The Nonconformists Plea for Peace, Section 6

The Nonconformists Plea for Peace · Section 6

p. 37SECT. VI.

3. What Separation, and what Gathering of Aſſemblies or Churches is unlawful, and what lawful.

I. THough ſome mens abuſe of the word [Schiſm] and calling mens duty to God by that name, hath proved a great temptation to many, to take it but for a word of Paſſion, or of no certain or odious ſignification (even as the Papiſts abuſe of the word [Hereſie] and [Heretick] hath been to others) yet the evill of true Shiſm and the odium that God layeth on it in the Scripture, ſhould move all Chriſtians, to fear the thing and uſe the name with the diſgrace that it truely importeth (without miſapplication,) and to avoid all guilt of ſo great a ſin.

II. There are ſeveral ſorts and degrees of Schiſm, which greatly differ from each other p. 38Its one thing to divide from a Church, and another to cauſe diviſions or factions in it. Its one thing to divide our ſelves from it, and another to cauſe others to divide. Its one thing to draw men away by words, and another to drive them away by laws or execution, by unjuſt excommunication or by violent perſecution. Its one thing to tempt away or drive away a ſingle perſon, or a few; and another thing to draw or drive away multitudes. Its one thing to ſeparate from the Univerſal-Church, and another from a particular Church, or a few only. Its one thing to ſeparate from the ſpecies of particular Churches, and another from ſome individuals only. Its one thing to ſeparate from the Churches of Chriſts inſtitution, and another to ſeparate only from thoſe of mens inſtitution. Its one thing to ſeparate from ſuch as men make lawfully, and another from ſuch only as they make without authority, and ſinfully. And here ſeparating from one whoſe ſinful conſtitution is traiterous againſt Chriſts prerogative (as the Papal Univerſal Uſurpation) much differeth from ſeparating from one whoſe conſtitution though ſinful, is of no ſuch perniciouſneſs.

It is one thing to deny total Communion, and another to ſeparate but ſecundum quid for ſome act or part; And that is either a great and neceſſary part or ſome ſmall or indifferent thing or ceremony. It is one thing to ſeparate Locally by bodily abſence, and another mentally by Schiſmaticall principles. It is one thing to ſeparate from a Church as accuſing it to be no Church of Chriſt, and another to ſeparate from it only as a true Church but ſo Corrupted as not to be Communicated with. Its one thing to judge its p. 39Communion abſolutely unlawful, and another only to forſake it for a better which is preferred: Its one thing to depart willfully, and another to be unwillingly caſt out. Its one thing to depart raſhly and in haſt, and another to depart after due patience, when reformation appeareth hopeleſs. It is one thing to remove upon religious reaſons, and another upon Civil or Domeſtical, or Corporal.

It is eaſy for a confounded head to paſs over all ſuch diſtinctions, and with unjuſt and confounding cenſures to reproach others as Schiſmaticks in the dark, before he knoweth what ſchiſm is, being guilty of Schiſm in his very accuſations. But ſober Chriſtians muſt be diſcerners, and know that confuſion is an Enemy to truth and love and juſtice.

III. I The Union of the Church Univerſal is in the ſeven things mentioned by Paul Eph. 4. 3. 4, 5. 6. viz. One Body, One Spirit (of faith and Love) One Hope (of Glory) One Lord, One faith (or Creed,) One Baptiſmal Covenant, One God and Father of all. He that ſeparateth from this Church directly, is an Apoſtate; Uiſibly, if from its Eſſential profeſſion, and inviſibly if only from the inward ſincerity of faith, conſent and Love. This is damning ſeparation. And if he ſeparate but from ſome one Eſſentiall article of faith or duty, it is that which is moſt uſually and ſtrictly called Hereſie; of which we are now to ſpeak no further.

IV. 2. To make Factions, Parties, Contentions, and Mutinies in a true Church of Chriſt, or in any Community of Chriſtians, yea or but in families, p. 40in the Univerſal Church is a great ſin, in all that are the true culpable Cauſes of it, and are not only the involuntary occaſions by unavoidable accidents.

V. 3. To ſeparate from all the particular Churches in the world, as if they were no true Political Churches of Chriſt (as thoſe called Seekers do, who ſay that the Miniſtry, Scripture and Churches, are loſt in the wilderneſs,) is a very heinous ſin, though ſuch as do ſo, renounce not their Baptiſm, or the Church Univerſal.

VI. 4. To ſeparate from moſt, or many Churches by ſo unchurching them, is far worſe than to ſeparate from few or one; it being a greater wrong to Chriſt and men.

VII. 5. To ſeparate from one upon a reaſon that is known to be common to all, or moſt, or many, is virtually to ſeparate from all, or moſt, or many.

VIII. 6 To ſeparate from a true Church, accuſing it to be no true Church, is a greater injury and ſin (caeteris paribu…) than to ſeparate from it only on an unjuſt accuſation or culpability conſiſtent with a true Church: Becauſe the charge is more odious and injurious, and tendeth more to deſtroy Love.

IX. 7. To accuſe a Church (its Doctrine, Miniſtry Worſhip or Diſcipline) falſly, as guilty of ſuch corruption which maketh it unlawful for any Chriſtians to have communion with it, or falſly to pretend ſuch faults for his own and others ſeparation from it, is a great ſin, though not ſo great as to unchurch it.

X. 8. To hold that every Error in the Doctrine, Worſhip, Diſcipline, Paſtors or People of that Church, yea though ſettled and continued, p. 41and foreknown, not forced on us to conſent to or practice, is ſufficient cauſe to make Communion with the Church unlawful, is to hold a principle which would infer ſeparation from all the known Churches in this world.

XI. 9. To draw others to ſuch ſeparation by ſuch falſe accuſations or opinions, is worſe than to do it ſilently ones ſelf; and the more the worſe.

XII. 10. The more ſuch accuſations ſtrike at the heart of Chriſtian Love, which is the life of holy Societies, and of Holineſs it ſelf; and the more they draw men from Piety, and to hate, and abuſe, and wrong each other, the greater is the ſin.

XIII. 11. When men erroneouſly and cauſleſly gather ſeparated Members from true Churches where they ſhould continue, into Antichurches, or Societies, where their buſineſs is to make others unjuſtly odious that differ from them; this is to gather Schiſmatical Societies: And if they pretend themſelves wiſer than the Generality of the true Orthodox Churches in the world, and ſo ſeparate from them, they were for this called Hereticks at firſt: But if it be but upon a quarrel with ſome particular neighbour Church or Paſtor it was called a Schiſm.

XIV. 12. If any proud, or paſſionate, or erroneous perſon do, as Diotrephes, caſt out the brethren undeſervedly, by unjuſt ſuſpenſions, ſilencings, or excommunications, it is tyrannical Schiſm, what better name ſoever cloak it.

XV. 13. If any ſhould make ſinful terms of Communion, by Laws, or Mandates, impoſing things forbidden by God, on thoſe that will have p. 42Communion with them, and expelling thoſe that will not ſo ſin, this were heinous Schiſm: And the further thoſe Laws extend, and the more Miniſters or People are caſt out by them, the greater is the Schiſm.

XVI. 14. If any ſhould not only excommunicate ſuch perſons for not complying with them in ſin, but alſo proſecute them with mulcts, impriſonments, baniſhments, or other proſecution, to force them to tranſgreſs, this were yet more heinouſly aggravated Schiſm.

XVII. 15. All thoſe would be deeply guilty of ſuch Schiſm who by talk, writing, or preaching, juſtifie it, and cry it up, and draw others into the guilt, and reproach the Innocent as Schiſmaticks, for not offending God.

XVIII. 16. If any ſhould corrupt ſuch a Church, or its Doctrine, Worſhip, or Diſcipline in the very Eſſentials by ſetting up forbidden Officers, and Worſhip, or caſting out the Officers, Worſhip or Diſcipline inſtituted by Chriſt, and then proſecute others for not communicating with them; this would be yet the more heinous Schiſm.

XIX. 17. If either of the laſt named ſorts, would not be content with mens Communion with them, but would alſo ſilence and proſecute ſuch as will not own, juſtifie, and conſent to all that they do, by ſubſcriptions, declarations, covenants, promiſes, or oaths; this would yet be a more aggravated Schiſm.

XX. 18. If the men that do this ſhould be mere obtruders and uſurpers, that have no true Paſtoral power over thoſe whom they perſecute (as the Pope over other Kingdoms and Churches) p. 43this were yet more aggravated ſchiſme.

XXI. 19. If ſuch Uſurpers will claim a dominion or Monarchy over all the world, and unchurch, degrade and unchriſten all that will not be their Subjects, or will impoſe ſinful termes of Vnion upon all the Chriſtian World, and declare all Hereticks or Schiſmaticks, that receive them not, and ſo caſt out moſt of the Chriſtians on Earth, and all the ſounder Churches, this is one of the moſt heynous ſorts of Schiſm, that the mind of man can think of. Which is the grand Schiſm of the Roman Papacy, worſe than all their interior Schiſms when they had many Popes at once.

XXII. 20. If ſuch ſhall ſend agents and emiſſaries into the Dominions of Chriſtians Princes or States, to draw the Subjects to that Schiſme, and make them believe that Princes are by right the Subjects of the Pope, and that men ſhall be damned if they will not take him for the Biſhop or Vice-chriſt of all the World and keep up a rich and numerous Clergie in Chriſtian Kingdomes for this uſe, and make Decrees to exterminate or burn Chriſtians, and to depoſe temporal Lords that will not obey them and execute their lawes, This is to maintain and proſecute a Schiſme againſt Religious and Civill peace, by open hoſtility to Princes and People, and to mankind.

XXIII. 21. If, becauſe the Roman Emperours and Clergie ſetled five Patriarchs in the Roman Empire, of which the Roman Biſhop was the firſt, and by Councils called General of that Empire, did make Church Laws to bind the p. 44Subjects, any therefore will teach that theſe Patriarchs, (and the Pope as Principi…m unitatis) muſt be Rulers in the dominions of other Princes, and that ſuch Councils muſt govern them by their Decrees and that the Univerſal Church muſt be united in any one mortal head, whether Perſonal or Collective (ſuch as General Councils,) and ſo would bring Chriſtian Princes and people under the Laws and Government of forreigners, and brand thoſe as Schiſmaticks that will not fall in with ſuch an Univerſal Church Policie, This were alſo a very heinous ſort of Schiſm. For the Univerſal Church never did, nor will be united on ſuch termes; And therefore to make ſuch terms of its unity, is to make an Engine to divide it, and tear it all into pieces.

XXIV. 22. If any will confine the Power or Exerciſe of the Church Keyes into ſo few hands as ſhall make the Exerciſe of Chriſts Diſcipline impoſſible (as by laying that work on one, which multitudes are too few to do;) or ſhall make Churches ſo great, and Paſtors ſo few, as that the moſt of the people muſt needs be without true Paſtoral overſight, teaching and publick worſhip, and then will forbid thoſe people to Commit the Care of their ſouls to any others that will be Paſtors indeed, and ſo would compel them to be without Chriſts ordinances, true Church Communion and Paſtoral help, This would be Schiſmatical, and much worſe.

XXV. 23. If any Paſtors will deny Baptiſm, which is their inveſtiture in the Chriſtian Church, to the Adult that refuſe to receive the p. 45tranſient Image of the Crucifix (or any thing equal to it) as a Dedicating means to conſecrate them to God, and to ſignifie their Covenant Engagement to Chriſt, and as a badge and ſymbol of the Chriſtian Religion, it ſeemeth to us to be Schiſmaticall, when Chriſt himſelf inſtituted Baptiſm without ſuch a Covenanting Image, to be the teſt and bond of his Churches unity: But if thoſe Paſtors hold Baptiſm neceſſary alſo to ſalvation, and yet will ſo deny it to ſuch, this ſeemeth a great aggravation. The ſame we ſay of ſuch Paſtors as reject from Baptiſm and the Church, the Infants of true Chriſtians on the aforeſaid account: As alſo of thoſe that reject them from Baptiſm, becauſe the Parents will not offer them to it, unleſs they may themſelves be the Covenanters in their own Childrens names, and the Expreſs dedicaters of them to God, and becauſe they either cannot get credible Godfathers, or will not put others to promiſe the Chriſtian Education of their children, who they have no reaſon to believe do at all intend it, or will ever do it, we can excuſe no ſuch rejection of Chriſtian Infants from Chriſts Church, from Schiſm.

XXVI. 24. If ſome Chriſtians be of opinion that Chriſts example bindeth them to receive the Lords Supper in a Table geſture, or that the tradition of the Univerſal Church and the Canon 20th of the Nicene Councill is obligatory to them, which forbad men to adore Kneeling on any Lords day in the year, or on any week day between Eaſter and Whitſuntide (which no other General Council revoked, but continued till meer uſage by degrees wore it out, ſaith Dr. p. 46Heylin of the Sabbath, above 1000 years after Chriſt.) Or if the ſaid perſons ſhould think that to receive Kneeling were ſuch a ſcandalous appearance of the Papiſts Bread-worſhip, as the bowing before an Image forbidden by the 2d. Commandement was a ſcandalous appearance of Idol-worſhip, though theſe perſons did in this miſtake, we could not excuſe our ſelves from Schiſm, if we ſhould therefore refuſe them Sacramental-Communion: Nor if we ſhould Aſſent and Conſent to the rejection of men for ſo ſmall an errour, ſeeing Chriſts Spirit, Rom. 14. 1, &c. commanded both Paſtors and People to receive him that is weak in the ſaith, but not to doubtful diſputations; and to live in Love and Union with thoſe that have greater weakneſſes than this.

XXVII. 25. It may be Schiſmatical to caſt men out of the Church for that which yet may be Schiſmatical in the perſon ſo ejected: If he depart from the Church though Schiſmatically only in ſome accident, circumſtance, or ſome one act or thing of no neceſſity to communion or ſalvation; we think he may not be excommunicated, e. g. for not paying Fees at the Chancellours Court, or ſuch like. For as God departeth not from ſinners firſt, or further than they depart from him; ſo we humbly conceive the Church ſhould imitate him; remembring how Chriſt that came not to deſtroy mens lives, but to ſave them, rebuked the Sons of Thunder that would have had him deſtroy thoſe that refuſed to receive him, telling them, That they knew not what manner of ſpirit they were of.

p. 47On the other ſide, it may be Schiſm to ſeparate from a Church that hath ſome Schiſmatical Principles, Practices, and Perſons, if thoſe be not ſuch or ſo great as to neceſſitate our departure from them: For alas, it is too few Churches that are ſo happy as to have nothing, and do nothing which is Schiſmatical.

XXVIII. 26. Gathering New Churches by way of Separation from others, or gathering Aſſemblies without the conſent of the lawful Paſtors, who had the charge of the People of thoſe Aſſemblies, is a ſin and Schiſm in all theſe Caſes following.

1. In general, when the Laws, Practices, or Perſons of the Church which they ſeparate from, give them no ſufficient cauſe of a departure.

2. In general, when in the judgment of true reaſon, according to the notable evidence of the caſe, the ſaid Aſſemblies are like to do more hurt than good.

3. When ſuch Aſſemblies are gathered in oppoſition to ſome Truth which the Separaters would thereby diſown (e. g. Infant-Baptiſm, the lawfulneſs of Set-forms of Praiſe or Prayer, or any ſound Doctrine;) or for the profeſſion and propagation of ſome Hereſie or Error (as Antinomianiſm, Popery, &c.)

4. When ſuch Churches are gathered by men that have no true Fitneſs and Calling for the Sacred Miniſtry, or the work which they undertake.

