of all Christians to contend earnestly and strive together with one Soul for the promotion of these duties and the prevention of the contrary evils 2ly p. 176. That the preserving of what is most essential unto the welfare of the Church and to the interests of piety is more to be regarded than the omission of what is only circumstantial to them and that precepts which concern only Rituals p. 46. are to give place to those which do concern the welfare of mens bodies and much more to those which do respect the welfare of our Brothers Soul so that when both cannot together be observed we must neglect or violate the former to observe the latter Agreeably to which assertion Divines do generally lay down this as a certain rule concerning positive commands requiring things which it is not intrinsecally evil to omit viz. That all such things cease to be duties when they are inconsistent with others of a greater consequence there being greater reason and obligation when we cannot do both to do the latter with the omission of the former And this that Author doth confirm 1. From the example of God himself who suffered his own ceremonial institutions to be neglected upon accounts of lesser moment p. 171. viz. circumcision for the convenience of his peoples travels in the wilderness the celebration of the Passover in the 14th day of the first month when they were in a journey about their temporal concerns 2ly From the example and declarations of our Saviour who taught that in all such cases p. 171 172. God would have mercy and not sacrifice approved the action of David and his Servants in eating the Shew-bread which was by Gods prescription to be eaten only by Aaron and his Sons and who commanded the impotent man to take up his Bed and walk upon the Sabbath-day whence he seems evidently to infer 1. p. 173. That if God was pleased to suffer his own institutions in matters ceremonial to be neglected when that neglect was needful to promote some higher end if to preserve the life of man and beast he would permit men to do that which otherwise would have been deemed a breach of his own institution and a prophanation of his day it is not to be doubted but he will permit us to do those things which in their natures may be inconvenient when it is necessary to submit unto them for the promotion of the great ends of love peace unity and the advantage of poor Souls if our respect unto our Brothers life and health will warrant our neglect of many outward duties then surely our respect unto the Churches peace and unity and to the good of Souls may warrant our submission to those things for these good ends which God hath never plainly made it our duty to omit and our Superiours whom he most plainly doth command us to obey in lawful matters do enjoin 2ly p. 175. That if the duties mentioned be of an higher nature than any outward circumstance of worship it cannot be so much our duty to endeavour that Gods worship should be performed without those rites or circumstances as that these higher duties should be practised or to contend for the omission of them with loss or hazard of these more weighty matters if in these moral duties consists the life and substance of Religion and the essentials of true Piety whereas the matters which our Dissenters do contend for relate not to the being of Religion but as they think only unto the purer exercise of some religious duties certain it is they ought not so to contend for the omission of these external circumstances as to impair that charity and peace that unity and edification wherein the substance of Religion and the welfare of the Church consists which seems to be the very Argument St Paul insists on when he saith Rom. 14.17 19. the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace wherefore let us follow after the things which make for peace i. e. Let us not by doing or omitting of these things obstruct the Churches peace or hinder the promotion of those things in which Gods Kingdom more especially consists 3ly p. 176. He asks Whether Dissenters can with good conscience say that Gods glory is as much concerned in the administration of his worship rather in some other way than in that mode which now obtaineth in the Church of England as it is certainly concerned in the performance of those moral duties and in the honour and success of Christian Faith the salvation of Souls the welfare of the State and of the Protestant Religion and whether by joining with us in our publick Ordinances such mischiefs would ensue if not 't is certainly their duty rather to comply with the commands of their Superiors p. 177. though they conceive them burthensome and inconvenient than to administer by their refusal so to do occasion to the greater dishonour of their God and all these dreadful evils both to Church and State which do ensue on that refusal § 5 Sixthly This Author strongly seems to argue for this submission in prosecution of the ends forementioned from the example of St Paul who though he were free from all men 1 Cor. 9.19 20. yet made himself servant to all that he might gain the more to the Jew p. 145. becoming as a Jew that he might gain the Jew c. For sure saith he it well becometh our Dissenters to imitate this great example of St. Paul by conforming their wills as servants do unto the will of their Superiors and doing all that lawfully they can to please and testify their due subjection to them without respect to their liberty to do in order to their being serviceable to the Church in the promotion of the Gospel and the salvation of Souls as the Apostle did when he submitted to the circumcision of Timothy when he undertook a legal purification of himself and offered sacrifice against which actions it is easie to produce more plausible exceptions than they can bring against our Ceremonies especially if we consider that the Apostle did comply Acts 21.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 28.17 not only with the Law of Moses for this end but also with the traditions imposed by the Elders and so did yield unto the very thing which they are so afraid to do § 6 Seventhly This Author proves That Schism is a most pernicious evil Chap. 2. §. 1. this he makes good from Scripture from the concurring suffrage of all the Fathers of the Church from the mischievous and dreadful consequences of it and from the opposition that it bears to the great duties of Charity and Peace of Union and Edification Now certainly it highly must concern us in reason and in Conscience where our mistakes are like to prove of such a fatal consequence to our immortal souls and to expose us to such dreadful evils to be very wary
