were from the Supream Order of Angels but must necessarily with his whole power contradict them and rebel Wherefore Reverend Lords from the duty of obedience and sidelity which I owe to the Parent of the holy Apostolical Seat and out of the Love of Union in the Body of Christ with it I do alone unice filially and obediently disobey contradict and rebel against the things contained in the foresaid Letter and especially as is before touched they most evidently verge towards the sin which is most abominable to our Lord Jesus Christ and most pernicious to mankind and are altogether adverse to the sanctity of the Apostolical Seat and are contrary to the Catholick Faith Nor may your discretion therefore determine any thing hard against me because all my contradiction and action in this Cause is not indeed contradiction or rebellion but a filial honouring of Gods command due to a Father and of you Briefly recollecting all I say that the holiness of the Apostolick Seat can do or hath power to do nothing but that which tendeth to edification and not to destruction For this is the plenitude of power to have power to do all to Edification But these that they call Provisions are not for Edification but for most manifest Destruction Therefore the Apostolick Seat cannot accept them because flesh and blood which shall not possess the Kingdom of God hath revealed them a â—â— not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is in Heaven III. Bishop Sanderson in his Oxford Praelections de Juramento saith as followeth The Reader is desired to see his whole words that he say not they are mangled or any thing omitted which he would have had put in and to consider how far the case of Oaths and Covenants Promises or Professions is the same PAge 30 31. 1. Simplicity above all things beseeineth an Oath That is The nature and obligation of an Oath is such that whoever shall bind himself by so sacred a bond to do any thing he may be altogether held by the Religion of an Oath and seriously from his heart intend and as much as in him lyeth diligently endeavour faithfully to do all that which he hath promised to do without all craft fraud or ill deceit or dissimulation See the rest there Page 32 33 34. Contrary to this simplicity of an Oath are two sorts of simulation one as to the foregoing part which is either antecedent or concomitant with the act of swearing of which though the former be the worser yet neither of them is free from perjury David seemeth to comprehend both in Psal 15. and 24. He that sweareth not deceitfully that is with a mind to deceive And He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not that is who when he hath bound himself by an Oath will rather even to his own great loss perform that which he incommodiously swore than for any temporal commodity violate his faith These things the greater part of men now in being seem to me not to think of or not seriously who fear not to swear without any ambage prolixly and in the very words whatsoever is proposed to them by such as have power to do them hurt Yea and think themselves the only wise men and disdainfully deride their simplicity and vain fear who lest they hurt their consciences forsooth do seek a knot in a rush and vex or sollicit the forms prescribed by such as can proscribe them And they securely free themselves from all crime and fear of Perjury and think they have well cared for themselves and their consciences if when they swear like the Jesuits they can but any how defend themselves by tacite equivocations or mental reservations or subtle forced interpretations and quite allen from the words Or else after they have sworn can find out some artificial evasion as a hole to get out by as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which so to defraud the Oath that taking the words yet the sense may be eluded by some Sophism and all the force of it wholly be enervated The old Christians received not this Theology The sounder Heathens received not this Moral Philosophy Much otherwise out of them saith Augustine They are perjured who keeping the words deceive the expectation of them that they swear to And otherwise saith Cicero That is to be kept which is so sworn as the mind of the Imposen conceived it should be done Read the proofs p. 34 c. 1. From many Texts of Scripture 2. From God's own example 3. From the nature of Truth 4. From the end of an Oath p. 38. which is the confirmation of a doubtful matter that is that of things otherwise uncertain and depending on humane credit there should be had such certainty as humane affairs require For an Oath was instituted by God by force of the Light of Natue for a remedy of humane defects about Truth that among mortals it should be Truths last garrison as oft as all other kinds of proof do fail But this end would be wholly overthrown and there could be no certain credit among men if it were free for the swearer at his own arbiterment what he speaketh in words to cause belief by some tacite ambiguity in swearing or after he hath sworn by finding out some new and as it were posthumous comment so to disable it as that it shall lose all its force and be utterly ineffectual If either of these were lawful an Oath should not be the end of strife but the beginning and should rather give occasion for new contradictions and strifes than end the old ones Open but this window once and then what can be thought of so false for the defence whereof some effâ—ge or lurking-hole may not he devised whereby it may be freed from being a lie In the mean time what perverseness is it that That should by dishonest men be turned into an instrument of deceiving which was instituted by the most wise God to be a help to credit or mens belief of one another Verily unless one will rather use God's sacred institution to another purpose than that to which it was instituted which a godly man will not easily do that which is the end of an Oath the same ought to be the end of the swearer And that is so to make the hearer to believe that he may become more certain and secure of the Truth of that which before was doubtful But he that dissembleth studieth to breed a false belief in the hearers and so doth not only suffer another to be deceived which yet is contrary to Charity when he may and ought to hinder it but also intendeth to deceive which is not only against all Justice and Honesty but it is also conjoyned with the greatest wrong to God and contempt of his name And verily to me scarce any other sort of Perjury doth more diametrically seem to be against either the scope of the third Commandment or the very words of not taking