5. When they are gathered by the pride of the Miniſters, that would thereby unduly ſet up themſelves, and draw away Diſciples after them; or by their covetouſneſs, ſeeking not the good of p. 48the Flock, but the Fleece; not them, but theirs; not ſerving the Lord Jeſus, but their own Bellies: Or when gathered, by the Pride of the People, that unjuſtly think thoſe that they ſeparate from, men unworthy of their Communion, and ſay to them, Come not near to us, we are holier than you, Iſa. 65. 5.

6. When they are gathered by a quarrelſom Paſſion, falling out with the Paſtors and People whom they ſeparate from. The parting of Paul and Barnabas had ſome evil in it.

7. When they are gathered to encourage and ſtrengthen a ſinful Faction or Party, or when men ſeparate from others for fear of being cenſured by ſuch a party, as Peter did withdraw from the Gentile Chriſtians, leſt he ſhould diſpleaſe the erroneous lewes Gal. 2.

8. When it is done out of a proud overvaluing of mens own opinions, or ſome odd ſingularity, whereby men cannot bear thoſe that are not of their mind, or whereby they would fain be be more conſpicuous as more Orthodox and wiſe than others.

9. When it is done miſtakingly to ſet up ſome wrong courſe of Church Government or worſhip (As that the People may have the Power of the Keyes, or of examining and judging all admitted members, or that Papal Government or the maſs may be introduced enthuſiaſtical diſorderly talking by pretended inſpiration, by ignorant uncalled men, or to introduce ſuch traditions and ſuperſtitions, as the Papiſts uſe, &c.)

10. When it is done upon a falſe conceit that a mans preſence with any Church that hath known errour or ſaults in doctrines or worſhip, p. 49is a guilty approving of them, and therefore that they muſt ſeparate from all ſuch.

11. When they ſeparate out of an unrulineſs of ſpirit, becauſe they will not be governed by their lawful Paſtors in lawful things, as time, place, order, &c. or becauſe a Minor part in elections is overvoted by the major part, and cannot have their wills.

12. When they ſeparate out of a prophaneneſs of mind, not enduring the power of the Preachers doctrine, or the holineſs and diſcipline of the Church, but would be licentious, while they would be called Religious. All theſe are unlawful ſeparations, and aſſemblings.

…. Yet that which is unlawful as to the Principle, End and Manner, ſecundum quid, is not alwaies unlawful ſimply, and in the thing it ſelf, for a proud, covetous turbulent perſon may ſinfully do a Lawful thing.

XXIX. 27. When Paſtors by concord, or Magiſtrates by Laws have ſetled Lawful Circumſtances or Accidents of Church Order or Worſhip, or Diſcipline, though they be in particular but humane Inſtitutions, it is Sinful diſobedience to violate them without neceſſary reaſon. e. g. Parochial Order, Aſſociations, Times, Places, Miniſters, Maintenance, Scripture-Tranſlations, &c.

XXX. 28. When able faithful Paſtors are lawfully ſet over the Aſſemblies, by juſt Election and Ordination, if any will cauſeleſly, and without right ſilence them, and command the people to deſert them, and to take others for their Paſtors in their ſtead, of whom they have no ſuch knowledge as may encourage them to ſuch a p. 50change, we cannot defend this from the charge of Schiſm, which puts a Congregation on ſo hard a means of Concord, as to judge whether they are bound to that Paſtor that was ſet over them as Chriſt appointed, or muſt renounce him and take the other when they are Commanded. So Cyprian in the caſe of Novatian ſayes that he could be no Biſhop becauſe another was rightfull Biſhop before.

XXXI. 29. In England it belongeth 1. to the Patron to preſent, 2. to the Biſhop to ordain and inſtitute and therefore to approve and inveſt 3. to the people jure divino to be free Conſenters, 4. and to the Magiſtrate to protect and to judge who ſhall be protected or tolerated under him: If now theſe four parties be for four Miniſters or for three, or two ſeveral men, and cannot agree in one, the culpable diſſenters will be the cauſes of the Schiſm.

XXXII. 30. If a Church have more Presbyters than one, and will be for one way of worſhip, diſcipline or doctrine and another for another, (as at Frankford, Dr. Cox. Mr. Horn and others were for the Liturgie, and others againſt it) ſo that the people cannot poſſibly accord, it is the culpable party, which ever it be, that muſt anſwer for the Schiſm. So much of enumerated Schiſms.

XXXIII. On the Negative, we ſuppoſe that none of theſe following are Schiſms in a culpable ſenſe.

1. All are agreed that it is no Schiſm for the Chriſtian Church to ſeparate from the ancient p. 51Jewiſh, or from the Infidel Heathen World.

XXXIV. 2. All Proteſtants are agreed that it is no Schiſm to deny obedience to the Roman Pope; nor to deny that communion with them, which they will not have without obedience: To ſeparate from other Churches, is to deny them meer Communion; But to ſeparate from the Roman as Papal, is but to deny them ſubjection▪ To deny any other Chriſtian Church to be a true Church is Schiſmatical, if they have the Eſſentials of a Church: But to deny the Papal Church or Monarchy to be a true Church of Chriſt's inſtitution, is true, juſt and neceſſary, though they be Chriſtians; becauſe we mean only the Papal Church form, as it is an Univerſal Eccleſiaſtical Monarchy of the whole Chriſtian world, which no other Church but that doth claim.

XXXV. 3. It is no Schiſm to deny Subjection to Pope, Councils or Patriarchs, of other Kingdom…, or to any forein Power by what names or titles ſoever called.

XXXVI. 4. It is no Schiſm to deny that Chriſt hath any ſuch Viſible Church on Earth as is one by Union with any Univerſal Head, Perſonal or Collective, beſides himſelf.

XXXVII. 5. It is no Schiſm to Preach, and gather Churches, and elect and ordain Paſtors and Aſſemble for God's Worſhip, againſt the Laws and will of Heathen, Nahometan, or Infidel Princes that forbid it. For thus did the Chriſtians for 300 years. And if there be the ſame cauſe and need, it is no more Schiſm to do it againſt the Laws and will of a Chriſtian Prince. Becauſe, 1. Chriſt's Laws are equally obligatory; p. 522. Souls equally precious. 3. The Goſpel and Gods worſhip equally neceſſary, 4. And his Chriſtianity enableth him not to do more hurt than a Pagan may do, but more good. If therefore either out of Ungodly enmity to his own profeſſion, or for fear of diſpleaſing his wicked or Inſidel Subjects, he ſhould forbid Chriſtian Churches, he is not to be therein obeyed.

XXXVIII. 6. If a Prince, Heathen, Infidel or Chriſtian, forbid Gods Commanded worſhip, and any Commanded part of the Paſtors office, (as in Papiſts Kingdoms Prayer in a known tongue, and the Cup in the Lords Supper is forbidden, and as they ſay, all preaching ſave the reading of Liturgies and Homilies is forbidden in Moſcovie, and as the uſe of the Keyes is elſewhere forbidden;) It is no Schiſm to diſobey ſuch Laws, (what Prudence may pro hic & nunc require of any ſingle perſon we now determine not.)

XXXIX. 7. If any Prince would turn his Kingdom, or a whole Province, Dioceſs or County into One only Church and thereby overthrow all the firſt order of Churches of Chriſts inſtitution, which are aſſociated for Perſonal preſent Communion, allowing them no Paſtors that have the power of the Keyes, and all eſſential to their office; though he ſhould allow Parochial Oratories or Chappels, which ſhould be no true Churches, but Parts of a Church, It were no Schiſm to gather Churches within ſuch a Church against the Laws of ſuch a Prince. Many write that there is but One Biſhop in Abaſſia (though ſome ſay that others have Epiſcopal power p. 53under him:) ſome that read the old Canons, which confine Biſhops to Cities, and take not the word as then it was taken, for any great Town or Corporation, but for ſuch priviledged Towns only as are called Cities in England, hence gather that as the King may disfranchiſe Cities and reduce them to ten, two or one in a Kingdom, he may by conſequence do ſo by Churches that have Biſhops; which if it be ſpoken but of Epiſcopi Epiſcoporum we reſiſt not; But if of Epiſcopi Gregis of the firſt Order of Churches called [Particular] we ſuppoſe that out of ſuch a Kingdom-Church Provincial or Dioceſan-Church, it is no Schiſm to gather particular Parochial Churches though forbidden. And the ſame reaſon will prove that if in a leſſer circuit, the ſame things be done though in a lower degree, viz, were it but three, four or ten particular Churches of the largeſt ſize capable of Perſonal Communions turned into one which is capable only of diſtant Communion per alios it is lawful to gather particular Churches out of that larger ſort of Church. If the Biſhop of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Ceſarea, Heraclea, Carthage, &c. ſhould have put down the Biſhops of ten, twenty, an hundred or many hundred Churches about them, and ſet up only Oratories and Catechiſts in their ſtead making them all but part of their own Churches, it would have been lawful to have gathered Churches in their Churches: For God never made them proper Judges whether Chriſt ſhould have Churches according to his laws, nor whether God ſhould be worſhipped, and ſouls be ſaved, or his own nſtitutions of Churches be obſerved.

p. 54XL. 8. If Biſhops would ordain Presbyters by limiting words, reſtraining them from any Eſſential or Integral Part of the Office or Power as inſtituted by Chriſt, and yet profeſs that they ordain them to the Office which Chriſt hath inſtituted, it is no Schiſm for thoſe Presbyters afterward to claim (and execute in ſeaſon) all the power which by Chriſt's inſtitution belongeth to their Office, though againſt the Biſhops Wills. Becauſe the Biſhops are not the Authors or Donors of the Office Power, but only the Miniſterial Deliverers and Inveſters; And therefore it is Chriſt and not they, that muſt deſcribe it.

XLI. 9 No Prince or Prelate hath power from Chriſt to ſet over, or impoſe upon any Church or Chriſtian people, any perſon as a Paſtor who through Ignorance, Hereſie, Malignant oppoſition to piety, or utter defect of Miniſterial ability, is uncapable of the Office or unfit to be truſted by the people with the Paſtoral care and conduct of their ſoules. Nor is it Schiſm in them to refuſe to commit their ſoules to ſuch, nor to chuſe and uſe better; when they may do it, without greater hurt to others then their gain will compenſate.

XLII. 10. Princes or other Magiſtrates are not appointed by God to be the ordinary Electters and Impoſers of Paſtors on all the Churches; and the people bound to conſent to whomſoever they elect. But Chriſt hath given the Biſhops the power of free ordaining, and the people the power of free conſenting, and made Magiſtrates the Go…ernours of them that have this power. Even as he hath not given power to Princes p. 55to chuſe Wives or Husbands, Servants or Maſters, Tutors or Pupils, Phyſicians or Patients, for all their Subjects, but hath antecedently given ſuch Subjects power to chuſe for themſelves, and to Princes to be civil Rulers of ſuch as have this Choice, by which Governing Power they may regulate their Choice in ſubordination to Chriſts Univerſal Laws, and may puniſh them for groſs miſdoing: Therefore it is no Schiſm for Paſtors to ordain, or People to chuſe the Overſeers of their ſouls, without or againſt a Magiſtrates will or command as ſuch (ſubmitting to his Government.)

XLIII. 11. When faithful Paſtors truly ordained and elected, or conſented to, are in poſſeſſion, if a lawful Magiſtrate caſt them out (not only of the Temples and Tithes, but alſo of their Pastoral Relation and Overſight, and put others in their places of untried and ſuſpected parts and fidelity; 1. The Princes impoſition maketh not ſuch the true Pastors of that Church before and without the Peoples conſent: 2. Nor will it alwaies bind the People to conſent, and to forſake their former Paſtors, nor prove them Schiſmaticks becauſe they do it not.

For 1. God in Nature and Scripture hath given them that conſenting power antecedent to the Princes determination, which none can take from them. As he hath in nature given men the Choice (or Conſent at leaſt) with what Phyſician they will truſt their lives: God hath not put all ſick mens lives ſo far in the Princes power as to bind them to truſt and uſe whomſoever he ſhall chuſe: For men are neareſt to themſelves, and their lives are at their own wills in the firſt inſtance, p. 56before they are at anothers: And mens ſouls and everlaſting happineſs are preciouſer to them than their lives, and it is firſt under God their own wills by which they ſhall live or die; though all their friends ſhould do their beſt to make them willing of what is beſt.

2. They are ſuppoſed related duely to their tryed Paſtors, in the bond of fidelity, which they may not unneceſſarily violate.

3. Otherwiſe one Roman Emperor might have undone all the Churches and Souls in the Empire in a great degree; by impoſing on them inſufficient, heretical, or malignant Paſtors: Where it muſt be noted, 1. That God doth ordinarily work on ſouls according to the quality of the means: To ſay that He can do otherwiſe, is impertinent, while we ſee that he doth not, nor hath promiſed it. We ſee that Heathens and Infidels are not converted without Preachers; We ſee that Heretical Preachers make Hereticks, and Schiſmatical ones make Schiſmaticks, and ignorant ones leave the people ignorant: In ſeveral Countries the people are Greeks, Papiſts, Lutherans, &c. as they are taught. We ſee that one clear, convincing, experienced, ſerious Preacher, turneth more ſouls among us from ignorance, errour, fleſhly luſt, and worldly wicked hearts and lives, than abundance of raw young Readers or Preachers, that ignorantly ſay over a dry prepared ſpeech in a School-boys mode and tone. It is not every Preacher of whom it can be ſaid as Dr. Ames doth of old Mr. Midſley, a Nonconformiſt of Lancaſhire, That he was the means of converting many thouſand ſouls, (from Popery, Ignorance, and a wicked life: Nor whoſe labours p. 57are bleſt, as Mr. Dods, Mr. John Rogers, Mr. Thomas Hookers (Nonconformiſts) or Mr. William Fenners (a Conformiſt) and ſuch others were. Even as we ſee by experience that a few skilful, prudent, experienced Phyſicians cure more than abundance of young beginners, who too oft kill more than they cure. We ſee that the Abaſſian, Armenian, Greek, and moſt Popiſh Countries are lamentably ignorant (and uſually proportionably vicious) for want of a learned, pious, skilful, and laborious Miniſtery, Hiſtory tells us, that the Kingdom of Nubia forſook Chriſtianity for want of competent Teachers: The induſtry of the Jeſuits and Friars in China, Japan, Congo, and other Countries, telleth us how much they laid on the diligent uſe of means. Joſ. Acoſta tells us how much the West-Indies ſuffer in Religion by the ignorance and wickedneſs of the Prieſts. How barbarous and ſad a ſtate the Empire of Moſcovy is in for want of able, faithful Paſtors, while the Emperours put down Preaching, and confine them to Liturgies and Homilies, as is affirmed commonly without contradiction. How miſerable a ſtate the Roman Church; yea, the Papacy was in, in the ninth and tenth Ages, even Baronius, Genebrard, and the greateſt flatterers of the Pope lament; and this for want of able, faithful Paſtors and Teachers among them.

2. No man hath his power to deſtruction, but to edification. The bonum Publicum is the end of Government: Therefore it is not Schiſm in Subjects, not to caſt their ſouls on notorious peril of damnation, in obedience to any mortal man.

