Christian duties which God requires of them Query XXIII Whether are they who separate or they who give the cause of separation the Schismaticks Reply to the Answer to this Query WE have here a full and satisfactory Answerâ—r In that it is acknowledg'd That not they who separate but they who give just cause of separation are the Schismaticks But then he tells us St. Paul hath as clearly and fully determin'd this Query as if it had been proposed in his days Though you will find him here as well as elsewhere to handle the word of God deceitfully For St. Paul in that place speaks only of the duty of Servants exhorting those who are under the Yoke to count their Masters though Infidels worthy of all honour and not to depise their believing Masters because they are Brethren but rather do them service because they are Faithful and beloved and these things he directs Timothy to Teach and Exhort and then sâ—bjoyns If any man teach otherwise c. He is proud c. Where observe how instead of Master he foists in Superiour a word of a more extensive signification for though every Master be a Superiour every Superiour is not a Master and yet we do not say that obedience may be withdrawn from Superiours of any kind Christianity laying the greatest obligation immaginable upon its Professors to be obedient to their Superiours But as the Authority of Superiours is not despotical or absolute so neither ought the obedience of Inferiours to be blind or Brutish both the one and the other being regulated by a Supream Power For where Superiours have no Right to command there lyes no obligation on Inferiours to obey So that whether Conformists in commanding or Non-conformists in not obeying are the Schismaticks depends on the formers having right and Authority to require what the latter judges sinful or unlawful to observe which being beyond the present Question we shall not meddle with But he tells us If the Church of England had forsaken the common Faith it had been no Schism to forsake the Church of England and if she did so and so then that command in the Revelation Come out of her my people c. had been applicable to our Dissenters Bâ—t this is still but pretended being against his principle of blind obedience and mens resigning up themselves to the Fathers of the Church without leaving them so much as a Power to Examine what is commanded for where that is there must likewise be allowed a dissent in all things they judge evil or unlawful And though he tells us A good Christian ought as much to dread the imposing upon his Judgement an Assent to known errors and upon his Practice the acting of known Sins as the suffering the very pains of Hell it self he does we doubt but equivocate alallowing none to be known errors or known sins but such as Superiours shall judge so for if he allow Inferiours to judge thereof and act accordingly there is no difference between us But having told us what the Church of England does not he now tells us what many of our Dissenters do And first he says They Question not only the Power of Bishop to Govern the Church but that of Kings to make Laws for the Security of their own Crown and Government as well as the common Christianity If such there are I am sure no sober or Rational man will justifie or excuse them in it That they make the people Judges of their own Pastors c. That they may have reason for how else can they beware of false Prophets and try the spirits as they are commanded or distinguish between the Ministers of Christ and the Ministers of Antichrist But no sober man sure will allow any to withdraw their obedience from those who are lawfully Ordain'd and ought to superintend over them That they forsake their old guides c. This is but the old Popish objection new vampt nor is such forsaking Criminal but where causeless And who are they that renounce in their Assemblies as he says the ancient Creeds which were in all Ages esteemed the Badges of Christianity And wherein lyes the Crime of not reading the Scriptures to the people without expounding them But sure they make it not indifferent to be of any Communion who are so great sufferers because they cannot be so And if as he says they gather Churches not only without but against all Aâ—thority Let him not be thereat troubled since every Plant which our Heavenly Father hath not Planted shall be rootâ—d up Which is due or undue ordination will hardly be determin'd till we have an affirmative Answer to the sixth Query But 't were happy for the Church of God if none who are not gifted and qualified for the work of the Ministry were empower'd to read Sermons in the Pulpit Prophane the Sacraments c. But who are they that as he says Evacuate one main Article of the Christian Creed Faith in one Catholick Church besides himself and the Papists All others believe their is one Catholick Church but do not believe in one Catholick Church we are taught to believe only in God not in the Church but he it seems hath resign'd up his Faith to the Fathers of the Church believing only as the Church believes No wonder therefore he should talk of a Yearly Monthly and Daily Faith which his Principles lead him to if he chance so oft to change his Fathers or they their Faith Who they are that go out of their Callings and Stations to Usurp the Office of Bishops as well as of the Inferiour Clergy will hardly be determin'd here Yet I shall tell him what a Reverend and Learned Prelate of the Church of England once answer'd to the like objection So long said he as they taught the same Doctrine which the Apostles did they had the same Power and Authority to Preach which they had biding them to keep their competent Jurisdictions Judicial Cognitions and legal Decisions to themselves For that as he truly told them The Son of God first founded and still gathereth his Church by the mouths of Preachers not by the Summons of consistories and he that is sent to Preach may not hold his Tongue and tarry till my Lord the Pope and his Miter'd Fathers can intend to meet and list to consent to the ruine as they think of their Dignities and Liberties But to return to our Answerer How do they as he says break the bonds of Vnity and Line of Apostolical Succession who adhere to the Universal and Uniform Law of the Gospel or do not they rather break both who make their own or other mens wills the Rule of the Churches and found their Ordination on uncertain tradition I know of no Dissenters that obtrude Oaths and Covenants as he says on their Proselites though it be no Crime for Christians to Covenant to serve God as God wil be serv'd Every man hath a Judgement of discretion Which is the
So that it is not the Church of England that approves or allows of Force in Religion or that Carnal weapons are to be used in the Christian warfare but such of her Degenerate and Base Sons only as forsake the Law of their Mother For as he hath well observ'd Humane Violence may make men Counterfeit but cannot make them Believe and is therefore fit for nothing but to breed Form without and â—thism within which should make it to be abhorr'd and detested by all sincere and good Christians And surely the Church of England who decryes and so highly condemnes blind Obedience in the Duties of Religion can never Approve or Allow of Forceing any therein against their Light and Judgments which is certainly the worst of blind Obediences For since Whatever is not of Faith is sin Whatever a man does against his Faith or Conscience must needs be much more so And as the Church of England neither Approves nor Allows of Secular Force and Compulsion in Religion and much less that any should be therein required to do ought against their Light or Judgments which were to sin against their Consciences So she as little Allows or Approves of Persecuting or any wayes Molesting or Troubling any for the real performance of any truly Christian Exercise of Religien Nor I dare presume to say does any Law of England Allow or Countenance much less Command or Require any such thing though too many have Misconstru'd and Misapply'd the late Act for Preventing and Supressing Seditious Conventicles to the Disturbing and Punishing I may say Ruining of many Peaceable and Pious people for Meeting only really and truly to Worship and serve God For the Act does not say if any person or persons above such a number shall meet to Worship God truly and sincerely in other manner than according to the Liturgy c. They shall incurre the Penalty mention'd But where any Person c. shall be present at any Meeting under Colour or Pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England c. It shall and may be Lawful c. The Act certainly does not prohibit or punish any real and truly Christian Exercise of Religion for if it did it were Ipso Facto null and void as being against the Law of God But if it be objected it appears not whether their Worship be Sincere or Pretended only and the Law prohibites such a number to meet under any colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England and punishes those that transgress the same 'T is answer'd that all Pretences ought in Charity to be believ'd where no Over-act discovers the Hypocrisie or falsehood of the mind But since there is so little Charity amongst men let it be shown wherein the Exercises of Religion which some have been pleased to punish by vertue or colour rather of that Law were in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England If it be said they ought to be perform'd in the very words of the Liturgy it is more than the Act sayes And the Practice of the Church of England has ever allowed men to pray even in Publick in other words than are prescribed in the Liturgy Our Blessed Saviour teaching his Disciples to pray said unto them After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven c. And yet we do not find in Scripture where their Prayers are often Recorded that they ever prayed by that Form but in other words agreeing for matter and yet they were accepted There are none therefore I hope will say they disobeyed their Lord and Master by praying in other manner than he taught and commanded them because they prayed not by that Form No more do they transgress the Law against praying in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England who pray not by the words of the Liturgy while they pray in other words agreeing with it for matter What pretence then can any have to Charge the Author of these Queries with Libelling the Church and State since they reflect on neither nor Cinsure or by any undue surmises condemn ought that they approve or allow of Nay is it not unreasonable to account that a Crime in any one which is the duty of every one viz. To endeavour by all lawfull wayes and means that all that would might lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty which they can never do who are forced to Profess what they believe not and in the duties of Religion to practice what they approve not which is to live in a perpetual lye The question here is not whether what is required of any be in it self sinful or unlawful but whether they who judge it so be it through Ignorance or otherwise can without sinning conform to it There is no doubt and question but that many may and do live Godly Holily and Righteously in the Exercise of that Religion which to others would be Damnable for to him who esteemeth a thing unclean to him it is so though in it self it may be pure So he that doubteth is damned if he eat while others perswaded of the lawfulness thereof may safely use their Liberty Pleading therefore against Force in Religion we neither condemn nor censure this or that Religion which teaches not that Sanguinary Doctrine but would that every one should be fully perswaded in his own mind the Religion he Embraceth and Professeth is what God wills and requires of him since whatever is not of Faith is sin and Faithin all things respects the Commands and Authority of God It were indeed heartily to be wisht that all were of a mind as to the due performance of this great and indispensable duty the Worship of God But this is rather to be wished then hoped for while there are men truly fearing God and those whose fear of him is taught by the Precept of men There are saith our Lerrned and Judicious Mr. Chillingworth But two wayes that may be conceived probable to reduce Christians to unity of Communion The one by taking away diversity of Opinions touching matters of Religion the other by shewing that the diversity of Opinions which is among the several Sects of Christians ought to be no hindrance to their unity in Communion Now the former of these saith he is not to be hoped for without a Miracle unless it could be made evident to all men that God hath appointed some visible Judge of Controversies to whose Judgment all men are to submit themselves What then remains but that the other way must be taken and Christians must be taught to set a higher value upon these high points of Faith and Obedience wherein they agree than upon those matters of less moment wherein they differ and
wherein doth this permit men to renounce the common Christianity c. as this Answerer very impertinently objecteth And 't is left to the Judgement of all rational men whether they who insist upon the sufficiency of the Spiritual Power Christ hath given unto his Church for the right ordering and governing thereof and the Scriptures being the sole rule of every mans Faith and Obedience in all Gospel duties and Administrations or they who allow unto every national or Provincial Church a Power to Decree Articles of Faith and compose Forms of Divine worship to be imposed by civil Magistrates upon Christians are the more likely to lead into the Paths of Heresie and Schism and to destroy the Vnity of the Church and consequently whether these or those do gratifie the old Serpent in his malitious wiles and methods and give leave to his Instruments to accomplish their Hellish designs in destroying Christianity and the Churches Government at one blow I say again let every rational and unprejudiced person considering the nature and essence of Christianity and by what ways and methods it hath been corrupted and destroyed judge Gods name is not indeed blasphemed as he says when his Institutions are made use of to uphold his Truths c. But he hath no where Instituted the civil Sword to force any to the Christian Faith much less to uphold whatever is taught or pretended so to be And if his name be blasphemed when mens minds are alienated from the Christian Religion They will be found guilty thereof who use such means and methods for its propagation as they pretend as beget an aversion in many towards it and those that use them And who is it that would make the profession thereof Arbitrary They who say the Spiritual Power Christ hath given unto his Church for the right ordering and governing thereof is sufficient unto that end cannot reasonably be said so to do And wherefore doth he here talk of every beâ—ted Brain and Sulpherous Male-content being left to serve God or serve him not to believe in Christ or openly to deny and blaspheme him When all we Pray and Plead for is but That the word of the Lord may have a free course and that his name may be glorified in the free exercise of all Religious duties without ever denying it the Magistrates duty to punish Blasphemy and the like evils and impieties But 't were worth knowing from this Learned and Judicious Answerer how far any are obliged to ad here to the Church in which they were Baptized that we may not have too hard thoughts of our first Reformers for forsaking the Church in which they partook of that Sacrament It is as he says One thing to Convert Pagans and Infidels to Christianity and another thing to keep them within the bounds of their duty who already profess it and yet are both effected by the same means and the Magistrate can no more compel unto the one then to the other But when men give up their names to Christ 't is certainly as he says the duty of Church-men to use all lawfull and proper means to prevent their Apostacy from him But who are the incorrigible offenders he speaks of Or what occasion doth this Query administer To ask why the Magistrate may not be requested to save a soul from death c. The Magistrate may certainly be requested to punish sin and wickedness it being the great end for which God committed the Power of the Sword to him But he can no more save a Soul from death and Rescue him out of the snare of the Devil then he can give grace or faith which are the gifts of God alone yet this hinders not but that Magistrates and Ministers ought to use all due and lawful means To reduce men to Christianity and prevent their Apostacy from