therefore we speak of a visible Church be it Catholick National or Parochial it is Coetus evocatorum a Company of Men called not invisibly internally but externally sensibly and such as have manifested their complyance with that Call Not a Company but a Society of Believers joyned together by a mutual profession of Faith For as Vnity of a sincere Faith is necessary for the Constitution of the Church invisible so is Vnity of profession of Faith necessary for the Constitution and being of a visible Church And to avoid rash unanswerable expressions and unbecoming behaviour it is both reasonable and necessary that words and actions should be reasonably agreed upon and determined The thoughts of our Souls like the eyes of our Bodies without an Object to terminate them will wander to the ends of the Earth therefore the prime work of Piety and Religion in the Rational Soul is to set God before the eyes of its Understanding That upon serious consideration seeing and concluding him the Best and the Greatest man may rationally both think and speak most honourably of him and behave himself most reverently towards him For Vniformity then in Religious exercises of necessity there must be the same Object GOD who is infinite must be proposed That our considerations and respects may be terminated upon him And of necessity there must be Rules and Forms agreed upon and fixed to direct and limit all associated Professors that their considerations and respects may be united either in knowing God or worshipping him Circumstances cannot be left indefinite and undetermined for mans Thoughts are as diverse naturally as their Faces and Tempers Their Words and Actions usually wild and extravagant and not only different but contrary also unless all these be bounded and terminated what Vnity can there be An arbitrary Will-worship will follow according to every mans fancy and in every meeting instead of a well-ordered Unity there must necessarily happen distraction and confusion And these things are obvious to every man that rationally considers them for never any Nation that had Religion true or false but alwaies agreed on a Common Ministration And in all their Sacrifices either propitiatory or gratulatory they have united together by certain Rules in a common Service and a joynt concurrence in it to that Deity which they adored And certainly all those Reasons formerly alleadged to urge an open profession of Faith return with new vigour strictly to oblige every Visible Church to acknowledge the necessity of fixing and observing Rules of Vniformity in every respective Congregation That the infinite Majesty of GOD may be generally and worthily glorified That our Neighbours and our selves may be most probably edified and comforted That those that are Vnbelievers may have their Conversion best furthered there must be Canons and Forms prescribed by Rulers to carry on a general Uniformity To conclude this Section then Governours must Rule by a Law their Laws can reach only to Externals in the exercise of Godliness In which Exercise of Godliness the first aim of Governours by their Laws is to promote Vniformity in Religious Assemblies To settle and continue an Vniformity there must be Rules to limit and direct SECT II. That the Canons and Forms in our Liturgy prescribed to the ends above-mentioned are most agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel is the next considerable LITURGY in its etymologie if rightly understood gives its full import and signification It is a Form or Rule of Administration in some publick Office Sometimes it is put in Scripture for Ministration in offices of Humanity and Liberality But our discourse and common Acceptation leads us to take it for that kind of Ministration that relates to Holy things about the Service and worship of God So here we understand it to be the Canons and Forms prescribed in a Visible Church of external profession of Faith by an evident demonstration of Obedience For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod fit per populum sit publicum a publick Religious Ministration in a Congregation of Believers So the People must be understood concerned in the Ministration as well as the Priest And those of the People that would be accounted of the Visible Church are to submit and conform to such Canons and Forms as are prescribed in the Ministration And when a Church is not an Assembly only but a Society of the Faithful not internally Faithful only for that is not discernible by us but externally by publick Profession either by words or actions What our Judgments must be of them that in Assemblies neglect and despise Profession according to Rules prescribed is easily to be concluded For whatever good opinion others blindly may have of such or they may have of themselves yet not giving in their Assemblies any evident signs of external Profession they are in reason not to be judged of the Visible Church of Christ And this shews how unjustifiable the Meetings of our Separatists are when there is no publick exercise of Religion no vocal confession of Faith no express desires of Obedience in any of their Congregations To give evidence of any Assembly that it is a part of the Visible Church there must be a sensible Profession an apparent submission to the Canons and Forms of a Liturgy And conformity of the People to those Rules gives satisfaction who are to be reputed but wilful omission and neglect declares who are not to be reputed of the Church of Christ And blessed be God we have as it is necessary and expedient from our wise Governours considering our infirmities and extravagancies Canons and Forms prescribed in our Liturgy for Religious Ministration which are most agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel The Rules of the Gosple given by Christ and his Apostles are of so different natures such different sorts The Canons and Forms ordering our Common-Service in the publick exercise of Religion are so numerous and various as it were the work of an Age to discourse distinctly and pertinently of every particular that may be comprehended in this Section But first let us consider what we understand by the Rules of the Gospel to which our Canons and Prayers are to conform Now our Blessed Saviour at the first planting of the Gospel upon the Apostles and Seventy before his Passion and upon some Chosen Vessels for his Honour after his Ascension having all power given him did in those daies plentifully pour out his Spirit upon them and gifts graces and ability he gave to them in an extraordinary manner and measure for the work of the Ministery and edifying his Body by the prevalence of his Word and Gospel which he sent them abroad to preach confirming the Word by signs following That the whole power of the World was not able to resist the wisdom and Spirit by which they spake divers Gifts he distributed of miraculous operation For different Administrations as Gifts of Healing working of Miracles Prophesying discerning of Spirits diverse kinds of Tongues Interpretation
of Tongues All these in an instant wrought that one and self same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he pleased And several Rules he gave them that trusting to the supply of the Almighty in all their exigence upon this Heavenly design they should provide neither Gold nor Silver nor Scrip nor Coat nor Shooes nor Staves No care what to speak dabitur in illâ borâ whatever they needed the Heavenly Father that called them to the work would supply them in all those things But these Rules were extraordinary and so were the Assistances needful only for those Persons in those daies of Persecution when they were hated of all men for his Names sake and were to trust only to a support and a supply from the All-sufficiency of the Almighty But blessed be God we are not now incompassed with these streights God hath provided better things for us That although the malice of some men would bring us to walk according to these Rules and support our selves with the expectation of such Assistances and those mistakes have caused no little disturbance in the Church of Christ yet now the Gospel hath found a free passage and reception we have an happier juncture of Affairs We need not expect Miracles for our support when we have Means in peace afforded us to carry on the design of God God is and we may well be contented with more reasonable Services And it is unreasonable to think having none of the same necessity upon us and to conclude that in these daies the same Gifts and Assistances should be continued among