3. Every man, (eſpecially experienced Chriſtians) p. 58have more ſenſe and knowledge of what is profitable and congruous to them, than ſtanders by have, how learned ſoever: As ignorance maketh a few, ſhort, plain, oft repeated words, in a familiar ſtyle, more profitable to low-bred perſons, than an accurate learned Diſcourſe would be; ſo mens ſeveral tempers and vices maketh that matter and manner of Preaching profitable to them, which to others ſeemeth otherwiſe: And as a nice Lady muſt not tie her family of labouring perſons, to the matter and meaſure of her diet, nor revile them as gluttons or fools if they like it not; no more muſt learned men confine plain people to wordy Orations, (whether Learned or Pedantick) and ſay, This is beſt for them: Much leſs muſt they ſilence cauſleſly ſuch Teachers as truly profit them, or tie them to Homilies or Liturgies only, and ſay, Here is as much as is neceſſary to ſalvation: Nor is it any Schiſm in the people, if they refuſe to be ſo confined by them, and denied ſuch helps to their ſalvation as God hath ſent them, and made their due.

4. Order is an excellent means of edification, and of preſerving Truth, Charity and Peace: But it is but a Means to the Ends of the things Ordered, and the publick good: Therefore if Order ſhould be made the advantage of Hereſie, Church-Tyranny or Iniquity, and be turned againſt the good of Church and Souls, (as it is in the Policy of the Roman Church, and in well ordered Armies of Rebels, or ſuch as have unlawful wars) this would make it no Schiſm or ſin …o break ſuch order. Theſe notices interpoſed, we add, 4. That it hath been the Judgement of the p. 59moſt honoured Ages of the Church, that it is no Schiſm in the forementioned Caſes, to cleave to the faithful Paſtors that were duly ordained and conſented to, and to refuſe ſubjection to ſuch as lawful Princes have impoſed in their ſteads.

1. That even in the Jewiſh State the Kings had not the Election of all the Prieſts and Levites (much leſs the Prophets) is before proved; though they had the Government of them according to God's Laws.

2. That the Apoſtles ſent by Chriſt performed their Office againſt the will of the Roman and Jewiſh Rulers, is not denied.

3. And becauſe ſome think that this was proper only to Apoſtles or men ſent immediately by Chriſt, we add, that it is not denied that this was the caſe of others in that Age: As Timothy, (who is charged before God and Angels to Preach in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2.) Titus, Apollo, Silas, and ſuch others; and of all the ſetled Elders of the Churches, Act. 14. v. 23. Tit. 1. 5. 2 Theſ. 5. 12, 13. Heb. 13. 17, &c.

4. And it is not denied that this was the caſe of all the ordinary Paſtors for the firſt three hundred years, under the unbelieving Emperors. And as is aforeſaid, even theſe were Governours of the Chriſtian Paſtors and Churches (who are commanded Rom. 13. to obey them.) and they wanted not Governing power, though in part they wanted aptitude to uſe it well; ſo that Chriſtians were to obey even Heathen Governours in lawful things.

5. And it is undeniable that this was the judgment and caſe of the Fathers and People of the Church under the Chriſtian Emper ours that p. 60were Arrians, or favoured the Arrians: And as is aforeſaid, the Arrians would have ſubſcribed to all the Nicene Creed, (that Chriſt is Light of Light, God of God, very God of very God, begotten, not made, till they came to that one word foreign. Yea, Euſebius ſubſcribed to that alſo, and to the whole, who yet (notwithſtanding Socrates's charitable excuſe) is by his own Epiſtle from that Council to his People, plainly proved to be an Arrian, as Petavius hath fully manifeſted: And yet how the Churches of the Eaſt did commonly cleave to their Paſtors when Conſtantius and Valens ejected them; and how they reſolutely refuſed the impoſed Biſhops, ſome as Arrians, and ſome but as ſuſpected, ſaying, We have lawful Biſhops already, and how ſtifly they refuſed to forbear their forbidden Meetings, and Publick Worſhip with their former Paſtors, Churchhiſtory puts us out of doubt.

Athanaſius oft ſtayed with his flock till baniſhed by violence by Conſtantine, Conſtantius and Valens:

Euſtathius Biſhop of Antioch did the like yea came to the Imperial City Conſtantinople, and there lived in ſecret to confirm the People and preſumed to ordain a Patriarch of that City choſen againſt the Emperours will: For when Eudoxius was dead, the orthodox people choſe Evagrius, a man of their own judgement, and refuſed Demophilus, Socr. l. 4. c. 13. Both the conſecrator and the conſecrated Biſhop ſtayed with them till the Emperour ſent ſouldiers from Nicomedia to maſter the people, and baniſhed them both into ſeveral Countries, and at once put fourſcore Prieſts to death (burning them in a p. 61ſhip at Sea,) to whom the people adhered, who came to petition him for juſtice and forbearance. Saith Socr. cap. 14. When the Emperour at Edeſſa gave the Lieutenant a blow with his fiſt becauſe he had not ſcattered the Conventicles, as he had charged him, the Lieutenant, for all this great diſgrace, ſet himſelf, though unwillingly to obey the Emperours wrath and diſpleaſure; but gave notice ſecretly of it to the people (for it was far from his mind to fall a murthering ſo many godly Citizens,) that none ſhould ſhew his face in the Temple, that none ſhould be found raiſing of any Conventicle: But not one made account of his advice, nor regarded his threats, for the day following all flocked in great companies to the Temple. Then followeth the mention of a woman that with her little Child haſtned through the crowd to the meeting hoping to die with the reſt. The citizens of Cyzicum baniſhed Eunomius from their City, whom Eudoxius had preferred to that Biſhoprick, not ſo much for his Errours as for his arrogant and inſolent manner of Preaching, with Logical tricks and ſophiſms which they could not bear, and ſo they drove him to Conſtantinople where he layd by his Biſhops Office Id. c. 7.

And when Eleuſius repenting of his ſin in a forced ſubſcribing to the Ariminum faith would have had them have choſen another Biſhop, they would have or acknowledg no other but him; being the undoubted Chuſers of their own Biſhop Ib. c. 7.

The City of Antioch ſell into two parties of the Orthodox, beſides the Arrians, and choſe two Biſhops Paulinus and Meletirs; Though it was p. 62then contrary to the Canons that one City ſhould have two Biſhops, none queſtioned the peoples right to chuſe, nor denied either of them to be true Biſhops: And though the Emperour forbore Paulinus for his rare parts and virtues, and baniſhed only Meletius, the people would not obey his Orders, but ſtill aſſembled as before.

We are not ignorant what tumults popular Elections of Biſhops have oft cauſed: But two things all acquainted with antiquity know which much ſerve to counterballance this objection: 1. That where Emperours and Synods of Biſhops have made themſelves the Electors, the tumults or confuſions, or at leaſt the conſequent evills were not leſs but greater: 2. And when they did thus aſſume the Election (which was for the moſt part but in a few great ſeats and not of ordinary Biſhops) ſtill they ſuppoſe a neceſſity of the peoples conſent. When the Emperour choſe the Patriarchs, what one Emperour did another undid: And the peoples diſſent undid it ſooner: and the Ruling Biſhops ſo oft diſagreed, that their ſynods and Churches were lamentably militant. By the favour of the Emperour, Dioſcorus was the ſtrongeſt at Epheſus having the Souldiers and Rulers on his ſide, and by them the Major Vote of the Biſhops: But it was more Theodoſius and his Officers that carryed it than equity; even to the condemning of Euſebius and ſuch others, and the beating of Fl…vianus the Patriarch of Conſt. unto death: And when by the Emperour and prevailing Biſhops will, new Biſhops were placed (Anat…l…us at Conſt. Maximus at Antioch, Nonus at Edeſſa, Athanaſius for Savinian &c,) ſaith Liberatus in p. 63Breviaro cap. 12 ſchiſma factum eſt inter eos quale antea nunquam contigerat. Aegypti, Thraces & Paleſtini Epiſcopi Dioſcorum ſequebantur, Orientales, Ponticis & Aſiani Sanctae Memoriae Flavianum: Quod Schiſma Permanſit uſque ad obitum Theodoſii Principis. But when Martian was made Emperour, all was undon again: that went for Hereſie, which before went for the right belief, Dioſcorus was baniſhed, Proterius was choſen; and how choſen: ſaith Liberatus c. 14. ut cum omnium civium volunt ate eligerint ordinandum Epiſcopum, ſacris ob hoc literis praecedentibus, ad Theodorum tun… Auguſtalem collecti ſunt ergo Nobiles Civitatis, ut eum qui eſſet vita & ſermone Pontificatu dignus, eligerint: Hoc enim & Imperialibus ſanctionibus jubebatur, N. B. Yet all this quieted not the people becauſe Dioſc… rus was ſtill by the moſt taken for their true Biſhop; ſo that Proterius was fain to live under the guard of Souldiers among them: Timothy Aelurus, and Peter Moggus keeping ſeparate Congregations, would not communicate with Proterius; and no ſooner did they hear of Martians death, but the people in tumult murdered Proterius in the Church, mangled him, caſt out, and burnt his carcaſs, and ſcattered his aſhes in the wind, and made Timothy Aelurus their Biſhop: And thenceforward Alexandria had two Biſhops: And both ſides petitioning the new Emperour Leo to be for them, he commanded (upon examination) his General to caſt out Timothy, & alium decreto populi qui Synodum Calced. vindicaret, inthronizare, This St…la the Captain performeth, and another Timothy Salophaciolus is choſen: But when after Leo's death p. 64Baſiliſcus uſurped the Empire againſt Zeno, this Timothy is caſt out again, and the other reſtored; and other Biſops changed accordingly in oppoſition to the Council of Calcedon. And no ſooner was Zeno reſtored, but all was returned back again, and Aelurus poiſoned himſelf to eſcape worſe: Yet did his Party make Peter Moggus their Biſhop; and the Emperour commanded Anthimius to caſt him out, and ſet up Timothy Saloph. again: But while the Emperours choſe who ſhould have the Publick Authority and Temples, they left the people to joyn in the choice, and the Diſſenters kept up their own Biſhops and Schiſm. And thus the matter went on uncured: And very ordinarily it was the Pulcheria's, Theodora's, Eudoxia's, and ſuch other women, the Empreſſes, that by Hiſtorians are ſaid to diſpoſe of theſe matters, and make ſuch Patriarchs and Biſhops: And theſe courſes ſtill increaſed Schiſms: Of the Joannites at Conſtantinople we ſpake before. What a calamitous Schiſm was that at Alexandria between the Party that held Chriſt's body incorruptible, called by the other the Phantaſiaſtae, and thoſe that held it corruptible called the corrupticolae, one part taking Gaianus for the Biſhop, and the other Theodoſius; and the ſecular power, ſetting up one, the Soldiers and the city ſought it out. abundance on both ſides being ſlain, and yet the Soldiers had the worſt, and Theophilus was forced away.

In Juſtinians time when Paulus an Orthodox man was made Patriarch, he could not hold his ſeat without ſuch plots, as occaſioned Rhodo the Auguſtalis to murder Pſoius the Deacon, p. 65which coſt Rhodo and Arſenius their lives, and Paulus his contemptuous depoſition, by the Emperours juſtice. Should we but run over the hiſtory of other great Churches, eſpecially Rome, Conſtantinople, Antioch, Epheſus, Ceſa…ea, alas how ſadly would it ſhew that neither Emperours nor ſynods aſſuming the power did end ſuch Schiſmes, but increaſe them, where the Biſhopricks were ſo great as to ſeem a very deſirable prey: But where they were ſmall and poor…, there was far greater peace and quietneſs, though the people commonly had their choice, and every where their conſent was judged neceſſary; the proofs of which might fill a Volume. See in Synodo Romano quarto ſub Symmacho (in Binnio Vol. 2. p. 288.) &c. the claim of Odoacer that no Biſhop of Rome ſhould be made without the conſent of the King of Italy; And the Biſhops ſpeeches againſt it. Even in the daies of Gregor. 1. Rom. You may ſee how things went, by the conſtant tradition of the Church; Epiſt. 22. (in Bin. Vol. 2. p. 759. recitat) [natalem Salonitanae Eccleſiae ſcatrem & coepiſcopum noſtrum ob…ſſe diſcurrens in partibus iſtis ſama vulgavit: Q…od ſi verum eſti experientia tua om…i inſtantia omnique ſolicitudine CLERUM & POPULUM ejuſdem Civitatis admonere festinet, quatenus uno conſenſu ad ordinandum ſibi debeant eligere Sacerdotem; factoque in perſonam quae ſuerit clecta decreto, ad nos tranſmittere studebis, ut cum nostro conſenſu ſicut priſcis ſuit temporibus ordinetur. Illud prae omnibus tibi curae ſit ut in hac electione nec datio quibuſque modis interveniat praemiorum, nec quarumlibet perſonarum patrocinia convaleſcant; nam ſi quorundam p. 66patrocinio fuerit quiſquam Electus, Volunt atibus eor…m cum fuerit ordinatus obedire, reverentia exigente compellitur—Talem ergo te admonente perſonam debent eligere, quae nullius incongruae voluntati deſerviat, ſed vita & moribus decorata, tanto ordine digna valeat inveniri. And at the Council Pariſ. 3. in the daies of Pope John 3. and K. Childebert, when Kings were forbidden to make Biſhops, it was ordained Can. 8. that [Nullus civibus invitis ordinetur Epiſcopus; niſi quem Populi & Clericorum electio pleniſſima quaſierit voluntate, non principis imperio. And the Biſhops are forbidden to receive him into their number, who is made by Kings.

At the Council of Calcedon, Act. 12. it was determined, that neither of the two Biſhops of Epheſus, Baſſianus, or Stephanus, could be Biſhops, becauſe not duly elected, but a third to be choſen. See alſo for the peoples unanimous Election of their Biſhop Greg. 1. Epiſt. 65. in Bin. Vol. 2. p. 890.

We need not bid the Learned enquire whether Gregory Naeoceſ. Baſil, Ambroſe, Martin, Damaſus, (and ſo of the reſt) ordinarily were Biſhops without the conſent of the people over whom they were placed: And though ſometimes the peoples choice have (many hundred years only after Chriſts time, but not in the Primitive Church) been reſtrained, ſo was not their conſenting voice denied.

I have tranſlated and adjoyned the Epiſtle of Cyprian and an Africane Council with him (where were then the beſt ordered Churches in the World; as farr as I can learn) in which they counſel the Churches of Baſilides and Martial p. 67to forſake them becauſe they were Libellatiks in perſecution, proving from Scripture that uncapable perſons cannot be Paſtors, and that ſuch ſcandalous ſinners and bad men were uncapable perſons (forma non recipitur in matcriam indiſpoſitam;) charging it upon their conſciences as from Gods word; ſhewing them that els they will be Guilty of their ſins becauſe the chief power is in the people both of chuſing the worthy, and forſaking the unworthy. And yet theſe two Biſhops lived beyond the Seas in another Country, and the Biſhops of their own Country and the Biſhop of Rome had dealt more gently with them, and adjudged Communion to them. And the Africans pretended to no authority over them, but by Counſell told them of Gods own Law, which no man had power to invalidate. They charge the people as heinous ſinners if they forſake not a wicked unmeet Biſhop or Paſtor. what Libellaticks were I ſuppoſed the reader to know (viz, ſuch as to ſave their lives in perſecution, had permitted another to put their names by ſubſcription to a falſe profeſſion that favoured idolatry or infidelity)

Obj. 1. But Cyprian and the African Councils were miſtaken in the point of Rebaptizing thoſe baptized by Hereticks; and ſo they might be here.)

Anſ. 1. The Council of Nice decreed the rebaptizing of thoſe that were baptized by ſome Hereticks, though not by all: And if the Africans did not confine the word to ſuch, they erred only in not ſufficiently diſtinguiſhing of Hereticks. 2. If we are excuſed from receiving the teſtimony of ſuch Fathers and Councils as had any Errour, or as great an Errour as that, p. 68you may ſee what will follow. 3. We do not cit… Cyprian and the African Council as infallible, nor as having more Governing power over us than the preſent Rulers, but as being to us (I ſay to us) of more credit and authority in telling us what is jure devino than thoſe Biſhops or others that now condemn us as Schiſmaticks.

