obedience to a private doubt to break a known Command of God who commands Obedience to my Superiors in all things which are not contrary to his commands and whether we should obey God or Man our selves or the Magistrates and Rulers of of the Church is no such hard Question as some people have made it BESIDES Though wilful Errors in Faith are Damnable yet Errors in Circumstances neither are nor can be so unless we make them so our selves by Disobedience to God in refusing for Peace and Vnity to submit to our Superiors which is Damnable Nor indeed can any of the several Rites and Ceremonies of Religion be properly called Errors though they be different nay contrary one to another For where there is no positive Command of God to Determine us either part is lawful or unlawful only according as it is commanded or forbidden by those who are in Authority and if it be not determined by them then as we in our own Judgment shall be perswaded that is conducive to Gods Glory and the Happiness of Mankind For whether I should pray in a Surplice or in a Cloak is not a point of Salvation for I may do it with either or neither and yet go to Heaven but Disobedience to my Lawful Superiors should they command me to pray to God in Publique in either of them is an Error in Faith for who ever is guilty of that Disobedience must either believe that God is not the Author of that Command or that it is not true which is Infidelity and Error Now let any person of Sobriety Judg whether such a Conscience is a good Conscience and void of offence to God and Men which will strain at the Gnat of an indifferent Ceremony and swallow the Camel of Disobedience And whether all good Christians ought not to joyn with the National Church in such Ceremonies and manners of Worship as admitting them to be as bad as any Ceremonies can be which are not Damnable rather than by endeavouring to avoid them and refusing to use them to run the certain Hazzard of ruining the Peace of the Church and Nation and certain Damnation by their Disobedience to the Command of God I desire to make this as clear as I can and therefore we will Instance in the sign of the Cross after Baptism This Ceremony is by many so much abhorred that they will rather not have their Children received into the Covenant of Grace by Baptism or which is the same thing have the Sacrament from those who having no lawful Ordination have therefore no Commission to go and Baptize all Nations Now supposing the sign of the Cross after Baptism a superfluous or superstitious Ceremony which yet will never be proved as by the Church explained in the Office of Baptism and the 30 Canon yet still the Use of it could not be injurious to Salvation or Damnable because it is no where in Scripture forbidden nor ever asserted to be Essential to the Sacrament Nor condemned by either Councels or the Practice of the Church in any Age but frequently used by the Primitive Christians both upon that and many other Occasions what a man may do without fear of Damnation he may do safely nor is he to be judge of the Expedience or edifyingness of the Ceremony for who made any private man a Judge over others that very capacity Excludes him from that Power But for any person to refuse to have his Child Baptized because of this Ceremony or to refuse to obey his Superiors is to make himself a Judge over them and a damnable Sin Washing with Water in the Name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost is the Essence of the Sacrament but there are some Prayers to be made 1 Tim. 〈◊〉 For every Creature of God is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer some Gestures some Postures to be used in such a weighty Solemnity some Praises due for so great a Benefit and these being no where directed what they shall be are left to the Care and Wisdom of the Governors of the Church who to avoid Confusion and to Establish Vnity by Vniformity to preserve the Decency of so Sacred a Duty prescribe this Form of words these Gestures and Rites and this sign as of great signification that as St. Paul says We should Glory in the Cross of Christ and receive that as a Badge or Cognizance of our Christian Profession THE same Answer will serve for all the Ceremonies which are made use of or commanded by the Church of England Nor shall we need to fear lest by this Power of the Church the Ceremonies should swell to such a bulk as to be burthensom by being too numerous since the Governors themselves are not without a Rule in this particular which is the Determination of the first General Councel at Jerusalem Acts 15.28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things one of those necessary things was before indifferent viz. to abstain from things strangled and St. Paul seems to make even the other about the things offer'd to Idols the same which now were made by the Councel necessary BUT supposing that there were a real Clog of Ceremonies which none can justly complain of amongst us yet would any man loose the substance for fear of the shadow refuse to Eat good and wholsome Diet because the Dish was Silver and too much Garnished and by Schism and Disobedience run the hazard of his own Soul and all those seduced by him meerly to avoid the doing of those things which if he does them cannot in the least prejudice his Salvation for these are only the Conditions of our maintaining Peace Vnity and Charity but not the Conditions upon which our Salvation depends because God has no where said he that does these things shall be damned and he that abstains from them shall be saved but he has said we must hear the Church and if she Commands this for Peace sake we must Obey lest we be justly esteemed as Publicans and Heathens BESIDES they who Command must answer to God for themselves and they who are to Obey shall not answer for the Errors of their Superiors but no man can answer to God for his disobedience against them in these Commands not only because they are not Judges whether they ought to do or not to do what they are Commanded but because there can then be no such thing as Obedience if every man may be his own Judge for what one man may do out of pure doubt or scruple of Mind thousands will pretend to do and it being impossible to discover the Tender Conscience from the Obstinate and Designing all Duty to our Superiors in the Church will be Evaded with pretence of Doubting or else consist in obeying only so far as we like the Commands which is for fear of Popery to make every Man his own Pope to dispense with the
dore of Separatists and Schismaticks who by frustrating this Power render it contemptible and set open the dore to all Impiety and Atheism p. 122. CHAP. IX Of the Necessity of Vnity in point of Government as well as Faith in a National Church upon the account of Civil Policy Such Vnity the Design of all Religion in Reference to Humane Society No Happiness without it Government appointed by God with an Intention to promote this Design and therefore Disobedience a damnable sin p. 149 CHAP. X. A further discovery of the Impolitickness of Disunion in point of Church Government No Domestique Peace to be hoped for without it but perpetual Quarrels under pretence of Religion and Conscience The Rise and Spring of Fears and Jealousies from the several Interests of Dissenters p. 165 CHAP. XI The mischief of Disunion in respect of Foreign Affairs It Weakens any Nation and Exposes them to the Arms of their Enemies Robs them of their Alliances and Confederations Interest and Mutual Support the Foundation of all Leagues Different Churches in the same Nation incline People to Democracy p. 190 CHAP. XII Of Tolleration Some Animadversions upon a Book intituled The Advocate of Conscience Liberty in reference to all Dissenters p. 203 CHAP. XIII A further Examination of the same Author in his particular Plea for the Papists A short View of and Answer to their Boasting to be our Apostles Of their Antiquity Succession Visions Miracles c. Of the Oath of Supremacy Of the Powder Treason or Fifth of November p. 229 CHAP. XIV Of the Difficulty of Vnderstanding the Modes of things sensible much more those of the Intellectual World The Vnreasonableness of Obtruding things not certain as De Fide Of Faith It must be such a Condition of Salvation as All may perform because All have a Title to the Common Salvation The Scriptures the only Rule of this Faith which is the necessary Condition of being saved Of the difference between a Rule and a Guide p. 248 CHAP. XV. Of Episcopacy Proved to be of Divine Institution and the Government appointed over the Church by the Holy Ghost The Testimony of Scripture Of Ignatius the Disciple of the beloved Apostle St. John From the constant Vse and Consent of the Church in all Ages Of Aerius the Reason of his Heresie All Hereticks against Government The Doctrine of Calvin of the necessity of some to determine Differences p. 276 CHAP. XVI Of the Judge of Controversies No Humane Authority the Judge of Faith God only Infallible That part of the Catholique Church which is Militant may Err. The difference between not Erring and the Impossibility of Erring The Rulers of the Church the Interpreters of Scripture In all things not absolutely of the Essence of Faith which nothing can be that is not Evident in Scripture either in plain Words or necessary Consequence All private men Excluded from Interpretation of Scripture p. 302 CHAP. XVII The CONCLVSION p. 317 The Project of PEACE CHAP. I. The INTRODUCTION THEY must certainly have little good Nature and far less Christian Charity who are not most sensibly afflicted for the miserable Distractions the deplorable Differences and unnatural Divisions which are among those who profess the glorious Religion of Christ Jesus That Heart must be more flinty than a Stoick's which does not bleed it self and supply the Eyes with Tears whilst Christians who by the Command of their Great but Meek and Tender Lord ought to be harmless as Doves and innocent as Lambs are transformed by preposterous Zeal and pious Pretences into Wolves and Tygres and with a fierce and savage fury mutually Worry and Devour one another nay even exceed the madness of those Brutes and devest themselves of all Humanity to put on this new Nature as they term it of Religion For Saevis inter se convenit Vrsis The Greenland Bears are kind one to another But to the shame of those who call themselves Christians but are of the Synagogue of Satan that Aboriginal Murderer men are not so modest as to be confined within the limits of making true the Horrid Adage Homo homini Lupus that one man is a Wolf to devour another but they proceed to the utmost extremity of Malice and Madness and become Homo homini Daemon Devils to damn one another not Anthropophagi or Canibals but Psychophagi feeding upon humane souls turning that innocent Wisdom of the Serpent which our Lord commands to preserve our selves into the restless Malice of the Old Serpent to destroy others Souls Bodies and Estates and to infuse the Mortal Poison of Adders which is under their Lips into the Souls of Credulous Men through their Ears and Eyes with the pretext of Piety and true Religion The Glorious Company of Saints and Martyrs now triumphant in Heaven went thither through a Red Sea of Blood but it was their own which was shed by the cruel hands of Heathenish Persecutors who did it ignorantly in Unbelief and with joy it was that they set their seal to the Testimony of Jesus and his Truth in their dearest blood Emptying their Veins that their Souls might be filled with a glorious Immortality But now Christians who all profess one Common Name and Faith think they do not set to their seal to that Truth unless they shed the blood of one another and that most commonly for differences in Opinion for Words Names Fancies and Conjectures at least if we may believe there is no more in the bottom which they conceal than there is in what they pretend openly for the ground of the Quarrel Oh Barbarous Christianity Oh Heathenish Impiety In the importunate Croud of such mournful thoughts and considerations of former Experience of our late Shipwrack and fear of future Events which the Noisy Tempest that seemed to threaten our Crazy and bruised Vessel suggested to my mind my Soul was overwhelmed with Grief and fear and ready to sink into Dispair both at the remembrance of the past and the terrible Consequences of that Inevitable Ruin which Truth it self has pronounced against a house and a Kingdom divided within and therefore against themselves and distracted by Intestin Discords THE prophetique Caution of the Apostle came presently into my mind Gal. 5.15 But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another I saw me thought with Horror the too plain truth of it in those once Golden Candlesticks Vid. Mr. Smiths Travels to the Seven Churches of Asia the Seven Churches of Asia who by their Discords were laid in ashes and are the habitations of Owls and Dragons or far worse Inhabitants the sordid Worshippers of that Great Imposter Mahomet I could not stand upon the Brink of such an amasing Precipice without extreme Horror nor see the Cause so Evident without a dreadful apprehension of the Tragical Issue Which made me break out into the Passionate Wish of the afflicted Jeremy Oh that my Head were Waters Jer. 9.1 2. and mine
Eyes a fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night for the daughter of my People Oh that I had in the Wilderness a lodging Place of a way-faring man that I might leave my People and go from them for they are an Assembly of treacherous Men. For I found my self like the Royal Prophet Psal 55.4 5 6 7 8. My heart was sore pained within me fear and trembling came upon me then said I Oh that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flee away and be at rest I would wander far off and remain in the Wilderness I would make haste to escape from the windy storm and tempest But what said I will Tears avail though I could raise them to a Deluge can they attone the Sins or drown the Miseries of a Nation Oh blessed Jesus thou great and compassionate Shepherd look down from thy glorious Habitation upon this miserable Flock which with thy precious blood thou hast redeemed pour out thine Indignation upon the Heathen who either have not known thy Name or Hate it When shall that happy Vnity and perfect Charity bless thy Church in being one Flock under thee that great and only Shepherd when shall the breaches of Zion be made up when shall Jerusalem by being at Vnity in it self become the Glory of the whole Earth the City of the great King I begun then to meditate upon the Goodness of that wise Physician who giveth Medicine to heal their Sickness and maketh men to be of one mind in a House But alas when I came to put our Sins and especially our Ingratitudes for Mercies that were Miracles into the Ballance against Gods Mercy I found but too true what the same afflicted Prophet sayes of himself in a Case not much different from ours Jer. 8.18 When I would comfort my self against sorrow my heart was faint within me we looked for Peace but no good came for a time of Health but behold trouble Long have we hoped to see good Dayes and expected better Times but the harvest is past the Summer is ended and we are not deliver'd Nay rather our Symptoms appear more dangerous and our wound almost incurable With which consideration I burst out into the sensible Expression of the holy disconsolate in the following Verse For the hurt of the Daughter of my People am I hurt I am black astonishment hath taken hold on me I had no sooner uttered those Words but my Eye was Encountred with the succeeding Expression Is there no Balm in Gilead Is there no Physician there why then is not the health of the daughter of my People recovered Yes certainly said I there is Balm in Gilead but where is the Physician that shall apply it The wound is deep and Fester'd and will not indure the least the gentlest hand to touch it They who are sick even to the Extreamest Agonies and Convulsions believe themselves in the most perfect state of Health they reject contemn and despise the Physician and his applications and though they are in the most dangerous Delirium they are so strongly possessed of this belief that they think the Physitian mad and brain-sick and are so far from receiving his advice and skill that they cry out He wants it himself and they pretend to give it I knew that many there were who had attempted the charitable design in vain I knew their Talents far exceed my Mite I can give but all they can give no more and that I will give I know my Lord will expect an account a strict one from me Matt. 25.27 and to receive his own with Vsury why should I then hide my Lords money in the Earth There may be as much Charity in a Mite as in a Million all will help the treasury towards the rebuilding of the Temple and God who knows all things knows I think it too small to boast of or to give to be seen of men They who have received more may be more Liberal and I hope they will Thus did I struggle with my troubled thoughts but at the last I considered that of the Incomparably wisest of Men Eccl. 9.11 I returned says he and saw under the Sun that the Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the strong and my hopes received a strange assistance and my Courage a reinforcement by the Parable of the poor Man Vers 14.15 who delivered the City from the iminent danger with which it was surrounded Nor did the reflection of so great a Judge upon the poor Mans going unrewarded for his service discourage me For since I dare neither pretend to his Character nor success I am secured against the discontents and danger of Oblivion The Glory of good actions if they succeed is Reward enough for innocent Minds and if they fail the satisfaction of having attempted them is beyond all other Recompences and I may truly say my greatest fear is lest I should not be able to accomplish the Good Design which I do so passionately desire to do My Intention is my Satisfaction and if it will procure my Pardon from some it is beyond my Expectation and however I am assured that whatsoever reception or Effect my Intentions may find amongst Men yet that even this inconsiderable Cup of cold Water Matt. 10. ult shall not fail of a proportionate reward from him who recompenses sincere Intentions and poor Indeavours for all our best Actions are no better done in Faith and Charity with transcendant degrees of real Glory IN the Name therefore of God Omnipotent I will Enter upon this Rugged way which is therefore Uneven because few there are that tread it and in my Travels through these Regions of good and bad Report I will endeavour to Follow the bright Star of Truth and to avoid the dangerous Rocks of Partiality and Passion I will not Court the Kindness even of that Party which I own by unmanly and much less Unchristian Flattery nor treat those who are Enemies to themselves and truth with heat and Animosity as if they were my own And if at any time I may appear transported too sharp or Rugged I desire it may be remembred that the Samaritan was no less Compassionate or Charitable for the sharpness of his Wine than for the smoothness of his Oyl the one was as necessary to cleanse the Wounds as the other to heal them and both previous to his binding them up All the Request I have to those who at present differ from me in Opinion is That if I speak truth I may be Credited and they perswaded to Embrace the same Design which all good Christians are bound to promote as well as I if they expect Salvation viz. Peace on Earth and good will towards Men as well as Glory to God on high And if I be mistaken since I do not Err of Malicious Wickedness that they will pity me and inform me better No person shall more greedily Embrace a clearer beam of Divine
