Subversion of Civil or Ecclesiastical Order and Governmenment when they were trod down and suffered for their Dissent But in all Ages and Nations the Churches that were under the grinding Dividers have laid more of the blame on the upper Milstone than on the lower Action and Violence making their Part more notable bearing more easily the censures and words of such as think Losers may have leave to talk than the Stings Swords and Flames of the elder Sons of Abaddon Apollyon And indeed in all Ages the lower Party have been less averse to Peace and Reconciliation but whoever have got uppermost into uncontroulable Clergy-Domination have usually disdained and abhorred the Peace-makers It was King James his wisdom to make Beati Pacifici his Motto and the Disposition and Counsels that are contrary to it will prove pernicious folly at last But we have a greater Doctor and Exemplar even our Saviour and final Iudge who while some repraoch such and talk and write to bring men from Love to hate each other hath said what in despight of malice he will make good Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Matth. 5.9 The Contents of the First Part. WHether the Resolver truly define the Church Page 1. Whether there be not many particular Churches 3. Whether these Churches must be Members of one another 5. Whether the Vniversal Church and Particulars be not distinct as Whole and Part. 6. Whether the Church hath all things Common and this be essential to it 6 7. Whether God only Constitutes the Church and no Humane Contract 9 10. Their Charge against the Independents Church-Covenant examined 11 12. Whether Church-Communion consist in no particular Acts. 15. His Self-contradiction p. 16. More of his Contradictions and Errors 17. His first Case Whether Communion with some Church be necessary 18. His second Case of Occasional Communion examined 19. His third Case Whether we may Communicate with distinct and separate Churches 20. His confused use of the words Church-Union Communion Separation and Schism opposed by a large Explication of Vnion Communion and Separation in which is fully shewed what Separation is Schism and what not from p. 21 to p. 41. He seemeth to damn all Christians on Earth as Schismaticks 41. His condemning the Church of England and many other largely manifested p. 42 to 53. What it is for which he calleth Men Schismaticks 53. It is absurd to be Members of opposite Churches because Christ hath but one Body 55. Whether all are Shismaticks who are guilty of Schism or Traitors that break any Law e. g. If the Church of England have any guilt of Schism c. 56. The Contents of the Second Part. WHether Mr. Ralphson prove 1. That Kneeling at the Sacrament and use of the Liturgy are unlawful false Worship or Idolatry and the places are Idols Temples and to joyn in them is to joyn in Idolatry p. 1. Whether the Argument prove it because they are Worship not Instituted 1. The word Worship explained and Worship distinguished 2 3. Twenty unquestionable Instances of Lawful Acts in Worship not particularly Instituted by God which are Modes or Accidents of his own Instituted Worship and may be called Worship in a subordinate sense 4 c. Whether the use of any such be a defection to Idolatry 8 9. Of Kneeling before the Bread and Wine 12 13. Another Instance of a Lawful Accident of Mans appointment 13. The Face of his Doctrine of Separation unmask'd in twenty Particulars 14 c. The Contents of the Third Part. Dr. Stillingfleet's Defender tried THe general Character of his Book p. 1 c. He placeth not Communion in any transient Acts but a fixed permanent State 4. Whether Communion and the Church be the same 5. Have all the Churches the same Right and Obligation to Communicate with each other 5. His Supposition of the World being one Family c. p. 7. His Accusation of Confusion Mistaking c. examined 8 9. Whether Union and Communion be all one and this be in no transient Acts 9 10. To his Question What makes the Church One 10 11 12. Whether that which makes it a Church make it not One 13. His Philosophy opened for his Pupils p. 14. when he dare not confute the Boyes common Notions of Physicks he stands wondering at them p. 14. As that the Soul is principium motus to the Body That Vnion is to Soul and Body like the Copula in a Proposition 15. Whether Christ cannot be to the Church a constitutive Form as the Soul is to the Body because he is it's Head and whether Scripture ascribe not to him such Soul-Relations as well as to be Head 15. His putid intimation that I write for another Head of the Chvrch than Christ. 17. Whether the Organized Body be not the constitutive matter of Man and matter be no part 17. More of his fumblings about the term Organized The Dr. cannot understand that forma Corporis and forma Hominis are two things 18. A Story of a Leveller shewing how such Doctors writings have success 19. How the Doctors Tutor should in his Youth have taught him to understand what the Churches Vnion is wherein it consisteth and by what it 's caused 21 to 27. His profest incapacity of applying the similitude of a Copula pitied 27. His palpable untrue Accusation in the dark 28. His confused Communion 30. His Schism plainly confuted That Churches or Persons of separate and opposite Communion cannot be united to Christ By three distinctions 1. Between Communion and Subjection 2. Between mental and local Separation 3. Between mental Separation from Essentials and from meer Accidents or Integral parts Instances of the famousest Fathers and Churches that have so far separated from each other 32. His Whimsey of Two Vniversal Visible Churches 33. What excommunicate persons are cut off from Christ. 35. Six begg'd Suppositions which these false Accusers of Schism must have 36. His kind Concessions That Rebels and Schismaticks may have the power of Orders and Officers rightly constituted Sacraments and all Essentials of a true Church except Peace and Vnity and Catholick Communion as if Essentials united not 36. What Schism is damning briefly opened 37. His Doctrine Thas those that believe in Christ repent of their sins and lead an holy life in all godliness and honesty may yet be excluded from all the ordinary means of salvation proved false subverting the Gospel 37 38. His odd Doctrine That the Divine Spirit is the Principle of Immortality in us which first giveth life to our Souls and will at last raise our Bodies modestly examined and Reasons given for the Immortality of all mens Souls as well as those that have the Spirit and that the rest are not annihilated but have a future life aad that there is a Resurrection of the just and unjust and an Hell 39. His Notion That all Bishops are but one Bishop because Episcopatus unus est 42. Of Independency of Churches 43.
Communion is an Essential duty of a Church-member meaning a Christian. A. 1. And yet before he denyed that Communion lay essentially in this Exercise but only in Vnion Yea and Nay is his Custom 2. Some few Christians as those that live where such Communion cannot be had without sin c. are not bound to it therefore it is not true that it is Essential to Universal Church-membership And I think sickness endeth not the essentials that disableth men 3. Note Reader that by this mans Doctrine we are all unchristened and damned if we do not gather into disallowed Churches if we be unjustly cast out of the allowed ones For all must be Church members that will be Christians and an unjust Excommunication cannot disoblige us from Christianity nor bind us to consent to be damned Now read the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Canons of the Church of England which ipso facto Excommunicate all that affirm any thing in their Liturgy Articles Ceremonies or Government sinful and answer Spalatensis arguments against Excommunicating ipso facto and prove all this just and you may prove what you will just But you see where he layeth the Controversie If any be Excommunicated without sufficient cause or by Lay Civilians to whom God never gave that power or by such Bishops or Pastors as have no just Authority for want of a true call or Consent or if any unlawful thing be made necessary to Communion all such persons must by his own confessions hold Church-communion whether these imposers will or not for all Christians are bound to be of some Church § 3. p. 33 34. He saith that None but publick Prayers are the Prayers of the Church properly and acts of Communion that is such as are offered by the hands of men authorized and set apart for that purpose c. Ans. Who would have thought that we are more for the Liturgy than he I undertake to prove that all the Responsal Prayers and all the Litany Prayers in which the Minister names but the matter to them and the People make it a Prayer by speaking the petitioning parts are all the publick Prayers of the Church and so are all the petitioning Psalms spoke or sung by the People and not only that which is offered by the Priest I do not think that he believeth what he carelesly saith here himself But the Independents are stiffer for his first Thesis of the necessity of Church-communion than he is his unfit words I pass by CHAP. III. Of his second Case § 1. THE next question of Occasional Communion as distinct from fixed he turns out of doors as if there could be no such thing and it 's very true as to the Church universal but as to visible actual Communion with this or that particular Church it is not true 1. A Traveller of another Country who on his journey communicateth with every Church where he passeth is not a fixed Member of that Church for 1. The Pastor or Bishop hath not that peculiar Charge of him as of fixed members 2. He is not bound where he passeth to take such notice of the lives of Communicants or Pastors and to admonish the Offenders and tell the Church as fixed members are 3. He hath not the right in chooseing Pastors or Deacons as the fixed Members have 4. An itinerant Bishop in transitu is not their fixed Bishop ergo an Iterant Lay-man is not a fixed Member The same I may say of one that is a fixed member of another Church in the same City and cometh to that only to signifie universal Communion or neighbourly which though he deny to be lawful I shall further prove anon And the same I may say of those that dwell where there is no fixed single Church at all for want of a Pastor but they congregate only when some strange Minister passeth through the Town CHAP. IV. His third Case § 1. PAge 48 49. He resolveth his third Case Whether it be lawful to Communicate with two distinct and separate Churches negatively and saith It is contrary to all the Principles of Church Communion as any thing can possibly be it is to be