to be burnt alive at Geneva Query VIII Whether it is not Incongruous and Heterogeniall to punish Corporally man erring Spiritually Reply to the Answer to this Query THe Question is not here Whether any Judge or Justice can take cognizance of mens Thoughts or Consciences nor when wickedness in the heart is manifested by external action whether liable to the Magistrates Power and Inspection none I think ever questioning either of them But whether men erring Spiritually ought Corporally to be punisht Paul 's reckoning Heresies among the works of the flesh and telling the Gorinthians they were Carnal from the Schisms and disorders that were amongst them does not prove it But says this Answerer Certainly any sensual sin may be punisht by the Civil Sword What thinks he then of Hatred Wrath Covetousness Emulations Envyings and the like which are sensual Sins or works of the flesh yet not therefore to be punisht by the Civil Sword But why are they as he tells us Who gather Churches c. more then Spiritually Erronious How comes that which was the great Errand and Duty of the Apostles and their immediate Successors now to become so great a Crime Is it that Men or Children rather are now born Christians or being born in a Christian Commonwealth as it is usually though improperly exprest or in such or such a Parish they do thereby become a Church of Christ No one certainly who understands what either a Christian or a Church of Christ is can think so And wherein do they as he says dispise Government and Trample upon all Laws Did he not but now tell us The Church was a Society and that there can be no Society without Government How then comes the gathering of Churches to be a despising of Government and trampling upon all Laws undoubtedly there is a Law and a Divine Law to for the gathering of Churches if the Gospel be the Law of God as I hope neither this Answerer nor any who own themselves Christians doubt it to be There is little reason sure to say as he does The inticers to Idolatry mention'd in Deutromony might as well have pleaded it was only an error of their minds as any of our Dissenting Ministers for that none certainly can imagine that it could be a sin of Ignorance in them to draw any from the true God to worship Idols it being against the very light of Nature in that as the Apostle tell us That which may be known of God was manifest in them It may therefore for any thing this Answerer hath here said Be both Incongruous and Heterogenial to punish Corporally men erring Spiritually Query IX Whether secular force and compulsion in things of Divine and Supernatural Revelation be not the Arms of Antichrist and not of the true Church Reply to the Answer to this Query THis Answerer might have done well to hae inform'd us How secular force and compulsion in Religion towards some is as he says Anti-Christian and not towards other the difference not being evident at least to all capacities We are not here enquiring after what is so much a violation of the Law of Nations as of the Law of Nature and though our Answerer expresses his dislike of the Spaniards dealings with the Indians graciously acknowledging that propriety is not forfeited by unbelief Yet but now speaking of Dissenters here he said If they disapprove of the Decisions of their Superiours the world is wide enough they may leave the Government and betake themselves to the Communion of purer Churches which is but in other words to say Be of the Religion of your Country or abanden your Properties with the Land of your Nativity But should providence permit the Establishment of a Religion in this Nation he approves not of if he be not resolv'd to approve of whatever shall be the National Religion would he not think himself hardly dealt with to be requir'd to Conform or to abandon his Native Country He may do well therefore to meditate a little on that no less Divine then Moral precept Of doing to others as he would they should do to him The Cannon he mentions is indeeed very pertinent to our purpose So likewise is what he Cites from Tertullian and Lactantius But then without the least colour or shadow of Reason and perhaps only because Grotius says It is not just or lawful to make War upon any because they will not embrace the Christian Religion He would have this to be understood only of Princes raising Wars against Pagan Nations to compel and force them to the Profession of Christianity and imbracing of the Gospel But 't is very well and judiciously observ'd of him That these things nothing concern a Kingdom in which there is a visible and universal profession of the same Religion in that there is indeed no need of compelling or forcing any to profess what all already do profess But yet even in such a Kingdom Magistrates he says may use compulsive methods to secure their People from a totall and manifest Apostacy from the true Faith c. which we would freely allow him if compulsive methods could secure a People from Apostacy and that through ignorance or mistake of the Truth Magistrates did not too often instead thereof compell to error But none sure will say but that Magistrates may and ought to repress such Seducers as threaten the extirpation of their own Government yea and of the true Faith too were it once determined which amongst the many that would be so accounted were the true What he says of the Religious Princes of the Jewish Church hath been already spoken to Query X. Whether any one can be compelled by secular force or compulsion to perform any one Religious duty acceptably since God accepts not of any but what is volâ—ntary and of Faith which cannot be forc't And of what use then is secular Force and compulsion in Religion but to make men sin or suffer Reply to the Answer to this Query THis Query which this Answerer says with others is forged in the Shops of the Socinians and Anabaptists is with the rest grounded on the Rule of Gods word with which he seems to be little acquainted or with the due performance of Religious Duties in saying That it might with as much strength of Reason be urg'd against the Magistrates using compulsive methods towards his Subjects for the performance of the Duties of the 2d Table aâ— those of the first There being some difference beâ—ween forcing men to moral actions and Divine duties since in things moral the action however circumstantiated is in it self positively good or evil But in things of Divine Institution the manner only of the performance makes the action good or evil and therefore it is said He that Sacrificeth an Ox is as if he kild a Man and he that killeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs neck where the manner of performing the Command is not observ'd as well as the
wherein doth this permit men to renounce the common Christianity c. as this Answerer very impertinently objecteth And 't is left to the Judgement of all rational men whether they who insist upon the sufficiency of the Spiritual Power Christ hath given unto his Church for the right ordering and governing thereof and the Scriptures being the sole rule of every mans Faith and Obedience in all Gospel duties and Administrations or they who allow unto every national or Provincial Church a Power to Decree Articles of Faith and compose Forms of Divine worship to be imposed by civil Magistrates upon Christians are the more likely to lead into the Paths of Heresie and Schism and to destroy the Vnity of the Church and consequently whether these or those do gratifie the old Serpent in his malitious wiles and methods and give leave to his Instruments to accomplish their Hellish designs in destroying Christianity and the Churches Government at one blow I say again let every rational and unprejudiced person considering the nature and essence of Christianity and by what ways and methods it hath been corrupted and destroyed judge Gods name is not indeed blasphemed as he says when his Institutions are made use of to uphold his Truths c. But he hath no where Instituted the civil Sword to force any to the Christian Faith much less to uphold whatever is taught or pretended so to be And if his name be blasphemed when mens minds are alienated from the Christian Religion They will be found guilty thereof who use such means and methods for its propagation as they pretend as beget an aversion in many towards it and those that use them And who is it that would make the profession thereof Arbitrary They who say the Spiritual Power Christ hath given unto his Church for the right ordering and governing thereof is sufficient unto that end cannot reasonably be said so to do And wherefore doth he here talk of every beâ—ted Brain and Sulpherous Male-content being left to serve God or serve him not to believe in Christ or openly to deny and blaspheme him When all we Pray and Plead for is but That the word of the Lord may have a free course and that his name may be glorified in the free exercise of all Religious duties without ever denying it the Magistrates duty to punish Blasphemy and the like evils and impieties But 't were worth knowing from this Learned and Judicious Answerer how far any are obliged to ad here to the Church in which they were Baptized that we may not have too hard thoughts of our first Reformers for forsaking the Church in which they partook of that Sacrament It is as he says One thing to Convert Pagans and Infidels to Christianity and another thing to keep them within the bounds of their duty who already profess it and yet are both effected by the same means and the Magistrate can no more compel unto the one then to the other But when men give up their names to Christ 't is certainly as he says the duty of Church-men to use all lawfull and proper means to prevent their Apostacy from him But who are the incorrigible offenders he speaks of Or what occasion doth this Query administer To ask why the Magistrate may not be requested to save a soul from death c. The Magistrate may certainly be requested to punish sin and wickedness it being the great end for which God committed the Power of the Sword to him But he can no more save a Soul from death and Rescue him out of the snare of the Devil then he can give grace or faith which are the gifts of God alone yet this hinders not but that Magistrates and Ministers ought to use all due and lawful means To reduce men to Christianity and prevent their Apostacy from it There is no more need now then in the primitive Ages of the Church that its Acts and Censures should be seconded by the Sword of the Secular Power our Blessed Saviour who is faithfull having promised to be with his Disciples Teaching what he commanded them to the worlds end And that there is so little of Power and efficacy in in the Acts and Censures of some who would be accounted his Disciples is not that Christ hath withdrawn any of that ordinary Power he gave unto his Ministers for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of his body but their failure in the condition annexed to his promise in not teaching what he commanded but setting up their own inventions and devices in the place of his Institutions were the Censures of the Church as orderly and regularly pronounc't now as heretofore they would have the same effects now as then upon the Souls and Consciences of believers what effect they had upon their Bodies we are rather told then Convinc't of for the Intestuous Corinthian's being deliver'd unto Satan was no more then as hath been already said his being cast out of the Church the Kingdom of God into the World the Kingdom of the Devil nor were the deaths of Ananias and Saphira with the blindness of Ellmas the Sorcerer the effects of any Church Acts or Censures but of that extraordinary Power Christ conferred on his Apostles to manifest his Power and Authority to the unbelieving world and to say it was to supply the defect of the Magistrates Coercive Power in the Church as if the Churches Power were defective without the Magistrates Sword is highly derogatory unto that Spiritual Power and Authority Christ hath given unto the Ministers of his Gospel for the ordering and Governing of his Church unto the worlds end 'T is as one hath well observ'd much of Christs glory to rule his Subjects under the Gospel by a spiritual Power 't is that Power makes a man a Christian 't is that Power in all Gospel Institutions that keeps men in their due obedience unto Christ and 't is that Power carries the sting of the punishment when men are cast out of the Church 'T is indeed that Power does all under the Gospel and to bringin the Temporal Sword is to make the weapons of the Gospel not mighty through God but mighty through the Magistrates Power and wholly to alter the nature of the Gospel and all its Institutions 'T is to Aâ—m the Church with weapons Christ never gave her and to make her a Military rather then a Spiritual Society What he says of Dissenters being pâ—nisht for indangering the Peace of the State by disobeying the Laws of the Church shall be spoken to when he tells us what Laws and what Church he here means Nor can we till then say How the Interest of those Societies are twisted and united But do very well know it to have been one of the greatest Artifices in the mystery of Iniquâ—ty so to twist the civil and some pretended Religious Interests as to preswade the world The Oak cannot subsist without the Ivie but as well Reason as Experience
his blessed Will to us in his holy word What us does he mean For we cannot but think it all mens duty with the Psalmist still to pray That God would open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of his Law There being an Illumination of the Spirit of God necessary for the right understanding of those things that are revealed in the word of God which is it seems a revelation this Answerer is yet unacquainted with for though the Gospel be written the saving Truths thereof are hid to those whom the God of this world hath blinded This Query therefore grounded on tâ—e Apostles advice to the Philippians intends only the Revelation there mentioned which we hope is no Enthusiasm By saying In doubts relating to Religion men would do better to resign up themselves to the Fathers of the Church and seek satisfaction from the Prists lips then attend to the Dictates of their own dark minds He plainly enough tells what he would be at and that 't is blind obedience he would bring us to But before we thus resign up our selves both Soul and Body unto any let him tell us who amongst the many pretenders are those Fathers of the Church to whom he would have us thus to resign up ourselves our Blessed Saviour himself having commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Holy Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God By which 't is evident there belongs by Divine Right unto all Christians notwithstanding their dark minds a private discretive and self-directive Judgement by vertue whereof they not only ought to prove all things recommended to them by their Teachers but even to judge of their Teachers themselves between the true and the false between the Messengers of Christ and the Messengers of Antichrist so far is it from the mind of God that any should pin their Faith upon their Teachers sleeves Captivate their Judgements unto theirs and believe and do whatever they shall think meet It were indeed happy if men could receive satisfaction from the Priests lips as those which should keep knowledge But it may be said to too many of them in our days as the Prophet said to them of old Ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant nant of Levi saith the Lord of Hosts therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People according as ye have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law Query XVIII Whether in these duties whereon Eternity depends it be not the highest absurdity to force any against their own light to be guided by others who are not infallible Reply to the Answer to this Query 'T Is no very pleasing imployment to have to do with those who either do not or will not understand the Questions they take upon them to answer But 't is that we must be content with in this Contest What this Answerer finds in this Query inferring a necessity of Infallibility in all Guides and Governours whether Sacred or Civil we are yet to seek there being as we conceive some difference between being guided in duties of Religion by those that are fallible which we never thought unreasonable and being forced to follow them therein against a mans own light and knowledge which is the thing here question'd It being an implicit Faith and blind obedience only and even the worst of these a mans acting against his own light and Conscience and only in the concerns of Eternity that this Query opposeth And where hath this been as he tells us before answer'd Or to what purpose doth he here tell us It is no higher absurdity in these days of the Gospel for men in matters of Religion to be guided by a Learned and Pious Minister and much more by all the Governours of a National Church then it was under the Mosaick Oeconomy to seek the Law at the Priests mouth who was the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts since we never denyed either but say that blind obedience was never to be yielded unto any much less that any ought to be forc't in any Religious duties against their own light The Priests lips indeed should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth but as hath been before said they departed out of the way they caused many to stumble at the Law and corrupted the Covenant of Levi So that a Judgement of discretion was then as well as now to be exercised by the people and they were not always to hearken unto the words of the Prophets that Prophesied unto them their directions and instructions therefore with this Answerers good leave might sometimes be rejected And since our Blessed Saviour hath himself commanded us to Beware of false Prophets and the Apostle not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God it is undoubtedly the duty of all Christians to examine the Authority and Mission of their Teachers and to Query who are the true and who the false who the Messengers of Christ who of Antichrist that so they may receive the one and reject the other with all their Doctrines and Instructions if upon trial they square not with the Rule by which they are commanded to prove them Yet does not this render as he says the Ministry of the Christian Church much less all Offices and Dignities of the Commonwealth void and useless It only cautions Christians not to esteem of them above what is meet in yielding that blind obedience the Gospel Prohibits and which is unbecoming the nature and being of a Rational Creature to give when therefore God commands the people to obey those that have the Rule over them and to submit to them as they that watch for their Souls It is to be understood so far forth only as they Teach according to the Rule of his word their Authority as we have before told you from the Reverend Dr. Stillingfleet Being only directive and declarative and in matters of duty can bind no farther then Reason and Evidence brought from Scripture by them doth But he goes on with his Infallibility and says the Argument holds as much against any Judge or Magistrate in the civil concerns of Humane life as against the Ministry of the Church But he may be therein mistaken for 't is all mens Interest to acquiesce in the Determinations of civil Judicatories in the concerns of Humane life how Erronious or unjust soever they may apprehend them to be for the preservation of a greater good publick peace and quiet but that will never make it reasonable in the concerns of Eternity which admit of no compensation for a man to put out his own eyes to be guided by others who perhaps see no better it may be not so well as himself For we do not say it is absurd for a man to be
