his Separation examined p. 42. once said of the Presbyterial is true of the Episcopal That there are many Ministers that have as few wicked at that Ordinance of the Lords Supper as ever were in the Church of Corinth I must confess that I was pleased with the ingenuous acknowledgment of the Author of The Cry of a Stone in 1642. who saith pag. 39. I freely acknowledge that there are many in the Parishes of England which are of a very godly Life and Conversation and some that go as far therein as ever I saw any in my life And if I should prefer any of the Separated before them in Conversation I should speak against my own Conscience but in the Church-state and Order I must prefer the other And I question not but that the State of the Church is still as good in that respect as it was then and might have been better had those kept in it that are run away from it and that by their Divisions in Religion make many to question whether there be any such thing in the World Certainly were our endeavours rightly placed and united there is scarcely any Church in the World whose Temper would promise more success than that of ours And if we would deal fairly as J. G. in his Cretensis pag. 5. once said in comparing them together and not set the Head of the one against the Tail of the other but measure Head with Head and Tail with Tail I will not say of our Church as he did of Independency That if that hath its Tens Presbytery hath its Thousands of the Sons of Belial in its Retinue but I will say That even the separated Churches as they now stand are not without them as well as we And if they would as well look out the Extortioner and Unjust and Covetous and Railer not to speak of others amongst themselves as they do pick out the Fornicator and Drunkard that are as they insinuate with us they would find their own Churches not so good and others not so bad as they imagine But supposing that such are in the Communion of our Church as it is not to be altogether denied yet is not the Church presently to be blamed Hear what Mr. Brinsley saith in his Arraignment of Schism pag. 39. Supposing such unwarrantable Mixtures have been and yet are to be found yet it cannot properly be put upon the Churches score What her Ordinance was touching the keeping back scandalous Persons from the Sacrament they which have read her ancient Rubrick cannot be ignorant And Mr. Vines of the Sacrament c. 19. p. 233. speaking about the Power which the Minister hath of keeping off unworthy Persons from the Lords Supper saith I as little doubt of the Intention of the Church of England in the Rule given to the Minister before the Communion in the case of some emergent Scandal at the present time The Church hath provided for the correcting of Offenders and perhaps there may be as good reason why the Censures of it are not now executed as there was in the late Times Mr. Crofton once told the Independents in his Bethshemesh clouded p. 110. The continuance of our disordered Discipline is the fruit of their disordered Separation from us I would fain be resolved in what Adam Steuart in his Zerubbabel to Sanballat pag. 70. puts to the Querie I would willingly know saith he whether it were not better for them that aim at Toleration and Separation to stay in the Church and to joyn all their endeavours with their Brethren to reform Abuses than by their separation to let the Church of God perish in Abuses Whether they do not better that stay in the Church to reform it when it may be reformed than to quit it for fear to be deformed in it If they had taken this course and had given us their help in stead of withdrawing from it doubtless the Censures of the Church would have signified more and the Members of it have been in a much better condition than now they are I shall conclude this with what is said by a well-experienced Person in his Address to the Nonconformists pag. 161. If in stead of this Separation each Christian of you had kept to Parochial Communion and each outed Minister had kept their Residence among them and Communion with them as private Members in the Parish-way and had also in a private capacity joyned with those Ministers which have succeeded them in doing all the good they could in the Parish I nothing doubt but that by so doing you would have taken an unspeakable far better course to promote the Power of Religion in the Nation than by what you have done It 's they that have in great measure weakned if not tied our Hands and then complain that we do not fight If all things therefore were considered I believe that they would have as little reason to condemn our Churches for Corruptions in this kind as I am sure if they will be constant to themselves that they have none to separate from us upon account of them 2. Separation is not to be allowed for slight and tolerable Errors which are not Fundamental and hinder Communion with Christ the Head as may be collected from pag. 28. 37. of this Sermon So also say the old Nonconformists in their Confutation of the Brownists published by Mr. Rathband pag. 4. We desire the Reader to consider that a People may be a true Church though they know not nor hold not every Truth contained in the Scriptures but contrarily hold many Errors repugnant to them This was the Primitive Opinion and Practice say the Provincial Assembly in their Vindication pag. 139. All such who professed Christianity held Communion together as one Church notwithstanding the difference of Judgments in lesser things and much corruption in Conversation And now that the Church of England doth hold no Fundamental Errors I appeal to themselves What it was before the Wars let the Author of Church-Levellers printed for Tho. Vnderhil 1644. speak When it was objected That the Presbyterians whilst persecuted by the Bishops did hold forth a full Liberty of Conscience he answers This is a Slander the difference between them and the Prelates being not in Doctrinals but Ceremonials And therefore after the Covenant was taken whilst the Lords had the Power of Admission to Benefices all Persons presented were to read the Articles publickly and profess their consent to them And that it is the same still is confessed So Mr. C. in his Discourse of the Religion of England pag. 43. The Doctrine of Faith and Sacraments by Law established is heartily received by the Nonconformists So Sacrilegious Desertion pag. 45. We differ not at all from the Doctrine of the Church of England till the new Doctrine about Infants was brought into the new Rubrick And certainly that is if an Error no dangerous or fundamental one So Dr. Owen in his Peace-offering 1667. p. 12. The Confession of the Church of
