The Rector of Sutton Committed, Title page – To the reader
THE Rector of Sutton Committed with the Dean of St. Paul's, OR, A DEFENCE of Dr. STILLING-FLEET'S Irenicum his Diſourſes of Excommunication, Idolatry, and other Writings; againſt his late Sermon, Entituled, THE Miſchief of Separation.
BY The Author of the Chriſtian Temper.
In a Letter to a Friend.
LONDON, Printed by J. D. to be ſold by Richard Janeway, in Queens-Head-Alley, in Pater-Noſter-Row, 1680.
An Epiſtle to the Reader, By a Friend of the Author's.
THe Reverend Author is one of that Chriſtian Temper, that he does not in the leaſt deſign in theſe Sheets to blemiſh the Reputation of the learned and reverend Dean, but only to infer from his own Writings, an honeſt Defence of the Nonconformiſts Practice, and their juſt diſcharge from the Imputation of Schiſm.
Poſſibly, ſome may judg the Nonconformiſts diſingenuous, in retorting the Doctor's Irenicum upon himſelf, which he is willing, (conſidering his preſent Circumſtances) ſhould be ſtifled, and not brought into Judgment againſt him: Yet thoſe that truly love and honour him, have that Charity to believe that preferment has not extinguiſhed that Catholick Spirit of his which appears in that excellent Book, at leaſt they hope he will not when he comes to die, repent that he did once offer ſuch excellent Weapon-Salve, which if it had been applied, our Churches Wounds would have been in a great meaſure healed. But to many it is apparent that the Doctor does ſtill retain the ſame Sentiments, for he has ſaid that in other Treatiſes, which is a ſufficient Plea for the Diſſenters. I ſhall only cite two or three Paſſages, out of his Treatiſe of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome, which was publiſhed ſince he came from Sutton to a higher Station in the Church, (which Paſſages ſome judge to be a ſufficient Anſwer to his Sermon of May 3.) viz.
Pag. 7. (Edit. 1.) We are ſure that wilful Ignorance, or chooſing a worſe Church before a better, is a damnable Sin, and, unrepented of, deſtroys Salvation.
P. 8. A Chriſtian as a Chriſtian is bound to chooſe the Communion of the pureſt Church, and not to leave that for a corrupt one, though called never ſo Catholick. And in Pag. 43. The Papiſt in reply to the Doctor ſays, I agree ſo far with him, that every Chriſtian is bound to chooſe the Communion of the pureſt Church.
And not only the Doctor, but ſeveral other eminent Men of the Church of England, have in their Writings ſaid enough to excuſe the Nonconformiſts, and to infer the great Miſchiefs of Impoſition, I ſhall only inſtance in two or three Paſſages out of Biſhop Taylor's Caſes of Conſcience, 'tis well known what reverence that Author's Books are in at this time, even with thoſe that are moſt zealous for the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England.
Rule 2. Pag. 222. (firſt Edit.) ſpeaking of the commanding Power of the Church, he ſays, This is to be added, that becauſe this power is ſuch — it is only left to the People to do it or not, under pain of Sin, but they are not to incur ſpiritual Cenſures upon the ſtock of non-compliance in things not ſimply neceſſary, or of eſſential Duty — Page 301. Eccleſiaſtical Laws muſt be impoſed ſo as to leave our Liberty unharmed.
Pag. 303. Eccleſiaſtical Laws are made relative to time and place, to Perſons and Occaſions, ſubject to all changes, fitted for uſe and the advantage of the Churches, miniſtring to Edification, and complying with Charity. Whatſoever Eccleſiaſtical Law hath not theſe Conditions, the Churches ought no to receive, becauſe they are Impediments, not Advantages to the Service of God: if they be thus qualified, no good Man will refuſe them; if they be not, they are the Laws of Tyrants, not of Spiritual Fathers.
Pag. 310. Laws of burthen are always againſt Charity.
P. 314. Ceremonies oblige no longer than they miniſter to the end of Charity.
Rule 20. Pag. 323. Eccleſiaſtical Laws muſt ever promote the Service of God, and the good of Souls, but muſt never put a ſnare or ſtumbling-block to Conſciences—. The Authority which the Lord hath given is for Edification, and not for Deſtruction, 2 Cor. 10.8. & 13.10.
Pag. 325. — Tho ſignificant Ceremonies can be for edification to the Church in ſome Degree, and in ſome Perſons, yet it's to be conſidered whether the introducing of ſuch things, doth not deſtroy the Church, not only in her Chriſtian Liberty, but in the Simplicity, and Purity, and Spirituality of her Religion, by inſenſible changing it into Ceremonial and External Service.—
Ibid. — A ſymbolical Rite of humane Invention, to ſignify what it does not effect, and then introduced into the ſolemn Service of God, is ſo like thoſe vain Imaginations and Repreſentations forbidden in the ſecond Commandment, that the very ſuſpicion is more againſt Edification, than their uſe can pretend to.— With many more Paſſages of of the like Nature, which the reverend Mr. Baxter hath gathered together out of the ſaid Biſhop Taylor's Caſes of Conſcience, in his ſecond part of the Nonconformiſts Plea, from pag. 89. to pag. 107.
The Reader is deſired to excuſe the Errata, the Author being far from the Preſs.