better evidence that the Church of England is a true Church than they have of such a continued Succession that they can as soon demonstrate such an unbroken Line as that their Ministry and Sacraments are true and that they have no better proof that Dissenters are Schismaticks than they have of this nor any better defence of all the Severities they have used against them than this and if it should happen that in almost 1700 years there has been the least breach made upon this Line all that they have said and done against Dissenters becomes due to themselves Would any man in the World that was not hired to betray the Churches Cause have put it to such an Issue I am sure no wise man would venture his Estate upon it And yet this man has chosen to fix his Church and Faith and Salvation upon no better a Foot than this For in how many cases may this Line be broken and all that Apostolick Power conveyed there be spilt and lost if there should happen a vacancy in any of those things he calls Apostolical Churches and Sees for some years and the succeeding As the Northumbrian Bishops by the Abbot of Hy. Incumbent be a person ordained by an Abbot who was no Bishop as is allowed in the Roman Church through which this Authority must be conveyed to us does not this make an Intercision in the Line of Episcopal Ordination be so indispensable it must do so I desire to know of this man or any other that encourage him to write little Books whether this Line of Succession may be continued in a Schismatical Church and the Apostolical Power conveyed thereby if by Schism Men and Societies are cut off from the Universal Church as this Man frequently affirms in his Book then such Schismatical Churches are no Churches nor parts of the Universal Church and so cannot be the Subjects of this Apostolical power and if this power cannot be derived through a Schismatical Church then he must grant either that the Church of England has not this power or that the Papal Churches through which this Line and Power runs are not Schismatical and if they be not his own Church must be so for separating from them for he allows Separation utterly unlawful unless from a Schismatical Church But after all though by this continued Line of Apostolical Episcopal Succession he would Exclude all the Reformed Churches beyond Sea that have not those Governours he will allow to be Scripture Bishops Supposing this same Line he makes such a splutter about were certain or necessary which it is not yet till this Man has proved the English Prelacy to be nearer a-kin to the Scripture Episcopacy than the Pastoral Office which is the Episcopacy we contend for we stand as fair for any advantage this Notion may afford as his Party does for we reverence and maintain Ministerial Ordination and so are in the Line still if such a Line there be which yet we are no way concerned to prove because we look upon Ordination to be no more but a publick Approbation of Ministerial Abilities by competent Judges and we doubt not but the Ministers that have such Qualifications themselves are the most competent Judges thereof in others but if there should happen a case wherein such Persons could not be had As if a company of Christians should be cast upon a remote Island or if all the Pastors in a Countrey should be put to Death or all turn Hereticks we doubt not but it would be lawful for a Man of the best Qualifications being chosen by the rest and approved and set apart by the most competent Judges amongst them to Administer in Holy Ordinances to them and that he would be a true Minister of Jesus Christ sufficiently Authorized to the Work and a Lay-person no longer but if we assent to the Whimsey of a constant Succession as if power were conveyed like Water in a Conduit after a Physical manner by contact passing through the Finger ends of the Prelate into the Noddle of the Person Ordained then can no necessity make the practice aforesaid warrantable and so the Substance must fail and perish for want of the Ceremony which is contrary to Reason and the Notions Men have of the Goodness of God This conceit of an entire Apostolical Line was forg'd upon the same Anvil with that of an uninterrupted Succession of English Monarchs from the Eldest Son of Noah whereby a Patriarchal Right descends inseparable from the Person Sacred and Irresistible which has tortured the Ears of all Men of Sence and Sobriety in these late Times The Leud and Extravagant Caresses that have happen'd between Ambitious Princes and Aspiring Church-men have produc'd such Twins as these that lately threatned the Kingdom with a dismal Fate No less pretences than those of Patriarchal and Apostolical Powers were sufficient for the Usurping an Absolute Empire over the Civil and Religious Rights of Men but as we have seen the One deserted exposed to just contempt and renounced by the very Authors thereof not in words only but in actions famous and publick throughout the World so we doubt not they will to deal with the other it