whereby they are carried as for the interest of the truth to make their Adversaries be thought to be ignorant erroneous or bad and so to make one another seem less amiable to the ruine of Love and the division and danger of the Churches And because Love and Unity are so frequently and vehemently pressed in the Scriptures and Divisions or Schism so much forbidden 16. All these are sinful Schismatical Separations but in very different degrees 1. When the interest of some Heresie or lesser Errour and the disclaiming of some truth doth cause men to separate 2. When they slander a true Ministry as no true Ministry and so separate 3. When they slander a true Church as no true Church 4. When they separate because they accuse true worship to be Idolatry or lawful worship to be unlawful 5. When they falsly accuse the Churches Faith Worship or Order to be defective and to want some necessary part As the Papists do by the Protestants who take up with the scripture-Scripture-Religion alone 6. When they accuse some tolerable failing in the Church to be intolerable and such as maketh their Communion unlawful 7. When they separate from the Church because of the Holiness and Strictness of its Doctrine and just Discipline which crosseth them in their Sin or because they hate the Purity of its Worship and Obedience 8. When they separate because that they have not a part in the Government of the Church themselves in receiving Members or censuring them or because they may not be Teachers of the Church or otherwise invade the Pastoral Office 9. When Pride or Coveteousness maketh them separate through personal distaste at the Pastors or any Members for want of respect or honour or gain or upon supposed injuries 10. When the Minor part separate because they have not their own will against the Major part in the choice of Ministers or in other Church-Affairs in which they have just cause to acquiesce 11. When they over-value their own Conceits and doubtful Opinions and their own indifferent Modes or words of Circumstances of Worship or Order so that they think it needful to separate to enjoy them 12. When they expect that the Pastors should Excommunicate or deny the Communion of the Church to such as they account unfit without any accusation and proof or true Church-justice And do separate from the Communion where such are received as unlawful for themselves 13. When they separate upon this false Supposition that their presence maketh them guilty as Consenters of all the Ministers Errours in the Doctrine or Method or words of his Preaching Praying or other Administrations 14. When they separate because the Church will not forbear the Singing of David's Psalms the Baptizing of Infants or some other such part or order of God's Worship 15. When they separate because they will not consent to the lawful Circumstances of Time Place Translation Metre Tunes Utensils or Methods which the Church doth use These all are unlawful Separations But the great aggravations are when they separate to set up Heretical Doctrine and Teachers or false Church-Orders and Worship corrupted in the Essentials or to promote ungodliness or to rail at others from whom they separate and to cherish Divisions to the injury of the common Christian Cause 17. These following are lawful Causes of Separation 1. When the Pastors are really no Ministers of Christ but uncapable or uncalled Usurpers or Hereticks or Infidels or open Enemies to Piety who do more harm than good and set themselves to destroy the Church of God and the ends of their Ministry 2. When the Church maketh not Profession of the Christian Faith or are not baptized or visible Christians 3. When the worship of the Church is Idolatry or such for the Substance as God will not accept nor it is not lawful to joyn in 4. When the Church renounceth or omitteth any Ordinance of God which the whole Church must ordinarily perform and which all things considered it is not lawful to omit 5. When after due admonition the Church is turned into a Theatre of Contention and a School of Malignity and reviling the Brethren and of destroying Christian Love to others or of promoting Schism to the intolerable wrong of the people and of others and of the Cause and Churches of Christ. 6. When after due Admonition and Patience the Church so far renounceth Discipline as openly to own and justifie such wickedness or heinous Sins as are inconsistent with the true Profession of Christianity and Godliness 18. And if the unsoundness badness or weakness of the Pastors and the faultiness of the Worship Order or Discipline be not so great as to make Communion with the Church sunply unlawful yet any free man whose Edification is greatly hindered by it and can elsewhere have far greater helps for his Salvation and joyn with a Church which walketh more conformably to the Christian Rule may lawfully remove himself to such a Ministry and Church when it is not to the greater hurt of others than his own good Especially such whose ignorance weakness and deadness maketh a lively and convincing Ministry more needful to their safety and welfare than it is to others For it is a Sin Caeteris paribus to prefer the worse before the better and a sin to neglect the best means for our Souls which we can lawfully enjoy And the Soul is more precious than to be hazarded or left in sin and darkness for an unnecessary Circumstance Nor is it any sinful Separation or Disorder for the Members of one Church to communicate occasionally with other Churches of Christ seeing our relation to the Universal Church is more strict and inviolable than to any particular Church as such Also in case of removal of our Habitations or change of our Family Relations or other the like Reasons it is lawful to remove from one Church to another without any unjust censuring of that which we remove from And if the first Church will not consent after due means for their satisfaction we may remove without their consent 19. He that is denied Communion with the Church unless he will speak or subscribe some falshood or take any false Oath or make any unlawful promise or commit any other sin is sinfully cast out or repulsed by the Imposer and is not guilty of Schism or sinful Separation by denying to commit such imposed sin And he that only removeth from the place of meeting with the Pastor and Church when they remove and doth not withdraw from the Church it self or that adhereth to his lawful Pastor and part of the Church when the rest of the Church adhere to an Usurper is not to be judged guilty of Schism for such avoiding of Schism 20. The principal care for the avoiding of Schism and for maintaining Unity and Love is incumbent on the Pastors of the Church whose first work must be to preserve this Love and Unity in their particular Churches to prevent withdrawing into separating Churches
