is in their Worship and as far as I can in my own And I locally separate from the Papists and all such as eâ—ther impose on me any Sin as the Condition or that so corrupt their worship as to destroy it and make it such as Christ accepteth not And I prefer not worse before better in any But further I separate not VII I am afraid of tempting men to Infidelity and Apostacy from Christ. I know his Flock is little But if you perswade men that there are none on Earth whom he owneth as his Church or accepteth their Worship or that may be joined with who are as faulty as our Parish-Churches it will reduce them all to so small a Compass as being next to none people will easily go one step further and deny all To say that the King was only King of Windsor or Brentford would be but a little from saying that he is no King Men will hardly believe that really the Son of God did all the Wonders mentioned in the Gospel to gather an accepted Church no bigger than the few that are better than all that Worship him according to our Liturgy I doubt this is laying a stumbling block VIII I take my self bound to disown that principle of many who think their presence maketh them guilty of all that is faulty in the publick Worship and Ministration For this dissolveth all Worshipping Churches on Earth without exception We are sure there is none that offer God a blameless Service We must then join with none at all Specially with those who Worship without a Liturgick Form For we never know before-hand but that they may say somewhat that is amiss But in general we foreknow that imperfect men will do all things imperfectly and faultily And by this we must give over Praying or Worshipping in private also being all sure to do it with sinful imperfections But to omit it will be greater Sin IX I am afraid of deceiving the Servants of Christ and tempting them into Error and into disaffection toward their Brethren by making them believe that it is unlawful to Hear or Communicate in the Parish-Churches If we constantly refuse such Communion when we are called to it so importunately the people can think no less than that we judge it to be a Sin And so we shall be the Authors of their Error I find already that it is so Though many Ministers who go not to the Parish-Churches tell them We take it not for a thing unlawful but are kept away our selves by our constant preaching as the Conformists are kept from hearing one another Yet this is not understood by many but by their constant avoiding it they judge them to think otherwise And it is my Office to save them from Error and Deceit and not to deceive them X. I find it necessary by practice as well as by words to confute those who would make the World believe that the Non-Conformists affright men from the Parish-Churches by making them believe that to be there is sinful lest they should loose them from their dependance on themselves Far be it from us to have any such design as to keep up any interest of our own against the interest of the Church and of Mens Souls and by Selfishness and Deceit to draw the people into Error and Uncharitableness It 's Christ and not our Selves that we Preach XI I am not willing to be guilty of the peoples suffering as Recusants I would encourage them to patient suffering for their Duty but not draw them into a sinful Omission of Duty to their penal suffering I said before that a Man may be accepted of God for a Well-meant Action when the Matter of it is culpable by mistake But I that dare not Cheat or Rob men of their Money or entice them unjustly into suretiship dare not use the name of God and Religion knowingly to entice many hundred honest Christians to suffer for the Omission of a Duty to God and Man XII I am resolved that I will not wilfully be guilty of hardening any in Persecution or in sinful afflicting conscionable Christians on pretence of Laws or Concord And I am sure that when they see that sufferers are deceived and suffer for omitting a publick Duty it is the likest way in the World to quiet their Consciences who afflict them when they can say We punish them for their faults they that understand not the difference of faults are like to justifie themselves as doing well Yea if any shall persecute Godly Men for doing their Duty or refusing to Sin if they find them guilty but of one Fault or Error it will make them think that the rest is like it and that shall serve to justifie their persecuting Truth and Duty And if it be so terrible to cause the stumbling of one little one shall we cause the stumbling of any into so damning a Sin as Persecution Obj. You are like to encourage men to persecution when by your practice you intimate that it is their duty to come to the Parish-Church and so that they suffer for their sin Ans. 1. I have shewed that the same thing may be one man's duty which is not anothers It is a French-man 's duty here to go to the French-Church but it is not mine 2. What will you make of the Magistrates then Do you think that they take any Subject to be without Sin Or that they are so inhumane and worse than Heathens as to think that all that have any Sin should be silenced or forbidden to Worship God or punished if they forbear not It 's a Sin to sleep at Church or to give nothing or too little there at Collections for the Poor and an hundred such And are they so severe as to send Men to Gaol or fine them for it They make prophane Swearers pay but twelve pence an Oath if any thing and few suffer for wishing God to Damn them or for being drunk even at the time of Worship And do you think they will be so palpably partial as to ruin honest Christians for praying without book 3. And do you consider what your Objection implyeth Must I forbear that which my Conscience calleth my Duty if another suffer for accounting it a Sin What if some take baptizing Infants or sanctifying the Lords day rather than the seventh c. for a Sin must I forbear these lest I occasion their suffering 4. I have tryed these twenty years and though I went to the Parish-Church none ever suffered the more by it Yea I have suffered more than most here that were of the other mind This therefore is but a Fiction 5. Did Mr. Tombes forbear Writing for Parish-Communion lest his party the Anabaptists suffer Or did Mr. Philip Nye forbear writing for Hearing the Parish Ministers lest the refusers suffer Or did they not both write for the Oath of Supremacy though many Scots suffered for refusing it Yea and therefore wrote all this that their followers might not suffer