28. When able faithful Pastors are lawfully set over the Assemblies by just Election and Ordination if any will causelesly and without right silence them and command the people to desert them and to take others for their Pastors in their stead of whom they have no such knowledge as may encourage them to such a change we cannot defend this from the charge of Schism which puts a Congregation on so hard a means of Concord as to judge whether they are bound to that Pastor that was set over them as Christ appointed or must renounce him and take the other when they are Commanded So Cyprian in the case of Novatian sayes that he could be no Bishop because another was rightfull Bishop before XXXI 29. In England it belongeth 1. to the Patron to present 2. to the Bishop to ordain and institute and therefore to approve and invest 3. to the people jure divino to be free Consenters 4. and to the Magistrate to protect and to judge who shall be protected or tolerated under him If now these four parties be for four Ministers or for three or two several men and cannot agree in one the culpable dissenters will be the causes of the Schism XXXII 30. If a Church have more Presbyters than one and will be for one way of worship discipline or doctrine and another for another as at Frankford Dr. Cox Mr. Horn and others were for the Liturgie and others against it so that the people cannot possibly accord it is the culpable party which ever it be that must answer for the Schism So much of enumerated Schisms XXXIII On the Negative we suppose that none of these following are Schisms in a culpable sense 1. All are agreed that it is no Schism for the Christian Church to separate from the ancient Jewish or from the Infidel Heathen World XXXIV 2. All Protestants are agreed that it is no Schism to deny obedience to the Roman Pope nor to deny that communion with them which they will not have without obedience To separate from other Churches is to deny them meer Communion But to separate from the Roman as Papal is but to deny them subjection To deny any other Christian Church to be a true Church is Schismatical if they have the Essentials of a Church But to deny the Papal Church or Monarchy to be a true Church of Christ's institution is true just and necessary though they be Christians because we mean only the Papal Church form as it is an Universal Ecclesiastical Monarchy of the whole Christian world which no other Church but that doth claim XXXV 3. It is no Schism to deny Subjection to Pope Councils or Patriarchs of other Kingdomâ— or to any forein Power by what names or titles soever called XXXVI 4. It is no Schism to deny that Christ hath any such Visible Church on Earth as is one by Union with any Universal Head Personal or Collective besides himself XXXVII 5. It is no Schism to Preach and gather Churches and elect and ordain Pastors and Assemble for God's Worship against the Laws and will of Heathen Nahometan or Infidel Princes that forbid it For thus did the Christians for 300 years And if there be the same cause and need it is no more Schism to do it against the Laws and will of a Christian Prince Because 1. Christ's Laws are equally obligatory 2. Souls equally precious 3. The Gospel and Gods worship equally necessary 4. And his Christianity enableth him not to do more hurt than a Pagan may do but more good If therefore either out of Ungodly enmity to his own profession or for fear of displeasing his wicked or Insidel Subjects he should forbid Christian Churches he is not to be therein obeyed XXXVIII 6. If a Prince Heathen Infidel or Christian forbid Gods Commanded worship and any Commanded part of the Pastors office as in Papists Kingdoms Prayer in a known tongue and the Cup in the Lords Supper is forbidden and as they say all preaching save the reading of Liturgies and Homilies is forbidden in Moscovie and as the use of the Keyes is elsewhere forbidden It is no Schism to disobey such Laws what Prudence may pro hic nunc require of any single person we now determine not XXXIX 7. If any Prince would turn his Kingdom or a whole Province Diocess or County into One only Church and thereby overthrow all the first order of Churches of Christs institution which are associated for Personal present Communion allowing them no Pastors that have the power of the Keyes and all essential to their office though he should allow Parochial Oratories or Chappels which should be no true Churches but Parts of a Church It were no Schism to gather Churches within such a Church against the Laws of such a Prince Many write that there is but One Bishop in Abassia though some say that others have Episcopal power under him some that read the old Canons which confine Bishops to Cities and take not the word as then it was taken for any great Town or Corporation but for such priviledged Towns only as are called Cities in England hence gather that as the King may disfranchise Cities and reduce them to ten two or one in a Kingdom he may by consequence do so by Churches that have Bishops which if it be spoken but of Episcopi Episcoporum we resist not But if of Episcopi Gregis of the first Order of Churches called Particular we suppose that out of such a Kingdom-Church Provincial or Diocesan-Church it is no Schism to gather particular Parochial Churches though forbidden And the same reason will prove that if in a lesser circuit the same things be done though in a lower degree viz were it but three four or ten particular Churches of the largest size capable of Personal Communions turned into one which is capable only of distant Communion per alios it is lawful to gather particular Churches out of that larger sort of Church If the Bishop of Rome Alexandria Antioch Cesarea Heraclea Carthage c. should have put down the Bishops of ten twenty an hundred or many hundred Churches about them and set up only Oratories and Catechists in their stead making them all but part of their own Churches it would have been lawful to have gathered Churches in their Churches For God never made them proper Judges whether Christ should have Churches according to his laws nor whether God should be worshipped and souls be saved or his own nstitutions of Churches be observed XL. 8. If Bishops would ordain Presbyters by limiting words restraining them from any Essential or Integral Part of the Office or Power as instituted by Christ and yet profess that they ordain them to the Office which Christ hath instituted it is no Schism for those Presbyters afterward to claim and execute in season all the power which by Christ's institution belongeth to their Office though against the Bishops Wills Because the Bishops are not the Authors or Donors of
Sect. I. BEcause men will judge of such Causes according to their several Principles and Presuppositions we must take notice of some of the divers Principles of those whose censure we must expect Though not of inconsiderable Sects Sect. II. And 1. Some say that no humane Form of Church Government and of Churches as governed is of God's Institution or as they say Jure Divino but that it is left to humane prudence Sect. III. 2. Some hold only an Universal Church governed by a Pope say some of them or by a General Council while sitting and a Pope in the Intervals say others or by a Pope and Council agreeing while it sits and a Pope in the Intervals say others to be Jure Divino and all particular Church-Forms as subordinate left to the prudence of this Universal Governour as Supreme as Inferiour Officers in Kingdoms are made by the King Sect. IV. 3. Some hold that this Universal Church-Form and also Diocesan and no other are instituted of God Sect. V. 4. Some hold that the Universal Patriarchal Metropolitical or Provincial Diocesan and Parochial are jure divino or instituted by Christ and his Apostles Sect. VI. 5. Some hold that only Diocesan Churches and Metropolitical or Provincial are jure divino and not the universal And of these some take Diocesan Churches for those only that contain many fixed Assemblies and some for such as have one Bishop whether over one Congregation or over multitudes Saith the very learned Dr. Hamond in 1 Tim. 3. The Church of the living God was every such regular Assembly of Christians under a Bishop such as Timothy was an Oeconomus set over them by Christ Such again every larger circuit under the Metropolitane who as Timothy had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination and Jurisdiction over the whole Province And such all the particular Churches of the whole world considered together under the Supreme Head Christ Jesus dispensing them all by himself and administring them severally not by any one Oeconomus but by the several Bishops as inferiour Heads of Unity to the several