Answer to Stillingfleets Charge of Separation, Letter 1
For the Reverend Doctor Stillingfleet, Dean of St. Pauls.
Reverend Sir,
AS you have told the Magiſtrates and the World what you think of me as guilty of ſinful ſeparation, I have reaſon to hope that you will not deny me your help for my own conviction: For it concerneth no man ſo nearly to know my ſin as my ſelf: and being ſo near my day of Judgment, I were a moſt inexcuſable wretch if I were unwilling to know it. You knew their capacity it's like, for whom you Preacht and wrote; but I, that beſt know my own, finding it impoſſible to underſtand you and your accuſation without further help, preſume to intreat your ſpeedy Anſwer to theſe Queſtions which are the ſtop of my Conviction.
I. Q. I entreat you to tell me more plainly, which is the conſtitutive Regent part of a National Church? Whether the King, or a Sacerdotal Head? For that you know, that a Church as well as a Kingdom, is eſſentiated by a pars regens, and pars ſubdita, I long ago found in your Irenicon. I have opened the ſtate of the Queſtion in my firſt Plea, Page 251, 252, &c. Of which I crave your Solution: For to hear of [One Head,] and not know who it is, is no ſatisfaction to me.
II. Q. I intreat you to tell me wore plainly what the [One Rule] meant in your Text was, which was then extant, and all that had attained to be true Chriſtians were then and are now to agree in and walk by. For I perceive you truly judge that it was ſomewhat then known to them; and yet in your application one would think you meant ſome late humane Laws.
Was it a Divine Rule or a Humane? If Humane, how to know it.
III. Q. I beſeech you tell me plainly, what is the definition or formal reaſon of that ſinful ſeparation which you mention as mine. For I cannot perceive it by your Book: unleſs you take preaching without the Magiſtrates Leave, and Worſhiping in a manner different from that appointed by Law, and forbidden, to be it. But I ſuppoſe you take not all Diſobedience to be Separation, nor all different Modes of Worſhip. I would fain know what you mean.
IV. Q. I intreat you tell me plainly, what you would have the many ſcore thouſands do on the Lords days, who cannot hear in the Pariſh Churches? For the matter of fact is paſt diſpute, that in your Pariſh of St. Andrews, Sepulchres, Giles Cripplegate, Giles in the Fields, Martins, Clements, and many others, there are in ſome 10000, in ſome 20000, in ſome 30000, in ſome the Pariſhoners ſay, 60000 Inhabitants more than can come into the Church and hear the Miniſters Voice; which ſeldom can be heard by more than 3000 or 4000. How would you have all theſe ſcore thouſands ſpend the Lords day?
V. Q. Are you not conſcious that the true paſtoral Office is not performed in your own Pariſh to the third part of the people according to their need, and Pauls example Act. 20. by reaſon of the number of them? Prudent peaceable men of your Pariſh tell me, that not one of five of their neighbours ever uſe to go to any Church: And out of the Church never hear a word from the Paſtor, unleſs at the Baptizing of a Child; but live like Heathens without any publick Worſhip of God: And the worſt men that moſt need help leaſt deſire it, and therefore eaſilieſt take the excuſe that at the Pariſh Church there is no room, and if they go to others they are called Separatiſts; but not if they play, work or drink at home.
VI. Q. I am confident you know the need of many Curates in your own Pariſh; (for my part, I profeſs, I am ſo far from thinking my ſelf capable of a Biſhops work, that I would not take many 1000 l. a Year to take the Paſtoral Charge of your Pariſh without many aſſiſtants) ſeeing then you and I (as I ſee by your Treat of Satisfaction and other Doctrinal Books) do Preach the ſame Doctrine, and I perform but the part of a Curate or Aſſiſtant to you for nothing. Why think you that it is worſe than that ſo many be untaught?
VII. Q. Do you not think that culpably to alienate an Ordained Miniſter, Vowed to the Sacred Office, is far worſe ſacriledge than to ſteal Church-plate or Moneys? And that it muſt needs be ſo culpable, either in our ſelves for not Conforming, or for ceaſing our works, or elſe in thoſe that hinder us.
VIII. Q. What then is it that you would have us do, when after our beſt endeavours we are no more able to ſee the Lawfulneſs of Conforming or forſaking our Calling, than of many great notorious ſins?
IX. Q. Do you think that for qualification and number there are ſo many better than the ſilenced Miniſters in the Land, as may ſo far ſ…pply the Peoples wants, as that 2000 ſuch as we may better be ſpared, than employed, unleſs we can Conform?
X. Q. Are none of our Hearers more competent Judges than their Accuſers, what profiteth their own Souls? And if the …, what is the great harm that ſuch as I do, that weighs down the Peoples profit; while all your power is for edification, and all your Churches that I come in are full?
XI. Q. What is it in us that warranteth a humble … to think, that his Miniſterial duty is ſo much better than ours, that in compariſon of his Miniſtry, ours is unneceſſary and we unſufferable in the Land: Is it our ignorance or our wickedneſs that makes the difference ſo great? I have ſtudied many years longer than you, though perhaps with leſs advantage: We know nothing in the world that we prefer before the pleaſing of God, and edifying his Church? Though you excel us, do all others ſo? My meaning is, would you have none tolerated in England that are as ignorant and as bad as I, Conſideratis conſiderandis. Doth bare Conforming make all this difference?
XII. Q. And as I ask all theſe Queſtions for my ſelf (and earneſtly intreat your Anſwer) pardon me while in true love to you, I put this Queſtion to you for your ſelf; Whether do you think, if you lived in the pain, and as near the Grave as I do, and by the ſentence of death had the lively apprehenſions of your account, ſhould you not tremble to think of becoming a Preacher againſt our Preaching, and juſtifying or owning the ſilencing and ruining of ſo many hundred devoted Miniſters of Chriſt, who are no worſe, and for no worſe Cauſe? Such as truly deſire to ſerve God as faithfully and diligently as your ſelf, and with as little reſpect to preferment, riches, applauſe, or any worldly end? And whether you will never wiſh that you had never put your hand to ſuch a work, as to argue with the Magiſtrate and harden others, againſt the enduring of ſuch mens labours, even on the hard terms that we willingly perform them.
Sir, Many importune me to publiſh an Anſwer to your Sermon: 1. As to my ſelf, I am more concerned to crave your help for my conviction, if I live in ſin at ſo dear a rate, even to my ſleſh: 2. And as to you, you have deſerved ſo well of this Land, eſpecially for ſo ſtoutly oppoſing Popery at ſuch a time, and are ſo much loved and valued by us all, that I would take tho-leaſt provoking way; us knowing what contention and exaſperatiou tendeth to, and how glad the Papiſts will be to turn your Pen from themſelves, and leave you and ſuch as I, together in a fruitleſs conflict: waiting your Anſwer, I reſt
May 29. 1680. Your unworthy fellow-ſervant, Ri. Baxter.