were by the tradition of the Creed and Baptism delivered by themselves as far as Christianity went long before any book of the New Testament was written And the following Churches using the same Creed might so far well call it the Apostles Creed Of the Apocrypha Qu. 150. Is it lawful to read the Apocrypha or Homilies Answ It is lawful so be it they be sound doctrine and fitted to the peoples edification 2. So be it they be not read scandalously without sufficient differencing them from God's book 3. So they be not read to exclude or hinder the reading of the Scriptures or other necessary Church duty 4. So they be not read to keep up an ignorant lazy Ministry that can or will do no better 5. And especially if Authority command it and the Churches agreement require it Of the Oath of Canonical Obedience Qu. 153. May we lawfully swear obedience in all things lawful and honest either to Usurpers or to our lawful Pastors Answ If the King shall command us it is lawful So the old Nonconformists who thought the English Prelacy an unlawful office yet maintained that it is lawful to take the Oath of Canonical obedience because they thought it was imposed by the King and Laws and that we swear to them not as Officers claiming a divine right in the spiritual Government but as Ordinaries or Officers made by the King according to the Oath of Supremacy Of the Holiness of Churches Qu. 170. Are Temples Fonts Utensils Church-lands much more Ministers holy and what reverence is due to them as Holy Answ Temples Utensils Lands c. devoted and lawfully separated by man for holy uses are holy as justly related to God by that lawful separation Ministers are more holy than Temples Lands or Utensils as being nearlier related to holy things and things separated by God are more holy than those justly separated by man And so of Days every thing should be reverenced according to the measure of its holiness And this expressed by such signs gestures actions as are fittest to honour God to whom they are related And so to be uncovered in Church and use reverent carriage and gestures there doth tend to preserve due reverence to God and to his Worship 1 Cor. 16. 20. Of the power of the Magistrate in Circumstantials Those modes or circumstances of Worship which are necessary in genere but left undetermined by God in specie are left by God to humane prudential determination else an impossibility should be necessary It is left to humane determination what Place the publick Assemblies shall be held in And to determine of the time except where God hath determined already and what Utensils to imploy about the publick Worship Some decent Habit is necessary either the Magistrate or the Minister or associated Pastors must determine what I think neither Magistrate nor Synod should do more than hinder indecency if they do and tye all to one habit and suppose it were an indecent habit yet this is but an imprudent use of power it is a thing within the Magistrates reach he doth not an aliene work but his
the Scruples and suspicions of private Christians concerning the lawfulness of Actions required by their Superiors cannot warrant their separation Because their obedience to Superiors in things not unlawful is their duty and to omit a certain duty upon a bare suspicion is dangerous and sinful And for a full answer to this error I desire it may be considered what a scrupulous Conscience is which I take to be such an act of the practical understanding as resolves what is or what is not to be done but with some fear and anxiety lest its determination be amiss And it differs from a doubting Conscience which assents to neither part of the question but remains unresolved as doubting of the true sense of the rule in which case it is resolved that in all things doubtful we are to take the safest course And doubtless that wherein the generality of wise and good Men as well Ancient as Modern are agreed is much more safe than that in which a few less knowing prejudicated and guilty persons pretend to be doubtful But where there are only groundless fears and scruples concerning some circumstance annexed to a known duty it is the sense even of our Non-conformists That if we cannot upon serious endeavours get rid of our Scruples we ought to act against them And this is so lawful and necessary that we cannot otherwise have either grace or peace See more to this purpose in a Sermon at Cripplegate on Acts 24. 26. p. 18 19. And if scruple and suspicion were a just plea for Separation then every discontented Person that is resolved to contemn his Superiours every one that is affectedly ignorant and lazy or refractory to better information every one that hath melancholy humours and temptations or wants true Christian Humility or Charity may make separation and yet be guiltless So that this Opinion of our Author's would be an Apology for all Separatists which being allowed there neither was nor can be any such sin as Schism For I suppose it is sufficiently known that neither the Doctrine or Worship of any Church is so well constituted but some unquiet spirits have raised scruples and suspicions concerning them And unless the Church have power to command things lawful and no way repugnant to the Word of God though some giddy Persons may scruple at them it is impossible that it should preserve it self from confusion The Apostles I am sure did practise this in the Synod at Hierusalem Acts 15. And St. Paul silenceth the objections of contentious and scrupulous Persons with the Custome of the Churches of God 1 Corinth 11. 16. Every Congregation that pretends to have the face of a Church requires the obedience of its Members to all Orders for publick Worship as well as their consent to their Articles of Faith and without this it could not subsist I shall conclude this with Mr. Baxter's advice in his Dispute of Ceremonies Ch. 15. S. 3. That the Duty of obeying being certain and the sinfulness of the thing commanded being uncertain and only Suspected we must go on the surer side And the Author of the Sermon on Acts 24. 16. gives a good reason for it saying If a Christian should forbear praying or receiving the Sacrament every time his scrupulous conscience tells him he had better wholly omit the duty than perform it in such a manner he would soon find to his sorrow the mischief of his scruples And he adviseth In all known necessary duties always do what you can when you cannot do what you would Our Author p. 202. falls on an Ancient controversie concerning the observation of Easter of which he gives us this imperfect account That it being upon error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forced upon the Church thought further necessary that the ground for the keeping the time of that Feast must be the rule left by Moses to the Jews there arose a stout question whether we ought to Celebrate with the Jews on the 14th of the Moon or the Sunday following This matter though most unnecessary most vain yet caused as great a combustion as ever was in the Church the West separating from and refusing Communion with the East for many years together An impartial relation of the ground of this controversie as it lies in Church History will sufficiently discover how odiously it is represented First then whereas he says it was upon error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept I answer if it were an error the Church had it from the Apostles themselves for although the contending parties differed among themselves in the day yet both agreed on the necessity of observing Easter in Commemoration of our Saviour's Resurrection And the Controversie concerning the day puts it out of controversie that there ought to be a day observed Some learned men have thought the setting a-part of an Easter day to be grounded on 1 Cor. 5. 8. where S. Paul speaking of the Christian Passover says Let us keep the Feast and Grotius observes that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answereth to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to abstain from all work for the offering up of holy things to God If the observation of any day be necessary unto Christians this of Easter is because it is the Mother and ground of our weekly Sabbath and is supposed to be the same which S. John calls the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. But we need not seek express authority from Scripture to make it necessary the practice of the Apostles testified by such early and authentick witnesses and the continued celebration of it in all the Churches of God do evince that it was not taken up on an Error no more than the observation of the Weekly Sabbath Mr. Hales says enough to resolve this objection in his Golden Remains set forth by Mr. Garthwait 1673. p. 260. on the question how we may know the Scriptures to be the word of God When saith he we appeal to the Churches testimony we content not our selves with any part of the Church actually existent but add unto it the perpetually successive testimony of the Church in all Ages since the Apostles times viz. since its first beginning and out of both these draw an argument in this question of that force as that from it not the subtilest Disputer can find an escape For who is it that can think to find acceptance and credit with reasonable men by opposing not only the present Church conversing in earth but the uniform consent of the Church in all ages So that the Church in all Ages agreeing that an Easter must be kept it was not taken up upon Error Nor secondly was it upon worse than error i. e. as our Author affirms a point of Judaism grounded on the Law of Moses to the Jews that the observation thereof was by some Churches solemnized
