Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 2 · Section 9
By the Establishment of what is contained in these Twelve Propositions or Articles following, the Churches in these Nations may have a Holy Communion, Peace and Concord, without any Wrong to the Consciences or Liberties of Presbyterians, Congregational, Episcopal, or any other Christians.
1. FOrasmuch as God hath appointed Magistracy and Ministry, as Functions of a different kind, but both necessary to the welfare of Mankind, and both for the Church and the Salvation of Men, and the maintaining of due Obedience to God: Therefore let not either of them invade the Function of the other. Let Ministers have no Power of Violence, by inflicting Corporal Penalties or Mulcts; nor be the Judges, (though in Cases of Heresie or Impiety) who is to be … punished, and who not: but let them not be denied to be the Ministers of Christ, and Guides of the Church: And therefore let the Word of God be their only Rule what they must Preach, and whom they must Baptize, and receive into the Church, and to whom they must Administer the Lord's Supper, and whom they must Reprove, Admonith, Reject or Absolve; and so for the rest of their Ministerial Work. And let not Princes or Parliaments make them Rules, and tell them whom to admit or reject; otherwise than from the Word of God; for according to this Rule we are bound to proceed whatever we suffer for it. But yet as the Magistrate is by us to be instructed and guided according to the Word of God, so we are by him to be commanded and punished if we offend. And therefore we acknowledge it his Duty to command us to Teach and Govern the Churches according to the Word of God, and to punish us if we disobey, and we must submit to such commands and punishments. And therefore if the Parliament see cause to make any Laws, according to which their Judges and Officers shall proceed in punishing Ministers for Male-administration, we shall not disobey them, if agreeable to God's Word; if not, we shall obey God, and patiently suffer from them.
2. Seeing there is very much difference between an Infant state of Church-Membership and an Adult; one being but imperfect Members in comparison of the other; and one being admitted on the Condition they be but the Seed of the Faithful, and the others Title having another Condition, even a Faith or Profession of their own; and one having right only to Infant Priviledges, and not to the Lord's Supper and other parts of Communion proper to the Adult, because they are not capable of it. And seeing the great pollution of our Churches, and much of our Distraction in Matters of Church-Order is from the careless, unobserved, irregular Transition out of the state of Infant Membership, into the state of Adult Membership; every ignorant Man almost taking himself for an Adult Member, because by Baptism he was made an Infant Member, and hath customarily been present at Publick Worship: Let the distinction therefore between Infant Members and Adult be more observed in every Parish; and let the Transition out of the one state into the other be more solemn and regular under the Judgment of the Guides of the Church: That no Person may be admitted to be an Adult Member but by the Minister in the face of the Congregation (ordinarily) after a Solemn Profession of the Faith, Repentance, and Resolution for a Holy Life, of the Person admitted; to which there must be the preparation of Catechising, and of a Conversation that contradicteth not the Profession so made. 1. This was the Course of the Ancient Churches, who catechized Children, and admitted them among the Confirmed Members by Imposition of Hands. 2. The Divines of the Reformed Churches commonly own it, and with for it in their Writings. 3. The Episcopal Divines in the Rubrick of the Common Prayer, Ordained that none should be admitted to the Sacrament till after Catechising, and a Certificate under the Minister's or Curate's hand, he were confirmed by the Bishop, (though it was done to little purpose by them). 4. The Presbyterians Examination of Men before the Sacrament intimateth the like. 5. The Congregational Men's trial of particular Church-Members importeth their approbation of this. 6. The Anabaptists by going farther, do seem to be permitted of God, of purpose to awaken us to this Duty; and I think they will continue to be our Scourge till this be done; and this will half satisfie some among them that are moderate, and silence many Objections of the rest.
3. Let the Ministers approved by the State, be constrained to Catechize, and personally instruct, and publickly preach to all the Persons in their Parishes (according to their strength and opportunity) in order to prepare such as are willing to learn, for an Adult state of Christianity, as the ancient Churches did their Catechumens. And let the young, and ignorant, and ungodly of this Rank, be compelled by some moderate Penalty to hear and confer with the Teachers, and be instructed and catechized by them. And let not any Ministers be suffered to administer the Lord's Supper to any that have not been admitted (as aforesaid upon a Profession of Faith and Holiness) into the number of Adult Members.
4. Seeing a particular Church must consist of [Christians cohabiting and consenting] let Parishes be the ordinary Bounds of Churches, so that all the Adult Members of the Universal Church (and no other at Age) within that Parish, who do consent, be Members of that particular Church (into which they are first admitted, or whether into both at once, we need not determine): And if any be taken out of other adjoyning Parishes, let it be by exception from the common Rule. And seeing there are many Cases in which Members may be taken out of other Parishes, the Differences thereabout may be denied, as is after declared, Prop. 8. § II.
