Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ and the Peoples to Magistrates further opened in a Treatise of NATIONAL CHURCHES Chap. I. The Necessity of Concord THE Judgments of all wise and sober men must needs disallow both the Practice of Division and unwarrantable Separation from the Churches of Christ and the common Liberty for Gathering Churches out of Churches now pleaded for and too much practised by many and also the Occasioning of Divisions and Separations by over rigorous proceedings with tender Consciences and imposition of unnecessary things and too much severity against those that through infirmity are guilty of some culpable Divisions and Uncharitableness For it 's not this Oil that will quench these flames In order to the healing of our dangerous Divisions I think it meet to deliver my thoughts in the ensuing Method 1. To shew the Evil of our Divisions and of the common practice of Private Separated Churches where in Publick there are able godly faithful Ministers and such Publick Churches as may lawfully be owned For I meddle with no other case 2. To shew what the agreeing Publick Ministers should do on their parts for the prevention and cure of these Distractions 3. To give you the true state of the Differences that have occasioned them 4. To propound those Terms by which a safe Reconciliation may be made 5. To which I should add if it were not for being thought too bold or confident the Magistrates Duty both in order to our Agreement and in case we will not be agreed I. Though I take not a Private Meeting or a Tolerated Private Church for so odious a thing in it self considered as some do but confess that such may be Good or Evil as the Cause of the Assemblies the Aspect of the Times and other Circumstances and Accidents shall make them and doubt not but there may be warrantable Separations from one or many particular Churches where the blame may lie upon the Churches and the Private Assemblies sometimes may be more justifiable than the allowed Publick ones yet as unnecessary Separations and Divisions are a great transgression so what the Aggravations of that transgression are and what wrong the Cause of God receives from the Differences among the godly themselves and the Divided and Private Congregations that are gathered by occasion of these differences in many parts of England I shall briefly shew 1. When in one and the same Parishes the boundaries of the ordinary Churches as to habitation there shall be divers Churches one Publick and one Private it will ordinarily cause great Disaffection and Contention among the Christians of that place There will be Pastor against Pastor and People against People and one will be accusing another according to their several apprehensions and making the waies and consequently the persons of each other to he odious or unacceptable to others And hereby Christian Love will be much quenched and Unity and Concord much overthrown and all the Effects of Love abated and the odious remnants of Uncharitableness Malice and Emulations will revive Too common and sad experience puts this out of doubt Alas what Factious Doctrine for Parties and against Parties are usually managed in Publick and Private where these Divisions once appear What unconscionable Censures pass too often on one side or both What bitter unchristian taunts and scorns and reproachful words When publick Writings so abound with these and the Press is become the common scold and the most unchristian Language is spoken so familiarly to all the Land and uncharitableness and fury are afraid of being concealed no wonder if in private among those that are pleased with such discourse the Preacher sit in the Scorners Chair 2. Uncharitableness and Divisions are as plainly urgently and frequently prohibited and condemned in the Word of God as almost any sins that are And Love and Unity Peace and Concord are prest as much as any Duty of Man to Man Certainly these Great Obligations are such as smaller matters cannot dispense with And wonderful it is that so many thousand that abhor the Popes dispensing with Oaths and Promises and Subjects Duties and with some of the positive commands of God can yet without remorâ—e of Conscience so easily so long so confidently dispense with the greatest Duties of Man towards Man even with Charity it self and the effects of Charity He that must owe nothing else must owe Love Rom. 13. 8. Love is the fulfilling of the Law Verse 10. Every Commandment of the Second Table is briefly fulfilled in Loving our Neighbours as our selves Verse 9. Yea he loveth not God that loveth not his Brother 1 Iohn 4 21. Love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God For God is Love 1 Iohn 4 7 8. If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his Love is perfected in us Verse 12. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Verse 16. If any Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Liar For he that Loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he Love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandment have we from him that he that Loveth God Love his Brother also Verse 20 21. Every one that Loveth him that begat Loveth him that is begotten also 1 Iohn 5. 