^ PRINCETON, N. J. -^^ Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. Agnew Coll. o7t Baptism, No. ■- I j^ .^-fc ^ , „ f / as M w,A,, r A LET T E R To a Gentleman DiflTenting from th^ CHURCH of ENGLAND; CONCERNING THE LIVES O F Churchmen and Diflenters. WHEREIN Dr. Watts's Book, entitled An humble Attempt towards the Revival of Practical Religion among Cbri/fians, fo far as relates to this Subjedt, is largely examined ; and the popular Argument (or Prejudice) arifing from the fuppofed, or real better Lives of Dissenters, in favour of their Churches, is fully confidered. By J O H N W H 1 T E , B. D. Sometime Fellow of St. john^s College, Cambridge. The Second Edition. LONDON, Printed for C. Davis, againft Gray's Inn, Holbourn ; W. Craighton ac Ipfwich-^ and M. Cooper in Pater-Nojler-Roiv. MDCCXLV. [Price One Shilling and Six Pence.], y Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from Princeton Tlieological Seminary Library littp://www.arcliive.org/details/lettertogentlemaOOwliit ■'HA. [iii] PREFACE. THE Lives of Churchmen and Diflenters, which are the Sub- jedt of the enfuing Letter, have been but rarely, and then only occafionalljr, touched upon in thofe Controverfial Writings, which from time to time have paffed between them. The Diffenters not having, it feems, thought fit to infift much upon thofe Points in th^ Argnmentattve^ but only in the InveBw^ or Declamatory Way, the Writers on our Side did not feem to think they had any Occafion to confider them. But, in my Opinion, we fhould have done it of ourfelves. For I am greatly mif- taken, if, for one who renounces the A % Commu-« iv PREFACE. Communion of the Eftabliflied Churcli upon any Scruple about conforming to the Conftitution, the Rites, and Cere- monies thereof, there are not ten who do it merely in purfuance of a Notion they are poffeffed with of better Edtfy- ing and better Living in their Churches. And if fo, the putting their People in 2. right way of Thinkings in regard to thofe two Points, would help more to weaken, and go farther towards put- ting an end to the unhappy Schifm they are engaged in, than the com- pletefl: and moft unanfwerable Vindi- cation of the Conftitution, and of all the Forms and Appointments of the Church. The former of thefe No- tions has been often largely confidered, and excellently w^ell refuted, particu- larly in the London Cafes. The latter I here undertake to confider ; no body elfe, as I before intimated, at leaft fo for as I know, having yet done it to PREFACE. V to any purpofe. I have been rafh' enough to take the occafion, which was given me, to animadvert upon one of their worthieft Minifters and ableft Writers ; he having faid more upon this Subjed: than I have met with elfe- where. I have confidered the /fecial Ohl'tgatiom which he fuppofes Diffenters under to greater HoHnefs of Life; and I have made appear, that the peculiar y^dvantages^ which he alfo pretends they enjoy, above the Members of the Churchy towards the fame End, are none at all ; but, on the contrary, that we have many Advantages of that fort, which are wholly wanting in their Churches, I have offered divers Con- liderations upon the Lives of Church- men and our Diffenting Brethren, as well Minifters as People ; and hav^ fhewn, I hope, they have not fo much on thofe accounts, to boaft of, as, I fuppofe, is commonly apprehended • and Yi PREFACE. and what they have is not owing to any peculiar Excellencies and fuperiour Advantages, in their Way, towards nourishing Men up in Goodncfs, but to Circumftances and Caufes of a quite different nature ; and that, after all, Religion is to be tried only by the Dodrines and Pradlices thereof, and not by the Lives of its Profeffors. I hope I may be allowed to take the Notice I have of this Gentleman, without offending either htm or others. Hehimfelf obferves, in the Book which I am now confidering, p. 138. It may not he improper tn fome Parts of their M'm'iflrat'tons to enter into the Merits of the Caufe^ and modefily to give their People the Reafons why they ftparate from the Public IVorfhtp of the Parifh, And then, doubtlefs, he will allow me modeftly to fhew that thofe are no Reafons ; efpecially when this is done, as PREFACE. vii as I here declare it to be, with no more Intention to maintain a Controverfy with him, than he profeffes to have to begin one with his Brethren of the Eftabliilied Church ; though I muft fay, too, when Things fo highly, and, at the fame time, fo injurioufly refledl- ing upon it are advanced, and pub- liflied to the World, he could not, I think, reafonably exped to elcape, and I admire he has hitherto efcaped Anim- adveriion from one or other. A Defign of the Nature fet forth above, if it were well executed, would I believe, be thought an effential Ser- vice to the Church of England. How it has been executed in the following Writing, the ingenuous Reader is to judge. But if it had not been thought that fome fmall Service to Religion and the Church of G o d might be ex- pected, or, hov/ever, hoped for from viii PREFACE. it, I fliould have indulged my Relu- dances, and given way to thofe Rea- fons which were rifing continually in my Mind againft making it public, and let it remain with me an Anecdote for ever. The Reader is defired to corredt the Errors of the Prefs thus : Page 5 3 . Line 1 1 . infert of bet P. 138. , , improper Churchmen ^?/i Dissenters. 19 improper, now and then, to do) " fome Reafoa *' (fuch as it is) why they feparate from the public « Worfhip of the Parifh/' You have another Obhgation to a ilridl and holy Life, taken from the Charafters of the old Puritans, And I am ready to allow there is fome Propriety and Pertinency in fetting before you their Examples, whofe Children and Followers you pretend to be : ■only the following their Examples fhould not have been urged in the grofs, and without proper Di- ftinftions. For fome of them were very unruly, diforderly, and feditious Men ; while others, 'cis true, had a good Charafter for their blamelefs Lives, Striftnefs in Religion, and for their quiet and peaceable Behaviour -, and, I will add, (what I wifh. Sir, you would be pleafed to confider) for making a Confcience of feparating from the Church for every thing they happened to diflike in it. When you follow them in this^ which is the raain thing, as you do in fome other of their Sentiments, they fhall be then called your Fathers, and you fliall be called their Children. But till then, I cannot agree to it. I would alfo own your Obligation fuppofcd to arife from the peculiar Advantages in Matters of Re- ligion, you are here pretended to enjoy above the Members of the Church, if I was fatisfied of thofe Advantages. But indeed 1 am not ; and therefore fhall farther attend your Author, to let you fee, if I ean, that you are not polTefTed of any fuch -peculiar Advantages as he fuppofes you to be. If all thefe Advantages had been fuppofed to arife from the peculiar Circumjiances and Situations of DiiTenters, it would hardly have been worth while, nor fhould I have had any thought of contefting them. But it is a different Cafe, when they are faid to arife out of the very Do^rines and Points in Con- D 2 troverfy 20 A Letter concerning the Lives of troverfy between us ; for, then, the Church is in^ terefted in the Caufe : And much more, when it is pretended, as it is here, that the Do6trines and In- Ititutions of the Church are not only lefs profitable and edifying, ?iot fo well fit ted for the Improvement ot Men in Rehgion and Incrcafe of Piety among them, but are pofitively defiruciive of thefe things, and naturally tend to turn Men away from HoHnefs of Life. 'Then the Imputation rifes higher, and calls loudly for fome Animadverfion and Reproof. He begins thus : You [Diflenters] are not in fo much danger of taking up with the outward Forms of Religion, irifiead of the inward Power and more fpi- ritual Parts of it, as your Neighhours may be — He then in fiances Tou are in no fuch danger of miftaking Baptifmfor inward and real Regeneration, as thofe who are educated in the Eftablifhed Church ; to which unhappy and dangerous Mijiake the Office of Baptipn in the Church Cafe, well might Drovvfinefs creep upon them. I fancy, Sir, if you were to make the Expe- riment but a while, you would find them otherwife . affc6ling, than thefe People (it feems) did. The reading of the Scriptures, which makes a confider- able Part of the Church Service, would be, I pre- fume, no Wearinefs to you: And if the Prayers, the Pfalms of David, the 'Te Deum, and other Hymns, and the ten Commandments, folemnly pro- nounced, which God fpake from the top of Mount Sinai, with Thunders, and Lightnings, and the Voice of the Trumpet, exceeding loud, fo that all the People in the Camp trembled ; if thefe (I fayj fhould rock you ajleep, I ferioully profefs, I fhould, wonder at you. Let me intreat you, then, to make the trial; and if you do, I defire, as I juflly may, you will comply with my Requeft in two things ; one is, that you diveft yourfelf of any unreafonaUe Prejudice, if there be any, you may have entertained againft the Liturgy ; the other, that you be conformable to the Rules of it, and behave as other devout Men and Women do. Make your humble Confeflion to Al- mighty God, and offer up the Prayers, meekly kneeU ing upon your Knees. Add your hearty Amen to each of them. Lift up your Heart, and raife your Voice in the alternate reading the Vhlms of David. There is no pious and devout Perfon among us, I dare venture to fay, but has experienced the Fitnefs of reading them fo, to raife Devotion, and can Xruly fay, — r-oft th' alternate Chaunt Of facred Song wakens my highell Raptures. Join 3^ A Letter concer7ii7ig the Lives of Join, with an audible Voice too, in all the Refponfes^ which, though fome of the ruder Sort among you have, in their way, ridiculed, are highly approved and commended by * one of the greatell of your own Writers, who rightly obferves, that the Ufe of the Tongue keep awake the Mind, and jlirs up God's Graces in his Servants -, and that it zvas the Decay of Zeal in the People that firfl ftoiit out the Refponfes. Thefe Refponfes, I am fatisfied, alienate the Minds of many of your People from the Liturgy, as much, or, perhaps, more, than any thing elfe in it. The Noife and Babbling of them, (as they arc wont to call itj is, it feems, very uncouth and offenfive to them. And if a Quaker were to come mio your Meetings, the Noife and Bawling (as he, doubtlefs, would call it) of your Pjalmody^ would be as offenfive to him. The reafon of both is plain ; neither he^ nor you^ have any thing like thofe things, in that way of Worfliip you were brought up in, and have been always accuftom'd to. But if you would only re- folve to Hiake off the Prejudices of Education, and difengage your Minds from that Power and Force, ■which Cuftom has upon 'em, IFyou would come to our Churches, and prevail with yourfehes to bring your Common Prayer Books along with you, and, ■when you are there, help to make yourfelves, fome Part of the Noife of thefe Refponfes^ you would cer- tainly find it no Offence^ but a Pleafure to you •, and I afflire myfelf, the whole Service of the Church would appear to you otherwife affcfting, than, pof- fibly, you now think it to be. If you ftill think the Variation of the Phrafe is fuch a mighty matter, let us try it, if you pleafe, in one or two Inftances. We in the Confeffion of our 5ins to Almighty God, conftantly fay, IVe have ■ » Eaxt€r''b C^r//?, Dirca. p. 856. 3LndCureo/Ch Di-vif. p. 1 88. offended Churchmen ^«^ Dissenters. 39 offended againfi thy holy Laws : Tou, perhaps, fay at one time, tVe have defpifed thy Commandments ; at another time, IVe have committed Iniquity ; and, at a third, We have done amifs^ and dealt very wickedly. We lue for Pardon and Reftoration to the Divine FavQur, faying, Rejiore thou them that are penitent : ToUy it may be, fay now. Forgive us all our Sins which we truly and fincerely repent of. Then, We confefs our Wickednefs^ and are for ry for our Sin, do thou forgive it-, and the next time, perhaps, ufe other Words of the fame Import, returning, after a proper time, to the firfl Expreffionsj which I take to be one of the great Secrets o^ Extempore Prayer. Is it now pofTible for you to think, that the Attention o^ ar^y ferious Man will depend upon his iifing, conjtantly^ one of thofe Forms, or inter- changeably^ the other ? If it be fo, it is a Sign he is not much wearied with the Burthen of his Sins, nor very folicitoufly concerned about the Forgivenefs of them. You will afk, perhaps, if I fliould not, myfelf^ be weary of a Sermon, though it were ever fo good, n hundred times repeated? To be Rire, Sir, Illiould; but then, the Cafes are widely different : I lliould be weary of a Sermon fo often repeated, becaufe, being ftale, I fhould be no longer entertaiyied with it ; or, becaufe, having fo often heard it, it would teach me nothing now, but what it had taught me long, and many times, before : But, when I go to Prayers, I do not pi-opofe to myfelf Entertainment^ or Information and Infiru5licn, as your People, ge- nerally, feem to do : They feem to regard a Prayer with the fame Jort of Attention they do a Sermon, and they expert from the one the fame fort of In- Jiru5iion or Enter tainnunt that they lock for from the other \ which the perpetual Repetition of the fame Prayer net affording, they arc difgufted at it, and 40 A Letter concemmg the Lives of and naturally fall into a drowfy Inattention to it : Whereas, if they would lay afide all Expedation of having their Judgments informed^ or their Imagi- nations entertained and diver ted by the Prayers of the Church, and look for nothing in them, befides a Reprefentation of the real Wants and De fires of a Chriftian to Almighty God, in proper and fultable Expreffions, the frequent rehearfal of them would not be f-ich a Wearinefs, and they would join in them with great Devotion and Delight. I am pretty fure I have not injured them, by fup- pofing they apply themfelves to a Prayer as they do to a Sermon, and expeft the fame fort of Edifica- tion from it. Some I have known, who have frankly confejjed as much, that they go not to Church to pray; that^ faid they, is the Minijicr^s Bufinefs, and ours is to mind him, and lifien attentively to him: And if any Man, of tolerable Difcernment, will but attend your Meetings, obferve the Coun- tenances, and mark the Behaviour of the devouteft among you, he will plainly perceive, they are no otherwife employed in time of Prayer, than in Sermon-time •, except, perhaps, that, once in a while, he may difcover in them fome Emotion, or fome fhort tranfient Afpiration unto God, when any particular Matter, or Expreflion, impreffes their Minds more than ordinarily. On the other hand, you (hall obferve the devouteft Members of the Church upon their Knees, with uplifted- Hands and Eyes, prefenting, vocally or mentally, before God, every Petition (ftale as this Author fuppofes it to be) as properly, and as ardently alfo, as the Minifter himfelf, his Soul hanging, if I may fo fpeak, con- tinually upon God, as the Souls and Eyes of the People do, in your AfTemblies, in time of Prayer, upon the Lips of the Minifter. This is the diffe- rence between your Devotion and oursy and this the boafted Churchmen ^«z/ Dissenters^ 4-^ boafted Advantage you have above us, by not being confined to the ^perpetual Repetition of a fet Form of Words. Bur, before I leave the Subje6t, t would defire to obfcrve two things ; and they are both fuggefted. by your Author. He ""elfewhere recommends, infome Cafes, Forms of Prayer for private or Family-De- votion, fuppofing they may be ufed there^ without Deadnefs and Formality of Spirit. And, if there ^ why not, I afl^c, in the Church ? Then, he con- felTes, that an Averfion to Forms of Prayer is the Occafion of much Negle6t of Family-Prayer''* There are many, who, being bred up in the Hatred of all Forms, and not knowing how to pray with- out them, have gone oh, to the end of their Lives, without Prayer, or any appearance of Religion, in their Houfes, which they would not otherwife haVe done. Tou have the Choice of yoiir ozvn Minif&s : Toit are net confined to fit under fuch 'Teachers as foms rich Patron fioall provide for you. Why, are they like to be the worfe for being provided by a rich Patron } I hope not ; and am ready to think you^ Sir, \'i you were Patron of a Church, would provide for it as well as you would have done, if you had not been Mailer q>^ one of thofe many thoufands yoit poflefs. But, perhaps, the Word rich came in here unawares, without any deflgn to fet a Mark upon, the Rich^ as ill Patrons. I will fuppofe it to be fo i and that the Grievance meant is no more thari their being provided by a fingle Patron, and the People's being obliged to fit under thofe whom he has pro- vided to be fet over them. But, to my Appre- henfion, it is much at one, if they are forced \.ci = Guide to Prayer^ p. 155. Hamllt Attempt, ^. 226* ^ Ibid. G fit 42 A Letter concerning the Lives of fit under fuch as two or three, or (fuppofe) half a dozen of the richeji Members of the Church, and principal Contributors^ fhall provide, and bring in upon them : Which, I believe, is commonly the Caie, efpecially in Country Places, a few leading Men, on any Vacancy, looking out for a fit Perfon to be their new Minifter, the reft, generally, acquiefcing, much as they do in the Pariflies. But, as you have a Fewer to choofe, fo you have to difmifs your Minijlers. Yet, I have heard of fome, who did not care to accept their Call, upon that footing, and wanted Security for quiet and peaceable PoiTeflion, a certain Term of Years. But thefe Gentlemen, it is like, did not fee the Incon- fiftency of this with the avowed Principle of the Separation, that the People have a Right, of which they cannot be deprived, both to chule, 3,nd difmifs their Miniilers, at pleafure. I Ihould be alfo glad to be informed, how they reconcile this Principle with their Church Covenant. This Covenant, I thought, had obliged them, Minifter and People, to walk ^ together in all the fpecial Ordinances of the Gofpel, in fuch manner, as that it fhould be held, after- wards, unlawful for them to leave their Place, and forfake his Miniftry, without being regularly dif- miffed by him. And, if fo, what is become of their unalienable Right to choofe and difimjs their Pallors ^ And yer, as inconfiftent as thefe things feem to be, it is ten to one, but one of thefe cove- nanting Pallors, if he were writing a Book to fet forth his Plain Reafons for Diffenting from the Church of England, or counting up the Advantages you enjoy, above us, towards your better Edification^ and greater Increafe in Piety, I fay, it is a great chance, if he did not tell you of your being allowed to Churchmen a7id Dissenters. 43 to choofe, and difmifs again, your Minifters, as one of the choiceft of thoie Advantages, which you fhould blefs yourfelves, and be thankful to God for. Your Author fays. Ton can dif?nifs your Mini- Jiers, if they be fcandaloujly immoral. And cannot we too? Is there no Way provided in the Church to get rid o^ fuch? And, till that is done, or if it be 7iever done, cannot any Parifhioner leave his Church, and go to another, which is, in efFedr, difmiffing him ? And, if this be done in a modeft and peaceable manner, without Noife and Cla- mour, and a fchifmatical Spirit, no body is like to blame him much, or go about to hinder him. You can difmifs them too. If they be known to fall into dangerous Errors^ and will puhlifh them, in op- pojition to the common Sentiments of the People. 'That was z-ery prudeyitly put in : For what if the whole People are of the fame Sentiments? What if he has corrupted them, or the leading Men among them, and has brought them over to his own wicked Errors? Will they difmifs him then? Or has any body elfe, by the Conftitution of your Churches, Power and Authority to part them ? If they will keep him, and pay him, pray, who can hinder it ? Who can remove him, in fpite of the People, and put a worthier in his Place, who will teach them the Truth, bring them back from their perverfe and dangerous Wanderings, and put them in the right Way to Salvation ? And, as to their difmif- fing him for his being thought not fo profitable to their Edification., as they, Ifuppofe, could wifh, or as he formerly, perhaps, had been ; it is a thing feldom heard of. It he be Orthodox.^ as they call Ortho- doxy, and, withal, a qiiiet and inoffenfive Man, "they commonly jog on together for Life, though he He. thought to grow a little dull^ and lefs edifying^ G 2 every 44 -^ Letter concerning the Lhes of every day. Good-nature, FrlendOiip, a Regard to his Family, and other Confide rations of the like fort cio, generally, keep them from difmiffing him. But what if it happens, that the Congregation is divided about keeping or difmijfmg him ; that the rulifig Part think 'xv// of his publick Miniftrations, and arc for keeping him, while thti greal Majority, all of the meaner fort, think otherwife of them, and would have him be difmiiTed, which, if we confider the va- ious Taftes and Humours of Men, is like to be frequently the Cafe f If thefe fhould think of fet- ting up for themfelves, and choofing one who is more to their liking, they would be thought to walk diforderly, and infallibly charged with the hei- nous Sin of making Schiliiis and Divifions in the Church -, of which we have known divers Inftances ; one, particularly, at Exeter, in the Cafe of the late Mr. Peirce. And if, notwithftanding that, they ihould be ftill of the mind to do it, they might not have Ability to provide him a llifticient Mainte- nance. Content, therefore, they nmft be, and can- not help themfelves, as the Members of the Church, in that Cafe, eafily may. If they fancy not the Preaching of their Parifh Miniiler, there are, in moft Places, many conformable Clergymen, whom they may like better, very near. And, though running from their own to other Pariflies, under Pretence of better Inftrudion, is not a thing one can approve of, or would encourage, yet it is com- monly indulged; and if any one will take the Liber- ty to do it, he may, and we cannot help it: Whereas a DiiTenter, here in the Country, if he likes not his own Paftor, has commonly no other, at leaft of the fame Denomination, whom he can conftant- ly hear, and join himfelf to, without intolerable In- convenience. And as to many, who have neither the Ability, nor the Convenience for travelling ma- ny Churchmen and Dissenters. 45 ny Miles, on the Lord's Day, the thing is quite im- pradlicable. That we may not be always upon the Defenftve^ I mull defire leave to obferve, that your Mini- tters, by being ib much, as to their Maintenance and Difmiflion, in the Power of the People, are under Temptations often, it is to be feared, too Ibong to \tt them go on, without Reproof, in wrong and perverfe Ways, to indulge them in their Errors, and flatter them in their Vices.. In this refped:, it will be granted, I hope, the^'^i;^?;- t^ge is tairly on cur Side. After your Author had faid what he thought proper about the Privilege of choofing your own Minifters, he takes Occafion to difplay, as the great Advantage of that Privilege, the Excellencies of their Preaching, by marking it with three or four Characters, which he feems to think very dijlin- giiifmng ones, and, in a manner, ■peculiar to Dif- lenters. 'They freqjientJy infi§i upon the -peculiar Themes of Chrijtianity, and Divine Revelation. As if no body clfe did fo ! when it is notorious, this is what the Bifhops earneftly recommend to their Clergy, and what they, generally, pradlife, not only in com- pliance with their Lordfliips Diredlions, but from their own Judgments, as a thing fit in itfelf, and highly necellary in thefe Times. The peculiar Themes of Chriftianity and divine Revelation are the following, at leaft, the following are fome of them ; the Doctrine of Original Sin, or the difmal Confequences of the Fall of Adam up- on his Pofterity, the Neceffity of a Redeemer, the miraculous Conception and wonderful Birth of our Redeemer, his admirable Life, his amazing Mira- cles, his Death and Paffion, and Satisfa6lion there- by, his Refurredion and Afcenfion into Heaven, and 46 A Letter concerning the Lives of and fitting there at the right Hand of God, to make Intercefllon for us, the Dignity and Excellency, the End and Defign of all his Offices, and the Benefits we receive therefrom. Salvation through him alone, his fending the Holy Ghoii on the Day of Pentecoft on his Apoftles, the Infpiration and Perfeflion of the Holy Scriptures, the Doftrine of the Trinity, or the Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghoft, the Reality and Neceffity of divine Affiftances, the Na- ture, the Unity, and the Perpetuity of the Cathohc Church, and the Communion of Saints in it ; the Kature and Duty of Faith, and the Privileges of the Faithful •, the Nature and End of the Two Sa- craments, and the Duty of obferving them ; the Doftrine of Repentance and Forgivenefs of Sins ; and, in regard to the Things appertaining to the next Life, which have been brought to light through the GofpeJ, the Refurredlion of the Body, the Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrifi to Judgment, and the Life everJafting. Thefe, I think, are the chief of thofe Docfrines that are more eminently Chriftian ; but, upon what Grounds any Gentleman can pretend to fay, or infinuate, that the Preaching o^ thefe is the Charader, in any peculiar Degree, of your Minifters, I can't readily conceive. A Dif- ference between our Preaching and yours^ in regard to thefe Dodrines, if it lies only in fome fmaller Degree of more or iefs, cannot be eafily difcerned -, and if it could, it would not be a fufficient Ground for fuch a diftinguifhed Preference of your Preach- ing as is here intimated to be due to it. Nothing but a general and notorious Negledl on our Side, can juftify fuch a Preference. And how does it appear there is fuch a Ncgled on our Side ? No one, I luppofe, has taken the Trouble to get Intelligence or Information of what is preached, on any one Sunday in the Year, in all our Churches and Meet- ings. Churchmen ^W Dissenters. 47 ings. And if any Judgment were to be made of this, by the Sermons we liave in Print, we fhould be very willing to abide by it. For my own Part, I can fee no Reafon for your Preachers affuming to themfelves this Charader, as peculiarly belonging to them, though I have carefully read many of their Sermons, and lightly fkimm'd over more. I am fure, of thofe that have been publifhed by our Di- vines, there is fcarcely a Volume, wherein divers of the 'peculiar 'Themes of Chriftianity before- men- tioned are not only touched upon, but profejfedly handled. And one Way how it comes to be lb is this. The Fajls and Fefiivals of the Church lead cur Clergy, and, indeed, lay them under a Kind of NecefTity of Preaching upon the great Articles and Myfteries of our holy Religion, once a Year. But thofe folemn Seafons being quite difregarded myour Churches, your Minifters are neither obliged nor led to difcourfe upon, and, for what I know, may think it improper, ojffenfive, and fcandalous to meddle 'with thofe Subjefts 2X fuch Times, as it would have an Appearance of obferving Days, and Months, and, Times, and Tears, againft the Principles and Cullom of your Churches ♦, and hold it beft to Jet them alone till fome other Time, which, as is ufual in fuch Cafes, may happen to be no Time. And if thofe Myfteries are treated of, at any time, in your Sermons, yet 2i%your Minifters are never led by any partictdar Call, or fpecial Occafion, to thofe Sub- je6ts, it is moft like to be done only incidentally, in a flight and fuperficial Manner. And I cannot but efteem it one confiderable Benefit and Advan- tage, among divers others, of our keeping the Feafis and Fafts of the Church, which you have difcarded, that our People are hereby fecured of having the grand Myfteries of our holy Faith more largely '49* A Letter concerning the Lives of largely explained, more folidly proved, more fre- quently inculcated and enforced upon them. But they not only injiru^ the Head, they ftrike the Heart in a powerful and affecting manner. We have no Exception, I aflure him, to this Way of Preach- ing ; but when the Preacher has thoroughly con- vinced the Reafon, and captivated the Judgments of his Audience, by clear Evidence and Demonftration of the Truth and Weight of what he delivers, we would have him go on to move and warm their AfFeftions. But as the former Character of Preach- ing is certainly the more excellent of the two, and that wherein a Deficiency can leaft be difpenfed with, fo that, I believe, will be allowed by all competent and impartial Judges, to be more pecu- liarly and eminently the Charad:er of our Preachers, than the other is of yours. The Generality of both one and t'other have not, I fear, all the Talents (for they are many) that are requifite to Jlrike the Heart i?i the moji powerful Manner, and in any de- gree of Perfeftion. The PafTions and Affeftions (this Writer knows) are tender and touchy things, and muft be approached with all the Addrefs and Delicacy imaginable. You may poflibly move the grofTer Part of an Audience by an affected Tone, loud Vociferations, violent Agitations of the Body, and by burfling out upon them in a Torrent of Ex- clamation, though ever fo improper and unfeafon- uble. But in others, a little more refined, you will raife no Pafllon befides Indignation and Difdain, to fee your Vanity and Folly, in going about to make yourfelf Mafter of their PafTions by fuch ridi- culous Ways. Again, // is the Excellency of their Minifiry, that it leads People to a Senfe of their Degeneracy and Ruin by the Fall of Adam •, that it teaches them more the Churchmen and Dissenters. 40 the Weaknefs and Impotence of Nature^ and the Ne- cejfity cf Divine Grace. The Do6lrine of the Cor- ruption of Nature by the Fal], and the Neceffity of the Grace of God, is as much the Doftrine of the Church, and her Clergy, as of Diffenters. And this bur Author knows to be fo. So that, it is like, he means, they carry them not fo far as Diffenters do •, which may be, generally, true, and they ne- ver the worfe Guides for that. For he is not, oii courfe, the bed, who lays human Nature loweft : There is Danger in deprejfmg it too low, as well as in exalting it too high. And it will be found, upon thorough Examination, that the eftabliflied Clergy have well avoided both Extremes, and taught the Necejfity of God's Grace, upon the firmed and founded Principles. But experiritental Preaching., t perceive, is their top Excellence. ^ This he defcribes by preaching upon fpiritual and inward Subje5ls., fuch as the Jirfi Awakenings of the Confcience of a Sinner, the Fears of the Wrath of God, which fometimes accompany fuch Awakenings, the 'Temptations diverting the Mind from them, the Confli^s of the Spirit in thefe Sea- fons, the Cafes of the Affii£fed, and the Tempted, of thofe that grow in the things of God, and thofe that hackflide, and decline from thofe degrees of Piety which they once profeffed and praEiifed, the falfe Pea.ce of Prefumption, and the Torments of Defpair^ the Terrors of a wounded, with the Serenities and Confolations of an affured Confcience, the Workings of in- dwelling Sin, the manifold Difguifes which it conceals itfelf under, and the fuhtle Excufes framed by the Flefo for the Indulgence of it, the way and manner of Regeneration, or new Birth, It n6 way appears, that they preach more upon thefe Subjects than we do. And this Author himfelf, in the midd * Humble Attempt, p. 44.. 171. H ci 50 A "Letter concerning the Lives of of all his glorying in this their way of experimental Preacliing, cannot help difcovering fome Coniciouf- nefs of their Want of it. // was (he fays) the Fafoion and PratJice of their Fathers among the Pu- ritans^ and hopes it is the prefent Mode of preaching among them -, but docs not venture to afFirm it to be fo. And indeed how could he, when he knew, and, in another place, had plainly confcffed the contrary. In his Dedication of one Volume of his Sermons on 'various Si(bje5fs^ chiefly the inward and fpiritual Parts of Gcdlinefs^ he obfervcs, that Treatifes on thefe Subjcols are feldcm puhhfoed ncjo- a-days^ and therefore he fuffered them to take tip a larger Share in thofe Difanrfes -, and he did it with defign to refctie thofe Arguments from the Charge of Rnthufw.fm^ and to put them in fuch a Lights as might frjeiD their perfe3 Confiflence 'with common Senfe and Reafon. Afterwards, he obferves, agree- ably to what 1 had jufl: nov/ quored from him, out of the Book we are at prefent confidering, that their Fathers^ indeed^ talked much of pious. Experi- ence^ and have left their JVritings of the fame Strain behind them \ hut^ he adds, \\rM he mourned to think that feme are grown fo degenerate^ in our days^ as to join their Names^ and their Works together, in a coinmon Jefl., and to ridicule the facred Matter of their Sermons. He miUft mean the prefent Di (Tent- ers, or the Oppoiition between them and their Fa- thers is deftroyed. So that, you fee, he talks in another Strain of their Preaching and "Writing, when another Nail was to be driven. But, it may be, though they enter not more into thefe Subjedls, they may be better qualified, by their larger Experiences, to enter into them, when they do. I anfwer : Were they fo well qualified for it, they would hardly ridicule it, as this Author com- plains tney do. And, which way they fnould come to Churchmen and Dissenters. 51 to be qualified for it fo much better, and have larger Experiences in thefe Calcs than oth?r Folks, I can- not imagine. They have not been obferved, that I know of, to be mere tempfed, more afflicted, more in CircLimllanccs ofDcfpair or Prelbmption, and fo forth, thian other Men. Of that there is not the leaft appearance. And if any have been, or be now, mfcme of the Circumftanccs above dcfcribed, they cannot vveli be in many, they cannot poffibiy be in all,, or near all. For a good part of thefe Cafes are diametrically oppcfite to one another. Mr. V/hitfield^ indeed, affures us, He has undergone a Series of "^Temptations J and continual Biiffetings of the Devil^ which have, in a high degree^ qualified, him for the Miniflcrial 0£ice, in that he has experiment- ally tried all things, and having ft-tffered every fort of Temptation, can fuit his Advice to the different States and Conditions of other PeopWs Souls. He, belike, young as he is, never preached any thing but what he has experimentally felt himfelf. But I have not heard that diffenting Minifters pretend, yet, to any fuch thing, ' Afcer all, 1 mufb do this Author the Juftice to own, he does not directly, and in Terms, fay, this is, but only talks of it as if it was the general Mode of their Preaching. Tou expert, you love, you delight, (fays he to the People) in fuch fort of Preaching. That they may do, and yet not have it. Yes, perhaps, you will fay, if they like it, the^y fhall have it, becaufe their Preachers are of their own choofing. Sir, it does not follow ; for, poffibly, your Elections of Minifters (like other Ekdlions) may often be carried by Management and Intrigue, or fwayed by Interefi, by fpecial Friendjhips, by Relation and Alliance, and other Confiderations of a like Nature. And if fome of your largeft and richeft Congregations have it in their Povv'cr to have {mz)! as they like.^ fuch as they H 2 think, '52 A Letter concerning the Livei of think the beji and aMeJl among your Minifters, the red "wiiJ be obHged to choofe fuch as offer themfeheSy or fuch as they can perfuade to accept their CalJ, and come and help them, whether they preach thus chrijlianly^ thus -pathetically^ thus experiment ally y or not. He fays, greater Care is taken among you about the Admiffion to the hordes Table, and exchtding the Vicious from it. He confeffes, that, by the Rules of tiie Church, fcandalous Sinners are not allowed to come to it : Only he fays, Thefe Rules are not cbferved, and put in Practice, in all Places, as they cught to be. Well, be it fo, that fome notorious Offenders, Schifniaticks, for inftance, who ought, by the Canons of the Church, to be rejedled, have been, fometimes, admitted to Communion : Is it not true too, that fome fand that by the Rules of of your Churches, or however by the avowed Prin- ciples of your Minifters) are, among j>'(?z^, excluded, who ought to have been admitted to it. It is, ge- nerally, held among you, that the Sacrament is for none but perfetl and confummate Chriftians, fuch as can give a particular Account of their Con verfion, and of the Work of Grace upon their Souls : by which means, not only open and fcandalous Offend- ers, but many who are not wicked, yet in a State of a fpiritual Weaknefs and Imperfe6lion, are kept off from an Ordinance, which would be the Food and Nourifliment, the Ilrenghning and relTcfhing of their Souls. Laftly, it is numbered among your Advantages, th^iiyour whole Condu5l is jlr icily obferved, and your Behaviour watched with a narrow and fevere Eye, by inany of your Neighbours of the efiablifljed Churchy find efpecially (he fays) by thofe that hate you. But this Advantage is not peculiar to Diffenters. What- ever it is. Churchmen enjoy it as well as you ; for their Churchmen cind Dissenters. 53 " their ConduiSt and Behaviour is alfo obferved, and fevercly waichcd by their dilTenting Neighbours, efpecialJy thofe that hate them. T^hey cannot^ he fays, jlcp awry., hut Cenfure and Reproach attend them. And if they are guilty of any heinous Crime ' and Seandal, the whole ProfeJJion and Party of Dif- fenters are loaded with it^ a Circumjiance no way pleafing., however a profitable one., as it is a Spur to Duty., a Guard and Refiraint upon their whole Beha- 'viour. Poffibly, it may be fo, when any eminent Diflenter, who makes a ProfefTion StriSinefs m Religion, does things that are much amifs. And io, I can afilire him, if any eminently Jlrirt and •zealous Churchman does the fame, the Church fhall be loaded with. his Crime, and it will be faid, and often has been, on that Occafion, "Thefe are the Friends., thefe are the Ornaments of the Church of England! and may it not, then, be fuppofed, this will be a Spur to, a Guard, and Refiraint upon them ? But as to the common Herd, on one fide or the other, I don't fee but they may do as they pleafe, without any mighty matter being made of it, or much faid againft their refpeftive Churches. And, if it were otherwife, it is not likely, that Conlide- ration would have any weight with them., or be any Check to their Appetites. It will be a Check to none, befides eminent Profeffors •, and it will be an ec[ual Check to thofe, of both fides. And, indeed, I am fomewhat of opinion, our unhappy Diffen- fions have made both them and us a little more cir- cumfpedt in our Condu6t than we might otherwile have been. This Advantage, I am ready to think, we do reap from our religious Diffenfions. An Advantage, however dearly bought, attheExpence of Truth, and Peace, and Chanty,, the Welfare of cur Country, and the Honour of our common Chriftianity, And 54 -^ Letter cmcernmg the Lives of And now, Sir, 1 take my Icaveof your Author's Reafonings about i\\c fpccial Obligations you are fup- po£^d to lie under, zndiht fuperior Advantages you are pretended to enjoy above tts of the eftabJifhed Church, towards your Increaie in Piety, and fpeed- ing your Way to Heaven. If it be thought^ as very probably it may, (and, truly, I begin to flatter myfclf, it appears, by this time. Sir, to you) that this Author is a little too vifionary^ in reckon- ing fuch things for mighty Advantages, which no Mortal bcfides can fee to be any at all^ and that he has not argued upon thefe Heads, as one would' have expedicd a Writer v/ho fo well underflands, as he certainly does, the right Ufe of ReafoUy Ihould do -, it ought to be remembred, this is no more than what happened to the famous Grctrus,- to Sir Thomas More^ and happens every day to the greateft Men, when they take upon them to defend any favourite Notion, or inveterate Prejudice they have been bred up in, or have, afterwards, un- warily entertained. On fuch Occafions, they often fall infinitely beneath tbemfelves, and write in a manner that difcredits the great Abilities God has given them. Many excellent Talents this Writer is certainly pofielTed of; and it is much to be wiflied, he had wholly em^ployed them on other SubjcvSls, on which he could not have failed both to pieafe and profit us. - Having now given you my Thoughts concern- ing thofe fpecial Advantages which you fuppofe yourfelves to enjoy above tis^ in order to a good and holy Life, and fhewn, that you really have no Advantage in any of thofe Particulars, and that, in fome of them, the Advantage is evidently and greatly on our fide ; let me entreat you. Sir, in my turn, to confider fome things I Ihall take Churchmen ajtd Dissenters. 55 the liberty to iiiggeft to you, wiiich I humbly apprehend to be great Advantages peculiar to us, and ahnofl, if not entirely, wanting in your Churches, You need not be told. Sir, (I dare fay) that Chriflian Faith is the only true Foundation of Chriftian Holiners, Now, in our Church, wc have fome PiOvihon, and that one of the moft effeclual, both for the teaching and prcfervmg the Chriftian Faith entire and uncorrupt, which is not in yours-, I mean the Ufe of the three Creeds in the public Worfhip. By this means the great and capital Points of Belief are rendered familiar to our People, and they come to have in their Minds a regular Scheme of it. And if you are taught, now and then, fome of thefe Articles, from the Pulpit, I fear there are others, which you hear little or nothing of. Nor is it only a proper means to make them readily remember, and eafily un- derftand their Faith, but alfo a powerhil m.eans to keep them in it, in oppofition to Herefies and falfe Doctrines that corrupt it. For, fureJy, they "will be the more confirmed in it by feeing the whole Church, many of them better inftrucled, and more knowing than themfelves, concurring in the open Profcffion of it. And if any have unhappily fwerved from it, they are hereby diftinguifhed, and made manifeft, efpecially if they be Mini- ftcrs, who cannot rehearfe the CYeeds, if they do not believe every Article thereof. So that if one of thefe happens to be heretical, or is fallen into any Error contrary to the Faith, he muft quit his Station in the Church to one who is founder in it, or elfe expofe himfelf, by an open and odious Prevarication, to fuch Abhorrence in the Hearts of all Men, as will keep him from being able -to fpread much Infection among others. I own, your '56 A Letter cmcern'ing the Lives of your Minifters do fubfcribe to all the Creeds, In fubfcribing to the Articles, and (what I would more particularly point out to your Obfervation) the Athanafmn Creed, as well as the other ; which Jet them reconcile, as they can, with thofe free Cenfures fome of them pafs upon it. However, we find, in fiidt, by fome few Inftances in our own Church, that fubfcribing in private is one things and rchearfing them publickly\ before the Church, is another ; thofe who can do, without any diffi- culty, the former, ftrangely boggling at the latter. And, I am ready to think, that, if the open Confeffion of your Faith, in the Words of thefe Creeds, had been as much a neceflary Part of your Worfhip as it is of ours, the Doftrine of Arius would not have been fo rife among youf London Minifters, and many too in the Country,- as it appeared, fome Years ago, to be. And^ therefore, I hope, thefe Formularies of our Faith will never be detached from our Liturgy, how long and loud foever Heretics or Latitudiiiarians call for it. I defire. Sir, to be excufed while I relate to you, out of my Lord Clarendon^ a pleafant Accident re- lating to this Subjecfl, which fell out at the Treaty oiUxbridge. The Commiflloners being all together at the Fire-fide, entertaining themfclves with gene- ral and cafual Difcourfe, one of the King's Com- miffioners afked one of the other fide, with whom he had Familiarity, in a low Voice, Why there ivas vot, in their whole DiretJory^ any mention at all of the Creeds or the Ten Commandments^ and fo little of the Lord^s Prayer. Which my good Lord o^ Pan- broke over- hearing, he anfwered aloud, that he and many others were very forry they had been left oiit^ that the putting them in had taken up many Hours Debate in the Houfe of Connnons, and that at lafl the leaving CnuRciiMEN ^W Dissenters. 57 having them out had been 'carried by eight or nine Voices ; and fo^ they did not think fit to infijl upon the Addition of them in the Iloufe of Peers •, but many ivere aftervjards troubled at it \ and he verily be- lieved^ if it were to do again ^ they fhould carry it for inferting them all. "Which made many fmile, (as well it might) to hear that the Creed and Ten Com- mandments had been put to the Quettion, and re>- je(5led. And there is little doubt, but the throwing out the Creeds from the publick Worfliip was one Inlet to thofe monftrous and execrable Herefies, which, at that time, grew up among us, as the removal of the Epifcopal Government was certainly another. And it is not unlikely th^t Cromwell him- felf had fomething of this in his Thoughts, when he would often fay. That there was much of Good in the Order of Bifhops^ if the Drofs were but fcowered off. From thefe means for preferving the Purity of the Faith pals we on to others for promoting Holinefs cf Life. I fcornj Sir, to name the Crofs at Baptifm, or any human Ceremony in our Church •, though I think too, I have as much Reafon to make that a Promoter^ as your Author has to make it a i7/»^^r^r of Holinefs. And yet, I muft fay, when it isufed at the Baptifm of an adult Perfon, I cannot fee why it may not be fuppofed to make fome Impreffion upon his Mind, to ftir it up to certain holy Pur- pofes and Refolutions ; as, particularly, a Refolution not to be afhamed to profefs the Faith of Chrifl -cru- cified. . .In the primitive Church, Sir, it was a common Cafe, that newly baptized Perfons were hurried immediately to their Martyrdoms. Now, is it not reafonable to think, that the Lcrd^s Signet (as it was then called) which they had juft betore de- manded, and devoutly received upon their Fore- heads, might have fome Influence upon them, to I make 58 A Letter concemhig the Lives of make them afhamed of falling away from the Faith of Chriji, to ftrengthen them (1 mean. Sir, in a natural Wayj againft their approaching Sufferings, to make them valiant for the Truth, and faithful unto Death ? As our Minds and AfFedions, in this prefent State, are apt to be ftrongly imprelTed and influenced by the Power of Senfe and Imagination, fuch an affedling Ceremony, at fuch a time, might have, perhaps, a greater EfFed than a ferious Ex- hortation But of thefe Matters you may think as you pleafe; for I lay no mighty ftrefs upon them. I lay a much greater ftrefs upon another Appoint- ment of the Church, relating to Baptifm ; and that •is, the U^t of Godfathers and Godmothers. I had before occafion to vindicate this Inftitution from the Charge, or rather the Sufpicien or Imagination, of an evil Tendency and Effedl : And now I fliall fhew it to be a wife, an ufeful, and neceffary Inftitution. And though your Author has been pleafed not only to flight it, as not needful, but to condemn it, as 7iot -proper ; fome of the hotteft Advocates for the DifTenting Caufe, and moft given to libel, overlafh, and run riot in oppofition to the Church, have owned it to be not only ufeful, but, in many Cafes, neceffary. ^ Mr. Peirce himfelf, amidft all his Mif- reprefentations of our Senfe and Practice in this Par- ticular, confefTes it to be io. It is not, (fays he) any matter of Controverfy between us, IVhether it he lawful and ufeful, that, when Infants are baptized, fome honejl pious Perfons fhould make a publick Pro- feffion of the Chrijiian Faith in the AJfembly, and pro- mi fe to take care {ifGodfpares them) that the Child, as foon as he becomes capable, fjould be trained up in the Chrijiian Faith a?id PraBice. Nor do we difpute whether any, befides the Parents, may be allowed to perform this Office. IVe acknowledge there is a Ne- » y;n4u. of DiJ/inters, Part III. Ch. 6. cejfity Churchmen ^^^ Dissenters. 59 cejftty they Jhoiild.^ in fome Cafes ; as^ if the Parents are dead ; or, by reafon of their great dijlance, can- 7iot be preferit at the baptizing their Children \ or, if they are fo ignorajit in the Chriflian Religion, or fo heretical in their Opinions, and vicious in their Lives,, that their Prcmife cannot be looked upon as fit to be taken by the Church .—Now, Sir, if it be necef- fary in fo many Cafes, I would beg leave to obferve three things ; the firfi, that our Church has done wifejy in requiring it in all Cafes, that the Clergy ip.ay not be obliged to be always making odious Diitindlions (which fometimes, perhaps, would be groundlefs and arbitrary too) among their PariHii- oners, by requiring Sponfors for the Children of fome, and not of others, which would have been a Source of endlefs Heats and Anim.ofities between them. T\i^ feco7id\%, that Mr. Pif/rr^, and fuch of his Brethren as are of his Mind, are much to blame for not introducing into their Churches the Ufe of Sponfors, at leafi in thofe Cafes wherein they allow it to be neceflary. And the other thing I would obferve, mofl: to my prefent Purpofe, is," that, fince they have not done it, we have, in cur Church, this Advantage towards the bringing up of Children in the Fear of God, and the Faith of the Gofpel, which is not m. yours. I hope. Sir, you will not offer to argue with me (as Gentlemen of your Perfuafion commonly do) againft the Inftitution of Godfathers and Godmothers, from the little Thought and Care they are often {ttn to take in difcharging the Obligations they are under. For, if you do, I lliall be obliged to reply, it is nothing to the purpofe ; becaufe our prefent Enquiry is. Whether the Church does not afford its Mem- bers fome great and fpecial Advantages towards growing in Grace and Goodncfs, above what are to be found among you ; not, whether all its Members I 2 do 6o A Letter concei'ning the Lives of do their Duties, and make a right Ufe of thofe Ad-' vantages it affords them. And yet, if you infift upon it, we are ready to join Ifllie with you, even upon that footing. We will not deny, but the greateft part of tJiole who undertake this Office do not difcharge it fo confcientioufly as they ought, (as Parents themfclves often do not) and heartily wifli * fome things were either removed or regulated, "whereby that, in part, isoccanoned. But then. Sir, there (^rt'fome, who do make a Conlcience of doing their Duties in it : And it is worth while to keep up the Inltitution for their Sakes. And, as far as their honciL and faithful Difcharge o^ their Duty goes, fo far the Church a6lually receives Benefit, of which, you know, there is nothing in your Churches. The jacc Dr. Brnyv/as a very obferving Man, and watch- ful PaRor ; and he alfures us. He has biown^ him- Jelf, many Lijlances of Ferfons^ who oive that Un- 4erfiandin^ they have of Religion, and the Fear of Cod^ purely^ next tinder God, to the Care of their Godfathers and Godmothers. I believe him : For I can myfelf name others, who have been more mindful of the pious Education of the Children they were Sureties for, then their Parents were, and, particularly, have procured for them the re- ligious Education of our Charity Schools, which ^ Such, for e.xample, as the high Fees given to Nurfes, Mid- wives, and Servants. Thefe have been the Occafion of iimch Perplexity and Trouble to many Parents, who iiave not known how to aiii their Friends to do aq Office lb expenfive to them. And this Perplexity of the Parents has r.ot only grown in'o a fort of Difaffeclion to the very Inftitntion. but has often obliged them to pafs over their more ferious Friends and Relations, who could not conveniently, (they thought) or would not care to part with the Sums expedted, and to take up with others, loofe and difor- derly Perlons, who would more readily, or could better do it; whereby the Office has been expofed to Contempt and Ridicule, and theF-nd of it, in thofe InltanceSj quite defeated. their Churchmen and Dissenters. 6i their Parents took no Care to do. And. I fuppo::-, there are few who make any Obfervations ot this nature, but can point out to you other Inilanccs of the like kind. The next Adminiftration in our Church is Con- firmation. This, you know, you have 'vviiolly 6^i(~ carded. And, furely, you will be obliged to ac- knowledge, you have loft thereby a very great Ad- vantage : For, when it is received after diie i^repa- ration, and with the requifite Qi.ialifications and Diipofitions, it cannot but greatly conduce to future Holinefs of Life. Many Proteftant Churches, be- fides our own, have this Opinion of it, and do, ac- cordingly retain it. The Judgment of C^//i;i;z, that it is an ApojloUcal Inftitution^ is well known •, as is alfo his Wifli, that it were every where reftored. And I can tell you of one (in his day one of the greateft Oracles of your Party ^) who declared his thorough Approbation of it, and, in the late times, called loudly for its Reftoration, and faid. The Jji- reciory, without it^ was more imperfect than the Common- Fr ay er. The late Dr. Calamy too was in the fame Sentiments touching this iViatter. '' It would he (fays he) very becoming and advantageous^ did Perfons every where ^ before they frji CGmr/iuni- cated^ freely profefs their Sincerity^ and Conflancy in their Baptifmal Covenant or Vcw^ and openly declare themfelves^ in the Face of a Chrifitan Congregation^ Enemies to the Devil, the Worlds and the Flcfh. And this is the mofi confiderahle Fart of that which has been wont to be called Confirmation \ a 'ih.ng ■much pra3ifed and inftfied upon m the Frir.iiirie Church, though of later Times much negle^lca., and by fame laid afide, as ufelefs -, the morels the Fay. ^ Mr. Baxter. ^ rmSlical Dijcourfe concerning Vonus, p. 87. And, 62 A Letter concermig the Lives of And, furely. Confirmation, if not abfolutely necef- lary, is yet very requifite in any Church which pra- d:ifes Infant Baptifm. We are ufed to be prefied, by the Antipsdobaptifts, with the Conveniency and Ufe fulnefs of deferring Baptifm, till People arrive at Years of Difcretion, when they may, upon ma- ture Judgment and deliberate Choice, confent to, and take upon themfelves the Covenant of God in it. And how do we anfwer them ? Not by fay- ing, there is no need, no ufe and benefit of fo do- ing •, but by telling them, we do it in Confirmation. How you anfwer them I know not. Indeed, Dr. Calaniy does inform us, that ^ Converfation with the Pail or of each Chrijlian Society^ is expe5fed before any cne^s firfl communicating^ that Satisfaction may be given, that fuch as come to partake of the holy Eu- cbarift, do miderfiand the Nature of their Baptifmal Obligation^ a-nd are "Ji'illing to ft and to it. But what is this to thofe who dare not offer themfelves to the Sacrament, or are not admitted to it ? And as to thofe who are, is fuch a private Tranfaftion, be- tween them, and their Minifter, to be held enough ? No, by no means ; and Dr. Calamy himfelf not only confefi^es, but contends, it is « mon- Prayer. As to our Practice in the Matter of Fafting, be pleafed to take notice, that is not the Subjed of our prefent Enquiry or Debate. 'That, I will owii to you, is not, generally^ what it ought to be. I fay generally, becaufe the devouteft Members of our Church Ao yet make a Confcience of this Duty- and exercife themfelves continually in the Pradice of it. However, you fecj Sir, here, the watchful Care of our Churchy that this important Duty be not overlooked or neglected. Andj unlefs you can fhew the like Care is taken of it among you, con- fefs the Advantages you lofe by being divided from it. If I am not mightily deceived, you will be found to have reformed in this, juft as you have done in many other Inftances ; that is, thrown away the thing, out of diflike to xht falfe or nugatory manner in which it was obferved in the Papacy. I don't remember that any notice is taken of it in thofe Formularies which are regarded among you, as containing your Faith and Praclice ; nor have I yet K met 66 A Letter concerning the Lives of met with any Sermons, or other Treatifes of your Minifters, fhewing the Obhgatlon, and preffing the Pradlice of it upon their People ; nor have I heard of its being praftifed even by the ftridtefl: and devouteft among you. If thefe things be otherwife than they appear to me^ and I am really miftaken, here. Sir, I am, ready to retract my Miftake, being defirous in this, as in all other things, to be fee right. I alfo humbly apprehend, that as thefe are pro- per means to -promote Virtue and Holinefs, fo Vir- tue and Holinefs are taught in a better manner in our Church. As your Author obferves, that different Parties of Chrijlians have their ■peculiar Ways in Preaching, and the prefent Conformifts and Non-conformifts have their different Manners, as well in compofmg, as delivering their Sermons, fo their different Manners are to be plainly feen in this, that the former preach up more the Duties, the latter more the Privileges of the Saints, holding in contempt the preaching of Duties, under the low and degrading Charader (as they, at leaft, mean it) of preaching up Morality, or good Works. No body doubts, but preaching the Pri- vileges of Believers is, or may be, being properly managed, veryufeful. Our very Catechifm begins with teaching our Children their Privileges, as vifi- ble baptiled Chriftians ; and Vv^e may properly fay of thefe two what our Lord faid concerning the Tythe of Miyit, and Anife, and Cummin, on the one hand, and Judgment, Mercy, and Faith, on the other, l^hefe ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone. However, of the two, your negle6t of preaching the Duties is more evident, as it is, in itfelf, more inexctifahle, and oi worfe Confequence, than ours of preaching the Privileges of the Faithful. And what but a confcioufnefs of his Churchmen ^/^^ Dissenters. 67 his Brethren's negled of, and of their, or, at leaft, their People's averfenefs to this fort of preaching, Jed Dr. IVatts to attempt to explain^ in two Volumes or Sermons, many of the Duties of the Chrifliayi Lfe, that refer to our fellow Creatures^ and to be- fpeak a favourable Reception to them in fuch Words as thefe ? ^ I hope no man who loves the Gofpel of Chrift will knit his Brows at the 'Title Page, or throw Difgrace upon the Book with a contempt of dull Morality. If fuch a Perfon would give, himfelf leave to perufe thefe Sermons^ perhaps he zuould meet with fo much of Chriil and the Gofpel in thern^ that he might learn to love his Saviour better than ever he did, and find how neceffary moral Duties are to make his own Religion either Safe or Honourable. While we are favcd (continues he) by Faith of the Bio cd and Righteoufnefs of the Son of God, we mufl rememhcr alfo that Uis fuch a Faith as works by Love ; for Faith without Works is dead and ufelefs to all Pur- pofes of Hope and Salvation. The Works which the Doiflor recommends, and we defire to be preached and inculcated, are not thofe they make fuch a llir v/ithin the Church of Rome •, not Pe- nances, Pilgrimages, endowing of Monaileries, and enriching the Shrines of Saints ; but the fubftantial good Works of Faith and Piety, Juftice and Charity, of Temperance, Meeknefs, and Humi- lity, and fuch other as God has commanded us to walk in. And I am free to leave it to any un- prejudiced Man to judge, whether defpifing and 7ieglcciing, or being infant in the preaching of thefe truly good and effential Works of Religion, be the more likely way to advance Virtue g.nd holy living. = Preface to Vol. 11. K 2 I would ■6S A Letter concerning the Lives of I would alfo further obfcrve, that the Church has no Do(5lrines whereby Ilie dejlroys what fhe has l^uih^ none whereby a holy Life is either made un- necejfary^ or difcouraged. She does not teach the abfurd and dangerous Do6lrines (give me leave to call them) of abfolute Election and Reprobation, with the Points hanging thereupon, which were once tlie Shihbcleth of your Party, and even now are taught, it is fuppofed, by the greateft Part of your Miqiilers. I fay nothing of the Antinomian Doc- trines. The rank Antinomianifm of Dr. Chrifp-, which once greatly prevailed in the Churches, is now, I will fuppofe, generally decried. And yet, Jet me tell you, there is reafon to fear, there are thofe among you who have no Diflike to his Pofi- tions. And this, I cannot but fufped:, is one Reafon that fuch mighty Civilities are fnewn, fuch Countenance and Encouragement given, by divers of your Minifters, to a young, conceited^ j'olifidian Enthufiajl, who has lately Itarted up among us. It is well. Men do not always a6l according to their Principles, nor fet their Pra5fices by their Opi- nions, If they did, and the forementioned Dodlrines v/ere to fpread, and generally prevail, there would be Uiile Virtue, and few gaod Works in the World. As it is not my Intention to exhaufl the Subjeft, ?ind to count up all the Advantages we enjoy, and ^'ou lofe, by living out of Compiunion with the Church; fo, I will put you in mind of only one more, and that is in regard to Devotion, in the li- mited Senfe of the Word, as it fignifies Prayer, particularly that which is public. In otir Church, we have better Provifion, and more frequent Oppor- tunities afforded for it, than are to be had among you. Is it not true, Sir, that your Meeting-houfes are fhut up from one Lord's Day to another, unlefs it Churchmen j;?^ Dissenters. 69 k be here and there one, where there happens to be a Ledture on the Week- Days? Whereas, in our Church, public Prayers are ordered to be read every day ; and if, in fmall Villages, where Families live difperfed, and there are few can afford time, or have inclination to attend them, the thing is gene- rally impracfticable, it is well known to be pradtifed in all Cities, and moft great Towns in the Kingdom; and, in Lo?idon^ you cannot but have heard, there are Opportunities for public Prayer, not only every day, but every hour of it. So that a Man, in the hurry of great Bufinefs, if he can find half and Hour of leifure time, (as he eafily may, one Part of the Day or other, if he be fo minded, and his Thoughts turn that way) may go into a Church, and fay his Prayers, whereby his Bufinefs may be fan(5bified, and rendered more acceptable to God ; and they who have more leifure may do it oftener. It has been the Wifli of fome pious Men, that there were Proteftant Foundations, where Men or Women devoutly difpofed, anddiicngagcd from the World, (without entangling themfelves with any Vows) might live together in Society, and give themfelves up to the Service of God. 1 fhall not trouble you with my Thoughts, whether fuch Societies be defirable -, but, really, I think they are not much wanted : For fuch Perfons as have no at- tachment to the World, and are of devout Tempers, and would probably, embrace that fort of Life, have it now in their Power to live in a way tha: will fully anfwer all the religious Ends and Purpofes thereof. In moft Cities and great Towns, and ef- pecially in London (as I faid before) they may live as retired, and fay their Prayers as often as they pleafe. In the midft of the Crowd, they may be, as if they were in theDefert, overlooking the World, ^nd overlQoked by it. They will not be confined there^ Tjo A Letter concerning the Lives of there, as in fuch Societies, to one Set of Company, agreeable, or otherwifc;, jufl: as it Ihall happen -, but, if they chufe any, may have only thofe for their Companions and Familiars, who have the fame fpi- ritual Guft and Relifh with themfelves. And they may, now and then, launch out into, and mix with the World, whenever a Profpefl opens, and Oppor- tunity offers, of doing Good in it. Here they may dedicate any Portion of their Time to holy Medi- tation, and private Prayer, and as much of it as they pleafe to public. And there is fcarce a Day in the Week but they may hear the Word of God preached in one or other of our Churches, nor (in fome Parifhes, if I miftake not) any Lord's Day, or Holyday, but they may receive the Holy Sacra- ment upon it. Here, they may fay their Prayers without Formality, and fay them often, (becaufe without Force and Compulfion) without Wearinefs, and may be Reclufes without that Spleen, Melan- choly, Envy, Pride, and thofe Bickerings, Factions, and Contentions, which are well known to prevail in the Cloyfters, among the People who (in their way) have given themfelves to God. Are not thefe. Sir, very powerful Means towards the Advancement of Devotion .^ And, if you cannot fay you have any fuch, which way can you avoid owning, they are great Advantages on our Side, unlefs it Ihould be by undervaluing and making Devotion a thing of no account. After the Church has taken fuch good Care -for the Faith, the Practice, and Devotion of its Mem- bers, it cannot but be a mighty Satisfadion to them, to fee themfelves, too, on the fafe Side, in regard to two things, the Charge of Schifm, and the Want of valid regular Adminiftrations. There is a ftale Jeft that goes about, and fome People have taken mightily to it, I'hat Schifm is only a theological Scare- Churchmen md Dissenters. jt Scarecro"ju. A Jeft which lias rendered their Minds perfeclly impenetrable by all the Reafonin^ that can be offered, to fliew them the Danger of it. I hope your Minifters never fpeak of it fo flight- ingly ; if they do, I muft take the Liberty to fay, they cannot be fincere : For I have always obferved, that when any Part of their Congregations is grow- ing mutinous, and feems in a Difpofition to divide itfeif from the reft, they never fail to ring in their Ears the Sinfulnefs of makingaSchifm intheChurch, in order to deter them from their Purpofes. Though, by the way, I think they are a Httle too rafli in ven- turing the mention of Schifm to them ; for that may put them in mind of the Schifm of the whole Congregation from the Church of England^ and of their Duty to return to it. Believe me. Sir, at leafl: believe the Scriptures, and the Voice of Catholic Antiquity, that the Charge of Schifm, where it can fairly be fixed, is not to be flighted. The leafl: Sufpicion of it, a Man would think, fhould not a little difcompofe Tifcrupulous^ or a tender Confcience, But how a Confcience in either of thofe States can digeft a Schifm which is fo manifefi and caufekj% and, by confequence, fo unwarrantable as the pre- fent, is paft my Skill to find out. I am aware, Sir, you are accuftomed to call your Schifm a peaceable Separation ; and as the clapping a plaufible Name upon an ill thing has, in all Cafes, a ftrange Power to change^ corre£f, and meliorate the Idea of it, of which I could foon give you twenty Inftances ; fo, in the prefent Cafe, you carx hardly conceive how a thing which you are ufed to call by fo good^ and ^ofoft a Name, can be fo very criminal. But 1 muft own, Sir, my Inabihty to apprehend, with vyhat Senfe or Confiftency thofc two Words can be put together. The very Nature and EJfence of the Subfuinti-ve excludes the Epithet you ^2 A "Letter concerning the Lhes of you join to it. And if I was writing to a perverfa Adverfary, as I am to a Friend, I Hiould be ready to call this lame peaceable Separation of yours, a Piece of arrant Nonfenfe and Contradidlion. Every caufelcfs Separation, Sir, from the Church, is a Breach of that Peace and Unity that ought to be in it ; and therefore, no fuch Separation can be peace- able. Pat the Cafe, that a Wife fhould take a fancy to live by herl'elf, in fome private Part of the Houfe, forfaking as well the Bed as the Board of her Hufband ; and, by little Artifices and crafty Suggeflions, endeavour to engage the Children and Servants of the Family in fidings againft him. Would you call this a peaceable Separation ? I am very cer- . tain you would not. No, Sir ; the Peace of that Fa- mily is broken, though there fhould be neither fight- ing nor fcolding ; bur all the Decencies of well-bred Hatred or Indiffcrency fhould be kept up. Or, if you think the Cafe of a Wife, feparating herfelf from her Hufband, after this manner, is not fo like, I will put another. Suppofe two or three of the Counties in Great-Britain or Ireland., fhould take a D.Tgufl at Monarchical Government, and, throwing off their Alligeance to his Majefty, go about to form themfelves into a Commonweakh : Would you allow this to be called a peaceable Separation ? No more, I dare fay, than the former. You are too good aSub- jedl of the King to fpeak or to hear any Body t\{^y with Patience, fpeak of it in that fop and tender manner ; and would certainly pronounce it a di[- loyal and rebellious Proceeding, though it were ever fo much their defire to do all without Tumulty with great Profeflions of Honour for the Perfon of his MajefVy, and of mighty Good-will to the reft of their Fellow-fubjeds, who thought fit to continue firm in their Allegiance to him. And if this Sepa- ration would not be peaceable and innocent, how Sir, can Churchmen and Dissenters. 73 can yours be ? The Catholic Church is one outward and vifihle Society^ divinely inftituted, and indeed the moft admirable and glorious Society, that ever has been, or will be feen under Heaven ; and (con- fequently) whenever a Breach is made in the Unity thereof, when Diflenfions arife in it, efpecially, when they come to be confummated in oppofite Communions, the Peace of the Church is evidently Joft, though that of the State, poflibly, may be preserved, and People may be kept from coming to Blows about it : Yet even that, you are not to be told, has fomctimes happened. The Cafe is yet worfe, when you leave the Com- munion (as I think you do) of your lawful BijQiops and Priefts, duly ordained to their Office, to put yourfelves under the Guidance and Adminiftrations of others, not duly ordained to it. 1 pretend not to affert, that the Adminiftrations of fuch, where no other can be had, are of no effeft ; but am firmly perfuaded that, in fuch Cafes, Cafes of real and unavoidable NecefTity, God will confer upon Believers in a more compendious Way, all the Be- nefits of his faving Sacraments. And the fame I am willing to believe, in regard to thofe who at- tend fuch Adminiftrations through invincible Ig- norance, and a natural Incapacity to judge of thefe Matters. But as I am fure, the latter is far from being your Cafe, fo you will not fay, I prefume, the former is. And therefore you cannot depend, at leaft, with '- fo much AfTurance as is requifite for the Peace and Acquiefcence of your Mind, that fuch Ordinances will be blefTed to you. But, to fet things at the loweft, the Callings and Ordinations of your Minifters, and, by confequence, their Ad- miniftrations, are, moft certainly, irregular. And an unneceffary, whether it be a factious, or only a wanton Departure from Regularity, from ^t pri- L mitivc ''j\ A "Letter concerning the Lives of mitive Rule and Order eftablifhed in the Church, cannot, fureJy, be pleafing to God. How it is. Sir, with you I know not j but fure I am, were I of a Chiireh which I beheld thus lying, and choofmg to lie in thefe Irregularities and Defe6ls, I Ihould •have no Peace till I was out of it, though the god- Jieft People in the Nation, or thofe who are reputed fuch, were univerfally crowding into it. And now, Sii*, .1 have gone through the fpecial Obligations, which your Author fuppofes you are under, to a more eminent Holinefs of Life, with the peculiar Advantages you are pretended alfo to enjoy, and fome of thole many, which, I humbly apprehend, we in the Communion of the Church do enjoy above you, in order to it. Which of thele, upon the Comparifon, are the moft folid Advan- tages, and of the moft real Efficacy towards rendring Men holy, muft be left to your ferious Conlider- ation. But I fhall hardly ~ be thought to have finiflied the Talk I undertook, without going a Step or two farther, without confidering together the Lives of Conformifts and Nonconformifts, or, at leaft, fee- ing what may bereafonably faid in abatement of the -Fa5f, which you feem fo firmly to believe, and fo much to rejoice in, that the Members of Diffenting Churches do greatly excel the reft of the Nation in Purity and Sandity of Life ; and then, in difproof ot the Conclufion you would draw from it, that your Way of Religion is, therefore, better, or that this Confideration may juftly prejudice, if not de- termine the Choice of any Perlon in its Favour, or make him, if he was bred up in it, quite eafy in the Profeffion of it. If there really be fuch a re- markable Superiority on your Side, I doubt, you wiJl be ftill ready to fufpedf, there muft be, fome- where or other, in your Churches, great Advan- ■'^^ '■ tages Churchmen and Dissenters. 75 tages concerning the Things of Religion and God- linefs, though you ihould find yourfelf obliged to give up thole on which your Author has infilled, .or to own thofe in our Church which I have infilled on. If there be no Superiority at all, or but little, or not greater than may be accounted for, by confi- dering the particular Situation, and other Circum- flances of Diflenters, there will be a Prefumption, that you have no Advantages above us. Let us then fee how the Fa£l (lands. When we were difcourling upon this Subjedt, you gave me, I think, a Hint ; but, indeed, fo diflant a one, that I did not then think myfelf obliged to take any notice of it, concerning the Lives of Miniflers, as well as the People, on both Sides : And it may not, perhaps, be amifs to enter, mw^ a little, into fome Confideiations of that fort. A flridl Comparifon between them is not the thing I intend. Any fuch Comparifon would not only be odious, but of dangerous Confequence, as it might leiTe'n the Credit of them both, and, by natural Confequence, the Credit of Religion itfelf. It would be fomething like comparing moral with pofi- tive Duties, the internal with the external Evidences of Revealed Religion •, the Advocates for one Side faying, inconfiderately, all they can to difparage the other, whilft the Infidel, laughing in his Sleeve, greedily picks up all that is faid againft both, to fet them both at naught. You ihall then fee, I will not go about to raife the Charadlers of ours, by dif- honouring and vilifying your Miniflers, nor follow the Example which fome of them have fet me, who have publifhed to the World, that * a very great many Clergymen (fome, it feems, would not do, nor many, nor a great many, but it mult be a very great a Yeixc&^sVindicofDiJfenters, Parti, p. 279. L 2 many 76 A "Letter concerning the Lives of many : which, one would think, can be meant for no fewer than a third or fourth Part of the Whole, {o many, he fays) have little to dijlinguijh them from Heathens, or toperfuade a Belief of their Chrifiianity ; ftay, that their Lives are worfe than thofe of Pagans. Notwithftanding the Charafter which this Gentle- man is pleafed to give of them, which very pro- bably, one time or other, will have the Honour to be found among xht Gleanings of fome Infidel Wri- ter ; I will venture to fay, they deferve a very diffe- rent one, (nor do I mean or defire the Diflenting Minifters fhould be excluded from the Benefit of it) that they are, in general, the mofl irreproachable, uncorrupt, and virtuous Part of the Nation. I fup- pofe, you will fay. So they ought to be •, and you will fay true. Nor Jhall I fay falfe, when I fay. So they are. They are flill. Sir, let their Enviers and Maligners fay what they will, the Salt of the Earth ; and though they have lofl fomething of their pri- mitive Savour (as, in length of time, all things do) xht World, if it were not for them, would quickly grow fo corrupt, there would be no enduring, or jiving in it. Take, Sir, if you pleafe, any corpo- rate Body, Trade, ProfefTion, or Order of Men, of any Credit among us, and compare them with the Clergy, as to the general Courfe and Tenour of their Lives, and you will loon find, (though, I thank God, too, there are fome of exemplary Sandity of Life, in every Order and Profeflion) yet, I fay, you will foon find, upon fuch a Com- parifon, what I now fay to be true. Or only drefs up in your Imagination (which is a very good one) any one of thofe Orders and ProfelTions, in the Clerical Habit, put them on the Gown, and clap upon their Heads the broad-brim* d Beaver Hat, with the Rofe on it ; then place them, fome in Town, and fome in the Country, fo that they fhall not be fufpeded Churchmen and Dissenters. yy fufpe£ted to be other than real Clergymen, and let them purfue the fame Courfe of Life they did be- fore i and, in a few Months, you will imagine you fee every Mouth open againft them, and hear every Place ring, and that in another manner than the mofl infamous Places do now, with the Corruption and Degeneracy, the intolerable Indifcretions and Vices of the Clergy. Thofe that before lived in fome Credit, as Laymen, will be now little efteem- ed, and pafs for worthlefs, if not fcandalous Mini- fters. And thofe who enjoyed, before their Clerical Appearance, great Wealth, or high Dignities, un- envied, will now hardly be thought deferving a Country School, or Curacy. It is not pretended to be denied, but there are fome, who really are of the Cloth, that are a Difgrace to it. The Clergy are but Men, and, to be fure, come into the World with the fame original Corrupdon and Vitiofjty that other Men do ; and therefore it is no wonder, if they have, all, their Faults and Blemifhes, their Frailties and Imperfedlions, and fome are not free from greater Crimes and Scandals. It may be, you will fay, we hear not fo often of Scandals arifing among the DifTenting Minifters, as among the Clergy. Would it be reafonable to expert you fliould ? Is it likely, there fhould be found as many among ten, as an hundred ; among a hundred, as a thoufand ; or among a thoufand, as ten thoufand Perfons ^. In mofl Neighbourhoods, perhaps, there are ten, and in fome, twice that Number of regular Clergymen, to one Difienting Miniller. And if but one of that Number be found, not fo blamelefs and irreproachable in his Life, as that fingle Gen- tleman happens to be, we are prefently bid to take notice, how much better your Minifters live, than ours. But it does not follow. If you would judge rightly in this Cafe, you muH produce an equal Number 7*3 A Letter concerning the Lives of Number of each Sort ; and for twenty regular CJergymen (fuppofe) all living together in the fame NeighbouVhood, all perfedly known to you, you mufb bring us twenty Diffenting Minifters, though you fliould fetch a Compafs of forty Miles for them, to whom, excepting, perhaps, two or three, we are ablblute Strangers, and of whofe Lives we have ne- ver heard any Charadter, good or bad. Or if it happens that we have heard of fome of them any ill thing, we have not, perhaps, the means to fatisfy ourfelves whether the thing be true or falfe ; and fo, it will, probably, pafs for an idle and uncertain Report. And if we fuppofe, or though we know it to be true, yet as we know not their Perfons, and hardly, perhaps, their Names, it will make little Impreffion on our Minds, and the Scandal of it will foon be forgotten. "While we are conhdering the Lives of your Mi- nifters, it will be proper, as it is obvious, to ob- ferve, that they are not fo much expofed to unde- ferved Obloquy and Cenfure, as molt of the Clergy of the Eftabliflied Cliurch unavoidably are. For having no farther Concern with the Pockets of the People than they themfelves like, and are pleafed to permit, they happily efcape the morofe or peevifh Reflc6lions of the covetoiis or knavifli, which our Clergy, by the mofh reafonable and confcionable Demand of their legal Rights, often bring upon themfelves. If a Clergyman ever demands Small Dues, Avarice is prefently obje£led to him. It will be faid, // is beneath him to mind fuch Things ; though, it may be, through the Sacrilege of for- mer Times, he has fcarcely any thing elfe left him. If he finds himfelf obliged, at any time, to take the Remedy of Law, though it were in the eaftefi and cheapeft Method the Law prefcribes, againfl fuch as withhold thefe Dues, or greater ones, the Charge of CHURcriMEN and Dissenters. 