Bodies so constituted by the several Apostles in their plantations each of them having an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a several distinct Commission from Christ immediately and subordinate to none but the supreme Donor or Plenipotentiary He here supposeth as he elsewhere sheweth that de facto Episcopal Churches were in Scripture-times but single Congregations but that after it was otherwise And whether then the New Form of Congregations were jure divino when they became but Parts of a Bishops Church we leave to the Readers conjecture as also of the New Form of a Diocesan Church Sect. VII 6. Some hold that National Churches that is Christian Kingdoms as governed by the Soveraign Secular Power are instituted by God and that all Church-Forms else within that Kingdom are jure humano at the pleasure of the King so be it that worshiping-Assemblies be kept up and Bishops and Priests placed as it shall please the King Sect. VIII 7. Some think that Diocesans or Bishops whether over one Congregation or many are instituted by God and some say also Archbishops and that these have power by consent or contract among themselves to make Patriarchal and National Churches And so that these National and Patriarchal Churches are jure divino mediato but jure humano immediato and are rather made by the consent of Bishops than by Kings And so under Heathen Kings the Churches may be National Sect. IX 8. Some think that Parochial Churches consisting of Christians distinguished by the circuit of ground and combinations of these into Synods less and greater Classical National are jure divino and no other lawful Sect. X. 9. Some think that only Parochial Churches ordinarily and single Congregations of any Neighbour Christians when Parish Order cannot be observed are jure divino Sect. XI 10. And some think that only such single Congregations of Christians with their Chosen Pastors without any necessary respect to Parish bounds are properly called Churches of Divine Institution though these Churches may and should hold such associations as correspondence and mutual help require Sect. XII There being so many sorts of Churches in the world as Universal National Patriarchal Provincial or Metropolitical Diocesan Classical Parochial Congregational it is hard to give a just decision of the question From which of these and when it is a sin to separate till it be first known which of these is Divine and which of Humane Institution and which Humane Churches are necessary which lawful and which sinful And it must be known of which the question is And while there is so signal a diversity of Judgment about the several Forms the nature of Schism will be hardlier opened SECT III. What Churches we hold to be instituted by God and what not Sect. I. OUR own Judgment we shall plainly express in this following Order 1. We shall shew what Church we judge to be of God's Institution and what not 2. What about Churches the Magistrates or Pastors may institute by God's Authority or allowance And what they may not institute 3. In what cases it is lawful to gather Churches where Churches are In what cases it is lawful to separate from Churches and in what cases neither of these last is lawful Sect. II. 1. All Christians are agreed that Christ is the Author of the Universal Church considered both as Baptized or Externally covenanting and professing called Visible and as Regeneraâ—e and sincerely Covenanting called Mystical as it is Headed by Christ himself and called his Body and his special Kingdom Sect. III. 2. We doubt not but Christ hath instituted the Office of the sacred Ministry to be under him as the Teacher Ruler and High Priest of the Church in Teaching Guiding and Worshiping And that he hath instituted holy Assemblies and Societies for these things to be exercised in And that a Society of Neighbour Christians associated with such a Pastor or Pastors for personal Communion herein even in such Doctrine Discipline and Woâ—sâ—â—p is a Church-Form of Divine Institution Sect. IV. If they be not Christians by Baptism or visible Profession they be not visible Materials for a Church If they be not Neighbours that is within reach of each other so as to be capable of such Communion they are not matter that hath the necessary extrinsecal disposition If they be not associated explicitely or implicitely by some signification of Consent they may be an accidental Assembly but not a proper Christian Church If they be not associated for this holy Communion they may be a Civil Society but not a Church If they be not associated for Personal Communion at some due seasons but only for Communion at distance by Delegates Messengers or Letters they are not a Particular Church of this species now defined though they may be members of larger associations National Diocesan c. If they are not associate with one or more Pastors they may be a Community of
Church Because the charge is more odious and injurious and tendeth more to destroy Love IX 7. To accuse a Church its Doctrine Ministry Worship or Discipline falsly as guilty of such corruption which maketh it unlawful for any Christians to have communion with it or falsly to pretend such faults for his own and others separation from it is a great sin though not so great as to unchurch it X. 8. To hold that every Error in the Doctrine Worship Discipline Pastors or People of that Church yea though settled and continued and foreknown not forced on us to consent to or practice is sufficient cause to make Communion with the Church unlawful is to hold a principle which would infer separation from all the known Churches in this world XI 9. To draw others to such separation by such false accusations or opinions is worse than to do it silently ones self and the more the worse XII 10. The more such accusations strike at the heart of Christian Love which is the life of holy Societies and of Holiness it self and the more they draw men from Piety and to hate and abuse and wrong each other the greater is the sin XIII 11. When men erroneously and causlesly gather separated Members from true Churches where they should continue into Antichurches or Societies where their business is to make others unjustly odious that differ from them this is to gather Schismatical Societies And if they pretend themselves wiser than the Generality of the true Orthodox Churches in the world and so separate from them they were for this called Hereticks at first But if it be but upon a quarrel with some particular neighbour Church or Pastor it was called a Schism XIV 12. If any proud or passionate or erroneous person do as Diotrephes cast out the brethren undeservedly by unjust suspensions silencings or excommunications it is tyrannical Schism what better name soever cloak it XV. 13. If any should make sinful terms of Communion by Laws or Mandates imposing things forbidden by God on those that will have Communion with them and expelling those that will not so sin this were heinous Schism And the further those Laws extend and the more Ministers or People are cast out by them the greater is the Schism XVI 14. If any should not only excommunicate such persons for not complying with them in sin but also prosecute them with mulcts imprisonments banishments or other prosecution to force them to transgress this were yet more heinously aggravated Schism XVII 15. All those would be deeply guilty of such Schism who by talk writing or preaching justifie it and cry it up and draw others into the guilt and reproach the Innocent as Schismaticks for not offending God XVIII 16. If any should corrupt such a Church or its Doctrine Worship or Discipline in the very Essentials by setting up