The Mischief of Impositions, Section 9
SECTION IX. A conſideration of thoſe Aſſertions of the Doctor. If Communion with the Church be lawful it will in time be judged a duty. And, If occaſional Communion, be lawful, its hard to underſtand that conſtant Communion ſhould not be a duty.
I Find the Doctor ever, and anon inſinuating that what is lawful to be done, upon ſome account or other ought to be done: Which if it be univerſally true, will take away the difference between merely lawful, and neceſſary, at leaſt as to uſe and practice, ſince it implies that whatever is lawful may be made conſtantly and fixedly a duty: If it were only aſſerted that what is merely lawful might through a concurrence of circumſtances pro hic & nunc, become a duty, as it would do this cauſe no ſervice, ſo neither would it meet with our oppoſition: But to be thus laid down in general without further explication, needs a little conſideration, and ſo in this caſe, that which otherwiſe had been but lawful, will be incumbent on me as my duty. Two expreſſions I find worthy our Notice:
1. I do not queſtion but in time if they find it (Communion in prayers and Sacraments) lawful, they will judge it to be their duty. Now becauſe we have ever thought that what was lawful and merely ſo, ſtood in the midſt between ſinful and neceſſary; forbidden, and Commanded, it deſerves ſome care and pains to dive into the Myſtery of it, how, or why theſe lawfulls may become determined to one ſide of their extremes or termes, between which they formerly ſtood neuters. And by what we can gather from his diſcourſe, it muſt be one of theſe things.
1. That whatever we judge lawful to be done in any caſe, for peace ſake will become a duty to be alwayes done. For he tells us, p. 31. 32. There's nothing Chriſt and his Apoſtles have charged more upon the Conſciences of Chriſtians, then ſtudying to preſerve peace and unity among Chriſtians: To which pupoſe the Doctor quotes us ſeveral places of Scripture, which it is needleſs here to repeat, ſeeing none ever yet denied the ſtudy of peace to be a very great, and manifeſt duty. But if it be charg'd on the Conſciences of all Chriſtians to ſtudy to preſerve peace: We hope they find the charge upon their Conſciences alſo, for they are Chriſtians. Have they then ſtudyed the things that make for peace? I mean not their own, but the peace of all the Chriſtians in the Nation: A little ſtudy would have diſcovered the means, had they been as they pretend ſuch paſſionate Lovers of the end. What expedients have they then found out by all their ſtudy, or what expedients will they accept that others have ſtudied, and found out, to releive and procure peace ſo far as its loſt? to preſerve peace ſo far as it yet remaines? and to further peace ſo far as it may be attainable in the Imperfect ſtate of this life? what will they part with to purchaſe it? will they ſtep over one ſtraw? remove one ſtumbling block that lies in the way of it? will they wave the leaſt of their pretenſions? or condeſcend to others in the ſmalleſt of their deſires? will they promiſe to reforme our Rubrick, that one Rule for finding out Eaſter for ever, when it would not find it out for, but proved it ſelf Erroneous in, almoſt half ſeven years? will they forbear to exact our Aſſent and conſent to a known falſhood for that excellent thing, which they ſo much predicate, Peace? The matter is ſlight! yet if an Error, they can more eaſily forgoe it then we avow it: we know not why we ſhould tell the ſmalleſt lie for peace, if they will not part with one: Nay tell us what thing ſo Inconſiderate, ſo minute, which all our humble Petitions for peace, could procure the relaxation of? And yet th…ſe are the Men that boaſt themſelves highly of their burning zeal for peace! To be an Advocate for peace, is an office of good credit, but I cannot tell what to think on't, when I am preſſed ſo earneſtly and heartily to feed luſtily on that D…ſh, of which my Inviter will not taſte: but the Doctor and the Reader will expect other Anſwers, and that whatever becomes of others we do clear our ſelves: 1. Then, we will acknowledge that what we can lawfully do, we ought to do for peace ſake, when peace will certainly be obtained from them, by doing what we can lawfully do: but if the doing all we lawfully can, will not be accepted as the condition of peace, to what end ſhould we ſtretch our ſelves, and ſtraine our uttermoſt powers to reach that which can never be reacht? I will part with much of my right, deny my ſelf in what I may lawfully