Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #142: Taking the Church to Task for Division by Richard Baxter ©2007

The book Wesley insisted his preachers read.

Another sin the Ministers of England, and much more of many other Churches, are sadly guilty of, is An undervaluing the Unity and Peace of the whole Church. Thou I scarce ever met with any that will not speak for Unity and Peace, or at least, that will expressly speak against it: yet is it not common to meet with those that are addicted to promote it; but too commonly do we find men averse to it, and jealous of it, if not themselves the instruments of division. The Papists have so long abused the name of the Catholic church, that in opposition to them many do either put it out of their Creeds, or only fill up a room with the name, while they understand not, or consider not the nature of the thing; or think it enough to believe that there is such a Body, though they behave not themselves as sensible members of it. If the Papists will Idolize the Church, shall we therefore deny it, disregard it, or divide it? It is a great and common sin through the Christian world, to take up Religion in a way of faction; and instead of a love and tender care of the Universal Church, to confine that love and respect to a party. Not but that we must prefer in our estimation and Communion the purer parts before the impure, and refuse to participate with any in their sins; but the most infirm and diseased part should be compassioned and assisted to our utmost power; and communion must be held as far as is lawful, and nowhere avoided but upon the urgency of necessity: As we must love those of our neighborhood that have the plague of leprosy, and afford them all the relief we can, and acknowledge all our just relations to them, and communicate to them, though we may not have local Communion with them: and in other diseases which are not so infectious, we may be the more with them for their help, by how much the more they need it. Of the multitude that say they are of the Catholic Church, it is too rare to meet with men of a Catholic Spirit: Men have not an Universal consideration of, and respect to the whole Church; but look upon their own party as if it were the whole. If there be some called Lutherans, some Calvinists, some (among these) of subordinate divisions, and so of other parties among us, most of them will pray hard for the prosperity of their party, and rejoice and give thanks accordingly, when it goes well with them: but if any other party suffer, they little regard it, as if it were no loss at all to the Church. If it be the smallest parcel that possesseth not many Nations, no nor Cities on earth, they are ready to carry it, as if they were the whole Church, and as if it went well with the church when it goes well with them. We cry down the Pope as Antichrist for including the church in the Romish pale, and no doubt but it is an abominable schism: But alas how many do imitate them too far, while we reprove them! And as they foist the word roman into their Creed, and turn the Catholic Church into the Roman Catholic Church: as if there were no other Catholics, and the Church were of no larger extent; so is it with many others as to their several parties. Some will have it to be the Lutheran Catholic church, and some the Reformed Catholic Church (as if it were all reformed) some the Anabaptist Catholic Church, and so of some others. And if they differ not among themselves, they are little troubled at differing from others, though it be from almost all the Christian world. The Peace of their party, they take for the peace of the Church: No wonder therefore if they carry it no further.

How rare is it to meet with a man that smarteth or bleedeth with the Churches wounds, or sensibly taketh them to heart as his own? Or that ever had solicitous thoughts of a cure? No, but almost every party thinks that the happiness of the rest consisteth only in turning to them; and because they be not of their mind, they cry, Down with them, and are glad to hear of their fall, as thinking that is the way to the Churches rising; that is, their own. How few be there that understand the true state of Controversies between the several parties? Or that ever well discerned how many of them are but Verbal, and how many are real? And if those that understand it do in order to right information and accommodation, disclose it to others, its taken as an extenuation of their error, and a carnal compliance with them in their sin. Few men grow zealous of peace, till they grow old, or have much experience of men's spirits and principles, and see better the true state of the church, and the several differences, then they did before.

And then they begin to write their Irencon's; and many such are extent at this day. Pareus, Junius, and many more have done their parts; as our Davenant, Morton, Hall, (whose excellent Treatise called the Peace-maker, and his Pax terris, deserve to be transcribed upon all hearts) Huttonus, Amyraldus also have done. Bur recipiuntur ad modum recipientis; As a young man in his heat of lust and passion was judged to be no fit auditor of Moral Philosophy; so we find that those same young men who may be zealous for Peace and Unity, when they are grown more experienced, are zealous for their factions against these in their youthful heat. And therefore such as these before mentioned, and Durans who hath made it the business of his life, do seldom do much greater good then to quiet their own consciences in the discharge of so great a duty, and to moderate some few and save them from further guilt, and to leave behind them when they are dead, a witness against a willful, self-conceited and unpeaceable world.

