Last Legacy in Select Admonitions and Directions, Treatise · Section 2 – Section 3
Mr. Baxter in his Reaſons for the Chriſtian Religion, p. 464.
Sect. 2. The Church of Chriſt being his Body is but one, and hath many parts, but ſhould have no Parties, but Unity and Concord without Diviſion.
§ 3. Therefore no Chriſtian muſt be of a Party or Sect as ſuch, that is, as dividing it ſelf from the reſt, cauſing Schiſm or Contention in the Body, or making a rent unneceſſarily in any particular Church which is a part.
§ 8. Nothing will warrant us to ſeparate from a Church as no Church, but the want of ſomething eſſential to a Church.
§ 11. It is eſſential to particular Political Churches, that they be conſtituted of true Biſhops or Paſtors and of Flocks of baptized or profeſſed Chriſtians, united for holy Communion in the Worſhipping of God, and the promoting of the Salvation of the Several Members.
§ 12. It is eſſential to a true Biſhop or Paſtor of the Church to be in Office (that is in authority and obligation) appointed by Chriſt in Subordination to him in the three parts of his Offices, Prophetical, Prieſtly and Kingly. That is, to teach the People, to ſtand between them and God in Worſhip, and to guide or govern them by the Paternal exerciſe of the Keys of his Church.
§ 15. If a Church which in all other reſpects is pureſt and beſt, will impoſe any ſin upon all that will have any local Communion with it, tho' we muſt not ſeparate from that Church as no Church, yet muſt we not commit that ſin, but patiently ſuffer them to exclude us from their Communion.
§ 1. We do not ſay you are no true Miniſters nor Churches, nor that it is unlawful to communicate with you. Apology, p. 82. See alſo p. 87. 89.
§ 2. Where Pariſh Bounds are judged neceſſary, all Perſons living in the Pariſh may be conſtrained to hear Publick Teaching, and to Worſhip God either in that, or in ſome other approved or tolerated Church within their convenient reach, or Neighbourhood. Way of Concord. Part 3. p. 139.
§ 3. The People are no Judges who is fit to be, and ſhall be a Miniſter of Chriſt, the Supream Civil Magiſtrate is Judge whom he muſt countenance, maintain and tolerate— The diſpoſal of the Tithes and Temples is in the Power of the Prince and Patron by his grant—Who but Phyſitians are fit to judge, who is meet to be a Licenſed Phyſitian. p. 127. Of the 2d. Defence.
§ 4. In caſe of meer different Modes, Circumſtances, and Order of Worſhip, ſee that you give Authority, and the Conſent of the Church where you are, their due: Chriſtian Directory, Part. 3. p. 13.
§ 5. Conform your ſelves to all the Lawful Cuſtoms and Geſtures of the Church with which you joyn; You come not thither proudly to ſhew your ſelves wiſer than they in the Circumſtances of Worſhip, nor needleſly to differ from them, much leſs to harden Men into a Scorn of ſtrictneſs, by ſeeing you to place Religion in ſingularities in lawful and indifferent things, but you come to Exerciſe Peace, Love, and Concord, and with one Mind and Mouth to glorifie God; ſtand when the Church ſtandeth; ſit when the Church ſitteth, and kneel when the Church kneeleth, in caſes where God doth not forbid it. Chriſtian Directory, p. 71. Part 3.
§ 6. Temples Utenſels, Lands devoted and lawfully ſeparated by Man for holy uſes are holy, as juſtly related to God by that Separation. Every thing ſhould be reverenced according to the meaſure of its Holineſs, and this expreſſed by ſuch Signs and Geſtures as are fit to honour God, to whom they are related. And ſo to be uncovered in a Church, and uſe reverent Cariage and Geſtures there, doth tend to preſerve due reverence to God and to his Worſhip, 1 Cor. 16. 20. Chriſtian Directory, Part 3. p. 167.
§ 7. Plain intelligible Church Muſick which occaſioneth not Diviſions, but the Church agreeth in, for my part, I never doubted but to be lawful. For 1. God ſet it up long after Moſes's Ceremonial Law by David, Solomon, &c. 2. It is not meerly an Inſtituted Ceremony, but a Natural help to the Minds alacrity; and it is a Duty, not a Sin to uſe the helps of Nature and lawful Art. As it is Lawful to uſe the help of Spectacles in reading the Bible, ſo is it of Muſick to exhilerate the Soul to God. 3. Jeſus Chriſt joyned with the Jewes that uſed it, and ſpake not againſt it. 4. No Scripture forbids it. 5. Nothing can be ſaid againſt it, but what may be ſaid againſt Tunes and melody of Voices; yea it is not a humane Invention, as the laſt Pſalm and many others ſhew, which call us to praiſe the Lord with Inſtruments of Muſick.
§ 8. Let not prejudice againſt Melody or Church-Muſick poſſeſs you with a ſplenatick diſguſt of that which ſhould be your moſt joyful work, if you know how much the Incorporate Soul muſt make uſe of the Body in harmony, and the joyful praiſes of Jehovah. Do not then Quarrel with lawful helps, becauſe they are ſenſible and corporal, Chriſtian Direct. p. 72. Part. 3. p. 167. Harmony and Melody are ſo high a Pleaſure of the Senſe, that they are neareſt to rational delight, if not participating of them, and exceedingly fitted to elevate the Mind and Affections unto God. We the Miniſters who drew up the Worceſter Agreement, required our People to declare in theſe Words: IAB do conſent to be a Member of the particular Church of Chriſt in D. whereof, EF is Teacher and Overſeer, and to ſubmit to his Teaching and Miniſterial guidance and over-ſight, according to God's Word.
Of the Doctrine of the Church of England.
As for the Doctrine of the Church of England, Preface to 5. Diſput. p. 6.the Biſhops and their Followers from the firſt Reformation begun by King Edward the Sixth, were ſound in Doctrine, adhearing to the Auguſtine method expreſſed now in the Articles and Homilies; they differed not in any conſiderable point from thoſe whom they called Puritans, but it was in the form of Government, Liturgy and Ceremonies, that the difference lay.
The Independents as well as the Presbyterians offer to Subſcribe the XXXIX Articles as diſtinct from Prelacy and Ceremony. And when I was in the Country, I knew not of one Miniſter to ten that are now ſilenced, that was not in the main of the ſame Principles with my ſelf.