A Second Admonition to Edward Bagshaw, Preface
To thoſe Readers who are moſt enclined to the Principles of Church-diviſion, and cenſorious unwarrantable Separation.
I Know there is in Holineſs a contrariety to ſin; and Heaven and Hell muſt finally ſhew the difference for ever: And to reconcile them is as unpoſſible, as to reconcile Light and Darkneſs. I know that it is the endeavour of every faithful Miniſter of Chriſt, to make this difference plainly known, and in Doctrine and Diſcipline to ſeparate the precious from the vile; and to make ungodly men know that they are ungodly, and to give to each their proper portion, and to keep the Churches as clean as they can by lawful means. I know that the ruine of this purging and differencing Diſcipline, is a great part of the lamentable ruine of the Churches, and occaſioneth that ſcandal to the Mahometans and Heathens, becauſe of the wicked lives of Chriſtians, which is one of the greateſt hinderances of their converſion: And that all Chriſtians ſhould uſe their utmoſt skill and power, to recover Religion to its primitive Purity and Splendour, and Diſcipline to the moſt effectual regular exerciſe. And I know that in mens private converſe there muſt be a great care what company we converſe with, and eſpecially whom we make our familiars. And that to be indifferent, and to intimate an equality or likeneſs of the godly and the wicked, in doctrine, communion, and familiarity, is a notable ſign of an ungodly perſon. And upon theſe accounts, I know that when perſons are newly recovered from ungodlineſs themſelves, they are very much inclined to fly from the company of ſuch, as far as their ſafety doth require: And by this inclination and their ignorance, they are frequently tempted to go further from them in Church communion, than God alloweth them to do, and inſtead of ſeparating from them in their ſin, to ſeparate from them in their duty; and to ſeparate from the Churches of Chriſt in his true worſhip, becauſe of the mixture and preſence of the bad.
And this they are drawn to, 1. By forgetting the Scripture pattern, and ſtate of the Churches even in the pureſt age, and thinking only what they deſire, rather than what is to be expected or done.
2. By forgetting the difference between the Church viſible, which is alwayes mixt with Hypocrites and offenders, and the Church inviſible which ſhall all be ſaved.
3. By forgetting the difference between their private familiarity, where they are chooſers of their company themſelves; and their Church communion, where the Paſtors are the Rulers and Judges of the fitneſs of the members. Or elſe not underſtanding that this uſe of the Keyes, and judging of the fitneſs of the members, is indeed the Paſtors Office, and not theirs.
4. By not conſidering that nothing muſt be done by Diſcipline upon Offenders, but in a courſe of Church-Juſtice, upon due Accuſations, Summons, Audience, Proof and patient Admonition: And not by caſting out any irregularly upon the expectation of every one that will ſay that they are ungodly and ſcandalous.
5. By forgetting the great difference between joyning with men in ſinful actions, and joyning with them in their duty in which they ſhould be encouraged.
6. By forgetting the great difference of keeping in our own place and duty, though bad men are preſent, and going out of our place and duty to joyn with them in ſin.
7. By forgetting that God will have all mens own wills, by Chooſing, or Refuſing, to have more hand in their Welfare or Miſery, than other mens: And if they miſchooſe, the ſin will be their own.
8. By forgetting that God hath not left the Church at arbitrary liberty to judge any Godly or Ungodly at their pleaſure; But hath given us a ſet Teſt or Rule to judge them by; which is [their ſober Profeſſion of Conſent to the Baptiſmal Covenant; upon which the Adult and their Infants have right to Baptiſm; And being Baptized have Right to Church Communion in all the Acts which their Age and Underſtanding makes them capable of: And it is Church-tyranny to refuſe ſuch as ſhew this Title, till they are openly proved to forfeit it, by Impenitency in groſs ſin after publick admonition, and due means. This is the truth, and the method of Chriſts diſcipline, and the Rule of our Communion.
