Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A49125
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The non-conformists plea for peace impleaded in answer to several late writings of Mr. Baxter and others, pretending to shew reasons for the sinfulness of conformity.
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Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing L2977; ESTC R25484
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74,581
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138
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the performance of some more necessary duties I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice and St. Paul did Circumcise Timothy to avoid greater inconveniencies when doubtless he had rather not have done it And as we may do some things so we may omit some other which are injoyned by Law according to the exigency of circumstances so it be done without bewraying contempt of Authority or giving just occasion of scandal to others Bishop Sanderson p. 19. of Submission to Superiours The last thing that I shall premise is that the Non-Conformists are not yet agreed what that is in our Conformity which they think to be sinful For what some think unlawful others condemn only as inconvenient One sticks at the Sign of the Cross another at Kneeling at the Sacrament a third at the Surplice a fourth can submit to all these but sticks at Reâ—ordination which different judgment of dissenters gives just cause to believe that there is no real sinfulness in either because what some think to be sinful others grant to be lawful These things being premised I come to the business of Ministerial Conformity Mr. Baxter tells us § 7. that the root of the difference is this That the Non-Conformists thought that they should stick to the meer Scripture rules and simplicity and go far from all additions which were found invented or abused by the Papists in Doctrine Worship and Government against which Opinion Mr. Baxter disputes part 3. ch 2. of his Directory And the Conformists thought that they should shew more reverence to the Customes of the Antient Church and retain that which was not forbidden in Scripture which was introduced before the ripeness of the Papacy or before the year 660. and common to them with the Greek which doubtless was the sounder Opinion So that the Foundation of Non-conformity was lay'd on a false principle and they that built thereon frequently raised Sedition and would have as certainly destroyed the Nation as they did one another had they not been prevented For Mr. Baxter observes that some of them were so hot at home that they were put to death not for their Non-conformity but for Murder Treason or Blasphemy as the Histories of those times shew Others as Ainsworth Robinson Johnson c. fled beyond Sea and there gathered Churches and broke by Division among themselves And whereas Mr. Baxter says that the difference among the Exiles at Frankford was that Dr. Cox and Mr. Horne and their party strove for the English Liturgy and the other party for the freer way of praying from the present sense and habit of the speaker It will appear to him that reads the Troubles of Frankford that the Question was not between the English Liturgy and such free Prayers which were not then publickly used For Calvin himself used a Liturgy at Geneva and a short Form before his Sermons and sometimes that which we call Bidding of Prayers as may be seen after his Sermons on Job Printed in English And Mr. Calvin thus relates the matter p. 33. of his Opuscula When the Exiles could not agree about the English Liturgy they did by my Advice and Approbation draw up another Printed in the English Tongue 1556. wherein was a Confession taken out of Daniel the 9th a Prayer for the whole Church the Lords Prayer the Creed c. the rest of this Section carrieth its Confutation with it The 8. § concerns the conformity of Lay-men which falls under that of Ministerial Conformity § 9. Where first of Assent Consent and Subscription nothing is contrary to Gods word c. This as Mr. Baxter observes is required by the 36. Canon not by the Act or the Book it self Now if we consider by what Men this hath been subscribed to ever since those Canons were Confirmed and what Latitude the Church seems to allow us in making this Subscription viz. If we shall allow it such just and favourable construction as in common equity ought to be allowed to all humane Writings especially such as are set forth by authority and even to the best Translation of the Holy Scripture it self which as you have seen Mr. Baxter himself doth grant they that Scruple at this may also refuse to subscribe any Articles Confession of Faith yea even the Apostles Creed This therefore is already answered and so is the next Objection that the Subscriber will use that Form in publick Prayer c. and none other For other occasional Forms for Prayer and Thanksgiving commended to us by authority may be used without violating this Subscription it being Casus omissus the constant practice of the Church shewing that this exception was intended though not expressed and that conceived Prayers before Sermons are not hereby forbidden the general practice doth evince All Law-givers do leave to the Judges and Magistrates a Power to interpret the doubtful Letter of the Law and to mitigate the rigour of its Execution in order to the publick good and dispenseth with the Subjects so be it they observe the chief end of the Law in the omission of some circumstances on reasonable occasions and unavoidable accidents without which Justice would be turned into Wormwood He therefore that presumeth of the Magistrates consent to dispense with the Observation of the lesser parts of the Law on just occasions and in needful cases presumeth no more than he hath reason to do And this Bishop Sanderson groundeth on that Maxim Salus Populi Suprema Lex All that is required by the Act is unfeignedly to Assent and Consent that there is such a measure of Truth and Goodness in the Book of Common-Prayer as qualifies it for the publick Worship of God which even they that pretend disorders and defects in it may do in Obedience to Authority for the sake of Peace Order and Charity as well as for the continuing of themselves in the Ministry And doubtless they may approve of the present Liturgy with all its defects which was compiled by the Holy and Learned Martyrs and hath been reviewed and approved by many stout Confessors as well as of their so he calls his new Liturgy more correct Nepenthes which being done in haste hath many Imperfections or the Directory that had nor Creed nor Decalogue both which leave Men to their own extemporary Conceptions And in a short time justled out the Lords Prayer too The title of the Act which is the Key that opens the sense and intention of the Law-givers is an Act for Vniformity of publick Prayers and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies so that if Uniformity be unfeignedly observed the Act is satisfied though the Conformist may wish that some things in the said Book had been amended But some Men are so unhappy as to contrive Nets and Snares to involve themselves and others and raise nice distinctions where the Law distinguisheth not As do they who say Assent implies the Truth and Consent the goodness of the things 2. And whereas the Act says to all things they