necessity of it Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5. 2. Now from this History as our Author had contrived it he drew several wilde inferences As first p. 203. In this fantastical Hurry I cannot see saith he but all the World were Schismaticks To which I reply That all the World were not concerned in it there being some Nations that differed from both these in the observation of Easter as Socrates l. 5. c. 21. hath observed for even among the Jewish Converts some that agreed on the 14th day differed in the Moon and Venerable Bede observes that our Nation which the Pope pretends to have been his Converts did in those primitive times observe their Easter on the 14th day which by the way is an argument that we at first received the Christian Faith not from the Church of Rome who exploded this custome but more Anciently from Joseph of Arimathea or from St. Philip who as many good Authors affirm planted the Christian Religion in our neighbour Nation of France and as the Asian Churches affirm was one of them that taught them this custom nor do we read that they were condemned for Hereticks for so doing Neither did those Eastern Churches who differed in the Moneth anathematize each other and Socrates ubi supra gives this reason for it They that agree in the same Faith may differ from each other in respect of Rites as the Reformed Churches do at this day And though the Roman Church did excommunicate the Asian yet were they never the more Schismaticks for that being they were sui Juris not under the Roman power And according to our Authors definition of schism they being never members of that Church from which they were excommunicate could not be guilty of schism notwithstanding Victors rigor We say therefore they were still members of the Catholick Church And as for the Roman Church what should make them Schismaticks For though Victor did arrogate too much as to the manner of his proceedings yet as to the matter his prosecution against a Jewish ceremony when it grew into an Opinion of being necessary to be observed was his duty and approved by the practice of St. Paul himself And while there was a controversie between their Governors the People and Clergy too of both Parties continued in due subjection to their Superiors and in mutual charity to one another So that the Separatists of our Age can have no excuse for their Schism from this instance But our Author infers Secondly that this fell out through the ignorance or which he mentioneth also the malice of their Governors and that through the just judgment of God on the People because through sloth and blind obedience they examined not the things which they were taught but like beasts of burthen patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiors laid upon them To which I Answer It doth not appear there was any charge of ignorance to be imputed to Victor or his People for the reasons above mentioned much less of malice Our present Sectaries do call their opposition to Ceremonies more innocent than that by the name of zeal and love to the cause of God Nor was there any thing imposed on the Churches of either side that concerned their Faith nor any custome or rite de novo but only the Asian Churches were desired to translate the custome of observing Easter from a day which gave offence not only to the Church of Rome but several other Churches Petavius says the difference was not de Catholico dogmate sed de Ritu seu Ritûs potiùs tempore And if the Superiors in the Asian Churches had thought the Alteration fit as shortly after they did it had doubtless been the Peoples duty to submit for every Church hath power in those things which are indifferent and much more in such things as give offence to other Churches to appoint and alter rites and ceremonies for the publick Worship of God and the People shew themselves not beasts of burthen but Christ's Free-men in submitting to their Governors as far as Christian liberty doth permit If Victor had imposed new Articles of Faith as Pius Quintus did in the Council of Trent doubtless those Primitive Christians would have resisted even to bloud of which they gave too many instances when they constantly endured all manner of torments rather than they would renounce the Faith once delivered to them Our Author therefore needed to ask pardon for wounding the reputation of these Ancient Worthies in cool bloud as well as for massacring at once the authority of all the Fathers in the heat of a temptation p. 204. where he says thus You may plainly see the danger of our appeal to Antiquity for resolution in controversies of Faith and how small relief we are to expect from thence for if the discretion of the chiefest Guides of the Church did in a point so trivial so inconsiderable so mainly fail them as not to see the truth in a subject wherein it is the greatest marvel how they could avoid the sight of it Can we without the imputation of extreme grossness and folly think so poor spirited persons competent Judges of the questions now on foot in the Churches Pardon me I know not what temptation drew that note from me To this I reply 1. Whoever he be that so contemptuously rejects the Authority and trampleth on the reputation of the Fathers hath sufficiently excused those that shall slight his own This is the Author 's own sense Golden Remains p. 260. 2. I refer it to the judgment of the Reader whether Victor Bishop of Rome condemning some of the Asian Churches for adhering too tenaciously to a Jewish ceremony which was of ill consequence to those and other neighbouring Churches were not more excusable than a private person living many hundred years after the fact and never rightly knowing or else wrongfully representing it insolently and causlesly condemning the Ancient Fathers not of one or two Ages or parts of the Church but all in general as if the failing of one man in a point so trivial and inconsiderable as our Author calls it were sufficient reason to condemn them all for indiscreet and poor spirited persons And to impute extreme grossness and folly to all that should think them competent Judges of our differences This is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beyond that of Abailardus who was wont to say that the Fathers for the most part did think this or that to be right but I think otherwise as if his single authority could out-weigh all theirs 3. He must pretend to have some new light for his guide and be either an Enthusiast or Socinian that can see any danger in appealing to Antiquity for resolution in controverted points of Faith For seeing there is scarce any point of Faith but some unhappy Wits have controverted it and in defence of their Opinions have put the Scriptures on the rack to make them speak their own sense how can
points of Faith delivered in the Scriptures be better understood and confirmed than by the joynt consent of such Ancient Doctors who conversed with the Apostles or their immediate Successors and are rightly called Apostolici many of which were Persons of great Learning and Eloquence and so could not be charged with ignorance And doubtless they were very industrious in inquiring into the grounds of the Christian Faith for which they forsook all temporal accommodations and most of them their lives and against all opposition have not only handed down to us the Scriptures themselves pure and incorrupt but the proper and genuine sense of them We do not make them Judices but Indices fidei not the Authors but the witnesses to confirm and give evidence in matters of Faith 4. The Papists do calumniate the Reformed Divines as if they rejected the judgment of the Fathers whereas they do with one consent and none more readily than they of the Church of England appeal to their Authority for confirmation of the Faith which they profess I could easily fill a Volume with the testimonies of our Modern Divines concerning the authority of the Ancients how competent Judges they are of the questions now on foot The naming of some few will resolve us whether our Author's Opinion or theirs deserves the imputation of grosness and folly Calvin in his controversie with Pighius de libero Arbitrio says The controversie between me and Pighius would soon be ended if he would declare the tradition of the Church in the certain and perpetual consent of the Holy and Orthodox Bucer says as much on Matth. 1. concerning the consent of the Church about the perpetual Virginity of the Holy Virgin Mary That to doubt of that consent unless some plain Oracle of Scripture doth inforce it is not the part of them that have learned what the Church of Christ is When Zanchy was 70. Years old and had long studied the point He tells us in these words Hoc ego ingenuè profiteor talem esse meam conscientiam ut à veterum Patrum sive dogmatibus sive scripturarum interpretationibus non facilè nisi manifestis scripturarum testimoniis vel necessariis consequentiis apertisque demonstrationibus convictus atque coactus discedere queam Sic enim acquiescat mea conscientia in hac mentis quiete cupio etiam mori Epistola ad Confess fidei p. 47. Gualter in his Preface to Peter Martyr's common places says From hence come all kinds of evils the pest of disputatiousness the violation of all bonds of Charity and shaking the fundamentals of Faith because we do not reverence the Ancients as much as we ought Nor fear I to affirm that the chief cause of the Contentions of our Age is because most Divines insist on the Opinions of their present Masters and read their Books not enquiring what learned Antiquity did think or what errors and heresies were condemned by it As for the Divines of our own Church it may be sufficient to mention Bishop Jewel's Chalengee and how well he discharged it If any learned man of our adversaries said that learned Bishop or all the learned men that be alive be able to bring any one sufficient sentence out of any old Catholick Doctor or Father or out of any old General Council or out of the Holy Scriptures of God or any one example of the Primitive Church whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved that there was any private Mass in the world for 600 years after Christ or that c. to the number of 27. Articles now in controversie between us and the Church of Rome I am content to yield and to subscribe And in his Apologie for the Church of England he says We came as nigh as possibly we could to the Apostolical Churches and the Ancient Bishops neither did we direct our Doctrine only but our Sacraments and form of Publick Prayers to their rites and institutions And after him the Church provided by her constitutions Imprimis videant Concionatores ne quid unquam pro concione doceant quod à populo religiosè teneri credi volunt nisi quod consentaneum sit Veteri Novo Testamento quódque ex iis docuerint Antiqui Patres veteres Episcopi collegerint I add only that of the Royal Martyr in his discourse with Henderson 3d. paper When you and I differ about