forbidden Officers and Worship or casting out the Officers Worship or Discipline instituted by Christ and then prosecute others for not communicating with them this would be yet the more heinous Schism XIX 17. If either of the last named sorts would not be content with mens Communion with them but would also silence and prosecute such as will not own justifie and consent to all that they do by subscriptions declarations covenants promises or oaths this would yet be a more aggravated Schism XX. 18. If the men that do this should be mere obtruders and usurpers that have no true Pastoral power over those whom they persecute as the Pope over other Kingdoms and Churches this were yet more aggravated schisme XXI 19. If such Usurpers will claim a dominion or Monarchy over all the world and unchurch degrade and unchristen all that will not be their Subjects or will impose sinful termes of Vnion upon all the Christian World and declare all Hereticks or Schismaticks that receive them not and so cast out most of the Christians on Earth and all the sounder Churches this is one of the most heynous sorts of Schism that the mind of man can think of Which is the grand Schism of the Roman Papacy worse than all their interior Schisms when they had many Popes at once XXII 20. If such shall send agents and emissaries into the Dominions of Christians Princes or States to draw the Subjects to that Schisme and make them believe that Princes are by right the Subjects of the Pope and that men shall be damned if they will not take him for the Bishop or Vice-christ of all the World and keep up a rich and numerous Clergie in Christian Kingdomes for this use and make Decrees to exterminate or burn Christians and to depose temporal Lords that will not obey them and execute their lawes This is to maintain and prosecute a Schisme against Religious and Civill peace by open hostility to Princes and People and to mankind XXIII 21. If because the Roman Emperours and Clergie setled five Patriarchs in the Roman Empire of which the Roman Bishop was the first and by Councils called General of that Empire did make Church Laws to bind the Subjects any therefore will teach that these Patriarchs and the Pope as Principiâ—m unitatis must be Rulers in the dominions of other Princes and that such Councils must govern them by their Decrees and that the Universal Church must be united in any one mortal head whether Personal or Collective such as General Councils and so would bring Christian Princes and people under the Laws and Government of forreigners and brand those as Schismaticks that will not fall in with such an Universal Church Policie This were also a very heinous sort of Schism For the Universal Church never did nor will be united on such termes And therefore to make such terms of its unity is to make an Engine to divide it and tear it all into pieces XXIV 22. If any will confine the Power or Exercise of the Church Keyes into so few hands as shall make the Exercise of Christs Discipline impossible as by laying that work on one which multitudes are too few to do or shall make Churches so great and Pastors so few as that the most of the people must needs be without true Pastoral oversight teaching and publick worship and then will forbid those people to Commit the Care of their souls to any others that will be Pastors indeed and so would compel them to be without Christs ordinances true Church Communion and Pastoral help This would be Schismatical and much worse XXV 23. If any Pastors will deny Baptism which is their investiture in the Christian Church to the Adult that refuse to receive the transient Image of the Crucifix or any thing equal to it as a Dedicating means to consecrate them to God and to signifie their Covenant Engagement to Christ and as a badge and symbol of the Christian Religion it seemeth to us to be Schismaticall when Christ himself instituted Baptism without such a Covenanting Image to be the test and bond of his Churches unity But
season and adjured them before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom to preach the Word be instant in season out of season c. 4. The indispensible Law of Nature obligeth every man according to his Place and Calling his Ability and his Opportunities to do his best to propagate Christ's Gospel and to save mens souls as much and more than to seed mens bodies and save their lives But our Calling is to do it as Ministers of Christ thereto devoted And we did not receive this Calling to be altered or forborn at the will of man but to be performed according to the Word of God Men being not the Makers of the Office nor of God's Law under which we execute it nor the Donors or Limiters of the Power but only 1. The Electors of the Persons that shall receive it 2. And the Investers of them in it by Ministerial delivery 3. And the Governours of us in the exercise of it according to God's Laws by which they may punish us for male administration but cannot dissolve the Laws obligation to those that are indeed commanded by it LI. Obj. 2. If there be able Preachers in one part of the Parishes and the other part have such as deliver all that is necessary to salvation intelligibly it is unlawful to Preach against the will of the Prince or Prelates in such a Country Ans We deny this unproved assertion 1. Indeed it will follow that such persons are justly condemned by God if they repent not though they had but a Reader 2. And that they should be thankful for so much and gladly accept it in such Churches when they can have no better But not 1. that it is in the power of any man justly to forbid them better when God provideth it 2. Nor that they must obey such a prohibition as such Though prudence may discern forbearance to be a duty by accident when the hurt would be greater than the good There is no doctrine objectively of absolute necessity to salvation but the doctrine of the Baptismal Covenant which is expounded in the Creed Lords prayer and Decalogue But there is much Doctrinal and active Means necessary to make men Understand Believe Love and Practise this necessary Covenant doctrine And the doctrine or articles of faith will save none that do not Understand Believe Love and Practise it and that sincerely preferring the things revealed before all the pleasures riches and honours of this World A Parrot shall not be a Saint for saying the Creed LII These following matters of fact are presupposed to the answer of this objection and in them all sober Protestants are as we suppose agreed 1. That this aforesaid sincerity of Faith Repâ—ntance Hâ—pe Love and Obedience is made by God of necessâ—â—y to salvation 2. That as it will not profit a man to win all the World and lose his soul so neither will doctrinal formality or obedience to superiours that hinder sound Preachers recompence him for the loss of his soul And that God would not have mens Government maintained by mens damnation nor will the ungodly be the best members of Church or Kingdoms Order is a means to save men and not damn them some few Heathens offer to Devils a sacrifice of mans flesh and blood But if a man should offer to God the Lover Saviour and Sanctifyer of souls a Sacrifice of the souls of thousands and say All these are to be kept in Ignorance and ungodlyness and so to be damned to please God who will have them obey their superiours at that rate this were a dishonour to God of unexpressible iniquity and errour Christ that hath taught men to seek first his Kingdom and to take up the Cross and to forsake Father and Mother and Life and all to serve him in the saving of their souls and had planted inseparably self love into our natures surely did not mean so Contraâ—â—ly