Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times
6. Which maketh me remember Dr. Tuckney, whom his Widow married; an ancient Learned, Godly Divine, sometime Minister of Boston in Lincolnshire, then one of the Assembly, and long Regius Professor, called Doctor of the Chair in Cambridge, which place he performed with so good acceptance, as that I need not commend his ability any further: Only he was over humble, and backward to disputes, and to put out himself in great appearances, notwithstanding that place of public Exercise.
I would further mention Dr. Arthur of Clapham, Mr. Gilbert of Brentford, Mr. Perkins, Mr. Warrham of Henden, and many more, if I were willing to go beyond my ocquaintance, upon reports.
§ 208. And though it cannot be thought that one man that lived so retiredly should know very many, yet I could name you excellent men, known to me either thoroughly, or in some measure, whose Excellencies make their Names very precious to me. For Instance, 1. Mr. Truman lately dead.
2. Mr. John Warren of Hatfield Broadoke, in Essex, a man of great Judgment, and ministerial Abilities-moderation, Piety, and Labor: The place whence he was cast out hath had no minister since to this day, though a great Town, and in the Bishop of London 's Gift, because the means is so small that none will take it: And yet he cannot have leave to preach rather than none: But he gets now and then one by his Interest to Preach occasionally, and he heareth them in public, and then himself instructeth the People in private as far as he can obtain connivance.
3. Mr. Peter Ince, in Wiltshire, a solid, grave, pious, worthy, able minister, living with Mr. Grove, that excellent, humble, holy, Learned Gentleman, who himself is now driven out of his his Country for receiving, and hearing such in his House.
4. Mr. John How, m • nister of Torrrington, in Devonshire, sometime Household-Preacher to Oliver Cromwell, and his Son Richard, till the Army pulled him down; but not one that meddled in his Wars: He is a very Learned, judicious, godly man, of no Faction, but of Catholic, healing Principles, and of excellent ministerial Ablities, as his excellent Treatise, called, The Blessedness of the Righteous, showeth.
5. Mr. Ford of Exeter, is a man of great Ability, as his Book called, The Sinner's Araignment at his Bar, showeth; a Reverend Divine, of great esteem for all ministerial worth, with the generality of sober men: And I hear a high Character of Mr. Clare, near him, and many more there; but I know not those.
6. Mr. Hughes of Plymouth, a very Reverend, Learned, Ancient Divine, long ago of London, an excellent Expositor of Scripture, was in his Age laid so long in Prison (for silencing was not suffering enough for so excellent a Man) that he fell by it into the Scurvy, and died soon after. His Treatife of the Sabbath is Printed since his Death.
7. Mr. Berry in Devonshire, an extraordinary humble, tender-conscienced, serious, godly, able Minister.
8. Mr. Benj. Woodbridge of Newbury, who came out of New-England to succeed Dr. Twisse; a Man of great Judgment, Piety, Ability, and moderate Principles, addicted to no Faction, but of a Catholic Spirit.
9. Mr. Simon King, some-time of Coventry, since near Peterborough, who first Entertain'd me at Coventry in the beginning of the Wars, when I was forced to fly from Home; a Man of a solid Judgment, an honest Heart and Life, and addicted to no Extremes, and an able Scholar (long ago chief School-Master at Bridgnorth. )
Divers others of my own Acquaintance I could describe, in Wales, in Derby-shire, Cheshire, York-shire, and other Counties; but I will end with a few of my old Neighbors that I had forgotten.
10. Old Mr. Samuel Hildersham, about 80 Years old, only Son to the Famous Arthur Hildersham; a Conformist formerly, but resolved enough against the New Conformity: A grave, peaceable, pious, learned Divine, cast out of Welsh-Felton in Shrop-shire.
11. Mr. Tho. Gilbert, of Edgmond in Shropshire, an Ancient Divine, of extraordinary Acuteness, and Conciseness of Style, and a most piercing Head, as his small Lat. Tract. of the necessity of Christ's Satisfaction, showeth.
12. Mr. Samuel Fisher, an Ancient Reverend Divine; some-time of Withington, then of Shrewsbury, turned out with Mr. Blake, for not taking the Engagement against King and House of Lord's; then lived in Cheshire, and thence cast out and Silenced; a very able Preacher, and of a goldy Life.
13. My old Friend, Mr. Will. Cook, bred up under Mr. John Ball, a Learned Man, and of a most godly Life, and unwearied Labor. Like the first Preachers, he can go in poor Clothing, live on a little, travel on Foot, Preach and Pray almost all the Week, if he have opportunity, in Season, and out of Season, trampling on this World as dirt, and living a mortified laborious Life. Being an old Nonconformist and Presbyterian, he was greatly offended at the Anabaptists, Separatists, and Sectaries, and Cromwell 's Army, for Disloyalty to the King, whom they Beheaded, and this King whom they kept out; and therefore joined with Sir George Booth, now Lord Delamere, in his Rising to have brought in the King: And being then Minister in Chester, persuaded the Citizens to deliver up the City to Him: For which he was brought to London, and long Imprisoned: But all this would not procure his Liberty to Preach the Gospel of Christ, without the Oaths, Subscriptions, Declarations, Reordination, and Conformity required.
14. To these I may subjoin my old Friend Mr. Pigot, chief School-master of Shrewsbury.
15. And my old Friend Mr. Swain, some-time School-master at Bridgnorth, and since a godly fervent Preacher in Radnor-shire: But I must stop.
§ 209. Let the Reader note, That there is not one of all these that was put out for any Scandal, but merely not Subscribing, &c. and Conforming; nor one of them all that ever I heard any Person charge, or once suspect of Wantonness, Idleness, Surfetting, Drunkenness, or any scandalous Sin. And of those of the Prelatists that were Sequestred by the Parliament, I knew not one, that I remember, that was not accused upon Oath of Witnesses of Scandal; though doubtless others knew some such. Not including the siding in the Wars, which each side called scandalous in the other; and which yet but a small part of these named by me, meddled in, that ever I could learn.
§ 210. Therefore I conclude, That we that know not the Mysteries of God's Judgments, saw not what a Mercy it was that God took to Himself, before they were Silenced, such Excellent Men as Dr. Twisse, Dr. Gouge, Mr. John Ball, Mr. Gataker, Mr. Ier. Whitaker, Dr. Arrow Smith, Dr. Hill, Mr. Strong, Mr. Herbert Palmer, and most of the Assembly, with many more such. Nor yet that God took away such Men as Bishop Davent, Bishop Hall, Arch-Bishop Usher, Bishop Morton, yea, and Dr. Hammond, before they were under a Temptation to have a Hand in the casting out of so many excellent worthy Men (which yet I am confident by my own personal Knowledge of him, that Usher, had he lived, would never have done.)
§ 211. This Year the King began the War upon the Dutch, in March 1671/2. About the 16 or 17 Day was a hot Sea-fight, while our Ships Assaulted their Smirna Fleet of Merchants, and many on both sides were killed, which was most that was done. And about the 18 th. Day the King Published a Proclamation for War by Sea and Land: The French, the Elector of Cologne, and the Bishop of Munster, being with dreadful Preparations to invade them by Land.
§ 212. Now came forth a Declaration giving some fuller Exposition (to those that doubted of it) of the Transactions of these Twelve Years last, viz. His Majesty, by Virtue of His Supreme Power in Matters Ecclesiastical, suspendeth all Penal Laws thereabout, and Declareth, That he will grant a convenient number of Public Meeting-Places to Men of all sorts that Conform not; so be it,
1. The Persons be by Him approved.
2. That they never meet in any Place not approved by Him.
3. And there set open the Doors to all Comers.
4. And Preach not Seditiously.
5. Nor against the Discipline or Government of the Church of England, saving that the Papists shall have no other public Places, but their Houses (anywhere, under their own Government,) without Limitation or Restriction, to any number of Places or Persons, or any necessity of getting Approbation; so that they are immediately in possession of a securer and fuller Liberty, than the Protestant-Nonconformists hope for; for how, or when they will get Churches built, we know not, till that be done they are more terribly restrained form Meeting than before: And who will build Churches that have no Security to enjoy them one Week, time will show: And all this is said to be for avoiding the danger of Conventicles in private, &c. when yet the Papists are allowed such Conventicles in as many Houses as they please.
§ 213. A Paper sent from one Mr. Edwards, a Lawyer of Kingston, received from a Papist, (Mr. Langhorn ) as a Challenge, was sent to me as by him, with desires of an Answer; which occasioned my Book, called, The Certainty of the Protestant Religion without Popery.
§ 214. When the King's Declaration for Liberty was out, the London Nonconformable Ministers were incited to return His Majesty their Thanks. At their Meeting Dr. Seaman, and Mr. Ienkins (who had been till then most distant from the Court) were for a Thanksgiving in such high applauding Terms, as Dr. Manton, and almost all the rest dissented from; and some were for avoiding Terms of Approbation, lest the Parliament should fall upon them; and some because they had far rather have had any tolerable state of Unity with the public Ministry, than a Toleration; supposing,
1. That the Toleration was not chiefly for their sakes, but for the Papists, and that they should hold it no longer than that Interest required it, which is inconsistent with the Interest of the Protestant's Religion and the Church of England: And that they had no security of it, but it might be taken from them at any time in a Day.
2. Because they thought that it tended to continue our Divisions, and to weaken the Protestant Ministry and Church, and that while the Body of the Protestant People were in all places divided, one part was still ready to be used against the other, and many Sins and Calamities kept up. And the present Generation of Nonconformists like to be soon worn out, and the Public Assemblies to be lamentably disadvantaged by young, raw, unqualified Ministers, that were likely to be introduced. They concluded therefore on a cautelous and moderate Thanksgiving for the King's Clemency and their own Liberty: And when they could not come to Agreement about their Form, the Lord Arlington Introduced them to a verbal Extemporate Thanksgiving, and so their Difference was ended as to that.
§ 215. This Question, Whether Toleration of us in our different Assemblies, or such an Abatement of Impositions as would restore some Ministers to the Public Assemblies by a Law, were more desirable? was a great Controversy then among the Nonconformists; and greater it had been, but that the hopes of Abatements, called then a Comprehension ) were so low as made them the less concerned in the Agitation of it: But when ever there was a new Session of Parliament, which put them in some little hope of Abatements, the Controversy began to revive, according to the measure of those Hopes: The Independents, and all the Sectaries, and some few Presbyterians, especially in London, who had large Congregations, and Liberty and Encouragement, were rather for a Toleration. The rest of the Presbyterians, and the Episcopal Nonconformists, were for Abatement and Comprehension. The Reasons of the former were,
1. The Parliament will abate so little, as will take in but few.
2. It will tempt the rest to stretch their Consciences.
3. It will divide us.
4. It will leave those that Conform not under greater Contempt and Severities.
5. We shall have much purer Worship and Discipline as we are.
6. What Corruptions are not now removed by this Abatement will be the faster settled, and the Reformation left more hopeless: The grosser are our Church-Corruptions, the more hope of a Reformation.
Some that were of the other Mind on the contrary thus stated their Desires. We would not have Abatements alone, but besides that a Toleration of all that are Tolerable: And when they ask us, What Abatements will satisfy us, and procure our Union with them? We will truly tell them in several Degrees, [So much will satisfy all, and procure a perfect Union: So much less will take in most, or half; and so much less will take in a few: And we must take that measure which you will grant us, in whose power it is. And their Reasons were such as aforesaid for this Choice:
1. They said that it is the Religion which obtaineth the Public Churches, and Maintenance which will be the Religion of the Land, and which the Body of the People will be of.
2. If we are shut out wholly thence, so bad a sort will come in, as will be ready to strike up an Agreement with the Papists, and let them in on pretence of Concord or Moderation, when worldly Interest shall require it.
3. If we are shut out of the Public Churches, we shall still be looked on as their Enemies with Jealousy and ill will, and as Separatists with Reproach.
4. Few of the Rich and Rulers will join with us, and so we shall prepare Parliaments and Justices by Alienation to further Severities against us.
5. The work of Conversion will go slowly on; for we shall speak to few but those that are already Religious, and the Conformists, who are very many of them cold and lifeless, must be the Preachers to the Ignorant, and Vicious, and Ungodly: And so the Land will grow worse and worse.
6. We shall keep open a Door for all Sectts and Schisms, and the Reproach of them all will be cast on us.
7. We shall be still uncertain of the continuance of our Liberty for one Week: It is easy to find Reasons to cast us out of all, whenever Interest or Wrath shall require it.
8. We are a hated People to too many of our Superiors; and it is not for our Sakes that Liberty is granted us; we shall hold it no longer than the Papists will; for whose sakes we have it, that they also may have theirs: And that they will grant it us no longer than the Interest and Increase of their Religion requireth it: And that which is for the Interest and Increase of their Religion, is contrary to ours.
9. There are already about 500 that are dead, and have Conformed, since our Silencing, and the rest will all be quickly dead: And then all will fall quietly into the Conformists hands, and the Churches be more corrupt than if now we get but a half Reformation.
10. And it shall be no Division of us, to have half taken into the Public Churches: for we must love each other, and promote the Work of Christ in each others hands, as the old Godly Conformists and Nonconformists did, and we now do with the Godly Part of the Conformists: Our Work is not to keep up a Combination against our Superiors, nor to strengthen a Faction, but to Combine for Godliness, and to strengthen ourselves in the proper work of the Gospel: which we must do, though some Conform, and some do not.
11. And our Superiors will be the less Jealous of us as to Sedition, when they see us so divided in Point of Conformity, than if they see us strengthened by the Unity of a distinct Party.
12. And especially, the Unity of such as Conform, with the present Conformists will strengthen the Public Ministry against Papists, Infidels, and all Ungodliness: And our continued Division will be the strength of all these.
13. And it is a weighty Consideration, that the keeping up of the different Parties tempteth all the People of the Land, to continual Censuring, Uncharitableness, and contending, and unavoidably destroyeth Love and Concord; and so keepeth Men in constant Sin.
On all these Reasons they were most for as much Union with the Parish-Ministers, and joining with them, as the Parliament would allow them.
§ 216. But now they found that there was little hopes of obtaining any such thing: For they that were most for Toleration were most against our Comprehension by Abatement of any of the Impositions; and they were many.
1. All the Papists, and their secret Friends, were most opposite to Abatements: For it was their Design from the beginning to get our Pressures to be as sharp as possible, that so we might have as much need as they of a Toleration, and might be forced to Petition for the opening of the Door, by which they might come in, or speed at least no worse than the Nonconformists.
2. Those that were for the Increase of the Regal Power and Interest, did very well know, that the more grievously good People (and so great a number) were used by Parliaments and Laws, the more certainly Nature and Interest would lead them, to fly from them to the King, for ease and refuge: And also, that when Men's Religion and Liberties are in the Power, and at the Mercy of the King, their Estates must be so too: For who will not rather part with his Money than his Liberty and Religion? Yea, and Men's Hearts will be more with him that saveth them, than with those that destinate them to Jayls and Beggary.
3. And the Independents, Separatists, and all the Sectaries, were commonly against a Comprehension, for the Reasons before given. Only the visible Necessities of the Nation do so strongly work towards it, that doubtless in time, they will prevail with the Wills of those that are for the Protestant Religion, and for Property; but whether Consent and Repentings will come too late, God only knoweth, and time must tell us.
§ 217. In the end of May, 1672. was another Sea-Fight with the Dutch, with like Success as the former. The Earl of Sandwich, and others of ours lost, and they parted without any notable Victory or Advantage of either Party, but that they had killed one another. 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉
§ 218. In May and June the French suddenly took abundance of the Dutch -Ga ••• sons.
§ 219. In July and A • gust the Dutch -Rabble tumultuously rose up against their Governors, for the Prince of Orange, and murdered De Wit, and his Brother.
§ 220. In Answer to a Book of Dr. Fulwood 's, I now Published a small Book, without my Name, against the Desertion of our Ministry, though prohibited, proving it Sacrilege to Alienate Consecrated Persons from the Sacred Office to which they are Devoted.
§ 221. There came out a Posthumous Book of A. Bishop Bramhall 's, against my Book, called, The Grotian Religion: In which, 1. He passeth over the express words of Grotius, which I had cited, which undoubtedly prove what I said; yea, though I had since largely Englished them, and recited them in the Second Part of my Key for Catholics, with a full Confirmation of my Proofs. 2. And he feigneth me to make him a Grotian, and Confederate in his Design; when-as I (not only had no such Word, but) had expressly excepted him by Name, as imputing no such thing to him. And before the Book was a long Preface of Mr. Parker 's, most vehement against Dr. Oxen, and some-what against myself: To which Mr. • ndrew Marvel, a Parliament Man, Burgess for Hull, did Publish an Answer so exceeding Jocular, as thereby procured abundance of Readers, and Pardon to the Author, Because I perceived that the Design of A. Bishop Brombal 's Book was for the Uniting of Christendom under the old Patriarchs of the Roman Imperial Church, and so under the Pope, as the Western Patriarch, and Principium Vnitatis, I had thought the design and this Publication looked dangerously, and therefore began to write an Answer to it. But Mr. Simmons, my Bookseller, came to me, and told me, That Roger Lestrange, the Over-seer of the Printers, sent for him, and told him, That he heard I was Answering Bishop Bromball, and Swore to him most vehemently, that if I did it, he would ruin him and me, and perhaps my Life should be brought in question: And I perceived the Bookseller durst not Print it; and so I was fain to cast it by; which I the easilier did, because the main Scope of all the Book was fully answered long before, in the fore-said Second Part of my Key for Catholics.
§ 222. Many Changes in Ireland much talked of, I pass over.
§ 223. Dr. Fulwood wrote a jocular deriding Answer to my Treatise, against Sa • ilegious Desertion of the Ministry, and after that Printed an Assize Sermon, against Separating from the Parish-Ministers. Divers called on me to Reply to the first, and I told them I had better Work to do, than Answer every Script against me: But while I demurred, Dr. Fulwood wrote me an extraordinary kind Letter, offering to do his best to the Parliament for our Union and Restoration, which ended my Thoughts of that; but I know not of anything to purpose done.
§ 224. Mr. Giles Firmin, a Silenced Minister, writing some-what against my Method and Motions for Heavenly Meditation in my Saint's Rest, as too strict, and I having Answered him, he wrote a weak Reply, which I thought not worthy of a Rejoinder.
§ 225. On Octob. 11. I fell into a dangerous Fit of Sickness, which God in his wonted Mercy, did in time so far remove, as to return me to some Capacity of Service.
§ 226. I had till now forborne, for several Reasons, to seek a License for Preaching from the King, upon the Toleration: But when all others had taken theirs, and were settled in London, and other places, as they could get opportunity, I delayed no longer, but sent to seek one, on condition I might have it without the Title of Independent, Presbyterian, or any other Party, but only as a Nonconformist: And before I sent, Sir Thomas Player, Chamberlain of London, had procured it me so, without my knowledge or endeavor. I sought none so long,
1. Because I was unwilling to be, or seem any Cause of that way of Liberty, if a better might have been had, and therefore would not meddle in it.
2. I Lived ten Miles from London, and thought not just to come and set up a Congregation there, till the Ministers had fully settled theirs, who had born the burden there in the times of the raging Plague and Fire, and other Calamities; lest I should draw away any of their Auditors, and hinder their Maintenance.
3. I perceived that no one (that ever I heard of till mine) could get a License, unless he would be entitled in it, a Presbyterian, Independent, Anabaptist, or of some Sect.
The 19th. of Novemb. (my Baptism-Day) was the first Day after ten Years Silence, that I preached in a tolerated Public Assembly (though not yet tolerated in any Consecrated Church) but only (against Law) in my own House.