stairs to hatred and destroying it 's his way to cure Schism that is commonly painted with Horns and Cloven feet If a man come from a Countrey Village and be made by Covenant a Citizen of London how prove you that he renounceth King or Kingdom But he saith p. 9. Those who wilfully separate from the Corporation to which the Charter was granted forfeit their Interest in the Charter Ans. What Reader doth this man presume upon that will not ask him how he proveth 1. That Gods Law or Charter to his Church doth not require them to congregate in distinct single Churches as London Charter doth to erect several Companies and the Universities several Colledges 2. And that God hath not in his Word given order or command for such single Churches But that the Apostles and Titus by fixing Elders to their several Churches and Cities separated from the Universal Church 3. And that their subordinate Churches have not need of distinct subordinate consent and duty And that our Diocesan Churches all separate from the Universal Did he think these things need no proof at all It may be he will say that the Diocesan depend on the Vniversal but the Presbyterian or Independent do not I Answer Dependance is either that of Subjects on Soveraign or Magistrates for Government or that of a Community of Equals for Communion In the former respect they depend on none but Christ as Universal Soveraign Nor on any Foriegners for Governments In the latter they depend on all true Churches for Communion And Doctor Hammond and most Diocesans hitherto have said that Diocesan Churches are thus far Independent or National at most And if any be for a Forreign Iurisdiction in Charity before they perswade England to it they should procure them a Dispensation from all the Oaths that have sworn all this Kingdom against endeavouring any change of Government and against a Foreign Iurisdiction For some Fanaticks now Dream that PER is the Mark of the Beast and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the number of his Name is nominal as well as numeral and refers to CH-urch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and STate For as for them that find a mans name in them I abhorr their Exposition more § 11. P. 9. God saith he hath not made any Covenant in particular with the Church of Geneva France or England c. A. 1. God hath made one General Law for Christians congregating with their fixed Elders or Bishops in particular Churches all the World over And his Command is not without Promise of being with them to the End of the World and that Promise becometh a Promise to every Church so congregate God hath not made distinct Laws or Promises to every Christian But the Promise to Justifie all Believers justifieth each single Person when he believeth If the King should make one common Law to command all his Subjects that are Freeholders to live in Corporations or Hundreds described with their priviledges those priviledges would be all theirs that are so incorporated As one Charter may Priviledge every London Company diversified by subordinate Agreements 2. And that God who will have them thus incorporated and distributed into several single Churches doth Covenant or Promise according to their demerits to each Do I need to recite the peculiar Promises and threats to the seven Asian Churches Rev. 2. and 3. which are Covenants to them § 12. Next Pag. 10. He will tell us what Communion is and in many words it is to tell us that Communion is nothing but Vnion I know that quoad notationem nominis Communion may signifie Vnion with others But they that write Politicks have hitherto distinguished Vnion and Communion taking Communion for Actual Communication or exercise of the duties of men in Union But to speak cross to other Writers on the same Subjects and give no reason for it and to confound Vnion and Communion is one part of this edifying Resolution § 13. Pag. 11. Our Communion with the Church consists in being members of the Church which we are made by Baptism saith he Then the Baptized are still in Communion with the Church till their baptism be nullified And hath he proved us Apostates § 14. Pag. 12. Should any man who is no member of the Church nor owns himself to be so intrude into the Church and Communicate in all Holy Offices it 's no Act of Communion c. A. I thought communicating ordinarily in Holy Offices had gone for an owning of Communion If it do not would you would tell us how to know who are of your Church § 15. P. 13. Saith he Church-Communion does not consist in particular Acts of Communion which can be performed among those who are present and Neighbours but in membership Now as a member is a member of the whole Body not meerly of any part of it c. All the Subjects of England who never saw nor converst with each other are members of the same Kingdom A. 1. That word meerly hath more Craft than Justice or Honesty Meerly signifieth Only I suppose and if he would make his Reader think that they that are for