with which you fet it off, I cannot fay it has wrought in me the Conviction you feemed to hope. So far, Sir, from this, that the more carefully I examine the Grounds of my Separation, the more thoroughly I am convinced of its Lawfulness and Expedience; that 'tis a Debt I owe to GOD, to Liberty, to Truth, and an Act of Homage and Allegiance due to CHRIST, the only Law-giver and King in the Church. I shall not enter upon the Enquiry, on which you largely expatiate, who are the best Livers, Churchmen or Diffenters? And amongst which the best Means for holy living are found? Let the World judge betwixt us. Would to GOD that both of us had greater Reason to boast! The Controverfy betwixt us, Sir, I apprehend may eafily be brought to a plain and short Iffue, if you will heartily join in it. It turns upon the fingle Point of the XXth Article of your Church, viz. That THE CHURCH hath Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies, and Authority in Matters of Faith. For if THE CHURCH hath really this Authority and Power, then all Objections of the Diffenters about Sponsors, the Crofs in Baptifm, kneeling at the Lord's-fupper, and every other Thing, are impertinent and vain : The Church having this Authority, ought reverently to be obeyed. And, if instead of twoor three Ceremonies, it had enjoined two or three score; and if to the thirty-nine Articles it had added an hundred befides, we ought meekly to have bowed down to her spiritual Furifdiction, Jurifdiction, and to have practifed and believed as the Church had taught and enjoined. But, if on the contrary, Sir, the Church hath really and in Truth, No Power at all, nor Authority of this kind; yea, if CHRIST, the great Law-giver and King of the Church, hath expressly commanded that NO POWER of this kind fhall ever be claimed, or ever be yielded, by any of his Followers, then your Church is reprehenfible and highly criminal before GOD, for ufurping this Power: And then the Diffenters are justified, and will have Honour before GOD, for entering their Proteft against fuch Ufurpation; for afferting the Rights and Privileges of the Chriftian Church; and ftanding faft in the Liberty wherewith CHRIST has made them free. Our Separation from the Establishment you are pleased to represent in very terrifying and black Colours, as a Sin of near the first Magnitude." Our Minifters, you fay, have Guilt lying heavily upon them on Account of "their fchifmatical and uncatholick Procceedings.---They are notoriously peccant (i. e are great Sinners) in throwing off the Authority "of those whom they ought to obey and fub"mit themselves to.-Their Conduct is fuch as you challenge all the Wit and Ingenuity "of the Nation ever to reconcile with holy Living. You reprefent them as carnal, evil, " and deceitful Workers, diforderly Walkers, "whom GOD will, undoubtedly, for these "Things, "Things, bring into Judgment *; and the Faithful, far from being permitted to enter "into any paftoral Relation to them, are not "permitted to have any Chriftian Communion "with them; no, not fo much as any inti"mate unneceffary Acquaintance and Familia"rity with them in common Life+" with much more to the fame Purpose. You fpeak alfo "of the Lay-diffenter, as having ftained his Soul with Guilt; and " of the Doctrine on which our Separation is "built, as being falfe and dangerous . This you with me to lay to Heart, and seriously "to confider." I have, according to your With, Sir, lain it to Heart, and feriously confidered. The Refult of my Confideration I fhall now freely give you; and in return heartily wish, that laying afide all Prejudice and worldy Attachments, you would impartially confider-What is the true Nature and Conftitution of the Chriftian Church; and what the Allegiance, which, as a Subject of JESUS CHRIST, you owe to HIM the only Law-giver and King in the Church who will shortly call you to Account for Conduct in this Refpect. your ; To come then to the Point-THE CHURCH, you fay, and folemnly fubfcribe it, bath Power to decree Rites, and Authority in Matters of Faith. This is the grand Hinge upon which the whole Controverfy turns. Now here, Sir, let me afk you. FIRST, *Letter I. Page 82, 83. Letter II. Page 26. Letter II. Page 8. Letter III. Page 59. FIRST, What CHURCH is it, to whom this Authority and Power is given? You will, doubtless, fay, the Church of England; for the Church of England exprefsly claims and exercifes this Power; and you avow and defend it in this Exercise and Claim: Yea, this is the very Bafis on which its whole Frame and Hierarchy ftand. It obliges all its Minifters to fubfcribe to Articles of Faith, which it hath authoritatively decreed; and to ufe in religious Worship Ceremonies and Rites, which it hath authoritatively injoined. But mind, Sir, I befeech you, the Confequences of this Claim. If the Church of EngTand hath really this Authority and Power; hath not the Church France-the Church of Spain -the Church of Rome the very fame? Hath England, in this Matter, any Privilege from GOD, any fpiritual Prerogative, any Charter. from Heaven, which its neighbour Countries have not? You will not pretend it has. But if it has no Privilege nor Prerogative of this kind, then the Church of France, and the Church of Rome have alfo, you acknowledge, PowER to decree Rites and Ceremonies in God's Worship, and AUTHORITY in Points of Faith; confequently, all the Fopperies and Superftitions of the Romish Church, at leaft, which cannot be proved to be contrary to the Word of GOD, are to be reverently fubmitted to by all the Members of that Church, and cordially received. But will not your claiming this Power for the Church abfolutely overthrow the Reformation it self, you can felf, and fubvert the very Foundation of the To this, perhaps, you will reply-But our Church hath exprefsly guarded against any fuch Abuse of the Power it claims, by adding in the XXth Article--- Yet is it not lawful for the Church to ordain any Thing that is contrary to God's Word written; neither may it fo expound one Place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another. But, upon this, I intreat your Patience for thefe two Remarks: ift, Whatever Ceremony or Rite then cannot be fhewn to be CONTRARY to God's Word, your Church, yea, the Church of Rome hath, you acknowledge, full Authority to enjoin: Confquently, as your Church, by Virtue of this Authority, bath enjoined the Crofs in Baptifm, it hath full Power alfo to require you to cross yourselves, whenever you enter the Place of Worship, fay your Prayers, look toward the Eaft, touch the Bible, fit at Meat-It hath full Power to enjoin the Ufe of Salt and Spittle in Baptifm, Chrifm, extreme Unction, and an hun dred 1 |