The Mischief of Impositions, Chapter 13
SECT. XIII. The Doctors Pacquet of Advices, Adviſed upon; with ſome humble Advice to himſelf and others. The Concluſion.
THE Advice to thoſe in Communion with the Church, was ſhort and ſweet, but the Diſſenters ſhall now have it by Wincheſter meaſure.
§. 1. And firſt we are adviſed, Not to give encouragement to raſh and intemperate zeal. We thankfully take his advice, and humbly return our own; Not to give encouragement to raſh and intemperate Railing; whether he gave, or his ſucceſſor took without his giving, any encouragement, to let fly at Meroz, to vomit up a whole Pulpitful of Gall, we muſt no determine; but if the quatuor tempora, four times a year, or ſo, would ſerve their turn to revile us, we could be content; but this intemperate railing grows very tedious. That Gregory Nazianzen ſeldom ſaw any good end of Councils, we eaſily believe, and have therefore the leſs hope of Convocations; for my part, I obſerved nothing more in the Nation, than an univerſal tendency to mutual love and forbearance, till that of late ſome fearing we ſhould be too happy, beat up the Pulpit-drums to awaken drowſie perſecution.
§. 2. He adviſes us not to be always complaining of our hardſhips and perſecutions. That's, I confeſs, ſomewhat a hard chapter, to be always forced, and never allow'd to complain: Let them either take away the cauſe of Complaint, or our ſenſe of the Cauſe; and we ſhall either not need the advice, or quickly take it. To vent inward griefs in outward expreſſions, is ſome little relief to an oppreſſed heart, that muſt either breath or break: but thus paſſionate Mothers ſometimes whip the child till it cryes, and then whip it for crying: which a blunt great man once expreſt in more ſlovenly phraſe; To beat a Dog till he ſtinks, and then beat him for ſtinking: which had never offended the Readers ears, if the Doctor comparing the Separators to Dogs, p. 7, 8. had not warranted the Decency of the expreſſion.
Nor yet do we always complain of our hardſhips, nor with uncivil reflexions, nor at all of our Prince, in whom we might be compleatly happy, if ſome Inſinuators did not intercept his Royal Propenſities to Grace and Mercy.
How eaſie is it for them that are at eaſe, to read Lectures of patience to thoſe in miſery! thus we adviſe the poor ſick patient to patience, and gravely reprove his ſighs and groanings. Omnes Conſilium facilè aegrotis damus. And thus the keepers of the Inquiſition pity their wretched priſoners; telling them they do ill to complain of their hard fare, ſince a ſpare diet is more for the health of them that want air and exerciſe: thus did Julian anſwer the complaints of the Chriſtians, That he had taken away nothing from them, but what was a hindrance to their ſpiritual race; and now they might more eaſily thruſt in at the narrow gate, when he had ſtript them of the worlds cumber: but to pinch us, and then command us not to feel, is to chew the bullet, that the wound may be more incurable, the anguiſh more intolerable. We will not ſay with Job, chap. 16. v. 4. If your ſoul were in our ſouls ſtead we could heap up words againſt you; but this we may, that ſeeing he will neither allow us to lay down our burthens, nor complain of them, we will allow our ſelves to complain of our ſins, and when we are diſcharg'd of thoſe, we ſhall bear other loads the better.
§. 3. We have this Advice, Not to condemn others for what we our ſelves have practiſed, and think to be lawful. 'Tis good counſel. Nor do we remember that ever we perſecuted our brethren for non-compliance with our inventions; nor, that we know of, did we ever ſilence two thouſand Miniſters at one clap for ſcrupling our modes of worſhip. The heats and animoſities of Brethren ought to be bewailed, not imitated; and though they have not ſilenced each other for trifles, yet the wiſe God to take down their ſtomacks has choſen they ſhould ſuffer by others hands and not their own.
But the Doctor turns his Advice into Accuſation, and draws up a Charge againſt the ſeveral ſorts of Diſſenters from their own practices.
