Judgments upon our Nation CHAP. IV. NOW for Schism Papists Presbyterians aend Independents Schismaticks Numb 16. that is a sin of that magnitude and heinous nature that God did open the earth and swallow up men alive for it and sent a miraculous Fire to consume the first Beginners of Schismatical Worship And of the Samaritans that worshipped God in Schism our Lord says Ye know not what ye worship John 4.22 Now this Schism was in opposing the lawful Officers which God had appointed to minister about holy things and venturing upon the Sacred Function without any orderly warrant to do it And 't is as plain a case that Christ has appinted Officers and Governours in his Church and committed all the World to their Government in their respective Capacities in things relating to his Worship John 20. As my Father sent me that is to appoint Officers and with Authority to rule and govern my Church all over the World so send I you not Peter onely to do the like Again Matth. 28. Go make disciples in all nations and lo I am with you to the end of the world Further Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned So all the World were bound by the command of our Saviour to receive the Apostles and such as they sent to preach the Gospel for they could not speak to all men personally and be ruled by them according to the Gospel or else they were to be damned These Apostles gave in charge also to the Bishops and Pastors to rule and govern the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.28 Over which the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops They are to exhort and rebuke with all authority let no man despise them Titus 2.15 They are to receive Accusations and examine Witnesses 1 Tim. 5.19 and therefore must have a Summoner to cite the Offender and a Register to write down the Informations and Depositions They are to rebuke before all that others may fear 1 Tim. 5.20 The People are commanded likewise to obey them that have the rule over them and to submit themselves for they watch for their souls as they that must give account Heb. 13.17 They are to know them that labour among them and are over them in the Lord and admonish them and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake not for their Birth or Parts or natural Accomplishments but as Ministers of Christ for their works sake 1 Thess 5.12 13. They are in case of offence given to receive them with fear and trembling 2 Cor. 7.15 And lest any should despise this Authority which our Lord has given he has said Matth. 18.18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven And John 20.23 Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Here is abundantly enough to demonstrate that Christ has appointed Governours in his Church and commanded all men to obey them And therefore to despise their Office to contemn their Authority and withdraw from their Communion and to invade their Charges is a crying sin that will bring Gods Judgment upon a Nation But the Question is still Who are the Governours that must be thus obeyed and who are to send and appoint them Now 't is plain that this Authority is from Christ and where he gave it he gave the Holy Ghost also with it John 20. Receive the Holy Ghost And 't is plain the Apostles having received the Holy Ghost did convey it to other Pastors who were ordained by them Acts 20. Govern the Church over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops And When Anamas told a Lie to S. Peter he says Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie against the Holy Ghost So that those that derive Authority in an orderly way by Succession from those who have power given them to give the Holy Ghost for the work of a Bishop Luther tom 2. ep fol. 41. Tu ex mea parte explores an vocationem suam possint probare Neque enim Deus unquam aliquem misit nisi vel per hominem vocatum vel per signa declaratum ne ipsum quidem filium those are such Governours to whom we must yield obedience and in opposing of them we shall oppose Christ If any pretend to this Authority and cannot shew they had it from them who were enabled to bestow the Holy Ghost they must shew miracles to prove it For 't is not Knowledge alone or the Choice of the People or the Appointment of the Magistrate that can give the Holy Ghost that must come from Christ or some of those that received that power by Succession from him And this is the Opinion of all Protestant Churches in their Confessions when it may be had and has been the constant Tradition of the whole Church and all the Catholick Writers in all Ages The Augustane Confession Art 14. Concerning the Ecclesiastical Order we teach that none ought publickly to teach or administer the Sacraments unless he be rightly called as Paul does give in charge to Titus that he should appoint Elders in every City The French Confession Art 21. We believe that the true Church of Christ ought to be governed by that Polity or Discipline which our Lord Jesus Christ established that there should be in it Pastors Presbyters or Elders and Deacons Art 31. We believe it is not lawful for any one to invade the government of the Church by his own Authority We believe that this rule ought to be followed that all Pastors Elders and Deacons ought to have a testimony of their calling Matth. 