and ruled by laws of reason and led towards Christianity and the hopes of future felicity And if they sin against the Laws of humanity they so far forfeit the priviledges of humanity or are to be punished as the ends of the society require § 17. III. To the third question how Magigistracie or the sword or forcing power is to be used for Christ and for his Church and on Christians as such who is to be rewarded punished or tolerated for the Churches Vnity and edification and preservation I answer I. In general Men should be used as men Christians as Christians The weak as weak The strong as strong and the eminently wise and good as such The criminal as criminal And all this with chief respect to the laws of God and the common good § 18. II. More particularly 1. Negatively 1. The Magistrate cannot make men Believers by the sword He cannot make the ignorant wise nor the wicked godly at the heart § 19. 2. He ought not to force men to lie by professing themselves to be what they are not or to know or believe or do what they do not Therefore he may not make a Law that All men shall be compelled to profess themselves Christians or Godly persons or any that are not such indeed And therefore none must be compelled to it because no man knoweth who are such but every man must be the voluntary professor of his own faith and piety § 20. 3. He ought not to force the weak to profess that they are strong or know or believe more than they do either to profess those measures of wisdom those Articles of faith that are not essentials or those measures of affection or practice which are proper to strong Christians And for not professing such things or Covenanting accordingly he may not deny them any priviledges belonging to Christians as such but only such as are proper to wiser and stronger Christians § 21. 4. Princes and other Magistrates may not make themselves the Lictors or executioners to the Clergie to punish men with fines imprisonment banishment or death eo nomine because they stand excommunicate by the Clergy without trying whether it was rightly or wrongfully done and whether the crime be such as should be so punished by them Excommunication if just is it self a dreadful punishment no man is to be punished for being punished If it be for not repenting 1. He must first be sure that it was a crime 2. And that God hath appointed this way to force men to repentance 3. And that such forced repentance must go for true But when the excommunication is unjust the Magistrate must not second it with oppression It is enough to be so much wronged by the Clergy more should not be added for that cause nor must the Magistrate suppose the Clergy to be unerring and so lay by the person of a Judge himself and become the blind executioner of their sentence § 22. II. Affirmatively The Christian Magistrates Office is To promote the common good of the people and their salvation and the pleasing and glory of God by preserving and promoting Piety Love Justice and peace even mens obedience to all the Laws of God in Nature and Scripture § 23. Therefore as the means 1. He must promote to his power the due publication or preaching of the Gospel and the subordinate means that are needful thereunto 2. He must by just means restrain and punish the gross violators of Gods Laws and must encourage the obedient and good § 24. Therefore III. He must deal differently with his subjects as they differ according to this common distribution They are I. Not Christians who are 1. Enemies of the Church or of Christianity 2. Neglecters of Christianity 3. Candidates or Catechumens Seekers II. Christians who are to be considered as 1. Personally qualified and so they are 1. Eminently wise good and strong 2. Of a middle sort or degree 3. Ignorant culpable and weak 2. Relatively as being 1. Only Christians of the universal Church and no particular 1. Not yet entred into particular Churches 2. Separated from them 3. Cast out of such only 2. In particular Churches which are either 1. Consociate viz. under 1. The Pope 2. Diocesans 3. Presbyteries 2. Independent and diverse 3. Opposites and adverse 3. In their Practice which is either 1. Laudable to be encouraged and promoted 2. Tolerable 3. Intolerable I shall therefore briefly shew how each of these sorts are to be used by a wise and righteous Christian Prince or other Magistrate though somewhat is said already to the first § 25. I. The enemies and opposers of Christianity are 1. To be wisely and soberly restrained from any effectual dangerous hindering of it By moderate means if they are moderate and by greater severity if they be violent and inhumane 2. As far as obstinacy maketh them uncapable Light and Love should be used to win them with the example of our better lives In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may escape out of the snare of Satan 2 Tim. 2. 26. § 26. II. The Neglecters of Christianity are to be instructed and excited And therefore 1. By perswasion 2. or necessary moderate penalties constrained only to Hear what can be said for it § 27. III. The seekers or willing candidates are to be clearly and skillfully and patiently taught and encouraged by love § 28. IV. Eminent Christians are to be made the Teachers and Rulers of the rest and to have praise and best encouragement § 29. V. The middle sort of Christians must be governed and instructed with encouragement to grow and the body of a Christian Common-wealth well ordered will be most of such § 30. VI. The ignorant faulty and weak must be pityed and gently used but as children under more teaching restraint and necessary rebukes than better men § 31. VII Those that are not yet entred into any particular Churches Communion under any known particular Pastor if necessarily such as persons that have no dwelling but wander up and down as Pedlars c. are to be pityed and suffered if we cannot help them to better Those that being baptized only into the universal Church as wanderers children c. and are not come to knowledge or desire should be taught and perswaded into Church order as a second sort of Catechumens Those that are hindred by the disorder or persecution of the place and times must be pityed and patiently born with § 32. VIII Those that separate from one or other particular Churches if by some great crime and abuse must be used according to their fault as is after shewed about Practice But if either by tolerable weakness or outward necessity they depart but from one Church they must be received into others If from all particular Churches as some called Seekers and not from the universal they must be used as the seventh sort those
form of a particular Church lawful but what is of Divine institution some hold that only a Diocesan Church that hath many Congregations and Altars is of Divine institution and that the Parochial are not Churches but Oratories or Chapels or parts of a Church Others hoâ—d that only Parochial Churches of one Altar or associated for personal Communion in presence are of Divine institution some that both Diocesane and Parochial Churches are of Divine institution and some that these and Provincial National Patriarchal and the Papal are of Divine institution Thus do mens judgements vary § 3. A third sort hold that God hath instituted some Church forms besides the Universal and left men to make others And here some think that God instituted Patriarchal and left them to make the Diocesan and Parochial some hold that God instituted only the Diocesan and left them power to make the Patriarchal and the Parochial some hold that he made only the Parochial I mean single societies associated for present personal Communion and left them by voluntary associations to make the greater over them § 4. Among these opinions let us first try whether Christ hath instituted any Church form besides the universal and 2. what that is I. And 1. if Christ hath instituted a holy Christian society for ordinary holy Communion and mutual help in Gods publick worship and holy living consisting of Pastors authorized and obliged to Teach and Guide and speak for the flock in Gods publick worship and administer his Sacraments according to Christs word and of a flock obliged to hear them learn obey and follow such their conduct to the foresaid ends then Christ hath instituted a form of a particular Church and its policy But the antecedent is true as shall be proved And the consequent or major is proved à definito ad denominatum This definition containeth the Essentials of a Church No man can deny that to be a Christian Church which hath this definition § 5. Here still it is supposed that the Spirit in the Apostles who were designed to be founders and master-builders and to gather and order Churches and teach them to observe all Christs commands was Christs promised Agent as Tertullian calls him and that Christ did what the Spirit did by the Apostles in their proper work to which he was promised them as their Guide as it is aforesaid § 6. And that Christ and his Apostles instituted sacred ordinary Assemblies of Christians for holy worship and Communion is so clear in the New Testament that it were vain to prove it § 7. And 2. as notorious and past doubt it is that the end of these Assemblies was such as is here mentioned 3. And as plain that such Pastors as are here described were set over all these Congregations and authorized and obliged to the foresaid work that is under Christ the great Teacher Priest and Ruler of the Church to Teach them Gods word to intercede under Christ for them to God and from Christ to them in prayer and Sacraments c. and to Guide them by that called the Keyes of the Church discerning whom to receive by Baptism whom to reprove exhort comfort or absolve Act. 14. 23. Act. 20. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. and many other places shew this § 8. And it is no less plain that the people were bound to continue in their doctrine communion and prayer and to obey them in that which they were commissioned to do Heb. 13. 7 13 24. 10. 25 26. 1 Thes 5. 12 13. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 20. and many other places so that the form of such Churches as consist of such Congregations and their Pastors is past all denyal and just doubt § 9. And as to all other Church-forms Classical Diocesan Metropolitical Provincial National Patriarchal and Papal it is these only that fall under reasonable doubt and controversie And 1. for Classical Churches I can say but this 1. That the General commands of holding Christian Love and Concord and doing all to edification require such Churches as live near together to be helpers to each other and that counsel and correspondency is necessary hereto which the Churches have still laudably exercised by Synods And if these associations for order-sake be agreed on as to stated times and numbers and bounds it is but the circumstantiating of a known duty And if any will call this a distinct Policy or Church-form I contend not against their liberty of speech while we agree de re But I judge it perillous to give the same name to such an Assembly or Association as to a Church of Christs institution lest it seduce men to think that the word is not equivocally used If the Agents of several Kingdoms met at a common Dyet I had rather not call them a superiour Kingdom were their meeting never so necessary An Assembly that is the Pars Imperans of one body Politick having Legislative power is one thing and an Assembly of Agents or Princes for meer concord and strength and help of distinct Kingdoms Schools Armies c. is another thing And I know no proof that such Councils must be ordinary or at stated Times and places but sometimes that is best and sometime not as the case standeth as even the Papists confess And when they begin to degenerate from a Council for Concord to a Majesty or highest Governing power it 's time to cross their claim and interrupt the occasions of it § 10. And if men at such Classes and Councils choose one to keep order as a moderator yea if they fix him it is but the circumstantiating of the Assemblies work But if he will claim hereupon a distinct order office and proper political Church relation so as hence to make himself the Regent part of a species of a Church yea and claim this as of God and unalterable I cannot justifie such a Church-form § 11. This holds as to the Presidents of all ranks of Synods Classical Diocesan Metropolitical Provincial National or Patriarchal To use them as Presidents of Councils for Concord is one thing and to use them as the Pars Imperans or the constitutive heads of a distinct Church species is another Arch-Bishop Vsher told me himself his judgement that Councils were but for Counsel and Concord and not for the Government of each other or any of the members and that they had no proper Governing power either over their Minor part or over any absent Bishops Though each Bishop was still the Governour of his own flock and their power over their flocks was exercised with the greater advantage by their Concord in Councils Dyets and Councils of distinct independent Bishops are not distinct forms of policy or Churches § 12. And if this hold true that the Councils themselves are not thereby Rectors of a distinct political society but for Concord of many then it will follow that a President of such a Council whether Diocesan Provincial National or more General is not as such a
Rector of the Bishops under him and their people but only the Orderer or Guide of the Modes and Circumstances of the Council as such And therefore could the Pope prove a right to preside in General Councils orbis Romani vel orbis terrarum which he cannot it were no proof that he is Regent Head of the Church universal The same I may say of the other Presidents § 13. If it hold that God instituted only Congregational or Parochial Churches as for present Communion then it must needs follow that none of the rest instituted by man have power to deprive such single Churches of any of the Priviledges granted them by Christ And therefore whereas Christ hath made the terms of Catholick Communion himself and hath commanded all such to worship him publickly in holy Communion under faithful Pastors chosen or at least consented to by themselves which many hundred years was the judgement of the Churches no humane order or power can deprive them of any of this benefit nor disoblige them from any of this duty by just authority § 14. Nay seeing that the universal Church is certainly the highest species none hath authority on pretence of narrower Communion in lower Churches to change Christs terms of Catholick Communion nor to deprive Christians of the right of being loved and received by each other or disoblige them from the duty of loving and receiving each other Humane power made by their own contracts cannot change Christs Laws nor the Priviledges or forms of Christs own Churches § 15. They that say that these several Church species are of God must prove that God instituted them and that can be only by Scripture or else that he gave some power to institute them since Scripture times which till they prove none are bound to obey them at least when they over rule Christs own institutions § 16. To devise new species of Churches without Gods authority and impose them on the world yea in his name and call all dissenters schismaticks is a far worse Usurpation than to make and impose new Ceremonies or Liturgies § 17. Dr. Hammond Dissert cont Blond Annot in Act. 11. pass affirmeth that it cannot be proved that the order of subject Presbyters was existent in Scripture times and consequently holdeth that Bishops had but single Congregations as Ignatius speaketh with One Altar Now if Diocesans Metropolitans Provincials Patriarchs or Pope as constitutive of Church-species were made after either these new Churches were made by the Bishops of Parochial Churches or by those that were No Bishops or Pastors of any Churches at all For the Apostles were dead and no institution of these but Scriptural can be truly proved And other Churches besides the Catholick and Parochial or single distinct from a compound of Churches there were then none For the lower to make the higher Churches is that which they will not grant who grant not that Presbyters may propagate their own species and deny that power ascendeth ab inferioribus And that men of no Church made all these new Church species is no honour to them § 18. Two contrary opinions herein now reign One of the Papists that think Christ instituted the Pope with power to make inferiour Church species That other is that Christ or his Apostles instituted Diocesans giving them power both as rulers to make Parish Churches or Chapels under them and by Contract or Consent to make the highest species over them Provincial National Patriarchal and say some Papal But as to the Papists so much is said against their supposition that it 's not here to be confuted And it 's certain that single Church order was constituted by no Pope and that all the Apostles had power thereto And as for the latter which affirmeth the lower degrees to make the higher we still want the proofs of their authority so to do of which more afterwards § 19. As for them that say that it is Magistrates that have power to make new species of Churches I grant them that whatever alterations of Church-Orders may be made Magistrates may do much in them The Power of Princes and the Guidance of Pastors and the Consent of the people have each herein their special place But what these alterations or additions are which they may make is the chief question Both the Catholick Church and single Church assemblies being instituted by Christ are not left to them The circumstantiating of other Assemblies and Associations are left to them to be done according to Gods general Law But that making new Political Societies that are properly called Churches or Religious bodies consisting of the Pars regens pars subdita is left to them by Christ I never saw proved any more than the making of new Sacraments But if that could be proved yet that these humane Churches or their makers may change those that are of Divine institution or deprive them of their priviledges or forbid them commanded duty cannot be proved § 20. And it is certain 1. That if Princes or Bishops or the people did institute Diocesan or Metropolitan Provincial or Patriarchal Churches they may yet make more and other species And who knoweth how many new forms of Churches we may yet expect 2. And they that made them upon good reason may unmake them or alter them when they please § 21. But though the Legislator and not the Subjects be the institutor of the Vniversal and particular Church-policies yet men are the constitutive matter and mans consent and faith is the dispositio materiae without which the form is not received and mans welfare is part of the final cause and Ministers are the instruments and Gods word written and preached for the gathering of Churches by such qualification of the persons and also of revealing the Institution of Christ and investing of particular persons in their Church-relations § 22. By all this it appeareth that as it belongeth to Christ to institute the political species of Churches though circumstantiating may be left to man at least undoubtedly of the Vniversal and of the single species so it belongeth to Christ and not to man to institute and describe their terms of Union For this is the very institution of the species And we are not to receive humane Church-policies without good proof of mens authority to make them and impose them CHAP. XI The danger of the two extreams And first of despairing of any Concord and of unjust Tolerations § 1. SOme men having seen the Christian world so long in Sects and contending parties do think that there is no hope of Vnity and Concord and therefore that all should be left at liberty And others think that there is no hope but on terms so wide as shall take such as Christ receiveth not nor would have us receive And on such accounts there were very early great contentions about the qualifications of the baptizers and baptized and the validity of baptism and about re-baptizing As to the Baptizers some thought