us is a dangerous and an unsufferable presumption These extraordinary Rules and Assistances were given to those particular Persons during those particular Times but they are now unpracticable and not according to the mind of Christ And there were some Rules given to certain Churches and some particular places but these are not our Canons or Forms to be modelled by The Rules then of the Gospel we are to look after are not particular but universal not temporary but eternal binding for ever to the whole Church of Christ Now the Laws of the Gospel given by Christ or his Apostles are of two sorts some respect internally the regulating Intentions Thoughts and Desires for private Persons singular peace And some respect externally ordering the Conversation of the Visible Church of Christ To the Rules of this latter sort we must have regard unto in this present discourse And these Rules are of two sorts either natural necessary eternal and indispensable and would have been binding if Christ had not revived them As that we praise God fall down and worship him that we keep our Tongues from evil and our Lips that they speak no guile that we keep our Bodies from all filthiness that whatever we would that others should do to us the same c. But some Laws are positive and voluntary receiving their being and constitution from Christ whose goodness wisdom and Authority we are not to suspect but that he will direct those things to his Church that are best and most convenient and such Directions by his Subjects are carefully to be observed As that they should pray in these words receive the Sacraments with those signs and manner of Communication required All these positive Laws of Christ are universal indispensable and though the positive Laws of Men are particular and mutable upon inconvenience yet these positive Laws of Christ are constituted and come from such unquestionable Wisdom as they must be accounted universally and eternally binding to his Church to all Generations The Laws then of Christ be they either those natural Laws that he revived or the positive Laws that he constituted that he hath ordinarily universally eternally left his Church to be ruled by to the end of the World are the Laws we would have our Canons for Uniformity to be tryed by And because our Blessed Saviour knew very well that an Anarchy was unnatural and not to be endured he wisely directs these Laws to two sorts of People that will be in his Church to the end of the World First To Rulers Leaders and Superiours Secondly To Inferiours Subjects and the Generality of the People under Authority 1. For Rulers They be of two sorts some Civil which we call Magistrates Others Ecclesiastical which we call Ministers What concerns Magistrates we treated of formerly For Ministers we have several Orders and distinctions allowed by the Gospel The Laws for them are obvious in the discharge of their several Offices Inferiour Ministers most concern us in the Exercise of Religion These if any we should in this discourse respect And certainly that Obedience which these Ministers shew in their usages as directed in their Rites Ceremonies Habits Gestures observing daies c. are lawful and easily justifiable And these things are made so clear by the pens of sober Learned and Judicious men to any that will not be wilfully blind all the Objections so fully answered as it would be tedious and impertinent for me to insist in a further Vindication It were more reasonable and Christianlike if men would look more diligently to the discharge of their own duties and be less ready to censure and condemn other mens Just observances If any thing were questionable in them viderint ipsi they must answer it to their proper Judge who made thee one Be not curiously inquisitive what others do or should do Tolle quod tuum est do thy own business and seriously consider what thou art bound to do thy self that thou maist inherit eternal life And this I am sure thou art obliged to do to give thy Decent attendance and joyntly to concur in the Publick exercise of Holiness and the worship of God as it is ordered in the Book of Common-Prayer And now our discourse begins to be brought into a narrow compass This is all that remains for us to prove in this Section That the Canons and Forms prescribed to the Common sort of our Believers in our Book of Common-Prayer are agreeable to the universal eternal and indispensable Rules of the Gospel Canons for Uniformity in our Religious meetings and Assemblies which we are not to forsake respect either Words or Actions let us take a quick survey of either and see if both be not allowed and prescribed by the Gospel After a Company is Religiously met and assembled together all admit and approve of a Pastour or Teacher an Exhorter a Leader to holy Services unless they have lost their Reason and Religion also After their Assembling the Minister by Scripture Exhortations prepares the People for their joynt concurrence in the solemn Worship of God After Preparation the whole Congregation is ordered and directed to joyn in an open Confession of Gods Excellency and All-sufficiency of their own Sins of Christs Merits in whose Name they ask forgiveness and of their desire of a full Obedience that they may live a godly righteous and sober life After this upon good grounds
Church of Christ from an unalterable Rule are of an unchangeable Judgment They are not like Children tossed up and down with every breath nor carried about with diverse and strange Doctrines but the God of hope as he hath filled them with all joy so with all peace and unity in believing That they continue stedfast in the same Faith are perfectly joyned together in the same Judgment and amidst Society of Believers there is but one Spirit one Conscience The Head and perfection of a Rational Creatures Vnity must be in Judgment Beasts may agree in Affection only Men can agree in Judgment And Judgment Faith and Conscience of which there is a noise in the World are but little different All the result of the Souls Reasoning the deliberate conclusion and agreement of her Counsel from a certain Rule and infallible A respect of the Rational Creature to the Rules of the Gospel not only as true and warrantable but as good and acceptable and a serious purpose and resolution to conform to those Rules accordingly Of which Rules some are supernatural and revealed others are natural some positive but being injoyned by Christ they are eternal universal indispensable and binding to the Catholick Church of Christ But some Rules are particular given by Christian Rulers to their particular National Churches to whose wisdom Christ hath left the ordering and injoyning of some Canons not unlawful for setling Peace And be the Canons either concerning Words or Actions since they are accomodately fitted to the custome and apprehensions of the People and are significant expressions of the Subjects unity of Judgment and Faith They are binding to believing Subjects for the Lords sake So that as in the Catholick Church for the General Rules so in particular Churches for particular Commands where lawfully fixed and unrepealed the Believing Subjects are to be of the same Faith of the same Judgment And where difference of Faith or Judgments are in the same constituted Church impossible it is there should be Vnity of Affection impossible it is the Souldiers and Servants should be in peace and Vnity where Captains and Leaders are at variance and dissension Liberty or pretence of Conscience in a constituted Church can never be plea sufficient to justifie two differing Believers in differing and contrary undertakings If one of those undertakings be warrantable the others must be unlawful and unwarrantable There is but one Conscience one Faith in this case can be justifiable as certain as there is but one Rule and but one Truth And when two differing Believers in differing and contrary Actions can have but one true and justifiable Rule There cannot be in contrary Actions any more than one right Faith or justifiable Conscience And Conscience is Concludens scientia a deliberate Conclusion and setled Judgment a fixed Determination of the Intellective part from a certain infallible Rule from which we infer assume and apply to our selves the morality of our Actions and determine of the subsequent issue accordingly So that two things are required to make up a Conscience 1. A deliberate Determination or Conclusion 2. A certain Rule from whence we infer the morality of our Actions 1. There must be a deliberate Determination in what may be