Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 3 · Section 1 · Floating text 3
Mr. Iohn Humphrey's Papers given to the Parliament-Men.
Comprehension with Indulgence.
Nihil est jam dictum quod non fuit dictum prius.
Terence.
IT hath pleased his Majesty by several gracious Overtures to commend a Union of his Protestant Subject to the consideration of a Parliament. A design full of all Princely Wisdom, Honesty, and Goodness. In this Atchievement there is a double Interest (I apprehend) to be distinguished and weighed; that of Religion it self, and that of the Nation. The advance of Religion doth consist much in the Unity of its Professors, both in Opinion and Practice, to be of one Mind, and one Heart, and one way (in Discipline and Worship) so far as may be according to the Scriptures. The advance of the Nation does lie in the freedom and flourishing of Trade, and uniting the whole Body in the common Benefit, and dependence on the Government. The one of these bespeaks an Established Order and Accommodation; the other bespeaks Indulgence, Liberty of Conscience, or to eration. For while People are in danger about Religion, we dare not launch out into Trade (say they) but we must keep our Moneys, being we know not into what straits we shall be driven; and when, in reference to their Party, they are held under severity, it is easie for those, who are designing Heads, to mould them into Wrath and Faction; which, without that occasion, will melt, and dissolve it self into bare Dissent of Opinion, peaceably rejoycing under the Enjoyment of Protection.
The King we know is concerned, as Supreme Governour, and as a Christian, Protestant Governour. As he is King, he is to seek the welfare of the Nation, as he is a Christian the Flourishing of Religion; and the Protestant Religion particularly is his Interest, as this Kingdom doth lie in Ballance (he being the chief Party) with its Neighbour Nations.
The Judgment now of some is for a Comprehending Act, which may take in those who are for our Parochial Churches, that severity then might be used for reclaiming all whosoever separate from them: The Judgment of some others is, for a free and equal Act of Grace to all indifferently (the Papists with most excepted) whether separatists or others, abhorring Comprehension, as more dangerous to them, upon that Account mentioned, than all the Acts that have passed. Neither of these Judge up to the full interest of the King and Kingdom, as is proposed. It becomes not the Presbyterian, if his Principles will admit him to own our Parochial Churches, and enjoy a Living, to be willing to have his Brethren, the Independents, given up to Persecution: And it becomes not the Separatist, if he may but enjoy his Conscience, to Repine, or envy at the Presbyterian for reaping any further Emolument, seeing both of them (supposing the later may do so) have as much at the bottom as can be, in their Capacities, desired of either. It is an Act therefore of a mixt Complexion, providing both Comprehension and Indulgence for the different Parties, must serve our Purpose.
And to this end (as we may humbly hope) there is a Bill at present in the House, A Bill for the ease of the Protestant Dissenter in the business of Religion. Which that (upon this present Prorogation) it may be cast into this Model, I must present the same, yet in a little farther Explication.
There are two sorts (we all know) of the Protestant Dissenters, one that own the Established Ministry, and our Parish Congregations, and are in Capacity of Union upon that account, desiring it heartily upon condescension to them in some small matters: The other, that own not our Churches, and so are uncapable of a Conjunction, who do not, and cannot desire it, or seek it.
For the One, that which we propose is a farther Latitude in the present Constituted Order, that such may be received, and this we call Comprehension, or Accommodation, Let us suppose that nothing else were required of a Man, to be a Minister of a Parish than there is to the Parishioner to be a Member of a Parish Church, as part of the National: If a person Baptised will come to Church, and hear Common-Prayer, and receive the Sacrament, and does nothing worthy of Excommunication, he is, he may, he must be received for a Parochial Member: In like manner, If a Minister first ordained (and so Episcopally, or Classically approved for his Abilities for that function) will but read the book of Liturgy, and Administer the Sacraments according to it, and does nothing which deserves suspension (we appeal to all this indifferently sober) why should not this suffice a Man, for the enjoying his Living, and exercising the Office unto which he is called?