single Church peculiar membership and consent do take themselves to be meerly or only members of those single Churches and not of the Universal it is shameless injury 2. Will he ever draw men to conformity by making them believe that because they owe Common Communion to all Christians therefore we owe no special duty to the Bishops Priests Churches or Neighbours where we are setled Do the Men of one Colledge School Corporation owe no more duty to that than to all others Do the Free-holders of Bedford-shire choose Knights for Middlesex or the Citizens of Oxford choose Officers in London These seem strange Resolutions to us 3. But doth he remember that if Communion consist not in Acts of Communion to such but in membership even with the distant then he that is baptized and no Apostate and performeth no other Acts of Communion to the Bishops Parson or People where he liveth than he is bound to perform to them a hundred or thousand miles off is no Separatist Methinks this favours Separation too much § 16. Pag. 14. When he denyed any Divine Covenant to make us members of particular Churches distinguish't from the Vniversal as all National Diocesan and Parochial are as parts from the whole he presently confuteth all again saying The exercise of Church Communion as to most of the particular duties and Offices of it must be confined to a particular Church and Congregation for we cannot actually joyn in the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments c. but with some particular Church A. Oportuit fuisse memorem 1. Reader doth not this man here confess that there are particular Churches 2. If these be not distinct from the whole then each particular is the whole 3. If the Exercise must be in particular Churches must not men Consent to their Relations and Duties Is it a sin to Promise
the same place their neighbourhood maketh them capable of Personal presential Communion as men that may know and admonish each other and meet by turns and in presence manage their concerns which differenceth single Churches of the lowest order from associated Churches of men that have Communion only by others at distance XV. As Logicians say of other Relations the matter must be capable of the end or it is not capable of the name and form so is it here e. g. It is no Ship that is made of meer Sponge or Paper or that is no bigger than a Spoon it is no Spoon that is as big as a Ship One House is not a Village nor one Village a City nor a City a meer House So twenty or an hundred or a thousand Parishes associate cannot be a single Church of the first or lowest Order being not capable of mutual Knowledge Converse or personal present Communion Nor are two or three Lay-men capable to be such a Church for want of due matter But supposing them capable thô a full and rich Church have advantage for Honour and Strength yet a small and poor one is ejusdem ordinis as truely a Church and so is their Pastor as Hierom saith of Rome and Eugubium so Alexandria and Majuma c. Gregory Neocaesar was equally Bishop of nineteen at first as after of all save nineteen in the City XVI If the Apostles have Successours in their care and Superiority over many Churches it will prove that there should yet be men of eminent worth to take care of many Churches and to instruct and admonish the younger Ministers But it will neither prove 1. That they succeed the Apostles in the extraordinary parts of their Office 2. Nor that they have any forcing power by the Sword 3. Nor that one Church hath power over others by Divine right for the Apostles fixed not their power to any particular Churches but were general Visitors or Overseers of many Yet if the same Man who is fixed in a particular Church have also the visiting admonishing oversight of many as far as was an Ordinary part of the Apostles Office and be called an Archbishop I know no Reason to be against him XVII There be essential and Integral Acts of the Sacred Ministry instituted by Christ These none may take the Power of from any Ministers nor alter the species or integrity of the Office by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted or arrogating the like uncalled But as in worship so in Order and Church Government there are undetermined accidents As to choose the time and place of Synods to preside and moderate and such like And these the Churches by agreement or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest And if the Magistrate affix Baronies Honours Revenues or his own due Civil forcing Power and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers whether we think it prudent and well done or not we must honour and obey them XVIII Some call these humane Accidental Orders forms of Church Government and affirm as Bishop Reignolds did and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental and humane but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first and to Pastors as such by his appointment so that the essential Government of the Universal Church by Christ and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work are of unalterable Divine right But the humane forms are alterable Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters Deacons c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire not imposing a forreign Jurisdiction These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices XIX All these single Church being parts of the Universal are less noble than the whole and are to do all that they do as members in Union with the Whole and to do all as Acts of Communion with them XX. The General precepts of doing all to Edification Concord Peace Order c. oblige all the Churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these Ends And Synods are one special means which