light of Gospel Truth as they are pleased to call even these Prejudices and Mistakes though to the certain loss of Christian Charity and Vnity the great hazard of Temporal Peace and the ruine of Religion it self as I shall hereafter more fully make appear THIS dangerous Prejudice which does infect the minds of Men as it has its foundation in misunderstanding of things so it receives strength from two things which are almost as difficult to change and alter as the Course of Nature and they are Education and Custom Of the last the Holy Ghost speaks most plainly by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye do good who are accustomed or as the Hebrew word signifies taught to do evil learn to do well Of the other that of the Heathen Poet may pass for good Divinity having been confirmed to be truth by the Universal Testimony of all Ages Quô semèl est imbuta recens servabit Odorem Testa diu the first seasoning Principles and Prejudices which we receive in our Youth stick closely to us for a long time after The wise Philosopher tells us the Soul of Man is Rasa Tabula like a white sheet of Paper out of which therefore it must be more than Common Art that can so clear take out the first writing as to super-induce a new Copy fair and legible THIS is the true Reason why any person finds it so difficult to quit those Notions of Religion which have been Established in his Mind from his Early Infancy there is a Marvellous Agreement and Natural Kindness to those Opinions which we suck in with our Milk they are like Foster Brothers to whom it has been observed there is as strong an inclination as to the Natural we play and converse with them from our Cradles and as soon as we can go alone we take them by the hand we sleep with them in our bosoms and contract an insensible Friendship with them a pleasing Familiarity which takes off all deformities we love them and we like them and their very blackness is a Beauty as it is with the Affrican Nations to whom even that which we judge deformity appears more lovely than the most delicate Europaean Beauty What can be more impertinent and ridiculous than the Alchoran of that great Impostor Mahumed and yet a natural Turk born to those prejudices of Education and Custom believes him the greatest of the Prophets and the only friend of God And though he have a great veneration for Christ yet would he spit in your face and call you Hog the most disgraceful term they think they can affront a Christian with if you should contradict him or go about to convince him of his Errors by shewing the absurdities and impossibilities of what he calls his Religion WHAT can be more Barbarous and Savage than the Rites of the Pagan Idolaters and yet you may almost as soon remove a Mountain as one of them from what has been the Religion of his Ancestors and his ever since he knew any What can be more unreasonable than some of the Tenets of the Romish Church more ridiculous and antick than some parts of their greatest Solemnities more fabulously extravagant than some of their Legends and most of their Miracles and yet we see how tenacious not only most of the vulgar but even of the learned amongst them are that they will not retrench even the fopperies of their Faith as they call it to advance one step towards an Vnion with the whole Catholique Church of the past and present Ages but on the contrary by the Anathema's of the Convention of Trent have cut off all hope and possibility of such an accord by establishing the very Minutiae Quisquiliae the punctilio's and parings of their Religion as things necessary to be believed in order to salvation WHAT can be more hard and cruel than for those who profess to be of the Reformed Religion to run to the very extremities of ruining themselves by mutual Divisions and so far to weaken themselves and disparage their Religion by intestine Quarrels to open an easy way for Conquest to the Enemies both of our Religion and Countrey for some differences in Circumstances of Divine Worship And yet we see such is the strength of some mens prejudices and the education of others in the late unhappy times of our Misery and Distraction from which we were rescued by so many Miracles that they will rather venture upon the same tempestuous Sea again from whence we have so lately escaped shipwrack nay use all Arts and Arguments to push men headlong from the Shoar into the foaming Main again which they have but just recovered still wet and shivering rather than by a compliance with the modest commands of the wise Pilots their lawful Superiors even in the most indifferent things endeavour to repair the leaky vessel of the Church and State by advancing their peace and happiness by a blessed Vnion The glory of God and the salvation of mens souls which certainly are never to be promoted by variance hatred emulations seditions swellings and tumults are of no force or power in comparison of their Prejudices but they will in obedience to the tyranny of their education and custom persist in these practices fearing neither the Laws of God or men the transgression of which they call Zeal and their disobedience Religion but by their example teach others to do the same and confirm them in it NOR is Custom a less Tyrant over mens minds to the introducing of prejudice than Education For hereby men acquire habits which are a kind of second Nature And by long continuance are so rivetted into our good esteem that they are not to be put off without great difficulty how inconsiderable soever they are this is not more visible in any thing than the use and opinion which several Nations have of their several habits of Apparrel for to a mind unprepossed with custom all habits which are decent convenient and useful appear equal and indifferent yet does a Spaniard abhor the fashion of the French nor does the other use to be behind hand in his requital of the same nature A Turk believes a Turbant and a long vest the most ornamental dress in the World and wishes it as a great curse to his enemy to have the plague of a Christians hat And so it is with other Nations The Indian prefers his adressful nakedness before the cumbersome vestments of the Europaeans the stones in his Lips Nose and Ears he esteems better set than all the Artists in the World can do in Gold All these are purely the effects of a prejudiced Custom which makes People gaze even to rudeness and incivility upon Forreigners when they appear amongst us and with a ridiculous curiosity spy imaginary defects and deformities in the unaccustomed dresses of other Countries Nay even the antiquated fashions of our own though once the high
of Folly Pride usually sets Ambition upon Action and what the one Projects the other Executes For that any person should despise the Precepts of Virtue and Religion the Principles of Loyalty and Obedience per fas nefas the Common Ladder of Ambition aspire at high things great places of Trust Honour Dignity or Command in the World must certainly be the Effect of Pride for such Tempers are always Opiniatres of their own Merits Haughty Minds think and believe therefore that they deserve whatsoever they can Desire and more than they have and the higher they rise still the more Proud and Ambitious they grow looking upon their past Acquisitions as the just reward of their Wisdom and Conduct which still swells them with bigger Desires and larger Thoughts so that in reality Ambition knows no Hercules Pillars because Pride cannot write a Nè plùs ultrà upon their Merits for this is the Dropsie of the Mind and the more Men drink the the more they thirst Totum licet hauserit Hermum Ardebit majore siti thus the young Macedonian swell'd with his Victories over the Unfortunate Persian and his Allies and being told of more Worlds Aestuat infelix angusto limite Mundi his Ambition boil'd over at his Eyes that he was confin'd to one nay so strangely was he transported with this unruly Tumor that nothing would satisfie him but to be a God as if he had intentions to depose his adopted Father and conquer Heaven too when he came there Now it is the Constant Temper of these hot Complexions to make every thing stoop to their Designs because they think every thing ought to bow to their Merits nor will they spare even Religion it self to which they will yet seemingly bend only to bend it to their Interest and they do most frequently abuse that Sacred Name because by that Method they are inabled more easily to abuse others with their well acted Hypocrisie and double-gilt Dissimulation and it being the sole Prerogative of Heaven to know mens hearts their Great Master-piece is to cover their Ambition with the soft Mantle of Religion and to act that part of their Lives so to the Life as rather to out-do the most sincere and innocent as to what is visible than by any remissness in their outward appearance to hazard a discovery of what lodges within Nor indeed is it possible to distinguish such golden Sinners from the most splendid Saints without a narrow consideration whither their Designs must lead them and in what they will End and this is the true Reason why the innocent and well-meaning among the ordinary rank of People are so often imposed upon surprised with and carried on in a good opinion of their proud and Ambitious Leaders who cover those horrid Vices with the Glorious Names of Zeal for the Lord of Hosts Fervency of Spirit and Active Piety for the Cause of God for if they would consider whither of necessity these Principles of Disobedience which they infuse into them both against their King and their Church would at the last lead them and of what nature the Practises are which are deduced from them it were impossible that People should be seduced by such Troops to adore and almost Deifie those persons whose main Design is only to serve their own present Interest and the future Aims of their Ambitious Pride BUT lest any Person should think the Expression of Deifying too harsh I can bring Evidence from those who heard it from the persons mouth that spoak it who affirmed That be did believe that if our Saviour were upon Earth he could not speak more Heavenly than such a One naming the Person who was then the admired Orator of the Place but lest he should be Exalted above measure for his Golden and Divine Talents and to shew you how Fickle and Unconstant these Hosanna's are it was not long after that the very same Person who had so Exalted him to Heaven did as much debase him and being an illiterate Fellow who could neither Write nor Read yet he had it seems made so good use of the others Gifts and Talents in Preaching and Extempore Prayer that he offer'd to wager 20 l. that he would quote Scripture with his Master from Genesis to Revelations and you may be assured then that he would Preach and Pray with him for 40 l. having so much more confidence of Himself and his own Abilities as he wanted Learning to know Himself and his own Deficiencies THE Nature of Pride and Ambition is always to Establish its own Greatness upon the Ruine of whatsoever does oppose them and by all ways and means to lessen others in order to greaten themselves that so by trampling upon the necks of their Enemies they may Exalt their own Power and Esteem and because there is nothing that does Elevate men to that degree of Excellency in the Minds of the Multitude like an Opinion of their Sanctity and Devotion therefore it is that this is the beloved Ingine which Ambitious Minds make use of to carry on cover and effect their own Designs of Greatness by the assistance of Popular Tumults which they usually inrage like Elephants by shewing them the Scarlet Robes both of the Prince and Priest as objects of hatred to animate and inflame them against those Sacred Persons by whom they are worn I might confirm this by many Forrein Instances but I rather chuse one at home both because it nearly concerns us and ought to make the greater Impression upon us The late Usurper Cromwel was in this Art so perfect and accomplisht as not to deserve to be undervalued as a Copy but Esteemed an Original of Pride Hypocrisie and Ambition One would admire that People who many of them knew the Man and his Conversation who saw the Curious Disguise of his Dissimulation and Flattery thrown off by his own hands who are sensible how by this only Artisice of pretending Religion though by the assistance of their Blood and Money he threw down the peacable Government both of Church and State how by a bloody Civil War and the Murther of his Royal Master he himself aspired to the Throne and how he Established an Arbitrary Tyranny against which he pretended and made the People believe he fought and how to the great affliction of all Parties especially the Presbyterians he took away one Religion but set up none nor indeed had any because he was of all as they were most serviceable to his present Interest and Affairs One would I say admire that those who though they saw not these gloomy Days yet have sufficiently heard of the Horror and Confusion of those times and cannot but believe the truth of the Relations should yet swallow down the hook which is baited with Liberty and Sanctity But because it may not be unuseful in this present Age so fond of outward shews I will give a short Character of his Ambition and those Arts by which Heaven for our Sins permitted him who
that it put him in mind of his Apostplical Function which was to be a Fisher of Men but coming to be possessed of the Triple Crown the Net was no longer seen and being by an intimate Consident demanded what was the Reason that since he wore the Annulum Piscatoris the Papal Signet of St. Peter the Fisherman he had now left off his Net He pleasantly reply'd That now he had got what he had so long been fishing for Thus did our English Massaniello by the pretence of Sanctity and Non-conformity by the help of long Prayers and a longer Sword by the promises of Liberty of Conscience Liberty of the Subject propagation of Truth and giving the Gospel a free course that it might run and be Glorified by the help of new Gospel Lights and Revelations which shone in his Army by these Arts did he advance himself to the most unlimitted Power over Laws Liberty Life Estate and Religion to that degree that a look from him like Plinies Basilisk was death even to his fellow Snakes and as if with Mithridates he had liv'd upon Poyson his very breath was Mortal not only to the Royal Party but to those who had sometime been of his own and even to bodies Politick the Conventions which he call'd Parliaments one of which Assemblies I remember exceeding the Limits he had set them a free debate being then no Priviledg of Parliament he swore by the Living God a venial sin in so great a Saint he would dissolve them and immediately sent Collonel Pride the constant Friend of his Ambition with the Janizaries of his houshold to put the bow-string of his Authority about the neck of the House which with the resignation of a Turkish Bashaw with Suchis the will of my Lord bowed the head to the execution and departed that Life without a Murmur against his Highness Artic. 