I shall first lay down plainly the Assertion or Doctrine of the Church of England in reference to the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures and from it give a direct Answer to this Objection 2ly I shall lay down the contrary Tenet of some Non-Conformists which is here asserted in this Argugument 3ly I shall endeavor to shew the Dangerousness of this Opinion and the Swarms of evil consequences which do naturally follow from it And 4ly That they who hold it did do many things repugnant to it And 5ly That it doth necessarily make the Holy Scripture an imperfect Rule 1. Then when we assert that Scripture is a perfect Rule we mean it thus that it doth perfectly contain all that is necessary to be believed or done in Order to our acceptance with God here or to our happiness with him hereafter not that it doth particularly prescribe what ever Circumstance of Order Decency or Convenience may be observed in the Service of God And this doth seem to me to be the true Distinction in this matter betwixt the Protestant of the Church of England and the Rigid Puritan that the Protestant of the Church of England asserts the Holy Scripture to be a full and perfect Rule of all the Articles of Christian Faith and Christian Piety but notwithstanding he maintains that Holy Scripture hath left it in the Power of the Church Governors Sacred and Civil to appoint such Rites and Ceremonies to be used in the Service of God as they shall judge convenient and conducing to the ends of Unity and Order Peace and Love Decency Uniformity and the Edification of the Church And that by virtue of these General Rules Follow after the things Rom. 14.19 Phil. 3.16 1 Cor. 14.40 which make for Peace and whereby we may edify one another Let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same thing Let all things be done decently and in order Let all be done to Edification and to the Glory of God Give no offence to Jew or Gentile or to the Church of God c. They in the General are authorised to appoint such Rites and Ceremonies as they judge most conducing to these ends and that all Christian people who live under their Care and Jurisdiction are bound to yield obedience to them in matters of this Nature by vertue of those Seriptures which command them to obey those that Rule over them and to submit to them Hebr. 13.17 â— Pet. 5.5 Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 To be subject to their Elders and to the higher Powers and to every Ordinance of man for the Lords Sake I say their Tenet is that by vertue of these Scriptures they are bound to yield obedience to them in all lawful things that is in all those things which God hath not forbidden in his Word for where there is no Law of God forbidding there can be no transgression and therefore to refuse obedience to our Superiors Civil or Sacred in those matters is to refuse obedience in things lawful and therefore to offend against the Precepts which call upon us to be subject and obedient to them So that we do assert in Answer unto this Objection 1. That the Scripture is a perfect Rule of all Ceremonies that are good Works antecedently to the Command of man so that in Scripture some express for them may be found but that it is not such a Rule of indifferent Ceremonies 2ly That 't is as perfect a Rule as it needs to be in reference to Ceremonies uncommanded in particular 1 By giving us the general Rules which should direct Superiours in the imposing of these things indifrent but not in a particular Prescription of them as this Objection doth suppose it being a plain contradiction that any thing should be to us indifferent and yet prescribed to us in the Word of God Dissenters therefore must deny that there is any circumstance of Worship be it Time Place Gesture or the Words in which it is to be performed left indifferent or that being so that circumstance must not be used in Gods Worship or else they must confess the weakness of the Argument produced And 2ly Because it doth command us to obey Superiors Civil and Sacred in all lawful matters and so instructs us to submit to what is not forbidden by Gods Word when by Superiors it is commanded This is our Tenet and this is a direct and a sufficient answer to this Argument But on the other hand the Tenet of some Nonconformists owned by this Argument is this That no Church Governors ought to ordain or introduce into the Service of God any other Rites or Observations than such as God hath in his Word commanded or Christ and his Apostles by their Examples which they esteem as Precepts hath approved and that if they enjoyn such things we must not yield obedience to them but must reject them as humane inventions superstition and will worship This is that Doctrine in which the Mystery of Puritanism doth consist and the pernicious consequences of it are so many that any person who doth weigh them seriously will if he be indeed a Lover of Christianity abhor and heartily renounce that Doctrine whence they so naturally flow And 1. This Doctrine casts a reproach upon Religion it gives just cause to Magistrates to scruple the admission of the Christian Faith and to the Atheist and the Polititian to represent it as the great instrument of sedition and disobedience For this opinion obliges men to thwart the Magistrate in all indifferent matters which he commands with a respect unto Gods Worship If he commands them to come to Church on the Lords-day at such a time in such a place they must stand bound in conscience by this Rule to refuse to do so because in Scripture God hath not determined how oft what hour or where they should assemble if he commands them to be uncovered in the House of God to stand or kneel whilst they are praying to sit whilst hearing or the like they must not do it because God hath not told them in his Word that they should be uncovered in his presence that they should kneel or stand whilst they do pray or sit when they do hear Now what a Scandal what a base impeachment is it to our peaceable Religion to say that it obligeth us to disobey Authority in matters God hath left us all to do or not to do at pleasure only because he doth command us so to do them as we might have performed them had he not commanded us and that nothing doth so much engage us to be refractory to the higher Powers as that perfect Law of Liberty which Christ hath left us 2ly Upon the same account it must be sinful to obey those Civil Laws which do concern those Laws of Justice Charity and Mercy towards our Christian Brother which cannot clearly be collected from the written Word For it is plain from Scripture that these are the more weighty matters of
joyn not with these that use it or with the Minister who wears a Surplice kneel not at the Receiving of the Sacrament do not stand up at the rehearsal of the Creed bring not your Children to receive the sign of the Cross in Baptism all these they teach for Doctrines asserting that they are actions which God hath forbidden and therefore may not lawfully be used in his Worship or by them be submitted to since therefore God hath not forbidden any of these things and yet they teach he hath forbidden them they plainly must be guilty of adding to his Word and teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men which they who do declare these things to be indifferent and no where commanded in Gods Word cannot be guilty of CHAP. III. The CONTENTS Answering the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture as Obj 1. God would have for the Tabernacle and the Temple an exact pattern how he would have all things done and that in writing and therefore Christ being faithful in his House as Moses was must have done as much in Scripture towards the building of his Spiritual House Answ 1. This Argument holds as well in Civil Matters as in Sacred and by arguing from such similitudes many false things may be concluded Answ 2. That it is falsly supposed that Moses was so full in his Institutions that nothing afterwards was to be added to them or ordained by the Rulers of the Church for the better Observation of them 3 'T is certain Christ hath not done what this Objection saith his faithfulness obliged him to do 4ly There is a manifest disparity betwixt the Christian and the Jewish State and thence good reason may be given why thô all things were determined then it should not be so now 5ly The fidelity of Moses consisted in this that he concealed nothing of that which God commanded and sutably the fidelity of Christ in this that he declared to us the whole Will of God § 1. Obj. 2. The Scripture is a Rule of Ceremonies for it prescribeth Ceremonies respecting Baptism and the Lords Supper if therefore it prescribe not all it must be an imperfect Rule Answ 1. The absurdity of this Argument is shewn by instances of a like Nature 2 The Doctrine of the Church of England concerning the perfection of the H. Scriptures is this viz. that it doth perfectly contain all that is necessary to believed or done in Order to Salvation Thô not all Ceremonies in particular of Decency and Order That the Scripture is a Rule of all Ceremonies that are good works antecedently to the Command of man 2. That it is sufficiently perfect in reference to uncommanded Ceremonies by giving general Directions to Superiors in the imposing of them And 2ly By Commanding Obedience to their impositions in all lawful matters The Tenet of some Non-Conformists that no Church-Governors ought to ordain or introduce into the Service of God any other Rites or Observations than such as God hath in his Word commanded or Christ and his Apostles by their Examples which they esteem as Precepts hath approved and that if they enjoyn such things we must not yield Obedience to them but must reject them as humane Inventions Superstition and Will-worship The pernicious Consequence of this Tenet 1. It casts a reproach upon Religion and gives just cause to Magistrates to scruple the Admission of the Christian Faith 2. It makes it necessary to disobey all Civil Laws concerning Charity and Justice which are not contained in Scripture 3ly This Opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World 4. It gives a great Advantage to Popery Mr. Baxters solid Confutation of this Opinion by 8 Arguments 5ly They who assert this Tenet do many things in Contradiction to it § 2. CHAP. III. HAving thus dispatched the Scriptures produced in this cause I proceed to consider the Objections of Dissenters from reason grounded upon Scripture and Obj. 1. It is objected That there was nothing appertaining in the least to the Worship of God but was fully set down even to the pins of the Tabernacle in the Law of Moses when Gods Material House was to be built he gave to Moses for the Tabernacle and to David for the Temple a Pattern according to which he would have every thing made or done And of this Pattern which God gave to David for the Temple it is expresly said God gave it him in Writing 1 Chron. 