all persons to obey those that have the rule over them Heb. 13.17 and submit themselves Rom. 13.1.5 1 Pet. 2.13 and to be subject to the higher powers as to the ordinance of God and that for Conscience sake and the Lords sake He that can satisfie his Conscience in his refusal so to do must shew some Law of God as evidently forbidding his obedience to what Superious do enjoin P. 197. as do these Scriptures command obedience to them in all lawful things I having therefore in this Treatise answered all your pretences for such a prohibition of the Holy Scripture forbidding your submission to the Rites and Constitutions of the Church of England enjoined by Superiors have made it manifest that you can never satisfie your Consciences in your refusal to submit unto them nor can you or your Leaders return a satisfactory Answer to the Questions propounded by that Author to you in these words P. 58. Do they prefer mercy before Sacrifice or comply with the forementioned injunctions of Obedience to their Superiors who will not submit to Rites or Circumstances or to the use of things no where forbidden in the word to prevent Schism and all the dreadful consequences of it but rather will give cause to their Superiors to judge them scandalous Resisters of Authority and pertinacious Disturbers of the Churches Peace 59. Do not they scandalize offend and contribute unto the Ruine of Christs little stock who do involve them in a wretched Schism on the account of things which they may lawfully submit to Do not they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who forbid them to enter when they may Do not they impose heavy burthens also who say to their Disciples Hear not the Common Prayer Receive not the Sacrament Kneeling suffer not your Children to be signed with the Cross Communicate not with that Minister who wears a Surplice or with that Church which imposeth any Ceremonies or any Constitutions but concerning the time and place of performing Publick Worship If nothing doth so scandalize Christs followers as to find their Teachers at discord and divided can they act as becometh his Disciples who are not willing to procure Vnity and Concord and to avoid this scandal by their submission to things indifferent in their own nature and not forbiden in the law of God § 2 Thirdly He pleads for this submission from that great rule of equity which calls upon you to do to others as you would be dealt with putting the Question to you thus p. 187. Do not you expect obedience from your Children and Servants in like cases Should you command them to come at ten of the Clock into your Parlour to Family Devotions requiring them to come dressed and to kneel at their Devotions would you permit them to refuse to come at the time and to the place appointed because all times and places are indifferent to God or in the garb appointed by you because God regards not habits or to refuse to kneel because they may pray standing Would you not rather judge them contemners of your lawful authority and needlesly and sinfully scrupulous in those matters And must not you by the same Rule be guilty of contemning the lawful Authority of your Civil and Spiritual Fathers and of the Masters of Christs Family by your refusal to submit unto their Constitutions in matters of like nature upon the like accounts or can those Principles derive from him who is the God of order not of confusion 1 Cor. 15.33 which would so evidently should they obtain fill Families as well as Kingdoms and Churches with confusion and destroy their order § 3 Fourthly He argues ad hominem thus If notwithstanding the evidence produced p. 289. that Baptism by immersion is sutable both to the institution of our Lord and his Apostles and was by them ordained to represent our Burial with Christ and so our dying unto Sin Rom. 6.4 Coloss 2.12 and our conformity to his resurrection by newness of life as the Apostle clearly doth explain the meaning of that Rite I say if notwithstanding this Dissenters do agree to sprinkle the baptized Infant why may they not as well submit to the significant ceremonies imposed by our Church for since it is as lawful to add unto Christs institutions a significant ceremony as to diminish a significant ceremony which he or his Apostles instituted and use another in its stead which they did never institute what reason can they have to do the latter and yet refuse submission to the former and why should not the peace and union of the Church be as prevailing with them to perform the one as is their mercy to the Infants body to neglect the other And § 4 Fifthly The said Author shews that our divisions do highly prejudice the Christian Faith Chap. 1. that they gratify the Infidel and Sceptick and scandalize the weak and doubting Christian that they minister to the advantage of the Papist and to the prejudice of the true Protestant Religion that they are highly prejudicial to the State that they have a pernicious influence upon our selves by promoting strife enmity carnality and all the evils consequent upon them by obstructing the love peace unity order and edification of the Church and the benefit of our Prayers by hindring the efficacy of the means of Grace by depriving us of all the blessings of love and peace and by endangering our eternal peace And hence he strongly doth infer That if Dissenters do not think it better that all these evils should ensue than that they should comply or bear with those few ceremonies P. 22. and scrupled expressions of our Liturgy then must they in these matters submit to the commands of their Superiours And p. 29. he puts this serious Question to Dissenters Whether those ceremonies and those expressions in our Liturgy which they at present scruple be so plainly evil and so unquestionably forbidden that for preventing all these dreadful evils they may not be complyed with adding That if they be not so clearly and indispensably evil that these great ends of the promoting the salvation of mens Souls and the preventing of the forementioned evils which do inevitably ensue upon them cannot hallow them they cannot be excused from being accessary to those evils which ensue upon their separating from and their dividing of the Church on these accounts Now that Dissenters cannot rationally judge these things to be thus clearly and indispensably evil or think it better that all these mischiefs should ensue than that they should submit unto them he seems convincingly to prove from these considerations 1. Chap. 6. §. 1. from p. 167. to p. 170. That the duties of promoting Christian love peace unity and the edification of the Church and the preventing of Division Schism and the disturbance of the Civil Government are moral and essential duties which will admit no dispensation so that it is the duty