the sense of the Scriptures and I appeal to the unanimous consent of the Fathers and the Primitive Church you ought to find a more competent Judge or to rest in him that is proposed by me And this shall serve to assoil that question which our Author saith carryeth fire in the tail of it and brings with it a piece of Doctrine which is seldom pleasing to Superiors p. 200. But the fire proves an Ignis fatuus and our Author himself brings water enough to extinguish it for in p. 65. he saith If Aristotle and Aphrodiseus and Galen and the rest of those excellent men whom God hath endued with extraordinary portions of natural knowledge have with all thankful and ingenious men throughout all generations retained their credit intire notwithstanding it is acknowledged that they have all of them in many things swerved from the Truth Then why should not Christians express the same ingenuity to those who have laboured before us in the exposition of the Christian Faith and highly esteem them for their works sake their many infirmities notwithstanding From this general contempt of the Fathers our Author proceeds p. 206. to cast a slurr on S. Augustine For having mentioned S. Augustines argument which he maintained against the Donatists which was Unitatem Ecclesiae per totum Orbem dispersae propter nonnullorum peccata non esse deserendam i. e. that the Unity of the Church spread over the whole world ought not to be forsaken for the sins of some few that were in its communion he adds that though it were de facto false that Donatus his party shut up in Africa was the only Orthodox party yet it might have been true notwithstanding any thing S. Augustine brings to confute it And contrarily though it were de facto true that the part of Christians dispersed over the face of the Earth were the Orthodox yet it might have been false notwithstanding any thing S. Augustine brings to confirm it As if that learned Father who was as close and exact a disputant as the Church hath enjoyed ever since had wholly mistaken the question or were unable to urge one argument pro or con i.e. either for confutation of that wretched Schism or for defence of the Catholick Church That learned Father wrote a very large Volume against those Schismaticks which contains so much both of wit and Argument that there would not need any thing else to be said for the confutation of Schismaticks to the worlds end if his arguments were well understood and applyed And when our Author proves the Donatists in two
lines to be complete Schismaticks first for choosing a Bishop in opposition to the former secondly for erecting new places for the dividing party to meet in publickly I wonder with what confidence he could deny that S. Augustine had done so much in so many writings and disputations But when I consider how palpably this Author contradicts himself I cease to wonder that he should oppose and contemn that Great man For p. 208. he seems with some passion to interrogate Why might it not be lawful to go to Church with the Donatists and p. 215. why may I not go if occasion require to an Arrian Church when p. 229. he says expresly that it is not lawful no not for prayer hearing conference c. to assemble otherwise than by publick order is allowed And if our Author knew not that as well the Schism of the Donatists as the heresie of the Arrians was often condemned and forbidden by the Emperors and Councils of that age he was very ignorant indeed But the reason which our Author gives why S. Augustine said nothing to the question is as strange as any thing else S. Augustine saith our Author brought nothing to prove that the Orthodox were the true Church or the Donatists were Schismaticks For the Church may be in any number in any place country or nation it may be in all and for ought I know it may be in none without prejudice to the definition of a Church or the Truth of the Gospel He might as well have told us of a Church in Utopia which is the same with a Church in no place country or nation What Idea of the Church our Author conceived I cannot imagine but that which he expresseth concerning it is as contrary to the truth of all the Prophecies of the Old Testament as well as the description of it in the New from whence the definition is taken as light is to darkness For Acts 2. 41. ad finem the Church is described to be a number of men not all nor none called out of the world by the preaching of the Apostles and joyning themselves to their Spiritual guides by Baptism and breaking of Bread by publick Prayers and hearing the Word These in verse 47. are expresly called the Church and to this Church the Lord added daily such as should be saved Now such Churches were by Christ's commissions to be planted in all Nations which we believe was really effected and the truth thereof is still apparent that God hath given his Son the heathen for his inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for hs possession and therefore to say that a Church may be in none either number or place for I suppose the Author intends both because if it may exist in no place it must not consist of any number nor so much as admit of one as contrary to sense and Reason as to the Truth of the Gospel And is such a fancy as that of Mrs. Trask who having shifted from one Conventicle to another in New-England and at last on pretence of impurity in their ordinances and members separated from them all affirmed that she alone was the Church and Spouse of Christ But I think Mr. Hales himself sufficiently refutes this fancy of our Author Page 185 186. of his Golden Remains he tells us that to prove the existence of our Church before Luther all that is necessary to be proved in the case is nothing else but this that there hath been from the Apostles times a perpetual succession of the Ministry to preach and to baptize of which by the providence of God there remains very good evidence to the world and shall remain Having told us that the Church may be in no place that is in effect that there may be no Church he doth with the more confidence affirm p. 213. That Church Authority is none and tradition for the most part but figment Answ As to traditions in general I defend them not nor can any man else but for such as bear the Characters which Vincentius Lirinensis describes quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus we have all reason imaginable to inforce the imbracing of such traditions as have been received and delivered to us by all the Churches of Christ in all ages and in all places unless we were of the Authors opinion that Church authority is none and this can never be made good but by proof of our Authors fiction of a Church in Utopia For if our Saviour did out of mankind redeem a Church by his own bloud if he planted it by his Apostles and promised his presence with it to the end of the world if he made it the ground and Pillar of Truth and promised to hear her prayers and to bind in heaven what they bound on earth and that the gates of Hell i.e. neither persecutions nor heresies nor schisms should prevail against it doubtless there is a Church and that Church hath some authority granted to her by her dear Redeemer to defend that peace and unity as well as those truths which he bequeathed to her Did our Saviour take care for the Church of the Jews only or did he not also mind the Christian Church when Matt. 18. 17. he enjoyns us even in private differences among our selves much more in those which concern the publick peace of the Church as in the case of scandals mentioned in the context v. 7. to go tell the Church and if any should neglect to hear the Church that he should be unto us as an heathen man and a Publican i.e. Excommunicate from that holy Society which punishment being spiritual doth clearly evince that the causes submitted to the judgment of the Church were spiritual also But I demand farther did the Apostles usurp more authority than was given them when they assembled together Acts 15. 6. about the case of Circumcision and after the difference had been fully debated by Peter Paul Barnabas and S. James in the presence of the Elders and the multitude they all agreed and that by the approbation of the Holy Ghost v. 28. to impose upon the Churches certain constitutions as necessary to be observed at that time for the peace of the Church If they did not then the Church had some authority And so when S. Paul pleaded the custom of the Churches of God against contentious persons in the Church of Corinth 1 Epist c. 11. v. 16. And doth not the same Apostle tell us that when our Saviour ascended up on high Eph. 4. 11. he placed rulers and governors in his Church whose care it should be to provide that the people should not be thenceforth as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive v. 14. If Church authority be none to what end did S. Paul injoyn Timothy to see that women should keep silence in the Church 1 Tim. 2. 12. not only