28.19 Nothing then might be done by Moses or by Solomon tho they were two of the wisest Men that ever lived about the Tabernacle or Temple or about the whole Service of God performed in them but according to that Pattern Exod. 25.9 40 39 42 40 16. and this charge the Lord repeats to Moses four times to shew the great Importance of it and the Author to the Hebrews Notes that it was said unto him Hebr. 8.5 see that thou make all things according unto the Pattern that was shewed thee in the Mount Hebr 3.6 Since therefore Christ was faithfull in his House as Moses was he must say they in building his Spiritual House have given us a Pattern according to which he would have all his works done and that pattern must be contained in the H. Scriptures Answ 1 Of this almost all the Arguments produced by Dissenters on this Subject it is observable that they hold as much against all Laws concerning Civil matters as concerning sacred For instance Moses as he prescribed those Laws whereby the Jewish Nation was to Act in sacred matters so did he from Gods mouth prescribe them a Judicial Law a Law for Civil Government and he moreover saith of that as well as of those Laws which did concern Gods Worship you shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath Commanded you you shall not turn aside to the right hand or the left If then the Argument here holds from the fidelity of Moses to that of Christ or from Gods care of his Churches Service under the Old Testament to his care of it under the New Christ must have given us a form of Civil Government as well as Sacred a Statute Law by which our Courts of Justice must be regulated and to which 't is not in the Power of King and Parliament to add on Statute or else Christ must be thought less faithful in his House then Moses was and God less carefull of the Christian than the Jewish Church And indeed Arguments of this Nature taken from Similitudes may be used to conclude things manifestly false as V. G. God is not less kind to his Ministers under the New Testament than under the Old and therefore as in the Law of Moses we are told punctually what they should receive from the People so must we be told also under the New Testament under the Law there was on Earth an High Priest over the Jews therefore we must have an universal Bishop over the Christians Moses
and as it grew more ancient its Constitutions grew more numerous and so the men of this opinion had they lived then as they did not none that we read of in those times ever pretending separation from any Church on these accounts they must have been obliged to separate from all the Churches then in being Come we to all the Churches of this present Age and we shall find that this opinion will oblige the Authors of it to separate from them also For the Church of Rome and all the Eastern Churches they must much more abominate on this account than any others because their Ceremonies are more numerous and many of them superstitious The Lutheran Churches have not only Lyturgies and other ancient Ceremonies which we observe but they have also Images many other observations which these men stile Superstitious Popish Antichristian Ceremonies In the Reformed Churches they will find Lyturgies of humane invention and change of Apparel for Divine Service even at Geneva they will find enjoyned a Book of Common Prayer composed by Calvin the Wafer Cake the use of God-Fathers in Baptism bidding of Prayer with divers other Coremonies no where commanded in the Holy Scripture and so as Dr. Durel largely proves it is in all Reformed Churches of the West I am not able saith Mr. Baxter to bear the thoughts of separating from almost all Christs Churches upon Earth but he that separateth from one or many Def. of the Princip of love p. 55. upon a Reason common to all doth virtually separate from all Since then it hath been proved that separating on the Account of this principle is virtually condemning and separating from all the Churches of this and all preceding Ages of the Christian World the Authors of it must renounce the principle or bear the blame both of condemning and separating from the whole Church of Christ throughout all Ages This Tenet gives a great advantage to Popery for it asserts that nothing circumstantial must be performed in Gods worship without particular direction from the Word Now it is certain that many circumstances of worship which concern Prayer Preaching of the Word Administration of the Sacraments Church Government the Exercise of Church discipline are not determined in the written Word of God and therefore it is needful if this principle be true either to own Traditions touching matters of this Nature to be received as the Word of God or to confess he hath appointed some infallible persons whether Pope or Councils it is not much material whose determinations in these matters must be received as the Word of God Now these two Tenets are the fundamental parts of Popery on which their other Doctrins and Practices depend and which if we admit we cannot rationally reject whatsoever these infallible Judges shall determine or deliver as the unwritten Word of God I shall conclude this head with a large Passage out of Mr. Baxter who in his defence of his principles of Love speaks thus There are men otherwise very honest and truly Godly who think that the Scripture is intended by God not only as a general Rule but a particular Law for all the very circumstances of worship and that the second Commandment in particular condemneth all that is the product or invention of man in or about the Worship of God and that to deny this is to deny the perfection of the Scriptures If this opinion prevail saith he what abundance of hurt will it do For 1. It draweth men into the dangerous guilt of adding to the Word of God under pretence of defending its perfection and extent For what is adding to the Word of God but making that to be commanded or forbidden by that Word which is not there commanded or forbidden Since therefore evident it is that all particular circumstances of worship are not by that Word prescribed as I have proved already whence it must necessarily follow that some necessary circumstances not there prescribed cannot be forbidden it is plain that this opinion which saith that all circumstances of worship are particularly prescribed in Scripture and that all not prescribed are forbidden there must add unto the Word of God 2ly It prepareth men for Infidelity and the denyal of the Authority of Holy Scripture for when men are made to believe that Scripture if it be a perfect Rule must be a Rule for those things which are not found in it at all they must be tempted when they cannot find all Accidents of worship particularly determined in it to suspect it as a delusory imperfect thing The Divine Will say it tells me not sufficiently and particularly what Books of Scripture are Canonical nor which of the various Readings are right nor whether it be to be divided into Chapters and Verses nor into how many nor in what Metre and Tune I must sing Psalms nor what persons shall be Pastors of Churches nor what Text I shall chuse next nor what Words or Method I shall use in my next Prayer or Sermon 3ly This opinion which seems to plead for the perfection of the Scripture Rule doth plainly charge it with imperfection and obscurity for it asserts that it is necessary in Order to the perfection of this Rule that it should have prescribed every particular circumstance and mode of worship fit and requisite to be used in Gods Service and it is farther requisite that it should do this clearly in all the instances forementioned since otherwise we cannot be assured that we act in all these modes and circumstances according unto its directions Now seeing it is certain that it hath not done so in all the instances forementioned in answer to the former Arguments since learned pious and judicious men can find no such determinations there and therefore judge dispute and act so variously in those matters because they find nothing delivered in those cases with so great clearness and particularity as may determine them in all these cases how to act I say this being so it must be evident that Scripture cannot be according to this supposition a sufficient plain and perfect Rule 4ly This mistake tends to cast all rational worship out of the Church by deterring men from inventing or studying how to do Gods Work aright for if all that man inventeth or deviseth without a particular direction from the Holy Scripture be forbidden by it then must we not study to find out the true Method of Praying or Preaching nor must we study what to say till we are speaking nor what time gesture place or words to use there being no particular direction for these things it being only said in general Study to shew thy self a Workman that needs not be ashamed Now banish Study and you banish Knowledge and rational Religion from the World 5ly This opinion will bring in all confusion instead of pure reasonable worship whilst every man is left to find that in Scripture which never was there one will think that he findeth one thing there and another