as that we must forsake Christ Heaven and Salvation to obey men 3. That certain experience putteth us past doubt that ignorance sensuality worldliness profaneness are far more common and a holy heavenly mind and life and all serious Christianity and obedience far very far more rare in those Kingdoms and Parishes which have no plain convincing serious lively and exemplary Preachers than in those that have although they be baptized and have the Creed Lords prayer and Decalogue in their Liturgie And yet here are all things of absolute objective necessity to salvation What a case the Moscovites are in that have only Liturgies and Homilies read we mentioned before And how sad the case is among the Greeks Armenians Abassins and most Papists for want of better Preachers Bishop Usher could say of the Irish that more perished by not knowing what we are on both sides agreed in than by their Popish Errours And what a case the Scottish Highlanders too many of the Welsh and most Parishes in England were in as to serious piety which had heretofore but Readers or Preachers that did less than read a Homilie experience constraineth us to know as also what difference there is yet to be seen as to serious faith and godliness between the fruits of a clear serious holy diligent Preacher and of raw youths that say over a pedantik lifeless speech and out of the pulpit little differ in speech or life from Carnal Worldlings or formal Hypocrites Though we know that all that profess to be seriously Religious are not so yet none are so that do not profess it as they have opportunity As we are not able to deny this experience of the different fruits of different Teaching when all have the Creed Nor dare deny the necessity of serious faith repentance and holiness to salvation lest we renounce the Gospel nor yet that no men much less most men or many thousands may as an act of obedience to man refuse those helps which God provideth them and without which few Comparatively are truely converted from a Carnal life and saved so therefore we dare not think or say that humane Lawes or orders are arguments of sufficient weight to move them hereunto LIII Obj. 3. But the hurt of the peoples chusing Teachers and Assemblies without or against the Rulers will is greater than the hurt that cometh by the want of better Teachers Ans 1. The peoples choice doth hurt by accident in those Countries where the Rulers put down necessary helps and where the people are Erroneous Heretical and Unruly and so where the people would choose unsufferable men supposing still that no Church is constituted without mutual consent of the Pastor and the flock and that the Rulers alter not or violate not Christs Laws by which he hath appointed the ordering of Assemblies Therefore it is the Rulers Office to hinder the people from doing mischief without hindering them from their duty and from doing well To Govern them in their work and not
Lancashire where it was commonly taken up and some little of it at Coventry and some few such places And that was only as a tolerated or commended thing without any imposition that ever we knew of And accordingly it came to nothing in a short time 17. Till their new modelling their Army the Parliament had given out all Commissions to their Souldiers to fight for King and Parliament But then the King's name was lest out which seeming to many thousands an utter change of the Cause from that time many did desert them And thereupon the Party called Sectaries flowing in to Cromwel and his Army conquering the power fell into their hands who imprisoned the King accused and drove away eleven Members of the Parliament and afterward imprisoned and excluded the major part of the remaining House and with the rest cut off the King cast down the House of Lords pretended a while to set up a Commonwealth as they called it imposed an Engagement to that Commonwealth as established without King and House of Lords ordered the sequestration of the Ministers that refused it and of those that kept not their daies of fasting and thanksgiving for the Scotish wars which then they made After which they cast out with scorn that remnant of the Commons that had joyned with them and chose themselves some men called a Parliament who attempting to put down all Parish-Ministers Tythes and Universities the first put to the Vote and carried but by a few against them they were broke up by delivering up their Commission to Oliver who was made Protector and had the honour designed of saving the Ministry Tythes and Universities from the Sectaries even from that danger into which he had brought them 20. From the time of these New Causes and Changes especially the destroying the King violating and casting out the Parliament men imposing the engagement c. the Ministers called Presbyterian in England some few compliers excepted many of whom since Conform declared themselves against all this and were lookt upon as enemies though kindness was offered to reconcile them Some were imprisoned many cast out of their places in the Universities some sequestred and Mr. Love and Mr. Gibbons a Gentleman beheaded Mr. Gee with the Lancashire Ministers with some of us wrote against these proceedings of the then Power Many Preacht against them so that the sober Religious people of the land grew commonly disaffected to them And what the Scots did and how they were conquered we need not here relate 21. The Ministers who were then in possession of the Parish Churches were of many minds about Church Government 1. Many were for the old Episcopacy and Liturgie 2. Many were for a reformed Episcopacy 3. Many were for Presbytery that is Church Government by Presbyteries Classes and National assemblies of Teaching and of Governing unordained Elders Conjunct as jure divino 4. Some were for that which is called Independency 5. Some thought that no form of Church Government was jure divino 6 But the most of our acquaintance were peaceable moderate men that thought several parties had somewhat of the right and that the points of difference were so few and small that they might well live in peace and love and that none of the parties was so right as that in all things they should be followed and others trod down to set them up And many of these were young men that being at the Schools had not been engaged in the first quarrels and desired not to side with any dividing parties and modestly professed that they had not maturity enough to study themselves to any great confidence in the Controversies 22. This last sort of men beginning in Worcest shire set on foot a work of reconciling Association in which the Episcopal Presbyterians and Independants agreed to practise so much of Church Government and Ministration as they were all agreed in with mutual Love and assisting concord and to forbear one another in the rest till God should bring us neerer And after they added another Agreement to Catechise every person in their Parishes old and young that would come to them or receive them thereto and personally to instruct and exhort them about the practicals of Religion and preparation for death and the life to come This example was presently followed by the Ministers in Cumberland and Westmorland Wiltshire Dorsetshire Essex and going on in other Counties till the confusions 1659 interrupted it and the return of the Prelacie ended it and many such endeavours 23. When Oliver was dead many sorts of Government were set up in one year First his son Richard who having never been in Arms and being famed to be for the King many thought he would have been ready when he could to resign the Kingdom to him and spoke him fair on that account and others because