Sacrilegious Desertion pag. 43. doth suggest The love of Peace and the fear of frightning any further from Parish-Communion than I desire do oblige me to forbear so much as to describe or name the additional Conformity and that Sin which Nonconformists fear and fly from which maketh it harder to us that desire it to draw many good People to Communion with Conformists than it was of old But this additional Conformity that the People are concerned in I am yet to understand and I fear he had another Reason to forbear the description of it viz. because he could not However for once suppose this yet he grants that it 's onely harder but that doth not make it unlawful For then what shall we say to Mr. Corbet that in his Discourse of the Religion of England Anno 1667. pag. 33. doth declare That the Presbyterians generally hold the Church of England to be a true Church though defective in its Order and Discipline and frequent the Worship of God in the Publick Assemblies I believe he speaks of those that he converses with for here it is generally otherwise as to the point of Practice What shall we say to Mr. Hickman that in his Bonasus Vapulans page 133. saith of himself I profess where-ever I come I make it my business to reconcile People to the Publick Assemblies my Conscience would fly in my Face if I should do otherwise What shall be said to that of Mr. Baxter in his Cure of Church-Divisions pag. 263 264 265. where he saith Thousands of well-meaning People live as if England were almost all the World and do boldly separate from their Neighbours here which they durst not do if they soberly considered that almost all the Christian World are worse than they And that the present State of this Church is far better than almost any in the World he there doth largely prove So far as the Profession of these Persons doth hold who both deserve and I am confident have your reverence we are safe But still suppose the worst I will be bold to say and I question not to prove that our Church is more a Church than what theirs was when they so briskly assaulted the Independents and charged them with no less than Schism for their separtion from it For if you consider you will find that their Constitution was not setled nor the Church in any order when this Controversie began and was carried on amongst them How it was in 1642. Sir Edward Dering in his Speeches then made and printed will inform us pag. 47. The Church of England not long since the Glory of the Reformed Religion is miserably torn and distracted you can hardly now say which is the Church of England A little above in the same page he saith thus Mr. Speaker There is a certain new-born unseen ignorant dangerous desperate way of Independency Are we Sir for this Independent way Nay Sir are we for the elder Brother of it the Presbyterial Form I have not yet heard any one Gentleman within these Walls stand up and assert his Thoughts here for either of these Ways And yet Sir we are made the Patrons and Protectors of these so different so repugnant Innovations c. How it was in 1645. you may guess when the Sovereign Argument they had was That they had hopes of a Settlement So Mr. Calamy in a Fast-Sermon preached that Year did call upon his People to be ashamed and confounded as for divers other things so amongst the rest for this that whilst the Parliament is sitting and labouring to settle things and while the Assembly of Ministers are studying to settle Religion and labouring to heal our Breaches that any should be separating from us as we may learn out of The Door of Truth opened pag. 5. So again pag. 6. They engage themselves into separated Congregations and do not wait and tarry to see what Reformation the Parliament will make So it is confessed by the London-Ministers in their Letter to the Assembly pag. 2. Jan. 1. 1645. That the Reformation of Religion is not yet setled among us according to the Covenant and urge it to shew that the Desires and Endeavours of the Independents for a Toleration at that time were very unreasonable How it was in 1646. you may see in Mr. Brinsley's Arraignment pag. 48 49. It is alledged That in this Kingdom at present there is no way laid forth for the Churches to walk in And then why may they not take liberty to set up their way as well as others theirs Answ Suppose the Church hath not her way laid out yet it will not be denied but that she hath been all this while seeking it out c. Neither can it be truly said that the Church is so wholly destitute of a way to walk in whether for Worship or Government the former of which is and for some good time hath been fully agreed upon the latter however not fully compleated yet is it for substance both determined and held forth How it was 1656. Dr. Drake in his Bar to Free admission doth acknowledge pag. 132. How many Congregations have for ten or twelve Years together assembled constantly at the Word and Prayer without the Lords Supper yea some of them haply without Baptism A great fault I