contrary to our selves it is Communicating with Schism That the Presbyterian and Independent Churches have made an actual separation from the Church of England he hath evidently proved and they are Schismaticks and to communicate with them is to partake in their Schism and if Schism be a great sin and that which will damn us as soon as Adultery and Murther then it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with Schismaticks And p. 42. There cannot be two distinct Churches in one place one for occasional and another for constant Communion without Schism Ans. To save those that are willing from the Poyson of these Schismatical Doctrines lapt up in confusion by men that abhor distinction or understand not what they say I will first lay down that truth that he fights against with convincing evidence and then shew you the mischief of his false Doctrine and Application § 2. The confusion of these words Church Communion Separation and Schism which every one signifie divers things is the chief means to blind and deceive his Reader whether it do so by himself I know not I. The Word Church signifieth sometime the universal Church sometime a single Organized Church as part of it and sometime humane combinations of such single Churches and that into Diocesan Classical Provincial Patriarchal National and Papal II. The Specification and Nomination of Churches is from the formal cause and the proper Government is that form And the Individuation is from matter and form but principally from the form III. The Union of Pastor and Flock in Relation makes that which is a form aptitudinal as the Soul to the Body to be the form in act as the Union of Soul and Body and Gods command and consent with the consent of the necessary relate and correlate cause that union IV. Union is in order to Communion which is primary by the exercise of the formal powers on the matter and secondary by the action of all the parts according to their several capacities and Offices V. The Union of the Church is of divers degrees 1. The formal Union of the Head and Body which maketh it essentially the Christian Church 2. The Vnion of the parts among themselves as Christian which maketh them a Body capable of Union with the Head 3. The Union of the parts as unequal Organized the Official with the rest which maketh it an Organized Body fit for its special use and welfare 4. Union in integrity of parts which maketh it an intire Body 5. Union in due temperament and Qualities which maketh it a healthful Body 6. Unity in Common Accidents which make it a Comely Beautiful Body joined with the rest But 7. Union in mutable Accidents is unnecessary and impossible VI. These several degrees of Union are found in Bodies natural and Politick 1. The
Union of Soul and Body makes a man and an Embryo before it be organized 2. The Union of the Body maketh it capable of the Souls further Operation 3. The Union of the Organical chief parts as Heart Lungs c. to the rest make it a true humane Body compleated to the nutriment and action of Life 4. That it have Hands and Fingers Feet and Toes and all integral parts makes it an intire Body 5. The due site temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound Body 6. Comely colour hair action going speech c. make it a comely Body 7. To have all parts of equal quantity and office would make it uncomely And to have the same hair colour c. is unnecessary at all 1. The Union of King and Subjects as such makes a Kingdom 2. That the People be agreed for one conjunct interest and Government maketh them a Community capable of Politie or Government 3. That there be Judges Maiors and Justices and subordinate Cities or Societies maketh it an Organized Body in which Kingly Government may be exercised to its end the common good 4. That no profitable part be wanting Judge Justice Sheriff c. maketh it an entire Kingdom 5. That all know their place and be duly qualified with Wisdom Love Justice Conscience Obedience to God first to the Sovereign Power next to Officers next c. maketh it a sound and safe Kingdom 6. That it be well situate fertile rich eminent in Learning Skill c. maketh it an adorned beautiful Kingdom 7. That all be equal in Power and wealth is destructive and that all be of one Age complexion calling temper degree of knowledge c. is impossible And that all have the same language cloathing utensils c. is needless at least VII Jesus Christ is the only Universal Soveraign of the Church both of vital influence and Government nor hath he set up any under him either Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt Pope Council or diffused Clergy that hath the Power of Legislation and Judgment as governing the whole Chorch but only Officers that per partes govern it among them each in his Province as Justices do the Kingdom and Kings and States the World nor is any capable of more VIII To set up any universal Legislators and Judge Pope or Council is to set up an Usurper of Christs Prerogative called by many a Vice-Christ or an Antichrist and as bad as making one man or Senate the Soveraign of all the Earth and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign Iurisdiction in this Land is to endeavour to perjure the whole Kingdom that is sworn against it in the Oath of Supremacy and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State in the Corporation Oath the Vestry Oath the Militia Oath the Oxford Oath with the Uniformity Covenants And if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign Jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the Kingdom to all these Oaths against it I doubt whether all the Powers of Hell can devise a much greater crime against Clergy Cities and all the Land Good reason therefore had Doctor Isaac Barrow to write against it as he hath done and to confute Mr. Thorndike and all such as of late go that pernicious way by the pretence of Church Union and Communion As if one universal Soveraign and Legislator and Judge were not enough to unite Christs Kingdom or man could mend his universal Laws and could not stay for his final judgment and Churches and Kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal Soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves XI To be a true Believer or Christian or the Infant seed of such devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant uniteth each Member first to Christ himself directly and consequently to his Body or Church and this coram Deo as soon as it is done by heart consent and coram Ecclesia regularly as soon as he is invested by Baptism which Baptism when it may be had so is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized Minister or Deacon but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a Lay-man the Ancient Christians took it not for a nullity much less if the Baptizer was taken for a Minister by mistake being in his place and if no Baptism can be had open covenanting is vallid X. The Papists and their truckling Agents here have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction To make themselves masters of the World they would perswade us that Sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie and that God saveth none by any known way and grant but by his Covenant Sealed by the Sacraments and that he authorizeth none to administer this Covenant but Prelates and their Priests and none can validly have it from other hands And so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation are at the will and mercy of such Prelates and Priests But unhappily they cannot retrieve their old Opinion but maintain that Lay-men and Women may baptize in necessity validly and that Baptism puts one into a State of Salvation XI As he that swears and keeps his Allegiance to the King is a Subject and Member of the Kingdom though he be no Member of any Corporation so though he disown a thousand fellow Subjects yea though he deny the Authority of Constable Justice Judge so he that is devoted to Christ truly in the Baptismal Covenant is a Christian and a Member of the Universal Church though he were of no particular Church or did disown a thousand Members or any particular Officer of the Church XII All faults or crimes are not Treason A man that breaketh any Law is in that measure Culpable or punishable but every breach of Law or wrong to fellow Subjects or Justices as it is not Treason so it doth not prove a man no Subject though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable And so it is in the case of our Subjection in the Church to Christ. XIII To own Christs Instituted species of Church Officers is needful to the just Order Safety and Edification of the Church as to own the Courts of Judicature Justices c. in the Kingdom but to own this or that numerical Officer as truly commissioned is needful only to the right administration of his own Province XIV As Christ did his own work of universal Legislation by himself and his Spirit eminently in the Apostles and Evangelists who have recorded all in Scripture so he settled Churches to continue to the end associated for Personal Communion in his holy Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation with authorized Ministers subordinate to his administration in his Prophetical Priestly Kingly and Friendly Relations And thô these may not always or often meet in