9. By ſuperſtitious placing their Religion in indifferent and undertermined things, and laying a greater ſtreſs on the words of prayer, than there is cauſe. Overvaluing their ſeveral outward forms, expreſſions and orders, in the worſhipping of God: when inſtead of provoking each other to faith and fervency to Love and to good works, they place more of Godlineſs in words and circumſtances (which God hath certainly left free to every mans conſcience) than God doth place in them: And one thinks that he is irregular, that prayeth without a ſet form, and another that he is ungodly, that prayeth not by the Spirit, who uſeth a ſet form; when both do but ſpeak their own ſuperſtition, and make Laws and Rules which God never made. Superſtition and our own additions in Religion (even in thoſe that cry out much againſt it) is the occaſion of moſt of our Church-diviſions. One ſide ſuppoſeth every diſorder or unfit expreſſion in free prayer to be a greater fault than indeed it is: And that its unlawful therefore to joyn with a Church that hath no ſet forms: Another party ſuppoſeth the forms in the Church Lyturgy to be worſe than they are; and that it is unlawful to joyn in them, or to receive the Lords Supper when they are uſed. When as God hath neither tyed us to ſet forms, nor from them; ſave only as unſuitableneſs to any particular perſons may make one leſs edifying than the other: And both free prayers, and ſet forms, ſtudied prayers, and ſudden prayers, are all the work of man, (as to mans part): and therefore they muſt needs be imperfect and faulty as man is: And yet in both we may pray by the Spirit, even with the holy and fervent deſires which the Spirit exciteth in us: And the Spirit may ordinarily be a Spirit of ſupplication in us, and help our infirmities, in the one way and in the other: And therefore, though I will not equall them (For I prefer ſome mens free praying before any forms, and I prefer the Common prayers before ſome mens free prayers) yet I may ſay, that I will neither Aſſent and Conſent to every word in the one, nor in the other, no not of any man that ever I heard: And yet I will not take it for unlawful to joyn with Church, or Family, or perſon in the one, or in the other: yea, upon long experience, if I had fully my own choice and liberty, I would uſe free prayer one part of the day (or one day) and a well compoſed form another part, becauſe I ſee commodities by both, and ſuch inconveniences of either way alone, as are, if poſſible to be avoided. But when the Mind hath received a prejudice againſt either way, by Education, Cuſtom, or former diſtaſtes, no reaſon how clear ſoever will overcome it, till age and experience do mellow green and ſowre Spirits, and teach them to judge of things ſoberly and impartially, not as others judge of them, but as indeed they are.
10. And men are much furthered in the way of ſeparation, by forgetting what good even hypocrites themſelves, may receive by their ſtation in the viſible Church: And that it is not for nothing that the Great Maſter of the Church, hath ſo ordered the terms of admiſſion (upon meer Profeſſion of Conſent to the Baptiſmal Covenant) and of Excluſion (upon proved Impenitency in groſs ſin after ſufficient admonition and patience) as that multitudes of bad men ever have been and will be in the viſible Church: Though the regular ſtation that ſuch perſons ſhould chooſe, till they come up to ſincere conſent, is the place of Catechumens, if they were not baptized in Infancy, and the place of Penitents if they were, yet ſuppoſing that they intrude further by a falſe profeſſion, yet God hath provided great advantages, in Church communion for their good, and ſecured the innocent from imputation of ſin, by reaſon of their preſence.
11. And men are induced to ſeparation by forgetting, how tender Chriſt is of the weakeſt of his members, that are ſincere, and that he had rather many hypocrites were received, than one true Chriſtian ſhut out: For he hath a day at hand, in which he will ſeparate the Tares from the Wheat, and will take out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them that work iniquity. And they conſider not how impoſſible it is, to ſhut out all hypocrites, and not to ſhut out many weak ones that are ſincere.
12. And it much wrongeth them that they forget what a Mercy it is, that Chriſt hath not made the power of the Paſtors or Church to be arbitrary, in admiſſions or excluſions; but hath tyed them up to certain terms, and preſcribed to them whom to Receive or Reject: And that they conſider not, what confuſions otherwiſe would be brought into the Church, and what Church-tyranny men would exerciſe; And how the difference of mens Judgements, Intereſts, Temptations and Paſſions, would make almoſt as many ſorts of Churches, as there are individual Governours and Churches. And one would make one meaſure, and another another meaſure of their communion.