28.10 16. Mark 16.15 John 15.16 Acts 1.21 Rom. 10.15 Tit. 1.5 Gal. 1.15 1 Tim. 3.7 8. Art 32. We believe that those that are chosen Governours of any Church should take care amongst themselves how the whole body may be most conveniently governed yet so as they do not depart in any thing from the Institution of our Lord Jesus Christ But this does not hinder but that there may be a peculiar Institution in all places as shall seem most convenient Acts 14.23 15. 25.28 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Pet. 5. The Dutch Confession Art 31. We believe that Ministers Elders and Deacons ought to be called to their Functions and promoted by the lawful election of the Church with serious prayer to God for that purpose and in that order and manner which is prescribed in the Word of God The Bohemian Confession Art 19. They teach that the Ministers of the Church to whom the Administration of the Word and Sacraments is committed ought to be rightly instituted according to the Prescription given by our Lord and his Apostles Wherefore prayer being made by the Elders
themselves under the pretence of being Dissenters and the multitude of Divisions does make careless people believe there is no such thing as Religion at all which is too too evident by the prodigious growth of Atheism and Irreligion ever since these Divisions have been countenanced in 41 under the colour of being favourable to Tender Consciences and indulging to the weakness of Sober Protestants CHAP. III. HEresie and Schism being in themselves crying sins and the causes of Ignorance and Profaneness we must see in the next place upon whom the charge of these Crimes must be laid that so we may find out the true means to redress them And first because the word Protestant is so much used in the style of our times Anabaptists and Quakers Hereticks I will begin with the sense of the Protestant Churches abroad concerning some Heresies that are preached and openly maintained by many that are now called Sober Protestants And first I will begin with Baptism which is wholly laid aside by the Quakers and denied to all Infants as unnecessary by the Anabaptists contrary to the express Word of God John 3.5 that says Except any one be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God that is either re or voto when ordinary means are not to be had Hence the Augustan Confession of greatest account and most generally received in Protestant Churches beyond the Seas says cap. 9. Of Baptism they teach that it is necessary to Salvation as a Ceremony instituted by Christ and that the grace of God is offered by Baptism and that Infants are to be baptized and that Infants commended to God by Baptism are received into the favour of God and are made the Children of God as Christ does witness They do condemn the Anabaptists that reject Baptism of Infants and that do affirm that Infants may be saved without Baptism and out of the Church The French Confession Art 35. We acknowledge two Sacraments onely common to the whole Church of which the first is Baptism given us to testifie our Adoption because by it we are engrafted into the Body of Christ that being washed by his Bloud we may also be renewed unto holiness of life by his Spirit Besides though Baptism be a Sacrament of faith and repentance nevertheless since God does receive into his Church parents with their posterity we affirm that Infants that are born of holy parents are to be baptized by the authority of Christ Acts 22.16 Rom. 6.3 Matth. 3.11 Mark 16.16 Matth. 19. The Dutch Confession Art 34. We believe that every man that desires to attain eternal life ought to be baptized with the one Baptism that is once onely Neither doth this Baptism profit onely in that moment when the water remains upon us but throughout the whole time of our life Therefore we detest here the error of the Anabaptists who are not content with one onely Baptism once received but also condemn the Baptism of Infants that are born of faithful parents The Saxon Confession Art 14. The Son of God sitting at the right hand of his everlasting Father is so efficatious in him as S. Paul saith to the Galatians As many as are baptized into Christ have put on Christ And he affirms the Holy Ghost is given in Baptism when he saith in Titus By the laver of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost And in John 't is said Except any one be born again of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven We teach therefore that Baptism is necessary and we baptize none but once onely We retain the Baptism of Infants because it is certain the promise of grace does also pertain unto Infants and to them onely who are engrafted into the Church Now we have seen what is the sense of the Protestant Churches concerning these Anabaptists and Quakers that either wholly set aside Baptism as useless or not necessary or at all belonging to Infants let us inquire what was the Opinion of the Ancient and Catholick Church in this matter That the practice of baptizing Infants was universal throughout all Ages of the Church is clear from Tertullian S. Cyprian and Origen and all the Fathers in the following Ages And when Pelagius denied the Doctrine of Original Sin and the Necessity of Supernatural Grace in that sense which the Church had always received it he did also deny the Necessity of Baptism for Infants which opposition of his to the Catholick Truth caused several Councils to condemn his Heresies and was the occasion of S. Jeroms and S. Augustines and many other ancient Fathers Writings about this subject Hence we have the Decree of the Council Milevis confirmed