none may take the Power of from any Ministers nor alter the species or integrity of the Office by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted or arrogating the like uncalled But as in worship so in Order and Church Government there are undetermined accidents As to choose the time and place of Synods to preside and moderate and such like And these the Churches by agreement or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest And if the Magistrate affix Baronies Honours Revenues or his own due Civil forcing Power and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers whether we think it prudent and well done or not we must honour and obey them XVIII Some call these humane Accidental Orders forms of Church Government and affirm as Bishop Reignolds did and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental aud humane but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first and to Pastors as such by his appointment so that the essential Government of the Universal Church by Christ and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work are of unalterable Divine right But the humane forms are alterable Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters Deacons c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire not imposing a forreign Jurisdiction These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices XIX All these single Church being parts of the Universal are less noble than the whole and are to do all that they do as members in Union with the Whole and to do all as Acts of Communion with them XX. The General precepts of doing all to Edification Concord Peace Order c. oblige all the Churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these Ends And Synods are one special means which should be used as far and oft as the Ends require And if National Metropolitans and Patriarchs order such Synods I am not one that will disobey them But if on these pretences any would make Synods more necessary than they are and use them as Governours by Legislation and Judgement over the Particular Bishops by the use of the Church Keyes and will affixe to them or Metropolitans besides an Agreeing Power and the said Government in Accidentals a proper Church Government by making and unmaking Ministers or Christians excommunicating and absolving as Rulers by the said Keyes it may be a duty to disown such usurpations As the King would disown an Assembly of Princes any where met that would claim a Proper Government of him and his Kingdom Thô it were much to be wisht that all Christian Princes would hold such Assemblies for the Concord and Peace of Christendom XXI The Essentials of Faith Hope and Loving Practice essentiate the Church objectively And these are all summarily contained in the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalouge and all with much more even Integrals and needful Accidentals in the Sacred Scriptures which taking in the Law of Nature are Gods Universal Law XXII There is no Church on Earth so sound and Orthodox as to want no Integral part of Christian Religion Proved There is no man on Earth much less any multitude so sound as to want no Integral part But all Churches consist only of Men And therefore if all the Men be so far defective all the Churches are so It is not their Objective Religion Generally and implicitely received that I mean but their Subjective Religion and their explicite reception of the Objective The Scripture is our perfect Objective Religion in it self and as an Object proposed and in general and implicitely we all receive it But as a man may say I believe all that 's in the Scripture and yet be ignorant of the very Essentials in it so a man may explicitely know and believe all the Essentials and more and yet be ignorant of many Integrals All things in Scripture proposed to our Faith Hope and Practice are the Integrals of our Religion But no Christian understandeth all these proposals or words of Scripture Therefore no Christian explicitely believeth them all or practiceth all To hold the contrary is to hold that some Church is perfect in Understanding Faith Hope and Practice without Ignorance Errour or Sin that is not to know what a man or a Christian on Earth is XXIII Much less do all Churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents nor ever did nor ever will or can do XXIV The measuring out Churches by limits of Ground Parochial or Diocesan is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident and no Divine Determination And if all were taken for Church members-because they dwell in those precincts it were wicked But if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified Consenters it is usually a convenient measure But such as in many Cases must be broken XXV If a Church with Faithful Pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one Church it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct Church thô of the same Faith without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary or like to do more good than hurt 1. Because Love inclineth to the greatest Union 2. Because a Great Church is more strong and honourable than a small if the number be not so great as to hinder the Ends. 3. And the Ancient Churches kept this Union XXVI If Magistrates make such Laws about Church Accidents as tend to further the Churches welfare or are so pretended and not against it we must obey them But if they wiil either invade Christs Autherity or cross it by making Laws against his or such as are proper to his Prerogative to make or invade the Pastors Office and the Churches proper right given by Christ or determine Accidents to the Destruction of the Substance the Church Doctrine Worship or Ends these bind the Consciences of none to Obedience but Christ must be obeyed and we must patiently suffer XXVII Self-interest Self-Government and Family-Government are all antecedent to Publick Government which Ruleth them for the Common good but hath no Authority to destroy them No King or Prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his Soul nor to omit that which is needful to his Salvation All power is for Edification They are Gods Ministers for God XXVIII As it belongs to self-government to choose our own Dyet and Cloaths and Wives
