burning of all that they are able who are in the condition before mentioned This upon the matter is the great Principle of their Religion All persons that will not be subject at least in spirituall things to the Pope are to be hanged or burned in this World or by other means destroyed and damned for ever hereafter This is the substance of the Gospell they Preach the centre wherein all the lines of their writings doe meet and to this must the holy pure word of God be wrested to give countenance Blessed be the God of our Salvation who as he never gave mercilesse men power over the Souls and eternall condition of his Saints so he hath began to work a deliverance of the outward condition of his people from their Rage and cruelty which in his good time he will perfect in their irrecoverable ruine In the mean time I say the guilt of the blood of millions of innocent persons yea Saints of God lyes at their doors And although thingâ— are so stated in this Age that in some Nations they have left none to kill in others are restrained that they can kill no more yet reteining the same principles with their Forefathers and justifying them in their paths of blood I look upon them all as guilty of Murther and so not to have eternall life abiding in them being as Cain of that wicked one who slew his Brother I speak not of individualls but of those in generall that constitute their governing Church 2. Most false and such as nothing but either judiciary hardnesse from God sending men strong delusions that they might believe a lye or the dominion of cursed lusts pride ambition covetousnesse desire of Rule can lye at the bottome of For 1. It is false that the union of the Catholick Church in the notion now under consideration consists in subjection to any Officer or Officers or that it hath any peculiar forme constituting one Church in Relation to them or in joynt participation of the same individuall Ordinances whatever by all the members of it or that any such onenesse is at all possible or any unity whatever but that of the Faith which by it is believed and of the Truth professed 2. It is most ridiculous that they are this Catholick Church or that their communion is comprehensive of it in its latitude He must be blind uncharitable a judge of what he cannot see or know who can once entertaine a thought of any such thing Let us run a little over the foundations of this Assertion First Peter was the Prince of the Apostles It is denied Arguments lye clear against it The Gospell the Acts of the Apostles all confute it The expresse testimony of Paul lyes against it our Saviour denies it that it was so gives Order that it should not be so The name and thing is forreigne to the times of the Apostles It was a Ministry not a Principality they had committed to them therein they were all equall It is from that Spirit whence they enquired after a Kingdome and Dominion before they had received the Spirit of the Gospell as it was dispensed after Christs Ascension that such assertions are now insisted on But let that be supposed what is next He had an Vniversall Monarchicall Jurisdiction committed to him over all Christians For Christ said Tues Petrus tibi dabo claves pasce oves meas But these termes are barbarous to the Scripture Monarchy is not the English of vos autem non sic Jurisdiction is a name of a right for the exercise of civill power Christ hath left no such thing as Jurisdiction in the sence wherein it is now used to Peter or his Church Men do but make sports and expose themselves to the contempt of considering persons who talke of the institution of our Lord in the languages of the last Ages or expressions suitable to what was in practice in them He that shall compare the fraternall Church admonition and censures of the primitive institution with the Courts Powers and Jurisdictions set up in pretence and colour of them in after Ages will admire at the likenesse and correspondency of the one with the other The administration of Ecclesiasticall Juâ—isdiction in the Papacy and under the Prelacy here in England had no more relation to any institution of Christ unlesse it be that it effectually excluded the exercise of his institutions then other civill Courts of Justice among Christians have Peter had the Power and Authority of an Apostle in and over the Churches of Christ to â—each to instruct them to ordaine Elders in them by their consent wherever he came so had the rest of the Apostles But as to this Monarchie of Peters over the rest of the Apostles let them shew what Authority he ever exercised over them while he and they lived together We read that he was once reproved by one of them not that he ever reproved the meanest of them If Christ made the grant of preheminencie to him when he said Tu es Petrus why did the Apostles enquire afterwards who among them should be greatest And why did not our Saviour on that dispute plainly satisfy them that Peter was to be chiefe But chose rather to so determine the Question as to evince them of the vanity of any such enquiry And yet the determination of it is that that lyes at the bottome of the Papall Monarchy And why doth Paul say that he was in nothing inferiour to any of the Apostles when if these Gent say true he was in many things inferiour to Peter What speciall place hath the name of Peter in the foundation of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21. 14. What exaltation hath his Throne among the Twelve whereon the Apostles judge the World and house of Israel Mat. 19. 28. What Eminencie of commission for teaching all Nations or for giving sinnes What had his keys more then those of the rest of the Apostles Joh. 20. 3. What was peculiar in that triple command of feeding the sheep of Christ but his triple deniall that preceded Is an injunction for the performance of duty a grant of new Authority But that we may make some progresse suppose this also Why this Power Priviledge and Jurisdiction of Peter was to be transferred to his successors when the power of all the other Apostles as such dyed with them But what pretence or colour of it is there for this Assertion What one title or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there in the whole book of God giving the least countenance to this imagination what distinction between Peter and the rest of the Apostles on this account is once made or in any kind insinuated Certainly this was a thing of great importance to the Churches to have been acquainted with it When Paul so sadly tells the Church that after his departure grievous Wolves would spoyle the flock and many among themselves would arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them why did he not give
