.. LIBRARY ST. MARY'S COLLEGE THE NAKED TRUTH A2 .. " À .. '" :it The NAKED TRUTH = Pttblished allOJtyJJZOusly by HERBERT ÇROFT, Lord Bishof} 1 of I- Iereford in 16 7 5 í9 l. o n l R d -c '- 0 eprillte 1'Vith all l1ltror!uctioll by HERBERT I-IENSLEY I-IENSON w = Lord Bishop of Hereford. in I 9 I 9 = t LONDON CHATTO & WINDUS 19 1 9 å å 11 SOG .. C on tell ts PAGE Intrcduction I The Author 2 The Occasion of \V riting IX 3 r-rhe Naked Truth Xll 4 Criticisms XXIll Bibliographical Note xxv I Tothe Lordsand COlnmonsAssembledin Parliament I II To the Reader 4- III Concerning Articles of Faith 7 IV An Appendix to the former Subject 23 V Conc rning Ceremonies and Church Scnrice 33 VI Concerning Church Service 4- 5 VII Concerning Preaching 50 VIII Concerning Bi5hops and Priests IX 65 Concerning Deacons 9 2 x Concerning Confinnation 99 XI Of Church GO\ ernment 108 XII J. Charitable AJmonition to Non-Conformists I 19 " . . /. ./ ./. ./ ........ / "<" .. >.5 .... .R . '.' ." ,. " " " III t r 0 {I it c t i 0 1t I THE AUTHOR HERBERT CROFT, the author of The }.laked Truth, was born at Great Thame, Oxfordshire, 011 Otlober 18th, 1603, and died in the Palace, Hereford, on Ivlay 18th, 169 I. ï he eighty-eight years of his life covered a critically in1portant period of English hi rrory. J A1\1ES 1. canIe front Scotland to ascend the throne of ELIZABETH in the year of his birth, and before he died Dutch WILLIAl'vl had been reigning for more than two years. He lived through both the Great Rebellion and the Revolution. The execution of CHARLES I. darkened the n1iddle of his life, and the ex- pulsion of JAMES II. troubled its close. He came of an ancient and iinportant Herefordshire ('unily, the CROFTS, of Croft Castle, a circumstance which gave him ample means and additional social consequence when, rather late in his life, he becalne Bishop. His father, SIR IIERBERT CROFT, had sate for Herefordshire in several Parliaments, and had received knighthood froinJAl\lES I. His father was, moreover, a l11anùf attive Inind,and strong religiousinterest. r-r owards the end of his life he became a convert to the Roman Catholic Church, retired to Douaywhere he joined the Benedittines, and occupied himself with polemical writing. "At lcngth after he had macerated his body with fasting, hardship, and devotion, he surrendered up his pious soul to the Almighty." (1622.) SIR HERBERT'S change of religion necessarily affetted InoSt importantly the upbringing of his son. A divided falnily and an atn10spherc of heated controversy were not ii. INTRODUCTION idc.!l conditions for the boy's developIl1ent. His boyhood \VciS passed in a polenlical cllvironlnent for his father, with a convert's ardour, was bent on persuading his children to follow hin1 into the ROlnan Church. HERBERT was fetched a\vay fro111 Oxford, where hc was just beginning his career at the age of thirteen, and transplanted to the safer clilnate of Douay. l""here firSt, then at St. Onler's, finally at the English College in ROlne, he received a theological educa- tion which was nlore protraéted, thorough, and cxtensive than fell to the lot of 1110St English clergymen. Four years aftcr his fathcr's dcath, when he hiIl1self was twcnty-three, hc was adnlÏtted to the ROlnan Church by a Jesuit Priest IIis carcer as a ROlnan Catholic was a brief one, for, having conIC to England on fanlily busincs , he fell undcr thc in- flucnce of the enlinent Bishop of Durhanl, Dr. r-fHOl'vlAS MORTON, who e rcnown as a rccoverer of lapsed Anglicans was far cxtended and well deserved. LAUD interested hiln- self in the Bishop's convert, and by his cidvice HERBERT Inatriculated at Oxford as a nlember of Christ Church. In 1636 he was allowed to procecd B.D. in response to his request for a dispensation 011 the ground of "the ten years tilne which he had spent in the 1:udy of divinity in foreign nations." His carecr as a clergYlnan proll1ised to be a brilliant onc. Prcfcnncnt poured upon hinl. 'fwo parishes, a chaplaincy to thc King, prcbendal Stalls in Salisbury and \V orcester, a Canonry of Windsor, and thc Deanery of Hereford, all within cight years of his Ordination, attested the favour of his Sovereign. He was more a Inan of the world than the average English ecclesiastic, and CHARLES found him useful. r-rhe K.ing, we are told, "was so well satisfi d with his integrity and loyalty, that he afterwards entrusted him with his secret commands to several of the great officers in his army, to the hazard of his life." His loyalty was genuine and courageous. WALKER, in his "Sufferings of the Clergy," rclates an episode in which thc THE 1UTHOR Ut. Dean of Hcreford ran cOll iderablc risk by his outspoken denunciation of the dominant Puritans. "For soon after the taking of Hereford this exccllent Doétor preaching at the cathedral there, inveighed boldly and sharply against sacrilege; at which some of the officers then prcsent (so little doth a guilty conscience need an accuscr) began to mutter alnong thelllseives, and a guard of Inusquetecrs in the church were preparing their pieces, and asked whether they should fire at hinI; but Coloncl Birch the governor prevented them." His deanery brought hin1 no inconle during the inter- regnunl) and he would, like J1lany other royaliSt clergynlell, have been reduced to aB:ual indigence had not the death of his elder brother placed hin1 in possession of thc family estates. 'fhe Restoration brought happier fortunes. He had hardly re-entered into possession of his deanery before he was non1inated to the bishopric of Hereford, which had been refused by RICHARD BAXTER. W ODD gi yes the following account of his episcopal career: "On thc 27th of December, 166 I, he was lloininated by his Majesty Bishop of HEREFORD in the place of Dr. NICH. _vloNK deceased to which see, being consccrated on the 9th of February following (Shrove Sunday) in the Archbishop's Chapel at Lanlbcth (Dr. JA PER AlAYNE of Christ Church preaching then the Consccration scr- 1110n) he bccan1c afterwards nluch venerated by the Gentry and Conln10nalty of that diocese for his learning, doB:rine, conversation, and good hospitality; which ren- dered hinl a person in their esteen1 fitted and set apart by God for his honourablc and sacrcd fune-ion. \Vhich pre- fennent being in his time scarce worth L800 per annUll1 yct it being thc country of his ancestors and of\ ery Jnany of his relations, he was so well satisfied with it that hc rcfused the offer of greater prefennent by King CHARLES II. as it W,ts well known by his cOlltel11porarics at court, IV. INTRODUCTION where he served as Dean of his lV1ajeSty's Chapel Royal from th 8th of February, 1667, to the beginning of .l\1.arch, 1669; when being then weary of a Court lifc, or in truth finding but little good effeB: of his pious en- dea vours there, he retired to his episcopal see, where by his StriB: rules in admission to Holy Orders, especially that of prieSthood, and in conferring the dignities of the ch urch, he dissatisfied many more of the clergy than he obliged, for no solicitations could prevail with hiln to admit any to be Prebendaries of that church but such that lived within that diocese that the duty of the church Inight not be negleB:ed, and the small livings auginented. Hc would often please himself with thc effeB:ing this pious design of having all the dignities and prebendaries to live within his own diocese (which he lived to accom- plish) hoping that this example would inRuence his suc- cessors to take the same course. He made but little public show of his charity, as many that are truly prudent and pious do not, but they that were privy to his concerns know it was very alnple, in augulenting snlalllivings, and relieving Inany in dis1:ress, besides a weekly dolc to 60 poor people at his Palacc gatc in l-Iercford, whcther resi- dent therc or not for his country house bcing situated in the centre of his diocese, he spcnt much time there, where he was no less charitable in relieving the poor and visiting the sick in the neighbouring parishes, as 'tis very well known. He was very friendly and loving to his clcrgy, a tendcr father, and the best of husbands; and as for his learning which was not common, the books that he wrote do show that he was not altogether conversant in Divinity but other parts of learning." \Ve have an intereSting reference to the Bishop in PEPYS'S diary under date March 17th, 1667: "I went back to \Vhite I-Iall, and there up to the closet, and spake with several people till sermon was ended, THE AU'THOR v. which was preached by the Bishop of Hereford, an old good man, that they say made an excellent sermon. He was by birth a Catholique, and a great gallant, having [1,5 00 per annum, patrimony, and is a KnightBarronet; was turned from his persuasion by the late Archbishop LAUD. He and the Bishop of Exeter, Dr. WARD, are the two Bishops that the King do say he cannot have bad sermons from." BURNET is less friendly in his reference. His description of the Bishop of Hereford might almost serve as a candid attempt at self-portraiture: "CROFTS was a warm devout man, but of no discre- tion in his condutt; so he lost ground quickly. He used much freedonl with the king; but it was in the wrong place, not in private, but in the pulpit." Bishop CROFT died in his palace at Hereford on 18th 1vlay, 169 I, after an episcopate of nearly thirty years. On his gravestone in the Cathedral is this inscription: "depositum HERBERTI CROFT de Croft, episcopi Herefordensis, qui obiit 18 die 1vlaii, A.D. 169 I, ætatis suæ 88; in vita conjuntti." "The la words 'in life united,' allude to his lyingnextDean BENSON, at the bottoln of whose gravestone are these words, 'in morte non divisi,' the two tombstones having"hands en- graved on them, reaching from one to the other, to signify the lasting friendship which existed between these t\\TO divines. The stone placed to the bishop's memory has since been rell10ved to the east transept.". The Bishop's name is perpetuated in the diocese by "Bishop Croft's Charity," a bequest of [1,200 for the benefit of the incumbent of Yarpole, and the assistance of clergymen's widows. In the preface to his will CROFT, after the fashion of his age, introduces a religious profession: · D ..n fN B . a A " c ., v. h..t. 0 at. 10 0 . rt. ROFT, vi. 1^"'T ROD1.7C'T JON "And I do in an humble manner most heartily thank God that he hath been most graciously pleased by the light of his most holy Gospel to recall me from the dark- ness of Popish errors and gross superstitions, into which I was seduced in my younger days, and to settle me again in the true ancient catholic and apostolic faith professed by our Church of England, in which I was born and baptized, and in which I joyfully die with full assurance by the merits of my most blessed Saviour to enjoy eternal happiness." HERBERT CROFT'S charaB:er lies on the surface of his record. Loyal, affeB:ionate, and zealous, he was also diB:a- torial and prej udiced. His candour was matched by his obstinacy. He was neither a great man nor a learned divine, but he had seen much of the world, and his conscience was more considerable than his understanding. His yiolent dis- like of Popery was eXplained and perhaps excused by his per- sonal experience of the papal system. He had Ii ved through the Rebellion, and had suffered no inconsiderable risks and dangers. He shared to the full the high monarchical doc- trine of the Laudian clergy, and his concessions to Non- conformity implied no weakening of his Royalist convic- tions. In the crisis which precipitated the Revolution he dissented froln the position of the Seven Bishops, and pub- lished a "Short Di course" to justify his obedience to the King's order. This short composition, written at the age of 85, is eminently charatteristic. It discloses a confused and troubled intellett, but also a simple and kindly disposition. He was fond of quoting Elisha's politic counsel to Naaman as to bowing down in the house of Rimmon. In doubtful cases he preferred compliance to the certain risk and un- ertain advantage of resistance. But he would not condemn his brethren: "Yet I verily believe, and durst lay down my life for the truth of it, that my Brethren who refuse the dis- THE AUTHOR vu. persing of these Declarations are very far from having any evil intention in it, but will as readily obey the King as InyseIf, in what is as agreeable to their consciences, as these things are to mine. And had I had the good fortune to be amongst them at their consultation, I should not have doubted of good success in persuading them to this business; which although it comes now too late for this; yet by the grace of GOD it may prevent some future evil accidents. However I resolved to publish it, to give as n1uch satisfatlion to the world as I can upon what reason I dissent from my brethren, who, I am con- fident, aim at the same thing, though we go clean con- trary ways unto it. And I n10st humbly implore his gracious Majesty to believe so of them, and not to give way to passion, or to hearken unto those who would exaspcrate him against them; for 'tis impossible a true son of the Church of England should have any disloyal thoughts in his heart, his principles commanding him unto entire obedience, either atlive or passive, without any equivocation, or mental reservation in any caçe whatsoever. And therefor a true generous heart cannot but be kind and merciful to such submis ive subjetls according to that, P arcere suhjetlü et dehellare superhos.". The significance of the pamphlet here reprinted is not fully perceived until the convitlions and prejudices of the writer are remembered. Fear of Popery and a clear sense of the spiritual destitution of his diocese were the influences which carricd Bishop CROFT into the camp of the Moder- ates. As to the first sentiment, it is difficult for a modern .v. A short Discourse concerning the Reading His Majesty's late Declaration in the Churches set forth by the Righ t Reverend Father in God HERBERT Lord Bishop of Hereford. Published by authority. London. 1688. Vlll. INTRODUCTIOI\' Englishman either to appreciate its reasonableness or to understand its strength. The Papacy was not then a pic- turesque institution surviving amid the ruins of an older world like the lonely pillars of Palmyra, but a scheming aggressiye power, menacing and triumphant, which was visibly endangering the hardly-won liberties of Protestant Europe. In CROFT'S infancy England had been thrilled by the Gunpowder Plot; in his old age England was thrilled again by the Revocation of the Ediél of Nantes. Between those events lay the Thirty Years War with its insular ex- pression in the English RebeIlion, and, since the Restora- tion, a continuing series of alarming incidents culnlinating in the accession to the English Throne of a fanatical papist. BISHOP CROFT Stood with his generation in his attitude to- wards the Papacy. To the patriotic Englishman of that age Rome was the tireless and immitigable enemy of English faith and English freedom. In all this there was certainly much ignorance and fanaticisn1, but there was also more juSlice than we now always remen1ber. More amiable and more intelligible was the Bishop's concern for the spiritual State of his diocese. Then, as at the present time, HEREFORD was an essentially rural dio- cese lying apart from the great world, the people gathered in tiny hamlets or scattered far over the hills in lonely farms and cottages, kindly and loyal to their own leaders, but suspicious of Strangers and Stiff in their local and personal ttachments, a typically English folk. There was much ignorance, Inuch indolence, not a little aélual vice. 'T'he ecclesiastical system was full of anomalies and praélical abuses. The miserable poverty of the benefices compelled non-residence, and seemed to justify pluralities. Many of the clergy were ill-trained, negligent, degraded. Their inefficiency was apparent and extreme. The ejeélion of the Nonconformists by the Aél of Uniformity did undoubt dly create a situation of spiritual destitution in many diS1riét'ì THE AUTHOR 1X. Not the worSt:, but the be l: pastors were thruSt: out of the parishes, and their places were taken by a luw type of clergy- nlan whose ostentatious loyalty was too often attestcd by a frank exhibition of the fashionable vices. I t was easier to disprove the accusation of Puritanislll than to exhibit those spiritual charaéteri 1:ics which had given the Puritan nlinis1:ry its hold on the popular conscience. Shortly after the Restoration, when the first consequcnces of the Aét of Unifonnity wcrc apparcnt, a tractate was published, the authorship of which has bcen generally attributed to K.EN, and which serves well to illustrate Bishop CROFT'S pan1- ph let. I t is written in a turgid style, and n1a y cxaggerate the evils it dcscribe , but the truth of its gcneral piéture of English religion cannot be doubtcd. 'rhe quaint title page indicates sufficicntly its contents- U ICHABOD: or Five Groans of the Church: prudcntly foreseeing, and passionately Be'lvaiIÙzg, Her Second Fall; threatened by these five danger- ous, though ulldÙcerllcd Miscarriages that caused her }lrfl: viz.., I. Undue Ordination; 2. Loose Profaneness; 3. Un- conscionahle Simony; 4. Careless Non-Residence; 5. E'n- croaching Pluralities. Humbly presented to her suprelne [lead and Governor, The King's moil excellent Majeily: and his great Council, the P arlianlent of England." Within a few years of the publication of The l-laked Truth, RICHARD BAXTER, who, it is interesting to re- n1clnber, 1l1ight, ifhe had wished, have himselfbeen Bishop of Hcreford, published The NOllcollformiil's l J lea for Peace ( 16 79). I t should be read as illustrating the attitude of the N onconformiS1:s at the time when Bishop CROFT wrote. II THE OCCASION OF WRITING The situation in which Bishop CROFT was led to publish his pàmphlet was somewhat perplexing. CHARLES 11. \NaS in B x. INTRODUCTION process of being "found out" by his subj cas, and the loyalty which he could Still count upon had its roots far Ill0re in the resentnlents and suspicions bred of the civil war than in any devotion to his person. In 1670 the secret treaty of Dover had been signed, and the King of England had becol11e the pensioner of LOUIS XIV. and his ally in the war against Prote runtism. r 0 advance, and at the sallIe tilnc to conceal, his religious interest was the governing idea of the Royal policy, which, however, was always subordinate to the more imnlediate requirenlcnts of the King's self-indulgence. Nothing could have induccd CHARLES II. to run the risk of a second exile. 'fhe N onconfornliSts were his natural opponents politically, but as Nonconformists they belonged to the same religious description with his fellow-papists. Iv'light he not by appealing to their religious interest harness them to his own poli tical purpose, and at the same tin1e rnake them unconsciously serviceable to the Roman interest? 'l'he Declaration of Indulgence i ued in 1672-3 inlplied a conception of the Royal authority which could not be easily reconciled with the English Constitution, and it creatcd a situation which might be very favourable to the Papist sub- jeéts of the Crown. Both faéts were soon perceived, and Blade the basis of an energetic agitation against the Declara- tion. It was essentially the same situation as that in 1688 which precipitated the Revolution. English Churchmen were perplexed by the apparent con Riét between their political doétrine and their religious interest. Hardly less perplexing was the position of the Nonconformists, whose ilnmcdiate interest was served by their complaisance to- wards a future, but most formidable, danger. CROFT, like SANcRoFT,made thedangerto Protestantism implicit in a toleration of Papists a ground for approaching the Protestant Nonconformists with an olive-branch. Comprehension was Still the prevailing policy. Toleration caIne later as a consequence of the failure of Comprehcll- THE OCCASION OF IIlRITING XI. slon. Probably both were desirable. No comprehension could have gathered the extrelner seétaries within the system of the Established Church, but a redsonable con1- prehension might have satisfied the majority of the Non- confonni{ts, and n1ade the Church of England genuinely national. 'I'he golden opportunity had COBle at the Re 1:oration, and it had not bcen seized. In 1675, when The Naked Truth appeared, the oldcr N onconfonniSts v.'crc Still living, and there Still seenled a proll1isc of success. But in 1688, a new generation had COl1le on the scene, and it preferred the seétarian liberty secured by 'roleration to the slight but indispensable restraints of conlprehension within the Church. i"he decline of seétarianisnl, which is perhaps the most conspicuous and certainly the nlost promising featurc of nlodern English religion, has brought the older policy of c0I11prehension again within the sphere of serious consideration. Nonconfonnity, distributed into a nUInber of organized denon1Înations, is hard pressed to fÌnd any satisfying j us1ification for the religious separatis111 which it expresses. 'l'he old excuses have lost validity. There is no longer any connexion between seétarian re- ligion and political liberty. Civil rights are not endangered now by ecclesiastical agreen1enr. '[he questions which BAXTER and his contemporaries regarded as spiritually (undalnenral do not for the Illos1: part have that aspeét for nlodcrn Chri iald. Denolninational \Tested interests arc t:lr 1l10re fonnidablc obstacles to religious unity in England than discordant conviétions. 'I'he ground is cUlnbered with the ruins of exhausted syStenls, ecclesias1ical and doc- trinal. It would seem that the way lies open for a great re- conciliation. There is, indeed, Still "a great gulf fixed" between the two conceptions of Christianity which Stood out in clear antagonism at the Reformation. What is summed up under the term "sacerdotalism" cannot, so far as yet appears, be hannoniscd with what the Refonners B 2 xii. INTRODUCTION called "the Gospel." I t seems rather a paganized version of CHRIST'S Religion than the Religion itself. But the de- nOlninational syStenls, which have grown froll1 the Re- fonnation, may perhaps have done their work, and could be nlcrged in a larger unity with advantage to Religion. '1 'heir very nUlubcr is in a sense religiously scandalous, and the rivalries between thcln arc wholly discrcditable. A national syStelll, such as that which the ecclesiaStical cSlablislunent in England provides, I1light scen1 well adapted to serve as the franlcwork of a great unification of English religion. III l HE NAKED r-rRU1 I-I The Naked Truth opcns with a seétion "concerning Articles of Faith" which discloses a candid but cInbarrasscd n1Índ, too hone 1: to re:ÚSl the clcar evidence of experience, but too confused to pcrccivc thc full signifìcanceof it.l herc is nothing original in the argul11cnt. At evcry point the readcr catches echoes of CHILLI1'G\VORTH, JEREMY TAYLOR, and S fILLINGFLEET, in whuse writings the same argument is devcloped with a far wider and more accurate knowledge than CROFT possessed. I t is the accepted Anglican case against Rome expressed with the ardour, and sometilnes with the inaccuracy, of an old man. He draws on the mcmory of those troubled years of his early manhood when the sophislns of the ROlnan controversiali 1s had secined to hiln irresistible, and we rnay gather frolH his pages what wcre the argunlcnts by which Bishop l\loRTON had induced hin1 to return to the communion of the National Church. But there is Still a Roman suggestion about his attitude to e ternal authority. He seenlS to transfer to the Bible the unquestioning submission which formerly he had yielded to the Church. The authority is changed rathcr than thc 111cntal atti tude. THE NAKF:D TRUTH Xlll. On thevexedsubjeélof"Cerenloniesand Church Service" he adopts a frankly latitudinarian po ition. Let the Bishop follow the exanlplc of S. PAUL, "that great grand-father of thp church," and gain the people by rcasonable concessions. He instances the Surplice Still, as in the XVlth century, a sore point with the Puritans. "Perchance I appear a great enenlY to the Surplice so often nanling that; I confess I am, would you know \\Thy? not that I dislike, but in my own judgment much approve a pure white robe on the Mini er's shoulders to put him in mind what purity becomes a Minister of the Gospel. But such dirty na y Surplices as most of them wear, and especially the singers in Cathedrals (where they should be n10st decent) is rather an intimation of their dirty lives, and have given my Stomach such a sur- feit of them, as I have almost an ayerseness to all; and I am confident had not this decent habit been so un- decently abused, it had never been so generally loathed." Somewhat earlier EARLE in his Microcosmography (1628) had described the disgusting appearance of "the common singing Inen in cathedra] churches" as they lounged into their stalls "their gowns laced commonly with reamings of ale, the superfluities of a cup or throat above nleasure." Bishop CROFT instances as one of the ceremonies which alienate the people, the bowing toward the Altar, which had been alloweJ by the Canons of 1640, but which was sometimes pushed to foolish extremes, and then proceeds to speak of "that grand debated ceremony of kneeling at the Lord's Supper." He thinks "there is no reason to condemn those that use it, nor much reason to pr ')s it on those that disuse it." "Wherefore let us be men of understanding, men in devotion, be 7ealous, and hold fast the sub antial parts of religion, piety, justice, tcnlpcrance, chastity, tn!th, sincerity, Stand fast for these, not recçde one hail' IV. 1.Y7RODl'C7/0)" breadth fronl these, keep but our ground and fight it out like men to death against all powers and principalities on earth, or under the earth, and Jct us lea\ c it to won1en and children to contend about ccrenlonies, let it be in- different to us whether this, or that, or no ceremony, whether kneel, or not kneel, bow or not bow, surplice or no surplice, cross Qr no cros , ring or no ring, let us giye glory to God in alJ, and no offence to our brethren in anything." Such appeals are equally reasonable and irrelevant, for they 6Ìssume that the attitude towards cerelllonics, alike of those who defend and of those who denounce them, is dctermilll d by reason, whereas it is a matter of imagined principle. Nor is the suggestion of contempt which colours the language likely to persuade or to conciliate anybody. It is the weak- ness of the latitudinarian that he lies so far outside the beliefs and enthusiasnls which he aspires to analyse and direét as not wholly to understand thenl. Bishop CROFT is an advocate of Prayer Book revision in the interest of the "general satisfattion," but he would sufrer no departure from the revised Book. That, he thinks, would lead to different uses in the churches, to which people would ha\'e recourse without regard to parochial obligations, "and thus some churcht's would be thronged, others deserted, and no account could be taken by the pastor of his congregation." In faa, he describes the situa- tion with which we are now falniliar. Concessions to the Nonconforn1iSl: leaders wlJuld, he maintains, bring oycr their followers, and put out of occupation "the shop- prating Weavers and Cobblers," for whom both as a Di"ine and as a Royalist he had an unfeigned contempt. The seétion on Preaching is of exceptional intereSt and \alue. The Bishop of HEREFORD is evidently. conscious that hie:; opinions are unf..1.shionabJe, and that his frank ex- pression of them Fil.l be widely resented. But e i o ure f 71IE NAKED 7RUTlI X\. his ground that he will speak without reserve. The current Ir.odc of preaching is, he maintains, utterly inconsiStcnt with Apoftolic models, and utterly barren of spiritual re- su ts. 