Office of half-Presbyters began to be invented according to his own Computation That pag. 21. passim his supposition of the 24 Bishops of Judaea sitting about the Throne of James Bishop of Jerusalem and his other supposition of their being so ordinarily there And of the Bishops of Provinces in other Nations being so frequently many score if not hundred Miles off their people in the Metropolitane Cities when the people had no other Priest to Officiate doth tend to an Atheistical conceit that the Ordinary use of Sacred Assemblies and Communion is no very needful thing when in the best times by the best men in whole Countreys at once they were so much forborn Pag. 26. Again you have his full and plain Assertion That there were not in the space within compass of which all the Books of the new Testament were written any Presbyters in our modern Notion of them created in the Church though soon after certainly in Ignatius time which was above 50 years after the Rev. they were Pag. 60. He supposeth that whoever should settle Churches under a Heathen King among Heathens must accordinly make the Churches gathered subordinate to one another as the Cities in which they are gathered were though Heathen subordinate to one another of which more in due place Pag. 76 77. He saith that As Congregations and Parishes are Synonimous in their Style so I yield that Believers in great Cities were not at first divided into Parishes while the number of Christians in a City was so small that they might well assemble in the same place and so needed no Partitions or Divisions But what disadvantage is this to us who affirm that one Bishop not a Colledge of Presbyters presided in that one Congregation and that the Believers in the Regions and Villages about did belong to the care of that single Bishop or City Church A Bishop and his Deacon were sufficient at the first to sow their Plantations For what is a Diocess but a Church in a City with the Suburbs and Territories or Region belonging to it And this certainly might be and remain under the Government of a single Bishop Of any Church so bounded there may be a Bishop and that whole Church shall be his Diocess and so he a Diocesan Bishop though as yet this Church be not subdivided into more several Assemblies So that you see now what a Diocess is And that you may know that we contend not about Names while they call the Bishop of one Congreation a Diocesane we say nothing against him A Diocesan in our sense is such as we live under that have made one Church of many hundred or a thousand But Reader be not abused by words when it is visible Countreys that we talk of As every Market-Town or Corporation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City in the old sense so the Diocess of Lincoln which I live in at this reckoning hath three or fourscore Diocesses in it and the Diocess of Norwich about 50 Diocesses in it c. That is such Cities with the interjacent Villages Pag. 78. He saith When they add these Angels were Congregational not Diocesan they were every of them Angels of a Church in a City having authority over the Regions adjacent and pertaining to that City and so as CHURCH and CONGREGATION ARE ALL ONE AS IN ORDINARY USE IN ALL LANGUAGES THEY ARE Thus were Congregational and Diocesan also What follows of the paucity of Believers in the greatest Cities and their meeting in one place is willingly granted by us I must desire the Reader to remember all this when we come to use it in due place And you may modestly smile to observe how by this and the foregoing words the Dr. forgetfully hath cast out all the English Diocesans While he maketh it needful that the Cities be Ecclesiastically subordinate as they are Civilly and maketh it the very definition of a Diocesan Bishop to be a Bishop of a City with the Country or Suburbs belonging to it But in England no lesser Cities ordinarily at least nor Corporation-Towns are at all Subject to the great Cities Nor are any Considerable part of the Countrey Subject to them nor do the Liberties of Cities or Corporations reach far from the Walls or Towns So that by this Rule the Bishop of London York Norwich and Bristow would have indeed large Cities with narrow liberties But the rest would have Diocesses little bigger than we could allow to conscionable Faithful Pastors But he yet addeth more p. 79. he will do more for our cause than the Presbyterians themselves who in their disputes against the Independents-say that Jerusalem had more Christians belonging to the Church than could conveniently meet in one place But saith the Dr. This is contrary to the Evidence of the Text which saith expresty v. 44. that all the Believers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting in one and the same place The like may be said of the other places Act. 4. 4. and 5. 