5. The Pastors of particular Churches have power to Teach and Rule those Churches according to the Word of God, and the People are bound to esteem them, love them, honour them, and obey them, I Tim. 5. 17. I Thess. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 7, 17. Therefore let them use the Power of Administring all Congregational Worship, and the Keys for Binding and Loosing within their own Congregations… And let it be granted to them that desire it; at least for Peace and Concord sake, that they be not forced to Subjection to any pretending to a Superiour, Governing Power, besides the Magistrate.
6. As particular Christians must hold Communion in particular Churches, for the Worship of God and their mutual Edification; so particular Churches must all hold such a Correspondency and Communion with one another, so far as their Capacity extends, as most tendeth to the Edification, Strengthening, Peace and Concord of them all, and to the Publick Prosperity and the Success of the Gospel among them, and in the World. The whole Church being one Body, must maintain the Union and Communion of the Parts, and do God's Work in the greatest Concord that they can, and with the best Advantages.
7. This cannot de done well without Meetings to these Ends: nor those Meetings be improved to the best advantage, unless the Times and Places be fixed and commonly known: And as the use of them is ordinary, so the Assemblies should be ordinary, and not only seldom in some extraordinary Cases: Nor is any sort of Men so fit to manage them as Ministers, who have most Ability and Leisure, being wholly set apart to the Work of the Gospel. It is therefore meet that there be known Times and Places of Meeting, where Ministers, and as many more as the Churches shall think fit, may assemble; Every Minister (or Church) according to their conveniency, choosing of what Association they will be; which ordinarily they should frequent: and which should consist of such, and only such, as for Piety, Ability, and faithful Diligence are fit for the Ministry and such Communion.
8. If it be the Judgment of some that these Assemblies have a Superior governing Power over the particular Pastors, and of others, that they are only for Communion and mutual Assistance, they shall either keep their several Opinions to themselves, or at least, having professed and recorded them, shall continue their Presence and Assistance to those lower ends that all are agreed upon: Not to make new Laws for the Churches, or any of the Members of the Assemblies, to bind by a ruling Power; but to consult, and advise, and agree; nor yet to agree upon things unnecessary; nor lay the Churches Unity upon such; much less to exercise any magisterial coersive Power; But, 1. To open any occurrent difficult Cases in Doctrine or Practice, that befal any particular Church or Pastor, wherein they need their Brethrens Advice. 2. To agree upon the best and profitablest manner of managing the Work of God in regard of undetermined Circumstances, in cases where Uniformity will further the Work. As for Example, what Translation of Scripture to use, what Version of the Psalms to sing, &c. 3. To communicate those Affairs of the Churches that are of common concernment; to give notice of such as one Church hath excommunicated, that other Churches may avoid them, or else they may have Familiarity with all other Christians about them, and be entred among them as Members, and so Excommunication will lose its force and miss of its Ends. 4. To maintain personal Unity among Ministers, by Familiarity and Correspondency, and to heal Divisions, and Dissentions, and Estrangedness; and cherish Brotherly-love. 5. In case any be injuriously cast out of any Neighbour-church (as for professing sound Doctrine against some Errors of that Church, or the like) to consult of it, that we may not also injuriously exclude him from our common Communion. 6. In such cases of Error or Male-administratition, to admonish Neighbour Ministers and Churches; as also in case of any Abuse of their Pastors, or choice of unsound, heretical or ungodly Pastors, or cherishing Seducers or ungodly Persons in their Churches, or neglecting Discipline, or faling to looseness, or in case of Scandals among them, or of Offences and Divisions among themselves, or between them and some Neighbour-church, or many the like cases, the Advice and Admonitions of the Neighbour associated Pastors should be directed to them for their Recovery; which cases single Ministers cannot so well be informed of, nor perform their Duty with so much Advantage as the Association may. 7. To concur in some Admonitions to the intractable and incorrigible of our several Parishes, that they that will not hear their own Teachers through any Prejudice, may be prevailed with by many; and to strengthen our Hands and the Reputation of our Doctrine and common Duties with the People, by our Unity and Concord. 8. To help one another, but especially the younger sort of Ministers, to whom it may be as an Academy by Conference, Disputations, and other profitable Exercises and preaching (they that ordinarily preach have need sometimes to hear, and to have a Communication from their Brothrens Gifts, as well as the People have from them). 9. Those Ministers that scruple censuring any Offender without the consent of other Ministers, may here take their consent; and young Ministers that are unskilful in managing such Works, may take Advice. 