Mr. K. is Vpon what grounds does he assert that the Presbyterians Independents c. have made a separation from their lawful spiritual Governors This Quest relates to the regular constitution of their Churches Who then are the lawful Pastors of these Presbyterians c. from whom they have separated Does he mean the Bishops or the Parish Ministers If the Bishops they must be consider'd either as the King's Officers to execute that civil power which he has circa sacra And so the Presbyterians submit to them and separate not from them Or they must be consider'd as Christs Officers to exercise that spiritual power which his Charter gives and as such the Presbyterians are very ready to submit to them when they have prov'd the divine Right of their Office Or they must be consider'd as the Churches Officers and if so 't is requisie that Church should obey them who assign them their Office or consent to be their subjects not those who account their Office a sinful usurpation and are the more unwilâ—ing to become their Subjects because they cannot be so without complying with sinful Impositions and even approving their usurpation And that any Church may lawfully constitute new Officers whom Christ never appointed and suâ—ject his undoubted Officers to their Authority especially such as Diocesan Prelates who by engrossing the power of the Keys render Church-discipline impracticable is a proposition Mr. K. will hardly prove If the Parish-Ministers be the lawful Governors they separate from I would willingly know how they come to be the lawful Governors or Pastors to those that consent not to their Pastoral relation and have sufficient reasons why they do not Will Mr. K. say that all persons ought to commit the conduct of their Souls to that Minister whom the Bishops or Patron chooses and that 't is sinful separation not to do so I wou'd then enquire What does he think of those Parishes that are so large that scarce the tenth part of the people can enjoy the labours of the Parish-Ministers as Stepney Giles Martins and Cripplegate Parishes in London which have one with another 30000 or 40000 souls in each of them Does he think it an unlawful separation for that part of the people that cannot have room in the Parish Churches to attend the Ministrations of other pious and judicious Pastors Is this such a separation too as will exclude them from the Cathoâ—ick Church To assert tâ—is is to prefer a point of humane order or rather disorder about Parish-bounds bâ—â—ore the salvation of souls and in effect to say that 't were better all those peop e should want the ordinary means of salvation and live like Pagans or Atheists without any publick worship of God than such a point of Church-ordeâ— be violated And if any can believe all this 't is very much to be doubted whether they know what souls and their salvation are Again What does Mr. K. think of such Parish-Ministers as want the necessary quaâ—ifications such as are notoriously ignorant or scandalously wicked Do those in their Parishes who after having sought redress in vain choose other Ministers of eminent leaâ—ning and hoâ—iness make a sinful separation even such as will argue them no Catholick members of the Church If he say this he still prefers a meer point of humane order before the end of it the edification of souls and had rather hazâ—rd their damnation than have a scandalous Parish Minister disown'd whose Life is more likely to debauch than his Doctrine to reform his Hearers I might insâ—st on many such Questions as these but because Mr. K. has not thought fit to give us any reason why he takes the Parish-Ministers for the only lawful Governors even to those Nonconformists that consent not to their pastoral relation I shaâ—l fâ—r their vindication offer this argument to prove that the Nonconformists live under their lawful spiritual Governors or Past rs and consequently make no separation from them I instance in the Presbyterians Those are the lawful spiritual Governors of particular Christian Flocks or Churches who have all the qualifications requisite a valid Ordination the consent of those Churches and who in taking the oversight of them violate no law of God nor any just law of man. But such are the Pastors of the Presbyterian Churches in these Kingdoms E. they are the lawful Pastors of those Churches The minor Prop. alone needs proof viz. That the Pastors of the Presbyt Churches are such as are here describ'd For their Qualifications and the consent of the people that is matter of fact concerning which they may safely appeal to those that know them â—nly I would here suggest that a considerable number of Ministers who prescribe various difficult exercises to a Candidate for the trial of his abilities are as likely to judge of them as one single Bishop who usually commits the examination of them to his Chaplain For the validity of their Ordination I undertake to make that good in answer to the Questions about Mission The only doubt then remaining is Whether these Pastors in taking the oversight of their Flocks do violate any law of God or any just law of Man 1. For the laws of God I cannot understand any that they should be supposed to violate but either that law that enjoyns us to obey Superiors or such as enjoyn the preservation of the Churches peace For the former it falls in with what doubt may arise concerning the laws of men For the latter the precepts of God which concern the Churches peace I need only say these two things to clear them from the suspicion of violating them 1. That the great duties recommended in the holy Scriptures in order to the preservation of the Churches peace are a mutual forbearance in things indifferent and a charitable judgment of each other in lesser differences This is evident from the 14th Chapt. of the Ep. to the Rom. to the 17th ver of the 15th where these duties are at large prest from great variety of Topicks and urg'd on those that had Pastors among them And to say this great Rule on y oblig'd Christians to these duties till the Clergy had determin'd those indifferent things and by their imposing them cast out all Dissenters is too like the confidence of those Gentlemen who own Christ instituted the Communion in both kinds But teâ—l us his Institution obliges not now the Church has pleas'd to command it shall be otherwise And I do appeal to any impartial judg whether the Convocation or the Presbyterians have better observ'd this great Rule that concerns the Churches peace But 2. No Law of God enjoyns us to do any thing sinful for the Churches peace But for the Pastors of the presbyterian churches to desert their ministerial Office when never justâ—y forbidden and when their labours were highly conducive to the Interest of Religion and the Salvation of souls were sinful Methinks those Men that are so zealous to exclaim against all alienation of