14. For certainly as yet though the number of believers increased yet they were not distributed into several Congregations Will you yet have more p. 80 81. When the London Ministers say that the Believers of one City made but one Church in the Apostles days he answereth This observation I acknowledge to have perfect truth in it and not to be confutable in any part And therefore instead of rejecting I shall imbrace it and from thence conclude that there is no manner of incongruity in assigning of one Bishop to one Church and so one Bishop in the Church of Jerusalem because it is a Church not Churches BEING FORECED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHERE THERE WERE MORE CHURCHES THERE WERE MORE BISHOPS I am almost in doubt by this whether the Dr. were not against the English Prelacy and he and I were not of a mind especially remembring that he said nothing against my disputations of Church Government written against himself when I lived near him Observe Reader 1. That even now he confessed that a Church and Congregation is all one 2. And here he confesseth that where there were more Churches there were more Bishops and his words Because it is a Church not Churches seem to import that de jure he supposeth it is no Church without a Bishop and that there should be no fewer Bishops than Churches And then I ask 1. Where and when do all the Christians in this Diocess of above an hundred miles long Congregate who meet but in above a thousand several Temples and never know one of a thousand of the Diocess 2. Doth not this grant to the Brownists that the Parish Churches are no Churches but onely parts of the Diocesane Church 3. And then if it be proved that the Diocesane Church form is but of humane invention what Church in England will they leave us that is of divine institution This is the unhappiness of overdoing to undo all and of aspiring too high to fall down into nothing And doth he not speak
askt whether the King and Parliament had not power to set up a Bishop in every Corporation and to take down Deans Arch-Deacons Chancellours Officials c. and sew denied it 5. I askt my self iâ— the King and Parliament make such a change and command my Consent whether I must disobey them and forestall my obedience by a Covenant and Oath 6. I thought that what is imposed on all the Clergie to day may be imposed on the Laity next And then all Parliament men will be Sworn and Covenanted never in Parliament so much as to Consent to change any of the Church Government now established 7. I found that I must also swear That it ought so to stand which could mean no less than by a Divine Law when Mans Law may not alter it 8. I found such Heartiness Willingness required in the Swearer as required very full satisfaction in all this And that with the terrible re-nuncication of the Help of God in Christ if I do not all that I swear to 9. And I must be deprived of my Office for Benefice I had none and cast out of the ministry if I refused to take this Episcopal Covenant and Oath 10. And I knew that he that made no Conscience of deliberate Perjury had little reason to hope that he had any good Conscience true Grace or Honesty and specially if he concurred to involve all the Clergie or Nation in the guilt Upon these Considerations I set my self to a more searching study of the matter I read Gersom Bucer Didoclaue Jacob and after Parker Bains and others on one side and all that I could get on the other Downam again Bilson Hooker Saravia Andrews and many more And the result of my search was this I wondered to find so many write for and against Episcopacy without distinguishing the sorts of Episcopacy For I found reason to think one sort at least Tolerable yea desirable but that which the Oath of 1640. would have bound me to I found great reason to judge to be but what I have described it in this Book And I here give notice to the Reader that whereever he findeth me speak as against the English Diocesane Prelacy I mean it as described by Cousins and Dr. Zouch and as relating to that Oath and Canon and not in opposition to the Laws of the Land This Judgment then setled I never could see cause to change but the more I read of the Ancients Church History Counsels c. And many other Writers for Episcopacie Petavius Sancta Clara Spalatensis Dr. Hamond and many more the more was I confirmed in it to this day When Usurpation was at the highest I wrote accordingly in my book called Disputations of Church Government When the King came home I accordingly used my Endeavours as a Reconciler with the Ministers here called Presbyterians who seemed mostly of the same mind And how little an alteration of the Church Government in the Kings Declaration of Ecclesiastical Affairs did we receive with thankfulness and it would have been with a conforming joy but that we knew the leading Men that treated with us too well to hope that they had any intention to continue it but to use it they knew to what till they had done their work and got this Act of Uniformity In 1668. After I had been in the Goal and yet men called for the reasons of my Nonconformity I drew up some of my thoughts rudely And in 1671. The call being renewed I wrote this Book as now it is saving a few additional Notes But cast it by my Friends and my experience perswading me that the Bishops and their Parliament adherence could not patiently bear it Many years after some Letters past between Mr. Henry Dodwell then of Ireland and me And his last being tedious and he seeming not to intend or desire a publication of them I gave him but a short general return instead of a voluminous particular Answer especially because I had this Book written by me in which I had more than answered him and was not willing or at leasure to write over the same things again But when I had lately wrote in my Book of Concord a summary consutation of Mr. Dodwels schismatical Volumne in which he degradeth unchurcheth if not unchristeneth so many of the Protestants as having no Sacraments no Covenant right to Salvation but sinning against the Holy-Ghost and all for want of a Ministery derived by an uninterrupted succession of Episcopal Ordination from the Apostles and could not by importunity prevaile with him to answer Voetius de desperata causa Papatus or my Dispute of Ordination at last I received a Letter