contrary to the present state and inclines to liberty will usually chuse men according to their own fancies so that the Prince shall neither have quiet Government nor be able to preserve the peace of the Church nor yet to plant and defend that Religion and Worship of God which in his conscience he is perswaded to be most sincere and requisite Yea and his whole Kingdom shall be filled with swarms of different Sects which he is not aware of and hath no means of Remedy left against the mischievous consequences of but by maintaining of a standing Army for the suppressing of all emergent insolencies and rebellions Now to shut up this Chapter I call to mind that the Catechist hath said The calling of Pastors or Teachers must be by the election suffrage and consent of the Church formally or virtually given or obtained How far this virtual consent extends he should have done well to have taught his disciples for thus we are able to defend the people's virtual consent to the calling of those Ministers which yet they have not the choice of inasmuch as whatsoever is concluded and established by the several Estates of the Kingdom in Parliament is also done virtually by the consent of the people but such is the form and manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons in the Church of England and therefore they are called by the virtual consent of all the people being made ordained and consecrated according to that form order and rule which the whole Realm in Parliament hath allowed of and appointed If any desire to see farther into this matter about the people's election of their Pastors he may find it handled at large in Arch-Bishop Whitgift's defence against Cartwright Tract 3. p. 156. to p. 216. CHAP. IX Imposition of hands in ordination limited by the Catechist to the Presbytery of that particular Church wherein the person is ordained The Scripture gives this power to Bishops Calvin's judgment of the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Two Questions resolved by the Catechist in the negative Qu. 1. Whether a person may be lawfully call'd to or employed in a part of the office or work of the Ministry only The Catechist's grounds examined and disabled Scripture-presidents instanced in the seven Deacons Christ's baptizing by his Disciples St. Paul's allegation as to himself The Catechist's own Pastors and Teachers divided in the parts of their office and his Ruling-Elders opposed to Preaching-Elders No repugnancy herein with the authority of the Ministry or relation between the Elders and the Church The exercise of gifts restrainable till there be right and authority given and after that too by the rules of prudence good order and edification The Church may lawfully admit to a part of the Ministry only and advance her Ministers by degrees Qu. 2. Whether a person may hold the relation or exercise the duty of a Minister to more Churches than one at the same time The Catechist's opinion set down at large with the reasons of it and then refuted under six propositions which are manifested to be asserted by him 1. That none can be a Gospel-minister unless first chosen by some particular Church 2. That none can be ordained a Minister but with relation to some particular Church as his cure and charge 3. That no Minister hath power to depute another for his Curat Vicar or Substitute 4. That no Minister may exercise his power or office out of that particular Church wherein and whereto he is ordained 5. That no Minister may have relation to more Churches than one at the same time Arch-Bishop Whitgift's Answer to T.C. about the Similitudes vulgarly used from a Shepherd and his Flock c. 6. The no Minister may remove from one Church or Charge to another without re-ordination Mr. Hooker's judgment for the avoiding confusion in such like questions as these moved by the Catechist THe fifth thing required by the Catechist to the due constitution of an Elder Pastor or Teacher of the Church is Cat. p. 125. 126. That he be solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer and imposition of hands unto his work and Ministry Acts 13.2 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 4.14 Which runs in the Explication thus pag 135. Fifthly Unto this Election succeeds the solemn setting apart of them that are chosen by the Church unto this work and ministry by fasting prayer and imposition of the hands of the Presbytery before constituted in the Church wherein any person is to be set apart Now the Exception I make to this is That in the Answer it self there is no mention made of the persons that are to lay on their hands In the ordination and in the explication it is limited and restrained 1. To the Presbytery in the modern notion of the word and 2dly To the Presbytery of that particular Church where the person is to be set apart The three places of Scripture referr'd unto in the Answer may afford us some better light in this matter Act. 13.2 3. which treats of the ordination of Barnabas and Saul referrs the imposition of hands to Simeon Lucius and Manaen Bishops of the Churches of Syria called in the Text Prophets and Doctors and Teachers some of them probably having the special gift of prophesie verse 1. 1 Tim. 5.22 referrs the laying on of hands to Timothy alone in the singular number to whom the Apostle there sends this command Lay hands suddenly on no man The third Text 1 Tim. 4.14 speaks of Timothie's own ordination where mention is made of the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Unto which yet it had been but good manners to have added a fourth 2 Tim. 16. speaking plainly of the same thing Stir up saith S. Paul to Timothy the gift that is in thee by the putting on of my hands I will not here insist on that difference which some observe in the original that the preposition in this latter Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoting the chief instrumentality by the imposition of my hands but the preposition in the fore-going Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoting a concomitancy only with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Chrys in loc 'T is possible that Presbytery in the former place may denote other Apostles or Bishops who assisted with St. Paul in this work as hath been intimated by the way before in chapter 6. And 't is also possible that it may signifie only the Office it self whereto Timothy was ordained called by that name as Calvin is known to interpret it His words are these which I will only annex and so leave this point †Quanquam incertum est An plures semper manus imposuerint necne Illud quidem in Dia conis Paulo Barnabà paucis quibusdam aliis factum fuisse constat Sed Paulus ipse alibi se non alios complures Timotheo manus imposuisse commemorat Admonco Te