it There is no more need now then in the primitive Ages of the Church that its Acts and Censures should be seconded by the Sword of the Secular Power our Blessed Saviour who is faithfull having promised to be with his Disciples Teaching what he commanded them to the worlds end And that there is so little of Power and efficacy in in the Acts and Censures of some who would be accounted his Disciples is not that Christ hath withdrawn any of that ordinary Power he gave unto his Ministers for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of his body but their failure in the condition annexed to his promise in not teaching what he commanded but setting up their own inventions and devices in the place of his Institutions were the Censures of the Church as orderly and regularly pronounc't now as heretofore they would have the same effects now as then upon the Souls and Consciences of believers what effect they had upon their Bodies we are rather told then Convinc't of for the Intestuous Corinthian's being deliver'd unto Satan was no more then as hath been already said his being cast out of the Church the Kingdom of God into the World the Kingdom of the Devil nor were the deaths of Ananias and Saphira with the blindness of Ellmas the Sorcerer the effects of any Church Acts or Censures but of that extraordinary Power Christ conferred on his Apostles to manifest his Power and Authority to the unbelieving world and to say it was to supply the defect of the Magistrates Coercive Power in the Church as if the Churches Power were defective without the Magistrates Sword is highly derogatory unto that Spiritual Power and Authority Christ hath given unto the Ministers of his Gospel for the ordering and Governing of his Church unto the worlds end 'T is as one hath well observ'd much of Christs glory to rule his Subjects under the Gospel by a spiritual Power 't is that Power makes a man a Christian 't is that Power in all Gospel Institutions that keeps men in their due obedience unto Christ and 't is that Power carries the sting of the punishment when men are cast out of the Church 'T is indeed that Power does all under the Gospel and to bringin the Temporal Sword is to make the weapons of the Gospel not mighty through God but mighty through the Magistrates Power and wholly to alter the nature of the Gospel and all its Institutions 'T is to Aâ—m the Church with weapons Christ never gave her and to make her a Military rather then a Spiritual Society What he says of Dissenters being pâ—nisht for indangering the Peace of the State by disobeying the Laws of the Church shall be spoken to when he tells us what Laws and what Church he here means Nor can we till then say How the Interest of those Societies are twisted and united But do very well know it to have been one of the greatest Artifices in the mystery of Iniquâ—ty so to twist the civil and some pretended Religious Interests as to preswade the world The Oak cannot subsist without the Ivie but as well Reason as Experience
l. 27. r. hers p. 11â— l. 9r and Superstition p. 118. l. 6. r. sayes p. 125. l. r. Churches obedience p. 127. l. 9. r. in no wise p. 132. l. 31. for Kings r. kindes p. 133. l. 7. r. aide p 135. l. 10. r. Nursing p. 136. l. 18. r. And so p. 138. l 3 r. Mahumatism l. 15. r. of others l. 16. r. i.e. such p 140. 25 26. r. gaudentem p. 142. l. 10. r. neatly p. 144. l. 17. r. their duty p. 151. l. 6. r. Authors l. 14. r. Murther p. 153. after l. 26. r. with a designe and purpose to ensnare the Consciences of Inferiours much less shall we take upon us to determine what humane Laws thwart c. p. 15â— l. 10 11. r. Instructions l. 14. r. the Kings p. 156. l. 21. r. these p. 161. l. 21. r. endear his l. 26. r. passed a p. 166. l. 9 10. r. Superstitions Query I. Whether hath Christ Instituted a Gospel Church Reply to the Answer to this Query CAvils at expressions tending only to an unprofitable strife of words ought no less to be avoided then foolish and unlearned Questions This Answer therefore who so early as in his Title Page caution'd his Reader against the one should not himself have so soon obtruded on him the other 〈◊〉 What Prerogative preceeding Ages had above the present to Coyn Phrases in Divinity we should be glad to be informed Or if no expression may be therein us'd we meet not with in the New-Testament we may no longer use Sacrament nor Trinity which are not to be there found And yet a Church constituted and Goverâ—'d according to the Rule of the Gospel may as properly be term'd a gospel-Gospel-Church as a Church Constituted and Govern'd according to the Laws of a Nation be term'd a National Church an expression frequently us'd by this Answerer though he meet not with it in the New-Testament Nor possibly in Antiquity at least to express a Christian Church But having given us the Queries meaning in his own words he acknowledges that Christ hath Instituted such a Church Query II. What is an Instituted Church of the Gospel and by what means do Persons become a Church of Christ Reply to the Answer to this Query AS in all Disputations 't is necessary the Terms be agreed upon so here what is meant by Church which in Scripture hath divers acceptations for by Church there is sometimes understood the Elect only or mystical Body of Christ by some called the Holy Catholick Church Sometimes again the universality of the Professors of Christianity commonly called the Church Catholick visible And sometimes by Church is meant only a particular Church or Society of Christians united for the performance of the worship of God in the same individual Ordinances according to the Order by Christ prescrib'd Such was the Church at Corinth the Church at Jerusalem the Church at Antioch the Seven Churches in Asia and divers others mentioned in the New-Testament and is the Church here inquired after To which this Answer in saying The Church or the Christian Church is God's Family or Houshold c. answers not the Question not being concerning the Church in the 1st or 2d acceptation of the word But had he said An Instituted Church of the Gospel or as he expresses it A Church Constituted and Govern'd according to the Rules of the Gospel is a Society of men joyning together in the Profession of the Christian Faith having right Pastors or Officers invested with Power to Guide and Govern them in the ways of God and to dispence unto them the Ordinances of the Gospel which none but a Church in the third acceptation of the word hath it might have past for an answer to the Query though not so full and clear a one as might have been given But whereas he says He hopes there may be as well such a National Church in England as there was for above fifteen hundred years in Palestine among the Jews If by such a National Church he means only a Church having National Church-Officers over it as had the Church of the Jews no man sure doubts it But if by such a National Church he means a National Church of Divine Institution we see not whereon he grounds his hopes since it hath not pleased God to Institute or appoint any such National Church under the Gospel Nor does the Church of England pretend to any such original as is evident by the Statute of the 25th of Edward the 3d. Where it is declared to be founded in Prelacy by the Kings and Nobles of England without the least pretence to a Divine Institution as had the National Church of the Jews There is no doubt but that Christ as he says would have his Church Catholick as well as Holy yet not always so Illustrious or visible as to be seen and owned by the world And though whole Nations were to embrace the Christian Faith and upon that account to Constitute the Christian Church or Catholick Church visible yet that doth not Constitute them National Churches such as was the Church of the Jews nor can they be so called upon the same account that a particular Church is called a Church And when Christ threatned the Jews to take the Kingdom of God from them and give it unto a Nation that should bring forth the Fruits of it he meant no doubt as he says more by a Nation then one particular Church for he meant a Nation or People that might have many particular Churches or Congregations of Christians in it but did not thereby Constitute or intend a National Church in his notion Neither yet did he confine the Christian Church to a Nation and consequently not within smaller bounds then the Jewish was when empal'd within the Land of Canaan But how will this Answerer prove it to have been as he says far from the mind of our Redeemer to crumble his Church as he words it into such minute and little Principles of being as Congregational Churches when the Scriptures give so great evidence to the contrary there being indeed no other Instituted Church under the Gospel then what is Congregational And when our Blessed Saviour Instituted those he commanded certainly the Demolishing an Established National Church even the National Church of the Jews the only National Church in the world of Gods Institution The second part of this Query does evidently enough intend a particular Church as before exprest which 't is not impossible but five or six Persons may Constitute notwithstanding his peremptory denyal thereof Christ himself having told us Where two or three are gathered together in his name he is in the midst of them which is the ground or principle of all Instituted Churches and we read of the Church in the House of Aquila and Priscilla which cannot reasonably be supposed to consist of any great number By what means Persons become a Church of Christ And how particular
and Phraisees heretofore made against tolerating our Blessed Saviour himself If say they We let him thus alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our Place and Nation and I heartily wish it may not befall us as it did them That while they let him not a lone the Romans did come and took away both their Place and Nation But what means he in saying A Naional Church is the ground of Vnity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity which is a Notion I am sure he never met with in the New-Testament nor in Antiquity nor yet I dare say in any judicious or intelligent Author Nor is it easie to conceive what he intends by it or in what sense a National Church can be said to be the ground of Unity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity who are dispersed over all Nations if by it he means only amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Nation it is very impertinent for a Diocesan Church or a Parochial Church is as much the ground of Unity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Diocess or in a Parish as a National Church amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Nation But 't is impossible says this Answerer to obtain this Communion unless the members of the Church own this principle viz. That the visible Vnity of the Curch is necessary for the great ends of Christianity c. But what Church and what Unity is here intended If a National Church Wherein consists its Unity It cannot consist in a joynt Assembly for the celebration of the Ordinances of the Gospel or any one of them as was the Case of the Church of the Jews which met at set times in one place for the performance of that worship which was then required If it shall be said its visible Unity consists in a subordination of Officers in this Church centring in one It will be said likewise and with as good reason That if such an Unity of a National Church be necessary for the great ends of Christianity the preserving and promoting of Peace and Unity the same Unity of the Catholick Church visible is no less necessary for the same ends and so much more desirable as the Unity of the whole with the Peace and Piety thereof is more to be desired then the Unity Peace and Piety of a part and where then shall we end but in a Pope This is so obvious to every understanding that none who plead for the one can with any colour or shadow of reason reject the other And if this Profession as this Answerer says Obliges all persons to acquiess in those determinations by which the Church is visibly upheld and maintained It does so no less in respect of the Catholick Church visible then of a National Church and why then doth he not acquiess in the determinations of the Council of Ariminum against the Diety of our Blessed Saviour of the Council of Constance in taking the Cup from the People of the Council of Nice in Decreeing Image-worship of the Council of Lateran in determining Transubstantiation with others exercising the like Authority an acquiescensie therein being that whereby in his Judgement the Church is visibly upheld and maintained for he cannot with any colour of reason pretend greater submission or obedience to be due to the determinations of a National Church in its representative or National Councel then to the determinations of the Catholick Church visible in its representative a general Council Nor possibly will he abide by his own principle of acquiessing in the determinations of a National Church if he call to mind or but to inform himself what a National Church and even this National Church hath determin'd within the memory of some not long since living I mean in Queen Maries Reign or if he should be such a thorow paâ—'t Conformist all of his Coat will not I am very confident be so But thus far I agree with him That to acquiess in the determinations of any Society or of the Governours thereof iâ— a ground of Unity and Peace in that Society but not always of Truth and Piety without which there is little or no advantage in Unity For nihil bonum est in â—unitate nisi unitas sit in bono Unity in error being but Conspiracy against Truth or as Hierome said speaking of the Council of Ariminum Nomine unitatis fidei infidelitas Scripta est But I do fully agree with him The Society is yet un-named which did not always justifie its own Acts and oblige those under its Authority to confirm to its Laws and Constitutions But this is not to our Question which is not concerning the Authority of the Governours or Rulers of a Society or the obedience due unto them from the Members or Subjects of that Society But whether Christians have not a Right and Liberty to chuse their Communion or whether it be not their duty to joyn themselves unto such Congregations in the participation of the Ordinances of the Gospel as they judge to walk according to the rule of the Gospel and wherein they may be best edified in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and of their Salvation in and by him which this Answerer does not deny neither can it reasonably be denyed For I presume none will say It is every mans duty to be of the Communion of that Church where providence hath cast his Nativity or confin'd his abode Because there born or abiding Nor yet that it is any mans duty to continue in that Church wherein he hath been educated if after serious and sober enquiry and Examination any thing therein injoyn'd or requir'd to be profest or done be judg'd unlawful or unwarrantable by a mans own Conscience But that every one who is actually a Member of any Church or Christian Society ought while he so continues to conform to its Laws and Constitutions none sure will deny Nor can any hinder or forbid Churches of whatever denomination to determine the Bounds of their own Communion and that by such Constitutions and Rights as they in their wisdoms shall judge necessary to preserve Order and Vnity and advance the edification of those under their charge and Government This as he very well says is essential to the Church as it is a Society and there can be no Society without Government and no Government if every one be allowed the Priviledge to question and disobey its Laws and constitutions nothing being more rational then that they who are intrusted with the reins of Government should be invested with a Power to decide and determine all Differences and Controversies arising in that Government and whoever will not acquiess therein ought to be banisht the Society But the Paralogisme is very gross and foul to argue That because they who submit not to the Laws and Constitutions of a Society ought to be banisht that Society therefore they who submit not to the
