The English Nonconformity Under King Charles II and James II, Chapter 43
Chap. XLIII. Point XL. Of forsaking our Ministry, and ceasing to Preach the Gospel, and Banishment Five Miles from Corporations.
M.
THE last part of Ministerial Conformity which I named to you, is, that if we cannot conform to all aforesaid, for fear of Damnation, we must cease our Ministry, and must not Preach Christs Gospel to any more than four besides our Family, nor perform any Worship of God with more, (but in their way) and we must neither dwell nor come within Five Miles of any (Burgess) Corporation, or any place where-ever we lived or travelled, and preached since the Act of Oblivion: Otherwise we must lye in the common Goal.
L.
Doubtless they that made this Law against you, thought you very wicked intolerable men, and thought your Preaching very dangerous: And indeed so they say of you in the Preface of the Oxford Act.
M.
They do so; and I am glad to find that falseness, and wickedness as such is yet disowned in the World, and that men do not glory in the very names of them. It is a notable evidence that there is a Life of retribution, that naughtiness is disowned by all Mankind, and the worst would be thought and called honest, and true, and good; and that the World would not Crucifie Christ, nor Persecute and Murder his Apostles under the name of righteous holy men, but under the name of Malefactors, Enemies to Caesar, Breakers of the Law, and Pestilent Fellows that troubled the Peace, and turned the World upside down. The Devil himself dare not own the name of Lying, Malignity and Murder, nor of Persecuting Men for Truth and Goodness, and Gods Cause.
And verily it seemeth the Controversie of many in this Age, whether they that scarce speak of God but in Swearing and Cursing, nor of Religion, but in scorning or threatning the serious practisers of it, and that savour little but Eating and Drinking to the full, and Playing, and getting Riches, and hateing all that are stricter than they, or those that make Gods Law their rule, and Obedience to him the work of their Lives, and his serious Worship their delight, and Heaven their hope, and dare not wilfully sin against God, nor be Perjured or Lie; I say, which of these be the honester Men?
L.
Put you cannot deny that your party hath preached the Nation into Rebellion (for the Parliament against the King) and therefore are justly s…spected till they repent.
M.
1. What mean you by [our party?] If you mean Nonconformists to the present Laws of Conformity, you are easily confuted: For the Rebellion was over, and the King restored before the present Conformity was Enacted: And when there was no such Law, there were no Nonconformists to it, nor any such Party in being.
If you mean the old Nonconformists, I answer you.
1. They were part for the Parliament, part against their War, and part Neuters.
2. There was a multitude of Conformist Ministers for the Parliament for one Nonconformist: I have oft proved, that there was at the beginning of that Parliament, not many more Nonconformist Ministers left in England, than were Counties, if so many. In the Westminster As…e…ly there were but seven or eight Englishmen: Most of the Sermons before the Parliament, which are now most blamed, were Preached by Conformists.
3. Such as kept in, and obeyed the Parliament and Usurpers, did most of them Conform, of 9000 or 10000 Ministers, there were but two thousand that Conformed not: And did meer turning to Conformity manifest Repentance?
4. But I have oft, and oft said, if they will silence all that had any hand in Wars, (except the Conformists) and no more, we will thank them with great joy? For I do not think there are forty, that I say not twenty, silenced Ministers alive in all England, that had any hand in the War against the King. And it's an odd kind of Justice that should eject and accuse so great a number for other mens Actions.
5. But if our Doctrine be Seditious, why should not we be allowed rather to Preach openly where Witnesses may convict us, and the Law take hold on us, than in secret to four, where none can convict us?
6. And how comes it to pass, that whilst so many hundred Ministers are hunted and ruined for Preaching, we hear of none at all punished for any False or Seditious Doctrine? Do those that watch, accuse and ruin us, want will to find out our false or ill Doctrine? while I am writing this, the common talk is, two poor Fellows accused such a one, and two Beggars, or poor Women that stood at the doors, took their Oaths against such, and such, and such, many. Warrants granted to distrain for Forty Pound or Sixty Pound a Sermon, on Ministers and People; the Citizens Goods seized, and carryed away, their Shops made bare, many laid in Jayls, and thousands waiting for utter ruin of all they have; and all this on the account of their Preaching and Hearing as without the Common Prayer; and not a word among all these of any False Doctrine spoken.