he useth the Ministry of men in order to the ends of Illumination Conversion strength against Temptations the forgiving and retaining sins In reference to which those Ministers of his produce not acts of the same kinde with the Spirit it self but acts subservient only unto his But then the actions that concern the outward man consist in defending delivering adorning and ordering of the Church and herein he useth not only the Ministry but the Vicar-ship of Kings and Magistrates as being capable in this matter to produce acts congeneal to his own These outward acts now belong to his providence over his Church and as the universal Providence of God which is of it self sufficient for the managing all things yet for the manifestation of a manifold wisdom useth the higer Powers on earth as Vice-royes to preserve and order the common Society of men from whence they are call'd Gods so also the special Providence of Christ which watcheth over his Church not only makes use of and implyes the Ministry of Angels for the good of the Heirs of Salvation but taketh also the Ministers of God's more general Providence in the world into part of this care as his Vicars having once submitted to his Scepter and by them governs and orders his Church who are called likewise after his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ's the Anointed of God Christianity then is so far from taking away the power of the chief Magistrate in the matters of Religion which hath been proved necessary to the obtaining of the ends of Government that it highly establisheth it and gives the Magistrate both a stronger obligation and a greater capacity to discharge his duty therein 1. A stronger obligation being now to esteem himself not only the Minister of God's ordinary Providence but a Substitute of Christ in the external ordering and ruling of his Church And 2. a greater capacity because it acquaints him more clearly with the rules of God's will and pleasure which he is to see observed More I think need not be said for the evincing That Kings have certainly a Power in the matters of Religion in the ordering and governing the external Administrations of the Church A power of reforming what is amiss A power of adding outward penalties the better to inforce an observation of the Divine Commands And A power of ordering and appointing the outward circumstances of God's Worship undetermined by God as may be most decent and comely and beneficial to the unity and peace and edification of Church and State Lastly I add That no Ecclesiastical Person whatsoever hath an exemption from the King's Tribunal or from being ordered and governed by him in the external Administrations of his Office and Function It hath been observed that some Church men are of that make and temper Vt ni pareant territent That unless they obey they may terrifie and affright and the multitude as Curtius once said Vanâ religione capta meliùs vatibus quà m ducibus paret being blinded with a vain Religion obey their admired Prophets better than their Captains and Leaders and therefore it is good reason that Princes for their own security should have an eye even over these and a hand long enough to reach them Rom. 13. Let every soul saith the Apostle be subject to the higher Powers St. Chrisostom's Commentary upon it is That the Command reacheth not only to seculars but to Priests and Monks also yea saith he Be thou an Apostle be thou an Evangelist be thou a Prophet or whatsoever thou art And Aeneas Sylvius could once say Nec animam Papae excipit Neither doth St. Paul except the soul of the Pope though when himself was afterwards made Pope under the name of Pius the second he seemed to recant it Quod Aeneas probavit Pius damnavit Our learned King James in his Declaratio projure Regio against Cardinal Perron well observes p. 65. That this general command by which all Christians are equally obliged is yet directed by St. Paul especially to the Church of Rome as if he had foreseen and would have premonished Illâ in urbe seditionum fontem erupturum ibi nascituram belluam quae civili obedientâ—ae nervos corroderet that in that City the fountain of Seditions would burst forth and there the Beast be born which should gnaw asunder the sinews of Civil obedience What Samuel said of Saul belonged to other Kings of Israel as well as he Wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 15.17 and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel King over Israel and Head of the tribes of Israel are all one Now we read that those tribes had their several Heads but Saul was the head of those Heads as well as of the rest of the tribes of Israel and certainly Levi's tribe was not exempted Moses the first Supreme Governour of the Jews was to be a God to Aaron the High-Priest and the whole ordering of their Religion was subject to him and I might lead you through the series of Scripture History to exemplifie the same in other Kings and then annex a particular reply to the exceptions wont to be made in these matters but that would swell my Discourse into too great a bulk All I shall now say farther is to borrow Saint Bernard's arguing upon the Apostles Universal Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers Si omnis vestra so saith he in an Epistle written to an Arch-Bishop Bernard ep ad Archiepisc Senonensem If every soul then yours Quis enim vos excipit ab universitate For who can except you from every one Si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere If any one attempt to make an exception he doth endeavour to deceive To conclude here is the Scheme of that orderly subordination appointed and approved by God 1. God and Christ above all 2. Vnder God and Christ the King 3. Vnder the King 1. The whole series of Civil Powers deriving all their Authority from him And 2. The Ecclesiastical Order deriving indeed their Spiritual Powers and Functions from Christ himself yet for order sake subjected to the King's Government in all their external administrations and owing all their Temporal Priviledges unto the Kings Laws as the proper Fountain of them I will end this subject with a memorable saying of Marcus Aurelius the Emperour Magistratus de privatis principes de Magistratibus Deum autem de principibus decernere ac judicare Magistrates are to judge of private persons Princes of Magistrates and God of Princes Wherewith agreeth that of Horace Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos imperium est Jovis A few words now II. Secondly Of the Obedience due from Subjects and I have done what I intended The prime Due unto Authority is active Obedience to its commands doing what is required and forbearing what is prohibited for therefore are things commanded that they may be performed and therefore forbidden that they may be forborne and