SCHISM Detected in both Extreams OR TWO SORTS OF Sinful Separation The FIRST PART detecteth the Schismatical Principles of a Resolver of three Cases about Church-Communion The SECOND PART Confuteth the Separation pleaded for in a Book famed to be written by Mr. Raphson Rom. 15. 7. Receive ye one another as Christ received us to the Glory of God LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1684. THE DANGEROUS SCHISMATICK CLEARLY DETECTED and fully CONFUTED For the Saving of a Distracted Nation from that which would destroy Christian Love and Unity Occasioned by a Resolver of Three CASES about CHURCH-COMMUNION By RICHARD BAXTER a Catholique Christian who is against confining Christian Love and Communion to any Sect how Great soever Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved John 13. 35. By this shall all men know you are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another 1 John 4. 16. He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and he in him Rom. 14. 1. 17 18. Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye but not to doubtful Disputations for the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1683. The English Schismatick detected and confuted Occasioned by a Resolver of Cases about Church Communion CHAP. I. SAITH THE RESOLVER § 1. THE Church is a Body or society of men separated from the rest of the World and united to God and to themselves by a Divine Covenant A. He saith this is the plainest description he can give That is not the fault of his Auditors or Readers 1. As to the Genus a Community of equals without Rulers is a body but I suppose he meaneth not such 2. Is it enough that it be of Men sure now they should be Christians 3. Many are separated from the rest of the World secundum quid that are no Christians some in one respect and some in another and none in all respects 4. Vnited to God is an ambiguous word no Creature is Vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is God in the created Nature Only Christ is united to him Hypostatically in his created Nature All are so far united to him in natural being as that in him they live and move and have their being And the Nature of man is one sort of his Image All things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient The Church should not be defined without any mention of Christ The Churches Union with God is by Christ 5. Christ himself as Head is an essential part of the Church and should not be left out of a Definition thô the meer Body may in common speech be called the Church as the People may be called a Kingdom 6. Will any Divine Covenant serve or must it not be only the Baptismal Covenant 7. Is it called Divine only as made by God or as commanded by God and made by Man or as mutual Certainly Gods Law and offered or Conditional Promise is most frequently called His Covenant in Scripture and this uniteth not men to God till they consent and Covenant with him Their own Covenant Act is necessary hereto And that is a Divine Covenant only as commanded and accepted and done by Gods assisting Grace 8. The form of a Church is Relative and the Terminus is essential to a Relation It is no definition that hath not the End of the Association Therefore this is none at all and so the beginning tells us what to expect This description hath nothing in it but what may agree to divers forms of Society and so hath not the form of a Church And if he intended not a Definition but a loose description I would a defining Doctor had had the Chair during this controversie Let us try this description upon a Mahometan Kingdom Army or Navy or suppose them meer Deists 1. Such a Kingdom Army or Navy may be a Society 2. Of Men. 3. Separated from the rest of the World secundum quid ad hoc and none are separated from it simpliciter ad omnia e. g. No man is Separated from the common humanity No Deist from any but Atheists and no Christian in believing a God and the Law of Nature and Nations 4. They are Vnited to God so far as owning a God and Worshipping him amounts to besides the Union of the Creature with the Creator in whom he liveth c. And no unregenerate ungodly Christian is united to him savingly 5. They are united among themselves 6. This is by a Covenant 7. And by a Covenant Divine as to command approbation and object It is God that they Covenant to own and obey The common Profession of the Mahometans is There is one God and Mahomet is his Prophet It is Divine in tantum as commanded For God Commandeth all men to Own him to believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him And God so far approveth it St. James saith Thou dost well to him that believeth there is a God much more that is professedly