in the 77th Canon of the African Codex It pleaseth us that whosoever he be that doth deny that little Children that are newly born from their Mothers womb ought to be baptized or saith that they are baptized for the remission of sins but that they derive nothing of original sin from Adam that ought to be cleansed by the laver of regeneration From whence it does follow That the Form of Baptism for the remission of sins is not understood to be true but false and feigned let him be an Anathema because that cannot be understood which was spoken by the Apostle By one man sin came into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all forasmuch as all have sinned unless in that manner that it has been understood by the Catholick Church every where spread abroad throughout the world And because of this rule of faith even Infants who could commit no sins in their own persons are truly baptized for the remission of sins Vide epist Celest ad Episc Gall. that that may be cleansed through regeneration which they derived from their first generation Afterwards the Acts that were past in condemnation of this Doctrine of Pelagius were sent to the third General Council held at Ephesus and there confirmed by the universal Church Act 5. Relatio Conc. Eph. gen 3. ad Celest act 5. The Commentaries of the things that were decreed and constituted by your Piety in the deposition of the wicked Pelagians and Celestians of Celestius Pelagius Julianus Persidius Florus Marcellinus Orentius and of those that are of the same opinion with them being read in the Synod we have also judged that they ought to remain firm and valid and we decree the same thing with you and account them deposed And that you may be more certain of this we have sent you the Commentaries and the Subscriptions of the Synod It were easie to prove the same more largly throughout the Christian Church in all Ages ever since so that the Quakers and Anabaptists being Hereticks by the Word of God as it has been generally understood by Protestant Churches and the Church Universal before their time if they be openly tolerated to profess and propagate their Heresie it must needs bring down Gods
let them be confirmed in the Congregation to this work by the laying on of hands And they refer to Heb. 5. to S. Paul's Epistles to Timothy and Titus and then say Wherefore no man is permitted to exercise the Office of a Priest amongst us but he that is called and instituted according to these precepts as it is meet The Canons of the Dutch Church speak more fully in this matter Can. 5. It pleaseth that exact account should be taken in Provincial Synods and that such order should be appointed for the good of the Church as necessity doth require Can. 6. It shall be lawful for none to exercise the Ministry in private places or Hospitals or any other place whatsoever unless he be admitted according to the foregoing Canons and he shall be subject to the Laws of the Church as well as any others The French Canons say the same of Ministers La disciplin des Eglise c. par Huisseau Can. 24. Ministers shall not wander up and down neither shall they have liberty to thrust themselves in by their own authority where they please Can. 26. A Minister that shall thrust himself into a place although he be approved by the people cannot be approved by the neighbour Ministers or others but shall be brought to the cognisance of the Colloquy or Synod of the Province Can. 57. Those that shall thrust themselves into the Ministry in Provinces and places where the pure Ministry is already established shall be sufficiently admonished to desist and in case they shall persevere they shall be declared Schismaticks as also they that follow them if they do not forsake them after they have been admonished of the same The Assembly of Divines in their Confession of Faith Chap. 30. The Lord Jesus as King and Head of his Church hath appointed a Government in the hand of Church-officers distinct from the Civil Magistrate Chap. 31. For the better Government and further Edification of the Church there ought to be such Assemblies as are commonly called Synods or Councils It belongeth to Synods and Councils ministerially to determine Controversies of Faith and Cases of Conscience to set down Rules and Directions for better ordering of the publick Worship of God and Government of his Church to receive Complaints in cases of male Administration and authoritatively to determine the same that is by silencing those that will not conform to them Let us see what Order the Universal Church made in these matters Codex Can. Eccl. universal Can. 4. which is the renowned Decree of the first General Council held at Nice A Bishop ought to be appointed by all the Bishops that are in the Province but if this be difficult by reason of some urgent necessity or because of the length of the way the Ordination ought to be made by three at least gathered together and the rest that are absent approving what is done and giving their consent by their Letters And the Confirmation of all that is done in every Province must be by the Metropolitan Can. 5. of the same Council If any man be excommunicated whether he be a Clergyman or a Layman let this Sentence be observed by the Bishops in every Province according to the Canon which does require that those that are rejected by one should not be received by another And so they that have manifestly offended the Bishop shall be held justly excommunicated till