§ 227. Some Merchants set up a Tuesday 's Lecture in London, to be kept by six Ministers at Pinner 's-Hall, allowing them 20 s. a piece each Sermon; of whom they chose me to be one. But when I had Preached there but four Sermons, I found the Independents so quarrelsome with what I said, that all the City did ring of their back-bitings and false Accusations: So that had I but preached for Unity and against Division, or unnecessary with-drawing from each other, or against unwarrantable narrowing of Christ's Church, it was cried abroad, that I preached against the Independents; especially, if I did but say, That Man's Will had a Natural Liberty, though a Moral Thraldom to Vice, and that Men might have Christ and Life, if they were truly willing, though Grace must make them willing; and that Men have power to do better than they do, It was cried abroad among all the Party, that I Preached up Arminianism, and Free-Will, and Man's Power, and O! what an odious Crime was this.
§ 228. January 24. 1672/3. I began a Friday-Lecture at Mr. Turner 's Church in New-street, near Fetter-Lane, with great Convenience, and God's encouraging Blessing; but I never took a penny of Money for it of any one. And on the Lord's Days I had no Congregation to preach to (but occasionally to any that desire me) being unwilling to set up a Church and become the Pastor of any, or take Maintenance, in this distracted and unsettled way, unless further Changes shall manifest it to be my Duty: Nor did I ever yet give the Sacrament to any one Person, but to my old Flock at Kidderminster. I see it offendeth the Conformists, and hath many other Present Inconveniencies, while we have any hope of Restoration and Concord from the Parliament.
§ 229. About this time Cornet-Castle, in Jersey, was by Lightning strangely torn to pieces, and blown up which was attended with many notable Accidents, an account whereof was published.
230. The Parliament met again in February, and voted down the King's Declaration as illegal. And the King promised them that it should not be brought into President. And thereupon they consulted of a Bill for the ease of Nonconformists, or Dissenters, and many of them highly professed their resolution to carry it on: But when they had granted the Tax,, they turned it off, and left it undone; destroying our shelter of the King's Declaration, and so leaving us to the Storm of all their severe Laws, which some Country Justices rigorously executed, but the most forbore.
§ 231. On February 20. I took my House in Bloomsbury in in London, and removed thither after Easter with my Family: God having mercifully given me three years great Peace among quiet Neighbors at Totteridge, and much more Health or Ease than I expected, and some opportunity to serve him.
§ 132. The Parliament sat again, and talked as if they would have united us by abatement of some of their Impositions: But when they had voted down the King's Declaration of Toleration as Illegal, and he had promised them that it should never be drawn into a Precedent, and that they had granted a large Tax, they frustrated the hopes they had raised in some Credulous Men, and left all as they found it.
§ 133. Many impudent railing, lying Books were published against the Nonconformists about this time: Sam. Parker Printed one against Mr. Marvel, and therein tells the World, what wicked, intolerable Persons we are to keep up Divisions in the Church about things which we ourselves confess to be lawful; and that at Worcester-House (before the King, as he was told) we professed that there was nothing in the Liturgy, which we took to be unlawful, but that we pleaded only for tenderness or forbearance towards others.] Whereas, 1. There was no mention of any such thing as Worcester-House, or before the King. 2. Our Business before the King at Worcester-House was to have the King's Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs, read, and both Parties to say what they had against it, and then the King to tell what he would have pass in the draught. And the Lord Chancellor ( Hide ) had by mistake put something of that, which P • rker mentioneth in the first Draught, which was privately shown us by him, and we had told him that he mistook us, we had never said any such thing: We had indeed said, that the Work, which we were called to, was not to tell how much we ourselves thought to be Lawful or Unlawful in the Government, Worship, and Ceremonies, but what was the necessary means of uniting all his Majesty's Protestant Subjects, who yet were not of the same Apprehension about each Ceremony among themselves: Whereupon the Lord Chancellor had blotted out that passage which said, [ They were glad to find us approving of the Liturgy, &c.] and only put in [ of a Liturgy; ] as is yet to be seen in the Declaration Published, and in the first Draught of it, (which I have a Copy of.) And it was after at the Savoy, where the Liturgy was treated of; where, 1. We gave in those Exceptions against many things in the Liturgy, which were Printed: And among others, against divers Untruths, [as when divers Weeks after Christ's Nativity-day, East • , Whitsunday, it was to be said in the Collects, that [ On that Day Christ was born, rose, the Holy-Ghost came down, &c.] 2. We disputed many days against an Imposition of the Liturgy, as Sinful. 3. Being demanded by Bishop Cousins (in the Chair) by a Writing, as from some great one, (as he spake) that we should give in an Enumeration of what we took to be flat Sins in the Liturgy, as distinct from mere Inconveniences, I brought in ten Particulars the next Morning, of which my Brethren put out two, merely for fear of angering them, and the other eight we presented to them, and never had a word of Answer, but an angry rebuke for offering to charge a whole Church with Sin, (as they spake) yet doth this Man tell the World that we professed ourselves to take it to be all Lawful.
And what if we had done so? Is the Liturgy all that Nonconformists stick at? Is the Canonical Subscription and Oath of Obedience, and Re-ordination, &c. no more?
And doth not the Nation know that it was only the old Conformsty which was then questioned, and that the new was not in being? And that the Act of Uniformity was since made, wherein, besides Re-ordination, is the new Declaration, and new Subscription, and since that the new Oxford Oath? Such Impudency it was that assaulted, and rendered us odious to the ignorant, contrary to public notoriety of Fact, yet visible in Print to all the World.
§ 234. Another at that time wrote that I had written, that the Supreme Power might be resisted for Religion: And another, (a Papist, writing for Toleration) that I wrote that the • uthority of any of the Peers might warrant Subjects to take up Arms against the King. ] Things that I never wrote or thought, or anything like them, but have written very much to the contrary: But it is our Lot to fall into the Hands of such Men, as have banished all Modesty in their Calumnies.
§ 235. About the beginning of May in my Walk in the Fields, I met with Dr. Gunning, now Bishop of Chichester, (with whom I had the contention and fierce Opposition to all the motions of Peace at the Savoy, ) and at his Invitation went after to his Lodgings, to pursue our begun Discourse: which he vehemently professed that he was sure, that it was not Conscience that kept us from Conformity, but merely to keep up our Reputation with the People, and we desired alterations for no other ends; and that we lost nothing by our Nonconformity, but were fed as full, and lived as much to the Pleasure of the Flesh in Plenty, as the Conformists did: And let me know what odious thoughts he had of his poor Brethren, upon Grounds so notoriously false, that I had thought few Men that lived in England could have been so ignorant of such matters of Fact. But alas, what is there so false and odious which exasperated factious, malicious Minds will not believe and say of others? And what Evidence so notorious which they will not out-face? I told him that he was a stranger to the Men he talked of; that those of my Acquaintance, (whom he confessed to be far more than of his) were generally the most Conscionable Men that I could 〈◊〉 on Earth: That he might easily know Reputation could not be the thing which made them suffer so much Affliction; because 1. many of them were young men, not pre-engaged in point of Reputation to any side. 2. He knew that we lost, by our Nonconformity, that Worldly Honor, which we were as capable of as he and others: We did not so vilify the King, Parliament, Lord's, Bishops, Knights, and Gentry, who were most against us, as to think it a piece of Worldly Honor to be vilified by them, and called Rogues, and sent to the common Goals among Rogues, and branded to the World, as we are in the Oxford Act of Confinement, and banished five Miles from Cities and Corporations: Our Consciences would not allow us to say, that he, and such 〈◊〉 he, who were Clergy-Lord's, and Parliament-Barons did conform out of Pride or Love of Reputation; and which was the liker to a reasonable Conjecture? That he should be moved by Pride who chooseth the way of worldly Wealth and Domination, and Honor, giving Laws to his Brethren, and vilifying them, and trampling on them at his Pleasure, as on a company of contemned, scorned Wretches; or they that choose the way of this Contempt and Scorn with Poverty and Corporal Distress? Whose honor is it that such Men seek? You account their Followers the refuse of the World as you do them. And if they themselves think better of them, yet they will know that they are 〈◊〉 of the meaner sort, and that poor Men have little to spare for others; and we are not so sordidly dis-ingenious as not to be sensible that to be beholden to poor Men that want themselves, for our daily Bread, is not the work of Pride, but putteth our Humilty to it to the utmost. It's foolish Pride, which chooseth the hatred and scorn of the Great Men of the World, instead of Dignities and Honor, and chooseth to suffer Scorn and Imprisonment among poor Men, to whom we must be beholden for a beggarly Sustenance. And as for the Plenty and fullness which they upbraid us with, it telleth us that there is nothing so immodest and unreasonable which some Men's Malice will not say. Do they not know into what Poverty London is brought by the late Fire, and want of Trade? And what Complaints do fill all the Land? And how close-hunded almost all Men are that are themselves in want? And Ministers are not so impudent as to turn Beggers without Shame? I had but a few days before had Letters of a worthy Minister, who, with his Wife and six Children, had many Years had seldom other food than brown, Rye Bread and Water, and was then turned out of his House, and had none to go to: And of another that was fain to spin for his Living: And abundance I know that have Families, and nothing, or next to nothing of their own, and live in exceeding want upon the poor Drops of Charity which they stoop to receive from a few mean People. And if there be here and there a rich man that is Charitable, he hath so many to relieve, that each one can have but a small share. Indeed, about a dosen or twenty Ministers about London, who stuck to the People in the devouring Plague, or in other times of Distress, and feared no Sufferings, have so many People adhering to them, as keep them from Beggary, or great want; and you judge of all the rest by these, when almost all the rest through England, who have not something of their own to live upon, do suffer so much as their Scorners will scarce believe. It is no easy thing to have the Landlord call for Rent, and the Baker, the Brewer, the Buther, the Taylor, the Draper, the Shooemaker, and many others call for Money, and Wife and Children call for Meat and Drink, and Cloaths, and a Minister to have no Answer for them, but I have none. And the Bishop had the less modesty in standing confidently to my Face of his certainty of our losing nothing by our Non-conformity, when he himself knew that I was offered a Bishopric in 1660. and he got not his Bishopric, (for all his extraordinary way of Merit) till about 1671, or 1672: and I had not a Groat of the Ecclesiastical Maintenance since the King came in; nor, to my best remembrance, ever received more than the fon • Pound even now mentioned, as a Salary for Preaching these Eleven Years; nor any way for Preaching the Sum of eight Pound in all those Years: Yea, on this occasion, I will not think it vain to say, that all that I remember that ever I received as gifts of Bounty from any whosoever since I was silenced (till after An. 1672.) amount not in the whole to 20 l. besides ten Pouud per Annum which I received from Serjeant Fountain till he died, and when I was in Prison, twenty pieces from Sir John Bernard, ten from the Countess of Exeter, and five from Alderman Bard, and no more, which just paid the Lawyers, and my Prison Charge (but the expenses of removing my Habitation was greater:) And had the Bishop's Family no more than this? In sum, I told the Bishop that he, that cried out so vehemently against schism, had got the Spirit of a Sectary: and as those that by Prisons and other sufferings were too much exasperated against the Bishops, could hardly think or speak well of them, so his cross Interests had so notoriously spoiled him of his Charity, that he had plainly the same temper with the bitterest of the Sectaries, whom he so much reviled. Our Doctrinal Discourse I overpass.
§ 236. This May, a Book was Printed and cried about, describing the horrid Murder of one 〈◊〉 Baxter in New-England by the Anabaptists, and how they tore his Flesh, and flayed him alive, and persons, and time, and place were named: And when Mr. Kiffen, sensible of the Injury to the Anabaptists, searched it out, it proved all a studied Forgery; Printed by a Papist, and the Book Licensed by Dr. Sam. Pa • ker, the Arch-bishop's Chaplain, there were no such Persons in being as the Book mentioned, nor any such thing ever done: Mr. • issen accused Dr. Parker to the Kiug and Council: The King made him confess his Fault, and so it ended.
§ 237. In June was the second great Fight with the Dutch, where again many were killed on both sides; and to this day it is not known which Pa • ty had the greater Loss.
§ 238. The Parliament grew into great Jealousies of the prevalency of Popery: There was an Army raised, which lay upon Black-Heath encamped, as for Service against the Dutch: They said that so many of the Commanders were Papists as made Men fear the design was worse. Men feared not to talk openly that the Papists having no hope of getting the Parliament to set up their Religion by Law, did design to take down Parliaments, and reduce the Government to the French Model, and Religion to their State, by a standing Army: These Thoughts put Men into dismal Expectations, and many wish that the Army, at any rate might be disbanded. The Duke of York was General: The Parliament made an Act that no man should be in any office of Trust, who would not take the Oaths of Supremacy, and Allegiance, and receive the Sacrament according to Order of the Church of England, and renounee Transubstanstiation. Many supposed Papists received the Sacrament, and renounced Transubstantiation, and took the Oaths: Some that were known, sold, or laid down their Places: The Duke of York, and the new Lord Treasurer, Clifford, laid down all: It was said, they did it on supposition that the Act left the King impowered to renew their Commissions when they had laid them down: But the Lord Chancellor told the King that it was not so; and so they were put out by themselves. This settled Men in the full belief that the Duke of York, and the Lord Clifford were Papists; and the Londoners had before a special hatred against the Duke, since the burning of London, commonly saying, that divers were taken casting Fire-balls, and brought to his Guards of Soldiers to be secured, and he let them go, and both secured and concealed them.
239. The great Counselors that were said to do all with the King in all great matters, were the Duke of York, the Lord Clifford, the Duke of Lauderdaile, the Lord Arlington, the Duke of Buckingham, the Lord Chancellor (that is, Sr. Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Earl of Shaftsbury, ) and after them the Earl of Anglesey (lately Mr. Annesley. ) Among all these, the Lord Chanchellor declared so much Jealosie of Popery, and set himself so openly to secure the Protestant Religion, that it was wondered how he kept in as he did; but whatever were his Principles or Motives, it is certain he did very much plead the Protestant Cause.
§ 240. In June, Mastricht was taken by the French, but with much loss; where the Duke of Monmouth, with the English, had great Honor for their Valour.
§ 241. In August, four of the Dutch East-India Ships fell into our Hands, and we had the third great Sea-fight with them, under the Command of Prince Rupert, where we again killed each other with equal Loss: But the Dutch said they had the Victory now, sand before, and kept days of Thanksgiving for it: Sir Edward Sprag was killed, whose death the Papists much lamented, hoping to have got the Sea-power into his Hands. But Prince Rupert, (who declared himself openly against Popery, and had got great Interest in the Hearts of the Soldiers) complained sharply of the French Admiral, as deserting him (to say no worse:) And the success of these Fights was such as hindered the Transportation of the Army against the Dutch, and greatly divided the Court-Party, and discouraged the Grandees, and Commanding Papists., &c.
§ 242. In September, I being out of Town, my House was broken by Thieves, who broke open my Study-Doors, Closets, Locks, searched near 40 Tills and Boxes, and found them all full of nothing but Papers, and missed that little Money I had, though very near them: They took only three small pieces of Plate, and meddled not (considerably) with any of my Papers, which I would not have lost for many hundred Pounds: Which made me sensible of Divine Protection, and what a Convenience it is to have such a kind of Treasure, as other men have no mind to rob us of, or cannot.
§ 343. The Duke of York was now married to the Duke of Modena 's Daughter by Proxy, the Earl of Peterborough being sent over to that end.
§ 244. The Lady Clinton having a Kinswoman (wife to Edward Wray, Esq) who was a Protestant, a • d her Husband a Papist (thoroughly studied in all their Controversies, and oft provoking his Wife to bring any one to dispute with him) desired me to perform that office of Conference: They differed about the Education of their Children; he had promised her, (as she said) at Marriage, that she should have the Education of them all, and now would not let her have the Education of one, but would make them Papists: I desired that either our Conference might be public, to avoid mis-reports, or else utterly secret before no one but his Wife, that so we might not seem to strive for the Honor of Victory, nor by dishonor be exasperated, and made less capable of benefit. The latter way was chosen; but the Lady Clinton, and Mr. Goodwin, the Lady Worsep 's Chaplain, prevailed to be present by his consent. He began upon the point of Transubstantion, and in Veron 's Method would have put me to prove the Words of the Article of the Church of England, by express Words of Scripture, without Exposition. I distinguished the two parts of the Controversy, 1. Whether there be Bread after Consecration? 2. Whether there be Christ's Body: And the first I proved by express Scripture, and I thought gave him enough: And after two or three hours he brake off fairly, but yielding nothing. He after affirmed that a Woman was but a Nurse, and no Governor to her Children, and that if he commanded them to deny Christ, they were bound to obey him; else Families would be Confounded.
§ 245. I had fourteen Years been both a necessary, and voluntary stranger at the Court; but at this time by another's invitation called to attend the Duke of Lauderdaile, who still professed special kindness to me, and some pious Scotsmen, (being under suffering, one absconding, another sequestered and undone) and craving my interposition for them, I went to him, and desired his Pardon and Clemency for them, which he readily granted: And being to reprint my Key for Catholics, where his Name was in too low a manner in the Epistle (he being then a Prisoner in Windsor-Castle ) I told him that to omit it might seem a Neglect, and so to mention him, would be an injurious dishonor, and therefore if he pleased, I would put to it an Epistle Dedicatory, which he consented to, and approved of the Epistle before it was Printed: But being fain to leave out the second part of the Book, and much of the first, that the rest might be licensed, I printed instead of that left out, a new Treatise on the Subject, on which I disputed with Mr. Wray, called, Full and easy Satisfaction, which is the true Religion: Wherein Popery is brought to sense of the meanest Wit. But some were offended that I prefixed the Duke's Name; as if it tended to honor him at that time when he was decried as a chief Counselor for absolute Monarchy, for the War with the Dutch, and a standing Army; and he was threatened as soon as the Parliament sat; but went into Scotland as Commissioner, and called a Parliament there; for my part I never looked for a Farthing Profit, by any great Man, nor to my remembrance ever received the worth of a farthing from any of them: But I would not in Pride deny any Man his due honor, nor be so uncharitable as to refuse to make use of any Man's favor, for Sufferers in their distress. The matters of their State Counsels are above my reach.
§ 246. In October the Lord Clifford (called the chief of the secret Council) having the Summer before been at Tunbridge Water, fell into several Distempers, and shortly after died: So near is the fall of the greatest to his Rising, which was a great blow to his Party.
§ 247. Mr. Falkener, Minister of Lin, a sober, learned Man, wrote a book for Conformity, which that Party greatly boasted of as unanswerable: Indeed he speaketh plausibly to many of the Nonconformists smallest Exceptions, against some particular words in the Liturgy, and some Ceremonies; but as to the great Matters, the Declaration, and the Oxford Oath, and Subscription, and Reordination, and the Image of the Cross, as a Symbol of Christianity, and dedicating sign in Baptism, the Ministers denying Baptism to those that scruple the Cross, or to the Children of those that dare not forbear Covenanting for their own Children in Baptism, and lay it all on Godfathers, the rejecting those from the Lord's Supper, that dare not take it kneeling, the Thanksgiving at Burials for the happiness of notorious, impenitent, wicked Men, and other such like, his Defense is so poor and slight, as is fit to satisfy no Judicious Man; that is not prepared for Error by Interest and Will. But, pro captu Lectoris, &c.
§ 248. On the 20 th. of October the Parliament met again, and suddenly voted that the King should be sent to about the Duke of York 's Marriage with an Italian Papist (a-kin to the Pope) and to desire that it might be stopped (he being not yet come over.) And as soon as they had done that, the King, by the Chancellor, prorogued them till Monday following, because it is not usual for a Parliament to grant Money twice in one Session.