should be used as far and oft as the Ends require And if National Metropolitans and Patriarchs order such Synods I am not one that will disobey them But if on these pretences any would make Synods more necessary than they are and use them as Governours by Legislation and Judgement over the Particular Bishops by the use of the Church Keyes and will affixe to them or Metropolitans besides an Agreeing Power and the said Government in Accidentals a proper Church Government by making and unmaking Ministers or Christians excommunicating and absolving as Rulers by the said Keyes it may be a duty to disown such usurpations As the King would disown an Assembly of Princes any where met that would claim a Proper Government of him and his Kingdom Thô it were much to be wisht that all Christian Princes would hold such Assemblies for the Concord and Peace of Christendom XXI The Essentials of Faith Hope and Loving Pracâ—â—ce essentiate the Church objectively And these are all summarily contained in the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalouge and all with much more even Integrals and needful Accidentals in the Sacred Scriptures which taking in the Law of Nature are Gods Universal Law XXII There is no Church on Earth so sound and Orthodox as to want no Integral part of Christian Religion Proved There is no man on Earth much less any multitude so sound as to want no Integral part But all Churches consist only of Men And therefore if all the Men be so far defective all the Churches are so It is not their Objective Religion Generally and implicitely received that I mean but their Subjective Religion and their explicite reception of the Objective The Scripture is our perfect Objective Religion in it self and as an Object proposed and in general and implicitely we all receive it But as a man may say I believe all that 's in the Scripture and yet be ignorant of the very Essentials in it so a man may explicitely know and believe all the Essentials and more and yet be ignorant of many Integrals All things in Scripture proposed to our Faith Hope and Practice are the Integrals of our Religion But no Christian understandeth all these proposals or words of Scripture Therefore no Christian explicitely believeth them all or practiceth all To hold the contrary
trust the conduct of their Souls Nor did they think so that forbad men hearing fornicators Nor Cyprian that required the People to forsake Basilides and Martial Peccatorem Praepositum XXXV So full was the proof given in the Book called The first Plea for Peace that the Church from the beginning denyed Princes and Magistrates to be entrusted with the choice of Bishops or Pastors to whom the Churches were bound to trust the conduct of their Souls that he who denyeth it is not worthy to be therein disputed with And yet we doubt not but they may force Infidel Subjects and Catechumens to hear sound and setled Preachers and Catechists And may dispose of the Tythes Temples and many other Accidents of the Church and may drive on Pastors and People to their Duty XXXVI It is false Doctrine that two distinct Churches may not be in the same Precincts or City This being a meer Accident which abundance of Cases make unnecessary and unlawful Which I shall prove That which is no where commanded by God is no duty But that there shall be but one Church or Bishop in the same Precincts is not commanded of God Ergo c. Divine of Gods making They own the Major in the case of Indifferent thing If they deny the Minor let the affirmers prove any such command We grant a command of Love and Concord and a prohibition of all that is against them But in many instances to have several Churches in the same precincts is not against them If they fly to the Canons of foreign Councils the reason of them we shall weigh and duely regard But they were National and had their Legislative Power only from their own Princes and their Counselling Power only from Christ And we disown all foreign Jurisdiction XXXVII In all these Cases following and more two Churches may be in the same precincts yea and a City 1. In Case that several Bishops are called justly to dwell in the same City or Diocess and many of their Flock be with them e. g. Many Bishops of England dwell long yea mostly in London or in London Diocess e. g. The Bishop of Eli dwells in the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn Qu. Whether there he be a Subject to Dr. Stillingfleet as his Pastor and bound to obey him or whether many out of his Diocess thousands may not as Lawfully dwell half the Year in London as he And whether when he preacheth to them he do it not as their Bishop in London Diocess And so of many other Bishops that here reside XXXVIII 2. Either our Parish Churches are true Churches or not If not the Separatists are so far in the right And separate not from true Churches eo nomine because they separate from them If yea then many Churches are in the same City and Diocess Of their agreement and dependance on the same Bishop I shall speak anon XXXIX 3. In case that in one City there be resident Stranges that are sent on Embassies or live for Merchandize or flee from Miseries and are the Subject of other Princes whose Laws and Customs they are under e. g. At Frankford Hamburgh Middleburgh Dantzick Constantinople there have been English distinct lawful Churches And in London there are Dutch and French Churches And if the King allowed a Swedish Church a Danish Church a Saxon Church c. with their several Bishops who is so weak as to need proof that this is lawful and they true Churches XL. 4. In case men of different Language are not capable of mutual converse by personal communion or help As Dutch French Italian Greeks Germans c. Grotius and Dr. Hammond oft