Baptism the term of Christian Catholick unity and concord as necessary ad esse and the Creed as needful and apt ad bene esse ordinarily § 22. There is a controversie raised as aforesaid by Donatists and other Sectaries so now by the Papists whether the person baptized must not also own 1. the Ministry in general 2. the particular Minister that baptizeth him 3. and the particular Church into which he is received 4. and subject himself by profession to such pastoral power To all which I shall distinctly answer § 23. I. To the first 1. what is connoted is not alwayes a necessary part of the contract A man cannot be baptized but he must know that some one hath power to baptize him 2. It is more needful of the two that the Apostolical office and power be known and believed than the successive ordinary Ministry Because the belief of the truth of the Gospel more dependeth on their testimony as commissioned and qualified with those extraordinary gifts of the spirit which are its seal and proof 3. It is of great use to our faith and obedience to understand that Christ hath settled an authorized Ministry to preserve and preach his Word and administer his Sacraments and guide his Churches to the end of the world and he that knoweth not this wanteth an integral part of Christianity and a great and needful help to his edification and salvation 4. Yet none of these are absolutely necessary to the essence of Christianity If any lived where the ministerial office were not known or should by misleading so far err as to think that any judicious Christian or any Christian Magistrate or master of a family might preach and administer the Sacraments if yet this man believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost as his Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and be accordingly devoted to him in baptism this man shall be saved notwithstanding his ignorance or errour about the Ministry yea though he knew not of the office of the Apostles but took them for lay men For the promise is that whoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 18. by what means soever he was converted to the faith It is not only He that is converted by a Priest shall not perish Nor is it ever said He that believeth in the Apostles or Priests shall not perish but he that believeth in Christ which essentially includeth the belief in the Father and the Holy Ghost And therefore Paul calleth them carnal as guilty of Schism that said I am of Paul and I of Cephas because they were not baptized into the name of Paul or Cephas but of Christ And he thanketh God that he had baptized few of them lest they should say that he had baptized them into his own name And yet are the Apostles foundations or bases and pillars in the Church because Christ used them as the first great keepers of his word and seals and the means of converting unbelievers and it 's hard and rare to believe in Christ without knowing and believing that they were his commissioned Ministers § 24. II. But though it be a duty to choose a true Minister to be baptized by yet it is not at all necessary to the validity of baptism to know that the baptizer is such Indeed not one of many can be sure as not having seen his ordination nor knowing of his necessary qualifications Many things may deceive them and all baptism by Lay-men is not null as the Fathers held and the Papists now hold and confess § 25. III. And as to reception into a particular Church I have proved before that it is no work of baptism as such but a consequent act in order of nature alwayes and oft of time The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no Church but the Universal There be some few rigid mistaken brethren called Independents in New England that think indeed that all baptized persons must be baptized into a particular Church but others even of that party are wiser herein It is very fit that every one that can be a member of some particular Church But some cannot as Travellers Merchants Ambassadors c. who reside among Infidels only and those that live in Countreys where the Pastors by tyranny refuse to admit any to their communion who will not say or do some unlawful thing But yet Baptism as such is no such thing nor hath such an effect Much less is it a profession that such a particular Church is sound § 26. IV. And as to subjection to the Clergie It is true that Baptism essentially subjecteth us to Christ and this includeth an obligation to obey him in all things which we know to be his Law And it is true that just obedience to the Guides of the Church is his command But it followeth not that every man knoweth this nor that every disobedience unchurcheth us It is his command that we pray continually and in all things give thanks and that we speak not an idle word and use not vain jeasting c. But it nullifieth not Christianity that we culpably offend in one of these Nor doth our baptism contain our promise that we will never sin nor that we will obey a command which we understand not but that we will be Christs subjects and obey him sincerely so as that when we fail by weakness we will renew our repentance Christ also commandeth every child subject wife servant to obey their parents Princes and Magistrates Husband and Master And he that is baptized bindeth himself also to obey these Laws sincerely if he know them But it followeth not that it is essential to Baptism to oblige us to subjection to parents husbands masters but only to Christ who commandeth us to obey them Even as subjects take not an Oath of Allegiance to every Justice Constable or Messenger but only to the King who yet commandeth us to obey his Judges Justices Constables c. § 27. To pretend that Baptism as such doth subject men to the Bishop of Rome or to the Bishop of Alexandria Antioch Paris London or to the Pastor of a single Church is a perverting the sence of it and to be answered as the Apostle did others Were ye baptized into the Name of Paul CHAP. IV. II. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of Church-Communion and what are the lawful Causes of abscission or Excommunication § 1. IT is granted that as there is somewhat more necessary to the continuance of our pardon justification and right to glory than was to our first reception so also to our continuance as members of the Catholick Church That is the bare profession of faith and consent and subjection or Covenanting with Christ for future sincere obedience is enough to our first reception by baptism But some performance of this Covenant is necessary to our continuance The reasons are 1. Because the Covenant or promise is necessary not meerly for it self but for the
to retain in Church-Communion multitudes of Infidels Adulterers Fornicators Perjured persons drunkards railers slanderers oppressours hereticks scorners at piety c. And it 's yet worse to cast out men for not subscribing to some lye false doctrine or wicked thing or for refusing down right heinous sin And yet worse is it to make Discipline an engine to dethrone Kings and embroile confound or subdue Kingdoms and enslave the earth § 50. The lower first degrees of Church-Government which is but doctrinally to teach men and reprove them all Pastors must use or they omit the essential work of their office But the full prosecution of it to excommunication or publick repentance is rather needful to the Well-being than to the Being of the Churches and Ministry especially when the Christian-Magistrate doth his part No doubt but the Magistrate may admonish a sinner and command him to make publick Confession in the Church and may shame the impenitent and forbid familiarity with him yea and Church-Communion when the case is notorious or judged by the Pastor But it is the Pastors office to judge of his crime impenitence and repentance in order to excommunication and absolution and herein the Magistrate is not to take on him the Pastors work but to command the Pastor and people to do their duties § 51. III. So much of the necessaries to the Being and Well being of the Ministry As to the exercise it may be gathered from what is said There is further necessary to it 1. Natural ability possibility liberty and opportunity and the peoples acceptance consent and reception 2. And as to the Well-being and success 1. The great diligence and skill of the Minister 2. The forwardness and teachableness and zeal and concord of the flock 3. The Concord of the Ministers and Neighbour Pastors 4. And the countenance and encouragement of faithful Magistrates will much promote it CHAP. VI. IV. What is necessary to the Constitution Administration and Communion of single Churches § 1. BY single and Particular Churches I still mean those that are compounded of many Christians but not of many Churches And I take not the word Church in any of the laâ—e senses for civil or occasional meetings or societies or for every religious concourse of Christians as a Synod an accidental day of fasting and prayer c. nor for a meer Community or neighbourhood of Christians nor for a Christian Kingdom or City governed by the Magistrates sword But for a proper Church as political consisting of Pastor and flock § 2. When the Apostles ordained them Elders in every Church Act. 14. 23. it signifieth that they setled these Elders as the proper fixed Church-guides of those Churches Not that they had no Ministerial power elsewhere but that this was their proper special Charge or Province As a Licensed Physicion that hath a particular Hospital or City is a Physicion every where that he cometh and not breaking order may exercise his Art but he may not invade another mans Hospital or Province nor is bound as the other is to medicate that Hospital c. So a Minister of Christ lawfully invited may Preach and Administer Sacraments yea and Discipline in any other Church pro tempore not as a Lay-man but as a Minister in office But he is not bound to take the Charge of another mans flock nor may intrude disorderly but as a helper or on just call § 3. Titus is appointed to ordain such Elders in every City which is all one as in every Church not that every City then had a Church nor that he was to ordain Elders in the Cities that had no Churches nor that he was forbidden to ordain Elders in Countrey Villages Nor that he was tyed either to ordain many Elders in every Church or City or yet to ordain but One in one City or one Church But because de facto there were few or no Villages then that had Christians enow to make a Church of desirable consistence therefore they were congregate commonly in Cities and great Towns where the Christians of the neighbour Villages joyned with them § 4. Every such single Church then by the Apostles order had their own Pastor one or more and every such fixed Pastor knew his proper Charge and flock And in the time when the Epistles of Ignatius were written every such Church had One Bishop over the other Elders and usually some fellow Elders and Deacons and a single undivided Church was known by these notes of Unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In every Church there is one Altar or Altar place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyters and Deacons Whence Mr. Mede well noteth the certainty that then no Church of one Altar was denyed a Bishop and no Bishop had more Churches with an Altar than one That is no other Assembly for stated Communion § 5. Yet occasional and subordinate Communion parts of a Church may hold Those called Independents deny not but that in persecution or for want of a large room the same Church may meet by parts in several places at once And all confess that a Parish Church may admit of Chapels and Oratories where distant and weak persons may frequently meet that yet sometimes must come to the Parish Church And families that have sick persons may Communicate with neighbours joyning with them But these are not Churches but parts of such § 6. God hath not said just how many persons must make a single Church no more and no less determinately but he hath given us sufficient notice to guide us by the work and end and by his general precepts and examples § 7. A single Church is a society of Christians of Divine institution consisting of one Pastor or more as the Guiding part and a competent number of private Christians as the Guided part associated by Consent for personal presential holy Communion and mutual assistance in holy Doctrine holy worship of God holy order and holy Conversation for the edification preservation and salvation of that Church and the welfare of the Church universal of which it is a part and the Glorifying and Pleasing of God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier § 8. To open the parts of this definition observe 1. That as in defining a Sacrament so in defining a Church we mention the Divine Institution because it is not human Sacraments or humanly-invented Churches that we treat of § 9. 2. Note that only Christians make a Christian Church as is oft said Professed Christians the visible Church and sincere heart consenters the mystical regenerated saved Church § 10. 3. It is not any other company of Christians but a society or Governed association that we speak of as strictly called a Church § 11. 4. The Pastors and flock are the essential constitutive parts It may be a Community without a Pastor but not a Policie or Ecclesiastical Society While the Pastor liveth it is such a Church in esse existente when the
Parish but not out of the Diocese nor separateth from his Diocesan doth not separate from that particular Church as they esteem it Sect. XXV 9. If the Temples and Tythes be given to a Priest or Bishop not lawfully called nor consented to by the Flocks and another be lawfully called whom the Magistrate casteth out of the Temples and Tythes or denyeth them to him it is the Peoples duty to adhere to the Pastor that is justly called And it is not alwayes a duty to adhere to him whom the Magistrate imposeth nor a sin to withdraw from him The Churches met against the Magistrates will above three hundred years Sect. XXVI 10. If a lawfull Bishop or Pastor be set over the Flocks and either Magistrate or Synod unjustly depose him because he refuseth some heresie or sin and set up another in his stead especially one justly suspected of unsoundness the People are not hereby disobliged from their first Pastor nor obliged to the latter But yet if the latter be tolerable the Magistrates Countenance may be so great an advantage to the one and disadvantage to the other especially in case of Persecution as may make it their duty in point of Prudence for the first Pastor and People to consent to the Change And the same is to be said of the abusive deposition by a Synod Sect. XXVII 11. If the Parish Minister be lawfully called and the Pishop not so he that separateth only from the Diocesan and not from that Parish-Church is not guilty of Schism The same I say of separating from an unlawfull Arch-Bishop or Metropolitan Sect. XXVIII 12. If the species of the Office Church-Policie or Form be unlawfull it is a duty to separate from that species On which account we separate from the Papal Church the species of an Universal Church as Headed by one Man without Christs Institution being unlawfull though we separate from no Material part of Christs own universal Church as such and so related And as the Mass Sacrifice seemeth to be of another species than Christs Sacrament so the Mass-Priest seemeth to be a new species of Office and unlawfull The case of Patriarks and other Church-Offices and Forms of mans invention is after to be spoken of Sect. XXIX 8. There is a great deal of difference between the several local separations of men according to their several reasons and mutual separations No meer local separation without the mental is Schism or sin A man can be but in one place at once and is locally separate or absent from all Churches in the World save one Sect. XXX He that separateth from a true Church accusing it to be no true Church caeteris paribus is of the highest degree of Separation except that which is from all or from many And he that separateth as falsly accusing the Doctrine Worship Discipline or Conversation of the Church to be such as that a good Christian may not lawfully hold Communion with them therefore is in the next degree of Schism But he that withdraweth from one Church only for a greater convenience or profit or for purer Doctrine Worship Discipline or Practice in another is guilty either of no Schism if he have just cause or of little if he have not just cause while he no further accuseth the Church Sect. XXXI To separate unwarrantably from a pure and sound Church is a worse Schism caeteris paribus than to separate from an impure unsound maculated and undisciplined Church And to separate from many caeteris paribus is worse than from one Sect. XXXII If the Magistrate cast true Pastors and Churches out of his favour and out of the Temples and Tythes and forbid their Meetings and persecute them unjustly it is schismatical in any to call these men Schismaticks and to deny Communion with them as holding and calling them unlawful Conventicks as long as it is not so To separate from a prohibited Church may be Schism as well as from an allowed one when it is unjust Sect. XXXIII 9. To separate in mind from the Doctrine of Faith or in heart from the Love of Truth Worship or Brethren is dangerous mental Schism in those that ordinarily assemble with them Sect. XXXIV And all dividing Opinions and Doctrines and Practices tending to open Schism are schismatical according to their degree such are false accusing thoughts of the Churches Doctrine the Ministers Preaching the Churches Worship Order or Government or of the persons of the Pastors or the People Sect. XXXV 10. Secret ignorance or unbelief of necessary things is inconsistent with that internal union that maketh the Church Mystical Negatives may be Schism as well as Positives Sect. XXXVI 11. It is also internal Schism when men hate or love not Gods Word and Worship and the Communion of Saints and the Servants of God but love Pleasures Sin Deceivers and Dividers better Sect. XXXVII 12. Censuring reviling slandering defaming Rulers Teachers or People or other Churches of Christ by tongue or writing in Pulpits or in common talk especially by published false Invectives is Schismatical Of which many Controvertists and Disputants are guilty and many that reproach oppressed Churches and Persons are schismatical in calling others Schismaticks and Hereticks Sect. XXXVIII 13. Printing preaching or publishing Heresies or any false dividing doctrines is in its degree schismatical Sect. XXXIX 14. Making ones self uncapable of Communion and doing that which deserveth Excommunication is a rending ones self morally and by merit from the Church Sect. XL. 15. Causeless renouncing Communion with true Churches especially also setting up Anti-churches unwarrantably against them is Schism according to the degrees before described yea to hold Churches in other Countreys uncapable of Communion and unjustly condemn them as Hereticks is Schism Sect. XLI 16. The more men draw with them into Schism the more caeteris paribus it is aggravated And the Leaders and zealous Promoters are most guilty Sect. XLII 17. It is aggravated Schism to oppose Reconcilers or the healing Doctrines and Practices that are the proper means of unity and to reproach vilifie or resist them Sect. XLIII 18. The greatest and commonest Schism is by Dividing Laws and Canons which causelesly silence Ministers scatter Flocks and Decree the unjust Excommunication of Christians and deny Communion to those that yield not to sinfull or unnecessary ill-made terms of Communion And Persecution and Excommunications in the executing of such Laws are Schism in its virulent exercise Sect. XLIV 19. It is therefore schismatical to deny necessary toleration of Dissenters and Liberty for such to worship God in several places who by unavoidable difference of judgement in things tolerable cannot without violence to their Consciences meet in the same place For instance suppose the Parish-Churches have the use of Organs and some cannot be perswaded but it â—s sin As the rest will not be deprived of the Musick â—for their sakes so it is unjust and schismatical that they should be denyed leave to worship God elsewhere without