§ 249. On Monday, when they met, the King desired speedy Aid of Money against the Dutch, and the Lord Chancellor set forth the Reasons, and the Dutch unreasonableness. But the Parliament still stuck to their former resentment of the Duke of York 's Marriage, and renewed their Message to the King against it; who answered them, that it was debated at the open Council, and resolved that it was too late to stop it.
§ 250. Some one laid in the Parliament-House (they say near the Speaker's Chair) a wooden Shooe, such as the Peasants wear in France, with some Beads, and on one end drawn the Arms of France, and on the other the Arms of England, and written between, Vtrum horum mavis accippe. And Henry Stubbs (now Physician, once under Library-Keeper in Oxford, who was accounted an Infidel, and wrote against Monarchy for Sir Henry Vane, and against me, persuading the Army, and Rump to question me for my Life, and after was drawn by the Court to write against the Dutch ) now Printed a Half-Sheet called, The Parit Gazette, containing many Instances, where Marriage by Proxy had been broken; for which he was sent to the Tower.
§ 251. On Friday, Oct. 31. The Parliament went so high as to pass a Vote that no more Money should be given till the eighteen Months of the last Tax were expired, unless the Dutch proved obstinate, and unless we were secured against the danger of Popery, and Popish Counselors, and their Grievances were redressed.
252. The Parliament Voted to ask of his Majesty a day of Humiliation, because of the Growth of Popery, and intended solemnly to keep the Powder-Plot, and appointed Dr. Stillingfleet to Preach to them (who is most engaged by writing against Popery:) but on the day before, being Nov. 4. the King (to their great discontent) prorogued the Parliament to Ian. 7.
§ 253. The seventh of January the Parliament met again, and voted that their first work should be to prevent Popery, redress Grievances, and be secured against the Instruments, or Counselors of them. And they shortly after voted the Dukes of Buckingham, and Lauderdale unfit for trust about the King, and desired their Removal: But when they came to the Lord Arlington, and would have accordingly Characterized him without an Impeachment, it was carried against that Attempt: And because the Members who favored the Nonconformists (for considerable Reasons) were against the rest, and helped off the Lord Arlington, the rest were greatly exasperated against him, and reported that they did it because he had furthered the Nonconformists Licenses for tolerated Preaching.
§ 254. Sir Anthony Ashley Cowper ( • ometimes one of Oliver 's Privy-Council) having been a great Favorite of the King (for great Service for him) and made Earl of Shaftshury, and Lord Chancellor, and great in the secretest Councils, at last openly set against others on the account of Religion, earnestly declaming against Popery, and becoming the Head of the Party that were zealous for the Protestant Cause, and awakened the Nation greatly by his Activity: And being quickly put out of his place of Chancellourship, he by his bold and skillful way of speaking, so moved the House of Lord's, that they began to speak higher against the danger of Popery than the Commons, and to pass several Votes accordingly. And the Earl of Shaftsbury spake so plainly of the Duke of York, as much offended, and it was supposed would not long be born. The Earl of Clare, the Lord Hollis, the Lord Hallifax, and others also spake very freely: And among the Bishops only (that I heard of) Sir Herbert Crofts (who had sometimes been a Papist) the Bishop of Hereford. And now among Lord's and Commons, and Citizens, and Clergy, the talk went uncontrolled that the Duke of York was certainly a Papist, and that the Army lately raised, and encamped at Black-heath, was designed to do their Work, who at once would take down Parliaments and set up Popery. And Sir— Bucknall told them in the House of such Words that he had overheard of the late Lord Treasurer Clifford, to the Lord Arundell, as seemed to increase their Satisfaction of the Truth of all; but common observation was the fullest satisfaction. In a word, the offense and boldness of both Houses grew so high, as easily shown men how the former War began, a • d silenced many that said it was raised by Nonconformists, and Presbyterians.
§ 255. The third of February was a public Fast (against Popery) the first (as I remember) that (besides the Anniversary Fasts) had ever been since this Parliament sat (which hath now sat longer than that called the long Parliament did before the major part were cast out by Cromwell: ) But the Preachers, Dr. Cradock, and Dr. Whitchcot, meddled but little with that Business, and did not please them as Dr. Stillingfleet had done, who greatly animated them, and all the Nation against Popery by his open and diligent endeavors for the Protestant Cause.
§ 256. During this Session the Earl of Orery desired me to draw him up in brief, the Terms and Means, which I thought would satisfy the Non-conformists so far as to unite us all against Popery; professing that he met with many Great Men that were much for it, and particularly the New Lord Treasurer, Sir Thomas Osborn, and Dr. Morley, Bishop of Winchester, who vehemently professed his desires of it: And Dr. Fullwood, and divers others had been with me to the like purpose, testifying the said Bishop's resolution herein. I wisht them all to tell him from me, that he had done so much to the contrary, and never anything this way since his Professions of that sort, that till his real Endeavors convinced Men, it would not be believed that he was serious. But when I had given the Earl of Orery my Papers, he returned them me with Bishop Morley 's Strictures, or Animadversions (as by his Words and the Hand I had reason to be confident) by which he fully made me see that all his Professions for Abanement, and Concord, were deceitful Suares, and that he intended no such thing at all. And because I have inserted before so much of such transactions, I will here annex my Proposals, with his Strictures, and my Reply.
To the Right Honorable the Earl of Orery.
My Lord,
I Have here drawn up those Terms on which I think Ministers may be restored to the Churches Service, and much union and quietness be procured: But I must tell you, 1. That upon second Thoughts I forbore to distribute them, as I intimated to you, into several Ranks; but only offer what may tend to a Concord of the most, though not of every man. 2. That I have done this only on the suppositions that we were fain to go upon in our Consultation with Dr. 〈◊〉 , viz. That no change in the Frame of Church-Government will be consented to: Otherwise I should have done as we did in 1660, offered you Arch-bishop Usher 's Reduction of the Government to the primitive state of Episcopacy; and have only desired that the Lay-Chancellors have not the Power of the Keys, and that, if not in every Parish, at least in every Rural Deanry, or Market-Town, with the adjacent Villages, the Ministers might have the Pastoral power of the Keys so far as is necessary to guide their own Administrations, and not one Bishop, or Lay-Chancellor's Court to have more to do than Multitudes can well do, and thereby cause almost all true Discipline to be omitted. 3. I have forborne to enumerate the Particulars, which we cannot subscribe, or swear to, or practice, because they are many, and I fear the naming of them, will be displeasing to others, as seeming to accuse them, while we do but say, what a Sin such Conformity would be in ourselves: But if it should be useful, and desired, I am ready to do it. But I now only say, that the matters are far from being things doubtful, or indifferent, or little Sins in our Apprehensions; of which we are ready to render a Reason. But I think that this bare Proposal of the Remedies, is the best, and shortest, and least offensive way: In which I crave your Observation of these two Particulars. 1. That it is the matter granted, if it be even in our own Words, that will best do the Cure: For while other men word it, that know not our Scruples or Reasons, they miss our Sence usually, and make it ineffectual. 2. That the Reason why I crave that Ministers may have impunity, who use the greatest part of the Liturgy for the Day; is, 1. To shorten the Accommodation, that we may not be put to delay our Concord till the Liturgy be altered, to the Satisfaction of Dissenters; which we have cause to think, will not be done at all. Now this will silently and quietly heal us; and if a Man omit someone Collect or Sentence without debate or noise, it will not be noted, nor be a matter of offense. 2. And he is unworthy to be a Minister that is not to be trusted so much, as with the using or not using of a few Sentences, or words in all his Ministration. 3. And almost every Minister that I hear all the Year, of the most Conformable, do every day omit some part or other, and yet are not Silenc'd, nor taken notice of as offenders at all: And may not, as much for our Concord be granted to Dissenters in the present case. He that thinks that these Concessions will be more injurious to the Church, and the Souls of Men, than our Uncharitableness and Divisions have been these Eleven Years, and are yet like to be, is not qualified to be at all an Healer.
In Conclusion, I must again entreat you that this Offer may be taken but as the Answer of your desire, for your private use, and that no Copy be given of it, nor the Author made known, unless we have encouragement from our Governors to consult about such a work; and if so, that more than I may be consulted, and nothing laid on me alone. I am confident, were but Dr. Stillingfleet, Dr. Tillotson, or any such moderate Men appointed to consult with two or three of us, on the safe and needful terms of Concord, we should agree in a Week's time, supposing them vacant for the Business.
I Rest, Your humble Servant, Richard Baxter.
Decem. 15. 1673.
The means of uniting the Protestant Ministers in England, and healing our lamentable Divisions; supposing Church-Government may not be altered.
1. About Engagements. Let no other Covenant, Promise, Oath, Declaration, or subscription be necessary to Ministers for Ordination, Institution, Induction, Ministration, or Possession of their maintenance, (nor to Scholars at the Universities, except the ancient University Oath) or to School-masters, besides the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and the subscribing the Doctrine and Sacraments of the Church of England, as expressed in the thirty nine Articles, accordingly to the 13th of Queen Elizabeth, and the common Subscription, approving the Doctrine of the Homilies, and this following Declaration against Rebellion, and Sedition.
I. A. B. do hold that it is not Lawful for His Majesty's Subjects upon any Pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King, his Person, or Authority, or against any Authorized by his Legal Commission: And that there lieth no Obligation on me, or any other of his Subjects, from the Oath commonly called, the solemn League and Covenant, to endeaveavour any Change of the present Government of these his Majesty's Kingdoms; nor to endeavor any Reformation of Church or State, by Rebellion, Sedition, or any other unlawful means.
II. Because the Churches are all supposed to have Incumbents, and the present Non-conformists being devoted to the sacred Ministry, do holn it high Sacrilege to alienate themselves therefrom (to pass by their outward wants;) till by Presentations to vacant Churches they are better provided, let them have liberty to be School-masters, or assistants to Incumbents, or to Preach Lectures in their Churches, so it be by their Consent, whether they be Lectures already endowed with some Maintenance, or such as the People are willing to maintain: And let not the Incumbents be discouraged by the Bishops from receiving them: And let such places, as, being convenient, are already possessed by them for God's Public Worship be continued to that use, as Chapels, till they can be thus received into Benefices or Lectures.
III. Because the Piety of Families must keep up very much of the Interest of Religion in the World, and Multitudes (especially in the Country) that cannot read, can do little or nothing of it in their own Families, and may be greatly helped by joining with their more understanding, pious Neighbors; let it not be forbidden to any who attend the public Assemblies at any other hours, to join with their Neighbors (being of the same Parish) who read the Holy Scriptures, and Licensed pious Books, and repeat the public Sermons, and Pray, and Praise God by singing Psalms, and refuse not the Inspection of their lawful Pastors herein: Nor let it not be unlawful for any stablished Minister to receive his People in such Work, or for the Catechising, and personal instructing of such as shall desire it.
IV. Concerning the Liturgy and public Communion. 1. Let no Man be punished for omitting the use of the Liturgy, if in the Congregation where he is incumbent, the greatest part of it appointed for that time be sometimes (as once a quarter, or half a Year, as the Canon requireth) used by himself, and every Lord's Day ordinarily (unless when sickness or other Necessity hindereth) either by himself, or by his Curate or Assistant: And let none be forced to read the Apocrypha publicly for Lessons.
2. Let no mere Lecturer be forced to read the the Liturgy himself, or to procure another to read it, seeing it is the Incumbent's Charge, and it is supposed it will be done. Or if this may not be granted, let the Lecturer be only obliged once half a Year, (which is the time limited in the Canon) to read the Greatest part of it appointed for that time.
3. Let not Christian Parents be forbidden to dedicate their Children publicly to God, by entering them into the Christian Covenant, professing, and undertaking on their Behalf, that which belongeth to Parents in that Case. And let not the Parents be forced to get such Godfathers, and Godmothers, as are Atheists, Infidels, Heretics, or grossly ignorant what Baptism and Christianity is, or as, for their wicked Lives are themselves justly kept from the Communion, nor such as they know have no intention to do what they are to undertake. And if any Christian Parent can get no better to undertake that Office (many now scrupling it, and none can be forced to it,) let not his Child be denied Baptism, if he be ready to do the Office of a Parent himself.
4. Seeing some Ministers think that the use of the transient Image of the Cross, as a Sacramental, or dedicating Sign, In the Baptismal Covenant, and a Symbol of the Christian Profession, is a breach of the second Commandment: • et not such be forced to use it; nor to refuse to baptize the Children of such Persons without it, who are of the same Mind.
5. Let no Minister be forced against his Judgment to baptize any Child, both whose Parents avoid, or are justly denied the Communion of the Church; unless s • me Person who communicateth with the Church do take the Child as his own, und undertake to Educate it according to the Christian Covenant.
6. Let none be forced to receive the Sacrament, who through Infidelity, Heresy, or Profaneness, is unwilling, till the hindrance be removed: Nor any who by Consciousness, or fear of their unfitness, are like to be driven by so receiving it, into distraction or desperation.
7. Let no Minister be forced to deliver the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, to any who is unbaptized; or who being baptized in Infancy, did never yet personally to the Church, or Minister, own his Baptismal Covenant by an understanding Profession of the Christian Faith, and promise of Obedience to God the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost; and who also will not yet make such a profession and promise to the Church, or Minister, or else bring a valid Certificate that he hath formerly done it to the Bishop, or some approved Pastor, under whom he lived: Nor to any, who, upon accusation, fame, or just suspicion of Atheism, Infidelity, Heresy, intolerable Ignorance, or gross, and heinous Sin, doth refuse to come speak with the Minister for his satisfaction, and his Justification, or better Information; or who by Proof, or Confession is found guilty of any of the aforsaid scandalous Evils, until he have professed serious Repentance to the said Minister, if the crime be notorious; and if he refuse, till he have moreover amended his former wicked Life.
8. Let no Minister be forced to publish an Excommunication, or Absolution of any against his Conscience, upon the decree or Sentence of a Lay-Chancellor, or any other: But let them, that desire it, cause such to do it whose Conscience is not against it.
9. When there are Presentments or Appeals to the Chancellor's Court, or Bishop's, let not sickly, weak Ministers, or those whose Parishes cannot be so long neglected, be put to travel long Journeys, or neglect their Studies, and Ministerial Work, by oft or long Attendances, in bringing Witnesses against those to whom they only refused on the foresaid Reasons to deliver the Sacrament.
10. Seeing Ministers who live among them, are supposed to be best acquainted with the Penitence, or impenitence of their People, let it be left to their Prudence, whom they will absolve in Sickness, and privately give the Sacrament to, and let the Sick choose such Confessors, as they think best for themselves: And let those few words at Burial which import the Justification, and Salvation of the Deceased, be left to the Minister's Discretion, who hath known the Person's Life and Death.
11. Let no Minister be forced to deny Christian Communion to those Persons otherwise found and Godly, who think it unlawful to kneel in taking the Sacramental Bread and Wine, though it may be upon causeless Scruples.
12. Let Ministers have leave to open the meaning of the Catechism, and not only to hear the Words themselves (And it is much to be wished that the Catechism were amended.) And let him have leave at Baptism and the Eucharist to interpose some few quickening words of Exhortanion, lest form alone do cast them into a customary dullness.
13. Let the use of the Surplice be left indifferent in the Parish-Churches, or at least if the Curate frequently use it, let it suffice.
14. If any live under a Minister • hat is very ignorant, or scandalous, or very unsuitable to the People, or to his Work, let them not be punished for going often to hear and Communicate where they can better profit, in any Neighbor Church of the same Diocese: So be it, they pay the Incumbent his Dues.
V. Let not those who are ordained by Presbyters be put to renounce their Ordination, or be re-ordained; but only upon proof of their fitness for the Ministry, receive by word, or a written Instrument, a Legal Authority to exercise their Ministry in any Congregation in his Majesty's Dominions, where they shall be Lawfully called.
VI. We desire that no Excommunicate Person, as such, may be imprisoned, and ruined in his Estate, but only such whose Crimes, in themselves considered, deserve it.
VII. As we desire all this Liberty to ourselves, 〈◊〉 it is our judgment 〈◊〉 Desire, that Christian Lenity be used to all truly Conscientious Dissenters, and also the Tolerable may be Tolerated, under Laws of Peace and Safety: But who shall be judged Tolerable, and what shall be the Laws or Terms of their Toleration, we presume not uncalled to make ourselves Counselors or Judges.
But for avoiding the inconveniences, which the foresaid Concessions to ourselves may seem to threaten to the Church, we hope it will suffice, if there be a Law made for the Regulation of the Bishops, the Ministers and the Flocks: That People or Ministers uncivilly revile not one another: That no Licens'd Ministers shall Preach against any of the Doctrine of the Church; nor against Episcopacy, Liturgy, or the Established Ceremonies: That all Magistrates be excepted from all open personal Rebukes, or disgraceful Censures, or Excommunications, because (Caeteris Par • ous) positive Instituted Orders give place to Natural morals, such as the Fifth Commandment containeth: That all negligent or scandalous Ministers be Punished according to the Measure of their Fault: And the omission of Preaching, Liturgy or Sacraments, shall be Punish'd (not presently with forbidding them to do anything, because they do not enough, but) with the Sequestration of their Church-maintenance, viz. That they lose a month's Profit of their Benefice for a month's Omission, and so on proportionably. And that those whose Insufficiency, Heresy or Crimes, are such as that their Ministry doth more hurt than good, be totally cast out: And that the Bishops may not Silence, Suspend, Deprive or Excommunicate any Minister Arbitrarily, but by a known Law, and in case of Injustice, we may have sufficient remedy by Appeals. And that no former Law or Canon, which is contrary to any of this, be therein in force.
1. If Sacraments were but left free to be administered, and received by none but Volunteers. 2. And Liberty granted the Ministers to Preach in those Churches where the Common-Prayer is read by others, I think it would take in all, or almost all the Independents also. (3. Supposing the Door left open according to the first Article) These three would unite us almost all. But I have mentioned the rest, because the first of these will not be granted.
The Strictures returned upon these Proposals, with the Answers.
My Lord,
I Return you this Paper with an Answer to the Strictures; not with any hopes of Agreement with the Author: For whoever he is, I have no hope of Peace or Healing by him; or by his consent, according to the Principles and Rigour here expressed.
1. Prop. [ Supposing the Church-Government may not be altered.] Strict: (a) [All the particulars following do directly, or indirectly, either overthrow or undermine the Church Governmene.
Answ. If by [the Church Government] be meant (as the Propounder did mean) the Constitution containing the Diocesan frame, with Deans, Arch-Deacons, Lay-Chancellors, as Governing by Excommunication and Absolution, there is nothing in these Proposals incompetent with that Frame, nor motioning any alteration of it. (Tho there is that in it, which our Judgments take to be very great sin: For we can quietly live under a Government sinful, while we are not put to sin by our consenting to the sin of others.) But if by [the Government] be meant the whole Exercise of their Government, according to the Act of Uniformity and the Canons, we confess that every abatement desired by us, is against it: And if we could do all required by the Governors, we were full Conformists, and needed none of this.
But this P • efatory Prognostick tells us what to expect: For whoever intendeth our Solemnity and suffering, will foretell it by his Accusations; And if a Cross be our intended Lot, no wonder if [Overthrowers and Vnderminers of the Government] be the Title to be written on it.
1. Prop. [ And the Subscribing the Doctrine and Sacraments, &c.]
Strict. (b) [So they may not be required to Subscribe either to the Government or Liturgyor Rites and Ceremonies of our Church.]
Answ. 1. If there were nothing at all in the Diocesan frame in England, Lay-Chancellors, Spiritual Government, nor any other part of the Government, and Word in the Liturgy, or any Ceremony which we do not, nor dare not approve and Justify by a Subscription; what need we any of this ado, anymore than any Bishops or Conformists; seeing we were Conformable already.