'I'he ancient Fathers, "especially the Greeks, always fond of niceties and curiosities," were bad exemplars, for they carried over from their ancestral paganism into the Church many ill habits. Anglican preaching, as formed on patristic 'Xamples and academic inStruétions, is rather a Inethod of self-advertisenlent than a means of edi fication: "So much time is spent in cOlnposing these oratory sennons as the Minister hath not leisure to perform a quarter of his parochial duty, of visiting the sick, of ad- Inonishing the scandalous, of reconciling the janglers, of private examining and inStruéting the poor ignorant souls, thousands in evcry country as ignorant as heathens, who understand no more of most sermons than if in Greek, so that the sermon is rather a banquet for the wantons that are full, than inStruélion for those who are even Starved for want of spiritual food, the plain and saving word of Christ, not the nice conceited word of nlan, which may nourish camelions never make solid sound Christians. "There are others of a different Strain, who wanting both wit and learning also, think to supply all by Strength of lungs, by long and loud babbling, riding hackney fronl one good town to another, and with fervency of spirit likc a boiling pot running oyer wherever they come." tIc ridicul s the ilnportance attached to a university train- ing while disclaiming any "disparagement of university learning." Let the Bishops recall the original institution of the ministry when not novices but "elders" were papointed: "Really 'ti5 most evident that the Church is run into great contempt by the lightness and giddiness of many ministers, who intend nothing but to make a handsome school-boy's exercises in the pulpit on Sunday, but never XVI. IJ.'iTRODUCTION attend the other parochial duties, nor their own advance in spiritual knowledge, but give themselves whoUy either to idle studies, or idlcr recreations, and arc very childrcn in divine knowledge and bchaviour." He goes on to draw a wocful piéture of the spiritual deStitu- tion of the country. Hisaccountagrees with thatofBA TER and has a value of its own as coo1ing from a Bishop of the Established Church. He dwells on the inadequate provision of the Clergy in the large town parishes, and the insufficient maintenance for such Clergy as eÀiS1. "It would make any true Christian's heart bleed to think how many thousand poor souls there are in this land, that have no Inore knowledge of God than heathens; thousands of the mendicant condition never come to church, and are never looked after by any; thousands of mean husbandry men that do come to church understand no more of the sermon than brutes; perchance in their in(lncy some of then1 learned a little of their catechism, that is, they could like parrots say some broken pieces, but never understand the meaning of one line (this is the common way of catechi ing), but afterwards as they grow up to be Inen, grow more babes in re1igion, so ignorant as scarce to know their heavenly Father, and are ad- Initted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper before they are able to give an account of the Sacrament of Baptism. This is generally in the country, and in the city as bad, partly for the reason before specified, and partly by reason the nun1ber in many parishes is far greater than any one par on can have a due care of; he cannot know half the names or faces of them, much less their f:'1Ìth and behaviour, which is requisite that he may both instruét and reprove where there is need." He decides that "sciences and languages are no way neces- sarv for common parochial preachers," and that "a sma11 proportion of learning \vith a great deal of piety and di - THE NAKED TRUTH Xyu. cretion is much better." Accordingly he suggests that older 111en of good charaéter and proved devotion should he or- d.tÍned although they have no uni\ ersity training. He think that "then we Inight find thousands in the nation that, having Ineans of their own, would preach the Gospel to the poor for conscience sake." "The nlaintenance for ministers in most parts is so wretchedly slnall (and so like to be, the tithes being in the hands of laymen without hopes of reco\'ery) that there is no convenient support for men of worth and gra\'ity, and therefore youths and striplings as wretched are put into them of meer necessity, that they lie not wholly void; whereas if men that had some estate to help to nlaintain thelnselves, being persons of conscience and convenient knowledge, were put into the ministry, and such preaching the Gospel accepted of, as the Apostles and prinlitive disciples used, the cures would be served with far nlore edification of the people, and honour to the church, than now they are." I f this plan were adopted, he believes that "Inany persons of good rank and e{tate would think it no dishonour hut rather a high honour to enter into'the 1Ylinistry.'" To assist the new clergy he reconlnlends that "there should be one good and brief English comment of Scripture seleéted and compiled," and "set forth by authority." The book of Homilies, he thinks, should be revised with the objeét of making it a more serviceable instrunlent for the teaching of praétical nlorality. I t Inu he relnemhered in reading CROFT'S scornful references to the Universities and the young clergymen v/ho came from them, that students were then no older than public schoolboys are now, that he himself had gonc to Oxford at an unusually advanced age, that he was past seventy \\-,hen he \vrote The l-,l akerl Truth, and, after the manner of the a eJ1 tended to exaggerate þotò the faa a.ld XVlll. lXTRODUC7ION the faults of youth, that he had been trained in a Jesuit seminary, where the professional equipment was incom- parably superior to that provided in the English universities, that he had been, like CHARLES 11., familiar with foreign preaching, and found English sermons intolerably dull, prolix, and artificial. English preaching was in course of rapid transition fro n the formal learned style illustrated by ANDRE\VES to the easy polished conlpositions which made the reputation of'I'ILLOTSON. Writing in 1692 BURNET could take for granted the excellencc of English prcaching: HPre3.ching has passed through Inany difFerent fonns all10ng us, since the Refornlatiol1; but without Battering the prcsent age, or any person now aliye, too nluch, it Inu 1: be confessed, that it is brought of late to a much greatcr perfeaion than it was e\ er before at among us. I t is certainly brought nearcr the pattern that St. Chrysostonl has set, or perhaps carried beyond it. Our language is much refined, and \ve have returned to the plain notions of sinlple and genuine rhetoric." 'fhe Bishop's plan for solving the closely conncéted pro- blems of spiritual deStitution and clerical povcrty is, per- haps, \\Torth consideration to-day when the ecclesiastical sy{tenl is bcing brought undcr rcvic\v. It is beconling very di fficult to nlan parishes which arc wretchedly endowed and sparsely inhabited. The declinc in agriculture within recent years, and the disappearance of large families, ha\ e cut off the supply of "younger ons," from which in the past the beSt rural clergymen ha\ c been drawn. They knew the country, and they lived on their own incomes. For the future the Church must make its count with men of a poorer class, who must "live of the Gospel." A ' living vvage" cannot be severed from "a fair day's work," and neither is to be found in the tiny parishes \vhich are so nUI11erOUS in the diocese of HEREFORD. In the XVITth century cOlnmunications were so difficult that a resident 7JIE NAKFD 7RU711 Xl . nliniS1er was ordinarily necessary if the people were to have reasonable access to the Sacraments. To-day this difficulty has vanished. Good roads, bicycles, telephones, etc., have Inadc pastoral charge of an extensi\'e distriét conlpara- tivelyeasy. No one, probably, would desire to lower the intelleétual standard of the ordained clergy, which is already far too low, but there is much to be said for the re{toration of pluralities in the interest of an adequately t'ducatcd and adequately remunerated clergy. The com- missioning of suitable lay men and lay women to have charge of the sl11aller parishes, and to conduB: the ordinary services in the parish churches, is a valuable suggestion. Nor is it extravagant to suppose with Bishop CROFT that there Inight be Inany religiously disposed persons of the propertied class who would offer themselves gladly as volunteers for this work. Bishop CROFT sets fotth his theory of the Ministry in the vigorously written seétion "Concerning Bishops and Pric qs." He represents that moderate view which had generally prevailed in the Reformed Church before the tiole of Archbishop LAUD, and which had certainly governed its atti tude towards the other Refornled Ch urches. 'rhe influence of his early conncÀion with the ROlnan Church is Jisclosed by the Inethod of his argument, and by hi reference to the falnous J e uit controversialist PET A VIUS, but the argulnent is in some respeéts original, and is ex- pressed with charaéteriSlic vivacity. "There can be no doubt," writes Canon !vlAsoN, "that the attitude of the Church of England in the matter of episcopacy stiffened at the Re oration in 1660." This is unqueStionable, but even the Sì:iffened attitude of the later Carolines was far less un- compromising than that which was taken up by the Trac- tarians in the middle of the last century, and is now widely held. 'rhe decay of the foreign ProteStal.t C}nuches, the advance of NonconformiSts from the position of eshangt.d xx. iNTRODUCTiON brethren to that of powerful rivals, the alienation from the half-secularised State, and the disappearance of the old fear of Ronle have tended to develop a denonlÏnational charaéler in the National Church, and thcreforc to clnphasize tho c features of its syS1:enl which arc diS1:inétivc. AI1l0ng these Episcopacy is the n10st conspicuous and irnportant. Every fresh essay in the interest of "Reunion" raises aneVl the question of the origin and funétions of the Ivlinistry, for it is certain that non-episcopal Christianity has now acquired such sana-ions in the eÀperience of three centuries that its adherents can never accept a view of episcopacy which would ilnply the invalidity of other fornls of eccle- siastical polity. In readingtheopinionsoftheolder Anglican di vines it is ever to be renlembered that they wrote without the advantage which Time has brought to modern Angli- cans. '\Ve can, and assurcdly ought to, take account of the plenary blessing which the Aln1ighty has granted to th('sc non-episcop..ll Churches, making thetn His instruments for far-e tendcd evangelisation, and enriching them with many illustrious saints. The formal arguments from Scrip- ture and History must now be discussed in the light of the experience of the last three centuries. I n some respeéts Bishop CROFT was ill-suited for the rôle of a controver- sialist. He had forgotten his reading, and he was too old for contro\rersy. .l\loreo\'er, his pitturesque manner of writing and rather slap-dash rhetoric laid hinl open to the effeéti\'c criticisnl of hi rllorc learned opponents. The controvcrsy itself, in the form which it bore at that tiIne, is obsolete. Appeals to the text of Scripture, to the precedents of the Apostles, to the opinions of the Fathers, and to the praélice of the "primitive" or "early" Church have lost for us most of their old validity since History has come to be regarded as a continuing process, a stream of developing life rather than a series of separate faéts. The latest phases may tell us most about the earliest, THE NAkED TRUTH XXI. l-'he settioll HConcernillg Conhnnation" is of consider- able value both as disclosing the views of a Caroline Bishop on this part of his duty, and as throwing light on the State of the Church in that age. CROFT denies the sacramental charaél:er of Conf1nnation-"I pass it as granted that Contìnnation is no Sacranlent"-and sees no rcason in principle why its adlniniStration should belilllited to Bishops. I ts Blain purpose is, he holds, to prcparc the people for Holy COl1ullunion, and that purpose was vcry ill ser\red. The ignorancc and carelessness of the inculllbents di - I qualified thClll for the task of preparing candidates, and the Bishop, when in obcdience to the canon he admini 1:ers the rite at his triennial visitations, has no opportunityofeAanlin- ling Illore than a fraétion of those who desire to receive it: thrce-quarters of those admitted to the Communion are nevcr confirmcd at all. He suggests four changes with a yicw to rcnlcùying this deplorable State of things. (I) He would authori e the Rural Deans "to eÀalnine and license to the Lord's 1 'able," that is, adlnini 1er Confirnlation. (2) lie would add to the Cat chisnl "a short and plain paraphrase upon evcry scntence in thc Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and Ten COllllnandnlcnts, and particularly to explain every unusual hard word therein." (3) He would insist on constant and Inore careful catcchising adaptcd to the needs of sin1ple people. (4) He would compel Parcnts and l\lasters to bring their Childrcn and Scrvants to the Catcchising by refusing the Holy Conullunion to those who were negligent in this duty. It is evident that the Bishop is throughout drawing on his own diocesan experience. Not Confirmation, but its total negleét or careless administra- tion, was the cause of offence to the Puritans. It was com- nlon ground with thcn1 and the Bishops that the true pur- pose of the rite was to prepare the baptised for reception of the Holy Communion. Neither ide was as yet conscious of any difference in theory. Both condenlned the confirnla- xxu. INTRODUCTION tion of children too young to be intelligent comn1unicants. "Do we not see sometimes (the curate desiring to please the fond Inother) childrcn confirmed so young, as cannot with- out a miracle be of a capacity to understand those divine 111 ySlcrics?" fhe last sctlion treats "Of Church Goveflunent." CROFT is at one wi th the N onconfonnists in condcl1lIlÎng thc nlcthod by which the discipline of excomlnunicatioll \VJ.s then adlnini 1:ered. Lay-chancellors seenlcd to hinl not lcss objeétionable than lay-prcachcrs:- "Whcre arc you Parlialncnt Blcn, you great sons of thc Church so zealous for episcopal govcfIUllcnt, yet suffer this principal part of it to bc thus alienated and usurpcd by laymen? If an unordained person take upon him to pray or preach, with what outcries and sc\.cre law , and with great reason also, you fall upon hinl; but if an unordained pcrson take upon hin1 to judge, sentence, and exconl111unicate bishops thclllseives, you calmly pass it ovcr, take no notice of it." He is opposed to all Ineddling of the clergy in lay affairs, and condemns "those of the inferior clcrgy, who take upon thcm to Study and pratlice physic for hire," though he allows that the cxtreme poverty of the benefices Ina y be pleaded as an extenuation of the fault. He is equally op- poscd to every invasion of clerical funétions by la yn1cn. "A Charitable Adnlonition to all Nonconfonnists," ex- prcsscd in terms of rather exaggerated unétiol1, bring the traB: to a close. He begs them to reconsider their attitude of conscientious opposition to ecclesiastical arrangements which dealt with matters confessedly indifferent, to be on their guard against the Pharisaic spirit, and to realize that their irreconcilable separatisln furnished the Roman ad- versary \vith his nl0:n cffeéti\'c weapon CRITICISIUS IV CRITICISMS The Naked Truth appeared without name of author or publisher. The title-page stated that it was "hy an humhle Moderator," and it was prcfaced by "An humble petition to the Right Honourable the Lords and COnll/l01lS flssenzhled ,;Z Parlialnent." If ANDRE\V 1\1AR\'ELL was correéHy in- formed, no Inore than 400 copies were printed for circula- tion alnong the Members. I t was printed at a private press, and published without authority. Hut it was speedily pirated, and circulated widely. Its authorship soon leaked out, and a considerable controversy arose. "The appearance I of this book at such a time was like a comet," says WOOD. In 16i6 three criticisms appeared. The first by Dr. FRAl\CIS TURNER, Master of St. John's College, Caln- bridge, afterwards one of the "Seven Bishops," was enti tIed, Animadversions on a Pamphlet entituled "The Naked Truth." It was effettivcly answered by ANDREW MARVELL in an extremely amusing piece, Mr. Smirke; or, the Dicz}Ùze tÍz ,lv/ode. The second, A modeil Survey of the moil con- siderahle things in a Discourse lately P uhlish ed, entitled l.\'aked Truth, is also anonymous. Its author was none other than the fanlous GILBERT BURNET. 'T"'hc third, Lex TalionÙ: or the Author of þ.,TakedTruth Stript J\Taked, is variously attributed to Dr. PETER GUNNING, Bishop of Chichester, to PHILIP FEI L, Fellow of Eton College, and to Dr. WILLIAM LLOYD, Dean of Bangor. r-rherc \\'ere also several imitations of The Naked 7'ruth put forth in the course of the next twenty years. '1'his literature ha long passed into the limbo of forgotten things. l\1.AR \,ELL'S pamphlet urvives by title of its wit; the rest can interest only antiquarians. CROFT'S treatise, however, merits a place among the historical nlenlorials of the time, and re- wards the udy of the 1udcnt. In vie\v of the ecclesiastical xxiii. XXl . INT RODUC710N situation \vhich has developed within recent years English Churchnlcn gcnerally Inay read with profit thc description of The Naked Truth, as it appcared to the Bishop of I I EREFORD in the reign of CHARLES 11. 'I'hcy will, pcrhaps, note with surprise how little changed the religious con- ditions of England reaIJy arc. 'rhe in1portant changes arc twufold; on th . one hand, the imn1ense and \\,'holIy- unforeseen expansion of the type of Chri ianity, which in CROFT'S tinlc was reprcsented hy thc cviéted Nonconfonn- iS1:s wholn he wishcd to reconcile, and on the other hand, the inteIleaual revolution which has strickcn with irrele- vance the learned arguments of fonncr times, and opcned the door to a largcr uni ty than then scemed possi ble. 1 his reprint has been preparcd fronl two copies of the original now in my possession. One is vcry carelessly printed, the othcr is nlore careful. I have thought it \vell to retain the author's spelling and rather eccentric punctuation. Both have a ccrtain intcrest for studcnts of the XVIIth ccntury, and neither will cause any scrious inconvcnicnce tu an intelligent reader. ï'heoriginal type used on the title page has bccn also reproduccd, and else- whcre Inuch of thc aspect which the panlphlct bore at its lìrst appearance is still preserved. A Inodernised fonn will be found in the VI lth volume of ,,, S0111ers' Tracts," edited by Sir Walter Scott. I have to thank 1\lr. Stephen K. Jones, Sub-Li=ràrian of Dr. \\tTilliams' IJibrary, London, for a careful Biblio- graphy, which will be api reciated by students. H. " : .. ;t ... "=--:'" .:'.. .. HH ". ' --:' M .:" .. "..' ,.. ..... ..' .. H. ,'.. " 13i6Iiog1-'aphical :J\(Ete 16 75 , The I Naked Truth. lOr, the I trueState I of the Prin1i- ti ve Church. I By an I Humble Moderator. I [Zach.8. 19., Gal. 4.16.] I Printed in the Year, 1675. (a.) Collation: 4 opp.[ viJ+66.[i] title;[iii-iv]AnHulnble Petition , tothe Right HonourabletheLordsand Commons Assembled in Parliament; [v-viJ To the Reader; 1-66, the work. The I Naked Truth. lOr, the I true State I of the I Prilnitive Church. I Byan I HUlnble l\loderator I [Zach. 8.19., Gal. 4.16.J Printed in the Year, 1675. (h.) Collatioll: 4 0 PP. [viJ+ 65' [mis-print for '66']. [iJ title;" [iii-ivJ To the Lords and Coo11110ns Assembled in Parliament; [v-viJ To the Reader; 1 -'65,' the work. The I Naked Truth. lOr, the I true State I of the I Primitive Church. I By I An Humble Moderator. I [Zach.8.19., Gal. 4.16.] I Printed in the Year, 16i5. (c.) Collation: 4 0 pp. [viJ+66. [iJ title; [iii-iv] An humble Petition to the Right Honourable the Lords and Como1ons Assembled in Parliament; [v-vi] To the Reader; 1-66, the work. Note. The above entries represent three entirely different editions of The Naked Truth, all published in the year 1675. Apart frol11 mis-prints and very small alterations, XXVI. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE the text is identical in all three editions, 'with the exception of the heading to the dedication. The above seems the most probable order of publication, taking into consideration the typographical evidence, and assuming Marvell's account (Mr. Smirke, P.9.) to be correét: "I am credibly informed that the author caused four hundred of them and no more to be printed againSl the last session but one of Parliament. F or nothing is more usual then to print and present to them proposals of revenue, matters of trade, or anything of public convenience; and sometimes cases and petitions, and this, which the Animadvertercalls the Author's dedication, is his humhle Petition to the Lords and Commons asremhled in Parliament. And underSlanding the Parliament inclined to a temper in religion, he prepar'd these for the Speakers of both Houses and as many of the Members as those could furnish. But that, the Parliament rising just as the book was delivering out and before it could be presented, the author gave speedy order to suppress it till another session. Some covetous printer in the mean time getting a copy, surreptitiously reprinted it, and so it flew abroad without the author's knowledge, and againSl his direétion. . . Yet because the author has in his own copyes, out of his un- speakable tenderness and modeSly begg'd pardon of the Lords and Commons, in his petition, for transgressing their Aét againSl printing without a licence, this indoflum parlia- mentum mistaking the petition as addressed to himself, will not grant it, but insultsover theauthor and upbraids him the rather as a desperate offender, that sins on he saith, goes on Still in his wickedness, and hath done it against his own conscience. Now truly if this were a sin, it was a sin of the first impression. And the author appears so conStant to the BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE xxvü. Church of England, and to its liturgy in particular, that, having confessed four hundred times with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, I doubt not but in assisting at Divine Service he hath frequently since that received absolution." According to this story a would be the author's "own copyes," hastily put forth, with a re-inforced heading to the dedication, in the hope of allaying the outcry caused by the issue of the surreptitious reprint, b, the" first impression," equally unlicenced, and with the less humble dedication; c is merely a further reprint in response to the demand. Naked Truth was republished in folio in the year 1680, with the title: }{aked Truth: the Firfl Part, or, the true Hate, etc. It is still without printer's name, and has the shorter form of dedication. Though dated a year before Hickeringill's The ])l aked Truth. The Second Part. London, for Francú Smith, 168 I, it seems evident that it was pur- posely reprinted at this time as a forerunner, in similar format, of the later work. 16 7 6 Animadversions I Upona Late I Pamphlet I EntitledThe I Naked Truth; lOr, the I true state I of the I primitive church. I London, I Printed by T. R. and are to be sold by Be i. Tooke at I the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard, 16 7 6 . Collation: 4 0 PP. [viii]+66. [ii] Imprimatur, H. London. Febr. 23. 1676; [iii] title; [v-viii] Animadversions on the title, etc. ; [viii, at foot] errata; I -66, the work [aétually 64 pp., pagination jumps from 4 8 to 5 I . J xxviii. BIBLIOGR..1.PHICAL NOTE Note: Term Cat. 1. 238, Easter, May 5, 16ï6. Price, S1:icht, I s. The error in pagination, had he noticed it, would have added an extra point to lvlarvell's scoff on p. 33 of Mr. Smirke, "These are the great animadverters of the times, the church-respondents in the pew, nlen that seem to be meln- ber only of Chelsy colledge, nothing: but broken window , . bare wal1s, and rotten timber. '1 'hey with a few villanous words, and a seared reason are the only answerers of good and serious books: but then they think a book to be sure fully answered, when as the exposer has by an h Ulnane criticismc, they have writ or scribled the same number of pages. For the author's book of the ]\7 aked Truth, chancing to be of sixty-six pages, the exposer has not bated hin1 an ace, but payed him exaéHy, though not in as good billet) yet in a n1any notches." Anin1adversions I Upon a Late I Pamphlet I Entitulcd The I Naked Truth; lOr, the I true State I of the I prin1itive church. I The Second Edition. I London, I Printed by T.R. and are to be sold by Benj. Tooke at I the Ship in St. Paul's Church-yard, I6i6. Collatton: as f1rs1 edition, including irregular pagination .LVote: This is a page for page reprint of the firSt edition, with no difference except for the rorreétion of the errata. A I Modest Survey I Of the Inost considerable things I in a I discourse I Lately Published, Entitled I Naked 1. 'ruth. , 'Vritten in a Letter to a Friend. I !nlprilnatur, G. Jane. 1vlay 26, 1676. I London I Printed for Moses Pitt at the Sign of the Angel in I St. Paul's Church-yard, 16 7 6 . BIlJLIOGRAPlIlCAL NOTE XXiX. CollatIon: 4 0 PP. [ii]+29. [i] title, within double lines; 1- 2 9, the work. Note: Tenn Cat. I. 246, Trinity. J unc 12, 1676. Price, Slicht,6d. The letter is dated, ad fin., London, 1\1ay the 23, 16 7 6 . A Inodes1: survey, etc. The second edition. London, for .I. loses Pitt at the Angel in S. Paul's Churchyard. Note: Tenn Cat. 1. 261 1\1.ich. Nov. 22, 1676. Pricc, stich t, 6d. I Lex Talionis: lor, the I author I of I Naked rruth I stript naked. I [Printer's device of a cannon, surmounted by a crOVln, with initials "H. B."] I London, I Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun at the WeH: I End of St. Paul's. l\iDCLXXVI. Collation: 4 0 pp. [ii]+42. [iJ title, within double lines; [iiJ Ilnprimatur. G. Jane; 1-42, the work. ...Vote: Term Cat. I. 247, Trinity, June 12, 1676. Price, 1:icht, 6d. It is to the printer's device that Marvell refers on the last page of Mr. Smirke: "But as to a new Book fresh con1e out, lntitled, the Author of the Naked Truth ffripp'd l.Vaked (to the Fell, or to the skin) that Hieroglyphical ibble of the Great Gunn, on the Title Page, will not excuse Bishop Gunnz1zg. For his Sermon is still expeéted." Lex Talionis, etc. [another edition.] London, for Henry Brome at the Gun at the West end of S. Paul's. Note: Term Cat. I. 261. Mich. Nov. 22, 1676. Price, sti ch t, 6d xxx. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Mr. Smirke; lor, the I divine in mode: I being I Certain J1nnotations, upon the Animad- I versions on the Naked Truth. r Together with a Short Hifforical Essay, I con- cerning General Councils, Creeds, and Im- I positions, in l\latters of Religion. Il:{uda, sed Magna ell J7eritas, & p raevale hit. I By J Andreas Rivetus, 'Junior, I Anagr. I RES NUDA PER IT AS. I Printed Anno Domini lDCLXXVI. (a.) Collation: 4 0 pp. [iv]+ï6. [i] titlc; [iii-iv] To the captious reader; 1-76, the work. [Aétually pp. 86; Sig. 'g,' between pp. 40 & 4 I, is unpaged, and paging '6 I' - '64' is duplicated. ] "flote: The 'Short Historical Essay' was republished separately in the year 1680, with Andrew Marvell's name on the title-page. l\1.r. Smirke: lor, the I divine in mode: I being I Certain Annotations, upon the Animad- I versions on the Naked Truth. I Together with a Short HifforicaJ Essay, I con- cerning General Councils, Creeds, and Im- I positions, in Matters of Religion. I Nuda, sed Magna ell J7eritas, & prae.valehit. I By I Andreas Rivetus, Junior. I Anagr. I RES NUDA J7ERIT AS. I Printed Anno Domini MDCLXXVI. (h.) Collation: as 'a.' Note: l....he body of the work is another issue of 'a'; the sole difference is in the title-page and preface. The former is entirely re-set, with a few changes in punétuation and use of italics, as shown above. The preface is not re-set, but, before being put through the press again, two out of a much larger number of careless misprints have been correéted. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE xxxi. The explanation of the two title-pages is not obvious. It is probable that the title-page and preface had been printed off, and the former broken up, and that it was then decided to increase the edition, while the body of the work was at press, thus necessitating re-setting of title page. THE Naked . / ruth OR, THE TRlIE STATE OF THE 'Primitive : hurc.", , -'" BY AN Humble Moderator 7ach. 8..J 9. Løve the 'Jrlith .l1d react. JaI. 4. 16. Am I therefore blCO/Jle Jililf EltCI/I" btt'tlUfi 1 tlD )011 the trlJth Printed in the Year, .1675' w w '4fw'i# To the Lords and C01JltJZOnS JsseJJzbled ten Pilrlta/llen! M y Lords and nohle Gentlernen, You have fully ex- pressed your Zeal to God and his Church in n1aking La\vs for Unity in Faith, and Uni- formity in Discipline: for, as our Saviour said, .A Kingdolll dividfd agat11fl it srlj cannot fland; so the same may certainly be said of a Church, the reason being the same for both : And I call the Searcher of all hearts, the God of life and death, to witness, that I would n10st readily, yea most joyfully sacrifice all I have in this world, my life and all, that aU Non-Conjornlifls were rcduced to our Church. But it falls out most sadly that your Laws have not the de- sired effetì, our Church is more and more divided; such is the perverse nature of man, Þ,/iti zll retitunl, obstinately to oppose Authority, especially when they can pretend the colour of Religion and Conscience; this carries so great an applause a010ng the Vulgar (still envious at Superiors) that it is, as it were, Nuts to an Ape, weeter to then1 than any other thing this world affords: for the enjoyment of this they will endure any thing,imprisonment, loss of good , yea soo1etime of life also. And this is it which n1ainly nourishes our Divisions, gives grcat advantage to the growth of Popery, and threatcns the total ruine of our Church. Many who were formerly very zealous for our Church, seeing these our sad divisions, and not seeing those of the Roman- Church, nor their gross SuperStitions (\vhich their Priests conceal till they have f!ot n1en fast) are easily seducf"J bv their pretended Ilnity, and daily fall front us. r-l'his Inak s my C2 2 'IRE NAKED 'IRU'IH my heart to bleed, and my soul with anguish ready to expire rather than live to see that dismal day of relapse into their Inanifold Idolatries. Wherefore I humbled my Soul before God in fasting and prayer, begging dayly the assistance of his holy Spirit, to dirett n1e to SOlne healing Salve for these our bleeding \V ounds : and therefore I have some reason to believe, that what is contained in these following Papers, comes from the grcat goodness of God, who never fails those \\.ho seck hint in hUlnility and sincerity both, which I aln confident I have done; and this I an} sure of, that no \V oddly design have Jno\'cd 111è to this, but have often tClnpted Ine to give it ovcr ; I all1 also sure, that there is nothing containcd therein, which is contrary to the known Laws of the Land: in this only I confess I have trans- gressed, in putting it forth without licencc; and for this I beg of God and you, as lVaamon did of Elisha, In this thing the Lord and you pardon your Servant; and I hope you will say unto me as Elisha did unto Naaman, Go In peace; and I farther hope this shall not cast such a prej udice upon it, as to make you cast it by, or read it with disgust. I do not expect you should approve any thing upon the account of Iny seek- ing God in this, but upon Jny R.easoJlS all edged ; nor do I expett that upon nlY Reasons you should approve all : yet I beseech you seriously consider all, and God of his infinite goodness direét you to that which Inay make for the Unity of our Church, by yielding to weak ones (if not wilful Ones also) as far as your Reason and Conscience will pennit: sure you cannot so loath all condescention, as not to loath Inore, and detest Papal confusion, which certainly conles on apace by our division; and of two evils, both Reason and Reli- gion require us to chuse the less; now doubtless you cannot think condescention (if evil at all, surc not) so evil as Papal Idolatry, and that Papistry is Idolatry, is so clearly proved by our Learned Dr. Still/ngfleet, a:> it were lost labour to say more TO rilE LORDS lND CO"llUONS 3 1110rc of it. COJldcscention 1l1ay sceOl in SOllle respeéls inl- prudent, hut whether in this conjuntture of affairs ilnpru- dent, I beseech you again consider well. 1.