another thing Yea every man will be apt to think he findeth that there which his own corrupt mind brings thither It will bring confusion into Families as well as Churches whilst every Child and Servant will by this principle be tempted to reject the Instructions of his Master or Father who would teach him a Catechisin or form of Prayer for which the Scripture affords him no particular direction 6ly And hereby all possibility of Union among Christians must perish till this opinion perish for if we must unite only in that which Scripture doth particularly direct us to we must not unite at all If we must all in singing Psalms agree in no Metre or tune in the Church but one that Scripture hath prescribed us we must not sing at all If we must pray in publick only in Words prescribed by Scripture to be used in publick we must not pray at all in publick If we must receive the Sacrament only when it is consecrated in Words prescribed by Scripture we must not receive at all 7ly Hereby Christian love will be quenched when every man must account his Brother a Transgressor against the perfect Rule of Scripture that cannot shew a Text of Scripture for the hour the place of worship the bells the hour-glasses the pulpit the utensils which are used in the Service of God Hereby those pious Men Calvin Cartwright Sibs Perkins Hildersham who used a form of Prayer yea almost all the Christians in the World must be condemned 8ly This Doctrine will rack and perplex the Conscience of all Christians by forcing them to think that they are guilty of sin by every Tune Metre Word Gesture Time Place or any other Circumstance of worship which they use without a Scripture warrant On this account some dare not pray in their Families some dare not think what they shall pray some dare not teach their Children to pray some dare not hear a studyed Sermon or read a printed Book To conclude this Tenet will affright poor people from Scripture and Religion and make us our doctrine and worship ridiculous in the sight of all the World Lastly I add that they who do assert this Tenet do many things repugnant to it As v. g. They introduce Lay Elders unordained of whom there is no mention in the Scriptures or in the Church of the first Ages They sing in stinted Metre Hymns of their own devising for which no Precept or Example can be produced from the Book of God Besides where hath our Lord or his Apostles enjoyned a Direrectory for publick worship and that which they imposed what Authority could it pretend to but that of man They when they take an Oath do not refuse to lay their hands upon and kiss the Holy Scriptures Now all agree that Oaths are solemn Acts of Divine Worship for they are Invocations of God and thereby we acknowledge his Omniscience and that he knows the uprightness of our intentions and that his Justice will avenge it self on the false Swearer and that his Power is able to inflict upon him the severest Judgments and that he by his promise stands bound to help and to reward all those who do believe and act according to the Holy Scriptures Here therefore is an outward Ceremony of Humane Institution joyned with many acts of religious worship Again when they enjoyned the solemn League and Covenant they ordered that the whole Congregation should take it 1. uncovered 2 standing 3. with their right hand lift up and bare Now let any man of reason say if it be unlawful to submit to our three Ceremonies of kneeling crossing and wearing a white Garment in Gods Service why it is less unlawful to use three other Ceremonies in that more solemn act of worship viz. the taking of an Oath or if men may appoint these Ceremonies to be used in taking of an Oath what hinders but in other acts of worship they may do the like CHAP. IV. The CONTENTS Obj. 3. It is unlawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship which they endeavour to prove by 12 Arguments To this Argument we answer 1. By shewing what outward worship in the general is viz. The Acknowledgment of some Excellency in the Person worshipped by actions proper to express our Sense or Apprehension of that Excellency Whence 't is concluded that our Ceremonies can be no parts of worship because not in themselves or by their imposition intended to express our Sense of any Divine Excellency The Arguments to the contrary are briefly but fully answered § 1. Obj. 4. To impose our Ceremonies without license from Christ is to invade his Kingly Office he being the sole Law-giver to his Church and derogate from his Prophetick Office which is the only Teacher of his Church and the Appointer of all means whereby we should be taught Answ 1. That it falsly is supposed that the Rulers of our Church have ordained any Ceremonies to teach Spiritual Duties by their Mystical Signification or to be Authentick means of Spiritual Teaching 2 That it can be no derogation from Christs Prophetick or his Kingly Office to stir up our minds by things apt to stir them up to the performance of their duty or to express and signify our duty by things apt to express and signify it 3ly That it is not true that Christ in Scripture hath set down all things by which we may be admonished of our duty 4. That this Argument concludes with equal strength against the imposition of all Ceremonies even time and place 5ly That the Injunction made by Rulers for Decency and Order if they do truly answer these ends are made by virtual Commission from Christ and therefore can be no Entrenchment on his Legislative Power Mr. Baxters Objection answered § 22. CHAP. IV. § 1 IT is not lawful to add unto the parts of Gods worship Obj. 3 but to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship is to add to the parts of Gods worship Repl. to Dr. Ham. p. 85. therefore it is not lawful to add our Ceremonies to Gods worship The Minor is proved by Mr. Jeans thus Because our Ceremonies are external worship and therefore parts of Gods worship That our Ceremonies are external worship he proves by these Arguments Arg. 1 1. Those external Ceremonies whose proper use is the honouring of God are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Arg. 2 2. All external Ceremonies in their Nature formally elicited from Religion are external worship but our Ceremonies are such Ergo. Or thus All meer and immediate actions of Religion are parts of Divine worship but our Ceremonies are meer and immediate acts of Religion Another argues in the like manner thus Arg. 3 1. As the means that God hath appointed to teach obedience be acts of Divine Service so the means that man deviseth for that end and purpose must needs be worship also Arg. 4 2. Those signs
which must therefore be unlawful according to this Argument because prescribed by no Apostle in the Holy Scriptures This is a business which if it were necessary would be equally necessary to all Ages Ob. 2. Ibid. and parts of the Catholick Church and therefore it cannot be necessary but it must be the matter of an universal law now God hath made no such law in Scripture and so Scripture sufficiency as the Catholick Rule of faith and universal obedience is utterly overthrown Answer The Answers given to the first objection do also manifestly shew the vanity of this for may it not as well be said of the Festivities of the Apostles and first Martyrs of the Church as of the feast of Christmas the Ascension of our Lord c. That If they are necessary to be observed they must be necessary to all Ages that God in Scripture hath made no law concerning them c. May it not as well be said that if Publick Assemblies are necessary to be set apart now that if any unprescribed forms of Prayer are necessary to be used now or any words in Scripture not prescribed in consecration or celebration of the Sacraments that if standing on the Lords day in time of Prayer if Stationary days if the Penitential Discipline observed in the Primitive Church were necessary in any Age or part of the Church they must be necessary in all Ages and parts of the Catholick Church and that God hath in Scripture made no laws concerning them and so Scripture sufficiency is and was by the observation of them overthrown 2ly Tho we do judge the observation of these Festivals expedient yet we by no means hold it necessary not by necessity of precept for we pretend not to any precept of this kind not as a necessary means for we acknowledge God may be duly praised and Worshipped and magnified for the mercies we then celebrate on other days and therefore we confess that * Non putandum Ecclesiam Christianam aliquancessitate astringi ad obser vationem immotam festorum dierum sed statuendum dies hosee humanâ authoritateconstitutos eddem posse tolli mutari c. Dav. in Coloss 2. v. 16. if the Church thinks fit she may leave all men to their liberty in the observing or not observing of these days only we add that sure the General Rule of doing all things for edification will warrant her appointment of them for the forementioned ends as well as the appointment of a Lecture-day or of a Sermon before the Assizes God himself hath appointed a day for the same purposes as these are pretended for Ob. 3. Ibid. for the Lords day is to commemorate the Resurrection as the great triumphant act of the Redeemer implying all the Rest of his works so that tho it be principally for the resurrection above any single work of Christ yet also for all the work of Redemption and the whole is on that day to be commemorated with Holy joy and praise now when God himself hath set apart one day in every week to commemorate the whole work of Redemption it seems an accusing of his Institutions of insufficiency to come after him to mend them and say we must have an Anniversary day for this or that part of the work Answer 1. That God did institute the Lords day for the particular Commemoration of the whole work of the Redemption