2. We are willing to Swear, Subscribe, and Covenant, Allegiance to the King, who is a Constitutive Essential Part of the Kingdom. But we are not willing accordingly to Swear, Subscribe, or Covenant to every petty Officer in the Kingdom, nor to approve of every Law, Custom or Exercise of Government in it; though we would live peaceably under what we approve not. And if a Law were made that he shall be Banished as an Overthrower, or Vnderminer of the Government, who would not so Covenant or Subscribe, Houses and Lands would be cheaper than they are, and the King have fewer Subjects than he hath: For I am not acquainted with one Conscionable Man, that I think would Subscribe it. And why should all the King's Subjects be bound more strictly to the Human Part of Church Government, than of State or Civil Government, and to approve of Lay-Chancellors than of Civil Officers? Or of the matter of Canons, than of Civil and Common and Statute Laws?
3. If it be a Crime to know, it is a Crime to Judge, or to use our Reason and Observation. If it be not, it is no Crime for us to know that Clergy-Pride, imposing a multitude of things small and doubtful, on the Churches as the Conditions of Ministry and Communion, and forcing Magistrates, Ministers and People to consent to many unnecessary things in their Human part of Government; Liturgies and Ceremonies hath been so great an Engin of Schism and Blood and Confusions in the Roman Church, as assureth us that it is no desirable thing, that by us anything like it should be consented to.
4. And it is no Crime in us to be sure, that if Subscribing to all the present Church-Government, Liturgy and Ceremonies, be the thing that shall be necessary to our Ministry, and Union and Communion, our present Dissensions and Divisions will not be healed, unless by Killing or Banishing the Dissenters, and as Tertullian speaketh, Making solitude, and calling it Peace.
1. Prop. [ His Majesty 's] Subjects—[ Legal ] Commission—any other [ of his Subjects ].—
Stic. (c) [Deleatur.]
Answ. 1. We did not think that it had been your meaning that we must make ourselves Judges of the Case, not only of all his Majesty 's Subjects, but of all others in the World. If the Judges will give it us under their Hands, that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever, for the Subjects of any Prince on Earth to take Arms against any King of England, or any Commissioned by him; or that it is not possible for any War against us in any Age, on any pretense whatever, to be Lawful; or else that they are sure that all the Kingdoms on Earth are so Constituted, as that nowhere any Subjects may on any pretence take Arms against their Kings, we shall accordingly submit to their Judgment. But seeing Papists and Protestants, Lawyers and Divines, even Monarchical and Conformable say the contrary, it were not modesty in us that are ignorant of Matters of Law, to say that they are all mistaken, till we are instructed to know it to be so. For our parts we must profess our selves not acquainted with the Constitution of every Kingdom in the World.
2. If [ Legal ] must be obliterated, we shall ourselves quietly submit to the Exercise accordingly; and suffer from any one that saith, he is Commissioned to hurt us, if it be required of us: But we are not skilled in Law, and thefore cannot say, that all others are bound to do the like. To deal plainly, seeing [ Legal ] must be obliterated, we understand not what the word [ Commission ] meaneth: Whether it must have the King's Broad-seal, or the Lesser-seal, or his Name only: Whether the Commission and Seal must be shown to those that are not to resist; or proved to be Currant, and how? But that which causeth us to forbear subscribing, is, 1. We have taken the Oath of Allegiance, and think that the King's Subjects are bound to defend his Life, Crown and Dignity; And we fear left by this the Lord Chancellor (if not others) may have power at his Pleasure to Depose the King, that is, to Seal Commissions to Confederates to take Possession of all his Navy, Forts, Garrisons, Arms, if not his House and Person, and no man must resist them. 2. We are not certain that a Commission can Repeal all that Law of Nature, who obligeth a Man to preserve the Life of his Parents or Children, or Neighbor. We have not indeed any reason to fear that our King should grant such a Commission: But who can deny but that it's possible for some King or other to do it? And seeing we know not when a Commission is counterfeit, if two or three men come to my House, and say they have a Commission to Kill my Father, Mother, Wife and Children and my self (and show it); or if they Assault me and my Company on the Highway, and show a Commission to take our Purses and Kill us, we are not sure that God will excuse us from the Duty of defending the Lives of our Parents, Children and Friends: Or if half a dozen should come to the Parliament, and show a Commission presently to kill them all, or Burn the City, and Kill all the Citizens, or Kingdom, we are not wise enough to know that neither Parliament, City, nor Kingdom, may resist them. And we find Parliaments so conceited that they have Propriety in Life and Goods, and that none may at pleasure take them away, and lay Taxes without their consent; and that we fear if we should plainly say, that whatever Taxes are laid, or Estates or Goods or Persons seized on, or Decrees of Judges rejected by such Execution, it were unlawful for the Sheriff, or any others to resist, they would trouble us for so saying. And if an Admiral, General, or Lieutenant should be made by Act of Parliament, Durante Vita, and Authorized to resist any that would dispossess him, we are not so Wise as to know whether he may not resist one to whom the Chancellor Sealeth a Commission to dispossess him: And though we are confident that the Person of the King is inviolable, yet if King John did deliver up his Kingdom to the Pope, we are not sure that the Kingdom might not have resisted any of the Pope's, (or any Foreign Prince's) Agents, if they had been Commissioned by the King to seize upon the Kingdom: Or that no Subjects of any Foreign Prince may be resisted, if they should come against us, by such a Commission. Had we the Judgment of the Judges in this Case, we should submit as far as any reason could require us. But though we justify not Barclay, Grotius, Bishop Bilson and others, of the contrary mind, we must confess ourselves not wise enough to Condemn them.
1. Prop. [ Nor by any other [unlawful] means (to endeavor Reformation). Stric. ( d ) [Deleatur [ Vnlawful. ]
Ans. 1. Here we may see how many minds the Conformists are of; or how unjustly all that I have debated the Case of Subscription with do affirm, That by [ not endeavoring ] any Alteration, is meant only not endeavoring by unlawful meanst ] which is here contradicted by a Deleatur [unlawful.]
2. I crave an Answer to these Questions.
1. Can you certainly say, That the Church-Government is so purely Divine and Perfect, as that no Reformation is either necessary or lawful? Is all the Diocesan Frame such, and the Lay-Chancellors Power of the Keys also?
2. If there be need of any Reformation, is it not a Covenant against Repentance and Obedience to God, to covenant never to endeavor it at all?
3. What if the King should by Commission require some Alterations, or command us to endeavor it, are you sure that we are all bound to disobey him?
4. What if a Parliament-man make a Speech, or pass a Vote for it, are you sure that he sinneth?
5. Are you sure that the King may not lawfully endeavor any Reformation? Or was his Declararation about Ecclesiastical Affairs a sin?
6. What if any humbly petition the King and Parliament for any such Reformation (as that Laymen may not have the Power of the Keys over a whole Diocese, and all the Parochial Pastors be denied it); is it certainly a sin?
7. If a man Vow (though sinfully) to do a thing which he may lawfully do, if he had not vowed it, are you sure it is a sin (and not Duty) to keep that Vow in Materia Licita (which he thinketh Necessaria )? I put the Question as de futuro, if I and Millions should make such a Vow ( culpably, without and against the Will of my Superiors) for the time to come, are you sure that it bindeth no man of them all? I believe, that no private arbitrary Vow can forestall my due Obedience to my Governors: But antecedent Duty so made by God (as Reforming by lawful means of Endeavor ), it is supposed they do not forbid: For every Member of the Church is in his place obliged to promote the Common Good by lawful means: as they might forbid us all to exhort or admonish any sinner, or to pray, or preach, or dispute against sin, as well as to petition against it. 2. And 'tis supposed that every Bishop, or Parliament-man, or Ruler, is not forbidden all sueh lawful Endeavors; and so that a Prohibition rendereth it not (to them at least) unlawful. For I speak of no other Case.
But how sad a Case is that Nation in, where the Clergy would have all men take them for so infallible and perfect, without the smallest Fault or Error in their Government, as that neither Parliament-man, Clergy-man, nor any one of the People, may by lawful means endeavor the least Reformation of them: when even the Roman Bishop of Gloucester, Godfrey Goodman, writeth so sharply against the Lay-Chancellor's Power of the Keys?
2. Prop. The Nonconformists hold it high Sacrilege [to alienate themselves.]
Strict. (e) But what if they be suspended, or silenced by Authority?
Ans. 1. When it is by true Authority, doing it either justly, or else unjustly, in case their preaching be unnecessary, or less necessary than Obedience to the unjust prohibition, we will surcease, and take it as a sickness or disablement. But if it be done by Usurpers, like Papal Prelates, or by our Governors u • lawfully, in case that our preaching remain more necessary to the Public Good, than obedient forbearance; we will exercise our Ministry till Death, Prison, or other Force disable us. If you ask, Who shall be Judge? I answer, 1. The Magistrate, by public Decision, in Order to his own Execution, and if he do it unjustly, God is the Avenger. 2. And the Minister by a private Rational Judgment of Discretion, discerning Duty from Sin; and if he were, God and Man, will punish him; if not, God will reward him.
2. I also ask, Were not Constantius and Valens (though Erroneous) Lawful Princes? And did not the holy Bishops of the East, refuse to surcease their Ministration when they prohibited them? And do not Papists, and other Protestants, as well as Bp. Bilson and Andrew's, agree, That we must do the like upon such unjust Prohibitions? And hath our Diocesan more power to silence us than the King! Or were we Consecrated to the Ministry in our Ordination, on that Condition, to preach till forbidden unjustly? And did not the Apostles and all Pastors, for 300 Years, Exercise their Ministry against the Wills of Lawful Magistrates (though Heathens.)
2. Prop. [To preach Lectures with the Incumbent's Consent.]
Strict. (f) [And with the Allowance of the Bishop.]
Ans. And that is, Let King and Parliament by Law allow us to preach Christ's Gospel, if the Bishop will allow us so to do; and let the Law leave it to his power to forbid us: And what Good will Laws then do us for our Ministry, when these Eleven Years have already told us what we must trust to from the Bishops (some at least.) Provide such supply for the Subjects Souls, as their Numbers and Necessities require, that the meaning may not be [Let men be saved, if the Bishop consent], and for my part, I`ll Joyfully be silent. But I will not so far deny my Sense and Reason (and the Sense of the Country also) as to believe this is done, if another will but confidently say it's done, or say that we do more harm than good; no more than I will believe there are no Englishmen in England.
2. Prop. Let not the Incumbent be discouraged by the Bishop from receiving them—]
Strict. (g) So they will conform.]
Ans. So they will conform as far as aforesaid, or as in the Proposals: But otherwise, if it be present, full Conformity, that must still be necessary, what are we speaking for? This was written in order to our Concord, by the means of some Alterations or Abatements of Conformity, because it was told abroad that some Bishops were willing of such a thing: And is it meant that if we Conform, they will abate us some Conformity.
3. Prop. Let it be forbidden, &c. [about joining in Family Worship—]
Strict. (h) [That is, let Conventicles be allowed in all places.]
Answ. Yes, if needful and orderly Worshipping God, and helping each other towards Heaven be Conventicling; the Heathens so called the Christian Assemblies. This Stricture more mortifyeth our hopes of healing, than any of the rest: For we see here that the Silencing and Imprisoning, and Undoing of the Ministers, will not satisfy; the People also must have their Cross and Conventicles must be Written on it. One would think the Limitations here put should have satisfied any man that is for Faith, Hope and Charity. 1. We moved it for none but those that attend the Public Assemblies. 2. And so it be not at the Hours of Public Worship. 3. And but for Neighbors of the same Parish (because many cannot Read, nor remember what they have Read, nor help their own Families, nor understand themselves the Christian Faith.) 4. We desired this Liberty in no Exercises, but reading the Scriptures, or Licensed Pious Books, and repeating the Public Sermons of their Pastors, and Praying and Singing Psalms. 5. We motioned this much for none but those that herein refufe not the Inspection of their Lawful Pastors, to prevent all ill Effects. 6. And for the Minister himself to repeat his Sermon, or Catechize, or Instruct his People that will come to him. And is this the intolerable Evil, worthy to be avoided at the rate of all our Calamities? Are all our Divisions better than the enduring of this? If any Limitations necessary had been omitted, I might have expected to have found them named, which I do not. But, 1. No Man's denial can make us ignorant of it, that too great a Part of the People in most places know not what Baptism, Christianity, or the Catechism are; and many hundred thousands cannot Read. 2. And that few Ministers so personally instruct them as their need requireth (nor can do for so many): or by their Instruction they have not cured them. 3. That to go to their Neighbors on the Lord's Day, to hear again the Sermon, which they had forgotten, and to Praise God, and hear the Scripture, or a good Book that is Licens'd, read, hath done great good to many Souls. 4. That otherwise such Ignorant Persons as we speak of, except at Churchtime, cannot spend the Lord's Day to any Edification of themselves or Families. 5. Men are not hindered from Feasting, Drinking, Playing together frequently, and in greater Numbers. Why then (by Bishops) from reading the Scripture, or a Licens'd Book or Sermon? 6. That God hath Commanded Provoke one another to Love and to good works: And exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; Heb. 10. 24. and 3. 13. And Cornelius had his Friends with him in his House for God's Servics, Acts 10. and Acts 12. 12. In Mary's House many were gathered together praying. And we find not that even the Jews were ever forbidden it by the Pharisees themselves: And he that seeth his Brother have (bodily) need, and shutteth up the Bowels of his Compassion from him, how dwelleth the Love of God in him? And the need of Souls is more common, and to be Compassionated. Rules may Regulate Charity in both cases; but may forbid it, or the necessary Exercises of it in neither. He shall Perish as guilty of Murder that lets the Poor Die for want of his Relief, though he be forbidden to relieve them, unless when the hurt would be greater than the good. Love and Mercy are too great duties for a Bishop to null or dispense with: We put no private Man on Ministerial Actions, but in his own place to show mercy to Souls. To say, that on this pretence Schismatical Meetings will be held, is no more to the people than to say, that all Errors and Wickedness may be kept up by Pretences of Reason, Truth, Piety, Scripture, Honesty, &c. But we must not therefore say, Away with Reason, Truth, &c. But I hope God's Servants will Die rather than desert their Master's Work.
4. Prop. 1. [The greatest part of it]— [once a Quarter] —(of Reading the Liturgy by Lectures.)
Strict. (i) [Why not all as well as the greatest part? Why not always as well as once a Quarter?]
Answ. 1. I know that here and there a word may be scrupled (as the reading of Bell and the Dragon, or such like) which silently past by, maketh no disturbance; And I think the Scrupling of such a word, deserveth not that all the Peoples Souls be Punished for it, with the loss of all their Teachers Labors.
2. I never hear one Conformist that saith it all: And why may not one be forborne as well as another?
3. All the Liturgy for the day will be work too long and great, that weak Men that have no Curates cannot Read all, and Preach or Catechize also. If you say that Preaching and Catechizing then may be omitted; I answer, They are God's Ordinances, and needful to Men's Souls: And seeing Prayer and Preaching are both Duties, proportion is to be observed, that neither may be shut out: If you account the Liturgy better than Preaching, yet every parcel of it entirely is not sure of so great worth, as to cast out Preaching for it. Rich parsons, that have Curates, may, between them, do both; but so cannot poor Country Ministers that are alone, and are sickly.
And as to the [Always,] 1. The Canon limiteth some but to once in half a year, (which is less.)
2. The Conformable City-Preachers, that have Curates, very rarely Read it.
3. Else what should Men do with Curates, if they must always Read themselves?
4. A weak Man may do both once a Quarter, that is not able to do it every day.
4. Prop. 2.— It is supposed it will be done.]—
Answ. Read and believe as you can. The words were [If in the Congregation where he is Incumbent, the greatest part of it appointed for that time, be sometimes (as once a Quarter) used by himself, and every Lord's-day ordinarily (unless Sickness, &c. ) either by himself, or by his Curate or Assistant:] Is every Lord's-day but once a Quarter? Or can it be every day done, and no one obliged to do it?
4. Prop. 3. Let not Christian Parents be forbidden to dedicate their Children publicly, &c.
Ans. 1. Read and believe what is forbidden. [Then shall the Priest speak to the Godfathers and Godmothers on this wise; Dearly Beloved—This Infant must also faithfully promise by you that are his Sureties (—That he will renounce the Devil, &c. ]—I demand therefore, Dost thou in the name of this Child renounce, &c. ] The Godfathers and Godmothers must say, I renounce them all. Dost thou believe, &c. Answ. All this I steadfastly believe. Quest. Wilt thou be Baptized in this Faith?] Answ. That is my desire. Q. Wilt thou obediently keep, &c. Answ. I will.— They are after to Name the Child. After the Priest shall say to the Godfathers and Godmothers—For as much as this Child hath promised by you that are his Sureties to renounce—to believe in God, and to serve him—It is your parts and duties to see that this Infant be taught so soon as he shall be able to learn, what a Solemn Vow, Promise and Profession he hath here made by you, &c.] See the rest.
So that here, All the Covenanting Action on the Infant's part, is made the proper work of his Sureties, called Godfathers and Godmothers, without one word of the Parents doing it, or any part of it: And then cometh the Canon, and farther saith, (Can. 29.) [No Parent shall be urged to be present, nor be admitted to answer as Godfather for his own Child; nor any Godfather or Godmother shall be suffered to make any other Answer or Speech, than by the Book of Common Prayer is prescribed in that behalf.] The Answering forbidden, is the Covenanting in the Child's Name. This is expressly forbidden the Parent (whole and part, ) and lest it should be thought that he is one Agent with the Sureties, as he is not to speak, so not to be urged to be present. Yet he is not forbidden to be present; but he is forbidden to speak any Covenanting Promise or Word. And this was it that I mentioned; instead of which, you say, he may [Present the Child] —Whatever you call Presenting, I know not, but I talked only of Covenanting.
2. And why say you it is [In case the Parents die, or neglect their Duty,] when the Parents are forbidden (though they have Sureties with them) so much as to promise it as any of their Duty, or to speak as Promising-Parties in it.
3. Whether this use be [an Vncharitable and scandalous Insinuation] is all a Case about Matter of Fact; And the Question is, whether the Author or I be the truer Historian: My Narrative which I stand to is this.
1. God's Law and Man's requires Parents to offer Children to be Baptized; and the Rubric before Private Baptism forbids deferring it longer than the first or second Sunday.
2. They may not be Baptized without Godfathers as aforesaid.
3. No Parent can force any to be a Godfather against his Will.
4. Multitudes take it for a sin to be Sureties on the Terms of the Liturgy, and therefore will and do refuse it.
5. Many Thousands know not what Christianity, or the Baptismal Covenant is, as we know by Personal Conference with our Flocks and others, where we have lived. So common is gross Ignorance among the Vulgar.
6. Many of the Learned sort dispute with us frequently, that indeed Baptism is not to Contain any Covenant, or Vow at all.
7. So rare is it for Sureties to take the Child for their own, or intend to do all in his Education which they are to promise, that, to my best knowledge, I never knew one in all my life that ever seriously signified to the Parents such an Intent. But they usually think that they are but Witnesses, and are at most but to give the Parents Counsel to do what they promise to do themselves.
8. Were but all People told, that they must take the Child for their own, as far as this Animadverter mentioneth, and solemnly before God to undertake to do all that themselves for the Child, which they Promise (by the Book) I seriously profess, that I cannot say, that ever I knew one Surety that feared God, that I had cause to believe had undertaken it, unless those, that indeed took home the Child of dead Parents (or an exposed one) as their own. The Rich never intend to give away their Children, nor that the Sureties Educate them. And few would be Sureties for the Children of the Poor, if they must take them so for their own, because of the Charge of keeping them. So that I am fully persuaded, that were the Vow and Undertaking thus understood, not one of Forty, where-ever I have lived, could have any Godfathers for their Children, unless they will take such as know not what they do, or make no Conscience of it, and of whom the Parents cannot reasonably believe that they intend any such thing.
