Preface

Eeverekd Brethren, The subject of this treatise so nearly concerneth yourselves and the churches committed to your care, that it persuadeth and emboldeneth me to this address, notwithstanding the imperfections in the manner of handling it, and the consciousness of my great unworthiness to be your monitor.

Before I come to my principal errand, I shall give you that account which I suppose T owe you, of the reasons of the following work, and of the freedom of speech which to some may be displeasing.

When the Lord had awakened His ministers in this county, and some neighbouring parts, to a sense of their duty in the work of catechising, and private instruction of all in their parishes that would not obstinately refuse their help, and when they had subscribed an agreement, containing their resolutions for the future performance of it, they judged it unmeet to enter upon the work without a solemn humbling of their souls before the Lord, for their long neglect of so great and necessary a duty; and therefore they agreed to meet together at “Worcester, December 4, 1655, and there to join in such humihation, and in earnest prayer to God

A for the pardon of their neglects, and for His special assistance in the work that they had undertaken, and for the success of it mth the people whom they were eno-aoed to instruct: at which time, among others, I was desired by them to preach. In answer to their desires, I prepared the following discourse; which, though it proved longer than could be delivered in one or two sermons, yet I intended to have entered upon it at that time, and to have delivered that which was most pertinent to the occasion, and reserved the rest to another season. But before the meeting, by the increase of my ordinary pain and weakness, I was disabled from going thither. To recompense which unwilling omission, I easily pelded to the requests of divers of the brethren, forthwith to publish the things which I had prepared, that they might see -that which they could not hea7 If now it be objected, that “I should not have spoken so plainly or sharply against the sins of the ministry, or that I should not have published it to the view of the world; or at least that I should have done it in another tongue, and not in the ears of the vulgar, especially at such a time when Quakers and Papists are endeavouring to bring the ministry into contempt, and the people are too prone to hearken to their suggestions:” I confess I thought the objection very considerable; but that it prevailed not to alter my resolutions is to be ascribed to the following reasons: — 1. It was a purposed solemn humiliation that we were agreed on, and that this was prepared and intended for. And how should we be humbled without a plain confession of our sins — 2. It was principally our own sins that the confession did concern; and who can be ofi’ended with us for confessing our own, and taking the blame and shame to ourselves, which our consciences told us we ought to do? — 3. I have excepted in our confessions those that are not guilty; and therefore hope that I have injured none. — 4. Having necessarily prepared it in the English tongue, I had no spare time to translate it. — 5. Where the sin is open in the sight of the world, it is in vain to attempt to hide it. — 6. And such attempts will but aggravate it, and increase our shame. — 7. A free confession is a condition of a full remission; and when the sin is public, the confession must be public. If the ministers of England Jiad sinned only in Latin, I would have made shift to admonish them in Latin, or else have said nothing to them. But if they will sin in English, they must hear of it in English. Unpardoned sin will never let us rest or prosper, though we be at never so much care and cost to cover it; our sin will surely find us out, though we find not it. The work of confession is purposely to make known our sin, and freely to take the shame to ourselves: and if he that confesseth and forsaketh be the man that shall have mercy, no wonder then if he that covereth it, prosper not. (Prov. xxviii. 13.) If we be so tender of ourselves, and so loath to confess, God will be less tender of us, and will indite our confessions for us. He will either force our consciences to confession, or His judgments shall proclaim our iniquities to the world. Know we not how many malicious adversaries are day and night at work against us? Some openly revile us, and some in secret are laying the designs, and contriving that which others execute, and are in expectation of a fuller stroke at us, which may subvert us at once. What is it but our sins that is the streno-th of all these enemies’? Is not this evil from the ordering of the Lord? Till we are reconciled to Him we are never safe: He will never want a rod to scourge us by. The tongues of Quakers and Papists, and many other sorts, are all at work to proclaim our sins, because we will not confess

them ourselves; because we will not speak the truth, they will speak much more than the truth. Yet if we had man only to plead our cause with, perhaps we might do much to make it good; but while God accuseth us, how shall we be justified? and who shall hide our sins, when He will have them brought to light”? And God is our accuser till we accuse ourselves; but if we would judge ourselves. He would not judge us. — 8. The fire is already kindled which revealeth our sin: judgment is begun at the house of God. Hath the ministry suffered nothing in England, Scotland, and Ireland? and have there been no attempts for its overthrow? Hath it not been put to the vote of an assembly that some called a Parliament of England, Whether the whole frame of the established ministry, and its legal maintenance, should be taken down? And were we not put to plead our title to that maintenance, as if we had been falling into the hands of Turks, that had thirsted for our subversion, as resolved enemies to the Christian cause? And who knows not how many of these men are yet alive; and how high the same spirit yet is, and busily contriving the accomplishment of the same design? Shall we think that they have ceased their enterprise, because they are working more subtlely in the dark? What are the swarms of railers at the ministry sent abroad the land for, but to delude, exasperate, and disafi’ect the people; and turn the hearts of the children from their fathers, that they may be ready to promote the main design 1 And is it not, then, our wisest course to see that God be our friend, and to do that which tendeth most to engage Him in our defence? I think it is no time now to stand upon our credit, so far as to neglect our duty and befriend our sins, and so provoke the Lord against us. It rather beseems us to fall down at the feet of our offended Lord, and to justify Him in His judgments, and freely and penitently to confess our transgressions, and to resolve upon a speedy and thorough reformation, before wrath break out upon us, which will leave us no remedy. It is time to make up all breaches between us and Heaven, when we stand in such necessity of the Divine protection! For how can an impenitent, unreformed people, expect to be sheltered by Holiness itself? It is a stubborn child, that under the rod will refuse to confess his faults; when it is not the least use of the rod to extort confession. We feel much, we fear more, and all is for sin; and yet are we so hardly drawn to a confession? — 9. The world already knows that we are sinners; as none suppose us perfect, so our particular sins are too apparent to the world; and is it not meet, then, that they should see that we are penitent sinners? It is surely a greater credit to us to be penitent sinners, than impenitent sinners; and one of the two we shall be while we are on earth. Certainly as repentance is necessary to the recovery of our peace with God, so it is also to the reparation of our credit with wise and godly men: it is befriending and excusing our sin that is our shame indeed, and leadeth towards everlasting shame; which the shame of penitent confession would prevent. — 10. Our penitent confession and speedy reformation are the means that must silence the approaching adversaries. He is imprudently inhuman, that will reproach men wdth their sins that bewail and penitently charge them upon themselves. Such men have a promise of pardon from God; and shall men take us by the throat when God forgiveth us? Who dare condemn us, when God justifies us 1 Who shall lay that to our charge which God hath declared that He will not charge us withi When sin is truly repented of by gospel-indulgence, it ceaseth to be ours. AVhat readier way, then, can we imagine to free us from the shame of it, than to

shame ourselves for it in penitent confessions, and to break off from it by speedy reformation? — 11. The leaders of the flock must be exemplary to the rest; and therefore in this duty as well as in any other. It is not our part only to teach them repentance, but to go before them in the exercise of it ourselves. As far as we excel them in knowledge and other gifts, so far should we also excel them in this and other graces. — 12. Too many that have set their hand to this sacred work do so obstinately proceed in self-seeking, negligence, pride, division, and other sins, that it is become our necessary duty to admonish them. If we could see that such would reform without reproof, we could gladly forbear the publishing of their faults. But when reproofs themselves do prove so ineffectual that they are more offended at the reproof than at the sin, and had rather that we should cease reproving than themselves should cease sinning, I think it is time to sharpen the remedy. For what else should we do? To give up our brethren as incurable were cruelty, as long as there are further means to be used. We must not hate them, but plainly rebuke them, and not suffer sin upon them. (Lev. xix.