them their Office. Many of them try'd his remedy they represented these things to their Ecclesiastical Superiors as Luther to the Archbishop of Mentz and the Bishop of Brandenburg and the Pope himself But they soon learnt by dear experience how averse the Court of Rome was to any Reformation and how little it was to be expected from the Prelates who either had no will or no courage to attempt a Reformation against the will of the Pope Luther and all his followers in stead of prevailing with those that had the conduct of the Church were excommunicated as Hereticks Now according to Mr. K's principle these Reformers being censured and suspended by the Prelates to whom they were subject were discharged from the execution of their Office and should no more have made a Schism in the Church to regain it than one must make a Rebellion in the State to regain a Civil Office. And since they did not desert their Office but went on to preach against the Constitution of the Romish Church and the will of their Superiors the Popish Prelates they were no better than Schismaticks and Church-Rebels Nay if his Notion of the Catholick Church be true the people that separated from the Popish Prelates and adher'd to their excommunicated Pastors ceast to be members of the body of Christ And how great a part of the Reformed Churches and their Pastors fall under this heavy charge And will Mr. K. own all these unavoidable consequences upon mature deliberation What if we should once more have a Popish Convocation in England and these should restore the Romish Religion and suspend aâ—l the present Parish-Ministers whom Mr. K. thinks now lawful Pastors According to his Principle they being but Presbyters and the Bishops Subjects must not preach against the Constitution of the Church of England declaring her judgment by a Convocation in whom the supreme Government of the Church is lodg'd they must therefore cease their Ministry and no more make a Schism by the exercise of it than they must make a Rebellion in the State to regain a Civil Office. Nay to separate from such Governors of the Church of England will prove those that do it no Catholick members of the Church The same principles may be apply'd to the Arrians who got Imperial Councils and consequently the Government of the Imperial Church into their hands and for such Pastors as Athanasius to preach against Arrianism which was then the Doctrine of the Church was Schism and Church-Rebellion In a word According to these Principles 'T is in the power of a Convocation to damn many thousand souls by suspending an Orthodox and substituting a corrupt Ministry and for those Orthodox Pastors when suspended to endeavour their salvation by the exercise of their Ministry is to be Schismaticks and Church-Rebels And what is this less than to set up the will of such Church-Governors above the will and laws of Christ above the Salvation of Souls and above the Interest of Truth and Holiness Therefore 3. Let us examine the Grounds of this strange Assertion viz. Because there is a regular way for reforming abuses And for particular Presbyters to do it against the will of the Bishops whose Subjects they are is like reforming abuses in the state in spight of the King a remedy generally worse then the disease c. Answ 1. All that these reasons prove is that Reformation shou'd be first sought by humble addressing to our Superiors But Mr. K. plainly leaves it impossible if they refuse 2. They are founded on this wretched mistake that the Authority of Bishops in the Church does resemble that of a King in the State and so to reform abuses in the Church against their will is like reforming abuses in the State in spight of the King. Whereas t is Christ's Authority in the Church that does resemble the King 's in the State. And therefore if he wou'd rightly state the comparison it runs thus Christ the King of his Church requires all his Officers to preach the pure Doctrine and administer the pure institutions deliver'd in his Gospel which is his universal law Let us suppose there are in this or that particular part of the Church dangerous corruptions crept in The law of Christ obliges these his officers to disown them and reform them but the Major part of these will not but presume to silence those that do it according to his command Now the Quest is whether those that obey the command of Christ be the Rebells against him or those that neither will obey his commands themselves nor allow others to do so One wou'd think that such as refuse to reform and silence all that in their own place attempt it according to the tenour of their Commission are like to prove the Church Rebells But no doubt the Pastors of a Church may disown and excommunicate one that abuses his office to the perverting the Church and for him to continue to p rvert the Church by such male-administration is to Rebell against Christ and his laws The charge of Rebellion therefore must arise from the vioâ—ation of Christ's Authority not mens which the Major part of Pastors may be guilty of in a Nation as well as the lesser 3 He seems to confound a private and a publick Reformation 4. The Reason given why a Bishop or Presbyter when censur'd is discharg'd from his Office viz. Because to regain it is like making a Rebellion to regain a Civil Office does suppose two great mistakes 1. That the Ordainers give a Spiritual office in the Church as the King gives a Civil office in the State And this is no less a mistake then to set the Ordainers in the place of Christ T is his Charter gives the sacred office as the King 's does the Civil and the Ordainers do but for orders sake approve and ceremonially invest the person as the Recorder does the Mayor of a Town whom the Burghesses choose And herein Mr. K. seems to own that very error which is the ground of all Mr. M's impertinent Questions 2. He supposes that the Bishops who ordain Presbyters have equal power to depose them from their Ministerial office as the King has to take away a Civill Commission And thus p 27. he teâ—ls us That the present Dissenters were the Bishops subject accountable to them as their Superiors and liable to be discharg'd from their office and the benefits of the Communion of the Church by their Censure Whereas T is plain that it is the Charter of Christ gives the sacred office as the King 's does the Civil And as none can take a Civil Commission given by the King to any Subject but by the King's orders and Command So none can take away that spiritual Commission Christ has given any officer in his Church but by his orders But now he has given none leave or Authority to depose his officers but for evident Male-administration as preaching Heresie gross scandal c. And if in any part
these debates with deep regret that I am put on so unhappy necessity not only of opposing Mr. K. but saying so much against the present Church-Goverment in order to the Vindication of the Reformed Churches both at home and abroad and the Truth it self But as these principles I have here reflected on have been the fatal Engines of Church Tyranny and divisions these many Ages and belong to the Roman Arsenall so t is the necessary work of a Peacemaker who proposes a Catholick Unity and Love as his great aim to batter them down I had not so long delay'd the sending this paper but that I still hoped some abler pen would have undertaken what mine is so unfit for However I hope I have asserted nothing contrary either to Truth or Peace or if I have I am willing to receive better Information I am Sir. Your most humble c. A POSTSCRIPT THe person to whom the Letter was address'd desiring me to publish it I thought it requisite upon a review of it to add a few things relating to some passages in it The opposition of Mr. K's Notion of the Catholick Church to the Articles of the Church of Ireland and the agreeableness of mine to them is observ'd in the Preface To what is said about Mr. K's mark of the Catholick Church viz. living under lawful spiritual Governors I add that this renders the relation of all true Christians to our blessed Lord as his members as questionable as the title of the Pastor under whom they live and consequently exposes their right to all the benefits of the Gospel even to the Kingdom of Heaven it self to the same uncertainties and doubts as the regularity of his Admission to his Office. And if those ancient Canons repeated in so many Councils be of any force which declare all Elections of the Clergy by Magistrates or without the consent of the people void what a desperate case has almost all the Christian world been in ever since the old way of Elections was alter'd Nay the