called Conscience so no Example or practice of the most retired mortified man can be a Rule for thy Conscience The most devout of men are no Lords of our Faith who at the best are but Helpers of our joy Infallibility is not to be granted to any particular man which is not granted to any particular Church of Christ Neither can Conscience be made up soundly from the practice of a fallible man but from the law of Nature and Rules of an Infallible God So that it is not to be called Conscience that is grounded on the Examples of godly Religious men without thy own Deliberation Nor is that Conscience that hath only former Resolutions for its Rule for wilful obstinacy timaciousness of purpose cannot be a part of Conscience which is not in the Appetitive part at all Nor can Humor Animosity a sudden precipitate ingaging be justified by plea of Conscience when there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience cannot be without Deliberation neither can Deliberation without applying or determination be called Conscience For while the Vnderstanding is fluctuating questioning and inquiring it may be in tendency to it it is not yet to be called Conscience And here again they seem as far from Reason in their expressions as from Obedience in their actions that call out for liberty of Conscience May not my Conscience be free And they would make the doubting Reason against the undoubtedly lawful Command of the Superiour in things indifferent to be the weak tender Conscience But where liberty or doubting is there can be no determination of the thing doubted and where no determination there can be no Conscience 2. That cannot be called Conscience that grounds not its Determination upon a certain Rule When Conscience is but a Witness to a Rule at the best a subordinate Rule neither can it be an absolute Law which must be determined by a Law without which it may be Humor Animosity Fancy or Opinion whatever it is surely it cannot rightly be called Conscience And since Conscience cannot be without a Rule and when the Rules of Nature and the Gospel do not interfere and are not contrary there cannot be two different or contrary Consciences that can be both good of any professed Believers in a constituted Church wheresoever Over the General Church of Christ there be Rules Natural and Necessary whose morality is determined and some Rules Positive and Arbitrary that are eternally and universally binding to all Believers to the end of the World In all these Gospel Rules there can be but one Conscience in all Believers undoubtedly And in every particular Church somethings are to be determined for Peace sake by the wisdom of Governours as time and place words and gestures c. in the service and worship of God Now in a Constituted Church where these things are determined I deliberately declare in this Subjects submission and the others refusal there can be but one Conscience For when indifferent things are determined by wise and good Rulers most conducing to convenience and peace the Rule upon such determination is for every Believing Subject to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Now when no Conscience can be without a Rule since I have a Rule for my Submission and thou canst shew no Rule thou hast for thy Refusal certainly it must be concluded I have a Conscience in my willing subjection but thou canst have no Conscience in thy wilful omission and opposition And being there is but one Rule that is good and warrantable in all positive things there can be to speak properly in such things but one Conscience For Resolutions if without yea much more if against a Rule cannot be called Conscience And Conscience which is 〈◊〉
AN APOLOGY FOR THE LAWS Ecclesiastical ESTABLISHED That command our Publick exercise in RELIGION AND A serious Enquiry whether PENALTIES Be reasonably determined against RECUSANCY By WILLIAM STARKEY D.D. Rector of Pulham in Norfolk LONDON Printed by T. R. for Henry Brome at the Gun West end of St. Pauls Church 1675 TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD PETER Lord Bishop of ELY My LORD THere be two Idols set up among our Brain-sick People which must be broken down viz. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE and TOLERATION Under the Name and Colour of the first many set up their misled Perswasion for a Law and so sin without possibility of any sense of Guilt or Conviction Secondly Under the Name of Gospel meekness gentleness and peacableness they cry up TOLERATION and IMPUNITY and so are without fear to add sin to sin when in no danger of a subsequent punishment These if suffered and countenanced will in time overthrow RELIGION and GOVERNMENT which are the pillars and support of Order and Peace both in Church and Kingdom To encounter and remove these two great obstacles of our Happiness my design hath been in this little Treatise to assert and prove two things 1. That there must be just Laws established in every Society to limit the Conscience of the Christian and Rational man and that whosoever transgresseth those Laws is guilty of sin notwithstanding any plea of Conscience which can give no license for any man to sin 2. That Punishments by Gospel Rules are necessarily inflicted upon obstinate Offenders and that Toleration and Impunity are of dangerous consequence to our King Church and whole Nation The Reasons are many that induced me to dedicate these weak Meditations to Your protection my good Pious Lord as that I might lay hold on the first opportunity of manifesting that just Observance Your worth and dignity as well as your favour have challenged and extracted from me And because honoured with the Title of being Your Son I accounted my self in duty obliged to give you some assurance of the soundness of my Judgment and stedfastness of my Faith and Conscience firmly assenting and adhering to the right exercise of the best Religion and the best Government under Heaven which must tend not only to my own credit but Your content and satisfaction And my Ambition is to give Testimony of some resemblance to be in me to such a Father whose zeal and ability to defend the Church and Government is eminently known to a great part of the World And verily it is but common prudence for my own security to provide such a Patron as You are to assist me in defending a Noble Argument which though full of Truth Loyalty and Necessity fit to be published yet in probability can no sooner be drawn out but it must expect to meet with much opposition Yet this gives me encouragement that while under your Banners though I expect many Gainsayers yet I can fear no Confuters If I should fall it will be honourably yet I dare promise my self to come off victoriously And under Your conduct I cannot but assume fresh Courage if called upon farther to maintain the Faith of the Gospel the uniform Worship of God the Government both in Laws and Penalties justly fixed and executed against Recusancy which will certainly advance the order peace and welfare of our whole Society My prayers and endeavours are intent upon these things and so long as I continue stedfast in those Designs and Attempts I hope You will not account me unworthy to profess my self as the Churches so Your Lordships most obedient Son and Humble Servant W. STARKEY Four PROPOSITIONS offered to Consideration I. The Laws of our English Government that command every Believing Subjects Uniformity in the publick exercise of Religion are established according to the Law of Nature and Rules of the Gospel II. The wilful Omission or Recusancy of any Baptized Subjects Conformity to such Laws is an open Sin and a dangerous Disobedience III. The threatning and determining of Punishments to be inflicted upon wilful Transgressors of such Laws are according to the dictates of Human Reason and the constant practice of the Church of God IV. The inflicting of Punishments as determined is just and necessary for the safety and welfare of our Nation Proposition I. Chap. I. Governours are to be appointed over every Believing Society by the Laws of Nature and Rules of the Gospel and our Governours are so appointed especially Section I. What is conceived must be meant by the Law of Nature Section II. What we are to understand by the Rules of the Gospel Section III. By both these Governours are to be appointed over every Believing Society Section IV. Our Governours are thus appointed over as especially A Serious Apology FOR THE LAWS Establisht in the Exercise of RELIGION SECT I. 1. GOD Almighty who of his infinite wisdom in decent and comely sort hath sweetly