Application that I cannot let it pass His words are these As in the constitution of man 1. The rational soul is the real form which is principium motus The organized body is the constitutive matter That there be Heart Liver Stomack is but the bodies organization That these parts be duly placed and united is forma corporis non hominis and make the body but materia disposita 3. The union of soul and body is that nexus like the copula in a proposition which may be called the relative form or that which maketh the soul become forma in actu Reader Dost thou know as a Philosopher what a man is and dost thou doubt of ever a word of this If this Doctor be ignorant of it had he not been a Doctor and overgrown Humility and Learning I might have expected either thanks or silence from him But what saith the Man to it Had this Philosophy been known in St. Paul's days I should not much have wondered that he warns men against vain Philosophy was not Aristotle known in Paul 's days Aures erigite The Confutation will come anon I shall avoid disputing with Mr. B. as much as I can too late Sir and therefore will not quarrel with him for saying The Soul is Principium motus to the Body though it may be some Cartesians will not like it Hitherto we are quiet The Doctor is so modest that he will not deny that Fâ—rma is Principium Motus And it is but a May be whether a Cartesian will I have met lately with University-men that cry'd up Cartesius as if they had been quite above Aristotle and Plato and when I tryed them I found that they knew not what Aristotle or Plato said nor what Cartesius neither Nor saith he for affirming that the Union of Soul and Body is but like the Copula in a proposition which is but a spick and spang nâ—w Notion Ans. The man is pugnacious enough but somewhat restrains him Is Novelty here the fault More than this was Nâ—w to him within these twenty years and much is yet The terms of a Proposition are no Propositon till the Copula make them one by making the Predication And a Soul and a Body are no Man but as United which maketh the Soul to be Forma in actu Hath the man confuted this ' But saith he I shall only consider how he applies this to the Church Ans. How Sir do you accuse the Philosophy and now will you only question the application of it Christ it seems thâ—n is the Soul and Christians the Body though in Scripture he is represented as the Head of the Body and the Divine Spirit as the Soul which enlivens and animateth it And if Christ be not the Head of the Body which I think the Soul was never affirmed yet the Church must be without a Head or have another Head than Christ which I suppose is the reason why he talks so much of a Constitutive Regent Head of the Church Ans. It 's easie to suppose that the cause of these Words was a want of somewhat both in your Head and Heart that should have been there 1. Is this any Confutation of my Philosophy Could not a Quaker have talkt against it at as reasonable Rates as these 2. Do you not think that every understanding Reader doth know that both the term Head and Soul here are Metaphors as spoken of Christ Both of them signifie the form of the Society because the Head is the seat of the Soul in its Rational Regent Acts the King is called the Head of his Kingdom that is He is forma Regni for the Politick forms of Society is their forms of Government And so as the Church is a Politick Society Christ is the form of it But it is nobler than all meer humane Policies and his Headship is Essentiated by the three parts of his Office in One as he is Prophet Priest and King and as the principle of Knowledge Love and Practice and his Church is together Dominion Kingdom and a Society of Friendship or Family And the Head which is the seat of the Soul as operative by Intellection Sense and Motion most aptly representeth all this in Christ. But while the Head-part of the Body is this Seat the Soul is in it the operator And Christ as Man is part of the Church in and by whom his Divine nature performeth the operations And as the Soul is the form of the Man Christ is the form of his Church quae dat esse nomen And that the Holy Ghost illuminateth and quickneth and comforteth is so far from being against this that it is the chief proof of it For the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of Christ sent by him and what he doth herein Christ doth by him Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt in-divisa Who would have thought that a Christian durst deny Christ to be forma Ecclesiae as the Soul is of a Man and the King of a Kingdom Doth the Man give you the least proof but his vain word that Christ cannot be both as a Head and a Soul that is forma informans to his Church or that Christ is not the Soul because the Holy Ghost is But I think neither is called by the name of a Soul in the Scriptures But I pray you tell us what these Texts import Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the spirit is life John 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one 5.26 He hath given the Son to have life in himself 21. He quickeneth whom he will 6.51 57. I am the living bread he that eateth me shall live by me 1 Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the members of Christ. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 8.6 Our Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 12. As the body is One and hath many members and all the members of that One body being many are one body so also is Christ. 27. Ye are the body of Christ. 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is that Spirit 18. We are changed into the same Image from glory to glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.4 In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men 2 Cor. 13.5 Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Gal. 2.20 Not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 3.19 Till Christ be formed in you Eph. 1.22 23. Head over all things to his Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 3.15 17. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 4.15 16. May grow up into him in all things who is the Head Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth maketh increase of the body Eph. 5.30 We are the members of his body of his flesh and of his bones
man were not bound to lay any restraint on himself nor suppress sensual inclinations nor deny them proper and natural satisfactions As far as we know to live always in this world and body was the Original state of mankind without any expectations of a more divine and spiritual life p. 98. Briefly p. 272. The Divine Spirit is the principle of Immortality in us which first giveth life to our souls and will at last raise our bodies Ans. His Opinion in this is not without the consent of some very learned and good men And if he had held only that immortality is proper to the spiritual so far as it is immortal blessedness who would contradict him But seeing it is the undistinguisht immortality of the Soul that he speaketh of I shall in this with submission declare my Dissent and Reasons § 35.1 I confess that as I said it is an Allay to his damning Sentence of thousands of God's faithful Servants For it seems by Damnation he meaneth but Death and the loss of Heaven in which the Soul is dead as well as the Body and so he judgeth us not to any other Hell But then all the Infidels Atheists Murderers Perjured Adulterers and Drunkards find the like kindness from him if it will prove such It seems all their Souls are mortal and die as Beasts And so the fear of Hell or any pain after Death is dismist by him to all the World 2. I believe not this because God is the righteous Governor of the World and ruleth by means suited to the end And we find that the fear of a future positive punishment is so natural to the Conscience of man that the World is mostly governed by it And God ruleth not man by meer deceit 3. We see that even the fear of Hell is not sufficient to restrain no not professed Christians and Preachers from Perjury Persecution Sensuality Worldliness and Wickedness What a case then would the World be in were they delivered from those fears Men would be worse than Toads Adders or mad Dogs to one another 4. The Philosophers yea most and almost all the Infidel and Pagan World to this day were convinced of the Immortality of the Soul So that even the Lord Herbert de verit numbereth it with the Notices of 〈◊〉 5. I have in divers books given I think satisfactory proof of the Souls immortality not now to be repeated both Natural and from Revelation And if he preach the contrary I crave his patience with those that scruple taking him for their Pastor 6. But as Laâ—iantius and Arnobius plead against the Platonists for the Souls Mortality by Nature I do confess that there is nothing in Nature that will prove that God cannot annihilate it as he can do any Angel nor that it is immortal without dependâ—nce on God nor that will prove infallibly that God will annihilare no Soul But all that we pretend to prove by Nature is 1. That there is nothing in the Nature of the Soul that hath a tendency to annihilation or dissolution of it 2. That God who maketh all things suitable to their use seemeth to intimate that he will not dissolve or annihilate it by making it of such a durable Nature 3. And his Government affords us yet stronger moral Arguments 7. As God made Adam's Soul of an immortal Nature so sin changed not his Essence but his Quality and Relation And tho it made him mortal in the dissolution of his humanity or composition and liable to pain it did not turn him into an Animal of another species nor acquit him from all future suffering God having made his Soul naturally durable or immortal man's merits were but to determine whether it should be immortal happiness or immortal misery God was not bound to change man's Essence to shorten his suffering because man vitiated it 8. If one should preach that Christ came to make Humane Souls immortal that were all naturally mortal it would make Faith so hard a Work as would greatly hinder the conversion of the Infidels It would be an hard thing to believe that Christ maketh Saints of another species from all other men as men are from Brutes And if ones Soul be naturally mortal and others by the Spirit immortal it would seem a specifick difference And Philosophers and Mahometans who can say so much for the immortality of the Soul would despise Christians as less Orthodox than they 9. I have elsewhere proved that the Iews held the Souls immortality except the Sadduces He that said Good Master what shall I do to inherit â—tâ—rnal life spake but their common Opinion as did all they that believed that any rose from the dead 10. It seems by the History of Henoch and Elias that if man had not sinned he should have been so translated For God had said Increase and multiply and the Earth would not have held all Humane Generations 11. Christ expresly saith There shall be a Resurrection to condemnation John 5. and that the wicked shall go to everlasting punishment Matth. 25. and that their worm never dieth nor their fire is quenched c. But if the Soul be not immortal there can be no Resurrection It will not be the same man but another new made And shall a new soul suffer for anothers sin Luke 16. in the case of Dives and Lazarus tells us Christ's mind of this 12. Yet I confess that the Resurrection of the Body was not promised before the Fall nor yet plainly threatned but seemeth to be the common effect of Redemption in its first instance as it was for all Mankind viz. That man being filius mortis Christ would first as a common Saviour restore his Nature and then set him in the way of Tryal for its happiness or misery as God at first made his Nature and then tryed him accordingly But it seems had there been no Saviour the body should have continued dead being but the meer instrument of the sinning soul and the immortal soul be immortally unhappy 13. Therefore in this if the Doctor mean not better than he speaks but thinks indeed that the Spirit only is the Principle of the Souls immortality I differ from him but not with contempt acknowledging that these things are weighty and of difficulty But I am loath to be less Orthodox than Heathens and Infidels or than the vain conceited Rabbins who as Buxtorfe and others tell us do hold that good Israelites go to Heaven and bad Israelites to Hell and all others die like Beasts Did he so hold of good and bad Christians it were too gross or of those that are called by the Gospel and some believe and some refuse The Papists most commonly hold That unbaptized Infants are in some such neutral state shut out of Heaven but under no positive pain But if the Doctor preach so of the Adult and all tho he seem to abate of his severity to the Dissenters he will do no service to the Church 14. The Terms