many other Instances of a like nature it appears that tho it may be doubted whether our Ceremonies be indeed apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the Remembrance of his duty to God yet cannot it be rationally doubted but what is apt to do so may be both practised and imposed without any derogation from the Kingly or Prophetick Office of our Lord. Answ 3 3ly Hath Christ set down in Scripture all things that may any way conduce to excite good affections in us or give occasion to any pious Meditations or hath he not if he hath not then is not the assertion true on which the Argument is grounded viz. That Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we lawfully may be admonished of our duty If he hath then 't is not possible that any man should have a good affection or pious meditation stir'd up within him by any other means or object then such as is expresly contained in the Word of God Than which assertion nothing can be be more false Who knows not that memorable Story of the Cook who from consideration of the heat of his own Fire was moved to reflect on the excessive torments of Hell-Fire and thereby to abstain from that iniquity which would expose him to them Should a Dissenter in his discourse with one of this calling or in his writings advise him to make this reflection would he usurp upon Christs Regal or Prophetick Office Answ 4 4ly Tho this Objection speaks only of Mystical significant Ceremonies yet doth it with equal strength conclude against all Ceremonies and against the Appointment of time and place for publick worship for if this be a good Argument Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies of Mystical Signification why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore they may make no Laws touching the time and place of publick worship And if Christ hath committed to his Church no Authority of appointing new things but only a Ministry to observe and do such things which Christ hath appointed then either Christ hath appointed time and place or she hath no Authority to appoint them To this Dr. Ames answers that time and place are no new things But I hope to appoint new time and place is to appoint new things and to make Laws determining a time and place not determined before is to make a new Law about them Again if this Argument be good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Rulers of the Church may make no Laws concerning Ceremonies c. why is not this as good Christ is the only Lawgiver to his Church and therefore the Civil Magistrate may make no Laws concerning the Payment of Tythes or allowance of maintenance to Ministers or of making charitable Provisions for the Poor or touching any other Christian duty But must leave every man to his Freedom in these matters as Christ did Answ 5 5ly 1 Cor. 14.40 10 31 32. Christ having by his Apostles given Commandments which only primarily concern the Rulers of the Church viz. That all things in the Church be done decently and orderly to the Glory of God Rom. 14.19 and so as to give none Offence that Christians should follow after the things which make for Peace and whereby they may edify one the other I say this being so all the Injunctions made by the Rulers of the Church pursuant to the ends of Decency and Order the Glory of God the avoiding Scandal the preservation of Peace Unity Edification and for prevention of the Contrary are done by virtual Commission from this one Law-giver and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power And if Superiours should mistake in Judging that such things did really conduce unto the decency and orderly performance of Gods Service or to the other ends forementioned when indeed they do not so yet would not their imposing of them for these ends be any usurpation upon Christs Legislative Power any more than a Law made by Civil Rulers which proveth inexpedient or burthensome to the people tho by the Makers of it it was intended for their good usurps upon the Legislative Power of the God of Heaven For as it is judiciously said by Mr. Disp 5. Chap. 2. §. 29. Baxter if just Authority shall injuriously he should have said mistakingly determine of such things it may be the Subjects duty to obey because these are not matters alien to their Power and without their line but only this is an imprudent overdoing in a work that belongeth to them When St. James saith that there is one Lawgiver he most plainly speaks of such a Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy or pass the Sentence of Absolution and Condemnation upon others whence he infers that they who take upon them to censure and condemn their Brethren usurp his Prerogative but he speaks not about the Laws of Decency and Order and therefore cannot be supposed to condemn them And whereas Mr. Answ to the Commissioners p. 65. Baxter doth plausibly object against the Imposition of our Ceremonies that they are equally useful to the Church Universal in all Ages as to any Particular Church or Age and therefore should be the Matter of an Universal Law if of any and so should be the Work of the Universal Law-giver if of any I answer This if granted will only prove that there is no such positive decency Expedience or Edification in these Ceremonies as is conceived by our Rulers that should render them fit to be imposed but doth not prove that they usurp upon Christs Legislative Power by imposing of them to these ends But 2ly This way of Arguing will necessarily condemn the Church of Christ throughout all Ages she having always used and by her Canons and Constitutions imposed such Ceremonies as were equally useful in all Ages and all Churches as in any as v.g. standing upon the Lords-day at Prayer receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper fasting and all the Ceremonies anciently annexed to baptism to omit many others of like Nature before mentioned Now saith he in another place I dare not think or assert that for truth which will condemn all the Christian Churches in the World throughout most Ages of it Disp 5. Chap. 2. from §. 7. to the 24. 3ly The same Judicious Person gives us many instances of matters relating to the Service of God which Christ hath not determined by Law as v. g. What utensils to employ about the Publick Worship of God whether we shall receive the Lords Supper at a Table of Wood or Stone whether we shall sing in Rythm or Metre or in Prose what Order shall be observed in Reading of the Scripture or how much of it shall be read at a time what Method we shall use in Preaching what Words in Prayer or what Gesture with
