An Apology for the Non-Conformists, Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. An Anſwer to ſome paſſages in the Drs Sermon, tending to prove the Non-conformiſts Preaching to be Schiſme by their own Principles.
VVE will now briefly conſider what the Dr. Rhetorically inſinuates, rather then argues againſt the Non conformiſts preaching in private, though they are driven out of the Churches.
1. To object That they acknowledge the Church of England to be true in Doctrine, Sacraments and Worſhip.
Serm. p. 21. 2. That the Pariſhes of England, at leaſt ſome of them are true Churches.
3. That it is lawful to hold Communion with them ſometimes, and upon occaſion.
Anſw. 1. All this will prove no more than that the Non-conformiſts ought not to unchurch the Pariſhes of England, or to account their Miniſters and Sacraments Null, or to diſown the people to be their brethren, as ſome of the Browniſts are ſaid to do.
2. The Dr hath given much occaſion in his Writings, to many to think, that he granteth as much of the Church of Rome as he here ſaith, the Non-conformiſts do, of the Church of England, viz. that it is true in Doctrine, Sacraments, and Worſhip, that the Pariſhes are true Churches, and that it is ſimply lawful to hold occaſional communinon with them, for they have the true Doctrine, Sacraments and worſhip, for the ſubſtantials of them, though defaced in circumſtances and many corruptions added to them, yet he will not ſay that it was not lawful, yea neceſſary to break off from her, and to oppoſe her.
3. The queſtion betwixt the Dr. and the Non-conformiſts is whether the Non-conforming Miniſters and people are bound ſilently to bear the uſurpation of the Biſhops over them, in impoſing unlawful and un-neceſſary things upon them, and caſting them out of the Church for non ſubmiſſion, and not rather, both to aſſert their own Rights and Priviledges againſt ſuch uſurpation? The Pariſhes being true Churches, and occaſional communion in unqueſtionable things being lawful, is nothing to this purpoſe. And if the Non-conformiſts are more charitable and fair towards the Conformiſts (who are the great Schiſme makers, by their rigorous impoſitions of things they confeſs un-neceſſary) than the Conformiſts are to them, who are paſſive in the breach, and yet they will hold no Communion with them; They think this ſhould not be made an argument againſt themſelves.
Serm. p. 30. 4. The Dr. hath cited a pertinent example, though he thought to anticipate us in it. The people of Conſtantinople he ſaith when Chryſostome their Biſhop was thruſt out and baniſhed for doing his duty, and Arſaeius impoſed on them in his room, refuſed to joyn with him; This is the Non-conformiſts caſe. But ſaith he, when Atticus reſtored Chryſoſtom's name to the Dipticks of the Church, then they returned to their ancient Communion, and Chryſoſtom advized them to it. And when the Biſhops will acknowledge as Atticus here did, that the Non-conformiſts were wronged, and thoſe that were put in their places were intruders, and conſequently take off the yoke of Conformity, then they will do as the people of Conſtantinople did, till then this example juſtifies the Non-conformiſts.
5. Though the Non-conformiſts allow Pariſh Congregations, and the Pariſhes of England not to be diſowned on that account, from being true Churches, yet the Dr. knows, that thoſe very men whom he quotes as moſt complying with him, do deny thoſe Pariſhes to be true Organical Churches, whoſe Miniſters have not power of Governing their people, or ought for their Doctrines and lives to be expelled the Miniſtry.
6. The Non-conformiſts do not ſay, it is lawful to hold occaſional Communion in all things with the Pariſhes, but only in the ſubſtantials of worſhip; nor with all Pariſhes, but with thoſe only where they may joyn with ſome edification. And becauſe wiſe and learned men can diſtinguiſh the good from the evil, they may joyn with many Miniſters occaſionally when the people may not, for fear of their errours or becauſe of their railing and reproaches of their brethren or Godlineſs, by which this people will either be infected or diſturbed, ſo that they can receive no benefit.