For the other, there is indeed nothing can be done to bring those in, and joyn them with us in Parochial Union; yet is there this to be proposed, that you bear with them, and not let any be persecuted meerly for their Consciences; and that we call Indulgence or Toleration. If the Presbyterian now may be comprehended, he will be satisfied, to act at his Ministry without endeavouring any Alteration otherwise of Episcopacy: If the Congregationalist be indulged, he will be satisfyed tho he be not Comprehended, for that he cannot submit unto, and so shall there be no Disobligation put on any, but all be pleased, and enjoy the ease of this Bill. Let but the Grounds of Comprehension be laid wide enough to take in all who can own, and come into the publick Liturgy (which we suppose as yet to be the greater weight of… the Nation), and when the Countenance of Authority, and all State-Emoluments are cast into one Scale, and others let alone to come of it, without persecution to inflame them, or preferment to encourage them (especially if one Expedient be used, which shall not pass unmentioned in the close, that such as came in may find it really better to them, to be a priest to a Tribe, than a Levite to a Family) we need not doubt but time the Mistress of the Wise and Unwise, will discover the peaceable Issue of such Counsels.
And here let me pause a little; for methinks I see what Icesicles hang on the Eeves of the Parliament-House at this Motion, what prejudices, I mean, and Impressions have been laid on the Members by former Acts. There was a speech delivered by the then Chancellour in Christ-Church Hall in Oxford, to the Parliament there, and the Schollars assembled. Wherein the Glory of contriving the Oxford-Oath, and Consequently of the like former Impositions, was most magnificently, as well as spitefully enough arrogated to its proper Author. It was… it seems, the designed Policy of that Great Man, to root those Principles out of Men's minds upon which the late Wars (as he supposed) were builded, and he would do it by this Invention, to wit, the Imposing upon them new Declarations, Oaths and Subscriptions, of a strain framed contrary to those Principles. I do remember now the sentence of Esdras to the Apologue of the Angel, where the Woods and the Seas would encounter one another, Verily (says he) it was a foolish purpose; for the trees could not come down from the hills, nor the Waves get up from the shoars. I must say the same of this Policy. It was really a great vanity to think that folk should be made to swear away their thoughts and beliefs. Whatsoever it is we think or believe, we do think it, we must think it, we do believe it, we must believe it, notwithstanding any of these outward Impositions. The honest Man indeed will refuse an Injunction against his Conscience, the knave will swallow it, but both retain their Principles; which the last will be the likeliest to put any villanous Practice on. On the Contrary, there is nothing could be advised more certain, to keep the Covenant, and such Principles alive in Mens heart's, and memories than this perpetual injoyning the Renunciation of it. Nor may you wonder, if that Lesson sink deep into Men's flesh which you will teach them with Briars and Thorns, as Gideon taught the Men of …uccoth. Besides, it is the most impolitick thing that ever could have been, for such Contents, as are of that dangerous Consequence to Majesty and the Government to have them once disputed, or brought into question, to be put into these Declarations, Oaths and Subscriptions, which necessitates the Examination of them to so many. It was the wisdom of the Ancient Church, instead of Contention about the Jewish Ceremonies, to take care they might have an honourable burial: And I dare say if that great Lord Chancellor had but put off his Cap to the Covenant, and bidden it a fair Adieu only, he should have done more towards its Extirpation, than by all this iterated trouble to Men's Consciences. And if it shall therefore please the succeeding Ministers of our State, instead of going to root out the Principles of Innovation which are got into people, by this means (which is no means to do it, but the means to rivet them more in us), to endeavour rather to root out the Causes from us, which make men willing to entertain such Principles, and desire Change: I suppose their Policy will prove the sounder. The way to establish the Throne of the King is this, to make it appear, that all those Grievances, and all those Good things which the People in the late times expected to be removed, or to be obtained, by a Common Wealth, or a Change of the Government, may be more effectually accomplished by a King in the Acts of his Parliament.
I am sensible how my Threm riseth upon me, and that I begin to shoot wide; I take my Aim therefore again, and two things, in earnest, I would expect from this Bill, as the summ of what is necessary to the end of it, our Ease, if it be made to serve the turn, The one is, that Bishop Laud be confined to his Caththedrals: and the other, that Chancellour Hide be totally expelled our Acts of Parliament. By the first, I mean, that the Ceremonies in the ordinary Parish Churches be left to the Liberty of the Minister, to use, or use them not, according to his Conscience, and Prudence toward his own Congregation: And by the latter, that all these new devised Oaths, Subscriptions and Declarations together with the Canonical Oath, and the Subscription in the Canons be suspended for the time to come. If that be too much I shall content my self with a modester motion, that whatsoever these Declarations …e, that are required to be made, subscribed or sworn, they may be imposed only as to the Matter and End, leaving the Takers but free to the use of their own Expressions. And this Expedient I gather from my Lord Cook, who hath providently, as it were, against such a season, laid in this observation: The …orm of the Subscription set down in the Canons, ratified by King James, was not expressed in the Act of the 13th of Elizabeth. Instit. p. 4. c. 74. And Consequently if the Clergy injoyed this freedom untill then, in reference to the particulars therein contained, what hinders why they might not have the same restored, in reference also to others?
