more largely expressed must needs be sound and consonant to the Principles and Practice of the Nonconformist Brethren and may safely be subscribed by them The Words of the 34th Article are these It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all Places one or utterly like for at all times they have been divers and changed according to the diversity of Countries Times and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word Whosoever through his private Judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of God and be ordained and approved by Common Authority ought to be rebuked openly that other may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common Order of the Church and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Man's Authority so that all things be done to edifying 5. If we desire a publick Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England touching this matter there is that of Mr. Thomas Rogers perused and by the lawful Authority of the Church of England allowed to be publick He in that Exposition declareth that the Church hath no Power to appoint what Rites or Ceremonies she will for she must decree none which be either for their own Nature impious or for Use superstitious or for their Weight over-heavy and grievous to be born or for their Worthiness in the Eyes of the Ordainers either of equal Price or of more account than the very Ordinances of God or against the Liberty of Christians and to the entangling of them again with the Yoke of Bondage or last of all any way contrary to the Commandments Word and Will of God But the Rites Ceremonies and Constitutions of the Church they must make altogether and tend both to the nourishing and increase of Love Friendship and Quietness among Christians and also to the retaining of God's People in the holy Service Worship and Fear of God according to the Rule of the Apostle Let all things be done honestly and by Order All Churches Reformed consent hereunto So Mr. Thomas Rogers pag. 105 106. No Nonconforming Brother will gainsay this 6. The Articles do not say that the Church hath Power to decree the Cross in Baptism nor is any Man obliged by his Subscription to them to declare that she hath but only such humane Rites or Ceremonies circa Sacra as be decent useful and no way contrary to God's Word Whether the Cross in Baptism and the Surplice in particular be decent useful and no way contrary to God's Word is a Question of another nature and doth not come into the present Debate For if it should be supposed that the Church hath no Power to decree the Cross in Baptism and the Surplice as being inconvenient and no way necessary yet will it not thence follow that she hath no Power to decree such other Rites and Ceremonies circa Sacra as are confessedly expedient and useful as to swear with the right Hand lift up to Heaven or laid upon the Bible and to give notice to the People at what time to assemble for publick Worship by ringing or tolling of a Bell. Even Dr. Ames himself whom no one acquainted with Church-Affairs can suspect to have been partial in this matter and too favourable to humane Ceremonies circa Sacra doth acknowledg that if there be no Error in humane Appointment touching the Place and Hour of God's publick Worship and the like things Constitutio illa habenda sit quasi simpliciter divina Medull Theol. l. 2. c. 14. num 28. that Constitution is to be held as it were simply Divine For that the Church do assemble for God's publick Worship at that Hour which all things considered is most convenient he grants is God's Will Now the ringing or tolling of a Bell is in the Judgment of Nonconformists themselves and all other sober Persons an apt Mean a prudential Ceremony Rite or Token of Man's Appointment For notifying to the Congregation at what Hour to assemble like the use of the Silver Trumpets under the Law Numb 10. And therefore the Hour so appointed being meet and convenient for God's publick Worship according to Dr. Ames's Concession in the foresaid Place Agnosci debet quasi à Deo constituta it ought to be acknowledged as it were appointed by God and consequently the foresaid humane Ceremony whereby the Hour is notified Which is sufficient for my present Purpose that there is nothing at all in the 20th and 34th Articles of the Church of England repugnant to the Principles of the Nonconformists but a full Agreement between both Sides as to this part of Subscription 7. For my part I think that the Church hath no power to decree the Cross in Baptism or any the like humane Ceremony therein My Reason is because Baptism it self is a Divine Ceremony and the Cross is a humane Ceremony and the Church hath no power to decree and annex a humane Ceremony to a Divine it being plainly superfluous and unnecessary there is neither Precept nor Example in all the Book of God to warrant such a Decree The Church hath no Power but for Edification 2 Cor. 10.8 and 2 Cor. 13.10 She may impose none but necessary things Acts 15.28 such as be some way necessary to Order Unity or Decency in God's Service which the Cross in Baptism antecedently to humane Imposition is not It is necessary that Baptism be done in a fit Place at a meet Hour by one authorized in a decent Garment in a sit Posture with fit Words and decent external Reverence and Solemnity but there is no necessity at all of the Cross or any the like humane Ceremony in Baptism Neither the Light of Nature nor the Institution of Christ nor the Practice of the Apostles and first Churches planted by their Ministry and recorded in Scripture