A DISCOURSE OF THE NECESSITY OF Church-Guides , For Directing Christians in Necessary Faith .

WITH Some ANNOTATIONS on Dr Stillingfleet's Answer to N. O.

By R. H.

Printed in the Year , MDCLXXV .

BEfore my entrance upon the following Discourse it seems necessary to pre-acquaint the Reader with the occasion thereof .

§ . 11 Doctor Stilling fleet at the end of his Book of the Roman Idolatry , upon his Adversary's importunity , published Thirty Principles drawn up ( as he saith immediatly before them ) ‖ ‖ p. 557. to give an Account of the Protestants Faith , in the way of Principles .

In the 13th of which he affirms — That the Scriptures may be understood by all persons who sincerely endeavour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their salvation . Again in the 15th . — That these Writings contain in them the whole Will of God so plainly revealed , that no sober enquirer can miss of what is necessary for salvation . Again in the 19th — That the assistance which God hath promised to those who sincerely desire to know his Will [ where I suppose he means such assistance as includes not that which God hath promised to Christians from the direction and instruction of his Ministers ; for , this assistance here , is opposed by him to that ] may give them greater assurance of the truth of what is contained in the Books of Scripture , than it is possible for the greatest Infallibility in any other persons to do , supposing they have not such assurance of their Infallibility . [ Where you may observe that it follows much more ; may give them greater assurance , than it is possible for the highest Church-Authority , Wisdome , Learning , or Divine assistance , short of Infallibility , in any other persons to do ] . And so in his first Consequence he saith — There is no necessity at all or use of an infallible [ I add , much less of a fallible ] society of men to assure men of the truth of those things of which they may be certain without [ them ] ; and cannot have any greater assurance [ than that they have already ] supposing such Infallibility to be in them .

§ . 2 These his Principles were considered ; and especially the forenamed opposed , by a Roman Catholick ; as appearing to him not only untrue , but of most dangerous consequence ; as being very derogative from Church-Authority , as to these chief parts of their Office , the Expounding of the Scriptures ; the Teaching and Guiding Christ's Flock in all Truth necessary to be known by them ; and their Defining also matters of Necessary Faith , as Controversies in them do arise , and Requiring from their Subjects a Belief of them ; and also very hazardous to mens salvation , in leaving each private person to entertain in Religion , especially as to points thought more necessary ( in which therefore the Scriptures also are affirmed by the Doctor more plain ) , what in his own judgment , after a to him-seeming sincere perusal of them , he likes best ; even though a much major part of Christianity , reading the same Scriptures , assert the contrary ; and this without any obligation of submitting his judgment in such things to his Spiritual Superiours .

§ . 3 And indeed from some such Principle it seems to be ; that Luther , ( when he had said to himself ‖ ‖ De abrogand Missâ privat praefat. — Tu solus sapis ? Totne errant , universi ? And — Quoties mihi palpitavit tremulum cor ? ) reencouraged himself to proceed in his Reformation , though contradicting the whole World ; viz. Because the Scriptures were cleare , and for him , against them all : often using S. Paul's — Licet Angelus de Caelo , &c. Gal. 1. The Holy Scriptures the rest of the Christian World had read as well as himself , but he meanwhile was conscious only of his own sincere endeavour ; and so the Principle secured him that he did not mistake , if any such point were necessary , wherein he opposed them . From such Principle was the confidence of the Protestants , then but a very few , against the sacred Council of Trent , i. e. all the other Church-Governours of that Age ; Soave Hist. Couc . Trid. p. 344.641 . when they desired , that the Authority of the Fathers might be qualified with a — Fundantes se in Scripturis . Of which fundantes , whether it were so , or no , they themselves , for themselves at least , would be the Judges .