79 of Contentioufnefs Is fare to be added to the former. And if he is not content with thofe poor Pittances which the Confciences of fome of his Parilhioners would ferve them to pay him, or which they fancy is all that is due to him, according to thofe crude Notions of Law and Right which they frame out oi their own Heads, he fhall hardly efcape the Impu- tation of being injurious and opprelTive. This is the hard Fate of moft of our Clergy, efpecially the Vicars ; while your Minifters not only live at Eafe, and free from Vexation, upon voluntary Contribu- tions, but free alfo from thofe unmerited Reflexions and Reproaches, which will often fall upon thofe of the Eftablifliment. And I have fometimes been ready to think, that, if the Wifdom of the Legif- lature could find out a Way to fettle, m a folid Foundation^ upon the poor Vicar^ fome equivalent and independent Revenue, in Lieu of thefe fmall Matters^ it would not only fecure his Peace, but help him to fupport and keep up his Credit and Efteem, better than now he can do, among his Neighbours, and be (confequently) a real Advance- ment to Religion. Then again, the Tempers and Condufts of your People and ours^ in regard to the real Faults of Mi- niflers, are very different. Our People, knowing they do not depend altogether upon the Credit of their Guides, but have the Laws for the Support of the Church they are of, are apt to think there is no need of clofe and fuhtle dealing ; and therefore are obferved to be undifguifed in all their Condudf, free and open (probably too much fo) in their Dif- courfcs and Ceniures of whatever they take to be amifs in the Lives of their Minifters. You Ihali hear them talk every day of the Faults and Mifbe- havipurs of this and that Clergyman, with as little Referve as they would of their beft Qualities and 2 *- greateft So A Letter concerning the Lhes of grcateft Virtues ; while your People are obferved to be wonderfully fecret in thefe^ as indeed, in all your Affairs. The arranteft Goflip and Tittle-tat- tle in the Congregation Ihall carry it with all the Clofenefs and Secrecy of a Confeffor, in regard to the Failings of her Paftor ; and they are feldom publickly known, unlefs an open Rupture with his People or his Entertaining Thoughts of Conformity brings them out. And then indeed, what was be- fore fpoken only in the Ear in Clofets, Jhall be pro- claimed upon the Houfe-tops. It Ihould be confidered too, that as their Faults and Failings are more carefully concealed, fo their Virtues and good Qualities are more induftriouily pubhfhed. Snch as lie under the Imputation of Herefy, or have fet themfelves at the Head of a Party divided from the Church, will never want Virtues and Accomplifliments, tntelletiuaU or Mo>- ral. 'Tis now, for that, juft as it was in the Days o^ Tertullian^ Nufquam facilius proficitur quam in cafiris rebellium. Men*s Chara6lers improve ftrange- \-^^ and take a wonderful Growth, in that Situation, and that, I doubt, is one Motive and Inducement to many to make choice of it. Thofe who bear Religion no good Will, will be fure to be the Trumpeters of their Praifes, becaufe they help to confound it. And thofe of their own Party are al- ways found forwarder and louder in commending and extolling them above their Merits and Deferv- ings, than fuch as adhere to their Orthodox and re- gular Minillers ever are to do them common Juftice. You muft have obferved, this is the general Dilpo- fition of your Lay-People towards their Minifters. And your Minifters themfelves feem agreed to take all Occafions to magnify one another ; fbme Affec- tations of which fort I think I can plainly fee, parti- cularly in their Funeral Sermons, almoft always in regard Churchmen and Dissenters. %x regard to the Dead, and fometimes the Living. By iuch Methods as thefe they may have, poflibly^ acquired a Reputation of Strickneis of Life, above our Clergy, among the v/eak and prejudiced, while more competent and impartial Judges fee little or nothing they have, in that refpeft, to boaft of;* hardly, indeed, fo much, as, when their Circum- ftances, Situations, and Protefllons are' confidered, it may feem reafonable to expe(5l. For there are. Sir, fome Cenfiderations of that fort which make us naturally look for, and think we may juftly exptft to find, a greater Sanftity of Manners among them^ than the Conforming Cler- gy. Their very Non-conformity is founded upon an open ProfefTion of great Tendernefs of Cofifcience^ which cannot bear the kafl Inftanceof Sin, and flat-ts at any Appearance of Evil. And if, under fuch a Profejfion^ their Lives fhould be found, in any degree, diforderly, they cannot be ignorant they fhould be, defervedly, hifTed at, and efteem- ed fome of the vilefl of Men. They muft be alfo fenfible, how much they depend, for their Main* tenance, upon the good Thoughts their People have of them, and the favourable Opinion of thofe in Power for their Toleration. Thus, not only the Reputation, but the very Being and Subfiftence of the Party they have fet themfelves at the Head of, depends upon the Goodnefs of their Chara<5lers, as Men of Piety and Virtue. And thefe are flrong Obligations, if Reafons of Conveniency and pre- fent Intercft may be called Obligations, to endea^ vour to appear fuch. I fpeak not thus to infiniiare that they only appear fuch. Many, doubtlefs, and I hope mod of them, do fludy to he what they are obliged to appear to be •, tho* it is likely too, there may be fome who only fludy Appearances. And, as they have fpecial Reafons to approve themfelves M good S2 A Letter concerning the Lives of good Men, fo they have fewer Temptations to be otherwife, not being expofed to fo many Influences prejudicial to the Virtue of Men, as the Clergy not only in ours, but in all national Churches whatever, unavoidably are. And if, notwithlknding all this, our Clergy are much upon a footing with them in all manner of virtuous and holy living, it is, in my Opinion, a juft Matter of Commendation to them. By this time. Sir, I fhould hope you might be pretty well fatisfied, that the Lives of your Mini- Iters do not excel, in point of Stridnefs and Re- gularity, thofe of our Clergy, fo much as you feemed before to have thought : But if you are ftill of Opinion that they do, I mull, I think, leave you to enjoy it, there being no Way to extort it from you, but by canvafllng and comparing the Lives and Charaders of Particulars, which (not to repeat the Reafons I before offered, why I declined fuch a Proceeding) would be as foolijh to attempt, and as impojjible to do, in any manner that fliall be tolerably fatisfadtory, as it would be to deter- mine who are the faireft^ the heji Jhaped^ or handfomeji Men. One thing, however, 1 have to offer you, in Balance ; and that is, that the Lives of our Clergy are free from fome Sorts of Guilt which, pardon me. Sir, lie heavy upon your Mi- nifters ; I mean, the Guilt of their uncathoUc and fchifmatical Proceedings. Moll People, when they hear of the good or the bad Lives of any, think of nothing elfe but their being cbafte and tempe- rate^ juji and honefi in their Dealings, charitable to the Poor, or otherwile, and difcharging well or /'// the relative Duties of Life; Avhether they pradlife the Virtues, or are free from the Vices of the interior and fpiritual kind, they are not apt to confider. But they never rcficd how they behave Churchmen ^«^ Dissenters. 83 behave as Members of the Chriftian Society, the Church of God, and fulfil the Duties which they owe it. And yet this, furely, when we are fpeak- ing of Chriftians, fhould always enter into the Notion of good, or of bad living. In regard to thefe Matters, I m^an thofe of the laft fort, your Minifters, Sir, are notorioufly peccant, throwing oft the Authority of thofe whom they ought to obey and fubmit themfeJves to, and ading in open contempt of them, dividing themfelves caufelefly from a found Part of the Catholic Church which they belong to, and gathering to themfelves Churches out of it i by which mean,5 the Houfhold of God is divided into innumerable Sedls and Parties, to the great Diflionour of Religion, the Scandal of Jews, Turks, and Fleathens, the Sport of Infidels, unfettling the Weak, grieving the Minds of good Men, the Lofs of Truth and Peace, and the utter Extinflion of Charity among us. What fome People may think of a Procedure which draws atter it a Train of fuch Confequences, I know not; but will venture to fay, all the Wit and Ingenuity in the Nation will never reconcile it with holy liv- ing. Sure I am, fuch as bring into the Church ftrange Dodlrines, and caufe Divifions in it, are called by St. Paul^ Carnal, i Cor. iii. 4. evillVork- ers^ Phil. iii. 2. deceitful Workers^ 2 Cor. xi. 13. and dtforderJy Walkers^ in another Place, 2 Theff, iii. 6. And why thofe who are called y^* by an Apoftle, fhould be by us called, abfolutely good Livers^ I muft needs own I am at a lols to underftand, and leave you. Sir, to confider. And though I am far from prefuming to judge any in regard to his eternal State, yet, when I confider with what Severity the fore- mentioned Diforders ftand cenfured, and how the Authors or the wilful Abettors of them are ftigma- tized in the Word of God, I cannot but doubt /'^z/: alfo do, that this Mark of Sandity may be more vifible than it is on their, and all the Churches of God ; -that they may all he fo guided and governed by his good Spirit, that all who profefs, and call themfelves Chri- Jiians, may he led into the Way of Truth, and hold the Faith if} the Unity of the Spirit, in the Bond of ^eace, and in Rightecifnefs of Life. And as to yqiirfelf, Sir, I Hiould eileem it, I do affure you, no inconfiderable Article in the Happinefs of jny Life, could I be a means of leading you to aft ac- cording to the whole Tenor of thofe good Words in the Prayers of our Church which we offer up daily in your Behalf ; I mean, could I prevail with ycu to hold tjqe Faith, in the Unity of the Spirit, and the Bond Qf[J^eace, as you do in Righteoufnefs of Life already. I am, SIR, 'Tour Humble SeriianP^ A SECOND E T T E R To a Gentleman difienting from the JHURCH of ENG LAND, CONCERNING THE LIVES O F Churchmen and Diffenters* ,. ( ■ r._n WHEREIN 'he great and popular Pleas of Diflenters againft Communion with the Church are refuted, and refledled back upon them* felves. By John White, B. , D. ! Sometime Fellow ofSt. Johnh College, Cambridge. Ex ore tuo Happy is he that CQudemneth not himfelf in that Thingwhichhe allowieth, Rom. xiv. 22. LONDON, Printed for C. Davis, againft Gray^s Inn, Holbournj W. Craighton at Ipfwich-^ and M. Cooper, in Pater-Nojler-Row. MDCCXLV. BOOKS Printed for C. Dav i s. A LETTER to a Gentleman Diffenting from he Church of Eng/and, concerning the Lives of Chuh- men and Diffenters. Wherein Dr. Watts's Book, entitIed'/« humble Attempt tonvards the Revival of PraSlical Relton among Chrijiians, fo far as relates to this Subjeft, is larjiy examined; and the popular Argument (or Prejudice) aring from the fuppo/ed or real better Lives of Dissenters, ina- vour of their Churches, is fully confidered. By John Whit,, B. D. Sometime Fellow of St. Johns College, Cambridge. A Vindication of the Government, Doftrine, am Worfliip of the Church of England, eftablifh'd in the Reigi of Queen Elizabeth, againft the Injurious Refleftions oi Mr. "Ntal, in his late Hiltory of the Puritans. Together with a Deteftion of many falfe Quotations and Miftakes in that Performance. By the Right Rev. Father in God Isaac, Lord Biihop of Worcejter. Odavo. THE Reader is advertifed that the Wiords {concerning the Lives of Chnrchnwi and Diffenters] were inferred in the Title Page and in the Running Title at the top of the Leaf, by miilake of the Printer, the Lives of Churchmen and Diilenters not being the Subjed of this as they were of the former Letter. He is alfo delired to read P. 6. ]. i8. oddMle^d oi had, P. lo. 1. I. Jpojile inftead of Jpojlles, P. 7. 1. 20. his inflead of is. [«] PREFACE. T1 H E R E being no greater Impropriety that I can per^ ceive in introducing: a Let^ ter than a general Difcourfe with a Preface^ efpecially a long Letter with a floort Preface^ I fliall no more fcruple to introduce thh<^ than I did the former^ in that Manner. The Title Page in- timates, that it is both defenfive and offmfive. In the defenlive Part, wherein I undertake to vin- dicate the eftablifh'd Church a- a z ojainft iv PREFACE. gainft the great and popular Ob- jedions of Diflenters, I am gene- rally brief, that having already been executed by much abler Pens, and particularly, by the London Divines in the ColktTion of Cafes and other Difcourfes to recover Dijffenters to the Commumon of the Church of England. But in the other Part, wherein I retort their Objecftions, and fhew them as ftrongly conclufive againfi: Com- munion with their own Churches, I have enlarged more, few, I think, if any, at leaft, profefledly, and in a fet Treatife, having gone be- fore me in that way. The turning thus their Artillery upon their own Heads will be allowed, I fuppofe, fair War, a juftifiable and reafo- nable PREFACE. V nable Treatment of an Adverfary, and, perhaps, is the right way of treating thofe we have to do with, although, hitherto, in my humble Opinion, too much negleded by our Writers. When we urge them with Scripture, they find ways to darken and pervert it ; and wheij with Reafoning, they make a Shift, to oppofe .ours with fome Counter- reafonings of their own, which, however deceitful or incon- clufive, may pafs, and fatally im- pofe upon the weak, or the un- attentive. But when they are plain- ly {hewn to have in their Churches the fame Blemifhes or Defedls with which they upbraid ours, and to do the fame Things, or Things tantamount with thofe for which they vi PREFACE. they profefs to withdraw themfelves from its Commu-nion, they muft be very obftinate and perverfe, if they are not taken down^ and put effec- tually to Silence. It might be^ perhaps, worth ones while to take fome Pains upon this Argument, if it were only to em- barrafs them, and ftop their Mouths, and keep them, in time to come, from attacking the Church with thefe Objections in fo triumphant a Manner as they are wont to do. But I had a farther and more im- portant View in it, namely, to fet before them a plain Argument for Conformit'yj which has^ hitherto^ been very little^ if at all^ p^^Jf^d ttpon them. For if all our Churches are alike or equally faulty and de- fedtive. PREFACE. vii fedtive, why fhould they make it a greater Difficulty to conform to the eftaUiflied, than to any other? Nay, in this Cafe, it will be their Duty to conform rather to the Church eftabliflied by Law, and the general National Religion, than, in manifeft Violation of all the Laws of Chriftian Communion, to join themfelves to any fmall to- lerated Sed:, formed and fet up iii open Rivalfhip and Oppofition to it; and no other condu^l: can be efteemed either Rational of Chri-- Jlian. I am very fenfible, fuch an At- tempt as the prefent is liable to be conftrued, as if it were a charoe of, and a defign to expofe their want of Honefty and Sincerity. But viii PREFACE. But there is no neceflity for fuch a Conftru6lion. I am free to own, many of their Inconfiftencies and Self-condemnations here difcovered, and, perhaps, moft of them, may be charitably accounted for by the want only of common Attention and Refledion. But if this Charge or Imputation be alfo efteemed dif- obliging, I cant help it. Thus much however, I can fay, fome care has been taken that it might not be made more dtfobligtng than it is in it/elf y by my manner of pur- fuing it. A SE- A SECOND T T E R CONCERNING THE LIVES OF Churchmen and DifTenters, &a:. LT HOUGH I knew you too well to entertain the leqft doubt of your taking in good Part my' fincere and well-meant Endeavours, in my former Letter, to ferve you in your higheft Interefl-* I yet found it a very (tn^' flble Pleafure to be jifilired of it from yourfelf. And what added much to my Pleafure, was, your free and ingenuous Confeflion, that tho' I was not fo fortunate, as to give you entire Satisfa6lion in every Point I had occafion to touch upon, yet I had done it in fome, and, particularly, had ex- torted from you your old Prejudice, which always '■- -. 3 hung 2 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of hung about you, and you had been extremely fond of, to wit, that that Religion is to be always efteemed he/l, the Profejfors of which are ohferved to live heji^ and to be mojl fober, regular, and eX' emplary in their Converfations. This, thought 1 to tnyfelf, is a very material Point gained ; and I was fanguine enough to expe think themfelves ill treated, becaufe their Phyficians and Surgeons are not of their own chufing ; efpecially having Liberty to call in the AfTiftance of any other in Cafes of Difficulty and Danger, as any Pariflii- oner, in extraordinary Cafes, as under Doubts and Perplexities of Confcience, for Example, may feek for paftoral Initrudion and Advice, wherever he pleafes. Nor did our Fleets or Armies, as far as I have heard, ever mutiny on that Account. And as to Lawyers, tho' you may ordinarily employ whom you pleafe to plead your Caufe at the Bar, and to tranfaft for you fome other Matters, yet, in many Cafes one may eafily name, they are ^provided for you and impofed upon you. And particularly, you muft abide, tho* your whole Property, or even Life were at Stake, by fuch Judges as the King's Majefty Ihall appoint to diftribute Juftice in his Dominions. And this fuggefts a very plain Dif- ference between the two Cafes of chufing your Pallors, and chufing your Lawyers and Phy- ficians, Your Pallors are your Guides and Go- vernors Churchmen ^//^ Dissenters. 17 vernors, to whom you owe Subjeflion in fpi ri- tual Things ', and it is not, I think, quite fo reafonable to challenge to yourfelves the chufing of thefe as of the oiher^ who have no Authority over you, who are only to do for you one par- ticular Service, and be paid for it, and when that is done, have no firther Concern with you. Twenty Things more have been already faid by others, to Ihew the Difference, and to ex- pofe the Flaws of this Reafoning. But my prefent Bufinefs is not fo much confuting^ a» reprefenting this Principle, fhewing how it is held by You, and how notorioufly, all the while, flighted and countera^ed in your own Praflices. It is well known, that the Prefbyterians have not been always in the Sentiments they now profefs about this matter. There was a time when they had no Notion of any Right every one had to chufe his own Paf- tor, but ' argued againft it juft in the man- ner we now do. In their Jus Divinum Mi- nifterii Evangelici, this Pofition is laid down, that the Ele^ion of a Minifter does not belong, by divine Right, wholly and folely, to the ma- jor 'Part of every particular Congregation. And they endeavour to fupport it, by examining the Texts of Scrioture that were ufed to be then. and are iiow brought for the contrary Opi- nion, and fhewing how they were mifunder- ftood, or mifapplied ; and by an additional Confideration of the Mifchiefs and Inconve- niences of fuch Congregational Eleftions : nor did your ' Independents, when they came into Power, abolifh Patroniiges, and reftore the D People 1 8 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of People to their pretended Right to chufe their own Paftors, or indeed fhew any great Regard to their Di^fires and Inclinations here- in. Some, in the Days of Independency, in- Head of being chofen by the Parifiioners^ were induSfed into their Livings by a Troop of Horfe. After the Reiteration, indeed, the Cafe was altered. The Church was, then, re-efta- blifhed, and the conformable Clergy put into Pofleffion of the Livings. And then prefent- ly might be heard a loud and general Cry of all the Seels, your Prefbyterians, Sir, as well as others, for the Divine Right of the People to defert their Parifli Minifters, and to have Pallors of their own chufing. And this Cry has been hitherto continued, nor will, I dare fay, ever ceafe, unlefs they fiiould- have an Opportunity to feize again the pub- lick Churches and Revenues. And then, the former Do(5lrine and Pofitipn, in all likeli- hood, would be again taken up, that the E- Uuiion of Minifiers does not belongs by Divine Rights to the major . Part of particular Con- gregations. Such great and fadden Variations, you mud needs. Sir, confefs, have an Ap- pearance of fetting your Principles to the Times, and State of Things, and give great Caufe to fufpecft, that you your felves have no mighty Notion, and are not half perfuaded of the Sacrednefs of the Right to chufe your own Paftors, but that you maintain it, and bear it fo high, becaufe it \s convenient ^ fui- ted to your Circumftances and Situations. But this will appear more plainly, if we con- iider the manifeft Infradions and Violations of It \ Churchmen and DissENTfiRs. 19 It you are daily guilty of, and I am now going to lay before you. When any one of your Churches becomes vacant by the JDeatb or Conformity of the Mi- nifter, or his being called to a letter People^ you, Sir, need not be told, the way is, to fill it, as foon as may be, to prevent the Difperfion of the Flock, that is to fiiy, in o- ther Words, to -prevent their chufing^ for their Pallor, the Minifter of the Parifh, or fome other that is conformable, whom, during the Vacancy, they may have a Fancy to hear, and happen to take a liking to. But then who are the Eleftors ? In the lelTer Country Congregations, where there happens be one eminently fuperior to all the reft, it will be eafily believed, he has the Choice of the Paftor left to him. Had not j>w/. Sir, that Compliment paid you? I fancy you had. la "pthe'r Congregations, two or three, or half a dozen, we will fay, leading Men and princi- pal Subfcribers lay their Heads together, and pitch, upon one for their future Paftor, the reft, of courle, acquiefcing in him. And fo thefe, in effed:, and to all Purpofes, are the Patrons of the Benefice, or Preferment. In larger and richer Congregations there is often ia Competition. And who, in thefe Cafes, are ^•'the Eleblors '? '\?i iomt Churches the Coimnu- fiuantSy while the m.ere Auditors^ who, it may be, are Nine in Ten, are excluded: And when their Sulfrages have been admitted, it has been faid, none but the Men ^ nor all thefe in- deed, have any Concern in the Eledlion. Their ' Wives i their Sons^ and their Daughters, their D 2 Man- ao Afecbnd Letter concerning the Lives of Man-Servants, and their Maid- Servants, have had no Share in it. This, in my Opinion, is a little hard upon that Part of the Con- gregation. But does the Word of God lay this Hardfhip upon them ? Is the Election of Paftors, by the Scripture-Rule limited to Com- municants ? Or, if not to them, is it to the Males, the HouJJjoUers, or Suhfcrthers? Where do we read any thing like that ? - And as • this Method of Eleftion is not prelcribed or countenanced in God's Book, fo neither is it agreeable to your own Principles, as they are taught and maintained in your own Books. For as they ftand .there, every one is to have the Choice of his Pallor, who has a Soul to be committed to his Charge. And have not thefe Souls, as well as their Hujhands, their Fa- thers, or their Majlers ? And as thefe are by Jar the greater Number, were they allow'd to have any Part in the Eledtion, and to adt freely in it, the Majority of Voices, *tis pof- fible, might go another way. ' Well ! the Elecflion is now over ; and how few can pro- perly be faid to have a Pallor of their own ehiifing ? The far greater Part of the Con- gregation, nine in ten, or nineteen in twenty, as the Cafe may happen, had no Share in it ; and of thofe who had, very nigh half, it may- be, have a Pallor forced upon them by the reft, one too, whom they did not only not chufe, but have been firiiggling againjl, znd do- ing all they could to fet afide. And if thefe Ihould be fo untradable and felf-willed, as to think of fplitting the Congregation, in Fa- vour of the Gcjitlenian they would have had, (which Churchmen ^?2J Dissenters. 21 (which has been fometimes done, and, as one would think, upon your Principles, not a Word could be faid againft it) they fliall be fure to hear in both Ears of the Carnality (f Religious Contenkon, and of the bmous Sin of caufing Sdnhns in the Churchy and that they ought to be concluded by the Majority •, which upon your Principles, pardon me, good Sir, is juft fuch Nonfence, as if it were faid, that if the major Part were to chufe a Lawyer or Phyfician for the Congregation, the Minority ought to acquiefce in their Choice, and hold themfelves bound to make ufe of him, and of no other. But let all this pafs ; and let us fuppofe he was duly, that is to fay, unanimoujly chofen, and that not only by thofe that are common- ly efteemed the rightful E|e<5lors, but by the whole Congregation that are of Age and Abi- lity to judge, in fome reafonable manner, whom they had belt commit the Care of their Souls to. And we will fuppofe he lives a- mong them ( for that is a common Cafe ) Twenty, Thirty, or Forty Years. But then, alas ! One Generation cometh and. another goeth away \ and by this time, all his Eledtors, or very nigh all, may be in their Graves. What is it now that conftitutes the Relation between him and his prefent People ; and makes him a Paflor to them, more truly than the Pariih Minifter is to others that are conformable, and would be to them, if they would only pleafe to go to Church, and duly attend on his Mi- niftrations. He is, plainly, no Paftor of theirs -, for he is no Pa it or of their chujing. 22 A fecond Letter concerning the Lives of He might be a Paftor to their Anceftors, ' or to their Predeceflbrs in their Farms, or Shops. But what is that to them? Thefe have no more Right to impofe a Paftor upon all that come after them, than any Patron has to impofe one upon the prefent Inhabi- tants of the PariQi. In fine, there is no way i can lee, confiftently with your Principles, to make him related to the7n as i heir Paftor, but his making once in a while a formal Cejfion of his Meeting, and being then, if it ihall fo happen^ re- elected into it. In the next Place, Sir, I can't underftaind, how the Conftitution of a Church by an cxpl'i- cite Covenant (the Conftitution of many of your Churches) is reconciled with the Right of the People to chufe their Paftors, as they do their Lawyers or Phyficians. Perhaps, you will fay, this is very'ftrange; for is not their Covenanting with their Paftors to walk with them in all Chriftian Ordinances, according to God's Appointment, the very life and Exercife of fuch a Right? I agree to it. But then, Sir, I defire to know, is not this Covenant underftood to be, ordinarily, for Life? And do you chufe your Lawyers or Phyficians fo ? Do you chufe thefe once for all, and bind your felves to them by a Cove- nant, in fuch manner, that you can't leave them at pleafure, and when you think you have Caufe for it ? When you have chofen your Paftor, you may repent of it, and fome- limes, perhaps, have Reafon good to do fo. But your Choice is made-, and you are not at liberty to join your felves to another, unld* Churchmen and Dissenters. 23 unlefs he, to whom you were joined before fhall releafe you. And this plainly appears from a little Book, entitled. Heads of Agree- ment affented to by the United Minijiers in and about London, formerly called Prefhyterian and Congregational. Where, Sir, be plea fed to obferve, they were formerly called Prefhy- terian and Congregational, but were not thenceforward to be called fo. For thefe ^tw(y Sticks being made one, they were neither Prelbyterian, nor Congregational, but fome- thing between both. But this only by the Way. Let us come to the Point we were upon. Say the united Minifters, J ViftbU Profeffor joined to a -particular Church ought to continue Jledfajlly with the faid Church, and not forfake the Minijlry and Ordinances there difpen- fed, without an orderly feeking a Recommendation unto another Church. And if he attempt to join himfelf, without fuch Recomrriendation to another, he ought not to be received. ^ ought not (fay they) to admit any one to h a Member of our refpe^ive Congregations, that has joined himfelf to another, without Endeavours of mutual Saiisfa^ion of the Congregations concerned. It is not meant, 2iS you. Sir, perhaps, in the Reditude and Simplicity of your Heart may imagine, that a Profeffor joined, or in Communion with his Pariih Church ought id continue Jledfajlly with the faid Church, and not forfake the Minijlry and Ordinances there dif « A Sermon fo entitled, preach'd by Mr. Mead before the united Miniilers on occafion of their Union. ^enfedf 24 A fecond Letter concerning the Livei of penfed, and that, if he offer to join himfelf to a Diffenting Congregation, he ought not to be there admitted, unlefs the Minifter of the Parifti be content and fatisfied therewith. No, Sir •, Meo -periculo, I'll be anfwerable for them, that was none of their Meaning. His Parifh Church he may leave, as he pleafes, out of Will, or Humour, Levity, Interefi^ Dijiajle, or any Motive whatever, and be readily received among the7n without afking any Qaeftions, without bringing, or feeking a Recommendation from his Parifli Minifter. But when he has left his Parifh Church, and •is once joined to any Diffenting Congregation, then, Sir, but not before, it is a Sinful with- drawing, if he depart from that Congregation ■without leave, or aflcing leave, upon fuch Motives. And whatever his Motives are, he cannot be received into any other Church, without a fair Recommendation from his for- ■rner. They do indeed fay. Such Recommen- dation ought to be given, when the Cafe of the Per- fin apparently requires it. But who is to be Judge (he and his Church, you may be fure, and nobody elfe) of that Apparency ^:^ And he, for his Part, one may eafily fuppofe, is too much interefted in the Greatnefs of his Con- gregation, to be over free of fuch Favours. If one removes his Habitation to any great Diftance, that is a Cafe that does apparently require it, and his Paftor as one would ima- gine, can't, for ihame, refufe to difmifs him, and fend him away in Peace. And yet, per- chance, even in this Ciife, it may be held right, Churchmen and Dissenters. 25 right, not to difmifs him in hajle, or, perhaps, at all^ if there be thought any juft and rea- ibnable Exception to the Paftor, or Congre- gation, he is now betaking himfelf to. And in this Refulal he is plainly countenanced, if not ihlly juftified by Ch. 28. of The hijlitution of Churches and the Order appointed in them by Jejiis Chrifi^ where, after declaring the jult Caufes of any ones Departure, *tis faid, hs conftdting with the Church, or the Officer or Ojjiceri thereof, may peaceably depart from the Com- fnunion of the Church, wherewith he has walked^ to join himfelf with fome other Church where HE MAY ENJOY THE ORDINANCES IN THE Purity of the same. A plain Intima- tion, that in cafe it be apprehended he can- not enjoy there all the Ordinances in their Purity^ his DifmifTion may be juftly refufed. But as to the Plea of Diftance of Habitation, if he dill refide in any Part of London, or Wejl-^ minfter, with their Suhwrhs, and the Borough^ I doubt it will hardly, in any Cafcj be ad- mitted. For in all likelihood, it will be faid, he may ftill continue in the Communion of the Church whereunto he was joined, as hun- dreds are known to do from the moft diftanc Farts of thofe Places. -^ See, Sir, now, what Difficulties a Man may be brought into by this unfcriptural Method, this crafty Invention of a Church Covenant, how it deprives him of his Right, if not to chufe once, yet to difmifs his Paftor, when he fees Caufe, and that under the Shew of Liberty, it holds him in real Bondage. E Sometimes, 26 Ajecond Letter cmicerning the hwes of Sometimes, Sir, it happens that Gentlemen of your Perfuafion are pofrefled oF the Ad- vovvlbns of Benefices appendant to their Ma- PiOrs, or Eftates. How do they act, in the Difpofal of them, on any Vacancy? \\ they would ad: confcientioufly, according to their Principles, they can do no other than leave the Matter to the Parifh, prefcnting fuch Clerk as the Paridiioners ihall chufe, or no- minate. But I have not heard of any In- flances of this Proceeding. I fuppofe they do, upon fuch Occafions, like fome other Pa- trons regarding private and perfonal Confidt- rations, more than the real good ^ or (which, at lead, we ought to expe(51: from thc7ii) the Fancies and Inclinations of the Peo|)le. I know not. Sir, v^hether you are a Patron, hav- ing never been, as you may gUvfs, mightily jnquifitive after thole Matters. But a Rela- tion of yours as you very well know, has the alternate Right of Prefentation to the Ri- (flory of P , and when he difpofed of it the laft time it fell into his Hands, he never confulted^ or j/iindcd the Parifliioners but pre- fented a Gentleman cifler his ozun liking ; and you are not ignorant of the general Difcontent of the Parifhioners, thereat, and how much, then, they regretted the lofs of their late Mi- nifter. And from the few Inftances I have heard of, I am apt to think, it would, upon a particular Enquiry, be found, that fuch Clergymen as have been prefented by Diflen- ters, are generally lefs, but, to be fure, n(Jt more acceptable to their Pariiliioners, than ethers. I But Churchmen and Dissenters. zj But their mod fcandalous Contravention to their own Principles is in the Choice of City Le6lurers, where they are fometimes feen as bufy as other People, coIle<5ling and mufte- • ring their Forces in behalf of a Gentleman whom tbcy know not, nor ever intend to hear^ and care not a chip Jor, and flriving by the vveight of their Suffrages, to turn the Elecflion in bis Favour, and . fo /i^rr^ him u}X)n the Pa- rifh, againfl the likings as it may happen, of the far greater Part of his Auditors. This is not very modeft, no more than it would be in the Members of our Church to be feen throng- ing to a Meeting, to Vote in the Elecflion of your Miniliers. But fetting afide the Immo- defty of the thing -, it is fuch an open, direcft, immediate, bare-faced Contradiction to their avowed Principles, as Diffenters, that one would think it can't but be perceived by the rneanefl, or moll unattentive of them, and muft be accompanied with the Condemnation of their own Hearts. Their Minifters teach rhem, and they, doubtlefs, believe, that the Salvation of Men fo much depends upon their liking of their Paftor, that he ought to be of their own chufing. Yet will they, if it be polTible, impofe Paftors upon our People, againfi their Liking and Inclination, as if they meant to hinder their Salvation. I wiOi their Minifters would be pleafed to teach them bet- ter, and admonifh them not to intereft them- felves on thefe Occafions, but to walk more charitably towards us, as well as act more con- fifiently with themfehes. Permit me to tell thofe Gentlemen it would become them, and E 2 be 28 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of be much for their Credit to do fo. We lliould theniiy^ "This is fair ! This is honefi ! This is con- fijlent! But if, inftead of this, they let them go on, if not encourage them to Jiickle in thefe Affairs, they may be thought, perhaps, more attentive to their little Defigns^ and Party-Views^ than to their Principles. In fine, if this Prac- tice continues, I am humbly of Opinion, it ought to be, by Law and Authority, preven- ted, by taking away a Right (if any they have) prejudicial to the Church of England, and no way Valuable^ but rather Injurious to them- felves, inafmuch as they cannot make confcien- tioujly, any ufe of ir. Near a-kin with the foregoing there is another Reafon many of you have lor their Separation (but whether this. Sir, be one of yours, I am not certain) to wit, purer OrJinances, and better Edification. The publick Worfiiip of the eftablifti'd Church and the Inftiudions there given, are not, it feems, fo pure and fo edifying^ as thofe they find at Meeting. And they hold themfelves not only at Liberty^ but indeed hound, to chufe the pureji Ordinances, and to fit down under that Preaching, by which they think they can mojl profit. Of thofe who leave the Communion of the Church for the Meeting on any Religious Account or Pretence, (for you muff, Sir, be fenfible, fome do it for Interejly or out of Pique and Difiafie, and other Motives equally corrupt) I am well fatisfied there is hardly one in twenty, but do it, and will own they do it, chiefiy, if not fclely, upon this Ac- count. They have no Scruples about the Law- fulnefs of our Communion, at leaft at at the Time Churchmen <7w^ Dissenters, 29 ^i7ne of their leaving us, whatever they may come to have afterwards, through the Induftry ot their new Paftors, and the conftant Con- vei^ation of their new Friends, who will, doubt- lefs, omit no Opportunity to fow, and carefully cultivate, in their Minds, the fame Scruples and Prejudices they themfelves are pofltfTed with. And of thole who have always been in the diffenting V/ay, I am convinced there are not a few (divers there are, to my Knowledge) who will freely own they have nothing to fay iigainfi the Church, but that 'tis only for better teaching, that they do as they do, and continue in the Way they were put into. And they ap- prehend it is their Duty to do fo. This is what they fay, and your Minifters feem to ap- prove and fraife their Saying. They feem to be unanimous in this, that *tis Right to feparate for greater Purity of JVorfbip ; and I don't per- ceive they deny, but are willing enough to have it thought, that 'tis alfo right to feparate for more edifying Preaching, Edifying, fays "one of them, is generally iifed for Infiru5iing and teaching ; and a Man is edified, when he improves in Spiritual Knowledge, in Faith, in Love to God and Men. And this being (continues he, and, doubtlefs, agreeably to the Sentiments of the reft) the greatcft thing a Chrifiian has to look after, he is bound to ufe thofe means he finds moft conducive thereunto. This is true or falfe, according as it is taken. If it be taken to mean, that a Chriilian is bound, in Love and Juftice " Remarks on Dr. Wellit Letter, &c. p. 34. to 30 A feccnd Letter concerning the Lives, of to his own Soul, to follow, and conft.intly ad, here to fuch Teacher, as he apprehends to preach mcjl Edify'wgly^ To far as he fnay\ con- fidently with the Peace and common Edifica- tion of the Church of God, and the Duty he owes- to it, this I think may be admitted as true and inconteftable: But if it be taken to mean, as it muft mean to be pertinent to his Purpofe, that he is hoii}2d to adhere to fuch Teacher for his own private Edification, and and to follow him beyond the Pale of the Church, and at the Expence of its Edification, Unity, and Peace, nothing can be falfer ; and I may add, too, more abfurd, becaufe it fup- pofes, that, by means of committing a Sin, and ftaining his Soul with Guilt, he is edified and improved in Faith and Holincfs. And the Plea it contains for Separation is fuch, as none would make who have any Notion of a Church, and of one Church, or the lead Stnic of any Obligation Chriftians are under to preferve the Unity thereof. We find, Sir, every now and then, yourMi- niflers valuing themfelves for being the Cbii- dren and Followers of the old Puritans. I wifli to God that they were. We fhould not then fee them, as now we do, juftifying and en- couraging Separation, upon the fole Account of iefs defe^ive PFays of IVorJhip^ and viore e- difying Preaching. For fo did not the old Pu- ritans. If they were really their Children, and Inheritors of their Principles, we fliould have them daily, if not in our Pulpits, yet in our Churches, and their People following their Examples. And if there were any obllinate- Churchmen and Dissenters. 31 'ly continuing in their Separation, we might expe(5l to fee The Unreafouablenefs of Separation^ Separdtion j'elf- condemned^ A friendly Trial of the Grounds of Separation^ A grave and modefi Con- futation of the SeparatijfSy and the Arraigninent of Schifn, flowing from their Pens, as well as tVom thofe of their pretended Anceflors. To be plain, Sir, they miftake their Family: It is not fo good as they imagine. If they had afiy Forefathers among us, they muft be the old Brownifts^ not the Pit?'itans, their great Adverfaries and Opponents. The Brownifls were real Separatijls^ but thcfe not. Therefore they are their Fathers ; and 1 am forry to fay ir, they even feem to have degenerated from them, in Point of Loofenefs of Princi- ple about Church- Communion. The Brown' Jjts feparaced themfelves from the Church, be- cuufe, it feems, in their Opinions, it had not iha Effeme, and, as the Word is, th'; confiitu- tive Form of a Church. Give them a Church rightly, in their Minds, formed and conftitu- ted, and there is Reafon to think they would not have feparated from it, merely on fuch Accounts as we are now fpeaking of. Will you pleafe. Sir, to hear what they fay in their Apology N. i^. None are to feparate for Faidts and Corruptions, which may and will fall out among Men, even in true confituted Church- es, but by due Order to feek the Redrefs thire- of. And if not for Faults and Corruptioris, then not, furely, for mere BefcHs not effsntial, or for a greater Purity of Adminif rations, and kfs ftill, 1 think, for the fFant of the mofl ex- celknt and edifying Preaching. It 32 Afecondhetter concerning the hives of It is not. Sir, very eafy to underftand what it is that your Friends mean by lefs defe^iive Ways of Worjhip^ and -purer Adminifiratiom than thofe in the Church of England. As to De- fers in our Worfnip, Have we droppM or mutilated any Ordinance of God ? Have we not pubiick Prayers and Supplications to him for all needful Things? Do we not celebrate his Praifts ? Do we not read publickly the Ho- Jy Scriptures? Is not his pure Word preach'd? And the Sacraments, are not they duly admi- iiiftred among us? If any Gofpel- Ordinance be wanting, let them^ or will you, Sir, be pleafed to name it. — And as to Purity of Ordinances^ I know not what it fliould be, or confiil in, befides a Conformity to the Inftituiion. And pray tell me, which o\ the Ordinances of the Gof- pel are here adminiftred, in any fuch manner unconformable to, and difagreeing with the Inftitucion, as can, in the leaft, hinder and obftrud the Virtue and Efficacy thereof. I do indeed fufpcd: you eftimate the Purity of Or- dinances and Churches, by the Paucity of Rites and Ceremonies received into them, and hold thofe pureft that have none at all. By which Rule, your Churches (if you have no Ceremonies, which, perhaps, at fome other Time I Hiall inquire into) muft be efteemed purer than the Apoftolical, which had certain- ly fofne, fuch as the Kifs of Peace ^ uncovering the Heads of the Men in divine Offices, in to- ken of the natural Superiority of that Sex, and veiling thofe of the Women, in token of their Suhje5lion and Subordination to it. Suppofing, Churchmen ^;?^DissENTEFis. 3'^ Suppofing, however, fome Bcfe5fs 7Wt effen- iial^ fomething zvanting m our Church, that would be expedient and ufeful, or fomething in it, not ^o well ordered as could be wilhed, I am very fure that neither our blelTed Savi- our, nor his Evangelifts, or Apofties, Peter, Paul, James, or John, ever taught you, it was your Duty to renounce Communion with the Church on thofe Accounts. St. Paul, particu- larly, when he had Occafion, in his Epiftles, to take Notice of fome confiderable Irregulari- ties and Abufes which had crept into the Dif- cipline and Worlliip of the Churches he writes to, gives no Injunction or Command, nor fo much as drops the leaft Intimation of its be- ing the Duty of all who would be accounted faithful, to fet up feparate and lefs defeBive tVays of Worjhip, and to form themfelves into diftin6l and oppofite Communions upon that footing. Hence I think it is pretty plain, he had no Thought of the great Duty of Separa- tion upon Account of greater Purity, or lefs de- fe&ive Ways of Worflnpi Nor let it be fa id, we our felves ov/n the Truth and Juftnefs of this Principle, by our own feparating, for great- er Purity-of PForJhip, from the Church of Rome i Not, Sir, for greater Purity, properly fpeak- ing, but for Purity ahfolutely confidered, Th(2 Worfhip of that Church is grofly idolatrous, and, therefore, quite impure, and downright fin- ful ; and v/hen ours comes to be fo, I will freely allow yoU to go out from it, and do hereby engage to go out of it too, myfelf, in Company vvith you. F As 34 Afecond Letter cGJtcernmg the Lives of As tb more edifying Preachings we are not ignorant what is theirs, and what ours is. But no more. Sir, of this confident Boafling. I will allow theirs to be as edifying as they pleafe, fmce St. Paul does not allow that to be a good Plea for your Separation. Let any one think otherwife, if he can, when he reads and confiders thefe Words of his to the Corinthi- ans, I Cor. iii. 4. fVhile one fi^ith, I a?n of Paul, and another, I afn of A polios, are ye not car- ,fiai? Who then is Paul, ayid zvho is Apollos, hut Minijlers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every Man. I have planted, A- poUos watered: hut God gave the Increafe. So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, nei- ther he that watereth, but God that giveth the Increafe. Here is a lliarp and fevere Cenfure of their magnifying, and being puffed up for one Teacher againil another, and that, tho' he himfelf was one of the Parties fo magnified, and tho*, too, there was no adual Separation of the other, with his Adherents, in point of Church Communion, And here we have, too, Itrong Reafoning and convincing Argument a- gainft it. " Who am I, fays he in effedl, or who that Apollos whom fome of you fo extol, as if he had led you further, and given you a deeper Infight into the Myfleries of the Gof- pel, and edified you more, than I have done. "We are but Servants and Inflruments, by whom the Doctrine of the Gofpel has been convey'd to you, whofe Gifts, being from God alone, do not afford you the lealt ground to attri- bute any thing to your Teachers. I planted the Gofpel among you ; Apollos came after, and watered Churchmen and Dissenters. 35 watered it. What then ? Nothing from hence can be afcribed to either of us. Neither he, nor I have any Power to make it take Root, and grow in your Hearts. Our Gifts, whe- ther great or fmall, in this refped are as no- thing, but the Growth and Encreafe is owing to God alone, and to his Bleffing upon his Ordinance.'* Is this talking now like one who held it the Duty of every Chriftian to follow, tho* it were into a6lual and open Schifm, fuch Teacher as he judges the moil: excellent and edifying? No, Sir, he was far from inculcat- ing any fuch Church -dividing, and Church-de- ftroying Principle *, for fuch it plainly is ; and as it has been exceedingly hurtful to ^«r Church, fo, e'er this, it would have utterly confounded your Churches, if your People had conflantly purfued, and afted, in all things in Confift- ency with it, and your Minifters had not ta- ken (of which more by and by) wife Meafures and prudent Precautions to prevent its opera- ting among you, in fo dedrudlive a manner. To make it appear, that your People are not true to this Principle, and a6l, in many Things, inconfiftently with it, Itt it be remembred what it is, 'That every Chriftian is hound to adhere ta that way of Worfhip which is leaft defe^ive, and to that Teacher whom he judges moft edifying, is the Principle. Do they, now, follow this Principle in all Things ? Few of them do, any further than while they have feparated them- felves from the Church of England, by the help of it. When that is done, they lay if afide as ufelefs, or as Dangerous in thc:^ Ufe, F2 In J 6 Afecond Leifer concerning the Lives of In faying, as you do, you only chufe, as it is your Duty, the leajl defeolive Way of JVorJhipy you plainly confefs there are fome Defects in your own Way J as well as ours, though not fo ' great y or many. Now for the fime Reafon that you are hound to chufe a lefs defective JVay pf tVorJhip, you are, certainly, hound to chufe one that has no Defdofs at all. True, you will fay, but fuch an one is hardly to be found. | believe fo too: That is, certainly, the very Truth of the Cafe. But if fuch a Church is, at prefent, no where to be found, might it not be formed? Why fhould not you. Sir, and fuch pthers as are fenfible of Defefts in your own Churches, divide your felves from the reft who i^re fond of continuing them, and gathering together from all Parts, if there are not enough for the Parpofe ifluing out of each Congre- gation, form your felves into a Church which fnall be free from thofe Defeds at leaft, if not from all other? And if all cannot agree in any one Form or Method of Divine Worfhip that fhall be thought without Defe5l, you may fuh- divide again and again, and all who are like minded, in every 'Thing make up a little Flock, to wor- ship God in their own Way. I know, it will be faid, " This is quite Ridiculous and Abfurd! ^' This would be very Inconvenient, and tends ^' to endlcfs Confufion ! This would be doing '■'• like a certain New England Minifter, of *' of whom the Story goes, that he could not ^' bear the Defeds of their Worfliip there, and *•' therefore forfook itj turned a kind of Seeker^ "■'■ and at hll could not find (good Man!) a- ^^ ny Church upon Earth purified enough for Churchmen and Dissenters. 37 ** him to communicate withal.*' Well, that Gentleman may be ridiculed ; but, for all that, he was, I'll maintain it, a -peyfeElly confiftent Protejlant Dijjenter: He did but aft the true fraulical Part of his own Principle; and his Brethren m old England muft do the fame, or elfe renounce the Principle upon which the Church of Enghjid is forfaken. Thus, (for Example) in fome of your Churches, the Minifter ufes the Lord's Prayer', in others, not: Moil of you, 'tis like, approve of Singing David's Pfalms, but fome may be poflefled with Scruples, and think ^the Se^a- rian Objections which Mr. Baxter fpeaks of a- gainft Singing them, of great Weight, at leaft 'till they are Chrijlianized^ in fome fuch way as is done by Dr. PFatts, and made more fuita- bje to the Gofpel-State: In fome again, I fup- pofe, they are fung, the firft Line only being rehearfed aloud, the Congregation going on, of themfelves, with the reft ; in others, it is repeated Line by Line. Now, confidering that it is not the Harmony of your Sentiments ^nd Principles about thefe Matters, but mere Proximity of Habitation, efpecially in the Country, that brings you together to the fame Meeting, it would be very marvellous^ if it Ihouid fall out, that all^ in every Place^ whofe Lot it is to have their Habitations in the fame Parifh or Neighbourhood, and who, therefore, affemble together, fhould have the fame Sen- timents concerning thefe Things. As you are ' Cafes of Cpnfgience, ^eft. 1 24. well 38 A fecond Letter concerning the Lives of well known to think differently about them, one Part, a greater or a lefs, in every Congre- gation, may be fairly fuppofed to think, that the repeating the Pfalm Line hy Line is a Befe^^ as it interrupts and fpoils the Harmony ; ano- ther Part, particularly thofe that have not Pfalm Books, or cannot Read, muft furely think, the not repeating it fo is more than a Defe^, a real Corruption, as it keeps them from knowing what is fung, and joining in it, and is, therefore, contrary to Edification. And as to the Lord's Prayer, one Part of the Con- gregation is likely to think, the Minifters not ufing it, is a Slight and Difrefpeft to it, and the other, that it too much countenances Forms of Prayer, and tends to the quenching of the Spi- rit. And yet we find, thefe Defefts and Cor- ruptions notwithftanding, you keep together, and have no Thought of feparating, and fetting up a lefs defe^ive Way of Worfhips which, to be true to your Principles, any Child can fee you ought to do. There is as little Reafon to believe that your Friends do, generally, follow what they think the moji Excellent and Edifying Preaching, as that they, generally, adhere to what they efteem the leaf defe^ive Way of Worfhip. In the City, I guefs, they are moftly determined to embrace the Miniftry of this or that Gentle^ man, by their Perfonal Knowledge of, Friendfhip with, or Relation to him, fome particular View^ and Inter efts, Nearnefs of Habitation to his Meeting, and other Co: fi derations of the like Nature. And though, now and then, they may be difpofed to follow the Preaching of iomq Churchmen and Dissenters." 39 fome other Minifter of more Excellent Gifts, and admired Qualifications, yet they content themfelves to fit down, ordinarily, under the Miniftry of their own. And, indeed, if it were otherwife, I am ready to think, there would be fome half a Dozen, or fuch a number of Meetings, where the People would be throng'd to Death, while the reft would remain almofl: empty. Look into the Country, and there it will be plain, there are few or none but go to the neareft and moft convenient Meeting. But now, is it likely that all the Members of, each Congregation, or the Bulk and Generality of them, do in their Confciences think their own Paftor more Edifying than any they know elfe- where. It would be a mighty Chance, and indeed a Miracle, if it were fo. No doubt of it, there will be in the Neighbourhood, in one Place or other, whither they may refort every Lord's Day, fome other Minifter, whom great numbers of them can't but confefs to be more Edifying than he who is now their Paftor. And if there be, they will be obliged, I think, by their Principle, of the Duty of following the mojl Edifying Preacher, to refort, ordinarily, to him. Or if, in their Neighbourhood, there be none efteemed better than their own, yet in in their Journeys any whither, or when they have had Occaiion to repair to the famous City of London, they have chanced to find, among the learned Divines there, fuch an one, in com- parifon with whom their own Country Minifter ftiall be, perhaps, efteemed nobody, I don*t, fee how they can be excufed from removing their Habitations into the City, or near it, that they may 40 A fecond Letter concerning the Lives of may have the Benefit of his Miniftry. This I own, may be fomewhat inconvenient and pre- judicial to them, in their Worldly Concerns ; but no matter for that. It is not fit that leaving a good Farm, or well accuitomed Shop, or forfaking either Brethren, or Sifters, or Father, or Mother, fhould be put in Ballance againft the Edification and Salvation of their Souls. And if, for their own private arid particular Edifica- tion, they can difpenfe with themfelves to dif- iurb the Peace of the Churchy and tear it in Peices^ I think they may well fubmit to fome Temporal Inconvenience, on the ilime good Account. It was intimated before, that your Minifters have taken fome wife Meafures and Precautions to hinder the Operation of this Principle to their own hurt. This, Sir, is done by the Covenant before-mentioned, which your Independants, or Congregational Men bring their People into, to receive them for their Paftors, and to walk conflantly with them in Chriftian Ordinances. I fometimes wonder within myfelf, that their People, v/ho have fo deeply imbibed this No- tion, that their Salvation fo much depends upon their having the mojl Edifying Teaching, fliould be fo unrefleding and inconfiderate, as to fuf- fer themfelves to be drawn into any Engage- ments of this Sort, and to pin themfelves down, perhaps for Life, to the Miniftry of any one whatever. They fhould have confidered, tliere is a good deal of Delicacy and FaJUdioufnefs in their Tafie of Preaching ; and, therefore, that they could not be fure, that, the firfl RelifJo being Gver^ he will appear to ihern a^ Edifying as he Churchmen and Dissenters^ 41 he does now \ or, however, that there is, in moft, fuch a Ficklenefs and Inclination to change, that they cannot be certain- they fhall like any, very long. And if they were fure they fhould always like him as well as they do at prefent, they cannot be fure, but feme other Minifter may be found, or come: into the Country, before long, whom they may like ftill better, and think more Edifying than he^ and that they may then have upon their Spirits a flrong Impulfe, and irrefiftible Incitation 10 put themfelves under his Miniflry, when they can't do it. They may humbly pray to be difmified, averring and protefting, they have found a Gentleman by whom- they can profit more, as pofiibly they may twenty, one after another ; for, as ^ Mr. Baxter obferves, there may he twenty Mimjlers,. one abler than another in their feveral Degrees ; to fay nothing of the Hu- mours and Caprices of men, which will make the Difference between them appear ftill greater. I fay, they rhay pray and plead for DifmifTion, but their Plea is not like to be ad- mitted. They will, probably, be told, it is not allowed to be good, in the Churches ♦, and be refer'd for this to ^he Inftitution and the Or^ den appointed in them by J-efus Chrift, where Sed:. 28. they will read thus, — Perfons that are joined in Church Fellow/hip ought 7iot lightly^ or zvithout juft Caufe, to withdraw themfehes from the Communion of the Church, whereimto they are fo joined-, and then, the juft and weighty » Defence of the Cure, Part I, Page 85. G Caufes 42 AJecond Letter concerning the Li'ves of Caufes for withdrawing, allowed to be fuch m their Churches, are thus enumerated. Neverths- lefs^ where any Perfon cannot continue in any Church without his Sin, either for want of the Acimini ft ration of any Ordinance injiituted hy Chrift, or hy his being deprived of his due Pri- vileges, or compelled to any thing in Pra^ice not warranted by the Word, or in Cafe of Perfecu- tion, or upon the Account of Conveniency of Habi- tation, he, confulting with the Church or the Officer or Officers thereof, may peaceably depart. — Here, Sir, you lee, and they doubtlefs, will be bid to obferve, is not a Syllable concerning departing, or being difmilTed, for better Edi- fication. And as that is a Caie more likely to happen, and which, doubtlefs, does happen ten times oftener than any of thofe that are men- tioned, we may be fure it would have been mentioned, and the fame Indulgence of a peaceable Departure v/ould have been allowed in this as in the other Cafes, if the Reafon for it had been efteemed fufficient. And then, in order to terrify them, they will, without Quef- tion, be put in Mind of the Covenant of God, which they entred into before him, and his Holy Angels, and is recorded on high, to accept their prefent Pallors, and to walk with them in fub- jedion to Chri/i^s Appointment, and what a Sin it would be, if, from their own Fancy, Will, or' Humour, they fhould break their Bond, and and leave their Place, But to make them eafy, they will, probably, be told, in Conclufion, and earneftly defired to confider, that the Be- nefit of Sermons does not folely, or chiefly, depend upon the Gifts and Accomplifliments of Churchmen and Dissenters. 43 of the Preacher, but on the good Difpofitions of the Hearers, and the Bleffing of God, that, under the Miniftry of their prefcnt Pallors, no- thing is wanting that is requifite to bring them to Salvation, and if they believe that^ they may and ought to be content, in Confideration of the Peace and Quiet, which all good Chriftians ought to feek, and have a tender Regard to, and indeed, to the very being of the Churches, which muft be difiblved and broken in Peices, if all were to follow their Examples, and every Man to run from Minifter to Miniiter, Church to Church, to find out, or under Pretext of having found out, better Means of Edifica- tion. This Do6lrine is very likely to be de- livered, and earneftly inculcated, on fuch Oc- cafions-, and, if it were rightly applied, is true, however unfeemly it may appear in the Mouth of a Difienting Minifter, who has been, per- chance, at proper Times and Places, continu- ally countenancing and encouraging, if not openly teaching, a quite contrary one, and owes, it may be, no inconfiderable Part of his Congregation and Income to the Impreffions made by it. However, fuppofe the general Plea of bet- ter Edification Ihould be allowed good ; there may, yet, be Reafon for not admitting it in any particular Cafe that may hapten. Eet it be re- membered, as was obferved above, that any Church-member is to be peaceably difmified, ivhen the Cafe of the Perfon apparently requires it ; and put, then, the Cafe, that the Queftion is, whether a Member of Dr. Guife\ Congre- gation (for Example) Ihali be allowed to de- G 2 part. 44 A fecond Letter concerning the Lives of part, for better Edification, to Mr. Chand- ler* s, or, vice verfa, one of Mr. Chandler'' s tq Dr. Guifeh. Now it may not be apparent to either of thofe Minifters, as it is to be before he is difmiffed, that this Perfon can edify bet- ter under the Miniftry of the other. Dr. Guife may think it even impoJfMe he fhould profit more under Mr. Chandler'*^^ and Mr. Chandler think it equally impoffible he fhould be letter edified and inflrufted urtder Dr. GuifieH Miniflry, and his Manner of Preaching Chriffy than his own. This Suppofition will hardly be thought unreafonable by any one, into whofe Hands the Books of thefe two Gentlemen a- gainfl each other concerning th£ true Manner cf Preaching Chrifl Iball happen to fall. And y/hat is fuppofed of thefe two, may be as •well fuppofed of any other two, who may ad- here as obftinately to their refpediive Notions, and be as much divided in their Opinions and Sentiments about the Subjedl of this Con- troverfy, as they were. And then if either cannot, or will not be fatisfied, that any of their People may be better edified by the o- ther, they mufl be content, for what I car> fee, to keep to their prefent Paftor, recon- cile themfelves to him, and make the beftUfe they can of fuch Inflrudlions as he is able to, give them. I will put an End to this tedious Argu- gument, with briefly relating an Affair touch- ing the Subjeft we are now upon, between a late DifTenting Minifler, and one of the Mem- bers of his Congregation. And though the Affair be perfonal, yet as it is public, and has beea Churchmen tf;?^ Dissenters. 45 been many Years in Prints and both Parties are now, in all Probability, dead and gone, J hope I may do it without difpleafing. The Gentleman, Sir, was Dr. JVilliams, he, who by his Writings againft the pernicious Prin- ciples of the Antinomians, which with great Violence and Impetuofity were breaking in up- on your Churches, reclaimed many, and gain- ed to himfelf thereby much Credit, which, though it may feem a Deviation from the Matter in hand to mention, I was willing ta take notice of, that it may appear to you, I am always difpofed to give them their Due, and ready to acknowledge whatever Service they Ihall render to the Church of God. The Lady was a Widow, who had been folemnly joined to his Congregation by this Covenant ; but upon fome Account or other, no matter what, became weary of his Miniftry, and had a great Defire to join herfelf to Mr. Show- efs Congregation. And by fome Expreflions in his Letter to her, fuch as her grieving his Spirit, defpifing her Paftor, and weakening his Hands, it fhould feem her Departure was for the fake, or under the Pretence of better Edi- fication. But was this allowed a fufficient ground for her Departure .? Far from it. It is declared to be Jlight, fuch as Chrift has no where allowed, fuch as no foher Chrijiian ever leaves his P aft or upon, and fhe could have no Pleafure in, upon a Death-led, or at the Bar of Chrift. He calls it her Sin, which he, in real Friendfhip to her, would prevent, and gives her to underftand, he fhould not omit ptihlick Pro- ^£edings, if fhe was not reclaimed to her Duty, drawing Difciples after them. Nor does it appear to me there is more Reafon in that other Pretence, that the feve- ral Difpenfations of God*s Providence, the va- rious Changes and Alterations in the Affairs of a Nation^ or of a Perjht, requiring fui ta- ble Petitions and Acknowledgments, cannot be well provided for in prefcribed Compofitions, but only in free Prayer. For thefe may be eafily foreknown, and proper Prayers or Thanks- givings provided for them, as is done, tole- rably well, in our Liturgy ; and in extraordi- nary Conjundures, fpecial Forms may be com- pofed on purpofe, as is alfo done, occafion- ally, as you very well know, by the Archbi- fhops and Bifliops of our Church. And as to particular Perfons, their Infirmities and Sor- rows, whether of Mind or Body, and their grateful Acknowledgments of Relief and Com- jbrt received under each of them may be fui- red by proper Forms, or remembred under Jarge and general Expreflions. You think, I Ibppofe, this is not enough, but that the Par- ticularities of each one's Cafe fliould be re- prefented, difplay'd, and fpread before God, and the Congregation. But, Sir, there's no Occafion for it ; and fometimes when it has been done, it had been much better let a- lone. Stories go about of fpecial Cafes hav- ing been particularized and explicated in fuch a manner, as has been juftly elleem'd ridicu- lOUSj Churchmen ^;?^ Dissenters. 5^ lous, and very offenfive to the Congregation. And fuch is the fcantling of fome People's - judgment and Difcretion, that they may be eafily believed. This, however, is certain, that fet Forms may be fo framed as to com- port much better with extraordinary Cafes and Occafions, than free Prayer can with common and ordinary ones. A precompofed Form may comprehend a vaft Variety of Matter, and all the common Wants and Defires of a Chri- ftian may be colledled and taken into it^ which is impoflible to be done in an extem- porary and unpremeditated Prayer ; for that will contain nothing but what comes into the Man's Heart, or Head» during the Time of Praying. And if we fuppofe he premeditates, and forecafts in his Mind the whole Matter of his Prayer, and means to take in all 'Things that be requifite and 7iecejfary as well for the Body as the Soul, he will be apt to forgec many things when he comes to be engaged in the Duty. And, accordingly, I doubt mod of your Prayers are very barren of Matter, compared with the Fullnefs of our Liturgy. We pray therein for all Kinds of BlefTings, and de- precate all Sorts of Evil, fpiritual and tempo- ral : We pray for Peace, Unity, and Concord to all Nations : We pray for our own Church and Nation, for the King's Majefly, that he may be richly and flenteoujly endued with all Heavenly Gifts^ that he may live long in Health ^ and Wealth, overcome all his Enemies, govern his own Subje6ts qiiietly and godly, and finally attain everlafting Felicity for hiinfelf: For his Royal IfTue we alfo pray, that they too may I U ^8 Afecond Letter ccncernhig the Lives of ■fee endued with Heavenly Grace, profpered here iinth all Happinefs^ and come hereafter to the kingdofn of God : For the High Court of Par- liament, that all their Confidtations may he as well profpered as dire^ed to the Advancement of God*s Glory, and the tVelfare of the Kingdom ; for all in Authority, that they may ufe the Power that is committed to them for the mi- mjtring of Jujlice indifferently and impartially, and for the Maintenance of Virtue and true Re* ligion : For the Church univcrfal, befeeching God that he would rule and govern it in the right Way, and continually infpire it with the Spirit both of Truth and Concord, and that all who name the Name of Chrifi may agree in the Truth of his holy Word, and live together in holy Love and godly Unity : For the Billiops and all the Clergy, that God would pour con- tinually upon them his Grace and Bleffing, and iUu77nnate them with true Knowledge, that in their Do^rine his true and lively Word may he fet forth, and exhibited, accordingly, in their own Converfations. We pray that all the Crafts and Subtleties both of wicked Afen and Devils againft the Church of God, may he difperfed a?2d brought to nought, that, being hurt by no Perfe- cutions, we may be evermore at liberty to ferve him in it. We intercede with God that he would have Mercy upon all Men, that he would keep and preferve all who are expofed to Danger whether by Land or Water, the Wo- man labouring with Child, the Sick, the Prifo- Tier, the Captive, the Orphan, and the Widow, and that he v/ould fuccour all under their fe- veral Neceffiries, Defolation'?, and Oppreflions. We Churchmen and Dissenters. 59 We plead alfo for our Enemies, for thofe who perfecute tis, and fpeak evil of us, that God would forgive them their paft Wickednefs, and turn their Hearts from it, for the future : For thofe who ftand and manfully refift the Af- faults, the Crafts, and Temptations of the De- vil, that they may be yet more Jlrengthened ; for the weak-hearted, and feeble-minded, who have been fometimes foiled, and are growing faint with the Combat, that they may be com- forted and fupported ; and for the adiually faU len,. that they may be raifed again, and all of us treed down Satan under our Feet. We make, too, our Supplications in behalf of thofe who have v/ilfully and obftinately erred, and thof^ alfo. Sir, who, with pure Intentions, like your own, have been deceived, that God would give them Repentance to the Acknowledg- ment of the Truth, and bring them back into the Way of it. In regard to Temporals, we pray, as we are taught to do, for our daily Bread, for the Prefervation of the Fruits of the Earth, that in due Time we may en'wy them. We pray, that we may be defended in all the Jiffaults of our Enemies, that we may noc run^ in the T)ay, into any kind of Danger^ and be delivered from the Perils of the Night ; and that we may alfo be delivered from all Scdiiion, Confpiracy, and Rebellion, and from thofe fear- ful Calamities of Peftilence and Famine, Battle and Murder, with which God often vifits u fmful People, and which we have too righte- oufly deferved. In reference to Sj)i-''iiuals, v;e never alfcmble without makins an humble Confejlion of all our Sins, thofe of Omifiion a^ I z weii 6o /ifecond Letter concernifig, the Lives of v^ell as of Commiffion, befeeching God to home Mercy upon us, to fpare usy and rejiore us, and to give us true Repentance that we may live hereafter a godly^ righteous^ and fiber Life^ to his Glory. We pray that we may not be led into Temptationt and have Strength to re- fi'ft it, that we may be delivered from all Blind- iiefs and Hardnefs of Hearty and from that Con- tempt of God's Holy Word and Commandments^ which is now fo prevalent and fafhionable a- mong us. We pray to be delivered from He- -refy and Scbifm -, from thofe Spiritual Sins of JE»^7, Hatred, Malice^ Uncharitablenefs, Vain-^ glory of Temper, Pride of Mind, and Hypo- crify of Heart •, and from the flefhly ones of Fornication^ Uncleannefs, Lafcivioufnefs, and all other Sins of the more deadly Sort, which they who do fid all not inherit the Kingdom of God\ and from thofe alfo which moft eafily befet us in the Time of our Tribulation as well as in the Time of our Profperity and Wealth. And that we may be preferved from all thef- Sins, and enabled to amend our Lives according to God's Holy Word, we beg of him to grant us his Holy Spirit, and to cleanfe our Hearts by its In- fpiraiion, to give us Peace of Confcience which the World cannot give, to give us Grace and Increafe of Grace, to give us Hearts both to love and dread him, and to incline them to keep each l«aw of the Ten Commandments. In regard to Eternal Things, we pray him to deliver us in the Hour of Death, and in the Bay of Judg- ment, and to grant us, in the World to come. Life everlajling. In regard to the common Sup- ' plications we have bttn making unto him, we befecch Churchmen and Dissenters. ,6i befeech him to fulfil ths Befires and Petitions of his. Servants^ and in regard to the Word read or preach'd, we alfo humbly befeech him to give us Grace that we ?nay hear it meekly^ re- ceive it with pure Affe^ion and due Reverence^ and bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit. Nor do we ever fail to blefs and praife him for our Creation, Prefervatign, and all the Blef- fings' of this Life, for the Redemption of the World by our Lord Jefus Chrift, for the Means of Grace, and for the Hopes of Glory. Thefe Things, which I have thrown together with little Order and Connexion, omitting ma- ny others which it would have been almoft endlefs to recount, you will grant, I fuppofe, to be fit matter for the common Prayers and Supplications of the Church ; and I now. Sir, put it to you, if you have ever found fo great a Variety of Matter in any one oi your ordinary Prayers. I doubt, fome half a do- zen, or very few more, of thefe Particulars, fet off with a Multiplicity of Words, and, perhaps, fome — Repetitions, will be fufficient Matter for one of your Prayers. And, indeed, I muft fay, it behoves your Miniflers to be as fparing as they can of the Matter of their Prayers, that they may not be always Pray- ing for the fame 'Things. For a conftant Round of the fame Things, may be, 'tis like, as tire- fome and difgufting to their Audiences, and ' caufe as much Coldnefs in their Spirits, as a conftant Round of the fame Phrafes and Expref- fions. I muft beg. Sir, your leave that I may briefly take notice of one thing more, and I defire 62 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of defire it the rather, becaufe I am not aware it has yet been obferved by any of our Wri- ters. You muft be fenfible that in all our larger Congregations, more efpecially thofe in Town, as well of Non-Conformifts as Con- formifts, there mull be many at a confidera- ble Diftance from the officiating Minifter, and almoft out of hearing ; and what for Cough'wg^ Hawking^ and Spitting within Doors, and Noi- fes from without^ it will be impofTible for thefe to go along with the Minifter, in any Form that is new to them, and ft ill lefs, if he hap- pens to have a weak and low Voice, as ma- ny of your Minifters, and fome, Sir, of your own Friends, as I am informed, have : and the fame may be faid of others, who are nearer the Minifter, if their Hearing be, in any degree, by Age or Difeafe, impaired : but a very iraperfecfl Hearing will ferve both one and t*other to join with him in any Form which they are well acquainted with, and have almoft by heart. Nay, Sir, one who is quite deaf, by means of certain Helps that may be had, may, tolerably well, accompany the Minifter in the Ufe of our Liturgy. You know. Sir, this is the Cafe of Mrs. F ' and I have fometimcs obferved with a Mix- ture of Pity and Pleafure, how, by the Help of her Bible, and Common-Prayer Book, by ob- ferving the Motions and Gejlures of the Con- gregation, and the Lips of the Minifter, ihe has gone along with him throughout the whole Service, and have been told, llie is very rarely thrown out, and, when ftie is, foon recovers herfelf, and comes up again with the Congre- gation Churchmen and Dissenters. 63 gation. Now, Sir, I pray tell me, what fhould ihe do at one of your Meetings, where Ihe could have no other benefit from your Pray- ers, than fhe has now (poor Lady) from our^ Sermons. You mud needs confefs all thefe Peo- ple are fairly ours \ and you ought to refign them to us. Nay, you are obliged, and that in purfuance of your own Principle, to tell them as plainly as you do fome others whom you have lefs Reafon to tell fo, that they ought to go thither where they can mofi profit ; and that is certainly at Church ; even fuppofing your Minifters endowed with the Gift and Grace of Prayer in a fupreme Degree, and to be the ableft Teachers in the World, and their own Parifh Minifters the mofl meanly fur- nifhed with all Paftoral Abilities and Accom- plifhments. In the next place. Sir, you fay. Kneeling at the Sacrament is an Impofition ; and the Avoid- ance of Kneeling injijled upon by your Mini- fters, is not lefs (I fay) an Impofition ^ than cur injoining it : and Dr. Watts himfelf, does in effed:, admit this. He obferves, that, to our univer- fal Reproach, there is ficarce any Party of Chri- jiians hut has been too ready to impofe fiome Do- Brines upon the Beliefi of ih(ir Profelytes which Chrift has not impofed, or to require of them fome PraBices, or fome Ahftinences about Meats, or Bays, or 'Things indifferent, which Chrift has ftot required^. We have, here, not only a plain Acknowledgment that an impofing Spi- » Humble Attempt, 6cc, pag. 47, 64 A fecojid Letter concerning the hive ^ of rit is no peculiar and diftinguifhing Charadler of the Church of England, and that there is fcarce any Church without it (which is fome- thing to my Purpofe) but alfo (which is more to my Purpofe) a Confefrion, that whatever Church fhall require an Ahftinence from, or an Avoidance of any thing indifferent, is as much guilty of an Impofuion, as if the fofitive Prac- tice of that thing was required. And if fo, your Churches muft be efteemed guilty of it, in requiring an Ahjlinence from Kneeling ; unlefs it can be fhewn, that that Gefture is not in- different, and fome Law of Chrijl, or Command in the Gofpel, can be pointed out, obliging to the Obfervance of any one Gefture, in par- ticular. But not content with this, you do really impofe the Obfervance o^ one particular Gefture upon your Communicants, and expe<5t they Ihould conform to it. You will allow me. Sir, to bring aeainft you your own Directory, once more ; and by that, fitting is impofed, as much as kneeling is, by the Common Prayer. For thus it fays, The 'Table being decently covered, and fo conveniently placed, that the People may orderly fit about it. And if it were not impo- fed by that, it is truly and properly impofed {^^ was fhewn above) by the regular unvaried prac- tife of your Churches, by your Minifters requiring, and infjling upon it, and refufing to abate of it. If one fliould prefent himfelf to take the Sacrament ft'anding, but, efpecially, Ihould he prefume to offer to take it upon his Knees, I put it to you. Sir, whether you don't think he would undergo fome clofe Arguings, and Churchmen ^W Dissenters." 65 and fevere Expoftulations, and be plainly t6ld; that fince he Jee??ied to be contentions^ you had no fuch Ci(Jlo7h, neither the Churches of God. And I put it to your Minifters, whether they would, fhould he continue obftinately in that Pofture, give it him at all. I have indeed reafon to believe there are feme few in a freer and jufter way of. thinking concerning this, and fome other Matters in Controverfy be- tween us, and who would not feruple to give the Sacrament kneeling to one who fhould earneftly defire it ; but I dare fliy, the Bulk and Grofs of them are as rigid as Mr. Baxter in this particular, and would no more give it fo than he was willing x.6 do. It feems, there were fome Who had a Mind to take it of him^ but kneeling. He did not care to give it themj in that Pofture ; at which a certain Gentleman was fo offended, as to become a great Oppo- fer of his re-eftablifhment as Keden?mjier, af- , ter the Reftoration. Nor would he ever yield to let them receive it fo, unlefs they would do it, at the fame time with others who received fitting. But this, belike, they fcrupled to doi fo, he would not give it them at all. Dr. Calamy in his Abridgment of the Life of Mr. Baxter (p. 296. 