grant but I hope not so great as to unchurch them To favour whom he is drove to affirm That I dare not say the Sacraments are essential Notes of the Church visible This was that which lay hard upon them and what the Independents took great advantage of viz. That they were some Years without any setled Constitution and at last so defective in such a considerable part as Government and Discipline So it was urged by the Five Dissenting Brethren in their Apologetical Narration 1643. pag 23. When the others charged them with Schism they thus answer Schism which yet must either relate to a differing from the former Ecclesiastical Government of this Church established and then who is not involved in it as well as we or to the Constitution and Government that is yet to come and until that be agreed on established and declared and actually exist there can be no guilt or imputation of Schism from it This was what the Presbyterians themselves lamented as the Norwich-Ministers in their Hue and Cry after Vox Populi Anno 1646. pag. 31. We could wish some Penal Law were against the Independents Anabaptists and some Government setled And when it is objected there The Parliament hath given full Power and Authority for Ordination c. They answer For what Sir to Ordain Pastors for each Congregation or to chuse Elders In what Ordinance is this Power given to any but the City of London The want of this was what their Adversaries did continually object and this was what they used all their skill to refute as Mr. Brinsley pag. 31. Object We want an Ordinance viz. Discipline So in Knutton's Seven Questions about Separation 1645. And which Mr.
jealous of your Hearts when Contentions begin stifle them in the Cradle Paul and Barnabas separated about a small matter the taking of an Associate 7. Beware of Pride the Mother of Contention and Separation Love not the preheminence Rather be fit for than desirous of Rule Despise not the meanest say not I have no need of thee All Schisms and Heresies are mostly grafted upon the Stock of Pride The first rent that was ever made in God's Family was by the Pride of Angels ver 14. and that Pride was nothing else but the desire of Independency 8. Avoid Self-seeking He who seeks his own things and profit will not mind the good and peace of the Church Oh take heed lest thy Secular Interest draw thee to a new Communion and thou colour over thy departure with Religion and Conscience Thus have we spoken of the first viz. What these Seducers did viz. separate themselves 2. The Cause of their separation or what they were in these words sensual not having the Spirit This I will onely give the Breviate of still keeping to his own words leaving it to his Commentary on Jude since printed By the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle seems to me to make their bruitish sensuality and propensions to be the cause of their separation as if he had said They will not live under the strict Discipline where they must be curb'd and restrain'd from following their lusts no these Sensuallists will be alone by themselves in Companies where they may have their fill of sensual pleasures and where they may gratifie their genius to the utmost The Apostle seems to add this their sensuality and want of the Spirit to their separating themselves not onely to shew that sensuality was the cause of their separation and the want of the Spirit the cause of both but as if he intended directly to thwart and cross them in their pretences of having an high and extrordinary measure of spiritualness above others who as these Seducers might pretend were in so low a Form of Christianity and had so little spiritualness that they were not worthy to keep them company whereas Jude tells these Christians that these Seducers were so far from being more spiritual than others that they were meer Sensuallists and had nothing in them of the Spirit at all c. Observations Obs 1. Commonly sensuality lies at the bottom of sinful separation and making of Sects Separate themselves sensual c. Obs 2. It 's possible for those who are sensual and without the Spirit to boast of Spiritualness Of these before Obs 3. Sanctity and Sensuality cannot agree together Obs 4. They who want the Spirit are easily brought over to Sensuality To his Worthy Friend H. N. SIR I Heartily thank you for putting me in mind of our late Discourse and for giving me so fair an opportunity to pursue it by the Sermon that you sent me which I greedily read and had no sooner run over but I bless'd my self to find that you should put the Cause upon this Issue and to appeal to that for the justification of the present Separation I look'd again and thought that you might be mistaken and had sent me a Sermon against Mr. Jenkin rather than one for him It was a Discourse that I do acknowledge my self not to be altogether a Stranger to and what I then retained some remembrance of but yet wholly to undeceive my self I sent for the Book which you say you compared it with and to my no small satisfaction found them as to what concerns the matter of our Dispute honestly to agree and that you may as well bring the one to vouch for the credit of the other as he himself may if there were occasion Mr. Brinsley's Arraignment of Schism from whence he hath borrowed the substance of this Sermon in the justification of what he hath said here upon that Subject And now Sir I am glad that I have brought you thus far for I desire no better advantage than what this Sermon will afford me and shall decline the Order that we observed in our Discourse on purpose to comply with it You may remember that I then undertook to shew 1. That the old Nonconformists did themselves hold Lay-Communion with the Church of England and accounted those that did not guilty of Schism as by their Writings yet extant doth appear 