1 7.) And to bear with the vices of the ministers, is to promote the ruin of the Church. For what speedier way is there for the depraving and undoing of the people, than the depravity of their guides 1 And how can we more effectually further a reformation (which we are so much obliged to do) than by endeavouring the reforming of the leaders of the Church’? Surely, brethren, if it be our duty to endeavour to cast out those ministers that are neghgent, scandalous, and unfit for the work, and if we think this so necessary to the reformation of the Church, (as no doubt it is,) it must needs be our duty to endeavour to heal the sins of others, and to use a much more gentle remedy to them that are guilty of a less degree of sin. If other men’s sin deserve an ejection, surely ours deserve and require plain reproof. For my part, I have done as I would be done by; and it is for God and the safety of the Church, and in tender love to the brethren, whom I do adventure to reprehend: not (as others) to make them contemptible and odious, but to heal the e’ils that would make them so; that so no enemy may find this matter of reproach among us. But especially because our faithful endeavours are of so great necessity to the welfare of the Church, and the saving of men’s souls, that it “svill not consist with a love to either (in a predominant sort) to be negligent ourselves, or silently to connive at, and comply with the negligent. If thousands of you were in a leaky ship, and those that should pump out the water and stop the leaks should be sporting or asleep, yea, or but favour themselves in their labours, to the hazarding of you all, would you not awake them to their work, and call out on them to labour for your lives’? and if you used some sharpness and importunity with the slothful, would you think that man were well in his wits that would take it ill of you, and accuse you of pride, self-conceitedness, or unmannerliness, to presume to talk so saucily to your fellow-workmen, or should tell you that you wrong them by diminishing their reputation 1 Would you not say, “The work must be done, or we are all dead men: is the ship ready to sink, and do you talk of reputation 1 or had you rather hazard yourself and us, than hear of your slothfulness?” This is our case, brethren! The work of God must needs be done: souls must not perish while you mind your worldly business, or obsers’e the tide and times, and take your ease, or quarrel with your brethren: nor must we be silent while men are hastened by you to perdition, and the Church to greater danger and confusion, for fear of seeming too uncivil and unmannerly mth you, or displeasing your impatient souls. Would you be but as impatient with your sins as with reproofs, you should hear no more from us, but we should be all agreed! But neither God nor good men will let you alone in such sins. Yet if you had betaken yourselves to another calling, and would sin to yourselves only, and would perish alone, we should not have so much necessity of molesting you, as now we have; but if you will enter into the office which is for the necessary preservation of us all, so that by letting you alone in your sins, we must give up the Church to apparent loss and hazard; blame us not if we talk to you more freely than you would have us do. If your own body be sick, and you will despise the remedy; or if your own house be on fire, and you will be singing or quarrelling in the streets; I can possibly bear it, and let you alone, (which yet in charity I should not easily do.) But if you will undertake to be the physician of an hospital, or to all the town that is infected with the plague; or will undertake to quench all the fires that shall be kindled in the town, there is no bearing with your remissness, how

much soever it may displease you. Take it how you will, you must be told of it; and if that will not serve, you must get more closely told of it; and if that will not serve, if you be rejected as well as reprehended, you must thank yourselves. I speak all this to none but the guilty. — And thus I have given you those reasons which forced me, even in plain English, to publish so much of the sins of the ministry, as in the following treatise I have done. And I suppose the more penitent and humble any are, and the more desirous of the truest reformation of the Church, the more easily and fully will they approve such free confessions and reprehensions.

The second sort of objections against this free confession of sin, I expect to hear from the several parties whose sins are here confessed. Most of them can be willing that others be blamed, so they might be justified themselves. I can truly say, that what I have here spoken hath been as impartially as I could, and not as a party, nor as siding mth any, but as owning the common Christian cause, and as somewhat sensible of the apparent wrongs that have been offered to common truth and godliness, and the hindrances of men’s salvation, and of the happiness of the Church. But I find it impossible to avoid the offending of guilty men; for there is no way of avoiding it, but by our silence, or their patience: and silent we cannot be, because of God’s commands; and patient they cannot be, because of thir guilt and partiality, and the interest that their sin hath got in their affections. I still except those humble men that are willing to know the worst of themselves, and love the light that their deeds maybe made manifest, and long to know their sins that they may forsake them, and their duty that they may perform it.

Some, it is likely, will be offended with me, that I blame them so much for the neglect of that discipline, which they have disputed for so long. But what remedy 1 If discipline were not of God, or if it were unnecessary to the Church, or if it were enough to dispute for duty, while we deliberately refuse to perform it, then would I have given these brethren no offence.

Some, it is likely, will be offended that I mention, with disallowance, the Separatists or Anabaptists; as I understand some are much offended that I so mentioned them in an epistle before the Quakers’ Catechism, as if they opened the door to the apostasy of these times; and they say, that by this it appeareth, that while I pretend so much zeal for the unity of the Church, I intend and endeavour the contrary. To which I answer: 1. Is it indeed a sign that a man loveth not the unity of the saints, because he loveth not their disunion and division 1 Who can escape the censure of such men, but he that can unite the saints by dividing them 1 2. I never intended, in urging the peace and unity of the saints, to approve of anything which I judged to be a sin; nor to tie my own tongue or other men’s from seasonable contradicting it. Is there no way to peace but by participating of men’s sin “? The thing I desire is this: (1.) That we might all consider how far we may hold communion together even in the same conffreoations, notwithstandino- our diflferent opinions; and to agree not to withdraw where it may possibly be avoided. (2.) But where it cannot, that yet we may consult how far we may hold communion in distinct cono;re2:ations: and to avoid that no further than is of mere necessity. And (3.), and principally, to consult and agree upon certain rules for the management of our differences, in such manner as may be least to the disadvantage of the common Christian truths which are acknowledged by us all. Thus far would I seek peace with Arminians, Antinomians, Anabaptists, or any that hold the foundation. Yea, and in the two last, I would not refuse to consult an accommodation with moderate Papists themselves, if their principles were not against such consultations and accommodations; and I should judge it a course which- God will better approve of, than to proceed by carnal contrivances to undermine their adversaries, or by cruel murders to root them out, which are their ordinary courses. I remember that godly, orthodox, peaceable man, Bishop Ussher, (lately deceased,) tells us in his sermon at Wansted, for the unity of the Church, that he made a motion to the Papist priests in Ireland; that, because it was ignorance of the common principles that was likely to be the undoing of the common people, more than the holding of the points which we differ in, therefore both parties should agree to teach them some Catechism containing those common principles of religion which are acknowledged by us all. But jealousies and carnal counsels would not permit them to hearken to this motion.

3. And as concerning that epistle before my paper to the Quakers, I further answer, that by Separatists there I plainly mean church-dividers; even all that make unnecessary divisions in or from the churches of Christ, whom the apostle so earnestly beseecheth us to mark and avoid, (Rom. xvi. 17,) and which he calleth them carnal for, and so earnestly contendeth against, 1 Cor, i., ii., iii., and in many other places in his epistles. And if this be a tolerable sin, then the unity of the Church is not a necessary thing; and then the apostles would never have condemned this sin as they have done. Do we all so sensibly smart by the effects of these sins, and is the Church of Christ among us brought into such a torn and endangered condition by them, so that we are in no small danger of falling all into the hands of the common adversaries 1 Is so hopeful and chargeable a reformation so far frustrated by these men, and yet must we not open our mouths to teU them of it 1 May we not tell them of it, when we are bleeding by their hands? Is it tolerable in them to cut and wound, and let out our blood, and is it unpeaceableness in us to tell them that we suffer by them, and to beseech them to repent and to have compassion on the Church of Christ 1 Must we be patient to be ruined by them, and have they not the patience to hear of it? What remedy “? Let them be silent that dare; for I profess I dare not. I must tell them that this height of pride hath been in their ancestors a concomitant of schism. A poor drunkard or swearer will more patiently hear of his sin, than many that we hope are godly will of theirs, when once they are tainted with this sin. But godliness was never made to be the credit of men’s sins; nor is sin to be let alone, or well thought of, when it can but get into a godly man. Shall we hate them most whom we are bound to love best 1 and shall we shew it by forbearing our plain rebuke, and suffering their sin upon them 1 It must not be; however they take it in their sick distemper, it must not be. No man that erreth doth think that he erreth; these men are confident themselves that they are in the right. But the sober, prudent servants of Christ, that have escaped their disease, do see their error; and England feeleth it, and that at the very heart. What I must we die by their hand, and our very heart -blood be let out, and the gospel delivered up to the adversaries, before they will believe that they have done us wrong 1 or before they will endure to hear us tell them of it 1 If the ages to come do not say more against the ways of these mistaken men than I have done in that epistle, and if either mercy or judgment do not bring them one day to think or speak more sharply of themselves, then I must confess myself quite out in my prognostics.

Another sort that will be offended with me, are some of the divines of the prelatical way, whom I had no mind to offend, nor to dishonour; but if necessary duty will do it, what remedy? If they cannot bear with just admonition, I must bear with their impatience. But I must teU. them that I spoke not by hearsay, but from sight and feeling. It is more tolerable in an Englishman to speak such things, that hath seen the sad work that was made in England, the silencing of most godly, able men, the persecution even of the peaceable, the discountenance of godliness, and the insulting scorn of the profanest in the land, than for a foreigner that hath known of this but by hearsay. When we remember what sort of ministers the land abounded with, while the ablest and most diligent men were cast out, (of which matters we cannot be ignorant, if there were no records remaining of their attested accusations,) we must needs take leave to tell the world that the souls of men, and the welfare of the Church, were not so contemptible in our eyes, as that we should have no sense of these things, or should manifest no dislike of them, nor once invite the guilty to repent. And if you think my language harsh, I will transcribe some words of a far wiser man, and leave it to your consideration how far they concern the present case, or justify my free and plain expressions.

