Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Appendix · Section 3 · Letter 1 – Floating text 1
Dear Brother,
I Bless the Lord for the great Consolation I had in the perusal of your Papers: All the Motions and Operations of Holy Love are lovely. That is the way of God: hat is the way of Love, and that to be much suspected that quencheth it. What is so much predicated through all the Gospel? Above all other ways, what a mellow sweetness doth the way of Love communicate to all the Duties and Conversings of those that are abounding in this Grace? And it is the Manhood and Maturity of Christianity. The Infancy of the Law had less of it than the full Age of the Gospel: And young Christians usually are like young Fruit, austere and unpleasant, whom Age and Holy Experience must mellow by the growth of Love, produced by the Sun-shine of Heavenly Love. I had thought to have presently returned you my Answer to your Reasons about Infant Baptism: but when I had read your other Papers, I could not find in my Heart, least Disputing should in any Measure abate in the Love that God was kindling: Yet shortly, (if I can find the least leisure) I shall give you a few Words to them (if God will) when that which hath a shew of contending will be more seasonable. Your Arguments for Communion are very weighty. My next Work to these Ends shall be to persuade some godly Ministers that differ from you, to a more charitable Iudgment, and walking towards them of your Opinion; and (if I live so long) to persuade our Parliament Men against excessive Rigour and Bitterness against them. Do you do the like with those of your way. If Love reign in us, it must command our Tongues to plead its Cause, and to endeavour the promoting of it in the World. And when Love shall Reign among the Nations, the Lord shall Reign in a way of Love: And this is the way to those glorious Times that some expect by other Ways. And as the abounding of Iniquity and the cooling of Love are coupled by Christ as Cause and Effect, so will the abounding of Love, and the decay of Iniquity be conjoined. The God of Love carry on this blessed Work in our frozen Souls, and in all the Churches, by keeping us under the Light of his Countenance, and the the Sunshine of his most glorious Love. I remain
Your Brother, Rich. Baxter. To Mr. William Allen. Jan. 7. 1658.
The Case of Separation.
Quest. 1. WHether Particular Churches be of Divine Institution?
Answ. Yea; that is Christians associated for Personal Communion in Doctrine, Worship and Discipline, under the same Pastors (one or more) are a Church of Divine Institution. Proved Act. 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. 1 Tim.—Phil. 1. 1, 2. 1 Thes. 5. 16, 17. Heb. 15. 17. 24. and many other Texts.
Quest. 2. Whether the Parish Assemblies are such?
Answ. Parish-Assemblies are not of one sort; some are not such, that is, Parish Assemblies which deny the Essentials of Christianity, and are Hereticks, or deny Church Essentials, or that have no Pastors, or such as want some Essentials of the Office, as visible to Man's Judgment.
But Parish Assemblies are true particular Churches, who profess the Essentials of Christianity, and of Churches, and have Pastors who visibly want not any thing essential to their Office (though otherwise faulty). 2. Churches are called true, 1. In point of Essence (as aforesaid). 2. In point of Soundness and Integrity (as a sick Man, or a maimed Man, or a Thief, is a true Man in Essence; but not in Soundness, in Integrity and Honesty).
The Parish Churches, as constituted by our Laws, Articles, Ordination and Canons, are true Churches as to Essence; but not without some Wants and Diseases that need a cure.
3. Churches may be called True, 1. In their Constitutions: Or, 2. In their Administration. Ours in England, as afore described, are true in their Constitution: But in the Administration some are excellent, some are laudable, some are tolerable, and perhaps some have Ministers intolerable; as the Parsons differ.
4. The Society called the Church of England hath Pastors of several Minds; most I hope, hold all that is Essential to Christianity, Ministry and Communion: But some late Innovators and Corruptors, seem to deny somewhat Essential to particular Churches and Ministry; but these impeach no Mens Ministry but their own; against these I wrote in my Treaties of Episcopacy.
5. Distinguish between the Office as instituted by Christ, and owned by the Church of England, and the Exercise of the Office, as restrained and hindred by Canons and by Laws, the Parish Ministers and Churches are true Ministers and Churches as described by Ordination, and the Church Doctrine, but many Canons and some Laws dolefully fetter them, and hinder the Exercise of their Office on pretence of governing them; but neither do nor can destroy the Essence of the Office it self: The Ministers have all essential Qualifications and the Consent of the People (though not the first Choice) and the People are professed Christians.
6. A Parish and a Parish-Church are not the same, all are not of the Church that are in the Parish; there are three sorts of the Parish, 1. Communicants, and those are the Church. 2. Meer Hearers and Catechical Persons, and these are Candidates. 3. Aliens, Atheists, Infidels and Papists, Hereticks, Men of no Church or other Churches; Parish-Churches as combined parts of a Christian Kingdom, or National Church thus distinguished from Aliens, Auditors, and not only tolerated, but orderly combined, maintained, encouraged, are the most regular Churches agreeable to Scripture, Reason, and Antiquity.
Quest. 3. Suppose the Parish-Churches should be no true Churches, is it destructive to particular Churches to join with the Parish-Assemblies?
