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Christian liberty, that there fhould be room left for fuch ART. appointments or alterations as the different ftate of times and places fhould require. In hotter countries, for inftance, there is no danger in dipping; but if it is otherwife in colder climates, then fince mercy is better than even Hof. vi. 6. facrifice, a more sparing ufe may be made of water; afper- Matt. xii. 7, fion may answer the true end of baptifm. A ftricter or gentler difcipline of offenders must be also proportioned to what the times will bear, and what men can be brought to fubmit to. The dividing of Chriftians into fuch districts, that they may have the beft conveniences to affemble themselves together for worship, and for keeping up of order; the appointing the times as well as the places of worship, are certainly to be fixed with the best regard to prefent circumstances that may be. The bringing Chriftian affemblies into order and method, is neceffary for their folemnity, and for preventing that diffipation of thought that a diverfity of behaviour might occafion. And though a kifs of peace, and an order of deaconeffes, were the practices of the apoftolical time; yet when the one gave occafion to raillery, and the other to fcandal, all the world was, and ftill is, fatisfied with the reasons of letting both fall.

Now if Churches may lay afide apoftolical practices in matters that are ritual, it is certainly much easier to justify their making new rules for fuch things; fince it is a higher attempt to alter what was fettled by the Apoftles themfelves, than to fet up new rules in matters which they left untouched. Habits and postures are the neceffary circumftances of all public meetings: the times of fafting and of prayer, the days of thanksgiving and communions, are all of the fame nature. The public confeffion of fins by fcandalous perfons; the time and manner of doing it; the previous fteps that fome Churches have made for the trial of those who were to be received into holy orders, that fo by a longer infpection into their behaviour, while in lower orders, they might difcover how fit they were to be admitted into the facred ones; and chiefly the prescribing ftated forms for the feveral acts of religious worship, and not leaving that to the capacities or humours, to the inventions, and often to the extravagancies of thofe who are to officiate all these things, I fay, fall within thofe general rules given by the Apoftles to the Churches in their time: where we find that the Apoftles had their cuftoms, as well 1 Cor. xit. as the Churches of God; which were then opposed to the 16. innovating and the contentious humours of fome factious men. And fuch a pattern have the Apofiles fet us of com

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19 to 23.

ART. plying with those things that are regularly fettled, where foever we are, that we find they became all things to all men: to the Jews they became Jews; though that was a religion 1 Cor. ix. then extinguifhed in its obligation, by the promulgation of the Gofpel; and was then fallen under great corruption: yet, in order to the gaining of fome of them, fuch was the fpirit of charity and edification with which the Apostles were acted, that while they were among them, they complied in the practice of thofe abrogated rites; though they afferted both the liberty of the Gentiles, and even their own, in that matter: it was only a compliance, and not a fubmiffion to their opinions, that made them obferve days, and diftinguifh meats, while among them. If then fuch rites, and the rites of fuch a Church, were still complied with by inspired men, this is an infallible pattern to us; and lets us fee, upon how much stronger reasons we, who are under those obligations to unity and charity with all Chriftians, ought to maintain the unity of the body, and the decency and order that is neceffary for peace, and mutual edification.

Therefore fince there is not any one thing that Christ has enjoined more folemnly and more frequently than love and charity, union and agreement amongft his difciples; Heb. x. 25. fince we are alfo required to affemble ourselves together, to constitute ourselves in a body, both for worshipping God jointly, and for maintaining of order and love among the fociety of Chriftians, we ought to acquiefce in fuch rules as have been agreed on by common confent, and which are recommended to us by long practice, and that are established by thofe who have the lawful authority over us. Nor can we affign any other bounds to our fubmiffion in this cafe, than thofe that the Gofpel has limited. A&ts v. 29. We must obey God, rather than man; and we muft in the Matt. xxii. first place render to God the things that are God's, and then give to Cæfar the things that are Cæfar's. So that if either Church or State have power to make rules and laws in fuch matters, they must have this extent given them, that till they break in upon the laws of God and the Gospel, we must be bound to obey them. A mean cannot be put here; either they have no power at all, or they have a power that muff go to every thing that is not forbid by any law of God. This is the only measure that can be given in this matter.

21.

But a great difference is here to be made between those rules that both Church and State ought to fet to themselves in their enacting of fuch matters, and the measures of the obedience of fubjects: the only question in the point of

