The Temple Opened, Tract · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of Parochial Churches.
THere is no ſuch things as a Parochial Church deducible from Rules of the Goſpel, neither can it be ſhewed that the word foreign in the New Teſtament doth any where import ſuch a meaning from any Application of it there made by the Spirit of God. What Pleas able and learned men have made for ſuch Churches, you muſt give us leave to reject, unleſs they carry Scripture light and demonſtration along with them, without which our minds and conſciences cannot be bound to Faith and Submiſſion.
A Parochial Church we take in the moſt common and candid Acceptation (without binding our ſelves to the Term Parochial, or Pariſh, that being but of latter times) That all Perſons cohabiting within ſuch Bounds, Limitations, or Diviſions of Ground, becoming a Pariſh, Townſhip, Village, or going under any other Denomination by the Cuſtoms or Laws of the Land where they are▪ I ſay ſuch Diviſions and Limitations of ground, doth not ſet out the bounds of a Goſpel-Church, but that it may extend further then ſuch Landmarks, or be of leſſer Extent, according to the Number or Situation of the Profeſſing Believers in thoſe parts, for conveniency of their aſſembling together, and Communion for mutual Edification; neither is it neceſſary that all co-inhabitants within ſuch limits ſhould be Members of one and the ſame Congregation; yea that all ſhould be reputed fit matter for any, ſeeing nothing is more evident and every where experiencd, than that there is the greateſt mixture of all ſorts of men in ſuch limits and neighbourhoods; common and natural Juſtice allowing every one that habitation that he can claim a civil right and title to, let him be good or bad; its not Religion that makes men members of this or that Pariſh, or Irreligion that excludes them. Now if co-habitation in ſuch a Precinct makes a man a member of the Church of Chriſt there, (if there be any) it is either becauſe it makes him neceſſarily ſo, or gives him a due claim: if the firſt, he muſt be one whether he be willing or no, and ſo long as he dwells in thoſe limits, they can enforce him to be ſo; and then the Church muſt be ſuppoſed to have a compulſive Power, not only internal by moral Perſwaſions, but a Spiritual, as to the exerciſe of Cenſures towards them that are without, which is Nonſence and ridiculous; yea an external compulſive power on mens Perſons and Actions to be exerted by themſelves, or ſome by and under them, in order to make men Church-members; and this is ſo great a contradiction not only to the Tenure of the Goſpel, yea wholly without any Preſident under the old or new Teſtament-conſtitutions, and to the moſt common Underſtanding of the Nature of Religion, that to aſſert it is moſt groſly abſurd to any underſtanding Chriſtian Ear, and therefore not worth inſiſting upon. Or it gives him a right and claim; but co-habitation gives not a man a right and claim; Ergo: For then he may come and challenge his right, and they cannot hinder him, pleading that he hath what is neceſſary to Church-memberſhip, viz. Cohabitation. Hence no Church would have Power to maintain any Purity of Ordinances and defend them from corrupt communicants, according to the Rules of the Goſpel, and therefore there would be no need of Officers and Diſcipline to this end. Beſides, Excommunication muſt be the Removal of men out of the Pariſh, and nothing elſe: for it is the cutting a man off, from the bond of communion. Now if the Pariſh limits be the bond of Fellowſhip, then Excommunication muſt be the cutting a man off from it; but Chriſt never intended that Church Diſcipline ſhould cut off any one from civil Rights and Properties▪ and baniſh men.
Yea there is nothing makes the Ordinances of Chriſt ſo cheap and contemptible as ſuch Church work as this, when there is no other Qualification required to adult Church-memberſhip, then cohabitation in the Precinct where ſuch pretended Church is; and this is ſo neceſſary an enforcing reaſon, that the Inhabitant cannot avoid it without the hazard of the greateſt Penalties from Church and State; neither can the Church refuſe him, making a Profeſſion of chriſtianity at large, though he be otherwiſe the greateſt known Debauchee in all manner of Wickedneſs; nor when he is admitted to communion be rid of him, according to the true Nature of this Rule, but by removing him out of the Pariſh. And therefore I ſuppoſe this is the Reaſon of the Proceeding of ſuch that aſſert Pariſh-churches, that after Excommunication, upon non-return Offenders are committed to a Goal, a Severity that Chriſt and his Apoſtles never thought of, but in a Spirit of Prophecy, when they foreſaw the cruelty and tyranny that would be exerciſed under the Antichriſtian Kingdom. Forcible and impos'd communion is nauſeous to all generous minded men, in natural or civil Societies; no man will be forced to be of a Family by way of Affinity, nor of a Society by incorporation: Nay there's no ſuch Society, Oeconomy, or Body corporate, but look upon it much beneath them to proſtitute their Rights and Priviledges to every Paultry Townſman or Inhabitant, much leſs will impoſe them upon unwilling Perſons, though accounted never ſo worthy.