devoted to him Let us by this examine the Jewish Church Jews now may be 1. A Body 2. Of Men 3. Separated from the rest of the World even in Religion and Church pretensions 4. United to God as Creatures as Men as the corporal seed of Abraham and as professing Belief Love and Obedience to God as their God 5. Strictly united among themselves 6. By a Covenant 7. Which God once commanded and still approveth so far as they own God Let us consider whether this description take not in those in every Nation that fear God and work Righteousness that never heard of Christ being thus combined And whether the Kingdom of God be not larger than his Church Joyn the Head and Tail of this mans book together and by the Head the description for ought I see Jews Mahometans if not almost all Heathens are the Church But at the End I think none on Earth is the Church At least none that separate from a pair of Organs or an ignorant Curate Nor can any man know who Page 2. § 2. He explaineth his Word Body as opposed to a confused Multitude A. But a Community of Equals that have no Governours may have order and be no confused Multitude And he himself after pleads over much for â—â—â—â—necessity of Rulers P. 3. § 3. And in many places his Confusion and grand errour is repeated that the Christian Church is but one p. 7. We know no Church but what all Christians are members of by Baptsme which is the Vniversal Church p. 8. There is but one Church of which all Christians are members as there is but one Covenant p. 19.
them that lately Confessed themselves Papists the People that find by experience what the man is are not damned Schismaticks for not taking him for their Pastor or for going from him If Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was a Papist did he separate from Christ that separated from the Diocesan Church of Gloucester while he was an Essential part Or that did not implicitely trust all the Priests that he ordained LXXIV 24. If in a Cathedral Church one withdraw from their Service because of their difference in singing Ceremonies c. from the Parish Churches thô it be the Bishops Church that he separateth from it is not as a Church nor from any thing essential to it e. g. Miles Smyth Bishop of Gloucester the famous Hebrician and chief in our Bibles Translation declared and performed it that he would never come more to his Cathedral because the Dean in Lauds time kept up the Altar Qu. Whether he separated from himself or his Church Vbi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia Who were the Separatists They that followed the Bishop or they that separated from him and kept to the Caâ—â—â—â—hedral The same I say of Williams Bishop of Lincoln that wrote against Altars LXXV 25. If faithful Pastors and People are setled in concord and the higher Powers make a Law to depose and eject them without just cause as Multitudes were in many Emperours dayes and Multitudes by the Interim in Germany in Charles the fifths time and Multitudes in the Palatinate by Ludovicus and in too many other Countreys those that leave the Temples and Tythes to the Magistrate but cleave to their old Pastors in forbidden meetings called Conventicles supposing the Pastoral Relation not dissolved as the Joannites clave to Chrysostom do not thereby separate from the Catholick Church Had the Power been lawful that set up another way when Dr. Gunning kept up his Meetings at Exeter House it had not been a Separation from Christ that he then made LXXVI 26. If the Law command all to take one man for his Pastor and a Parent command his Child or a Husband his Wife to take another and not that and the Child or Wife know not which should be obeyed and whether the choice belong more to the Domestick or the Publick Government it is not a separating from Christ which way ever such an one shall go LXXVII 27. Yea if I should think that self-Interest and self-Government bind me rather to choose a Pastor for my self than to stand to such a choice by Prince Patron or Prelate which I think intolerable as well as against their will I may choose a Wife or a Physician or a Tutor or a Book or my daily food this is not separating from the Universal Church LXXVIII 28. If owning the same Diocesan make them of one Church who differ more than Nonconformists and Conformists do then owning the same Christ Faith Scripture c. maketh them of one Catholick Church who differ less But c. Jesuites Dominicans Jansenists and all the Sects of Papists are taken for one Church because they own the Pope and Councils In England the Diocesan Conformists are taken for one Church thô some of them are as much for a Foreign Jurisdiction as Arch-bishop Laud Arch-bishop Bromhall Bishop Gunnings Chaplain Dr. Saywell Mr. Thorndike Dr. Heylin and many more have manifested in their words and writings And some that subscribe the Articles of General Councils erring in Faith and against Heathens Salvation and against free will and for Justification by Faith only c. do shew that they differ in the Doctrines of Religion unless the sound or syllables be its Religion while one and another take the words in contrary sences Some are for Diocesans being a distinct Order from Presbyters some as Vsher and many such deny it Some hold them to be of Divine Right and some but of humane some think the King must choose them some rather the Clergy and People some hold them Independent others rather subject to the Arch-bishops and Convocation some think all that bear Office in their