A SERIOUS EXAMINATION OF THE Independent's Catechism AND THEREIN Of the Chief Principles of Non-conformity to and Separation from The CHURCH of ENGLAND By BENJAMIN CAMFIELD Rector of Whitwell in Derbyshire In two parts The first General the second more Particular Transfigurat se Satanas velut Angelum lucis de Scripturis saepè divinis laqueum fidelibus parat Ergo non te capiat haereticus quia potest de Scripturis aliqua exempla proferre Utitur Diabolus testimoniis Scripturarum non ut doceat sed ut fallat á S. Ambros De secunda tentatione Christi LONDON Printed by J. Redmayne for the Author And are to be sold by Henry Eversden at his Shop under the Crown Tavern in West-Smith-field 1668. IMPRIMATUR Tho. Tomkyrs Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Domino Domino GILBERTO Divina Providentia Archi. Ep. Cant. à Sac. Dom. Ex Aed Lambethanis Junii 12. 1668. TO THE READER Christian Reader THe ensuing Treatise designs not so much the gratifying of the Learned as the satisfaction of the more ignorant and mis-informed and the motive to this publick exposing of it unto view is a necessity rather of the Times than of the Thing it self The very same truths have been frequently suggested by eminent Defenders of the English Church the most Reverend Whitgift Hooker Andrews Morton Hammond Sanderson and others But so long as old mistakes and errors have the confidence to creep abroad into the World daily in some or other new Disguise it is but charity to endeavour the removal of that stumbling-stone and rock of offence which may be otherwise cast in the way of the unskilful The Book examined is the sink indeed of all Non-conforming and Separating Principles from the Protestant Religion established in these Kingdoms under the modest Name of A brief Instruction in the VVorship of God and discipline of the Churches of the New Testament by way of Question and Answer with an Explication and Confirmation of those Answers Printed 1667. †So in the Title page and then contractedly in the head of the following pages A short Catechism with an Explication upon the same The Author I neither know nor list to enquire after but am content to leave his character to thy discretion upon the impartial perusal of that which follows wherein I have demonstrated him First False in his fundamental Principle that runs through all the rest Secondly False unto it and so in the first part undermined his general foundation and in the second cast down the chief of his superstructures If thou art a friend to the Holy Scripture it will offend thee I am confident to see it so much abused under a pretence of cleaving most exactly to it if to the Reformed Interest to find it so disgraced by opening a gap unto all confusions But not to trouble thee with a tedious preface I crave no more belief at thy hands than evidence shall extort from thy Vnderstanding only I beseech thee to read without prejudice and consider what thou readest and That God the Father of Lights would guide us all into and confirm us in the Truth is the hearty Prayer of Thy Well-wishing Friend and Servant B. C. THE Independent's Catechism EXAMINED In two Parts Part I. CHAP. I. Error in first and foundation-Principles most dangerous The Catechist's grand mistake noted The Method of this first part in order to the full conviction thereof The Protestant Doctrine of the perfection of H. Scripture as a rule and guide restrained to matters of Divine belief and practise necessary unto Salvation OF all Errors none so pernicious as those which corrupt the first and foundation-principles of our Discourse for these communicate a leaven of Falshood unto all the consequences from thence inferr'd and such is that which may be observed to run through the Catechism now examined a principle which comprizeth the whole mystery of Non-conformity and Separation in it's bowels viz. That nothing must be done oâ— admitted of by us in or about Religion God's worship and service which himself hath not commanded in the Holy Scriptures That whatsoever is not found instituted and commâ—nded in the â—ord of God cannot be of Faith and therefore the practise or allowance of it is upon that account sinful That the VVord of God condemâ—eth not only what is done against the warrant thereof but that also which is done besides or without it Now to give this matter it 's full consideration I determine by God's hâ—lp to speak distinctly unto these five particulars First The common belief of Protestant Divines in this argument Secondly The corruption and abuse of the Protestant Belief by the Doctrine of the Non-conforming Brethren Thirdly The words wherein our Catechist hath declared his opinion Fourthly The manifest falshood of the Assertion And Lastly The genuine explication of those texts of Scripture which are pretended to countenance it As to the first of these That which is owned among Protestants in common is This That the Holy Scriptures are the onely and sufficient guide and rule in all matters of necessary belief and observance in order unto salvation able to make us wise unto salvation and therefore Whosoever doth either derogate from this their perfection or add any thing unto them as necessary to be believed or done in order unto Salvation are certainly guilty of most presumptuous and unaccountable profaneness and This we justly tax the Church of Rome withall for enjoyning of unwritten traditions and Papal determinations to be received with an equal reverence unto the Holy Scriptures But then it is not their meaning by virtue of this Declaration to condemn all opinions as false and actions as unlawful which the Holy Scripture prescribeth not or to extend the perfection of Holy Scripture so far as the punctual determination of the circumstantials of Divine worship The perfection of God's Word is judged by them with relation unto that special end whereto it is designed viz. the instruction of men in all things necessary unto salvation the knowledge whereof they could not otherwise attain unto than by Divine revelation for it was not aimed to destroy or extinguish the light of nature but to help advance and perfect it It is not therefore any of God's purpose in the Holy Scriptures to comprize all things which men may know believe or practise as if natural reason and discretion were no longer to continue it's guidance or to determine all rituals and circumstances appertaining to the external ordering of Divine worship so as to have nothing for Ecclesiastical laws to be employed about That which they teach of the Scriptures sufficiency is ever restrained to matters of necessary belief and duties of necessary observance in order unto salvation and never enlarged to all things that may be believed or done by us in the general or to particular circumstances which have respect unto the good order decency and external regulation of Divine worship CHAP. II. The Puritan disguises of this