2^ Edit.) relates fuch a Story of him ; not, I affure you, Sir, with any Blame, but with evident Tokens of his Approbation of this Stiffnefs. Could fuch a Conduft and Be- haviourj and fuch a manifefl Approbation of it, have been ever expeded from two fuch Ad- vocates for Condefcenfion to fcrupulous Con- sciences, two fuch Abhorrers of Impofitions, as Mr. Baxter^ and Dr. Calamy were.? Though, K indeedj 6 6 Afecond iMter concerning the hives of indeed, with Mr. Baxter it was a common Thing to deftroy the Tubings he had before builty to be inconfiftent with himfelf, and contradift his own Principles. And now, Sir, having thrown back your charge of Impofition in regard to the Pofture of receiving, and, as I humbly conceive, made it appear, that, if our Church impofes one^ your Churches impofe^ as truly and properly, another^ we will confider, if you pleafe, your great and popular Objeclions to that Pofture which is impofed by us, and try if thefe alfo may not be ftrongly retorted upon you. 'The Pofture, (you fay) wherein we receive is not conformable to our Lord*s Example in the Infti- iution and firft Adminiftration of this Sacrament^ that it firft grew out of the monftrous 'DoEirine of Tranfuhftantiation, is, therefore, a Popifh Cere- mony, and, yet, ahufed to ferve the Purpofes of Idolatry, and naturally tending to it. To the firft I reply, that if it is not conformable to the Example of our Lord, in the Inftitution, it is not necefTary it fhould, unlefs it can be ihewn, that he meant, in the. Pofture he ufed at the Inftitution, to fet us an Example, that we fiiould do, as he then did. I don't know any other Mediu?n whereby this is attempted to be ftiewn, befides the Words of our Saviour, do this. And do they fhew it ? Can any reafonable Man believe, thofe Words had any further re- ference than to the Rites, and Sacramental Ac- tions, wherewith the Inftitution was performed, or that they are to be extended to the very Qefture, It may be as well fuppofed, they are to Churchmen and Dissenters. 67 to be extended to all other Accejjhries^ or Ap- pendant Circumfiances of the Inftitution. Why, Sir, do you not contend for the TJle, after our Saviour's Example, of unleavened Bread ? There being as good Proof, and, I think, better, that he adminiftred with this, as that he did it in the Gefture you imagine. And how comes it, that you hold not the neceflity of ufing /i^i;^(? mixt with Water? For the Prefumption of his ufing fuch, at that time, is as ftrong, as of his ufing the Gefture before mentioned. Why don't you plead for celebrating only in an upper RooWy only in the Evening, and that too im- mediately after a full Meal, as our Lord is fuppofed to have adminiftred prefently after eating the Pafchal Feajl ? Why do any of you allow of Sacraments in the Morning, and per- haps fajiing ? Why do you ever admit more than can fit at one Table, or than twelve Com- municants, the number of the Apoftles, at one time? And why any Women? For there were none here. Don't you fee. Sir, to what lengths of Abfurdity this kind of Reafoning will run, and what Whimfies it inevitably leads to? And I wonder your People have not been yet led into them. What can be the Caufe of their ftopping fhort, and not purfuing their Reafoning as far as it will go, into other Things, the neceflity of which may be demon- ftrated, the fame way? There muft be fome Reafon for this •, and if you will give me leave, I will prefume to guefs what. I doubt, they have fome Sufpicions of the Goodnefs and So- lidity of this way of Arguing, and are, there- fore, fo honeft, as not to ufe it a bit farther K % than ^8 A fecond Letter concernwg the Lives of than there is prefent Occafion for, that is, nq farther than is juft neceflary to keep up the Separation between us. But how, Sir, after all, are you more con- formable than %ve, in this particular, to our Saviour's Praflice and Example? It is not fo cerr tain as you feem to fancy, that he adminiftred, and the Difciples received in the fame Pofture wherein they ate the Paflbver. It is not faid they did •, nor can it be fairly, from any Circumftances, collefted. The Pofture, for what we can tell, might be changed, and there is fome proba- bility it was, becaufe, between the Paflbver and the Supper, the Blejjing of the Elements, or giving of thanks intervened ; and one would hardly imagine that was done in the recumbing Pofture. But let it be fo, and let all be fup- pofed done in that Pofture (I Jhall not need, I prefume, to defcribe it to you) how can it be faid your Pradtice is conformable thereto ? I thought. Sir, you had received fitting. Is it not really fo ? But if it is, what Agree- ment and Conformity, I pray, is there be- tween our Lord's and your Pracflice? It is not enough to fay, his was a Table-gefture in that Country, and fo is yours in this. For if Do this has any reference to the Gefture, it certainly directs to that particular and precife. Gefture that was then ufing. And if that, in thefe Parts of the World, be not a Ta- ble-Gefture, it, furely, pughr, by Virtue of this Precept, as underftood by you^ to be niade fo, at leaft in the Participation of this Supper. Que Churchmen ^«^ Dissenters. 69 One Thing more upon this Head it may be proper to obferve concerning your Mi- nillers, and their manner of receiving. It muft be admitted, and, I fuppofe, will, at lead 'till the Ufes to be made of fuch a Con- ceflion fhall be pointed out, that they are as much obliged, as their People^ to conform them- felves to the Gefture wherein our Lord infti- tuted this Sacrament. Now they, whatever others may think, don't allow, I fuppofe, that he ever changed his Pofture, but contend, that he kept conllantly in the recumbing Pofture, during the whole time of the Inftitution, even then when he was UeJJing and giving 'Thanks. To be conformable, therefore, to this Exam- ple, (if fitting, as they fay, be really con- forming to it) the Minifters, the Adminiftra- tors, ought to fit, and that always, and never once rife up from their Seats during the whole Service. But do they do fo? I doubt Jiot, However, you, Sir, know better than I, whe- ther they do, or not. This I obferve. Sir, in your Dire^ory, that it orders the Communi- cants to fit at the Tahle -, but when it fpeaks of the Minifter by himfelf, it only orders that he be at the Table, when he himfelf communicates, and diftributes the Bread to others. From whence it fhould feem, it was not expe6led, or however, not required as necelTary, he fhould be fitting, but that it was fufficient, if he were only at or about the Table in any Way or Pofture whatfoever. Now, Sir, will you pleafe to inform me whether your Minifters hold themfelves obliged to fit always, as our Saviour, they pretend, was always in the recumbing Pofture, yo Afecond Letter concerning the Lhes of Pofture, or whether they think they may take the liberty, fomctimes, to Jland^ as, particular- ly, at the time of their own receiving, (as I have been informed fome have done) or all the time they are San5fifying the Elements^ making their Exhortations to the People, or their Prayers and ^hankfgivings unto God ; and whether, in your larger Congregations, where the Communicants are fo numerous that hardly, perhaps, a tenth Part can fit at the Table (for, I prelume, you have no where more than one) they do not walk about the meeting from Pew to Pew, diftributing the Elements to fuch of the Communicants as arc fitting there. And if they do this, whether you think there be in it any fuch flridl Conformity to our Lord*s Praflice and Example, as you exaft of us. If they ever walk about the Meeting from one Pew to another, with the Elements in their Hands, or if they only ftand while they are ftirrlng up the People, or bleffing God, thefe are, according to their own way of Arguing, manifeft Deviations from that Example. But if they ftand, too, in the A5f of Receivings the Deviation muft be acknowledged to be ftill greater I come now to the other Objeflion again ft Kneeling fet forth above, concerning the Po- pry thereof-, and I affure you. Sir, that, in every Part of it, your Friends are greatly miftaken. As to its growing out of the Do- Eirine of Tranfuhjlantiation^ it is a great deal too old, to have that Original. Nor can it pro- perly be called, on any other Account, a Po- fijh Ceremony. It is, indeed? praflifed, and fo h Churchmen and Dissenters. 71 is fianding and fiiting too, on certain Occall- ons, by one or other, in that Church. One of their Orders, if Didoclav'ms fay true ^, and, I think, he would hardly romance to the ma* nifeft Injury of his Caufe, take the Sacrament, fometimes, fitting. And the fovereign Pon- tiff, at certain times, takes it foy and Jlandmg^ at other Times ; and I don*c know that he ever takes it upon his Knees. In one ^enfe, therefore, they are all Popijh Ceremonies, ia. another, neither of them. They are all Pa- ■pijh, in the Senfe of their being all^ at ibme Time, or by fome Perfon or other, ufed an^ pradtifed in that Church \ and none of them Popijh, in the Senfe of its being an Error, or Corruption, or an Abomination peculiar to it. And as to its ferving the Purpofes of Ir doJatry in tliat Church, it would be, I thinjc., Uridtly injoined, and greater Strefs than there appears to be would be laid upo® it, if it really did. It is fo far from being Jiri^ly in" joined, that it • is not injoined at all. There is not one Canon, npr any one Kubrick, as we have been afiured, in all its Liturgies, and Offices, injoining it, in the A(5l ol receiving 5 and from the Diverfity of their Practice be- fore obferved, as well as from the Silence of their great Writers, who have treated fo large- ly of the Eucharift, concerning the right Pojfhtre in receiving, one may fairly conclude,, they look upon the Pofture as a Matter of na mo* men:. Bellarmine, Sir, I have turned over^ » Altare Damafc. c. x. p. 746, who 7^ A fe'cond Letter cojicerning the Lives of who feems to have taken in every thing that has any relation to the Eucharift ; but he has not i Syllable that I can Hnd about Kneeling at the Time of receiving, no, not there, where he profeflTedly fets himfelf to e- numerate all the Ceremonies of the Mafs. I have alfo confulted the Roman Catechifm com- pofed by order of the Trent Council, where alfo there is not a Word about it. And yet^ in both, fome very minute and inconfidera- ble Matters, fuch as communicating faftingi in Unleavened Bread, and Wine mix'd with a fmall Quantity of Water, arc treated of, and in one thefe Points are enlarged upon, and ftrenuoufly maintained. A plain Sigri, they make little Account of this Pofturci in the A(5l of Receiving, and have no mighty Purpofes of Idolatry to be fetved by it, but that all their Purpofes of that Sort are thought to be fufficiently anfwered by the People's falling down before the Hoft, when the little Bell rwgSi at the Elevation, or at Pnce^ions. At the Time of receiving, the Church nei- ther prefcribes Adoration, nor feems to ex- pedl it ; at leaft, not the Adoration of the Hoft: And indeed I don't perceive that it Jooks for, at that Time, any Adoration, whe- ther of God the Father of all, or of Jejus Chriji in Heaven. But fmce we are. Sir, upon ill Purpofes to be ferved by the Pofture of kneeling, I muft beg leave to inform you, or to put you in re- membrance of fome Purpofes, not very good ones I hope you v/ill own, that were really meant to be ferved by fitting at the Lord's Table. ;: To Churchmen and Dissenters. j^ To be even with you, Sir, I mufl: fell you, this Pofture g7^e%v out of the monjtroui T)Qolrine of Soc'mus^ who, with his Followers, introduced it into the Proteftant Churches, and with an horrible Intent of throwing Contempi: upon the Divinity of the Lord Jefus. For looking upon him as a mere Man, they v/ere minde i, it feems, to fit down with him, as their Fellow^ at his Table. Upon which account, fitting at the Holy Table was condemned, in very fevere Terms, as indecent^ fcandalous, irreligious^, and againfi the Cufojn of all the reformed Churches, and either Jlanding or kneeling was decreed in two Polifh Synods. And if one confiders the reftlefs Endeavours that have been ufed to pro- pagate formerly Socinianifm and more lately Arianifm^ both of them Herefies in oppofitioii to the Godhead of our Lord, and the Difpo- fition of too many in the Nation to fail in with them, and, at the fame time, the univerfal Abhorrence and Deteftation that Bread- Wor- Ihip is in among us, one may eafily fee worfe Cbnfequences are likely to follow from the way of fittings than from the kneeling Pof- ture. Since we are upon the Subjed of Geftures, it would not, methinks, be amifs to make a fliort Digrefllon (if indeed it be a DigrefTion) concerning your ?iot kneeling at puhlick Prayer, any more than at the Sacrament. Standing at Prayer, in all feparate Congregations, is a Pofture fo univerfal (unlefs fome fit) fo much . countenanced, and, on all Occafions jufiified in the People, that it feems to amount to little kfs than an Impofition. One cannot, indeed, L much 74 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of much wonder, that the generality of your Peo- ple fhould fall into it. Many do fo, in our Churches, where they are taught better. It is confefTedly a Pofture fomewhat more decent than fitting at Prayer ; and therefore a Pofture wherein they vainly imagine they can reconcile fome fort of external Regard to the Duty they are about, with their own Eafe and Indolence. But that your People fhould univerfally, the moft ferious and devout as well as others, fall into it, is furprizing, and can be accounted for no other way, than by the Countenance and Encouragement that is given to it by your Mi- nifters, who, inftead ot reprehending and remon- firating againft it, fay all they can to -palliate and excufe it. The humble Pofture of kneel- ing Nature itfelf fo plainly didates, and fo powerfully prompts us to, that a Man, if he were left to himfelf, whenever he fpreads his Sins and Sorrows before God, or makes his Requefts known to him, will hardly do it in any other. The Body, on fuch Occafions, al- moft mechanically, and without the aftual Volition of the Mind, falls down before the "Lord its Maker^ and fcarce ever fails to do fo, but when fome affe5led Rejlraint is laid upon it. Your Friend, Sir, Dr. Watts has given us the whole Doflrine and Theory of Prayer con- formable to the Sentiments and Pradiices of Diflenters ; and he divides it into no lefs than eight feveral Parts, to wit. Invocation^ Adora- tion^ Confeffion of Sin, Petition^ Pleading with God^ Self-Dedication to him^ Thank/giving, and lleffing oj him. Now, it is eafy to fee, that Prayer, Churchmen and Dissenters." y^ Prayer, or fpeaking to God, cannot properly be done all thefe ways, in any one Gefture, which, neverthelefs, is unavoidable, as your Minifters order the Matter, by blending and throwing them all promifcuoully together, in one uniform continued Prayer. But if the whole muji be done in one and the lame Gef- ture, fure it (liould rather be that which fuits the far greater Part, as kneeling evidently does, efpecially, too, when that is much more ex- preflive of our profound Reverence for God and a llronger Teftification, in the Face of the World, of the entire Subjection of our Souls to him. If I might be permitted to be fo free, as to fuggeft to thefe Gentlemen one Thought, methinks, I would recommend it to their Con- fideration, whether, fince they have, gene- rally, a Prayer after Sermon, as well as before, it would not be beft, at one of thofe times, to ufe fuch of thefe kinds of Prayer as feem to re- quire kneelmg^ referving for the other fuch forts of it as may be performjed, not improperly, in the /landing Pofture, and then /land forth^ and honsfily tell their People, it would become them to compofe themfelves to thofe Geftures, ac- cordingly. Such a Difference and Propriety of Be- haviour would not, I hope, marr your VV^or- fliip, but greatly improve, and add a natural Splendor and Beauty to it. But alas. Sir, T fpeak in vain. Kneeling, though it be in Co7i' fejjion^ or when you are under an imcommcn Senfe of Guilt, on account (for example) of National Sins or Calamities, and when Projlration itfelf, if that would be convenient in a publick and mixt Affembly, would not be improper, is L 2 never 76 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of never praAifed. And fhould any one, even yoUy Sir, -prefuine to do it, I am pretty con- fident the reft would not be pleafed with you. Not pleafed, did I f;iy? They would certainly cenfure and condemn you -, and I know not. Sir, whether the Superiority of your Under- Handing, confeffed by all that know you, "would, in this Cafe, exempt you from the Im- putation of a moft weak and pitiful Superfition. Neither is this a groundlefs and unreafonable Suggeftion. For one confiderable Congregation ot Diffcnters I can name, whereof there is a Member, who rightly judges it as fit to kneel at her Puhlick, as at her Private, or Family Prayer, and pradifes accordingly, but to the great Scandal of the Congregation, who almoft wifh fhe would go over to the Church, rather than continue among them to be the Occafion of fo great and general Offence. This mighty averfenefs to kneeling at piihlick Prayer, when you always pradlife it in private, may appear to fome perfedly whimfical : But I, who pre- tend to have ftudied you fomewhat more than every Body has, am fatisfied, there is a fubftan- tial Reafon for it. It is plainly. Sir, a politic Avoidance of too much Symbolizing with the Church of England. As we kneel at Church, you muft not do \t at Meeting. And if ftand- ing had been a Church Impofition, and the gene- ral approved way of our Religious Afiemblies, you, no doubt, would have taken X.Q Kneeling, and been well pleafed, as you would have had reafon, that the fitteft and moft fuitable Pofture had been left for you. It is thought expedient, that your Worfliip fhould have a Face different from Churchmen ^«<^ Dissenters. 77 from ours, tho' it be much worfe, that fo it may allure and draw in thofe, to whole Tafte or Humour the external Order of the Church is not fo well fuited. And as the total Difufe of Kneeling at your pubiick Prayer is a likely means to draw in fome of our People, who have no Relifh at all of fuch a Ceremony ( perhaps from an aukward ruftic Bafhfulnefs, or from fome fecret Confcioufnefs, that they want that inward mental Devotion which this Gefture exprelTes, and makes Profeffion of, fo it helps to keep thofe who have been always with you in a greater Indifpofition for Conformity. By never having been, themfdves, upon their Knees, in their Pubiick AlTemblies, they con- trail an Unaptnefs for it, and a kind of A- verfion to it •, and never feeing it done by o- thers, no, not by thofe who are accounted among you the moft devout, nor hearing it recommended by your Minifters, they prefent- \y conclude there muft be, for certain, fome- thing that is bad, and, in all likelihood (for 'tis a mighty Word with them, though they know not what it means) fome Superjtition in it. Hence that lothnefs to go, even occa- fionally, to our Churches, where they muft either kneel, or appear fmgular : The former they know not how to bring themfelves to, nor do they mightily like the latter : Where- as, had they been trained up and accuftomed to fall down upon their Knees, at their own Public Prayer, they would have been apt to do the fame, when they appear, occafionally, ^t ours. This would lead them, almoft una- voidably. J 8 Afecond Letter concerning the Lives of voidably, to JQin in our Prayers ; and then the liking them, wkh great Probability, would follow. This, I doubt, is the Danger appre- her.ded, and to be guarded againft •, and real- Jy Sir, I mufl" tell you, and you cannot but own, it does not look well, but has a fcurvy Appearance, to let your Worfhip be rather de'oifed, than run any Hazard of lefTening the Number of your Worfliippers. One may guefs, and, indeed, eafily believe, you have another Reafon for this Conduft, If you were to be taught, and come to think, it was fit and right to kneel at your Prayers^ you would foon fall into an Opinion, that it could not be wrong to kneel at the Sacrament^ Prayer being, not only before and after, but {luring the Time, and in the AEl of Receiving, the moil: proper Bufmefs and Exercife of the Mind you can be employed in. And there- fore you adl, I mull: needs fiy, very conftjl- ently and wifely, in thus making light, and extenuating the Propriety of kneeling in all public Prayer, if you are really determined not to own the Propriety, or to admit the Ule of it, in the Lord's Supper. As to the Propriety of kneeling in pub- lic Prayer, the worthy Perfon laft mentioned fecms to me in an odd Way of Thinking touching that Matter. Speaking of the Qzi- tures proper for Prayer, and for each Sort and Occafion of it. No Voflure of the Body (fays he) is unfit for Jhort Ejaculations, and .our Souls may go out towards God, while we lie on our Beds, fit at our Talks, or are ta- king our Refij in any Method of RefrefJjment. And Churchmen and Dissenters. 79 ^Kcl when we fay Grace after eating aloney there is no Necefjity of rifing always from our Seat •■, but the Cuftom of fianding up is mo-re Be- cent and Honourable^ when we eat in Compa- ny. In Family Prayer, which is yet a more folemn Performance, he takes it for granted, that all kneel \ and indeed all DiiTen- ters who keep up Family Worfhip, fo far as I am informed, do. All this, now, is perfedly right •, here is a juft Gradation in the outward Expreffions of Adoration, pro- portioned to the Occafion, and to the iefs or greater Solemnity thereof- And who, now, would exped: that public Prayer fhould be performed in a Iefs honourable, a Iefs reverend and devout Pofture, than that of the Family ? And yet fo it is, I do af- fure you. For fpeaking of Public Prayer, the Worfhip of God in the great Congregation^ he comes back again to fianding^ and thinks it not unfit for this Worfhip. However, he owns, the kneeling Pofture, which he truly fays, the Light of Nature itfelf as well as the Rule of Scripture feems to diSfate and lead us to, and has been, accordingly, pra£fifed in all Ages, and in all Nations, even where ths Light of Scripture never fJjined, would certainly he a moft agreeable Pofiure for the Worfhip of God in public Affemblies, if it might bs had with Conveniency . Pray, mind it, Sir ; it is but a, not the moft agreeable Pofture for public Worfhip, one, as it fhould feem of the moft agreeable, but not the moft agreeable of all. And, yet, one would think, it muft be the mofi agreeable of all, if it be dicfated by Na- ture^ So j^fecond Letter concerfiifig the Lives of ture, inforced by Scripure, and recommended by the Pra5lice of all Ages and Na lions, as it cer- tainly is, and he confeffes it to be. It will not be denied, that Handing is a Pofture that may properly be ufed in Divine Woriliip, and fometimes in the very Adl of Prayer. But, of iifelf, it is no worfliipping Pofture, and only the Motions, Aftions, Geftures with which it is accompanied make it to be fuch. It will be alfo owned, there are many Inftances in Scripture of the People of God, or of holy Men among them. Standing in Prayer •, and to make fuch a Col- ledion of them as fome have, and as Mr. Boyfe, in particular, has done, is to little pur- pose, unlefs it were flirther fhewn, that thefe were Inftances of fuch Siinple, fnere Sianding, as is commonly pradlifed in your Congrega- tions. "When Abraham flood before the Lord, Gen. xviii. 22. to make his Prayer and Sup- plication to him, when the Levites flood up, Neh. ix 4. in Prayer and Confeffion, and other Jews (as they often did, 'tis acknow- ledged) prayed flanding, as the Pharifee and Publican, who went up to the Temple to pray, are reprefented to do, it is not to be thought, that they only flood, and ufed no bodily Expreflions of Adoration. Nay, it is particularly remark'd concerning the Publican, that the outward Expreffions of his Humi- lity and Devotion were very Strong and Ve- hement. Or when the primitive Chriftians flood at Prayer, as every Body knows they did, on the Lord's Day, and at all Times be- tween Eafter and Whitfiintide, can we imagine thev CnOkCHMEN rt/?^ DiSSENTEkS. 8i they did not more than harely keep upon their Feet, in a fteddy and compofed Pofture, or that they Jludioujly and even fcrupuloiijly re- trained from aJl fuch Geftures as were na- turally, or by generally received UJe, ex- prellive of their Devotion? No, furely j that was not the Way of the Church of God, in thofe Ages. Illue fufpicientes Chrifiiani * (fays Tertullian) Manibus expanfis, quia innocuis, Ca- pite nudo, quia ncn eriibefcimus, — oramui — ^ There was then, in their Religious AfTemblies, not only a greater decency and compofednefs of Behaviour, but ftrOnger outward Expref- fions and Demonftrations of the devout Affec- tions of their Hearts, than are to be feen everi in cur Churches. Their Behaviour at Church was truly edifying. One may, indeed, be e- dified with feeing a Congregation Handing at their Prayers, if, at the fame time, one could fee, all over it, fuch an outward Behaviour, ais could be properly called Worjhipping : Blit it Would be to me little Edification (I mull needs confefs) to behold them, although with pro- per gravity and compofednefs of Countenance, indolently leaning upon their Pew*s, with per- haps, Hands loofely hanging down. Eyes, inftead of elevated and lifted up to Heaven^ either roving ■ or elfe fix'd upon the Ground, or on the Face of the Minifter, as you well knoWj the general manner (I fpeak it without Scorn) of your Congregations is; Infomuch that I am confident, any Foreigner, who Ihould be quit^ ^Apolog. c. 30. M aStraii^ 82 A fecond hetter concerning the Lives of a Stranger to our Language , were he to enter in time of Prayer, would take it for Sermon-time y and little think thofe People were addrefllng themfelves to God, but only liftening to one who was addrefling \\\m^t\'i lo them. And this, I think, evidently fhews, that ftanding, con- fidered fimply in itfelf, is not an adoring Pof- ture, and much lefs to be preferr'd to the more humble and honourable one I am contending for. If chis were not fo, and thofe Gentlemen who take it upon them to juftify the ftanding Pofture at all times of publick Prayer, were not a little confcious therc-of, what need had there been to make an excufe for not kneeling , to wit, the want of Conveniency for -it? This want o! Conveniency for kneeling is pleaded by *Mr. Boyfe-, and the ^good Bo^or pleads the fame in the Paflage above quoted, and in other Places takes care to put us in Mind of it. But what fort of Conveniency would they have? Have they not as good as our Lord had in the Garden, or St. Paul upon the Sea Shore ? And if they want a Conveniency for Kneeling with more eafe, they may accommodate themfelves for a Trifle. Or do they want room? As to your Minifters, Sir, are they fo thronged ? Do the People intrude into their Pulpits, and not give them room to fall down upon their Knees, => Remarks on the Bifliop of Derrfs Difcourfe, concern- ing the Inventions of Men in the Worlhip of God, p. ^ Guide to Prayer, p. 78. fiO, 4 Churchmen and Dissenters. 8^ no, not then, when they are pouring out their Souls before God, confefling their Sins, and the Sins of their People, and fupplicating for Mercy, on the mod folemn Occafions of Hu- miliation? And are all your Meetings fo full, that you, Sir, of the Laiety can but juft ftand upright by one another? Are you, one and all, fo pent, as not to be able to bow a Knee unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrijl? The whole Church, Sir, fees it is otherwife, and that not only you, but many others in every Congregation, it may be, of much lefs Con- fideration than yourfelf, are not fo incommoded as this comes to, and have Conveniency enough for Kneeling, if you were minded to make ufe of it. And fuch as have not^ may find it, alas, in all, or in fome or other of our Churches. We have been often told, in excufe for your Separa- tion, the Churches were fo full, that you were forced to fet up feparate Aflemblies, or great numbers mufl be without any publick Worfhip. But now, it feems, the Cafe is altered ; the Meetings are fuller, and more crowded than the Churches. If fo, it is high time, (in your own way of Reafoning) to come hack again^ and return to the Church whence you went. ■ Was there ever fuch an Excufe as this ! I fhould fmile to myfelf to fee fome others, but I am really concerned to find fuch a Man as Dr. Watts taking up with this pitiful pretence for a Praftice, which is plainly maintained for other Reafons: And I can't forbear making upon it this melancholy Refledlion, — How great and ■prevailing is the Influence of Party- Attachments I And how viighty the Power of Prejudice, fome- times 84 A Jecond Letter concerning the Lives, Sec. iiffies without being felt^ even upon devout and excellent Minds ! I hope. Sir, now, you will ceafe blaming me in your Thoughts, as I know you have been doing, for my Temerity, in thus dif- turbing the Writings of a Gentleman of fo great Name, and eftablifhed Reputation in the literary World. I am, it may be, Impar congreffus Achilli. But, by this, time, I hope you are fatisfied, he^ like that Hero, is vulnerable, in one Part, and that I have been fortunate enough to hit it. If Jie is ever weak, ,it is there, and thefe, I think, he is always, Wihtrt he is arguing and fettling Points httwttn you and ^/j. . But as he flands, defervedly, fo high in your Favour ..and Efteem, 1 will no longer teaze you with His Slips and Overfights. And indeed, I fancy you are, ere this, pretty well tired with the tedious length of this Epiftle, if n.ot alfo with fome OjCher Properties thereof, even worfe," , and more Jhrntportahle tlian that. I will, therefore, here bt^c off, and relieve your Patience, for the Prefeitf, But you may cxpeft to hear once more, and that perhaps betore it be long, from ; , . Sir, lliur HiimhU.Smfmt. F IN IS, the Third and LAst L E T T E R To a Gentleman Diflenting from the CHURCH oi ENGLAND, WHEREIN The Defign of the Second (which was to refute the great and popular Objedlions of Diffenters a- gainft Communion with the Church of England^ and to refleft them back upon themfelves) is farther purfued, and completed. To which is added An APPENDIX, Containing fome Considerations on the Lawfulne/s, Expediency, and Neceffity of requiring all who are to be admitted to the Miniftry, or to any Ecclefiaftical Prefer- ment in the Church of England ^ or to be Preachers or Teachers in any Diffenting Congregation, to fubfcribe the Articles of Faith and Religion ; and fetting forth the In- confiftencies between the notorious Fri?(f?zV^j of Diffenters, and the avowed Principles of many of them touching that Matter. By John White, B. D. Sometime Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, Nolo tale certamen adeas^ in quo tantum te protegas^ et^ tov pente dexterd^ fmijird clypeum circumferas, Hieron. > i. ' ' " ■ LONDON, Printed for C. Davis, againft Gray's Inv^ Holbdum^ Wi Craighton at Ipfwich -^ and M. Cooper in Pater-Nojhr-Row. MDCCXLV. {Price One Shilling.] The THIRD and LAST L E T T E R CONCERNING The Popular Pleas of Dissenters. SIR, HEN i was making an End of my for- mer Letter to you, I let you know, you was to look for a third Addrefs ; and i am now fitting down, to acquit myfelf of my Proniife, or Menace^ fhall I call it. For I can eafily believe, I have already fufficiently exercifed your Patience with my two former Letters, which v/ere, indeed, extended to a Length I did not forefee at the Beginning of them, not imagining, then, I fhould have had fo much to fay to you, as, after- wards, when my Mind was a little warmed with thinking, I found I had. But, now, I will endea- vour to be fhorter, proportioning the Load I ami impohng upon you, to that Meafure of Patience, which I can hope you have yet left to bear it. Doubtlefs, you remember, that, towards the Conclufion of my former Letter, I v/as vindicating the Practice of the Church o^ England in kneeling at tliQ Lord's Table, and retorting the Charge ot Im- pofition, v,fhich you bring againft it, on that Ac- count ; from whence Occafion was taken for fome Natural Refiedions upon the general Pra6lice of your Congregations, in the avoidance oi kneeling, and al- ways chufing to Jland at your Co?n',non- Prayer, — A 1 now 2 I'he third Letter concerning the I now direflly proceed to another of our Impofitionffy as you are pleafed to call them, to wit, the Sign of the Crofs at Baptifm, which you complain as grie- voufly of, and as immeafurably decry, as the fore- mentioned ; Firjl.) merely as a Ceremony, v/hich the Cliurch (you fay) has no Authority to ordain j but more. Secondly, as a Significant^ or (as your Writers almoil always aifeCl to fpeak, becaufe, I fuppofe, it is a harder Word, and has a Termina- tion which is ready to fright the common People) a Symbolical one, whereby, (it feems) it becomes a Sacrament of our own Inftitution : And by taking thus upon us to inftitute Sacraments, we invade, as 'tis pretended, the Prerogative of Chrift, whofe alone it is to ordain Sacraments in his Church, This, Sir, is the Charge j and being fo heavy, it ought, furely, to be fupported with the cleared Evidence ; whereas, in my Opinion,, it may bCj v/ith the cleareft Evidence, refiited. Here, let it be obferved, as a Preliminary, that the Queftion is not about an inconvenient and cum- berfome Multitude of Ceremonies, fuch as all the Offices of the Church of Rome are perfedlly covered with, (for that, on all hands, is agreed to be juiliy ofFenfive) but only about the Power of the Church to decree a Ceremony, or, if you pleafe, two or three, fuppofing them always to be fuch as will be- come the Dignity and Majedy of God's Worfliip. And to fhew you, it has fuch a Right, I will only a.(k this Queftion. The holy Kifs, as St. Paul calls it, or the Kifs of Charity, as it is called by St. Peter, iifed in the Primitive Apoftolic Church, in the Ce- lebration of the Lord's Supper, was that a Rite of Divine appointment, or was it not ^ If you fay, of Divine Appointment, I defire to know, by whac Authority you and we both have laid it afide. If we have Authority to lay afide a Ceremony of Di- vine Popular Pleas of Dissenters. 3 "vine Appointment and Ordinationy we have, cer- tainly, Authority (for that, furely, is the Ie(s) to ordain one of our own. But if you fiial! fay (which, probably, is the Truth of the Cafe) not of Divine Appointment, but only ordained by the Apoftles, without any Precept from the Lord, or any parti- cular Direftion from the Holy Spirit, a merely Ecclefiaftical, prudential Inflitution, is not this fay- ing, it was ordained by the Church? And fince the Church, as a Church, or not confidered under the immediate, and extraordinary Guidance of the Holy Spirit, has the fame Power and Authority in all Ages, the Apoftolic no greater than the Prefent, I can't fee, why it fliould be thought a more un- warrantable Thing, in the prefent Church, to in- join the Ufe of the Sign of the Crofs in the Admi- niftration of one Sacrament, than it was, in the Jpofiolicy to ordain the Kifs of Charity, in the Ce- lebration of the other. The Rite or Ceremony juft now mentioned, as ordained by the Apoftles, and fome other Rites which we find mention of in the lacred Writings, as ufed in the AiTembliesof the firft Chriftians, were all, plainly, fignificant: And fuch were always the moft approved of in the Primitive Church, as they are, now, in the reformed Churches. Tht French Church, in particular, approved of fignificant Ceremonies ; and Calvin appears, in divers Parts of his Writings, to be entirely in the fame Sentiments. HlC, indeed, is fo far from making the Significancy of a Cere- , mony any juft Prejudice againft, or Obje6lion to it, that he rather requires it, as a neceffary Condition of its being Lawfully appointed. The Church of Rome., in the abundance of its Ceremonies, has fome that are really fignificant, and fome that are not. Which of thefe, think you. Sir, are the moft exceptionable ordefenfible .? Whethe j^'foc inftance) A 2 the /j. 'The third Letter concerning the the Vnt?C?> fmiting his Breajl^ when he fays, in the Confeffion ot his Sin, mca cidfa^ the Significancy of which is plain and folemn, or his keeping his- fore Fingers clofe to his Thumbs^ untill he has wafli- ed them, and his fiarting^ as if he was fuddenly waked out of Sleep, when, aker fome fecret Orai- fons, he cries out aloud, in omnia Scecula Sceculoruni. Ceremonies thefe, withoat any Significancy at all, at lead, any that is obvious, and which a Man, after gueiTing a thoufand Times, and without the Help of their Ritualijis or Rati o?ialifis (as, belike, they are called) would never be able to find out, and really are good for nothing, but to dazzle the Eyes, and perplex the Minds of the Worfliippers. In my Way of thinking, an injignificant Ceremony difi^ers little or nothing from an impertinent one •, but when it has a real Significancy and Meaning, and that Meaning is not only Natural and Obvious^ but alfo Important enough to find a Place in the Office wherein it is ufed, and pertinently inculcated there- in, it then becomes lnfirii5tive^ ferving to put us in Mind oi Studying to attain fome Grace, or to pradice fome Chriftian Duty. True, fay you •, this is the very Thing that we diflike the Sign of the Crols for, as it makes it a human Sacrament. But I beg your Pardon, Sir, for that, unlefs you can fliew, that we ufe it, not only as a Remem- brance or Hint^ or a Declarative Sign, to others, of that Grace of Chriftian Fortitude, in openly ProfefTing the Faith of Chrift crucified, which all Chriftians are obliged to, but as a Means alfo whereby that Grace is conveved, by the Spirit of God, into the Soul, or as a Pledge and Earnefi to allure us, that it fhall be, the Sign being duly re- ceived, conveyed into it. Nor are thefe Arguments of yours againfl: the Sign of the Crofs, and all otht-r Ccr->7'i Dircourfe, p. 117. B and I o The third Letter concerning the and that, when it ferves their Turn, the Significancy' of II Ceremony jfhall be made its great Commen- dation, and that, far from a ground of its Unlaw- fulnefs, or a Reafon for laying it afide, it fhall be efteemed a very good Reafon for obfcrving it. But, in the Sacrament of Baptifm itfeif, you have a Ceremony, and a Symbolical one too, I mean, giving the Chriftian Name to the baptized Party. — Now, I fee you fmile, as if you thought I was going about to be nugatory^ or merry. But I defire you to forbear two or three Moments, and then if you fee Caufe, fmile on. For my Part, I would not be thought other than very ferious in this Argument, which I take to be folid, and to come up to the Point I ufe it for ^. Your Chil- dren, Sir, as well as ours, it is well known, have their Names given them in Baptifm : Thefe are called the Chriftian Names, to put them in per- petual Remembrance of their holy ProfefTion. And Names are chofen, often by us^ and hy you oftener, fuch as fignify fome Privilege, or Blefilng, fome excellent Grace, or Duty of the Gofpel. You wil! eafily recolleft the Names I mean, Faith., Conflancyy Patience., Charity, Praife God., Accepted., and many more of the like Sort. Tell me, then. Sir, is not the giving the Chriftian Name, and fuch, efpeci- aliy, as the forementioned, an Addition to the Sa- crament .? Is it not, too, an Impo/ttion ? Is it not a Ceremony ? Would not you call the giving a Name to Bells in their Confecration, according to the Order of the Church of Rome., a vile Popijh Ceremony ? And is not this, then, to be called, tho' not a vile, yet a real Ceremony as well ? And is not this Ceremony Significant, or, if you pleafe. Symbolical? And is it not a Sacrament, an outward <" See the Cafe of the Crofs in Baptifm among the London Cafes, p. 31. Sig7i Popular Pleas c?/ Dissenters. ii Sign t)f an inward and fpiritual Grace F As much a Sacrament, Sir, as much an outward Sign of an in- •ward and fpiritual Grace^ as the Crofs can be pre^ tended to be. If there be any Dilference, it fiiould rather feem to be more fo, becaufe that is given, with us^ and, I fuppofe alfo, with you, in the very ji^ of Baptifing, while the other is made after it is over. And if a Man of a working and diftin- guifhing Head, fuch as that of old Mr. Baxter ^ were not to think his Time ill employed, and could in his Confcience difpenfe with himfelf in writing and publifhingaBook, to iliew, that this is a human S^icrament added to that of Chrift's Inftitution, and a mofi Sacrilegious Ufurpation of his Prerogative, he might be able to amufe the World, puzzle the Caufe, perplex and confound weak Heads, con- vince thofe who wanted to be convinced of it, and, in the whole, difcourfe upon this Argument with as much Plaufibility, as any of your Writers have yet done, upon the other. The Want of a godly Difcipline in the Church is alfo objefted^ and held a fufficient Reafon for feparating from it. But if the Want of it was really as great as is pretended. Separation, on that Ac- count, would not be juftiiiable. And for this I could quote you the holy Scriptures, the Senfe and Practice of Antiquity, of foreign Proteflant Divines, and their Churches, nay, of the s graver and foberer Sort of Puritans and Non-confbrmifts, all pofitively determining againft the Lawfulnefs of dividing from any Church, lor fome Imperfections,, or fome A- S The Opinions of Cartnvright, Cr. Thomas GooJivin, Blake, Vines, and others, even of Dr. O^j^en, and Mr. Baxter, that Diicipline not being fimply neceffrxry to the being of a Church, it is rot Lr.wful to feparate therefrom for the Vv'ant, or for {<:>\x\c Irregularities in the Adminiftraticn of it, may be feen coUetlied in ■The Cafe of Lay-Coinmunion ^vith the Church ^/"Engirind ccnjidcfcd ajnor.g the London Cafes. B 2 bufes S2 T^he third Letter concerning the bufes and Irregularities in its Difcipline, or even ^ total Want of it. But this Way of anfwering the Obje6lion I fhall at prefent wave, and take another, which feems better to h\\ in with the Meafures I have been purfuing from the Beginning -, and that is, reprefenting the real State of our Difcipline, from whence it may, probably, appear, there is not, in our Church, fo great a Want of it, as you feem, at prefent, to imagine, and then fhewing that what Want of it there is (and I fhall not deny but that is too great) it is owing to you^ in a good Meafure, and that j^// really want it as much, your - f elves. As thefe Heads contain in them many par- ticulars, fome Enlargement upon them will be ne- ceffary. And indeed, I am the more willing to go fomewhat deeper into them, becaufe from a Word or two I remember you dropt about Difcipline, the Want and the Diforders of it, I fufpcct that Matter flicks not a little with you. I agree with you, Sir, that the Difcipline of the Church is of great Moment towards the Edification of its Members, and that the Fault is unpardon- able, when Church Governors let it fall, through a fupine Careleffnefs and Negledl. It is a fpiritual Sword put into their Hands, and it will be expefted that they bear it not in vain, nor let it ruil, and lie by ufelefs, when Herefy or Immorality call for it. The Negled of Difcipline upon Hlereticks was the great Crime of fome of the Angels of the feven Churches of Afia, for which they ftand reproved by the holy Spirit < Thou fuffercfi that Woman Jezebel which calleth herfelf a Prophetefs, to teach and to f educe my Servants. — Thou haji there them that hold the Do£frine of Balaam So haft thou alfo them that hold the DoSfrine of the Nicolaitans, which Thing I hate. Repent., or elfe I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight againfl them with Popular Fleas c/ Dissenters. 13 with the Szvo?'d of my Mouth. Thefe Reprehen- fions and Thrcatnings are fevere : Yet it may be hoped, they will not light upon all to whom the Government of Churches is committed, even where there is a great Proftration ot its Difcipline. For that may be owing to Caufes which it is not in their Power to remove. The higher Powers may cramp them in the Exercife of it : And where they are more at Liberty, the Circumftances of the Times may be fuch as will make it, upon the whole of the Matter, more prudent, and more for the Intereft of Chriftianity, to flacken the Reins a little. When the Diftempers of the Times are evi- dently too ftrong for the Difcipline of the Church to contend with, it may be a v*'ife Part in the Gover- nors thereof (at leall if the Caufe of Religion and Virtue is not immediately concerned) not to enrage them more by a too warm^ or difcover their own Weaknefs by an infignificant and unavailing Op- pofition. 'Tis a Cenflire which Cicero pafles upon one of the Cato^s^ that by his unfeafonable and un- diftinguifhing Rigours, he fometimes hurt the Common-wealth. Nocet interdum Reipuhlica^ dicit enim tanquam in Platonis ■ssuhiiiloc, non tanquam in face Romuli fententiam. And when the Decay of the antient Difcipline was complained of to the Ro- man Senate, and a Motion made to revive it, Tz- herius writ to them againft it, telling them, // was dangerous to jlrive againjl fuch general and prevails ing Evils, and to go about impofmg, with a high hand^ thofe Severities and Rejlraints, which the Peo- ple had been fo long unaccujlomed to. And if this related to Matters not abfolutely neceflary, it was a right Obfervation. An Age of great and gene- ral Corruption feems, indeed, to call more loudly for the Reftraints of Church Difcipline ; but then it will not b^ar them : Efpccially, if there appears, at 14 ^h^ third Letter concerning the at the fame time, in almoft a]l Orders and Ranks of Men, an unaccountable difiike of all Ecclefia- ftical Jurifdidion, if both the Tongues and the Pens of Men are Jet loofe againft it, and it be grown ModtJId to rail at it. Thofe who fit at the Helm, when fuch a Storm rifes, and beats hard upon them, willfind it, probably, their Prudence, not to bearup againft it too much, but give way to its Impetuofity, and ride it out as well as they can, in hopes it will abate, before long, and fome unforefcen Caufe will make it fubfide and fettle, and 7?/// the Madnefs of the People. And yet in the worft State of things, iomething may be done towards the Recovery of a more perfect Difcipline. 1)0115 omnia paulatim. Sudden and violent Changes or Reformations in alJ Political Bodies, Civil, or Eccleftaftical, as well -xzHuman ones, maybe dangerous-, but Things may be brought about, by inlenfible Degrees, to the Stare one defires, and Difcipline reftored, in a good Meafure, by iittle and little, unheeded in a manner, and without caufing any great fhakings of the Conftitution. And may I prefume to fay, that Church-Governors will be obliged to Jay hold of every favourable Jundlure, and watch all Oppor- tunities to do their Duties, and not make the had- nefs of the Times a Pretence for their Negleft, when, perhaps. Indolence, Pufillanimity, or V/orldly-Wif- dom are at the Bottom of it. I will not now, Sir, diffemble the Matter : I have been fetting forth the Cafe of the Church of England, and making fuch Apology as I could for it. There is a Want of Difcipline in it, and that is owing in a good Meafure to the Caufes before mientioncd. Whoever looks into our Kubricks, Canons, and Conflitutions will find, delineated there^ a moft excellent Scheme of Ecclefiaflical Difcipline. Ytt, \zx. it be owned, that, as it appears in Ufe and Pradice, Popular Pleas of Dis^EHTERs. 15 Practice, it does by no means correfpond with that Idea the Laws of the Church give us of it ; tho' it be, yet, far from fallen into that deplorable Diffolu- iulion^ and total Difufe^ which your Writers, Sir, would fain make the World believe it is. If they are to be believed, every Thing is amifs, every Thing out of order am^ong us. ^ Mr. Peirce ob- ferves, we ourfelves lament, once a Year, every J/h-l-Vednefday, the Want of Difcipline, and ex- prefsour Wilhes for the Revival of it : Tho' he fears thele Wifhes are but faint •, and tho^ the pious Part of the Clergy earnejlly defire it, and, perhaps, care- fully endeavour it, yet the greater Part defire it not, hut rather hinder all fuch Deftgns. He infinuates his Fears, that the trouUefome divided Circumflances we are now in, are the Punifcment of our Sin, in negleBing and deftroying Church-Difcipline, and that God is hereby calling us to reflore it \ but, however, intimates his Hopes, too, that our merciful Father will pleafe, by his holy Spirit to fiir us up to amend it. They long, he fays, to fee that Day, and prays heartily to God that he would haft en it. It looks mighty good, and extremely obliging, to ufe Ex- preffions of fuch Commiferation towards us, and to pray fo devoutly on our Behalf. Only, I have fome Fear, all his Charity will be miftaken, and his Prayers for the Church no otherwife confidered, than thofe of Mr. Whitfield {qx his Oppofers areufed to be, to wit, as rhetorical Aggravations, and artful Heightnings of the Reproach, to make the wretched Condition of our Difcipline appear in the flronger Light. We will, then, fee what is the true State of our Difcipline, and wliether. Sir, your Friends, in Confideraiion of the Striftnefs of their own, have any Right to reproach us for the Want of it. Wih you be pleafed. Sir, to look into^ again, • fc FirJicatofDifenters, Part III. ch. i6. i6 ^he third Letter concerning the and carefully confider the Commination. You will find nothing there either exprejjing or implying a Want of all Difcipline. What we there fay is much to be wiped is only this, the Refioration of that godly 'Difcipline there was in the Primitive Church, that at the Beginning of Lent, fuch Perfons as Jlood convi^ed of notorious Sin were put to open Penance. That is to fay, we wifh it was a pradicable Thing, to bring at the Beginning of Lent^ all fcandalous and notorious Sinners before the Church, and then call them, continuing impenitent, out of it. The Revival of this Piece of Difcipline (which is but one out of a great many) is the whole Matter of our Wifh there. And as the Church in this Office, (b fome of the Bifhops, in their Sermons, at the very Beginning of the Reformation, complained of the fame Thing. Good old Latimer complained of it from the Pulpit, before King Edward VI. and ear- neftly moved his Grace, that there might be reflcred to the Church the Difcipline of Chrifl againfi notable Offenders. But nothing was done in the Matter, This probably, was owing, partly to the Difficulty of introducing the antient Difcipline, and partly to the little Thought that was taken about it : To bring Men back from the Popifh to the Primitive Difcipline, at the Beginning of Lent, that is, from only whifpering their Sins (in Company with the bed of their Neighbours, which quite takes off the Shame of the Matter) in the Ear of a Prieft, and receiving from him an Abfolution, with fome kind of Penance, one, perhaps, of their own chufmg, which might be performed by themfelves, or by another ; to bring them, (I iliy) from this to ope?i and publick Admonitions, to a ConfeJJlon of their Sins before the whole Church, v/ith Declarations of their tinfeigned Repentance, may be conceived no eafy Thing to be done, tho' it had been zealoufly at- 2t icn:ipied. Popular Pleas o/'DissenTers* 17 tempted. But indeed it was not ; not fo, as it might and ought to have been, tho', indeed, more here^ than in moll other Churches of the Reforma- tion. The Thouo;hts and Pens of all learned Pro* teftants, for many Years, were wholly employed about Doctrinal Matters, expofmg the Errors and Corruptions, and taking the People off from the idolatrous, and fupertiitious Praftices of Popery 3 and there was little Care, efpecially abroad, about Difcipline and Order. Luther^ Calvin^ Zuinglius^ and other Heads of the Reformation writ and preach'd a great deal againfl the Church of RcM^, but did little elfe. They did, as Dr. Maurice very juftly obferves, the Work of E'vangelijis, rather than of Governors of Churches : and Ecclefiaftical Polity was fo long negle6led, that infinite Diforders grew up in them, and threatned them with Ruin. And when they began to fet up fuch a Difcipline as they could, in many Places, it was difficultly ad* mittedi, andj in fome, not admitted at all, but all Coercion was left to the civil Magiftrate. Matters were not in fo bad a State here in England : For here, the Epifcopal Authority, by the good Pro- vidence of God, being preferved, a Form of Dif- cipline was alfo preferved, and- kept up, from the Beginning, tho' not always, 'tis true, adminiftred in fo perfect a Manner, as might be wifhed. And our Ecclefiaftical Faftions and Difcontents, firft^ then, the Rebellion and Ufurpation enfuing, <3//^r- wards, a, gQneva.\ Loofenefs and Diffolutenefs of Man- ners, and, laf: of all, a Loofenefs of Principles^ as was too natural, enfuing^ made it impoiTible to be - carried to any Degrees of Primitive Perfeftion. It may be thought there have been fome favourable Opportunities to mend itj if they had happily been feized, and all concerned had been hearty. It there havcj, they are dipt, and cannot be nozv re- C called J 1 S The third Letter concerning the called. At lead, the Temper and Habit of the prefent Times is too evidently fuch, that it would be extreme Folly to think of doing a great deal, and the Height of Ralhnefs to undertake to revive, cfpecially all at once, all the Rigours of antient Difcipline, as you, it fhould feem, would have us do. Would you have Church-Governours always aft like natural inanimate Bodies, never to fufpend their Powers, but be continually exerting the utmoft PofTibility of their Force ? Would you have them deal out their Cenfures at all Hazards, drive on, without minding Confcquences, tho* the World fhould be turned up- fide down, or [et in a Flame by it ? Certainly, Prudence, which is an Ability to judge, from the Confideration of Times, Places, Things, and Perfons, whar, upon all Oc- cafions, is beft and fittefl to be done, and how done in the beft Manner, ought to prevail in all 'Things, and in nothing more, than in Matters of Dilcipiine and Government. And as you are endowed with an eminent Share of it, you will be, I dare fay, of Opi- nion (I mean, if you will but refled, and fuffer your- felf to be carried away with popular Noife and Pre- judice) that an exa6t Difcipline is impoffible to be fet up, and would do more harm than good, if it were, now, to be {i:X up amongft us* The Church of Scotland {?is. • Mr. Peirce, at Icaft, tells us) is famed for curling and refraining Impiety, which elfewhere rages without Controul, and has been fometimes propofcd, as a Pattern of exa6t Difciphne for us to follow. I Ihall not, at prefent, inquire whether this Charadler be true. But fup- pofing it to be fo, there is fo great a Difference in the external State of the two Churches, that neither lliould bepropofed, as a proper Pattern for the other. They in Scotland are fo much loved^ or fo much ' Dedication of his Vindication of the Diffenters. fearedy Popular Pleas 0/ D i ss E N T e R s . 19 feared, or, however it comes about, are fo happy, as to have the /IJfemblies •/ their Clergy always fitting, who can immediately apply Remedies to any grow- ing Evil or Abufe, and keep it from being fixr. They have not been, yet, inebriated with thofe- Notions of Chrijiian Liberty, Liberty boundlefs and iincontrouled, which have been diffeminated among aj-, in Pamphlets, and Weekly Papers, and (poor Men! ) areyetignorantof,notwithftanding the great Pains their Brethren here have taken to fliew them, their Right to do in Religion whatever they lift. The general Poverty of the People keeps them more humble, and their Want of the Materials for Luxury (the Source of all our Corruptions here in England) with their living at fuch a Diftance from the great Seat of it, keeps them more virtuous and in- nocent. Then, the Power of their Clergy, which is there fuffered, I know not how, to be fl'irewed up into a kind of Independency, makes them more revered by the People, and gives them a greater Influence and Authority over them. All together difpofe them cheerfully to receive the Yoke of Dif- cipline, to fubmit to Rules and Orders, to any Re- ftraints, or even Ccnfures that are thought fit to be laid upon them : While, with us, the moft gentle Reftraint, tho' it be, too, ever fo necejfary, fhall be exclaimed againft, as an infupportable Piece of Ecclefiaftic Pride and Tyranny •, every Animadver- fion upon the Crimes of Men of any tolerable Con- dition and Way of living in the World, an infolent Triumph over their Quality, which they refolve to revenge, fome way or other, upon the Church. Confidering thefe Diftempers and ill Humours of the Times, and how much alfo Vice and Wicked- nefs abound, infomuch that, if all were treated as, by the Rules of the antient Difcipline, they were to be, we muft interdid from Chriftian Privileges al- C 2 moil £0 ^he third Letter concerning the ^ moft half the Kingdom, confidering, I lay, thefe Things, a Httle 'Temper a?id Moderation^ or (if you will call it fo) a little Slacknefs in the Government of the Church, fliould not, I'urely, be efleemed fo great, and fo unpardonable a Fault. It was thought by mod the great Miflake of that Man of downright unpoliped Integrity^ Archbifhop Laud^ that in his Endeavours to reftore Difcipiine, he did not enough confider the Tempers and Con- ditions of the People he had to deal with, and what the Times would bear; but, as the noble Iliftorian intorms us. If the Faults and Vices were fit to he looFd into, let the Perfons be who they would that were guilty of them, they were fure to find no Conni- "uance, but to he profecuted to their Shame and Pu?:ifj- pient. You know. Sir, tJie Sedaries then did not Jike this \ nay, they purfued him to Death, in a ^ood Meafure, on the Account of it. And do you imagine your Party would really like it now P Or that in Cafe the Church were to purfue the fame . Meafures, they would applaud her for it, and fupport her in it ? Indeed, you are miftaken, if you think fo. There is rather Reafon to believe thefe heavy Complaints of our Want of Difcipiine are made, to goad and ftimulate my L,orus the Bifliops to do as that illuilrious Archbifhop did, with no good Intention towards us. They plainly fee the Indiipofition of the Times for it, and that any high Ads of Church Power would certainly fharpen Men's Humours, raife in fome, -dud i?Kreafe in others, a Difinclination to the Church ; and then, who can tell but what ^^jbeen may be, and what may, at Jafb, turn up, to their Advantage .? But to fay the Truth, I rather believe they do it, not fo much put of Policy, and with a deep Defign of drawing us into this Snare, as out of ilark Love of finding Fault .with the Church, and to increafe the Num- ber Popular Fleas 0/ D i sse n T e rs. 21 ber o^ plain Re a fens for their Diffent from it. They are not, methinks, very wife, I mean wife for themfelves, and their own Safety, when they call fo upon us to revive and reftore the a.ntient Difcipline. For, by the Rules of /^^/, open Schif- maticks were treated almofl; as roughly as any Sort of Oifenders whatfoevcr •, and this I leave to their ferious Confideracion. 'Tis more to my prefent Purpofe to obferve, that it is not fair (as once Calvin complained was his Cafe) Dijfipationejn^ cujus ipfi caufa flinty prchri loco nobis ohje^iare^ to throw in our Teeth that Diffolution of Church Difcipline which they themfelves are the Caufes of. If that be owing to them chiefly, it would, furely, be right to hold their Tongues, and fay not a Word about it. Indeed Mr. Peirce fays, // is not long of us that they cannot govern their own Members. Yes, but it is long of them^ in a great Meafure. For have not they joined their Endeavours with Latitudina- rians and Free-Thinkers to cry down the Power of the Church ? Have not they openly taught, it has no Power but what is merely perfuafive, which, properly fpeaking. Is none at all. And does not this Pofition tear up from beneath our Feet the very Ground and Foundation of all Government and Difcipline ? No Authority, no Difcipline, one would think might pafs for a plain and inconte- ftable Aphorifm ; and if the common People are taught the Former, they are not fuch uark Fools, and fo void of all natural Logic, but they can, their- felves, infer the Latter. The Confequence is fo plain, fo eafy, fo juft, and natural, that they may be trufted with drawing it for themfelves. I can hardly think with what Face any Perfon who occupies the Place of a Church Governor, after having main- tained, in the Face of the World, that the Church has no Authority at all, can go about to do any A^ of 22 T%e third Letter concerning the of Difcipline ; or if he has the AfTurance (for I really do think it requires fome AlTurance) to do that, how he can exped due SubmifTion from thofe that are fabjefl to him, or how complain, if he finds them upiuly, and difobedient, and not difpofed to regard him, in any Thing. For fuch Behaviour is but the praSical Part of his own Dodrine. And it is too evident, the prefent Contempt of all fpiritual Au- thority in mqfl of all Ranks of Men is, in a good Meafure, the baneful Fruit of fuch Do6i:rines as thele, in propagating which every Body knows your Minifters, Sir, have had no inconfiderable Share. But they have ruined Difcipline another Way, by the Divifions they have made among us. In fuch a diflra(fled State of Things as they have thrown us into, an exad Difcipline can't be expe<5led to be preferved. For who will value the Cenfures of the Church, or who will Care for being thrown out of it, while they may be received in other Chriftian Societies, with open Arms. It is the commoneft Thing in the World to hear People openly threaten, they will go to the Meetings if they are not indulged in all their unreafonable Demands, and diforderly Ways, by which Means they often get to be indul- ged in them. Mr. Peirce fays, IVe are afraid to rejeR Herettcks^ and other notorious Sinners, from cur Communion, leji they go over to them. No, we are not afraid to rejed fuch from our Communion, for that or for any Reafon -, but, perhaps, we may think it both z prudent and charitable Part rather to overlook fome Things that are not very grofs, which yet might deferve fome Animadverfion, than the People fhould leave the Church, and become Schifmaticks, and fo involve themfelves in a Sin of a much deeper Dye than their other Offences were. Toallay our Fears of lofing Hereticks, and other fcan- dalous Popular Pleas of DissEi^TERs. 23 dalous Sinners, from our Communion, he afliires us, ibofe Fears are caufelefs, for they Jhould admit no fuch to their Communion^ unlefs they mend their Maimers. What does the Gentleman fay ? No Hereticks, r\oAria7is^ for inftance, in your Commu- nion ! No fcandalous Sinners, no Fornicators^ Adul- terers^ Drunkards^ Revilers or Extortioners received into jy(7?^r Churches ! I muft beg yourPardon, if I am not fatisfied of this, and demur upon it. For I could never perceive the Doors of the Meeting were ever ihut againlt any, but that all Comers were welcome. And if fuch profligate Perfons be not admitted to /ii at the Lord's Table (which, in all likelihood, they will not defire to do) they need not fear being admitted to all the other Parts of your Worlhip. But what if. Sir, after all, it appears, there is as great a Want of Difcipline m your Churches, as in the Church of England ? it may be reafonably fuppof- ed, the Doftrine beforementioned muft have upon the Members of your Churches, as well as of ours, fome Influence to make themfelves lefs tradable and obfequious to your Difcipline, than they might other wife have been. And why, too, may it not be fuppofed, you are as much afraid to cenfure your People, as we ours, for fear they come over to the Church ? I am fure, you have, I fhould have faid your Minijiers have, generally, one Reafon to be more afraid of cenfuring, or any way difobliging them, as they depend more upon their Number, and Benevolence. This reafoning, I own, is of no Weight, if the Fadl be found otherwife, as, indeed, Mr. Peirce, in the Book before quoted, fays it is. And to (hew it is, he has given us as hideous a Re- prefentation of our Difcipline as he well could. But ought he not then to have given us fome Repre- fentation of your own, that it might have been feen, upon a Comparifon, which was preferable. Buc not 24 ^he third Letter concerning the riot a tittle of that, I alTure you. Indeed, he does fay, (and faying is all, which is very eafy) you have a deal of Difcipline. For he aflcs. Why don*t they ufe as much Difcipline^ as they fee we do ? Why don*t they as well as we^ keep Her clicks^ and profli- gate Sinners from their Communion f As they fee we do ? For my Part, I fee it no more than your People, Sir, I believe, feel it. He muft be fecond-fighted who can fee any fuch Thing. V/here is it. Sir, to bt feen ? Not, I am fure, in Ufe and Pra(5lice. Have you, then, any Book of Difci- pline ? Where is that to be feen ? No, indeed, you ieem to do all without Book, as if you thought any Scheme or pre-compofed Form of Church Difcipline as bad a Thing as a Form of Prayer. An exadl Account of your DifcipHne, we fhould be mighty glad to fee. We have long wifh'd for it, but I fear we are yet like to go without i-t. It will hardly be thought advifcable to expofe all your Church- Dealings to publick Canvafling and Examihation. Yet, as he has mention'd your keeping Hereticks ^nd profligate Sinners from your Communion, and piqued himfelffo much upon thofe Accounts, a few Thoughts fhall be beftowed on each. It muft be owned, you have a Ihort and eafy Way to come at heretical Minifters, and eje6t them, Tet but the People withdraw his Pay, and the Thing is done at once. I mean, Sir, if the People continue, themfelves, in orthodox Sentiments, for otherwife, it can't be expected they fhould difmifs him, and the Heretick is fixt immoveably in his Poft. Or if you think it more Decent and Eccleji- ajiical to have it done by the Interpofition of neigh- bouring Minifters, it may be done, without much Difficulty, that Way. For the Heretick, when he appears before them, cannot intrench himfelf behind Forms of Law, nor take Advantage of the dilatory Popular Pleas ^DissenteRs.' gjf clilatory Proceedings of all legal Courts : But, as your Churches have not bounded themlclves by any Rules which may not be departed fromj they may proceed againft him in a fummary and arbitrary Way ; and there is none to whom he may appeal againft their Sentence and Determination. Thisj we'll fay, is an Advantage you have forgetting rid of Hereticks, in a quick and eafy Way. But what doth it fignify, if no body can tell who are Hereticks ? You know, who it was, (one of your felves) who openly affcrted fuch a Notion ofHerefy, as makes it im- poffible for any, befides Godand themfelves, to know, who are Hereticks ; and who can doubt, but it was with Intent to Ikreen and proted them from all Cen- fure. This, at leaft, muft unavoidably be the Confe- quence and EfFe6l. For if his Notion of Hefefy be rigbi, there is no doubt, but it would h&wrong to call any Man Heretick, and much more to profecute and cenfure him, as fuch, unlefs God, the Searcher of Hearts, fhould reveal, or himfelf confefs, that he maintains his Opinions againft his Judgment, and under the Condemnation of his ov/n Mind. And if he confefTes tbaf, it will not be much Harm he can do 5 and it would be pity he fhouid be purfued, or any way molefted, as a Heretick, but begging him for a Fcol would be the moft reafonable Treatment of him. Before this Notion of Herefy was fo publickiy defended, you' did, indeed, fall pretty foul upon a few whom you efceemed Hereticks : You turned them out of their Paftoral Employments ; and fo far, I readily own, you acted laudably. But I have not heard you went any farther) or that you turn*d them out of your Communion^ as Mr. Peirce would have us believe you always do. And if you did fufFer them to continue fiill in your Communion, you have not fo much, as Mr. Peirce pretends, m point of Difcipline, to boaft of. Mr. P^/;Y?f himfelf, D it 26 T^e third Letter concerning the \i feems, was one of the Gentlemen who received this Difcipline, on Account of his Herefy about the Trinity ; and 'tis worth while to know hov/ he behaved under it. Why truly, Sir, not at all like the Man who had been calling, before, fo loudly upon the Church of England to rejed all Hereticks, who laid fuch a Load of Reproach upon it for its Sla'cknefs and Remiffnefs, and let fuch a high Value upon your Churches for their Care and Diligence in that Matter, but rather like one who held it un- warrantable to moleft any, on fuch Accounts : For all the Proceedings againft him he was pleafed to call Violence^ 'Tyranny^ Perfecution^ an Inquifition as true as ever there ijuere any in Spain or Portugal, as may be feen in the Pamphlets by him publifnM, on that Occafion. This, Sir, is he who had writ, a very little while before. Why dont they ufe as much Difcipline^ and keep Hereticks from their Commu- nion, as they fee zve do ! The Difputes among the London Minidcrs, at the fame Time, about Subfcribing or not Sub- fcribing, the firfl: Article of the Church o'i England, and the 5th and 6th Anfwers of the Affcmblv's Catechifm, concerning the Dodrine of the Trini- ty, will not be foon forgotten. Thofe who were for Subfcribing confidercd, generally, the other, as Avians ; and it is, from their Writings, too plain, that many of them really zvere. And thefe, on the other Hand, confidered them, as Athana- ftans, that is to fay, as great Hereticks^ in their Opinions, as they, theirfclves, were reputed to be by their Adverfaries. Yet I don*t remember there was much ejecting, or rejeBing among you, on that Occafion : But by the Help of Comprehenftve Prin- ciples, and of fome pacific Treatifes, fuch as The conciliatory Letter, The Apology for both Parties, T'he DcBrine of the Trinity no Fundament al^ &c. to- gether Popular Pleas of Dissenters. 27 gether with a little Reflection upon the Danger of ruining the Diflenting Intereft by your Divifions, Matters were brought, at length, to an amicable Accommodation, each Party receiving, as Brethern, and running into the Embraces of the other. Such Hereticators are ycu. Sir ! Such is the Rigour of your DiTcipIinc ! And fo it is you turti Hereticks out of your Communion ! As to notorious evil Livers, it no way appears to me, they have any Reafon to be afraid of greater Moleftation from your Difcipline, than from ours. Excommunications, 1 fuppofe, are not very fret^uent axmong you : Authoritative Admonitions before the Church, for great Scandals and Offences, are as little heard of; and a publick Penance, in one of your Congregations, would be, I prefume, a new Thing to behold. Our Country, Sir, you know, abounds with DifTenters of all Sorts -, and tho' I have lived in it the greateft Part of my Life, yet, to the bed of my Remembrance, no one Ad: of Church Difcipline, in either of thofe Kinds, has ever been reported to me, or come, any way, to my Knowledge, tho' I have known many who de- ferved it, and feme v/ho did as richly deferve the .levered Exerclfe thereof, as the inceftuous Corin- thian. Which I mention, becaufe I know you are all apt to fay, there is not much need of Difcipline on Account of diforderly and offenfroe Walking, in your Churches. Formerly, perhaps, it might be fo ; but now, Toleration, Eafe, Security, and a ge~ neral overflowing of Luxury in the Nation, have brought Things between you and us, as to the Stri(5tnefs of our living, pretty near a Level, as I have fhewn more at large in my firft Letter, which I refer you to. Flere then I fhall reft the Matter : There is, in our Church a Want of Difcipline confeffed ; but D 2 there ?8 The third Letter concerning the there is an equal or greater Want of it, tho' not fo ingeruoufly confeficd, in yours. We have, at lead, the Shadow of it, which, I doubt, can*c be faid for you. All the Forms of it, to be fiire, (and that is fomething towards its Revival and Reftora- tion) are kept up among us \ and we truft in God, thefe dry Bones wilU one Day, llve^ and that by his Holy Spirit's working, in his good Time, upon the Minds, efpecially, of thofe who have it moft in their Power, and are more properly concerned, thefe Forms will be animated with fuch a vigorous Exercife of that Power which God has given to his Chiirch, as will realbnably well anfwer the End pf it. Vain indeed, and vifionary are thefe Hopes, if what you fay be true \ for you fiy, the whole Frame and Conftitution of the Church muft be taken down, and one of another Sort erefled, be- fore a regular Difcipline can be introduced. But God forbid we fhould be reduced to fuch an un- happy Alternative, that either Foundations muft be removed, or we muff, for ever, be content with our prefent State of Difcipline, and that general Relaxation of it which it now lies under. Let us then fee whether the Cafe be really fo bad i whether the prefent Conftitution of our Church will not ad- mit of good Difcipline, and whether your Churches ^re letter calculated for it. You affert, there is no Poffibility of an exad Di- cipline in Diocefan Churches ; and the Reafon of this extraordinary Alfertion is no better than this, that 'tis impofllble one Bifhop Inould Perfonally in- fpe6t and take the Cognizance of all Things and Caufcs that arife within .a large Difiridf •, a Reafon that holds as ftrong againft all Governments, Civil as well as Ecclefiaftical, that are of any Extent. And how much ftronger is it againft the Britijh Monarchy, Pol)uIar Pleas ^ D iss e n t e rs. 29 Monarchy, which contains, in England -And. Ireland^ almort fifty of thoJfc Diocefes, befides a large Coun- try of Prefbyterian Ground at home ; and many large Provinces of the American World. Doubtlefs, you will fay, the King governs the Realm by fubordi- nate Magiftrates, who are Sharers of his Povv^r. And does not the Bifnop rule his D'locdt fo? And why, Sir, may not that be ? Mr. Baxter, I think, allows he may fubftitute another to toll the Bell to Church. So far, he is very good, and we thank him for it. But may do nothing elfe per aliiim ? Whatever is done befides, muft he needs be, in propria Perfond^ the Doer of it ? For what Rea- fon, I pray '^. \Vhat is there in Epifcopacy more than in Royalty, that none of the Powers of it can or ought to be delegated, but every Thing muft be done by the Biiliop only, or, however, under his immediate Infpe6lion ? at leafb, why muft a Bifhop have an immediate and pergonal Concern, in every Thing and Matter that is done, more than an Apofile ? For it is evident, St. Paul had not. He tells the Corinthians (i Ccr. i. 17.) that Chriji fent hi;n not to baptize^ hut to preach the Gcfpel. The former, it feems, v/as not fo much, and fo immediately, his Work, as the latter : And there- fore to this he almoft wholly applied himfelf, leav- ing that to others, whom he had appointed over that Bufinefs. And he, accordingly, tells them (thanking God for it too, fo far was he from think- ing it any Negkol or Failure in his Duty) he had baptized ncne cf them but Crifpus and Gaius, tho' he had lived there (and we may be fure was not idle) a long Time, and (as appears from ASis xviii. 8, 10.) m^ade many Concerts in their City. The Pretence of the Impoffibility of good Dif- cipline under Diocefan Epifcopacy is perfectly groundlefs and unreafonable. For, furely, there may 30 7^^ third Letter concerning the may he good Dilcipline vvherever there may be good Laws, and a due Execution of them. And why both may not be in DioceHin Churches, I am at a Lofs to comprehend. It will hardly, I think, be denied by the iloutefl: of yoa all, but, that good and wholcfome Laws may be made under Diocefan Governments; and thofe who, in Subordination to the Bifhop, are to execute thofe Laws, or any of them, may^ ot themfelves, do it, a? confcientioufly, as he iiimielf would have done •, and fuch as are negligent of their Duty he car. compel to it If this, S\i , does not fatisfy, (as I think it may) we have plain and undeniable Fa£f to appeal to. The Dif'"^piine of the Primitive Church you mud allow was g'od ; cife, why is ihtprefsnt Church reproach- ed for the Want of it, and call'dupony^? to rellore it : .And yet this was exercifed under Diocefan Epifropacy, and where the Diocefes, too, were fomctimcs as large as moll: of ours are, which learn- ed Men, whom 1 could refer you to, have abun- dantly demonlb'ated Here, then, we have an Ar- gument againft Fa^^ which every body knows, and common Senfe will teach us, is worth nothing. For if it be certain, a Thing has heen^ all the Argu- ments and Speculations in the World, will not be convincing that it cannot be. But be. Sir, this Matter as it will, I don't fee how it is mended by the Frejhyterian Platform, wherein the Exercife of Difcipline, in moft Cafes, is wholly referved^ in others, ultimately reforts to cer- tain Alfemblies of the Clergy. The Conftitution of the Church of Scotland is, I fuppofe, truly Prel^ byterian ; but, in that, I perceive, the Kirk Sef- fton^ or PariJhConfiJlory^ which is compofed of Mi- nifters. Elders, and Deacons, judges only in Mat- ters of lefler Scandal, and in thefe, too, there lies an Appeal from them. All Matters of greater Scandal, Popular Pleas ^Dissenters. 31 Scandal, fuch as Adultery^ &c. are left, in the firft Inftance, to the Prcfiylery of the Piace, and from thefc alfo is an Appeal to the Provincial Synods^ as, from thefe Synods, there is a farther Appeal to the general Ajfemblies of the Clergy. The general Af- fembly, therefore, has, you fee, the Cognizance of all Caufes vv^hatfoever that arife within the Church o^ Scotland -y and that, you know, is of equal Extent with a good Number of our Diocefes put together. 'Tis like, you will fay, that Affembly is made up of many. My Anfwer is, they all fiand upon the fame Ground •, and if forty Men are placed together upon an Eminence, they can't fee farther than any one of them may, provided his Eye-fight be as good as that ot the reft. But why do I fpeak of Prefbyteries., Synods., and 'National Affemhlies., when we have, 1 fuppofe, no fuch Things in E'agland. For tho' we have Churches which are pleafed to be called Prefbyterian., thefe are governed as abfolutely (for what I can fee) as the reft, by their own Officers, the Paftors and Elders of the Church, from whom there is no Appeal to any proper fuperior Jurifjidion, which is the very ElTence of Independency. Let us then fee, if the independent or congregational Plan be better cal- culated for good Difcipline : >\nd I doubt it will be found, that, if, in Z)/ctvy^;2 Epifcopacy, the Di- ftridt is too large for good Order and Difcipline to be kept up in, in Congregational., it is too fmall ; if, in the former, the Governors and Governed are too far offy in the latter, they are as much too near. The Plan of Independency is, that every Con- gregation or worfliipping AlTembly has a compleat Jurifdidtion, and is entirely governed within itfelf. Here, now, is a Crowd of petty independent Ju- rifdiclions, fifty, and, perhaps, more, nay, a hundred. 