ART. XX. Mat. xii. 7. Christian liberty, that there should be room left for such appointments or alterations as the different state of times and places should require. In hotter countries, for instance, there is no danger in dipping; but if it is otherwise in colder climates, then since mercy is better than even sacri- Hos. vi. 6. fice, a more sparing use may be made of water; aspersion may answer the true end of baptism. A stricter or gentler discipline of offenders must be also proportioned to what the times will bear, and what men can be brought to submit to. The dividing of Christians into such districts, that they may have the best conveniences to assemble themselves together for worship, and for keeping up of order; the appointing the times as well as the places of worship, are certainly to be fixed with the best regard to present circumstances that may be. The bringing Christian assemblies into order and method, is necessary for their solemnity, and for preventing that dissipation of thought that a diversity of behaviour might occasion. And though a kiss of peace, and an order of deaconesses, were the practices of the apostolical time; yet when the one gave occasion to raillery, and the other to scandal, all the world was, and still is, satisfied with the reasons of letting both fall. Now if Churches may lay aside apostolical practices in matters that are ritual, it is certainly much easier to justify their making new rules for such things; since it is a higher attempt to alter what was settled by the Apostles themselves, than to set up new rules in matters which they left untouched. Habits and postures are the necessary circumstances of all public meetings: the times of fasting and of prayer, the days of thanksgiving and communions, are all of the same nature. The public confession of sins by scandalous persons; the time and manner of doing it; the previous steps that some Churches have made for the trial of those who were to be received into holy orders, that so by a longer inspection into their behaviour, while in lower orders, they might discover how fit they were to be admitted into the sacred ones; and chiefly the prescribing stated forms for the several acts of religious worship, and not leaving that to the capacities or humours, to the inventions, and often to the extravagancies of those who are to officiate all these things, I say, fall within those general rules given by the Apostles to the Churches in their time: where we find that the Apostles had their customs, as well 1 Cor. xii. as the Churches of God; which were then opposed to the innovating and the contentious humours of some factious men. And such a pattern have the Apostles set us of com 16. XX. 1 Cor.ix. ART. plying with those things that are regularly settled, wheresoever we are, that we find they became all things to all men: to the Jews they became Jews; though that was a religion 19 to 23. then extinguished in its obligation, by the promulgation of the Gospel; and was then fallen under great corruption: yet, in order to the gaining of some of them, such was the spirit of charity and edification with which the Apostles were acted, that while they were among them, they complied in the practice of those abrogated rites; though they asserted both the liberty of the Gentiles, and even their own, in that matter: it was only a compliance, and not a submission to their opinions, that made them observe days, and distinguish meats, while among them. If then such rites, and the rites of such a Church, were still complied with by inspired men, this is an infallible pattern to us; and let us see, upon how much stronger reasons we, who are under those obligations to unity and charity with all Christians, ought to maintain the unity of the body, and the decency and order that is necessary for peace and mutual edification. Therefore since there is not any one thing that Christ has enjoined more solemnly and more frequently than love and charity, union and agreement amongst his disciples; Heb. x. 25. since we are also required to assemble ourselves together, to constitute ourselves in a body, both for worshipping God jointly, and for maintaining of order and love among the society of Christians, we ought to acquiesce in such rules as have been agreed on by common consent, and which are recommended to us by long practice, and that are established by those who have the lawful authority over us. Nor can we assign any other bounds to our submission in this case, than those that the Gospel has limited. We must obey God, rather than man; and we must in the Matt. xxii. first place render to God the things that are God's, and then give to Cæsar the things that are Caesar's. So that if either Church or State have power to make rules and laws in such matters, they must have this extent given them, that till they break in upon the laws of God and the Gospel, we must be bound to obey them. A mean cannot be put here; either they have no power at all, or they have a power that must go to every thing that is not forbid by any law of God. This is the only measure that can be given in this matter Acts v. 29. 21. But a great difference is here to be made between those rules that both Church and State ought to set to themselves in their enacting of such matters, and the measures of the obedience of subjects: the only question in the point of obedience must be, lawful or unlawful. For expedient or ART. inexpedient ought never to be brought into question, as to XX. the point of obedience; since no inexpediency whatsoever can balance the breaking of order, and the dissolving the constitution and society. This is a consideration that arises out of a man's apprehensions of the fitness or usefulness of things; in which though he might be in the right as to the antecedent fitness of them, and yet even there he may be in the wrong, and in common modesty every man ought to think that it is more likely that he should be in the wrong, than the governors and rulers of the society; yet, I say, allowing all this, it is certain that order and obedience are, both in their own nature, and in their consequences, to be preferred to all the particular considerations of expediency or inexpediency. Yet still those in whose hands the making of those rules is put, ought to carry their thoughts much further: they ought to consider well the genius of the Christian religion, and therefore they are to avoid every thing that may lead to idolatry, or feed superstition; every thing that is apt to be abused to give false ideas of God, or to make the world. think that