Christian Nature and unbeseeming a sensible Member of Christ. With what hearts do such dividing Brethren read all those passages of Scripture that speak of the Unity of the Catholick Church We have all one End one Hope one Law There is one Body and one Spirit even as we are called in one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Baptismal Coveanting with God Eph. 4. 4 5 6. one God and Father of all who is above all through all and in us all therefore must we endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace v. 3. For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body so also is Christ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. And the Spirit and Ministry are given to this one Body for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the fleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in Love may grow up in him in all things which is the Head even Christ from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in Love Eph. 4. 12 13 14 15. Note here the Unity of the Catholick Body and who is the Center of the Church and in what way it prospereth to perfection and all will tell you of Unity in Christ and Communion of the several parts in Love God hath tempered the Body together having given more abundant honour to that part that locked that there should be no Schism in the Body but that the Members should have the same care one for â—nother and whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular 1 Cor. 12 24 25 26 27. O how much the Nature and Unity of the Church Universal even the Body of Christ is forgotten by most men that withdraw into separated Assemblies upon those grounds and terms as condemn or cost off most of the Universal Church of Christ. And how do they look upon the face of the World if indeed they know what state it is in and hath been in when they can find in their hearts to keep up our Divisions of which more anon 6. Moreover our Divisions and Separations do much destroy the Power of Godliness partly as is said by destroying Love and all the Operations of Love wherein it principally consisteth and partly by diverting Professors of Religion from Practical Doctrine Conference and Meditation and filling them with Fancies and Opinions and Passions So that when once in a Town there is Church against Church and Pastor against Pastor almost all or too much of their time is taken up in wrangling and contending and making their Cause good against each other and they strive not to overcome each other by Meekness Patience and Love It is the raising of an Ecclesiastick War through all the Quarters of the Land And few thrive by these Wars above any Wars Mark whether Holiness Love and Heavenliness appear as much in their Families and Lives where this War is raised and Fire kindled as it did before 7. Moreover it keepeth out too often a Saving work of Grace and turns off many that were coming on and crusheth fair hopes too often in the bud Many a Minister hath rejoyced in the Hopes of a Conversion which seemed to be begun on the younger sort especially of his Hearers And when they have seemed to be somewhat humbled changed resolved for a Holy Life suddenly some Divider or other layeth hold on them and turneth the stream of their Thoughts and Zâ—al upon Opinions and barren Controversies and spoileth our hopes of the work of Grace and formeth them up into Contentious Hypocrites And alas how apt are such separated Assemblies to â—empt men to this miserable case even as Ale houses are to make men Drunk Sober men may be there but there 's the Nursery of Opinionative Religion 8. But there is no effect so grievous to my thoughts as the common hardening of the ungodly Who sees not how it makes them think unbelievingly or contemptuously of all Religion when they see so many Churches and ways and hear them so condemn each other they think they may warrantably condemn them all and say as bad by them or speak as contemptuously of them as they do of each other They think they are as well already as turning to such a divided People can make them And when they think of turning the Tempter asketh them as the Papists use to do Which Party will you turn to Why rather to this than all the rest What a readiness did I see to entertain the way of Godliness presently after the Wars in many places that had before been under the Power that most reproacht it Till they saw us by the Ears among our selves and see us fall into so many Parties and then they turned their reverence into contempt Let no man fly to God's Decrees here and say that Offences must be and Heresies must arise that the approved may be manifested and that the Elect cannot be deceived to Perdition For Sin is Sin and Misery for all this They may on those Grounds as well let Physicions have leave to give men Poison or any mâ—n to set our Towns on fire because nothing can be done against God's Decrees It is as true among the Indians and Turks that the Elect cannot be deceived to Perdition and that God knoweth who are his as here and yet I hope all Christians will lament the Sin and Misery of the World of Infidels and Idolaters and pray and endeavour as far as they can their recovery by the Gospel We must fetch no such Conclusions from any Decrees of God as shall hinder from praying that his Name may be Hallowed his Kingdom come and his Will be done in the Earth as it is in Heaven Such as may encourage us to dig Pits for the Blind and cast such stumbling blocks in their way and be Servants to the Tempter and Enemy of Souls in hindering them from Salvation And what can we to hinder them more than to bring the Churches and Holy Worship and Ways of God into doubt or contempt among them 9. Our Divisions make us and the Cause of God to be our Adversaries Reproach and his Name is evil spoken of among them through
the quality of their offence He that hath a Conscience to Subscribe to all the Scriptures and yet contradict them by his Heresie may do so by any Form that you can impose on him that hath any appearance of fitness to be so imposed We must not make new Laws every time the old ones are misinterpreted or broken Our great danger in England is of Popery above any thing except Impiety it self And the strength and upshot of all the Papists arguings is Where was your Religion and Church before Luther which by their Exposition is Where was your Thirty Nine Articles or your Assemblies Confession or any Church that Successively from the Apostles held them This is their all which indeed is nothing LET US OWN AS THE RULE OF OUR RELIGION BUT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES AND EXPRESS OUR BELIEF IN SCRIPTURE PHRASE without distorting it to look towards any Heretical or Erroneous Sense AND THEN WE MAY EASILY TELL A PAPIST WHERE OUR RELIGION AND CHURCH WAS BEFORE LUTHER yea the simplest Women that understand but what Christianity is may thus be able to defend their Religion against the Cavils of these Learned Adversaries Let us not therefore give away so great an advantage and withal divide the Church of God by departing from the sufficiency of the Scripture when it is the principal point wherein a Protestant differeth from a Papist and that wherein we unanimously oppose them II. If we would avoid Separations we must keep up holy Discipline and not leave the Churches so polluted by the abundance of impenitent impious Persons as may frighten tender Consciences from us Discipline that is pleaded for must be faithfully practised We must not step out of the way of God by unjâ—st rigor to please any Men nor to avoid their offence but we must cast out those that should not be in the Church the rather lest those withdraw that should be in And herein a principal part of our Care must be to set Godly people a-work upon their own Duty in a loving humble admonishing of Offenders that we may convince them how sinful a course it is to expect that Men should be cast out before they have been dealt with on the Terms and by the degrees that Christ hath appointed and to run away from the Church because they will not do their Duties III. To this end that our Churches may be capable of Discipline the Duty of Confirmation must be so far restored and faithfully practised that none may be admitted into the Number of Adult Members for the Communion proper to such till they have made a credible Profession of their