for a Rule and Pattern to all succeeding Churches to the end of the World do warrant any such Decree and Imposition All needful Circumstances all that is any way requisite to the orderly decent laudable holy just and exemplary dispensing and partaking of Baptism may be observed without the Cross or any the like humane Ceremony To say the contrary is to reproach the Institution of Christ and his Apostles and the Churches planted by their Ministry and to set the Wisdom of Man above the Wisdom of God and bring in Arbitrary Government into the Church and lay a Foundation for numberless unnecessary humane Ceremonies in God's Worship as in the Papacy and great Evils and Desolations in the Church by inflicting doleful Penalties upon worthy and good Men who out of Conscience refuse Conformity to such unnecessary Decrees as the Event doth sadly manifest But that it is unlawful to use the Cross in Baptism while imposed by the Supream Authority of the Nation under
upon all the Princes and Potentates of the Earth and the Good he will adjudg unto everlasting Joy and the Wicked unto everlasting Fire 15. Dr. Parker afterward Bishop of Oxford in his Book of Religion and Loyalty par 1. p. 28. says It is but a crude Expression not to call it profane because it is so common by customary Mistake to affirm that Kings are Supreme Governours under Christ They are and ever were so under God but so as to be superiour to Christ as Christ is Head of his Church within their Dominions for as Head of his Church he ever owned himself subject to the Temporal Powers There are others * Mr. Buâ—rough's Irenicum p. 21. Mr Peâ—â—â—… Reformed Catholicâ— in the 〈◊〉 concerning Supremacâ— who hold the Kingdom of Christ to be twofold one as he is God and another as he is Mediator These are great Errors 16. As Christ is but one Person the Word made Flesh one Immanuel in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily so the Kingdom of Christ is but one ruling over the whole World in general for the Good of Militant Saints in special And tho Christ as Man in the Days of his Flesh and in his State of Humiliation owned himself subject to the Temporal Powers yet as now he is and since his Ascension hath been in his State of Exaltation at God's right Hand in Glory he is hath been and ever will be Superiour to all Temporal Powers It is Christ purposed to be Mediator who raised up Moses Joshua David Cyrus Alexander the Great and the rest of Kings and Princes under the Old Testament and was the Author of Magistracy then and it is the same Christ who being Mediator according to his eternal Purpose raised up Vespasian Titus Trajan Constantine Charles the Great Q. Elizabeth and the rest of Kings and Princes since his Ascension and who is the Author of Magistracy under the New Testament Tho the Mediator be Man yet not a mere and bare Man but that Man in whom dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 And he only is Mediator 17. Bp Andrews holds but one Place wherein external Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is founded and that is Mat. 18.17 Tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man By these Words he supposeth the major Excommunication appointed of Christ â—ortura â—orti p. 41 De exteriore foro ibi agitur exterioris fori jurisdictio illo nec alio loco fundata est there Christ treats of the exteriour Court the Jurisdiction of the exteriour Court is founded in that Place and no other 18. CertuÌ„ hoc â—uidem in â—heologia receptuÌ„ 〈◊〉 omniâ—â—s Non 〈◊〉 venisse â—hristum 〈◊〉 qui jam â—…te adâ—…ntum suâ—â—… crat â—â—…do vel â—â—…turae vel â—…olitiae euÌ„â—el inverâ—…et vel â—…erteret 〈…〉 â—ictuÌ„ maâ—â—… reddeâ—â—… Id. ib. p. 43. But herein Bp Andrews contradicts himself and the unanimous Judgment of all sound Divines who hold it for a sure Axiom that the Gospel doth not make void but establish Civil Order and Government founded in Nature and Natural Religion common to us and Heathens Christ came not to alter unhinge and overthrow the mutual Ties and Offices of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Master and Servant Prince and People but rather by his Example and the Effusion of his Grace upon his Disciples and Followers to render them more sacred and inviolable But how can this consist with his supposed Institution of a new exteriour Court and a new exteriour Jurisdiction in the Church superiour to and not dependent upon the State For such a new exteriour Court Supremacy and Jurisdiction is plainly Papal inconsistent with and repugnant to the supream Authority of Kings and Princes and Sovereign Civil Rulers in their several Territories and Dominions 19. And therefore it is evident that in these Words Tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen Man Christ instituted no exteriour Court no exteriour Jurisdiction in the Church But this is one of those Divine Rules which concern the inward Court of the Heart and the Jurisdiction of Christ there for this and the like holy Rules and Laws he doth by supernatural Grace write in the Hearts of God's Elect who are his Church the Mystical Body of Christ and thereby doth teach and enable them to shun the Society of obstinate and unreformable and incorrigible Sinners and to put a due difference between the Precious and the Vile Penitent and Impenitent ones to use their best endeavour privately and publickly to draw a scandalous Brother to Repentance and holy Amendment and if after all he will not be amended to leave him to God So that this whole Precept concerns the Conscience and inward Man and the