ordered and disposed all his works in number measure and weight hath given to every of them a principle form and measure of working to moderate and limit their force and power fit suitable and correspondent to their designed end to some Canon Rule or Law A Law which they cannot pass naturally but moving by that Law according to their several conditions they may come to that acquiescency and content that may render them happy according to their several capacities If they be Inanimate Creatures that move unwittingly and yet constantly as the Heavens and Elements The Sun knoweth its rising and the Moon its going down The Stars keep their courses the Orbes their Rotations according to Gods Ordinance or Decree they all move as the Divine wisdom orders them If they be Animate Creatures that have though weak yet some understanding they move from the most perfect principle they have to seek their content and satisfaction To gratifie their senses is their utmost aim And if they be voluntary Agents that clearly apprehend what they do yet kept they are as inclined in one constant tenure and course of working according to the establishment of Natures law And this innate obedience to the law of Nature as God hath ordered is the stay the ballast of the whole World that Gods Creatures cannot naturally or ordinarily do otherwise than to shew themselves apt and inclineable to this innate Obedience Now MAN that hath a Rational and immortal Soul and so a more noble Principle and hath more excellent endowments and perfections than the rest of visible Creatures must aim at nobler Ends attainable by those faculties and abilities with which God of his goodness hath extraordinarily blest him So that to gratifie the sense cannot be his utmost aim but to content the Spirit which is attainable by light of Reason and her improvements directing him to those Actions that may conduct and lead him the readiest way to the enjoying that Happiness which is intended So that Man acts most naturally when he acts most rationally when by that noble principle
and the most certain expectation of those full joyes that are to come Thus we most please our selves and we best satisfie our Neighbours in whatsoever Relation he respects us in the practice of Holiness which directly tends to true Happiness Our Father the Magistrate the Minister our Equals are all solicitous to know and be assured of our pious and holy inclinations and when they can perceive they have not watched over us nor laboured in vain they are most delighted and best pleased Now our Relations are not to be satisfied in the state we are in with probable conjectures of our meanings and intentions but they must have clear and significant expression of our minds and intendments either by words or actions A sullen silence cannot content us in our Contracts but we must have sensible assurance of our mutual assent or refusal In our Secular Trafficks and Commerces we cannot carry on our Bargains but by external signification And as in Temporal so in Spiritual Covenants there is a necessity of these things when no communion can be held without them We cannot be mutually pleased with mutual assurances of our purposes to stand firm to the Faith of the Gospel without an open declaration unless every one hold forth the profession of his Faith without wavering There can be no contenting assurance of any persons continuing a Member of a visible Church without profession of Faith in Service or Sacrament Hearing the Word preach'd only is no sufficient evidence I am in charity to believe the Minister to be a good man because he signifies his pious intentions by Religious expressions But I cannot in reason conclude the Hearer so long as he saies nothing If People wanted nothing but Knowledge Conversion or Faith if ignorant or unconverted I could excuse this boulimy among us and it were far more tolerable that people mind only Sermons But when People are knowing and converted baptized and ingaged in Profession certainly it were more truly Religious to spend some time in doing as well as hearing to shew they have not heard in vain but that they have got this Faith they so greedily heard for by holding forth the profession of it c. By Hearing constantly I in charity conclude thou desirest to be good thou wouldst get Faith but if Hearing is all how can I without rashness judge that thou art good or hast got Faith which is not evident to me without thy Profession It is a painted no real Fire that hath neither light nor heat It is a Stock a Log not a living Tree that hath neither leaves nor fruit It is a Carkass not a living Body that hath neither words nor motion It is Presumption and no living Faith that is not signified by Profession And now with all meekness I beseech those that separate from us seriously to consider this undoubted Truth That the visible certain sign of any Companies or Persons being indeed of the Catholick Church that is Militant is the Peoples Confession of Faith in Service and Sacraments Since therefore Profession of Faith is of such necessity and hath so great an influence to please both our selves and others and is a duty and service by Gospel Rules incumbent to every Christian we may truly conclude That the Christian Magistrate may and ought to injoyn an open Profession of Faith to each believing Subject in his respective Congregation SECT IV. Every one is to make profession of his Faith and the best time and place to do it in are in respective Congregations and the Magistrate is to injoyn every one c. 4. THat there should be meeting and assembling of Congregations must be adjudged expedient and necessary for the imparting and promoting what is good and comfortable and the preventing or removing of what is hurtful or inconvenient which things cannot be hoped for or compassed by Singularity or Separation And that this is confessed is evident from the general practice of all Cities and Nations that professed any Religion were it true or false and by the practice of ordinary Men without any respect to Religion who agree to meet in Markets Fairs Exchanges Walks for Temporal ends above-said And if general Meetings be rationally concluded to be necessary for imparting things Temporal then they must be concluded also natural and necessary for imparting things Spiritual And for any one wilfully and perversly to decline these Meetings lawfully appointed must be a sin being prohibited by the Gospel when the Hebrews are commanded not to forsake the Assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 because such Meetings are appointed and designed to advance the exercise of Piety and Religion Such Congregations of Believers as respect the Worship and Service of God are the Congregations we mean and the Believer is to discharge his duty of Profession in the midst of them God Nature and Grace doth not delight to do any thing in vain and all voluntary Agents freeliest exert their kindly operations upon such Objects as may be influenttal upon them for good and are in capacity to receive the said Operations Confession of Faith is not expected when not called to it to be made to Persecutors or Infidels that are professed enemies of the Gospel where there is more probability of their Rage than Conversion and where there is no hope of advancing Gods glory or our Neighbours good where there is less hope of dying a Martyr than danger of being a Manslayer where he may seem to conspire with the Persecutors to take away his own life Mat. 7.6 By Christs own direction we are not to cast holy things to dogs nor pearls to swine least they trample them under foot and turn again and rent you But holy things are properly tendred to holy Men. Our delight to communicate these should be chiefly to the Saints of the Earth and such as pretend at least a desire to excel in vertue yea where we may act with safety to our selves and probably with benefit to others there Confession of Faith is best made and that if among a Congregation of Believers And for any that stupidly or sottishly sit at home soaking and smoaking in their Chimney Corners securely indulging the sensual part and never regard but slight the opportunities of Meetings conveniently and communicating of holy apprehensions and affections for their own and Neighbours comfort We must look upon them as an unnatural sort of Men and the most lazy kind of the beasts of the people who industriously study to be useless and to neglect their own and the general good of the Neighbourhood which they are obliged to further and maintain And if they have sharp goads and lashes to prick them or quicken them vigorously to move under that yoke to which they are naturally bound it is no more than what is just and reasonable for the good and welfare of the Community which every particular Officer and Ruler are concerned to promote and advance For Time and Place