Nay commonly it bringeth a man under suspicion either of favoring some heresy, or abating his zeal, if he do but attempt a pacificatory work. As if there were no zeal necessary for the great fundamental verities for the Churches Unity and Peace, but only for parties and some particular truths.

And a great advantage the Devil hath got this way, by employing his own Agents, the unhappy socinians in writing so many Treatises for Catholic and Arch-Catholic Unity and Peace, which they did for their own ends, and would have done it on insufficient terms: By which means the enemy of Peace hath brought it to pass, that whoever maketh motion for Peace, is presently under suspicion of being one that hath need of it for an indulgence to his own Errors. A fearful case that heresy should be credited, as if none were such friends to Unity and peace as they! And that so great and necessary a duty, upon which the churches welfare doth so depend, should be brought into such suspicion or disgrace.

Brethren, I speak not all this without apparent reason. We have as sad divisions among us in England, considering the piety of the persons, and the smallness of the matter of our discord, as most Nations under heaven have known. The most that keeps us at odds is but about the right form and order of Church-Government. Is the distance so great that Presbyterian, Episcopal and Independent might not be well agreed? Were they but heartily willing and forward for peace, they might, I know they might. I have spoken with some moderate men of all the parties, and I perceive by their concessions it were an easy work. Were mens hearts but sensible of the Churches case, and unfeignedly touched with Love to one another, and did they but heartily set themselves to seek it, the settling of a safe and happy Peace were an easy work. If we could not in every point agree, we might easily find out, and narrow our differences, and hold Communion upon our agreement in the main; determining of the safest way for the managing of our few and small disagreements, without the danger or trouble of the Church. But is this much done? IT is not done. To the shame of all our faces be it spoken, it is not done. Let each party flatter themselves now as they please, it will be recorded to the shame of the Ministry of England, while the gospel shall abide in the Christian world. What will be recorded? What ? Why this; That learned and godly Ministers in England, did first disagree among themselves, and head and lead on their people in those disagreements! That they proceeded in them for the space of 14 years (already; how much more will be God knows) and in all that time had as great advantages and opportunities for Agreement, as any people in the world. They had the sad experience of the conflagration of the Common-wealth, and were scourged to it by a calamitous war. They saw the fearful confusions in the Church; and the perverting of multitudes of seduced souls some to be Seekers, some Socinians, some Ranters, Quakers or Infidels; They saw the continual exasperation of minds, and the jealousies and bitterness that their distance bred, and how it was the fuel of a daily course of sin. And yet for all these, they were not moved to effectual endeavors for a cure. They could let a course of sin run on: they could let divisions and heresies increase, they see the Church of Christ so low, and yet forbear the cheapest cure that ever a people could be called to use. They could see, and hear, and know that we were all made a very derision to our enemies, and the public scorn or piety of the world; and yet sit still, as if all this were little to them. They had Magistrates that did not hinder them from the work: but gave them full liberty to have consulted and endeavored a full agreement. They lived near together, and might have easily met together for the work: and if one or two, or an hundred meetings could not have accomplished it, they might have held on till it was done. And yet for all this there is no such thing none, nor any considerable attempt yet made. And O what hainous aggravations do accompany this sin! Nevermen since the Apostles days I think, did make greater profession of godliness: The most of them are bound by solemn Oaths and Covenants, for unity and reformation: They all confess the worth of peace: and most of them will preach for it, and talk for it, while they sit still and neglect it, as if it were not worth the looking after: They will read and preach on those Texts that command men to follow peace with all men, and as much as in us lyeth, if it be possible, to live peaceably with them: and yet we are so far from following it, and doing all that possibly we can for it, that too many will snarl at it, and malign and censure any that endeavor it, as if all zeal for Peace did proceed from an abatement of our zeal of holiness; and as if holiness and peace were so fallen out, that there were no reconciling them; when yet they have found by long experience, that concord is a sure friend to Piety, and Piety always moves to Concord. We have seen how Errous and Heresies breed by Discord, as Discord is bred and fed by them. We have seen to our sorrow, that where the servants of God should live together as one, of one heart, and one soul, and one lip, and should promote each others faith and holiness, and admonish and assist each other against sin, and rejoice together in the hope of their future glory, we have contrarily lived in mutual jealousies, and drowned holy love in bitter contendings, and have studied to disgrace and undermine one another, and to increase our own parties by right and wrong: and we, that were wont to glory of our Love to the Brethren as the certain mark of our sincerity in the faith, have now turned it into a Love of a Party only; and those that are against that Party have more of our spleen, and envy, and malice then our love. I know this is not so with all (nor prevalently with any true Believer) but yet it is so common, that it may cause us to question the sincerity of many that are thought by themselves and others to be most sincere. And it is not ourselves only that are scorched in this flame, but we have drawn our people into it, and cherished them in it, so that most of the godly in the Nation are fallen into several parties, and have turned much of their ancient Piety into vain Opinions and vain Disputes, and envyings, and animosities; Yea whereas it was want to be made the certain mark of a graceless wretch to deride the godly, how few be there now that stick at secret deriding and slandering those that are not of their opinion? A pious Prelatical man can reverently scorn and slander a Presbyterian, and some of them an Independent, and an Independent both. And, which is the worst of all: the common ignorant people take notice of all this, and do not only deride us, but are hardened by us against Religion; and when we go about to persuade them to be Religious, they see so many Parties, that they know not which to join with, and think that it is as good be of none at all, as of any, when they are uncertain which is the right; and thus thousands are grown into a contempt of all Religions by our divisions; and poor carnal wretches begin to think themselves in the better case of the two, because they hold to their old formalities, when we hold to nothing. Yea, and these Pious contenders do more effectually plead the Devils cause against one another, then any of the ignorant people can do; They can prove one another Deceivers and Blasphemers, and what not? And this be secret slanders among all that they can handsomely vent them to; and perhaps also by public disputations and Printed slanderous books. So that when the obstinate drunkards are at a loss, and have nothing to say of their own against a man that would drive them from their sin, they are prompted by the railing books or reports of factious zealous malice; Then they can say, I regard him not, nor his Doctrine; such a man hath proved him a Deceiver and a Blasphemer; Let him answer him if he can. And thus the lies and slanders of some (for that is no news) and the bitter opprobrious speeches of others, have more effectually done the Devils service under the name of Orthodoxness and Zeal for truth, then the malignant scorners of godliness could have done it. So that the matter is come to that pass, that there are few men of note of any party, but the reproaches of the other parties are so publicly upon them, that the ignorant and wicked rabble that should be converted by them, have learned to be Orthodox, and to vilisie and scorn them. Mistake me not! I do not slight Orthodoxness, nor jeer at the name; but disclose the pretences of Devilish Zeal, in Pious or seemingly Pious men. If you are offended with me for my harsh language, because I can tell you that I learned it of God, I dare be bold therefore to tell you further, that you have far more cause to be offended at your Satanical Practices. The thing it self is sure odious, if the name be so odious as to turn your stomachs. How should the presence and guilt of it terrify you, if the name make you start? I know that many of these Reverend Calumniators do think that they shew that fondness in the faith, and love to truth which others want. But I will resolve the case in the words of the Holy-Ghost, Jame. 3. Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom; But, if you have bitter envying (or zealousness) and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the Truth; This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying (or zeal) and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy; And the fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace of them that make Peace. I pray you read these words again and again, and study them.