2. That the present Nonconformists who are Presbyterians did plead their Practice and use their Arguments against the Independents and others that did in the late Times separate from themselves 3. That Lay-Communion with the Church of England is the same in our Times that it was in the Times of the old Nonconformists and that the Church of England hath as much to say for it self now as it had then 4. That therefore the new Separation doth not in reality differ from the old and is truly Schism if either they or the old Nonconformists spoke true Now this I look upon as a very covenient Method to bring the Case to a Decision but because I will shew how willing I am to meet you and how confident I am in the goodness of my Cause I shall take that course which will more readily lead me to make use of the Sermon though in the pursuing of that I shall also say what will serve for the proof of the Propositions before laid down In the first place it will be necessary to shew what Schism is Now that as may be collected from Mr. Jenkin here is a perverse or undue separation from Church-Communion pag. 21 22. or a voluntary and unnecessary dividing and separation from a true Church pag. 31. And upon this Definition I shall proceed and shew 1. That the Church of England is a true Church 2. That there is a Separation from it 3. That this Separation is voluntary and unnecessary 4. That therefore the present Separation is schismatical 1. That the Church of England is a true Church But here we are put to it to tell what the Church of England is by the Author of Sacrilegious Desertion pag. 35. We are told saith he of Schism from the Church of England when I would give all the Money in my Purse to make me understand what the Church of England is I might here without any more ado refer him to Mr. Baxter for resolution of whom Mr. Hickman saith in his Bonasus Vapulans printed the same Year pag. 138. That he has Communion with the Church of England in all Ordinances who cannot but certainly know what that Church is or else how can he hold Communion with it But because there is so great a Profit like to attend it and in compassion to him that hath there raised so much dust that he cannot see his own way I shall for once tell him what it is by Wise Men thought to be viz. That Company of Persons in this Nation that doth joyn together in the Ordinances of God according to the Laws established amongst us
for Ecclesiastical Matters It is the joyning together in the Ordinances of God which makes a Church a True Church as Mr. Brinsley saith in his Arraignment of Schism pag. 31. And it 's the joyning together in them according to the Laws established amongst us that makes such a Church to be the Church of England I must profess Sir to you That I can hardly forbear to expose that Book of Sacrilegious Desertion that as much abounds with Ill-nature Self-conceit Confusion and Self-contradiction as any that I have met with of that kind but because the Author hath been in many things of good use to the Church of God I shall not treat him with that rigour such a Book deserves and shall therefore proceed to shew That this Church is a True Church He indeed pag. 43. of that Book when it had been objected against the present separation That their Members are taken out of True Churches replies How many Bishops have written that the Church of Rome is a True Church c. and must no Churches therefore be gathered out of them Her it should be thereby disingenuously insinuating That the Church of England is no otherwise a true Church than that of Rome and may as safely be separated from Now how the Church of Rome is said to be a true Church Mr. Brinsley will inform us pag. 26. of his Arraignment of Schism There is a twofold Trueness Natural the one Moral the other In the former sense a Cheater a Thief may be said to be a true Man and a Whore a true Woman and till she be divorced a true Wife yea and the Devil himself though the Father of Lies yet a true Spirit And in this sense we shall not need to grutch the Church of Rome the name of a true Church if not so why do we call her a Church A Church she is in regard of the outward Profession of Christianity but yet a false Church true in Existence but false in Belief c. not so a true Church but that she is also a false Church an Heretical Apostatical Antichristian Synagogue But whether the Author of Sacrilegious Desertion hath the same thoughts of the Church of England let pag. 76. shew where he saith As I constantly joyn in my Parish-Church in Liturgie and Sacraments so I hope to do while I live if I live under as honest a Minister at due times And he would by all means have their Assemblies accounted onely as Chappel-Meetings pag. 15. with respect to the Publick Now God forbid that all this should be and that in the mean time he should think that the Church of England is no more a true Church than the Church of Rome and not more to be held Communion with But the contrary is evident from him and so his abovesaid Insinuation the more blame-worthy But however let him think as he pleaseth it is very obvious that the constant Opinion of the old Nonconformists was That the Church of England was a true Church and what as such they thought that they were oblig'd to hold Communion with So Mr. Baxter in his Preface to the Cure of Church-Divisions saith of them The old Nonconformists who wrote so much against Separation were neither blind nor Temporizers They saw the danger on that side Even Brightman on the Revelation that writeth against the Prelacy and Ceremonies severely reprehendeth the Separatists Read but the Writings of Mr. J. Paget Mr. J. Ball Mr. Hildersham Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Bains Mr. Rathband and many such others against the Separatists of those Times and you may read that our Light