us that he did not place this Communion in any transient Acts but in a fixed permanent state Ans. But 1. Taking the Bishops for true authorised Pastors and the Church for a true Church are transient acts Believing in Christ and repenting of sin are transient acts quoad objectum tho immanent quoad subjectum effectum Baptism and Profession of Christianity and of love and obedience to others are transient both quoad objectum effectum Coming to Church communicating obeying Bishops and departing from Schismaticks are transient in both respects You see that by Catholick Communion the Doctor meaneth none of all these 2. What meaneth he then a fixed permanent state But 1. Which Predicament can you conjecture that word state is in It 's commonly applied to Relation Quality and Scite and Place These latter I am confident he meaneth not If he mean Quality it is Dispâ—sitiâ—n or Habit sure But those come by Acts and he tells us not what he meaneth nor is it probable that this is it Relation is most likely to be that fixed state which is indeed the true form of a Church and a Church-Member and saith Durandus is meant by Baptism's indelible Character Supposing this his meaning 2. Are not transient acts the fundamentum of this Relation as verily as of Paternity Marriage-Relation c. Is any Man a Church-Member or Christian but by the transient acts of Baptism Profession Covenanting c. And do you define a Relation without the Fundamentum 3. But if Relation be all wherein lieth our damning Schism We profess Catholick Communion then somewhat more than you do For as we profess the same Relation that you do to Jesus Christ so we profess our Relation of Fellow-Members to all his Body even to those that in such Matters depart from each others and if I can understand you to the greatest part of Christ's Church on Earth which you damn as Rebels This is our profest Relation If you can disprove it 〈◊〉 § 9. He adds I conclude it 's sufficient to let you understand what the Ancients meant by Christian-Communion which in a large Notion signifies the Christian Church or Society which is called Communion from Communication which all the Members of it had with each other The plain and obvious sense is All the Churches of the World are but one Church or Society and have the same right and the same obligation on them to communicate with each other for the sake of which Christian Churches are instituted as the members of a particular Church are Ans. 1. Such large Notions may be sufficient to you but they signifie little more than noise to me Here we are told that by Communion he meaneth the Church And so when we read of Communion with the Church it meaneth the Church with the Church and Church-Communion are Two Synonimal words and signifie Church Church And in the Creed the Catholick Church and Communion of Saints is a Tautology 2. But the Church is called Communion from Communication And is Communication no transient act but a fixed state 3. If the plain sense be That all Churches in the World are one Church as parts in the whole who differs from you in that We are all then of one Catholick Communion and shall believe that all true Christians are of one Church till the Excommunicators better disprove it 4. But have all the same right and obligation to communicate with each other 1. All do actually communicate with each other 1. In their Union with and Relation to our Saviour and Head 2. And in having one holy Spirit 3. Being the adopted children of one God 4. Being of that one body formally related to Christ. 5. Believing in the same God and Father Saviour and holy Spirit And 6. Consenting to the same Baptismal Covenant 7. Having the same hope of everlasting life These are the Instances of Christian Union and Communion in Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. And 8. They have also Communion in the same common benefits Pardon and Justification and right to life 9. And besides all this when they may be had they have Communion in the same species of necessary worship the use of the same Gospel and Sacred Scriptures and Creed of the same sort of Eucharistical Sacrament and Prayer and Praise and Thanksgiving in all parts of absolute necessity and holy Assemblies to that end consisting of several Pastors with their Flocks 10. Yea and all true Christians love one another as such and live in sincere tho imperfect obedience to the same holy Laws of Christ. In all this all Christians have Communion 2. And all have right to such measures of Local Communion where they come as they are in a more immediate capacity of 3. And all are obliged to exercise so much Mental and Local Communion as is necessary to edification and to the exercise of Christian love and peace besides what is forementioned But yet 1. All Churches on Earth are separate by distance as to Local Communion 2. No Two Churches or Men on Earth are perfectly united as to Mental Câ—mmunion There are Multitudes of degrees of differences in this 3. There are very many just causes of diversifying Local Communion in the same City Diocess or other Precincts and of diversifying individual Pastoral Relation and single proper Church-Communion Diversity of Languages is a cause that no man can deny The excessive Magnitude of a Church that is the Multitude of Persons is another Suppose that I were first and alone made Pastor of a Church in Mexico or Quinsay and I am not able to do the work of a Pastor for a Thousand Souls I get the help of Three or Four Presbyters and Deacons and we all are utterly unable to do the Pastoral work for Four Thousand may Four Thousand or Forty Thousand more claim of me the performance of the Pastoral Office Am I bound to undertake Tenfold more than I am able to perform Then Men may not only enslave me but damn me at their pleasure and pretend their right to Communion with me If you say I am bound to multiply Presbyters in the same Church to sufficiency I answer 1. What if I can neither have Men nor Maintenance 2. What if I think that when the Multitude is so great that I cannot know them nor they ever speak with me or know one another any more than Men of several Countreys that I ought not to undertake a personal oversight of them but perswade them to associate in Churches capable of such oversight It 's no breach of Charity for one School-Master or Physician to refuse a personal Relation as School-Master to Five Hundred Schools or Physician to all the City or Five Hundred Hospitals tho he have Apothecaries or others under him No Man hath right to more of my labour than I am able to perform If I be a Bishop and bound to hear and try the Causes of all that ought to come under Church Censure in a whole Diocess and am
certain that I am unable to do this to One of an Hundred who can claim a right to that or more 4. But out of this his Doctrine I gather That if all the Christian World have rigâ—â— to communicate with me upon occasion 1. Sure there is some difference between occasional and fixed Local Communion 2. And surely if I refuse any that would communicate on common necessary terms because they will not break the Custom of their several Countries and communicate with me in doubted unnecessary things I wrong all the Christian World and am to them a Schismatick Much more if I presume to Excommunicate every Stranger that cometh into my Precincts and herein differs from me as you do us and most of all if I impose many sinful terms of Communion on him All Christians are bound to hold Communion in Christianity and in all things necessary to the common Communion of them all and to extend this also to as many Integrals as they can reach But there are Multitudes of things in which they are not bound to have Communion much less as necessary to salvation § 10. p. 36. We have all explained by an odd supposition viz. Suppose the whole World were one Family or one Kingdom in which every man according to his rank and station enjoys equal Priviledges the necessity of Affairs would require that Men should live in distinct Houses and Countries But yet if every Man enjoyed the same Liberty and Priviledges wherever he went as he now does in his own House and Countrey the whole World would be but one great Family or universal Kingdom Ans. 1. The whole World is one great Kingdom of God as verily as the Church is the Church of Christ And yet we Non-Conformists think that every Man in it no nor every Saint hath not right to be King of England nor a Judg in our Courts nor Lord Mayor of London nor so much as a Freeman in any City And we think that the Church hath no more one subordinate universal Soveraign than the World And that therefore the case in point of universal priviledg is not by this similitude well explained 2. Your odd supposition of the World being one Family either supposeth one Husband to all the Wives in the World and one Father to all the Children in the World or else that all distinct Husbands Wives Children and Servants are in this one Family In the first supposition I may suppose that you take him to be more than a Man that can be an Husband to all the Women and a Father to all the Children on Earth And therefore if his Wisdom be equal to such a greatness he must be no Fool. And if so whiâ—e Men are his Family he will order and govern them as Men and then they will be distributed into subordinate Families Cities and Kingdoms as now they are But if you suppose many Husbands and Fathers our Opinion is that Husbands and Wives should not be common nor Parents and Children Nay which way ever you take that Childrens Food Rayment and Portions should not be common Nor could any come from India and claim a Lordship or Lands in England as a Member of the Family Fathers distribute unequally as their Will and Wisdom and their Childrens fitness are diversifying Causes Even in a Colledg one cannot claim anothers Chamber Books Cloaths or Food One would think by your scourge for Non-Conformists that you