Church Government are lawful others think Lay-Civilians Government by the Keyes unlawful and so are ipso facto excommunicate by their own Canons some that promise Canonical Obedience to their Ordinary take the Judges of the Ecclesiastical Courts for their Ordinaries and others only the Bishops some think they are sworn to obey their Ordinaries if they rule according to the Canons and so to pronounce all Excommunicate that the Canon excommunicates if commanded Others think otherwise that they are judges themselves whether the Canons command licita honesta some take the Pope to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome no true Church others think otherwise Many more Arminian and other such differences there are and yet all of one Church both Catholick National Diocesan and Parochial oft Much more are those Nonconformists that differ from the Church in nothing but what the Imposers call Indifferent LXXIX 29. If one that prayeth in the Litany against false Doctrine and Schism and readeth the Conformists telling him of the danger of it should verily think that Dr. S. printeth and preacheth false Doctrine and such as plainly tendeth to serve Satan against Christian Love and Peace and to the most Schismatical dividing and damning of Christians should hereupon separate from him for fear of Schism and false Doctrine and go to a safer Pastor I think it were not to separate from Christ LXXX 30. If a Bishop in any Diocess in London should openly write or plead for a Foreign Jurisdiction and we are told that none are true Ministers that depend not obediently on the Bishop he that for fear of the Law or of Personal or common perjury should separate from that Bishop and his numerical Diocesan Church doth thereby neither separate from the Catholick Church nor from the Church of England As if the Kings Army should have a Colonel that declared himself an obliged Subject to the King of France and bound to obey him the Regiment may forsake that Colonel Yea if the General of the Kings Army should give up himself in subjection to the Enemy or a Foreign Power and say I will take a Commission from the Turk and my Officers shall only obey me and the Soldiers obey them were not this an Army of Traytors or Rebels though none but the General took a Commission from the Enemy So if the Bishops should all take Commissions from the Pope or declare themselves Subjects to a Forreign Jurisdiction it were no separating from Christ to separate from them all in Loyalty to Christ and to avoid National perjury and Schism LXXXI 31. If a man think that he is bound to use all Christs instituted means of Salvation and live in a Church that wilfully omitteth any one of them e. g. either Infant baptism or singing Psalms or Praying or Preaching or the Lords Supper or all Personal care and discipline to exclude the grosly intolerable to resolve the doubting
would not eat with the Christian Gentiles but he was not unchristened by this 49. They separate from or unchurch almost all the Ancient Churches in the dayes of the most famous Emperours and Councils For I have manifested past doubt that they almost all did Hereticatâ—â—â—â— or separate from one another It was Schism either in Victor to Excommunicate the Asian Bishops or in them to deserve it and be excommunicate The owning or disowning several Councils specially that of Calcedon and that at Constde tribus Capitulis c. was the Schism of almost all the Imperial Churches one part condemning the other And if either were in the Right it salves not the Case with them For most of the same men that went that way call'd the Right in one Princes Reign went contrary in the next and so condemned each other round especially about Images adoration 50. Hereby they cut off that Succession of that sort of Ordination which they say must be uninterrupted while it came down from Churches excommunicated by one another or make the Proof of it impossible 51. They separate from all the Greek Church at this day as guilty of Schism both in their Succession from Schismaticall Bishops at Constant Alexand. Antioch Jerusalem c. and in their excommunicating not only the Church of Rome for a wrong cause the filioque but other Churches and for divers Acts of Schism 52. They must by their Principles Separate from the Abassines Aegyptians Syrians and all the Eastern and Southern Churches that are called Jacobites and Nestorians For Councils and other Churches condemn them And they condemn the Councils of Ephesus and Calcedon and all since And they must separate from and condemn the Churches of Armenia Georgia Circassia c. because they separate from others and are separated from 53. Their Principles utterly unchurch the Church of Rome 1. Especially because it is guilty of the greatest Schism on earth by setting up a false Church form and head 2. And because they Schismatically condemn and Unchurch three parts of the Church on earth even all save their Sect 3. And for their many other Schismatical Doctrines and Practices 4. And as being condemned by the Greek Protestants and most Churches and separated from by the Church of England which they own 54. They separate in Principles from all or near all General Councils save the first as having separated from other Councils and condemned them and being again condemned by them 55. Some of them condemn and separate from all the Protestant Churches that have Bishops in Sweden Denmark Germany Transylvania c. because they had not their Ordination