7. And Gods great mercy having of late years opened the Press, the Nonconformists have Printed abundance of their Sermons, that the World may see what Doctrine they Preached: There are two Volumes of Morning Lectures at one place, and two at another, and one Volume of Lectures against Popery. There is a great Volume of Mr. Charnock's Sermons, and a great one, and ma…y lesser of Dr. Manton's; many Folio…s of Mr. Anth. Burgesses, divers of Dr. Bates, divers of Mr. Richard Alleine's, Dr. Gilpin of Temptations, and abundance more. You have an account of my own Doctrine in above an hundred Books, of which I leave Posterity to judge.
L.
Yes, we hear what is said against you for your Rebellious Doctrine in former times.
M.
I then gave the World an account in my Book called Political Aphorisms, or a Holy Common-wealth written for Monarchy by Mr. Harrington's Provocation, what moved me to be on the Parliaments side; and I know nothing that they have charged on my Doctrine, but the words of that Book which I revoked long ago, and some Clauses in my Saints Rest, which I expunged before the King came in: And if my later writings (as my Second Plea for Peace) written purposely to satisfie them of my present judgment, be not regardable, why do they call me to retractations? And if the Act of Indempnity have done nothing against our former Actions, all General Monk's Army, and the rest, such that restored the King, must expect the like reward, if death deliver them not from mens wrath.
L
But why should you not give over Preaching when you are silenced? Have not the Bishops power to silence and degrade, as well as to ordain; or the Parliament at least?
M.
We doubt not but the Magistrate hath power to hinder Preachers from doing mischief, and to restrain those that Preach Rebellion, Sedition or Heresie, or that do more hurt than good: But not on that pretence, to hinder good, and to forbid Christs Ministers to Preach his Gospel: Bishops and Senior Pastors are Investing Ministers of Christ, to ordain fit Men to the Ministry, and judge of their fitness to that end: And if men prove uncapable, by Apostacy or Heresie, or Perfidiousness, they ought to do as Cyprian did about Martial and Basilides, require the Congregation in the name of Christ to forsake them. But they have no power to forbid any faithful Minister to do the Office to which he is ordained, nor to forbid the people to hear them: And if they do, their Commands are nullities as to any Obligation to Obedience.
L.
But they that give you the Office may take it away.
M.
He that giveth it as a Donor may, which is Christ, but not he that only as a Servant delivereth that which his Master gives. If you send a Servant to deliver a Man Possession of House, Land, Horse, Money, &c. That Servant cannot take it from him at his pleasure. I do not think that the Priest that Marryeth Men, can unmarry them when he will: If he could, I think he would have more work. I scarce think the Patron that giveth one a Benefice can take it away when he will; which is more alienable than the Office.
A man cannot renounce it himself when he will, who hath some more power of himself than the Bishop hath.
Do you not know that all are agreed that the Office of the Ministry is as Marriage, during Life, and not for Tryal or at Pleasure, except in case of Adultery? Therefore the Papists say, that Ordination maketh an Indelible Character: Of this all Parties are agreed.
L.
But why say you the Ordainers do not give you the Power, but as Investing Ministers? you are not called immediately by Christ as the Apostles were; who then doth give it you, if not the Ordainers?
M.
1. The Office lyeth in an Obligation to great labour and great patience as well as in a gift of power. It is a power to work in a suffering state. And as the Bishop can oblige no man to this against his will, so neither can he oblige any man farther than Christ and his own consent oblige him. Therefore it followeth that neither can he give the power farther than Christ giveth it; and the Ordainers and People, and Magistrates have each their part under Christ, in the conveyance.
L.
How doth Christ give Ministers their Office?
M.
1. He maketh a Law that there shall be a Ministry, and specifieth the Office by describing their work, and the necessary qualification of the Persons: So that it is not left to Bishops nor any to alter the Office, nor to admit any uncapable Persons into it.
2. Next Christ blesseth Mens Preparatory Studies and endeavours, and by his gifts and grace doth give them all Ministerial Abilities.
3. He maketh them desirous and willing of the Office and Work in Love to the blessed Effects, and so maketh them Consenters.
4. His Providence bringeth them where their Labours are really needful.
5. He moveth the minds of the Flock or Electors to desire, chuse or accept them.
6. He commandeth the Ordainers to Approve and Ordain those that are thus qualified as aforesaid.
7. He commandeth Magistrates to protect and encourage them.
8. He commandeth the Neighbour Church-Pastors to own them in their Neighbourly Communion. Thus you may see how Ministers are made by Christ, tho' not without mans Service.