latter sence also The plea about Metropoliticall Churches I suppose will be thought very impertinent to what I have now in hand so it shall not at present be insisted on That the state of Churches in after Ages was moulded and framed after the patterne of the civill Goverment of the Roman Empire is granted And that conformity without offence to any be it spoken we take to be a fruit of the working of the mystery of Iniquity But that there was any such order instituted in the Churches of Christ by the Apostles or any instituted by the Authority from the Lord and Ruler is utterly denyed nor is any thing but very uncertaine conjectures from the sayings of men of after Ages produced to attest any such order or constitution When the order spirituality beauty and glory of the Church of Christ shall returne and men obteine a light whereby they are able to discerne a beauty and excellency in the inward more noble spirituall part indeed life and soul of the worship of God these disputes will have an issue Chrysostome sayes indeed that Corinth was the Metropolis of Achaia but in what sence he sayes not the Politicall is granted the Ecclesiasticall not proved nor are we enquiring what was the state of the Churches of Christ in the dayes of Chrysostome but of Paul But to returne If any one now shall say will you conclude because this evill mentioned by the Apostle is Schisme therefore nothing else is so I Answer that having before asserted this to be the chiefe and only seat of the Doctrine of Schisme I am inclinable so to do and this I am resolved of that unlesse any man can prove that something else is termed schisme by some divine writer or blamed on that head of account by the Holy Ghost elsewhere and is expressly reproved aâ— another crime I will be at Liberty from admitting it so to be But yet for what may hence by a parity of Reason be deduced I shall close with and debate at large as I have professed The Schisme then here described by the Apostle and blamed by him consists in causelesse differences and contentions amongst the members of a particular Church contrary to that of love prudence and forbearance which are required of them to be exercised amongst themselves and towards one another which is also termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 15. 21. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 16. 13. And he is a Schismatick that is guilty of this sinne of Schisme that is who raiseth or entertained or persisteth in such differences nor are these termes used by the Divine writers in any other sence That any men may fall under this guilt it is required 1. That they be members of or belong to some one Church which is soe by the institution and appointment of Jesus Christ And we shall see that there is more required hereunto then the bare being a Believer or a Christian 2. That they either raise or entertaine and persist in causelesse differences with others of that Church more or lesse to the interruption of that Exercise of love in all the fruits of it which ought to be amongst them and the disturbance of the due performance of the duties required of the Church in the worship of God As Clement in the forementioned Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. That these differences be occasioned by and do belong to some things in a remoter or nearer distance appertaining to the worship of God their differences on a Civill account are elsewhere mentioned and reproved 1 Ep. cap. 6. for therein also there was from the then state of things an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 7. This is that Crime which the Apostle rebukes blames condemnes under the name of Schisme and tells them that were guilty of it that they shewed themselves to be carnall or to have indulged to the flesh and the corrupt principle of selfe and their own wills which should have been subdued to the obedience of the Gospell Mens definitions of things are for the most part Arbitrary and loose fitted and suited to their severall apprehensions of Principles and conclusions so that nothing cleare or fixed is generally to be expected from them from the Romanists description of Schisme who violently without the least colour or pretence thrust in the Pope and his Head ship into all that they affirme in Church matters least of all I can allow men that they may extend their definitions of things unto what they apprehend of an alike nature to that which gives rise to the whole disquisition and is the first thing defin'd But at this I must professe my selfe to be somewhat entangled that I could never yet meet with a definition of Schisme that did comprize that was not exclusive of that which alone in the Scripture is affirmed so to be Austins Definition contains the summe of what hath since been insisted on saith He Schisma ni fallor est eadem opinantem eodem ritu utentem solo Congregationis delectari dissidio Gâ—n Faust lib. 20. cap. 3. by dissidium congregationis he intends separation from the Church into a peculiar Congregation a definition directly suited to the cause he had in hand and was pleading against the Donatists Basil in Epist ad Amphiloch Con. 44. distiguisheth between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as he makes Schisme to be a division arising from some Church controversies suitable to what those dayes experienced and in the substance true so he tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when either Presbyters or Bishops or Laicks hold unlawfull meetings Assemblyes or Conventicles which was not long since with us the only Schisme Since those days Schisme in generall hath passed for a causelesse separation from the communion and worship of any true Church of Christ the Catholick Church saith the Papist with a relinquishment of its society as to a joynt celebration of the ordinances of the Gospell how farre this may passe for Schisme and what may be granted in this description of it the processe of our discourse will declare In the mean time I am most certain that a Separation from some Churches true or pretended so to be is commanded in the Scriptures so that the withdrawing from or relinquishment of any Church or society whatever upon the plea of its corruption be it true or false with a mind and resolution to serve God in the due observation of Church institutions according to that light which men have received is no where called Schisme or condemned as a thing of that nature but is a matter that must be tryed out whether it be good or evill by vertue of such generall rules and directions as are given us in the Scriptures for our orderly and blamelesse walking with God in all his wayes As for them who suppose all Church power to be invested in some certain Church Officers originally I meane that
