Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Letter 1 – Letter 3
SIR,
THough I should have desired to have understood your thoughts about the Point of Sacriledge, that so I might have formed up my thoughts into some better order and clearer issue than I did in my last: yet to shew unto you how much I value this Correspondence with you, I am willing to make some return to your self. And first touching the Schoolmaster intended, &c.—The Accommodation you speak of is a great and a good work for the gaining into the Work such useful parts and interests as might very much heal the Discord, and unite the strength of Men to oppose destructive ways, and in my opinion more feasible with those men than any other, if they be moderate and godly: for we differ with them rather about some Pinacles of the Temple, than the Foundation or Abbuttresses thereof. I would not have much time spent in a formula of Doctrine or Worship: for we are not much distant in them, and happily no more than with one another. But I would have the Agreement attempted in that very thing which chiefly made the Division, and that is Government; heal that breach and heal all; there begin, and therein labour all you can. What influence this may have upon others, I know not, in this exulceration of mens minds: but the Work speaks it self good, and your Reasons for the attempting of it are very considerable. For the Assembly, you know, they can meddle with just nothing but what is sent unto them by Parliament, or one House thereof (as the Order faith) and for that reason never took upon them to intermeddle therein. What they do in such a thing, must be done as private persons, and not as in the capacity of Assembly-men, except it come to them recommended by the Parliament. The great business is to find a temperament in Ordination and Government, in both which the Exclusion or Admittance of Presbyters (dicis Causa) for a shadow, was not regular; and no doubt the Presbyters ought and may both teach and govern, as men that must give account of Souls. For that you say of every particular Church having many Presbyters, it hath been considered in our Assembly, and the Scripture speaks fair for it, but then the Church and City was of one Extent: No Parishes or Bounds assigned out to particular men (as now) but the Minister preached in circuita, or in common, and stood in relation to the Churches as to one Church, though meeting haply in divers houses or places (as is still the manner of some Cities in the Low Countries.) If you will follow this model, you must lay the City all into one Church particular, and the Villages half a dozen of them into a Church: which is a business here in England of vast design and consequence. And as for that you say of a Bishop over many Presbyters, not over many Churches; I believe no such Bishops will please our men: but the Nation, as you conceive it, hath been, and is the Opinion of learned Men. Grotius in his Commentary on the Acts, in divers places, and particularly cap. 17. saith, That as in every particular Synagogue (many of which was in some one City) there was foreign, such was the Primitive Bishop: and doubtless the first Bishops were over the Community of Presbyters, as Presbyters in joint relation to one Church or Region; which Region being upon the increase of Believers, divided into more Churches, and in after times those Churches assigned to particular men: yet he, the Bishop, continued Bishop over them still. For that you say, he had a negative voice, that's more than ever I saw proved, or ever shall, I believe for the first two hundred years; and yet I have laboured to enquire into it. That makes him Angelus princeps, not Angelus praeses, as Dr. Reignolds saith; Calvin denies that, and makes him Consul in Senatu. Or as the Speaker in the House of Parliament, which as I have heard that D. B. did say, was but to make him Foreman of the Iury. Take heed of yielding a Negative Voice. As touching the introduction of Ruling Elders, such as are modelled out by Parliament, my judgment is sufficiently known: I am of your judgment in the Point. There should be such Elders as have power to preach as well as rule: I say power; but how that will be affected here I know not, except we could or would return to the primitive nature and constitution of particular Churches: and therefore it must be helped by the combination of more Churches together into one as to the matter of Government, and let them be still distinct as to Word and Sacraments. That is the easiest way of Accommodation that yet occurs to my thoughts. Sir, I fear I trouble you too long, but it is to shew how much I value you and your Letters to me; for which I thank you, and rest
Yours in the best Bonds, R. Vines.
§ 27. Something also I wrote to Reverend and Learned Mr. Th. Gataker, whose Judgment I had seen before in his own Writings: And having the encouragement of such Consent, I motioned the Business to some London Ministers to have it set on foot among themselves, because if it came from them, it would be much more taking than from us: But they thought it unfit to be managed there, for several Reasons, and so we must try it, or only sit still and wish well as we had done.
