The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...

CHAP. LVIII. Whether Communion with so Faulty a Church be Lawful. (Book 58)

L.

I Shewed what you said against Conformity to a Friend, and when he had read it, he said, What a Self-contradictor is this Man, to lay all this Charge on the Church of England, and yet himself to hold Communion with it, and perswade others so to do? Can we touch Pitch and not be defiled? And indeed if all this be as bad as you fear, I cannot see how any Separatists are to be blamed, or how any may Communicate with so bad a Church.

M.

Sic stulti vitia vitant, drunken men reel from side to side; to keep one right tract, or to cut by a thred, seemeth im∣possible to them.

I. You must distinguish between the Diocesan Churchs as con∣stituted by their Courts of Government and Canons, and the Parish Churches.

II. Between those Parish-Churches which have godly or tole∣rable Pastors, and those that have not.

III. Between Ministry and Lay-Communion.

IV. Between stated and occasional Communion.

V. Between preferring their Churches before better, and not avoiding them as null, or as unlawful to be Communicated with.

Understand these five distinctions well, and I shall satisfy you.

L.

Apply them, and let us hear your judgment.

M.

I. The Diocesan Churches, as they depose all inferiour Bi∣shops and Churches, and Rule by their Lay-Civilians, Church-Cen∣sures, I disown and hold no Communion with in those errours, but only in their Christianity. But I peaceably submit to them, and would live quietly under them, if I might.

II. Those Parishes that have notoriously uncapable Priests, ei∣ther through utter insufficiency, heresy or hurtfulness, doing more harm than good, I own not to be Organized Churches, nor have Commmunion with their Ministers as Ministers, not owning them for such.

III. I hold it utterly unlawful to be Ministers with them, on the terms now required of us; and therefore I have no such Mi∣nisterial Communion with them.

IV. I preferr them not before better.

V. I hold not fixed Communion as a fixed Member of their Churches, with all that I hold occasional Communion with.

L.

What Communion is it then that you hold with them?

M.

I. With the Diocesans and their Officers, I hold mental Communion as a Christian and a Protestant in all the essentials of Christianity, and that Reformation which they own.

II. With the Parish-Churches that have true Ministers, I hold mental Communion, as true particular Churches of Christ, (tho' faulty) and local Communion on just occasions.

III. With the Parish-Assemblies that have intolerable Mini∣sters, I hold mental Communion with the People as Christians, and will not refuse on just occasion to join with them in any good exercise as Lay-men.

IV. With those Churches that have Ministers and Liturgy as ours that need reformation, I profess to join with them as Chri∣stians and Protestants that own all the Scriptures, and that pro∣mise to preach nothing as necessary to Salvation but what is con∣tained in it, or may be proved by it: And when I Communicate with that Church it is as a Society so professing: But if their Sermons, Liturgy, or Lives have any faults, being not Idolatry, Heresy, Blasphemy, or such as rendreth their whole Worship, and assembling unacceptable to God, I disown Communion in any of those faults, tho' I be present.

V. When I can have better, caeteris paribus, without greater hurt than good, I preferr it; and only use occasio∣nal

local Communion, with the Liturgy-Churches, as I would do with strangers were I in foreign lands.

VI. Where I can have no better, without more hurt than good, I Communicate constantly and only with the Parish-Church where I live, as to Local-Communion.

L.

But how can you do either of these without guilt, when they are as bad as you have described?

M.

1. I have not charged the Parish-Churches with that which I have charged the Diocesans & their Courts with; many honest Ministers, never troubled nor excommunicated a true Servant of Christ, nor ever owned intentionally the doing it by others. They lament the impositions, and would be glad we were uni∣ted by their removal: They would fain have good men resto∣red; and they do their best to promote godliness. And the Ordinary Lords-Day part of the Liturgy tho' not faultless, containeth things true and good, and it was a very great and ex∣cellent degree of Reformation, to make that Book: And the most of all its faults are in the By-Offices, Baptism, Confirma∣tion, and Burial, & the Rubricks, which the Lords-Day common Worship is not concerned in, nor do the Congregation approve.

2. Sin hath brought woeful faultiness into all the Churches on Earth: And there are very few on Earth that have not worse Doctrine and a worse Liturgy than ours: What then? Must we either own or hide all their faults, or else disown and renounce them all? No neither, but disown what is evil, and own what is good; and separate from none of them further than they sepa∣rate from Christ.

3. But I pray you answer me a few questions:

1. Do you think any Church on Earth to be faultless?

L.