in their own continuance they cannot be so yet in their Authority Lawes and Canons they may I must say that besides the very many Reasons I have to call into question the Power of Lawmaking for the whole Society of Christians in the World in all the Generall Councells that have been or possibly can be on the Earth the dispute about the Title of those Assemblies which pretend to this honour which are to be admitted which excluded are so endlesse the Rules of judging them so darke lubricous and uncertaine framed to the interest of contenders on all hands the Lawes of them which de facto have gone under that Title and Name so innumerable burthensome uncertain and frivolus in a great part so grossely contradictory to one another that I cannot suppose that any man upon second thoughts can abide in such an assertion If any shall I must be bold to declare my affection to the doctrine of the Gospell maintained in some of those Assemblies for some hundreds of years and then to desire him to prove that any Generall Councell since the Apostles fell asleep hath been so convened and mannaged as to be enabled to claime that Authority to it selfe which is or would be due to such an Assembly instituted according to the mind of Christ That it hath been of Advantage to the Truth of the Gospell that Godly Learned men Bishops of Churches have convened and witnessed a good Confession in reference to the Doctrine thereof and declared their abhorrencie of the Errors that are contrary thereunto is confessed That any man or men is are or ever were entrusted by Christ with Authority so to convene them as that thereupon and by vertue thereof they should be invested with a new Authority Power and Jurisdiction at such a convention and thence should take upon them to make Laws and Canons that should be Ecclesiastically binding to any Persons or Churches as theirs is not as yet to meattended with any convincing evidence of Truth And seeing at length it must be spoken I shall doe it with submission to the thoughts of good men that are any way acquainted with these things and in sincerity therein commend my Conscience to God that I doe not know any thing that is extant bearing clearer witnesse to the sad degeneracy of Christian Religion in the profession thereof nor more evidently discovering the efficacy of another Spirit than what was powred out by Christ at his Ascension nor containing more hay and stubble that is to be burned and consumed then the stories of the Acts and Laws of the Councells and Synods that have been in the World 2. But to take them as they are as to that alone wherein the first Councells had any evidence of the presence of the Holy Ghost with them namely in the declaring the doctrine of the Gospell it falls in with that which I shall give in for the bond of union unto the Church in the sense pleaded about 3. Such an Assembly arising cumulative out of particular Churches as it is evident that it doth it cannot first and properly belong to the Church Generall as such but it is only a means of communion between those particular Churches as such of whose representatives I mean vertually for formally the persons convening for many years ceased to be so it doth consist 4. There is nothing more ridiculous then to imagine a Generall Councell that should represent the whole Catholick Church or so much as all the particular Churches that are in the World and let him that iâ— otherwise minded that there hath been such an one or that it is possible there should be such a one prove by instance that such there have been since the Apostles times or by Reason that such may be in the present Age or be justly expected in those that are for to succeed and we will as we are able crowne him for his discovery 5. Indeed I know not how any Councell that hath been in the World these 1300 years and somewhat upwards could be said to represent the Church in any sence or any Churches whatever Their convention as is known hath been alwaies by Imperiall or Papall Authority the persons convened such and only they who as was pretended and pleaded had right of suffrage with all necessary Authority in such conventions from the Order Degree and Office which personally they hold in their severall Churches Indeed a Pope or Bishop sent his Legate or Proxie to Represent or rather personate him his Authority But that any of them were sent or delegated by the Church wherein they did preside is not so evident I desire then that some man more skilled in Laws and Common usages then my selfe would informe me on what account such a convention could come to be a Church Representative or the persons of it to be representatives of any Churches Generall grounds of Reason and Equity I am perswaded cannot be pleaded for it The Lords in Parliament in this Nation who being summoned by Regall Authority sate there in their own personall right were never esteemed to represent the body of the people supposing indeed all Church power â—â—n any particular Church of whatever extract or composition to be solely vested in one single person a collection of those persons if instituted would bring together the Authority of the whole But yet this would not make that Assembly to be a Church Representative if you will allow the name of the Church to any but that single person But for men who have but a partiall power Authority in the Church and perhaps separated from it none at all without any delegation from the Churches to convene and in their own Authority to take upon them to represent those Churches is absolute presumption These severall pretensions being excluded let us see wherein the Vnity of this Church namely of the great society of men professing the Gospell and obedience to Christ according to it throughout the World doth consist this is summoned up by the Apostle Eph. 4. 5. one Lord one Faith one Baptisme It is the Vnity of the doctrine of Faith which men professe in subjection to one Lord Jesus Christ being initiated into that profession by Baptisme I say the saving doctrine of the Gospell of Salvation by Jesus Christ and obedience through him to God as professed by them is the bond of that union whereby they are made one body are distinguished from all other societies have one head Christ Jesus which as to profession they hold and whilest they doe so are of this body in one professed hope of their calling Now that this Vnion be preserved it is required that all those grand and necessary Truths of the Gospell without the knowledge whereof no man can be saved by Jesus Christ be so farre believed as to be outwardly and visibly professed in that variety of waies wherein they are or may be called out thereunto There is a proportion