2. The Dr. Argues, If occaſional Communion be Lawful, it is hard to underſtand that conſtant Communion ſhould not be a Duty.
Anſw. I allow him to mean amongſt us who were once fellow Members of the ſame Pariſhes, elſe his words have no force. But the Non-Conformiſts allow of Occaſional Communion to maintain Love and Peace amongſt the People, and Miniſters that are peaceable, and to ſhew that they do not eſteem the Impoſitions of the Church of England to be of ſo high a Nature as the Corruptions of Rome, and that they ſhould break off all Communion from them. But if the ejected Miniſters have ſtill aright to their people, and the people to them, and both are bound to oppoſe in their places the Uniformity impoſed with ſuch Circumſtances as it is, and as they maintain; it will not at all follow that from occaſional Brotherly Communion, they muſt become conſtant Members of the Pariſhes, and be content with their Communion.
3. The Dr. frequently hints Authority and Government to which we muſt be ſubject, and therefore if they eject Miniſters, they muſt become Lay-men, and not Preach, In this he ſpeaks ſometimes of the Authority of the Church, and ſometimes of the Civil Magiſtrate.
Anſw. And becauſe this is a ſnare to many mens Conſciences, We anſwer freely.
1. That the Authority of the Church of England as a Church hath no Obligation on the Conſciences of Non-Conformiſts any further then prudence and peace doth direct them; for the Biſhops, Deans, &c. which are the Rulers of it, ſuppoſing them Lawful, yet being no way choſen by the People or Inferiour Clergy, can have no Lawful Eccleſiaſtical Authority over this Church, eſpecially being alwaies proteſted againſt by a conſiderable part of the Miniſters and People; nor can the Lyturgy, or any thing elſe they impoſe oblige the Miniſters and People, being not advized with in ſuch Impoſitions, nor heard ſpeak for themſelves. Two Thouſand Miniſters as Orthodox diligent learned, and every way conſiderable, as their Oppoſites, and pleading for no other things then many ſuch Miniſters have pleaded for, from the beginning of our Reformation, are not therefore bound in Conſcience to ſubmit to the Wills of the Biſhops, becauſe they prevailed with the Civil Power to eſtabliſh their Opinion.
2. The Civil Magiſtrate hath Power to maintain and protect the Church, and to ſee that ſhe doth her Duty, but to impoſe forms of Worſhip on her, without the advice, and againſt the conſent of thoſe who are moſt concern'd: He hath no power given him of God; much leſs to infringe her Priviledges and Liberties, to rend away her Paſtors at pleaſure, or to impoſe whom he pleaſe on her, and the like; And where there is no Authority to command, that command cannot oblige to obedience: Indeed where ſmall things are enjoyned that are not ſinful, men may obey, if prudential Reaſons lead them to it; But if ſmall things will uſher in great ones, and obedience will make way for more impoſition. It was the Apoſtles Judgment in a like caſe concerning the practiſe of the Jewiſh Ceremonies, that ſuch Impoſers ſhould be reſiſted. Gal. 2.11, 12.
Should our King of himſelf impoſe a Tax of a Farthing Pole, would not many ſuſpect, it might if peaceably paid, make way for greater Taxes, and ſo undermine their Liberties in Parliament? Why ſhould not men be as jealous of the Liberties and Priuiledges of the Church, which concern the Honour of Chriſt, and their own Souls good, eſpecially knowing that the Weſtern Church was ruined and defaced by the Pope, meerly by yielding and patient bearing of gradual Impoſitions and encroachments in the better ſort; and the worſer ſort complying, and crying for Obedience to the Authority of the Church and Governours.
Serm. p. 19. 4. The Dr. ſaith that we confeſs the caſe of the people is very different from that of the Miniſters, and therefore that they run into Schiſm in hearing us, though we for ſome Siniſter ends will not tell them of their errour.