Protestant principle 1st That nothing at all is to be done by us without Scripture-Warrant The absurdity of that declared 2dly That nothing is to be done or admitted of in or about Religion or the worship of God at least without the warrant 1st of some general precepts or 2dly examples in the written Word Those additional explications manifested to be impertinent and retorted NOw let us see how this Protestant Doctrine hath been disguised mis-shaped and perverted by the separating Brethren At first they mis-represented it in these general terms See Hooker Eccles Pol. Book 2. 3. That the Scripture is in such sort the rule of humane actions that simply Whatever we do and are not by it directed thereunto the same is sin To which purpose they construed that of St. Paul Rom. 14.23 VVhatsoever is not of faith is sin And indeed if that place be to the purpose it speaks universally and relates to humane and civil as well as religious actions But of this Saying †afterwards See Chap. 7. The Scriptures as these men taught at first must direct in all things even so far as the taking up of a rush or straw But the opinion in this extent of it hath but few defenders The Scripture plainly referreth in certain cases to a guide within man the law of nature written even in the Gentiles hearts Rom. 2. And appeals more than once to our reasonable faculties Yea and why even of your salves Luk. 12.57 judge ye not what is right It leaves many things undetermined and indifferent neither commanded nor forbidden for mens choice and prudence to take place in reference unto which St. Paul saith All things are lawful forme 1 Cor. 10.23 but all things are not expedient c. The Scripture makes use of many arguments from natural reason which it urgeth as motives unto duty besides the divine authority and revelation which yet were only to be pressed if that alone did legitimate our actions And this fancy once entertained would prove the torture of conscience and disturbance of the world The wrack of conscience it must needs be when for every particular of diet and cloathing and the great variety of occurrences in life it is obliged to seek out a Scripture-warrant And the disturber of the world it would as certainly be for admit this strange position and it shall not be with Parents Masters and Governours as with the Centurion in the Gospel who said to those under him Go and they went Do this and they did it but their Children Servants and Subjects will stand still till their errand be warranted unto them by the Scriptures nay we must have no Art or Trade professed which with the rules of them are not deducible from the Text of Scripture This device therefore failing the proposition hath been since new-molded and limited to this effect That nothing may be done and allowed in or about religion the worship and service of God which is not warranted by some precept or example of Holy Writ That the Scripture alone is to be our rule not only in all the necessaries and essentials of Faith and Worship as is granted by all Protestants but in the very circumstantials and rituals thereunto belonging so that whatsoever is not there prescribed is upon that account sinful and unlawful Hence their usual speech is Where is this and the other rite gesture garb c. commanded in Scripture If no where commanded 't is not to be embraced it is an unwarrantable addition to God's word a piece of superstition will-worship c. Nothing is to be allowed of in God's Worship but what is by himself prescribed and commanded at the least It must be either First Commanded in the general or Secondly There must be some example for it in the Word of God For these two explications some of the wiser heads have made if possible to salve all difficulties to stop all holes and render the thing tolerably defensible But those their Explications are more mischievous to their cause than they may be aware of For First as to their general rules and commands such as doing all to God's Glory all to Edidification doing to others as we would be done by c. These are not commands of any determinate particular but prohâ—bitions of every thing contrary to those laws and rules and approbations only of particulars that are not contrary but agreeable unto them As when it was said to the daughters of Zelophehad from God Numb 36.6 Let them marry to whom they think meet only to the family of the tribe of their fathers shall they marry They were not here absolutely commanded to marry much less to marry any particular man only thus far limited If they did marry he must be one of the tribe of their fathers and in this tribe they might please themselves So when the Apostle saith Let all things be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 he enjoyneth nothing in particular but forbids in the general whatsoever particulars are not according unto this qualification leaving a liberty for any of those specials that may equally plead thereto The like I might say of others And indeed these general rules they talk of are not any commands for religious worship only but refer to our whole life and are nothing else but maxims of natural prudence and religious equity Canons of the law written in all mens hearts which the reason of man approves of but occasionally and incidentally mention'd in Scripture of force for the ordering mens actions before those Scriptures were in beeing and such as would have so remained had they not been written Such is St. Paul's heap of Vniversals Philip. 4.8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest grave or venerable whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think of these things The Word of God as hath been already intimated presupposeth alloweth of and establisheth the light of natural reason and all sound collections and inferences made by Reason from its self Thus therefore it may pass for a great truth That we may not do any thing which the Word of God doth not either command or in the general allow of but this Grant will be neither to their gain nor to our loss But then secondly As for that other addition of Examples in Scripture unto Commands â—p Sanderson Praf to Serm. I find it well argued against them The adding of Examples unto Commands in such manner as in their assertion is done either signifieth nothing or overthroweth all the rest for that example which is by them supposed sufficient for our warrantie was it self either warranted by some command or former example or it was not If it were then the adding of it clearly signifieth nothing inasmuch as that warrant we have by it proceedeth not from it but