from him signifying his purpose upon his Friends desire to Publish his long Letter written to me out of Ireland So that I saw a necessity of Publishing my Treatise which contained more than an Answer to him And the rather because some R. Reverend Bishops and others had urged me to give an Account of the Reasons of my Non-conformity So that I had not leave to suppress this book nor be longer silent And yet I fear that they that so called for it will not easily bear it The summe of Mr. Dodwels Letter to me now in the press is to prove the possibility of right Discipline by our Diocesane Goverment as it is 1. Because Magistrates can exercise theirs by as few 2. Because the Ancients de facto did it by such Therefore it may be done To answer these two is to answer his Letter which one would think should be so easy that no Scholar should have need of help to do it 1. If any man canby an harrangue of words be brought to renounce his reason and experience so far as to believe that the Office of a Pastor may be performed to as many Parishes as the Office of a Major or Justice of Peace may and that Pastors have no more to do in watching over particular Souls instructing exhorting convincing comforting visiting worpshing Governing c than the works of a Justice of Peace amount to and that Dr. Stillingfleet e. g. shall be excused if he do no more for his Parish than Justice Rog. L'Estrange doth I undertake not to convince that man of any thing Read over the work of a Bishop as I have here discribed it from the Scripture and Dr. Hamond and compare it with a Justices work and if you can yet be deceived by Mr. Dodwel be deceived And yet I think there are in divers Parishes about us many Justices for one Pastor I am confident London Diocess hath a great number for one Bishop And either our Justices are bound besides what now they doe to labour as much to bring some to Repentance and such other work as the Pastors are bound to do or not If not it will not follow that as large a Circuit may be Governed by one Pastor as by one Justice If yea then he doth but condemne the Justices for unfaithfulness which will not prove that a
teach them not to disdain the advice of their Presbyters but to use their Authority with so much the greater humility and moderation as a Sword which the Church hath power to take from them This is Mr. Hooker And page 14. He confesseth that according to the Custom of England and a Council at Carthage Presbyters may impose hands in Ordination with the Bishop though not without him So that by this they have the the power of Ordination to though he have a Negative Voice in it And indeed if all Ordination must be done by one of a Superiour Order who shall Ordain Bishops or Archbishops or Patriarchs or the Pope And page 18. He saith Most certain truth it is that Churches Cathedral and the Bishops of them are as glasses wherein the face and countenance of Apostolical antiquity remaineth even as yet to be seen Which is it that we also affirm every City or Church having a Bishop and Presbytery of their own And whereas page 19. He saith If we prove that Bishops have lawfully of old ruled over other Ministers it is enough how few soever those Ministers have been how small soever the circuit of place which hath contained them If this be so we grant you enough when we grant Parochial Bishops But no where doth he more palpably yield our Cause than page 21 22. where to Cartwright's Objection that the Bishop that Cyprian speaketh of is nothing else but such as we call Pastor or as the common name is Parsons and his Church whereof he is Bishop is neither Diocess nor Province but a Congregation which met together in one place to be taught by one man He hath no better answer to this than to tell us that If it were true it is impertinent and that it is not true because Cyprian had many Presbyters under him so as they might have every day change for performance of their duty And he never once attempteth to prove that Cyprian had more Churches yea or Assemblies than One but only that he was over the Presbyters in one Church or Assembly and as an Archbishop was over Bishops The same thing which I submit to but nothing against the things that I assert against him A Parson may have divers Curates under him and not divers Churches much loss a thousand that have no other Bishop And whereas page 33. It is objected that many things are innovated in our Discipline as imposing Ministers on the People without their consent Bishops Excommunicating alone Imprisoning c. His answer is that the Church may change her customes And on that ground alloweth the Ordination of Presbyters alone because the Church can give them power For he goeth in Church-matters as he doth in point of Civil Government on his false supposition that all Power is Originally in the whole Body saying page 37. The whole Church visible being the true Original subject of all power it hath not ordinarily allowed any other than Bishops alone to Ordain Howbeit as the ordinary course is ordinarily in all things to be observed so it may be in some cases not unnecessary that we decline from the ordinary ways What is more contrary than Saravia Tract de Obedient and Hooker in their Principles of Government From hence also page 38. He inferreth the no necessity of continued Succession of Bishops in every effectual Ordination And it is very observable which he granteth for it cannot be denied The Power of Orders I may lawfully receive without the asking consent of any multitude but the power I cannot exercise upon any certain People