An Apology for the Non-Conformists, Part 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. The Non-conformiſts instified in their Principles by Scripture, Antiquity, and the Example of all Reformed Churches.
THe Non-conformiſts as they gave the forenamed reaſons why they could not approve of, or ſubſcribe to the Conſtitutions of the Church of England, ſo they ſuppoſed that this their diſſent was not grounded upon meer ſcruples and weakneſs of judgement (though their Oppoſites love to impute it to ſuch Cauſes) but they alleadged for themſelves the Authority of Scripture, and the Examples both of the Primitive and the late Reformed Churches.
1. From the Scriptures they pleaded, that there was neither command, example, nor ſhadow of any Liturgy, i. e. preſcript form of words, wherein all the publick worſhip of God ſhould be adminiſtred, either in the Old or New Teſtament, under the Law the externals and circumſtances of Gods worſhip were much more preſcribed and limitted than under the Goſpel, as the place, the Tabernacle or Temple time, Morning and Evening, yet was it never commanded that all the Prieſts and People ſhould uſe the ſame form of words in prayer, when and where ever they met. There is indeed a form of bleſſing the people, when the Aſſembly was to be diſmiſſed, but that conſiſted in but a few words, nor can it be proved that they uſed always thoſe very words, or that it was ſo intended in the command, (Num. 6.22. to the end,) the ſame words are often uſed in Scripture to ſignifie the ſame ſence, or to that purpoſe, not the ſame Syllables, and ſo it is in all Authors, nor is there any form of words preſcribed wherein men ſhould confeſs their ſins over the Sacrifices, or wherein Circumciſion or the Paſſover ſhould be adminiſtred, but on the contrary we find, David, Solomon, Jehoſaphat, Hazekiah, Ezra, the Levites in Nehemiah's time and others prayed pro re nata according to the occaſion, as their own hearts directed them. And therefore it ſeems as God did not command, ſo neither did the Jewiſh Church make and enjoyn any ſtated Liturgie, unleſs any ſhall unhappily take the Superſtious and ridiculous Liturgy of the preſent Jews to have been uſed amongſt them from the beginning: Certainly there is no footſteps of any ſuch thing in our Saviours time, who duly kept to the rules of Gods worſhip, and broke no good orders of the Church. The Apoſtles alſo as long as they could, frequented the Jewiſh Temple and Synagogues, but of any Platforms of Prayer or Service, other then the inſtitutions of the Law, we find no memorial; Now if the Jewiſh Prieſthood were able to diſcharge their Office without preſcript forms of words, and that people might be ſafely committed to their Prieſts in the exerciſe of each mans own gifts, how much better may it be done, and ſuch liberty granted, both to Miniſters and People under the Goſpel, where the Spirit of God, and the means of knowledge are given much more abundantly? Nor are there more evidences of any Liturgy in the New Teſtament, then their was in the old either preſcribed by Chriſt, or his Apoſtles, or uſed by them, or commanded to future Churches. Nor any rule laid down whereupon Churches might ground their practiſe of framing, and impoſing ſuch Lyturgies, But we read, that when our Lord Jeſus aſcended into Heaven he gave gifts to men, Eph. 4.16 &c. viz. Apoſtles Prophets, and Evangeliſts to lay the foundation of his Church, and Paſtors and Teachers, for the perfecting the Saints, for the work of the Miniſtry, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meaſure of the ſtature in Jeſus Chriſt, ver. 12, 13. from whence it ſeemeth plain, that our Lord Jeſus Chriſt thought it ſufficient to appoint a ſtanding Miniſtry to take care of his Church to the end of the world, and to furniſh them with the gifts of his Spirit to edifie the people, and to keep the unity of the faith, with out requiring, or authorizing them, to make Lyturgies, whereby to fetter themſelves, or others.
Moreover the Scriptures give neither command, example, nor countenance, to the peoples anſwering in Publick worſhip more then Amen; only, at the cloſe of Publick Prayer. It is probable that the Singers in the Temple ſtanding Ward againſt Ward, did ſing alternately, i. e. one rank one ſentence, and another rank another, as they do in our Cathedrals, but this was not the people, and they were an Order of men appointed by David by Divine inſpiration, for this work, and ſo the manner and method alſo, was appointed by God, and Art, and rules of Muſick, were then acceptable, and part of the Ceremonial worſhip. But there being ſuch Offices, nor ſuch ſervice appointed in the Chriſtian Church, this is no warrant for our Reſponſes.
Neither do the Scriptures give any warrant or example for obſerving dayes as ſacred in the honour of Saints, Or of inſtituting new Offices in the Church, or new Ceremonies of worſhip, but on the contrary our Saviour declares that men worſhip in vain that teach for Doctriens the Commandements of men, Matth. 15.9. It ſeems then, That Decency and Order which men purpoſely deviſe to add ſignificancy or comlineſs to gods worſhip is abominable in his ſight, he hath no need of mans ſervice, and therefore will accept of nothing but what is appointed and carried on by his own Spirit.