32 'The third Letter concerning; the hundred, or, as it may happen, feveral hundreds, within the fame Walls. For (fay your Indepen- dents) any ^m or ^tv^n covenanting together will make a Cliurfh compleatly organized ; three or four compofmg the Prefiytery^ and the Fraternity conilfling of three or four more. A very pretty Conftitution ! A Conftitution which muft produce continual Diffentions, Difientions too without Re- medy, and, as ftich, was condemned by the French Church in the third Synod of Charenton '^, where it is declared r^ct only prejudicial to the Church of God (hecatife as much as in it lieth, it doth uftjer in Confii- Jio7t^ and openetb a Door to all Kinds of Singularities^ Frregularities and Extravagancies^ and harreth the UJe of thofe Means ijohich is:ould nicjl effectually prevent them) but alfo is very dangerous to the Civil Slate^ as forming as many Religions as there are Pafi/Jjes^ and particular diftindl Affemblies among them. It is almoft unavoidable but each of thefe Congregations will have fome fingular Opinions and Practices of its own, which falling immediately under the Eye and Obfcrvation of all tiie Neighbouring Congre- gations, will be extremely ofFenfive to them, from whence Controverfies and perverfe Difpiitings will naturally arife. And how fhall they be ended, there being no Authority that can filence, controul, or cenfure the Contumacious. Synods may meet, and talk over the Matter, and give their humble Ad- vke upon it : But, by their common Principles, (for they are all, Sir, you know, abfolutely inde- pendent of each other) none fhall need to fubmit to ihem any farther than they think fit. As to Offences that may arife within their parti- cular Congregations, 'ds own'd, the [ndependent Conftltution lodges Authority enough in the Churcli and the Officers thereof, to take them away, or ^ pick's Synodicon. reform 'Popular Fleas o/'Dissenters. 33 reform them, if they were but difpofed to ufe it, and the People equally, difpofed to fubmit to it. Every Parifli or Congregation has as much Power as the Sovereign Pontiff himfelf, in Spirituals ; in- deed a great deal more than is fit to be put inco ih.Q Hands of fuch Perfons, as *cis commonly entrudcd with. The Plenitude of Ecclefiailical Power is too great a Truil: to be committed to every Teacher, Elder, and Deacon, or indeed to every Pafbor or Minifter of God's Word, and particularly (to fay nothing of thofe, who in advanced Years are rafh or weak, orindifcreetj to every jy???/;/?' Divine, who, neverthelefs, in hopes of future Proficiency in Knov/- ledge, and Increafe of Experience, maybe trufced, as in our Church, v;ith the Funftion of Preaching, and Adminiftring Sacraments to a Congregation, under the Guidance and Controul of another. Here, the Parifli Prieft has as m.uch Jurifdi6lion as is con- venient and reafonable he fhould. He has a Power to admit all to Baptifm who are entitled to it. He has alio as much Power as any Prefbyteiian or Con- gregational Minifter, to repel open and fcandalous Sinners from the Lord's Table, only fignifying (which, furely, is but reafonable) to the Ordinary, and that only, if he require it, or any Com'plaint he made^ the Caufe thereof and obeying therein his Z)/- re^ion. No Excommunication of his Parifnioners can take EfFed:, without his Concurrence. But to put the whole Pov/er of Excommunication into his Hands, v/ould be as unreafonable and of as ill Con- fequence, as to give the Mayor of any mean Cor- poration an abfolute Right to deprive, at Pleafure, any Member thereof of the Beneiit of the Laws, and put him out of the King's Protection. Confidering, then, how great an Authority the Pallors and other Officers of thefe Churches have, a Man would exped; a very great Regulation of E Affairs^ 34 ^b^ i^^if'd Letter concerning the Affairs, that all Things amifs fhould be redlified", all Abufes removed, and that no Perfon deferving Animadverfion fhould pafs unreproved, or uncen- fured. But, alas, there are many Things that hin- der ; as, Firfi, the great Difperfwn of their Flocks, Thefe Gentlemen, Sir, your Minifters, are a Sort of Pluralifls : Their People commonly live, here below in the Countiy, diiperled through ten or a dozen Parifhes, and thefe, too, in Ireland^ and fome Parts of England^ Parilhes of great extent. Above, they are fcattered through every Part of the great Cities of Lojidon, Weftminfter^ and the Borough •, and it m,ay be reafonably fuppofed, there is hardly a Parilh, nay, fcarcely a Street or Lane, but fends fome of its Inhabitants to help make up your larger Congregations. And hence it is that your Paftors have little more Knowledge of a great Partof thofe who embrace their Miniftry, and attend their Preach- ing, than any Methodift- Preacher has of thofe who, from all Parts of the Town, flock after him, and are hardly more capable than he of watching over their Converfation, in a ■pafioral Manner. But, fuppofe their Flocks were coUeded, and had their ordinary Habitations, as in the eflablifh'^d Church, within parochial Bounds, and they had, under their Eye, and more immediate Obfervation, all manner of Perlbns and Offences they are con- cerned with, it may be fiirly fuppofed, they will be pretty indulgent to fuch of their Flocks as may (land in need of Reproof, or defervc Cenfure, by Reafon they fo much depend upon their Benevo- lence, often, perhaps, for their whole Maintenance. Or if they have Fortitude enough (which I vv^ill charitably fuppofe many have) to caft behind them all Confiderations of that Sort, they will be often kept from exercifing Difcipline with an impartial Stridnefs, by their Forcfight of thofe Heats, Rup- tures, Popu/ar Pkas of Dissenters. 35 tures, and Confufions, and tliat Eftrangement of their People's Affections which it will naturally oc- cafion. And if it be aflc'd whether this Confider- ation will not equally impede the Exercife of Dif- cipline in Diocelan Churches, I anfwer. No •, be- caufe it is in human Nature to bear the Severities of Difcipline from their Spiritual Pallors ai fome Di- Jlance^ with more Patience and Refignation, than from their immediate Guides^ by whom they expeft, tho' indeed often without Reafon, to be always treated with the great eft Indulgence^ and led with all the Gentlenefs in the World. Then again, it is well known, there are always many of your Churches without proper Paftors, having no other than fome young Men, who are Candidates for the Miniftry, to pray and preach he- fore them, till they have fome Evidence of the Ac- ceptablencfs of their Gifts. May thefe. Sir, take upon them to rehike^ and to rebuke with Authority ? No certainly ; they have no Authority at all. May they prefume to cenfure, or excommunicate any ? By no M^ans ; thefe are A6ts aiF aft oral Powsr and Jurifdi^iion^ not to be attempted by mere Probati- oners, not until they have been ordained, andfolemn- Jy called by fome Congregation to take the Paltoral Charge of it. 'Tis therefore evident, that as long as they continue in the probationary State (and we nre well informed, that is, fometimes, for many Years) there can be no Difcipline in thofe Churches. As to Lay- Elders, the other ruling Power in many Congregations, (for in fome^ it fliould feem, by Heads of yigreernent in 1691 there were not any, as tis like alfo there are not now) here and there one, it may be, proud of his Office, and fond of lYiQ Power it gives him, may be bufy enough in it. But for the generality, we may partly judge, by the Difpofition of our Church- Wardens, (who are E 2 com- 36 ^he third Letter concerning the commonly Men of the fame Rank) and that Re- lu5la?icy they often difcover in making their Pre- fcntm.ents, notwithftanding they are bound by their Oaths to do it, that, if they live in Amity with their Neighbours, they are not like to be very fevere upon them ; efpecially, if they are not only Neighbours, but alfo Kindred, or good Cufiomers. But if there be any grudge between them, then the Cenfures of the Church will be in Danger of being frofiituted, to ferve thePurpofes of Ill-will, Malice, and Revenge. At lead, thofe thatfuffer under them will be ape to fuppofe, and give out, that /o it is, whether it be, or not. Hence they will flight thofe Cenfures, grow rcfraftory, unwilling to fubmlt, and the more io, if thefe Elders happen to be Perfons of mean Endowments, and fmall Experience, as, in many Congregations, they mull be fuppofed to be, or much inferior, on all Worldly Accounts, to thofe whom they exercife Dominion over. 'Tune Syri, T)am^, aut Dionyd filius audes Dejicere e [axo cives, aut tradere Cadmo ? If any little Tradefman or Mechanick of a Lay- Elder fliould take upon him to call you. Sir, to Ac- count for any Offence he fhould pretend or fancy you had given, I an:i ready to think, that, with all your Humility, you would be apt to fpurn him, in thofe Words of our old Friend Horace, or fome otl)er like them ; and look where you will, I am pretty confident you will find Faui exaftly corre- iponding with my Theory, But to proceed : We are not only charged v/ith the Want of proper Difcipiinc, but with great Faults in the Difcipline we have. I will mention two or three. That Jurifdiclion which (lay ycii) ought to have been in the Parifh Fricfis is often put into the Hands of Lay -Chancellors. Now, who Popular Pleas c/ Dissenters. 37 who would have thought that ever a Charge of this Nature would have been exhibited by any Dijj'mier^ by one of thofe who have evidently taken much lar- ger Strides in this Sacrilegious Ufurpalion, this Pro- fanation of a moji dreadful Part of Cbrijl's Govern- went, as, I think, one of you call it, than this a- mounts to. If Lay-Chancellors had been allowed to take upon themfelvcs fettled Cures, and to of- ficiate therein, it would have been a Thing that might have deferved fome declaiming. And yet, as much as this do you^ permitting Men to occupy the Place of Pallors, in fettled Congregations, to preach and pray conftantly before them, fometimes, (as I noted before) many Years together, before their pretended Ordination. The Power of the Keys is alfo exercifed in another-guife Manner by Lay-Elders, than by Lay-Chancellors. They are both pretty much upon a footing as to Scripture Warrant and Authority ; and yet, your Lay- Elders, in the Plan of Prefbyterian Church-Government, are an eflential Part of all Confiftories and Synods. They fit in them, and have an equal Vote with the Paflors, in all Biiilnefs, both in the making of new Laws, and executing the old. Jointly with him, they fupend from the Lord's Table, they excommu- nicate, and they do it, too, by a Power which is fuppofed inherent, and properly their own-, whereas Lay -Chancellors a6t by an Authority derived from the Bilhop, and, in the Matter of Excommunica- tion, only declare, as Civilians, what is Law, the Sentence being pronounced, as well in Court, as at Church, by Ecclefiaftical Perfons. After all, there may be, perchance, fome Irregularity on both Sides. On yours, it is never like to be taken away ; on ours, it is taken away by moft of my Lords, the Bifhops. And if it never be by all, 1 would defire to know, how it comes to pafs, that we Ihould 3 8 l!he third Letter concerning the fhould be held fo guilty for admitting the Ju.rii- diclion of Lay-Chancellors in our EcclermlticiU Courts only^ while j^// are perfectly blamelefs in not only allowing a much higher Jurifdidion of Lay- men in your very Confiftories and Synods, but ot Lay-preaching and Lay-praying alio in your pub- lick Congregations, whirh, without queftion, is a much greater Abufe and Profanation. You muft be fenfible. Sir, that this Charge may be fairly retorted upon ycur Churches of all Deno- minations, even thofe that are called and are Pref- byterian (if, indeed, there are any fuch among you) but, in a more particular and efpecial Man- ner, upon thofe of the Congregational way. For thefe not only connive at the FraSiice^ but openly maintain the Right of Lay-preaching and Praying, and Lay-ordination too. Nay, the whole Power of the Keys, according to them, is originally in the ■ Lay-People, and they, accordingly, exercife, as there is Occafion, every Part of the Ecclefiailical JurifdicStion. What Right, Sir, have thefe to re- proach the Church (they are the laft Men in the World that fhould reproach her) with her Lay- Chancellors, and to talk of a Profanation for only being affumed by the Bifliop, not to do any Adl that is purely Spiritual^ but only to be his Ajfifiants in his ecclefiaftical and judicial Proceedings. We are alfo, it feems, accountable (which is a little hard) for thofe Prohibitions with which our Difcipline is fometimes embarraffed, and fuch other Reftraints and Modifications thereof, as the civil Powers have been pleafed, in fome Cafes, to lay it under. For thefe we are twitted by Mr. Peirce^ who, jeeringly, tells us, // is not owing to you^ but to the Conditiition of our Church, that we can make no Ecclcfiaflical Laws without the Confent of the Government. It is well, Sir, for you that you can. Poptdar Pleas of Dissenters'. 39 can. But why then do we fee none of your mak- ing ? And I wouJd know, too, whom it is owing to, and v/hether it be not owing to the Conftitu- tron of Prefbyterian Churches here in Engla7id^ that they hiive no Prefbyteries, Synods, and AfTembhes. In his Dedication to the Church of Scotland of this very Book, wherein the Church of England is fo upbraided and infulted, for fubmitting to be limit- ed by the Civil Powers, in making Ecclefiaftical Conftitutions, he has fome diftant obfcure Innuen- do's (as it appears to me) about this IVTatter. He talks there of a Defign about the latter End of the laft Century, to fet up a general Correfpondence among Dilfenters, fuch as the Quakers have pra- ftifed for many Years — of the ill Ufage and Cavils of their Adverfaries of reprefenting them as Defpifers of the King^s Power in Spirituals, which he gives as theReafon why the Order of their Churches is not more agreeable to that which is in Ufe ift Scot- land, and other reformed Churches. Methinks, Sir, a little Eclaircifment is needful in this Place. But if it be meant, as it feems to be, of a Defign to fet up Prefbyteries, and Synods, which the Go- vernment would not permit them to do, here is fubmitting (fince Submiffion is fuch a criminal 'Thing) to Limitations^ and Prohibitions, on their Parts. But whether it be true, or not, that the Govern- ment will net permit them to have Synods, and and other regular Aflfemblies of their Minifters, the Faof, that they have them not, is evident. And that muft be own'd by all true and genuine Prefby- terians, a far greater defect in their Churches, and a fouler Difgrace to their Difcipline, than any they can name in ours. For fuch Affemblies are the CharaMerifiicks, and conftitute the very Effence of Prefbyterian Churches ; and for them to be without them is much the fame Thing, as for Epifcopal Churches to have no BiQiops. This 40 'The third Letter co?tcerni?ig the This Gentleman, Sir, has been pleafed, too, to fhew foms of his Smartnefs upon another Article of our Difcipline, to wit, the Commutation of Penance, which (to fay true) many Confot-mifts, as well as he, have been offended at, and the more, I pre- fume, for not well underftanding the Thing, and the Reafon of it. It is a Privilege fometimes in- dulged to Perfons of Condition, to redeem them,- felves from the Reproach and Shame of publick Penance, by a Sum, which is diftributed to pious and charitable Ufes : And this, if not Jiriufly and ecclefiafiically right, may yet be tliought defenfible, in the prefent State of Things. Mr. Peirce fays, it is turning Penance into a Money-hufinefs . Well, be it fo : Yet this Money-bufinefs^ or (to fpeak out Q)i Sarcafm') this pecuniary Penalty may have its ufe, and do fome good. The levying a Shilling, ac- cording to the Statute, on any Perfon who does not repair to Church every Lord's Day, we may call, too, if we pleafe, a Money -bufinefs -, yet I have never heard, that Statute incur'd the Difpleafure, or fell under the Cenfure of any DilTenter, but have always xhou^ix. you efteemed it a good Law, as we do, for fecuring the due Obfervation of that Day ; it\w being willing to pay down, perhaps, the whole Earnings of one of the fix Days, to purchafe an abfence from Church, on the Seventh. When a Man is obliged to pay down, for his Crimes, a Sum, greater, perhaps, than he can well fpare, it will make him take heed how he brings himfelf again into the like Snare, and help more to make him alter his Courfe of Life, than looking Shame in the Face, in a public AfTembly, would be like to do. For tho' that, too, may have a good Effect upon fome Sorts of Offenders, as well as be a Terror to ethers that are yet innocent, it would be apt to make ether forts of them, particularly, the Rich, and, a efpe- Popular Pleas of Dissenters. 41 efpecially, if they were proud and high-minded too, as the Apoltle infinuates they are all apt to bcj on account of their Riches, only the more impu- dently and defperarely wicked. — . However, this Sort of Punillimenr muft be allowed better than none at all, and letting Offenders efcape, as, I fup- pofe, Sir, is commonly done among you, without Penance or Commutation either. As to the antient Difcipline, I am free to own^ it did not allow of Commutation ; and Mr. Peirce is much in the right, when he obferves, Ambrofc was ignorant of it^ when he forced the Emperor Theod'fms to confefs his Sin publickly in the Church. Yes, truly, in thole Times, the Rich and Honour- able^ as well as the Poor and Bafe^ had Humility enough to fubmit to Ecclefiaftical Cenfures, nor thought it a Thing beneath their Dignity and Rank to make an open Confeflion of their Sins, and to feek tlie Peace and Reconciliation of the Church, with Tears. And when it is fo here in England^ I fliall not (lick to fay, " Away with Commuta- " tions, not let them be named among us." — I fliall only add, thefe Commutations are entirely fetrofpecftive, and only Punifhments for Offences which Men have formerly committed, and, per- haps, have fince repented of; and if they go on in their Sins, no fuch Favourj I hope, is ever allowed them, a fecond Time. You have other Objecftions which may be as eafily, as thofe I have already confidered," retorted upon you. Shall I mention the Ceremony (as your Writers love to call it) of the Surplice ? Or, fhall I pafs it by i fuppofing you are now afhamed of the great Controverfy of the Habits^ and have re- figned all your Scruples about this^ in particular ? I almoft fancy you have ; but if you have not^ you may be pleafed to remember the Ceremony of the F lon^ 42 'The third Letter concerning the long /weeping black Cloak^ peculiar to your Miniflers, which is elicemed hy you, and ufed by them as an Ecclefiaftical Habit, for the Sake (you own) of its Significancy of Gravity, as the Surplice (you fay) is ufcd by us, for its being fignificant of Purity of Life, tho', by the bye, the Church has no where declared it to be ufed, on any fuch Account. But the reading of certain Apocryphal Books in our Churches, while fome Parrs of the Scripture are omitted to make (as you call it) Room for them, and even the binding them in the fame Volume with the Scriptures, is, flill, a Matter of mighty Offence. The binding them together makes them look (you think) as if the one was written by In- fpiration of God, as well as the other, and of the fame Authority with it. And yet the Com.mon- Prayer is often found under the fame Cover, while no body takes it (I dare fay) to be the immediate Word of God, ever the more for that : Nor does any one take the Hymns and Doxologies that have fomctimcs been printed and bound up with the Pfalms of David, for the Ufe of Pfajmody, in j^^r Churches, as well as o^/rj, to be as Canonical, as thofe Pfalms. I think, we have a CoIle6tion of Hymns and Spiritual Songs upon a great Variety of Divine Subjects, and fome, particularly, for the Lord's Supper, compofed by Dv. IP^atts, which he has bound up together with his Paraphrafes or 'Tranjlations of certain Portions of Scripture, for the Ufe of your Congregations, and the Improve- ment of the Pfalmody thereof. Now, do your People, Sir, elleem thofe of his ownCompofure of the fame Authority with the other, becauic he has thought proper to bind and publilh them together ^ And, as to the reading the Apocrypha in our Qhrnoht^, for EDi ample of Life, and Inflru^lion of the Manners Popular Pleas of Dissenters. 43 Manners of the People, I know not why it fliould not be held, on all Accounts, as juftifiable, as Ting- ing the Hymns and Songs of that Gentleman, for the Increafe and Furtherance of their Devotion '". That Gentleman, I perceive, does not fall in zvith the lajl and Inclination of thofe who think nothing mufi he fung unto God, but the 'Tranjlations of his own Word. And therefore, one would think he could not readily fall in with their Tafle and Inclination, who would have nothing read to the People, befides the Tranflations of God's Word. And if fome Part of Canonical Scripture be omitted to make room for reading the Apocryphal, fo it is, (and, I think, with lefs Reafon) to make way for finging the Hymns and Spiritual Songs beforementioned. If certain ufeful and inftrudive Parts of the Apocry- pha are read, while long Genealogies, myfterious and obfcure Prophecies in the Canonical Books, which the Learned themfelves are puzzled with, are omitted, this is plainly done for the better Edifi- cation of the People, which you, who hold it right to forfake the Communion of the Church, only for better Edifying, could not (one would think) be difpleafed at. And the fame may be faid for omit- ting, in the Courfe of the Leffons, fome other Holy and Canonical Scriptures, for infiance, the Song of Solomon^ the reading of which, in a mixt and popular AfTembly, by reafon of its parabolical Turn, and peculiar Phrafe, might be attended with fome Inconvenience ". Mr. Peirce, I perceive, is for its being read, becaufe, I fuppofe, the Church has 7tot appointed it to be read : And if it had done fo, I am pretty confident (fuch was the Temper and Spi- rit of that Gentleman) he would have been as much againfl: it, and called the Synod °, in his jeering '" See his Preface to Hymns and Spiritual Songs, p. 15. " Vindicat, of Dijfenters, p. 3. c. 13. o Hid. Fa way 44 '^he third Letter concerning the way a wife Synod, which had made fuch an Order and Appointment. We fhould, then, in all Jike- Jihood, have been told, that the greateft Part of all popular Congregations would certainly reft in the plain and literal, and never carry their Thoughts into, or reap any Advantage from the allegorical and fpiritual Meaning of that Divine Song-, that it would, therefore, be apter to caufe diforderly Motions, and to provoke Mirth in hght and uniettled Minds, than to excite Attention and Devotion -, and been put in Mind of that Order a- mong the Jews, that none fhould read it, even in private, 'till they were thirty Years old. — After all, it is not very fcernly, or confifttnt, in this Gentle- man and his Brethren, to cenfure the Church of England for not publickly reading the whole Scrip- ture, if what is commonly faid be true, that, in ibme of their own Congregations, hardly any at all is read, and little, comparatively, where any is. Mr. Peirce himfelf can't but acknowledge, p and does, that Jetting afide the 'pfalms, Epijiles, and Gofpels, more Scripture is read in two Months in our ChurcheSy than is done in a Tear, in their largeft Meetings. Only he fays, they read them more in tSieir Families, which may be true or otherwife, for what either he, or I know •, efpecially, now a- days, v/hen Family Prayer and reading the Scrip- tures are not fo much ufed as heretofore, ^ and a greater Degeneracy in Proportion, in thefe RefpcSis, is reigning and -vifible among you, than your con- forming 'Neighbours. And it fhould be remembrcd, too, hew many Families there are of the poorer Sort, who have no Bible to read at home, and can- not read it, if they had. Keeping the Feafls and Fafls of the Church is another Stumbling block in the Way to Confor- P Ihld. 1 iF<«///s Humble Attempt, p. 223. mity ; Popular Pleas of Dissent ^R^. 45 mity ; when, too, it is notorious, that, in the Church of England, no body, now, need keep them, unlefs they chufe it, and that the Way of keeping them is neither more nor lefs, than going to Church to fay our Prayers, to commemorate fome of the fpeciaJ Mercies of God towards us, in regard to our Redemption, and to hear the Scrip- tures read relative thereto, and to praife God for the Do6lrine and Examples of his holy Apoftles, and other Saints, who were the glorious Inftruments of conveying the Knowledge of Jefus Chriif to us. One would wonder how any intelligent DilTenter can be offended at this^ more than he is at thofe Days o^ Solemn Thankfgiving to Almighty God for his Mercies and Blelfings of a temporal or civil Na- ture, or even thofe Le^ures, that are weekly, or occafionaly preach'd at your Meeting. — And as to keeping the Feftival of our Lord's Nativity, which has been more particularly obje6ted to, you feeni not to have, now a-days, fo far as my Obfervation reaches, any Scruples at all about the feajling Part^ which is certainly the moft exceptionable, but come as cheerfully into it, as your conforming Neighbours, and only Jiick at the. Religious. And you ftick at ibis, it feems, becaufe you are not cer- tain our Lord was born on that Day on which the Church celebrates his Nativity. But fee, Sir, your Inconfiftence and Partiality — In the fecond Century, there was a great Contr«verfy between the Eaftern and Weftern Churches, about the rigbt Day of keeping Eafter. This Mr. Peirce' calls ^ an idle Contejl, and v/henever any of your Minifters have Occafion to fpeak of it, they reprefent it after the fame manner, and never fail to flur the Fathers of the Church, as a Company of fimple, unreafon- able, and perverfe Men, for raifing fuch Stirs, and I Findicat. cfDiJJlniers, Part 3.ch. ii.p. 226. making 46 ^he third Letter cojjcernmg the making a Schifni about fo poor a Point as keeping Eafter on this or on that Day. But, how comes it, then, to pafs, that their keeping Eafter on a wrong Day was fo [mall a Matter, it our keeping Chrift- mas on a Wrong (fuppofing we really do} is fo great a one ; and how are thofe Fathers to be blamed for contending and making a Schifm about the former, if you, and your Brethren are without blame, when you juftify your Schifm by the latter. I truH: now I have plainly fhewn, that your moft popular Arguments againft Communion with the Cnurch are infufficient, and, befides, that they equally prefs againft Communion with your own Caurchcs : And the Matter, as one would imagine, m.ght be fafely refted here. But there may be, perhaps, one Scruple or Difficulty behind ; and tho', from the Tenor of that juft and reafonabie Declaration you made to me, which gave OccaBon to this^ and the former Letter, I fhould hope it would be no Difficulty with you^ yet, for fear it fhculd, and left it ftiould rife in your Mind, as a Retreat and Subterfuge to avoid Conformity, when you are fairly beaten out of your other Holds and Faftnefles, it may not be im.proper to fay to it jaft io much as may be thought lufficient either to pre- vent, or to remove it. The Scruple or Difficulty is, the Danger of giving Offence., by Conformity., to weak Brethren. When the vulgar and more ignorant Sort of Dif- fenters plead this, they mean no more by giving them Oiience than making them angry., or putting them out of Humour., or, at moft, grieving them, or giving them fome Trouble ox Concern., which, (they fay) by all Means fhould be avoided. No furely, not by aM Means avoided i not (for Example) by offending God, in doing ought is contrary to their Duty, or negledling to do ought that Duty requires of Popular Pleas o/'Dissenters. 47 of them. Let us go and learn this Leflbn, that we are to pleafe, as well as oky God^ rather than Man. In the mean while, it is Matter of Wonder, that fince they are fo afraid of offending Men^ no Con- fideration at all Ihoiild be had of offending us^ their Brethren of the Church of England^ who are, iin- queftionably, majiy more in Number^ (tho* we may not perhaps, pique ourfelves fo much upon account of our Weaknefs) and, *tis like, are as much grieved and concerned^ if not quite fo angry and difpleafed^ at their Non-conformity^ as their Diffenting Brethren could be, at their Conformity to the Church. As to you Sir, (I dare fay) you have no Scruple of this Sort ; I mean, no Fear or Apprehenfion of offending, in this Senfe of offending, by your Conformity, but are as much (as indeed all fhould be) above the Fear of difpleafing any Man whatfo- ever, by embracing the Communion of the Church of England^ when you fhall come to think, it is, in itfelf, a right Thing to do fo, as you are above the Weaknefs of imagining, you ought to continue, rather than difpleafe, in your prefent Separation from it. The true Scripture- Notion of Offending you are not, I fuppofe, unapprized of : It is neither more nor lefs than fetting a Trap^ or Gin^ to en= fnare any one, or laying a Jiumbling Block in his Way, to occafion his falling into Sm ; and I can eafily conceive how you^ or any Man of Senfe, may inconfiderately fall into an Opinion, that, by his Conformity, fome weak Chrijfians may be led, or drawn into Sin. A Gentleman, like you^ of con- fiderable Sway, Authority, and Influence in the Place where he lives, or a Minifter in great R:-pu- tation and Efteem, may conceive, that his Con- formity to the Church would be a Hurt to Reli- gion, that many who had before a high Opinion of his Wildom and Integrity, feeing his Compliance, which 48 ^he third Letter concerning the which they might hold to be finful, and, perhaps^ alio, fufped to proceed from other Motives than a real Convidion of the Lawfulnefs thereof, might be thereby tempted, and the more eafily reconciled, to give way, upon occafion, to finful Compliances in other Inftances, and, perhaps, alfo, in the very fame^ conforming, as ^^does, without having re- ceived the fame Satisfaction concerning the Lawful- nefs of it which he has j which v/ould be a Sin. And I verily believe fome of your Minifters themfelves keep off from the Communion of the Church, and go on in the Ways of Separation, meerly upon this Scruple. They could well enough conform, but do it not, left People fhould be fcandalized thereat, and Religion receive Damage : And if, among thefe, there fhould be found one of diftinguiOi'd JLearning and Abilities, as well as other Merit, who would not wonder and be grieved at it ? It is not, indeed, a new Thing for the greateft Men (as if they were under fome Enchantment) not to know how to get out of certain particular Trails of thinking, tho' they be ever fo evidently and palpably wrong ; and that the Way of think- ing which thefe Gentlemen are in, is thus palpably wrong, you will foon be (I hope) made lenfible. You don't think it, I fuppofe, a Thing fcandalous in itfelf to live in the Communion of our Church ; and when *tis confidered, that you fay, yourfehes, you differ little from the Church in Matters of Do- flrinc, but only in Ceremonies and external Rites, I hope it will not be thought any great Matter of Offence to come over to it. And, indeed, why it fhould be thought a greater Offence for one of you to come over to us^ than you efteem it for one of p.'^ 10 go over to you^ I can't readily comprehend. I .ould never obferve, that any Converfions from cur Church to yours were a Grief to you, or that any Popular Pleas o/' Dissenters. 49 any of you ever difcouraged them, for fear of their giving Offence to weak Confciences ; but, on the contrary, have always obferved, they were Matter of great Satisfa5fion and Content^ and always the greater, by how much the Perfons were more emi- nent and confiderable in the Church, and their Change (confequentlyj hl<:ely to prove more fcan- dalous. Which evidently fhews, (as one would think) you have no great Notion, that a Z-^r^ Change is any realbnable Occafion of Offence. Circumilan- ceSj I allfivy, in particular Cafes, may be fuch as Jhall make it fo, as when one conforms with ma- nifeft Views of Covetoufnefs, or Ambition, or any other Views of a like Sort. But, in the Cafe of moft private Chriftians, and particularly your own^ there is little room for any fuch Sufpicion ; and where there is more^ as perhaps there may be in the Cafe of Minifters contbrming, if they are really ap- prehenfive of any fuch Offence being taken at it, it may be, methinksj eafily prevented, by publifli- ing the Reafons for their Conformity, and openly declaring (if they intend to keep their Words) they will not accept any Dignities or Preferments in the Church fo much above the Value of what they en- joy at prefent, as a reafonable Man can fufpe(5t was a Temptation to them, or any Motive and inducement to their Change. And if they think hot fit to lay themfelves under any Limitations of that Sort, as being confcious of Abilities to do God eminent Service m the higher Stations of rhe Church, with a fmcere Defire and full purpofe of Heart to do him the bed they can, and n:iall be, by his Providence, and the Favour of their Superiors, called to them, I know not why they fhculd de- cline them^ feeing it is in their Power to prevent any Scandal from enfuing, by a conftant and re- gular Conformityj Diligence, and Paithfuliiefs m G their 5© 'the third Letter concerning the their high and holy Calling, an humble un-afpiring Mind and Temper, a Conduft on all Occafions, perfeftlydifintercfted, and an exemplary Life. And if. Sir, you will look about you, you will fee In- ftances, ^ more than one, of Gentlemen who have thus conformed, who, far from Icandalizing any by their Conformity, enjoy their Preferments and high Stations in the Church with the Applaufe, and live in the Efleem and Veneration of all, even of thofe whom they have deferted. And what thefe have done, others, certainly, may do, if they alfo conform upon 'Princt-ple, and with the fame Purity of Intention to ferve God in the facred Miniflry of this Church •, and any other than fuch we defire to have nothing to do with. As to offending many, who may be moved, by the Opinion they have of you, to follow your Example, there really appears to me little Room for any Fears and Apprehenfions of that Nature. For your People, Sir, whatever, in other Refpecls, they may be, are not obferved, in this, to be like Sheep, that when one leaps the Fold, the refl follow ; bur, on the contrary, when any eminent Member, or learned Miniiler of your Churches comes to lee he has Reafon, and does, accordingly, refolve, to conform, the People, tho' they had, before, the higheil Opinion of his Wifdom and Goodnefs, and, implicitly relied upon his Authority, generally turn their backs on him, and bid him go take his oixn Courfe, while they purfue theirs, and itw^ fol- low him, unlefs it be ivith Cenfures and Reproaches for his leaving them. Thefe are the only Sins which his Conformity is like to lead them into, which, however, they, and not he muft be anfwer- able for. But if more were to follow his Example, I really think. Sir, it would be fo much the better ; ^ Bifhop of O- d. Sec. and ■Popular Fleas tf/ Di ss e n T e R s. 5-1 €ind heartily wifh to God, you were, all, offe?jdeJ af' t£r that Manner I For it his Authority were to draw you after him, that would be To far from a real Offence, that it would be the very rev erf e of it ; ib far from leading you into Sin, that it would plainly be plucking you out of it. And indeed, whoever of you comes to be fatisfied in his Mind of the Lawfulnefs of Conformity, and to think it his Duty, can do no lefs than endeavour, and take all Opportunities to fatisfy others of it, and if he has been, any way, the Means of ^^rwr//;z^ them to, or ftrengthening and confirming them in their Non- conformity, he is bound, in Duty, to take fome Pains to bring them off from it. I am, aware, you will fay, you are only afraid of their following your Example, againfi their Judgments, and with a doubting Confcience. But be eafy. Sir, I intreat you, upon that Head. For 'tis as well, and indeed better, they Ihould follow you to Church, whither they ought to follow you, with a doubting CoU' fcience, than, with the fame, follow you to the Meeting, whither they ought nor, as fome in all probability, 7iow do ; who either moved by your Authority, or influenced by the Hopes of recom- mending themfelves to you, or the Fear of dif- pleafing, and lofing the Share they may already have in your Affeftions, keep off from the Church, which, othdrwife, they would have reforted, and adhered to. Either way, (you fee) by your Con- formity or Non-conformity, fome or other may be offended -, and, in fuch a Cafe, what is your Duty to do, but to conform, if, upon other Accounts, you think that right, leavin.g Contingences and Pofll- bilities, which you can neither forefee nor prevent, and are not, therefore, anfwerable for, to the Care and Confciences of others who may be immediately concerned in tliem. G 2 I muf]: 52 ^he third Letter concerning the I mufl not difmifs this Head, without remindi. ing you of one great Sca?idalvf\\\c\\ is really given by your Non-conformity, or thofe unhappy Dillenti- ons that are kept up by you amongft us. They are a mighty Offence to jenvs^ Turks, and Infidels^ and give them unworthy Thoughts of our Holy Religion. And thofe among ourfelves who are difpofed to think meaniy or difhonourabJy of it, how do they triumph in them, and with what Pomp and Aggravation fet them out to the World, as if they really thought them a fufficient Difproof of Chriftianity itfelf, or, at leaft, a legitimate Pre- judice againfl: it ? And th^PapiJt, in regard to the Religion of Protejlants, makes the fame Ufe of them that the Free-Thinker does, in reference to Chrijlia- 7iity in the grofs. The one will not be a Chriflian, becaufe Chriftians are fo dhided, and becaufe Pro- teflants are fo divided, the other will be no Prote- flant. He is always counting up, with Pieafure, our Herefies and Schifrns, and from thence arguing, that his Church is the one Catholic and Apoftolic Church, and there can he no other. No lefs a Man than the late Archbifliop o^Cambray argues, at this Rate, againft no lefs an one than our late excellent Bifliop Bull. Is the Catholick Church ffays he) a confuted Heap of Societies., fcparated the one from the other ? And how can they be that Kingdom of Chrift not divided againfl itfelf, and which never fhall perifh '? And Truth (fays ^ another, tho' not fb great as he) cannot poffibly be among us \ for Truth is but one, and when Men have deviated from that, the Maze of Er'ror is infinite. Our Divifions are fet forth, too, as the juft Judgments of God, for having forfaken the Communion of his Church ; and as this Church and Nation is the chief Support, and ftrongefl Sanduary of the Proteftant Religion, ? MtlUtiere, • it Popular Pleas o/Dissenters. ^j at is (quoth he) more lamentably divided than al- mofl: any other. In this Manner (vain Man! ) he argues ; and no one Thing, I am perfuaded, has helped more to confirm thofe o^ his Church in their old Errors, and given them more unconquerable Averfions to our Religion, than our Diffentions have : As, on the other hand, nothing has iijore help'd to unfettle the Minds of fome of our own . People, and make them Converts to Popery. And, accordingly, it was obferved, that, in the Jate mi- ferable Times, when the Church of England was removed, and an innumerable Spawn of Herefies and Schifms of various Forms aijd Hues covered the Land, not a few, and, of thefe, fome of no mean Rank and Quality, or of no fmall Account for Learning, fcandalized at our Divifions, went clean ofF from the Religion of Proteftants to that corrupt Church, as the only Place (they thought) wherein they could hope to find either Truth, or Peace. I befeech you, Sir, by the Mercies of God, and in the Bowels of our Lord Jefus Chrifl^ lay thefe Things ferioufly to Heart. Confider the Mifchief you are doing, by your Diflention, to our Holy Religion, and to the Proteftant Profeffion in particular, which you always expreis fo tender a regard for ; and v/hen your Mind is forming to it- fdi imaginary Dangers of fome People's taking Of- fence at your embracing the Communion of the Church of England^ for G6d*s fake, refled:, that, by your feparating from it, you do really give an Offence that is infinitely greater, and more mif- chievous. And now. Sir, I flatter myfelf it plainly appears to you, and will to any other candid and unpre- judiced DifTenter, into whofe Hands theie Papers may happen to fall, that this Scruple or Difficulty ^Ifo is both eafily anfwered, and retorted. And there- forg 54 ^e third Letter concerning the fore I hope you will now think of acquitting yourfelf of the Promife you gave me, that you would and Jhould think it your Duty rather to conform to the Church c/ England, than join yourfelf to any fepa- rate Congregation^ in Cafe the common Arguments againfi Conformity could either be fairly anfwered^ or fairly refle£fed. It was a Pleafure to me, to hear a Gentleman talk of the Duty of Conforming in any Cafe, as it Ihews, he is not got into the modern, latitudina- rian, fafhionable way of thinking, that there is no fuch Thing as Duty in relation to that Matter, but that every one is as much at Liberty (without any regard to Terms of Communion) to be of what Church he pleafes, as he is to go to wiiat Tavern, or be of what Club he likes belt. No wonder, that Libertines and Rakes, who commonly make their Religion (what they have of it) out of their own Heads, Ihould fall in with and embrace fuch a No- tion : But we find it embraced by many who read and regard the Bible, as the Rule of their Lives and Condufts, and abundance of Pains is taken, more efpecially by thofe of your Way, to fpread, and make it go current in the World. It muft be confefTed, 'tis a Notion admirably v/ell calculated to ferve the Purpofes of all Gatherers of Churches out cf Churches : Tho', methinks, too, the Notion is not very compatible with that Zeal and Induftry they commonly difcover in carrying on that Work; for if all Churches and Communions are indifferent, I know not why any one fhould give himfelf the leaft Trouble in making Profelytes from one to an- other ; and if he believed in his Heart they really were fo, you may depend upon it, he would not do it, unlefs Avarice, Ambition, Fadion and Party- making, or fome worldly Intereft were at bottom. I make no Queftion but you have often heard it f\id. Popular Pleas o/'Dissenters. $^ faid, as I fometimes have, that no body will be ajk*d what Church he was of at the Day of Judgment, Surely, a very ilrange Saying ! For, moft certainly, it will then be enquired, not only how we have lived and behaved, as Men, but alfo, how we have behaved as Chriflians, as Members of the Church, and Subjedls of the Kingdom of Chrijl. — Suppofe I fhould go about to feduce you, or any other Gentleman, into Treafon, or adual Rebellion a- gainft his Majefty, in Favour of a Pretender to his Crown, and, for reconciling your Confcience to it, Ihould tell you, you need not fear involving your Souls in any Guilt, and endangering your Salvation, for that no body will be ajk^d what King he was for at the Day of Judgment^ would not you be ready to fly in my Face, as a profligate and abandoned Cafuift, and very unfit to have the Care of Souls ? Yes, you would : Now, there is juft as much Senfe, Honefty, and Divinity, in bearing you in hand, that it will never be enquired^ in that Day^ what Church you were of^ to make your Confcience eafy in the way of Schifm. And whoever fhall attempt, under fuch Colours as thefe, to entice Men into Treafon, or Rebellion, on the one Hand, or into Schifm, on the other, mufl be a Man either fo weak, or fo wicked, as to be very unfit to have the Direftion of Mens Confciences. We have known Scripture, moil abfurdly and ridiculoufly quoted, in Support of that Notion, viz. to fhew, that no body need be concerned about this or that Religion, and lefs flill, this or that Church, or Communion of Chriitians, but only provide for a good Life ; as, particularly, that Declaration of St. Peter^ in every Nation he that feareth God, and worketh Right eoiifnefs is accepted of him. No doubt but whoever fears God, and works Righce- oufnefs, as Cornelius did^ will be .accepted, as Cor- nelius ^6 'The third Letter concerning the relius was \ that is, his Righteoufnefs will recorrt* mend him to God, may be a Means to procure him fome farther Grace, and, perhaps, to bring him, if he be a Gentile, as it did that Roman Soldier, to the Knowledge of the Truth, as it is in Jefus. Or, if it be fuppofed that Acceptance unt6 Sahation is here meant, I fhall move no Contro- verfy about that^ provided the Phrafes fearing Godi and working Righteoufnefs be but interpreted fairly, in their juft Latitude and Extent, fo as to take in walking in all the Ways of God's Holy Laws, and all the Works of his Commandments. For fo in- terpreted, they will not fit thofe who break one of his firft and great Commandments, by fowingDif- fentions, and caufing Divifions and Offences in his Church. — But I fee I am running, and that need- iefsly, from my Subjedl, there being, I am fatisfi- ed, no Danger you will ever be caught into an Opinion of the Indifferency of all Churches and Communions, by fo crude a Saying, and fuch a palpable Mifapplication of Scripture, in Support of it, as I have now mentioned. All the Danger is of your falling rather into the other Opinion, of the Necefiity of feparating from any Church, as parti- cularly ours, for flight and infufficient Reafons, too weak to bear the Weight and Strefs of fuch a for* mal and total Separation, as is laid upon them. Since I have happened to pafs this Cenfure upon the Infufficiency of thofe Reafons, which are com- monly urged in Juftification of your Diflent, and pronounced them tco m^eak to hear the Strefs that is laid upon them^ you may, perhaps, be defirous to know, what really zV, in my Opinion^ fufficient to juftify fuch a Separation as yours is j nor fhall I be unwilling to add a Word or two, for the farther Explanation of my Senfe of that Matter. I am not, Sir, afraid to affert, that nothing will juftify your Separation J Ftpidar Pleas c/' DiSsenteiIs. 57 8eparation, but the impofing of finful Terms of Communion upon the Laity. Upon the Laity., I fay again, that you may remark it. Tou., Sirj who are Laics, may veiy hdneflly and confcien- tioufly come to Church, and fay your Prayers with us, whether the Gentlemen, your Minifters^ could or could not make the iifual Subfcription and De- claration, or take the Oath of Canonical Obedience to the Bifliop, and whether they had, or had not Reafon to refufe it. *Tis evident, you have no manner of Concern in thofe Things. And if thofe who would be- Minifters hold it unlawful to comply with them ; they may let it alone, and betake themfelves to fome other Profeffion, or way of Life, wherein they may eat their Bread with a quiet Confcience, and Gladnefsof Heart, and not be dif- quieted v/irh Remorfe, either for complying on the one hand, with the Conditions of Minifterial Con- formity againft their Judgments, or for difturbing^ on the other, the Peace of the Church, for the Sake of a Maintenance. No body. Sir, goes about to compel thefe Gentlemen to enter into the Mi- niftry : No body wants or defires them to do it. We are enough, of ourfelves, to anfwer all the Wants and Occafions of the Church 5 or, if mord Labourers were wanting, we could have them, and fuch, too, as believe and contend, that the Terms of their Minifterial Conformity are lawful, and may be very confcientioufiy complied with. And as to thofe who are already in the Miniftry among you,- let them fhew their Chriftian Fortitude in trufting to God to provide for them, while they attend our Churches in the Charafter of Laymen, as they well know many of the old Non-conformifts, their pre- tended Fathers, and many alfo of our Clergy lately did, when they could not comply with the State Oaths that were required of them, in order to the H Ex-ercifg ^S ^he third Letter concernmg the Exercifc of their Miniftry ; and not cover themfelves With the Pretence of a IFoe unto them if they preach net the Gofpsl^ which has no Relation to their Cafe. And this, furely, tho' it were ever fo inconvenient on any worldly Account, rather than make fo fearful a Schifni in the Church, it is their Duty to do, un- Jefs they believe that the Terms ot Lay-commu- nion are finful alfo. But this I don't perceive is pretended. On the contrary. Dr. Calamy himfelf exprefly fays, The "Terms of Communion with the ejiaUifh'd Church are not pretended to be finfid ab- folutely. All he contends for is, that they are fo refpe^ively^ or by Reafon (as I fuppofe he means) of prefent Circumffances and Conjunctures. But, fureiy, thofe Circumflances and Conjundures muft be very extraordinary that can juftify fuch aSchifm, upon account of Things which, all the while, are confelTed to be materially lawful. At this rate, they may make any Thing, or whatever they pleafe, unlawful. For 'tis only faying, that in regard to Circumflances and Conjundurcs (which Imagina- tion will eafily frame and invent) or by reafon of the Temper of the prefent Times, the State of Things or Difpofition of Perfons, they hold it ne- cefiary or very advifeable to oppoie it. And when it is once thought advifeable to refiil and oppofe ir, complying v*'ith it, be fure, will foon be a Crime, and prcfcntiy commence refpeEiively finful. In the Enquiry, therefore, whether the prefent Separation be juflifiable, I look upon all to be im- pertinent, and quite foreign to the Bufinefs in hand, that does not, or is not pretended to fliew, that the Church requires, as Terms of Communion, of the Laiety, fomething th.at is finful. And would your Minilters proceed in this way, let them write on, in the Name of God, and fpare not. But heaping together a few Matters which are only, perhaps. Popular Fleas o/^ Dissenters. 59 perhaps, inconvenient, or of fmall Ufe, but are not pretended to be finful, or any way deftrudive of Sal- vation, and propofing them to the People, as a fuffi- cient Ground for their Separation, is a moll unrea- fonable^ an unfcriptural, and uncathoUc Proceeding. It is not enough, to fay, there are in the Church fome Defeds, fome Abufes have grown np in it, and this and that might have been ordered better than it is. This may, poffibly, be the Cafe, in fome few Particulars, in our Church, as, doubtlefs, it is in all other Churches, and, among them, in your ovon. And if it be, you are welcome to ufe your Endeavours, that thofe Defeds may be fupplied, or Irregularities reformed. But, for God's Sake, Sir, let it be in a ChriPcian and peaceable way, I mean, with keeping in the Communion of the Church ; and that, I'll venture to fay, would af- ford you greater Opportunities and Advantages, and give you more Power and Influence than you can now poffibly have for bringing about the Re- gulations you defire, and, in all likelihood, be, at ]af!:, if they are fit and reafonable, a Means to effed them. But whether thofe Things be ever regu- lated, or not. People are not to be taught, that a few fuch Matters will juflify your Separation in God*s Sight. This Dodrine, I mud take the Li- berty to fay, is falfe and dangerous. And to teach it is jufc the fame Thing, as if you were to colled and put together fome of the common Errors and Mifcarriages of Government, or a few unequal and inconvenient Laws, and make a Book of them, and then call it, A Vindication of your withdrawing your Allegiance from his Majefiy, and taking up Arms a- gainft him. That the accumulating fmall Defeds and Irre- gularities, (often only imaginary ones) is your com- mon and mofl approved Way of attacking our H 2 Church, 6o T^he third Letter concerning the Church, and juftlfying your Separation from It, is, evident from your Books, and particularly, from your Plain Reafons for Diffenting from the Commu- nion of the Church c/ England. This is the Way and Manner of that Book, which, nevcrthelefs, by the many Imprefiions it has had, one may eafily judge is approved by the Body of DiiTenters, as a juft Vindication of your Difiention. The fuper- cilious Ignorance of its Author, in divers Particu- lars, has been properly chaftifed, and fiifficiently expofed in a fmall Pamphlet lately publillied. Se- veral of his Rt-afons I have already retorted upon yourfelves ; but there is yet one which I have, me- thinks, a great Inclination to take fome Notice of here, tho*, perhaps, it may be out of Place, as I have given you, before, fome hopes of having made an End, arid faid the utmofl: I could againit you. For we Letter-writers, Sir, hc.ve a Privi- lege, which I 'lave, ir this Time, a mind to claim, of fetting down our Thoughts as they ofRr them- felves, without fcrupulouily adlicrino; to ftrict and clofe Method. He has then (I fay) one Reafon which it may be proper to take Notice of, becaufe it labours under the fame Misfortune with thofe I have before been confidering, being weak in itfelf, and yet, with ihe little Force it has, recoiling upon the Reafoner's Head — We leave (fays hej the Com- munion of the Church of England, becaufe^ it has often floewn a ■perfecuting Spirit. 'Tis well, he can't fay, it has fhcv/n a dividing Spirit, and aBu- ally divided itklf, by an open Schifm, from a found Part of the Catholic Churchy and that, too, efta- hlifh'd by all the Authority in being. That indeed, would have be^n an unanfwerable Reafon for your^ DifTenting, worth all the refl in his Book. But 'what intelligent Chriflian, or fenfible Man would ever fay, that its having often fhewn a perfecuting Spirit Popular Pleas of Dissect ^R^, 6r Spirif was a plain Reafon for your Diflenting from it ? Did the Church perfecute, at any Time, its own Members ? Were you, or your Fathers ever perfecuted, while they continued in the Church ? And were they driven out of it by thofe Perfecu- tions ? Was their being perfecuted, the Caufe of their Separation, and not rather the Effe^ and Con- fequence thereof ? Or is it meant, that its having, in former 'Times, perfecuted others, was a fufficient Gaufe for your leaving it now ? Its having been formerly fevere upon thofe that are without, is that a Reafon why thofe who are now within, fhould go out, and forfake its Communion ? I take upon me. Sir, abfolutely to deny, that its being now (if it really was) of a perfecuting Spirit, or its a5fual Per- fecution, at this very Time, of any, is a fufficient Ground for any one's renouncing its Communion ; nor would 1 renounce the Communion of the very Church of Rome, folely on account of its Perfecutions, great and many as they have been, or may now be, and if its manifold Idolatries, and other Terms of Com- munion, downright ' finful, which it impofes upon (ill. Laity as well as Clergy, did not oblige me to it. But our Churches having formerly (if it ever did) perfecuted any, when it is not pretended to do fo now, has not fo much as the Shew of a good Reafon for Diffenting. But let it be thought, Sir, as good an one as you pleafe, fince it is equally good, nay, truly, better, againft your own Churches, whether called Prefbyterian, or Independent : For each of thefe difcovered, in the Day of their Power, as much, and, indeed, more, of that Spirit. There is not the leaft Appearance of our Church's having difquieted and oppreffed any, on account of Reli- gion, for more, now, than half a Century ; and it has given thereby good Proof, that it is not now, whatever it may have been heretofore, of a perfe- cuting 62 ^he third Letter concernmg the ciiting Spirit. And tho' many Individuals among ycu are, dcubtlefs, averfe, equally perhaps, with yourfcjf, or with the Church of England^ to all man- ner of Perfccution, yet we cannot be fure the fame Chrilliin and equitable Spirit would appear myour Qjvrches^ afting colleSfively^ on any Occafion where thev fh- uld have full Scope to fhew what Manner cf Spirit they were of. The Prefumption, I think, lies rather againfl them, and wall lie, 'till they get upp'jrmoft ap-ain, and have thereby an Opportunity to let their Moderation be known to all Men. — So,. Sir, you fee, rhis Reafon is not only as ftrong, but rtaily ftronger againft Communion with your Ch'Jichcs, than with ours. I proteft to you. Sir, I cannot but marvel, that thcfi Gentlemen are not more afraid to fcatter a- mong you fuch Reafons (and, I fuppofe, they are the b:'it thsy have) for diffenting, as, with the leafh turn of Thought, may be employed againft them- fejvus. This, furely, is great Temerity, or vtx'-j unwife Management, unlefs it may be fuppofed they are io well acquainted with the ftubborn Prejudices of their People, that they can fafely rely upon them, and be afTured, that whatever Reafons fnall be offered them they will accept as good, without giving themfelves the Trouble to fift and examine them, or view them in any other Light than they fhall think proper to place them in. But for my own Part, I don't think you are all fuch Folks, and hope better Things of many of you. And as we are told by Monfieur P^y^^/of a certain Free-think- ing Gentleman, faying to one of his Infidel Com- panions, If you difpute at this rate., you'll certainly make me a Chriftian, fo, if thefe Gentlemen, your Minifters, reafon at this rate, in Support of your Separation, I fliall have great riopes they will make not on\y you y but many others, good Churchmen. For Popular Pleas o/'Dissenters,, 6;^ For indeed. Sir, lam greatly miftaken, if I have not fhewn, that their great and moil popular Reafon- ings in the Defence of it, are frivolous and infulB- cient, and if now, at lafc, they appear fo to you^ Conformity, you muft own, will be your Duty. If you think I have failed in this Part, and that your Objecftions, notwithftanding all I have faid, are ftill good -, yet, if you judge I have fuc- ceeded in the other Part, if you now find your Objedlions pinch yourfelves, as much as us^ if you plainly perceive (as now I hope you do) there are in your Churches, Inexpediencies for In- expediencies, Defefls for Defeifls, Blemifhes for Biemidies, Irregularities and Abufes for Abufes and Irregularities in ours^ your Obligation to Confor- mity ftill remains. In fuch a Cafe, you can'c pre- tend any Obligation upon Confcience to oppofe the eftablifh'd Religion, by forming Parties againfl: it, or by withdrawing your own SubmilTion from it^ but may as well conform, as dilTent. And then, there are many external Confiderations^ and Views of public Utility which will make it your Duty, and Ihould determine you to do fo. Your Conformity, Sir, to the ellabliih'd Religion (in that Cafe) is but lliew- ing a proper Deference and Refped: to the Laws, and publick Wifdom of your Country. It will be add- ing Strength and Security to the Government (for the eftablilh'd Religion has been always efteemed the Pillar and Support of it) and be promotive of cvvil Peace. And as the eftablifh^d is alfo the ge- neral Religion, embraced and profelTed by the vafi Majority of the People^ your falling in and comply- ing with that w\\\ be purfuing the trueft, the furefc and moft effedual, as well as the moft compendious Way for the reftoring and eftablifliing Chrijlian Peace and Unity among us. It will be doing your Part towards putting an End, to thofe Divifions that have 64 ^be third Letter concerning the:, &c. have fo long troubled us, and bringing about that happy Union among us, which all good Chriftians and Proteflants fo ardently wifli for, and pant after. Thefe Confiderations, which are of great Moment, I leave. Sir, upon your Mind, and earnelHy com- mend you to God's Holy Guidance and Diredion. l^Gur mofi Humble Servant, AN A N APPENDIX, CONTAINING Some Con siderations on the Law- fulnefs, Expediency and Neceffity of re- quiring all who are to be admitted to the Miniftry, or to any Eccleliaftical Prefer- ment in the Church of England^ or to be Preachers or Teachers in any Diflenting Congregation to fubfcribe the Articles of Faith and Religion. And fetting forth The Inconfiftencies between the notorious Pradlifes of Diflenters, and the avowed Principles of many of them touching that Matter. t 67 ] appendix: IN the Second and 'Third Leasers to a Gentleman Dijfenting from the Church of England^ I have been retorting the moft popular Reafons of DilTenters againft Conformity, upon themfelves. But becaufe Subfcription, (I mtsinfmple Subfcrip- tion without regard to the Matter of it) altho* grievou'ly exclaimed againft by many DilTenters, is not yet alledged (fo far as I know) by any Diflent- jng Writer, as a Reafon againft fo much as Mini^ fterial, and much iefs againft Lay- Conformity to the Church, I thought it would be proper to referve the Confideration of their praftical Contradidions to their own Principles touching this Matter, to a Place by itfelf. And I have done it the rather^ be- caufe what I have to offer upon this Head will not afFe6l all the DilTenters, but only a Part of them^ as will appear, in the Sequel, more at large. Aftef premifing, therefore, fome Things concerning the Lawfulnefs, the Expediency, and Neceffity of Sub- fcription to Articles of Religion^ required of thofe who v/ould be received into the Miniftry, I fhall reprefent the profelTed Principles and Sentiments of divers DilTenters concerning that Matter, ftiewing that they efteem it a moft unwarrantable Things and yet, at the fame Time fubmitj and do, of their own accords, other Things that are tantamount to it. We hear, at every turn, of the Unrcafonablc'* nefs and intolerable Harlhnefs of liich Subfcription^ and hov/ barbarous it is to fir etch the Confciences of Men to the Length of our own Notions^ Tiiis, we muft know, is an ingenious Allufton to the famous I 2 Story 68 APPENDIX. Story of the Jttic Robber. And, In good truth, it was an unhandfome thing to ferve Strangers in the Manner they fay he did. But if, inftead of dragging them to his Bed, and /(?m;i^ them to Jie in it, and then cutting or ftretching them to the Length of it, he had provided for them a great Variety of Beds, and bid every Man chufe for himfelf, accord- ing to his Stature, and take his Reft, he had never been the Theme and Execration of School- Boys, but would have paffed in the World, and been tranfmitted down to us, for a moft friendly and liofpitable Perfon. And if any, out of a foolifli Ambition to lie in the richeft Bed, while there were others <^j- warm, and more eafy, fhould y^fr^Z/y, and without the Knowledge of his Hofi, either lop., or Jiretch^ and put himfelf to Torture^ to make himfelf even with it, he could only have blamed his own Folly. The Application of this is mighty cafy. We have in England Religions good ftore : and if the Eftabliihed does not (uit the Size and Fafihion of any ones Confcience, he is at Liberty to accommodate himfelf with another that may fuit it better. But if, for covetous or ambitious Ends, he will needs be promoted in the eftablifh'd Church, and for that End, will violate and give a fecret Wound to his Confcience \y^ fraudulent Subfcriptions, I know not whom he fhould blame but himfelf. I hope, not the Church, which he thus infamoufly de- ceives, and impofds upon by his Prevarication. Sometimes we are afk'd, what Diredions there are in Scripture concerning Minifters fubfcribing Articles of Faith, and what Warrant and Authority we have there for fuch a Pradife. Why, the Scrip- tures require Minifters to take heed to their Do^rine, to fhew Uncorruptnefs in it, and to hold the Myjiery ef Faith in a good Confcience ; and that the Church may ^ have fome AfTurance of their doing fo, or- dain APPENDIX. 69 dain, that they be Jirft proved, and then admitted to their Office, being found blamelefs, i Tim. ui, 10. where the Apoftle piainJy intimates, and even in- joins fome Trial and Probation of thofe who are to be advanced to the Miniftry, as well in reference to their holding the Myftery of Faith^ as to their keeping a good Confcience, But the Form and Method of Probation not being deter- mined, that is evidently left to the Determinations of human Prudence, and the Difcretion of Church Governours. And then, the Subfcription-way, I guefs, may be as prudently taken, as any other. The Church of England has chofen this way : The Church of Scotland has done the fame, obliging all, not only before they are ordained, but before they are Jicenfed to pray and preach as Probatio- ners, to fign the Weftminjier Confejfion ; and all the Proteftant Churches beyond the Seas prove the Faith of their Candidates for the Miniftry, either by Sub- fcriptions, or folemn Oaths, or both, which they repeat, upon divers Occafions. And fome of thefe, particularly thofe of France^ had got far beyond us m the Matter of Subfcription, and carried it to other-guife Heights than is done here, as whoever will turn over Mr. ^dckh Synodicon will plainly fee. And if Subfcription was no way founded on the Word of God, it is plainly diftated by com- mon Senfe, which cries loudly, that the Church has a Right to demand it, and that none need make any Scruple to comply with it. For what is more evident to common Senfe than this, that thofe to whom the Depofitura of the Chriflian Faith is com- mitted fjould be themf elves found in the Faith ^ and give proper Evidence of their being fo to thofe who are to put that Truji into their Hands ; and this again, that none need make any Difficulty to fubfcribe with their Hands what they. really believe with their Hearts. As 70 J P P E N" n T X, As to the Expediency and Neceffity of fuch Sub- fcription, that is as great and evident as the Ex- pediency and Neceffity of preferving the Honour and Reputation of the Church, and the Purity of Religion, by preventing Diverfity of Opinions^ For if Subfcription to Creeds and Forms of Ortho- doxy was once laid afide, if the Doors of the Church were fet wide open, and all that would^ only owning the Scriptures to be the Word of God, might be admitted to her Miniftry, that glorious Confufion Infidels pant after would come on a-pace, and Chriflianity, without their Help, would be foon writ and preach'd out of the World. Every Parifh might have a Syftem of Divinity peculiar to itfelf, nay, there might be divers in the fame Parifh, The Do6lor, in the Morning, would teach his Peo- ple Orthodoxy^ and the Afternoon Preacher give them a Ledlure of rank Arianifm. The next Lord's Day a Difciple of Socinus finds Means to get into the Pulpit, and undertakes to confute both; and then, one after another, twenty Species befides of Hereticks or Enthufiafts, for whom, at prefent, we have no Names, fhall mount it, to give Vent to fome Peculiarities of their own. This is the blefied State of Religion which a promifcuous and undiftinguifliing Admittance into the facred Miniftry of ail Perfons, who ftill believe the Scrip* tures to be the Word of God, would introduce* Great Joy for Infidels and Libertines ! It might, poffibly, bring fome of thefe Folks, now and then, to Church (as they go to the Bear-Garden) meerly for Sport and Paftime. Bat thofe who are ferious would have no Heart to go thither, and might think it better to ftayat Home, mourn in Secret, and try to difcover what is true Religion and unde- filed before God, in their own Clofets. And Men of weak Judgments v/ould be in Danger of turning Scepticks, APPENDIX. yi Scepticks, or of going over to downright Infidelity. This indeed might not immediately be the Cafe, tho' all Subfcriptions were to be now removed. For the prefent Clergy, 'tis like, and I do believe, would be, in general, the fame Men that they are 7iow, But when thefe are gone off the Stage, and fuc- ceeded by others, who may differ, perhaps, as much in their Principles and Beliefs, as they do in their Countenances, then is the Time we may expe6l to tafle the Fruits of this hopeful Scheme of Liberty. I have not complimented, I hope, the prefent Clergy above what they deferve. For tho' it is faid, fome of them do indulge themfelves in an un- warrantable Latitude of thinking, and have fallen away from the Catholick Faith which they have formerly fubfcribed to, I am perfuaded there are riOt many of this Sort. Such as there are, 'tis like, if all Forms of Subfcription that ftand in their way, were removed, would, by Degrees, throw off their Difguifes, and fhew themfelves, in their pub- lick Adminiftrations and In(lru6lions, quite other Sort of Men, than they may now, poffibly, ap- pear to be. But as Things are at prefent, they will not commonly take the Boldnefs, in the Face of their Parifhes, and in open Contradidlion to their recorded Subfcriptions, (which they may, and, per- haps, hope, they fliall have Occafion to repeat) and to thofe Forms which they are daily ufing, to op- pofe the received Faith. At lead, they will hardly do it by pofitive and exprefs Negatives^ by open a- vowed Attacks, but only by dark and doubling Ex- prejfions, dijiant Jnnuendos, and confequential Argu- ments, which as they will pafs unoblerved by Nine- teen in Twenty of their Hearers, will not give that great and general Offence I have been juft before reprefenting. This was the Way of a late learned Potior in his Sermons. There are many Sentences fcattere'd 72 APPENDIX. fcattered throughout fetting forth ^ or implying Aria- fiifm^ as his Right Reuerend Editor obferves. But had it not been for Creeds and certain Forms of Prayer he was muzzled with, inflead of Sejitences fcattered, up and down, implying Arianifm, we ihould have had, in all likelihood, Arianifm pro- feffed, and he would have been, in his Difcourfes from the Pulpit, as unreferved, as he is in his Scripture- Dodlrine of the Trinity, and other Writ- ings. In fine, if ever thefe Checks and Reflraints ihall be taken off, fuch Offences will come oftener from the Pulpit, and grow, gradually, more and greater, as the prefent Clergy wear away •, and the Prefs, in concert with the Pulpit, will daily groan with new and ftrange Doftrines, as it has done, of late, with Harangues againft Creeds, and Subfcrip- tion to them. There is Reafon to believe the far greater Part of xh.t{t have flowed from the Pens of DilTenters ; and fome doubtlefs have come from the Infidel Quarter. I am ready to do many DifTenters the Juflice to own, that, as they hold to found and Catholick Principles, in Oppofition to the Herefies now prevailing, fo they are no Enemies to, but have been good Advocates for Creeds and Subfcriptions to them againfl their own Brethren. But if we be- lieve the Gentlemen of this latter Sort, fubfcribing the Dodlrines of Chriftianity in any Form of Words of Man's devifing, is difcr editing the Perfe5iion of the Holy Scriptures^ and throwing Dirt upon them, undermining the Principles of the Reformation, and laying the Foundation of Popery, an Encroachment upon Chrifiian Liberty, encouraging Impofitions, fet^ ting up a Tyrannical Power, and even an Inquifition in the Church, nor can Truth and Peace bepreferved (as one or two of them wildly fay) ^ till this Engine tf the Devil he overthrown. This and a great deal more APPENDIX. Ji more in the Jikc Strain, may be found in the Writ- ings of Non-Subicribers, with which the World /'farmed fomewhat above twenty Years ago, dur^ ing the famous Conrroveriy about the Trinity. And the Non-Subfcribers, unlcfs I am greatly miftakenj were a good Majority of the hcndcn Minifters. Whether they v/ere, before that Time, of thefe Principles, or took them up, as co/ivetiient at that critical Jun5itire^ to fl^reen tliemfelves from any further Enquiry into their Faith, which might have- ended in their being deprived of their publick Mi« nifcerial Ufefulnefs, their Brethren /(?r theSubfcrip- tion, muft be allowed to be the beft Judges. But I who knov/ them no otherwife than by fuch of their Writings as have happened to fall into my Hands, am willing to embrace the former Opinion, as the mofl charitable, viz. that thefe, all along, were their fettled Principles, and that they writ, at that Time, no otherwife of thefe Matters, than they were always ufed to think of them. Who, now, would think any other, than that/,^/^ Gentlemen ordain their Minifters, without afking any Queftions about their Opinions and Beliefs ? Who would notfuppofe, that they take in all^ what- ever Principles they are known to be of, or tho' nothing of their Principles be known more than this, that they are Chrillians ? If I were to take it into my Head to become a Paftor to one of their Congregations, where my Principles were well known, might not I fairly expert not to be rejedled, on thofe Accounts ? And yet, if I fhould reckon upon that^ I am afraid 1 fliould foon find I had rec- koned wrong, and flattered myfelf too much. It runs ftrangcly in my Head, I fnould fland but a bad , Chance, and find it an up-hill Bufinefs to mount one of their Pulpits, with the Weight of all my Litur- gical^ Prelatical, Catholick Principles about me, K And 74 APPENDIX. And if another was to offer himfelf to them, but, at the fame Time, was refolved to keep his Prin- ciples to himfelf, and let them know of him no more than that he believed the Bible to be the Word of God, and all it contains to be true, could he reafonably fuppofe he fhould not be accepted ? and yet I fancy he muft open himfeif a little more than this comes to, before the Doors of the Meet- ing will be open to him. They will certainly de- mand, and he muft give them, before he is ad- mitted, fome farther Proof and Evidence of his Orthodoxy. And if an innocent Error about the 'Trinity or Incarnation fhould chance to be no Bar to his Preferment, nor make him lefs acceptable to the People, yet there are other Points of more favourite Importance wherein it will be expecfted he fhould be found orthodox. He muft be an Arminian^ to pleafe fome -, an Anti-Arminian^ and very Haunch in the five Points, to be accepted of others. And I have been informed of a Congregation who were ufed to be called Prefbyterians, the Heads of which, upon lofing their Mi nifter, who, it feems, for be- ing an Arminian^ had not been very acceptable to them, faid among themfelves They muji now have an Independent^ for the Prefbyterians were not found. Suppofing, however, he gets in, and fancying himfelf well fettled in his Congregation, begins to publifh, either in Print, or Preaching, or Conver- fation, fome Opinions that are diilafteful to them ; in fuch a Cafe, *tis a Chance, if they are not for trying to eje6t him, and put another in his Place who fliall come up to their own Standard; and fome of the Orthodox Miniflers in the Neighbourh>.od ffiall be called in to give a Sandion to their doings. We hear, at every Turn, of fome Cafes of this iort, and are often obliged with Faithful Narratives thereof. That APP.ENDIX, ys That they are not fuch Enemies to all inquifitory Forms of Tryal, as, from fome of their Writings, they may fcem to be, is pretty evident from the Care that is previoufly taken to be rightly Informed of the Faith and Principles of their Candidates for the Miniftry. It fhould feem, by fome Paflages I have met with in their Writings, that thefe are re- gularly examined, not only as to their Learning, but to their Soundnefs ajfo in the Faith. And Do- ctor Calamy, in his Jbcrt Accoiini of Protejiant Dif- fenlers in England^ tells us, they make^ before they are folemnly ordained^ a ptihlick Confejfion of that Faith in which they engage to make it their Bufinefs to inftru£i others. And this Confeflion of their Faith we often fee accompany the Ordination Ser- mon, when it is publilhed. I don't mightily like the Way. For, in thefe Forms, many Points of the greateft Importance may be omitted, and, pro- bably, often are. And xhtymayht drawn up in fucli general, fuch Aiding, evafive, and equivocating Terms, as fliall impofe upon the Congregation, and the Ordainer too, at only one hearing. And that this is not a mere Fancy and groundlefs Sugge- flion, appears from a Book, entitled, A'a Anfwer to Mr. Pierce's IVeftern Inquifition, p. 27, 28, 40. where we are told of no lefs than five or fix Gentle- men, all mentioned by Name, ivho feerning very found as to the Doofrine of the Trinity., in the Con- feffons they made^ at their Ordinations., afterwards appeared of different Sentiments., to the great Grief of feveral of their Ordainers^ and that^ this Pra5iife of Equivocation has been the Caiife of moft of the Trouble and Bifficzdty that the Minijiers have la- boured under. By this we may plainly fee, that their Method to prove the Faith of their Miaifters is not fo wife and effectual to anfwer the End, as Subfcrip- tion to certain and well known Forms. But be K 2 that ^d J P P E N D I X. that as it wilJ ; for that is not the Point I am now upon: But I am only obferving, that they do im- pofe, upon all Perlbns to be Oidained, this Teft of their Faith and Orthodoxy, laflc now, Are not thele ConfefTions of Faith Human Explications ? Are they not Feins of Mens devifing ? Are they exprejfed in the IVcrds of Scripture^ and in them only ? Every body fees they are not. Do they not contain many Points, befides the Scriptures being written by Infpiration of God ? And is there any Difference (I mean as to the Iniquity of the Thing) between giving in, or pronouncing publickly a Confeffion of their Faith of tlieir own compofing, or, poffibly, tranfcribed from others, and fubfcribing to one of- fered by the Church ? If there be, pray tell me, wherein lies the Innocency of the one, and wherein the Iniquity of the other ? There is one Gentleman of great Name among the DilTenters, and he is Mr. Chandler^ who leems to have the moft frightful Notions of Subfcription of any Writer I have yet met with. In his Ac- count, it is not only an unreafonahle Things but pernicious to the Church of God^ infamous in its Nature^ tinjufi^ Antichrifiian^ and almoft every Thing that is bad. Now I would enquire, if he has never been concerned in the Ordination of any ; and if he has, whether he did not exact fuch Con- feflions of the Ordained, but laid Hands on them, fuddenly^ upon their making only a general Decla- ration of their belie.'ving the Infpiration of the Holy Scriptures^ and confenting to the DoElrine of Chri§i^ as therein delivered. I would enquire too, if he himfelfdid not make fuch a Confeffion of ^ij Faith, when he was ordained. I have Rcafon to think he did ; becaufe I find Dr. Calamy^ who fays, as be- fore mentioned, their young Men who are Candidates for the Miniflry^ before they are ordained^ make a Con^ APPENDIX. yy Confeffion of their Faiths was the Ordainer of Mr. S. Chandler^ whom I iuppofe to be the Gentleman I am now writing of. And he, to be fure, would not neglcul what he fays was the conftant Praftice of their Churches. And indeed I obferve that the Doftor, in the Charge delivered to him, takes Notice, that he had taken of him all fitting Precau- tions^ as to his future Conduct ^ by certain Promifes he made about a few neceffary 'Things. Here we have Mr. C/p^;/^/^r engaging himfelf, by certain Promifes about fome neceffary Things, bcfidcs (I prefume) the Scriptures being ihe Vv^ord of God, at his entring upon the Miniftry, and to qualify hinifclf for it. And ' tis Pity thofe Promifes, and thefe neceffary Things were not made pjblick, that we might have known what they were, how few, how many, and how neceffary, which, in all likelihood, would have ihewn, in a (Irong Light, the Inconfiftency of this Gentleman's avowed Principles v/ith his Pra6lice. So tlien, upon the v/hole of the Matter, they, too, with all their Pretences to Liberty, have an Inquifition of their own, (for fo, I think, they have chriitned all Forms of Tryal concerning the Faith ot Miniftcrs) and which all of them, Subfcribers and Non-Subfcribers, fo far as appears, have agreeci to fubmit to, in order to explore the Confciences, to fift out the Faith of all Afpirants to the Miniftry, and be fecure of it. But they not only exa^fl ^ Confeffions of Faith, ^ They not only exaft ConfefTions of Faith of their Candidates for the Miniilry, but fomething of that Sort of alJ Communi- cants, unlefs Mr. Dorrington, who Jhould knonjc what their Prac- tifes are, has mifinformed us. He fays, They require of them who come to the Lord's Supper a Confeflion of their Faith, which mull: be given to the Paftor at leaft, and perhaps before fome of the ruling Elders of the Church. So that, as great Enemies as they would feem to be to all Telts of Orthodoxy, when in their ill Humour they are writing againft the Eftablifh'd Church for which 78 JPPENDIX. (which are all one with Subfcripdons, faving only in Point nf external Form) from their Minifters, at their Ordination, but in Obedience to the Laws, do aftuaJly fubfcribe the Articles, juft as we do, to quaiify themfelves for officiating in any Congrega- tion for the Exercife of Religion. This, 1 dare fay, is not generally known. It is commonly fiip- pof^d that the Creeds and Articles of the Cluirch of England are fubfcribed only by the Clergy of the Ci}urch of England. But be it known to all the Peo- ple of Great-Britain^ that there is not, in the King- dom, one Diflenting Minifter, who has complied with the Terms of lat Toleration, but has Iblemnly fubfcribed the Articles, bating three or four, which they aie excul'ed from fubfcribing, by reafon the fubjccl iVIaiter of them is contrary to the profeft Principles ot DilTenters, and has alfo fubfcribed the three Creeds, Cyes, the Athanafian^ as well as the other) that they ought thoroughly to be received., and helievedy and may be -proved by mcfi certain IVarrants- of Holy Scripture. The Ad of Toleration {\ have put in the " Margin the enatSting Claufe) exprefsly requires impofing them, their own very Laity are not exempt from them, " And be it farther enafted, by the Authority arorefaid. That ro Perfon Diflenting from the Church of England in holy Orders, or pretending to holy Orders, nor any Preacher or Teacher of any Congregation of Difl"enting Protefiants that fhall make and fubfcribe the Declaration aforefaid, and take the faid Oath? at the General or Quarter Seflions of the Peace to be held {or the County, Town, Parts or Divifion where fuch Perfon lives, which Court, is hereby impowered to Adminifler the fame, and {hall alfo declare his Approbation of and fubfcribe tlie Articles of Reli- gion mentioned in the Statute made in the i 3th Year of the Reign of the late Queen Eiizaheth, except the 34th, 35 th, and 36th r.nd thefe Words of the 20th Article, 'viz. [ " The Church has Power to *' decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controvcrfies of " Faith, and yet"] (hail be liable to any of the Pains or Penalties mentioned in an Aft made the 1 7th Year of the Reign of King Charlci APPENDIX. 