Anſw. Intereſt and paſſion will not ſuffer men to ſpeak of ſuch things as they are concerned in, without uncharitable and un-ſcholer like reflections ſometimes, which I will pity, rather then retort; And to the thing, we anſwer, That the Peoples caſe is indeed much different from the Miniſters, as to Active Conformity, i. e. They are not to Aſſent or Conſent to all in the Service Book, nor to ſubſcribe as the Miniſters muſt, in order to their holding Communion, but paſſively the people are concerned as far as the Miniſters, i. e. They are to ſuffer all theſe things; Their Miniſters to be caſt out, and all Impoſitions which they and their Fathers groaned under, to be enjoyned with the greateſt rigour, and not ſhew their diſlike of any of them, upon pain of being accounted Schiſmaticks, according to the 27 Canon. So that the people are as much wronged, and impoſed on in their Capacities, as the Miniſters are in theirs; We grant that the People may hear and ſee thoſe things done in Divine Service, and ſo may Miniſters alſo as private men, which conſcientious Miniſters ought not to be active in. As our Saviour was preſent at the Temple Worſhip, though there were many Superſtitions mixed by the Prieſts in thoſe days, but what men may do in ſome caſes, they are not obliged to do in all caſes, and people cannot be obliged to ſuffer any ſinfull or doubtfull things in the worſhip they joyn in, unleſs there be ſome great reaſon why they may not forſake that worſhip; Now the Non-Conformiſts affirm that the people are obliged in their capacities to endeavour reformation of things amiſs in the Church, and to own that Reformation they had obtained, and to withſtand the unjuſt intolerable impoſition of the laſt uniformity, as much as the Miniſters are to do; all theſe in their places. And therefore as it is no Schiſm for the Miniſters to preach, ſo neither is it any for the people to hear. That we may plainly expreſs the ſence of the Non-Conformiſts in this point, and that the Dr may no more miſtake their Principles, and ſo labour in vain to convince them. They ſay as Harnbeck adviſeth the Caborniſt: in reference to the Lutherans. That good and peaceable men of each party ſhould love each other, and hold as much Brotherly Communion together as may be, but no more to endeavour any publick Reconciliation or Union, which the Heads and Leaders of the party have ſo often fruſtrated and oppoſed, till God will give them a more Moderate Spirit, and ſome fit reaſon may incline them to Union. The Queſtion betwixt them and the Dr plainly is.
1. Whether a multitude of Miniſters being turned out of the Church to her great and apparent damage, without ſo much as alledging any Crime againſt them, but only impoſing new things on them, on purpoſe to enſnare them, whether theſe Miniſters are bound to lay down their Miniſtry and live private, and not rather to aſſert their own and the Churches Rights?
2. Whether the People thus wrongfully deprived of their Miniſters, and impoſed upon alſo, againſt their own Judgments and Conſcience, in matters of Divine worſhip, whether they are bound to ſubmit to the Intruders and Impoſers, and not rather to joyn with their injured Miniſters, in aſſerting their own priviledges? The Dr's candour is too great to deny, that the reaſon of Scripture and the practiſe of the beſt antiquity, before the Churches loſt their juſt liberty, is on the Non-Conformiſts ſide in theſe points.
