The Interest of England in the Matter of Religion Part 2, Part 1 – Part 2
It is firſt inquired, Whether the root hereof be the perpetual hatred between the ſeed of the Woman, and the ſeed of the Serpent?
Nothing is more certain from Scripture and experience, then that a form of the true Religion may be with a kind of Zeal embraced, and the power thereof hated and impugned by the ſame perſons. The Scribes and Phariſees were zealous and exact in the outward forms of the law of Moſes, yet their hatred of the power of that Religion appeared by their obſtinate rejecting and perſecuting of Chriſt, and thoſe that believed on him. Many do embrace a form of the Chriſtian Verity in the general Doctrines, and in ſome plauſible yet ſuperficial practice: Nevertheleſs they cannot abide the genuine and ſpiritual explication and cloſe application of the ſame Verity, leading to the life and power thereof. Now if this were the true ſtate of the difference, that thoſe of the one perſwaſion only did urge the neceſſity of the New Birth, and of a holy and circumſpect walking in all Chriſtians, and to that end ſeek the advancement of ſuch a Miniſtry as (with bleſſed Paul) travels in birth, till Chriſt be formed in the Hearers, and ſuch as is quick and powerful, entring to the dividing of the ſoul and ſpirit, and diſcovers the ſecret rottenneſs, and deſtroys the ſelf-confidence of the deceitful heart, and drives the ſoul out of ſelf to draw it to Chriſt; ſuch a Miniſtry as is aſſiduous and inſtant in the diſpenſation of the word by inſtruction, reproof and comfort, and in all other parts of the Paſtoral duty, that as much as in it lies, it may preſent every man perfect in Chriſt: And if thoſe of the other perſwaſion account the urging of theſe things ſever fooliſhneſs, peeviſhneſs, pride, hypocriſie, affected ſingularity, and ſuppoſe the way to heaven common and eaſie, and accordingly ſeek the advancement of ſuch a Miniſtry that is more ſmooth and plauſible then ſearching and faithful, more ſlack and cold in the publick diſpenſation of the Word, and in private admonition, indulging the peoples corruptions, and generally temporizing with their carnal ſpirit; I ſay, if the caſe were ſo between them, I could proceed no further; for in ſuch a caſe to propoſe ways of Accommodation, were to make propoſals of Peace to Parties divided by an everlaſting enmity: but God forbid that the ſtate of the difference ſhould be ſo deplorable. We truſt that neither the one nor the other have ſo learned Chriſt as to exalt a form of Godlineſs, and deny the power thereof: And that it is not or ought not to be ſo, and that it is on all hands diſavowed with deteſtation, we take it for a principle or ground-work whereon to bottom our whole deſign. The King Declares, That the Profeſſions and deſires of all thoſe of either perſwaſion, with whom he hath conferred, are the ſame for the advancement of Piety and true Godlineſs. Let the joynt purſuance of theſe profeſſions and deſires ſet both Parties agreed, eſpecially ſince His Majeſty hath thus Declared in theſe gracious words,—Our purpoſe and reſolution is, and ſhall be, to promote the power of Godlineſs, to encourage the exerciſes of Religion both publique and private, and to take care that the Lords Day may be applied to holy exerciſes, without unneceſſary divertiſements, and that inſufficient, negligent, and ſcandalous Ministers may not be promoted in the Church.—
Is an uncharitable and froward ſpirit of oppoſition, by reaſon of irritated animoſity, and deep ſuſpition and jealouſie, the root of theſe diſcords?
We fear indeed that too much tartneſs, if not bitterneſs of ſpirit, keeps the Breach open. Differences of long continuance and ſetled prejudices do choak the exerciſe of Charity. And the truth is, formerly the current of occaſions ran along to aggravare theſe differences, and to exaſperate theſe paſſions. Let us now at length take hold of the right means to ſtop this current of contention. Remove the occaſions, lay aſide controverted matters, whereof there will be no miſs in the Church of God: Let forms of Worſhip and Government be ſo cut out, that they may not pinch and gall the conſciences of either Party, as it may be done by men of ſober and charitable judgments without any impeachment of ſuch order and decency, as agrees with the ſimplicity and ſpiritual Glory of Goſpel Adminiſtrations; ſo after a while the froward humor that worketh on both ſides, would ſpend and loſe it ſelf: Yea, I am perſwaded that ſome ſpirits now exulcerated through theſe diſtempers, would not prove incurable or implacable. After a little experience of ſuch proper healing remedies, both ſides will find themſelves brethren that had miſtaken one another, and forſaken their common Intereſt.
