Enemies that will not contribute their utmost to quench them Men who are not mad will go far for Water to quench those Flame which else would destroy their dwellings They will not contribute to quench them but these men need go no farther but do their duty and the flames are out To disobey the Orders of our Governors is to transgress a plain Law of God If these men have any thing imposed on them by our Governors that is sinful let them shew it and their Plea must be allow'd but they are forced to confess the Terms of Obedience impos'd are but indifferent things mere trifles Now for a man to disobey his Governors and have no other plea but this it is too mean to excuse him from the transgression of a known Law Obey them that have the Rule over you is the command of the holy Apostle Heb. 13.17 Nor can indiffernt things or what they acknowledg mere trifles be a pretence sufficient to bind the Conscience against an express Law of God for as if the blessed Apostle had foreseen these mens Plea he Commands Obedience to our Governors for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 I hope by what is said it will be allowed by all impartial men and sound Christians that I may conclude without breach of Charity that the Dissenters in England are they who kindle the unhappy Flames about Church Government and Worship and that they are the great Enemies that will not contribute the least not so much as do their Duty to quench them and that notwithstanding all the Writing he talks of the fault of all our Divisions lies at their door He goes on The word Schism has been toss'd like a Tennis-ball from one side to another till by such motion those violent heats have been caused that have much endangered both our Church and State By this Rhetoric I suppose is meant the Opposition and Disputes made by these men against the established Church of England that by these means these men not only endangered but for some years involved both Church and State in Ruin and Desolation had I brought no arguments yet by sad experience is sufficiently proved He says Great endeavours have been used to fasten the Guilt upon such as impose unnecessary and suspected Terms of Communion and it has been is furâ—â—ly retorted upon those who comply not with those Terms Here the Terms of Communion are Vnnecessary and Suspected only but who are to â—e Judges of what things are necessary or what Vnnecessary they that bear Rule over us or they that owe Subjection Government always implies Subjection and how can bare suspicion discharge a man from the dury of Obedience This is certain that if a Father command his Son to do something which is in it self not Unlawful and if the Son tell his Father it is Vnnecessary and that he Suspects it to be so and if only for that Reason will not obey that Son is a Transgressor against the fifth Commandment and it s as certain that this is truly applicable to these men all their Expositers affirm that Obedience to their lawful Rulers Pastors is required by that Commandment But because the whole Controversie which these Dissenters have against our Church mainly depends on these two perticulars mentioned by this Gent. viz. Church Government and Worship it will be very necessary to lay down some irrefragable Instances to prove what was the Practice of the Church in respect of its Government in the times next after the Apostles Episcopacy the Government of the Church in the times next after the Apostles and this I do because by referring thereto I shall answer many passages which follow in this Gentlemans Book I begin with the Canon of the Apostles which I find thus Translated by a person of great worth both for Learning and Veracity Let not the Presbyters or Deacons do any thing without the Consent of the Bishop for he hath the people of the Lord intrusted to him and there shall one day be required of him an account of their Souls Here the Bishop has the Power of Governing the Presbyters and Deacons Of what Authority these Canons are Justellus has made evident in his account of the Code of the Universal Church Clemens Romanus who was an Adjutor of the Apostles and as Linus Succeeden St. Peter and Cletus Lanus so he Succeeded Cletus in the Bishopric of Rome where all others in Holy Orders were called Presbyters except Deacons only who speaking of the Apostles in his Ep. ad Corinth p. 57. saith That they foreseeing that there would be Contentions and Emulations about the Name or Dignity of Bishop or Episcopacy they set down a List or continuation of Successors that when any dyed such a certain person should Succeed him Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Martyr who saw Jesus and liv'd in the Apostles age whose Authority many of later times Enemies to Episcopacy have opposed yet never could suppress the plainness of it In his Epistle to the Smyrneans he saith But avoid Divisions as the beginning of evils and be all of you observant of the Bishop as Jesus Christ was observant of the Father and observe the Presbyters as the Apostles and reverence the Deacons as the Command