The English Nonconformity Under King Charles II and James II, Chapter 3
CHAP. II. What our Nonconformity is not?
M.
BEfore I tell you wherein our Nonconformity doth consist, I must tell you wherein it doth not consist, to avoid the false reports that commonly go abroad against us.
And therefore I must premise that I pretend not to tell you the opinion of every odd person that Conformeth not; no more than you justifie all that Conform in all their opinions. I think few doubt not but that some Atheists, Sadducees, Infidels, Hobbists, Soci…ians, if not Papists, outwardly Conform: Yet we charge not their errours on the Church; and so on the other side. But those that were called by the King, and one another, 1660 and 1661, to treat of Concord, and that Assembled at Sion Colledge, and elsewhere about it, did openly make known their minds: And I think they meddled not against any of these things following, by any accusation of them as sinful.
I. They never denyed the Lawfulness of a form of Prayer or a Liturgy: Though some falsly so accuse them.
II. They denyed not the soundness of the matter of Prayer, contained in the form of the English Liturgy, in the main: They though it a good Book, and the making of it a great Reformation, and honoured the excellent men that made it; but they thought it not such as could not or should not in any thing be amended, or that all might say was without fault.
III. They thought not the Imposition of it a reason sufficient to prove it unlawful for them to use it were there no more.
IV. They offered to use it when amended, and if that could not be had, they told you in their Reply, their purpose rather to Communicate in the use of it than not at all, and to have used all the lawful part themselves if they might be suffered in their publick places and Ministry on such terms.
V. They never accused the use of Holy dayes, as dayes of Thanksgiving to God, for giving such Holy Apostles to the Church, and whose memory we honourable commemorate.
VI. They never accused our Kneeling at the Lords Supper as unlawful, but only the casting Godly persons from Communion for not using it, when they take it to be sin. About the Kneeling the old Nonconformists were not of one mind; some thought that every objectum motivum of Adoration was forbidden that was a Creature: But others said that every Creature in the World may be such an object: Our Meat is objectum motivum when we pray for a Blessing on it. If I see the Relicts or Picture of a Friend that I wronged while he was alive, I may well be moved by it to beg pardon of God. All his works must move me to adore and praise him▪ But we may not make any Image objectum terminativum, or ad quod, to which we direct our Divine Worship, as a Medium of our sending it to God. The only great difficulty about this is from the argument of scandalous hardening the Papists that live among us: Though indeed our Doctrine avoideth that scandal.
VII. They never accused the Ceremony of laying the hand on the Book, and kissing it in taking an Oath.
VIII. They never spake against the Ring in Marriage.
IX. They meddled not with the Surplice, Tippet, Hood, Rochet, Cope, but only the casting men out of the Ministry that dare not use them, thinking them unlawful: Though we justifie them not.
X. They accused not all significant use of the Cross, but only that in Baptism it seemed to have all or most of the nature of a Humane Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace, as it is expounded in the Liturgy and Canon.
XI. They spake not against Episcopacy, as it is a presidency among and over Presbyters differing in Degree, and not in Office, called ORDER, and that in a Church of the lowest Species.
XII. They opposed not Arch-Bishops as over many such Churches and Bishops, nor Diocesans, as Arch-Bishops ruling but by Gods Word.
XIII. They said nothing against Metropolitans, Patriarchs, Lay-Chancellors, Commissaries, Officials, Surrogates, Archdeacons, &c. as Officers of the King, appointed to do nothing (besides the Sacred Ministry, if they be Clergy-men) but what belongs to Magistracy.
XIV. They said nothing against any promise of Obedience to them only in the capacities, and in the exercise of the power forementioned.
XV. Much less did they ever oppose or question Swearing to the King, according to the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy: And I with divers others also being (for some ends) entered as his Chaplains in Ordinary, took also that Oath of Fidelity which the Kings Houshold Servants take.