do, to buy my peace at the hands of a vexatious Neighbour; but if all that I can lawfully do will not purchaſe it, Its better ſaved than ill ſpent: For an Indifferent thing, that becomes good, as it tends to a good end, will yet be no good thing again, but return into its old box of Indifferents, when it tends not to that good end: Nay that which is in its general nature a duty, as relating to ſuch an excellent end, yet ceaſes to be a duty, nay becomes a ſin, when its applied to no ſuch end: An oath is a part of worſhip, and ſo far a duty; the end of an aſſertory Oath is to put an end to Controverſies, to procure peace among men: but if an Oath of that ſort be uſed where it cannot put an end to the controverſy, it becomes ſinful, as taking the name of God in vain. 2. We acknowledge that what we lawfully can do for peace ſake, that we ought to do: But withal we affirm that we actually do it, and do it as our duty to; for ſuppoſe I find it lawful in general to hear a ſound pious Conformable Miniſter preach the Goſpel; when circumſtances meet together to call me out to go, I do it under the ſtrict Notion of duty: And they that find it lawful to Communicate in the prayers, and Sacraments, and the Church, do judge they are doing a duty in ſuch communion: There muſt then be ſomething elſe that the Doctor would have, if we could get out the ſecret; which his next Magiſterial aſſertion perhaps may diſcover: 3. They that judge it lawful, nay their duty to hold Communion with the Church, in prayer and Sacraments, yet neither think it their duty nor lawful to joyne with one Church to deprive them of the lawfulneſs, and duty of joyning with other Churches: leaſt whilſt they preſs after poſitive duty, they ſhould neglect a Comparative duty: for ſeeing they judge it a duty to joyne with the parochial Churches for peace ſake, and to joyne with others Churches alſo for the ſame end, they ſhew a more true and Catholick Spirit for a general peace amongſt all Chriſtians, then they whoſe Narrow ſtraight laced Souls, only deſigne a peace within the limits of their own Conſtitutions. And, 4. If it be true, that what we may lawfully do without ſin, we ought to do as our duty; why may not others turn the inference thus; That ſeeing its lawful to joyn with the ſeparate Churches without the guilt of ſchiſm, it will be a duty alſo ſo to joyn: for theſe that think the one lawful, think the other lawful alſo: and as the argument holds on one ſide, it will hold on the other with equal force. Nay, 5. With more; for thoſe perſons againſt whom this argument is brought from their own judgment of the lawfulneſs of joyning, do judge it a more clear caſe that its lawful to joyn with thoſe other meetings, which are more near the word of God, in worſhip and diſcipline, and where the dubious Conditions of Communion are not found to raiſe ſcruples about the lawfulneſs of Communion with them, which in other places cannot but ſometimes occur. Nor will thoſe external, accidental advantages, which one ſide has got above the other vary the caſe, ſeeing 'tis the intrinſick merits of the cauſe, that conſcience regards in forming a right judgement about its duty. And let thus much ſerve for an Anſwer.
(2.) Yet I rather think, there's a further meaning in his words, which we poor heedleſs, ſleepy Creatures little dream of: I do not queſtion, but in time, if they find it lawful they will judge it to be their duty. In time? yes! all in good time? that is, when they have preacht up the Magiſtrate to a due height for perſecution; and alarm'd the Nation with another Presbyterian Plot; or retrieved that of Ax-yard, and the Meal-Tub; when they have rallied up the whole Legion of Informers, and once more given us a ſpecimen of eccleſiaſtical Grace in driving us out of our houſes into priſons, then is the time, when we ſhall all find it a duty to conform. I have no great Reaſon to be confident of my ſelf, and, I hope, I know my own heart a little better than to truſt it, nor can I tell whether one terrour may not make me think that Lawful, which I never ſo thought before, and the next make me think it a duty; a man is ready enough to ſtretch his Conſcience rather than an halter; there's no ſuch feeling conviction, like that of the Statute; nine and fifty dull arguments and one ſharp ſword, will create a good title to the ſeventeen Provinces: It may be then in time we ſhall find it a duty, that is, a duty not to God, or our Conſciences, but to our Carcaſſes, and other duty upon this account is not yet diſcovered.