sovereign Jurisdiction of Christ over the Heart inwardly and doth not at all concern external Jurisdiction nor give any colour for the founding of a new external Tribunal and external Jurisdiction in the Church superiour to Civil Supremacy and the Authority of sovereign Princes no such Thought could come into Christ's Heart 20. Finally all Jurisdiction is necessarily either spiritual and internal or temporal and external Spiritual and internal Jurisdiction is the absolute Prerogative of Christ and of God in and by him and is not communicable to any meer Creature Tho Christ make great use of Bishops Pastors and Ministers in his Church yet he himself is sole Head of it and sole Lord and King of the Conscience and inward Man He dwells in the Hearts of his People by Faith and all both Angels and Men owe absolute Subjection to him and to his supreme Jurisdiction for the everlasting Good of Militant Saints Temporal and external Jurisdiction is communicated by Christ to such in each Nation as bear the Sword and are supreme Governours under him and so what external Jurisdiction is regularly exercised by any in the Church is not from Christ but from the State and therefore the Jurisdiction of all the Ecclesiastical Courts in England is not by Divine but Humane Law dependent on the King and Parliament And all Protestant Divines agree that Jesus Christ the Mediator is Author of Magistracy but many of them I confess hold that he is not so as he is Mediator but as he is God Do but set aside this one very little word as and we are all agreed against Arians Socinians and all other Impugners of Christ's Deity and supreme Authority The Bishops are not Spiritual but Civil and Temporal Lords and their Courts accordingly Civil and Temporal Courts 1. THat they are Civil and Temporal Lords is evident for that they are made Lords by the King and State as truly as the Temporal Lords those I mean who really are so and are so called But no earthly King or State can make a Spiritual Lord none but God and the Lord Jesus
their pleasure 19. But now if this or that Ecclesiastical Court should claim to it self sovereign and independent Jurisdiction and should summon the King and Parliament to appear at its Tribunal under pain of Excommunication would they think themselves obliged to obey and make their Appearance and be uncovered and submit to the Sentence of the Ecclesiastical Judg as some of the Roman Emperors have done to the Pope even to the holding of his Stirrup and letting the Pope tread upon the Neck of the Emperor I trow not 20. By which it is plain that the Lordship and Jurisdiction of the Bishops and their Courts is not Spiritual but Civil and Temporal Humane Law ordains it and Humane Law may take it away lawful it may be but Divine it is not But the Evangelical Ministry consisting in Authority to preach the Gospel to dispense the Sacraments to labour in the Word and Doctrine to oversee the Flock of Christ and perpetuate the Church to the End of the World this Evangelical Ministry which is common to the Bishop and the Presbyter is not Humane but Divine it is not Civil and Temporal but Spiritual and Supernatural it doth not subsist by an Arm of Flesh but by the Word of God against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail for Jesus Christ who is the Author of it is the Living God King of Kings and Lord of Lords 〈…〉 and the only Potentate who will have a Church upon 〈…〉 Number of faithful Ones with whom he hath promised to be unto the End of the World Hitherto he hath made good his Word and been too hard for all his Adversaries Psal 2 Blessed are all they that trust in him 21. If indeed the Church of God were not a Spiritual but a Political Society then all both Bishops and Presbyters must needs be Spiritual Lords and Ecclesiastical Monarchs But it is as certain that the Church of God is a Spiritual and not a Political Society as it is certain that it is the Church of God by Faith in Christ and not the Church of Man 22. 〈…〉 be Processus in infinitum infinite Proceeding For 〈…〉 we must needs come to some first in whom the Church 〈…〉 was penitent Adam and Eve the common Parents of us 〈…〉 it is not to be doubted but that God after their Fall gave them Repentance and Pardon through Faith in Christ the promised Seed and so made them a spiritual Society and the first Church of the Redeemed as Dr. Field in his first Book of the Church chap. 4. sheweth agreeably to God's Word and the Grounds of Religion Gen. 3.15 But Adam and Eve two Persons one Husband and one Wife could not be a Political Society because they were a Conjugal Society as they were Husband and Wife and a Spiritual Society as they were true Believers in Christ the promised Seed both which Societies differ in kind from Political Society as all agree 23. Upon the increase and multiplication of sincere Converts and Persons regenerate there was a continnal Addition to the Church of such as should be saved Acts 2.47 The Incarnation Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ doth not alter the intrinsecal Nature of God's Church which is the same for substance in all Ages the Saints before Christ being saved through Faith in him as promised and the Saints after Christ being saved through Faith in him as exhibited he being the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The Apostles Commission was not to make a new Church differing in kind and substance from what had been before but to preserve that Church which was already in being and which Christ left on Earth at his Ascension and by their Apostolical Labours