And, de jure, its plain, that it is not lawful to draw any Many, in so great and holy a Work, to do that which he understandeth not at all, and to Promise and Undertake that before God and the Church, which our Consciences tell us, he never intendeth to perform, nor do the Parents intend to cast it on him.
I pass by the Difficulty of three several persons Educating the same Child.
And now consider, whether it be a Scandalous Insinuation, for a Man to beseech the Bishop, that his Child may not be refused, and be Unbaptized (and so denied Christian burial if he die; and worse than that, according to the Liturgy) and himself punished because he brings not Sureties; if the Man will there profess that he could procure no Sureties, who understood what they are to do, and express to them any Serious Purpose to perform it? Is this an Odious or Scandalous Request?
4. Prop. n. 4. Of the Image of the Cross, as used in Baptism.
Ans. 1. You will say (after Baptism:) For you make it not part of Baptism, but a third Sacrament, as I think.
2. As to your Description of a Sacrament, the Church taketh the word from the old Common use, where (as Ma • c • nius 〈◊〉 ) Sacramentum was an Oath or Covenant, Quod eo Sacratu • homo ad rem certa • , ut ad Militiam: ut Fest. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He is bound by a Sacrament, Qui Sacratur fide interposita; ac tum Sacramento dicitur interrogari quid • m: See the Military Sacrament there described. And the Soldiers had their Stigmata, which our Cross doth imitate; though transiently. Without this Sacrament they were no Soldiers, and might not fight against the Enemy: And Tertullian dissuadeth, Ne humanum Sacramentum Divino Super • nducant, opening the Analogy of one to the other. In the laxer and more borrowed Senses it concerneth us not (as Sacramentum is ipsares Sacrata, vel ipse Miles 〈◊〉 person • , nor as it is Quodvis juramentum, or Sancta (o • iigatio) nor yet in the largest Ecclesiastical Sense, as it is the Translation of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and signifieth a Sacred Mysterious Doctrine, or Action. But in the Special Church-use, it signifieth either more largely a Solemn Signal Investiture in any Sacred Relation; and so we may grant the Romanists that Ordination is a Sacrament, and Matrimony, as Sanctified, &c. Or most strictly for the Sacramental Solemnizing of the Covenant of God, which is our present Sense. And to this it is necessary, That 1. it be a sign used for the solemn signification of Mutual Consent; that is, of Man's professed Consent, as dedicated to Christ, and of Christ's acceptance, and Collation of the Coven • m-benefits; 2. And that hereupon it be the Tessera, or • ymbol of our Christianity. But that it operate a qualitative change on the Receiver's mind or heart, is not necessary to the being of a Sacrament, nor yet that it be instituted to do so, by 〈◊〉 , or Physical Operation, per modum Naturae, without Intellectual Consideration, and Moral Operation.
The First will be granted (that the effecting of such Qualities is not necessary to it.) And as to the 2d, Observe that we grant as followeth; 1. That Sacraments, by Investiture, or Delivery of Right, as Instruments, convey all that Relative Grace, which the Covenant of God doth give immediately to Consenters. 2. That it Morally worketh also Holy Qualifications by Man's Considering-Improvement. 3. And that with the use of it, though not by the Instrumentality of it, God may Physically, or Miraculously, without any second cause, give qualitative grace to Infants, or whom he please, in a way to us unknown. But that this last is not Essential to a Sacrament, I am now to prove.
1. All that is essential to a Sacrament is found in the Sacrament as used by the Adult. (Yea, they are the more notable, and Excellent Subjects, to whom it was first administered; and the Case of Infants is more obscure, and non notum per ignotius, sed ignotius per notius probandum est. ) But the Sacrament as administered to (or used by) the adult, doth necessarily contain no more than, 1. mutual covenanting, 2. The Instrumental Conveyance, or Confirmation of the Relative Grace of the Covenant (or Ius ) 3. Moral Aptitude to work holy Qualities. 4. And that it be Symbolum Ordinis, id est, Christianismi.
1. This is proved as to the Baptism of the Adult. 1. They make their solemn signal Profession of Federation, Consent, Reception, &c. 2. God by his Minister doth invest the Receiver in his Right of special relation to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and in his right to Pardon, Reconciliation, Justification and Adoption, and Right to Glory: 3. It is a Means adapted to work Morally on the Will, by the just Considerations of the Understanding. 4. It is the Symbol of Christianity, called, Our Christening.
2. The same I say of the Lord's Supper; and therefore crave leave not to repeal them.
1. That Sacraments are acts of Solemn, Mutual Covenanting, none deny, that know what Christianity is: The Uninterrupted Form of Baptizing, in all Ages proveth it.
2. That God, by their Instrumentality, delivereth the Adult, their Ius, or Relative Grace, or right to present Pardon, &c. is not denied.
3. That they are Moral Instruments of Holy Acts, and so of Habits in the Adult, neither Papist, Arminians, Lutherans or Calvinists deny. And, above all, the Arminians should not deny it, who, I think, acknowledge no means but Moral, if any other Operations on Man's soul.
4. And that they are Tesserae vel Symbola Christianae Religions, none, that I know of, do deny.
But that they are instituted to operate on the Adult any any otherwise than Morally and this Essential to them; I deny upon three Reasons: 1. There is no Scripture that asserteth it: Et quod Scriptum non est, Credendum non est, about such Matters. 2. Else not only the Armenians but the greatest part of Christians should deny the Sacraments, who deny such use and operations of them: And specially all those Protestants who dealing with the Papists opus Operatum, largely write to prove that Sacraments work but Morally. 3. And the Nature of the thing showeth it impossible without a Miracle. For the Grace to be conveyed is the Act or Habit or Disposition of Love to God (and the Conjunct Graces) with that Antecedent Light of knowledge and faith which must excite it: And how but Miraculously Water in Baptism should be an Instrument of conveying holy Love or Knowledge, no Man conceive. For 1. Our Love of God is not put into the Water. 2. If it were, the Water doth not touch the Soul. 3. If it did; Corporal Contact, or attingencie would not cause Love. The same is said of the • ucharist. And the truth is many Papists are by Protestants mistaken in their Doctrine de Opere Operato, who speak but as distinguishing it ab Opere Operantis. And when they have puzzled themselves to tell what the Indelible Character given by Ordination is, they can satisfactorily carry it no higher than with Durand to say, it is a Relation; that is, A fixed Relation to the Vndertaken Work, and a power, right and obligation to it. And they that tell us as Joseph Anges, &c. ) that Ordination is a true Sacrament (though sinfully used) when given to an Infant and a Bedlam, and that none hut Durand denieth it, (a false Doctrine no doubt quia deest dispositio recipientis; ) yet can tell us of no more that it doth convey to the Infant or Bedlam-Priest, or Bishop, but a Relation. Nor can they, that say [Receive the Holy Ghost] assure us that anymore is given by Ordination. And so of Baptism.
And if they say that [If the Water be not the Instrument of given-grace to the Adult, yet it may be to me other means, let them tell us if they can what they mean; and what means besides a Moral means it can be.
If they say that if God give not grace (qualitative or Active), by it as a means, yet he giveth grace with it, without any second cause, I answer, God can do so no doubt: He can give grace while we are hearing, though inconsiderately, without any use of the Word heard; And so in the time of baptizing, without any causality of Baptism: But he, that will assert as in any Miracles and Immediate Operations, as Sacraments, must bring very clear proof of his assertion.
Sure we are that Faith and Repentance are prerequisite in the Adult, and therefore the Sacrament is not so much as the Time of first-giving them (by Institution:) And we are all agreed that in the Sacraments, Sacred truth and Goodness, Christ and his Gracious benefits are objectively set before us, as Moral means of our Information, Excitation and increase of faith and hope and love. And when we are sure that the Word and Sacraments are instituted for one way of giving gracious Acts or Qualities, he that will add another must prove it,
4. And the case being thus with the Adult, the instance of Infants will not prove the Sacraments, no Sacraments to the Adult, the Noblest Subjects. And though God may immediately or Miraculously at the same time give holy Habits or Acts to Infants; yet it is past Man's Conception how Water or Words should be any Cause of them, anymore on them; than on the Adult, as aforesaid: And he that will say that yet so it is though We know not how, as the Papists do about Transubstantiation, must first prove that it is so indeed. We grant that the Parents are to use it Morally in dedicating their Children to God, and believing and Covenanting for them: And that God useth it as his investing or delivering sign, morally to give the Infant all the Relative Grace, which the Covenant as the Principal Instrument giveth, that is, Right and Relation to the Father, Savior and Sanctifier, and Right to pardon and Adoption and the Heavenly Inheritance, which, set together, are Relative Regeneration, as Judicious Bishop Davenant de Bapt. Infant. well openeth it: And that it is the badge • of his Christianity; and an apt objective means of moral Operations on him as he cometh to the use of Reason. When you have told us what more it doth, and proved it, and proved that, without that, it is no Sacrament, you have done something.
Your non ponenti Obicem is no Scripture Notion, ambiguous if not unsound. If you mean it as the Words sound, of some positive • ct, which is ponere obicem, it is certainly false as to the Adult (to whom the Sacraments are true Sacraments. ) For God hath made their positive Consideration, perception, Faith and Repentance, a necessary Condition of their Reception of the benefit: So that if an adult person, as to Baptism or the Lord's Supper, should carelessly be asleep, or not think what he is about, or merely not-know, not-believe, not-repent, you can show no promise of your miraculous grace to him. And the Sacrament to an Infant is the same thing, though the Act of believing be not required of himself, but of another for him.
But if by ponere obicem you mean a priva • ion, that is, non-prestare conditionem, not to believe, repent, &c. then it's true, but an ambiguous deceitful phrase. To believe is more than not to resist: And so to be the Seed of the Faithful is.
And I suppose (by your new Rubric) you will say, that every Infant in the world, of Cannibals, Heathens or Infidels that is baptized ( jure vel injuria, though taken by Soldiers violently by thousands against the Parent's Wills) are certainly Sanctified, and do not ponere obicem themselves, and that the Sacrament to them is not null; It would be needful to our satisfaction that you tell us what internal Actual, or habitual Grace it is that all these have; and prove it; and prove that else it were no Sacrament. But enough of this.
Q. Now let us see what you ascribe to the Cross.
The Matter of it is an Image, though Transient; of which God's Jealousy, expressed in the Second Commandment hath made us Jealous; in his Worship: As to the Form and Use. 1. It is the Covenant of Christianity itself, that it is about: And it is no less than our Solemn Engaging, Professing and Obliging Sign, that we are Resolved Christians, and will keep that Covenant; even the same Covenant that is solemnized also by Baptism. All the Duties of the Covenant on our parts, we thus solemnly bind ourselves to perform valiantly to the Death, in Terms like the Sacramentum Militare. The Canon 30. let us know that it is used [ to dedicate Children by that Badge to his service, whose benefits bestowed on them in Baptism the Name of the Cross doth represent: ] And [ It's an Honorable badge whereby the Infant is Dedicated to the Service of him that Died on the Cross. ] So that on the Receiver's part it wants nothing of a Sacrament.
2. That it is also used as God's Means of Delivering us the Relative Grace of the Covenant, I conceive for these Reasons.
1. The Adult is not to Sign himself, but the Minister who is Christ's Agent (not so much as asking, wilt thou be signed?) doth sign him with the Sign of the Cross, in token that he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ Crucified, and manfully to Fight under his Banner, against Sin, the World and the Devil, and to continue Christ's faithful Servant and Soldier to their Live's end. Amen.
2. The Cross and the Benefits, with Christ Crucified, are hereby Represented.
3. The Churches Public Profession, that this is their Dedication of the Child, importeth plainly God's Acceptance of him that is Dedicated: For who dare offer that to God which he supposeth not that God Accepteth, as offered: And God's acceptance of the dedicated person into the State, relation and benefits of Christianity, is the very grace on God's part, which is essential to a Divine Sacrament strictly taken. And is this no grant of federal Grace?
3. And that to the Adult the Cross is a Moral means of internal and Qualitative Grace I think you will not deny A Moral means operateth objectively, by Teaching the Intellect: by representing the moving-object, and by Excitation of the Will: And how eminently is all this here intended? In General the Liturg. (of Ceremony ) saith [ They are such as are apt to stir up the dull mind of Man to the remembranoe of his Duty to God by some notable and special signification by which he may be edified. ] And is this no Gracious Work? And it is Christ Crucified, and his benefits that by the Cross are represented to this use. And is not that to operate morally on mind and will accordingly? And the Words tell us particularly that it is to stir us up and oblige us to the Actual Manful fighting under Christ's Banner, against sin, &c. and not be ashamed to confess him. And is not this a moral gracious Operation? When as the Gospel worketh by the Ear, so the Cross by the Eye and Thought: It is not Grace that the Gospel is to work? And is it not a means of working it, as well as the Sacraments; Yea and in the same sort of Causality? Doubtless then here is the Grace of the Covenant to be wrought, as well as the Duty of it promised.
4. And lastly that it is the Symbol and Badge of our Christianity the Canon twice professeth.
So that I think here is an entire third Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace; inventitious and human, and not of God's making. And if you could prove (as you never can) that some Miraculous sort of Operation, not common to the Gospel or the Covenant itself, is essential to a Sacrament for new Acts or Qualities on Infants or others, I would ask when you thus cross the Child, Do you look that God should do anymore for his Soul thereon, than if you did it not, or no? If you do (as they did that used the Cross of old, and the Papists now) then you expect God's inward Grace upon the use of the Cross. If you look not that the Child's soul be ever the better for it, it's pity Baptism should be denied them that dare not use it; or so many Ministers be silenced about it.
But had it but some great and notable sacramental uses (as the fore-named) though not all, I durst not presume on such an inventitious sacramental sign. I have oft said; I doubt whether the King would not think his Prerogative invaded, if any should presume to institute a new Badge, besides his Garter and Star, of the Order or the Knights of the Garter; much more a Symbol or Badge for all his Subjects; and deny them the Knighthood or Ius Subditi who refuse it. But too long of this.
4. Prop. About compelling the Unfit to receive the Lord's Supper.
Strict. The Church doth not compel any to receive the Sacrament that is unfit: but punnisheth them that are unfit, and neglect the making of themselves fit for it, by breaking off their Sins by Repentance.
Answ. Alas! poor Souls, that must have such a Cure! It seems by this that this Church supposeth. 1. That all Men can Cure all their Unfitness: 2. And that a Prison is the way to make them willing. We Nonconformists contrarily think, That, 1. A Willing person may be Uncured of some unfitnesses. 2. And that a Prison is no fit cure for such; nor for some others. We think that a Melancholy or Timerous Person is unfit, who would be like to be distracted by the fear of unworthy Receiving: We are sure that all that we can say will not Cure such Fears in very many: If Conformists can do it, and will not, they are to blame: We know that the Person himself, though willing, cannot do it. We will not believe that Christ would have them laid in Goal to cure them. But if the Bishops will take that course, it must be suffered: We judge all our present Infidels, Sadducees, and Socinians unfit, if not the Papists: And they offer their Protestations that they cannot change their Judgments: We think a Goal unapt to change them; but rather with meekness to instruct Opposers, if God perhaps will give them Repentance to the acknowlegment of the Truth, 2 Tim. 2. 25. Yea, though after the Chancellor's admonition (or better means) they be erroneous still. Verily if your way were thoroughly practiced, and such Church-Laws executed, and all dwelt in Goals, that are unfit for the Sacrament (after your teaching, and admonition, and Excommunication) the Landlords would find a great diminution of their Tenants, and the Goalers would have more Tenants than many Lord's, and it were necessary to have a Goal in every Parish. This is your way of comforting the timorous; but who should there maintain them all, I know not. But if Goalers be the most effectual Converters of Souls, I think more Clergy-Men than Non-conformists need their help, that obtain it not: And they may possibly put in for the Tythes and Church-Revenues.
Ans. 1. Your Charge is causeless: I find in the Canons and Rubric, that every Parishioner must receive: And those unbapaized (as many born of Anabaptists are) I find not described or named, as excepted in the Canon or Rubric, nor that any at age are forced to be Baptized, and yet are forced by Penalty to Communicate: So that I confess I am so ignorant as not to know whether I should be punished by the Bishop, if I refused an un-baptized Parishioner: But yet I verily think, that the meaning of the Makers of the Liturgy, and Canon was otherwise; and I intended no more but to enumerate them whom we would have Power not to give the Sacrament to; q. d. Not only the unbaptized (plainly to be named) but also the rest following.
2. If by notoriously wicked, you mean those that the Bishop or Chancellor hath Excommunicated, we may keep them away • Or if the Congregation will say, that they are offended by their Crimes, then they may be admonished to forbear; but if they will not forbear upon the Admonition, or at least will every time say, that they are fully purposed to amend (as most wicked Men will do) I find not by the Rubric, that we can refuse them; except it be one that is obstinate in Malice, when (at that time) desired to be reconciled; but the Canon seemeth to give more Power.
3. Our Case is this: We know that many are professed Infidels, and many understand not what Baptism, or Christianity, or the Lord's Supper are, in the very Essentials (in many Places I doubt the greater part of the Parish:) A great number live in heinous Sins, (Drunkenness, Fornication, Swearing, slandering, &c. ) The ignorant, and Infidels, the Minister would instruct, but they will not come to him, nor speak to him, but refuse to give him any account or answer. Almost all are Baptized in Infancy, and at Age come to Church and never owned, that the Minister knoweth of, their Baptismal Covenant any otherwise. We know not that we have Power to exclude the grossly ignorant: If we had, it must be, if any will witness that his Neighbors are so Ignorant as to be uncapable (which what private Man can and will do?) or else if they will come and say before others, I am so Ignorant; which few if any ever will, till God do humble them: And who will come and offend the scandalous, by witnessing against them, unconstrained, though they will openly report it to one another. How few of the Infidels, Socinians, gross Ignorants, or scandalous here in London, are by the Witnesses accused to the Ministers as such? If we have the most credible Report that half our Country Parishioners, or a quarter, (more or less) are grossly Ignorant of the Essentials of Christianity, and we find it true by so many of the suspected as will talk with us; we must receive all the rest, with all the Infidels, and wicked Livers, that none will become Accusers of, though we know much ourselves to confirm report. And if they tell us, we will have nothing to do with you out of the Pulpit, we will give you no account of our knowledge or Faith; nay, we take you not for any of our Pastors; yet must we do the office of a Pastor to them, and give them the Sacrament, and we are setting up Auricular Confession, if we do but, as their Teachers, require on just Suspicion any account of their Knowledge, or Faith, or upon our Knowledge, offer first personally to instruct them. And if we desire else but to suspend our own Act, though they have their Appeal, we arrogate Independent Power. No wonder if under such Overseers, our Parishes be but what they are.
4. Prop. n. 8. [ To publish Excommunications—against his Conscience.
Answ. 1. No, let the Indifferent judge. An Ecclesiastic Judge is Iudex publicus; but here is nothing but Iudicium discretionis privatum, suspending my own Act, and meddling with no Man's else. Doth he judge Ecclesiastically, who speaketh not a word, nor meddleth with the Cause anymore than any one in the Congregation?
2. How is he an Independent Judge where he is no Judge? Yea, and where the Bishop, and Chancellor are the Judges, and none resisteth or controlleth them? He had not been Independent, had he made himself Judge, allowing an Appeal.
