he that separates but he that is the Cause of the separation is the Schismatick 4. That to require the execution of some unlawful or suspected act is a just cause of refusing Communion for not only in Reason but in Religion too that Maxime admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubitas ne feceris 5. That it hath been the common Disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God and Scriptures have expresly afforded but out of a vain desire to know more then is revealed they have attempted to devise things of which we have no Light neither from Reason nor Revelation neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church Authority which is none or Tradition which for the most part is but â—…eigned they have peremptorily concluded and confidently imposed upon others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature 6. To lâ—…ad our publick forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Soveraign way to perpetuate Schism unto the worlds end Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scriptures Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and the simplest manner were matter enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgie though nothing either of private Opinion or of Church pomp of Garments or prescribed gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Church under the name of Order and Decency did interpose it self To charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all superstition 7. That no occasion hath produced more frequent more continuous more sanguineous Schisms then Episcopal Ambition hath done 8. That they do but Abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christs institution have any superiority over other men further then that of Reverence or that any Bishop is superiour to another further then positive order agreed â—…pon amongst Christians hath prescribed 9. In times of manifest corruptions and persecutions wherein Religious assembling is dangerous Private Meetings howsoevr besides publick Order are not 〈◊〉 lawful but they are of necessity and duty All pious Assemblies 〈◊〉 times of Persecution and Corruption however practised are indeed 〈◊〉 rather Alone the lawful Congregations And publick Assemblies though according to form of Law are indeed nothing else but Riots and Convemticles if they be stained with Corruption and Superstition There is one person more whom since he has quoted Incognitâ—… for an excellent person I will the rather recommend to his consideration Irenic p. 109. where speaking of the private Christian he says He is bound to adhere to that Church which appears most to retain the Evangelical purity And p. 116. He is bound to break off from that Society which enjoyns a mixture of some Corruptions as to practise One word from Dr. Iackson chap. 14. of the Church where he acquits those of the Schism which withdraw fromâ—…hat Church which imposeth Rites and Customs that cross the Rule of Faith and Charity Bishop Bramhalls Testimony will pass for sterling p. 7 8. of Schism When there is a mutual division of two parts or members of the mystical Body of Christ one from the other yet both retaining Communion with the universal Church quamcunque partem amplexus fueris Schismaticus non Audies quippe quod universa Ecclesia neutram damnavit Which side soever you close with you shall not be reproacht for a Schismatick because the universal Church has condemned neither side And he plainly tells us p. 101. That it was not the erroneous Opinions of the Church of Rome but the obtruding them by Laws upon other Churches that warranted a separation Next we will hear a word from the Learned Lord Verulam 'T is a sign says he of exasperation to condemn the contrary part as a Sect yea and some indiscreet persons have been bold in open preaching to use dishonourable and derogatory speeches and censures of the Churches abroad and that so far as that some of our men as I have heard ordained in forreign parts have been pronounced no lawful Ministers And further let us remember that the ancient and true bounds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Policy and endeavour to comprehend that saying Differentia Rituum commendat unitatem Doctrinae Christs Coat was indeed without Seam yet the Churches Garment was of divers Colours Amongst all these we must not forget that noble and gallant Person the Lord Falkland A little search will find them He speaks of no little ones to have been the destruction of Unity under pretence of Uniformity to have brought in superstition and scandal under Titles of Reverence and Decency to have slacked the strictness of Unity which was between us and those of our own Religion beyond the Seaâ—… Sâ—…rates lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 21. tells us that in his time there could scarceâ—… be found two Churches that used the same forms of prayer In France the Ritual of Paris differ'd from that of Anjou and in England we had our Devotions secundum usum Sarum secundum usum Bangor and yet the one never reproacht the other for Sectaris or Schismaticks I am consident therefore to assert it That neither the Wit nor Malice of man can prove him a Schismatick who maintaining Evangelical Love towards and holding the substantial Doctrines owned by the Church of England shall either out of choice or necessity transplant himself from under the spreading shadow of a Goodly Cathedral to a Parochial Church and yet the one has its Organs Adoration towards the East and Altar Adoration at the Naming of Iesus with multitudes of Rites and Observances unknown to the Villages and far more differing from the Parochial Usages and Customs then the Worship of most Country Towns differ from that of the Non-conformists After all this I shall throw up the Authority of these great names and give him full scope for his Rational Abilities to prove his proposition when I have first noted those few things § 1. He requires an apparent breach of the Divine Law as the only thing that can excuse separation from the guilt of Schism but will not a real breach of the Divine Law serve the turn unless it be so apparent as he can desire I perswade my self God never yet spoke so loud that they who have barracadoed their Ears with prejudice will hear him nor ever yet wrote so plain that they will see his mind whose Eyes interest has sealed up And what if it be an apparent breach of the Divine Law in the sincere judgement of him that separates must he never discharge his Duty till he can perswade all the world to see theirs and pursue it § § Who shall be Iudge whether the Imposed Terms contain an apparent breach of the Divine Law and such as will justifie a separation Mr. Hales indeed tells us It 's a point of no great depth or difficulty but yet the true
this precise qualm over our Enquirers heart that he is so skittish at the word Sabbath because forsooth it 's not given the Day in the New Testament They have some singular priviledge and prerogative surely that may institute what Officers what Offices they please though neither Name nor Thing be found there nor print nor mark of the least Foot-step when the poor Non-conformists may not use indifferently an innocent word which signifies no more in it self then he will acknowledge to be found there But how is this a point of Judaism or how one of the nearer causes of separation If it be we may confidently say we have imbibed both from the Liturgy of the Church which teaches the Minister to rehearse the Fourth Commandment Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it Holy and then enjoins us all to pray Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law but if this Word this Dactrine be of such pernicious a contagion as to insect us with Judaism and Non-conformity we have need of another miserere â—…i Deus for keeping it That this name Sabbath applyed to the Christian Holy-day of Rest is found in Ancient Writers I shall not urge Ignat. Epist. ad Magnes Let every one of us keep the Sabbath spiritually not in bodily case only but in the study of the Law Not the Author of the Sermons de Tempore none of Austins for any mans word will go further then his for so we rightly sanctifie the Lords Sabbath as the Lord hath said In it thou shalt do no manner of work but this I shall say that he that denies it to be a Day of Holy Rest it 's no great matter what he calls it And he that owns it such must be most rediculously obstinate that denies it may properly be so called 2 We come to the dispute De Re. And first he charges the N. C. That the Lords-day amongst them must have all the Nicety of Observation that the Iewish Sabbath had and which is yet worse such Observation thereof is made one of the principal parts of Religion What the Non-conformists hold and practise in this point is so well known from their Writings and Conversations that no man can possibly slander them but he must do it against his Conscience which had the Enquirer attended to it would have tought him other Language what was the practice of the best Christians who lived up in any good measure to the Holiness of their Profession that is the practice of the Non-conformists and wherein they come short have cause to be humbled in the sight of God If any Indâ—…viduals have added any Jewish Austeriâ—…ies or invented any Superstitious severities to make the day a Legal Yoke we wish they may be no more favouraâ—…ly dealt with then those other Additions that have been made to Religion For the publick Service of the day I shall give the Reader a piece of Clemens Rom. lib. 2. cap. 59. On the Lords-day frequent more carefully the Temple of the Lord that ye may praise God who made all things by Iesus Christ whom he sent unto us and suffered him to dye for us and raised him from the dead for what can excuse him with God who meets not to hear the saving Word of God concerning the Resurrection On which day we pray thrice standing remembring him who after three days rose again For the private observation of the day the same Author lib. 5. cap. 9. thus We admonish you Brethren and Fellow-Servants that you fly vain words and filthiness pleasant jests 〈◊〉 for on the Lords days which are our days of Rejoicings we do not permit you to do or speak any thing not savoury for the Scripture sâ—…h serve the Lord with fear St. Hierom commends the Aegyptian Monks that they designed the Lords days wholly to Prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures The Author of the Sermons De tempore This day is called the Lords-day that in it abstaining from all earthly works and worldly pleasures we should only give our selves to the service of the Lord Let us therefore Brethren observe the Lords day and sanctifie it as it was commanded them of old concerning the Sabbath If our Enquirer had the trimming up of this Author he had dressed him up for a Marane a baptized Jew Chrysost. on Gen. 2. God from the beginning did insinuate unto us this instruction to set apart and separate one whole day in the Circle of every Week for spiritual exercises And in Homil. 5. on Math. Let us prescribe this as an unmoveable Law to our selves to our Wives and Children to set aside one day of the Week and that wholly to hearing and laying up of things heard Isidore Hispalensis The Apostles therefore ordained the Lords-day to be kept with Religious Solemnities because in it our Redeemer rose from the Dead which was therefore called the Lords-day that resting on the same from all Earthly â—…ts and temptations of the World we might intend Gods holy Worship giving this day due Honour for the hope of the Resurrection we have therein But because our Enquirer admires the Piety of former Ages in this our Britain I shall come a little home and see what were the publick Constitutions of our own Nation Leg. Inae cap. 〈◊〉 An. 692. Si servus operetur die Dominied per praecepâ—… domine sui sit liber Dominus emendet 308. ad Witam siâ—…servus sine testimonio Domini sui operetur Corium perdat i. e. vapulet si liber operetur ipso die sine iussu Domini sui perdat libertatem If a Servant work on the Lords-day at his Masters Command let him be free and his Master be fined thirty shillings If a Servant without his Masters Order do any work let him be whipped If a freed Man work on that day without the Command of his Master let him lose his Freedom Concil Bergham cap. 10. An. 697. Si in vesperâ praecedente Diem solis postquam sol occubuit autin vesperâ praecedente Diem Lunae post occasum solis servus ex mandato Domini sui opus aliquod servile egerit Dominus factum octaginta solidis Luito If a Servant on the Evening before Sunday after Sun-set or on the Evening before Monday after Sunset shall do any servile work by Order of his Master let his Master pay for his fault 4 pounds c. 11. If a Servant on those days shall travel let him pay to his Master siâ—… shillings or be whipped c. 12. If a Free-man be guilty of the same offence let him be liable to the Pillory Excerpt Egb. Archiepiscopi Eborac An. Chr. 750 c. 36. God the Creatour of all things made Man on the sixth d'ay and upon the Sabbath he rested from all his Labours and sanctified the Sabbath for the future signification of the sufferings of Christ and his rest in the Grave He did not rest because he was weary who made all things without Labour whose Omnipotency cannot be wearied and