is not greater but less than theirs c. So Mr. Crofton in his Reformation not Separation though several of them he evidently wrongs that were far from any disaffection to the Order and Discipline of the Church as Ridley c. pag. 43. Tindal Hooper Ridley Latimer Farrar Whitaker Cartwright Bains Sibbs Preston Rogers Geree J. Ball Langly Hind Nicols c. groaning under retained Corruptions c. yet lived to their last breath in constant Communion with the Church And this they did upon the supposition of this Truth Nay so far were they persuaded of this that they did prefer it to most Churches in the World So the Letters betwixt the Ministers of Old and New-England published by Mr. Ash and Mr. Rathband 1643. If we deny Communion with such a Church as ours there hath been no Church this thousand years with which a Christian might lawfully joyn When the Wars began there were those indeed that talked otherwise and then they would persuade the People that there was no difference betwixt that and Rome as Mr. Marshal in his Sermon upon the Vnion of the Two Houses Jan. 18. 1647. All Christendom except Malignants in England do now see that the Question in England is Whether Christ or Antichrist shall be Lord and King Then those that were suspended before the Long-Parliament time were the Witnesses that were slain and the Prelacy was an Antichristian Power and the taking away of that and the Ceremonies was the tenth part of the City falling as Mr. Woodcock did expound it in his Sermons of the two Witnesses 1643. pag. 83 86. Then they were the Amorites and there was the cup of abomination amongst them as you may find it in a Book called The Principal Acts of the General Assembly convened at Edinburgh May 29. 1644. pag. 19. But when the Tide began to turn and Presbytery was opposed and in great danger of being run down by Independency they changed their Tune and began to plead for the Truth of it and their Propriety in it Thus we find Ordination according to the Church of England maintained by the London-Ministers in their Vindication pag. 143. We do not deny but that the way of Ministers entring into the Ministry by the Bishops had many defects in it But we add That notwithstanding all the accidental corruptions yet it is not substantially and essentially corrupted By Dr. Seaman in his Answer to the Diatribe by Mr. Brinsley of Schism page 31. by Mr. Firmin in his Separation examined page 23. Then we are told That Preaching and Prayer were kept pure in the Episcopal days by Mr. Firmin ibid. pag. 29. And to shew you how reverendly they spoke of this Church I will onely quote it from one that must be thought to speak out of no affection and that is J. Goodwin in his Sion College visited pag. 26. Doubtless the real and true Ministers of the Province of London having such abundant opportunity of converse with Travellers from all Parts cannot but be full of the truth of this Information That there was more of the truth and power of Religion in England under the late Prelatical Government than in all the Reformed Churches besides But you will say All this may be granted and yet nothing said for the Case is altered the Church of England not being now what it was then This I acknowledge the Author of
England declared in the Articles of Religion and herein what is purely Doctrinal we fully embrace and constantly adhere unto Again pag. 17. We know full well that we differ in nothing from the whole Form of Religion established in England but onely in some few things in outward Worship Herein too we have the concurrence of Mr. W. himself in his Separation yet no Schism p. 60. If you take it the Church of England for such Christians onely who are of the Faith in Doctrinals with those that hold the Thirty nine Articles here the Nonconformists come in for a share also who are of your Faith therein excepting those which respect Discipline and Ceremonies And pag. 62. It is evident that some sort of Errors in a Church though but tolerated may be a just ground of withdrawing though I do not charge the Church of England with any such Errors This therefore being thus acknowledged one would have thought the Argument might be fairly dismissed and that here could be no reason found for Separation And yet when we are come thus near it is like the two Mountains spoken of in Wales upon whose tops you may exchange Discourse and almost come to shaking of Hands and notwithstanding all there is little less than a days Journey betwixt you We seem to have brought the Matter to a perfect reconciliation but when we least thought of it we are at open War again For the Author last-mentioned grants as much as we can ask but immediately thrusts in a Reason or two that he thinks will maintain their Ground and vindicate their Practice notwithstanding The Doctrine he hath nothing against but yet the Preachers are Sometimes he saith they are contrary one to another some are for the Doctrine of Predestination others against it c. and how shall he then judge of their Faith and Doctrinals pag. 60. Sometimes he saith It is conceived many of them preach contrary to the Articles ibid. Sometimes again It is conceived that several of them do not honestly believe those Articles that they have professed to believe p. 62. And to make all sure because it may be objected That the People have liberty in this case of complaining he answers To what purpose when such Errors are publickly professed in printed Books and no course taken for correcting or ejecting of the Authors pag. 61. Things as impertinently as slanderously suggested For what though the Ministers differ among themselves in some Points as he doth after his Predecessors the Brownists affirm as you may see in the Nonconformists Answer to them pag. 4. is that a reason to forsake our Communion and doth he that forsakes ours for