Faith and Repentance and renewed their Baptismal Covenant consenting to the State and Duty of Church Members if they are stated in a particular Church and so are Approved by the Pastors of the Church Without this Discipline cannot be exercised as I have shewed in a Treatise for Confirmation IV. Lastly if we will prevent Antichurches and Separations Ministers must be studious that they may be able to confound Gainsayers and then they must be holy harmless humble self-denying charitable manifesting tender Love to all that they deal with prudent and very vigilant and industrious thinking no cost or pains too great for their so great ends Because we have neglected these four necessary things Separations have afflicted us Chap. III. Difference I. THE third part of my task is to state the Controversies that occasion our present Divisions in England There are besides intolerable Hereticks as Seekers Quakers c. but three Parties that I remember that trouble us much with unjust Separations and Antichurches The first is that new Prelatical Party that unchurch our Churches and nullifie our Ministry and Ministerial Performances and draw into private Meetings supposing that only Laymen or Schismaticks with whom they must not Communicate because they are not Ordained by English Prelates have possession of the publick Churches To these I have spoken in my Disputation of Church Government and therefore shall say nothing here The Second Sort of Separatists are those called Anabaptists that deny Communion with our Churches supposing us to be unbaptized To these I shall speak by themselves in the Offer of an Agreement The Difference is sufficiently made known The Third Sort are those that of old were peculiarly named Separatists together with some of those that are now called Congregational or Independents who withdraw upon some Differences in Points of Discipline which Differences it shall now be my work to state And because I would be brief I will annex the Accommodations to the Differences I. The first Point of Difference which I think is no Difference and yet is it that indeed makes almost all the Difference is about the necessary Qualification of Church Members That this makes almost all our Difference except what disowned neglects of Discipline and other such faults among us occasion is known to us by experience who hear the Members of the private Churches alledge this as the principal Point of Difference for our accusation and their own justification that we take those for Godly that they take not for such That Doctrinally here is no difference between the Parties but what is between the Persons in the same Parties is in their words apparent The Independents say that the Members of the Church must be visible Saints The Presbyterians deny it not The Presbyterians say that Sincerity or real Sanctity is not of Necessity to Visible Church Members The Independents say so to and no wonder for else the Visible Church would not be Visible nor could any Man be known to be a Member because we know not their Sincerity or real Holiness Master Norton Resp. ad Apollon p. 7. 11 12. thus fully openeth their mind that All and only those Competentes that are Ecclesiastically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Believers and walk orderly are the next matter of a Visible Church and to be admitted By Ecclesiastically Believers he tells us that he meaneth such as are faithful in the judgment of the Church or such as towards whom whether they are positively faithful or not we are bound to carry our selves in common Church Duties as if they were faithful To this he takes these four things necessary 1. A Confession of the Fundamentals and other points of Religion which are of necessity to avoid a scandalous Life 2. Such a declaration of the Experimental work of Faith which contains the substance of Conversion though it may be counterfeit 3. A Conversation not scandalous 4. A testified Subjection to the Gospel of Christ and his Government There is nothing in all this but what the Presbyterians consent to with these Explications which we doubt not but will be allowed 1. That this excludeth not the Infants of Believers from being Infant Members of the Church without these Qualifications in their Persons 2. That if Infant Members grow up and claim a place among the Adult it will then be meet that
shall further evince when I have given you the Concessions of the Independent Brethren which I shall do in Mr. Norton's words Englished Pag. 156 157 c. Cap. 16. A Believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the Communion of that Church in which he cannot enjoy all God's Ordinances or in which some Corruption is tolerated in God's Publick Worship without due Reformation or when such are admitted to the participation of Sacraments that give no evident signs or works of Repentance and Faith but in many things hold forth the love of the World and if he joyn himself to such a Church he is not therefore involved in guilt and defiled with the impurities of others nor must he therefore depart that is separate from such a Church Schism is an unlawful Separation from the Communion of the Church it 's always a great Sin This he proveth Pag. 158 c. 1. In case of inculpable want of Ordinances 2. Of culpable want by Negligence 3. Of culpable want by refusal of God's Ordinances saith he In the Iewish Church God's Ordinances could not be enjoyed for the Priests and Elders rejected not only John but the Doctrine and Baptism of John and yet it was then lawful for men to joyn themselves to them Matth. 21. 25. The Scribes rejected John's Baptism Mark 11. 27. 31. and yet the Scribes sitting in Moses Chair are to be heard Mat. 23. 2 3. the hearing of whom such as is meant in that place importeth a Conjunction to the Iewish Church By comparing a Church that tolerateth the rejection of an Article of Faith with a Church rejecting an Ordinance of God A temporary rejection of an Article of Faith tolerated in a Church is a greater evil than the rejection of some Ordinance In the Church of Corinth many denyed and derided the Resurrection of the Dead and this Corruption is tolerated in the Church and yet in the Reformation of that Church the Apostle doth neither presently forbid Union with the Church nor Command Separation from the Church In the Churches of Galatia the rejection of the Doctrine of Iustification by Faith was tolerated at least there being such as judged that beside Faith Moral and Ceremonial Works were necessary to Salvation which other Doctrine he calls another Gospel Gal. 1. 6. But this was a greater evil than not to have granted the Enjoyment of some Ordinance and yet they did not therefore cease to be Churches And therefore it was yet lawful to be a Member in a Galatian much more in the Corinthian Church and consequently they were not bound under the guilt of Sin to present Separation but might with a good Conscience in their Station yet expect a Reformation And why might not a man in the same hope with a safe Conscience adjoyn himself either to the Galatian Churches or that at Corinth even in that time of their Defection especially if an opportunity of Communion with other Churches were shut up 2. We say that a Believer may lawfully adjoyn himself into the Communion of that Church in which some Corruption in God's Publick Worship is tolerated without due Reformation The Children of Israel going a Whoring Judg. 8. 