Answ. No; who can dream that Families, and Neighbours, and occasional Meetings may not Worship God; or, that such Worship destroys Churches. Did Cor…lius's Meeting, Acts 18. or those Acts 12. 12. or these that Acts 20. prayed at an Oratory, nor the Water destroy the Church? 2. Occasion Communicants are not bound to try the Call of the Ministers where they come, and have no Vote but to take them according to visible Profession and Possession, and if the Ministers should prove uncalled, the Loss would be to themselves, and not to the Faithful that are blameless and have right to the Childrens Bread, though a Iudas or a Pharisee distribute it.
But the Separatists Object, that pretended Churches which are not true, are worse than occasional Assemblies that pretend it not. Answ. 1. whether they are worse or better, is nothing to this Question of destroying Churches. 2. The liker they are to true Churches, the liker they are to be better than those that are unlike them. 3. The Officiating of a true Minister may make that a true temporary Church, which is not a constant setled Church. 4. It is far liker that many separating Congregations will prove no true lawful Churches, for want of true Ministers, and other Causes; and yet it will not follow that all that join with them destroy true Churches; for some under Government may do it blamelesly; and they that do it sinfully may yet own true Churches, every Sin destroys not other Churches. 5. It is a Duty for Members of a Church to get what good they can by all Christians, whether they be regular Churches or not.
Quest. 4. Suppose the Parish-Assemblies to be particular Churches, are the Corruptions in them so great as that we must separate from them, or would it not be Schism so to do?
Answ. There are many sorts of Separation: It is Schism to call them (no true Churches of Christ) or (such as it is not lawful to hold Communion with) and to separate on that account, and this I have oft proved in Print so fully, that I must not now repeat it.
But there are many Occasions which may warrant and necessitate a meer local Separation, as I have fully proved in many Treatises; as if any Sin be imposed and Communion denied to those that will not Sin, those Men do not separate, but are driven out by Separatists or Tyrants, and must not give over all Church Worship of God because Tyrants forbid it them. Many other Instances of lawful local Separation, I have published, which I cannot find any have confuted, no, nor denyed.
Quest. 5. Whether there are not in congregational Churches such things which are not plainly instituted in Scripture?
Answ. Congregational is a sorry Word as here used in distinction from Parish-Churches, Parish-Churches are Congregational, they consist of Pastors and Christian Communicants joined for Personal Communion, and Independents and Separatists much differ, many Independants are against Separation, the old Nonconformists, both Presbyterians and Independants were judged the Parish-Churches that had tolerable Ministers to be true Churches; and Independents greatly differ among themselves; some are sound in the Faith, and some are unfound; some are for Infant Church-Membership and Covenant Grace, and some against it; some are for self-made Covenants and Terms of Church-entrance and Communion, and for the Peoples Power of the Keys, and against Ordination and many other Errors; which others do renounce. And remember it is one thing to be Independants by Agreement, as Neighbour Churches, and another thing to be dependant as Subjects on governing Churches: And it is one thing to be Independant on equal Neighbour Churches; and another thing to be independant on a superior Ministry: The Churches of Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and the rest, were independant on each other, as to Government; but they were dependant on the Apostles and Evangelists (Paul, Barnabas, Luke, Mark, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and Apollos, &c.) as to Oversight and dependant on other Churches as Fellow-members of the same Universal Body, as the Members of our Bodies are. 3. I know no Churches to happy as to have nothing that is not particularly (yea, or generally) instituted in Scripture; yea, and that obtruded on the People. O! when will God make them wiser? some Independant Ministers and Churches have Catholick, Charitable, Uniting Principles. But the separating part who are they that have so many and great Defects and Faults as I have in my former Writing enumerated, and need not here again recite, but advise you impartially to review them.
Quest. 6. Whether every Person who doth join with such a Church doth not become as guilty of the Sin of such a Church, as those do that join with the Church of England?
Answ. This Question intimateth that you know not what the Church of England is: It is nothing but a Christian Kingdom, consisting of a Christian supreme Power, and combined Christians and Churches governed by that Power; it is not Liturgies nor Ceremonies that essentiate the Church of England: Orthodox, Godly Presbyterians, and Independants who deny not a Christian Kingdom of Christian Churches (though differing in many thing) are all parts of the true Church of England: But I suppose you mean the Conformists (which are but a part).
2. One is guilty of the Faults of the Conformists by their bare Presence and Communion, who do not consent to those Faults, and if bare Presence signified Consent, we must avoid Communion with all Churches on Earth, for who are Sinless? And all must avoid us; and how shall we avoid our selves, who sin in all we do?
3. But when People causelesly separate and unchurch other Churches far …ounder than their own, and falsely accuse them; yea, and almost all Christ's Churches these Fifteen Hsndred Years, as those now called Separatists usually do, I think your ordinary joining with such, when you may have sounder Communion is a sinful Encouragement of them in their Schism, justly leaveth you under the Imputation of Schism, and requireth great Humiliation and Reformation, being greater than some great private Sins, as publick Cases are more important than private; but I am loath to say all that I judge true against the present separating Way, lest I be mistaken, as if I would render them odious, or be against the necessary Toleration of the Week.
I have truly told the World near Forty Years ago, that I am past doubt that neither the Episcopal Presbyterian nor Independant way alone, will well settle the Church: But that each of the three Parties (and those called Erastians) have somewhat of the Truth in peculiar, and somewhat of Faultiness, and if ever the Church be well setled, it must be by taking the best, and leaving out the worst of every party, and till that can be done, we must bear with what we cannot amend.
Octobo. 9. 1688.