79 requires of them fuch Subfcription, as a Condition of their being exempted from the Pains and Penal- ties of feme former A6ts ; and they do, it is to be fuppoftd, as the Law requires. And yet thefe Gentlemen, all the while, are writing, with as much Freedom, or with as noble and generous a Warmth, as they, doubtlefs, will call it, againfl: Subfcription, as \i they were under no manner of Obligation to fublcribe, and did nothing at all of that Nature. They fay, and ^^ Mr. Chandler, in particular, fays, Subfcriptions have ever been a Grievance in the Church of God. And, doubtlefs, the making a Confeffion of their Faith, at their Ordinations, iuft in the Manner that they now, of themfelves, do, would have been, too, a Grievance^ if it had been required by Law. But is it not an Iniquity, too, in his, and their Judgments .? A mere Grie- vance may., and ought^ in fome Cafes, to be fub- mitted to. But will they fubmit to a confeifed Ini- quity ? Why, really they do. In their Reafons Charlts the 2d, entitled *' An A6t for retraining Non-Conformifts *' from inliabiiing in Corporationb," nor tlie Penalties mentioned in the aforefaid Ad\ made in the two and twentieth Year of his faid late JVlajeity's Reign or or by Reafon of i'uch Perfons preaching at any Meeting for the Exercile of Religion ; nor to the Penalty of one hundred Pounds mentioned in an Act made in the 13th and 14th of King Charles rhe fecond, entitled, " An Aft for the Uni- *' formity of pubiick Prayers and Adminillration of Sacraments '* and other Rites and Ceremonies ; and foreftablifhnigthe Form '* of making, ordaining nnd confecrating of Bifhops, Prieils and '• Deacons in the Church oi England," iat oihciating in anyCon- gregation for the Exercife of Religion permitted and allowed by this A£t. Provided always, that the making and fubfcribing the faid De- claration and taking rhe faid Oaths, and making the Declaration of Approbation and Subfcripcion to the faid Articles, in manner as aforefaid, by every refpeftive Perfon, or Perlons herein before- mentioned, at fuch General or Quarter SelTions of the Peace, as aforefaid, fhall be then and there entered of R-ecord at the faid Court, &c. Ifjc. ^v Hijiory of Perfecuthn, p. 4.28. for 8o APPENDIX, for not fuhfcribing the Paper offered at Salters-Hall, they fay. The Subfcription there infijied on is be- yond even what the Legijlature itfelf requires of us. For the Legiftature has thought fit to require only our once fuhfcribi^ig ; and this being made a neceffary Condition of exercifmg our Minijlry^ we fbould be highly blameable to ncgle^ thai Work, by refu/irig to comply with what is required of //j, wheji we can do it zvith a fafe Confcience, But we have always thought that human Declarations of Faith were far from be- ing eligible, on their czvn Account, iind in a Poft- fcript to their Advices, they farther fay, In fome Points, and in fome Cafes, we may., no doubt, fub~ mit to legal Demands, when yet we ought, by no means, to countenance it, where there js no Pre- tence of Authority. Here indeed, where they are fpeaking or their own Subfcribing to our i\rticles of Religion, they fpeak fo'/newhat tenderly againll Subfcripcioih 'I'is only iiiid of it, that 'tis far from being eligible on its own- Account, and what ought, by no means, to be countenanced ; which, yet, plainly imports, that they efteem it a wrong and unwarrantable thing. But, at other Times, when their fubfcribing is not thought of, or there is no Occafion to make mention of it, they run riot upon it, reprefenting it (as I before obferved) as a giving up of their Chrijlian Liberty, throwing Dirt upon the Scriptures, and fapping the Founda- tions of the Reformation, Yet, ail this, it feems, they can do with a fafe Confcience, when Law and Authority require it, and they can't exercife their Miniftry without it. Nay, they fhould think them- felves highly blameable, if they were to refufe it. Thefe Principles, methinks, would as well juftify or excufe their Minifterial Conformity to the Church of England. For, in that Cafe, it would be only faying, that '' tho' fubfcribing the Liturgy, and *^ doing I APPENDIX, 8i *' doing fome other Things as neceflary Conditions '' of exercifing our Miniftry are far from being *' eligible on their own Accounts, and ought, by all *' Means, to be difcountenanced, yet, as they are " legally demanded, they may be complied with, *' with a fafe Confcience, and we fhould he highly *' blame able to negle^ the Work of the Miniftry, by " refufmg to comply with what is required of us.^* Thefe are your found and judicious Cafuifts! Thefe your con/ifbent Proteftants ! Thefe your Friends of Liberty ! Strange ! that Gentlemen, who, in other' Cafes are fo fond of Liberty, as to declare, they will not fubmit to any Terms of Communion that are legally demanded, and hold it finful to comply with fuch Things as they own to be indifferent in their Natures, becaufe they are impofed by Authority, fhould, in this Cafe, comply with what they declare to be unjufiifiable, and infamous in its Nature, becaufe Au- thority impofes it. ^0 teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo ? *Tistrue, this is done to preferve their fuppofedUfe- fulnefs, and that good may come on^t. But this will found ftrangely in all Chriftian and Proteftant Ears. And therefore, *cis hoped, if they can't alter their Principles, they will their Praftices, and if they continue of Opinion, that fubfcribing is fuch an un- warrantable Thing, they will openly refufe it. But if they can*t be brought to do that, the next wifeft Thing they can do is, to fubfcribe and hold their 'Tongues, and fay not a Syllable about it. This writing againft Subfcription with Subfcrib- ing at the fame Time, appears to me a moft fur- prizing Procedure. It is a perfect Riddle -, and one knows not how to unfold it, unlefs it can be done by the Suppofition of a double Do5irine, a vulgar and a fecret Theology, the former to be delivered I< out 82 jIPPENDIX. out among the People, the latter to be kept in for the Uie and Inftruftion of a feled; Number, fuch as are initiated into their Myfteries. And as the an- tient Sages (unlefs Mr. Warhurton be miftaken) ufed to inculcate upon the People certain Principles and Dodlrines which they did not believe themfelves, fcr theirUtility, becaufe they were neceffary to fup- port a Civil Eftablifliment, fo thefe^ it may be thought, fcatter Prejudices among our People a- gainft Subfcription for their Tendency to overthrow 2l Religious ont^ all the while keeping up a regard to them among themfelves^ that fo, they may preferve fome tolerable Order, Unity, and Purity in their own Churches. If this be their Policy, 'tis certain- ly right, and I cannot but commend them for be- ing fo wife in their Generations, For the Exem- ption of the Clergy from all Obligation to fubfcribe (if they could but prevail to obtain it for us) would be as proper an Engine as can ever be employed for the Subvcrfion of the Eftablifh'd Church, which feems to have been the Thing in View^ for fome paft Years. " I fhall difmifs this Subject, after remarking one or two Things concerning the Condud of the Gentleman before mentioned, in his Hijiory of Per- fecution, in regard to the Caufe now before us. In that Book he has thought fit to beftow a whole Chapter (which he feems to think no Digreffion from his Subjeft) againft Subfcription. But all the Way, fpeaks of iras a flavifh and corrupt Practice, which the Church and her Clergy alone had any concern in. The Clergy (fays he p. 432) of the Church of England are bound to fubfcribe the XXXIX Articles, Is there any Difference between Subfcribing XXXIX and XXXV Articles and a Half, as all the DilTenting Minifters are obliged to do t But not a fmgle Syllable is faid, nor the lealt Hint APPENDIX, 83 Hint given, here or elfewhere, that I can find, of that. And fo, all the Imputations he was a- bout fattening upon Subfcription were to fall, in their full Weight, upon the Church only. Is it poffible to think that a Gentleman of his con- feffed Acutenefs and Capacity tould write a Chap- ter againft Subfcription, of twelve or thirteen Pages, (befides what he has fcattered, up and down, in his Book) without calling to Mind, that he and. his Brethren were concerned, as well as we, in this Affair of Subfcription, and as much interefted ia the Defence and Juftification of it ? If the Reader is fo charitably difpofed as to think he mighty and probably did do fo, I am content. But for my own Part, as I fliould be loth to be found deficient in real Charity, fo I would not be willingly remarked for z fulfome Aff eolation of it ; and, therefore, make no Difficulty to declare, that, to me, it does not feem likely, that^f^ a Man as Mr. Chandler, who feems (it muft be faid) pretty much awake, whenever he fets Pen to Paper, fhould be fo very unreflefting, as not once, from Beginning to End, to call it to remembrance, that he, and his Brethren were Subfcribers, as well as we. I fhould rather think it would be continually running in his Head, and he would not know how to get it out. Then again, not content with loading the Clergy with the Charge of mere fubfcribing, (which, in his Opinion, is heavy enough) he will have it, that their Subfcriptions are fraudulent and evafive. It mujl be, (he fays Pag. 435) by fame fuch Evafions (as he had before mentioned) that Arians fubfcrij?^ to Athanafian Creeds, and Arminians to Principles of rigid Cahinifm. This the Clergy have been, agam and again, reproached with, even by the Enemies, of Ch'rijiianity. Yes, wc know it, the Enemies of ChrifliarMty an4 the Writers on. the DilTcnting Side ' - ' have 84 APPENDIX, have commonly, of late Days, joined together, in their Reproaches and PraiTes of the fame Perfons. And I am forry to fay it (continues hej they have not been able to wipe off fhe Scandal from themfelves. Did he not nov/ know^ or did he forget^ or, I aflc a- gain, would he have had it been concealed^ that the DiiTcnting Minifters, who are all Subfcribers^ are, fome of thein^ Arians (more, I dare fay, in Pro- poiCion) and many of them A'rmi man s (if they mufl: be fo called) as well as our Clergy ? And have they been able to wipe off the Reproach of Sv.hfcribing Athanafian (as he, with Mr. Whifion Joves to call them, initead of Catholic) Principles, and rigid Calvinijiic ones, if, indeed our Articles Vvcre fiich ? In another Place, p, 69, he afk% Do all the Clergy really believe^ that the Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every Man does in every P erf on born into the World deferve God*s Wrath and Damnation, that we have no Power to do good Works acceptable to God^ ivithout the Grace of Gcd hy Chriji preventing us ; that Works done without the Infpiration of the Spirit are not pleafant to God, yea, that they have the Nature of Sin, Or rather, do not the Generality of thofe who fubfcribe them, if they put any Senfe upon them at all, dra w them a little afide, and put their own Cotnment upon them ? Not that he knows ; or, if they do, the DiiTcnting Minifters may be fuppofcd to do the fame. For he and every body knows, thefe are no diftinguifhing Points be- tween Churchmen and DifTenters, and the. one is as like as the other to be diffatisHed about them. And that Mr, Chandler knows one DiiTenter, at leaft, who really is fo, and when he fubfcribed them, if he put any Senfe at all upon them, drew them a little afide, and -put his own Comment upon them, we have pretty good Evidence in this Place. After all, confidering the heavy Charges brought by APPENDIX. 85 by this Gentleman, and fo many of his Brethren, againft Subfcription, it is almoft uncharitable to fuppofe that they do fubfcribe, as by Law they are bound to do, and one would really fufped, that they neglect or evade it, and take the Benefit of the Toleration, without complying with the moft eflen- tial Condition of it. — But this is a Subjedl too nice and delicate for my handling : And, therefore, here I refolve to break off, leaving the intelligent Reader for the reft to his own Reflexions. FINIS. BOOKS Printed for C. Davis. A LETTER to a Gentleman DifTenting from the Church of England, concerning the Lives of Churchmen and Diffenters. Wherein Dr. Watts's Book, entitled Jn humble Jt- tempt tonvards the Revi'val of P radical Religion among Chrijiians, fo far as relates to this Subjedl, is largely examined ; and the popular Argument (or Prejudice) arifing from the fuppofed or real better Lives of Dissenters, in favour of their Churches, is fully confidcred. The fecond Edition. A fecond Letter to a Gentleman diflenting from the Church of England', wherein the great and popular Pleas of Diflenters a- gainil Communion with the Church are refuted, and refleded back upon themfelves. By John White, B.D. Sometime Fellow of St. Johns, College, Cambridge. The Second Edition. A Vindication of the Government, Dodrlne, and Wor- ihip of the Church of England, eftablifh'd in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, againft the injurious Refleftions of Mr. Neal, in his late Hiftory of the Puritans. Together v/ith a Deteftion of many falfe Quotations and Miftakes in that Performance. By the Right Rev. Father ia God Isaac, Lord Bilhop oiWorceJier. Oftavo. ^^ AAdi^'iiAAA' jS> tt> «fc >^ d> <%> <1> <1» 'S- Hk A SHORT ANSWER T O A PAMPHLET C A L LED F/am Reafons for Dijfenttng from the Church of Eng- land^ ^c. [Price One Shilling,] ■•-*»*•■< A SHORT ANSWER T O A PAMPHLET CALLED Plain Reafons for Dijfenting from the Church of Eng- land^ ^c. By #? C L E R G Y M A N. L^ £ v. ~1=? i' c !o c^ra,. The Second Edition, LONDON: Printed for C. D a v i s, againft Gray's-Im, Hoi-- hum i M. C o o p I R, in Pater-Noflsr Row \ apd W, Craichton, in Ipfwkh* A S H O R f ANSWER T O A PAMPHLET G A L L'D Plain Reasons for Diffenting, l5fc, WHEN a Man coolly reflects upon the Difputes between the Church of England and thofe who diflent from her^ carried on for fo long a Time with lb much Heat, and with fo little Reafon ftill fubfifling, he may well be furpriz*d to find^ that fo much Smoke hath arifen from fo little Fire : It is indeed amazing to fee fuch Numbers zealoufly perfifting in a Pradlice which apparently weakens the Proteftant Caufe, and is by the Laws of Chrift as much condemn'dj and as plainly forbidden as any other of the leaft juftifiable; Were we to enquire particularly from whence this comes to pafsj feveral Reafons might be affigned for it, and amongft thefe I think the two which 1 Ihall mention are none of the leaft confiderable. One Reafon of this is, becaufe the Matter in Dif- pute between the Church of England and the Diffen- ters is not generally underftood. From the great Earneftnefs and extraordinary Zeal with which the dilTenting Intereft hath been maintained, it may be imagined by thofe who do not give themfelves the Trouble of enquiring, that the Church of England doth teach forhe ftrange and iinfcriptural Doctrines. But there is no fuch Thing i there is no Difpute of that fort v the dodrinal Arti- [--] cles of the Church of England are allowed by the Diflenters to be true, and their Teachers do them- felves fubfcribe them: TheDifpute therefore between us and them, is wholly relating to Matters of fmaller Moment, and chiefly to our Rites and Ceremonies : And this certainly ought to abate the Heat and Fury of the DilTenters, viz. That we do not differ about any fundamental Points, but chiefly about things in themfelves of an indifferent Nature. Now, as to thefc Things, it fhould be confldered, tliat no Truths are plainer than thefe following : That if they be not finflil, then they may be con- fciencioufly complied with j and if a Man may with a good Confcience comply with them, then it is un- reafonable and finful to feparate upon their Account % becaufe, to preferve the Peace of the Church, and to obey the Commands of lawflil Authority, are certain and indifpenfable Duties. This hath often been urged againft the DifTenters with great Strength of Argument ; and yet when they produce their Reafons, by which they would juftify their Separation, what they objed; to us feems to be of fo little Moment, as fcarce to deferve a fe- rious Anfwer. Dr. Rejlmry did well obferve of the Difl^enters Obje6lions to this Effeft •, That when they were placed together, they looked as if thofe who brought them, were in hopes they might prevail ra- ther by their Number than their Weight ; and might a6l like the Articles of an Impeachment, none of which perhaps would fingly affeft the accufed Per- fon, but all together may amount to accumulative Trealbn. But this Management in our Cafe will not be al- lowed by a reafonable Man ; for if no one of the Conditions required by the Church of England is fin- ful, it is plain they may all be complied with ; and therefore the Ihort Queflion between us is thisj Whe- ther the Things which the Church of England re- quires of its Members be adually finful or not ? For [ 3 ] For if they be not, thf Separation is made without Reafon, and cannot be defended. As this is fo plain a Queftion, it may very eafily be refolved -, for tho' it may be difHcult to afcertain the exa(5l Degrees of Sin or of Virtue, it is much eafier to diftinguifli the one from the other. If a Thing be finfuJ, it may require much Judgment to confider all the aggravating Circumftances of it, and to kt forth precifely how far it is finful or other- wife : But almofl any Chriftian may know whether what is required of him be finful or not : If it be immoral, his own Reafon will tell him fo; if it be forbidden by the Revealed Word of God, he will find it forbidden in the Holy Scriptures : But if it be neither wicked in its own Nature, nor yet forbidden in the Scriptures, how can it poflibly be finful ? And if it be not finful, why may not I comply with it ? As this then is the plain Queftion between us and the DilTenters, it follows, that tho' we fhould admit that fome little Things in the Praftice or the Difci- pUne of our Church might poffibly be altered and amended ; yet fo long as we require nothing finful, thofe litde Defeds or Blemifhes (if any fuch there are) will not be a fufficient Ground for feparating from us. As to thofe Things with which I am con-, cerned in the following Pages, I hope fijlly to juftify the Church of England, to the Satisfaftion of the Reader i But fince there are a great Number of Arti^ cles which I have to confider, and as I intend to be as fhort as I can conveniently, perhaps to fome Per- fons fuch a Juftification as I propofe may not in fome Points feem perfedly clear : However, if that fhould happen, I flatter myfelf I fhall at leaft make it very evident that none of the Things objefted to us do make the Conditions of our Communion fin^ ful, which, as I have obferved, is fufficient for our Purpofe, There is one who hath before been appealed to upon this Pointy and his Judgment (one might ex- A 2 ped) pe6b) fliould have fome Weight with our diflTentfng Brethren ; and that is Calvin, who lays exprelsly. Wherever the Gofpel is preached and reverently heard^ and the Sacraments are adminijired, there is the true Abearance of a Church j ivhofe Authority no Man may with Impunity defpife, or rejeU its Admonitions^ or rejijf its Coun/els, or fet at nought its Difcipline ; much lefs feparate from it, and break its Unity. For fo great a, Regard has our Lord to the Communion of his Churchy that he accounts him an Apofi ate from his Religion, who chfiinately feparates from any Chrijiian Society ivhich keeps up the true Minijiry of the Word and Sacra- ments, Althd* it he othermfe very corrupt *. Mr. Calvin here puts this Matter much ftronger than is neceflary for the Defence of our Church : And it is Pity they who admire this Gentleman's Judgment in other Repeds, will not likewife follow it in this. They will, if they confider that the proper Queftion between us and the Diffenters, is not whether any of our Ufages may poflibly be altered for the better ? But whether the Conditions we require of our Mem- bers be finful or not ? And one Reafon why thefe Matters have been carried fo far, is, as I apprehend, becaufe this thing is not fufficiently, if it be at all confidered, by the generality of our Diffenters. Another Reafon why the Diffenters are fo nume- rous and fo zealous in their Oppofition to the Church of England, is, becaufe, they are much de- ^ Utcunque fit, ubi reverenter audltur Evangelii pr^dicatio, neque S.icramcnta negliguntur, illic pro eo tempore, neque fallax neque ambigua Eccleliac apparet facies : cujus vel Authoritatem fpernere, vel Monita rcfpuere, vel Confiliis refragari, vel Caftiga- tiones ludere, nemini impune licet : Multo minus ab ea deficere ac ejus abruii'^pe.re Unitatem. Tanti enim Ecclefia? fua; CommU' nionem facit Dpminus, ut pro transfuga et Defertore Religionis habeat, quicunque fe a qualibet Chriftiana Societate, qua; modo veruni Verbi ac Saeramentoruni Minifterium colat, contumaciter alienarit. And aftcrivardi j'peaki-ng nf the fame Th'ifi!^, he adds, Etiamfi [Ecclefia fcil. vel^Societas ilia] multis alioqal Vitiis fcateat. Job. Ca/v. Injlitut. lib. 4. c. i. fed. lo. 12. ceived E 5] celved by their Leaders -, and by the artful Manage- ment of thofe, whofe Intereft it is to blow up the Coals and encreafe our Divilions, are made to enter- tain fuch an Opinion of our Church as it doth upon no account deferve. One Method of doing this, is that of difperfing great Numbers of fmall Treatiles contrived for that purpofe -, and among the Books of this fort, the little Piece to which this is an Anfwer, is not to be efteemed the leaft pernicious. It has been publilhed feveral Years, and yet little or no notice hath been taken of it ; pofHbly for thefe Reafons ; Firft, becaufe every Thing that is material jn it hath long fince been confidered by feveral learned and good Men of the eftablilhed Church ; and this makes an Anfwer to it the lefs neceflary : And Secondly, becaufe little Danger might be ex- peded from this Performance. I was myielf of the fame Opinion, that it could do no harm, and that an Anfwer would only make that be more taken notice of, which otherwife of itfelf would foon be forgotten. But as I perceive it hath gone through fo many Edi- tions (no lefs than Twenty Two) and really is in high Efteem among feveral DilTenters in my Neighbour- hood ; and as I have Reafon to think that among the lower fort of People (thofe who have not an Op- portunity of feeing better Booksj it aftually hath done much Mifchief ; I have determined to confider the Reafons which this Writer gives for diflenting from the Church of England^ and fhall fhew that if he hath no better than thofe which he mentions in this Book (and to be fure he gave us his bell) then neither he, nor thofe who admire him, and proceed upon the ikme Principles, can be juflified in their Se- paration from the National Church. The Author of the -plain Reafons wrote them» " I. To inform us that they do not diffent from us ** out of Stubbornnefs, or becaufe they love Conten-. ^' tion ; but from a tender Confciencc. " 2. To [6] " 2. To furnifh well-meaning Diftentcrs with plain ** Reafons for their common Pradice." p. i. I write this, to fliew that the tendereft Confcience ought not to lay any ftrefs upon the things which he otDJedls to us ; and to prevent unwary and well* meaning Pcrfons from being led into fo dangerous a Sin, as that of needlefsjy encreafing the Divifions of the Church, by withdrawing themfelves without juft Caufe from our Communion : A Practice which hath brought the Reformation into greater Contempt, and unhappily weaken*d the Proteftant Intereft in thefe Kingdoms, more than any other whatfoever. The Author of the Reafons hath this Advantage, that his Objections lye within a narrow Compafs, but an Anfwer to them muft take up more Room, and the larger the Anfwer is, the greater muft be the Parchafe, and confequently it will come into the fewer Hands : For this Reafon I will confine myfelf chiefly to his ten plain Reafons, and give a more general An- fwer to the remaining Part of his Piece, being de^ termin*d to make this, agreably to the Title of it, as port an Anfwer as I conveniently can. If it fhould chance to fall into the Hands of any judicious Reader who is acquainted with our Difputes, he will perceive that as the Objeftions are old, fo in general are the Anfwers to them : and I have fometimes chofen ra^. ther to give them in the very Words of fome former Writer than in my own, not only becaufe they exprefs their own Thoughts much better than I can do, but alfo to fhew the Difingenuity of the Writer I am con- cerned with, who could gravely bring forth the fame ftale Objeftions, without taking the leaft Notice of what had been faid againft them. As it is well known that the Author of the plain Reafons is aTeacher in an Independent Congregation, I might return the ill Language which he loeftows upon the Clergy, and might, according to his Me- thod, throw it upon the rHiifenting Teachers in gene- ral i [7] ral i as the Reader will allow, when in the following Pages he fhall fee how unfairly he mifreprefents fome Things, and wickedly forges or perverts others, in order to blacken thofe from whom he diflents : But as my Defign is only to inform the mifguided, or thofe who are likely to be fo, I will not take Oc- cafion from a particular Inftance to make general Refledions, nor will I ufe any harlher Exprefllons even of this Man^ than a juft Concern for Truth fhall extort from me, not rendring Evil for Evil^ or Railing for Railings but, as the Apoflle teaches, i Pet^ iii. 9. contrariwife BleJJing\ and I pray, that it may pleafe God to give him Grace to repent of this un* charitable and unchriftian Work, and to grant him at length that pure and tender Confcience, which he already profelTeth to have. The Author of the Reafons feems to blame the Clergy for preaching Moralityj as, if that was not a Part of the pure Word of God, p. 6, But I hope he will allow, that Lying, and Fraud and Deceit of all forts is really finful, and upon all accounts to be abhorred and detefted by every faithful Chriftian t And if I can fhew that this Author is guilty of fuch Prac- tices, and doth endeavour to deceive and impofe upon, his Readers, even in a Book where he extols the Tendernefs of bis Confcience in the moll minute Matters of Religion, then his Admirers muft grant, there is Reafon for them to alter their Opinion of him, and that they fhould lay no Strefs upon his AlTertions, where he doth not fupport them with good Proof. This Piece is written in fuch a rambling Manner, and, what Argument there is in it, is mixed with fo many uncharitable Afperiions and notorious Un- truths, occafionally thrown in to prejudice the Rea- der againft the Clergy, that it is very difficult, if not impradicable to give it a regular Anfwer : An In- ftance of this we have in his firft Reafon ; for after cbjeding to us that the Church of England is not fo pure C s] p\itt ti Church as fome others are, he runs ^w^y i6 the Right which the People are faid to have of choofing their own Minifter as they do their Phyfi- cian, fand this is the Subject of hii eighth Reafon •,) after which, he charges the Clergy with perverting the common meaning of the Word o«xA>}(n'a: and infi- nuates that they make their People think it fignifies the Place of Worfliip, and not the Congregation al- fembled therein. Now this I beg leave to deny, and I challenge him to produce any good Writer of the Church of England who aflerts this 5 {o that he might have faved himfelf the Trouble of bringing thole Texts of Scripture to fix the common Meaning of a Word which no Body v/ill difpute with him ; but ftill thefe Things, thus occafionally thrown in, do anfwer his Purpole •, for they prejudice an ignorant Reader, and do divert him from attending to the Argument he is lipon : and therefore in fhewing the Infufficiency of his ReafonSj, I fhall collect his Argu- ment (if I can) in its full Force, then urge what I have to fay againft that, and afterwards take fome Notice of his Occafional Refleftions. Neverthelefs, though no Part of our Controverfy depends at all upon this Point, it may be worth our Author's while to confider i Cor. xi. 18. 20. 22. be- fore he pofitively aflerts, " That the Greek Word fo " often ufed for Church in the NewTeftament always •' fignifies t^e People met together^ not the Place where *' they meet." I do not affirm that the Word in this Text doth tiecejjarily fignify the Place of Worlliipj but I believe this Writer will find it no eafy matter to prove that it camtot have that Senfe *, and one difpu- table Text is fufficient at leail to weaken his general AfTertion. But after all, what Wonder is itj if the Word be not ufed in that Stn{tt before there were any Hated Places for the Publick AfTemblies of CJiri- itians ? It is very certain that after Places were ^tt apart for that Purpole, the Chriftian Writers made noi f 9 ] . no Scruple of calling them by that Name * : And they had the fame Right to ufe the Word in that Scnfe, as they had to call the Place where the Jews afiembled, a Synagogue^ which Word literally figniiies a Congregation. R E A S O N I. '* We DifTent from the Church of England, be- " caufe we do not look upon it to be fo pure a Church . *' as ibme others are.** He hath not been plealed to tell us what, and where thofe other Churches are ; but we fuppofe he means his own Congregation for one; and in order to prove this, he allows the Definition of a Church which is in the XIX'*' Article of the Church of England^ and then endeavours to Ihew that the Na- tional Church of England doth not anfwer the De- fcription given in that Article, and therefore is not lo pure a Church as fome othersj to which he thinks that Delcription is more applicable : That is, in Order to prove the Church of England not to be 72) pure n Church as fome others are^ he undertakes to lliew^ that it is not a Church at all. But this Certainly is a very odd Method of Reafoning * For the regu- lar way of fupporting his Propofition would have been, to have produced his other Churches, and formed a Comparilbn between them and the Church of England^ in order to fhew their greater Degree of Purity V And even then, it would have been incum- bent upon him to prove this a fufHcient Reafon for DifTenting : However, he has thought proper to take another Method •, And as this is his Argument, we will now fee how he maintains it. " The vifible Church, fays he^ p. 5. is a dongre- *' gation of faithful Men, met together to worlhip *' God, in which the pure Word of God is preached, * Thus Chryfoficmjy Horn. 43, hi A5i. Apoji. fpeaking of Ptfa/Ts preaching in an Upper Chamber, fays exprefsly, ^TTW ^ jjv ij #C•Mt^)3fl■^«, for as yet there 'vjas not a Chiirci, B t and " and the Sacraments be duly miniftred, according " to Chrifl's Ordinance, in all thofe Things that of" " Neceffity are requifite to the fame. This, he tells <' us^ is the XlX^h Article of the Church o^ England:* Now tho* one would not expedl, that a Writer up- on fuch a Subjed fhould falfify even in the very firft Quotation which he makes from the Writings of our Church j if the Reader turns to the Article (which he will find in moft of our Common Prayer Books) he will perceive that thofe Words, met together to worjhip God, are wickedly put in by this confciencious Teacher •, and if you take them out, his firft Ob- fervation will fall at once. The former Part of the XIX^'' Article is really this i The viftble Church of Chrijl is a Congregation of faithful Men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments he duly minijired, accord- ing to Chriji^s Ordinance, in all thofe Things that of Neceffity are requifite to the fame. Now he obferves upon this Article, that, " hy our *' own Words, the vifible Church mufi he no more *' than can meet together to worfhip God in one Place •,** And yet in our Words there is not one Syllable about meeting together to worfioip God in one Place : From whence it appears, that the Reader ought not to depend upon the Veracity of this Man, fmce he endeavours to impofe upon him in fo barefaced and flagrant a manner. He argues further to this Effe6l ; That there can- not be fuch a Thing as a National Church, becaufe the whole Nation cannot be fuppofed to meet toge- ther -, and therefore tlie whole Nation cannot be a Congregation, as the Vifible Church is in the Article laid to be. But he might have known that the Word Con- gregation has the fame Senfe in this Article, that it hath in the ^^^"^ Canon ; where the Clergy are di- refted to move the People to join with them in Prayer to this EfFed; ; Te Jhall pray for Chrifi's Holy Catholick [ " ] CaMick Church ; that is, the whole Congregation of _ Chrijiian People difperfed throughout the World, and efpecially for the Churches of England, i^c. You fee then, the Catholick or Univerfal Church, that Church which IS faid to be the Body of Chrifi, and of which Jefus Chrijl is the Head, confifts of all Chriftian Peo- ple wherefoever difperfed throughout the World, al- though not a Millionth Part of them ever can be fuppofed to meet together: And as the Catholick Church confifts of all particular Churches, united un.- der the one only Sovereign Lord Jefus Chriji ', fo the Church of England confifts of ail the particular Churches in this Kingdom, which are in Commu- nion with her j and is, as we fay, a Society, a Con- gregation of faithful Men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, (^c. in the fame Senfe as the Church at large, or the CathoHck Church, is a Con- gregation of all Chriftian People ; altho' they never did, nor can they ever be fuppofed to meet in one Place. And this thing is well illuftrated by the Conftitution of a large City : For as all the feveral Companies of the City of London under the Lord Mayor, make but one City, fo the feveral Parifhes or Congregations in any Diocefe under the Jurifdiftion of a Biftiop, make but one Church -, and fo we may Ipeak of the Church of Canterbury, the Church of Lincoln, or the Church of Norijoich, &c. And when we confider all thefe further united to each other by the Laws of the Nation, agreeing in the fame Doc- trine and Difcipline, iic. We call them in a col- ledive Body, the National Church. See Stilling- fieet^s Unreafonabknefs of Separation, Part III. As we had an Inftance of this Author's Fidelity,, or rather his want of it, in reciting this Article ; it cannot be expected we ftiould believe him as to the Truth of his other Quotations j therefore I fhall takq no notice here, of what he reports from Cyprian and Jufiin Martyr ; only I muft affure the Reader they fay no fuch thing \ and if they did, it would make B 2 ud [ 1, 1 no more for his purpofe than the Text of Scriptufe which he produces, i Cor. xiv. 23. If therefore the •whole Church be come together into one Place. In An-. fwer to this, it is fufficient to obferve, that at the firfl planting of Chriftianity, when the Number of the Faithful, /. e. of Chriftians, was fmall, they might very eafily meet together \ and fo when the fl^r greater Number of the Citizens of Corinth were Heathens, the whole Church, all the Believers there, might, as the Apoftle fays, come together into one Place : But thisText would only prove that the Mem- bers of the Church of Corinth were at that time not very numerous j if this was neceifirily its Meaning *. But I will give this Writer a Text which is fome- thing to the Purpofe ; It is faid A^s iv. 4. That five thoufand Believers were added to the Church in one Day ; and we read of three thoufand converted before that ; A6ls ii. 41. So that the Church of Jerufalem con- fided at that time of eight thoufand Souls, befides the Apoftles, and a great many more whofe Conver- fion is not mention*d : And how can it he conceiv'd, that when the Jews were daily perfecuting, and dif- trefling the Chriftians, thefe eight thoul'and People could meet together in one Place to worlhip God ? Thefe are plain Texts and full to the Point, and yet the Church is all along fpoken of as only one Society. It is an Obfcrvation of Biihop S tilling fle et* s which doth not once fail : That throughout the NewTefta- ment, where Churches are fpoken of in the plural Number, they are the Churches of a Province ; as the Churches of Judaea., the Churches of Afia^ the Churches of Syria and Cilicia, the Churches of Galatia, the Churches o^ Macedonia : But where all the Chriftians of one City are fpoken of, it is ftill call'd the Church of that City •, as the Church of An- tioch, the Church ot Corinth, &;c. : And when the feven Churches of Aj^a are fpoken of together, they are the itven Churches •, but when they are fpoken^to fingly, * See the Poftfcript. it [ 'n it is the Church of Ephefus^ the Church of Smyrna^ ^c. which being fpoken without nny Difcriminadon, as to the difference of theie Placea in gri^atnefs and Capacity, or the Number of Behevers in them, doth evidently difcoi^er, that, what Number fbever they were, they were alL but the Church of that City *. 2. The fecond Obfervation upon the Article is, " That the Church is a Congregation of faithful " Men," /. e. Behevers in Chrift -, or if he hkes the Word better, he may cal} them Saints, for that is all which is meant by the Word Saints, i Cor.yiy. 33. It is not eafy to fix his Meaning, when he talks of a Gofpel Church confifting of none but vijible Saints i- If he means that the Purity of a Church cannot con- fill with the wicked Lives of fome of its profefTed Members, I will venture to lay, upon this Principle, there is not, nor ever was, nor ever will be a pure Church upon Earth; we know there was a Jvda? amongft the twelve Apoflles. He adds, " The " Clergy know whether they a6t according to their *' Articles in this Matter, or whether faying the " Creed will not do." The Reader may judge of our Behaviour in this Particular ; for the laft Anfwer in our Catechifm, will Ihew what we require of Perfons who come to the Lord's Supper, and that is, that they examine themfehes whether they repent them truly of their former Sins, ftedfafily purpojing to lead a new Life, have a lively Faith in God*s Mercy through Chrifi, with a thankful Remembrance of his Death, and be in Charity with all Men, Now, if a Man repents him truly of his former Sins, if he fteadfaflly purpofes to lead a new Life, if he hath a lively Faith in Gods Mercy thro* Chrift, if he hath a thankful Remembrance of his Death, and if he be in Charity with all Men ; then we fay he is a proper Perfon to be admitted to the Sacra- ment of tlie Lord's Supper, but not otherwife. If * Unreafonablenefs of Separation, Part III. %. 5, the r H ] the Writer knew the Church of England requir'd this of all her Communicants, then he is not to be ex- Gufed for infinuating that we only requir'd the repea- ting the Creed. The Creed is only a fhort Collection of the chief Articles of the Chriftian Faith, and by fblemnly repeating that, we make a folemn ProfelTion of our Faith ; but the Clergy never laid any Strefs upon the meer repeating of that Form of Words ; and as to the fcandalous Story he tells at the End of this Obfervation, I will venture to fay (if it was told him, which I much quefbion) there was no Truth in it. If by having fo much Money^ he means receiving {o much, and would thereby infinuate that we bribe the Poor, or (as he calls it, p, 17.) hire them to come to the Lord's Sapper ; I muft acquaint the Reader, that the Collections which are made at our Sacraments, I believe, are always difpos'd of to the working Poor -, and, to my own Knowledge, in many of the Parifhes in Ipfivich^ where this Writer lives, (and I believe in all) the Diffenters themfelves have a Part of them : So that they are diftributed with an impartial Hand, among our induftrious and neceffitous Brethren •, and receiving the Sacrament doth, of itfelf, by no Means entitle any Perfon to a Reward from us : The Infinuation therefore, that we bribe or hire our poor Communicants is falfe. If by havings he means giving {o much Money, (as I fhould rather think he doth, for he is fpeaking of the Qualifications which we require oF our Com- municants) it is lo far from being iniifted upon as necelfary for every one to give, that leveral of our Communicants receive of the Chanty themfelves, and never give any thing -, every Perfon gives or not, juft as he pleafes ; and at the very Time of the Col- lection, Part of the Exhortation is in the Apoflle's Words, 2 Cor. ix. 7. Let every Man do according as he is dffpofed in his Heart., not grudgingly, or of Ne-- cefTity ; for God loveth a cheerful Giver, His [ 15 ] , His third Obfervation isj that^ according to the Ar- ticle, the Piire Word of God is to be preach'd ; " Not an Oration of the excellent Conllitution of " their Church, or of Pafllve Obedience, or an Ex- « clamation againft Schifm, or a Difcourfe of Mo- " rality, or only exclaiming againft fuch Vices as the " very Light of Nature condemns." And does the Article affirm, or imply all this ? No fucli thing; it is all his own, and arifes from that Dexterity in. perverting Words, of which he is fo great a Mafter. If you will believe him, the Article affirms, that what is to be preach*d muft be the Pure Word of God ; that is, (if thete be any Senfe in what follows) in a Pure Church they muft preach nothing elfe but the Pure Word of God only, meaning thereby the Doftrines peculiar to the Chriftian Religion. But if you will take the Words of the Article itfelf, it only fays, the Pure Word of God muft be preach d in the . Congregation : And fo it may, and yet Dlfcourfes of Morality, Wc. may be frequently introduced. Did not our Lord preach the Pure Word of God on the Mount ? And yet that Difcourfe contains the fineft Ledture of Morality the World ever heard ! Did not the Apoftles Write the Pure Word of God in their Epiftles .? And yet they frequently intermix not only Precepts of Morality, but other things alfo relating to the Difputes at that time fubfifting in the Church. Part, therefore, of this Accufation we very willingly confefs : The Clergy do indeed preach found Morality ; they enforce it by all the perfwafive Argu^ ments, which can be brought from the Word of God, or from the Light of Realbn ; and in this they only follow the Command and Example of our blelTed Sa- viour and his Apoftles. And if there are Men, who, tho* they call themfelves Chriftians, yet are guilty of thofe Vices which the very Light of Nature condemns ; furely it can be no Sin to exhort and admonifti a Chriftian Audience againft them : If there are Men who daily endeavour, by all infameus Arts, to ali- enate [ .6 ] €nate the Affedlons of the People from the eflablifh'd Church ; and if it is permitted them to revile her, and calumniate the Clergy, with all the Freedom imaginable, (as this Writer cannot but by Experience know it is) furely then it can be no Sin in the Clergy, if they fhould fonietimes, occajionally, be fuifer'd to lay fomething in Defence of that Church, of which they are the iawfully commiflioned Priefts : And whilft this Man, and ibme of his Brethren, are decoying our Members, and perfwading then! that Schifm is no Sin, or that their Followers are not guilty of it ; Are the Clergy to be blamed, if they prove the contrary ? It was unfair to mention the Dodrine df Paflive Obedience, fince he might know that if it is at all, it is not now, in the odious Senfe of thofe Words, generally maiiitain'd. And tho' this Author infinuates in the next Para- graph, " That the Clergy do not preach Jefus Chriffy '' and the Dodrines of Faith and Repentance, Rege- " neration, Sandlification, and the neceflity of God*& " Grace in order to all thefe, ^c. and that the Dif-' " fenters do ;*' I beg you would confider that you have only his Word for it ; and if you will take mine (who am more capable of kncving that Fadt, than he who feldom hears any one preach but hirri- felf, and never hears the Clergy ; if, I fay, you will take my Word) I can afTure you we preach all thofe Do6lrines, and all others, agreeably to the Thirty- nine Articles : This any Man may know by Expe- rience, for he has it in his Power to convince him- felf : And if he likes not that Method, I appeal 'to the Sermons in general which are publilhed by the Divines of the Church of England. 4. The fourth Obfervation is, that " the Sacraments " mufl be duly adminillred according to Chrift's " Ordinance," and 5. That " in adminiftring the Ordinances of " Chrill, there mufl be no unneceffary Things im- " pofed on Men. Thefe (he fays) are the feveral «* Parts [ 17] *' Parts of that XIX^^^ Article of the Church of Enf- '^ land, and we heartily agree to every one of them.'* He is to fpeak of thefe two laft afterward ; and therefore I Ihould have faid nothing of them here, if I was not obliged to take notice, in regard to Truth, that the Article doth not give the lead Ground for the laft Obfervation, as the Reader will foon perceive by turning to it. The Article faith only, That the Sacraments he duly adminiftred according to Chriji^s Ordinance, in all thofe Things that of Necejfity are reqiiijite to the fame, or are neceffarily required. Now inftead of liiylngwith the Article, that there mufl be every Thing which is necefjnry to the Sacraments, he gives the Senfe as if it had faid, there mvfi be no- thing but what is necefjary \ which you perceive are evidently two very different Things. This is anotlier Inftance of his endeavouring to impofe upon his Readers ; and if he is a Scholar, as he pretends to be, he could not do thefe Things out of Ignorance, they muft be done by Defign. At length then we have done with this Article ; but I muft infift upon it, that in the future Editions of his Book, when he calls it an Article of our Church, he fhoiild give it, not as he hath corrupted it, and per- verted its Meaning •, but as it ftands in the Place from whence he either took it, or elfe ought to have taken it. He here takes Occafion to abufe the Clergy very heartily, for two very great Faults (if they were true) Ignorance and Idlenefs -, and to fupport the Charge, he brings an angry Paffage from Bifhop Burnet ', but tho' this may feem a good Authority as coming from a Bifhop of our Church, yet the Reader is delir'd to Confider. Firfi, The Bifhop doth not fay he ordain'd or pre- _ ferr'd any of thefe infulHcient and ignorant Men, but that they came to he ordained, and came for Injlitution : And this only Ihews, that fometmies ignorant and C wicked [IS] wicked Men will have the Impudence to think them- felves qualilied, and endeavour to thrult themfelves into the Miniftry, tho' they are the unfitted Men in the World for it. Secondly, If it be fuppos'd (as it ought not) that the Bifhop did ordain them, he muft have been fo wicked a Man, upon that Suppofition, that hisTefti- mony, by his own ConfefTion, Ihould not be beHev*d. Thirdly, If he did not ordain them, it is much for the Credit of our Church, that our Bifhops take fuch Care to rejed: infufficient Men : And I mull appeal to our DifTenting Brethren who are upon the Indepen- dent Scheme, whether there is fuch Care taken among them ? I mull fay, any of thofe impudent Young Men, whom the BiHiop fpeaks of, (how ignorant foever they might be) might have applied Texts of Scripture as properly as this Writer does, even in a Book where he charges the Clergy with Ignorance : And as it appears from the Bifhop's Account they did not want AfTurance, I appeal to all Men, whether, if they could have found a Number of People weak enough to have chofen them, they might not have made a confiderable Figure in the Independent, Con- gregational Way ? Neither muft the Writer or his Admirers be angry with me for faying this, fince I intend to fhew, before I have done with him, that* this very Reafoner is as ignorant as thofe young Men can be fairly fuppofed to have been. Fourthly, The Reader is defired to obfei-ve, that the Bilhop's chief Defign in this Pallage feems to be to lalh the Two Univerfities for negleding to read the Scriptures ; and as his Lordlhip was a Scotchman by Birth, and was educated in Scotland, he might not be fo well acquainted with the Difcipline at Cambridge or Oxford ; or in his old Age (at Seventy) might have forgotten it : For every one who knows any thing of them, knows that the Scholars are ftriftly obliged to be prefent at the reading four Chapters €vsry Day ; and I can lay of my own Knowledge, that [ 19 ] that Ledures in the New Teftament are conftantiy read in feveral Colleges, and a llrict Charge is givei; by the Tutors, to be conftant in reading the Holy Scriptures in private. And I muft add, that the Scholars in our Univer- fities have fo many ways of being acquainted with the Scriptures (even fuppofing them negligent in private) that it muft be very grody their own Faults if they are ignorant in any fuch Degree as the Bilhop pretends. For, not to mention the publick Sermons in the Univerfity Churches, the Praftical Parts of the Chriftian Religion are frequently explained by Ser- mons, in all ; and by Catechetical Le6lures inftituted for that purpofe, in many of their private Colleges ; And the Foundations of the Chriftian Religion, and the principal Do6brines of it, are difculTed and fo- lidly eftablifhed, in the Difputations in the publick Schools, and private Chapels ; fo that it can hardly be imagined by thofe who know our Univerlities, that they ftiould be liable to fo unrighteous a Cen- fure, as has been paffed upon them upon this Ac- count. And as to what our Author has added to Dr. Burnett PafTage, the worthy Tutors in our Uni^ verfities may bear it with the more Patience, fmce they meet with as good ufage from him, as the No- bility and Gentry of this Kingdom in general % of whom, in his courtly Stile, he has the Impudence to fay, that they are led by the Nofe, by fuch ig* norant Wretches as the good Bifhop defcribes. Fifthly, That tho' this Writer doth it for him, yet, the Bifhop could not intend what he faid as a Re-. fleftion on the Clergy in general, fince in the very Book of the Paftoral Care, (/>. 192. o^d Edit.) he praifes the Englijh Clergy for preaching, in thefe Words; But without flattering the prefent Age, or any Perfons now alive, too much, it muft be confejjed, that it, [preaching'] is brought to a much greater Perfe5fion tjp^n it i^g,s ever before at among us } it is certainly C 2, kro^h$ [ oo] brought nearer the Pattern St, Chryfoftome has fet, or perhaps carried beyond it. Laftl}\ Tho' Dr. Burnet conformed to our Church, and had a Bifhoprick, and from thence it may be fuppofed that he fpeaks with Candor, when he re- flects upon the Clergy diredly or indiredly ; yet he hath himfelf confcffcd, that he is a prejudiced Perfon. Ijmd, fays he, that the long Experience 1 have had of the Bafinefs, the Malice^ and the Palpood of Mankindy has inclined me to think generally the wcrji both of Men, and of Parties : And indeed the Peevi/hnefs, the llUnature^ end the Ambition of many Clergymen has fjarpened my spirits perhaps too 'much againjt them : So I warn my Reader to take all that I fay on the fe Heads , with fome Grains of Allowance *. Now let the Writer make the moft of what he fays in his Preface to the Paftoral Care, he muft himfelf be allowed to be the bell Expounder of his own Meaning ; and the Prekice to the Hiftory of his own Times, contains as it were the lail Words of Bifhop Burnet -f . Reason II. *' We DifTent— Becaufe we cannot take the Com- " mon Prayer Book for our Rule of Worfliip." " I. Becaufe it orders the Reading much of the " Apocrypha, ^r." If this be allowed to have any weight, as I think it ought not, yet it muft be confefs'd to be but a trifling Reafon. For, Firjly Tho' it lets forth, that much of the Apo- crypha i? ordered to be read, yet out of fourteen Apocryphal Books, no more than itYzw are appointed to be read, and not the whole of them \ of thofc which are read, Ecclcfiajiicus is by much the moft confiderable ; and. whoever reads that Book carefully, * Preface to the tliftory of his own Times, ■f vSee Veneer i Introdadlion to his new Expofition on the Com- mon Prayer. muft [ .. ] muft allow it to be a very excellent one, altho' not of divine Authority. Secondly^ I defire you to obfei-ve that none of thele Books are appointed to be read upon the Lord's Day ; fo that the Writer might attend our Office then without receiving any Offence from the reading of Apocryphal Books, and confequently need not forfake our Communion upon that account, "Thirdly^ That it was ufual in the Primitive Church to read fome Scriptures not Canonical ; Particularly, Hermas^s Pallor, and Ckmenl*s Epiftle to the Corin- thians *. Fourthly, What the Church of England faith of thefe Books in her fixth Article Ihould be confidered, viz. That we read them for Example of Life, and Inftru6lion of Manners, but do not apply them to eflablifh any Dodrine. So that tho* they be not of divine x\uthority they may be read for this Purpofe, as well as Sermons, or any human Compofitions -f. The fecond Objeftion is,"^ " 2. Becaufe it appoints all Perfons religioufly to " obferve above one hundred and fifty Days in the " Year as Holy Time, befides all Sabbath Days. When he fays above one hundred and fifty Days are appointed to be obferved, befides Sabbath Days, I am much miftaken if he doth not fay what is not ilridly true || : To make the Number arife to that, he mufi; count fome twice over, and that Pra6lice would not be thought fair in Trade, Vvhatever he may think of it in Religion. But I lay no great Strefs upon this, neither fhould I have mentioned it, only to fhew how apt he is to fin againft Truth, when he thereby thinks to ftrengthen his Obje6tions againlt the Church of England. I will allow they amount to near that Number when reckoned fairly, and I will not difpute with him about twenty or thirty Days with * See Eufehius\ Hillory, Camb. Edit. p. go, and loS, •f Loiidon Cafes, Vol. II. p. 249. Third Edition. ii See the Pollfcript. C " ] with which he overcharges us *, but fuppofe the Ob^ je<5lion flriftly true, which it is not : Yet I fay, the religious Obfervance of many Days in the Week, befides the Lord's Day, was in Pra6lice in the pri- rnitive Times, and the pureft Ages of Ghriflianity : The fifty Days between Eajier and Whitfontide were obferved in 'TertuUian^s Time, who hved in the fe- cond Century ; fo were the Feftivals of their Martyrs : Wednefdays as well as Fridays (the Fails of the fourth and fixth Day) were obferved very early, as Mr. Bingham has fhewn, and the forty Days of hent^ to be fure, in St. ChryfoJiomhT'imc -, of all which the EngUflj Reader may be fatisfied, by reading the 13th Book of Mr. Bingham's Antiquities. The Obfervance then of many Religious Days befides the Lord's Day, muft not be charged upon us as a Remnant of Po- pery, becaufe it was praiflifed in the pureft Times j and tho* thefe were multiplied extravagantly after- wards, yet that ought not to make us lay them wholly afide. It is fufficient if the Number of thisiii be properly reduced, and this we fay is done ; we retain none but thofe for which there is the greateft Reafon, fuch are thofe in which we comme- irnorate the Nativity, Crucifixion, Afcenfion, ^c. of * Feaft Days, 29^ Vigils, i6; Lent Faft, 40; Ember P a Pays,,i2; Rogation Days, 3; Fridays 52; State Days 4. 5 But we muft always make thefe certain Dedudions, or elfe wc mult tell the fame Days twice over. Deducl from Lent ; Fridays 7, Ember Days 3, St Mat-> thias, or the Annunciation, and its Vigil z, Eafter-Eve i. 5 ^ DeduQ from the Ember Da}'? ; Fridays, 4 ; from theO Rogation Days, one Vigil before Afcenfion Day, one State > 6 Day, the fame with St. Barnabas. 3 Uncertain Dedut^ions in the Year i 740. Feall-Days on the Lord's Day, 8; Feaft-Days on Fri- days, 4 ; Feaft Day in Lent, and its Vigil, not reckoned / before, 2 ; Vigil before St. Matthew falls on an Ember > i S Day, and theVigil before vSt. Thomas, 2 ; Vigil before the \ Purification, and All Saints Days falls on a Friday. In all 37 So the Feafts and Falls in 1740, are i ig. [ ^'? ] our Lord, the Fcftivals of the Twelve Apoftlcs, and iuch other Days as were thought by our Reformcrj to tend mod unto Godhnefs : A particular Defence of all thefe would too much fwell this little Piece, and therefore I refer the Reader for further Satis ', faftion to the Books under- mentioned*. And it is to be obferved, that the Church hath left every one to his Liberty, as to the Degree of Stri6tnefs, and the particular manner of obferving^ thele Days •, e:^cepting only, that fhe feems to expc<5t that all who can fpare Time from their necefTary Bufinefs fhould attend the publick Service. I wifh this Writer would have given me fome Rea- fon to think him as able an Expounder of Scripture Jls he pretends to be •, but really I ihall be tired with pbferving, that his Quotations from thence are not tq his Purpofe. That which he here i]fes can deceive none but thofe who are moft liable to it, the moil ignorant : For it mull be evident to every confiderafe Header, who examines the Text as it ftands in th«f jEpiflle to the Galaiians^ chap. iv. ver. 9, ip, 11, that the Apoftle is there fpeaking againfi the Je't^i/Js Obferr vanccs, as he doth all along in that Epitflej and the Reafoncr might as well argue from this Text, againlt the Qbfervance of the Sabbath itfelf, as z^'mil any Diflinftion of Religious Days. It is furprizingto fee how inadvertently he cpnfefles^ that his chief Qiiarrel with our Holy Days is that they are appoi-nted by Authority -, for fays he, tve alfo religioujly ebfe^'ve occafional Days of Prayer and irbankJgi'Dm^. And it is well known, tliat he himieif, find the People of his Meeting, nay and the Diffen- ters pf the Frejbyterian Perfwaiion in the Town where fie liyeth, do conflantly obferve the 'Thurfday in every Week, on which Day they attend their publick Worfhip \ and yet he will not allov/ us to obferve the friday^ and fome other occafional Days, altho' \t ^ Mr. Nelfons, Fcafts aud Fafts of the Chnrch O'i 'England. ^///j:/f?-v/'s Antiquities, Beck XX, XXI. ncvcE [ H] Hcver was pretended that we did this by diviftc Appointment. I will fay no more than this : If the Author will £hew why he and his Congregation obferve the Thurfr, day^ and the other occafiona! Days which he con^ felTes to obferve, I will undertake to prove we have far greater Reafon to obferve thofe Days which arc appointed in our Liturgy : And before he does that, I hope he v/ill not venture to urge this Pretence for Diffenting from us. It is very vexatious to purfue this unaccountable Reafoner, and I have now fome Relief from a larc "Writer of our Church, a worthy Clergyman of Chi- chefter, who in his Introdudtion to his new Expofition of the Book of Common Prayer, i^c. hath under- taken to anfwer this Writer, fo far as relates to Forms of Prayer. His Anfwer is too long by far for me to tranfcribe the whole of it ; and it is a bet- ter than I can pretend to give ; and therefore I will ^ refer the Reader to that for further Satisfa(5tion ; only, for the fake of thofe who may not meet with that Book, or cannot cr will not purchafe it, I hope Mr. Veneer will pardon me, if I give a fhort Sketch of what he there fays, which fhould not have been fo i.mpcrfedl:, was I not oblig'd, for the Reafons I befor? mention'd, p. 6. to fludy Brevity as much as may be, 3. The Author's Third Objedion to the Common prayer Book, is, '^ that thereby are impos'd on all *^ Minifters Forms of Prayer,'* In Anfwer to this, and what the Author afterwards fays, Mr. Veneer ob- ferves, that the Firfl Piece of Iblernn Worfhip re- corded in Scripture is a Form of Praife, Sung in Parts by Men and Women, Exod. xv. i . Then fang Mofes e?nd the CbiUrcn of Ifrael this Song, ^c. That foon after Qod prefcribed a Form of , Words by which the Priefls fhould blefs the People, Num.vi, 22. -r- ■27. He likewife prefcribcs a Form of Prayer for thol? who fliould offer up their Firft Fruits and Tythes, lOsut, xxyi. 4. — 1%, and v, i^,-^\6, [^5 ] God Almighty prefcribed a Form for the penitent Jews^ Hofea^ xiv. i, 2, 3. The Pfalms of David were many of them Form! of Prayer and Praife indited by the Spirit of Godj and were accordingly direded to the chief Mufician^ to be fet to Mufick for the ufe of the People. [I add, that learned Men have fliewn that the ftated Service of the Jews at the Time of our Sa- viour confifled of Forms of Prayer, and that our Saviour himfelf ufed to join with them.] Mr. Veneer fays, Our Lord taught his Difciples a Form of Prayer, Luke xi. 2. When you fray ^ fay Out Father^ l^c. And it is obferved by learned Men, that our Lord took every Sentence of the Lord's Prayet out of the Jewijh Prayers then in ufe. He ufed a Form in the Garden, Matt. xxvi. 44* for he prayed a third Time, faying the fame Words § and his Prayer on the Crofs is Part o^ Pfalm xxii. i. From all which it appears, that to pray by a Form is not only lawfull, but that Pra6tice is authorized by the Example of Mofes^ of David^ of Hofea^ and, laftly, of our Lord Himfelf. Mr. Veneer obferves, that if it be pretended the Lord's Prayer was intended as a Directory and not a a Form, that is not true ; and if it was, it doth not affe6l the Liturgy of our Church, for our Prayers are composed with aView to that Pattern. That the Author fpeaks of Origen and Jufiin with- out referring to particular PaiTages, and therefore 'tis difficult to examine him concerning them ; but 5"tr- tullian in the fecond Century has written a Treatife upon the Lord's Prayer, and faith that Chriji hath fixed a new Form of Prayer % and that there is clear Proof from his Writings, that the Chriilians in his Time daily repeated that very Form. Tliat Cyprian^ St. Cyril of Jerufalem, and St. Aufiin fpeak much to the fame f urpofe. He obferves, that Our Reformers had furely as D good [26 ] good a Right to make Prayers for the Uie of our Congregations, as the Pallor of a private Congrega- tion has to make Prayers for the Ufe of his ; And that, in the Church of England, there is flill Room left for extempore Prayer, if it be thought proper, viz. before Sermon and after it. Mr. Veneer fliews, that the Text, Zech. xii. lo. is as impertinently applied, as David's Words to Jr- aunah are in the following Paragraph. That the Author infinuates that he can make bet- ter Prayers than our Reformers have j and if he will print his Prayers we fhall be very ready to compare them. That the Text, Ront. viii. 26. is horridly abufcd by him, alfo the 2 Tim. i. 6. That his Impious Pretence to Infpiration, in his Praying and Preaching, is Ihocking and profane. That a Form of Prayer is mention'd by feveral Writers in the molt early Ages, notwithilanding our Author's Alfertion to the contrary. And that the Reafon why the Clergy do not pray without a Form, is not becaufe they are not able to pray fo well as the Diflenters, but becaufe, for wife and good Reafons, they will not. He follows this Author thro* all his Objedions, and gives Anfwers to them Paragraph by Paragraph -, and I intreat the Reader who defires further Infor- mation in this Particular, to confult the Book itfelf. But I mufh obferve that the Reafoner, in his An- fwer to Objedion 1. p. 12. takes the fame Liberty in quoting Scripture, that he has elfewhere done with regard to the Articles and Liturgy of the Church : For the Apoftle, Rom. viii. 26. doth not lay, we know not what to pray for, but, we know not what to pray for as we ought. The G7-eek is, what to pray for as we ought, we knov/ not. The Author of the Reafons allows, that Diflenters in their Extempore Prayers, are liable to vent flilfe Dodrines , that Diflenters Prayers are often inco- herent i [ =7] herent •, that, for want of a Form, they are fome- times unintelligible, the People know not what they mean by them -, and that, for want of a Form, Diffenters are often guilty of Tautology, or Repetition of the lame thing. I fay, thefe four things he con- fefles, for all he endeavours to do in Oppofition to them, is to fhew that our Prayers are liable to the lame Objeftions ; and I only defire the Reader to obferve how he doth this. He fays we vent falfe Do6lrine as well as they, in thefe Words, Rememhr not Lord the Offences of our Forefathers -, and yet he fays, " He does not " difpute what is truly intended by them.'' Now, what is the Ufe of Words but to convey the meaning which the fpeaker intends ? And if he can find no Fault with our Meaning, with what Face can he fay it looks like falfe Do6lrine ? And if the Reader com- pares this Petition with, Exod. xx. 5. I am a jealous God^ vifiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Childjyen unto the third and fourth Generation \ I irnagine he will not be fo perverfe as this Writer is, when he fays it looks like praying for the Dead, tho* he owns at the fame time it is not praying for them. He fays our Prayers are incoherent as well as theirs, and inflances in that for the Clergy and People j which he did not underfland, tho' the Senfe is very plain, as this fmall addition to it may inform him. Almighty and Everlafting God^ who alone workeji great Marvels^ (who at firft didft, in a mofl marvellous Manner, fend down thy Holy Spirit upon the Apof- tles and firfl Chriflians ; and doll flill continue to thy Church the ordinary Influence of the Holy Spirit, but in a Way to us inconceivable -,) fend down (we be- feech thee) upon our Bijhops and Curates, and all Con- gregations committed to their Charge, the healthful Spirit ef thy Grace, (^c. To fhew our Prayers are unintelligible , he produces one which is as eafiiy underflood, as any one in the whole Prayer-Book : It is one which I have always D 2 admired [ as ] admired myfelf ; and which I have often, with Plea- fure, heard commended, and admired by others, and better Judges. For the underilanding it, only thefe two plain things are to be remembred, which no thinking Chriftian will difpute. 1. That we are unworthy of ourfelves to afk any Favour of God, except thro* the Merits and Media- tion of Jefus Chriji ; And 2. That as we know not what the Confequences of Things will be, fo, as to temporal BlelTings, we know not what will in the End be good for the Sons of Men, or otherwife ♦, upon theie two Confidera- tions we pray thus : Almighty God, the Fountain of all Wifdom, ivho kno-wefi our NeceJJities before we afk, and our Ignorance in ajking ; we befeech thee to have Compajfion upon our Infirmities •, and thofe things which for our Unworthinefs we dare not, and for our Blindnefs we cannot afk, vouch- fafe to give us for the Worthinefs of thy Son, JeRis Chrifb our Lord. Amen. Lafily, He fays, " The Dillenters in their Prayers, *' are not guilty of repeating the fame thing fo much *' as we." But here it fhould be confider'd, that it is not every Repetition which is improper -, for our Lord himifelf prayed three times in the fame Words, and the 136 Pfalm hath his Mercy endureth for ^I'^rTwenty- feven times. If, therefore, tlie Matter of a Petition be weighty, and apt to move thofe pious AfFedlions which God is mod pleafed with in our Prayers, and if it be framed with Judgment, -and comes in fitly and in due place, and not too often, (all which Rules are obferved in our Prayer-Book-,) then, to repeat it, is proper and fit, and all is right, as appears from the Example of our Lord, and from the Pfalm abovemention'd *. But what we obje6t to the extempore Prayers of Diffenters, is the often repeating the fame Words, * See London Cafe?, Vol. II. p. 230. 3d Edit. of [ "-9 ] of little or no Confequence ; when they tedloufly drawl out the fame dull Sentence, I know not how often, whilfl they are ftiidying for another to fol- low it. And if the Writer has the Confidence to fay this Charge is falfe, I only defire one of his Congrega- tion will write down any of his extempore Prayers, juft as he fpeaks it ; and I will warrant him he will find frequent Inftances of what I am faying. Nei- ther do I mean by this to refled upon the Abilities of this Man : if he was as able as moll Men are, this Inconvenience would follow from the Nature of Man ; and cannot be avoided but by praying by a Form. Reason III. " We cannot join with the Church of England m " their Order for Baptifm. " I. We except againft that human Ordinance, *' figning with the Crofs, as a Popilh Invention." That it is not a Popifh Invention, is evident, be- caufe there is no doubt but that it was ufed in the Chriftian Church long before any of thofe Corrup- tions were known, which we juftly blame the Church o^ Rome for maintaining j I mean, it was uled in the pureft Ages, fo long ago as Tertullian's Time, in the fecond Century, and is all along mentioned with Re- verence by the beft Writers, from that Time, to the Time of St. Aujiin \ and as it is generally agreed, that then there were no Corruptions in the Church which would warrant any Man to feparate himfelf from her Communion, the Sign of the Crofs Ihould not igno- rantly be branded with fo odious a Name, as that of being a Popifh Invention ; and as it hath no Relation to Popery, the Author may ceafe to wonder why it is not laid afide. He fays further, *' We make it a Sacrament, for " it is ordered to be done, in token that hereafter " they Ihall not be afliamed to confefs [the Faith ofj ** Chrifl crucified , and fo by their own Definition of ^* a Sa- [ 3° ] *' a Sacrament, it is made an outward and vifiblc *' Sign of an inward and fpiritual Grace :" Bat here, with his ufual Honeily, he givcth but Part of a Sen- tence for the whole of it : Our Definition of a Sacra- ment, which all Protejiants, nay and Papijls too, agree in, is this ; A Sacrament is an outward and vijible Si^n of an inzvard ami fpiritual Grace, given unto us, and ordained by Chrifi himfelf, as a Means isjherehy ive re- ceive the fame, and a Pledge to affurc us thereof : "^QtyN, it was never alTerted that the Sign of the Crofs is a Means whereby we receive Grace ; nor that it is a Pledge to affure us of it \ nor that our Saviour Chrift inftituted it ; but we have always infilled on the contrary : fo that we cannot be charged with making it a Sacrament, as is further declared in the ^o'*" Canon. It might with the fame Reafon be pretended, that Kneeling at Prayer is a Sacrament ; for that is a Sign of Humility in Devotion •, and Humihty is certainly an inward and fpiritual Grace given unto us. But we acknowledge the Sign of the Crofs to be an indifferent Ceremony ; the Ufe of which is indeed warranted by the Pra6tice of the Church in the moft incorrupt Ages ; but the Sacrament of Baptifm is compleat and perfeft without that ; and it is no otherwife held neceifary, than as it is appointed by our Superiors *. The next Objeftion to the Oxlice of Baptifm is : " 2. That P'arents are not fuffered to covenant " with God for their own Children ; but others " [namely, Godfathers and Godmothers] mufl do it, *' tho' they be flrangers, or wicked, and the Parents *' gracious." And here, if any Man takes his Notion of our Pradice from what this Writer faith, he might ima- gine this to be a very cruel and wicked thing : But it is eafy to obferve. * Sec London Cafes, Vol. 11^ p. i,4fV. That [51] That It is a very wife and prudent Regulation in our Church. For, Firji^ It would have ferved no good Purpofe to have made the Parents covenant for the Chriftian Education of their own Children i becaufe, if they are good People, they are already under the moft pre- vailing Obligations to take care of that, from their natural Affection, from Reafon, and from Religion : And if they are fo wicked, that none 'of thofe Confi- deratlons will move them to it, it is in vain to fup- pofe that their Promife to the Church fhould. But, Secondly^ If the Parents happen to die -, if they are unable to inftrud their Children themfelves, or to get them inftruded by others ; If they are fo care- lefs as to negle6t it, or fo wicked as purpofely to omit it : In any of thefe Cafes, the Church hath a Security from three Perfons, who are to undertake for every Child admitted to the Privileges of the Chriftian Covenant in the Church of England^ that it Jhall be taught all things which a Chrijiian ought to know and believe to his Soul's Health ; and that the Child Jhall be virtuoujly brought up^ to lead a Godly and a Chri- jiian Life. And if it be a wife ajid good Regulation, to have three fuch Perfons to anfwer in the Name of the Child, and to inftru6l him afterwards, it is not at all to the purpofe to enquire, from wlience the Cuf- tom arofe \ let it come from the Jews or from the Gentiles^ if it is right and fit, it ought to be retained : And therefore the Objeftion which the Writer brings, vix. " That Godfathers and Godmothers were in " Ufe under the Law'* is altogether impertinent i and as the Objedtion is impertinent, fo the Anfwer to it is filly. He very fagely remarks to this efleft : That a, new-born Infant cannot go alone, and therefore muft be carried j and that as the Circumcifer could not well perform his Office, and hold the Child, he had fomebody to hold it for liim. I confefs this Ac- count count of Circumcifion is wonderfully inftrudllve *, and if he preaches thus, no doubt his Audience mull be greatly edified : But yet it is not quite fo clear as it might have been •, for it doth not appear, but that it is pofTible the Woman that carried the Child^ might alfo hold it in her Lap, and then carry it away afterwards •, fo that, poITibly, there might be no more than two Perfons prefent in all. However, the Author feems to be pofitive in this, that " nei- " ther of the Perfons prefent, promifed any thing " for the Child." And yet, as pofitive as this Man is, a Perfon of lefs fkill might fufpect, from the Nature of theThing, that there lliould be fome fuch Office, when an In- fant was to enter into Covenan^t with God ; and, if he will not be offended at it, I will take the Liberty to inform him of thefe three Things. 1. When a Heathen was admitted into the Jewifli Covenant, it was done by Circumcifion, Baptifm and Sacrifice ; and three Perfons did always afllft at their Solemnities, as Witneffes of the Covenant. 2. Thefe Perfons examined the Profelyte very ftridlly, as to the Motives of his turning Jezv -, they likewife inflrucled him in the Law of Mofes ; and moreover, the Profelyte promifed in their Prefence ta keep the Law. 3. When the Perfon, fo made a Profelyte, was an Infant, then thefe three Perfons promifed in his Name. Thefe Things are fliewn by no lefs a Man than Mr. Seide?!. Vid. de Synedriis, 1. i. c. 3. and dejwre Nat. and Gent. i^c. 1. 2. c. 2. And now kt any Man judge, whether there is not fome Refemblance between tJie Office of thefe three Perfons, and the Office of our Godfathers and God- mothers. 