is Gratis dictum what Scripture or what declaration of Any Father of the Church saith so 2ly This Argument makes it unlawful to set up a lecture upon any day but the Lords day for that day being appointed for publick reading and hearing of Gods Holy word for men to set up another day for that end is to accuse his institutions of insufficiency 3ly This Argument condemns the universal Church of Christ from the Apostles days for they did then observe the feast of Easter and so tho God had set apart a weekly Commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord they did come after him and observe an Anniversary day for the same thing and so according to this way of Arguing did more apparently accuse his institutions of insufficiency 4ly This objection seems to accuse the wisdom of Gods own institutions for tho the Jewish Sabbath was instituted with a peculiar respect to their deliverance out of Aegypt Deut. 5.15 yet for that mercy which was far inferior to those which Christians do enjoy by our Lords Birth his Death his Resurrection and Ascension he required other solemnities to be observed yearly viz. The great feast of the Passover why therefore may not the wisdom of the Church in imitation of this pattern besides the Lords day weekly set apart for celebrating the work of our Redemption require other solemnities to be observed yearly for a peculiar Commemoration of the most Signal parts of that Redemption Obj. 4 The fourth Commandment being one of the Decalogue seems to be of so High a nature that man must not presume to make the like Ibid. but it seems a doing the same or of like nature to what God hath done in the fourth Commandment if any man will make a necessary stated Holy day to the universal Church Answer 1. Who goes about to make a Necessary stated Holy day to the Universal Church sure none besides the Church of Rome pretendeth to give laws unto her But what the Universal Church hath thought fit to observe I hope our Church may prudently comply with and call upon her Children so to do 2ly Is not this done as much by the stated Festivals which you allow of as by those you do condemn was it not done as much by appointing the feast of Purim to be observed yearly and by ordaining that these days should be remembred and kept throughout every Generation Esth 9.27 28. every Family every Province and every City and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed was it not done as much by the whole Congregation of Israel when they ordained that the days of the Dedication of the Altar should be observed from year to year by the space of eight days And yet neither our Lord 1 Macc. 4.59 nor any of the Prophets charged them with violation of the 4th Commandment on that account or with presuming to do the like to that which God had done in the institution of it Object 5 Where there is no law sure we are there is no transgression but there is no law of God Commanding Christmas or other Holy-days therefore there is no trangression in not keeping them But then it is not sure that there is no transgression in keeping them therefore the surer side is to be taken Answer 1. That this Argument plainly destroys his former grant of the expedience of observing and enjoyning other Holy-days for which no law of God commanding them can be produced 2ly That this Argument may be retorted thus
Texts the latter is forbid more than the former Answ 2 2ly If Praying by a Form be inconsistent with Praying in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost then must the use of the Lords Prayer be so and consequently we cannot use it in our Publick Worship without transgressing of these Precepts Answ 3 3ly I answer that Praying by the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost in the forementioned places may only signifie praying for such things and in such a manner as God hath by his Spirit taught us in the Holy Scripture and with such Spiritual Fervency and Constancy and other Christian Graces as he exciteth in us that this most likely is the import of the words in both these places may be argued from this consideration that in both places all good Christians are exhorted to pray in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost now praying by the Spirit as it importeth praying by the immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit or the Spiritual Gift mentioned in Scripture is praying with the Gift of Tongues to which all Christians could not be exhorted because saith the Apostle all could not speak with Tongues 1 Cor. 12.30 2ly Because Tongues being for a sign not to believers but to unbelievers v. 22. It cannot rationally be supposed this Gift should be vouchsafed to Believers in their private Prayers of which here the Apostles seem to speak 3ly The Apostle here exhorteth the Ephesians to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always in the Spirit whereas the miraculous assistance of the Spirit in this duty being free what assurance could the Ephesians have of praying always by it Moreover he prescribes the matter of their Prayer exhorting them to pray for him that utterance might be given him V. 19. that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel which he would scarce have done had he conceived that they were still to pray by the immediate assistance of that Spirit who needed no directions what he should suggest In the Epistle of St. Jude praying with the Holy Ghost is joined with building up themselves in their most holy faith and keeping themselves in the love of God these being therefore duties put into our power and to be improved by our industry not to be given by the miraculous assistance of the Holy Ghost without our industry why should we think otherwise of that praying by the Holy Ghost to which we here are equally exhorted if then this be the import of praying by the Spirit certain it is that we may pray thus by the Spirit though we use a Form for the matter of the Form may contain only what is good and acceptable in the sight of God and he that useth it and they who do join with him may do it in Faith and Fervency and with all other requisites unto an acceptable Prayer But 2ly If by praying in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost we are to understand praying by that Spiritual Gift which was vouchsased to some Christians in the Apostles days by which they were enabled by the immediate and the miraculous assistance of the Holy Spirit to indite or use such Prayers as suted to the wants of the Christians of those times as Grotius and Dr. Hammond think Let it be then observed that these miraculous Gifts being now ceased we are no more concerned in these Precepts than we are to anoint the sick with oil when we pray over them according to the prescription of St. James James 5.14 Now that these Gifts are ceased and that no man can now pretend to the miraculous extraordinary immediate infusions of the Gift of Prayer and therefore that the Holy Ghost doth only now assist us by those ordinary and external means which do improve our understanding and instruct us what we ought to do and therefore to desire Grace to do is evident from these considerations 1. That were this otherwise our Prayers would be of Divine Inspiration and therefore as Canonical as Holy Scripture and as fit to be preserved as a Guide or Rule of Faith or at the least of Prayer which yet Dissenters have not the confidence to say 2ly Then also the same Persons may pretend to sing and Prophesie and Preach by the miraculous and the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost for where the Apostle maketh mention of praying by this Gift of the Good Spirit he also speaketh of Singing and Prophesying by the Spirit whereas Dissenters have not the considence to pretend unto the latter and therefore have no reason to lay claim unto the former Now hence it follows That diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures and meditation of those things which we do chiefly want and it doth most concern us to desire is the best way to purchase the assistance of the Holy Spirit and to obtain that which is called the Gift of Prayer and therefore that to Pray by a premeditated Form must be more properly to Pray by the assistance of the Holy Spirit than to pray ex tempore Our Saviour forbiddeth his Disciples when they shall be brought before Kings and Princes to take thought Matt. 10.19 or meditate how or what to speak Mark 13.11 because it shall be given them in that hour what they shall speak and because it is not they that speak but the Spirit of his Father that speaketh in them Now hence they argue à fortiori thus would God assist them to plead at an Heathen Tribunal and not at the Throne of Grace Answ 1 That the Persons with whom we have to do though they will not prescribe a Form yet do they allow of meditating before we Pray nay they prescribe the matter of the Prayer saying Directory p. 14. the Minister is to call upon God to this effect now both these are as much against this promise as is the using of a Form for the Text saith do not ye meditate take you no thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how or what you shall speak and the promise is peculiar for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be given what you shall speak it therefore is unreasonably urged against Forms by them who do allow of meditation and of prescribing the materials of Prayer Answ 2 This promise belongs not to us but to the Primitive Martyrs and Confessors of Christianity before the Heathen World who were to be converted to it and then there is no reason to extend it to other cases for otherwise it may as plausibly be urged thus for an immediate assistance in preaching of the Word would God assist men in speaking for themselves and not for him in speaking for the preservation of their Bodies from temporal and not in speaking for the preservation of the Souls of others from external destruction and so we must not only Pray but Preach also ex tempore and from immediate assistance of the Holy Spirit Answ 3 Thirdly The words which these men spake were not their own but were the dictates