particular forms of Church-Covenant It would be somewhat for the vindication of their Grand Principle and the satisfaction of the World if they would declare plainly where these things are commanded and instituted by Christ And now for our Catechist himself I instance in 1. His prudentials allowed of in Divine Worship And 2. His way of evading some things granted by himself to have been warranted by Christ Take we his own words Catech. p. 45. It is true in the observation of positive institutions we may have regard unto Rules and Prescriptions of prudence as to times places and seasons that by no inadvertency or miscarriage of ours or advantage taken by the adversaries of truth the edification of the Church be hindred So the disciples met with the doors shut for fear of the Jews John 20.19 and Paul met with the Disciples in the night in an upper chamber for the celebration of all the ordinances of the Church Act. 20.7 8. Again p. 61.62 Whatever is of circumstance in the manner of it's performance viz. of Religious Worship not capable of especial determination as emerging or arising only occasionally upon the doing of that which is appointed at this or that time in this or that place and the like is left unto the rule of moral prudence but the super-addition of ceremonies necessarily belonging neither to the institutions of worship nor unto those circumstances whose disposal falls under the rule of moral prudence neither doth nor can add any thing to the due order of Gospel Worship Now the allowance of any thing be it only time and place and the like is the destruction and death of this general principle That every thing relating to Divine Worship must have a command or institution in the Scripture and that nothing may be done in or about Gods service which is not so warranted But the truth is Moral prudence is a word of vast extent and opens a door wide enough for any thing pleaded for by the Church of England to crowd in at For it were worth the knowing Why prescribed Forms of Liturgy and Habits and Gestures no-where determined in Scripture fall not under the reach of Moral prudence's Authority as well as the circumstances of time and place or why publick prudence may not be allowed to interpose in those things which a private prudence may determine Now for his vvay of evading the obligation of some things granted to be of Divine Institution Catech. p. 50 51 52. Mention is made in the Scriptures of sundry things practised by the Lord Christ and his Apostles which being then in common use amongst men were occasionally made by them Symbolical instructions in moral duties Such were washing of feet by one another the holy kiss and the like But there being no more in them but a sanctified use directed unto the present civil customs and usages the commands given concerning them respect not the outward actions nor appointed any continuance of them being particularly suited unto the state of things and persons in those Countries as John 13.12 13 14 15. After he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done to you ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one anothers feet for I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you 'T is evident that it is the moral duty of brotherly love in condescension and mutual helpfulness to be expressed in all necessary offices as occasion doth require that is the thing which Jesus Christ enjoyneth here his Disciples and leads them to in his own example in an office of love then in use in those parts The same is to be said of the holy Kiss Rom. 16.16 which was a temporary occasional token of entire love which may in answer thereunto be expressed by any sober usage of salutation amongst men to the same purpose But the things themselves were not instituted for any continuance nor do represent any special grace of the new covenant which is inseparable from every institution of Gospel VVorship Common usages or practises therefore directed to be used in a due manner and unto a proper end where they are used make them not institutions of Worship Well we have here an acknovvledgment not only of occasional rites which he before called the circumstances of moral prudence but of symbolical tokens of moral duties taken out of the civil customs and usages of men without a Divine command and these mentioned in Scripture as practised by christ and his Apostles and therefore certainly our imitation here is warrantable nay one would judge according to the principle we are upon necessary for if a necessity be at other times argued even for a gesture at the Sacrament because Christ is presumed by them to have used it who may dare to vary in any thing where the example is more certainly determined and the imitation possible and easie There especially where he tells us I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you This way of evading the obligation of these symbolical rites in religion by saying they were occasioned from the present civil customs and usages vvill not serve the turn however in the later instance of the holy kiss because that very vvay of salutation is as much a civil custom usage now among us as then nor indeed is it fitting they should alledge an occasional institution for the exemption of their obedience here vvho vvill not allovv the same plea to others in other matters yea vvho impose those things upon others as precepts binding the conscience unto perpetuity vvhich vvere at first but occasional and so temporary institutions I name particularly 1. The office of the seven Deacons to serve tables See part 2. chap. 12. vvhereto only they would novv have all Deacons confined and the Catechist tells us Cat. p. 16â— If it be not so we reject an office of Christs appointment and grovv weary of the observation of the institutions of the Gospel And 2. The Sunday collection See part 2. chap. 12. occasioned by the urgent necessities of the Christians in Judea and appointed by St. Paul upon that day weekly to save the labour of gatherings when he came converted by the catechist into a standing law It is ordained p. 165. that every first day the members of the Church do contribute according as God enables them of their substance for the supply of the poor 1 Cor. 16.2 And unto these instances may be superadded whatsoever else was practised in the primitive Church under the state of persecution and before Religion was countenanced by Kings and Laws wherein yet our exact conformity is as zealously pressed as if we continued still in the very same circumstances Lastly Whereas it is affirmed to be
