An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry, Title page – Dedication
AN APOLOGY FOR THE Nonconformists Ministry: CONTAINING
I. The REASONS of their PREACHING.
II. An Answer to the Accusations urged as Reasons for the Silencing of about 2000, by Bishop Morley, Bishop Gunings Chaplain, Dr. Saywell, Mr. Durel, the nameless Ecclesiastical Politician and Debate-maker, the Counterminer, H. Fowlis, Dr. Good, and many others.
III. Reasons proving it the duty and interest of the Bishops and Conformists to endeavour earnestly their Restoration.
With a POSTSCRIPT upon Oral Debates with Mr. H. Dodwell, against his Reasons for their Silence. And a Scheme of INTERESTS.
Written in 1668, and 1669, for the most of it, and now Published as an Addition to the Defence against Dr. Stillingfleet, and as an Account to the Silencers of the Reasons of our Practice.
By RICHARD BAXTER.
2 Tim. 4. 1, 2.
I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his Kingdom, Preach the Word: Be instant, in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.
London, Printed for T. Parkhurst and D. Newman; at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside, and at the Kings Arms in the Poultry. 1681.
To the Right Reverend Dr. Compton, Lord Bishop of London, Dr. Barlow, Lord Bishop of Lincoln, Dr. Crofts, Lord Bishop of Hereford, Dr. Rainbow, Lord Bishop of Carlisle, Dr. Thomas, Lord Bishop of St. Davids, Dr. Lloyd, Lord Bishop of Peterborough, and as many more as are of their Moderation, and love of our Common Peace and Concord.
Right Reverend Fathers, and Honourable Lords!
YOU are not the men that resisted and frustrated our earnest endeavours and hopes of Concord at his Majesties return 1660, and 1661, nor made the Act of Uniformity, or the rest by which we suffer; nor have you been the makers of any Engines to wrack and tear in pieces the Church and Kingdom, at such a time, when they groan'd, and beg'd, and hoped for healing. I therefore direct this Apology to you, and all others of your moderation, in some hope, though evil men and deceivers grow worse and worse. You are reputed among us Nonconformists, not only true to the Protestant Cause, but lovers of good men, and no lovers of cruel silencings, violence or blood: Though I know but few of you, I have reason to believe this fame; and some of you have publickly declared your moderation to the world. If then the ancient Christians might present their Apologies in hope, to Heathen Emperors, may I not do so much more to Christian Bishops, to moderate Bishops, and lovers of peace? If yow are wiser and better than we, you are as much more merciful and peaceable than we; and as much more against all hindering the Gospel, and weakening or dividing the Churches of Christ, by unjust silencing, restraining, or persecuting any faithful Ministers or Christians; and you are more sensible than we, with what deep sense men will shortly hear [In as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me]. You have then more of the wisdom from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, &c. Jam. 3. 17. and you have a deeper Impress of that holy LOVE by which all Christs disciples must be known.
Interest is supposed to Rule the World: And the grand design of Satan is to set up some fleshly, sinful interest in Rulers, and Teachers, and People, which is contrary to the Laws and interest of Christ; and then he hath made a Virtual War! Carnal Interest will not yield, and Christ will not yield, nor change his Laws! Carnal interest will expound them for it self, and so secretly and powerfully byas the judgment, that even Learned men, when they warp and err, shall not perceive it, but verily think that it's all for God. We are commonly supposed to be against your interest, and that this will make us continue unreconciled, to the gratifying of them that have no low game to play by the contrived means of our divisions. If your chosen Interest be the furthering of holiness, and everlasting happiness, by sound and serious preaching of Christs Gospel, worshipping God that is a Spirit in spirit and truth, and yet with all reverent decency and order, and living according to the Laws▪ of our Universal Head, in soberness, righteousness, godliness, and in love and peace with one another, God forbid that we should be against your interest. And this is your interest indeed: He that is most for it, we account the best and wisest man. And if your Dignity, Wealth and Honour be your Interest, subordinate to the greater (as it is highest in the ungodly), I beseech you think not we are more even against that, than we are indeed: I had rather be ruled, than rule (but God must be first obeyed): God knows I envy not your dignity or wealth! I have proved in the end of this book, that our Restoration is greatly for your interest; and that none have done more against you than those of your own tribe that have had the greatest hand in our silencing and suffering. Give me but a sober understanding man to deal with, and I undertake to shew him, that by a meer Reforming of the Parish-Churches, so far as your selves confess to be desirable and just (with such a limited Toleration of peaceable sound Christians, as Christian Reason must acknowledge necessary), We may be brought yet to an happy Concord, and a better Reformation than England yet ever saw, without doing the least wrong or hurt to the Diocesans.