things against that and never as yet did that I hear of agree upon any other nor I think ever will For let it be considered that there is scarce any part of our Liturgy which some have not excepted against and you will find our Author's advice impracticable He himself would have no Absolution as appears not only by his omission of that Office when he enumerates the parts of a Liturgy but by telling us that the power of the Keys belongs to every one Clergy or Lay Male or Female not only for himself but for the benefit of others p. 172. and p. 183. that you may as well make your Muletter your Confessor as your Parish-Priest Others will have no confession Some are displeased at the Responses others cannot be reconciled to the Lord's Prayer against the use of which as the Leaders of one Faction have Printed so the Grandees of another have often preached The Reader knows what sort of People cannot joyn in the Gloria Patri the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds and it is well if they will stand to the Apostles The Te Deum and Magnificat are displeasing to some the Collects because they are too short and the Litany because it is too long to others Some are angry at the Prayer for Bishops others not very well pleased with those for the King If you read what our Author saith p. 60. concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as 1. that in the Communion there is nothing given but Bread and Wine 2. The Bread and Wine are signs indeed but not of any thing there exhibited but of something given long before 3. That Jesus Christ is eaten at the Communion-Table in no sense neither spiritually by vertue of any thing done there nor really nor metaphorically nor literally 4. The Spiritual eating of Christ of common to all places as well as the Lords Table you may see the Author was no friend to the Office for Administration of the Lord's Supper And it 's well known who are enemies to that of Baptism Our Author dislikes the consecration of Bishops to whom he denies any Superiority but that of reverence others oppose the Ordination of Priests It is sad to consider at what a Distance many of our People yet keep themselves and children from the Catechism and Confirmation and the burial of the Dead only that of Marriage they are pretty well reconciled to So that I say our Author's Proposals are impracticable if not impossible to be observed either to remove from our Liturgies whatever is i.e. seems scandalous to every Party or to leave nothing but what all agree on and I think we shall all agree sooner in an Universal character and language too than in such a Liturgy Our first Reformers have given us undeniable Proofs that they were very learned and very good Men and Bishop Jewel in their name professeth that they did consult the ancient Liturgies of the purest times and adapted ours to them The Papists condemn us for castrating as much as was thought sinful must we be still condemned for retaining what is decent If any thing in our Liturgy had been contrary to the Word of God I am confident the Church would have expunged it as soon as its adversaries had discovered it but if it be quarrelled at for requiring us to worship God according to the Apostolical injunction in Decency and order we had rather be accounted beasts of burden in submitting to the lawful Ordinances of our Superiors than wild Asses for kicking against our Masters It hath alway been the practice of the Church of God conform to the practice of the Holy Apostles Acts 15. when any opinions or practices contrary to Faith or Unity began to prevail to assemble in Councils and Synods that by conference and consulting with the Scriptures and Primitive customes they might raise a fence against the growing torrent and as well confirm their own as confute the opinions and practices of their adversaries as may be seen in the Decrees and Canons made in the first 600 Years And when by general consent and subscription these Decrees were approved they did as occasion required insert sometimes into the Liturgy such passages out of their own or former Articles as might help to instruct the People in the true Faith and be an antidote against those poisonous errors that were become Epidemical Hence first the Apostles Creed and the Gloria Patri c. and those being not express enough against prevailing errors the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds were inserted and some whole Articles were added to the Apostles Creed And if as our Author saith a man may go to an Arrian Church so there be no Arrianism exprest in their Liturgy why may not our Superiors require our communion in the Liturgy which is free from that and all other Doctrinal errors And whereas our Liturgy is in all things conform to our Articles of Doctrine which are so free from the exceptions either of Calvinists or Arminians as that both Parties appeal to it as to the standard whereby they would have their Opinions tryed as appears in the late quiquarticular controversies between Doctor Heylin and Mr. Hickman I see no reason why they may not upon our Author's grounds conform much rather to ours than unto Arrian Liturgies A Liturgy that hath past many fiery Trials first in the Marian days when the Composers of it imbraced it at their Martyrdom after which it appeared so inoffensive to the Papists themselves which I account no small commendation that for some Years after Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown they omitted not to frequent the use of it and in the beginning of our troubles when the Smectymnuans heated the Irons and made it pass the trial Ordeal its innocency was such that it came off untoucht And when in the Grand Debate their Successors thought to have blown it up by the fewel which they had heaped together in a mock-liturgy their plot was so confused and imperfect that a great part of the Brotherhood were of the Opinion that the old was better And I am still perswaded if it were put to the vote whether this Liturgy should be retained or any other formerly used in the Primitive or now in use among the Reformed Churches brought into its room they would give the like suffrage as I have heard Sr. Harry Martyne did when some of Cromwels Confidents had moved the question whether They should have a King or no King that if they must have a King they had rather have the Old Gentleman meaning King Charles of blessed memory than any other in the Nation Our Author begins to treat of Conventicles from p. 226. and continueth it to the end The substance of which I shall present to the Reader in these several and divers Periods First he says truly that all meetings upon unnecessary occasions of Separation are to be so stiled so that in this sense a Conventicle is nothing else but a congregation of schismaticks
the hearts of the People filled with invincible prejudices and scruples to the neglect and contempt of this necessary duty which by Christ's institution and by Primitive practice ought to be frequently performed and by the Constitutions of the Church at least three times every Year but hath been totally omitted by some very adult Christians all their lives contrary to the advice and practice of former Nonconformists as well as to the commands of God and his Church And what can the end of these things be but hardning the People in their disobedience and ignorance in uncharitable prejudices and distances from their more pious and peaceable Brethren and provoking their Superiors to Acts of rigor and severity unless they will permit all things to run to confusion And whereas upon the late Test all Persons that had any publick office or imployment were required to receive this Holy Sacrament according to the Custome of the Church of England or to forfeit that imployment not one of an Hundred of those scrupulous Persons that were concerned continued a Recusant I suppose they have sufficiently convinced the Magistrates that the best way of removing these Scruples is to require the more frequent practice of that duty under the like penalties And now I hope the frivolousness of our Author's position p. 218. That wheresoever false or suspected Opinions and he asserts the same of practising suspected Actions in the same period are made a piece of the Liturgy he that separates is not the Schismatick doth evidently appear And if he that separates be not the Schismatick then they that require the performance of a suspected action are so and by consequence it will be in the power of every scrupulous faction to denominate their Governours to be the Schismaticks As our Author determineth the case a man may as innocently disbelieve any Article of his Christian faith upon this pretence of scruples against them as disobey the command of his Superiors For saith he p. 194. when uncertain conclusions are obtruded for truth or acts ministring just scruples are required to be performed consent were conspiracy and open contestation is not faction or schism c. And p. 218. he gives this Reason for it It is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected falshoods as to put in practice unlawful or suspected Now suppose a subtle Socinian should meet with a scrupulous person and tell him that he doth well indeed to suspend his Communion from that Church which imposeth those things to be practised in the worship of God which have no warrant from thence but are rather condemned as Will-worship and Superstition but yet while he strains at a Gnat he swallows a Camel and suffers his Conscience to be imposed upon in matters of Faith which are of greater concern and then insinuate that there is no express text in Scripture nor any good Argument from Reason for a Trinity of persons in the Unity of the Godhead but both Scripture and Reason affirm there can be but one Supreme eternal God and then by wresting the Scriptures and perswading him that the Doctrine of the Trinity had its rise from Ecclesiastical Tradition not from the Scriptures and they that require the belief of it do teach for Doctrines the Commandments of men suppose I say by this leaven the scrupulous humor is fermented and swells up into a strong suspicion and he begins to grow sowr and discontented with his Teachers and likes the Arrian and Socinian Doctors better Doth not this man proceed upon the Authors grounds and may be as much justified by them if he turn Heretick as if he become a Schismatick And indeed there is not one Article of our Faith but cunning Sophisters may work upon persons disposed to scruples to have strong suspicions of them For Mr. Baxter tells us in his Saints everlasting rest Part 1. ch 7. Sect. 14. That Professors of Religion did oppose almost all the Worship of God out of Conscience which others did out of Prophaneness Upon this very pretense some will not hear of Infant Baptism nor others of the Lord's day but turn Anabaptists and Sabbatarians and for ought I know others may justifie rebellion and not only the Omission of moral duties but the Commission of any vice or impiety Experience hath evidently taught us that those persons who have been prone to entertain scruples in matters of Religion first have fallen next into sedition and rebellion and then to impiety and immoralities to Quakerism Atheism unnatural affection to Parents and acts and practices of as great cruelty and barbarity against themselves as against others But our Author grounds his Objection on Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin and He that doubteth is damned if he eat And this objection seems to be inforced by the Authority of Bishop Sanderson who p. 228. de Obligatione Conscientiae saith thus If any one through some fast rooted error of judgment do think the Law to be unjust which