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must have a double look the first look it must cast on the Rule the second it must cast on the Actions be they either necessary or positive or else it cannot be counted Conscience and from thy agreeing or disagreeing with the Rule so thy Conscience accuseth or excuseth accordingly And now I appeal to any sober mans Consideration since there cannot be contrary Rules justifiable whether there can be contrary Consciences Certainly then we may safely conclude in all Constituted Churches since for Belivers actions there is but one Truth but one true Rule there must be for all such Believers but one right Faith there can be but one sound Conscience SECT III. In such Constituted Societies Vnity of Faith must be signified by an open Vniformity GOD who created man for his glory designed him for Society that what comfort he could not get by separation he might compass by Communion And Communion in the state we are in cannot be maintained but by Externals by Bodily offices As the Communion of the Invisible Church must be maintained by Vnity of Faith so the Communion of the Visible Church or any part that is associated or united in obedience to the Faith must be maintained by agreement in the exercise of Religion and Vnity of Profession And this Unity of Profession is properly called Vniformity which is nothing else but a sensible form of an united Society agreeing in one Profession both in words and actions So if any one should ask What is the sign or mark by which we may know a visible Church by or any associated Company to be a part of it I must properly Answer by Vniformity And Vniformity as the word clearly speaks is an Vnity of the outward form of things or an agreement of visible practice and joynt concurrence in the Exercise of Religion both in wards and actions which ought to be in every Congregation of Believers Preaching of the Gospel and receiving the Sacrament of the People as well as of the Minister being indispensable signs of every one that would be accounted of the Church of Christ And first we will undertake to prove that Vnity of Faith must be signified by Vniformity of words and this is not only lawful but necessary and useful 1. Lawful as declared by the practice of all Nations that had a sense of Religion For if Heathen yet reasonably they agreed in the same Festivals and Solemnities in the same Sacrifices and Gestures in the same forms of Thanksgivings and Devotion which because written of by many and confessed by all it will be needless to cite Authors or any further to insist upon the proof of it no question but they Universally agreed in constituting and maintaining Vniformity amidst their Assemblies in all Religious observances If they were a People to whom God had more clearly manifested himself and the true Religion wherewith he would be well pleased these marks they gave of their associating and uniting into a Church by their Vniversal joynt concurrence in Religious Exercises in all Ages in their solemn Congregations And it is facile to prove that among the Jews they judged the fittest Medium to preserve Vnity was Ecclesiastical Vniformity from their coming out of Egypt till their dissolution in Canaan And in some measure the Jews maintain this to this day in their several Congregations They had their set Forms for Aaroniçal Benediction for hymns and praises and prayers of the People who agreed in one express assent to the Covenant and the Law delivered by Moses in the same Sabbaoths and Festivals in the same Sacraments and Ties of Obedience They agreed in the same Prayers composed by Jewish Teachers for their Disciples St. John the Baptist taught his Disciples to pray And Christ's Disciples in the last dispensation would be taught of him to pray as John before had taught his Disciples And our blessed Saviour not only taught his Disciples a Form but a Prayer which they were to say When you pray say Luke 11.2 Our Father c. To follow him can be no mistake Certainly deliberate Composures of Set Forms from Christs Example receive not only Toleration but sufficient Approbation And that the Apostles and their Successors in Primitive times used this Prayer in all their holy Administrations especially at the Sacraments we have more than probable Authority And that the Church had set Forms after the first Century is beyond all dispute And that Reformed Churches have their set Forms now generally is openly manifest except some Phanatical Schismaticks that out of a Spirit of Contradiction and precise singularity by the neglect of these things wilfully Unchurch themselves and would blot out all appearance of a Visible Church upon the Earth Mr. Calvin from the conviction of this Truth Epist 87. approves it That set Forms of Ecclesiastical Rights might be determined that it might not be lawful for Ministers in their Administrations or the People in their Attendances to vary from them And this he was forced to acknowledge from Example Practice and Reason God who cannot erre prescribes set Forms to the Jews and Christ to his Disciples And it would be a misapprehension yea a sin to think that They would injoyn or command what might be an hinderance to Godliness or a disadvantage to the Exercise thereof And the concurrent Judgment and practice of all Churches must convince any sober person of the lawfulness and expediency of set Forms both in Prayers and Worship which will be furthered by his own Reason if he please to consider Scripture directions 2. I shall prove set Forms lawful and expedient from Scripture St. Paul 1 Cor. 1.11 pathetically beseecheth the Church at Corinth by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they would all speak the very same thing Verba sunt symbola mentis è consensu verborum colligimus consensum animorum Words are but expressions of our Intentions and from agreement in Words we conclude of agreement of Mind And sure enough it was not required there by the Apostle that the Speeches of the Corinthians in their Religious Assemblies should be of the same sense and meaning only but of the same expression not only contradiction of words is prohibited but diversity if they would grant his suit whle he beseecheth them to speak the same thing And well might this be injoyned in Religious Exercises for Vbi novae phrases ibi nova dogmata A quibus Vna fides ab iis requiritur Vna Confessio Where new phrases are used there will be new opinions And in whom there is expected but One Faith from them there is required but One Confession saith Mr. Calvin And when idolizing of the Gifts and Parts of the Ministers caused Contentions among the Corinthians the Apostle might adjudge it necessary that ostentation of Eloquence and excellency of Speech should be forborn among them even in exercises of Devotion and therefore earnestly beseecheth them to speak the same thing So by St. Pauls
the operation of one Faculty hinders the operation of another the imployment of the Vnderstanding and Invention must hinder the intention of the Will and Devotion Sure we must acknowledge the busying of the Invention in him that speaketh and his Consideration in him that heareth whether things be warrantable or acceptable that is spoken or not must hinder the Intention of either And since Intention is more prayer and more likely to prevail with God than Elocution I may possibly busie my head and strain my Invention when I go about to please men and if possible quicken my Elocution in preaching But I will settle my heart and fix my Intention when I go about to intreat or speak to my God In Reason therefore I must conclude and from Experience avouch it That Devotions united in same Expression like Waters streightned in one Channel run the most irresistably yea undoubtedly premeditated and fore-known Expressions heighten Intention and Devotion and make the Prayers of any Congregation the more acceptable and the more prevalent with God The Objection is frivolous and weak which our dissenting Adversaries make against those Repetitions used in our Common Prayer as if they did remit and bedead our Affections when if rightly considered and applyed they intend inliven and invigorate them Our Saviour at the last Agony in the Garden three times retired himself and prayed