Laſtly, by this Bond of Church fellowſhip, viz. Cohabitation, a man is totally deprived of the uſe of his own Reaſon, Judgment and Conſcience in Spirituals, whereas all Laws leaves us to the uſe of them in temporal and civil affairs; for if a man is immediately of ſuch a Church, as ſoon as he hath rented a houſe, or took Lodgings in ſuch a Pariſh, the whilſt he inhabits there, he cannot upon any terms but of culpable Separation, joyn himſelf to another Church, where he may be more edifyed, tho' but a ſtones caſt from him. And if he was of the other Pariſh before, where he enjoyed God under an able Godly Miniſter, and in the communion of a faithful people; and doth upon family-neceſſity, or conveniency of trade or dwelling, remove but into the next ſtreet over the Pariſh-bounds, where it may be in the next, is an ignorant, ſcandalous, perſecuting and rayling Miniſter, and haply a people not unlike him; (which is no new thing, the Prophets tells us, Like Priests like People) he is neceſſitated to be a Profeſſed Member of this Synagogue of Satan, and cann't remain a Church-member of the former, by reaſon of his remove. And that this is ſo de facto, ſee Can. 28. entituled, Strangers not to be admitted to the Communion; Church-wardens, &c. ſhall obſerve, —Whether any Strangers come often and commonly from other Pariſhes to their Church, and ſhall ſhew their Miniſters of them, least perhaps they be admitted to the Lords Tahle amongſt others, which they ſhall forbid, and remit ſuch home to their own Pariſh-Churches, and Miniſters; there to receive the Communion with their reſt of their Neighbours. Juſt as one Neighbour doth with the others Dogs, when they run into each other houſes a munching: Home you Cur you, &c
Here's no admiſſion of Members of another Pariſh; therefore our concluſion holds good, That by this bond of Communion, Chriſtians are cut off from the free Election of their Miniſter, and Society in holy things: whereas he is not enthralled ſo in worldly matters; he can go out of the Pariſh to chooſe his Phyſician, Chirurgion, Wife, Nurſe, Apprentice, Taylor; Trade and deal for any Commodities where he will, excepting Spiritual, and in thoſe he muſt take no better (will he, nill he) then his own Pariſh-ſhop affords. Is not this ſo far from a Goſpel conſtitution of a Church, that it's a miſerable, wretched and damnable device of the Devil, to deſtroy the very nature of Goſpel-Churches, and ruine poor Souls to all intents and purpoſes?
I know what will be ſtill pleaded for a Pariſh Church, without reſpect (ſome will it may be ſay) to the bond of Cohabitation; and that is this,
That where-ever the Word and Sacraments are Adminiſtred, that is a true Church.
To which I anſwer theſe things: 1. There is no politick Society but hath a bond of Union, and if that be proved null, void and of no effect, as we have done, the whole Society or Corporation falls to the ground; 2. That which is Sawce for a Gooſe, is for a Gander alſo; if the Preaching the Word, and Adminiſtring the Sacraments, make a Church without any more; why do the Aſſertors of Pariſh-Churches deny Separate Congregations, where the Word and Sacraments are Adminiſtred, to be ſuch? 3. There may be a Church in a Pariſh where the VVord is Preached, and Sacraments Adminiſtred; but it follows not thence the Pariſh is the Church, It's poſſible there may be a Church of Chriſt in Algiers, but then it follows not that the City of Algiers is a Church; 4. The 19th. Can. of the Church of England ſaith, There ſhould be a Congregation of faithful men, and a due Adminiſtration, and the Word of God Purely Preached; Implying, that where the Majority at leaſt, which carries the denomination of the whole in all body politicks, are not viſibly faithful men, but otherwiſe, there's not a Church of Chriſt: likewiſe where the word of God is corruptly Preached, and the Sacraments unduely adminiſtred 5. A Miniſters Preaching by a meer Pariſh-relation, makes him no more a Paſtor, then cohabitation makes the Pariſhioners Members; for a Miniſters Pariſh-relation is only a humane inſtitution, and indeed a matter of Civil Right, (which may be well improved in Reformed Chriſtian Nations) in order to Spiritual Advantage for the intereſt of Chriſt and his true conſtituted Churches, by the countenance of good Magiſtrates; but that it is a Church-relation ſetled on Goſpel-grounds, it would be abſurdly inſolent to pretend. That the eſtabliſhment of a Ruling Preaching Officer in the Church of Chriſt ſhould be, 1. by the Preſentation of a Forreigner, or a Tyrannical Gentleman or Landlord in the Pariſh, it may be the moſt profeſt Enemy to Chriſt and his Church; and if of the firſt ſort, by one that knows not the temper and diſpoſition of the people, nor the Abilities, Parts and Honeſty of him he Preſents; never regarding ſo much thoſe qualifications whereby he might edify the people, but only ſome carnal ends and advantages, or particular regard to the Perſon of the Pariſh-Rector, to prefer him or provide a competency for his Subſiſtance. This man being preſented, is inſtituted and inducted, takes to the profits for his life, (unleſs he forfeit them by ſome Puritan or Phanatick faults) performs Pariſh-duties as the Law of ſome people requires, this is his Pariſh-relation; but not in the leaſt grounded upon the Goſpel. 