Church of England it self where the Bishops are chosen by the King and Parsons by Patrons is in a miserable plight So severe is this mark of the Catholick Church on those for whose secular interest Mr. K. seems to have calculated it and so over-favourable to those whom he design'd to exclude from the Catholick Church by it For what is said on behalf of all the Reformed Churches p. 11 c. It is not intended to include the Socinians who deny an essential Article of the Christian Faith the Deity of Christ and all the Doctrines of his Satisfaction c. that depend on it Against Mr. K's Notion of the Supreme Government over all the Christians in England being lodg'd in the Convocation touch'd on p. 57th I add this Argument ad hominem The General-Assembly in Scotland have equal pretensions to the Supreme Government of all Christians in that Nation as the Convocation has in England Now if the laws of the Convocation would oblige the Consciences of all the Christians in England as the laws of the Church whether ratified by the Civil Authority or no then the Acts of the General Assembly in Scotland have the same force there Now that General Assembly which sat there in the year 1639. whose Acts were also ratified afterwards by King Ch. the First in person present in his Parliament there abolisht Prelacy and set up the Presbyterian Government there The Prelates were according to Mr. K's Principles discharg'd from their Office and since they regain'd it not only without the allowance of any General Assembly but against the Acts or Laws of all that sat there since they were therein guilty of Schism or Church Rebellion Mr. K's Notions are as unmerciful to the Bishops there as to Presbyters here So little does he regard where those envenom'd darts may fall which he levels against his Dissenting Brethren The Contents of the Letter MR. M's 1 Quest in the Preface What is meant by the Catholick Church Mr. K's Answer consider'd and evidenc'd to be obscure narrow and consequently schismatical and dangerous from p. 2 to p. 7. The true Answer to that Question p. 7 8 9 10. Mr. M's 2d and 3d Questions Mr. K's Answer enlarg'd to make it more Catholick and comprehensive p. 10 11. Mr. M's 4th Quest Whether by the Catholick Church be meant the variety of all Protestants since they deny her essential mark Vnity The true Catholick Answer proposed p. 11 12 13. Mr. K's Answer to that Question consider'd His three marks of the Catholick members of the Church examin'd His first Embracing the Catholick Faith allow'd His second Living in Charity with their neighbour Churches excludes the Papists Mr. Dodwel and himself and a great part of the Christian world in the present and former Ages His third mark Making no separation from their lawful Governors founded on his schismatical Notion of the Catholick Church Two Questions propos'd on that Head. 1. Whether the separation of the Presbyterians c. supposing it to be sinful will exclude them from being Catholick members of the Church That it does not prov'd from the nature of their separation being only a breach of humane Vnity The contrary Assertion excludes the English Convocation the Papists and the greatest part of the Christian Church in every Age from being Catholick members c from p. 16. to p. 20 2 Vpon what grounds does Mr K assert that the Presbyterians have made a sinful separation from their lawful Governors Some difficulties propos'd on that Head That the Presbyt Ministers are lawful Pastors to the Churches under their oversight prov'd from p 21 to p. 30 The Q's in the Pamphlet about Mission The true Notion of Mission stated The Authority and Obligation of Pastors to the duties of their Office derived from Christ's Charter The use of Pastoral Ordination It s absolute necessity to the being of the Ministry disprov'd The power of Ordination belongs to scriptural Bishops Such Bishops prov'd to be the Pastors of single Congregations not Diocesses from Scripture and Antiquity The Ordination of Presbyt Ministers at home and abroad hence vindicated from p. 38. to p 48 These promis'd Mr. M's 1 Qu. What Priesthood or holy Orders had the first Reformers but what they received from Rom. Cath. Bishops Answered p 48 49 His 2 Q. Who authorized the first Reformers to Preach their Protestant Doctrine and administer their Protestant Sacraments Answered and retorted on the Church of Rome p. 49 His 3d and 4th Q's Whether Cranmer and his Associates could condemn the Church of Rome by vertue of the Mission derived from her Bishops If so whether a Presbyt Minister having received Orders from a Protestant Bishop can by vertue of such Orders pronounce the Church of England a corrupt Church Answered p 50 51 Mr. K's Answer examined His Concession to D. M. That a Bishop or Presbyter ought not to preach against the Constitution of the Church he is a member of and if he be censured or suspended he is discharg'd c. consider'd The consequences of it pernicious to a great part of the Reformed Churches and to our own had we a Popish Convocation The grounds of it absurd and false The silenc'd NC Ministers not chargeable with Schism or Church-Rebellion the charge more likely to fall heavy on the unjust silencers unless Mr K. can prove both the divine right of the Convocation to be the Ecclesiastical Head of the Church of England and the equity of their silencing sentence from p 51 to p. 59 5 Q Whether an Act of Parl c Answered p 59 60 Some general Remarks on the rest of Mr K's Answer p. 60 61 62 Reflections on the whole from p 62 to the end A Postscript FINIS ERRATA PAge 7 l 21 r Arimini To line 24 add And not the Catholick Church as visible or as measur'd by a Judgment of Charity as the Papists assert and Mr K with them contrary to the stream of protestant writers on that Controversie p 9 l 15 after commandment add an c p 23 l 30 r 7th v p 40 l ult r prelacy p 59 l 28 r 5th Q p 63 l 17 blot out a
method 't is capable of and only take notice of those Answers wherein Mr. K's either Judgment or Charity seems to fail him The 1st Quest proposed by D. M. in his Preface is What is meant by the Catholick Church Mr. K's Answer is 'T is the whole body of men professing the Religion of Christ and living under their lawful spiritual Governors p. 4. There is no doubt he intends this for the description of the Catholick Church here on earth as measured by a judgment of charity and comprising all credible professors of the Christian Religion Here are two characters to distinguish the Members of it Professing the Religion of Christ and Living under lawful spiritual Governors Now that which I chiefly dislike in this description is that this latter mark of the Catholick Church Living under lawful spiritual Governors gives us a Notion of it not only very obscure but too narrow Nor does he find any such mark assign'd either in that Text he quotes 4 Eph. 3 4 5. or in that passage he cites out of St. Augustin And 't is the more necessary to insist on this because every Notion of the Catholick Church which is too narrow is so far schismatical for it cuts off those from their relation to the Catholick Church who are members of it and Mr. K. himself does afterwards apply it to that ill purpose That this Notion of the Catholick Church is too narrow on supposition Mr. K. mean no better than he speaks is hence evident because there are many who are true members of the Catholick Church who live under no Pastors or spiritual Governors at all nor indeed have the opportunity to do so What does he think of many Christians that live in some forreign Plantations where they are not furnish'd with them Nay to propose an Instance much more considerable What does Mr. K. think of all the Protestants who are yet in France and because they will not change their