in other words To which I answer They may be truly said to pray after the same manner though they use not the same words For our Lord Jesus Christ gave his Disciples a form or pattern to direct them how to pray and bid them pray after that manner that he had taught them Matt. 6.9 After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven And we find some of their Prayers recorded as Act. 1.24 25. Act 4.23 Yet in neither of these nor any other place do we read that they used that form of Prayer which our Lord Jesus taught them but their Prayers were put up to God in other words Now I would demand of these Informers Did the Apostles transgress the commandment of Christ and pray in other manner than Christ directed when they used not that form of words which are contained in the Lords Prayers but prayed in other words I suppose they will be ashamed to say the Apostles transgressed the command and prayed in other manner than he enjoin'd them If they should be so audacious as to charge the Apostles with the breach of Christ's command for praying in other words they may be refuted from that gracious answer which God gave to their Prayers by filling them all with the Holy Ghost after they had prayed to him Act. 4.31 If they will grant the Apostles did not pray in other manner than Christ directed though they used other words and so were no transgressors of Christ's command Then I reply Why then do these Informers persecute and persecute these Ministers as transgressors of this Act pretending that in their Meetings they pray in other manner than according to the Liturgy when all that is requisite to make a Prayer acceptable to God is found in these mens Prayers as well as in the Prayers in the Liturgy These mens Prayers are offered up to the same God by the same Mediatour by the help of the same Spirit for things agreeable to the Will of God and for the honour and glory of God as well as the Prayers prescribed in the Liturgy But besides what hath been said already there may be one thing more added which will exempt these men from being guilty of exercising any Acts of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy of the Church of England and that is this The Liturgy of the Church of England includes all those portions of the Holy Scripture which are appointed to be read for the first and second Lesion for the Morning and Evening Service throughout the whole year together with what is read for the Epistles and Gospels And whatever Religious exercise is allowed of by these by those portions of Scripture appointed to be read by the Liturgy for the Morning or Evening Service that Religious exercise is not performed in other manner than according to the Liturgy of the Church of England And if all those portions of Scripture be part of the Liturgy which I suppose none will deny it will be easie proving that there is nothing done at these Assemblies but what is agreeable to the Scriptures used in the Liturgy I will touch but upon one or two places On July the 18th for the second Lesson at the Evening Service is appointed to be read 1 Tim. 2. and there praying in houses and in every other place is allowed of as well as in Temples so it be done in an holy manner v. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting And June the 30th for the second Lesson is appointed Eph. 6 and there the Apostle alloweth of all manner of Prayer so it be in the Spirit v. 18 Praying always with all Prayers and Supplication in the Spirit So that all manner of Prayer at what time or place soever it be made if it be Prayer in the Spirit is allowed by the Scriptures appointed to be read by the Liturgy and so is not in other manner than according to the Liturgy Many more instances might be given to prove the Religious exercises of these men to be in such manner as agreeth with the Scriptures prescribed to be read by the Liturgy but I shall add no more Now let us consider whether these mens exercises of Religion be in other manner than according to the practise of the Church of England If they had no benefit by the former clause which as before explained is for their advantage though made use of to suppress them yet they have protection from the penalty of the Law as I conceive by this clause The practise of the Church of England To clear this let it be considered 1. What is the Church of England The best way to know this is to consider the Doctrine of the Church of England declared in the 39 Articles and there the Church is thus defined Art 19 The Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance and in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same And if this be a true description of the Church of England which they that own the Articles I think should not deny then these Non-conformists are a considerable part of the Church of England For they are faithful men men that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ which I suppose is meant by faithful men in their Congregations the Word of God is preached in truth and purity the Sacraments are duly administred according to Christ's Ordinance in all things that of necessity are requisite to the same If these Non-conformists be not a part of the Church of England How and when and by whom were they excommunicated and cast out of the Church If any say they do not comply with the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church I answer 1. In that definition which is given of the Church in the 19th Article there is nothing mentioned of the Discipline or Ceremonies As Mr. Rogers observes in his Exposition of the 39 Articles dedicated to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury His words are these Some and they many of them very godly men add Ecclesiastical Discipline for a note of the Visible Church but because the said Discipline in part is included in the marks here mentioned both we and in effect all well-ordered Churches over-pass it in this place as no taken simply of the Visible Church 2. The Church of England is not founded upon the Ceremonies or the Discipline but it is built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone And upon this foundation do these Non-conformist Ministers build as well as the Conformable Clergy and therefore are of the Church of England as well as they And if the Non-conformists be a considerable part of the Church of England how can these Informers swear their Religious exercises are in other manner than according to the practise
shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away As Preaching so Hearing the Word is a good work For 1. It is commanded of God Jam. 1.19 Let every one be swist to bear 2. It hath the promise of life and salvation annexed to it Isa 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live 3. By Hearing the Word of God we get great good for our souls For hereby we get faving faith Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing And have the Holy Ghost communicated to us Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard him with many other precious blessings And yet for these things are Ministers that preach and pray and people that hear them vexed and molested 3. These Ministers are true Ministers of Jesus Christ called of God to preach the Gospel To prove this confider 1. They have the internal call which consists in bestowing Ministerial abilities and a willingness to serve the Lord in the work of the Ministry Gods distribution of abilities is one branch of this call 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed as God hath called every man Our Lord Jesus proves his Call to the Ministry by being anointed with the Spirit Luk. 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor These Ministers are endued with Ministerial abilities and have those qualifications required by the Apostle in a Minister of the Gospel 2 Tim. 2.3 4. They are blameless vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no strikers they rule their houses well c. The internal Call consists also in a willingness and desire stirred up in the heart by the Spirit of God to undertake this work and office of preaching the Gospel Deut. 18.5 6 7. In the 5th verse Moses tells us that of all the Tribes God had chosen Levi to minister to him and v. 7. he tells us which of the Sons of Levi were to be admitted to minister before the Lord namely he that came with all the desire of his mind This willing mind to serve the Lord in the work of the Ministry God hath given unto these men 2. They have given up themselves unto the Lord to serve him in the Gospel of his Son and have been set apart for this work in a solemn manner by fasting and prayer and most of them also with imposition of hands And they that having the internal Call are separated and set apart by fasting and prayer for the work of the Ministry are sent out by God to preach the Gospel Act. 13.2 3 4. The Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed 3. They prove themselves to be true Ministers of Jesus Christ by preaching the word of truth There is nothing contrary to sound Doctrine in what they teach and preach unto the people This was the way by which the Apostle proved himself a true Minister by preaching the word of truth 2 Cor. 6.4.7 But in all things approving your selves as the Ministers of God by the word of truth And thus John Baptist proved Christ to be sent of God because he preached Gods word Joh. 3.34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God Such as being separated to the work of the Ministry do teach the truth and preach sound Doctrine are good Ministers of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 If thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained 4. God hath given evidence to the truth of their Call to the Ministry by the conversion of many souls They have been instrumental to turn many souls from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God and also to edifie and build up such as are converted When there were some that questioned whether Paul were a true Apostle he proves himself to be a true Apostle by the success God had given his Ministry in the conversion of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.1 2. Am I not an Apostle Are not you my work in the Lord If I am not an Apostle to others yet doubtless am unto you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. 5. The people that do feel the want of the word and desire to be instructed in the way to life and salvation do call upon them to preach the word to them We read of Paul that he concluded assuredly that God called him to preach the Gospel in Macedonia because he saw a man in a vision calling to him Come over into Macedonia and help us Act. 16.9 10. There are multitudes of people that call out to these men Come and help us Why may they not thence assuredly gather that the Lord hath called them to preach to them being such as are duly qualified and have been set apart for the work of the Ministry Obj. These men were not ordained to the work of the Ministry by the Bishops and therefore are no true Ministers Answ 1. The Ministers of the French and Dutch and several other Reformed Churches have no other Ordination than by Presbyters yet are their Churches owned by most Protestants for true Churches and their Ministers for true Ministers of Jesus Christ 2. Many of the Nonconformists were ordained by Bishops yet these Informers prosecute them with as great fury as they do others making no distinction between them 3. Those whose cause I plead that were not ordained by Bishops were set apart to the work of the Ministry with fasting and prayer by the Elders of other Churches And it is contrary to the judgment of many learned Bishops and great Assertors of Episcopacy to deny those to be true Ministers that were ordained by Presbyters because they had not Episcopal Ordination For divers instances might be given out of their Writings whereby it appeareth they did allow Ordination by Presbyters to be valid and lawful especially in such cases as Ordination could not be had by Bishops and in Ecclesiâ turbatâ which is the case of several of these Ministers they were set apart to the work of the Ministry when Bishops were laid aside in the Nation and when the Nation and Church were in great troubles I will mention two or three Archbishop Spotswood in his History of Scotland lib. 7. p. 514. makes mention of three Bishops that came out of Scotland to be Consecrated in England when the time and place for the Consecration was agreed on a Question in the mean time was moved by Dr. Andrews Bishop of Ely touching the Consecration of the Scottish Bishops who as he said must first be ordained Presbyters as having received no Ordination from a Bishop The Archbishop
blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu By the blood of Jezreel understand Ahab's 70 Sons which were slain at Jehu's appointment by the Rulers of Jezreel and all the remainder of Ahab's house whom Jehu slew in Jezreel 2 K. 8.10.1 7 11. Now if a man may fulfil the Law of God and yet fall under the vengeance of God for doing what God commands for corrupt and sinful ends then much more may a man execute the Laws of men and thereby incur displeasure of Almighty God for making use of and prosecuting that Law from evil principles and for sinful and corrupt ends 3. The Law which Informers make use of to persecute these men is capable of such an interpretation as it will not touch these men or their Meetings For 1. If the body of the Act be to be interpreted by the title of the Act as one would think it should the title representing the design and main purport of the Act as the Contents of a Chapter does set out the chief things in the Chapter These men are not at all concerned in this Act. For it 's Intituled An Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles For they come not at any seditious Conventicles they abhor such Conventicles as much as these Informers or any other men For they know and teach according to the Scripture That sedition is a work of the flesh which will exclude men from the Kingdom of God as well as envyings and murthers drunkenness and revellings or other such like sins Gal. 5.20 21. And if an Informer shall call an Assembly of men fearing God who meet together for no other end but to pray to God in the Name of Jesus Christ or Preach and Hear the Word of God or other Religious exercises a seditious Conventicle he seemeth to me to be either an ignorant or malicious man 2. If the Law be to be interpreted by the Preface to the Act neither will that concern the Meetings of these men The Preface is this For providing further and more speedy remedies against the growing and dangerous practise of seditious Sectaries and other disloyal persons who under pretence of tender Consciences have or may at their Meetings contrive insurrections as late experience hath shewn This Preface doth not in any of its branches concern these Ministers called Non-conformists They are not seditious Sectaries for they are of the same Faith with the Church of England and Preach peace and labour as much as in them lyes to live peaceably with all men They are no disloyal persons for they honour the King and pray for him both in their Closets Families and Assemblies There are no dangerous practises at their Meetings for when they meet together they pray to God they read the Holy Scriptures they preach sound Doctrine they praise God in singing Psalms they give Alms these are no dangerous practises They are none of those that at their Meetings contrive insurrections as experience shews For no instance that I have heard of hath been of any such contrivance for the long space of time since they were cast out of their livings a good proof of their peaceableness Besides they have Women and Children at their Meetings yea and persons they know not and that is not the manner of them that meet to contrive insurrections Some may say though neither the Title nor the Preface do reach these men and their Meetings yet the Act it self doth for it concerneth those that shall be present at any Assembly or Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practise of the Church of England To which I answer still this relates to those that are present at Religious exercises under a colour or pretence and so it doth not reach them who meet together for no other end but to worship God and edifie their own Souls but only reaches such as use Religious exercises for a pretence and colour to carry on some evil designs which cannot be proved against these men But the most material passage in this Act which is made use of to suppress the Assemblies of these men is this It is pretended their exercises of Religion are in other manner than according to the Liturgy and the practise of the Church of England And therefore this must now be enquired into which if these Informers did rightly understand and would put on charity and did fear an oath they would be very fearful to persecute these men or cause them to be fined and molested upon a pretence that their meeting is in other manner than according to the Liturgy and the practise of the Church of England Before I answer this I would premise one passage out of Dr. Jer. Taylour late Bishop of Down and Conner about the interpretation of the Laws lib. 3. pag. 31. It 's observable that all Laws do insinitely decline all barsh senses and are ambitious of gentle and benign interpretations If this rule of interpreting Laws be granted and practised I doubt not but the Non-conformists and their Meetings will be exempted from the penalties of this Act. To clear this more particularly Let it be considered whether these mens prayings be in other manner than according to the Liturgy to this end let me tell you in what manner these men pray they pray to the Almighty God that made Heaven and Earth who is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ They pray to this God in the Name of Jesus Christ and make use of no other Mediatour besides our Lord Jesus They pray for things agreeable to the Will of God They pray to God in a known tongue which is understood by those that joyn with them They lift up their hearts as well as their hands to God in the Heavens The glory of God is that which they aim at in all their prayers And are not all these things according to the Liturgy of the Church of England Doth not the Liturgy direct prayer to be made to the true God Are not the Prayers of the Liturgy agreeable to the Will of God Are not the Prayers of the Liturgy offered up to God in the Name of Christ and in a known tongue and for the glory of God Did you find these men praying to Jupiter or any of the Gods of the Heathen Did you hear them blaspheme Jesus Christ as the Jews do in their Synagogues Did you find them praying in an unknown tongue or praying to the Saints or Virgin Mary as the Papists do or did you find them praying for unlawful things you had some colour to inform against them as transgressors of this act What is there then in these mens Prayers that make you judg them to be in other manner than according to the Liturgy which in your apprehension makes them transgressors of the Law It may be you will say They do not use that form of Prayer which is prescribed in the Liturgy but they pray