1. We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we Love the Brethren He that Loveth not his Brother abideth in death Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer and you know that no Murderer hath Eternal Life abiding in him 1 Iohn 3. 14 15. Yea we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren Verse 16. This is the New and frequently urged Command of Christ that we Love one another Iohn 13. 34. and 15. 12 17. Gal. 5. 14. Iam. 2. 8. This is it that we must provoke each other to Heb. 10. 24. and that must continue Heb. 13. 1. We must Love one another with a pure Heart â—ervently 1 Pet. 1. 2â— Yea by Love we must serve one another Gal. 5. 13. And Paul took this to be so Essential to our Sanctification that he tells the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 4. 9. that as touching Brotherly Love he need not write to them for they were taught of God to love one another And can that be the way of God that dispenseth with so Essential a part of Holiness or that secretly and unobservedly extinguisheth this holy Love Let Experience teach you whether the present way of private separated Churches be not the opening a Shop or Forge for Military Engines against each other And under pretence of defending Truth whether they be not the Nurseries of uncharitable Wars among the Servants of the Lord And then as Love is extinguished so the sinful fruits of the contrary Vice do by such Divisions prosper and abound And what weekly Bills of heinous sins might we see that are
Error 3. They do not pretend to sorce themselves into our Parish Churches ordinarily against his will that is the allowed Teacher there 4. While they do in Name disclaim Ordaining them they actually Ordain them For they set them apart to the Office of the Ministry and it is Pastors that do it And this is the substance of Ordination Imposition of Hands is but the Investing Ceremony And if they say that A stated Preacher is no Officer that makes him not to be none And if they say that they Ordain him not when they Approve and Appoint him by an Instrument to that Office that makes it not to be no Ordaining no more than if they should Appoint Men to a Pastoral Charge in one of their own Churches and say It is no Office or Ordination 5. And when the peoples consent is afterward added the Man is more fully separated to the Work 6. But however as long as they allow us our liberty of Ordination and thrust none upon our Communion as Pastors that are no Pastors we have no pretence to make this a stop to our Communion Let us close together and pass this by and God will further inform us and dispel our darkness when we walk together in holy Love and Peace Chap. XI Difference IX THE Ninth seeming Difference is about our Parishes in England whether they are true Churches of Christ or not But here is little or no difference that is stood to whatever any particular persons may think it is not a difference between the parties For 1. It is not desired of them to grant that a Parish as a Parish that is the people yea the Christians inhabiting such a space of ground is a Church It 's possible they may be of many Churches or of none but the Universal 2. Nor is it desired that they take every Member of the Parish no nor every Hearer for a Member of the Church Men of several Churches or of no Church may live in the Parish and hear together 3. Nor are they desired to take any Parish for a true Political Church that hath not a true Pastor with a competent number of professed Christians joined together for personal Communion in Gods Worship But that our ordinary Parishes in England that have true Ministers are true Churches is so familiarly granted by the Congregational party that to recite their words seems needless And therefore they utterly disclaim separating from us as no true Churches 1. That our want of a Church Covenant nullifieth not these Churches I told you before they grant because our consent is our Covenant And our ordinary practice tolerably signifieth that consent Saith Mr Norton p. 21. Siuna externa fidei professione veritatis sanctitatis praxi eodem baptismate uniantur eundem publicum cultum uno in loco frequentent iisdem inspectoribus Ecclesiae subsint c. See the place where he acknowledgeth this a Church without an Explicit Covenant 2. And that the impiety of our Parishes or other incapacity of the Members is not such as to nullifie our Churches they confess Because a good Church may have some bad Members And where the greater number are bad the Pastor and the better smaller part may denominate the Church and it may be true though polluted What Doctrinal and Practical Corruptions were in the Churches of Corinth Galatia and divers of the Asian Churches Rev. 2. and 3. is so plain and hath been so often mentioned that it 's needless to recite