Of the FIRST PART Chap. 1 ERror in first and foundation-Principles most dangerous The Catechist's grand mistake noted The Method of this first part in order to the full conviction thereof The Protestant Doctrine of the perfection of H. Scripture as a Rule and guide restrained to matters of Divine belief and practise necessary unto Salvation from pag. 1. to p. 4. Chap. 2. The Puritan disguises of this Protestant principles 1st That nothing at all is to be done by us without Scripture-Warrant The absurdity of that declared 2dly That nothing is to be done or admitted of in or about Religion or the Worship of God at least without the warrant 1st of some general precepts or 2dly examples in the written Word Those additional explications manifested to be impertinent and retorted from pag. 4. to p. 10. Chap. 3. The Catechist's opinion as to this point set down at large in his own words from above twenty places of his Book and then summed up together to be viewed at once from pag. 10. to p. 19. Chap. 4. The falshood of his general Opinion demonstrated from the practise of all Churches First Of the Iewish Church wherein the Instances are The Rites used by them in swearing putting the hand under the thigh or lifting it up to Heaven Iacob's Pillar and Vow The Gileadites Altar on the other side Iordan The Heap and Pillar between Laban and Iacob at their covenant Ioshuae's great Stone set up at Sechem Solomon's new Altar The Stone of Bethshemesh Samuel's Altar at Ramah David's pious resolution for building the Temple Determinate hours of Prayers thrice a Day the Third the Sixth the Ninth hour The erecting Oratories and Synagogues for God's service and worship and several things observable in them Set Festivals for which there was no Divine Precept The dayes of Purim Solomon's seven dayes for the dedication of the Altar Hezekiah's seven dayes added to the Passeover The Feast of Dedication in Winter Stated Fasts voluntarily undertaken or enioyned The fast of the fourth fifth seventh and tenth moneth in Zechary Weekly Fasts of the Pharisees and Iohn the Baptist's Disciples no where reproved otherwise than for the Hypocrisie of some observers of them Anna's commendation for worshipping God with such Fasts The custom of the religious Iews fasting every day till Morning Prayer and on their Sabbaths and Festivals till noon The rites used at the Passe-ovet and other Festivals at Circumcision Marriage and Burial from pag. 20 to p. 31. Chap. 5. II Of the Church of the New Testament in the time of Christ and his Apostles wherein the instances are Christs approbation of those rites and usages among the Iews which were not founded upon a Divine Command His Apologie for and commendation of the two Women that Annointed him whereto is added the story of the good women at his Sepulchre and of Ioseph of Arimathra His frequenting the Synagogues and demeaning himself according to their customes His carriage at the Passeover the institution of his own Supper The observance in the Church of Iewish customs and ordinances a long time after their conversion to Christianity Certain things imposed on the Gentiles by way of compliance with the Iews to avoid offence and division The Sabbath day kept with the first day of the week The holy Kiss The Love-feasts St. Paul's injunctions in order to the decencie of Divine worship that the man be uncovered and the woman covered with the concluding of that matter of Ceremonie against the contentions by the custom of the Churches from pag. 31. to p. 45. Chap. 6. III Of the Churches following the Apostles downward to this day 1 The Primitive Church wherein the instances are The observation of the great Festivals in memory of Christ's Birth Resurrection c. Standing at Prayer on all Lords days and every day between Easter and Whitsunday Fasting on Wednesday and Friday weekly and constantly before Easter The honourable and frequent use of the Cross receiving the Sacred Eucharist fasting 2 The Reformed Churches Their general Tenent of the power of National Churches to make laws in things neither commanded nor forbidden by God 3 The Independent Congregations wherein the instances are Singing David's Psalms translated by humane invention into rythm and meter and that too bare headed whilst they heat the Sermon with the hat on Sprinkling Infants Taking the Communion sitting Their particular forms of Church Covenant And the Catechists Prudentials allowed of in Divine worship with his way of evading the obligation of some things granted by himself to have been commanded by Christ The mischievous consequences of this general principle of Non conformity and Separation reflected on from pag. 44. to p. 54. Chap. 7. The common abuse of Holy Scripture by the Writers of this way An explication of certain places of Scripture brought in to countenance the fore-going Principles or some appendant to it under five heads Such texts 1 which referr us to the word of God as our rule and commend unto us the perfection of it 2 Which use the negative argument of Gods not commanding a thing as a reproof and condemnation 3 Which forbid the adding to or taking from the Word of God 4 Which prohibit the worshipping of God by the commands of men and will-worship 5 Which require faith of us in order to the pleasing of God and impute the guilt of sin to whatsoever is not of Faith from pag. 54. to p. 72 Chap. 8. Other Texts of Scripture examined under seven heads more viz. 6 Which describe Christ's faithfulness compared with Moses and point unto him as the one Lord of his house the Church 7 Which command us to hear and obey Christ under the greatest penalty Wherein also Christ enjoyns his Disciples to teach all his commandments and wherein others are commanded or exhorted to obey them or commended for examples of a diligent and exact obedience 8 which relate to the pattern given in the Mount to Moses and the other in Vision to Ezekiel 9 Which point us to the spiritual worship required by God under the Gospel 10 The second commandment said to forbid us the making to our selves any thing in the worship of God to add unto his appointments 11 Which are said to speak of the Apostacy of the Church prophetically under the name of fornication and whoredom and of the innocency of those that keep themselves undefiled therewith Lastly Which are alledged as instances of severity against persons who by ignorance neglect or regardlesness have miscarried in not observing exactly God's will and appointment in and about his worship Particularly Nadab and Abihu Corah Dathan and Abiram The Sons of Eli Vzzah whom the Catechist saith against the Scripture-Text to have sinn'd in putting the Ark into a Cart when he should have born it on his shoulders Vzziah's offering incense 1 Cor. 11.30 Hebr. 10.25 26 27 28 29. from pag. 73. to p. 93. The Contents of the Second Part. Chap. 1. The Catechist's confidence with the