Do you know how God maketh Marriages? 1. He instituteth the State, and by his Law maketh the Husband the Ruler of the Wife. 2. He causeth their natural Capacity and Inclination. 3. His Providence acquainteth them with each other. And 4. He moveth them to Consent. And 5. He maketh it the Ministers Duty to do his part; so that the Husbands power is of God.
Do you know who giveth the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London their Power? 1. The King by Charter determineth what, Power, they shall have, and how they shall be qualified, and how chosen, and how sworn and invested. 2. The Citizens accordingly choose them. 3. And the Recorder Sweareth them. Who is it now that giveth them the Power? The King's Charter, tho' not till they be duly qualified and chosen. The Recorder cannot depose them again; No, nor the Citizens (who may do more) unless it be in the Charter.
L.
But what Sin fear you by ceasing your ministry?
M.
1. We fear the guilt of Perfidious breaking of our Ordination Vow, by which we solemnly obliged our selves to diligent performing of our Ministry. The Bishops put those of us on this whom they ordained, who now would force us to violate it.
2. Therein we fear the guilt of Sacriledge, as alienating Persons consecrated to God. And we can judge it to be no better than Pharisaical Hypocrisie, in them that aggravate the Sacriledge of alienating consecrated Utensils and Lands, and yet will alienate consecrated Persons, and take it to be well done: whereas the Lands and Goods are but to serve the Persons who are nearer to God, while they serve him.
3. We fear the Sin of Cruelty, Unmercifulness, and the guilt of Damning Souls. As if we were commanded to forbear feeding our Children, or the Poor, we should expect to be charg'd with Murdering them, if they died of Famine, by our Neglect.
4. We fear being charged with fighting against Christ, or as Enemies to his Kingdom, and to his Saving Work: He was so great an Esteemer of Souls and Holiness, that by the greatest of Miracles, he came in Flesh to redeem, and sanctifie, and save Men: And if we starve and betray them to Satan by our neglect, we are Enemies to his saving Work and Office. And he that condemneth them that do not feed, and clothe, and visit them, may condemn us more, if we betray their Souls.
5. We fear being guilty of serving the Devil, in deserting and betraying Souls that are our trust: As a Captain that should desert his Station and fly, or should desert his Garison and Trust, doth let in the Enemy: Or as Christ saith, The hireling fleeth and leaveth the flock to Wolves: God saith to the negligent Watchman, Ezek. 33. Their blood will I require at thy hands.
6. We shall be a Temptation to the People to imitate us, and forsake the truth, and turn from Christ: For if the Captains fly, the Soldiers are like to follow. And if we may cease Ministerial Piety, they may think they may as well cease Family and Private Piety.
7. We may look for the doom of the sloathful Servant that hid his Master's talent, and was sentenced to be cast for it into outer Darkness.
8. We cast away our hopes of Salvation by Christ, if we cast away our Evidence of our Title to his Love: As he charged Peter, three times, If he loved him to feed his Sheep and Lambs; so the same extends to us: We tell him that we love him not, when we wilfully deny to feed his Flock.
9. The charge is dreadful that Paul lays on Timothy, and consequently on us, 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Iesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his Kingdom; that thou Preach the Word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. When we recite Paul… swords, Necessity is laid upon me, and woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel;] Some are so vain as to say, that this woe belongs to none but those that Christ called immediately, as if Men ordinarily called had no such Necessity. But Timothy was not called immediately by Christ.
10. Christ himself hath told us, that he that puts his hand to the Plow, and looks back, is not fit for the Kingdom of God: And that the Servant that will be blessed, must give the Children their meat in season, and be found so doing. For these Reasons we dare not forsake our Office and Work.
L.
But when you cannot do it, you are blameless.
M.
That's true: But we must do what we can: Christ foretold his Ministers how they should be used, Hated, Scourged, Killed, and yet will have them go on to the Death. When they persecute you in one City, flee to another, was his charge; what we cannot do in one place we may do in another; and if we cannot Preach to more, we must do it to fewer. No Suffering will excuse us, (much less bare Prohibitions) which do not disable us.
L.
But by this Rule, every silenced Heretick may go on, and make himself the Iudge, that he is unjustly silenced.
M.
And by your Rule of holding nothing which Men may abuse, all good may be put down. Usurpers may pretend that it's them that we must obey: Must not we therefore obey the King? Lyers will claim belief: Must we therefore believe no body? Reason is pretended for every Errour and Wickedness: must we therefore renounce Reason? so false Teachers may Preach when they are forbidden: must therefore Christ's Ministers give over, because Men forbid them. Did the Church do so for 300 years?