being of the same extract and calculated to serve the very same interest and design His fourth page is taken up with proving that to love as Christians in Scripture Sence is to love as Members of Christ and obliges us to preserve the Body from Rents and Schisms which we never deny but wonder at some Men who notwithstanding all their talk for Peace and Unity have so little real Love for it as to Excommunicate and Damn all those that cannot comply with those Ceremonies which themselves acknowledge have no Moral goodness in them and therefore can be but idle incumbrances upon the Worship of God which as one says of Friendship and Heraldry is noblest when plainest bravest when alone Certainly such unreasonable Stiffness cannot have much in it of that love which is the Characteristick of Christs Disciples but these Gentlemen think to excuse their aversation to us by saying we are not Christians we are out of the Catholick Church this is to make one gross act of Uncharitableness to excuse for another but we thank God they are not to be our final Judges For our further Conviction we are told The Communion of Saints is one External visible Communion of the Christian Church which is so far from explaining the thing that it makes it much darker We hold Communion in Essentials with every Church of Christ upon Earth and in Integrals with all sound Churches and we know few Churches that hold Communion in all accidentals nor was such a Communion ever pretended to be necessary This word Communion not rightly understood nor the sence of it carefully distinguisht has strangely misled some Men and is at the bottom of all those clamours that have fill'd the Ears of our Rulers and the whole Nation against us and this Man seems as little
to understand it as any one that ever pretended to write upon the Subject In the fifth page we have an aggregate description of the Communion of Saints which we shall particularly examine and apply to the present case the Communion of Saints consists of these things 1. A firm Belief of all the Articles of Faith contained in the Apostolical Nicene and Athanasian Creed and why not in Scripture these Creeds are but of Humane Composition and some things in them want Explanation however so far we are within Communion though hereby the Greek and other Eastern Churches are shut out which the Citizen of Chester has no Commission to do 2. To partake all of the same Table he cannot mean the same individual Table but the same Eucharist in specie so far we are with him still But whether this will not exclude the Papists who by denying the Cup to the Laity have taken away in part the matter of the Eucharist I shall leave to his second thoughts who I believe will not be over-forward in Unchurching them for fear of breaking the Line by which his own Church hangs 3. To join all in the same holy Prayers and Supplications and in giving Thanks he cannot mean that in these Duties we must necessarily use the very same words without the least adding substracting or changing for then he Excommunicates all the World but those of his own perswasion and a great many of them too 4. To be subject and obedient to our Spiritual Rulers and Governours who have derived their Authority from the Apostles by a due Succession in all things pertaining to a Godly Life Decency and Order We are very desirous to give due Honour and Obedience to our Spiritual Governours who derive their Authority from Christ which is more proper than to speak of deriving it from the Apostles for Christ is the only Fountain of Authority and the Streams are derived rather from the Fountain than the Cistern It is observable the Mans Expression is sunk from an uninterrupted Succession to a due Succession to observe the Apostolical precepts in Government and Worship may make it up a due Succession but there 's more required to an uninterrupted one than so Now before he can say we want this Qualification for Communion he must prove that Diocesan Prelates are made our Rulers by a Divine Command A single Person taking upon him to govern some thousands of Congregations by such Rules and Officers as our English Prelacy uses and this by the Nomination of the Civil Magistrate without the Consent of the People or of the Ministers within the Diocess is a Creature we neither find in Scripture nor in Primitive Times and therefore can be no Spiritual Governour of ours by Divine Right let him prove this and he does something but till this be done his whole Book is as insignificant as waste Paper When this Man or any one for him has made it to appear that the Authority of a Diocesan Prelate Dean Lay-Chancellor c. over all in the Diocess is as certain and Sacred as that of Moses and Aaron we will not dare to dispute it for fear of Corah's doom but till this be evinced I hope he will not take it amiss if we be not frighten'd out of our Wits by such misapplyed Passages which we have often heard urged to back the Doctrines of Non-resistance and all those Principles of Slavery