they thought he would quiet the violent and keep out utter confusion After his ejection the Remnant of the Commons called the Commonwealth was restored After this they were cast out again and a Council of State Chosen by the Army till the Kingdom grew to scorn them all and was weary and ashamed of the confusions and revived their designs to restore the King 24. The first open attempt of united endeavours against the Army to restore the King was by the Cheshire Lancashire and Northwales men under Sr. Georg Booth now Lord De lamere and Sir Tâ—o Middleâ—on who had been commanders for the Parliament and was broken by the Armies Conquering them Mr. Cook Mr. Harrison Mr. Kirby Mr. Seddan sent up Prisoners and in danger of death and other Ministers who since are silenced and ruined by those they helpt 25. But the attempts being renewed at the same time the division of the Opposers the Army and the Commonwealth Members shook them all to pieces and ruined them and the new closure of the Old Parliamentarians and the Royalists and the Presbyterians and other Ministers with the Episcopal strengthened them and restored the King The Presbyterian Officers and Souldiers of General Monk's Army concurring with the rest and Sir Thomas Allen then Lord Mayor many London Ministers on their part counselling him thereto with the Aldermen and others inviting General Monk to joyn with the City herein against the Opposers from which very day the scales were turned and all went on without any considerable stop and the old ejected Members of Parliament first and the Council setled protempore after prepared for His Majesties return and Dr. Gauden Mr. Calamy and Mr. Bâ—xter Preaching at the Fast of the next Parliament as their Printed Sermons shew the King the next morning was voted to return and to be invited to his Fathers Throne 26. In preparation for this some Ministers now silenced had trcated with some Gentlemen firm to the King and with Bishop Usher Bishop Browrig Dr. Hammond and others who all encouraged them though some much more than others by prosessing moderate healing principles and intentionsâ— And in London and several
Ministers usually to be as full as will consist with the peoples hearing the voice which in many places will not reach to a great part of the Congregation we find such Preachers whether Conformable or Nonconformable every where almost crouded after which shews that it is not meer faction that moveth the hearers and that worthy men have no cause of discouragement And if none of either side be valued much above their worth for the bare Office sake we cannot help it nor would it be helped if there were no Nonconformists Some of us well remembring the time 1632. till 1640. when we were troubled or threatned also for going out of our own Parishes to hear worthy able men that were very conformable XXXV It is very ordinary with Gentlemen and others that are zealous for the present Church State in London to go from their own Parishes though the Canon be against it so that it is not sure the breach of the Canon that they stick at XXXVI We shall never disswade men from making the strictest Laws to punish any Nonconformist that shall be proved guilty of Sedition Disloyalty Drunkenness Fornication Swearing and any other immorality but we know of none of them that was silenced ejected or punished on any such account Nay if they Preach against their Church Government Liturgy or Ceremonies we must expect that they should be restrained Our earnest desire is that the Magistrate would keep up Peace and Order in the Church that Popish Clergy men may not think that it belongeth to them alone to do it XXXVII Whereas there is a sort of ignorant or ill meaning men that still say we know not what the Nonconformists would have and why will they not tell us what would satisfie them While we offer to beg on our Knees for leave to do it we humbly intreat them to weary men awake no more with that canting 1. As long as the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical affairs is visible 2. And as long as our Reply and our Reformed additions to the Liturgy and our Petition for Peace which respected the old Conformity remain unanswered by those to whom in 1660 we did present them 3. And till we are once called or allowed to speak for our selves against the new conformity a favour which the justice of old Romane Heathens yea and splenetick Jews did grant to all that were accused before they punished them but since Popery prevailed in the world is become a thing among them not to be expected 4. And as long as men know that Bishop Wilkins and Dr. Burton appointed by the Lord Keeper Bridgman to treat with some of us of the terms of Union saying it was His Majesties Pleasure did come to a full agreement with us in terminis which was drawn up into the form of an Act by no worse a man than that PILLAR OF JUSTICE the excellent Judge Hale and the Parliament presently Voted that no such Act should be brought in and offered Dear Brethren God is the father of Lights and with him is no darkness Men may be mocked but God is not mocked If the day that will bring works of darkness to light and finally clear the Innocent be not the object of certain faith and hope let our cause be bad and let us as fools be judged such as have forsaken our best hopes But that it is otherwise we believe and therefore appeal to a righteous God from an unrighteous world XXXVIII What harm our Preaching the doctrine of salvation can do to the Bishops or people of the Land while they may punish us for any word that we speak amiss And why we should not rather speak openly where men may bear witness of our errours than in secret where men are tempted to too much boldness And what but a spirit of envy or a carnal interest cross to the interest of Christ and mens salvation should grudge at such Preaching while we are responsible for all that we say or do amiss we cannot tell XXXIX Nor can we tell if our not swearing or not entering into the Bishops National Covenant be as great a crime as our penalties import why no other mulct or penalty will serve turn to expiate such crimes but our ceasing to preach the Gospel of Salvation while we are willing to do it under the strictest Laws of Peace and Order XL. It is visible that the Parish-Churches of those Ministers caeteris paribus are fullest of Auditors who are most willing that the Nonconformists help them in due time and place and desire to live with them in Love and Concord For all that have the spirit of holy love and peace do love those that have the same spirit And such serious holy Conformists as Bolton Whately Fenner Preston Sibbs Stoughton Gouge and such other were formerly as much crouded after as Nonconformists But it is those that Preach against holy Love and Concord and wrangle with the most Religious sort whom they should encourage whose Congregations are thinest usually through the tepidity of their followers and the distaste of others XLI When we read in the Council of Calced the Egyptian Bishops crying so long miseremini miserimini lying prostrate on the earth even when they could say Non dissentimus and beging of their fellow Bishops for their lives and consciences and their Brethren crying against all Away with them They are Hereticks while they professed the same Faith while the men that with such out-crys were condemning those of their own confession had newly cryed Omnes peccavimus for condemning Flavianus and the Truth and saying that they did it for fear and owned that Eutychianism which yet these Egyptian Bishops now disowned it mindeth us that even Bishops had need to be remembred that while the wheel is turning the upper side should not tempt men to forget what side will be uppermost shortly and for ever Additions more particularly of National Churches §1 THere are some worthy persons who plead more specially for National Churches as of Divine Institution whose Doctrine calls us to a special consideration of it But though some of us have oft desired it we have not hitherto obtained any satisfaction what they mean by A National Church or any true definition which they agree in Some of them deride us for doubting and asking the question and some answer it to the increase of our doubt §2 It must be presupposed that we speak not of a meer Community that hath no Pastors but strictly of a Society called by some Political by others Organized constituted of Pastors and People mutually related which is the ordinary sense of the word Church And we must premise what being commonly agreed on is none of our doubt or question §3 The question is not whether any or all Nations and Kingdoms should be Christians and so be the Kingdoms of Christ That 's past doubt 2. Nor is it whether in such Kingdoms the King be the Head as to the power of the sword that is