From such a Principle , the Socinians departed from the whole Church of God , Ancient , Modern , only pleading the Scriptures clear on their side . See Volkelius De Vera Relig. l. 5. c. 7. — Praesertim ( saith he ) si sapientiam a Deo petat , quam ille nemini denegat : i. e. if using their prayers and sincere endeavours , though not consulting or obeying any Guides , or the Church ; — Quam in iis quoque rebus , quae ad salutem sunt necessariae errare constat . From such Principle it is that the Presbyterians ‖ ‖ Reasons shewing Necessity Reform . p. 5. denied Subscription to the 39. Articles except this clause were added , [ so far forth as the same Articles were agreeable to Gods Word ] of which , [ how farre ] they make themselves the Judges ; And so also do the many latter Sects ; who , for a sufficient knowledge in all necessary points and triall of the Doctrine of their Teachers therein , need nothing more than a Bible , and learning to read . From such Principle that Mr. Chilling worth denies that any Church-Authority ( not excepting the first four General Councils , ) hath just cause to oblige others to receive their Declarations in matters of Faith . ‖ ‖ c. 4. §. 18. And elsewhere saith † † c. 6. §. 5● — That the Bible , the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants : and that the belief of any thing besides Scripture , and the plain irrefragable indubitable consequences of it [ indubitable , i. e. to those , on whom they are imposed ] cannot [ i. e. by Protestants ] with coherence to their own grounds be required of any without most high and most Schismatical presumption . From such Principle , that Dr Stilling fleet accuseth the whole Church Catholick , Eastern and Western , for so many Ages before the Reformation , of so manifold an Idolatry ; where his own sincere endeavour to understand the Scriptures in so necessary a point , he holds , cannot be mistaken ; and therefore all that World must be so . And thus what opinion may not One maintain against all , if he have first a confidence concerning himself , that he hath used a requisite industry ( which industry also must not be maintained greater than the meanest condition of life may practise ) ; and so , that Scripture is clear to him in all necessary matter ; and , Next , ( the consequent of this ) if he have a perswasion concerning others , how many soever , ( whom , by their differing from him , he knows to be in an errour ) , that either they have been defective in a sincere enquiry ; or , having , with him , discerned the Truth , yet for some secular ends falsify it ?

§ . 4 From this Principle , also proceeds that Assertion ; That there is amongst Christians no Necessity of any other Judge ( infallible , and much less fallible , ) save Scripture only , for deciding Controversies in any points necessary : which seems to engage the Assertors to the maintaining also of one of these two very harsh Propositions ; either , ¹ That all such points , as are in controversy among Christians , are no Necessaries ; but that it must pass for a matter of less moment , as any thing becomes disputed : and particularly , No necessity of believing or practising on the Protestants side , for his attaining of salvation , any of the points agitated between them and the Roman-Catholicks : Which Proposition seems of a very hard digestion to be allowed & abetted by those Reformers especially , who make such Declamations against the hainousness of the Roman corruptions of the sense of Scripture even in the highest matters of God's Worship , and Mysteries of our Redemption : As , in giving the Divine Worship to a Creature ; in the doctrine of Justification ; Merit of mens good Works . &c. Or ² engageth them else to the maintaining of this other proposition ; that , though the Scriptures are so clear in some of those points in controversy ( for , so they say they are in all Necessaries ) , as that no illiterate person using a convenient endeavour can mistake in them , yet de facto that the much Major part of the Christian world , having and perusing the same Scriptures , is and hath been mistaken in them for many ages ; and hath thought the Scriptures clear to the contrary : which seems , on the other side , a thing as hard and incredible ; viz. to deny to so many Men and Ages , for understanding the Scriptures , the using of such a just endeavour , as any unlearned Protestant doth , or may employ .

§ . 5 Lastly ; from this Principle seems naturally to proceed ; in such a Church as holds it , a Toleration of all Opinions that pretend Scriptures for themselves ( however it comes about that those of Roman-Catholicks find little favour by it ) ; because there is no just reason of suppressing the assertions of any party , where is no competent Judge of deciding the truth in them , save the same Scriptures which , read by both sides , yet do not end the Debate . A Toleration of all Opinions I say ( save perhaps such as invade and disturbe the Civil Peace and Government ) . Among which opinions tolerated also some will be Heresies , ‖ ‖ 1 Cor. 11.19 . unless these men tell us , by what Judge these shall be declared such , and so excluded . That Toleration of opinions was a Consequence of this Principle Mr Chillingworth † † See ch. 4. clearly saw ; and so pleaded much for it , as only well consistent with Protestant Grounds . Of which see more below . §. §. 38. &c. 96.