of Prayer is the result sometimes of Impudence and Presumption Pride and Ambition or some worse Principle 'T is not to be expected that the H. Spirit help us immediately to the matter and words of Prayer Rom. 8.26 considered Three Arguments to demonstrate the Proposition The Spirit helps us to the matter and words of Prayer by the use of proper and fit means among which may be reckoned pious and useful Forms composed to our hands by others Grace most considerable in Prayer and the principal work of the H. Spirit is to excite assist and strengthen the exercise of proper Graces Where the Form is prescribed one grace more to be exercised The chief operations of the Spirit of Supplications he inwards in fixing the intention illuminating the understanding inflaming the affections c. A wide difference between saying Prayers and Praying-Prayers from p. 300. to 323. Chap. 15. Singing of Psalms the Catechist's third Gospel-Institution slily passed over Six points propounded about it to be resolved from Scriture Of Preaching the Word the fourth Gospel-Institution Needful distinctions about it Difference between Preaching and Teaching Evangelists and Doctors Word and Doctrine between Preaching by Inspiration and by Pains and Industry Preaching more ways than that of Sermons by the Vulgar fixed on viz. By Reading by Writing by Proxy The fifth Gospel-Institution Administration of the Sacraments Baptism and the Lords Supper Sacraments no Scripture-word The proper subjects of Baptism proper Church-members The Anabaptist misledd by the Catechists principles Baptism ill confined to the Infant-seed of Believers onely The carriage of the Synod of Dort as to that point Sitting not a gesture prescribed for the Lords Supper 'T is not certain to conscience that Christ and his Disciples used the same gesture at the Supper as at the Passover The gesture of the Passover different from our sitting No evidence of the Will of Christ that we conform to the gesture then used rather than to other circumstances The last Gospel-Institution Church-Discipline The power given to the community of the people Women excepted in the Administration thereof by the Catechist His Scripture-instances considered A threefold Directory given by him for the Exercise of Discipline The politick contrivance of the separate Churches for perpetuating themselves The Catechist's two concluding Questions from pag. 323. to 347. FINIS An APPENDIX Of the Authority of KINGS AND Obedience of SUBJECTS The Contents A Specimen of the Separatists Loyalty and Opinion of the Magistrates Power in matters of Religion Government an Ordinance of God In all orderly Government some Supreme necâ—ssary That Supreme so far Independent Absolute and Vncontroulable There can be but one Supreme all besides must needs be Subject That the Supreme over us is the King's Majesty undeniably evidenced His power about Religion proved by four considerations No Ecclesiastical person hath an exemption from his Tribunal A Scheme of the orderly subordination of Government appointed and approved of God Active obedience the principal due to Authority and that in matters antecedently good indifferent and doubtful but not in matters evidently sinful Here the passive obedience takes place The reasonableness of that Subjection SInce the committing of the foregoing Pages to the Press I have considered with my self that among all the Brethren of the Separation whom I have either known or heard of there hath not one been found of that Loyal Disposition as to call the War against the last King a Rebellion or his Death a Murther or the Government of O. C. an unjust Vsurpation but then as to Religion it is most palpable that they do all deny any Authority in the King to intermeddle with it and are no less professed Enemies to his Supremacy in matters Ecclesiastical a foundation-Principle of the English Protestant Reformation than the Jesuited Papists Their Judgement joyntly is Let Kings take care of Civil State Let Church of Church-matters debate Now so long as these Doctrines are entertained and acknowledged it is but labour lost to press them unto obedience and conformity to the Laws of the Realm about Religion and the Service of God since these Laws themselves are adjudged by them no other then extravagancies beyond the compass of their Rulers Commission invasions of Christ's Authority the Churches Priviledge and every Christians Liberty unjustifiable in themselves and therefore of no power to oblige them unto duty or brand their most contemptuous neglects for sinful transgressions I have therefore thought it requisite in order to the fuller confutation of their way and principles to annex this Appendix for the rectifying of their apprehensions who shall be willing impartially to deliberate upon what is here offered to them briefly of these two heads First the Power and Authority of Kings or Governours And Secondly The obedience due from Subjects For these two are relatives not to be separated each from other First then concerning the former I take it for granted that Government and Magistracy is an Ordinance of God and they who list to dispute it may if they please confront and oppose St. Paul's thirteenth Chapter to the Romans That which I design to recommend shall be comprised and demonstrated in the following particulars 1. In all regular Governments needs must there be some Supreme and Principal Some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some Princeps Some first and chief Some uppermost and Head of the rest to whom the last appeal must be made and at whose tribunal and decision they must acquiesce Ordo non datur nisi cum relatione ad aliquid primum for without this there can be no settled and determined order but there will be a progress to infinity and controversies can never be ended A necessity there is in all Government for some to be uppermost 2. The supreme or chief power where-ever it is seated must needs be so far independent absolute and uncontroulable Independent upon any but God himself for otherwise there will be some above it and so it will not be supreme and uppermost Absolute it must needs be to obtain the ends of Government where by absolute I mean not freed from an obligation to observe the Laws of God and Nature and to Govern according to humane Laws so far as equity will bear but freed from the fetters of all humane Laws when the necessity of Government whereof the Supreme is also to judge calls for it And without this no Government can well be upheld and managed there being ever some cases happening which humane Laws cannot in particular foresee and provide against and therefore the breast of the Supreme must make a supply And then being independent on any upon earth and absolute in the sense explained it must needs follow that it is unaccountable unto any uncontroulable by any but God Subject to the coercive restraint of none besides for if so that to which it is subject will be above it and so it is no longer Supreme and Uppermost and we shall lay the Principles of confusion