matters of Religion but to Execute before Judgement was the violation of the Law and light of Nature mention'd in the Querie And though this might serve for a sufficient Reply to so pertinent and judicious an Answer yet least he should conceit himself to have said something material though not to the present Question we will examine all he here says as we have done his preceding answers though little or nothing to the Questions before him as every intelligent and discerning Reader sees None sure ever denyed judicious Heathens to have been guilty of inflicting Coporal punishments upon Christians yet did none of them ever do it before they judg'd Christianity it self Criminal and so did not Execute before Judgement though it were an erronious and an unrighteous Judgement And if as he says it were heretofore the Devils policy to serve himself of those who were most Eminent for intellectual and moral accomplishments in persecuting Christs Disciples to beget in undiscerning minds the greater prejudice against them he seems now to have lost much of his ancient subtilty rarely imploying in that base work but the most vicious and flagitious livers It will I doubt not puzzle this Answerer to prove what he affirms viz. That they who are serious and reserv'd and stictest in their lives and Conversations are the greatest opposers of Gods Truths and the Churches Peace the contrary being evident and the very assertion a contradiction of it self Liberty of Conscience and the Magistates Power in Religion have of late indeed been the Subject of many mens thoughts and discourses But none sure do affirm that the Magistrate is not to use all due and proper means to bring men to the knowledge of God and of the service he requries of them But that secular force is a means conducive thereunto many indeed do deny the liberty of Conscience therefore pleaded for by those who are concern'd for the Honour of Religion and Power of Godliness is not as he says That men may serve or not serve God at their pleasure But that all men may be allowed the liberty of serving God as by the rule of his word they judge he would be served while under pretence thereof they become not guilty of any ral evil or impiety And that none be forc'd to conform to such ways and modes of worship as they judge sinful or may not be fully perswaded of the lawfulness of since whatever is not of Faith is Sin But as the best of things are not exempt from the worst of abuses so 't is not impossible but as some plead for Liberty of Conscience that they may render unto God an acceptable service others again may plead for liberty also to be excused the preformance of those duties God requires of them To distinguish therefore between these ought to be the Magistrates great care and concern But for this Answerer to say Because ' its the Magistrates duty to let men alone in the duty they ow to God their Creator and Redeemer i.e. in the preformance of those religious duties God requires of them and none can deny to be truly such therefore God may be either serv'd or Blasphem'd own'd or disown'd by them is such a conclusion as none I think but himself would have made for no sober man sure ever doubted it the Magistrates duty to see as much as in him lyes that God be own'd and duly serv'd by all under him and all moral evils and impieties restrain'd and punisht Nor can any pretence of Conscience excuse much less justifie as he says Blasphemy or exempt any guilty thereof or of the like moral evils from the Magistrates revenging Power which were indeed for him to bear the Sword in vain And now our Answerer craves his Reader 's patience by speaking as he says something largely to this Query when he should have crav'd his pardon rather for mistaking the Question and entertaining him with so impertinent and tedious a Combate with his own shadow But so bewitching is the pleasure of Conquest that sensible of his advantage on his man of Straw he never thinks he has sufficiently beaten him To begin therefore He craves leave to tell the Gentleman the Clergyman is none of the wisest to think that Doomsday's Judgement is the Judgement here spoken of But to do him right on all occasions he is very much in the right in saying 'T is no anticipation of Gods Judgement at Doomsday to inflict Corporal or pecuniary Penalties upon those that offend against the known and plain rules of duty in matters of Religion and therefore he need not have askt to have it shown why it should be so more in Religion then in civil concerns A Magistrate saith he for pronouncing a Sentence of Condemnation upon a Felon or a Murtherer may be said to Execute before Judgement as well as a Justice of Peace for granting a Warrant to leavy 12d upon an Atheist or Papist for not repairing upon the Lords day to his Parish Church And why then will this Gentleman this ignorant Gentleman say that the Execution of such a mild or perhaps a severer Law is a violation of the very Law and light of Nature It is indeed a Question fit to be askt and had been a folly never to have been answer'd had he said any such thing But with this learned and judicious Answerers good leave the Gentleman will take leave to say That should a Magistrate pronounce Sentence of Condemnation and Execute a Felon or a Murtherer before he were Convict and Judg'd a Felon or a Murtherer it would be such a violation of the Law and light of Nature as no sober or Judicious Heathen was ever yet guilty of The like may be said of levying 12d upon any for not coming to Church before he be Convict of not coming and his not coming Judg'd a Crime That all Nations whether Jewish Heathen or Christian have as he says assum'd to themselves the power of protecting the Honour of those Dieties they have made the object of their worship and punisht those offenders that have either neglected their duty or affronted the Majesty of those Gods which they have pretended to serve is so evident and notorious and agreeable to the Law and light of Nature that 't is time lost to prove it our Answerer therefore might have spar'd his pains in this particular and not have given himself the trouble of proving what none sure ever deny'd or doubted But he tells us of Grotius his observation out of Sneca viz. That those who violate Religion have various kinds of punishments inflicted on them but there is no Nation but inflicts some No certainly it being so far from a violation of the Law and light of Nature that nothing is more consonant thereunto And who I pray are greater violators of Religion then they who subvert or alter its Divine or Original Institutions When Numa Pompilius as he observes Instituted a Pontifex Maximus or Chief Priest and committed to him
Rule of Practice as to himself and must direct him with whom to joyn and not to joyn in the performance of all Religious duties nor may he therein do ought against his Light But what means he in saying here They will submit to no Law nor admit of any Discipline but what is erected and Executed by themselves a thing never known for Criminals to make choice of their own Punishment For do they not submit to the Laws of the Land in all civil things and concerns and what Law of the Gospel submit they not to in the duties of Religion but to talk here of Criminals making choice of their own Punishment is very extravagant And lastly they will he says have no publick Acts pass among them without the free consent of all as satisfied in Conscience that what is decreed is Gods will And is it for this he elsewhere so boldly avers There is no Congregated Independent Communion in England but the respective Pastor of it assumes to himself more Power and Authority to Govern and Conduct the sworn Members of it in the ways and duties of Religion then the greatest Prelate in our Church does in his Province or Diocess or is this one of the principles of Independent Tyranny But some are said to have need of good memories and our Answerer seems to be of them Yet he would be thought to have reason for what he here says telling us The thing is impossible in nature for if all are satisfied they are not men there being among all men difference in Judgement How unreasonable then is it to require of any such an Assent or Consent as must render them either Beasts or not men But so it seems it is and must be for he tells us In the enacting of all Laws the lesser part is determin'd by the greater which is true in all civil things and concerns which are in a man's choice and at his own disposal and it is for the publick good and benefit it should be so But 't is otherwise in matters of duty and obedience unto God in which every man ought to be satisfied that what is Decreed is the will of God for that none may follow a multitude to do evil nor in the neglect or omission of the least known duty Whether the Church of Eâ—gland or Dissenters are the Schismaticks I shall nowise take upon me to Determine but leave it as he doth to the Rational Reader to judge and only take leave to say That what his eminent Prelate says proves not Dissenters to be Schismaticks If there be any who as he says account the King and Parliament or Clergy of England Hereticks and Schismaticks for maintaing the Essentials of Christianity and doing what they can to hinder and diswade men from offering the most insufferable affronts to Gods Being and Majesty They ought not certainly to be tolerated much less countenanced in a Christian Commonwealth Query XXIV Whether they who in the exercise of Church Discipline never cease calling on the civil Magistrate to assist them with his Secular Force do not therein give an evident sign and token that all true Ministerial and Spiritual Power is dead in them Reply to the Answer to this Query THâ— Question here is not whether these or those give the greater evidence that all true Ministerial and Spiritual Power is dead in them But whether such practices in any be not an evident sign and token of it And had all Orthodox Bishops in all Ages of the Church relied upon the Spiritual means by 〈◊〉 appointed in the Gospel for the suppressing and â—ooting out of Heresies and 〈◊〉 withâ—ut applying themselves to the 〈…〉 for his assistance therein Christian◠〈…〉 had not suffer'd as it afterward◠〈…〉 Hâ—reticks using the same means for 〈…〉 faith And yet we say not But 〈…〉 and ought to call upon the 〈…〉 do his duty in the Protection 〈…〉 by supporting and 〈…〉 in the due exercises thereof 〈…〉 of wâ—â—ked and unreason◠〈…〉 not faith Neither do we 〈…〉 or extinction of the function of Bishops if they use all due and proper means to accomplish and bring about lawfull and charitable ends nor that any end can be more generous and Christian than to secure People in the performance of their duty to God to man and to themselves But we do say that Secular Force and Compulsion are not the proper and due means to effect all these And whatever sense some may have of Moral Honesty and Justice or of Piety and Religion the Civil Magistrate ought not certainly to permit them to express or declare their scorn or contempt of either I will not say with this Answerer That 't is since men have assumed so great a liberty in Religion as not well understanding what he thereby means but agree with him There is less regard had to those externall Rules of right and wrong Vertue and Vice by some persons who make high pretences to Christianity than hath been observ'd in many Pagan Nations but who those Persons are their Professions and Practices will best declare But he tells us 'T is Presumption and not Faith for the Clergy of England as things are now amongst us to expect Gods miraculous concurrence with them in the management and exercise of their Ministerial Office when there are ordinary means at hand c. What may this Answerer mean here by Gods miraculous concurrence with them His continual presence with the assistance of his holy Spirit he hath promised unto them who observe his commands unto the worlds end as the ordinary means to render their Ministry effectual for the Conversion of sinners and the calling of those who are yet Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Grace And our Blessed Saviour when he ascended up on High gave Gifts unto men for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. But if this Answerer who is of the Clergy be conscious that things are now so amongst them that the presence of God and assistance of his holy Spirit are to be lookt upon as miraculous concurrences with them in the management and exercise of their Ministeririal Office he is to be excused for having recourse unto other means to render his labours so considerable as to make him see some fruits of the Travel of his Soul though possibly it may prove but bitter fruit in the end The Gentleman I can assure him never thought as he intimates That the Peoples forsaking of any Assemblies was a certain Prognostick that the Ministerial Power was quite extinguisht in all that were so forsaken as knowing there are and may be defects and faults on all sides But this the Gentleman thinks That where-ever any People manifest a desire and thirst after knowledge in the things and ways of God as God be thanked very many within these Nations at this dâ—y do and after trial and experience of the Ministerial Power of any do yet