down Sect. XI 3. They turn all the Parish-Churches into Chappels or meer parts of one Church and Unchurch them all in the judgment of those that take a Bishop to be essential to a Church And all will not agree to Unchurch all such Parishes Sect. XII 4. It maketh true Discipline as impossible as is the Government of so many score oâ— hundred Schools by one Schoolmaster or Hospitals by one Physician without any other Schoolmaster or Physician under him but Ushers and Apothecaries which all Christians will not agree to Sect. XIII 5. It is contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Churches and casteth out their sort oâ— Parochial Bishops as I have elsewhere fully proved 1. From the Testimonies of many such as that oâ— Ignatius before cited 2. From the custom of choosing Bishops by all the People 3. And of managing Discipline before all the Church 4. By the custom mentioned by Tertulliâ—â— and Justin Martyr of receiving the Sacrament onely from the hand of the Bishop or when he Consecrated it 5. By the custom of the Bishops onely Preaching except in case of his special appointment 6. In every Church the Bishop sate on a high Seat with the Presbyters about him 7. The Bishop onely pronounced the Blessing 8. Many Canons after when the Churches grew greater command all the People to be present and communicate with the Bishop on the great Festivals These and many more Evidences prove That in the Primitive Times the Bishops had but single Churches and every Altar and Church had a Bishop Sect. XIV 6. The very Species of the old Churches is thus overthrown and the old office of Presbyters therewith which was to be assistant Governors with the Bishop and not meer Preachers or Readers And all these Changes all Christians will not agree to Sect. XV. 7. Especially the sad History of Councils and Prelacy will deter them from such Concord when they find that their Aspiring Ambition and Contention hath been the grand Cause of Schisms and Rebellions and kept the Church in confusion and brought it to the lamentable state in East and West that it is in Sect. XVI 8. And constant Experience will be the greatest hinderance As in our own Age many good Men that had favourable thoughts of Diocesans are quite turned from them since they saw Two thousand faithful Ministers silenced by them and that it is the work of too many of them to cast out such and set up such as I am not willing to describe And such Experience After-Ages are like to have which will produce the same effects When Experience persuadeth Men That under the name of Bishops they are Troublers Persecutors and Destroyers they will account them Wolves and not agree to take them for their Shepherds It will be said That Good Bishops are not such It 's true and that there are Good Ones no sober Man doubteth But when 1300 years Experience hath told Men That the Good Ones are few in comparison of the Bad Ones ever since they had large Dominions and Jurisdictions And when Reason tells Men That the worst and most worldly Men will be the most diligent seekers of such Power and Wealth and that he that seeketh them is liker to find them than he that doth not and so that Bad men are still likest to be Diâ—cesans And when the divided scattered persecuted Flocks find that the work of such Men is to silence the most conscionable Ministers and to be Thorns and Thistâ—es to the People though they wear Sheeps cloathing Men will judge of theâ— by their fruits and the Churches will never be united in them Sect. XVII 9. The greatest Defenders of Episcopacy say so much to make Men against them as will hinder this from being an uniting course I wiâ—l instance now but in Petavius and Doctor Hamâ—â—d who followeth him and Scolus who saith 〈…〉 Clara led them the way These hold That the Apâ—stâ—â—s setled a Bishop without any subject sort of Presbyters in every City and single Congregational Church And Doctor Hammond Annot. in Act. 11. Dissertat adversus Blondel saith That it cannot be proved that there were any subject Presbyters in scripture-Scripture-times but that the word Presbyter every where in Scripture signifieth a Bishop And if so 1. Men will know that the Apostolical Form was for every Congregational Church to have a Bishop of its own 2. That no Bishop had more setled Congregations than one For no such Congregation could worship God and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion as then they constantly did without a Minister And one Bishop could be but in one place at once and so without Curates could have but one Assembly 3. And Men will be inquisitive By what Authority Subject Presbyters and Diocesan Bishops and Churches were introduced after scripture-Scripture-times in which they will never receive universal satisfaction If it be said that the Apostles gave Bishops Power to make a subject order of Presbyters and to turn Parish or Congregational Churches into Diocesan and so to alter the first Forms of Government when they were dead this will not be received without proofs which never will be given to satisfie all Nay it will seem utterly improbable and Men will ask 1. Why did not the Apostles do it themselves if they would have it done Was not their Authority more unquestionable than theirs that should come after If it be said that there were not qualified Men enow it will 2. Be asked Were there not like to be then greatest Choice upon the extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit 3. Do we not find in Corinth so many inspired gifted persons in one Assembly that Paul was put to limit them in their Prophecying yet allowing many to do it one by one And Acts 13. there were many Prophets and Teachers in Antioch And at Jerusalem more and at Ephesus Acts 20. and at Philippi Phil. 1. 1 2. there were many Bishops or Elders And such Deacons as Stephen and Philip c. would have served for Elders rather than to have none 4. Doth not this imply that after-times that might make so great a change may also do the like in other things 5. And that Diocesans and subject Presbyters be but humane Institutions and therefore Men may again change them 6. Doth it not dishonour the Apostles to say that they setled one Form of Government for their own Age which should so quickly be changed by their Followers into another species All these things and much more will hinder Universal Concord in Diocesans Sect. XIX Yet I must add that there is great difference between Diocesans both as to their Government and their Persons whence some Churches may comfortably live in Concord under them though 〈◊〉 be divided and afflicted under them 1. Some Diocesans have Diocesses so small that Discipline is there a possible thing Others as ours in England have some above a thousand some many hundred or score Parishes which maketh true Discipâ—â—â— impossible 2. Some Diocesans exercise
his Presbyters and Deacons 2. Nor with the question whether these should have Arch-Bishops over them as successours to the Apostolical and other general Overseers of the first age in the ordinary continued parts of their office 3. Nor whether Patriarchs Diocesans and Lay Chancellours as officers of the King exercising under him such Government of the Church as belongeth to Kings according to our Oath of Supremacy be lawful to which in such exercise all subjects must for Conscience sake submit 4. Nor whether it was well done or of Divine appointment that about temporal matters as well as Church Controversies the Bishops were chosen arbitrators by the ancient Christians and so did that which Christian Magistrates now must do till upon the conversion of Princes and States the said Power of externals circa sacra fell into their hands 5. Nor yet if Diocesans become the sole Bishops infimi ordinis over many hundred Parishes all the Bishops and Parish Churches under them being put down and turned into Curates and Chapels partes ecclesiae infimae speciei whether a Minister and every Subject ought yet to live quietly and peaceably under them It is none of these that are the questions which I decide II. In my confutation of Mr. Dodwell some may mistake me as if I denied that our Religion had come down to us by a continued succession from the Apostles or that the ministerial office in specie or that the Vniversal Church had ever been without a true Ministry or Religion I have proved where our Church was in all ages before Luther in my second book against Johnson alias Terret Nor do I say what I do to avoid deriving our Ministerial succession from Rome For History puts me out of doubt that the multitude of uncapable Popes and Schisms will prove a far greater interruption of Canonical and Legitimate succession at Rome than can be proved of England and perhaps than hath happened to almost any other Church in the world And I am fully satisfied that the present Church of England as National deriveth its succession from the ancient Brittish and Scottish Church and not from Rome and that Christianity was the Religion of England long before Gregory or Augustine the Monks days and that notwithstanding Gildas his smart reproofs when the Brittish and Scottish Clergy and people disclaimed all obedience to the Pope and would not so much as eat or lodge in the same house with Gregory's Clergy the persons were better or at least their doctrine and Religion more sound than that which Rome did afterwards obtrude And as the blood of this nation though called English will upon just consideration be found to be twenty if not an hundred fold more British than either Roman Saxon or Norman so the Ordination of the Bishops is derived so much more from the Brittains and Scots than from Rome as that Augustine the Monks successours were afterward almost quite extinct only one Wini a Simonist being left in anno 668. the rest of the Bishops being all of Brittish ordination All which with much more of great importance is so fully proved after Usher by M. T. Jones of Oswestree late Chaplain to the Duke of York in an excellent Historical Treatise hereof called Of the Heart and its right Soveraign that I am sorry that book is no more commonly bought and read But withal I must say that this our certain succession disproveth the Papists and Mr. Dodwells plea for the necessity of their sort of Episcopal Canonical uninterrupted succession For as the Bishops of Denmark have their succession but from Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter his ordination so Aidan and Finan that came from Scotland out of Columbanus Monastery were no Bishops as Beda and others fully testifie And after Beda and others Mr. Jones hath cleared it that it was not only the Northern Bishops that were ordained by Aidan and Finan and Dhuma but that the Bishops of the whole land had their ordination derived from them and such as they and those whom they ordained so that the denying of the Validity of the Ordination by Presbyters shaketh the succession of the Episcopal Church of England and proveth it on that supposition interrupted And if they derive it from Rome it will be as much shaken III. In perusal I find that I have more than once mentioned some things in this treatise and the repetition may be an offense to some To which I say 1. That this is usual in controversies where several objections and occasions call for the same material answer 2. But I confess it is the effect of my hast and weakness And it is my judgement while I think that I write no needless books that I should rather write any one that is truly useful with such imperfections of manner and style as only so far disgrace the author than for want of time to leave it undone to the loss of others But if it be needless it is a greater fault to write it than to write it no more accurately My dear friend and judicious brother Mr. John Corbett hath newly published a small book to the same purpose with this of the true state of Religion and Interest of the Church with a discourse of Schism which I commend to the Reader as much worthy of his perusal and which if written on the hearts of Rulers and Teachers and people according to its certain truth and weight would heal us all The Lord forgive our heinous sins which deserve that he should excommunicate and forsake us and save England from English men and save us all from our selves our most dangerous enemies and Christians and Pastors and friends from one another For as Mr. Jones his Welsh Proverb saith Though thy dog be thy own trust him not when he is mad IV. I hear some say of my book that cometh out with this of the case of the Non-conformists and may say of this that 1. It is unseasonable to mention our own differences when we are called to unite against the Papists 2. And that too hard-accusations of conformity are intimated I answer to the first 1. That it is never more seasonable to write for Vnity than when we are most obliged to unite Though indeed it can never be unseasonable And to take Non-conformists for heinous Schismaticks and call on Magistrates to silence and imprison and ruine them is not the way to unity nor consisteut with it and therefore to deprecate such unpeaceable ways is the necessary work of a Peacemaker 2. I have waited in vain these seventeen years for a fit season And with me in likelyhood it must be Now or Never for there is no doing it in the grave and I dare not die and leave it undone on pretence that it was not seasonable To the second I say 1. I have professed that I write not to accuse Conformists but if men accuse us as enemies to order obedience and peace and as fit for silencing and utter ruine and tell the
Ariminum Sirmium l. 26. for faith r. force p. 8. l. penult for me r. men p. 11. l. 10. for mutual r. mental p. 24. l. antip r. Wotton p. 38. l. 25. r. Councils p. 44. l. 14. r. Saravia Spalatto l. 17. r. Didoclave p. 5. l. 2. r. Pope p. 55. l. 7. r. Persidis p. 59. l. 8. for the r. de p. 64. l. 2. for no r. not p. 119. l. 30. r. Rulers p. 132. l. 12. for that r. the p. 143. l. 9. for it r. is The First Part. The Reasons for Christian Unity and Concord What it is And how much may be hoped for on Earth CHAP. I. The Text opened and the Doctrines and Method proposed EPHES. 4. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Endeavouring or carefully or diligently studying to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace HAD not the distempers of the minds even of Religious persons and the long and sad divisions and distractions of Christians assured me that this Text is not commonly understood and regarded as the Apostles vehement Exhortation and the importance and reason of the matter do bespeak yea had not the long bleeding wounds of the Church made by its Pastors and most zealous members still cryed out aloud for pity and help I had not chosen this subject at this time But after the complaints and exhortations and tears of the wisest and best men since the days of Christ after the long miseries of the Church and the long and costly experience of all ages the destroying Spirit of division still possesseth the most and maketh some of the possessed to rage and foam tear themselves and all that are in their power it haunteth the holy assemblies and disquieteth the lovers of unity and peace and by the scandals which it raiseth it frighteneth children and unstable persons out of their religion and their wits And therefore after the many books which I have written for Vnity Love and Peace and the many years preaching and praying to that end I find it yet as necessary as ever to Preach on the same Subject and to recite the same things and while I am in this Tabernacle which I must shortly put off to stir you up that after my decease you may have it in remembrance 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 14. And could I persuade the Churches of Christ to seek by fasting and fervent prayer the dispossessing of this distracting Spirit by which only this evil kind goeth out our languishing hopes might yet revive If Paul found it necessary to cry down division and plead for Unity so frequently and so vehemently as he doth to those new planted Churches of Rome Corinth Ephesus Galatia Philippi Thessalonica c. which had been founded by the means of miracles and had so much of the spirit of Unity and Community and had Apostles among them to preserve their peace what wonder if we that are much ignorant of the Apostles minds and of the Primitive pattern and have less of the Spirit have need to be still called upon to study to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace They that preach Twenty or an hundred Sermons for Purity and scarce one with equal Zeal for Vnity and Peace do not sufficiently discern that Purity and Peace are the inseparable fruits of the wisdom from above which live and die together and with them the souls and societies of believers This famous Church of Ephesus is it which Paul Act. 20. had so long laid out his labours in even publickly from house to house night and day with tears which was famous for its greatness and the open profession of Christ where even the price of the vain unlawful books which they openly burnt came to fifty thousand pieces of silver This is the Church that first of the seven is written to by Christ Rev. 2. Whose works labour and patience even without fainting were known and praised by the Lord which proved and disproved the false Apostles which hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans And yet Paul saw cause Act. 20. 30. to foretell them prophetically of their temptations to division that they should be tryed by both extreams as other Churches were and are that on one side grievous Wolves or Church tyrants should enter not sparing the stâ—ck and on the other side of themselves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples by Schism separation after them And to this excellent Church he seeth cause here to urge the Persuasives to the vigilant preservation of Vnity in this Chapter Having in the three first Chapters instructed them in the high mysteries of Election Redemption and the fruits thereof and magnified the riches of Grace in Christ and the spiritual knowledge thereof that we may know what Vse he principally intended he here beginneth his application 1. With a moving reason from his Person and Condition v. 1. I the Prisoner of the Lord As if he should say As ever you will regard the doctrine and counsel of your Teacher and Christs Apostle now I am in bonds for the doctrine which I preach 2. With words of earnest request I beseech you 3. With the matter of his request 1. In general that they walk worthy the calling wherewith they were called Beza need not have avoided the vulgar and proper translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and put quod convenit for worthy for worthiness can signifie nothing but moral congruity 2. Specially this worthiness consisteth in the holy and healthful constitution of their souls and the exercise thereof In their inward disposition and their answerable practice 1. The inward qualifications are 1. All lowliness 2. Meekness 3. Love 2. The fruits of these are 1. Long-suffering 2. Forbearing one another 3. And Studying to keep the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace Which Vnity is particularly described in the Terms and reasons of it which are seven 1. One Body 2. One Spirit 3. One hope 4. One Lord. 5. One faith 6. One Baptism 7. One God and Father who is above all and through all and in them all But negatively not in an equality of Grace in all the members for that is various according to the measure of the gift of Christ the free Benefactor I must pass by all unnecessary explication and the handling of the many useful Lessons which offer themselves to us in the way such as these following Doct. 1. It should not depreciate the counsels of Christs Ministers that they are sent or written from a prison or bonds but rather procure their greater acceptance when they are not imprisoned for evil doing but for Preaching or obeying the Gospel and Law of Christ it is their honour and the honour of that doctrine which they suffer for why else keep you days of thanksgiving and Commemoration of the Martyrs On the persecutors part Christ is evil spoken of or blasphemed but by the sufferers he is glorified and therefore he will glorifie