(1) And firſt he muſt be ſuppoſed to begin with the Presbyterians: Who contend even at this day for the obligation of a Covenant, which binds men to endeavour after uniformity in Doctrine, Diſcipline, and Worſhip. I will add the words following,—according to the word of God, and the example of the beſt Reformed Churches. And will they condemn the Doctor for ſuch a Covenant? Ʋniformity they plead for; and Ʋniformity they plead againſt, and yet without any ſhew of contradiction; for it's another Uniformity they plead for, than that they plead againſt. If T. G. had adviſed the Doctor not to condemn the Papiſts for what he himſelf practiſes; not to condemn them for worſhipping God, when he worſhips the ſame God; his anſwer had been ready: we worſhip, and you worſhip the ſame God, but not with the ſame worſhip. And ſo from his own anſwer he might have anſwer'd himſelf. The great rule we own is this: In neceſſariis unitas, in Adiaphoris libertas, in utriſ que charitas. Let unity (and if you will Ʋniformity) be kept in neceſſaries; in non-neceſſaries, liberty; in both, charity.
(2) The Independents muſt have a touch too, for their ſeverity in New England, where, as he ſays, They made it no leſ… than baniſhment for the Anabaptiſts to ſet up other Churches among them: That is, they baniſht them to their own homes in Old England; we deſire we may ſuffer no worſe baniſhment here. But yet the news is very bad if it be true; but we ſuſpect all ſtories from thence ever ſince the great Archdeacon licenſed the Legend of one Mr. Baxter baptized in his own blood by the Anabaptiſts there, for which his Doctorſhip came upon the ſtool of repentance; but ſuppoſing the information true, he muſt firſt weigh all the circumſtances of it, before he can juſtly condemn them, and then ſhow that we have practiſed the ſame thing we condemn in others.
(3) He has a fling at the Quakers too: Who notwithſtanding the ſingle independency of every mans light within, have found it neceſſary to make rules and orders among themſelves to govern their ſocieties, to which they expect an uniform obedience, and allow no liberty out of the Power and the Truth. And let them expect it, ſo long as they do not exact it: I am confident thoſe perſons will not condemn the Clergy for their higheſt expectations, if they would forbear their rigid exactions. I ſee then plainly ſome mens dealings are harder than their arguments: Ʋniformity may be good; who impoſes it, is not much conſiderable, all the controverſie lyes, what the matter of which it muſt conſiſt, what the rules by which it muſt be enjoined, ought to be.
§. 4. His next advice is, Not to inflame the peoples heats by making their differences with the Church of England to appear greater than they are. They that complain of other mens heats, ought to cool their own; but thus the Torrid Zone may ſend a Pacquet of Advice to the Temperate, not to inflame the peoples heats. They that make the differences, not they that make 'em appear, are the dividers; nor have we made 'em appear greater than they are, though ſome have made 'em greater than they need be: If we preach this Doctrine to the people, that the Pariſh-Churches are true Churches, they will never believe us, ſo long as they believe the Doctor, That one Church, one Altar, one Baptiſtry, and one Biſhop (in his ſenſe) were of the ſame extent and latitude; and all the reſt but Occaſional Meetings, pag. 27. and if we ſhould preach to them, that if Occaſional Communion be lawful, conſtant communion will be a duty, they would but laugh at us, and perhaps we ſhould ſmile a little at our ſelves: That the Diſſenters have (as the Doctor ſays) ſome little intereſts of their own, is very true; little, very little intereſts they are, but if he will thence conclude, they prefer 'em before the honour of Chriſt, and the peace of the Church, he may give proof of his great underſtanding, but not his conſcience. In the mean time the Doctor might have done well to ſuſpect his own great intereſts in the world, before he had reflected on their little ones.