13. And it greatly wrongeth ſuch men that they never had right apprehenſions of the Nature and great Neceſſity of Vanity among believers, and the Churches of Chriſt. They cry out Truth muſt not be ſold for Peace, when they neither know aright what is Truth or Peace. But by Truth they mean their own doubtful opinions, and by Peace they mean their own quietneſs with men. We eaſily confeſs, that as Peace ſignifieth our freedom from perſecution or ſufferings, or from the reproach of men, the leaſt holy truth is to be preferred before it, and more tenaciouſly held than it: But if by Peace, they mean the Unity and Concord of believers, or of the Church of God, they ſpeak dangerouſly, and ſuppoſe a pernicious falſhood, that Gods Truth, and ſuch Peace or Concord, may at any time be ſeparated: And it is no wiſelier ſpoken, than if they had ſaid, A mans eye-ſight or health is to be preferred before the Union of his ſoul and body, or before the Concord of Head and Heart, or before the conjunction of his members. When as non cutis nulla eſt affectio. Deſtroy the Subject, and you deſtroy the Accidents. Without union of parts, the Church is no Church; Dividing it, is deſtroying it. A Houſe or Kingdom divided, cannot ſtand. And when it is no Church, it hath no Truth as a Church, n…r any thing that dividers did contend for. An Integral member may rather be cut off, than the whole ſhould periſh: But what member will ſeparate it ſelf from the b…dy? Or who but a murderer will on pretence of curing, be a divider and diſſolver?
14. And it wrongeth theſe Chriſtians much that they look on the narrow ſpace of the Churches about them, and forget the ſtate of almoſt all Chriſts Churches in the whole world, which are in a … worſe condition than our Pariſh Churches are: which though it ſhould draw no man to like the leaſt imperfection in them or in himſelf, nor to neglect any true reforming duty, yet would it make a tender Chriſtian rather tremblingly to return to Vniverſal due Communion, than to dare to ſeparate from almoſt all Chriſts viſible body upon earth.
15. And gazing all upon one ſide, doth make men forget, how heinous an injury it is to Chriſt, to rob him of the greateſt part of his Churches, and to ſay, that they are none of his: when they could eaſily perceive that it would not be well taken by the King, if they ſhould ſay, that he is King of no more, but three or four Villages in the Land: And he that can take four parts, yea, nineteen parts of Chriſts Church from him to day, may take away the fifth or the twentieth to morrow, and ſo may turn Infidels, and deny Chriſt to be Chriſt: For no Kingdom, no King.
16. And they forget that as the Body muſt have its due magnitude, as well as its comely ſcite of parts; ſo we muſt be zealous for the Greatneſs, as well as the Purity, the Extenſive as well as the Intenſive growth of the Church. And if Chriſts flock be little, they diſhonour it that would make it tenfold leſs than indeed it is; Jer. 30. 19. And out of them ſhall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry: And I will multiply them, and they ſhall not be few, and I will glorifie them, and they ſhall not be ſmall.
17. And the Paſſion that is kindled in men by their ſufferings, is very ſtrong in conquering their judgements; ſo that too few in the whole world are found ſo ſober, as not to go too far from thoſe they ſuffer by; unleſs it be timerous or temporizing complyers, that yield to eſcape their further ſuffering.
18. And men are ſtrangely forgetful of the experiences of themſelves and others: And when God hath let looſe the Spirit of diviſion to the confuſions both of State and Churches, and to the ruining of true Reformation, and to the woful and ſcandalous diſſolution of many particular Churches, where it hath come, yet will not men underſtand or remember, but ſee as if they did not ſee. Holland, England, New England give them loud and lamentable warnings, and yet they will not hear.
19. And they that know what man is indeed, will not deny, but that in very many, there is ſomething of that Pride (which ſome call ſpiritual, but is too carnal) in mens inclination to ſeparation. He that knoweth how excellent a thing it is to be Wiſe, and Holy, and Happy, is oft tempted to be deſirous that his own excellency ſhould appear, and not be hid by his joyning with ſuch as are taken for ignorant common men; and ſo would ſtand further from the common ſort of viſible Chriſtians, than God would have him. And alſo ſome perſons, who ſhould find the Evidences of Gods favour and acceptance in the life of Faith, and Love, and Holineſs, do lamentably quiet themſelves inſtead of theſe, with being members of ſuch ſtrict ſocieties, as profeſs even a ſeparating conſpicuous holineſs.
20. Laſtly, But one of the greateſt ſnares of all is, that men cannot bear the Cenſures of thoſe that are inclined to Separation. And therefore rather than be accounted and called by them Formaliſts, Temporizers, Carnal, or ſuch like, they will do as they do, and turn their zeal into partial and unjuſt cenſures, of the perſons, words, and outward Modes and Circumſtances of Worſhip, of thoſe that they diſſent from.
