A Weapon-Salve for the Churchs Wounds, Title page – Preface
…REN…CUM.
A VVEAPON-SALVE FOR THE Churches Wounds, OR THE DIVINE RIGHT OF Particular forms of CHURCH-GOVERNMENT: Discuss'd and examin'd according to the Principles of the law of Nature, the positive Laws of God, the practice of the Apostles, and the Primitive Church, & the judgment of reform'd Divines.
Whereby a Foundation is laid for the Churches peace, and the accommodation of our present differences.
Humbly tendered to Consideration.
By Edward Stillingfleete, Rector of Sutton in Bedfordshire.
The Second Edition. With an APPENDIX concerning the power of Excommunication in a Christian Church.
Let your Moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand,
Phil. 4. 5.
Si ad decidendas hodierna… controversias—jus divinum à positivo seu Ecclesiastico candid… separaretur; non videretur de iis quae sunt absolutè necessaria, inter pios aut moderatos viros longa aut aeris contentio futura.
Isaac. Casaub. ep. ad Card. Perron.
Multum refer… ad re…inendam Ecclesiarum pacem inter ea quae jure divino praecepta sunt, & quae non sunt, accuratè distinguere.
Grot. de Imper. sum Potestat. circa sacra. cap. 11.
London, Printed for Henry Mortlock, at the Phoenix, in St. Pauls Church-yard, neer the little North door. 1662.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
I Write not to increase the Controversies of the times, nor to foment the differences that are among us; the one are by far too many, the other too great already. My onelyonly design is to allay the heat and abate the fury of that Ignis sacer, or Erysipelas of contention, which hath risen in the face of our Church, by the overflowing of that bilious humour which yet appears to have too great predominancy in the spirits of men. And although with the poor Persian I can onelyonly bring a hand full of water, yet that may be my just Apology, that it is for the quenching those flames in the Church, which have caused the bells of Aaron to jangle so much, that it seems to be a work of the greatest difficulty to make them tunable. And were this an Age wherein any thing might be wondered at, it would be matter of deserved admiration, to hear the noise of these Axes and Hammers so much about the Temple, and that after these nigh twenty years carving and hewing, we are so rude and unpolished still, and so far from being cemented together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace. May we not justly fear that voyce, Migremus hinc, when we see the Vail of the Temple so rent asunder, and the Church its self made a Partition wall to divide the members of it? And since the wise and gracious God hath been pleased (in such an almost miraculous manner) so lately to abat… the Land-flood of our civil intestine Divisions, how strange must it needs seem, if our sacred Contentions (if Contentions may be call'd sacred) like the waters of the Sanctuary, should rise from the Ankle to the Knee, till at last they may grow unpassable? Must onelyonly the fire of our unchristian animosities be like that of the Temple, which was never to be extinguished? However I am sure it is such a one as was never kindled from Heaven, nor blown up with any breathings of the Holy and Divine Spirit. And yet that hath been the aggravation of our Divisions, that those whose duty it is to lift up their voyces like Trumpets, have rather sounded an Allarm to our contentious spirits, then a Parley or Retreat, which had been far more suitable to our Messengers of Peace. In which respect it might be too truly said of our Church, what is spoken of the Eagle in the Greek Apologue:
foreign
foreign
foreign
foreign
The Eagle saw her breast was wounded sore,
She stood and weeped much, but grieved more:
But when she saw the dart was feather'd, said,
Woo's me, for my own kind hath me destroy'd.