4. C…p…an and the African Councill were not forbidden for this judgment of theirs to Preach Chriſts Goſpel, nor caſt out of the Churches, no… ſent to Goals, nor called and uſed as Rogues and Schiſmaticks, and farr worſe then drunkards, adulterers, yea or the atheiſts and infidels among us. (Nor were the people that obeyed their Councill ſo uſed.) But t…e names of theſe holy men are venerable to this day.

Obj. 2. There were then no Chriſtian Magiſtrates, and therefore the peoples power muſt be uſed in their ſtead.

Anſ. Church power was the ſame before and after. The Lawes of Chriſt concerning it altered not. The Paſtors were then the Guides of the people by divine right: And the power of the Keyes was no leſs forcible or effectual as uſed by the Biſhops and Presbyters, than when the power of the ſword was added to them (if not much more.) And the peoples power of chooſing and refuſing Biſhops continued many hundred years after Magiſtrates were Chriſtians, confirmed even by Popes and Councills.

Obj. 3. This would caſt all into confuſion, and there would be no Church Government, if the people be Judges when a Miniſter is bad, and then ma… full him down or forſake him, and chooſe another.

p. 69Anſw. This is after further anſwered. I now only ſay 1. The people may not touch his Perſon, by violence, nor deprive him of his benefice or temple, nor yet degrade him: As they that change their Phyſician or Lawyer do no ſuch thing, but ſimply chooſe one that they can truſt. No man will win more by my ſalvation than I ſhall, nor would ſuffer more than I by it if I were damned: Who is more than I concerned what becometh of my ſoul? Am I not to have more care of it than of my eſtate or health of body? Who can eaſily believe thoſe men that ſend us to goales and ruin us for truſting our ſoules with ſuch Guides as to the beſt of our underſtandings we think meeteſt, or at leaſt for avoiding ſuch as we cannot ſo farr truſt, and then tell us that they do it becauſe they love our ſouls better than we love our ſelves, and therefore will not truſt them to our choice. 2. what confuſion doth it cauſe that every man now chooſeth his owne Tutor in philoſophy, his own maſter, his own Lawyer and phyſician, and every woman at age her own husband.

3. Doth not the Church of England (as is ſaid) allow every man his choice, when no man is forbidden to forſake any Biſhop or Paſtor and chooſe another by removing his habitation when he pleaſes? So that all this is but about Pariſh bounds, which is confeſſed to be of humane alterable conſtitution. And how ordinarily do many Gentlemen of the Church of England go from their own Pariſhes in London? 4. You may ſee by Philip Nyes printed papers, and Mr. Tombs his, that even thoſe called Independents p. 70and ſome Anabaptiſts are for hearing ſuch Pariſh-Teachers as their Rulers ſhall appoint, ſo they may but commit the Paſtoral care of their ſouls to ſuch as they can better truſt, and have Sacraments and ſpecial Church Communion free.

5. what great confuſion doth it breed in London that the French and Dutch Churches thus differ from the reſt, and have their proper modes and Government? Yea or that the Nonconformiſts by the favour of his Majeſties Licenſes had their choice and ſeveral meetings. Let not envy and animoſity ſeign greater confuſion than there is, and the matter will appear much otherwiſe than it is repreſented, even that the diſcords and confuſions were incomparably leſs (on that occaſion) than they were under the Biſhops in the better times of the Churches, even from An. 400 to 600, of which more in due place.

6. They that will condemn all that hath inconveniences, ſhall condemn all things in this world: But the Greateſt muſt be noted and avoided firſt. Shall the people have any judgment of diſcerning or not? If yea, the bounds of it muſt be ſhewed, and not the thing denyed as if it muſt bring in all confuſion. If Uſurpers claim the Crown, the Subjects muſt judge which is their true King, and muſt defend his right. Will you ſay, If the people be Judges, they may ſet up Uſurpers, and put down the King? They are but diſcerners of that which is before their duty. They have no right to erre, nor to alter the Law or right: But if it be otherwiſe, they are to be ruled as brutes: And ſo muſt not judge ſo much as whom they muſt obey. Is there any p. 71Chriſtian that dare ſay, that Biſhops or Princes are in all things to be obeyed, leſt the people be made Judges? And ſo that under Heathen, Mahometan, Papiſt, Heretical Rulers, they muſt be all of their Religion, as to the external profeſſing and practiſing part? None dare for ſhame ſay ſo, ſave an Infidel. Is not this a greater confuſion or michief than that which is now diſputed againſt: Therefore the bounds muſt be ſet on both ſides, which are not difficult to diſcern: As the people have property in their limbs, children and liberties, and acquiſitions antecedently to humane Government, which is to order theſe, and not to deſtroy them; ſo have all men greater intereſt in the ſafety of their own ſouls, which no man can take from them; no nor is it in their juſt power to put it into the hands of others from themſelves. If Hereticks, blind guides, o…faithleſs men, or inſufficient, be made Paſtors of the Flocks, and all men commanded to hear no better, nor truſt the Paſtoral Conduct of their ſouls into any wiſer or ſafer hands, Satan will be more gratified by it, than by the diſorder of the peoples chuſing their own ſpiritual Councillors, Tutors and Phyſicians. And when Church-communion is due to none but voluntary accepters, men ſhould not be uſed ſo as to take it ſtill againſt their wills, and to be as it were crammed and drencht with ſacred Myſteries, & driven to take them againſt their conſciences and wills from ſuch as they think they cannot communicate with, without being guilty of their ſin: When ſome Councils have owned Pope Nicholas's decree, that no man ought to hear the Maſs from a fornicating Prieſt; much p. 72leſs from men that are far more liable to exceptions.

To this I may add, that as in divers caſes the Canons and Decrees forbad hearing ſome Prieſts, and allowed ſeveral Churches in the ſame ground, ſo they ſeem to give that Paſtor a right to the Conduct of the People, who was the chief Converter of them from Infidelity or Hereſie: And hence was the Popes Controverſie with the Greeks about the Bulgarians, and his claim to the Church of England, and many others, becauſe he ſaid his Miſſionaries converted them. I ſhall ſpecially note here, that the old Canons ſent by Adrian to Carolus Mag. reci…ed by Caniſius and Binius, ſay, [That no one muſt pray with Hereticks or Schiſmaticks] and ſo not with Papiſt-Biſhops that are the greateſt Schiſmaticks by dividing Impoſitions [That if a Biſhop ſix months after admonition of other Biſhops neglect to make Catholicks of the people (multitudes then being Heathens and Hereticks) belonging to his ſeat, any other ſhall obtain them that ſhall deliver them from their Hereſie.] Yet the Biſhop is not depoſed, but another Biſhop and Church of the new Converts ſet up in his Precincts, and ſo a Church gathered in the Precincts of another Church and Biſhop. And ſo Gregory Nazianzen did long preach as their Paſtor in a ſmall Church in Conſtantinople, before he had poſſeſſion of the Cathedral; the people claiming him for their proſiting by his teaching; and Theodoſius gave him the Cathedral as merited by his ſucceſs. And in the ſaid old Canons, c. 19. its ſaid, that Dioceſes (which then were every Corporation and the Suburbs or Villages) which p. 73want Biſhops receive none without the conſent of the Biſhop who hitherto held them (ſo be it) not proudly: For if he over-hold them, affecting to ſit over the people, and deſpiſing his fellow-Biſhops, he is not only to be driven from the retained Dioc ſe, but alſo from his own Church. And ex Con. Sard. 2. [A Biſhop that by ambition changeth his ſeat (which was then forbidden by the Canons) ſhal not have (ſo much as) Lay-communion, (no not) at the end (his death.)

Even old Clemens Romanus, ad Corinth. tells them that they ought not to caſt out theſe Miniſters that live unblameably, having been Conſtituted by the Apoſtles or deinceps ab aliis viris celebribus, Cum Conſenſu Univerſae Eccleſiae.

But I find the Roman and Tyrannical ſpirit much inſiſting uppon this, that the Chriſtian Religion was but in the ſhell or Embryo in the Apoſtles dayes; and under Chriſtian Emperours is grown up to the maturity of Papacie, riches, pomp, and grandeur, and that great power which the Chriſtian Emperours gave the Patriarchs and prelates of their times. But this Hypotheſis muſt be better proved before we can receive it: We confeſs that for extent and number the Church was there in its minority: But if it was ſo as to infallibility of doctrine & perfection of Laws, and exemplary lives, then the Pope is better than Chriſt and his Apoſtles and their contemptible Decretals and firebrand Councills are better than the ſacred ſcriptures, and their degenerate Clergie and people better than the ancient holy peaceable Chriſtians, & their bloodſhedders better than the Martyrs, and the Croſsmakers better than the Croſs-bearers; which p. 74are things that the worldly ſort may believe more eaſily than mortified and heavenly Chriſtians.

One teſtimony more we will add for the antiquity, and the eſtimation of many that are againſt us. And that is the Apoſtolicall conſtitutions, Lib, 8. cap. 4. de ordinationibus, (having ſaid before cap. 2. that Epiſcopus ignorantia aut malo animo oppletus, Epiſcopus non eſt. ſed falſus Epiſcopus, non a Deo ſed ab hominibus promotus,) they here ſay that a Biſhop muſt be one that [a cuncto populo ex optimis quibuſque electus eſt. Quo nominato & placente, populus in unum Congregatus (not a thouſand Churches but one) una cum Presbyteris, atque Epiſcopis praeſentibus Die Dominico conſentiat. Qui vero inter reliquos princeps Epiſcopus eſt, percontetur Presbyteros & populum an ipſe ſit quem praeeſſe petant? & illis annuentibus rurſus percontetur an tribuunt ei omnes teſtimonium quod dignus ſit hoc magno & illuſtri munere praeſidend…? An quae ad pietatem erga Deum pertinent recte peregerit? An jura adverſus homines ſervarit? An domum ſuam réſque domeſticas recte adminiſtraverit, & an vita ei peromnia honeſte & laudate act a ſuerit? cum vero Omnes ſimul, non ſecundum opinionem praejudicatam, ſed ſecundum veritatem teſtificati ſuerint, talem eſſe eum, tanquam in conſpectu j…dicis Dei & Chriſti, praeſente etiam Spiritu Sancto, atque omnibus ſanctis & adminiſtratoriis ſpiritibus, rurſus tertio interrogent, utrum ſit dignus Miniſterio, ut in ore duo…um vel trium ſtet omne verbum: Et cum tertiò annuerint, et dignum eſſe aſſenſi ſuerint, petatur ab omnibus ut praebeant ſignum aſſenſus: Et libenter praebentes audiantur] We urge not this as of Apoſtolicall authority, p. 75but as of great antiquity, and agreeing with the primitive practiſe. This courſe much differeth from the ordaining of a Biſhop at an hundred miles diſtance from his Church; Yea ordaining him, not in or to a particular Church, but to many hundred Churches when the people neither know him nor are preſent, and yet the queſtion's askt as if they were. And as the people had ever a chuſing or a free conſenting Voice, ſo they oft received Biſhops and Presbyters who were ordained by ſuch as were outcaſts, Nonconformiſts, and baniſhed both by Emperours and Synods; as in many more inſtances might be proved: As alſo that they adhered to the Paſtors ſo choſen, notwithſtanding their ejections by the Imperial Power; yea and by ſuch Councils as they thought to be unjuſt; as the ſad diviſions by the diſplacings, reſtorings, and changes of Biſhops by the Councils of Conſtantinople, 1. Epheſus, 2. & Calcedon, and by the Emperours in thoſe times, do fully prove, the people following ſome one, and ſome another; though fear oft prevailed for conformity with the greater part. (And no wonder when ſo many Biſhops at the Council of Calcedon profeſſed that for fear they had judged againſt Flavianus for Eutichus againſt their conſciences, and even old Oſius, and many more at Ariminum did the like; and when the powers changed, cryed, Omnes peccavimus; and when under Theodoſius 2d. ſo many went one way, who under Martian went another way, even in point of Hereſie.

When Mavia the Saracen Queen choſe Moſes a Monk to be her Biſhop, as the condition of her peace with the Roman Empire, Moſes would p. 76not be ordained by Lucius; not becauſe he was an Arrian, but becauſe he was a perſecutor, and hurtful to other men for Religion, and ſo he would be ordained Prieſt by ſome that were baniſhed to a certain Mountain, Socr. l. 4. c. 29. When the Emperour was gone from Antioch (where in perſon he went to diſperſe their Meetings, and yet they held on) the people thruſt out Lucius whom he had ſet up, and ſet up Peter again whom the Emperour had baniſhed. But ſuch inſtances are too many to be recited. Yea under Orthodox Princes, the people would cleave to their injured Paſtors, though againſt the Emperours will, as they of Miliane did to Ambroſe; and the Joannites to Chryſoſtom, who even long after his death ſeparated from the Biſhop, and kept up their ſeparate Meetings againſt the will of Prince and Prelates, till milder Biſhops inſtead of perſecuting them, reſtored Chryſoſtom's bones and name to honour, and reconciled them. It will ſtill be objected, as before, that moſt of theſe inſtances were but the peoples rejection of Arrians: But again, we anſwer 1. In other inſtances, they uſually choſe their Paſtors, and cleaved to them, though prohibited. 2. Theſe Arrians were ſuch as ſubſcribed the Ariminum Creed, which was ſo ambiguouſly compiled, that abundance that renounced Arius, did think that for obedience and peace they might put a fair ſenſe on the words, and ſo ſubſcribe them: And we meet with perſons in our times, that think words impoſed on them by Superiours, may and muſt endure ſtretching to a ſenſe as far from their uſual acceptation, as the foreſaid words were ſtretched by p. 77the Ariminum Subſcribers. 3. They that never accuſed and convicted the refuſed Biſhops of Arrianiſm, yet adhered to their former Biſhops. 4. It ſeemeth then that the people are left Judges (as to the guiding of their own practice) what Biſhops to refuſe as heterodox, and whom to own as Orthodox.

And indeed the ſaying of Cyprian is well known, that [The people have the greateſt power both to chuſe a worthy Prieſt, and to refuſe or forſake the unworthy.]

6. All Proteſtants believe that it is no Schiſm in France, or other Papiſt Countries, to chuſe Paſtors, and meet for the Worſhip of God, though forbidden by the Civil and Eccleſiaſtick Governors of the place.

Obj. That is becauſe that the Princes are Papiſts.

Anſ. A Papiſt King is to be obeyed in lawful things: what Proteſtant denieth that?

Obj. But it is becauſe that the Churches and Worſhip in thoſe Countries is ſuch as it is not lawful to be preſent at.

Anſ. 1. This Objection granteth, that when the commanded Aſſemblies or Worſhip are ſuch as it is not lawful to be preſent at; 1. The people are diſcerning Judges; 2. And may lawfully meet elſe where under Paſtors of their own choice.

2. But let the Queſtion be, (not whether we may be preſent in their Churches, but) whether we may ſet up other Churches, when we are neceſſarily kept from thoſe eſtabliſhed by Publick Power? and it will go far.

7. When the Form of Worſhip and Concord called the Interim, was by Charles the 5th. impoſed on the German Proteſtants, (being drawn p. 78up by Julius Pflug, Sidonius, and Iſlebius Agricola, men pretending to moderation, as not impoſing the Maſs, &c. the Proteſtants judged it lawful to gather Aſſemblies, and keep up Churches contrary to ſuch an Edict of the Emperour: One half of them held on their former way, till baniſhment or other violence hindred them. Melancthon and the others that thought the things commanded not utterly unlawful, conformed only to prevent the utter deſolation of the Churches; but not in conſcionable obedience to the Emperours Edict, as if it had been any Schiſm to do otherwiſe if they could have been endured: As may be ſeen in Melancthon's own words in his Epiſtles, and elſewhere.