Successively from Bishops but Presbyters at the Reformation And because they have been guilty of Schism against others 56. The Principles of Mr. Dodwel and his Associates condemn the Church of England as Schismatical 1. Those that claim Succession from Rome whose own Succession hath been oft and long interrupted by incapacities and Schisms 2. For holding Communion with those Protestant Churches which these men call Schismaticks 57. They condemn and separate from all the Churches called Presbyterian in France Holland Geneva Scotland formerly and those in Helvetia that have no Bishops Tho some would threat kindness on them by saying that they would have them and cannot And why cannot they 58. Their Principles make the Bishop of Oxford Bristol c. Schismaticks For their Dioceses are Churches taken out of Churches being lately parts of other Dioceses 59. And they condemn all the Parish Churches in England as Churches distinct from Cathedrals For they are all Churches gathered out of Churches At first the Cathedrals were the only single Churches Next Monasteries were gathered and next our Parish Churches And the Parish Church of Covent-garden is a Church taken out of a Church 60. Their Principles damn St. Martin that separated to the death from all the Bishops Synods and them that were near him save one Man because they perswaded Maximus to use the Sword against Priscillian Gnosticks and brought men of strict Religion under Suspicion of Priscillianism And sure the ruined persecuted Protestants here are more Orthodox than the Priscillians And they damn Gildas that told the English Clergy that he was not eximius Christianus that would call them Ministers Do they not disgrace the many Churches dedicated to the Memory of St. Martin if he be a damned man I doubt they damn Paul and Barnabas for local angry separating from each other Whatever they do by Peter and Barnabas for the Separation blamed Gal. 2. 61. If all are Schismaticks that here conform not all those called Conformists are such that conform to the words in a false sence 62. They separate from all that obey the twentieth Canon of the Nicene Council And from all that obey the Councils that forbid communicating with a Fornicating Priest And from all that obey the Councils which nullifie the Episcopacy of such as are obtruded by Magistrates or not consented to by the Clergy and people And many more such Abundance more instances of their Separation and Damnation I might adde In a word I think then Principles are as I first said for damning and separating from all men living for all men living are guilty of some sort and degree of Schism that is of Errours Principles or Practices in which they culpably Violate that Union and Concord that should be among Christians and Churches Every defect of Christian Love and every sinful Errour is some degree of such a violation All Christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent And no man living knoweth all things Indifferent to be such And these men distinguish not of Schism nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given in the third Part of the Treatise of Church Concord And solutio contâ—â—â—â— causeth pain nor do they at all make us understand what sort of Separation it is that they fasten on but talk of Separation in general as aforesaid LXXXVII They seeme to be themselves deceived by the Papists in exposition of Cyprians words de Vnit. Eccles Vnus est Episcopatus c. But they themselves seem to separate from Cyprian as a Schismatick and consequently from all the Church that hath profest Communion with him and with all the Councils and Churches that joyned with him For Cyprian and his Council erred by going too far from the Schism and Heresie of others nullifying all their Baptisms Ordinations and Communions And for this errour they declared against the Judgment of the Bishop of Rome and other Churches and they were for it condemned as Schismaticks by the said Bishop And here is a far wider Separation than we can be charged with 2. And Cyprians words came from the Mind that was possest with these opinions and are expressive of his Inclination 3. Yet they are true and good understood as he himself oft expounds them the Bishop of Oxford citeth some instances many more are obvious in which he opposeth the Bishop of Rome saying that none
taketh it not to be Idolatry nor Unlawful 3. Another Instance is in things devoted and offered to God The Scripture in general saith Honour God with thy substance and with the first Fruits of thy increase And that Christians at first sold all and laid at the Apostles Feet which yet Peter tells Ananias he might have chosen not to do And for many hundred years after they brought their Weekly Donations for the Ministers Sacraments and Poor to the Altar and Offer'd it first to God And so Paul would have the Corinthians give their Collections as to God for the Saints But no Institution told them how much they should give but the General Rule 4. Another Instance is the length or degree of outward Worship If I pray two hours rather than one it is an act of Honour or Worship not particularly commanded So whether men shall in Publick read one Chapter or two sing one Psalm or two or more is undetermined by God 5. Another is about set Days and Hours for Worship as to keep a yearly Thanksgiving for Deliverance from the Powder Plot the Spanish Invasion for the Reformation c. So also Fasts and what days Lectures shall be kept and what hour And what day and