3. Whether the Non-Conformiſts both Miniſters and People are not greatly ſtrengthened both in their Non-Conformity to the Lyturgy, and alſo in their practiſe of holding Communion, together for ſelf preſervation, by what hath followed in an un-interrupted courſe, ever ſince the ejection of Miniſters, viz, the horrible and general contempt of Religion, general corruption of manners, great neglect of preaching to the people, moſt Dignitaries having many Pariſhes in their hands, which they ſupply by ignorant boys; the great growth of Popery, with a certain and manifeſt deſign of bringing it into the Land again, if his Majeſty who now letteth were taken out of the way, the great corruption of Doctrine as well as manners in our own Clergy, neither of which are minded by the Rulers of our Church, ſo as man be conformable; that it is now in the Church of England, as in that of Rome, men may be of any opinion, live in any vice, or be of no Religion, ſo they own the Pope and his Church, and be no Proteſtants; ſo here men may be Arminian, Socinian, Papiſts, Atheiſts, and what they will ſo they externally conform to the Lyturgy, and be no Presbyterians, ſo that it is now manifeſt, that nothing was intended by the contrivers of the Act of Uniformity, but to caſt out of the Miniſtry thoſe whom they knew could not then conform, and for ever to keep out, and intangle the moſt underſtanding and conſcientious men, and to let none into the Church, who ſhould ſcruple any of her commands or practiſes. Are ſuch things any motives to the Non-Conformiſts after 18 years ſuffering all the indignities and injuries that Julian's wit and malice thought fit to lay upon the Chriſtians of his time, and ſuppoſed them more intollerable to them then preſent death, which would have been both honourable, and an end of their miſeries. I ſay are theſe things motives, that at laſt they ſhould condemn their former practiſe, and without any relaxation quietly take all the Burthen on their Shoulders? no, they are ſatisfied that whereas the Church of England hath given her ſelf a mortal wound by her Act of Uniformity, and hath layn bleeding of it ever ſince almoſt to death, that they ought not to haſten her death, by putting their hands and adding their helps to it.
5. The Dr. thinks that Miniſters are not now ſo indiſpenſibly bound preach as the Apoſtes were, who were immediately ſent by God, and Authorized by Miracles, and therefore they muſt ceaſe preaching if forbidden by the Magiſtrate, juſtly or unjuſtly.
Anſw. There is the ſame neceſſity of the Miniſtry to preſerve, build up, and continue the Church, by adding new Members through the preaching of the word, as there was of the Apoſtles to lay the foundation of the Church, and therefore there lay's the ſame neceſſity upon every Miniſter to preach to his flock within his Compaſs, as did on the Apoſtles in their Compaſs. May Civil Magiſtrates be reſiſted, or depoſed, by the people upon any pretence, and they not ſeek redreſs, becauſe they are not anointed, and immediately ſent by God as Saul and David, &c. were; if the ſtanding order of Magiſtracy hath its immutable warrant, and unalterable priviledges to enable it, for the the diſcharge of that office; ſurely the ſtanding and ordinary Miniſtry hath as much warrant and proviſion for the execution of their office without expecting Miracles to give them new Authority.
Serm. p. 36. 6. The Dr. ſaith the Aſſembly of Divines gave many weighty Reaſons againſt Toleration, and were for Uniformity as much as the Church of England, So that, that Church is juſtified by them from all Tyranny in exacting Uniformity; and the queſtion is not, whether there ſhall be a Uiniformity, but who ſhall have the ordering of it.
Anſw. The preſent Non-conformiſts have oppoſed Toleration of all Sects and Opinions, as much as the Aſſembly, but this charge is a great injury both to the Aſſembly and to the Nonconformiſts now living; for the Aſſembly never deſired Uniformity in the ſame words of Prayer, and all Divine Offices, or in Rites and Ceremonies deviſed by men that might occaſion ſcruple to any, nor do their reaſons tend to any ſuch thing, but only that men ſhould not have liberty to withdraw from their Pariſhes upon every pretence, and to conſtitute new Congregations. The preſent Non-conformiſts deſire no Uniformity but in Doctrine and the ſubſtantials of worſhip, Diſcipline and Government, leaving the wording and methoding of worſhip to particular mens prudence, and the neceſſities of their people, and leaving all Congregations to their liberties in Rites and Ceremonies, not inſtituted by Chriſt; ſuppoſing that Phyſitians may as well be tied to the ſame rules in adminiſtring Phyſick to all bodies; as Miniſters and people be obliged to the ſame words, and things, univerſally for their ſouls.
