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An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…

Name: An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…
Author: Richard Baxter

An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II. an answer to the accusations urged as reasons for the silencing of about 2000 by Bishop Morley ..., III. reasons proving it the duty and interest of the bishops and conformists to endeavour earnestly their restoration : with a postscript upon oral debates with Mr. H. Dodwell, against his reasons for their silence ... : written in 1668 and 1669, for the most of it, and now published as an addition to the defence against Dr. Stillingfleet, and as an account to the silencers of the reasons of our practice / by Richard Baxter.

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10. And suppose (as it is not improbable) that one half of the people, and some of the Pastors, should be constrained to Conformity, your Ichabod hath told you in his Groans what they will do. Their judgments would not be changed, but they would only stretch their Consciences to take your Oaths and Subscriptions with their own interpretation, contrary to the plainest sense (as ⟨p. 204⟩abundance do who now Conform). And these men will do more against you than the open Nonconformists, being abler to supplant you, as being nearer to you; As the Conformable Westminster-Assembly did; and the Conformable long Parliament; and, as Heylin thinks, Abbot and the Puritan Bishops and Clergy did by Laud and his party.

10. And suppose (as it is not improbable) that one half of the people, and some of the Pastors, should be constrained to Conformity, your Icabod hath told you in his Groans what they will do. Their judgments would not be changed, but they would only stretch their Consciences to take your Oaths and Subscriptions with their own interpretation, contrary to the plainest sense (as ⟨p. 204⟩abundance do who now Conform). And these men will do more against you than the open Nonconformists, being abler to supplant you, as being nearer to you; As the Conformable Westminster-Assembly did; and the Conformable long Parliament; and, as Heylin thinks, Abbot and the Puritan Bishops and Clergy did by Laud and his party.

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11. Those that survive (as thousands will do when you have done your worst) will take their first opportunity, to show their sense of your horrid inhumanity, with far greater animosity, than if you had never tasted blood; and your cruelties will but be the fuel of their fiercer opposition.

11. Those that survive (as thousands will do when you have done your worst) will take their first opportunity, to shew their sense of your horrid inhumanity, with far greater animosity, than if you had never tasted blood; and your cruelties will but be the fewel of their fiercer opposition.

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12. And there are some hypocrites, no doubt, among those that will suffer by you, who are carried on by a self-conceited zeal: And these may be tempted by your extremities to break out into Treasons, Seditions and Rebellions; The truly wise and godly will not: But all that are against you, are not such: Nay you your selves, I suppose, think that few of them are such. And if oppression may▪ make a wise man mad, no wonder if it make weak foolish people and hypocrites mad: and then you know that one Felton may end the Great Duke of Buckingham. Because we abhor the thoughts of such villainies, we would not have you lay such temptations on men, as you are not able to bear your selves. If a little worldly wealth and greatness could tempt you to think that you do God service when you killed his Servants, why should you think that among many thousands, there will no hypocrites be found, that will break Gods Laws to save themselves by sinful means? You know how deeply the principle of self-preservation is planted in nature; and what need there is of considerable grace, to make men patiently resign their lives, when they think they are taken away injuriously. If Peter in fear might deny his Master, and all the disciples forsook him and fled, an hypocrite may be tempted to a sinful defence against his persecutors. I do hereby warn all men that they take heed of such temptations, and plead not Nature against the Laws of Grace; and that they not only live, but dye in honouring their Rulers whatsoever they suffer by them; and say not as the Poet that lived among Heathenish impatience: Ad generum Cereris sine caede & vulnere pauci Descendunt Reges, & siccâ morte Tyranni.