3. TheThird Objeclion to the Office for Baptifm is, " That the Godiathers and Godmothers are forced " to promife what is in the Power of no Creature " on [ 33 ] ** on Earth or in Heaven to perform, that the Child " Jhall renounce the Devil and all his IVorks, and con- " ftantly believe God*s Holy Word^ and obediently keep all *' his Commandments^ and walk in the fame all the Days « of his Lifer It is difficult to prevail on one's felf to give ferious Anfwers to fuch odd and unaccountable Cavils ; but as I determined with myfelf not to be provoked to do otherwife, the Writer may take this Anfwer. Firjl^ That Repentance and Faith are required by God*s Word of Perfons who are to be baptized. Secondly^ That the Godfathers and Godmothers are not fuppofed to make thofe Anfwers otherwife than in the Child's Name, /. e. as Proxies deputed by his Parents in his Head. This he might have learned, if he had pleafed, from the third Quellion put to them^ which is, Wilt thou be baptized in this Faith ? A. 1'hat is my Dejire *. You fee they fpeak in the Perfon of the Child, and cannot be fuppofed to do otherwife^ becaufe they have themfelves been long fince bap^ tized. They do not then promife that the Child fhall renounce the Devil, i^c. but they a6b in his Name, and fpeak for him, that he will renounce him, t^c. Thirdly, That they promife nothing more than what is contained in thefe two Words, Repentance and Faith, which are neceflarily required of all Per- fons to be baptized ; and the Infant Child, by Rea* fon of its tender Age, cannot promife in his own Perfon. .Fourthly, That in Civil Affairs, where it is necef- fary for Infants to do any Adl, they do it, not in their own Perfon (that is impoffible) but by their Proxies or Guardians.. And there is a Cafe which is very applicable to this Cavil, and which this Writer might have conli- dered ; for it is mentioned upon this very Occafion by Mr. Wheatley ; and that is the Cafe of an Infant * See Wheatley upon the Place. E King^' [3+] King, at whofe Coronation fome one of the Nobility" takes the Coronation Oath, as Proxy, in his ftead ; and yet, no Creature on Earth or in Heaven cart tell, whether when he comes to Age the young King will keep it ; and it is God*s Work alone to give him Grace to do it •, but neverthelefs, without doubt, he is bound by that Oath, and muft anfwer for the Breach of it, as much as if he had adually taken it in his own Perfon ; and juft fo is the Infant Chriftian in the Cafe I am fpeaking of Neither would it at all be of Advantage to this Author's Caufe, if what he alledges were true, that moft Proxies never mind what they undertake after- wards ; for the Church is not to be blamed for the Sins of fome of its Members \ if they negle6t what they fo folemnly promife, beyond difpute they are highly culpable, and they muft anfwer for it : But tho* it were never fo much negledled, it is both a wife, and a pious Regulation in our Church, which requires fuch a Security ; and therefore he fhould not pretend this to be a proper Objection to the Office for Baptifm. The Fourth Objedion to that Office, is this ; " We fee no Reafon to believe that every Child " baptized with Water, is alfo regenerated by the " fpecial Grace of God, as they exprefs in their Or- " der for Baptifm, in thefe Words : We call upon ** thee for this Infant, that he coming to thy Holy Bap- " tifm, may receive Remiffwn of Sins, by Spiritual Re- *' generation." Now let any Man of common Senfe judge, whe- ther in thefe Words we exprefs any fuch Thing, as to the Regeneration of the Child ; we neither fay he is, or that he is not regenerated ; in thefe Words we affirm nothing about it, (tho' if we had, it would have been very defenfible :) The Reader muft per- ceive thefe Words are Part of a Prayer ; and, whether the Child is or not, one would think the moft cap- tious Man would allow us to pray that he may be rege* [ 35 ] regenerated *. Whether the Author was fenfiblc that any Man almoft muft have this Anfwer ready for him, I will not fay, but he immediately runs away to another Objedlion to thefe Words, viz. " That we pray the Child may receive Remiflion " of his Sins by Spiritual Regeneration ; whereas the " Word of God tells us, Remiflion of Sins is only " by the Blood of Jefus Chriji, and fo our Church " fays in her Order for the Communion j" for which Reafon (as an Inftance of his Civility) he charges the Compilers of our Liturgy (that venerable Body to whom the whole Reformation is fo highly indebted) as being guilty of a " grofs Blunder." Mr. Veneer has fiilly anfwered this, and has recon- ciled thofe two Paflages ; he obferves, that what our Xr'' Article afferts, viz. That by the Merits of [our Lord Jefus Chrift only are we accounted righteous (i. e. are juftified or faved) is indeed ftridtly true ; But as the Merits of Chrift will not be applied to us, nor will they be efFedtual in faving us, except we per-^ form the Conditions required by the Gofpel- Cove- nant J namely, the Conditions of Faith and Repen- tance J we may very properly be faid to be laved ei- ther by Faith, or by Works, which are the Fruits of Repentance : The Merits of Chrift are the efficient Caufe, and Faith and Repentance are the conditional Caufes of our Salvation. And before this Writer had charged the Compilers of our Liturgy with blundering for fpeaking thus, he fhould have confidered, that fo faith the Scripture likewife. The Apoftle Paul faith, Eph. ii. 8. By Grace are we faved thro* Faith \ and the h^o^tfames faith, chap, ii, ver. 24. by Works a Man is jujiifie^, * The Reader is defired to take Notice, that I do not hera deny- but that the Church of England doth indeed hold, that ^11 Infants rightly Baptized are adlually regenerated ; and that is defended in my Anfwer to the fifth Objeclion to the Office of ^aptifm : But, what I contend for now, is only, that we do not fay fo, in thpfe "Words which the Author of the Reafons produces to prove it. E 2 Sq [36 1 So that we may fpeak of thefe conditional Caufes, and yet not deny that one only grand and efficient Caufe of Salvation. The Authors of the Liturgy therefore are not guilty of blundering for this ; and the Expreflion above objefled to, is, without doubt, fufficiently jufti- fied by thefe two other Texts of Scripture, which I recommend to the perufal of this Writer ; i Pet. \\u 1 1 . The like Figure whereunto even Baptifm doth now SAVE US', and Tit. iii. 5. He faved us by the wajhing of Regeneration, i. e. Baptifm. And I muft add this, that the Apoftle Peter exhorts the Jews, Ad:s ii. 38. to be baptized— for the Kemiffion of Sins. I hope there- fore upon the whole, the Author v^ill pardon us for praying that the Child may obtain Remifllon of his Sins by Spiritual Regeneration. The Fifth Objedion to the Office for Baptifm, is. That we alTcrt, " That it is clear from the Word *' of God, that Children baptiz*d and dying in their *' Infancy, before they commit aftual Sin, are un- " doubtedly faved. *' It is not clear to us, nor can they fhew it in all « the Word of God." We cannot help its not being clear to him, nor are we anfwerable for his Carelefihefs in not inform- ing himfelf better, or his Inability of being informed ; but if he was as well acquainted with the Word of God, and if he underftood it as well as he pretends to* do, this Thing would be very clear to him from thefe Texts, i Cor. xii. 13. We are all baptized into one Body, i. e. the Body of Chrift, and we know the Church is the Body of Chrijl, Eph. i. 22. Gal. iii. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Chriji, have put on Chrift. St. Paul calls Baptifm, the ivafhing of Regeneration, by which God faved us. Tit. iii. 5. '^t. Peter orders his Penitents, A5is ii. '^'j, 38. to be bap- tized in the Name of the Lord JeHis, for the Rerniffion cfSi?is-f And A^s xxn. 16. Ananias bids St. Paul be baptized [ 37 ] baptized and wajh away his Sins. Now I will only obferve thefe three Things to you. 1. There is no Difpute between this Author and me, concerning Infant-Baptifm -, fo that I may fay without Cenfure from him, that there is no doubt, but that Infants may be admitted into the Covenant of Grace, and may partake of the Benefits thereof by Baptifm ; becaufe, Infants were exprefsly ordered by Almighty God to be admitted into Covenant with him, under the Law, at eight Days old ; and alfo, becaufe this hath been the conftant Pradice of the Church, from the very Time of the Apoftles to the prefent. 2. There is no doubt, but that to thofe who rightly receive it, Baptifm doth adually confer thofe Bene- fits, which the Texts now cited do declare it doth ; it makes them Members of Chrift, God faveth them by that wafliing of Regeneration, they have Remif^ fion of their Sins, and their Sins are wafhed away by it. 3. There is no doubt but that, as Infants cannot poffibly mifs of Salvation except it be upon account of that univerfal Pollution of Original Sin, fo they are incapable of forfeiting thofe Privileges to which they are entitled by Baptifm : Therefore if they die before they commit a6tual Sin, it is clear by God's Word that they are un- doubtedly faved. N. B. If this Author can prove that what unfcrip- tural Officers do in the Church, is invalid ; he will effedually prove that his own A6ts are fo. Reason IV. " We cannot join with the Church of England m " the Lord's Supper. I. Becaufe they order every one to kneel at their " receiving it." His Objedions to kneeling at the Lord's Supper are feveral j and I will give them in his own Words, though [38] though 'tis difficult to make Senfe of them as they iland. " I. Becaufe the Papijis do fo, and their Reafon " is, becaufe they believe the Bread, after Confecra- *' tion, is the very Body of Chrifi : " 2. But, if it be not fo, it looks like Idolatry to ** kneel before it. " 3. But becaufe this was not the Cuflom of the " Apoftles (but fitting. Matt. xxvi. 20. 26.) And " 4. Becaufe we are bid to abflain from all Ap- *' pearance of Evil ; therefore we rejeft it." That he is fure of, let the Reafon be what it will : And I will veiiture to fay any other Reafon would have done as well as thefe, but as I promis'd to be ferious, I beg the Reader would confider,-, as to the Firfiy That it is uncertain what his Meaning is ; for he hath exprefs'd himfelf ambiguoufly, and the Words their Reafon may relate either to the Papifts or to Us : If he means it is our Reafon for kneeling, (as indeed the Words which follow, but if it be not foy give fome Reafon to fufpe'fl) and if he would thereby infinuate that we hold that monftrous Dodrine of Tranfubflantiation, all the World knows how falfe the Charge is : And this would be fo grofs a Ca- lumny, that I can fcarce believe any Man, no not this Writer^ would advance it ; I will not, therefore, fuppofe this to be his Meaning. If then he means no more than that it is the Papijis Reafon for doing it, what is that to us } We are not concerned to defend the Papifis Reafon (if it be theirs ;) and if he means that kneeling at the Lord's Supper is a Popifj Cuf- tom, i, e. a Cuflom which crept into that Church in the corrupt Ages, amongft the other fuperllitious and unwarrantable Pradices, which we and all Pro- teflants condemn -, then the Reader may confider, Firfi, That in the earliefl and pureft Ages, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was always received in a praying Poflure. Secondly^ It was received ia fome Places every Day, and [39] and generally three or four times in a Week j efpe- cially on Wednefdays and Fridays. Thirdly, That throughout the Year the Firft Chrifli- ans always prayed kneeling, except on the Lord's- Day, and on the Days from Eafter to Whitfontide ; and then they prayed ftanding. Therefore, when they receiv'd the Sacrament on the Lord's-Day, or on any of thofe Fifty Days, then it is probable they receiv'd it ftanding ; but when they receiv'd it on the ordinary Week Days, and efpecially on Wednefdays and Fridays, which wefe ftated Fafts, they receiv'd it kneeling ; but, by the way, never fit- ting. The Cuftom then of kneeling at the time of the Sacrament is not to be call'd a Fopjh Cuftom, becaufe it was praftifed in thofe early and pureTimes of Chriftianity, long before Popery came in Falhion. I cannot forbear adding, that the Pofturi. which our DifTenters are fo fond of, may more properly be called Popijh than that which we ufe, for the Pope himfelf receives the S^CYimtntJitting. And I confefs I am inclined to think, they infift upon that Pofture, rather in Oppofition to us, than for any other Reafon. In a General Synod of the Proteftant Reformed Churches in Poland, it was declared, that, Forafmucb as fitting was introduced firji by the Arians, (befide the Cuftom ufed in all the Etjangelical Churches throughout Europe) we reje£i it as peculiar to them, (that as they do irreverently treat Chrift, fo alfo his facred Appoint* ments) and as a Ceremony lefs comely, and devout, and to many very Offenfive. Synod . Petricav. Conclu. 4. An. 1578. Now if the Church had enjoined fitting, might not this perverfe Man more eafily have found out an Appearance of Evil in that Pofture, as looking like: a want of due Reverence in fo folemn an Ad: of Rehgion ? Calamy in his Letter printed at the End of the 23d Edition of the Plain Reafons, fays, The Commu^ nicants [40] nieants [among the Dijentersl are at Liberty to ufe their own Pojture in the Time of Receiving. Therefore they may kneel if they pleafe ; what harm then can there be in our doing that, which they allow their own Members to do ? But perhaps the Force of the Reafon lies in this, that the Church orders every one to kneel : I muft own, if this be the Objeftion, he has taken a ftrange Method of fupporting it j for if there be any Weight in what he fays, it lies againft the Pofture itfelf ; but there is no finding out this Man's Meaning in his Recifons, by what he produces in fupport of them, which is often quite foreign to the purpofe. If then he meant fo, I mull obferve, that a Thing in itfelf lawful doth not become unlawful by being com- manded by a proper Authority ; and if we are at Li- berty .So ufe any Pofture, the Governors of the Church are at Liberty to choofe what Pofture they think moft proper. See more of this afterwards. But, faith he, fecondly, " it looks like Idolatry to " kneel before it." But the Church of England hath fufficiently declared her Abhorrence of the Doftrinc of the bodily Prefence in the Sacraments, and that by kneeling we do not pretend to adore it, in thefe Words : Tet left the fame kneeling fhould by any Per- fins, either out of Ignorance and Infirmity, or out of Malice and Obftinacy, be mifcofiftrued or depraved ; it is here declared, that thereby no Adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental Bread or Wine there bodily received, or unto any corporal Prefence of Chrift'j natural Flejh and Blood. For the Sacramental Bread and Wine remain ftill in their very natural Sub- ftances, and therefore may not be adored, (for that were Idolatry to be abhorred of all faithful Chriftians) *. Now, if, notwithftanding this folemn and exprefs Declaration of ours, he will lay, tho* it is not Ido- latry, yet it looks like Idolatry to kneel before it ; he may with as much Truth, and every whit as much * End of the Office for the Communion. Reafon [ 4/ ] Reafbn fay, that it looks like Idolatry to kneel b2« fore our Prayer Books. Thirdly, he Hiys " this [kneeling] was not the Cu^- " torn of the Apoftles, but fitting, Afizz/.xxvi. 20,26.** Now to affirm boldly that the Apoftles lac whfn they received it^ and to refer to a Text of Scriptui e for a Proof of it, looks like fair dealing at firfl fight, and might eafily deceive an unwary Reader i But I will fhew, either that he is very ignorant of what he pretends moft to underftand^ /. e. the Scriptures, and then he is hy his own Account very unfit to teach others, (whatever airs he may give himfelf in exclaiming againft the pretended Ignorance of the Clergy;) or d^o. that he endeavours to impofe upon his Readers, and therefore cannot be entitled to the Charafter of an honefl: Man, and then he is dif- qualified for fuch an Office by that* It is certain, if he underftood the Meaning of the Word which is tranfiated, Matt. xxvi. 20. he Jat dovofi^ he mufl know that it fignifies quite a different Pofture from what we mean by fitting, and that it was tranflated fo as a more intelligible ExprefTion, in Allufion to the common Pofture which we in this Part of the World ufe at our Meals : But the Grsek Word fignifies a Pofture of Difcumbency, or lying along *; and the Cuftom of the Jews in our Saviour's Time, was to lye along upon Things like our Couches, upon their left Side, three or four upon a Couch 5 and in that Pofture to eat their Meals -f ; and * It is rendered in the vulgar Latin by accumho iff d'faimho. ■f I have fometimes thought withmyfelf, that in the common Reprelentations whieh are made of it, the Drawing our Saviour and his Apoftles at the laft Supper in a fitting Pofture, has had no fmall Influence upon the Minds of the Vulgar ; and has encieafed their Averfion to the more reverent Pofture of kneeling : But I own, I was furprized to fee that Mr. Pcirce in his Vindication of the DiffentcrS, was not afhamed to mention this gravely, as an Argument for the Pofture of fitting : That luhcn Churchmen pour- tray Chrijl gl-vbig the Sacrament to his Dlfciples, they reprcfcnt hhn ait as l^iKgi but fitting, after our fajhion : Thus (fays he) does [ ^2 ] irn^ tnat out Lord and his Apoftles wei*e In this" very Pofture at the laft Supper, Ma/L xxvi. 20. before the Inftiaition of the Sacrament, will appear from yohn xiii. 23. where he fays, that at this Supper, ^bere was leaniftg on Jefm's Bofom^ one of bis Difci- pies, and u. 25. he then lying on Jefm*s Breajl : From whence it is plain they laid along after tha ufual Manner, and the Beloved Difciple Johny was the next Man to Jefus^ and therefore leaned en h^s Bofcm^ or lay en bis Breajl ; fo t.Hat the Apoftles did rot fit as he boldly affirms, but lay along; and is is an unpardonable Thing in him to take Advantage from the EngliJJo Tranflation, and from thence to de- ceive his ReavHcr, by urging an AutliOFity for ths Pofture of fitting. The Truth of the Matter is, that it i3 extremer/ uncertain in what Poflurc the Apoftles firft received it, becaufe in eating the Paflbvcr the Jevos often changed their Pofture ; and therefore, tho* it is faid, JMatt. xxvi, 20. they lay along in the manner before mentioned, it is not certain but that they might have changed their Pofture before the Lord's Supper was inftituted ; and as nothing is exprcfsly faid about the Pofture, at the Time of the Inftication, we arc left to our Liberty concerning that, and each Church is to follow that Ufage which they judge to be moft reverend and decent :; Tl=i^ Church of England hath chofcn kneeling, a3 agreeable to the Pnuftice ©f the Church in the pureft Times, and as Ihe judges \x the moft becoming and fuitable Pofture for the Per- Mljhop Pa'rick in a Cofpcr Cut prefixed /o //V Chriftian SacriiTce^ If the good Bifiiop hadciigrc^vcn it with his own Hand, could more have been faid ? It is indeed an extraordinary thirg, for thir Gentleman to charge him vvich .1 Copper Cut prefixed to his lioolc, ^ncc it Ts a known Thing, that iuch tort of Ornaments ar.d KrTybcMid^ment?, arc the uf-ual Devices of the Printers and i>'ublithcrs of a *o©k, in which the Author is very fcldom, if eve/ concerned. An Intcilif.cr.t Reader will cafily perceive for what F/rpofc, and for whcfc Ufe, fiich artful indeed, but low and >'u!gar ArgtitncBt! ais cakulaicd. 5(V feint' i Yin^. f- 4Q'» formancs- C 4-3 ] fofinanc^ of To folemn an Action j and irv my own private Opinion, I heartily think fhe hith made a pro- per Choice -, but it I was in another Country whefe the National Proteftant Church had appointed Jtno- ther Pofture, I fliould think it very finful to quarrel with it, and ibrfake its Communion, for fo trifling a Ceremony, .:z.\ ,„>', it appears to have iDcen the general Oplnloh oiF Protejiants^ that the Original Pofture was not cer- tainly CO be difcovered, and that it was a Circum- irt:ance of no great Confequencc^ fince we find fo great a Variety in the Pra6iice of the Protcfiant Churches abroad i for in fomc of them they receive, it kneeling, in others {landing, others fating, and iil Others walking. And amongft them all, I iliall only iay, there is as little, if not lefs to be faid for fitting, than for any of the other ^\ JFourthly, ^e are indeed hid to ahjiath fi'ohi all Ap^ fearamc of Evil \ but what Appearance of Evil there can be in l^ineeling at the Sacrament, when the Church hath exprefly guarded againft any Mifcon- firuftion of it, in her publick Declarations concern- ing it, I leave this Author to make out, 2. He objefts to our adminiilring the Sacrament,, when there are only ^' two or three Perfdns prefent," but he fhould have added, beftdes the Minifter and the fick Perfon , And in Anfwer to this I lliall only pbferve, that this Pradice, tho' not deduced from Scripture, is very ancient, as Mr. Bingham has proved fufEciently, (Book XV. c. 4.) to v/hom I refer the curious Reader \ and tho* this Writer fays it fliould be adminiftrcd in the Church only, Mr. Bingham there brings an Authority from Tertullian in the fe- cond Century, (which furely I may fet againft this Man) that in Cafes of NecefTity, fuch as where a ■ferfin "^as fick pr in Prifin, when a greater Number ^ See London Cajis, Vol. III. DiTcourrc of Kneeling at the F z could [ 44 1 (euld not he had, three were enough to make a Church See alfo Matt, xviii. 20. This was a Praftice in the Church a vaft Number of Years before private Maffes were ever heard of, and has no relation at all to them. 3. He objcfts, " that Perfonsare allowed to come ** to that Holy Ordinance to qualify themfclves for *' Places of Truft a,nd Profit, which, he fays^ is a •' horrid Profanation of it." " The Wifdom of the Le^iflflture hath thought fit to guard our Conflitution in Church and State, by not admitting any Perfon to Places of Truft and Profit, but fuch as they are afTured are Friends to the Conflitution, of which this hath been proved to be a proper Tefl * ; and if any Man prefumes to profane this Holy Ordinance upon that Account, doubtlefs, hs is highly criminal, and muft one Day Severely anfwer for it ; neverthelefs, in Charity .wc Ihould hope, that no Man is guilty of fo foul a Crime •, however, if any fuch there be, that is not a fufRcient Reafon for any Man to forfake our Com" munion, as I will ihew in my Anfwer to his 4. Laft Objedion upon this Head, which is, " That they ordinarily admit any Perfon to that «* Ordinaiice thatdefires it; nay more, for they order *'• t!ie Minifter to invite all to it^ that are prefent, '« at hearing the V/ord, ^c. I had Occafion before to juftify the Church of '^.rigland as to the Qiialifications which we require of cur Communicants i and as to the general Invitation here objecled to, the Rcr;der is defired to obferve : That tho' all that come to Church mciy not be fit to go to the Table of the Lord, yet it is very fit that' they (fmtU be fo ; and therefore we, as ;thc "iVliriifters of Chrife, and Stewards of the Myfteries pf God, do in God's Behalf, as his Officers, lawfully fjnt "^.vA commiiTioned for this Purpofe, invite aU * See. rhs Plea for the Sacramental Teft, publifncd in 1736, \y=^ ?Vxe ct.hcr Tr?ct^. f=:h!',:ijcdaboilf that Time. the [45 ] the Congregation to partake of that Holy Ordinance-, but we do not invite them to come whether they are qualified or not, we exhort them if they are not fit, to make themfelves fo, and it cannot furely be faid, there is any Sin in that. And when he fays a little lower, that all we afk of our Communicants is, that they he in Charity with all Men ; I know not whether I am more aftonifhed at the Wickednefs or the AiTurance of this gracelefs Writer. For he muft know, if he hath read our Offices, that we fet before our Communicants the great Danger of receiving unworthily, in thefe Words. Dearly beloved in the Lord, Te that mind to come to the Holy Communion, &c. mujl confider, how St. Paul exherteth all Perfons diligently to try and examine them- felves before they prefume to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. For, as the Benefit is great, if with a true ■penitent Heart and lively Faith we receive that Holy Sa- crament, &c. So is the Danger great if we receive the fame unworthily. For then we are guilty of the Body and Blood of Chrift our Saviour \ we eat and drink ouk own Damnation, not conjidering the Lord's Body j we kindle God's Wrath againft us ; we provoke him to plague us with divers Difeafes and fundry kinds of Death. Judge therefore yourfelves. Brethren, that ye he not judged of the Lord : Repent you truly for your Sins paji j have a fieadfa^ and lively Faith in Chrift our Saviour ; amend your Lives, and he in perfect Charity with all Men, fo fhall ye he meet Partakers ofthofe HolyMyfteries, What ftiall we fay then of this Man, who after reading this can fay, all we ajk of our Commuuicants is, that they he in Charity with all Men. The moft unlearned Reader muft perceive we not only require that, but in this Exhortation, (which is always fo- lemnly read at the Time of the Celebration of the Sa- crament) we admonifh them, to examine themfelves, and judge themfelves, to repent them truly of their Sins, to have a fteadfaft and lively Faith in Chrifl,^ and_ to arftend their Lives ; I had Occafion to take Notice [ 46 ] Notice of fuch a Calumny before, p. 13, and I defire the Reader would add this to what I then faid : I leave the Reader in his own Thoughts to abhor and deteft this infamous Author ; for what Words are bad enough for one who can bring fo barefaced and fo falfe an Accufation againft the National Church in which he lives, and in the pretended Caufe of Rehgion ? The Remainder of this Objedion is fome of the groffeft and vileft Abufe that I ever read ; I have indeed unwillingly heard fuch Language in the Streets, but I fhould never have expected to have ktn it in a Book, whofe Author pretends the leaft Regard to Confcience, Part of what he charges many of our Commu- nicants with, if it were true, I think he could not know it : Whether they have faving Knowledge or Faith, ^c. And who art thou that judgeft another ? To his own Mafter he ftandeth or filleth. But as the bad will ever mingle with the good, if "^e fhould allow, that poflibly there may be fome Communicants who are unworthy Receivers, it mult be granted, this is an Inconvenience which cannot be avoided ; I fear it may be found amongfb every Society of Chriftians, pf what Denomination foever ; and was I difpofed to make Reprifils, I could find fome Saints, even in his own Congregation, fo black, that I ihould do no Jnjuftice to them, if I was to rank them among the greateft Sinners : But I do not mean to make this an Objection to him, nor to the •reft of his Congregation ; I know it cannot be avoided, do what he will ; neither doth it in the leaft affed other Men : For tho' another Man Ihould re- ceive unv/orthily with me, that doth not make me an unworthy Recc^iver : Indeed to partake with other Men of their Sins, is Sin •, but to partake with a Sinner of that which is no Sin, can be none * : And therefore this is not a fufficient Plea for Separation. ^ l'(;arron on the Creed. ' ' " And [ 47 ] And it appears that this was the Opinion of the great Apoftle : The Church of Corinlh was beyond Difpute very wicked, for there were Schifms and Contentions among them, i Cor. i. 12. Envying, Strife, Divifions or Fadions, i Cor. iii. 3. Fornica- tion and Inceft, i Cor.y. i. they eat in the Idolatrous Temples, i Cor. viii. 10. and were Drunk even when they met together to celebrate the Lord*$ Supper, I Cor. XI. 21.28. And what faith St.Patil to this ? Not that they fhould feparate upon this Account, not that they fhould pry into their Neighbour*s State, and examine whether he comes properly or not, but this, lei a Man examine himfelf^ and fo let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup, i Cor. xi. 1 8. and every private Chrillian who obeys the Apoftle's Command, who takes Care to examine and judge himfelf, and not his Neighbour, may lafely receive the Holy Sacrament, and the Unworthinefs of other People (if any fuch there are) will never be imputed to him *. R E A s o N V". " We diflent from the Church of England, becaufe " the generality of the Priefts diffent from their old " Dodtrines, and the chief of the Thirty-nine Ar^ " tfcles of Religion, i^c." But this is faid without any colour of Proof, there- fore I fhall fay nothing more to it, than that we deny it, and we appeal to the Writings of our Di- vines, with only thefe two cautions : Firft, Before any Man aiferts as the Reafoner does, he fhould be fure he underftands the Meaning of thofe Articles. Secondly, That the prefent Opinion of the Church of England is not to be taJ<:en from one or two pri- vate Writers, but from our Offices and Creeds, and the Writings of the Divines of our Church in general. * London Cafes, Vol. I. p, 230, ^r. Reason U8] Reason VI. " We except againft two Things, efpecially in the " Order for the Burial of the Deaa. " I. They thank God for taking them away, Bad " as well as Good,'* which in the Cafe of bad Men he thinks wrong. But yet it hath pleafed God to declare, Eze. xviii. 23, 32. That he hath no Pleafure in the Death of the Wicked^ hut rather defireth he ftoould turn from his Wickednefs and live j and therefore we may fairly conclude, that when it pleafes God to take even a wicked Man out of the World, he doth it in Mercy, that he may not go on to heap up Wrath to himfelf againft the Day of Wrath. Veneer, And certainly when a Friend or near Relation is delivered from the Miferies of this finful Worlds (which generally before our Deaths are very grievous) it is a Benefit which a pious and ferious, or only a good natured Man, would and ought to be thankful to God for, exclufive of all worldly Confiderations whatfoever. " 2. Nor can we fay (as they do) of every one, " (even the vileft Wretches that they bury) that we " have fure and certain Hope of their Refurre6tion " to eternal Life." Here we have another Inftance of his Honeftyj tho' this feem's not to wound the Confcience of this Man, but to have been written with a grave Face, he knows very well we liiy no fuch Thing : Look in any Prayer-Book, you will fee we commit his Body to the Ground, in fure and certain hope of the Refur- reftion to eternal Life *, not of hiSy. nor her, nor their Refurreftion, but of t h e Refurredion ; and agree- ably to this, when we bury the Dead at Sea, we com-^ mit the Body to the Deep, looking for the Refurrec- tion of the Body (when the Sea Ihall give up her Dead). I have examined every Edition of our Prayer-Books that I have met with^ to fee whether there was a falfc print in any of them^ to juftify this bold Writer ; but I never could find one^ and ad [ 49 ] as he could not but know the Accufatlon was falfe, I cannot exped he fhould be fo ingenuous as to take Shame to himfelf, but I hope the Reader will give kim fuch a Place in his Efteem as he deferves. Reason VIL *' We withdraw from the Communion of the " Church of England^ becaufe we cannot allow of " fuch Officers in the Church, as Diocefan, or Lord " Bilhops. We own all faithful Pallors of parti- " cular Congregations^ to be fcriptural Bilhops, and *' the Scriptures know no other. Our l^ord. J efus " Chriji forbad it, Mark x. 42. 45.'* Now, tho' this Author is very free of the Cenfures, which he palTes upon the Clergy, whom he is pleafed to charge with Ignorance, as well without Provoca- tion, as without Reafon ; I muft take the Liberty of faying, that he doth by no means fhew his own Ikili in the Scriptures 5 for I think throughout his Piece he doth not produce (o much as one Text, but what is impertinent or mifapplied, and his Ignorance is not more manifeft in any Part of this notable Per- formance, than it is in what he faith to fupport this feventh Reafon ; the Text of Scripture in which he hath the Confidence to fay, our BleiTed Lord forbad Epifcopacy, is a flagrant inftance of it, for it feems to be produced for no other End, than becaufe of the V^ovd Lordjhip in our Tranflation : And I fup- pofe this fimple Man thought that had fome Affinity to the Title of Lord, which in England is now ge- nerally added to the other of Bilhop. But if I Was to let his Text alone, there is one Exception ; and I might fliew there is one Diocefan Bilhop, whom this Text could not aff^ed:, let him torture it how he will, and that is the Bilhop of Soder and Man^ who has no Seat in Parliament^ and has not the Title of Lord given him *.- Now * A'. B. The Title of Lord Bifhop of Sader and Man which is' Q given' [ 50 ] Now let us examine his Text j the Meaning of it will be plainly feen, by confidering the Occafion of it 3 the two Apoftles, James and Joht^ had defired, by their Mother, that in our Saviour's Kingdom they might have the chief Management of Affairs, that they might fit the one on his right hand and the other on his left ; our Lord did not grant their Peti- tion, but yet when the other Ten heard of it they began to be much difplealed with James and John ; but Jefus to prevent the bad Confcquences which might follow, put a flop to this, by calling the Ten, and alTuring them they had no Reafon to be dif- pleafed with the Sons of Zebedee for preferring that Requeft, for if they had obtained what they defired, the Confequence would not have been as they ex- pefted ; for *tis true, fays he, Te know the Princes of the Gentiles exercife Dominion or Lord/hip over them, and their great ones have much Power over them, but fo jhall it not be amongji you\ for they who fhall ar- rive to the greateft Dignity in my Kingdom, fhall in Truth have the molt burthenfome Office, whofo- £ver will be great among you jhall be your Minijter : In the Difcharge of facred Offices you fhall attend and wait upon thofe whofe Rulers you are ; y^nd ivhofoever will be Chief Jhall be Servant of all, and the higher you are advanced in Dignity, the greater Burden of Offices and Duty fliall lie upon you, to attend the Wants of all your Inferiors *. This is the natural aud true Meaning of this Paf* fage, and let any Man judge whether there is any thing in it which can be racked to fpeak againft the Order of Bifhops : And that the Author brought it only for that little, petty, low Realbn, namely, be- caule of the Word Lordfljip in it, is very probable given to him In the Title of Bifhop Wilfons excellent little Piece upon the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, is by niiltake of the Bookfeller, for it is a Title which he doth not claim, and which doth not belong to him. * See Dr. Hammond upon the Text. fron^ [51 ] from hence, that he might as well have brought the parallel PafTage in St. Matthe-iv, which you know ftands firft in the Bible, but that would not do, it wanted the Word Lordjhip ; and I have given thefe two Texts in one View, for the fake of the Englijh Reader, afluring him that it is the very fame Word in the Greeks which in one Place is tranflated exercife Lordjhip, and in the other exercife Dominion. Matt. XX. 25 Te know that the Princes cf the Gentiles exercife Do- minion over them, and they that are great exercife Au- thority upon them. Mark x. 42. Te know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles, exercife Lord- fhip over them \ and their great ones exercife Autho" rity upon them. Tho* the Writer fays the Scriptures know nooth^r Bifhops but Paftors of particular Congregations, it is certain Timothy and Titus, and fe^'-eral others men-^ tioned there were Bilhops in the Senfe of the Church o^ England; they were appointed to ordain others, as they were themfelves ordained by the Apoftles, and were to exercife an Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidion over thofe Churches. See St. Paulas Epiftle to them, and efpecially thefe PafTages, i Tim. v. 19, to the End, 2 Tim. II. 2. Titus i. 5, t^c. Tit. iii. jo. And fo fay the Writers of Antiquity in general. This brings me to examine what he fays upon this Head ; and if the Author is unlucky in the choice of his Text of Scripture, he is, if poflible, ten times more fo in what he fays of the ancient Writers : But hear him. " Athanafms is faid to be Bifhop of Alexandria^ " (and a Bilhop he was) [I am glad of that'] but not " a Diocefan Bifhop ; for he had no more Chriflians *' in his Community than might meet in one Place, " So faith Cyprian, Polycarp^ Iren^us, and Jujlin « Martyr.'' What .? Do they fay Athanafius had no more Chrlf- tians in his Community than might meet in one ^' } G 2 if [5^] If I had the leaft Opinion of the Man's honeft)i, I Ihoiild really pity him for his Unluckinefs •, of all the Diocefes throughout Chriftendom, it is pretty odd he fhould ftumble upon that of Alexandria to prove this Point -, and that he fhould hit upon fo re- markable a Man as Athanaftus^ is yet ftranger ; and then to aflert, that thofe four good Men faid all this of him, is rather more unfortunate ftill -, for if he had put the Names of all the Writers of the Chrif- tian Church together, and drawn out four at ran- dom, he could not have chofen worfe ; this I will demonflrate : Jujlin Martyr fufFered Martyrdom in the Year of pur Lord i66. Poly carp ^ Bifhop of Smyrna^ a Difciple of Sx..John's^ fuffered Martyrdom in the Year 167. Iren«/Scft. 2, 3. M ■ •~ "■ ■ ■' -Pailors^ C 58] JPaftdrs, Is pretty near a-kin to that I jufb now men- tioned in a former Paragraph. And I will venture turther to fav, that none of the Writers which he mentions will vouch the Truth of what he fays they will. Cyprian was himfelf Bi- ihop of Ca-rtba^e^ and tho* for that Reaion he is by far a better Witnefs in this cafe, than he was in the Affliir of Alhanajius^ (becaufe he happened to be de.id before Athanaftus was born) I fay> tho* I grant he is a very good Witnefs in this Point, I defy the Rcafoner to produce fuch a Tcflimony from him. Any Man who has read Cyprian* s Epiftles, muft know, that he frequently mentions and diftinguifhes the three Orders of Bifhops, Priefls, and Deacons *► and that he adually excrcifed an Authority over them ; for he threatens to excommunicate any Priefls or Deacons, who (hall prefumc to communicate with thofe who had fallen [to Idolatry] bijfore they had received his Directions concerning it -f j he de- puted two Bifliops, Caldonius and HerculanuSy with two Prefbyters, Rogatianus and Niimidicus^ to declare Felicijftmus^ a Prefbyter, excommunicate, and one Augendus his AlTaciate, which they accordingly ac- quainted him, Ep. 42. they had done ||. Thefc Pafiliges * Si qui dc peregrlnis Epifcopl Collegx mci, vel Vrrjhytcr':, vel Diaconi pisfentes fuerinc, vel fupervencrint, hsec omnia de vobis audiant. E'^. 32. /> 65. Ed. Ox. ■\ Intcrea fiquis immoderatus, ct praceps, five dc noftris Pref- byteris vel Diaconibus, fiv« de peregrinif, aufus fuerii: ante fcn- tcntiam noftram communicare cum lapfis, a Csmmuriicatione noftra arccatur. Ep. ■^±. p. 6S. In a Letter to the Priclb and l)eacons at Rome, having given them an Account of the Care he tad taken of the Church of Carthage, he adds. Item Prelb/teris et Diaconibus non dcfuit Sacerdotii v^or, ut quidaiTi minus difcipiinas memorcs & temcraria feftinacionc prsccipitcs, qui cum lapfis com- municare cxperant, comprimcrentur. And in Ep. 17. he has thefe Words, Audio tamcn quofdam dc Prcfbyteris, nee Evangelii niemores, ncc quid ad nos Maityrcs fcripferint cotjitantcs, nee Epifcopo honortm Sacerdotii fui et Cathedrae refervantes, jam cum lapfis communicare ccepific. jl He i'cr^t Caldariius and Hcrcuknus, two Biihopr., \y\r.\i Roga- tiimut [ 59 ] PafTages may ferve as a Specimen of what you may exped from Cyprian upon this Head. But as I have mentioned him, I will give one Quotation more, which will fhew his Opinion as to what we were fpeaking of juft now, about there being two Bilhops in one City. He gives this Reafon why Novatianus could not be Bifhop of Rome, becaufe Cornelius was ordained firll, and there could not be two : Since there cannot be a fecond [Bijhop] after the Jirfi, whoever is made \BiJhop\ after one is made already, (who ought to he alone) he is Jtot a fecond, but no Bifhop at all *. It is certain Clemens Romanus defcribes the Mini- flration of the Officers in the Chriftian Church, by an Allufion taken from the diftin6t Officers of High Prieft, Prieft, and Levites among thtjews^ Ep.I.c.40. And as to thofe Places where he mentions only Bi- fhops and Deacons, what I faid before fhould be re- membred, viz. That in the Time of the Apoftles, when he wrote, Bilhops were fometimes called Apo- ftles ; and Prefbyters, Billiops : So that the Bi- fhops and Deacons which he fpeaks of, c, xlii, (^c^ were probably no more than Priefts and Deacons. And as an inftance of what you may expe6t from Origen, I will give you a Ihort Quotation from him, as Mr. Bingham has tranflated him. Every one fhall be punijhed according to the Differ encs of his Degree -, if a Bifhop or Prefident of the Church Jins, he fhall have the greater Punijhment ; a Catechu^' men will deferve Mercy, in comparifon of a Believer % and a Layman, in comparifon of a Deacon ; and a Deacon^ in comparifon, of a Prefhyter : Origen here mentions five di(lin5f Orders or Degrees in the Church, Biffoops, Pref tianus and 'Numidictts two Prefbyters, as his Vicars or Deputies, as he tells them ; cum ego vos pro me vicarios miferirA, to fettle the Afiairs of the Church : And in their anfwer, v/hich was in Confequence of this Appointment, they acquaint him with their having excommunicated FeliciJJtjnus and five other Prefbyters, Vide, Ep. 41. 42, 43. * Cum pojl prinjum fecundus [Epifcopus] effe non pofTit, quis- quis poft unum qui folus effe debeat, faftus eft ; non jam fecundus ille, f^d pullus eft. E^. 55. /. 104. H 2 hyters^ [6o] hyters^ D'ac(m% Lrfmen baptized, or Believers, Cdte* fhufnens, or the Candidates for Baptifm *. Tiiercfore let th^ Reader judge what fort of Teftimony we fhould have from him in this Point ; and, upon the whole, I can only admire that the Reafoner could think to put off fuch Stuff upon his Readers, without being de» itefted 4nd expofed for it. Reason VIII. •* We cannot allow that the B.fhop or Patron *' Ihould impose a Pallor upon any Panlh, without *' the Confent and Choice of the People." ^c. It is not quite clear what Right the People, in the early Ages of Chriftianity, exercifed in the Choice of their Clergy i but if it ever was the Caftom for them to choofe, it hath for good Realbns been al» tered ; fome of which will be mentioned. As to the Refemblance, which he thinks very near, between choofmg a Paftor for a Congregation, and a Huf^ band for a Wife ; I will only fay, if the Lord of a Manor was to choofe a good Hufband for a Woman, Ihe would have no Reafon to complain ; and how near foever he may think the Refemblance between* thefe two Cafes, there is at kaft this Difference ; if a Wpman's Hufband proves a bad one, flie cannot get rid of him, it is Death alone muft part them ; and therefore it is but right the choice Ihould be wholly her own ; Bat in the other Cafe it is other- wife •, if, amongft us, the Minifter proves a bad Man, negleds his Charge, or mifbehaves, the People have their Remedy, they may .complain, and, upon mak- * Pro modo Graduum unufquifque torquebitur ; mpjorem Pa- mm habet, qui Ecclefia prsifidet et delinquit. An non magis Mifericordiam promeretur ad comparationem fidelis, Catcchu- nienus ? Non magts venia dignus eft Liicns, fi ad Diaconam con- fcratur ? Et rurfum comparatione Prtfbyteri, Diaconus venlani plus nieretur. Orig. Hem. 5. in E-^:c. And again he fays, abEc- clcfiafticis Dignltatibus, noni folum Fornicatio, fed et Nuptise re- pellunt, neque cnim Epifcopus, ncc Prefbyter, nee Diaconus pof- funt eiTe Digami. Orig.Ho:r..\-j. in Luc, ing [6. 1 ing good the Charge, fuch a Minifter will be pu« niftied : He may be fufpended, or deprived, and a proper Man fent in his room ; and to make this Matter eafier to them, frequent Enquiries are made by the B Ihop, or his Officers, particularly at his Vifitations, whether there are any fuch Complaints or not ; and all this is regular and well. But let us fee as to the other Way among the piffenters : The Election of their Minifters is made, cither by the Congrc^gation at large, or by a felcdk Number of them : The laft I have been told is the moft ufaal M-thod ; and I fain wojld know what H^ght thoie few have to choofe a Minifter for the fcft of the Congregation ? And when the Reafoner tells me that, I will Ihew it is more rcafonable for the private Patron to recommend a Clergyman to the Bilhop to be appointed Minifter of a Parilh, than it is for thofe few to choofe no B9dy knows who, to be the Paftor of the whole Congregation. For, Firft^ The Parron mufi choofe a Clergyman who has been regularly ordain'd to execute the Mini* fterial Office ; and therefore he is one who has been judged by the Bilhop that ordain'd him to be a pro* per P».rfon for fuch a Charge. And Secondly, The Patron only recommends a Clergyman to the Bilhop to be appointed by him, and before the Care of a Parilh is committed to him, he is examin'd by the Bifhop as to his Abihties, and he muft pro- duce proper Certificates of his good Life and Con- verfation. And what greater Care can be taken that proper Perfons Ihould be appointed for the Difcharge of the Minifterial OfEce ? I will appeal to the Dif- fenters themfelves, whether it is not more likely that an improper perfon Ihould be chofen amongft them, when they who choofe them muft oftentimes be al- lowed to be very incompetent Judges : And if the Teacher be chofen by the Congregation at large, then the Choice is likely to be ftill more precarious. I grant that private Perfons choofe their own Phy- ficians. ficians, but it is a notorious Truth, that the com- mon People do generally run to Qjacks. Lafil}\ I obferve in the Words ot Dr. Siillingfleet^ That if all the People were left to chs'^fe their own Paf- tors^ it is not to be imagined what Parties and Factions^ what mutual Hatreds and perpetual Animoftties they would naturally fall into on fuch Occafions. Do we not daily fee fuch things to be the Fruit of popular Flexions ? Which being the natural Effects of Men's Pqffions, fiirred up by fuch Occafions, and there being fo much Experience of it in all Ages of the Chrijiian Church where fuch Things have been-, I am as certain that Chrid never gave the People an unalterable Right of choofmg their cwn MinifierSy as I am, that he dejigned to have the Unity and Peace of the Church preferved *. Thefc lamentable E{fei5ls are ftill but too vifible in thofc Pariihes where the People have the Right of chooiing, and the DilTenters cannot but be fenfible of it amongft themfelves. Reason IX. " We diflent from the Church of England, becaufc " we think it wants godly Difcipline, ^f*:.'* Under this Head the Reafoner vents much Malice, and indulges himfelf in the Exercife of that Talent, in the Ufe of v/hich he feems (as far as I can judge) to excell all others that I have feen ; I mean, that of throwing about foul Words, and abulive Language. As this is a Way of arguing to which (I muft own) I have not been accuftomed, I hope the Reader will excufe me, if I here take no other Notice of it, than to give him the lame Reproof which was once given to the worll of Creatures, Jude 9. the L^rd Rebuke thee. Neverthelefs, I will be fo ingenuous as to allow, that our Difeiphne is not quite 'io regular and exaft, as our beft Friends may wiili •, but then thole DilTen- ters which make this a Pretence for feparating from * -S////;;2j;;?. Paul wrole his firfi EpiftU to them ; and tho^ he does there rcprcve them for this Faulty yet at the Time of his fccona Epijile^ there were ftill very wicked Men, whom they had not yet turned cut ; and yet in both his Epijiles he charges that none g9 about to make any DiVfim, And from that Time to this Time there has been no Church free from thefe Spots in the Feafis of Charity. It is indeed impoffible for any Churchy while it is in this IVorld^ abfclutely to free itfdf. In the mean Time private Chrijiians are advifed to witharaw their Famihariiy and Converfation from thofe that they know to be fuch. And fo far every pri^ vate Man has the Power of Excommunication in his own Breafi. 3, That whereas there are but four forts of Men whom the Scripture does command to be Excommunicated, I. Idolatersy Unbelievers^ Teachers of falfe DcSirine in tht Fundamentals of the Faith. %. Men of vicious and immoral hives. 3. Such as in Points of Trefpaffes cr Differences between Man and Man^ will not hear the Church. And /[.thly. Thofe that make Dlvifions in or from a Church : The dijfenting and dividing Parties Jbouldy amidfi all the Zeal that they fhew for executing the haw upon the three firfi Sorts, remember that the jLaw is as full^ as plain, as peremptory againfi the fourth fori, as againfi any of the other. For there is not a Text in all the Scripture that is plainer againfi any Sins than is that of S'. Paul. Rom. xvi. 17. Now I befeech you^ Brethren, mark thofe which caufe Di- vifions and OrFences, contrary to the Dodifme which ye have learned, and avoid them. Therefore he that thinks Adultery to be a Sin^ and Drunkennefs to be a Siny &c. and Schifm to be none *, or that a Man is to be avoided or excommunicated for the one^ but not for the ither, is one that does not take Chrifi^s Commands as they lie in Scripture ^ but picks out fome that he will ob-i- ferve^ and others that be willfligbti according as they pkafi [ 65 ] pleafe or difpleafe his Humour, 'the Word, of God ii^ that every one Jhould avoids or feparate from him^ that goes about to make a Separation, 'The Dijfenters, if they apply this^ will be inclined td a little more Moderation and Charity in the Cenjures that they pafs upon National Churches ^ for their Want of fi jevere a Difcipline as they call for *. The moft ridiculous Reafon of all is the kfti Reason X. *' We leave the Communion of the Ghufch of " England^ becaufe it hath often fhewn a perfecuting " Spirit in it, 6fc." Now to fay nothing as to the Infufficiency of this as a Reafon for Separation, it muft: be allowed td make very much for the Credit of the prefenc Mem- bers of the Church of England^ that even fuch a Writer as the Reajoner cannot find in his Heart to fayj that they Ihew a perfecuting Spirit : This is a tacit Confeflion, that there is not at prefent, fo much as the leaft Pretence for this Plea •, and as Perfecution hath ever been the darling Cry of the DifTenters^ when that is given up, it muft be looked upon as the moft prevailing Argument, that they have no more to complain of on that Head : So that if what he fays. That the Church of England hath often fhewn a perfecuting Spirit^ had been never fo true ; this fhews he had worked up all his Materials in his other nine Reafons, and was miferably put to it for another^ when he made this the tenth : For it is to the full as ridiculous to make this an Objedion to us, as it would be for a Man to quarrel with me, becaufe my Father, had formerly, thralhed him. for his Unlucki- nefs, when he was a Boy. But if I was to demand of the Reafoner the In- ftances in which this perfecuting Spirit was Ihewn, I make no doubt but I Ihould have fomething to offer, * Wall's Hiftory ©f Infant Baptifmj 2d Edit. p. 455. I if [66] if not fufficient, fully to juftify our Fore-fathers, yet furely, to abate much of this heavy Charge. It is the more furprizing to hear this Accufation brought againft our Church, becaufe it immediately puts a Man upon recollefting what was the Behaviour of the Dilfenters, when they were in Power. Was I to look into the horrid Tranfa6lions of the laft Cen- tury, I fliould be furniflied with Materials which would abundantly convince the moll prejudiced Man, that neither of the two moft prevaihng Sedls, (the Prejhytcrians and Independents) ought in Prudence, to provoke any Man to this : But I decline that Talk, tho' an eafy one, not only becaufe it is to me dif- agreeable in itfelf, and I think, unfair in fome Mea- fure, to brand the prefent Generation with the Crimes of their PredecelTors ; but becaufe it would tend only towards the widening of our Breaches, inftead of healing them : Let thofe Things rather be buried in Oblivion i and I befeech our Diflenting Brethren, not fo much to ftudy, what they can find in Hiftory, which had they been living then, they zvould have complained of j but rather to confider, that they have nothing of this fort to complain of now. We are now come to the End of the Ten Reafons for dijjenting^ and I hope the Reader is convinced they are far from being fufficient to juftify a Man for feparating himfelf from our Communion ; and con- fequently if he doth fo, he is guilty of Schifm : At the End of them, the Reafoner again throws out a little more againft our Ceremonies, and infifts, that indifferent 'Things ought to be left fo^ and not enjoined. In anfwer to which it would be fufficient to fay, that if all indifferent Things in the Worfliip of God were not to be determined, but every Man was \dt to behave according to his own particular Fancy, that would deftroy all Order and Decency ; for every Man who knows what he means by thofe Words, muft perceive, that Order and Decency in the Wor- iKip of God, conlifts in the regular and proper Ufe of [ 67 ] of thofe indifferent Things ; And How canThings be done regularly, if they are done by no Rule ? But further, if I can Ihew that indifferent Things, which relate to the Worlhip of God, may be lawfully enjoined, and that what is fo enjoined may be law- fully complied with, then I hope the Reader will be thoroughly fatished in this Point. In thofe things which relate to our Pradtice, what- foever is commanded is Matter of Duty ; whatfoever is forbidden is Sin ; and whatfoever is neither com- manded, nor forbidden, is neither Matter of Duty, nor is it finful, /. e. it is indifferent : This is the true Notion of an indifferent Thing. Now in the regular Performance of the publick Worlhip of Almighty God, in relation to thefe in-: different Things, neither commanded, nor forbidden 5 the five following Particulars are evident : 1. Some certain Time mufl be fixed when Men are to meet. 2. Some certain Place muft be appointed to meet at. 3. Some Order or Method mufl be agreed upon, fuch as, when to pray, when to rea'd the Scriptures,, when to fmg Pfalms, when to Preach, ^c. or there can be no regularity. 4. The officiating Minifler mufl have feme Habit or other. 5. Some Gefhire, or Poflure or other is neceffary,, fuch as Sitting, or Standing, or Kneeling, ^c. And as it is very proper that thefe Things fhould be fettled and fixed, in order to the more regular Performance of the publick Worfhip ; and as thefe Things are not particularly appointed by our Saviour and his Apoflles in holy Writ •, it is plain they are left to be determined by the lawful Governors of the Church, according to Chriflian Prudence, and the general Rules which are given in Scripture : Thofe general Rules the Apoflle Paul gives us, i Cor. xiv. 26. Let all Things he done to edifying y and v. 40. Lei^ (ill Things he done decently and in order^ In fixing I z therefore I [ 68 ] therefore thefe particular indifferent Things, the Go* vernors of the Church are to have Regard to thofe Jlules, and no other ; and if they appoint them in iuch a manner as they judge will Ijeft tend to Edifi- cation, to Pecency, and to Order; doubtlefs, as there is no other Rule, our Governors do right in ob- ferving the Injundions of the Apoftles, and we do right in obeying the lawful Commands of our Su- periors. For, that indifferent Things in relation to the "Worlhip of God, may lawfully be appointed -, and that it is lawful for us to comply with that Appoint- ment ; will be further evident, from the known Prac- tice of the Jews, and from our Saviour his not only not condemning them for it, but adually conform- ing in iuch Matters himfelf : I will give two Inftances of this, which may be fufficient, becaufe the Reafon of the Thing holds the fame as to the three other of the five Particulars before mentioned. It muft be allowed, the Worihip of the Jezvs was very exadlly commanded by Almighty God ; and therefore it might feem the lefs juftifiable in them to cdd tOy or alier thofe jflules he gave them ; than it can poffibly be for our Church, (which hath not re- ceived any fi4ch particular Diredions from God,) to make Rules for itfelf. And yef the Feaft of the Dedication was not ap- pointed by Almighty God, and was no more than a human Ordinance of the JewJjJjChwrch. -, neverthelefs it is certain, our Saviour complied with the Jnvs in the Obfervance of it -, and was prefent in thcTemple at that very Feaft, as we read, In. x. 22, 23. From hence any M:^n may fee, it is lawful to appoint Reli- gious Days, altho* they be not dire6led in the written Word of God ; and that it is lawful to comply with the Obfervance of them when they are appointed ; for this was aflually done by the Jewifi Church, in the Cafe of t^e abovementioned Feaft : And evcpy Man muft grant, if there had been any thing in the ■ kafi [69] kaft f^nful, either in the firft Appointment, or in the Compliance with that Ap^jointment afterwards, our Saviour would not have juftified the Pradlice, by complying with it himfelf. The; other Inftance I Ihall give, in relation to the Obfervance of thefe indifferent Things, Ihall be, the change of the Pofture in which the Primitive Jews eat the Paffover. According to the Command, Ex. xii. ii. They were to eat it with their Loins girt, their Shoes on their Feet, their Staff in their Hands, and in Hafte ; and agreeably to this Command, for many Years they continued, as they firft began, to eat \tjianding. But after the Captivity they did not eat \tjianding, but in a difcumbing Pofture, or lying along, as was mentioned, ^.41. a Poflure by no means fui table to the Words of the Commandment ; and in this like- wife our Lord complied : From whence it is eafy to obferve, that thefe indifferent Circumftances may be altered and varied, and others lawftilly ufed in their ftead, as human Prudence fhall dired; 5 and thus the Governors of the Church may lawfully vary and alter our Rites and Ceremonies, as they fhall judge them to tend moft to Order, Decency, and Edification; and when they are fixed by them, it cannot be un* lawful for us to comply with them, becaufe we have our Saviour's Example for it in a like Cafe. Indeed there is no one Church upon Earth, but what does, nor can there be one but what muft, ufe fome Things in a Religious Way, and which relate to the Worfhip of God, that are not direded by the Word of God 3 becaufe no particidar Diredlions are given there. And if this be a Fault, (as it is plain it is not) thofe People who talk mofl in this way, the Independents, are themfelves guilty of it : For what Reafon have they for fprinkling, or Affii- fion of Water in the Sacrament of Baptifm, more than from the Reafon of the Thing, and the Prac- tice of the Church in cold Climates f Where do (they [ 7° 1 they find a Command for the necef?ary Ufe cf cou" ceived Prayer ? And that, that and no other fhall be ufed in the Worfhip of God ? What Command, or what Warrant in Scripture is there for a Church Co^ vemnt as they call it ? Did they receive this of the Lord Jefus Chrift ? What Command have they for the Polhire o/i fitting at the Lord's Supper, or what Example for it ? Unlefs they are ignorant of the common Ufage of thofe Times, and take Advantage of the Englifi) Tranflation, See p. 4.1, And if all Ghriftians are obliged to keep up the original Forms and Ceremonies, and to obferve them and no other. Why do they not receive it late in the Evening ? And in an Upper Chamber ? And give it to Men only ? All which are Circumftances which were ob- ferved at the firft Inftitution of it. I am tired with obferving thefe Things, and I could tire the Reader with abundance more to the fame purpofe ; but this may be enough to fhew him, that when our Adver- faries pretend it is unlawful for the Governors of the Church to appoint things not prefcribed in Scripture, and unlawful for Men to comply with fuch Appoint- ments, it is plain they impofe upon their Difciples : For they themfeh'es do things in the Worfhip of God, for which they have no Authority from Scrip- ture, and therefore, by their own Pradice, do appa- rently contradid this falie Pretence *. I muft here add one Word in anfwer to a Text of Scripture, in which the Reafoner fays, " We have '' an exprefs Charge not to have any thing to do *' with fuch Things" i. e. with human Ceremonies. A like Text he produced before, which I had Occa- fion to obferve, was nothing to his purpofe ; and it is as evident, that the Liberty which Sn. Paul direds the Gaktians to ftand fall in, is the Chriftian Liberty which they had, in Oppofition to the Jewifh Yoke of Bondage -, that vaft Multitude of burthenfome Cere- monies, which were fo ftridly enjoined by the Law * See London Cafes of indifierent Things. [71] of Mofes : It was called Cliriftian Liberty, becaufe the Jews were by the coming of Chrill, freed from thole irkfome Obfervaiices of the Law, and were re- inflated in that Liberty which all Mankind had, be- fore it was rellrained by Mofes. And that this, and this only was St. Paul's Meaning, will appear by ad- ding the two next Verfes, to what this Man hath injudicioufly picked out : Gal. v. i, 2. 3. Stmid faji therefore in the Liberty wherewith Chriji hath made us free^ and be not intangled again with the Toke of Bofi' dage : Behold, I Paul, fay unto you, that if ye be cir- cumcifed, Chriji fhall -profit you nothing ; for I teflify again to every Man that is circumcifed, that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law. "What can be plainer, than that the Apoftle is arguing againft Circumci-^ fion, and the Obfervance of the Ceremonial Law, which Things were abolifhed by the Coming of Chrift ? And what Relation can this polTibly have to the Appointment of fuch human Ceremonies as are enjoined by our Superiors, in Obedience to the Apo- ftles Command, of having the Worfhip of God per- formed with Decency and Order ? He again attacks our Ceremonies in the fourth of his fix curious Reafons, Why Diffenters are not, nor can be guilty of Schifm, &c. Where he produces two Quo- tations fas he fays) from Bilhop Stillingfleet's Irenicum, Concerning which I muft obferve, that in the firfl of them the Bifhop only faith, what St. Paul ex- prelTes otherwife, Ro?n. xiv. 14. where he fays, there is nothing unclean of itfelf\ but to him that efieemetb any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean : And as to the Second, that thefe are not the Words of Bi- fhop Stillingfleet % but if they were, it is very unfair to produce them as fuch, becaufe the Bifhop hath apologized for that Book, by faying, that it was written when he was very young ; and in the Preface to his Unreafonabknefs of Separation, he effeflually prevents an ingenuous Man from making Ufe of an^'- Expreflion iiji that Book, in Defence of the Separa tion* [ 7^ ] tion. As to the Reafoner^s Remarks upon the forged Words of Bifhop StilUngJket^ they contain fome of the vileft Slander that I have feen : For it is not fo much as pretended, that there is any Holinefs in our Garments, and there is no Diredion in our Liturgy, for the officiating Minifter to turn with his Face either to the Eaft or Weft, as a Kebla^ or Point of Worfliip. And as to his ridiculous and trifling Diftinction between Praying and Singing, I would only afk the Man this Qaeftion : Whether when he fings the 51ft Pfalm in Metre, he afks Mercy of God, or gives him Thanks for it ? Now if any Perfon who hath been deceived and mifguided by the Plain Reafons, fhall after cool Re- fledlion upon what hath been faid, be perfwaded that he hath not a juft Reafon for Separating from our Communion ; let him be alTured, if he continueth to feparate from us, his Separation is finful, and he muft one Day anfwer for the Crime ; the A6t of Toleration, or any thing therein contained notwith- ftanding. For if Schifm be a Sin by the Law of God ; not all the human Laws upon Earth can make that no Stn, which God hath made lb : And all the Inten- tion of the A61, commonly called the Adt of Tolera- tion, (for the Word Toleration is not in it) is to re- lieve D^ffenters from fome Temporal Punifhments, which by fome other A6ts of Parliament they were before fubjed to •, but as to the Sinfulnefs of the Separation, it did not pretend to meddle with that ; and it would have been higlily ridiculous (I might call it worfe) if it had 5 it is not a Temporal Judg- ment Seat, but the other ; the great Tribunal in the next World, before which we Hiall be judged, for this, amongft other Sms, fo declared in God's holy Word : And he muft be unworthy the Name of a Cariftian, who can think an Aft of Parliament car> exempt him from the Sentence of that : By this the Rcajonet [ 73 ] Reafiner lliews' his great Skill in Divinity ; as he dotb; further in the next Page, where he hath the Sagacity to difcover, that the prefent Corruptions of the Church of Rome are as old as the Apoftles Time, from its being faid, 2 TheJlJ. ii. 7. The Mifiery of Ini- quity doth already work. But I will forbear, and not be tempted to follow this Author any further ; fince, as I faid, every thing material in his third Part hath already been confi- dered, and this little Piece is already fwelled to a larger Size, than I at firft intended it fhould. There is abundance of ill Language thrown out upon the Clergy in the few Pages that are left, and fuch Language they muft ever expe(51; from fuch a Writer : It has been well faid, that the Clergy would want one of the Badges of Honoul: belonging to their Office, were they not thus reproachfully ufed : It is Part of the State which belongs to the true Mi- nifters of the Gofpel, to be followed by fome, who by their virulent Speeches are fo far their Friends, as' to free them from the Curfe which our Saviour pro-, nounceth, JP'o he unto you when all Menfpeak well of you,, Stillingfleet. Finally, I entreat the Reader, if he be a DifTenter,^ or is the leaft inclined to feparate from the Church of England, attentively to read, and deliberately to confider, what I fhall now fay to him in few Words,^ concerning the Nature and Sinfulnefs of Schifm ; and that I may be the better underftood, and the thing fet in a clear Method, I will prove thefe fburThings : 1. That the Chriflian Church, or the Church of Ghrift, throughout the World, is but one Society or one Body, of which Jefus Chrift is the Head. 2. That every one who is a Member of that one Society, the Chriftian Church, is made fo by Baptifm. 3. That every Member of that one Society, is bound to do all he can to preferve the Peace and Unity of it. And therefore K 4. That [ 74 J 4. That it is very finful to make Divifions in it, and to break the Peace of it. And in doing this, I will not follow the Example of the Plain Reafoner ; I will not bringTexts of Scrip- ture quite foreign to the Matter 1 am upon ; nor will I torture and pervert the Meaning of thofe I do br.ng ; nor will I take Advantage of the Sound of a Word, or the accidental Ufe of it in the Englifh Tranflation ; nor pick out a Scrap of a Sentence which fhall fpeak differently from the whole of it : Bat I will fhew you all this by clear and plain Texts ol Scripture, eafy to be underftood, and fuch as every unlearned Reader may fee, by turning to his Bible, have not another Meaning there different from that which I here give them -, but that they do really re- late to the very Thing which I produce them for ; fo that your own Eyes, and your own Reafon may convince you, that what I fay is 'Truth. Ftrji, I am to prove, that the Chriftian Church, or the Church of Chrift, throughout the World, is but one Society, or one Body, of which Jefus Chriji is the Head. Our Lord Jefus Chrifi faid to one of his Apoftles, Matt. xvi. 18. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my Church \ accordingly when the Holy Ghoft came down upon the Apoftles at Jerufalem^ the fame Apoftle Reter preached unto the People, and the fame Day were added to the Number of Chrifii- ans there (which we were told before, -(4^j i. 15. were about a Hundred and Tzvetity) about three thouf and Souls ^ A^s ii. 41. and v. 47. The Lord added to the Church daily fuch as fhould be faved. At another Sermon of the fame Apoftle Peter*^, five thoufand more believed^ A^s iv. 4. And after this we read, A5ls vi. 7. The "Number of Difciplcs multiplied greatly in Jerufalem % and all thefe Multitudes are called, ASis viii. i. The Church which was at Jerufalem; z.vAAEisY. 11. it is faid. Fear came on all the Church. After this the Apoftk^ difperfed themfelves, and converted great Multitudes [75 ] Multitudes, in the Region round about, and in many Places flir diflant from J erufakm ; and tho* the Num- ber of Ciirifiiians in every great City was, for Di- ftindion fake, called the Church of that City -, (and fo we read of the Church of Anttoch^ the Cliurch of Ephefiis, the Church of Laodicea, &c.) yet every . new Bc;liever was only added to the former Original Church at Jerufalem^ and all thofe particular Churches were efteemed Members of the one fame Spiritual Society, the Church of Chrifl ; and were united toge- ther by fome Bands of Union common to them all ; and were all confidered only as fo many different Parts or Members of the fame Body ; as you may plainly perceive by thefe Texts following. It is faid of St. Faul^ nay, he fays it of himfelf, I Cor, XV. 9. and Gal. i. 13. T^hat he perfecuted the Church of Gody i. e. all Chriftians in every Place with- out Ditindtion, wherever he found them; fee his Hiftory in the Acts of the Apoftles. iCor, xii. 28. he fays, God hath fet fome in the Churchy i. Apoflks, 1. Teacher Sy &c. and Eph. iii. 10. 21? the Intent that the manifold Wifdom of God might be known in the Churchy and v. 21. unto him [God] be Glory in the Church by Chrift Jefus. And Jefus Chrifi is called the Head of this one Society, in the Texts following : Eph. i. 22, 23, And gave him [Jefus Chrifl] to be the Head over all Things y to the Church which is his Body. Eph. v. 23. Chrifl is the Head of the Church. Col. i. 18. And he is the Head of the Body the Church \ and v. 24. for his Bodfs fakcy which is the Churchy whereof I am 'made a Minifter. I give you but a few Texts out of a great many more which I could produce, but I mufl add one more, Eph. ii. 19, 20, 21. where fpeaking of thofe who are Members of the Church, the Apoftle fays. They are Fellow-Citizens with the Saint Sy and of the Houfhold of Gody and are built upon the Foundation of the Apoflles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himfelf being the Chief Corner S.tone^ in whom jdl the K 2 [76] Building fitly framed together, groweth unto a Holy Temple in the L?rd. Here you fee the Apoftle Paul very fitly likeneth the Church of Chrift, the Body of Chriflians, to a great Building : (perhaps in Allufion to thofe Words of our Lord xo Peter, Matt. xvi. i8.) And you know a great Building confifts of feveral Apartments and Rooms, and every one of thofe Rooms is compofed of feveral Stones, but are all built and framed upon one Foundation ; and fo the Chriftian Church confifts of all particular Churches, and each of thofe of fo many Chriflians, but all to- gether make but one Society, or one Building, founded upon that grand Foundation, than isjhich yio Man can lay any other, Jefus Chrift. And as all Chriftians compofe one Church, as ha- ving one Lord, fo they may be confidered as one Society, inafmuch as they profefs the fame Faith ; Eph. iv. 5. and are Partakers of the fame Sacraments ; for fo the Apoftle argues for Unity, '^here is hut orie Lord, one Faith, oneBaptifm : And as to the other Sa- crament we all eat and drink of it, and thereby our Union appears as the fame Apoftle fpeaks, i Cor. x. 17. J^Ve being many are one Bread and one Body •, for we are all Partakers of that one Bread. And thus Millions and Millions of Perfons, and Churches, howfoever diftinguilhed by Time or Place, are all to be confidered as one Society, and one Church, and do agree with the Defcription of the firft Church at Jerufalera : I mean, fo long as they continue fieadfaflly in the Apoflle^s DoSlrine, and in Fellowjhip, and in break- ing of Bread, and in Prayer. From thefe plain Texts of Scripture thus laid to- gether, any Man of common Senle may perceive, that the Notion advanced by the Reafoner, viz. " That each Church muft confift of no more Mem- " bers than can meet together to Worfhip God in " one Place," is quite different from the Scriptural Notion of the Church, nay, is diredly oppofite to it. And as the Chriftian Church at large is in this man- ' ' ner [ 77 ] ner compofed of all the Chriftian Ckurcher ^through- out the World, all which are joined together and united by thofe common Bands of Union before- mentioned, in which they all agree -, fo no particular Church is to be confidered as diftind from the Church of Chrift in general, any otherwife than as it is dif- tiiiguifhed by its Government under one particular Head, or Bilhop : It is in this fenfe that we fpeak of the Church of London, the Church of Rochejier, the Church of Norwich, &c. and each of thefe may if you pleafe be called Parts of the Church of Canterbury, becaufe each of the Bifhops of thofe Churches, are in fome particulars fubjedl to the Bifhop of Canter- lury as their Metropolitan. Now as the Church of Canterbury may be faid to confift of every particular Diocefe under the Jurifdic- tion of the Archbifhop, fo every one of thofe Divi- fions confifts of all the particular Parilhes under the Jurifdidlion of their refpeftive Bifhops ; and if any Perfon is admitted a Member of the Church in any one Part of it, he thereby becomes related to the whole ; and is to be confidered, firlt, as a Member of the Parifh in which he lives, then of the Diocefe in which that Parifh is, i^c. and fo of the Chriftian Church in general, or the Catholick Church : This leads me naturally to the fecond Thing, namely, 2. To fhewyou, that every one who is a Member of that one Society, the Chriftian Church, is made fo by Baptifm. And as one or two plain Texts are as good or bet- ter than five hundred which are lefs pertinent, I will give you only thefe : i Cor. xii. 12, 13. For as the Body is one and hath inany Members, and all the Mem- bers of that one Body, being many, are one Body, fo alfo is Chrifi : For by cne Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free. The grand CommifTion given to the Apoftles, Matt, x^^viii. 19. was, to make Uifciples of d] Nations hy baptizing them -, and agreeably to this St. Paul [78 ] St. Paul declares. Gal. iii. 27. yls many as have heert baptized into Chriji^ have put on Chrifi ; there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free^ there is neither Male nor Female^ for ye are all one in Chrift Jelus. All which Places do plainly fliew, that the Inftrument whereby we are made Members of the Chriilian Church, is Baptifm. 'Thirdly tiien, I am to produce fome plain Texts of Scripture, in which it will appear, that every Member of the Chriftian Church, that one Society into which he was admitted at Baptifm, is bound to do all he can to prefcrve the Peace and Unity of it. Our Lord himfelf commanded his Difciples, Mark IX. 50. To have Peace one tvith another, ^t. Paul fays, Thejjal. i Rp. v. 13. Be at Peace among yourfelves% and 2 Cor. xiii. 11. Be of one Mind, live in Peace, and the God of Peace fhall be with you. Eph. iv. 3. He bids them keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond cf Peace. And I beg you would obferve with what Tendernefs and Concern the Apoftle applieth to the Philippians, c. ii, r, 2, If there be any Cmfolation in Chrifi, if any Comfort of hove, if any Fellowjhip of the spirit, if any Bowels and Mercies, fulfil ye my Joy, that ye be likeminded^ being of one accord, and of one Mind, i. e. as wfe fay, unanimous. Now if any Pcrfon withdraws from the Commu- nion and publick Service of the Church, and fets up another Method of Worfhip, and joins himfelf to other Societies under another Government, and in Oppofition to that in which he Lveth, how can he be fi*id to have regard to the Apoftles Directions .? On the contrary, be allured, that if any Perfon doth fo, upon any other Account than this •, namely, be- caufe the Church from which he feparates requirech fomething ftnful, as a Condition of her Communion ; then fuch Separation is finful, it is caufelefs, and he who fo feparates is guilty of Schifm -, and you will allow he cannot be well guilty of a greater Sin, if [ 79 1 you believe the Scriptures, and ferioufly confider thofe Paflages which follow, in which I will fliew Fourthlyy That it is very fmful to make Divifions in the Church, and thereby to break the Peace of it. The Sinfulnefs of this Practice might be gathered from many Texts which have been already produced ; and will eafily appear by confidering, that it is a diredt Tranfgreflion of thefe Commands, iPet.m. 8. Be ye all of one Mind, and 2 Cor. xiii. ii. Be of one Mindy Live in Peace : St. Paul mentions the Divifions of the Corinthians, as a Proof of their being Carnal, 1 Cor. iii. 3. For whereas there is among you Envying.^ Strife, and Divifions, are ye not Carnal ? And i Cor^ xii. he argues from our being one Body, one Society of which Jefus Chrifi is the Head, we fhould con- fider ourfelves as Fellow-members, and that there fhould be no Schifm, or Divifions in the Body. And, I befeech you to obferve, amongft what foul Crimes he ranks. Variance, Seditions, and Herefies, Gal. V. 1 9, 20, 2 1 . The JVorh ^f the Flefh are manifefi^ which are thefe. Adultery, Fornication, Uncleannefs, Lap civioufnefs. Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, E* mulations, PVrath, Strife, Seditions^ Herefies, Envying^ Murders, Drunkennefs, Revellings, and fuch like ; of all which he declares that they who do fuch things fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God. And Rom. xvi. 17. he fays, I befeech you Brethern^ mark them which eaufe Divifions and Offences, contrary to the DoEtrine which you have learned, and avoid them ; for they that are fuch, ferve not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own Belly -, and by good Words and fair Speeches, deceive the Hearts of the Simple. From what has been faid, I think, two things are evident. Firfi, If in Matters required of us not finful, we do not obey our Superiors when lawfully command- ed, by difobeying thofe human Laws, we hkewife dilobey the Law of God. So that the Reafoner^ p. 23. need not have thought it llrange it Ibould be fo dan- gerous [ 8o] g€rous to break the Laws of Man ; fince by breaking- fucb human Laws, he breaketh the Laws of God. Secondly^ It is evident that in a Rehgious View, to talk of a peaceable Separation, is to talk dired Non- fenfe, it is a Contradidlion in Terms : For how can there be Peace in any Society where continual Dif- putes are carrying on, and Animohties are perpetually fomented by reafon of the Separation ? The Peace of the Church of Chrift, muft confift in the mutual Harmony and Agreement which Ihould be among all its Members ; and fo long as all the Members of any Church walk by the fame Rule, and mind the fame Thing ; fo long as they all obferve the fame Laws, and fubmit to the fame Difcipline ; fo long is the Peace of that Society preferved : But if one faith I am of 'Paid^ and another I am of Apollos^ and a third I am of Cephas, and fo on ; if there be DlfTentions, Difagreements, and Divifions in it, furely, altho' there be no body kill'd, yet the Peace of that Church is broken. If I know the meaning of it, the Englilli of the Word D-ffention, is Difagreement : And what Notion can we have of the Peace of any Body of Men, where the Members who compofe it do pro- f elTedly difagree ? The Apoftle James fays, c. iii. 1 5„ Where Strife is, there is Confvjion, and how can it poflibly be other wife ? It is faid too, that the ten- der Mercies of the wicked are cruel, in like manner, when I hear a Diffenter Ipeak of the Peaceablenefs of his Separation in a Religious View, I cannot for- bear thinking the Peace of the Diffenters is contrary to that of all other Men, it is deadly and deitruc- iiYz ; when a Church is divided in itfelf, it can no more ftand, than a Houfe or a Kingdom can ; the Reafon of which proverbial Maxim is founded upon this. That in every Society which is formed and compacted by mutual Agreement, the lead Dilfen- tion or Difagreement in that Society, doth cercainly and naturally tend towards the Ruin and DilTolution of it. Therefore [8i] therefore when you are told that your withdraw- ing yourfelves from our Communion, and joining yourielves to other Societies, fet up in Oppofition to the Church of England, is a peaceable Separation^ you are impofed upon, and are deceived by a falla- ■ €ious Ufe of the Word Peaceable •, for you muft be . fcnfible, that to feparate from a Society, and to fet up another againft it, muft be the moft effeflual way of deftroying its Peace : The DifTenters Separa- tion can in no Senfe be called peaceable, except it be in a civjl onej /. e. becaufe there is no Blood fpilt, and no Bones broken. To conclude allj I befeech you to confider with yourfelf calmly what I have reprefented to you in. this fhort Piece ; read over the Reafons for Diffent-.' ing once more, and examine them one by one, with what is here faid in Anfwer to them : At the End of every one, lay your Hand upon your Heart, and afk your own Confcience ferioufly, whether you do really think that one to be a fufficient Reafon for your withdrawing yourfelf from our Communion \ And if your Confcience fhall anfwer you, that it is not, then be alTuredj that Ten or a Hundred bad and trifling Reafons cannot poflibly make one good one : And if you have no good Reafon for it, then confi- der how dreadful a Thing it is to fall under the Sen- tence which St. Paul pronounces againft thofe who Caufe Divifions, Rom. xvi. 17. to be avoided, or ex- communicated from the Society of all good Men 5 and againft thofe who are guilty of Variance, Strife, Seditions, Hcrefies, Murder, Cs?^. Gal, v. 19.20,21. 