The Ancient Christian Religion, Book 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of the Restriction put upon the Assemblies of the Baptized Churches, by the Laws of Men, and whether the said Churches may conform to such Limits without Sin? Being the sixth Case of Conscience.
FIrst, we profess it our duty to obey all Ordinances of Man, Actively, or Passively. But then, Secondly, If the said Laws, or any of them, Intitled, As Acts, or Laws, to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles, do only intend the suppression of Seditious Meetings: Then we say, Our Christian Assemblies are not concern'd in the said Acts at all. *And here we do really consent to this Law to be good and necessary as it hath a real tendency to suppress Seditious Meetings, by whomsoever.But if the said Laws do really intend the Suppression of our Church Assemblies, under the name of Seditious Meetings, then we conceive we may not warrantably in the sight of God, neither dissolve nor restrict the Assemblies of our Churches, according to the Limits of Laws, which only permits Six, or Ten, besides a Man's own Family, to come together in the Service of God. For first,
Upon a supposition that we are true Churches of Christ, (as that we must believe, till Reasons be shewed us to the contrary) to restrain our Assemblies to such small Companies, is directly contrary to God's allowance, 1 Cor. 14. 23, 24. where the whole Church at Corinth (and consequently all true Churches of Jesus Christ, as particular Communities) are allowed of God to come together in one place; and not only so, but such also who are not of the Church, are allowed of God to come to such Assemblies, as convene in the Name of the Lord, according to the Scriptures: And therefore it must needs be unlawful for any Power of this World, to countermand what God hath thus Ordained; and consequently altogether unsafe for God's People to conform to such Restrictions, as deprive the Churches of Christ of so great a Priviledg. Better it is to Suffer (if the Will of God be so) in the pious defence of Sacred Priviledges, than to lose them by consenting to such Humane Restraints. For,
2. Thus to restrain our Numbers, will certainly destroy all our Church-Assemblies. Suppose some Churches consisting but of a Hundred, or Fifty Persons: divide these into such small Companies, and then where is the Church? Either every six Persons is a Church, or there is none congregate. And besides, If Worldly Authority have just Power to divide Christian Assemblies into such diminitive Companies, they have Power also to subdivide them, and so in fine, utterly dissolve them; and herein God's Ordinance seems to us to be in danger, to be made void by such Edicts.
3. Should we thus conform to Humane Acts, we must depart from the laudable Example of the First Churches, who probably had been in little danger, could they have kept themselves within such narrow Limits; had it been lawful so to do, the Apostles wanted not Wisdom to give instruction to that Purpose. But on the contrary, we find they met together in as great Numbers as conveniently they could. Acts 1. 14. These all continued together. — The number of Names together, was about an hundred and twenty, ver. 15. Again, Acts 2. 41. We read of three thousand Converted at one Sermon. Three thousand Baptized Believers did then continue together in Fellowship, in breaking of Bread, and in Prayers. But England must never see such a Conversion, nor such a society of Baptized Believers, if the Limits of the said Acts be observed by the Baptized Christians; wherefore, we may not in any-wise consent to these Restraints, though many have been our Sufferings on this account.
4. Suppose these Laws should allow a Hundred Persons to meet in one place to hear the Word of God, and no more, (which is a greater Number than ordinarily comes to our Assemblies) this would be too strait an Allowance, because God hath given greater Liberty. For should one poor Sinner more desire to hear the Word at the same time, all the Power on Earth cannot justly forbid him. Because, thus saith the Lord, Isa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the Waters. And, Rev. 2. 9. He that hath an Ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. And again, Whosoever will, let him come and taste of the Waters of Life freely. Now we believe that our Legislators did not intend to exalt their Authority against the Lord, whose Power is above all; but yet when these Laws come to be Executed upon Good Men, by the industry of Mercenary Fellows, meerly for serving God according to his Will, then are they made Snares to the ruine of the Innocent, and the dishonour of that Power which gave Being to them. And all this falls out for want of better provision in the said Laws, to convict Men of Sedition, than only because they were observed to Preach, or Pray, &c.
5. Our zealous Countrymen of the Parochial way of Christianity, would not be limited in their Religious Meetings to five only in a Company: and I know not but that they ought to be restrained from Sedition, as well as the Baptized Churches. Now we are all bound to do to others, as we would Men should do to us, whilst we all agree in the common principle of Holiness and Justice, and profess conscionably to promote the same in our Assemblies respectively. Nor do they with more confidence, affirm their Meetings to be lawfully convened according to God's Word, than we do on the behalf of our Assemblies, and are more ready to try the Case depending in that respect than themselves.
6. Wherefore, being fully satisfied, that we are a true Church of Christ, and that upon the strictest enquiry we are able to make into the true state of Christ's Church, according to the Pattern of the first Churches, we conceive our selves indispensibly obliged by the Word of God, the Example of the First Churches, and the Bond of our own Consciences, as regulated by a sincere love to Religion, to hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering, or changing, by reason of the change of Times, or the Laws of Men only; and not to forsake the Assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some is. Being also rationally perswaded, that the more publick and free our Meetings are for all Men to come to, there is the less danger of Sedition.
And our Record is on High, that we design only the Glory of God, and the happiness of our Nation as much as in us lieth, and the faithful discharge of our Duty to God, to the King, and to our Fellow-Subjects, in our Religious Meetings; desiring (if the Lord will) to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty, under the Government of this Nation: Rendring to all their dues, Honour to whom Honour, Fear to whom Fear, as also Tribute, Custom, &c. which we have constantly yielded according to the Law of our Nation, whatever hath been maliciously suggested against us to the contrary. But if otherwise we must still be exposed to a Suffering Condition, for what we hold in the Cause of Christianity, we shall commit our selves unto the Lord, as into the Hands of a Faithful Creator.