and Christian way then all these put together To bear with one another to leave judging censuring despising persecuting to leave men to those Sentiments which they have contracted from insuperable weakness or less happy Education whilst they are good men good subjects good Christians sound in the Faith and Worship God no worse then the Scripture commands them And he that cannot Indulge his brother sound in the Fundamentals and walking together with his brethren so far as he has attained let him prate of peace till his Tongue akes 't is evident he would not purchase Peace with Shoobuckles The Apostle has recommended this expedient to us by his own example 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. which the Enquirer could see to quote and not to understand Unto the Iews I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iews To them that were without the Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without the Law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some It seems the Blessed A postle had not yet learnt to snickle the private Conscience with his publick Authority That which he quotes from Greg. Naz is indeed more considerable to his design Who affirms how St. Basil dissembled the Coesseutiality of the Holy Chost and delivered himself in Ambiguous Terms on that point least he should offend and loose the weak The Reader will conclude by these instances that though the Enquirers designly open to condemn the Dissenters yet his Mediums do strongly plead their Cause We are illustrated with an Apostle with a famous Bishop both eminent for their Condescentions to the weak such as laid not the stress of the Churches Peace upon their own Wills or A postolical power or Ecclesiastical Authority nor defined too severely Controverted points and yet when he comes to the Application the duty of yelding is pressed upon the Dissenters Whose coming up in a hundred points were perfectly insignificant unless they could nick the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Canon-Conformity I would ask the Enquirer whether the Dissenters ever pleaded to be gracified in so weighty a point as the Coessentiality of the Holy Spirit Or whether Ambiguity or a handsome equivocation there must be one of those things we must give for Peace If neither of these he might have spared Bafil if not for our sake yet for his own And out of all these excellent Materials we expected he should have composed a Speech to the Reverend Bishops My Lords I have humbly set before your discerning judgments the great example of the Great St. Basil and the greater instance of the famous Dr of the Gentiles persons whose Authority in the Church and wisdom to manage that Authority was without disparagement equal to the same Qualifications in your Lordships And yet their hearts so humble when their places were so high their Condescentions greater then their Exaltations carries somewhat in it of that Divinity which bespeaks your Imitation They would become all things to all men though sin to none They were ambitious to wiâ—… the weak by Meekness and not to wound the weak by Majesty The way of Peace lyes plain before you stâ—…p to them in things Indifferent who cannot rise to you in what they call sinful your yeelding to the weak will be your strength And whilst you gain tender Consciences to the Church you will gain Immortal honour to your selves Let it be the glory of your lives that you have made up our Breaches and not the Epitaph of your Tombs That the way of Peace you have not known He comes now to the Grand example indeed that of our Blessed Saviour which if it be but faithfully alledged and Congruously applyed must silence all dispute and conquer the must restif reluctancy Let us then hear how Christs example leads us to Conform 1. Christ complied with the Rites and Customs he found What right or wrong 'T is true he complied with those he found because he found such Rites and Customs as were warranted by the Law He was Circumcised True It became him to fulfil all Righteousness He did eat the Passeover Very true He was made under the Law He wore their Garments spoke their Language No doubt of it He was a Jew by Birth and approved himself a Minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God 2. He condescended to the very humours of that stubborn people True Not by Imitating them not assuming the person of a Iewish Zealot but mildly reproving their irregularities He came not in the blustering Whirlwind nor in the terrible Earthquake but in the still small voice of Evangelical Meekness He came not to break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax but rebuked his mistaken Disciples that they understood not the spirit of the Gospel nor what a temper it called for that they must needs fetch fire from Heaven to Consume the truly Schismatical Samaritans when they should rather have Castigated their own heats and calmed their own passions which were kindled from a worse fire I expect still how he will accommodate this Condescention of our Blessed Saviour to his purpose for either the Dissenters must be those stubborn people and then if the Clergy will imitate their Lord and Master they must condescend to their very Humours or else Dissenters must in imitation of Christ condescend to the Clergy and then it supposes them to be the stubborn and inflexible party Besides Condescention in Inferiours to Superiours will be very improper Language 3. He used their phrase in his Discourse And the Non-conformists speak as proper English as their Wit serves them that they cannot Adorn their conceptions or cloath their thoughts in thunder 〈◊〉 ping Phraseology may perhaps be their Misery but certainly not their Sin 4. He observed their Feasts We Question it not He came to do his Fathers will and amongst other particulars that also of observing what ever Ordinance was of Divine Institution But the Render must know here 's a secret Argument couch't in these words against Non-conformity which I will ingenuously own and 't is this The Jews had instituted a Feast in Memory of the Dedication of the Temple Now this Festival had not the character of Divine Institution and yet this Feast our Saviour solemnized and who then can be so refractory as not to observe the Holy-Dayes and consequently all other Humane Constitutions which bear no direct Repugnancy to the Law of God I shall neither assert at present that this Festival had Divine Warrant nâ—…r deny that it was properly of a Religious Nature but this I return That it appears not that our Saviour performed any Act or spoke any Word that may be interpreted or Construed an approbation of that practise All that appears is from 10 Iâ—… 22 23. And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication and
scrupulosities and discharge conscience from any Regard of the Authority of God in his positive Laws and institutions A work infinitely grateful and eternally obliging this prophane and Atheistical Generation who had rather keep ten of their own then one of Gods Ceremonies And with such Sophistry did the Archenemy prevail upon the less wary Minds of our first Parents Ye shall not surely dye The Command is meerly Positive no eternal Reason of evil in the thing And God Lays little very little stress upon Circumstantials secure but the main Let there be no Schism between you and never trouble your selves about these institutions which are but secunda intentionis And he is seconded notably by the Enquirer p. 161. All Ceremonial Appendages and such were the Trees of Life and Knowledge in Paradise Circumcision and the Passeover under the Law Baptism and the Lords Supper under the Gospel are perfectly subordinate and ought to yeeld to the designs of Peace Charity and edification And yet these poor deluded ones found to their cost that He who represented God As a Captious Deity as the Enquirer with great seriousness words it proved himself A Captious Devil and that it had been more their Intetest to have Credited Gods most severe threatnings then Satans most sugred promisos But if it be true That God lays so very little stress upon his own we need not Question but Men will lay at least as little upon their institutions If God be so indifferent and remiss we hope we shall not find them rigorous for seeing Magistrates are called Gods such as hear some considerable part of his Image and borrow of his Authority they will no doubt represent that God to us truly as he is A God of Mercy grace and pitty and not watch Advantages against their Creatures but so long as the Main of subjection is provided for and the substance of their Institutions observed Alterations may be made in lesser matters without their offence That the Servant is sometimes more severe then the Master we are taught from Gehazie's sin and may we never learn it from his Leprosy 2. Kin 5. 20 My Master hath spared Naaman this Syrian but as the Lord Liveth I will run after him and take somewhat of him And there was another Servant in the parable who laid a great stress upon a few Deniers when his Lord laid less upon many Talents And would have pluckt out his fellow servants throat for a sorry Circumstance when he had the face to beg Indulgence in the substance And we are sufficiently lesson'd that it 's better to address the Lord himself then the Steward ever since the Syrophenician met with such churlish treatment from the Disciples and so gracious a Reception from our B. Saviour such are some of our Church men who Lye baiting at and worrying of the Magistrate night and day to exact the rigour of Conformity and the penal Statutes as if all Religion were utterly lost unless their Circumstantials were preserved Sacred and inviolable whatever become of Gods Circumstantials The Title of this Chapter Modestly asserts only thus much that God lays very little stress upon Circumstantials But the continued Tenor of his discourse labours to make it out that he lays very little upon some of his own precepts the True and clear stating therefore of Circumstantials in the Question would be above half way towards its Answer Under the Mosaical Law God commanded that they should offer to him the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juge Sacrificium or the Daily Burnt-offering and in this case the Coulour of the Beast provided it was otherwise rightly qualified was a meer Circumstance Such as God laid no stress upon and that Man had proved himself an Ardetious superstitious Busy-body that should curiously adhaere to any one Colour but for the Heighfer whose ashes were to make the water of separation there the colour was no Circumstance but made by Gods Command a substantial part of the service To be Rod was as much as to be a Heighfer for when circumstances have once pass't the Royal Assent and are stampt with a Divine seal they become substantials in instituted Worship The Question then ought to have been whether God have any regard to his own positive Laws or whether he be so indifferent about his own institutions that he lays little stress upon our obedience to them But this had been too broad English a little too uncivil for any that would carry fair correspondence with the Scriptures and therefore let it be mollified and stand as it does Whether God lay very little stress upon Circumstantials in Religion In deciding this Question he had done very ingenuously and fairly to have told us from whence we are to take the measures of that stress and weight which God lays upon these things which because it was not for his Interest yet may be much for the Readers I shall endeavour to clear up these two things first from whence we ought not and secondly from whence we ought to fetch these measures 1 From whence we ought not to take the measures of the stress which God lays on them 1 Then we ought not to judge that God has little regard to any of his Commands because the Matter of them abstracted from his Authority is little for we must not conceive that Christ sets little by Baptism because the Element is plain fair water or little by that other Sacrament because the Materials thereof are common Bread and Wine nor to set them of must we varnish them with pompous Pageantry as if any thing were necessary to Buoy up their Repute or beget an awful Reverence to his Institutions besides his Authority For 1. Though the things in themselves be small yet his Authority is great As God appears great in creating little things his power conspicuous in employing little instruments to Archieve great effects so is his Authority very glorious in enjoyning small observances 2. Though the Things be small yet God can bless them to great purposes 2. King 5. 11. Naaman was in a great Huff that the Prophet should prescribe so plain and mean a way for his Recovery he expected some Majestick procedure in the Cure that the Prophet should come out and stand and call on the Name of the Lord and strike his hand over the place This had been something like but to send him away ingloriously with all that train and bid him Go wash in Jordan seven times was not to be endured by a Person of his ranck and quality Are not Abana and Pharpar the Rivers of Damascus better then the waters of Israel may I not wash in them and be clean And he went away in a Rage But we are to judge that to be best which best reaches the End Healing Jordan then ineffectual Pharpar 3. If the things be small then the grace and mercy conveyed by them may be had at cheaper rates And shall it be objected to Gods Ordinances as their Reproach which
spur up and quicken the lazy Priests and Levites to their duty and yet no power to create them a duty He had power to punish Church-men to restrain the exorbitances of the Clergy and for Male-administration to cashiere them nay to order the High-priest himself if he proved factious seditious or Rebellious and endeavoured any Alteration of the Theocracy either in Church or State but he had no power to make New administrations He had a power to restore the corrupted worship to it's primitive integrity but he had no power to institute Worship and therefore it 's more then Ridiculous to Argue from a Power to such a power § 2. He pretended to prove That the Magistrate in Determining these circumstantials did not exceed his Commission and his medium is from the Iewish Magistrate Now his proper diâ—… and easy way to have evinced that the Iewish Magistrate had this power had been to have exemplifyed the Commission it self and not stand trifling with Matter of fact to prove Matter of right especially seeing that the Commission is upon Record and many doubts in Law will arise from the fact as whether what was done was done jure and if jure then Quo jure Now for the Commission from him by whom Kings reign it was ready drawn of old only a blanck left to insert the Name of that particular Person whom God immediately or by â—…cession should chuse 17. Deut. 18. 19. 