thrice the same words Mat. 26.44 Sure none dare say he wanted ability to alter his Expression or that he wanted affection though he did not No sure we may safely conclude to this Point That as Christ so the Christian hath his Devotion helped and not hindered by a set and foreknown expression 3. The weakness of the People is to be considered and I appeal to any sober man to judge It being to be granted that the generality of the People are dull of Apprehension of slow Judgment prone to inconsiderateness and inadvertency whether set Forms seriously fore-weighed and prudently digested and prescribed are not more probable Helps of Devotion and better preparations for the Peoples general Concurrence who have neither quick Apprehensions nor discerning Judgments than extempore indigested and voluntary effusions 4. The manifold necessities we are involved in and wants we are streightned with and the infinite number of Mercies wherewith we are blessed and have received cannot in an instant be called to remembrance and duly be considered So it is not to be supposed that our Petitions or Thanksgivings can be fully or comprehensively expressed upon extempore effusion but only upon serious and deliberate premeditation Lastly It would be good to leave to future times and to other Churches for their Example our setled Agreement and Consent unanimously concurring in the soundness and incorruptness of our Religion which we cannot evidence without we agree in constant Vniformity in Words and set Forms fore-known and agreed unto by Priest and People But I forbear If we will follow the practices of all Nations that pretended to Religion true or false If we will be guided by the Rules and Directions of the Gospel If we will follow the dictates of discursive Reason we must conclude it lawful necessary and expedient and conducing to the practice of true Piety That Vnity of Faith should be signified by Vniformity of Expression in all Believing Congregations And as Vnity of Faith was to be signified by agreement in the same Words so by Vniformity in alike Gestures and Actions in all the Congregations that were parts of the Catholick Church of Christ From those Prophecies that fore-tell what there would be we may conclude what there should and ought to be expected in the Church of the living God Christ fore-told his Spouse in her Militant state Cant. 6.9 10. should be an Army under Banners sub vexillo Crucis whatever distraction of an Army when secure yet when terrible under Banners They all agree in the same posture offensive or defensive In the same guard the same march and motion And no less is intimated Cant. 1.9 when the Church is compared to a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots for this resemblance was not only to intimate of believing Parties equally joyned together in the same design that like Pharaohs Horses there was quickness in expedition but also that there was Vniformity in that motion Not that one stood up and another ly'd down not that one drew forward and another backward that one pulled this way another that way But when one stood they all stood when one ran they all ran all went the same way all the same pace all used the same motion And thus the Saints of Believing Congregations might be said to be like a company of Horses in Pharaohs Chariots And that inlightned Divine that saw a door opened into Heaven and a Throne fixed and one sitting upon the Throne and Elders and Angells ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands worshipping him that sate upon the Throne represents them to us in their glorious state as all unanimously agreeing to fall down and cast their Crowns before him that liveth for ever and ever and all saying Blessing honour glory and power c. All recorded without question to inform us what ought to be our behaviour on Earth if we would be like them in Heaven namely alway to be busied in a joynt concurrence of acknowledging and worshipping God as with the same words so with the same actions And if any would yet further defire to see this Vniformity more expresly urged by the Apostle upon particular Churches in the Primitive times let them observe St. Pauls direction to the Church at Corinth To them he could not write unto as spiritual but as carnal and the reason was because there were strifes and divisions and that when they came together in the Church of God they eat and acted distractedly and shew'd they were bent more to gratifie the humour of a Party rather than to preserve the Vnity of a Society by a well-ordered decency Shall the Apostle praise them in this No such meetings were for the worse and not the better They were to maintain no such custome in the Church of Christ in that there were to be no Divisions but all things were to be done decently and in order So to the Ephesians If they would walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called they were to hold the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace True indeed Vnity of spirit is internal but Peace and its bond their endeavour and walking were all external and it is no more than this That they would endeavour to hold the Spirits Vnity by their obliged Vniformity So Heb. 10. After the Divine Author had set out the glorious Priviledges they might expect from Christ he proceeds to direct them a joynt profession of Faith to a demonstration of love to a provocation to good works to mutual exhortations to Publick meeting And as he to them so to all the rest of the
Churches doth St. Paul injoyn that they should adorn their Profession that their Conversation should be becoming the Gospel that they should behave themselves orderly as in the House of God And now certainly it may be concluded both from Scripture and Reason from the practice of Saints in the Church Militant or Triumphant That as internal Vnity of spirit is to be indeavoured after to present us blameless to God so should external Vniformity in words and actions be endeavoured to be preserved in all believing Congregations And now I have plainly and perspicuously discoursed of every Section contained in this Chapter and I think convincingly to any sober Reason I may justly complain that there be too few will believe our Report Infaelix infirmitas ad se vocat medicus ut litibus occupatur aegrotus Peace and Vnity is praised of many◠but very few endeavour to preserve it And Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech and have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar My soul hath long dwelt with them that are enemies to Peace And now I speak for peace I look that some are ready to prepare themselves for battle I look that that which is the lot of many good Physicians should be mine at this time that although my design God knows is not to torture my sick Country-men but to heal them that some like frantick Patients should run from me and that others now but touched should cry out of me Many either insensible of their sickness or else in love with their distemper are not only careless but backward to be cured I see and bewail it that many men are miserably wounded with and yet I justly lament it that I find a great unwillingness in most of them to be Healed For Vnity of Faith How many men either out of weakness or partiality or prejudice or interest or acquaintance have espoused rashly a wilful Opinion and set it up and idolize it And this fancy Opinion perhaps Perswasion they shall cry up and publish it abroad for Conscience Judgment Faith For which God knows if examined they have not the least shadow of a Rule or appearance of Reason So I may complain with St. Hilary ad Constant Aug. Facta est fides fides temporum potius quam Evangeliorum periculosum miserabile tot nunc fides existere quot voluntates Excidêrunt ab eâ fide quae sola est dum multae fiunt ad id coeperunt esse ne ulla sit I lament that too apparently to be seen in our daies what the Holy Father complains was to be found in his viz. That the Faith among us is the Faith of the Times rather than the Faith of the Gospel It is very dangerous and miserable that there should be among us as many Faiths as Wills and as many Consciences as obstinate Resolutions They have departed from that Faith which is One and while they pretend to have many Faiths they cease to keep any And if it be rightly considered what Faith or Conscience is there is scarce any true knowledge or practice of either to be found in too great a part of our Generation I hear the words frequently among us but I must publish it that I do not understand them May I not have