8. The moſt of Proteſtants at this day hold, that it is no Schiſm to keep up Churches of their ſeveral Parties, againſt their Princes will and prohibition. Thoſe called Arminians in Belgia ſo think. Epiſcopius writeth at large, that if Miniſters be forbid to Preach, and People to Aſſemble (in their caſe) they muſt go on, though they ſuffer death for it (ſaving that prudence may direct them ſometime to avoid a preſent ſtorm.) The Churches under the Duke of Brandenburgh are generally contrary to his judgment in Religion: And ſhould the Princes of Saxony, Brunſwick, Haſſia, &c. or the Kings of Sweden, or Denmark turn Calviniſts, their Clergy would be far from thinking it their duty to ceaſe their Aſſemblies of the Lutheran Profeſſion and Worſhip.

Biſhop Andrews is ſo far from tying all Miniſters to the Kings will, that he ſaith [cohibeat Regem Diaconus, ſi cum indignus ſit idque palam conſtet, accedat tamen ad Sacramentum.] p. 79i. e. Let (even) a Deacon reſtrain the King, if he come to the Sacrament being unworthy, and that be openly manifeſt.]

Biſhop Bilſon of ſubjection p. 399. ſaith, [The Election of Biſhops in thoſe daies belonged to the people and not to the Prince: and though Valens by plain force placed Lucius there, yet might the people Lawfully reject him as no Biſhop and cleave to Peter their right Paſtor.] Mark that he layeth it not on his Error, but on his entrance without the peoples Election, and that they might reject him as no Biſhop. We ſee here the full concurrence of ſuch Engliſh Biſhops as were the moſt Learned and zealous defenders of Epiſcopacy and loyalty.

The ſame Biſhop ibid. p. 236. Saith more plainly, [Princes have no right to call or confirm Preachers, but to receive ſuch as be ſent of God and give them Liberty for their Preaching and ſecurity for their perſons: and if Princes refuſe ſo to do, Gods labourers muſt go forward with that which is commanded them from Heaven; Not by diſturbing Princes from their Thrones, nor invading their Realms as your father doth, and defendeth he may do; but by mildly ſubmitting themſelves to the powers on Earth and meekly ſuffering▪ for the defence of the truth, what they ſhall inflict.] This is the ſumm of all that we here intend. ſo pag. 313. he ſaith [we grant that they muſt rather hazard their lives than baptize Princes which beleive not, or diſtribute the Lords myſteries to them that repent not, but give willful and open ſignification of impiety, &c.] So Beda Hiſt. Eccl, l. 2. c. 5. Tells us that Melitus Biſhop of London (with p. 80Juſtus) was baniſhed by the heirs of King Sabba…eth, becauſe he would not give them the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, which they would have had before they were baptized.

Yet all this is no juſtification of cauſeleſs diſobedience to Magiſtrates that circumſtantiate ſacred things according to their Office; nor will it juſtifie any Schiſmatical ſocieties: Veſpae habent favos, & Marcionitae Eccleſias ſaith Tertullian.

XLIV. 12. If any perſons ſhall pretend to have the power of Governing the Churches and Inferior Paſtors as their Biſhops, ▪ who are obtruded on thoſe Churches without the Election or conſent of the people or Inferior Paſtors, and theſe Biſhops ſhall by Lawes or mandates forbid ſuch Aſſembling, Preaching or Worſhip as otherwiſe would be Lawful and a duty, It is no Schiſm to diſobey ſuch Laws or mandates as ſuch; Nor do ſuch diſobey their Paſtors, they being truly no Biſhops of theirs till they do conſent (however in ſome caſes the advantages of ſome impoſed perſons may make it an act of Prudence, and ſo a duty to conſent, as is aforeſaid,) It was no Schiſm for the people of Antioch, Alexandria, Ceſarea, Conſtantinople &c▪ to refuſe Eccleſiaſtical obedience to the ill Biſhops ſet over them by the Emperour to whom they did not conſent; But the Schiſm was theirs who complied with the impoſed Uſurpers. Here it muſt be noted, that Church hiſtory hath conſtrained all that underſtand it to confeſs (both Papiſts, Greeks, and Proteſtants, that the ordination of Biſhops and Presbyters was in the power of the Biſhops and the Election in the power of the people, not only p. 81the firſt 300 years under heathen Emperours, but for many hundred years after under Chriſtian Emperours and Princes. 2. That this was taken for their right given them by God. To cite more proofs, for this would expoſe us to the readers cenſure, as unneceſſary tediouſneſs: Many Papiſts largely prove it; As doth David Blondel beyond exception, de jure plebis in regimine Eccleſiaſtico, with more. 3. That yet we here plead not for the neceſſity of ſo much as the peoples election as it ſignifieth the firſt nomination of the perſon, but only for the neceſſity of conſent, either explicitly or implicitly expreſt. If the ſenior Paſtors have the firſt nomination, or, if it be the Magiſtrate, or Patrons, as with us, we quarrel not againſt it, if the flock do but conſent.

Parents may Chuſe Husbands and Wives for their Children; but they are not ſuch at all till mutual conſent.

XLV. 13. The conſent of a few of the Church, is not the conſent of the Church; Nor is it Schiſm for the Major part to differ from their choice or determinations (as. ſuch.) In Government, the will of the Sovereign is the publick will; But in contracts, and conſent of a Community, where Unity is the thing intended, and voting the means, the Major part is denominatively the ſociety, (unleſs they have made others their truſtees or delegates in Electing, Conſenting themſelves to what they do,) ſuch ſocieties are not denominated from the Minor, or a ſmall part, as contradiſtinct from the reſt. If a Dioceſs have a thouſand, or 600, or 300 Pariſh Paſtors, and a hundred thouſand or a million of people (or 50000 or 20000 as you p. 82will ſuppoſe) and if only a dozen or twenty Presbyters, and a thouſand people (or none) chuſe the Biſhop, this is not the Election or conſent of the Dioceſan Church; Nor is it Schiſm for 20000 to go againſt the votes of 2000.

XLVI. 14. If Biſhops that have no better a foundation of their relative power over that particular flock, ſhall impoſe inferior Paſtors or Presbyters on the Pariſh-Churches; & command the peoples acceptance & obedience, the people are not bound to accept and obey them by any authority that is in that command as ſuch: Nor is it Schiſm to diſobey it, no more than it is treaſon to reject the Uſurper of a Kingdom.

XLVII. 15. whileſt ſuch obtruded Pariſh Paſtors have no conſent of the flock (explicite or implicite) that Pariſh is no Pariſh Church, in the proper Political Organized ſenſe, as we now ſpeak of a Church, as conſtituted by the Governing and Governed parts, For that which wanteth an eſſential part, wanteth the Eſſence, And therefore it is no Schiſm to pronounce it no ſuch Church, and to deny it the Communion proper to ſuch a Church. Though yet as the word [Church] doth ſignifie an ungoverned Society in potentia proxima to receive Government, they may be improperly called a Church as they are in a vacancy.

XLVIII. 16. If they that make a Dioceſs the loweſt proper Church (which hath a Biſhop, and none under him) and a Pariſh to be but a part of the Dioceſan Church, and no proper Church of it ſelf, as having no Epiſcopus Gregis, ſhall accuſe thoſe as ſeparating from the Church, who ſeparate not from the Biſhop, and keep to any p. 83Pariſh in the Dioceſs, they contradict themſelves: Though ſuch forſake many Presbyters and Pariſhes.

XLIX. 17. If Princes or Prelates ſhall unjuſtly ſilence or depoſe ſo great a number of faithful Paſtors or Preachers, as ſhall leave people deſtitute of a neceſſary Preaching and Paſtoral help, it is no Schiſm, but a great duty, for ſuch Miniſters to preach, and paſtorally guide ſuch people; otherwiſe by the ſame reaſon, one man might put down Chriſtianity in an Empire at his pleaſure; or diſſolve the Churches.

L. If it be ſaid, that it's true, if he put down all, but not if he ſilence but a minor part. We anſwer, that the reaſon is the ſame to thoſe to whom the Miniſtry is neceſſary, if he put down Miniſters to them. The ſupply of the Churches, e. g. in one City of a Kingdom, is no ſupply to the other Cities: And if a Pariſh have 10000, or 30000, or 50000, or 60000 ſouls, its no ſupply to all the reſt if 3000 of theſe have the benefit of a Preacher and Paſtor. The ſame power which may deny a Paſtor to ten parts of a Pariſh, may deny him to the eleventh part, that is, to all. So if competent Paſtors be ſet over half the Pariſhes in a Kingdom, and the other half hath incompetent men; or if nine parts of a Kingdom were competently ſupplied, and but the tenth part had not ſuch to whom the people may lawfully commit the Paſtoral Care of their ſouls, it is no Schiſm, but a duty for thoſe that are deſtitute, to get the beſt ſupply they can; and it is no Schiſm, but a duty, for faithful Miniſters, though forbidden by ſuperiours, to perform their Office to ſuch people that deſire it. p. 84Their General Ordination, with the peoples Neceſſity and Conſent added to God's General Commands to all his Miniſters to be faithful and diligent, are a ſufficient obliging Call to ſuch Miniſtration, without the will of (prohibiting) Superiours; yea againſt it.

For 1. Elſe it were at the will of a man whether ſouls ſhall be ſaved or damned, (for how ſhall they believe unleſs they hear? and how ſhall they hear without a Preacher?) and whether Chriſt ſhall have a Church; and God be publickly worſhiped, or not.

2. Our Ordination conſecrateth us to our Office, during life: And it is Sacriledge and Covenant-breaking with God to caſt it off and alienate our ſelves.

3. God hath deſcribed the Office and the Work in his Word, and charged his ſervants to give the children their bread in due ſeaſon, and adjured them before God and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his Kingdom, to preach the Word, & be inſtant, in ſeaſon, & out of ſeaſon, &c.

4. The indiſpenſible Law of Nature obligeth every man according to his Place and Calling, his Ability, and his Opportunities, to do his beſt to propagate Chriſt's Goſpel, and to ſave mens ſouls, as much and more than to ſeed mens bodies, and ſave their lives: But our Calling is to do it as Miniſters of Chriſt, thereto devoted. And we did not receive this Calling to be altered, or forborn at the will of man, but to be performed according to the Word of God: Men being not the Makers of the Office, nor of God's Law under which we execute it; nor the Donors p. 85or Limiters of the Power, but only 1. The Electors of the Perſons that ſhall receive it; 2. And the Inveſters of them in it by Miniſterial delivery; 3. And the Governours of us in the exerciſe of it, according to God's Laws, by which they may puniſh us for male adminiſtration, but cannot diſſolve the Laws obligation to thoſe that are indeed commanded by it.

LI. Obj. 2. If there be able Preachers in one part of the Pariſhes, and the other part have ſuch as deliver all that is neceſſary to ſalvation intelligibly, it is unlawful to Preach againſt the will of the Prince or Prelates in ſuch a Country.

Anſ. We deny this unproved aſſertion. 1. Indeed it will follow that ſuch perſons are juſtly condemned by God, if they repent not though they had but a Reader. 2. And that they ſhould be thankful for ſo much, and gladly accept it in ſuch Churches when they can have no better, But not 1. that it is in the power of any man juſtly to forbid them better, when God provideth it, 2. Nor that they muſt obey ſuch a prohibition, as ſuch. (Though prudence may diſcern forbearance to be a duty by accident, when the hurt would be greater than the good.) There is no doctrine objectively of abſolute neceſſity to ſalvation, but the doctrine of the Baptiſmal Covenant which is expounded in the Creed, Lords prayer and Decalogue. But there is much Doctrinal and active Means neceſſary to make men Underſtand, Believe, Love, and Practiſe, this neceſſary Covenant doctrine. And the doctrine or articles of faith, will ſave none that do not Underſtand, Believe, Love, and Practiſe it, and that ſincerely preferring the things p. 86revealed before all the pleaſures, riches and honours of this World. A Parrot ſhall not be a Saint for ſaying the Creed.

LII. Theſe following matters of fact are preſuppoſed to the anſwer of this objection, and in them all ſober Proteſtants are (as we ſuppoſe) agreed.

1. That this aforeſaid ſincerity of Faith, Rep…ntance, H…pe, Love, and Obedience, is made by God of neceſſ…y to ſalvation.

2. That as it will not profit a man to win all the World and loſe his ſoul, ſo neither will doctrinal formality, or obedience to ſuperiours that hinder ſound Preachers, recompence him for the loſs of his ſoul; And that God would not have mens Government maintained by mens damnation, nor will the ungodly be the beſt members of Church or Kingdoms: Order is a means to ſave men, and not damn them, ſome few Heathens offer to Devils a ſacrifice of mans fleſh, and blood: But if a man ſhould offer to God (the Lover, Saviour, and Sanctifyer of ſouls) a Sacrifice of the ſouls of thouſands, and ſay, All theſe are to be kept in Ignorance and ungodlyneſs and ſo to be damned, to pleaſe God who will have them obey their ſuperiours, at that rate; this were a diſhonour to God of unexpreſſible iniquity and errour. Chriſt that hath taught men to ſeek firſt his Kingdom, and to take up the Croſs, and to forſake Father and Mother and Life and all to ſerve him in the ſaving of their ſouls, and had planted inſeparably ſelf love into our natures, ſurely did not mean ſo Contra…ly as that we muſt forſake Chriſt, Heaven, and Salvation, to obey men.

p. 873. That certain experience putteth us paſt doubt, that ignorance, ſenſuality, worldlineſs, profaneneſs are far more common, and a holy heavenly mind and life, and all ſerious Chriſtianity and obedience, far, very far more rare, in thoſe Kingdoms and Pariſhes which have no plain, convincing, ſerious, lively and exemplary Preachers, than in thoſe that have, although they be baptized, and have the Creed, Lords prayer and Decalogue in their Liturgie. And yet here are all things of abſolute objective neceſſity to ſalvation. What a caſe the Moſcovites are in, that have only Liturgies and Homilies read, we mentioned before: And how ſad the caſe is among the Greeks, Armenians, Abaſſins, and moſt Papiſts, for want of better Preachers. Biſhop Uſher could ſay of the Iriſh, that more periſhed by not knowing what we are on both ſides agreed in, than by their Popiſh Errours; And what a caſe the Scottiſh Highlanders, too many of the Welſh, and moſt Pariſhes in England were in, as to ſerious piety, which had heretofore but Readers, or Preachers that did leſs than read a Homilie, experience conſtraineth us to know: as alſo what difference there is yet to be ſeen as to ſerious faith and godlineſs, between the fruits of a clear, ſerious, holy, diligent Preacher, and of raw youths that ſay over a pedantik lifeleſs ſpeech, and out of the pulpit little differ in ſpeech or life, from Carnal Worldlings or formal Hypocrites. Though we know that all that profeſs to be ſeriouſly Religious, are not ſo, yet none are ſo that do not profeſs it as they have opportunity.

As we are not able to deny this experience p. 88of the different fruits of different Teaching (when all have the Creed;) Nor dare deny the neceſſity of ſerious faith, repentance and holineſs to ſalvation (leſt we renounce the Goſpel,) nor yet that no men (much leſs moſt men or many thouſands) may as an act of obedience to man, refuſe thoſe helps which God provideth them, and without which few Comparatively are truely converted from a Carnal life and ſaved; ſo therefore we dare not think or ſay, that humane Lawes or orders are arguments of ſufficient weight to move them hereunto.