§ 28. Next this, the state of my own Congregation, and the necessity of my Duty, constrained me to make some Attempt. For I must administer the Sacraments to the Church, and the ordinary way of Examining every Man before they come, I was not able to prove necessary, and the People were averse to it: So that I was forced to think of the matter more seriously; and having determined of that way which was, I thought, most agreeable to the Word of God, I thought, if all the Ministers did accord together in one way, the People would much more easily submit, than to the way of any Minister that was singular. To attempt their Consent I had two very great Encouragements: The one was an honest, humble, tractable People at home, engaged in no Party, Prelatical, Presbyterian, or Independant; but loving Godliness and Peace, and hating Schism as that which they perceived to tend to the ruine of Religion. The other was a Company of honest, godly, serious, humble Ministers in the Country where I lived, who were not one of them (that Associated) Presbyterian or Independant, and not past four or five of them Episcopal; but dis-engaged faithful Men. At a Lecture at Worcester I first procured a Meeting, and told them of the Design, which they all approved: They imposed it upon me, to draw up a Form of Agreement. The Matter of it was to consist [So much of the Church Order and Discipline, as the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Independant are agreed in, as belonging to the Pastors of each particular Church]. The Reasons of this were, 1. Because we all believed that the practice of so much as all are agreed in, would do very much to the Order and Reformation of the Churches; and that the controverted Parts are those of least necessity or weight. 2. Because we would not necessitate any Party to refuse our Association, by putting in a word which he disowneth: for we intended not to dispute one another into nearer Agreement in Opinions, but first to agree in the practice of all that which was owned by us all.
According to their desire I drew up some Articles for our Consent which might engage us to the most effectual practice of so much Discipline as might reduce the Churches to order, and satisfie Ministers in administring the Sacraments, and stop the more religious People from Separation, to which the unre…ormedness of the Churches through want of Discipline inclined them, and yet might not at all contradict the Judgments of any of the three Parties: And I brought in the Reasons of the several Points: which after sufficient Deliberation and Examination (with the alteration of some few words) were consented to by all the Ministers that were present; and after several Meetings we subscribed them, and so associated for our mutual help and concord in our Work. The Ministers that thus associated were for Number, Parts and Piety, the most considerable part of all that County, and some out of some neighbouring Counties that were near us. There was not, that I know of, one through Presbyterian among them, because there was but one such that I knew of in all the County, and he lived somewhat remote: Nor did any Independant subscribe, save one; for there were, (that I knew of) but five or six in the County, and two of the weightiest of them approved it in words, and the rest withdrew from our Debates, and gave us no reason against any thing proposed. Those that did not come near us, nor concur with us, were all the weaker sort of Ministers, whose Sufficiency or Conversation was questioned by others, and knew they were of little esteem among them, and were neither able or willing to exercise any Discipline on their Flocks: As also some few of better parts of the Episcopal way, who never came near us, and knew not of our Proposals, or resolved to do nothing, till they had Episcopacy restored; or such whose Judgments esteemed such Discipline of no great necessity: And one or two very worthy Ministers, who approved of our Agreement, subscribed it not, because they had a People so very Refractory, that they knew they were not able to bring them to submit to it.
Having all agreed in this Association, we proposed publickly to our People so much as required their Consent and Practice, and gave every Family a Copy in Print, and a sufficient time to consider and understand it, and then put it in Execution; and I published it with the Reasons of it, and an Explication of what seemed doubtful in it, in a Book which I called [Christian Concord] which pleased me, and displeased others.