theirs find the case much amended Do not the Nonconformists as much differ from each other as any amongst us If not from whence proceed all those Disputes about Communion and Non-communion with us about the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness the nature of justifying Faith lawfulness and unlawfulness of prescribed Forms of Prayer of God's Prescience c. And why are Mr. How and Mr. Baxter c. so much teazed by some of their Fellows and the latter called Slanderer Dictator Self-saver and accused of Profaneness Blasphemy and what not as you may see in the Antidote to his Cure 1670 Is it not because they will not swallow down the absurdest of their Principles or do go further toward an accommodation of our unhappy Differences than they will allow But what are those Points that our Ministers thus differ among themselves or from our Church in Is it about the mode in Imputation or about the Object of Predestination c. These things the Church of England is not so minute and positive in If he will not believe me I shall turn him over to Mr. Hickman who hath in several Tracts particularly concerned himself in this Argument and may be supposed to understand it He in his Latin Sermon De Haeresium origine 1659. pag. 37. undertaking to answer Tilenus about the Doctrine of our Church concerning the Object of Predestination whether massa corrupta or no saith Apage nugas Non solet Ecclesia Anglicana in mysteriis hujusmodi explicandis vagari in eas quaestiones quae nimia subtilitate popularem captum effugiunt Is it about the special Grace of God in the conversion of a Sinner or the influence of the Holy Spirit in it Then I will dare him to produce any that are herein Nonconformists to the Doctrine of the Church of England and that teach That there is no special Grace exerted in the conversion of a Sinner or That the Holy Ghost is of no further use in the conversion of Men than as he first inspired those that delivered the Doctrine of Christianity c. as he slanderously doth say He may force and scrue and wrest but he cannot do it honestly and fairly But supposing there were several that did thus teach and that such Books were Licensed where this is affirmed Doth this presently make the Church Heretical Notwithstanding this I believe that the Church of England is in it self as Orthodox as theirs was in 1646. when Shlichtingius his Comment on the Hebrews or what was little better came out thus attested by Mr. J. Downame I have perused this Comment and finding it to be learned and judicious plain and very profitable I allow it to be printed and published I doubt they would have taken it very ill to have been then charged with Socinianism because that Book came out with such an Imprimatur from him that was deputed in those Times to give it And yet I never heard that Mr. Downame was corrected or ejected for so doing And may they continue Orthodox notwithstanding and we for such an escape be counted Heretical But how far a Church is concerned in such Cases I think will appear from what is said in The Divine Right of the Presbyterial Government pag. 265. The Church of Rome setting aside those particular Persons among them that maintained damnable Errors which were not of the Church but a predominant Faction in the Church continued to be a true Church of Christ until Luther's time as the unanimous consent of the Orthodox Divines confess yea as some think till the cursed Council of Trent till when the Errors among them were not the Errors of the Church but of particular Men. Now I hope they will be as favourable to us and give our Church as much allowance in this case as that of Rome and not count it the Error of the Church till by some Decree Canon or Article it is owned so to be Sir You may by this time perceive how hard these Persons are put to it when it makes them so quick to espy and busie to rake all the dirt they can together to make our Church deformed and worthy of all that defamation they have branded it with and of that distance they observe and keep from it How do they torture Phrases hale along Expressions whithout due Process to the
they might otherwise help themselves and that they had Means sufficient without it as the Scriptures mutual Edification and Conference Prayer and Meditation c. and that though never so few or weak Christ was amongst them And if this would be sufficient when wholly destitute of a Ministry I am apt to think it would do as well with one though not altogether so well qualified as might be desired I shall conclude this with what the same Author saith pag. 28. When God hath vouchsafed a sufficiency of Means and those unquestionably lawful though not of so rank flesh or so highly promising as some others for the attaining of any good and desirable End a declining and forsaking of those Means whether out of a diffidence of the sufficiency of them for the End desired or upon any other reason whatsoever to espouse others pretending to more strength and efficacy hath been still displeasing unto God and of sad consequence to those that have been no better advised than to make trial of them But is it really thus that there is any such difference betwixt the Abilities of their and our Teachers and that the obtaining apparent Advantages to their Salvation in that respect above what they could have had with us is what they separate for So they would have it thought as you may see in the Call to Archippus printed 1664. pag. 20 21. There is indeed a Ministry and Preaching such as it is but whether snch as is likely to answer the Ends of it judge ye Are those like to convert Souls that have neither will nor skill to deal with them about their Conversion So again When there is no better help than an idle ignorant loose-living Ministry under which God knows we speak it with grief of heart too