It is true, that it may seem hard to many in the Parliament, to undo any thing themselves have done: But tho this be no Rule for Christians, who are sometimes to repent as well as believe, if they be loth to repent any thing, what if they shall only Interpret or Explain? Let us suppose then some Clause in this Bill, or some new Act, for Explanations. If an… Nonconformist cannot come up to the full meaning and intent of these Injunctions rightly Explained, let him remain in statu quo, under the state only of Indulgence, without benefit of Comprehension; for so long as those, who are not Comprehended, may yet injoy that ease, as to be indulged in some equal measure answerable to his Majestie's Declaration, whether Comprehension be large or narrow, such Terms as we obtain are pure Advantage, and such as we obtain not, are no loss: But if any does, and can honestly agree to the whole sense the Parliament intends in such Impositions, why should there be any Obstruction for such a Man, tho he delivers himself in his own words, to be received into the Established order with others? Unless men will look on these Injunctions only to be contrived for …gines of Battery, to destroy the Nonconfromist: And not as Instruments of Vnity, to edify the Church of God.
I will not leave our Congregational Brethren neither, so long as I have something more that may be said for them, not ordinarily considered by any. It is this, that tho indeed they are not, and cannot seek to be of our Churches as they are Parochial, under the Diocess or Superintendency of the Bishops; yet do they not refuse, but seek to be comprehended within the Church as National under his Majesty. I will explain my self. The Church may be considered as Vniversal, and so Christ alone is the head of it, and we receive our Laws from him; Or as Particular, and so the Pastors are Heads, Guides, or Bishops over their respective flocks, who are commanded therefore to obey them in the Lord: Or as National, which is an accidental and external respect to the Church of God, wherein the King is to be acknowledged the supreme Head of it, and as I judge no otherwise: For thus also runs the statute, That our Sovereign Lord shall be taken and reputed the only supreme Head in Earth of the Church of England, called Ecclesia Anglicana. Now if it should please the King and Parliament, to allow and approve these Separate Meetings, and Stated Places for Worship, by a Law, as His Majesty did by his Declaration, I must profess that, as such Assemblies by this means must be constituted immediately integral parts of the Church as National, no less than our Parish Cougregations: So would the Congregate Churches (at least those that understand themselves) own the King for Head over them, in the same sense as we own him Head over ours, that is as much as to say, for the supreme coercive Governour of all (in this accidental regard) both to keep every several Congregation to that Gospel-order themselves profess; and to supervise their Constitutions in things indifferent, that nothing be done but in subordination to the peace of the Kingdom.
Well, Let us suppose then a liberty for these separate Assemblies under the visitation of his Majesty and his Justices, and not the Bishops; I would fain know that were the Evil you can find in them. If it lie in any thing, it must be in that you call Schism. Separation then let us know, in it self simply considered, is nothing, neither good, nor Evil. There may be reason to divide or separate some Christians from others out of prudence, as the Cathechumens of old, from the fully instructed, for their greater Edification; and as a Chappel or two is added to a Parish-Church when the people else were too big a Congregation. It is not all Division then or Separation that is Schism; but sinful Division. Now the supreme Authority as National Head, having appointed the Parochial Meetings, and required all the Subjects of the Land to frequent them, and them alone, for the Acknowledging, Glorifying, or National serving and worshiping the only true God, and his Son, whom we have generally received: And this Worship or Service, in the nature of it being intrinsecally good, and the external Order (such as that of time and place, and the like Circumstances) being properly under his Jurisdiction, it hath seemed to me hitherto, that unless there was something in that order or way prescribed which is sinful, and that required too as a Condition of that Communion, there is no Man could refuse his attendance on these Parochial Assemblies, without the sin of Disobedience, and consequently his separation thereby becoming sinful, proves Schism: But if the Scene be altered and these separate Assemblies made Legal, the Schism, in reference to the National Church, upon the same account, does vanish. Schism is a separation from that Church whereof we ought or are bound to be Members: if the supreme Authority then loose our obligation to the Parish-Meeting, so that we are bound no longer, the iniquity (I say, upon this account) is not to be found, and the Schism gone. Lo here, a way opened for the Parliament (if they please) to rid the Trouble and Scruple of Schism (at once) out of the Land. If they please not, yet is there something to be thought on for the Separatist in a way of forbearance, that the innocent Christian, at least, as it was in the time of Trajan, may not be sought out unto Punishment: Especially when such a toleration only is desired, as is consistent with the Articles of Faith, a Good Life, and the Government of the Nation.