we are One We dye when we cease to be One and we decay when by separation we hasten towards it and we grow weak when by looseness we grow more separable Therefore all Loosening opinions or principles which tend to abate the Love and Vnity of Christians are weakening principles and tend to death Schisms in the Church and feuds or wars in the Commonwealth and mutinies in Armies are the approaches or threatnings of death Or if such â—evers and bloody fluxes prove not mortal the cure must be by some excellent remedy and Divine clemency and skill Discordia Ordinum est reipublicae venenum saith Livy For as Salust saith War is easily begun as fire in the City easily kindled but to end it requireth more ado And the â—nd is seldom in the power of the same persons that began it much less will it end as easily as it might have been prevented It 's like the eruption of waters that begin at a small breach in the damm or banks but quickly make themselves a wider passage Prov. 26. 17. He that passeth by and medleth with strife which is not to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears Prov. 17 14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it be medled with or exasperated or stirred up to rage As passion inclineth men to strive rail or some way hurt so all discord and division inclineth men to a warring depressing way against others As Gregory saith When perverse minds are once engaged ad studium contrarietatis to a study of contrariety they arm themselves to oppugne all that is said by another be it wrong or right for when the person through contrariety is displeasing to them even that which is right when spoken by him is displeasing And when this is the study of each member to prove all false or bad that another saith or doth and to disgrace and weaken one another what strength what safety what peace what duration can be to that society IV. UNITY is also the BEAUTY and Comeliness of the Church and all societies Perfect UNITY without Diversity is proper to God But ab Vno omnia that all the innumerable parts of his Creation should by Order and VNITY make ONE UNIVERSE or world that all the members of the Church of Christ of how great variety of gifts degrees and place soever should make one Body this is the Divine skill and this Order and Vnity is the Beauty of his works If the Order and Vnity of many Letters made not words and of many words made not sentences and of many sentences made not Books what were their excellency or use If many Notes ordered and united made not Harmony what were the pleasure of musick or melody And how doth this Concord make it differ from a discordant odious noise The Unity of well-ordered Materials is the Beauty of an Edifice And the Unity of well-ordered and proportioned members is the symmetrie and Beauty of the Body It delighteth mans nature more to read the history of Loves and amiable concord which is the charming snare in tempting Lustâ—books than to read of odious and ruinating discords And no doubt but the many histories of sinful discord and their effects are purposely recorded in Scripture to make it the more hateful to all believers This is the use of the recorded malice of Cain to Abel of the effect of the Babel division of tongues of the disagreement of the servants of Abraham and Lot of the envy of Josephs brethren and of Esau's thoughts of revenge against Jacob and of Jacobs fear of him of the discord of Laban and Jacob of the bloody fact of Simeon and Levi and Jacob's dying detestation of it and his curse of the two Hebrews that strove with each other and one of them with Moses of the Israelites murmurings and mutinies against Moses Abimelech's cruelty against his brethren of the tribe of Ephraim's quarrel with Jephta and the Israelites with the Benjamites and their war of the envy of Saul against David and his pursuit of his and Doegs cruelty against the Priests of Absoloms rebellion against David of Joabs murders and his death of Solomons jealousie and execution of Adonijah of Rehoboams foolish difference with his subjects and the loss of the ten tribes and Jeroboam's reign of the continual wars of Juda and Israel of the many malicious actions of Priests and people against Jeremiah Amos and other Prophets and Messengers of God of the persecuting cruelty of Herod against Christ and the Infants in his jealousies about his Crown of the Jews malicious and foolish opposition to Christ of Christs disciples striving which should be the Greatest and the aspiring request of James and John of the short dissention of Paul and Barnabas c. Are not all these unpleasant histories to us and written to make dissentions odious To this end it is that we have the sad history of the early contentions between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians about Circumcision and the Law and the reconciling assembly Act. 15. To this end we have the sad history and sharp reproofs of the factions and sidings among the Corinthians of the false Apostles envy raised against Paul among the Corinthians and Galatians and of those that preached Christ out of envy and in strife to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1. of the many heresies that rose up even in those first Churches to trouble desile them and disgrace them To this end we have the abundance of sharp rebukes of contentious persons and such as strove about words and genealogies and the Law and the reproofs of many of the Asian Churches Rev. 2. 3. and the odious description of the hereticks 2 Pet. 2. Jud. c. not only as corrupters of doctrine but in a special manner as Separatists and dividers of and from the Christian Churches To this end we have the sad predictions that two sorts should arise and tear the Churches Act. 20. Grievous wolves that should not spare the flocks and some of themselves that should speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them To this use we have so many vehement obtestations and exhortations against discord and divisions even in those times of vigorous Love and Concord such as 1 Cor. 1. 10 c. 3. c. Phil. 2. 1 2 c. 3. 14 15 16. and abundance such of which hereafter And even those that by their Master are taught not to be too forward in seeing the mote in anothers eye must yet be intreated to Mark them that cause Divisions and offences and avoid them and whereas they that were such pretended to be the most excellent servants of Christ and to speak more sublimely and spiritually for greater edification and advancement of Knowledge than the Apostles did it was no ill censoriousness to judge that being the Causes of Divisions and offences contrary to Christs doctrine of Love Vnity and
is the great divider and destroyer As ever therefore we pity the souls of sinners and would not be guilty of their damnation we should keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace § 6. VI. Our Love to the Church and Sacred Ministry doth oblige us Our Discords unsay too powerfully what Christs Ministers say when they set forth the power of grace and the excellency of Christianity All the opposition of the arguments and reproaches of Quakers or malignant prophane enemies is of far less force against the Gospel than the discords of professed Christians The labours of many worthy Ministers have been hindered and their hearts even broken with such sinful and scandalous divisions when the enemies hit us in the teeth with these we are ashamed and cannot deny the fact though we can deny their false conclusions How much of the designs of Satan and his agents have lain in dividing the servants of Christ Some of the moderate and peaceable Emperours in the more flourishing state of the Church and Empire by the discords and mutinies of factious Christians were made a-weary of their Crowns Yea some of those that the hasty hereticating Orthodox party too hastily pronounced hereticks and heretical such as Theodosuis junior Zeno Anastasuis Justinian c. were tired out with labouring in vain to keep the Christian Bishops in Peace and by Historians are recorded to be men of better qualities than the Bishops And one of them Anastasius laid down his Crown and told them he would not be the Ruler of such contentious and unruly men till the necessities of the people brought them to remorse and to intreat him to continue Emperour and promised to cease their mutinous contentions And what the divisions in the Church of Rome did to shame and thus far abase the Papacy is past all doubt When there have been in many generations sometimes two and sometimes three called Popes at once when some Kingdoms owned one and some another and when they often fought it out and as Victor the third and many another got their pretended right by Victory not by the Word but by the Sword When one Pope for forty years together lived in France at Avignion and the other at Rome When they fought it out with many Emperours and Kings When Italy was kept by them many ages in divisions and bloody wars and when the very Citizens of Rome and their Popes were put to fight it out at home in their streets And when the Popes have excommunicated the people of Rome it self where then was the Church of Rome All this Church history recordeth to their perpetual shame And have not the dissensions between Luther and Carolostadius and Zuinglius Lutherans and Calvinists to name no more been a reproach to the Reformation as I said before As we Love the Church then and as we regard the honour and success of the Ministry and would not have Christs house and Kingdom fall or be shaken or disgraced by our sinful discords Let us keep this spiritual Unity and peace § 7. VII And indeed Experience is not the least of our obligations A danger never tryed is seldom so cautelously avoided as those into which we have formerly fallen and out of which we have narrowly escaped They that have read Church-History what the factions and heresies of the Bishops and people have done from the dayes even of the Apostles to this day Yea they that have but seen and felt what Religious discords have done in this generation even at home in England Scotland and Ireland and yet do not hate such discord as death and love peace and spiritual unity as life and health and safety they are hardened past all excuse CHAP. VIII What sort and measure of Vnity may not or may be groundedly hoped for on earth § 1. THe Prognosticks in diseases are needful to direct Physicians in their attempts He that either pretendeth to Cure incurable diseases and thereby doth but torment the Patient and hasten death or else will hastily prevent the Crisis or will open inflammations before the time may be called a Physician or Surgeon but will prove a hurtful or pernicious enemy Some diseases will admit of no better than palliating and delay Some that are curable are made mortal by temerarious haste Who will break the Egg to get the Chicken before it is ripened by nature for exclusion Yet hath the Church had too many such Midwives that will hasten abortion and untimely birth and cannot stay till natures time such mischievous Surgeons as are presently lancing unripe apostemes It is of mischievous consequence to expect such Concord and accordingly set upon the hastening of it which certainly will never be And it is of great and necessary Use to know how much and what Vnity may be expected in the Church militant and what not § 2. I. Negatively I. It is certain that Christians will never be all of one stature or degree of grace The Apostle hath fully opened this 1 Cor. 12. and here Eph. 4. and Rom. 14. 15. and elsewhere Some will be of more blameless lives and some more offensive Some will be more fruitful and useful in the Church than others some will have greater gifts than others for that end some will be more patient and meek and others more passionate and hot some will be more considerate and prudent and some more rash and of indecent carriage some will be more humble and condescending and abhorr pride much more than others will do some will be more zealous and some more frigid or luke-warm some will be much more heavenly and make less of earthly things than others some will be more self-denying and patient under sufferings and some will too much seek their own transitory things and with greater impatience bear both crosses from God and injuries from man some will be more cheerful and rejoyce in God and the hope of Glory and others will be more sad and timerous and heavy Some will have a strong faith and some a weak Some will have assured sealed hopes and others will be doubting of their salvation But in nothing will there be more certain and notable difference than in mens knowledge and conceptions of spiritual things Undoubtedly there is scarce a greater difference of Visages than there is of Intellectual apprehensions Nay perhaps the likeness of all mens faces is greater than of their understandings Some will still know little and none very much but others comparatively much more Some that know much in one kind will be ignorant in others And as all men are not of the same Trade nor all Scholars prosecute the same studies but some excell in one thing and some in another and some in nothing so in religion such proportions and differences of understanding there will be § 3. No observing man that converseth with mankind one would think could be ignorant of this And yet the talk and actions of too many Church-Leeches in most parts and
and to their works § 31. III. And they all believe that the Holy Spirit being God and one in Essence with the Father and the Son proceeding from the Father and or by the Son is the Great Witness Agent and Advocate of Christ before at and after his coming into the world incarnate by his gifts of Prophecy Miracles and Sanctification convincing sinners and drawing them to Repent and Believe and dwelling in Believers as an operating cause of Divine Life and Light and Love thus Uniting them to God in Christ their Head and to each other in Faith and Love by which they are gathered to him as his Church or body having the forgiveness of their sins and the adoption of Sons and right to the heavenly inheritance And living in holy communion on earth their souls at death are received to happiness with Christ and their Bodies shall be raised and soul and body Glorified at the last with Jesus Christ and all the blessed in the perfect Vision Love and joyful Praise of the most Glorious Jehovah § 32. And as I. All Christians agree in this Belief so also II. They all solemnly in and by the Baptismal Covenant and their holy Eucharistical Communion and other duties Profess the Consent of their wills to these Relations to God their Creatour Redeemer and Sanctifier and to his Church or body and their thankful Acceptance of the foresaid Gifts And they profess and express their seeking-desires hereof according to the Contents of the Lords Prayer § 33. III. And as to Practice they all agree in professing and promising obedience to Christ according to the Law of Nature the Decalogue and all his Written Laws so far as they understand them and their desire to Learn them to that end § 34. All sincere Christians agree in the true and Hearty Consent to all this And these are the true saved Church of Christ called Invisible because their Hearts-consent is Invisible All other Baptized and Professing Christians with them agree in the Profession of all this And are called The Church-visible their Profession being visible And all this being truly included in Baptism which is our entrance into the Catholick or Universal Church in this before described consisteth our Catholick Communion in Christs body as spiritual or invisible and as visible § 35. II. But besides this Universal Church-Union and Communion for ORDER and Advantage to our great end God hath instituted the ORDER of Christian Assemblies or Particular Churches which are to the Vniversal Church as Cities and Corporations to a Kingdom Which are the noblest and most priviledged parts of the Kingdom but yet not essential parts but eminently Integral For it may be a Kingdom without them and would be if they were all disfranchised and laid common And if Apostles and Evangelists as Itinerant Preachers convert and baptize men they are part of the Church Universal before they are gathered into distinct societies under proper Pastors of their own The Eunuch Act. 8. was baptized into no particular Church but into the universal only and so were many others And meer Baptism as such without any additional contract doth no more If thousands were Converted in America or cast there without Pastors they were parts of the Universal Church if baptized Professing Christians And before the Apostles ordained any fixed Bishops or Pastors of particular Churches the Church Universal was in being though small § 36. But these particular Churches being a great part of Christs Institutions and necessary not only by Precept but as a means to the Well-being of the Universal and the Edification of it and the particular members It must be endeavoured and that with good hope of success that there may so much Particular Church-Vnion be obtained and maintained as shall much conduce to its great and excellent ends That is 1. So much as that in them God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may be Publickly solemnly and constantly confessed by sound doctrine holy worship and holy discipline and conversation 2. So much as that hearty Christian Love may be exercised and maintained and Christians edified in Communion of Saints 3. So much as that God shall accept them delight in them and bless them their converting edifying and comforting souls hearing their prayers and praises and owning them by his Ministry Covenants and grace and differencing them from the people that do not thus confess and worship him and promoting hereby their salvation And if this much be attained it is not to be vilified for want of more nor blotted with reproachful names but acknowledged with thankfulness and praise § 37. III. And yet there is a further degree of concord to be hoped for and endeavoured and that is the concord of these particular Churches with one another That they may all Profess 1. The same faith and necessary doctrine 2. and the same Love to God and one another 3. and the same Hope of life eternal 4. and may offer to God the same necessary and acceptable sort of worship viz. by preaching and applying his holy word recorded in the holy Scriptures preserving and reading them calling upon his holy name by Confession prayer thanksgiving and praises and holding respective communion in the use also of the Sacraments of his Covenant and exercising in some measure such holy Government and Discipline by Pastors overseeing their several flocks as he himself by his institution hath made universally necessary And all this though not in perfection nor every where with the same degree of purity and care yet so far 1. as that Gods word and ordinances be kept up in soundness in all parts and respects necessary to salvation 2. and as may tend to the edifying of the Churches by Love and concord in necessary things and their mutual help by counsel and strength by that concord 3. and the avoiding of pernicious feuds and divisions § 38. The means by which this is to be done 1. by communicatory Letters 2. by Synods 3. and by Civil Governours is after in due place to be explained Thus much of Christian Vnity and Concord may be well hoped for upon just endeavours here on earth But neither Perfection in these nor those unnecessary terms of Concord which some have long taken to be necessary § 39. And indeed so much as may be hoped for is so very hardly to be obtained that if we trusted not to Gods extraordinary Grace more than to any natural probability that appeareth to us in man we should be ready to despair that ever Christians should live long in so much peace and concord And though the great difficulty must not kill our hopes it must much quicken us to strenuous endeavours Of which more anon Satan is so great an enemy to it and every sin in man is so much against it as every disease in the body is against its ease and peace and the multitude and malignity of sins and sinners is so great and the very healers so few and faulty and unskilful
and visible symbol of a Christian and Church-member And that all Christs Church hath so accounted of baptism to this day and true Tradition is in no one point so full and constant as in this And moreover the very nature of the thing it self declareth it Is not he a Christian that believeth according to the sense of the institution in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and by a solemn Vow and Covenant devoteth himself to him as his God and Father his Redeemer and Saviour and his Sanctifier and Comforter and the witness of Christ and that hereupon hath right to justification adoption and the heavenly inheritance Who is a Christian if this be not § 12. The sense of the Catholick Church is so notorious in this that I think there is little disagreement about it The Papists confess it The Protestants confess it See but Vossii Theses de Baptismo and Davenant de Bapt. and especially Gatakers Ammadversions on that of Davenant All confess that all the antient Churches held that to the duly qualified receiver all sin was pardoned in baptism and the person put into a state of life And therefore was a member of the Church § 13. II. And that Christ commanded all Christians to take each other as brethren and to live in Love and that all men by this were to know them to be his disciples is so fully revealed in Scripture that it is needless among Christians to prove it III. As also that such Christians united to him their Head are eo nomine his Church and living in this Love live as the members of his Church must do § 14. And here three things are to be noted 1. That what was done by the Holy Spirit as given extraordinarily to the Apostles as founders or Architects of the Church to lead them into all truth was truly done by Christ himself the Holy Ghost so extraordinarily given being his promised Agent 2. That yet this work of Instituting Baptism as the terms of Church-union he would not leave to the Spirit in the Apostles but was the immediate author of it himself 3. But yet two things hereabout he left to the Apostles 1. To explain to the baptized the true sense of the general words in the baptismal Covenant 2. And to institute part of the terms of Particular Church Order and Vnity who accordingly setled or ordained Elders Bishops or Pastors in every particular Church which at first was for the most part in every City or great Town where the Gospel was received by any competent number and after they added Deacons and Deaconesses or Widows ad melius esse only and they taught them by word and writing to observe all that Christ commanded § 15. III. And as I have proved 1. That it must be done 2. And that Christ did it so 3. It is part of our proof that no other did it or could do it 1. No other had authority to institute Church-Essentials and to give such necessary universal Laws 2. No other came early enough to do it but as his Ministers after Christ had done it 3. No other had wisdom and fitness enough for it nor were fit to agree to make Church essentials 4. De facto History proves they did it not 5. To undertake it is to invade Christs office The Apostles themselves found it done to their hands Much less can any ordinary Pastors since prove any authority from God or any true capacity in themselves for such a work § 16. And if any pretend to it they must be such as lived before Christ had any Evangelical Church that is of the same species as hath been since the institution of Christian baptism or such as have lived only since The former came not in as competitors The latter were too late to be the doâ—â—s of that which was done before Union is essential to the Church in general The necessary terms of Union are essential to it in specie as the Christian Church For necessarium est sine quo res esse non potest It 's no Christian Church without the necessary terms of Church union And therefore before those terms were first made or instituted there was no Church of that species and after there was such a Church and consequently such terms of its Union none could make them they being made before If any that came after did or shall hereafter attempt to make such terms it must be new ones and not the same that constituted the first Church and then their Church will be new and not of the same species as the first Indeed God did make new Laws of Administration and so may a Kingdom without changing the constitution but not new constituting terms Governing Laws which follow the Constitution are not to make the Kingdom a Kingdom or the Church a Church but to preserve the Church and its order and promote its welfare and the Oath of Allegiance maketh a man a Subject without subscribing to the Governing Laws But as a Subject he consenteth to live under those Laws and if he break them he is punishable according to them and for breaking some of them may be cut off and for some crimes a man may be excommunicate But yet excommunication must be distinguished That which totally cuts a man off from the Church must be but a sentence upon proof that he hath first morally cut off himself Lesser crimes must be punished with the lesser excommunication which is but a suspension and that which Paul speaketh of 2 Thess 3. 15. Yet take him not for an enemy but admonish him as a brother § 17. By all this it is most evident that Christ himself the Institutor and maker of his Church hath made the terms of essential Catholick Vnion and that we have nothing to do herein but to find out what are the terms that he hath made and not to enquire what any men since have made or added as being not authorized thereto CHAP. X. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are Necessary to the Being of Particular Churches But divers humane acts are necessary to their existence and administration § 1. DIvers men speak diversly of this matter 1. Some say that no form of the Polity of particular Churches is of Divine institution but that God hath left all the forming of them to the will of man 2. Others say that no form of them is lawful but what is of Divine institution And of the first some say that Christ instituted the Papal form and some say General Councils the summam Potestatem to the universal Church and left it to them to form particular Churches Others say that Magistrates are to do it And others that the Diocesane Bishops of every Nation in National or Provincial Synods may do it But all agree that the form of particular Churches must be made by some that had authority from Christ to do it § 2. Of the second sort who hold no