such instituted practices may balance the violation of the laws of God. They ought not to overcharge the worship of God with too great a number of them: the rites ought to be grave, simple, and naturally expressive of that which is intended by them. Vain pomp and indecent levity ought to be guarded against; and next to the honour of God and religion, the peace and edification of the society ought to be chiefly considered. Due regard ought to be had to what men can bear, and what may be most suitable to the present state of the whole; and finally, a great respect is due to ancient and established practices. Antiquity does generally beget veneration; and the very changing of what has been long in use, does naturally startle many, and discompose a great part of the body. So all changes, unless the expediency of making them is upon other accounts very visible, labour under a great prejudice with the more staid sort of men; for this very reason, because they are changes. But in this matter, no certain or mathematical rules can be given: every one of these that has been named is capable of that variety, by the diversity of times and other circumstances; that since prudence and discretion must rule the use that is to be made of them, that must be left to the conscience and prudence of every person who may be concerned in the management of this authority. He must act as he will answer it to God and to the Church; for he must be at T XX. ART. liberty in applying those general rules to particular times and cases. And a temper must be observed: we must avoid a sullen adhering to things because they were once settled, as if points of honour were to be maintained here; and that it looked like a reproaching a constitution, or the wisdom of a former age, to alter what they did; since it is certain that what was wisely ordered in one time, may be as wisely changed in another: as, on the other hand, all men ought to avoid the imputation of a desultory levity; as if they loved changes for changes sake. This might give occasion to our adversaries to triumph over us, and might also fill the minds of the weaker among ourselves with apprehensions and scruples. -iii. 10. The next particular asserted in this Article is, That the Church hath authority in matters of faith. Here a distinction is to be made between an authority that is absolute, and founded on infallibility, and an authority of order. The former is very formally disclaimed by our Church; but the second may be well maintained, though we assert no unerring authority. Every single man has a right to search the Scriptures, and to take his faith from them; yet it is certain that he may be mistaken in it. It is therefore a much surer way for numbers of men to meet together, and to examine such differences as happen to arise; to consider the arguments of all hands, with the importance of such passages of Scripture as are brought into the controversy; and thus to inquire into the whole matter: in which as it is very natural to think that a great company of men should see further than a less number; so there is all reason to expect a good issue of such deliberations, if men proceed in them with due sincerity and diligence; if pride, faction, and interest, do not sway their councils, and if they seek for truth more than for victory. But what abuses soever may have crept since into the public consultations of the Clergy, the Apostles at first met and consulted together upon that controversy which was then moved concerning the imposing the Mosaical Law upon the Gentiles: they ordered the pastors of the Titus i. 9. Church to be able to convince gainsayers, and not to reject a man as a heretic, till after a first and a second admonition. The most likely method both to find out the truth, and to bring such as are in error over to it, is to consult of these matters in common; and that openly and fairly. For if every good man, that prays earnestly to God for the assistance and direction of his Spirit, has reason to look for it; much more may a body of pastors, brought XX. together to seek out the truth, in any point under debate, ART. look for it, if they bring with them sincere and unprejudiced minds, and do pray earnestly to God. In that case, they may expect to be directed and assisted of him. But this depends upon the purity of their hearts, and the earnestness of their endeavours and prayers. When any synod of the Clergy has so far examined a point, as to settle their opinions about it, they may certainly decree that such is their doctrine: and as they judge it to be more or less important, they may either restrain any other opinion, or may require positive declarations about it, either of all in their communion, or at least of all whom they admit to minister in holy things. This is only an authority of order for the maintaining of union and edification: and in this a body does no more as it is a body, than what every single individual has a right to do for himself. He examines a doctrine that is laid before him, he forms his own opinion upon it, and pursuant to that he must judge with whom he can hold communion, and from whom he must separate. When such definitions are made by the body of the pastors of any Church, all persons within that Church do owe great respect to their decision. Modesty must be observed in descanting upon it, and in disputing about it. Every man that finds his own thoughts differ from it, ought to examine the matter over again, with much attention and care, freeing himself all he can from prejudice and obstinacy; with a just distrust of his own understanding, and an humble respect to the judgment of his superiors. This is due to the considerations of peace and union, and to that authority which the Church has to maintain it. But if, after all possible methods of inquiry, a man cannot master his thoughts, or make them agree with the public decisions, his conscience is not under bonds; since this authority is not absolute, nor grounded upon a promise of infallibility. This is a tenet that, with relation to national Churches and their decisions, is held by the Church of Rome, as well as by us for they place infallibility either in the Pope, or in the universal Church: but no man ever dreamt of infallibility in a particular or national Church: and the point in this Article is only concerning particular Churches; for the head of General Councils comes in upon the next. That no Church can add any thing as necessary to salvation, has been already considered upon the sixth Article. It is certain, that as we owe our hopes of salvation only |