12. And there are some hypocrites, no doubt, among those that will suffer by you, who are carried on by a self-conceited zeal: And these may be tempted by your extremities to break out into Treasons, Seditions and Rebellions; The truly wise and godly will not: But all that are against you, are not such: Nay you your selves, I suppose, think that few of them are such. And if oppression may▪ make a wise man mad, no wonder if it make weak foolish people and hypocrites mad: and then you know that one Felton may end the Great Duke of Buckingham. Because we abhor the thoughts of such villanies, we would not have you lay such temptations on men, as you are not able to bear your selves. If a little worldly wealth and greatness could tempt you to think that you do God service when you kill'd his Servants, why should you think that among many thousands, there will no hypocrites be found, that will break Gods Laws to save themselves by sinful means? You know how deeply the principle of self-preservation is planted in nature; and what need there is of considerable grace, to make men patiently resign their lives, when they think they are taken away injuriously. If Peter in fear might deny his Master, and all the disciples forsook him and fled, an hypocrite may be tempted to a sinful defence against his persecutors. I do hereby warn all men that they take heed of such temptations, and plead not Nature against the Laws of Grace; and that they not only live, but dye in honouring their Rulers whatsoever they suffer by them; and say not as the Poet that lived among Heathenish impatience: Ad generum Cereris sine caede & vulnere pauci Descendunt Reges, & siccâ morte Tyranni.

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The true fear of God will teach men to live and dye in patience. But while you your selves think that those that you afflict are wicked, and know that cruelty is the most powerful temptation to sinful self-defence, do you think that you will be innocent by such temptations? What if it were felony to cry! Were he innocent that would scourge men, women and children till they bleed, and then call out for Justice against the felons that cried? Some men will think that your cruelties are of purpose to constrain or tempt some hypocrites into seditious words or deeds, that you may have matter to accuse the rest of. Rehoboams young Counsellors, in my opinion, could not justify themselves from the guilt of all the sufferings of that King, by saying, It was the rebellious ten Tribes that did forsake him: It was an unhappy proof of their own Loyalty, to be the Counsellors of so great a temptation. We hate Rebellion and Treason so much more than such as these, that we would not have you say, The King shall have no Loyal Subjects that will not lay down their lives to show their Loyalty: He that striketh the flint, is guilty of the fire: He that will kill, or banish, or undo men for nothing, to try if he can find any among them all that loveth his life better than his Loyalty or Subjection to Superiors, that he may prick him forward to Sedition by torments, will prove no Loyal Subject himself at last. I remember a person of Quality, more great than good, was reported to assault a Farmers house, to have defiled his daughters: But the door being bolted, and no threats would open them, one of his company bid him throw drown the Hive of Bee's in the Garden in revenge: The Bees, when the Hive was broken down, had almost stung the great man and his company to death. If the question was, Whether the owner or the Bees must be accused of the crime? I can only say, that the Counsellor was not innocent. And if a Thief should break into a Bishops house, and bind his Servants, and set a Pistol to the breast of one, and bid him disclose his Lords money, and he should dye rather than be guilty of disclosing it, and all the rest should dye save one, and that one should confess to save his life; I do not think it would be congruous for him that did affright him to it, to say, I am innocent (though perhaps he took not the gold himself);

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so he that should by cruelties tempt men to such a wicked act as Felton or Card. Beton's executioners used, would not be found the truest friend to Peace or Government.

so he that should by cruelties tempt men to such a wicked act as Felton or Card. Betons executioners used, would not be found the truest friend to Peace or Government.

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13. If you say, We will not hang or burn, but banish them: I answer, so were some fugitives exiled in Q. Mary's days, who yet soon returned to head the Diocesan Churches of England. And those few of the Clergy that fled from Cromwell, returned to see revenge upon Usurpers. And what stricter Laws would you have both for banishment and death, than is made here against the Romish Priests? and yet they live in peace among us. Banished men are alive, and are exasperated; and your guilt will make you think that you are not safe from them till they are dead. Amesius at Franekera did more service to the Church of God, and more disservice to the English Diocesans, than Ames at Cambridge did. Some have banished themselves for an opportunity by writing to do the more against their adversaries, and said, Difficile est satyram non scribere: Nam quis iniquae Tam patiens urbis? Tam ferreus ut teneat se? Si natura negat, facit indignatio versum— —Quando artibus, inquit, bonestis Nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum; Res hodie minor est quam fuit, atque eadem cras Deteret exiguis aliquid, proponimus illuc Ire satigatus, ubi Daedalus exuit alas Dumb nova Canities; dumb prima & recta senectus, Dumb superest Lachesi quod torqueat, & pedibus me Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo Cedamus patriâ: Vivant Arturius istic Et Catulus: maneant qui nigrum in Candida vertunt.