So that it is not the Church of England that approves or allows of Force in Religion or that Carnal weapons are to be used in the Christian warfare but such of her Degenerate and Base Sons only as forsake the Law of their Mother For as he hath well observ'd Humane Violence may make men Counterfeit but cannot make them Believe and is therefore fit for nothing but to breed Form without and â—thism within which should make it to be abhorr'd and detested by all sincere and good Christians And surely the Church of England who decryes and so highly condemnes blind Obedience in the Duties of Religion can never Approve or Allow of Forceing any therein against their Light and Judgments which is certainly the worst of blind Obediences For since Whatever is not of Faith is sin Whatever a man does against his Faith or Conscience must needs be much more so And as the Church of England neither Approves nor Allows of Secular Force and Compulsion in Religion and much less that any should be therein required to do ought against their Light or Judgments which were to sin against their Consciences So she as little Allows or Approves of Persecuting or any wayes Molesting or Troubling any for the real performance of any truly Christian Exercise of Religien Nor I dare presume to say does any Law of England Allow or Countenance much less Command or Require any such thing though too many have Misconstru'd and Misapply'd the late Act for Preventing and Supressing Seditious Conventicles to the Disturbing and Punishing I may say Ruining of many Peaceable and Pious people for Meeting only really and truly to Worship and serve God For the Act does not say if any person or persons above such a number shall meet to Worship God truly and sincerely in other manner than according to the Liturgy c. They shall incurre the Penalty mention'd But where any Person c. shall be present at any Meeting under Colour or Pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England c. It shall and may be Lawful c. The Act certainly does not prohibit or punish any real and truly Christian Exercise of Religion for if it did it were Ipso Facto null and void as being against the Law of God But if it be objected it appears not whether their Worship be Sincere or Pretended only and the Law prohibites such a number to meet under any colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England and punishes those that transgress the same 'T is answer'd that all Pretences ought in Charity to be believ'd where no Over-act discovers the Hypocrisie or falsehood of the mind But since there is so little Charity amongst men let it be shown wherein the Exercises of Religion which some have been pleased to punish by vertue or colour rather of that Law were in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England If it be said they ought to be perform'd in the very words of the Liturgy it is more than the Act sayes And the Practice of the Church of England has ever allowed men to pray even in Publick in other words than are prescribed in the Liturgy Our Blessed Saviour teaching his Disciples to pray said unto them After this manner therefore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven c. And yet we do not find in Scripture where their Prayers are often Recorded that they ever prayed by that Form but in other words agreeing for matter and yet they were accepted There are none therefore I hope will say they disobeyed their Lord and Master by praying in other manner than he taught and commanded them because they prayed not by that Form No more do they transgress the Law against praying in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England who pray not by the words of the Liturgy while they pray in other words agreeing with it for matter What pretence then can any have to Charge the Author of these Queries with Libelling the Church and State since they reflect on neither nor Cinsure or by any undue surmises condemn ought that they approve or allow of Nay is it not unreasonable to account that a Crime in any one which is the duty of every one viz. To endeavour by all lawfull wayes and means that all that would might lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty which they can never do who are forced to Profess what they believe not and in the duties of Religion to practice what they approve not which is to live in a perpetual lye The question here is not whether what is required of any be in it self sinful or unlawful but whether they who judge it so be it through Ignorance or otherwise can without sinning conform to it There is no doubt and question but that many may and do live Godly Holily and Righteously in the Exercise of that Religion which to others would be Damnable for to him who esteemeth a thing unclean to him it is so though in it self it may be pure So he that doubteth is damned if he eat while others perswaded of the lawfulness thereof may safely use their Liberty Pleading therefore against Force in Religion we neither condemn nor censure this or that Religion which teaches not that Sanguinary Doctrine but would that every one should be fully perswaded in his own mind the Religion he Embraceth and Professeth is what God wills and requires of him since whatever is not of Faith is sin and Faithin all things respects the Commands and Authority of God It were indeed heartily to be wisht that all were of a mind as to the due performance of this great and indispensable duty the Worship of God But this is rather to be wished then hoped for while there are men truly fearing God and those whose fear of him is taught by the Precept of men There are saith our Lerrned and Judicious Mr. Chillingworth But two wayes that may be conceived probable to reduce Christians to unity of Communion The one by taking away diversity of Opinions touching matters of Religion the other by shewing that the diversity of Opinions which is among the several Sects of Christians ought to be no hindrance to their unity in Communion Now the former of these saith he is not to be hoped for without a Miracle unless it could be made evident to all men that God hath appointed some visible Judge of Controversies to whose Judgment all men are to submit themselves What then remains but that the other way must be taken and Christians must be taught to set a higher value upon these high points of Faith and Obedience wherein they agree than upon those matters of less moment wherein they differ and
Persons become Members of the Church of Christ are two different Questions and even this which is his own he answers not distinctly for by his first way They become Members only of the Catholick Church visible By his second They become Members also of the Holy Catholick Church the mystical Body of Christ so that without distinguishing what is here and there meant by Church we are not like to be much edified by this Answerer That a visible Profession of Christianity Entitles men to the Priviledges of the Church in the second acceptation of the word may be true which yet with his good leave their Debaucheries and Immoralitys may again deprive them of notwithstanding the Church at Corinths delay in casting out the incestuous person But 't is not every vice or error in a Member of a particular Church that Unchurches them St. Paul therefore might very well own the Church at Corinth for a Church notwithstanding the Debaucheries and Immoralities that were in some of its Members But the tolerating them was certainly a Crime which the Parable of the Tares and Wheat will never justifie for though they were to grow together till Harvest it was not in the Church but in the world for so our Saviour declares the field to be Nor will the parable of the Net and good and bad Fishes contained therein give any more countenance to this fond Assertion that Debaucheries and Immoralities are or may be tolerated in a Christian Church or that Debaucht and Immoral persons are not to be debarr'd the Priviledges thereof If that be as it seems to be this Answerers meaning the Apostle commanding that the Incestuous person be delivered unto Satan i. e. cast out of the Church the Kingdom of God into the world the Kingdom of the Devil Query III. Whether the Parochial Churches within these Nations and the worship therein us'd be according to Christs Institution or the Rule and Order of the Gospel Reply to the Answer to this Query THis Query relating to the former hath respect unto the means whereby Christians become a Church of Christ and aim'd at their Information or satisfaction who doubted whether Co-habitation or mens living together within such or such a Precinct having a Priest or Curate so and so set over them be the formal cause of an Instituted Church of the Gospel And whether such Societies meeting to worship God by certain set or prescribed Forms of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments be according to Christs Institution or the Rule and Order of the Gospel which this Answerer not thinking good to speak to requiring only the contrary to be showne leaves his Reader therein as much unsatisfied and to seek as before while he troubles himself with enumerating such particulars as are not here questioned nor were ever intrâ—ded by the Query which respected more the manner then matter of worship and formal cause only of an Instituted Church of the Gospel Query IV. Whether it be not the duty of every Christian to withdraw from every Brother that walks disorderly and not after the Traditions received from the Apostles Reply to the Answer to this Query WE have an affirmative answer here which could not well be denyed us since it is but what the Apostle commands But then he tells us from an excellent Expositor what disorderly walking is by which it seems we are only to withdraw from such as withdraw their Obedience from the Church and like disbanded Souldiers run away from their Colours where by the way disbanded Souldiers are improperly said to run away forsake the Service of their Superiours and Commands of their Bishops c. and with such he tells us we are not to have any familiar or friendly conversation But this withdrawing says he concerns only private Persons and yet private Persons are not totally to withdraw themselves from such disorderly walkers till so and so nay even then we are not interdicted all Society with such a Person So that we are little edified by this Answerer or his excellent Expositor as to our duty of withdrawing which they do not convince us ought to be only from the civil conversation of such as withdraw their obedience from the Church or as forsake the service of their Superiours and commands of their Bishops and not also from the Religious Fellowship and Communion of such Bishops and Brethren as in the Worship and Service of God walk not according to the Rule and Order of the Gospel Query V. Whether it be not the duty of every Christian to chuse the Communion of the purest Church And whether in the choice thereof is he bound to follow his own Judgement after the best information he is able to attain unto or other mens Judgements against his own Reply to the Answer to this Query LIttle of what hath been here said is to the matter in Question though in a peevish and froward manner he tells us If there be a purer Church they may betake themselves to it Whereby he seems to acknowledge That it is every mans duty to chuse the Communion of the purest Church Nor does he say that in the choice thereof a man is bound to follow anothers Judgement against his own and if he be not why are any molested for but doing their duty and though possibly they may be mistaken in their choice yet while they are so by misfortune and not their fault God will pardon it and men ought not to punish it at least while therein they hurt none but themselves Yea but says this Answerer They introduce confusion in all the Parishes of this Kingdom in setting up one Altar against another and removing ancient Land-marks expressly against a Divine Prohibition which is not saith he to embrace the Communion of the purest Church but to cast a mans self out of the Catholick Church But does this Learned and Judicious Answerer really believe That they who Separate from a Parochial or National Church do thereby cast themselves out of the Catholick Church Does he believe the French Protestants cast themselves out of the Catholick Church when they Separated from their Parochial Churches or from the National Church of France Or that the Parliament went expressly against a Divine Prohibition in removing an Ancieut Land-mark when they gave new Bounds to St. Martins Parish by taking Covent-Garden out of it And what do they who in this Nation worship God in Assemblies Separate from the Parochial Congregations more then all the Reformed Churches in all Popish Conntries in Europe both do and have done ever since they had a Being and yet I hope they set not Altar against Altar or if they do let him shew the evil of it His objection against Dissenters being let alone or snffer'd to go on in their way in that it will as he says administer occasion to the Enemies of our Religion to come and take away both our Place our Church and Nation is but the old objection the Chief Priests
and Phraisees heretofore made against tolerating our Blessed Saviour himself If say they We let him thus alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our Place and Nation and I heartily wish it may not befall us as it did them That while they let him not a lone the Romans did come and took away both their Place and Nation But what means he in saying A Naional Church is the ground of Vnity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity which is a Notion I am sure he never met with in the New-Testament nor in Antiquity nor yet I dare say in any judicious or intelligent Author Nor is it easie to conceive what he intends by it or in what sense a National Church can be said to be the ground of Unity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity who are dispersed over all Nations if by it he means only amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Nation it is very impertinent for a Diocesan Church or a Parochial Church is as much the ground of Unity and Communion amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Diocess or in a Parish as a National Church amongst the Professors of Christianity in a Nation But 't is impossible says this Answerer to obtain this Communion unless the members of the Church own this principle viz. That the visible Vnity of the Curch is necessary for the great ends of Christianity c. But what Church and what Unity is here intended If a National Church Wherein consists its Unity It cannot consist in a joynt Assembly for the celebration of the Ordinances of the Gospel or any one of them as was the Case of the Church of the Jews which met at set times in one place for the performance of that worship which was then required If it shall be said its visible Unity consists in a subordination of Officers in this Church centring in one It will be said likewise and with as good reason That if such an Unity of a National Church be necessary for the great ends of Christianity the preserving and promoting of Peace and Unity the same Unity of the Catholick Church visible is no less necessary for the same ends and so much more desirable as the Unity of the whole with the Peace and Piety thereof is more to be desired then the Unity Peace and Piety of a part and where then shall we end but in a Pope This is so obvious to every understanding that none who plead for the one can with any colour or shadow of reason reject the other And if this Profession as this Answerer says Obliges all persons to acquiess in those determinations by which the Church is visibly upheld and maintained It does so no less in respect of the Catholick Church visible then of a National Church and why then doth he not acquiess in the determinations of the Council of Ariminum against the Diety of our Blessed Saviour of the Council of Constance in taking the Cup from the People of the Council of Nice in Decreeing Image-worship of the Council of Lateran in determining Transubstantiation with others exercising the like Authority an acquiescensie therein being that whereby in his Judgement the Church is visibly upheld and maintained for he cannot with any colour of reason pretend greater submission or obedience to be due to the determinations of a National Church in its representative or National Councel then to the determinations of the Catholick Church visible in its representative a general Council Nor possibly will he abide by his own principle of acquiessing in the determinations of a National Church if he call to mind or but to inform himself what a National Church and even this National Church hath determin'd within the memory of some not long since living I mean in Queen Maries Reign or if he should be such a thorow paâ—'t Conformist all of his Coat will not I am very confident be so But thus far I agree with him That to acquiess in the determinations of any Society or of the Governours thereof iâ— a ground of Unity and Peace in that Society but not always of Truth and Piety without which there is little or no advantage in Unity For nihil bonum est in â—unitate nisi unitas sit in bono Unity in error being but Conspiracy against Truth or as Hierome said speaking of the Council of Ariminum Nomine unitatis fidei infidelitas Scripta est But I do fully agree with him The Society is yet un-named which did not always justifie its own Acts and oblige those under its Authority to confirm to its Laws and Constitutions But this is not to our Question which is not concerning the Authority of the Governours or Rulers of a Society or the obedience due unto them from the Members or Subjects of that Society But whether Christians have not a Right and Liberty to chuse their Communion or whether it be not their duty to joyn themselves unto such Congregations in the participation of the Ordinances of the Gospel as they judge to walk according to the rule of the Gospel and wherein they may be best edified in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and of their Salvation in and by him which this Answerer does not deny neither can it reasonably be denyed For I presume none will say It is every mans duty to be of the Communion of that Church where providence hath cast his Nativity or confin'd his abode Because there born or abiding Nor yet that it is any mans duty to continue in that Church wherein he hath been educated if after serious and sober enquiry and Examination any thing therein injoyn'd or requir'd to be profest or done be judg'd unlawful or unwarrantable by a mans own Conscience But that every one who is actually a Member of any Church or Christian Society ought while he so continues to conform to its Laws and Constitutions none sure will deny Nor can any hinder or forbid Churches of whatever denomination to determine the Bounds of their own Communion and that by such Constitutions and Rights as they in their wisdoms shall judge necessary to preserve Order and Vnity and advance the edification of those under their charge and Government This as he very well says is essential to the Church as it is a Society and there can be no Society without Government and no Government if every one be allowed the Priviledge to question and disobey its Laws and constitutions nothing being more rational then that they who are intrusted with the reins of Government should be invested with a Power to decide and determine all Differences and Controversies arising in that Government and whoever will not acquiess therein ought to be banisht the Society But the Paralogisme is very gross and foul to argue That because they who submit not to the Laws and Constitutions of a Society ought to be banisht that Society therefore they who submit not to the
