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IV. THe next part of Lay-Conformity is this: Christ, who instituted Ministry, Word and Sacraments, hath also instituted a certain determinate Discipline in his Church, of great use to the Church, and to particular Souls: And this is con∣siderable,
1. As a Duty. 2. As a Benefit. And no Man hath au∣thority, 1. To disoblige us from a Duty of Christ's imposing; 2. Or to deprive us of a Benefit of Christ's giving. But Confor∣mity doth both these to the Laity in a great degree.
What mean you by that Discipline? I thought our Church had rather too sharp Discipline? I hope you mean not the Geneva Discipline, or the Scots Presbyteries and Stool of Repentance.
I mean nothing but what as to the Matter, the Episcopal Party write for as the Ordinance of Christ: The true exercise of the Keys, and the previous Acts. That is, That God hath made the Church to be as it were the Porch of Heaven, a So∣ciety gathered out of the Infidel World, sanctified to God, and prepared for Glory; and therefore he would have none in his Church, but such as profess Faith, Love and Holiness, and re∣nounce a fleshly, sensual, worldly and profane Life: And the Pastors bear the Keys of Trust and Government to judge of such; that is, who are to be taken in, and who to be cast out, and who to be admonished and cured of scandalous Sins: And all the Members are bound to preserve the Purity of themselves, and the Society in their places; And therefore if a Brother live scan∣dalously, contrary to his Profession, his Neighbour that hath no∣tice of it, is to tell him of his fault, and if he hear not, and re∣pent not, to warn and admonish him before witnesses: and if yet he repent not, to tell the Church; and if yet he repent not, and hear not the Church, he is to be avoided, as one that is none of their Communion. But if warning, perswasion, Prayers and Pa∣tience, bring him to Repentance, the Church is gladly to pro∣nounce his forgiveness by God, and to receive him. This is the Discipline which Christ hath instituted, and the Christian Chur∣ches have Professed.
This calling Men to Repentance personally will but disturb and distract the Parishes: Men will never endure it: And that's no Duty that will do harm.
They are not fit to be Communicants or Members of a Christian Church that will not endure it. It is the Crime of the Church-Governours that they receive, yea, drive such into the Church, as will not endure the Laws of Christ, and Church-Duties, and then cast by such Duties, because Men will not endure them.
As if you took Scholars into a School that will not endure Go∣vernment and Correction, or Soldiers into an Army that will not
endure Command and Discipline; and then omit it, and leave them to their wills, because they will not endure it. Or, as if you would take Servants that will not be commanded, nor endure Labour, and then let them be masterless and idle, because they will not endure service. Who allow'd you to take and keep such in Christ's Church, that will not endure either to live obe∣diently, or be called to Repentance?
I confess that to let all Men alone in their sin, is the way to some kind of Peace in the Parish: But it is not Christ's Peace, but the Devils, by which he keeps possession of Souls and Coun∣tries, till Christ break his peace, and cast him out; such peace will end in endless sorrow.
What Reasons can you give for the necessity of such a sort of Dis∣cipline, and why it may not be f••rborn?
1. It is Christ's Law and Institution, and that is the same reason that we give for our Christianity it self.
But I have read in Erastus, Selden, Ludov. Moulin and Prin, that Christ did but tell his Disciples how they should carry themselves under the Jewish Government, and use their Sanedrims or Iudicatures, and did not institute any new sort of Church-Discipline.
Christ's taking occasion from the Iewish Judicatures to in∣stitute his Discipline, doth no more prove that he did not obliga∣torily institute it, than his calling twelve Apostles according to the number of the Tribes, and his taking occasion from former practice, for Baptism, Ministry, Elders, &c. doth prove that he ordained no such things.
2. What need Christ command his Disciples to use that Iewish Government which was in use before, and they could not avoid?
3. Christ knew that the Iewish Government was presently go∣ing down, and tells his Disciples that they should be judged and scourged as Malefactors in those Synagogues. And is it like then that he is calling them to exercise their discipline in those Syna∣gogues.
4. If it were so, it will hold à fortiore, that if Christ during the Iewish Policy command them to use such a Discipline, much more in his own Churches.
What are your other Reasons for it?
2. The very Nature of Christ's Church required it, which is a Society separated from the World under special Laws of Ho∣liness and Love, and for special heavenly Ends: If therefore it
shall be confounded with the World, and not separated to Christ, it is no Church.
3. Christ did it for the Honour of himself, and his Kingdom: If he be no more for Holiness than the Infidel and Heathen World is, what is he better than they, or how is he a Saviour, or what is the Church better than Infidels?
4. It is needful to save Heathens from deceit that would come into the Church, and to convince them that their impure Com∣munion is insufficient.
5. It is needful to save Christians from damning deceit, that they may not think that a dead, barren, unholy Faith and Name of Christianity will save them, without a holy, obedient Heart and Life.
6. It is needful to keep Christ's Ordinances from falsifying Pro∣fanation: If a sealed Pardon and Gift of Life shall in the Sacra∣ments be given, as commonly to Dogs as Children, it is a taking God's Name in vain, and profane belying Jesus Christ.
