76 being spiritual, is so far from being any prejudice to Civil States, that it is the very glory and safety of them... "Ob.-But that there shall be an order of Church government established, in a National Church; and withal, a liberty left for other Church-assemblies; .. this may be a means to foment factions and envious emulations in a State... "An. For this; first, there be good laws for civil-government: secondly, that [when] any one, among the exempted Congregations, do incorrigibly [sic] inisbehave themselves, the law can take order with them thirdly, let no men blame them before they try them: fourthly, it hath been an old stratagemn of Satan still to lay all the blame of whatever disaster upon the Christians, as Nero did! fifthly, it cannot be expected but wherever the Gospel cometh in its power and purity, it will kindle coals and stir up debate, as Christ saith, Matt. x. 21: but this is accidentally... And if for this, every Civil State should shut out the true religion, where would there be left any true church upon the earth? "Ob. But the church-way of Independency is too strict and cannot be content with a mediocrity, but aspires to such a perfection of purity as men are not capable of; and therefore, such will, of necessity, be envied and maligned, which will cause divisions. "An. As if all true Christians were not expected, every where, and so bound, to strive for perfection so much as is possible, as we read, Matt. v. 20, 48; Phil. iii. 12; Col. i. 28; iv. 12; 2 Tim. iii. 17; and every where, in the Scripture, is 'perfect' holiness required, as Eph. iv. 12; 2 Cor. vii. 1; see also, Heb. v. 12; vi. 1; etc. And, for envy, were there but once set up, amongst us, some such Congregations as come nearest to the rule of God's Word, both in church-constitutions and graces suitable, they would draw no less love and liking to them.. than ever this land hath yet seen. And however the world accounts strictness, yet none are admitted Members thereof, but such as are both willing and desirous, and do freely enter into covenant to observe all the conditions and orders thereof, according to God's Word: and whoso are over, in, and of, this Congregation, they find in it nothing that is grievous; but Christ's sweetness, whose 'yoke is easy,' and His burden light.'a "Ob.-But if such Congregations were set up,.. it would, perhaps, stir up the parochial ministers, or some at least, to envy and malignity: .. and by this means also, should their wages be diminished. "An.-First; if Christians living in a parish shall find just cause of separating themselves; . . as where great scandals and offences are constantly given;.. shall any ministers be so unchristian as to envy this? Or if they do, let them reform their own congregations and take away all such scandals,.. and set up Christ's government,.. that so, they may retain those honest souls which, otherwise, are forced to forsake the puddled streams to enjoy the sweet, fresh, and pure fountain of living waters.' b Nor will the ministers and pastors of such Independent Congregations, look after any such wages as the parochial No, surely; ministers challenge to themselves, as tithes, or the like. they are, and will be, content that such competent maintenance as the Members of their several Congregations respectively shall freely, without any compulsion-as is used in tithes-allow unto them... "Ob.—But the Parliament now being about a Reformation: . . what Government shall be set up in this National Church? "An. The Lord strengthen and direct the Parliament in so great and glorious a work... But as for the manner of Government of a National Church, because it hath no pattern in the Scripture now under the Gospel, who can herein prescribe or advise anything?.. Let it be what it will [a Presbytery, or otherwise,] so as still a due respect be had to those Congregations and Churches which desire an exemption, and liberty of enjoying Christ's ordinances in such purity as a National Church is not capable of: and, whatever liturgy, or ceremonies, or discipline, are left to accompany this National Church-government, it is indifferent with us, so [that] we may enjoy our Christian liberty in the true use of such ordinances, and of such Independent Churchgovernment, as Christ, the only Law-giver of his Church, and Lord of the conscience, hath left unto us in his Word. “Ob.-But Independent Churches being absolute in themselves, and exempted from a superior jurisdiction of others; and yet not exempted from possibility of erring; what law is left, to reduce them from their error?.. "An.