Religion are confin'd to Galleys Prisons or Convents Are all these by the banishment of their Ministers excâ—uded from the Catholick Church Has the French King's Edict so malignant an influence as to cut them off from the body of Christ by depriving them of their lawfâ—l Pastors If so Popish Princes have a very formidable power and Protestants may well dread their Edicts upon a Spiritual as well as Temporal account more than all the Thunders of the Vatican But I fear Mr. K. would scarce allow the Reformed Churches in France to be any part of the Catholick Church if they had their Pastors again if we compare this description of it with other passages in his Answer For this description is very obscure and if I conjecture right Mr. K's Notion of lawful spiritual Governors much more narrow What does he mean by Lawful Spiritual Governors Are they to be estimated such by the Law of the Land or by the Laws of the Church or by the Law of Christ Does he mean such spiritual Governors as are establisht in every Nation by the Authority of the Civil Magistrate If so then the Arrian Bishops when establisht by the Emperors of their opinion were the only lawful Pastors and all that part of the people that adher'd to their Orthodox Pastors ceast to be members of the Catholick Church Then the Popish Clergy in France are the only lawful Spiritual Governors and the Protestants there are no part of the Catholick Church because they separate from them And shou'd the Popish Clergy be establisht in these Kingdoms by Law all that shou'd adhere to their Protestant Pastors even those whom Mr. K. now thinks their only lawful ones wou'd cease to be members of the body of Christ So that the supreme Magistrate might make Pastors lawful or unlawful at his pleasure and make those that are this month members of the Catholick Church cease to be so the next But this is a Principle I wou'd hope fitter for Mr. Hobbs than for Mr. K. to defend Is it then the Laws of the Church that must determine who are the lawful Pastors If this be his Notion of them as his following discourse wou'd incline one to think What Church does he mean whose Laws must determine this great debate If the Vniversal Church I know none can make Laws to oblige all the members of it but Christ himself whom Mr. K. grants to be the only Head of it p. 55. And how shou'd we know the sense of the universal Church in this matter when there has been no General Council these many hundred years nay when there never was any such thing at all The largest Councils that Church-History records being summon'd by the Roman Emâ—erors whose Mandates cou'd not reach the extra-Imperial Churches What is this Church then whose Laws or Judgment must determine who are lawful Pastors Is it every National Church If so 't is a difficult matter to know what that is For unless Mr. K wou'd give such a schismatical Notion of it as the Papists give of the Catholick Church it must include all the particular Christians and particular Societies of such within the bounds of that Nation who profess the true Christian Religion in all its essentials for all true Churches do not profess it in equal purity Such a National Church is not of divine Institution and is indeed only a combination of Churches as united under one Civil Sovereign It s true Notion lyes not in any combination purely Ecclesiastical and Intrinsecal but Civil and Extrinsecal As the true National Church of England unless we will confine the name to a Sect or Party denotes all the Churches in England as united under one King that has a civil Supremacy over them But what if in the same Nation there be a division about some disputable Doctrine as betwixt Lutherans and Calvinists in the dominions of several German Princes or about Church-Government and modes of Worship c. as in these Nations What if the several particular Churches according to these differences in their judgment fix under different Pastors Who are the Church whose Laws must decide this debate about lawful Pastors Is it such an Assembly of the Clergy as our Convocation But what if both Parties have such Assemblys Is it that Party of the Clergy which the Civil Magistrate does establish and not the other then the Civil Magistrate may in Germany make both the Lutherans and Calvinists lawful Pastors and here both the Conformists and the Nonconformists nay and unmake them at his pleasure and so make their Churches a part or no part of the Catholick Church Nay if this be true then in France the general Assembly of the Popish Clergy must determine who are lawful Pastors and were the Protestant Ministers there now for the people to adhere to them wou'd not only be unlawful but what is worse such a Sin as would cut them off from the Catholick Church And does Mr. K. really think so What wou'd they cease to be the subjects of Christ
of his Church The Major number of Pastors shou'd depose the Minor for doing their duty or without a just cause their doing so is a bold and wicked usurpation for which they may expect their Lord will call them to an account as he threatens the evil servant who unmindfull of his Lord 's coming begun to smite his fellow servants 24. Matth. 48 49 But for the innocent Pastors thus wrongfully deposed to disobey their usurping deposers is to obey Christ who never warranted them to desert their office and bâ—tray Souls because they are unjustly forbidden to do what his charter has made their duty 'T is therefore the unjust deposers are the Rebells against Christ and their usurpation is as if the Mayor of a County town shou'd without any orders from the King presume to turn out all the Mayors of the particular Corporations in that County at his own pleasure and I imagine the King wou'd in all probability take him for the Rebell who wou'd thus under pretence of his Authority usurp a power never given him and exercise it to the violation of his Charter and the Laws of the Land. This is the true state of the Case and Mr. K's mistakes about it are so palpable that 't is a wonder how a man of his judgment cou'd fall into them And I must needs add here that as the Dissenters were never the Bishops Subjects as they are any officers of Christ and Mr. K will never prove them to be so So they will be more afraid of submitting to their usurpation if they arrogate to themselves such an unlimited power of deposing his undoubted officers particular Church Bishops and claim a blind obedience to their deposing Sentence be it right or wrong And 't is but fidelity to our Lord to disown such palpable and dangerous usurpation The grounds then of Mr. K's principles being false they will not serve him to condemn the Presbyterian Ministers as either Schismaticks or Church-Rebels and the charge is likelier to faâ—l heavy on those that presum'd to suspend them against the known laws of Christ from whom they received their Commission Mr. K. very gravely takes for granted what he will never prove 1. That the Convocation are by the laws of Christ the Supreme Governours of all the Christians in England 2. That either the Convocation did justly according to the laws of Christ suspend the Nonconfâ—rming Ministers or that an absolute obedience was due to their Censure whether just or unjust 1. He takes it for granted That the Convocation are by the Laws of Christ the supreme Governours of all the Christians in England Does not Mr. K. know that the Divines of his own Church are not agrâ—ed about this matter The Reverend Dr. Stilling when posed by Mr. Baxter about this Quest Who was the Ecclesiastiâ—al governing Head of the Church of England as one body politick Uureas of Seper p 127 128. does very fairly deny that the Church of England has any such Head or Regent part nay denies the necessity of such an Head. So