7. It is needful to bring Sinners to Repentance, that they may be Pardoned and Saved.
8. And it is needful to the comforting absolution of Penitents.
9. Accordingly God's Church in all Ages hath owned it as their Law of Christ's institution, to this day.
But some learned Men say, This was but because there was at first no Christian Magistrate: But when there was such the Discipline fell into their hands.
The first Christian Magistrates finding the Church in Pos∣session of it, confirmed it, and too much accumulated and added to it; but took it not away.
Of this see a small Book which I wrote of the Magistrates Power in Religion, to Dr. Lud. Moulin, which may end all this dispute. Briefly, I ask you,
Qu. 1. Would you have all Infidels and Pagans baptized, and Communicate without any Profession of the Christian Reli∣gion first?
God forbid: That's a Contradiction.
Shall any words go for a Profession, or what must that Pro∣fession be?
It must be a Profession of Christian Faith and Obedience.
Who must try and judge of that Profession, whether it be Christianity or not: Is it Magistrates or Pastors?
Magistrates have somewhat else to do: Else they must study and exercise that work alone; for they will have no time for Civil Govern∣ment, if they undertake this.
Did not Christ institute an Office for it, and give them this Power of the Keyes? And if one half that Office cease as soon as Magistrates were Christians, why not the other half, and so Ma∣gistrates must Preach, Baptize, and celebrate the Sacrament.
It must be no doubt the Ministerial Office, to judge who is fit to be in Church Communion: Else they were Slaves, if they must be forced to take all uncapable Men to their Charge and Commu∣nion against their Consciences and Wills: No Physician, Tutor or School-Master, will be forced to take such Patients, Pupils or Scho∣lars, as will not be ruled by him, and will make make him do what they list, against his Will.
You must confess the use of discipline, or else openly dis∣own the Word of God, the very Being of the Church, and the Judgment of the Universal Church to this day. And do you think then that to deprive the Church of this is a lawful part of Conformity?
How prove you that the Laity is deprived of it?
1. In our Great Parishes, the People are few of them known to the Priest or to one another. Of the two Parishes of my last abode, I do not think but there are Fifty Thousand unknown to the Minister and to each other. And how can these admonish the Offenders, or the Minister exercise this discipline upon unknown Persons?
2. The People know that it is in vain to begin where there can be no progress. To what purpose is it to tell the Church, when it's sure to do more harm than good. 1. The swarm of the Vi∣cious is so great, that they cannot be Prosecuted. 2. The Mini∣ster himself forbeareth it as unpracticable. 3. The accused must be Prosecuted at rates which Men cannot bear. 4. And before Bishops, that cannot possibly do this work to one of a Thousand, any more than one School-master can Try and Correct all the faul∣ty Scholars in a Diocess. 5. And Men must be Judges that will never call Sinners to Repentance with Ministerial Evidence, and Love, and Patience, but like Secular Courts, bid them Recant or be Excommunicate. 6. And the Cause must be decided by Lay-men that profanely usurp the Power of the Keys. And how is Christ's discipline here possible? Polluted, common Churches frighten away the Religious conscionable People.
Do you not before complain of too much exercise of Discipline by Excommunications?
Yes, of Discipline against Christ: It is not enough for your Churches to be common and unclean without true Disci∣pline, but when you should drive out the Dogs and Swine, you turn out the Children: Witness all the fore-mentioned Canons. As I said, you first force in all the ignorant ungodly multitude that are unfit; then these are the strength and major part: Then they cannot come under due Discipline; then this grieveth Re∣ligious People, and they find fault with it. And then they must be taken for Schismaticks, and condemn'd and ruin'd for finding fault.
In short, what need there disputing: Is it not notorious mat∣ter of fact that this Discipline is not exercised against one Drun∣kard, Swearer, Fornicator, &c. of a multitude? and are not Men then deprived of the use of it? And when it's known that they cannot have it in most or many Parishes, how are they bound to live and die without the benefit of it?
Do you think Men are bound to separate from all Churches that have not this Discipline? Sure it is not Essential to the Church.
I do not think that Preaching, as distinct from reading, is essential to a Church; but that it may be at least for a time a sorry Church without it, as those in Moscovy are. But I would not continue in such a Church that is without it, if I can have a better. It's one thing what a Man should endure that can have no better without more hurt than good; and another thing what Men should chuse in obedience to Christ, and for their own and the Churches good that can attain it. Do you think it is lawful to omit all Duty that is not essential to the Church? surely your many humane Offices, your Forms and Ceremonies, your Decla∣rations and Subscriptions to them, are further from being essen∣tial than true Discipline is, and yet you think that the omission of these is unsufferable: Is mans accidental inventions more necessa∣ry than Christs Ordinance and Church Government?
The Presbyterians call their Discipline the Kingdom of Christ, and feign their Government to be Christs.
I speak for nothing proper to Presbyterians: For no Lay-Elders, nor Synods that by Vote govern all the Churches of the Land, but only for that substance of Parish Discipline which all acknowledge, not resisting Appeals from abusive Ministers to Bi∣shops or Magistrates. Bucer was no Adversary to moderate Epis∣copacy
Yet if you will read him de Regno Dei, de Confirmat. &c. to King Edward 6. for Parish Discipline, I shall need to say no more to you this subject.