the Texts Saith Mr. Norton 28 29. Immo tantum abest ut ob defectum foederis expliciti salva vel ungulae religione in rebus Iesu Christi ullas Congregationes ex Ecclesiarum albo expungamus ut Caetus multò graviora passos essentialibus Dei gratia adhuc in tuto positis tanquam non Ecclesias judicare salvâ conscientiâ nullos posse sanctè testemur Distinguendum inter Ecclesiam puram impuram impurissimam nullam Fundamentalia sive Essentialia sunt materia forma Ecclesiae particularis Materia sunt homines profitentes Doctrinam salutaris fidei Forma est mutuus consensus politicus ad incedendum in illa fide vel verbis vel factis modo aliquo visibiliter significatus Adeo ut non sufficit subitanea aliqua conjunctio sanctae communionis exercitium ad Ecclesiam constituendam nisi constantia illa accedat saltem quoad intentionem quae statum adfert Corporis Membrorum in spirituali quadam politia Qualem consensum nos foedus vocare jam toties diximus As this proveth our Parishes true Churches so that greater corruptions than the Vices of some even Fundamental Errors in the Church it self doth not presently destroy the Church is his Opinion and Parker's cited by him Ibid. saith he Neque tamen Ecclesiam errores fundamentales statim destruunt donec eis addatur contumacia in foro exteriori Ecclesia in fundamento aberrans tamdiu manet Ecclesia quamdiu non est pertinax Certainly here is as large a judgment of Charity as we can reasonably expect and so large as without some distinction will be liable to controversie We easily confess that most of our Churches need much Reformation and that all in our Parishes are not Church Members But yet I may well suppose that we are Agreed that those of them that have true Pastors are true Churches and that this is the case of our Parishes ordinarily or very many at least yea some such Dissenters think that they may be true Churches without Pastors so that here between the parties there is no disagreement whatever particular persons hold Many are more afraid lest a great many Parishes should be Made no true Churches in a Political sense by setting over them such as are no true Ministers than be proved none before they are made None But I see no danger of this while we have liberty of Election and Ordination Chap. XII Difference X. THE Tenth Controversie is about 1. Taking Members out of other Churches 2. And separating from the Parish Churches by gathering out of them a select number to be a distinct Church And here there is a Practical Difference to our woe But in order to Reconcilement I should hope that I might suppose our Agreement in all the other points of Difference to be sufficient and that being satisfied in those the Brethren that have been for withdrawing from our Churches will be satisfied to join with us for their Reformation and not do as they have some of them done For we have therefore come as near them as we can in the rest that they might have no just occasion to depart from us And if that yet they will depart when the offence is removed then it would be as if they should say We are against Concord and Unity as such And our judgment for Division as such that is for Dividing without cause When we have answered all that our Brethren alledge for their withdrawing we may expect that
but in words or very narrow seem more material wide and dangerous than they are and shall hereupon proclaim their Brethren to be heretical or blasphemous and use to revile them and renounce Communion with them and would silence the Pastors if it were in their Power These under the Name of the Ministers of Christ do powerfully militate for the Devil against the Love and Peace of Christians and are the pernicious Incendiaries in the Churches of Christ. Q. 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ Answ. I shall say more as to their Power than as to their Duty because I know not how it will be endured or how that counsel will be taken or followed which is not desired It more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them 1. All the forcing Power about matters Ecclesiastical whether by corporal Penalties or forced Mulcts belongeth only to the Magistrate Besides what Parents and Masters may do And if any Pastors use it it must be as Magistrates receiving it from the Soveraign And the Sword is so unseemly in a Pastors hand and so ill taken by the people and so adverse to the persuasive Loving Government which he must exercise and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the World that it were to be wished that Princes would keep their Sword from the Clergy to themselves and commit it to such Officers as have not so much other work to do and are not so likely to abuse it 2. If any Pastors will declare that Princes are bound to punish men meerly as Excommunicated by them without any tryal of the Cause before themselves or Officers and will Excommunicate Magistrates for not Imprisoning Banishing or Burning or otherwise afflicting those whom the Clergy have Excommunicated or judged to be so used