Gildas de Excid. Britan, edit, Polid. Virgil, sub fine. Quid plura *? Fertur vobis in medium Matthige in confusionem vestram, exemplum, sanctorum quoq; apostolorum electione, vel judicio Christi, non propria voluntate sortiti, ad quod cseci effecti non videtis, quia longe h meritis ejus distatis, dum in morem et affectum Judse traditoris sponte corruitis. Apparet ergb eum qui vos sacerdotes sciens ex corde, dicit non esse eximium Christianum. Sane quod sentio proferam. Posset quidem lenior fieri increpatio, sed quid prodest vulnus manu tautum palpare, unguentove un gere quod tumore jam vel foetore sibi horrescens cauterio, et publico ignis medicamine eget 1 Si tamen uUo modo sanari possit, segro nequaquam medelamquserente et ob hoc medico longius recedente. 0 inimici Dei, et non sacerdotes; 6 licitatores malorum, et non pontifices; traditores, et non sanctorum apostolorum successores; impugnatores, et non Christi ministri. Auscultdstis quidem secundse lectionis apostoli Pauli verborum sonum, sed nidlo modo monita virtutemque servdstis, et simulachrorum more, quae non vident, neque audiunt, eodem die alteri astitistis, licet ille tunc et qiiotidi vobis intonaret. Fratres, fidelis senno est, et omni acceptione dignus. Ille dixit, fidelem, et dignum, vos ut infidelem et indignum sprevistis. Si quis episcopatum cupit, bonum opus cupit. Episcopatum magnoper avaritiae gratis, non spiritualis profectus obtentu, cupitis, et bonum opus illi condignum nequaquam habetis. Oportet ergo hujusmodi irreprehensibilem esse: In hoc namque sermone lachrymis magis, quam verbis opus est, ac si dixisset apostolus eum esse omnibus irreprehensibiliorem debere. Unius uxoris virum. Quid ita apud nos, quoque contemnitur, quasi non audiretur vel idem dicere. Et “sorum ujxoris sobrium, prudent em “? Quis etiam ex vobis hoc aliquando inesse sibi saltem optavit. Hospitalem 1 Id forte casu evenerit, popularis aurse potius, quam prsecepti gratia factum. Non prodest, Domino sal vat ore ita dicente. Amen dico vobis, receperunt meredem suam. Ornatum, non vinolentum, non. percussorem, sed modestum, non litigiosum, non cupidum “? 0 feralis immutatio, 6 horrenda prseceptorum coelestium conculcatio: nonne infatig-abiliter ad hsec expugnanda, vel potius obruenda actuum verborumque arma corripitis, pro quibus conservandis, atque firmandis, si necesse fuisset, et poena ultrb subeunda, et vita ponendo erat “? sed videamus et sequentia. Domum suam (inquit) bene regentem, filios habentem-, subditos in omni castitate. Ergo imperfecta est patrum castitas, si non item et filiorum accumuletur? Sed quid erit, ubi nee pater, nee filius, mali genitoris exemplo privatus, conspicitur cast us 1 Si quis autem domui suae praeesse nescit, quomodo ecclesiae Dei diligentiam adhibebit? Hsec sunt verba quae indubitatisaffectibus approbantur. Diaconos similiter pudicos, non biliiigues, non vino multo deditos, non turpe lucrumsectantes, habentes ministerium iidei, in conscientia pura. Hi autem probentur primum, et sic ministrent nullum crimen habentes. His nimirum borrescens diu immorari, unum veridice possum dicere. Quin baec omnia in contraries actus mutantur, ita ut clerici quod non absque dolore cordis, fateor, impudici,bilingues,ebrii, turpis lucri cupidi, habentes fidem, et ut verius dicam, infidelitatem, in conscientia impura non probati in bono, sed in malo praesciti ministrantes, et innumera crimina habentes, sacro ministerio adsciscantur. Audistis etiam illo die, quo multo dignius, multoque rectius erat, ut ad carcerem vel catastam poenalem quam ad sacerdotium traheremini domino scitante, quem se esse putarunt discipuli, Petrum respondisse. Tu es Christus filius Dei, eique dominum pro tali confessione, dixisse. Beatus es Simon Barjona, quia caro et sanguis non revelavit

tibi, sed pater meus, qui in coelis est. Ergo Petrus a Deo Patre doctus recte Christum confitetur. Vos autem moniti k patre vestro diabolo iniqu, salvatorem malis actibus denegatis. Verb sacerdoti dicitur: Tu es Petrus, et super banc petram, sedificabo ecclesiam meam. Vos quidem assimilamini viro stulto, qui aedificavit domum suam, super arenam. Notandum verb est, qubd insipientibus in aedificanda domo, arenarum pendulae mobilitati Dominus non co-operatur, secundiim illud. Fecerunt sibi reges; et non per me. Itidemque quod sequitur eadem sonat dicendo. Et portae inferi non praevalebunt, ej usque peccata intelliguntur. De vestra quidem exitiabili factura pronunciantur. Venerunt flumina, flaverunt venti, et impegerunt in domum illam, et ceciclit, et fuit ruina ejus magna. Petro ej usque successoribus dicit Dominus, et tibi dabo clavis regni caelorum. Vobis verb; non novi vos, disced ite h. me, operarii iniquitatis, ut seperatisinistrae partis hoedi eatis in ignem seternum. Itemque omni sancto sacerdoti promittitur: Et quaecunque solveris super terram, erunt soluta et in coelis; et qusecunque ligaveris super terram, erunt ligata et in coelis. Sed quomodo vos aliquid solvetis, ut sit solutum, et in coelis, h, ccelo ob scelera adempti, et immanium peccatorum funibus compediti’? Ut Solomon quoque ait, funiculis peccatorum suorum unusquisque constringitur. Qua ratione aliquid in terra ligabitis, quod supra mundum etiam ligetur, propter vosmetipsos, qui ita ligati iniquitatibus, in hoc mundo tenemini, ut in coelis nequaC[uam ascendatis, sed in infausta tartari ergastida non conversi in bac vita ad dominum, decidatis. Nee sibi quisquam sacerdotum de corporis mundi solum conscientia supplaudat, cum eorum quibus praeest, si propter ejus imperitiam, seu desidiam, sen adultationem, perierint in die judicii de ejusdem manibus veluti interfectoris animse exquirantur. Quia nee dulcior mors, quam quae infertur ab unoquoque homineque malo, alioquin non dixisset Apostolus velut paternum legatum suis successoribus derelinquens. Mundus ego sum ab omnium sanguine, non enim subterfugi, quo minus annuntiarem vobis omne ministerium Dei. Multum namque usu ac frequentia peccatorum inebriati, et incessanter irruentibus vobis scelerum cumulatorum, ac si undis quassati unum veluti post naufragiam, in qua ad vivorum terram evadatis, poenitentiae tabidam toto animi nisu exquirite, ut avertatur furor Domini a vobis, misericorditer dicentis, Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed ut

B convertatur et vivat. Ipse omnipotens Dens totius cousolationis et misericordise paucissimos bonos pastores conservet ab omni malo, et municipes faciat civitatis Hiemsalem coelestis, hoc est, sanctorum omninm congregationis, Pater, et Filins, et Spiritns Sanctns, cni sit honor, et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.”

If the English translation of this book (for translated it is long ago) do fall into the hands of the vulgar, they will see what language the British clergyreceived from one that was neither a censorious raHer, nor schismatically self-opinionated.

Perhaps some will say, “That the matter is not much amended, when in former times we were almost all of a mind; and now we have so many religions that we know not well whether we have any at all.”