13. If you say, We will not hang or burn, but banish them: I answer, so were some fugitives exiled in Q. Maries days, who yet soon returned to head the Diocesan Churches of England. And those few of the Clergy that fled from Cromwell, returned to see revenge upon Usurpers. And what stricter Laws would you have both for banishment and death, than is made here against the Romish Priests? and yet they live in peace among us. Banished men are alive, and are exasperated; and your guilt will make you think that you are not safe from them till they are dead. Amesius at Franekera did more service to the Church of God, and more disservice to the English Diocesans, than Ames at Cambridg did. Some have banished themselves for an opportunity by writing to do the more against their adversaries, and said, Difficile est satyram non scribere: Nam quis iniquae Tam patiens urbis? Tam ferreus ut teneat se? Si natura negat, facit indignatio versum— —Quando artibus, inquit, bonestis Nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum; Res hodie minor est quam fuit, atque eadem cras Deteret exiguis aliquid, proponimus illuc Ire satigatus, ubi Daedalus exuit alas Dum nova Canities; dum prima & recta senectus, Dum superest Lachesi quod torqueat, & pedibus me Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo Cedamus patriâ: Vivant Arturius istic Et Catulus: maneant qui nigrum in Candida vertunt.

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I think this much, with what is said in the Propositions, may satisfy men that are willing to understand, that your way will never attain the peace and concord of the Churches, nor in likelihood your own ends; 1. Either by changing mens judgments. 2. Or bringing them to conformity against their judgments. 3. Or by destroying them. Nay, that it is the most destructive course to all good ends that you can take.

I think this much, with what is said in the Propositions, may satisfie men that are willing to understand, that your way will never attain the peace and concord of the Churches, nor in likelihood your own ends; 1. Either by changing mens judgments. 2. Or bringing them to conformity against their judgments. 3. Or by destroying them. Nay, that it is the most destructive course to all good ends that you can take.

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And I may add, that if you should banish them, the worth which they carry with them (as in Amesius his instance) will shine where they come; and their honour will be your shame: for men are naturally (and not without cause) inclined to think them to be extreme bad men, by whom men so good, and learned, ⟨p. 207⟩and unblamable, do so much suffer. And methinks you of all men should not be guilty of so much self-denial, as to contemn your Reputation in all other Countries, and not to care how odious your Names are to others, and to posterity, so be it you hear not their words your selves (of which more anon.)

And I may add, that if you should banish them, the worth which they carry with them (as in Amesius his instance) will shine where they come; and their honour will be your shame: for men are naturally (and not without cause) inclined to think them to be extreme bad men, by whom men so good, and learned, ⟨p. 207⟩and unblamable, do so much suffer. And methinks you of all men should not be guilty of so much self-denial, as to contemn your Reputation in all other Countreys, and not to care how odious your Names are to others, and to posterity, so be it you hear not their words your selves (of which more anon.)

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But here I would insert an humble request to my silenced brethren, that they will study, and pray, and labour so diligently, and live so holily and innocently, that whithersoever they be driven, their light may shine to the glory of their Lord, and the service of his Church; and that they would not disgrace their silencers and afflicters by hard words, but by eminent knowledge and holiness: and they shall find that this splendour of their worth will speak more for them, and against those that hate them, than all our apologies will do.