§ . 6 Vpon such Consequences as these , then , N.O. was moved to write some brief Considerations and Reflections on these Principles ; observing herein the Method that they prescribed to him . But now , since Dr Stilling fleet hath not at all followed the same ( though his own ) order in his Reply ( whereby would more clearly have appeared the many things therein that have received no answer ) I also in this Rejoinder shall take the liberty to change the former method of the Considerations , and briefly to repeat N. O's Conceptions especially such as relate to the forementioned Principles , reduced into such an order as they may be more applicable thereto ; and then consider , how far the Dr's Replies have rebated their force , or confirmed his own Positions . And , after this done , lest a considerable part of the Dr's Book , expatiating to other subjects , which , if nothing pertinent to N. O's Considerations , yet may appear to some very important to the Protestant Cause , may seem unspoken to , I shall accompany the Reader through his whole Book with Annotations , following his Discourse whither it leads me ) , on the passages that appear to me more remarkable : and so I shall leave all to the judgment of the prudent and piously disposed , of what present perswasion soever , who , not zealous for a party , seeks after Truth .

§ . 7 Only I am first to acquaint him with this in general : That the two main Pleas of the Dr , and N. O , ( as to a Christian's attaining a right belief in all necessaries to salvation ) are Obedience and submission of Judgment to the Church's Determinations , on the one side ; and every Christian's Liberty of Judgment in their perusing the Scriptures , on the other . Where he will easily discover , that the interest of those , who contend for Liberty , engageth such persons , to deny and evacuate the Infallibility and non-mistaking of any Ecclesiastical Guides , even as to the same Necessaries , wherein yet they affirm the Clearness of Scripture to every Christian using a right endeavour ; so that none can safely herein adhere to their sentence and judgment , wherein yet he may to his own . Again , their interest ; to set forth to the uttermost the defects and failings of these Guides ; their oppositions , and contradictions ; and of every one so much the more , as he claims a greater Authority : and therefore no wonder , if the Pope is no better treated by them : To charge them , whether Prelates or Synods , with passion , ambition , covetousness , or the like , in their proceedings : To rip up and publish any their infirmities or vices , whereby they may be thought less fit to be Guides of other mens Ignorance , or Conscience ; or Judges of their Differences : as if inferior and private persons were free from such passions and self interests ; and not born in a state , where some opinions better served their profit & preferment than others , & where such engagements clouded their Judgments .

§ . 8 To press a non-necessity of Deciding Controversies ; For , this thing would call for some publick Judge : And , To diminish and abridge points of necessary Faith as much as may be ; Because all such points must be affirmed so clear that no honest endeavour can mistake in them : and , because thus the Liberty of Opinion in all other points may the better be justifyed , upon the account of their not being necessary : and to inveigh much against the Multiplicity of the Articles of Faith , that have been imposed by the Church's Councils : To extend the Title of Catholick to all Churches professing Christianity , Because these men allow no certain Judge to determine Heresy or Schisme , which may exclude any Church from being Catholick ; and because they hold only those points to be necessary to salvation that are so cleare in Scripture , as that all Churches agree in them .

§ . 9 To plead much the Liberty and just authority of Particular Churches , and of Civil States , to correct and reform within their Dominions whatsoever Errours and Corruptions in Religion : As indeed it is most necessary they should those , which first by a Lawful Ecclesiastical Authority are stated to be so . But , how such Errours and corruptions shall first be certainly known and distinguished from what are certain Truths , and lawful-practices , which ought to precede a proceeding to reform them , This useth to be passed over by them in silence .

So ; To speak much of the lawful liberty and power of particular Churches & States to change & alter , improve , abolish , ( according to several Constitutions of the Civil Government ) things that are not essential to Christian Religion nor expresly prescribed by our Lord or his Apostles ; but , to say nothing meanwhile , how , what are or are not such Essentials , or so commanded , shall certainly be known and decided ; Yet which acting the other necessarily presupposeth the stating of this . But , wisely , little talk they have of this , because such thing would inferr a Judge in these matters beside Scripture .