is not so the obligation of the Law doth remain notwithstanding that error of mind so that he is not free from sin if he do not obey yet that he sinneth more grievously if he should obey before that error be laid aside Which ease the Reverend Casuist intended to speak of more at large when he should come to treat of the comparison of both obligations viz. as I suppose the authority of the Magistrate and of Conscience For I perceive the question to which he makes this an Answer was What assurance that any Law is unjust is required to secure a subject in point of Conscience that he is not bound by that Law But the good Bishop never came to that point under which we might have expected his farther judgment in that case and therefore I shall take a little pains in finding out his resolution in some other parts of his writings Answer The Bishop says If a subject because that probable reasons do appear on both sides knoweth not nor can determine whether a Law be just or no so that his judgment hang in aequilibrio not knowing to which to incline in this case the subject is bound actually to obey so that he sinneth if he do not obey and if he do obey he sinneth not Now I observe that when the Bishop comes to give his reasons why a subject should obey against a scrupulous Conscience the same Reasons do require his obedience though his scruples he inveterate and obfirmed yea in things doubtful as by these following Reasons of his may appear His first Reason is because by a Reason of Law In dubiis potior est conditio possidentis therefore where there is a contest concerning a right betwixt the Lawgiver and the subject the right is alway to be presumed to be on the Lawgivers side as being in possession of the right unless some fit reason can be given to the contrary but in this case i. e. in things doubtful no such fit reason can
bondage that they may make merchandise of them which have so perplexed them Can that be Conscience that causeth men to strain at a Gnat and swallow Camels to start at a shadow and throw themselves over Precipices so to abhor a Ceremony as to commit Sacriledge and rob the Church of Christ of his last and best Legacy that of Peace Can Conscience perswade a man who confesseth his own ignorance by his doubting to judge of the things in controversie to conclude that his Superiors are in an error and that they who disobey and oppose them are in the right or can we think that they did cast themselves out of their own Cures on a principle of Conscience who against all good Conscience intruded upon other mens and still invade their rights Is it Conscience that teacheth them to interpret the actions and constitutions of their Superiors in the worse sense and by their corrupt glosses to make faults where they can find none Is it conscience that causeth men who are under Oaths and obligations of obedience and peace to withdraw causelesly into factious and seditious assemblies to the disturbance of the Church and State where they might lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty Is it conscience that teacheth men to scruple at Ceremonies and to omit the weighty matters of the Law Or can we think that they do really believe in their Consciences that to live in Conformity to the Church of England is a sin who do educate their children the care of whose Souls next to that of their own is incumbent on them in such professions as will necessarily engage them to be Conformists The Ancient Nonconformists thought themselves bound in Conscience to use their utmost endeavours to prevent separation from the Church of England and to ingage their people to frequent the publick Worship And can it be a point of Conscience in the present Nonconformists so industriously to promote Separation and as much as in them lyeth to bring the publick Worship into contempt Or can they pretend conscience for despising the prayers of the Church who at the same time reject our Lords prayer also Is it conscience that makes private and illiterate men to think themselves wiser and better than their Rulers and spiritual Guides whom God hath set over them Is it conscience that doth dispense with the same men to conform and communicate with the Church when they are required to do so under some present and severe penalty as on the late Test and to shun it at other times Lastly who can believe that they err through weakness or doubtfulness of Conscience who refuse to make use of those obvious and probable means for their satisfaction which God hath appointed for them That is in such doubtful cases which their own son cannot determine to consult with those to whom God hath committed the conduct of their Souls For what is Conscience but a mans judgment concerning things and actions according to Gods Word and Right Reason inlightned and directed thereby For seeing the Word of God hath not particularly determined of all things and actions we ought by our Reason comparing one place of Scripture with another and drawing conclusions from them to be guided and acted in such things as are not determined in Scripture and if our own Reason be too short-sighted and dull to apprehend the nature of the things doubted of we ought to use such Instruments and helps as God hath provided who hath said by his Prophet that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and the people should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Mal. 2. 7. where the peoples duty is plainly asserted And by his Apostle that we should know them that are over us in the Lord 1 Thess 5. 12. And Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as they that must give account c. But as Mr. Baxter complains p. 570. of his Saints Rest Few of the Godly themselves do understand the Authority that their Teachers have over them from Christ they know how to value the Ministers Gifts but not how they are bound to learn of him and obey him because of his office People are bound to obey and learn of their Teachers as Scholars of their Masters And if the people were as willing to do their own duties and as apt to learn of their Ministers as they are forward to teach them or blame them for not doing theirs they might soon ease their Consciences of much guilt as well as of many doubts and scruples whereby for want of an humble and teachable spirit they so much trouble themselves and others And it is but reasonable that the established Clergy of the Church of England should expect as great a submission from their people as the Worcester Ministers who required their people to acknowledge in these words I ... do consent to be a Member of the particular Church of Christ at .... whereof .... is Teacher and Overseer and to submit to his teaching and ministerial guidance and oversight according to God's Word Those Men therefore whose Consciences are truly tender ought in doubtful cases to apply themselves to the means which God hath instituted and will therefore most probably bless for their information as first their own Pastor or if he be thought defective some neighbour Minister of whom the doubting Person hath a good opinion for his parts and piety if no such can remove his doubts he seems to me to be a Person capable to read the Works of Learned men that have written of the things in controversie and he may take in the help of Foreign Divines and perhaps inquire into the practice of the Church in the most pure and primitive Ages And if he find that they do all agree as Mr. Hooker and Mr. Baxter say That the certain commands of the Church we live in are to be obeyed in all things not certainly unlawful I cannot think that such as will still pretend doubts and espouse Parties and disobey their Governors and promote Schism and Divisions do erre out of weakness of Conscience but out of pride and stubbornness through great prejudices or for some little interests and concerns of their own which they value more than the Peace of the Church Now that Man doth judge extremely uncharitably of his Rulers whose Consciences are as tender and their Judgments better informed than his own and who being at liberty to choose and propose what may most conduce as well to their own as the Peoples salvation shall upon mature deliberation in solemn Assemblies appoint such a Discipline and Rites as they think most agreeable to the Word of God and the practice of the purest Churches in all Ages that Man I say must judge most uncharitably of them who should think that they impose on him any thing that is unlawful without a very clear
evidence of its unlawfulness seeing that therein they should not only wound their own Consciences and hazard their own Salvation but draw upon themselves the guilt of the Peoples sins by establishing iniquity by a Law and incouraging the People to comply with it by their examples and so like Jeroboam make the Israel of God to Sin But if in a deed done by a doubting Person at the command of one that is indued with lawful authority there be a sin it must go on his score that requireth it wrongfully not on his that doth but his duty in obeying nor is the Salvation of an obedient subject hazarded by a peaceable compliance with his Superiors commands in such doubtful and disputable actions Bishop Sanderson resolves a case that will put this out of doubt Sermon on Rom. 14. 