20. It shall be when he 〈◊〉 upon the Throne of the Kingdom that he shall write him a Copy of this Law in a book out of that which is before the Priests and Levites and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and those statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren that he turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his days in the Kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel from whence 't is evident that though the Israelites were for some time in their minority govern'd by Judges yet when their Nation should grow up to it's greatest perfection God would then bestow upon them â—…he most perfect form of Government viz. Monarchy and in the most perfect manner continue it viz. by succession not impeaching his own prerogative to alter either the form or the time but with a Negative upon any or all the people so is it as plain that God fyes up his Prince to Govern by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deuteronomy à Copy of the Laws and statutes Morel and positive without turning to the right hand or the left in excess or defect mangling or mending Gods Laws Allowing to himself still a power to vary but not to them save by his Direction § 3. This great proof for the Magistrates power over the Circumstantials of Religion is fetcht from the Magistrates power iâ—… the Iewish Commonwealth He that is so severe upon the Nonconformists that they are Iudaizers if they argue but a fortiori from Moses to Christ now takes his greatest proof from David to the Christian King and though it be scandalous for them to Reason from that Topick in Doctrinals yet is safe and honourable for himself to Reason thence in Politicals and Ceremonials his instances come now to be considered § 1. David as I shewed before altered somethings and instituted others in the Temple worship That 's his instance And David as I proved before altered nothing instituted nothing without special Direction from God that 's my answer which special warrant when it shall be produced for any Alterations of or Additions to Christs institutions under the Gospel they shall by me be most Cordially embraced § 2. Hezekiah says he without a Scripture for it broke the Brazeâ—… Serpent to pieces though it was a Symbolical Ceremony of Gods own Iustitution Oh but if Hezekiah had set up one brazâ—… Serpent as a Symbolical Ceremony without Gods institution it had been more to his purpose then if he had broken a hundred Let him take these few things along with him and then make the best he can of his instance 1. If Hezekiah needed no Scripture warrant to destroy an old Antiquated Institution of God because it had been and still was abused to Idolatry much more may a Christian Prince without further Scripture warrant abolish such Symbolical Ceremonies as being originally the meer inventions of men have been and still are abused to the most fowle Idolatry and grossest superstition that ever was in the world 2. Let the Enquirer recollect himself a little He undertook to prove that Princes have power to set up Ceremonies and his instance proves only thus much that they have power to pluck them down 3. Hezekiah needed no Scripture to empower him to destroy the brazen Serpent because it was then no institution of God It had been once indeed a temporary appointment of God but the ceasing of the End was the Determination of the use when it 's sacred Relation ceased it was of no more value in Gods account when Hezekiah broke it then so much Brass 'T is not true therefore that Hezekiah broke in pieces the brazen Serpent though it was but though it had been forâ—…rly an institution of God He did not make it but declare it to be Nchushtan an old Relique made a New Idol and now served as it deserved 4. I do not understand that the brazen Serpent was a Symbolical Ceremony what grace what duty did it signify A type it was to direct their faith to Christ fot that time to expect the healing of their souls from him but the visible service was only to heal their bodies stung with the firy Serpents 3. John 14. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up 5. Hezekiah had Scriptures more then one not only to enable but Command him to do it He needed no new Authority but new wisdom to Apply alâ—…s old general Command to a particular case If the Enquirer could but shew as much Scriputre warrant for the setting up one Ceremony as Hezekiah had for destroying a thousand Idols he would think himself a jolly fellow I might urge his Authority from the second Commandement where God declares himself a jealous God in the Matter of instituted worship and how many following generations might smart for the prevarication in that particular he well knew There might have been a Drachm of the brazen Serpent as well as an Ounce of the Golden Calf in their subsequent calamities if he that was Custos utriâ—…sque Tabulae and now had not his name for nothing had not testifyed against that abomination But I shall crave leave to Remember him of the incomparable Huge who upon this fact of Hezekiah thus Egregium Documentum Regibus at quamvis
suppose the things controverted though Lawful in their abstracted natures and what actions are not so yet to be really unlawful in their use upon a just ballancing of all Circumstances for we conceive many things Lawful out of worship which in worship are not so Many things Lawful when used without offence which are otherwise when they give offence to the weak Many things Lawful when Conscience is satisfied which are not so under it 's real dissatisfactions many things Lawful to be used under the power of which 't is sinful to be brought 2. We say not that Conscience makes a nullity in the Law but that under present Circumstances it will not suffer us to act But if we had said so we might perhaps have drunk in the Delusion from his own words so lately quoted Some higher Law of God or Reason by which my Conscience is guided hath in that case made a nullity in the Law of the Magistrate 3. His Reason Because sâ—…n is a Transgression of the Law Applied to the Law of God is true but when applied to the Law of Man is not of universal Truth sor neither is the transgression of a humane Law always a sâ—…n Nor at any time is it the formal Reason of sin but because such transgression of the humane Law transgresses some particular Law of God or at least that General Law to obey where we ought to do 2 His second Enquiry is What is a Tender Conscience And here that nothing sacred might escapâ—… the peâ—…ulancy of Priviledged Drolery he is in a Rapture of facetiousness and makes fine spout with poor Tender Conscience When Iosiah that great Pattern of all Royal virtues the great instance of ripe Grace in green years had heard the book of the Law read with those dreadful comminations thundred out against prevarication in that holy Law and had duly consider'd how his people had incurred the menaces by violating the praecepts thereof he rent his cloaths and went to Enquire of the Lord. who gives him this Answer Because thy heart was Tender and thou hast humbled thy self I also have heard thee saith the Lord 2. Kin. 22. 19. Wisdom it self has taught us That the man is happy that feareth always but he that hardens himself shall fall into mischief 28. Prov. 14. They that know the World is thick sown with snares and those snares baited with suitable temptations will see Reason to walk very cautelously towards the world and to maintain a Godly jealousy over themselves least they be surprized with the deceitfulness of sin But there are a daring sort of jolly Adventurers that fear no colours that will come up to the mouth of a Canon that neither regard Gods threatnings or warnings the Devils stratagems or the Ambuscadoes of the flesh but being fool-hardy make a mock of sin and all preciseness about it who think it a piece of gallantry to dance on the brink of that praecipice that hangs over the bottomless pit and can find no fitter essays of their valour and skill then how to come within a hairs-breadth of Hell and yet not tumble in And these are the men that fall into mischief This tenderness of heart being of so great price in the sight of God we must expect it will not escape long the severe lashes of virulent spirits but it will be difficult to persecute a thing so innocent before it be exposed and therefore they advise themselves from Amnon's example who first defiled and then reviled his Sister Tamar A tender Conscience saith this Compassionate Enquirer is nothing but either an ignorant or uninstructed mind or a sickly melancholy and superstitious understanding which he might more concisely have described without this vast expense of words A tender Conscienced person is one that has a soft place in 's Head or had he but spoke in plain English as he did in the Definition of Conscience He is a most profound Coxcomb They who preach this Doctrine to the World might with the same labour and almost equal honesty preach God out of the World for whoever would dethrone God from the heart discovers but an impotent Ambition to pluck him down from his throne in Heaven But when they have run through all their vain methods to excusse his soveraignty God will maintain to himself an Authority in the Conscience Nay this will destroy the Magistrates power also in a while for whose sake the Contrivance is pretended for when subjects are once instructed so far to debauch conscience that though we judge an action sinful yet we may do it it will lead to this easy inference that though we judge the Magistrates Commands Lawful yet we may disobey them for as we say when men have got a hole in their hearts one concern will drop through after another without regret When the Italians would call any one Fool with an Emphasis they say He is a Christian Hence forwards when the Devil would shame his modester Servants from cowardise in sinning he has a nickname for them these are your men of tender Consciences And that which has been a Holy Engine of Gods wisdom to secure from sin shall now become the Devils Machine to flish raw novices in it That a tender Conscience is a good Conscience has been hetherto presumed by all our Divines and I never met with a Collect in the Liturgy of any Church that taught us to pray from the great plague of a tender Conscience Good Lord deliver us which yet if it be so great a judgment we may presume they would have done But the Enquirer is of another judgment and perhaps may proselite us with his Reasons 1. Reason Tenderness cannot be taken in the same Latitude with a good Conscience every good man has such a tenderness as to be affraid of sin and to decline the occasions of it If this argument has any strength in it it must be because every good man is a Fool But why I pray cannot a good and a tender Conscience meet in every good man Oh the Reason is this It would be too arrogant and presumptuous for those that plead the tenderness of their Consciences to suppose themselves the only men that make Conscience of what they do But if a tender Conscience be a good Conscience it will be nevertheless good because some unjustly pretend to it or others unjustly revile it Dissenters do not suppose themselves the only men that make a Conscience of what they do It suffices them to enjoy the peace of their own without daring to judge other mens Consciences 2. Reason Because says he Then the contrary to it must be a brawny Conscience Well! what hurt is there in that Soft and hard tender and callâ—…us sensible and brawny have been opposed before this dispute began a heart of stone is opposed to a heart of flesh and would it not be a way of Reasoning well-becoming a Rhethorician to argue a heart of flesh cannot possibly be a good heart the contrary
this over-charged slander may not recoil and hurt the Enquirer But though he be very uncharitable I shall endeavour to give the most charitable construction of his words that they will bear And therefore observe That though he be engaged not to render evil for evil yet he never promised not to render evil for good § 2. If being a Clergy-man says he and continuing in the Church he shall debauch his Office and undermine the Church which he should uphold such an man also may then debauch his life too and yet have a very charitable construction among the generality of Dissenters What must Enemies expect from this Man who has no mercy an his Friends There are many Holy and Learned persons now within the Bosom of the Church who having considered the terms of enjoying the more publick exercise of their Ministry have overcome the difficulties of Subscription and do yet retain their former Orthodoxy and sobriety of Conversation These perâ—…ons knowing what Conscience is do exercise great tenderness towards it in their Brethren who cannot get over their rubs and obstacles and these if I mistake not are the Glory of the Church of England for purity of Doctrine and piety of Conversation for all true Learning and useful knowledge Against these persons The Enquirer has a desperate stitch as those that undermine the Church which they should uphold that is if they condescend never so little to a tender Conscience in one of those little institutions which themselves cal indifferent the whole Church must presently fall about their Ears but if the Church were built upon Christ the Rock and not upon the Wool-packs of Ceremonies such condescension would never undermine it These are taxed also with debauching their Office And indeed if the Office of Ministers be to become Informers If Preaching the Gospel be nothing but to make a Pâ—…ther about Ceremonies I hope they will debauch it still but that any of these do debaucâ—… their Lives and are thereupon more acceptable to Dissenters is a loâ—…d falshood only to let us understand how wel he has learned Christ. § 3. If a man says he be of the most Holy Conversation but Zealous for the Interest of the Church this man shall have worsâ—… Quarter from the fiery Zealots of other parties then one of a more loose life and meaner abilities Let no man reply If a man be of a loose Convâ—…rsation and but Zealous of the Grandeur and for the Ceremonies of the Church this man shall have fairer quarter and more encouraging preferments from the fiery Bigots of Conformity then one of a severe life and greater ministerial Abilitits To interpret this mystâ—…ry we must inform our selves what is the Churchâ—…s true Interest as it is a Church It s very easie to mistake in stating the True interest of any Society and if we mistake there its impossible we should be regular in the means of pursuing it An errour in the first concoction is never rectified in the second The true Interest of every true Church of Christ is to promote Holiness and Conformity to his Commands engaging thereby his presence and protection and a Spirit of Love and Peace amongst its members though under some variety of apprehension in Adiaphorous matters The mistake is to advance a Churches secular Grandeur external splendour and worldly pomp which every true Christian in his Baptism has renounced toâ—…ether with all the works of the Devil and the lusts of the flesh If ever a Church shall be so far mistaken as to judge worldly Glory its true interest I know not why it may not also mistake the works of the Devil and the lusts of the flesh to be its true Intereâ—…t also A Conforming Minister who despising that false understands and pursues this true Interest is truly dear to all the Non-conformists but for those who are so deluded as to think it lies in destroying and ruining all that are not satisfied with their Canons and Constitutions however aliene and forreign to the temper of the Gospel they confess they are no great admirers of them whatever appearance of Holiness they may make If the Interest of a Faction shall lie in sending poâ—… Christians to the Alms-house of New-gate and the Hospital of Bedlam and will give no Quarter to the most Holy and Religious if they fail in two or three Niceties I must needs say I see no reason why such should adorn themselves with the plumes of Gravity and Devotion to render their Inhumanity more plausible 2. But he has somewhat further to say then all this If impertinent and fantastical talking of Religion endless scrupulosities censorious and rash judging our Superiours Melancholy sighing going from Sermon to Sermon without allowing our selves time to meditate on what we hear or to instruct our Families be the main Points of Religion then the Non-conformists are Holy Men. And now I hope the Reader is abundantly satisfied that the Enquirer has otherwise Learned Christ than to render Evil for Evil that he dares not furnish Atheism and Prophaness with an Apologie That he makes a Conscience of affording a spectacle to evil Men That he dares not for a World dress Religion in a Phantastical Habit. that Boys may laugh at it This is his Constantines Robe which he casts over scandalous Commissions Serious Discourses about the concerns of the World to come about our own death and the day of Judgment is Phantastical talking Tenderness of Conscience Holy fear of sinning against God is endless scrupulosity Modest refusal to practise every thing commanded though Reason Judgement Scripture Reclaim is Censuring and Rash Iudgment of Superiours Godly sorrw must be melancholly sighing attending upon Gods Word Preached shall be running from Sermon to Sermon And a downright falshood added to close up the whole That they neither allow themselves time to meditate of what they have heard nor to instruct their Families And yet if they shall dare to practise this last with a few of their weaker Neighbours that drop in to hear a Sermon repeated they shall be lyable to the Law and punished as Seditious Conventiclers and railed at as Schismatiâ—…ks When all is said and done Machiavils old Rule is a Sacred Maxime with these sort of Men Fortiter calumniare aliquid adharebit Throw Dirt enough and some ont ' will stick Wild-fire flies further than the Water that should Quench it A Reproach will run where a just Vindication will not creep Had the Providence of God allotted the Non-conformists their abode any where but amongst those whose Interest it is to render them Odious they might have pass'd for good Christians It would be difficult to hire Men to be Instruments of Cruelty if they were not first perswaded that they are Ministers of Iustice and the only way to perswade that is to represent Dissenters as the off-scowring of all things not fit to live a day The best way to take away the life is to render it abominable None can handsomly