§ . 10 To limit the Authority of such Spiritual Guides ; that it obligeth not , when any thing is repugnant to plain Commands of Scripture ( which , it seems , either these Governours cannot see , or will dissemble ) ; or , when any other way found not agreeable to Gods Word ; and then judging , themselves , when it is , or is not so ; Or ( if their own judgment may seem too partial ) making an appeale to the judgment of Common Reason against these Guides ; as if both they , and the Major part of the Christian World that follow them , had no such faculty , or that this Common Reason were only in a few . Again that such authority obligeth not in any thing repugnant to the Evidence of Sense ; as if either such evidence were not considered by these Persons in Authority ; or , that they had not their senses so perfect , as other men . To distinguish between the several Ages of the Church ; and allow more Authority to the Governours of the past , ( as thinking themselves more out of their reach ) ; than , of the present .

To annul as much as in them is the Subordinations of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy ; or render them arbitrary and dependent on Civil States ; and to level as much as may be their authority and Jurisdiction ; introducing such a Polyarchy into the Catholick Church , as would not be endured in a Temporal Government ; nor is indeed suffered by wise Princes in a National Church within their own Dominions . [ I will have one Doctrine , and one Discipline ; one Religion in substance , and in Ceremony : said King sames . ‖ ‖ Conference at Hampt . Court . ]

§ . 11 To inveigh against the Immunityes and priviledges of the Church , either given at first by our Lord , or added by the favour of Princes , when become her sons and subjects , and to suggest to them an invasion of their Rights ; To mingle and confound the Jurisdiction of the Ecclesiastical and Civil state ; and borrow aids from the one , as need is , to relieve their subjection to the other . To require a joint concurrence in the Secular Power for the ratification of all Clergy-Acts , though in purely Spiritual Matters ; whereby neither any Church-Doctrine nor Government can be established in such State , which It prohibits ; and contrary Constitutions and Laws and Reformations are introduced into the Church , as the secular Magistrate is variously inclined or informed ; and Ecclesiastical Controversies transferr'd into the Civil Courts ; they not so well observing the Consequences hereof , when a Julian or a Constantius appears ; and that , if the secular Magistrate should be of a Religion or Sect disliked by them , ( suppose a Presbyterian , or a Roman-Catholick ) such his Spiritual Authority turns to their disadvantage ; and that the same Ecclesiastical Rights of the Civil Power will destroy Protestancy elsewhere , as here support it : And that ( as S. Austin ‖ ‖ Epist. 48. minded the Donatists preferring a Secular judgment in their Cause before the Church's ) — Judicium Illius [ scil. Principis ] quem Vestri elegerunt , quem Judicibus Episcopis praetulerunt , justissime contra vos custodictur .

§ . 12 To press much the Scriptures , that may seem to relate the Corruptions and fallings away of the Clergy ; Matt. 24.4 , 5 , 23 , 24. Act. 20.29 , 30. — 2 Thes. 2.3 , — 1 Tim. 4.1 . — 1 Joh. 4.1 . — Gal. 1.8 . that bid us to beware of false Prophets , and to try the Spirits , and to adhere to the Gospel ( by which they can only mean , to that which in their own judgment is the sense of it ) though an Angel from heaven should teach the contrary ; to take heed of Seducers and false Guides , that should appeare in Christs name ( applying such things to the Canonical Judicature of the Church , and not to themselves rather ) and to tell the people of Antichrists that are to come , and store of false Miracles that are to be done ; That they are bid to prove all things , and hold that which is good [ i.e. what they judge so ] That if the blind lead the blind both must fall into the ditch : That the Apostles claimed no dominion over mens Faith &c.

All these for a — Dirumpamus vincula eorum & projiciamus a nobis jugum ipsorum , I mean that Yoke of Church-Authority committed to these our Ecclesiastical Superiours by our Lord Christ Jesus , and for the gaining freedome of judgment and liberty of opinion , and declining of Obedience . All which things , any way vilifying Superiours , and having somthing Satyrical in them , are ordinarily received with much applause by our corrupt Nature uncorrected by Grace ; which loves to have a Soveraignty placed in it self , and to be made Judge of its Judges , and relucts against nothing so much as a captivating of the Understanding .