in Dissert and Annot. do maintain that Peter at Rome had a Church of Iews and Paul a Church of Gentiles And that the like distribution of Churches of Iews and Gentiles there was at Antioch Alexandria and other places And by this they Salve the Contradictions in Church History about the Succession of Linus Cletus and Clemens And the Apostles setled not a sinful Church way XLI 5. Yea Grotius maintaineth that the Apostles setled the Churches at first not like the Jewish Priesthood but in the order of their Synagogues de Imper. sum Patest and in Annot. And that as there were divers Synagogues in a great City with their Archisynagogus and Elders so there were divers Churches in a City with Bishops and Presbyters XLII 6. When there are a greater number of Persons in one City or precinct than can have any just personal Knowledge and Communion and more than any one Bishop with his Presbytery can perform the needful Pastoral oversight to it is lawful and a duty to gather another Church in that City or Precinct But this is truly the Case of many great Cities though worldly Wisdom have at Rome and other places oft denyed notorious evidence and experience He that will gather up all the duties that Dr. Hammond saith were charged on the Bishops in his Annotations on all the Texts that name Elders and Bishops if he can believe that any Bishop can perform the tenth part of them to all in the Diocess of London York Lincoln Norwich c. I will not dispute against him if he maintain a Bishops Ubiquity or that at once he can be in twenty places But if they say that what then was commanded them to do personally they may do by others I say that if they may change the Work they may change the Power that specifieth the Office and so it is not the same Office in specie instituted in Scripture And then Lay-men may have Power to preach and administer Sacraments and do the Office of Priests and yet be no Priest as Civilians do of Bishops which is a Contradiction Certainly if there be more Scholars in the City than one Master can Teach and Rule it is no Schism to set up more Schools and Schoolmasters but a duty And if the Lord Mayor on pretence of City Government should put down but as great a part of Family Government as those Diocesans do of Parochial Church Government who allow none under them to be truly Episcopi Gregis and have the power of their Church Keyes I think that it were no Schism to restore Families so that the City might have more than one entirely XLIII 7. If the Soveraign Power upon Politick or Religious Reasons should determine that e. g. Dr. A and Dr. B and Dr. C. shall all be Bishops in London to such Volunteers of Clergy and Laity as shall choose each of them to be their Bishop and this without altering their dwellings no man can prove it sinful And of his reasons the King is judge XLIV 8. If the Bishop or Clergy of a City Diocess or Nation do agree by Law or Canon to admit none to the Ministry or Communion that will not commit a known sin deliberately as the Condition of his Communion it is a duty to congregate under other Pastors in those precincts This is confest If they
be Mr. Raphsons coming out I thought it my duty to Animadvert on that and to bear my Testimony against Schism on both Extreams lest I be guilty of Partiality and of the Sin and suffering of many that may be deceived by them If these Two be not overmuch discouraged the other Two against both the Extreams may come hereafter THE SECOND PART AGAINST SCHISM c. The Reasons of Mr. Raphson and such others against going to the Parish-Churches considered THE Matter of his Book as against Persecution is very considerable the Stile is very close and pungent His Doctrine against Communion with the Churches that use the Liturgy is that which I examine The sum of it is 1. That kneeling at the reception of the Sacrament and the use of the Liturgy are unlawful 2. That they are false Worship and Idolatry 3. That the places where they are used are Idol-Temples 4. That to joyn there in them is to partake in Idolatry 5. The proof of all this is by this Argument Worship not institute is not lawful but kneeling in receipt of Bread and Wine is Worship not instituted by Christ therefore not lawful therefore not pleasing p. 160 161. To which by way of Motive he addeth p. 275. How many once in the separation are returned back to the Vomit they once cast up and wallow in the mire of a worldly worship c. Is compliance in Idol-Temples going to Dan and Bethel bowing to Baal sitting or drinking with the supersâ—itious in acts of religious adoration a witness for or against defection Are you turned as silly sheep that once were called shepherds to bleat after other shepherds that Christ never sent nor bid you go after them c. Looks it not like a declining of the Camp of Christ the work of the Gospel and setting your face towards Babel c. Is scandal of no weight with you c. How dare you venture your souls to sit under Means that he says shall not profit you and which is worse lies under his curse Ier. 23.32 Mal. 1.14 with more such Either this Writer knoweth how ill he dealeth with his Reader or not If he do it 's a double fault if not which I think it 's a doleful case that every well-meaning man that can but be confident in his ignorance and error and father it on God should become such a snare to them that cannot see through his Pretences and should himself suffer for sinning and call it the Cause of God and condemn all that sin not as confidently as he and hereby harden his afflicters by shewing them his weakness and impenitently justifying his sin If he would not have ensnared his Reader he should first have opened the meaning of the words of his Question that they might know how much of the Dispute is