with respect unto the manner And therefore it is well observed by Dr. Stillingfleet That many Superstitions condemned in Scripture chiefly consist in the forbearance of things lawful Serm. of Superst p. 37. on supposition that the forbearance of them was well pleasing to God The Superstition condemned Coloss 2.22 lay in supposing God to be pleased with their Forbearance of things lawful with their not touching tasting handling them and therefore was a negative Superstition And so it was in the dispute between Christ and the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath day they thought it unlawful and therefore did abstain Christ thought it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day and therefore did it here was no positive observance on the Pharisees part yet here was Superstition in them and therefore the true Notion of Superstition doth extend to the Forbearance of things in themselves lawful as displeasing to God § 4 Now to apply these things that the Forbearance of the Ceremonies required by the Church of England on supposition that they are lawful in themselves and yet are by Dissenters abstained from as unlawful must be superstitious will be exceeding evident 1. Because they do and must according to their Principles esteem this their refusal to submit unto them when imposed as an act of special honor to God it being a declaration of their minds that they think God dishonoured by such acts and therefore dare not comply with them it can be only fear of sinning against God which can engage them with the hazard of their Estates and Ease c. thus to refuse obedience to the Commands of their Superiours They then must look on this refusal as a product of the fear of God and as an act of true obedience to him in opposition to the unjust Commands of men or an obeying God more than man and consequently they must esteem themselves more holy acceptable and well pleasing to God on the account of this Forbearance than Conformists are 2ly Because they do and must esteem Gods Worship corrupted by the use of these our Rites as to the Purity and the Spirituality of it and so they do esteem themselves by this Forbearance Preservers of his Worship pure and spiritual and free from that Idolatry and Superstition with which they charge it upon these accounts 3ly Because they do and must according to their principles rather refuse to joyn in the external Communion of our Church and rather bound to set up separate Communions than to comply with these our Rites now surely nothing but a necessity of displeasing God by joyning in Communion with us can warrant their refusal of it nothing but a necessity by God imposed on them of setting up such separate Communions in Order to the acceptable Worship of God can justify their Separation if therefore they mistake in Judging that such necessity is laid upon them as they must do if it be lawful to submit unto these Rites and hold Communion with us notwithstanding the necessity which lyes upon them to submit unto them they must be superstitious in that Practice which follows from this grand mistake § 5 In answer to the Close of this Objection it is said That these things edify by their Signification and therefore must be good and profitable and so not like unto vain Words and Actions To this it is replyed by Dissenters that many things of a like Nature when they are used by devout and thinking men may edify by their Signification and yet the imposition of them upon that account would scarce exempt them from the appearance of vanity As v. g. Should a Church Governor command his Subjects to appear in Armor in the Church to signify their Spiritual Warfare or to put on an Helmet to signify that they would manfully fight under Christs Banner or to drink Milk in token of their desire to feed on the sincere Milk of the Word or to use Vinegar and Gall in token of their Resolution to undergo the greatest Hardships for the Sake of Christ or to put on a pair of Spectacles to signify we are dim sighted in the things of Christ tho the Signification of these things might tend to edify the things required could hardly be excused from vanity 2ly They add that Edification in the Scripture Sense is quite another thing from this obscure way of teaching by Signification To edify our Brother in the Scripture Sense is to build him up and to confirm him and help him forward in the Christian Faith 1 Tim. 1.4 Jud. 20. The things by which the Church is said to receive Edification are of a better Nature viz. Walking in the Fear of God and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Act. 9 31. The Preaching of the Word 1 Cor. 14.3 4 5. Christian admonition and discourse Administring Grace unto the Hearer Eph. 4.29 The Graces of the Holy Spirit descending on Christs Members Eph. 4.16 Of the Edification of any indifferent and humane Ceremony the Scripture speaketh not one Word We are then said in Scripture to edify our Brother when we forbear indifferent and unnecessary things which through his weakness do cooperate towards his ruine Rom. 14.19 20. We do it by our Charity towards him in these things for Charity edifyeth 1 Cor. 8.1 By our Promotion of unity and so by the removal of such unnecessary things as do obstruct it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Edifie your selves into one 1 Thes 5.11 Answ But were this granted that some one or more of our Ceremonies seemed to you unprofitable and unserviceable to the use of Edifying what is that to you who only are concerned to know whether what your Superiors Command may lawfully be done by you and who Transgress your bounds when you presume to judge whether the things imposed be in their own Natures profitable edifying or convenient to be imposed for if they be as you conceive the fault supposed in the imposing of them is not yours but theirs whereas the fault in not submitting to them if lawful will most certainly be yours 2ly Whatsoever they are in themselves yet your submission to them in obedience to the lawful Commands of your Superiors for preservation of the Churches Peace for the prevention of Schism and all its dreadful consequents for the obtaining freedom to joyn in the Communion of the Church will doubtless highly tend to your Edification and your Profit as being a Submission to them for such Pious Christian ends as Christianity most stirictly doth oblige us to aim at and pursue and which are in themselves sufficient to sanctifie an action otherwise unprofitable and render it a Christian Duty Lastly to Kneel at the receiving of the Sacrament to express our Reverence and Humility to sign a Child with the Cross in token to the Congregation that he is listed among Christs Members or wear a Surplice for decency or distinction cannot be proved to be vain by any of the Instances forementioned Obj. 7 We cannot say Dissenters