were no Leveller nor against fatherly justice and inequality of right and distribution Even they that come to your Church cannot so much as claim equal right in Seats And verily if all the World that will come to you may claim equal Pastoral oversight from you or any Bishop your equality must be like his to the Beggars that gave nothing to any that he might serve them all alike § 11. P. 38 39 c. he saith He can hardly be so charitable to me as not to believe that I wilfully mistook him it being impossible for any man of common sense who ever read him to mistake his Catholick Communion for some transient acts Ans. Reader it 's hard terms that these Men hold us to I was loath to judg him so void of common Sense or use of Words as to talk of Catholick Communion which was in no transient acts But for the future rather than forfeit common sense or be wilful I will believe him that by Catholick Communion he meaneth Union and that he meaneth neither Baptism nor profession of Christianity nor owning any Article of Faith nor owning Bishops nor any Church-order or Worship of God But do not unsay all this again and call us all to nought for believing you § 12. But he saith Upon a stricter examination he finds me blundered and confounded about the Notion of Unity This Unity I term Union Ans. The Doctor will grow over-critical if he hold on if he mean this as part of my blundering and confusion But it is but Grammar that I am ignorant of I confess my ignorance I thought that Unio had Two significations one active for that act of uniting which maketh One of Two and that also Twofold 1. To unite efficiently 2. To unite constitutively And the other as signifying the same with Unity caused And I thought that Unitas had ordinarily signified by a more abstract word the same Oneness as Unio in the latter sense and sometimes abusively active Union But I am ready to learn better § 13. But saith he He understands it of our Union to Christ not of the Unity or Oneness of the Christian Church Ans. The best is he saveth me from unmannerly telling you that he speaketh falsly by confessing the falshood in the very terms of accusation For if he dare say that it is no Church-Union to be all United to one Christ in our common Christianity he is a very falâ—e Teacher § 14. P. 39. Repeating my words he tells you I misconstrue both terms But you are best take it on his word And he feigneth that I do or must infer ergo the Unity of the Catholick Church doth nâ—t consist in being one Body and Society and Communion of Christians Whereas I infer the clear contrary That it doth consist in one such body it 's Union with Christ making it such an one Yet here he addeth If this be to write controversies we may as well lay wagers and cast lots for major minor and conclusion Which words truly tell you what the Doctor 's Logical strength is like the Woman that told the Doctor that she could make her hungry Pig cry with better Logick than all the Doctors in the University did dispute And could not a Quaker say as much § 15. P. 41 42. He seemeth serious in asking me How the Catholick Church is united in one Body so as to be one Church And when I tell him how many sorts af Union there are he saith he cares not how many sorts there are so I will tell him what the Unity of
matter 2. God gave Christ to be the Mediator and Head 3. God made by Christ the Covenant of Grace by which as by a Law and Gift he determineth of the Conditions of Church-Relation and Benefits and commandeth Man's belief and consent and professeth his own acceptance of such consenters 4. His Ministers and Word perswade Men to believe and consent 5. His Spirit efficiently causeth Men to believe and consent 6. At that time God's conditional grant becometh actual and giveth them actually a right and relation to Christ and his Benefits 7. Thereupon Christ's Ministers solemnize this Covenant declaring God's acceptance and by Baptism investing the person in the visible possession of his relation to Christ and all his Members the person professing his believing which maketh it a mutual Covenant the Parent doing it for Infants These Seven Acts go to make up the total efficient Cause of the Churches Essence and Unity and each Members Union therein And if you exclude any one of them you will be a false Teacher Is there any room here for a Controversie among Christians The Father the Son the Holy Ghost the Covenant and Law the Consenter the Minister and Baptism all make up the efficient Cause of the Churches Essence And that which maketh it a Church maketh it One Church As that which maketh it an House a Ship a Family a School a Kingdom maketh it thereby One House One Ship One Family c. for eus unun convertuntur § 17. But tho his Question How that ambiguous Syllable enquire not of the Churches Essence and of what who knows yet p. 43. he ventures to enquire of it upon my words it is only essential to the Church that there be an organized Body of Pastors and People united to Christ the Head saith he Here I agree with Mr. B. if he would add One Body for that is the thing in dispute Whether Christ have one or a thousand bodies Ans. I pray you remember this happy agreement that we agree of the Churches Essence But is not A Body the Singular Number If I say that a man is corpus organicum and a rational soul united do I need to put in One Body or One Soul while unum is entis inseparabilis affectio Good Doctor why must not Verum and Bonum be named with every eus in a definition as well as Unum Can it be a Body and not One Body O! what a Jest will School-boys make of us for such disputing 3. But the pretended disagreement is much worse asserted Is that the Controversie Whether Christ have One Body or a Thousand Would you make men believe that we deny the Unity of the Universal Church If you would prove it or blush 2. Do you your self deny the being of Thousands of particular Churches which are parts of the Universal When you have seemed long to do it you come again and confess such Churches and condemn us as separating from them 3. Is the Controversie whether these single Churches de nomine may be called so many Bodies of Christ 1. Name the men that so call them and prove it or confess your self a false Accuser 2. If they did an unfit Name is not an error de re I never heard man so speak We say that the word Church used for the Universal and the Particular is not univocally used but analogically expenuriâ nominum As oft the whole and part have one Name We say that as an hundred Cities and Counties may make one Kingdom and were they all equivocally called Republicks or Kingdoms it would be no change in the Doctrine All the Christian World call the universal and the particulars by the name of Church And yet if to help us out of the Equivocation you will invent a better Name and get men to consent to it not reprehending the Scripture-use we will hearken to you But as One Kingdom is individuate by One King and yet subordinate Societies may have subordinate individuating Heads so is it here And it 's grosly unfit to say Christ hath many Bodies tho he have many Churches in one as the King hath many Cities but one Kingdom here But he adds If but One how do all the Christians in the World make up that one Body How must not be explained If by how he meant by what efficiency I have told you If it mean by what constitutive Causes it is by Form and Matter united If it be any Mode that you mean vouchsafe to tell us what § 18. P. 43. he goes on thus reciting some of my words In this definition Christ only is the supreme constitutive summa potestas or regent part The organized body of Pastors and People is the pars subdita and the Union of Christ and that body maketh it a Church And saith he This is very well But the main doubt still remains untouched What is it that makes all the Christian Pastors and People in the World to be but One Church Ans. Contra negantem principia non est disputandum This intimateth that eus unum non convertuntur And that besides that which maketh it a Church somewhat else must go to make it one Whether your obstinate equivocation in the word make shall be by you expounded of the efficient or constitutive causes in this it 's all one That which maketh it a Church doth thereby without any more causality make it one Church This is as if he said We are agreed what maketh a Man an House a City a Book c. but we agree not what maketh him One Man and so of the rest Nothing but that which maketh him a Man and causeth the existing Essence Matter and Form united constitutively And efficiently all that which causeth Matter and its Disposition which Aristotle calls Privationâ— and Form and their Union But Reader it 's so hard to understand such a Speaker that we must â—ift every doubtful word lest he come again and say we wilfully mistake him Who knows but the Doctor hath a Câ—tâ—urnus in the word but and the question be What maketh this the only Church or that God hath no other but one As if the question were What made Adam at first the only man in the World or the Israelites the only peculiar Nation I answer Nothing in Adam nothing in Israel and so nothing in the Church can be the cause of Nothing No Man no Nation no Church speak Nothing Not to make another is nothing but the words are a meer Negation And Nothing hath no Cause What is the Cause that there is not another Sun Why Nothing hath no Cause But if we must give any other Answer it must be only by calling the Negation of a Cause by the Name of a Cause and saying that the Cause why there is but one Sun that we know of and one Church Universal is because God made no more § 19. The Doctor proceeds Nor does his similitude help him out which is so admirable in its Philosophy and