material and how much only about words 2. And then he should have so proved his assertion and accusation as might satisfie a good Conscience in a matter wherein God the Church and Souls are so much concerned and not have poured out Accusations by way of Motives upon unproved and false suppositions I find but one Argument which I shall now answer plainly His Major is Worship not instituted is not lawful Ans. 1. The word Worship in general signifieth 1. Any thing done in honour to another and so all our obedience to God is Worship It is to his glory that we must do all I suppose that this he meaneth not 2. Any immediate act or expression of the honour and reverence of the heart If this be not it that he meaneth by Worship I know not what he meaneth This Worship as within is the secret act of the soul as exprest it is the act of the body Of such Worship there are two sorts One sort is made necessary statedly by God's commanding it in particular To this no man must add the like or from it diminish any thing so commanded either pretending God's authority or his own The other sort is but the subordinate ordering of the former and is but the manner of doing it This God doth not institute in particular but only give man a general Rule how to choose it himself which is That all be done in love and to edification decently and in order Either this latter sort is to be called Worship or not If it be then it falls under his opposition If not then 1. He must give us a definition of Worship which shall exclude it and so Worship must be somewhat else than the direct or immediate acting or expressing honour to God And then who knows what he meaneth by it 2. And then when we plead for mens making none but this he should to avoid deceit confess that the Controversie is only of the Name whether Modes and Circumstances of God's instituted Worship may be called Worship and not at all of the Thing whether it be lawful or not This had been like a Christian Teacher Now I answer 1. to his first Proposition 1. Worship which is neither instituted particularly nor in the general appointing man how to choose it is unlawful 2. And to invent worship without God's allowance contrary or of the same kind as if he had not done his part is unlawful 3. But for man to choose and use such worship as is but the right ordering of God's Institutions is commanded by him and a Duty and therefore not unlawful 2. As to his Minor or Second Proposition I answer Kneeling at the Sacrament and communicating with Parish Churches that have tollerable Ministers are not instituted of God in particular but the Genus of them is instituted and we commanded to choose our selves according to God's general Rules to the best of our understanding and so they are our Duty and not unlawful I give the Instances of these two sorts of worship First God hath Instituted that our Minds Worship him in believing and receiving all his Gospel Revelations and trusting them and in desiring all things Petitioned in the Lords Prayer and in consenting to all commanded in the Scriptures and in Dedicating our selves to him cordially in Baptism and renewing it in the Lords Supper in commemoration of Christ's Death till he comes He hath Instituted the Corporal Expresions of all these That we confess Christ in all the necessary Articles of Faith That we ask the Petitions of the Lords Prayer That we perform the Commands of the Decalogue towards God and all others in the Scripture These are the Instituted Worship which none must alter Secondly The Manner and Ordering which is the Second sort which I leave every one to call Worship or not when they have defined Worship which man may and must chuse himself without any Particular Institution of God contain such Acts as these 1. Undetermined gestures of Reverence and Honour in time of Publick Worship As to be uncovered or put off the Hat at Prayer or the Lord's Supper This we do directly in honour and reverence to God whom
a larger Council of many Nations and that the Synod at Dort had not as much Power as a lesser at Hague or a Synod of many Nations as much as one in Scotland But if as by parity of Reason they must they say that General or large Councils are the Governours of National Assemblies as they are of Classis and Presbyteries then they bring us under a Foreign Jurisdiction which the Kingdom is sworn against and I think they are Papists but of the French sort who make General Councils Superior Governours of the Universal Church And if they determine the bounds of Church-Power by the Magistrates Laws and yet damn Erastians they seem in ignorance to deal too hardly with themselves 15. Another Instance is in the Place of Publick Worship God hath not determined where the Assembly shall meet where the Pulpit Font Table c. shall stand And if great and lofty Structures called Temples be Built purely to shew how we honour God and Religion as Constantine and others after him did at Constantinople Alexandria Ierusalem over the Grave of Christ and all over the Empire this Actual Expression of Honour to God is Cultus modalis secundarius a subservient sort of Worship and no Idolatry but Lawful 16. The same I say of Church Utensils If for the Honour of God and Religion the Pulpits and Tables have Ornaments of Silk Cups and Trenchers and Flaggons of Silver the Font and Seats have some special Neatness c. this is left to Man's Determination without any particular Institution and is no Idolatry 17. And if as Judges and Lawyers have distinguishing Habits the Ministers have so officiating and at other times to no worse end or manner than the said Utensils are put I know no Institution that is crost by it nor that forbids it 18. Another Instance may be of Speaking in the Assembly whether