'jThat they which do fuch Things Jhall not inherit the Kingd.om of God. The Reafoner in another Piece of his (for I have had Patience to read fome of it) direfts his Congre° gation to diftinguifti between the Subftantials and Circumftantials of Religion ; and I am glad I can agree with him in one thing : Certainly every Man Ihould make that Diftindion who can. but the Ref- L. jmer [82] foner was not aware of the Confequence of it, for if his Congregation was to take him at his Word, and follow his Advice, he muft fhut up his Meeting, or talk to the Walls : Was Religion a little better un- derftood, the Difputes concerning it would not be fo many; Men would not ftumble at Trifles, and quarrel about indifferent Matters, but rather follow stfter the Things which make for Peace : A modeft and good Man would not be fo tenacious of his own private Opinion, but in Matters of fmall Moment, would rather giVe in to the general Senfe of the Church in which he lives, efpecxally if he underftands the 14th Chapter of the Epiftle to the Romans : And I pray God we may all be convinced of this plaia Truth, which is too little attended to and confidered, namely, ^hat the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink, but Rjghteousn£ss and Peace and Jov in the Holy Ghost. POST. [85 ] POSTSCRIPT. r'"B 1 H E Twenty Third Edition of the Plain I Reafons did not come to my Hands, till I A. had finilhed what I thought proper to fay to them, as they appeared in the Twenty Second. I have fince found, by companng thofe two Editions, that there are a few Alterations and Additions made in the Jaft, and tho* they are not very confiderable, I fhall here give an Account of them. Page 10 Inflead of above an hundred and fifty Days^ he fays, a great many Days. Tiiis Alteration feems to difcover a Confcioufnefs that his former Charge of above an hundred and fifty Days was ftretched a little too far. Page I y. In the third Objedion to us upon Ac- count of the Lord's Supper, he complains, that Per» fons are allowed to come to that Holy Ordinance not for the Profit of their Souls, which the Reader will perceive is abfolutely falfe ; for in the Exhortation mentioned, p. 4.5. we alv/ays fet before our Communi*- cants the great Danger of unworthy receiving, and we always infift upon theQaalifications mentioned, p. 15. and if any Perfon comes without thofe QualificationSj, it is at his own Peril, and He mull anfwer for it, not JVe, who cannot determine with any certainty, and therefore ought not to make ourfelves the Arbitrary- Judges of another Man's Sincerity. Page iS. Inftead of, which is all that they ajk of their Communicants, Edition Twenty-third fays, which is all thufome afk, (^c. But this is as falfe as the other Affertion ; for I have proved that we yf// afk much more of our Communicants : However, this is a, tacit Confeffion, that his former general Charge was wrong, h 2 i^ge Page 20. He adds, Irenaus who lived in the Second Century^ calls their Bijhopricks Pari/hes ; and fo they are called many hundred 'Times in EufebiusV Church Hiftory, Who told him this I know not ; certain it is, he has read neither of them : If he had read Irenaus he could not have faid what he did before of him -, and he who can affirm, that Juftin Martyr^ Polycarp^ Ire- itieus, and Cyprian, wrote about Alhanafms, cannot have read Eufebius^s, or indeed any other Hxftory which relates the Affairs of the Church in thofe Times. Bat I do not think he had it from the liime Perfon who fupplied hirn with the other Informa- tions about the Primitive Church, becaufe Part of it at leaft happens to be true : I will agree with him, that Eujebius doth call them Parifies feveral Times, but tho' this is what may impofe upon an unwary Englijh Reader, it will do his Caufe no Service, when it is properly confidered. I readily grant that a Bi- shop's Diocefe, was frequently called his Parijh, for the firfl three or four hundred Years. But that Word did not then fignify the Houfes or Fields near a Church, but the Towns and Villages in the neigh- bourhood of a City -, which Towns and Villages, to- gether with the City itfelf, contained the Bounds of the Bifhop's ordinary Jurifdidlion, and were all toge- ther called his Parijh, or as we now call it his Di- ocefe *. And thus, if the Reafoner pleafes, (for I would not difpute about Words) he may call the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and Part of the County of Cambridge, with the City and County of Norixyich, the Parijh of the Bifliop of Norixjieh. That the Word really had this Senfc at the Time I am fpeaking of, may be evident from hence : That the largefl: Diocefes of all, luch as Rome, and Antioch, nay, and Alexandria, were called Pariilies, and that by the very Writer he mentions ; if he had ever cafl his Eyes on Eujebius'^ Hiltory, he would have fccn * See Jiinghami Antiquities, 1. g. c. 2. in \ [S5] in the very firft Page of him, that he there propofes to give an Account of the Bilhops in the moft fa- mous Parijhes : And we cannot miftake his Mean- ing here, becaufe we fee in the Profecution of this Work, he gives us the Succefllon of the B.lliops in the D.ocefes of Rome, and Antioch, and Alexandria *. I have already fhewed from Mr. Bingham, that the Diocefe of Alexandria, at the Time of Alexander and A.hanqfius, was of large Extent, (fee />. 53.) there were a great many Cliurches in the City itfelf, in each of which there was a Prefbyter, and yet all that large Diocefe was called by Alexander the Blfhop of it, his Farij}} -f. And 'Stt. Aufiin, in his Letter to a Bifhop of Rome tells him the Town of Fujfala was forty Miles diftant from Hippo ; hut that the 'Town and the Country about it did belong to the Parijh of the Church of Hippo |1. The Truth is, the Words Parifi) and Diocefe were anciently ufed promifcuoufly to fignify the fame Thing, The Diftridl over which a Bilhop did exercife Jurifdiftion ; as I could fhew from many other Inftances if it was necelTary : But from what has been now faid, nothing can be plainer, * See EufehA. i. c. i. and I. 3. c. 21. and feveral other Places in that Hiftory ; the Reafoner fays Eufchius calls Bijhopricks Pa- rijhes many hundred limes, bat I fuppofe the Perfon that informed him, might be led into that by his Ignorance of the Latin, in Falejius^ Note upon the Paffage referr'd to in the firft Page of Bufebius : Valejius there obferves, that fometimes the Word Pa- rochia is taken in a larger Senfe, for a whole Diocefe, ut apud Eufebium fexcentis in Locis occurrit, which he learnedly tranflated, many hundred Times, not knowing what almoft any School Boy could have told him, that according to the Latin Idiom, when it is f;iid a Word occurs in ilx hundred Places it doth not mean that the Word is really to be found exaftly fo many Times, but an in- determined Number, that is as we fay a Thoufand Times, or a great many Times. f See his Letter in Socrates''^ Hiftory, 1, i. c. 6, II Fuftala dicitur Hipponenli Territorio confine Caftellum, an- tea ibi nunquara Epifcopus fuit, fed fimul cum contigua fub re- glone ad Paraciain Hipponenfis Ecclefis pertinebat. Sed ab i-Jippone memoratum Caftellum millibus quadraginta fejungitur. Anguftine's Ep. 262. ad Cceleftinuni. Edit. Lugd. than [86] tlian that the calh'ng of a D'ocefe by the Name of a Fariflo^ doth by no means confine it to a fingle Con- gregation, as the Reafoner would falfely infinuate. He adds further, " And Jujiin Martyr^ who liv'd " in the fame Century'* z. e. with Irenaus, but not with Eufebius^ (I hope) faith, " on the Lord's Day " all the Church affemblcd in one Place, where the " BiOiop preaches, for where the Pallor is> there " the Flock muft be." Il muft be granted, that I had need be endued with a moderate Share of Patience to go through mt\\ what I have undertaken, as the Reader will per- ceive from this Qaotation : It is one which the Rea- finer feems to be excremely pleafed with, for he quntes it no lefs than three feverai Times, in this Lttic Pamphlet, p. 6. 20. and '^J *. Bat if upon Examination it appears, J. That this Writer has joined together two Pieces of Sentences from two different Authors, and put them ol!^ fo joined together as the Words of one of them : and 2. Tiiac he mifreprefents the Senfe and the Words of both of them : Then I think it will be pretty clear, that this Quotation can do no Service to the Cauie which it is brought to fjpport, and that the Rcafincr muft lie under a ftrong Imputation, either of a want of Knowledge, or a want of Honefty for thus producing it. I. That ;h:s Writer has joined together two Pieces of Sentences from t\vo different Authors, and put them oil, fo joined together, as the Words of one of them, will be proved by a Blunder of his own. Indeed I fliould not have knov^'n what to have made of the Paflage as it ftaiids in the Plain Reafons^ if he had not betrayed hi.-nfclf, p. 37. where he * B'Jt leift the Reader (ho-ald think it rlic i';nr,e, the Lift Time he qoDttb it, he pats P. Mor. indead of J. Mar. That this i? no iViifcike of the Printer?, but ir^ doPc with DcHgn, appcsir. frorti hence, that it ftands fo vn. nil the Editions I have fcen» 'vl^. the igth, tlie 2zd, and 23d. quotcp [87] quotes P. Mar, Apol. ^or the firft Part of the Sen- tence, and Epifi. ad Philadelphy for the latter Part of it i and if it had been fo, it would have been a ftrange and unjuftifiable way of reprefenting the Words of an Author, to take two different Sentences from two different Books of his, and to give them his Reader as one and the fame Sentence : Bat the Cafe is far worle, for it happens (unluckily for our Reafoner) that Jufiin wrote no Epiftle to the Pbila- delphians^ it was another Man, one Ignatius the B> fhop of Antioch, who hath left us an Epiftle which be wrote to them ; and in that, there are fome Words a little like thefe which the Reafoner gives us ; that is, they look a little like them in Snape^ but as I will fhew prefently are very different in Meaning. Now to take a Scrap of a Sentence from JgnatiuSy and join it to a Piece of a Sentence of Juf- tin's, and to put the whole off for his, is fo great a Crime in Writing, that I want a Name for it. But what will make the Thing ftill blacker (if pof* fible) is that which I am now to lliew, viz. 2. That he has mjfreprefented the Senfe of both thefe Authors, that this may be the clearer I will firft confider the Words of Jtfftin Martyr^ and then thofe of Ignatius, Juftin fays, On the Day called Sunday, all throughout Cities and Countries ajjemhk together, and the Writings of the Apoftles and Prophets are read', after that, when the Reader has done, he who prefides [in the AJ/emMy] ifz a Sermon, injiru£fs and exhorts the People, &c. * The Queftion here is whether he truly reprefents the Senfe of this Paffage or I, and the firft Diffe- rence is as to thofe Words, whether they fignify their meeting in one Place^ or only in General their meeting yiyayx.%^. Eitsc, ■syuuaix.^ii ^ d'jA-/\vvcrxovT(^, o ■z^^iru? oia 'K'jyH. Mart. Apol. X. Edit. Thirl, p. 97, together [ 88 ] together, tho' in different Places, and in different Companies : Juft as we might fay, the Members of the Church of England whether they refide in Cities or Villages, meet together every Sunday for the Worfh.p of God. Here I muft obferve, that this Phrafe doth not of itfelf fignify in one Place, and fhould not bs fo ren- dered •, except the Senfe of the Author doth neceffa- rily confine its meaning : In many Places which I could produce it cannot have that Senfe, and there are feveral fuch Inftances in Scripture, of which any Man may judge. A^s ii. 24. All that believed were together. Upon which Lightfoot pbferves, this Phrafe is ufed in a different Senfcj by the LXX Inter-^ preters, and fometimes betokeneth Mens knitting together, though in feveral Companies ; And in this Senfe is the Word to be underilood in this Story : For fays he, it is paji all hnagination or conceivings that all thofe thoufands of Believers that were now in Jeru- falem, Jhould keep all of one Company and Knot : For what Hoiife would hold them ? But they kept in feveral Companies^ according as their Languages^ NationSy or other References did knit them together. And this joining together^ becattfe it was apart from thofe that believed not ', and becauje it was in the fame Proffjion and Pra5fice of the Duties of Religion^ therefore it is faid to be icr) TO cwro tho* it were in feveral Companies and Congregations *. Pfalm xlix. i, 2. Give ear^ all ye Inhabitants of tha World ', both low and high^ rich and poor together. Even the Reajoner cannot fuppofe all the Inhabi- tants of the World in one Place. It is tranilated the fame, A5}s iii. i. Peter and John went up together into the temple ; fo again, A^s IV. 26. The Kings of the Earth flood i(p^ and the Rulers zvere gathered together. But Herod and Pontius Pi- late, with the Gentiks and the People of Ifrael [fee V. ly] were not gathered together m one Place. * See Lightfoot upon the Place. and [8?] It appears then that thefe Words do not always fignify in one Place : In thefe Places it is plain they cannot : And it is as plain they cannot in that Paflage of Jujlin^s, which I am confidering : For how can it be conceived that all Chriftians, throughout Cities and Countries, Jfhould affemble in one Place * ? And, by the Way, I mull here obferve, that they do not neceflarily fignify in one Pkce, even in i Cor. xi. 20. The next Difference is as to the Word s»-gj£r«V whe- ther it mufl neceffarily be tranflated Bifhop. Juftin, in that Apology, is giving the Roman Em- peror and Senate, and all the Heathens^ a general Account of the Chi'illian Faith and Practice ; and among other Things, he gives a general Account of their Worfhip : And as he is fpeaking to Heathens^ who were not acquainted with the different Orders of Bilhops and Priefls, he here ufes neither of thofe Words, but a general one which may be applied to either of them ; and fays, the Sermon was fpoken by him who prejided in the Affembly -}". I allow that among the Ancient Writers, by this Word they frequently and commonly do mean the Bifhop : But yet I prefume it is not neceffary that they always fhould : For tho* in the Primitive Church the Bifhop always preached when he was prefent, and for fome time it was unufual for a Priefl to preach before a Bifhop ; yet in the Abfence of the Bifhop, a Priefl prefided in the Congregation, and then He preached, agreeably tojuftin's Account. But if Jujiin had faid ftriclly, that in every Affembly of Chrilli- * See the Original Draught of the Primitive Church, ^c. p. 44. 53. And I muft in Compaffion to the Reafoner acquaint him, that 7he Enquiry info the Conjlitution, &c. of the Primiti've Church, is a Book not to be depended upon, it will lead him into many a Scrape ; and it may be of Ufe to him to take this Hint, that if at any Time he fhould be tempted to take any Thing from thence, he fhould not fend it to the Prefs, before he has ferioufly confidered what the very Learned Author of the Original Draught ^c. has faid in Anfwer to it. f £e? the Author juft now referred to. M ans C 90 ] ans a Bifiop always preached ; or if he had faid, that 2.PrieJi always preached ; his Account would not have" been exaftly true : And probably this might be the Reafon why he ufed that Word, which might be applied either to a Billiop or a Prieft. But, to carry this a little further, it may be con- fidered, that in the Language of Antiquity, a Bilhop may be faid to Preach by his Prefbyters. Of this \ttlgnalius be judge, who fays, (Ep. adSmyr. Se5i. ^.) Let no one do any Thing in the Church without the Bi~ /hop ; but immediately adds. Let that Euchariji he ef~ teemed to he valid^ which is performed hy the Bijhop^ €r hy one whom he flmll authorife. What was done then by a Perfon appointed by the Bifhop, was judged by Ignatius to be done by himfelf, i. e. by his Authority. And in this Senfc the Bifhop may be faid to preach in every Parifli in his Diocefe, that is, by his Priefts and Deacons, commiffioned by him for that Purpofc. Let all tills be confidered, and then \(tt any Man judge whether Jujlin\ Words are as the Reafoner reprefents them, and whether they fpeak againft Epifcopacy. The Quotadon from Ignatius will take lefs Time ; for in his Epiflle to the Philadelphians^ after recom- mending to them, (in the Preface) Union with their Bifhop, and the Priefts and Deacons which were with him •, in the Body of the Epiftle he exhorts them thus : As Children of the Light and the Truths avoid Separation^ and Evil Do^rines : But where the Shepherd is, there, like Sheep, do you follow *. I will only aiTure him that this is a juft TranQation, and then leave the Pvcader to compare it with the Reafoner's : And upon the whole, I humbly conceive that no Argument can be drawn from hence againft the Order of Bijhops ; tho' this very Sentence will * TiKix yv (pwTO-;, xm dXyfynncz, (^■djys'leT fAS£.'.7-/ACi', xj ra? xaxoct- oK(7K%'K\a^' "!ts 5 'ZS'oi^Jw' fj-ii', c-Jtri «j 'Zu^i^x'jx a^ioPisfiwre. Ignat. ad Philadclph. p. 26. furnifh [91 ] furnifli us with one againft Separation : And I could produce feveral other Paflages from the fameEpiftle, to fupport theDiftindlion between Bijbops znd Przejis : But of this enough hath been faid before. The Rea- finer is the lefs excufable for quoting Ignatius falfely, becaufe he might have confulted Archbifhop lake's Engltjh Tranjlation, who renders the Paflage thus : Wherefore^ as becomes the Children both of the Light and of Truths flee Divifions andfalfe DoElrines : But when your Shepherd is^ there do ye^ as Sheep^ follow after. Any one may fee that this Tranflation is the lame in Senfe with mine ; only I have endeavour'd to keep rather more clofely to the Letter of the Original. I am inclined to think, if the Reafoner had read this Epiftle, he would not have quoted it, for by doing fo, he puts his Reader upon examining into it, if he be capable ; and as the genuine Epiftle is but a fhorc one, he may be tempted to read it through ; by do- ing which, he will find the Diftinction between Bi- Ihops, Priefts, and Deacons, fo often repeated, that I would advife our Reafoner^ (if he has his Caufe at Heart) never to refer to this Epiftle again. FINIS. REMARKS O N A PAMPHLET Intitled A Vindication of the Principles and Pra&ice of Protejtant DijfenterSy Sec. 'c/ By the Author of the Short Anfwer to |he Plain Reafons for DifTenting, ^c. D^£.v.T?i(2.ncA(roi Cc?\nnmc('J LONDON: Printed forC. Davis, againft Gray*S'ln)u HoJbourn\ M. Cooper, in Pater-Nofter Row, and W. Craich- TON, at Ipfixiicb, Mdccxlix, A T H E PREFACE. THE following Papers, when taken by them^ feheSy amount to no more than ivhat they are piled in the "Title, REMARKS on the Book that cccafion' d them : But, ifis;hatisherejaid, be con^ fider'd, with 'what J have advanced in The Short Anfwer to the Plain Reafons, &c. // may ferve as a fufficient Anfwer to all the material Points that are urged againji the Church of England in that Book. As th^ Short Anfwer is already in many Hands y it was thought more proper to refer to that^ than to repeat in this Pamphlet what was there faid', and for the Benefit of thoje who have it not, a fecond Edition of it is now puhlifticd, and may he had where this is fold. When firft I heard of this Vindication, I was the more dejirous of feeing it, becaufe I did expeB that the Author would attempt to vindicate the Pradice of the DilTenters in all thofe Points that the Reverend Mr. White had particularly Gbjeded to them : But in this J was wholly difappointed... And truly, the Book is fo far fro?n being, what the Title pretends, a Vindication of the Principles and Pradicc of Proteftant DifTenters, that the jiuthor would have kept tnuch nearer to the Rules of Truth and Modefty, if he had continued the Title- that was firft intended, which, as appears from the firft Page, and the running Title, was. The Prin- ciples of Proteftant DifTenters explain'd, or^ The Pro- The PREFACE. Proteftant DifTenters Catechifm. Iivas, Iconfefs^ a little chagrined at my Difappointment^ and wijh d for my Money again ; nor can I to this Moment perjkvade myfelf^ that my Expe5iation ivas in the leaft unreafonabk: For^ if the DijfentingChurchei are liable to the fame, or the like ObjeBiom that the Church o/*England /i; and, if the fame Reafons that the Dtff'enten have hitherto alledg'd to jujlify their Reparation from ZJjr, do hold equally ilrong againjl thofe Societies ivith which they ajfociate^ (as Mr. White's Letters do fully Jhew -J then. He who would vindicate the pre/ent Pradlice of the Dif- Jenters, mujl feek for fome other Reajbns, be/ides thofe they have already given, or his Vindication will prove, like this, mijerably lame, infufficient^ and iTicffeBuaL This is fo evident and plain d Points that every fenfible Man muji Jee the Force of it. And therefore, if this Writer fiould think proper to vindicate his Vindication, 1 muJl entreat kirn to explain himj elf fully on that Head, And if his "Defence fmild be written without Acrimony and Virulence, without railing LivcBives, injurious PefleSiions, falfe or fallacious hipmations, and all thofe other Artifices which are not wanted in Sup- port of Reajon and Truth, but are often ufed by crafty Men, to blind, miftcad, or prejudice the Minds of the Vulgar, then, I doubt not, but the Writers of our Church will either acquiefce, or give his Defence a Juitable Anfwer, with as much Can- dour, Temper, and Civility, as any fair and generous Advcrfary can dejire. RE- R E M A K S On a Late VINDICATION, ^c. \ HE Sbori Anfwer to the plain Reaforn for dijfenting^ &c. was fiffi: publifhed in the Year 1740 : And I cannot learn that there hath been any new Edition of the Plain Reafons, fince that mention'dP* in the Poftfcript. But that the Zeal for the Separation may not abate for want of fuch ufe- ful and in(iru^ive Books, the Pubhck have lately been favoured with a Vindication of the Principles and Pra^ice ■of Proteftant Dijfenters, ^c. This Book is profefledly .publifhed with the like Intent, that the plain Reafons were, and, probably, may be defigned to fttcceed in the Room of them. The Stile of this Author is not fo low and vulgar as the Reafonefs\ but his Lan- guage is by no means lefs virulent and abufive. The Title-Page does not fay who or what the Author is, but from the Bookfeller's Advcrtifement at the End of the Preface, we may colleft that He is a Teacher in fome feparate Congregation ; this is the moft that I know of him, with which I am well enough con- tent; becaufe, as I am entirely a Stranger to his Perfipn, his Charafter, and his Writings, I can make no perfonal Refleilions, which in all Controverfies iho'uld carefully be avoided. The main ObjedioHs A of to,' of this Gentleman to tlie Church of Knghni^ are no .better than th.ofe. ,that , the i?/<3i;z-y^t"«^««?sJia4*^men- ^tion*d; and therefore,! fhould have taken rno Notice of his Book, were it not for ^thegenefal' Invitation .that He hath .given iru/-^(? Pr^/^i<:^ to it, ' Fromfucha Writer as the Reafmer, Silerice fpr.,the'kiture was the hioft that onpjco.ujd faid^ |iop^ for v^ but, it feems,- "from this Gentleman^ more may be expeded. He has th^re given his ]A^ord, that ''•- if any Fa6ts are wrong ** flated, any falfe Principles, aficjted^jiny weak or ** inconclufive Reafonings built upon right Principles^ " or, if any Charges are unfairly brought againft the " eftablifhed Church and Worfhip^ the Author ftands '' open to Convidlion, and thereupon Avillr-eadilyre- " traft them: For He is far from being difpofed to *' widen the Breach^ or chenih.A.nlmorities»_between '* what is cjlled the national Chvwch and the DjJ/enten" A Gentleman of this candid and ingenuous Difpofi- .tion, and withal fo peaceably inehned, cannot be ■offended with any Man for making a fezv Remarks upon his Performance: And tho' I am not fo fanguine :as to hope that I may be able ta convince hivj ot the .'Unreafonabknefs of his Separation- V it is poflible I jnay have better Suecefs with fome of his Readers: And I think, m ibme Particulars^ i7(? mufi be conftrained fo confefsy that I have fome Right to clairh the Per- formance of the befo're-men-tion'd Promife :- A'pxl if lean point oat any wrong Fa^Sy falfe Principles-^ weak fyr inconclufi've Reafonings^ ot^^ unfair Charges againii "what is called the National- Churchy then- 1 have fprt|^ Rt^afon to expeft he will retradt them. ^ '" ' J i. Encourag*d, therefore, by the Paffage before quoted-, I the more chearfully fet «boat this difagreeabk Bufi- nefs; and as my firfl: Concern- is, thiefiy, 'with the Author himfclf, I will beg Leave to-- apply ' myfelf directly to him^ afibring h>m that I do this for n6 other Rcafon, than becaufe I think it will take up lef$ Room, if I fpeak to him in thi fecond F^ri^on. / ^ Before Before f 'COmte'' t^'-Piirticiilars, perrrtrf nte^'i/r^'lo ^'^ make a general Obfervati-on or two upon fome Things that I chink blameabk, : and which I judge to be^' Faults that ran through 'the whole of your Book." ,^" /, At your- firft fettiiig out you declare that your Book' ''.t is intended for the Inftru6tion of Children and Youth^ andi in j^/r^ a Performance it becomes ev^ry Man to. be more tlpecially cautious, riot to advance any thing '\^ that- is r\oiftrWly true^ and not to make ufeof any in- ' ' diredl Method to decei've or miflead his Pupils ; becaufe /^^jV cannot difcern between Good and Evil J they C2ia- not be' fuppofed capable of detefting a Falfhood ; they fwallow and believe whatever their Inftruftors teach them J 'and what is learned in their younger Years, will' be apt to make a deep and lafting Impreffion on them. An tnfpired Writer has drreded us, Prov.xx. 6. to Trai'fi up (the" Margin r^^ids, Calechize) a Child in the Wayhefmuldgo^ and, fofthis Rcafon, becaufe whejt he is- eld he_ wilt not [depart from it. This Confideration fhould the rather determine you to perform your Promife, of retrac-lihg whatever upon a Review (hall be fchind to deterVe Ft : For, if by producing any falfe pa^fs:^ • /// grounded Principles, fallacious Reajouings, in^- jurioas Reflexions, dzc. , you fhould perfwade your Pupils to walk^ in the Why wherein they fhould not go^ their^Misfortune will be' the greater, and the more you will have to -anfwer for.' ' ., ., I obferve one very dif>ngenuous Fallacy, that runs' .^ . throughout your Pamphlet. You fpeak of difjenting and being Diffenters 'a.s being equivalent Terms j and 3,s if they both meant feparating or being Separatijlsr From hence your Pupil is taught to believe, that if he fhould diflikc t4ie Ufage of the Church o^ England in any particular, and dijjent, or difagree to her Prac- . tice i^-'4b^t refped, he ought immediately to ^ a jpifjenter^ or ■ turn Separatifi, and forfake our Com* munionj a very fallacious and dangerous Conclufion, For, to' inftance in one of your mdft important Points, the yfe gf the Sign of the Crofs after Baptifm : If any A % Perfoa [4] Perfon fiiould diflent from the Church of England as to this Ufage, /'. e. diflike, difapprove of it, and think it would be better laid afide ; yet, this would by no means juftify him in forfakin^ our Communion, and turning Separatiji, becaufe the ufe of it is upon no Account fjnful in itfelf, and therefore may lawfully and confcientioufly be complied with. In the next Place, I think you deal unfairly with the Children m fpeaking of the Things that you obje6l to the Church of England. For tho' at your firft men- tion of them you Ibmetimes fet out moderately, you afterwards fpeak of them in quite a different Strain. In firft objcding to fome Things you fay indeed, they are far, very far from being agreeable to the Word of God ; fome are far from being fo ; fbme are only not agreeable ; fome you feem to be in Doubt about yourlelf, and fay, they are not very agreeable ; and fome again your Confcience will not permit you to fay fo much as that, and all your Objedion is, they do not appear t© be agreeable : But when you are gotten a few Pages forward, are in a declaiming Fir, and out of Sight of, the Qbjedions as they were at firft fiiarted, tho' you have not proved even what you attempted concerning them, you do not either fail, or fcruple to mention them as Things altogether ^;2/^^/; and your Pupil may be made to think, as I fear you intended he fhould, that thefe, and each one of thefe, I'll warrant you, is a fufficient Reafon to juflify his Separation, A careful Reader will obferve this Behaviour in other Particulars ; as to our Ccrenionics it is very flagrant j for hov/ever you may mince the Matter concerning them in the former Part of your Book, from p. 174, isc. nothing is indiffere72i that relates to the Worfhip ef God, and all our Ceremonies are condemned in the Lump, as abfolutely f.nfuL Your unfair Dealino; under this Plead will lead m£ to another, and that is your grofs Mifappli cation of Scripture -y a Fault that is kfs excufable than all the Jell. To fay nothing of the two other Texts befor^- m?n~ [5] mention'd under this Head, p. 176, 177^ in one of which you do us the honour to apply 2 'Thejj'. xi. 3, 4. to us ; you produce two plain Texts of Scripture to prove, that thai Worfhip (i. e. That particular Mode, that Form and Manner of Chriftian Worfhip, for of this alone you are here fpeaking) which is not pre- fcrihed by God, may be deem'd as forbidden by him. Thefe 2iVt Deut. xii. 32. What thing foever I commani you, ohferve to do it : thou /halt not add thereto, nor di- tninifh from it. So you would make the Child believe that Mofes is fpeaking here of the Modes and Form.s of Chriftian Worfhip, would you ? Or, becaufe the Jews were here forbid to add any of the Idolatrous Rites of their neighbouring Nations to thofe which. Mofes had minutely prefcribed, therefore the Gover- nors of the Chrifiian Church may not afcertain the Time, Place, Habits, Geftures, and other fuch Cir- cumftanccs of the Chrifiian Woriliip as they judge to be proper for it and agreeable to the Scope of God's. Word, where none of thefe Circumftances are at all de- termined. You cannot think this a good Confequence. If this is not to the purpofe let us try the other. Matt. XV. 9. But in vain do they worfhip me, teaching for Do5frines the Cormnandments of Men. ' Our BlefTe^ Saviour had great Reafon to fay this of the Jewifli Scribes and P-harifees, who by their traditionary Doc- trines had in efFeft fet afide the Obligation of the iiftl^ Commandment; As he complains, v. 4,5, 6. And therefore he declar'd they would in vain worfliip^ him, tho' they were never fo fcrupulous and nice about the Ptinflilio's of their Religion, and their legal or traditionary Purifications, mention'd, v. 2. if at the fame time they preferr'd their own Doc- trims to thofe which God had himfelf commanded. But what Relation has this to the Modes of Chrifiian Worfhip ? And how does this prove that that Worfhip, [and e^ery Cireumftance of our Worfnip, for there the bhoe pinches] which is not -prefer il/d by God, fhould be ^eemed as forbidden by him ? You fhould not impofe uporv. uport ^\ithitl, but' l^ew .hiqi'liovt; the Scri,ptures you z?/ quofe do'plainry prpye the tjiing you produce them It was' artfuljy done to tell your Readers in the Pre- face, ' that " if the'FaiiJts in"^ the Conftitution and Of^ jj " fices of thenationalChurch.areireprefented — with, ■'5* ^' more lliarpriefs of Bxprefilon than Ibme may think ■, ** fitting,' fhis-T— proceeds, hot from any Acrimony in, v, " the "Writer, any Refentment, .or tncHnation. to irri- ;» general htX\Q.wz the Doftrine of the Trinity exa(5lly in. the rilanner that the Church of England declares her- felf about it, in her Creeds^ Articles^ ^n^ Liturgy : And ' yet this furnilhes you with one Reafon for their Sepa- . ., ration. I only juft mention this here, hecaufe I mufl fpeakof it again, and I exped your Brethren will dq themfelves juftice and call you p Account for it. If you mifreprefent your own Fellow-I_,abourers in the Caufe oX Separation^ we may well expeft that your Adveffdries will have no Quarter. We defire none, fo long as you keep within the Bounds of Juflice and Tmh« t7] Truth; but I think, I have good Reafon to complain of the Manner in which you fpeak of, ancj rqprcient ' the Churchy and the Clergy of £»^/««V," throughout ypur /Pamphlet. . .. ' ^ TheChild muft be an Ideot, if he does not (^opfider, "that you are not writing a Vindication oi tht P^oieftant ■ Caufe^ in Oppdfition to the Church ' of i^m^'; l^K* ' Vindication of the Protejiant Separatjfts inthn Kingdom^ in Oppofition to the Church olEnglapd from which - they feparate. Tht Church therefore, ancl the C'/d;^^ *-thac yoa inveigh againft, 'dre t\it Church. of England -and the Englijh Clerg;^^ however indire(^Ty'a4id covertly -you may contrive to do it. \The Clergy of the Church I of England have always hz.dfdme Hesitation arnongall "" foreign Proteflants,' and' zyq generally mentioned with fome'Refpe^ by ihcm. But you'afe pleaiecl to repre- -'fent us, p. 3, a$ an ignorant, idk^ 'proud, worldly, un- '^ holy Clergy y' — that have been th$ChurcB^'ygreat,eJi Plague, -It is/true, yblt fay the mo/l' ftoforious Irfiance of this Lordfhip of the Clergy, &c. is P'operj, er the^ Church of 'Rome-, but you leave your Reader,, to look where he ^leafes for the lefs notorious lnfiances\ and do frequent-^ ',1y in other Places intimate to him, that there is but little Difference between that Church and ours ; p. 4, ^or the fake of introducirijg yoxir innumerable Muttitude 'ff deDotrting Locujl's, you wander" away to iKQ Mona-^ 'Series of the Papal Religion, which were altogether foreign to the Matter in hand, and cpuld anfwer no •Other Purpbfe than to alfifl your Readers in forming.a "Very falfe and injurious Comparifoh i and even wit^ Regard to the Inhabitants of thbre Monasteries, thpf 1 am not concet-n'd to fay one Word in their Defence, •I cannot think you judge very charitably, when you brand the whole four Millions, &c. with the heavy Charge of being idle and' vicious Creatures. P. 27, yoyi t^prefent us 'z.s worldly Hypocrites and lazy Drones, whot *joillfuhfcrihe miy^ thing for FrefefYhentdndGain-;--2iVidi ^-^accept the Glory of this JVorld on fBameful Conditions— ^^ many' of whom do not Mi eve the. Articles th^y fiihfcriie [8] '—lyhig to God and the World — who p. 52. play the Feci or a^ the 'Tyrant by either ridiculous or unrighteous Canons^ Articles^ and Decrees. P. 87, as an ignorant^ coldy and lazy Clergy— ^that cannot preach without Homi- lies [tho* you know we do not now publickly ufe them] nor pray without Forms — -and p. 88, as an illite- ■ rate^ lazy^ Ufelefs Clergy. — Were I to produce all the ' Paffages of this Sort, I muft tranferibe a^r/f^/ Part oi your Book ; let thefe fuffice for a Specimen, But not- withftanding this vile Reprelentation of us, J hope the EnglijJj Clergy ought not to be placed in diis defpica- ble and odious View ; no foreign Proteftant would re- prefent us thus \ and I verily believe in the general Opinion even of our Englijh Separatijls, we do not deferve it: Neither is this Treatment confifbent with your own Rule, p. 38. viz. That in bearing Tejlimony againjl our Church-Government, Mm Jhould carefully ' Gvoid cither Wrath or Rudenefs. I cannot. Sir, per- . fwade myfelf to confider theie, and fuch like Paffages, as Inffances either of your Temper or your Civility % and if upon fecond Thoughts you fhould judge them to be at all angry or rude, 1 claim the Benefit of your Prcmife, and expeft that you would foften them. In feveral Places you reprefent the Separatiils as a difirefjed and fuffering Peoplej giving up many worldly Advantages -, and give it as a Reafon why there are hot more Separatifts, becaufe the Preferments and Profits of this World lie on the other Side, &c. But I am per- fwaded that the Truth is in this Point againft you^ and that the Separation could never have been main- tained, // by this Craft Men had not their Gain. The great Sway, and Influence that the Leaders and Ma- nagers of. every feparate Congregation have, aiid I might fay, the Tyranny that they excrcife over the infe- rior Members of it, muft be a confiderable Bait to thole who have any Pride and Ambition in their Temper : And the Interefi and Profit that thereby ac- crues to them, cannot but influence the Practice ot the buftling and intriguing Men amongfi: you. From hence [9] hence it is no rare thing to fee fome Perfons afTuming an Air of Importance, and fbmetimes others apply- ing to them as People of fo7ne Confequence, who, were it not for the Power of the Meetings would hard- ly be diftinguiflied from the meaneft of the Crowd. Again, were we to examine among the Places of Truft and Profit % look into the Offices about the Court, d^wd. in every Branch of the Revenue, the Cuftoms, the Ex- c'lfe, the Fqft-Office, the Land-^ax, the Houfe-Tax, &c. we fhould find that the Separatijis have, in Fa6l, to fpsak moft moderately, to be fure their full Share in Proportion to their Numbers, and much more than their Share in Proportion to their Weight. And even as to the more private Advantages which arife from Mens Employments, let a Man's ProfefTion, Trade, or Art be what it will, the furefl way to have fome certain Bufmefs, is to turn Separatifi; for then he will not fail to have all the Profeffbrs, the Aiders and Abetters of the Schifm for his Cuffcomers. This Policy, which you know is univerfally praflifed hj your People, is of double Advantage to you, it fometimes gains a Pro- felyte, and when he is gained it keeps him tight to you. This is the San5iion that enforces what you C2i\\your Difcipline ; for tho' Excommunication among you is not attended with any legal Inconvenience, a rebellious 2.nd fchifmatical Delinquent would infallibly be punifhed with the Lofs of his Bufinefs ; and this in many Cafes would be a fevere Punifhment. Were PFe of the efla- blifh'd Church to proceed upon the fame narrow Prin- ciples, and confine our Dealings to thofe of our own Communion only, it would be a greater Hardfhip than any that has been infiidled on the Separatijis, greater by far than any of thofe concerning which you declaim fo tragically *■ I fhall take but little Notice of your Hijiory, tho* there are few Articles in it but what deferve Cenfjre : Becaufe I think it altogether foreign to the prefenc * Upon this SabjctSl fee more in the Rev. Mr. Whiter firft Letter to a DiiTenting Gentleman, ^. 7, l^c^ B Difpute ; [10] Difpute •, and I leave it to your own Confcience to confider how far this Hillory is confident with your Declaration, that you are " far from being difpofed " to widen the Breach or cherifll Animofities :" For, "What other purpofe could this be calculated to ferve ? But I muft oblerve that, p. 2. you rdfouate the nineteenth Article of the Church of England^ exa6lly as the Flam Reafmttr had done before. SttJho?'t A:i- fwer^ p. 10. Youafk, p. 7. Whether in the time of Edward VL there were any DiiTenters, ^'c ? And anfwer, " Yes : " Bifhop Hooper ; who refufing to be confecrated iri " the Popifh Habits was imprifoned, and his Life en- "' dangered. Rogers iikewife, Philpot^ Tyms, Bifhop " Latimer, Bifhop Farrar, Dr. Taylor^ Cover dale ^ " Martyr^ Buccr, mofl of whorii were Sufferers in the '' next Reign, and many others, were all of dijjeniing " Principles, and declnr'd* againft the Popifh Habits " and Ceremonies.*' And were all thete DiJJenter:^ 1-. e. Separatifis ? No, that you do not fay ; But they were of di-jjeyiting Principles. So is the Grand Seignior^ and the Emperor of China ; for they difjent from the Church of Rome, and the Church of England too ; and that is more than was true of thofe good Men here mentioned. It is true, Bijhop Hooper did refufe to be confecrated in the Habits then ufed; but in this he was eonderaned by ail thofe who meant well to the Rcfcr- matiofi, particularly by Bitcer and Peter Martyr, two of your Dijjenters, the former of whom thought they finned who refufed to obey the Laws in that particular : And the latter exprefTed himfelf with great Warmth againft Hoopefs Stiffnefs. Bifiop Hooper heartily re- pented of what he had done before he fuffered Mar- tyrdom ; and after all, hischief Objeftion was to the C-oloiir rather than the Habit itfelf -, for at that rime, the Part of th^ Epifcopal Habit to Which the Lawn is fix'd, and which is now Black, was F.ed •, and he thought that too gaudy a Colour for fuch a Veftment. it is faid, that upon bis objei^ing to it, the Colour was chang*(i [II] chang*d to Black ; an Alteration much for the better.. The other Pcribns meiition'd, were all of them deeply concerned in the Reformation, and it is not reafonable to believe that any of them woqld feparate from the Church of England^ if they were now living 5 it is rather certain they 'ujould twL And how doth it ap- pear that they were of djfentijig Principles ? Why, they declar'd againft the PopiJJj Habits and Ceremonies, Very true; and fo do the Clergy of our Church at thi^ Day : And therefore, as They and PFe are of the fame Opinion as to thefe Matters, we pray that, by your good Leave, we may be admitted into the fame vene- rable Company. P. 8. You go farther, and brand all the reform'd Clergy of England v^kh the Name of Diffenters. You fay, " in ^ieen Mary"* s Reign, all good Prctejf ants zvere *' 'PiJJenters .^'' It is at x.\-\q. bed but a mmn Artifice to play with Words thus, and altogether unjuflifiabje^ when you are talking to a Child upon the Subjed of Religion. If you can prove that the^^ feparated from the Church of Rome, for the f^me Reafons that you now feparate from the Church of England, and no other, then you have a Right to challenge them for. Members of your Party. But if they feparated from, and would not comply with the Church of Rome, be- caufe unlaM'ful and finful Ta:m% were required of them % then, their Cafe and yours are by no Means parallel, and therefore it is unfair in you to pretend that they are. You {a hard upon the Learned Dr. Cox, afterv/ards Bifhop of Ely, and it is the Fafliion ^.mong^iyou Sepa- ratijis to do fo. Dr. Cox had the Honour like wife to be abufed by tht Popi/b TVriters. ,'Theje Men had fome Provocation ; for as he was Tutor to Edward W. they rightly concluded, that the SentimiCnts which that ex- cellent and religious Prince had imbib'd, were inftilled into him by Dr. Cox. Sanders faid, exprefsly, that the Prote5lor put Cox about the King, that he might cor-'- ru^t his Mind with Heretical Dokriaes, And what B 2 ^an4^$' [,2] Sanders cali'd Heretical, you, I fuppofe, would call Po- pfh i this is often the Cafe of the Englijh Clergy. But Bifhop5/^r;?(?/, who is not remarkable for being fparing of his Cenfures, fays of Dr. Cox^ that ' All the Writers *' of that Age make honourable mention of him. He " was firft fet about this King (£^zf. VI.) by hisFather, *' and continued with him in all the Turns of Affairs ; " and did fo faithfully difcharge that high Trufl:, that it *' appears he muft have been z. very extraordinary Man. *' This was fo well known to the whole Nation, that *' in the Beginning of Queen Mary^s Reign he met *' with more than ordinary Favour. This, conf^dering *' the Hatred which the Popijh Party bore him, is a *' clear Evidence of his great IVorth, and that they " were afraid to be fevere to a Man fo univerfally « ejleem\f* *. I think myfelf alfo but little concerned with your Obje6lions to Minifierial Conformity. For I do not give you or myfelf this Trouble upon your Account, but for the Sake of the unhappy Pupil that you are inftrufting. So that it might be fufHcient to obferve upon this Head, that if all that you advance about it were unexceptionable, this only regards thofe that are clifpofed for the Minijiry ; For it will by no Means fol- low, that any Layman ought to feparate from our Com- munion, becaufe you or any other Man cannot minijie- rially conform. But there are a few PafTages that I beg leave to objed: to. You fay p. 19, Conforming Minifters muft " re- ^' nounce their own Underflanding, or Liberty of *' judging according to the Evidence appearing to " them on ftridl and impartial Enquiry, by fubfcribing *' the ^9 Articles as 2iRule o^ Faith." But you very well know that we do not fubfcribe the 39 Articles as a Rule^ but as a Declaration of our Faith ; which are two very diifl?rent Things. "We admit of no other Ride of paith but the holy Scripture j And after ufing * See AppendU to Burnet's Hift. of the Reformaticn, p. 385. our own Underllanding, and judging according to the Evidence on a ^ricl and impartial Enquiry, and find- ing thefe Articles to be in our Confciences agreeable ta the Word ofGod^ the true and only Ride of a Chriftian's Faith, we declare this to be our Faith. And how is this renouncing our Underftanding and Liberty of judging? Tou do the fame Thing among your/elves^ or what is equivalent to it, at the Prefbyterian Ordi- nations at leaft. For you confcfs, p. 22, " The Can- " didate is defired to give an Account of his Faith." It is fit he jhoidd, and you do right to require it of him : But it is unfair in you not to allow us to ufe the like Caution. The Firfi Objedion to Minijlerial Conformity is the Hardjhip of being re-ordained; and I fo far agree with you, that if you do not think it right to comply with it, you have your Liberty, and you do well to refufe it. But p. 22, to fay nothing of the grofs Indecency and Offenfivenefs of your ExprefTion oi State-Bifjops^ which you feem to oppofe to Scripttire-Bifhops, you mifreprefent our Manner of ordaining PrieJ^s, whic'a is done not only with the Impofition of the Bifhop's Hands, but of all the Priefis prefent, as the Rubrick of the Office may inform you*. And thus ^Timothy was ordained by the Impofition of St. Paul's Hands, with the laying on the Hands of the Prefbytery ; tho' you are pleafed to reprefent his Ordination as per- formed folely by the latter "f , Your Reafoning in your next Anfiver is admirable. The Point you are driving at is, that the Prefbyterian is preferable to the Epijcopal Ordination ; and here you fay, appropriating the Right of Ordination to twenty-four State-Bifhops (that is the Number you re- duce them to) would open a Door to grofs Corruption in the Church, feeing it is far from an inipcffihle Suppojt^ tion, that Bifhops may be Enemies to real Plolinefs — and fo tmy commit the Adminifiration of Gofpel -Ordinances to * By Canon 31, there muft be four Prefbyters prcfent. f Compare 2 Tim. i. 6. with i Tim. iy. 14. Pcrfons [ 14 ] Perfms altogether tinqyioMjied. — And wliat if we fhould fuppofe they may ? Will it follow from hence that the Prejbyterian Ordinatioo is preferable to the Epifcopal? Poes not this prove as much againft p^r Ordination,, if you have any (for it docs not certainly appear to me what Denomination you are of) as it does againft €urs? For may not Prepyters pofTibly be and do all this as well as Bifiops ? Be fo good then as to fet this down under the Head of inconclufive Reafoning, which comes very near to 7to reafoning at all. As to x.\\t Second general IhrdJJnp^ the Subfcription to the 39 Articles, I fhall refer your Reader to ■Mr.lFhite*s Jppendi:>c to his third Letter, But I ob-. ferve that you infinuate, p. 25, that this Subfcription is impcfed upon them, and that fome are cajl out of the Church for not fiibfcribing. But neither of thefe Fa6ts is true; no Man is re- quired to fubfcribe againfl his Will; nor did I ever hear of any Man that was puniflied for his Sentiments in thefe Matters, fo long as he kept them to himfelf. Much lefs is any Man caft out of the Church for not fubfcrib- ing, fuch a one will only not he admitted to the Miniftry, You flatly afiert, p. 28, that this Subfcription is in- confiflent with the Sixth Article. But you do not offer a fmgle Syllable in Support of that ftrange Affertion ; it was prudently done not to attempt it; but this way of reafoning is not very cmclufive^ tho* it is what you have praclifed before. For p. 23, your Anfwer fays, that " Ordination by Bifhops, does not feem fo cpn- '' formable to the 23d Article of the Church of Eng- *' land^ as Ordination on the Difienters Principles." It is true the Expreffion is a little qualified here, but you leave it entirely to your Pupil to find out this feeming Want of Conformity \ and when he has found it, I will be obliged to him for the Difcovery. In the mean time, I muft call it, either a Fa5i wrong ftated^ or afalfe Principle afjcrted^ which you pleafe. I might, eafily point out a great Number of Inftances of the fame Kind^ where you did;ate to your Pupil a decifive Anfwer [ 15 ] Anfwer of Tes, or A^^', to a Queflion that cjontains a controverted Point, without condefcending to affign the lead Reafon for determining it on one Side, rather than the other. So that He may eafiJy miftake and fay Tes, when he JhouU, and if he were left to his own impartial Judgment, probably would fay. No. This is indeed a Method, and a pretty fure one, of iraining up Children and Touth in the Knowledge of yoiir Pri?;cipleSy and of leading them into your Pratlice. It is the Way to bring up a Race of fieady Adherents to the genuine Principles ef Nonconformity •, but it is not fo fure a Method of making them rational Conformifls id Chrift^s Inditutions. It may teach them to contend with Fury and Fiercenefs for Liberty % but will hardly lead them to ^ruth^ or enable them to fufport it. The Sum of this Matter in relation to the Subfcrip- tion is this ; If you do not believe the Doftrine of the Trinity, or any other Article of the Catholick Chriftian Faith 't if you do not believe any of thofe other Doc- trines, which in the Judgment of the Church o^ Eng- land, declared in her Articles, are agreeable to the Word ef God', or, if you refolve not to fubmit to the Rules of cur Church, and the lawful Governors therein appointed; then, I lay, you are not a proper Perfon to be admitted into the Miniflry of our Church'. And ydu know, the very End, and Defign of our Declarations and Subfcriptions, is to keep fuch Perfons from our Mini- firy. And what Harm is there in this, unlefs you cart ihew that your Affiflance is wanted, and that Religion fuffers by your Exclufion ? And if you fhould think you have Reafon to be angry at this, I befeech you, tell me, what has any Layman to do with it ? By v^\\2X Medium will you prove, that becaufeji^a mufi 7iot fee admitted to our Minillry, therefore another Man ought to feparaie from our Communion ? Except you can fhew that the M.an cannot be faved under the Miniflry of any other Ferk>n. But tho' you are a profelTed Enemy to Declarations and Subft:^riptions, becaufe they are uied by our Church, [ ,6 ] Chui'ch, and, it fcems, keep you from our Mlnidry *, you like them well enough, when you yourfelves ulc them. For as the Truth will fometimes come our, you fay, p. 21, " Senior Pallors examine the Candi- *' dates in the Languages, Philofophy, and Divinity.*' And p. 22, that " a fourth [Minifter] delires an Ac- *' count of his Faith." And Dr. Calamy in his Account of the Protellant Diflenters, annex'd to the Plain ReafonSy p. 9, fays, "The Candidates arc ordained " after making a publick Confeflion of that Faith in **■ which they engage to make it their Bufinefs to " inftru6t others.'* And, as I am informed, the common Way is, for the Candidate to produce an Account of his Faith in his o'ujn HandlVriting. If fo, this feems to be pretty much in the Nature of a Sub-, fcription ; only it is more liable to Deceit and Evajion than our Way. But to what Purpofe is the Candidate required to give x\i\s Account, if they who demand it are not to /k/^e" of it ? If they do not approve of the Candidate's Faith, I prefume they do not ordain him. How then can you confidently declaim againft the Church for doing that by a proper Authority, which, from your own Confeflion, it is plain, by your own Authority you pra6life among yourfelves. At prefent we know where to find the Dodrine of the Church of England^ viz. in her Creeds^ and Articles -, but if we were to throv/ afide our Declarations and SubJcriftionSy according to your modcfi Fropolal, and receive all that would come in, it would be as difficult to know the Dodrine of the Church of En^land^ as it is at prefent to know the Religion of any Engli/Ij Separatijl, And if the Church of England were to require no more of thofe who are to be admitted into her Miniftry, than only a bare ProfefTion that they believe tkeir Bible ; Tell us, I befeech you, what Security that would be ? There is not a fmgle ^laker in the Kingdom, nor in any of its remoteft Provinces, but what would folemnly affirm that He believes Ms Bible -y (referving however to himfelf the Privilege of expounding it, as his own perverfc [ '7 ] perv^rfe Spirit fliall direft him) fo that, were \ve to comply with your unreafonable Propola], might it not probably follow, that fome might be admitted to our Miniftry, who, might be no more, or no better Chriftians; than our DiJJenting ^takers are ? And after all your declaiming againft our Articles^ if you are a dijfentmg Minifter^ out of the thirty-nine^ you have yourielf fubfcribcd thirty'-fivs Articles ^nd a half, for you are not entitled to a Toleration without it» Nay, Dr. Calamy anfwers for the Separatifls, that not- withftanding • the Differences among themfelves, *' they generally agree in the Dodlrinal Articles of the ** Church of England which tbey fubfcribe" This might furnilh me with a fair Occafion for retorting all your own worft Invcdtivcs againfl the Englifh Clergy y where you injurioufly reprefent them as not believing^ what they fubfcribe : But I fhall leave your own Re-^ flcdion to fupply what might be faid upon this Head.. The Third general Hardfhip, is, that Miniftcrs ** are oblig'd to promife and fwear Obedience to the *' Bifhops and Ordinary according to the Canons.**" Ai)d you think, or fay, p. 31. " They are a Sort of *' blind and raih Oaths, when Men fwear Reverence " and Obedience to the Succejjors of Bifhops and Or- " dinarios, tho* they know not who or what manner " of Perfons they will be." Yet, I doubt not bue you have taken the Oaths to the King of Great Britain^ and his Succejjors, tho* you. know not who or 'Uijhat manner of Perfons they will be j and it lies upon yott, to fliew that thefe Oaths are more blind and rafh ia one Cafe than in the other. You run off ftrangely to the common Chit-chat of the Separatifis, p. 33, which is propagated fo oftea from one to another, that, I profefs, I am fometimes almofl tempted to think that many of them believe it themfelves. Concerning this See Short Anf p, 49, &c. atid the Pojlfcript. . This Grand Hardfhip confifls of no fewer than 'Ten feveral fmalkr Hardfhips. But moH qI thefe will pack C toge- fdg2ther; the firfi, fecond, third, fourth, fifth and le.iih, run all upon the fame Footing. For the pre- tended Hardfliip is, that if the Canons againft Schif- ijjaikks, and the open Impugners and Depravers of the Liturgy, Articles, Rites and Ceremonies, (^c. ^f the Church of England, fliould be executed, then, by the Oath of Canonic*] Obedience, a conforming Minifter may be dblig'd topublifo a Sentence of Excommunkatkn agairrft his old Friends, the feveral- Offenders before- mention'd. It is probable this Objeftion had a confiderablft Weight with the Nonconforming Minifters in 1662 %, Becaufe, They had fome Reafon to expe<5l that thefc Canons would be rig-oroufly executed. Moll of the Perfons who were of any Eminence in the Churc'h at that Time, had fuffer*d feverely for their Confcfences in thofe godly Timtsoi Reforfnatkn^dwvm^ the pious Ulbrpation of that Religious Prince Oliver Cr&mwel 5 whofe Zeal for Jufiice and Religion^ as if you were pofTefTed of all the Stcadinefs of a ^aker'^s KKmrn^ct^ you are not afliamed to extoll, p. 14. And while their Wounds were frejh and Ueeding, and the Smart of them yet continued.^ confidering the Frailty of human Nature, and judging of others by themfelves, the old Noncon. Minifters might well fufpe6l,that their Friends would legally be made to feel fome of thofe Evils, which they had illegally inflicted on th-e then prefent Governors of the Church. But what is this tb the prefent Stparaiifls^ v/ho very well know, by an Expe- rience of more than half a 'Century, that thcfe Law* ivill not be executed ; nay more, that by the A6fe of I W. ^ M. they camiot be executed ? I dare fay,- Sir, you would have been under n6 Apprehenlions of an Ecckfiaftical Cenfure^ even for this Performance, on xvhich I am now remarking, tho' you had put your Name to it. With what Juftice then, can you urge this as a Plea for your prefent Nonconformity ? There was another Reafon why the old Noncon- •formifts fcrupled this Oath of Canonical Obedience, \\z^ Becaufe [ 19] Becaufek was inconfiftent with tint execyacpie Obliga-- tion which moji or iuatiy of them had enter'd into by fwcaring to the folemn League and Covenant ; for ail thofe that were not perfwaded of the Vnlawfulnefi of that Oath, mull think themfelves bound by it j and' all fuch, if they had any regard to Confcience, could not pffiky^ until they were convinced of its Unlawful- nefs, take //&/j Oathy which was contrary to it. And I do in my Confcience believe, that their prior Ohliga' . tion tt) that Co'uemni^vi\\\Q\i^ you know, was One of the- ^^Reafons for Nonconformity, hsid more Weight with the moderate and confcientious Nonconformifts, th^n all the other four put together. J have mention'd thefe Things, becaufe whenever you are excufmg your Nonconformity by the Authority and Example of thofe ejei^ed Minijiers, I defire your Readers to obferve that thefe two main Things, peculiar to them, mside their Cafe very widely different from what yours is now. But as to all the Canons you objed to, they arc fuch as every regular, and fettled Church, has^ and will infift upon, whether its Form of Government be BpifcopaJ, or Prefiyterian: AW xhtPrefbyUrian Churches abroad require the like, the fame, or in fome refpedls jcven firiSier Oaths and Subfcriptions^ than thofe which the Church of England requires. This Mr. Bingham has fhewn particularly in rcfpe<5t: of the French Churches; and it may be (tQn more at large in. Mr. ^ick*s Synodiccn. So that for the fatne Reafons th^t you pretend you cannot conform to our Churchy you \\rould be oblig'd not to conform to them'. But, yoi; will allow it to be lawful to conform to thofe. Churches j and therefore it feems to be incumbent on you, to clear yourfelf of the Inconfjftency of oppofing us with thofe Reafons which will hold equally ftrong, if not flronger, againfl thofe Churches with which you hold it lawful to communicate, And truly you would tlo well to tell us, from whence it fhould fairly come to pafs, that the Principles of an Englifh Prejby-^ f^fian (hould be fo different as they are, from thofe of Q i\ au [ 20 ] •ail other Prejhyierians that are, I think, any where to be found throughout iht Chriftian World.* For, till • A Gentleman cf fome Note among the Diffentcrs, that has not been very eminent for his Culmmfs or Impartiality heretofore. Tears and Experience hwyin^ pftcri'd his Minti, has lately reviewed the Cafe cf Subfcriptions, as He fays, calmly and impartially^ This Gentleman, by Name Mr. Samuel Chandlery agrees, p. 28. That Subfcription is much more eafy to he complied ivith in th$ Church of England, than it nvas in the reformed Church ef France ; ^3nd J nvill add, fays be, — than it noiv is in the Church p/" Scotland J Mtid that therefore, thus far I prefer the Church of England to them both. And he further cpnfeflcs, p. 1 47, That upon the Dif- ' fcnters Principles, had nue lived i?t France, lue muji have been Dijfenters from her, for the fame Reafsns, as ivt are from the Church of England here. But this Confeffion was fqueez'd aiid extorted from him ; for he was <^lig'd either to fay this, or to give up the Pretence for Separating on Account of our Subfcrip' tions. And tho' I have no Doubt but Mr. Chandler fpeaks his eivu prefent Sentiments, He muft excufe me if I do not believe that thcfe are the Sentiments of the DilTentcrs in general, Unlefs they h^vQ changed them very lately, of which they have hitherto given \i3 no publick Intimation that I know of. I prefumc Mr. Pierce ivjay be fuppofed tq have been as well acquainted with their Sen- timents a few Years ago, as Mr. Chandler can be now ; and in his Vindication, he runs on all the Way in another Strain ; and par- ticularly in refpeft to the Church of Scotland, in his Dedication, he tCilifies the Jincere JffeSion, not of kif cwn H(art only, but of ihe DiJJeiiters in general tcwards them, a,nd luhat retnains, fays .he, but that We nvbo are knit to ysu in the fame Faith, Worfip, Form of Go'vernmer.t, Difcipline, Defgns, and iirotherly Lorje, Jheuld experience yeur mutufi.l Affellion and Jffifance ? And imputes it to' the ill Ufage of his Adverfaries, that the Order of the Diffenting Church has not been 7iiore agreeable to that 'which is in ufe in Scot- land, and in other reformed Countries. It is true, Mr. Chandler fpeaks in the plural Number, and feems to anfwer for his Brethren in general ; but he muil pardon me, if I think it not unlikely, from the Tranfaftion alluded to in Mr. Whitens Dedication, that Mr. Chandler may ta^e upon hini to fay more for them, than they >Vould choofe to (^y for themfehes. I will not here en<^uire whe- ther the Defign of that Negotiation was to procure a general Union ; or to pave theWay for a feparate Peace j Hor do Iknov/ whether Mr. Chandler has fufFer'd any Rebuke from his Brethren for that Affair 3 or whether this Pamphlet be Intended to rcinftate hiin in their Favour : But I have been credibly inforra'd, that the PifTcntei-s in general were unacquainted with thofe Overtures, th«y denied that any fuch were made, and when that could be '■' : ■ "^^ "^ ^' . ■ r ^ " " "' - done [2, ] till this be done, in our private Opinions pf thofe Gentlemen, of whom we have upon other Accounts the ^rented EJieem, we arc oblig*d either to bear hard upon their Sincerity, which we are loath to do ; or clfe, to rcfolve the whole of their Nonconformity into the Prejudice of Education alone;, and this, I think, i». often made tp bear more than it can well carry. I might here reft this Matter j but cannot forbear taking Notice, that, p. 38, you do not produce the Icaft Proof tp fhcw that our Church Government is not confiftcnt with the Inftitution of Chriji ; fo that the Anfwer might as well have been Xes, as Nq. And yet in the next Anfwer, as if this were fully proved, we are told there is too much Reafon for pronouncing it Anti' chriliian. As I faid before, there are many Inftances of fuch conclujive Arguments, but I mull not take up the Reader's Time in remarking upon them all. However, your manner of handling the Seventy^ ficond Canon, which makes the ninth Canonical Hardlhip, deferves fome Notice. You fay, p. 47. By this Canon Minifterf, *' without Licence from " the Bilhop, muft not fo much as keep a private' *• Faft, or be prefent at any, or at any Meeting for *' Conference and mutual Improvement^ or fo much as *' attempt to caft out the Bjevil, tho* he be ever fo " troublefome, frightful, and mifchievous in the Parifh.** I am at a Lofs to know whether you are ferious in* this latter Part of your Account of it, fo I fhall fay nothing to that. But you go on to declaim in you^ done no longer, they very freely faid, Mr. ChatitlUr dcfcrv'd Rci" rioof for what he had done. Therefore, till more of the Dif- renters have cGriffefs'd, that they not only diffcnt from us, but from thofe other Churches with which they have heretofore fhought it lawful to hold Communion, while the fame Rcafons for Separation fubilfted^ he maft g\ye me Leave to fujppofe, tha^ He only fpcaks his and not then, without firft confulting their Neighbour Churches * : Upon this Mr. Bingham alks very pro- perly, ** is it not as reafonable to have Recourfe to a " Bifhop in an Epifcopal Church, as to a QaJJis in a " Prejbyterian ?" To come nearer home, we may judge of the Sentiments of the Kirk ot Scotland by their Direftions concerningy^fr^/i^W^rii'^/^ Worfhip in Families ; which Direftions were to be obferved under Pain of Sufpenfion from the Lord's Table; From thefe it appears, that the Kirk was fo far fronj allowing of any private Meetings upon Pretence of Fajis, Prophecies, Exorcifes, &c. that they would not permit any Perfon from another Family to be prelent at private Family-Prayer. The lixth Diredlion fays, ** At Family-Prayer, a Ipecial Care is to be had that '* each Family keep by themfelves j neither requiring, **^ inviting, nor admitting Perfons from diverfe Fami-^ ** lies, unlefs it be thofe who are ludged with them, ^' or at Meals, or otherwife with them upon fomc * See Synod of Roche], c. 3. Art. 21. in ^;V/4's Synodicon, Vol. T. p. 268. gnd £i^{i,?m*i Apol. p. 3 u . ^ lawful [Hi ■**■ /awful Occafion." And the feventii is vefy re- markable, I dcfire the Reader to obferve it, *' What- •* foever hath been the Effefts and Fruits of Meet- •• ings of Pcrfons of divei-fc Families in the Times of " Corruption or 'Trouble, (in which Cafes many things •* arc commendable which ptherwife are not tolerable) •' yet when God had bleffed ns with Peace, and the, " Hurity of the Gofpel, fuch Meetings of I^erfons of •* divers Families (except in Cafes mentioned in thcfc ** Diredlions) are to be difapproved, as tending to the ** Hindrance of the religious Exercife o^ each Family *' by itfelfj to the Prejudice of t\\t publick Miniftry; ** to the renting of the Families of particular Congre- •' gations^' and in Progrefs of Time of the whole Kirk** It is obfervablej tliat the J^ of JJjembly tniorcms, thcfc Diredtions bears Date in 1647, and the Kirk was fo fenfible of the Effetfts and Fruits of thefe Mee tings ^ and of the Ufc that they had made of them, during the Times of Corruption^ that as foon as they were poffefTed of the Reins, and the Purity ef the Gofpel; they took all the Precaution they could to prevent them, which was prudently done. Your Fourth General Hardfhip is, that Minifters mnft declare their " Aflent and Confent that every *' thing in the Book of Articles, Common-Prayer, *' and Book of Ordination, is agreeable to the Word *' of God, that they approve of all: the Orders con- ** rained in them, and will ufe no other Forms." As to this Matter, our Writers have fhewn, that the Declaration of unfeigned Alfcnt and Confent re* quired by the Adlof Uniformity, amounts to juft the fame as the Subicription required by Canon 36, and 710 more. By both thefe we allow and declare, i. That the Book of Common-Prayer, i^c. containeth in ic nothing contrary to the Word of God. 2. That it may lawfully be ufed. And :?. we promife that we will ufe the faid Fcrm in publick Prayer and Admini- ilration of the Sacraments, and no other. And all this a Man may allow and promife, tho* he fhould con- ceive [25] ceive fome Things or ExprefTions prelcribedj either in the Phrales ot Common -Prayer itfelf, or in the pointing, or Tranflation of the Pfalms, or other Scripture, not to be fuitable to his own Apprehenfions or Defires ; provided he judges the whole to htfree from Sin, and nof repugnant to God's Word : " Evea " as fuch learned Men, as Dr. Falkner adds, who may " judge our laft Tranflation of the Bible not to have *' fitly exprefled the Senfe of fome difficult Places, " may yet both unfeignedly affent and earneftjy per- " fwade to the diligent Ufe thereof, as knowing it to " be of e: ^client Advantage, &c."* — So that by this we do not fay, as you afTert, that there are na Faults at all ; much lefs do we put the Liturgy upon a level with the Word of God, as you moft unjujlly charge us ; we only fay, it is not repugnant to it, and it may be lawfully ufed. Yet, Sir, which is more aftonifhing, you are not alhamed to infmuate, p. 54, that the Church requires her Clergy to aflent to every Thing in the Liturgy, as neceffary to Salvation! Whe- ther your Note about Bartholomew-Day was intended to widen the Breach between your People and Us, you know beft j fure I am, it could not be intended to clofe it. If the Fad there related v/ere true, it certainly was wrong: But it has been denied, and is not wory pro- bable in itfelf, for there were five Months for the printing and difperfing the Book of Common-Prayer. And whether it were fo or nor, it neither concerns Tou nor Me, for any fair Purpofe, to enquire. For the prefent I fiiall leave your particular Objec- tions to the Liturgy, and confider them afterwards all together.. We proceed now to your Reafons for dif- fenting peculiar to the Laity, p. 80. It might be expected that you who reprefent the Clergy of the ef^ tabliili'd Church, as a fet of ignorant, illiterate, filly Perfons, fhould be critically exaii in your own Lan- guage : But I fhall not enquire with what "Propriety all thefc Reafons are faid to h^ peculiar to the Laity, when * Sec Lihertus Ecckfcjiica, p. 94. D feve- t 26 1 feVeral of them do equally affeft the feparating Mim'^ fters. I fhall proceed to obferve, as to your firji Reafon, that your Dodtrine of moral Reli/hes, and dif- gujtful Miniftraiions, how well foever it be calculated EG fuit the Palate of the giddy and capricious Multitude, would not be endured in any other Protefiant Church in Chriftendom ; nor, is it agreeable to the Pra£iice of the EngUfh Separatijis themfelves. The Doftrine and Pradice of foreign Churches is utterly againft^7/fuch Pradlices as you would hereby for your own Gain en- courage. And the Sentiments of the neighbouring Kirk cf Scotlai^d^ may be gathered from their third Dire6lion about private Worfhip, where they declare, " The Charge and OHire of interpreting the Holy " Scriptures, is a Part of the Minifterial Calling, which " none ho^i;oj'oever otherwife .qualified fhould take upon *' him in any Place, but He that is duly called there- " unto by God and his Kirk." And as to the People's reforting to fuch Perfons as their Fancy or Humour iliall lead them to, they made an ASiagairJi fuch as %mthdr(svj themfelves from the piblick JVorfhip in their own Congregations. Which A61 ordains " every *•' Member in every Congregation to keep their own *' Paroch Kirk, to communicate there in the Word '-' and Sacraments-, and if any Perfon or Perfons fhall ** hereafter ufuaily alfe?2t themfelves from their oivn " Congregation, except in urgent Cafes, made known " to, and approven by the Prefhytery -, the Minifters " of thofe Congregations whereunto they refort, fhall *^ both in publick by preaching, and ifi private 43y " Admonition, fhew their Diflike of their Wlthdraw- *-* ing from tlmr own Minifterj that in fo doing, *•' they may witnefs to all that hear them, their due '.' Care to ftrengthen the Hands of the Fellow- *-^ Labourers in the Work of the Lord, and their *.' Dciteftation of any Thing that may tend to Separa- *^ iion. — Like as the IMinifter of that Congregation *' from which they do withdraw, fhall labour firft by " private Admonition to reclaim them j and if any, " after '[ ^7 ] " after priYat^ Admonition given by their own Paftor,- " do not amend, in that Cafe the Pallor fliall declare *' the aforefaid Perfons to the Sejp.on, who fhall cite ** and cenlure them, as Contemners of the comely ^Order "■ of the Kirk" Here is not the leail Provifion made for the moral Relijh. But let us go on to thej^^^^^^Reafon, " The Right " of choofing their own Minifters." This is nearly related to the former 5 and accordingly, in defcantin^ upon, it, you run into what is as applicable to that^ as* to this. I know not whether you deceive your People more in any one Thing than in this. For this pre- tended indefeafible Right, is not exercifed by them in the Latitude that you perfwade them to believe it is. \t is true only of a very fmaWNumhov, in each Congre- gation j this "Lz-^ryy^/W/ Number, and fometimes a yJ//- gle Man, is to all Intents and Purpofes the Patron.. tjiat prefents to thz Meeting: The Red conform their inoral Relijhes to the 5"^^ of thofe Fezv, or that One -^ and again, the jmral Relijhes of the fucceeding Inha- bitants in the Neighbourhood of 2iny Meeting, conform themfelves to the 21?/?^ of their Predeceffors, or fuch of them as appointed the Paftor. Whereas, according to the true Latitude of your Dodrine, this Right in its full Extent, is not only indefeafible, but ought to be inconmunicable to any other Perfon, fince my Palate may naufeate wjiat another Man may be fond of. And if the Tajie of your People fliould alter, or your Mini- ftration become difguftful^ then, they have a Right, as you pretend, to difcharge their Pajior, with as much Eafe as a Man would do his Footman. But this you are wife enough to guard again fi: ; and yet, your People are fo unaccountably infatuated, that you make them believe they choofe their Paftor, as much as they do their Phyftcian. See Mr.Whitd'j frft Leiler^^./^.!^ and his fecond, p. 6, &c. Mr. Chandler, before he enters upon his main Point, premifes fome Obfervations in relation to Mr. White's, Letters , an4 ?15 I have frequent Qccafion to refer to D 3 them, I 28 ] them, I beg Leave to put in a Word or two in An- fwer to the firjl, which is the moft confiderabJe. His Obfervation is this : " That the Defign of his [Mr. Whitens] three *' Letters, by the two firft of which he juftly thinks ** he had fufficiently exercifed the Patience of his Reader^ *' doth not feem candid, and fuitable to the Charader " of a rational Divine : 'Tis, as his Title-Page in- *' forms us, to reflefl back the Objedions of the *' Diffenters againft the Church of England, upon *' themfelves ; and particularly to retort the Charge *' of Impcjition.^* We fee then, Mr. Chandler is not yet quite calm enough •, for Mr. JVhite*^ Apology for the Length of his Letters being fo modeft, he could not fuffer it to pafs without a Sneer : And if with his Tears and Experience he had acquired a little more Impartiality^ he would not fo partially have reprefented the Defign of thefe three Letters. The Firji Letter relates only to Br. IFatts's Book, and the comparative Excellence of the Lives of Churchmen and Diffenters .* The Second and 7hird Letters are, as the Author tells us in the Title- Page, *' to refute the great and popu- *' lar Pleas of Diffenters againft Communion with the " Church of Ejtglandy and reflet them back upon ** themfelves." Suppofing then thatMr. White knew his own Defign, it was not only, i. To reflet back tht Objcftions of the Diffenters upon -themfelves, as Mr, C. reprefenis it ; but it was alfo, 2. to refute their Pleas, and likewife, ^. to examine Dr. Wattes Book, and 4. to confidcr the popular. Argument, or Preju- dice, arifing from the fuppofed real better Lives of Diffenters, in Favour of their Churches. And tho' Mr. Chandler may, I own, I cannot fee but thefe ar^ four very good Defigns ; as candid as any fairDefigns can be \ nor are tl:ey, to my Apprehenfion, in the leaft unfuitable to the Charader of a rational Divine. Nay, I am pcrfwaded Mir. White\ Defign would have been fo, tho' it had been as Mr. Chandler repre- iems it, only to refied back the Objcdcions of the Dif. [29] DilTenters. For, as we have feen the Charge, let u% fee how it is fiipported. Mr. Chandler goes on thus ; " Suppofing he had " done, or could do this. What then ?" Why then, in this refped He has gained his Point; He has done what he undertook to do ; and fhewn, that the Dif- fenters pretend to feparate from the Church of Eng" land, for fuch Reafons, as do hold equally ftrong againft their own Churches. He afks again, " Would this vindicate the Impofi- •* tions of the Church ?'* No. Nor can I remember that Mr. White has laid it would. In the Preface to the fecond Letter he faySj-r-T*/)^ Title-Page intimates^ that it is hoth defenfive and offenfive. In the defenjive Part, wherein I undertake to vi?tdicate the ejlahlijhed Church — 1 am generally brief, that having already been exefuted.^'-^But in the other Part, wherein I retort their Objections, and Jhew them as jirongly conchfive again/i Communion with their own Churches, I have en-, iarged more. — So that tho^ Mr. Whitens two laft Letters were written with this double Defign, Mr. Chandler pjainly overlook^ one of them, and therefore we may cafily excufe his blaming Mr. White for not purfuing it But Mr. C. goes on, *' If we have lome Ufages in our Congregations^ •' that refemble thofe which we blame in them ; arc *^ thofe Ufages ever the better in them, becaufe there •' is fomething like them in Us?^* No, not at all. But this Ihews the Abfurdity and Perverfcnefs of thofe Pretences which you urge as the Reafons of your Separation. In this Cafe, we may ufe St, Faul*^ Expreflions, Wherein- thou judgefi another, thou con- demneji thyfelffor thou that judgefi dcfi the fame Things. " Or, doth our imitating thofe Prad:ices we com- •* plain of, fhew them to be reafonable, or agreeable M to the Chriftian Rule ?'* No. But it Ihews, that you cannot reafonable feparaty on Account of thole Praftices ; which is all that Mr* White endeayour'd to jl||€w from themj [ 3°] " He might indeed, if this was ouf Cafe,. juftl)« *' blame us for a felf-contradi6lory Condud; but J^ * aJways^ thought, that to recriminate and vindicate *^ were two very different Things.'* Mr. Cbandkr ijiay continue to think fo^ in both thefe Points X agree with him. I fliould digreis too far, were I to confider the reft of his Obfervations. Mr' Chandler is in very good Hands i I make nq^ Queflion but Mr. White will give a good Account oi kiiTJi fb for the prefent I take my Leave and return to my Author.*' One Thing you fhould not have faid^ becaufe yous lyiight have known that it was not fo-y viz. That in oub Church the Laity have no tolerable Way to help them^. jklves from an ignorant, unacceptahky or vicious Minijier^ bvi by turning 'Di\jenters.-\ In the fame Page, in order to prove that the People have a Right to choofe their Mtnijlers, you go about to. ihew, that the Bifhops are not fo muph as proper. Judges to determine who are fit to be ordained Minijlers,. The Reafons you give, are, 1. Becaufe ^^ they have not the Gift of difcerning' ^ Spirits, fo that they may be greatly deceived in the *' Qualifications of Candidates." but the People^liu^^ pofc, who you would have to. determine this inftead of the Bijhops, cannot be deceived. 2. Becaufe, " many are ordained to the facred' ** Function, who are utterly unworthy of it." But if' the People were to ordain them, the people are infalli*. ble, and they cannot be deceiv*d, it is like. " But laflly, how proper Judges foever the Bifhops ^^ may be of Men's Talents, or Difpofitions, and how *^ cautious foever they may be in conferring Orders— w they cannot on thefe Accounts have the leafl Title ^^ to intrude any Man upon, others as a Paflor,'* The-' Word intrude^ i& fomewhat too coarfe, but if they • See Chandler's Cafe of Siibfcriptions calmly and impartially review'd, p. 3. f Se« Short Anf. /•. '605 b\. [131] cannot on thefe J^ccowtiSy this' ddth not prove that tfiey canNoi Oti others -, and. therefore it is not very cmckjive. But perhaps you were the lefs careful about your Keafonirig on this Point, becaufe you can prove it by Smpttire. If you can, that •will be decifive. • " ^, On what Foundation ftands a People'sRight ^' of chooling their own Faftors ?** This is awkward- ly and quaintly exprefs'd, but mind the Anfwer; V I. They are the Churches Servants, 2 Cor. iv. 5. ** Our/elves your Servants for Jefus's Sake. 2. The " People pay them their Wages, Ltike x. 7. The La" ^ bourer is worthy of his Hire. 3. The People's own •' Intereft is depending, of which themfelvcs are •' Judges [For] Heb. xiii. 17. They vjateh for your ^ Souls.'