against their wills And page 38. He cannot deny but the ancient use was for the Bishops to excommunicate with the College of his Assistant Presbyters but he taunteth Beza for thinking that this may not be changed These are the men that build upon Antiquity and the Custom of the Universal Church And page 69. when the Canons for Bishops spare course of living are objected he saith that those Canons were made when Bishops lived of the same Purse which served as well for a number of others as for them and yet all at their disposing Intimating the old Course when every Church had its Bishop and inferiour Clergy But Innovation is lawful for our Prelacy And now he that can find any thing in Hooker against the points which I defend or for that Prelacy which I oppose any more worth the answering than this that I have recited let him rejoyce in the perfection of his eye-sight And if thus much be worthy to be confuted or such as this let them do it that have nothing else to do So ridiculous is the Challenge of one that glorieth to write a Book with the same Title of Ecoles Policy who insultingly provoketh us to write a full Confutation of Hooker who saith so little to the main point in Controversie our Diocesan Form of Prelacy and writeth his whole Book in a tedious Preaching stile where you may read many leaves for so much Argumentation as one Syllogism may contain that I think I might as wisely have challenged himself to conâ—â—ue Mr. Fâ—x's Book of Martyrs or Baronius his Annals almost or at least may say as Dr. John Burges doth of Mr. Parker another sort of Parker his Book of the Cross which Dr. Ames saith was never answered that if any will reduce that gawdy Treatise into Argument it being indeed almost all made up of the fruits of Reading History Sentences c. of purpose to confute them that said the Nonconformists were no Schollars he should quickly have an Answer to it So if any will reduce all that is in Mr. Hooker's 8 Books in tedious Discourses into Syllogism which is against what I maintain I believe it will not all fill up one half or quarter of a page and it shall God-willing be soon answered In the mean time the popular Principles of his First and Eighth Book subverting all true Government I have already confuted elsewhere in my Christian Directory 5. Bishop Downame hath said much more to the main Points in the defence of his Consecration Sermon and as much as I can expect to find in any But 1. as to the mode he is so contrary to Hooker that being a very expert Logician he wasteth so much of his Book about the Forms of Arguments and Answers that he obscureth the matter by it and ensnareth those Readers who do not carefully distinguish between Matter and Words and between the force of the reason and the form of a Syllogism And he so adorneth or defileth his Style with taunts insulting scorns and contemptuous reproaches that it is more sutable to the Scold sat Billings-gate than so learned and godly a Divine and occasioneth his Adversaries to say You have here a taste of the Prelatical Spirit 2. As to the matter of his first Book I am of his mind against meer ruling Elders He and Bilson have evinced what they hold in that But as to the points in which
As the heavenly Angels are the Guardians of the Churches so these Stars are those Angels in whose Person I speak to the Churches themselves that are signified by the Candlesticks Or As the Angels are the Guardians of the Churches so by that title I signifie the whole Ministry that guide them and by the Candlesticks the Churches and I write to the whole For as every Message begins with To the Angel so it endeth with To the Churches Obj. The Bishop was to deliver it to the Churches Ans This is precarious 1. The Apostle wrote it that both Pastors and People might immediately read it and did not intrust it as an unwritten tradition to one to be delivered to the rest 2. All the Pastors were to deliver or teach it to the People and not one Bishop only This therefore is no cogent Argument 10. As for the Disputers for Episcopacy at the Isle of Wight with King Charles they manage Saravia's Argument fetcht from the Continuance of the Ordinary part of the Apostles Office as he did before them and many others so well that for my part I cannot confute them but remain in doubt and therefore have nothing to say against them But that 's nothing to our Case whether every particular Organized Church should have a Bishop or the full Pastoral Office in it 11. As to Joh. Forbes his Irenic he maintaineth but such an Episcopacy as we offered to his Majesty in Bishop Usher's Reduction He pleadeth for such a Bishop as is the Moderator of a Presbytery p. 242 243. and as must be subject to censure himself p. 145. and that shall do nothing of weight without the Presbyteries consent p. 145. and as is still bound to the Work of a Presbyters Office p. 146. And that an Orthodox Church that hath no Bishop or Moderator hath but a certain Oeconomical defect but is still a true Church and hath the power that other Churches have that have Bishops p. 158. And that jure divino Presbyters have the Power of Ordaining as well as of Preaching and Baptizing though they must use it under the Bishops inspection in those places that have Bishops page 164. And he is more full for the Power of Presbyters Ordaining and the validity of it than any man that I now remember 12. The two Books of the Bohemian Government of the Waldensian Churches Written by Lascitius and Commenius contain that very Form of Government which I think the soundest of any that I have yet seen 