It is not so long since that version of the vulgar Latine, Psal. 68. 15. inter Domini cleros▪ might have been sadly rendred to lye among the pots: and Pierius Valerianus might have met with too many Examples to have increased his Book De Literatorum Infoelicitate; and in the next age it might have been true again what Matthew Paris observes of the Clergy in the Conquerours time; adeò literaturâ carebant ut caeteris stupori esset qui Grammaticam didic…sset. But blessed be God who hath freed us from that Daemonium meridianum of Ignorance and Barbarism; may we be but as happily delivered from the plague of our divisions and animosities! Than which, there hath been no greater scandal to the Iews, nor opprobrium of our Religion among Heathens and Mahumetans, nor more common objection among the Papists, nor any thing which hath been more made a pretence even for Atheism and Infidelity. For our Controversies about Religion have brought at last even Religion it self into o Controversie, among such whose weaker judgements have not been able to discern where the plain and unquestionable way to Heaven hath lain in so great a Mist as our Disputes have raised among us. Weaker heads when they once see the battlements shake, are apt to suspect that the foundation its self is not firm enough; and to conclude, if any thing be call'd in question, that there is nothing certain. And truly it cannot but be looked on as a sad presage of an approaching Famine, not of bread, but of the Word of the Lord, that our lean Kine have devoured the fat, and our thin ears the plump and full; I mean; our Controversies and Disputes, have eaten so much out the Life and practice of Christianity. Religion hath been so much rarified into aiery Notions and Speculations, by the distempered heat of mens spirits, that its inward strength, and the Vitals of it have been much abated and consumed by it. Curiosity, that Green-sickness of the Soul, whereby it longs for novelties, and loaths sound and wholsome Truths, hath been the Epidemical distemper of the Age we live in. Of which it may be as truly said as ever yet of any, that it was saecolum f…rtile religionis, sterile pietatis; I fear this will be the Character whereby our Age will be known to Posterity, that it was the Age wherein men talked of Religion most, and lived it least. Few there are who are content with the Dimensum which God hath set them; every one almost is of the Spanish Iesu…tes mind; Beatus qui praedicat verbum inauditum, seeking to find out somewhat whereby he may be reckoned, if not among the Wise, yet among the Disputers of this World. How small is the number of those sober Christians, of whom it may be said as Lucian of his Parasites, foreign, they were not at leisure to be sick of this pica (1 Tim. … 4.) such as longed more to taste of the Tree of Life, then of the Tree of Knowledge: and as Zenophon speaks of the Persians, foreign, they consume the fomes morbi, the root of the distemper by their serious endeavours after peace and holiness. But instead of this, the generality of men let all their Religion run up into Bryers and Thorns, into Contentions and Parties, as though Religion were indeed sacramentum militiae, but more against fellow-Christians then the unquestionable hinderances of mens Eternal Happiness. Men being very loath to put themselves to the trouble of a Holy Life, are very ready to embrace any thing which may but dispense with that; and if but listing mens selves under such a party, may but shelter them under a disguise of Religion, none more ready then such to be known by distinguishing names; none more zealous in the defence of every tittle and punctilio that lies most remote from those essential duties wherein the Kingdome of God consists, viz. Righteousness and Peace, and Ioy in the Holy Ghost. And hence all the several parties among us have given such glorious names onelyonly to the outward Government of the Church; the undoubted practise of the Apostles, the Discipline of Christ, the order of the Gospel, and account onelyonly that the Church where their own method of Government is observed; just as the Historian observes of Brutus and Cassius, Ubicunque ipsi essent praetexentes esse Rempublicam, they think the Church can never be preserved but in that V…ssel they are imbarked in: As though Christ could not have caused his flock to rest▪ sub Meridie, unless the Pars Donati had been in the South. And from this Monopolizing of Churches to parties, hath proceeded that strange uncharitableness towards all who come not up to every circumstance of their way and method, which is a piece of Prudence like that of Brutus, who when he had raised those flames in the Common-wealth, was continually calling Caesar Tyrant; Ita enim appellari Caesarem, facto ejus expediebat. So when men have caused such lamentable Divisions in the Church, by their several parties and factions, it concerns them to condemn all others beside themselves, le…t they most of all condemn themselves for making unnecessary Divisions in the Church of God. This uncharitableness and ill opinion of all different parties, onelyonly gathers the fuel together, and prepares combustible matter, which wants nothing but the clashing of an adverse party, acted upon Principles of a like Nature, to make it break out into an open flame. And such we have seen, and with sadness and grief of heart felt it to be in the Bowels of our own Church and Nation, by reason of those violent Calentures and Paroxysms of the spirits of men, those heart-burnings and contentions which have been among us, which will require both time and skill to purge out those noxious humours which have been the causes of them. I know no prescriptions so likely to effect this happy end, as an Infusion of the true spirits of Religion, and the Revulsion of that extravasated blood, into its proper channels: Thereby to take men off from their e…ger pursuit after wayes and parties, Nations and Opinions, (wherein many have run so far, that they have left the best part of their Religion behind them) and to bring them back to a right understanding of the nature, design and principles of Christianity.