6. A Miniſter may Preach a great while in any place, to any ſort of people, before there is a Church; as for Converſion, or for tryal of his Gifts and Parts; but none can be ſo abſurd as to affirm that that conſtant Preaching renders the Pariſh a Church: for we know by woful experience, that the word may be powerfully Preached in Pariſhes for a great while, and great part, moſt, or it may be all, be ſcarcely civilized, but remain in Profeſſed Atheiſm, or manifeſt Prophaneneſs; it may be, open Perſecuting Enmity to Godlineſs: And if any ſay it muſt be conſtant Preaching that muſt denominate the Pariſh a Church: I would know how long? And what time is required? If it be ſaid till ſome are brought home to Chriſt, and by a viſible Profeſſion to ſubmit to his Goſpel-Rules and Government, then the limits of the Church is no further then the effects of the Goſpel, and it comprehends not thoſe Inhabitants that ſtill remain Profeſſed Rebels againſt Chriſt. So that if the Preaching the Goſpel in a Pariſh, renders it a Church of Chriſt, as ſuch, one Sermon will do it as well as a hundred; I ſay if all the Pariſhioners, as ſuch, are to be the Church-members without exception, upon the Goſpel Preached. 7. A Miniſter is often ſent by Chriſtian Magiſtrates, for Converſion of People; ſhall they preſently be a Church, whether they receive or own his Doctrine or no? And it may be none of them, or at leaſt moſt of the Pariſhioners, capable of judging of him or his Doctrine; or a Miniſter ſometimes is impoſed by a Patron or Biſhops, &c. upon a capable people, ſhall they preſently fall into a Church-Relation, whether they approve him and chooſe him or no? Such things carry the greateſt abſurdities with them. 8. As Preaching may be in a Pariſh, and no Conſtituted Church of Chriſt there, ſo there may be the Adminiſtration of Sacraments, and no Church of Chriſt there; and if there be in the Pariſh, it makes not the Pariſh a Church. Suppoſe a pretended Miniſter impoſed on a people that evidently enough declares himſelf by his life and Doctrine never to have been ſent of Chriſt, and challengeth the Pariſh by vertue of Humane Laws to be his Church (as they call it) which in general, own no other Church-Relation, but by Cohabitation; this man goes on to Preach the Sentiments of his own Brain, abuſe Scripture, Reproach Godlineſs, rail at, Perſecute and devour the Sheep of Chriſt, if there be any; joyn in with the wicked, ignorant, lewd and debaucht part of the Pariſh, and do all he can to infect the reſt with the Scab or Rot; This man Baptizeth and Adminiſters the Lords Supper to his Infected Flock, calls the ſoundeſt Schiſmaticks and Separatiſts: Doth this conſtitute a Church of Chriſt, or a Synagogue of Satan? what are all his Admidiſtrations but an Uſurpation? As to the efficacy of the Act done, its not my Province to determine here; I ſhall onelyonly ſay as to the matter of Baptiſm, I roundly affirm, That I believe it no more effectual, than if a Cobler Tinker or Midwife had done it with ſome competent Solemnity. Hence it evidently may be concluded, That the Adminiſtration of Sacraments conſtitutes not a Church of Chriſt, much leſs makes a Pariſh a Church. But in the foremention'd inſtances, the whole proceeding of Miniſters and People are a meer uſurpation of Communion in Church Ordinances, and is no better then Jeroboams worſhipping Dan and Bethel, and Conformity thereto no better then the Iſraelites Conformity thereto in obedience to their lawful civil Governours, in that which is a declared Abomination to the Lord.
Obj. You do hereby Ʋnchurch many an eminent Church, where there hath been a Faithful Parish Miniſter, and holy good people walking as his Parishioners in Communion with him.
Anſ. We unchurch no true Church of Cbriſt by this means, for i… one thing to ſay a thing is Church, and that it's occaſional of a Church. I deny not but many Miniſters Pariſh-Relation, and Peoples cohabitation, have been ocaſions of many Reforming Churches, which Chriſt hath accepted in their degrees of Reformation; but we affirm they were not Churches of Chriſt as ſuch, i. e. as Members of a Pariſh; but as a faithul people, related by a Spiritual Bond of Union to Chriſt, and one to another, in Communion of the Word purely Preached, and Sacraments duely Adminiſtred.