do it thou shalt not add thereto or diminish from it Hence they infer that no humane Ceremonies or Circumstances of mens devising must be added to what God hath commanded in his Gospel Worship Answ 1 To this I answer That these Words do as much concern Laws made concerning civil and judicial as concerning Sacred Matters and do as much prove that our Superiours may add no Laws to the Laws made by God concerning Civil Matters as that they may make no Laws for Regulation of or ordering any Circumstances of Religious Worship that is they are as good Objections against our Statute-Book as against our Lyturgy The reason is because these words are neither in the 4th nor the 12th Chapter restrained to Acts of Divine Worship but are expresly spoken of all the Statutes and Judgments which the Lord had taught them v. 1. of whatsoever thing God had commanded Deut. 12.32 Answ 2 2ly If by these Precepts the Ceremonies used in the Church of England are condemned then also must the Dissenters from the Church of England be condemned by them for they do many things and they use many Ceremonies in Religious Worship which are no where commanded they sing in stinted Meeter for which they have no Precept or Example in the Word of God they have a Directory for publick Worship containing many precepts or directions no where prescribed in that Word they when they take an Oath do not refuse to lay their hands upon and kiss the Book now all agree that Oaths are Solemn Acts of Divine Worship and know that God no where Commanded these Ceremonial additions to it Moreover when they imposed the Solemn league and Covenant they ordered that it should be taken by the whole Congregation 1st uncovered 2ly standing Ordin of the 2 of Febr. 1643. and 3ly with their right hand lift up and bare now if they notwithstanding the Texts in the objection mentioned might add three uncommanded Ceremonies unto the taking of an Oath which is a Solemn Act of Divine Worship what hinders but that Superiors may do the like in other parts of Divine Worship Answer 3 3ly The Jews themselves never conceived that by these precepts they were restrained from instituting upon occasion sacred Rites or doing many things which circumstantially belonged to Gods Worship for which they had no special Warrant from the Word of God and if we do offend against these Rules by using our Ceremonies in Gods Service even the best and wisest of the Jews did equally offend For what command had Solomon to keep a Feast of Seven days for Dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8.65 what Command had he for hallowing the middle part of the Court that was before the House of the Lord to offer Burnt offerings Meat offerings and Peace offerings there v. 64. Dr. Ames indeed sayeth that Solomon did this by Divine Authority Fresh suit §. 17 c. p 33◠and instinct of the Holy Ghost to which vain imagination I return the Answer of Agar add thou not unto his Words lest thou be found a liar Prov. 30.6 The Holy Ghost hath in two places given us a full relation of what King Solomon did but not one tittle of any instinct of the Holy Ghost commanding him to do it how then came Dr. Ames to know what no where is revealed and what cannot be known by any Man without a Revelation Is it not wonderful that Men who will believe nothing without express Scripture proof and who so stiffly do contend for the negative Argument from Scripture should themselves thus add to Scriptures 2ly What Warrant had good Hezekiah for continuing a Feast of Unleavened Bread Seven days longer than the time appointed by the Law 2 Chron. 30.23 To this instance Dr. Ames Answers that these Seven other days were not Holy days at all of Institution properly so called but an occasional continuation of free will offerings for that time Fr. Suit p. 317. which might be offered any day of the year without new Holy days To this I Answer 1st That were this so it cannot be denyed but that their observation of other Seven days beside these which were appointed by the Law of Moses was as much adding to the Law of Moses as the imposing of our Ceremonies can be accounted adding to the Law of Christ. 2ly When in the Text we read that they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread with greatgladness v. 21 and v. 23. that the whole Assembly took Council and kept other Seven days with gladness what reason can any person have to think that the last Seven days should not be Festival or Holy days as well as the first Seven and if they might take Council to keep those other Seven days why might they not have instituted the keeping of them when they didobserve them And 3ly What reason hath Dr. Ames to affirm that they then only offered Freewill offerings rather than such which were accustomed to be offered at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and had been offered in the first Seven days of the Solemnity The descant of other Commentators on the place is this viz. that this was done not to change the ordinance of the Passeover but partly to redeem their defect in not observing it for so many years and partly to detain the People of Israel the longer at Jerusalem that by the Preaching of the Word they might be the better informed and confirmed in the true Religion whence the inference is plainly this that upon such occasions and for such good ends it is commendable to do more than is required provided nothing be done against what is required 3ly Est 9.20 21 22. What Law had Mordecai and Esther for enjoyning the yearly observation of the Feast of Purim to stablish this among them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the fifteenth day of the same yearly as the days wherein the Jews rested from their Enemies and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a good day that they should make them days of Feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor Dr. Ames saith here again that if any significant ceremony was here instituted it was by divine direction p. 317. tho neither Scripture nor Josephus mention one tittle of the matter and adds from Dr. Whitaker that forasmuch as this Feast stands approved in Scripture there is no doubt but it was done by Divine Authority tho we read nothing of it in the Scripture Which by the leave of that good Man is a plain begging of the Question 2ly He adds that if Josephus may be believed Joseph Antiq. Jud. l. XI c. 6. p. 382. the Heathen King Artaxerxes was the institutor of that Feast and if so I hope Christian Kings may do as much but this is a vile mistake for in the place cited by him it is expresly said that Mordecai appointed it
3ly p. 324. The Doctor adds that it doth not appear out of the Text that there was intended any use of this Altar for the present Age that then lived and that the contrary may be gathered out of the 24th and 25th verses Which as it no way doth invalidate the Force of this Example so is it very false the Text expresly declaring that the two Tribes made it to be a Witness betwixt them and those to whom they then spake as well as to the Generations after them v. 28. Lastly the wearing Sackcloth and Ashes in token of humiliation Zech. 13.4 Zech. 7.5 the Prophets rough Garment the Fast of the 5th month because the Temple was destroyed then and of the 7th month because then Gedaliah and many of the Jews with him were slain these things had no Appointment that we can find from God and yet were never scrupled by the Jews or condemned by God or by his Holy Prophets Moreover we find not in the Law of Moses any Direction that a white Garment or Linnen Ephod should be made for any but the Priests or used by any others in Gods Worship and that we find David dancing before the Lord in a Linnen Ephod 2 Sam. 6.14 and the Levites who carried the Ark clad in linnen Roves or in white Linnen 2 Chron. 5.12 Wherefore to answer positively to the Texts alledged Answ 4 4ly To add unto the Word or the Command of God is not to use such Rites and Ceremonies as no where are commanded or forbidden in the Word when by Superiours to whom obedience is due in lawful matters they are at any time prescribed but it is to avouch such things as the Command and Word of God which he had not commanded as the False Prophets did This will be evident 1. If we consider what it is to diminish from the Word now that undoubtedly is to neglect to do what God had in his Word commanded under pretence that he doth not require it We In locum say the Assemblies Annotations diminish from the Word by denying any part of it to be of Divine Authority or concealing any part of it either for Words or Meaning or by partial Belief of it or Obedience to it And therefore by the Rule of Contraries to add unto it must be to vouch that to be of Divine Authority which is but humane or to believe and yield obedience to that as the Will of God which he hath not enjoyned 2ly This will be farther evident if we compare these Passages with others of the like Nature in the Scripture as v. g. Add thou not to his Words saith Augur Prov. 30.6 lest thou be found a Lyar i. e. lest falsly pretending to deliver his Word when thou speakest only thy own Inventions thou beest found guilty of a Lye whereas had men been guilty of adding to his Words by the Injunction of things acknowledged to be indifferent in their own Nature the Words should rather have run thus Add thou not to his Words lest thou be found superstitious And Rev. 22 18. to add unto these things is v. 19. to add unto the Words of the Book of that Prophecy Obj. And whereas Mr. Disp 5. of Cer. chap. 4. §. 