---he Wisest nlcn have changed their Counsels and R.esolves upon second thoughts, Inuch Inore upon cxperiencc, and approaching cvils not at first discovered. It is a comlnon thing with Princes when they find thcir 111ain encn1Ïes power cncreasc 111uch, to l11akc pcace with lesser enelnies, on conditions never beforc to be endurcd ; Self-prcservation being the prime principle in all Creatures rational and irrational, pringing fi'onl Nature it self, it should in nature and rcason ovcr-ballance any other consideration; and whatc\'cr is done to this end, .if not sinfully done, nlu '1 needs be wisc1y done. I most humbly beseech the An-wise God, and sole giver of wisdonl, to pour down his Holy and Wise Spirit upon you. Amen. To To the Reader C HRISTIJ. \N Rcadcr,so I ter"l you, hopÚlgyou halve '.1 SOllie 1I1eaSUre tIle Spirit of Chri!!, and desire it 11l re, the spirit of lneeklless, hunlilily, charity', 110t to censure 11IY errors, find ellveiglz agal11JI thclll, IJllt to pity and endeavour to retlifie tllCln, if )'OU find allY; and I assure you Út the 'lcord of a Chriflian, I shall he far more rcady to recant, than to vent all error: If Y'JU he 110t thus Christian/y disp'Jsed, I earneflly heseech you reari no further, for I am sure you H:ill he dÙpleas'd u'ith it: and call you think it 'lvÙdom to run your self into dÙpleasure? enjoy )'our present quiet, and let Tne ref!. Bllt if you he so Chriflianly disposed as I mentioned, then I as earlleffly heg of you to proceed, to dÙcover my errors tlnd alliend thenl. But perchance )'OU 'lvill ask 'lvho I am, 'lvhy did Inot tell you, hy putfÙlg nlY IltlTlle to this palnphlet? I'lvill ÚlgellUOtuly confess the Cllilse. I anz a 'Zveak nlllll, of great Passions, ll t ahle to hcar C0l1l11ltlldatiolls or Rcproach, lilY sl1zol1 abilit,y puts me out of danger of the fir!l, but tit great fear of the later. If/hy then 'lvas I so for7vard to p"blÙh l1ZY weak- ness? to have it cured; yet truly I have not heen very for7vard, (or it is 1101..V ahove t7.VO years sttzce I had these thoughts, ';'1 1vhich time I have read and conferred all I could to dÙco'ver if I 'lvere 111 an error, but for all I yet could meet with, do not find it so, hut hope all I say is truth, and that it may he useful to the Publique, 1ft thtS present c njun{lure of affairs. Therefore I proceed, and tn the next place moff hunlhly heseech all that read this, to lay aside all bias of Ùztereff or educatio11, hoth are very great, I am sure I found it so very long hefore I could nJaffer them, and that of education mofl d fficult ; 'IV ere it not so, there could /lot he that difference of opinion tn Chriffian Religion, all allowing ero erHE READER 5 allorwlÍzg the Bihle for the Rule of JI'aith, the Pllpifls thel1zselves do not rejetl it, hut add to it the lluthority of the Church. I verily helieve there are thousands of Papists, Lutherans, CaI- viniSls,hoth Learned and Religious, 1.vho would lay down their lives for the truth they profess, a1zd yet are divided in opinion Illeerly hyeducatioll ,havingz;n their youth so imprinted their own opinions in their lluizd, as.vOll may sooner separate their hody than theiroPrlliollfrollztheir Soul. Na.v, I haveheard thatalnong the 1""'urks there are lnany 1-vise and moderate persons that are as zealous to lllatiltaln their ridiculous Aicaron as we our Bihle ; 'which call1lot proceed from any thing hut the flrollg hias of edu- catioll1.vhich so 'wheels ahout and intoxicates their hral11. And to say sonze1.t'hat lnore particular of our own Nation here, Those that have heen educated':'l that way as to sit at the Com- lnunion, and haptize their Children 1.vithout the Cröss, had rather omit those Sacraments than use kneeling or the Cross; llnd those that have heen educated 111 knee/z.ng and crossing, though they ackno1.vledg they are meer Ceremonies tndifferent, vet had rather omit the Sacraments, than omit the Ceremonies, Just as if a !nall had rather flarve than eat hrend haked In a Pan, hecause he hath used hread haked 111 an Oven. So that Religion z1Z many is really hut their hURlor, fancy passeth for reason, and cllflome is more prevalent than any argument. This is the tht1zg 7vhich lnakes me fear I shall nleet with very fnv that 1.vill calmly and r"ndifferently consider what I'lt'rite, hut 1.vill presently flartle at it as 11ew and cross to their Genizu, or to their 111terefl, or iheir reputation, which they value ahove all, I mean the efleenz and kz.ndness of their hefl friends and acquaint- ance, whose taunts and reproach tlley cannot hear; hut I hZllnhly heseech thnn to pause a while, and lay it hy till the passion he over, 'till they have maflered a/1 these dffJiculties. I heseech them to set hefore their eyes the heauty, the honour, the fledfaflness of Truth, the comfort, the delight, the everlafflng felicity of a clear and retlifted C nscience ; then resume it and consider 6 'IHE NAKED TRUTH consider agaz1l. But they cry PÙh, 'tÙ 110t worth it, '/Ù a ridi- culous toy, find favours somethÙtg of the Se{lariall : I grant there are some things alnOllg the Setlarians I approve of, I will 110t rejet/ and condemn any truth uttered, or any good aðioll performed, though said and done hy the Devil. I consider the things, and if good, enzhrace them, 1.vhoever utters them, though I de/eft hÙ errors z1l other /hi1tgs; roll. tvill say the same; then I heseech you do the same; consider 'ic/Jat I say sinlply ztl it self, 1.vhether the Papifts or .Alla hap tifls say the sanze,i/ matters /lot; I hope you 'lviI/not rejefl Chrifl hecause thf'Y hoth profess hi1ll, Rllt if after all your seriolls, patient, 1I1l1}iafl consideration ,you .find it all erroneous conte1lzptihle Pamphlet, yet contemllllot the person that 1-orote it z1l the sz1lcerity of hÙ heart, lell you receive the same measure agaz1l from Chrifl, who hath fissured 115, that shall he his rule, to meet unto 1M the like. Chrifl died for the salvation of my poor soul as well as yours, contemn it 110t there- fore, hut endeavour to retlijie it ; if God hath given you more k 1 lowledg and1.visdoltze than me, be not high-minded but fear, and let hilu that Stands take heed lest he fall. Thus I pray for you, do you the like for me, and however we differ zil Opz,"nioll let itS accord tit Charity, and ';1 Chrift Jesus the Redeenzer of us all. Amen. ConcerllÛtg å å åå Concerning Articles of Faith HA T which we cOlnn10nl y call the Apostles Creed, if it were not composed by theIn, yet certainly by Primitive and ApoS1:olick l\ien, and proposed as the Sum ofChriS1:ian Faith, the Sum total necessary to Salvation: It can't be supposed they left out any thing which they thought neces- ary to Sahration, they migh t as well have oll1i tted hal for all : As one COI111nandment broken is the sarne in effeB: with all, so onc necessary Principlc of Faith denied, cancels all, and shuts out frorl1 Heavcn. Whcn I speak of believing thc Apostles Creed, I do not mean, that we believe all thcre con- tained with a Divine Faith, because it is therc contained; for we have no assurance that the Apostles composed that Creed; but we are sure all that is in that Creed, is evident in Scripture to any common understanding; thereforc we bc lievc all with a Divine Faith. But I mention this Crced only, to shew that the Primitive Church received this as the sum total of Faith necessary to Salvation; Why not now? is the statc of Salvation altered? If it be compleat, what needs any other Articlcs? You would have I11Cn improve in Faith, so would I, but rather t1ztensive than extensive, to confirnl it rather than enlarge it: One sound grain of !viuS1:er-seed is better than a bushel of unsound chaffie stuff. 'Tis good to know all Gospel-Truths, aP-ò to believe them, no doubt of that; but the QEeS1:ion is not what is good, but what is necessary. I pray remember the treasurer to Candace, ecn of Ethiopia, whom Philip instruéted in the Faith; his 8 THE NAÁED TRUTH his tinle of catechizing was vcry short, and soon proceeded to Baptism. But Philip firSt required a confession of his tàith, and the Eunuch nlade it, and I beseech you observe it; 1 helieve that Jesus Chrifl is the Son of God: And strait way he was baptized. How? No more than this? No more; 1'his little grain of Faith being found, believed with all his heart, purchased the KingdolTI of Heaven: Had he bc- . lieved the wholc Gospel with half his heart, it had been of less value in the fight of God; ,rris not thc antity, but the Qyallity of our Faith God rcquireth. But surc the Eunuch was nlore fully InStruacd; It nlay bc you arc surc of it, but I could never yct nleet with any assurance of it, nor any great probability of it; I anl sure he saw Philip no 111ore, and I am sure Philip required no nlure, but baptized him on this, and had the Eunuch departed this Life in the sanle instant that Philip partcd from hiln, I believc I have better assurance that this faith would have saved the Eunuch, than any man hath that he ever was taught more: See I Joh.4.2, Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Chrifl is come il1 the flesh, is of God: But the nlore the better Still I grant, though no nlorc necessary. Hast thou Inore Faith, have it to thy self beforc God: happ'y is he 'lvho cOIlJenlllcth 110t himself:11 the thIng 'lvhich he allowethj happy is he who is thankful to God for having received much, and despi eth not him that hath received little: God dispenseth his gifts and graces according to his free Will and Pleasure: nor doth he require more of any A-lan than according to the proportion he hath given, no nlore should we. Nothing hath caused more mischief in the Church, than the eStablishing new and nlany Articles of Faith, and re- quiring all to assent unto them. I am willing to believe, that zealous CONCERNING ARTICLES OF F..1ITH 9 zealou l\lcn cndca\"oured this with piou intentions to pru- tllotc that which they conceived Truth; but by imposing it on thc Dissentcrs, causcd furious Wars, and laoIentable Blood-shcd unong Christians, Brothcr figh ting again l Brothcr, and 1\lurthcring each other. Can thcre bc any thing nIorc irr tional th,Jll to cndcavour to promote the truth of the Gospel contrary to the Laws of the Gospel? r-ro brcak an cvidcnt Comluandlncnt to cStablish a doubtful 1'ruth? I say, doubtful to hinI on whom it is in1posed, though scclning clear to hinI that imposcs it. Ifit were fully c:\.prcss'd in Scripture-words, thcrc would nced no new Ex- pression, no new Article; if it be not fully expreSt in Scrip- ture, but deduc'd from Scripture-expressions, then what one Man thinks clearly deduc'd, another may think not so; I 111can, not another ignorant and weak, but as learned, and as able. What more con1mon than in Divinity and Philo- sophy Schools, one cries, this is a clear DemonStration; anothcr cries, no such Inatter, but flatly denies it? Mens underStandings are as various as thcir Spcech or their Coun- tenance, otherwise it wcre ilnpossible therc should be so Inany undcrStanding and moderate, yea, and consciencious len also, Papisls, Lutherans, Calvt1zifls, all in such Oppo- . ition onc against anothcr, all believing Scripture, yet so diffcring in the dcduéHons frol11 Scripture. 'rruly, I think hin1 very defeétive in charity, however he abound in Faith, who thinks all Papifls, or Lutherans, or Calvinifls malici- ously or wilfully blind. As for DIY part, I think nothing can be more clearly de- duc'd from Scripture, nothing more fully express'd in Scrip- turc, nothing more suitable to Natural Redson, than that no lan hould be forc'd to believc, for no .l\lan can be [orc"d to 10 'TIlE NAKFD TnUTll to believe; you n1ay force a Ulan to say this or that, but not to believe it First, as to Reason: If you bring a man an cyident DCIllonS1ration, and he hath a Brain to understand your Demonstration, hc can't but assent to it. If you hold a clear Printcd Book with a clear candle to a l11an of clear Eyes and able to Read, he will certainly Read; but if the Print be not clear, or the Candle, or his sight not clear, or he not Learned to RCcld, can your force Inake hinl Read? And just so it is with our understanding, which is the eye of our Soul, and a dClnonS1ration being as a candlc to give Light; if thcn your delnon l:ration or dcdutlion, or his understanding be not clear, or he not learned, you IllaY with a club dash out his brains, but ncver clear thenl. He then that believes the Scripture, can't but believe what you clearly delnonStrate froln Scripture, if he hath clear brains, if he hath not, your force may puzle and puddle his brai ns more by the pd sion of anger and hatred, n1ake hinl abhor you and your argunlents, but never lovingly embrace you or then1: and thus you may hazzard his Soul by hatred, and your own Soul also by pro- voking hin1 to it, but never save his Soul by a true belief. But purchance you will conclude, he doth not believe the Scrip- ture, because he doth not believe your argulnents from Scripture; (a strange conclusion) but what then? would you, can you force hin1 to believe the Scripture? can you drive faith like a nail into his head or heart with a halnlner? nay, 'tis not in a man's own power to make himself believe any thing farther then his reason shews him, much less divine things; this is the peculiar work of Grace; and if Faith be the gift of God, your Argument cannot give it, nor your Hamnler force it; Argumcnts may be good Inducements, and if right, will prevail with those to believe whon1 God hath COJ.YCER \'ISC ARTICLES OF FAITl! II hath ordained to Eternal Life, but no other; Preaching the \V ord is the means God himself hath appointed, but as for force, I can't find in the Gospel either commandnlent or countenance given for it. If the Scripture cOllllnand to speak the truth in love, to instruét our Brother in the spirit of nleekness, if we are to pray and beseech him to receive the Grace of God, can anything be nlore contrary to Scrip- ture Rule, than force and violence? to what purpose then is force, since it cannot make hinI believe the Gospel? and if he doth believe the Guspel, he will, I am sure, he cannot chuse but bditve what you clearly shew hin1 is contained there (supposing his brain to be clear); and I anI also sure, if he believe what is clearly contained, he need not believe any thing else. 'T'hc Scripture is our Rule of Faith compleat and full, the Scripture itself tells us so. Joh. 20. 3 I. These thil1gs are written that you might believe, and helievr"ngye !!light have life; and our Saviour tells us, That ill them 'lve have Eternal Life, ']oh. 5. 39. and 2 Tim. 3. 15. St. Paul tells us, The Scriptures are atle to 1/lake us 'u.:ise unto salvation, through faith 'lvllÏch is Ûl Cllrifl Jesus; all Scripture is given by z11spira- tion (if God, and is profitatle for dotlrz'11e,for reproof,for cor- retlioll, for Illflrlltlion Ûl righteollsness, that themall of God Tllay be perfe{l, throughlyfurnished 1/1/to all good 'LvrJrks. And I beseech alllllen further to consider what is said, Dezd. 12. 32. Tholl shalt not add thereto, nor dinlinish /ro111 it, and like\\.ise how they will avoid the curse in the la of the Revelations, if they add to the words there written; and surely 'tis the sanle crilne to add to any other Book of Scripture. If it be answered, r-rhey do not require us to believe it to be Scrip- ture. I reply, r[hey require nIen to belic\ c it as Scripture, with Diyine Faith, which is as bad, they make their own word::; 1.2 THE N.'1.KED TRUTH words equal with Gods \ lord; or if they say, they require not Divine Faith, then I am sure it is no matter of Salvation whether I believe itor no, humane Faith cannot save. Thus you see how impertinent, how irrational, how impious it is, to require a luan to believe any thing more than is clearly con- tained in Scripture; and if it be clearly contained there, he that believes Scripture and sees it clearly contained there, can't but believe it; ifhe do not see it clearly contained there, you can't force either his sight or his Faith. Your force may nlake hiln blinder, but never see clearer; olay make him an Hypocrite, no true Convert. Again, I desire all men soberly to consider. Are not the prilne and nlost necessary Principles of Faith, the Trinity, three Persons and one God, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the same person to be God and 1\1an, the ResurreB:ion of the Dead, that we shall rise with the same Body, when one body may be eaten and converted into several bodies, and such like: Arc they not things hlr above the highest reason and sharpest understanding that ever had Man; yet we believe them, because God (who cannot lye) hath declared theln: is it not then a range thing for any man to take upon him to declare one tittle more of them than God hath de- dared, sceing we understand not what is declared? I nlean we have no comprehensive knowledge of the matter de- clared, but only a believing knowledg, our Faith not our reason reaches it: the Apostles by the Scriptures teach us this, not the Schools by Syllogisms. If then our Reason under- Stands not what is declared, How can we by Reason make any deduétion by way of Argument from that which we underStand not? As for Example: Some hold, 'I'hat the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son; SOlne, that COJ.VCERNIJ.VG ARTICLES OF FAITH 13 that he proceeds from the Father by the Son. I pray, Doth any man understand how the Holy GhoSt: proceeds from the Father, from the Son, or by the Son? no certainly: how then ca he affirm or believe a tittle more of the Holy Ghofi than the Holy Ghost hath declared, seeing, as I said, he under- Stands not at all what is declared? Discouse must be of things intel1igible, though Faith beJieves things not in- telligible. Can any man prove, that Rotation and Circula- tion are all one, who understands not what Rotation or Circulation is? the like may be said of procession or mission of the Holy Ghost. The Scripture plainly tells, That the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father, and that he is sent by the Father, that he is sent also by the Son; but whether he pro- ceeds from the Son or by the Son, the Scripture is silent, and I am therefore ignorant, having no knowledg at all of any Divine Mysteries but from the Scriptures. I grant, That by rational deduétions and humane way of argumenting, 'tis probable, that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son as from the Father; but if in Divine matters we once give way to humane deduétions, a cunning SophiSter may soon lead a weak Disputant into many Errors. By humane de- duétion you may infer, that the Son is inferior to the Father as begotten by him, the Holy Ghost inferior to both, being sent by both; with us the less is sent by the greater; by humane deduétion, from three diSt:inB: persons you may prove three diStinét substances; I hope you will make no such inferences in the Divine persons. Again, What a business have the School-Men made about these words of our Saviour, This is my hotJ..v: with their prædicatllm and suhjetluln, and copula, and "ndividuu1l1 vagllln, in the pronoun This. Innumerable are their intricate impertinencies in this matter, and in their concl usions. 14- 7'HF ^'AkED 7'RU7'H conclusions. The Papists hold ChriSt: to be present in the Sacrament Transuhflantia/iterj the Lutherans, Consuhflanti- a/iter; the Ca/vznifls, Sacramenta/iter; and yet all confess they understand none of thcse ways; as St. Paul saith, De- siring to he Teachers, they underfland not what they say, neither 'lvhereof they a.tfirm, I Tim. I. 7. Had the Scripture affirmed any of these ways, we ought to have submitted our reason in things above reason, though we understand theln not, and 'ti rcasonable so to do; but to go about to prove by reason what is above reason, is wonderful; and to discourse of what we understand not, is doubtless a spice of madness; and the conclusions we draw from such discourses, must needs be vcry dangerous, we following the ignem fatt/um, the uncertain light of Hun1an reason in divine matters, so totally beyond our reach. \Vherefore we have no other safe way to speak of Divine matters, but in Scripture-language, ipsissinlls verhÙ, with the very same words, according to that, 2 Tim. I. 13, Ilo/d fafl the form of sound 'lvords 'lvhich tholl hafl heard of me 111 faith: Ivlark, lIold fafl not only the matter of faith, but till' forln of sound words, these are safe; human words in divine and high lVlysteries, arc dangerous: Man can no more set them forth in human words, than express the Divine substance by hun1an painting; 'tis the sole work of the Holy GhoSt: who is also Divine. There hath not been a greater plague to Christian Reli- gion, than School-divinity, where men take upon them the liberty to propose new QHestions, make nice distinétions and rash conclusions of Divine mattcrs, tossing them up and down with their tongues like Tennis balls; and from hence proceed all the dangerous Heresies, and cruel bickerings about them, falling from words to blows. The first Divinity- School CONCERNING RTICLES OF F 11TH 15 School we read of, was set up at Alexandria by Palltænus; and fronl thcnce soon aftcr sprang forth that damnablc IIcrcsie of thc Árrians, which ovcr-r an all Chrisrcndoln, and v:as the cause of dcstruétion to I11any 111illions of Christians both body and soul. rhe Heresies beforc this wcre so gr05 and scnsual, that nonc took thcln up but disso- lut(' or frantick pcoplc, and soon vanisht: but after this School subtiI way of arguing was brought into ChriStianity, IIeresic grcw nlore retincd, and so subtil, that thc plain and pious Fathers of thc Church knew not how to lay hold of it, and rcprcss it, the School-distinétions and evasions quitc baffled them: and thesc SophiSlers, proud of their conqueSt, triunlphed and carried away a specious appearance ofï"ruth as wcll as Lcarning (or rather cunning), insomuch that Inany godly persons wcre also deluded and fcll in unto thcln, and 111 any of thcir I-Ieresies continue unto this day. 'I'his great bane of the Church took its rise fronl hence: 1\1.anyof thc Primitive Doétors and Fathcrs being convcrted from IIeathenisnl, and having by long and grcat Industry ac- quired Inuch knowlcdg in natural Philosophy, Antiquity, I-listory, and subtil Logick or Sophistry, were very unwil- ling to abandon these thcir long studied and dearly belovcd . Sciences, (falslyso called) and thercforc translated thenl into Christianity, applying their School-tcrnls, diStinétions, SyI- Iogisnls, &c. toOivine matters; intending perchance, through indiscreetzeal,to illu5l:rateand imbellish Christian knowledg with such Artificial forms and figures, but rather defaced and spoyled it; which the wisdom of St. Paul well foresaw, and therefore forewarned us of it; Col. 2. 8. Beu'are left any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the RudÙllCJJts of the If/orld, and not aft cr D 16 71lE NAKED TRUTH nfter Chrifl. I humbly conceive it had been far better for them, and all Christendonl, had they determined with St. Paul, To kno'lv nothing hut Chrifl and him Crucified; and not to intenl1inglc tTIans Wisdom and excellency of specch \vith Divine Knowledg and Scripture Doarine, which is to be taught hy the demonflration of the Spirit and of power, as it isset forth, I Cor. 2. not with Logical Syllogisn1sand Sophis- tical Enthyn1elns; for as the wisdom of God was foolishness to the Greeks and Gentiles, so the wisdom of the Greeks and Gentiles \vas foolishness to God, and deStruaion to his Ckurch; who by the foolishness of preaching had overcome all their wisdom, and captivated their underStandings in obedience to the Faith. Butwhen theChriSìian Doaors left this plain and sitnple way of preaching, and fell to cunning disputing, introducing new forms of speech and nice expres- sions of their own coyning, some approving, some opposing them, great Discords, \Vars and Confusions soon followed. Had that moSt Prudent and 1110st Pious Conflontille the firSt and beSt of Christian Emperors, had he pursued his own in- tentions to suppres all disputes and all newqueStionsof God the Son, both HOllloousianand llomoiousian,and comn1anded all to acquiesce in the very Scripture-expressions, without any addition, I am confident the.Ãrriall Hercsie had oonex- pircd; but by continual disputation, the heat of Passion was raised, and the Inatter pursued wi th far more violence, which at length grew into ranc< ur and malice irreconcileable: For SOlne godly Bishops (I humbly conceive more zealous than discreet) would not rest satisficd unless the .Ãrrians were forced either to subscribe to the new word Homoousian, or to quit their livings; and this caused that great Persecu- tion against the Orthodox, where the .Ãrrians prevailed; whereas CONCERNING ARTICLES OF FAITH 17 whereas by silence imposed on all parties, the 111alice, ran- cour, persecution, war, all had been prevented, and the l'ruth spoken ztZ love, would at lcngth most probably havc prcvailed: For, was not the Gospel at first planted this way? prcaching, and praying men to receive it? by this way of \vcakncss it prevailed; for the weak things of God are flrollger thall men. But whcn men will be wiser than God, and in their foolish wisdom think it fit to add thcir Strength to Gods weakness, as a speedier and surer way to cstablish the Truth, God to convince them of their folly, suffers that strong man the Enemy of the Gospel (whom none but his Almighty Arm can bind and master) to conle and owe his tares of division, which soon over-runs the good seed of the Ch urch, and brings all to confusion. But what then? \V ould I have all heretical Opinions broach'd and spread abroad without any Controul? Are not Princes anù !\lagistrates to be Nursing Fathers unto the Church? .L\lust thcy not add the power of the Sword to that of the \V ord? }{ot hold the S vord In vain, hut for the pUllÙh- men! of evil Doers, &c. All this I grant, and desire as much as any IHan, that both Prince and Pastor would hold fa 1: the faith once delivered to the Sat11ts, fully declarcd and con- taincd in Scripture; let thcIn suffer no new Doé1rine to bc set on foot, ccrtainly supcrfluous, (thc Scripture being all- ufìicient) and probably dangerous, as being of Ivlan, and not of God, who, having given us a con1pleat Rule of Faith and Life, by his Prophets, Apostles, and his only Son, we ha\c no red-son to believe any New Doé1rine proceeds fron1 hin1; therefore St. jJaul is very bold, and crieth out, If all .Angel from Heaven Preach unto you any othrr Gospel than is already preached, let him he accursed. The Magistrate then IS D2 IS THE N.1J....ED TRUTH is to countenance and proteB: the PaS1:or preaching the C;ospcl of Chri '1, to ilcncc, oppose, punish all that prc,l.ch any thing contrary, or not clearly contained in the Gospel. I leresies never at t1rS1: appear in their own ncltural shape, but di guised with pecious pretences dlcl\\'11 frolH sonle ohscure p1.lCCS of Scripture, capable of various IntcI prctatiolls, and thus having gotten footing, b) degrees they lay aside their Disguisl."S, and l11arch on bare-fac'd. 'rhereforc both Pastor and .l\lagi lratc ought to be \Try watchful: and oppose all heginnings cver so pecious, a dangerous, or at leas1 super- f-luous, as I said. Let the Pas10rs at t1r 1 endeavour by plain J.nd sound Doctrine to Slop the 1110uths of Gain-saycrs; but if these turbulent spirits will Hot be stopt, neithcr bv Ad- tl1onitions nor Entreaties, thcn let thc Pastors proceed to the power of the Keys; which, were it used with that Gravity and Se\ crety ciS it \vas in the Prinliti\ c tinlcs, would have grLeat effea; that is, were it used in a solenl11 Assenlbly, by the Rc\'crend Bishop and his Clergy, (not by Lay-Chan- cellors and their Surrogates) and the pcrson EÀcolnnluni- cated and shut out of thc Church, were likewise excluded froll1 all conversation and conUl1crce, e\'ery one hunning his COll1pany as a person infetted with the Plague, (so it was of Old, and so it ought to be now, and so it would be now, if lcn Inade any consciencc of their ways) this I anl confident \Nould reducc 111any a onc: But if after this, any pcrseverc in their perverseness, then the .l\lagiSlratc may doubtless by his Power, used with Chris1ian nloderation, endeavour to stop the spreading of the Contagion, and do what in wisdonl he thinks Ineet to prescrve the purity and peace of Church and State, urging against them that Scripture, Haft thou Faith? Jzll.ve it to thy self before God, ROln. 1+. 