obedience

obedience must be, lawful or unlawful. For expedient or ART. inexpedient ought never to be brought into queftion, as to XX. the point of obedience; fince no inexpediency whatsoever can balance the breaking of order, and the diffolving the conftitution and fociety. This is a confideration that arifes out of a man's apprehenfions of the fitness or ufefulness of things; in which though he might be in the right as to the antecedent fitnefs of them, and yet even there he may be in the wrong, and in common modefty every man ought to think that it is more likely that he fhould be in the wrong, than the governors and rulers of the fociety; yet, I fay, allowing all this, it is certain that order and obedience are, both in their own nature, and in their confequences, to be preferred to all the particular confiderations of expediency or inexpediency. Yet ftill those in whofe hands the making of those rules is put, ought to carry their thoughts much further: they ought to confider well the genius of the Chriftian religion, and therefore they are to avoid every thing that may lead to idolatry, or feed fuperftition; every thing that is apt to be abused to give falfe ideas of God, or to make the world think that fuch inftituted practices may balance the violation of the laws of God. They ought not to overcharge the worship of God with too great a number of them: the rites ought to be grave, fimple, and naturally expreffive of that which is intended by them. Vain pomp and indecent levity ought to be guarded againft; and next to the honour of God and religion, the peace and edification of the fociety ought to be chiefly confidered. Due regard ought to be had to what men can bear, and what may be moft fuitable to the prefent ftate of the whole; and finally, a great respect is due to ancient and eftablished practices. Antiquity does generally beget veneration; and the very changing of what has been long in ufe, does naturally ftartle many, and difcompose a great part of the body. So all changes, unless the expediency of making them is upon other accounts very vifible, labour under a great prejudice with the more ftaid fort of men; for this very reafon, because they are changes. But in this matter, no certain or mathematical rules can be given: every one of these that has been named is capable of that variety, by the diverfity of times and other circumstances; that fince prudence and difcretion muft rule the ufe that is to be made of them, that must be left to the confcience and prudence of every person who may be concerned in the management of this authority. He muft act as he will anfwer it to God and to the Church; for he must be at

ART. liberty in applying those general rules to particular times XX. and cafes. And a temper muft be obferved: we muft avoid a fullen adhering to things because they were once fettled, as if points of honour were to be maintained here; and that it looked like a reproaching a conftitution, or the wifdom of a former age, to alter what they did; fince it is certain that what was wifely ordered in one time, may be as wifely changed in another: as, on the other hand, all men ought to avoid the imputation of a defultory levity; as if they loved changes for changes fake. This might give occafion to our adverfaries to triumph over us, and might alfo fill the minds of the weaker ainong ourselves with apprehenfions and fcruples.

Titus i. 9.

iii. 10.

The next particular afferted in this Article is, That the Church hath authority in matters of faith. Here a diftinction is to be made between an authority that is abfolute, and founded on infallibility, and an authority of order. The former is very formally difclaimed by our Church; but the fecond may be well maintained, though we affert no unerring authority. Every fingle man has a right to search the Scriptures, and to take his faith from them; yet it is certain that he may be mistaken in it. It is therefore a much furer way for numbers of men to meet together, and to examine fuch differences as happen to arife; to confider the arguments of all hands, with the importance of fuch paffages of Scripture as are brought into the controverfy; and thus to inquire into the whole matter: in which as it is very natural to think that a great company of men fhould fee further than a lefs number; fo there is all reafon to expect a good iffue of fuch deliberations, if men proceed in them with due fincerity and diligence; if pride, faction, and intereft, do not fway their councils, and if they feek for truth more than for victory.

But what abuses foever may have crept fince into the public confultations of the Clergy, the Apostles at first met and confulted together upon that controverfy which was then moved concerning the impofing the Mofaical Law upon the Gentiles: they ordered the paftors of the Church to be able to convince gainfayers, and not to reject a man as a heretic, till after a firft and a fecond admonition. The most likely method both to find out the truth, and to bring fuch as are in error over to it, is to confult of thefe matters in common; and that openly and fairly. For if every good man, that prays earneftly to God for the affiftance and direction of his Spirit, has reafon to look for it; much more may a body of paftors, brought together

1

XX.

together to feek out the truth, in any point under debate, ART. look for it, if they bring with them fincere and unprejudiced minds, and do pray earnestly to God. In that cafe, they may expect to be directed and affifted of him. But this depends upon the purity of their hearts, and the earneftness of their endeavours and prayers.

When any fynod of the Clergy has fo far examined a point, as to fettle their opinions about it, they may certainly decree that fuch is their doctrine: and as they judge it to be more or lefs important, they may either reftrain any other opinion, or may require pofitive declarations about it, either of all in their communion, or at leaft of all whom they admit to minifter in holy things.

This is only an authority of order for the maintaining of union and edification: and in this a body does no more as it is a body, than what every fingle individual has a right to do for himself. He examines a doctrine that is laid before him, he forms his own opinion upon it, and pursuant to that he muft judge with whom he can hold communion, and from whom he must separate.

When fuch definitions are made by the body of the paftors of any Church, all perfons within that Church do owe great respect to their decifion. Modesty must be obferved in defcanting upon it, and in difputing about it. Every man that finds his own thoughts differ from it, ought to examine the matter over again, with much attention and care, freeing himself all he can from prejudice and obftinacy; with a juft diftruft of his own understanding, and an humble respect to the judgment of his fuperiors.

This is due to the confiderations of peace and union, and to that authority which the Church has to, maintain it. But if, after all poffible methods of inquiry, a man cannot mafter his thoughts, or make them agree with the public decifions, his confcience is not under bonds; fince this authority is not abfolute, nor grounded upon a promise of infallibility.

This is a tenet that, with relation to national Churches and their decifions, is held by the Church of Rome, as well as by us for they place infallibility either in the Pope, or in the univerfal Church: but no man ever dreamt of infallibility in a particular or national Church and the point in this Article is only concerning particular Churches; for the head of General Councils comes in upon the next. That no Church can add any thing as neceffary to falvation, has been already confidered upon the fixth Article.

It is certain, that as we owe our hopes of falvation only