7. Baxter saith That the Text doth not say Thou shalt not add to my Command but Thou shalt not add to the thing that I command thee and thence infers that it is the Work Worship or Ordinances that we are forbidden to add to or to diminish from and not the Word or Law is self only Answ 1. This is a great mistake for the Text plainly saith Thou shalt not add unto the Word that I command Deut. 4.2 What I command thou shalt observe to do thou shalt not add unto it Deut. 12.32 2ly From what is now discoursed 't is evident that we do not add to the Worship or the Ordinances of God by appointing Ceremonies declared to be no parts of his Worship or of his Ordinances but only by asserting and proposing such things as his Ordinances and parts of his Worship which indeed are not so Answ 5 5ly Hence it doth clearly follow that they who do assert that God forbids kneeling at the Sacrament hearing Common Prayer bringing our Children to be signed with the Cross or joyning in that Service which is performed by one that wears a Supplice c. If they can shew no Word of God which doth forbid these things are themselves guilty of adding to the Word of God Obj. 2 2ly A second plea of our Dissentors from the Old Testament § 2 is this That God in Scripture declares that he abominates that way of Worship which he hath not commanded and tho the thing performed in its own Nature was abominable God takes no notice of that but chiefly reprehends it because not commanded To this effect they cite Lev. 10.1 where Nadab and Abihu are condemned and punished for offering strange Fire which the Lord commanded them not Deut. 17.3 If there be found among you Manor Woman that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other Gods and worshipped them either the Sun or Moon or any of the Host of Heaven which I have not commanded Thou shalt stone them with stones till they dye Jer. 7.31 They have built the High-Places of Tophet to burn their Sons and their Daughters in the Fire which I commanded them not neither came it into my Heart Jer. 19.5 They have built the High-Places of Baal to burn their Sons with Fire for Burnt-offerings to Baal which I commanded not nor spake it neither came it into my Mind Now to this weak Objection I answer Answ 1 1. That these Texts are all impertinently alledged because they only prove that God will not be worshipped with any thing which he hath not commanded which we do not deny but they do not prove that we may not use any Garment Posture or Ceremony uncommanded in the Service of God provided we declare that we do not esteem these things as parts of Divine Worship Answ 2 2ly These Texts expounded so as to forbid the use of any Ceremony in Publick Worship which God hath not particularly enjoyned will condemn our Dissentors as well as us and even render it impossible to perform any publick Service to God it will condemn our way of Preaching for where hath God commanded us to take a Text and Gloss upon it or the Congregation to sing the Psalms of David in Metre where hath he enjoyned us to meet at ten of the Clock in the morning or two in the afternoon for Publick Worship on the Lords Days to pray without a Lyturgy or Form of Prayer to pray before Sermon to preach an hour or in a pulpit c. All these things therefore and many more of the like Nature by this wild exposition of these Texts must be abmination to the Lord. Answ 3 3ly This Hebrew
Month or only at Easter and Penticost as was the ancient Custom of the Church of God Whether Baptism should be Administred by Dipping or by Sprinkling only whether by Dipping thrice as was the Custom of some Churches or only once as other Churches did whether only Men or Women only or both indifferently were to assist at the Baptizing of Adult persons He hath said do this in remembrance of me but hath not told us on what days the Lords Supper shall be Administred or how oft whether it should be received every day or every Sunday as in the Primitive Church the Custom was or every Month as in Cathedrals it is or thrice a year as is required by the Rubrick He hath not told us in plain words whether consecration of the Elements to be received be necessary and what words must be used in Consecration nor hath he told us who alone may Consecrate whether a Deacon or a Priest only or who alone shall be admitted to the Sacrament whether all visible Professors or sincere Believers only whether they must be first examined by Church Officers or only should examin their own Consciences He hath not told us whether the Bread to be received shall be of Wheat or of some other Grain whether one great Loaf or more Whether the Wine shall be mixt with Water or not or whether it shall be Claret Muskadine or any other sort of Wine whether we shall receive after Supper as Christ and his Apostles did or in the Morning as the Christians under persecution did whether we should receive it Full or Fasting Sitting Leaning Standing or Kneeling whether we should receive at a Communion Table or in our Seats and whether that Table shall be of Wood or Stone whether it shall be Round Long or Square whether it shall stand in the East or West end or in the Middle of the Church whether it shall have Rails or no Rails All or many of these things to omit many other Circumstances respecting Ordination and Church Discipline are left by Christ and his Apostles undetermined and if this Argues in him a defect of care and providence or of fidelity towards his Church as this objection doth Blasphemously suppose what remains but that our Blessed Saviour should be charged with these neglects it being certain from experience that he hath left us no particular injunctions for the determination of these matters And if he must be deemed less faithful in his House than Moses was because he is not so particular in the prescribing of such Rites I know not how we can excuse him from that guilt so Blasphemous is the result of this Objection And lastly seeing these Acts of Worship cannot be performed without some of these Circumstances which are thus left undetermined if the determination of them by Superiours be a sufficient cause for our Refusal to be present at or to joyn with them in these Ordinances we must have cause sufficient to renounce all Publick Worship Answ 4 4ly We say there is a manifest disparity betwixt the Gospel and the Jews state and that good reason may be given why tho all punctilio's were determined then it should not be so now For the People of the Jews lived all under one Civil Government whereas we Christians live under different forms of Government and are dispersed throughout divers Nations using divers Customs and therefore could not if at all conveniently practise such an uniformity of Ceremonies as we must have done if Christ had determined every Circumstance of his Worship as Moses did v. g. dipping in Baptism might be subject to little inconvenience in hot Countries but if this should have been enjoyned under the frozen Zone it might have hazarded the life of the Baptized person The Custom of some Countries doth make that decent and a sign of Reverence and therefore fit to be imposed or observed in those Countries which is in other Countries where no such Customs do obtain neither decent nor a sign of Reverence and so unfit to be required in those Countries See many other disparities in the Irenicum of Dr. Stillingfleet Answ 5 Lastly The fidelity of Moses here spoken of is only this that he did faithfully declare unto the Jews what God had spoken to him concealing nothing of what God had commanded from them he was faithful saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a Testimony of what was to be spoken Hebr. 3.5 And therefore the fidelity of Christ compared with it must not consist in prescribing Ceremonies but in declaring the whole Will of God discovered to him which that he punctually performed he himself assures us saying The Word which I speak is not mine Joh. 14.10 Joh. 12.49 50. but his that sent me I speak not of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say As the Father hath said to me so I speak Obj. 2 The Scripture is a Rule of even Ceremonies in Gods Worship for it gives prescriptions and directions in the New Testament concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper Now if it doth not prescribe all Ceremonies requisite and convenient then it is only a partial and imperfect Rule of Cemonies in Gods Worship whereas we cannot but hold it to be a perfect adequate and total Rule of Ceremonial as well as Moral Worship for it is able to perfect the man of God and throughly to furnish him unto all good works Reply to Dr. Hammond p. 85 Answ 1. and so unto all Ceremonies that are good works So M. Jeans Answ To shew the Absurdity of this Argument take these few Instances of a like Nature The Scripture is a Rule of Justice and of Charity betwixt Man and Man and of Temperance towards our selves for it gives prescriptions and directions in the New Testament concerning all those Matters Now if it doth not prescribe all that is requisite and convenient to be prescribed in respect unto them then it is only a partial and imperfect Rule of Justice Charity and Temperance whereas we cannot but hold it to be a total adequate and perfect Rule of all particulars respecting Justice Charity and Temperance For it is able to perfect the man of God throughly furnish him to all good Works and so to all particular Acts of Justice that are good Works and so all Humane Laws concerning any Act of Justice Charity or Temperance which are not meerly penal but directive must be a Derogation from the Sufficiency of Scripture as well as the prescribing of a Ceremony Answ 2 2ly According to this Argument the Scripture must have prescribed both Time and Place and all the things which I have mentioned in Answer to the last Objection or else no Time or Place or any of those things which are left undetermined by it can be requisite or convenient to be used in the Worship of God So monstrously absurd is this way of Arguing In farther Confutation of this Argument