§ . 13 But indeed the effects of such yoke thrown off , and of such a Liberty established in stead thereof , seem to be very sad . For , besides * the Sin of Disobedience to those our Lord Christ hath set ever us , ( if indeed they be such Spiritual Guides to whom we owe Submission of Judgment ) ; * the heaviness of the Church's Censures and Anathemas , ( if these should be justly incurred by us ) ; * the liability of the more illiterate and ignorant sort of Christians ( which are the most ) of falling into farr more and more gross and fundamental errours , than can possibly come from Obedience and Submission to the Church-Governours , though supposed also fallible ; and * the great sins both in a Christian's Practice and in the Divine Service , which such errours may bring along with them ; Besides a continual unsettledness in a belief that is founded on our own judgment , very mutable , as things are differently represented to it ; and hastily resolving many times only because seeing few doubts ; and , not because there are not , but because we perceive not , the difficulties ; Besides the solicitude and jealousy , that such persons ought to have , concerning their not having sufficiently studied the grounds of their Faith , or used a competent diligence to inform themselves of the truth , ( without which they may still miss of it ) : Besides all these , I say ; it happens , that several judgments reading the Scripture , and understanding it in a several way , all assured of its Clearness in Necessaries , and confident of their own Sincerity ( which they cannot be of another's ) , hence Sects and variety of Opinions ( according to men's different capacities ) become infinitely multiplied ; Hence Censuring also and vilifying of their Spiritual Superiours , whose errours they think they clearly discover , — ( which Spiritual Pride , and conceitedness in Religion , and Contradiction to Superiours , saith Dr St. ‖ ‖ Serm. on Act. 24.14 . are to be reckoned among the worst Symptomes of a declining Church ) : Hence also in such diversity of opinion happens an alienation of Affections ; and so , very great Divisions and Factions . As we see , that those Sects departed from the Church of England no way agree amongst themselves ; and when any of them , by their extraordinary increase , gets any power and dominion ever the rest , there presently follows a proportionable endeavour to advance and propagate it self and root out the other : because they would have all men of the very best Rel●gion , that is , their own .

§ . 14 And it seems a great Inadvertency in those , who are now marshalling up all their Arguments and Forces against an unlimited Church-Authority , and against the Vsurpurs of an unjust Ecclesiasticall Power , and Exactours of an undue submission and Obedience , to take so little notice of those other more dangerous enemies , who are marching up in the reare of them , under pretence of being their Auxiliaries in this warr : Whenas they have great cause to fear ( so soon as any Opportunity may be offered ) their making use of those Armes , I mean Arguments and Principles , wherewith they now furnish them , for attempting the demolishing also of that Church-Authority , the first Reformation hath as yet left standing : To which , though hitherto by them unsuccesfully assaulted , yet they no way appear reconciled .

§ . 15 Neither in this Division of Opinions , naturally flowing from such a Principle , and , as Experience hath shewed , very mischievous in its effect , doth there appear any possibility of the reducing such a mixt and heterogeneous Body to a firm Union and Peace ; where is no Judge to end their differences , but only that , whose Language , misunderstood , causeth them ; I mean , the Scriptures . Which last Consideration was one of Mr. Chillingworth's Motives for reconciling himself to the Roman-Catholick Religion — Because ( saith he ‖ ‖ Motive 10 Pref. §. 42. ) by denying all humane authority , either of Pope , or Councils , or Church , to determine Controversies of Faith , they have abolished all possible means of suppressing Heresy , or restoring Unity to the Church .