sincerity of Devotion to make use of this Remedy to put an end to our Distractions And yet I find some have been tampering with it who will be very strait laced in Ceremonies to gratifie the superstitious and widen the moral part to humour the voluptuous Thus if mens Lusts will not bend to the strait Rule of the Word they can gently bow the Rule to their corruptions and crooked propensities And the Author of the former part seeing well that Men are grown too Pursey to be crambt up with the Religious observation of the Lords-day has prudenâ—…ly accommodated the day to their latitude They that have no great mind to keep a Christian Holy day shall need but to call it a Iudaical Sabbath and they are well fortified against all the checks of their Consciences I know the Reader will pitty him that must contend with two such Adversaries Hercules himself would not engage a couple but though they be Two they have but one single weapon We want not some who can reconcile the levity of the Stage and Theatre to the gravity and severity of the Christian Doctrine that can teach men by their writings or practice how they may retain these vanities and never throw off their Baptismal Livery and it is upon good Advice for should they lose such numbers from the party it would make a filthy Hole in it and the weeding out such Tares would make a thin Field of Corn and therefore some plead that they ought to grow together till the Harvest 4. We are now come to the great and infallible Remedy which the Pope trusts more to then his great Infallibility But there are considerable diversities about the form of this Medicine in the Dispensatories some as Mr. Necessity Bays express it by a tedious Periphrasis Axes Halters Racks Fire Faggot with an Et catera which has more in 't then all the rest but the Romanists who are concise men and love short work and to express multum in parvo have Epitomiz'd all in that one word the Holy Inquisition so called by the same Catachresis by which we call our former Antagonist the Compassionate Enquirer If you enquire a Reason of this various reading know that it arises from the different Copies of the Dispensatories The Pharmocopaeia of London calls it one thing that of Rome Another the Titles differ but the Medicine is the same only Rome according to her old overdoing and undoing Humour has added a few drops of the Spirits of Vitriol And yet the last Edition of ours at the Old Bayly re-assumes its former Title and calls it downright The Inquisition of Spain This Medicine is truly Soveraign it has the Probatum of thousands who being dead yet speak its answerableness to its primitive design to silence all disputes and stop the mouth of all gain-sayers when all is done there 's no Argument convinces so effectually as Stone-dead The wild-Irish themselves will believe their Enemy to be dead when his Head lies sever'd a Yard from his body But the Question will be still whether it will down with English-men for though they have good Beef Stomacks they want that of the Ostrich to digest Axes and Halters There 's no Question but it will go down well enough with them that give it but it needs the assistance of much Rhetorick to perswade them into a willingness of mind who are to take this wallowish potion If we could agree who should be persecuted there are enow could be content to be the persecutors and this is one of the greatest Quarrels That the Genius of this Nation as our Enquirer informs us is so couragious and withal so compassionate I am very glad to hear the one part so tender hearted that they will not inflict the other so tender Conscienced that they will endure what shall be so inâ—…icted rather then prostitute them to the lust and tyranny of men but then I must conclude that some of our Church-men are either no English-men or no Christians whose tender mercies have been Cruelties and whose compassions like Draco's Laws written in blood And I rejoyce to meet with these concluding words The exercise of so much cruelty upon the Account of Religion in Q Maries days hath made that profession detestable to this day and it looked so ill in the Romanists that we shall never be perswaded to practise it our selves Had we but now an exact Definition of Cruelty we should soon be satisfied whether the Enquirer would not perswade Another to it if not be perswaded to it himself None of the Romanists Expedients then will work this blessed Cure they are either Impracticable or come too late or are worse then the Disease or one mischief or another There are therefore three others which he will mention Universal Toleration Comprehension and Instruction and Consideration 1. The first is Universal Toleration But here the Doctors Man whom he sent a simpling was horribly mistaken And like Elisha's Servant whom he sent to gather good wholesome Pot-hearbs has imprudently pickt up your poysonous Colequintida An oversight that might have lost the Patient his Life Universal Toleration I have observed English Spirits to bear some secret Antipathy to these Universals They like not either Universal Bishop nor Universal Monarch nor Universal Grace nor Universal Admission nor this Universal Toleration But what if he had omitted This Universal in the Receipt There may be a Toleration of what is Tolerable whatever disturbs not the publick Peace whatever contradicts not the Scriptures the Creeds whatever crosses not the great ends of Religion whatever is peaceable holy humble just modest righteous though perhaps not Ceremonious This Corrected Toleration has been given with Admirable success in the primitive and purer times It fills up both pages in the Apologies of Iustin Martyr Athenagoraâ—… and Tertullian who pleaded for a Toleration of their Innocent profession It is the main ingredient in that famous Mass of Pillulae sine quibus esse nolo nay of Pillulae sine quibus esse nequeo The Scripture said the Enquirer just before has made it our Duty to consider one anothers weakness and practice mutual forbearance and what forbearance is without Toleration I do not understand Had the Imposing Spirit obtained in the Infancy of the Church they had saved the Heathens a labour and destroyed each other He might safely therefore in his Irenicon have used from a Scruple to a drachm of this Toleration 'T is the Herb Gratia Dei the great fraenum cholerae which Addulces the blood begets good Spirits restrains surley Humours and sweetens the Tempers of one Christian towards another 'T is not the opening 〈◊〉 Pantheon but not shutting up the Temple of the one true God not a licenciousness to blaspheme but a liberty to glorifie our Redeemer that we plead for 't is a priviledge that every one has a claim to That the Lives and Souls of them that have not wronged their Country may be secure in it If the
they will therefore we will never begin But though it be not yet done I know when it will be When God shall open the Eyes of Church men to see the things that belong to their Duty and the Curches peace when all our totterings and shakings shall have humbled us into more Condescension and Evangelical tenderness When men shall see it both their Interest and Duty to secure the Building by enlarging the foundation and that the security and stability of Society lies in the Close Union of the parts that the Beauty of a Church consists much in the amplifying of the fold Then will something of this nature be done for which all generations shall call the Authors Blessed 3. If then none of these Remedies be practicable what must the languishingh Patient do There is yet one thing more which is like those Cordials we use to drop into the Mouths of the dying to procure the old admired 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is Instruction or Information It 's pitty the poor Clinical Church should dye under so many hands and in the view of a whole shop of Medicines and therefore rather this then nothing which that it may be effectual it will be necessary to consider 1. Who are meet to give 2. Who ought to receive Instruction 3. From what grounds the instructions are to be setcht 4. What other means may possibly be administred § 1. It 's very considerable who are to be the Instructors and called into the Consultation for every one would be in the Chair and none willing to be Auditors The Brethren of the Episcopal perswasion having got the priviledge of Law take it for granted that they are the only persons meet for this service whereas if the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Dissenters should prove nearer to the prescript of Scripture no subsequent Law can possibly set it further off That which was better before the Ordinance of Man cannot be made worse by it Let therefore neither the one nor the other be the Instructers but let the Word of God Instruct both And this was the expedient of Constantine the Great at the opening the Council of Nice He did not turn the Scale by his Authority but delivers himself thus impartially to the wrangling factions All seditions Contention set aside says he let us discuss the things in Controversie by the testimony of the divinely inspired Scriptures as we are informed from the Cath Moderator And it was Austin's great reserve when he was pressed with the inartificial Argument of Authority Ne audiantur haec verba Ergo dico tu dicis sed quid dicit Dominus Tell not me what you say any more then I tell you what I say but let us both hearken to what God shall speak Quod enim as Hierom de sacris Scripturis non habet authoritatem eâdem facilitate contemnitur quaÌ„ proponitur Whatsoever is not grounded upon the Scriptures may with as much case be slighted as 't is urged § 2. It s material too who are to be instructed It 's presumed by our Enquirer that the Dissenters alone want a word of Advice they only are Crooked but whatever they want as they will submit to and be thankful for wholesome Counsel so they conceive a word of Instruction will be necessary another way When the Non-conformists are come to the End of their Tedder when Conscience will suffer them to Advance not one step further Others will need an Use of Instruction too to go to the End of theirs such Instruction as this of our Enquirers The Creditor can give his Debtor whom he laid fast in Ludgate Truly Friend You have been reputed a discreet person I wonder at you and so do all that know you that you will be so little a Friend to your case so obstinate against liberty as to lye reezing your self in a smoakie hole you ought to submit your private judgement to that of the generality of mankind who with one voice agree that the fresh Air is much sweeter then this nasty Lodging How much more proper had it been to have expostulated with this Cruel Creditor Sir The poor man has paid you all he has he is not worth a groat more in all the world you may have his skin but flesh he has none shew now your Charity and since he cannot release himself but you may shew your Charity The Dissenters say this is their Case they cannot come up to the propounded conditions without sin the Imposers may abate of the Conditions without sin and therefore they are the proper Subjects of Instruction Indeed I find the Non-conformists very shy in charging the Terms to be sinful they are loath to speak a word that may be interpreted any reflection upon the Church and therefore commonly insist upon other pleas but when Importunity shall extort it from them they must deal liquidly and assert that they cannot do these things and sin against God thereby § 3. From what grounds will this Instructer draw his Instructions I do the rather propound it because I meet with great variety of them some say Master save they self and to this they answer my Scul is my self and if the Soul be lost the man is lost Others cry oh be very tender of Peace and they reply yes and a little of Truth too Others exclaim you will bring in Popâ—…y And they return we did not make the Terms of Communion They that speak thus are more Zealous to keep us out then Popery The Arguments then must be drawn from such heads as are agreeable to the fixed Scripture principles of those that come under instruction Otherwise the Advice is no more but this Come over to our party and there will be Peace why so there will reply the Dissenters if you come all over to ours or to any third party There would be a Peace an ill Cemented ill grounded one and such as upon every occasion would breâ—…k out in a more desperate Rupture § 4. It 's very considerable what this Gentleman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Instruction should prove Addle For if neither a well â—…tressed Toleration cramped down soundly with wholesome Lawâ—… nor yet a due Comprehension will be admitted The condition of Dissenters would yet be supportable if they might be kept to this wholesome Kitchin Physick of Instruction But his Instructions look very like those of Spain who use to exhort and instruct the poor wrâ—…tches caught in the Iron Claws of the Inquisition to be pittiful to their Souls not to throw away their Lives and presently shut up their last words with the flames What the Operation of this Instruction may be I cannot tell but the Dissenters I perceive have their last propositions sent in and the next is Escalado for he tells us p. 214. That if they will not be instructed he sees no Obligation upon the Magistrate to forbear to make or execute such Laws as he apprehends for the good of his Government so that after