all the sacred writings and mysteries gave him order with what Sacrifices and upon what days and in what places the Rites of Religion were to be perforwed had it not been a violation of his Religion to have us'd other Sacrifices upon other days in other places and with other Rites then he appointed And if among Heathens as he farther observes both publick and private Mysteries were all determined by the Chief Priest that it might be known where the Common People might repair to worship their Gods lest there should be any disorder or confusion in Religion either by neglecting the sacred Rites of their Country or introducing any that were Foreign and Strange Shall not we allow the Lord Jesus our High Priest to determine the sacred mysteries of his Religion with all Rites and Ceremonies thereof that under pretence of Order and Decency there may not be introduced that disorder and confusion in the Christian Religion we see at this day through the neglect of those sacred Rites of his Institution and the introducing such as are Forraign and strange into his worship Let not therefore those that abhor Idols commit Sacrildge And if Heathen Romans as he observes were so careful that none but the Roman Dieties might be worship'd â—nd that after no other manner but that of their own Institution How much more careful and concerned ought Christians to be that none but the Almighty the Holy one of Israel be worship'd and that after no other manner then that of his own Institution and appointment And since as this Answerer observes That wise people were so jealous and careful least any Innovation should be made in their Religion and least its Vniformity and Integrity should be dissolved by the Customs and mixtures of other Countries How much more ought Christs Disciples to be jealous and careful that no innoventions be made or humane Inventions added to Christs Institutions either as to matter or to mannes beyond the orderly observance of such circumstances as necessarily attend such Ordinances as Christ himself hath Instituted least the uniformity and integrity of his worship should be dissolv'd by the Customs and mixtures of other Countries in the establishing of different ways and modes of worship according to the variety of mens Inventions and Fancies And since not only Grotius from St. Anstin observes That the Romans were successful in their Arms because they had a hearty respect and veneration for Religion But the Apostle tell us That Godliness hath the promise of this life as well as of that which is to come surely it can be against no rule or form of Justice or Prudence nor any violation of the Law or light of Nature for Christian Princes to be as zealous for a true Religion as the Heathens were for a false one But as the wise man says He that Answereth a matter before he hear it so he that Answereth a Question before he understands it It shall be â— folly and shame unto him And now we are told of the zeal and care the holy Kings and Governours of the Jewish Nation had of Religion which will never prove That to execute before Judgement is no violation of the Law and light of Nature Nor in the least prejudice any Principle these Queries labour to support When he shall inform us What Davids ordering the turns and courses of the Priests and setting up Musick in the Temple it is to this Query it may be consider'd of or if he would inâ—er from it That civil Magistrates without particular Warrant or Commission from God may order or appoint in the worship and service of God what they please or shall Judge conduâ—ive to the Honour and Glory of God or the â—ecent and Orderly performance of Divine worship 't is a Question we are not at present â—oncern'd in and shall therefore pass it by Asa did not any thing which was by any â—enyed to be his duty nor commanded ought in others which they did not acknowledge â—â—kewise to be theirs And notwitstanding â—ur Answerers asserting the contrary The Covenant which Asa and all Judah and Benjamin and the Strangers with them enter'd into was voluntary in all parties for it is said They did it with all their heart and with all their soul and again v. 14. They sware unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their hearts and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them There cannot well be greater evidence to prove any action to have been voluntary For God is not found of those who seek him not in sincerity and with a willing mind who draw nigh unto him with their lips while their hearts are far from him Let none therefore too hastily credit this Answerer in ought he says but like the noble Bereans search the Scriptures whether it be so oâ— no. Jehoshaphat we are told used his Coercive Power in taking away the High places and groves dedicated to Idolatry and what did he therein which all Judah acknowledg'd not to be his duty And who did ever deny it to be in the Magistrates Power to send Teachers to instructâ— the People in the Law of the Lord or Judg'd it a violation of the Law or light of Nature so to do And what did Jehojada in putting Athalia to death and in making a Covenant between him and between all the People and between the King that they should be the Lords People And iâ— breaking down the Altars and Images in the House of Baal and slaying the Priests thereof before the Altar which he had not good Authority to do and which all Judah approv'd not of The Reformations of Hezekiah and Josiah were very eminent but nothing done by either of them or by any of the good Kings of Judah doth in the least oppugne ought in this or in any of these Queries What did Hezekiah in opening the Doors of the Temple that had been long shut up in cleansing the City and Kingdom from Idols in restoring the Priests to their Offices and dues in reviving the Sacrifices which had been long neglected and celebrating the Pass-over with great magnificence more then what every mans Conscience told him was right and necessary to be done And did Josiah in making a Covenant before the Lord to milk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all his heart and with all his soul to perform the words of the Covenant which are written in the Book of the Law of the Lord and causing all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it yea in making all that were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God Do ought which any acknowledg'd not to be both his and their duty and how made he them to do all this was it by secular force and Power or by reading unto them
all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of the Lord was it not by convincing them it was their duty so to do for it reacht no farther then to those who were present And who denies the like Power unto Christian Magistrates Nor needs there any great search in the Annals of time and History of Ages to know that Princes and People never more prosper'd then when Religion was countenanc't Idolatry punisht and the great Causes and occasions of Schism the requiring other Terms and Conditions of Church-Fellowship and Communion then God requires were unknown or removed Nor is there ought in the Instances before mentioned That needs any such constructions or evasions as this Answerer speaks of to reconcile them to the liberty in Religion pleaded for For who did ever deny unto Magistrates Power to command and require their People to serve God as God hath exprest and declar'd he will be serv'd or to remove such outward appearances and Monuments of worship as are evidently and apparently false and Idolatrous which in both instances was but the Case of the before-mentioned Kings of Judah But that which is excepted against Is the prohibiting any to worship God in such a way as none can say to be against the mind and will of God or displeasing unto him or the compelling any to worship God in such a way as they Judge sinful or are not satisfied in the lawfulness of And though the State of Religion under the Gospel be far differing from what it was under the Law yet surely Princes are not as he says in a worse condition by the coming of Christ then they were in the Jewish Commonwealth where they had no power to command ought in Religion but what God willed or commanded and so they may do still by all the ways and means appointed by God and useful thereunto But what is it this Answerer hath found in the 49 chap of Isaiah to prove the Magistrates Coercive Power in Religion Gods affectionate answer to his peoples complaint promising never to forget them will not do it neither his promise of delivering them from their Enemies and adding to their numbers nor yet that Kings should be nursing Fathers and Queens nursing Mothers to his Church For Nurses do not use to force and coerce their Children but nourish and cherish them But this place does indeed imply or promise that there should be Soveraign Princes who should nourish and cherish the People of God and take care that no hurt or violence be offer'd unto them or to his Church which is as much as the Metaphor will bear since true Religion cannot be forc't or upheld by Secular power 'T is Antichristianism that is so supported and maintain'd by those who give their power and strength unto the Beast And they carry the Metaphor too farr who would have Princes like Nurses to feed their Children Christ having appointed other Overseers of his flock for that works whom the Magistrate ought indeed to protect and defend in the performance thereof but not to dictate nor prescribe to them therein There may not be wanting expositors who as he says may conceive this Prophesie to have been fulfilled when Emperours and Kings became Christians and enacted Laws to secure the Faith of Christ from all Enemies c. though they have no great Reason for it it being but too well known that Christian Religion hath suffer'd more then ever it gain'd by pretended Christian Magistrates For if Constantine protected the Truth his Successor Constantius with divers others after him persecuted it Yea the generality of Christian Magistrates for above a thousand years together by the instigations of the Bishop of Rome were its great opposers and oppressors and though for several years past God hath blessed this Nation beyond most of the Nations of the Earth with Kings and Queens who have protected and defended the Truths of the Gospel and the people of God from the Tyranny and opprssieon of that great Enemy to both yet in respect of Christendom there is little cause to say that this Prophesie was fulfilled when Kings and Emperours became Christians As there have been Laws enacted by Kings and States in behalf of the Truth so there have been infinitely more enacted against it error too soon and generally prevailing over the Christian world which for a Protestant to Question were to deny his Faith He cannot be thought a Friend to Truth who shall oppose any means conducive unto its promotion But whoever shall consider how few of the Mighty and Noble of the Earth to whom wordly Power and Authority is committed are called unto the knowledge thereof must acknowledge likewise that where one Law bath been enacted in behalf of the Truth hundreds have been enacted to its prejudice It is not therefore in opposition to Truth but for the Truths sake that we plead for its standing upon its own Bottom and prevailing by its own strength and efficacy For as the Truths of the Gospel were at first planted and propagated throughout the world by the Ministry of the Gospel and influence of the Divine Spirit without the aid and assistance of the secular Power so by the same means and methods they are best secured and preserved nor is secular force and power a means by God appointed or in its nature conducive to the promoting of Truth since 't is conviction and not force must induce assent And though some Hereticks may have seem'd to retract their opinions upon the severity of penal Laws against them there is little reason to believe that any of them thereby became real converts for though force may make an Hypocrite it can never make a true Believer If we believe not the Donatists and Independants so nearly related as this Answerer tells us having but his say so without other proof and if we are not Convinc't That Austins changing his mind proves second thoughts to be always best it will not we hope be thought any violation of the Law or light of Nature 't is not unknown how that Pious Father was molested by that petulant Faction no wonder therefore he should approve of what ever delivered him from them But would it not be very pleasant for Magistrates to change their Laws as oft as Doctors change their minds and that every new opinion should be the ground of a new Statute And yet I fully approve of what this Learned and Pious Father That Kings as is commanded them from Heaven serve God in that Office when in their Kingdoms they Command what is good and Prohibit what is evil and that not only in things that belong unto humane Society but also unto Divine Religion So they command but what is known and allowed to be good and in mens power to do and Prohibit no more then what is by the light of Nature or some positive Law of God apparently evil And if there be more passages to the same purpose as this
matter The like may be said of all such Gospel Duties the goodness whereof depends wholly upon the Institution and therein the manner as well as the matter must be punctually observ'd nay the manner of performing these duties determines the matter of them for if they be performed in their due manner the action is good if not the action it self is sinfull This Answerer therefore runs himself into this error by not distinguishing between things in their own Nature good or evil and those things whose goodness depends wholly upon Institution and consequently on their due performance Authority therefore may oblige men to be Loyal and Peaceable Honest and Just which are moral vertues and punish them if they be Rebellious and Seditious Injurious and Theives which are moral evils Yet cannot force any in the sight of God to an acceptable performance of the one nor abstinence from the other because God accepts only of the Heart or an hearty obedience which cannot be so forc't It hath been already acknowledg'd in the case of the Kings of Israel and Judah That Magistrates may command their People to serve God as God hath commanded and they are convinc't and satisfied he will be served but no otherwise since whatever is not of Faith is sin which the Magistrate may not compel to yet may he prohibit the doing of any thing which may either dishonour or destroy Government Every King is as he says both the Minister of God and the Ruler of his People and oblig'd to the duties he mentions as hath been already acknowledg'd Nor are as he says our Governours so much to consider our willingness to serve God as our benefit and their duty But it is neither their duty to force any to worship God after any other way or manner then they are perswaded God will be worship't or that will be acceptable unto him since as hath been said what is not Faith is sin which the Magistrate by forcing to becomes guilty of Nor is it for their Peoples benefit to be forc't to any thing in Religion beyond their Convictions all such performances being in themselves sinfull And for this Answerer to say It will perhaps be found as great an Act of Justice and Charity to force some to go to Church as 't is to force some Boys to go to School speaks him very unfit to be an Instructer and Teacher of others who is himself so unacquainted with the nature and essence of Religion And whereas he says The Magistrate will find the benefit by exercising his Coercive Power in matters of Religion for 't is of that alone we are here speaking in securing the honour of his own Laws and Authority the contrary is most evident for wherever his Authority interposeth it self where the Authority of God is immediately concern'd as it is in all the Actions and duties of Religion and shall by Religious and Pious Persons be Judg'd to interfer therewith it will certainly be contemn'd and disobeyed as were the Decrees of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius Recorded in the third and sixth chapters of Daniel and as was the Authority of the Chief Priests and of the Rulers of the Jews when they forbad Peter and John to speak or teach in the name of Jesus Nor is it likely to be more beneficial to the persons on whom such methods are used for being no means of Gods appointment unto any such ends as well as in its own nature thereunto improper his blessing cannot be expected to go along with it And to say 'T is better for men to come within the possibility of being perswaded to Religion and reduced to sober apprehensions of it then to continue in their Schisms and voluntary neglect of all Piety is very wide from this Question which neither countenances Schism nor discountenances Piety but would not that any should be forced to serve God in any other way or manner then God will be served or they Judge acceptable unto him nor are all