Christianity, a Religion, which it is next to a miracle men should ever quarrel or fall out about; much less that it should be the occasion, or at least the pretence, of all that strife and bitterness of spirit, of all those comentions and animosities which are at this day in the Christian World. But our onelyonly comfort is, that whatever our spirits are, our God is the God of peace, our Saviour is the Prince of peace; and that▪ Wisdome which this Religion teacheth, is both pure and peaceable. It was that which once made our Religion so amiable in the judgement of imrartial heathens, that nil nisi justum suadet & lene, the Court of a Christians Conscience was the best Court of Equity in the world. Christians were once known by their foreign, the b…nignity and sweetness of their disposition, by the Candour and Ingenuity of their spirits, by their mutual love▪ forbearance, and condescension towards one another. But, Aut hoc non est Evangelium, aut nos non sumus Evangelici, Either this is not the practice of Christianity, or it was never calculated for our Meridian▪ wherein mens spirits are of too high an elevation for it. If pride and uncharitableness, if divisions and strifes▪ if wrath and envy, if animosities and cont…ntions were but the marks o… true Christians, Diogenes …er need light his Lamp at noon to find out such among us. But if a Spirit of meekness, gentleness, and condescension, if a stooping to the weakness and infirmities of others, if a pursuit after peace even when it flies from us, be the indispensable duties and the characteristical notes of those that have more then the name of Christians, it may possibly prove a difficult inquest to find out such for the crouds of those who shelter themselves under that glorious name. Whence came it else to be so lately looked on as the way to advance Religion, to banish Peace, and to reform mens manners by taking away their lives? whereas in those pure and primitive times when Religion did truly flourish, it was accounted the greatest instance of the piety of Christians not to fight but to dye for Christ. It was never thought then that Bellona was a nursing Mother to the Church of God, nor Mars a God of Reformation. Religion was then propagated, not by Christians shedding the blood of others, but by laying down their own. They thought there were other wayes to a Canaan of Reformation besides the passing through a Wilderness of Confusion, and a red Sea of blood. Origen could say of the Christians in his time, foreign. They had not yet learnt to make way for Religion into mens mind, by the dint of the sword, because they were the Disciples of that Saviour who never pressed Followers as men do Soldiers, but said, If any man will come after me, let him take up his Cross (not his sword) and follow me. His was foreign, his very commands shewed his meekness; his Laws were sweet and gentle Laws; not like Draco's that were writ in blood, unless it were his own that gave them.