that according to him the Church of England can be no Politicall Church made up of a Governing and a governed part And consequently all the noise of it's Government Constitutions and Laws as such a politicall Church is at an end But now Mr. K. comes and tells us without Scruple That the supreme Government of our Church has always been in a National Councel or convocation of our Clergy If so I wou'd gladly know whether Mr. K does think that the laws or Canons of a Convocation wou'd obâ—ige the Consciences of all the Christians in England tho they were not enacted and ratified by the civill Authority If they wou'd nor 't is evident that the Church of England has no Ecclesiastical Head of Government because none that can make laws obligatory to all the Christians in England And so the Convocation are but the King 's Ecclesiastical Council which is indeed the true Notion of them to advise him what Laws he shall establish by civil Authority relating to Church Government If he say the Canons of the Coâ—vocation wou'd oblige whether the civil Authority ratified them or no I ask Quo jure All obligation to obey any Church-governors as such must arise from the command of Chrisâ— Now where has he commanded that in every Nation such a small part of the Clergy as our Convocation consists of shall be supreme Governours of all the rest When perhaps they are as unfit to represent the judgment of all the Pastors not to mention the people in England as â—he Council of Trent all the Churches in Euroâ—e I am confident besides the 2000 silenced Ministers the far greater part of the Conforming Clergy would never have consented to all the late excommunicating Canons had thâ—ir Vote been requir'd And the chief members of the Convocation are so far from being Christ's Officers that I despâ—ir thâ—ir ever defending the lawfulness and much more the divine r ghâ— of their Office against Mr. Baxter's Arguments in his forâ—said Treatise of Episcopacy Neither the light of nature nor general laws of Scripture wou d suggest such an Assâ—mbly as the governing Head of the Church of England A duly â—l cted Synod of Pastors in a Nation to endeavour the nearest Unity and Concord of the particular Churches as far as 't is to be expected on earth by their amicable consultations we grant to be most desirable and eligible wherever it may be had and the judgment of such a Synod should be comply'd with in all things not râ—pugnant to the word of God. But we cannot say so of an Assembly compos'd chiefly of men whose Office is not only an Usurpation but such as renders true Church-government impossible and whose interest and grandure inclines them to keep up the divisions and corruptions which they have made And to such a Convocation's being entrusted by Christ with the National Church-government which Mr. K. is pleased to assert I oppose the judgment of the truly learned Archbishop Vsher which he often profest to Mr. Baxter viz. That Church-Councils are not for Government but for Vnity Not as being in order of Government over the several Bishops but that by consultation they may know their duty more clearly and by agreement maintain Vnity and to that end they were anciently celebrated 2. Mr. K. takes it for granted also That either the Convocation did justly according to the laws of Christ suspend the Non-conforming Ministers or that those Ministers were bound however to obey their sentence whether right or wrong For the first If he will indeed prove their silencing to have been just i. e. that the Non-conforming Ministers were guilty of such male-administration as forfeited their office and warranted the Prelates by the laws of Christ to depose them I will assure him they will quit their office rather than rebel against Christ or any just deposing sentence of men But I have already prov'd the sentence to be unjust And
Vindiciae Calvinisticae OR SOME IMPARTIAL REFLECTIONS ON THE DEAN of LONDONDEREYS CONSIDERATIONS That Obliged him to come over to the Communion OF THE Church of Rome AND Mr. Chancellor KING's Answer thereto IN WHICH He no less Unjustly than Impertinently Reflects on the Protestant Dissenters In a Letter to a Friend By W.B. D.D. 3 Ep. Joh. 9 10. But Diotrephes who loveth to have the Preeminence among them receives us not Neither doth he himsâ—lf receive the Brethren and forbiddeth them that would and casteth them out of the Church DVBLIN Printed by A. Crook and S. Helsham Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty on Ormond-Key and sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1688. TO THE READER THOV wilt find the worthy Author of this ensuing Tract opposing two persons of a very different Character M M. whose scruâ—les are so mean and so often answered that as they could have little influence in his Change so they deserved no new Consideration The most material of his Questions may be reduced to this Being that the Church of Rome by her usurping shifts propagated her Apostacy to her neighbour Churches how can any of those belong to the Catholick Church if they ceas that Apostacy and regain their former state The answer is easie unl sâ— infection do for ever subject a Church to that Church which infected it Can any man doubt whether the British Churches had equal authority to reform themselves for Christ's sake as they had to admit these corruptions for the Popes sake The other Person is M K who hath needlesly yea to the apparent dammage of his cause bitterly censured the whole body af Nonconformists Whether his novel notions or the unseasonable publication of matters of debates among us be most culpable it 's hard determining The sad consequences were so obvious that great importunity fail'd to encline my undertaking our vindication though the charge against us is great and the proof attempted from mistaken principles But seeing the Author with others judged a reply needful and represented our silence as turned to our reproach I am perswaded to preface the ensuing Book wherin thou wilt find both evidence and candor I shall only hint at what the Book is concerned in and insist on some Criminations the Author overlooks Mr K's excluding us from the Catholick Church can harm us little when he gives us a discription of this Church so entirely Popish and opposite to the joynt testimony of Protestants S. 68 of the Church in a controversy betwixt the Romanists and us The Articles of the Church of Ireland define the Catholick Church in the Creed 4. Bell de Eccl milit lib 3 Cap 2. to be the invisible body of Elected Saints in heaven and earth But all of M K ' s. description is Bellarmines own who strangely confounds a particular Church with the Catholick Church visible out of which particular Churches are formed unless you admit Infidels for Members and into which they are resolved unlâ—ss they cease to be Catholick Members when their Pastors dy or remove Wheras M K. might have known that the Catholick visible Church as entitive is made up of professing Christians and particular Churches are but secondary members of this body as Organical by Aggregation But the Dissenters will deny his charge by further proving that they are subjects to their lawfull Pastors that such are not their Pastors whom he chargeth them with separation from And they can justify their Seperation to be a duty and so no bar to their Catholick priviledg if they had some times been subject to such Yea it 's manifest the Church of England account us within the Pale of the Church by her calling us Brethren departed in the Faith when dead and too oft Excommunicating us when alive His charge of Ecclesiastical Rebellion cannot yet affect us when we think that we justly deny the Convocation to be a fit Representative of all the Pastors in England and not a