22. Or that, Give CONCFRNlNG ARTlCI.F.S or FAlTlI 19 Gi-ve nonc offence neither to the Jf'lU nor to the Gentile, nor to the G"'hurch of God, I Cor. 10. 32. Or that, Gal. 5. 12. I ,It'oldd tllty'wcre even cut U'th(Jt troublc you. St. 1) {lul was not here ill jc t, but in great earnest, as appears by his continued fervency all along this EpiStle; and doubtlcss he 111cans not here a cutting off frol11 the Church by way ofE:xcoml11uni- cation, for that \vas in his powcr to do; Why then should he wish it? Nay, they had cut themselves off from thc Church beforc; ccrtainly, then he nleans a cutting off hy the Ch.il Power, which then \vas I-Ieathcn, and therefore St. Paul would not have it nladc use of by Chri ians; for he would not allow thenl to app al to unbelieving Magi qrates, no not in civil things, I Cor. 6. 111uch less in Spiritua] things. Wherefore whcn St. Paul wishes they were cut off, he wishes there wcre a fitting Power, that is, a Christian l\lagiSlrate tu punish or banish those that trouble the Church of Chri with Doétrines apparently contrary to the clear Text, and such as arc deSlruéti\re to Chri qianity; I dare go no further. But as for those who keep their erroneous Opinions to thclnseh cs, who neither publish nor praétice any thing to the disturbance of the Church or State, but only refuse to confornl to the Churches established Doc- trine or Discipline, pardon me if I say, that really I cannot find any \varrant, or o much as any hint from the Gospel, to U C any force. to conlpel thenl; and frorTI Reason sure there is no .1\loti\.c to use Force; because, (as I shewed before) Force can't Inakc a nlan believc your Doétrine, but only as an Hypocrite, Profess what he beJieve" not. I know full well, there is a cornnlon Objeétion against this, taken fnHll St. AuRin, who was long of n1Y Opinion but eeIn to be altered on this occasion. Some Hereticks DOllaliflf 20 THF NAKFD TRUTH Donatifls, came to him in his latter days, and gave thanks, that the Civil Power was made use of to reS1:rain them; con- fessing, that was the 1\leans which brought them to con- sidcr JTIorc caIn1ly thcir own forn1cr c"\.travagant Opinions, and so brought them home to the true Church. This Ob- jeélion is easily answered. First, the Donatifls are well known to have been a Seél, not only erroneous in J udglnent, but very turbulent in Behaviour, always in seditious Prac- tices; and in that case I how'd before how the Civil Magis- tr:lte may proceed to Punishment; but our case is not in re- pressing seditious Praélices, but enforcing a Confession of Faith, quite of another nature. l'hen Secondly, to answer n10re particularly this Story, I suppose there is no man such a stranger to the World, as to be ignorant that there are H y- pocrites in it; and such (for ought we know) these seen1ing converted Donati5t.s n1ight be, Vvho for love of the World more than for love of the 'T"'ruth, forsook their heretical Profe sion, though not their Upinion; who, conscious to themselves of their o\vn Dissin1ulation, and desirous to get favour with St. Auflz1Z, a Person of great Veneration, and Authority withall, rdated unto hin1 this specious Story, which St. Aufl/n's great Charity was apt to believe, as St. Paul saith, helieveth all thi11gs; and from hence concludeth, that it might be lawful to use the P.o\ver of the Civil Sword, to reduce Heretics to the Church. But unless it can be evi- denced that these Donatiff. hearts were changed as well as their Profession, (a thing impossible to prove) all this proves nothing. Thirdly, Put the Case their Hearts were really changed as to matter of Belief, 'tis evident their Hearts werc very worldly still, groveling on the Earth, not one Step nearer Heaven; our Saviour saith, An evil Tree hringeth not forth CONCERNlj\IC ARTICLFS OF FAITJ/ 21 forth good Fruit; and sure their Hearts was evil, which was far more moved for the quiet enjoyment of this Worlds good, than for the blessed cnjoYITIent of ChriSt. Fourthly, , I'hough we farther grant that the pruning of the Magis- trates Sword did really correa the vi tiousness of the Tree, and made it bring forth some good fruit; yet shall we do evil that good lnay COlne of it? God forhid, saith Saint Paul. Put the case Malchus had been converted by St. Peters cutting off his ear, this would not have excused St. Peters aa, which our Saviour so sharply reproved and threatned with perish- ing by the Sword) and gave hin1 the rcason why he ought not to use the Sword in his cause, ThÛzkefl thou that I cannot pray unto my Father, and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of Angels? CanSt thou do any thing more prejudicial to the honour of my Godhead, than to think I want the help of man to defend me? And according to this may our Saviour say, 'I'hinkest thou that I cannot pray unto my Father, and he shall give me more than twelve millions of Souls to worship my Name? or canst thou do any thing to eclipse more the power and glory of the Gospel, which I h:lve ordained to be set up by weakness and foolishness of Preaching, and thereby to subdue both the wisdom of the Greeks, and the power of the Gentiles? as I my selfhave con- quered all Enemies by preaching and suffering, so must my Disciples tread in my steps. And just so we find that the Gospel was most miraculously advanced over all the W orId by prc,lching and suffering for it, not by con1pelling others to it. 'Tis evident, that upon preaching of the Gospel, as many as were ordained by God to eternal life, believed: and surely those who are not ordained by God to eternal life, can never be brought thither by the ordinance or power of lan: wherefore 22 THF NAKED TRUTH whereforc when the l\liniSlers have preached and prayed, they havt: perfonned all they can do; the rest must be left to the J uslicc or Alcrcy of God, 'It'ho Illlth l11crcy Oil tVllOlIl he 'lvi/llzave lncrcy, and 'It'holn he 'lvi/l he hardneth: so that the sharpest sword in this \V orId shaH not enter their heart more than an Adamant. All this I say in reference to compelling men to believe or conform, Still reservIng to the 1\ lagistrate power, according to Scripture, to punÙh evil doers, not evil believers; not who think, but do publi h or do praaice something to subvert the Fundal11entals of Religion, or disturb the Peace of the State, or injure their Neighbour. God, the only searcher of hearts,reserves unto himself the punishment of evil thoughts, of evil belief, which Inan can never have a right cognizance of; for the greatest Professor may be the greatest Atheist. But shaH the Magistrate concei,re he hath sufficient warrant to punish also evil believers, and shall proceed to execution; or on that pretence shall punish true believers? the Scripture is n10st clear, that the SubjcB: is bound to submit, and bear it with all Christian Patience, to the loss of Goods, Liberty, or Life, not only patiently to bear it, but to rejoyce in it; and I anI sure if he hath any truc Religion and right under- S1:anding in him, he will rejoyce on his own behalf, because his reward is exceeding great: Therefore whoever under pretence of Religion raises any TUInult, or takes up Arms against the IvlagiS1:rate to prcserve himself from persecution; absolutely declares himselt either a stark Fool, or a S1:ark Atheist; eith r he believes therc is no such Reward, or is mad to rejeB: the opportunity of gaining it; and so at the best is fit for BedlallI, at the \\70rst for the Gal/(nt's: now let him ch use. An "1't...:t'..A'!,,..:b... ...Æi;, A.'t...A't..A't.. 't..A .. ... ..', _rV...:J "" cJIJ/ cJIppelldix to the finNeI' Suiject EFORE I leave this matter of Imposing new Articles of Faith, I desire to speak a word or two concerning the Authority of Councils and Fathers in relation to it. When the Superstitions and the Abuses of the Popish Church, especially in the n1atter of Indulgences, grew so very gross, as not longer to be endured, Luther, MelanBoll, o ecolonLp a dius , Eucer, and divers other opposed them: and conling to dispute with their Adversaries about these things, the Popish Doaors having no Scripture for their Errors, quottd several Fathers and Councils, to give countenance unto thenl. l'he Evangelical Dotlors (so called, because they chiefly urged EVflngeliunz the Gospel, for the defence of their Doarine) were most of them bred up from their in- f.'lncy in the Popish Church, and therein taught even to adore all Councils and Fathers, and (Education being of grtat force to cOlnmand and awe both the 'Vills and J udg- nlcnts of tl1en) made then1 very shie and tit11orous to rejea that authority whIch they had long reverenced: in modesty therefore son1e of the Evangelical Doc1ors were content to adll1it the authority of Fathers and Councils for three or four of the first Centuries, some adlnitted five or six, whereby they were reduced sOlnetin1cs to great streights in their Disputations: For though neither all, nor half the Popish Errors, can be found in the Councils and Fathers of tht:=se 24 7'11F. NAKED TRUTH these Ccnturics, yet SOIne of thein were crept very early into the Church. This SuperStition of the Cross and Chrysms was in use in thc sccond Ccntury. r-rhe Millenary Error got footing about that tilllc. The necessity of Infants rccci\'ing the blessed Sacran1cnt of the Lords Supper, came in soon after. About the fourth Century there was some touches in Oratory Sermons, hy way of Rhetorical Ejaculations, like praying to Saints; but long after can1e to be formally used, as now in Churche : l\nd so Superstitions came in, ome at one tiIne, al1d sonle at another. The PapiSts then1selves do not receive all these Errors, but rejeét some; as that of the Millenaries, and the necessity of Infants receiving the Lords Supper. Now I ask firSt the Papists) By what rule they retain some of these things, and rejeétothers? econdly, I ask the Evangelical, By what rule they submit to the Authority of some Centuries, and refuse others? Both will answer rue, Because they believe some to be erroneous, some to be orthodox. Whereby 'tis evident, that neither submit to Fathers Authority as c0111manding their] udglnents; but rccei\ e their Opinions as agreeing with their J udgn1ents; this is evidently true, and clearly rational, and fully agrees with the Rules given by son1e of the Fathers, as St. Cyprian and St. AuflÛz, two as generally and as deservedly re\ crenced as any in the Christian Church. St. Cyprian tells us, that the very Prepositu5 (which we call Bishop) is to be guided by his own reason and conscience, and responsible only to God for his Doétrine. St. Auflll1 tells us, that he submits to no Doétor of the Church ever so learned, ever so holy, any further then he proves his Doarine by Scripture or reason, and desires none should do otherwise by him, this is plain and rational dealing; had the Evangelical Doaors taken this çour)e A.V APPElYDIX 70 7l/F rORl1ER SUBJFCT :!5 course in the beginning, they had saveJ themselves fron1 Inany intricate troubles which their in-bred over-reverence to antiquity intangled thcn} ill : Hut surc they ncedcd lIot have becn so scrupulous in this Inatter, sceing thcrc is scarce anyone Father whose Authority the Papi s themselves do not in some particular or other rejeét, though other whiles when he speaks for them, they cry it up to that height, as ifit were e\ en a nlatter of dalnnation not to submit unto it. I say not this as if I would have antiquity wholly rejeéted, by no J11edn", but to consult the Fathers with great regard as Fx- positors of Scriptures, and attentively observe what they shew us fronl thence. I am not of those who adnlire the great knowledg in divine matters revealed in this latter Age of the world: I do not think there are any now so likely to discover the truth of Gospel my eries as those of ancient days. As for that saying, A Pigmy set on a Giants shoulder, rnay sce more than the Giant: pardon nle if I call it a shallow and silly flncy, nothing to our purpose; for our question is not of seeing Inore, but of the clear discerning and Judging those things we all see, but are in doubt \\,hat they nlcan: if a PignlY and a Giant see a Beast at a miles distance, and are in dispute whether it be a IIorse or an Oxe, the Piglny set on the Giants shoulder is never the nearer di cerning what it is, which depends on the sharpness of sight, not the heigh t of his shoulders : Now that the antient and Holy Fathers of the Church were Inore spiritual, and consequently sharper sighted in spiritual things than we car- nal creatures of this latter age, is evident by th(;ir Spiritual holy Lives: The natural.Man receiveth not the thz11gS of the Spirit of God, 1leither can he kllO'lV the1n, hecause they are spiritually discerlltd, I Cor. 14. And how natural, how carnal) 26 71JE NAKFD TRUTH carnal, ho\\' purblind we are, is too too visible. Besides, a purblind Inan near the objett, \viII discern it bctter than a llluch sharper sight at a greater distance, as \VC are: For if you ask those lofty conceited Piglnics, why they give J110re crcdit to the :Fathers of the second and third Century, than to those of the sixth or seventh; they answer, Because those that lived nlÂlrer the days of Christ and his Apo 1:les, are likelycr to know their n1Ïnd bettcr than tho c of re- Inotcr and corrupted Ages; the reason is good, but Inightily confounds those \\7ho li\ e at the very spot of the l-liII in the valley of darkness and in all Iniquity, and therefore not so likely to discern the truth of the Doétrine of Chrifl, preach't on the top of Nlount SÙzai, as those who lived in higher ascents. \Vherefore I shall always hearken with due rever- ence unto what those Primitive Holy Fathers deliver, and the l110re holy and lnore ancient, doubtless Inore to be re- garded. And yet seeing that lrenælls, and before hin1 P apiu5, held to he a Disciple ofSt.10hll the Apoflle, taught the error of the Uillenaries, rcjeéted now by all the Church, \\'hy might not others do so as well as they? and therefore there can be no certainty of their Doétrine farther than they shew us dearly from Scripture, which ought to be our only Rule of Faith, as I shewed before. But in-any point of Religion, either of Faith or Discipline, if after diligent and hunlble search ofScriprure, the Inatter be doubtful, then certainly I would so l11uch reverenc antiquity as to embrace what I found appro\ ed of by the greater numher of ancient Fathers; and what I found generally approved by them, though my own J udgmellt did 111uch incline to the contrary, yet I would receive it, unless it appeared to me flatly opposite to Scripture, which wt: believe to be the WorJ of God; then It 1.N APPENDIX 70 7/lE FORllER SUBJECT 27 it were danlnation in me to forsake that, and hearken to the words ofFathcrs OJ} carth, or Angels cOIning fron1 Ileavcn, till thcy could Inakc nIC underStand their word agreed with God word. I Inust bc saved by Faith in God and Chrifl, and not by faith in ..\lcn or Angels. And now I hall bc bold to Inake this assertion; That the l\1.an who rcads Scripture huuIbly and attcl ti\'cly, fasts and prays to God earncStly, consults hi PaStors and rcachers carcfully and 111odcsHy, and yet aftcr all continues in saIne crror by blind ignorance and nlis1:ake ofScripturc (if such a thing was, or cver will be suffercd by the infinite goodness of God) that ..\lan shall sooner be saved, than he who receives a true opinion froln the Authority of Mcn, which he soberly concei ves to be contrary to Scripture; for 'tis all one to hiln, as if it were rc(dIy so; all things are undccul to hiIl1 that believes thenl unclcan, so all things are dalllnahle to hinl that belicves then1 dalnnablc, as hc must do who believes theln flatly contrary to Scripture. Let no luan count 111C a Libertine in faith, becau-;c I would neither conlpel, nor bc conlpelled to sublnit to the Doarines of lVlen. I truSt in God, no Alan shall out- go I1Ie in zcalous contendzllgfor the Faith once deli-l'ered to the SatÍzts, unce for all, ncver to recci,"c any ne\v Duétrinc, any othcr Gospel than that prcached by C'hris1 and his Apoflles, herein I aln no Libertine; by God's gracious assiStance, nei thcr nIen nor l'\ngels shall Inake 111e reccde from one tittle of this, nor to clnbrace with di"inc faith one tittlc nlore than this, for douhtles it is far greater Idolatry to believe in !vlan, than to sacrifice to 1\1an; nlorc to give hinl nIY heart than nIY hand. And yet notwith 1:anding all this, no _\lan is forwarder than mv self to receive from other humanc doarincs as humanc; that is, I believe it is not only possible but 28 THE NAKED TRUTll but probable also, that anothcr Inay have Inore natural understanding, 1l10r acquired learning than In y self, and so Inay find out that in Scripture, or froln Scripture, or by rCclson, which I cannot do Iny sdf: but yct I can have no possible assurance that the Doétrinc he delivers to me is absolutely true, becau e I have a surancc that 'tis possible for him to crr, and thcn I can havc no assurancc but that he Inay err in that \ cry Doétrine he now delivers lne, There is no 1\lan I ever heard or read of, to whon1 I could more rcadily sublnit than to St. Auf!Úz, a person of wonderful sharpne s in understanding, and yet of great modesty; no way affetting to take new Opinions, 111uch less to ill1pose thenl on others. N O\V I pray consider, how can we have assurance of any Dottrine he deli,"ers more than another? I Inean assurance fron1 his own authority or reason (\vhat he delivers fronl Scripture authority is another matter); we belic\ e St. Auf/ill crred in ome things \vhereof he was moSt: confident; he believed it absolutely necessary for Children to receive the Sacranlent of the Lords Supper, as I said; he believed it a direB: hercsic to hold there were any Antipodes: La{lal1tius another great 'Vit and great Scholar, believed the like, with divers others. 'Vho then can doubt but that they IIlight be nli 1aken in other things also? \Vherefore let God be true, and all 111cn Ivars, in this sense, to dcJivcr Ires Inaterially; that j falsities for truths. \Vhat I have said of F?thcrs, 111Ust certainly hold good of Councels also, though e\ er so General, ever so Prin1Ïtive; for this and that Father lnay, and have erred; surely then that and that Inay also err: I can have no assurance in 2\len, nor can I be savcd by fàith in len. The general Objettion Inade again 1 this, is, rl 'he pronlise which Chriflinade unto his AN APPENDIX TO THE FOR1\lER SUBJECT 29 his Church, That the gates of Hell should not prevail agaillft it, and that he would he with the .Apoflles unto the tVorlds elld. As for that othcr saying of our Saviour, lIe that u,ill not hear th Church, let hiT!z he to thee as an Heathell and a Puhlican, I can t but wondcr that Mcn of any brains or modesty should so grosly abuse this saying, spoken of several differences between !\tlan and Man, to bc rcferred to the termination of the Church, that is the Congregation of the Faithful, which they usually and by order should assemble in; and refer this to the Church in generallnatters of Faith, not in the least pointed at there. Wherefore I pass this over as very im- pertinent, and proceed to answer the former Objeétion of more weight, yet no way concluding as they would have it; No man in the Christian World can more firmly believe than I do, That the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, and that Chrifl will be with his Church unto the end of the World; but I do not believe, nor am I bound by Scripture to believe such Expositions as the Popish Church makes of this place. By what authority cloth the Romislz Church challenge themselves to be Expositors of Scriptures more than other Churches? I find nothing for it in Scripture, which is my rule of F ai the I procced then to the business of general Councels. Whether they may crr in some points of Faith; and why not? All the Evangellical Doétors grant the later general Councels have erred: if so, why not the forn1er? what promise had the former from Chrifl more than the : later? what period is there set in Scripture for their not erring? or what pron1ise is there at all for .any not to err? The gates of Hell shall not preavil againfl the Church, I grant, what's this to a General Councel? not the thousand part of the Clergy, not the thousand thousand part of the Church, which 30 TIlE VA KED 'IRU-TII which in Scripture is always put for the whole Body of the Faithful, though of late it be translatcd into quite another notion, and taken for the Clcrgy only. But you will say a I (;encral Councel is the representative of the whole Church: what then? what pron1Ïse is Inadc in Scripture that thc re- prescntati ve shall not crr? You furthcr urge, if the reprcsen- tative err, 'tis probable the whole Church will reccivc their J error. I answer, 'Ve are now treating of matters of Faith, which must not depend on hunlanc probabilities, but Divine certainties? besides, 'tis not so probable the Church will re- ceive the error of the representati"e. We know the wholc Church hath not received a 'f'ruth detennined by them, 111uch less an error. And I pray, havc not Councels been against Councels? Put then the casc, a General Councel should err in sonIC 111atters, you can't therefore say the \\-'holc Church hath erred, the gates of Hell have prevailed against the Church: I pray consider, can you truly say, the Grtat Turk hath prevailed against the ChriS\:ian Army, because he I hath kill'd the thousand part of it? and yet the grcatest General Counccl holds a less proportion to the v, 7 hole Church. But I will grant yet 1110rc, Put the case the whole Church should dcviatc into SOllIe erroneous SuperS\:itions, had the Devil thercfore prevailed against it? Can I say I have prevailed againSt another blan, because I gave hiln sonle sligh t hurt in his Leg or 1-"'high? as long as his Head, his Heart, his ArnlS are v.hole hc will be as able to fight and wound Ine as bad or worse; till the Devil can so wound the wholc body of the Church as to destroy the Vitals, the Fundamentals, and make it no Church, the gates of Hell can't be said to have prevailed againSt it. Now God be blcs cd thcrc have continued all along several Churches as grcat AN APPENDIX TO THE FORillER SUBJECT 31 grcat or grcater than the Roman Church, which have Still nlaintaincd in defÌance of Satan, One God the Father of whom are all things, and one Lord 'Jesus Chrifl, hy whonl are all things: Scvcral other sound Doétrines of Christiani ty; how then hath Satan prevailed, whcn so many n1illions have \vaged war againSt: hinI, and upheld thc Kingdon1 of God and his Chrifl? The Scripture plainly tell us, that in the days of Ånti-Chrifl's great power, the Ch urch shall be drivcn into the wilderness, scarce visible in the world; neither l)ope, nor Devil hath yet so prevailed, but as then Chrifl shall have, so Chrifl hath Still had a Church, warring against Satan. Sure no learned Papifl will deny, but that about the second Century, the Millenaries wcre far the grcatcr part of the Church, scarce any writing Doétor in those days but had his error. Did Satan then prevail? And in St. AuflÚz's days the necessity of Infants receiving the Lords Supper was so general, and held so necessary a Princi- ple, that it was made use of to prove the necessity of Infant Baptism, this Sacrament being to precede the other: in thosc days a Lanthorn would have been necessary to find out a Church without this Error: Did Satan then prevail? But say you, No General Councel dctermined those Errors; . \Vhy? because none was called about theln: had any becn called, who doubts but that they would have avowed that in the Councel, which theyall taught in their Churches: No, the spiri t of God would have prescrved then1 from it: Shew me that promise in Scripture; if Gods Spirit did not preserve them from teaching the whole Church O, I fear the Spirit would not have preserved thenl Illore in Council than in Congregation, where all sucking in this error from their In- fancy, would hardly have quitted it by a determination in Council r: 12 THE NAKED TRUTll Council. I hunlbly crave pardon for this bold presumption, being led into it by the bold assertion of the Papins, telling us, \vithout ,van-ant, how God will preserve their Councils frolll error, as if they had been of his Privy Council. We are not to carch in to Gods secret Councils for what he will per- nlit, or why he permits this or that. I search only into his declared Pronliscs, and with all the search I can possibly make, I can't find any such pron1isc to General Councils, as not to err; no, only that the Gates of Hell hall not prevail o,.er his Church to destroy it, which he hath heretofore Inade good, and I am surc \viII to the end of thc W orId; but beyond his promise I am not surc of any thing, though it seelns ever so rational. God will not endurc to be fetter'd with Sophistical Sophislns, and Humane Consequences; and thercfore I am afraid to wander from his wise and holy \V ord, and trust to the Dottrine of Men seeming ever so \vise, ever so holy; I reverence their persons, but can't believe in their !)oé't:rinc. I am taught to believe only in God, not in the Church, much less in any 1\1en1ber, or Congregation, or Council; but to believe the Holy Catho- lick Church; that is, that God hath had, now hath, and will have to the \Vorlds end, a seleB: company of Faithful ones, confessing and serving him; To whom be honour and Glory for ever. .A111CIl. Concn-ning COI1CC171itlg CcreJJ10IÚeS and Chu/'"ch SeJ"Þlce IRSPf as to Ceremonie , I wonder men of any tolerablc discretion should be so eager either for or against theIn; our salvation no way dcpending on thcnl, but nluch ha7ardcd by OUf contention about theIn, breaking Peace, the principal thing recoln- nlcndcd to us by the Gospel of Peace; sure both are very sinful. For Iny part I think all Subjetts are bound in con- science to conform to the established Ceremonies of that Church, whereof they are .l\1.enlbers, unless therc be any thing flatly against thc \V ord of God. soe to disobey our Superiours is direttly against the \V ord of God, I Pet. 2. 