to inlarge and add to it and to make believing Jews and Gentiles one holy Society in Christ not a Political Society ruled by the Apostles as Ecclesiastical Monarchs and Spiritual Lords but a Heavenly Society ruled by the Apostles as spiritual Guides and Overseers through Faith in Christ the sole Lord and Head of the Church 24. Anciently God led his People like a Flock by the Hand◠〈◊〉 Moses and Aaron Psal 77.20 And so he leads his People now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—lock by the Hand of the Prince and the Pastor the Prince as Political Governour ruling by the Sword and the Pastor as Spiritual Governour ruling by the Word by holy Doctrine by dispensing Baptism and the Lord's Supper according to Christ's Institution by making himself an Ensample to the Flock So that tho the Pastor be a Ruler and Governour yet he is not a Political Governour he is not an Ecclesiastical Prince a Spiritual Lord an ambitious Prelate but a Minister of Christ And to make the Pastor by Divine Law a Political Governour of the Church is to make him a Pope an Antichristian Subverter of the lawful Supremacy of the Prince and a sacrilegious Invader of the Sovereignty of God by whom Princes rule Prov. 8.15 25. It is very evident that the Apostles themselves were but Presbyters tho they were not ordinary and common Presbyters they were furnished with extraordinary Gifts and Graces for the Work of the Ministry and infallibly inspired in the execution of their Office that 〈◊〉 might be Master Builders in God's Church But still they were bâ—â— Presbyters though extraordinary and preeminent ones and therefore Peter the first and Foreman of all the Apostles writing to ordinary and common Presbyters stiles himself Com-Presbyter their Fellow-Presbyter 1 Pet. 5.1 And if those Bishops of our time who claim to be Successors of the Apostles and superiour in Office Power and Authority to common Presbyters would but join Apostolical Wisdom Meekness Goodness Piety Love to the Truth Labour in the Word and Doctrine and Constancy in Well-doing with Apostolical Power and Superiority we would all reverence them as Apostles of Christ as Divine Officers as most worthy Instruments of God's Glory and think all the Churches happy in their Ministry But while they contend for Apostolical Power Preeminence and Superiority by Divine Right as to the Government of the Church in ordinary and suffer common Presbyters and Curates to excel them in the most principal part of the Apostolical Office which is labouring in the Word and Doctrine and lay the Peace and Unity of God's Church upon weak and beggarly Elements Gal. 4.9 upon things no ways necessary to Holiness and Unity in Christian Faith Hope and Love and had rather be a Sect and Party by themselves than unite with their Christian Brethren upon Apostolical Divine and Scriptural Terms in truth they undo their own Cause grieve the Hearts of the Righteous encourage the Wicked and give great advantage to the Papists and bring our Nation low and greatly sin against God and their own Souls 26. It 〈…〉 Rule and Maxim consented to by all that in aequali jure melior 〈…〉 possidentis where two or more are Competitors for a thing and one only can have it it is to be adjudged to him that is in possession that so there may be an end of all Strife and the Course of the World may be in quiet Now I would know of those Protestant Brethren who condemn the Papacy and yet contend that the Universal Church on Earth is a Political Society consisting of two Parts a ruling and a ruled Part which was the sole supreme ruling Part of the Universal Church on Earth at the beginning of the Reformation by Luther 1. They cannot say and prove that Christ was for Christ is God and God cannot be a bare ruling Part because a Part as such is imperfect is not all In all But God cannot be imperfect he cannot but be infinitely perfect all all 1 Cor. 15.28 He worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12.6 Of him 〈◊〉 through him and to him are all things Rom. 11.36 To make him a meer Political Ruler and governing Part of the Church is to make him a meer Man a worldly Monarch an impotent base and precarious God 2. Of necessity the Bishop of Rome was the sole supream ruling Part of the Universal Church Episcopus primae Sedis as Peter among the Apostles chief Ecclesiastical Monarch for no other laid claim to the Ecclesiastical Supremacy no other was in possession of it and therefore upon the Principles of those Brethren against whom I now argue the Protestants universally and the Church of England particularly were guilty of damnable Schism and Rebellion in breaking of from and setting themselves against the Papal Supremacy and are bound to turn Papists as of necessity to Salvation and to the Being and Unity of the Universal Church which according to their Principles cannot consist without a ruling Part without a Political Governour that is in plain English without a Pope 27. But if this Principle of theirs that the Church of God is a Political and not a Spiritual Society fail and prove ruinous as it needs must or I am deceived in the Grounds of Religion and do not understand the Points of the Catechism then the Ordination of Presbyter by Presbyters without a Bishop can never be proâ—â—â—…â—alid And those of the Church of England who hold the 〈…〉 Ministers because ordained by Presbyters without a Bishop to be no Ministers of Christ and consequently the 〈…〉 to be Nullities do greatly err 〈…〉 one 〈…〉 holy Catholick Church the 〈…〉 all such other 〈…〉 ordination by a Bishop 〈…〉 FINIS