to be charged with Schism and a voluntary neglect of Piety who frequent not the Publick worship wherever they live much less to be out of a possibility of being perswaded to Religion and void of all sober apprehensions of it which yet compulsion is so far from perswading or reducing any unto that its efficacy lyes the other way it breeds rather an aversion and abhorrency towards it and towards those that use it But says our Answerer suppose the worst viz. That compelling men to Church do not produce any inward change in their minds yet certainly 't is a means conducive to so blessed an end But who I would know tells him so 'T is no means I am sure of Christs appointment nor did he himself ever use it salvation indeed he offer'd which who so refus'd at his Peril those that had ears to hear let them hear being the usual conclusion of his Sermons He sent likewise his Disciples to Preach the Kingdom of God but not to force or compel any to hear them But suppose says the Pious and Learned Bishop Davenant some should be so obstinate they will not receive this Gospel shall they then exercise no temporal Power none at all says he They are commanded to shake off the dust from their feet as a Testimony against them but they are not commanded to compel them by any external force or violence I would gladly know of this Answerer should providence permit the Re-establishment of Popery in this Nation whether the compelling him to Church would be a means conducive to his Conversion if it will can he doubt but they who would esteem it a blessed work should not be as zealous for it then as he is now Perhaps he may say the case is not the same for he is in the right while all others on either hand of him are in the wrong which is not impossible though very improbable yet whilst others think themselves as much in the right as he the case will be the same and he may reasonably enough expect the same measure he metes will be measur'd to him again That Hypocrasie the sin against which our Blessed Saviour denounced so many woes should be preferred as by him it is for the honour of Religion is what I have not before met with such Preachers therefore may well plead for compelling to their Churches who are not otherwise likely to have many hearers Nor do I understand the Logick of all mens being advantag'd by forceable methods because some may be externally reform'd while others again are thereby apparently injur'd And to what purpose does he here talk of mens being restrained from acting their abominable Lusts which we no less wish then he nor does this Query infer the contrary though he would have it thought to countenance impiety and a scornful contempt of the Church and Iustitutions of Christ when it aims only at the promoting of Piety in a due observation of Christ's Institutions by which the Nations as well as Gods
Conscience or the mind constrain'd to understand to Fear Love Hate c. which are Elicite Acts of the soul and cannot be forc't or violated by all the compulsive Powers in the world Does he then conceive Conscience to be concern'd only in thinking Or in the Acts of the mind Conscience certainly is concern'd in all a mans actions which none sure who knows what Conscience is ever yet doubted He has therefore cause to say as he doth All this signifies very little in the present debate not because as he says no Authority ever offer'd violence to the Internal Acts of mens minds but for that Conscience is concern'd in the External actions of a mans life Conscience is concern'd in the performance or non-performance of every duty God commands and Conscience is violated when any through dread and fear are awed or deterr'd from the performance of those duties they judge God requires of them or provok't or urg'd to do what they are no less perswaded he dislikes or prohibits them But how impertinently are we here told When mens opinions are recluded and lock't within their own Breasts the Magistrate never concerns himself about them for how should the Magistrate concern himself about that he neither knows nor can have any cognizance of And how ignorantly if not deceitfully does he here urge that saying of St. Paul Hast thou Faith have it to thy self as if the Apostle thereby intended that men should keep their Faith and Opinions to themselves when he spoke to quite another purpose For speaking of meates which some forbore as judging them unlawfull he advises those who were otherwise perswaded to forbear their Christian Liberty when it offended those were not yet convinc'd of the lawfulness of eating thereof that is having attained a sure knowledge of the lawfulness of those things whereof others doubted they might use their liberty therein when it gave no offence to their Brethren so keeping their Faith to themselves and not using it to the offence or scandal of others as is evident to whoever reads and considers the context But none sure ever affirm'd the Magistrate was to consult mens private Consciences and not the honour of God the safety of his own person and Government and his peoples benefit and good That it may be a greater sin for a man to act according to the Dictates of his Conscience then to act against them as he says is an assertion I have not before met with For whatever sin a man commits acting according to the Dictates of his Conscience is at most but a sin of Ignorance which excuses à tanto though not à toto whereas he that acts against the Dictates of his Conscience is guilty of willful and presumptuous sinning which admits of no excuse yea is the highest aggravation of sin that can be and yet has he the confidence to say This so notoriously false assertion is evident not only from the experience of all Ages but from the Holy Scriptures which says he speak of a seared Conscience of men whose Consciences are defiled of a Reprobate mind c. But there being men of Reprobate minds and of seared and defiled Consciences does not prove that it may be a greater sin for a man to act according to the Dictates of Conscience then to act against them Men of seared Consciences may be said rather to make no Conscience of what they do then to act either with or against their Consciences For a seared Conscience is a dead or stupid Conscience a Conscience without sense or feeling the like may be said of such as are of a Reprobate mind and whose Consciences are defiled nor can there be any greater defilement of Conscience then to act against it But what is our Blessed Saviours Prediction of the times comming wherein some should think they did God service in killing Christians To this Query Is it that men of such preverted apprehensions were to be compelled to worship God otherwise then they are perswaded God will be worshipped or how does he apply it There are none sure who doubt but that the Jewish Sanhedrim would gladly have slain Peter and John for Preaching Christ as no doubt would others who at this day are no less grieved at the Preaching of the Gospel slay their Successors in the Ministry of the word did not the good hand and providence of God restrain them But what is all this to the present Question Or what is Paul's pleading Conscience for persecuting Christs Disciples and making havock of the Church These indeed prove that there have been and will be men of Erronious Consciences and none sure ever doubted or questioned but that the Magistrate may punish men acting according to their Consciences if what they so do be evil pretence of Conscience no ways justifying an evil action before men how far soever an Erronious Conscience may excuse it before God But what is all this to forcing any to act against their Consciences And how impertinently is it here askt whether it had been to commit a Rape upon St. Paul ' s Conscience to have punisht him for persecuting Christs Disciples As if to punish an evil action voluntarily committed and to force and compel any to what is evil were the same thing Yet he says He knows very well that it will be here said though he knows not well what himself says That a Magistrate may punish for Murther and violating the Laws of the second Table but the answer to this he says is easie if he should say that just so our Magistrates do when they Execute any of the penal Laws Statutes upon Dissenters this indeed is easier said then understood for what means he by his just so What Laws of the 2d Table are Dissenters as such guilty of the violation off or what Law of God or Nature do they therein transgress I will not say I know it will be here said but suppose it may be said they disobey the commands of lawfull Authority and therefore ought to be punisht ought then all commands of lawfull Authority to be actually obeyed I know not what this Answerer may say but am very confident none who understand themselves will say so But they may perhaps say All the lawfull commands of lawfull Authority ought to be obeyed They ought so yet this exception lies against the general Rule That if the person whose obedience is required judgeth them unlawfull though in themselves they may be lawfull he may not actively obey them But he proceeds and tells us It is a very strange thing for any to believe that the Magistrate is invested with a Power to punish men for words and actions tending to the damage of private persons c. But let them speak never so many lyes in the name of God and Preach and Teach them in Hypocrasie let them blaspheme God and Christ and Religion then Authority has its hands tyed up no Coercive Power must be used against any such Criminals for
all those Acts flow from Conscience It were indeed a very strange thing if it should be so But who tells him that no Coercieve Power must be used against those Criminals whose actions flow from Conscience or who Questions the Magistrates Authority to punish such as blaspheme God or Christ or Religion or that they who speak lyes in the name of God and Preach and Teach them in Hypocrasie may not be punisht for it when prov'd against them But we still say That to Execute before Conviction and Judgement is against all Rules and Forms of Justice both Divine and Humane and such a violation of the Law and light of Nature as no Sober or Judicious Heathen was ever yet guilty off But the whole of this discourse is grounded on this absurdity which the Query gives not the least countenance unto viz. That none ought to be punisht for what they do according to their Consciences which no man sure in his senses ever affirm'd every man being to be proceeded against by the Civil Magistrateâ— according to the Nature and quality of his offence be it never so much according to his Conscience if it be that which ought not to be But he tells us every Christian is to act out of a Principle of Conscience in the duties of the second Table as well as in those of the first which no man sure ever doubted off Nor did any rational man ever say That Conscience was a sufficient plea against the Coercive Power of Kings The Magistrate may certainly Enact Penal Laws against Murther Felony and the like moral evils whatever he may do against Infidelity Schism Heresie or errors in Religion and yet may not force or compel any in the Worship and Service of God to act against their Light and Consciences The Question here is not whether the Magistrate may use his Coercive Power to punish for sin but whether he may compel men to sin as most certainly they do who compel them to worship God in any other way or manner then they are perswaded God will be worship't and requires of them Query XV. Whether to require conformity in Practice where there is difference in Judgement be not to command a man to act against light and Conscience and consequently to sin Reply to the Answer to this Query TO the Question he proposes I answer The Superiour not only may but ought to take care to act according to the Dictates of his Conscience as well as the Inferiour to practice according to his which is yet no answer to this Query For as it is the Magistrates duty to cause as much as in him lyes those under his charge to serve God acceptably so it is not his duty to command them to serve God in such a way or manner as they judge sinfull or not according to Gods Institution and appointment He ought indeed to endeavour their Conviction by all due and just means whom he Judgeth in any kind to err but not to force them to any thing in the Worship and Service of God against their Judgements since as hath been often inculcated whatever is not of faith is sin But if there be any who as he says conceive it their duty to serve God in such ways and methods as are Diametrically contrary to Gods will and subversive to the Magistrates Government let them be Impleaded and punisht after due Conviction and Judgement but not before 'T is not impossible but a Governour may think himself bound in Conscience to command what an Inferiour may be perswaded he ought not to obey The Superiours Conscience being as certain a Rule in commanding as the Inferiours can be to him in disobeying but with our Answerers good leave this is not as he says the case between the King of England and the present Dissenters from the Church His Majesty having sufficiently declared in his late gracious Declaration of Indulgence that it is not against his Conscience to give liberty to Dissenters But how flily would he insinuate here That it is against his Coronation Oath so to do in that he says His Majesty swears That he will defend and preserve to the Clergy all Canonicall Priviledges c. And how this Oath can be performed unless the Clergy have now the like Priviledge as heretofore to Burn Masacre and Destroy the faithfull Servants and Disciples of Jesus Christ and true worshippers of God under pretence of their being Hereticks and Schismaticks may possibly as he says be past his Power to conceive and determine For nothing less it seems will satisfie him Then all the Canonicall Priviledges and Free-Franchises granted to the Clergy by the glorious St. Edward and other Kings and what they were may deserve consideration But as he very well says every Prince owes a strict account to God of his Crown and Government and the Dignity of his place obliges him to promote the happiness of his people which certainly he does not who permits a Generation of men under the pretext of the Power of the Gospel to trample by the Power of the world mankind under their feet even Princes themselves where they are able which if seemly in their eyes is not so I hope in others Whether differnce in Judgement will justifie any man from Inconformity in Practice He advises his Reader to consider the strict account Christ called the Angel of the Church in Thyatira to for suffering that woman Jezabel to teach and seduce his Servants and would be resolved whether the Bishop or Angel might not have excused his own neglects by pleading for Jezabel That her Judgement differ'd from his and to make her practice things quite contrary to her Judgement was that Christ never did in the days of his flesh It was an Invasion of the freedom of mens wills and the Liberty of their Consciences It was a constraining of them to act against their own Light and consequently to sin Risum tenaatis Amici can any forbear laughter at such ridiculous reasonings is not this Answerer able to distinguish between commanding to sin and restraining from sin Had the Angel of the Church in Thyatira been call'd to an account for Jezabels non-conformity such a Plea might have been pertinent but his Crime was not the making her practice things contrary to her Judgement which yet to have done might have been a Crime but the suffering her to Teach and Seduce without controle without contending for the Truth and opposing it to her Errors which would not have been a constraining her to act against her light but the enlighting her sound Doctrine diligently and duly taught being sufficient against Seducers We had not else heard of many Truths of the Gospel at this day there being neither in the days of Jezabel nor long after any Christian Magistrate in the World to protect or defend them What the Reverend Mr. Perkings says of restraining error is nothing to this Query which opposes only the compelling to sin yet we would as much as any