inseparable from every institution of gospel-Gospel-worship to represent some grace of the New-covenant which these symbolical instructions do not I would gladly be resolved Whether brotherly love and charity be not some grace of the New-covenant or What special grace of the New-covenant is represented by singing one of the Gospel-institutions hereafter enumerated To draw now towards a conclusion of this argument I have so long insisted on Let it be consider'd of how mischievous a consequence the entertainment of this general principle must needs be That nothing may be used or allowed of in or about Gospel-worship vvhich is not commanded and instituted in the Word of God There can be no observance of those general rules That all things be done in order and decency and unto edification if there be no such power lodged in the Church as to determine those outward ceremonies and circumstantials which are no where specified by God himself for either none at all will be determined and so we shall be in danger of Atheism and profaneness or every one must determine and chuse for himself and so there being as many minds almost as men we shall unavoidably run into endless Schisms and confusions In truth the main question here is only this Since God is to have an orderly and decent service kept up in the world whether private discretion and conscience or publick authority is fittest to be trusted with the management of it and then In case that that the Governours of the Church backed with the laws of Christian Princes shall interpose in these matters left by God undetermined whether it be not a sin of unaccountable frowardness and disobedience to refuse the doing that when vve are commanded by authority which we might every one chuse to do our selves though we vvere not so commanded We are not in this Kingdom to learn what mischiefs and disorders may be reasonably expected from a principle we have already seen and experimented so dismal and destructive consequences of A short remembrance may here suffice from a judicious observer Bp Sanderson Praef. to his Sermons When this gap was once opened VVhat command have you in Scripture or what example for this or that Vnà Eurusque Notusque ruunt It vvas like the opening of Pandora's box or the Trojan horse as if all had been let loose Swarms of Sectaries of all sorts broke in and as the Frogs and Locusts in Egypt overspread the face of the land nor so only but as it often happeneth these young striplings soon out-stript their leaders and that upon their own ground for as these said to others What command or example have you for kneeling at the Communion for wearing a Surplice for Lord Bishops for a penn'd Liturgie for keeping holy dayes c. and there stop'd so these to them Where are your Lay-Presbyters your Classes c. to be found in Scripture Where your Steeple-houses your National Churches your Tythes and mortuaries your Infant-sprinklings nay your Meter-Psalms your two Sacraments your observing a weekly Sabbath for so far I find they are gone and how much farther I know not already and how much farther they will hereafter God alone knoweth for erranti nullus terminus being thus far out of their way they may vvander everlastingly It may be then a kindness vvhatever they think of it to stop if possible to turn them and let them see where they first mistook It is therefore the last office propounded in this general part of my discourse to take a vievv of those several places of Scripture used shall I say or abused by the Catechist to countenance this Leading-error vvhich I have declared the falseness of Unto that therefore I proceed CHAP. VII The common abuse of Holy Scripture by the Writers of this way An explication of certain places of Scripture brought in to countenance the fore-going Principle or some appendant to it under five heads Such texts 1 which referr us to the Word of God as our rule and commend unto us the perfection of it 2 Which use the negative argument of Gods not commanding a thing as a reproof and condemnation 3 VVhich forbid the adding to or taking from the VVord of Gods 4 VVhich prohibit the worshipping of God by the commands of men and will-worship 5 VVhich require faith of us in order to the pleasing of God and impute the guilt of sin to whatsoever is not of Faith AS there is nothing more usual so nothing more detestable in the Writers of this way than horribly to wrest and dally with God's holy oracles and quote the Scriptures lamely and perversly †M. Perâ—â—ns saith well upon the occasion of the Devils temptations unto Christ and alledging Scripture in them Gods Ministers must hereby be admonished to be careful in alledging any text of Scripture that the same be fit and pertinent for to wrest the same from the proper meaning of the H. Ghost to serve their ovvn conceit is the practise of Satan Which also may serve for a good advertisement to those that use to heap up manifold allegations of Scriptures In this affected multiplicity the abuse of Scripture can hardly be escaped Park Combat betvveen Christ and the Devil Vol. 3. p. 393. as the Devil did and commit the vice which they so often falsly challenge others with and for namely the adding unto or detracting from the Word of God saying the Lord hath spoken what he hath not or the Lord hath not spoken what he hath The plainest Scriptures are least of all minded and obscurer places gloss'd upon to patronize their private doctrines fancies and imaginations yea any faint allusion or emblance will serve for an express warrant The Garment spotted with the flesh hath been quoted against the Surplice Bowing the knee to Baal against kneeling at the Sacrament The mark of the beast against the Cross c. The margins of their books are commonly faced with a multitude of Scripture-quotations little or nothing really to the purpose but to make a fair shew and deceive the credulous and simple And so it is with our Catechist who to render the number of his quotations more formidable to the eye repeats the same oftentimes over again Some difficulty there will be in marshalling them into order but I will take what care I can to leave none out that cast but the least look or glance this way I shall therefore examin them under the following Heads 1. Those Scriptures which referr us to the VVord of God as our rule and commend unto us the perfection of it John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Luke 16.19 it should be I suppose vers 29.31 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them If they hear not Moses and the Prophets