and were permitted to separate from them and joyn in opposite Communions as oft as they imagined that others better did acquit themselves in Prayer or Preaching or in Administration of the Sacraments or any other duty which belongs unto the Ministerial Office Answ 5 Lastly this Text only engages Private Christians to separate from persons Guilty of such crimes as to familiar converse in things unnecessary but never to decline their presence so as to neglect the doing or receiving good to their own souls or bodies For 1. Divines agree in this that Christ and his Apostles do not in this or other places prescribe such separation as is injurious to any or takes off any duties which by the law of nature we do owe unto them or our Relation to them calls for A Wife must not by virtue of this Precept separate from her ungodly Husband no tho he be an unbeliever let her not leave him saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 7.15 A child must not deny subjection to a wicked Parent nor a Servant to an evil Master but must be subject with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the Froward 1 Pet. 2.18 If then this Precept will not oblige us to perform what is injurious to anothers temporals it cannot lay upon us an obligation to do that which is prejudicial to our own Spiritual concerns Much less what prejudicieth the concernments of the Church our Spiritual Mother and makes us disobedient to our Spiritual Fathers 2ly This Precept doth not bind in case of signal damage for I am not obliged to renounce his Company by whom my Trade is carried on my goods go off because I judge him wicked or Profane or to refuse a Customer because he is no Saint for then no Trade could lawfully be managed and there would be no living in the world I do not mean saith Paul to for bid your keeping Company as your occasions serve with the Fornicators Covetous Idolaters of the world for then you must go out of the world v. 9.10 If then as far as the concernments of our worldly callings warrant us we may enjoy their Company much more when this is necessary to the concernments of our Souls or our Spiritual Callings 3ly When I am called as a Guest where accidentally I meet with such a one I am not then obliged to depart and leave the Company because I find him there for this can be no evidence of my familiarity with him Much less am I obliged to depart on his account when I am graciously invited to this heavenly banquet and call'd to feast upon the Supper of the Lamb. And 4ly Our Lord did notwithstanding this duty of avoiding the Company of wicked men familiarly converse with Publicans and Sinners in order to their reformation and spiritual advantage Matt. 9 13. and justified his so doing by this Rule I will have mercy and not Sacrifice why therefore may not we by the same Reason justifie our converse with them in order to our own Spiritual Good But because this Objection of the want of Discipline is the great Scruple of Dissenters and some even among our selves seem to speak slighter of it than they ought to do I will endeavor in some few Propositions to shew how much it doth concern all Churches to endeavor to keep up their Discipline by the exclusion of notorious evil livers from the Church and how far the neglect thereof can be imputed to our Church and whether any separation from her can be justified on this account And therfore I assert That the Secluding of profane and wicked Persons who after admonition by the Church Prop. 1. continue such from the Communion of that Church of which they formerly were Members is the express Ordinance of Christ For 1. Matt. 18.15 16 17. Our Lord himself commanded that if by private admonition we cannot gain our Brother we should tell the Church and if he did neglect to hear the Church he should by Christians be esteemed as a Publican and Heathen adding that whatsoever ye the Church Governours shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven Whence it appears that as it is the Duty of the private Christian who cannot gain his Brother by the private admonitions prescribed by Christ to complain of him to the Church so is it the Duty of the Church to admonish and reprove and call him to repentance and if he will not hearken unto her voice to bind him here on Earth and that the Brother thus bound is afterwards to be looked upon as to Communion in sacris as a Heathen and a Publican And altho no express could be produced from Christ to this effect yet even the constitution of Church Government must necessarily infer it for Government in Church or State there cannot be without a power of punishing unruly Members now the Government of the Church being Spiritual her punishments can be only such even seclusion of her Members from spiritual things moreover there can be no Peace and Order under any Government without a Power of secluding by some means or other such Persons from that Government as obstinately persist in the disturbance of it and violation of its fundamental Laws On Luc. 6.22 And therefore as Grotius truly saith Christ having once constituted a Church and that to be a holy and undefiled Temple to himself must be supposed to command all those things without which this his Temple could not be kept pure But it is plain that a Power of censuring Offenders against this Pure and Holy Institution and of ejecting those who by their wicked conversations do defile this Temple is necessary for the preservation of the Church in purity And indeed I cannot understand how the Church should be a Society without Union or how she can have Union without some Rules of Government and Order or what those Rules can signifie without a Power to punish nor what Power of punishing the Church as such can have except it be by debarring of her Members from some or all of their Church Priviledges nor do I understand how it should be the Duty of Christians to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly if the Church Officers have not a power to pronounce such persons fit to be withdrawn from especially seeing not hearing of the Church must go before his being deem'd or treated as a Publican and Heathen Nor Lastly can I understand St. Pauls discourse unless he Argue thus Vide sclater in locum The whole body of the Christian Assemblies ought to be a new Lump and purged from old Leaven or from such Persons as notoriously commit such Crimes as manifestly are repugnant to the profession of Christianity and inconsistent with true piety he therefore who being call'd a Brother that is making profession of Christianity is guilty of such Wickedness should be cast out of the Society of Christians for as when the Paschal Lamb was offered among the Jews no Leaven was