performance-sake to engage us to do what we promise 2. And as a known false Covenant is null as to the benefit of the Covenanter though not as to his obligation so at the entrance a mans word is his credible profession but if he by notorious wilfulness violate this word or promise in any essential point he then so far nullifieth his verbal profession as to his benefit and proveth his Covenanting to be false And therefore all disciplined Churches do cast out gross impenitent violaters of that Covenant in such essential parts § 2. But what is such violation and for what fin men are to be cast out is a difficult question in some instances 1. I take it for a sure rule that no man is to be further cut off from the universal Church by sentence than he first morally departeth or cuts off himself For the Pastors have not their power for destruction but for edification And their office is subservient to Christ who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them even to seek and to save the lost They are not to be hurtful but helpful to mens souls § 3. 2. He therefore that apostatizeth or denyeth any one essential article of Christianity cuts off himself first and is to be declared by the Churches sentence to have so done if he repent not If he timely repent it must prevent the sentence § 4. 3. Whatever sin amounteth to an evident refusal of promised subjection to Jesus Christ cuts off the sinner morally from Christ and if he prevent it not by repentance he is to be sentenced accordingly by the Church who do but thus declare who depart from Christ and cut off themselves § 5. 4. Every sin is not a renouncing of our allegiance or subjection to Christ nor to be censured by excommunication 1. There are sins of meer infirmity or imperfection in duty as imperfection of sincere faith love hope obedience prayer c. 2. There are sins of sudden passion and surprize which the will habitually abhorreth and the sinner quickly repenteth of 3. There are sins of ignorance which a man knew not to be sins 4. There are sins of meer forgetfulness 5. Yea it is not all presumptuous sin that is a renouncing of our subjection A faithful man knoweth that the least sin should be avoided and he may know that vain jesting or idle words are a sin And he may be often guilty of these by some degree of presumption that is he may be tempted to think that all men being sinners such a sin may stand with grace and for want of due excitation not fear it or fly from it because it is a little one as he would do from perjury murder or some greater sin No small evils or danger doth so much suscitate the soul to resist and avoid it as a greater doth no man is so careful to avoid the prick of a pin as of a sword This want of suscitation through the smallness of the thing maketh less resistance and so some degree of presumption in all men § 6. 5. No one Act of sin sufficiently repented of is matter for a just excommunication be the sin never so great For the penitent are pardoned If the Repentance be before the excommunication it preventeth it For the first part of discipline is to perswade the sinner to repentance as being intended for his recovery and salvation and excommunication is never just but when the sinner will not repent As under the Law of Innocency death was the wages of any sin but under the Gospel faith and repentance are the remedying conditions so accordingly though Adam was cast out of Paradise for the first sin none are to be cast out of the Church for any sin meerly as a sin but as not repented of by a believer I say not that this is the Magistrates rule in punishing the body but the Pastors in excommunicating § 7. 6. Yea the time and means of admonition for bringing the sinner to repentance must be competent and such as are suitable to a rational hope of his repenting and not as some Lay Chancellors do if a few rough words make them not repent presently excommunicate him nor pro forma to say thrice I admonish you I admonish you I admonish you and then I excommunicate you It is not a jeasting matter nor to be past as hastily as angry word The sinner must be gravely and seriously told of the evil of his sin and if it be something which he taketh for no sin he must be convinced by Scripture proof and must be heard speak for himself with patience and if he hear not a more private admonition he must be reproved before the Church that many may consent for the more authoritative conviction and for the warning of others and that the Church may thereby clear themselves as not consenting to the sin 1 Cor. 5. And the excommunication is only to pass at last when repentance justly seemeth hopeless § 7. But yet there is much difference herein to be made in respect of the difference of sins and of persons 1. A sin of errour or ignorance or controverted as also a smaller sin requireth a longer time of patience for the sinners conviction before he be judged to be impenitent But a notorious sin against the light of nature or plainest proof and of most scandalous consequence must have shorter time of patience yet so much as that the sinners passion may be over and he may have leisure well to consider of the evil and of the Churches reproof § 8. As gravity convincing reason compassion and patience are certainly necessary so it seemeth very convenient at least that when the sinner is admonished before the Church the Congregation joyn with the Pastor in earnest Prayer to God for his conviction and repentance and if that prevail not at once in tolerable cases to do it again before the sinner be cast out Ye ought to mourn saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 5. Men will not cut off a corrupt member of the body hastily nor till flat necessity nor without sense of pain § 9. It is not every sin that a man repenteth not of that is a just cause of excommunication For there is no man living that hath not some sins which he no otherwise repenteth of than as in general he hateth all sin so far as he knoweth it For every man hath sins of ignorance and every man hath some degree of errour and some faithful men have more than others and take some sins to be duties or no sins and some have darker minds than others that are hardly convinced and cannot perceive the force of an argument against the prejudice before received And some are educated where some sins are praised and converse with such persons as by their parts and interest in them harden them in their errour How many thousand zealous Papists Nestorians Eutychians Greeks take others for hereticks by mistake and perhaps by words and actions wrong or
Pastor is dead it is an existent Community and virtually and morally a Political Church because by the Law and the peoples resolution another is to be seasonably chosen As an elective Kingdom in the interregnum is virtually and morally a Kingdom But if the purpose of chosing a Successour be changed the Kingdom and so the Church is dissolved or changed into somewhat else § 12. 5. It is indifferent to the being though not usually to the well-being of a Church whether it have one Pastor or many § 13. 6. The number of the people though not precisely determined must be competent to the Ends of the Society If it be Greater or smaller than is necessary to the Ends it is no Church of this defined species As Logicians say of the subject of other relations If a Boat or Ship be no bigger than a spoon it is not a Boat or Ship but equivocally And it may be so big as to be no Boat or Ship when it is uncapable of the Ends. A Family is too small to be a City And a Kingdom or the world is too big Dispositio materiae est necessaria ad receptionem formae § 14. 7. It is impossible to be a Church without the cement of Consent professed or cordial If many be forced into a Temple not consenting it is a Prison and they are not a Church If they consent only to meet on other occasions or for some occasional act of Religion it is not thereby made a Church If they be commanded to consent and do not and if it only be their duty it maketh them not a Church but only proveth that they ought to be one No Law or command maketh a Church without Consent But this Consent may be divers waies expressed The plainest most obliging way is best but is not absolutely necessary In some times and cases it may be more needful than at others especially at the first gathering and forming of a Church sometime ordinary Communion or attendance specially of persons born in that Church may signifie necessary Consent It 's pity then that men should be so weak as some to make express Covenanting of each member with the Church and Pastor necessary and others to deride it when it is laudable ad bene esse but not necessary ad esse But some signification of Consent is necessary ad esse that is A Consent to be a member of the society and submit to the Pastor and hold Communion with the Church to the Ends in the definition And the plainer this is exprest it is the fitter to satisfie the Church and oblige the person But whether the Consent be signified by words writings or deeds is undetermined No man can have the great priviledges of a member either of the universal or particular Church against or without his will and consent And no Minister not consenting can be a Pastor to any The Relation of a Church member consisteth in a Right to great benefits due to no refuser or unwilling person and in obligation to duty contracted by Consent besides the obligation of Gods Command We can no further prove any Company of Christians to be a Church than we can prove that they Consent to Church relation for Church Ends. § 15. Christianity it self consisteth in a believing Consent to the Covenant of Grace and as no man is a Christian nor hath right to Christ and his saving benefits without Consent so no man can have right to the Sacraments that seal and deliver this Covenant and benefits without consent No Christian in his wits is for the Baptizing of any adult person that consenteth not And the Lords Supper is a seal of the same Covenant and no more due to non-consenters than Baptism And as it is not enough to say I am willing to be Baptized but not by a Minister or not in the order appointed by Christ so it is not enough to say I would have the Sacrament and Communion with the Church but I will not submit to the Ministry Doctrine Worship or Discipline of that Church For this is as great a contradiction as to say I will be a servant to you but I will not work or obey but only have my wages or I will be a Soldier but I will not fight but be paid He that will have Communion with the Church must consent to the Ministry Worship and Discipline of that Church in which Communion consisteth § 16. And if a Minister shall be so imposed on as that any man or woman may come when they please and force him to give them the Sacrament of Communion without consenting to take him for their Pastor or to be taught or guided by him yea or give him satisfactory notice that they know what the Sacrament is or who Christ is he is a slave and not a Pastor Baser than any School-master Philosopher or Physicion that are not forced to take a Scholar Pupil or Patient against their will or that will not take them for their Teacher or Physicion and obey them § 17. Yet if on this pretence any Bishop or Pastor will impose unnecessary Covenants promises or professions on the Church or any Christians and make their wills a Law and oblige men to give them any other Belief or Obedience than truly belongeth to the Pastoral Office and so will set up a tyranny instead of a Christian Ministry they are not herein to be obeyed lest we be guilty of the corruption § 18. Yea if every integral part of the Pastors power and the peoples duty be put into such Promises or Contracts and the people required to profess their Consent as a necessary condition of their Communion it is sinful tyranny contrary to Gods Law and common reason and the constant practice of the Primitive Church Christ himself requireth unto Baptism no other Consent as necessary save to the essentials of Religion A thousand Integrals may be unknown to the Baptized and are so to most Christians It is our duty never to think speak or do amiss But Christ maketh not such duty necessary to our Baptism Christianity or Church Communion It is the duty of every member of a single Church to hear believe and obey the Pastor in many things where the best may fail To excommunicate a man therefore for not subscribing or professing assent to some unnecessary doubtful form for not being convinced by a Lay-Chancellours sayings in a doubted case or for not paying the Court Fees or for not appearing the day that one is summoned to appear at the Chancellours Court and such like are but tyrannical Schismatical acts The King himself is satisfied with the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie and doth not require all the subjects no nor the wisest Lawyers or Judges to swear subscribe or profess that they assent and consent to all the Laws of the land § 19. 8. The great Controversie of the age and many ages is about the true and formal difference between the lowest species of Churches which
will say You shall not communicate with us unless you will swear or say or do some unnecessary thing it is he then that is the divider and unjustly casteth out a Christian CHAP. VII What are the necessary terms of Concord of these single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers § 1. THat they be under the Government of a Christian Magistrate is necessary to the well-being or great advantage of them though not to the being of which more in due place § 2. That they live as neighbour Churches in Unity of faith and love and avoid all things contrary and to their power help each other according to need and opportunity is their duty § 3. It is necessary that they agree in all things necessary to the communion of men as members of the Church universal mention'd before and in all things essential to particular Churches § 4. If any one excommunicated justly for heresie apostasie or impenitence in any crimes shall offer to defile and endanger any other Church by intrusion or deceit the Church which cast him out is bound by the Laws of Love and Concord to send notice to such endangered neighbour Churches of the person and his case to prevent their hurt And unless the Church that cast him out have criminally forfeited their credit other Churches are bound by the Law of Charity to take their sentence as probably just and not to receive the ejected person till he have either proved his sentence unjust or profess repentance Not that they are bound absolutely to exclude him and deny him audience though yet they claim no superiority over the Church that excommunicated him but as neighbours and parts of the same Church universal they must hear both sides before they deny any Christian communion that claimeth it at least when his allegations have great probability of truth and seem to weigh down all that they have received against him And they may absolve the Criminal upon a just profession of true repentance but such a prosession will not stand with a refusal to confess in the same Church where the man sinned without some special probable reason it being that Church which is most wronged by the scandal and hath heard the causes § 5. If any Church in the same Kingdom or another be accused of violating the Christian faith or of any crime which Christians are bound to disown by avoiding the criminal it is the duty of the accused Church to be ready to satisfie the offended Churches by answering the accusation not as to Rulers by the reasons of obedience but as to Christian neighbours by the rule of common equity and love and for the preservation of unity and peace § 6. If the charge be but general that the Church is guilty of heresie or unsoundness in the faith it is the duty of the accused Church to send to the offended the Profession of their Faith and Religion which need to be no more than this which the offended ought to take as satisfactory We hereby profess that we stand to our Baptismal Covenant fiducially believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and give up our selves to him accordingly in these Relations Believing the articles of all the Creeds in which the universal Church ever agreed and desiring the things contained in the Lords Prayer and consenting to obey the ten Commandements as delivered to us in nature and by Christ and we profess our obligation and Consent to Believe Love and obey all that we do or shall understand to be the revealed word of God even the sacred Canonical books of Scripture and in this common Belief and Love and practice to livein the Communion of the unniversal Church of Christ Renouncing the Devil the world and the flesh as they are enemies to any of this and all doctrines desires and practices contrary hereunto so far as unfeignedly to endeavour to resâ—â—t and overcome them and when we 〈◊〉 and sin to rise by true repentance And all this in Hope of the Love of God the Father the Grace of the Son in our Pardon Justification and Adoption and the Communion of the Holy Ghost and of the Perfection of these and of our selves with the Church in everlasting Glory This may be briefly exprest in Baptism and to present persons that may receive our explications where they doubt of our understanding or sincerity But to distant suspecting persons or Churches such largeness is useful and this is enough § 7. But if any particular heresie or crime be charged on a neighbour Church it is not to be believed without proof nor they to be disclaimed till the charge be sent to them and their defence be heard And herein they ought to offer satisfaction to the offended Church 1. By denying the charge if false 2. By explaining words and actions which are ambiguous and to be suspected 3. In controverted cases by renewing the foresaid profession of all that is necessary explicitely to be held and promising to renounce any opinion or practice as soon as they perceive it contrary thereto 4. And in all cases of words or deeds expressly contrary to Gods doctrine or Law or which they shall be convinced to be sinfull to confess the errour or crime and humbly crave the prayers of the Church for pardon and profess their purpose of future reformation This is the means and this is enough for the offenders satisfaction And if the errour be no real and discerned denyal of any necessary article of faith but an undiscerned remote consequential contrariety with which the professed holding of that particular necessary article which they seem to overthrow may stand that Church or person is not to be rejected from Communion or hereticated For instance If a Church be accused to be Nestorians or Eutychians or Monothelites their answer ought to be Mary is the Mother of Christ who is God and in that sense of God but not of the Deity or as God And Christs Naâ—ures Wills and operations are two as distinct but not two as divided But if they have not so much easie skill to explain themselves but say rudely as Nestorius I will not say that God was two or three months old or as Cyril and Eutychius and Dioscorus Christs natures were two before the Union but since One and not Two if withal they prosess that they believe Christ to be true God and true man in one person and do not destroy deny or confound the Godhead and manhood or any other essential point of faith or religion they ought not to be hereticated or rejected § 8. No Church hath power or duty to deny any other Communion to another Church or person but such as they had power to grant them But to remote persons or Churches never seen by them as in other lands or Countries they can grant them no Presential local Communion but only Mental Therefore they can eject them from none but mental They
