THE

SECOND PAR T.

SECT. I.

Five capital evils that relate to the ecclefiaftical state of these kingdoms.

H

AVING finished the first part of my addrefs relating to the immoralities of the times, and left it with the civil magiftrate, as, in confcience, I found myself obliged to do; whofe peculiar charge it is, and I earnestly and humbly defire and pray that it may be his great care, effectually to rebuke them; I fhall betake myself to the second part of this address, that more immediately concerns us as profeffed Chriftians and Proteftants. But before I begin, I defire to premife, and do with much fincerity declare, that I intend not the reproach of any perfon or party: I am weary with feeing fo much of it in the world: it gains nothing, that is worth keeping; but often hardens, what it is our duty to endeavour to foften and win. But if, without offence, I may speak the truth, that which, to the best of my understanding, tends to the present settlement and future felicity of my poor country, I fhall, by God's help, deliver myself with the modefty, plainnefs and integrity, that becomes a Christian, a Proteftant, and an Englishman.

Those capital fins and errors that relate to the ecclefiaftical state, or church-capacity, of these kingdoms, and which are fo inconfiftent with Chriftian religion

and

and pureft Proteftancy, and that, above all, displease Almighty God, are,

First, Making OPINIONS articles of faith, at least giving them the reputation of faith, and making them the bond of Chriftian fociety.

Secondly, Miftaking the nature of TRUE FAITH, and taking that for faith which is not gospel-faith. Thirdly, Debafing the true value of MORALITY, under pretence of higher things, miftaking much of the end of Christ's coming.

Fourthly, Preferring human authority above REASON and TRUTH.

Fifthly, Propagating faith by FORCE, and impofing religion by worldly compulfion.

These I take to be the church-evils, that have too much and too long prevailed even in these parts of the reformed world: and though the Roman church hath chiefly tranfcended other focieties in these errors, and may, in a sense, be faid to be the mother of them, fhe from whom they took birth, by whom they were brought forth, and have been propagated in Chriftendom, yet there hath not been that integrity to the nature of Christianity, and first reafon of reformation from the papacy in our own country, as had been and is our duty to conferve.

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SECT. II.

Of opinions paffing for faith.

IRST, that opinions pafs for faith, and are made articles of faith, and are enjoined to be embraced as the bond of communion.

That this is fo, let us take the most impartial view we can, and we fhall find it to be true, both of the national and many other select focieties. That I may be understood in the fignification of the word opinions,

I explain it thus: "Opinions are all thofe propofitions, " or conclufions, made by men doctrines of faith and "articles of communion, which either are not exprefly "laid down in fcripture, or not fo evidently deducible from fcripture, as to leave no occafion of doubt of the "truth of them in their minds who fincerely and reve"rently believe the text: or, laftly, fuch as have no new << or credible revelation to vouch them.”

That this is our cafe, let the feveral confeffions of faith, published by almost every party in England, be perufed, and you will find fuch propofitions tranflated into doctrines of faith and articles of communion, as are, first, not only not expressed in fcripture, but, perhaps not well deducible from scripture: and if one party may be but believed against another, we can want no evidence to prove what we fay. And, in the next place, such as are, though not expreffed, yet, it may be, deducible as to the matter of them, are either. carried fo high, fpun fo fine, or fo difguifed by barbarous school terms, that they are rather a bone of contention, than a bond of concord to religious focieties. Yet this has been the unhappiness even of this kingdom, after all the light of reformation, which God hath graciously fent amongst us, 'Men are to be re'ceived or rejected for denying or owning of fuch propofitions. Wilt thou be a Prefbyterian? Embrace and keep the covenant, fubfcribe the Westminfter-confeffion and directory: and fo on to the end of every fociety that grounds communion upon conformity to fuch propofitions and articles of faith.

What a stir have we had in England about the word, 'Erionor! He that says it fignifies an higher office than Пgercules, fhall have no part or fellowship with us: on the other hand, they that will debafe Epifcopos to Prefbuteros, and turn levellers or degraders of epifcopal dignity, fhall be excommunicated, filenced, punifhed. Is not this plain fact? Can any deny it, that love truth more than a party? The fire kindled by this contention, hath warmed the hands of violence: it had been well if men had entertained equal zeal against imVOL. IV.

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piety,

piety, and been but half as much enemies to fin, as they have been against one another on fuch accounts.

If we look a little back, we fhall find, that the debate of free-will and unconditional reprobation filled this kingdom with uncharitablenefs and divifion. In the arch-epifcopacy of Abbot (reputed in himself a good man) whofoever held, that Chrift fo died for all men, that all men might be faved, (if they would accept the means) and that none were abfolutely decreed to eternal reprobation,' was reputed an heretick, and excommunicated, as an enemy to the free-grace of God; which, it feems, at that time of day, lay in being narrow.

In the reign of archbishop Laud the tide turned: and thofe that held an abfolute election and reprobation, without regard had to the good or evil actions of men, and afferted, that Chrift only died for the elect, and not for all, muft be discountenanced, difplaced, and pointed at as men out of fashion, though at the fame time confcientious, fober, and (at worst) miftaken; and to be pitied, rather than perfecuted; and informed, not destroyed.

This controverfy begat the Synod of Dort: he that reads the epiftles of that judicious man J. Hales, of Eton College, upon the matter and conduct of that affembly, will find caufe of being fad at heart; too many of them talking of religion without the fpirit of it: men, perhaps, learned in books, but few of the sticklers gave any great teftimony of their proficiency in that science, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intreated. This flame, kindled between Arminius and Epifcopius, &c. for the Remonftrants, and Gomarus, Sibrandus, &c. for the Predeftinarians, diftracted Holland not a little, and had an ill influence upon the affairs of England, at least so far as concerned the church. But the mournfulleft part of that history is the ill ufage Martinus Crocius, the bishop of Landaff, and others had; who, though they were acknowledged to be found in the faith of those things, which generally followed the judgment

judgment of Calvin, as to the main points controverted, yet if at any time they appeared 'moderate in their behaviour, gentle in their words, and for accommodation in fome particulars, with the remonftrants, or free-willers; Gomarus and his followers, not observing the gravity due to the affembly, the rules of debate, and leaft of all the meeknefs of Christian communion, fell foul of their brethren, reproached their tenderness, and began to fix treachery upon their fober endeavours of accommodation; as if they intended to execute, as well as maintain, their reprobation, and blow up their friends, rather than not destroy their adverfaries..

But if we will rife higher in our enquiry, and view the mischiefs of earlier times, flowing from this practice, the fourth and fifth centuries after Christ will furnish us with inftances enough. We cannot poffibly forget the heavy life fome men made about the obfervation of Eafter day, as if their eternal happiness had been in jeopardy for fo far were they denenerated from the love and meeknefs of Chriftianity, that about keeping of a day, which perhaps was no part, but, to be fure, no effential part, of the Chriftian religion, they fell to pieces; reproached, reviled, hated, and perfecuted one another. 'A DAY' was more to them, than 'Chrift,' who was the Lord and end of days; and victory over brethren,' fweeter than the Peace and concord of the church,' the great command of Jefus, whom they called Lord.

But the remarkable and tragical ftory of Alexander bishop of Alexandria, and Arius his prieft, in their known debate about the Nature and existence of the 'Son of God,' with the lamentable confequences thereof, (as all writers upon that fubject have related) witneffeth to the truth of what I fay. The bishop's curiofity, and the ftrictness of Arius; the prefumption of the one to expound beyond the evidence and fimplicity of the text, and the captious humour of the other, that would not abate the bishop any thing for his age, or the rank he held in the church, but logically ex