LIII. Obj. 3. But the hurt of the peoples chuſing Teachers and Aſſemblies without or againſt the Rulers will, is greater than the hurt that cometh by the want of better Teachers.

Anſ. 1. The peoples choice doth hurt by accident, in thoſe Countries, where the Rulers put down neceſſary helps, and where the people are Erroneous, Heretical, and Unruly, and ſo where the people would chooſe unſufferable men, ſuppoſing ſtill that no Church is conſtituted without mutual conſent of the Paſtor and the flock and that the Rulers alter not or violate not Chriſts Laws by which he hath appointed the ordering of Aſſemblies; Therefore it is the Rulers Office to hinder the people from doing miſchief, without hindering them from their duty and from doing well; To Govern them in their work, and not to forbid it.

2. If the Goſpel be hid (from the mind though not from the Ear) it is hid to them that are loſt 2. Cor. 4. 3. And without holineſs none ſhall ſee God Heb. 12, 14. Chriſt will p. 89come in flaming Fire to render vengeance to them that know not God and obey not the Goſpel, 2. Theſ. 1. 10. 11. All they ſhall be damned that obey not the truth but have pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs 2. Theſ. 2. 11. 12. They that live after the fleſh ſhall die, and they that have not the ſpirit of Chriſt are none of his, Rom. 8. 9. 13. It is not then eaſie to think of a greatet hurt, than to forbid men ſuch means, without which experience aſſureth us that few comparatively are thus inlightened and renewed to God, and with which more Comparatively are renewed. To ſay that God can bleſs to us an ignorant heartleſs, Carnal Teacher, is no anſwer, while experience certifieth us that Comparatively he doth not do it. If the people would chuſe ſuch Paſtors, Rulers muſt do their beſt to change their minds, and to provide better for them. But thats not the caſe that we are now ſpeaking to. If people would run into Sects and Hereſies, Rulers may puniſh and reſtrain falſe Teachers that dangerouſly corrupt the Chriſtian doctrine and ſeduce the peoples ſouls; But they may not therefore ſilence the faithful Miniſters of Chriſt, And adhereing to ſuch Miniſters, doth not any hurt of it ſelf: Nor any way tend to the furthering of ſo much hurt, as the contrary would do.

3. For who knoweth where to bound his obedience to ſuch ſilencers as aforeſaid, If a thouſand or two thouſand faithful Miniſters, muſt ceaſe Preaching when ſo forbidden, why not 3000, why not 4000? If half a Kingdom; can you ſatisfie the conſciences of the other half that they muſt not do ſo too, and ſo all Chriſtian p. 90Kingdoms conform to Moſcovie when the Prince commandeth it. And if 1000 or 2000 or 3000 Pariſhes muſt chooſe the apparent hazard of their ſouls and refuſe ſuch helps as experience certifieth us they greatly need, in obedience to man, why muſt not the reſt of the Pariſhes do ſo alſo? May I give away the needfull helps to my ſalvation, becauſe others have them, as if their ſalvation might ſatisfie me inſtead of my own?

4. We acknowledge it a very great Mercy of God, to have a Chriſtian Prince, and that every Kingdom ſhould be Chriſtian, and that Princes muſt do what they can to accompliſh it; And that they are the Governours of Pa…tors as well as of Phyſicians, (as is aforeſaid) and that it is moſt deſireable that the Church and Kingdom ſhould be commenſurate, and none in their Kingdoms reject the Goſpel. and that Paſtor or people who will do any thing contrary to this, or will not further it with all their power are great tranſgreſſours. But yet the old ſaying is true (owned even by the Papiſts, vid. Pet. De Marc…, De Eccl. Conſt.) that Eccleſia eſt in impe rio: And none but proſeſſed conſenters are Chriſtians: And the Temple is a priſon and not a Church as men are there forcibly driven againſt their wills, ſo far is it from ſaving the ſouls of any.

Yet conſtraining the ignorant and Heretical to hear ſound Teachers, we are far from oppoſing. But when Paul hath ſaid [Not a Novice,] If Rulers will ſilence better Teachers, and ſet up Novices, that are unskilful in that great and ſacred work, and never felt that work of faith, p. 91love, and heavenlyneſs, on their own ſouls which they muſt Preach to others, this will do more hurt, than the peoples choice of better men.

5. Yea if men of ſuch doctrine could once make Princes and people believe, that the people ought to receive only ſuch Paſtors as Princes chooſe for them, it may do more harm than all our ſects do: For ſects cannot caſt out religion at once; Nay uſually they periſh themſelves by their own diviſions and ſhame before they can ruine the Church. But Princes might change Religion as oft as the Moon changeth. And if good Princes were but the tenth part as rare, as they thought that ſaid [In uno annulo] &c. what then would become of Religion in the World?

LIV. And though we profeſs our great deteſtation of Church-Schiſms, and our lamentation for the ſad caſe of theſe Nations, and the Chriſtian world, by reaſon of them, believeing that Schiſm ſhould be odious to all Chriſtians; yet we are paſt doubt that aggravating ſome differences and breaches paſſionately by odious names, hath been Schiſmatical, by makeing the diſtance ſeem much greater than it was, and rendering Diſſenters odious to others, and teaching Adverſaries and ignorant perſons, to reproach men as guilty of more Schiſm than they are guilty of indeed. Among the Papiſts, if they unite in the Pope, they paſs not for Schiſmaticks or Hereticks, who differ in all thoſe many and great points, which H. Fowlis, Montaltus, the Jeſuits Morals, Mr. Clarkſon, &c. ree…e, viz. about Murder, Adultery, Fornication, King killing, ſeldom Loving God, &c. And p. 92among us, a man that doth but ſcruple certain Oaths, Subſcriptions, Covenants, Declarations, or a Ceremony, is charged by ſome with Schiſm.

LV. The Diſtance of Doctrines or Objective Religion muſt be diſtinguiſhed from the paſſion and peeviſhneſs, of ſubjective diſtance of mens minds, e. g. Suppoſe Grammarians differ about a Criticiſm (whether Vergilius or Virgilius) be the truer ſpelling; and Philoſophers differ de vacuo, de definitione ſpatii, temporis, &c. de cauſa motus projectorum, &c. and Divines differ of the tranſlation of a Text, of the antiquity of the Hebrew points, of the time of Eaſter day, of a Ceremony, or Form of Prayer, of the lawfulneſs of a Lay-Chancellors uſe of the Church-Keys; Would not an impartial ſtranger ſay, How concordant and happy are theſe men, that differ in no greater matters? And if they all fall together by the ears about ſuch things as theſe, it is an aggravated Subjective Schiſm, and a ſhame to ſuch wranglers, who deſerve the remedy of ſcolds: But ſure they that peaceably and calmly differ about the aforeſaid things, viz. whether we are bound to Love God once a year? whether the Pope may excommunicate and depoſe Kings, that will not extirpate all Proteſtants. Whether an excommunicate King may be murdered as no King, &c? theſe are far more diſtant really in point of Religion, than the other.

LVI. And we muſt lament that we find in Church-Hiſtory, and by too much experience, that there hath been, and is in too many Paſtors, ſuch a ſelfiſhneſs and high eſteem of their own judgments, and ſo little ſenſe of the common weakneſs of mankind, and the lowneſs of our p. 93higheſt degrees of knowledge, and ſo little Love to others as to themſelves, that by envy and impatience, they raiſe or increaſe Schiſms in the Church, by making a cauſleſs outcry againſt Schiſm, or making little differences ſeem great: They that cannot bear with Perſons and Congregations, who in little matters differ from them, becauſe they prefer ſome other Teacher before them, and ſay ſomewhat againſt their opinions or ways, do condemn themſelves while they cry down Schiſmaticks, and ſeem not to know what manner of ſpirit they are of: The Wiſdom from above is firſt pure, and then peaceable, and gentle, and eaſie to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocriſie; and the fruit of righteouſneſs is ſowen in peace by peace-makers: But if there be envying and ſtrife, it is infernal wiſdom, earthly, ſenſual and deviliſh, introducing confuſion, and every evil work, whether it be found in Factions, Contentions, Antichurches and Hereticks, or in thoſe that can bear with no Diſſenters, nor receive them that are weak in the faith, but make things unneceſſary, and their own conceits and wills the meaſure of mens liberties and their cenſures. He that would purſue all as Rebels in a Kingdom, who interpret not every Law alike, would more divide the Kingdom, than all mens different expoſitions now do.

LVII. We do with ſorrow confeſs that the diſcords of the people about chuſing their Biſhops, hath been a great ſcandal to Infidels, and a great diſhonour to the Church, and hath cauſed many lamentable Schiſms, not only under Chriſtian Emperours, but Heathen. But it hath p. 94been greateſt about the greateſt Prelates, eſpecially the Biſhops of Rome, Alexandria, Conſtantinople, A…ioch, &c. ſince D…maſus got that ſeat by Conqueſt in the Church, a multitude of Schiſms have fallen out even when Princes challenged the choice. A long time two at once, ſometimes three, and once five or ſix Popes living that were and had been Popes. The Schiſm of the Donatiſts was ſo cauſed by Biſhop ſet up againſt Biſhop; ſo was that of the I…anites at Conſtantinople, and of Dioſcorus at Alexandria, and many more. But it muſt be noted, 1. That the Electing Biſhops-Prieſts and Magiſtrates, have occaſioned theſe Schiſms as much, if not far more than the Electing people have done 2. That yet Princes for many hundred years after Conſtantines time, did not think it meet to prevent ſuch Schiſms by depriving the People or Presbyters of their Electing-power (much leſs of Conſent.) 3. That the Cure muſt not be by altering Chriſt's inſtitution, and the Churches practice continued 600, if not 800 years, and with moſt or many to this day; nor by overthrowing the very Conſtitution of Churches, and the Law of Nature it ſelf; nor by introducing a greater evil; as it would be to teach all people to receive all and only ſuch Paſtors as Princes every where ſhall ſet over them, and all Miniſters of Chriſt to ceaſe their Office when men forbid it them.

LVIII. Obj. 4. But if Miniſters themſelves muſt be judges, whether a Magiſtrate do juſtly ſilence them, then none will take themſelves to be ſilenced juſtly; and ſo all Hereticks will Preach on. It is the Rulers that muſt judge.

p. 95Anſ. 1. when we hear, and read, how the Papiſts deceive the ignorant, by repeating the queſtion, who muſt be the judge, it grieveth us to find ſome Proteſtants ſo unskilful in anſwering it, when the anſwer is ſo eaſy, that when opened we hope few …ber Proteſtants differ in it. Judgement is Publik or Private: Publik Judgement is either Antecedent by a Lawgiver judging what ſhall be commanded and made the ſubjects▪ duty; or conſequent by a Judge ſo ſtrictly called, Judging of Titles, and Crimes (in order to puniſhment) according to law; Private Judgement is either by Arbitrators, or private Cenſurers, or by every mans Conſcience diſcerning and judging what is his duty, and what is ſin.

1. The Sovereign of the World, is the only Judge, by Legiſlation what ſhall be the duty of all mankind, by the Law which he maketh to bind high and low, which none may alter or ſuſpend. 2. And he is the only fountain of Power to his Creatures. 3. And he is the only final, abſolute, infallible judge.

2. The Sovereigns of Kingdoms and Common wealths, and maſters in their families, are judges antecedently what ſhall be their Subjects duty, by their Laws ſubſervient to Gods: And they and their Officers receiving power from them are the Judges Conſequently, by Deciſion, who ſhall be puniſhed as Criminal and who not, and who ſhall be protected in his propriety or eſtate, by the ſword of Iuſtice.

3. The true Biſhops or Paſtors of the Church, are Guides to the people according to Chriſts Laws, in the matters of their Office, and deciſive Iudges, who ſhall be taken in, or put out of Communion, p. 96in the reſpective Churches.

4. Every mans Conſcience is that Private diſcerning Judge of his own Duty and ſin. (Of Arbitrators or Cenſurers we need not ſpeak.)

This all of us are agreed in: And the queſtion [who ſhall Judge] is ſtill urged by ſome, as if they thought that ſome man or men muſt needs in all caſes (of Religion) be taken for ſuch Abſolute Judges that what ever they Judge, all ſubjects muſt obey it. And on this pernicious ſuppoſition is built the Popes pretended Infallibility, becauſe they think that religion is fallible (that is, Gods Law) if the judge (that is an ignorant man, or men) be fallible.

But all Proteſtants (at leaſt) are agreed, that all men are Gods ſubjects; and that all humane Power of Legiſlation, Judgement and execution is limited; and that no man may judge againſt God or his Laws: And that men ſhould know Gods Laws, and juſtifie them and judge by them, and condemn all that is againſt them; But no man hath power to condemn or contradict Gods Law it ſelf. No man hath power to judge that there is no God, no Life to come, no Chriſt, or that one word of God is falſe, or to forbid one thing which God commandeth, or command one thing which God forbiddeth, no man hath power to judge that ſouls ſhall be deprived of ſuch needful Teaching and Sacraments, and publick worſhiping of God, as God hath provided, and commanded them to uſe; Nor to forbid Chriſts faithful Miniſters cauſeleſly to Preach his word, and worſhip him in the Churches, and adminiſter his Sacraments; Nor cauſeleſly to ſilence, or puniſh them for ſo doing: Therefore in this caſe p. 97our conſciences would not be bound though ſtill we profeſs that Gods Law bindeth us not to rebel, or take up arms againſt their injuries, but patiently to bear them, and pray for our perſecutors.

LIX. Obj. You ſay that Rulers may not cauſeleſly ſilence or puniſh ſuch: But ſtill they are judges whether there be cauſe.

Anſ. They are ſo: For it is about their proper work. But they are Judges ſubject to God, to whom they ſhall anſwer it if they diſobey him. And the ſubjects are p…ivate diſcerning Judges, whether the Laws of men contradict Gods Laws ſo far as concerneth their obeying or not obeying them.

We muſt ſtill repeat, that the eſſe is before the ſcire; and the Being of the caſe and Truth, before the judging of it: either the Preacher deſerveth Silencing or not, before you come to judge the caſe: If he ought to be ſilent the Rulers ought …o judge ſo, and do well: If not, but he be innocent, or one that ought not to be forbidden his Office, no man hath power from God to judge contrary and cauſeleſly to forbid him; And his conſcience is not formerly bound by that prohibition; Though he muſt ſtill keep his Loyalty and ſubjection, and his care of the publick peace and welfare.

LX. We conclude again, that ſeeing we meet with none that will ſay that Rulers may Judge that we ſhall not worſhip God, or that the Goſpel ſhall not be preached, or that men muſt obediently forſake Chriſt, or go to Hell; Nor with any Chriſtian that will ſay that without faith and holineſs we may be ſaved, we dread the conſequence p. 98of ſuch arguing, as taketh this up as the laſt defence, that [thoſe people that viſibly live in Senſuality, Drunkenneſs, Fornication, Coveteouſneſs, Pride, Ungodlyneſs or Groſs Ignorance, are indeed in a ſafe condition for ſalvation, and therefore that Preaching which ſhould bring them to repentance is not neceſſary; But that its ſafer to continue Ignorant and ungodly, than to joyn with the Religious for fear of Schiſm: For we cannot deny that they that have no other Medium to defend their Aſſertion, that [the lifeleſs unskilful Miniſtry of Novices, which maketh very few ſeriouſly Religious, doth more good than the contrary, which hath contrary ſucceſs, if it be by men forbidden] do too plainly perſwade us from our Chriſtianity it ſelf, that is, from the chiefeſt evidence of its truth and glory: For if there were no better Chriſtians in the world, than ſuch unholy perſons before deſcribed; and if Chriſt had not a holy peculiar people, of heavenly minds and lives, and zealous of good works, we could never prove (or believe) him to be the Chriſt that came to ſave his people from their ſins. He is not the Phyſician whom we can truſt, that doth not cure men. And if they will reſolve the caſe into the queſtion of fact, whether ſuch different Miniſters have uſually different ſucceſs? and ſerious Chriſtianity be not much more rare under Reading Novices, and unexperienced lifeleſs men, than under skilful ſerious godly Paſtors, we are unable to doubt of it, againſt all experience.