it shall seem good to the Company of Bishops to decree a gentler Sentence Can. 83. If any Bishop that is deposed by a Synod or any Presbyter or Deacon that is deposed by his Bishop shall offer to exercise any thing of his Ministry whether he be a Bishop according to the custom going before or a Priest or a Deacon he shall not have any hopes of being restored in a Synod nor be permitted to make any Apologie for himself And let all that joyn in Communion with him also be cast out especially if they shall joyn with him after they know this Sentence is pronounced against him Can. 84. If any Presbyter or Deacon shall despise his own Bishop and separate himself from the Church and hold a Congregation and set up an Altar and will not hearken to his Bishop when he calls him nor obey nor submit to him when he calls him once and twice let him be wholly deposed and that without remedy and with utter incapacity of receiving his Honour again but if he persist to make disturbance and raise Schisms in the Church let him be restrained as a seditious person by the Secular Powers Can. 91. If any Presbyter or Deacon deposed by his own Bishop or any Bishop deposed by a Synod shall offer to trouble the Emperours ears since he ought to apply himself to a greater Synod and refer the right which he thinks he has to more Bishops and wait for their examination and judgment But if he shall despise them and trouble the King he shall not be thought worthy of any pardon nor have any place of defence or hopes of restitution Can. 165. made at the second General Council held at Constantinople It is manifest that it appertains to the Synod of every Province to order all matters within their Province according as it is defined in the Council of Nice So that as the Law of Nature does require that there should be an orderly way in all Societies to determine all matters relating to the Government thereof so Christ has appointed in his Church that all the People should obey their several Pastors and because they are men like others and die he has appointed a way how their Offices should be supplied to the end of the World and for the more peaceable ordering of that matter has said Matth. 18. If any one refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican And by his Apostle 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets And according to these Rules not onely the ancient and universal Church in all Ages but even the Reformed Protestant Churches to prevent Schisms and Confusions have constantly decreed that no man ought to exercise any Ecclesiastical Office in the Church but with the allowance of each Provincial Synod or according to such Laws and Canons as they did prescribe Independents Anabaptists Quakers guilty of Schism And therefore all the Independents Anabaptists Quakers that have no other outward Mission but the Choice of the People and yet pretend to be Teachers and Governours of the Church do like Corah Dathan and Abiram that presumed to burn Incense without Gods warrant and that Nation may expect Gods Judgments that does permit such Profanation of his Holy Name and Worship and not take effectual care to hinder such a notorious violation of the Priestly Office But yet amongst those that maintain the necessity of an outward and orderly Mission there are still great Disputes about the lawful Authority of those Ecclesiastical
Governours that charge men with Schism for denying Obedience and separating themselves from their Communion Christ therefore having appointed Governours in his Church must also have left some peaceable way for ordaining and settling of every man in his Place and Office so as to prevent Schisms and Confusions And to that end the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirit of the Prophets much more them of the Bishops c. are subject to the Prophets and our Lord has further said If any man refuse to hear the Church Matth. 18. let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican According to these Rules of the Scripture the Christian Church in all Ages did require that Bishops and Pastors should be ordained by Provincial Synods of lawful Bishops or else according to such Canons and Orders as were constituted in Provincial and Universal Councils of Bishops And this was the constant standing Law of the Church for fifteen hundred years together and in quiet times it was constantly observed either by open consent or tacit approbation But upon the Reformation the Ancient and Apostolical Order of Episcopacy was not observed in some places but mere Presbyters did take upon them to ordain other Presbyters yet desiring the restitution of the ancient Order of Bishops if it might be and still maintaining that the ordaining Presbyters and settling of all Affairs of the Church ought to be done by the mutual consent and appointment of the Ecclesiastical Governours in their several Charges and Assemblies as is largly to be seen by the Harmony of Confessions and in several Canons that have been made by Reformed Churches about this matter In pursuance of this Order of Christ and the Canons and Practice of the whole Church ancient and modern Protestant Greek and Roman our Bishops and Clergy here in England are legally and rightly ordained and settled in their several Charges and therefore to disobey them and separate from their Communion or to presume publickly to exercise the Ministerial Office against their command is Schismatical and contrary to the