No: For all men are faulty, but the difference is great.

M.

No doubt it is great: But, 2. Do you think that you are guilty of all the faults of the Church that you join with?

L.

They say, no, not of the secret Faults: But of the open they say we are partakers by our presence.

M.

Do you think there is any Church on Earth that hath no open Faults? And will you join with none?

L.

But they say, It is not Faults of Conversation that they mean, but in Ministry, Doctrine, and Worship.

M.

I am sure Conversation Faults are oft alledged for separati∣on: But is there any Minister or Church that hath no open Faults in Ministry and Worship?

L.

They mean not small Infirmities, such as weak, faulty expres∣sions, methods, disorders, dullness, &c. but gross, intolerable Faults.

M.

So then you are come to what I hold, I profess that if I see or hear any such Blasphemy, Idolatry, Heresy, or Malignity, as renders the Worship abhorred of God, I will abhor it and avoid it.

L.

Is none of all that such which you have described?

M.

Nothing in the ordinary Lords-Day Worship, which the Congregation must join in: Yea I dare not say that their By-offices, viz. Baptism it self, notwithstanding their kind of God∣fathers and Crossing, doth frustrate the Sacrament to the capable. And the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is very Piously Admi∣nistred in the words of the Liturgy: And if they force men thither or admit them that are unfit, that maketh not the words of the Liturgy unfit for the Faithful, and their faults in Discipline are none of mine.

L.

But Faults known before hand become mine if I join with such a faulty Worship.

M.

Then you must join with none on Earth: You know be∣fore hand your own faults, that you will be guilty of in prayer: Must you therefore forbear to pray? Suppose I have a teacher that is an Anabaptist, an Antinomian, or hath some known tolera∣ble Errour, which I know before hand he holds, and useth to vend in his Praying and Preaching. Is it unlawful to join with such? Then Presbyterians, Independants, and all that differ in judg∣ment, must still run away from one another.

L.

But to commit a Fault themselves makes it but their own, but if they impose it on me, it's mine if I be present.

M.

You should have said only, It's mine if I commit it. If you were commanded to burn a Martyr, your presence maketh you not guilty if you do it not, nor consent to the doing of it.

2. It's one thing to impose on you the committing of a fault, and another thing to impose on you to hear another man com∣mit it.

3. And it's one thing to impose that which you can refuse, and another to force you to do it.

When an Anabaptist, or an Antinomian, or a Preacher of un∣decent Expressions or Disorder, teacheth in the Assembly, he imposeth on them all to hear his Faults, but not to approve them or do the like: Or if he command them to believe his Errours, it is a refuseable imposition, and they may choose.

L.

But in the Congregation I must do as they do.

M.

What must you do that is sin? Must you say all that the Priest will say? Must you believe all his mistakes? Must you put up any unlawful request to God?

L.

Yes, say they; we must pray for Bishops.

M.

I think verily they have need of prayer: But they seem to be very humble petitioners themselves when they bid you pray for them, but as to a God that worketh great Marvels. But mu•••• you needs own every petition in the Assembly? By what Ob∣ligation? Do you undertake to own every petition that your own Preacher will put up, before you know what he will say? Yea, or if you knew he would speak amiss? I have elsewhere told you that one of the zealousest Non-Conformists against Prelacy, was old Mr. Humphrey F••n of Coventry, and he was wont after every Collect in the Common-Prayer to say Amen aloud, ex∣cept the Prayer for the Bishops: And he thought his silence was sufficient notice of his Dissent.

L.

But the broken Responses are ludicrous and intolerable.

M.

Prejudice may make any thing seem so. But, 1. The Iews Church used such as the Scriptures tell us. 2. They are the oldest part of all the Liturgy, used by the Church, when Holy fervency would not endure to be silenced or restrained to a bare Amen. 3. And if it were not that prophane Men use them un∣reverently and so bring them into disgrace, but they were again used fervently by zealous Christians, they would seem quite ano∣ther thing. 4. And we do the same thing in effect, when all the people sing the Psalm, save that the tune keepeth them better in time and order, and avoideth the confusion.

L.

But my Friend saith that the Apostle saith, with such no not to Eat, and from such turn away: And you seem to suspect them (tho' you only say what you avoid your self) of Lying, Perjury, Per∣secution, &c. And is it not a sin to Communicate with such?

M.