a Christian Civil Governour of a Christian People that are his Subjects We daily pray that the Kingdoms of the world may all be Christian and we believe that their Kings are the Governours by the sword of all the Clergy as well as others 3. Nor is the question whether Kings may call all their Kingdoms into a holy Covenant with God by lawful means giving them an example first themselves 4. Nor do we contend about an Equivocal Name whether a Christian Kingdom as such may be called a National Church 5. No nor whether a Christian Nation governed by a Heathen or Mahometan King may be called a Christian Church or Kingdom or a Protestant Nation ruled by a Papist King is to be called a Protestant Kingdom or Church for this is but about bare names 6. Nor do we question whether a Christian King may make such accidental disparity between the Pastors as we have before described 7. Nor yet whether the Pastors of one Kingdom may associate and hold Synods for Unity and Counsel and be named a National Church as they are such Associations obliged to Concord §4 But our doubts are these 1. Whether it be in it self specially instituted by God that every Kingdom or Nation of Christians shall have One summam Potestatem essentialiter Ecclesiasticam or one Priest-Head whether a single person or an Aristocracy or a Common Synod as a constitutive part of the National Church 2. Whether this Priest-Head whether High-Priest or Council stand in subordination to the King as part of the same formal Church as a General or a Vicerov that maketh not a distinct Kingdom though he may make a distinct subordinate Society as an Army City c or is he Head of a coordinate different species so as that the same Kingdom shall be two Policies formally viz. a Christian Kingdom or Royal Church and a Priestly Church each being supream in their proper species and both made coordinate by Christ and so they are formally two Churches National About the Jews the Controversie is made by Dissenters e. g. Galaspie Coleman Selden c. exceeding difficult 3. Whether the very Jewish Church Policy be established by Christ for the Christian Church or be repealed 4 Whether the said Ecclesiastical Head must be One as the High Priest or an Aristocracy of many or a Synod of the whole Clergy or whether it be left indifferent which 5. Or whether God hath ordained such a National Church-form only by the general Command of doing all things in Order and Unity and to Edification 6. Which is the Priestly-Head or highest Governour of the Church of England which is a constitutive part as a King in a Kingdom 7. Who is it that chooseth or authorizeth the National Priestly Head that we may know when we have a lawful Chief Pastor and when an Usurper 8. Whether the King or he is to be obeyed in Circumstances or matters Ecclesiastical if they differ and make contrary Laws Without the solution of these questions the name of a National Church will not be understood nor of any practical importance Our own thoughts of them are as followeth § 5. It is certain that the Mosaical Law made for the Jews peculiar republick as such is abrogate not only the Ceremonial part but all All that was not then made for all the world is ceased 1. Because the Common-wealth is ceased for which it was made 2. The Holy Ghost expresly and frequently determineth it so even of that Law that was written in stone as such 2 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. Heb. 7. 12. 19. Gal. 4. 21 o. 3. 24. The natural part and that which was instituted positively long before for perpetuity were both of them God's Laws before Moses's time and as such obliged other Nations and so do still The matter written in stone except some few mutable particulars as the seventh day Sabbath c. is such as we are still obliged to 1. By Nature 2. By Christ But not as it was part of the Jews peculiar Mosaical Law Much less doth it bind all the world to its Policy § 6. If the Jewish Law either as such or as stablished by Christ for his Kingdom did bind all the world to this day then it would bind them to their Civil Policy as much at least as to their Ecclesiastical But few Christians think that it binds them to their Civil Policy For if it did then 1. All Nations that have varied from it to this day have sinned 2. No diversity of Governments could be lawful 3. Then it would perplex men to be sure whether it be the old Mosaical form by Judges or the later Regal form that bindeth 4. Then such a Civil Council or Sanhedrim as was appointed the Jews would be a Divine Establishment and not variable at the will of Kings or People Many other things would follow which Kings would not easily believe § 7. There may be much more said for the continuance of the Jews civil Policy than for their Ecclesiastical For there is much more forbidden of the latter than of the former Though all nations be not bound to their civil policie they may set it up if they please They are not prohibited For Christ hath not made new Laws for civil states as such But he hath made new Church Laws and thereby altered yea prohibited much of the old § 8. We know no more reason why the Jewish form should bind us than that which was before the Jews and particularily Melchezedeks who was a King and Priest God owned both and commandeth us neither at least as in conformity to them § 9. The Holy Ghost saith expresly Heb. 7. 11. 12. That perfection was not by the Levitical Priesthood and that the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessity a change of the Law which is called the Law of a carnal Cammandment verse 16. and that there is a disanulling of the Commandement going before for the weakness and unprofitableness of it for the Law made nothing perfect v. 18 19. the Covenant or Law being not faultless a new one doth succeed it v. 7. 8. 9. 10. The first Tabernacle is not standing which had their ordinances of divine service and a worldly sanctuary Heb. 9 1. 8. 11. He taketh away the first Law and Priesthood that he may establish the second Heb. 10. 8 9 11. 16. 17 c. § 10. Whilest it is agreed on that the essentials of the work or office of the Jewish Priests is ceased as Heb. 7. and 8 9 and 10 shew and their Title by birth and the appropriation to one Tribe c. it followeth that the Jewish Priesthood is ceased But yet we confess that Christ if he had pleased might have setled a High Priest and Council like theirs in every nation for his own work But if the old form bind us not we are left only to enquire what new one is setled by Christ and whether he have done so or not § 11.