many not to say the most of those that are of late come in may be reckoned or than the cold and heartless way that is generally in use the Coal of Religion doth ever go out An high and daring Charge which he will be concerned to make good or to suffer under the imputation of a foul Defamer Have they neither will nor skill to convert Souls From whence then proceed those most excellent and laborious Sermons that the Wisest of the Nation do so extol the present Generation for Whence was it that when we were bewildred with Phrases and Religion made hard and unintelligible and Cases intricate and perplexed that the things of it were made easie and to lie near to Mens Understandings and that the part of Casuistical Divinity is not near so cumbersom as it was in the days of some Men Are they idle and ignorant From whence then is it that their Adversaries of all sorts are so well opposed not to say confuted that they are made to quit their ground and to betake themselves to new Principles in their own defence to fall from the Infallibility of the Person to that of Tradition as they do abroad from old Nonconformity to Brownism and from Presbyterianism to Independency as some do at home In what Age and Church have the great Truths and Principles of our Religion been more effectually considered more diligently searched into more clearly stated and explained or more successfully defended than in ours and which I may challenge the whole Party of the Separation to shew any thing equal to From whence comes all this to pass if our Church did so abound with uncatechised Vpstarts poor Shrubs and empty and unaccomplished Predicants as Mr. Jenkin with an holy indignation doth in his Exodus p. 55. complain Surely if these Men had but duly weighed things and had been conversant in the Writings of our Church or looked amongst themselves they would not have dared thus to reproch the most Learned and Industrious Ministry that perhaps England ever yet had Let me recommend to such what Mr. Baxter saith in the like case in his Explication of Passages in the Profession of the Worcestershire Association printed 1653. pag. 110. I desire those Brethren that object this but to search their hearts and ways and remember what may be said against themselves and cast the beam first out of their own eye at least to censure as humble men that are sensible of their own miscarriages and imperfections And if they did according to this advice I am perswaded that they would think there were as good and useful Men in the World as themselves Do we not find some of themselves forced to acknowledge as much Consult Sacrilegious Desertion pag. 86. I really fear lest meer Nonconformity hath brought some into reputation as consciencious who by weak Preaching will lose the reputation of being judicious more than their silence lost it And a little after speaking of their own Ministers he saith Verily the injudiciousness of too many among you is for a lamentation And pag. 88. he adds Through Gods mercy some Conformists preach better than many of you can do Truly when I consider what a Stock of worthy and accomplished Persons in that Quality whether for Sobriety and Learning our Church is at present furnished with though it must be confessed there are that are defective in both as when were they not I look upon Men of this quarrelsom temper to be such as are described in Sacrilegious Desertion pag. 91. That having set themselves in a dividing way secretly do rejoyce at the disparagement of Conformists and draw as many from them as they can and that therefore deserve the Character he there gives That they are but destroyers of the Church of God Such that to strengthen themselves and carry on their own Interest care not what they do or say but how worthily let the Author of the Antidote to Mr. Baxter's Cure judge who saith pag. 20. That to reproch a whole Party for the miscarriages of some few without taking notice how many faults are in those whom they would defend is the usual artifice of such that think themselves concerned upon any wretched terms whatsoever to maintain an ill Cause and have prostituted their Consciences to defend an Argnment I will leave such to consider what Mr. Watson saith in his Sermon of God's Anatomy upon the Heart pag. 167. which is so severe that I care not to transcribe But to proceed As little reason is there to separate from a Church for remisness of Discipline This the Author of Separation yet no Schism saith that he seeth no sin in pag. 67. for the Reason given before and to which my abovesaid Answer and what I have also said pag. 66. will be sufficient I shall onely add That care is taken by our Church and Constitution as I have already shewed for the due Administration of Discipline And if it be objected That it fails in the exercise and application of it I will answer with Mr. Jenkin here pag. 33. Let them consider whether the want of purging and reforming of Abuses proceed not rather from some unhappy and political restrictions in the exercise