that Dispositio receptiva sine qua Materia non recipit formam And now this famous Doctor cannot understand me when I assert it's Necessity to humanity unless I mean that one may be a man without it I would not exagitate this ignorance were it not in a Man that is damning and encouraging the silencing and ruining of so many Servants of Christ for their supposed Ignorance of the Lawfulness of all their Oaths Promises and Impositions But Reader my Heart grieveth to think that so great a number should be caried by such men as this to the same Love-killing opinions and practices I 'le put a case to you A Leveller that would have got down the Universities undertook that his Parrot should Learn Philosophy as well as Scholars and should dispute with any of them all He taught the Parrot only two words before Noon every day It 's true Sir and I understand you and to say two more every day afternoon viz. You lie Sir and away you Rogue When he had learnt them perfectly he inviteth a Tutor to read Philosophy to his Parrot He reads in the morning a Lecture of the Principles of Man and the Parrot oft saith I understand you and I'ts true Sir The Hearers admiring it are invited to dispute with the Parrot in the Afternoon Multitudes come and the Respondent maintained that Man hath a Reasonable Soul and next that Parrots have none such The Parrot oft answered You lie Sir and at last Away you Rogue If the Company gave the Parrot the better and concluded for Brutes against Humanity did they more deserve pity or indignation Once more God made Adam's Body before he breathed into it the Breath of Life If this Body had not its form it was not a Body nor a humane Body without the proper form of such That which hath no form is no being If the form of that Body was forma Hominis then Adam's Body was a Man without his Soul And then the Soul is not forma hominis But saith the Doctor I know not what it meaneth unless it be that Adam may be a man without the Corporeal form or Organization But lest the Doctor when he understands me should think that I have hereby served his Notion of Communion I must add that it is not either the placing or the being of all the parts of a humane Body that is this formâ—l Organization but only of the Essential parts It may be a humane Body without a Finger or Hand or Foot or Arm or Leg and what great diversity of parts are found within men and diversity of place and shape you may see in Skenkius his Observation as well as in Paraeus Hildanus Hollerius and multitudes more that afforded him his instances But without a Heart a Brain a Stomach a Liver Lungs c. it cannot be a humane Body organized And without a Gospel Ministry to guide the Flocks it is not a compleat organized Body of Christ though in fieri it was an Embrio before But I must again warn the Reader not to argue too far from Similitudes In a natural Body God hath fixed all the parts by a constant Law of generation except in Monsters But in political Bodies the difference is much Civil politicks quoad formas specificas are humane Creatures and men may alter them The Church is a Divine politie God hath fixed its essentials But he hath left many of its Accidents to the choice of Man who may alter them as Edification requireth And again I say that Catholick Union in the Essentials only is necessary to the Being of the Church and in the Integrals to its Integrity and in the needful common Accidents to its Comeliness and in other Accidents its unnecessary and impossible God makes the Man but the Tailor makes his Cloathes and the Country and Usage and Parents may diversifie Colour and Complexions Metropolitans and Patriarchs and Diocesian Churches as containing multitudes of Churches without Bishops and their Chancellors Officials Commissaries Arch-Deacons c. are humane Creatures as the Episcopal Protestants usually confess And Liturgies are various as Languages and Ceremonies are like our Periwigs Some think it lawful to wear Womens Hair and some think it unlawful though the fashion But I remember none yet that have taken all for Rebels or Out-laws that wear not Periwigs or are not of the same Habit Language or Complexion nor any that for these send men to Prison nor that think it a wise way to unity § 23. p. 46. He comes after with an If I mean to conjecture what I mean and think it fits his present case well why then doth he quarrel with it But what is his case Then the Church cannot be united to Christ in one Body without union with it self and the unity of the Catholick Church cannot consist meerly in the Union of all particular Churches in and to Christ without any Union among themselves Ans. Who did he ever Read or hear say that the Churches have no Union or no other than their Union in Christ among themselves He may see before § 9. I named ten points of their Union On Condition that he will not take the Cloathes or the Periwig or the House or the Horse or Coach no nor his Wealth or Office for the man I 'le once more tell him for the Readers sake and not his wherein the Unity of the Church consisteth and also in what all have Communion Politick Bodies are not like Natural where all the Members must have a continuity of contract Men that touch not and see not one another may be Members of one Kingdom Houses that touch not one another may make one City 1. The Church is considered in its meer Essence 2. It s Organized compleat state needful to its Edification 3. In its gradual growth or perfection 4. In its mutable accidents I. Christ and Christians United are all that is Essential to it as a Church II. Christ and Christians Sub-Churches or Societies of Pastors and Flocks are all that is necessary to make it an Organized Church compleated in the parts necessary to its Edification These Pastors at first were extraordinary Apostles and Prophets for the first settling of universal Laws and order And after Ordinary Pastors to Teach and Guide the Flocks III. This Body hath integral parts of various degrees differing in Knowledge Orthodoxness Piety Peace Power of Preaching and Purity and order of Worship and Government Some in it Preach Christ not sincerely but in strife and contention to add affliction to sincere suffering Preachers and some as Diotrephes receive not the Brethren but cast them out of the Church and forbid others to receive them and judge or despise each other for things that God would have left free and receive not those that Christ receiveth IV. All of them differ in multitudes of accidents They are not bound to agree in the same Forms Liturgies or unnecessary Circumstances Nor in humane additional Modes called forms of Government
in Accidents as in Patriarchs Metropolitans extended Diocess's c. Nor are they bound to take account of the Ordinations Presentation Titles and Rights of all the foreign Churches of other Kingdoms with whom they are to hold Communion nor to be Tryers or Judges between contending Parties which is the true Pastor Though in the same Kingdom and under the same Laws order may require this oft times Possession and Profession may satisfie them V. Though the Churches had all the degrees of Union besides yet nothing maketh them One Church in the proper political Sense as it signifyeth One Governed Society but their Union with Christ. But their own Capacity is necessary to the reception of this Unity with Christ. All Politicks difference a meer Community from a publick Body A hundred or a thousand persons agreed together to manage their affairs by a common Stock and Converse are a Community but not Civitas or Respublica No though they purpose to set up a Government But when they are formed into a Body under one supream Government they are a XII They are all obliged to use Pastors Church-Assemblies Word Prayer Praise and Sacraments that are the same of Christ's institution Now Reader judg whether all this be no Union and Communion among our selves And whether his Cant of Catholick Communion undistinguisht be intelligible Qu. But wherein lieth your difference then Ans. Let him that maketh it and accuseth us tell For my part either his confused head cannot tell what he would have or my dull head cannot understand him But I can tell you what it is that I deny I. Tho we are all sanctified by one Spirit and have one faith and hope there is great difference among us in the degrees of these II. Tho we are all under one Universal Law of Love Peace Concord and Obedience every man breaketh this Law in some degree but every breach doth not out-law us or prove us Rebels against God Whoever so far breaks the Law of Christian Love Peace and Concord as will prove that he hath not the sincere Love of God and his Brethren it is as truly damning in its degree as Murder or Adultery specially if it be notorious in silencings revilings of godly men and persecution to the hinderance of the Gospel and the encouraging of prophane unconscionable men But whoever breaks the Laws of Christian Love Peace and Concord only so far as may proceed from meer imperfection of Knowledg Love and Obedience in a sincere heart where Love is predominant God pardoneth him tho he may correct him and it doth not Unchurch him III. He that despiseth the Ministry out of predominant pride or prophaness or unbelief doth it damnably But so doth not he that in uprightness of heart for fear of guilt flyeth further from an ignorant false or malignant Teacher than he ought IV. If Hereticks or other uncapable men get uppermost and in possession that binds not all Christians or any to own them V. If Power impose men without fitness and without the Flocks consent to be all the Peoples Pastors so that they are Usurpers or such as wise men cannot safely trust their souls with as Pastors it is no sin much less damnable to choose better Pastors if they may be had without more hurt than benefit It hath ever been Satan's way against Christ to thrust his Servants into the Sacred Office to butcher the Flocks and then cry out against all as Schismaticks that would save their souls and others from them VI. The Laws of Rulers that set up Patriarchs Metropolitans and other Humane Orders in the Church if they be but to do what man can impower them to do must be as far obeyed as other Humane Laws not being against Gods Laws But the breach of them unchristens not nor is punishable but as the breach of other Humane Laws which some Casuists say bind only in case of scandal if we break them others only if they be for common good but I say if they be not against it and be things which belong to their Office to determine VII In the Roman Empire the Christian Pastors at first had no such way to preserve the people from Heresie as by keeping close Concord among themselves and agreeing that all should disown those that were regularly rejected by their own Pastors which in case of Controversie Councils were to try And Christian Emperors added their civil sanction to this power of Councils and banished such as the Councils condemned as Heresiarks And this combination they called the Catholick Church in the Empire to distinguish it from all the Heresies that brake from them And Emperors not using the Sword to compel any to Communion nor enabling the Bishops to do it this course was needful and did great Service to the Church as long as the Majority of the Clergy kept sound But when worldly Baits drew worldly men into the Bishops seats this turned clean the other way and Arians and every Sect that by power could get uppermost called themselves the Catholick Church and persecuted the rest as Schismaticks In this case the Orthodox durst not plead Majority but 1. They fled to the Scriptures to try which was the sound part 2. And they appealed to the