Account of the Causes of Being Forbidden to Preach, Letter
RICHARD BAXTER HIS ACCOUNT To his dearly beloved, the Inhabitants OF KIDDER MINSTER, Of the causes of his being forbidden by the Bishop of WORCESTER to preach within his Diocess.
WITH▪ The Bishop of WORCESTER'S Letter in Answer thereunto.
AND Some short Animadversions upon the said Bishops LETTER.
LONDON, Printed Anno Dom. 1660.
To my dearly beloved the Inhabitants of the Burrough and Parish of Kederminster in Worcester-shire.
AS I never desired any greater preferment in this world, than to have continued in the work of my Ministry among you, so I once thought my dayes would have been ended in that desired station: But we are unmeet to tell God how he shall dispose of us; or to foreknow what changes he intends to make. Though you are low in the world, and have not the Riches which cause mens estimation with the most, I see no probability that we should have been separated till death, could I but have obtained leave to preach for nothing.
But being forbidden to preach the Gospel in that Diocesse, I must thankfully take the liberty which shall anywhere else be vouchsafed me. And while I may enjoy it, I take it not for my duty to be over querulour, though the wound that is made by my separation from you be very deep. And though to strangers it will seem probable that such severity had never been exercised against me, but for some heynous crime, yet to you that have known me, I shall need to say but little in my defence. The great crime which is openly charged on me, and for which I am thought unworthy to preach the Gospel, (even where there is no other to preach) is a matter that you are unacquainted with, and therefore, as you have heard me publikely accused of it, I am bound to redder you such an account as is necessary to your just information and satisfaction.
It pleased the Kings Majesty, (in the prosecution of his most Christian resolution, of uniting his differing subjects by the way of mutual approaches and abatements) to grant a Commission to twelve Bishops and nine assistances on the one side, and to one Bishop and eleven other Divines and nine assistants on the other side, to treat about such alterations of the Liturgy, as are necessary to the satisfying of tender Consciences, and to the restoring of unity and reace. My experiences in a former Treaty (for Reconciliation in matter of Discipline) made me intreat those to whom the nomination on the one side was committed, to excuse me from the service which I knew would prove troublesome to my self, and ungrateful to others; but I could not prevail. (But the Work it self, I very much approved, as to be done by fitter and more acceptable persons.) Being commanded by the Kings Commission, I took it to be my duty to be faithful, and to plead for such Alterations as I knew were necessary to the assigned ends; thinking it to be treachery to his Majesty that entrusted us, and to the Church and Cause for which we were entrusted, if under pretence of making such Alterations as were necessary to the two forementioned ends, I should have silently yield to have \[No Alterations\] or \[next to none.\] In the conclusion (when the chief work was done by writing) a Committee of each part, was appointed to manage a Disputation in prefence (by writing also.) Therein those of the other part formed an Argument, whose Major proposition was to this sense (for I have no copy) \[Whatsoever book enjoyneth nothing but what is of it self lawfal, and by lawful authority, enjoyneth nothing that is sinful:\] We denied this proposition; and at last gave divers Reasons of our denyal; among which one was that \[It may be unlawful by Accident, and therefore sinful\] You now know my crime; It is my concurring with learned▪ reverend Brethren, to give this Reason of our denyal of a proposition: Yet they are not forbidden to preach for it, (and I hope shall not be▪) but only I. You have publikely heard, from a mouth that should speak nothing but the words of Charity, Truth, and Sobernesse, (especially there) that this was \[a desperate shift that men at the last extremity are forced to\] and inferring \[that then neither God nor Man can enjoyn without sin.\] In City and Country this soundeth forth to my reproach. I should take it for an act of clemency to have been smitten professedly for nothing, and that it might not have been thought necessary to afflict me by a defamation, that so I might seem justly afflicted by a prohibition to preach the Gospel. But indeed is there in these words of ours so great a crime? Though we doubted not but they knew that our Assertion made not Every evil accident, to be such as made an Imposition unlawful, yet we exprest this by word to them at that time, for fear of being misreported; and I told it to the Right Reverend Bishop when he forbad me to preach, and gave this as a reason: And I must confesse I am still guilty of so much weaknesse, as to be confident that some things not evil of themselves, may have Accidents so evil, as may make it a sin to him that shall command them. Is this opinion inconsistent with all Government? Yea I must confesse my self guilty of so much greater weaknesse; as that I thought I should never have found a man on earth, that had the ordinary reason of a man, that had made question of it; yea I shall say more then that which hath offended, viz. that whenever the commanding or forbidding of a thing indifferent is like to occasion more hurt than good, and this may be foreseen, the commanding or forbidding it is a sin. But yet this is not the Assertion that I am chargeable with, but that \[some Accidents there may be that make the Imposition sinful;\] If I may ask it without accusing others, how would my crime have been denominated if I had said the contrary? Should I not have been judged unmeet to live in any Governed society? It is not unlawfull of it self to command out a Navy to Sea: But if it were foreseen that they would fall into the enemies hands, or were like to perish by any accident, and the necessity of sending them were small, or none, it were a sin to send them, It is not of it self unlawful to sell poyson, or to give a knife to another, or to bid another do it: but if it were foreseen that they will be used to poyson or kill the buyer, it is unlawful, and I think the Law would make him believe it that were guilty. It is not of it self unlawful to light a Candle or set fire on a straw; But if it may be foreknown, that by anothers negligence or wilfulnesse, it is like to set fire on the City, or to give fire on a train and store of Gunpowder, that is under the Parliament House, when the King and Parliament are there: I crave the Bishops pardon, for believing that it were sinful to doe it, or command it: Yea or not to hinder it (in any such case,) when Qui non vetat peccare cum potest, jubet. Yea though going to Gods publike worship be of it self so far from being a sin, as that it is a duty, yet I think it is a sin to command it to all in time of a raging pestilence, or when they should be defending the City against the assault of an enemy. It may rather be then a duty to prohibite it. I think Paul spake not any thing inconsistent with the Government of God or Man, when he bid both the Rulers and people of the Church, not to destroy him with their meat for whom Christ dyed: and when he saith that he hath not his Power to destruction, but to Edification. Yea there are Evil Accidents of a thing not evil of it self, that are caused by the Commander: and it is my opinion▪ that they may prove his command unlawful.