10. We may here agree upon the fittest manner, and season, and persons, and places, in our helping the Congregations that are ignorant, illprovided, or unprovided of Ministers, or dangerously corrupted; and may advise any Neighbour Churches that send to us to help them to a fit Minister, or in the like cases. 11. Because it is impossible to enumerate punctually the cases in which it is lawful to take Members to a particular Church, out of another Church or Parish, all Churches and Pastors shall give an account of any such Action to these Associations, if any be offended with them: Where it shall be enquired, whether the Action be dishonourable to God, and injurious to the publick Good of the Churches; if it be not, the Offence is removed: If they find it be, the Parties offending are to be admonished; and if they give not Satisfaction, it is to be enquired whether there be any thing in the Principles and manner of the Action that makes it an intollerable Offence to the Churches: If there be, then after sufficient Admonition and waiting, the Guilty, if impenitent, are to be cast out of our common Communion, or the Churches to resolve to have no Christian Communion with them. But if there be no such heinous intollerable Ingredient, we must be content only to admonish them, and disown the Sin, and continue Communion with them. In like manner if any Scandal be raised of any Brother of the Association, or if any have an Accusation against him, we must hear them, and he must be responsible, and give account of his Ways; though not as to his Governors, yet as to his Brethren, to remove Offence, and to keep clear the way of holy Communion. 12. It will be most regular, and avoid the hurt of the Churches, if Ordination of Ministers be either performed by these Assemblies, on the Ministers to be ordained be here tried and approved, and the Ordination to be performed in the Church to which he is ordained by such as they appoint, or by the teaching Elders of that Church it self, after their Approbation of the Person. In these Twelve Particulars you may see what use there is of these Misterial Associations and Assemblies, without medling with a superior governing Power; and how great Reason there is that all sober, godly, peaceable Ministers should join in them; even for communion of Pastors and Churches, and the promoting of our common Work and Welfare.
9. Let these Associations chuse their Presidents or Moderators, (and any fit Name by which they will call him) and determine whether he shall be pro tempore, or how long, or fixed as long as he liveth and is the fittest, according to the Judgment of the Ministers: For this is not a case in which Men can be forced from their Liberty: And if any will so far make use of his Advice, as to be guided by him, as none can deny him that Liberty of his own Mind, so he must not seek to bind all others to the same Subjection; but those that bring themselves to it by the same Estimation have their Liberty as he.
10. Though it be not of necessity, yet would it be of great conveniency and use, if the Magistrate would be with us, or appoint some Substitute to represent him in all our Assemblies, that he may be a Witness of our Proceedings, and see that we do no wrong to the Commonwealth, and avoid all Suspicions that may be occasioned by Rumors: But principally that he may see how far it is meet for him in any case to second us by his Power. For as in many cases the Power of the Magistrate ought to be used to second the Ministry (as to restrain Men from publishing demnable Heresies, from disturbing the Churches Peace, &c.) so we think it a vile abuse of Magistrates to require them, to be the meer Executioners of our Sentences, and to punish Men only because we have Excommunicated them, before he know the justness of the cause. As the Church or Ministers are Judges, when the Question is [whether such a Man is to be avoided, rejected, or excommunicated for Heresie or any Sin?] so the Magistrate only is Judge when the Question is, [whether he be to be corporally punished for Heresie or any Sin?] and therefore he must know the cause.
11. As those Neighbour-Ministers that live at convenient Distance for such Communion, should hold such Associations as aforesaid, so the Communion of Christians and Pastors in special being to be extended as far as natural and moral capacity will permit, it is meet that there be for more extensive Communion, some more general Assemblies of the Ministers, to be held by the Delegates of these Associations, for matters that are of more general Concernment; yea, and that by Messengers and Letters we hold such correspondency with the Churches, of Christ abroad, as is necessary to promote the common Cause, and the Love and Communion of the Saints.
12. If these Associations should attempt any thing unjust and injurious to the Commonwealth, or a corrupt Majority should grow in time to countenance either Heresy or Ungodliness, or they should by Contentions among themselves disturb the Peace of the Churches, and divide them, and fall a railing at, or excommunicating personately one another; it is here the Magistrates Duty to interpose, and reprehend, and correct them, and displace the unworthy, and set all in joint again by Violence, and secure the Peace of Church and State. And neither Pope, Prelate, nor Council should take this Work upon them which is his. And therefore Magistrates should be Wise and Holy, and fit for so great a Charge as they undertake.
It must be still noted that all this was when Diocesanes were put down, and few saw any probability of restoring them, and many religions Persons dreaded such a Restoration.