O doleful case to think of; that a while ago we were afraid of nothing, but left Papists and Deboist persons should have swallowed up the Gospel and our liberty, and destroyed us together; and now when the work hath been put into the hands of those men, that were joined in these fears, and are joined in the strictest profession of Piety, and are of none judgement in all the Articles of the faith, they cannot or will not unanimously join in carrying on the work; but they either fall upon one another, or live at a distance, and cast their work upon a hundred disadvantages by the bitter disagreements that are among themselves. O what a Nation might England have been ere now, if it had not been for the proud and obstinate contentions of Godly Ministers? What abundance of good might we have done! Nay, what might we not have done, if our perverseness had not marred our work? Did we but agree among ourselves, our words would have some Authority with the people; But when they see us some of one mind, and some of another, and snarling and reviling at each other, they think they may well enough do so too: Why may not we call them Secretaries or Deceivers, say they, when they call one another so? Nay, if we were not all of a mind in some smaller matters, yet if we did but hold Communion and Correspondency, and join together in the main, and do as much of Gods work as we can in concurrent unanimity, the people would far more regard us, and we might be in a greater capacity to do them good: But when we are single, they slight us; and when we disagree and divide, they despise us: and who can marvel at it, when we despise one another? What, say they, (when a Minister doth his duty alone) Must we be ruled by every singular man? Are you wiser then all the Ministers in the country? Are not such and such as learned as you? But when we go hand in hand, it stops their mouths. They think either themselves may be wiser then one or two Ministers, or at least, other Ministers may be wiser then they; but common modesty will not suffer them to think that they are wiser then all the Ministers in the Country, or in the world. I know that matters of faith are not to be received upon our credit alone: but yet our credit may do much to remove prejudice, and to unblock the entrance into mens minds, and procure the truth a more equal hearing, and therefore is necessary to our peoples good.

