An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry, Treatise · Part 1 · Objection 11
11 Obj. If you do scruple Conformity, why do you gather private meetings, and separate from the Church, and hold your meetings at the time of our publick VVorship? and encourage the people in their Separations? For whatever you say of your self, you cannot but know that it is so in London, and in many other places?
Ans. 1. I told you not my own practise alone, but many others; and when I have told you our Principles, you will the better know how to judg of our different practises.
The Nonconformists hold, 1. That we are members of the Catholick Church, in order of nature, before we are of any particular Church. For Baptism, as such, doth enter us into the former. And that no man must ever separate from this Church upon any pretence whatsoever.
2. That our Communion with this Catholick Church is our concord in the performance of that Baptismal Covenant which uniteth us.
3. That our conjunction with this or that particular Church, is a matter left to humane prudence, and to be changed according to the interest of our own souls, and the publick good; and that God bindeth me not to one Church more than to another, by any Law, except that general Law which directeth us what choice to make of matters undetermined.
4. That the Magistrate is the Governour of these Churches as to their external ordering, which supposeth the Pastors to be Governours governed by him; (as Schoolmasters, Philosophers, Pilots, Architects, &c.) and that the Pastors are essential to the Church, (in a Political sense, as we now take it) as a Schoolmaster is to a School; but so is not the Magistrate.
5. That the ordinary instituted way of the Pastors call to a particular Church, is by the Direction of the Ordaining Pastors, and by the Election or Consent of the Congregation. And that as the Churches had true Pastors without and against the Magistrates consent, so may it have still; seeing then and now the Magistrate had Power of Governing Churches already made, by exterior order, rather than of making or unmaking Churches. And therefore that a Pastor may still be a true Pastor, when he is prohibited to Preach.
6. That the Magistrate hath the power of things circa sacra, that is, of Temples, Tythes, maintenance, &c. so that he divest not the Pastor of his intrinsick power, proper to his office, (as to chuse his subject, method, words, &c.) And therefore that no Minister may seize upon the said Temples, Tythes, &c. against the Magistrates will.
7. That ubi Episcopus, ibi Ecclesia, as Cyprian faith, where the true Pastor is, there is the Church, because the Pastor is an Essential, and the Governing part. And as this was true in Cyprian's time, so it is now.
8. That if Usurping Pastors, though by the Magistrates consent, do take possession of the Temples and publick maintenance, (and Legal Right as well as possession) this is not enough to make those men true Pastors over that people, without their consent, and to nullifie the relation of their former-lawful Pastors.
9. That it is not impossible or rare for the Usurper to have the foresaid advantages, and the true Pastors to be put to meet in privater places; and so thought Dr. VVild, Dr. Guning, Dr. Hide, &c. in the time of our Civil Usurpations. And even under lawful Governours it was so judged by the Churches in the case of Athanasius, Basil, and multitudes of Bishops then cast out.
10. That abundance of the Ministers now cast out, were once the lawful Pastors of the flocks.
11. That when the true Pastor is thrust out of the Temples, and Usurpers have that place, he is rather the Separatist that followeth the Usurper in that more publick place, than he that adhereth in private to the lawful Pastor; as Dr. VVild and the rest aforementioned then thought.
12. That therefore in those places where the Relation of prohibited Ministers to the people is truly dissolved, they are the faulty dividers that adhere to them. But where it is not dissolved, but the publick Teachers were never their true Pastors, there those may be the Schismaticks that forsake their lawful Pastors, though under that restraint.
13. That where the Pastors that have the Temples, and those that are shut out, are both true Pastors, caeteris paribus, it is as good a proof that they are Separatists and Schismaticks who join not with them in other places, as that they are so for not coming to the Temples; that is, neither of the inferences is good.
14. Every man is not a Separatist, that is not present with others in publick worship. I separate not from all foreign Churches, nor from all the Parish Churches in London save one, though I be present but with one. But he that censureth a true Church to be no Church, and so separateth from it as none; and he that accounteth any Church injuriously, to be so corrupted as that it is unlawful to hold communion with it, both these are guilty of culpable Schismatical separation, but in very different degrees.