§ 50. When Cromwell's Faction were making him Protector, they drew up a Thing which they called [The Government of England, &c.] Therein they determined that all should have Liberty or free Exercise of their Religion, who professed Faith in God by Iesus Christ]. After this he called a Parliament, which Examined this Instrument of Government; and when they came to those words, the Orthodox Party affirmed, That if they spake de re, and not de nomine [Faith in God by Iesus Christ] could contain no less than the Fundamentals of Religion: whereupon it was purposed that all should have a due measure of Liberty who professed the Fundamentals. Hereupon the Committee appointed to that Business were required to nominate certain Divines to draw up in terminis the Fundamentals of Religion; to be as a Test in this Toleration. The Committee being about Fourteen, named every one his Man: The Lord Broghill (after Earl of Orery, and Lord President of Munster, and one of his Majesty's Privy Council] named the Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Usher: When he (because of his Age and Unwillingness to wrangle with such Men as were to join with him) had refused the Service, the Lord Broghill nominated me in his Stead: Whereupon I was sent for up to London: But before I came the rest had begun their Work, and drawn up some few of the Propositions which they called Fundamentals: The Men that I found there were, Mr. Marshal, Mr. Reyner, Dr. Cheynell, Dr. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, Mr. Sydra… Sympson, Mr. Vines, Mr. Manton, and Mr. Iacomb.
§ 51. I knew how ticklish a Business the Enumeration of Fundamentals was, and of what very ill Consequence it would be if it were ill done; and how unsatisfactorily that Question [What are your Fundamentals?] is usually answered to the Papists. My own Judgment was this, that we must distinguish between the Sense (or matter) and the Words; and that it's only the Sense that is primarily and properly our Fundamentals: and the Words no further than as they are needful to express that Sence to others, or represent it to our own Conception: that the Word [Fundamentals] being Metaphorical and Ambiguous, the Word [Essentials] is much fitter; it being nothing but what is Essential, or Constitutive of true Religion, which is understood by us usually when we speak of Fundamentals: that quoad rem there is no more Essential or Fundamental in Religion, but what is contained in our Baptismal Covenant, [I believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and give up my self in Covenant to him, renouncing the Flesh, the World and the Devil.] He that doth this truly shall be saved; or else sincere Covenanting could not entitle us to the Blessings of the Covenant: And therefore it is that the Ancient Church held that all that are Baptized duly are in a Justified State of Life; because all that sincerely give up themselves in Covenant to God, as our God and Father, our Redeemer and Saviour, our Sanctifier and Comforter, have right to the Blessings of the Covenant. And quoad verba, I suppose that no particular Words in the World are Essentials of our Religion: Otherwise no Man could be saved without the Language which those Words belong to: He that understandeth not Credo in Deum, may be saved if he believe in God: Also I suppose that no particular Formula of Words in any or all Languages is Essential to our Religion: for he that expresseth his Faith in another form of words, of the same importance, professeth a Saving Faith. And as to the Use of a Form of Words to express our Belief of the Essential, it is various, and therefore the Form accordingly is variable. If it be to teach another what is the Essence of Religion, a dull hearer must have many Words, when a quick intelligent Person by few Words can understand the same thing. [I believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,] expresseth all the Essentials intelligibly, to him that hath learned truly to understand the meaning of these Words: But to an ignorant Man a large plain Catechism is short enough to express the same things. But as to the Use of Publick Professions of Faith, to satisfie the Church for the Admittance of Members, or to satisfie other Churches to hold Communion with any particular Church, a Form of Words which is neither obscure by too much Conciseness, not Tedious or Tautological by a needless Multiplication of Words, I take to be the fittest. To which ends, and because the Ancient Churches had once a happy Union on those Terms, I think that this is all that should be required of any Church or Member (ordinarily) to be professed, [In General I do believe all that is contained in the Sacred Canonical Scriptures, and particularly I believe all explicitly contained in the Ancient Creed, and I desire all that is contained in the Lord's Prayer, and I resolve upon Obedience to the Ten Commandments, and whatever selfe I can learn of the Will of God.] And for all other Points, it is enough to preserve both Truth and Peace, that Men promise not to preach against them, or contradict them, though they Subscribe them not.
§ 52. Therefore I would have had the Brethren to have offered the Parliament the Creed, Lord's Prayer, and Decalogue alone as our Essentials or Fundamentals; which at least contain all that is necessary to Salvation, and hath been by all the Ancient Churches taken for the Sum of their Religion. And whereas they still said, [A Socinian or a Papist will Subscribe all this] I answered them, So much the better, and so much the fitter it is to be the Matter of our Concord: But if you are afraid of Communion with Papists and Socinians, it must not be avoided by making a new Rule or Test of Faith which they will not Subscribe to, or by forcing others to Subscribe to more than they can do, but by calling them to account whenever in Preaching or Writing they contradict or abuse the Truth to which they have Subscribed. This is the Work of Government: And we must not think to make Laws serve instead of Iudgement and Execution; nor must we make new Laws as oft as Hereticks will mis-interpret and subscribe the old: for when you have put in all the Words you can devise, some Hereticks will put their own Sence on them, and Subscribe them: And we must not blame God for not making a Law that no Man can misinterpret or break, and think to make such a one ourselves, because God could not or would not. These Presumptions and Errours have divided and distracted the Christian Churches, and one would think Experience should save us from them.