Nicene and first Councils when the Church was sound But the Second Council at Const. began a breach the Third at Ephesus made it wider and was rejected by a great party The Fourth at Ephesus made it yet wider and was utterly disowned by the soundest part The Fifth at Calcedon call'd the Fourth made it yet wider and rent the Church almost into equal parts And the following Councils went on till they set up Images and Popery and tore all to pieces Therefore I conclude that uniting on the Decrees of General Councils as such is no necessary nor sure way of Catholick Communion But while godly Pastors use Synods really for Love and Peace and the Churches welfare it is the duty of all the People finis gratia and in obedience to their proper agreeing Pastors to keep such bonds of Peace But a failing therein is not an unchurching crime tho a fault VIII If Councils of Bishops will arrogate a Legislative power over all the Church or over those that are not of their Flocks it is part of our duty to Christ and means of Concord to disown their Usurpation IX If a company of uncalled usurping obtruded Pastors keep Councils their Pastoral Authority bindeth not X. If lawful Bishops will make Agreements for needless or noxious things on pretence of Concord or Ornament and lay on them such necessity that none shall communicate without them and make them dividing Snares and Engines particular Bishops ought to disown this and their authority binds none to obey such Canons whatever the end the Churches peace may do XI Bishops and Pastors in the same Kingdom may well be used to try what Pastors are fit for their Communion But as I said before were we bound to disown the
Communion of all Forreign Pastors the validity of whose right to their places we have not just notice of our Task would be impossible or our Communion narrow And if forreign Bishops will become so pragmatical as to make themselves Judges of other Kingdoms which party of Competitors are the truly called Pastors when they cannot try them or will take the words of one party against the other because they are uppermost it is just to disregard their Judgment tho they do it on pretence of Communion XII If men will turn a voluntary consultation for concord into the Nature of a Law tho they call it but Communion the Church should not own their Usurpation As the Princes of Europe are bound to do the best they can to promote by their concord the interest of Christ and may well hold Diets or Meetings for that end yet no man calls that Diet a Kingdom nor hath the Major Vote a power to bind the Minor to consent when the reason of the thing doth not bind them So is it in the concord of forreign Churches All are bound to agree in what Christ commandeth But in circumstantial determinations no man is bound further than the End and Reason of the thing requireth Communion here is not Subjection XIII There is an Excommunication which is a governing act This no Church or Bishop can use over others And there is a meer renunciation of Communion which equals may use XIV If any Bishops or Councils Usurpers or not excommunicate men unjustly or forbid them Communion unless they will sin such prohibited men must obey Christ and not forbear Church-Worship and Communion where they can have it specially if they are many Schismatical imposing Church tearers must not be encouraged by sinful obedience to them Whomever they call Schismaticks God will judg them as Schismaticks themselves and their revilings and persecutions are self-condemnation I doubt I weary the Reader with oft repeating the same thing to make them plain against perverters § 24. Let us follow him further p. 47. he saith But how to apply the Copula in a Proposition either to the union of Soul or Body or of Christ and his Church I cannot tell and shall never be able to learn till I meet with some new Baxterian Logick as well as Grammar and Metaphysicks Ans. And yet you will think your self wise enough to stir up men against us for our ignorance while you are raging confident Are you resolved to read no Logick that 's already written One would have thought it should have pleased one that pleads for Unity As it is no Proposition but made so by the Copula uniting the terms as Subject and Predicate and the Union maketh one the Predicate so it is no Man and no Church by the bare existence of Soul and Body or of Christ and Believers without the uniting of both together that so the Soul may become in actu the forma hominis and Christ the forma Ecclesiae Homo Animal rationale are no Proposition without a Uniting est Is not this plain § 25. P. 47 48. Granting that there is no Universal Government but Christ he 's again at it that there is somewhat more than Organization and all the Essentials of Christianity and Union with Christ to make the Church One and thereupon feigneth me to say That which maketh this Body to become a Church is no union among themselves and leaveth out the rest of the Sentence but their common union with Christ As if their common Union with Christ were not an Union among themselves If I have not made this plain enough That 1. the Church hath the Unity of the parts to make it a capable Body or Matter 2. That it hath a consequent Union and Communion after it is a Church 3. But that it is only the Union of adapted Matter and Form that makes it essentially the Church of Christ in the proper political sence then I despair of making it intelligible that forma dat esse nomen And if that which maketh it the Church do not thereby make it hoc unum then eus unum non convertuntur and unum must have a distinct cause from eus § 26. He adds I should rather think that the Unity of several Churches makes them one Church and does not only prepare and dispose them to be one Ans. Their Unity in Christ doth make them one formally And this is the informing Unity among themselves But all other Unity is but preparatory or consequential to the formal unity I told you out of Dr. Barrow and may see in Rod. Goclenius Martinius and many more beside Metaphysicks in what abundance of loose sences things may be called One We deny no such Unity no not in an heap of Sand. But of formal political Unity why would you never tell us what it is but Union with one King that makes many Cities one Kingdom Do you rather think they are One Kingdom by any other Union among themselves Yes if you take Kingdom materially and equivocasly but not else Dare you say That they are the Church of Christ without their Union with him as the Form Or dare you say That all Christians united to Christ as their Head and Form are not eo nomine one Polity or Church And what 's the reason that all this while you will not name that thing else that makes the Church one Do it if you can § 27. P. 49. Falsly saying that I have not told him what Union of the Churches among themselves is necessary he feigns an Union in Christ the Center consistent with as great distance as the two Poles Ans. What base thoughts hath this man of Christianity Is it a contemptible Union to have all one Faith one Hope one Baptismal Covenant and so one God one Lord one Spirit and one body of such and all the Twelve parts of Union and Communion before named 2. Were it not worth the labour for this man to tell us what the more near and excellent Union is which he hath a mind to set up Paul saith I tell you of a more excellent way when he speaks of the Union of Love even Love to God and our Saviour first and to all his Members as united in him Out of all this man's books I cannot find what his nearer Union is unless it be to unite in such as he that is in obedience to their Wills and so Subjection to them be this high Communion He saith over and over the general word Catholick Communion but what he placeth it in let him find that can § 28. He saith This is a pretty easie way of determining Controversies to out-face all the authority of Scripture and Antiquity by a dogmatical assertion without offering the least Reason or shadow of Reason to confirm it Ans. Reader find one word of Scripture or true Antiquity that I contradict or that ever he shewed that I contradict and judg who giveth Reason and take not his word or
Politick informed by Christ the Divine-Humane Head and particular Churches are subordinate Bodies Politick parts of it as such but not as Christian constitutively informed by their proper Pastors which all those Episcopal men believed that used the old description Ecclesia est plebs Episcopo adunata This is all plain to other men § 49. P. 201 202. He finds nothing like proof but my Assertion That the Regent part is the Informing part and if it have not one Regent part it is not one Society as Political If it have none it is no Polity If it have many it is many Ans. Reader his own words are What a Drudgery it is to dispute with such If he had talkt of these things at School he would not have challenged his Master to prove the signification of the words in his Dictionary but now he is a Disputer there is no end with him If he challenge me to prove that Rex signifieth a King and Subditus a Subject and so of the rest he will get the better by tiring me I can only refer him to books and use and men of that profession And so I do here If Politia do not signifie the Government and Governed Societies informed by Government all the Politicks and Dictionaries and use of Politick-Professors have deceived me I know Politria is sometime used Tropically for any cause of life any rules of living yea for good works by Chrysostome c. But I said enough to make him know that I spake of it in the usual proper sense of Politicians And so it is taken 1. For the stated Form of â—â—vernment in Civiiate 2. For the administration of that Government 3. For the Ius Civitatis or Burgesship in a governed City 4. For the â—nverâ—ation of men in such a governed Society What is Politica but civilis scientia What is Politicus but civilis respublicae gerendae peritus or â—ui rempublicam gerit Tho it be called Respublica a fine from the publick â—â—od yet men of that profession have appropriated the Names of Respublâ—ca Civitas and Politia to governed Societies only and analogum per se pâ—situm stat pro famosiâ—re analogato Saith he ' This I grant is true of such Societies as are One by one supreme 〈◊〉 power but not of such a Society as is One not by one supreme power over the whole but by one Communion And such a Society the Church is Ans. This is downright Heresie But he meaneth not as he speaks For he often confesseth that Christ is the Soveraign Head of the Church And to confess that and yet say That tho Christ be the Regent Head and Soveraign yet this doth not inform it or unifie it is gross contradiction as if the