1. I never told you that I took all the Parish-Ministers or People for persecutors. No, nor for Lyers: For when they say that ex animo they hold that nothing in the Liturgy or Cere∣monies, &c. is contrary to the Word of God, they speak as they think. But it would be a lye in me who am otherwise perswaded.

And for Perjury; it's one thing gros••y to be perjured; I char∣ged them not with that: And it's another thing to say or do somewhat that may make a man some way guilty of other mens perjury: This is it which affrights me from Conformity; but as to them, they understand the words of Oaths, and Promises and Impositions otherwise than I do (as I told you the Earl of Ar∣••yle did) and I doubt not but many worthy men, such as Mr. Gurnal, and others known to us, were drawn in, by hav∣ing leave to declare that they took the impositions in such a sence as they thought Lawful (as the Arians at the Council of Seleuci••, and the Acacians drew many in to them by giving them all leave to subscribe in their own sence): And though I can justifie none of this; yet what ever their words were, and though they were not faultless, their hearts abhorred Perjury.

But I pray you ask your friend these Questions. 1. Did none that are for separation from the Church of England take the Corporation-Oath and Declaration? You know that many of them did.

2. Do they ever since avoid Communion with all those men? You know they do not. And yet none of the Ministers Sub∣scriptions to me seem half so frightful as the Corporation De∣claration. Do they not then here shew Partiality, and them∣selves justify our Communion with the Conformists?

Yea when Mr. Eaton, and some other Independants wrote a∣gainst the obligation of the Covenant, and of the Oath of Alle∣giance, and many called the Covenant an Almanack out of date; did the rest avoid communion with these?

L.

But briefly tell me why you Communicate in the Parish Churches.

M.

Briefly, 1. Because Christ hath Commanded us to live in the utmost Love, Union and Concord with all his Church on Earth, that we possibly can.

2. Because they hold all the essentials of Christianity, which constituteth them Members of Christ's Church, and no errour that nullifieth their Christianity, or maketh their Communion unlawful to me.

3. Because my own edification hath required it: I have long lived where I could have no better Communion; and after I found Communion with both sorts most profitable to me; I found the Liturgy in the main, fit for my serious desires and praises to

God, and the Preachers that I heard were profitable Preachers, and if some words were amiss, I past them by; and the very Concord and Presence of Christians (though faulty) is plea∣sant to me.

4. I lived where and when these Parish Churches were slan∣dered by mistakes, to be such whose Communion was unlaw∣ful; and my constant avoiding them, would have made me seem a consenter to the slanders, and so to be guilty of scandal.

5. I lived in a time and place, where the Rulers and Laws Commanded Parish Communion; and to forbear it against such commands and penalties, seemeth plainly to tell the world that I hold it unlawful, which is an untruth.

6. I had seen whither this extream of separation had brought this Nation, formerly, and of late; and what a hopeful Refor∣mation it shamed and destroyed, and that by such Rebellious and mad actions, as made them, and accidentally others, the scorn and hatred of the World, and have occasioned all our suffer∣ings.

7. I lived where men that I thought guilty of our sinful per∣secution and the danger of the land, did discern the mistake of them that overcharged the Liturgy and Parish Communion, and thereupon took them for a proud Fanatick sort of People, wor∣thy of all that doth befal them, and think they do God service in ruining us all, as if we were such: And I durst not thus scan∣dalize and harden men in grievous persecutions.

8. I was loth to misguide others by my example; and I doubted not but when necessity drove them to it, many would see cause to Communicate with the Parish Churches. And I was willing that they should sooner see these Reasons, and not seem to do it only to save themselves.

9. I had read the writings of those excellent men of God a∣gainst Brownists, or Separation heretofore; who then were the Non-Conformists that did suffer so much for Reformation: He that will read what is written by Mr. Iohn Paget, Mr. Wil∣liam Bradshaw, Mr. Gifford, Mr. Hildersham, Mr. Brightman, Mr. Iohn Ball, Mr. Rathband, Dr. Ames First and Second Ma∣nuduction, &c. and lately Mr. Iohn Tombes, the Pillar of the Anabaptists; and for hearing by Mr. Philip Nye, may see e∣nough for just satisfaction; especially in Mr. Ball's Trial of Separation. And though the case of Conformity be since made

much harder to the Ministers, to the Laity the change is not so great as herein alters the case of Lawfulness or Duty.