cannot take from them what they never had nor are capable of But we in London never had local Communion with them of Vienna Paris Rome c. nor ever saw them All therefore that they can do is to account those Hereticks or wicked or Apostates whom before they accounted good Christians and to declare that they own them not as fellow Christians and would not communicate with them did they live among them and to warn others that are in danger of them to avoid them and this not as an act of Government over them but of common Christian duty for the honour of our common religion and in charity to others The just renouncing of mental or local Communion by equals or neighbours much differs from a Governing commanding excommunication forbiding other Churches as their subjects to communicate with such on certain penalties which is the usurpation of Popes Patriarchs and some others who claim such governing power without proof CHAP. VIII VI. What is necessary to the Civil Peace and concord of Christians and what is the part of the Christian Magistrate about Religion as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein § 1. THe contentions of the world here call us to resolve these several doubts 1. Who it is that should have the power of the sword or Magistracy 2. How it is to be used towards all men as men in society 3. How it is to be used for the service of Christ and good of the Church in encouraging some and tolerating others and keeping peace among them all § 2. It is here supposed that the subject is understood and that we are agreed what the Magistrates power is at least de re though not de definitione vel de nomine that is it is the power of Governing by the sword that is of making Laws and judging according to them and executing them by outward force on mens bodies or estates And so it is contradistinguished from the power called Ministerial Pastoral Priestly or Ecclesiastical which is the gathering and guiding of Christian Churches by Gods word preached expounded and applyed The nature of each and their differences I have formerly opened in a small treatise written purposely on that subject to end the Erastian controversie And Bishop Bilson fuily openeth them in his excellent book of Christian Obedience c. The Magistrate hath power forcibly to seize on offenders estates and bodies to imprison mutilate scourge strike and kill them that deserve it and to make Laws and judge men unto such punishments The Ministers of Christ or Pastors of the Churches have no such power but only to declare Gods Laws to the people and convert and baptize the wicked unbelievers and teach them the word and will of Christ and guide them in publick worship and Communion and judge who is capable thereof and to require the people in the name of Christ to love and receive the worthy and to avoid the unworthy and to resolve the peoples particular doubts and by personal application to pronounce and declare Gods acceptance of penitent believers and his promise to save them and his decree to condemn the ungodly unbelievers impenitent and Hypocrites § 3. This difference is commonly acknowledged by the generality of sober Christians But one schismatical Writer against schism will needs call this Pastoral power Coactive coercive or forcing also though he confess that it is not a power to touch mens Bodies or estates that so by casting out all differencing names he may hide the acknowledged difference of the power and execution And his reason for this errour de nomine is because suspension and excommunication are executed on the involuntary and compel those that believe the power and fear them to obey Where 1. The word compel containeth the confusion compelling the mind by meer argument being not the compelling by corporal force which we are speaking of 2. And every man that chideth reproveth or threatneth a sinner usually doth it to the involuntary And if he believe him and yield he will obey And if you argue from his future danger or suffering it is the fear of it that moveth him But the fear of Gods declared threatnings is not the same as the fear of mans stripes imprisonments unless c. 3. And excommunication worketh on no mans body further than it worketh on his conscience to make him a voluntary agent If you denounce damnation against him it moveth him no further than he believeth you as applying to him the word of God If you forbid him to be present or take the sacrament and he refuse to obey you may not forcibly thrust him out without the Magistrates consent but only suspend your own act of delivery or depart If you command the people to avoid him they will no further obey you than they perceive Gods authority in your words and are convinc't in Conscience of their duty And every sermon may thus compel men And all that judge the sentence unjust and powerless will despise it § 4. 1. There are four or five opinions about the possessors of this forcing power by the sword or violence The first of them that say It belongeth to all Magistrates Christian and unchristian The second of them that say It belongeth only to Christian Magistrates The third of them that say It belongeth to Orthodox Magistrates or Catholick only and not to Hereticks The fourth of those that say that the Judicial part in cases of Religion belongeth to the Pope Prelats or Presbyters and the executive only to the Magistrate The fifth of those that say that both judicial and executive belong to the Pope Prelats and Priests I may add a sixth of them that say it is radically in the people § 5. 1. As to the first it is undoubtedly true if you distinguish between the Office Power and the aptitude of the person to perform it The Office of a Supreme Ruler is the same in all but all are not equally capable of performing it That is It is the same as described by Gods command of their performance As he commandeth infidels to believe and communicate with the Church but not to communicate before they believe so he commandeth Infidel Princes to believe and to govern the Christian affairs but to govern them as they are capable The common Laws of nature justice and peace among Christian subjects an Infidel Prince may and must see executed The Laws of Christ revealed supernaturally he ought to understand believe and execute But till he understand and believe them he cannot execute them And therefore wants the disposition and ability to do what he had command and authority to do but to do it only in the due manner to which his sin disableth him and so his Power is in him incomplete § 6. I confess it is a very hard question How an Atheist can be said to have any Governing right from that God whom he denyeth any more than a Constable from the King from whom by
not yet entred § 33. IX Those that are cast out unjustly must be pityed and allowed entrance into another Church Those that are cast out justly must 1. remain under that penalty and shame till they repent 2. And also be further used according to their crime whether murder fornication theft perjury c. as the Law punisheth such offenders If it befor Infidelity or Apostasie they must be used as the Churches deserters or adversaries as aforesaid and restrained from opposing it § 34. X. The Papists should be used as men and as the faultier and weaker sort of Christians but so as 1. May secure Princes from being unwillingly subjected to a foreign Usurper or being abused by him or his Agents and as may secure the people from the efficacy of their laws for burning killing and exterminating them 2. And so as they may be soberly restrained from such seducing and hurting the souls of others as is after proved to be Intolerable § 35. XI Diocesans that are as Arch-Bishops and destroy not Parish Churches Episcopacy and Discipline are to be numbred either with the Promoted or Tolerated party as they are taken by the Rulers for the Best or second But those that would unchurch Parish Churches and make them but Chapels and set up only one tribunal for the Discipline of many hundred Parishes and thereby make Discipline Impossible and deprive particular Churches of the Rights given them by the spirit of Christ in his Apostles or would silence and persecute faithful Ministers or oppress the flocks should be restrained from such abuse and Tyranny by the Prince § 36. XII The very same I say of the Synods and Classes of Presbyters whether provincial or national § 37. XIII Churches are not to be discountenanced meerly because they are so independent as not to be over and under each other in a regimental way no more than Scholes of Grammer or philosopy or other sciences or arts But the Magistrate must make them Dependent on him as his governed subjects and must exhort them to that dependence on each other as is necessary to their mutual help and peace and moderately urge them hereto for Religion sake § 38. XIV Adverse contentious militate Churches must be restrained from abusing one another and destroying Christian Love and peace And Justices of the peace should keep peace among them and correct railers slanderers and peace-breakers § 39. XV. But the main care concerneth practice And here the sound in faith the Charitable the peaceable and of good Conversation should be promoted praised and maintained with special favour and approbation § 40. XVI The meerly Tolerable as to Doctrine Charity and conversation should be defended and kept in peace § 41. XVII The Intolerable must be suppressed or restrained according to the quality of their offence § 42. To these great ends as Campanella would have every Sovereign to have three sorts of Councils under him One for Learning and Religion another for Civil affairs and another for War so it may be wished however that the Prince have a Council that shall specially take care of Religion and the necessary subservient learning And that there be drawn up three several Catalogues or Laws for these various ranks of Christians That is I. The foredescribed necessary parts of Christianity and Communion the Baptismal Covenant Creed Lords Prayer and the Essentials of Ministry and Communion which all Tolerated Ministers shall subscribe to or profess having also Testimonials of their competent Abilities Piety and peaceableness II. Some of the great sort of Integrals added that are needful plain and certain and therefore it is best in the very words of Scripture which all agree to and this to be consented to by the approved and preferred Ministers who shall have the Temples and publick countenance and maintenance III. A Catalogue of Doctrines of so great use as that none be suffered to Preach or privately dispute against them And a Catalogue of sins which none may commit And those that break either of these Laws and subscribe not to the Essentials first mentioned to be judged Intolerable till reformed in the Ministry Who shall be judged Intolerable in the Commonwealth the first rank of enemies here considered sheweth And what private members shall be Tolerated in the Churches may be gathered from what is said viz. Those that joyn with the Tolerated Ministers and violate not this last Prohibiting Law by incorrigible opposition to the Truth here intimated or by wicked or unpeaceable behaviour § 43. It is here supposed that the Catalogue imposed on the Approved maintained Ministers be not of too many things nor of any but great and sure And they that will needs stretch it to the utmost of plain and certain truths need no other Catalogue of the third rank And were it not that men are very inclinable to overdo in rigor against dissenters I should rather leave out the third Catalogue And that which the Tolerated be forbidden to Preach against should be but the same Catalogue which the Approved must subscribe and so two will be enough so be it that all unpeaceable preaching as to the manner be restrained by the Justices of peace § 44. This rule the antient Churches followed and when they suppressed the intolerable heresies they tolerated the Novatians even in Constantinople And the worst Bishops were most against their toleration as Nestorius and such like and the best dealt gentliest and lovingly with them and thereby did more for the peace of the Church than the overdoers The Lordly turbulency of Theophilus and Cyril with Epiphanius's silly passion set all on a flame against Chrysostome and his Joannites which the wisdom and peace of two peaceable Patriarchs soon quenched § 45. That the Integrals to be subscribed by the Approved Ministers be not too many is requisite 1. Because it is not many things that are necessary to be preached Read the preachings or doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and you may soon see this And they need to subscribe no more than they need to preach 2. Because else overdoing will be undoing and unavoidable dissent will cause divisions and distractions And for the same reason it should be written if possible in the very words of Scripture which though some deride is of great moment Because nothing more tendeth to avoid division by dissent For all are agreed of the truth of the Scripture and even they that understand not the words confess them to be true and take not the liberty to except against them as they will against the words of fallible men The objections against this are answered after § 46. Penalties must not be equal as offences are not equal As the Approved are not ejected for every fault so the Tolerated are not to be silenced for every fault A prophane swearer payeth twelve pence an oath And some faults of preachers are not worse But some are so great at first and others by the addition of impenitencie and incorrigibleness
Church universal and such as we must have outward Communion with though only the sincere believers and consenters shall be saved § 8. 3. I believe that at death the spirits of the justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to misery And that at the end of this world Christ will come in glory and will raise the bodies of all men from death and will judge all according to their works And that the Righteous shall go into everlasting life where being perfected themselves they shall see God and perfectly love and praise him in Joy with Christ and all the Glorified Church And that the rest shall go into everlasting punishment where their worm never dyeth and their fire is never quenched § 9. II. AS I Believe thus in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Sacred Scriptures and the Creeds and constant Profession of the universal Christian Church so I do unfeignedly continue to give up my self presently absolutely and resolvedly to this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Covenant of grace that I may be resigned to the will of God my Owner and obey the will of God my Ruler and please and rest in the Will and Love of God my Father the Chiefest End and Infinite Good And renouncing all Idols and enemies of God and this his Covenant I consent though with the Cross to follow Christ the Captain of my Salvation to the death desiring still more of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Spirit and hoping for the promised Glory All which I pray for according to that Prayer which Christ hath left to be the summary Directory of our desires Our Father which art in heaven c. § 10. III. ACcording to the foresaid Belief and Consent As God hath obliged me I do by Covenant oblige my self by the help of his Grace sincerely to obey this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Law of nature summed up in the two Great Commands of Loving God with all our hearts and our neighbours as our selves and in the Ten Commandments as the Law of Christ explained by him with his superadded precepts and institutions By all which I am bound to take God only for my God by believing fearing trusting loving and obeying him To Avoid all Idolatry of mind and body To worship God according to his Law by learning and meditating on his word by believing-holy-fervent-prayer thanksgiving and praise and the holy use of the Sacrament of his Body and Blood I must reverently and holily use his name and not by perjury or otherwise profane it I must keep holy the Lords day especially in holy Communion with the Christian Assemblies in the publick worship of God and thankful commemoration of Christs Resurrection and our redemption I must if I be a superiour faithfully and holily govern my Inferiours and as an Inferiour I must honour and obey my Parents Magistrates and other superiours in power over me I must not wrong my neighbour in thought word or deed in his Soul his Body his Chastity Estate Right or Propriety but must do him all the good I can and justly give to all their own and do as I would be done by as Loving my neighbour as my self According to the Decalogue God spake all these words saying I am the Lord c. § 11. 2. ANd as the special duty of my office as in the Sacred Ministry I do Consent and Promise sincerely to perform that office for the flock over which I shall be placed or whereever I am called to exercise it Teaching them the doctrine of the Sacred Scriptures especially the greatest and most necessary parts which I have here professed and nothing contrary thereto so far as by diligent study I can discern it exhorting them to live by faith in love to God and man and in the joyful hope of heavenly Glory in humility self-denial temperance patience justice diligence and fruitfulness in all good works To be loyal and obedient to their superiours teachable to their instructors haters of sinful divisions and contentions and lovers and followers of peace To seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness to mortifie the flesh and not to overlove this world To repent of sin to resist temptations to prepare for death and judgement most carefully to please and quietly trust the will of God And in the publick celebration of the Sacraments and all the worship of God and Guidance of the flock the same word of God shall be my Rule to which also I will sincerely endeavour to conform my whole Conversation not following after vain-glory or filthy lucre or lording it over the heritage of God but seeking to please and glorifie Christ in my own and their salvation § 12. ANd as I expect my part in the benefits of godly and peaceable Government so I do profess to believe and promise to teach and practise accordingly That there is no power but of God and that Rulers are Gods Ministers for Good not for destruction but edification to be a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well and this under Christ to whom is given all Power in heaven and earth That we must pray for Kings and all in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty That subjects must obey their Rulers in all things lawful belonging to their office to command and not resist rebel or be seditious That they must give honour reverence and tribute to whomsoever they are due And all this not only for fear of man but in Conscience as hereby obeying God The Renunciation ANd as I have thus unfeignedly professed my Belief my Consent and promised Practice so I heartily Renounce all Doctrines Desires and Practices contrary to any part of this Profession And if by errour I hold or shall hold any thing contrary thereto as soon as I discern such contrariety I will renounce it Especially I Renounce Atheism Polytheism and Idolatry of Mind or Body All Infidelity Antichristianity and false Christs Profaneness ungodliness and malignant enmity to God and Holiness All contempt of Gods spirit and his word All serving the Devil the world or the flesh as enemies to God or Holiness All selfishness Pride and hypocrisie perjury and taking Gods name in vain superstition profanation of Gods holy day and contempt of his publick or private worship All Rebellion against my parents Prince or other Rulers All murder adultery and fornication theft and deceit lying and false witness bearing and all other injury against the life health chastity estate or reputation of my neighbour All sinful discontent with my estate and coveting that which is anothers And whatever is impious uncharitable or unjust From all these I desire to be free PArticularly to approve my fidelity to my Rulers I