Fâ—rm did not give the specifying and unifying esse nemen We may next come to deny that Master and Scholars are a School or King and Subjects a Kingdom or Soul and body united a Man or that Two and Two are Four 2. He here plainly makes the Church to be but a Community which is false 3. And yet he will have it a Political Society For he saith That for a Politicaâ— Sâ—ciety to be informed by the One Regent part is not true of the Church which plainly includeth That the Church is a Political Society and yet hath not One Regent Head which is a contradiction He saith The Church must be excepted from Mr. B 's Rules and Definitions of 〈◊〉 Ans. You see to what a pass these men would bring us As we must have New Rules and Laws of salvation if we will be of their Church-state so we must have New Politicks and New Dictionaries The Church cannot be a species of a Politick Society without New Definitions of Polity Next say God's Laws are no Laws unless you make a New Definition of Laws in genere and Christians are no Men without a New definition of a Man I will not pretend to teach this Doctor but if he will go to School again I may hope he may meet with a Tutor that will teach him these Things following I. That a meer Community is not a proper Body Politick Civitas vel Respublica but an ungoverned Society of Equals in hoc associated for common good So are a company of men that venture all their Goods and Lives in one Ship as Equals agreeing on some means of common safety or any combined Body without Government 2. That no Community can make a true Law in proper sence but meer contracts tho the Names of Laws may be abusively so used For a Law is only the signification of a Rector's Will making the Subjects duty with due reward or punishment And it is the first part of the Administration in Government Legislation is the Prerogative of Rulers and never belongs to Equals in Community III. That a proper Political Body is only a Society consisting of Governour and Subjects united relatively IV. That if Twenty Governors Kings or States that are each supreme in their Republick confederate so as to set up one in rule over all the rest or the Major Vote of themselves to be Governor of the rest they make a new Kingdom or Republick by it But if they only confederate for the strictest Concord Offensive and Defensive this makes no new Polity nor Law but meer Contract of Equals tho all are Kings each one may make Laws for his own Kingdom according to those Contracts but they are Laws only by the Authority of their proper Soveraign V. That Cities are Bodies Politick and in a Kingdom are subordinate parts headed per modum formae by their proper chief Governour but supposing the superior Headship of the Kingdom and that Kingdoms are informed by Union with their Soveraigns specified as the Soveraigns are Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt and unified by them But no man's Soveraignty is unlimited independent or absolute God being only such over all and Earthly Soveraigns more dependent under him than Mayors and Justices under the King VI. That even so it is in the Church which is one Political Body under Christ containing particular Churches subordinately inâ—ormed by their proper Pastors VII That a Confederacy of these Pastors is very useful for agreement to observe the Laws of Christ and to make such Local By-Laws as Corporations may do by Charter to determine their own Circumstances which the Law of the Land determines not each Church hath power which many may agree to use allowing necessary variety And the Magistrate may determine that which is not proper to the Pastor's Office for many But the concord of these Associated Confederates can make no Law but contract nor any proper new Church-form save as improperly called a Church from Accidents If the Saxon Heptarchs had agreed to govern all their Kingdoms by strict consent this had not made another Kingdom or Law they had not been made One Kingdom by such a Confederacy but many Kingdoms agreeing as one Community of Equals VIII The Relation that all
dilemmatically either by Peace and Union you mean inclusive Union with Christ and the Unity of the Spirit one Faith one hope and Union of Christian Love and by Communion a Communion in things necessary to salvation or you do not If you do then this is the true Paraphrase of your words They may have all the Essentials of a true Church except all the Essentials for those they have not If you do not include these then this is the Paraphrase They may be true Believers and penitent and love God and Man sincerely and be Members of Christ and have his Spirit and one Baptism and one true hope of Heaven and the pardon of sin and yet be Rebels and damned for want of somewhat ese which I call Unity Peace and Catholick Communion I think you mean subjection to such as you in all your Canonical Impositions In short the plain truth of this Case I before opened viz. When disobedience to true Church-â—astors proveth tâ— be as Adultery and Murder sins signifying such Predominance of the Flesh and absence of Divine Faith and Love as is inconsistent with 〈◊〉 then it is damning as other grâ—ss and reigning sin is But else it â—uts not off from Christ and if the Prelates pretend to cut off such they are liker to cut off themselves § 33 His rare distinction he fullier openeth which is Between the Visible Church and the one true Catholick Visible Church The Visible Church comprehends all Societies of professed Christians Hereticks Idolaters or whatever they be Tâ—e one true Catholick Church 〈◊〉 not Ans. I have answered this before It 's well the distinction is not commonly observed as the Coyner saith for it would be a common abuse Hitherto we have known but one Universal Church considered as Mystical in Believers or Visible in Prosessors of the same and not another Faith Profest Idolaters or Hereticks that deny the Essential are no Members of it as Visible But this Doctor hath forged an One true Catholick Church less than the Visible and yet Visible Could he have spoken sence he would but have said The Universal Visible Church hath some Members that are sound orderly and peaceable and some that are erroneous disorderly and unruly even as it hath some holy and some Adulterers Thieves and Persecutors In a great house are some Vessels of Earth to dishonour § 34. I fear if I should survey but half the confused passages of this book I should tire the Reader as well as my self I will be briefer with the rest P. 94 95 c. He giveth us an allay against the tenor of his Excommunications and Damnations to shew that he is not so uncharitable as he seems to be and that his Canon that maketh so great a noise hath but Powder without Bullet I look he should say I misunderstand him and therefore I will not tell you his meaning but the sum of his words viz. p. 87. to shew us why Those that believe in Christ repent of their sins and lead an holy life in all godliness and honesty may yet be excluded from all the ordinary means of salvation He first blames them that in these days have thought Holiness so sufficient and would cheat his Reader by citing Austin as of that mind who hath no mention in the words which he cites of Faith Holiness Love to God or to his Saints or Service but only a Catalogue of such Virtues as Heathens or â—nfidels plead for viz. Chastity Continence not coveâ—â—us not serving Idols not contentious patient quiet emulating and envying none sober frugal But yet an Heretick who is without the Christian Faith and Love so far is he from including these in his Description But no doubt he will have some Readers that will swallow all such Hooks as these Then supposing men have no Love that communicate not on his terms nor love the Peace and Unity of the Church unless they joyn in such Principles as his that would destroy it he tells us truly that Heaven is only the Gift of Christ as merited by him and therefore can be had only on his terms and that is only in Communion with his Church and by his Sacraments Ans. And what Christ's Terms are he hath told us Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved John 3.16 Whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life c. The Whole Gospel is a Charter of salvation to all that have true Faith Hope Love and Holiness And all such are in the Church of Christ. 2. And as ordinarily doth the Scripture tell us that the preaching of the Gospel is the means of faith and holiness by which God saveth them that believe and that by the hearing of faith preached the spirit is given Gal. 3.2 c. Rom. 10.14 17. John 5.24 Acts 18.8 Acts 10.44 The holy ghost fell on all them that heard the word before they were baptized even the miraculous gift of the Spirit Matth. 13.18 Mark 4.20 Luke 8.13 21. and 11.28 Christ himself preached but did not baptize He sent forth his Disciples to convert men by preaching Matth. 10.7 and 11.1 Mark 1.38 and 3.14 Luke 4.18 19 43. and 9.2 60. Acts 5.42 and 10.42 and 8.5 25 35 40. and 9.20 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Cor. 1.17 Paul saith he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel John 15.3 Ye are clean through the word c. John 6.63 The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and life John 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 6.68 and 8.30 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 1 Tim. 5.17 and 1.2 John 4.2 It is able to save souls James 1.21 1 Pet. 2.2 John 8.31 Heb. 4.12 It is able to make us wise to salvation It is by the word of God that men are born again as an incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 It is that abiding in us that is our continued life 1 Iohn 2.14 There is no mention in Scripture of any one that was converted and made a Believer by Baptism or the Lord's Supper The Adult were all to repent and believe before they were baptized and God promised them forgiveness thereupon He never bid men baptize Infidels nor graceless men Baptism was but the publick solemnizing of the Covenant which they consented to before and the solemn investing them in that relation to which they were before entered And entring them by Baptism stated them in the Universal Church before ever they were setled under any particular Pastor in a particular Church as the case of the Eunuch Acts 8. shews But that which I call his Allay is that he copiously tells us that Heaven is a supernatural state of happiness and not the natural reward of an eartly creature p. 92 93. It is but an earthly happiness that Nature was made for and was promised to Adam in Paradise an immortal life on Earth An immortal life after death cannot be the natural Reward Innocent flesh is flesh Were it not for Heaven