27. after the Ephod set up by Gideon was a tolerated Corruption of worship The custom of Sacrificing in the high Places from the days of Solomon till the times of Hezekiah was a tolerated Corruption in Publick Worship The same is to be iudged of the Translation of the Passover to the following next Sabbath lest they should feast on two days together Which Translation appeareth in the Paschal Observation by Christ different from the Iews Observation The wrong Ministry of the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses Chair was such a corruption for the Chair of Moses that is the office of publick teaching Moses Law and the Books of the Prophets in the Church was by God's institution ordinarily proper to the Priests and Levites yet Christ commandeth to hear them but not to separate from them To this may be added the observation of Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law after Christ's resurrection and with an opinion of necessity to Salvation Gal. 4. 21. 10. 5. 2. But all these were corruptions in God's publick Worship tolerated without due Reformation And who in those times did judge either the Churches Union to be Not-lawful or Non-separation to be unlawful To one bears witness the Pious Practice of so many Proselites coming to the Church and of the Church receiving them to the other the very state of the Godly remaining in the Church By comparing the Corruption in an Article of Faith with Corruption in Publick Worship c. Here he repeateth the Argument forecited adding P. 161. It is the Duty of every Believer to adjoyn himself to some Church By adjoyning our selves to the Church we adjoyn not our selves to the impurities of the Church A believer joyning himself to a Church not pure specially when he cannot enjoy a purer sinneth not The sin of the Church exempteth not a Believer from Duty which may be performed without sin or grievous incommodity As some corruption of the Communicants must not drive away from the Supper a Believer prepared worthily to Eat So neither must some corruption in the Church drive away the faithful from Union with that Church 3. Believers may joyn themselves lawfully into the Communion of that Church in which such are admitted to partake of the Sacraments that hold forth no evident Signs or Works of Repentance and Faith but shew in many things the love of the World 1. Whatever others do it is the Duty of every Member at Age to examine themselves and so to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. 2. The Sin of one cannot deprive another Brother that communicateth not in his Sin of his Benefit much less absolve him from his Duty 3. If trying our selves and coming worthily as much as in us lyeth we do in our Places endeavour by lawful means that the old leaven may be purged out and we may be a new lump the Communion is not defiled by other mens coming unworthily though our comfort be diminished The Church of Corinth was not pure in Worship Women spake that is taught in the Church It was corrupt in Doctrine many denied the Resurrection of the Dead Most corrupt in Manners when besides Fornication Sects and many other Vices some also shewed the love of the World whence strifes before Heathen Iudges about corporal things Yet the Apostle commands not the prepared to abstain from the Supper but he correcteth the abuses about the Supper commanding every man to examine himself and so to eat So he proceeds to other Proofs from the Church at Jerusalem where holy things were administred by Priests that were stark naught and very many arrant Knaves were present and yet Christ and his Apostles go into the same Temple for the Publick exercises of Religion they use the same Worship with the rest of the people neither the desperate
ungodliness of the Pharisees nor the dissolute licentiousness of the rest of the peoples lives could drive them from Communion with the rest of the people in holy things And why Because the Lord and the Apostles well knew that the Consciences of the Godly are not defiled with the Society of the wicked if with a pure Conscience they Communicate in the same holy things Next he proveth the 4th Branch that he that joyneth to such a Church doth not therefore Sin nor is defiled with other mens Impurities p. 163 164. Then p. 164 165. he prâ—… the 5th Branch that a Believer that hath joyned himself to such a Church must not therefore depart that iâ—s separate from such a Church and that under this danger of guilt but it is too long to recite all It is not men of such Principleâ— and Practices as these that we account Separatists What do Presbyterians say more than this eminent Independent Brother in a Writing purposely written in Latin by the perswasion of others in New England to Vindicate their Churches against Apollonius and commended to us by Mr. T. Goodwin Mr. P. Nye and Mr. S. Simpson Yet lest any think him too loose I will add his last leaf of Rules How in a less pure Church Communion must be continued with a safe Conscience Answ. 1. We must still aim and endeavour according to our Places that the Church may be purifieâ—â— according to Christ's Mind Not without seasonable and due warning the Church of its Defects The Defects are to be lamented with holy sighs and sorrows In no way approving but prudently and patiently tolerating Defects in that Church which we câ—n neither cure nor depart from without a greater Evil. When singular Evils cannot be cured without a greater publick Evil that must be born which cannot be amended In the Churches Reformation this Doctrine must be observed Paraeus in Matth. 13. that those that press for too much exactness or strictness do more hurt the Church than profit it The Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ is a Spirit of Truth Peace and Communion so loving Peace that he commandeth Communion with a true Church though impure and so loving Truth that he forbiddeth impurity in every Church We reject the Separatists that distinguish not between a Church and the Impurities of a Church Schism is a grievous Crime We reject the Formalists not sufficiently distinguishing a Church from no Church not separating the pretious from the vile what is this but Confusion Confusion and Schism are the Scylla and Charybdis Peace and Truth are the Jachin and Boaz of the Christian Cause the obtaining of which must be endeavoured under him and implored and expected from him who is Peace Way and Truth alone able among so many and alas too hot Contentions and differing opinions of the Learned and Godly to reach us the mete-wand and direct his Servants into Concord and into the perfect measure of the Temple Altar and Worshippers Preserving us Men Brethren searching after truth in Love both from the left hand of Confusion and the right hand of Separation So far Mr. Norton and so ends his Book And thus I have shewed the Nearness of both Parties and easiness of Reconciliation as to their Principles and that there is nothing among them owned by either Party that should hinder a loving Consociation Correspondency and Communion of the Churches for their mutual strengthening and the healing of the Mischiefs that Divisions Emulations and Contentions have long caused among us Nothing remains then to be feared but lest mens Minds are further distant than their Principles and that Charity doth not effectually dispose them to Agree in Communion as far as their professed Principles will permit them But though Experience make this undeniable yet their Piety and their Professions do put us in hope that there are such Habitual Principles of Charity as better Encouragements and Opportunities will undoubtedly revive to our Reconciliation The Congregational men profess their desire of Reconciliation Read but Mr. Cotton's Preface to