Church on them who are notoriously otherwise they are Commanded to purge out the Old Leaven that they may be a new Lump and to look diligently that no root of bitterness spring up among them Heb. 12.15 whereby others may be in danger of defilement And as to them who sin'd with an High hand was threatned destruction by the hand of God so the Apostle saith that him who defileth the Temple of the Lord will God destroy 1 Cor 3.17 And as God declared that he would not be with the Church of Israel when it was defiled except they did destroy the accursed thing from among them that is the person who Transgressed his Covenant Josh 7.11 12. So we may also fear that he will not vouchsafe his presence with us unless we also do remove those from among us who defile his Temple and openly transgress their Christian Covenant As then Jehojada set Porters at the Gates of the House of the Lord that none who was unclean in any thing should enter 2 Chron. 23.19 So also should the Rulers of Christs Church Act. 20.28 Jer. 15.19 who are Commanded to take heed unto the Flock and whose concern it is to separate the precious from the vile That the neglect of this great Duty tends very much unto the detriment of the Church Prop. 5. not only as it indangers the infection of her Members and brings a Scandal on her but also as it doth expose her to Gods judgments for the neglect of this his Ordinance this may be gathered 1. from the close of the 5th Chapter of the first Epistle to the Church of Corinth where the discourse of the Apostle on this subject concludeth with these words do not ye judg them that are within that is saith Dr. Hammond you know it is the practice among you to inflict censures on Church Members and ye shall put away the evil from among you That is by doing this you shall free your selves from those punishments which the neglect of your Duty in permitting such offendors to go unpunished and unreformed may bring upon you 2ly From Christs reproof unto the Church of Thyatira because her Rulers suffered the Woman ealled Jezabel to teach Rev. 2.14 15. and to seduce his Servants to commit Fornication and to eat things Offered to Idols Rev. 2.20 and from his threatnings against the Church of Pergamos that he would come against her quickly and fight against her with the Sword of his Mouth for suffering those among her who taught the Doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans if she did not repent that is saith Dr. Hammond There is gotten among you and permitted and not punish'd by your Bishops N. B. that unclean Doctrine and Practice of the Nicolaitans which being odious to me ought most strictly to have been punished by you and if this lenity be not speedily mended I will visit and destroy you suddenly by judgments parallel to the Sword that fell on the Israelites that were corrupted by Balaams Counsel Numb 25.5 And as when Magistrates neglect their Duty in punishing Offenders and bear the Sword in vain God is provoked to take it into his own hand and punish such Offenders by his immediate power so when Church Discipline is neglected it may be rationally expected God should immediately punish that neglect Now on these propositions depends the great Objection of Dissenters against Communion with and for their Separation from our Church For say they seeing it is certain that a Church in which this Duty is performed is better than a Church which doth neglect it fince we have cause to hope Gods presence will be more vouchsafed to such a Church and his good Spirit will more powerfully assist them seeing in such a Church the danger from Gods judgments and the pollution of her Members will be certainly the less we think it reasonable to prefer a Church in which this Discipline obtains in some good measure as it doth in our Communions before Communion with that Church in which it is apparently if not confessedly neglected and therefore till the Church of England will restore this Discipline 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall continue as we are § 5 In Answer to this considerable Objection I add these following Propositions That in case Church Officers do not perform their Duty with reference to this great Ordinance of Chris Prop. 6. yet is it not the * Praecidendae unitatis nulla est justa necessitas cum sibi nequaquam nocituros malos ideo tolerent boni ne spiritualiter sejungantur à bonis cum Disciplinae severitatem consideratio cusiodiendae pacis refrenat aut differt August contr Epist Parm. l. 2. c. 11. p. 39. Peoples Duty to Separate from their Communion except in the ensuing Cases 1. That they require those who Communicate with them to own or to approve of this defect in which Case it is evident that our Communion with them must be unlawful because it cannot be obtained without sin Or 2ly When we without dividing of the Church or disturbing of her Peace or disobedience to or Separation from her Governours or any other greater evil to our selves or to the Church of God can Communicate with other Church Officers legally called who conscientiously endeavor to perform that Duty which others do neglect for from the Reasons offer'd in the foregoing Propositions and the confession of our own Church that this is a Godly Disciplne and that the Restoration of it is much to be desired it rationally seems to follow that if this can be done without a greater evil to our selves or to the Church of God we should prefer a Church Caeteris paribus in which this Discipline of Christ obtains in some good measure before Communion with the Church in which it is confessedly neglected For proof of the proposition thus laid down let us consider 1. That the Scribes and Pharisees rejected Christs Doctrine Luk. 7.30 and the Baptism of John which was an Ordinance of God and yet our Saviour bids both the People and his own Disciples Mat. 23.1 hear them sitting in the Chair of Moses which doth imply Communion with those Scribes and Pharisees And tho both Priest and People were exceedingly corrupted tho he declares the Scribes and Pharisees to be a Generation of Vipers v. 33. and the Generality of the People to be of their Father the Devil Joh. 8.44 and the Sadduces who joyn'd in Publick Worship with the rest Mark 12.27 to be greatly erroneous yet neither did he Separate himself nor command others to Separate from the Communion of the Jewish Church or Synagogues on those accounts 2ly St. Paul declareth of the Church of Corinth that it was their fault that the incestuous Person was not separated from their Communion 1 Cor. 5.1 and commands them to separate him v. 13. But he chides none for Communicating with them whilst he was not Separated which sure he would have done had that Communion
