Quemadmo

dum ifta varietas berbarum

florum mirifice oculos recreat, fic in imperio meo diverfa fides d Teligio potius usui eft quam

oneri moda pa

sate vivant.

munion from all the Churches of Afia, for not keeping Eafter the fame time he did. The controverfie was not about Eafter, but onely about uniformity in the time. Never hath there been greater breaches of unity in the Church, then by violent urging Uniformity.

But further; there are other naturall civill circumftances, which need not at all be determined; though there be a liberty and variety in them, yet order and edification is not hereby hindered. As for inftance,In hearing the word, one ftands, as Conftantine was wont conftantly to do ; another fits; one is uncovered, another is covered; one hath one kind of garment, another, another ; yet no rules of modefty or gravity are broken. Now if any power fhould violently urge uniformity in fuch like circumftances, and not leave them as Chrift hath done, here they make the neceffity of uniformity a dividing principle, upon these four grounds.

1. This is a ftraitning mens naturall liberties, without fatisfying their reason.

2. This hath been the in-let to almost all fuperftitions in the Church; Firft the plea hath been for decency and order, then there hath been ftamped a humane inftitution to raise things higher.

3. The urging fuch things, when there is no reason feen in the nature of them; why this rather then that, makes men fear there is fome religious refpe&t put upon them already.

4. Here is a ftretching the power of Authority beyond the limits of it, which Man naturally is very impatient of, not knowing how far it may yet further be extended. As for the practice of Church-Governors, or civill going beyond their bounds, we fhall fpeak to in the third Head.

I have read of Solyman the great Turk, when he was advised by a Mufhty to compell thofe of divers Religions in his Dominions to Mahumetifme; looking out of his window into his Garden, where there was great variety of flowers and herbs, faid, As the variety of flowers and berbs feeme very delightfull, fo the diverfity of Religions in my Kingdome is ra ther usefull then burthenfome, so it be those who professe them Live peaceably. I am not of his mind for the variety of feverall Religions, of which further by and by ; yet certainly in

the

the varity of the practices of Brethren in fuch things as wee are fpeaking of, tuned with brotherly love one towards another, there will be a fweet harmony, when violent urging Uniformity in fuch things will cause a harsh discord in the Churches.

When the fore-named Victor of Rome, with thofe who joyned with him, caufed wofull divifions in the Church by ftanding fo much upon uniformity, urging there could be no Peace without it, by it they brake the peace of the Church. Ireneus and others in the fame time pleaded for the peace of the Church, to be procured by yeelding to difference of praЯtice in fuch things, in the name of all the brethren in France under his charge, he writes to Victor, and thofe who joyned with him, and tells them of the variety of practises of divers Brethren in times before them, which was very neare the Apoftles times, who yet were at unity one with another. They who were Bishops (fayes he) before Soter, of that Sea which now thou governeft, as Anicetus Pius, Higinus, Telefphorus, Xixtus, were at unity with them of other Churches, although their obfervations were various, and Polycarpus being at Rome in the time of Anicetus, varyed in divers things from him. Although Polycarpus had (fays he) what he did from John the Difciple of our Lord, with whom he converfed, yet would he not perfwade Anicetus to the fame things, but left him to the way of his owne Church, and they communicated lovingly one with another, and parted in a brotherly way. Cannot men walke peaceably in a broad way, though they do not tread juft in one anothers fteps? What though there be some distance in their walke, one towards one fide, the other towards the other fide of the way; muft they needs fall out, because they are not in the fame path, when the way is broad enough? Indeed if they went over a narrow bridg, they must not take that liberty to go abredth; if they keep not clofe to one anothers fteps, if they step at a diftance, they may fall into the River. Thus in matters of divine worship, we muft look to it, that we walk exa&ly in the fame fteps; if there we prefume to take liberty, wee may foone fall; but in circumftances of an inferiour nature, there may be difference without divifion. We must not here take

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upon

upon us to be wiser then Chrift. Melanchon in an Epiftle to fome Brethren of differing minds (cited by Gerfom Bucerus) Cam de praci perfwades to unity thus: Seeing faith he ) wee agree in the puis articulis doctrine Chri- principall Articles of Faith, let us embrace one another with mutuall iana inter nos love, the diffimilitude and varity of Rights and Ceremonies,( I will, confter, comple- adde, fayes Bucerus) and of Ecclefiafticall Government, ought not Elamur nos mu- to dis joyn our minds.

tuo amore, neq;

diffimilitas & varietas rituum & ceremoniarum, addam ego & politia Ecclefiaftica, disjungere debet mentes noflras

CHA P. V.

The fecond dividing Principle: All Religions are to be tolerated.

