nounced incidentally, and therefore the more indubitably, in various memorials of that day. Heyrick, Warden of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, and a member of the Westminster Assembly, had protested strongly in 1648 against the Independent doctrine of Toleration as a violation of the Solemn League and Covenant.* But his attendance in the Assembly proved of service to him, and contact with superior minds opened his own to larger views. For we learn from the curious and instructive autobiography of Adam Martindale,† that at a later period, "when moderation was growne in fashion," Mr. Heyrick came down into the country, "so perfect a Latitudinarian as to affirme that the episcopale Presbyterians and Independents might all practise according to their owne judgments, yet each by divine right." Cromwell understood the full extent of the claims of religious liberty, as is admitted by Baxter himself, no prejudiced witness, better than most of his day; and the growth of this tolerant spirit must be largely ascribed to his firm and equitable rule. Baxter, in whom is embodied the spirit of the old English Presbyterianism, is the authority to which we shall now recur for evidence of the catholic and practical tendency by which it was actuated; and if we quote somewhat copiously from his Narrative of his Life and Times, it is because we are anxious to establish a fact, which no writer, so far as we know, has hitherto brought out into the prominence that it deserves, though it is indispensable to the right understanding of our religious history. During his ministry at Kidderminster he printed a sermon, under the title of The True Catholic, and The Catholic Church described, of which he thus speaks:§ "It is for Catholicism against all sects; to show the sin and folly and mischief of all sects that would appropriate the Church to themselves, and trouble the world with the question, Which of all these parties is the Church? as if they knew not that the Catholic Church is that whole which containeth all the parts, though some more pure and some less : especially it is suited against the Romish claim, which damneth all Christians beside themselves; and it detecteth and confuteth dividing principles for I apprehended it a matter of great necessity to imprint true Catholicism on the minds of Christians; it being a most lamentable thing to observe how few Christians in the world there be that fall not into one sect or other, and wrong not the common interest of Christianity, for the promoting of the interest of their sect. . . . . . If they can but get to be of a sect which they think the holiest (as the * Ware's History of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, vol. i. p. 394. † Published for the first time, from the original Ms., by the Chetham Society. Chetham Publications, vol. iv. p. 63. Life and Times, pp. 72 and 96. § Ibid. p. 112. Anabaptists and Separatists), or which is the largest (as the Greeks and Papists), they think then that they are sufficiently warranted to deny others to be God's Church, or at least to deny them Christian love and communion." When Baxter was requested to prefix a recommendatory epistle to the collected works of the Westminster Assembly, he expressed his hope, while commending them as useful for the instruction of families, that the "Assembly intended not all in that long confession, and those catechisms, to be imposed as a test of Christian communion, nor to disown all that scrupled any word in it." This went too far for some of the London ministers. Dr. Manton, who superintended the publication, inserted Baxter's epistle with the omission of this passage. In the provinces his efforts to introduce a catholic bond of union among Christians, met with more acceptance. Speaking of the Worcestershire Association of Ministers, he says: “ Though we made our terms large enough for all, Episcopal, Presbyterians, and Independents, there was not one Presbyterian" (i. e. strictly so called) "joined with us that I know of (for I knew but of one in all the county), nor one Independent (though two or three honest ones said nothing against us), nor one of the new prelatical way (Dr. Hammond's), but three or four moderate Conformists that were for the old Episcopacy; and all the rest were mere Catholics; men of no faction nor siding with any party, but owning that which was good in all, as far as they could discern it; and upon a concord in so much, laying themselves out for the great ends of their ministry, the people's edification."+ The Ministers thus associated were, he tells us in another passage, "for number, parts, and piety, the most considerable part of all that county, and some out of some neighbouring counties that were near us. There was not, that I know of, one thorough Presbyterian among them."‡ The following passages deserve attention, as throwing light on the tendency of the age: "The greatest advantage which I found for concord and pacification was among a great number of ministers and people who had addicted themselves to no sect or party at all; though the vulgar called them by the name of Presbyterians; and the truth is, as far as I could discover, this was the case of the greatest number of the godly ministers and people throughout England. For though Presbytery generally took in Scotland, yet it was but a stranger here; and it found some ministers that lived in conformity to the bishops, liturgies, and ceremonies (however they wished for reformation); and the most (that quickly after were ordained) were but young students in the universi* Life and Times, p. 122. + Ibid. p. 97. + Ibid. p. 148. ties, at the time of the change of Church government, and had never well studied the point on either side: and though most of the ministers then in England saw nothing in the Presbyterian way of practice, which they could not cheerfully concur in, yet it was but few that had resolved on their principles: and when I came to try it, I found that most (that ever I could meet with) were against the jus divinum of lay-elders, and for the moderate primitive episcopacy, and for a narrow congregational or parochial extent of ordinary churches, and for an accommodation of all parties, in order to concord, as well as myself. I am sure, as soon as I proposed it to them, I found most inclined to this way, and therefore I suppose it was their judgment before; yea, multitudes whom I had no converse with, I understood to be of this mind; so that this moderate number (I am loth to call them a party, because they were for Catholicism against parties), being no way pre-engaged, made the work of concord much more hopeful then else it would have been, or than I thought it to be when I first attempted it."