3. of the Instrument that he should not dissolve a Parliament till it had sate 5 Months this begun Sept. 3. and was dissolved Jan. 10th 1654. or the lest complaint of breach of Priviledg or his Oath to the Instrument of Government that he should not dissolve them in five Months or his intrenching upon the Liberties of a Free-born People Tantum potuit Religio Suadere Malorum THIS is a sufficient Caution to all People not to trust their Lives Liberties Priviledges or Religion to the Protection of such Prayers and Pretenders to Piety Zeal Reformation and Sanctity I know such instances are rare and Ambition does not usually prove so fortunate but this it never fails of to make the Lives of those with whom it dwells uneasie to themselves and others and if it happens among men of the Church it certainly occasions great Commotions the breach of Peace and loss of Vnity And if we search the Records of Church history we shall find that most of the Schisms and Heresies which have occasioned those Great Disorders drew their Original from the Pride and Ambition of the discontented Clergy for nothing is more natural than for such Persons where want of Temper renders them most unfit for Government in the Church to be most desirous of it and to believe they best deserve it if they fail in their Expectations which it is more than probable they will being measured by the Standard of the Sober and Judicious and not by their own flattery of themselves presently they fall into discontent and endeavour to obtain that Esteem and Authority by unlawful Methods which they could not arrive at in the regular modest and peaceable ways of Order and obedience This discontent pushes them violently forward to be revenged of those who by not advancing them they think depress them or by advancing others they believe despise and disparage them and at the same time they endeavour to satisfie their Ambition and Revenge by Exalting themselves Now there are no Arts which they can more successfully use to accomplish their design than these which follow FIRST to appear more strict holy devout and righteous than those whom they call their Enemies who shall therefore be thought ill themselves for not advancing those who appear so good And by this means they shall certainly be so esteemed by such who look no further and indeed cannot discover the Depth of their hearts or the secret malice that lodges so closely there This presently creates them a Name and wins them a Party who celebrate their Fame sing Hosannas in their Praise Espouse them their Interest and their Quarrel SECONDLY That they may appear more than common and difference their Party from the rest thereby to keep them to themselves they must broach some new Doctrine or revive some old one there must be an Altar erected and though it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet will there never want some who will ignorantly Worship the stranger God and entertain the Travelling Deity then must the old Rites and manner of Worship be exploded to make room for the New and though a man may truly say of them as our Saviour of the Wine the old is better than the new so unsettled unfermented and full of mutinous Spirits that it flies and froths and and foams breaks the old Bottles into which it is put yet will even this Wine upon the fret please some Capricious Palates better than the Old THIRDLY Then all those who oppose them must be exclaimed against and cryed down Especially their lawful Superiors and Governors as formal out-of-fashion-Christians all endeavours must be used to rendred them contemptible and Odious And all this must be done out of pure Zeal to Truth when in reality it is out of pure Revenge and for no other Design than that these Ambitious Spirits may satisfie their Pride by obtaining that Preheminence by fraud and force which they can never hope for by any other ways THIS is the true procedure of Pride and Ambition and which leads directly into the Red Sea of Blood I wish most heartily that all sober and considerative Persons who dissent from the Church of England and even those who are principally guilty of our Divisions would enter into a serious Examination whether there be not some of the furious Spirit which our Saviour Rebukes in his Disciples James and John Luke 9.54 55. which puts them upon Desiring fire from Heaven upon such as will not recieve them and since they cannot obtain that makes them throw about their own wild-fire to set the Church and Common-wealth into a Blaze And to help the Discovery I will give them some Indications of such a Spirit though lurking never so cunningly under the Cloak of Zeal and Piety AND first therefore Disobedience to Lawful Authority and all the ways which manifest that Disobedience whether Words or Actions are certain Symptoms of the Pride of Mens Hearts and the secret Ambition of their Minds for whosoever disobeys his Superior does at the same time despise him and whosoever despises any person in Authority does it because he is confident
Vnity To these I might add Envy the Canker of the Mind the daughter of Discontent and constant Enemy of Peace Covetousness the Root of all Evil. Envy being the shadow of Honour and real Worth and Sacrilegious Covetousness the Ravenous Harpie that preys upon the small Patrimony of the Church which usually is the great perswasive to prophane and Rapacious Natures to treat her as the Atheistical Dionysius did his Apollo who rob'd him of his golden Robe alledging it was too cold for his Godship in Winter and too heavy in Summer but because these Fall in with Interest and Ambition I will not under different Names repeat the same things over again to nauseat the Judicious and tire the indifferent Reader with reiterated Tautologies CHAP. V. HAVING thus shewn what it is that impedes our Happiness and which therefore must of necessity be removed from the Minds of Men before there can be any Possibility of their Embracing Truth Unity and Charity in the next place we come to manifest the necessity of Vnion the only Expedient which can procure the Common Happiness of Mankind Now to make this appear we must look into the Main End and Design of all Religion here in this Mortal State of Life in order to that future Condition of a Glorious Immortality and that we may the better apprehend what that is we must consider the Commands and Precepts of Religion and at what they aim And because all the Rules of our Holy Profession direct us to it we must believe that God Almighty gave us those Precepts Rules and Directions to promote our own and the Common Happiness of all Mankind even here in this present State of Life to render our short Journey through the troublesom Stage of Time more pleasant and easy till we arrive at the unchangeable Happiness of Eternity This Easiness of Mind this real Happiness of Life is only to be obtain'd by following the precepts of Justice Temperance Sobriety Prudence and the other Noble and God-like Vertues which Religion teaches for the substance of Happiness does not consist in any thing without us though there are good Circumstances but in the Innocency of Mind and purity of Life Nil Conscire sibi nullà pallefcere culpâ in our being good and doing good which is the great Employment for which we came into the World So that there is a necessity of Religion in the World in order to the happy posture of humane affairs which all Mankind desire for themselves with unlimited wishes but are too narrow in their indeavors to promote it in Common unto others That this was the Wise and good Design of the great Creator is most apparent in that even in those obscure Ages of Barbarism and Ignorance Act. 14.16 17. at which the Apostles says God was pleased to wink yet he left not himself without a Witness When in times past he suffered all men to walk in their own ways they were not without some Religion which taught them their Duty in some Measure though imperfect both to the Gods for they supposed many and also to Men. THAT must of Necessity therefore be the truest Religion and most agreeable to the Will of God which approaches nearest to this Great Design and would certainly accomplish the End for which all Religion was intended And therefore the truth of any Religion must be measured according to the Proportion which it holds to promoting Peace Unity and Charity the only ways to obtain happiness in this World as well as Faith whereby we hope to obtain the happiness of a future state And what Religion soever separates these Good Works from Faith is so far vain and destroys that Faith it seems to profess for Faith without Works is dead If therefore any Religion ruines Peace Unity and Charity we must judg it so far false and erroneous let it make never so many Boasts of holding the true Faith of Christ Of all the Religions which ever were in the World the Christian Doctrine may justly challenge the Preheminence as conducting men if they would be managed by it the nearest way to Happiness both Temporal and Eternal and among all the variety of Opinions in the Christian Religion that must therefore of necessity be the best and truest which does most powerfully promote innocency of Life purity of Mind Unity and universal Peace not by external force and violence but by the same Methods which God Almighty made use of to plant and propagate it in the World which was not by Tumults Seditions or Disobedience to the Civil Magistrate but by meekness humility Charity and a Conversation unblameable Which were the Weapons by which the Primitive Christians were taught to put to silence the ignorance of folish Men The Church indeed had a power but it was purely Spiritual and those spiritual Arms were the most powerful to the pulling down and dismantling the strong holds of Sin and therefore even while the Temporal Powers of the Earth did all they could to suppress them yet mightily did the Word of God grow and increase not by opposing Rebelling or imposing Laws upon their Soveraigns but by submitting and suffering demonstrating upon all occasions their Innocence and that they were free from any ill designs upon the Civil Government of the World or the Temporal concerns of Mankind BUT because all and every Profession of Christian Religion every Church would have us beleive this of them and that therefore every one Challenges the name of the true Church of Christ here lies the Difficulty and the niceness of the Point Which is the best and truest And because all desire the Glorious Title therefore they quarrel about it who it is that is the Spouse of Christ Whereas one would Modestly believe that to be without Spot and Wrinkle is not to be appropriated to any particular Church in which there must be Tares and Chaff as well as Wheat but to the Holy Catholick Church I do not mean of Rome for She is but one Member that glorious Company of true Believers the General Assembly of the Church which have been and shall be in all Ages of the World and out of all Nations united unto Christ their Head A Church may be a true and a visible Church of Christ and yet have many Errors and so long as they keep the foundation of Faith though they may build Hay and Stubble upon that Foundation yet I do not see how they can be denyed that Name Thus we see St. Paul writes to the Church of God which is at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 to them that are Sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints And yet in that very Epistle he Complains of great Errors and Disorders among them Cap. 11. and an Abuse of the very Sacrament of the Lords Supper and so to the Church of the Galatians and yet he tartly calls them foolish Galatians and tells them they were bewitched into this Disobedience against the Truth and that he was
of several distinct Churches who are all Members of that Mystical Body he walks among the Candlesticks he holds the Stars in his right hand The Angel of every distinct National Church is to be the mover of the Orb to guide it by the Light of Divine Truth spoken by the Spirit of the Churches the Temporal Power may be Supreme Head of the Church as they are a Society of Christian Men but neither the one nor the other can justly pretend a Power over the Angel of another Church or the Dominions of another Prince for that is the Prerogative of the Son of God who Unites them in his Right hand and who alone can challenge the Title of that Name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords NOR will this Independency of Churches one upon another which is only in point of Jurisdiction and Limits which was anciently practiced and commanded by the Decrees of Councels give the least disturbance to their Charity and Vnion so long as they maintain the same Universal Doctrine of Faith as to the substance and all acknowledge one Catholique Church and themselves Members of it Nay it is observable that this incroachment of the greater Churches upon the less and indeavouring to aggrandize themselves by imposing upon all other Churches a Soveraignty and Dominion never intended for Christian Religion and striving by force to oblige them to use their Rites and Ceremonies in indifferent Circumstantials and not only so but to receive all their Opinions as matters of Faith were the first occasion of the most remarkable Schisms and Divisions and the loss of Peace and Unity and still continue so to this very day Whereas did they all resolve to content themselves with their own Precincts and not indeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and act out of their own Provinces but would permit others to make use of such indifferent Rites as the Governours of the several Churches judge necessary and expedient in their respective Charges and if any Controversies should arise in Point of Doctrine resolve amicably to compose them by hearing what the Spirit saith to the Churches and how the Universal Church has already determined in the same or like Affairs according to the Rule of Scripture would they study more to propagate Peace and Vnity than Dominion and Soveraignty to increase Piety and Purity of Life more than outward agreement of Rites and Ceremonies the ancient Happiness of the Church in her first and Vnambitious Age when the Office of Government was the surest way to Martyrdom would in a great measure be restored to the Members of the Catholique Church and there would be that Vnity which is by God Commanded and by all good Christians not only to be desired but promoted to the uttermost of their Power Were it possible that this true and ancient Temper Modesty and Moderation of Primitive Christianity might obtain in the World the Names of distinction with the occasions of them would be taken away one would not be of Paul another of Apollos another of Cephas one a Romanist another a Calvinist Lutheran Hugonot or a Zuinglian but all would be of Christ but alas what hope so long as the Church of Rome will be Vniversal and will exclude all those who Refuse the tyranique Yoak of both her Declared and Implicit Faith and to be subject to her absolute Dominion not only from the Name of Churches and being Parts of the Church Universal but from the Communion of Saints from all hopes of the Resurrection of the just nay even from her Purgatory too which is very severe if there be such a place as admits of Hope for Sinners after Death and in a word from all possibility of the Life everlasting How disterent is this from the ancient Charity and Doctrine of St. Peter and St. Paul whom they believe the Founders of their Church for they incourage us to hope we may receive the Benefit of the Common Salvation Act. 10.35 for God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him for with him there are no Distinctions neither Greek nor Jew Col. 3.11 to v. 16. Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but all are Christs who have put on as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of Mercy kindness humbleness of Mind meekness long-suffering forbearance one of another and forgiveness one towards another if there be differences as Christ also forgave us and above all things they who have put on Charity which is the bond of Perfection and whose Hearts are ruled by the Peace of God But in regard that this is to be dispair'd of and may well seem forreign to the Design of these Papers let us come to consider what Influence this ought to have upon us as to Vnity amongst our selves which without Excluding our Neighbours from our Charity though they do us from theirs and Heaven is the principal Intention of this Discourse CHAP. VI. HAVING shewn that the Peace and Vnity of the Catholick Church Militant upon Earth depends in a great Measure upon this Justice in preserving the Common Faith of Christ as the bond of Vnion not only among our selves but with that part of the Church which is now Triumphant in Heaven and in order thereunto in allowing every distinct and National Church their particular Bounds and Jurisdiction free from Incroachments and Invasion permitting them a freedom of Using such Rites and Customs in the Celebration of Divine Worship as the Governors of each respective Church shall judge to be nearest the Rule of Scripture the Constant Usage and Determination of the Catholique Church in the best Ages and of the best Men in all most conducive to the Great End of all Religion by promoting the Happiness of Mankind both here and hereafter before we proceed any further it will be requisite to answer what may and will be certainly objected by all Dissenters FOR if an Independency of Churches of Distinct Nations and Polities so long as they agree in matters of Faith may be permitted a distinct Jurisdiction different Rites and manner of Worship to the increase of Charity Peace and Unity why may not the same be likewise practised by several Churches in the same Nation To which I answer That as Vnity in point of Faith is the Bond of Vnion in the Vniversal Church so Obedience to the Supreme Government of any Nation is that which Vnites them into one Polity and distinguishes them from all other People who do not own that Subjection and Obedience And this Vnion of Obedience is also that which preserves and maintains them as well as Constitutes them a distinct Political Body from all other Nations Herein lies their Strength herein their Security their Safety and Happiness For as I may be Lawfully permitted to disobey the King of Spain or France nay and ought to do it in many Cases for the Interest of my Nation but cannot disobey my