§. 5. Another branch of his Advice, is, Not to harbor, or foment unreaſonable jealouſies in peoples minds concerning us: i. e. That we are not hearty and ſincere in the Proteſtant Cauſe. To this I only ſay, I ſhall never hereafter entertain one thought that the Church of England is marching towards Popery; for ſince I read this Sermon, and the definition of the Church of England therein, I deſpair of ever knowing who or what the Church of England is. Pope Pius the fifth uſed to ſay, when he was a Biſhop, he was pretty ſure, when a Cardinal he began to doubt, but when Pope he abſolutely deſpaired of his ſalvation. I have ſometimes thought it eaſie, of late I found it hard, but now I ſee it impoſſible to underſtand this ſecret. As for his advice we do thankfully accept it, and ſhall not harbour or foment one unreaſonable, if they will be ſure not to give in reaſonable ſuſpicions of their inclinations that way. And we do humbly intreat them to give us no more grounds for our jealouſies than they needs muſt; for if they do, though we may be ſo modeſt as not to foment them in others, it will be difficult not to harbour them in our ſelves. For if whilſt they cry out we are all undone for want of unity, they continue the impediments which obſtruct it; and when they thunder againſt ſeparation, they continue the cauſe of it: If they ſpeak hard words againſt Popery, and give harder blows to Proteſtancy both at home and abroad; or if whilſt they give the Papiſts a gentle fillip, they reach diſſenting Proteſtants a ſound rap; if they will ſtill proceed to repreſent all but themſelves as ſilly in their Principles, ſeditious in their practiſes, and diſloyal in their deſigns; we may perhaps perſwade the people to ſay little, but they will pay it with thinking.
§. 6. Laſtly, He concludes with this Advice, Not to run the hazard of all for a ſhew of greater liberty to our ſelves. This advice may be wholſome for ought we know, and we may take it when we underſtand it. At preſent we know not what we have worth the keeping, if our Conſciences be once loſt. If he intends we ſhould not hazard ſubſtances for ſhews, we ſhall hearken as far as we may; but if he means we ſhould not be wrought upon by the Papiſts to petition or endeavour a general Toleration, his advice is already taken, and ſo becomes our praiſe: we have not done it, we ſhall not do it, though their continued provocations and perſecutions tempt us daily to it; and ſome are ready to ſay, What matters it by whom we are undone, if we muſt be undone? but it's very wonderful that wiſe men can yet ſee no difference between a little moderation, and univerſal toleration; nor can diſtniguiſh between the toleration of Idolatry, and forbearing two or three Ceremonies. An univerſal Toleration (ſays the Doctor) is like the Trojan horſe which brings in our enemies without being ſeen. It was well rymed however, becauſe Toleration of Popery will bring in our enemies moſt viſibly. No! it's ſecret connivence, under hand encouragement, that brings 'em in, in Maſquerade, which open toleration would bring in bare-faced and naked. The Doctor is afraid leſt by ſetting their gates wide enough open to let in all their friends, they ſhould bring in their enemies. Such are the wiſe Notions that Kirk-ſtateſmen have in their heads, to ſhut out their friends for fear of letting in their enemies, when they can come in foreign, and can pick the locks of Oaths, Teſts, Subſcriptions, by a Papal diſpenſation. Let then the Gates be well watcht, the horſes belly well ſearcht, the Doli fabricator Ʋlyſſes, the great Engineer of the Intrigue well examined, and old Father Sinon not ſuffered to equivocate with good King Priam, Trojd que adhuc ſtabit, Priami que arx alta manebit?
As I abhor cruelty towards all men upon the ſole account of Religion, ſo ſhall I never plead for Indulgence to any, who diſcredit Religion with ſuch practices, or mix it with ſuch Principles as diſturb Government, and deſtroy the ends of all ſociety; the Magiſtrate is the Peace-keeper, and is intruſted by God to ſuppreſs and puniſh the violaters of it. Nor do I fear what advantage the Romaniſts would get upon us by that Connivence which they enjoy, if their Temporal hopes from a worldly intereſt were leſs, and their fears of being brought to condign puniſhment for their Treaſons were greater; and they might have been paſt the hopes of the one, and the fear of the other, if ſome of our Clergy-men had not unſeaſonably (and ſome ſay unreaſonably) inſiſted upon certain Imaginary priviledges to the obſtructing of the Juſtice of the Nation. But if folly be ſuch a catching diſeaſe, the only antidote will be to teach 'em more wiſdom. If boldneſs in Religion, give our enemies advantage, let not prudent zeal be diſcouraged. If contentions will do 'em ſuch great ſervice, remove their cauſes, by following the Rule, not as the Dr. has warp't it, but as the Apoſtle left it, to walk by the Canon of the Word ſo far as we have attained; and if any man be otherwiſe minded, to leave him to Gods inſtruction, and wait till he ſhall reveal his mind farther unto him.