* Baxter promoted associations on these broad principles of Church union in various parts of England. On which he remarks: "Upon the publication of our agreement, the ministers in most counties began to take the business into consideration; and though some few of the ancient" (i.e. strict) "Presbyterians were against it, and thought it would bring the Presbyterian government into contempt, or hinder the execution of it, when it had been agreed on by so grave a Synod at Westminster, and established by the Parliament, and therefore they rather desired a strict execution of the ordinance of Parliament, and an agreement on those terms; yet the most of the godly, faithful ministers, as far as I could learn, were for it; for as we hindered no man from following his own judgment in his own congregation, so we evinced beyond denial that it would be but a partial, dividing agreement to agree on the terms of Presbyterian, Episcopal, or any one party, because it would unavoidably shut out the other parties; which was the principal thing which we endeavoured to avoid; it being not with Presbyterians only, but with all orthodox, faithful pastors and people, that we are bound to hold communion, and to live in Christian concord, so far as we have attained. Hereupon many counties began to associate, as Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, Hampshire, Essex, and others; and some of them printed the articles of their agreement. In a word, a great desire of concord began to possess all good people in the land, and our breaches seemed ready to heal. And though some thought that so many associations and forms of agreement did but tend to more division, by showing our diversity of apprehensions, the contrary proved true by experience; for we all agreed on the same course, even to unite in the practice of so much of discipline as the Episcopal, Presbyterians, and Independents are agreed in, and as crosseth none of their principles: and * Life and Times, p. 146. they that thought the expression of the churches' desires in various words of prayer in public, was better than a stinted form for all churches necessarily to use, should not think that the expression of our consent to the same things is a dividing way, because it is done in various expressions; for this liberty greatly helped unity; for many a one would have scrupled some particular words in such an imposed form of concord, who yet would accord in the substance of the work."* How all that were favourable to Church union on the principles here described, whether ministers or laymen, were then vaguely designated Presbyterians, appears from the following passage: "Here you may note, by the way, the fashion of those times, and the state of the Presbyterians. Any man that was for a spiritual, serious way of worship (though he were for moderate Episcopacy and Liturgy), and that lived according to his profession, was called commonly a Presbyterian, as formerly he was called a Puritan, unless he joyned himself to Independents, Anabaptists, or some other sect which might afford him a more odious name. And of the Lords, he that was for Episcopacy and the Liturgy was called a Presbyterian, if he endeavoured to procure any abatement of their impositions, for the reconciling of the parties, or the ease of the ministers and people that disliked them. And of the ministers he was called a Presbyterian that was for Episcopacy and Liturgy, if he conformed not so far as to subscribe or swear to the English diocesan frame, and all their impositions. I knew not of any one lord at court that was a Presbyterian; yet were the Earl of Manchester (a good man), and the Earl of Anglesea, and the Lord Hollis, called Presbyterians, and as such appointed to direct and help them; when I have heard them plead for moderate Episcopacy and Liturgy myself, and they would have drawn us to yield further than we did."+ These extracts are sufficient to prove Baxter's tendencies, and the wide sympathy that he met with throughout the country. For the knowledge of this fact we are not dependent on his testimony alone. Every record of the time of the Commonwealth attests the prevalence of Latitudinarian principles among numbers who were connected historically with the Episcopalians and the Independents. Even at the outbreak of the war, it has been observed by several of our historians, that the great parliamentary leaders, Pym, Hampden, and others, were less opposed to the Church than at war with the clergy. Their object was not destruction, but reform. Baillie, strong Presbyterian as he was in the strictest sense, admits that "the learnedst and most considerable part of England were fullie Episcopall; and that of those who joyned with the Parlia† Ibid. part ii. p. 278. * Life and Times, p. 167, part ii. ment, the greatest and most countenanced part were much Episcopall. After the Restoration, when strong reaction set in, and religious factions on both sides ran into violent extremes, men of this moderate, catholic stamp, such as Bates and Howe, were still designated Presbyterians. Baxter, from his indefatigable energy and dauntless honesty, stood conspicuous among them, and impressed on the party its historical character and significance. The name with all its traditions survived the Revolution, and passed into the eighteenth century. It included all whose spirit was liberal and tolerant, and who were inclined to ecclesiastical comprehension. The Tory Squire, so graphically described in Addison's Freeholder, thought the neighbouring county very fortunate that it had "scarce a Presbyterian in it except the bishop."* Calamy, in his Defence of Moderate Nonconformity, written at the commencement of the last century, is only enforcing the doctrine of Baxter, when he says, "I know many that the world calls Presbyterians that are of no party." "Those (whether in or out of the Church) whose principles and spirit are against narrowing or straitening the terms of Christian communion, by adding to what our Lord has plainly appointed, are a very considerable and increasing number. Let such persons be in the Church, nay, and dignified in it too, and they shall yet be called Presbyterians." We find the same tone, perpetuating Baxter's spirit, comprehensive and conciliatory, anxious not for the overthrow but for the widening of the Anglican establishment, reechoed in the writings of Pierce, Chandler, and Towgood, who were all eminent Presbyterian ministers in the earlier half and the middle of the last century. We wish to call particular attention to the avowed aim and tendency of a large section of the old Nonconformists of England, and to the circumstances of their historical origin, because, in the present attitude of the most numerous and active body of Dissenters towards the Church, it is a fact constantly overlooked and forgotten; and we think that a more distinct recognition of this fact might help at once to give to Nonconformity a deeper sense of the real worth and significance of its social position, and to remind the Church of some duties which it yet owes to the country, if it is to retain in any sense the title of national. Baxter was preeminently a representative man. He gave emphatic utterance in the seventeenth century to a deep spiritual * No. 22. Reply to Hoadly and Ollyffe, 1703, part i. p. 259; Postscript, p. 250. Pierce's Defence of the Dissenting Ministry, p. 60, London, 1717; Chandler's Case of Subscription, &c., 1748; Towgood's Dissent from the Church of England. |