§ 53. But the Brethren resolved that they would hold on the way which they had begun: And though they were honest and competently judicious Men, yet those that managed the Business, did want the Judgment and Accurateness which such a Work required, (though they would think any Man supercilious that should tell them so): And the tincture of Faction stuck so upon their Minds, that it hindered their Judgment. The great doer of all that worded the Articles was Dr. Owen: Mr. Nye, and Dr. Goodwin and Mr. Syd. Sympson were his Assistants; and Dr. Cheynell his Scribe: Mr. Marshall (a sober worthy Man) did something: the rest (sober Orthodox Men) said little, but suffered the Heat of the rest to carry all.
§ 54. When I saw they would not change their Method, I saw also that there was nothing for me and others of my Mind to do, but only to hinder them from doing harm, and trusting in their own Opinions or crude Conceirs, among our Fundamentals. And presently Dr. Owen in extolling the Holy Scriptures, put in that [That no Man could know God to Salvation by any other means]: I told him, that this was neither a Fundamental nor a Truth: and that if among the Papists or any others a poor Christian should believe by the teaching of another, without ever knowing that there is a Scripture, he should be saved, because it is promised, that whoever believed should be saved. He said awhile, That there could be no other way of Saving Revelation of Jesus Christ: I told him that he was savingly revealed by Preaching many years before the New Testament was written. He told us that the Primitive Church was bound to believe no more from the Apostles but what was written before in the Old Testament, and proved thence: I told him that by that Assertion he subverted the Christian Church and Faith: 1. By overthrowing the Material, 2. and the Formal Object of our Faith, or the medium necessary thereto. 1. For the Matter, it is not in the Old Testament, [That this Iesus is the Christ; that he is already incarnate, conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, fulfilled the Law, suffered, was crucified, buried and rose again, ascended into Heaven, and is there at the right hand of God in our Nature, and therein intercedeth for the Church; that he hath instituted the Sacraments, sent his Apostles, given the Holy Ghost to them to direct them into all Truth, &c.] with more of the like. 2. That if Christ and his Apostles were not to be believed for the Image of God appearing on their Doctrine, and the Divine Attestation of Miracles confirming it, then Moses and the Prophets were not for those Reasons to be believed: And consequently not to be believed at all; for there was no reason to believe them, which Christ also gave us not for the belief of him and his Apostles. After a deal of wrangling about these Things, because the Doctor was the hotter, and better befriended in that Assembly, and I was then under great Weakness and Soporous or Scotomatical Ilness of my Head, I asked their leave to give them the Reasons of my Opinion in Writing: which I brought in, and never received any Answer to it. And yet if Mr. Vines (who came but seldom) had not stuck to me when he was there, they would have made the World believe, (as some of them endeavoured) that I was Popish, and pleaded for the Sufficiency of Tradition, to Salvation, without the Scripture. But Bishop Usher was of the same mind with me, and told me, that he had said the same to the Iesuits Challenge, Cap. de Tradit.
§ 55. Many other such crude and unsound Passages (like the Savoy Articles of Justification after put into the Independant Agreement) had come into our New Fundamentals: And all because the over-Orthodox Doctors, Owen and Cheynell, took it to be their Duty in all their Fundamentals to put in those words, which (as they said) did obviate the Heresies and Errours of the Divines: Whenas I told them, they should make the Rule to look no way but strait forward, and put in their Rejections after (as the Synod of Dort doth), as being the Contradictions of the Rule. One merry passage I remember occasioned laughter: Mr. Sympson caused them to make this a Fundamental, That [He that alloweth himself or others in any known sin, cannot be saved]. I pleaded against the word [allowed]: and told them that many a Thousand lived in wilful sin, which they could not be said to [allow themselves] in, but confessed it to be sin; and went on against Conscience, and yet were impenitent, and in a state of Death: And that there seemed a little contradiction between [known sin] and [allowed]; so far as a Man knoweth that he sinneth, he doth not [allow], that is, approve it. Other Exceptions there were; but they would have their way, and my opposition to any thing did but heighten their Resolution: At last I told them, As stiff as they were in their opinion and way, I would force them with one word to change or blot out all that Fundamental. I urged them to take my wager; and they would not believe me, but marvelled what I meant: I told them that the Parliament took the Independant way of Separation to be a sin: and when this Article came before them, they would say, By our Brethrens own, Judgment we are all damned Men, if we allow the Independants or … other Sectaries in their sin. They gave me no Answer, but they left out all that Fundamental. The Papers which I gave them in were these.
[Without the Knowledge of whom by the Revelation of Scripture, there is no Salvation.]