Ans. 1. Every different opinion is not another religion. 2. This is the common Popish argument against reformation, as if it were better that men believed nothing “fide divina,” than inquire after truth, for fear of misbelief: and as if they would have all ungodly, that they might be all of a mind. I am sure that the most of the people in England, wherever I came, did make religion, and the reading of the Scripture, or speaking of the way to heaven, the matter of their bitter scorn and reproach. And would you have us all of that mind again, for fear of differences 1 a charitable wish! 3. If others run into the other extreme, will that be any excuse to you ‘i Christ’s Church hath always suffered between profane unbelievers and heretical dividers, as He suffered Himself on the cross between two thieves. And will the sin of one excuse the other? 4. And yet I must say, (lest I be impiously blind and ungrateful,) that, through the great mercy of God, the matter is so far amended, that many hundred drunken, swearing, ignorant, negligent, scandalous ministers are cast out; and we have many humble, godly, painful teachers in a county for a few that we had before. This is so visibly true, that when the godly are feasted, who formerly were almost famished, and beaten for going abroad to beg their bread, you can hardly, by all your arguments or rhetoric, persuade them that the times are no better with them than they were; though men of another nation may possibly believe you in such reports. I bless God for the change that I see in this county; and among the people, even in my own charge, which is such as will not permit me to believe that the case is as bad with them as formerly it hath been. I say, with JNIinutius Foelix, p. 401, (mihi,) “Quid ingrati sumus 1 quid nobis invidemus? Si Veritas divinitatis nostri temporis setate maturuit. Fruamur nostro bono: Et recti sententiam temperemus: cohibeatur superstitio: impietas expietur: religio servetur.” It is the sinful unhappiness of some men’s minds, that they can hardly think well of the best words or ways of those whom they disaffect; and they usually disaffect those that cross them in their corrupt proceedings, and plainly tell them of their faults. They are ready to judge of the reprover’s spirit by their own, and to think that all such sharp reproofs proceed from some disaffection to their persons, or partial opposition to the ojDinions which they hold; and therefore they will seldom regard the reproofs of any but those of their own party, who will seldom deal plainly with them, because they are of their party. But plain-dealers are always approved in the end; and the time is at hand when you shall confess that those were your truest friends. He that will deal plainly against your sins in uprightness and honesty, will deal as plainly for you against the sins of any that would injure you; for he speaks not against sin because it is yours, but because it is sin. It is an observable passage that is reported by many, and printed by one, how the late King Charles, who, by the Bishops’ instigation, had kept Mr Prynne so long in prison, and twice cropt his ears, for writing against their masks and plays, and the high and hard proceedings of the prelates when he read his notable, voluminous speech for an acceptance of the King’s concessions, and an agreement with him thereupon, — did, not long before his death, deliver the book to a friend that stood by him, saying, “Take this book; I give it thee as a legacy; and, believe it, this gentleman is the Cato of the age.” The time will come when plain dealing will have a better construction than it hath, while prejudice doth turn the heart against it.

I shall stand no longer on the apologetical part: I think, the foregoing objections being answered, there is no great need of more of this. The title of the book itself is apologetical, which, if I tell you not, I may well expect that some of my old ingenuous interpreters should put another sense upon it. I pretend not to the sapience of Gildas, nor to the sanctity of Salvian, as to the degree; but by their names I offer you an excuse for plain dealing. If it was used in a much greater measure by men so wise and holy as these, why should it in a lower measure be disallowed in another 1 At least from hence I have this encouragement, that the plain dealing of Gildas and Salvian being so much approved by us now they are dead, how much soever they might be despised or hated while they were living by them whom they did reprove, at the worst I may expect some such success in times to come.

But my principal business is yet behind. I must now take the boldness, brethren, to become your monitor, concerning some of the necessary duties of which I have spoken in the ensuing discourse. If any of you should charge me with arrogancy or immodesty, as if hereby I accused you of negligence, or judged myself sufficient to admonish you; I crave your candid interpretation of my boldness, assuring you that I obey not the counsel of my flesh herein, but displease myself as much as some of you; and had rather have the ease and peace of silence, if it would stand with duty and the Church’s good. But it is the mere necessity of the souls of men, and my desire of their salvation, and the prosperity of the Church, which force me to this arrogancy and immodesty, if so it must be called. For who that hath a tongue can be silent, when it is for the honour of God, the welfare of His Church, and the everlasting happiness of so many persons “?

And the Jirst and main matter which I have to propound to you is, whether it be not the unquestionable duty of the generality of ministers, in these three nations, to set themselves presently to the work of catechising and personal instructing all that are to be taught by them, who will be persuaded to submit thereunto 1 I need not here stand to prove it, having sufficiently done it in the following discourse. Can you think that holy wisdom will gainsay it? Will zeal for God, will delight in His service, or love to the souls of men gainsay it 1 (1.) That the people must be taught the principles of religion, and matters of greatest necessity to salvation, is past doubt among us. (2.) And that they must be taught it in the most edifying, advantageous way, I hope we are agreed. (3.) And that personal conference, and examination, and instruction, hath many excellent advantages for their good, is beyond dispute, and afterward manifested. (4.) As also that personal instruction is commended to us by Scripture, and the j)ractices of the servants of Christ, and approved by the godly of all ages, so far as I can find, without contradiction. (5.) It is past all doubt that we should perform this great duty to all the people, or to as many as we can; for our love and care of their souls must extend to all. If there be a thousand or five hundred ignorant people in your parish, it is a poor discharge of your duty now and then occasionally to speak to some few of them, and let the rest alone in their ignorance, if you are able to afibrd them help, (6.) And it is as certain that so great a work as this is should take up a considerable part of our time. (7.) And as certain is it, that all duties should be done in order, as far as may be, and therefore should have their appointed times. And if we are agreed to practise according to these commonly-acknowledged truths, we need not difi”er upon any doubtful circumstances.

Object. “We teach them in public; and how then are we bound to teach them man by man besides ‘?”

Ans. You pray for them in public: must you not also pray for them in private 1 Paul taught every man, and exhorted every man, and that both publicly and from house to house, night and day with tears. The necessity and benefits afterward mentioned prove it to be your duty. But what need we add more, when experience speaks so loud ‘i I am daily forced to admire how lamentably ignorant many of our people are, that have seemed diligent hearers of me these ten or twelve years, while I spoke as plainly as I was able to speak! Some know not that each person in the Trinity is God; nor that Christ is God and man; nor that He took His human nature into heaven; nor many the like necessary principles of our faith. Yea, some that come constantly to private meetings are found grossly ignorant; whereas, in one hour’s familiar instruction of them in private, they seem to understand more, and better entertain it, than they did in all their lives before.

Object. “But what obligation lieth on us to tie ourselves to certain days for the performance of this workr’

Ans. This is like the libertines’ plea against family prayer. They ask, Where are we bound to pray morning and evening? Doth not the nature and end of the duty plainly tell you that an appointed time conduceth to the orderly successful performance of it? How can people tell when to come, if the time be not made known *? You will have a fixed day for a lecture, because people cannot else teU when to come without a particular notice for each day: and it is as necessary here, because this must be a constant duty, as well as that.

Object. “But we have many other businesses that sometimes may interrupt the course.”

Ans. Weightier business may put by our preaching.

even on the Lord’s-day, but we must not therefore neglect our constant observance ordinarily of that day: and so it is here. If you have so much greater business, that you cannot ordinarily have time to do the ministerial work, you should not undertake the office: for ministers are men “separated to the gospel of Christ, and must give themselves wholly to these things.”

Object. “All the parish are not the church, nor do I take the pastoral charge of them, and therefore I am not satisfied that I am bound to take this pains with them.”

Ans. I will pass by the question, whether all the parish be to be taken for your church; because in some places it is so, and in others not. But let the negative be supposed: Yet, (1.) The common maintenance, which most receive, is for teaching the whole parish; though you be not obliged to take them all for a church. (2.) What need we look for a stronger obligation, than the common bond that lieth on all Christians, to further the work of men’s salvation, and the good of the Church, and the honour of God, to the utmost of their power; together with the common bond that is on all ministers to further these ends by ministerial teaching to the utmost of their power 1 Is it a work so good, and apparently conducing to so great benefits to the soids of men, and yet can you perceive no obligation to the doing of it %

Object. “But why may not occasional conference and instructions serve the turn ‘i”

Ans. I partly know what occasional conferences are, compared to this duty, having tried both. Will it satisfy you to deal with one person of twenty or forty, or a hundred, and to pass by all the rest 1 Occasional conferences fall out seldom, and but with few; and (which is worst of all) are seldom managed so thoroughly as these must be. When I speak to a man that cometh to me purposely on that business, he will better give me leave to examine him, and deal closely with him, than when it falls in on the by: and most occasional conferences fall out before others, where plain dealing lall not be taken so well. But so much is said afterward to these and several other objections, that I shall add no more here.