supreme power over all our Churches yea and suspect a definition of the Catholick Church by such regent Officers as what favours the Vniversal Headship and may well end in the Pope as principium unitatis His positiveness in our duty to be silent when suspended without regard to justice of the ground of it imports he hath forgotten that Casuists generally determin that an unjust sentence bindes not before God or the Church and that Pastors power in the church is not of the same extent as a Kings in the State but under the limits of many more instituted laws But these matters being debated in the book I proceed M K 's Sarcasm against our cant from M M ' s. allusion to a plain scripture p. 13 may call him to suspect what spirit himself is of Luke 9 55. and others of his sort who redicule scripture passages though used in the sence of the spirit that inspired the writers of the scriptures and condemn in us those principles which were the common sence of Protestant Bishops but yet these must be the only Protestant Successors because they keep up the ceremonies tho they despise many important doctrines which they more vallued themselves by Reader thou maist wonder how M K. that affirmeth no ministers may reform no nor preach against the Establisht Church can publish these thoughts of his so repugnant to the sence of the Church and undertake to reform the very Catholick Church by a definition of it so opposite to that his Church hath published He Reproacheth us with the favours we new recieve from men of M M 's perswasion M K. P 39. Reply We thankfully own the Kings Favours without ungrateful enquiries into the grounds of it nor yet doubting but we shall take care not to forfeit what he thinks meet to grant But why should you that dislike an Inquisition grudg us a little ease I believe you are not for blaming the Magistrate when the Rods and Axes are disused Are not the miseries great enough which we have endured at your hands for refusing to sin in doing things which you had nothing but the bare authority of the imposer to plead for But I heartily wish all our hardships so forgoten by us as that they neither abate charity nor prevent union on Christian Catholick terms I confess it 's no small amazement to hear the Prelatists reflect on the present liberty of Dissenters Are we blameable for meeting now we do it with safty when we suffered so much rather than forbear it Can they that have refused Preferments endured prisons reproach and loss of estates for their principles be suspected apt to renounce or betray them for a smile How can these men that t' other day resolved all law into the Kings meer will now brand our meetings as unlawful But this will convince the world that that party will allways Skrew up the point of Loyalty whose Interest the Government pâ—omotes and yet may challenge their own sentiments when the Throne is
church-lands and utensils as Sacriledg and a very horrid sin shou'd see somthing equally hainous if not more so in mens alienating those excellent gifts God has endued them with for the Churches Edification when never justly forbidden the exercise of that Ministery to which they are devoted They who are justly call'd to that office by men are call'd by Christ and are bound to be true and faithful to him And where there is a true necessity of their labours they may answer their unjust silencers as Peter John did Acts 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye Timothy who was ordain'd by men yet has that solemn charge given him 2 Tim. 4.1 2. that is sufficient to deter Ministers from denying their Lord the service they have vow'd him to please the unjust will of men I know but one case that will excuse a Minister unjustly silenc'd in forbearing the exercise of his Ministry viz. when there is no necessity of his labours and the exercise of his Ministry would by violating pubâ—ick order do more hurt than good in his present circumstances But 't is too evident this was not the case of those 2000 Ministers siâ—enc'd by the Act of Vniformity To that purpose let the consequences of their continuing or forbearing their Ministry be compar'd What was the inconvenience of their Preaching more than this that a point of humane order was violated some needless impositions to speak the mildest not comply'd with which were design'd to promote an impracticable uniformity but were more likely to prove engines of corrupting and dividing the Church and the unjust will of the Silencers disobey'd What was the advantage of their continuing their Ministry It may be justly said to the honour of God that many thousands of ignorant souls have been instructed in the truths of the Gospel and by true conversion or repentance added to the number of Christ's mystical body the honour of Christianity has been promoted by the purity of their societies through the faithful exercise of Church-discipline the serious practice of Religion has been more effectually maintain'd in a profane and debauched age And what I would chiefly recommend to your consideration a vast number of souls have enjoy'd the sutable and succesful means of their Edification and Salvation who either through the irregularity of Parish-bounds or through their own scruples about the terms of Parish-communion must else have wanted them or through the ill provision of Parish-Ministers must have sat under such Pastors as no man concern'd for his own â—ternal happiness should be satisfied with where he may have better For the truth of these things the silenced Ministers may freely appeal to those that know them and have any serious sense of these matters But they will not much regard the judgment of those who think there is no need of any other conversion than from the external profession of a false Religion to the profession of a true And no Regeneration but external Baptism who account all sufficiently qualified to take a pastoral charge of souls who have got into holy Orders and think the people bound in complaisance to the Patron or the Bishop to acquiesce in their choice tho it deprive them of the most probable means of their salvation and oblige them to sit under those as their Pastors from whose labours little succeâ—s can be rationally expected But for such as understand the real necessities and value of souls and know how much the success of Ministers does ordinarily depend on their moral aptitude and abilities for that sacred Office and have learnt to prefer the Edification and Salvation of Souls before external order when inconsistent with it Let them judge whether the foresaid Ministers had not sinned had they in those circumstances deserted their Ministry and denied their help to those that needed and earâ—estly crav'd it i. e. Whether it were better that in our large Parish-Churches thousands should live without any publick worship of God or means of salvation Or thâ—t all who scruple the imposed conditions of lay-communion shou'd live without Pastors till they can change their judgment Or that the people in a vast number of Parishes should live under such as their Pastors as no serious Christian would commit the conduct of his soul to where he may have better Or that irreligion should prevail through the total neglect of Church-Discipline In a word whether it were better all the souls whom the Nonconformist's Ministry has been the Instrument within these 25 years to enlighten sanctify and prepare for Heaven had never enjoy'd their labours than the external order of Parish-bounds should be violated and the suspected impositions of things own'd by the Imposers for indifferent disobey'd Now if it were sinful for the silenc'd Ministers to desert their office in such circumstances because of an unjust prohibition then no law of God that