the beginning Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith And the Catholick Faith is this c. And in the end This is the Catholick Faith which except a Man believe faithfully he cannot be saved Answer if our Assent be required only to the Use of this Creed and not to a belief of the Truth of every part of it the controversie will be at an end Secondly The Belief of things as necessary to Salvation is granted by Non-conformists to be not an Assent to the several Phrases and obscure Words but to the general sense contained in them Now the sense of our Church in proposing this Creed may be judged by the Use which she makes of the Apostles Creed not only in the daily Profession of it but in the Office of Baptism as containing all the necessary points of Faith into which we are Baptized And in the Catechism as containing all the Articles of the Christian Faith which doth shew that no more is required as necessary to Salvation than what is contained in the Apostles Creed Thirdly In this Creed some things are propounded as necessary points of Faith which Men of weak judgments may apprehend as that we Worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity Other things are for a clearer explication of that Doctrin and vindication of it from the errors that were then risen in the Church as the Arrians and Nestorians who erred concerning the Divinity of Christ and his two Natures which begin thus For there is one Person of the Father c. After which followeth the necessary Doctrine again So that in all things as is aforesaid the Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is to be Worshipped He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity So that the Doctrine of the Trinity is that Faith which is proposed as necessary to Salvation I know the exception of many against this Creed is in relation to the Heathen who seem by it to be excluded from Salvation In which respect I suppose it is that Mr. Baxter says p. 191. That some R. Reverend Conformists do profess that those Sentences are untrue and not to be approved and he instanceth somewhere in Mr. Chillingworths refusal to subscribe it But if this be the ground of the Exception I conceive that the generality of the Non-conformists who maintain the same Opinion which is consonant to the Scriptures and to the Assemblies Confession of Faith to which Mr. Baxter also hath declared his Assent in this particular will not oppose For in the Assemblies Confession C. 10. Article 4. concerning effectual calling they say That Men not professing the Christian Religion cannot be saved in any way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their Lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess and to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested And I know some Non-conformists have lately blamed some Conformists for seeming to incline to the contrary Opinion Which if this be sense of the Creed our Church doth explode yet some Non-conformists think that by holding the Doctrine of the Athanasian Creed they do not judge the Heathen World and that they dobut not but in every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him so that this obloquie is silenced But it is most probable that Athanasius intended the Explanatory part of the Creed against the Arrians and other Hereticks in the Church who if they denied the Divinity of Christ and dyed in that error who can think they can be saved seeing they make Christ a meer Creature and overthrow the Doctrine of our Redemption by him But that he should condemn all that have a true though but a weak Faith in the Holy Trinity and cannot comprehend the manner of the Eternal Generation of the Son the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the Co-equality of the Trinity cannot be thought to have been the Mind of Athanasius P. 192. N. 20. The Liturgy saith All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer privately or openly not being lett by sickness or some other urgent cause c. Answ That the Primitive Christians did meet daily not only for publick Prayers but to receive the Sacrament is believed and that it is our duty to Pray Morning and Evening cannot be denyed and what should hinder but that such as are specially devoted to the Service of God should Pray openly with the people if not reasonably hindred or at least pray privately for them there are many that do their duty herein and if all did it would be better with us because all Men do not perform their Baptismal Vows is it fit that none such should be made we see this duty is performed in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and in many other places where there is a liberal maintenance provided for the Priests and Deacons where though one only do Officiate yet all those that are present may say the daily Prayers as the Liturgy requires which is another frivolous Objection of Mr. Baxters p. 192. n. 3. The next is a Calumny against the whole Liturgy viz. that the Prayers are disorderly and defective not Formed according to the Order of Matter nor of the Lords Prayer but like an immethodical Sermon which is unsuitable to the High Subjects and Honorable Work of Holy Worship and that the Non-conformists have Offered when it shall be well accepted to give in a Catalogue of the disorders and defects of the Liturgy But all this notwithstanding they think it lawful to Use the Liturgy in Obedience or for Unity or when no better may be Used It is something to go thus far but if they would impartially consider the defects and confusions which were in the Directory as it hath been considered by Doctor Hammond or in Mr. Baxters Eight days exploit for a more correct Nepenthes and shall on the other side read that account which Mr. Comber and others have given of the Methodical order and dependance of the several Prayers and Offices the Grave and Scriptural Phrases and Expressions in the Liturgy he may perceive that this is fitter to guide the Devotion of the Universal Church than those other are for Country Conventicles P. 194. He excepts against the Preface to the Book of Ordination where it is said that It is evident to all Men diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders in Christs Church Bishops Priests and Deacons as several Offices Answ I shall not trouble my Readers with the Arguments of Learned Men for the Order of Bishops in the Church ever since the Apostles days as distinct from Presbyters much less shall I repeat those uncomely Reflections which Mr. Baxter hath made on Diocesan Bishops in both his late Books It may suffice in Answer to this Objection that Mr. Baxter