The Words [by the Revelation of the Scripture] I desired might be either here left out, or changed into [the Revelation of the Gospel; or, the Word of God.] To this you will not consent, because it would intimate that there may be another co-ordinate way of Revealing Christ, besides the written Word by which there may be Salvation. I cannot subscribe to the Article as it stands; of which when I have shewed the point of our Difference, I shall give you my Reasons:
1. Our Difference is not de doctrina tradita; but de modo tradendi: For I have fully acknowledged that there is no Salvation without the Knowledge of the Essentials of the Christian Faith. 2. And that the Light of Nature, and Book of the Creatures is insufficient hereunto: So far we are agreed as to the way of the Revelation. 3. Nor do I doubt of the full Perfection of the Scripture, but detest the Popish Doctrines of Traditions or unwritten Verities to supply what is supposed to be wanting in the Scripture, as if it were but a part of God's Word for the revealing of these supernatural things: I desired rather that you would more fully express the Scriptures Perfection and Infallability. 4. Nor is it any doubt between us whether Men should wait for farther objective Revelations or Additions to the written Word, or whether we should condemn the Errors of the Enthusiasts herein, we are agreed in all this. 5. Nor is the Question de Officio, whether it be the Duty of all Men to look out after the written Word, as far as they can, and rest in it. 6. Nor is the Question whether the Scripture only have the proper Nature of a Rule to Judge Controversies by. 7. Nor yet whether Scripture be of necessity to the Church in General. 8. Nor whether it be necessary as a means to the Salvation of all that have it. 9. Nor whether it be the only sufficient means of safe keeping and propagating the whole Truth of God, which is necessary to the Church. 10. But the Question is, of every particular Soul on Earth, whether we may thus assert that there is no Salvation for them, unless they know Christ by the Revelation of the Scripture: And I cannot assent to the Article for these Reasons; 1. It seems a Snare by the unmeet Expressions. 2. We cannot be certain of the Truth of it. 3. It is not of so great necessity as that all should be cast out of the Ministry, though in other things Orthodox, that will not own it. 4. Much less is it a Fundamental: Nor dare I judge all to Damnation, that are not herein of your Opinion. 5. It seems to me to be injurious to Christianity it self. 6. And to the present intended Reformation. 7. And to the Parliament. 8. And to our selves.
1. For the First of these Reasons; It is confessed by some here, that a Man may be converted by the Doctrine of the Scripture, before he know the Writings or their Authority, and that you intend not to assert that the divine Authority of the Scripture is that primum credibile, which must needs be believed before any Truth therein contained can be savingly believed. And it is thought by some that your Assertion is made good if it be but proved that all saving Revelation that is now in the World, is from Scripture originally, and subordinate to it, and not co-ordinate. But the obvious Sense of your Words will seem to many to be this, that the particular Knowledge of that Person who will be saved, must be by Scripture Revelation, as the objective Cause or Instrument, even under that Consideration either in the Mind of the Speaker or Hearer, or both. If it should be said that the Revelation which converted this or that Sinner did arise from the Scriptures a Thousand Years ago: But hath since been taken up as coming another way, and so there hath been an Intermission of ascribing it to the Scripture, as to those Men by whom it was carried down, this will not seem to agree with your Expressions. And seeing many others must be Judges of your Sense, who shall have Power to trie Ministers; hereby you enable them by your obscure Expressions, to wrong the Church, oppress their Brethren, and introduce Errors: And so it seems you frame a …nare. 2. And you will put every poor Christian in these Places where Christ's Faith is known to many but by Verbal Tradition, into an Impossibility of knowing that they have any true Faith, because they cannot know that it came from the Scriptures.
2. That we are not certain of the Truth of this Assertion, nor can I be Judge; 1. Because there was Salvation from Adam to Moses by Tra…ion, without the written Word; and there was a considerable space of time after Christ's Assention before the Scriptures of the New Testament were written: The first Christians were savingly called, and the Churches gathered without these Writings, by the preaching of the Doctrine which is now contained in them: And though that be now necessary to the Safety of the Church and Truth, which was not so necessary when the Apostles were present, yet it is unproved that there is more necessary to the Salvation of every Soul now than was in those Days: And it is considerable that it was not only the preaching of the Apostles, but of all other Publishers of the Gospel in those Times that was in (suo genere) sufficient for Conversion without Scripture: Yea, and to the Gentiles that knew not the Scriptures of the Old Testament. 2. If there be no Salvation but by a Scripture Revelation; then, either because there is no other way of revealing the Marrow of the Gospel, or because it will not be saving in another way. But neither of these can be proved true: (Ergo) for the latter: 1. The Word of God and Doctrine of his Gospel may save if revealed (supposing other Necessaries in their Kinds): For it sufficeth to the formal Object of Faith, that it be veracitas revelantis; and to the material Object, that it be, Hoc verum & bonum revelatum, but it must be truly revelatum, though not by Scripture. Ergo 2. God hath promised Salvation to all that truly believe, and not to those that believe only by Scripture-Revelation; nor hath he any where told us that he will annex his Spirits help to no other Revelation. 2. For the former, [That there is now in the World no other way of revealing the Marrow of the Gospel but by Scripture or from it.] 1. It cannot be proved by Scripture, as will appear when your Proofs are tryed. 2. The contrary is defended by most learned Protestants.