of God Let no man presume to do any thing in the Church without the Bishop And let that Eucharist only be accounted firm which is either performed by the Bishop himself or by his Licence And a little further He who honoreth the Bishop honoreth God but he who doth any thing without the Bishop's approbation performs a Service to Satan c. In his Epistle to the Ephesians Therefore pursuant to something before it becomes you every way to glorifie Jesus Christ who glorifies you that being perfected and knit up in the same Subjection and being of one mind and of one judgment you may all speak the same things and being Subject to the Bishop which Onesimus then was 〈…〉 Presbyters may be Sanctify'd in all things Again in the same Epistle As Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 who is our into uparable life did follow the judgment of the Father and the Bishops who are designed to the ends of the Earth follow the judgment of Jesus Christ therefore it is a comely thing for you to concur in the â—â—â—â—ment of the Bishop as also you do for your Presbyters most worthy of Praise and of God is so adapted to the Bishop as strings are fitted to the â—â—rp insomuch that Jesus Christ is Celebrated through your unanimity and agreement in Love And in the same Ep. Therefore let us endeavour to be in subjection to the Bishops that we may be Gods Subjects In his Epistle to the 〈◊〉 For I was accounted worthy to see Damâ—s your Divite â—â—â—â—op and the worthy Presbyters Bassuâ— and Apolliaâ—s and Sâ—tiâ—n the Deacon my Fellow-servant whom I would enjoy because 〈…〉 subject to the Bishop as to the Grace of God and to the Presbyters as to the Law of Jesus Christ
upon him to contradict those Learned men who think the Angels mentioned in the Revel by St. John were Bishops he having granted this is all my desire and therefore all his witty Animadversions which follow are not worth my answering It would be but needless Repetition to say any thing to his following Paragraph in his 14. p. having fully answered it before In his p. 15. he says What do I mean in saying in these Multiplyed Churches there was no Variation and then very disingenuously changes my word for a word very different in signification and asks Was there no variety at all in any Circumstance of Worship and says the contrary may be prov'd even in the Apostles times and instances that which he calls a Scuffle Acts 15. betwixt the believing Jews and Gentiles about Jewish Ceremonies Here were no such different Circumstances as to divide their Communion therein there was no Variation their Unity was preserved the Jewish Ceremonies which the Converted Jews would have imposed on the Christian Gentiles were no Circumstances in the Christian Worship the Council at Jerasalem thought therefore necessary to forbid those Impositions now in this very Case the necessity of Apostolic Jurisdiction doth appear that by a decisive and definitive Sentence of Ecclesiastical Authority it may not be in the power of private Christians to impose their different Sentiments upon one another and that there may be no Variation nor breach of Unity in the public Worship of God So that this Instance is not at all for his purpose He says if I mean there was no variation from Scripture Rules tho we are afraid that will scarce hold yet we wish it had been so still By Scripture Rules here he certainly means the New Testament if this Gent. had any regard to Ecclesiastical Antiquity he would never have talked of Scripture that is New Tâ—â—â—ment Rules before they were written He says We have a Notion of Vnity lâ—yed down in my p. 2. in which we freely concur with him these are my words for he has not transcribed them fairly They are all one with that Church first mentioned at Jerusalem and which he omits all one with one another being all United into one Spiritual Society or Body under one Head Christ Jesus c. and which he has omitted too and are in all things the sune with that first Church United in one Baptism and one Faith and all partakers at the same Eucharist c. That says he is the same for substance for in that they all agreed in the Primitive times in the same Circumstances such a Vnity we hold and doubt not but in our Congregations this Vnity may be found And so he runs on in his 16. p. and endeavours to perswade all men just like the Donatists that these Dissenters are more truly Catholic than we That the Power delegated by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles was to be confer'd upon their Successors is certainly implyed in the promise Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The Church of England truly Apostolical That the Church of England was Planted either by some of the Apostles or some of their Successors and that the Succession of Bishops has continued in this Church from that first propagation by as strong proofs as human Authority is capable of viz. by Records and Histories may appear and consequently that the Church of England is as truly an Apostolic and Catholic Church as Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and