LXI. Obj. 5. But if every man that is proud and heretical may ſet up as a Preacher when he will, and when any people will chuſe him, Religion p. 99will be corrupted, and the Church confounded.

Anſw. True; therefore that muſt not be: 1. There are ſome previous qualifications ſo eſſentially neceſſary to the Miniſtry, that without them no man is owned as his Miniſter by Chriſt, nor ſhould be by men. 2. The Ordainers are to be Judges whether men have theſe qualifications. 3. The people are diſcerning Judges which qualified ordained man (or to be ordained) is meet for them; ſo far as it is neceſſary to their mutual Conſent. 4. If a Heretick or other intollerable perſon muſt ſet up a Preacher; or if any turn Heretick, the Orthodox Churches are (after due admonition) to renounce him as unacceptable of their communion; that he may be ſhamed and avoided. 5. If yet he continue obſtinate, and do more harm than good, the Magiſtrate is Ruler, and muſt reſtrain him, and deny him leave ſo to Preach in his Dominions; ſo he do it not by penalties unſuitable to the offence: (Diſ franchiſing, diſcountenancing and ſhame, do uſually more againſt Hereſies than cruelties.) But Neceſſary Faithful Teachers may not on theſe pretences be caſt out.

LXII. 18. If the People conſcious of their great Neceſſity of Paſtoral over-ſight and help, and of Chriſt's command to uſe it, do live in a Pariſh or Countrey where they cannot have it from thoſe that the Magiſtrate alloweth, either becauſe they cannot perform it for them, or becauſe they will not; it is no Schiſm for ſuch to ſeek and uſe it, from worthy though prohibited men.

We before ſpake of the Schiſms of Teachers, and now of Hearers. In this caſe men may juſtly p. 100thus argue: [Our Neceſſity requireth Paſtoral overſight, and Chriſt commandeth us to uſe it, when we may have it: But from this publick Miniſter we cannot have it: Therefore we muſt ſeek it where we can. That moſt men have need of Paſtoral overſight, is certain; elſe Chriſt would not have inſtituted it for them: And every man ſhould be conſcious of his own need.

That Chriſt hath commanded us the uſe of it is certain; 1. In all thoſe Texts which command the Paſtors their general and particular duties to the People, to Preach and be inſtant in ſeaſon and out, to reprove, rebuke, exhort, to comfort the feeble minded, to viſit the ſick, to convince the erroneous, to adminiſter the Sacraments, to pray and worſhip God publickly with them, &c. 2. In all thoſe Texts that command the People to hear, ſubmit to, obey, and imitate ſuch Guides, and uſe ſuch Ordinances. In ſeveral caſes the People may poſſibly be deprived of this at home, as from the allowed Miniſter: 1. When publick Paſtors are at ſo great a diſtance from them, as that ſuch Paſtors cannot come to them, nor they and their families go ſo far, without ſuch inconvenience and trouble, as will fruſtrate the end of their endeavours: As in France where the Proteſtants muſt go twenty miles, or ten, to a Church; which the weak, children and aged cannot do, nor the reſt of the family without ſuch coſt and pains, and loſs of time as will deprive them of the benefit.

Obj. But yet the Proteſtants there do not ſet up unlicenſed Churches.

Anſ. That is not as an act of formal obedience, as if they took it to be unlawful becauſe prohibited; p. 101but in prudence, becauſe the perſecution, ſhould they do it, would fruſtrate their attempt: In ſuch caſes the old Chriſtians met in ſecret.

2. Where Pariſhes are ſo great that the allowed Paſtors cannot Preach to half or a fourth or tenth part of the people; and cannot viſit half the ſick, and Baptize, and adminiſter the Lords Supper as is neceſſary; And have not time, if the ignorant, and doubting, and troubled perſons ſhould come to them for Counſel, reſolution or comfort, to ſpeak duely to one of twenty of them. In a Pariſh of 50000 or 30000, or 20000 or 15000 or 10000 ſoules, how few is it that one or two Miniſters can perform all the Offices to, publick and private which the Goſpel requireth Paſtors to perform.

3. Where the allowed Paſtors are ſo ſlothful or proud that they will not condeſcend to theſe Offices, of Perſonal help to many thouſands, eſpecially of the poor.

4. Where they are young raw men, or ignorant of ſuch matters, unable to counſel people as their neceſſities require, in order to their ſalvation; and perhaps to do it tolerably in a publick Sermon.

5. Where they are ſo prophane and malignant, that if poor people come to them with caſes of conſcience, or for counſel what they muſt do to be ſaved, they will but deride them as ſcrupulous and preciſe, and make them believe that to be ſolicitous about ſalvation, and afraid of ſinning, and ſeriouſly godly, is but to be Hypocrites, melancholy or mad; And perhaps bend their Preaching the ſame way.

6. When they are Heretical and not to be truſted in point of faith.

p. 1027. And when they are ſo Factious and Schiſmatical, as that their Preaching and Conference tendeth to render other good Chriſtians odious, and ſtir up men to hate, perſecute, or ſeparate from them, and ſo to deſtroy true Love and Concord.

In any of theſe caſes when the people or part of them are deprived of that Paſtoral helps which their neceſſity requireth, and God commandeth, they may ſeek it where they can beſt have it.

LXIII. In all theſe caſes it is an unſatisfactory Anſwer to tell them that Religion is kept up in the land, and that other perſons or Pariſhes have what they want, or that Order and Obedience muſt be preferred to their ſupply, or that God can ſave them without a Paſtor, &c. For ſo God can ſave the Heathen world without the Goſpel Preached if he pleaſe: And ſo you might perſwade the Poor to famiſh, rather than againſt Law to beg; becauſe if thouſands of them dye of Famine, yet other people are ſupplied, and have plenty: Or you might tell men that they muſt uſe no Phyſician, though they dye for it, if they have no tolerable one allowed them by the Magiſtrate, becauſe others have Phyſicians though they dye for want of them.

What if the Pariſh Prieſt could Baptize but one of many (or not all:) Muſt the reſt be content to be unbaptized? If not, why muſt they be content without all publick Preaching and Worſhipping of God, and the Lords Supper, and perſonal helps of Paſtors which they need? Paul thanketh God that he Baptized none of the Corinthians ſave ſome few, and ſaith, that God p. 103ſent him not to Baptize, but to Preach the Goſpel. And can any man prove then, That if the Pariſh Miniſter cannot or will not Baptize his Children he muſt get another to do it, yea a prohibited Miniſter rather then they ſhould be unbaptized; and yet that if the Pariſh Church cannot receive him, or the Paſtor cannot or will not do the Office of a Paſtor for him, he muſt be without Preaching, Worſhipping God, and Paſtoral overſight?

LXIV. Yet here we muſt declare 1. That in ſuch neceſſity people muſt caeteris paribus, firſt ſeek their ſupply in that way that is moſt for peace, and moſt for publick good, and leaſt ſcandalous or dividing, and that is moſt agreable to the Rulers will and honour.

2. That for ſome ſhort ſeaſon in which his ſoul is not apparently hazarded; as alſo in the tolerable loſs, of ſome meaſures of Paſtoral help, a man muſt ſubmit his own perſonal advantage to publick intereſt. and may hope that God will make it up. As alſo when it tendeth to his probable greater advantage afterward, by putting by ſome preſent ſtorm: But not ſtatedly, to be without Chriſts inſtituted ordinances and helps; e. g. Pariſh Order is deſireable and is the Rulers will: If therefore ſupply can be had in a neighbour Pariſh for them that want it in their own, and by an allowed Miniſter rather than a diſallowed, it ſhould be choſen, unleſs the diſparity be ſo great as to weigh down the contrary inconveniences. And if for a time any be conſtrained to another way, they ſhould do it but as an extroardinary neceſſity for the preſent time, till they can be ſupplied in the allowed Parochial way; and avoid as much as poſſibly p. 104they can all waies, though lawful, that encourage true Schiſms.

3. And we muſt profeſs, that if any Preachers or people, ſhall out of ſelf conceitedneſs, pretend neceſſity when there is none, their pretence is no juſtification of their diſorder or diſobedience. Magiſtrates may regulate us in the Circumſtances of thoſe duties, which the Law of Nature or the Goſpel do Command: But if on ſuch pretence of regulating Circumſtances, they will violate or contradict either the Law of Nature, or the Goſpel, and deſtroy the duty it ſelf, or its end, we are not bound in ſuch caſes to obey them, but mu… pariently ſuffer.

LXV. 19. If the Church Laws do exclude thoſe Chriſtians that have right, from the Communion of the Church, and their Children from Baptiſm, and do decree that they ſhall be excommunicate, and then laid in Gaols, it ſeemeth to us no Schiſm in thoſe perſons, to have no ſuch Communion with that Church which is denyed them by the Laws of the Church; Nor yet to join themſelves with another Church: that will receive them. And as we ſay of the Papiſts, that they unjuſtly call thoſe men Schiſmat…, whom they firſt caſt out themſelves by unjuſt excommunication, ſo may we of any others; Eſpecially when either for that which is a duty, or for ſome ſmall miſtake which it is not in the perſons power to rectifie, no greater than moſt good Chriſtians are guilty of, the Church Law ſaith that he ſhall be excommunicate ipſo facto, by which he is caſt out antecedently to any ſentence, or no place left for his pardon or forbearance by the favour of the Ordinary. He that is ſo caſt p. 105out, is not the wilful Sparatiſt: Nor is he bound to continue without Church Communion, and Paſtoral overſight.

LXVI. 20. If thoſe that live in a Pariſh where the Incumbent by utter Inſufficiency, Hereſie, Uſurpation, Malignity or Wickedneſs, is ſuch as men may not lawfully own, or commit the Paſtoral Conduct and care of their ſouls to, ſhall deſire the Paſtoral care of the next Pariſh-Miniſter, and communion in that Pariſh-Church, and may not be admitted, but all other Pariſh-Miniſters are by Canon commanded to refuſe them, and to turn them home to their own Pariſh-Prieſts and Churches, ſo that they muſt either commit their ſouls to ſuch uncapable perſons, and own them as Chriſt's Miniſters, or have none at all, we dare not charge thoſe perſons with Schiſm, if they commit the care of their ſouls to worthy ordained men, though not allowed but prohibited by the Magiſtrate: For the reaſons before given. Yea if they know that Church-Laws forbid all other Pariſh-Prieſts to receive them, we ſee not that they are firſt bound to offer themſelves to ſuch as profeſs obedience to thoſe Laws.

Obj. 1. But ſome take a meer Reader for uncapable that cannot preach, or one that cannot pray without Book, or a young man that is not able to reſolve doubts, or caſes of conſcience: but our Canon 57. ſaith, that the Sacraments are equally effectual, whether they be administred by a Preacher or no Preacher.

Anſ. 1. By an uncapable perſon we mean ſuch as is utterly unable to perform the Paſtoral duties which Chriſt hath commanded, and mens ſouls greatly need (which among others Dr. p. 106Hammond in his Annotat hath well deſcribed.) If bare Reading were ſufficient Ability, every Boy or Artificer were ſufficient that can read. Bare Reading will encourage no man to take any one for his Phyſician, or Lawyer; and ſoulconduct is a matter of greater importance, and needeth as much skill and honeſty.

2. It is not the validity of the Sacrament that is all that is to be looked at: Quod factum valet ſaepe fieri non debuit. Men muſt avoid ſin as well as Nullities in Sacraments: We take it to be a ſin to own a man as Chriſt's Miniſter who is none, through utter incapacity: Yet we know that Reading is a ſort of Preaching, and that all Presbyters, where one Church had many, did not publickly and conſtantly Preach in the antient Churches: But they were godly men capable of other Miniſterial Offices to the People, to pray, counſel and direct them, which muſt be regarded as well as Sacraments. He that can adminiſter a Sacrament that's valid, may be unfit for men to take for their Paſtors or Guides.

3. There is a double work of Sacraments to which they may be called Effectual: one is God's own collation of our Covenant-right to the promiſed Benefits, viz. Pardon and Salvation: To this we believe that the Sacrament is effectual to meet receivers, when it is ſo delivered as to be no Nullity; and ſo many heretofore thought that Baptiſm delivered by a Lay-man is effectual, that is, not Null, but inveſteth the perſon in his Covenant Relation; and yet that it is unlawful for a Lay-man to adminiſter it, or others to deſire it of him: The other work of the Sacrament is on the Peoples hearts, to which the manner p. 107of adminiſtring much contributeth, as experience proveth.

Obj. But Sacraments operate not as Lawyers and Phyſicians do by the skill of the Miniſter, but by God's grace and bleſſing.

Anſ. 1. But God's grace uſeth to work according to the aptitude of means morally, as conſtant experience proveth: And the word which is uſed in the Sacramental adminiſtration, muſt be regarded, and ſo muſt other waies of teaching as well as by Sacraments. 2. And we cannot expect God's bleſſing▪ in a way of ſin, when we own one for our Paſtor whom we ought not.

Obj. But ſome take a man to be uncapable if he be but a ſinner worſe than ordinary, as a drunkard, fornicator, ſwearer, perjured, a ſcorner at diligence in Religion, &c. whereas the Miniſters ſin depriveth not the people of the benefit of God's Ordinances.

Anſ. 1. He that not knowing the Miniſter to be ſuch a one, or by true neceſſity uſeth ſuch a one, yea or by ignorance thinketh that he ſhould not avoid him, if he be himſelf a true Believer, may have God's Covenant ſealed to him by the Sacrament, which ſuch a one delivereth: Yea, by an Uſurper or meer Lay-man that is in poſſeſſion, and miſtaken for a Miniſter: If a man forge his Orders, or intrude uncalled, or be an obtruded uſurping Biſhop, the people cannot alwaies detect it: Nor do they loſe their right to God's Sacraments, becauſe the man hath (unknown to them) no right to adminiſter them: But if they know ſuch an one, they ſhould not own him as a Miniſter of Chriſt, ſo far as to truſt p. 108their ſouls with him as their Paſtor, (at leaſt when they may have a better.) And he that ſo withdraweth himſelf from the communion of notorious wicked Paſtors whom he hath no power to caſt out, not ſeparating cauſleſly from others or the Church-ſtate, ſeemeth to us to have all the following reaſons to excuſe him from the guilt of Schiſm.

1 God hath commanded his ſervants to beware of falſe or pretended Prophets, and told us how to know them, by the hurtful fruits of thorns and thiſtles: And Paul adviſeth the Galatians, Coloſſians, &c. earneſtly to beware of unſound Teachers; and the Churches that had thoſe that taught people to eat things offered to Idols, &c. are threatned: And God commendeth thoſe that tryed falſe Apoſtles, and found them Lyars: Therefore the people in ſuch caſes as thoſe have a trying judgment, in order to their practice. And Paul warneth the Romans to mark thoſe that cauſe diviſions and offences (or ſcandals) and avoid them as not ſerving Jeſus Chriſt but their bellies; and the forenamed crimes are ſcandals.

