The English Nonconformity Under King Charles II and James II, Chapter 27 – Chapter 31
Chap. XXVII. Point XXIV. Of Publishing the 8th Canons Excommunications.
L.
VVHat is the Eighth Canon and its Excommunication?
M.
Whoever shall hereafter affirm or teach that the Form and Manner of Making and Consecrating Bishops, Priests or Deacons containeth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Word of God,—Let them be Excommunicated ipso facto, and not to be restored until he repent, and publickly revoke such his wicked Errors.
L.
What have you against the Execution of this?
M.
A great deal. In sum, it is unrighteous, oppressing and dividing, to cast out all Persons from the Church of Christ, who think that nothing is faulty in the Book of Ordination, or in their Principles or Practice there expressed: And we dare not curse those that Christ doth bless; should we do this for a Benefice, in what should we differ from the sin of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness? whose iniquity and madness his Ass rebuked, saith St. Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 15. Yea, shall we not be far worse than he, that for an House full of Silver and Gold could not go beyond the Word of the Lord, and did not curse but bless Gods people? And it is not proud malignant Tongues reviling Gods Servants, and calling their Opinions wicked Errors that will make Christ disown his Members, or will warrant Balaam or us to curse them. O how unlike is this to the Spirit and Ministry of Christ! for Prelates and Priests to curse, and cast out the Children of God, for saying that they go against his Law.
L.
But what is amiss in the Book of Ordination?
M.
I am anon to tell you that. But if there were nothing amiss in it, yet the belief of its innocency is not necessary to Salvation.
L.
But if every man have leave to accuse the Orders of the Church, what Order can be maintained?
M.
1. Leave modestly, to express dissent in a doubtful case may stand with Order. 2. If men do it disorderly, there be other Penalties besides ipso facto Excommunication: Every breach of the peace is not Rebellion, nor punisht with Death.
But I'll tell you briefly what may occasion good men to say that their Ordinations are sinful.
1. In that they thereby obtrude Pastors on the Churches upon the bare choice of a Patron, without or against the peoples wills.
2. In that they professedly ordain such as their Canon forbids to Preach or Expound any Doctrine.
3. In that they determine that Bishops, Priests and Deacons are three distinct Orders, which yet is an undetermined Controversie among even the Learnedst Papists. And must we damn, and cut off men for that which the very Papists leave at liberty?
4. In that they ordain men to an Office which Scripture maketh no mention of. Dr. Hammond saith, that it cannot be proved that there were any Presbyters subject to Bishops in Scripture times, nor any but Bishops: None that had not power of Ordination and the Keys; nor any Bishops of a multitude of Churches and Presbyters, both which are here ordained.
5. In that they Swear Obedience to Arch-bishops and their Sees; and make Priests Covenant Obedience to their Ordinaries, as aforesaid.
If a godly man do as Bucer did to King Edward the Sixth, as you may see in his Scripta Anglic. and desire some of these faults to be amended, doth he deserve to be cast out as an impenitent wicked man for this? when they that will say, all's well that the Bishops do, may live quietly in open vice or ungodliness. As Dr. Sloughton saith, If you strike a Schismatick, and Christ find a Saint lye bleeding, and you be to answer for it, I would not be in your case for all your wealth. If you must kill a Fly on the Forehead of a Child of God with a Beetle, or a Butchers Axe, you shall not use my hand to give the blow. If Chrysostom would rather have his hand cut off than give the Sacrament to a wicked man, tho' a Prince; I will rather have mine cut off than reject a Saint, or my Tongue cut out than curse Christs Members, lest he say I cursed him in them.
Chap. XXVIII. Point XXV. Of Publishing the Excommunications of Canon 9th, 10th, 11th. Of such as call Dissenters a Church.
M.
THese Canons made against Schismaticks and Conventicles do Excommunicate all that say such are true Churches that have groaned under the burden of grievances, &c. And is this a just cause of Excommunication?
I wish they had no such burden laid on them to make them groan. But suppose them quite mistaken; if a weak mistaken Christian may be a true Christian, tho' faulty, why may not a mistaken Congregation be a true Church tho' faulty? I hope no man of Protestant Faith and Charity will take the Errors of such as they describe for worse than the Papists; and yet how many have written (tho' confusedly) to prove the very Church of Rome a true Church, tho' sinful. Yea I hope few Protestants will say that our Separatists have half so great Ignorance, Error and Corruption, as the Moscovites, Greeks, Abassines, Copties, Iacobites, Nestorians, Armenians, who yet are commonly by us confessed to be true Churches.