that account is never in the least insinuated this therefore Principles of love p 44. saith Mr. Baxter to his dissenting Brethren you may observe that no one Member is in these Scriptures or any other commanded to come out and separate from any one of all these Churches as if Communion with them in Worship were unlawful and therefore before you separate from any as judging Communion with them unlawful be sure that you bring greater reasons for it than any of these recited were And to confirm this Answer it deserves to be considered that we find in the New Testament express injunctions directed to the whole body of the Christian Churches requiring them to refuse Communion in their private conversations with such persons or to renounce familiarity with them not to company with them 1 Cor. 5.9 Not to eat with them v. 11. To mark them who cause divisions and scandals contrary to the Doctrine which they had received and avoid them Rom. 16.17 To withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly Thess 2.3 6. To have no company with them that they may be ashamed v. 14. We also find the Angels or Officers of the Church oft blamed for this neglect by Christ and his Apostles as in the case of the Incestuous Person the case of Pergamos and Thyatira where they were suffered who taught the Doctrins of the Nicolaitans of Balaam and of Jezebel that is both spiritual and carnal fornication This I have against thee O Thyatira that thou permittest Jezebel Vid. Synops in locum quod eam non coerces censuris Ecclesiae that thou doest not execute the censures of the Church upon her this against thee O Pergamos that thou hast those who teach the Doctrine of Balaam whereas thou being the Angel of the Church shouldst have fought against them with the Spiritual Sword as did the Angel who resisted Balaam because his way Numb 22.22 23. Hebr. 12.15 was perverse before God We find them call'd upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to execute the Office of a Bishop by looking diligently that no such persons be among them and warned of the great danger that the Whole lump might be exposed to by such Soure Leaven We lasty find our Saviour praising the Angel of the Church of Ephesus that he could not bear them but never do we find our Lord or his Apostles calling the People to come out from them or to be separate but only in such cases as did oblige them to touch the unclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 that is to joyn in their Idolatries or partake with them in their Sins From which Considerations Rev. 18.4 it follows as Estius well notes that the Governors of the Church which tolerate Such Persons in the Church offend and that the People who use familiar converse with them do likewise offend but it by no means follows that they who do perform the publick duties of Religion where they are present do offend and as the Reverend and Learned Dr. Unreas of Sep. p. 217. Stillingfleet well notes There be many Reasons to break off private familiarity which will not hold as to Publick Communion and which may render it the Christians duty to do the first and not the latter For our Communion in Publick is a thing which Chiefly Respects God and is a necessary duty of his own appointing the benefit whereof depends upon his promises and all the Communion we have with other men therein is only that of Christ and his Apostles with Judas at the Paschal Supper joyning together for the performance of a Common Religious duty But private familiarity is a thing which wholly respects the persons we converse with it is a thing of meer choice and of much danger it being hardly to be imagined without approbation at least if not imitation of their wickedness And to this the concurrent judgment of the Old Nonconformists who did not think this want of Discipline sufficient cause of separation from Communion with us for having laid this as a foundation that no man ought to separate from a true Church requiring nothing sinful of him Grav confut p. 18. in order to Communion with them they add that altho it were Granted that we wanted both the exercise of the Churches Censures and some of those Officers which Christ hath appointed to exercise them by yet might we be a true Church notwithstanding as there was a true Church in Judah all the days of Asa and Jehosaphat yet was not the Discipline reformed there till the latter end of Jehosaphats Reign The Church of Corinth was a true Church even when the Apostle blamed them for want of Discipline the Congregation of Samaria is called a Church before the Discipline was established there and even in Jerusalem there was a famous visible Church of Christ long before Sundry parts of the Discipline for want whereof they condemn us were established there yea it is evident that by the Apostles themselves divers Churches were Gathered some Good space of time before the Discipline was setled or exercised by all which it is manifest that howsoever those parts of the Discipline which we want be necessary to the beauty and well being and perservation of the Church yet are they not necessary to the being thereof but a true Church may be without them 2ly They add Ibid. p. 51.52 That it doth not belong to private persons to set up the Discipline of the Church against the will and consent of the Christian Magistrate and Governors of the Church yea they declare that in so doing they should highly offend they are bound saith Giffard P. 59 95 100 101 102. by the bands of Conscience and the fear of God from presuming to take upon them publick Authority And if so it is evident that they cannot chuse Pastors for themselves and set up other Churches and Church Governors to exercise the Churches Discipline because they do conceive it is neglected by the Christian Magistrate and other Governors of the Church Yea lastly let me ask our dissenting Brethren if on account of this supposed neglect of Discipline they think themselves obliged to desert Communion with the Church of England whether will they go The Church of Rome they know besides her other errors is more Guilty of this crime than we men may be any thing in their Communion provided that they be not Hereticks and still be owned as Genuine Members of their Church The rest of the Reformed Churches are as loose as we their Members Generally are as corrupt in manners as ours are the same may be affirmed of the Eastern Churches they therfore must acknowledge that they cannot lawfully maintain Communion with any other Church on this account and that there always was even since the reformation a necessity of separation from all Christian Churches in the world for this neglect of Discipline or that they notwithstanding this supposed neglect may hold Communion with the Church of England now have