Mr. Norton and Mr. Norton's Epistle to Apollonius But especially the Practice of such moderate men as Mr. Firmin and divers that of late hence Associated with the Presbyterians doth give us a more certain Demonstration of their readiness for Peace And if many are otherwise minded it should be no prejudice to the peaceable And for the Presbyterians readiness to the Works of Peace besides the many motions that they have made and the joyning of some in Associations with their Brethren I shall now add but the affectionate Profession which they make of their desire of Reconcilement both with the Congregational and Moderate Episcopal Party in the Epistle to their Ius Divinum Minist 1. Concerning them of the Congregational way they say That this disagreement shall not hinder us from any Christian accord with them in affection That we can willingly write upon our Study Doors that Motto which Mr. Jeremiah Burroughes who a little before his Death did ambitiously endeavour after Union amongst Brethren as some of us can testifie perswades all Scholars unto Opinionum varietas opinantium Unitas non sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that we shall be willing to entertain any sincere motion as we have also formerly declared in cur Printed Vindication that shall further a happy accommodation between us Then speaking of the Godly moderate Episcopal men they add Though herein we differ from them yet we are far from thinking that this Difference should hinder a happy Union between them and us Nay we crave leave to profess to the World that it will never as we humbly conceive be well with England till there be an Union endeavoured and effected between all those that are Orthodox in Doctrine though differing among themselves in some Circumstances about Church Government And the Lord hath strangely made way for this long desired Union by the bitter woful and unutterable fruits of our Divisions which have almost destroyed not only the Ministry but even the very heart and life of Religion and Godliness Read there the rest You see then that we are all resolv'd for Peace and Concord and devoted to it and intent upon it And you see how small a matter will do it yea that it is done already except the actual execution of our Doctrinal Agreements What then is wanting but that we be up and doing and practice as we profess and that Magistrates and especially the Protector and Parliament now Assembled that have so fair an opportunity and from whom it is commonly expected do call them to the work and help to remove the hinderances and further them by the Countenance and Assistance of their Authority The Sum of our Agreement reduced to Practice 1. WE are Agreed that Adult Church Members must be such as make A Credible Profession of Faith and Repentance and so of Holy Resolved Obedience Or such as personally own and accept the Covenant of Grace and give up themselves to
such as expect the very Syllables of the Assertions in the proofs Therefore for brevity I take it to be the better way â—â— this time to offer here a full sufficient proof of any one of these Assertions which shall be questioned to such as shall soberly demand it A Servant of Christ for his Churches Unity and Peace Richard Baxter Acton Nov. 2â— 1688. Q. SEeing you have oft affirmed publickly that the Terms of Concord among Christians are easie to be known if their unwillingness to practise them were not the hinderance you are desired to answer these Questions following 1. What are the necessary Terms of Catholick Communion of Christians as Members of the Church Universal 2. What are the necessary Terms of the Communion of Christians personally in a particular Church 3. What are the Terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another 4. What are the Terms of Communion between the Churches of several Kingdoms 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ I. It is to be understood that the Universal Church is considered as Spiritual or as Visible As Spiritual it is the Universality of true Spiritual or Regenerate Believers as Headed by Jesus Christ. As Visible it is the Universality of the Baptized or Professors of true Faith as Headed by Christ the Author and Object of that Faith And accordingly Christians are to be distinguished And that the Question is of the Visible Church and Christians 2. This being supposed I answer that Catholick Visible Communion consisteth 1. Fundamentally in being all Baptized or entered into the same Covenant of Grace with God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and so being joyned to the same Head and entered into the same Universal Body and professing the same Faith and Love and Obedience contained in that Covenant and not falling away from that Profession or any Essential part thereof 2. And consequently that we all acknowledge the extraordinary Ministry of the Prophets and Apostles and receive their Testimony and Doctrine recorded in the Sacred Scriptures At least the foresaid Essentials of the Covenant and so much more as we understand and are convinced to be Canonical Scriptures or written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost 3. And also that we acknowledge a stated ordinary Ministry in the Church appointed by Christ to Disciple and Baptize the Nations of the World and then to teach them to observe all his Commands And that we profess our willingness to join in Christian Assemblies under the conduct of such Ministers for the worshipping of God and furthering our own and others Salvation if we have opportunity so to do And that we do accordingly II. Q. 1. We speak only of Visible Christians in this second Question also of Church Communion 2. A Particular Church signifieth either 1. A Community of Christians agreed to live under Pastoraâ— Guidance before they have a Pastor or have practised that agreement This is not the Church here meanâ— 2. Or a Political Society of Christian Pastor and People professedly associated for Personal Communion Exercise of these Relations as such in the publick worshipping of God and for the furtherance of Love and Obedience in each other The Ends difference it from all Civil Societies of Christians and from the associations of many Churches for Communion by delegates The necessary Terms of this Church Communion are these 1. The Pastor whether one or more must have all things essential to his Office 1. As to his Qualifications that is 1. That he understand at least the Essential Points of Christianity and Church Communion 2. That he be able to teach them to others in some competent degree 3. That he be willing to do it and this for Gods Honour the Churches Good and Mens Salvation 2. As to his Call that he have a true notification of the will of God that he should undertake this Office which is ordinarily done 1. By the Ordination that is the Approbation and Investiture of Bishops or Pastors 2. And in this case of his relation to a particular Church by the peoples consent All this in truth is needful before God and in Appearance and Profession before the Church 2. The People must be Baptized persons Sacramentally engaged into Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and such as have not professedly deserted that Covenant by Apostasie nor are proved before a lawful Judicature to be deserters of any Essential part thereof Whether open professed Covenanting may not serve without Baptism in cases of Necessity where Baptism cannot be had is a case so extraordinary that we need not here meddle with it 3. He that was Baptized in Infancy and yet having opportunity at full age doth make no