§ . 16 To Which , at his return to Protestantisme , for the satisfying himself and others , ( if any have the curiosity to know it ) be devised this Answer . 1st , for the means of suppressing Heresy — That all men should believe the Scripture [ i.e. it to be Gods Word ] and endeavour to believe it in the true sense : for that so none such can possibly be an Heretick : saith he . But here , first , how shall any assure himself of having used a right endeavour ? Next , of those who do not so endeavour some may be Hereticks ; and , if Hereticks , ought to be suppressed ; and cannot be suppressed without some Judge of their nonendeavours , and of their Heresy , besides themselves ; and such Judge is the thing this man would decline . Lastly , If God hath appointed some spiritual Guides for directing people in the belief of Scripture in its true sense , a right endeavour cannot be used herein , without repairing to , and learning it from , them ; the dependence on whom , for not incurring Heresy ; this Author would avoid . 2ly . For preserving Unity in the Church , That there be a Comprehension of all Sects and Opinions within the pale of one Communion ‖ ‖ Pref. §. 43. — That ( saith he ) no more be required of any man to make him capable of the Church's Communion than this , that every one endeavour to believe Scripture in its true sense . So he . Now , this men may equally do , in their believing it in a most contrary sense , according to their different capacities ; and the agreement that thus can be among them will be only tolerating all disagreements . Of which see more in the following Discourse §. 96.

§ . 17 I meet also with another English Divine , who , in his Satisfaction concerning True Religion , conjecturing the causes of the late great increase of Popery in England , pitcheth upon this very san●e thing , that induced Chilling worth to Popery — Nothing ( saith he ‖ ‖ p. 178. ) among us ( except ignorance and wickedness ) increaseth Popery more than the scandal of our numerous and some of them abominable Sects , when the people see many zealous Professours turne Quakers , or Ramers , or Seekers , or Antinomians , or Socinians , or Familists ; and shall See the more tolerable parties ( Episcopal , Presbyterian , Independent , Erastian , Separatists and Anabaptists ) condemning backbiting reproching making odious ( if not persecuting ) one another , and shunning many of them the Communion of one another as they do the Papists , This makes them think that they must seek some surer , soberer way , than any of us have yet found . This cause of the increase of Popery he truly discerned , viz. the continual increase of Sects in all Partyes , save Popery ; and for this , Men , that dread the hazards of the next world more than this , flee apace into the Catholick Church , there to find an unity of Faith , and be at some certainty and rest . But , how shall the cause of the increase of Popery be removed ? Or , how can such a Principle in a Church , as the forementioned , proceed to any cure of it ? Of one sort of these Sectarists divided from the Bishops he himself is ; How can he deny to others the liberty he takes ? Or must he not come at last only to Mr Chillingworths device ; where is no Judge , 1 an universal Toleration of all good Endeavourers to understand Scripture ; and ² an Internal Communion of Charity ( for , an External , the Rites of which may please , or at least may continue to please all parties , can never be invented ; nothing being more controverted than concerning the Celebration , Ceremonies , Vertue , &c , of the Sacraments ) ; But it seems by him , neither will those be attained where is such diversity of Opinions : but , ( to repeat his words ) — There will be condemning , backbiting , reproching , making odious ( if not persecuting ) one another , and shunning many of them the Communion of one another , as they do the Papists . [ I add , from Experience ; And suppressing and crushing one another , as any of them gets power . ]