Laws and constitutions of the Church ought to be banisht the Commonwealth 'T is sufficient to the ends of Government they be banisht that Society only whose Laws and Constitutions they submit not unto and so this Answerer says well Non opus est habere civem qui parere nescit neither Church nor Commonwealth have need of those persons who know not how to obey But till there be a due distinction made between the Church and State between civil and religious Societies and that liberty in Religion allowed unto all men which the Law of Nature and positive Law of God allows and requires the exercise of we can never hope to see Religion flourish nor Peace and Quiet in Christendome Query VI. Whether is there any visible living Judge in Doubts and Controversies of Religion to whose determinations any man is bound to yield his assent and obedience against the Dictates of his own Conscience guided according to the best of his light and knowledge by the rule of Gods word Reply to the Answer to this Query A Clear and positive Answer to this Query would go far towards the ending our greatest differences and Disputes in Religion For either there is or there is not such a Judge as is here inquired after if such an one there be let him be produc'd and his determinations in all Controversial points be made known that they may be submitted to or if there be no such Judge why are any molested and troubled for going according to their own Judgements and Consciences when it is their duty so to do what is said of a Churches being a Society and that every Society may agree upon the means by which all differences arising in it may be determin'd that may probably violatate the Peace and Vnity thereof is not to the present Question which is only concerning such a Judge in Doubts and Controversies of Religion to whose determinations every one is bound to yield his Assent and obedience against his own Judgement We have already acknowledg'd That they who submit not to the Laws and Constitutions of a Church ought to be cast out of that Church which is a sufficient means and the only means of preserving the Peace and Unity thereof And if the Church of England assumes no other Power or Priviledge there is no ground of quarrel or exceptions against her for that But whereas he says She does not like the Papists own any Judge of Controversies in Religion If he means Infallible Judge like the Papists none says She does Or if his meaning be That She owns no such Judge of Controversies as to oblige any to acquiess in her Determinations against their own Judgements as it seems to be by his saying She requires none of her Members to yield obedience to her Determinations against the Dictates of their Consciences why does he molest and trouble any for not yielding such obedience And if all she demands as he says be but That obedience be given to those Laws which are undoubtedly Divine An acquiescence yielded to some disputable points c. which are not against a mans Conscience and a conformity to some indifferent Rites c. which all judge to be indifferent no rational man can sure except against any of this nor deny the Governours of the Church of England to be as much Umpires and Judges in these matters as the Pastors and Elders in any of the Separated Congregations It is as he very well says A vain thing for men to plead that they make Conscience their guide unless they take Scripture for their rule Nor can any plead Conscience for disobeying Lawful Authority in things innocent and indifferent where they judge the things commanded to be so but what some may count indifferent others may judge sinful The Scripture commanding obedience and to be Subject for Conscience-sake does sufficiently manifest that none ought to obey or comply in any thing against Conscience since none against Conscience can be Subject for Conscience-sake It cannot be denyed but that horrid Impieties and Immoralities have been acted under pretence of Conscience though they can never be justified upon the account of Conscience and where any plead Conscience against all sense of duty it is but just with God to leave them to a reprobate state of mind but some mens abandoning or abusing Conscience will never justifie others dispising and deriding of it Whether Dissenters endeavour after the best Information they are able to attain unto and in other things do their duties is no part of this Query But if they do not they are too blame and will have the more to answer for another day and cannot with that satisfaction bear their present sufferings which otherwise they might do As for the grounds of their Seperation Whether sufficient to justifie it or excuse them of Schism will be more seasonably argued when this Answerer or his Adherents shall tell us of such a Judge as in the Query is inquired after to determine who is in the right and who in the wrong who keeps to and who swerves from the rule of the Gospel Query VII Whether to inflict Corporal punishments upon any as transgressors in those matters which no man or Society of men whatever have Authority to pronounce a Judicial difinitive Sentence in so as to make it any mans duty to yield his Assent or obedience thereunto Be not to Execute before Judgement And whether to do so be not against all Rules and Forms of Justice both Divine and humane and such a violation of the Law and light of Nature as no sober or judicious Heathen was ever yet guilty of Reply to the Answer to this Query HAd not this officious person taken on him the answering Questions before he understood them he might have spar'd his pains in all he hath here said having only beaten the Air and fought with his own Shadow 'T is not therefore the Gentlemans being meanly read as he says but the Clergy-mans not understanding what he reads that obtrudes upon the World the errors and absurdities we here meet with the Query not being so impertinent as his ignorance apprehends it nothing being more evidently unjust then that any should suffer as transgressors in those matters wherein in none are authorised to pass a judicial definitive Sentence whether they have therein transgressed or not in which case to punish is to Execute before Judgement and that we say is such a violation of the Law and light of Nature as no sober or judicious Heathen was ever yet guilty of Have we not then to do with an Ingenious and Pleasant person who having spent above twenty pages to no purpose being wholly from the Question hath at last the face or folly rather to tell us He hopes now it appears to be no violation of the Law or light of Nature to inflict punishments in matters of Religion when every Child that could but read English would have told him That not to inflict punishments in
matters of Religion but to Execute before Judgement was the violation of the Law and light of Nature mention'd in the Querie And though this might serve for a sufficient Reply to so pertinent and judicious an Answer yet least he should conceit himself to have said something material though not to the present Question we will examine all he here says as we have done his preceding answers though little or nothing to the Questions before him as every intelligent and discerning Reader sees None sure ever denyed judicious Heathens to have been guilty of inflicting Coporal punishments upon Christians yet did none of them ever do it before they judg'd Christianity it self Criminal and so did not Execute before Judgement though it were an erronious and an unrighteous Judgement And if as he says it were heretofore the Devils policy to serve himself of those who were most Eminent for intellectual and moral accomplishments in persecuting Christs Disciples to beget in undiscerning minds the greater prejudice against them he seems now to have lost much of his ancient subtilty rarely imploying in that base work but the most vicious and flagitious livers It will I doubt not puzzle this Answerer to prove what he affirms viz. That they who are serious and reserv'd and stictest in their lives and Conversations are the greatest opposers of Gods Truths and the Churches Peace the contrary being evident and the very assertion a contradiction of it self Liberty of Conscience and the Magistates Power in Religion have of late indeed been the Subject of many mens thoughts and discourses But none sure do affirm that the Magistrate is not to use all due and proper means to bring men to the knowledge of God and of the service he requries of them But that secular force is a means conducive thereunto many indeed do deny the liberty of Conscience therefore pleaded for by those who are concern'd for the Honour of Religion and Power of Godliness is not as he says That men may serve or not serve God at their pleasure But that all men may be allowed the liberty of serving God as by the rule of his word they judge he would be served while under pretence thereof they become not guilty of any ral evil or impiety And that none be forc'd to conform to such ways and modes of worship as they judge sinful or may not be fully perswaded of the lawfulness of since whatever is not of Faith is Sin But as the best of things are not exempt from the worst of abuses so 't is not impossible but as some plead for Liberty of Conscience that they may render unto God an acceptable service others again may plead for liberty also to be excused the preformance of those duties God requires of them To distinguish therefore between these ought to be the Magistrates great care and concern But for this Answerer to say Because ' its the Magistrates duty to let men alone in the duty they ow to God their Creator and Redeemer i.e. in the preformance of those religious duties God requires of them and none can deny to be truly such therefore God may be either serv'd or Blasphem'd own'd or disown'd by them is such a conclusion as none I think but himself would have made for no sober man sure ever doubted it the Magistrates duty to see as much as in him lyes that God be own'd and duly serv'd by all under him and all moral evils and impieties restrain'd and punisht Nor can any pretence of Conscience excuse much less justifie as he says Blasphemy or exempt any guilty thereof or of the like moral evils from the Magistrates revenging Power which were indeed for him to bear the Sword in vain And now our Answerer craves his Reader 's patience by speaking as he says something largely to this Query when he should have crav'd his pardon rather for mistaking the Question and entertaining him with so impertinent and tedious a Combate with his own shadow But so bewitching is the pleasure of Conquest that sensible of his advantage on his man of Straw he never thinks he has sufficiently beaten him To begin therefore He craves leave to tell the Gentleman the Clergyman is none of the wisest to think that Doomsday's Judgement is the Judgement here spoken of But to do him right on all occasions he is very much in the right in saying 'T is no anticipation of Gods Judgement at Doomsday to inflict Corporal or pecuniary Penalties upon those that offend against the known and plain rules of duty in matters of Religion and therefore he need not have askt to have it shown why it should be so more in Religion then in civil concerns A Magistrate saith he for pronouncing a Sentence of Condemnation upon a Felon or a Murtherer may be said to Execute before Judgement as well as a Justice of Peace for granting a Warrant to leavy 12d upon an Atheist or Papist for not repairing upon the Lords day to his Parish Church And why then will this Gentleman this ignorant Gentleman say that the Execution of such a mild or perhaps a severer Law is a violation of the very Law and light of Nature It is indeed a Question fit to be askt and had been a folly never to have been answer'd had he said any such thing But with this learned and judicious Answerers good leave the Gentleman will take leave to say That should a Magistrate pronounce Sentence of Condemnation and Execute a Felon or a Murtherer before he were Convict and Judg'd a Felon or a Murtherer it would be such a violation of the Law and light of Nature as no sober or Judicious Heathen was ever yet guilty of The like may be said of levying 12d upon any for not coming to Church before he be Convict of not coming and his not coming Judg'd a Crime That all Nations whether Jewish Heathen or Christian have as he says assum'd to themselves the power of protecting the Honour of those Dieties they have made the object of their worship and punisht those offenders that have either neglected their duty or affronted the Majesty of those Gods which they have pretended to serve is so evident and notorious and agreeable to the Law and light of Nature that 't is time lost to prove it our Answerer therefore might have spar'd his pains in this particular and not have given himself the trouble of proving what none sure ever deny'd or doubted But he tells us of Grotius his observation out of Sneca viz. That those who violate Religion have various kinds of punishments inflicted on them but there is no Nation but inflicts some No certainly it being so far from a violation of the Law and light of Nature that nothing is more consonant thereunto And who I pray are greater violators of Religion then they who subvert or alter its Divine or Original Institutions When Numa Pompilius as he observes Instituted a Pontifex Maximus or Chief Priest and committed to him
to be burnt alive at Geneva Query VIII Whether it is not Incongruous and Heterogeniall to punish Corporally man erring Spiritually Reply to the Answer to this Query THe Question is not here Whether any Judge or Justice can take cognizance of mens Thoughts or Consciences nor when wickedness in the heart is manifested by external action whether liable to the Magistrates Power and Inspection none I think ever questioning either of them But whether men erring Spiritually ought Corporally to be punisht Paul 's reckoning Heresies among the works of the flesh and telling the Gorinthians they were Carnal from the Schisms and disorders that were amongst them does not prove it But says this Answerer Certainly any sensual sin may be punisht by the Civil Sword What thinks he then of Hatred Wrath Covetousness Emulations Envyings and the like which are sensual Sins or works of the flesh yet not therefore to be punisht by the Civil Sword But why are they as he tells us Who gather Churches c. more then Spiritually Erronious How comes that which was the great Errand and Duty of the Apostles and their immediate Successors now to become so great a Crime Is it that Men or Children rather are now born Christians or being born in a Christian Commonwealth as it is usually though improperly exprest or in such or such a Parish they do thereby become a Church of Christ No one certainly who understands what either a Christian or a Church of Christ is can think so And wherein do they as he says dispise Government and Trample upon all Laws Did he not but now tell us The Church was a Society and that there can be no Society without Government How then comes the gathering of Churches to be a despising of Government and trampling upon all Laws undoubtedly there is a Law and a Divine Law to for the gathering of Churches if the Gospel be the Law of God as I hope neither this Answerer nor any who own themselves Christians doubt it to be There is little reason sure to say as he does The inticers to Idolatry mention'd in Deutromony might as well have pleaded it was only an error of their minds as any of our Dissenting Ministers for that none certainly can imagine that it could be a sin of Ignorance in them to draw any from the true God to worship Idols it being against the very light of Nature in that as the Apostle tell us That which may be known of God was manifest in them It may therefore for any thing this Answerer hath here said Be both Incongruous and Heterogenial to punish Corporally men erring Spiritually Query IX Whether secular force and compulsion in things of Divine and Supernatural Revelation be not the Arms of Antichrist and not of the true Church Reply to the Answer to this Query THis Answerer might have done well to hae inform'd us How secular force and compulsion in Religion towards some is as he says Anti-Christian and not towards other the difference not being evident at least to all capacities We are not here enquiring after what is so much a violation of the Law of Nations as of the Law of Nature and though our Answerer expresses his dislike of the Spaniards dealings with the Indians graciously acknowledging that propriety is not forfeited by unbelief Yet but now speaking of Dissenters here he said If they disapprove of the Decisions of their Superiours the world is wide enough they may leave the Government and betake themselves to the Communion of purer Churches which is but in other words to say Be of the Religion of your Country or abanden your Properties with the Land of your Nativity But should providence permit the Establishment of a Religion in this Nation he approves not of if he be not resolv'd to approve of whatever shall be the National Religion would he not think himself hardly dealt with to be requir'd to