against the Dictates of their Consciences And whether this or that particular commanded by Superiours in the Worship and Service of God be agreable with or contrary to the Law of God none may judge for another every mans Reason as the Reverend and Learned Dr. Stillingfleet hath truly told us proceeding according to the rule of Gods word must therein be his own Judge Query XVII Whether it be not the duty of all Christians to walk together so far as they have attain'd and in other things wait the Revelation of the mind of God to them that differ Reply to the Answer to this Query OUr Answerer acknowledges what none can reasonably deny That every Christian is bound to frame and order the course of his life according to the measures of his knowledge And he is so in an especial manner in all the exercises of Religion in which none ought to be forc't beyond what God hath been pleased to reveal of his mind and will unto them for where any are not convinc't of the lawfulness of an action to do it to them 〈◊〉 is sin though the thing it self may not be unlawfull Nor is every one who is not of his Superiours opinion to be censur'd by this Answerer as willfull in retaining error or opiniotive in dispising those who have more knowledge then himself 'T is not impossible but Superiours may err and God approves not of blind obedience because he will not as the Reverend and Learned Bishop Davenant tells us hold them excused who with a blind zeal follow their Leaders But who are they this Answerer terms weak Christians and Babes in knowledge If such as make Conscience of their ways and actions and out of fear of offending God dare not Conform to what they are not convinc't of the lawfulness of they are so far from being weak they will one day appear to be the wisest Christians Let us not therefore judge one another but judge this rather That no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way And though he tells us Babes in knowledge are not fit to be intrusted with their own Conduct and Protection c. there are those Babes to whom God hath revealed those things he hath hid from the Wise and Prudent What he says of Childrens being cccker'd and upheld in their humours is extreamly impertinent here and nothing to this Query But he tells us If men would live up to the plain Principles of their Religion or walk together so far as they have attain'd They could not possibly conceive it their duty totally to forsake their Parochial Churches and think it an arbitrary indifferent matter whether they professed themselves Christians or Infidels What he means by totally to forsake their Parochial Churches I know it there being those who though they cannot communicate with every Parochial Church nor yet with any Parochial Church in every thing are yet ready and willing to communicate with them in all Christian Offices and duties of Religion seperated from those circumstances or Adjuncts of worship of Humane Institution of whose lawfulness they are not satisfied who do not therefore totally forsake them much less think it an Arbitrary indifferent matter whether they profess themselves Christians or Infidels though they believe not all Profession of Christianity to consist in Communicating with Parochiall Churches As for his Scorners and Infidels Chair it might very well have been spared here neither this nor any of these Queries giving the least countenance or incouragement unto such or that any should go unpunisht for the neglect or contempt of Christianity An Inferiours differing in Judgement from his Superiour ought to excite his utmost â—are and diligence to search and find out the Truth But will not warrant his yielding blind obedience to any of his Dictates Be ye 〈◊〉 not the Servants of men is a Divine precept which must take place in the duties of Religion or no where Yet ought not any to Condemn a whole Church or withdraw from its Communion but where there are so great corruptions and defects in it and those too so plain and evident from Scripture as may justifie both his charge and seperation but of them the party seperating must still Judge It is the highest Vsurpation saith the Reverend and Learned Dr. Stillingfleet to rob men of the Liberty of their Judgements That which we plead for against the Papists is That all men have eyes in their heads as well as the Pope that every one hath a Judicium privatae Discretionis which is the Rule of Practice as to himself and though we freely allow a Ministerial Power under Christ in the Governours af the Church yet that extends not to an obligation upon men to go against the Dictates of their Reason and Conscience Their Power is only directive and declarative and in matters of duty can bind no more then Reason and Evidence brought from Scripture by them doth Though in all Ages Christians of different opinions and perswasions may have Communicated with one another in the Offices of Religion wherein they agreed which is but what this Query calls for yet they never Communicated with one another at least ought not so to have done in those things they judg'd sinfull or superstitious nor forced each other thereunto But the Orthodox the Arians and the Novatians might lawfully enough joyn together in Prayer where their errors were not mixt with their Prayers and made a part of their worship And in that Christ and his Apostles as he says frequented the publick Assemblies both in the Temple and Synagogues it is evident though the worshippers many of them at least were guilty of great corruptions and impieties yet their worship it self was free from them they could not else have Communicated with them in their worship and not have Communicated with them in their corruptions and impieties which were Blasphemous to imagine And though our Blessed Saviour Incouraged all due Reverence and Ohedience to be paid to publick Laws and Governours in commanding the multitude to do whatever the Scribes and Pharisees who sate in Moses seat bid them to observe and do yet it was to be understood when according to Moses Law not that they had Power to ad â—o or diminish fâ—om what God had appointed or were implicity to be obeyed He having elswhere charged his Disciples to Take heed and beware of the leaven i. e. Doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces So that though all due Rererence and Obedience be to be paid to publick Laws and Governours yet is not blind Obedience to be yielded unto either being inconsistent with those Gospel precepts which command us to Prove all things To take heed that no man deceive as and as hath been said That we be not the Servants of men for that every ome must give an account of himself to God When he says That God hath made sufficient discoveries of
guided by such as are fallible but to be guided by such against their own Light and Reason As for a man to follow one who tells him He will guide him the next way from York to London though he leads him still Northward when he knows the way thither to lye Southward But could I believe my guide Infallible I might renounce my own Reason and disbelieve my very senses to follow him which way soever he lead me but till then shall think it absurd in any to force me so to do which is but the genuine import of this Query But our Answerer tells us A man may act infallibly in his station though he be not himself infallible For he he says does so who acts and proceeds by infallible unerring Rule Yet with his good leave he may herein be again mistaken For though the Rule he acts and proceeds by be streight yet if the Agent be not infallible he may through error or inability draw crooked lines by it and so cannot be said to act infallibly And indeed if what he here says were true instead of our infallible Pope he hath set up Thousands of Infallible Priests who pretend to Act and precede by an Infallible unerring Rule the Infallible and unerring word of God But to proceed by what Logick doth he frame an Argument from this Query against punishing an Atheist Does it say as he would have it that none ought to be punisht who are not Infallibly convic't or any thing to that purpose why then doth he entertain his Readers with these impertinences Yet hath Truth so far prevailed on him that he here acknowledges All Doctrines ought to be tryed and examined by their proper measures and standards c. But what he means by his mean between this and for men to be allowed a Liberty to deal with their Religion and the Truths of God as they do with their Cloathes which they put on and off and change as their fancies prompt them or as the weather or fashion alters we are yet to learn For whether are the more likely to change their Religion they who use their Reason in the choice and continuance thereof or they who therein blindly follow the guidance of their Teachers since the first are as fixt and stedfast therein as the nature of man upon the best and surest foundation is capable off while the latter whose Religion depends on the guidance of his Teacher or Leader is liable to change the one as oft as he happens to change the other Yet we do not say as this Answerer would have us That a man ought only to be guided by his own light But we do say and affirm that in the concerns of Eternity a man ought not to be forc't against his own light to be guided by others who are not Infallible and defie him to prove the contrary The instances of this Age which he says are innumerable of those who so soon as they seperate from their Mother Church know not where to abide and fix c. Are the objections of an elder Mother Church against those who forsake and separate from her But such as are United unto that Church which is the Mother of us all will not be to seek where to abide and fix though separated from all the Mother Churches in the World They are not the rational and diligent enquirers into the Grounds and Reasons of their Religion but the blind followers of their perhaps blind guides that commonly take sanctuary in Popery Query XIX Whether at the great day of account it will excuse false worshippers to say They therein followed the guidance of those who pretended to have Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the duties of Religion And whether if the blind lead the blind they will not both fall into the Ditch Reply to the Answer to this Query WE have not from him the least Answer to this Query which is no more then whether false worshippers will at the great day of account be excus'd in following the guidance of those who pretended to have Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the Duties of Religion But instead thereof are told with many unhandsom and undue reflections That by false worshippers are meant either those who serve God according to the Liturgy of the Church of England or some other Assemblies of Christians if the former the Gentleman that propâ—ses it is extreamly uncharitable if the latter the Query is impertinent But why uncharitable or impertinent is it so improbable or unreasonable to think there should be false worshippers in any of those Assemblies of Christians who serve God either with or without the Liturgy of the Church of England If it be not the Gentleman may neither be uncharitable nor the Query impertinent This Answerer therefore must either have so good an opinion of all Dissenters from the Church of England as well as of those who serve God according to her Liturgy as to esteem it impertinent to doubt of the Truth of their worship or to enquire concerning the future state and condition of such of them as may be therein misled or he will approve himself to be the uncharitable person he speaks of against all Ingenuity and Reason to apply what was indefinitely spoken to the Church of England when it is more applicable unto others And I shall be bold to tell him in his own Language It is as great an untruth as ever came from the Father of Lyes to say that this or any of these Queries obtrude that which is false and slanderous upon any or that they were chiefly designed for the unwary Country-man who is not the Person that imposes upon others in things of Divine and Supernatural Revelation or persecutes any on the account of Religion And now though it be still nothing to the present Question he tells us what false-worship is viz. Mens drawing nigh to God with their lips and putting him far away from their hearts And how does this Query charge this upon the Church of England who is neither said nor intended in it to Teach any so to do and yet there are those of her Communion who Teach Preach and Print that mens Practices even in the duties of Religion whether conformable or not to their apprehensions are the Subject of Laws And that where Truth and Authority draw contrary ways we are to follow Truth with our Soulâ— and Authority with our Bodies So that with these men Divisum Imperium cum Jove Caesar habâ—t But I would gladly know of them or of this Answerer whether what is not of Faith be not Sin Or whether it be not false-worship in any to worship God otherwise then they are perswaded he will or ought to be worshipt or whether following the guidance of these or the like though they pretend Authority to Conduct and Govern them in the duties of Religion will at the last day excuse those who shall be thus misled by them and yet we
charge not this on the Church of England nor have we said That they who serve God according to her Liturgy were false-worshippers These are but the uncharitable Inferences and Surmises of a strangely ignorant or immeasurably malitious Person who wanting strength of Reason or Argument to oppose the Truths he likes not thus loads them with Reproach and Calumny And to what purpose does he tell us it being nothing still to this Query That there is no Congregated Independent Congregation in England but the respective Pastor of it assumes to himself more Power and Authority to Govern and Conduct the sworn Members of it in the ways and duties of Religion then the greatest Prelate in our Church does in his Province or Diocess unless to manifest how difficult it is for him to write one true Period there being amongst them no such sworn Members as he mentions and whether of them exercise most Power and Authority to Conduct and Govern their respective Members in the ways and duties of Religion let those concern'd determine But this he says He will not prove from their Practices the thing being apparent from the very Principles of Independency which aim at little else but Tvranny and Pre eminence as appears by the Independant Pastors excluding whom they please from the means of Salvation and making that a condition of their Communion which is impossible I hope he does not mean here that in making the conditions of their Communion impossible they exclude whom they please from the means of Salvation as if there were no Salvation out of their Communion and yet I know not what else he means by it and if that be his meaning they do not yet exclude any from the means of Salvation in making that a condition of their Communion which is impossible for if the condition were impossible the Communion which depended on it would be so too but the contrary is very well known and so in good time will the credit of this Reporter likewise be But as a farther instance of their Tyranny and Praeâ—eminence he tells us They pry into the very secrets of mens Souls Lives and Actions by severe Scrutinies and Examinations If they do it is not by the Oath c. we have heard much talk of But they will not he says admit of any to be Members of their gather'd Churches till they have satisfied the curiosity of their guides That is they will perhaps have no Communion with unbelievers nor Fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness a great Crime and worthy this Answerer's rebuke But is it more then probable as he politickly observes That this and not meanness of Trade impoverishes City and Country or supposing they who having been made partakers of their Spiritual things should according to duty administer unto them in carnal things How should this occasion the Nations poverty What do they receive which they give not again Or which of them hath such plenty as to enable them to hoard up any thing No no we are told by a wiser and more pious Politician That a fruitfull Land is turned into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein And the Holy Prophet tells us The Land mourns and the Herbs of every field wither not for Peoples meeting together to pray for a blessing upon themselves their Governours and the Land of their Nativity but for the wickedness still of them that dwell therein thus we see how persons differ in Judgement according to the diversity of their spirits and passions But to return to the Query charged in the Rear with blind Leaders and Followers he wishes the Gentleman would not make such sly and unworthy reflections upon the conformable Laity and Clergy of this Kingdom And the Gentleman wishes likewise this Answerer would also forbear applying to particulars what is indefinitely spoken and was not by him intended to one party more than another But 't is a shrew'd sign of some very sore place in the Ass that kicks and winches upon every approach before he is touch't Query XX. Whether it be not most unreasonable in the concerns of Eternity to tie men by Temporal penalties to fallible guides whom to follow may be their Eternal to forsake their Temporal Ruine Reply to the Answer to this Query HE hath nothing it seems to say against it and therefore very advisedly sends his Reader he knows not whither for satisfaction in he knows not what Query XXI Whether the main inlet of all the Distractions Persecutions and Divisions in the Christian World hath not been by adding and requiring other conditions of Church-Fellowship and Communion than Christ or his Apostles did Reply to the Answer to this Query THe enquiry here is only into the original of the Distractions Persecutions and Divisions which have been in the Christian world i. e. among Christians or such as have made profession of Christianity not of the Persecutions raised against them by Heathens and Infidels The Ten Persecutions therefore against the Primitive Christians and the Inroads of the Goths and Vandals into Italy come not within this enquiry But says this Answerer If it be understood in this sense there are very great mistakes in it for that severe proceedings of Christian Emperours against Hereticks and of Hereticks against the Orthodox Christians were not for Innovations brought into the Church as conditions of Christian Communion but for the Truths of Christ c. That 's the Query and wherein â—y the great mistakes in asking it But he may be pardon'd this for so ingeniously professing himself Ignorant of any Distractions Persecutions and Divisions that were ever raised in the Christian World upon the account of adding and requiring new or unheard of conditions of Church Fellowship unless it were the difference between the Western and Eastern Churches about the Observation of Easter So that it seems he is ignorant of the Persecutions and Divisions that were amongst Christians in the Reigns of Constantine Constantius and some following Emperours upon the imposition of differing if not contradictory Creeds For it was not the Doctrine of the Trinity Three Persons and one God as exprest in Scripture that caus'd the breach of Communion and Church-Fellowship between the Arians and the Orthodox Christians but the Orthodox forcing the Arians to subscribe to their newly invented Homoousian as did afterwards the Arians where they prevailed requiring the Orthodox to subscribe to their Homoiousian whereas as a Learned Prelate hath well observ'd had both parties acquiesced in the very Scripture expressions without their own additions they might have lived peacably and quietly together and the Arian Heresie probably have soon expired Error divested of Secular Force and Support not being long able to withstand the â—ower of Truth He is it seems likewise Ignorant of the great Divisions which after arose in the Church about the Procession of the Holy Ghost whereas as the said Learned person likewise observes had they acquiesced also in what the