determined by power from God ten thousand such may be determined and then our misery will be this that though our burden be intolerable yet we can have no cause to complain but with Issachar must patiently â—…ouch down under it 3. If Circumstances besides their Natural Adhesion to an Act have any Morality ascribed to them as if they render'd an act of Religion either better or worse none is vested with power to impose them nor any with a Liberty to use them Because we ought not to make Gods Worship worse and we are sure we cannot make it better then he has made it 4. In those cases where God has vested any with a power of determination it ought to be made clear that they who pretend to the power have a commission to show for it because liberty is a thing so precious that none ought to be deprived of it without good Reason and this is the Task which our Enquirer will in the last place undertake for us 4 If Circumstantials says he must be determined or no Society And God hath made no such determination what remains but that man must And then who fitter then our Governours who best understand the Civil Policy and what will suit therewith and with the Customs and inclinations of the people under their Charge In which notable Thesis two things call for examination his â—…ssertion and the Reason of it § 1. His assertion That none is fitter to Determine Circumâ—…antials then our Governours Where 1. We must suppose that he understands Civil Governours or else his Reason will bear no proportion to his assertion 2. Let it be observed that it 's no â—…eat or however no killing matter to the Non-conformists 〈◊〉 their Cause who it is that Determines meer Circumstanâ—…als for they are things of a higher Nature then these about which the Controversy is if some mens Interest would 〈◊〉 them see it 3. Seeing that the Determination of such â—…eer Circumstances in some cases is matter of meer trouble in some cases impossible for the Civil Magistrate to determine them I am confident they will not be displeased if Reason dischargâ—…s them of so useless a burden As time in General is a Circumstance concreated with every Humane Action so with every command and obligation to duty there is a Concreated Command and obligation to determine of some time wherein to discharge that duty And hence it must unavoidably follow That to whomsoever God has immediately and directly given a Command to worship his Great and holy Name to them he has immediately and directly at the same time ipso facto given a Concurrent Command to determine of all those circumstances which are necessary to the executing of that Command Thus if God has obliged every Individual person to Pray he has therewith commanded him to single cut and set apart some time wherein to put up his supplications to God Thus also If God has directly and immediately Commanded every particular Church to worship him jointly and publickly he has also by virtue of that Command enjoyn'd them to agree upon a time to celebrate and solemnize that worship Now this Command is so straightly bound upon the Consciences of all Churches that though none should determine for them nay though all should Determine against them yet are they under it's authority and must come to an issue about it unless they will draw the guilt of the neglect of worshipping God upon their souls with that wrath which is due to so great contempt of the Divine Law Now that every particular Church has a direct Command to worship God and by consequence to determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the worship is evident from this one Consideration that they all did so in obedience to the authority of Christ in his word whilst all Civil Governours were so far from Determining the Circumstances that they determined against the substance The Gracious God has now made some of the Kings of the earth Nursing-fathers to his Churches but yet we cannot believe that the Churches power is less under her Fathers then it was oâ—…der those Bloody Persecutors And if this power be lodged in the Civil Magistrate and he have no rule to Direct him about the when and where what a miserable case would the Churches be in if he should never determine these Circumstances without which the Churches can never worship God For thus proceeds his Argument No publick worship can be Performed without the Determination of some Circumstances as time for one and place for another But God has determined none of these Circumstances therefore unless some other Determination be made besides what God has made no publick worship can be performed Again If some other determination must be made besides what God has made then it must be made by man but some other determination must be made besides what God hath made therefore it must be made by man Again If a determination of circumstantials must be made by Man then by the Civil Magistrate But a determination must be made by man therefore by the Civil Magistrate from whence it will be easy to Argue That if a Magistrate will not determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the publick Worship of God there can be no publick worship but when the Magistrate is an enemy to the Christian Religion he will never determine of those circumstances which are necessary to the publick Worship of God Therefore when the Magistrate proves an enemy to the Christian Religion there can be no publick Worship of God Nay there ought to be none And it will hold against the Protestants worship where the Magistrate is a severe Romanist Now though it be true that the Command to Worship God publickly be directly and immediately given to the Church yet seeing every Church is in the Commonwealth as a part of it and that every soul therein ought to be subject to the higher powers and because the peace of a Nation is not a little concern'd in the prudent or disorderly management of publick assemblies and seeing that the chief Magistrate is the Vicegerent and great Minister of God to preserve the peace that this lower world may not be too like a Hell therefore has he a very great concern herein Ne quid Reâ—…ublica detrimenti capiat And therefore if any Church shall chuse such unseasonable times or places as may give just occasion of jealousy that some mischief is hatching against the Government he may prohibit them that suspected place time or other jealous Circumstance and command them to elect some more convenient and in offensive ones That so Religion may be cleared the Magistrates heart 〈◊〉 the peâ—… secured only it seems reasonable to assert 1. That the Magistrates power herein is but Indirect and in order to peace and that the Christian Church had such power to determine all such circumstances before ever Magistrates owned Christianity 2. That the Magistrates power seems not to extend
is their real Glory Baptismal water may be had a thousand times cheaper then the Popes Holy water shall that be it's crime when 't is a thousand times more useful 2 Nor are we to judge that God lays little stress upon his institutes because he does not immediately avenge the contempt and neglect of them upon the Violaters And yet such is the unworthiness of Reprieved sinners that they have formed one of their strongest Arguments for the Continuance of Corruptions in Gods worship because he breaks not out upon them with present Destructions 8. Eccles. 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil whereas 1. Such an Argument would equally conclude that God lays very little stress upon Murder Idolatry Sacriledg nay Schism itself 2. God will find a time soon enough to reckon with all those who bolster up themselves in these presumptions and take an unworthy occasion to be therefore Bad because God is so Good All the threatnings that are upon Record will certainly find out and lay hold on the Despisers of his sacred institutions And who to Accommodate their Doctrines to the Genius of the age and humour the People with a Religion agreable to their Customs must remember 5. Math. 29. whosoever shall break one of the least of Christs Commandements and teach men so shall be called lease in the Kingdom of Heaven 3. God has not left himself without a witness that he is a Iealous God in the matters of instituted worship for though Nadad and Abihu might plead that it was a small matter a meer trifle what fire they used so long as they kept close to the substance of the Command yet God let them know that he that offers strange fire to the Lord may be consumed with strange fire from the Lord And under the state of the Gospel he has given such evidence of his displeasurâ—… herein as may justly Alarm us out of our security 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep 3 We are not to conceive that God lays very little stress upon his institutions because we see a prophane and contemptuous generation of men lay little weight on them except it be a Load of Reproach and contumely for this were to measure God by the world as those prophane wretches did 50. Ps. 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self As we must not think that God appretiates whatever men set a high value upon so neither are we to judge that he disesteems any thing because it 's grown out of fashion and thereby exposed to contempt by the Atheistical wits of Mercenary writers Our Saviour has told us 16. Luke 15. That what is highly esteemed amongst Men is Abomination in the sight of God And on the other side what is of high account in the sight of God may be depretiated by men If any of Christs institutions seem necessary to be broken it will be first necessary to decry them as poor low inconsiderable Circumstantials and then to fill the peoples heads with a Noice and dinâ—… That Christ lays little stress on them and in order hereto to call them the Circumstantials the Accidentals the minutes the Punctilio's and if need be the Petty-Johns of Religion that Conscience may not kicke at the contemning of them 4 Nor may we conclude that God lays little stress on his positive Laws because he is ready upon unfeigned repentance to pardon the violation of them for thus we might conclude also that he laid little stress upon Murder and Adultery in that â—…oon as David had said I have sinned against the Lord the Prophet delivers him a sealed pardon The Lord hath also put away thy sin then shalt not Dye 2. Sam. 12. 13. 5 Nor yet ought we to form such conclusions that God lays little stress upon his positive precepts because he lays a greater stress upon moral precepts in themselves As it would be an injury to conclude that any Church lays little weight upon the observation of the Lords day because when one of its own instituted festivals is coincident with that Day the ordinary service thereof gives place to the proper service of that festival when all that can possibly by the wit of man be inferred thence is but this that the Church may have a Less respect for the one then the other so would it be injurious to conclude That God has very little respect to his own institutions because he may suspend their exercise pro hic nunc rather then the duties imperated by a Moral precept Mint Anise and Cumine are inconsiderable things compared with the weightier matters of the Law judgment Mercy and Faith and yet our Saviour tells them 23. Math. 23. These ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone 6 As absurd would it be to conclude that God lays little stress upon positives because he disrespeâ—…s the performance of a duty in Hypocrisy for at this rate we may conclude that he lays little upon preaching his word 50 Ps. 1â—… What hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy Mouth seeing thou hatest instruction And the Consequence is as Natural that God Regards not prayer because he hears not the petition of him that regards Iniquity in his heart 66. Ps. 18. And that the prayer of him that turns away his ear from hearing the Law is an Abomination 28. Prov. 9. 7 Nor may we gather that God makes little account of a positive precept because he sometimes sees Reason to indulge the omission of its practise for a season What weight he laid upon Circumcision is well known that he threatned excision to the Malechild that was uncircumcised at eight days old And yet for fourty years in the wilderness the Act of circumcising was suspended for the Acts of an Affirmative moral praecept may be forborn for some time by our own prudence and much more and longer by divine warrant and yet the precept itself all the while stand firm in Gods regard and in full force power strength and virtue to us 8 We are not to conclude that God lays little stress upon an Institution because he sometimes commands an Act which were it not for that particular and special Command would by virtue of a General Command be a most horrid impiety Thus God laid a great stress upon Killing much greater upon a fathers Killing a child and yet greater upon offering Humane Blood in sacrifice And yet he commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only Son and by his Command made that most acceptable and rewardable service which otherwise had been most abominable to the Divine Majesty To borrow and not to pay again is one of the Characters of a wicked person 37. Ps. 21. And yet God by