perform these outward acts of reverence to our Superiors on earth in token of the honor which we owe to them much more ought we to do so to the Majesty of Heaven Hence then it naturally follows Coroll that whatsoever is a proper act of outward Worship and fitly doth express our inward Reverence of God by any outward gesture of the body may very laudably be required by Superiors seeing by these injunctions they only do require us to do in this or that particular what is in general our duty And therefore 1. To require us to Kneel at Prayer and at the Absolution which concludes with Prayer and at the Commandments and Imposition of hands and at the Receiving of the Sacrament is only to require us to pay to God the Worship due unto him to use that posture in our Devotions which our Saviour used at Prayer Luk. 22.41 and which doth properly express our Reverence to him to whom we pray and which was saith Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Eccl. Hist l. 5. c. 5. the Common Custom of the Christian from whence their Prayers had the name of Ingeniculations 2. To require us to bow at the name of Jesus is only to require us to pay that Service in that instance to him to whom God hath declared that all knees shall bow Rom. 10.11 and to whom on account of his Divinity Worship is due by virtue of our obligation to Glorifie him with our Bodys which are his To require us to do this at the name of Jesus rather than at the name of Christ or Saviour when we design to recognize him as our only Saviour by that act of worship seems also reasonable seeing the name of Christ doth rather signifie his unction to his office than the blesings which accrue unto us by the execution of it The name of Saviour is also common to him with the Father whereas the Name of Jesus is appropriated to our Lord. 3ly To require us to uncover our Heads in the House of God and whilst we wait upon him in his presence is only to require us to pay that Reverence unto the Majesty of Heaven which we yield to his Vicegerents here on Earth 4. Since 't is a part of Christian duty by which our God is glorifyed to make publick Profession of our Faith and this is done as well by other signs as Vocal by the sign of the Cross as well as by the Tongue proclaiming our belief of Christ crucified by standing up at the Rehearsal of the Creed as well as by saying these words I believe the standing Gesture is very suitable at such a solemn declaration of the Articles of Christian Faith in token of our Cordial assent and Resolution to stand firm unto it And indeed this is so properly signified saith Mr. Lab. Eccles p. 459. Faulkner by the standing Gesture according to the general apprehensions of the World that both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek which words express the standing Gesture are used in Scripture to signifie an asserting with resolution Deut. 25.8 1 Chron. 34 32. 1 Cor. 16.13 2 Thess 2.15 And the like Idioms of Speech are in some other Languages as well as our own whence stare dictis in the Latin to stand to our words in our Dialect Lastly To give you hence some rational account why standing up at the Gospel is required rather than at the Epistle I must proceed by these degrees 1. That in the devouter times both of the Jewish and the Christian Church the People to manifest their Reverence unto the Word of God the Message sent from God unto them did hear it standing thus when Ezra opened the Book of the Law all the People stood up Nehem. 8.5 and the Children of Israel stood up in their places to read the Law of the Lord Neh. 9.3 2ly When the Gospel was read in the Assemblies of the Christian Church the People were required to stand up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the Gospel is read let all the Presbyters and Deacons L. 2. C. 57. L. 7. C. 19. and all the People stand say the Constitutions of St. Clement And Sozomen speaks of it as a peculiar usage of the Bishop of Alexandria the like to which he had not seen or heard of that he stood not up at the Reading of the Gospel See to this purpose Philostorgius l. 3. Cap. 5. Chrysostom de Circo Isid Pelusiota l. 1. Ep. 136. Niceph. l. 9 18 12 34. If you have the curiosity to ask why at the Gospel rather than the Epistle I answer that this custom was used out of an especial respect to our Lord and Saviour whose words are ordinarily rehearsed in the Gospel to express I say an higher respect to Christ himself speaking there than to his Apostles who were sent by him on which account Ignatius saith the Gospel hath this excellency in it viz. the Presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ Epist ad Philadelph and his Suffering and Resurrection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 9 it hath something more excellent in it than the Writings of the Prophets though they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all very good In Joh Tom. 1 P. 4. C. And Origen that the Epistles were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of equal esteem among Christians with those Writings of which it was said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saith the Lord. If you ask further Why then do we not stand up at the Second Lesson as well as at the Gospel in the Second Service I answer That out of tenderness unto the weakness and infirmity of many Christians v. Mr. Faulkner 's Lib. Eccles p. 146. 462. liberty was granted to them to hear the longer Lessons sitting provided they would shew the Reverence when a less portion of it was read at second Service § 12 Lastly Whereas some doubt the lawfulness of our observing the Festivals appointed by the Church of England I shall endeavour to give them satisfaction in the point in some few Propositions laid down by Mr. Divine appoint of the Lord's Day C. 13. Baxter in that case and then proceed to Answer the Objections which he and others make against them And 1. p. 148. Few saith He question but that whole days of Humiliation and of Thanksgiving may and must be kept upon great and extraordinary occasions of Judgments and of Mercies and that many Churches may agree in these and I know no just Reason why the Magistrate may not with Charity and Moderation to the weak impose them and command such an Agreement among his Subjects 2ly Few saith he doubt but the Commemoration of Great Mercies or Judgments may be made Anniversary and of long continuation p. 149. as the observation of the Fifth of November is made annual among us to preserve the Memorial of the deliverance from the Powder Plot the Second of September for the Anniversary humbling Remembrance of