Nay, more than all this; I know it; I see and hear it; that there are some Ministers that are glad when they perceive the people despise their Brethren that differ from them in some lesser things; They would have it so, and they foment it as far as they can for shame; and they secretly rejoice when they hear the news of it. This is next to Prelatical silencing them, and casting them out of the Church. And I confess I cannot but suspect that such men would go near to silence them, if they had their will and way. For he that would have a Minister under disgrace, would have him useless; which is next to silencing him, and tendeth to the same end. You will say, we do not desire that he should be disable to do good, but to do hurt. I answer, but the question is, Whether his error be so great, that the holding or propagating it doth more hurt, then all his Preaching, and the labors of that whole party which you would disgrace, is like to do goo? If so, then I think it is a desirable work to disgrace him, and silence him in a just measure, and by just means, and I would concur therein: but if it be otherwise, we are bound to keep up that reputation of others, which is necessary ordinarily to the success of their labors.

I may not here without wrong to my conscience, pass over the late practices of some of our Brethren of the New Prelatical way; (for those of the ancient Prelacy are more moderate.) I know it will be displeasing to them: and I have no mind to displease them: but yet I will more avoid the treacherous or unfaithful silence which may wrong them, then the words of faithful friendship, which may displease them. And I will say no more to them, then (if I know myself) I should say, if I were resolved for Prelacy. It is the judgment of these men that I now speak of, that a Prelate is essential to a Church, and there is no Church without them; and that their Ordination is of necessity to the essence of a Presbyter: and that those that are ordained without them (though some will except a case of necessity) are that our Congregations in England are not true Churches (except where the Presbyter dependeth on some Prelate) and the Ministers ordained by Presbyters only are no true Ministers; and they will not allow men to hear them, or communicate with them, but withdraw from our congregations like Separatists or Recusants. And the same not many of them brand upon all the Reformed Churches abroad, that Church of Rome is admirably gratified by it; and instead of demanding where our Church was before Luther, they begin to demand of us, Where it is now? And indeed had it been no more visible in the ages before Luther, then a Reformed Prelatical Church is now, they would have a fairer pretence then now they have, to call upon us for the proof of its visibility. Suppose that the Presbyters who rejected Prelacy were guilty of all that schism and other sin, as they are ordinarily accused of. (For I will now go on such suppositions.) Must the people therefore turn their back on the Assemblies and ordinances of God? Is it better for them to have no preaching, and no Sacraments, and no public Communion in Gods worship, then to have it in an Assembly that hath not a Prelate over it; or from a Minister ordained without his consent? I confess I would not for all the world stand guilty before God of the injury that this doctrine hath already done to mens souls, much less of what it evidently tendeth to. There are through the great mercy of God, abundance of painful and able young Ministers that were in the Universities in the time of the wars and had no hand in it, and were ordained since Bishops became to them either invisible, or inaccessible; and its like they judge not their Ordination to be of necessity. They lay out themselves faithfully for the healing of thus ignorance and common prophaneness which got so much head under their careless or drunken predecessors. They desire nothing more then the saving of souls; they preach sound doctrine: they live in Peace. And it is the greatest of their grief that many of their hearers remain so ignorant and obstinate still. And see what a help these poor impenitent sinners have for their cure? They are taught to turn their backs upon their Teachers, and whereas before they heard them but with disregard, they are now taught not to hear them at all. And if we privately speak to them, they can tell us that it's the Judgment of such and such learned men, that we are not to be heard, nor our Churches to be communicated with, nor we to be at all regarded as Christ's Ministers. And thus Drunkards, and Swearers, and worldlings, and all sorts of sensualists are got out of gun-shot, and beyond the reach of our teaching of reproof: And those that do not (for shame of the world) obey their doctrine to stay from the Assembly, yet do they there hear us with prejudice and contempt, and for the Communion of the Church in the Lords Supper they commonly abstain. Were it only the case of those few Civil persons that conscientiously go this way, and address themselves to these kind of men for Government and Sacraments, I would never have mentioned the thing, for it is not them that I intend. For what care I what Minister