Laws of God and Man just as they suit his Interest and his Inclination to make the Scriptures a Nose of Wax and the King and Church meer Heads of Wood and since the reason of Obedience is because we think it truth which is Commanded and that they who Command are better able to Judge for us than we our selves as being by God appointed over us for that Design should they be mistaken in what they Command yet the Judge of all the Earth who cannot do wrong would be so far from punishing that he would reward such Obedience because done according to his Command Nor shall the other for Commanding because they did it with a good Design provided when it does appear to them to be of ill consequence they cease to impose it any longer which is the true reason why many things in the service of God have been altered and abolished upon several Occasions THIRDLY It will be objected That by this Rule all the Gallicane German and other Protestant Churches who live under a Government which owns and Commands the Romish Discipline and Church will hereby be made Schismaticks to those several National Churches of which they are Members and that hereby a necessity is laid upon us to return to the Obedience of the Church of Rome for if those Churches may dissent from their National Churches and yet hold the true Faith why may not we why should their Disobedience be Lawful and ours Damnable To this I answer First That the Difference between those Churches and the National Church in which they are does not consist in Matters of Circumstance or Ceremony but in Matters of Faith and though I will neither undertake the Defence of those Churches either in Doctrine or Discipline yet I suppose they separate from the Roman Communion upon the account of the Impositions of that Church in Points of Faith such as are the Popes Supremacy never owned in France even by the Catholiques the Doctrines of Infallibility the real Presence by Transubstantiation Merit of Works and Supererogation Invocation of Saints Purgatory Adoration of Images c. and the Roman Church who imposes these as Articles of Faith is her self Schismatical if not Heretical from the Catholique Apolique Church of all Ages and therefore to depart from her where she departs from Truth is no more Heresie or Schism than it would be to depart from the Law of Moses or the Jewish Communion in Circumcision c. or of Mahomet if those were imposed as Matters of Faith by that or any other Church for the Apostles Rule holds good to the End of the World for all Christians in Matters of Faith and Manners Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 And would the Romish Church Impose no more upon Christians as necessary to Salvation than is contained in those three famous Creeds of the Apostles Nice and St. Athanasius and what is clearly contained in Scripture which have ever been the Standards of the Catholique Faith I think every good Christian over whom they may challenge a Lawful Jurisdiction ought to joyn with them in Communion of Government and even those over whom they can rightly challenge none ought yet to agree with them in the Communion of Faith Nay should they command many Ceremonies in the Service of God more than they do yet those who live in the Jurisdiction of that Church ought to submit to them for the maintaining of Unity Peace and Charity and I doubt not but the Foreign Protestants at least in Charity I hope so if there were no other matters of Difference between them would easily be perswaded to submit to all the Points of Government Ceremony and much more I remember what a Famous French Minister said to this Purpose when he was told that some of the English Nonconformists refused Communion with the Church of England because they were Enjoyned to wear the Surplice and other Vestments I wish says he that the King of France would command me to perform my Function in a Fools Coat so little did he think the outside and dress of Religion to be of the Essence of it and so necessary did he judge Obedience as well as true Faith to the Peace Unity and Happiness of the Church BUT Secondly Many of those Protestants have Licence and Tolleration given them to Celebrate the Worship and Service of God according to their own Way and by that Dispensation they are free from the guilt of Disobedience to the Civil Magistrate and for the Obedience they owe to the Church of Rome I presume they are willing to give it with all their hearts if Rome Exacted no more in matters of Faith than God Almighty requires as necessary to Salvation BUT the Case is clearly different betwixt our Dissenters and the Foreign Protestants for our Differences are or at least are pretended to be about matters of Polity and the Manner of performance of the Offices of Religion and let the Nonconformists prove us but Guilty of destroying one Article of Faith or imposing any thing to be believed or done contrary to the Scriptures and let them dissent from us in Gods Name and till they can do that their Separation will be a horrid Schism and their Nonconformity a manifest Disobedience to the Laws of God and Men. And should the Foreign Churches refuse the Communion of the Church of Rome and disobey the Princes whose Subjects they are commanding them if there were no greater Differences than Matters of Ceremony and Circumstance I doubt not but their Separation and Disobedience would deserve the same Character BUT supposing the Supreme Power of those Countries should absolutely prohibit the Protestants the exercise of their Religion I think they ought to obey and fall to the Old Arms of the Primitive Christians Prayers and Tears and not to the new Methods of Manaces making Parties and endeavouring by force of Arms to obtain that from Authority by Violence and Compulsion which they cannot by Perswasion A Practice shameful to the Protestant Cause and for any thing I can see if they Judg of all by the Example of our Dissenters more likely to perswade all Princes to Extirpate them out of their Dominions for Seditious Schismaticks and Dangerous Rebells than to Tollerate them as Innocent and Religious Christians THIS was the Custom of the Ancient Christians who Conquered more by the Cross than the Persecutors by all their Cruelty who overcame by Suffering and not by Rebelling A remarkable Instance of which we have in the Army of Julian the Apostate who were obedient to him as their Temporal Soveraign so long as he liv'd but after he had jested out his impious Soul with a Vicistî Galilaee and that Jovinianus was chosen Emperor which he refused as being a Christian and thinking the whole Army Pagans they all cried out Et nos sumus Christiani We are all of us also Christians Here were men in Arms a Powerful Number of Veterane and Victorious Legions
and yet had they not so much as a Rebellious thought of Establishing Religion by force or violence CHAP. VII BY what has been said it appears that the Foundation of all Charity among Christians is built upon Vnity in Faith which is the necessary bond of the Catholique Church which is the Company of all faithful People which are have been or shall be in all Ages and Places of the World and that Vnity in Government as well as Faith is the Bond of Peace and Obedience a Duty therefore which all men owe to their Lawful Superiors as the Necessary Ligature of a National Church which being a Political Society of Religious Men does therefore require a Political Government in Religious as well as Civil affairs THE not well considering of this Difference between a National and the Catholique Church seems to be the chief Ground of the Quarrels among Christians for the Catholique Church being the Spiritual Body of Christ is United in it self and to him by the Spiritual Bond of the Catholique Faith which Faith may be kept Whole and Undefiled though there be great Differences in External Rites and Ceremonies For all Ceremonies are not fit for all Places as for Example Submerging of the person Baptized may do very well in the warm Climates but would be very hazardous in the more Northern Regions of Muscovy Rushia c. Thus we see it was adjudged in that Great Controversie about the Celebration of Easter between the Eastern and the Western Churches For when Anicetus Bishop of Rome and Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna differ'd in their Opinion about it they came to this amicable Determination that each Church should celebrate it according to their own Custom for which they gave this Reason Quia non oportet propter Caeremoniarum dissonantiam rumpere Fidei Consonantiam Ecclesiae Concordiam The Peace and Concord of the Church in the Harmony of Faith ought not to be broken for a disagreement in matters of Ceremony And because this Difference made a great Noise in the Church for many years â—â—d in regard it Confirms my Position of Vnity of Faith being the Bond of the Catholick Church and Vnity of Government as well as Faith that of a National Church I will relate the History of it in short as it is Recorded by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History Euseb lib. 5. c. 24 25 26. Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus and a great many of the Asian Bishops alledging the Practice and ancient Custom of St. John the beloved Disciple of our Lord who was himself Bishop of Ephesus Polycarp and several others observed Easter upon any day of the Week according to the Custom of the Jews The Christians of the Western Church observed it as we do upon the Sunday being the day of his Resurrection Upon this Victor Bishop of Rome pronounces them Excommunicate and separates from their Communion Irenoeus Bishop in Lions shews Victor his Error and that for Ceremonies and Circumstances the Vnity of the Church ought not to be broken which he manifests by the Diversity of several Churches in observing the time of Fasting before Easter some only one day some two some more to forty and yet for all this says that Excellent Father they were at Vnity one with another and as yet retain it for this Variety of Fasting commendeth the Vnity of Faith and thereupon writing to Victor he acquaints him that Anicetus Pius Hyginus Telesephorus and Xystus his Predecessors though not observing the same Custom with the Bishops of Asia yet nevertheless were at Vnity with them and sent the Eucharist unto the Brethren of other Churches that observed a Contrary Custom shewing him also how Polycarpus did not endeavour to alter the Judgment of Anicetus but told him that he ought to observe the ancient Custom of his Predecessors Upon which for the reason before-mentioned they friendly received the Holy Eucharist together the Symbol of their Vnity in Faith and parted from each other in Peace and all such adds he as held contrary Customs and Observations throughout the Vniversal Church held fast the Bond of Love and Vnity no Church endeavouring to impose upon the Liberty of others in point of Circumstances so long as they all held the Catholique Faith as the only necessary bond of Vnion in the Catholique Church and Vnity of Government as the Bond of Vnion in the several Distinct and National Churches whereof the Universal is composed and which therefore it appears had Originally a Jurisdiction among themselves over which neither Rome nor any other had a Power So that is clear that several National Churches may lawfully differ in External Rites of Government from the Catholique without the danger of Schism But now in a National Church there is a necessity of Vnity and Obedience to the Determinations of those who are the Lawful Governors of it and all Disobedience there is a Schism in regard the Peace of that Church the Order and Charity of it without this must be destroyed and therefore there is a Necessity of this Vnity in point of Government in any National Church Now every Distinct Nation as before was said being a separate Society of men Distinguished from the rest of the World by a different Government and their Obedience to it as well as by their Place of Habitation there is a Necessity that Religion should conduce all it can to the preservation of that Political Frame upon which the Well-being and Happiness of the Society depends For the Civil and Religious concerns are so mutually interwoven that no man can be a Good Citizen who is an ill Christian or an ill Christian who is Bonus Civis a good Publiquewealths-man and these do mutually support one another true Religion Improving this Interest of all Men by making the Civil part of the Polity a Duty of Religion among Christians whereas among Heathen it was only a duty of Interest and Policy For even in this sense we may truly say as our Saviour of himself Matt. 5.17 that Christian Religion came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it to conform Humane Laws to the Rule of Divine Equity Truth and Justice and for this reason our Lord himself gave that Universal Precept to Render to Caesar his Due which also he confirmed by his Practice paying him Tribute even with a Miracle NOR do we ever find the Primitive Spirit of Christianity opposing any humane Laws or Power unless they were such as directly struck at the Root of Faith and a holy Life such as were the severe Edicts of the Persecuting Emperors to compel them to renounce and Blaspheme Christ to adore the Pagan Gods or to offer Incense to the Statues of the Emperors Nay when they were treated with more than inhumanity they never had recourse to Violence or attempted to justle the Temporal Power out of the Throne or force it to a compliance with their Wills but suffered patiently even when as Tertullian Apologizes for them they were
grown so numerous that if they should by a Common consent have deserted the Empire they would have left Desolation behind them THIS being therefore granted That our Obedience to the Laws of the Polity or Nation wherein we live so long as they command nothing contrary to the Divine Law is a part of our Christian Religion as may be easily made appear from Reason Scripture and the Practice of the best and purest Ages of Primitive Christianity even in such Constitutions as concern the Government of the Church as well as the Temporal Affairs of State which was done with great happiness to both in the Reigns of Constantine the Great and many other Christian Emperors I will therefore proceed upon this Position to shew that in Order to the happy Condition both of Civil and Religious Affairs there is an absolute Necessity of Vnity and Vniformity of Government Ecclesiastical in a National Church THIS Necessity is grounded both in the Prudence of the Lawful Policy and Religious Wisdom I will begin with the Religious Necessity WE must therefore consider the Essence the Nature the Design and the Intention of the Gospel in that part of it which differences it from all other Religions both Pagan Jewish and Mahumetan for the Intention of that must be our Great Design if we will be true Followers of Christ and not in Words profess we own him but in Actions deny him and his Royal Priesthood over us NOW the very Essence of Christian Religion consists in Love or Charity this is the New Commandment and the fulfilling of the Old and herein it is that Christianity differs from and Excells all other Religions The Heathens knew no more of this than their Interest obliged them to and therefore all those of Different Nations Manners or Religions were esteemed Barbarians and Enemies and accordingly treated and had not God Almighty permitted the Regiment of the World to be Absolute and Tyrannical this want of Charity one to another would certainly have thrown them into perpetual Civil Wars and Confusion amongst themselves there being then no Rein upon Ambitious Spirits but Fear of the Arbitrary Power and Will of their Princes which was the Supreme Law by which they Rul'd their Subjects And even the Law of Moses according to the corrupt gloss of the Scribes and Pharisees said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy Matt. 5.43 and according to the letter of it Exacted Life for Life Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth But when the Eternal Son of the Blessed came into the World both to Redeem it and Renew it to Exalt men who were sunk into a Degeneracy below the Beasts that Perish and to make them partakers of the Divine Nature he teaches another Doctrine very harsh to Flesh and Blood but such as would in reality make them resemble God their Heavenly Father He teaches them to Love their Enemies to Bless them that Curse us to do good to them that hate us to Pray for them that despightfully Vse us and Persecute us by which Methods we shall come to be the true Children of the true God whose Glorious Sun riseth upon the Evil and the Good Matt. 5.44 45. and whose fruitful Showers fall upon the Just and the Vnjust This Love he makes the Foundation of Religion which he was to introduce into the World proceeding from the infinite Love of God to Mankind from the God of Love and therefore he tells us that the whole Law is comprised in these two Commandments Matt. 22.37 38 39 40. to Love God and our Neighbour And therefore he does so often repeat that which he calls the New Commandment Joh. 13.34 35. A new Commandment I give unto you That ye Love one another as I have Loved you that ye also Love one another by this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye have Love one for another And what he taught he also confirmed by his Example In that he died for us when we were Enemies NOW the Command being Vniversal to all those who are the Disciples of Christ they who hate another because they differ or dissent from them in some things which Christ having left indifferent has therefore left to the Wisdom of those with whom he intrusted the Government of the Church to determine as they shall Judge most conducive to this great Design of Charity cannot be the true Disciples of Christ 1 Joh. 4.40 for If any man say I love God and hate his Brother he is a Lyar. And therefore the holy Apostles and particularly the beloved Disciple St. John lays such weight upon this Duty and so frequently commands it that his three Epistles are scarce any thing else but a repetition of that Command and the reasons for it which brings into mind what I have somewhere read of that Apostle that in his extreme old age residing at Ephesus and governing the Churches of the lesser Asia when he was not able to perform the Offices of the Church yet he would be carried in his chair to the Assembly of Christians where he would several times repeat this Sentence My little Children love one another and being demanded the reason of this short but Excellent Sermon he made answer to this Effect because It did comprise the sum of all Religion and that Charity would cover a multitude of other faults And therefore St. Paul doubts not to give it the preheminence above the two other principal Graces 1 Cor. 13.13 Now says he abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity For when Hope shall be compleated by possession and Faith changed into Fruition then shall Charity be most triumphant as being the Life of Heaven and the pleasing imployment of a glorious Eternity And certainly it is this love unseigned both towards God and towards our Brethren that is so of the Essence of Religion that without both these it is but a meer Impostor for no person can truely fear God who does not smcerely love him and no man loves God sincerely who does not love his Brother also 1 Tim. 5.1 For the End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and Faith Vnfeined NOW taking this for a Foundation which no good Christian can deny I proceed to shew that it is absolutely impossible to maintain this Charity without Vnity both of Faith and Government in a National Church and to make it evident I should need no stronger Argument than what the holy Apostle St. Paul subjoyns in the words following those of his last repeated From which says he some having swerved have turned aside to vain Jangling Here is the source of all the Churches Miseries this vain jangling has ever been the occasion of all those Dissentions and Divisions those mischievous Quarrels which have not confined themselves to Words but have proceeded to the Outrages of Blows and Blood it is want of Charity and that