His design was to ease men of their former burdens, and not to lay on more; the duties be required were no other but such as were necessary, and withall very just and reasonable. He that came to take away the insupportable yoke of Iewish Ceremonies, certainly did never intend to gall the necks of his Disciples with another instead of it. And it would be strange, the Church should require more then Christ himself did; and make other conditions of her Communion, then our Saviour did of Discipleship. What possible reason can be assigned or given, why such things should not be sufficient for Communion with a Church, which are sufficient for eternal salvation? And certainly those things are sufficient for that, which are laid down as the necessary duties of Christianity by our Lord and Saviour in his Word. What ground can there be why Christians should not stand upon the same terms now which they did in the time of Christ and his Apostles? Was not Religion sufficiently guarded and fenced in them? Was there ever more true and cordial Reverence in the Worship of God? What Charter hath Christ given the Church to bind men up to, more then himself hath done? or to exclude those from her Society, who may be admitted into Heaven? Will Christ ever thank men at the great day for keeping such out from Communion with his Church, whom he will vouchsafe not onelyonly Crowns of Glory to, but it may be aureolae too, if there be any such things there? The grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with, was onelyonly to teach what Christ had commanded them. Not the least intimation of any Power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what himself had spoken to them, or they were directed to by the immediate guidance of the Spirit of God. It is not, Whether the things commanded and required be lawfull or no? It is not, Whether indifferencies may be determined or no? It is not, How far Christians are bound to submit to a restraint of their Christian liberty? which I now inquire after, (of those things in the Treatise its self); but, Whether they do consult for the Churches peace and unity who suspend it upon such things? How far either the example of our Saviour or his Apostles doth warrant such rigorous impositions? We never read the Apostles making Lawes but of things supposed necessary. When the Councel of Apostles met at Ierusalem, for deciding a Case that disturbed the Churches peace, we see they would lay no other burden foreign, besides these necessary things, Acts 15. 29. It was not enough with them that the things would be necessary when they had required them, but they looked on an antecedent necessity either absolute or for the present state, which was the onelyonly ground of their imposing those commands upon the Gentile-Christians. There were after this great diversities of practice and varieties of Observations among Christians, but the Holy Ghost never thought those things fit to be made matters of Lawes to which all parties should conform; All that the Apostles required as to these, was mutuall forbearance and condescension towards each other in them. The Apostles valued not indifferencies at all, and those things it is evident they accounted such, which whether men did them or not, was not of concernment to Salvation. And what reason is there why men should be so strictly tied up to such things, which they may do or let alone, and yet be very good Christians still? Without all Controversie, the main in-let of all the Distractions, Confusions, and Divisions of the Christian World, hath been by adding other conditions of Church-Communion then Christ hath done. Had the Church of Rome never taken upon her to add to the Rule of Faith, nor imposed Idolatrous and superstitious practises, all the injury she had done her self had been to have avoyded that fearful Schisme which she hath caused throughout the Christian World. Would there ever be the less peace and unity in a Church, if a diversity were allowed as to practices supposed indifferent? yea there would be so much more as there was a mutual forbearance and condiscension as to such things. The Unity of the Church is an Unity of love and affection, and not a bare uniformity of practice or opinion. This latter is extreamly desireable in a Church: but as long as there are several ranks and sizes of men in it, very hardly attainable, because of the different perswasions of mens minds as to the lawfulness of the things required; and it is no commendation for a Christian to have only the civility of Procrustes, to commensurate all other men to the bed of his own humour and opinion. There is nothing the Primitive Church deserves greater imitation by us in, then in that admirable temper, moderation, and condescension which was used in it, towards all the members of it. It was never thought worth the while to make any standing Laws for Rites and Customs that had no other Original but Tradition, much less to suspend men her his communion for not observing them.Hist. Eccl. l. 7. c. 19. foreign, as Sozomen tells us. They judged it, and that very justly, a foolish and frivolous thing, for those that agree in the weighty matters of Religion, to separate from one anothers communion for the sake of some petty Customs and Observations. foreign. For Churches agreeing in the same Faith, often differ in their Rites and Customes. And that not only in different Churches, but in different places belonging to the same Church; for, as he tells us, many Cities and Villages