13, Submit yourselves to very OrdÛZflnce of Man for th Lords sakt. And therefore he that doth not submit, h d need haye as clear an cvidencc of Scripture, that the thing he rejeas is dircéHy contrary to the \V ord of God, otherwise he breaks an c\- idcnt Conllnandluent to safist1e himself in a doubtful thing, which without doubt is danlnable. St. Paul requires one Brother to yield unto another in things indifferent, nluch nlore Children to Parents, Subjeas to Go\'ernours. But no Inan that knows this W orId can expett all Children, all Subjeas, will be dutiful and obedient; and therefofe as Children arc to obey their Parents, so Parents ought not to provoke their Childrcn to disobedicnce, by imposing un- necessary things, and very offensive: Yet if they do inlpose such things, the Children are bound to obey, unless the th i ngs 1:.2 34 THE NAKED TRUTH things imposed be offensive to God also, then they are ac- quitten, not otherwise. But Still Parents II1USt: relnelnbcr they arc to give account to God for their comll1anòs, as chil- drcn are f(}r their obcdience, And setting this aside, t'laturc alone shall prOlllpt Parcnts to seck the lo\'eof their Children, especially spiritual Parents, styI'd the l IÙ1Ìftcrs of God, 1vIzo is love: Should not they desire rather to lead the people into the l-louse of God by love, than \vhip then1 in by fear? to ha\ e their Churches full rather than elllpty? to put on such a habit as would invite thcln in, and not such as will fright then1 out? \Vhat wife and loving Fathcr would put on a winding-sheet on his head, to fright his weak and silnple Child: I say this to the chief Rulers of the Church, not to inferior 1\1iniSters who Inu ob erve the constitutions of the Chief and the Chief ought to consider the disposition of inferior , what will he 1110St edifying for them. As the .:\po tles in the beginning of Chrhtiallity continued the ob- ser\ ing not eating of blood, and things Strangled, to con1ply with the Yews: so the Surplice with other things, was wisely and piously retaiIH: d by the reformers from Popery, when probably Illany long nourished up in the Cere!llonies, would not havc conIC into the Church, had all these been cas1 out; but now to be zealous for thel11; when the people are so pa"\sionate againSt: thein, savours Blore of passion likc- \vise in Guvernuurs than Religion; as if they had rathcr shew thcir Authority than their Charity. If they answer, 'fhat many of their Flock are as zealous for these things, as others against thcIn, and they had rather gratifie the Obe- dient Confonners, than the disobedient Gain-sayers: I reply; Fir 1, '[his is no Obedience to conforn1 to such Oïdinances of their Superiors a they have a passion for; the C01VCERNLVG CERFJIOl-.,']ES Al\"D CHURCH SFRrlCF .n the Superiors in this conforn1 rather to them, than they to their Superiors: Try their Obedience if they will submit to the taking; of these things a\vay, and then you Inay havc lllore red-son to gratitie thClll; yet you know you are lather to Lear with the infinllities of the weak, than plea e the Strong. Love your friends n10St, value the Obedient n1051:; but love your Enelnies also, endeavour to gain the dis- obedient also: The first are your dutiful Sons, abide always \vith you, all that you have is theirs; but yet when the Prodigal, the Stray returns, rejoyce and kill the fatted Calf; yea, ifhe will return, leave the ninety and nine, and go seek that one that is lost. But you have no hopes of gaining hinl, you believe 'tis not Conscience but Faaion, and wilful per- \ersene s keeps him off? Oh do not despair, believe better of hiln; Charity hopeth all things, believeth all tht1zgs. But you know it is so with hill1; then pity hin1 the more going head- long into Hell, yield the n10re to save his Soul frolH Hell, overcome evil 'with good, fetter him, bind him fa:n with chains of love, what is 1rongcr than love? it willovercomeSchi:;ln, F H tion, Sedition, any thing; it \\!ill overcome God hilnself, . and even force God to withhold hin1 by his Inerciful and powerful hand, and thus converting this preverse StnllCr fro111 the error of his 'lvay, you 'lvill save his Soul alive, and carver the lllultitl/de of your sÙZSj a blessed and joyful work, whereat the Angels of Ifeavell \\rill rejoyce and ing Allelujalz, A'llell. Oh n1Y Fathers! my Fathers! that hould Preach and Prattice the Gospel of Peace and Love to your Children, vouchsafe at 111Y hUll1ble request to read R0111. I +. See what great liberty that great Grand-father of the Church allo\\rs his Children, and obsenre in the general how he became all things to all men to gain ::>ome; and will not you in some things 36 TllT /I: 4J:Tn 7Rf'TlI things comply to gain all? will you restrain the liberty of the Gospel to the rigidity of your Discipline, to lose SOlne, to lose Inan)', and perchance in the end to lose all, your selves and all? Be pious, be charitable, be prudent, build your Church on a Rock that will endure Stornls, and not on the sand of Cerelnony, that will both rai e Stonns, and probably o"er- turn your Church e're long. But you will S3Y, if you yield to some dissenter:; in this, you lTIUst as well yield to others in that, and so by degrees abolish aU your Ceremonies: I be- seech you, is not the Body 1110re than Rayn1ent, Substance n10re than CerenIony? will you not quit the later to pre- serve the fornler? but you will preser\ e both, God grant you lose not both. But you \vill say, This is the way to lose both; first take away Ceren10nies, thereby you displease and lose your Friends, and then lye exposed to your Fnen1Ïes to spoil your Goods. If your Goods be the subStance of your Reli- gion, and you pre en'e your Ceren10nies to preserve these, then re3lly nIY fear of your losing all is encreas'd; this is a very sandy and dirty Foundation, can't hold out againS1: Storn1S; but if Faith, Hope, and Charity, be the ub ance of your Religion (as I hope it is) these stood tlnn and encreased in the PrimitÍ\ e tilnes, in the greateS1: Storn1s, when the whole world of 'Je.zvs and Gentiles, were Enemies to the Church, and not one of ,'our Cerclnonies in the Church to preserve it: the silnple naked 'I'ruth \\'ithout any Surplice to Cûver it, \vithout any Ecclesia '1ical Policy to n1aintain it, ovcrcarne all, and so would do now, did we trust to that and the Defender afit. Perchance I appear a great Enemy to the Surplice so often nanling that: I confess I am; would you know why? not that I dislike, but in my own] udgment, much approve a pure White Robe on the 1\1iniS1:ers shoulders) CONCERSllVG CFRE.lT01VIFS AND ClJURCH SFRrlCE 37 shoulders, to put him in mind what purity becomes a 1\1ini- S1er of the Gospel. But such dirty nasty Surplices as moSt of thCI11 ,vcar, and especially the sngers in Cathedrals (where they should be ITIOst decent) is rather an intil11ation of their dirty lives, and have given my Stomack such a surfeit of them, as I have ahnost an aversness to all: and I am con- fident, had not this decent habit been so undecently abused, it had never been so generally loathed. I will name another Ceren10ny which gives great offence, with greater reason. The bowing towards the Altar, which in n1Y own judgment I allow and prattice in some measure, when I come in to such Congregations as generally use it, avoiding Still to give offence to any as far as I may with a safe Conscience. I affirn1 'tis a very fitting thing to shew rever- ence in the House of God, and to shew it by bowing, as well as any other means, and to bow that way as well as any other way; and in bowing, if the Congregation did it to the South or \V cst, I should as readily confirm to that. But you will say the primitive Christians, as we read, did generally bo\v toward the East (the primitive Christians did so I grant, but not the prin1e Primitive) what then? is this any obligation on us now? the Primitive did also use Chrysme or consecrated Oyl, yet we retain it not; it grew into an abuse, therefore left off: so hath this bowing to\\'ards the Altar by the Papists, supposing Christ: corporally present there: and truly many of our Church-men give great suspition to the people that they also believe some such thing, otherwise prayanswermc; when a Minister at his entring into the Church, hath bowed to shew his Reverence in the House of God, and when he ascends up to the Altar bows again, to shew some particular reverence in that place where that blessed Sacra- men 38 ?:IlE NAKED 7RU?:1l ment is consecrated (let this pass for good also, though some- thing may be said against it) yet I pray tell nle, why the Reader passing froIn one side of the Church to the other, and the iViini{ter passing from one end of the Altar to the other, bows again? Surely in reverence to the King of Kings he supposes there sitting: who can imagine any other cause of his honlage? and yet I verily believe this is not the cause, but Ineerly a causeless custom taken up one from another (the conlmon beginning of all superstitions) having no reason for it, but Inuch against it, gi,'ing thereby great scandal to weak ones, and grounù of Slander to malicious ones, who lay hold on any occasions to accuse thcm of Papi{try; for certainly 'tis done with little or no reason, or with a great deal ofSuperS1:ition. Now as to that grand debatcd Ceremony of kneeling at the Lords Supper, I think there is no reason to cOnden1I1 those that use it, nor much reason to press it on those that disuse it. \Vhy? Are we not to perform this great aét of de- votion with all possible reverence? I grant it: but is this to be expreSt altogether in the outward posture of the body? if so, then your opposers thus retort it upon you: If outward hunlility be the thing you contend for, you ought to shew it to your God in the humblest way, and that is by prostrating rather then kneeling; but ifinvlard HUlnility, sure that con- sists chicRy in obedience to what Christ: comnlanded, and to do it as he praéti cJ it: who can doubt but this is the most perfett obedience? and you know when our Saviour insti- tutcd this blcssed Sacrament, he gave his comll1and in the close. Do this in remembrance of me; and sure he renlem- bers our Sa \,iour best, who cloth every thing as he did, both in Substance and Ceremony; and so we find the primitive Christians CO,^CERNIl\'C CERF.ll0l\'/FS AXD CHL'RCIl SFRrlCE 39 Christians did, observing also to receive it at Supper, as our Saviour did: but when this grew into a sinful abuse, the Cercnlony was altered, to preserve the su bstance in nlore purity: so was kneeling abused by the Papists, and turned into great Superstition, why not therefore changed in like nlanner. But you kneel without any superstition, you do not adore the Elements on the Table, as the Papists do, but G"'hriÜ in Heaven. Anù so this man receives sitting and at supper without any irreverence, he doth it meerly in obedi- ence to Cllrifl's command, both in ceremony and substance, Do thÙ ';1 rememhrance of me: But you do not conceive Chrifi's command extended to the ceremonies, but only to the sub qance, and the Church hath expressly comrnanded kneeling as the lTIOre reverend Posture, therefore you ought to obey; I think so to: but this man concei yes Chrifl com- mand's both substance and ceremonies to be observed, and consequently conceives the Churches con1n1and contrary to ChriSts, therefore he ought not to obey till you can rcétifie his judgment; if you can, then he ought to obey also; if you cannot, have patience with your weak Brother, require no nlore of him in this matter than Christ: required of his Disciples; sure Christ would not have allowed any unfitting posture; be not o\rer-wise, nor oyer holy, condemn not that which Christ allowed. God is so infinitely gracious as to acccpt our poor dc\'otions in any fornl, ifbut sincere in sub- stance, nay though weak and frail in the substantial part, he 'U'ill not hreak the hruised reed, nor quench the smoak,ng flax, his tender Fatherly bowels yern upon his dear Chil- dren coming to him afar off. Oh then let us learn to be like-n1inded, tcnder and compassionatc to our weak brethren, adlnit them ioto Gods worship in any posture; if { THE NAKFn TRUTll if they come in sincerity of heart, rejeét not those whom God accepts. I n1ight go on thus to handle other cerclllonics, as, the Cross in Haptislu, the R.ing in Marriage, &c. But I con- cei\e it needless, the sanlC reasons being applicable to all, and he that is once brought to he indifferent and uncon- cerned in one, will oon, be so dis os J to alL Wherefore I conclude this point of cereInonics \vith St. Paul. lIe that regardeth ada_v, regartleth it unto the Lord; and he that re- gùrrldh 1/ot the day, to the Lord he doth 110t regard it: he that eateth, entfth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks, and he tJlllt eateth not to the Lord, he eoteth 110t, and giveth God thanks: sO he that kneeleth, kneeleth to the IJord, and he that knceleth not to the Lord, he kneeleth not. And I desire you farther to observe this circumstance in St. Paul's wùrd , how he calls the 7ealous ob en er of ceremonial Inatters, the \veak Brother, and conlnlands the :nrong not to dc pise him, it being really a despicable weakness, and a childish or effeminate kind of Dcvotion, to be 7ealous in any ceremonial observance, which Inasculine spirits are apt to despi e, but in Christian charity ought rather to pity and bear the infÌnnitics of others. \Vherefore lct us bè the n1en of understanding, men in devotion, be zealou;:" and hold [1st the substantial parts of Religion, Piety, J uSlice, Tem- perance, Charity, Truth, Sincerity, Sl:and fast: for these, not recede one hairs breadth from these, keep but our ground and tight it out like men to death against all Powers and Principalities on earth, or under the earth, and let us lea,-e it to women and Children to contend about ceremonies: let it be indifferent to us, whether this, or that, or no cere- mony, whether knee], or not kneel; bow, or not bow; Surplice, ro.vCF.RV1YG rFREHOS1FS .4SD CHeRCll C;FRrICF 41 Surplice, or no Surplice, Cross, or no Cross; Ring, or no Ring; let us give glory to God in aU, and no offence to our Brethren in any thing. Now if any nlàn would be so curious as to ask why St. Pa!" did not deternline this point, whether they should eat herbs only, or other nleats also; whether regard a day or not, and e abli h lIniformity among them; I cannot imagine any other Reason, but meerly to teach us this charitable conlplyance \.\,ith one another, as necessary a praaice as any other. lan i" a \ ery tickli h Aninlal to Govern, he will not always be guided by reason and authority; nlan hath a will as well as reason,and will have his own will in Inany things, even · the godly: "cry few are found so entirely pious as wholly to deny thenlselves; 'tis so high and sharp a point of Religion, as you 111ay break the heart-strings of many in winding them up o high, and thus crack all their Re1igion; perchance you \\'ould tìnd it so your selves, had the Nonconfonni q the screwing you up, as you thenl. \Vherefore consider your seh'es, least ye also be tempted: be charitable to the \veak, procet;J not so severely against them in your Courts of J udi- GHure; but rcmember what St. Palll saith, Colos. 2. Let 110 Ulan jUdgYOli Úzmeat, or dnllk,or in respefl of anyhol)'day, or of the ne'iV Moon, or of the Sabbath days; 'which are a shado'w of "thinge to come, hut the hody Ù of Chrifl. will you then in respeB: of an IIoly-day, Cross in Baptism, standing at the Creed, kneeling at the Sacranlcnt, and the like, will you in respeB: of such shadows, judg, exconlnlunicate, sentence to everlasting Hanles, a Soul that holds of the body of Christ, believt:s all his holy Gospel, accords \\,ith you in one Faith, one Baptism, \vho ackno\\'ledges the only true God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Q 42 THE NAKED TRUTH to be the Redeen1cr of 1\1ankind, \\,hich our Saviour affirms, To he Eternal Life; will you condemn such a one to Eternal I)eath? God forbid. ...\1 y Rcvcrend Fathers and] udgcs of the Church, I, with St. Paul Col. 3. besccch you, l ut Oil fatherly hO'lvels of mercies, kÛldness, humhleness of mt"rzd, meek- l1ess, long sufferÙlg toward your poor weak Children, and so long as they hold f..ïst the body of Christ, be not so rigorous with then1 for shaJows; if they sublnit to you in sub ance, have patience, though they do not sublnit in cerell1onies, and give IJ1e lea\'c to tell you nl)' poo:- Opinion, 'l'his violent pressings of ceremoni s hath, (I hUlnbly conceive) heen a great hindrance fronl elnbracing thcln, nlcn fearing your intentions therein to be far worse then really they are, and therefore dbhor them. Ha\ e you never obsen ed a Rock of Sheep forcibly driven over a narrow bridge, the poor Sheep fe...lring they are going into sonle Pen or Slaughter, choo e rather to leap into the Ri\ er than go forwards: but drive theIn on gently and patiently, they will of thenlsdves tal.e the \\ray you desire. lIniformity in ceremony is a good and d<:sirable thing, therefore endeavour it; but lInity, Faith and Charity is better, and therefore if you can obtain that, be sure to preserve this; this is the one thing necessary, choose this hetter pan if you cannot ha\ e both; for this force urging Unifonnit}' in worship hath caused great di,'ision in Faith as well as Charity; for had you by abolishing on1e ceren10nies taken the weak Brethren into your Church, they had not wandered abo.Jt after seducing 'reachers, nor fallen into so nlany gro Upinions of their- own, but being dayly catechised and instruéted by your OrthodoA and sound Preaching, they would haye followed you like good Sheep; whereas now they wander about into a hundred by-paths of error, CONCERNING CEREIIIONIES AJ.VD CHURCH SERF ICE 43 error, Inany whereof lead headlong to Hell. Now I bc ccch you in the fear of God to set before vour eyes the dreadful day of J udglnent, when Christ on his '-rribunal of J uSlice shall require an account of every word and deed, and shall thus 4uc ion } 01.1; Herc arc several Souls who, taking offencc at your cereJ110nies have forsaken IHY Church, have forsaken the Faith, have run into Hell, the Souls for which I shed Iny precious Blood; \Vhy have you suffered this? nay, why have you occasioned this? will you answer, it was to preserve your cerelnonics? will not Christ return unto you, Are your cerenlonies 1110re dear to you then thc Souls for which I dyed? who hath required these things at your hands? will you for ceren10nies, which you yourselve confess to be indifferent, no way necessary unto Salvation, suffer your weak Brethren to perish, for whor11 I dyed? Have not I she\ved you how David and his Souldiers'lvere guiltleJJ tit eatÚtg thl! She7.v-hread, (which u'as n()t lawful but only for the Priesls tl) eat? If David dispensed with a cerc- 1l10ny comnlanded by (-;od to satisfie the hunger of his People, will not you dispence with your OVln ceremonics to satigtìe the Souls of nlY peoplc, who are called by my Name, and profess IHY N anlC, though in weakncss? Or will you tcll Christ they ought to suffer for their own wilfulness and perversness, who will not sublnit to the Laws of the Church as they ought? will not Chris1 return, Shall they perish for transgressing your hUlnane Laws, which they ignorantly concl ude erroneous, and shall not you perish for trans- f!;ressing nlY Di.vine Laws, \vhich you know to be good and holy? Had llnercy on you, and should not you ha \ e had mercy on your fellow-servants? \\'ith the SaIne nlcasure you meetccl, it shall be 111easurcd to you again: I tremble to go farther , 44 TifF NAKFD 7RrTH farther, but nlo t hUI11bly beseech you for Chris1s sake, en- deavour to regain these stray Sheep, for who111 he shed his precious BJood,and think itasgreatan advantagc,asgreat an honour to you, as it Wc:1S to St. Paul, to becollle all things to all l11cn, that you Inay gain sotnc, as doubtless you will many, though not an; and the few Standers off \vilJ becon1c the 1110re convinced, and at long running, \vearied out and ained also. rrhu ha\ ing rcduced all into one fold in true Faith and Chri ian charity, the present gencration \\,-ill n1uch forget, the succeeding generation will be wholJy ignorant of these crroneous fancies: and all animosities being quite extinguished, \vholcsolnc edifying ccrcn10nies nlay be easily introduc't again \vith cOlnfort to alJ, which are now irksome and grie\ ous to l11any. And o I pa on to the second n1attcr; ] he Church-Service contained in the Book of Conunon-prayer, whereof briefly, because what I said beíè)rc Inay bc applicd to this also. L ollcerJliJlg å Concerning Church-Service \VILL not here enter into the dispute, whether it be lawful for a Church to have a set-forol of Prayer, sup- posing that there arc none but either highly fanatick, or highly faétious, that affirm it unlawful; and with such I have no reason to cxpeét, that reasonable Argunlents should prevail; for cnough hath been already printed to this purpose. I l11ay also suppose, that there is nothing contained in our Book of COlnmon-prayer, that is direétly contrary to the \V ord of God; for had there been any such thing, we should have heard of it long since, which I nevcr yet did fronl any sober man. And truly I l11ight in the third place suppose that (a Book of Common-prayer being no way contrary to thc \V ord of God) the use of it is far nlore conducing to Piety, than to suffer eÀtclnporary prayer to be used gcncrally in Churches; e:xperience hath fully declarcd it in our late confused times, when a man should have heard in many Churches such extravagant, such wild, such rash, such blasphemous cxpressions, as would drive any sober con- s iencious person out of their Churches. Can you with reason expeB: it otherwise, when half the Churches in this Nation have not a tolerable maintenance to support nlen of parts and discretion fit to perform so solemn and holy an Office? Had we the holiness, the zeal, the charity, the humility of the primitive tioles, when l1len forsook all the W orId, and daily sacrificed their lives fv.. the Service of God, we might hope that God would graciously pour down upon us, as he did on thenl; the special gifts of praying and prophecying: 46 'TilE NAKED TRUTH prophecying: but now when Ino 1: serve God for gain, and would neither open nor shut the Church doors for nought, as .lvlalachi saith, we Inu 1 not expeét those gifts and graces. And therefore I conceive it absolutely necessary to have SOIlIC fornl prescribed to be used by all; for were there liberty left to the nlore able and di creet, most would sup- pose thelnselves to be such (few discovering their own weak- ness); and were itìeft to the Bishop to licence as he saw fit, it \vould prove a very great cause of the heart-burning among his Clergy, and hatred towards hilnself, yea and rebellion against him and the Laws. But now in Christ I humbly be- seech the Governors of the Church cahnly to consider, Werc it not better to ha,'c such a fornl of Service as would satist1c InoS"{? l"'hc Fathers of our Church (as I said bcfore) whcn they refonncd this Nation frol11 Popcry, were desir- ous to fetch off as many as they could, retaining for this cause all the Ccrenlonies and Fonns of Prayer they could \vith a good reétit1cd consciencc; and then:.fore they pre- scribed that form of second Service to be said at the Altar, as carrying some re emblance to the Mas , then the peoples dclight, which being now becolnc the peoples hate, should for the SJ.111e resemblancc, according to the saIne rule of rga on, be now takcn a way. \Ve commcnd our F orcfathcrs for doing piously and wiscly, and yet we will not inlitatc them; they endeavoured to please and gain the people, we will needs displease and lose them: certainly we cannot do our Forefathers a greater honour, than to obscrve their rule of reason, to confonn to the Times; and therefore they are grossly mistaken who think it a dishonour to them, for us to take away what they have established; when we keep close to the rea on wherefor thcydid establish it. \Vise Physicians by COJ.VCERNINC CllURClI-SERrICE 47 by the same rule of reason prescribe things clean con- trary, according to the temper of their Patients, hot or cold. SonIc other things I could mention in the Book of Common- Prayer (though no way ill in thenIsclves, yet) fit to be altered, and would obviously appear so to every wise Inan, were it resolved to compose such a form as would take in most of this Nation, which I humbly conceive Governors should in conscience endeavour, becoming all things to all men to gain sonle, though not all; yet happily gain all in process of time, for the reason before specified. But though I desire such a form of Service, such C re- monies also to be established, as may give most general satisfaétion; yet I desire what is established, may be generally observed, and not a liberty left (as some do propose) to add or detraét Ceremonies or Prayers ac- cording to the various opinions and hunIours of men: for certainly this would cause great faétion and divi- sion; those that are for Ceremonies, would run from their own Church, to others, where they were used; others to some fine fancied prayers of such as they approve of: and thus some Churches would be thronged, others deserted, and no account could be taken by the Pastor of his congregation: Atheists also, and Papists, under pre- tence of frequenting other churches, would abandon all. This course (say you) would bring but few into the church, and perchance drive some out, who having been long brcd up to such and such ceremonies, would have small devotion to frequent the church, if all or many were abolished. To this I answer, That certainly his Religion is vain, that would abandon the substance for want of the ceremonies, which he acknowledgeth to be no way necessary, but only nlore sa tisfaéti on F 48 711E NAKFD 7RUTII satisfaétion tohismind. Surelya\reryignorantmind,whohath not lcarnt, That ohedience is hetter than sacrifice and whole burnt-offerr"-ngs: And surely a very uncharitable mind, who would not leave ninety and nine unnecessary ceremonies, to bring one sinful strayed sheep into the congregation, and convert hin1 from the error of his non-conforn1ing way. I profess I am an1azed to see how many men of a very good sense in most things, so zealously erroneous in this business of Religion, seeing the Scripture so plainly declares, that nothing so covers the multitude of our sins as an aét of Charity; nothing so acceptable unto God, sa joyful to his holy Angels, as conversion of a sinner. Yet these nlen will most passionately (and pardon me jf I say uncharitably and irreligiously) cry, away with these Idiot Sectaries and mad Phanaticks, Jet them wander and perish in their own wild imaginations, we will not leave one ceremony, nor any one line of our Common-Prayer Book to gain thousands of them. No, if you alter that, we will rather leave the Church, and go to the P a pills ..\lass. I f these be not as simple Sec- taries and nIad Phanaticks as any whatsoever, let God and his holy Angels judge. But as for you my Re\rerend Fathers of the Church, I hope you will consult with Scripture in this weighty Affair, and Model all according to the rules of meekness, charity, and compassionate tenderness to weak ones, there set down: and endeavour with prudent admoni- tions to reétifie the errors of these too zealous ceremoniSls, and with fatherly bowels of condescension to win the hearts of blind and wilful Separati{ts. Certainly the more under- standing and powerful Leaders of theln will not, cannot have the face to stand off after your charitable condescen- sion, thpir populous pretences will be so confuted, their rnouth COSCERNliVG CllURClI-SERrICE 49 mouths so stopped, their faces so confounded, as for mere shame, if not for reason and religion, they must come into our Church; and the Pastors coming in, the sheep will follow, though son1e stand a while and gaze: but at length ha\ring no n1en'of ability to lead them on in their perverse ways, the Shop-prating Weavers and Coblers will soon be deserted, and n1ade heartles , seeing their own naked folly. And then shall we all joyn and joyfully sing T e Deunz in our Churches, and the Holy Angels in the Heavens. And then I halJ most gladly ing with good old Sinleol1, Lord 1l0'lV ft.t thy servant depart iiI peace, for nu"lle eyes Ila7)e seen thy sah.'ation. Concerning F2 Concerning PreachÙlg T relnains that I now handle this great business of Preaching, wherein I fear I hall displease many, there being but few who use it according to the original in- stitution, and yet I had rather they should Preach as they do, then quite omit it; for certainly 'tis a necessary \vork for a lini$1er of the Gospel to preach the Gospel. St. Paul tells us, That some Preach the Gaspe/out of envy; yet he was pleased that Chrifi should be so preached rather than not preached; and so I say of Preaching of Christ out of vanity; as it is evident many do, preaching themselves and their own abilities, at least as they think abilities, though often great weaknesses and conceited in1pertinences. I be- seech you tell me, did not Christ and the Apofiles Preach the best way? and are not we to follow their example? 'Vho dare say otherwise? yet many do otherwise; they take here or there a sentence of Scripture, the shorter and more ab- struse the better, to shew their skin and invention, this they divide and subdivide into generals and particulars, the quid, the quale, the quantum, and such like quaksalving forms; then they study how to hook in this or that quaint sentence of Philosopher or Father, this or that nice speculation, en- deavouring to couch all this in n10st elegant language; in short, their I1lain end is to shew their Wit, their Reading, and whatever they think is excellent in theln: No doubt rarely agreeing with that of St. Paul, 1 determz1ud not to knO'lu any thing among you save Jeslls Chrifi and hÙn crucified; And my speech and my preaching 'lvas not 'luith the Inticlng 'luords COSCERNLVG PRE..