§ . 18 These then are the Ways , that the Patrons of Christians Liberty usually take for its defence ; and these seem the Effects of it , where allowed : whilst the Contenders for Obedience and Submission of Judgment to our Spiritual Superiours and Guides take quite the contrary Course . They endeavour to plant in all their Subjects the greatest reverence and esteem of the Lords Clergy , and Ministers , of their learning , wisdome , piety , and the assistance of Gods Holy Spirit preserving them for ever , at least in their highest Courts of Jndicature , in all Necessary truth . They maintain a strict Subordination in the Church's Hierarchy , and an Vnity of Government in the Catholick Church , though spread thorow never so many several temporal Dominions : all subjected to one Supreme Court and President thereof ; and to the same Definitions and Laws , as to matters purely spiritual ; and these no way alterable by Civil States . They urge the great Heresies in the highest points of Faith , that the sharpest Wits in former times have fallen into by departing from the sense of the Church ; The greater men's parts are , they being more prone , when swayed by Interest , or passionately addicted to a party , to embrace and believe the most absurd opinions ; because they can discover , and are furnished with , more plausible arguments , and Verisimilities , to maintain them . They press the necessity of an Unity both in Faith , and Communion ; and , of the latter its including also the first ; a varying of faith varying also the publick Divine Worship and Service . They defend and urge a necessity also of the Church's many Definitions in the Faith from time to time as any dangerous opinions invade it ; and so , the Faith also by the Divine Providence is continually made more distinct clear and illustrious ; and the Adherents to it more united , from such oppositions ; and they maintain the Authority of the Church in all ages the same , and equall , and equally assisted from Heaven to crush the one , and defend the other ; else , that the giving way to diversity of Opinions would at last leave no Fundamental of the Christian Faith unshaken , and unquestioned ; Atheism stealing in by certain degrees from indulging too great a latitude in the Faith . Rom. 12.16 . 2 Cor. 2.9 . Heb. 13.7 , 17. — 1 Cor. 1.10 . — Rom. 16.17 . — Phi , 3.16 . They press the Scriptures that recommend Humility , captivating the Intellect , not being wise in our own conceit , and that command in all things Obedience — that they should all say one thing , and that there should be no Schismes among them ; but that they should be perfect in one sense , and one knowledg . — That they should continue in the same Canon or Rule . And — Mark those that make dissensions and scandals contrary to the doctrines which they had learned , and avoid them . Which precepts cannot be observed , unless , there be in the Church some Persons , whose judgment , doctrine , faith , spirit , all the rest are to follow and conform to .

§ . 19 The effects also of which Obedience to those Guides seem to be quite different from those former ones of Liberty ; and as happy , as the other unfortunate : Great unanimity peace and concord in the Members of such a Church ; where , in stead of continual consultations concerning his Religion , and that made by every laick from Generation to generation , without any settlement in those matters , the consideration of which belongs to the Councils of the Church , is a stable Vnion in Faith and Doctrine , with such a well grounded confidence of these Guides their not erring herein , as there remains no expectation of having something amended , nor fears of having it altered . Where the main business is to believe and practise , as these teach him ; and a great readiness to part with any opinion which may perhaps be different , so soon as the Church is known by him to teach the contrary ; And , in any storm that happens to arise in the Church and divide these Governours , He suffers no distraction to whom to pay this his obedience ; in any opposition of Inferiours giving it always to the Superiour Ecclesiastical , Persons , or Councils : Again , in any Controversy concerning the judgment or sentiment of Antiquity , or former Church , acquiescing in the Sentence of the present ; whose authority he esteems no whit inferiour to that of past Ages ; and both to be guided by the same Holy Spirit .

§ . 20 Thus the humble Christian , by an happy resignation of his Judgment where our Lord seems to him to demand it , enjoyes a perpetual peace and rest from dispute , together with all his fellow-members of the same Body , as to all those matters of greater moment , wherein these his Spiritual Superiours have published their judgment ; with much less trouble to himself , and more truth ; not by studying the Controversies , but assenting to the Church's Decisions of them ; and so remaining safe in his Faith without being Learned . And lastly , this Unity of Faith and Doctrine in such a resolved Obedience is accompanied also with a much firmer league & union of Charity ( the latter being hardly to be attained , or long continued , without the former ) ; and with a blessed Vniformity also of God's Publick Service and Worship and of the External Communion of the members of such a Church entirely the same in all Nations , ( though no one Society & Communion of Christians is so universally extended and diffused as it ) . In which , Communion and Worship , the Faith , being once changed , presently makes some alterations , ( as it did in Luther's days ) : and none can continue long together in their Communion , who are divided in their Faith . By all these effects the security of such an Obedience seems much preferrable to the perpetual instability of private men's liberty ; and the plea for it much more preservative of Church-Authority , the Authentick Conservator and Expositor of Holy Scripture ; and more becoming a Clergy man . But , as it seems much more to be desired , so , whether it be also sufficiently maintained , I leave to the equal Reader 's judgment in the perusal of the following Concertations : from which therefore I shall no longer detaine him . Domine , illumina tenebras nostras .