Moſt ſerious thoughts of heart have often led me to contemplate and lament the peculiar calamity of the Church of God in theſe Dominions, that from time to time it hath been afflicted with the moſt unhappy kind of controverſies: for they come not neer the Foundation, nevertheleſs they are very pernicious and deſtructive. They conſiſt not ſo much in ſpeculation as practice, and particularly their immediate influence is upon the Churches intereſt, and inevitably makes a breach in Church-Unity. For Eccleſiaſtical Offices, and Church Priviledges, and Communion of Worſhip both in former and latter times, have been incloſed with ſuch Forms and Rites and other needleſs rigors, that the way thereunto was kept ſhut againſt many that had received with the heart that Common Faith which was once given to the Saints. Hence proceeded deſpiſing and judging one another, and deep cenſures, alienations and ſeparations, which will undoe any Society of whatſoever Profeſſion. The Papiſts notwithſtanding their great boaſt of Unity, are much more divided within themſelves than any Proteſtants from each other; for the rent goes thorow the main Foundation of their Faith. With them the Head Corner-ſtone, or rather the adequate Foundation, is their Churches infalibility; but where to place this pretended infalibility, they can by no means agree: for upon the matter one half of them place it in the Pope, and the other in a General Council. If you ask, How then doth that vaſt Building hang together? How doth that Babyloniſh Kingdom ſtand? Surely they have the skill to make that great point of difference a matter of ſpeculation more then of practice, and they hold faſt two main practical things which do hold both in one; namely, the Hierarchy, under the Headſhip of the Pope of Rome, and the Communion of the Maſs. They are all one both in Worſhip and Church-Communion, and alſo in the whole body of Eccleſiaſticks, compacted by ſeveral joynts and ligaments under one Papal Head. Thus the children of this world are wiſe in their generation; and let the children of Light borrow this point of Wiſedom from them, which is to take care that our different opinions do not brangle our Church-Communion and Eccleſiaſtical Politie. And in as much as Proteſtants have not that Popiſh way of quick diſpatch for all controverſies, which is to acquieſce in the Churches infalibility; but according to their Principles, they muſt ſeek their VVarrant from Scripture, by the help of the Churches directive, and their own diſcretive Judgment, the only way for them to hold themſelves in the bond of Peace, is to avoid all impoſition of things unneceſſary, in which it is exceeding difficult, or morally impoſſible for all ſound Proteſtants to be of the ſame perſwaſion.
Let us here take notice of another ſingular point of VViſedom, followed by the Church of Rome in the Council of Trent, which was to ſhun, as a rock, the determining of ſuch Doctrines as were controverted among the Catholiques; and according to this ſetled Rule the debates of that Council were governed: Oft times indeed there aroſe hot conteſts among the Divines about Scholaſtical niceties, the ſeveral Orders of Friars being therein paſſionately addicted to their ſeveral opinions; but the Prelates, who alone had the deciſive Voice, would always bring things to a temper, and the Decrees were ſo framed, that the Opinions of neither Party were condemned. Let the Church of Chriſt mingle this Wiſedom of the Serpent with its dovelike Innocency, to wit, not to urge with ſeverity things diſputed amongſt ſound and ſober Proteſtants. But it hath ſeemed good to ſome Proteſtants to walk by a contrary rule, to heighten differences between themſelves, and thoſe whom they called Puritanes, and to judge them irreconcileable, and to leſſen differences between themſelves and the Romaniſts, in order to a Pacification. We hope that this errour is or may be perceived by thoſe that have been inchanted into it. I am informed by a Writer of our Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory, who is of the Epiſcopal perſwaſion, That an Epiſcopal Doctor of great note, and now a Biſhop, did within theſe few years uſe his utmoſt endeavours to gain upon the Sorbonists in Paris, and thereupon that he complied with them as far as he could do …n Chriſtian prudence, and with a ſafe …onſcience. Now the Sorboniſts are the moſt moderate Papiſts, and the ſaid Doctor is known to be far enough from the leaſt ſmatch of Puritaniſm; yet not any Accommodation could be heard of between them; but rather the contrary, even in the point of the Apocrypha.
Seeing theſe things are ſo, one might wonder that any learned men, zealous of the Proteſtant Religion, ſhould remain averſe from the true way of Unity among diſagreeing Proteſtants, when the pacification between Proteſtants and Papiſts is become deſperate. One would conclude that Wiſe and Learned men could not be ſo overſeen, if there were not a deeper myſtery in this buſineſs.