-f.CHIlYG 51 'l.I.;crdJ cf 111ans 'icisdIJ1/l, hut ziz dCl1Tonflratioll of the Spirit and of PO'lvcr, I G'or. 2. And I verily believe this is thc reason why Preaching hath so little effeét in thesc days, because they labor to speak thc wisdon1 of this world, which is foolish- ness with God, nor do thcy Prcach in dClnonstration of the Spirit, but in den1onstration of their Learning. I know full \\'cll this unapoStolick way of Preaching was used by ome of the Ancient Fathers, especially the Greeks, always fond of niceties and curiosities, and being no\v bccotn ChriStians, (as I said beforc) transplanted their bdo\'ed Rhetorical Bowers of hUlnanc Learning into Chris1ian Gardens, which provcd rather \Vecds to over- run thc seed of sound and plain Apostolick Doarine, hu- mane naturc being a soyl apter to give nourishlnent and \"igor to hUluane principles than di\,ine. But when did ever any Learned, Witty, Rhetorical harangue, or cunning Syl10giSlical discourse convert the tythe of St. Peter's or St. Paul's foolish Preaching, as hc tenns it, but the 'It'Ùdonl of God to those that arc perfea and sound in the faith. Who is ignorant of that famous passage at the Council of lVice? \vhithcr resorted with divers others, one En1inent IIeathen Philosopher, offering hilllsclf (as the Illanncr of those vain- glorious SophiSters was) to dispute with the Christian Doc- tors; somc Bishops of greater repute for Learning undcrtook hiln, and ciS they thought, clcerly Confuted, but no way con- \ erted hill1; at laSt rises up a grave ancien t Bishop of sn1aII Learning, but of great Faith and Piety; and (with great dis- satisfaétion of his Brethren, fearing some gross baffie should befall this good man) comes up to the Philo-;opher, and with great Magistcrial Authority recites unto him thc Apo ft:o- lick Creed, I believezÏl Godthe lather AllllÍghty. --------and In 51 7l/E N.IKED 7RU7H in the clo e calls to hin1, 0 Philosopher, helie'veIl thou all this? The Philosopher answered, I helieve; not being ablc to resist the delnonSlration of spirit and power wherewith he uttered those Divine !vi ysteries, as he confeSl: before then1 aU. You \vill say this was a l\iirade of great rarity; I grant it, but n1any such 1\1iracles should we see, had we the Faith and powerful Spirit of this IIoly Bishop, and would indeavour to irnitate Apo{tolicttl Preaching, not Philosophical Arguing, nor Rhetorical dedailning. We see plainly the Apo tolical Preaching was either catcchiSlical Ins1ruttions, or Pious Adrllonitions; not tying thclnsclvcs to any fonn, but paSl: frol11 one n1atter to another as the Auditors condition required, not as the Preachers fancy and reading pron1pt; j us1 as the Roman EI11pcror Caligula, who whcn Delinquents came before hin1 to be judged, conden1nned or acquitted thcln as agrecd best \vith thc current of his Oration: So these n1cn shape thcir discourse n10re to thc applause thcn edi fication of the hc,lrers. And so 111uch tin1c is spcnt in C0J11posing these Oratory Scnnons, as the linister hath not leisurc to pcr- forn1 a quarter of his Parochial Duty, of visiting the Sick, of -tdr11onishing the scandalous, of reconciling the janglcrs, of pri vate exan1ining and instructing the poor Ignorant souls, thousands in every Countrey as ignorant a Heathens, who understand no n10re of 111051: SÇrmons, than if in Greek; So that the Sermon is rather a Banquet for the Wantons that are full, than instruction to those who are even starved for want of spiritual food, the plain and saving '\V ord of Christ, not the nice conceited word of Ivlan, which may nourish Can1elions, ne\'er make solid sound Christians. There are othcrs of a different strain, who wanting both Wit and Lcarning CONCERNING PRE.JCllING 53 Learning also, think to supply all by rength of Lungs, by loud and long babling, riding hackney froln one good r-r own to another, and with fervency of spirit like a boyling pot running over whcrc ever they come. Were it a laughing- Inatter, \\1ho could contain to hear S0I11e seeming Zealot Pastors talk so Inuch of their obligation to Prcach the Gospel, and n1uSt (forsooth) do it in the Pulpit twice a Sunday, counting those almost accursed that do not so, and yet have 111any poor Shcep in their flock as ignorant as any Sheep, \vholn they ncver regard, ncver inStruB: in the first Principles of the Gospel; as if Preaching were tyed to the Pulpit and the Sabbath day. Pardon me if I tell you a Story which now con1CS in n1Y head. I chanced to be in a Lords house on a Saturday, when a zealous Minister came in; after sOlne complements and ceremonious discourse, he told the Lord, That wherever he was, he never failcd to Preach the Gospel on thc Lords day as his duty, and therefore en- treated that the Pastor of the Parish might be desired to give place to hilll next morning. I suspetting both his zeal and de- sign (\vhich afterwards appeared), asked hilll if he had re- ceived any particular cOlnllland froo1 Christ to Preach at this place, and that hour? Thc Alini 1:er, startling at IllY estion, answercd, No. I replyed, Sure then other l\1iniSlers had the same obligation to Preach the Gospel as he had: and moreover it was the Pastors particular duty to Prcach to his own Congregation on the Lord's day, how then could he in conscience desire the Pastor to omit his duty? But the Lord pulled me by the elbow and took me oft from farther pressing him, and told him he would send to the Pastor to give him place. But to return to our business. V cry few arc to be found, hcre and there one of Piety and Discretion, 5+ THE NAKED TRUTH Discretion, that delTICanS hill1self prudently in his Office; and the rcason is this; It is grown up into a general opinion, r-rhat none arc fit to be adnlitted into I-Ioly Orders but such as have Studicd in the llniversity; and if he hath learnt a little to chop Logick, he is presently dcell1cd fit to divide the Word of'l'ruth, and is easily instituted into a Living, and if he can hring sOlne nice Metaphysical speculations frolll Ariflotle, or SOnlc, Theological diStinB:ion from Aquillas, th<>n he is worthy of two or thrce Livings or Prebcnds: and thus University \,. ouths, and cven Boys of no experience or discretion, are made Spiritual PaStors, the graveSt and most \vcighty Office in the \V orId. I beseech you, what have these Sciences (faIsly 50 called) to do \vith thc Gospel, where we find no one tittle of them; but rather decryed as enclnies to the Gospel, as tending to vain jangling, Strife and con- tention, nothing of Edification? We had lately a brave Story of the Jesuites in ChÚla, who finding the King and his Courtiers 111uch delightcd with the 1\'latheI11aticks, but not ycry knowing in thenl, wrote to the General of thcir Order at Ronze to send them sOlne PrieSts, very skilled in that Science, to Prcach the Gospel there. Why did they not send for 50lTIC also well skilful in Puppit-Plays? Ridiculous crea- turcs shall I say, or rather impious! who think to upport the dignity, the nlajeSty, the Divinity of the Gospel with such humane toys! J uS't as if a King, having some potent EnenlY invading his Countrcy, should instead of leading on a Stout and gallant ArnlY againSt hiIl1, lead on a Maurice-dance capering and frisking moSt featly, thinking thereby to appe;Lsc and gain the heart of his Adversary. re fools and hlÙld; we u'reflle not againfl flesh and hlood, hut agaÛlfl PrÛzÛ- palities, agaz1zfl Powers,agaÛlJ1 the Rulers of the darkness of this CONCERNL.VG PREAClllsG 55 this world, agaztzfl spiritual'wickedness zn high places, Ephes. 6. 12. .And therefore the 'weapons of our 'warfare 11lufl1lot he carnal hut 'nighty through Gorl to the pulling d07.L'1l of flrong holds, 2 Cor. 10. 4. II/e nlufl then take the 'whole armor of God, the hebnet of Solvation, the hrdt-plate of righteousness, the shield of Faith, the su'ord of the Spirit. Rcad also St. Paul to 1'imothyand Titus, setting down thc required quali- fications of Bishops and Deacons; see if you can find any such 1\1athclnatick, Logick, Physick? No, but Gravity, Sobricty, Mcekness, Diligence, and the like. Werc such 111cn taken into holy Orders and constituted PaStors, the Church of ChriSt had becn far bcttcr edified, and the Pastors far n10re rcvcrenccd than now they arc: though Plato, Ariflotle, Euclid, Seotus, Aquz1zflS, were never known to thcnl, so much as by nalne, yet thcy would want no pastoral knowledge which is c0l11pleatly contained in Scrip- ture; as St. Paul told TimotllY, tllat it 'lvas sufficient to lnake hÙn wise unto Salvation, p rofita hIe for DOélrt1ze,for Reproof, for Correaioll,for Inflruaion, that the man of God lIlÍght he thorough(v furnished, without Logick, Physick, !vlathcma- tick, 1\1ctaphysick, or School Divinity. Scripture Divinity thoroughly furnishes the Indn of God for alL I speak not this in disparagcment of University Learning, which I . . highly value, if rightly Inadc use of, 'tis as uscful as honour- able to a Nation; but Inuch of University Lcarning,as use- lcss to a spiritual Pa tor, a the Art of Navigation to a Physi- cian; the Pastors only requisite and cOlnplcatly qualifying Science, being according to St. Paul, to kno'lv nothing hut Chrifl and him crucified, and to Preach rhrifl, 1I0t with zn- ticz"ng 'lvords of man's 'lvi'sdom, hut zlZ demonflratioll of the Spirit and of power: to Preach Chri 1: as well out of Pulpit as In S6 THE NAKFD TRUTH in the Pulpit; in season, and outof season; to the poor and to the rich; to the sinlplc and ignorant far rathcr than to the knowing, to Rebukc, to Correa, to cdifie both by word and deed. 'Vherefore I n1o 1: hUlnbly bcsecch the Church- Governours to rCl11cl1\bcr the Original InStitution of the linistry, what kind of men the Apostles chose into it, grave Elderly nlcn, thcreforc styled Eldcrs, and known as wcll by that nalnc, as Bishops, who having by long conversation gottencxpcrienceand knowlcdge to govern thcll1sclves, wcre n1ade govcrnours of othcrs. I grant we havc Tilllothy for an exall1ple of younger years, that is, young by way of COI11- parison to the other Seniors; as a man of forty Ina y be called young, comparcd to those of sixty; yet no youth silnply, nor silnple youth: and 'tis plain he was a person 110 way short of the Eldcrs in Gravity, though somewhat in years: St. Paul's gencral rule was, not to adlnit of vlovices, but all gcneral Rules have some exceptions. TimfJthy was one and a rare onc, wc find not another. Next I pray consider what kind of Prcaching they used, you Inay easily guess at their Scnnons by their EpiS1:les, full of short CatcchiS1:ical InS1:ruttions, grave E:xhortations, sober Reproofs, discreet Corrcétions; and thcn tcll nle whether a raw No-vice frol1l the Univcrsity with all his Sciences and Languages, be fit for this, or rathcr a grave sober pcrson of age and experience, having a good n,1tural capacity, illuminated by Scripture, InS1:ruétion, and Prayer, using also the help of grave and sound Interpreters. Really, 'tis mo& evident that the Church is run into great contempt by the slightness and giddiness of nlany liniSters, who intcnd nothing but to make a handsome School-Boys Exerciscs in the Pulpit on Sunday, but never attcnd the other CONCER.VING PRE.JCllING 57 other Parochial dutics, no nor thcir own advance in Spiritual knowledg, but give thcn1selves wholJy eithcr to idlc Studies, or idle Recreations, and are vcry children in Divine know- ledg and behaviour. I do affirn1 this in the presence of God as a truth, and I have known some pass for very good Prcachcrs, that could not give a good account of the Athana- sian Creed, nor scarce of the Childrcns Catechism; Masters of Art, but School-Boys in true Divinity, and so their Parishioners continue very Babes all their life long. I t would make any true Christians heart bleed to think, how n1any thousand poor Souls there are in this Land, that havc no more knowlcdg of God than Hcathcns; thousands of the n1cndicant condition never come to Church and are never lookt after by any; likewise thousands of mean hus- bandry Men that do con1e to Church, undcrstand no more of the Sermon than Bruits: perchance in their infancy SOll1e of them learnt a little of their Catechism, that is, they could, like Parrots, say SOlne broken pieces, but never understood the meaning of one line (this is the comn10n way of Cat echis- ing) but afterwards as thcy grow up to be len, grow morc Babes in Rcligion, so ignorant as scarce to know their Heavenly Father, 3nd are adlnittcd to the Sacran1cnt of the Lord's Suppcr, bcfore they are able to give account of the Sacrament of Baptism. This it is generally in the Countrey, and in the Ci ty 3.S bad, partly for the reason before speci fied, and partly by reason the number in many Parishes is far greater than anyone Pastor can have a due care of; he can- not know half the Names or Faces of them, much less their Faith and Behaviour, which is requisit P ) that he may both instruét and reprove wherc thcre is need. \Vhercfore I hun1bly conceive 'tis necessary to divide thesc nun1crous Parishes 5 TllE S 4.J..ID T/{UTH Parishes into several parts; but \vithal to provide means out of them for several1\linisters, {or thcre is no hope to gain it frolTI their Charity or Piety, \vhich is plain Hypocrisie, seeming so zealous to hear the \V ord, but to contribute nothing towards it; the .:\linister l11ay Prcach his hcart out, and yet not get out of thcir Purses any tolcrable .l\lainten- ance; a poor Husbandman in the Countrcy of Twenty pound a year, that gets his bread by the swcat of his brows, pays more to his liniSter than a Citizen that gets hundreds a rear, sitting at grcat case in his Shop, and spends more in Ribbonds, Laces and Perri\vigs in one ycar, than he pays his 1\liniSl:er in ten or twenty: I beseech then1 to consider what account they will gi\ c to thcir Lord and l\1.aster at that day. But I return to the requisite qualities of a .L\lini51er, \vho according to St. l alll is to be a Govcrnour as well as a Preacher; to adlnonish and rebuke as wcll as in rua, and thercfore of two evils choose the lcsser, rathcr ^-lcn defec- tive in parts to preach, which nlay be supplied by Hon1ilies, than defeétivc in Wisdolll and Discretion to govern, which can't be supplicd by other lllcans. But would Inen be con- tcnt with the true Gospe1 and Apo 1olick Prcaching, doubt- lcss thcre nlight pcrsons be found out fit for both, to Govcrn and to Prcach; to preach one God the Creator of all, one Chri the RcdcelTIcr of all, one Iioly Ghost the Sanétifier of all; to preach the Baptisnl of Repentance, and the Sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper; to preach Godliness, Justice, lercv, Charity, Sobriety, Chastity, &c. All which will be far better performed by a grave and godly consciencious Man, well Catechised, though he ne\'er saw University, though he knew no other language but his !vlother Tongue, than by Ariflotleifl, Scotifl J Aquinatifl, \vith all their knacks of CO..YCERSIXG PRF.IClllSC 59 of quiddities and qualities, Syllogysms and Enthymems, distinttions and subsumptions, &c. Not one Greek, or Italian, or Frcnch, of a thousand, knew any Language but his J.\lothcr' fonguc, when the Gospel first Rourished there; not one Indian of an hundred thousand, where St. Thomas planted the Gospel, ever heard of Plato or Ariflotle; and so I nlay say of Inany other Nations where the Go pel was planted and Priests ordained. \Vhen God instituted Aaron and that Priesthood, when Christ instituted the Apostles and this Priesthood, not a tittle mentioned of School Sci- ences or F orreign Languages. 'Tis true, the Apostles by the Holy Goly received the gift of Tongues, because they were to preach to all Nations, but we find not any infusion of School-learning by the Holy Ghost, nor any more gift of Tongues after the Gospel once spread over the world; God thought it then needless. I pray let's be no wiser than God and his Christ, who converted the world by the foolishness of Preaching, but I never yet heard of any one Nation con- verted by the wisdom of Philosophical Rhetorical Preaching. liS1ake me not, I say that Sciences and Langu3ges are no way necessary for common Parochial Prcachers) yet I grant that Sciences, especially Historical, and Language, especi- ally the Oriental, are vcry useful to the perfett understand- . ing ofScriptur;, and very fit for some .!\lini{ters to qudy, to v,.hon1 God hath given parts and means to acquire them, who may be helpful to others; and the Universities are very good places to train up Youths to this purpose; but still these faculties are no way necessary to a Parochial Cure; a sl1131I proportion of Lcarning, with a great deal of Piety and Discretion, is nluch better. Besides there is another thing much to be considered : Were there such grave conscienciuus persons 60 THE NAKED TRUTll persons adlnitted into the l.ini5ì:ry as the Apoflles ordained, such Preaching set up as they praétised, and all other de- cryed; such double honour paid unto the Ministry as St. Paul comn1anded and prin1itively was rendrcd (such grave persons would scarce ever fail of it) then we might find thousands in the Nation that having means of their own, would preach the Gospel to the poor for conscience sake. The maintel1ance for Ministers in n10St parts is so wretchedly small (and so like to be, the Tythes being in the hands of Lay-men without hopes of recovery) that there is no con,'enient support for men of \V orth and Gravity, and therefore youth and Striplings as wretched are put into them of n1eer necessity, that they lye not wholly void: whereas if men that had sOlne Estate to help to maintain themselves, being persons of conscience and convenient knowledg, were put into the AliniStry, and such preaching the Gospel accepted of, as the Apostles and Primitive Disciples used; the Cures would bc served with far n10re edification of the people, and honour to the Ch urch, than now they are. I most humbly besecch all in the spirit of meekness and humility to consider these things, laying aside the veil of pomp and vanity, which blinds their eyes, and hinders them from discovering the naked truth and simplicity of the Gos- pel. I call the Searcher of all hearts to witness, I wish unto all Clergy-men both double honour and double mainten- ance also, I can't think any thing too much for those who conscienciously labour in the Ministry. But seeing (as I said) there is no hopes of regaining the Church maintenance, we in prudence should seek out such helps as may be had. And truly I have great reason to hope, that were this rule observed of putting only grave discreet and consciencious persons COSCFRNING PREACHING 61 persons into the Ministry (whether University-men or not, it matters not, so as fully inStrutled in the Dotlrine of the Gospel by sound Commentators) many persons of good rank and Estate would think it no dishonour, but rather a higher honour to enter into it, as they did in the Prin1itive time; Julian needy related to the Roman Emperor, and after- wards Emperor himself, thought it an honour to be ad- mitted a Reader, one of the lowest Offices in the Church. And for the better advancing this business, and fitting all sorts of men with convenient Knowledg for the Ministry, I humbly conceive it very fit there should be one good and brief English Comment of Scripture seleétcd and compiled out of those many voluminous Authors, laying aside all in1- pertinent criticislTIs, abStruse questions, nice speculations, and the like, setting down only the plain and most obvious sense in n1atters of Faith and good life, necessary to Salva- tion; such a book to be set forth by Authority, with a com- lnand that no man in Sermons, Exhortations or Catechisings teach any thing contrary to it, and what ever Learning beyond that is brought into the Pulpit, let it rather be ex- ploded than applauded; for if any countenance be given to excursions, there will be no end, the itch men have to shew their Learning will soon bring us again into the vain unedi- fying pratlice we now are in, I humbly conceive it fit also that the book of Hon1ilies be reviewed, not to correét any thing in them; for they are most e cellent sound Exhorta- tions, containing the true Primitive Spirit; but to add to them what ever is wanting to the nccessary Doétrine of Faith and good manners, to teach every person how to behave himselfin his several yocation,and these commanded to be read once over e\rery year; for I have observed several even 1)2 THE .V.'lKED 7RC71I even good and conscientiou Preacher , to take quite another nlethod, and preach on this or that Chapter, and so in the whole year, yea perchance in two or thrce years, never preach on the duty between .?\lan and \Vife, Parents and Children, 1\lasters and Servants, l\lagi 1:rates and Subjeéts; or omit to treat of Pride, or lvlalice, or Cheating, or the like; by reason of which omissions, several in the congregation are ignorant in ne essary duties, though rightly instruéted in many things unneces ary. I expeB: that many win cry out of this as a me3.IlS to in- troduce lazinc s into the .L\linistry, and a hindrance froln exercising tho e talents God hath endowed them with. To this I ans\ver, FirSt, That I had rather the Ministers should be lazy, than the people ignorant in their duty. But secondly, I answer, That besides Pulpit-Preaching, the .Minister may find enough to do to keep him from laziness, and eÀcrcise the best, that is, the n10st: useful Talents of a Nlinister, to vi it and conlfort the Sick and Affiiéted, to compose Differ- ences, and reconcile Janglers, to cxamine and instruét tl e meaner and duller part of his Flock, who are not capable of Pulpit-preaching, to whom they must inculcate both Doc- trines and Admoni tÏons ten times over, and scarcely so, make them apprehcnd any spiritual matters. Experience only can raise a belief how extrean11y dull the comnlon people are in the mysteries of Faith, and but little quicker in the princi- ples of a good life. Christ dyed to save these poor vulgar souls as well as those of e Gentry and more learn'd; yet the labour of most Ministers is to entertain those that know enough, and are very lazy In catechlslng those poor souls that know nothing: let these be fully instruéted, and then (for me) let them shew their Talents by preaching as often as they plea e CO^ CERN ING PREACHING 63 please tooth rs. All that I labour for, is that those may have it who most \\ant it, either by injoining such Homilies as I Inentioned to be yearly read, or such Sermons to be yearly preached: I am no enemy to true Apostolical preaching, God forbid I should; but to vain Scholastical useless preaching: to have the Pas1:or, who should daily watch over his Flock, sit in his study all the week long, picking from that or thi:>> quaint Author a few beautiful Rowers, and then come on Sunday with his Nosegay in his hand to entertain Ladies and Courtiers: for my part I count this far more sinful laziness, than to read a pious Homilyon Sunday, and all the week after go up and down from house to house, taking pains to instruét and exhort such as I mentioned. But these shall be called dumb dogs, yet surely by none but barking Currs, who are wholly ignorant in true Apostolick Preaching. Pardon me if I return them their due, who speak evil of that they under- stand not. They will objeB:, The Apos1:les and Primitive Disciples did not read Homilies, but preached themselves: Neither do I desire that anyone Homily should ever be read, so as we had the true Apostolick preaching both on Sundays in pub- lick, and Week-days also in private, where there is need: But I am sure such pious Homilies as I mentioned, are no ways contrary to the Apostolical and primitive praB:ice, and are far more useful than such preaching that we have now a days. And I am also sure, that in the purest and most primi- tive time, Homilies under another name were read in the Churches, that is, the Epistles of Apostolick godly Bishops written to other Ch urches, were read in the Congregation with great Veneration; Shall the name of Epiflle make the one applauded, the name of Homi y make the other reproached, G 64 T/IE NAKED TRUTH reproached, the contents and the intent being the same, to 1irr up the people to godliness? If this will satisfy, let the Homilies be Styled Epiflles to such or such a Church, and then I hope they will pass for current. But you will say, The Compilers of our Hon1ilies are notof eq ual authority to those Primitive Epistlers; Let that pass, but I am sure they are of far more authority, than most of our Preachers. I pray con- ider, how many gIddy Youths are of our Ministry, how Jnany of greater age but of as little gravity or discretion; how Jnany that vainly preach themselves and their own abilities, not Christ and his Gospel; how many that preach piously, and yet not usefully, but, as I said before, many things un- necessary, on1Îtting many necessary: Sum up all these par- ticulars, and you will find a slnall remainder that preach piously and edifying also, very few to equal the Compilers of our homilies; and then calmly consider the great use, yea the great necessity of such HOinilies. But if you can furnish aU our Churches with pious, discreet, edifying preaching Pastors, I am abundantly satisfied, and do you seal up the Hook of Homilies till a new dearth of piritual food, which God in his great mercy pre\'ent. Amell. Concerning åå å COJlcerJlin..g Bishops and Prlests " HOEVER unbias'd reads the Scrip- ture) thence proceeds to the first Chris- tian Writers, and so goes on fronl Age to Age, can't doubt but that the Church was always governed by Bishops, that is, by aile Eldt'r, or Presh)'ter, or J"]resident, or what else you please to call hiln, set over the rest of the Clergy with authority to Ordain, to Exhort, to Rebuke, to Judge, and censure as he found cause: No other form of Govcrnnlent is mentioned by any Authority for Fif- teen hundred years froln the Apostles downwards, Now who can in reason and InodeSt:y suspeB: those Primiti, e Bishops who lived in the days of the .A.posl:les, chosen by them into the Church, succeeded them in Church Governnlent, yea, and in Martyrdom also for the Faith, as CleJnens, Ignatius, Polycarplls and others: who, I say, can suspeB: them to be prevaricators in Church Disciplinc, and take upon them anothcr fonn of Episcopal Governlnent contrary to Apostolical Institution? rrhcse gre t .L\tlasters of Self-denial who gave their Lives for the 'rruth, would they transnlit unto Po l:erity a Church-Governnlent contrary to the r-rruth? let who will believe it, I can neither believe it, nor uspeB: it: And thcre is yet another thing very observable that all the Orthodox Church dispersed all the world over, SOB1C parts having no correspond ncc at all with the othe.- by G2 66 'IHE l\"AKFD 'IRU'Ill by reason of distance, sonle by \Vars divided and made cruel Enemies, yet all agreed in this form of Government; and not only the Orthodox, but also the Schismaticks and Here- ticks, who scperated from, hated and persecuted the Ortho- dox Church, they likewise retained still this form of Gov- ernment, as if all were of necessity compelled to acknow- ledg this, having ne\'er known, heard nor dream'd of other. And therefore nothing but necessity, if that, can excuse those who first set up another form of Govcrnment to their own l\la$1ers: let them fund or fall, I will not presume to censure thenl: I will only say, That from the heginnÛlg it was 110t so, and I thank God 'tis not so with us, but as it was in the beginning, so it is now with us, and ever shall be I trust in God. Amen. But notwithstanding all this, yet 'tis, ery much to be doubted whether they were of any distinét Superior Order from and above the Presbyters, or one of the same Order set over the rest with power to Ordain Elders, to Exhort, Re- buke, Chastise, as Timothy and Titus were constituted by St. Paul. For though they were of the same Order with the other Elders and Pastors, yet there was great reason for some to be placed with greater Authority to rule over the rest. The Scripture tells us, That even in the days of the Apostles there were several seducing Teachers, leading the people into errors and Heresies; and more were to follow after the Apostles times, grievous wolves in sheeps cloathing; and t erefore it was very necessary to pick out some of eminent soundness in Faith, and Godliness of life, and set them up on high with great Authority, as fixed Stars in the Heavens (so styled, Rev. I.) to whom all might have regard in dangerous times, as 1\1ariners obser\re in their Sea-faring . . Journl , CO.VCER_\ 1.1.\ G Hl:;lJOPS L"D PRiESTS 67 journics. But the Scripture no whcrc exprcsses any di c):inc- tion of Order an10ng the Eldcrs; \ve hnd there but two Orders n1entioncd, Bishops and Deacons. Of Dcacons we shall treat afterwards. Let us now procecd to the Order of Bishops and Priests, which the Scripture dis1inguishes not for therc \\.e find but one kind of Ordination, then certainly but one Order; for two distinB: Orders can't be conferrcd in the same inStant, by the same words, by the same attions. 