tells us His design was to ease men of their former burdens and not to lay on more That the duties he required were no other but such as were necessary and withall Just and Reasonable That he that came to take away the insupportable Yoke of Jewish Ceremonies certainly did never intend to gall the necks of his Disciples with another instead of it and if so did not certainly give Power or Authority unto any to Institute in their room such others as they should think good it would be strange says he the Church should require more then Christ himself did and make other conditions of her Communion then our Saviour did of Discipleship Then asks What ground there can be why Christians should not stand upon the same terms now which they did in the times of Christ and his Apostles Whether Religion were not sufficiently guarded and fenced in them Whether there was ever more true and cordial reverence in the worship of God What Charter Christ hath given his Church to bind men up to more then himself hath done And then tells us The grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with was only to Teach what Christ had commanded them not the least intimation of any Power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what himself had spoken to them or they were directed to by the immediate guidance of the spirit of God What Power or Commission therefore any have since received to Institute such Ceremonies in the Worship and Service of God as they shall think good this Answerer or his Adherents may do well to inform us But instead thereof he tells us Nothing is more evident in the New-Testament than that Christ did intrust those whom he appointed in his absence to be the Ministers of his Church with the Government of it He did so and yet he did not Empower or Authorise them to Institute in the Worship and Service of God such Ceremonies as they should think good But says our Politick Answerer This Government could not subsist without the Enacting of Laws for its own and the Churches preservation for that Christ intended c. How does that appear we find nothing in his Gospel of any such intention nor have we reason to believe he intended any should Enact other Laws for the Government of his Church than what himself Enacted since 't were to deny the Scriptures sufficiency unto that end and its being a perfect Rule of our Faith and Obedience in all Gospel Duties and Administrations and in plain term's to tell us that Christ was not faithfull to him that appointed him as was Moses in all his House in that he left not as did Moses a compleat Volume of Laws for its Rule and Government We wish therefore this Answerer would acquaint us with the Instrument by which the Apostles made over their Authority of Enacting Laws for the Government of the Church to their Successors in that it would tend greatly to their conviction who have hitherto been in an error and very much deceived if the Lord Christ be not the sole Lord over and Law-giver to his Church and that the Apostles neither did nor could Delegate a Legislative Power to their Successors being themselves Ministers only of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Power of the Keys committed unto them not being a Power of giving Laws to the Church but a Power of Teaching and Ruling the Church according to the Laws which Christ himself had given and those as he says not to that present Age of Christians but to all Succeeding Ages in which his Church was to continue in the World they being evey way sufficient to continue and preserve upon Earth a visible Church untill his Second coming But so far this Answerer is in the right That there could have been no such Society if there had been no Law for its Vnity But he should withall have consider'd that there neither could nor can be any Law for its Unity but from an Universal Law-giver the obligation of no Law extending farther then the Iuâ—â—â—â—â—tion or Authority of the Legislator So that it is altogether impossible for any but the Lord Christ to Enact Laws for the visible Unity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods sacred Worship since the Jurisdiction or Authority of none other can reach or oblige all Christians That our Blessed Saviour was greatly concern'd for the Unity of his Church none sure ever doubted But the words quoted by this Answerer from St. Johns Gospel relate not so much to the external visible Unity of the Church as to the internal mystical Union that is between Christ and his Members Yet he tells us That which he would principally have the Reader observe in them is The care that our Blessed Lord and Master took for that great Essential of Christianity the Vnity of the Church No doubt he did both for the internal and external Unity thereof and that not only in his frequent calling on his Disciples to Unity and to love one another making it a Caracteristical note of their relation unto him By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another But also in commanding them to teach the observation of all things whatsoever he commanded them which would all who would be accounted his Disciples likewise observe and do without setting up their Posts as the Prophet speaks by his Posts Unity would not be wanting among Christians nor yet throughout the Christian world a due uniformity in the external Administration of Gods Sacred worship which variety of Rites and Ceremonies in particular Churches destroys And it may be truly enough said by him That it is impossible for the Gospel to be propagated and upheld by Faith and Charity only as they are lodg'd in mens Hearts unless the Fruits of these Graces were exerted in some things that were visible and obvious to sense and therefore outward worship is required that the inward may be exercised and expressed for to talk of inward worship without any outward expressions thereof is but a Cloak for Atheism But for this Answerer to tell us That the Churches Vnity was the main thing that Christ took care of before his Crucifixion That it is the great Essential of Christianity the very being of Christian Religion depending on it And that the main principle of all Christian Amity and affection is the visible Vnity of Christian Communion in the external Administration of Gods Sacred Worship which ought to be Vniform and undevided and then conclude That variety of Rites in one National Church would cause Division of Judgement and of affection Is such an explanation of the Unity of the Church and visible Unity of Christian Communion in the External Administration of Gods Sacred Worship as I think the world was never before blest with For was it the Unity of a National Church only that Christ took such care of and which is the great essential of Christianity or is
be circumcised Christ shall profit them nothing So far were the Apostles from commanding the Observation of the abrogated Ceremonies of the Jewish Law which is indeed a contradiction interminis for if they had Apostoâ—ical warrant and command they were not abrogated but we must bear with small slips if we will not Create to our selves endless trouble But 't is at length acknowledg'd That Gods will is to be the Rule of his worship and our Answerer hopes to salve all in saying That it were the most sacrilegious Invasion of Gods Prerogative to make humane Inventions the essentials of his worship But for Rites and Ceremonies the Governours of the Church may it seems Institute such and so many as they shall think good And if so let him tell us why the Church of Rome hath not the same Authority as other Churches to Institute such Ceremonies as she also shall think good and how comes he to censure hers as vain and foolish ridiculous and superstitious while she exercises but the Authority he allows her Instituting no other Ceremonies then she judges conducive to so high and generous an end as the propogation of the Christian Faith and which render Religion amiable by its external Ornaments and Beauty But what may this Answerer mean by the essentialls of worship A dear friend of his tells us The essence of Religious worship consists in nothing else but a gratefull sense and temper of mind towards the Divine goodness and as for all that concerns external worship 't is no part of Religion it self and if this be his Judgement also he may tell us 'T is the most sacrilegious Invasion of Gods Prerogative to make humane Inventions the Essentials of his worship and yet retain a liberty of introducing all the vain and foolish ridiculous superstitious Ceremonies now in use in the Roman Church when ever he shall change his thoughts of them and judge them to render Religion amiable and beautifull But certainly nothing is more evident in Scripture than that the due observance of the outward Institutions in Religion come under the notion of the worship of God So did the Sacrifices of old and so do the present Sacraments of the Church which were and are parts of outward worship and I suppose of Religion too and whatever is made so necessary to be observ'd in the worship of God that without it the worship is not to be perform'd is thereby made an essential of worship for that which is so the matter of a thing that without it the thing cannot be is of the essence of that thing But he tells us All that is pleaded is but that the Church of England may be allowed the same priviledge which all Sects and Parties assume to themselves viz. To determine the circumstances of Religion which is so reasonable that it cannot either in Reason or Justice be denyed Then he tells us There is no Sect but the Authority of their Teachers prevails in those Instances and Rites where there is no word of God to warrant the things that are practis'd by them Instancing in the worship perform'd as he says by Independents asking what Scripture they have to prove their Covenant which the Members of their Churches swear to before they are admitted by their Pastors and Elders Though he finds no mention of any such Covenant sworn to in the declaration of the Faith and Order owned and Practis'd in their Churches wherein as well their Order as common Faith is declar'd Neither of which do they or did they ever that I have heard of impose upon any and yet are able I presume to give an Answer unto every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them To them therefore I shall refer him for farther satisfaction in the particulars he mentions if he desires it And for the present shall only tell him There is some difference between a confession of Faith and imposing Articles of Faith Yea or Rites and Ceremonies And will he now say In verbo Sacerdotis or upon his Reputation That the Church of England in appointing of her Rites and Ceremonies does no more then appoint circumstances concerning the worship of God common to humane Actions which are to be order'd by the light of nature and Christian Prudence according to the general Rules of the word Or why does he thus impose upon his credulous and unwary Reader But he tells us If the Governours of the Church of England did command such and such things then Dissenters had some reason to separate from its Communion which is but a copy of his countenance he elsewhere telling us That the Governours of the Church have Power to Institute such Ceremonies as they shall think good and that it is the peoples duty to obey Yea he advises them to resign up themselves to the Fathers of the Church rather than attend to 〈◊〉 the Dictates of their own dark minds which takes away not only the liberty of separating but even of examining the commands of their Spiritual guides And having thus reduced them to an implicit Faith he may be bold to tell them There were as many or more Ceremonies made use of in the very Age of the Apostles and then Instituted by them than are now in the Church of England and instance in half a score not one of which were ever Instituted by the Apostles Yet after all his boldness he speaks but faintly in saying If he be mistaken in his conjecture about this matter yet 't is no way injurious to the present Power of the Church of England in appointing symbolical or significative Ceremonies in Gods worship for that the Primitive Christians under the Heathen Emperours were much like the Israelites in their Egyptian Bondage rather concern'd to maintain the life and being of Religion then to be curious about the Apparel and Ornament thereof And would to God there were no pretended Christians in these days more concern'd about the Apparel and Ornament as they term them of Religion then to maintain the life and being thereof And how unhandsomly does he reflect here on the Primitive Christians in saying When Kings and Emperours became Christian then they began to glorifie God with their bodies and to honour him with their substance and Estates c. As if till then they had been unmindful of the Apostles precept of glorifying God in their bodies and in their spirits or what thinks he of those who before that sold their Possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need Did not they as much honour God with their substances and Estates as those who adorn Temples But such gross and carnal thoughts have some of the most High Who dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands as to think him still delighted and pleased with mens Erecting Dedicating and Adorning of Temples in which they generally place more of their Religion than in the performance of the most spiritual and
and Wolvish Nature and a certain sign that such are none of Christs Sheep These are the bitter expressions which our sweet-natur'd and tender-hearted Answerer hath not met with among his Socinian acquaintance and which his meek and gentle Spirit cannot bear against his Brethren But the Reverend and Pious Dr. More farther tells us That the cruel and bloody Persecution of the true and living Members of the Kingdom of Christ for their faithful adhering to the plain and undoubted commands of their Heavenly Soveraign who is stiled King of Kings and Lord of Lords is certainly the most signal and capital Antichristianism that any Policy can be corrupted with and the most grossly and visibly opposite both to the nature of Christianity which beareth all things and endureth all things which will not be over severe to the wicked much less cruel to the good And also to the description of Christs Government who is said to redeem the Souls of the needy from deceit and violence and that their blood is precious in his sight he shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom This is the genuine Spirit of the true Christian Pastors whether of higher or lower degree to be thus tenderly affected towards their Sheep But such as thwack and beat them and violently drive them instead of going before them in a way of Christian example these are not Shepherds but Butchers and will easily drive them to the Shambles and see their throats cut without remorse This being the genuine Spirit as he truly says of the true Christian Pastors to be thus tenderly affected towards their Sheep what shall we judge of those who not only thwack and beat and violently drive them but are so tenderly affected towards their Persecutors they cannot bear their being hardly spoken of And how impertinent are we here told while inquiring only after the nature of those who persecute upon the accouut of Religion of the enacting Laws to punish those that violate and deflowr Religion as if to persecute for Religion and punish the Violaters of Religion were the same thing We diswade not as he insinuates inflicting punishments upon sensual and unrighteous Persons such as violate the Laws of either Table and are far from thinking Christian Justice and Righteousness inconsistent with Clemency and Lenity of Spirit Yet is it neither just nor righteous to Execute before Judgement And as our Blessed Saviour is stiled the Shepherd of Souls and as he says That Title imports that he would have not only his Lambs and Sheep fed but grievous Wolves watch and their mouths stopt too when they devour the flock and teach things which they ought not for filthy Lucre ' s sake It becomes a duty to stop his mouth who endeavours what he can that Christs flock should