Profession of Christianity nor own his Baptismal Covenant openly by word or deed is to be numbered with Deserters 4. Though the most plain and open profession is usually best where it may be â—ad yet a profession less explicite may serve to the being of Church-members such as is their actual joyning with those Churches who purposely assemble to make publick profession of the Christian Religion Faith Love and Obedience 5. There must be also a signification of consent to their particular Church-Relation either more express and plain or at least by such actions which may be reasonably presumed to signifie it As ordinary joining in Church-worship with that particular Church and submitting to the necessary guidance of the Pastors 6. He that thus consenteth to his Relation to the Pastor and that Church is a Member though he consent not to the Membership or Presence of many particular Members thereof Because they are but Integral and not Essential parts of the Church 7. But if a usual mixture in the Assemblies of Hereticks or Strangers which are not Members of that Church or any other confounding cause do give the Pastors sufficient reason to call all or part of the people to an express signification of their consent to their Relation to put it out of doubt they that causelesly refuse such signification do seem to deny their consent and allow the Pastor and Church to judge of them accordingly 8. The office of the Bishops or Pastors is subordinate to the Teaching and Interceeding and Ruling office of Christ And their work is to Teach the people the Word of God to be their Mouth and Guide in publick Worship in Prayer and in Thanksgiving and Praise to God and to administer his holy Sacraments and to exercise that Power of the Keys which Christ hath committed to their trust in the Prudent and cautelous use of Church-Discipline And all this according to the Laws of Christ recorded in the holy Scriptures These therefore must be the Works and Ends for which these Churches must professedly assemble Especially on the Lord's Days which are separated to these holy Uses 9. The General Command in Nature and Scripture that all be done to Edification decently and
To which end their first care must be to give no just cause by corrupting of Doctrine Worship or Discipline to any to withdraw and not to impose any unnecessary thing as necessary to Communion but to unite in things necessary and to give liberty in things unnecessary A means approved in all Ages by Peacemakers And to guide the Church by the paternal Government of Reason and Love and not by Tyranny to make themselves hateful And to be much in preaching Love and Concord that the people may know the sin and danger of Factions and Divisions and to avoid all Factiousness and Contentiousness themselves And their next care must be to labour after a laudable if they cannot reach an eminent degree of ability in teaching and exemplariness in a holy and charitable Life that they may win the esteem and love of the Flock and may give them no occasion to think that the necessity of their Souls requireth them to seek for better helps But if differing though tolerable Opinions do so possess any of the peoples minds that no means can satisfie them to continue in the same Assemblies and their presence will be more hurtful than their absence or if the Pastor or Church be so over-rigid as not to tolerate their dissent the next thing to be done is to permit them to Worship in other Assemblies though their withdrawing may not be justifiable and to take care that Love and Peace be maintained with them as with Neighbour Churches though perhaps weak and faulty which bringeth us up to the next Question Q. 3. What are the Terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another A. What these particular Churches in the question are is shewed before The Communion in question consisteth 1. In holding the same Faith 2. In the same Worship of God in the necessary parts 3. In the same profession of Obedience to God 4. In a professed estimation of each other as Brethren and as true Churches of Christ. 5. And in a professed Love to one another as such 6. And in such Communion and mutual Assistance as tend to the preservation of the Church Universal and the benefit of each other The Terms therefore and means must be these following 1. They must publickly profess the same Christian Religion in all the Essential parts which is no more but That we continue our consent to our Baptismal Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh Particularly professing to believe all the Articles of the Ancient Creed and to Desire all that is contained in the Lords Prayer and sincerely to endeavour to live towards God and Men according to the Ten Commandments Believing also the Sacred Canonical Scriptures to be true and taking them for the intire Rule of our Divine Belief and Worship and Obedience And we renounce so far as we can know them all Heresies Errors and Practices contrary hereto This is all the Profession that is to be required of any person in order to the Catholick Communion of Christians as such or of the Members of a particular Church besides their consent to their particular Church relation or of Neighbour Churches for their Communion with each other Except when any scandal obligeth us to clear our selves whether it be suspected Heresie or wickedness of Life by a just Purgation or Repentance And the requiring of larger unnecessary Professions hath been the grand Engine of Church Divisions through many Generations 2. Yet as there are Christians of divers degrees of knowledge and soundness in the same Church so there are Churches also as different And though we must own them all as Christian Churches which are such indeed yet must we not judge them equally sound or pure but must disown the gross corruptions of Doctrine Worship or Discipline which are proved to be in any of them and must specially honour those that are more faithful pure and entire 3. No one particular single Church must claim or usurp a Right of Dominion or Government over other Churches as given them by God seeing that all such true Churches are as Cities or Corporations in one Kingdom which are all governed by one King but are none of them rightful Rulers of the rest Nor must any Men of their own heads set up such Forms of Government as of Humane right in Conformity to the Secular Governments of the World and this as Spiritual in the Exercise of the Keys which Christ committed to his Ministers tho' one eminent Minister may instruct and admonish many others and have some care of many Churches contrary to or inconsistent with the Orders setled by Christ or his Apostles who were commissioned by him for the setling of all Universally necessarily Church Government and infallibly guided therein by the Holy Ghost Much less may the Unity and Peace of the Church be laid upon such invented policies as it is by the Papists who make their forged Head Pope or Council a constitutive essential part of the Catholick Church and seign all the Christian World to be Schismaticks who will not be his Subjects 4. But Love and Concord and Peace must be maintained among the equal parts of the Catholick Church Seeing it is the strength of the Churches and their Beauty and the Exercise and help of the Life and Holiness of all the parts Therefore such correspondencies must be maintained among them as tend to a right understanding of each other and to a just furtherance of these happy ends And as in particular Churches the determinations of useful circumstances according to Gods general Rules is