the Law Matt. 23.23 viz. Judgment and Mercy Mark 12.33 That to love God with all our hearts and our Neighbour as our selves is more than all Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices That to pray hear read the Word receive the Sacrament to fast are but the means which God hath in his Word ordained for the encrease of Justice Equity Mercy Love Peace Humility and Temperance and such like Christian Graces and therefore these must be the things in which God is concerned mostly that we should yield obedience That when the Scripture reckoneth the Graces of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 it tells us they are Love Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Righteousness and Temperance not prayer fasting hearing receiving of the Sacrament c. And lastly 't is observable that we are call'd to imitate our heavenly Father in acts of Love and Mercy our Lord and Saviour in Meekness and Humility Bowels of Mercy Compassion and Self-denyal but not in prayer and fasting and in such like duties Since therefore God is more concerned for matters of this Nature than for his outward worship his Word must be more perfect in prescribing of these duties than any circumstances of his worship if then it be unlawful for us to submit to any Ceremonies commanded by man which respect his worship because Gods Word must be a perfect Rule not only of all parts but of all modes of Worship it must be more unlawful to submit to any humane constitutions touching Equity and Justice Mercy and Compassion Love Charity and Peace because Gods Word must be supposed in these more weighty and substantial matters to be a Rule more perfect And therefore all the Laws and Statutes respecting matters of this Nature which cannot be collected from the Words of Scripture must by this doctrine be cashiered as vain Inventions and Christians must stand obliged to refuse obedience to them For instance I am commanded to worship God in publick but whether I must do it in a Church or in the Field in black or white or any other garb by stinted Words or by Expressions of my own immediate Invention in this or that or a 3d posture is not expressed in Holy Scripture If therefore in these cases I must not yield obedience to any power that will command me to worship God in white to pray in stinted Words to do it kneeling or the like because that Scripture which is a Rule of Worship hath not determined of these things must I not do the like in other cases of an higher Nature and because Scripture hath commanded that I should be charitable and give Alms but hath not said what portion I shall give nor when nor in what place or to what persons nor in what manner whether by my self or by the Overseers of the Poor am I not bound as much to shew my disobedience to those Laws which rate me to the Poor and which give power to Officers to strein on my refusal to pay that rate If I must not joyn with an Assembly that doth use a stinted Form of Words that riseth up at the rehearsal of the Creed or with a Pastor that doth officiate in white because these things are not commanded in the perfect Rule of Worship how dare I to commence a sute of Law to arrest a person for a debt or to indite him for a trespass without Scripture warrant these things being no where commanded in that perfect Rule of Equity and Justice The Scripture having said There is utterly a fault among you that you go to Law one with another 1 Cor. 6.7 Luk. 6.35 Matt. 5.40 lend hoping for nothing again if any man take away thy Cloak let him have thy Coat also but never said If any man officiate in white or by a Form of Words do not joyn with him is it not matter of just admiration that they who never scruple to act contrary unto the letter of the Scripture in the former cases should be so very scrupulous in things no where forbidden in the Word 3ly This dangerous opinion will force men to be troublesome in all the Churches of the World and to refuse communion even with those Assemblies they are joyned with nay had they lived in the Jewish Church or any other Age of Christendom they must have been continual Separatists For where I pray you could they have found a Precept for all the Jewish Practises and Observations which I have mentioned in the foregoing Arguments If they had lived in the next Age to the Apostles with Polycarp and Ignatius who did converse with the Apostles where would the Scripture have afforded any warrant for observation of the Feast of Easter which both the Churches of the East and West observed in the days of Polycarp L. 5. c. 24. as is recorded by Eusebius or any Precept for bowing to the East Resp ad quest 118. which Pseudo-Justin mentions as a thing practised in his days or for the Observation of the days on which their Glorious Martyrs died Apud Euseb l. 4. c. 15. which yet the Church of Smyrna mentions as a thing practised by the Christians not long after the death of the Apostles or for the Water mixed with the Sacramental Wine of which both Justin and St. Cyprian speak Apol. 2. Cypr. Ep. 63. Just M. ibid. or for the portions of the Sacramental Bread sent to the Sick and absent to signify they were partakers of the same Sacrifice and belonged to the same Altar or for their standing in their publick worship from Easter unto Whitsunday Resp ad quest â—15 Can. 19. and every Lords-day to testify their belief of our Lords Resurrection which yet by the Great Nicene Council was required to be observed by all Christian People and which they did accordingly observe Tertullian gives us a Catalogue of many observations which the Church used in his days and which she vindicated not from the Scriptures De Coron Milit. c. 3 4. but from the Patronage of Custom and Tradition I will begin saith he with Baptism where coming to the Water we testify before the President or Bishop that we renounce the Devil his Pomps and his Angels then are we thrice dipt answering something more than Christ commanded in his Gospel The Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Lord instituted after Supper we partake of in our Meetings before the day arise we think it wickedness to fast or to pray knâ—eling on the Lords day we kneel not from Easter to Whitsunday whensoever we go forth or come in or whatsoever we are conversant about we sign our Foreheads with the sign of the Cross and if you do require a Law of Scripture for these Observations you will find none Tradition will be alledged as the Author and custom the Confirmer of them For these are observations which we defend not from Scripture but from the title of Tradition and the Patronage of Custom This was the Practice of the first Ages of the Church
THE Protestant Reconciler PART II. Earnestly perswading the DISSENTING LAITY To joyn in FULL COMMUNION WITH THE Church of England And Answering all the Objections of the Non-Conformists against the Lawfulness of their Submission unto the Rites and Constitutions of that CHURCH By a Well-wisher to the Churches Peace and a Lamenter of Her Sad Divisions Anglicanam Ego Ecclesiam exoticis pravis superflitiosis cultibus erroribusque aut impiis aut periculosis egregiè ex scripturarum coelestium norma purgatam tot támque illustribus Martyriis probatam pietate in Deum in homines Charitate laudatissimisque bonorum operum exemplis abundantem laetissimo doctissimorum ac sapientissimorâ—m virorum preventu jam à Reformationis principio ad hodierna usque tempora florentem equidem es quo debui loco habui hactenus ac dum vivam habebo ejus nomen honos laudes semper apud me manebunt Dallaeus de cultibus Religiosis Latinorum part 2. l. 2. cap. 1. p. 97 98. LONDON Printed for Awnsham Churchil at the Black-Swan near Amen-Corner 1683. THE PREFACE TO THE Dissenting Laity The Contents of the PREFACE Six Arguments from the Book called the Protestant Reconciler to perswade the Dissenting Laity to submit to the conditions of Communion required of them by the Church of England viz. 1. That they stand bound to do what lawfully they may in order to it and that nothing unlawful is required of them § 1.2 Because they are to do to their Superiors as in like case they would be dealt with § 2.3 From the liberty they take of changing a Ceremony of Christ's own institution § 3.4 Because the mischiefs which will follow on their refusal to submit are greater than those which will ensue on their Conformity § 4.5 From the example of St. Paul § 5.6 From the pernicious nature of Schism § 6. Other Arguments produced 1. From that of the Apostle If any man will be contentious we have no such custom 1 Cor. 11.16 § 7. 2. From his command to give no offence to the Church of God § 8.3 Because God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace § 9.4 Because he requires the believing Wife not to desert her unbelieving Husband vice versâ because God hath called us to Peace § 10.5 Because were all things left indifferent the Minister must impose in some cases § 11.6 From the power committed to Church Governours and the necessity of submission to it § 12.7 From the sad result of their refusing this submission § 13. Two propositions conducing to this end 1. That no prejudices or scruples of Dissenters can excuse them from the guilt of Schism in separating from us till they have done all that lawfully they can for the removal of them § 14.2 That their imagination that the Magistrate exceeds or else unduly doth exert his power in commanding any thing will not warrant their refusal of Obedience to it § 15. Requests to them who cannot fully comply with us viz. 1. To comply so far as they declare either by words or actions that they lawfully may do it § 16.2 To refrain from censuring reproaching or speaking evil of their Governours in Church or State § 17.3 To abstain carefully from all Rebellious Principles and Practices and to confess ingenuously and heartily renounce what hath been done by men of their perswasions in that kind § 18. Brethren MY hearts desire and prayer to God in your behalf is this That you may fully be united to the Communion of the Church of England And in pursuance of this passionate desire I have composed the following Treatise containing a full Answer to