Vindication of the Church of England in Her Rites and Ceremonies, Part 16 – Part 19
16. The Errour of demanding a Scripture-text, or rule, for Ceremonies and Circumſtances of Gods Worſhip.
Mr. Baxters Defence of the Principles of Love, Part 1. p. 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102.
There are men otherwiſe very honeſt, and truly godly, who think that the Scripture is intended by God, not onelyonly as a general, but a particular Law, or Rule, for all the very circumſtances of Worſhip; and that the ſecond commandment in particular, condemns all that is the invention of men, in or about the Worſhip of God; and that to deny this, is to deny the perfection of Scripture— I hope the number is but ſmall that are of this opinion. We are obliged to take heed of countenancing this Errour—For if it prevail, what abundance of hurt will it do?
1.—2. It draweth men into the dangerous guilt of adding to the Word of God, under pretence of ſtrict expounding it, and defending its perfection and extent.
3.—4. It altereth the very definition of the the holy Scripture, and maketh it another thing. That which God made to be the Record of his holy Covenant, and the Law and Rule of Faith and Holineſs, and the general Law for outward modes and circumſtances, which are but accidents of Worſhip, is pretended by men to be a particular Law, for that which it never particularly medleth with.
5. If ſorely prepares men for Infidelity, and to deny the divine authority of the Scripture, and utterly to undo all, by over-doing. If Satan could but once make men believe, that the Scripture is a rule for thoſe things which are not to be found in it, and which God never made it to be a rule for. He will next argue againſt it, as a deluſory and imperfect thing— he that believes it to be given as ſuch a particular rule, and then finds that it is ſilent, or utterly inſufficient to that uſe, is like next to caſt it away as a deluſion, and turn an Infidel, or Antiſcripturiſt.
6. This miſtake tends to caſt all rational Worſhip out of the Church and the World.
7. This opinion will bring in all confuſion, inſtead of pure reaſonable Worſhip, while every man is left to find that in Scripture, which never was there, and that, as the onelyonly rule of his actions, one will think that he finds one thing there, and another another thing, for it muſt be reality and verity which muſt be the term of Unity, men cannot agree in that which is not.
8. It will let in Impiety and Errour, for when men are ſent to ſeek and find that which is not there, every man will think that he findeth that which his own corrupted mind brings thither.
9. And hereby all poſſibility of Union among Chriſtians and Churches muſt periſh, till this errour periſh; for if we muſt unite onelyonly in that which is not in being, we muſt not unite at all.
10. Hereby is laid a Snare to tempt men into odious cenſures of each other; (of which ſee my Author excellently at large.)
11. Hereby Chriſtian love will be quenched, when every man muſt account his Brother an Idolater, that cannot ſhew a Scripture for the hour, the place of Worſhip, &c.
12. And hereby back-biting, ſlandering, and railing muſt go currant as no ſin, while every Calvin, Cartwright, Hilderſham, Perkins, Sibbs, &c. that uſed a Form of Prayer, yea, all the Chriſtians in the World muſt be accuſed of Idolatry, as if it were a true and righteous charge: And
13. All our ſins will be fathered on God, as if the ſecond Commandment, and the Scripture-perfection required all this, and taught Children to diſobey their Parents and Maſters, and ſay your Prayers and Catechiſms are Images and Idols, &c.
14. It will rack and perplex the Conſciences of all Chriſtians, when I muſt take my ſelf for an Idolater, till I can find a particular Law in Scripture for every Tune, Metre, Tranſlation, Method, Veſture, Geſture, &c. that I uſe in the worſhipping of God; when Conſcience muſt build onelyonly in the Air, and reſt only on a word which never was.
15. It will have a confounding influence into all the affairs and buſineſs of our lives.
Laſtly, It will fright poor people from Scripture and Religion, and make Us, our Doctrine and Worſhip ridiculous in the ſight of all the World.
Theſe are the conſequences (which Mr. Baxter ſhews very well at large) of that impracticable and erroneous doctrine of demanding a particular Text of Scripture for the Ceremonies and Circumſtances of Gods worſhip.
17. The Church of England not guilty of any kind of Falſe-worſhip.
Defence of the Principles of Love. Part 2. p. 3, 4.
Mr. Baxter having recited the ſeven ſeveral kinds of falſe Worſhip, acquits the Church of England from all, and proves at large (in the Pages here cited) that it is not guilty of falſe Worſhip in any kind or any acceptation whatſoever, any more than Mr. Bagſhaw (whom he there ſpeaks particularly to) or the reſt of the Non-conformiſts are in their extemporate Prayers.
18. A general Vindication of the Liturgy and Ceremonies.
Defence of the Principles of Love. Part 1.90, 91.
To do it (i.e. to uſe, as he calls it, an unreformed Liturgy) out of choice, is one thing; to do it as a duty put upon us by Gods providence and our Governours, when we can do no better, is another thing: it is God that hath pulled down our liberty and opportunity to ſerve him better, and we muſt obey him. It is no faulty mutability to change our practice, when God by changing our condition doth change our duty; no more than it was in Auguſtine, who profeſſeth that he would worſhip God, as to Forms and Ceremonies, according as the Church did with which he joined, where-ever he came.
19. The ſoundneſs of the Doctrine of the Church of England.
Defence of the Principles of Love. Part 2. p. 3.
The Doctrine of the Church of England is ſo ſound, that the Independents and Presbyterians have ſtill offered to ſubſcribe to it, in the 39. Articles.
Thus hath Mr. Baxter copiouſly vindicated the Church of England in almoſt every point of Conformity which is any thing material; which ſhews that Non-conformiſts themſelves do not really believe what they have ſuggeſted to, and impoſed upon the belief of their Followers concerning the ſinfulneſs of Conformity.
And that what they except againſt in Conformity, is not upon the account of its Sinfulneſs, but Inexpediency onelyonly; which neither the Law of God, Nature nor Nations did ever allow the People to be Judges of, but the Rulers onelyonly: and therefore ought in point of Chriſtianity and right Religion, to be ſubmitted to, for the ſake of thoſe great Chriſtian duties, Peace, Unity and Obedience to Magiſtrates; for the conviction of our religious Enemies, for the good and proſperity of the Church, for the ſafety, honour, and welfare of the King and three Kingdoms, for the credit of Chriſtianity, and for the glory of God, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, Vindication of the Church of England in Her Rites and Ceremonies (1682)