3. Seriously, do you take it to be each Minister's Duty to pronounce all Excommunications, and absolutions which are sent them, without exception, or not? If yea, then if Bishops again Excommunicate their own Kings (as often they have done) we must obey, which I will not do. Or if an Arian Excommunicate the Orthodox; or a Papist a Protestant as such; or any Bishop in Malice or on false Accusations Excommunicate the Faithfullest of the Flock, yea, or all the Parish, must we obey? For my part, (call me as you please) if you Excommunicate the wisest, and most Religious, and (otherwise) most obedient of my Flock, for Covenanting in Baptism for his own Child, for refusing the Cross, for not kneeling at the reception of the Sacrament, for reading a Chapter, or repeating a Sermon to his Family, while his Neighbors hear him, I will bear your silencing and Prisons, rather than pronounce that Excommunication.
But if you allow any Exceptions, our Consciences must be the discerning Judges, whether it be that excepted Case or not. Else it is no Exception.
But O what Groans beseem poor Ministers, if this be indeed their Case, that just, or unjust, whatever Conscience say against it, we must pronounce all Excommunications and Absolutions (and consequently do all such other things) as a Lay-Chancellor, or Bishop shall command us; unless they could prove to us that God will justi • ie our absolute Obedience, how heinous soever the action be! This is not to be the Ministers of Christ, no, nor of Men, but their absolute Slaves, though to our Damnation, and our Brethren's wrong. If you have any tenderness for our Consciences, when you have enow more at hand to pronounce your Sentence, would you not set one to do it that doth not scruple it, and spare a Minister, that protesteth he dare not do it for fear of Damnation?
4. Prop. n. 9. [To travel long Journeys, or neglect their Studies.—
Answ. There is some Comfort in that: But if I have a Parish of five Thousand, or ten Thousand Souls (more or less) and it prove that the tenth part of the Parish be either grossly ignorant of the Essentials of Christianity, or Infidels, Papists, Heretics, Schismatics, Drunkards, Swearers, Ribalds, Railers, or otherwise scandalous, such as the Canon forbiddeth me to give the Sacrament to, and I present each of these to the Chancellor's Court, or half of them, I doubt Proctor's Fees, in the Prosecution, will take up more than all the Tythes come to, and leave me neither Cloaths nor Bread. If you say, it is not so with others, I answer, I know what Men are among whom I have lived, in all places, and I know what the Canon bids me do; but why other Men do it not, and save themselves, I am not bound to give an account, nor yet to imitate them.
And whether these Proctors will save me harmless, and plead my Cause as the Case requireth, I cannot tell.
4. Prop. n. 10. Let it be left to their Prudence whom they will absolve in Sickness, and give the Sacrament to in private.]—
Answ. Rubr. [After which Confession the Priest shall absolve him (if he humbly and heartily desire it) after this sort—] And if he will but say these Words, [I humbly and heartily desire it] the Minister hath not Power to forbear an absolute absolution.
Answ. 1. The mistake had no Cause in the Words: There was no exclusion of any Parish-Minister mentioned, who is willing; no, nor any Excuse of any that is unwilling, from any other Office in Visitation; but only that the unwilling may not be forced to absolve any in those absolute Words [I absolve thee from all thy Sins] when he believeth verily that the Person is Impenitent. But I had no thought, or word of excluding any Priest, as is here suspected.
2. But as the Church of Rome alloweth Men to confess to what Priest they please, I know not how you can hinder any dying Man from doing it, without setting a Guard upon his Doors, or forbidding any, save the Parish-Priest, to visit him, which is inhumane. This day, while I was writing this, a Parish-Minister came to me to lament his Sin, and told me that he had lived idly, and wickedly at the University, and ever since, and had taken the Ministry on him, without any regard to his own Soul, and the People's, and had no Learning, or Knowledge scarce of the Catechism; and that he had not read any Divinity, in Latin or English, but only out of two or three English Books, patched up some Sermons; not understanding a Latin Author, nor having read others: I asked him how he got ordained: He said, that was easy by Friends, &c. And that he was going to put himself into a Playhouse, because his Living was but forty Pound per Annum, but God convinced him by the way. Now I would know, If lie dying in such a Parish, must I confess my Sin to no Man but such an one as this? Why make you not the same Laws about Physicians, that no Man must take any other than such a Sot, if it be his Lot to be appointed him? Why may not I confess my Sins to more than one? Yea, to my Friend that is no Priest?
Prop. id. Let the words at Burial which import the Justification and Salvation of the Deceased be left to the Minister's discretion, who hath known the Person's Life and Death.
Ans. They are not only Christ`s Ministers, but yours, if not your Criers, or Slaves, if they may not be trusted with the speaking, or not speaking of a Word, in so weighty a Case. There are, I still see, greater matters than Ceremonies that we differ in. The Case is this—[There swarm among us now many open professed Infidels, that openly deride Christ and the the Scripture, and plead against the Immortality of the Soul, and many against the Being of God: There are many Papists, Heretics, Schismatics, common Adulterers, openly owning it, Fornicators, Drunkards, Blasphemers; many have been Condemned for Treason, Murder, Theft, &c. The Conformists themselves Preach, and write that such cannot be saved without true converting Repentance: We are commanded at the Burial of all Men to say these Words [For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God, of his great Mercy, to take unto himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed] and [we give thee hearty Thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of, &c. and [that we may rest in him, as our Hope is, this our brother doth:] These words import the Person's Justification, and Salvation. We are to except no Person from this form of Burial, except, 1. Those that die unbaptized (though the Children of true Believers:) 2. The Excommunicate (though for not paying fees, or not conforming against Conscience.) 3. And those that have laid violent Hands on themselves, (though true. Believers in a Fever, Frenzy, or Distraction.) Some die in the act of Drunkenness, some murder each other in Duels, and that in Drunkenness (as lately was done near my Door;) some scorn the Minister and the Gospel to the death: Now we must openly pronounce all these Saved, for fear of having Power to Saint, and Damn whom we will: But we appeal to humanity itself.
Quest. 1. Whether I damn any Traitor, or Murderer, or impenitent Infidel, merely by saying nothing of his Case, or not pronouncing him to be saved: And whether I Saint those that I bury in their own prescribed words, any otherwise than they Saint all Men?
Quest. 2. Whether we expose not our Ministry to the scorn of every Infidel, and Heretic, and Adulterer, when they can say to us, [What False Deceivers are you, to Preach and Write Damnation against us, and proclaim us all saved when we die.]
Quest. 3. Whether anything can more probably debauch the World, and keep Men from Repentance, and so sill Hell, and damn the people, than to persuade all Men, that every ignorant person, that never knew what Christianity was, every impenitent Infidel, Adulterer, or wicked person, is saved when they die. Doth not this give the Lie to all our Preaching the contrary to them in the Pulpit? Do we not Teach them not to believe us? Or else it disableth us from telling them, that there is any Hell for them hereafter. If you say, we presume that they Repent; I Answer, If it be presumed that all Men repent at last, and are saved, even they that make no profession of any Repentance, but justify their Infidelity, or Heresy, or Schism, or die in the Act, or in utter Ignorance, as a Heathen, then why may we not presume the like of all the World, and so lay by the Gospel, and all our talk of future punishment?
Quest. 4. And is he worthy to be trusted with the Care of Souls, as a Minister of Christ, that may not be trusted (I say not, to speak, but) to suspend one word at any time, which is thus Written for him to say? Judge, by this (with the Offices of Baptism, Confirmation, Communion and Absolution) what is a Priest's Office under such Bishops, and whether he have the Pastoral Power, either independently, or dependently at all.
4. Prop. n. 11. Let no Minister be forced to deny the Communion to godly persons, that think it unlawful to kneel.
Answ. 1. I never knew one Presbyterian here that did so: And their Directory did not so. And if any one should do so, I am sure it is a rare Person. And the Author of these words is no liker to know them than I. This therefore was not well said.
2. Whether they in Holland do so, I know not: But if they do, Do you think it well? I think otherwise, and all Nonconformists that I converse with. We take not a gesture to be crime enough to cut off Men from Communion with the Church. And if you think otherwise, or durst Excommunicate a Man for being Lame, or having the Gout in his knees, Why must we all needs practice as you judge, and execute so cruel a Sentence, anymore than kill men whenever you bid us? The Canon hath no Exception, Can. 27. [No Minister, when he celebrateth the Communion, shall wittingly administer the same to any but to such as kneel, under pain of Suspen •• on.]
4. Prop. n. 12. Let Ministers have leave to open the meaning of the Catechism— (It is much to be wished that it were amended.)
Answ. 1. That it is good news: some think so: And others think, that the Rubric and Canon, Commanding them to Teach persons the Catechism, meaneth, that we must only teach them the words: And I remember the Articles in Parliament, against Bishop Pierce, contained, that among other things, that he forbad Ministers Expounding the Catechism in the Afternoon, saying, it was as bad as Preaching. And the Sence, as to us, will be, what please the Bishop.
Answ. I am sorry for it; but cannot help it.
4. Prop. id. [—Some few quickening words of Exhortation—]
Answ. 1. You know not what is most quickening and edifying to all other men, so well, as some know what is so to themselves.
2. All that know Human Nature, know, that Customa •• ness dulleth, and the use of words many hundred times over usually affect less than when there is some variation; though it were to be wisht it were not so.
3. Why must an Extemporary fancy needs be the Author? May not a man premeditate a few sentences as well as a sermon? Or if it were ex tempore, is he fit to be a Preacher that cannot speak a few sentences on so great a subject, with safe and edifying words?
4. Is it unsafer to give a Preacher leave to utter a few Sentences of the Sacrament at the Delivery, than to Preach a whole Sermon of it? And is he not equally responsible for both? But we insist not on this, as if we could not Administer without it.
Prop. 4. n. 13.] The Surplice indifferent in the Parish Churches—]
Ans. I think not: for we see things left indifferent make no Schism: One useth the Surplice in the Pulpit, and another not: One Prayeth before Sermon, And another only bids them Pray: One Prayeth after Sermon, and another not: One at the Singing of Psalms doth sit, another stand; and it maketh no Schism. And the Convocatio • , 1640, Commend Indifferency about Bowing towards the Altar: Therefore that Convocation was not of your mind. But either way will serve us.
Prop. 5.—[Not [to renonuce their Ordination ] or be Re-ordained—]
Ans. What Qualification is it that that they want? Generals here decides not the Case. If it be only the Qualification of Legal Authority, or License, Why will not the giving of that qualify them? Or what necessity is there of Re-ordination? But when you, as well as we, profess, that Re-ordination, when real, is unlawful, and yet you require their Ordination de Nova, which they call Re-ordination, Doth not this tell the World that you take the first for null?
6. Prop. [No Excommunicate Person, as such, to be Imprison'd and Undone, but such whose Crimes deserve it.
Answ. Because the Cause differeth. E. g. I believe I have had multitudes with me Conformable as well as others, who being of timorous, or melancholy Constitutions, and under Temptations and Trouble of Mind, dare not receive the Sacrament, for fear of doing it unworthily, and of eating and drinking Damnation, and the Devil entering into them, (according to the words of the Liturgy, which affright them:) and they never Communicated in their Lives (at above 30 years of Age,) and have oft been going, and never durst venture: One of them was with me within this hour: Some that have ventured have fallen Distracted, and some near it by Terror and Temptations: You can tell them reason against all this: And so can I, and have done it as like as oft as most of your Curates: and yet they are Uncured. And I must not say how little is done in too many places to cure their Ignorance, or Timerousness, which is the cause. And are you sure that all these poor troubled timorous Souls are worthy of utter ruin as Contemners of Authority? For not Communicating they must be Excommunicated, and after Imprison'd, and undone in the World, even during life, unless they can be changed by you. Every Man deserveth not utter ruin, who doth not all the good that he can do. But can such a person change their own minds and fears, because you give them reason for it? I know they cannot. And when Christ tenderly carrieth his Lambs in his Arms, and will not break a bruised Reed; Shall I, in his Name, as his Minister, Excommunicate them, and deliver them up (if not to the Devil) to the Magistrate, to be Beggered, and perpetually Imprisoned? Let me rather bear the wrath of all the Prelates on earth, and all that they can say or do against me.
Prop. 7. But who shall be judged tolerable—it doth not become us, &c. —]
Ans. We never arrogated any of your Power over our Brethren: We have formerly, in our Folly, hoped that we might presume to be Petitioners, though not Judges what is to be granted us. We are not ashamed to confess, that we did desire leave to Preach Christ's Gospel; But we become not Judges in the Case of our Superiors Acts. But by (or without) your leave, we must be discerning Judges of our own Duty or Sin, whatever it cost us. And, I think, no sober Christian will give the contrary, under his hand, as his Judgment.
Prop. id. [That no Licensed Ministers shall Preach against any of the Doctrine, &c. ]
Answ. Our Case is hard with you. I put in [ Licensed, or Vnlicensed; ] And the first Honorable and Learned Person that saw it, thought [ Vnlicensed ] should be put out, because it was unmeet for us to tell His Majesty whom he should tolerate, or how far; but to meddle only with our own Case, who desired Licenses: And now for blotting out that word, and not meddling with any others, we are censured, as motioning, that the Unlicensed may say what they list: Thus all our Peace-making motions have been long interpreted by some.
Prop. id. [That all Magistrates be excepted from all open Personal Rebukes, and disgraceful Censures, or Excommunications, because, &c.
Ans. 1. God never ordained that a Lay-Chancellor should Excommunicate them.
2. God never gave power to any to excommunicate a King, Prince, or other Ruler (if any at all) but that particular Pastor to whom by voluntary Consent he committeth the Charge of his Soul. The Independents that think as you, are yet more modest in this, in that they subject the Ruler to none but the chosen Pastor of that particular Congregation which he voluntarily joineth himself to.
3. Is not the World much abused when they are told that it is the Presbyterians, that are for excommunicating Princes, and not the Episcopal? For my part I am fully of the mind of Bishop Bilson, and Andrew's (in • ortura Torti) in this; that to an Impenitent wicked Ruler, I would suspend my own Act of giving him the Sacrament, with Chrysostom 's resolution rather to suffer: But my Judgment is that no Bishop nor Minister (especially one that is not his proper Pastor) may lawfully use any open personal rebukes, or disgraceful censures or Excommunications against Kings, Judges or Honorable Magistrates: And my Reason, no Papist, Prelate, Presbyterian, or Independent, is able to refel, viz. from the fifth Commandment. The stablished perpetual Law of God Commandeth us to honor them. Disgraceful Excommunication is not accidentally, but purposedly a dishonoring them: For Men are excommunicated that they may be shamed. The after-positive Institution of Excommunication nulleth not this antecedent Moral Law: but must give place to it, and bindeth not against it. I farther prove that, 1. Because all Men confess that this last is but a Law of Order, and that Order is for the sake of the end and thing Ordered, and that it oft obligeth not when it ceaseth to be a means to that end, or would destroy it; And that E, g. If you knew that an Excommunication of a King or Judge would prove the Dissolution of that Church, it were not Lawful: Therefore neither when it exposeth the Magistrate to the reproach or Contempt of the Subjects, and so shaketh the very frame of the Kingdom, or Government. The Magistrate's honor for the good of the Kingdom is more necessary than his Dishonor and shame can be to the Order of that particular Church.
2. And a suspending of the Pastor's Act of delivering him the Sacrament, with an humble admonition, may better attain the Lawful end.
3. Christ himself hath oft taught us this Exposition of his Law. When he did eat with Publicans and sinners, he preferred their repentance, before the positive Order of not being familiar with such, as being never intended in such a Case. When the Disciples plucked the Ears of Corn, and himself cured the sick on the Sabbath day, he proveth that the positive Law of Rest was intended to give place to the Moral Law of Necessity and Charity, and proveth it by the instance of David and the Officiating Priests; and twice sendeth the contrary minded Pharisees to learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy (a Natural Duty) and not (at that time) sacrifice (a positive institution:) And they, that will pretend a positive Law of Order for a Congregation, to the dishonoring of Kings and Judges, and Magistrates, and making them contemptible, and so unable to govern, do Pharisaically set up Positives against natural moral Duties. By which means Popes and Patriarchs and other Prelates, have wronged Princes, and troubled the world too much already. Do you no better justify the Common slander, how much the Non-conformists are against the honor of Magistrates in comparison of the Church of England. I know some Non-conformists think as you: but others do not. See the old Non-conformists judgment against excommunicating Kings in a Latin Treat, De vera & Genuina Christ. Relig. Authore Ministro Anglo, An. 1618. pag. 280.
4. Moreover, the execution of the sentence of Excommunication on Princes and Rulers, will less consist with the honor that is due to them, than the sentence it self: For to avoid them that they may be ashamed, to turn away from, not to be familiar with them, to keep them out of the Church at all God's special Church-worship, are things that we cannot do, without neglect of much of our duty to them; We must attend them and obey them with honor: I know a General Council hath forbidden Bishops to carry themselves with Lowliness at the tables and in the presence of Princes and great men; And I know that some think that Excommunicate Princes have forfeited their honor and it is lawful to dishonor them, yea and all wicked Princes who deserve Excommunication; and I know Mr. Hooker in his Eccles. Polit. saith, that it is supposed that a Prince that is the Head of a Christian Church be himself a Christian: But all these are Errors tending to the subversion of Order and Government; And the Higher Powers whom God's Spirit commandeth us to honor and be subject to, were Nero and the Roman Senate, and other Enemies of Christianity; even Idolatrous Heathens. And if these must be honored, much more a Christian King or Judge, who were he a private man, might deserve an Excommunication. At least I hope that the Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo shall not be issued out against the King or his Judges, (though the Canon 65. command that every six months in Cathedrals and Parish-Churches the Excommunications be declared, of those that obstinately refuse to frequent the Divine Service established by public Authority, and those (especially of the better sort and Condition ) who for notorious contumacy, or other notable Crimes stand Excommunicate, &c. ]) Though the Better sort are singled out especially for the sentence and shame, yet if it should be Judges and Sheriff, who shall Judge and apprehend them?
Prop. id. [Not silence, suspend, &c. Arbitrary, but by a known Law.]
Answ. I am loath to Name Iustances lest it provoke: Mr. Potter is dead: Dr. Willes of Kingsion now Chaplain to the King (they say,) I am sure hath complained much of his suspension at Shadwell: I remember Bishop Reighnolds was so sensible of the necessity of this Provision, that at the Savoy Treaty, he was most earnest to have it inserted and insisted on. It may be it is Minister's ignorance in the Law, that maketh them when suspended not know where to seek for a remedy (unless in vain or to their undoing.)
Postscript. If Sacraments were left free, &c. It would take in the Independents, &c.]
Answ. It's pity that matters of public fact should be so much unknown, and that when such inference follow! 1. I was never in power: Nay my Lot never fell out to be of any side that was Vppermost in Church matters, nor in State-Usurped power, but I always was of the under side.
2. It was the Toleration of all Sects unlimitedly that I wrote and preached against, and not (that I remember) of mere Independents.
3. Those that did oppose the Toleration of Independents, of my acquaintance, did not deny them the liberty of Independency, but opposed separation, or their Gathering other Churches out of Parish-Churches that had faithful Ministers: If they would have taken Parish-Churches on Independent Principles, without separation, neither I nor my aquaintance did oppose them, no nor their Endeavors to reform such Churches.
4. The Case greatly differed: For an Independent to refuse Parish-Churches, when no Ceremony, no Liturgy, no Oath or Subscription is required of him, which he scrupleth, is not like his refusing Oaths, Subscriptions, Liturgy, Ceremonies, &c.
5. But in a Word, Grant us but as much, and take us but in, as we granted to, and took in the Independents, and we are content. Make this agreement and all is ended; we desire no more of you. We never denied the Independents the liberty of preaching Lectures, as often as they would: Nor yet the liberty of taking Parish-Churches: They commonly had Presentations, and the public Maintenance; And no Subscription, Declaration, Liturgy, or Ceremony, was imposed on them. Again I say, I ask you no more Liberty than was given the Independents by their brethren called Presbyterians. Let your Grant now agree but with your intimations.