attain Salvation as Disobedience to the Government of the Church your Mother Who lose all Charity the substance of Religion for the Watry shadow that appears in the smooth but treacherous face of the specious words of Reformation and greater degrees of Purity not considering in the mean time that these are all the best of them but outward Forms of Godliness common to the Good and Bad but that Charity and Obedience in order to Brotherly Vnity are the Power and the Life the Soul and very Essence of all true Religion With these Religion may be false but without the other it can never be true Esay 5.21 Wo unto them says the Prophet that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight And what can be more Evident than that these People must be so to the highest degrees of Folly and Frenzy who expose the Peace and Well-fare of the Church to ruine and Distruction in complaisance to their private ill-grounded Opinions in mere matters of Indifferency who neglect a certain Duty for a Doubtful Supposition and have less Esteem for Charity than a Scruple or a Fancy who by their obstinate Practice so contrary to all Antiquity and so wholly new and therefore Vncertain set themselves in the Throne of Wisdom and Prudence much above all the Learned Pious and glorious Governors of the Church Saints and Martyrs which have been in all Ages since the Son of God laid the Foundation of it with his precious Blood Nay even above the Son of God himself who not only left that Government in his Church as shall be shewn hereafter but by the Miraculous continuance and preservation of that Government has manifested that he does approve it and that he has upheld it by his mighty Power and Wisdom LET Dissenters therefore shew us perspicuously when there was any other Government in the Church than that of Bishops Let them shew us when ever the Church was without a Publique Liturgy since that composed by St. James When ever Christians were without Priests to attend the Altar Heb. 13.10 of which they who serve the Jewish Tabernacle have no right to Eat or that these were of the Peoples chusing and not Ordained by Bishops to their Sacred Function Let them shew us where ever any person was permitted to Entertain the People with a long Extempore Prayer more to the displaying his own Abilities than to edify them more to disparage others who cannot who dare not if they can be so bold with the Dreadful Majesty of Heaven than to bring them into Charity with such Persons whose considerative Modesty stands amazed at the thoughts of the Divine Omnipotence as having been taught by the Holy Spirit Eccles 5.1 2. That God is in Heaven and we on Earth and therefore our words ought to be few and that it is a foolish Presumption to think we can please him by breaking his commands by being rash with our Mouths and hasty with our hearts to utter any thing before God for they who do so consider not that they give the sacrifice of Fools Rom. 3.8 and do Evil which an Apostle tells us we must not at any Rate be guilty of not though we may reasonably hope for a good Effect from evil Actions whose Damnation he there says is just LET them shew us these things either positively commanded of God or prohibited Universally practised by the Church or condemned or otherways let them confess that they are wiser than the Generations of their Fore-fathers in Christ wiser than the Apostles and all the holy Martyrs who with their Blood Sealed and Delivered the Truth of these things down to us And if they will call these Practices Antichristian Superstitious and Unlawful if they will tear off the Ornaments of their Mother nay and Murther her too because she will not consent to betray her self and her trust to their Novel Wisdom if they will more barbaroufly than the Roman Souldiers rend the seamless Coat of Christ to patch up another of their own Inventions we must pity them and pray for them in the Language of our blessed Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23.34 and yet even that Charity does not deprive us of using all Lawful ways and means to defend our selves from their injurious incroachments nor is it meant that our Charity ought to be so defenceless as voluntarily to Expose us to their Injustice and Cruelty And that glorious Law which commands us to love and pray for our Enemies does not oblige us to offer our throats a Sacrifice to their Swords nor are we bound to be so kind to them as to be Cruel to our selves I could heartily wish the sad Effects of the Decay of Christian Charity among us were only the Cloudy apparitions of my own fears and imaginations Airy Combats and Meteors of the Mind But alas we may but too sorrowfully invert the saying of the Royal Prophet Psal 44.7 We have heard with our Ears and our Fathers have told us nay miserable people that we are we have seen with our Eyes these afflicting Truths For no sooner was the Church of England stept out of the Errors and Darkness of Rome but the Devil the great Incendiary of the World envious of our Happiness begun to sow the Tares of Dissention among us I will not repeat the Names of those Authors of our Misery but I desire all Dissenters of what Names soever to consider what have been the Effects of these Differences which for this 80 years they have with such Hereditary Violence and Animosity maintained against the Church of England What is it that has banish't all Charity from the Minds and Lives of Men What is it that has made all those Heats Strifes and Divisions those bitter Railings that Hatred Emulation and at last Separation from the Communion of Saints which is one Article of our Faith between people of different Opinions What is it therefore that has sacrificed Faith to Opinion From what Fountain flow'd all those fearful streams of blood which so lately staind our yet blushing Fields Scaffolds nay our very Temples and Altars From what Coast blew those Whirlwinds of Rebellion and Sedition not privy but publique Conspiracy which threw down all Crowns and Mitres Churches and Palaces every thing Sacred and Civil which occasion'd the ruine of so many Millions of Souls Bodies and Estates This Cloud which was at first no bigger than a Mans hand which afterwards cover'd the face of the Heavens with Storms and Tempests Thunder and Lightning like the dismal Plague of Egypt Fire mingled with Hail was nothing but the dislike which some persons had that their sense was not made the standard of Religion and because contrary to their good liking some Ceremonies were thought fit to be retained in the Church as being of great Antiquity of Excellent Use and necessity which they would have had totally abolished THESE men whose Tempers were warmer
than their Charity and whose Zeal was much too heavy for their Judgment either not considering or not caring what must be the necessary consequences of these sparks of Dissention set their Lungs to work as well as their Wits to blow them up into a Flame pretending to the Vnwary that that Fire which was indeed of their own kindling was the only Gospel Light and that which by its future Effects has proved it self a Portentous Comet was the Day star from on high which was sent to visit them to lead them to Eternal Light under the Glorious Sun of Righteousness Had it burnt like the kind and wondrous lambent flame in Moses his bush without consuming it we might have been induced to believe that God was in the Fire But alas it was too ravenous to permit us to continue in that belief and the World has found by dear Experience that it was of the Extraction of that Fire St. James describes unto us Jam. 3.6.8 Behold says he how great a matter a little Fire kindleth and the Tongue is a Fire a World of Iniquity it sets on fire the whole Course of Nature and it is set on fire of Hell being an untamable little Animal an unruly Evil full of deadly Poison Especially when therewith we bless God even the Father and curse Men who are made after the similitude of God HOWEVER to justifie their Division and Dislike they did indeavour with might and main to pull down Babylon as they call'd not only Rome but the Reformation that being the odious name of whatever displeases them because it was not model'd according to that Platform which they therefore fancied because it was of their own devising Discourses full of Gall and Wormwood instead of Meekness and Humility flew like lightning from their Pens as well as Invectives and bitter Reproaches from their Mouths And to make some shew that they were not without Reason a new Frame of Church Government wholy unpresidented and never before practiced was minted at Geneva This glistering Medal as the coursest Medals will do when they come first off the Mint shone with such a dazeling lustre in the Eyes of those who Coïn'd it as the silver shrines of Diana did in the Opinion of Demetrius and presently I will not say positively for the same Reasons it gain'd as many and as tumultuous Worshippers who like the wild Ephesians cri'd up this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Thunderbolt newly dropt from the Clouds with as much Ernestness and as little Reason Where some crïed one thing Acts 19.32 and some another for the Assembly was confused as it always happens where any thing is managed by Tumult and Passion and the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together but some there were who did and they who did not yet were made believe they were as good as the best Yet was not even this Glorious and thorough Reformation though new run and cast so pure and perfect from all the dross of Superstition and Corruption but that some of quicker sight and sounder Judgment among themselves espied some Babylonish rust upon it and straight they began after the Example of Presbytery to make use of their Christian Liberty and to separate likewise the Pure from the Vile THUS was the Unfortunate Ichabod of Presbytery born amongst us with the Death of his Mother and the Dismal overthrow of the Holy Church 1 Sam. 4. The Glory departed from our Israel the Ark was lost and there was a great slaughter among the People Then arose whole swarms of Sects or rather Insects in Religion with guilded Wings but Scorpions Tayls painted Bodies but still poisonous Stings and as if Beelzebub the God of Flies and Ekron had been let loose among us nothing was heard but the confused buzzing of these differing Opinions who all pretended to gather Honey for the Hive but were in truth Sacrilegious Robbers agreeing in nothing but their mutual hatred and common design against the Church of England whose utter Extirpation was the mark of their United Conspiracy in order afterwards every one to Establish themselves not only upon hers but the Ruine of their differing Confederates THESE have been and I wish I could say they were not at present the sad natural and necessary Effects of breaking the Unity of Government in the outward Administration of the Service of God which crumbles a glorious Church into the Epicurean Atoms of Faction and Confusion till at last there remains little of it besides the Name and most certainly they who have once shaken hands with this Vnity must of necessity in a short time take their leave of Charity for these are the Twins of true Religion which live and dye together and when these are gone the tongues of Men and Angels the Faith of Miracles and the flaming Zeal of Martyrs are but sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbals they may make a little jingling noise of Religion but it is to be feared the louder they are the more Empty of the soul and substance of true Piety and Christianity So that those who do believe that Charity is so of the Essence of Religion as good Works are of Faith without which the one is as dead and vain as the other will easily be convinced both by Reason and Experience of the absolute Necessity that there is of Vnity in Point of Government to preserve that Charity alive since without this Vnity of Government to determine and give a Period to the Differences of several Opinions which shall be obtruded as Matters of Faith all Religion presently degenerates into vain and endless Disputes these produce Divisions Factions and Parties those run immediately into separation of Communion that leads men headlong to Animosities and Hatred and Hatred always ends in Confusion and every evil Work as St. James has well inform'd us Jam. 3.17 For says he the Wisdom which is from above is peaceable as well as pure full of Mercy and good Fruits and the fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace and all other Wisdom which banishes Charity with a pretence of Establishing Piety is Sensual Carnal Devilish Excellent recommendations of Reformation carried on without Nay against this Charity and Unity in the Goverment of a National Church CHAP. VIII THUS we see that Unity in Point of Government as well as Faith is absolutely necessary in a National Church to preserve it in Peace and Charity and that is in plain Terms to render it truly Christian and a part of the Catholique Church which we all profess to believe as an Article of our Faith We shall see in the next place how necessary this Vnity in point of Government is to maintain Christian Discipline in the World and how without it that great Power of the Keys which Christ gave to his Apostles and their Successors for the Government of his Church becomes impracticable and of no Use or Authority for suppressing Vice or Encouraging true Piety
and Religion LOUD and clamorous are the Complaints and Declamations against the vitiousness and Debauchery of the present Age and not without too evident Truth and Reason Impiety which was formerly used to wait for the twilight dare now walk bare fac't and stare upon the Sun St. Paul says of the modest Debauchees of his Age They that are drunken are drunken in the Night but now licentious men are become so impudent as to scorn to throw the Mantle of Darkness over their vitious Intemperance that they take a Pleasure and a Pride to Riot in the day time and to affront God and Men and even humane Nature it self by their prodigious and Publique Sins and Follies They who did ill formerly hated the light but now Men study to affront it and oblige that pure and innocent Blessing to become not only a Witness but an Assistant to their Brutish and shameless Disorders and would loose their greatest pleasure should they not expose themselves and their deeds of Darkness to the discovery of the Day ALL this is laid upon the Government of the Church which though it be as innocent as the light by which they are boldly acted yet must they conspire in the guilt of these horrid Crimes if we will believe Dissenters who blush not to lay this false Accusation to the Charge of the Government that thereby they may render it Criminal and Odious and themselves and Party Clear and Innocent when as in truth and reality the Guilt of these miscarriages will be found to lie at their own Doors and let them wipe their mouths never so demurely and say they have done no Evil Prov. 30.20 with Solomon's Common Woman let them wash their hands with Pilate and say they are guiltless I doubt not to make it appear to the contrary It is a bold Charge and I know they will start at it as much as the Disciples did when our Saviour told them That one of them should betray him and be as forward as they to Cry out Is it I Who we but what if it prove true and be made good against them I will indeavour it and yet with all the Christian Compassion that I am capable of for I have no design to Expose their Persons to hatred but to bring them to true Repentance by shewing them the Danger of those Ways which with the specious shew of Righteousness and Holiness deceive them into a Contempt of the terrible Authority of the Church and others by their Example into all Sensuality and Impiety THAT Christ left to the Governors of his Church the Power of the Keys is most Evident from his own plain and clear Words For when he was to leave this World he called his Apostles to him and Then said Jesus unto them again Joh. 20.23 Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you there is their Mission and Commission for their Function and Government and when he had said this Matth. 18.18 he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost there is their Unction and Ordination their ability to perform the Duty and discharge the trust reposed in them Whos 's soever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained There is the Office and the Power which was put into their hands the Expedient by which they were to govern and Rule the Church of God And though the Romanists endeavour to Monopolize even in the literal and worst sence this great Power only to Saint Peter and his Successors as they pretend the Roman Bishops only are yet nothing is more clear than that our Saviour intended them all an Equal share and a Power to derive it to their Successors in all Churches to the End of the World His gracious Promise of being with them extending unto all Times Places and Persons who should succeed any of the Apostles as well as St. Peter The Church being built not only upon him but upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Jesus being himself the Chief and Corner-stone in whom and by whom the whole glorious Fabrique is Vnited and Compleated THIS Power of the Keys of binding and loosing is the Power of Excommunication of Offenders and Absolution of Penitents and is indeed all the Power which Christ left with his Church and the only Jurisdiction which the Governors can exercise in and over it For all Corporal Punishments are properly and peculiarly vested by God himself in the power of the Temporal and Civil Magistrate who carries the Sword and is ordained of God for that very purpose and Design as St. Paul acquaints us Rom. 13. for he beareth not the Sword in vain but is the Minister of God a Revenger to Execute punishment upon him that doeth Evil. AN Instance of this terrible Sentence of Excommunication we have inflicted upon the Incestuous Corinthian and that with a great Formality 1 Cor. 5.5 This is my Determination saith the Apostle In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when yeare gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan as he tells us in another place that he had delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan that they might learn not to Blaspheme By virtue of this dreadful Power it was that the Primitive Governors of the Church even when they had no assistance but all opposition from the Secular Powers yet kept the Flock of Christ in all Obedience Subjection good Order and Discipline Then were Christians Miracles of Charity Piety and Devotion to the wondring Pagans when they were obliged to those Duties by no Humane Laws when there were no fears of Prisons Tortures Confiscations or Banishment unless for being and owning themselves to be Christians but the only fear of Excommunication and being put out of thâ— Fellowship of the Saints here on Earth and denyed Entrance into the Congregation of the Faithful of being debarred from receiving the Holy Eucharist and joyning in the publique Service and Worship of God was more forcible to make them Holy Obedient and Vnanimous than all the Torments devised by Persecution were able â—o make them Prophane or Vitious For why They did believe that unless the Governors of the Church the Successors of the Apostles did remit their Sins on Earth they should not find remission in Heaven they therefore believed it because Christ the Eternal Truth had said it They did believe that unless they were United by Communion to the Holy Catholique Church they could never hope for the Remission of Sins the Resurrection of the Body unto Life Everlasting which is the most ancient Confession of the Christian Faith and which with great probability is supposed to be delivered by the Apostles to the Church as a short sum of Faith necessary to Salvation NOR were they more fearful of this formidable Sentence of Excommunication than desirous of the Absolution of