they hear or obey, so it be one that leadeth them in the ways of truth and holiness? Let them follow Christ, and forsake their sins, and go to heaven, and I will never much contend with them for the forsaking of my Conduct. But it is the common sort of prophane and sensual men, that are everywhere hardened against the Ministry, and they have nothing but the reputation of the Prelatical Divines to countenance it with. If their Teachers do but differ in a gesture from these men, they vilisie them, and reject their guidance, having nothing but the authority of such men to support them. Fain would we reach their consciences to awaken them from their security; for it pittyeth to see them so near unto perdition. But we can do no good upon them, for our Ministry is in contempt because of the contrary judgment of these men. Not that the poor people care anymore for a Prelate as such, then for an ordinary Minister: for if Prelates would have troubled them as much with their preaching, and reproofs, and discipline, they would have hated them as much as they do the Ministers: But because they found by experience, that under their Government they might sin quietly, and make a scorn of godliness without any danger or trouble, and that to this day, the men of that way are so much against those precise Ministers, that will not let them go quietly to hell, therefore are they all for Prelacy, and make this the great shelter for their disobedience and unreformed lives. So that I confess I think that the hurt that Separatists and Anabaptists do in England at this day, is little to the hurt that is done by these men. For I count that the greatest hurt, which hardeneth the greatest number in the state and way of greatest danger. An Anabaptist may yet be a penitent and godly person, and be saved; But the sensual and impenitent worldlings can never be saved in that condition. I see by experience, that if separation infect two or three, or half a score in a Parish; or if Anabaptistry infect as many ( and perhaps neither of them mortally) this obstinate contempt of Ministerial exhortation, encouraged by the countenance of the contrary-minded, doth infect them by the scores of hundreds. If we come to them in a case where they can but say, that the Prelatical Divines are of another Judgment, how unmovable are they, though they have nothing else to say? Try, when we come to set afoot this work that we are now upon, of Catechizing and private instruction, whether this will not be one of our greatest impediments; though in a work of unquestioned lawfulness and necessity: Even because they are taught that we are none of their Pastors, and have no authority over them. I know that some of these men are learned and Reverend, and intend not such mischievous ends as these. The hardening of men in ignorance is not their design. But this is the thing effected. To intend will in doing ill, is no rarity. Who can in reverence to any men on earth, sit still and hold his tongue, while he seeth people thus run to their own destruction, and the souls of men be undone by the contendings of Divnes for their several parties and interests? The Lord that knows my heart, knows that (if I know it myself) as I am not of any one of these parties, so I speak, not a word of this in a factious partiality, for one party, or against another, as such; much less in spleen against any person; but if I durst in conscience, I would have silenced all this, for fear of giving them offence whom I much honor: my Rule; But what am I but a servant of Christ? And what is my life worth, but to do him service? And whose favor can recompense for the ruins of the Church? And who can be silent while souls are undone? Not I for my part, while God is my Master, and his word his work my business; and the success of it, for the saving of men, my end. Who can be reconciled to that which so lamentable crosseth his Masters interest, and his main end? Nor yet would I have spoken any of this, if it had been only in respect to my own charge; yet I bless God, the sore is but small, in comparison of what it is in many other places. But the observation of some neighbor Congregations, and others more remote, me thinks should make the very contrary minded Divines relent; if they were present with them.

Would it be a pleasant hearing to them, to hear a crowd of scandalous men to reproach their Ministers that would draw them to repentance, and to tell them they have no authority over them, and all this under the pretence and shelter of their Judgments? Had they rather men went to Hell, then be taught the way to Heaven by Presbyters that had not their Imposition of hands? Is that point of order more necessary then the substance of the work, or the end itself? Nay, I must needs in faithfulness say yet more: That it is no credit to the cause of those Reverend men, nor ever was, that the generality of the most wicked men, and haters and contemners of all Devotion, are the great friends and maintainers of it. And the befriending of such a Party did more to gain their love, then to save their souls. And the engaging such a party for them, hath not been the least cause of their fall. This is true, however it be taken.