Conform or to abandon his Native Country He may do well therefore to meditate a little on that no less Divine then Moral precept Of doing to others as he would they should do to him The Cannon he mentions is indeeed very pertinent to our purpose So likewise is what he Cites from Tertullian and Lactantius But then without the least colour or shadow of Reason and perhaps only because Grotius says It is not just or lawful to make War upon any because they will not embrace the Christian Religion He would have this to be understood only of Princes raising Wars against Pagan Nations to compel and force them to the Profession of Christianity and imbracing of the Gospel But 't is very well and judiciously observ'd of him That these things nothing concern a Kingdom in which there is a visible and universal profession of the same Religion in that there is indeed no need of compelling or forcing any to profess what all already do profess But yet even in such a Kingdom Magistrates he says may use compulsive methods to secure their People from a totall and manifest Apostacy from the true Faith c. which we would freely allow him if compulsive methods could secure a People from Apostacy and that through ignorance or mistake of the Truth Magistrates did not too often instead thereof compell to error But none sure will say but that Magistrates may and ought to repress such Seducers as threaten the extirpation of their own Government yea and of the true Faith too were it once determined which amongst the many that would be so accounted were the true What he says of the Religious Princes of the Jewish Church hath been already spoken to Query X. Whether any one can be compelled by secular force or compulsion to perform any one Religious duty acceptably since God accepts not of any but what is volâ—ntary and of Faith which cannot be forc't And of what use then is secular Force and compulsion in Religion but to make men sin or suffer Reply to the Answer to this Query THis Query which this Answerer says with others is forged in the Shops of the Socinians and Anabaptists is with the rest grounded on the Rule of Gods word with which he seems to be little acquainted or with the due performance of Religious Duties in saying That it might with as much strength of Reason be urg'd against the Magistrates using compulsive methods towards his Subjects for the performance of the Duties of the 2d Table aâ— those of the first There being some difference beâ—ween forcing men to moral actions and Divine duties since in things moral the action however circumstantiated is in it self positively good or evil But in things of Divine Institution the manner only of the performance makes the action good or evil and therefore it is said He that Sacrificeth an Ox is as if he kild a Man and he that killeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs neck where the manner of performing the Command is not observ'd as well as the
matter The like may be said of all such Gospel Duties the goodness whereof depends wholly upon the Institution and therein the manner as well as the matter must be punctually observ'd nay the manner of performing these duties determines the matter of them for if they be performed in their due manner the action is good if not the action it self is sinfull This Answerer therefore runs himself into this error by not distinguishing between things in their own Nature good or evil and those things whose goodness depends wholly upon Institution and consequently on their due performance Authority therefore may oblige men to be Loyal and Peaceable Honest and Just which are moral vertues and punish them if they be Rebellious and Seditious Injurious and Theives which are moral evils Yet cannot force any in the sight of God to an acceptable performance of the one nor abstinence from the other because God accepts only of the Heart or an hearty obedience which cannot be so forc't It hath been already acknowledg'd in the case of the Kings of Israel and Judah That Magistrates may command their People to serve God as God hath commanded and they are convinc't and satisfied he will be served but no otherwise since whatever is not of Faith is sin which the Magistrate may not compel to yet may he prohibit the doing of any thing which may either dishonour or destroy Government Every King is as he says both the Minister of God and the Ruler of his People and oblig'd to the duties he mentions as hath been already acknowledg'd Nor are as he says our Governours so much to consider our willingness to serve God as our benefit and their duty But it is neither their duty to force any to worship God after any other way or manner then they are perswaded God will be worship't or that will be acceptable unto him since as hath been said what is not Faith is sin which the Magistrate by forcing to becomes guilty of Nor is it for their Peoples benefit to be forc't to any thing in Religion beyond their Convictions all such performances being in themselves sinfull And for this Answerer to say It will perhaps be found as great an Act of Justice and Charity to force some to go to Church as 't is to force some Boys to go to School speaks him very unfit to be an Instructer and Teacher of others who is himself so unacquainted with the nature and essence of Religion And whereas he says The Magistrate will find the benefit by exercising his Coercive Power in matters of Religion for 't is of that alone we are here speaking in securing the honour of his own Laws and Authority the contrary is most evident for wherever his Authority interposeth it self where the Authority of God is immediately concern'd as it is in all the Actions and duties of Religion and shall by Religious and Pious Persons be Judg'd to interfer therewith it will certainly be contemn'd and disobeyed as were the Decrees of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius Recorded in the third and sixth chapters of Daniel and as was the Authority of the Chief Priests and of the Rulers of the Jews when they forbad Peter and John to speak or teach in the name of Jesus Nor is it likely to be more beneficial to the persons on whom such methods are used for being no means of Gods appointment unto any such ends as well as in its own nature thereunto improper his blessing cannot be expected to go along with it And to say 'T is better for men to come within the possibility of being perswaded to Religion and reduced to sober apprehensions of it then to continue in their Schisms and voluntary neglect of all Piety is very wide from this Question which neither countenances Schism nor discountenances Piety but would not that any should be forced to serve God in any other way or manner then God will be served or they Judge acceptable unto him nor are all to be charged with Schism and a voluntary neglect of Piety who frequent not the Publick worship wherever they live much less to be out of a possibility of being perswaded to Religion and void of all sober apprehensions of it which yet compulsion is so far from perswading or reducing any unto that its efficacy lyes the other way it breeds rather an aversion and abhorrency towards it and towards those that use it But says our Answerer suppose the worst viz. That compelling men to Church do not produce any inward change in their minds yet certainly 't is a means conducive to so blessed an end But who I would know tells him so 'T is no means I am sure of Christs appointment nor did he himself ever use it salvation indeed he offer'd which who so refus'd at his Peril those that had ears to hear let them hear being the usual conclusion of his Sermons He sent likewise his Disciples to Preach the Kingdom of God but not to force or compel any to hear them But suppose says the Pious and Learned Bishop Davenant some should be so obstinate they will not receive this Gospel shall they then exercise no temporal Power none at all says he They are commanded to shake off the dust from their feet as a Testimony against them but they are not commanded to compel them by any external force or violence I would gladly know of this Answerer should providence permit the Re-establishment of Popery in this Nation whether the compelling him to Church would be a means conducive to his Conversion if it will can he doubt but they who would esteem it a blessed work should not be as zealous for it then as he is now Perhaps he may say the case is not the same for he is in the right while all others on either hand of him are in the wrong which is not impossible though very improbable yet whilst others think themselves as much in the right as he the case will be the same and he may reasonably enough expect the same measure he metes will be measur'd to him again That Hypocrasie the sin against which our Blessed Saviour denounced so many woes should be preferred as by him it is for the honour of Religion is what I have not before met with such Preachers therefore may well plead for compelling to their Churches who are not otherwise likely to have many hearers Nor do I understand the Logick of all mens being advantag'd by forceable methods because some may be externally reform'd while others again are thereby apparently injur'd And to what purpose does he here talk of mens being restrained from acting their abominable Lusts which we no less wish then he nor does this Query infer the contrary though he would have it thought to countenance impiety and a scornful contempt of the Church and Iustitutions of Christ when it aims only at the promoting of Piety in a due observation of Christ's Institutions by which the Nations as well as Gods
that error were restrain'd by such ways and means as Truth might not suffer in the stead of it And if this Reverend Person judg'd the Commonwealth in his days did well in making Laws to restrain those who depart from our Church he did not I presume think it did so some years before when it made Laws to restrain those who departed from the then Church so preferring the Relation before the Rule making the right and Equity of the Law to depend on his Judgement or Opinion of Truth and Error in Religion And if it were his Judgement as we are told That People ought to be compell'd to the Publick Assemblies though unsatisfied of the lawfulness of the Service there used it was an Erronious Judgement and of very evil consequence for by the same Rule ought all to be so compelled by those who have Power on their side and believe they have Truth also and what advantage not to speak of the unreasonableness and unjustifiablenes of the thing it self can any Protestant think Truth and true Religion will get thereby It were therefore rather to be wished that all men would observe that no less Divine then Moral precept Of doing unto others as they would be done unto The Query here is not concerning Governours requiring conformity to those things which the Judgements of Inferiours dislike or disapprove of as unmeet or inconvenient but to those things and in the worship of God only as Inferiours Judge sinfull The constraining therefore any against their Wills and Interests to do what they deny not to be honest and just reacheth not the present Question Though nothing can as he says excuse Subjects from yielding obedience to lawful Authority but the unlawfulness of what that Authority doth injoyn yet when any one is perswaded the thing commanded is unlawful though in it self lawful He may not yield obedience to it An innocent or invincibly erring Conscience as the Reverend and Learned Bishop Taylor truly tells us being to be obeyed against the known commandment of our Superiours But a man may lawfully engage upon that action which he Judges to be unmeet and inconvenient only not unlawful though he have some inward averseness and reluctancy in his mind against it and wishes that no such obligation were laid on him But our Answerer does very seasonably recollect himself in telling us it will be here said That the resolution of this case does not come home to our present Dissenters for that they Judge the commands of Authority about those things which we call indifferent to be not only inconvenient but sinfull and for that reason they deny Conformity in practice But where this hath been in part answered as he says we have not yet observ'd and wish it may be as he promises considered in the following Queries Query XVI Whether to punish any for not conforming to such Modes and Forms of Worship as in their Consciences they judge sinfull be not to punish them for not doing what is acknowledged to be their duty not to do Reply to the Answer to this Query THat 't is all mens duty as he says to Obey lawfull Authority either actively or passively none sure doubts but what is that to this Query To say that active obedience is not required by Authority to all its commands is to say Authority commands things to be done which it self judges sinfull and unlawfull which ought not to be supposed So that active obedience is by Authority requir'd to all its commands and nothing can excuse any from such obedience but the unlawfulness or supposed unlawfulness of what is so commanded But it is neither the duty of a Loyal Subject nor humble Christian as he would have it so to mistrust his own Judgement as to neglect the exercise thereof in a due Examination of the lawfullness or unlawfullness of whatever is commanded him But says this Answerer To make some nearer approaches to the Query which is but need 't is not Conscience if that thing be condemned as sinfull which is not some way or other forbid by God in the Sacred Scriptures 'T is not indeed a right Conscience but where a man is perswaded that any thing is forbid by God in Sacred Scriptures though it may not be so 't is Conscience in him not to do it though it be an Erronious Conscience yet such an one as till Convinc'd of its Error he ought not to go against And his saying It may be Humour or Fancy or Passion or Diabolical suggestions or Forestalements and prejudices imbibed by ill education and instruction c. will never prevail with Prudent and Pious men to abandon Conscience or in ought to act against it nor yet to renounce the exercise of their Judgements in yielding blind Obedience unto any which were indeed not to chuse their Religion or Act as men but like Bruits rather bear whatever shall be imposed on them So changing their Religion as oft as chance or providence shall change their Masters which indeed is very far from a Rational or manly choice Whether any can plead Conscience for not conforming to the Establisht worship of the Church of England is no part of this Query which meddles not with particulars And yet if no more as he says can be said in the case Then that he doubts whether he ought to worship God after such a manner or no it may be sufficient to hinder his Comformity notwithstanding we are told It ought not to be of that weight as to keep him from his lawfull Superiours lawfull command For he who doubts of the lawfulness of the worship may doubt likewise whether his Superiours commanding him so to worship be a lawfull command or whether his Superiour have Authority to command him so to worship for where Superiours have no right to command there lyes no obligation of Conscience on Inferiours to obey and then such a command can be no sufficient ground to supersede his doubting especially when he is perswaded he hath a plain Prohibition of Scripture against what he is commanded Neither as is said is it duty or any part of Christian meekness where the doubt is concerning the Superiours Authority for any therein to take his resolution from those claiming that Authority And though it be the sin of Dogmatizing to affirm any thing unlawfull for any to do which some Law of God still in force doth not Prohibit yet while the Question is whether there be not a Law of God now in force prohibiting the matters in doubt and which is that which occasions the doubt it can be no such sin So that 't is not impossible but both that and the disobedience here talkt of may still commence Vertue notwithstanding all that hath been here said to the contrary And yet we deny it not to be every mans duty in doubtfull matters to seek satisfaction from those whom God hath appointed to instruct and teach them but not to yield blind obedience unto any or obey them