6. And how then say you, we would dispence with nothing? For my part and those of my mind, we never imposed, nor endeavored to impose anything on any man, as necessary to Ordination, Ministry, or Communion, but [The owning of the Scripture Generally, and the Creeds, Lord's Prayer, and Decalogue and Sacraments particularly, with that measure of understanding them, and ability to teach them, which is necessary to a Minister, and fidelity therein.] I never spake for liberty herein for Episcopal, Independents yea and Anabaptists that only deny Infant Baptism, I wrote that hindering men's Ministry for their being against the Parliament: And I think I kept many and many thousands from taking the Covenant.
7. At least do you deny Liberty to none but those that denied it to others, and we shall thankfully acquiesce.
Answ. 1. You speak truly, if you mean [by those men, of whom upon former trial, he had so great Experience:] It were great weakness in him to have expected it. But yet he is so charitable as to be confident (though not certain) that if these Proposals were made to the Conformable London Ministers, (such as Dr. Whitchcot, Dr. Stillingfleet, Mr. Gifford, Dr. Tillotson, Dr. Cradock; Dr. Outram, Dr. Ford, and many more such Learned worthy peaceable men, in this City) they would either grant all that is here desired, or abate so little as should be no hindrance to our present Concord: And though I have no great acquaintance with any of them, yet my knowledge of them by fame and hearing them preach, doth render me so fully persuaded, that if we could get the Case but referred to their Judgment and Counsel, instead of the Interessed Bishops who brought us to the state that we are in I make no doubt but we should be all healed in a few weeks time. And that you may not think my confidence vain take this proof: Bishop Wilkins was no fool nor fanatic: These men are much of his spirit and judgment, (who was a Lover of Mankind, and of honesty, peace and Impartiality and Justice.) And we agreed with him upon Terms like these, (upon the Lord Keeper Bridgman 's Invitation) so far, that by mutual Consent the Agreement was drawn up into the form of an Act, to have been offered to the house, so that as much as lay in him and us, we were all agreed and healed. And why should I suspect that any of these worthy persons are less peaceable?
2. But by this Conclusion, those many persons, who have talkit so loud how ready some great Clergy-men are to Condescend, agree and abate all Unnecessary things to Unite us and prevent Popery, may now see, past all doubt, the very truth of the Case. This Animadverter you see, would not grant [any] one of all these Proposals no not our forbearance of an Oath, or Subscription to Ceremony, or any piece of their imposed formalities, not the leaving out of a word of the Litur • ie, &c. What is it then that they would abate? such Dealing will make men see at last.
Answ. 1. But 'tis our Opinion (pardon our folly) that if the Law had not been made which forbad Daniel to pray to God, or commanded the worshiping of the Golden Image, they had been no Inconformists that kept not such a Law. And that if the Law were repeated which requireth Corporations to declare (that no man is bound by the solemn vow (no not to repent, nor against Popery, Schism, or Profaneness) they would be no Inconformists that did not so declare: And that if the Laws commanded us not to swear, subscribe, declare, Cross, &c. We were no Inconformists or Schismatics if we did them not. But the name of Schismatics is by such Godfathers as Ithacius, Idacius, and the rest of the Council of Bishops (from whom Ambrose dissended) put upon such as St. Martin, who separated from them to the death, for their Church-Tyranny and wicked Lives, and bringing Godly people into the suspicion and reproach of Priscillianism, if they did but meet for mutual edification and live Religiously. As Grotius saith that by a Papist he meaneth one that approveth of all that any Pope shall say or do (and I hope there are few such;) so with some men, a Schismatic is one that approveth not of all that a Pope or Prelate will prescribe. And if all the present Non-conformists were commanded to Preach with horns on their heads, to signify the conquering power of the Church, or Word, they were Schismatics, by such men's nomination, if they disobeyed. But I will now only ask, 1. Q. Were all the Apostles, and the Churches in their time and long after Schismatics, who knew not our Oaths, Declarations, Subscriptions, Liturgy, Ceremonies, &c.
Q. 2. Did they not take as wise a course for the Church's concord and the avoiding of Schism, as either the English or Roman Bishops take?
Q. 3, Had not the Omission or the Romish Canons about Transubstantiation, Tradition, and such like, been a better way to prevent heresy, than the obeying them? And may it not be so in our case? Would any be Schismatics for dissenting from Lay men's power of the Keys, from Crossing, &c. if there were no such Laws? And did not Peter and Paul please God as well without them as you do with them? And did not Peter and Paul go as safe a way to Heaven as you? And is he that consenteth to go the same way to heaven as they did, and to do all that the Universal Church imposed for an hundred, two hundred years after them (at least) yet worthier of the Name of a Schismatic, than the New Lord's, that by new Laws do make and call all Schismatics that live as the Apostles did, or did command them, and no more?
2. You have tried your Better and safer way (by silencing 1800 Ministers of Christ) by which the Flocks are scattered and divided, and we are as Guelphes and Gibelines in Contention; And if yet it seem best to you, a few years (by Death's interposition,) will help you to be of another mind. But, alas, must the souls of Millions and the Nation pay so dear for your mistake, while you are preparing for the too late Convictions of sad Experience?
Ans. 1. And who shall make that Rule? The Bishops! And who shall be Bishops? You! And so the Sum is, The only certain, and safe way of Healing, is, for no Man to differ from our Judgment or Will in our Agendis, or Credendis, Circumstance or Substance, manner or matter of Worship, nor say a Word to God in public, but what we write down for him, or allow him. What Sectary would not be such a Healer?
2. But I am sorry that any Christian, much more Pastors, can believe that ever all the Church will be such Idolizers of Man, as to stretch their Consciences to own all that for matter, and manner, substance, or Circumstance he shall prescribe; or else will all be so ripe in Knowledge, as all to know which are the right Modes and Circumstances, and so come to be of one mind. The Church of Rome had not needed Inquisitions, Flames, and Racks, nor lost so many Kingdoms, if this could have been done. But if ever the Church be heated by Men of your Opinion, by this which you account the only way, neither God nor Reason have herein spoken by me. Wonderful! that near one Thousand three Hundred Years Experience of the Churches doth not convince you, and teach you better.
Ans. 1. It's well that Christ is more merciful than Men: His easy Yoke and light Burden, Mat. 11. 29. and the necessary things, Act. 15. is enough to make Men Members of him, and his Body the Church Catholic, that they may be saved: But he that will be of a National Church must bear and do no Man knows what!
2. But how will this stand with Christ's Catholic Laws? A true Catholic Christian shall be saved: But he that is no more, with you, is guilty of one of the greatest Crimes, viz. Contempt of your Authority; and can he then be Saved? Christ's Catholic Members must love, honor, and cherish each other: But with you, he that obeyeth you not in every Word, Mode, and circumstance, or ceremony; is to be silenced, and persecuted. Christ's Laws are, that he that is weak even in the Faith, be received, but not to doubtful disputations, and that for smaller difference we neither despise nor judge each other, but receive one another as Christ received us, and that so far as we have attained, we walk by the same Rule, and mind the same things, and if in anything we be otherwise minded, God will reveal even this unto us: And that we must love one another with a pure Heart, fervently, and by this be known to all Men to be Christ's Disciples: But your National Process carrieth it beyond this Line; you will first break this Catholic Law (as if your National Church were not part of the Universal) and make Laws for judging the foresaid Dissenters, and then plead yours against Christ 's Laws, and say, he meant not those that are under a Law, (while he forbad such Laws.) And so you may Excommunicate, reproach, avoid, imprison, undo, and silence those that Christ commanded you tenderly to Love, and say they are Schismatics, for they obey us not in every Circumstance O! how much easier is Christ's Yoke than yours?
3. But what is this National Church which is so contrary to Christ's Catholic Church? If it be all the Churches and Christians that are under one Christian Prince, we own it as such: But this needs no such conditions as you name: And it is not true that the Catholic Church consisteth only of such; for the Subjects of the Turks and Heathens are part of the Catholic Church: If it be all the Churches of a Kingdom as voluntarily associated for Communion or Concord, I repeat the same as aforesaid. But if you mean all the Churches of a Kingdom, as under one Constitutive Ecclesiastical Head, and Pastor, few Protestants will say that it is of God's Institution; ( Bilson and others usually say Patriarchs, Metropolitans, &c. are human Creatures:) And verily I had rather be no Member of a Church of Man's making (till I better know the Maker's Authority) than renounce all that mutual Love, and Brotherly concord and forbearance, and kindness, and all Christ's Promises of Salvation to such, which he hath settled upon his Catholic Members. And if what you say be true, who would not rather far be a mere Catholck Christian, out of all National Churches, than be in them? But I yet hold, that though your particular Canon bind not the Church universal, yet Christ's universal Laws bind all particular Churches and Christians.
4. And that which maketh me dissent is, that I am not able to discern how all Men can obey such Laws as you mention, and live in any concord with you, without renouncing all Conscience, Christianity, and Religion. Not that I judge all to do so that agree with you: For those that agree in Judgment, may agree in Practice. But you must make me mad, or unacquainted with Mankind, before you make me believe that a whole Kingdom will ever be so perfect in Judgment, or so much of the same temper, Education, condition, converse, &c. as to be all of one Mind in every word, circumstance, ceremony, and mode of Worship, and Discipline, upon Christian, conscientious terms. Either they must absolutely believe as the Rulers bid them, or not. If yea, then most Turks, Heathens, Papists are in the right, that be of the Religion of their Rulers. If not, some bounds and Rules must show them the difference, how far Obedience is to be given: And the Subjects must be the Discerners, whether the Case falls under those Qualificationt or not: As e. g. whether it be Sin against God. And when all the Men and Women in a Kingdom have a Multitude of Words, circumstances, and ceremonies, and modes to try by such Rules, they will never be of one Mind about them, who would be of one Mind in a few plain things. And then you come and make their Disobedience to be one of the greatest Crimes, deserving Excommunication, Imprisonment, and ruin; so that you make such a National Church to be a trap for Men's undoing and Damnation.
5. As for what you say of the Foreign Churches, their Country-men say, that it is not all one to impose the necessary Discharge of Men's plain, undeniable Duty, and to impose the Human Work, which you can describe. But I am a stranger to them, and am bound to receive nothing against another, till I hear both Parties speak; nor am I concerned in the Case, as not being bound to justify them anymore than you. If it be as you say, no wonder if they have the distractions and calamities, and Divisions, which render them the objects of compassion. The Serpent, that beguiled Eve, hath long ago tempted almost all the Churches from the Ancient Christian Simplicity, in Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship, which is the only way of common Concord.
6. But yet besides the Catholic Church, we hold particular Churches being Christian Assemblies, to be of Christ's Institution. And it is impossible there to worship God without the determination of many Circumstances and Modes: Some Translation, some Metre of Psalms, some Tune, some Time and Place, some Pastor, some Utensils, must be chosen: And he, that will herein depart from the Common chosen Circumstance, departeth therein himself, from their Communion: But yet such may serve God acceptably in another Assembly, and may live in Christian Love and Peace, though they Sing not in the same Tune or Gesture; or use nor every Ceremony alike. And this is nothing to the making of new Symbols, Oaths, Subscriptions, or other things, not necessary in genere, and that by the Officers of National Human Church, and this not only to be done, and quietly born, but approved: Your Way is the most proper Engine to tear in pieces all the Churches in the World, or reduce them to a Spanish Human Obedience. For if a particular Parish-Church did not so much as tie Men to a Ceremony, but mere Determinations, which must some way be made; If the Priest stood at the Church door, and said, You shall not enter, unless you will Subscribe, or Say, or Swear, that we are infallible in all that we do; or that there is no Sin, no Fault, nothing contrary to God's Will and Word; nothing but what you Assent, and Consent to, in all our Translations of Scripture, in all our Versions, Tunes, Words, Gestures, Circumstances, I would never enter into that Church; though I will gladly and peaceably join with them, if they will let me alone without such Obligations to justify all they do. One would think this should have been past Controversy before this day, among the Prudent Pastors of the Churches.
Answ. Upon that Supposition we have no Controversy with you; Then what need any of this ado? But who shall be the Judge? If you must, and that absolutely; then it is all one to us whether it be sin or no sin: for, to us, it will be none, if we do as you bid us: But then why do Protestants condemn Papists, who do as they are bidden? And why do our Articles condemn them, that say, All Men may be saved in the Religion they are bred in; when they all do as they are bidden, even they that defy Christ. But, if you hold not to this, what shall we do? Are we ourselves the discerning Judges? Then we protest before God and Men, that we take the things that we deny Conformity to, to be sins, and very heinous sins, and very far from things indifferent: If you say, that we must obey you till we are past doubt, and certain that 'tis sin; I Answer, 1. It's too few things that Man's Understanding reacheth to a certainty in: What if I verily think, that I see reason to take that which a Bishop or Church Commanded, to be Blasphemy, Perjury, Treason, Murder, Heresy, &c. but I am not certain and past doubt: Must I then do it? Then a Man that can be but sufficiently ignorant, or doubtful, may stick at no Commanded Wickedness. Some other Rule therefore than this must be found out. If you say, That we have no reason to take anything commanded for sin; and you think you confute all our Objections; I Answer, 1. So all Imposers think, or most: And so we are as confident that our Reason is good, and that we see the gross Errors of your Answers: And all this is but to say, that no Man is to be Tolerated in your Church, that is not in everything in the Right (and that in your Judgments.) Suppose you were Infallible, so are not all the Subjects: And if their Reason be bad, and yours good, all that is no more than to say, That They Err, or are Mistaken: And if no Man shall be Tolerated with you that Erreth, and that in as great a Matter as a Circumstance, or Ceremony; no two Men in the World must hold Communion on such Terms. I am confident I study as hard as you: I am confident I am as impartial and willing to know the Truth: I have far less than you to tempt me to the contrary. And yet I verily think Conformity to me would be a heinous Sin: Nay, I am past doubt of it, if that will serve. Give us but leave to publish our Reasons freely, and you shall see whether we have any Reason. But if yet I be mistaken, Shall your National-Church have never a Member Tolerated that is as ignorant and bad as I? Hold to that, and try the Issue, whether your Church will be as numerous as you are.
Ans. Content: I and all of my mind profess, that we will accept your offer: But we wish as sincerely that you would stand to it. Not that we take any Men for the Lord's of our Faith: but let them hear us speak, and if they say, that it is lawful (or not a heinous sin in us) to Conform, we will acquiesce and never more accuse you as Persecutors, but silently undergo all the Accusation of Schism. But then by the Churches, you must not mean any odd persons, but the Churches indeed.
Ans. 1. What is the great reason you have to fear the prevailing of the Common Enemy, and utter ruin of the Protestant Religion. Is it from our State at home? Or from abroad? If the later, we understand it not, nor who is the Cause. If the former, Where lieth the danger? Is it in the increase of Papists, as to Quality or Number of persons? Did not you cause the Silencing of 1800 Ministers, and thereby (and otherwise) the disaffecting of many Hundred thousand people (I think) who would have loved and Served you? Did not you help to Banish them Five Miles from (not the Court only) but all Cities and Corporations, and Places of their former Ministry? Did you not undertake all the Ministerial Work, without them; And say, you could do it better without them than with them, as being sufficient yourselves. Did not one of you tell me, that you thought any Congregation was better to have none, then such as I? Do you not still here conclude, that unless we will conform to every Oath, Subscription, Word, &c. It's better that we be out of your Church than in it? And do you, after all your Undertakings and Sufficiency, now bring us so sad an account of your success? Have you been bringing our Religion to no better a pass? Have high and low been no better instructed and prefered by you? Hath Popery been no better resisted by you in those Places whence you Bunished us? Do you now come and tell us, that we have great reason to fear the utter ruin of the Protestant Religion? Is this your account of your undertaken Stewardship? What hands then is the Church fallen into, if it be so used?
2. O let us all hear and fear what Man may come to: Would our Agreement do anything to prevent this terrible danger which you describe; And will you still tell all the World, That rather than we shall not be compelled against our Consciences (to our Damnation if we obey) to Declare, that we assent and consent to every word, yea, and use every word in all your Liturgy, to Declare, That Millions whom we know not, if they Vow in their Places and Calling, to endeavor a Reformation of the Church (were it but in Lay-Men's power of the Keys) are not obliged by that Vow: rather than we shall be suffered not to Swear Obedience to the Bishops (though we are responsible to the Law for any Disobedience;) rather than we shall be Suffered to forbear the Image of the Cross in Baptism, or to forbear to pronounce every wicked Man saved that we Bury, or to suffer a Parent to Covenant in Baptism for his own Child; or rather than we shall be endured to forbear turning Godly People that dare not kneel, from Church-Communion, and pronouncing them Excommunicate every six Months if the Chancellor or Bishop bid us; Rather than this shall be granted us, we shall have no Agreement, the Common Enemy shall prevail, the Protestant Religion shall not only be endangered, but utterly ruined here, and throughout the World! And is it so indeed? And yet would you make us believe that you are against the ruin of it; who will not prevent it at so easy a rate? What good doth it do you for me to subscribe as ex Animo, that there is not a word in your Liturgy or Ordination, contrary to the Word of God, and that I assent and consent to all that is in it? When I am without this responsible for all Omission, or Opposition to it. We offer, if necessary, to take our Oaths, as in the presence of God, the Judge of all, that we would agree with you, and obey you too in anything, except that which we judge to be forbidden of God: We offer our Reasons, which persuade us, that your Impositions obeyed would be our sin, and heinous sin: We are past doubt, that your Answers to them are frivolous. You dare not allow us to bring all into the Light, and to Print our Case and Reasons, that the World may Judge of them: We that pay so dear for our Dissent, are as likely to be Unbiassed, as you that have the Wealth and Honors of the World! And were it not liker to be moved by our Reputation with the poorer sort, than you by your Reputation with the Great and Honorable, if not the most. And if yet we be mistaken, so is all the World in as great a Matter, as most things now in Question. You call them Indifferent: We think them not so: And yet shall Protestant Religion be ruined in all the World, rather than you should not have your will in our obedience to you, in every prescribed Word, Ceremony, Covenant or Oath, after all this?
Ans. Ex ore tuo 〈◊〉 What you required of old we debated 1660, and you never gave us an Answer to what we largely offered you, in Confutation of your Defense: And how then did you think we should know we Erred? Not by what you kept secret in your thoughts. And, as to the New Conformity, we never had leave to give our Reasons against it, by Word or Writing. Grant us but that leave, and if we do not openly prove, that to Conform would be our sin, and very heinous sin (not meddling with any Men's Conscience but our own) call us Schismatics, and go on to use us as you have done. Which, I say, as to myself, who offer to assume that suffering, as the penalty of my Error, if I err; but not to justify you, if it were so, who are no more allowed by Christ to shut all that err out of the Church, than to Un-church every person in the World.
Ans. Which they are most confident they cannot do: And if Quoad Materiam, they should mistake, I think yet St. Paul mistook not, in saying, He that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not in Faith—And him that is weak in the Faith receive, &c. And therefore I would deny your Consequence comparatively: There are various degrees of Guilt: If you made a Canon, that all the present Conformists should take the Pope, with Bishop Bramhall, to be Patriarch of the West, and Principium Vnitatis to the Universal Church, or should own the Church of Rome, the Council of Trent, and the rest, as far as Grotius did; or should subscribe, that the Septuagint is to be preferred before the Hebrew Text; Or if it were but these, and not those of all the various Readings are the right; or that there is not a word faulty in our Old Translation (or New) or in any Book that ever the Convocation approved of (as well as the Liturgy, &c. ) If all this should prove lawful (as it never will) and they should turn Nonconformists to your Canon, and hereupon they should all be silenced, and Popery thereupon come in, Who were guilty of all this? They, with that degree of guilt, which all Men have, in that they are imperfect: Or you, with that more heinous Guilt, which is incomparably greater. If you said, All Ministers shall be Silenced, and People Excommunicated that have any Error and Sin; Their Error and Sin is some Culpable Cause of the Consequent ruin of the Church; but nothing in comparison of Yours, who are the Grand Cause.