* Very prettily made out truly. Becaufe the Paftor is the Church's Servant; becaufe the People pay him ; and becaufe He watches for their Souls ; therefore, the. People are -proper fudges of the Pajlor^s 'Salifications and Abilities, and have a Right to choofe in/bom they pleafe for their Paftor. From hence I take Occafion profoundly to admire your Skill as a Div'me: And if I may have the Liberty to fay fo, I think you fcave eredred this Right upon a rotten and tottering Foundation, For if thefe Texts will prove what you produce them for ; they will prove that the People of jy^«r Congregation have a. Right to choofe the Pope^ if thev will own his Authority. For in his humble Fits, He ftiles himfelf Servus Servorum Dei. If they fubmit to him, he'll take care that they fhall pay him. And He will tell you that He watches for the Souls of all true Believers. So let them be ready againft the next Demifc of the Triple Crown. And that Paftors were not chofen in the Primitive Church as you re- prefent it, the Author of the Original Draught hath Ihewn.* The Third Reafon for Diflenting peculiar to the Laity (for which Reafon feparating Minifters are no Way concerned in it) is Free-Prayer: A Technical * Seetht Orj'iinal Draught 'of ' tfec Primitive Churchy ch. 3, '' - Term [32] Term to exprefs thofe Effufions, which in Icparatc Congregations are, or are faid to be, made ex tempore, aiid not to be pre-compos*d. For tliis Objection I refer you to Mr. White*^ fecond Letter, and Short Anf. p. 24, &c. But give me Leave to afk, How do you know that Kings under the Old Teftamcnt, ufed Free Prayer, in Oppofition to pre- compofed Forms, as you are pleafed to affert, p. 85. As to Prophets they are out of the Queftion, and (o are all other Perfons who were confeffedly infpired. For I think you will not pretend to Infpiration; tho' I won't be pofitive. It feems odd that you could jind no more than one or two jhort Forms of Blejfmg the People, Num. vi. 23. Deut. xxi. 7, 8. andfome of the Pfalms. You did not defire to find them ; for if you had look*d carefully, you might have found more. Veneer, Bennet, even the Sh. Anf. or almofl any of our Divines, will help you to them. Bat you did find fome ef the Pfahns, you might have faid mofi, if not all of them, for I dare fiy they were all together, and then you might yourfelf have produced about an hundred and fifty Forms from the Old Teftament. You fay, p. 87, " The chief Ufc of prefcribed *' Forms is to be a Help to an ignorant, cold, and lazy •' Clergy." And that " the plainly evil Tendency *' of confining Men to them, is to encourage or occa-". " fion an illiterate, lazy, lifelefs Clergy." You muft be very fond of thefe abufive Epithets, when you could prevail with yourfelf to repeat them within a few Lines. But Calvin had a better Head, and better Views, and Fie could contrive fome other Ufe for a ftated Liturgy. And that you may not charge me with mifreprefenting him, I'll give it your Reader in Mr. Bingham's Tranflation. In his Letter to the Proteftor Somerjet^ he writes thus, " As to what con- *' cerns a Form of Prayer and Ecclefiaftical Rites, •* I highly approve of it, that there be a certain Form *' from which the Minillers be not allowed to vary: •* That firft fom© Provifion may be made to help the " Sim- I 33 ] *' Simplicity and Unjkilfulnefs of fome. Secondly, that '■' the Confint and Harmony of the Churches one with '* another may appear. And laftly, that the capricious " Giddinefs and Levity of fuch as affe£l hinovddons' may " be prevented.** This laji is to the full as cogent a Reafon as the firft, or more fo, becaufe it is cafieir to guard againft ignorant and infufficient Menj than it is Ti^dimik. pragmatical^ conceited, 2.ndi felf-fufficient Men; who are ever fond of their own Conceits, and incef- fantly endeavouring to obtrude them upon others. And whether it is not better to attend the publick Worfhip, when a Man knows the Petitions in which he is himfelf to join, than it is to go only to hear another Man pray, when at the fame time it is not unlikely that He cannot heartily concur with the Paftor^ or join in his Requefts, I would leave to your unhappy Pupil himfelf, when he comes to Years of DifcretioOi to determine. For, if he can get free from the other Fetters that may prevent his Conformity, I make no Doubt but he will judge our Method moll rational^ and mod edifying. P. 91, You fay, " We read in Scripture of Con- " gregations faying Amen to, or concurring with " Prayers they iiever read or heard befo-e :" And refer to fix feveral Places of Scripture as Proofs of it. This looks well 'till we come to examine them ; buC then it appears, that i Kings viii. is not to the Pur* pofe, for Solomon prayed in the Prefence of all the Congregation j and afterwards He and all Ifraet offer'd Sacrifices. But not to infifl: on his divine Infpi- ration. How does it appear that they faid Amen, or concurred with his Prayer; unlefs you mean that after they had heard his Prayer, they thought it a good one? (And few good Judges would allow the genuine, modern, extempore Prayers, to be fo.) But this is a very different Thing from joining with him in it^ which was what you were to prove, to make it perti- nent to the Matter in Hand. [ 34 ] 1 Cbr&ft. xvl. 36. proves quite agatnjl you : For this was deliver'd betorehand to Afaph, v. 7. probably to be iet to Mufick; fo that it was, certainly, pre-ccmpofed % and it is mofl likely that it was made publick before it was ufed. 2 Chron. xx. 51 — 3. is not to the Purpofe; for it does not appear that the People joir.ed in the Prayer^ tho' Jchofaphat fpoke in the plural Number. CbrAxx. V. 18. 'tis exprefly laid that /it t:^/^/^^ pray 'd for theniy but there is no Intimation that they prayed for themfelves ; and v. 27. The Priefts blefled the Peo- ple : No Doubt, in that particular Form, which God had exprcfly appointed. Ezra ix. 15. is not to the Purpofe, any more than 2 Cbron. XX. And i Cor. xiv. 1 6. St. Paul fpeaks of Blefling with fome extraordinary Affiftance of the Holy Spirit as to the Matter, but doing it in an unknoivn Tongue, and k) not applicable to the prefent Cafe. However this is clear from hence, that in St. Paul*s Judgment, the He.irer ought to und^rjland him who. prays ; and, depend on it, the bejt, the only fure Way of doing that, is to know beforehand what Words he will ufe. At th-e next Reafon, p. 93, you refer us to Chap* 2. Sc^. 4i And that we may take all yoiir Objcdions to the Liturgy together, we will go back to^. 54. wher-e the Firji Objedion, to avoid all Appearance of Method, 3S to a Ihort Rubrick at the End ot the Office of Bap- tifm: Which fays, '^ It is certain by God's Word that " Children which are baptized, dying before they " commit aftual Sin, are undoubtedly faved." This you will not allow, — \x.feem^, to 7'ou not agreeable to the IVcrd of God. And this being the fifth Objedion of the Plain Reafoner^ I refer you to Sihort Aif. p. 36^. As the Firft Objection came from the End of this OfEcc, the Sscond is fetched from the Beginning of it.; lor/). ^6. The fecond Point v/hich feems not agreeabh< , til God^s Word is, The Ufe of Godfathers and Godmothers in f 35 ] in Baptifm. And yet in your Note, which is to this EfFedl, That whereas in the Primitive Church Parents fometimcs died when their Children were young, Sponl'ors were introduced tb fecure fuch Children a Chriftian Education ; you fay, " againft Sponfors in •' fiicb Cafes, the DiJJeniers have no Obje^lioH.''* Very- well, for thefe Realbns, as we do not pretend to know how long any Child's Parents will live. We make ufe of Sponlors in all Cafes ', by this we provide againft the worft, and if one could admire at any thing in an Englilh Separatid, one would wonder that you are not aiham'd to ufe fo many Words, and try fo many Shifts, in cavilling againft fo prudent a Provifion. And yet you have contrived fo as to bring forth five Ob* jeftions to it: But if it had not been ftarted before, you muft have rack'd your Invention fome time beford you could have hit upon your feeond Objeftion, v/z. •' By Canons 68 and 69, Minifters cannot refufe any •* Children, tho* theOffspfing of JewSy Mahometans^ " Henthens, Atheijis, if brought to be baptiz'd with ** Godfathers.** A very pretty Obje6tion to the Ufi cf Godfathers! Well, but if it be no Objection to that. It is to thofe Canons, and we won't infift upon Pun^ilio's, But it happens thit you miftake the Stn(6 of thofe Canons ; Mr. Baxter led you into it> He didl^ the fame thing. To this Mr. Bingham fays, " I could •* hardly have thought it polTible for any Man to have ♦* put fuch a pervcrfe Interpretation upon the Words ** of an innocent Canon. But it is Mr. B *s ordi- " nary Way of difputing, to ftrain Words to an un- " natural Senfe, and then fight againft his own '* Chimsra's. Who, befides him, would have " thought, or faid, that the Children of Jews and *' Infidels as fuch, we.^'e compris'd in this Canon, *' when it is fo plain that it fpeaks only of fuch as ** have a juft Right to Chriftian Baptifm ^ Whorri *' the Minifter is not to rcfufe, or delay to chriften^ *' when they are offer'd, for any private Reafon of his' ^ own i fuch Reafons fuppofe as was that of iSmpe, m E z Queea [ 36 ] '* Qjecn Elizabeth's Time, who, as Bifhop Bancrcp *' intorms us, would not baptize a certain Child be- ^' caufc the Parents infifted upon having him called *' Richard." You fee, Sir, as your Olpjedion contains only a flat Aflertion without any thing to fupport it, I oppofe this Gentleman's Authority to yours^ which for the prefent may be fufficient. Only I muft ob- ferve, whereas you fay thefe Children are to be bap- tized, (as they certainly are ;z^/,-except in fome Cafes ■\\'hich you yourfelf would allow of) who have none to Iring ibem up in the Chrifiian Faith : Here you flrangely forget the very Perfons you are arguing againft, the Godfathers and .Gsdmothers, whofe Bufineis, you know, it is, io fee that the Child be chriftianly and virtuoujly brought up. By this, you feem fairly to confefs, that (:his Objei5lion was mod impertinently brought in here. In the Third Obje6lion, p. 58, " The Godfathers, " t^c. perfonate the Child without any proper Autho- *' rity." But it is certain they are delegated by the "parentSy and have all the Authority that they can give them, We have your own Confeflion in the Note, •p, 94. that Chrifiian Parents have a natural Right to difpofe ofy to dedicate to God, and covenant for their own Children: And which Way will you prove, that they cannot delegate this Right to others? You f^y, p. 60, " Miniflers muft refufe to baptize *' Children unlefs with Sponfors.'* Which AiTertion i$ partly true, an'd partly falfe. True in refpedl of fuhlick Baptifm in Churches; Falfe in refpetfl o\ private Biiptifm in Houfes -, as the fecond Rubrick before the Office for private Baptifm will Ihew. By this, Mini- iters are to warn the People, that without like great Caufe and Neceffity (fuch as is mention'd in the fore- going Rubrickj ;'. e. fuch as the Curate fhall approve cif) they procure not their Children to be baptifed at Horn: in their Hfiufcs : But when Need fhall compel them fo to. do^ then Baptifm fhall be adminiffred on this Fafbion. And that is, v/ithout either Godfathers^ ^c. or, the Sign of i^. Q'^fi' I never did meet with any PerfoHj where i t 37 ] have 4Deen concerned, that fcrupled either of the!e Things-, but if I had, and were perfwaded of his Sin- cerity, I lliould have thought myfelf hereby juftified in thus indulging him. And if this be fo, there is an End of this, and of another Objedion that will be mentioned prefcntly. To this, J know, you are ready to reply as Dr. Calamy did to Mr. Ollyffe^ that the ojily Caufe of baptizing Children at Home, is fuppofed here to be the Danger of JDeath hy Sicknefs^ becaufe the Minifter is directed to ufe the Lord's Prayer by the following Rubrick, and fo many of the Collefts ap-. pointed to be faid at publick Baprifm, as the Time and p'efent Exigence -will fi'ffer^ which fuppofes the Child to be in Danger of Death •, and fo doth that Rubrick which fays, if the Child — do afterward live, it is expe- dient that it be brought into the Church— v/hich fup- pofes the Child to have been in Danger pf dying. But all that can be colledcd from hence i§, that this is fup- pofed to be the mofi common Reafon, and therefore thefe Provifions are made for it. That it was not fuppofed by the Compilers of the Liturgy to be the only Reafon for private Baptifm, feems to me as evident ds may be, from hence, that it will be a fufKcient Reafon for private Baptifm if it be fpme great Caufe, like to that mention'd in the firft Rubrick, which is, fuch as with the Approbation of the Curate is a reafon- able Caufe for deferring the Child's Baptifm •, but the Sicknefs of the Child, can never be a Reafon iov defer- m^ Baptifrn, tho' it vj^-^y for haflning it. And there-- fore, beftdes the NecefTity that arifes from the Danger of the Child's Death ^ fuch other Caufe as is approv'd by the Curate to be reafonable, feems to me from this- Rubrick, to be a fufficient Reafon for his baptizing a Child privately. As to the reft pf your Obje6lions \ refer you tQ 2ihort Anf p. 30, l^c. The Ti'/'r^ Fault in the Common-Prayer ^3\\\q)[\ feems mt agreeable to ti?e fVord of God, is " the Impofition ^ and Ufe of the Sign oi the Crofs/* You make: this [ sM this liable to three Objedlions, i. It is making a new Law. 2. It is making a new Sacrament. 3. Mini- flers muji deny Baptifm to all thofe Children, whofe Parents refufe to have them crolTed. The laft of thefe I have juft now fliewed to be falle. For the others fee Shoj-t Anf, p. 29, and Whitens Letters. In one of your Notes, p. 62 (and I muft fay all your Notes are extremely curious) you are pleafed to quote Bifhop Baylor ^ in order to prove moreover, that this Uiage is bordering upon Idolatry. In the Edition that I have, the Pafiage may be found Book 3, fy?'. 4, /). 326. But to prevent Miftakes, it will be better to take the Context with us. Bifhop Taylor produces a Quotation &om Balfa',non, which he tranflates, " To let a Pidgeon *' fly, to fignify the coming of the Holy Spirit ; to *'^ light up Candles, to reprefent the Epiphany •, to *' drefs a Bed, to exprefs the fecrot and ineffable Ge- *-' neration of the Saviour of the World ; to which ** he might have added, fays Bilhop 'Taylor^ to pre- " pare the Figure of the Crucifix, and to bury ari ** Image, to defcribe the great Sacrifice of the Crofs ^ for the Redemption of Mankind ; thefe are Things ** to no Purpofe : Not only for the Levity, and thea^ *'■ trical Gaieties and Reprefentments, unbefitting the *' Gravity and Purity and Spirituality of Chriflian f Religion •, but alio the manner of teaching thefe ^ Truths by fymbolical Things and A6tions, is too *' low, too fufpicious, too dangerous, to be mingled *' with the divine Liturgies. Chrift may as he pleafc ** confign his own good Things that he gives us j but ^* He configns no Good, and repreients none, but ^' what aifo he gives and efieds in that Miniftration ^* and under that Sign : But a fymbolkal Rite sf human S'' Invention to fignify ivbat it doth not effe^, and then *' introduced into the Worjhip of Gody is fo like thofe ♦' vain Imaginations and E,eprcfentments forbidden in the' ^* fecond Conimandrnenty that the very Sufpiejon is more ^» againfi Edification, than their life can pretefjd to.*' This is the PaflTagCj an^ ^ judicious -qne it is whcr\ [ 39 ] taken with the Context) but you quote only the lall Part^ and by doing it upon this Occafion, you make a ft range Reprefentation of the good Bilhop, and fuch as is injurious to his Memory^ when you fuppofe him abfurdly and ridiculoufly fp^^^^^g ^^ ^^c Second Commandment in relation to the aerial Sign of the ■ Crofs. Take the whole PaiTage together and make the mod of it. For my Part, I cannot perceive it \i any thing to your Purpofe : But if you had caft your Eye upon the very next fucceeding Page, there is a Paflfage which is fomcthing to the Purpole. " There *' is Reafon, fays he^ to celebrate and honour the '* Wifdom and Prudence of the Church of Englandy " which hath in all her Offices, retain'd but one Ritual ". or Ceremony that is not of divine Ordinance or " Apoftolieal Pradlice, and that is, the Crofs in Bap- ** tifm : Which tho* it be z. ftgnificant Ceremony^ 2x\dL *' of no other Ufe, yet as it ij a Compliance with all *' ancient Churches, fo it is very i'nnocent in itfelf, ' " and being one^ and alone^ is in no regard troublefbme " or affli<5tive, to thofe that underftand her Powers " and her Liberty, and her Reafon." You fee, Sir, it was unlucky that you mention'd Bifhop Taylor. He beft knew his own Meaning, and He was not fo iniconfiderate and inconfiftent a Writer as to> declaim againft the Praiflice of die Church, and then in the lame Breath to extol her again upon; Account of thai very Praftice. The " Fourth Article in the Common- Prayer which " does not appear to be agreeable to the Word of God, " is^ p. 64, Impofmg the Gefture of Kneeling at the ** Loixl'*s-Supper." This fame kneeling at the Sacrament, tho* it may not feem to an indifferent Perfon to be a Thing of fuch great Moment, feems to be one of the mofl: im- portant Points that you complain of, if we may judge by the UU you make of it. This furnifhes half youf fixth Car.onical Hardlhip, />. 41. becaufe. Canon 27, which orders S(hijmati(ks not to be admitted to the Cvm- Cofnmunion, forbids us to adminifter the Sacrament" to any but fttch as kneel. In this the Church ufes her Right in determining fuch Geftures as Chrift hath \tk to the Governors of his Church to dire6t us in j juft as the Proteftant Prejhyterian Synod of St. Maixant, in 1609, that there might be 2l general Uniformity , enjoins •' all Pallors to abftain from any private Methods of *' their own j and not to bring the People up in Ranks " unto the Table, there to fit or ftand, but to caufe " the Faithful to pafs one after another up unto it."* As the Paftors of the French Church were fworn to obferve this Canon, they muft refufe the Sacrament to any Perfon who would infift upon receiving it fittings or kneeling., or coming up three or four abreajl. As to your Objediions to the Pojlure of kneeling., they amount to the fame as the Plain Reafonefs did, therefore, fee Short Anf. p. 37. At the fecond Appearance, p. 64., *' impofing of " this Gefture makes an Error or Fault in the Com- " mon-Prayer-Book.'* But here you do not offer any thing but what you had afferted, without Proof, at the hrft mention of itj to which you reter. In your Note you give us a pretty quaint Difcourfe upon Polite^ nefs, Decency and Good Manners, one of the laft Sub- jeds that I fhould have expefted you v/ould treat of- : It is not a little tedious, and I fhould have taken no Notice of it, were it not for a fhocking Paifige in it, which borders very near upon Blafphemy ; p. 6^^ where in the Comparilbn between God and his Wor- Ihippers, and a King and his Subjedls, you fay, " it " would be but ill Manners in the Inferior to offer a " Devoir which it was not decent for the Superior to *' accept.'* When this is applied to the Purpofe you bring it for, the kneeling at the Sacrament of the Lord*s Supper.^ it contains fuch a horrid and abominable Idea, that, I befeech you, if you have any Character to lofep to foften it. * See Quick's Syr.odicon, />. 327. Well ^i 41 ] Well, this Pofture has done pretty good Service, it has already lupplied you with two Reafons, fuch as they are, for minijte'ria! Ncncmformityy yet it is Iugg*d forth again, p.. (^j. to make a ffib Realbn for Lay- Separation. Here, in your long Note^ you liave an eafy Way of getting rid of that excellent Difcourfe on this Subjeft in the London Cafes, Vol. III. that is, only by faying, it contains niuch 'Trifling. Here you fay, " Diffenters pretend not, i. That " Sitting was commanded by our Saviour. Or, 2, That •" Kneeling is contrary to any Injunftion of his % or, .*' 3. That it is a Sin to receive the Elements in that " Pofture." No > What v/ould they have then ? They are humourfome, perverfe People, and will have nothing to dired: them but their own Fancy or Whim. Well, what do they pretend .? Why, they pretend " that Sitting is a Gellure -[iroperefi to the Occafion.'* liio' it expreffes lefs Reverence^ than any that can be contriv'd. 2. "^^ That it is authorized by the Example •' of Chrift, and his Apoftles." Which is abfolutely falfe. And 3. " That Chriftians fhould conform as " nearly to this Pattern as can be." Which, as to the prefent Cafe, is a Confequence that v/ould by no means follow, tho* the Premifes were true. For, m thefe Circumftantials, where our Lord has not ex- prefly confin'd them, the Governors of each Church are at Liberty to appoint fuch Geftures as feem to them moil proper. And the different Pradlice of the feveral Proteftant Churches abroad, proves this to be the general Opinion of Protefl:ants. Bat how is your Confeffion here, that Kneeling is not finfuls or, contrary to any InjunSfion of our Saviour's, confiftent with what you advance, p. 64. That many DifTenters confider it as unfcriptural and unlawful ? In the Remainder of the Note, though you are firmly perfwaded that you underftand Good Manners, yooi ftrangely forget the Charader you aflame, that of a a meek and humble Paftor of a Flock of Chrift*s Sheep i and fall abufing People molt oucrageoufly, F that t 42 1 that have committed no Ofrence ; and rant and rave and didate, as if you fuppos'd Men were to fubmit to ^our Authority. In the laft Paragraph, />. 98. you feem to confefs this fame Kneehng was earlier than ^ranfubftantiatkn % for now it is a ^.efiion that you wont pretend to deter- mine ; and there is no doubt but you would pretend to determine it faft enough, if you could do it mymr own Favour. But now, truly, it is hot a ^icftion cf any Importance ; one would imagine you thought it was, p. 42. where one of the Reafons why many wife and good Chriftians fcruple kneeling, is faid to be, ber caufe it is an mjufiifiabte Conformity with the Romanifis^ in a Ujage introduced to favour their difurd Do^rine of jCranfubfiantiation. Now, I prefume, it could hardly be a Ufage introduced for that purpofe^ if it were older than the Do^rine it was introduced to favour » From whence I begin to fufpeft the Wtfdom of thefe Ghriftians ; and as to their Gocdnefs, we have your "Word for it, the Validity of which upon this Point I will not difpute. However, you have no Regard for the Geilure as an Ancient Cuflom ; for, ancient Cufioms are not the Difjenters Rules. If they were, the Difienters obferve them wretchedly, and this is always the Cafe^ when ancient Cufioms make againft them : But fince you are in this conceding Mood, I hope you will be prevailed with to retrad what you advanc'd, :p. 42. That Kneeling was difagreeing with the Cujiom of the Church in the fir fi and pureii Ages. To be plain. Sir, you ufe fo many Words, and feem to lay fo great a Strefs upon this Matter, and ufe fo many Shifts and Querks to prejudice your Pupil againft it, that this^ together with fome other Circumftances, makes me recommend to your ferious Perufal, the Judgment of the Polifrj Divines mention'd in Sh. Anf. p. S9- The Fifth Fault in the Common Prayer, is, " The ** Form of Abfolution, in the Vifitation ofthe Sick." The Importance of the laft Objeflion had put you in a Paftlon, fo now you exalt your Stile, and this fifth fesme [ 43 ] feems far^ very far from being agreei'hle to the Word of God. But it G'Cily feems fp, and that to none but thofe who do not properly confider it. You do fairly ob- Icrve, there is to be a previous Confeflion of Sins by the Sick Party ; and I obferve the Clinick is only to be moved to do this, not eryoined or required to do it ; Nor yet is this Abfolution to be ufed, unlefs the Pe- nitent do humbly and heartily dcjlre it. From whence you may fee, that it was intended only for very fcru- pulous Perfons, and from hence it happens that it is very rarely ufed. 'Qiit perhaps, it fometimes is ; What then ? You know, there are three Forms of Abfolu- tion in the Prayer-Book, and tho* they all differ ia Expreflion, they do all m Senfe amount to the fame Thing ; and two of fhefe you make jio Objeflion to.. In the Morning and Evening daily Prayers, the Pref- byter deeUres that. Almighty God — who — hath given Power— r-to his Miniffgrs to— pronounce to his People being Penitent, the Abfolution and Remifjion of their Sins, HE pardoneth and abfoheth all thofe that truly repent, ^c.—' In the Communion Service he fays. Almighty Go d < — pardon and deliver you from all your Sins — In this Office, fuppofing the Cafe to be as is aforefaid, he fays. Our Lord Jefus Chri^, who hath left Power to his Church to ebfohe ali Sinners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great Mercy forgive thee thine Offences, and by HIS Authority committed to me^ 1 abfohe thee frprii all thy Sins, &c. Now where is the Difference, whether I declare that Almighty God pardoneth thee, — ^^or, whether I pray that He would pardon thee— or whether I de-^ ckre that by his Authority 1 abfohe thee, or declare thee abfolved, i. e. upon the Suppofition of Faith and Repentance. This Authority is chiefly founded upon John 3{x. 23. But after all > what if this Form of Abfolution fhould o;vi]Y relate to the Cenfures of the Church, which it may appear from the voluntary Confeflion of ihe fick Perfon, that he hath incurr'd, ^nd from which he may fcrupuloufly defire to be re- lieved ? Why, then. Sir, all your Ri^iK about it for F 3 two [ 44 ] tyfO Pages together, fiiould only tend to your own Mortification. And I cannot but fay, your taking no Notice of this, is by no Means a Proof of your ntge- imous Difpcjitiont becaufe you mull: know that this De- fence is made by our Apologias. Mr. Wheatly parti- cularly obierves, as a Proof that this was the Inten- tion of the Form objected to, " that in the fubfequent ** Prayer the Penitent is fiill faid moft earneftly to " dcfire Pardon and Forgivenefs, which there would '' be no Occafion to do, if he were fuppofed to be *' already pardoned and forgiven by Virtue of the fore- *' going Abfolution." And again, in this very Prayer the Prefbyter offers a fpecial Requeff, " that God ** would preferve and continue the fick Member in *' the Unity of the Church," which plainly enough fuppofes, that the foregoing Abfolution had been pro- nounced to reflore him to its Veace. So that I Ihall reft this Matter here, and hope you will abate fome of thofe hard Words, that you honour the Clergy with on this Occafion. The 5/Ar/y& Objedion is to the Burial-Office. This is Jq far from being agreeable to the Word of God^ that it is contYadi5iory to the whole lienor of the Gofpel^ to the Xjght of Nature and the Reafon of Mankind. And "what is all this for? For " pronouncing, [as, if we *' will believe yoUy we do] all Perfons faved and happy •^ after Death, except the unbaptized, excornmunicat'ed^ ** and felf -murderers. * You alledge three PafTages in Support of this Objedion. i. Forafnmch as it hath fleafed Almighty God, of his great Mercy to take unto himfelf the Soul of our dear Brother here dep(irted, we therefore commit his Body to the Grounds — -in fure and £ertfihi Hope of the RefurreElion to eternal Life, But you will allow the Expreflion of God^s tstking to him^ Jelf\ !Tieans no more than taking the Soul out of this World into Hades^ the State of departed Souls, where, or whatever that is. And we commit the Body to %)m^ Giound in fure and certain Hope that it will rife «^ainj and of the Refurre£iim to eternal Lifr \ but wc [45] affirm nothing of the futu'-e Condition of the Perfom deceafed. See Short Anf. p. 48. Confider alio that it is liiid of Mankind in general without any Diftinftion, that the Spirit [of each Perfon] Jhall [at their Deceafe] return unto God who gave it. Ecclef. xii. 7. And again, that St. Fanl had Hope towards God, which, fays he, they themfelves aifo allow, -that there fhall be a Rcfur- reflion of the Dead, both of the Jull and Vnjufi^ Adls xxiv. 15. 2. PF'e give thee hearty Thanh for that it hath pleafed thee to deliver this our Brother out of the Miferies of this finfdl World. This affirms nothing of his future State, See Sh. Anf ibid. To which I will add, that you might as well objedt to the pious Refignation of Holy Job upon hearing of the Death of his Children : The Lord gave, and- the Lord hath taken away, blefjed he the Name of the Lord., Job i. 21. for furely, hleffmg the "Name of the Lord is equivalent to giving him hearty J'hanks ', And yet in all this Johjinned not^ v. 22. *. 3. We pray, that when we fhall depart this Life we may reji in him [Chrift] {as. our Hope is this our Brother doth) and-that at the general Refurre5iion in the lafi Day we 7nay be found acceptable in thy Sights &c. You make your Stop a little too foon j we do not pray that we may reJi in Chriji as the Perfon departed rejis in him% but thofe Words are to be confider'd. plainly as ftanding in a Parenthefis, by which we only inean to teftify fome Charity for our deceafed Brothcr- Chriftian, and- then we go on with our Prayer. And as to this Hope which we exprefs of the Perfon de- parted, there are, you Vimi^i dtX\ow, very niany Degrees of Hope : There is the fure and certain Hope, fuch as we exprefs of the general Refurre6tion ^ and there are the Cur^ ambigua, the Spes incerta futuri-, 2Lnd fome- times our Hope is fo far- diminilh'd, that' it is reduc'd almoft to little more than a. Wijh. And no doubt, our Judgment of ;:he departed Perfon's State muft f Stic Fifteer on the Place. [ 46 ] rife or fink in Proportion to the Opinion that we had of him. It is true the Church has generally more Charity for others, than many of our Separatids \ nor doth fhe love to encourage that virulent Spirit which fome of them Hiew on every Occalion, who feem fond of making their peremptory Decifions, as if they could know by a Man^s Look what his final Doom fhould be. The Seventh Point that you complain of, p. 73, feems far from being agreeaUe to the Word of God % and this is, reading the Athanafian Creed. Here you lole all Temper, and aflert this to be " a Heap of un- " fcriptural, contradictory, unintelligible Proportions, *' containing, befides the dodlrinal Abfurdities, the " mod unwarrantable, damnatory Claufes, repugnant *' to Reafon, to Scripture, to Charity."-^ And what not ? But what Proof do you offer in Support of all this Railing? Oh, there you defirc to be excufed, that is not your Method. Inftead of this, " the 8th *' Article obliges Men to receive and believe the Athana- " fian Creed,^' But you are extrernely miftaken, that Article obliges no Man to believe it that is not con- vinc'd of its Truth j and to fuch the Article does no Injury, nor indeed, to any one elfe. The Article only declares, that the three Creeds, the Nicene^ the Athanafian^ and the Apofiles Creed, ought thoroughly to he received and believed-^ and for this it gives an ex- ceeding good Reafon, becaufe they may be proved k^ mo§i certain Warrants of Holy Scripture, I think, all the Proteftant Churches abroad, receive and believe thefe three Creeds. To be fure, iht fifth Article of the french Confeffion allows thefe three Creeds by Name, and that becaufe they be agreeable to the Word of God.* And the fecond Chapter of the Wefiminfier Confeflion, J^t./^y fpeaks almoft in Jihe very Wards of this Creed. And agreeably to this, the. fixth Anfwer of the A£embly*s Jhorter Catechifm IS this, " There ^re thr^e ^* Perfons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and * Quick's Synodicon, / 7. [47] " the Holy Ghoft, the fame in Subflance, equal in *' Power and Glory.'* And as to the damnatoryClaufes that you complain of, a Man may as well repeat them, as he may that PafTage in St. Mark*s Gofpel, xvi. i6. He that beljeveth and is baptized (hall he faved, hut He that believeth not,Jhall he damned. The fame neceflary Suppolitions that will qualify this Text, will be fuffi- cient to qualify thofe Claufes, when properly under- flood.* In your Note you run from the Creed to the Litany ; in this you have difcover'd, that there are dire^ Ad- drejjes to the Son ef God, and to the Holy Gho§f. Very trtre j what follows ? Why thofe who believe J ejus Ch-ifi is indeed the Son of God, that is (as you explain it) a derived and fuhordinate Being, will confider this ad- drejjing him as fitpreme God, or equal with the Father, as a Species of Idolatry, and as fuhverting his Mediatorfhip. Will they fo ? Tou know that better than I do ; But I will anfwer for all thofe that helieve with the Catho- lick Church, that He is equal with the Father as touch- ing his Godhead, will not be offended with this. And I entreat your Pupil to remember that the Afjemhly^s Catechifm has, without Difpute, a higher Authority than Totifs; and if he believes with that, that the *Xhree Perfons in the ever bleffed Trinity, are the fame in Subjlance, and equal in Power, he will not be offended at the AddrefTes in the Litany. Here then I fhall leave this Matter, only I beg Leave to afk you a Queflion or two. In this Note do you reprefent the Sentiments of all the Separating Minifters ^ Or, are they only the Notions of a few of you .? If the laft be the Cafe, as I believe. Do you not think that you do the re^ a great Injury, to mifreprefent them thus in a Book where you are fetting forth the general Principles of the Proteftant DifTenters in England? However, as thefe Gentlemen are very able to do them* felves Juftice, I will fay no more, than juft to afTure them that I have not fo bad an Opinion as you would • See I)x, f«/i«^'s Lib. Ecclef. p. 145, &c. give [ 4S ] give me of them: For knowing that both tbeyand you have fubfcribed to this very Creed^ if you are en- titled to the Indemnity of the Toleration, I will not fufpecfl that more of them do not believe it, than fuch as fhall themfelres give me Reafon for it. Bat is not this. Sir, a convincing Proof that Men are apt, in the Warmth of their Zeal, to mix their own private Notions, with Matters of general Concern in Religion ? And will not this furnilh'us with a very good Reafon, why all Men, being fubjeft to the like Failings and Paflions as you are, fhould be re^ Urain'd from venting their own crude and unvvarranta- ble Conceits in the pihlick Prayers^ by a ftated Form * You muft be fenfible, that the palpable Difcovery you have now made, would give me^ here again, a fair Occafion to retort all the Reproaches that you have call out upon the Clergy of our Church, where you falfely reprefent us in general as fubfcribing what v/e do not believe. But I fhall again leave your ov/n Refieftion to fupplv this, and proceed. The Eighth Objedlion confifts of a Clafs of Errors. Thcfe are fome fmaller Matters that efcap'd you be- fore, too weak to Hand by themielves, but being bound together, they make up one little Faggot con- iifting of /o^r Particulars, i. " "Tht falfe Rule for *' finding Eafter.'* If you had as great a Regard to Truth, as you might be fuppofed to have from the Concern that you here exprefs for it, your Book had not been half io large as it is. You fiiy, " It is un- " lawful for Men to lie deliberately in any Matter, *« tho' ever fo fmall.'* It is true ; What then ? " If " then the Rule to find Eafter be falfe, as it is *' allowed to be'* Allowed to be ? By v/hom ? Mr. Baxter I fuppofe, and thofe that fwallow and believe his Dreams without examining. You do not fay in v/hat Refped it is falfe, you touch it as gently as if you were afraid you fhould burn your Fingers. So I muft go to Mr. Baxter for the Objedlion, and then to ti^tole who have anfwered it. Mr. Baxter allowed the i^abls [ 49 ] ^ahk Co find Eafter by the Golden Number and t^omin'ual Letter to be a good one \ therefore if the Rule directs us to the fame Day that the Table does, down tumbles- Mr. Baxter*s Objection. For it is not pretended chatf this is a Rule to find the true Time when Eafbet owgM to^ he kepty according to the modern Difcovefies irt Jifironomy ; but a Rule to find the Day on which Eafter will be kept according to the Ufage ef the Church ef England ; and ic is a good and true Rule thac truly dire(5ls you to find what you are looking for. If I am not miftaken, the prefent Year i-748- will ex-- ^ain the Obje6tion, and furnifh an Anfwer to if. This Year the Golden Number is, i. The Dcminical^ or Lord*s^Dle Aid^ towards furnifliing a feventb Part of a feventh Reafon for Lay-Separation. Here you fpeak more cautioufly, that they are read under the Title of Leffons, as the Holy Scriptures are. Which is true j but they are not therefore pretended to be Holy Scripture. However in the Note you make amends for your Moderation in the Text. In this you fay, *' the Scriptures excluded to make Room *' for the Apocrypha, are. Part of Leviticus, Chroni- <' cles^ Nehemiah, Ejlber^ Canticles, Lamentations, Amos^ *' Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Haggai, 2 Thef. ** ii. and iii, John, the Revelations** Thqs when you get hold of a little Truth, you wrap it up in I know not how much Falfehood, as if we had nothing clfe to do but to pick it off again : You might have; faid with equal Truth, that the four Gofpels were left out too » and whenever you leave your chief Authors^ you difcover a ftrange Propenfity this Way. Your Reader, by turning to the Calendar and comparing it with his Bible, may fee, that no Part of Lamentations^ nov o^ Amos, nor of Qkadiah, nor oi Jonah, nor of Nahum, nor of Zephaniah, nor of Haggai, nor of the fecond Epijlle-to the' Thefalonians, nor of the Gofpel and the three Epiftles of St. John, I fay no Part of thefc feveral Books now mention^ are left out : Only three Verfes oi Eflher are left out*, and of Nehemiah, no more than four Chapters, which contain little more f ji^an Lifts ^nd Genealogies, which would contribute bur G 2 little [ 5^ ] Ijl.tk to the EdificatkMi di the People. So that this F^tft kems to ht fomewhat falfe. See Short Anf.'^. 20. But with all this Outcry againfl the Apocrypha^ who, that was not uftd to your Jnco}ififiency^ would ^xped: that you yourfelf, no further off than^. 108. fhould have quoted EukfuUcus vii. 14^ as Hdy Scripture^ and in the fame Lin^ with hiat. vi. 7. mtJo-out any Mark to dijiittguifh them? May not ignorant People, and th® Children you are inftru(5Ung, eafily millake, and from hence be led to think this Precept in EccUfi&iiiciis^ is AS much the fmcet'e Word efGody as the Command <.sf our Bl^£ed Saviour is ? I ufe ycur own Way of Reafoniiig in your nril Queilion, p. j 13. i muft take a little more Notice of this Note (whe- ther it be Dr. Ckven^s or yours, it matters not) you fey, Toliit iv. 10. is contrary to i John i. y. It would have fwell'd the Account to have referr*d alfo to To^t xii. 9. and Eccius iii. 30, But when you are at Leifure to fhew the Contrariety of this Paffage to that of St. John, I befeech you, take care to do it in fuch a Manner, as not to make Prav. xvi. 6. Dan. iv. 27. I Pi?/, iv, 8. 2 Tim. vi, 19. inconfiftent with th« fame Text, — You fay, Judith ix. where the Murder of die Scchmites is commended, ought not to be read. But by whom is it commcndi^d.^ By Judith; upon whofe Au- thority no Strefs is laid. And why may not this Account be read, as well as the Hiftory of the Faft itfelf in Genefis ? You then blame us for reading Chapters wherein Judith is guilty of a JJe, — of mort Xi^i,— ~and thefe hits are approved. If this be a fuffi- cient Reafon, muft we not flrike out of our Calendar Gen, xxv'iL 13, 19, and C^. xlii. 9, 12* Ewi.ig, I Sam. xi. 10. ^KiyjgsVi. 19. and perhaps fome other Piaces that might be produced? But, fuppofe at Jail Judith Ihould not be guilty of a Ue, then. What will become of the Objedion ? Every Untruth is not 4 Ue. And in the Judgment of the beft Moralifts, pajrticuiarly Grotim mAFtiffc^orf^ it i^hmful'm many Caies [ .5-3 1 ' Cafes to fpeak f.alfe io a profejjed Enemy. That this » one of the Cales, will be evident from the Words of P.uffendorf, Book 4.. Ch. i. Secf. 19. " This is mani- " fell, that fmce the Obligation to difclofe our Mind *' ceafes with Regard to Enemies, it cannot fall under ** the Sin of Lying to give them a feigned Relation, " to terrify them with falfe Rumours, or any Way " to procure their Prejudice, provided, no undefcrved. " Lois or Damage cnfue to a third Party, who is our " Friend." Dolus an Virtus quis in Hojle requirit? As tp Wifdom^, fee Mr. Jrnoid*s Comment : And fomething perhaps might be faid for Ecclus xii. But I do not think myfeif concern'd to defend every Paf- fagt in the Aptcrypha : If they were not to be read in Churches 1 Ihould be well enough content. All I mean is to obferve, they are not fo exceptionable as you are pleas'd to reprefcnt them •, that they do not de« ferve all that Noije and Clamour that- is raifed about them ; and that the reading them is no Reafon for Separation. Thirdly., Your lafl Note or any thing therein con- tajn*d notwithftanding, you have fo great a Regard for Truth, that " if there be but one falfe Tranflation " of Scripture in the Book of Common-Prayer, it 15 " wrong to affent to it as true, confonant to God's *' Word." This was hinted at before, p. 25. it is the old PepifJj Objedlion againft having the Liturgy in Englijh^ " that there were manifeft Errors, and falfi *' Tranjlations, which all be Depravation of GodH " Scripture^ and fo vere Mendacia: Now if the Ser-t " vice be fo framed, then may Men well fay upon irs^ " that wc ferve God with Lies." One would thinly Pr. Cole were a modern Dijfeff^er.^ But tho' you :arc willing to borrow an Arrow out of any Quiver ta Ihoot at us, it is eafier tp /ay this, than to prove k\ Let lus fee how you fupport this Charge of falfe Tran-^ fiations? You fay, " The Tranflation of Pfalm cv. 28, M either in the Common-Prayer, or in the Ifible muft * S^Boxjiei'sHift. Rcforia. Y9I. 11. p. 343. '* be wrong, for in one it is, they rebelled not^ in the ^' other, they were not obedient-" the like Remark you fay^ is applicable to Pfalm Lviii. 8. Pf. cxxxiii. 3. So becaufe one Tranflation muft be wrong, therefore that in the Common- Prayer- Book certainly is : A very pretty Confequence, but not altogether concluftve. It will be Hill Icfs fo to any Reader that will confider what the learned Mr. Johnfon has faid upon this Paf- fage.* As to the fecond Text, the old Tranflation is likewife very defenfible, sisgood, at lead, if not prefer- able to the laft. And as to the third, it doth not materially differ from the laft Tranflation j in which the Tranflators, without changing the Senfe, have fupplied a few Words that feemed wanting, as well in the Hebrew as in the former Tranflation, only to prevent any Miftake, as if the fame individual Particles of Dew which fell upon Hermon, fliould be fuppofed alfo to fall upon Mount Sion, which was at a Diftance from Hermon. But, pofllbly, the learned Bifliop Hare^& Conjedlure may be right; who fuppofes Sicn to be miftaken here for Sirion i and if fo, what the lafl; Translators have fupplied to clear the Meaning of the Text was unnecefiary : For Sirion was a Part of Anti- LibanuSj and fo near to Hermon, that the Dew ot Hermon may very well be faid to fall upon it, agreeable to the literal reading of the old Tranflation. Upon the whole, I wonder you fliould be fo much fet againft this Tranflation, fince two of the three Perfons who were principally concern'd in making it, wer'e Rogers and Bifliop Coverdale-, and thefe are two of thofe Perlons, whom you challeng'd for Dijfenters, The Fourth is " the Injundlion to reje6t from the ^* Gommuftion all who are not confirmed, or who ♦* defire not Epilcopal Confirmation." As to this yoii fay, *- As Confirmation in the eftablifh'd Church is a ** mere tranficnt Ceremony, anfwering no good End', ^' as we know of, but, on the contrary, rather ap> ♦' pearing like a-fslemn Mockery, leading People to *■ Sec John/on i. Notes in Defence of the Old Tranflation. [ 55 i " believe they have receiv'd Tome peculiar Grace^ " when they have obtained nothing, tending chiefly " to beget in weak Minds, an undue Veneration for " Epifcopal Powers, fuch a Rite cannot be a ne- " ceflary Qualification for participating of the Lord's •* Supper^ and therefore the requiring it asjuch^ cannot •* he agreeable to God*j Word" I fliall take no Notice of the Ribaldry you throw out on this Occafion^ but only obferve, by jour own Account of it, it is io far from being required as a neceffary Qualification for the Lord's Supper, that the bare t>efire of having it^ is deem'd fufficient. If your Reader turns to the Office, he will fee it faid in the Exhortation, that the Order about Confirmation is very convenient to be oh- ferved, to the End that Children being now come to the Tears of Difcretiont and having learned what their God- fathers and Godmothers promifed for them in Baptifwy they may themfelves with their own Mouth and Confent^ openly before the Churchy ratify and confirm the fame. This then being one great End of Confirmation ; Will you fay that any young Perfon can be properly qualified to receive the Lord's Supper, who is not ready and defirous, at leafl:,^ of ratifying and confirming his Bap- tifmal Covenant ? That we may lay all your Objedlions to our Liturgy together, we muftnow go to p, 105, where you give us a Seventh Reafon for Lay-Separation, under the Head of " Several Superftitious and fome dangerous ** Conformities required^ or, rational and uncorrupc " Worlhip defirable." This Reafon is compofed of y^7;^« Particulars, which are the Shreds and Chips oi the DiiTenters Objections j or if you will, they may be confider'd as made out of the Sweepings of your StMdy. And truly fome are fo cover'd with Duft that you fetm not to know them again, and forget that you have mention'd them once cr twice before. The Reader may judge how low you were reduc'd, by running over the Particulars. The Firit is, Bowing tg the Name of Jefus ; this ' tho' [ 56 ] tho* Ir is mf, it feems, it •* koks like afuperilUious and ** even Idolatrous PraSke" and ytc is required by Canon i8. I exped that fome of your Brethren of the fepara— ting Divines will reprove you, for faying it looks like an Idolatrous or even a Superfiitious Pradice to worfliip Jtfus Chriji upon any Occafion ; And therefore, only obferving that you defcant moft impertinently and ridiculoufly indeed upon Phil. ii. 9. I will recite f«/^i'{/^ refufes to join in the publick Prayers, becaufe the officiating Minifter is cloath*d in fP^hite and not in Black ; or, becaufe h^ r^ads the Prayers and doth not repetU them- If y Heart \ [57] or, fly from a Church, becaufe, 200 Years ago, Mafs was liiid in it ; or the like ; fuch a Perfon is as truly Siipef'firliouSj as he who expedis Ibme great Evil fliall befall him, becaufe he has Jpiit the Salt, or heard an Owl fire ajn. And it would be of confiderable Ufc to your People, if they would confider, that one fort of Superjlition coniifts in a fuperflitious Avoidance of it. You con fefs, -p. i-6i, there are many^ too many, enthu- Jiaftkal People among the Diffenters •, this indeed is evi- dent enough -, we may dilcover it by moft, even of their modern Performances, from the Cobnel^s Memoirs down to Toms*s Shining Convert ; and this you may- depend on, whenever you meet with Enthiifiafn, Su- ^rftilion is not far behind. But I cannot conceive why any fair and candid Ad- verfary Ihould introduce the Popifh Dollars Pleas upoi^ tjhis Head, as you do in your Note, p. 107. For the Proteflant Church of England can have no Concern with thefe : And yet you are not difpos'd to zviden the Breach and cherifh Animsfities, no, not you ! As to this Matter the Truth is,, it is a Thing of fmall Moment in itfelf, but fince there are Men who are for debafing and depreciating the Perfon of our Blefjed Saviour^ and -^VQ jealous of, and angry at, every A61 of Adoratiori that is given him, as the Second Perfon in the ever tleffed and adorable Trinity •, it is extremely proper to continue this Cuftom, and bear a little hard on the contrary Side, juft as People do, (to borrow Mr. Raf trick- s AlluHon) when a Boat is in Danger of over-^ letting. The Second Objediion, is to the Repetitions in the Liturgy. See Sh. Anf p. 2S. The Third Peccadillo, is Church-Mufick. This is urg'd, p. 108, as a fevcnth Part of one Reafon for feparating froni the Church of England, And if a Stranger were to read what you fay upon it, he might think the Service was chamted in every Parifli-Church \n England. But you know this is nqt ufed in our Fariflj^Qburcbes^ cpnfequently this Obje(^ion could [53] make r,o Part cf a Rcafon for Separat'iK^ from them- Even Organs are ufcd in very fezv Churches, compii- ratively Ipeaking, nor are they enjom*d to be ufed in any ; If the Congregation do not like them, they may difcharge their Organifi^ and the Inftrument v^ill noc diflurb them. But if you were in Holland, Sir, would you dare to urge this as a Reafon for feparating from xhzPrejl^yierian Eftabhiliment of Mynheers the Dutch ? Yet I have been credibly inform'd that they ufe Or^ gans in their Churches, as much, or more than the Church cf England does. But before we difmifs this curious Objection, give me leave to obferve, that the wbifting Tone which was i b peculiar to the Affemblies of the Separalijls^ ^^V^'- ■ cially if it be liighly finifh'd, with an edifying T-wang through the Nofe, is liable to every Objeftion that Q-7triCc'.tbedra!-MiJi:k is ; And aggravated, moreover, v/ich this unfjrmountable Exception, that it is moft (hackifigly and oftenfively Vnmufical. I expe6l you will fay, that tliis is now pretty much laid afide ; it may be fo in the more poIt[?/dM.ztim^Sy and where the rAoJi fe>:JjbieTc3.chers prefide, but we knov/, in the Rural Meetings, a great Part of that extraordinary Edification ib much boailed of, confifts in the fuppofed Efficacy of this Gifiy how much foever the Teachers them- selves, efpecially when they are av/ay from their Flock, will confefs themfdves aiharn'd of it. But not to infill longer on this ; The Anfwer to your Objeclion is, that what you objcdl to, is uied only in a/nv Places of Worfhip i very few, befidcs the Cathedrals', and I think, in none of our Parifh- Churches properly fo called. And therefore it cannoc- be a Reafon tor Separation^ becaufe none of our Com- aijnion, are obliged involuntarily t;o comply with it. I'he I'oiirth ObjeAflion is to tiie Church -Holt days. And where^is before, p. 47. we had not V^.^'s, enoughs now, it feems, p. 1 1 1 . ^'e liave t^o mciny. SiS Short: jinkjcr-. p, 2 J, ^t. Tht I 59] The Fifih ObjedFon is to Chunh-Gs/fwes. And to Ihevv how low your Stock of Obje6lions is reduc*d, and tiiat you are come to the very Dregs and Lees of them, all you can think of, after racking your Inven- tion, is this, That it is unreafonabk and indecent tofiand up at the Gofpel, and fit down at the Epijile. This, you iay, is a trifling BiJiinEiion : I may truly fiy, it is a trifling Ohje^ion \ and indeed, not well founded nei- ther > for the People are not enjoined to fit d^ivn at the Epiftk, they mz.yftand\i they pleafe. But whether they have their Liberty or are reftrained in any Point, you will be dilTatisfied, and who can help it ? For it ia impoflible to pleafe thofe who are refolv'd to be ouc of Humour. The Reafon given by Mr. V/heaily for Handing up at the Gofpel feems to me fufficicnt. He fays, " In St. AuflinH Time, the People always flood " when the Lefibns were read, to fhew their Reve- *' rence to God's Holy Word : But afterwards, wlien " this was thought too great a Burden, they were " allow'd to fit down at the Lefibns, and were only " obliged to fi:and at the reading of the Gofpel, which " always contains fomething that our Lord did, fpake, " or fuffer*d in his own Perfon. By which Gefture " they fiiew*d they had a greater Refpe6t to the Son of *' God himfelf^ than they had to any other infpired " Perfon, tho* fpeaking the Word of God, and by " God's Authority." Yet I fiiould not be furpris'd if for this Reafon you fiiould diflikc it the more. The Sixth Objeiftion is to the Apocrypha ; and tliis we have had before. Sec />• 5 1 . Laftlyy that you may go off with a Flaflj, you have referv'd for the feventh, fome dangerous Prayers and Cuftoms, to bring up the Rear. Well, out with them ; What are thefe ? Why, The Litany has a Tendency to lead Men into a Belief of three Gods •, and the Burial' Office pronounces, as you pretend, fome Perfons happy ^ that you think are not fo. Is this all? Thefe are both itale Objeilions, we had them before. Seej5. 47 and 44. H 2 Next [ 6o ] Next corftes a Cuftom very liable to Cenfure, tnat of bcjo'mg towards the Eafi. For ought appears, your kave your Reader to think this an iiniverfal Pra6lice ; whereas there are as many, perhaps, that do not, as there are that do it. You gravely afk, tho% I think, you muft be in Jed, " Is there any Deity refiding *« Eaftward, who is not equally in the Weft?'* And again, ** Do thefe Eafterly Worfhippers bow down " to fomething or nothing?"* And the Queftion, it ieems, (to make your Pupil think it look'd like Ido- latry) is fo difficult, that you leave it to the Adorers theinfelves to anfwer^ tho' all the while you- very well know they adore nothin-g but God. Bat as this A6lion is not finful in itfelf, I fee not under what Pretence, the Separaiijis can upon your Principles objeft this to the Church of England. For the Church no where enjoins it, that I know of; but every Man is \th to his Liberty; He does it, or not, juft as he likes. And if I underftand you, \m\tk you had the Direction ef them, you v/ould have ^//Things \th undeterminhi. But nothing can- pleafe, that any Members of the Church of England do, tho' the Church is no Way concern'd with it; nor do I know of any living Member of our Church, either of the Clergy or Laity, that thinks it of Confequence enough either to encourage or prevent this Pradiice. You had much fucb another Stroke, p. 67, where you declaim againft railing-in the Commiinion-'Tabk ; a Thing that is no where prejcrihedy and is done for no other Reafon, but for the Convenience and Decency of it ; of which you would yourfelf be fenfibie, if you were to leave your own irreverent Way, and had to tliftribute the Elements, after our decent Manner, to a large Number of Communicants. And as you are pkas'd to claim fo much Liberty for yourfelf and your People, (except as before excepted^ I befeech you to indulge us fo tar as to let us enjoy a little too. In this 115th Page you begin to wind up your Bottom, and your Reader haj good Reafonto cxpe5^y as t 6' ] as well as to ccv/^, from your Lift Collection of Rea- fons, that you had done. But he is miftaken, yon cannot leave this fame Liturgy fo -, and if we turnr to^. 157, there we may find another Parcel, as they may feem; but upon looking into them, they are fuch as vfQ have had before •, or fuch as are mentioned* in t\\t plaifi Reafcns -^ or fuch as are fo trifling and in- iignificant that they require no Anfwer, or defirvf none. But one PafTage is remarkable enough ; as Inftances of /^ni/i^/^ Opinions and Pariy-Pq//Io?is, you mention the Do6trine of Regeneration in Bnptifm, and of the Trinity; the Impojilion of the Bifliop's Hands' in Confit'mation^ to certify them by this Sign, of God's Favour and Gocdnefs. — And laft of all " that King " Charles was a Martyr^ and his Blood innocent.'" Here, not to infift that the Offices for t\it State Days^ are not in Striiinefs to be confider'd as a Part of the Liturgy-, Lfhall obferve, that by inferting this, you do inadvertenily^ but plainly diCcoYcr yourfelL In your curious Hiftory, p. 13, 14, you would ?nake the Child believe, that xkitPrejbyteria'ns had no Fland in the Mur- der of KingC>6^r/piJ} ; fo that none of thefe Leaders were profefTed Members of our Church ; and it is no irrational "VV'ay of judging of the Generality of any Faftion, by the Princi- ples of their chit/ Leaders. Yet I will Ror deny but there were ieveral profefTed Members of our Church unhappily concern'd in that unnatural Infurreftion. And if Wc agree with Mr. Fojler that it would be unjuft to infer from the Infiance of Lord Kilmar- Jiock, that the Principles of that Church encourage or ha^je tht ieaji Tendency to Sedition ; the DifTenters fhould be equally inge- nuous and candid in refpeft of Us. And tho' I do not know how juft Mr. FoJJer'i Cenfure is upoH the Diffentcrs from the Eftabiil^iracnt in Scotland, becaufe I am but little acquainted with them ; I Will venture to fay the fame of the DifTenters in South Britain, viz. " They are a Stain and Difhonour both to the Eng- " lijh and Scots Churches, iaad their Principles are dijfavo^.ved by •* both"' f . * See the Diffenting Gentleman's fecond Letter to Mr. IVhite. t Mr.F'/tr'sAccount of the Behaviour of the E, of Kilmarno*k. Mr. White'i Second Defence. up.' [ 63 ] up. But at laft it comes out, p. 158, that you will not be contented with this, unlefs we will forbear to condemn that Murder, and forgetting how loyal you have pretended yourldf to be, you objecfl it to us as a Crime, that in the Office for Jan. 30. King Charles is callM a Martyr, and bis Blood faid to be Innocent. As to the Sixth Reafon for Lay-Separation (the only one, I think, that has not been remarked upon) it fets out ill, with a falfe Reprefentation of the Com- mination-Olfice i and what follows is fuch a Heap of Ribaldry and Abufe, that I have neither Leiliire nor Inclination particularly to fpeak to it. But fee Short Anfwer, p. 62. However, before I take my Leave, I mufl not for- get to remind you of one grand Fault which is utterly unjuftifiable j and that is, every now and then quoting Ibme Writers of cur Church whofe Names carry aa Authority with them, and by falfely ov partially reprcr fenting their Words or Sentiments, you endeavour to make them become Acceflaries to the Continuation oi the Schifm, and to countenance a Crime which their Souls abhorr d. I think it an A<5t of Piety to refcue the Me- mory of thele worthy Men from fuch dangerous Treat- ment, and hope you will have fo much Ingenuity as- ro acknowledge in this refped you have done wrong. The firft I Ihall mention is a Quotation from Dr. Lucas*^ Inquiry after Happinefs, in the Note, ^.117, Dr. Lucas, in the Place referred to, is fpeaking of the, Miftakes about Chriftian Liberty, which fome falfely placed in an Immunity from external Rites and Obfer- vances. And, " *Tis true, fays he, the Mofaick In- *^ flitution as far as it confifled in outward Obfervances " and Typical Rites is now dilToIved.- But what is ^* this to Ecclefiaftical Authority ? Or to thofe Ecclc- *.' fiaiiical Inftitutions which are no Part of the Mo- ** faick Yoke .'' From the Abrogation, indeed, or " Abolition of Ritual and Typical Religion one may "^' infer; Firft, that Chriitianity muft be a rational *.'- W9rihip, of moral, fpiritual Service. And there- ** fpr• them, cherifo Superjiitio'n, obfcure the Gofpel, 'weaken *' its force, or prove biirthenfome to us, are to berejeSfed^ ^ and 710 1 complied ivith. ^hiis 'much is plain, and no- '•' thing further. Thiere have been others' who run *' into more intolerable Errors •, for fo me have placed ** Chriftian Liberty in Exemption from the Laws of ** Man." You quote only the Words in Italicks, but ■when the whole is taken together, with the Scope and Deri2;n of the Author in the Place where it ftands in his Book, this Padage will be fo far from excufing your Nonconformity, that it will be plain, I)r. huca.s is here arguing in favour of the Rites and Ceremonies of cur Church. And therefore it was ROt quite fair to urge his Authority as if he was againfi. them. Indeed, the Qiiotation, even as you reprefent ir, can do your Cauie no Service : for if our Church enjoins no human Inllitution as a necejjary and ejjential Part of Religion ; and if our Rites and Ceremonies are fuch as neither from the Number or Nature of them do cherifh Superftition, or obfcure the Gofpel, or weaken its force, or prove Burthenjome, all which is certainly true, then it is plain according to this very Quotation, they ought to be complied with. And fo far as Dr. Lucas's Authority may be of any Weight in this Matter, your Reader may in a great Meafure judge of Kis Sentiments by what he- fays. Vol. I. p. 74. *' Had *-•' Men worthy Notions of God, how v/ere it poQible ^~* they fnould ever fancy, that God would accept of ^? the Sincerity and Devotion of a Communicant *'• fitting, but not kneeling ? AfUr Supper, but not in «> the Morning ? That the IVbitcnefs of the Garment ** would pollute and unhallovv tlie fpiri.tual Sacrifice '* of Prayer and Praifes ? and fuch like." P. 135. and 142. you quote feveral Paliages from Bifhop Ssiiiing^eei*^ Irmicum \ but very incoherently, you ?rc [6;] far from obTervIng any proper Connexion, and do ic io immethodically, that if we were to take the fame Liberty we might make a Man countenance what we would. The firft Paflage is to be found, p. 117 of the Irenicumi but not exaftly as you quote it. The Second may be found, p. 116, and the next, p. 119. And then come two Quotations from different Parts of the Preface, ^hat Book you Separatifts are extremely fond of, and feem to take PJeafure in infulting the Memory of fo confiderable a Man, by taking Advan- tages of this his Juvenile Performance. The Plain Reafoner, and others have done fo before you ; and as few Men were more able to anfwer for themfelves than Billiop Stilliftgfleet, I will not prefume to make any other Defence for him, than what he himfelf did. If. feems fomx of the Separatifts were pleafed to quarrel with this their favourite Author for a Sermc?i of his ; and in fome of their Writings, they produced fome Paflages of this very Book, which they pretended were contradidory to fome Things which he advanc*d in his Sermon. This Treatment occafion'd his Unreafonahlenefs of Separatio?iy fo that the Church is obliged to her Ene- mies for that Book, for it is a Defence of that Sermon ; And in the Preface to this Book the good Bifoop anfwers. That when he wrote his Irenicum, " he was verv *' young i and therefore it ought not to be wonder'd " at, if in twenty Year's Time his Judgment was ** alter'd as to fome Things. But^ he fays, as to the " Unlavofulnefs ' of Separation he fpeaks as fully in *' that very Book^ as he did afterivards in his Sermon^ " which will appear by thefe Particulars in it.^* *' I. It is unlawful [for Men] to fet up new *' Churches, becaufe they cannot conform to fuch " Practices as they fufpeifb to be unlawful. " 2. Thofe are new Churches, when Men erc6t <' diflind Societies for Worfliip, under diftlnft and •' peculiar Officers, governing by Laws and Church- " Rules, ditferent frpiii that Form they feparate Irom. I *' 3. A^ [ 66 3 ** 3- -^s to Things in the Judgment of the pflmi* *' tive and reformed Churches left undetermined by •' the Law of God, and in Matters of meer Order *' and Decency, and wholly as to the Form of Go- *' vernment, every one, notwithftanding what his *' private Judgment may be of them, is bound, for " the Peace of the Church of God. to fubmit to the *' Determination of the lawful Governors of the ** Church. *' Allow, fays he, but thefe three Conchjions^ and de- *' fend the prefent Separation if you can. Why then do ** you make fuch a Stir about other Pafjages in that *' Bookj and take fo little Notice^"" [you and the Plain Reafoner take no Notice,] " of thefe, which are mofi *' pertinent and material.^"* This is the Subftance of the Bijhop's own Defence, and an ingenuous Perfon would not produce an Au- thority from that Book, in this Difpute, without tak- ing Notice of v/hat the Author had faid of it. The jafl Paflage you quote is what you are moft fond of, viz. Let Men turn and wind themfelves which Way they will, by the very fame Arguments that any will prove Separation from the Church of Rome laivful, hscaufe fhe require th unlawful Things, as Conditions of her Com- tnunion ; /'/ will be proved lawful, not to conform to any fufpeSied, or unlawfid Pra5iice, required by any Church Governors upon the fame Terms, if the Thing fo re- quired, be after ferious and fiber Enquiry, judged un- ivarrantable by a Man*s own Confcience. See Sh. Anf. P- 71- As thefe Words may carry an Infinuation as if the Bifhop meant it was a parallel Cafe between the Sepa- ration of the Diffenters from us, and our Separation from the Church of Rs7j^e j I mud obferve that of all the unfair Methods which your Writers make ufe of, there is no one hath a greater Efiefb, nor is any thing they fay further from Truth than this. You yourfelf do frequently infinuate, that the Church of England, the main Bulwark of the Reformation, is but one Remove 1 67] Remove from Popery \ and that it is altogether as lawful, and as juftifiablc for you to feparate from kj, as it is for us to feparate from the Church of Rome, In Anfwer to which, as you think, proper to produce Bifhop Stillingfleet^s Authority againji us, give mc Leave to ufe it to juftify that Church now he is dead, of which he was both the Defence and Orna- ment when hving. He fays, " The only remaining Pretence for the ** prefent Separation, is, that there is a Parity of *' Reafon as to their feparating from Us, and our *' feparating from the Church of Rome^ — but is it ** poiTible for any Man that pretends to be a Pro- " tejiani Divine to think the Cafe alike ? When^ " I. They [the DifTenters] confefs our Do6lrine in the ** 39 Articles to be true. " We rejed: all their [the Church of Romt*^'] addi- ^^ tional Articles in Pius the Fourth his Creed, not *' only as falfe, but fome of them as abfurd, and un- " reafonable as Men can invent, viz. That of Trati* " fubftantiation, which is made by them the great *' trying, and burning Point. But what is there that " the moft inveterate Enemies of our Church, can " charge in her Doctrine, as new, as falfe, as abfurd ? " Nay, they all yeild to the Antiquity, to the Truth, ** to the Reafonablenefs of our Do^rine, and is not " Mr. B . alham*d to make the Cafe feem « parallel ? 2. " We charge them [the Church of Rome] with " thofe Reafons for Separation which the Scripture " allows, fuch as Idolairy^ perverting the Gofpel and *' Infiitutions of Chri/i^ and Tyranny over the Con* *' fciences of Men, in making thofe things necejfary to ♦' Salvation which Chrifl never made fo. *' But not one of them can with any Appearance *f of Reafon be charged on the Church of England ^* fiiiee we profefs to give religious Worlhip oni/ ia ^^ God, We "worfhip no Images, We invocaic no I % ♦< Smts, [68] '* Saints. We adore no Hoji. We creep to no Cru- " cijix. Wg kifs no Relicks. We equal no Traditi- " ons with the Gofpel. We lock it not up from the " People in an unknown Tongue. We preach no " other Terms of Salvation than Chrift and his *' Apoflles did. We fet up no Monarchy in the *' Church to undermine Chriji*s, nor difpenfe with his " Laws and Inftitutions. We mangle no Sacraments, " nor pretend to know what makes more for the *' Honour of his Blood, than he himfelf did. We *' pretend to no Skill in expiating Men's Sins when " they are dead •, nor in turning the bottomlels Pit " into the Pains oi Purgatory, by a charm of Words, " and a qnick Turn of the Hand. We do not " cheat Men's Souls with falfe Bills of Exchange, *' call'd Indulgences ; nor give out, that we have the " Treafure of the Church in c^/r keeping, which wc *' can apply as we fee Occafion. We ufe no pious " Frauds to delude the People ; nor pretend to be *' infallible as they do, when they have a Mind to " deceive, Thefe are Things which the Divines of " cur Church, have with great Clearnefs and Strength " of Reafon made good againft the Church o^ Rome; " and iince they cannot be objedled againft our " Church, with what Face can Men fuppofe the Cafes " of thofe who feparate from each or them to be ■" parallel ? 3. " As to the Ceremonies in the Roman Church, *' and Ours, there are thefe confiderable Differences.*; 1. " They have a mighty Number, as appears by " their Rituals and Ceremonials, and the great Vo- " lumcs v/ritten in Explication of them : We very " few ; and thofe fo very eafy and plain, that it re- " quires as great Skill, ?iot to underftand ours, as it *' doth to underfland theirs. 2. " They place great Holinefs in theirs, as appears " by the Forms of Confecration of their Water, Oil, '^ Sa]r. Wax, Yeteents, i^c, : But We allow none [ 69 ] ** of thefe, but only the Ufe of certain Ceremonies," " without any preceding Aft of the Church importing " any peculiar Holimfs attributed to them.* 3. " They fuppofe great Virtue and Efficacy to b? " in them for the purging away Jome Sort of Sins ; " We utterly deny any fuch Thing to belong to our " Ceremonies, but declare they are appointed only for ** Order and Decency. 4. " They make their Ceremonials, being appointed ** by the Church, to become necejjary Parts of divine ** Worlhip : But our Church looks upon them, even ^' when determin*d^ as things in their own Nature in- " different^ but only required by that general Obe-? ** dience which we owe to lawful Authority ; {o that *' as to Ceremonials themfelves, tl^ere is a vaft Difpa- • As what the learned Bilhop here fays, is flriftly true, it will effeftually anfwcr and deftroy all thofe falfe and malicious Calumnies that are interfperfed in feveral Parts of your Cook, where you charge us with imputing an unwarrantable Holinefs to our Churches, Veftments, &c. As thefe Irfmuations are highly injurious, fo are they altogether groundlcfs and unpro- voked. Our Veftments and Utenfils, have no particular pre- vious Confccration ; and in the Confecration of ©ur Churches and Church-Yards, there is nothing that can be pretended to be fupcrftitious. If there were, we fhould, moft probably, find it ii;i the Form of Confecration of a Chapel in HamfJInre, by Biiliop ' Andre'v^s j the fame Perfon, I prefume, whom you dignify, by calling him a fuperjiitious Biihop, p. 107. This Form is placed at the End of Bifhop Sparronuz Collection of Articles, &-c. And, I am perfwaded, it would give the moft timorous DiiTenter no OfFence. Even after their Confecration, all Men knav/, that our Churches and Church-Yards are no otherwife deemed to be Holy, than as they are Places fet apart from common Ufes, and purpofely feparated and appropriated, for the publick Wor- fftip of Almighty God, and for the Burial of the Dead. There- fore, when we meet with any malicious Sneers, either in diff'ent- ing, or unbelieving Writers, concerning Holy Walls, and Holy Ground, we fhould confider them only as Proofs of the Author** Difingenuity and Malevolence, If you had had lefs of this, you would not have aflced, p. 46. " Is there any Holinefs in 3 •* White Surplice .?" Who evcr pretended there was more Holi- nefs in a white Surplice, than in a White Band? Or, in a Black CcivK, more than in a Black Cloak P Yet you would not «u!/V« the Breach 5 y9u have no Acrimony^ no hclination t* irritate, &c. dty [7°] •* rity between the Roman Church and Ours ; and no ^' Man can pretend otherwife that is not either grofsly " ignorant, or doth not wilfully mifunderftand tho " State of the Con^overfy between ihem and us *'*. You fee then, that Bifhop SHilmgfleet*^ Authority will bring but fmall Advantage to your Caufe. On the contrary I return you my Thanks, for giving me fo fair an Occafion to produce this material Paflagc, snd at the fame time to recommend this Book, The Unreafonablenefs of Separaiion^ &c, to the ferious Pe- rufal of tvcry fair tindjificere DilTenter. Your Quotation from Mr. Haki*s Trad of Schifm, is far from being exad j but not to infill upon this, (I would not iland with you upon Trifles) be pleas*d to confider the following Place in that very Piece. *"^ For the further opening therefore of the Nature of *' Schifm, fomething muil be added by way of Diffe- " rence to diftinguifh it from mcefjary Separation ; and " that is, fays he, that the Caufes upon which Divi- *' fion is attempted, proceed not from Pajfion or Dif '* temper, or from Ambition or Avarice, or fuch other *' Ends as human Folly is apt to purfue, but from *^ well weighed and necefjary Reajons, and that v/hen "^' all other means having been tried 'nothing will ferve ^^ to fave us from Guilt of Confcience, but open Separa^ *' tion** This lafl is the Cafe between us and the Church of Rome \ and I leave any By-Stander to judge whether the former is npt the Cafe betv/een you and Us. For the Quotation from Bilhop Burnet. See Short Anf p. ly.^c. P- i5i» y^^ ^^7} Note X, Dr. Oittram flates the Meaning of the Ceremony of *' Laying on of Handss ■}^ to be, either the entire Devotion of Perfons or ** Things to the elpecial Service of God, or, in the I' Cafe of fotne Sacrifices, the fubftituting the Death «' or Blood of the Bead in the Stead of that of the >' QiTerer, Lev. i. 4. Nuinl. viii, 10, 13. ^e ChiU ^ SscStiliiBgficet'sUareafonabieaefs of Sepaiat. Fart 3. S. 38 '^ ■ « dm T7I ] •* dren of Ifraeljhall put their Hands iipan the L^viies, *' De Sacrif, 1. i. c, 15.'* Dr. Outram^s Words arc, Se6t. VIII. p. 166. " Jam manuum Impofitio ritus *' crat, ea notandi ac defignandi, qua^, vel morti de- *' vota erant, vel Dei Grati^e commendata, vel deni- •' que gravi alicui muneri, ufuivc facro deftinata.** Impqfition of Hands "xas a Rite, by which Men appointed and diftinguijhed thofe Things that were either devoted ta Deaths or recommended to the Favour of God, or deft:in*d to foms folemn Office^ or facred Ufe. He mentions the Blafphemer, Lev. xxiv. 14. as an Inftance of thcfr^ Sort; JacQh*s bleffing Epbraim and Manaffes, as aa Inftance of the fecond. Gen. xlviii. 14, ^c. Mofes con^ ■ferring the Magiftracy on Jofoiia by this Rite, as an Inftance of the thirds and the Scape Goat, Lev. xvi. 2 1. as another Inftance. And what is all this to thePur- pofe of Ordination in the Chrifiian Church ? If this will prove that Senior- Pajiors may ordain Pre/hyters without the Concurrence of a Bifhop, which was the Thing you were to make out, I am miftaken. And,- by the Way, this Method of quoting is nor juftihable, P. 160, Your Quotation from Dean Prideaua is as little pertinent as any of the reft. No Man will deny -but if our Liturgy were never to be alter'd, it mighr^ in time J become unint«lligible to the common People, But can you fay this is already the Cafe? Does nos every one know that our Liturgy may eafily be un- derftood by any of the very lowfji People ? P. 164, Tou fay our Argument againft occafional Conformity may be turned againft us, thus, " occa- " fional Communion with DiiTenters is lawful, (as ic ** certainly is) therefore ftated Communion with themt " is a Duty.'* But, good Sir, you entirely miftake the ■Matter. How could you conceive that occafional Communion with the Separatifis fhould be lawful? -But not to nip this lovely Argument in the Bud, let us for the prefent fuppofe, what 1 can upon no Account allow, your Confequence wiJl not follow. Perhaps indeed, upon this Supponticn it might, if it were en- J [ 1\ ] enjoined by the "proper Governors of the Church and the- Laws of the hand. But here lies the Difference ; you feparate from the lawful Eftablifhment for Matters indifferent in themfelves. By the legal Efiablijhment I mean, that which is fixed by thofe who are the proper Rulers of the Church, zoith the Concurrence of the Civil Power. A Separation from a Church thus ejlabli/lfd can be juftified upon no other Principle than this only^ that unlawful and finful Terms of Communion are re- quired by it. Now, we fay, if this ba the Cafe, if fuch unlawful Z'^^ finful Terms be required, then occa- fional Comynunion with us is utterly unlawful 2indjinful: But if this be not the Cafe, then Nonconformity is Schif fnatical, and utterly unjuflifiable : Therefore, jtated Conformity and conftant Communion with us is a Duty. Try your Strength now, and fee if this Argu- ment can be retorted upon us. Whatever you can fay or invent to the contrary, I will defy you to clear this Pradice from the grolfeft Hypocrijyt For do you not all know, the Dcfign of the Tejt-Acl was to exclude fuch as are not real Mem- bers of the Eflablifh'd Church ? And is it not then grofs Hypocrify to pretend to be fo, by joining in the moft folemn A6b of Religious Worfhip ? An Ad that lurnifhes you with part of your pretended Reafons againfl Conformity ; when all the time you know, you are intruding into a Place which the Tefl-A^ in- tended to exclude you from, and that by demurely ^t- ting to be what your Confcience muft tell you, you are not ? Bat why fhould I trouble myfelf to argue any further with a Perfon who is pofTefl of fuch confam- mate Effrontery, that he can prevail with himfelf when he is inftru^ing a Child, to fay it is a parallel Cafe be- tween the Separating Occafional Ccdformifi, and the Cafe of our Bleffed Saviour. An Affertion which, be- fidcs the Abfurdity, and Ridiculoufnefs of it, falls very little, if any thing fhort of Blafphemy ! Upon the whole, it cannot be expeded that in this Pamphlet I can anfwer every Article in your Book, which .[ 73 ] which is pretty clofely printed, and three times as long as this is, and which contains fcarce one Anfwer but what is exceptionable; fo for the prefent I defirc you would excafe me. As to thefe Remarks^ I think you will not be offended at the Freedom that I have ufcd in them, whoever you be, when you reflect that you have yourfelf obferv'd no Rules ot Decency in regard to the Church, and the Ckr^ of England. Candid and fcrious Reafoning will always be treated by Us with. all imaginable Rcfpcd; but virulent Abufc, and railing Inveftives, like yours, defervc more Contempt, and a feverer Corredion than I have given them. One Thing more I will fay, and that is, if an in- telligent Reader will only change the No*s into Tes*s, and the Affirmative, into Negative Anfwers, he will find them come infinitely nearer the 'Truth. Indeed your Method of Reafoning is fo oddly contrived, that with a fmall Alteration, what you fay would fcrve the quite contrary Purpofe, that you intended it fhould. I will explain my Meaning by giving a Specimen of one ihort Scdion, p. 171. under the Head of GW and Ecdeftajlical Autherity. ^ " Can the Command of a Magiftrate or Bilhop ** make it a Duty, or lawful, to bring That into " God's Worlhip which was not a Duty or lawful « before ?" A. Tes, certainly : For when God has left the particular Modes and CircHmJiances of Worjhip unde- termined^ thefe are Matters indifferent^ and therefore the proper Subject of the BiJhop*s Command. ^ " Is not Chrift a, perfe6l and fufficient Teaeher « of Religion V A. Tes. i^ " But could Hebe fo, it He had not, Himfelf, " or by his Spirit in the Apoftlcs, informed Men of " every Part of neceflary, ufeful and acceptable « Worfhip?" A. Tes : If by every Part, i^c. he meant ^ every Cir- cumjfance and Csremony relating to Worfhip ; for the dif- K ferent 1 . [74] ferent Cufioms of different Countries made it proper is leave them undetermined. ^ " What Refledion then does the adding ol •* Man's Inventions to God*s Worfhip carry in it ?'* A. None at all: For they are in fome Refpects ahfo~ iutely neceffary. ^ " Has the Magiftratc or the Prieft any Power '* to blefs the Rites and Ceremonies they claim Autho- ** rity to impofe ?" A. They have a Power to prefer ihe the life of thenty which is all that they claim. ^ " Is there any Reafon to hope that God will « blefs them ?" A. TeSy Jince they are dene in Obedience to the lawful Authority which he has appointed. ^ " Will [not] the Souls of Men be benefited ** by any thing which is done in Obedience to a law- •• ful Authority ?" A. r:s. ^. *' Have Princes or Pricfts ever producM a Com- •* miffion from God, for impofing any Parts or Modes '* of Worlhip not required in the New Teftament ?'* A. Tes. ^ " Where Great Men and Superiors have an •* Authority, or. Right to command, are inferior ** Men excufed from Obedience V* A. No. If your Reader would take the fame Method with the other Parts of your Book, believe me, it would be to the full as good a Vindication of the Church of England^ as it is at prefent of the Englijh Separatifts.- And fo 1 bid you Farewell- "T U E END. >^> '■^m^^m -.j •' ^ .%^ •^v.i? -^. ._.,^^^^^ C- i^.'^ ■/■fL:;^ ,--.-Hi ^'■^^-^ "f ^^«t^. ■^$- 'SI). *,4^ ,■ ■ fef't '' ''^ "^J *•&'