I do now, in the behalf of Christ, and for the sake of His Church and the immortal souls of men, beseech all the faithful ministers of Christ, that they will presently and eifectually fall upon this work. Combine for a unanimous performance of it, that it may more easily procure the submission of your people. But if there should be found any so blind or vile as to oppose it, or dissent, God forbid that other ministers should, because of that, forbear their duties. I am far from presuming to prescribe you rules or forms, or so much as to move you to tread in our steps, in any circumstances where a difference is tolerable, or to use the same catechism or exhortation as we do: only fall presently and’ closely to the work. If there should be any of so proud or malicious a mind as to withdraw from so great a duty because they would not seem to be our followers, or drawn to it by us, as they would have approved it, if it had risen from themselves; I adAT.se such, as they love their everlasting peace, to make out to Christ for a ciu-e of such cankered minds: and let them know that this duty hath its rise neither from them nor us, but from the Lord; and is generally approved by His Church: and for my part, let them, and spare not, tread me in the dirt, and let me be as vile in their eyes as they please, so they will but hearken to God and reason, and fall upon the work, that our hopes of a more common salvation of men, and of a true reformation of the Church may be revived. I must confess that I find by some experience that this is the work that must reform indeed; that must expel our common prevailing ignorance; that must bow the stubborn hearts of men; that must answer their vain objections, and take ofi” their prejudice; that must reconcile their hearts to faithful ministers, and help on the success of our public preaching; and must make true godliness a commoner thing, through the grace of God, which worketh by means. I find that we never took the right course to demolish the kingdom of darkness till now. I wonder at myself, how I was kept ofi” from so clear and excellent a duty so long. But I doubt not but other men’s case is as mine was. I was lono; convinced of it, but my apprehensions of the difficulties were too great, and my apprehensions of the duty too small; and so I was hindered long from the performance. I thought that the people would but have scorned it, and none but a few that had least need, would have submitted to it. The thing seemed strange, and I stayed till the people were better prepared; and I thought my strength would never go through with it, having so great burdens on me before; and thus I was long detained in delays, which I beseech the Lord of mercy to forgive. Whereas, upon trial, I find the difficulties almost nothing, save only through my extraordinary bodily weakness, to that which I imagined; and I find the benefits and comforts of the work to be such, as that I profess, I would not wish that I had forborne it for all the riches in the world (as for myself.) We spend Monday and Tuesday from morning to almost night in the work; besides a chapelry, catechised by another assistant, taking about fifteen or sixteen families in a week, that we may go through the parish, which hath above eight hundred families, in a year; and I cannot say yet that one family hath refused to come to me, nor but few persons excused themselves and shifted it off. And I find more outward signs of success with most that come, than of all my public preaching to them. If you say, it is not so in most places: I answer, 1. I wish that be not much long of ourselves. 2. If some refuse your help, that will not excuse you for not affording it to them that would accept it. If you ask me what course I take for order and

expedition; I have after told you: In a word, at the delivery of the catechisms, I take a catalogue of the persons of understanding in the parish; and the clerk goeth a week before to every family to tell them when to come, and at what hour; (one family at eight o’clock, the next at nine, and the next at ten, &c.) And I am forced by the number to deal with a whole family at once; but admit not any of another to be present (ordinarily.)

Brethren, do I now invite you to this work without God, without the consent of all antiquity, without the consent of the reformed divines; or without the conviction of your own consciences? See what our late Assembly speak occasionally, in the Directory, about the Visitation of the Sick: — “It is the duty of the minister, not only to teach the people committed to his charge in public, but privately and particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove, and comfort them upon all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety ^dll permit. He is to admonish them in time of health to prepare for death; and for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minister about the state of their souls,” &c. Kead this over again, and consider it. Hearken to God, if you would have peace with God: hearken to conscience, if you would have peace of conscience. I am resolved to deal plainly with yon, if I displease you. It is an unlikely thing, that there should be a heart that is sincerely devoted to God in the breast of that man, that after advertisements and exhortations, will not resolve on so clear and great a duty as this is. As it is with our people in hearing the Word, so it is with us in teaching. An upright heart is an eflfectual persuader of them to attend on God in the use of His ordinances; and an upright heart will as effectually persuade a minister to his duty: as a good stomach needs no arguments to draw it to a feast, nor will easily by any arguments be taken off: and as a child will love and obey his parents, though he could not answer a sophister that would persuade him to hate them; so I cannot conceive that he that hath one spark of saving grace, and so hath that love to God, and delight to do His will, which is in all the sanctified, should possibly be drawn to contradict or refuse such a work as this; except under the power of such a temptation as Peter was when he denied Christ, or when he dissuaded Him from suffering, and heard an half excommunication, “Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt. xvi. 22, 23.)

You have put your hand to the plough of God; you are doubly sanctified and devoted to Him, as Christians and pastors; and dare you after this draw back and refuse His work? You see the work of reformation at a stand; and you are engaged by many obligations to promote it; and dare you now neglect those means by which it must be done ‘i Will you shew your faces in a Christian congregation, as ministers of the gospel, and there pray for a reformation; and pray for the conversion and salvation of your hearers, and the prosperity of the Church; and when you have done, refuse to use means by which it must be done? I know that carnal wit will never want words and shew of reason to gainsay that truth and duty which it abhors; it is easier now to cavil against duty than perform it; but stay the end before you pass your final judgment. Can you possibly make yourselves believe that you should have a comfortable review of these neglects, or make a comfortable account of them unto God? I dare prognosticate, from the knowledge of the nature of grace, that all the godly ministers in England will make conscience of this duty, and address themselves to it; except those that by some extraordinary accident are disabled, or those that are under such temptations as aforesaid. I do not hopelessly persuade you to it; but take it for granted it will be done: and if any lazy, or jealous, or malicious hypocrites do cavil against it, or hold ofi”, the rest will not do so; but they will take the opportunity, and not resist the warnings of the Lord. And God will uncase the hypocrites ere long, and make them know, to their sorrow, what it was to play fast and loose mth God. Woe to them, when they must be accountable for the blood of souls! The reasons which satisfy them here against duty will then be manifested to be the efifects of their folly, and to have proceeded radically from their corrupted wills and carnal interest. And (unless they be desperately blinded and seared to the death) their consciences will not own those reasons at a dying hour which now they seem to own. They shall feel to their sorrow that there is not that comfort to be had for a departing soul, in the review of such neglected duty, as there is to them that have wholly devoted themselves to the service of the Lord. I am sure my arguments for this duty will appear strongest at the last, whatever they do now. And again I say, I hope the time is even at hand, when it shall be as great a shame to a minister to neglect the private instructing and oversight of the flock, as it hath been to be a seldom preacher; for which men are now justly sequestered and ejected. And if God have not so great a quarrel with us as tendeth to a removal of the gospel, or at least to the blasting of its prosperity and success in the desired reformation, I am confident that this will shortly be. And if these lazy, worldly hypocrites were but quickened to their duty by a sequestering committee, you should see them stir more zealously than all arguments fetched from God and Scripture, from the reward or punishment, or from the necessity and benefits of the work can persuade them to do. For even now these wretched men, while they pretend themselves the servants of Christ, are asking. What authority we have for this work? And if we could but shew them a command from the Lord Protector or Council, it would answer all their scruples, and put the business beyond dispute; as if they had a design to confirm the accusation of the Papists, that their ministry only is Divine, and ours dependeth on the will of men. Well, for those godly, zealous ministers of Christ, that labour in sincerity, and denying their worldly interest and ease, do wholly devote themselves to Gkpd, I am confident there needs not much

persuasion. There is somewhat within that will presently carry them to the work; and for the rest, let them censure this warning as subtlely as they can, they shall not hinder it from rising up against them in judgment, unless it be by true repentance and reformation.

And let me speak one word of this to you that are my dear fellow-labourers in this county, who have ensjacred yourselves to be faithful in this work. It is your honour to lead in sacred resolutions and agreements; but if any of you should be unfaithful in the performance, it will be your double dishonour. Review your subscribed agTeement, and see that you perform it with diligence and constancy. You haTe begun a happy work; such as will do more to the welfare of the Church than many that the world doth make a greater stir about, God forbid now, that imprudence or negligence should frustrate all. For the generaHty of you, I do not much fear it; having so much experience of your fidelity in the other parts of your office. And if there should be any found among you that will shuffle over the work, and deal unfaithfully in this and other parts of your office, I take it for no just cause of reproach to us that we accept of your subscription when you offer to join with us. For catechising is a work not proper only to a minister; and we cannot forbid any to engage themselves to their unquestionable duty: but in our association for discipline we must be somewhat more scrupulous with whom we join. I earnestly beseech you all, in the name of God, and for the sake of your people’s souls, that you will not slightly slubber over this work, but do it vigorously and with all your might, and make it your great and serious business: much judgment is required for the managing of it. Study therefore how to do it beforehand, as you study for your sermons. I remember how earnest I was with some of the last parliament to have had them settle catechists in our assemblies; but truly I am not sorry that it took no effect, unless for a few of the larger congregations. For I perceive that all the life of the work, under God, doth lie in the prudent, effectual manao-ement of searchino; men’s hearts, and setting home the saving truths; and the ablest minister is weak enough for this, and few of inferior place or parts would be found competent. For I fear nothing more than that many ministers that preach well will be found too unmeet for this work, especially to manage it with old, ignorant, dead-hearted sinners; and, indeed, if the ministers be not reverenced by the people, they will rather slight them and contest Tv-ith them than humbly learn and submit; how much more would they do so by inferior men 1 Seeing, then, the work is cast upon us, and it is we that must do it, or else it must be undone, let us be up and doing with all our might, and the Lord will be with us. I can tell you one thing for your encouragement: it is a work that the enemies of the Church and ministry do exceedingly vex at, and hate, and fear more than anything that yet we have undertaken. I perceive the signs of the Papists’ indignation against it. And methinks it hath the most notable character of a work extraordinarily and unquestionablygood: for they storm at it, and yet they have nothing to say against it. They cannot blame it, and yet they hate and fear it, and would fain undermine it if they knew how. You know how many false rumours have been spread abroad this country to deter the people from it, as that the Lord Protector and Council were against it; that the subscribers were to be ejected; that the agreement was to be publicly burnt, &c. And when we have searched after the authors, we can drive it no higher than the Quakers, the Papists’ emissaries; from whom we may easily know their minds. And yet when a Papist speaks openly as a Papist, some of them have said that it is a good work, but that it wants authority, and is done by those that are not called to it: forsooth, because we have not the authority of their pope or prelates: and some that should be more sober

