Beams of Former Light, Chapter 1
CHAP. I The Caſe, with an Explication of ſome terms, and the ſtate of the Queſtion.
Caſe.
WHether it bee well to impoſe upon Miniſters, or publike Preachers ſome one Catechiſme to bee held to, for matter and words as a ſacred help, and more effectual means for propagating the Goſpel, or the like ſpiritual uſe or end.
For the further explanation and ſtating this caſe.
§. 1.
The Magiſtrate, whether chriſtian or Heathen (for in each the ſame power, though not the ſame light to guide it) is Cuſtos utriuſque tabulae) Yet with this difference, in ſecond Table duties, hee hath liberty to create or make Laws de novo, ſuch as were never Laws or in being before hee created them, and wee are bound by the Law of God to bee ſubject to ſuch Laws even to every humane creation foreign for the Lords ſake, 1 Pet. 2.13. But not ſo in the duties of the firſt Table, all Laws neceſſary for the managing of the worſhip of God and his ſpiritual Kingdome are from himſelf, who onelyonly knows himſelf, and what will bee for his honour, and the edification of his people, upon this account the Lord frequently in the Scripture giveth charge to Princes, as well as others,Deut. 4.2 not to adde too, nor take from his Law, or to do the thing that ſeemeth good in their own eies, becauſe though a Chriſtian, yet hee cannot ſo wel by his wiſdome judge in the matters of Piety what is ſutable to God, as a Heathen can judge in matters of Civility what is ſutable to man.
Hee may notwithſtanding exerciſe his authority to the glory of God, even in the matters of worſhip in theſe Caſes,
1 Its granted generally, whatſoever is clearly and evidently ſet forth in the word, as the way in which the Lord will bee ſerved and worſhipped, hee is not onelyonly to ſubmit to it himſelf as a Chriſtian, but to uſe all lawful means that others may do the like, as hee is a Magiſtrate, whatſoever talent wee have received, muſt bee improved to the glory of him that gave it.
2 Seeing the Aſſemblies for the worſhip of God have many things common, being of the ſame nature in the general, and as a Coetus hominum, with other Civil aſſemblies, whatſoever is found expedient; comely, and uſeful in theſe, ought carefully to be furthered and looked unto, that the like bee obſerved in theſe more ſacred meetings. Such Circumſtances or Laws eſtabliſhed by the Magiſtrate about them, do not immediately reach the worſhip it ſelf, but the worſhippers: yet ſo neceſſary, as without ſuch proviſion the ſervice cannot ſo conveniently or edifyingly bee performed; if time and place bee not deſigned, if many ſpeak at the ſame time, if in a great Congregation no eminent place for him that preacheth, the Sermon will not bee ſo edifying; And yet there is nothing in ſuch Law or proviſion, more holy or ſacred than there is any thing evil or ſinful, in the preſervation or keeping up the being of Devils or wicked men; The Magiſtrate may make Laws for the preſervation of the lives of murderers, and the worſt of men, as men and rational Creatures, and yet not by it do any Act, or make any Law that is ſinful or evil, and ſo it is with the Laws and Proviſions for the being or convenient being of the ſervice & worſhip of God; though it be ſacred and ſpiritual, yet ſuch Laws are not. The ſchool-men ſay of Letters, Literae ſignificantes ſacras ſententias, non ſignificant eas in quantum ſacra ſunt, ſed in quantum ſunt res, ergo literae non ſunt ſacrae.
§ 2. To impoſe, &c.
The Magiſtrate may not onelyonly permit, but commend and adviſe a practice, without any Coerciſive impreſſion of authority; ſuch was the decree of Darius, Dan. 6.25. I make a decree that in every dominion of my Kingdome, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for hee is the living God, and ſtedfaſt for ever, &c. hee worketh ſigns and Wonders, &c. where, the reaſon of the thing, rather than the authority of him that commands, is repreſented, ſo in that of Paul, Philem. 8. Though I might enjoyn thee that which is convenient, yet I rather beſeech thee. And this is ſafe for the Magiſtrate, eſpecially where the reaſon of the practiſe is not ſo evident as to bee of general acceptation by the godly of preſent or former ages, as Infant Baptiſme, neceſſity of ordination to all that preach in publick, this or that external form of Church Government, and the like.