10. I found that St. Paul charged the Church of Corinth, as having among them men Carnal, guilty of Schism, slander∣ing the Apostles; guilty of sinful Law-Suits, and defrauding each other, bearing with incest, disordered, profane and drunk at Sacramental Communions; some decryed the Resurrection, &c. The Galatians seem more to be accused than they, as depraving the Christian Doctrine. The Colossians faulty; al∣most all the Seven Churches of Asia charged with grievous cor∣ruption. And yet in all these, no man is commanded to separate from any one of these Churches, nor blamed for not doing it.

11. And, which is most of all, I find that Christ himself, who was certainly sinless, held open Communion with the Iewish Church in Synagogues and Temples, and Commanded the peo∣ple their duty even to the falsly obtruded Priests, and to hear the Pharisees while they delivered Moses's Law; though he con∣demned and separated from their false Doctrine, and supersti∣tious traditions and corruptions.

These are my Reasons for Lay-Parish-Communion.

L.

But you did not answer [from such turn away, and with such not to Eat, &c.]

M.

The answer is obvious; 1. It is the duty of the Church to cast out wicked impenitent men; and this Christ commandeth them; but he never bids particular Christians to separate from the Church where some such are, because the Church omits its du∣ty: For then you should separate from duty, from Gods Worship and holy Communion, on pretence of separating from sinners.

2. But for Family and Private Converse, every Christian is judge himself, and must refuse all familiarity with scandalous Christians which encourageth them in sin or seemeth to own it.

God Commandeth no man to do that which is not in his power; to put a scandalous impenitent man from the Church, is in the Churches power, and so that command belongs to them; it is not in your power, and therefore belongs not to you, save to admonish men, and tell the Church; but to put men from your table and familiarity, is in your power and belongs to you.

Suppose the King write to the City of London to put all Re∣bels out of their Company and Converse; its easie to under∣stand,

that every one must do it only in his own place. Eve∣ry single man cannot turn such out of the Common-Council: The City Rulers must do that, and till it be done, single men may not deny obedience to the Governours: But all may turn them out of their houses, shops and familiarity.

L.

But they say it is a receding from our former Reformation, and pulling down what we built.

M.

The Separators pull'd it down with a witness; but it is no such thing: Did the Covenant or our Profession ever bind us to take the Liturgy, to be worse than it is, or the Parish Churches to be no Churches, or their Communion utterly unlawful? Or did it bind us to preferr a desertion of all publick Communion before it? No, it did not; but if it had, it had been sinful, and to be re∣pented of. But, 1. We were bound by God's word (and no Covenant, or Practices bind us to any more than Scripture binds us to) to avoid all that is sin. 2. And when we have our choice to preferr the best; he that doth either turn to Sin, or preferr a less good, when it is so, before a greater, goeth back; but he that preferreth no Publick Worship, before the Parish Worship, go∣eth back indeed, and breaketh the Covenant, by profaneness and Schism. God's word is a clearer and surer Test of our Du∣ty and Controversies, than any humane Covenants.

When Ministers were changed, 1647. many places got out some tolerable weak Ministers to get in abler men in great Towns. When the Bishops returned, their abler Ministers being dead or ejected, they took the old ones again. Did these go back from Covenant Reformation or Duty, when they could have no bet∣ter? Had not those been the revolters that would rather have had none?

L.

But why go you to the Parish-Churches when you might have better?

M.

1. All Non-Conformists Preach not better than many of them; yea, the Liturgy is better words of Prayer, than some weak or faulty Non-Conformists oft use.

2. A brown loaf and a white one both, may be better than a white one alone; I found both best; and I knew it sin to re∣nounce Communion with any Church for weakness, because they are not as good as others.

3. That is best at one time and place, that is not so at ano∣ther; Praying in it self, is better than working, and eating,

sleeping. And yet in their proper time, your servants working, and your eating and sleeping is better than praying at that time. One that is a Son, a Servant, a Wife, who is commanded by ahe Master of the Family to hear a tolerable Parish-Minister, may then find it better than disorderly and disobediently to hear an abler Man; that may by variety of conditions be one mans Duty, which is anothers sin.

But alas! I fear that Communion with a Non-Conformist-Church will quickly in England be so rare, as will end the contro∣versy which you should preferr, and you must have Parish-Church Communion or none: As it was before 1638, when there was scarce more than one Non-Conformist that held any Church-Communion but Parochial, in each County. I think, God's Judgments will soon silence this dispute with all that will not renounce all Local-Church Communion.

I will conclude with another reason of my practice. Almost every Church on Earth hath a worse Liturgy (as I said) and People than ours: But I dare not separate from almost every Church on Earth: And therefore not from one for a reason that is common to almost all.