'rhey who think Dcaconship and Priesthood diStinét, the one subservient to the other, though they intend in the same hour to consecrate the san1e 1\lan Deacon and PrieSt) do they not first con1pleat him Deacon, then PrieSt? I pray let any n1an shew me from Scripture (as I said) Timothy or Titu$ or anyone ordained twice, made first Priest, than Bishop, which is absolutely necessary if they be distinét charatters; and 'tis generally affirmed, though I humbly conceive they scarce understood what they affirm, I mean they understand not what these charatters are, whether Greek, Hehre-w, or J1rahick, or what else. But let that pa5s) I desire them only to shew me how a man can make two charatters wi th one stroke or motion, A. and B. at the same instant. If then neither Timothy nor Titus, nor any other, were but once Ordained, whence can we gather these two distintt charatters, these two distinCt Orders? \Ve find the .l\poslles themselvcs but once ordained, those by the Apostles but once ordained, and so on. \Vhen St. Paul left Titu$ in Crete to ordain, he mentions only onc ordination, that of Presbyters, (so the word in Greek) no other; there's no commission givcn him to ordain Bishops and Presbyters. Who then was to ord.lin Bishops there? not Titus, he had no uch command, we do not find that t, Paul himself did; And 6R 'TilE NAKED TRUTH And sure you \\-.il1 not grant that the Presbyters which TituJ ordained, that they could ordain Bishops there, for you will not allow then1 to ordain so nluch as Presbyters? Yet Hishop you will need have in every City, and in Crete were very many, who ordained Bishops for them all? Truly I c..tn"t find, nor you neither I believe. But you will say, 'fhe superiour order contains in it virtually the inferior order, (let this pa:,:, t present) cloth Presbyter then virtually contain Bishop? If so, then all Presbyters are Bishops. No say you, Bishop is the superiour order, and that contains in it Presbyter. Y ou ay so, but by your leave you are to prove so, or give 1l1e leave to say otherwise, especially seeing I have Scripture for my saying, and you have none for yours. But should I grant Bishop the superiour, what then? we find Titllsordained not any but Presbyters, as he was comn1anded by St. Paul; so we are still at a 10 'S for our Bishops, we find not their Ordination. Or did St. Paul Inisrake in his expres- ion, and Ineaning BÙhops in every City, said Preshyters in every City, let this pa :, also, and I pray let us see what you nIcan by this, The superiour order virtually contains the inferiour? Do not you say they are two diS1:inét Orders, t\-\'o real di inét indelible charaéters imprinted in the Soul, as the SchooI-n1en affirm (give me leave to talk their Language though I undcrstand it not). If 1 take a fair Paper, and make an A. upon it for the charaaer of Presbyter, and then make a B. upon it for the charac1er of a Bishop, the same Paper contains both Charaéter J but sure one charaéler doth not contain the other, A. doth not contain B. nor doth B. con- tain A. So the sanIe Soul nIay receive two Charaaers) two Orders, but if the two Orders be diS1:inét, how can they con- tain each other, I under:,1:and no Illore than I do these Holy Characters; CONCERNISG BISHOPS AND PRIESTS 69 Charaéters; If they can paint them out unto me in their pro- per figures, perchance I may under and them better, but a yet I ingeniously confess my ignorance. I grant in a l\1.eta- physical way of Abstraé1:ion, the superior species contains the inferiour genus. A Man, a rational creature, contains the animality of a Horse, the inferiour creature, but doth not contain a real Horse in his belly; nor can a man beget Horses; or men when he pleases. Nor can you truly sa v a man is a Horse; I believe my Schoolmen would take it in snuff should I affirm any of them to be Horses, &c. But they affirm that a Bishop doth not only virtually contain the Priesthood, but is really a Priest, and can make Priests or Bishops as he please. Whereby you may see this answer, That the Superiour Order virtually contains the inferiour, is a meer evasion; it sounds as if it were something, but really is nothing to our pur- pose at all; for we are not now upon Metaphysical abstractions, but real individual subsistencies, two actual distinét Orders, as they would have it, two diStinét indelible charaé1:ers imprinted on mens souls by Ordination, as A. and B. which can never be truly affirmed one of the other. A. is not B. and B. is not A., a man is not a horse and a horse is nota man; so a Bishop ordain'd only Bishop, is not a Priest, nor a Priest a Bishop, if they be diStinét. Where- fore I must believe thenl one and the same Order, especially seeing the Scripture applies the same name promiscuously to both; which is the second argument of their identity, to be one and the same. At/s 20 S. Paul sends to Ephesus to call the Preshyters of that Church unto him at Miletum, and speaking to them, he calls them all Bishops (in our Translation 'tis overseers) Vers. 70 THE NAKED TRUTH Vers. 28. So in his Epistle to the Philippians, he direéts to all the Saints n:ith the Bishops and Deacons, both in the plural number, so that by the word Bishops, we must needs under- stand Presbyters; for Bishops as we now take the word, were never many in one City. I pray observe also St. Pauls Epis. to Titlu, I. 5. For this cause left I thee in the Crete- - - that thou shouldeff ordain Elders in every City - - - if any be blame- less - - -for a Bishop.muff be blameless. Is it not here evident, That an Elder and a Bishop in St. Paul's Language is one and the same; otherwise there were no cohefency at all in St. Paul's speech. If this be not convincing, beyond all possible evasion, I understand nothing of discourse. Other such places are obvious in Scripture to everyone, I need mention no more; only I desire to inform the Reader of a passage to this purpose, in an Epistle of Clemens to the Corinthians. This Clemens is mentioned in Scripture, and is he whom St. Peter appointed his succes our at Rome, and who was of so great Authority, that as St. HÙrome tells us, this his Epistle was read in the Churches: Now in this EpiS1:le Clemens particularly sets forth the constitution of the Church by the ApoStles. and what Ministers they ordained in the Church; to wit, Bishops and Deacons, he names no other, which seems to meas full an evidenceas can be, that there were no other Orders in the Church in those da ys but those two; And yet we are sure there was then Preshyters in the Church; for Peter and John call them- selves Presbyters, and St. Peter calls them PresbJPters to whom he wrote his Epis1le; so that if there were but two Orders, to wit, Bishops and Deacons, Presbyters must be one and the san1e with Bishops Of with Deacons; not with Deacons, therefore one and the sao1e with Bishops; One Order CONCERNING BISHOPS .Æ..\"D PRIESTS 71 Order called by two names promiscuously in Scripture, as hath been shewed before. And I desire you to observe, that of those t\VO names Presbyter and Bishop, if there be any dignity and eminency expreSt in one more than the other, sure it is in the name of Preshyter, not Bishop, because the Apostles themselves, and the chief of the Apostles (as some would have it who stand highest on their Pantables) are in Scripture stiled Pres vters or Elders, as the word in our English Trans]ation, but never BiShops, as I remember. And therefore I can't but wonder why that haughty Head of the Papists should not assume to himself the title of his pretended Predecessor St. Peter, Presbyter, rather than Bishop, which was never given to St. Peter, no more than St. Peter gave unto him the Headship of the Church. As to the interpretations and answers given to these and such like Scripture-expres ions, sure I need not take any pains to con- fute them: for they are so weak, as that Petavius, a late Writer, and great Stickler for the superiority of Episcopac.v, durst not trust to them, nor would venture his credit to make use of them, but found out a new and rare conceit, as he conceives, That these Preshyters mentioned in Scripture, and called by both names, were all really Bishops, and that the Apostles ordained them so, as most convenient for that time: for the Congregations of the faithful being small, there needed no Priests under the Bishops to officiate; and yet there was need of a Bishop in those small Congregations, because there were several things to be done, which were not within the power and capacity of Preshyters to at!, (as he supposes), vÎz. the laying on of hands, and confirming the faithful after Baptism, the veiling of devoted Women, the reconciling of Penitents, the ordaining Deacons where there was 7 TilE NAKED 'TRU'Tll was need: and adds moreover several ilnpertinencies, as the making of Chrism, consecrating Church- Vessels, &c. And Petavius mightily applauds himselfin this conceit, as the only means to clear all difficulties. OUf Doétor Hammond also finding the usual interpretations of those places of Scripture above nlentioned too weak to suStain the arguments builded on them for the Unity of Order goes along after Petavius a great way in the forecited discourse (though not in the latter impertinencies), and affirms that the Preshyters then were all Bishops: And so far I go with them, that all were Presh)'ttrs, all Bishops, because all was one, and one was all; several Names, not several Orders, as they would have it: And thus I humbly conceive finllly proved by my former argu- ment of one Ordination, wherein two di '1inét Orders could not be conferred: so that Slill I require them to shew me from Scripture where these Preshyter-BÙhops were twice Ordained, else it cannot be truly affirmed they were really and aétually Priests and Bishops. As for that answer, That though but one Order was conferred, viz. Episcopal; yet that being Superior to the PrieSthood, contains this virtu- ally in it: FirSt, Y QU are to prove Bishop to be superior to Preshyter, which I deny, the Apostles being peculiarly called Prl'sbyters. Secondly, That one contains the other, I suppose is already confutcd, and fully declar'd that it cannot be; and, as I mentioned before, you do in effeét confess it your selves by your praétice: for if the Superior Order so contains the inferior, as to enable a man thereby to aét aU things belonging to the inferior, it is a very impertinent thing to ordain a nlan, as you do, first a Deacon, then a PrieSt: then a Bishop, when you design to confer aU upon him in the same day and hour. And CONCERNING BISHOPS AND PRIESTS 73 And now I pray give me leave to examine a little PetaviUf his rare conceits which heconceives will satisfieall formerob- jeétions, and will meet with no new ones. He confesses the Preshyters of the ApoS1les times were all of one Order, viz.. BÙhops, because the PrieS1sofeach congregations might per- form those several aéts he mentions, which a bare Preshyter i not capable of. And why not capable of them, how doth he .prove this? he brings not one tittle of proof forth is outofScrip- ture, where there are good proofs to the contrary. St. Peter and St. 'John, Preshyters, could do all these and more: Ergo, Preshyters are capable of all. But saith he, The Apoflles 'lvere Bishops also; also is impertinent, as signifying somewhat else; whereas I say and prove 'tis one and the same Order, only another name, it Iyes upon him to prove this dif- ference of Orders; and how doth he prove it, because Presh.vters can't do the a& of a Bishop; why, this is the thing in queS1ion; and thus he runs round to prove this by that, and that by this, and not one tittle out of Scripture for either. I know full well by severa) Canons of Councils made some at one time, sonle at another, the BÙhops reserved many things to themselves, whereof n1051 of them had been praétised formerly by Presh.,vters, and the Canons were made to prevent the like for the future; for had there been such a praB:ice, there had been no need of such Canons, whereby they reserved these things unto themselves, and for their own greatness would needs perswade the world, that Preshyters were not capable of then). I grant, that for de- cencyand order in that sense, some things may be reserved to some, other things to others to perform; but that the Order of Priesthood was not capable, is even ridiculous; that the PrieSlhood being capable to do the greateS1 things, should not 74 THE NAKED TRUTH not be capable to do the least; he can consecrate the souls ot Men by Baptisn1 and the Lords Supper, yet (forsooth) can't consecrate their Oyl, and their Cups, and their Candle- sticks, which we never heard the Apos11es did or dream'd of, but are the fond dreams of doting men, just like the Phari- sees, washing cups and platters after the Doétrines of men. Really there needs no better confutation of their diStinéHon and superiority of Episcopal Order, than the mean ridicu- lous things which they ascribe unto their Bishops, and debar Presbyters of, which methinks a Presbyter should contemn, were they offered him; and therefore such Arguments as these are not worth the small pains I have taken about them. I proceed to somewhat that seems a little better; Petaviu tells us, That the number of ChriStians increasing, and Faétions arising in the Church, the Apostles at length to- wards the end of their times, chose out of these Preshyter- Bishops, some chief men, and placed them as Governours over the reSt, and reserved unto these principal Ivlen the power of ordaining; thus far I freely consent, the Scripture declares it, and it seems moSt Rational. And I humbly con- ceive these Governours, and Ordainers were !vlen of great prudence and moderation, and probably had also that gift of the Ho v Ghofl, The discerning of spirits, and judgIng f Mell, (a gift mentioned in Scripture among others) that none might be admitted into the Priesthood but Men of meek and peaceable spirits. But now I would ask Petavius when these Governing Oriaini?lg Bishops were set over the rest of the Pres vter-Bishops? when Titus was first: settled with this Authority in Crete, and when Timothy was thus pJðced at Ephesus, where we find before were several Preskvter-Bishops? what became of theln? Were they un-Bishop'd COACERlYLVC BISlJOPS AND PRIESTS 75 un- Bishop' d and made simple PreshyterJ? they must no more ordain nor govern, but be subjeél to Timothy and Titus. I am sure it was thought no sInall punishnlcnt in future Ages, when Bi-shops were thus by decrees of Councels abas<:d and cast down unto the Preshyter form, and it was for some notorious crim s. I pray what crime were all these Preshyter BÙhops guilty of, to be thus handled, and tumbled down into another fornl? 'l'ruly Petfl'ì)iu5 deals hardly with them, un- less he can shew us their crime. Or win he instead of accus- ing thenl, excuse himself, and say they wcre not un-Bishopt nor abased, but only restrained from exercising that power their Order was capable of, had they been commissioned thereto. Truly I must commend Petavim if he will thus ingenuously confess the truth; for I shall by and by fully declare that 'tis the diversity of Commission, and not of Order, that enables men to aét diversly; and that a Bishop without commission, can do no more than a Pres vter with- out commission; and therefore I farther begg of Petaviur, that, till he can prove the contrary, he would confess them also to be all of one single Order, called only by divers names, Priefi or BÙhop, and one chosen out of the number, not the rest abased, but he exalted with Authority to Govern. This is the rational and common praétice of all Societies, Corpora- tions, ColI edges, Monasteries, Conclave of Cardinals, what not? 'T'hcre is no new Order supposed in any of these, but only a new Eleétion, and a new Authority given, according to the fundamental constitution of each Society. The Pope himself with his triple Crown, and triple dominion over all Patriarcks, Arch-Bishops, Bishops, pretends to have no new Order of Popeship, but only the new Authority conferred by his Eleélion: why then may not Preshyters chosen to preside j6 'IHE N.1l\..FD ,[RlFIH preside over the rest without any new Order, do the like. And for this vcry reason I conceive 'Juflin Mar yr uses the nalne of President always for Bishop: and St. Cyprian also, a Bishop himself, and moSt glorious Ivlartyr, he calls himse1f .and other Bishops gencrally by the name of Præpositus, as if this were the main diStinétion bctwiÀt himself and his Presbyters, that he was Præpositus ()n v, one of then} placed with Authority over th( ln; no 1110re: Nor doth thc nanle of Bishop in the original Greek signi tìe any more than an Over- seer of the reSt. And as for the avoiding of Heresies and F aétions, they thought it Ineet to settle some Bishop of great soundness in Faith, and godlinessoflife) with authority to restrain and chaStise disorderly Pastors. JuSt so, \vhen whole Nations were converted, and not only the Pa H:ors but the Bishops also (who had oversight of the PaStors) encreased in number, then for the same reason it was thought fit there should bc an Overseer of the Bishops, and he called an Arch-Bishop; when the Arch-Bishops were multiplied then another et over them, and he called a Patriarch; and at laSt one over the Patriarch::" and he calI'd Papa, a Pope, Catexocnen, * though Papa before was 3. nan1e attributed to other Bishops. Kow as Pope, Patriarch, Arch- Bishop, BÙhop,arealloneand the same Order (Papists theln- selves grant this); so Bishop, Elder, Preshyter, Priest, all one and the same, only one of these (.t over the rest, and he now particularly call' d EpÙCOP1U, that is, Bishop, Catexochen, because he oversees the O\r .rseers: but this la constitution only is ApoStolical, the other of Arch-Bishop, Patriarch, Pope, are meerly humane) not at all mentioned in Scripture. But now another Objeétion arises. Peto'lJ;US grants that all the Elders which the Apostles Ordained were Bishops, * . t 'é ' 11 t.e., KaT EçOX'/ '=par exec cnec. and CONCERNING BISHOPS AND PRIESTS ï7 and toward the end of the Apostles day:; they set sOlne eminent amongst them over the rest to govern and ordain Elders in every City, as Timothy and Titus, and these Elders in every City were Bishops; and thus the Apostles left the Church with Bishops only and Deacons. And this is cyident by what I brought before out of Clemens, who lived after the Apostles days, and mentions only Bishops and Deacons left by the Apostles. This being so, I desire to know who after the Apostlcs days began this new kind of Ordination of Preshytersor EiderstnotBühops;theAposHesOrdained none such; who then? and by what Authority was this ncw Order set up? the Scripture mentions it not; when and by whom came it in? A very bold undertaking, wi thout Scripture or ApoStolical praétice. I will not boast my conceit as Petavius doth his; only I \vish the Reader to consider which is most praétical, n10$1: r dtional, or rather mosl: Scriptural, thereon I frame this whole Fabrick as the Rock and only sure Foundation; humane brain is too weak to ereétand to support the Fabrick of the Church of God, which the Romanifls have made a very Bahel with their humanc inventions and multiplied CharaB:ers and Orders; some of them would have nine several holy Orders in God's Church-Militant here on Earth, because there are nine seyeral Orders of CceleStial pirits in the Church-Triumphant in Heaven. This IS a Castle of their own building in the Air,a rare Foundation 'for God's Church! Others will havc seven scvcral Orders and Charaéters as seven Giftsof the Holy GhoSt. Hath the holy Ghost then but seven several gifts to confer on men? S. Paul, I Cor. 12. counts unto us nine; not as if these were an, but only for cAan"\ple :-ake; to shew us that Inany and divers Gi its 78 THE NAKED 'IRUTll Gifts are conferred on us by one and the same Spirit; and in the conclusion of the same Chapter he mentions eight. These things were uttered accidentally according to the occasion, not as limiting the Gifts of the Holy Ghoft to any set N umber. But if you will farther look into their applica- tion of these Gifts of the holy Ghoft, and see to what kind of several Orders they appropriate them, it would make a Man amazed to see'5obcr learned IVlen, even the great Wit and Scholar AqUt?las, discourse in such wild manner; as did you but stand behind a curtain to hear and not see them, you doubtless would conclude you heard somc old woman in the N ursery telling her dreams to children, rather than Divine Doétors in School. I'le name but one or two of their Orders. The Porter of the Church Door is one, and (he forsooth.) hath a Sacred Charaéter imprinted on his Soul, and his gift is the discernÙzg of Spirits, that he may judge who are fit to enter into God's Church, who to be shut out. Another of their Orders is that of Ac%uthi, who are now (anciently they were quite another thing) certain Boys carrying Torches, and attending on the Bishop saying lvlassj these have their Charaéter also, and their Gift of the Holy Ghost is the in- terpretation of Tongues, signified (no doubt on't) by the Light in their Hands, but understand no more of Tongues than the Stick of their r-rorch. I will not weary you with more of their Absurdities. Our Episcopal Divines rejeéting these chymerical fancies of orders and Charaéters, sLlppose it to be a certain Faculty and Power conferred by the laying on of Hands for the exercise of Ministerial duties; and according to this purpose the Superior Order contains the Inferior, as the greater power contains in it the less; thus Episcopacy being the superIor CONCERNI G BISHOPS AND PRIESTS 7' superior order, contains in it Priesthood and Oeaconship, these three are their supposed distina Orders. They may suppose this if they please, and I may suppose the contrary: But I would gladly know on what Scripture they ground this discourse, that's the thing I Still require; and there we find no larger Faculty or Power given to Bishops, but rather to Presbyters, as I have shewed, the Apostles who had the greatest power being sHIed Preshyters, not Bishops. And when our Bishops do Ordain Presbyters, do not they use the very same form of words which our Saviour used when he Ordained the ApoStles? Receive ye the Holy Choff: 'lvhose sins ye forgive, they are forgiven, &c. Do they not then by the same words confer the same power? (for I hope they use no Equivocation, nor mental Reservation) if the Po\\rer be the same, the Order is the same by their own Rule. Again, let us examine their own Praaice; do they not require a Man should be ordained first Deacon, before he be or- dained Priest, and Priest before Bishop? what needs this, if the superior contains the inferiour. But in Scripture we find it otherwise, Timothy who long officiated under St. Paul as a Presbyter, when he was left at Ephesus, and so when Titus was left at Creet, both to be Bishops, we find no new ordination; were this requisite, sure the Scripture would have given us at leaSt some hint of it, but not one tittle there. But if the Scripture be defeaive in expressions, you will supply it by the expressions and praaice of the Church in first succeeding Ages. Before you go on and take much pains to shew me this, give nle leave to tdl you, that I shall not easily recede from Scripture in fundamentals, either of Faith or Church- discipline, in things indifferent of themselves, or in more weighty ß TIlE N..1KED TRUTIl weighty matters very doubtfully expres't in Scripture, I shall always most readily submit to the interpretation of the Primitive and Universal Church, I require both Primitive and Universal; for I shewed before, that in 111atters of Faith there were son1e errors "ery Primitive, yet not continued by the Universal Church, but rejeéted in succeeding Ages. And at the time of the Evangelical Reformation by Luther, Melallilon, Calvz11 &c. I can shew son1e errors generaJIy received in most, if not in all the Churches of Christendonl, but neither approved nor known by the Primitive Church; wherefore I require what you produce, should be both Primitive and Universal, and this to interpret some place of Scripture doubtful in it self, not plain. Now as to the busi- ness in hand, I can't yield that the Scripture is very doubtful in it, or scarce doubtful at all; for though in Scripture 'tis not in termztzzS said, Preshytery and Epücopacy are both one and the same order, yet the circumStantial expressions are (as I have shewed) so Strong and many, that they are equiva- lent to a clear expression in ferminÙ. Secondly, this not a matter of any indifferency, but of vaSt and dangerous conse- quence, if mistaken, that a Church without such Bishops as you require can't be truly cal'd, a Church, and so we:: shaH exclude nlany Godly Reformed Churches: for if Bishops be of such a superiour and diS1:inét order as you pretend, if the power of ordination be inherent in them only, then where no Bishop, no true Priests ordained, where no Priests no Sacraments, where no Sacraments no Church. Wherefore I humbly beseech you be not too positive in this point, lest thereby you do not on1 y condemn all the Reformed Ch urches but the Scripture and S. Paul also; who tells us, that the Scripture is sufficient to ma1ce us wise to salvation, both in ma tters CO..VCER.\'LVG BISHOPS A...VD PRIESTS 81 n1atters of faith and works aba, to instruét and thoroughly furnish us to every good work: and will any dcny this of Ordination to be both a good and necessary work, seeing that the powerful preaching the 'V ord and administration of the Sacraments depend upon it. Wherefore I dare not by any Ineans suspcét the Scripture defeétive is this weighty affair. Yet to shew you our willingness to hear all things; let us hcar what you can tell us froIlI Antiquity. '[he first you bring is Epiphanius, three hundred years after the Apostles, from whom the main Objeétion is drawn against the Identity of Order, and shot as a Cannon Ball agains1 us beyond all possible resistance, but you wiU find it to be a meer Tennis-Ball. Epiphanius making a Catalogue of Hereticks, puts in Ærius for one, who was al} Arrillll, and nloreover held that BÙhops and Priefls were all of one Order, and of equal dignity and Authority, and that a Preshyter had Powcr to Ordain, Con firnl, and in short, to aét any thing equal with a Bishop. That he was an Hcre- tick is apparent, being an Arriall; nay, I shall not scruple to yield unto you that he was an Heretick in this his assertion concerning EpÙcopacy and Preshytery, (as we now under- 1and them); I say, the A ertion contains Heresie in one part but not in every part, viz. That the Bishop and other Presbyters are of equal authority and power to aét: this nlay, in some sense, be called Heresie, for it i against Apos10licaI Cons1itution declared in Scripture, therefore an Heresie; and if you can shew me from Scripture as m uch again l: Identity of Order, I shall brand hiln for an Heretick in that also; but being sure thcre is no such thing in Scripture, there can be no Hercsie in affirming the Identity. I fully agree with Tertullian, we can make no judgement, de rebus fidei, nifi 1-1 2 82 Tl/E lÇAKED TRUTH llifi ex literis fidei, of l11atters of Faith, but fronl the writings of Faith, that is, the Scripture) and therefore I shall never be pulled from this Pillar of Truth. The Scripture is our com- pleat Rule of Faith, no Opinion is heretical and damnable which is not against that. Now, Good Reader, I pray take notice that Epiphanills was a very godly Bishop in the main, but yet a very cholerick IVlan, as appears in that his fierce contest \\.ith ']oh Bi hop of Conftalltinople, and his bitter e},.pressions therein, which I do not mention in disparage- n1ent of this holy l\lan, butonly to give the Reader a caution to remember, that passionate Men do sometimes censure nlore severely than there is cause: Epiphanius being a Bishop and finding the authority and dignity of Episcopacy nluch di paraged by Ærius being an Ar'rian Heretick, falls upon him sharply for this his opinion also, wherein he was in part much to be condemned, as I freely confest before, but not in the vcry point now in question, nor doth Epiphanizu himself condemn him in this particular as an Heretick, but only in the gro s, to which I freely give my vote. But you will tell me, that a l\lan of a far milder temper, St. Auflin, doth also enrol Ærius among Hereticks. I know it well, but I desire you to know that St. AuflÙz doth not lay this to his charge as an Heresie, for he saith only thus; ÆrÎus also U'flS an Here- tick, for he fell tnto Arrian Heresie, and he added sonze OpinioJls of his 01vn; then St. Auflln recounts several of his Opinions, whereof this was one) That he affirmed there ,,\Tas no difference between a Bishop and a P'reshyter; \\.here I pray you o erve, St. Aus1in gives us the reason why he rankj hilll "vith Hereticks, (viz.) because he fell into the Arrian Heresie; then follo\vs, and he added some Opinions of his o\vn: St. Auflzn calls these Opinions not Heresies, for he doth CO.NCERlviAG BiSllOPS -1lvD PR1ESIS 83 doth not ay he added more Heresies of his own. Secondly, I pray you ob erve, s. Åusl'-n n1ake no mention ofhi affinn- ing the Identity of Order, but only this, That therc was no difference at all between Bishop and Preshyter, wherein I will condemn Æriusaswell as you. Buta) fo," the Identityof Order, 'tis well known that St. ÅUflt11 is no ed by Medzna, a PapiSt Writer, and others, to enc1ine to this Opinion; but for my part, I think the words quoted from S. ÅuflÙz do not expre. s any opinion one way or other to this purpose, but arc only a C0l11plelnent to St. Hierom, who was but a Presbyter; yet in humility St. ÅUflÚ, being a Bishop, acknowledges him to be his superiour in many things. But I desire you to take notice of ano her very remarkable and most worthy passage of St. .Âuflin; who tells us plainly that we are not to read him, or any other Author, ever so holy, or ever so learned, with any obligation to subulit to his or their Opinions, unle s they prove their Opinions by Scripture, or convincing Reasons. So then, had Ærius been declared both by Epiphaniusand St. .