no sinful addition to Gods Word or Ordinances so neither is it here to be so judged if Magistrates by Laws or Churches by consent do determine of useful undetermined circumstances for the ordering of these Correspondencies and preventing Contentions Factions and Divisions 5. The ordinary means of these correspondencies are Messengers and Synods or Councils and Letters Testimonial or Certificates If one Church be offended with another upon suspicion of Heresie or scandalous Practices they may by Messengers admonish them and these may by Messengers make their Purgation or Confession As also if they desire Advice or Help from one another but if in common and weighty cases there be need of more common and judicious consultations or significations of Consent and Concord Synods are the means thereto And if one Member Travel into other parts or remove his dwelling or be to be received by other Churches especially in Suspicious Times and Cases Communicatory Letters and Certificates are the means that Hereticks and Deceivers abuse not the Churches 6. Whether these Synods shall be held at certain stated times or variously as occasions vary And whether they shall have a President And whether he shall be mutable or fixed And of how many Churches they shall be composed And how oft they shall meet and how long they shall sit with such like are circumstances left to Humane Prudence
under the general Laws of Christ. But the use of Synods is so ordinary and great that in sound and peaceable Countreys where Heresie or Church-Tyranny doth not turn them against their proper ends and where State-Iealousies cause not Rulers to forbid them the statedness and frequency of them will be of very great advantage to the Churches But in the contrary cases it may be quite contrary 7. Though no one of these Bishops or Pastors in Councils nor many conjunct be by Divine Right the proper Governour over the rest and therefore as to one another their Canons are Agreements for Union rather than the Laws of Superior Governours yet do they not by their Assembling lose their Governing Power over their Several Flocks but meet to exercise it with the greater consideration and force And therefore their lawful Determinations and Agreements may be truely obligatory to their several Flocks 8. The largeness of these Councils should be suited to the occasion and necessity As the Scandals Heresies Schisms or Contentions do require But to make proper Universal Councils to be the ordinary Supreme Governing Law-givers to a Body Politick called the Universal Church is a device of those who would do Christs work in their own mistaking way and for the preserving of the Churches Unity will desperately divide corrupt and injure it There is no necessity of it Christs Universal Laws being sufficient with the Civil Government of Princes and the Circumstantial Determinations of the particular Churches And it is pernicious if not impossible The many thousand Miles distance of the Churches the paucity of the Pastors and necessity of their presence in many Churches the many years that must be spent in Travel the opposition of Heathen and Infidel Princes whose Subjects they are or through whose Countreys they must Travel the Wars and Jealousies of Princes the probability of the death of the ablest Pastors in such a Voyage they being usually aged Men and weak their diversity of Tongues and unintelligibleness to one another their long continuance in such Councils their incapacity to meet and hear together in any one Room the probability that the numerousness of the nearest Bishops and paucity of the remote will make a Faction go for the Council the improbability that ever they will return to bring home the Decrees the unsatisfiedness of the Churches in their Decrees when a thousand or an hundred Pastors who chuse one single Delegate know not whether he will speak their sense or not with many such Reasons make it as pernicious as unnecessary Nor have the Christian Churches ever had such Councils the meetings of the Twelve Apostles being nothing to this purpose But as all Men know that the Roman Emperors had no power to Summon the Pastors who were the Subjects of other Princes so the recorded Suffrages of all the Councils certifie us that they were none such but the Subjects only of the Roman Empire or those that had been such with a very inconsiderable number of some adjacent Bishops and that but very seldom So that those Councils were Universal only as to the Empire of Rome and that but very rarely if ever but never as to the Christian World 9. If a plurality of Hereticks Schismaticks or ungodly Bishops or Pastors should by the advantage of their Councils oppress the Churches or the Truth the Sound and Faithful Pastors must hold on in the way of Duty and not forsake the Truth or the Flocks in Obedience to such Councils 10. If any Church or Pastor be accused or defamed to the Neighbour Churches of any Heresie Schism Scandal or Injury either to any Person of that Church or to any Neighbour Church or Person the general Precepts of Christian Charity Concord Humility Submission c. do oblige such accused Persons to tender to their offended Brethren especially if it be many Churches due satisfaction and to hear their Reasons and Admonitions and to acknowledge their own faults and amend if they have erred and in lawful things to yield to others for Peace and Concord and to avoid offence where greater accidents make it not then unlawful so to do 11. If any Pastors or Neighbour Churches remain impenitent under such proved Heresie Impiety or Crimes as are inconsistent with the true profession of Godliness the Synods or Neighbour Churches after due Admonition and Pationce should openly disown their sins and if they be inconsistent with the Essentials of Christian Communion should also disclaim Communion with them and should send to the innocent part to exhort them to save themselves by Separation from the rest or to forsake such Heretical and Impenitent Pastors And should motion them to better Pastors and send some to instruct them in the mean time if they be accepted But none of this must be done in case of tolerable infirmities or failings 12. A truely Ordained Minister of Christ being called or accepted by a Church for the present time to teach them and guide them in publick Worship and Sacramental Communion in the Sickness or Absence of their stated Pastors or in a vacancy ought to assist them and is to be esteemed as a Minister of Christ in those Administrations And when a Church is destitute of Pastors it is ordinarily the peoples Duty to desire the Faithful Neighbour Pastors to assist them for supply especially in the tryal of such parts of Pastoral sufficiency which they are unable to try themselves and to Ordain by Approbation and Solemn Investiture such a Person to the Ministry as they Consent to if he be not before Ordained or if he be yet by Prayer to desire God to Bless him in that special Charge Q. 4. What are the terms of Communion between the Churches of several Kingdoms A. This needs no more addition to the former Answer but this 1. That their Communion in the main must be the same in Faith and Love and Obedience to God as if they were under the same Civil Government 2. But they must not busie themselves needlesly with the distant and unknown cases and business of others Nor 3. Must they violate the lawful restraints of their civil Governours nor disturb the Peace of Kingdoms upon pretences of the Churches Privileges or Interest 4. And if they are offended at the Doctrine Worship or Practice of other Churches they should send to them for satisfaction and those Churches should send them the forementioned Confession of the Christian Religion and either purge themselves from the Crimes of which they are accused or confess them and forsake them But when the Pastors which in several Countries have drunk in differing Opinions shall expect that all others should speak as they do in all controverted Points of tolerable difference and by their odious imagined consequences shall slander other Churches or Pastors as holding that which they disclaim or as denying that which in their publick Confessions they profess as their very Religion and by their passions unskilfulness and uncharitableness shall make all differences though