Much more if any will teach and declare that Excommunicate Kings are no Kings yea though a Foreigner that hath no Power over them Excommunicate them or that they may be kill'd as Tyrants or that the Pope or any other have Power to depose them and dispose of their Dominions see the Council at Lateran under Innocent 3d. Can. 3. and the Council at Rome under Gregor 7. If such be Subjects they are injurious to the Civil Power If they are Foreigners they are open declared Enemies 3. The Office and Power of Kings and other Magistrates is from God and their lawful Commands are to be obeyed for Conscience sake and not to avoid their Punishments only 4. Their Office is to promote Obedience to God and to his Laws by making Subordinate Laws of their own and to be a terrour to Evil-doers and a Praise and Encouragement to them that do well 5. The Clergy as well as others must be subject to Kings and Magistrates Nor is it tolerable Doctrine which would exempt their Persons or Estates except it be by the King's consent 6. Princes must not only promote natural Obedience to the true God but also the special Faith and Obedience of the Gospel by means which are suitable thereunto 7. Princes may make Laws forbidding the Publication of all pernicious Damning Doctrines and the Practice of Idolatry and of all great and notable Crimes against the Law of God and may Correct the Offenders by convenient Penalties with Prudence and Moderation 8. If heretical covetous or lazy Pastors corrupt God's Word and Worship notoriously or neglect their certain Duty to the betraying or endangering of the Flocks or are persons uncapable of the Office the Magistrate may drive them on to their Duties and moderately and prudently punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that Office 9. Such Circumstances of Worship and Orders of Assemblies before instanced as are fit for Common Determination and Agreement in all the Churches being such whose Determination is not proper to the Pastors Office may on moderate terms and by religious advice be determined of by Magistrates And all their lawful Determinations must be obeyed 10. There needeth not the device of Popes or Patriarchs to call Councils or to keep Peace among the Pastors of the Church For the Magistrate must do it as a great part of the work of his Office Every Soveraign may call such Pastors unto Councils as are his Subjects And several Princes by agreement may call their respective Subjects together when there is Cause And proper Universal Councils as is shewed are things which never were known nor are not to be expected And it must be a very extraordinary necessity which must warrant the Pastors of several Kingdoms to hold Councils together when they are forbidden by their Kings Princes also may correct Church-Tyrants and Usurpers and Destroyers of Faith or Piety or Peace They ought to restrain such Pastors as would raise Seditions or Rebellions or Persecutions of the Innocent or that pretend Religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their Brethren and are proved to be unquiet Firebrands to kindle Dissentions and destroy Mens Love to one another or arbitrarily to oppress the Flocks 11. When any question Who must be Iudge in cases of Heresie Infidelity or Idolatry as divulged or practised the true answer is obvious and easie 1. In regard of publick Ecclesiastical judgment and the Sentence of Excommunication or Absolution the Pastors of the Church are the proper Judges by virtue of the power of the Keys 2. In regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity as there is just cause the Magistrate is the only publick Judge 3. In regard of that private judgment of discerning by which every rational person must know his own Duty both to God and Man and discern when and how far to obey Man without disobeying God every such rational person is a Iudge that is a Discerner of what he ought to do And Christ always the final Judge 12. Yet may not the Magistrate invade the Pastoral Office it self nor Ordain or Dâ—grade Ministerâ— in that Spiritual Sense as it is committed to Church-Guides nor Administer the Sacraments nor exercise the proper power of the Church Keys which Christ committed to Church Officers by such Excommunications or Absolutions as are proper to that power nor may they hinder the â—astors from the due performance of their Office in matter or manner Nor forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel or publick worshipping of God by all or any of his Ministers But are bound to promote it with studious diligence as Patrons of the Church 13. But if they should forbid us the necessary Preaching of God's Word or necessary assembling for God's publick Worship as we must not account those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary so that which is necessary indeed we must not desert till we are disabled to perform it seeing it is greater Sacrilege if we alienate a person consecrated to God in so sacred an Office than if we should alienate conseorated Goods