XVI. We never were for any dishonouring of Kings by publick Excommunications, much les by Subjects or Forreigners, whom Kings never choose to be their Pastors; but only in case of necessity, for such a denyal of Sacramental Communion to them, as Bishop Andrews in Fortura Tor…, and Bishop Bilson plead for; which is but to forbear our selves a sinful act.
XVII. We never pleaded for any Elders (or Chancellors) power of the Keys, who are but Lay-men.
XVIII. We never held that Magistrates are bound to add their force by the Sword, to the censures of the Church as such, and to punish men more because the Church hath by Excommunication cast them out, or because they are not reconciled.
XIX. We never thought that things indifferent do become unlawful to us, because the Magistrate commandeth them.
XX. We never held that the Scripture is a particular Rule, commanding every accident and circumstance about Gods Worship, but only a general Rule (requiring all to be done in Love and Peace, and to edification, and decently, &c.) in those circumstances which must be some way determined, and God hath left to variable Humane determination: Such as are Time, Place, Utensils, Translations, Sections, Metres, Tunes, Methods and Words in Preaching and Prayer, Habit, Gesture, and many such.
XXI. We never held it unlawful to do one of these actions, though it were by mistake unlawfully commanded; e. g. If the Rulers prescribe a Time, Place, Metre, Tune, &c. unfit, if it be not so bad as to overthrow the ends and use of the Worship, the fault of the Commander will not disoblige us from the duty of obeying. And whereas some argue, that no man hath authority to sin, ergo, we are not bound to obey that which is no act of authority: I answer, Rulers have authority to command that which is good, though not in a faulty manner; and when we cannot do the good without the faulty manner, it is their fault and not ours: e. g. If an inconvenient Time, Place, Text, Tune, &c. be chosen, the Union and Concord which is held by agreeing in those▪ Modes is necessary: He that will not joyn in them cannot joyn in the Worship. So that we obey the Ruler or Guide as a determiner of the means of Concord, which is necessary, and not sub ratione erroris, as misdetermining, though in that which is misdetermined. If a Master bid his Servant go at an unseasonable time about his work, it's his duty to go at that time. We never pray without some fault in the manner, and yet must rather do it so than not at all. The mistaken Ruler bids us not sin: It's his sin to choose a mis-circumstance; and it is not his own action that he bids us do, but ours: And its to us a lawful circumstance, because necessary to Concord, and commanded though mistakingly.
XXII. We never held it unlawful to joyn with a Church or Minister that hath some faults, both Personal and in their acts of Worship; as if all that joyned were guilty of all the faults there committed: No not though we knew before hand that some false Doctrine would be uttered, or fault committed: Else we must separate from all the world, and all from us.
XXIII. We never thought it a duty to separate from every Church, that culpably neglecteth Discipline, and hath open wicked men therein: If we be not guilty of it, and cannot lawfully live in the Communion of a more obedient reformed Church.
XXIV. We never judged needless affected singularity a duty, but judge it best in lawful things for Concord sake to Conform to the custom of the Churches where we live or come.
XXV. Though we think not that men may command us to destroy our Neighbours Souls by scandal, yet when disobedience to a Rulers Law is like to do more hurt than the scandal taken at it comes to, we are for avoiding the greater hurt.
XXVI. We never separated from any tolerable Parish Ministers or Churches, as if they were no true Ministers or Churches, nor perswaded any so to do, nor to take the Communion of such Churches for unlawful to us, either occasionally or constantly, when we can have no better without more hurt than benefit to our selves and others.
XXVII. We hold it unlawful to reproach all Churches that we see to be faulty; but it is our duty to keep peace with all.
XXVIII. VVe hold mental distant Communion in Faith and Love, with many Churches that by imposing sin do deny us local Communion.
XXIX. Though I here tell you once for all, that I justifie not all that I can thus bear with, yet we can submit by peaceable silence to many abuses in a Church, which we dare not subscribe to and approve, and use also passive Obedience where active is unlawful.