And what a case would the Churches of England be in, if we should yield to the motions of these Reverend men! Supposing that mens judgments are not at their own wills, and therefore many cannot see the reasons for Prelacy: must we all give up our charges as no true Ministers, and desert the Congregations as no true Churches? Why, whom will they then set over them in our stead? First, it is known that they cannot, if they had fit men, procure them what liberty their way requires, because of the discountenance of authority: and it is known that they have not fit men for one Congregation of very many. And had they rather that the doors were shut up, and God had no public worship, nor the people any public teaching or Sacraments, then any but they should have a hand in the performance of it? Or if the Ministers keep their places, can they wish all the congregations to stay at home, and live like Heathens? Nay, are they not angry with us for casting out a grossly ignorant, insufficient, scandalous sort of Ministers, who were the great means of the perdition of the people, whose souls they had taken charge of? As for the casting out of any able godly men upon mere differences about the late troubles and State affairs; I speak not of it, I approve not of it; if any such thing were done, let them maintain it if they can that did it; for I neither can nor will. But it's a very sad case, that any men of judgment and piety should not only be indifferent in matters of such moment, but should think it a persecution and an injury to their party and cause, to have hundreds of unworthy wretches to be ejected, when it was a work of so great necessity to the Church.

And indeed by all this they plainly shew what a condition they would reduce this Nation into again, if it were in their power. Sure they that would have the people disown and withdraw from them as being no Ministers, and turn their backs on the word and Sacraments, would silence them if they could: I think there is no doubt of that. And surely they that are so offended that the insufficient and scandalous ones are cast out, would have them in again if they could. And if this be the change that they desire, let them not blame men that believe the Scripture, and value mens salvation, if they have no mind of their change. If it were a matter of mere opinion, we should be more indifferent with them: or if the question were only whether men should be conducted in ways of holiness by a Prelate, or by mere Presbyters only, we should think it of less moment, then the matter that is before us: But when it comes to this pass, that the Prince of darkness must be so gratified, and so much of the Church of Christ delivered over much into his power, and the people led by multitudes to perdition, and all for the upholding of our own parties, or interest, or conceits; we cannot make light of such matters as these: These are not mere speculations, but matters that are so obvious to sense and Christian experience, that they must not think much that serious experienced Christians are against them.

But that I be not mistaken, it is far from my thoughts to speak what I have done of any peaceable man of the Prelatical way, or to meddle in the Controversy of the best way of Government; nor do I speak to any of the New Prelatical Way, but only those who are guilty of the miscarriages which I have spoken of; and for them, I had rather bear their indignation, then the Church should bear the fruits of their destructive intemperate conceits.

The most common cause of our Divisions and unpeaceableness, is, mens high estimation of their own Opinions. And it ordinarily worketh these two ways; sometimes by setting men upon Novelties; and sometimes by a censorious condemning of all that differ from the party that they are of.

Some are as busy in their inquiries after New Doctrines, as if the Scripture were not perfect, or Christ had not told us all that is necessary; or the way to heaven were not in all ages one and the same, from Christ to the end of the world: or the Church were not still the same thing. And they look not only after new discoveries in lesser things, but they are making us new Articles of faith and framing out new ways to heaven. The body of Popery came in at this door; Their new fundamentals were received on these terms; Their new Catholic Church, which their fore-fathers knew not, was thus set up. Before, it consisted of all Christians through the world; and now it must consist of none but the Popes subjects. So is it with the Anabaptists; they must now in the end of the world have a new Church for Christ, even in the natural capacity of the matter! Never since the creation can it be proved that God had any where a Church on earth where Infants were excluded from being members (if there were any among them.) They were members before the Law, under the Promise, under the Law, and under the Gospel through the Christian world to this day; and yet they would needs make Christ a Church now without them. As if Christ had missed it in the forming of his Church till now! Or as if he begun to be a weary of infants in his Church now at last! Or as if the Providence of god did now begin to be awakened to have a right formed Church in the conclusion of the world; and to eject those infants as incapable, who till now have been in the bosom of his family.