liberty of Conscience May I not differ in Judgment from other men and yet agree in Affection May we not go several waies and yet meet together at the end of our Journey Were ever any such things reasonably vented in a Constituted Church Have not the men lost both Reason and Religion that dare confidently publish these things Can there be such a thing as Liberty of Conscience Are they not absolutely inconsistent Consider and it must be acknowledged If thou hast Conscience of any thing thou hast no Liberty if thou hast Liberty there can be no Conscience May not men differ in Judgment and yet agree in Affection What ad idem in respect to the same thing certainly No it is impossible If I judge a thing lawful and thou judgest the same thing unlawful our Affections must differ as much as love and hate and certainly these are contrary Affections Can we not go several waies and yet meet at the end of our Journey certainly No. The end of our Journey we both tend to is agreed on to be Heaven Happiness Now if Vertue be the right way to Happiness and that lies in a strait line as Morality teaches us sure there can be no declining this Line but there must be obliquity If the Way to Heaven be narrow and streight on as Divinity teaches us thou canst not go besides this Way but thou wilt at last fall headlong into the Ditch We must both of us keep the same way or else one of us must be in the broad way that leads to destruction And for Vnity of Affection where can we find that in a Family much less in a Parish or Congregation If ever the Complaint was true it is now in our daies that Fratrum concordia rara est We are all pretending to travel with the same design from Egypt to our Father in Canaan and we are Brethren but how few of us look to the Charge given us How few are they that take heed that they do not fall out in the way There be two Graces that Christ commends to us as the way to the kingdom of Heaven Humility and Charity but instead of these we see the contrary Pride and Contention All pretended Members of Christs body yet no sympathy no bearing one anothers burthen We are ready to laugh at each others infirmity and to rejoyce at each others misery Our iniquity aboundeth and love waxeth cold Our distinguishing Garment is rent clean in pieces which should be our Charity and that is the bond of perfectness This mans hope is that mans fear One mans joy is another mans sorrow And as we can hardly find Vnity in Judgment or Affections so rare it is to see Vniformity in Words or Actions For words instead of agreement what difference what opposition And for those that separate from the Communion of the visible Church of England where can we find that Congregation that agrees to speak the same thing We dwell among People of a strange Language The Trumpets have given from most Pulpits an uncertain sound and how can the Souldiers agree to prepare themselves to the Battle We may observe many of our Priests have been lingring to offer strange Fires such wild expressions and inconsiderate excursions as instead of helping have diverted our Devotions and distracted our Affections And for Actions instead of decency and order what distraction yea what confusion in all our separated Congregations By appearance one would judge them of Babel rather than of Jerusalem Such distractions as if every one had a peculiar God by himself or rather such universal profaneness or irreverence as if no God were thought of as present throughout their whole Congregations Our Neighbours
wilfully what can be looked for but Judgment and fiery Indignation If he that despised the publick Law and polity of Moses was judged worthy of Death of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that wilfully despiseth those Rules that are commanded by the Gospel of Christ If any man draw back wilfully from his Profession when the soul of the Apostle took none what pleasure can the soul of Christ take in him And now my dear Country-men that have been too long Dissenters who have stood at distance and separated from us I humbly beseech you in the Name of the Lord Jesus that you would consider That by your Baptisme you have been dedicated to the Obedience of the Faith of which you have made profession And by the Laws of the Gospel you are bound to submit to the Laws of the Land prescribed for the exercise of Piety And that wilful Omission or Recusancy of Conformity to these Laws is an heinous Sin and a dangerous Disobedience A Transgression against the first and greatest Commandement against a comprehensive Law of Piety It is a sin not far off from a dangerous Apostacy We are sure it is an accursed Schisme It 's a sin of direful fruits to them within us of dreadful consequences to them without us It 's probably an introduction and advance to Popery in the midst of us It 's a sin displeasing to the Spirit of Grace and Christ I would have so much charity to perswade my self that many of you have been drawn into this sin ignorantly through Vnbelief It is not my intent to write these things to shame you but as beloved in meekness to warn you Knowing all these Terrours I would perswade you as men soberly to consider the fearful dangers of this Sin and to return to a right mind and practice that which is warrantable and to bend your selves to the peace of the Church and Vnity in the Worship of God Mark them that have caused Divisions and hereafter avoid them Let us follow Peace with all Believers and the practice of Holiness that we may come at last together to the sight of God And for you that have not separated from us but have associated with us in the Faith of the Gospel go on as Just Ones should to live the life of Faith of which you have made profession Be not of those that draw back to perdition but of those that believe to the saving of your souls Be not led away with the Errour of the wicked to fall from your stedfastness Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but reprove them Come not into their secrets nor nigh their Habitations Do not fawningly flatter or countenance them for thy connivance and lenity will strengthen them Blow not the coals of these Sinners least thou be consumed with the flames of their wild fire Let this be our main design to banish all Factions and Schismes which this day are the shame and to bring back that Vniformity in the Worship of God which was once this Nations glory Let 's mind those things which tend to peace and unity in Divine Service whereby we may best edifie one another Let us as Brethren be stedfast and unmovable abounding in this work of our God forasmuch as we know our labour is not in vain in the Lord. But if any wilfully fall back and obstinately continue in this sin let such take notice That Judgments are justly prepared for Scorners and stripes for the backs of Fools Proposition III. The threatning and determining of Punishments against such wilful Transgressors is according to the dictates of Human Reason and the constant practice of the Church of God THE Transgressor we mean is the Recusant who wilfully omits to conform to those Canons and Forms prescribed and ordered in our Liturgy which are agreeable to the Rules of the Gospel And this wilful Omission in every Baptized Subject how slight of trivial soever it may seem to be I soberly and deliberately affirm and maintain to be a worse sin than Murther Theft Adultery or any other single sin of Commission whereby the prohibitive Rule of Charity is transgressed which is to be detested and avoided by every Believing person who would live comfortably in any Believing Society For it being a Transgression of the first and greatest and most comprehensive Law of Piety it must be a greater sin than that which transgresseth a particular prohibitive Law that concerns Charity that sin being a wilful aversion from that way that directly leads to that full content and happiness which ought to be intended And this we cannot but advisedly conclude when this sin for the most part as we may sensibly perceive is attended with those circumstances which must aggravate the Crime exceedingly For when we observe such Transgressors run into this sin not inconsiderately through surprizal but deliberately and electively not modestly but impudently not uncertainly or contingently but constantly and obstinately when they strive to be guilty of these Abominations contrary to Vows and Resolutions and when we confider the dreadful consequences what can we do less than without rashness conclude That such are heinous Transgressors and dangerously Disobedient And when such