his blessed Will to us in his holy word What us does he mean For we cannot but think it all mens duty with the Psalmist still to pray That God would open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of his Law There being an Illumination of the Spirit of God necessary for the right understanding of those things that are revealed in the word of God which is it seems a revelation this Answerer is yet unacquainted with for though the Gospel be written the saving Truths thereof are hid to those whom the God of this world hath blinded This Query therefore grounded on tâ—e Apostles advice to the Philippians intends only the Revelation there mentioned which we hope is no Enthusiasm By saying In doubts relating to Religion men would do better to resign up themselves to the Fathers of the Church and seek satisfaction from the Prists lips then attend to the Dictates of their own dark minds He plainly enough tells what he would be at and that 't is blind obedience he would bring us to But before we thus resign up our selves both Soul and Body unto any let him tell us who amongst the many pretenders are those Fathers of the Church to whom he would have us thus to resign up ourselves our Blessed Saviour himself having commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Holy Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God By which 't is evident there belongs by Divine Right unto all Christians notwithstanding their dark minds a private discretive and self-directive Judgement by vertue whereof they not only ought to prove all things recommended to them by their Teachers but even to judge of their Teachers themselves between the true and the false between the Messengers of Christ and the Messengers of Antichrist so far is it from the mind of God that any should pin their Faith upon their Teachers sleeves Captivate their Judgements unto theirs and believe and do whatever they shall think meet It were indeed happy if men could receive satisfaction from the Priests lips as those which should keep knowledge But it may be said to too many of them in our days as the Prophet said to them of old Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant nant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People according as ye have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law Query XVIII Whether in these duties whereon Eternity depends it be not the highest absurdity to force any against their own light to be guided by others who are not infallible Reply to the Answer to this Query 'T Is no very pleasing imployment to have to do with those who either do not or will not understand the Questions they take upon them to answer But 't is that we must be content with in this Contest What this Answerer finds in this Query inferring a necessity of Infallibility in all Guides and Governours whether Sacred or Civil we are yet to seek there being as we conceive some difference between being guided in duties of Religion by those that are fallible which we never thought unreasonable and being forced to follow them therein against a mans own light and knowledge which is the thing here question'd It being an implicit Faith and blind obedience only and even the worst of these a mans acting against his own light and Conscience and only in the concerns of Eternity that this Query opposeth And where hath this been as he tells us before answer'd Or to what purpose doth he here tell us It is no higher absurdity in these days of the Gospel for men in matters of Religion to be guided by a Learned and Pious Minister and much more by all the Governours of a National Church then it was under the Mosaick Oeconomy to seek the Law at the Priests mouth who was the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts since we never denyed either but say that blind obedience was never to be yielded unto any much less that any ought to be forc't in any Religious duties against their own light The Priests lips indeed should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth but as hath been before said they departed out of the way they caused many to stumble at the Law and corrupted the Covenant of Levi So that a Judgement of discretion was then as well as now to be exercised by the people and they were not always to hearken unto the words of the Prophets that Prophesied unto them their directions and instructions therefore with this Answerers good leave might sometimes be rejected And since our Blessed Saviour hath himself commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God it is undoubtedly the duty of all Christians to examine the Authority and Mission of their Teachers and to Query who are the true and who the false who the Messengers of Christ who of Antichrist that so they may receive the one and reject the other with all their Doctrines and Instructions if upon trial they square not with the Rule by which they are commanded to prove them Yet does not this render as he says the Ministry of the Christian Church much less all Offices and Dignities of the Commonwealth void and useless It only cautions Christians not to esteem of them above what is meet in yielding that blind obedience the Gospel Prohibits and which is unbecoming the nature and being of a Rational Creature to give when therefore God commands the people to obey those that have the Rule over them and to submit to them as they that watch for their Souls It is to be understood so far forth only as they Teach according to the Rule of his word their Authority as we have before told you from the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet Being only directive and declarative and in matters of duty can bind no farther then Reason and Evidence brought from Scripture by them doth But he goes on with his Infallibility and says the Argument holds as much against any Judge or Magistrate in the civil concerns of Humane life as against the Ministry of the Church But he may be therein mistaken for 't is all mens Interest to acquiesce in the Determinations of civil Judicatories in the concerns of Humane life how Erronious or unjust soever they may apprehend them to be for the preservation of a greater good publick peace and quiet but that will never make it reasonable in the concerns of Eternity which admit of no compensation for a man to put out his own eyes to be guided by others who perhaps see no better it may be not so well as himself For we do not say it is absurd for a man to be
guided by such as are fallible but to be guided by such against their own Light and Reason As for a man to follow one who tells him He will guide him the next way from York to London though he leads him still Northward when he knows the way thither to lye Southward But could I believe my guide Infallible I might renounce my own Reason and disbelieve my very senses to follow him which way soever he lead me but till then shall think it absurd in any to force me so to do which is but the genuine import of this Query But our Answerer tells us A man may act infallibly in his station though he be not himself infallible For he he says does so who acts and proceeds by infallible unerring Rule Yet with his good leave he may herein be again mistaken For though the Rule he acts and proceeds by be streight yet if the Agent be not infallible he may through error or inability draw crooked lines by it and so cannot be said to act infallibly And indeed if what he here says were true instead of our infallible Pope he hath set up Thousands of Infallible Priests who pretend to Act and precede by an Infallible unerring Rule the Infallible and unerring word of God But to proceed by what Logick doth he frame an Argument from this Query against punishing an Atheist Does it say as he would have it that none ought to be punisht who are not Infallibly convic't or any thing to that purpose why then doth he entertain his Readers with these impertinences Yet hath Truth so far prevailed on him that he here acknowledges All Doctrines ought to be tryed and examined by their proper measures and standards c. But what he means by his mean between this and for men to be allowed a Liberty to deal with their Religion and the Truths of God as they do with their Cloathes which they put on and off and change as their fancies prompt them or as the weather or fashion alters we are yet to learn For whether are the more likely to change their Religion they who use their Reason in the choice and continuance thereof or they who therein blindly follow the guidance of their Teachers since the first are as fixt and stedfast therein as the nature of man upon the best and surest foundation is capable off while the latter whose Religion depends on the guidance of his Teacher or Leader is liable to change the one as oft as he happens to change the other Yet we do not say as this Answerer would have us That a man ought only to be guided by his own light But we do say and affirm that in the concerns of Eternity a man ought not to be forc't against his own light to be guided by others who are not Infallible and defie him to prove the contrary The instances of this Age which he says are innumerable of those who so soon as they seperate from their Mother Church know not where to abide and fix c. Are the objections of an elder Mother Church against those who forsake and separate from her But such as are United unto that Church which is the Mother of us all will not be to seek where to abide and fix though separated from all the Mother Churches in the World They are not the rational and diligent enquirers into the Grounds and Reasons of their Religion but the blind followers of their perhaps blind guides that commonly take sanctuary in Popery Query XIX Whether at the great day of account it will excuse false worshippers to say They therein followed the guidance of those who pretended to have Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the duties of Religion And whether if the blind lead the blind they will not both fall into the Ditch Reply to the Answer to this Query WE have not from him the least Answer to this Query which is no more then whether false worshippers will at the great day of account be excus'd in following the guidance of those who pretended to have Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the Duties of Religion But instead thereof are told with many unhandsom and undue reflections That by false worshippers are meant either those who serve God according to the Liturgy of the Church of England or some other Assemblies of Christians if the former the Gentleman that propâ—ses it is extreamly uncharitable if the latter the Query is impertinent But why uncharitable or impertinent is it so improbable or unreasonable to think there should be false worshippers in any of those Assemblies of Christians who serve God either with or without the Liturgy of the Church of England If it be not the Gentleman may neither be uncharitable nor the Query impertinent This Answerer therefore must either have so good an opinion of all Dissenters from the Church of England as well as of those who serve God according to her Liturgy as to esteem it impertinent to doubt of the Truth of their worship or to enquire concerning the future state and condition of such of them as may be therein misled or he will approve himself to be the uncharitable person he speaks of against all Ingenuity and Reason to apply what was indefinitely spoken to the Church of England when it is more applicable unto others And I shall be bold to tell him in his own Language It is as great an untruth as ever came from the Father of Lyes to say that this or any of these Queries obtrude that which is false and slanderous upon any or that they were chiefly designed for the unwary Country-man who is not the Person that imposes upon others in things of Divine and Supernatural Revelation or persecutes any on the account of Religion And now though it be still nothing to the present Question he tells us what false-worship is viz. Mens drawing nigh to God with their lips and putting him far away from their hearts And how does this Query charge this upon the Church of England who is neither said nor intended in it to Teach any so to do and yet there are those of her Communion who Teach Preach and Print that mens Practices even in the duties of Religion whether conformable or not to their apprehensions are the Subject of Laws And that where Truth and Authority draw contrary ways we are to follow Truth with our Soulâ— and Authority with our Bodies So that with these men Divisum Imperium cum Jove Caesar habâ—t But I would gladly know of them or of this Answerer whether what is not of Faith be not Sin Or whether it be not false-worship in any to worship God otherwise then they are perswaded he will or ought to be worshipt or whether following the guidance of these or the like though they pretend Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the duties of Religion will at the last day excuse those who shall be thus misled by them and yet we
tells us His design was to ease men of their former burdens and not to lay on more That the duties he required were no other but such as were necessary and withall Just and Reasonable That he that came to take away the insupportable Yoke of Jewish Ceremonies certainly did never intend to gall the necks of his Disciples with another instead of it and if so did not certainly give Power or Authority unto any to Institute in their room such others as they should think good it would be strange says he the Church should require more then Christ himself did and make other conditions of her Communion then our Saviour did of Discipleship Then asks What ground there can be why Christians should not stand upon the same terms now which they did in the times of Christ and his Apostles Whether Religion were not sufficiently guarded and fenced in them Whether there was ever more true and cordial reverence in the worship of God What Charter Christ hath given his Church to bind men up to more then himself hath done And then tells us The grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with was only to Teach what Christ had commanded them not the least intimation of any Power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what himself had spoken to them or they were directed to by the immediate guidance of the spirit of God What Power or Commission therefore any have since received to Institute such Ceremonies in the Worship and Service of God as they shall think good this Answerer or his Adherents may do well to inform us But instead thereof he tells us Nothing is more evident in the New-Testament than that Christ did intrust those whom he appointed in his absence to be the Ministers of his Church with the Government of it He did so and yet he did not Empower or Authorise them to Institute in the Worship and Service of God such Ceremonies as they should think good But says our Politick Answerer This Government could not subsist without the Enacting of Laws for its own and the Churches preservation for that Christ intended c. How does that appear we find nothing in his Gospel of any such intention nor have we reason to believe he intended any should Enact other Laws for the Government of his Church than what himself Enacted since 't were to deny the Scriptures sufficiency unto that end and its being a perfect Rule of our Faith and Obedience in all Gospel Duties and Administrations and in plain term's to tell us that Christ was not faithfull to him that appointed him as was Moses in all his House in that he left not as did Moses a compleat Volume of Laws for its Rule and Government We wish therefore this Answerer would acquaint us with the Instrument by which the Apostles made over their Authority of Enacting Laws for the Government of the Church to their Successors in that it would tend greatly to their conviction who have hitherto been in an error and very much deceived if the Lord Christ be not the sole Lord over and Law-giver to his Church and that the Apostles neither did nor could Delegate a Legislative Power to their Successors being themselves Ministers only of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Power of the Keys committed unto them not being a Power of giving Laws to the Church but a Power of Teaching and Ruling the Church according to the Laws which Christ himself had given and those as he says not to that present Age of Christians but to all Succeeding Ages in which his Church was to continue in the World they being evey way sufficient to continue and preserve upon Earth a visible Church untill his Second coming But so far this Answerer is in the right That there could have been no such Society if there had been no Law for its Vnity But he should withall have consider'd that there neither could nor can be any Law for its Unity but from an Universal Law-giver the obligation of no Law extending farther then the Iuâ—â—â—â—â—tion or Authority of the Legislator So that it is altogether impossible for any but the Lord Christ to Enact Laws for the visible Unity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods sacred Worship since the Jurisdiction or Authority of none other can reach or oblige all Christians That our Blessed Saviour was greatly concern'd for the Unity of his Church none sure ever doubted But the words quoted by this Answerer from St. Johns Gospel relate not so much to the external visible Unity of the Church as to the internal mystical Union that is between Christ and his Members Yet he tells us That which he would principally have the Reader observe in them is The care that our Blessed Lord and Master took for that great Essential of Christianity the Vnity of the Church No doubt he did both for the internal and external Unity thereof and that not only in his frequent calling on his Disciples to Unity and to love one another making it a Caracteristical note of their relation unto him By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another But also in commanding them to teach the observation of all things whatsoever he commanded them which would all who would be accounted his Disciples likewise observe and do without setting up their Posts as the Prophet speaks by his Posts Unity would not be wanting among Christians nor yet throughout the Christian world a due uniformity in the external Administration of Gods Sacred worship which variety of Rites and Ceremonies in particular Churches destroys And it may be truly enough said by him That it is impossible for the Gospel to be propagated and upheld by Faith and Charity only as they are lodg'd in mens Hearts unless the Fruits of these Graces were exerted in some things that were visible and obvious to sense and therefore outward worship is required that the inward may be exercised and expressed for to talk of inward worship without any outward expressions thereof is but a Cloak for Atheism But for this Answerer to tell us That the Churches Vnity was the main thing that Christ took care of before his Crucifixion That it is the great Essential of Christianity the very being of Christian Religion depending on it And that the main principle of all Christian Amity and affection is the visible Vnity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods Sacred Worship which ought to be Vniform and undevided and then conclude That variety of Rites in one National Church would cause Division of Judgement and of affection Is such an explanation of the Unity of the Church and visible Unity of Christian Communion in the External Administration of Gods Sacred Worship as I think the world was never before blest with For was it the Unity of a National Church only that Christ took such care of and which is the great essential of Christianity or is
it the visible Unity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods Sacred Worship in a National Church only that is the main Principle of all Christian Amity and affection certainly if variety of Rites in a National Church cause divisions of Judgement and of affection variety of Rites in the Universal or Catholick Church will cause the same also so that it is a visible Unity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods Sacred Worship throughout the Universal or Catholick Church that is the main principle of all Christian Amity and affection experience telling us what sad Divisions Feuds and Animosities have and do daily arise among Christians from the variety of Rites in the external Administration of Gods worship enjoyned by particular Churches of several Denominations even to the destruction of that external as well as internal Unity which is the great Essential of Christianity and which Christ so earnestly recommended to his Church So that if the Internal Unity of the Church as well as External Unity of Christian Communion in the publick Administration of Gods Sacred Worship be desirable as most certainly they are and ought to be They are no otherwise to be attained then by all Christian Churches Universally adhering to the Rule of the Gospel and enjoyning no other Rites or Ceremonies in the external Administration of the worship of God and requiring no other conditions of Church-Fellowship and Communion then that enjoyns and requires Nor hath our Answerer more reason to say That many Assemblies of Christians Independent one 〈◊〉 of another though living under the same civil Government do weaken and will at last destroy Christianity Than others That National and Provincial Churches rejecting at the Popes Supremacy destroy the Unity of the Church and endanger the very being of Christian Religion Nor yet That from such small beginnings and Independent Communions there would have been no more possibility to have spread and propagated Christianity in the world than an Army divided and scatter'd into Parties could be able Encounter with another that was Vnited and observ'd all the Orders of the chief commander since as the Apostle tells us God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and experience hath told us That from such small beginnings and Independent Communions Christianity hath been spread and propagated over the world But if as he intimates An Army divided and scatter'd into Parties is not able to Encounter another that is Vnited and observes all the Orders of the chief Commander How will those National and Provincial Reformed Churches which are but divided and scatter'd Parties of the Christian Army and Independent one 〈◊〉 of another be able to Encounter the Papacy which is United and observes all the Orders of their chief Commander So strangely does prejudice and Partiality blind men as that they see not how they argue against themselves unless they are of that Army whose Principles and Practices they embrace and follow while they would be thought to skirmish with it This Answerer may therefore know if he pleases That though the Church be compared to an Army it is not in being like Officer'd as having a Leiutenant or Vicar-General Major-Generals Colonels c. or such like subordination of Officers depending upon or centering in one and yet th◠is not without her Officers who though at the head but of single Companies observing all the Orders of their Chief Commander are and have been able to Encounter the United Power of Men and Devils making War against the Lamb and his followers But our Answerer having explain'd as he tells us One of the main vitals of Christianity viz. The Vnity of the Church advises his Reader farther to consider That in the days of Christs abiding upon Earth there could not possibly be any Law for the preservation of its Vnity for the reason he mentions and therefore Jesus Christ gave Power and Authority to his Apostles and their Successors to Institute such Ceremonies and Rituals in Religion as they in their own Prudence should judge most agreable to the manners and Customs of the Nations they should convert and which tended to promote true Piety and goodness in their hearts and lives But for this the Reader is desired likewise to consider we have but his bare word he not offering the least proof of any such Power committed by Jesus Christ to his Apostles and their Successors the Commission he gave unto his Apostles being but to teach the observation of such things as he had commanded them so far was he from leaving it to them and much less to the prudence of their Successors to Institute and appoint such Rituals in Religion as they should think good These things therefore are fondly and groundlessly asserted and no less inconsistent with what himself but now said than repugnant to the Gospel For if those Rites which were agreeable to one sort of People would not be so unto others and the Governours of the Church were to appoint as he says such Rituals in Religion as in their prudence they should judge most agreeable to the manners and Customs of those Nations they should convert what becomes of his main principle of all Christian Amity and Affection The visible Vnity of Communion in the external Administration of Gods Sacred Worship which he but now told us ought to be uniform and undevided 〈◊〉 it is so far from being impossible that in the days of Christs abode upon Earth there should be as he says any Law made for the preservation of the Churches Vnity that it is altogether impossible as hath been demonstrated that any but Jesus Christ or less then an omnipotent Power should be able to Enact any such Law Neither hath our Lord Christ Instituted any Rite or Ceremony in Religion but what will very well suit with the Manners and Customs of all Nations He would never else have commanded his Disciples to teach all Nations to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them Yet so fond is our Answerer of his fancies as to repeat them in telling us That when Christ made void the Law of Ceremonies in the Jewish Church he intended though he gives us no evidence of such his intention to inspire the minds of his Apostles and their Successors with so much soundness and integrity of wisdom and understanding that they should be able by their own Reasons to Enact such Laws and Orders as should preserve the external Vnity of the Church and render Religion so amiable as that it should not be quite naked and destitute of all external Ornament and Beauty In which he expresses but his own vain and carnal thoughts of Religion Christian Religion being certainly most amiable when most suitable to the simplicity of the Gospel the beauty of whose worship consists not in external Rites and Ceremonies in which even where they most exceed it comes far short of the Ceremonies and Ordinances under the Law and yet the
Apostle prefers the Gospel worship far above that for Glory Beauty and Comliness which shews that these things have no respect unto outward Rites and Ceremonies And though he tells us It is not in the least repugnant to the wisdom of Christ towards his Church to invest the Governours of it with Authority to Institute new Ceremonies in his worship c. Yet the contrary is evident in that it speaks him either wanting towards it in not appointing things necessary or not so wise as others to find out such things as conduce to its Edification and Beauty And in Commissioning his Disciples to teach only the observation of such things as he commanded them rejecting the honour given unto him by those whose worship of him is taught them by the precepts of men he sufficiently declares That no other Rites or Ceremonies but what are Divine of Institution are to be enjoyn'd or made necessary to be observ'd by any in the Worship and Service of God If by positive Laws made for the external Regiment of the Church the Bishop cited by him means Laws only for the ordering and disposing of things without the Church though about it we have nothing more to say against it than that it is not the present Question Nor do we argue from Christ's abrogating those Ceremonies that God himself had appointed that no others ought to be introduced into the Church We only ask Whether Jesus Christ who came to take away the Yoke of Jewish Ceremonies appointed by God himself hath given Power and Authority unto any to Institute in their room such others as they shall think good And are perswaded he hath not not because he abrogated those which were appointed by God himself but because no worship is acccptable unto God but what is of Faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God and Faith in all things respects the commands and Authority of God So that the Governours of the Church can have no Authority to Institute or Appoint any thing in the Worship and Service of God either as to matter or manner beyond the orderly observance of such circumstances as necessarily attend such Ordinances as Christ himself hath Instituted but by express command or Commission from God Let this Answerer therefore shew their Authority to Institute new Ceremonies in his Worship and he may be better thought of then otherwise I presume he will be by those who fear God and desire to keep his commandments Nor does it in the least reflect upon the wisdom and goodness of God as he says to give unto Civil Powers Commissions to make such Laws as they please for securing the Peace and civil Rights of their People and none unto the Guides of the Church to make Laws for the preservation of Religion c. But is rather an Argument of his great love and care of his Church not to leave her to the ordering and disposing of men which unavoidably as wofull experience manifests must fill her with Schisms and Divisions but to have himself given her a standing Rule or Law whereby she ought to be Universally Goâ—vern'd and which is every way sufficient would her Guides and Governours faithfully and diligently attend unto it for the preservation of Religion against the Deluges of Heresies and Schisms and to secure Christians in the Paths of Piety and Order of Vnity and Peace which as hath been shewn it is altogether impossible for any other Law or Lawgivers ever to effect Nor was it from the dulness and Indocibleness of the Jews as our Answerer would have it That God gave them Rules for their behaviour in the civil concerns of their lives and the smallest instances of his worship But for that he had chosen them above all the Nations of the Earth to be a peculiar People unto himself in whom he would be glorified therefore Establisht he a Testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel And that he gave them Rules in the smalest instances of his worship was that he would be worshipt in the way and by the means only of his own appointment But the appearing of Christ saith this Answerer Hath abolisht the darkness of mens minds c. though but now to serve another turn he told us Mens minds were dark and they were therefore blindly to resign up themselves to they knew not whom such is his dexterity in blowing hot and cold with the same breath and men are sometimes to be men and sometimes Bruits as he hath occasion to serve himself of them Yet is Life and Immortality brought to light through the Gospel and Gods Image in a great measure repair'd â—nd restor'd in the soul of man But of what man not of the Carnal or unregenerate but of him that is born again They are the Saints only and faithfull Brethren in Christ who are deliver'd from the Power of Darkness the God of this world still blinding the eyes of those that believe not And they are the Regenerate only who are endeud with the Spirit of Power and Wisdom of knowledge and a sound mind But we do not yet find that even they are empower'd to make Laws for Ceremonies and Rituals in Religion or that such Ceremonial Laws as by some have been made have much conduced to common benefit or conspir'd to the glory of God and mutual good of Christians But on the contrary have introduc'd a Theatrical Pompous Carnal worship among the generality of Christians instead of that spiritual worship which God requires and without which no other worship will ever be acceptable unto him And he that will look back as our Answerer advises To the first Ages of the Church wherein the Offices of Christian Religion were adorn'd with that comly simplicity modest magnificence and awfull Reverence c. He speaks of will not find any other Laws for Rites and Ceremonies in Religion than the Law of the Gospel or Canon of the Holy Scriptures But our Answerer comes now to his Argument à fortiori and tells us That if it were in the Power of the Primitive guides of the Church to enjoyn Christians the abrogated Ceremonies of the Jewish Law for the Propogation of the Christian Faith much more must it be in the Power of their Successors to Institute others and so many in their stead as may conduce to so high and generous an end But the abolisht Ceremonies of Moses were observ'd by Christians and that by â—he express warrant and command of the Apostles 〈◊〉 in their abstaining from blood from things â—rangled and from things offer'd to Idols But 〈◊〉 he not herein mistaken for these were not â—ommanded as Ceremonies but prohibited as â—candals to the new Converted Jews Nor do we find any Warrant or Command either express or implicit of the Apostles for the Observation of Easter Or that they ever enjoyn'd or commanded circumcision but we find them declaring they commanded it not And St. Paul tells the Galatians If they