L.
Then it had no Christian Magistrates?
M.
Have Christian Magistrates more right to silence the Preaching of the Gospel, destroy Souls, and oppose Christ's Work, than Heathens have?
2. Were not Constantius, Valens, Theodosius 2d, Anastasius, Z…no, &c. Christian Emperors, and yet the Bishops went on when they forbad them: Read Bishop Bilson of Christian Subjection, and he will tell you that Christian Princes are to Protect Christ's Ministers in their Work: but if they forbid it them, they must go on, and suffer patiently what shall be done against them for it.
L.
But what need is there of your Preaching? Have we not Ministers … without you? Hath not every Parish one? and some say many Thousands are Ordained of late that want Benefices.
M.
Whether our Ministry be needful is matter of Fact so easily discernable to Englishmen, that I think him scarce meet for these debates that doubteth of it, if he know the Land.
1. The Supernumeraries that want Benefices, do not help the needy Parishes, but dwell in the Universities, or as Chaplains in Great Mens Houses, to read the Common-Prayer and say Grace at Meat, till a Benefice fall.
2. The greater sort of Parishes have more Work than many Ministers can do: They have besides Study and Preaching, Children to Baptize, Godfathers to Examine whether ever they Communicated, Communicants must beforehand give them notice, the scandalous and contentious must be admonished▪ all the Communicants examined, whether they are Confirmed or ready and desirous to be Confirmed, all that Communi…ate are not to have their Names taken and sent in to the Bishop; all that a…e refused the Sacrament to be notified to the Count, and prosecuted, the Sick to be visited, the ignorant and impe…itent to be t…ught and exhorted; Marrying, Burying the Poor to be taken care of, and much more. And about London it is credibly said, that there can be no less in the great Parishes than two Hundred thousand Persons more than the Parish-Churches will hold: Its th…ught that Martins, and Giles's in the Fields, and Giles…s C…pplegate, and Stepney alone, have near an Hundred and Fourscore, if not Two Hundred Thousand Persons in them: A tender hearted Man would be loth to Famish, or otherwise Kill two Hundred Thousand Dogs: It was the greatest Massacre that hath been heard of in any credible History of late (if not at any time) when the Irish in so small a compass murdered two Hundred Thousand Protestants: But to starve Souls, or by omission of our Duty to betray them to that Ignorance and Ungodliness which is the Cause of Damnation, is worse than to Kill the Body. There cannot past 4000 hear in these Churches: Yea, usually, not past 2000 can hear the Preacher's Voice, intelligently; though 5000 or 6000 may come within the Doors.
And if you suppose that in these 4 Parishes, 16000 may hear one Day, and those stay at home, and 16000 more hear the next Day (or time) 32000 is but a small part of Eightscore thousand: And if so far the greatest number must turn practical Atheists, and not publickly Worship God at all, why should not such places be denominated Pagan or Atheists from so much the greater part?
L.
But what is four Parishes to all the rest, and the Common Case?
M.
I pray you enquire in Clement Danes, Westminster, Andrews Holborn, Sepulchres, Christ-Church, Aldgate, Shoreditch, White-Chappel, Olives and Magdalenes Southwa…k. &c. and you may hear how many others come near to the same Case: And must so famous a City as L…ndon be Paganized or made so Atheistical?
L.
You lay heavy Charges on the Parliament and Bishops that have silenced you: you are best take heed what you say.
M.
No honest heed will secure a man in this Age of malignity and perjury. But you mistake me: I meddle not with the Parliament, Laws, or Bishops, much less with the King: I leave all men to their righteous Judge, who is at the door: To his Judgment they▪ stand or fall: I only tell you what I think it would be in us that are Vowed to the sacred Ministry, if we desert our Office and Work for Man's Prohibition.
L.
But all these People that you talk of, may find room in other Parish Churches: Many Churches in London are half empty, or have room enough.
M.