23. p. 92. A Prince commandeth his Subjects to serve in his Wars it may be the quarrel is unjust it may be there may appear to the understanding of the Subject great likelihoods of such injustice yet may the subject for all that fight in the quarrel yea he is bound in Conscience so to do nay he is deep in disloyalty and treason if he refuse the service whatsoever pretensions of Conscience he may make for such refusal Mr. Baxter speaks almost as much p. 461. of his Five Disputations Every War that is unlawfully undertaken by the Prince is not unlawful in all his Souldiers Some of them that have not opportunity to know the evil of his undertaking may be bound to obey the case of others I determine not But a greater than he as I have shewn hath determined it and the practice of the Primitive Christians which stoutly fought the Battels of Heathen Emperors have confirmed that determination Now it is worthy of our consideration to think what manner of Souldiers such scrupulous Persons would make in case of a War begun against a just Prince by some of his Subjects that should pretend a Reformation of the Laws and arm themselves to redress abuses in the administration of Justice can we think that they who are apt to disobey upon I know not what scruples of the lawfulness of innocent Rites and Ceremonies injoyned by his authority will be ready to fight against their Brethren that herein agree with them would they not rather side against him as their Predecessors have done I suppose there are very few that are scrupulously factious in the Church but would in such a case be seditious and rebellious in the State I am sure they would find more plausible pretences as That the Prince commands such things as are to their Consciences unlawful and that they durst not ingage with him lest they draw innocent bloud upon their heads they think they are rather bound to help the Lord's People against the Mighty to rebuke even Kings for their sakes and if they see it meet to bind their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron and to execute upon them the Judgment written This Honour have all his Saints And yet that learned Casuist says that the fears of such scrupulous Persons need not trouble them no not in this grand case lest they should bring upon themselves the guilt of innocent bloud for the bloud that is unrighteously shed in such a quarrel he must answer for that set them on work not he that spilt it Is damnum dat qui jubet dare ejus verò nulla culpa est cui parére necesse est He doth the wrong that commands it to be done not he whose obedience is a necessary duty And truly says the same Casuist it is a great wonder to me that any Man endued with understanding and that is able in any measure to weigh the force of those precepts and reasons which bind inferiors to yield obedience to their Superiors should be otherwise minded in cases of like nature For whatsoever is commanded us by those whom God hath set over us either in Church Common-wealth or Family quod tamen non sit certum displicere Deo as saith St. Bernard which is not evidently contrary to the Law and Will of God ought of us to be received and obeyed no otherwise than as if God himself had commanded it because God himself hath commanded us to obey the higher Powers and to submit our selves to their Ordinances And if these things should not be so either Government or Christianity would in a short time be rooted out as incompetent one with the other for by such Men Christ is really represented as an enemy to Caesar and the event will be to have him crucified again in his members and put to open shame THE PREFACE TO Mr. BAXTER's ARGUMENTS THe same wise and Gracious Providence of Almighty God which over-ruled the Actions of those Armies that had kept us long in confusion and made them instrumental for the setling of peace in the State hath so directed the consultations and publick transactions of such as intruded on the affairs of the Church that if they would practise according to their own principles and acquiesce in their own arguments we might see peace and unity established also in the Church For besides the Arguments of the Non-conformists before 1642. who both by example and publick writings shewed their abhorrence of open Separation I do confidently affirm that if there were a collection made of those reasons which were urged by the Presbyterians to prevent the other Factions from separating from them as well in their Annotations Assemblies publick debates Sermons books of Schism Separation c. there needed no other security to the people of this Nation that they might with good Conscience conform to the publick Worship of God as it is now established I have formerly published Mr. Calvin's arguments to this purpose and now I present the Reader with Mr. Baxter's not only because I thought them most rational and perswasive but because I believe he was not acted by a studium partium any ambitious or private design but intended them as an Irenicum to perswade peace and reconciliation between all sober dissenters And I hope he will pardon me for prosecuting his own design while I do it in his own words published in several Treatises since he first set forth his Saints everlasting Rest in the Epistle to which he tells us he should fear of being a firebrand in Hell if he should be a firebrand in the Church I was much moved to see what odium he contracted from some of his Brethren of whom he deserved better things for endeavouring to heal our divisions yet was he not ashamed to write himself in the title page of his second admonition to Bagshaw a long-maligned and resisted endeavourer of the Churches unity and peace and in pag. 11. of that book he thus declares his Christian temper and resolution If injuries or interest would excuse any sin I think there are few Ministers in England who have more inducement to the Angry separating way than
hunger justified the Disciples of Christ for plucking and rubbing the ears of Corn on the Sabbath dayes And hunger justified David and those that were with him for entring into the house of God and eating the shew-bread which was not lawful for him to eat nor for them which were with him but only for the Priests And the Priests in the Temple were blameless for prophaning the Sabbath day Now if things before accidentally evil may by this much Necessity become lawful and a duty then may the commands of Magistrates or Pastors and the Unity of the Church and the avoiding of contention and offence and other evils be also sufficient to warrant us in obeying even in inconvenient Circumstantials of the worship of God that otherwise could not be justified § 18. Reas 12. Lastly consider how much God hath expressed himself in his word to be pleased in the Obedience of believers Not only in their Obedience to Christ immediately but also to him in his officers 1 Sam. 15. 22. Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice c. Col. 3. 20 22. Children obey your Parents in all things that is all lawful things for this is well-pleasing to the Lord Servants Obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh c. And Obedience to Pastors is as much commanded 1. Thes 5. 12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly c. Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account c. So Verse 7. 24. 1 Tim. 5. 17 c. § 19. As the General Commission to a Parent or Master or Magistrate to Govern their inferior relations doth authorize them to many particular acts belonging to their office that were never named in their commission so your general command to obey them obligeth you to obey them in the said particulars And so it is also betwixt the Pastors and the flock in matters belonging to the office of a Pastor § 20. If a Child shall ask a Parent Where doth Gods word allow you to command me to learn this Catechism or read this Divines writings or repeat this Sermon or write it c. doth not the question deserve to be answered with the rod The General Commission for Parents to Govern their children is sufficient So if a Schoolmaster command his Scholars to come to such a place to School and to take their places in such an Order and to learn such books and do such exercises c. the General Commission that he hath to teach and Govern them will allow him to do all this Though it will not allow him to set his Scholars to any Artifice or Manual Operation alien to his profession So if a Minister determine of the variable Circumstances of worship as what place the people shall come to and at what time to be Catechized examined instructed c. what Translation or Version of Psalms to use what Utensils to make use of about Gods service or such like he is warranted for this by his General Commission And if he miss it in the manner by choosing inconvenient circumstances or by unnecessary determination of points that should rather be left undetermined to liberty though this be his own sin it will not excuse the people from obedience unless the error of his directions be so great as would frustrate the Ordinance it self or do more harm than our disobedience would do which in Circumstantials is rarely found By long experience I am assured that practical religion will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid peace than contending disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and zeal against errors for the truth will ever bring or did ever attain to Wherefore let us consider in the next place The Mischief of Separation The mischief of Separation lies not in the bare error of judgment but in the unchristian and Church-dissolving division and alienation which thence followeth contrary to that humility and love which is the visible character of Christians and to that Oneness which is still in Scripture ascribed to the visible Church Alas that pride and ignorance should have such power among believers that men cannot be of several judgments in lesser points but they must needs be of several Churches God will make us value peace and union a little more before we shall taste of the perfect everlasting peace and union yea before we shall see the blessing of union in the Church Wounding is a dividing healing is a re-uniting a Building is of many stones or pieces orderly conjoyned a Church is an aggregation of individuals an association of Believers what then is it to demolish but to separate and disjoyn and what is it to dissolve Churches but to break their association to reduce them to individuals to cut them into shreds As for the differences in way of Government between the moderate Presbyterians Independants Episcopal and Erastian I make no doubt but if mens spirits stood not at a greater distance than their principles they would quickly be united But of all the four sorts there are some that run so high in their principles that they run out of the hearing of peace or truth For Anabaptism and Antinomianism God spake effectually against them by those wondrous Monsters in New-England but wonders are over-lookt where the heart is hardned and God intends to get his justice a name The fearful dolusions that God hath formerly given them over to and the horrid confusion which they have introduced where they have sprung hath spoken fully against both these later Sects The weeping eyes the bleeding sides the lacerated members of these Churches the reproach of the Gospel the disappointed Reformation the hideous doctrines and unheard of wickedness that hath followed them the contemned ordinances the reproached slandered and ejected Ministers the weak that are scandalized the Professors apostatized the wicked hardned and the open enemies of the Gospel that now insult all these do describe them more plainly to England than words can do and cry loud in the ears of God and man What will be the Answer time will shew but from Rev. 2. 14 15 16 c. we may probably conjecture He that is not a Son of peace is not a Son of God All other sins destroy the Church consequentially but division and Separation demolish it directly Building the Church is but an orderly joyning of the materials and what then is disjoyning but pulling down Many doctrial differences must be tolerated in a Church and why but for unity and peace therefore disunion and separation is utterly intolerable Believe not those to be the Churches friends that would cure and reform her by cutting her throat Those that say no truth must be concealed for peace have usually as little of the one as
