The English Nonconformity Under King Charles II and James II, Chapter 52
CHAP. LII. POINT IX. Of denying Lay-men Communion in a Neighbour Parish Church, when they dare not Communicate in their own Parish, for the Reasons aforesaid.
M.
IX DO you think it is a sin deserving exclusion from Christian Communion, for a man to think it unlawful for him to own and encourage the Ministry of an ignorant, insufficient, or grosly scandalous, or hurtful Teacher. A poor Christian that is unwilling to be damned, and readeth that he should love his Neighbour as himself; perhaps, heareth the Priest tell the People what hypocrites and odious persons Non-conformists are, and exhorts them to avoid such, and to prosecute them, and root them out as the intolerable enemies of Church and State, and as unfit to be Members of any Society: He is acquainted with divers Non-conformists, their Lives, and their Books and Doctrines, and finds the clean contrary. He reads in Scripture, [See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently,] He heareth from the Pulpit, [See that ye hate one another, and seek the destruction of one another,] Christ saith, [Love your enemies] the Priest exhorts them [to root out their friends] Christ saith [He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and shake off the dust of your Feet against them that receive you not: It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah than for such] the Priest saith [He that receiveth such Ministers, sinneth against Christ, and he that hath any communion with them is a Schismatick,] The man readeth, [Beware of false Prophets; and thinks it a sin to encourage the teachers of lies and wickedness] and he readeth [He that hateth his Brother is a Murderer, and hath not eternal Life: and if I have not charity, I am but as sounding Brass, &c.] He thinks him a false teacher, that contradicteth Christ; and that seeks to damn the hearers. And he thinks that no tongue can more contradict Christ, than that which Preacheth down Love, and Preacheth for hating godly Men, tho' on slanderous pretences, and that no man can do more to damn the People, than he that draweth them from love, to such hatred.
Another liveth in a Parish where a dry ignorant fellow affords him no such help as he is conscious his soul needeth, and where the Common-Prayer is so much better, than the Sermon, that were it not for that, he might better stay at home. And where the Priests Conversation encourageth the Drunkards and Prophane, and vilifieth godly Men.
This man is for the Church-way, but for a better Minister: The question is, whether for this he be so great a sinner that all neighbouring Ministers must drive him away, and deny him Communion.
Another honest Christian taketh it for a sin to kneel at the Railes, or to join with the Organs, or to receive or desire the Diocesan manner of Confirmation, or to forbear Communion with all Christians whom the Church-men here condemn or cast out. The question is, whether it be no wrong to any of these to be denied Communion at a neighbour Parish, where his doubts are removed?
I prove that he hath right to such neighbour Communion.
1. Because he is a Member of Christs Body, the Catholick Church, and therefore hath right to the Communion of Saints. And to believe that in the Creed, and condemn it in Practice, is to believe to condemnation.
2. They themselves teach that a true Christian hath right to Communion with all Churches, where he hath just occasion to seek it.
3. They say that there is no Church without a Bishop, and that the Diocesan-Church is the least true political Church: And if so, he separateth not from any Church that separateth not from the Diocesan.
4. These foresaid persons do nothing to forfeit the Communion of neighbour Churches; therefore it is a sin and wrong to deny it them. If it were proved an errour to avoid that as a sin which they avoid, all mankind hath errours; and to be overfearful of Fire, or Water, or Plague, or Poyson, is a tolerable safe weakness, and not like the sins that swarm in multitudes of tolerated Parishioners.
L.
That which is not so immoral, as Fornication, Drunkenness, Cursing and Swearing, may be more hurtful to the Church, and so deserve greater severity from Governours.
M.
The Church-Keys are to be used with due relation to Heaven, and those are to be taken in, or cast out, that Christ will take in, or cast out from Heaven: And if you think he will damn an obedient godly Christian for fearing to partake of the sin of wicked Priests, or for fearing to be poysoned with love-killing Doctrine, or for fearing the vain Worship of mens traditions, rather than a prophane derider of Conscience, and a filthy Fornicator, Drunkard or Blasphemer; I shall not think it worth my labour to dispute with you.
But men that take the Churches welfare to lie in the wealth and domination of such as they, more than in the Holy Obedience, Conscience, and Piety of the People, will object the same that you now do.