all the scruples obstructing your Communion with us which I could meet with in the writings of our Dissenting Brethren And let me O my Friends entreat you by the love of God and your own souls of the Church of Christ which is his body and of her union peace edification by your concern for Christian Religion in the general and for the Protestant Religion in particular which I hope is very great by all the motives which Christianity affords to love peace unity by all the blessings it doth promise to the promoters and all the dreadful evils it doth threaten to the disturbers of them by the sad experience you have had already of the most fatal consequences of our Divisions and by your present fears of a more dreadful issue of them lastly by all that you are like to suffer in your souls and bodies by refractory persisting in your Separation let me I say beseech you on my bended knees by all these weighty motives to lay to heart what I have offered in this Book and in this Preface shall farther offer to engage you to conform and seriously to consider of it and act according to the convictions it may minister unto you as you will Answer your neglect to do so at the great and terrible day of the Lord. Now the considerations I would humbly offer to you are either 1. Such as are proper to induce you to the desired Conformity or 2. Such as may tend to keep you peaceable and conscientious though you do not Conform and may preserve you from doing any thing which may reflect on your Religion towards God or Loyalty towards your Soveraign § 1 1. Then to move you to the desired Conformity be pleased seriously to consider what hath been offered in a late Book stiled The Protestant Reconciler to that end In which Book as the Author pleads warmly for an indulgence or mitigation of some lesser things which do obstruct your full Communion with us which nothing but a due sense of the great danger and unsafe condition of your present state could have induced him to do and nothing but his fervent love to souls and his sincere desire of their Salvation can excuse so hath he many passages which seem most strongly to conclude for your desired submission to the injunctions of Superiors For First P. 34 35. He lays down this position That you stand bound in Conscience to do whatsoever lawfully you may for the prevention and removal of our Schisms and the occasions of them and for the healing our Divisions Which is a proposition evident in it self and there confirmed from plain Scripture testimony and the concern we ought to have for Christian Faith the Protestant Religion the welfare of the Nation and for the peace the order the edification of the Church Secondly He adds That nothing can be unlawful which is not by God forbidden 1 John 3.4 sin being the transgression of a Law and the Apostle having told us Rom. 4.15 P. 198. that where there is no Law there is no transgression whence he infers That Dissenters cannot satisfie their Consciences in their refusal to obey the commands of their Superiors unless they can shew some plain precept which renders that unlawful to be done by them which is commanded by Superiors And seeing God in Scripture hath enjoined
all persons to obey those that have the rule over them Heb. 13.17 and submit themselves Rom. 13.1.5 1 Pet. 2.13 and to be subject to the higher powers as to the ordinance of God and that for Conscience sake and the Lords sake He that can satisfie his Conscience in his refusal so to do must shew some Law of God as evidently forbidding his obedience to what Superious do enjoin P. 197. as do these Scriptures command obedience to them in all lawful things I having therefore in this Treatise answered all your pretences for such a prohibition of the Holy Scripture forbidding your submission to the Rites and Constitutions of the Church of England enjoined by Superiors have made it manifest that you can never satisfie your Consciences in your refusal to submit unto them nor can you or your Leaders return a satisfactory Answer to the Questions propounded by that Author to you in these words P. 58. Do they prefer mercy before Sacrifice or comply with the forementioned injunctions of Obedience to their Superiors who will not submit to Rites or Circumstances or to the use of things no where forbidden in the word to prevent Schism and all the dreadful consequences of it but rather will give cause to their Superiors to judge them scandalous Resisters of Authority and pertinacious Disturbers of the Churches Peace 59. Do not they scandalize offend and contribute unto the Ruine of Christs little stock who do involve them in a wretched Schism on the account of things which they may lawfully submit to Do not they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men who forbid them to enter when they may Do not they impose heavy burthens also who say to their Disciples Hear not the Common Prayer Receive not the Sacrament Kneeling suffer not your Children to be signed with the Cross Communicate not with that Minister who wears a Surplice or with that Church which imposeth any Ceremonies or any Constitutions but concerning the time and place of performing Publick Worship If nothing doth so scandalize Christs followers as to find their Teachers at discord and divided can they act as becometh his Disciples who are not willing to procure Vnity and Concord and to avoid this scandal by their submission to things indifferent in their own nature and not forbiden in the law of God § 2 Thirdly He pleads for this submission from that great rule of equity which calls upon you to do to others as you would be dealt with putting the Question to you thus p. 187. Do not you expect obedience from your Children and Servants in like cases Should you command them to come at ten of the Clock into your Parlour to Family Devotions requiring them to come dressed and to kneel at their Devotions would you permit them to refuse to come at the time and to the place appointed because all times and places are indifferent to God or in the garb appointed by you because God regards not habits or to refuse to kneel because they may pray standing Would you not rather judge them contemners of your lawful authority and needlesly and sinfully scrupulous in those matters And must not you by the same Rule be guilty of contemning the lawful Authority of your Civil and Spiritual Fathers and of the Masters of Christs Family by your refusal to submit unto their Constitutions in matters of like nature upon the like accounts or can those Principles derive from him who is the God of order not of confusion 1 Cor. 15.33 which would so evidently should they obtain fill Families as well as Kingdoms and Churches with confusion and destroy their order § 3 Fourthly He argues ad hominem thus If notwithstanding the evidence produced p. 289. that Baptism by immersion is sutable both to the institution of our Lord and his Apostles and was by them ordained to represent our Burial with Christ and so our dying unto Sin Rom. 6.4 Coloss 2.12 and our conformity to his resurrection by newness of life as the Apostle clearly doth explain the meaning of that Rite I say if notwithstanding this Dissenters do agree to sprinkle the baptized Infant why may they not as well submit to the significant ceremonies imposed by our Church for since it is as lawful to add unto Christs institutions a significant ceremony as to diminish a significant ceremony which he or his Apostles instituted and use another in its stead which they did never institute what reason can they have to do the latter and yet refuse submission to the former and why should not the peace and union of the Church be as prevailing with them to perform the one as is their mercy to the Infants body to neglect the other And § 4 Fifthly The said Author shews that our divisions do highly prejudice the Christian Faith Chap. 1. that they gratify the Infidel and Sceptick and scandalize the weak and doubting Christian that they minister to the advantage of the Papist and to the prejudice of the true Protestant Religion that they are highly prejudicial to the State that they have a pernicious influence upon our selves by promoting strife enmity carnality and all the evils consequent upon them by obstructing the love peace unity order and edification of the Church and the benefit of our Prayers by hindring the efficacy of the means of Grace by depriving us of all the blessings of love and peace and by endangering our eternal peace And hence he strongly doth infer That if Dissenters do not think it better that all these evils should ensue than that they should comply or bear with those few ceremonies P. 22. and scrupled expressions of our Liturgy then must they in these matters submit to the commands of their Superiours And p. 29. he puts this serious Question to Dissenters Whether those ceremonies and those expressions in our Liturgy which they at present scruple be so plainly evil and so unquestionably forbidden that for preventing all these dreadful evils they may not be complyed with adding That if they be not so clearly and indispensably evil that these great ends of the promoting the salvation of mens Souls and the preventing of the forementioned evils which do inevitably ensue upon them cannot hallow them they cannot be excused from being accessary to those evils which ensue upon their separating from and their dividing of the Church on these accounts Now that Dissenters cannot rationally judge these things to be thus clearly and indispensably evil or think it better that all these mischiefs should ensue than that they should submit unto them he seems convincingly to prove from these considerations 1. Chap. 6. §. 1. from p. 167. to p. 170. That the duties of promoting Christian love peace unity and the edification of the Church and the preventing of Division Schism and the disturbance of the Civil Government are moral and essential duties which will admit no dispensation so that it is the duty