concerns the Churches peace does oblige them to it And that they were unjustly prohibited the exercise of their office belongs to the next Head. 2. The foresaid Ministers do in the exercise of their Ministry violate no just law of man. The humane Law which they violate enjoyns such conditions of their office as these among others 1. A Declaration of unfeigned Assent and Consent to all things contained in and prescribed by the Book entituled the Book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies c. and in the form and manner of making Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops Priests and Deacons 2. The Oxford Oath or swearing never to endeavour any alteration of the present Church-Government 3. Reordination as to those that had not Prelatical Ordination 4. The Oath of Canonical Obedience c. Now if these conditions of the Ministry be sinful I would gladly know whether any humane law be just that forbids the Ministâ—rs of our Lord Jesus to preach his Gospel unless they will comply with sinful terms or that makes sinning the condition of the exercise of their Ministry I hope none will presume to say that which sets up the authority of Man against God's I would therefore enquire further Ought all to forbear the exercise of their Ministry who are forbidden by an unjust humane Law If so why did not Christian Pastors forbear it under Pagan Emperors or the Orthodox under the Arrian or Reformed Pastors under Popish Princes where the law â—orâ—ids them Or will Mr. K. say all these ought to have forborn and deserted their office What! has God left it at the will of men whether he shall be publickly worshipt whether his Gospel shall be preach'd whether the Office he has call'd men to shall be discharg'd whether souls shall enjoy the sutable means of their Salvation or the number of Ministers shall be proportionable to the real necessity of souls Has he given men any power against his own interest or to promote the damnation of souls by imposing such
in the Preface I come to examine the first sett of those in the Pamphlet it self which concern the Mission of the first Reformers and they are by Mr K. reduc'd to these five 1. What Priesthood or Holy Orders had the first Reformers but what they receiv'd from the hands of Roman-Catholick Bishops 2 Who authoriz'd the first Reformers to preach their Protestant Doctrine and administer their Protestant Sacraments 3. Whether Cranmer and his Associates could condemn the Church of Rome by pretence of the Mission they received from her Bishops 4. Whether a Presbyterian Minister having received Orders from a Protestant Bishop can by virtue of such Orders pronounce the Church of England a corrupt Church 5. Whether an Act of Parliament in France Spain or Germany be not as good an Authority for Popery there as in England for Protestancy These are Questions one would think too ridiculous to be seriously propos'd But I am heartily sorry Mr. K. can find no better Answer to them than what he has given which in several passages runs too much on the same wretched mistakâ—s that led D. Manby to offer them with so much confidence And therefore I need say little more to expose them than first state the Controversy about Mission and then apply the true Notion of it to these Questions There is a twofold Mission Immediate or Mediate 1. Immediate Which those had whom God sent to deliver some extraordinary message or some new revelation of his will to men Such a Mission had the extraordinary Prophets under the old Testament the Apostles and Evangelists under the new And these brought some Credentials of their Mission to convince men of the truth of it That immediate Mission is now ceas'd the revelation of the Divine Will being compleated in the holy Scriptures and directions given for the continuance of a Ministry in the Church There is therefore 2. A Mediate Mission or Call to the Pastoral Office. For we are not here concern'd with the office of Deacons I mean that office of Bishops or Elders or Ministers for they are but several names to import the same thing so often describ'd in the holy Scriptures The office contains in it many great and laborious works To teach the Flock committed to their charge be their Guides in publick Worship and rule them by Evangelical Discipline A Call to this Office gives the person call'd authority to do those works and lays on him a personal obligation to do them 'T is from Christ alone that power is deriv'd by which men are authoriz'd and oblig'd 'T is his will exprest in the Gospel-Charter constitutes men his Ministers And all that 's further requisite is to know how he signifies his will concerning this or that particular person being one of his Ministers To that purpose we must consider what Christ has done already in the Gospel-Charter and what he has left for men to do Christ has already determined in the Gospel that there shall be a Ministry in his Church to the end of the World He has describ'd their Office and all the particular works of it as what Doctrine they shall preach what Worship they shall celebrate how they shall rule the Church they oversee and what Discipline they shall administer in it He has left them sufficient rules in all matters of universal constant necessity for performing these works He has describ'd the duties which Christian Flocks owe to such Pastors He has assign'd the qualifications of such Pastors He has made it the duty of people that need the labours of such qualified persons to seek their help and of Ministers to call them out approve and invest them in that Office and of the Civil Magistrate to protect the Worthy It belongs not therefore to any men to appoint any new office in the Church of Christ or maim that Office he has instituted or impose sinful conditions in order to its exercise or impose any other duties on the people than he has done much less does it belong to them to determine whether the Gospel shall be preach'd or the necessities of souls who want such Pastors supply'd All therefore that the Gospel has left to the Ordainers is the Designation of the person to whom Christ's Charter shall convey the power the approbation of his qualifications and the Investiture of him or solemnizing his admittance The Ordainers therefore do not give the power to others as from themselves nor does it pass hrough their hands nor can they diminish it as ex gr should the Ordainers say Receive thou power to preach and admâ—nister the Sacraments but not to rule the Flock Thâ—s restraint or diminution is null as being contrary to the Charter of Christ They are but Instruments of Inauguration as a Recorder that invests a Mayor in that office which the King's Charter gives him And the great design of the Interposition of Pastors in this matter is to secure to the Church a succession of abâ—e and blameless Pastors of which they are supposed most fit to judge Ordination by Pastors is God's ordinary regular way of admittance to prevent the Churches being deprav'd and injur'd by the intrusion of unqualified pâ—rsons And therefore it should not be neglected where-ever it may be had Only it must be added that the law of Christ which determines that the Gospel shall be preach'd by persons so qualified is founded on the necessity of souls and the great law of Charity and therefore is of constant and indispensible necessity in the Church But the command of their being Ordain'd by Pastors is but subservient to the former and relates only to the ordinary regular execution of it and does not oblige where there is a physical or moral impossibility of observing it and yet a necessity of the Ministry For Ordination by Pastors is not of absolute necessity to the being of the Ministry There have been and may be extraordinary cases wherein a man may be obliged to be a Minister without it To instance in two cases What if many Christians should be cast on the shore of some Pagan Nation where they are forc'd to stay a considerable time and one among them be more eminently qualified than the rest to be their Minister the rest entreat his help and will any say that the Providence of God which has given him such abilities does not sufficiently authorise him to exercise them in this case of necessity When the work of the Ministry is of so much greater importance and necessity than that positive precept about the ordering of it Nay to propose a Case far more considerable What if all the preâ—ent Pastors in a Nation should corrupt the Christian Doctrine and Worship and impose those corruptions on the people as terms of Church-Communion What if they refuse to ordain any that will not joyn with them herein The people dare not comply with those terms and because they would not live without the advantages of the publick Ministry and Worship they