XXX. VVe are not against God-Fathers and God-Mothers, as used of old; that is, when the Parents are the Covenanters for their Child, and their Death or Apostasie is feared, for others to promise if they dye or apostatize to take care of the Child; or for any Adopters or Owners to do it that take the Child as theirs.
XXXI. VVe are so far from being against true confirmation, as it is the taking persons that own their Baptismal Covenant, solemnly into the number of adult Members and Communicants, that we desire it (and have written for it) as a chief means of the true Reformation of all our Churches in the Land.
XXXII. VVe differ not in Faith or meer Doctrine from the Church of England, as it's in the Thirty Nine Articles, but only in One new Article, put into the new Liturgy, of the Salvation of Baptized Infants, as undoubtedly certain by the Word of God, without any exception, if they then dye.
XXXIII. VVe are not against reading the profitable part of the Apocrypha, as other Humane VVritings may be read, sufficiently distinguished from the word of God.
XXXIV. VVe are for Corporal VVorship, as a due expression of Spiritual: And we are against all undecent expressions in Praying or Preaching, and all undecent Habits, Gestures or Actions.
XXXV. VVe blame not the Liturgy for extending the words of Charity and Hope as far as there is any reasonable ground, in Sacraments, Absolution and Buryal.
XXXVI. VVe are not for mens invading the Ministry unordained, but believe that Senior Pastors or Bishops are ordinarily the regular Judges of the fitness of Candidates for the Ministry.
XXXVII. VVe are not for unlimited Toleration: But that the Rulers justly distinguish in Law and License; 1. The approved, whom they must own and maintain. 2. The tolerable, whom they must tolerate. 3. The intollerable, whom they must restrain from doing hurt.
XXXVIII. VVe are for making true Religion as National and extensive as may be; and for a National Church; 1. As the associated Community of Churches in a Nation is so called. 2. And as they are all accidentally united under one Christian Soveraign: Though we abhor the casting out all that be not of our opinion and measure, and that cannot submit to all that I here enumerate, which I and others of my mind can submit to.
XXXIX. VVe are so far from desiring to draw people from the Parish Churches into Conventicles, that we would keep up the honour of them to the utmost of our power, as knowing how greatly the countenance and maintenance of Rulers conduceth to the furtherance of Religion; and that the publick Religion will be the common and National Religion; and most will be there: And if the Protestant Religion were reduced to Tolerated Conventicles, Popery would possess its place, and become National, and soon withdraw even private Toleration, as we see in France.
XL. VVe are not for Preaching when we are forbidden, where there is not a real and evident need of our Labours.
XLI. VVe believe not that the Scots Covenant, or any other doth oblige us to Sedition, Rebellion, Schism, or any sin; nor doth disoblige us from any Obedience due to any Superior.
XLII. VVe refuse not the Oxford Oath, or any such, because it is an obligation to obey our Rulers in Lawful things, nor because it restraineth us from resisting Authority; for we give as much to Humane Soveraignty, and confess as much obedience due to them from Subjects, 1. As any Text of Scripture speakes: 2. Or any General Council, save what they give to the Pope and his Vassals. 3. Or as any Confessions that we know of, of any Christian Churches agree in. 4. Or which Lawyers, Politicians, and Historians, Protestants, Papists or Heathens agree in, as far as we are acquainted.
XLIII. VVe are not against the use of Synods or Councils, nor against Princes using their advice for such Laws circa sacra as belong to them to make: VVe believe Councils should be used as far as the common good and Communion of the Catholick Church requireth it; though no Foreigners have Jurisdiction over us. And we hold that if they agree of any thing conducible to the common good, though their agreement be not a Law, but a Contract, yet the general command of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, obligeth all to hold such concord for the ends sake, that have no special reason against it.
In these Forty three things we oppose not conformity.
L.
And if yet after all this Agreement we must be destroyed by divisions, the heavy Curse of God is on us, and will surely fall on them that are the causes of it, who ever they be.