some Men have been endeavouring to instil into our Minds but as we see they have no great regard for such alligations themselves when adhering to them would be chargeable and dangerous so we believe they cannot heartily blame us if we despise them too In the last Paragraph of the fifth page we have the Communion of Saints described over again being willing I suppose to make up in the Number what is wanting in Weight and here we are told all those particular Churches who agree with the Primitive Catholick Church in all the Articles of Faith and in the External Visible Worship and Service of God are true Members of the Universal Church and in the Communion of Saints In what Bounds he will fix the Primitive Church we know not certain it is a Century or two made a very considerable change in the features of their Government and Worship but if we must take our measures by those Courches that are truely Primitive we fear not to put our selves to the Tryal That our Congregations have this agreement in Faith none will deny and he has not proved that we differ from them in the Essential or Integral parts of Gods Worship or in any considerable circumstance and that this Divine Worship and Service is Visible and External this Gentleman 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 has been If we will take his confident and repeated assertions for demonstration we may believe that the Church of England has from the first planting of the Gospel here retained the Apostolical power of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by an uninterrupted Succession of arch-Arch-Bishops and Bishops in a right Line from the Apostles days to this present time but how uncertain this is and how inconsistent with other parts of his Book I suppose has been sufficiently manifested I shall therefore take no farther notice of it especially because that till the true Bounds of Episcopal Power be fixt by Scripture Rules it is as impertinent as uncertain After he has thus delivered himself of his crude and confused apprehensions he tells Mr. H. he has done it as cleanly as he could and that may be true enough for ought I know but 't is no fault of Mr. H's he could do it no better his Capacity and Employment indeed may be some excuse for his blunders but will by no means lessen the fault of his officious and confident impertinency in medling with things he so little understands We are no way concerned in the Citation of the Fathers brought in against us till he has proved that Episcopacy then was the same thing it is now and that the terms of Communion we scruple were ever imposed by them Ignatius charges the Bishop in his time to take a personal cognizance of every Member of his Church not excepting the very Servants It was the Custom then in every Congregation to receive the Sacrament every Lords day and they never received it nisi ex Antistitis manu but from the Hand of the Bishop What could such Bishops be more than Pastors of single Congregations but I shall forbear dipping into this Argument which has been so copiously managed by Blondel Baxter Owen Clarkson and others It is observable in the passage cited out of Irenaeus the Presbyters are said to have their Succession from the Apostles it seems they were the Apostles Successors as well as Bishops surely then they must have the same power if the Bishops claim the power they have as the Apostles Successors
A VINDICATION OF Mr. H's Brief Enquiry Into the true Nature OF SCHISM FROM The Exceptions of T. W. THE Citizen of CHESTER AND Sincere Lover of Truth LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1691. A Vindication of M. H's brief Enquiry into the True Nature of Schism c. THAT man must be a great stranger in England that knows not what unhappy flames have been kindled amongst us about matters of Church-Government and Worship and he must be as great an Enemy that would not contribute his utmost to the extinguishing of them A great deal has been writ on both sides to convince the World where the fault of our Division lies The word Schism has been tost 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 Great endeavours have been used to fasten the guilt upon such as impose unnecessary suspected Terms of Communion and it has been fiercely retorted upon those that refuse to comply with such Terms and after all the Difference remains and for ought we see is like to do so still Some have fancied the severe Execution of Penal Laws by Fines Imprisonment Exile c. would have put an End to that Separation which they thought proceeded from a Factious humour not to be tamed any other way but Experience has convinc'd them of a quite contrary Effect Others have perswaded themselves when-ever such Enforcements were laid aside the Controverted Ceremonies would of course fall into contempt for being by acknowledgment things purely indifferent that is to say meer trifles without any native worth or strength they cannot be rationally supposed to stand any longer than they had those