His is a divider indeed. There is a great outcry of this but what is the fcope of it? it is to exafperate mens fpirits against the toleration of any thing. Some think there muft needs be a neceffary dependance between, tolerating fome things conceived errors, and tolerating all things; and if it were not for the fear of the one, there would not be fuch ado about the other. But I hope I fhall clearly fhew there is no fuch dependence ; but as this is a dividing principle, that all things fhould be tolerated, fo the other is as truly dividing and falfe, that nothing fhould be tolerated.

There is nothing makes more ftirre amongst us at this day, then this principle of abfolute liberty in matters of Religion. Confcience preffes me to fpeak what I fhall find to be the mind of God in this thing: The wantonneffe of mens fpirits, their extream boldneffe about the matters of God, and Chrift, is fuch, as fhould cause our hearts to tremble; fuch horrid blafphemous things are amongst us, owned and profeffed with fo much impudence,and their practice ftrengthned by this Principle, That there is to be an abfolute liberty in the things of Religion, that our duty to God, our love to, and care of the prefervation of Religion, calls us to fet our felves, against fuch a falfe, finfull, dangerous difturbing Principle as

this is!

This Principle is ftrengthened by two Pofitions; both

which are dividing as well as the Principle it felfe.

Firft, That Magiftrates have nothing to do with men in of dein the matters of Religion.

last cap. I

Secondly, Confcience is a tender thing, and muft have li- fost Churches berty; nothing must be done to men, who plead their confciences for what they do.

Firft, wee fhall fhew the Principle it felfe to be a dividing principle; Then the mistakes in those two affertions, that uphold this principle: As they ftrengthen the priuciple, fo they ftrengthen divifion.

The principle is dividing; For,

Firft, It is an abhorring to nature. Is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world, that men should fuffer that God to be blafphemed, whom they honour ? and that nothing should be done for the reftrayning any, but to aske them why they doe fo, and to perfwade them to doe otherwife? There hath ever been as great a conteftation amongst people about Religion, as about any thing, Exod. 8. 25, 26. Pharaoh bade Mofes facrifice in the land: But Mofes faid, It is not meete fo to doe; for we shall facrifice the abominations of the Egyptians: Loe, shall wee facrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? Though they had leave of the King, yet the people would' not endure it.

Secondly It is against the light of Scripture, Deutr. 13. 6. If thy brother the fonne of thy mother or thy sonne, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bofome, or thy friend, which is as thine owne foule, entice thee fecretly, faying, Let us goe and Jerve other gods, which thou haft not knowne, nor thy fathers, Thou shalt not confent unto him, nor hearken to him; neither fball thine eye pitty him, neither (balt thou spare him, nor conceale bim: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand fhall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

Let not any put of this Scripture, faying, This is in the Old Testament, but we finde no fuch thing in the Gospel; for we find the fame thing, almoft the fame words, ufed in a Prophefie of the times of the Gofpel, Zech. 13.3. In the latter end of the 12. Chapter, it is prophecyed that those who

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pierced

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3.

pierced Chrift, fhould looke upon him, and mourne, &c. having a fpirit of grace and fupplication powred upon chem. Chap. 13. 1. There fhall now be opened a fountaine for finne and for uncleanneffe. Verf. 3. It fball come to paffe, that he that takes upon him to prophefte that his father and his mother that begate him, fhall fay unto him, Thou shalt not live, for thou peakeft lyes in the name of the Lord: And his father and his mother that begate him, fhall thrust him through when be prophefieth.

You must understand this by that in Deut. The meaning is not, that his father or mother should prefently run a knife into him, but that though they begat him, yet they fhould be the means to bring him to condign punishment, even the taking away his life; thofe who were the inftruments of his life, fhould now be the inftruments of his death.

Thirdly, It is a dividing principle, becaufe by it the reines are let loofe to all kind of wantonneffe, and fpirit of oppofition, in the matters of Religion. Men naturally are wanton In nothing more then in the things of Religion; and corrupt fpirits are bent upon, and pleased with oppofition in these things, above any other: for being things fupposed to have an excellency in them, and above reason, and fo liable to contradiction from men of corrupt minds, if there be nothing to reftrain men from oppofing one another in them; the wantouneffe and pride of mens hearts will carry them forth to infinite jarrings, contentions, and divifions.

If it be faid, Chrift hath left spirituall meanes to helpe this.

It is answered, Chrifts fpirituall meanes are to work in a fpirituall way upon the heart to change it, and fecondarily upon the outward man; while Chrifts means are working thus, externall means may keep evill from breaking forth in the outward man ; Chrift hath not left the outward man at absolute liberty to do what it will, till spirituall meanes be made effectuall to the heart, especially confidering if you grant this liberty, men may choose whether any of those spi rituall means of Chrift fhould at all come at them.

The firft pofition that upholds this dividing principle: Magiftrates have nothing to do in the matters of Religion.