Inconvenience which such confession brought into the Church which joyned with the Vow of single Life in Priests may give both great Temptation and Opportunity to repeat I know that for this Reason as Socrates reports Socra Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 19. Nectarius Patriarch of Constantinople by the advice of Eudemon banisht it from the Eastern Church and though I am not so hot as Baronius who calls him Cacodemon Bar. Tom. Ann. 1.56 Nu. 28. Andrad Orth. Exp. p. 633. or so violent as Andradius who terms it Impudentissimum illud Nectarij factum the most Impudent Fact of Nectarius yet I cannot tell whether modestly one may not say it was Impudent For whosoever will cooly consider the History of those Churches of the East shall find that the loss of this Advantageous Post in point of Discipline gave Entrance to those swarms of Heresies and that prophane Licentiousness which in conclusion brought down Vengeance from Heaven upon them and was compleated in the Ruin and Subversion both of the Church and Empire of the Greeks by the barbarous Mahometans Whereas the Western Churches did for many Ages preserve themselves in great degrees of Purity of Doctrine and still by retaining the Use of Discipline continue their being notwithstanding their great Corruptions in matters of Opinion which they call Faith I know that all this supposed danger might have been prevented and confessions made in publique in the Church before the Congregation and yet so private that none might hear them besides the Minister to whom they were made and custom of Usage would have taken away that dangerous shame and modesty which makes men hide their Sins and cover their Trangressions I know that humble confession to God Almighty is the way to find Mercy but I know not yet how to understand that command of St. James Jam. 4.16 Confess your Sins to one another and Pray for one another and ye shall be healed unless it be meant that we must confess our Sins to those who are to Pray for us and have Power given from above to heal us which cannot be supposed to be given to all the Congration of Christians and therefore in reason must be referred to those who are their Guides such publique confessions being more likely to procure disgrace and reproaches and breed division and contempt among Christians than either Pardon or Peace where any person shall by discovering how he has injur'd his Neighbour expose himself much sooner to his Revenge than to Remission Nor can I tell how the Church can bind or loose on Earth the Sins of Men without a knowledge of them first and it is impossible they should know many private great and deadly sins without the Confession of the Criminals Mat. 3.6 Mark 1.5 Saint John the Baptist received the People to his Baptism confessing their Sins and Saint John the Evangelist tells us Joh. 1.4.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins God knows all things our very thoughts a far off but he usually works by Means and always where he has appointed Instruments he makes Use of them and having conferred this Honour and this Power upon the Ministers of his Church to declare Sinners absolved upon true repentance it is but reasonable the Plaister should be both proper and sit for the Sore Now let a man discourse never so home and pressingly to People the necessity of Repentance and Confession to God Almighty in general Terms it is but like the Arrow that a certain man drew at adventure which may hit between the joynts of the harness but usually men fence off Generals and secure themselves in Multitude and Number that that is not adressed to them or that they are not concerned Nor does any thing cut so home and pierce to the quick dividing like a two edged Sword the very joynts and marrow as a particular Charge like Nathan's to David Thou art the Man 2 Sam. 12.7 The random Parable never affected the sinful King till he came to that close touch and then he comes immediately to Confession and Repentance Now how any mortal man should come to discover the secret sins of others which are ever most dangerous I am not able to tell without their confession and how those secret sins should be healed by the Prayers of the Church without being known I confess my self wholy ignorant but that the Church has this Power given by Christ that I am not to learn for Christ himself has taught me to know and believe it because he has said it The wise man tells us Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall find Mercy Who can hide his sins from the knowledge of God before whom all things are naked and open Since therefore God knows them already to whom should we confess them but to Men and to what Men but to those whom God has intrusted with the charge of our Souls and from whom he expects an account and what account are they likely to give of the sins of those under their charge or of the applications that they have made use of to cure and heal them of those most dangerous wounds which never came to their knowledge and which makes me more confident in my perswasion even those who cry out against Auricular Confession and under that Name against all Confessions as Popish yet will if I am not misinformed admit none into their Congregations without something like it under another Name nor will they receive any to the Sacrament without Examination one part of which I presume is of the state of their Souls as to sin as the other is of their Faith and Knowledge of their Duty and thus they confess the necessity of the thing whilst they go about to Establish their own Church Government by what they make a Crime in others and make use of as an Engine to overthrow them SO that notwithstanding what Censure I may fall under I speak it with humility and submission to better Judgments I cannot see how any Church can be happy without this Expedient The Clergy will never recover that Veneration and Respect due to their Sacred Function nor the love of those under their Charge which is so necessary an ingredient to their doing good in their several places and stations Nor will People ever be brought to know themselves and the necessity of having Spiritual Guides or the danger of wholy relying upon themselves and their own Knowledge and Judgment till this Power of the Keys in the Absolution of humble Penitents upon Confession to their Pastors be in some measure restored and put in Practice and by how much more it prevails by so much more will the Church grow in Peace Unity and Godly Love For a man may be born with all the Capacities of Mind and Endowments of Nature to inable him to Preach and Pray most Eloquently or he may by
Laws so all the Obedience of Subjects is confined to their Determinations in those particulars which God has left wholy in the Power of our Superiors and who ever resists or refuses to Obey shall therefore receive Damnation because he destroys the very Essence and End of Government and in saying We will not have this man Raign over us acts directly contrary to the Will of God who says he shall and that we must Obey him in order to the Peace and Happiness of the World the due Administration of Justice the Encouragement of Virtue and Practice of Religion by leading quiet Lives under our Superiors in all Godliness and Honesty by which Method we can only hope to arrive at Eternal Happiness in Heaven BUT Secondly Because all Ecclesiastical Laws which concern the Order and Government of the Church are of a mixt Nature Political as well as Religious and so are all Humane and Civil Laws too and therefore there is the same reason for Obedience to the one as to the other and they do both equally bind the Conscience to Obedience The same Power makes the one as makes the other the same Reason is the Foundation of the one as of the other they are addressed to the same End viz. the Peace Happiness and Prosperity of the People and therefore there is the same obligation to Obedience for the one as the other and all Men are bound in Conscience as Members of a Society to promote the Peace and welfare of that Society which is not to be obtained any other Way but by obeying the Command of God in being subject to the Government of that Society of which we are Members Observe the Command of God to the Captive Jews at Babylon Jer. 29.7 Seek the Peace of the City whither I have caused you to be carried away Captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the Peace thereof ye shall have Peace So that if Peace and Happiness be the End of Society all Men are bound to Pray for it and promote it If the End be Commanded by God the Means to obtain that End must be Obeyed and God having intrusted the Governors of Church and State with the Means and Way of procuring this Happiness their Choice of some among all the variety of Expedients that may be offer'd must determine their Subjects and becomes the Rule of their Obedience as well in Ecclesiastical as Civil Affairs for if it were possible to separate these two then something might be said but the Peace of the State depending upon the Peace of the Church and vicê versa No man can truely be said to promote the one by destroying the other And therefore all men who are obliged to indeavour to advance one must do it by advancing both To make this clear I will give an Instance of the Power of the Civil Magistrate in the Church in matters of Order and Government David a man after Gods own Heart in the Worship of God which was left Undetermined he takes upon him to regulate the Church he Orders the Levites to appoint Singers on Instruments of Musick 1 Chron. 15.16 and Psalteries and Harps Cymbals and sounding by lifting up the Voice with joy They never stood to dispute with him because God had not commanded it that therefore it was Unlawful but because God had not any where Prohibited it and he was their King and might Command what was for decency and order in the Service of God therefore they ought to Obey and immediately they appoint Heman and Asaph and Ethan and several others for that Service David and after his Example others frame and compose Anthems Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving in set forms of Words to praise God Because he is gracious and his Mercy endureth for ever Do the Priests and Levites now quarrel because they are not permitted to shew their Parts Gifts and Abilities in making Extempore Hymns or Prayers No such matter but presently in Obedience to God and the King they make use of those prescribed which are contained in the Book of Psalms the Ancient Liturgy of the Jewish Church This order was after continued by Solomon and approved by God For it came to pass 2 Chron. 5.13 as the Trumpeters and Singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord and when they lift up their Voice with the Trumpets and Cymbals and Instruments of Musick and praised the Lord saying For he is good for his Mercy indureth for ever that the house was filled with a Cloud even the House of the Lord. So that the result of all is this That the Supreme Power of a Nation being of Gods appointment for the Ruling of the People in order to their Happiness and commanding nothing contrary to Faith or good Manners or any thing Prohibited by God himself ought to be obeyed by all their Subjects of what Degrees or Conditions soever in all their Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil in order to good Government Decency and Order both in Church and State and that since all these Commands of theirs are in Obedience to Gods Commands and in prosecution of the great Design of Happiness here and Eternally by promoting Peace Vnity and Concord therefore no Person can resist that Power by Disobedience but he resists the Ordinance of God and becomes a Transgressor to God as well as Man and runs the hazzard of Eternal Damnation due to all those who know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ LET Dissenters therefore either prove that the Supreme Powers are not Lawful that their Authority does not Extend to the Political part of Ecclesiastical Affairs that they have nothing to do to determine Differences that the things commanded are contrary to Faith and a holy Life are not conducive to Peace Vnity and the happiness of the Nation or that they are any where in direct Words or evident Consequence prohibited by God in Scripture or otherways they will never be able to prove that they are bound in Conscience to disobey Authority Let them not think to shelter themselves under the vain refuge that God is to be obeyed rather than Men. This is that which proves them Disobedient for they do not disobey Men but God in disobeying Lawful Authority when commanding nothing contrary to the Commands of God And whoever does so is managed not by the Principles of Religion but the Power of Interest Prejudice or Ambition IN short Is any Form of Government Lawful or Necessary in the Church that it is they affirm in desiring to Establish their own is Obedience necessary to Salvation they will tell you it is Let them therefore be their own Judges For if Obedience to their Laws and Government be necessary to Salvation it must be because their Authority is Lawful for that is the Rule of Conscience and if the present Authority be Lawful and theirs Vsurped then is their Disobedience Damnable and their Obstinacy
of a Society into one common Body of which Unity is the Soul and whatsoever be the Cause of this Disunion the Effect is always an Alienation of Affections among those who differ one from another Now as there is nothing that makes so close a Vnion in the minds of Men as their concurrence in the same thoughts Judgment and Sentiments about any Matters especially those of Religion So there is nothing that makes so great and Irreconcilable Distances between People as their being and owning themselves of differing Judgments and Opinions For Religion is like a Common Centre in which all the Lines of mutual Kindness meet and are United together in an indivisible Point And we do more passionately love those who resemble us in our thoughts than in our outward Lineaments and Proportions and have a natural Aversion for those who are unlike us in our Thoughts And the reason is because this Discord robs us of the pleasure of Life which is Society and where the entertainment consists in mutual Jarrs and endless Disputings continual Contradictions of which all men are impatient the Conversation must needs be disagreeable for who ever contradicts another supposes himself more wise and the other foolish and where the knowledg of these differences is manifest even in their silent Interviews it defeats them of all the pleasure of Converse and Society and makes men uneasie in the very Company of those who are neither beloved by them nor love them as all men believe of those who oppose them and differ from them in their Judgments So that it is not to be expected they should be ready to do those good Offices one for another in order to the Common Good of the Society but rather all the Mischiefs and Injuries which they can as Enemies as all esteem those who are not United to them by Love and Kindness and how happy any Society is like to prove that is thus disjoynted in it self is not difficult to conjecture BUT these Animosities are extreamly heightened in regard there is always something more than bare Opinion in the Difference and that it is impossible totally to separate Interest from Religion and that therefore no man can look upon another as directly invading the one without obliquely designing against the other and what ever Passion men may have for their Religion they are inseparably married to their Interest the thred of that is twisted with the Stamina Vitae being indeed esteemed Essential both to the being well-being of the Body For it is not in Religion as it is in Philosophical Contests where how eager soever men may appear to defend a Paradox yet they are not Solicitous whether it be true or false for what matters it between two hot Combatants whether there be any Land in the Moon or not Since though there be they have no Mannors nor Lordships there and if there be not they are never the poorer of a Farthing BUT in the Quarrels of Religion there is always a Meum and Tuum and Men suspect not without good Reason that the difference of Opinion is but the Colour or Pretext it is Interest that is the first Mover and the Ultimate Design and this prevents all hope of Reconciliation till one party do either voluntarily or by constraint relinquish their pretences to the others Right for he who will invade the Possession of what