Order of Christ and the whole Church of God And all Popish Priests or Presbyterian Ministers or whosoever they are that hold any Meetings and Congregations besides the lawful Ministers and without their allowance are formal Schismaticks and so are all their Disciples and Communicants So that if there be any such thing as Government in the Church and any such sin as Schism as I have shewed there are the allowing men publickly to affront Gods Ministers by Schismatical Congregations and to live in open contempt of their Authority must needs bring great guilt and heavy Judgments upon the Nation But against this it will be urged by the Papists that our Bishops are no lawful Bishops and our Clergy no lawful Ministers of Christ because they are not confirmed and authorized by the Pope To which I answer Papists guilty of Schism When they shall shew any Law or Tradition of the Universal Church to make it necessary for the Pope to confirm our Bishops then I will allow the Objection to be of moment but 't is so far from that that the Laws of the whole Church and of many ancient Popes Conc. Nic. can 4. Conc. Ant. can 9. Vid. Dist 64. do forbid the Pope to meddle with Ordinations in other Provinces and expresly say that all Ordinations of Bishops ought to be by the Metropolitans and Bishops of each respective Province amongst themselves And so long as there is a peaceable agreement amongst all our Bishops and Clergy concerning this matter that is a sufficient reason to free us and charge all Popish Priests here in England and all their Adherents with the guilt of Schism and to make it appear that they do act contrary to the Law and Tradidition of the whole Church of Christ The Presbyterians and Independents also Presbyterians and Independents guilty of Schism that had formerly Episcopal Ordination or else Imposition of Hands from Presbyters which they esteem sufficient Holy Orders are guilty of Schism if they keep Conventicles or withdraw themselves and others from the Obedience and Communion of the respective Bishops and Ministers of this Nation For the Bishops and Clergy being rightly constituted and peaceably settled in their several Charges according to the order of Christ by undoubted Succession from the Apostles and according to the Canons and Tradition of the whole Church and even after that manner by order of Provincial Synods which all Reformed Churches do practise and allow they have Authority from the Holy Ghost and do rule the Church over which the Holy Ghost has made them overseers and all in their Charges must obey them that have the rule over them and submit themselves unto them Heb. 13.17 Unless therefore they can prove that the whole Church in all Ages was fundamentally mistaken in this matter and that our Bishops and Ministers are no legal Pastors of Christs Flock they in disobeying them do disobey Christ and the whole Church and are to be accounted as Heathens and Publicans Matth. 18. And then if our Land should publickly permit or not go about to take away such publick Offences we may expect that God should pour down his indignation upon us as he did upon the Heathen when we countenance those that make themselves as Heathens amongst us Matth. 18.17 CHAP. V. Objections of Dissenters answered ALL that they can say in this matter is Object That the Bishops and Clergy of England are lawful Church-governours over those that choose and receive them but over none else and they having never chosen them for their Teachers and Governours they are not so to them and therefore they are no Schismaticks in withdrawing from their Communion and choosing other Governours for themselves It is true Answ People have no right to choose their Ministers 't is required that a Clergyman should be of good behaviour and have a good report of them which are without 1 Tim. 3.2 7. And consequently all Christians have a right to except against ill manners but I never find that Christ or his Apostles in their practice or that any Word of God does allow that the People should have any thing to do in choosing their Bishops and Ministers much less had a Negative to reject whom they please Indeed the Churches in former Ages have been moved with the nomination and earnest instance of Kings and Princes and by the recommendation and petition of the People to ordain such men Bishops and Priests as they did desire if they found them worthy but 't is by no Example or Tradition from Christ or his Apostles and they found so many inconveniences by it that the Universal Church did forbid it Concil Laod. can 13. reckoned among the Canons of the Universal Church It ought not to be permitted to the people to have the election of those that are to be appointed to the sacred Ministry And therefore where Ministers
