Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

mies of Superftition, Idolatry and Immorality, and confequently to be the most holy and moft precious Servants of the living God, But this Way of paffing an Eftimate upon Perfons and Things, (however common and very plaufible,) is fo directly contrary to that Meeknefs remarkable in the Man Chrift Jefus, and that Sobriety and Candour of Difpofition recommended by his Apoftles; that whereever we meet with it, there we may be fure the Perfons concern'd are entirely under the Dominion of the Spirit of Antichrift. But to lay things together, as it is the beft Mean in the World, by which Men may extricate themfelves out of a great many Doubts and Perplexities, fo it is a Method which requires Confideration and Judgment: And thofe who have not Judgment enough to weigh and examine Things of the greatest Importance well, can never be taken by People in their Wits for very understanding Chriftians.

4. These Intruders into the Church of God prove themselves to be led by an Antichriftian Spirit, in that they give the greatest Opportunities to wicked and ungodly Men, and furnish them with the most fatal Arguments to throw Contempt and Scorn upon all Government in the Church of Chrift. That there ought to be a fettled Government in the Church as well as in the State, in the Church as diftinguish'd from the State, I have prov'd before: For as we find God's Church call'd a Kingdom, fo we may conclude the Church a Body of a Political Nature as a Kingdom is; and that it can no more fubfift without Government and Order than a Temporal Kingdom Mat. 25.

can, I.

1

1 Tim. 150

3.can. And as we find the Church call'd the Houfe of God, it comes under the fame Neceflity. Houfesor Families, which mean the fame Thing, as well as Kingdoms, without being reduced to good Government and Order, will quickly come to be divided among themfelves, and whether they be Kingdoms or Families, our Saviour has refolv'd the Point, that when they are fo divided against themselves they cannot ftand. Whereever any Body Politick is defign'd for a Continuation, there muft be, as I have fufficiently demonftrated before, a Superiority and Authority in fome, and a Subordination of others; let the Bodies Politick be either Ecclefiaftical or Temporal: And in this Matter all Sects and Parties of what kind foever, have at all Times agreed; and therefore all religious Parties, as they have prevail'd in feveral Quarters of the World, fo they have endeavour'd to perpetuate themfelves, by fettling a regular kind of Polity among themselves. It was, therefore, a rafh and defperate Attempt in thofe who took firft upon them to impeach that Ecclefiaftical Hierarchy, which was truly Apoftolical: It was an Attempt unknown to the antient Church: Even Aerius himself never promoted the Abolition of Epifcopacy, but look'd upon it to be as effential to the Church's Well-being as Presbytery, at that very Time when he took Pains to fet Presbytery and Epifcopacy upon the fame Level, and, for innovating fo far in his Notions in that Point at that Time, among other Reafons, acquired the Character of a Madman. Now let Men ftretch their Wits to the utmost, to invalidate Epif

copal

copal Government as fettled at prefent in the Church of England; the ftronger and the more pointed their Arguments are, the more eafily and unanfwerably may they be return'd upon themfelves: And it is an unaccountable Fondness and Mifprifion of Matters for the Enemies of Epifcopacy to imagine, that after they have once broken down the Fences of the Epifcopal Church, and weakned its Government, others will fhow more Reverence to their Polities than they have fhown to the Polity of the primitive Church: For if that Polity may not ftand without being infulted by the Schifmaticks of this Age; much lefs can the empty Projects of our modern Dawbers be generally receiv'd or submitted to. And certainly, our new Contrivers. of Ecclefiaftical Governments would have shown the Profundity of their Politicks very unhappily, where every one who propounded a new Law was to appear in the Senate with a Halter about his Neck, to intimate his certain Expectation of that Death which he deferv'd, in cafe his new Contrivance was judged ufelefs or inconvenient to the Commonwealth.

That which recommends the Rules of Government to any of the Parties concern'd, is the Eminence and extraordinary Reputation of the Author, and the Excellence or Sanctity of the Matter contain'd in those Rules: But who can imagine there was originally any great Matter in thofe Conftitutions which they fee every capricious Humour dares invade? Or who can have any extraordinary Deference for thofe Politicians who have deferted all the antient Methods of Wisdom and

Go

Government, and have without fufficient Reafon, boldly trampled upon the facred Ashes of their Predeceffors? From a loose Way of Proceeding in the Matter of Ecclefiaftical Government, and the Schifmatical Attempts made to innovate in the Cafe, Men take Courage to commit all manner of Wickedness with an high Hand, and certain Hopes of Impunity in this World. True and fimple Chriftianity lays the feverest Reftraints upon the Morals of all those who profefs it; and makes thofe Reftraints effectual by fuch Spiritual Cenfures as fome particular Perfons are divinely impower'd to inflict upon Offenders. But when every prefumptuous and daring Perfon fets up himfelf in Oppofition to authentick and univerfal Rules; the Jurifdiction of Governors is quickly at an End: And as it is obferv'd in fome Countries where they are canton'd among a great many petty States and Principalities, a Murderer or any other Criminal can eafily fecure himself out of the Reach of Juftice, by flying out of one little Territory into another; fuch is the Condition of the Church if it be broken into Sects and Parties: He who offends against theFundamen tal Inftitutions of one Party faves himself from their Difciplinary Conftitutions by removing himself into another; and no Method can be found out to prevent it but what will tend to the Ruin of all. We find the Proofs of this every Day, among our felves, fince ill Men have made fo many Preachers among us, and have form'd fo many feparate Congregations, under unfent Minifters, or Preachers who have no real Authority to govern or inftruct the Church. If the Governors of the Church of England in a

lawful

lawful Way profecute or put under Cenfure a common Strumpet, an Adulterer or Adulterefs, or fome intemperate Brute, whofe Crimes a Man would think could never come within the Verge of tender Confcience; let them but step afide from the Communion of our Church, to which indeed, they are the utmoft Scandal and Difgrace, and they look upon themselves as exempt from any farther Profecution by cloiftering themfelves within the Walls of a Conventicle, or elfe they will fet up the moving Cry of Perfecution.

There's no Perfon fo very ftupid but he must obferve how much true Piety has decay'd in thefe Nations, fince fo many, and of fo very different Qualifications have fet themfelves up as Guides, and have pretended to thow Men fo many nearer Ways to Heaven than our Forefathers were ever acquainted with. As the Multitude of difagreeing Phyficians oftentimes fhorten the Life of the Patient; fo the Multitude of pretended difagreeing Guides to Heaven ruine infinite Numbers of the Souls of their pretended Admirers. I know it is our Saviour's Prediction, that Of Neceffity Offences muft come; but he adds, Wo to thofe by whom the Offences do come. It has ever been the Policy of Hell to make Breaches and Divifions among the Servants of God: But wo to thofe who have been the Devil's Inftruments to begin and carry on thofe fatal Divifions. The Certainty that all the Predictions of our Saviour must be accomplish'd, takes no more off the Guilt of thofe who may bring them to pafs; than the Prophecies of Judas's Treafon took off from his Guilt when he betray'd his

1

Ma

1

« FöregåendeFortsätt »