have used the same language; as if they would rather have thousands and millions of souls neglected than have them so much as catechised and instructed without commission from a prelate. Yea, and some that differ from us about infant baptism, I understand, repine at it, and say that we will hereby insinuate ourselves into the people, and hinder them from receiving the truth. A sad case, that any that seem to have the fear of God should have so true a character of a. partial, dividing, and siding mind, as to grudge at the propagation of Christianity itself, and the common truths which we are all agreed in, for fear lest it should hinder the propagation of their opinions. The common cause of Christianity must give place to the cause of these lower controverted points; and they grudge us our very labour and suffering for the common work, though there be nothing in it which meddleth with them, or which they are able with any shew of reason to gainsay.

I beseech you, brethren, let all this, and the many motives that I have after given you, persuade you to greater diligence herein! When you are speaking to your people, do it with the greatest prudence and seriousness, and be as earnest with them as for life or death; and follow it as close as you do your public exhortations in the pulpit. I profess again, it is to me the most comfortable work, except public preaching, (for there I speak to more, though yet with less advantage to each one,) that ever I yet did set my hand to; and I doubt not but you will find it so to you, if you faithfully perform it.

My seco7id request to the reverend ministers in these nations is, that at last they would, without any more delay, unanimously set themselves to the practice of those parts of Christian discipline, which are unquestionably necessary, and part of their work. It is a sad case that good men, under so much liberty, should settle themselves so long in the constant neglect of so great a duty. The common cry is, Our people are not ready for it; they will not hear it. But is not the meaning, that you icill not hear the trouble and hatred which it will occasion? If, indeed, you proclaim our churches incapable of the order and government of Christ; what do you but give up the cause to them that withdraw from them, and encourage men to look out for better societies where that discipline may be hadl For though preaching and sacraments may be omitted in some cases, tiU a fitter season, and accordingly so may discipline be; yet is it a hard case to settle in a constant neglect, for so many years together as we have done, unless there were a flat impossibility of the work: and if it were so, because of our incapable materials, it would plainly call us to alter our constitution, that the matter may be capable. I have spoke plainly afterward to you of this, which I hope you will bear, and conscientiously consider of. I now only beseech you that would make a comfortable account to the chief Shepherd, and would not be found unfaithful in the house of God, that you do not wilfully or negligently delay it, as if it were a needless thing; nor shrink from the duty because of trouble to the flesh that doth attend it: for as that is too sad a sign of hypocrisy, so the costliest duties are usually the most comfortable; and be sure that Christ will bear the cost. I could here produce a heap of testimonies, of fathers and reformed divines, that inculcate this duty with great importunity. I shall only now give you the words of two of the most godly, laborious, judicious divines, that ever the Church of Christ had since the days of the Apostles.

Calvin. Institut. lib. 4, cap. xii. sec. 1,2. “Sed quia nonnulli in odium disciplinae ab ipso quoque, nomine abhorrent, hi sic habeant: Si nulla societas, imb nulla domus quae vel modicam familiam habeat, contineri in recto statu sine disciplina potest: Eam esse multo magis necessariam in Ecclesia, cujus statum quam ordinatissimum esse decet. Proinde quemadmodum salvifica Christi doctrina anima est Ecclesiae, ita ilKc disciplina pro nervis est: qua fit ut membra corporis, suo quod que loco inter se cohsereant. Quamobrem quicunque vel sublatam disciplinam cupiunt, vel ejus impediunt restitiitionem, sive hoc faciant data opergl, sive per incogitantiam, EcclesisB certe extremam dissipationem qiiaeriint. Quid enim futurum est, si unicuique liceat quod libuerit 1 Atqui id fieret nisi ad doctrinae prsedicationem accederent privatse monitiones, correctiones, et alia ejusmodi adminicula quae doctrinam sustinent et otiosam esse non sinunt. Disciplina igitur veluti fraeniiin est, quo retineantiu- et domentur qui adversus Christi doctrinam ferociunt: vel tanquam stimulus quo excitentur parum voluntarii: interdum etiam velut paterna ferula, qua clementer et pro Spiritus Christi mansuetudine castigentur, qui giavius lapsi sunt. Quum ergo jam imminere cernamus initia qusedam horrendae in Ecclesia vastitatis, ex eo qu5d nulla est cura, nee ratio continedi populi, ij)sa necessitas clamat remedio opus esse. Porro hoc uniciim remedium est quod et Christus prsecipit, et semper usitatum inter pios fuit. 2. Primum discipKnse fundamentum est, ut privatae monitiones locum habeant: hoc est, siquis officium sponte non faciat aut insolenter se gerat, aut minus honest vivat, aut aliquid admiserit reprehensione dignum, ut patiatur se moneri: atque ut quisque fratrem suum, dum res postulabit, monere studeat. Praesertim verb in hoc advigilent Pastores ac Presbyteri, quorum partes sunt non mod5 concionari ad populum, sed per singulas domos monere et exhortari, sicubi universali doctrina non satis profecerint: quemadmodum docet Paulus, quum refert se docuisse privatim et per domos: et se mundum h, sanguine omnium attestatur, quia non cessaverit cum lachrymis nocte et die monere imumquemque.” See the rest. And sec. 4, he adds of the necessity; “Sine hoc disciplinse vinculo qui diu stare posse Ecclesias confidunt.

opinione fallantiir: nisi fort carere impun possimus eo adminiculo, quod Dominus fore nobis necessariiimprovidit.” Et sec. 5, “Atque hlc quoque, habenda est Coenoe Dominicse ratio, ne promisciia exhibitione profanetur. Verissimum est enim eum, cui commissa est dispensatio, si sciens ac volens indignum admiserit quern repellere jure poterat, proinde reum esse sacrilegiiacsi corpus Domini canibus prostituerit.”

Hier. Zancliius de Ecclesia, vol. iii. fol. 123, 124. “(Disciplina) est actio qua Ecclesia, seciindum facultatem sibi h, Cbristo traditam fideles suos non solum public, sed etiam privatim, tam in vero Dei cultu quam in bonis moribus, idque tum doctrina, turn correctionibus, tum Ecclesiasticis poenis et censuris, tum etiam si opus sit excommunicationibus instituit et institutes retinet.” Fol. 124. “Primo habet privatam doctrinam. Habet enim Ecclesia potestatem, si publica doctrina in publico Templo non sufficiat, privatas fidelium domes ingrediendi; atque ibi eos privatim docendi, ac in vera doctrina ac religione Christiana instituendi: et fideles pati debent ut pastor suas aedesingrediatur, et eos privatim instituat. Hujus exemplum est, in Acts xx. &c. Idem fecerunt reliqui Apostoli. 2. Habet privatas admonitiones, correctiones, objurgationes,” &c. This is for private teaching: Now for the Sacrament, hear what he saith, ibid. fol. 79. Obj.” Manebimus in Ecclesia, audiemus verbum, &c., sed qui possumus in Ccen communionem vobiscum habere, cum ad earn admittantur multi impuri, ebrii, avari, &c. Resp. 1. Quantum ad hos peccatores, eos intelligi posse bifariam; vel qui ante fuerunt, ebrii, &c. Sed postea resipuerunt. Hos dicimus secundum verbum Domini non esse excludendos k

38 rPtEFACE.