his special Command authorised the Israelites to borrow of the Egyptians Iewels of silver and jewels of Gold with no intent I am perswaded to repay them either use or principal God is the soveraign and Absolute Legislatour who may suspend rescind alter his own Laws at pleasure and yet he has said such a stress upon the meanest of them that no Man may nor any man but the Man of sin dares presume to dispense with them much less to dispense against them 9 Nor are we to think that God lays little stress upon a Commandement because he little regards those observances which superstition folly Tradition Custom have ascribed to it which were never comprehended in it yet such is the process of our Enquirers Arguments He instances in some superstitious Additament to the Command which God never required and thence concludes very learnedly that God lays very little stress upon the Command let him therefore have leave to infer God laid little weight upon the observation of the Sabbath day because the supperstitious Jews were halter'd with an erroneous opinion that they were bound tamely to sit still and offer their Naked throats to their enemies Naked swords upon that day which folly indeed God little regarded 2 Whence then ought we to take the measures of that stress God lays upon his institutions 1 The true measure of that respect which God has for a Commandment is to be taken by us from the Authority of God If the thing be small yet we are to regard his authority in it for this God regards And therefore he has back't of old both the positive and the Moral precepts with this I am the Lord and the greatest Instances of his Royal Praerogative are given us in those Mandates which have only his soveranig pleasure to recommend them to our observance 2 The measure of that regard God has to an institution is to be taken from the greatness of that glory which we give him in our obedience The great tryal of our sincerity and subjection to God lies in giving Deference to his will as the Rule and Reason of our obedience and then do we recognize his Absolute power to dispose of us when his will whatever be the Reason of it is the Reason of our Compliance Thus Abraham gave God the greatest testimony of inward Honour when he praepared himself to sacrifice his only Son upon his only Command 3 We may take the measure also of the weight of a Command from its designed usefulness to his great ends for seeing the smallest and seemingly weakest of his injunctions are attended with his blessing upon the Holy and due use thereof we are thence to instruct our selves in the weight and worth of it The Enquirer tells us from Maimonides that there were some things in the Iewish Law that were primae intentionis such as God required for themselves as being intrinsically good others that were secundae intentionis only required for the sake of and in order to the former Now his own judgment herein he acquaints us with in these words The first kind that were essentially good were absolutely necessary and could never be otherwise such we call Moral duties the latter kind were of so indifferent a Nature as thâ—… they might not only not have been commanded but also insome cases having been Commanded they may not be a duty but either he or his Mr. Maimonides are quite out For. 1. The Acts of Affirmative moral praecepts may in some cases become no duties the Command it self abiding in it's full force yet none will say that God lays little stress upon the Acts of affirmative Moral precepts Thus the Acts of affirmative positive precepts may become no duty yet none can say that God lays little stress upon the Acts of obedience to a positive precept 2. If this wil prove that God lays little stress upon positives because they are required only for the sake of and in order to the former Then it will evince that God lays little stress upon all the means which he has appointed for his great ends for the means as they are means are only valuable for the sake of and in order to the end 4 What stress God lays upon his positive precepts we may judge from those severitiis which God has threatned against and sometimes executed upon the Violaters of them It was for the violation of a Ceremonial Law the eating of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil that God ejected Adam out of Paradise It was for the neglect of a Ceremonial affirmative Command that the Lord sought to kill Moses 4. Ex. 24. And yet he had this to plead that he was upon a journey and about Gods Errand It was matter of meer institution that was the Israelites security against the Destroying Angel 12 Exod viz. The sprinkling the blood of the Paschal Lamb upon the lintle and posts of the dore That many do escape Gods vengeance at present notwithstanding their not obeying what God has instituted and instiâ—…uting what God has not commanded will prove the admirableness of Gods forbearance towards them who turn this grace into Lasciviousness and embolden themselv's to sin from his patience but not in the least that he lays little stress upon his own precepts whereof he will find a time to satisfy the Sons of men from whence § 1. It follows That he argues himself a pittiful Sophister who concludes the least Command may be broken because God turns not men to hell as oft as 't is broken § 2. He proves himself a notorious Hyprocite that from either Gods grace in waiting or pardoning shall encourage himself in sinning And flatter his soul that he may curse God and live when the Devil was more modest to suggest curse God and dye § 3. Whosoever shall openly preach this Doctrine that God lays little stress upon the Circumstantials of Religion has open'd a floodgate to let in a Deluge of prophaness upon the world for seeing no Command of God is small in respect of the Authority of the Law-giver which is the formal Reason of our obedience 〈◊〉 that Law so no Command of God will be Great but that Command paramount de non-separandâ—… And then if every command that is less then another may be said to have little stress laid on it seeing there is such a Gradation in the weightiness this is in order to that and that for another there will but few perhaps but one of which it may not be said God lays very little stress on them § 4. Although the Acts of positive Commands may give place to the Acts of Moral precepts when both cannot consist yet when ever we can possibly perform both we can omit neither without sin § 5 To forbear the practise of an affirmative precept when Circumstances do not conspire is no violation of such a precept Though no evil may at any time be done yet some good may at some time be forborn § 6. In all Laws
practise and they may deny it too when they have done whithout fear of self-contradiction or danger of entrenching upon the Magistrates Authority For. 1. What must we understand by interposing If I might freely deliver my own private opinion It 's lawful nay expedient nay necessary that he interpose or else I am affraid his poor dissenting subjects will be worried to death But they who plead so Zealously for his Interposing when that interposition is not tempered to their good liking make the vault of Heaven echo again with their clamours that the Distressed Church is quite undone In a word if Church-men will be Determining one thing after another that we can see no end New subscriptions New oaths new jests New Ceremonies superconformity to the Canon above Law and practise above Canon what will become of the simplehearted Laicks if a vigilant and prudent Prince do not interpose and timously determine upon their Determinations 2. I now utterly despair of understanding his Meaning of Circumstantials A word that has run through as many shapes as are in all Ovid's Metamorphosis And amongst all the pleasant stories in that ingenious Romance I remember one that the Reader will not condemn for impertinent There was one Ezisichthon whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and extream voracious stomack had no other supply at last but from one Daughter now this Madamolselle you must know had a singular faculty to transform her self into any shape she pleased once he sold her for a round summe and she came trotting or ambling home again for she had all her paces in the shape of a bonny filly Another time he sold her and received his money honestly for her and she came home in the shape of a Milckcowe Such another ambiguous versatile Creature is this Circumstantial If we should say the Magistrate has no power to Determine Circumstantials presently he 's o th' top o th' House what an obstinate generation are those Fanaticks What will you not allow your Prince to appoint where you shall assemble for your publick worship of God must he have no concern in time and place in order to the securing of the Peace yes yes Sir withal our hearts and we shall be heartily glad on 't humbly thankful for it and honestly proud on 't too and I would â—…e could preavail with our Enquirer to be our Sollicitour to procure us a Determination of those Circumstantials well then says he you agree the Magistrate may Determine Circumstantials but such are the Ceremonies and now you are in a cloos get out again how you can 3. Therefore he should have resolved plainly whether the Magistrates Commission extends to the Determination of all or only some certain Circumstances and my Reasons are these 1. If he have not a Commission to Determine All then the question will Recurr whether it reaches those under Debate for thus he Argues Circumstantials may be Determined by the Magistrate But Ceremonies are Circumstantials Therefore Ceremonies may be Determined by the Magisâ—…rate Now if the Major in this Syllogism be not universal the Syllogism is peccant in forme If it be then deprecating the Displeasure of those whom we truly Honour in the Lord and for the Lord we humbly deny it All Circumstantials may not be Determined by the Magistrate for 2. Christ has already Determined of some Circumstantials and whoever makes it one it 's no Question with me that no power on earth can undetermine or otherwise determine what God has already fore determined 3. There are some Circumstantials which cannot profitably and therefore not Lawfully receive an universal and uniform Determination 4. Because if all undetermined Circumstances may be Determined in their use the life of Man may be made the most wretched miserable and undesirable thing in the world and he had as gooâ—… preach that other more eligible and more edifying Doctrine Ita de te literam longam facito for where should the most caâ—…telous foot tread besides a snare and such is the Condition of superstitious Papists whose consciences are perpetually perplexed with endless scrupulosities about those minutes which the Church has made sin which else had been as Innocent in offensive things as a piece of powdred Beef and Turneps Now for the proof of this Doctrine he tells us It has been 〈◊〉 fully and substantially done by the incomparable Hugo Grotius and by a late eminent Divine of this Church that it 's enough to referr the Reader to them Indeed he must be an incomparable Person that can write Substantialy about Circumstantials but I confess I do not build much either upon the Authority or Reasonings of the otherwise incomparable Hugo ever since I read his dangerous discourse Lib. 1. cap. 4. § 13. de jure B. P. Si rex habeat partem Imperii partem alteram Populus 〈◊〉 Senatus Regi in partem non-suam in volanti vis justa oppon poterit quia eatenus Imperium non habet Quod locun habere sentio etiamsi dictum sit Belli potestatem penes Regemfore id enim de Bello exterâ—…o intelligendum est cun alioqui quisquis partem summi Imperii habeat non possit nor jus habere eam partem tuendi quod ubi fit potest etiam Rex suam Imperii partem Belli Jure Amittere that is If King hath one part of the soveraign Power and the People or Senâ—… the other part If the King shall invade that part which is none of hâ—… own just resistance may be made against him because so farr 〈◊〉 hath no Authâ—…rity at all which I judge to hold true although it 〈◊〉 said That the power of making warr is in the King for that must be understood of a forrain warr whenas otherwise whoever has a share in the soveraignty cannot but have also Authority to Defend that share which when it so falls out the King may lose by the right of warr his own share of the soveraignty Here is dangerous Doctrine enough to Cure me of my Ambition of ever being a Hugonoâ—… As for that late eminent Divine of this Church who has so convincingly asserted this power I cannot divine who it should be unless perhaps that Longwinded Author with whose eluoubrations some are resolved to vex the Fanatics though they never read him themselves And therefore leving these voluminous Authors to scold it out with their own Mouths let us attend to the enquirers more concise Reasonings 1 It 's certain says he that Magistrates had once such a power in the Circumstantials of Religion and that in the old Testament It is certain indeed that they had a power not only in the Circumstantials but the substantials of Religion all the Question is whether they had such a power as he pleads for And if they had it then whether they had it jure Regio or Prophetico whether in their own Right as Kings or by Delegation in some extraordinary case from God § 1. The Prince might have nay he had a power to
hideous Monster would a Schismatick be did Churches keep to these Terms but his Limitation retracts all this again And such other not contradictory to them as Publick wisdom peace and Charity shall dictate and recommend Now you have it Thus the Crane most courteously invited the Few to Dinner but fitted him with such Terms of Communion that unless he could stretch his neck as long as hers he shall have his belly full of nothing but hunger Esurire licet gustare non licet It minds me of the Story of Sanctius the King of Arragon's Brother who marching against the Saracens diverted himself a while at Rome the Bountiful Pope who is always prodigal of what costs him nothing causes him to be proclaimed Sanctius by the grace of God King of Egypt c. The noyse of Trumpets calls him to the Belcony and he askes what was the matter He was answered that his Holiness had presented him with the Entire Kingdom of Egypt Presently he commands his own Trumpetters to go and salute the Pope in requital Caliph of Baldach Thus has the Enquirer gratified us with an empty Concession which by his Retractation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall not need to observe to the Reader the Egregious folly of such Propositions We are not bound to the Laws of Moses i. e. as Terms of Communion nor any other but such other That is we had been free but that we are in bondage Negatives are infinite and under that one word such other we may be pester'd with more then those Nice Laws of Moses For. 1. Who can tell what publick wisdom may Determine The publick wisdom of Italy and Spain has introduced such a Lumber of those other Terms as hath eaten out almost all Religion with the Divertisements of Iudaical Paganical whimsical Constitutions The publick wisdom of Abassia has introduced Circumcision it self and no thanks to these Principles or the Discourses of Erastian Novellists that the case is better with us 2 Peace and Charity require no other Terms then those plain ones laid down in the Gospel Charity teaches us not to lay stumbling blocks in the way of those that would come towards the Church Peace requires us to unite upon Christs own Terms But the Name of Peace is often used to destroy the thing so Austin of old Ecclâ—…siae nomine Armamini contra Ecclesiam Dimicatis Thus are we gogled to part with our Christian Liberty for Peace when as the parting with the Ceremonies would secure both Peace Charity and Christian Liberty 3. It 's very Childish to put the determination of those other Terms of Communion upon the Tresviri Publick wisdom peace and Charity For what if they accord not in their votes about the Terms what if perhaps Publick wisdom should clash with Charity Charity should say I will have no Terms of Communion that may exclude Persons of honest hearts though weaker Intellectuals but publick wisdom should contend for some other intercalated