those other Churches which were of the first Planting Her Orders then are to be equally obeved Her Unity and Peace as strictly mantained and whatsoever amounted to Schism in any of them must be so in her your Uniting then in a Communion Separate from this Church bears no similitude with Primitive Unity being contrary to their Practice And being that in your Congregations the Divine Authority is wanting there can be no such Unity found among you as Primitive Unity He Says the Eucharist was the same for Substance in the Primitive Congregations and that they all agreed in the same Circumstances It is very true for no difference would be allow'd Christians then durst not entertain so wicked and uncharitable a thought as that of setting up a Separate Congregation as you do They devoted themselves to the Command of their master to have Peace one with another Mark 9.50 Heb. 13.17 They for Conscience sake observ'd the Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you If you would tread in their steps you would as Relgiously observe the Unity and Peace of the Established Church wherein you live in all Circumstances as they did All his next Paragraph Pa. 17. is the same in different Phrases He says the description I have given of Church Vnity ruins my whole Book and Cause an hasty Sentence for says he if this be the true proper Vnity of Churches then there may be true Church-Vnity without the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers and People into one Diocesan Church under the Jurisdiction of a Prelate and his Officers c. Then he is not much against the conveniency of Parochial-Precincts but says according to my Definition it is not De essentia Vnitatis It is plain all that he drives at here is that there may be true Church Unity without Episcopacy I have answer'd this before by shewing that all Presbyters with their Particular Congregations that is Ministers and People now resolved into Parochial Churches within the Dioceses of the Respective Cities were United under the Jurisdiction of the Respective Bishop of each City So that the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers People into one Diocesan Church under the jurisdiction of a Prelate is true Church Vnity as used in Primitive times by which it appears that this Gent. Doctrine viz. 1 Cor. 11.16 that there may be true Church Vnity without Episcopacy is a mere Innovation there being no such custom in the Churches of God as the Apostle speaks As for their Officers they have the Sanction of our Laws to Authorize them an Authority far greater than can be shewed for Lay Elders Officers subserviant to the Minister of every Congregation and thô generally ignorant and many of them cannot write their Names yet are made judges of their fellow Christians sufficiency in faith a novelty created by Calvin and how reasonable let the impartial judge He says so a man may plead to the jurisdiction of a Diocessan Prelate may step over Parish bounds c. So did Korah and his Congregation against Moses and Aaron Nam 16.2 10. their Controversie being the very same with yours against the Church they were for leveling the Priest-hood so are you they were for setting up a new model'd Congregation so are you God shewed his displeasure against their Pride and Disobedience by a most terrible destruction and the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for
one another that can make them Catholics but Agreement with the Primitive Catholic Church In the truly Primitive Church all true Christians did make a formal Profession of Faith by distinctly repeating the Creeds with an audible voice as we do in our Churches at this day which practice seems to be intimated in St. Paul's Injuction to Timothy Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me c. 2 Tim. 1. v. 13. What ever the Faith of these Separate Congregations may be is unknown to us the formal profession of Faith which was constantly used by the Primitive Christians as the badge of Christianity being in the Congregations of our Dissenters laid aside Now that they in this respect agree with the truly Primitive Church must be denied He says I have not proved that they differ from the Catholic Church in the Essentials or integral parts of Gods Worship or in any considerable Circumstance 2. In the truly Primitive Churches they held strict Communion with their Bishops who were the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution not only in Essential but in all Circumstances in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church also as in the having all things Common to this they yielded Conformity The Love Feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials of Worship yet enjoyned by the Apostles as significative of the ardent Love and Christian Charity which Christians had for one another and continued for some time after the Apostles days till thrô Corruption grown to be Scandal and then thô Instituted by the Apostles were abolished by the Authority of the Church Now our Dissenters denying all Communion with our Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over us by Episcopal Ordination and Institution this together with their Usurping the Priestly Office without Episcopal Ordination sufficiently demonstrates that our Dissenters differ from the Primitive Catholie Church in Essential and considerable Circumstances without any further trial In p. 34. he further saith And that this Divine Worship and Service is Visible and External this Gent. is but too sensible and t is a very great Eye-sore to such as he that it is so much more visible than formerly it hath been That it is visible is true but that it is Separate and out of the visible Catholic Church is as true He is pleased to call it Divine Worship and Service which it cannot be I suppose but only in respect of the Object when they have a lawful Spiritual Authority that is Episcopal Ordination and Institution without which there can be no true Ministry which I have prov'd and consequently no true Ordinances it may be called Divine Worship and Service but till then let they who are best able to judge say what kind of Worship and Service it is 〈◊〉 Sâ— lenatius will resolve him in his Ep to the Sâ—â—rn He saith 〈…〉 That its being more viâ—ble than formerly is a great â—ye â—â—re to such aâ— I am is a mistake I have known it more visible than now it is when all the Churches in the Kingdom were Usurped into the possession of the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. those were evil days to see the Noble debased the base and the vile made Rulers over us Religion the pretence of Rebellion the Church buried in Disgrace and Calumny call'd the Scariet Whore c. He was admired for the Hâ—liâ—â— man the greatest Saint who was most improved in the Art of Revâ—â—ing and Speaking evil of Dignities the quitting Communion with a truly Catnoâ—â—c Church the taking of a Rebellious Covenant see his p. 54. or human Composure with significant Ceremonies submitting to Lay Elders a Novelty not formerly known in the Christian Church these with many other Miseries and Calamities endured in those days were great 〈…〉 to me and such as I am But we have learned by the Doctrin which our Church Teacheth Acquiescence and Submission to the Legislative Power a Lesson which out Dissenters could never yet put in practice Tâ—â—y have granted you a Toleration and we are so far from envying it that we Acquiess and submit so as to me and such as I am it is no otherwise an â—â—eâ—oâ—e than in Christian Charity to pity your mistakes and heartily wish that in your practice you would be more conformable to the Gospel of Peace and that there be Peace in the end In his last Parag. p. 34. he says my asserting the Succession of Bishops from the Aposiles c. is inconsistent with other parts of my loâ—k and savâ— he supposeth he hath sufficiently made it manâ—â—â— and in p. 35. he calls my affirmations in my former paper Crude and Coâ—â—â—â— apprehension he is so kind as to plead my capacity to excuse me for my Blunders as he calls 'em but says it will by no means lesseâ— the fault my Oâ—â—â—ious and Confident iâ—â—â—â—râ—â—enâ—y in meddleing with things I so little understand This is but Condemning me by the lump and being past his skill to shew such â—â—â—â—sistency in my Book it is false and those which he calls my Blunders I have proved to be undeniable Truths all the ill is that what ever these men speak or write be it ever so repreachful or false their Disciples believe and swallow it for truth But with Impartial men Railing will never pass for Conviction nor morose uncharitable Censures for true Judgment nor can the Imperious Language he so liberally bestows upon me add one mite to their Cause nor one mite lessen that esteem how undeserved soever I have among many good men but I have learned to forgive him should be offend Seventy times seven Having made the Episcopacy Established in the Church of England appear to be an exact paralel with the Catholic Churches in the Primitive times what I mentioned of the Fathers in my p. 7. holds good against my Adversary by his own Allowance as you may see in his p. 35. at the bottom his words are these We are no way concerned iâ— the Citation of the Fathers â—roâ—â—ht in against us till he has proved that Episcopacy then was the same thing it is mâ—â— and that the Terms of Communion we scruple were ever impesed 〈◊〉 them The former part that the Episcopacy in our Church is the same as it was then is proved That the having all things common the Love-feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials in Religion yet were Terms of Communion in the Apostles time being very plain That the Ceremonies appointed by our Church tho they are not specifically the same which this man seems to insist upon yet being in Nature the same with those above mentioned and being enjoyn'd by the same power and Authority derivatively which the Apostles had this Gent. or any other ought no more to scruple the Terms of Communion imposed by our Church than the Primitive Christians did scruple the Terms of Commanion imposedâ—â— the Apostles In the