If they be no true Churches, it is either because of the greatness of their Errors, or because they go against the Law or Will of Governors; not the first, as the foresaid instances shew not the latter; for no man ever yet owned that Principle, that it can be no true (tho' faulty) Church, that is gathered against the Rulers wills. For many hundred years the Orthodox did it justly; and afterward when some did it unjustly, the culpability made it not a nullity. Else what a case was the Roman Church in, that for many hundred years was kept up by Rebellion against their Lawful Emperors and Princes? And how oft have a great part of the Greek Churches been guilty of it?
And do not the Condemners hereby imitate the Separatists in the sin, and reviling as they are reviled. The Separatists falsly say that you are no true Churches, and you requite them with saying falsly the same by them.
Chap XXIX. Point XXVI. Of Executing Canon 27. rejecting Nonconformists from Communion.
L.
THis is but the same that we heard before.
M.
Before I speak against publishing Excommunications: This Canon commandeth the Minister executively before they are Excommunicated to give the Sacrament to no one that receiveth it not kneeling, or that is guilty of any of the foresaid Points of Dissent, unless he confess his fault, and promise to do so no more. So that here the Minister is to be himself the prime Executioner against such Dissenters, before the Courts or Ordinaries Excommunicate or meddle with them.
L.
But none subscribe to this Canon.
M.
I told you they Swear Canonical Obedience; and the Canon suspendeth them if they do not do it: Therefore it is a necessary part of Conformity.
But of this I spake before about Assent and Consent.
Chap. XXX Point XXVII. Of refusing Communicants from other Parishes, Canon 28.
L.
VVHY may not this be obeyed?
M.
In some cases it may, when Persons straggle without cause: But there is frequent need that will justifie it as a Duty: Parish Bounds are a humane Order for conveniency; but the benefit of an able faithful Minister, and the choice and use of such where they may be had, is of Divine Appointment, and a matter of far greater weight. The Canon supposeth Ministers that neither can nor may be suffered, to Preach or Expound any Doctrine: If a Neighbour Parish have an able Teacher, must he drive away poor hungry Souls that seek his Consolatory Communion and Help? If Parishes that are bound to maintain their own Poor, suffer any of them to be in danger of perishing by cold or hunger, a Neighbour Parish tho' forbidden by men, is bound by God to relieve them in distress: Every Christian is related to all the Catholick Church, and as he hath need, hath right to the Communion of Saints, out of his Parish.
In London, where some Churches have excellent men, if a Lord or Gentleman live in a Parish where a Patron hath set over them, one that Preacheth not sincerely but railingly in strife, contention, or gross Error, why may not such a man go to a Neighbour Church? And why must that Neighbour Minister repel him? When yet our Antagonists in this case, maintain that the Catholick Church, being but one, every Christian must Communicate in every place where he hath occasion: And that a Diocess is the lowest sort of Church, of which Parishes are but parcels: And consequently a man never separateth from his Church, that separateth not from the Diocesan.
Chap. XXXI. Point XXVIII. Of Canon 38. Excommunicating Ministers that repent of Subscribing.
M.
IF Subscribing prove a Sin, (of which I am past doubt) this Canon commandeth the Excommunicating Men for repenting of Sin. Whereas Christ's Law of Excommunication is to Excommunicate none but for not repenting of Sin. Are not these two very contrary? And do you think that Christ will stand to such an Excommunication? or disown them that are thus cast out? Some Mens abuse of Excommunication is such, as if at last, if all their Canons be executed, they would tempt Men to doubt whether they live like Christians, because they are not Excommunicate; and would make it a good argument, [He is cast out of the Church for Conscience sake: ergo, it is a good sign that he is a Man of Conscience. Or as if they were but fulfilling [They shall cast out your names as Evil doers, &c.]
L.
Why should you put Cases that may never come to pass? I do not think you were ever commanded to Publish an Excommunication against any such.
M.
But to Promise and Swear Canonical Obedience, is a thing that is required of us all: And promising to Sin, is Sin, and oft worse than a sudden act. Yea, if a Minister do but omit some Forms or Ceremony by this Canon, he must be first Suspended, and then Excommunicate, and I must publish it if required.