ÂUflzlZ also, to have been a Heretick in this very particular of Identity of Order, yet they bringing neither Scripture nor any Reason at all, but meerly a bare narrative of Ærius and hi Opinions, not so Inuch as calling his opinion in this par- ticular heresy, much Iessottering proofs for it; by St. Åuflill's rule we Inay, with great civility to them and great confidence in the truth, still affirm the Identity of Order. But how will I answer tha: Objeaion taken out of St: llierom, who, say you, was as great a leveller of Bishops with Pric 1s as any (& thercfore what ever cOlnes froo1 him, you olay be sure is extraB:ed from him by the powerfulnes5 of undeniable truth) yet he confesse:; that Bishops have the au- thority of ordination 010re than presbyters; a man may mile to 8-1- 'THE NAKED 'TRUTH to see this used as an Argunlent for the preheminency of Bishops, which is direaly against it: for S. Hierom having discourst of the quality & Identity of Presbyters and Bishops, and having brought many Argunlents from scripture to pro,'c that Bishop and Presbyter was only two names for one and the saIne Office; for a further confirmation hereof asks this question, I p y what doth a Bishop do more than a Presbyter except Ordination? plainly in intimating thereby, that this could Inake no such diStinaion of Eminency in them above Presbyters: I bescech you consider, do not Presbytcrs perfonn Officcs of a higher nature than Ordina- tion? Pr sh vters are ordained Embassadors for Chrifl, to preach his Holy Gospel for the ah'ation of souls; they art under ChriS!, 1\1cdiators between God and the people to Blake intercession for theln; they adminiSter the Sacrament of Baptism, wherein the Children of wrath are regenerated and Inade the children of God, and heirs of eternal Life; yea, they administer the Sacrament of the Lords supper also, the nloSt transcendent aa of Religion & ChriStian Dignity, whereby we are nlade partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ: and what doth a Bishop more then these except Ordination? which, being no Sacranlent, sure is inferiour in dignity to the other Inentioned Aas, and therefore cannot elevate them to a higher degree. J udge now, I beseech you \vhether this queStion nlake., pro or call; Are not such queStions always tending to disparagement? When any .t\1.an is boasting his power and Authority, should I conle and ask, What can you do more then others, unless it be in this or that poor business not worth speaking of? would he not take this as an affront? \Vherefore it cannot enter into my head, that St. RieroJrl intended by this eSt:ion to expre CONCERNING BISHOPS AND PRIESTS 85 exprcssany superiourOrderabove thePriefihood, but plain' y the contrary, vi'Z. That Bishops having no other power distinét from Priests but Ordination, this could be no Argu- ment for a diStinét and superiour Order. And now I desire my Reader, if he understand Latin, to view the Epistle of St. Hierom to E.vagrius, and doubtless he will wonder to see Men have the contÌdence to quote any thing out of it for the diSlinaion between Episcopacy and Presbytery, for the whole Epistle is to shew the Identity of them. Before I chanced to reade the Epistle, I was of the erroneous Opinion, that Bishops were a distina Order, but so convinc'd by this Epistle, as I was forced to submit to a change: And I farther desire my Reader to observe the various fate of S. Hierom and Ærius ; Ærius is reviled asanHeretick foraffirmingthis Identity of Order; Hierom passes for a Saint, and a great Doétor of the Church, though he affirms the very sJ.me as fully as Ærius, or any Man can do; and therefore it may be my fate to be reviled as Ærizu was; but our Saviour bids us rejoyce and be exceeding glad when we are reviled for his Names sake, (or for his Words sake, sure all is one) for great is our Reward; and so I proceed. But there lyes yet a great Objeaion made by our good Bishop Hall; he tells how that Colluthus a Presb),ter ot Alexandria, took upon him to ordain others; and that after- \\-wards, in a Council of a hundred Bishops in Ægypt, their Ordination was declared null, because ordained by a Presby- ter: From this and some other such InStances, the Bishop would prove that the Order of Preshyters is not capable to ordain, therefore BÙhops are a distinét G_rder. I am sorry so good a Ivlan had no better a proof for his intended purpose. It see01S he quite forgot how that the famous Council of , yo H ICe, 86 TilE þ"AKED TRUTH ^Ticl', consisting of above three hundred, made a Canon, wherein they declare, That if any Bishop should ordain any of the Clergy belonging to another Bishops Diocess without consent and leave had of that Bishop to whose Diocess they did belong, their Ordination should be null. ì" ou see then the irregular Ordination of a Bishop is as null, as the irregu- lar Ordination of a Preshyter; therefore the irregular Bishop, and the irregular Preshyter are of the same Order, of the same Authority, neither ablc to Ordain. Is it not most evi- dent by this, that 'tis not their Order but Commission that makes them capable to Ordain; sure an irregular Bishop is of the same Order with the regular: Is the Line of his Diocess like a Conjurers Circle, within it he is a Bishop, without it he is none. No, but within it he hath Commission given him to Ordain, without it no Commission, no nor to aét in his own Diocess beyond his Commission, which is to ordain only the Clergy of his own Diocess, and within his own Dio- cess. Can any thing be plainer? Colluthus then being but a Preshyter, and under the jurisdiaion of the Bishop of Alex- andria; his taking upon him to ordain PreshJ 1 ters, was highly irregular and insolent, and therefore most justly declared null. I desire the Papistical School Divines, with their manifold indelible charaéters to observe here, how easily the Councils dasht out the indelible Charaéter of Preshyter im- printed on the souls of these men irregularly ordained, they Jnade a clear rasure, not one tittle of it left. And could they so easily cancel the Gift of the Holy GhoSt? I leave my Schoolmen to find out how this rare feat was done. And I proceed to add a Canon taken from a Council at Antioch concerning Chorepiscopi, much to our purpose. When COJ.VCER VIj\'G BISHOPS Al\"D PRIES7S 87 'Vhcn tht' AposHes had setled Bishops in every City, with authority of ordaining and governing the several Churches or Congregations within the Circuits of those Cities; some were very large, and therefore in process of Time, when n10re were converted to the Faith, and the Congregation::; encreased more in number, and at greater distance than the Bishop himself could well have the oversigh t of; the Bishop chose some principal Men for his assistance; and dividing his great Circuit into several lesser Circuits, placed these Men as Overseers under him; and these were called Chorepiscopi; that is, Country Bishops, and were much after the manner of our Rural Deans. Those Chorepiscopi, Country Bishops, being thus settled in authority to govern the Pastoral Priests in their Circuits, took upon them to ordain more Priests when occasion required, which the chief Bishops took very ill at their hands, as a great lessening to their Supream Authority. And to prevent it for the future a Canon was n1ade in the Council of Antioch, about the year 340, to forbid these Country Bishops to ordain any Priefls. Now I pray you observe, The e Chorepiscopi were either really ordained in the Order of the Chief Bishop, or not; if they were as full Bishops as he, (as really they were) why might they not ordain Pries1s as \-\Tell as he? the chief Bishop answers, because he gave them no Commission. Whereby you see that the power of ordaining Priests was annexed no more to Bishops than to Priests, unless the Bishops received a new Commission to ordain, as well as a new Ordination. lfit be answered, That these Chorepiscopi were meer Priests sent forth to have inspeétion only over other Priests; Then I pray observe, that these ChorepÙcopi being meer Priests took upon them to ordain other priests which certainly had been madness 88 'THE .\'.1.KED 'TRú'TH madness for them to do, had they then uch a belief of Bishops as is now required. They nlight as well have under- taken to create Stars in the Heavens: For if Bishops only have received a Divine power from Christ and his Apostles to ordain Priests, he that hath not this divine powerofOrdin- ation, can no more ordain a Priest, than a man without the di vine power of Creation can create a Star, both are im- possible in nature: from whence it nlust follow, that these Country Bishops were direétly IlIad in undertaking to ordain Pries1 ; having received no such divine po\ver frolTI Christ, his Apostles, or their successors: But if we take these C ulltry BÙhops for ober godly persons in their right wits (as doubtless they were, being seletted for that Office) they must needs believe that being Priests alone, they had power to ordain other Priests; and also believed, that the Bishop having 111ade them overseers and Governors in their little Circuits, they had also received thereby Commission to ordain as well as to govern, and were as little bishops under an Arch Bishop, for such really they were; so that I can't in charity censure them so much as of contumacy in taking upon them n10re then (they thought at leaSt) they had Conl- mission to att: I doubt not but the chief Bishop would be wary enough not to employ any contumacious persons. I conclude then, ti.rst, that it was only a meer mistake, an easie and pardonable mistake of their Conlmission. Secondl} , That in those times it was not thought an impossible thing for bare Priests, no Bishops, to ordain other Priests, for then certainly they would never have undertaken it. And I con- fe s my self of their opinion; and can't but so continue till I see more reason to the contrary. And I hope my Reader will see what weak proofs are brough t CONCERSING BISHOPS ASD PRIESTS 89 brought for this diS'tinaion and superiority of Order, no Scripture, no Primitive General Council, no general con- sent of Primitive Doaorsand Fathers, no not one Primiti\"e Father of Note speaking particularly and home to our pur- pose. Only a touch of Epiphanius and S. .Ållflill upon Æriuí the Arrian heretick, but not declared, no not by them, an heretick in this particular of Epûopacy, so that I my self declare more particularl y against him then these Fathers do, accusing him of Heresie in part of his affirmation concerning BÙJlOpS, though not in every part. I shall conclude this business by giving my poor J udg- n1cnt drawn from the preceeding Arguments. I find in Scripture that the Prieflhood i a holy Order, into which no n1an is to thrust hin1self unless he be called; I do not find that Deaconship hath an inferiour part in it, or Episcopacy abo,'e it, but that it is so compleat and entire in it self, and that it may involve many Administrations in one and the san1e Order, and son1etimes many in one and the same per- son. St. 'John was an Apostle, an Evangelist, a Prophet, a Pastor, a Teacher, an Ordainer (which we call Bishop) aU these gifts he had by one and the same spirit, and in one and the saIne Priesthood: Chris! hin1self was of this Order, a Priesl for ever after the order of Melchisedek, that is, both King and Priest, these were his Offices; he is called also the BÙhop of our souls : Was this in Christ a diSlinét and supe- r.our office or order to his Priesthood, who Vv.ill presume to affirn1 this And Christ told his Apostles, as my J<'ather sent tile, so send I you; Christ therefore made them also Kings and Priefls, as St. 'John tells u , Rev. I. Our Saviour's Kingdon1 was not of this \V orld, no more was that of the Apostles; and they Ordained and sent other , as Christ Ordained and sent 90 7IIE NAÃED 7RUTH sent them; there was no diSl:inétion or diversity of Order in ChriSl: and hi; ApoSl:les, no nlore was there in those, who were ordained and sent by the ApoSl:1es, though there might be diversity -of Gifts or Administrations; all were not Evangelists nor Prophets, some had the gift of tongues, some of prophesic, sonIe of Miracles, some of ubverts the main Pillar of the Church Government, this is no Ceremonial matter, but the very substance of it, they Strain at Gnats and swallow Camels. F or Chancellors to intermeddle in Probats of Wills, payment of Tythes, or any other temporal matters, there is no Scripture nor Reason to commend, but rather to condemn, Bishops should they interpose in such matters for which they have no commission from Scripture, but rather a prohibition from that saying of our Saviour, Man who made me a judge or divider over you? but then it will be necessary that Chancellours have also power of Temporal punishments, and not prophane that high and holy power in sordid earthly things; certainly a greater prophanation than to K 112 erHE NAKED TRUTH to convert a Church into a Chandlers Shop; the Church is a bulk of earthly materials, and holy only by dedication; the power of its Keys is in its own nature and original constitu- tion Spiri tual and Divine: If Uz,z,a being no Levite suffered death for laying hold on the Sacred Ark of God to support and hold it up, what shall he suffer who being no Conse- crated person, lays hold on the sacred authority of God to pull it down from Heaven to Earth? Let them consider. But let not the Civilians for this account me an Enemy to their Profession, which no man honours more, and I heartily wish much more of our Civil matters were com- 111itted to their management and judicature. The Civil Law is that whereby most of the civilized W orId isgovern'd, and if we will have commerce with them, 'tis fit we should have able Civilians to deal with them, which will never be, unless they have profitable and honourable places to en- courage them for it; all that I beg of them is, that they would contain thetnselves within their own Sphear of aB:ivity,and not intrude into spiritual and sacred matters, committed by Christ and his Apostle to the Priesthood. And so I beg of Priests, that they would not intermeddle in Lay and Ten1- poral Offices. In the time of Popery, when Spiritual and Temporal affairs were all intermingled and horribly con- founded, as the Pope took upon him Secular and Imperial Authority, direB:ly contrary to the Word and Constitu- tions of ChriSt, so the Bishops and Priests under him inter- meddled in all Secular Affairs and Offices, and in this Nation Bishops were frequently Lord-Keepers, Treasurers, Chief Justices" Vice Rays, what not? which is strangely un- ApoS1:olical and unlawful, their vocation being wholly Spiritual, as Men chosen out of the World, should have no more It II I OF CHURCH GOPERNl11ENT 113 more to do with it, than of meer necessity for food and ray- mente Wherefore to take upon him any Lay-Office, which must needs take them off n1uch from the Ministry of the Word and Prayer, is doubtless very sinful: For .Atls 6. we find the Apostles gave themselves continually to these, and would not endure to have these interrupted by that charit- able Office of taking care for the poor, certainly then they would have much less endured; yea, abominated to be taken off by temporal and worldly Offices. And on this occasion, let me speak a word to those of the inferiour Clergy, who take upon them to Study and praétise Physick for hire, this must needs be likewise sinful, as taking them off from their spiritual employment; had they studied Physick before they entered Holy Orders, and would after make use of their skill among their poor Neighbours out of charity, this were commendable, but being entered on a spiritual and pastoral Charge, which requires the whole man and more, to spend their time in this, or any other Study not spiritual, is con- trary to their vocation, and consequently sinful; and to do it for gain is sordid, unworthy their high and holy Calling. But ]{ecessitas cogit ad turpia, the maintenance of many l\lini{ters is so small, as it forces them even for food and raymenttoseekit by other Employment, which may in some measure excuse them, but mightily condemn those who should provide better for them: Whether this belongs not to King and Parlianlent, I must humbly beseech them in ChriSts name seriously to consider; I crave pardon for this (I hope useful) Digression, and return to the Business of Excommunication. This Sacred Authority of Excommunication being committed by Christ to the AposHes, by them to their Successors, K2 1'4 'IHE NAKED 'IRUTH Successors, was used in weightyand very scandalous matters, "ery few examples of it in Scripture: TheinceStuous Corm- thian, Hymenus and Alexander, scarce another clearly ex- prest. The Apostles being fully guided by the HolyGhoStin all things, did exercise this power singly themselves, but the succeeding Bishops, having not the Spirit of that full meas- ure, used the assistance of the principal Clergy in their Dio- cess; that the aét might be more solemn and authentick; the person excolnmunicated, if he conceived the aét in- jurious, appealed to one or more neighbouring Bishops, who assembled together, and discussing the matter, either con- firmed or reversed the Aét, as they found cause. And some- times the matter proceeded so far as to cause an Assembly of the whole Pro\rince. But each Bishop, or Præpositus (as St. Cyprian calls him, and declares, that he) was absolute in his own Diocess to exercise his power, and none condemned for using it, but only for abusing it contrary to reason and con- science; thes were the only rules they proceeded byat first. Afterwards when Bishops on this or other occasions met in Assemblies Provincial or General, they made divers Canons, which passed for Rules and Laws to govern the Church by, which doubtles are very good helps to bridle the extravagant pas:,ions of particular Men, very apt in this cor- rupt age to prevaricate; yet I cannot conceive them so far obliging but new emergent circumstances may juStly cause new and different decrees; yet so, as every particular Bishop is obliged for peace sake tu submit to, or at least to acquiesce in the General Decree of that Nation where he lives, I said, They are not bound intirely to submit to the Decrees of fonner Councils, either Provincial or General; because, I have shewed before, all their Decrees are hUlnane, not Divine; OF CHURCH GOPERNJIENT 115 Divine; and all hUlnane Ecclesiastical Laws arc altcrabl p , according to the timc and occasions by othcr General Councils. As to the bounds of each Bishops Diocess, they "'crc occasioned by several wayes: The .i\posUes for the bctter spreading of the Gospel, Prcach't it first in the principal cities which generally had great influence upon the adjacent parts, by reason that the occasions of Inost call thenl thither; and in thesc Cities they setled thc chief Pastors of the Church, with Power to Ordain Presbyters and Pastors in other lesser Cities and 'rowns round about, as the Congre- gations of the Faithful encreased; and all those Churches that \\rere Ereé1cd, and Pastors eStablish't in theln by these j\poStolick lYlcn in the chief Cities (I hUl11bly conceive in rcverence of thcir worth and ApoStolick Authority) were freely observant and subjeé1 to thenl, which afterwards out of cUstOlll, grew into a kind of right challenge by their suc- cessors. Son1ctilnes the authority of the Pastor or Bishop of a City was enlarged according to the tcn1poral authority of the saIne, it being thc Metropolitan of this or that Country; for so I find in the Council of ]{ice, and other Councils, the chicfest and largest Authority givcn to the Bishop of old Rome becaus it was the first Ilnperial City, to COllffanti- llople as the second Ilnpcrial City, to .Alexander as the chief City of that part of .Africa, to .Antioch, Jerusalem, Ephesus, G"()rÛzth, Philip, &c. where you see that though Jerusalenz were the first City from whence the Gospel issued forth, .Antioch the second City where the Gospcl 'was planted, and whcre the Faithful were first called Christians; yet Rome, ConffalltÙzople and .Alexandria were preferred before hiln, and had far larger Jurisdié1ion; so that it is a n1eer hUl11an temporal 116 THE N IKED TRUTII tel11porallnattcr, and :Vlen have no farther obligation to it in conscience, than for Peace-sake and Order, which in like lllanncr obliges every J.\lan to be subjeét to all Magistrates within their respeétive J urisdiétions. r-rhcre arc yet two things Inore to be considered in this business. First, 'Vhere the Apostles fìr 1: planted the Gospel in Cities with authority ovcr the adjacent parts, it was in rich popular Countri , v.-here Cities wcre 11luch nearer to- gether than in these }..Torthcrll parts, and the circuit of each City \,'as Inuch less in compa s, so that the Bishop ll1ight well have the inspettion into all, and undcr tand the be- haviour of each PaStor under hinl to adnlonish and chastise \vhel1 there wa:; causc. ""hcreas \vith us partly by great di ance of Cities, partly by the favour of forn1er Princes, several 'rowns being cast into one Dioccsses, they becanlc o large, as 'tis in1possiblc anyone Bishop should have a suffi- cient inspeétion in thenl. As I said before of great Parishes so here of Diocc sc , the Bishop kno\'vs not the nanle nor ttces of half, or a quarter ofthcln, 111uch Ic s their behaviour, he Inay have as well a part of rrallce in his Diocess to go,'crn. And as for their Triennial and Circuity Visitations, they signific just: nothing as to this, 'tis a 111ecr rnoney business to pay procurations to the Bishops, fecs to Chancellors, Regis- ters, &c. the Bishop indeed usually makes a Speech unto then1, and a Sermon is Prech't by sonle one of theIn, wherein perchance good Admonitions are given; but what know- ledge can the Bishop by this have of their lives, or doctrine, or diligence? If he continue long there hc may learn a few more names or faces, scarce any thing more. I hun1bly conceive this ought to be re- dressed, and the Diocess brought into that C0I11paSS, that each OF CHURCH GOP'ERNftlENT 117 each Bishop nlay be a Bishop in GovenUl1cnt, as will as in Titlc and Authority over thcln. But if thc Diocess be divided less, and Bishops Inore encrcased, where shall we have Inaintenancc for so nlany Bishops, sonle having too little already? When ever I shall see the Clergy of this Nation Congregated by his MajeSties Authority, resolved in good earnest to refonn and eStablish all according to the holy Constitutions of the Prin1itivc Tilnes, and come to this last mentioned, contraéting thc bonds, and in numbcr en- creasing the Diocesses, and Bishops for them, I'le undcrtake to propose wayes both rational and conscientious of pro- viding convcnient n1aintenance for all; but I desire to be e}..cus'd at present, least greedy Harpies make ill use of Iny zealous intentions. And so I proceed to consider a second abuse in Church Governnlent, which is, Exempt J urisdiétions, a thing alto- gether unknown to Antiquity and brought in by Papal '[yranny. '{'he Popes at the height of their usurped do- tninion, taking upon themselves to be head of the Christian Churchcs, to be the Universal Bishop thereof, and all other to bc but thcir Curate, took then upon then1 also among other n1atters, to exetnpt froln the power of any their under Bishops whomsoever they pleased. And out of policy to ha ve the nlore Creatures and Vassals ilnmediatly depending on them in every Kingdon1 and Nation, to Stickle for them with Kings and Princes on all occasions, did for th most part exempt all1\lonaSteries (who with their near Rclations and r-renants Inade a great part of thc Kingdom) from the J urisdiétion of the Bishop; thcy exelnpted also cveral Deans and Chapters, sevcral pecuEar Chappcls, several Arch-Deacons, and other, and SOIne of these werc endowed \vith 118 7'HE NAkED 7'RUTH with Archiepiscopal J urisdiélion in their Precinéls, wherein they aéled whatever they pleased, without controul of any but their Pope-ships: All which would have appeared a confused n1adness in Primitive times, when for any person to have been outoftheJurisdiélion of all Bishops, was to have been quite out of the Church, and would have been lookt upon as a Heathen and Infidel, according to the Primitive praélice in all Ages, till Papal usurpation. And therefore all these Exempt J urisdiélions are meer Papal, and if duely ex- amined, will be found opposite to the eStablished Laws of the Kingdom since the Reformation from Popery, as they are direélly opposite to the Primitive Canons of the Church before Popery was known or heard of. And by reason of these Exempt J urisdiélions great disputes and great frauds arise between the Bishop and them, and the poor Clergy are so pill'd and poll'd by them both, that they are forc'd to go in thread-bare Coats, whilft the several Officers of both grow fat and fair by fees extraéled from them. "Therefore I humbly concei"e the Bishops, with the reSt of the Clergy are bound in conscience to implore Assiftance of both Houses of Parliament to Petition his 1\1ajefty for the redress of these abuses by Pious Laws, Setling the Church Govern- ment in the Primitive purity and authority, which most evidently was very great, and as greatly reverenced; Bishops being the persons to whom ChriSt: and his ApoStles com- mitted the Souls of 1\ len, bought with the precious blood of Chrift, to whom be glory, and to his holy Spouse the Church, be all Sacred Authority for ever. .Allzen. A A Charttable A dnZOJlt-ttOn to all Non-ConforJ11ists Y beloved in Christ, you see how earn- estly I have pleaded for you to the .Fathers and Governors of our Church, that they would graciously condescend to abolish ome Ceremonies in the Church, that they may receive you into it; but yet I have no great hopes that they will hearken to me, you your selves for whon1 I plead, destroy my hope; for they presently dash me in the teeth, saying, Go rather and perswade the Sons in duty to sub- ,nit to their Fathers, then Pathers to yield to Sons; and can you deny but of the two you are rather to submit? You think to excuse this by saying, Were it not againSt your Conscience, you would submit, but you dare not for fear of displeasing God, his holy Word forbids you; I beseech you shew n1e in his holy word anyone clear sentence, againSt anyone Cere- mony commanded in our Church; you see plainly I am not biast to anyone Ceremony, and I am sure I have read the Scripture all over several times, and I humbly conceive 'tis no pride of heart, if I think I underStand Scripture as well as you; and for my part I cannot finde anyone condemning Sentence in Scripture. But you have the Spirit of God en- lightening you, which I want; by this rule you may affinn any thing out of Scripture and I should be as mad in dis- puting against you, as you in affirming t; 'tis madness for a blind man (as you conceive me to be) to dispute of colour, therefore 110 THE NAKED TRUTll thercfore if you are so void of all reason, as to expeél your bare affirmation, you that have light; ought to convince all gain-sayers, I shall not trouble my self or you, to gainsay you farther, but address my self to others, who sobcrly undcrtake to shcw nlC such r-r exts, as an unbiast Christian willing and desirous to sublnit to all Scripture l"'ruths (as I anl sure I alll) Inay disco,'cr the truth of them; and I dt."Sire those ober undertakers to shew me any onc such clear rext to cxcuse their non-conforming, as I shew then} for their con- forming: Suhmit YOl17. selves to every ordÙlance of man é;j c. I Pet. 2. 13. and Ohey the1l1 that have the rule o uer YOll, lllld suh,nit,lleh. 13. 17. l'hese are as clear as the Sun, that you ought to obey. Now if the Text you bring be not so clear but dou btful, I besecch you is your conscience so bold against a clear Text, and so timcrous at a doubtful TCAt, is this rc- ligion or reason? is it not apparently wilfulness and t1.étion? I bcscech you Iny Brethren, take hecd of thus disscn1bling \vith God and the world, or take heed of giving your selves up to these delusions of a IniS1akcn spirit. Humility and Obedience arc evident nlarks of the Spirit; Learn of me, saith Chris1:, Matt. I I. 2q. for laIn 11leek, and louly z1Z Heart: God resifleth the proud, fiud gi ueth grace to the hU1Jzhie. \Vhcrefore I bcsecch you, first, put on the Lord J eSllS with all hunlility, that he may give you the grace of hisholy Spirit, to discern clear Truths, froln conceitcd fancical errors. Secondly, I besecch you consider whether of the two it be not safer to erre in the way of HUl1lility, thcn to crre in the way of Pride, which makes it doubly danlnable, void of all excuse, ( I say this because you think or pretend to think our way erronious, not that I have any such thought or doubt) whereas the HUlnblc Soul hath great excuse to plead; A CllARITABLE AD!llONITION 121 plead; and if Charity cover a n1ultitudc of Sins, sure Hunlility will cover S0111e; a Soul clothed with Hun1iJity can't easily be displeasing to our hUll1ble Saviour; but dothcd \vith pride, can scarce be acceptable, but rather hatc- fuJ, like the proud Pharisee, with aJl his numerated Virtues; and IllY Brethren, 'tis 1110St evident your spirit savours SOlne- \vhat of the Pharisee, magnifying your own holiness, and despising all others as Publicans and Sinners, and refusing all c0l111llunion with theln; whereas the Holy of Holies, our Lord Jesus, chose chiefly to converse with such; really I can't but think your case very dangerous on this account only, werc thcrc no 1110re to accuse you of. Thirdly, I beseech you to consider the great n1ischief you bring upon this Church and Nation by your separation from thc Church : You pretend to be the great Zclots against Popery, and yet give IllC leave to say, Your indiscreet disobedient Zeal mainly brings it in; your separation, and n1any follow- ing divisions, have caused luany to abhor our Church, and turn to Popery, and doubtless you are to give an account to God for the ruine of those Souls; for I can never yield that you have any reasonable and true conscientious cause of separation, but meerly nliS1:aken-reason and conscience, which I Inuch pity, but no way approve, and therefore I must lay the advance of Popery to your charge, to your separation, for I an1 sure 'tis the Inain snare wherewith they catch unstable Souls, perswading them our Ch urch is not guided by the Spirit of Truth, seeing it is confounded by the spirit of division, it cannot be of God who is both Verity and Unity. Now though it be well known to the Learned, that their Church hath neither Verity nor Unity, yet this is not discernable to weak Souls, especially here in this Country, whcrc l"" TUE NAKED TRUTH where their Church is under a cloud, and therefore their foul spots nothing so visible as abroa.d, wherc it \\'alks barc faced, but are here by their Priests either with grcat confi- dence deny'd, or with great cunning disguised. Whercfore again I rno51: earne tly and n1051: hUlnbly beseech you for J csu sake, put on our Lord Jesus in h un1ili ty and obedience, submitting your eh Cs to the Ordinances of those Supe- riors and Powers which God hath set over you; and if out of Il1eer hUlnility and obedience you confonn, though you were guilty of some error therein ( I anl confident there is none, yet were it so) my Soul for yours, that guilt shallncvcr be laid to your charge by our moSt gracious Saviour, and n10 nlcrciful Judge ChriSt: Jesus our Lord, to whon1 bc all Honour and Glory for ever. Amen. TH E PELICAN PRESS 2 CARMELITE STREET E.C. LIBkA. Y ..\ RY'S COLLEG 230.3 C874 CROFT , HERBERT - - \ 2;0.3 c874 CROFT, HERBERT J THE NAKED TRUTH 114800 114800