derogateth from his glory XIV Of Baptism 1. That Baptism was instituted only for the first times or for reception of Infidel countreys when converted and not for to be continued in Christian Countreys and Churches 2. That outward Baptism by water will save the adult that have not true Repentance and faith and sincere consent to the baptismal Covenant 3. That all the children of Infidels Heathens Hereticks or wicked men are certainly saved if they be baptized and have Godfathers professing Christianity though those Godfathers be wicked hypocrites and take not the infants by adoption or otherwise as their own nor really intend to educate them as they promise and if they die before they actually sin and that this is certain by the word of God 4. That all the baptized are delivered from all culpable pravity of soul or inherent sin 5. That it is certain that all baptized Infants of what parents soever have special grace infused into their souls by the Holy Ghost in Baptism 6. That baptism entering all into the Catholick Church obligeth all the baptized to the Bishop of Rome as the supreme head or pastor 7. That the Infants of believers dedicated to God are holy only as legitimate and not bastards but are not as a holy seed under promise to be entered into the Church and Covenant of God by baptism but all baptized in Infancy must be taken as no visible Christians till they are rebaptized 8. That none that sin grosly after baptism are upon their repentance to be received into the communion of the Church 9. That it is not necessary to baptism of the adult that they make any covenant promise or vow to God nor to the baptism of Infants that Parents or Proparents devote them to Christ by entering them into an obliging Vow or Covenant 10. That Baptism was not instituted to invest the baptized in his right to pardon and life but only to enter him into the visible Church where as a disciple he may learn how to come to such right and pardon hereafter 11. That the adult duely baptized have no right to the Communion of the Church though they profess to continue their Covenant-consent and none disprove the truth of their profession unless they have some higher qualification and title XV. Of the Lords Supper 1. That the Lords Supper is but an ordinance for young or carnal Christians but they that have the Spirit must live without it as being above outward signs and ordinances And so of the Lords Day 2. That the Bread broken and Wine poured out to be eaten and drunk are not the representative Sacramental body and blood of Christ delivering us the real benefits of his sacrifice to be received by faith 3. That after the words of Consecration duly uttered there remaineth no true substance of bread or wine but all is turned into the very body and blood of Christ 4. That the wine may justly be denyed the Laity and they be required to communicate by receiving only the bread consecrated or the body of Christ as they call it without the other half of the Sacrament 5. That Christs flesh and blood is really and properly sacrificed by the Priest 6. That ordinarily the Priest is to partake alone and the people only to be Spectators 7. That the consecrated host being Christs body is to be adored as very God 8. That this sacrifice is to be offered by the Priest for the living and the dead and to ease the pains of Purgatory 9. That God himself here deceiveth the soundest senses of all men making that to be no bread or wine which their senses and intellects of things as sensate apprehend as such 10. That it is heresie and deserveth extermination or death to deny these things of the Sacrament and to believe our senses that there remaineth true bread and wine after Consecration 11. That unbelievers and wicked men in the Eucharist truly eat the real body of Christ 12. That the bare receiving of the Sacrament though without true faith and repentance will procure pardon of sin from God and Salvation XVI Of the Church 1. That the Church of Christ as visible is lost or ceased or hath been lost since the Apostles days so that there was a time when Christ had no visible subjects and disciples 2. That the Church differeth from Heathens and Infidels only in opinion and not in real holiness 3. That only the Clergy or Rulers are the Church of Christ 4. That Christ hath instituted a vicarious visible Head of all the world or of all the Church on earth under himself to whom all Christians must be subject as their chief Pastor 5. That this Head or universal Church Monarch is the Bishop of Rome or else a general Council 6. That this Head or chief Ruler Pope Council or both hath universal Legislative power to make Laws obliging the whole world or the whole Church 7. That this Head is made the judge to all Christians what shall be taken for articles of faith and what for heresie and all are bound to believe such judgement or at least to acquiesce in submission to it 8. That no one is bound to believe the Scripture or the Christian Verity but for or upon the proposal of the Pope Council or both 9. That such judgement and proposal is certain and infallible 10. That this Church and its authority must be believed to be given by Christ before men can believe in Christ himself 11. That this Pope Council or both have power from Christ to excommunicate such as deserve excommunication throughout all the world and to judge who deserve it 12. That the Pope hath power to call general Councils out of all Christian Churches or nations on earth and to preside in them and to approve or reject and invalidate their decrees 13. That all Churches are bound to send Bishops or Delegates to â—uch Councils if required by the Pope 14. That a General Council approved by the Pope is infallible in all points of faith else not 15. That the Pope or Council or both may judge all Christian Kings and depose such as they judge deserve it and give their Countreys to others and disoblige their subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance 16. That they may interdict Gods worship to whole Countreys and Kingdomes and the Clergy must obey such interdicts 17. That whom they or the Clergy judge hereticks all are bound to avoid as hereticks be they never so falsly judged such 18. That at least in ordine ad spiritualia the Pope hath power over Princes and their Crowns 19. That the Clergy owe not obedience to Princes nor may be judged by them 20. That the universal Church can have no errour in any point which God hath revealed in his word 21. That the universal Church hath erred or may err in points essential to Christianity or absolutely necessary to Salvation and so become no Church and Christ no King or Head of it 22. That no one is a
us that they were settled only in One Empire and not in the rest of the World 5. And that the Emperour and Councils of that Empire made them 6. And therefore when they were at first but three they added at their pleasure two more Constantinople and Jerusalem 7. And none of all these pretend to Apostolical Institution and Succession but Antioch that claimeth to be St. Peters first Seat and Rome to be his second and that but as Bishops when that also is a frivolous pretense Alexandria claimeth succession but from St. Mark and Jerusalem from that St. James who saith Dr. Hammond and others was none of the Apostles and Constantinople from none at all though above the rest Councils as Constant and Chalced. professing that the Fathers and Princes made them what they were Sect. IV. It is certain that the Christian World is not now united in Patriarchs nor ever was nor ever will be The Patriarchs of the rest of the Empire are all now broken off from the Church of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Jerusalem are all against him The East had four and the West but one and are now at odds condemning each other The rest of the world have none and had none And it is commonly confessed that as men set them up so men may pull them down again Yea even in the old Empire many Churches were from under all the Patriarchs as is commonly known Sect. V. And how should these Patriarchs unite all the Church It must be either by meeting or at distance As for their meeting Princes that are some Mahometans and some Christians of divers Interests and Minds will not suffer it And neither by meeting or distance can we be secured that they will agree when even under one Emperour that laboured to unite them they were among their Clergy like the Generals of so many Armies distracting and at last destroying the Empire by hereticating and persecuting one another Those that have divided and undone that Empire are never like to unite the Christian World Sect. VI. And what I say of Patriarchs I say of all humane Forms of Churches or Church-government and so of such an Episcopacy as is not necessary to the being of the Church There are here three distinct questions before us 1. Whether the Pastoral Office be necessary to Church-unity 2. Whether Parochial Episcopacy be necessary to it 3. Whether Diocesan Bishops distinct from Archbishops be necessary to it And you may adde a fourth Whether Archbishops be necessary to it not disputing now the lawfulness of any of all these Sect. VII 1. Of the first I have spoken before No doubt but Christs universal Church hath ever had Teachers and Pastors as the most noble organical part And a Body may as well be without a Stomack Liver or Lungs as the Church be without them And to a particular Church as political organized or Governed they are a constitutive part But I have before shewed reasons to doubt whether yet it be necessary to salvation to every individual Christian to know that the Ministry is an instituted Office and to own such But this little concerneth our Cause Sect. VIII 2. Parochial Episcopacy that is the preeminence and government of one Presbyter called a Bishop over the rest in every single Church was early introduced to avoid the discord of the Presbyters and the Flock In the time when Ignatius's Epistles were written he tells us That every Church had One Altar and one Bishop with his fellow-Presbyters and Deacons Whether this was of Apostolical Institution or a humane Corruption is disputed in so many Volumes by Petavius Sancta Clara Faravia Whitenitto Downham Hammond Hooker Bilson c. on one side And Gersom Bucer Beza Cartwright Salmasius Didoclane Jacob Blondel Parker Paul Baine c. on the other that I think it not meet here to interpose my thoughts But that it is not essential to a Church and that all the Church will not unite in it appeareth as followeth Sect. IX 1. They are not united in it now The Reformed Churches in France Belgia Helvetia and many other parts are against such Bishops as necessary and a distinct Order And in England Scotland and Ireland New-England c. they are by some approved and by others not 2. Former Ages have had many pious Christians against them especially in Scotland and among the Waldenses 3. The School-men and other Papists are not themselves agreed whether Bishops and Presbyters are distinct Orders 4. The Church of England even while Popish denyed it and said they were but one Order as you may see in Spelman Aelfreds Laws or Canons 5. Hierome and Eutychius Alexandrinus tell us how and why Episcopacy was introduced at Alexandria and that the Presbyters made them there 6. The Scots were long governed without them as Major and Beda tell us And their Presbyters made the first Bishops in Northumberland as Pomeranus a Presbyter made those in Denmark 7. Almost all the Churches in East and West as far as I can learn have cast off Parochial Bishops of single Churches and in their stead set up Diocesans over multitudes of Parishes without any Bishops under them but Curats only 8. While there is no hope of all agreeing whether it be a Divine Institution and that of essential necessity there is no probability that ever the Universal Church will unite in them 9. The Diocesans we find will never yield to them 10. The reception of them will not unite the Church were it agreed on it being more and greater matters that they differ about I confess that the ancient reception of them was so general and the reason of the thing so fair that I am none of those that accuse such Episcopacy as unlawfull or Schismatical but rather think it conduceth to prevent Schisms But 1. I am satisfied that it will not be agreed to by all 2. Nor serve for universal Concord were it agreed on 3. And that it is Schismatical to make them more necessary than God hath made them and to cut off Christians or Churches that cannot receive them Sect. IX Diocesan Episcopacy by which I mean a single Bishop over many hundred or score Parishes and sacred Assemblies that have Altars and are large enough to be single Churches or at least Many such without any Bishops under him of those Churches will much less ever unite the Universal Church however it hath obtained over very much of the Christian world For first more Churches by far at this day are against it than against Parochial Episcopacy and more Volumes are written against it and Men have a far greater aversness to it as more dangerous to the Church Sect. X. 2. It is contrary to the Scripture Institution which set up Bishops in all single Churches whether the same with Presbyters I now dispute not but they were such as then were received And those that think such Single or Parish or City Bishops necessary will never agree to put them all
one Nature only but they meant that Christ had but one Nature as undivided which the Orthodox granted but denied not that the Godhead and Manhood were distinct And what was the difference then but whether the undivided Godhead and Manhood should be called one Nature or two which truly in one sense was two and in another one The like was the Monothelites Heresie for and against which were many Councils about one or two Wills and Operations no more disagreeing than as aforesaid about the sense of One and Two And had not a wise Explication and patient Reconciliation done better service than Cursing did whose doleful effects Hatred Hereticating and Schism continue to this day Should I come to the Councils about Images and that at Constantine that decreed the Tribus Capitulis and the multitudes since that have deposed Emperors and Kings raised Wars set up Popes and Anti-Popes c. Alas how sad a History would it be to convince us that Councils of Bishops have caused most of the Schisms Church-Tyranny Rebellions and Confusions in the Christian world And if the Popes have been restrained or deposed or Schisms at Rome partly stopt by any the flame hath quickly more broke out and condemned Popes have oft got the better of them And if one Council hath said That the Pope is responsible another hath determined the contrary If Basil and Constance decreed That a Council be called every ten years it was not done but was a mockery in the event In a word Councils of Bishops have been but Church-Armies of which at first the Patriarchs were Generals and afterwards Popes and Emperors and came to fight it out for Victory the sequel being usually Schism and Calamity And must this be the only way of Universal Peace CHAP. VII The Vniversal Church will never unite in many pretended Articles of Faith not proved to be Divine nor in owning unnecessary doubtful Opinions or Practices as Religious or Worship of God notwithstanding the pretense of Tradition Sect. I. I Need say no more for proof of this than is said in the first Part. If Preachers say that this or that is an Article of Faith If Popes say it If Councils say it this saying will never unite all Christians in the belief of it It is no belief of God whose object is not revealed by God and perceived so to be and received as such That the sacred Scriptures are written by Divine Inspiration Christians are commonly agreed But that Popes Prelates or Councils speak by Divine Inspiration even when they expound the Scriptures all Christians neither are agreed nor ever will be And till a man perceiveth that it is God that speaketh or that the word spoken is Gods Word he cannot believe it with a Divine Faith which is nothing but believing it to be Gods Word and trusting it accordingly God is true but men are Lyers Rom. 3. Sect. II. Before we can receive any thing as Truth from Man we must have evidence that it is true indeed And that must be 1. Either from the nature of the thing and its causes 2. Or from some testimony of God either concomitant as Miracles were or subsequent in the Effects 3. Or from our knowledge of the Veracity Authority Inspiration and Infallibility of the Instrument or Speaker If therefore any Church or company of men shall tell us that this is a Divine Truth or Article of Faith no more of the World can be expected to believe them than are convinced of it by one of these three proofs The first is the case of natural Revelation and not now questioned The Second none but the Church of Rome do plead for their own belief viz. that they work Miracles and therefore are to be believed in whatever they affirm to be the Word of God Knot against Chillingworth and others of them do ultimately resolve their Faith or their proof of the truth of their Religion into the Miracles wrought in the Church of Rome by which God testifieth his approbation of their Assertions Other Christians that may have more miracles than Papists yet resolve not their proof of Christianity into them but lay more stress on other Evidence and particularly on Christs and his Ministers miracles attesting the holy Scriptures and Gospel to be of God And when we can find just proof of the Papists Miracles we shall be willing to study the meaning of them But hitherto we have not found such proof If any Council in Rome France Germany or England shall say These are Divine revealed Truths and as such you must believe subscribe or swear to them the world will never agree in believing them when no sober man is bound to believe them but as humane uncertain and fallible witnesses according to the measure of their Credibility Sect. III. Long experience fully proveth this No Age of the Church did ever agree in Articles of meer humane Assertion for that had been but a humane Faith That which the Council of Nice said was denyed by the Councils at Sirmium Ariminum c. That which the Council at Ephesus the first and at Chalcedon affirmed they at the Council of Ephesus the second denyed That which the Monotholites under Philippicus innumerable Bishops saith Binius affirmed many other Councils condemned That which the Council at Nice the second decreed for Images was condemned by many other Councils That which the Councils at â—isa Constance and Basil decreed to be Articles of Faith the Council at Florence and others abhorre Much less will a Provincial Synod or a Convocation or a Parliament be taken by all the Christian world to be infallible Sect. IV. And indeed the obtruding of â—alshoods or Uncertainties on the Churches is a notorious cause of Schism For what can you expect that men of Sobriety and Conscience should do in such a case Discern the certainty of the thing they cannot nor can they believe that all must needs be true that is said by a Synod a Convocation or a Parliament And they dare not lie in saying they believe that which they do not And to take all for Schismaticks that dare not deliberately lie or that set not up 〈◊〉 men as Lords of their Conscience instead of God is Schismatical unchristian and inhumane And as mens mere wills ought not to rule their understandings nor the will of Synods of Bishops or others to be the rule and measure of our wills so though we were never so willing to believe all to be true that Councils of Bishops or Princes say 〈◊〉 are not our understandings in the power of our 〈◊〉 We cannot believe what we list To know or believe without evidence of truth is to see without light False Hypocrites may force their tongues to say that they believe this or that at the Command of man but they cannot force themselves indeed to believe 〈◊〉 How then can a book of Articles or the Decrees of a Council or the Laws of a Prince bring the World to any unity
