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A39395 An Endeavour after further union between conforming & nonconforming Protestants in several particulars by a minister of the Church of England. Minister of the Church of England. 1692 (1692) Wing E726; ESTC R43143 32,518 38

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AN ENDEAVOUR AFTER Further Vnion BETWEEN CONFORMING NONCONFORMING PROTESTANTS In several Particulars By a Minister of the Church of England Printed in the Year MDCXCII An Endeavour after further Vnion between Conforming and Nonconforming Protestants 1. THE Nonconforming Brethren scruple subscribing this Clause in the 20th Article of the Church of England The Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith I conceive that here is nothing dissonant from the Principles and Practice of the Nonconforming Brethren themselves The foresaid Clause hath two Parts one supposeth that the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies the other supposeth that the Church hath Authority in Controversies of Faith I begin with this latter first By the Church I understand the Society of Faithful People in Christ Jesus the Body of Christ This Society must needs have Ministerial Authority in Controversies of Faith as is plain from 1 Cor. 2.15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things yet he himself is judged of no Man Now the Church is a Spiritual Society consisting of Men endued with the Spirit of Christ whereby they are capable of discerning spiritual things spiritually and consequently of discenning judging and deciding each Man for his own Soul what is of Faith and what is not of Faith This Reason is plainly hinted in the following Verse in these Words We have the Mind of Christ that is we who are godly in Christ Jesus have spiritual Understanding in the things of Christ we know his Voice and follow him and turn from the Voice of Strangers Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 John 4.1 Now the Church is Christ's Beloved and here she is commanded not to believe every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World But she may not presume to try the Spirits if she have no Authority to try them and she cannot have Authority to try the Spirits and to discern between the Voice of Christ and the Voice of Antichrist but she must needs have Authority in Controversies of Faith Do not the Nonconforming Brethren reject Socinianism Arianism Pelagianism the Popish Mass and other the like Heresies and Delusions By what Authority do they reject them and embrace the contrary Truths and oblige all their Flocks so ●o do if really the Church hath no Authority in Controversies of F●●●h It is then plain from their own Principles and Practice that they do well allow the Church to have Authority in Controversies of Faith that is Ministerial Authority dependent on and subject to Christ her Head which is the plain meaning of the Article as is manifest from the whole Tenour thereof and the rest of the Articles subscribed by the Nonconformist Brethren themselves 2. Then for the other Branch That the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies that is decent and useful Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things That there are such the Nonconformists will not deny I instance in the taking of an Oath this is a Sacred Thing a Religious Act and a part of God's Worship pertaining to Natural Religion common to us and Heathens unalterably fixed by God as touching the Substance thereof but not as touching the external Form and Manner of taking it here is a Latitude left by God And there may be innocent Variety divers Countries may have divers Fashions and the same godly Man and Church of God may see cause to vary the Rite and Solemnity of Swearing As Abraham Gen. 14.22 swore with his Hand lifted up unto the Lord the most high God At another time he made his Servant swear with his Hand put under the Thigh of Abraham his Master Gen. 24. Those who in the late Times in these Nations took the solemn League and Covenant swore with their right Hand lift up to Heaven But now both Conforming and Nonconforming Protestants generally in England and Ireland and as I suppose in Scotland also swear with their right Hand laid upon the Bible as a Rite or Ceremony not unlawful Again it is well known that the French Protestant Ministers do use to preach with their Hats on but the Protestant Ministers in England Scotland and Ireland not to name other foreign Churches do use to preach with their Hats off Now Preaching the Gospel is a sacred Thing a religious Act as all agree and the Nonconformists will not deny but that for Substance it is unalterably fixed by God but whether with the Hat on or off is not precisely determined by him Here there may be innocent Variety it is clearly a Rite or Ceremony about a religious Act one Church hath this Rite or Ceremony another Church hath another Rite or Ceremony quite contrary and yet both Ways lawful before God in the Judgment of the Nonconformist Brethren themselves For in things of this nature Custom creates a Law otherwise the Apostle had argued very weakly But if any Man seem to be contentious we have no such Custom neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 3. Again giving notice to the People by the ringing or tolling of a Bell at what time to assemble for God's publick Worship as also the testifying of our Joy and Thankfulness to God on a 5th of November by ringing of Bells and by Bonfires and on the like extraordinary Days of Thanksgiving are clearly Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things no where prescribed by God and yet held lawful and useful by the Nonconformist Brethren themselves And therefore they must needs own that the Church hath Power to decree innocent useful and decent Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra about holy Things there being clearly some such Ceremonies or Rites in use among all the Churches of Christ approved by the Nonconformist Brethren no where ordained by God it being sufficient as to things of this nature that they are no where forbidden by God and being established by general Usage and Custom of the Church where we live that is equivalent to a Decree and proves that the Church hath Power from Christ to begin and introduce such laudable and useful Rites and Ceremonies as to continue the Use and Observation thereof Nee Disciplina ulla est in his melior gravi prudentique Christiano quàm ut eo modo agat quo agere viderit Ecclesiam ad quamcunque forte devenerit Quod enim neque contra fidem neque contra bonos more 's injungitur indifferenter est habendum pro eorum inter quos vivitur Societate servandum est August Epist 118. ad Jan. 4. It being thus plain that the Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and that these may not be the same in all places then not only this part of the 20th Article of the Church of England but also the whole 34th Article as being for substance the same