in Egypt, not onelyonly differed from the Customes of the Mother-Church of Alexandria, but from all other Churches besides in their publick Assemblies on the Evenings of the Sabbath, and receiving the Eucharist after dinner. This admirable temper in the Primitive Church might be largely cleared from that liberty they allowed freely to dissenters from them in matters of practice and opinion: as might be cleared from Cyprian, Austine, Ierome and others; but that would exceed the bounds of a Preface. The first who brake this Order in the Church, were the Arrians, Donatists and Circumcellians, while the true Church was still known by his pristine Moderation and sweetness of deportment towards all its members. The same we hope may remain as the most infallible evidence of the conformity of our Church of England to the Primitive, not so much in using the same rites that were in use then, as in not imposing them, but leaving men to be won by the observing the true decency and order of Churches, whereby those who act upon a true Principle of Christian ingenuity may be sooner drawn to a complyance in all lawfull things, then by force and rigorous impositions, which make men suspect the weight of the thing it self when such force is used to make it enter. In the mean time what cause have we to rejoyce, that Almighty God hath been pleased to restore us a Prince of that excellent Prudence and Moderation, who hath so lately given assurance to the World, of his great indulgence towards all that have any pretence from Conscience to differ with their Brethren! The onelyonly thing then seeming to retard our peace, is, the Controversie about Church-Government, an unhappy Controversie to us in England, if ever there were any in the World. And the more unhappy, in that our contentions about it have been so great, and yet so few of the multitudes engaged in it, that have truly understood the matter they have so eagerly contended about. For the state of the controversie, as it concerns us, lyes not here, as it is generally mistaken, What Form of Government comes the nearest to Apostolical practice; but, Whether any one individual form be founded so upon Divine Right, that all Ages and Churches are bound unalterably to observe it? The clearing up of which by an impartial inquiry into all the grounds produced for it, being of so great tendency to an accommodation of our present differences, was the only motive which induced me to observe Aristotles wild Politicks, of exposing this deformed conception to the entertainment of the wide World. And certainly they who have espoused the most the interest of a jus divinum, cannot yet but say, that if the opinion I maintain be true, it doth exceedingly conduce to a present settlement of the differences that are among us. For then all parties may retain their different opinions concerning the Primitive form, and yet agree and pitch upon a form compounded of all together as the most suitable to the state and condition of the Church of God among us: That so the peoples interest be secured by consent and suffrage, which is the pretence of the congregational way, the due power of Presbyteries asserted by their joyntconcurrence with the Bishop, as is laid down in that excellent model of the late incomparable Primate of Armagh: and the just honour and dignity of the Bishop asserted, as a very laudable and ancient constitution for preserving the Peace and Unity of the Church of God. So the Learned Is. Casaubon describes the Polity of the Primitive Church; Episcopi in singulis Ecclesiis constituti cum suis Prebyteriis, & propriam sibi quisque peculiari cura, & universam omnes in commune curantes, admirabilis cujusdam Aristocra…iae speciem referebant. My main design throughout this whole …reatise, is to shew that there can be no argument drawn from any pretence of a Divine Right, that may hinder men from consenting and yielding to such a form of Government in the Church, as may bear the greatest correspondency to the Primitive Church, and be most advantagiously conduceable to the peace, unity and settlement of our divided Church. I plead not at all for any abuses or corruptions incident to the best form of Government through the corruption of men and times. Nay I dare not harbour so low apprehensions of persons enjoying so great dignity and honour in the Church, that they will in any wise be unwilling of themselves to reduce the Form of Church Government among us to its Primitive state and order, by retrenching all Exorbitances of Power, and restoring those Presbyteries which no law hath forbidden, but onelyonly through disuse have been laid aside. Whereby they will give to the world that rare example of self-denial and the highest Christian prudence, as may raise an honourable opinion of them even among those, who have hitherto the most slighted so ancient and venerable an Order in the Church of God, and thereby become the repairers of those, otherwise irreparable, breaches in the Church of God. I conclude with the words of a late learned, pious and moderate Prelate in his Via media; I have done, and now I make no other account, but that it will fall out with me, as it doth commonly with him that offers to part a fray; both parts will perhaps drive at me for wishing them no worse than peace. My ambition of the publike tranquillity shall willingly carry me through this hazzard: let both beat me, so their quarrel may cease: I shall rejoyce in those blows and scars which I shall take for the Churches safety.