2 Hee may protect thoſe that conform to ſuch adviſe, and impoſe penalties (which a private Chriſtian cannot) on any that ſhall moleſt, diſturb, or diſcourage thoſe that ſhall ſo do, of this nature was that injunction, in reſpect to thoſe that were diſturbed in reading the Bible in the Engliſh, or the paraphraſes of Eraſmus, upon the Goſpels,Injunct. of Q… …. which was to bee had in every Church.
3 A penalty or curſe being not eſſential to a Law, The Magiſtrate may command or enjoyn, and yet adde no penalty or forfeiture. In ſuch caſes, a perpetual conſtant practice is not ordinarily expected, peaceable omiſſion upon grounds of reaſon, where no contempt or deſpiſing of authority, is accepted, or at leaſt connived at, and ſo much is intimated in the very forming of a Law, as about Ceremonies in the injunctions of Q. Elizabeth, no man ought obſtinately, no maliciouſly to break and violate the laudable Ceremonies of the Church, C…n. 22commanded by publick authority to be obſerved.
4. The Caſe is about a command with a penalty, which is the moſt Magiſtratical, there is more of power and authority,Premiare poteſt ad quem libet pertinere, ſed punire non pertinet niſi adminiſtrum legis. Aq. 1…. ad q. 92. art. 2 in a penalty, than in a rewards for to puniſh is peculiar to Magiſtracy, to reward is in the power of any man that hath wherewith. A penalty impoſed with greateſt ſeverity, thoſe that obey not though out of tenderneſs of conſcience, and ever ſo peaceable, and free from contempt in their forbearance, and conformable in other matters, their doom is the ſame, with the obſtinate.
The Common people, eſpecially in their youth and natural condition are more bruitiſh and indiſpoſed to inſtruction, ſuch deſpiſe knowledge: The Care of a Chriſtian Magiſtrate conduceth more to the eternal welfare of their ſouls, than any care they have of themſelves; they heed more the Commands and impoſitions of men than of God, and are more reduced to the uſe of the means from the penalty of a law than from the threatnings of Hell. They come under the Magiſtrates hand, and care, by birth and providence, But Miniſters and Publike Preachers by his own Election, and ſatisfaction received of their ſufficiency and fitneſſe, and are not admitted to any place of publick inſtructing either of young or old, but as they are found upon examination to bee both able and willing, To commend or adviſe, will effect as much with ſuch perſons as to command, yea, injoyn cum minis & ſuppliciis, will do with thoſe others.
§. 3. Some one Catechiſm, &c.
TO Catechiſe in the ſence of our Caſe, is to take ſome plaine diſcourſe about the Principles of Religion, formed in method of Queſtions and Anſwers, by which the Miniſter is taught to aske his people queſtions, and taught alſo how to teach them to give him anſwers to thoſe queſtions, a proviſion more ſutable to a former age, when the blinde did lead the blinde, of whom that Scripture was verified, Heb. 5.12. for after the Biſhops had made a man a Miniſter, he was enjoyned to learn Nowels Catechiſme, and to get ſome Scripture by heart, and give an account to the Arch-Deacon, or his Official at every Viſitation.
Some one.