But here I would insert an humble request to my silenced brethren, that they will study, and pray, and labour so diligently, and live so holily and innocently, that whithersoever they be driven, their light may shine to the glory of their Lord, and the service of his Church; and that they would not disgrace their silencers and afflicters by hard words, but by eminent knowledg and holiness: and they shall find that this splendor of their worth will speak more for them, and against those that hate them, than all our apologies will do.

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I will here, to this purpose, cast in a brief History both for your afflicters sake and yours. It is the occasion of the translation of Philosophy from Greece unto the Saracen Arabians, as it is recorded by Caelius August. Curio Histor. Saracen. l. 2. and out of him by Hornius Hist. Philos. l. 4. p. 287, 288. Mamunus their Caliph, or King, was a great lover of learning; in whose time there was among the Greek Christians one Leo a Bishop of Thessalonica, who for differing from those in power in the controversy about Images, which then troubled the Churches, was driven from his flock; and coming to Constantinople, he lived in a poor cottage privately; but being a most excellent Philosopher, taught many in his private School; so that many excellent Philosophers went out of it in a little time: Among whom one young man was taken prisoner by the Saracens in the Wars, who being excellent in Geometry, fell into the hands of a great man, by whom his fame was brought to the King; who trying him, and finding him to excel all his Philosophers, must know who was his Master. He told him, one Leo, a man that was frowned into obscurity and poverty, but a most excellent Philosopher. The King Mamumus was so inflamed with a desire of Leo, that he presently wrote to him, and offered him all the Honour and Riches that he could desire, so he would but come to him. Leo showed the Letters to the Emperor at Constantinople; whereupon the Emperor not willing that such an honour should pass to his Enemy, gave him License to teach in public. King Mamumus despairing of Leo, sendeth important Letters to the Emperor to beg Leo's presence but a little ⟨p. 208⟩while, professing that he would have come with the request himself, but that the Government of a fierce sort of people detained him. Hereupon the Emperor coming to know his worth, and how his own Honour was interested in the business, restored Leo to his Bishopric, and had him in great honour, and gave him great Riches. And Mamumus not obtaining his desires, wrote many of his difficulties as Questions to Leo, and so procured some of his instructions in Writing, by way of answer, to his great satisfaction. And this is noted as the introduction of Learning into that Country, which since Mohammedanism hath famished.

I will here, to this purpose, cast in a brief History both for your afflicters sake and yours. It is the occasion of the translation of Philosophy from Greece unto the Saracene Arabians, as it is recorded by Caelius August. Curio Histor. Saracen. l. 2. and out of him by Hornius Hist. Philos. l. 4. p. 287, 288. Mamunus their Califf, or King, was a great lover of learning; in whose time there was among the Greek Christians one Leo a Bishop of Thessalonica, who for differing from those in power in the controversie about Images, which then troubled the Churches, was driven from his flock; and coming to Constantinople, he lived in a poor cottage privately; but being a most excellent Philosopher, taught many in his private School; so that many excellent Philosophers went out of it in a little time: Among whom one young man was taken prisoner by the Saracens in the Wars, who being excellent in Geometry, fell into the hands of a great man, by whom his fame was brought to the King; who trying him, and finding him to excel all his Philosophers, must know who was his Master. He told him, one Leo, a man that was frowned into obscurity and poverty, but a most excellent Philosopher. The King Mamumus was so inflamed with a desire of Leo, that he presently wrote to him, and offered him all the Honour and Riches that he could desire, so he would but come to him. Leo shewed the Letters to the Emperor at Constantinople; whereupon the Emperor not willing that such an honour should pass to his Enemy, gave him License to teach in publick. King Mamumus despairing of Leo, sendeth important Letters to the Emperor to beg Leo's presence but a little

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O that we were all such, that our worth might be our apology! and O that those who think it their interest to afflict such, and suppress them, and render them odious to the world, did better understand their own interest, and know on whom the dishonour will redound at last! which I wish not to befall them, but wish them to prevent.