are peaceably settled according to the publick Order of the Church the pretence of the Peoples Negative cannot free men from obedience or excuse their Schism in departing from them But secondly all that right the People can pretend to is transferred to their Representatives in Parliament who have in their Laws confirmed all the Bishops and Clergy now in possession by their Authority and so they are settled by the Peoples consent likewise and therefore in all respects whatsoever our Clergy are undoubted Ministers of Christ and all within their charge must own them for such and submit to their Authority But the Parliament may alter these Laws and give the People a Negative I will not dispute what they may or may not do in this matter they having formerly made Laws to confirm those Ministers that are already they have undoubted right from the Peoples consent likewise if that does avail any thing and therefore as long as those Ministers live in the Orthodox Profession of true Religion they will be Schismaticks that disobey them That there is an open flagrant Schism is plain and the guilt of this must lie somewhere it cannot possibly be charged upon the Bishops and Clergy and the Church of England for they go on upon the same Rules and Methods that they did before 41 when there were few of these Nonconformists and separate Congregations and according to the order of the whole Christian Church therefore the Crime must wholly lie upon those who run away from their own Ministers and heap to themselves Teachers and Disciples contrary to the Command of Christ and the Law of his Church But they will say They are not the Schismaticks but the Bishops and Clergy by imposing unlawful Ceremonies which they cannot submit to as the use of the Surplice and an Aerial Cross and therefore must keep Coventicles of their own Suppose the Church was mistaken in the imposing these Ceremonies what Authority can they have to keep Conventicles Since they are but private men a private Worship in their own Families is all that they can pretend to exercise but that can be no Warrant for them to assemble in publick Congregations and seduce others from their obedience to their lawful Teachers As for the Ceremonies they are no other than the whole Church of God in the purer times did observe and practise For the Surplice S. Jerom upon Ezek. Of the Surplice 42. says The Divine Religion hath one habit in the Ministry and another in common use and conversation And against the Pelagians lib. 1. c. 9. What offence I ask is it against God if I wear a more pure garment If the Bishop Presbyter and Deacon and the rest of the Ecclesiastical Order do go with a white garment when they administer about holy things Take heed O ye Clergy take heed O ye that are devoted to an holy life ye Widows and Virgins you are in danger from these Pelagian Hereticks unless the common people do behold you in sordid and in ragged Woollen Apparel So that they were the Pelagian Hereticks that quarrelled against the use of the Surplice of old for which S. Jerom does deride their folly and madness Concil 4. Carthag c. 41. 't is decreed that A Deacon in the time of his oblation or reading onely should wear a white garment From whence we may very well conclude that Bishops and Priests likewise had a peculiar Habit in their sacred Administrations Theodoret in his History lib. 2. c. 23. does make mention of an holy Garment given by Constantine to Macarius the Bishop when he adorned the Church of Jerusalem that he should wear it at the time of the Administration of holy Baptism And that this holy Garment being afterwards worn by a Stage-player as he was dancing in it he fell down and died Which instances do further prove there were used distinctive Habits in the Primitive Church in the time of the sacred Administration And for the use of the sign of the Cross Antiquity is much more full Of the sign of the Cross that one would wonder how men can neglect much less blame a thing which the godly Martyrs and ancient Fathers did so much use and glory in Tertull. de Coron Mil. c. 3. At every progress and motion c. we sign our foreheads with the sign of the Cross S. Cyprian ep 55. Let the forehead be fortified that the sign of God may be kept secure S. Jerom upon Ezek. 10. In the ancient Hebrew Letters which the Samaritans use at this day the letter Thau is of the figure of a Cross which is made in the forehead of Christians and often signed with the hand S. August tract 11. in Joan. If we say to a Catechumen Do you believe in Christ He answers I believe and signs himself with the Cross of Christ He carries it in his forehead and is not ashamed of the Cross of Christ And in 118. Unless the sign of the Cross be applied whether it be to the foreheads of the Believers or to the water by which they are regenerated or to the Sacrifice viz. in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper by which they are nourished none of them is rightly performed S. Chrysost Hom. 54. in Matth. All things amongst us are performed with the sign of the Cross If any be to be regenerated that is baptized the Cross is used if he be to be nourished with mystical food if he be to be confirmed and whatever else every where the symbol of our victory is at hand And for this cause we make the sign of it with a great deal of care upon our houses and upon our walls and upon our doors upon our foreheads and upon our minds It were easie to bring many more instances of the primitive usage of the Cross but these are sufficient But I will add some few Histories to shew how God himself did miraculously from Heaven encourage the Christians in the use thereof And the first shall be that renowned representation of the Cross in the Heavens made to Constantine before his Army Vide Euseb in vita Const l. 1. Socr. l. 1. c. 1. with this Inscription joyned to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By this overcome at which the Emperour and the whole Army were astonished and wondered what it should mean But while he doubted and reasoned in his mind about it be fell asleep and in his dream Christ seemed to appear to him with the sign that was seen in the Heavens and commanded him to make a representation of the sign that appeared to him and to use it as a defence against the Conflicts of his Adversaries which when he awoke he declared to his Friends and caused Crosses to be made of Gold and precious stones Gregory Nazianzen tells another remarkable story of a miraculous appearing of a Cross in the Heavens Greg. Naz. orat 2. adv Jul. in the days of Julian the Apostate who encouraged the Jews to rebuild their Temple at