It is usually said that England had more respect to the principles of Augustine in Doctrine, and of Melancthon and Bucer in the points of Reformation, than of Calvin, Luther, or any other: And as to Cranmer, Ridley, Cox, and the other Reforming Bishops, I verily believe it. I know no Divines whose judgment I more consent to than Bucers and Melancthons: O that all our Clergy would read and weigh what Bucer saith copiously and vehemently for Parish-Discipline, and pure Communion, de Regno Dei, de Animarum Cura, in censura Liturg. specially de Confirmatione; and what he saith of Pastoral Government, Ordination and Order, and of imposing such Ceremonies as ours (It was written in England, and for England): And that they would read what Melancthon saith in his Epistles of the Pestilent design of the Papists, that would lay the validity of our Ministry and Sacraments on an uninterrupted succession of Canonical, Episcopal Ordination, that they may make the judgment of their Councils more effectual than of Christ and his Spirit in the Scriptures; and what he saith against these cheats.
And verily we have little worldly interest to draw us to be enemies to yours! And I still profess, that in all my experience, those called Nonconformists, did heartily love, honour, praise and hear a Bishop or Conformist that preached and lived seriously, spiritually, and in Christian Love, such as through Gods mercy we have had many; yea if he preached and lived better than Nonconformists, they loved and honoured him more (though with some weak partial persons it was otherwise). If then we have any Interest opposite to yours, it is not Riches, it is not Power; we wisht no more than to be Pastors to the Volunteers of a Parish-Church; And what more do the Independents wish, than that persons have the same liberty to chuse to whom the Pastoral care of their Souls shall be entrusted, as they have to chuse Physicians or Schoolmasters, and Tutors for their Children, and Wives or Servants, Husbands or Masters in the family, living under Laws of sobriety and peace? And if you think that our cross interest is the praise of a few that follow us in a reproached, suffering state, you think we have a very low mind and game? Why then do we so much desire to be out of this state, and to take up with reformed Parish-interest? And why doth not a far stronger worldly interest more prevail with us? But such accusations are answered in this book.
As for that party of men among us, Archbishops, Bishops and Doctors, that have made it their office and interest to set up as for Christ, 1. A Catholick Church, formed by a vicarious Universal Government, viz. A General Council, or a feigned Universal Colledge of Bishops; 2. And the Patriarchal power, which was in the Roman Empire; 3. And the Pope as the President, or Principium unitatis Catholicae; 4. And the same Pope as our Western-Patriarch; and the six or eight first General Councels as the Laws or Rule of Government; and so would bring us under a foreign Jurisdiction, and turn the orders of a Catholiok Empire into those of the Catholick Church through the World. 6. And that pretend that the Papists Churches have an uninterrupted valid succession, and therefore are true Churches; and that the Protestant Churches, that have no uninterrupted, Canonical, Episcopal succession, are no true Churches, nor have valid Sacraments, or any ordinary title to salvation; I say, as for this party of men (whose Writings and Names I need not tell you of), we profess that we have no hope that ever they will be reconciled to us; because it will not stand with their desired reconciliation (described by themselves) with a more powerful and numerous party which they prefer before us: And though as much as in us lyeth, we must live peaceably with all men, we can never receive their unpeaceable principles and terms. And it much more alienateth us against the Church of Rome, to find, that the nearer any are to them, the more they are for uncharitableness and cruelty, and trust not to the Church-Keys, but to the Sword, as if blood, banishment, or destroying conscionable Christians that are not of their minds, were the strength of their Religion and Church; and still cry, Strike home, and execute the Laws: Abate nothing: Tolerate none of them: Let them make their task, and have no straw: Away with them, as pestilent fellows and movers of seditions, just contrary to the Christian Nature, and Interest, and Law: And if he that dwells in Love, dwells in God, and God in him, who dwells in them that dwell in wrath, and imitate Cain, and bear thorns and thistles, and devour the flocks which they should gather and feed, and shew that they love their brethren by destroying them.
Right Reverend Fathers and Lords! we have far better thoughts and hopes of you, and though I have beg'd in vain these Twenty years for Peace and Concord of others of your Order, I address my self to you, beseeching you patiently to read this Apology; and pardon the earnestness of it, for it is for a weighty cause: It was most written 1668, or 1669, before most of you were Bishops: Dr. Stillingfleet hath newly told us, that [If we will but allow that by virtue of the Rule, Phil. 3. Men are bound to do all things lawful for preserving the peace of the Church, we have no further difference about this matter], pag. 176. We have still allowed it; we have solemnly protested it: Were it lawful to us to conform and cease our Ministry which we were vowed to, we would do it. I beg of you as on my knees, for your own sakes, for Englands, for the Churches, for Christs, that you will agree with us on these terms: I ask nothing of you for my self: I need nothing that you can give me: My time of service is near an end: But England will be England, and Souls and the Churches peace will be precious, and the Cause will be the same, when all the present Nonconformists are dead: And Bishops must dye as well as we: Our Lord delayeth not his coming to encourage any to smite their fellowservants. If it be not a Lawful thing for the peace of the Church to forbear the dividing Impositions and Prosecutions (I need not name them), then let us all suffer still: But if it be, do not only privately wish, but zealously, as Lovers of the Church endeavour, and that with speed, and all your might, for Peace to abate what may lawfully be abated: It is not in our power to procure Union: For sin and self-condemning will not do it. How much is in yours, the Lord cause you to know and practice. I rest,
Your Servant, R. B.