and Congregations of true Christians that have true Pastors to be true Churches of Christ And they take such Ministers as Conform to be notwithstanding that true Ministers though culpable and therefore they separate not from any such Churches as no Churches or from such Ministers as none 2. They take particular Churches associated under Diocesanes Archbishops and Nationally under one King and represented in one Convocation or Synod to be still true Churches and such as may be lawfully communicated with and these Diocesane Provincial and National Associations to be laudable as they are meer Associations for Concord and though culpable in some other respects yet such as good Christians may lawfully live under submissively and in peace 3. They think it lawful to preach and administer the Sacraments in the Parish Churches and have these 17 years been cast out and kept out much against their wills and laboured and hoped though in vain for Restoration 4. It is not Communion with any Christian Church in Faith Love or Holy Worship or any thing of Gods Institution no nor any thing of Mans commanding but what they believe God hath forbidden them which they deny To deny to take many Covenants Oaths Professions or to do some Practices which upon their best enquiry they verily believe to be great Sins this is not separating from any thing of God 5. They do not depart from the Churches but are cast out The Ministers are Silenced and â—â—â—cted as they verily believe for not sinning and hazarding their Souls Ministers and People are expresly by the Canon of the Church Excommunicated ipso facto which is sine sententia judicis if they but say that there is any thing in the Conformity which a good Christian may not with a good Conscience do The Canon is visible and plain so that they cannot possibly avoid being cast out and think that the Ejecters are the Schismaticks 6. When they are thus cast out or driven away they yet hold distant Christian Communion with all Christians in one universal Church one Spirit one Lord one God one Faith one Baptismal Covenant and one Hope Ephes 4. But local Communion they can have but in one place at once and none are said to separate from all the Churches where they are not present 7. The King by his Licence allowed them for a time to hold their own Assemblies and the Conformists themselves swear the Oath of Supremacy and take the King to be Supreme Governor in all Causes and over all Persons Ecclesiastical and Civil And yet then accused the Licensed of Schism 8. Though there be some things in the Liturgy which the Nonconformists dare not Declare Assent and Consent to and therefore suffer yet they hold it lawful both to join in Hearing Prayer and Sacraments with the Parish Churches and Conformists in the Lords days Worship and use of that Liturgy and many of them do so ordinarily And others do not hold it unlawful but are hindered by Preaching themselves where they can which they dare not forbear And the People that hold it lawful yet hold that better is to be preferred when they can have it And he that preferreth a Minister which he findeth most Edification by doth not therefore separate from all others because he is absent from them 9. The Nonconformists have in their appointed Treaties for Concord offered to use the Liturgy with some Emendations and to submit even to the present Archbishops Bishops and other parts of the Church-Government as is expressed in the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs By which visible in Print it may be seen how far they were from separating inclinations but it could not by the Bishops be accepted 10. But it is true withall that many of the Common People having constantly preferred that which they thought they were bound to prefer and seeing their former Pastors cast out and silenced thought they ought notwithstanding to adhere to them and grew into so hard thoughts of the Bishops that silenced them about 2000 at once that they are more alienated than before from them and their Assemblies as Chrysostoms Joannites were at Constantinople till the kindness of Atticus and Prâ—â—lus brought them back to the old publick Church Sect. XVII It is commonly confessed by their sharpest Accusers that the Nonconformists do well to forbear all that can be proved to be sinful And if they prove not Conformity sinful they are content to suffer as real Schismaticks Sect. XVIII We all agree of the necessity of a continued Succession in the Universal Church of the same Faith Religion and Ministerial Office which we profess and possess We have no one new Article of Faith or Religion nor any that have not continued in the Church we have no new Office But that the Office and Administrations cannot pass as valid unless the particular Minister can prove that he had Canonical Ordination from one that had the like and he from one that had the like and he from another that had the like and so up to the Apostles this we suppose irrational schismatical false and of malignant tendency against the Church and Interest of Christ Sect. XIX Mr. Henry Dodwell is the Man that hath newly and copiously promoted this Schismatical Error in a Book pretended to be against the Nonconformists Schism but disowned by the Conformable Doctors themselves many of them And indeed notwithstanding the tedious wordiness of it it hath little in it in comparison of Jansenius long ago fully answered by Voetius And though I told him over and over first that if he did not answer Voetius and my dispute of Ordination we should take him but to labor in vain as to our use yet hath he taken no notice of either of them at all If he intend it in any following Book it is but fraudulent to send out this great Volume first to do his work before he gave any notice of what is already said against him Must we write the same things as oft as Men arise that will repeat the Arguments so oft confuted Sect. XX His Design and Schismatical Doctrine is thus laid 1. That the ordinary means of Salvation are in respect of every particular person confined to the Episcopal Communion to the place he lives in as long as he lives in it 2. That we cannot be assured that God will do for us what is necessary for Salvation on his part otherwise than by his express promises that he will do it 3. Therefore we must have interest in his Covenant 4. Therefore we must have the Sacrament by which the Covenant is transacted 5. These as Legally valid are to be had only in the external Communion of the Visible Church 6. This is only the Episcopal Communion of the place we live in 7. The Validity of the Sacraments depends on the Authority of the persons by whom they are administred 8. No Ministers have Authority of administring Sacraments but only they that have their Orders in the Episcopal
and in the Mâ—nâ—thelites Error and a great part for Image-worship and as now many Churches of the Protestants agree in Consubstantiation and Church-Images and many in rejecting Prelacy and many in asserting it but all agree not in any of these though the eldest sort of Episcopacy for ought appeareth almost all in many ages did acknowledge and agree in But yet that which never united the Universal Church but tended to discord will have everywhere usually no better a tendency § II. Yet I have before enumerated divers Particulars which are needful and useful to the Concord of a particular Church which are not so to the Universal As that all the Members have the same Numerical Pastors the same Translation of the Scriptures read to them the same Versions and Tunes of Psalms when they meet together the same place and day and hour of meeting Because these in the nature of the thing are necessary to Concord and avoid Discord and Confusion And if divers Churches associated or all in a Kingdom or divers Kingdoms can agree in the same convenient modes and circumstances as the same Translation of the Bible so far as they have one language the same day of Easter Anniversarily to Commemorate Christs Resurrection as they do weekly on the same first day and some such like it will be laudable so it be done by voluntary consent as a thing of convenience and not of necessity and without tyrannizing over one another or persecuting or despising those that differ or turn it into an Engine of Rents and Schism by making it necessary to their communion which is the unhappy end of most humane impositions of indifferent unnecessary things He that thinketh he hath hit on the fittest Ceremonies â—ites or Modes is seldom ever content with liberty to use them but he must force all others if he can to his way and take away the liberty of all that differ from him We see it by sad experience that men think their Forms and Ceremonies cast out if all may not be compelled to use them though many think them sinful and they had rather have none of them than have them upon terms of meer liberty lest they be disgraced by the disuse or contradiction of those that do forbear theâ— And such men are never content with Union and Concord in Gods own Institutions and in circumstances that are in genere necessary § III. But some men are stiff in the Schismatical Opinion that though Churches of many Kingdoms may charitably differ in Ceremonies and indifferent things yet none in the same Kingdoms should be suffered so to differ of which I spake before But 1. Christ hath given us no such different measures of our Charity Forbearance or Communion 2. The old Churches were quite of another mind as Socrates and Sozomen shew in several instances And it is known that in the same Empire every Bishop had power to use his own Liturgy and other Modes as I instanced in the Canon that requireth every man to bring his Form first to the Synod to be tryed and in the contention between Basil and the Church of Neocesarea and the strife about Gregories and Ambrose's Liturgy and such like 3. It was the Pastors and People of the same Church of Rome that St. Paul giveth the Precepts of Forbearing and Receiving Dissenters in things indifferent to And still mark that he wrote not only to the Laity but to the Rulers as is evident and therefore forbiddeth them such narrowing impositions being himself also a chief Pastor an Apostle and so declareth his own judgment as one that would himself make no such uncharitable impositions § IV. We deny not but some Churches have a while continued in laudable Concord notwithstanding such ensnaring Impositions But 1. It hath been but for a time and this Worm hath fretted them and it hath ended in their great detriment at least 2. And it was not by these means but by better causes notwithstanding these diseases so that as we answer the Question Whether a Papist may be saved so do we answer the Question Whether such Churches may have prosperous Concord viz. 1. If the Essentials of Christianity in Papists and of Communion in such Churches be practically held so as to be more powerful than their Contraries 2. But not by their Contraries but by overcoming them one may be saved and the other have peace even as we answer the Question Whether a Man may live that taketh Poyson or hath the Leprosie 1. Not if it be prevalent according to its malignant nature 2. But yea if it be overcome by natural strength or medicine § V. Chillingworth our powerfullest Disputant against the Papists hath fully laid down the true Principles of Christian Concord and the Causes of Schism even the making more necessary to Salvation or Communion than is necessary indeed And the famous Hales though too bold and sometime going a step too far hath said more against these true Causes of Schism with great Truth and Reason than the Authors of it can well bear But wisdom is justified of all her children CHAP. XI The Severity and Force of Magistrates denying necessary Toleration and punishing the Refusers of unnecessary uncertain suspected things will never procure Church Vnity and Concord but in time increase Divisions § I. HAles of Schism speaking of having two Bishops in a Diocess saith pag. 223. Neither doth it any way savor of Vice or Misdemeanor instancing in Austin's doing it ignorantly their punishment sleeps not who unnecessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it The most pious and wise Church Historians extoll the two peaceable Bishops of Constantinople that quietly bore the Novatian Bishops by them and geâ—tâ—y reduced Chrysostom's Followers the Joannites and dâ—spraise Nestorius and such other turbulent Prelates that persecuted them on pretence of zeal against Error and some of them proved more erroneous themselves § II. This crying out for the drawing of the Sword against those that differ in unnecessary things 〈◊〉 a great dishonour to the persons that tell men how conscious they are of their own insufficiency for their proper work and a reproach to the power of the Keys as if it signified nothing without the Sword And in all Ages Men of Ambition and Insufficienâ—â—y and Uncharitableness have been thus calling to the Magistrate to do all when yet in general claim they have set themselves far above him as being for the Soul when he is but for the Body § III. But Experience hath still confuted them and that which one Age or year thus built the next hath ordinarily pull'd down Not but that orthodox pious Princes are an unspeakable blessing to the Church and the want of such are ordinary causes of sin distraction and misery But such must know and do their proper work and not serve the pride and humor of ambitious ignorant Clergymen nor be their Lictors or Executioners nor lend them the Sword to execute their wills § IV. Constantine defended the
the edification of the Church and the glorifying and pleasing of God our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier And that the said Maintained Ministers be tyed by the regulating Laws which determine only such circumstances as in genere are necessary to be agreed in for Uniformity and common harmony As of Time Place Parish Bounds what Translation of Scripture to use what Version of Psalms what decent Habit c. not put to profess Approbation of all these but required to use them and censured if they do not 5. That the Tolerated Ministers subscribe all the same things except these last Regulating Laws for Circumstances of Order 6. That either a Catalogue of Errors and Sins be drawn up in the Law which no Minister shall preach or else it be left to the Judges to discern when any is proved to preach against any necessary Article of his subscribed Profession And it is meet that the Catalogue prohibited to the Maintained Ministers be larger than that prohibited to the Tolerated some Errors being tolerable which are not approvable And it is not the first fault that should suspend or silence either of them but obstinacy after a first and second admonition Yea many lesser Errors must be punished only with congruous Mulcts or Rebukes or after that with loss of Maintenance that are not to be punished with Silencing 7. That no other Test Profession Covenant Subscription or Promise be required of any as necessary to Ministery or Communion which may become dividing Snares and Engines But only that where Papal Tyrannies or any other Usurpers claim it dangerous to the Church and Kingdom the Essentials of that Papacy or Usurpation be expresly renounced by all that will have Maintenance or Toleration yet not on this pretence making every claim of Patriarchs Archbishops Bishops Councils or Synods of Presbyters which others think to be a Usurpation to be so dangerous as the Papacy and so the renunciation of them as necessary because such existent persons claim not such Power nor make such Laws for deposing Kings and murdering or exterminating Dissenters which if they do they must be expresly renounced else the keeping out usurping practice is enough 8. The Christian Magistrate must keep Peace among all both the Approved and Tolerated and not suffer any unpeaceable Preaching or Disputes which tend to destroy Love and Quietness nor suffer railing Calumnies against each other to be published or printed § III. 1. Particular Churches and their Pastors should be so far Associated as is necessary to their mutual peace concord and strength And therefore should keep frequent Synods for Correspondency to these Ends and by Messengers and Letters also keep up their Brotherly Concord 2. But whether these Associations of single Churches should be headed by Diocesanes Metropolitanes Archbishops Primates Patriarchs most think is a matter of meer humane Prudence 3. But certainly the Magistrate must see that neither the Synods nor their Heads or Presidents tyrannize 〈◊〉 instead of Assemblies for Concord become an Aristocratical or Monarchical Church-Government nor force not any to approve of them or such humane Forms of Churches much less that they infringe not the Rights and Liberties of the Churches formed by the institution of Christ and his Apostles § IV. Yet more briefly 1. Approving the beâ—â— 2. Tolerating the Tolerable 3. Sacraments fre◠〈◊〉 not forced 4. The Intolerable restrained 5. The test of Toleration being this Whether such Tolerated Worship do more good or hurt in true impartial judgment 6. Magistrates keeping all in peace would heal us FINIS Jam. 3. 17. Act. 20. 28 29 30 c. Act. 19. 19. * See Beza's Conjecture of the summe in loc †Rev. 2. 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 4. * In Methodo Theologiâ—e Part. 2. Rom. 14. 17. 15. 1 Cor. 12. 13. Gal. 6. 1 2 3. * Such as now worketh in Mr. Eliats in New England and Mr. Thomas Gouge in England towards the Welsh in many worthy Ministers who suffer the reproach and persecutions of men because they will not consent to be as lights put under a bushel Rom. 13. 12 13. Gal. 6. 6 7 8. Mark 3. 24 25. Luke 11. 17 18. * Sicut noxium est si unitas desit bonis ita perniciosum est si sit in malis Perversos quippe unitas corroborat dum concordant taâ—to magis incorrigibiles quanto unanimes facit Greg. Moral l. 33. * See Whateley's notable Diâ—course of this in his Carecloth Doct. 1. * De consol philos l. 4. * Moral l. 9. Gen. 4. 8 9. 13. 7. c. 19. 4. 26. 20. 27. 41. 31. 36. 34. 25 c. 49. 50. 53. Exod. 2. 13. 16. 2. 17. 3. Numb 21. 4 5 6. Judg. 9. 12. 20. 1 Sam. 18. 2 Sam. 3. 15. 19. 1 King 12. c. 2 Chron. 36. 16. Mat. 2. 3. Luke 22. Act. 15. 1 c. 15. 39 40. 1 Cor. 1. 3. c. Prov. 14. 34. 6. 33. 19. 26. Jer. 23. 40. 29. 18. 42. 18. 44. 8. Ezek. 5. 1â— 15. 22. 4. Of this I have written at large in my last Confutation of Johnson Which is the true Church or for our Churches perpetual Visibility 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. See what I have recited out of Philastrius in my book against Johnson called Which is the true Church in the end * Greg. Nazianzene See Mr. Dâ—dwill This second may be spared if the third be well done And instead of both may well be a Catalogue of doctrines erroneous or doubtful which none shall preach or propagate of which after See more against the Magistrates overdoing in the third Part. A. The form Common to all Christians Mat. 28. 19. Mark 16. 16. I. Assent Heb. 11. 6. 1 Cor. 8. 4. Mat. 28. 19. Joh. 4. 24. Psal 90. 2. Gen. 17. 1. Heb. 4. 13. Luk. 18. 19. Psal 117. 2. Deut. 32. 4. Isa 6. 3. Ge. 1. Act. 17. 24. Gen. 1. 27. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Luk. 10. 27. Joh. 17. 3. Mat. 4. 10. 19. 17. Gen. 3. Rom. 5. 12. 3. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Eph. 2. 3. I Joh. 4. 14. Joh. 1. 1 14. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Luk. 1. 35. Rom. 9. 5. Joh. 16. 33. Heb. 2. 14. Mat. 3. 15. Heb. 7. 26. 1 Joh. 2. 6. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 3 4. Act. 3. 9. 3. 21. Eph. 5. 23. Luk. 1. 33. Act. 3. 22. Heb. 7. 25 26. Eph. 1. 23 24. Rom. 14. 9 10. Joh. 5. 22. 17. 1 2 3. Luk. 24. 47. Mat. 28. 19 20 Mark 16. 15 16. Joh. 3. 16. 1 Joh. 5. 11 22. Joh. 1. 10 11 12. Gal. 3. 27 28. 5. 24. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Luk. 14. 33. Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Mat. 28. 20. Heb. 5. 9. Luk. 14. 32. Rev. 22. 14. Joh. 16. 13. Eph. 2. 20. 3. 5. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. Joh. 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 9. Gal. 4. 6. Tit. 3. 3 5. Heb. 12. 14. Tit. 2. 11 12. Rom. 8. 13. Heb. 5. 9. 1 Cor. 12. Mar. 16. 16. Joh. 1. 11 12. Eph. 4. 1. to 17. Rom. 8. 1. Act. 26. 18. Rom. 14. 15 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Rom. 16. 16 17. Joh. 15. 1. to 10. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Mat. 7. 21 22. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Rom. 11. 17. Gal. 3. 26 27 28. Joh. 12. 26. 2 Cor. 5. 1 7 8. Act. 7. 59. Act. 17. 31. 2 Thes 1. 7 8. Joh. 5. 28 29. Mat. 25. 46. Matth. 13. 1 Thes 1. 6 10 11. Rev. 22. II. Consent and Desire Rom. 12. 1. Joh. 1. 11 12. Deut. 10. 12. Rom. 8. 8. Heb. 11. 12. 28 29. Isa 56. 4 5. 55. 2 3 4 6. Rev. 22. 17. Luk. 14. 26 29. 2 Cor. 5. 7 8 9. 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. 2 Pet. 1. 3 4. Tit. 1. 3 4. Mat. 7. 7. III. Practice Act. 27. 23. Ps 73. 25 26. Deut. 10. 12. 2 Chron. 20. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. Mat. 5. 17 18 19. Jo. 15. 10 12 14. Jo. 16. 7. 1 Jo. 5. 20 21. Mat. 4. 9 10. Psal 1. 1 2 3. 37. 4. 104. 34. 89. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 23 c. Psal 119. 97. Jam. 4. 12. Exod. 20. 7 8. Rev. 1. 10. Rom. 13. Col. 3. 20. Deut. 27. 16. Rom. 12. 19 20. 2 Sam. 23. 3. Rom. 13. 9 10. Luk. 18. 20. Mat. 5. 44 45. 1 Jo. 3. 15 16. Eph. 5. 3 4 5. 1 Thes 4. 6. Lev. 19. 11. Prov. 19. 5. Psal 15. 3. Mat. 19. 19. 7. 12. B. Proper to Ministers of the Gospel Act. 20. 20 c. Jo. 21. 15 16 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. 1 Tim. 4. 16. 3. 2 3 4 5 6. 4. 1 3 15. 1 Tim. 3. 4 5 6 19. 2 Tim. 1. 7 8 9 10 13. 2 Tim. 2. to the end 1 Tim. 6. 16 17 18. Tit. 1. 2. 3. 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Mat. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Mat. 24. 45 46 47 48 49. 1 Cor. 9. 16 to the end 1 Cor. 11. 23. Mat. 5. 16 20. Mat. 15. 8 9. Isa 8. 20. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3 4. C. Special duty to Civil Rulers Rom. 13. 1 c. Mat. 28. 19. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 15 16 17 18. 2 Pet. 2. 10 11. Rom. 13. 7. 5. Col. 3. 12 13 14. Jam. 3. 1 14 15 16 17. Jud. 8 9 10. * See the sâ—â—ond Council◠〈◊〉 â—citing and appâ—â—â—ing thâ— former General Council of 〈◊〉 which in other things they opposed yet both condemned this opinion See all this fally proved in my Books against Jâ—hnson of the Visibility of our Church especially in my last called Wâ—ich is the true Church Of this more before See my Last Book against Johnson of this See Sir Thomas Overbury's late Plea for Toleration in Answer to Ataxiae Obstaculum Renouncing Unlimited Toleration