But what need I use any other Instances then that which was the matter of our dispute? Suppose it never so lawful of it self to kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament, if it be imposed by a penalty that is incomparably beyond the proportion of the offence, that penalty is an Accident of the command, and maketh it by accident sinful in the Commander: If a Prince should have Subjects so weak as that all of them thought it a sin against the example of Christ, and the Canons of the general Councils, and many hundred years practice of the Church to kneel in the act of Receiving on the Lords day, if he should make a Law that all should be put to death that would not kneel, when he foreknew that their consciences would command them all, or most of them, to die rather than obey, would any man deny this command to be unlawful by this accident? Whether the penalty of ejecting Ministers that dare not put away all that kneel, and of casting out all the people that scruple it, from the Church, be too great for such a circumstance, (and so in the rest,) and whether this, with the lamentable state of many Congregations, and the divisions that will follow, being all foreseen, do prove the Impositions unlawful which were then in question, is a case that I had then a clearer call to speak to, then I have now. Only I may say that the ejection of the servants of Christ from the Communion of the Church, and of his faithful Ministers from their sacred work, when too many Congregations have none but insufficient or scandalous teachers, or no preaching Ministers at all, will appear a matter of very great moment, in the day of our Accounts, and such as should not be done upon any but a Necessary cause, where the benefit is greater then this hurt (and all the rest) amounts to.
Having given you (to whom I owe it) this account of the cause for which I am forbidden the exercise of my Ministry in that Countrey, I now direct these Sermons to your hands, that seeing I cannot teach you as I would, I may teach you as I can. And if I much longer enjoy such liberty as this, it will be much above my expectation.
My dearly beloved, stand fast in the Lord; And fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be afraid of their revilings: For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wooll: but the righteousnesse of the Lord shall be for ever, and his salvation from generation to generation, Isa. 51. 7, 8. If I have taught you my doctrine of error or impiety, of disobedience to your Governours in lawful things, of schism or uncharit blenesse, unlearn them all, and renounce them with penitent detestation: But if otherwise, I beseech you mark them which cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them: For they are such as serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16. 17. If any shall speak against Truth or Godlinesse, remember what you have received; and how little any adversary could say, that ever made such assaults upon you: and that it is easie for any man to talk confidently when no man must contradict him. I denyed no man liberty upon equal terms, to have said his worst against any doctrine that ever I taught you. And how they succeeded, I need not tell you: your own stability tells the world. As you have maintained true Catholicism, and never followed any sect, so I beseech you still maintain the ancient faith, the Love of every member of Christ, and common charity to all, your Loyalty to your King, your peace with all men: And let none draw you from Catholick Unity to faction, though the declaiming against Faction and Schism should be the device by which they would accomplish it▪ And as the world is nothing, and God is all, to all that are sincere believers? so let no worldly interest seem regardable to you, when it stands in any opposition to Christ; but account all loss and dung for him, Phil. 3. 8. And if you shall hear that I yet suffer more then I have done, let it not be your discouragement or grief; For I doubt not but it will be my crown and joy: I have found no small consolation, that I have not suffered, for sinfull, or for small and indifferent things: And if my pleading against the ejection of the Ministers of Christ, and the excommunicating of his member, for a ceremony, and the divisions of his Church, & the destruction of Charity shall be the cause of my suffering (be it never so great,) it shall as much rejoyce me to be a suffering witnesse for CHARITY and UNITY, as if I were a Martyr for the Faith. I participate with Paul in an expectation and hope, that Christ shall be magnified in my body whether by life or death: and as to live will be Christ, so to die will be gain; Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ, that whether I ever see you more, or be absent (till the joyfull day) I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God; if to you it shall be given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Phil. 1. 10▪ 21, 27, 28, 29. But let no injury from inferiors provoke you to dishonour, the Governors that God himself hath set over you. Be meek and patient; the Lord is at hand; Honour all men; Love the Brotherhood; Fear God; Honour the King: For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, 1 Pet. 2. 15, 17. It is soon enough for you and me▪ to be justified at the bar of Christ (by himself that hath undertaken it) against all the Calumnies of malicious men. Till then let it seem no greater a matter then indeed it is, to be slandered, vilified or abused by the world. Keep close to him that never faileth you, and maintain your integrity, that he may maintain the joys that none can take from you. Farewell my dear brethren, who are my glory and joy in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming (1 Thes. 1. 18, 19.
Your faithful, though unworthy Pastor, Rich. Baxter. Nov. 11. 1661.