§ 29. There were at that time, two sorts of Episcopal Men, who differed from each other, more than the more moderate sort differed from the Presbyterians. The one was the old common moderate sort, who were commonly in Doctrine Calvinists, and took Episcopacy to be necessary ad bene esse Ministerii & Ecclesiae, but not ad esse; and took all those of the Reformed that had not Bishops, for true Churches and Ministers, wanting only that which they thought would make them more compleat. The other sort followed Dr. H. Hammond, and (for ought we knew) were very new, and very few: Their Judgment was (as he afferteth in Annot. in Act. 11. & in Desertat.) that all the Texts of Scripture which speak of Presbyters, do mean Bishops, and that the Office of Subject-Presbyters was not in the Church in Scripture Times, (but before Ignatius wrote it was) but that the Apostles planted in every Church only a Bishop with Deacons, but with this intent (asserted but never proved) that in time, when the Christians multiplied, these Bishops (that had then but one Church a piece) should ordain Subject-Presbyters under them, and be the Pastors of many Churches: And they held that Ordination without Bishops was invalid, and a Ministry so ordained was null, and the Reformed Churches that had no Bishops, nor Presbyters ordained by Bishops, were no true Churches, though the Church of Rome be a true Church, as having Bishops: These Men in Doctrine were such as are called Arminians: And though the other sort were more numerous and elder, and some of them said that Dr. H. Hammond had given away their Cause (because hereby he confesseth that de facto, the Churches were but Congregational or Parochial, and that Every Church had a Bishop, and no Subject Presbyters were ordained by the Apostles, or in Scripture time, which is almost all that the Presbyterians desire) yet Dr. H. Hammond and the few that at first followed him, by their Parts and Interest in the Nobility and Gentry, did carry it at last against the other Party. Now in my Christian Concord, I had confessed that it was only the moderate ancient Episcopal Party which I hoped for Agreement with; it being impossible for the Presbyterian and Independant Party to associate with them that take them and their Churches, and all the reformed Ministers and Churches that have not Episcopal Ordination, for null: And knowing that this Opinion greatly tended to the Division of the Christian Churches, and gratifying the Papists, and offending the Protestants, I spake freely against it, which alienated that party from me.
Having setled our Associations Dr. Warmerstry (after Dean of Worcester) and Dr. Thomas Good (after Prebend of Hereford) were willing to have a Conference with us, in order to bring in the Episcopal Party in Shropshire (where they then lived) to our Association: Accordingly we met with them at Cleobury in Shropshire; and our Articles were read over by Dr. Warmerstry, and examined one by one, and in the conclusion they professed their very good likeing of our Design, and that they purposed to join with us, but they thought it not meet at that present, being but two, to subscribe their full Assent lest it should seem over hasty to their Brethren, and should hinder the Association, which they Desired to promote: But yet at present they subscribed as followeth:
Sept. 20. 1653.
§ 30. WE whose Names are under written, having had Conference with divers of our Brethren of the Ministry of Worcestershire, concerning their Agreement and Association, for the promoting of Peace and Unity, and Reformation of their respective Congregations, according to the Word of God, do by these Presents approve of their Christian Intendments in the general, as being such that in Reference to the present Condition of the Church, we conceive to conduce very much to the Glory of God, the Promotion of Holyness, the restraint of Sin, the removing of Scandal, and the setling of God's People in Christian Unity and Concord. Witness our Hands, the Day and Year above written,
THO. WARMESTRY. THO. GOOD.
(This is that Dr. Warmestry, who, when I was silenced by Bishop Morley, and he made Dean of Worcester, came purposely to my Flock, to preach those vehement tedious Invectives of which more hereafter.)
31. In our Association we agreed upon a Monthly Meeting at certain Market-Towns for Conference about such Cases of Discipline as required Consultation and Consent: Accordingly at Evesham and Kiderminster they were constantly kept up: In the Town where I lived we had once a Month a Meeting of Three Justices of the Peace (who lived with us) and three or four Ministers (for so many we were in the Parish, my self and Assistants) and three or four Deacons, and twenty of the ancient and godly Men of the Congregation, who pretended to no Office, as Lay-Elders, but only met as the Trustees of the whole Church, to be present and secure their Liberties; and do that which any of the Church might do; and they were chosen once a year hereunto (as*… Grotius de Imperio sum … adviseth); because all the People could not have leisure to meet so oft, to debate things which required their Consent: At this meeting we admonished those that remained impenitent in any scandalous Sin, after more private Admonition before two or three; and we did with all possible tenderness persuade them to repentance, and labour to convince them of their Sin and danger; and pray with them if they consented: And if they could not be prevailed with to repent, we required them to meet before all the Ministers at the other monthly Meeting, which was always the next Day after this parochial Meeting. There we renewed our Admonitions and Exhortations, and some Ministers of other Parishes laboured to set it home, that the Offender might not think it was only the Opinion of the Pastor of the Place, and that he did it out of ill Will or Partiality. If he yielded penitently to confess his Sin and promise Amendment (more or less publickly according to the Nature of the Scandal) we then joined in Prayer for his true Repentance and Forgiveness, and exhorted him farther to his Duty for the future: But if he still continued obstinately impenitent, by the Consent of all, he was by the Pastor of the Place to be publickly admonished and prayed for by that Church, usually three several days together; and if still he remained Impenitent, the Church was required to avoid him, as a Person unfit for their Communion; as is more fully opened in the Articles of our Agreement.