another enjoys by endeavouring to be a Disseisor becomes an Enemy And there are few who arrive to that height of self-denial to hate themselves that they may love their Enemies or to expose themselves to the Inconveniences of cold Nakedness and Hunger which Nature abhors that they may feed and cloth their Enemies nor does Charity command it for though that Compassionate Grace look abroad for Objects of Pity yet she always begins her Work at home nor is any man obliged to pray for or love his Enemies so as not to provide for his own Family 1 Tim. 5.8 and by Charity to deny the Faith and be worse than an Infidel Such Saints are Martyrs of the Greek Calends And no person can Esteem such as endeavour to devest him either of Power Authority Estate or Possession Honor or Profit but as his particular Enemy and an Enemy to God and Religion which commands that no man should invade anothers Right in that great Command Thou shalt not Covet Now where there are several distinct Churches in the same Nation there being both Power and Maintenance annexed to the Office of the Clergy they will necessarily incroach one upon another and because what the one gains the other must loose the contrariety of Interests will widen the Difference between them even to the utmost Extremity of Hatred and Animosity and whilst every Church will labour to agrandize it self both in Riches and Power by lessening the Esteem Honour Power and Revenues of the other it will become a quarrel of Interest as well as Religion and let any person if he can Justifie a Principle that by maintaining Domestique Quarrels must be ruinous to Society and all the Peace and Happiness of the present state of Life under the fair pretence of Religion LET Dissenters tell us what they please and if their dislike of the Government in the Church is purely upon the account of Religion former Experience has made the World sufficiently sensible that the Dignity Power and Revenues of the Church were the greatest Crimes of the Government And that they who could not approve of those Honors Titles and Estates in Bishops and the dignified Clergy could yet very well digest both their Power and Revenues when they came by the Sacrilegious hands of Vsurping Powers to be conferr'd on themselves AND as these Quarrels will be most certain so they will be Endless and Eternal for admit once of many Forms of Church Government in the same Nation and no sooner shall one be uppermost but the Envy of the others and their fear lest they should be crush't or overshadowed by it will make all the lesser Churches conspire for their common Security and Interest to undermine and overthrow it And when they have by that joynt confederation Effected that then will the most Powerful of the Victorious Party step and Exalt it self into the Place and Power of the former which will procure it the Hatred of all the rest who will not fail by the same Arts and Methods to dismount that and Establish themselves by which means there will be no end of Factions Quarrels and Ambitions striving who shall be the Uppermost All this while Religion will be the Pretence but the State shall really suffer and it being as impossible to separate them as to punish the Christian and not the Man it must be under all the most violent Agitations and Tempests and at last suffer most certain Shipwrack THIS was the true state of our Case in England during our late Revolutions the Church and Religion were made to lead the Dance but according
men who keep up these Principles of Disunion which have such a desperate influence upon the Civil Affairs and endeavour to Ruine the State by setting up Religion and whose restless and unwearied Industry leaves no stone unmoved Nay who will move Heaven and Earth to accomplish their Design This has been observed to be the Genius of Dissenters in former Times and it is to be feared the Humor has not left them Esay 57.20 21. For they are like the troubled Sea which cannot rest but is continually casting up mire and dirt Foaming and Raging and Raving like that unstable and unruly Element to enlarge its floating and turbulent Empire by incroaching upon the Terra Firma the Peaceable Earth and one may but too truly add the Words of the Prophet There is no Peace saith my God to the Wicked Rom. 3.13 14 15 16 17 18. For their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they use Deceipt the Poyson of Asps is under their Lips Their mouth is full of Bitterness their feet are swift to shed Blood Destruction and Misery are in their ways And the way of Peace have they not known For their Practices declare it publiquely what ever they pretend either of Innocence or Sanctity That there is no fear of God before their eyes THERE being no Differences as before was observed which do so absolutely Alienate the minds of Men as those about Religion as they are most irreconcilable therefore they are most dangerous not only to the Essence of Religion but to the Civil affairs of State for if we be divided and distracted what matters it how or by what Means The effects of these Dissentions will have the same influence upon the Publique Affairs whether they come from Religion or Ambition Either will ruine us but the former more certainly and with greater Artifice Because more insinuating and plausible in outward appearance For men who have any sense of Religion cannot but look upon it as the great concern of their Lives and the care of their Posterity to whom they desire to transmit it as well as their Estates And though it is in Charity to be hoped that many Dissenters are not aware of this dangerous Rock which lies under Water and that they have no such Ill designs yet they cannot be ignorant from former Expeence that there may be such among them now as have been formerly and that Popular and Ambitious Spirits have made use of their Zeal and Credulity to abuse them and the whole Nation into Misery and Slavery under the pretence of Liberty And that such Men will never want either Shelter or opportunity under those pretences of Religion to embroyl us among our selves or betray us to a Forrein Power so long as this Disunion continues and these Differences are incouraged maintained and daily propagated among us THIS is a season when these things would be seriously Considered by all Dissenters and if it shall appear a real Truth that this Industry in stead of promoting true Religion must promote our Ruine they ought voluntarily to Unite and return to the Obedience of the King and Church For otherways their Actions will confess what their Tongues deny and that this Reformation is in Reality the Subversion of the Government which they intend FOR what is it possible to believe or think of such Persons as with treacherous Joab 2 Sam. 20.29 call us Brethren enquire of our Health and with the right hand salute that with the left they may stab us as he did the incautelous Amasa with our own Sword under the fifth Rib. Can they be esteemed Friends to their Countrey or the Protestant Religion who through their Dissentions discredit the one and disable the other from defending it is this the way to secure us from Arbitrary Government to make the Princes Government perpetually unsafe and uneasy and almost impracticable without it by forcing him for the guard of the Sceptre to wear a Sword and then exclaim against him for doing that which they have necessitated him to do or to leave his Crown and Life and that of his Loyal Subjects to the mercy of the Sword of Rebellion Can it be probable that this should be an Expedient to preserve us from the Roman Religion to furnish them with Arguments against us that we deny the Catholique Faith in the Communion of Saints and to give them this advantage against us to say and truly that we have neither Vnity nor Charity Or can any man in his Wits believe that the best way to Establish Peace among our selves is to maintain perpetual Principles of Quarrels and Contentions Or that we are like to defend our selves from powerful Enemies abroad Enemies by a Hereditary Animosity and Enemies upon the account of Religion by worrying one another at Home No no as soon shall the Plague become an Amulet to preserve us from Contagion as soon shall Impotent men be cured by cutting their Nerves in pieces as soon shall men see clearly by putting out their Eyes and all that ever can be imagined that is not only improbable but utterly impossible come to pass as that this or any other Nation should be happy without Vnity not only in point of the Civil but Ecclesiastical Government or that Mens minds should be easy whilest the Spring of Jealousies is kept open among us and the fountain of Charity is stopt up or that we should be safe from Forrein Enemies when no man can tell who is his Friend at Home NOR in short can it be hoped that Truth and Peace should flourish in our Days when Private Opinion shall be preferred before the Catholique Faith and the practice of the Church in all Ages 1 Tim. 6.4 when Eternal Wranglings about Words and Questions whereof cometh Envy Strife Railings and Evil Surmisings shall be the great Accomplishment of Christian Religion and shall banish all Love and Charity from the minds and lives of Men. What can be the end of these Mischiefs So long as Obstinacy in our private Judgments shall be accounted a more Essential part of Religion than Obedience to Lawful Authority but what the Apostle long since by way of Caution predicted to the Church of the Galatians Gal. 5.13 14 15. Brethren ye have been called unto Liberty only abuse not your Liberty for an occasion to the Flesh but by Love serve one another for all the Law is fulfilled in one Word even in this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self But if they bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another Which fearful Prophecy so truly verisied and fulfilled upon that and the rest of the Asian Churches God of his infinite Goodness and Mercy avert from us by bestowing upon us this Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace and which is certainly the true Spirit of Christian Religion and the only way to obtain that peace of God which passeth all Vnderstanding which will fill the
have instructed his Scholar to put down and not Exalt this Antichrist in the Church of God 1 Jo. 2.18 This Ignatius who was afterwards in the Eleventh year of Trajan Crowned with Martyrdom at Rome being torn in pieces by Wild Beasts as Eusebius gives us an account Euseb Eccl. His l. 3. c. 19. 35. he speaks as plain of the Difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter as Pen can write or Heart can wish In his Epistle to the Magnesians Ig. Ep. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop saith he is seated in the first place as in the place of God and the Presbyters as the Senate of the Apostles And in another place of the same Epistle They says he who Act without a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such Christ will say Why do ye call me Lord Lord and do not the works which I Command you Such Persons seem to me not to be of a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to be Hypocrites and Dissemblers And in his Epistle to the Trallians he Commands them in the Language of the Author to the Hebrews Ignat. Epist ad Trall To be subject unto this Bishop as unto the Lord for he Watches for your souls And in another place he tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is absolutely necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That you should do nothing without the Bishop Thus we see the Sons of the Church in the first Century of the Apostles of Christ being yet living thought of Bishops as we do And therefore it is both Undeniable and Undubitable that Episcopal Government was of Divine Institution and that a Bishop and a Presbyter are two different things in the Primitive Church both as to Power and as to Name I might bring a whole Cloud of Witnesses of less Antiquity but if these will not convince if the Testimony of Scripture and so Primitive a man and a Bishop as Ignatius be of no value I can have little hopes of convincing Gainsayers by multitude who have abandoned Reason THUS stood the Affairs of the Church for above 300 Years no man making the least Question or Dispute but that the Government by Episcopacy was of Gods appointment one Bishop still succeeding another as in the Ecclesiastical Historians my be seen in most of the Principal Cities of the World Epiphan l. 3. Tom. 1. Haeres 25. till Aerius being Educated with Eustathius and being his equal in Learning and Age took it as a great disparagement that Eustathius was preferred before him to a Bishoprick for which they were Competitors upon this discontent he not only fell foul upon Eustathius objecting as our Aerians do against him Pride and Covetousness but his Resentments for the Mortal displeasure broak out against the whole Function contemning the prescribed Fasts of the Church and teaching by the same Arguments with ours that a Bishop and a Priest were all one by the Scriptures of equal Power Authority and Jurisdiction which saith Epiphanius is an Assertion stultitiae plena full of Folly But this being but one discontented Priests Opinion was neither much regarded nor long lived the current belief of the Scripture and the constant Usage of the Church which knew no other Government run so strong that he was drowned in it nor did the Heresie ever float again till this last Age of which St. Clement who was contemporary to St. Paul and his fellow Labourer Phil. 4.3 as he calls him seems to prophecy in that Epistle of his to the Corinthians which I think was never suspected to be spurious where he tells us there would come a time when there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Ep. ad Cor. a contention about the very name of a Bishop BY virtue of this Power it was that the Rulers of the Church ordered and appointed all things which were done which were of an indifferent Nature in Government as about the Observation of Holy Fasts and Festivals the manner of Celebrating the Service and Worship of God the Prayers and Alms of the Church the Postures Gestures and Habits which were to be made use of and all other Rites and Ceremonies following herein the Scripture as the Rule of Faith and Manners and the General Precepts therein contained as Rules of Government which were principally these FIRST That nothing imposed should be repugnant or contrary to any Article or Branch of Faith or a Holy Life or to any Customs of the Church recorded in Holy Writ SECONDLY That all their Commands might have a respect to Decency Order Reverence and Edification THIRDLY That All might have a tendency to Vnity Peace and Concord and that diversity of Customs and Opinions might not breed Schisms and Contentions and I shewed before how when in some of these things there was a difference in several Churches yet still they held Communion one with another maintaining inviolably the same Faith and Government in all THIS was the Condition of the Church both as to Faith and Polity till such time as the great Powers of the Earth the Roman Emperours and other Kings became Christians and took up the Cross of Christ as the Glory of their Crowns The first of which was Constantine the Great These Temporal Powers then took the Church into their Protection made Temporal Laws for the better Management of it and to preserve it from the Injuries of Heathen Idolaters without and Hereticks within and having the Sword in their hand undertook as it was their Duty to punish Evil doers who darst transgress the Laws of the Church with Temporal Punishments as well as those who broak the Laws of the Civil Magistrate and to incourage the Peaceable and Religious From the Bounty of these Princes and that of others of plentiful Fortunes and and by their Example the Church came to be Endowed with Temporalties and an Honourable Constant and Encouraging Maintainance was provided and settled upon those who were to serve at the Altar that so they might be inabled and furnished with all sorts of Learning well knowing that proportionate Rewards are the spurs to Learning and Virtue as the Wisdom of God for our Encouragement to Pursue and Obtain her tells us Prov. 8.18.3.4 Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness and that length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour And that according to the Apostolical Command 1 Cor 9.11 14. They which sow Spiritual things should also reap Carnal for so hath the Lord commanded that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel BY this it appears That now there was a double Obligation laid upon all Christians to be Obedient to the Commands of the Church both because they derive their Power from God and because the Temporal Power did now concur to strengthen the Duty by the Obligations of Humane Laws nor can any thing or any pretence of Conscience authorize