be devoured teaching notorious untruths and things which he ought not for filthy Lucer's sake Nor will it I doubt advantage him That as Christ is a meek Saviour to returning sinners so he is a terrible Judge to Apostates and evil doers while he continues a Persecutor since against such as himself hath told us His Arrows are ordain'd And though as he says he begins to Execute vengeance in this world by raising up men of undaunted Spirits who make Righteousness the girdle of their Loins and Judgement their Robe and Diadem to succour his Church support his Worship and punish his Enemies yet such will never persecute for Religion nor think those to give ill example unto others or to become Schismatical and disorderly in their Stations who serve God according to the rule and order of the Gospel nor judge any evil Doers for rendring unto him the Homage due from the Creature to the Creator seeing by this no occasion is given to the Enemy to reproach and blaspheme the good ways of God whatever occasion some Cainish or Ishmalitish spirits may thence take so to do But for such as have erred and strayed from the flock of Christ or neglect the Christian duties he requires of them let the Magistrate in Gods name and by the ways and means of his appointment reduce or otherwise punish them no good Christian will certainly ever be displeased thereat But says our Answerer 'T is no indication of any such nature as the Query mentions to punish evil Doers It is not indeed nor does the Query say it is but to persecute on the account of Religion as Cain persecuted Abel Ishmael Isaac c. and as their followers at this day persecute such as are more righteous than themselves is an Indication of such a nature as the Query mentions And now if Magistrates will not do as he would have them He declares them wickedly unjust and all those terrible Epithetes mentioned in the Query to be ascribed to them what then is it he would have them to do To break the Jaw-bone of the wicked and pluck the spoil out of their teeth So would every honest and good man To repay men according to their deeds fury to his Adversaries and recompence to his Enemies and who desires not the same to imploy their Powr for his honour from whom it descends nothing sure is more just Not to permit the Christian Faith to be torn in pieces by a thousand Sects and Factions and Wolves to prey upon Christs flock This above all is indeed their duty and 't were to be wished they would carefully observe it and not suffer much less assist any to impose their thoughts or fancies in the Agenda and Credenda of the Gospel upon others but permit the Scriptures to be the Sole Rule of all mens Faith and Obedience in all Gospel Duties and Administrations Nothing being more evident than that particular Churches or Persons assuming to themselves a Power to Decree Articles of Faith and impose them upon others is that which hath torn the Christian Faith in pieces and divided the Church into Sects and Factions and which gives opportunity unto Wolves to prey upon Christ's flock and to the great Enemy of mankind and his wicked Instruments to sport themselves in her ruine corrupting the worship of God with their additions and bringing scorn and contempt upon all the Offices of Christianity and the whole Ministry thereof Let all men saith the Learned and Judicious Mr. Chillingworth Believe the Scripture and that only and endeavour to believe it in the true sense and require no more of others and they shall find this not only a better but the only means to suppress Heresies and restore Vnity For he that believes the Scripture sincerely and endeavours to believe it in the true sense cannot possibly be an Heretick And if no more than this were required of any man to make him capable of the Churches Communion then all men so qualified though they were different in opinion yet notwithstanding any such difference must be of necessity one in Communion And if as he
this Answerer That the not punishing of these is prejudicial both to Church and State the one being thereby over-run with Factions and Seditions and the other as wofull experience tells us with Schisms Heresies and Contentions But our Answerer grows pleasant and plays with his Reader in telling him Dissenters are persecuted to what the Primitive Christians were persecuted from viz. Their Churches or Publick place of Divine worship for Dissenters are not certainly persecuted to their Churches though some may account it a persecution to be compelled unto his There hath been and may be great difference in the Causes as well as Degrees of Persecution but whoever suffers in any kind for his faithful adhering unto the plain and undoubted Commands of his Heavenly Soveraign the Authorâ— thereof will not be excus'd because others have been more barbarous and cruel than they And yet that even these are not as bad as the worst may be ascribed rather to the good hand and providence of God and moderation of those in Authority restraining them than to their good wills or desires The instance he gives us of a Father's correcting his child and the childs crying out Mâ—ther is very impertinent here Parents may correct their children and Princes their Subjects but as the cause makes the Martyr so 't is that must denominate it either persecution or punishment 'T is Christ alone knows who are his yet thus much we shall presume to say That they who persecute him in his Members will not speed better at the great day of account than they whom himself hath told us shall be then rejected but for not visiting and relieving his poor Members when in want in sickness or in any other adversity Query XXVIII Whether since offences will come it be not every ones concern to be more than ordinary careful he involves not himself in that dreadful woe pronounced against those by whom they come Matt. 18. 7. Reply to the Answer to this Query QUoting the Text might have satisfied this Answerer That by offences here no more is understood then what our Blessed Saviour intended when he pronounc't that dreadful wo against those by whom they come and whether they be the persecutions which discourage Christians from owning of his name attending upon his Ordinances adhering unto his Truth or ought else that administers occasion to another to transgress any Law of God neglect his duty or obstruct him in a course of Piety and good works it certainly concerns every one to be more than ordinarily careful he involves not himself in that dreadfull wo pronounced against those by whom they come The Query indeed cautions all to beware splitting on so dangerous a Rock but chargeth none with running or driving others upon it Evil therefore be to him that evil thinks Mr. Baxter as quoted by him says very well That a Minister should not more fear offending his particular flock than offending the Catholick Church but this will neither justifie nor excuse his offending of either And notwithstanding this Answerer's hope he will not find a National Church of humane Institution to have that Authority over its Members even when it shall be determin'd who are so as a private Minister hath over the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made him Overseer Whether Dissenters take no offence as he says but what they bring upon themselves by their own perverted Judgements c. Let them see too who are therein concern'd and must one day answer for it There is no doubt but it may and often does so happen That one man is the occasion of another mans sin and yet the guilt of him who sins not to be changed upon him whose action occasion'd it which yet hinders not but that many may likewise occasion others to sin for which they must be accountable And yet none sure doubts but that as he says in the enacting of Laws Authority is not so much to consider what will please the humours as advance the benefit of those under its Charge and Protection Nor can we have so hard thoughts of any in Authority as to imagine they should make Laws thwart or contradict those that are Divine Nor yet who takes or gives offences for as every one must give an account of himself to God so let every one look to himself and his own duty And as he tells us the day is coming when all mens Disguises and Vizards shall be pull'd off and their most retired thoughts and actions laid open and manifest to men and Angels 〈◊〉 't were well if all men had a serious and due sense thereof and so liv'd and behav'd themselves in the whole course of their lives as to convince the world they spoke as they thought and believ'd as they profest But who are they this Libellous Answerer accuses of charging the Church of England with offences and denying the Magistrates Power and Supremacy in matters of Religion as by Law declared These Queries being no ways guilty thereof for as they respected so they were directed only to such as himself who against the Doctrine of the Church of England and Principles of the Reformation require an Implicit Faith and worse than blind obedience from the People And `t is beyond his Power and malice to find any thing in them inconsistent with their receiving the Holy Eucharist according to Law who scruple not the lawfulness thereof And who are they this Libeller would have to Question not only the Kings Coercive Authority but the whole Ministry and being of the Church of England and accuse her Government of more Tiranny and Persecution then ever yet was objected against her by the most violent of her Romish Adversaries Not those sure who are against secular Force and Compulsion in Religion which is the utmost import of these Queries for then the charge will reach all those Reverend and Learned Divines of the Church of England before mention'd with most others of Name and Fame in the Christian World who have decry'd the same as Unscriptural and Inconsistent with the Precepts of the Gospel and Principles of Christianity and will indeed argue him to be the Person of that evil and depraved temper of spirit he speaks of Yet I agree with him That men Eminent in their Country and such as have a reputation for Knowledge and Wisdom might do more good by their examples than in this Age the Church can do with its censures or Church-men with their instructions But let him be assured none shall ever have a Reputation for Wisdom and Knowledge who give not unto God the things that are Gods as unto Caesar things that are Caesars Fear to whom Fear aud Honour to whom Honour is due And let him not deceive himself in thinking Men of Wisdom and Knowledge separate from the Church because they separate from some Churchmen of vicious and depraved spirits or to have Enmity against that because they will have no Fellowship or Communion with these it not being
their duty to follow any farther then they are followers of Christ Christians being obliged to walk together so far only as they have attain'd To require more of any is indeed as the Apostle at large declares in his 14 chapter to the Romans to lay a stumbling-block in the way of their Christian Brethren and infallibly to involve those that so do in that dreadfull wo pronounc't by our Blessed Saviour in the Text cited But has this Answerer the vanity to think his Illogical and undue Inferences false suggestions Impertinent and Ridiculous Reasonings and nonsensical Answers should convince any of guilt yet if he know of any who are fallen from their first works or otherwise wanting in their duty let him not spare to charge and charge them home and if they cannot acquit themselves let not reproach and shame only befall them but whatever severity Law and Justice can inflict upon them 'T is very much That notwithstanding all so Learned and Judicious a Person hath written in the Churches vindication any should yet reply the Ecclesiastical Laws and Constitutions do little or no good and therefore were better for the reasons mention'd to be repeal'd against which besides what he hath already said He adds the saying of a Roman when Rome as he says resembled England by the ill Government of Galba That it is far better to live where nothing is lawful then where all things are lawful which is such a reflection on the Government as those Queries with all their Sedition shall I hope never be found guilty of But what may be the instance of ill Government which is here so severely reflected on it will upon inquiry be found to be no other Than His Majesties late gracious Declaration of Indulgence to Dissenters in Religion the which though it secur'd to the Church all its Rights Priviledges and Emoluments was yet so intolerable to some Church-men in restraining them only from falling upon and ruining their poor peaceable and pious Neighbours that none have more and few I thinkâ— so much reflected on Authority as some of them have thereon done an evident demonstration what Loyal and Faithfull Subjects they would quickly be should Authority deal with them as it hath done with some others for who would not be Loyal to kind and bountiful Masters Wolves and Tygers are so to those who feed and favour them But they only are to be accounted Loyal Subjects who are so for Conscience-sake to severe and froward Governours as well as to the kind and courteous and not as their Benefactors but as Gods Ministers which is a Loyalty few of these Loyalists can boast of But he again tells us The Scripture compares the Church to an Army which it does for terror but not for being alike Officer'd And for an Army says he to be left to its own Liberty and every common Souldier to observe no Order nor live under any Discipline is the ready way to expose it as a prey to the first Invader It is so indeed who is it therefore that would have no common Souldier observe any Order nor live under any Discipline Not they certainly who would have both the Officers and Souldiers of this Army to observe all the Orders of the Chief Commander the Officers in commanding as well as Souldiers in obeying which will be found to be the Order and Discipline that ought to be observ'd But this Answerer tells us The little good that is done by the Laws of this Church and Kingdom proceeds either from the want of their due Execution which is still a reflection on the Government as is his elsewhere saying The vigorous Execution of one Law would do more good than a Million of Proclamations c. or from the indisposition of those Persons who expect Protection from Laws without paying any Reverence or Obedience to them c. 'T was never denyed but that in Civil and Secular Affairs and Concerns Force and Compulsion is and must be us'd or there can be no Rule or Government amongst men But in the Concerns of Religion abstracted from secular Interests and advantages it is otherwise men are therein to be gain'd and Govern'd by perswasion and conviction only Religion cannot be impos'd nor is any thing more absur'd than to endeavour to promote the Truths of the Gospel contrary to the Laws of the Gospel Virga Regum as Rupertus truly tells us Est virga Dominationis virga Discipulorum Christi virga est Dilectionis or as Hieron hath it Rex praeest nolentibus Episcopus volentibus And the Apostle tells us There is a way of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ But the weapons whereby that Victory is atcheived are not Carnal which is indeed the cause of the little good that is therein done by Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws This Answerer may therefore very well ask What effect Ecclesiastical Laws can have upon Atheists and Infidels all the Ecclesiastical Laws in the world Seconded and Assisted by the Laws of the State not being able to Convince or Convert one Atheist or Infidel Hypocrities or dissembling Professors they may indeed make but can never make one true or sincere Christian Penal Laws therefore concerning Religion have ever respected more the Civil Peace and Interests of Kingdoms and Commonwealths That under pretence of Religion the Rights of Princes and Liberty of the People be not invaded or injur'd then the Truths of the Gospel which are not by those means or Methods to be preserved or propagated So a late great Minister of State speaking of penal Laws against Papists tells them 'T is not against their Opinions of Purgatory or Transubstantiation though errors but against their owning the personal Authority of the Pope within His Majesties Dominions as dangerous to the State that those Laws are provided disclaming therefore of that they should find themselves at great ease And it was the great business of the Chief Ministers of State in Queen Elizabeths Reign to satisfie the world that none ever suffer'd in England for Religion but for Treason or Treasonable practices under colour or pretence of Religion Nor can we believe some late Laws concerning Religion were ever intended to molest or punish any for the performance of any truly Religious duty but of such only as under pretence thereof met to contrive Insurrections and Rebellions and thereby became dangerous to the State and such certainly of all men ought to be the most severely dealt with as well for their Hypocrisie and abuse of Religion as for such their disloyal practices For none sure can imagine His Majesty would ever have indulg'd Dissenters the Exercise of their Religion had it been against that the Laws had provided and not rather against the danger that might from some meetings have accrued to the publick the preservation of the publick peace being the ground both of those Laws and likewise of His Majesties Declaration of indulgence upon the difference of times and