- First; they have Christ's law to regulate them: secondly; they have that law of Christ, which is, by love, to serve one another: they have the law of association and confederation with other churches, to consult, advise, and confer with, in matters of doubt or question: and if, after all other remedies, any be obstinate in his or their error, they are liable to excommunication either in the same Congregation, if it be a particular person and the error great; or from other Churches, if the whole Congregation have offended and do stiffly maintain a dangerous error; which yet is rarely seen in a well-constituted Congregation, consisting of meet members. And if, at any time, such a thing should fall out which cannot grow but from some root of apostacy, particular or general; if the offence do reflect also upon the laws of the Civil State which are made against known heresies, or blasphemy, or idolatry, and the like, the offenders are obnoxious to the Civil power: so little fear there is, that any Independent Congregation, or any member thereof, should be exempt from condign censure, where just cause is given either Ecclesiastical or Civil!" Burton's project for promoting a real Reformation on grounds totally distinct from State-church policy, roused respective advocates of the existent and pre-existent State-ecclesiastics to assume the attitude of respondents. The Presbyterians were represented in "Vindicia Voti: or, A Vindication of the True Sense of the National Covenant; in a Brief and Moderate Answer to the Protestation Protested.' Discovering the Unsoundness of that Interpretation of the Covenant; and the Weakness of the grounds there suggested for separate and Independent Churches.-By John Gerce, M.A., and Preacher of God's Word in Tewkesbury.-Published by the Authority of the House of Coinmons. 1641." 4to. pp. 32. He tells the "Christian Reader" that Burton's "treatise so far as it doth concern his title, seemed to me so irrational that I thought all understanding Christians would rather have smiled at the weakness than have been any way moved with the sophistry of it: but finding, by experience, that not only many of the more intelligent Christians, but even some of reputation in a higher rank, were much taken with it; and the effect of it, that some were scrupled, some attempted a tumultuous removing of things Established by Law, under colour of this 'Protestation;' I thought it necessary that unto this treatise, pressing the taking of the Covenant, . . I should annex a brief answer to the unsound interpretation of it by this nameless author, lest those that have or may enter into it by any means, be afterwards, by this bad gloss, cast upon either the incomparable burden of a wounded conscience or unwarrantable and illegal actions; which will hinder, not further, a holy, legal, and orderly Reformation.” The Answer commences thus: "The very title seems to me a riddle, seeing nothing in the treatise to answer it; this being not an avowing but a glossing, or rather a glozing, of the Protestation.'. . It is not to be doubted, but many enter this Protestation' rather for company than conscience, and so will make too little account of keeping it, and need admonition to observe as well as to enter this Covenant: but that this neglect should be so general as to include the generality of the godly, as this Expositor doth make it; that I dare not assent unto. The Psalmist hath taught me more tenderness: If I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.' b То condemn the godly, was such a thing to this blessed Psalmist, that he would renounce sense and reason, and set upon a serious review, rather than dash upon it in whose steps had this Author trodden he would not have been so rash [as] to have put the fool upon them!.. But now to the point. "In his very first argumentation, there is a most palpable fallacy; which is so obvious that it is [a] wonder to me that any man, that would undertake to write a book in a matter of this consequence, should either not himself see, or should imagine that so many clear eyes that it must needs touch, would not most easily discern: . . for the Protestation' is not against 'popery' absolutely, but, as this Author expresseth it, so far forth as it is against the doctrine of the Church of England :' what popery' then, the doctrine' of the Church of England, doth not condemn, this 'Protestation' doth not include. . . But then some will demand, Is not the doctrine of the Church of England, against all popery?' I answer, ad hominem: If the things here objected be 'popery; then, the doctrine of the Church' is not against 'all popery:' for these things, so far as they may be termed doctrinal, are yet according to the doctrine of the Church of England.' Unless you Geree had been for some years silenced, by Bishop Goodman; but was restored to his cure in this year, by the Committee of Religion. Wood, Ath. Oxon, vol. iii. col. 245, edit Bliss.. b Ps. lxxiii. 15. 6 will say, that the doctrine of the Church of England' is contrary to the practice of the Church of England. Whence then, thus I argue : Either the doctrine of the Church of England' is not against all popery, or else the imposition' of the Liturgy, Ceremonies, Discipline, Government, are not 'popery;' for the doctrine of the Church of England' is not against' them! If the doctrine of the Church of England' is not against all popery,' he that vows to maintain' that 'doctrine' against all popery,' vows not against' popery absolutely, but only as it is against that doctrine: and then, this Author's inference from this vow against popery, with this restraint, That we must therefore oppose all' popery, absolutely; is a manifest inconsequence. On the other side, if the Liturgy, etc., be not popery,' as they must not be, if the doctrine of the Church of England' be complete against it; they are not abjured! So, however it be, the Covenanter is free from breach and folly... We protest to maintain' every person, that maketh this Protestation,' in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful pursuance of it: if a man