And now I turn me to the Houses. My Lords and Gentlemen! I will suppose you honest persons, that would do as you would be done unto; that would not wrong any; or if you did, would make them recompence. There hath been very hard Acts passed, which when the Bills were brought in, might haply look smooth and fair to you; but you saw not the Covert Art, secret Machination, and purposely contrived snares against one whole Party. If such a form of words would not, another should do their business. By this means, you in the first place, your selves, some of you were overstript: Multitudes dispossest of their Livings: The Vineyard Let out to others: The Lord Jesus, the Master of it, deprived of many of his faithful Labourers: And the poor sheep (what had they done?) bereft of their accumstomed spiritual food, to the hazard of their Eternal Souls. Among many Arguments therefore for Liberty in other Papers, from Policy, Convenience, Reason of State, and Reason of Religion, I have this one to offer you of a more binding Nature, an Argument from Iustice, Righteousness, and Restitution to the Displaced. It is true, that the Places they once had, are filled, and disposed: but there are others enough. There are many of those, who possess theirs, do also keep their own, and keep more. There are many who are Canons, Deans, Prebe…daries, that are also Parsons, Rectors, Vicars; who have Benefices and Honours by heaps, and by the bushel. If it shall please you therefore in this Bill on the Anvil, or in another, to take Cognizance of Pluralities, that, for the preventing an Idle, Scandalous, Covetously overgrown, unprofitable Ministery, every Man who hath more than one Cure of Souls, or one Dignity, shall give them up into a publick stock, or to a general Distribution, you shall do the Church right, and the Ejected right, you shall give such Drones their Due, and God his Due, and strew the way by this means for the making your Grace intended in this Bill, of signification. In the Name of God, Sirs, let me move you to this, if it were only Hac vice, for a present needful Conjunction of us at this season. We see the jaws of Popery, and the Sectary opening upon us, if the sober Protestant Interest be not united, we perish. I know who will be ready to stamp here and throw dust in the Air, for it is these Sons of the Horse-Le…ch, whose voice is still Give Give, that will never be contented with a single portion. A Dignity therefore with a Living let them be allowed: but one Dignity and one Cure of Souls should be all, tho they cu… themselves with Lanees. It is this damn'd hard objection at the bottom, the Priests Covetousness and Corruption, rather than their Dispute about things indifferent, that really hinders the Church's peace and prosperity.
To Conclude. According to what every Man's mind is most upon (the Publick Interest, or his own) such is his value more or less.
§ 263. About this time was a great change of Affairs in Scotland; their Parliament concurring with this of England, in distasting the present Councils and Proceedings (but not so much Proclaiming the danger of Popery, as Aggravating the Burdens and Grievances of the People, against the great Commissioner the Duke of Lauderdail:) So that Duke Hamilton became the Head of the Opposition, and most of the Nobility and Commons adhered to him, and were against D. of Lauderdail: And the Parliament went so high that D. Lauderdail was fain to Adjourn them: Whereupon D. Hamilton came to England with their Grievances to the King (with some of the Nobility). But the King, tho he gave him fair respect, sharply rebuked him and their Proceedings, and stuck close to D. Lauderdail against all opposition.
§ 264. At last D. Lauderdail found the way to turn their own Engin against themselves, and whereas many of their Grievances had been settled by themselves by Act of Parliament (while they were ruled by him), he acquainteth the King how heavy and unsufferable they were, and so the King, by a Letter, releaseth them: And among their burdens was a great income settled upon D. Hamilton for some service, Loss or Loan to the King, by his Predecessors, which he that had complained of Grievances was now to loss by the King removing the Grievances: Whereupon he professed that he had been still ready to remit those Revenues; but he could not do it in this way of a Letter against a Law, lest by the same way another Letter should take away the rest of his Estate: And he got the hands of Lawyers to testify it was against Law, and sent it to the King, who in displeasure rejected his Narrative, and so the Dissention in Scotland increased.
