Againft Perfemtion. preach againjl app.rovcd doctrines_ or pra6tic_cs of the Church, than in forcing them ro preach for tbem, or to fubknbc or fpeak thcu approbatiOn or atfent: If they be llOt pointJ or pra{lius of great nccdfity, a man may be fit for the Minifl:ry and Church~communion, who meddleth not with them, but Preachcth the wholfome truths of the Gofpel, and lets them alone. And, bcccmte no dury i~ at all times a Outy, afober mans judgement will allow him to be filcnt at many an errour when he dare not fubfcribe to or approve the lcafi. But if here any proud and cruel Pafiors, nlJil come in with their kffcr felti{h incommodides, and fay, If they do not approve of whac we f•y and do,.thcy will fecrctly foment a fad-ionagainfi us; I Chould anfwer them, that as good men will foment no faCtion, {0 if fuch Proud impatient turbulent men, will endure none that fubfcribc not to all theii opinions, or diffi:r from them in a circumfl.mce or a Cl:'rcmony, they !hall raife a greater {aCtion ( if they'l call it fo ) againft thc:m(flves, and make the people look on them as tyrants and not as Paltors, and they fhal\ fee in the tnd, when thty have bought their wit by dear experience that they have but torn the Church in pieces, by preventing divifions by carnal means, and tha't they have.: Ion thcmfelvcs by being over zeal<lus for themfdvcs ; and thotr D 0 C T R l N E ;!.nd L 0 yE arc the inllrhments of a witc Shcphcard, that lovcth the flock, and undertlands his worl{. Diret/. 36. 9· 58. Direct. 36. Dijlillgttijh bttween, the mai(jng of new Lawr or arricltr of bdirj, a 11 ;J the punijhing (f mm for tbe L.JwJ alrrady made; And thmk not that we mu~ have new Laws 0£ C.!tl;..ms, every time the old ones are broken: or that any Law can be made whKh can k.:::ep it .,Jf from be– ing broken. Pervcrfmfs in this enour harh brought the Church to the 111ifery which it endurerh. God l~ath mad~ at~ Univerfal Law fuffir.:~ent for the Univ~rfal Church, in man.:r6 of t~aich and holy pra6bce; leavmg1t to men to determme of nccdfary cm:umfbnc!.S wh1cn W(re ur.ht for an uni– vcrfal Law : And if the fufficiency of Gods Law,- wtrc aci<nowl~dged in mt:ns praCtices ,he Churchc:s would have had more peace : But when p.uticular Countrcys iuve thla p.. u ticular' Vo~ lumes of Articles, Confdlions, Liturgies, and I know not what d[e to be fublcribtd to, and none muft Preach that will not fay or write:: or fwear, [ lh<it he bditveth all this to be:- true and good and nothiug in it to be againft the Word of God J tl.1s Engine wuck~ rh~ 1.mbs of the Chu 1 ch:s all to pieces : And. then whars the prctenft fvr tins epidl"mica1 cal.m:ry ? Why no better than this [ Every Heretick will fubfcribe to the Scnp.urts:, and tahc it in his own f~nfe J: And what follow– eth ? Muft we needs therefore l11ve new Laws which H::reticks wiU mt fub{cribe ro, or which they cannot break ? It is the Commendation o~ Gods Law, as fit to be the means t)f Unity, that dlarefo eafily agreed to it it~ terms, and therefore: would agree in the fcnfc if they underllood it. But they will not do {Q by th~ L1ws of men: All or many Hereticks in the primitive '"times, would proftfs dfutt ro the Churches Crtcd; no doubt in a corrupt and printe fenfe : But the Churches did not thqeforc make new Creeds; till above jooyears after Chrifi, they began to put in fame particular WUI'.ls to obviate Hereticks, which Hilary complained of as the CJufe of all their divi~ fjons! And what if Hen. ticks will fubfcribe to all you bid them, :md take it in their own cor– rupted fenfc >Mull you therefore be llill making new Llws and Articles, till you meet with fame which they canno~ rnif-underfland, or dare not thus abufe? What if men w1ll mif.interpret and break the Laws of the Land? Mull they be made new till none can miC-expound or vinlare them~ Sure there is a wifer way than this ! Gods word containeth in fufficicnt exprdfions, 3.11 that is ne– ceffary to be (ubfcrib~:d to : Require none therefore to fubfcribe to any more ; ( in r.urteJs of faith or holy pratiict) : But if you think aoy Articles need a fpecial interpretarion, h.t the Church give her fcnf~: of thofe Articles ; and if any man Preach again{\ thu fenfc, and corrupt [he Word of God which he hath fubfcribcd, let his fault be p.aved, and let him be admonifhed and cenfured as it deferves ~ Cenfurtd I fay, not for not fi~bfcribing more rban Sc6p:rtrr, b.,t for corrupting the Scriptura to which he bath [ubfcribed, or brea~ng d od1 Lawr rvbicb he promifcd to ob{trvt• Dirttl· 3 7 • §. 5?· Dir<Cl. 31· 1he G.,d of men, and not their ruine mujl be intended in aU rhe Difciplint •f the Churth : Or the good of the Church, when we have but little hope of theirS. lr this were tlone, it would ealily be perceived, that pcrfecution is an unlikely means to do good by. Dire{]. 3 g. ~- 6o. Direct. 38. Neither Hnliinittd Liberty in matters of Religion muft be allowed. nor unneccff..Jry furcl and rigour t-t[ed, but 'Toltr<Jb!e dijftrencu and parties muft be tolerat:d, and intolerable onrr by the wifeft meanr f•PP"fl: And to this end, by the Counfd of the moll prudent peaceable Divines, the 1oUtrable and the l•toUe,.ble mu(\ be }latedly dijlinguijhed ! And thofe that are only 1"leratedmufi be under a Law for thei1·Toleration, prcfcribing them their terms of good behaviour; . and thofe that arc Approved, mufi moreover have tke Countenance and Mailltcnance of the Ml– gifirate ; And if this were done, I• The advantage of the faid EncoNragcment from Govcr– nours : 2. With the regulation of the the toleration, and the Magiltrates careful Government of the Tolerated, would ptevent both perfccution, and moll of the divifions and calamiries of the Church. Thus did the ancient ChrHhan Emperours and Bithops : (And was their experi– ence nothing?) The Novatians (as good and Orthodox men) were allowed their own Chur– ches and Biiliops even in Conftamin· pie, at the Emperours nofe. Efpecia1ly jf ir b~ made the work.., of fome Juftices, I· To judge or perfons to be tolerated, and grant them Patents) 2· And to over-rule them and punitb them when they dderve ic; No other way would avoid fo C:1<my in– conveniences. DirtO· 39• 9· 6t. Direct. 39 The things intolerable .,, tbefe two : •· (Not the btlievi11g, but) the preaching and propaj!,ating of principlu contrary to the e./JentialJ of Godlinefs or Cbrijlianity, or Go– vernment, Jujfice, Charity or Peace. 2· The tur;ulent unpeaceable m11nagement of thofe opinions which
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=