says To tolerate unruly and vain Talkers and Deceivers who vent their idle fancies to corrupt and withdraw others from the simplicity of the Truth be an Indication of more cruelty than to Tollerate so many Thieves and Murtherers upon publick Roades and Highways This Answerer is by no means to be tollerated having manifested himself so unruly and vain a Talker and Deceiver as he hath done Query XXVII Whether can any think That they who Persecute Christ in his Members despoiling them of their goods and Imprisoning their Persons and that too for their faithful adhering to the plain and undoubted commands of their Heavenly Soveraign will speed better at the great day of account than those whom Christ himself hath told us shall be then rejected but for not visiting and relieving his poor Members when in want in sickness or any other Adversity Reply to the Answer to this Query INstead of Answering this Query 'T is very judiciously objected It hath many things questionable in it And with as great Judgement and to as little purpose he likewise tell us That none are true Members of Christ besides those that are Vnited to his Church for that Christ is the Head and his Church his Body and as he also judiciously observes no one can be a Member belonging to the Head unless he be some way or other Vnited to the Body But sure our Answerer is the first pretended Christian that ever questioned the soundness of Christs Body the Holy Catholick Church or that a Christians joyning to it might endanger his internal Vnion to Christ who is Hâ—â—d And wherefore doth he here tell us what the Query neither denies nor questions That the Church of England is a sound part of the Catholick Church unless to manifest his Dialectick Art in proving That whoever in any thing withdraw themselves from any part of Christs Body cut themselves off from Christ the Head and therefore they who withdraw Communion from the Church of England though but in the least minute Circumstances or Ceremonies belong not unto Christ. So that it seems with this Learned and Judicious Answerer out of the Ceremonial Pale of the Church of England there is no Salvation and if any are punisht for so cuting themselves off from Christ the Head their punishment is no persecution Quod erat demonstrandum Great wits according to the Proverb have short memories he could not else have so soon forgotten which he but now reprov'd the Independants for viz. Their evaâ—uating one main Article of the Christian Creed Faith in one Catholick Church For that as he said They restrained it to themselves whereas he so restrains it to the Church of England as that he allows of none withdrawing themselves from her Communion to belong unto Christ the one main Article therefore of his Christian Creed Faith in one Catholick Church is it seems Faith in the Church of England or rather Faith in whatever Church is uppermost And though out of her there is no Salvation yet for Arguments sake he will suppose That those who separate from her Communion even in her very Ceremonies are notwithstanding such their separation real Members of Christs mystical body yet none of them he says are persecuted for their faithful adhering unto Christ or the undoubted and plain commands of their Heavenly Soveraign nor does the Query say they are But supposing as he supposeth That any should be punisht for assembling together to Pray or partake of the Ordinances of the Gospel which Christ hath Instituted and requires the observation of would not such be persecuted for their faithful adhering unto Christ and to the plain and undoubted commands of their Heavenly Soveraign But says our Answerer Let the Gentleman produce one Person that ever suffer'd for performing any essential duty of Christian Religion We know not what he may esteem an essential duty of Christian Religion who is one with him who declares the outward worship of God to be no part of Religion But if he will allow Praying Preaching and Administring the Sacraments to be essential duties of the Christian Religion as by all good Christians they have hitherto been esteemed He need not go beyond his own Parish to meet with those who have suffer'd and deeply suffer'd even by his Instigation for the performance of those duties But he tells us 'T is not for the performance of those duties but for the disorderly and Irregular way of performing them that they are punisht Very good By what Rule then does he judge the way of their performance Disorderly and Irregular all order consisting in the due observation of some Rule Now if he will tell us of any Rule they therein transgress which he will abide by he hath said something to the purpose He tells us indeed They are punisht for not doing them in that due manner as is enjoyn'd them by their Superiours yet does not say The injunction of Superiours is the Rule whereby they are to be perform'd Nay he says If the Governours of the Church did command a worship that were Idolatrous or superstitious or did appoint vain foolish and ridiculous Ceremonies they were not therein to be complyed with So that the Injunctions or Commands of Superiours are not by his own confession this Rule But he tells us They are punisht for being disorderly in their Stations and Callings and for being disobedient to Government and Laws If by being disorderly in their Stations and Callings he means as he elsewhere says Their Vsurping the Office of Bishops as well as of the Inferiour Clergy He hath thereon already had the Judgement of as Learned and Judicious a Divine as most the Church of England can boast of And for their being disobedient though he hath advised us to resign up our selves unto the Fathers of the Church He hath not yet told us they are to be obeyed in whatever they shall or may command us So that neither can the commands of Governours nor Laws of Superiours be this Rule nor indeed ought else but the will of God revealed in his word To the Law and to the Testimony was the old Rule and the Divine Institution is still the only Rule to judge of the Orderly and Disorderly performance of all Religious duties â— by and if the manner of their performance be not according unto this Rule it is indeed Disorderly and Irregular and suffering upon that account may be esteemed a punishment rather then a persecution as may likewise their sufferings who are disobedient to the Laws and Governments of men in all civil and secular matters and concerns and theirs also who censure the Actions of Authority Vsurp the Office of the Ministry endanger the peace of the State and violate the Vnity of the Church Nor are there greater violaters of the Churches Unity than they who impose on Christs Disciples other conditions of Church-fellowship and Communion than Christ or his Apostles ever enjoyned or required And so far I agree with
this Answerer That the not punishing of these is prejudicial both to Church and State the one being thereby over-run with Factions and Seditions and the other as wofull experience tells us with Schisms Heresies and Contentions But our Answerer grows pleasant and plays with his Reader in telling him Dissenters are persecuted to what the Primitive Christians were persecuted from viz. Their Churches or Publick place of Divine worship for Dissenters are not certainly persecuted to their Churches though some may account it a persecution to be compelled unto his There hath been and may be great difference in the Causes as well as Degrees of Persecution but whoever suffers in any kind for his faithful adhering unto the plain and undoubted Commands of his Heavenly Soveraign the Authorâ— thereof will not be excus'd because others have been more barbarous and cruel than they And yet that even these are not as bad as the worst may be ascribed rather to the good hand and providence of God and moderation of those in Authority restraining them than to their good wills or desires The instance he gives us of a Father's correcting his child and the childs crying out Mâ—ther is very impertinent here Parents may correct their children and Princes their Subjects but as the cause makes the Martyr so 't is that must denominate it either persecution or punishment 'T is Christ alone knows who are his yet thus much we shall presume to say That they who persecute him in his Members will not speed better at the great day of account than they whom himself hath told us shall be then rejected but for not visiting and relieving his poor Members when in want in sickness or in any other adversity Query XXVIII Whether since offences will come it be not every ones concern to be more than ordinary careful he involves not himself in that dreadful woe pronounced against those by whom they come Matt. 18. 7. Reply to the Answer to this Query QUoting the Text might have satisfied this Answerer That by offences here no more is understood then what our Blessed Saviour intended when he pronounc't that dreadful wo against those by whom they come and whether they be the persecutions which discourage Christians from owning of his name attending upon his Ordinances adhering unto his Truth or ought else that administers occasion to another to transgress any Law of God neglect his duty or obstruct him in a course of Piety and good works it certainly concerns every one to be more than ordinarily careful he involves not himself in that dreadfull wo pronounced against those by whom they come The Query indeed cautions all to beware splitting on so dangerous a Rock but chargeth none with running or driving others upon it Evil therefore be to him that evil thinks Mr. Baxter as quoted by him says very well That a Minister should not more fear offending his particular flock than offending the Catholick Church but this will neither justifie nor excuse his offending of either And notwithstanding this Answerer's hope he will not find a National Church of humane Institution to have that Authority over its Members even when it shall be determin'd who are so as a private Minister hath over the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made him Overseer Whether Dissenters take no offence as he says but what they bring upon themselves by their own perverted Judgements c. Let them see too who are therein concern'd and must one day answer for it There is no doubt but it may and often does so happen That one man is the occasion of another mans sin and yet the guilt of him who sins not to be changed upon him whose action occasion'd it which yet hinders not but that many may likewise occasion others to sin for which they must be accountable And yet none sure doubts but that as he says in the enacting of Laws Authority is not so much to consider what will please the humours as advance the benefit of those under its Charge and Protection Nor can we have so hard thoughts of any in Authority as to imagine they should make Laws thwart or contradict those that are Divine Nor yet who takes or gives offences for as every one must give an account of himself to God so let every one look to himself and his own duty And as he tells us the day is coming when all mens Disguises and Vizards shall be pull'd off and their most retired thoughts and actions laid open and manifest to men and Angels 〈◊〉 't were well if all men had a serious and due sense thereof and so liv'd and behav'd themselves in the whole course of their lives as to convince the world they spoke as they thought and believ'd as they profest But who are they this Libellous Answerer accuses of charging the Church of England with offences and denying the Magistrates Power and Supremacy in matters of Religion as by Law declared These Queries being no ways guilty thereof for as they respected so they were directed only to such as himself who against the Doctrine of the Church of England and Principles of the Reformation require an Implicit Faith and worse than blind obedience from the People And `t is beyond his Power and malice to find any thing in them inconsistent with their receiving the Holy Eucharist according to Law who scruple not the lawfulness thereof And who are they this Libeller would have to Question not only the Kings Coercive Authority but the whole Ministry and being of the Church of England and accuse her Government of more Tiranny and Persecution then ever yet was objected against her by the most violent of her Romish Adversaries Not those sure who are against secular Force and Compulsion in Religion which is the utmost import of these Queries for then the charge will reach all those Reverend and Learned Divines of the Church of England before mention'd with most others of Name and Fame in the Christian World who have decry'd the same as Unscriptural and Inconsistent with the Precepts of the Gospel and Principles of Christianity and will indeed argue him to be the Person of that evil and depraved temper of spirit he speaks of Yet I agree with him That men Eminent in their Country and such as have a reputation for Knowledge and Wisdom might do more good by their examples than in this Age the Church can do with its censures or Church-men with their instructions But let him be assured none shall ever have a Reputation for Wisdom and Knowledge who give not unto God the things that are Gods as unto Caesar things that are Caesars Fear to whom Fear aud Honour to whom Honour is due And let him not deceive himself in thinking Men of Wisdom and Knowledge separate from the Church because they separate from some Churchmen of vicious and depraved spirits or to have Enmity against that because they will have no Fellowship or Communion with these it not being
their duty to follow any farther then they are followers of Christ Christians being obliged to walk together so far only as they have attain'd To require more of any is indeed as the Apostle at large declares in his 14 chapter to the Romans to lay a stumbling-block in the way of their Christian Brethren and infallibly to involve those that so do in that dreadfull wo pronounc't by our Blessed Saviour in the Text cited But has this Answerer the vanity to think his Illogical and undue Inferences false suggestions Impertinent and Ridiculous Reasonings and nonsensical Answers should convince any of guilt yet if he know of any who are fallen from their first works or otherwise wanting in their duty let him not spare to charge and charge them home and if they cannot acquit themselves let not reproach and shame only befall them but whatever severity Law and Justice can inflict upon them 'T is very much That notwithstanding all so Learned and Judicious a Person hath written in the Churches vindication any should yet reply the Ecclesiastical Laws and Constitutions do little or no good and therefore were better for the reasons mention'd to be repeal'd against which besides what he hath already said He adds the saying of a Roman when Rome as he says resembled England by the ill Government of Galba That it is far better to live where nothing is lawful then where all things are lawful which is such a reflection on the Government as those Queries with all their Sedition shall I hope never be found guilty of But what may be the instance of ill Government which is here so severely reflected on it will upon inquiry be found to be no other Than His Majesties late gracious Declaration of Indulgence to Dissenters in Religion the which though it secur'd to the Church all its Rights Priviledges and Emoluments was yet so intolerable to some Church-men in restraining them only from falling upon and ruining their poor peaceable and pious Neighbours that none have more and few I thinkâ— so much reflected on Authority as some of them have thereon done an evident demonstration what Loyal and Faithfull Subjects they would quickly be should Authority deal with them as it hath done with some others for who would not be Loyal to kind and bountiful Masters Wolves and Tygers are so to those who feed and favour them But they only are to be accounted Loyal Subjects who are so for Conscience-sake to severe and froward Governours as well as to the kind and courteous and not as their Benefactors but as Gods Ministers which is a Loyalty few of these Loyalists can boast of But he again tells us The Scripture compares the Church to an Army which it does for terror but not for being alike Officer'd And for an Army says he to be left to its own Liberty and every common Souldier to observe no Order nor live under any Discipline is the ready way to expose it as a prey to the first Invader It is so indeed who is it therefore that would have no common Souldier observe any Order nor live under any Discipline Not they certainly who would have both the Officers and Souldiers of this Army to observe all the Orders of the Chief Commander the Officers in commanding as well as Souldiers in obeying which will be found to be the Order and Discipline that ought to be observ'd But this Answerer tells us The little good that is done by the Laws of this Church and Kingdom proceeds either from the want of their due Execution which is still a reflection on the Government as is his elsewhere saying The vigorous Execution of one Law would do more good than a Million of Proclamations c. or from the indisposition of those Persons who expect Protection from Laws without paying any Reverence or Obedience to them c. 