§ 265. At this time (April 1674) God hath so much increased my Languishing, and laid me so low, by an incessant inflation of my head, and translation of my great flatulency thither to the Nerves and Members, increasing these ten or twelve weeks to greater pains, that I have reason to think that my time on Earth will not be long: And O how Good hath the Will of God proved hitherto to me? And will it not be best at last? Experience causeth me to say to his praise, Great peace have they that love his Law, and nothing shall offend them; And tho my flesh and heart do fail, God is the Rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
§ 266. At this time came out my Book called, The poor Man's Family Book; which the remembrance of the great use of Mr. Dents Plain Man's path way to Heaven (now laid by) occasioned me to write, for poor Countrey Families who cannot buy or read many Books.
§ 267. I will not here pass by the Commemoration of one among many of the worthy silenced Ministers of London, that such Examples may provoke more to some imitation, viz. Mr. Thomas Gouge: He is the eldest Son of old Dr. William Gouge Deceased: He was Pastor to that great Parish called Sepul…hres; whence he was ejected, with the rest of his brethren at the time when the restored Prelates acted like themselves. I never heard any one person, of what rank, sort or sect soever, speak one word to his Dishonour, or Name any fault that ever they charged on his Life or Doctrine, no not the Prelatists themselves, save only that he conformed not to their impositions, and that he did so much good with so great Industry: God blessed him with a good Estate, and he liberally used it in works of Charity: When the fire consumed much of it, and when he had settled his Children, and his wife was taken from him by Death; of an hundred and fifty pound a year that he had left, he gave an hundred of it to charitable uses. His daily work is to do all the good he can, with as great diligence and constancy as other Men labour at their Trades: He visiteth the poor, and seeketh after them: He writeth books to stir up the rich, to devote (at least) the tenth part of their Estates to works of Charity: He goeth to the rich to perswade and urge them; He collecteth moneys of all that he can prevail with, and travelleth himself (tho between 60 and 70 years old) into Wales, Winter and Summer, and disperseth the money to the poor labouring persecuted Ministers: He hath settled himself in the chief Towns of Wales a great number of Schools, for Women to teach Children to read, having himself undertaken to pay them for many hundred Children: He printeth many thousands of his own practical Books, and giveth them freely throughout Wales, (at his own charge): And when I do something of the like by mine, he undertaketh the Distribution of them: He preacheth in Wales himself till they drive him from place to place by persecution; when he returneth home, he visiteth the Prisoners, and helpeth them to books, and preacheth repentance to them: The poor and the ignorant are those that he liveth for, doing good to Soul and Body daily, save that he Soliciteth the Rich to contribute to such uses. The reading of Mr. Ios. Allen's Life hath raised his Resolution and Activity to such a Course of Life, which was far higher than other Mens before.
§ 268. Mr. Sherlock's book before mentioned making a great noise, and he and the Author of the sober Inquiry, and others of them, when they reproached other Nonconformists being pleased to put in some Exceptions of me by Name, I thought my self the more obliged to disown their Miscarriages. And I first in Discourse sought to convince Mr. Sherlock; and lest he should not either understand or report me aright (Writings being surer Vindications than Memory) I sent him some Animadversions, which have since been Printed.
§ 269. My old friend Dr. Thomas Good now published a book called, Dubitantius and Fir…ianus, against Atheism, Infidelity, Popery, and then Presbytery, Independency, and Anabaptistry; very superficial: He was formerly indeed a professed Prelatist, but moderate, and himself never hindered from his Ministerial work and maintenance, and joyned with us in our Disputations at Kederminster, and our Concord in Worcestershire among the dissenting parties. Yet being Canon of Hereford, and Mr. of Baliol Colledge in Oxford (tho old, waiting for more) he asserted in his Book, that they were confessed things indifferent that we refused Conformity for, and that all the Nonconformists (without Exception) had a hand in the late King's Death, one way or other, by Consent, &c. The Impudency of which assertion moved me to write the Contradiction here adjoined.