§ 32. This monthly Meeting of the Ministers proved of exceeding great Benefit and comfort to us; where when we had dined together, we spent an Hour or two in Disputation on some Question which was chosen the Week before; and when the Respondent and Opponent had done their Part, they were pleased to make it my Work to determine: And after that, if we had any Church-business (as aforesaid) we consulted of it. And many Ministers met with us, that were not of our Association, for the Benefit of these Disputations. I must confess this was the comfortablest time of all my Life, through the great delight I had in the Company of that Society of honest, sincere, laborious, humble Ministers of Christ: Every Week on the Lecture Day I had the pleasant Company of many of them at my House, and every Month at our appointed Meeing I had the Company of more; I so well knew their Self-denial, Impartiality, Peaceableness, and exemplary Lives, together with their Skill and faithful Diligence for the Good of Souls (however almost all of them have been since silenced and cast out) that its pleasant to me to remeber the Converse I had with them; so aimable are sincere and upright Men, whose singleness of Heart doth imitate the State of the primitive Believers, when proud, self-seeking reserved Hypocrites, do turn their best Endowments into a Reproach.
§ 33. When Dr. Warmestry and Dr. Good had subscribed as above, a while after Dr. Warmestry consulted with his London Brethren: and he received a Paper of Animadversions (not against the Articles of our Agreement, but) against my Explication of them, and my Passages which oppose those Episcopal Divines who deny the Ministry and Churches which have not Prelatical Ordination: These Animadversions he sent to me with a Letter, which signified his desire of Peace in general, but that he must not strike a League with Faction, &c. There was no Name to this Paper, but long time after I learnt that it was Mr. Peter Gunning's, afterwards Bishop of Ely. I presently wrote an Answer to it, and offered the Doctor to send it him, if he would tell me the Author. Because it is too long to be inserted here, I have put the Paper and Answer together in the End,In the Append…x. where you may read them.
After this I received from Sir Ralph Clare these ensuing Papers, as from some Courtiers (which are of the same Strain with Dr. Gunning's); which with my brief Answer I adjoin.
SIR,
THE Influence and Power you have in the present Pastor of your Church (who is much famed abroad, and had in a reverend Esteem as well for Piety of Life, as for his Learning, Moderation, and desiring the Peace of the Church) gives Encouragement to your old Acquaintance, and Associate in that One-glorious Court of England to desire the Favour that this inclosed Paper may be presented to his Christian View and Consideration; presuming so great is his Charity, that he will not leave any wounded Soul unhealed, wherein he is able to bestow his Balm. In this he extends not his Charity alone as to a single Person, but (in me) there are many more of your Friends included; who would have appeared in Person, or met in Conference, were is not our Mansions are at too great a distance, and the Malignity and Iealousy of Times challenges Retirements, rather than Assemblies.
It is not civil in us to chalk the Method of Answering the Queries; yet for Easement Sake and Brevity, it will be satisfactory his free Concession of any Proposals in the Affirmative to be true without any Enlargement of Reasons; and for those Queries which may and must admit Divisions, Distinctions, and Discourse on the Case, let the reverend Gentleman use his own Form, Iudgment and Discretion; as believing he will proceed with such Candor and Impartiality, as becometh a Man of his Calling and Eminency; waving all By-Interests and Relations to any Party or Faction, either regnant or eclipst; which Act will deservedly heighten the high Esteem he is valued at, and your self by this Honour done, engage me and many more of your old Friends (in me) to subscribe our selves
Your Servants, Theophilus Church. (A feigned Name) April 20. 1655.