conditions which may render Divine Institutions more August and solemn 4. No publick wisdom can possibly Determine upon those other Terms in a way that shall secure the Interests of Charity nor in what cases I am bound for her sake to restrain my self in the use of my Christian Liberty For the prudent admeasurement between my Christian Liberty and my Charity to my Christian Neighbour depends upon the view of the particular Circumstances of time place Persons which cannot come under the prospect of publick wisdom Suppose a Command were given forth from publick wisdom that I should at such a time and in such a place drive a Coach with violenee down the High-way and when I come to execute this Command I find multitudes of little Children playing in that High-way the Circumstance of these Persons was not foreseen by publick wisdom must that therefore take place of my Charity to destroy the lives of these little ones or my Charity submit to publick wisdom and fall pell mell in amongst them Our Saviour has Commanded us not to offend any of his little â—…nes telling me that if I do It were better that a Milstone were hang'd about my neck and I east into the sea publick wisdom may perhaps command me to do something not sinful in it self but when I come to Obey I find evidently it must scandalize them I refer it to Charity peace and prudence to determine this case between them § 2. His second generous Concession is There lyes now no more bonds upon the Consciences of Christians then did upon the Ancient Patriarches saving those improvements our Saviour has made upon the Law of Nature and those few positive institutions of his expresly set down in the Gospel And what a blessed day were it with the Christian world if we might see this made good This would shut out of doors all those Ianus Articles penn'd by wise Reconcilers to perswade the combating Parties first to shake hands and then to fall more suriously to Cudgels This would shut out of doors all Humane impositions forestalling our Communion with the Christian Church But now Mark the Retractation And that men obeying these are at liberty to conform to whatsoever Common Reason Equity and publick Authority shall impose Had he not turn'd wrong at the Hedge Corner it should have follow'd thus And that men obeying these are at Liberty to enjoy all the Priviledges of the Gospel But. 1. Is not this a broad contradiction that there 's no more bonds upon our Consciences then upon the Patriarchs and yet we are bound to submit to those other terms imposed by publick authority That is we are at Libâ—…rty upon their Terms but only for one thing that we are not at Liberty upon their Terms And we may serve God as cheap as they but that we must serve him at dearer rates Did Abraham receive the Modes of worshipping God from Gerar or the Terms of serving God from Egypt and yet those Kings where he sojourned were friendly and extended their Royal bounty to him 2. We are at Liberty to conform to whatsoever common Reason Equity and publick authority shall impose At Liberty 〈◊〉 conform but are we at Liberty not to conform if comâ—… Reason oppose publick Determinations It 's an idle thing 〈◊〉 put the determination of my Liberty upon Reason Equity and authority unless we were assured they should always agree which yet in some Countries may not be till the secular Games or the Greek Calends 3. This is in effect to say that if we obey what Christ commands us we are at Liberty to give away our Liberty in all the rest whereas our Liberty was given us not to give it away at a clap but to dispense it in parcels as weak Christianâ—… have occasions to borrow of us § He concedes yet further for Liberality grows upon his good Nature Our Christian enfranchisement discharges us not only from a necessity of observing the Law of Moses and the Rites of Iudaism but further and
did attend Can. 8. We recommending not commanding to the serious consideration of all good people The doing reverence and obeissance at their coming in and going out of the Churches Chancels and Chappels in the practise or omission of which Rite they desire that the Rule of Charity prescribed by the Apostle may be observed That they which use this Rite despise not them which use is not and that they who use is not condemn not those that use it Which Rule was it applied to all other matters of the like nature would undoubtedly preserve what of Love is left and recover that measure of Christian amity which is lost Peace may be had under differing notions about indifferent things and peace must be had under differing practises suitable to those differing notions not by screwing up the weak to the Latitude which the strong allows himself nor by pulling down the strong to the narrow practises wherein the weak are confined but by the strong Christians not despising the weak and the weak Christians not judging his more grown and stronger Brother v. 4. The Apostle gives a Reason against this uncharitable judgment who art thou that judgest another mans servant every Christian as to his Conscience is Alieni fâ—…ri the Servant of God And if he be summon'd before a forreign Tribunal may plead It is Coram non Iudice To his own Master be standeth or falleth v. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind The things before us may perhaps be indifferent in themselves but yet if we have not a full assurance that they are so we are bound to suspend our act For as our rejoycing must be in our selves and not in another so must our satisfaction 'T is not the clearness of a practise in anothers mind that will warrant my acting I must be fully satisfied in my own mind v. 13. The Apostle lays down an excellent Rule for the prudent restraint of our Christian Liberty Let us not therefore judge one another but let every man judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way If my Christian Liberty will warrant me to act yet Christian Charity will teach me to moderate my self in the use of that liberty when such acting would occasion the sin of him that is not so perswaded of the Lawfulness of my fact which is to be limited to things of this nature whereof he treats namely things indifferent for if my Brother will be offended at what God has made my duty there 's no remedy but that he lay aside his unjust offence and not that I lay aside my necessary duty v. 15. The Apostle gives a Reason of his former Rule If thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat then walkest thou not charitably And much more if he be scandalized and drawn into sin Is it not a most unchristian humour to insist so peremptorily upon doing because in it self Lawful when Charity countermands that doing and therefore 't is unlawful in the use Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed surely thou hast little value for a soul redeemed by the blood of Christ if thou wilt for a sorry indifferent thing hazard its eternal damnation our liberty to act must stand out of the way when a Brothers soul comes in place v. 19. Let us follow the things that make for peace and the things that may edify one another Here we have another Rule for the restraint of our liberty in things indifferent When the using my liberty would disturb the peace of the Church I must cease to act for the strong may forbear what he judges Lawful and yet the weak cannot do what he judges sinful And therefore to the strong he speaks thus v. 22. Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God Art thou perswaded such a thing is Lawful notwithstanding the many violent presumptions of others of it's sinfulness keep thy judgment to thy self trouble not the Church with thy Orations let thy disputing talent yeeld to the weak judgment of others But to the weak he speaks thus v. 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin All this while here 's not one syllable of restraining Christian Liberty by the Authority of another by outward force and violence all must be determined by a Christians own Prudence as moved by the edification of anothers Charity to his soul and the peace of the community not a word to consult my own secular advantage and emolument Not a letter that Conscience Christian Liberty private wisdom my own Reason must be impressed to militate under the command and conduct of the publick wisdom the publick Reason or the publick Conscience That is therefore the thing which he must bring about by sorrâ—…e lincks of consequences some trains of deductions And he advances towards his conclusion by winding staires that we may be lead seniâ—… sine sensu to the top of his matter to the height of his design without taking notice of our ascent and the whole contrivance of this Chapter lyes in the Dexterous management of this one Engine 1 His first Postulatum is this That Christian Liberty doth consist in a freedom in utramque pray do not mistake him that is that antecedently to the Considerations of prudence peace and charity it 's equally in the power of a Christian to do or not to do any or all those things that are not expresly forbidden by the H. Scriptures Very good Then I will assume But to love God with all my heart and soul and strength is one of those things which God hath not expresly forbidden in the H. Scripture Therefore antecedently to the Considerations of prudence peace and charity It 's in the power of a Christian to love or not to love God with all his heart and that Christian Liberty consists in this freedom in utramque I am not so uncharitable as to think that the Enquirer owns this conclusion or that any principle he holds will inferr it All I note it for is to evince to him that he has worded his matters besides his onw intention and that he intended really to have said That Antecedently to the Considerations of prudence charity it 's equally in the power of a Christian to do or not to do any or all those things that are not expresly forbidden by nor contradict the express Laws of the Scriptures And taking the words according to the presumption of his meaning and not the Letter I say 1. Here 's something more then Truth That Christian Liberty gives us a power to do what is not expresly forbidden many things are forbidden by consequence which are not expresly forbidden I pray shew me an express prohibition to recognize the Popes Supremacy To subscribe the Tridentine Decrees And if this be part of the Enquirers Christian Liberty to do what is not expresly forbidden I hope he
it is so pragmatical as to meddle with those Actions whereas all that Conscience Dictates as a Counsellour â—…ll that Conscience Determines as a Iudge is in the Name of the supream and soveraign Iehovah 4. Jam. 12. There 's one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy and who are thou that judgest another 14. Rom. 4. Who art thou that judgest another mans Servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth § 3. His Description seems very lame in that he makes the whole employment of Conscience to be reflection whereas 't is in it's Commission to Dictate before the fact as well as to reflect upon the fact It teaches what we ought to do as well as enquires and examines whether we have done well or no And such a faiture will expose us to great mistakes in this case as that we are not bound to examine the Lawfulness of our work before we act but to rush Headlong upon the precipices of dubious and suspected things and examine them afterwards at leasure Whereas the Apostle condemns the Gentiles especially that they knew before such and such things to be evil and worthy of Death and yet not only did those things but took pleasure in those that did them 1 Rom. 32. Of such a Conscience as this he will certainly make a proportionable emprovement For scarcely says he any man that says his Conscience is incontrollable will say his own Opinion or Reason is the ultimate Rule of his actions Truly I believe so nor any man neither that says his Conscience is Controllable except he be out of his senses for I would sainbe in formed what an ultimate Rule signifies with him that pretends to speak plain English to them that understand nothing else I have heard of a subordinate and ultimate End And I have heard also of a near and a Remote Rule but an ultimate Rule like that Monster which was like a horse and yet not a horse is like sense but in truth very Non-sense All that we affirm of Conscience as 't is a Rule is no more but this That it is the next and immediate Guide and Director of our Actions And that the mind of God however notified to us is the next and immediate Governour or Director of Conscience That as nothing can possibly intervene between the Command of Conscience and the will and executive power in Man so nothing can possibly interpose between the Authority of God and the Conscience and both these are expresly owned by the above mentioned learned Person Dr. S. 1. That God is the immediate Controller of Conscience by his word and will revealed to us Conscience says he is Gods most immediate Deputy for the ordering the life and ways of men 2. That Conscience is the immediate Rule of our Actions The will of Man says he should conform it self to the judgment of the practique understanding as to it 's proper and immediate Rule And such were once the Notions of that great Man when he is professedly pleading the cause of Conformity which had never been waved but that wise men are aware the cause not to be tenable if Conscience be not made a piece of Non-sense whose Nature and Office are therefore inconsiderable because unintelligible But some wise men or other it seems have formed a parcel of objections or else he has formed them to their hands which hâ—… will answer and then suppose himself victorious 1 Objection Allowing Conscience to be nothing but the mind of Man yet even so it 's subject to no humane Laws for as much as no Man can force me to think otherwise then I do nor Compel me to be of his opinion in the inward sence of my mind my mind therefore or Conscience is only obnoxious to God To which he Replies The answer to this is easy for since my mind is not insallible I may and must have something to guide my mind and that is it which we call Law To which I rejoin That this is an easy but not a satisfactory answer For. 1. The Remedy is not proportionable to the disease For if the Reason why my mind must have something else to guide it be because the mind is not infallible the same Reason will informe us to have recourse to a better guide then that which he calls Law because Humane Laws are not infallible It will mend the matter but sorrily to take me of from one fallible guide and send me to another 2. Since the mind of man is thus fallible and there is a necessity that it have something else to guide it in it's determinations God has provided an infallible directory in his word in all things concerning his immediate Worship and that is it which we call the Law of God 3. But if the mind of Man be fallible in it's Directions as well as Humane Laws It 's safer to be guided by that which God has made my next Director though fallible then by that which being also fallible he has not made so God has constituted Conscience the next and immediate Counsellour to my will the next and immediate Deputy under himself and therefore to erre with a Humane Canon against the voice of Conscience is to despise and contemn the Authority of God in whose Name it speaks whereas to erre with my Conscience against an Humane Decrre is but a part of that frailty to which all imperfect Creatures are obnoxious 4. Nor is it universally true what he says that the Law of Man morally obliges to follow it's Directions that is it will be my sin if I do not for it may be my sin if I do obey in some cases as well as my sin if I do not in others at least the Apostles were of this opinion 4. Act. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken to you more then God judge ye Whatever inconveniences therefore shall â—…rise from an absolute resignation either to the Laws of men or to our own minds directed by natural light we have the infallible word of God which is a light to our feet and a Lamp to our paths for the guidance of our particular Actions 2. Object But we are beund to obey the Dictates of our mind or Conscience before any Law or Command of any humane Authority if they happen to interfere He replies It 's true in things notoriously and plainly evil But where those the Law of God or Reason are silent there the Law of the Magistrate is the Immediate Rule of my Conscience and then to contradict that is to affront the Publick Tribunal with a private Consistory c. To which I Rejoin § That he has given away his whole cause by this one Concession That a higher Law of God or Reasen may make a nullity in the Law of the Magistrate for if Reason in any case may make such a nullity it must either be the publick Reason or the private Reason If the former then it amounts to no more then