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7. If you could procure Uniformity by the means of violence, it must be both got and kept up at dearer rates than the thing is worth.

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1. Uniformity must be purchased at the loss of Unity. If Violence drive mens bodies nearer together, it will make the heart-separation much wider. Christ hath said, that by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another: but not, By this, if ye all swear obedience to the Bishops, or subscribe that their Writings are infallible; or if ye use the same Liturgy, Cross, or Ceremonies. Our salvation lieth more on our unity in Faith and Love, than in our uniformity in things unnecessary. And that is the most prosperous state of the Church, in which mens salvation is most promoted. He that loveth not his brother whom he seeth daily, loveth not God whom he never saw. And he that hateth his brother, is a manslayer; and no manslayer hath eternal life abiding in him; and violence and cruelty are the great and known destroyers of Love. He that saith as some, Let them hate, so they fear; doth show that he hateth God and man, and will prove the greatest hater of himself at last.

1. Uniformity must be purchased at the loss of Unity. If Violence drive mens bodies nearer together, it will make the heart-separation much wider. Christ hath said, that by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another: but not, By this, if ye all swear obedience to the Bishops, or subscribe that their Writings are infallible; or if ye use the same Liturgy, Cross, or Ceremonies. Our salvation lyeth more on our unity in Faith and Love, than in our uniformity in things unnecessary. And that is the most prosperous state of the Church, in which mens salvation is most promoted. He that loveth not his brother whom he seeth daily, loveth not God whom he never saw. And he that hateth his brother, is a manslayer; and no manslayer hath eternal life abiding in him; and violence and cruelty are the great and known destroyers of Love. He that saith as some, Let them hate, so they fear; doth shew that he hateth God and man, and will prove the greatest hater of himself at last.

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2. You will wrong the King and Kingdom by depopulation, and weaken it so, that it may become not only the scorn of our common enemies, but their prey. For ought I can discern, you that have despised my predictions of that kind, have increased the number already manifold of those that dislike you and your way. ⟨p. 209⟩And if your self-conceitedness and unskilfulness shall first make most of the Kings subjects distaste you, and then your cruelty shall suggest that they must be punished till they love you, or be destroyed for disliking you, this will be but like the work of unhappy Surgeons, that must cut off the limb, because they have themselves made the wound uncurable. Believe it, the hanging or banishing of a few hundreds or thousands, will not do your business, but make it worse (I told you so long ago as to silencing, and you would not believe it); nay, it will make it incomparably worse: And if you banish or kill all that are against you, Land will be very cheap, and Houses cheaper; and others will call that Solitude, which you call concord, uniformity, and peace. And our unity will be like theirs in Moldavia and Wallachia. And who shall compensate the Kings damage?

2. You will wrong the King and Kingdom by depopulation, and weaken it so, that it may become not only the scorn of our common enemies, but their prey. For ought I can discern, you that have despised my predictions of that kind, have encreased the number already manifold of those that dislike you and your way. ⟨p. 209⟩And if your self-conceitedness and unskilfulness shall first make most of the Kings subjects distast you, and then your cruelty shall suggest that they must be punished till they love you, or be destroyed for disliking you, this will be but like the work of unhappy Surgeons, that must cut off the limb, because they have themselves made the wound uncurable. Believe it, the hanging or banishing of a few hundreds or thousands, will not do your business, but make it worse (I told you so long ago as to silencing, and you would not believe it); nay, it will make it incomparably worse: And if you banish or kill all that are against you, Land will be very cheap, and Houses cheaper; and others will call that Solitude, which you call concord, uniformity, and peace. And our unity will be like theirs in Moldavia and VValachia. And who shall compensate the Kings damage?