15. A mans absence from you will not alone prove him a Separatist, unless he be absent upon separating Principles.
16. He that keepeth not local communion with a particular Church, and yet honoureth them as a Church that may be communicated with, and holdeth communion of Faith and Love, and Obedience with them, cannot be a Separatist from them simply, but only extrinsically secundum quid; and that is to be tried and judged of as aforesaid.
17. If therefore they will admit you to communicate with them in their way, and will not communicate with you in your way; it sheweth that it is something in your way and not directly in your selves, from which they separate.
18. And no man ought to commit one sin for the communion of any Church.
19. I may have more mental communion with a Church, which I dare not outwardly join with, because they impose some one unlawful word or action, than with a more corrupted Church, with which I hold more external communion, because they put me not to approve their errors.
20. When there are several Churches near, caeteris paribus, a free man should join himself with the Purest, and to the most edifying Ministry ordinarily.
21. Yet in times of suspicion and division, it is fit to shew our judgment by our practise, and to join sometimes with some less pure Churches, that put no sin upon us to shew that we withdraw not from them on separating principles.
22. When a Minister is not lawfully separated from his flock, but another is obtruded without a just call upon his people, yet if he see that the voluntary relinquishing of his relation, is most for the peoples good, that they may accept another that hath more secular advantages to profit them, and guide them in peace, he is finis gratiâ in prudence bound to do it.
23. All people in England therefore are not in the same condition, but to some it may be a fault which to others is a duty. Were I in a place where the Minister is faithful and worthy to be owned, I would draw all the people to attend his Ministry, and would help him at other seasons as I were able, in unity and love. But if I lived where the publick Minister were intollerable, I would do otherwise.
24. The case of London much differeth from most other places in the Land; as very many of them think that their relation to their ancient flocks is not yet dissolved; so necessity putteth them out of the track of formal Parish-order.
1. In the great Plague almost all the Parish-ministers deserted them; and those that then stuck to the people, found such success by the help of that awakening judgment, that they durst not since forsake them, nor will easily be forsaken by them.
2. There being so many score Churches burnt down, and the Inhabitants not gone, and the conformable Ministers not officiating but in the standing Temples, there is no reason that the people should therefore turn Atheists, and give over worshipping God.
3. Many Parishes being so great, that the twentieth person cannot come to the Temples, and many of the Preachers voices so low that half cannot hear them who might get in, there is no reason that all the rest must therefore be cast off and left as the Indians, without the means that God hath appointed for mens Salvation.
4. And why then should not their Assemblies take the fittest time of the day as well as yours? All men know that (especially in the short Winter-days) there is little convenient time left for the work of a Lords-day, besides the time of your morning and evenings Liturgy, and other Offices.
5. And when you have as many as can hear you, O why should you be angry that the rest (or rather some few of them) are hearing others, that Preach as profitably as you? Nay I beseech you before God judg, try and judg what is the cause that when many parts perhaps of your absent Parishioners are at no Church, but some in Ale houses, Taverns, or Gaming-houses, and some idle at home, that yet the few that are worshipping God with an able faithful Minister are more exclaimed on, and written against, and angerly accused, than all the rest.
Obj. But many of the Parish-churches are half empty?
Ans. 1. It is not so with the rest; and therefore you may see that the difference between your own Preachers is the cause. Unedifying Teachers will not have so many voluntary intelligent hearers as others.
2. As I said, half the Church-full cannot hear many of your Preachers.
3. When the Parishioners know beforehand that the Temple will not hold a quarter of the people, they are never certain of room, as not knowing when others will exclude them; and therefore they seek another place where they may be certain. For he that brings his family to Church every day upon such uncertainty, is every day uncertain whether he shall spend the day as the Lordsday, or have any publick communion with the Church. And they are apter to be sensible of this calamity themselves, than the Objectors are.
6. And I must add also, that as London is the most populous place, so it hath the greatest number of true Separatists and Sectaries; and the sounder part are not responsible for their actions.