hour the Lord's Supper shall be Administred which are Circumstantial Acts of Worship 6. Another Instance is in the choice of Psalms and Hymns the use of Davids are Lawful and so are others but no Institution tyeth us to One but leaveth us to chuse 7. Another Instance is in the Tunes and Metre of Psalms which we use as Subordinate Acts of Worship It is but lately that the Churches used Metre and Melody of Tune but Prose read with a loud Voice yet I hope we are not Idolaters for our Metre and Melody which I may say also of Church Musick which David used and we may do where it 's Edifying but it 's no Institution now Yea when Paul directs the Church to use Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Which is for singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord and therefore it is Worship which some men must indite and make 8. Another Instance is in the versions of the Psalms of David where among many we may chuse which seems best 9. Another Instance is in the publick and private Reading of the Scriptures Translated where every word is the work of man God wrote it not in English but in Hebrew and Greek but man Translates it some well and some defectively yet I hope an English Bible is not an Idol 10. So also the dividing the Scriptures into Chapters and Verses which are the Works of man is no Idolatry 11. And another Instance is the Method and Words of Sermons and Prayers whether a Minister shall Preach by way of Doctrine Reason and Use or otherwise and Expound by way of Paraphrase or otherwise what words he shall use God hath not instituted in particular but mens invention maketh these some suddenly and some beforehand 12. Another Instance is the use of helps or written Words Whether one shall use Notes in Preaching and read them or not Whether the words of a Prayer shall be written and read or not God hath not determined And so Books of Catechism Publick Confessions Prayers Meditations as formed are all the works of man and no Idolatry And if Parents impose words of Prayer on their Children it is no Sin as Deut. 6. and 11 shew 13. Another Instance is in the form of Ordination when the Words and many Circumstances are undetermined Imposition of Hands is a Iawfu1 Sign and so is doing it by a Writing or by meer Words without that Imposition some receive it Kneeling some Standings some by one Form of Words some by another c. some from one Ordainer some from many c. And none of these determined by Institution 14. The same is true of Discipline The Form of Words for Admonition for Absolution for Excommunication for the Penitents Confession and Request are left to Humane Wisdom so the matter and manner be regulated by the general Law And they that say that God hath Instituted that the Church shall be Governed Necessarily by fixed Classes with Appeals to National Synods and that here a Major Vote hath Governing Power over the lesser part yea and that these must be made up of Two sorts of Elders of which one sort are un-ordained or are not Authorised to Administer the Word and Sacraments do but add to the Word of God if they say these National Assemblies are the Supreame Church-Power what Law of God did ever Institute That a Minister or Classis e.g. in Geneva Breme Scotland is not as much subject to the Decrees of a larger Council of many Nations and that the Synod at Dort had not as much Power as a lesser at Hague or a Synod of many Nations as much as one in Scotland But if as by parity of Reason they must they say that General or large Councils are the Governours of National Assemblies as they are of Classis and Presbyteries then they bring us under a Foreign Jurisdiction which the Kingdom is sworn against and I think they are Papists but of the French sort who make General Councils Superior Governours of the Universal Church And if they determine the bounds of Church-Power by the Magistrates Laws and yet damn Erastians they seem in ignorance to deal too hardly with themselves 15. Another Instance is in the Place of Publick Worship God hath not determined where the Assembly shall meet where the Pulpit Font Table c. shall stand And if great and lofty Structures called Temples be Built purely to shew how we honour God and Religion as Constantine and others after him did at Constantineple Alexandria Jerusalem over the Grave of Christ and all over the Empire this Actual Expression of Honour to God is Cultus modalis secundarius a subservient sort of Worship and no Idolatry but Lawful 16. The same I say of Church Utensils If for the Honour of God and Religion the Pulpits and Tables have Ornaments of Silk Cups and Trenchers and Flaggons of Silver the Font and Seats have some special Neatness c. this is left to Man's Determination without any particular Institution and is no Idolatry 17. And if as Judges and Lawyers have distinguishing Habits the Ministers have so officiating and at other times to no worse end or manner than the said Utensils are put I know no Institution that is crost by it nor that forbids it 18. Another Instance may be of Speaking in the Assembly whether it shall be One Minister or Two or Three Whether Lay-men may not be Interlocutors by Questions yea and sometime Preach and Pray c. God hath not particularly determined but left to Human Choice 19. Many good Christians knowing the Lord's Day to be an Instituted Day of Thanksgiving for the greatest Mercies do as an Act of Honour wear their best Cloathes and Feast themselves and the Poor accordingly that day