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3. And Foreign Churches and posterity will be brought by it to so great a hatred of Prelacy, that they will never be reconciled to it more, but prefer a poor and humble Ministry. And indeed it is already so known by its fruits, that I am much in doubt, the experience of it will alienate the people from that Primitive lawful Episcopacy which I would have them to desire. They say already, Give us the old, honest, humble, serious Puritans, that lived not upon Gold and Worldly greatness, and cherished not mens sins, that they might cherish them. Fruatur vocibus obscaenis omnique libidinis arte, Qui Lacedomonium Pytismate lubricrat orbem, Namque ibi fortunae veniam damus (alea turpis, Turpe & adulterium mediocribus): haec eadem illi. Omnia cum faciant Hilares, nitidique vocantur. Juv.

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I suppose you know how much it alienateth men from Popery, that their Religion must be fed, and live by blood; yea by precious blood. Some of you have written your wishes, that the course had been followed, which was begun in the days of Whitgift and Bancroft, when divers Nonconformists were hanged: And some have written, that it was not for Religion, but for Treason. As for Hacket and Coppinger, it's known they were cracked-brained men, pretending to be sent to judge the World, whom the Nonconformists condemned: which Bancroft himself in part confesseth. And whereas Dr. Sutliffe conjectured that Cartwright was privy to ⟨p. 210⟩all: Mr. Simeon Ash gave me a Manuscript, supposed to be Mr. Cartwrights own writing, fully confuting that accusation.

I suppose you know how much it alienateth men from Popery, that their Religion must be fed, and live by blood; yea by precious blood. Some of you have written your wishes, that the course had been followed, which was begun in the days of Whitgift and Bancroft, when divers Nonconformists were hanged: And some have written, that it was not for Religion, but for Treason. As for Hacket and Coppinger, it's known they were crackt-brain'd men, pretending to be sent to judge the World, whom the Nonconformists condemned: which Bancroft himself in part confesseth. And whereas Dr. Sutliffe conjectured that Cartwright was privy to ⟨p. 210⟩all: Mr. Simeon Ash gave me a Manuscript, supposed to be Mr. Cartwrights own writing, fully confuting that accusation.

The true fear of God will teach men to live and dye in patience. But while you your selves think that those that you afflict are wicked, and know that cruelty is the most powerful temptation to sinful self-defence, do you think that you will be innocent by such temptations? What if it were felony to cry! Were he innocent that would scourge men, women and children till they bleed, and then call out for Justice against the felons that cryed? Some men will think that your cruelties are of purpose to constrain or tempt some hypocrites into seditious words or deeds, that you may have matter to accuse the rest of. Rehoboams young Counsellors, in my opinion, could not justifie themselves from the guilt of all the sufferings of that King, by saying, It was the rebellious ten Tribes that did forsake him: It was an unhappy proof of their own Loyalty, to be the Counsellors of so great a temptation. We hate Rebellion and Treason so much more than such as these, that we would not have you say, The King shall have no Loyal Subjects that will not lay down their lives to shew their Loyalty: He that striketh the flint, is guilty of the fire: He that will kill, or banish, or undo men for nothing, to try if he can find any among them all that loveth his life better than his Loyalty or Subjection to Superiors, that he may prick him forward to Sedition by torments, will prove no Loyal Subject himself at last. I remember a person of Quality, more great than good, was reported to assault a Farmers house, to have defiled his daughters: But the door being bolted, and no threats would open them, one of his company bid him throw drown the Hive of Bee's in the Garden in revenge: The Bees, when the Hive was broken down, had almost stung the great man and his company to death. If the question was, Whether the owner or the Bees must be accused of the crime? I can only say, that the Counsellor was not innocent. And if a Thief should break into a Bishops house, and bind his Servants, and set a Pistol to the breast of one, and bid him disclose his Lords money, and he should dye rather than be guilty of disclosing it, and all the rest should dye save one, and that one should confess to save his life; I do not think it would be congruous for him that did affright him to it, to say, I am innocent (though perhaps he took not the gold himself);

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36