'T was never denyed but that in Civil and Secular Affairs and Concerns Force and Compulsion is and must be us'd or there can be no Rule or Government amongst men But in the Concerns of Religion abstracted from secular Interests and advantages it is otherwise men are therein to be gain'd and Govern'd by perswasion and conviction only Religion cannot be impos'd nor is any thing more absur'd than to endeavour to promote the Truths of the Gospel contrary to the Laws of the Gospel Virga Regum as Rupertus truly tells us Est virga Dominationis virga Discipulorum Christi virga est Dilectionis or as Hieron hath it Rex praeest nolentibus Episcopus volentibus And the Apostle tells us There is a way of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ But the weapons whereby that Victory is atcheived are not Carnal which is indeed the cause of the little good that is therein done by Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws This Answerer may therefore very well ask What effect Ecclesiastical Laws can have upon Atheists and Infidels all the Ecclesiastical Laws in the world Seconded and Assisted by the Laws of the State not being able to Convince or Convert one Atheist or Infidel Hypocrities or dissembling Professors they may indeed make but can never make one true or sincere Christian Penal Laws therefore concerning Religion have ever respected more the Civil Peace and Interests of Kingdoms and Commonwealths That under pretence of Religion the Rights of Princes and Liberty of the People be not invaded or injur'd then the Truths of the Gospel which are not by those means or Methods to be preserved or propagated So a late great Minister of State speaking of penal Laws against Papists tells them 'T is not against their Opinions of Purgatory or Transubstantiation though errors but against their owning the personal Authority of the Pope within His Majesties Dominions as dangerous to the State that those Laws are provided disclaming therefore of that they should find themselves at great ease And it was the great business of the Chief Ministers of State in Queen Elizabeths Reign to satisfie the world that none ever suffer'd in England for Religion but for Treason or Treasonable practices under colour or pretence of Religion Nor can we believe some late Laws concerning Religion were ever intended to molest or punish any for the performance of any truly Religious duty but of such only as under pretence thereof met to contrive Insurrections and Rebellions and thereby became dangerous to the State and such certainly of all men ought to be the most severely dealt with as well for their Hypocrisie and abuse of Religion as for such their disloyal practices For none sure can imagine His Majesty would ever have indulg'd Dissenters the Exercise of their Religion had it been against that the Laws had provided and not rather against the danger that might from some meetings have accrued to the publick the preservation of the publick peace being the ground both of those Laws and likewise of His Majesties Declaration of indulgence upon the difference of times and
circumstances of Affairs as is evident from the praeamb'es of those Statutes and His Majesties gracious Answer of the 24th of February 1672 to the Petition and Address of the House of Commons as followeth C. R. His Majesty hath received an Address from you which he hath seriously consider'd of and returneth you this Answer That he is much troubled That that Declaration which he put out for ends so necessary to the Quiet of the Kingdom and especially in that conjuncture should have proved the cause of disquiet to the House of Commons and have given occasion to question his Power in Ecclesiasticks which he finds not done in the Reign of any of his Ancestors And he is sure he never had thoughts of using it otherwise than as it has been intrusted in him to the Peace and establishment of the Church of England and to the ease of all his Subjects in general Neither doth he pretend to the right of suspending Laws wherein the Properties Rights or Liberties of his Subjects are concerned nor to alter any thing in the Established Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England The only design of this was to take off the penalties the Statutes inflicted upon Dissenters and which he believes when well consider'd of you Your selves would not wish Executed according to the Rigour and Leter of the Law Neither hath he done this with thought of avoiding or precluding the advice of his Parliament And if any Bill shall be offer'd him which shall appear more proper to attain the aforesaid ends and secure the Peace of the Church and Kingdom when tender'd in due manner to him he will shew how ready he will be to concur in all wayes that shall appear good for the Kingdom How expressive of Royal goodness and Heavenly Benignity and Compassion towards mankind is this gracious Answer which cannot but endare His Majesty unto all sober and Pious Persons of what Judgement or perswasion soever in Religion Nor were the Commons against the Indulgenee but the way and manner of it in that they immediately upon this pesâ—a Bill of ease for Protestant Dissenters which was sent up to the Lords But the differences that after happen'd between the two Houses about Jurisdiction and Priviledge with other greater Affairs of State hath hitherto obstructed its farther progress But to return to our Answerer who tells us That to repeal the Churches Laws would administer too just an occasion to the Papists to triumph in the ruine of it for what Truth or Being saith he could that Church pretend to That had neither Ephod nor Traphim no Order no Law no Liturgy no Bishop no Discipline It seems then in his Judgement all these in the Chnrch of England depend wholly upon the Ecclesiastical Laws although the Primitive Church in and after the Apostles time had both Order Law Discipline Bishops or Overseers without other Laws than what were Divine or of Apostolical Institution Though I am absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your Order c. saith the Apostle to the Colossians And is not the good word of God a Law to all Believers But this Law it seems is perished from our Priest who yet we hope will not deny the Holy Ghost a Power without the aid of Ecclesiastical Laws of making Bishops or Overseers over the Churches of Christs Institution and such certainly are not without Discipline nor deprived of Law Order or Overseers nor consequently of Truth or Being upon the repeal of Ecclesiastical or the Churches Laws Yea God forbid the Christian Church should depend upon the continuance or alteration of these or those Civil or Ecclesiastical Laws which we see chang'd and alter'd as oft almost as we change our Governours which is indeed a consideration that ought seriously to be thought on by all the lovers of Religion and who have any regard or concern for the Truths of the Gospel and purity of â—hrists Institutions But says this Answerer we have now unanswerable Arguments to justifie our departure from Rome but if all our Laws and constitutions be laid aside and abrogated we should be just like the Israelites when they waged War with the Philistines in the day of Battle there was neither Sword nor Spear found in the hand of any of the People If then our Laws and Constitutions be our only unanswerable Arguments to justifie our departure from Rome and our only Swords and Spears to fight against those Adversaries an abrogation or change of those Laws and Constitutions would indeed disarm and silence us and might as well justifie our return to Rome as now our departure from it But I trust though this be Ratiâ— ultima the best Arms and Argument of our Answerer we have yet other Arms and Arguments to justifie our departure from Rome and fight against those Philistines But he now tells us 'T is none of his bufiness or intention to exasperate any mans Spirit much less to direct his Governours c. Yet he admonishes them to stand up in a zealous vindication of their own Liberty and Power and to provoke them to it upbraides them with Cowardize if they do it not telling them It is there neglect thereof that encourages men in their 〈…〉 Separations Disobedience and 〈…〉 provokes God to deprive them 〈…〉 Power and Authority with which be entrusts them and which they have betrayed and exposed to scorn and insolence of his and their greatest Enemies Yea tells them Histories are not barren of instances how God hath revealed his wrath from Heaven against those Governours and deprived them of the Honour of being his Deputies when their Spirits have been softned with sensuality and ease and they have lived in fear of their Inferiours who ought to live in fear of them Which is such a menace of and reflection on Authority and our Governours as none but this Bold and Insolent Answerer would ever have dar'd to publish He does well therefore to recollect himself and tell us He has proceeded too far on this Argument which indeed speaks him a Person so highly impudent and immeasurably malitions that as himself hath elsewhere said he is fitter to receive a confutation from the penalties of Laws and the Seutence of a Judge than from the Strength of Reason or Argument But he concludes in the words of indeed a truly wise and Learned Statesman That Herefies and Scisms are of all others the greatest scandals yea more than corruption of manners c. which being so all just and lawful means ought certainly to be used not only for their Suppression but prevention in removing the Causes of them of which there is not a greater than the Authority by some ascribed to the 〈◊〉 yea to particular Churches Church 〈…〉 imposing upon Christians in the 〈…〉 â—â—â—nda of the Gospel which is indeed as that Learned and Judicious Statesman says A wound or solution of continuity destructive of the Churches Unity dividing her into as
Ratiocinium Vernaculum OR A REPLY TO Ataxiae Obstaculum Being A pretended ANSWER To certain QUERIES Dispersed in some parts of Gloucester-shire Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Mark 12. 17. For so is the will of God that with well doing ye may put to silence the Ignorance of Foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 15. LONDON Printed for A. B. MDCLXXVIII THE PREFACE IT is now near Seven years since the Ensuing Queries grounded most of them on Holy Writ or on the Writings of Learned and Judicious men of the Church of England were one Morning Cursorily written Vpon the sight of certain Queries that had been delivered to and answer'd by a neighbour Minister and to him only privately sent without the least Design or Intention of their ever being made publick but to Convince him with such others of his Judgement to whom he should think good to communicate them of the unreasonableness especially on Protestant Principles of exercising Force and Compulsion in Religion with the danger of Persecuting any on the account thereof But no answer by him was ever return'd unto their Author who so little concern'd himself in them that they were as much out of his thoughts as if they had never been written by him When about Michaelmas 1676. he was surprised with the news of a weak and unadvised Parson's having taken them up into the Pulpit with him and there made them the Subject of his Mornings Exercise to the Amazement of some and Derision of other of his Parishoners who had never before heard of them and then understood not his Descant on them But the noise hereof soon made them which for some years had been buryed in silence now the Discourse of the Country and they were not only oppugn'd from the Press the Pulpit and the Pens of divers Adversaries but their Author Prosecuted at the Assizes as Criminal though 't will perhaps be difficult shewing as they were written and disposed of by him what Law of God or Man he therein Transgress'd or what Civil or Religious Interest was thereby injur'd since upon the severest Examination and Scrutiny they will be found to have no worse aim or design than to manifest how Irrational it was and how Ineffectual it must needs be to all good purposes as well as inconsistent with the Precepts of the Gospel and Principles of Christianity to Force Religion and how dangerous to Persecute any on the account thereof And herein he is satisfied to have the Concurrent opinion of the most Learned and Judicious Divines of all Parties though the Practices of too many of them have not been answerable thereunto who indeed say and do not Nay may be said some of them to make themselves Transgressors in building again the things which they destroyed And though 't would not be difficult to Compose a Volume in but Transcribing what they have Written to this purpose I shall here content my self with a single Citation yet it being from one who having had the Approbation and Applause of the Famousest Vniversity of Christendom as well as of the Generality of Learned and Judicious Men of the Reformation may pass for more then a single Testimony and this is the Eminently Learned and Acute Mr. Chillingworth who in his Treatise Entituled the Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation thus speakes I have learnt saith he from the Ancient Fathers of the Church that nothing is more against Religion then to Force Religion And of St. Paul The Weapons of the Christian Warfare are not Carnal And great Reason for humane Violence may make men Counterfeit but cannot make them Believe and is therefore fit for nothing but to breed From without and Atheisme within Besides saith he if this means of bringing men to embrace any Religion were generally used as if it may be justly used in any place by those that have Power and think they have Ttuth Certainly they cannot with Reason deny but that it may be used in every place by those that have Power as well as they and think they have Truth as well as they what could follow but the maintenance perhaps of Truth but perhaps only of the Profession of it in one place and the Oppression of it in an hundred What will follow from it but the preservation peradventure of Unity but peradventure only of Uniformity in particular States and Churches but the Immortalizing the greater and more lamentable Divisions of Christendom and the World And therefore what can follow from it but perhaps in the Judgment of Carnal Policy the Temporal benefit and Tranquillity of Temporal States and Kingdoms but the Infinite Prejudice if not the Desolation of the Kingdom of Christ And therefore it well becomes them who have their Portions in this life who serve no higher State then this of England or Spain or France nor this neither any further than they serve themselves by it Who think of no other Happiness but the Preservation of their own Fortunes and Tranquillity in this world who think of no other means to preserve Estates but Humane Power and Machivèllian Policy and believe no other Creed but this Regi aut Civitati imperium habenti nihil injustum quod utile Such men as these it may well become to maintain by worldly Power and Violence their State-Instrument Religion For if all be vain and false as in their Judgment it is the present whatsoever is better then any because it is already Settled an alteration of it may draw with it change of States and the change of State the Subversion of their Fortune But they that are indeed Servants and Lovers of Christ of Truth of the Church and of Mankind ought with all courage to oppose themselves against it as a Common enemy of all these They that know there is a King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whose will and pleasure King◠and Kingdoms stand and fall they know that to no King or State any thing can be profitable which is unjust and that nothing can be more evidently unjust then to force weak men by the Profession of a Religion which they believe not to loose their own Eternal Happiness out of a vain and needless fear least they may possibly disturb their Temporal quietness There being no danger to any State from any mans Opinion unless it be such an Opinion of which Disobedience to Authority or Impiety is taught or Licenc'd which sort I confess may justly be punisht as well as other Faults or unless this Sanguinary Doctrine be joyned with it that it is lawful for him by humane violence to enforce others to it This was the Judgment of this Learned and Judicious Divine of the Church of England concerning Force in Religion and of those Doubtless who Licens'd and Approv'd of this his Learned and Judicious Treatise in which they unanimously declare to find nothing contrary to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England