certain by Gods word that children being baptized have all things necessary for their Salvation and be undoubtedly saved where it is plain they mean they have all things necessary ex parte Ecclesiae or all Gods applying Ordinances necessary though they should die unconfirmed supposing they have all things necessary to just baptism on their own part which is but what the Ancients were wont to say of the baptized adult but they never meant that the infidel and impenitent were in a state of life because he was baptized but that all that truly consent to the Covenant and signifie this by being baptized are saved So the Church of England saith that they receive no detriment by delaying confirmation but it never said that they received no detriment by their Parents or Responses infidelity or Hypocrisie or by their want of true right coram Deo to be baptized Q. 39. What is the true meaning of Sponsors or Godfathers and is it lawful to make use of them Answ My Opinion is that they did both witness the probability of the Parents fidelity and also promised that if they should either Apostatize or dye they would see that the children were piously educated If you take them but as the ancient Churches did for such as do attest the Parents fidelity in their perswasion and do promise first to mind you of your duty and next to take care of their pious education if you die I know no reason you have to scruple this much yea more it is in your power to agree with the Godfathers that they shall represent your own persons and speak and promise what they do as your deputies only in your names and what have you against this Object When the Churchmen mean another thing this is but to juggle with the world Answ How can you prove that the authority that made or imposed the Liturgy meant any other thing 2. If the Imposers had meant ill in a thing that may be done well you may discharge your Conscience by doing it well and making a sufficient profession of your better sense Q. 42. How is the Holy Ghost given to Infants in Baptism whether all the children of true Christians have inward sanctifying grace c. Ans My judgment agreeth more in this with Davenant's than any others saving that he doth not appropriate the benefits of Baptism to the children of true Believers so much as I do And though by a Letter impleading Davenant's cause I was the occasion of printing good Mr. Gataker's Answer to him yet I am still most inclined to his judgment Not that all the baptized but that all the baptized seed of true Christians are pardoned justifyed adopted and have a title to the spirit and Salvation And we must choose great inconveniences if this opinion be forsaken viz. that all infants must be taken to be out of Covenant with God and to have no promise of Salvation whereas surely the law of Grace as well as the Covenant of works included all the seed in their capacity Of the Responses Q. 83. May the people bear a vocal part in Worship and do any more than say Amen Answ The people bear an equal part in singing the Psalms which are prayer and praise and instruction if they may do so in the Psalms in metre there can be no reason given but they may lawfully do so in Psalms in Prose for saying them and singing them are but modes of utterance and the Ancient singing was liker our Saying than our tunes The Primitive Christians were so full of zeal and love to Christ that they would have taken it for an injury and a quenching of the Spirit to have been wholly restrained from bearing their part in the praises of the Church The use of the tongue keepeth awake the mind and stirreth up God's graces in his servants It was the decay of zeal in the people that first shut out the Responses while they kept up the ancient zeal they were inclined to take their part vocally in the Worship And this was seconded by the pride and usurpation of the Priests thereupon who thought the people of God too prophane to speak in the Assemblies and meddle so much with holy things Yet the very remembrance of former zeal caused most Churches to retain many of the words of their predecessors even when they lost the life and spirit which should animate them and so the same words came into the Liturgies and were used by too many customarily and in formality which their Ancestors had used in the fervour of their Souls And if it were not that a dead-hearted formal people by speaking the Responses carelesly and hypocritically do bring them into disgrace with many that see the necessity of seriousness I think few good people would be against them now It is here the duty of every Christian to labour to restore the life and spirit to the words that they may again be used in a serious and holy manner as heretofore Exod. 19. 8. In as solemn an Assembly as any of ours when God gave Moses a form of words to preach to the people all the people answered together and said All that the Lord hath spoken we will do So Exod. 24. 3. and Deuter. 5. 27. which God approved of v. 28 29. See Levit. 9. 24. 2 Kings 23. 2 3. 1 Chron. 1. 35 36. It is a command Ps 67. 3 5. Let all the people praise thee O God c. And he that will limit this to single persons or say that it must not be vocally in the Church or it must be in metre only and never in prose must prove it lest he be proved one that addeth to Gods word Q. 84. Is it not a Sin for our Clerks to make themselves the mouth of the people Answ The Clerks are not appointed to be the mouth of the people but each Clerk is one of the people commanded to do that which all should do lest it should be wholly left undone If all the congregation will speak all that the Clerk doth it will answer the primary desire of the Church Governors who bid the people do it Of Bowing at the name Jesus And of Priests Altars c. Q. 86. Is it lawful to bow at the name of Jesus Answ That we may lawfully express our reverence when the names God Jehovah Jesus Christ c. are uttered I have met with few Christians who deny nor know I any reason to deny it If I live and joyn in a Church where it is commanded and peremptorily urged to bow at the name of Jesus and where my not doing it would be divisive scandalous or offensive I will bow at the name of God Jehovah Jesus Christ Lord c. My judgment of standing at the Gospel and kneeling at the Decalogue when it is commanded is the same Q. 122. May the name Priests Sacrifice and Altars be lawfully used Answ The New Testament useth all the Greek names
needs no proof to any that is judicious 2. Nor yet for any evil in this particular form for in this part the Common-prayer is generally approved 3. Nor yet because it is imposed for a command maketh not that unlawful to us which is lawful before but it maketh many things lawful and duties that else would have been unlawful accidentally 4. And the intentions of the Commanders we have little to do with And for the consequents they must be weighed on both sides and the consequents of our refusal will not be found light In general I must here tell the People of God in the bitter sorrow of my Soul that at last it is time for them to discern that temptation that hath in all ages of the Church almost made this Sacrament of our union to be the grand occasion or instrument of our divisions And that true humility and acquaintance with our selves and love to Christ and one another would shew some men that it was but their pride and prejudice and ignorance that made them think so heinously of other mens manner of worship And that on all sides among true Christians the manner of their worship is not so odious as prejudice and faction and partiality representeth it And that God accepteth that which they reject And they should see how the Devil hath undone the common People by this means by teaching them every one to expect salvation for being of that Party which he taketh to be the right Church and for worshipping in that manner which he and his Party thinketh best And so wonderful a thing is prejudice that every Party by this is brought to think that ridiculous and vile which the other party accounteth best But to magnifie any one Church or Party so as to deny due love and communion to the rest is Schism To limit all the Church to your party and deny all or any of the rest to be Christians and parts of the Universal Church is Schism by a dangerous breach of Charity It is Schism also to condemn unjustly any particular Church as no Church And it is Schism to withdraw your bodily communion from a Church that you were bound to hold communion with upon a false supposition that it is no Church or is not lawfully to be communicated with And it is Schism to make Divisions or Parties in a Church though you divide not from that Church The holiness of the Party that men adhere to is made a pretence to excuse Schism but this must make but a gradual difference in our esteem and love to some Christians above others If really they are most holy I must love them most and labour to be as holy as they But I must not therefore unjustly deny communion or due respect to other Christians that are less holy nor cleave to them as a Sect or divided Party whom I esteem most holy For the holiest are most Charitable and most against the divisions among Christians and tenderest of their unity and