Theſe and ſuch other cauſes of Dividing inclinations, I did (upon the ſpecial neceſſities of the Churches, and ſome of my own acquaintance) lay open in a Book called the Cure of Church Diviſions; which made a great noiſe, (as water powred upon the flames); But though ſome upon miſunderſtanding, and ſome by guilt and intereſt muttered much againſt it, I never had a word againſt it privately or publickly in writing, by way of Confutation of any thing in it, ſave only a Libell of one that now calleth himſelf Edward Bagſhaw, a man that I am not acquainted with, though I have ſeen and ſpoken with him, and though to my trouble, when his fancy led him that way, he unskilfully wrote for me againſt the Biſhop then of Worceſter. I greatly rejoyce that in theſe times of tryal, ſo few of the Non-conformable Miniſters are by ſufferings and paſſions hurried into the dividing extream. If injuries or intereſt would excuſe any ſin, I think there are few Miniſters in England, who have more inducements to the angry ſeparating way than I have. But ſhall I therefore wrong the Truth and Church of God, and my own and others ſouls! God forbid.
Brethren, it is none of my meaning to diſoblige you from your ancient faithful Miniſters. Nor yet to perſwade you to hear any inſufficient or intolerable man; much leſs to commit your ſouls to the Paſtoral care of ſuch a perſon: nor yet to prefer a worſe before a better, who may upon lawful terms be enjoyed. But the things that I perſwade you to, are theſe: 1. Not to entertain falſe uncharitable dividing principles in your minds, which will break the peace of all ſocieties.
2. If you differ about Infant Baptiſm, Indepencie, Common prayer or ſuch like, that yet you will not think your differences oblige you to deny Communion to all you differ from.
3. That if you are ſo ſinfully partial, that you cannot joyn in the ſame Churches, you would yet live charitably and peaceably in ſeveral Churches.
4. That you would not ſay any Church of Chriſt is No Church, becauſe it is not of your form or mode.
5. That you would not ſay, that Communion with any Church is unlawful, becauſe their external worſhipping form, is not of your faſhion, or before you have proved what you ſay. My advice is calculated to the Vnion and peace of all true Churches, and not thoſe of one form or mode alone.
And I note it as a conſiderable providence of God, that I am drawn in to defend the Principles of Love and Concord in theſe trying times, againſt ſuch an adverſary as Mr. Bagſhaw is. It hath of late been Gods way to let us know the evil of Principles by their effects on the men that we have had to do with: As Malignant principles would not have been ſufficiently diſtaſted by us, if they had not ſhewed themſelves in malignant practices; So Dividing principles had never been ſufficiently known in England, if they had not ruined a Reformation, ſilenced ſo many hundred Miniſters, and laid us in the dirt, as they have done. And if the Cauſe of Dividers muſt be judged of by the defenders, I adviſe you to conſider of theſe things following.
1. How many notorious falſe doctrines he hath delivered?
2. How many other notorious Crimes in two Libells he hath committed? In ſpecial let every ſober perſon judge, whether Ignorance, Temerity, Pride and high ſelf-conceitedneſs with malignant unconcealed calumny do not only defile, but even conſtitute or make up his Books?
3. What bitter enmity is here expreſt againſt the Principles of Love, and Vnity, and Concord, and Peace, and Sobriety it ſelf?
4. How many ſcore notorious untruths he ſhameleſly publiſheth in theſe two Libells?
5. How much he fighteth againſt Repentance, and ſo with groſs Impenitency aggravateth all his crimes?
6. How like his own Spirit is to that which he accounteth the Spirit of impoſition and perſecution? And how vehement he is againſt the ſame perſons as ſuch are, and as impudently ſlandereth them, and as bitterly and profeſſedly deſigneth to make them odious (But he that profeſſeth to make another odious, thereby diſableth himſelf from doing it.)
7. Whether ever in all your lives, you ſaw two Libells written againſt another, which do not only perform, but even attempt ſo little, and next to nothing at all, to give any anſwer to the Books he writes againſt. Read mine and read his, and I defie any thing but madneſs it ſelf, or blind partiality or wickedneſs, to make any man think that he hath confuted what I have written. I confeſs I admire at the mans inſenſibility, that doth not perceive, how much he hath done, by pretending an Anſwer, and giving none, or worſe than none, to make his cauſe or himſelf contemptible. Can any man in his wits think, that he hath confuted the Principles of Concord which I laid down in my Directions.
8. Whether ſuch a man as this do ſhew himſelf wiſer than Dod, Hilderſham, Ames, Baine, and all the old Non-conformiſts according to the importance of his boaſt? or whether he give us cauſe to believe that God hath revealed more to him than to them, while he himſelf can no better reveal it unto others?