[Let the late Act of Uniformity be aboliſhed, the Apocryphal books and Holidayes be left out of the Lyturgy, and the Pſalms read in the new Tranſlation; let the Croſs and Surplice be taken away, and kneeling at the Sacrament be left indifferent, according to the diſcretion of Miniſters, and the deſires of the people; alſo let Parents ſtipulate for their own children, and ſome few things in the Prayers be altered, or ſo explained, that they may give no offence; let the book of Conſecration of Biſhops, &c, be reſtored as it was in Queen Elizabeths dayes, and Miniſters be bound only in general words to a peaceable ſubmiſſion to the Lyturgy & let them ſubſcribe to the 39 Articles only in Doctrines of faith and Sacraments, according to the Statute Eliz. 13. and this will make much more for Union then any thing the Dr. or his brethren have yet ſaid.]
Serm. p. 11, 12. But the Dr. ſaith Phil. 3.16. Commands all to walk by the ſame Rule, viz. the Rule of Uniformity formerly given them, when the Apoſtle was with them, as they were wont to do in all the Churches.
Be it ſo, but did the Apoſtle intend any more then that they ſhould be content with the ſame ſubſtantials of worſhip which were for common edification, wherein all might and ought to agree without contending about the Ceremonies of the Law, or particular opinions, which ſome out of weakneſs might be zealous for, and others that were more perfect knew were aboliſhed. This ſeems to be the plain meaning of the Text; for both the perfect and the imperfect, and otherwiſe minded, were all to agree in the practiſe of this Rule, which therefore could not be the impoſition or limitation of diſputable Doctrines, or queſtionable Rites and Ceremonies, but he would prove that this Uniformity was in Rites and Ceremonies from 1 Cor. 7.17. becauſe ſome things the Apoſtle ordained in all Churches; but the Text ſpeaks only of the Co-habitation of Husbands and wives, when one was an Infidel, ver. 15, 16. Was this a Ceremony? In 1 Cor. 11.34. The Apoſtle aboliſheth the cuſtom of Love-feaſts before the Lords Supper, becauſe it was abuſed, and was of no neceſſity; what then? Ergo, he ordained Uniformity of Ceremonies. The Apoſtle adds, the reſt will I ſet in order when I come, i. e. other diſorders among them the Apoſtle would regulate; And there is no way to reform abuſes in the Church, but by impoſing un-neceſſary Ceremonies?
He ſaith Pag. 13. That the Apoſtles gave Rules concerning Rites and Cuſtomes, wherein there was doubt and ſcruple.
Anſw. But what were they? To impoſe Rites upon men who ſcruple the lawfulneſs of them? if ſo, the people might have took their word (who were infallible) what Rites were lawful, and what not; but no Church Governors have that Authority now, but on the contrary, the Apoſtles forbade thoſe who were zealous for Ceremonies, to impoſe them upon others, and commanded thoſe who knew their liberty in ſuch Ceremonies, not to uſe their liberty to the offence or diſturbance of thoſe who contended for them.
In a word, The Apoſtles commanded that every man ſhould uſe his own judgment, and liberty in things indifferent, privately and peaceably without impoſing upon, or cenſuring each other; and that all things ſhould be done for edifying, Rom. 14. per totum; and this is directly againſt the Uniformity of Ceremonies, or the impoſing of any uncommanded Ceremony upon the Church, without apparent neceſſity, general conſent, and a proſpect of edification to ariſe thereby.
Thus we have exonerated our Conſciences of the guilt of Schiſm, at leaſt voluntary, and againſt our knowledge. Let the Dr. ſeriouſly look to his Conſcience, for charging us with Schiſm, or ſinful Separation againſt our own profeſſed principles, before the Judges of the Land, and the chief Magiſtrates of London, without any proof, and at a time when he knoweth the Papiſts hope to devour us and our Religion, by turning the Magiſtrates ſword, and opening the peoples mouthes againſt the Non-conformiſts.