Ans. 1. You speak all this against yourself, to tell the World how narrow your Church, and how strait your Charity is; whilst he, that you say, is so much of your Mind, is judged unworthy to be permitted to Preach the Gospel of Christ, and worthier to lie in a Common Gaol among Thieves and Rogues; yea, that it is better for any Congregation to have no Minister than such. All this Complyance with you is as good as none, to procure him but leave to Preach Repentance: For he offered you to Preach only on the Creed, and Catechism, and could not prevail, though responsible for anything said amiss. And he challengeth you to name any one of all the Complying Principles of that Book which he hath ever receded from, or contradicted.
2. They refuse not to stand to the Judgment of other Protestant Churches, that shall hear themselves speak for themselves.
3. Did Mr. Baxter in that Book, or anywhere else say, That it is Lawful to Subscribe according to the Canon, as ex Animo, that there is nothing in your Liturgy, or Book of Ordination, contrary to the Word of God? Or that the English Diocesan Frame may be Sworn to for Obedience? Or, that King or Parliament have not power to make, or Endeavor any alteration of your Church-Government, if they had sworn it? no nor a Lay-Chancellor's Spiritual Power; 〈◊〉 any subject to Petition, or any way endeavor the same, if he had sworn it. 〈◊〉 Did he ever say that it was lawful to Excommunicate as many of Christ's faith ••• Members, either by Pronunciation, or Rejecting them from Communion, a • the Bishops or Chancellor will command him? Or to deny Baptism to the Children of all that Scruple Crossing them, or that insist on their duty of Covenanting in their Children's Name themselves? Did he ever say, that your New Subscription, Declaration, Oath, or Re-ordination are Lawful? I think not.
4. He that can submit to your Government, that is, peaceably obey you without sin, cannot threfore Subscribe, that you stand by a Divine Right, or that all is faultless, and nothing alterable in your Government. He would have lived peaceably in Israel when the Priesthood was Corrupted, and the High-Places not taken down, or in the Greek Church, where are many faults, or among the •• menians, or Abass • nes; but he would have lain in Gaol rather than make a Covenant (Contrary to part of his Baptismal Vow) never to obey God in endeavoring any reformation of these in his place and Calling, telling all others, that none of them are bound to do it, no not if they had Vowed it; Or rather than he would have Subscribed his Approbation and Consent to all, and Covenanted to live and die impenitently herein: He taketh not these for things indifferent. But we find that you will not let men live under you quietly on Terms of patient submission, unless they be fully of your mind.
You say the Proposer proposeth not the alteration of the Government; Therefore it may be submitted to without sin.] He proposeth it not because he knoweth you would not consent: Bishop Usher 's Primitive Episcopacy was the Government desired in vain, for our Healing, 1660. But again, I say, All, th •• may be submitted to, may not, by Subscriptions, Covenants, or Oaths, be justified and approved.
5. Lastly, As to the Cross, he then thought, and thinks still, that it is forbidden by the Second Commandment, and that as an Image and Symbol of Christianity, and a New Human Sacrament, of which before.
If possibly Light may have any Acceptance, I will adjoin these Questions for the Opponent whosoever.
Qu. 1. Do you not believe in your Conscience, that Agreement would be more easy and common on our Terms of Meer Christianity, and Things Necessary, than on Yours, by adding many things doubted of, and needless? Will not more agree in the Creed, than in Aquinas 's Sums, if it were all true?
Q. 2. Doth not the knowledge of Human Darkness, and Variety of Educations, Tempers, Interests, Converse, &c. and the Paucity of very knowing Men convince you, that Concord must be in few, and great, and evident things?
Q. 3. Doth not the Experience of all Ages prove it past doubt?
Q. 4. Doth not the Conscience of your own Frailty, and imperfect Knowledge moderate you? Dare you say, That you are not ignorant of plainer and greater things than we suffer about?
Q. 5. Do you not hold, That God must be first obeyed, and none against him? And should not a desire to obey God first be cherished? And do you cherish it, by saying to us, [Though you think it a heinous sin to conform, yet do it, or Suffer for your Dissent?
Q. 6. Was it not an Act of Christ's Wisdom, Mercy and Sovereignty, to make the Baptismal Covenant (which the Church explained by the Creed) to be the Stablished Universal Test and Badge of his Disciples and Church-Members? And did it not seem good to the Holy Ghost, and the Apostles, Acts 15. to Impose only necessary things? And is it not a Condemning, or Contradicting God needlessly, to take a Contrary Course?
Q. 7. Is not Christ's way, and the first Churches, most likely to save the People's Souls, and yours to damn them? For you will confess, that Christ's few evident necessary Conditions of Christianity would save Men, if Bishops and Rulers added no more. But if a multitude more (which you count Lawful) are added, then the Nonconformists to them are in danger of Damnation, for the Crime of Contempt of your Authority: So that consequently you make all your Impositions needful to Salvation, and so make it far harder to be saved, than otherwise it would have been.
Q. 8. What hindereth any debauched Conscience from entering into your Ministry, who dare Say, or Swear anything; while he that feareth an Oath, or a Lie, may be kept out? And against which of these should you more carefully shut the Door?
Q. 9. If Agreement be desirable, Which side may more easily, and at a cheaper rate yield and alter, you or we? If you forbear Imposing an Oath, Subscription, Declaration, or Ceremony, it would not do you a Farthing's-worth of hurt: If we Swear, Subscribe, Declare, Conform, we take ourselves to be heinous and willful sinners against God: You call that Indifferent, which we believe is Sin.
Q. 10. Do you not confess, that you are not Infallible? yea, and subscribe, that General-councils are not; even in matters of Faith? And yet must we subscribe our Assent to every word in these Books, or else be Silenced, or Suffer? Do these well consist?
Q. 11. Dare you deny, that many of your Silenced Brethren Study as hard as you to know the Truth, and have as good Capacity? And are they not as like to be Impartial, who suffer as much by their Judgment, as you gain by yours? Judge but by yourselves. Doth their kind of Interest tempt you more than • our own to partiality?
Q. 12. Is it not gross Uncharitableness, and Usurpation of God's Prerogative, to say, That they do it not out of Conscience, when you have no more from the nature of their Cause, Motives, or Conversation, to warrant such a Censure? And they are ready to take their Oaths, as before God, that were it not for fear of sinning, they would Conform.
Q. 13. Do your Consciences never startle, when you think of Silencing 1800 such Ministers? and depriving so many Thousand Souls of their Ministry? 1 Thess. 2. 15, 16.
Q. 14. Can you hope to make us believe while we dwell in England, that the People's Ignorance and Vice is so far Cured, or the Conformists, for Number and Quality, are so sufficient, without the Nonconformists, that they should rest Silent, on supposition, their Labors are unnecessary?
Q. 15. Is not the loss of a Faithful Teacher, where, through Paucity, or Unqualifyedness of the Conformable, he is necessary, a very great Affliction to the People? And, Do the Innocent Flocks deserve to suffer in their Souls for our Nonconformity?
Q. 16. Could not Men of your great Knowledge find out some other Punishment for us (such as Drunkards, Swearers, Fornicators have) which may not hurt the People's Souls, nor hinder the Preaching of Christ's Gospel?
Q. 17. Seeing at Ordination, we profess, that all things necessary to Salvation are in (or provable by) the Scripture, Do you not confess, that your • nventiunculae are not necessary to Salvation? And is the Nonconformist's Ministry no more necessay?
Q. 18. How say you, That only Christianity is necessary to a Member of the Universal Church, and so much more be necessary to the Members of particular Churches, and the Universal consist of them?
Q. 19. Did any National Church Impose any one Liturgy, or Subscription besides the Creed, or any Oath of Obedience to the Bishops, for 300, 400, 500 years after Christ's Nativity?
Q. 20. Can you Read Rom. 14. and 15, and not believe that it bindeth the Church-Rulers as well as the People?
Q. 21. Did the Ancient Discipline, not enforced by the Sword for 300 years, do less good than yours? Or was any Man Imprison'd or Punish'd by the Sword eo nomine, because Excommunicate, as a Contemner of Church-power in not repenting, for many Hundred years after there were Christian Magistrates?
Q. 22. Hath not the making false Conditions of Communion, and making Unnecessary things necessary thereto, been the way, by which the Papists have Schismatically divided Christians?
Q. 23. Should not Bishops be the most skillful and forward to heal, and the most backward to divide or persecute?
Q. 24. Could you do more to extirpate Episcopacy, than to make it hateful to the People, by making it hurtful?
25. Would you do as you do, if you loved your Neighbor as yourselves, and loved not Superiority?
Q. 26. Were not those, that Gildas called no Ministers, such, as too many now, obtruded on the People? And was not the Case of the Bishops that St. Martin separated from to the Death, like yours, or much fairer?
§. 257. A little after some Great Men of the House of Commons drew up a Bill, as tending to our Healing, to take off our Oaths, Subscriptions and Declarations, except the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance, and Subscriptions to the Doctrine of the Church of England, according to the 13th. of Eliz. But showing it to the said Bshop of Winchester, he caused them to forbear, and broke it: And instead of it he furthered an Act only to take of Assent and Consent, and the Renunciation of the Government; which would have been but a Cunning Snare to make us more remediless and do no good; seeing that the same things with the repeated Clauses would be still by other continued Obligations required, as may be seen in the Canon for Subscription, Act, 2. and in the Oxford -Act, for the Oath, and confining Refusers. And it's credibly averred, that when most of the other Bishops were against even this ensnaring show of abatement, he told them in the House [that had it been but to abate us a Ceremony, he would not have spoken in it: But he knew that we were bound to the same things still, by other Clauses or Obligations, if these were Repealed.]
§. 258. But on Feb. 24. all these things were Suddenly ended, the King early, suddenly, and unexpectedly Proroguing the Parliament till November. Whereby the Minds of both Houses were much troubled, and Multitudes greatly exasperated, and alienated from the Court: Of whom many now saw that the Leading Bishops had been the great Causes of our Distractions; but others hating the Nonconformists more; were still as hot for Prelacy and their Violence as ever.
§. 259. All this while the aspiring sort of Conformists, that looked for Preferment, and the Chaplains that lived in fullness; and other Malignant Factious Clergymen, did Write and Preach to stir up King, Parliament, and others, to Violence and Cruelty, against the Liberty, and blood of the Nonconformists, who lived quietly by them in Labor and Poverty, and meddled not with them, (besides their necessary Dissent. (Some railed at them as the most intolerable Villains in the World; espeically S. Parker (jocularly confuted and detected by Mr. Marvel a Parliament Man,] and one Hickeringhill, and others, came near him in their malignity; And Papists, taking the advantage, set in and did the like. One Wrote, [a Sober Enquiry of the Reasons why the Nonconformable Ministers were still so valued by the People,] (which was their grievous vexation,) And pretended many Causes, I know not whether more malignantly or foolishly, which none could believe but Strangers, and those that were blinded by the Faction, Malignity, or False Reports. One Dr. Asheton, Chaplain to the Duke of Ormond, Wrote a Book, 1. To persuade those to Subscribe who held it lawful, and forbore it only for fear of offending others; falsely insinuating, that this was the Nonconformists Case; when I never knew one Man such among them all to this day. 2. To stir up Rulers to Violence, to Ruin us, persuading them that it is no Persecution: And the Man was not afraid to profess to the World [That as he was going to meet us at the Bar of God, the Reason why so many Subscribed not, was Reputation and Interest, Pride and Covetousness;] And that he might not seem Stark Mad with Malice, in charging Men with Covetousness, that I lost all, and lived so poorly upon the Charity of others (mostly poor themselves,) he giveth you 2 proofs of their covetousness. 1. That by Non-conformity they got Living for their conformable Sons. 2. That they lost notheng by their Non-conformity (as Bishop Gunning also vehemently told me:) words which tell the world that History is no more credible to Posterity, than either the Concent of all Parties, or the notoreity of fact, or the honesty of the Writer, can make it so, by being known as it's evidence: Words which tell you that it's hard to devise words, so false and impudent, beseeming the Devil himself were the speaker, which Carnal Clergy-men may not be drawn with great confidence to utter. For 1. of the 1000, or 2000. Ministers that were Silenced, I have not yet heard of thirty in all, nor of twenty, or twelve yet living, that have Conformable Sons in the Ministry. And of those I know not of one that Conformed by his father's consent, And why should not the father's Conformity be the liker to help his son to a Living than his Non-conformity, when the far greatest part of the Presenters of Patrons are Conformists? And would not covetousness rather make both father and son Conform, that both might have Livings, than the son alone? And do a thousand or 1600 Ministers, that have no Conformable sons in the Ministry, refuse Conformity, that 20, or 40 of other Minister's sons may have Livings? Did I not consider that, among Strangers and Malignants, anything may be believed that is bad, I should think the Devil a fool for playing his game so unskilfully. 2. And that they lose nothing, by losing all their Church maintenance now above eleven years together, is a thing hardly to be believed by their poor families, or neighbors, who know that many go in rags and want bread, and even in London, more than one have lately died of Colds and Diseases, contracted by poverty and want of the necessary Comforts of Life. And it is a wonder of God's mercy, and the honor of charitable People, especially in London, that it is not so with a very great number of them.
§. 260. This Malignity inviteth me once more to recite my own case: I have lost not only the Bishopric which they offered me by Non-conformity, but all Ministerial maintenance these eleven years now near 24. years in 1684. I have these eleven years Preached for nothing: I know not to my remembrance that I have received a groat, as for Preaching these eleven years, but what I have returned (unless I may call about the sum of ten pounds which some persons gave me on particular occasions, and 35 lb. which three gave gave me in the Jail to defray my Prison-charges, by that name, or ten pounds per Ann. which Sergeant Fountain gave me till he died, to whom I never Preached, nor was it on that account) only four pounds I received for Preaching the Merchant's Lecture, and 6 lb. more was offered me as my due, and some offered me somewhat after a year's Preaching at Mr. Turner 's Church: but I sent it every penny back to them, and resolved (while it is as it is) to take no money for my Preaching. 1. Because I preach but in other men's Churches, to people that maintain other Ministers already, 2. Because I want not, but have to give, when multitudes are in great necessity. 3. Because I will be under no temptation by dependence or obligation which may hinder me from dealing plainly with Dissenters and Offenders. 4. Because I perceive that, when men's purses are sought to, it tempteth many to question whether we sincerely seek the good of their Souls. On all which Accounts & not (I think) from proud disdain, I have so long refused money for preaching. And whereas they say how much I receive for my printed books, I again at this year 1674. profess that having printed about 70. Books, no one Lord, Knight, or any person to whom (as it's called) any of them were Dedicated or inscribed, ever offered me a groat, save the City of Coventry and the Lady • ous, each a piece of Plate of about 4 lb. value: And whereas the fifeenth Book printed is my due from the Bookseller, which I use, for almost all of them, to give my friends, which amounteth to many thousands, I remember not that everyone person, noble or ignoble offered me one groat to this day, for any book I gave them. And I mention all this, because I am not capable of confuting the malicious calumniators by distant instances so well as by my own case; But yet that the Readers may partly conjecture, at the case of many of my Brethren, by my own: who yet never received a groat from my Inheritance or Patrimony (my poor kindred having much more than all:) Were not malice impudent, these Apologies were needless, for men, that the world seeth are turned out of all. Yea we ourselves pay constantly to the maintenance of the Conformable Ministers, though we have no part ourselves.
And I can truly say that I have offered money to my old acquaintance, who live silenced in a very poor and hard condition, who have stiffly refused it because they thought it unlawful while they had Bread and Drink, to take money while many of their Brethren were in greater need.
And at the same time while these envious Preachers cried out against our Preaching, and persuaded men how fully we were maintained, they labored for Laws to increase their settled maintenance, and some of them in my hearing Preached how miscrable a case the Clergy were in, were they left to the people's kindness and bounty: And yet proclaim our fullness, who are left to the kindness of those few (who also pay fully their Tythes to the Parish Ministers) who, these Envyers say, are but the smaller and poorer sort in the Land; which comparatively is true, (though by this time I think the far greatest part are grown into dislike with the present Prelates, who yet cleave to their Church.) And if their noble, rich, and numerous followers would leave them in want, were they left to their Charity, it seems they take their Church to consist of men much more covetous, and less Religious and liberal than our few poor men.
§. 261. The Lord's day, before the Parliament was dissolved, one of these Prelatists Preached to them to persuade them that we are obstinate, and not to be tolerated, nor cured by any means, but Vengeance, urging them to set Fire to the Fagot, and teach us by Scourges or Scorpions, and open our eyes with Gall. Yet none of these men will procure us leave to publish, or offer to Authority the Reasons of our Non-conformity. But this is not the first proof that a carnal, worldly, proud, ungodly Clergy, who never were serious in their own professed belief, nor felt the power of what they Preach, have been, in most Ages of the Church, its greatest plague, and the greatest hinderers of Holiness and Concord by making their formalities and Ceremonies the test of Holiness, and their Worldly Interest and Domination the only cement of Concord: And O how much hath Satan done against Christ's Kingdom in the World, by setting up Pastors and Rulers over the Churches, to fight against Christ in his own name and livery, and to destroy piety and peace, by a pretence of promoting them!
§. 262. This foresaid Preacher brings to my remembrance a Silenced Minister who heard the Sermon, Mr. John Humphrey, a man not strait and factious in Doctrine, Government or Worship, as his Books show for the middle way, about Election, Justification, &c. and his former Writings, for giving the Lord's Supper to the Ungodly to convert them, and his own Reordination, and writing for Reordination: The former Sessions of Parliamen he printed a sheet for Concord, by restoring some silenced Ministers, and tolerating others, for which he was Imprisoned (as was Dr. Ludovicus Molinaeus M. D. Son to old Peter for writing his Patronus against the Prelatists: but delivered by the Common Act of Pardon. And this Session the said Mr. Humphrey again printed another sheet, and put it into the hands of many Parliament men; which though slighted, and frustrate by the Prorogation of the House, yet I think hath so much reason in it, that I shall here annex it, though it speak not at all to the righteousness of our Cause and the Reasons of our Non-conformity, that the Reader may see upon what Terms we stood: But the truth is, when we were once contrived into the Parliament's Inquisition and persecution, it was resolved that we should be saved by the King or not at all; and that Parliaments and Laws should be our Tormenters, and not our Deliverers anymore.
Mr. John Humphrey's Papers given to the Parliament-Men.
Terence.
IT hath pleased his Majesty by several gracious Overtures to commend a Union of his Protestant Subject to the consideration of a Parliament. A design full of all Princely Wisdom, Honesty, and Goodness. In this Atchievement there is a double Interest (I apprehend) to be distinguished and weighed; that of Religion itself, and that of the Nation. The advance of Religion doth consist much in the Unity of its Professors, both in Opinion and Practice, to be of one Mind, and one Heart, and one way (in Discipline and Worship) so far as may be according to the Scriptures. The advance of the Nation does lie in the freedom and flourishing of Trade, and uniting the whole Body in the common Benefit, and dependence on the Government. The one of these bespeaks an Established Order and Accommodation; the other bespeaks Indulgence, Liberty of Conscience, or to eration. For while People are in danger about Religion, we dare not launch out into Trade (say they) but we must keep our Moneys, being we know not into what straits we shall be driven; and when, in reference to their Party, they are held under severity, it is easy for those, who are designing Heads, to mould them into Wrath and Faction; which, without that occasion, will melt, and dissolve itself into bare Dissent of Opinion, peaceably rejoicing under the Enjoyment of Protection.