it shall be One Minister or Two or Three Whether Lay-men may not be Interlocutors by Questions yea and sometime Preach and Pray c. God hath not particularly determined but left to Human Choice 19. Many good Christians knowing the Lord's Day to be an Instituted Day of Thanksgiving for the greatest Mercies do as an Act of Honour wear their best Cloathes and Feast themselves and the Poor accordingly that day This is Lawful by the General Law but not particularly Instituted by God 20. Professing Signs in our Covenantings with God and Confessing of our Religion are left to be chosen onely by the General Laws of Edification and Order When a Nation or Church or Person renew their Covenant with God and their Confession of Faith it may be done when the Ruler demandeth their consent either by word or by subscribing or by lifting up the hand or by standing up or by bowing the Head for these are all or most found in Scripture instances yea sometimes they fell by Prostration to the Ground yea and so they oft did in receiving a Charge or Message from God by his Ministers I will add no more Instances These are enough If yet it be said That none of these be acts of Worship I again Answer 1. Then do not by Slander call them so and say still that Man's inventing or using these is using false Worship If they be no Worship they are no false Worship Confess then that it 's but a bare name that you charged with Idolatry for its onely such things as these that we would add 2. But de nomine If an Action done directly to honour God be to be called Worship some of these at least may be called Secondary subordinate Worship But if you appropriate the Name to Gods stated Ordinances these must not be called Worship but the manner order circumstances or accidents of Worship But call them what you will they are but what God alloweth and the General of them he commandeth I need not say much to his Applicatory Words 1. To return from Separation to Love and Union is as fitly called a Returning to their Vomit as returning from Drunkenness and Fornication to Sobriety and Chastity may be so called Repentance is casting up our Sin 2. The Names of bowing to Baal Dan and Bethel Babylon Idols c. are as easily used by Quakers Ranters Familists c. against all God's Church and Worship And they were worn so thread-bare by the railing Separatists then called Brownists against the Old Learned Godly Nonconformists that they turned to the Speakers reproach And I suppose he knoweth that the Scots were called as bad and worse by the Army that conquered them in 1650 c. 3. That sitting or drinking with the superstitious in acts of religious adoration is a sign of defection This would make all Backsliders who so sit and drink with him and such as he who is so superstitious as to turn sin into duty and duty into sin and falsly father Laws on God Yea that is worse than superstitious as is after manifested 2. Superstition is an offering somewhat as pleasing to God which is not pleasing to him All Christians have some degree of this in Matter or Manner for we know but in part and prophesie in part c. And so no Christians must joyn with others But must they not give over all Religious Duty themselves seeing their own defects more defile them than other mens 3. Christ doth not disown all imperfect worship that hath some Superstition And we must receive one another as Christ receiveth us 4. It was Superstitious persons that Paul commandeth Christians to receive to Communion Rom. 14. 5. Thus he condemneth the Apostles and the Churches then and the Scripture it self 6. It is dreadful revolting to choose rather forbearance of all Church Communion than to Communicate with our Parish Churches when better cannot be had and men are not forced to any sin themselves And he that will communicate with none that sin in Preaching Prayer Sacraments shall communicate with none 7. It is a gross Service of Satan and Popery to fight against Love and Unity and bring all the Publick Assemblies under disgrace as unlawful that Popery may take possession unresisted 4. His words of silly Sheep bleating after any Shepherd c. are but a Net to catch silly Souls It 's the common Trap of the Papists to put ignorant people to prove the Calling of the Ministers or forsake them They that preach the Gospel and do the Office tho faultily and are in possession have a Calling sufficient to justifie the Hearers when it may not be enough to justifie themselves A better Call than the High Priests that Christ did send men to 5. As to the Argument of Scandal It is of dreadful weight to deter a tender Conscience as from conforming to sin so from his groundless Separation and war against Unity and Love 6. That God saith such Means shall not profit yea curseth it is a slander against God and Scripture and all the Church on Earth that 's known by perverting and misapplying
repent of it and do not justifie it for fear of being thought blamable This is it that keepeth England in confusion and threatneth worse Neither of the Extreams that have caused our calamities are humbled nor can endure a motion to repent but Overturners justifie their former and their present love-destroying ways The Lord give England Repentance unto Life And the Lord help me to see all my Errors and to repent the more because I see that proud Nature is so much against it And you mistake if you think that we plead only liberty for this Communion It is duty that we plead but not duty to all persons nor all times as if the case of all were the same We have not the happiness of Innocency Repentance is next to it When we confess our sins we vindicate Christ and Religion which are against them When we justifie them we falsly honour our selves and lay all on Christ as if he would