external props to bear them up and herein they have not been altogether disappointed for they hear of five or six of the Clergy and those not of the meanest sort that have chosen to quit their Preferments for the ease of their Consciences now they may Preach the Gospel without bearing that burthen and were our present Liberty improved to a Comprehension more such Instances might be expected and the World would then see whether all this troublesom Zeal for the things in Controversie has proceeded from the real value of the things themselves or the valuation of those external Advantages affixed to them But since neither Disputings nor Penal Laws have hitherto brought English Protestants to an exact Uniformity it is worth every honest mans Enquiry how under these different Modes of Worship all men may be induced to live quiet and peaceable lives as becomes those whose Interests are so inseparably united both by a Sacred and Civil Tie Mr. M. H. has made a very modest and ingenious attempt that way from which we expect the greater success because he has certainly hit upon the true cause of our Animosities which as all other Wars and Fightings proceed from our Lusts which war in our minds were these as entirely subject to Reason and Virtue as the Gospel would have them to be it would not be in the power of greater Controversies than ours to make us run so fiercely one upon another breaking all the Bonds which our Religion natural Relation and Civil Concernments have laid upon us And because a great deal of harm is many times done by a mistaken Scripture word and it is necessary to take the Weapon out of the Gladiators hand He has given us so clear an Account of the true import of the word Schism as it is used in Sacred Writings as does acquit all the sober moderate peaceable men and only falls upon the fiery proud censorious Bigots of both Perswasions In so healing an Enterprize as this he could fear no opposition except from two sorts of persons The furious Zealot who will find himself too deeply concerned to be quiet and easie And the Debauchee who makes use of the Controversie only as a blind to cover his own leudness and a pretence to act his malice against the more serious Professors of Practical Religion Whether that T.W. who has encountred this peaceable Design belongs to the former or latter sort of men I shall leave to his own Conscience and those that are better acquainted with him to determine but by the complexion of his Book he seems to have a mixture of both Before I proceed to the Examination of his Pamphlet I think my self obliged to do Mr. H. that Justice as to assure the Reader he has acted no part at all in this Reply nor ever saw one word of it before it came out of the Press and therefore is not chargeable with any Errours whereof it may be guilty The Gentleman begins his Preface imperiously enough and is very liberal in bestowing his Titles of Honour and Disgrace The Episcopal Clergy he vouchsafes to salute Learned and Pious the Dissenters Fools and Schismaticks as if 't were his Province to make an oracular decision of the Controversie and to give Laurels or Halters at his pleasure But as it is to be hoped the Clergy he speaks of will not value themselves their Piety or Learning over-much upon the bare sentence of a person that is so little a Judge of either so it cannot be expected the Dissenters should immediately confess themselves Fools and Schismaticks because the Citizen has pronounced them such It is no new thing to them to be called Names to be represented as Rebels and Traitors unfit for Humane Society and it has been formerly an unsufferable crime to endeavour their own vindication and these men have been so long accustomed to a hectoring abusive kind of Language that they have forgotten how to speak with common civility to persons that are almost as good men as themselves Little shifts restless spirits buoying up a Faction have been decantate terms to do the work of a common Foe in ruining those that were more early aware of the advances of Popish Designs than some of their Neighbours But 't is some what strange such words should be heard at this time a-day when our Governours and almost the whole Nation are convinc'd how much this kind of Language and the Severities that were kindled thereby have contributed to those great evils from which the Nation is but lately escaped He musters against us the great names of Hooker Bramhall Hammond Sanderson and divers more but why should he leave out his Modern men Why should Parker Dryden L'Estrange with their learned elaborate and Orthodox Writings come in for their share of Honour I know none so weak as to set Mr. H's Book in comparison with these 't is evident his subject and design is variant from theirs but if we thought fit to imitate his Pedantry we could tell him of Reynolds Cartwright Blondell Ames Daille Owen Baxter c. whether these men have not done as much to prove the Imposers Schismaticks as the former to prove Dissenters such