9. When I had ſet down at leaſt thirty three Vntruths which he deliberately dared to write and publiſh, did you ever read ſuch a pittiful vindication? He hath not ſpoken to any conſiderable number of them: And of thoſe few that he ſpeaketh to, try if you can find any one of which he cleareth himſelf? And yet he profeſſeth not repentance for any one of them? Nay, to open his Impenitency, he profeſſeth falſly that I cannot juſtly charge him with any of them; and addeth in the laſt Libell forty eight palpable Vntruths more? Juſt like one that being accuſed of ſwearing, ſhould forty eight times ſwear that he never ſware.
10. How far he proceedeth in his ſeparation, and how far he would draw poor unſtable ſouls? It is not only from the Conformiſts and the Pariſh Churches that he would have you ſeparate, and all in the whole world that are worſe than they; but alſo from all the Non-conformiſts in England, that are not better than I: as his concluding Advertiſement fully telleth you. All of my mind and meaſure are unworthy of the communion of this humble, tender, credible man.
11. What means is there left in the world to exempt a man from the malignant calumnies of this Judge of the Churches? When in one ſentence he telleth you, how much I have written againſt the Biſhops, and in another that I am in the ſame condemnation with him, and yet in another, that I dare look no truth in the face, that bringeth ſuffering; when he talks of one point that all Chriſtians are agreed in, and directly bringeth none. And when he chargeth me with Atheiſtical arguing againſt the divine and ſelf-evidencing authority of the Scripture, and therefore to be Rejected of all, as one of the worſt ſort of Hereticks, that under the notion of being a Chriſtian and a Proteſtant, doth with his utmoſt induſtry and cunning, labour to overthrow our foundation.] When I know of no one man living in this Age, that hath written ſo much (I ſay not, ſo well) for the things in queſtion (Scripture and Chriſtianity) as I have done. May not this man as modeſtly charge Biſhop Downame to be a Papiſt, that hath written ſo much to prove the Pope to be Antichriſt? or ſay any thing elſe that he hath liſt to ſay?
12. Doth he not fix upon you by ſuch Libells as theſe, an odious reproach? As if he would perſwade the world, that you that he writeth to, are ſo partial, ſo blind, ſo falſe to truth, and to your own ſouls, and ſuch pernicious enemies to peace, as that you will receive that which is thus falſly ſaid to you, without ever reading what is ſaid on the other ſide, or againſt all the evidence that contradicteth it, and will believe all theſe viſible untruths of his, without any proof, upon the bare report of ſo raſh a man.
13. Whether following ſuch men and wayes as this, is not the likelieſt way in the world, not only to increaſe the reproach of the Non-conformiſts, and make them all thought of, as we do of the Quakers, and ſo to continue ſeverities againſt them as a company of furious unſociable perſons; but alſo to harden men into a contempt of Religion it ſelf.
14. Doth not God permit ſuch a Champion of the Cauſe of Diviſion, thus criminally to miſcarry, that you may ſee that you are not better than thoſe you ſeparate from? You blame them for ſubſcribing erroneouſly or falſly; And which of them hath put thirty three, and forty eight viſible untruths deliberatly in print, and Impenitently ſtands in them as your Champion hath done? Doth not this ſhew you, that you are not ſo good, but that the Churches of godly Paſtors are as worthy of your Communion, as you are of theirs? If one ſhould admoniſh one of your Church-members of one ſingle deliberate avowed lye, would you not call him to Repentance? And will you believe this man and follow him upon his bare word, who hath publiſhed eighty ſuch falſhoods? Yet I am not one that think he loveth a lye, becauſe it is a lye; but one that is thus guilty through proud overvaluing his own unfurniſhed underſtanding, and through an extraordinary Raſhneſs and want of tenderneſs of Conſcience.
You have heretofore had better Guides, and you have better ſtill: (I never met with two Miniſters that approve his Libell, nor any but Mr. Browne alone) you have a more peaceable Rule; And if you are Chriſtians indeed, you have a Peaceable Spirit, and a Saviour, who is the Prince of peace (who hath prayed that all his Diſciples may be one, John 17. 21.) and a God who is the God of peace. Follow therefore the Wiſdom that is both Pure and Peaceable, and not that from beneath, which is earthly, ſenſual and deviliſh, and worketh by envious zeal and ſtrife, unto confuſion and every evil work, Jam. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17.