2. God hath commanded men to know, love, and imitate godly Paſtors, Heb. 13. 7, 17. 24. 1 Theſ. 5▪ 12, 13. 1 Tim▪ 5. 17, &c. And he hath given no man power to ſet ſuch criminals over them as their Paſtors, and ſo far to deprive them of the means of ſalvation as to confine them to them.

3. Though the Apoſtles charge [with ſuch no not to eat] enable not private men to exerciſe Governing diſcipline on bad Paſtors, it ſeemeth to us to bind them, when the caſe is notorious, to diſown them.

p. 1094. Cyprians concluſion before mentioned is known, inviting the people to forſake a bad Paſtor, Plebs maximam habet poteſtatem &c. And he convinceth the people that if they forſake not ſuch they are guilty.

5. The Chriſtian Churches have formerly practiſed it.

6. The Law or Canon forbiddeth it to no man in England, to deſert men, ſobeit they will but remove their dwelling into another Pariſh. Which is an extrinſick Circumſtance of humane order.

7. Even Pope Nicolas in his Decretals, ſaith, that [Prieſts that commit fornication, cannot have the honour of Prieſthood. Yea [Let no man hear Maſs of a Prieſt whom he certainly knoweth to have a Concubine or woman introduced] and we hope we may be herein as clean as Papiſts. Yea of Popes he ſaith [He that by money, or the favour of men, or Popular, or Military tumults, is intruded into the Apoſtolical ſeat, without the Concordant and Canonical Election of the Cardinals, and the following religious Clergie, let him not be taken for a Pope or Apoſtolical, but Apoſtatical] Caran. 2. p. 393. 395.

8. Gildas ſaith of the Britiſh wicked Prieſts, that they were Traytors and not Miniſters of Chriſt, and that he was not Eximius Chriſtianus, that would call them Miniſters.

9. Iſidore Peluſiota in many Epiſtles to Zoſimus, and other wicked Prieſts, hath much to the like purpoſe.

10. St. Martin, would not come to the ſynods of the Biſhops about him, nor Communicate with them at all, becauſe they were ſome of p. 110them, raſh, bad men, and had inſtigated Maximus to ſubdue the Priſcillian Gnoſticks by the Sword, and thereby brought Religious people that were ſtrict, into ſuſpicion of Priſcillianiſm; but eſpecially he holding that Hereſie was not to be ſo puniſhed: And when to ſave ſome mens lives, he vielded to Maximus once to Communicate with the Biſhops, an Angel in his way corrected him, and his working of Miracles was diminiſhed by it, and he forbore their Communion after to the death. Either this hiſtory is true or not: If not, when it is written by his own Diſciple and acquaintance, Sulpitius Severus and one of the moſt Godly and Learned of all the ancient Hiſtorians, and by others; and when Martin is Canonized for one of the greateſt Saints upon ſuppoſition that the Hiſtory of his Life and Miracles is true, what Church-hiſtory (even that for Biſhops) can we then believe? But if it be true, then one of the holieſt workers of Miracles ſince the Apoſtles, hath aſſured us, that his ſeparation from communion with theſe Biſhops (though cruel to Hereticks, ſo groſs) was confirmed by viſion, and by an Angel from Heaven, and he forbidden their communion for the time to come. We again mention this, as not yet having heard any anſwer to it.

11. Our own Canons forbid the people to communicate with Miniſters for leſſer faults (as private Preaching, Sacraments, Faſts, Conventicles, or out of their own Pariſhes, &c.

12. Moſes the Monk aforementioned, is commended by Hiſtorians, becauſe he would not be ordained by Lucius; not becauſe erroneous, but p. 111becauſe he had perſecuted others by the countenance of Valens the Emperour: Though his perſecution extended not to the ſilencing of thouſands, or hundreds, or very many that we read of: And as is aforeſaid, he choſe to be ordained by baniſhed men.

13. Eſpecially if men have no obligation to that inſufficient, heretical, or ungodly Prieſt, but humane, becauſe a Patron preſented him, or a Magiſtrate impoſed him, or becauſe Pariſh-order (which is a humane thing of meer convenience) will elſe ſeem violated: When as the avoiding of the danger of a falſe Paſtor, and the guilt of his ſin, which by owning him may be incurred, and eſcaping the great loſs of a faithful Paſtor's guidance, when we are conſcious that we greatly need it, are things of greater importance, and of Moral and Evangelical Divine obligation: In this caſe we cannot prove it Schiſm to avoid a wicked Prieſt: The Biſhops hold it a duty to avoid a Nonconformiſt that hath not their Licenſe: But ſuch a one as is foredeſcribed, hath not Chriſt's Licenſe, and is a Nonconformiſt to his Laws.

Again, let it be noted 1. That even under the Jewiſh Law, Magiſtrates were not the chuſers of the Prieſts, but God choſe them by ſetling the Prieſthood on one line. 2. That Chriſt hath by his Spirit in the Apoſtles altered the Prieſthood, and the way of their calling and entrance under the Goſpel. 3. That the Church neer a thouſand years was in poſſeſſion of that way, and many hundred of thoſe years the poſſeſſion was univerſal in all the Churches. 4. That the chuſing of Biſhops or Prieſts by Magiſtrates or Lay-Patrons p. 112was none of that way which Chriſt appointed. Therefore ſeeing it is not the chuſing or making, but the Governing of Biſhops or Prieſts that is committed to Princes, and Chriſt's Law is the firſt by which they muſt govern, it ſeemeth to us that they cannot oblige the Subjects to take up with wicked Paſtors, when better are prohibited, and are to be had.

LXVII. 21. In thoſe times and Countries where the allowed Biſhops are corrupted by ignorance, hereſie, ungodlineſs or faction, and ſet themſelves to bring in an unconſcionable corrupt ſort of Miniſters into the Churches, and will not ordain fit and conſcionable men, or by ſnares divide the Churches, and caſt out the moſt worthy; and impoſe ſinful conditions on all whom they will ordain, it ſeemeth to us to be no Schiſm to ſeek ordination from other Biſhops, and in caſe of neceſſity at leaſt, to be ordained by ſuch Presbyters as are either the ſole, or chief, or equal Paſtors in Parochial Churches, (eſpecially in Cities) and to perform the Office of Presbyters without ſuch Biſhops conſent. We here ſuppoſe ſuch Biſhops had themſelves been duely elected and ordained, yet 1. They have their power to edification, and not to deſtruction. 2. We are more obliged to Chriſt's intereſt, and the Churches ſafety, than to them. God will have mercy, rather than Sacrifice, and preferreth mens ſalvation to ceremony or Church Laws. 3. So the O…odox forſook the Arrian and other wicked Biſhops: Malignity and wickedneſs is poiſon in the Clergy as well as Hereſie and Schiſm: So as is aforeſaid, Moſes and Martin diſowned the bad Biſhops that were neer them; p. 113ſo the Proteſtants diſowned the Papiſt Biſhops; And Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter reformed and ordained Biſhops in Denmark. Biſhop Vſher himſelf told one of us, that being asked by his Sovereign whether he found that ever Presbyters ordained Presbyters? he anſwered, I can ſhew your Majeſty more, even where Presbyters made Biſhops, citing the Alexandrian cuſtom out of Jerom to Evagrius. The Judgment of Engliſh Biſhops and Divines for the validity of ſuch Ordination by Presbyters, and of the Ordination in the Reformed Churches abroad, ſome of us have proved heretofore at large. 4. Chriſt having made a Law which conferreth the Paſtoral Power on him that is made a due Receiver (as the King's Charter doth the Power of the Lord Mayor on him that is duly choſen to it) it followeth that no more is abſolutely neceſſary to ſuch reception of that Power, but that the perſon be duly qualified, and have conſent and opportunity, and the beſt inveſtiture which the time and place will afford: Of which Voetius de deſperata cauſa Papatus, and one of us in a Diſpute of Ordination, have long ago ſaid that which we ſuppoſe will never be well anſwered. 5. And Grotius de Imperio ſumm. Poteſt. circa Sacra (an excellent Book) hath ſhewed, that he that is the ſole Paſtor of a Church, is in effect a Biſhop. And indeed Dr. Hammond (as is ſaid) in his Diſſer▪ and Annotations aſſerteth de ſacto, that in Scriptures one Biſhop without any Presbyter under him was ſetled in each Church; ſo that every Paſtor of a particular Church then was a Biſhop (as far as can be proved:) And if that was the Apoſtolical inſtitution that every Church have a p. 114Biſhop, and that there was no ſole Paſtor (at leaſt) but Biſhops, then he that is ordained the Paſtor, (at leaſt ſole or chief) of a particular Church is ordained a Biſhop: The reaſon is, becauſe his Office and Power followeth the Law and Charter of Chriſt that made it, and not of the inveſting Miniſterial Ordainer if he would alter it, or pronounce it otherwiſe.

LXVI. 22. Not to obey Lay-Chancellours where they govern the Church by the power of the Keys, decreeing Excommunications and Abſolutions, and performing the work of Exploration and Admonition belonging to Biſhops in order thereto, we take to be no Schiſm; nor to refuſe ſubſcribing or ſwearing to ſuch a Government.

LXVII. 23. Not ſacrilegiouſly to deſert the ſacred Miniſtry when vowed and conſecrated thereto, is no Schiſm.

LXVIII. 24. Where ſuch ſins are made the Condition of Miniſtration by men in power, as that all the whole Miniſtry of a Kingdom are bound in conſcience to deny conſent and conformity thereto, it is the duty of all the Miniſtry in primo inſtante, to forbear their Miniſterial Office or none; for the reaſon is the ſame to all: For example; If ten or twenty untrue or unrighteous forbidden things, muſt be ſubſcribed, declared, covenanted, or ſworn, or as many ſins practiſed; yea were it but one, no doubt but the whole Miniſtry is bound to deny Conformity to any one ſuch thing. Now if all theſe muſt forbear or lay down their Office, becauſe forbidden by men to exerciſe it then it is in the power of a Prince to caſt out Chriſtianity when he p. 115pleaſeth, and to deny God all Publick Worſhip; and we muſt ask leave of Rulers that Chriſt may be Chriſt, and ſouls may be ſaved; as if the Keys of Heaven and Hell were theirs. None that we write for, Proteſtants or Papiſts, will aſſert this.

But if All muſt not lay down their Miniſtry, why muſt a thouſand or two thouſand do it rather than all the reſt? We ſuppoſe it will be ſaid, that if a thouſand ſhould refuſe Conformity, all might continue their forbidden Miniſtry; but if two thouſand only of ten thouſand ſhould deny Conformity, theſe two thouſand muſt lay down, becauſe the reſt are a competent ſupply to the Churches.

Anſw. But theſe be but unproved words. 1. How ſhall we be ſure that other mens ſinning will abſolve the two thouſand innocent from their duty? If in the firſt Inſtant it be confeſſedly the equal duty of all, how will the weakneſs and ſin of one part change the obligation of all the reſt? 2. If the Churches be ſomehow ſupplied by mens ſin, will it follow that truth and righteouſneſs in ſounder blameleſs men will not mend their ſupply? but muſt be caſt out by others ſin? 3. And where can the wit of man ever ſet bounds to ſuch power of ſinners? It will here be granted us, that if the moſt in France conform to Popery, it will not diſoblige all others from the exerciſe of their Miniſtry: And who then can ſay, what thoſe untruths and ſins are which a weak and erring Miniſtry may be guilty of, which ſhall ſerve to diſoblige the reſt? No man here can ſet us any certain meaſure. 4. Would it have an honeſt ſound if it ſhould be ſaid to the people, The greater part of the p. 116Miniſters by ſin (yea groſs deliberate ſin unrepented of) have procured the liberty of their Miniſtry; and they are enow for you, and therefore you muſt hear none of thoſe that refuſed ſo to ſin, and are caſt out, e. g. ſuppoſe it were the ſubſcribing of the Covenant againſt P…elaey that were made the Condition of our Preaching here by Law: Or ſubſcribing to the Divine Right of unordained Elders and their power in Presbyterian-Claſſes: If moſt of the Miniſters take that Covenant, doth that prove that all the reſt if forbidden to Preach muſt be ſilent? This were an eaſie way to introduce any Errour, by forbidding any but the defenders of it to Preach? If Julian might not thus have put down the Goſpel, nor Valens have put down the Homoouſians (as they called the Orthodox,) nor the Papiſts ſo put down the Proteſtants, why may Calviniſts or Lutherans ſo put down one another? As if I were bound to be a Miniſter only till other men will ſin!

Obj. But ſuppoſe that the ſin be on the ſilenced Miniſters part, and the other be in the truth.

Anſ. 1. Then the ſilenced Miniſters are not guiltleſs of the Schiſm. 2. But if it be ſo▪ if their errour be in a ſmall and difficult matter, not deſerving ſilencing (as theirs Rom. 15. about meats and daies &c) it may be far greater Schiſm in the ſilencers, then in them.

Obj. But ſuppoſe it a doubtful caſe, and one party take conſenting to be a ſin, and the other part and the greater take it to be none, If you may preach on becauſe you think that you are in the right, then no Heretick ſhould be ſilenced.

Anſ. This was anſwered before 1. If men will p. 117ſtill thus confound the ſcire and the eſſe, or put the ſcire before the eſſe, they may go on in errour, and no reaſon can ſilence them. The thing is realy firſt true or falſe, before it is known or thought ſo to be; If it be true, then he that thinketh it falſe is the delinquent. If it be a ſin, it is not mens taking it for no ſin, that will make it ſo, nor diſoblige the orthodox from their Miniſtry. But if it be no ſin that is Commanded the Nonconſenters are in the fault. And if it be a Hereſie which they ſtand for, may be ſ…lenced.

And yet we will not deny, but if the generality of the Miniſtry obtain their liberty by ſome ſmall tollerable ſin or errour and the ſounder part be few and unneceſſary in that Country, …rudence obligeth them to go to ſome other place that needeth them, and never to excerciſe their Miniſtry where in true reaſon it is like to do more hurt than good.

LXIX. 25. Where under any of the foreſaid unjuſt prohibitions the ſilenced Miniſters and people ſhall gather no diſtinct Churches, but only Auditories or Chappels as parts of the Pariſh Churches, and that only where there is (through the bigneſs of the Pariſh, or diſtance from the Pariſh Church, or paucity, or inſufficiency, or unfaithfulneſs of Pariſh Prieſts a true neceſſity, not unchurching or ſeparating from the Pariſh Church, but owning it and holding Communion with it, and promoting the reputation of the true Pariſh▪ Miniſter and Communion, and perſwading others to the like, we cannot ſee that this is any Schiſm; but rather their practiſe who fire and divide mens minds by envious clamours againſt the innocent, and proudly calling others Schiſmaticks.

p. 118LXX. 26. We have greatly lamented the true Schiſmatical diſpoſition of ſome religiouſly affected perſons, who make their ſingularities or little differences, the occaſions of unchriſtening; unchurching or degrading thoſe that are wiſer than themſelves, and running away from one another on pretence of diſcipline, and avoiding ſin. But yet we hold that gentle forbearing tolerable differences, even in diſtinct Churches, guilty of Schiſm, ſo they be kept from unpeaceable reviling of others, is a meeter way to avoid the miſchiefs, than with priſon, ſword or fire to exaſperate them. It is noted that Neſtorius the Heretick was the firſt ſharp perſecutor of the Novatians: But moſt of the better Biſhops tolerated them, as did the Emperours: And two prudent gentle Biſhops of Conſtantinople, Atticus and Proclus, reduced the Joannites, and lenified other divided Parties, which the flercer men had made and kept up by their violence.