declare to the world as one that believes a Judgment to come that upon the most diligent search and careful inquiry into this matter I cannot find any plea sufficient to justifie in point of conscience the present Separation from the Church of England If there be no sufficient plea to justifie the Separation then these that by their Separation break the peace of our Church are guilty of a sin as great and dangerous as Murder in the opinion of this Reverend Person And thence we may conclude it will cry aloud for vengeance in the ears of God as Bloud doth But the Learned Dean out of his abundant desire of Union and Compassion towards Dissenters does make some Proposals of Accommodation with the soberest of them The particulars are many and not to be considered in this short Discourse In general therefore I do readily agree with the Learned Doctor Pag. 82. that the use of the Sacraments in a Christian Church ought to be most free from all exceptions and they ought to be so administred as rather to invite than discourage scrupulous persons from joyning in them and therefore I would have nothing made as a Condition of Communion but what was most clear and undoubted in the practice of the Ancient and Catholick Church or evidently deduced from the Word of God and generally held lawful by the greatest part of sober Divines in all Ages But I do not see we can agree to the taking away of the ancient Constitutions and Ceremonies of the Primitive Catholick Church without great scandal to many sober Christians and weakning of out cause and giving great advantage to the Adversaries of the Roman Church which the Reverend Dean does very excellently set forth pag. 4. of his Preface It is of mighty consequeuce for preventing the return of Popery that men rightly understand what it is For when they are as much afraid of an innocent Ceremony as of real Idolatry and think they can worship Images and adore the Host on the same grounds that they may use the sign of the Cross or kneel at the Communion when they are brought to see their mistake in one case they will suspect themselves deceived in the other also For they who took that to be Popery which is not will be apt to think Popery it self is not so bad as it was represented and so from want of right understanding the differences between us may be easily carried from one extreme to another For when they find the undoubted practices of the ancient Church condemned as Popish and Antichristian by their Teachers they must conclude Popery to be of much greater Antiquity than really it is and when they can trace it so very near the Apostles times they will soon believe it settled by the Apostles themselves For it will be very hard to persuade any considering men that the Christian Church should degenerate so soon so unanimously so universally as it must do if Episcopal Government and the use of some significant Ceremonies were any parts of that Apostacy Which is a matter so incredible that those who can believe such a part of Popery could prevail so soon in the Christian Church may be brought to believe that many others did So mighty a prejudice do the Principles of our Churches enemies bring upon the Cause of the Reformation And those who forgo the testimony of Antiquity as all the Opposers of the Church of England must do must unavoidably run into insuperable difficulties in dealing with the Papists which the Principles of our Church do lead us through For we can justly charge Popery as an unreasonable innovation when we allow the undoubted Practices and Government of the ancient Church for many ages after Christ The use of the Cross and Surplice and other Orders of the Church being then of undoubted Antiquity in the Christian Church to take them away to satisfie our Dissenters who count them Popish and Superstitious is to undervalue the Piety of the primitive Fathers and will expose us to the just reproaches of the Church of Rome and harden the Dissenters in their former belief Whereas if the Testimony of Antiquity be of so great moment to uphold the Authority of our Church we ought rather to be immovable in adhering to ancient Customs that we may teach the Papists that 't is Novelty not Antiquity that we reject in them and to root out of the minds of the Dissenters that foolish persuasion that signficant Ceremonies are superstitious which can never be done otherwise than by shewing that they must condemn the Catholick Church in the purest Ages upon the same account and expose our Religion to the extravagant Fancies of every conceited Humorist and so drive away many sober men from our Communion To keep up then the Reverence of Antiquity and preserve the Honour of the Reformation we must not take away the use of the Cross and Surplice and other Orders of our Church which are of such undoubted Antiquity and universal practice in the Catholick Church And as for Toleration the same Reverend Author does say pag. 79. It will be found impossible to root out Popery where