Transgressors are very rarely converted or amended by monitions or perswasions it is but reasonable and necessary that Religious Governours if it can be should restrain them by the threatning and predetermination of Punishments For when Governours are to be set over Societies to promote their publick good and happiness it is just and reasonable not only by proposing Rewards they should encourage their People to Religious and Vertuous Duties which will render them happy and comfortable but also by threatning and predetermining of Punishments to restrain and deter them from evil and enormous Actions which will render their lives wretched and miserable They mistake dangerously and wander no little out of the way who make it their work to defame the threatning and determining of Punishments with the odious slander of Malice and Bitterness when these things are evidences of the Rulers Love and Care who are set over a People by God to be a Terrour and affright the People from doing Evil by such manifest Determinations If Persons were so well disposed that they would be perswaded to be good by Counsels or Monitions or vvould be so ingenious as to be drawn to Religious and Vertuous Actions by proposal of Rewards then my mercy is such as I would have threatning and determination of Punishments forborn But when we see Men are led by Sense and Custome more than Reason and are generally vain in their Imaginations disorderly in their Affections wild and precipitantly irregular in their Actions it is needful to limit and circumscribe this their beastly Exorbitancy with an Hedge of Thorns and to bound them with a Fence of Punishments When foolishness is bound up in most mens childish hearts that incline them to extravagancy it is but the fatherly love and care
the Righteous but also punishing the wilful Sinner and pouring out wrath and tribulation upon the Vnrighteous giving them that Recompense which is meet And therefore we see not only Scepters and Purses and Crowns as Emblems of the Judges Honour but also Rods and Swords and Axes to signifie the design of their Office to be as well a terrour and avenger of them that do Ill as a Countenancer and rewarder of them that do Well The Sword is not to be born in vain but to manifest the Rulers intention to Righteousness He ought to discover it by his threatning and the determination of Punishments against wilful Offenders Fourthly The religious Ruler is to shew himself like God in exactiness of Justice and to evidence himself no respecter of Persons and to do all things without partiality Righteousness is best when in a Land like the Sun in the Firmament it shineth with equal influence upon the thatched Cottage as on the Ivory Palace Justice shews all the same countenance weighs all things with an equal balance Gold and Dirt Pibbles and Diamonds according to their weight turn her Beam Diverse weights and measures the accounts an abomination Gods Deputies are to incline to exact Judgment and to shew themselves ready to punish the rich and mighty as soon as the poor and contemptible And this is best done by Governours fixing and predetermining of Punishments upon the Offence without respect to the quality or relation of the Offender Thus Impartiality and Justice Wisdom and Purity these Divine graces are best discovered in Gods Deputies which unquestionably is the most reasonable thing in the World One thing remains yet to be proved which is asserted in this Proposition That threatning and determining of Punishments by Rulers upon such wilful Transgress orts is according to the constant practice of the Church of God And if we consult the prophane Histories of all Ages and Nations we shall find never any People joyned in Society of any Religion true or false but had their determinations of Punishments upon those that were openly disobedient upon those who wilfully neglected and contemned such Services and Duties enjoyned that they judged expedient and necessary to procure the favour and blessing of that Deity which they agreed to adore And this is so evident as is confessed of all and needs no further proof or illustration But if we will consult Sacred Writ which may content us we cannot but observe that GOD himself can rarely be found to have taken care of the Conduct of any persons or People to direct them in the exercise of an acceptable Religion but he fenced up their way with Thorns to limit their aberration and restrain them from sin with a Commination of Penalties Thus that our First Parents might fear to eat of the forbidden Fruit he threatens them with Death as a certain effect and consequence of their Disobedience Thus to Cain If thou dost not well Sin lies at the door Thus to move Abraham and his Seed to keep his Covenant of Circumcision God threatens Gen. 17.14 That the uncircumcised Man-child whose flesh of his Fore-skin was uncircumcised that Soul should be cut off from his People for he hath broken my Covenant Thus in that Theocracy over Israel every where we read Curses denounced upon Disobedience And by Moses and all the Prophets he threatens to visit their sins with Rods and their offences with Scourges So Levit. 26.14 c. If you will not hearken to me and will not do all these Commandements If you shall despise my Statutes I will set my face against you for evil c. saith the LORD And if you will walk contrary unto me and not hearken I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins And certainly it cannot be bad or unreasonable for Rulers to use the same method in governing their Subjects that GOD used in ruling his own People Israel If we consult the method Christ used to govern his Church in this last Dispensation it is impossible but we must acknowledge That a coercive Power by Commination of Judgments to restrain from evil and quicken to good cannot be unlawful for the Christian Magistrate when it was practiced by Christ himself John the Baptist that Messenger sent by Christ before his face to prepare his waies presseth upon his Auditors the Gospel duty of Repentance and this he inforceth from this reason because the kingdom of Heaven was at hand Which is not to be understood of Mercies and Priviledges only that were promised that might attract and encourage them to Gospel Duties but of Judgments and Punishments threatned to be executed which might inforce them to receive and obey the Gospel And there Matt. 3. this Holy Preacher tells them The Axe was laid to the Roots of the Tree Fire and Wrath was coming upon the unbelieving World which could not be escaped but by Repentance and bringing forth fruits worthy of Amendment of life And Christ himself preacheth the same Doctrine and urgeth the necessity of it from the same Motive For except they Repented they should all likewise perish And when Christ had cured the Impotent man to make him every whit whole and to restrain him from sin he affrights him with a Commination of a worse thing coming unto him And to quicken his Disciples to work the works they were sent about while it was day he minds them of a night coming when no man should work Thus to awaken his Country-men at Jerusalem to know and consider the time of their Visitation and to mind the things that concern their Peace he tells them of a time when Peace should be hid from their eyes and their Houses should be left to them desolate And thus did the Apostles in the Primitive times who knew the mind and had the Spirit of Christ they threatned the Impenitent with a day of wrath a day of vengeance a day of punishing those with everlasting destruction that knew not God and obeyed not the Gospel of Jesus Christ So the Author to the Hebrews to deter and terrifie those Baptized persons from Separation and forsaking holy Assembling not to decline mutual exhortation and profession of Faith he tells them of a day of Judgment a day of Vengeanee was suddenly approaching And this course was used by Christ and his Apostles in the Primitive times at the planting of the Gospel by threatning of Judgments and Vengeance to drive their Followers to Repentance Certainly upon sober consideration it cannot be lookt upon as unwarrantable if pious Governours affright from evil those Subjects that else would be disobedient with menacing and determining Punishments to be inflicted upon them Those frivolous Objections we meet with against this Truth are not worth the mentioning and if throughly perpended we may conclude them the issue of heat and passion of men bent to Opposition and not the words of sober Reason And what Spirit they are led with let any sober man judge who