this goodly maxime that the Magistrates Reason may make a nullity in his Law But if it be the latter that private Reason may make such a nullity then Conscience guided and directed by that Reason cannot transgress the Law because Reason has already disannulled it as to that particular Person And if it be said that it 's only in things notoriously evil that Reason has this Soveraignty to make a nullity in the Law It 's easily answered that whatever my Reason judges evil is notoriously evil as to me for I have no way to make out the Notoriety of the evil of a thing but my Reason informing it self from Gods Word § 2. We are bound to obey the Dictates of our own Consciences in not acting against them in those things which only appear notoriously evil And God himself has tyed up Conscience from taking one step under those apprehensions 14. Rom. 14. To him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean And the Reasons are very evident 1. Because Bonum oritur ex integris malum è quolibet Defectu The want of that single Circumstance of the satisfaction of my Iudgment that it is Lawful makes the action sin 2. He that has a prepared mind to act contrary to what he takes to be the Law of God would act accordingly if it really were the Law of God As he that dares to strike a private Person whom he takes for a Magistrate would no doubt have struck him though he had been a Magistrate Every man takes the voice of Conscience to be the voice of God and he that will disobey that Dictate which he supposes the voice of God will disobey that dictate which really proves to be his voice 3. The goodness or evil of an action is much estimated by the will of the Deer He that judges an action evil and yet will do it God sees that though the thing was not evil yet he had an evil will The Action was not materially evil but it was so interpretativè I must once more quote the same Learned person If a Man says he be fully perswaded in his Conscience that a thing is unlawful which yet in Truth is not so the thing by him so judged unlawful cannot be done without sin Even an erroneous Conscience bindeth thus far that a Man cannot go against it and be guiltless because his practise should then run cross to his judgment and so the thing could not be done in faith for if his reason judge the thing to be evil and yet he will do it it argueth manifestly that he hath a will to do evil and so becometh a Transgressour of Gods General Law which bindeth all men to eschew all evil § 3. Nor is this to affront the publick Tribunal with a private Consistory nor set up my own opinion against Gods institution for it's Gods own institution 14. Rom. 5. Eet every Man be fully perswaded in his own mind 3. Objection But if after all my Consideration of the Reason of publick Laws I cannot satisfy my self of the Lawfulness of the thing commanded I must then Govern my self by my Conscience and not by the Law He Replies If the unlawfulness of the thing commanded is not as plain and visible as the Command of God for obeying Authority my opinion or Conscience will be no excuse to me Because I forsake a Certain Rule to follow an uncertain To which I Rejoin That he has made a very unaequal Comparison viz. Between the unlawfulness of the particular thing and the general Command of obeying whereas the comparison ought to have been between either Gods General Command not to act against my Conscien and his General Command to obey Authority or else between the unlawfulness of that particular action and Gods Command to obey in that particular It is plain in the General that I ought to obey Authority And it 's as plain in the General that I ought not to sin against the dictate of my Conscience It may be doubtful and not so plain that this particular action is sinful but then it 's doubtful and no more plain that in this case 't is my duty to obey Compare the General Law of obeying the Laws with the general Law of not sinning against my Conscience and it 's much more plain visible or what he pleases that I ought not to sin against my Conscience then that I ought to obey the Laws of Humane appointment for that I ought to obey the latter admits of many exceptions but that I ought not to act against the former admits of none And if Conscience may deceive me in a particular instance so also may the Law deceive me in the particular Command This will more evidently appear if we take the Ranverse of the case thus If the Lawfulness of the thing commanded by the Law be not as plain and visible as the Command of God not to act against Conscience no Command of the Magistrate will excuse me because I forsake a certain Rule to follow an uncertain God commands me to obey Authority the same God commands me not to sin against my light In some cases I am not bound to obey Authority but in no case am I allow'd to act against my light It 's very clear that the Magistrate has a power to Command but not so clear that he has a power to determine things indifferent and make those determinations the conditions of my enjoying the means of Salvation But it 's very certain that Conscientia errenea ligat licet non obligat An erroneous Conscience though it oblige me not to act against what God has made a Duty yet it binds me up from ever acting against it's Convictions And therefore it 's safest to adhaere to the clearer side and not to act against the Decission of Conscience in compliance with a Command which it 's uncertain whether it oblige or no. And in a word if this way of our Enquirers Reasoning be solid Then it will not excuse a Protestant from sin who refuses to how before an Image when the Magistrate Commands it Because it 's plain in the general that we ought to obey Authority but not so plain that it 's sinful to how before an Image if things disputable be less plain then indisputable 4. Objection But if after all endeavours of satisfying my self to Obey the Humane Law yet the thing commanded by the Magistrate however innocent in it self seems to be as plainly unlawful as obedience is plainly a duty What Now He replies This case is pityable and will make some abatement of the sin of Disobedience but it doth not totally excuse it much less make a nullity in the Law To which I Rejoin That he has now made a very noddy of his Objector That can suppose the thing commanded innocent in it self and yet to seem to him as plainly unlawful as obedience is a Duty But to the thing 1. He has put the case very unfaithfully For we
Christians but the Command of Ceremonies apparently has occasion'd Divisions between Protestants and Papists between Protestants themselves between those of the same Nations and all Humane Terms of Church-communion necessarily produce the same bitter fruit 7. The power of ordering the smallest matter in the Church must conform to the Soveraign end of edification 2. Cor. 13. 10. The power which the Lord hath given me for edification and not Destruction But no power may suspend my duty of pleasing my Brother to his edification 8. Supposing the worst That it 's only a Debt of Charity which my Brother may challenge of me not to scandalize him and a Debt of justice to Obey the Magistrate in this very case yet the Miniâ—…s of justice ought to vail to the Magnalia of Charity As the Command of a Father in lower instances ought to yeeld to the preservation of my Neighbours life 3 Some would except against the matter of his concession to deny himself in some part of his Liberty what a small some that may be none knows perhaps there 's no part of his Liberty which that duty may not Command 4 I except lastly against his propounded end to please and gain him as not adaequal to that which the Command has in it's eye To scandalize or give offence may be taken either in a primary sense and so it denotes a culpable giving occasion to a Brother to sin or in a lower and secondary sense for the angering and displeasing of a Brother This distinction well observed would unravel much confusion which pesters our discourses 1. If we compare the displeasing of a private person with that of a publick the latter is more sinful and much more dangerous for the wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lyon 2. To occasion culpably a publick person to sin is more heinous then to occasion the sin of a private person because the sins of those in eminent places have such a fatal influence upon the peoples pollution and the procurement of Gods displeasure 3. But if we compare a scandal in the primary sense with one in the secondary then it 's no measuring cast whether it be more eligible to displease the one or destroy the other Nor can there be sin in displeasing one when I cannot otherwise please but by destroying the other for though my own folly may possibly so ensnare me yet God never puts me under such Circumstances that I shall be necessitated to sin § 2. You have heard his fair concession now take his Limitation along with you That is says he in those things that are matters of no Law but left free and undeterminate there the Rule of the Apostle takes place 15. Rom. 1. 2. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves And let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to edification and we will add 14. Rom 13. Let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way v. 15. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed v. 19. Let us follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another v. 20. for meat Destroy not the work of God This is the last retreat of these Gentlemen Hether they retrire as to their Triary and strong Reserves You ought to bear the infirmities of the weak to edify him heavenwards not to murder his soul till a Law be made to the contrary you are bound in Charity and compassion to such a one till you receive further Orders and then you must be savage and barbarous But his Reasons follow 1. Reason because we may not do evil that good may come The sinews of which Reason lye in a supposition that to omit a Ceremony is an evil thing compared with the saving of a soul. This General Rule may be applied that other way we must not do evil that Good may come and therefore may not draw a poor Brother into sin that some good may come by it and the rather if we consider what good comes by it As the saving my self a pecuniary mulct or Recognizing the Magistrates power to Command which may be done and is so in many ways wherein the scandal of another is not concern'd And if I should transgress a Ceremony or so for the saving of a soul we may Lawfully presume upon the general will of the Legislator that no positive Command of his should be so rigorously insisted on when it would destroy a greater good 2. Reason We must not break the Laws of God or man â—…ut of an humour of complaisance to a Brother Ans To discharge a weighty duty to avoid the scandalizing of a Brother to walk charitably which the Enquirer p. 137. when he had occasion to magnify Charity tells us is an essential part of Religion ought not to be put of with a frothy Droll as if it were nothing but the humour of Complaisance The Apostle whose head understood the speculation and whose heart entertained the love of this Doctrine much better then himself has taught us other things That to sin against the Brethren is to sin against Christ 1 Cor. 8. 12. 'T is to destroy with our meats indifferent things him for whom Christ dyed 14. Rom. 15. And if these be matters of humour and complaisance and we should venture a Ceremony for them it would be but to stake one Complement against another 3. Reason In those times says he the Magistrate being Pagan took no care of the Church nor had passed any Laws concerning the management of the Christian Religion And so Christians had a great deal of scope and room for mutual condescension But the case is quite otherwise when there 's a Law in being c. Really the Pagan Magistrate was very much overseen unless perhaps he knew nothing less or more of his Authority over things indifferent and then the Apostles must needs be to blame who never inform'd him of that Power over the Church wherewith Christ had eâ—…rusted him And above all St. Paul was utterly inexcusable having so inviting an opportunity to do it in Being so long at Rome having friends in â—…aesars Household and this in Quinquiâ—…nnio Neronis when the Lion was treatable and approachable Besides this must have obliged him to entertain better thoughts of Christians and Christianity and engaged him to protect and defend it when it lay so entirely at his devoir The Enquirer instructed us p. 144. that such a Society as a Church could never be conserved without some Rites or other nor any publick Worship be performed if all Ceremonies and Circumstances such as of time place persons and the like be left indefinite and undetermined He has told us since that the power of Determining and Defining these things ly's in our Governours who understand the Civil Policy p. 151. And now he tells us That in those primitive times the Magistrate had passed no Laws