Toleration is allowed which he does there shew with demonstrative reasons But because some are apt to think a limited Toleration of some sort of men may be granted without any harm It is to be considered First if Schism be such a grievous crime as to be as great and dangerous as Murder how can Toleration be granted to so great a sin without bringing the guilt of the Bloud of Souls upon our Nation Secondly if Schism be a sin of so heinous a nature what a dangerous thing will it be to lay such a stumbling block before the common people as to grant a Toleration of those Preachers who are Masters of Insinuation to seduce the weak and ignorant into such a destructive Separation Therefore when all is done the onely probable way of an Happy Union is by setting aside all thoughts of Toleration or Comprehension upon any other Principles than the Word of God as it has been interpreted by the Rules and Customs of the Ancient and Catholick Church and in them all sober Protestants and devout Christians when they come to understand them will readily agree For this was the principle upon which Luther and the Protestants in Germany began the Reformation witness the Augustane Confession chap. 21. We do not despise the consent of the Catholick Church neither is it our intention to bring into the Church any new Opinion unknown to the Holy Church neither will we patronize any wicked or seditious Opinions which the Catholick Church has condemned For we were not led to embrace this Doctrine by any evil concupiscence but compelled to it by the Authority of the Word of God and of the ancient Church And what these Rules are concerning our present Circumstances the foregoing Discourse will clearly shew but will more fully appear in my former Treatise of The Original of all Plots
in Christendom wherein I have not onely demonstrated that the Corruptions of the Church of Rome condemned in the Church of England have no foundation in the Law and Tradition of the Catholick Church and many of them are against both and answered the Objections made by the Author of The Guide in Controversie and other Papists against our Reformation but also proved that the Doctrine and Government of the Church of England as it is now established are according to the Laws and Tradition of the Ancient and Catholick Church and approved of by the greatest part of all Christian Churches in all Ages and even at this very day to which Treatise I refer the Reader for further satisfaction So that when we have a truly Orthodox Religion generally approved of in all Ages established amongst us and ten thousand Clergymen many of them men of as great Piety and Learning as ever were in any Age to propagate and uphold it if Conventicles which distract the Common People were effectually taken away the Body of the Nation would quickly embrace it and so we should see an Happy Union and that would procure the blessing of God and for ever keep out Popery from settling in our Nation And since Mr. Coleman and the Lord Stafford did both confess before their death that their Church did hope to bring in Popery by Toleration and keeping up Conventicles surely we ought in all reason to conclude the taking them away must be the readiest means to keep it out Thus as a Divine and hearty Welwisher to the peace and happiness of my Native Countrey I have endeavoured to lay open the Causes and Remedies of our Distractions though with the utmost peril of my Life or Welbeing whether I respect the Papists or other Dissenters Had I therefore either consulted my advantage or my safety I had better have spared my pains than thus to have provoked their hatred against me but I thank God I had other Motives to persuade me than any temporal Concerns of my own for the Honour of God the Peace of his Church and the present and eternal Welfare of so many thousand Souls do depend upon the right Settlement of Religion which is the thing I now propose not out of my own Fancy or upon any private models and conjectures but upon that sure immovable foundation of the Ancient and Catholick Church in all ages which will quiet the minds of all sober people take a way those heats and animosities that are stirred up amongst Christians and certainly secure our Nation from destruction I know this will be thought a vain Assertion by many but with all serious persons that mind Religion it is an undoubted truth that the onely way to obtain peace and quietness is by religious performing of our duty to God and since there are so many pretenders to Religion that go about to devour and destroy one another till there be found some way to undeceive these erroneous Pretenders not onely Gods commands but the peace of Christendom will be little regarded and consequently we must lie exposed to perpetual Wars and Massacres Now all these Divisions are kept up upon the opinion of the great Sanctity and Authority of their several Upholders unless therefore we can urge their Followers with a greater Authority and more undoubted Argument of Holiness than they lay claim to we can never hope to undeceive them And these will most certainly appear in that way which I defend the Church of England for what Authority can be greater than the Church of God in all ages in opposition to a particular Church or a few private persons Or who can give better evidence of their Holiness than the Holy Catholick Church FINIS ERRATA Pag. 10. l. 11. dele in p. 23. l. 14. r. c. 27. p. 25. l. 33. after figure adde as