strangers to the most of them These are so paâ—pable impossibilities as to an unbyast considerer are instead of a thousand Arguments that the Bishops or Elders which these Texts speak of were not Diocesan Bishops i. e. they were not the Overseers or Rulers of many score or hundreds of Churches as their Flocks to whom they were to perform all these Pastoral works and the Flocks to pay them the forementioned Duties But the Pastors of such a number of people as they could thus personally oversee teach rule watch over visit c. and such a number as could pay them that love submission imitation c. prescrib'd in the forequoted Texts Especially when 't is so expresly asserted Acts 14. v. 23. That such Elders were ordained in every Church which Titus is also appointed to do in every City 1 Tit. 5. And 't is well known every Town equal to our usual Market-Towns in England was then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or City and but a few comparatively of the inhabitants at first converted to Christianity I grant that soon after the Apostles time the name of Bishop and Presbyter or Elder begun to be distinguisht and that of Bishop apply'd to a stated Praeses or Moderator of a Presbytery or certain number of Elders But 't is as evident That the Bishop and his Presbyters in the Primitive Church were but the Rulers of one Single Congregation capable of personal communion not of many Score or hundred Churches How plain to this purpose is that known passage of Ignatius whose Authority the Defenders of Prelates have so vainly boasted of who in his Epistle to the Philadelphians gives this certain mark of every Churches individuation viz. There is to every Church one Altar and one Bishop together with the Presbytery or Eldership and the Deacons my fellow servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The same Author in his Epistle to Polycarp advises that good Bishop to have frâ—quent Churhc-Assemblies and to enquire after all by name and not to despise servants and maids So in his Epistle to the Smyrnenses Fellow all of you the Bishop as Jesus Christ does the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c and the Presbyteâ—y as the Apostles and reverence the Deacons as the appointment of God. Let none without the Bishop transact the affairs of the Church Let that be accounted a valid communion which is in his presence or by his permission for where the Bâ—shop is there let the multitude be 'T is not lawful without the Bishop to Baptize or make a Love-Feast Nothing can more fully evidence that the Church of Smyrna had their B shop Presbyters and Deacons and 't were ridiculous to apply those passâ—ges to a modern Bishop and his Diocess Justin Martyr's known account of Church = Assembâ—ies evinces the truth of this which the learned Mr. Jos Mede in his Discourse of Churches quotes p. 48 49 50. and from thence acknowledges They had then but one Altar or place of Communion to a Church taken for the company or coporation of the faithful as united under one Bishop Tertullian's account of particular Church-assemblies assures us Apol. cap. that Church-discipline was exercis'd in them and that by the probati seniores or approved Elders among whom we own the Preses was called Bishop Even in Cyprian's time his famous Church of Carthage was not so great but that he frequently professes he would do nothing in Church-affairs without the consent of his Presbyters and all the people especially in the censuring of Offendors As in his Ep. 3.6 10 11 13 14 26 27 28 c. Edit Goul And Ep 68. as he there declares the people have the chiefest power of choosing worthy Priests and refusing the unworthy so when he relates the manner of the Ordination of a Bishop he tells us All the next Bishops of the same Province do come together to that people over whom the Bishop is set and the Bishop is appointed tâ—e people being present who fulliest know the life of every one and have thoroughly seen the Act of every one's conversation Which also we saw done with you in the Ordination of Sabinus our Colleague that the office of a Bishop was given him and hands imposed on him in the place of Basilides by the suffrage of the whole Fraternity and by the judgment of the Bishops that had met together c. We may easily gather what the Bishops Church was when all the people must be present and judge of his life and are supposed to be thoroughly acquainted with it A Diocess of the modâ—rn extent would be hard put to it to meet together for this purpose and pass their judgment concerning the life of their Bishop The Constitutions and Canons called Apostolical assign such duties to the Bishop as plainly imply his relation to a Congregation capable of personal Communion as his Charge or Flock And to give a brief summary of those proofs which it would require a large volume to insist fully on if we consider impartially all the duties which the most ancient Christian Writers describe as belonging to the office of a Bishop viz. To be the ordinary publick Teacher of his Flock a and Baptizer of those that were received into his Church b To confirm the Baptized to reconcile and absolve all penitents to administer the Lords Supper c To receive all oblations c. and distribute them To take care of the poor and sick and strangers as their Overseer and Curator d To try all causes about scandal in his Church with his Presbyters in the presence of his Flock e To Ordain other Bishops and Elders To keep Synods among his neighbour Bishops To grant communicatory Letters f c. And to how great a flock one man is capable to perform them If we consider further that the Bishop and his Presbyters liv'd usually in the same House and in Common at least near the Church and that in the distribution of their maintenance one half of it was destin'd to repair the Fabrick or Temple and maintain the poor the other half to the Bishop and his Clergy or Presbyters g That it was the common custom for the Presbyters to sit in the same Seat with the Bishop in a semicircle and the Deacons below them h That the Deacons are always mentioned as Officers in the same Church with the Bishop i That the Love-feasts were not to be kept without the Bishops permission and he was to have his share sent him if absent k That the way of strangers communicating was by communicatory Letters or Certificates which were to be shewed to the Bishop of the Church where they desir'd to communicate l That a Schism was describ'd by setting up Altar against Altar every communicating Church having its Altar or Table for celebrating the Lords-Supper and Bâ—shop m a Constit Apost c. 26. Just Mart. Apol 2 b Tertull. de Cor Mil. c. 3. c Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn p 4. Just Mart Apol 2. d