justifie that which he abhorreth and died for God will yet more shame us if we will shame his Cause instead of taking shame to our selves Impenitence is more dangerous than any sin which we should repent of Carnal Policy will be angry with me for mentioning the old faults which Adversaries sufficiently reproach us with And I must say that God in his time will justifie the generality of the sober godly people of England from the false Accusation of those Malignants and Papists who charge them with all the Guilt of the Sins of a few Sectaries got into an Army even the subversion of Church-Order and Civil Power when it could not be done but by a Conquest and Oppression of these Religious People first both Parliaments Ministers and their Flocks in comparison of whom the Army separatists were inconsiderable for number They that would destroy thousands of faithful Subjects as guilty of that which they opposed till they were Conquered and suffered for opposing do but shew their own Iniquity But yet God never taught men that way of Policy Repentance and not Impenitence or Self-justification is the way to take off mens reproach God permits them to do it because we do it not To confess our own Sins is no Extenuation of the wickedness of any Malignant Persecutors or debaucht men What they truly upbraid us with in malice let us openly lament in serious penitence and not stand to a sinful dividing Principle and Cause lest the Saints be blamed that have fathered it on God This Learned Author hath done otherwise himself and so hath the Party now opposed He and I knew the Man who was Pastor to the Commanders of the Army when they pull'd down and set up and again pull'd down till they had turned their Armed Bulwark into Atoms and when he saw what they had done said I wonder the people do not cast stones at us as we go along the streets Was not this a blaming of his Flock He knew how oft the Addresses of the Separatists to the several suddenly erected Soveraignties did change their minds and cry peccavimus by their new Addresses for the old And why may we not blame them that blamed themselves for Fathering their Mistakes on God D. O. Argument 8. That Practice which is accompanied with unavoidable Scandal engaged in only on pretence of Liberty is contrary to the Gospel but such is our joyning in the present Publick Worship It were endless to reckon up all the Scandals which will ensue herein That which respects our Enemies must not be omitted Will they not think will they not say That we have only Falsly and Hypocritically pretended Conscience for what we do when we can on outward Considerations comply with that which is required of us wo to the World because of such Offences but wo to them also by whom they are given § 24. TO the Major of your Eighth Argument I answer 1. It is not true when there is far greater Scandal by forbearing that Practice but only when there is less on the other side To the Minor I answer It is not true That it is only Liberty that is pleaded for the Communion in question It is great Duty that is pleaded XXXIX Error 1. The Duty of Christian Union and Concord and Love and Peace 2. The Duty of obeying the Commands and Example of Christ and his Apostles 3. The Duty of avoiding the Principles of Schism and the condemning and false accusing the Church of Christ on earth 4. The Duty of bearing Witness against the Principle of the sinfulness of Communicating with a Church in Liturgies which would make Christ in most Ages to be no King as having no Kingdom or Church on earth 5. The Duty of taking warning by the mischiefs of Causeless Separation in Ages that hath so much smarted by it 6. The Duty of seeking our own Edification 7. The Duty of keeping thousands of Christians from ceasing all Publick Worship where they can have no other but in the Parish-Churches 8 The Duty of keeping thousands of good people from being ruined for mistakes and evil doing 9. The Duty of obeying Magistrates in Lawful things 10. And the Duty of avoiding Scandal on the other side Is all this nothing but pretence of Liberty As to the Scandal mentioned by you No doubt Adversaries will reproach you whether you Communicate in the Parish Churches or not But note 1. That if any be guilty of such sin as for outward Considerations to do any Evil or any Good which they take to be Evil these men deserve some Reproach But 1. If they before were in Circumstances which made it no Duty and after by Gods providence are in Circumstances which make it a Duty the Reproachers do but shew their ignorance or malice whether they be Persecutors or Separatists that so reproach them 2. Or if men see the Error of their former Separation they must not forbear Repentance and Amendment for fear of Reproach There is so great a difference of Men and Cases that it 's gross sottishness to think that their Duties and Sins are the same in mutable Cirstances It 's a Sin to Preach or Pray when we should be quenching a Fire saving Mens Lives Christians as well as Pharisees are yet to learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not Sacrifice and therefore accuse the guiltless Some men have no possibility of any other Church-Worship but in the Parish-Chuches Some have no other but what is worse Some may have abler Teachers but at the cost of Imprisonment and Ruine It is not Lawful to lie in Prison merely for refusing to hear a weak Nonconformist when you might hear an abler And so it is in the Case of Conformists Else all were bound to a few men Some have Liberry to hear fitter men or at the least more agreeable to them without greater hurt than good As the Dutch and French here have Some are commanded by Husbands Parents and Masters to one Church and some to another Some have more able