Yea this disturbing vice doth also work, by setting a higher rate of necessity upon some truths, then the Church of Christ had ever done; When we will needs make that to be of absolute Certainty, which hath been either not before received, or but as a dark and doubtful thing; and we will make that to be of necessity to salvation, which the former ages did hold but as a point of a far lower nature, which some were fore, and some against, without any great disagreement or mutual censure. I confess I do hold some points of Doctrine myself to be true, which I cannot find that the Church or any in it did hold of many ages after the Apostles; but then I cannot lay such a stress on them, as to think them of flat necessity to the welfare of the Church, and the saving of souls; As the doctrine of the certain perseverance of all the Justified, and some few more: If I may think that Austin, Prosper and all the Church in those Ages did err therein (as I think they did): Yet to think that they erred fundamentally, were to think that Christ had no Church: I will not take the Judgment or Practice of the Church in any age since the Apostles as my rule of faith and life: but I will suppose that they had all things in the most defiled age, that were of absolute necessity to salvation. I know that we must be Justified in the same way as they were, and upon the same terms. Faith is the same thing now as it was then; and hath the same object to apprehend for our Justification, and the same office in order to our Justification. Many new notions are brought in by Disputers, which must not be made matters of necessity to the soundness or integrity of the Churches faith. We may talk of Peace as long as we live, but we shall never obtain it but by returning to the Apostolical simplicity. The Papists faith is too big for all men to agree upon: or all their own, if they enforced it not with arguments drawn from the fire, the halter, and the strappado. And many Anti-papists do too much imitate them in the tedious length of their subscribed Confessions, and novelty of impositions, when they go furthest from them in the quality of the things imposed. When we once return to the antient simplicity of faith, then, and not till then, we shall return to the antient love and peace.

But the Pride of mens hearts doth make them so overvalue their own conceptions, that they expect all men else should be of their mind, and bow down to those reasons which others can see through, while they were as confident as if there were no room for doubting. Every Sect is usually confident in their own way, and as they value themselves, so they do their reasons. And hereupon arise such breaches in affections and communion as there are, while most men cry down the divisions of others, but maintain the like. Some will have no Communion with our Churches, because we have some Members that they take to be ungodly, and do not pull up the Tares in doubtful unproved cases, where we cannot do it without pulling up the Wheat. Others are so confident that Infants should be unbaptized, and out of the Church, that they will be of no Church that hath infant members, till these scandalous infants be ( I say not excommunicated, for that supposeth a former right, but) taken as such that have no part or fellowship in the business, they will not join with such a society; Christ telleth us, that except we become as little children, we shall not enter into his Kingdom; and they say, except little children be kept out of the Church, they will not enter or abide in it. Is not this extreme height of spirit, to be so confident, as to avoid communion upon it, in a case where the Church hath been in all ages (or almost all by their own confession) so much against them? would they not have separated from the whole Church on the same ground, if they had lived in these times? Others (as is before said) are so confident that we are no Ministers or Churches for want of Prelatical Ordination and Government, that they separate also, or deny Communion with us. And thus every party in the height of their self-conceitedness is ready to divide, and condemn all others that be not of their mind.

And it usually falls out that this confidence doth but betray mens ignorance, and that too many make up that in passion and willfulness, which they want in reason. How many have I heard zealously condemning what they little understand? It's a far easier matter to say that another man is erroneous, or heretical, or rail at him as a deceiver or blasphemer, then to give a sound account of our belief. And as I remember twenty years ago, I have observed it the common trick of a company of ignorant formal Preachers, to get the repute of that learning which they wanted, by railing at the Puritans, as being all unlearned: so is it now the trick of some that can scarce give a sound reason for any controverted part of their belief, (nor it may be of the fundamentals) to use this as the chief remedy, to get the name of sound Divines, by reproaching some that differ from them, as unsound: and to be esteemed Orthodox, by calling other erroneous or Heterodox.

The truth is, most Ministers in the world do take up their opinions in compliance with their several parties: and they look more who believeth it, then what is believed, and on what ground, or they have nothing but what is spoken by the men that they must concur with: And thus too many take up their religion in a faction; even the truth itself. And therefore they must speak against those that they hear that party speak against. How many a hot dispute have I heard of several subjects, which the disputants have been forced to manifest that they understood not? And yet they will drive all to damnatory conclusions, when the parties understand not one another's meaning, and take not the subject of the dispute in the same sense, or at least not the several predications. One disputeth for Free-will, another against it: and call them to give you their definition of Free-will, and you shall see to what purpose it was. And so in many other cases.

And thus do we proceed in a contentious zeal to divide the Church, and censure our brethren, and make our differences seem greater then they are, while we know not well what they are ourselves, who so eagerly manage them.