1. A Praecepto, another collateral way of Revelation is commanded by God: Ergo there's another: 2. From certain History and Experience; which speak of the Performance of those Commands; and the Instances they give of both are these; 1. Ministers are commanded to preach the Gospel to all Nations before it was written, and a Promise annexed that Christ would be with them to the end of the World: In Obedience whereunto, not only the Apostles, but Multitudes more did so preach; which was by delivering the great Master-Verities which are now in the written Word: This Command is not reverst by the writing of the Word; And therefore is still a Duty, as to deliver the Gospel Doctrine in and by the Scripture, so collaterally to preach the Substance of that Doctrine as delivered from the Mouth of Christ and his Apostles. 2. Christ commanded before the Gospel was written to baptize Men into the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost for the Pardon of Sin, upon repenting and believing; and for the hope of everlasting Glory upon a holy Life. This was done accordingly both before and since the writing of the Gospel: And so the very Sum and Kernel of the Gospel, and indeed all the true Fundamentals and Essentials of the Christian Faith, have been most certainly and constantly delivered down by Baptism; as a collateral way distinct from the written Word; which is evident in the very Succession of Christians to this Day. 3. Another means hath been by Symbols, called Creeds and Catechising which was mostly by opening the Creeds: As Reverend Bishop Usher hath manifested that the Western Creed, now called the Apostles (wanting two or three Clauses that now are in it) was not only before the Nicene Creed; but of such farther Antiquity, that no beginning of it below the Apostles Days can be found: So it is past doubt that in other Words the Churches had still a Symbol or Sum of their Belief, which was the Test of the Orthodox, and that which the Catechumeni were to be instructed in. Origen, Tertullian, Irenaeus, to speak of none of these below them, do mention and recite them: The Doctrine of this Creed they affirm themselves to have received from the Apostles by verbal Tradition, as well as by Writing. This then hath been a collateral way of delivering down the saving Truths of the Gospel; though a far more imperfect way than by the Scriptures. 4. Another means hath been by Parents teaching these Principles to their Children, which as they were commanded to do, and did before the writing of the Gospel; so did they successively continue it as a collateral way. 5. Another collateral means was in the constant use of the Lord's Supper, in Commemoration of Christ's Death till he come to receive us to Glory, where the very Sum and all the Fundamentals of our Religion are contained; which hath been continued by uninterrupted Succession, even from the time that preceded the writing of the Scriptures, it is therefore conceived possible for some Souls to be converted in darker parts of the World by these or some of these means, without the written Word. 3. The ancient Doctors of the Church affirmed that they had their Doctrine from the Apostles by verbal as well as by written Tradition; Yea, and that if there were no Scripture, yet Tradition might resolve the Doubts against the Hereticks, and that (in those Days which were nearer the Spring-Head) Tradition was a better way than Scripture to confute Hereticks, as Tertullian de Praescript at large, and Irenaeus's Words are well known. Whether in this they mistake or not, I don't determine; yet certainly this may tell us that we cannot conclude that there was then no co-ordinate way of delivering down the Sum of Christian Verity.
4. He that will prove your negative Assertion must either know all the World, and that de facto, there is among them no such Tradition; or else must have some Revelation from God, that there is not any such, nor shall be: But we have neither of these; Ergo we cannot certainly conclude it. 5. We see by Experience that more in substance of other common Precepts and History can be delivered down to Posterity by other means, without formal Records: Ergo, so may these: For though they cannot have the golden Cabinet of Scripture, but from the Spirit; nor without the Spirit can Men believe: Yet the Truths may be remembred and delivered as aforesaid. 6. God can deliver the Marrow of the Gospel by other means than the Writing; and he hath not told us that he will not: Ergo, for ought we know he doth. 7. We ought not absolutely to exclude extraordinary means when God hath not tyed himself from them: It is a dangerous Sin of them that leave the ordinary means and look out for extraordinary, as Spirit of Prophesy, Angels, &c. But to conclude, that God will never reveal Christ by an Angel, to one that hath not the Scripture, is more than we may do: I know not therefore why it is that you would not be prevailed with so much as to add the Word [ordinarily] when yet it's by some affirmed to be your Sense; and by all that it is your Duty to deliver your Sense as plain as you may: So much of my Reasons against the certainty of the Truth of your Assertion.