Neither do the Scriptures appoint or warrant any ſuperiority of Biſhops above ordinary Miniſters, at leaſt not ſuch as that they ſhould have ſole power of governing the Church. The high Prieſts of old had no ſuch power of the Prieſts as this Learned Doctor hath proved in his Irenicum, They had ſome peculiar things appropriated to their office, but were themſelves ſubject to the Sanhedrim. The Apoſtles were all of one Order, and had no authority over each other, and governed the Church only by conſent, Gal. 2.9. Nor is there any diſtinction made betwixt ordinary Miniſters, except what they ſee needful to make amongſt themſelves, for the good of the Church. This all our old Biſhops acknowledged, and therefore pleaded for Epiſcopacy only as an humane conſtitution; And thoſe who of late wrote for its Divine-right, do yet, the moſt learned of them acknowledge, that it cannot be proved from Scripture, unleſs perhaps from the angels of the Church of Aſia, which this Dr. hath ſolidly confuted.
It was alwaies objected to the Non-conformiſts, that the Scriptures do not forbid thoſe things though they do not command them, But they replyed that the Non-command of any thing in Gods worſhip and Church is a prohibition, except of thoſe things only that occaſionally become neceſſary, or that are naturally, neceſſary circumſtances of ſuch actions as are commanded; for it would argue great imperfection in the Law, if it ſhould omit things that are conſtantly or generally neceſſary for the good of the Church: And as Moſes cloſed his Law with this command that none ſhould adde or diminiſh it, ſo Chriſt having given his Law to his Church, and appointed Officers with power to make, govern, and caſt members out of it as there was need, without giving them liberty to adde or alter; He alſo did virtually prohibit ſuch additions or alterations, till he ſhall come again, and their Commiſſion being only to teach, baptize, and to teach all that Chriſt commands to the end of the world, Mat. 28.18.19. This doth ſufficiently reſtrain them from making or teaching cammands of their own, all their authority being grounded on that Commiſſion.
2. From Antiquity the Non-Conformiſts alledge that the primitive Churches for many hundred years had no ſtated Liturgies, preſcribing the words as well as method of worſhip.
Juſtin Martyr in his ſecond Apoligy deſignedly gives an account of the Chriſtian worſhip, viz, the order and method of praying, preaching, admitting of Members, adminiſtring both Sacraments, but hath no word of a preſcribed form; but he ſaith the Miniſter prayed foreign as he was able, Tertullian giving the ſame account in his Apol. Cap. 39. ſaith likewiſe, ſine monitore quia de pectore oramus they prayed by heart, and therefore had no prompter, much leſs a book.
We read that Conſtantine the great,Euſeb. de vit: conſtant. l. 4. cap: 19.20. having aboliſhed idolatry, compoſed a form of Prayer for his Heathen Souldiers, wherein t hey ſhould pray to one God the Creatour of all things, but we read of no form impoſed on Chriſtians. There are indeed Lyturgies that goe under the names of the Apoſtle James, Baſil, Chryſostome, and Ambroſe; but they convince themſelves to be forged by later men, and ſo are an argument that there were no ſuch things in the primitive times, but when the Church was over-run with errours and ſuperſtitions, it was appointed in Africa, that the Miniſters ſhould either receive a form of Prayer from their Biſhops,Canſil. Milevet. 2 dum. Can. 12. or ſhew their own Prayer to them for their approbation, but this was above 400 years after Chriſt, the uſurpation of Biſhops, Lazines, and ambition of Miniſters, ignorance and ſuperſtition in the people bred Liturgies, and they grew up together. Nor is their any mention of Reſponſes in the Antient Church, a ſuperſtitions ſtory of a viſion of Angels ſinging an Hymn, in that manner by turns, is pretended to be ſeen by Ignatius, dead long before, nor had the antient Church, days holy to Saints for 300 years and upward, we find only mention amongſt them of Eaſter-day, and yet that cauſed ſuch diviſion and contentions that it might have been a warning to after ages for contending about things that God hath not commanded.
The Apocryphal Books were indeed read in the Chriſtian Church very antiently, though they never were amongſt the Jews, but it was more excuſable in them then in us, becauſe it was long e're the books of the Scripture, eſpecially the books of the New Teſtament were gathered into one Volumn, or it was agreed among the Churches which were Canonical, and which Apocryphal, for ſome of the Apocryphal were read in ſome Churches as Canonical, and ſome of the Canonical were by ſome Churches rejected. The Croſs in Baptiſm was ſo long unknown to the Church that it is hard to ſay when it came in, though the ſign of the Croſs was commonly uſed amongſt them upon their Cloaths, in their Hats, to diſtinguiſh them from Heathens, and as a token that they were Chriſtians, the Montaniſts began to make a ſuperſtititious uſe of the Croſs, and ſo did many others ſoon after Conſtantine himſelf can ſcarce be excuſed, if Euſebius be credited, but that it was annexed to Baptiſm, and made a ſymbole of mens embracing Chriſtianity, there is no record. Kneeling at the Lords Supper was not enjoyned till tranſubſtantion was eſtabliſhed above 1200 years after Chriſt, nor is any general example for it pretneded in former ages.