their Disobedience to both those Powers unless the things commanded be manifestly proved to contradict the Faith or be repugnant to good Life which till Dissenters can do they will be obstinate Schismaticks before God and Rebels against their Prince and in a fair way to be Traytors too whilst they break his Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical however they may flatter themselves with the Title of Saints And so soon as they can prove their Charge against any of the Ceremonies and that they are Unlawful in reality and not only in supposition they shall be gratified by their Abolition or amendment if that will do And if they cannot prove their Accusations would they be so unjust as to have not Justice but Injury done to the Innocent by abrogating those Modes of Worship and Customs in the Church which the whole Church has allowed that Government which God appointed which he has approved by maintaining supporting and defending it to this present day against all the Opposition of Infidels and Hereticks those two Gates of Hell One would think that Rule of Vincentius Lirinensis were satisfactory to men of Reason and Sobriety Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus id quidèm verè est Catholicum That which every where always and by all has been received must needs be a Catholick Truth but such is the Power Rule Authority of Bishops for Guiding the Church and appointing the Modes of Worship And they who will oppose this spring Tide of Universal Testimony will but drown themselves in the Odious name of Schismaticks and Heriticks of whom these have been the Characters Mos semper fuit Hereticorum quorum Doctrinam non possunt confutare illorum vitam in Odium trahere It has always been the Custom of Hereticks to asperse the lives of those whose Doctrines they have not been able to confute Which has been the constant Practice of late years against Episcopacy and Episcopal Men to throw dirt upon the Profession and Persons and then proclaim them Odious when in truth the blackness is in their own Mouths and not either in the Persons whom they calumniate or in the Office Treating the Church as some Impudent Villains do the Modest Woman whom they cannot Debauch Cry out A Whore a Whore and set the Rabble upon her who roll her in the Kennel and cover her with dirt till no body can tell what she is made of and then believe she is what they have made her ugly and what the other would have made her but could not Criminal St. Bernard gives us a second Property Haerent ad singula quae injunguntur Exigunt de quibusque rationem male suspicantur de omnî Precepto nèc unquà m libentèr acquiescunt nisi cum audire contigerit quod fortè libuerit They stick at every thing which is by Authority enjoyned they require a a Reason nay and we may add are not satisfied with Reason for every thing they are Jealously suspicious of every Precept of their Superiors nor do they ever willingly acquiess in their determinations unless it happens that they are agreeable to their own Judgment and as St. Augustine says Nisi quod ipsi faciunt nihil rectum Existimant They think well of nothing or Judge it right but what they do themselves LET St. Cyprian give them a third Mark. Initia Haereticorum c. Vt Praepositum Superbo tumore contemnant Sic de Ecclesia receditur sic Altare prophanum Foràs Collocatur sic contra pacem Christi Ordinationem atque unitatem Dei rebellatur The Original of Hereticks is Contempt of those who are set over them So men separate from the Church So is a prophane Altar erected out of it So men become Rebells against the Peace of Christ Order and Vnity because as in another place he says Episcopus qui unus est Ecclesiae praeest Superbâ quorundam presumptione contemnitur The Bishop who is one and set over the Church is by the proud Presumption of some Men Contemned We may write a Probatum est to these Prophetique Truths I might Pyle up Endless Authorities and swell this Discourse to a Volume but if what I have already said be not sufficient to Convince the greatest Enemies of Episcopacy that it is a Government of Gods appointment in the Church I think all that can be said will be to no purpose and if this will more would be supersluous if they will not believe the Scripture If they will not believe the Church Mat. 18.17 it is our Saviour's Rule Let them be as Heathen men and Publicans CHAP. XVI HAVING now found a Divine and unerring Rule of Faith and Life in the Scripture of Truth and having also found there who are by God appointed to be Governours of the Church viz. Bishops There remains only the great Enquiry after the Judg of Controversies and Differences which is abslutely Necessary in the Church of God to determine Differences which may happen not only about Matters of private Opinion but even the sense of the Scriptures and the Interpretation of the Holy Rule And as these Differences may be of several Kinds and Natures so there are several Judges appointed by God to hear and determine them that so the Church may be preserved in Peace and Charity As to what is matter of Faith Essentially Necessary to Salvation That God is the Sole Judg of himself And therefore it has by him long since been determined and received in the Church and what ever by all must be believed must be easy by all to be known and is therefore plainly set forth in Holy Scripture Nor can any be Judg of this but what cannot Err or deceive us which is only God And to say the Church is the Judg of this and that it cannot Err because the Catholique Church does not Err is to argue Fallaciously à non esse ad impossibile esse For that part of the Catholique Church whilest on Earth consisting of Men of whom some shall be saved and some Reprobated No man having a power to know which of them are those who shall be kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation that they shall not Err and to distinguish them from those who shall not be so preserved and therefore there being a Possibility that those who may be Reprobates from the Faith themselves may yet be of great Authority in the Outward Visible Church it is unreasonable to admit them as Judges of Faith who Erring themselves my lead us into Errors too And therefore God who speaks to us in Scripture is only the Judg of what is matter of Faith and what not and it is to be tryed by that Rule and no Authority has power to impose any thing as matter of Faith Essentially necessary to Salvation but what is there to be found The Harmony of the Universal Church that such things as are offered as matters of Faith are agreeable to Scripture is in things not clear and
which they are to Govern which is the Word of the Infallible God who cannot lye or be deceived and I suppose that they may act contrary to this Rule and that presumes they are not Infallible but if they follow the Rule then I say they cannot Err and should the Pope do so all Christians over whom he may Challenge a lawful Jurisdiction as their Patriarch ought to submit to him But it is Evident that the Roman Church does Err and has Erred in many things forsaking the Rule setting up the Authority of the Pope to alter and change that Rule by introducing new Articles of Faith new Books of Scripture and old Traditions his own Canons Decretals and Councels for a Rule nay his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Sentence and Determination for an Infallible Rule of Faith and Life which is as far from me to believe of our Bishops as to say or believe it of him NOR does this Jurisdiction of Bishops either take away that subordination which for convenience of Government is among them or intrench upon the Supremacy of the Civil Magistrate since his Supremacy consists in a Temporal Soveraignty and pretends not to any Pastoral Power but only such Kingly and Civil Authority in Cases Ecclesiastical as Constantine and several other Religious Emperors had and Exercised to whom even Popes as well as other Patriarchs yielded subjection as I can make appear out of the Epistles of Gregory the Great to Mauritius and the Ecclesiastical Historians in a hundred places And nothing is more plain than that Christ himself owned a Subjection as well as Commanded one to Cesar As for the Civil Magistrate and his Power I think nothing more Evident than the Duty all their Subjects whether Laicks or Ecclesiasticks owe them and that they have Prescription the Law of God Nature Nations and those of their own on their side for the Defence of their Titles to their Crowns and Scepters and that the Church and Faith is and ought to be their Particular Care as well as it is their Interest the quiet of the State ever depending in a great Measure upon the Peace of the Church and that they have a Coercive Power by virtue of which they may compel men to Obedience to the Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical which in conformity to the Law of God are to promote the Peace Happiness Unity and Prosperity of their People Nor was this Doctrine ever deni'd till the Papacy growing great and the Empire declining began to think of a Temporal as well as a Spiritual Monarchy and to Unite St. Paul's Sword to St. Peter's Keys And till the Presbyterians reviving the Heresy of Aerius and his levelling Principle began to indeavour to set up their Spiritual Democracy in the Church in order to their Erecting it also in the State as the sad Probatum which they writ to their late deadly of the Solemn League and Covenant might convince us without the dangerous necessity of a second Experiment Ictus Piscator sapit The burnt Child dreads the fire and we have a great deal more reason to do so than to kindle it again and run our fingers into the Flame to try whether it will burn as hot now as formerly it did CHAP. XVII The CONCLVSION TO draw to a Conclusion I think it is evident from all that any person can in reason desire to give him Satisfaction That the Powers and Government in this Church and Nation are Lawful and of Gods appointment That Vnity in Faith and Obedience to their Government are the only Expedients to secure unto us Peace and Religion and that if these be our Desires the other are our Interest and ought to be our diligent indeavours and our constant Practice It is this Unity this Obedience that must make us Happy at home and Terrible abroad which are the only Ways to procure and Establish a lasting Peace both in our Souls in our State in our Church and with our Foreign Neighbours who may be obliged more by our formidable Vnity than by our feeble Arms or other Alliances I would gladly know therefore of Dissenters who and our sins are the great Obstructors of our Happiness Are you certain that the Government of Bishops is Unlawful and Antichristian Can you prove that any of the Commands of the Church or State are Unlawful contrary to plain Scripture and Publique Interpretation If you can you may pretend Conscience for your Disobedience but if you cannot and I am assured it is impossible how do you think you shall escape the dreadful and Revenging Power of the Judg of all men when he shall come in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on those that know not God and obey not his Gospel Flatter not your selves with the vain Opinion of your Sanctity Many shall say Lord have not we Prophesied in thy Name to whom he will answer Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity for I know you not and well he may for he says Positively He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and him that sent me is not this Disobeying the Gospel The Holy Ghost says he has made Bishops you say they are Antichristian he sends them to Instruct you in the way of Righteousness and to Watch for your Souls you Watch for their Ruine their Lives Honors and Estates he commands you to Esteem them highly you despise them contemn and Vilifie them He commands you to Obey you not only refuse but teach that to Obey is Damnable He planted them among you to plant the Faith you vow and swear to Extirpate Root and Branch Go on and Prosper said the False Zedechiah with his Horns of Iron but Ahab fell Be not deceived you may Mock the Messengers of God but God is not to be Mocked if you sow the Wind your shall reap the Whirlwind the terrible Tempest of his Wrath and Indignation They that lay Snares for the Innocent shall be Ensnared in the Works of their own hands You believe you know God but in Works you deny him for as Saint John saith of himself and his fellow Apostles and of their successors as all lawful Bishops are and will be to the end of the World 1 Joh. 4.6 We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error The Holy Church of God in all Ages for God has a Church in all Ages according to his Promise acknowledg this to be the sense and Meaning of the Scripture which I have shewn how then will you avoid this guilt with which St. John charges you this spirit of Error which he assures us is to be known by this Character of not hearing those whom God hath sent ARE you certain that you are in the Right and that all the Saints and Martyrs Bishops and Confessors who believed thus lived and dyed in Antichristian Error Ignorance and Superstition strangers to these
to the Scotch Prophecy The State of England Paid the Piper for the Presbyterians in pretence Religious but in reality Envious of the great Power Honors and Estates of Episcopacy never lest till by Arts and Arms perswading the Credulous Vulgar that it was Popish and Antichristian and animating their Party in their Rebellion with promises of Heaven and the Churches Revenue for a Booty God Almighty was pleased for our sins to permit them to be so successful as to overthrow that Government after it had stood above a thousand years in England No sooner had Presbytery taken Possession of Naboth's Vinyard he being stoned and dead but they became as Odious to the Independents who with more cunning and Address and less trouble gently laid them aside as Babylonish too and notwithstanding all their Exclamations from the Pulpit and the Press both in their Prayers and Sermons they could not prevail either with God or Men to hear them or support their sinking Cause but their Companions mocked them as the Priests of Baal as Elijah did and as they had done those of the Church of England And had not the God of Mercy and Compassion pitied us in our Low Estate when we lay in the Dust by miraculously restoring our Soveraign to his Crown and with him the Church to her right no doubt but the Power and Revenue of the Church would have been a perpetual Prize and England the Bloody Theatre upon which every Church would have Acted their Part and indeavoured to have their turn of being Uppermost AND if we could suppose that the present Dissenters are only influenced by mistaken Zeal for the Glory of God the Purity of Religion and the Salvation of Mens Souls and not the Destruction of their Bodies and Estates with that of the Government Yet can they give us no assurances or if they can they will not that they or their Successors shall continue in the same Undesigning Innocence And since these are such specious and taking Pretences with the Deceivable and Easy Multitude who can promise but that Ambition may put on the Cloak of Malicionsness and call it Religious Reformation that cunningly Dissembled Pride may shelter it self under the shining habit of pretended Piety and Purity and that Covetousness the root of all Evil may not appear in the borrowed Robes of Sanctity These Impostors may easily furnish a furious Jehu with Masks and Vizzards of Religion to impose upon many innocent Jehonadabs and take them up with him into the Charriot of Rebellion whilst with the same Popular and Insinuating Courtship he shall salute them kindly 2 Kings 10.15 16. with Is thy heart right as my heart is with thine if it be give me thy hand Which with him they will be ready to do and to lend their assistance to the Confederation especially upon hopes of being advanced and taken up with him into the Charriot of Government and hurried away with the tempting invitation Come with me and see my Zeal for the Lord. Though all this Zeal was meerly Interest and Ambition to Establish the Crown to himself by the utter Extirpation of the House of Ahab and not one dram of true Religion as the sequel of the story made appear And how easy is it for Hypocrisie to put on any shape and to appear an innocent Lamb when in reality it is a ravening Wolf how easy for Ambitious Spirits to pretend the Glory of God whilst they only design their own to decry all Forms of Prayer and Godliness and appear Zealous promoters of the Power of Religion only to advance themselves to Greatness and Power and under pretence of gaining Souls to God to make a Gain of Godliness and by sacrificing all to their Covetousness to make Godliness great Gain how feasible is it for Men to set up the Standard of King Jesus and make a Stale of a fifth Monarchy and under the Scepter of Christ to invade the Scepter of his Anointed and to Usurp his Throne THESE are easy Suppositions of what may be the Dangerous Consequences of that Disunion in a Nation which proceeds from admitting various Forms of Church Government in the same Nation Nor are they bare Suppositions but real Truths and what has been done and lately done among us and what may therefore be done again If there are any Persons who will own the Lawfulness of such dangerous Consequences as drown a Christian Nation in Blood Misery and Confusion or can but rationally be supposed that they may indanger it let them adhere to the Principle of tollerating diverse Forms of Church Government which is the ready Way to reduce those Suppositions into these most pernicious Realities and if it be so as no doubt can be made let all Dissenters either acknowledge that these Opinions are the Common Pests of Humane Society as well as Religion and therefore abandon them and reunite with the Government from which they are broke loose or if they will persist in maintaining defending spreading and increasing these Inhumane Principles and Practice◠〈◊〉 the minds of Men both by their Doctrine and Example Let them not think us uncharitable if as all sober and truly Pious and Judicious men must an Estimate be made of them according to the future Consequences and not their present Appearances which for any thing can be known to the Contrary may be only double-guilt Hypocrisie Simulata Pietas duplex Iniquitas and that is in truth double-di'd Iniquity IF they did not foresee these Mischiefs they are now shewn them and if upon Notice and Warning given they do not indeavour to avoid them we cannot remain Masters of common sense but we must believe they intend them and if we do believe that we may very lawfully not only Pray against them for the Peace of Jerusalem 2. Thess 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from such men as are out of place disorderly and not deserving therefore any place in society Exod. 21.29 To be delivered from Vnreasonable Men but the Government may and ought to take care of it self and those under its Charge who are Obedient and truly Fear God and the King to secure them from such wicked Attempts In the Law of Moses which was given by Gods Command if an Ox were wont to push and the Owner had warning and did not take Care to prevent it he was to make good the Dammage either with his Life or his Estate if a man digged a Pit and any thing fell into it he was to make restitution let me infer with St. Paul Doth God take care of Oxen and shall no care be taken of Christians 1 Cor. 9.9 10. or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written that we may plough in hope and sow in hope and be made partakers of our hopes by reaping the quiet and peaceable fruits of Righteousness That these Principles have pusht against Government in times past is most notorious and one may truly say of them