3. I next add, that it seems not a Point so weighty, as to cast out all that are different from us in this Opinion. My Reasons are, 1. From the Nature of the Thing. 1. It hath so much to be said against the very Truth of it, and so is doubtful. 2. There can no ill Consequences be manifested to rise from the contrary Opinion: Much less so ill as to deserve such a Censure: It is no wrong to Scripture that there is a more imperfect collateral way of delivering some part of the same Truths, no more than it is a wrong to Scripture that the Law of Nature delivers some other Part of them. 2. From the Persons that were of the Opinion contrary to your Assertion; who were the ancient Doctors of the Churches, and many of the most learned, judicious, and godly of the Reformed Divines, as I undertake to manifest when I have Opportunity, and it is necessary. For my own part, if it were only my self that should be cast out by this Engine, I should say the less; but as I know not how many Hundred may be of the same Mind, and as I think it to be the most common Judgment of Divines, so I know such here among us of that Mind, with whom I am not worthy to be named, who would not subscribe to this your Assertion: whereby it seems to me, to be more tollerable to diffent from you.
4. Seeing you have voted to lay down only Fundamentals to Salvation first: and upon that Vote have put this as one, you do not only damn all that believe any other way than by the written Word; but you damn all those that will not damn them, by owning this condemning Article. Now, that it is not Fundamental appears; 1. In that the Fathers and choicest reformed Divines were else no Christians. 2. No Creed of the ancient Churches did contain it. 3. It is not of necessity to our believing on Christ the Foundation: A Man may be brought himself by the Scripture to believe, that yet thinks another may believe by verbal Tradition. 4. No Scripture doth expresly (no not implicitly) deliver it; much less as a Fundamental.
5. My next Reason was, that your Assertion and Reason are injurious to the Christian Cause. For 1. When Gospel Truth is delivered down by two Hands you wrong it when you cut off one; when neither is needless. 2. We are able by other ways of Proof to confute those Infidels that deny the Authority of Scripture; especially when they tell us, that we cannot prove that our Doctrine was delivered from Christ and his Apostles, and not since devised or corrupted by later Hands. Now you would force our Arguments out of our Hands, to the Advantage of the Enemy: Upon the Experience of some late Debates with subtil Apostates, now Infidels, I am bold with Submission to say, that I would not for all the World so wound the Christian Cause, as it is wounded by those who bereave the Scripture of the Advantage of other Tradition: And think that a Bible found by the way, by one that never heard of it hath the same Advantages to procure Belief, as Scripture and Scripture-Doctrine, and matters of Fact delivered to us by the Hand of certain Tradition. And 3. By the Reasonings that are brought against co-ordinate Tradition, you will invalidate subservient Tradition, which is necessary to convey the very Scriptures from the Apostles; and to assure us that these are all the same Writings; and not corrupt; and which is the Canonical; and that there were no more.
6. My sixth Reason against your Assertion is, That it seems injurious to the Work we have in hand: For 1. you will by any one Errour keep or cast out many godly Men from the Ministry. 2. You will harden the Libertines when they discern it. 3. And you will do more to introduce an Universal Toleration, than can be done by most other Means imaginable. For 1. One flaw found in your Work, may cause it to be cast by. 2. It will seem a potent Reason for such Toleration, when the choicest Enemies shall mistake in their very Fundamentals. 3. You will force us that are your Brethren to petition for Liberty, and then others will think that they may come in at the same Gap.
7. I added, It will be a dishonour to the Parliament. 1. When they shall send so hard a Work abroad, and establish such a crooked Rule; if they thus receive it from you: if they reject or correct it, it will be their grief to see our Division and Mistake.
8. Lastly, I added, That it will be much to our own dishonour. For, 1. The Parliament will exactly scan it; and no doubt discover the Mistake. And 2. many too curious Eyes will examine it, and what a reproach will it be to us to be the By-word of Gainsayers: and to hear that such chosen Enemies have erred in their very Fundamentals: and for the Papists to insult over us, and say we can agree in no Confession, and know not yet what Religion we are of: And withal, it may bring us under Jealousies with others, that indeed we are Friends to Universal Toleration, and made such flaws in our Work to destroy it, and intended to undo all by our overdoing or misdoing.
I should not have presumed to have put you to so much trouble, nor have made any stop in your Work, when the dispatch is so desirable, had not the Consequents of Silence seemed to me so intollerable.
I only add, 1. I dare not think but Scripture is sufficient both for Matter and Words to afford us Fundamentals, and to any thing which it speaks, I am ready to subscribe. 2. I dare not think that your late Reverend Assembly hath left out the very Fundamentals in their large Confession, to which in this Article I offered to subscrible. 3. I dare not undertake at the day of Judgment to justifie that Man from the Charge of damnable Infidelity, who hath had only verbal Tradition of Gods Revelation, of the Sum of Christianity: as if this did not make his Infidelity inexcusable, because he had it not from Scripture. But I think that he shall be damned for his Infidelity, who believeth not in Christ, if he have all other Means besides the Scripture to help him to believe.
Ri. Baxter.