The Surplice was much Elder then the Croſs in Baptiſm, or kneeling at the Supper, yet for 200 years and upwards there is no mention of it, nor is it known when or how it came in; many Rites, Cuſtoms and Ceremonies were uſed in the Primitive Churches, ſome being derived from the Jews, ſome from the Heathens by the converts of both ſorts, yet not impoſed upon others, the Apoſtles Rule being yet obſerved that no man ſhould judge another in meats or drinks,Col. 2.16. Rom. 14. or in reſpect of an holy day, i. e. the Jewiſh Feſtivals, which were once of divine inſtitution.
Nor did the firſt Churches pretend to make new Officers, or conſtitute any Government other then Chriſt appointed, Presbyters and Deacons are the Church Officers which they owned, indeed there is frequent mention of Biſhops in Antient Authors: but Auguſtine 400 years after Chriſt, ſaith, that a Biſhop was but titulus honoris a name of honour given to one Miniſter above the reſt, but that they were all alike, and his contemporary Hierome, olim Eccleſiae Communi Preſbyterorum concilio regebantur, that Churches were governed by the common conſent of the Presbytery; and of the practiſe of his own time he, ſaith quid facit Epiſcopus excepta ordinatione quod non facit Preſbyter, nothing but Ordination was appropriated to the Biſhop, the Presbyters did every thing elſe as well as he,Jerom. Epiſt. ad Evag. divers learned men (never yet anſwered,) have proved that all antiquity acknowledged Biſhops and Presbyters to be but one order of Miniſters, and our Dr thought it once impoſſible certainly to ſtate what was the Government of the Primitive Church, but this is certain that in Cyprians time, Anna Chriſti 250, the Biſhop did nothing in the Government without the conſent of his Clergy, and approbation of the people, and to them Cyprian aſcribeth even to the common people the cheif power of chooſing and refuſing their Biſhops,Epiſt. 4. and of withdrawing from them that were unworthy, ſo that all that hath been ſaid in the defence, or excuſe of our prelacy with ſole power of government adminiſtred by Lay-men, is nothing to the purpoſe, when we diſpute whether Chriſt appointed, or the Primitive Church had Biſhops; ſeeing all ſides agree that, That, Church never had ſuch Biſhops, and ſuch Diſcipline, or any Biſhops at all but what were choſen by the Clergy and people for near a Thouſand years.
3. Nor do the Reformed Churches retain thoſe things which our Non-conformiſts ſcruple; They all wholy laid aſide both the ſubſtance and the Form of the Roman ſervice. Their Lyturgie, Reſponſes, ſhort prayers, repetitions, Ceremonies, and uſe of the Apocryphal writings; alſo their Government and Diſcipline, except the Lutherans, who retain many of their Ceremonies, and Holy-dayes, with ſome of their errours in Doctrine. The Proteſtants have generally compoſed ſhort Lyturgies of their own, containing ſome few forms of Prayer, together with a Method of Publick worſhip, and directions for Viſitation of the ſick, &c. But they neither put in things that may be ſerupled, nor impoſed forms of words on their Miniſters, as our Lytourgy doth in all Offices, Publick and Private. The Waldenſes our firſt Reformers, and a Noble race of Confeſſors and Martyrs, governed themſelves by the Common conſent of their Paſtours and Elders choſen out of the People. Hiſt. Waldenſ. lib. 2. cap. 2. & 4. as do all the Reformed Churches at this day except the Lutherans. The Bohemians indeed, and ſome Waldenſes in Auſtria thought a Biſhop neceſſary by Divine Inſtitution, but that he was to doe nothing in the Church of himſelf, but all by the conſent of the Presbyters,Commend. Exhort. and witthe approbation of the people, which is Cyprians Biſhop, not an Engliſh Prelate. The Lutherans have their Superintendents or Biſhops, but by humane Conſtitution and ſuch as deprive not the Miniſters of their Office.
Now ſeeing Scripture, Antiquity, and the practiſe of all Reformed Churches doe ſo much favour their cauſe; The Non-conformiſts thought they had a great deal of reaſon to perſiſt in their deſire of further Reformation in the Church of England, and in their diſſent from thoſe things for which nothing material can be ſoberly pleaded, but the command of the Magiſtrate. So that all the blame of want of Perfect Reformation, and of keeping up diviſions in our own Church, and turning its Ceeſures againſt many of its beſt members, is from age to age laid wholly upon the Kings and Parliaments by thoſe who would yet be taken for the greateſt maintainers of reverence of Authority.