The Shorter Catechiſme agreed upon by the Aſſembly of Divines at Weſtminſter, and preſented to the Honourable Houſes of Parliament then ſitting, and by them ordered to be printed and publiſhed, but no man enjoyned to uſe it, or puniſhable if he made uſe of any other to inſtruct his people in. This little Book for the comprehenſiveneſs of it, as alſo exactneſs of order and expreſſion, hath (as it deſerves) a great eſteeme with many Learned men, notwithſtanding to be the one and only Book, for all capacities that are to be inſtructed in Principles, throughout the Nation, is a perfection not to be expected from any Common gift, nor is this for ſuch purpoſe the fitteſt in its kinde, as wee ſhall endeavour to ſhew in this Diſpute.
§. 4. To be held to for matter and words.
Prayer and Inſtruction, are duties the Miniſter is ſpecially to attend and give himſelf to, and to conceive and forme his work both for matter and words, according as he hath received gifts from the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
It is true, there hath been a Cuſtome even in the reformed Churches, to compoſe by the more learned and prudent, your Agenda, or Church Diſpenſatories, that is, ſome Generalls in matter and method by way of a Directory, for ſuch as are leſſe able, as that of the Aſſembly, for Prayer and Inſtruction, leaving the Miniſter to his liberty, to make uſe of the whole, or any part of it, or any thing to like purpoſe, as he ſhall finde expedient, as it is there expreſſed. So our Brethren the N. Conformiſts at Franckford, after they had gathered a Church out of the Church there,Their Rubrick thus, Gratiarum in hanc aut aliam conſimil…m formam pro miniſtri ipſius arbitratu annectit, p. 50 Miniſter precatione eadem hac qua pracedit vel aliae quacun que propria pro inſtinctu animi ſui uti licebit. p. 37. & had ſetled at Geneva, compoſed a Directory, which they term, Forma publice orandi, &c. Anno 1556. where the like liberty, as in our Directory, is left to the Miniſters. But an impoſition of matter and words is to doe all, not to direct only, but to doe the thing, and leave no more to the Miniſter to doe than any Childe in the Pariſh that can read Engliſh can doe as well as he. And in this part of his Miniſtry he is in the ſame forme with thoſe, who were rendred odious in darker times by publick Authority, The Biſhop ſhall ſuffer no man to bee occupied in the Miniſtration of the Church, which calleth himſelf by the idle name of a Reader, in the Canons of 1571.
§. 5. As a ſacred and more effectual means.
In the Service and Worſhip of God, Actions or Methods are for the nature of them according to what is there ſtated, &c. if it bee to effect immediately a Holy or Spiritual end, or to prevent the like evil (as in this caſe) it is ſacred and ſpiritual; and whatſoever thing or action of this nature enjoyned by the Civil Magiſtrate, falleth under the firſt Head (as before) and muſt have clear and evident Scripture-warrant; nothing makes a thing holy and ſacred but the Word, and nothing will ſerve (in it ſelf) to any ſpiritual end but what God appoints. Principles and Fundamentals may be the matter of a Sermon as well as of a Catechiſme, the difference is only in the method and way; this method and way is termed not only an ancient and good, but a pious or holy way of inſtructing, and deſigned as a ſpecial means for the propagating the Goſpel, and to prevent the growth of Ignorance, Atheiſme, and Hereſie; and all this as diſtinct from preaching: So it is not for the truthes, or the matter ſake only, for that may bee the ſame in plaine preaching, but in the method and way; for although the people bee inſtructed in the ſame Principles and Fundamentals, by way of preaching according to the Directory, yet if he doe not inſtruct in this method, and way, and words, hee ſhall be put by his Miniſtry and maintenance; this being the nature of the impoſition, and the methods, or matters ſome of our Brethren would have impoſed, it cannot bee judged of as any other thing but the impoſition of a ſacred means of help to the Service and Worſhip of God; the Caſe thus ſtated and explained, the Negative is aſſerted, namely, the unlawfulneſſe of ſuch impoſitions, and how great an evil it is to bring us back again under ſtinted forms in any kind; being ſo happily delivered from them, and from thoſe that kept theſe burdens upon us. And for confirmation hereof, let the following reaſonings without prejudice be conſidered of.