State though not alwaies materially And that the King as King is but an Accidental Civil Head as he is over Physicians and Schoolmasters being neither himself and that the National Church must have a formal Clergy-head Personal or Collective which shall in suo genere be the highest though under the Magisttates Civil Government as Physicians are 4. The Papists say that all National Churches are under the Pope as Universal Pastor who may alter them as he seeth cause 5. Some moderate men say that only Diocesan and Metropolitical Churches are jure Divino and that they are called National only improperly from one King or concording association as ab accidente and not properly from any formal Clergy-head § 43. VI. Lastly which is the formal Head of the Church of England and so what that Church is we are left as much uncertain 1. If it be only a Civil Head that denominateth it One then it is but a Christian Kingdom which we never questioned And Dr. Rich. Cosins in his Tables of the English Church-Policy saith That the King hath Administrationem supremam magisque absolutam quae dicitur Primatus Regius And Tho. Crompton in his dedication of it to K. James saith Ecclesiastica Jurisdictio plane Regia est Coronae dignitatis vestrae Regiae prima praecipua indivisibilis pars Ecclesiasticae leges Regiae sunt neque alibi oriuntur aut aliunde sustentantur aut fulciuntur penes Ecclesiasticos judices per Archiepiscopos Episcopos derivata a Rege potestate jurisdictio Ecclesiastica consist it And yet our Kings and Church explaining the Oath of Allegiance declare that the King pretendeth not to the Priesthood or power to administer the Word and Sacraments but as Crompton adds from Constantine is extra Ecclesiam constitutus a Deo Episcopus alii intra Ecclesiam Episcopi This is plain If they hold to this and claim no power in the English-Policy but as the Kings Officers in that part which belongeth to Christian Magistrates who will oppose them But this reacheth not to the Keys Preaching or Sacraments 2. Some say that the King is partly a Clergy man as Melchizedek and so that he is the formal Head and might perform the Priestly Office if he would But this our Kings have themselves renounced 3. Some say that the Archbishop of Canterbury is the formal Head but that cannot be because he is no Governour over the Arch-Bishop of York or his Province 4. Most say that the Convocation is the formal Church-Head which makes it One Political Church But 1. If so then why saith the Canon that the Convocation is the true Church of England by Representation and those excommunicate that deny it We enquire after the Church-Head or Governour And that which is but the Church it self by representation is not its Head unless the Head and Body be the same and the Church govern it self and so it be Democratical The governed and Governours sure are not the same 2. And the Supream Power is supposed by those that take Episcopacy for a distinct Order to be in the Supream Order only But the far greater part of the Convocation are not of the Supream Order Nay thus the Presbyters should be partly the chief Governours of the Bishops while they make Canons for them 3. When we did but motion that according to Arch-Bishop Ushers form of the Primitive Episcopacy Presbyters might joyn with the Bishops in proper executive Church-government instead of Lay-Chancellors and such like they decryed it as Presbytery and call us Presbyterians ever since And if they say that the Presbyters have so great a part in the Supream Government it self which obligeth all the Nation how much more would they be themselves Presbyterians which they so abhor § 44. Having oft said that we desire Christian Kingdoms as the great blessing of the world we mean not either that 1. All in a Kingdom should be forced to be baptized or profess themselves Christians whether they are so or not For lying will not save men nor please God and even the Papists are against this 2. Nor that all should be supposed to be Christians that are in the Kingdom But that the Kings be Christians and the Laws countenance Christianity and the most or ruling part of the Kingdom be Christians and all just endeavours used to make all the rest so The Ancient Churches continued them Catechumens till they were fit for Baptism and though they were for Infant-Baptism they compelled none to be baptized in Infancy or at Age but left it to free choice They baptized but twice a year ordinarily They kept many offenders many years from communion And if Crabs Roman Council sub silvest be true they at Rome admitted not penitents till fourty years understand it as you see cause The true Elibertine Canons kept many out so many years and many till death and many absolutely as shewed that they were far from taking all the Nation into the Church And the Christian Emperours compelled none It was long before the greatest part of the Empire were Christians In the daies of Valens the Bishops were some of them banished into places that had few Christians if any In France it self even in St. Martin's daies the Christians of his flock were not the most but he wrought miracles to convince the Heathens that raged against Christianity where he dwelt c. § 1. There are two appendent Controversies handled by some that write for National Churches which need but a brief solution The first is whether it be not an Independent Errour to expect real holiness in Church-members as necessary in the judgment of charity The second Whether it be not such an Errour to require the bond of a Covenant beside the Baptismal Covenant § 2. To the first we say that so much is written on this point by one of us in a Treatise called Disputations of Right to Sacraments c. that we think meet to say no more The Opponents now confess that it must be saving Faith and Consent to the Baptismal Covenant that must be professed And Papists and Protestants agree with all the Ancient Church that Baptism putteth the true Consenter into a state of certain pardon and title to life And God maketh not known lying a condition of Church-communion He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved It is true that God hath not made Ministers Arbitrary Judges of mens secret thoughts but hath limited them in judging to take their tongues that profess Faith and Consent to be the Indices of their minds But sure the power of the Keys containeth a power of judging according to Christ's Law who is to be taken into the Church by Baptism and who not If only the seeker be made Judge it will be a new way of Church-Government and a bad And then the question is 1. Whether he that accepts ones profession seemingly serious of Faith and Consent and that de praesente is not bound to hope in charity that such