mensa Domini, quancloquidem vera penitenti et fide prsediti sunt: vel eos qui etiamnum ebrietati student, aliisque vitiis, et talis sine poenitenti et fide accedunt; hos dicimus simpliciter non esse admittendos. Quod autem admittantur plerumque hoc contingere potest bifariam: vel ex ignorantia Ministrorum, e6 quod non agnoverint tales esse, quales sunt: Et hanc certe ignorantiam, non probamus, quoniam debet minister agnoscere, qualesnam sint illi quibus Coenam Domini administrat: quod si ignorat, non potest non accusarisupinse et reprebendae negligentiae, &c. Aut cum sint omnibus noti qualesnam sint, non student tamen eos arcere prae timore, vel aliquo alio bumano respectu. Hoc damnamus in Ministro vitium timiditatis. Debet enim minister Christi esse cordatissimus et beroicus. Sed hie non est spectandum quid unus aut alter vilis minister agat (mark the title) sed quae sit Ecclesise institutio, quseque communis in omnibus Ecclesiis consuetudo: in omnibus autem Ecclesiis nostris antequam Coena ministretur, omnibus bujusmodi, interdicitur, &c. Et certo magnum est probrum, quod inter filios Dei locum habeant et porci et canes: Multo verb magis, si illis prostituuntur Sacrosancta Coense Dominicse symbola, &c. Quare Ecclesige Christi non debent bujusmodi sceleratos in sinu suo ferre, nee ad Sacrum Coenam dignos simul et indignos promiscu admittere: id quod plerumque sit in Ecclesiis nostris:” (How many were then the “viles ministri! “)

But the principal is behind, of the necessity of discipline; and I desire both magistrates and ministers, into whose hands these lines shall fall, to read and consider it: —

Ibid. fol. 134, 135. “Videant igitur principes et magistratns qui banc disciplinam in Ecclesiam restitutam, nolunt, quid agant. Hsec instituta est a Christo, lit perpetno in Ecclesia tanquam singularis thesaurus conservetur: ergo qui earn exulare volunt, sciant se velle Christum exulare. Hcec pars est evangelii Jesu Christi. Ergo qui hanc restitutam nolunt, sciant se nolle evangelium Christi, sicut debet, restitutum. Quomodo igitur gloriamur restitutum esse Evangelium in Ecclesiis nostris, si hanc eamque non postremam partem Evangelii restitutam nolumus “? Hic vitia corriguntur; virtutes promoventur: Ergo qui hanc disciplinam restitutam nolunt, quomodo audent dicere se vitia odisse, virtutum vero amentes esse, pietatis promotores, impietatis osores. Hic conversatur et regitur Ecclesia, singulaeque EcclesiaD membra sua quseque loco cohserent: erg6 quomodo qui hanc expulsam, volunt, dicunt se velle Christi Ecclesiam, bene rectam siquando sine hac bene regi non potest. Si nulla domus, nullum opidum; nulla urbs, nulla respublica, nullum regnum, imb ne exiguus quidem Indus literarius, sine disciplina regi potest, quomodo poterit Ecclesia V I would magistrates would read the rest, which is purposely to them.

Et fol. 135. ‘’At timetur seditio et tumultus. Eesp. ergo neque Evangehum est prsedicandum, &c. Quid: Annon vident principes et magistratns nostri quantum malum in Ecclesia oriatur, et intus et foris ex neglectucontemptuve hujus disciplinae “? Foris nulla res est, quae magis Papistas et alios, arceat, vel saltem retrudetamplectendo Evangelio, atque haec disciplinae Ecclesiasticae destitutio, quae est in Ecclesiis nostris. Intus, nihil quod magis alat vitia, hseresis, &c. Annon vident Ecclesias suas principes plenas sectis haereticorum, et impuromm hominum 1 Ad lias conflnit omne genus hominum fanaticorum, impurorum, &c. tanquam ad asylum. Quare 1 Quia ibi nulla disciplina.

“Sciant ergo Principes, et quicunque illi sint qui disciplinam Ecclesiasticam in Ecclesiis restitutam nolunt, sed ei adversantur, eamque proscribunt, se Christo adversari: Qui Ministros impediunt ne earn excerceant, se Christum et Deum impedire, ne sua fungantur potestate. Quid enim agunt Ministri cum excommunicant “? Pronunciant sententiam Domini, Ait enim Christus: Quicquid ligaveritis in terris, &c. Quid igitur agunt qui impediunt Ecclesiam ne sententiam Domini pronunciet 1 Peccant contra Christum, et rei sunt Isesse Divinse Majestatis. Annon reus esset Isesse majestatis Csesarese, siquis ejus judicem ne sententiam Csesaris pronunciet impediat “? Videant igitur quid agant. Hactenus Christus rexit Ecclesiam suam hac discipline; et ipsi Principes, imo et ministri aliquot, nolunt eam sic regi 1 Viderint ipsi. Pronuncio, proclamo, protestor, eos peccare, qui cum possint et debeant eam restituere, non restituunt.”

I hope both magistrates and ministers that are guilty will give me leave to say the like lath Zanchy, if not to call them traitors against the majesty of God, that hinder discipline, and adversaries to Christ, yet at least to pronounce, proclaim, protest, that they sin against God, who set it not up when they may and ought. But what if the magistrate will not help us 1 Nay, what if he were against it 1 So he was for about three hundred years, when discipline was exercised in the primitive Church. To this Zanchy adds, ib., “Ministri Ecclesiaa quantum per consensum et pacem Ecclesise licet banc disciplinam excercere debetis. Hanc enim potestatem vobis dedit Dominus, neque quispiam auferre earn potest: nee contenti esse debetis ut doceatis quid agendum, quid fugiendum sit, utut quisque pro sua libidine vivat nihil curantes, sed urgenda disciplina. vid. August, de fide et operib. c. 4. Obj. At impedimiir per Magistratum. Eesp. Tunc illi significate quam male agat,” &c. Read the rest of the solid advice that Calvin and Zanchy in the forecited places do give both to ministers and people, where discipline is wanting.

The great objection that seemeth to hinder some from this work is, because we are not agreed yet who it is that must do it. Whether only a prelate, or whether a presbytery, or a single pastor, or the people.

Ans. Let so much be exercised as is out of doubt. 1. It is granted that a single pastor may expound and apply the Word of God: he may rebuke a notorious sinner by name. He may make known to the Church that God hath commanded them, with such a one, no not to eat! And require them to obey this command, &c. I shall say no more of this now, than to cite the words of two learned, godly, moderate divines, impartial in this cause. The one is Mr Lyford, a maintainer of Episcopacy, in his “Legacy of Admission to the Lord’s Supper,” who, page 55, saith,

“Quest. 1. In which of the ministers is this power placed 1

“Ans. Every minister hath the power of all Christ’s ordinances to dispense the same in that congregation or flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made him overseer; yet with this difference: he may preach the word, baptize, and administer the holy Supper alone of himself, without the assistance or consent of the people, but not excommunicate alone, {he means not vnthout the people, though of that more must he said;) because excommunication doth presuppose an offence to the congregation, a conviction and proof of that offence, and witnesses of the party’s obstinacy, and therefore hereunto is required the action of more than one, &c. Excommunication compriseth several acts: admonition, private, public. The last act is the casting out of a wicked, obstinate person from the society of the faithful. (1.) By the authority of Christ. (2.) Dispensed and executed by the ministers of the gospel. (3.) With the assistance and consent of the congregation, &c. 2. If you ask by whose office and ministry this sentence is denounced. I answer by the ministers of the gospel; we bind and loose doctrinally, in oiupreaching peace to the godly and curses to the wicked; but in excommunication, we denounce the wrath of God against this or that particular person, (thou art the man! thou hast no part with us,) and that not only declaratively, but judicially. It is like the sentence of a judge on the bench, &c. 3. If you ask whether this be done by the minister alone. I answer no; it must be done by the assistance and consent of the congregation. (1 Cor. V. 4.) Excommunication must not be done in a corner, by the Chancellor and his Register, &c. But whosoever doth, by his offences, lose his right to the holy things of God, he must lose it in the face of the congregation; and that after proofs and allegations as are aforesaid; the people hear and see the offence, complain of it, and are grieved at his society with them, and judge him worthy to be cast out. This concurrence and consent being supposed, every minister is ‘Episcopus gregis,’ a bishop in his own parish, (N.B.,) ‘To all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you ‘ETrto-AroVour, overseers! (Acts XX. 28.) And ‘Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the word of God.’ (Heb. xiii. 17.) Where note, (1.) That they who preach the word of God must rule and govern the Church; and every preacher is a ruler, unto whom the people must submit. (Ver. 17.) Besides, every minister is vested with this authority at his ordination: ‘Whose sins thou dost forgive, they are forgiven: whose sins thou dost retain,’ &c. (2.) Every minister is vested Tldth this authority by the laws of this land. The words of the rubric for the administration of the Lord’s Supper, which do enable us thereto, are these: ‘If any of those which intend to be partakers of the holy communion be an open, notorious, evil liver, so that the congregation by him is offended, or have done wrong to his neighbours by word or deed, the curate having knowledge thereof, shall call him, and advertise him in anywise not to come to the Lord’s table until he have openly declared himself to be truly repented and amended of his former naughty life; that the congregation may thereby be satisfied, which afore was offended; and that he have recompensed the parties whom he hath done wTong to; or, at least, declare himself to be in full purpose so to do as soon as he conveniently may.’ Besides this, our authority in this particidar is confirmed by an ordinance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament,” &c. So far Mr Lyford’s words.