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
of a further Agreement with those that have been their Ejecters They have agreed to take no Members out of any of your true Pastoral consenting Churches without a just hearing and satisfactory Reasons to them But I hope you take not all your Parishioners even Atheists Papists and Infidels for your Church Members Noâ— yet all your Auditors and Catechumens but only your Communicants And is it not better that they be Members of Nonconformists Churches than of none I have elsewhere cited you the Canons of a Council decreeing That if the Bishop of the place convert not any Heathens or Unbelievers and another convert them they shall be his Flock that did convert them in my Hist. of Councils Would they but first admit the Excluded to Publick Lectures where the Incumbent consenteth it would prepare the way for further Concord The Great Reconciler will in due time reconcile and closely Unite his own Amen Apr. 11. 1691. Ri. Baxter To the UNITED Protestant Nonconformists IN LONDON THough I was by the Confinement of decrepit Age and Pain hindred from having any part in the Form or Contract of your Agreement I think it my Duty to signifie my Sence of what you have done and by the Publication of my old Endeavours of that Kind to promote the Execution I greatly rejoyce in your very Attempt That God exciteth you to a practical desire of speedy healing our pernicious shameful Strifes Much more that you have so Skilfully made the present Plaister for the Wound No man doth any thing so well but it might be better done You must look that it should be assaulted by Cavil and Reproach Those that these Thirty Years have denied you Brotherly Communion with them will be loth you should be thought to have any Union among your selves And the Potent Schismaticks that to divert the Infamy from themselves have Stigmatized you with their own Name will be loth that your Concord should confute them while you offer your Reasons to prove that what they make necessary terms of Ministration and Communion would be to you if obeyed not medling with them no less than deliberate Covenanted Perjury or Lying and renunciation of repentance and amendment of Church-Corruptions and of the Law of Nature and Nations and the Kingdoms Self-defence they must stretch their Wits and gift of Tongue to make all this seem but a melancholy or feigned Fear and that it is but things indifferent that you refuse As they call me Antiepiscopal and against the Church because I would have more Bishops over a Thousand or many Hundred Churches than One and would have as many hands to do the work at least as are necessary to the Hundredth part of it and would have more Churches in a Diocess than one and would have Incumbents to be Pastors and Rectors But dreaming Men that build Cities or Travel in their Sleep can build more or go further in an hour specially if they lye soft in a University or a Great man's House than a waking Man can do in a Year or in his Life My own Judgment of Episcopacy and Church Constitution I have oft Published and you may see it in Lascitius and Commenius Books of the Bohemian Waldenses Church-Government Brethren I hope you fix not your Bounds of Pacification in the words or limits of this Form of Concord with a ne plus ultra Either when I am dead the Publick Church Doors will be unlock'd to your lawful Communion or not If yea it will be so great a Mercy that the Prospect of a Possibility of it will justifie my Publishing my old Reasons against unnecessary Antichurches or Militant contentious Gatherings But if God have not so much Mercy for this Land but that the Doors be lock'd up against desired Concord or Venient Romani our Foreign Jurisdiction men will prevail to deliver up the Land to a pretended Universal Foreign Power and make all believe that it is Treason to resist either a French or Irish Army if they be but Commissioned to perform it Then your Concord with such as are not Enemies to Peace will be a comfortable help to your patient Sufferings and may keep up some sparks of the Reformed Religion from being utterly extinguished And while you dwell in the Secret of the most High you may lodge under the shadow of the Almighty And may enter into your Chambers and shut the Doors on you for a little moment till the indignation be over-past and God be known by the Judgments which he executeth when the wicked are insnared in the work of their own hands Thus praying God to save you from violating the Concord you consent to and from being perverted by the ignorant Dividing sort of Teachers or People and that you will study Mr. Meade's Reasons against Division well and seasonably urged I bid you Farewel Your Quondam Fellow-Labourer Ri. Baxter London April 23. 1691. The Contents of the First Part. Chap. I. THe Necessity of Concord and Mischief of unnecessary Separations manifested in Twenty of the ill Effects Pag. 1. Ch. II. What is Incumbent on the Pastors for the Prevention and Cure hereof p. 13. Ch. III. The first Difference with the Independents Reconciled viz. Of the necessary qualification of Church Members p. 15. Ch. IV. The second Difference reconciled Of a Church Covenant p. 19. Ch. V. The third Difference reconciled Of the extent of a particular Church p. 21. Ch. VI. The fourth Difference reconciled whether a particular Church hath Power in it self to Ordain and impose hands on their chosen Pastors p. 23. Ch. VII The fifth Difference reconciled Of the first subject of the Power of the Keys Or of Right to Govern and Censure p. 25. Ch. VIII The sixth Difference reconciled Whether a Pastor of one Church may do the work of a Pastor in other Churches for that time being called to it p. 32. Ch. IX The seventh Difference reconciled Whether each particular Church hath Power to exercise all Government and Church Ordinances within it self without subjection to Synods or any other Clergy Governours as over them p. 33. Ch. X. The eighth Difference reconciled Whether Lay-men may Preach in the Church or as sent to gather Churches p. 38. Ch. XI The ninth Difference reconciled Whether the Parish Churches are true Churches p. 41. Ch. XII The tenth Difference reconciled Of taking Members out of other Churches and of Gathering Churches in other mens Parishes p. 42. Ch. XIII The sum of this Agreement reduced to Practice p. 55. The Contents of the Second Part. Q. 1. VVHat are the necessary terms of Communion of Christians as Members of the Universal Church p 62. Q. 2. What are the necessary terms of the Communion of Christians personally in a particular Church Q. 3. What are the terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another Q. 4. What are the terms of Communion between the Churches of several Kingdoms Foreign Iurisdiction is confuted in another Book Q. 5. What is the Magistrates
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