his Anatomy upon the Heart pag. 160. But is not that now true which he there charges upon themselves We have gone against the Letter of it For do not many of them that have said all this set up Churches against Churches exercise the Worship of God administer Ordinances the Word Sacraments apart and in a separated Body Which in a peculiar manner and by way of eminency is called Schism saith Mr. Brinsley pag. 16. Is Schism all on a sudden grown so innocent a thing that Persons are to be indulged and tamely permitted to continue in it And is it not as sad now as it was then that many that pretend to Religion make no Conscience of Schism as Dr. Manton on Jude pag. 492. doth observe Certainly That still remains good which was said by Mr. Brinsley pag. 17. The Schisms and Divisions which are broken in and that amongst God's own People are what I cannot but look upon as one of the blackest Clouds one of the saddest Judgments which hang over the head of this Kingdom at this day of sad influence for the present and unless they be healed of dangerous consequence for the future Have we not Atheism and Infidelity and Profaneness enough to encounter but must we have more Work found us by those that have given us Arguments to oppose themselves with Are we in no danger of being over-run with a Foreign Power and that the Romans shall come and take away our Name and Church when we which are at difference amongst our selves shall without any opposition be swallowed up by them Are they yet to be taught that as nothing can so nothing will sooner make us a prey to them than mutual Hostilities amongst our selves And whence is it that they will run the adventure and care not what they expose us to Is it that Rome is nearer to them than they are to us That will not be supposed Is it that they expect better Quarter from that than they meet with from our Church That let Experience decide Is it that by bringing all to confusion and a common scramble they may hope to go away with the Supremacy That their Divisions amongst themselves doth confute For can they think because they agree against us that they will agree among themselves Or can they think if they do not that one alone can carry the Victory from the Common Enemy Let a sober Author of their own in his Discourse of the Religion of England be heard who saith pag. 39. That the common safety and advancement of true Religion cannot stand by a multiplicity of petty Forms but requires an ample and well-setled State to defend and propagate it against the amplitude and potency of the Romish Interest And are not these the thoughts of the wisest in this Nation and shall Men yet continue to keep up Feuds and Animosities and make no scruple of contradicting themselves to feed them It was once said by Mr. Brinsley pag. 62. That it 's a foul blemish to a Minister of Christ to speak one thing to day and another thing tomorrow to say and unsay And I will appeal to all the World whether this be not what our Brethren are guilty of Surely if they would but take the pains to review what they have written and weigh those Arguments against Schism and Separation that they formerly published they would return to themselves and to that Church which they have so unadvisedly broken off from they would then think it their Duty with the old Nonconformists to come as far as they can and their Happiness to live in the Communion of that Church where they may be as good as they will they would then see that Schism is a great Sin and that their present Separation is Schism I should now conclude but that I may fear that Mr. Jenkin will proclaim and others think me a Slanderer for saying pag. 44. That he hath borrowed the Substance of this Sermon from Mr. Brinsley's Arraignment of Schism if I do not make it good and therefore in my own vindication and also to shew you how far holiness and indignation may be pretended when indeed it is little better than hypocrisie and calumny that prompts Men on I shall draw the Comparison and leave you and all others to judge whether he be not one of those empty and unaccomplished Predicants spoken of in his Exodus pag. 56. that preach the Sermons of others and more than that dare before all the World publish them as his own the like to which is also done by him or one of his Brethren in the Vindication of the Presbyterial Government pag. 132. compared with Mr. Brinsley pag. 16. and pag. 134. with 52. and pag. 135. with 41. Nor hath he borrowed from Mr. Brinsley alone but hath rifled divers other Authors for the greatest part of his Book as might easily be proved were it either requisite or worth the while How far he is beholden to others for that kind of Wit and tawdry Eloquence that a gross and bribed Flatterer in his Patronus bonae Fidei gives him the Title of Seneca for the Author of the Vindication of the Conforming Clergie hath already shewed And how bold he hath made with others for Argument and Reason the following Instances will be a sufficient Specimen where he hath scarcely left any thing untouched that he then thought might serve his purpose A Sermon preached by W. Jenkin herewith Printed and also to be found in his Comment on Jude printed in Quarto 1652. The Arraignment of the present Schism by John Brinsley LONDON 1646. Mr. Jenkin THeir Heresies were perverse and damnable Opinions their Schism was a perverse Separation from Church-communion The former was in Doctrinals the latter in Practicals the former was opposite to Faith this latter to Charity By Faith all the Members are united to the Head by Charity one to another and as the breaking of the former is Heresie so their breaking of the latter was Schism pag. 21. Mr. Brinsley HEresie saith Jerome is properly a perverse Opinion Schism is a perverse Separation The one a Doctrinal the other a practical Error The one opposite to Faith the other to Charity By the one Faith all the Members are united to the Head by the other Charity they are united to one another Now the breaking of the first of these Bands is Heresie the latter Schism pag. 14. Mr. Jenkin Schism is usually said to be twofold negative and positive 1. Negative is when there is onely simplex secessio when there is onely a bare secession a peaceable and quiet withdrawing from Communion with a Church without making any head against that Church from which the departure is 2. Positive is when persons so withdrawing do so consociate and draw themselves into a distinct and opposite Body setting up a Church against a Church or as Divines express it from Augustine an Altar against an Altar And this is it which in a peculiar manner and by way of eminency