peace Own the best as best but none as a divided Sect espouse not their dividing interest confine not your especial love to a party but extend it to all the members of Christ Deny not local communion when there is occasion for it to any Church that hath the Substance of true worship and forceth you not to sin Love them as true Christians and Churches even when they drive you from their Communion I have found that Reformation is to be accomplished more by restoration of Ordinances and administrations to their primitive nature and use than by utter abolition Of the Liturgy My Opinion as to Liturgy in general is 1. That a stinted Liturgy is in it self lawful 2. That a stinted Liturgy in some parts of Publick Service is necessary 3. In the parts where it is not necessary it may not only be submitted to but desired when the peace of the Church requireth it 4. It is not of such necessity to take the matter and words out of the Holy Scriptures but that we may joyn in a Liturgy or use it if the form of words be not from Scripture This is thus proved 1. That which is not directly or consequentially forbidden by God remaineth lawful A stinted Liturgy is not directly or consequentially forbidden of God Therefore it remaineth lawful The major is undoubted because nothing but a prohibition can make a thing unlawful where there is no Law there is no transgression Yet I have heard very reverend men answer this That it is enough that it is not commanded though not forbidden which is plainly to deny both Scripture and Civil principles Now for the Minor That a stinted Liturgy is not forbidden we need no other proof than that no prohibition can be produced If it be lawful for the people to use a stinted form of words in Publick prayer then is it in it self lawful for the Pastors But it is lawful for the people c. for the Pastors prayer which they must pray over with him and not only hear it is a stinted form to them even as much as if he had learnt it out of a book It is lawful to use a form in preaching therefore a stinted Liturgy is lawful 1. Because preaching is a part of that Liturgy 2. Because the reason is the same for prayer as for that in the main That which hath been the practice of the Church in Scripture times and down to this day and is yet the practice of almost all the Churches of Christ on earth is not like to be unlawful But such is the use of some stinted forms c. I have shewed that it is was so in the Jewish Church That it hath been of ancient use in the Church since Christ and at this day in Africk Asia Europe and the Reformed Churches in France Holland Geneva c. is so well known that I need not stand to prove it and those few that seem to disuse it do yet use it in Psalms and other parts of worship As for the Common-prayer it self I never rejected it because it was a form or thought it simply unlawful because it was such a form but have made use of it and would do again in the like case Object But if a faulty manner of praying be prescribed and imposed by a law I know it before-hand and am guilty of it Answ If the thing be sinful either it is 1. because the prayers are defective and faulty or 2. because they are imposed or 3. because you knew the fault before-hand but none of these can prove your joyning with them sinful 1. Not because they are faulty for you may joyn with as faulty prayers you confess if not imposed 2. Not because imposed for that is an extenuation and not an aggravation For 1. it proveth the Minister less voluntary of the two than those are that do it without any command through the error of their own judgments 2. Because though
least if we before know of them and therefore that we must joyn with none whose errors or mis-expression we know of before That we are guilty of the sins of all unworthy or scandalous Communicants if we communicate with them though their admission is not by our fault That he whose judgment is against a Diocesan-Church may not lawfully joyn with a Parish-Church if the Minister be but subject to the Diocesan That whatsoever is unlawfully commanded is not lawful to be obeyed That it is unlawful to do any thing in the Worship of God which is imposed by men and is not commanded in the Scripture These and more such as these are Superstitions which some Religious people have brought in And by all such inventions fathered upon God and made a part of Religion the minds of men are corrupted and disquieted and the Churches disturbed and divided Of Censoriousness Is not censoriousness and rash judging a sin Yet one congregation of the division labours to make others odious and contemptible and that is called the preaching of truth and purer worshipping of God I have seen this grow up to the height of Ranters in horrid blasphemies and then of Quakers in disdainful pride and surliness and into Seekers that were to seek for a Ministry a Church a Scripture and consequently a Christ I have lived to see it put to the Question in the little Parliament whether all the Ministers of the Parishes of England should be put down at once I have seen how confidently the killing of the King the rebellious demolishing of the Government of the Land the killing of many thousands of their Brethren the turnings and overturnings of all kind of rule even that which themselves set up have been committed and justified and profanely fathered upon God these with much more such fruits of love-killing principles I have seen If you converse with censorious Separatists you shall hear so many invectives against them that are truly Catholick and sober as will make you think that love and peace and Catholick communion are some sinful and mischievous things The experience of 26. Years in this Kingdom may convince the World what crimes may stand with high professions such as the generation springing up will scarce believe What high Professors were the proudest overturners of all Government and resisters and despisers of Ministry and holy order in the Churches The most railing Quakers and most filthy blaspheming Ranters to warn the World to take heed of being proud of superficial gifts and high profession and that he that stands in his own conceit should take heed lest he fall I have much ado to forbear naming some high Professors known lately at Worcester Exeter and other places who dyed Apostate-Infidels deriding Christianity and the Immortality of the Soul who once were Separatists And I have heard of some Separatists who when others of a contrary judgment were going to the Churches at London looked in at the Doors saying The Devil choak thee art thou not out of thy pottage yet I commend to all that of the Apostle Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife and vain glory but in bowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Read this Verse over on your Knees and beg of God to write it on your Hearts And I would wish all Assemblies of dividers and unwarrantable Separtists to write it over the Doors of their Meeting-places and join with it Rom. 12. 10. but especially study James 3. In a word if God would cure the Church of religious pride the pride of wisdom and the pride of piety and goodness the Church would have fewer heresies and contentions and much more peace true wisdome and goodness The forwardness of many to keep open divisions and to affect communion with none but such as say as they do is a down-right mark of a Schismatick And I know that dividing principles and dispositions do tend directly to the ruine and damnation of those in whom they do prevail When Men fall into several Parties burning in zeal against each other abating charity censuring and condemning one another backbiting and reviling each other through envy and strife when they look strangely on each other as being of several sides as if they were not children of the same Father nor members of the same Body or as if Christ were divided one being of Paul and another of Apollo c. and every one of a Faction letting out their thoughts in jealousies and evil surmises of each other perverting the words and actions of each to an ugly sense and snatching occasions to present one another as fools or odious to the hearers as if you should plainly say I pray you hate or despise these People whom I hate and despise This is the core of the Plague sore it is schism in the bud S. 16. When People in the same Church do gather into private Meetings not under the guidance of their Pastors to edifie one another in holy exercises in love and peace but in opposition to their lawful Pastors or to one another to propagate their single opinions and increase their Parties and speak against those that are not on their side Schism is then ready to increase and multiply and the Swarm is ready to come forth and be gone S. 17. When these People actually depart and renounce or forsake the communion of the Church and cast off their faithful Pastors and draw into a separated Body by themselves and choose them Pastors and call themselves a Church and all without any just sufficient cause when thus Churches are gathered out of Churches before the old ones are dissolved or they have any warrant to depart when thus Pastor is set up against Pastor Church against Church and Altar against Altar this is Schism ripe and fruitful the Swarm is gone and hived in another place S. 19. If they shall also judge that Church to be no Church from which they separated and so cut off a part of the body of Christ by an unrighteous censure and condemn the innocent and usurp authority over their guides this is disobedience and uncharitableness with schism A true Christian that hateth Fornication Drunkenness Lying Perjury because forbidden in the Word of God will hate Divisions also which are so frequently and vehemently forbidden Jo. 17. 21 22. Ro. 14. throughout Ro. 15. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Eph. 4. 1 2 c. 1 Cor. 12. Phil. 3. 15. Ro. 16. 17 18. 1 Tim. 1. 4. James 3. The mischief of Divisions may be seen at large p. 739. Q. May or must a Minister silenced or forbid to preach the Gospel go on still to preach it against the Law Answ He that is silenced by just power though unjustly in a Country that needeth not his preaching must forbear there and if he can must go into another Country where he may be more serviceable We must do any lawful thing to procure the Magistrates