The other is Mr Thomas Ball, of Northampton, in his late book for the Ministry; where (part iii., cap. 4) he bringeth many arguments to prove it the minister’s duty to exercise discipline as well as to preach; and the seventh argument is this: — “What was given by the bishops unto such ministers as they ordained, and laid their hands upon, should not be grudged or denied them by anybody: for they were never accounted lavish or over liberal to them, especially in point of jurisdiction — that was always a very tender point, and had a guard and sentry always on it. For conceiving themselves the sole possessors of it, they were not willing to admit partners. Whatever they indulged in other points, as Pharaoh to Joseph, ‘Only in the throne will I be greater than thou; ’ yet bishops granted to all that they ordained presbyters the use and exercise of discipline as well as doctrine; as appears in the book of Ordering Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, whereof the interrogatories propounded to the party to be ordained is, ‘Will you then give your faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrine and sacraments, and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and as this realm hath received the same according to the commandments of God, so that you may teach the people committed to your care and charge, with all diligence to keep and observe the samel’ Which a reverend and learned brother not observing, would confine all jurisdiction to diocesan bishops, &c. Arg. 8. What is granted and allowed to ministers, by the laws and customs of this nation, cannot reasonably be denied; for the laws of England have never favoured usurpation in the clergy, &c. But the laws and customs of this nation allow to the ministers of England the use and exercise of discipline as well as doctrine; for such of them as have parsonages or rectories, are in all processes and proceedings called rectors,” &c.

2. And as to the points of the people’s interest, the moderate seem to differ but in words. Some say the people are to govern by vote. I confess if this were understood as it is spoken, according to the proper sense of the words, and practised accordingly, it were contrary to the express command of Scripture, which command the elders to rule well, and the people to obey them as their rulers in the Lord; and it seems to me to be destructive to the being of a political church, whose constitutive parts are the ruling and the ruled parts; as every school consisteth of master and scholars, and every commonwealth of the “pars imperans, et pars subdita;” and therefore those that rigidly stick to this, do cast out themselves from all particular political churches’ communion of Christ’s institution. (Which because I have formerly said, or somewhat to that purpose, a late nameless writer makes me cruel to his party, while I seem for them, and so self-contradicting, as if it were cruelty to tell a brother of his sin, and not to leave it on him; or, as if 1 understood not myself, because he understands me not!) But I perceive the moderate mean not any such things as these words, in their proper sense, import. They only would have the Church ruled as a free people, (as from unjust impositions,) and in a due subordination to Christ. And we are all agreed that the pastors have the “judicium directionis,” the teaching, directing power, by office; and that the people have “judicium discretionis;” and must try his directions, and not obey them when they lead to sin; and therefore we cannot expect that the people should execute any of our directions, except their judgment lead them to execute them. (Though if their judgment be wrong, God requireth them to rectify it.) And as for the judicial decisive power, about which there is so great contending, in the strictest sense, it is the prerogative of Christ, and belongeth to neither of them; for only Christ is the proper lawgiver and judge of the Church, whose law and judgment is absolute, of itself determinative, and not subjected to our trial of its equity or obligation. So that we must as much conclude, that there is no final judge of controversies in a particular Church, as we do against the Papists; that there is none in the Church in general. And therefore the Church’s judicial decisive power is but improperly such, reducible to the former; which seeing we are agreed in, we are as far in sense agreed in this. A pastor is judge, as a physician in an hospital, or as Plato, or Zeno was in his school, or any tutor in a college of voluntary students. For any more, it belongeth to Christ, and to the magistrate. Why then do we stand quarrelling about the name One saith, the people have a power of liberty, and the ministers only the p)oiver of authority. And what is this more than we yield them 1 — viz: That the guiding authority being only in the guides, and the people commanded to obey them in a due subordination to Christ, there is a liberty belonging to all the saints; from any other kind of ministerial rule, that is, from a “sic volo, sic jubeo,” a rule without Divine authority; and therefore the people must first try and judge whether the direction be according to God, and so obey; and this in Church-censures as well as in other cases. So that, (1.) As the people ought not to dissent or disobey their guides, unless they lead them to sin, (and therefore must see a danger of sin before they suspend obedience,) So, (2.) The guides cannot bring the people to execute their censures or directions.

but by procuring their consent. And, therefore, though he must do his duty, and may pass his directive censure though they dissent, and ministerially require them in the name of the Lord, e. g., to avoid a notorious, obstinate offender, and so to obey the command of God; that is, though we may charge them in the name of the Lord to consent and obey, and do their duty; yet, if their judgments remain unconvinced in a case which is to them obscure, we have no more to do but satisfy ourselves that we have done our duty. So that when we have quarrelled never so long, what is it but the people’s consent that the moderate men on one side require % and consent the other side requireth also. Call it what else you will, whether a Government, or an Authority, or a Liberty; Consent is the thing which both require! And are we not, then, in the matter agreed’? Peruse for this Mr Lyford’s words beforecited. See also what the leading men for Presbyterian government do not only acknowledge, but maintain as effectually as others; as Dav. Blondellus de Jure plebis in Regim Eccles. Calvin. Institut. lib. 4. cap. xii. sec. 4. “Ne quis tale judicium spernat, aut parvi sestimet se fidelium suffragiis damnatum, testatus est Dominus,” &c. Ita Zanchius ubi sup., and many more. Indeed, this consent of the people is not “sine qua non” to the pastor’s performance of his own part — viz., “Charging the Church in Christ’s name to avoid the communion of such a notorious, obstinate offender, and suspending his own acts towards him; and so charging them to receive the innocent or penitent.” (For if the people consent not to avoid such, and so would exclude all discipline, yet the pastor must charge it unto them, and do his part) But it is “sine qua non” to their actual rejecting and avoiding that oflfender. In a word, we must teach them their duty, and require it; and they and we must obey and do it; and neither they nor we may oblige any to sin.

Object. “But we are not agreed about the matter of the Church that must be governed.”

Ans. Peruse the qualifications required in church members in the writings of the moderate on both sides, and see what difierence you can find! Ai’e not both agreed that professors of true faith and holiness, cohabiting and consenting, are a true chui-ch’? And when they contradict that profession by mcked actions, (doctrine or life,) they are to be dealt with by discipline. Though, I confess, in our practice we very much difi”er; most that I know running into one of the extremes of looseness or rigour.

My third and last request is, that all the faithfid ministers of Christ would, without any more delay, unite and associate for the furtherance of each other in the work of the Lord, and the maintaining of unity and concord in His Churches. And that they would not neglect their brotherly meetings to those ends, nor yet spend them unprofitably, but improve them to their edification, and the effectual carrying on the work. Read that excellent letter of Edmond Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury to Queen EHzabeth. For ministerial meetings and exercises such bishops would have prevented our contentions and wars. You may see it in Fuller’s “New History of the Church of England.”

And let none draw back that accord in the substantials of faith and godliness; yea, if some should think themselves necessitated I will not say to schism, lest I offend them; but to separate in public worship from the rest; methiuks, if they be indeed Christians, they should be willino- to hold so much communion with them as they can, and to consult how to manage their differences to the least disadvantage to the common truths and Christian cause, which they all profess to own and prefer.

And here I may not silently pass by an uncharitable slander which some brethren of the prelatical judgment have divulged of me far and near — viz., That while I persuade men to accommodation, it was long of me that the late proclamation or ordinance was prociured for silencing all sequestered ministers, viz., by the late Worcestershire petition, which, they say, was the occasion of it, and they falsely report that I altered it after the subscription. To which I say, (1.) It was the petition of many justices, and the grand jury, and thousands of the county, as well as me. (2.) There is not a word in it, nor ever was, against any godly man, but only that the notoriously insufficient and scandalous should not be permitted to meddle with the mysteries of Christ, (especially the sacraments,) which we desire should have impartially extended to all parties alike. And so much of this as was granted we cannot but be thankful for, whosoever grudge at it, and wish it had been fully granted. (3.) I desire nothing more than that all able, godly, faithful ministers, of what side soever in our late State differences, may not only have liberty, but encouragement, for the Church hath not any such to spare, were they ten times more. In a word, I would have those, of what party soever, to have liberty to preach the gospel, whose errors or miscarriages ai;e not so

D great as that probably they will do as much hurt as good.

Brethren, I crave your pardon for the infirmities of this address; and earnestly longing for the success of your labours, I shall daily beg of God that He would persuade you to those duties which I have here requested you to perform, and would preserve and prosper you therein, against all the serpentine subtlety and rage that is now engaged to oppose and hinder you.

Your unworthy feUow-servant,

RICH. BAXTER

April 15, 1656. *