Do you not know that the London Churches were burnt down 1666, and to this day it's but few of them that are built again: but Ministers preach in small inconvenient Tabernacles: And those that are built, the Seats are commonly all taken up long ago, and lock'd up: I heard the last Week an Eminent Esquire say, that he offer'd Five Pound for a Seat, and could have none, and he was not able to stand so long with the Lads in the Alley. People will not let Strangers into their Seats, when they are Crowded with the Owners: I come into no Church that hath a competent sober Preacher, that is not full; Alleys and Seats. And I pray you if ten Thousand out of Stepney, or Martins, or Giles would go about the City to seek for Church-room: 1. How shall they know before hand in what Churches to find it? 2. When they miss it in three or four, the time will be over before they find it in a fifth. 3. Few but strong men are able to stand so long in the Alleys without Seats. 4. And this supposeth them to be honest thirsty Souls that have least need; whereas the worser sort that have no such appetite are the Multitude, who will stay at home if they have not convenience near them. 5. And the most willing People will hardly travel far to hear a man rail at them and slander them, as some do.
L.
But what great supply of this defect do your Meetings make? Are not most of them in the Parishes where there is room? And are not most of your hearers such as you think have least need?
M.
1. As many Meetings are held in the Greater Parishes as will be endured, and more would be, could they be suffered at any possible rate.
2. Those that dwell in the greater Parishes, can go further into the less, when they know before-hand that they have there room and hired Seats. The Meetings that have been kept up in the City Parishes, were as much for others, as for the Parishioners, and were there continued, because there was till of late the least disturbance, and gentlest prosecution.
3. Those that have least need, yet have so great need, as is more regardable than any bodily want: Souls and Heaven are precious, and all Men have Sins and Weaknesses and Temptations, and all helps possible are little enough to secure our Salvation.
4. When godly Persons are at our Assemblies, they take not up that room in the Parish-Churches which others would have, and so exclude not others.
L.
But after all your Meetings, there are still as many thousands as you talk of that go to no Church.
M.
We are unwilling to be found any Cause of that. The more need there is, the greater is our guilt, if we neglect what we can do for the supply.
L.
But what's this to the common Case of Country Parishes?
M.
For my part I would have no silenced Minister preach where there is not evident need. But the Country alas is not without need. 1. Some Parishes are so great, that part of the Inhabitants have more miles to come to Church, than the Aged, Women, Weak and Children can Travel. 2. Too many have such Teachers as the people dare, not take for their Pastors, any more than an Ignorant Quack for their Physician, or one for their Schoolmaster that cannot read. 3. Some had able Learned Pastors turned out, and they cannot▪ prove that their relation to them as such is dissolved. 4. Some by the ruining Prosecutions of the Clergy and Bishops Counsils are cast into an over-great aversness to them, and will not take such for their Pastors, as they think have the Teeth and Claws of Wolves. And will not travel far to seek Figs and Grapes on Thorns and Thistles. And if these err and be to be blamed, they are not therefore to be forsaken, any more than our Children, if they cannot eat Cheese, are to be famished and denied all other food.
But I must refer you to a full Treatise which I have written to justifie our Preaching, called, An Apology for it: At least, I pray you Study these Texts of Scripture, Mat. 5. 13, 14, 15, 16. and 28. 19, 20. Fph. 4. 10, to 17. 1 Tim. 4. 15, 16. 1 Cor. 4. 1, 2. Mat. 24. 45, 46, 47, 48. Act. 4. 19, and 5. 28. 1 Cor. 9. 14, 16. Act. 4. 29. 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2, 3. 1 Tim. 6. 13, 14. 2 Tim. 1. 8, 11, 12, 13. Tit. 2. 15. 1 Pet. 5. 1, 2, 3. 2 Tim. 2. 2, 24, 25. Eph. 6. 19, 20. Mat. 10. 7, 8. 16, 17, &c. and 9. 38. Luk. 9. 62. and 10. 2.
L.
But why may you not keep away five miles from Corporations and places where you have Preached?
M.
Did you not say even now, That small Countrey Parishes have no need of us? One Man may serve for two Hundred or a Thousand, better than for many Thousands.
2. The Reasons of our Preaching is Men's real need, and the Churches good: Therefore we are most obliged, caeteris paribus, where there is most need, and most probability of doing good.
3. Christ bids us, When they persecute you in one City, fly to another: And the Apostles first planted their Churches in Cities. If you know the Reasons of these, you know our Reasons.
To conclude, whose Service is it, think you, to perswade 2000 such Ministers to give over their Preaching and Ministry? whose interest requireth it? Did Christ or his Apostles ever do or perswade such a thing? But the way to bring us all to Popery is to disable its chief Adversaries, and to obliterate all Religion first, that Ignorance and Unconscionableness may be receptive of a new Form. You must take your Church-Bells, and break and melt them, if you will cast them anew to bring them to a new sound and use.