(3) But the moſt probable intendment of this Paradox is: That if we find ſuch Communion lawful, the intervening authority of the Magiſtrate will turn the ſcale, and make it a duty: To this I ſhall not need to ſay much, becauſe ſo far as we judge Communion lawful before the Command of the Magiſtrate, ſo far we do judge it to be a duty under due circumſtances, and no further can we judge it to be either lawful or a duty, when the Magiſtrates command has had its moſt operative influence, either upon the things themſelves, or our Conſciences, yet theſe things we take to be clear. 1. That where Communion with the Church would have been ſinful under all its circumſtances, no command of the Magiſtrate can make it lawful. 2. That no command of the Magiſtrate can diſcharge a Chriſtian from that duty which he owes his proper Paſtor, or that particular Church whereof he is a member according to Gods Word. 3. That the Magiſtrate has power from God to enforce all his Chriſtian ſubjects to live peaceably among themſelves, and puniſh them that do otherwiſe, but not to deſtroy that for which Peace is deſirable, namely the leading a quiet and ſecure life in all godlineſs and honeſty, for he is the Miniſter of God to us for our good, and not for our ruine, 13 Rom. 4.
§ 2. A ſecond uncouth paſſage of the Doctors is that of page 56. Its hard to underſtand if occaſional Communion be lawful; that conſtant Communion ſhould not be a duty: I perceive he is ſomewhat hard of underſtanding, eſpecially of thoſe things that he has no mind to. In the former diſcourſe he argues from the lawfulneſs of Communion to the neceſſity: but here alſo from occaſional to conſtant Communion. To which confident aſſertion of his we Oppoſe this, Occaſional communion with a particular Church may be lawful, when yet conſtant fixed ſtated Communion may not be a duty: which we prove. 1. From their own Doctrines and practiſes. Their Canons have made it the duty of every individual member of their Church, to hold conſtant Communion with his own pariſh Church and Teacher, and yet they allow occaſional Communion with other pariſh Churches. A journey will make occaſional Communion with a remote Congregation lawful, but they will hardly perſwade us that they can make it our duty, to take ſuch journeys in order to ſuch communion: If the great Bell rings at the next pariſh to a Lecture Sermon, or chimes all in to Divine Service, when we have none of thoſe at home, 'tis lawful to take the occaſion without coming under a conſtant obligation to it: The diſſenters crave the ſame equity; they ſay they are under an obligation ordinarily, fixedly, ſtatedly, conſtantly to worſhip God in thoſe congregations whereof they are members, they ſay they can readily joyn with other congregations as they have opportunity, but they cannot admit the inference, that becauſe they may occaſionally that therefore they muſt conſtantly practiſe it: becauſe Acts of worſhip have a larger extent then Church relation; thoſe may be performed and yet theſe remain ſacred, and inviolate. 2. Some conforming Miniſters and Chriſtians judge it lawful to hold communion occaſionally with the diſſenters, in prayer and preaching, what a rare argument has the Dr. furniſht us with to prove it their conſtant duty; and from once hearing lawfully, to prove it an incumbent duty to hear them for ever. 3. It may be lawful occaſionally to ſtep in, and hear a very weak preacher, perhaps one that is vicious in his life, or unfound in ſome points of Doctrine, when we can hear no other, will it follow that we are bound, or that any power on earth can bind us to hear ſuch conſtantly, when God has made better proviſion for our ſouls, and we want only grace to accept it. 4. How many have judg'd it lawful to go to a play or the Chappel at Sommerſethouſe, occaſionally, who yet think that twenty Acts of Parliament cannot make either of them a conſtant duty. 5. And how unwilling are moſt men to be argued into duty from the meer lawfulneſs of the thing; The Dr. thinks it lawful to reſign one of his preferments to ſome worthy perſon that has none, and yet his own argument will hardly convince him 'tis his duty: It ſeems very lawful for him that is almoſt melted with two coats to part with one to his brother thats almoſt naked, and yet we deſpair of ſucceſs in thus arguing with him: Nay it were well if ſome men would be perſwaded that plain duty, when it croſſes worldly intereſt is duty, and we ſhould the better bear with them in denying every thing lawful to be duty. And, 6. If all lawful things may be converted into duty, and what is occaſionally indifferent, may be turn'd into conſtant neceſſity, then farewel Chriſtian liberty, and let man hereafter eternally mourn, or dance to the Muſick of his fetters.