should, thence, infer that we must defend' him whatsoever he shall do in the pursuance of it; if he shall move sedition, or the like, were not this a violation of the sense of this Covenant? And is [it] not the same, when we stretch the opposing of popery' so far as it is opposite to the doctrine of the Church of England,' to be meant against all popery' whatsoever; though it be granted it be maintained in the Church of England? His foundation then, is most rotten; and what firmness can be in the building?" We have felt compelled to copy this complex engine with which Geree thought to sap Burton's "foundation;" and if any reader think that Geree has not thus far laboured for nought, when that reader "awaketh" from the enchantment, his delusion may possibly have vanished "as a dream."a The Presbyterian takes upon himself to say that Burton "should have framed the argument thus, Those things are established by the laws of England, where the doctrine of the Church of England' is established; and therefore, according to the doctrine of the Church of England,' these things cannot be interpreted to be 'popery;' and so not within the verge of that Protestation' which is against popery as it is opposite to the doctrine of the Church of England!' Which objection, if he ever answer erit mihi magnus Apollo." We hesitate to proceed with a logician so fond of framing positions that he may show his ability at confutation; and yet places himself in this position, "This Author," says he, "is very good at bold assertions, but all as bad in confirmations; for what a good Christian may do, in weakness, I will not determine; but no wise Christian, as far as I can conceive, can judge that whatever shall be found to be 'popery,' is included in this Protestation,' but whatever is found to be popery against the doctrine of the Church of England,' which is the term limiting 'popery' in the Protestation." Which is as much as to say, that so much "popery" as is not "against the doctrine, etc.," is not intended in the Ps. sup. v. 20. "Protestation!" Wherefore so much waste of words, when this testy Vindicator suffered this sentence to pass under his pen: "All the Reformation to be expected from this Parliament, is not expected by this Protestation:' this is one degree to reform whatever popery or innovation, is against law established; this done, the Parliament is proceeding further to perfect hoped-for Reformation, by removing corruptions established by law?" Burton could have required no more. The admirers of this opponent of Burton have little truly to boast of after the following concessions: "Mistake not, I plead not for them [those plants which our heavenly Father hath not planted'], but to clear the sense of the Protestation,' that it may not be wrested to include them, as it is by this Author: of which wresting I see and fear manifest inconveniences." The reader little expects, it may be, what "inconveniences" they are that are so "manifest.' Attend then, "First; The Honourable Houses of Parliament are by it [the wresting] wronged; and are thereby like to grow more opposite to the removing of the things here pleaded against: and so, as it is usually, this making haste will hinder the work it aims to further, unless this conceit be seasonably corrected. Secondly: This misinterpretation will hinder inany from entering this 'Protestation;' which remora of so good a work had need be removed, which this answer [Geree's] may further. Thirdly: Many that have taken it, are partly troubled because such things are yet suffered that they think they have protested against; which they think they should not only omit to act, but, also, by all ineans oppose. Partly, I see men are taken off for [from] praying for the abolition of such things as they conceive are already cast off by Protestation; and are inclined, by carnal violence, under this pretence, to do that in the Church which, by a spiritual violence, they should endeavour to prevail for with God, that so they may be prevailers with men to have public corruptions purged by public authority; which is a safe, comfortable, and honourable way. Lastly: Some, that think some things in themselves lawful and tolerable, I find, by this Protestation Protested,' to conceive them unlawful, as against the Protestation,' though in themselves indifferent. As to instance: though they think, and justly, that the use of the Liturgy in the whole form of it, as a complete service of God, to be many ways vicious, yet they think the use of some of the forms there which are without exception and more suited to the people's wants, to be in themselves lawful. Notwithstanding, though not for his arguments to prove them popish, yet for his exposition of the Protestation' they refuse them; and not only refuse them, but lay imputation on those that use them as breakers of their vow and Protestation... If any dissent from us we shall be more ready to contend with God than them: with God, I say, That He would move the Parliament to remove this form so excepted against and corrupt in the general composure of it; and, whatever other they prescribe, not exactly to tie the well-gifted to it, but leave a liberty to vary as God shall enable them as I have heard it hath been in our dear sister-church of Scotland. Or if they tie them to any form, that they will rather tie * Matt. xv. 13. |