13. The Learned and Judicious Grotius before he turned to Cassander's and Erasmus's temperament in Religion in his book de Imper. sum pot circa sacra in almost all things speaketh the same which I approve and plead for though he be for some Episcopacy 1. As to the Pastoral power it self in whomsoever he affirmeth it to be but Nuntiative Declarative Suasory and per consensum and not any Imperium Like the power of a Physitian a Counsellor and an Embassadour Chap. 4. But then by Imperium he meaneth that which is coactive by the Sword And he acknowledgeth the power of the Ministry by the Word upon Consenters to be of Divine Institution so that they sin against God who do reject it And if the Pastors of the Church did meddle with no other power we should the sooner be agreed For my part I take the very power of the Keys to be no other than a power of applying God's Word to the Consciences of the Penitent and Impenitent and the Church and a power of judging who is fit or unfit for Church-communion according to God's Word which judgment we can no otherwise execute but by the same Word and by forbearing or exercising our own Ministerial actions to the person As a Physitian may refuse to Medicate the unruly In chap. 6. He speaketh justly of the Princes power as in the former And so he doth chap. 7. of the use and power of Synods or Councils Chap. 8. He well vindicateth the Magistrate and denyeth to the Church or Bishops the Legislative power circa sacra and sheweth that Canons are not proper Laws Chap. 9. He sheweth the Jurisdiction properly so called belongeth to the Magistrate and not to the Pastors as such Though of old they might be also Magistrates He sheweth that the use of the Keys is called Jurisdiction but by the same figure by which Preaching is called Legislation which is true as to the Declaration who is bound or loose in foro caeli but Pastors more properly judge who is to be taken into Church-communion or excluded The prescript of Penance he saith is no Jurisdiction but as the Councel of a Physitian or Lawyer or Philosopher That the denying of the Sacraments is not properly Jurisdiction he thus excellently explaineth p. 229. As he that Baptizeth or as the old custome was puts the Eucharist into ones mouth or hand doth exercise an act of Ministry and not of Jurisdiction so also he that abstaineth from the same acts For the reason of the visible signs and of the audible is the same By what right therefore a Pastor denounceth by-words to one that is manifestly flagitious that he is an utter alien to the Grace of God by the same right also he doth not Baptize him because it is the sign of remission of sin or if he be Baptized giveth him not the Eucharist as being the sign of Communion with Christ For the sign is not to be given to him that the thing signified doth not agree to nor are pearls to be given to swine But as the Deacon was wont to cry in the Church Holy things are for the Holy Yea it were not only against Truth but against charity to make him partaksr of the Lords Supper who discerneth not the Lords Body but eateth and drinketh judgment to himself In these things while the Pastor doth only suspend his own act and doth not exercise any Dominion over the acts of others it is apparent that this belongeth to the vse of Liberty and not to the exercise of Jurisdiction Such like is the case of a Physician refusing to give an Hydropick water when he desireth it or in a grave person who resuseth to salute a profligate fellow and in those that avoid the company of the Leprous Only it must be remembred that this avoidance is by a Society governed therein by an Officer of Divine Institution Next he proceeds to the Churches duty and sheweth 1. That as Cyprian saith The Laity that is obedient to God's commands ought to separate themselves from a sinful Pastor or Prelate that is that is grosly bad 2. That they ought to avoid familiarity with scandalous Christians As a Schollar may forsake a bad Teacher and as an honest Man may leave the friendship of the flagitious As for the names of Deposition and Excommunication he saith That we must interpret the name by the thing and not the thing by the name And that the Church deposeth a Pastor when
and according to that word to declare them Impenitency openly Characterizing them to be persons unmeet for Christian Communion and such as till they repent are under the wrath of God and must expect his dreadful judgment and to command the Church in Christs name to withdraw from the Impenitent person and to have no Communion with him And all this is but the application of Gods word to his Conscience and the Churches If his seared Conscience deride it all we can do no more If he will forcibly intrude into the Communion of the Church against their wills it is like ones breaking into my house the Magistrate must restrain him as a violater of the peace as well as of the Churches liberties If the Magistrate will not the Church most remove from him If they cannot they must pronounce him morally absent as a forcible intruder and none of their Communion If the Church will not obey the Pastors sentence he hath no instrument but the same word to bring them to it Now all this being past denial let us come more particularly to enquire in all this what part there is essential to a Bishops office as such 1. Is it the making of Church Lawes or Canons About what 1. Either these Canons are but the Commanding of that which Gods Law made a duty before or of somewhat newly made a duty by themselves 2. Either they are Lawes or Commands to the Laity only or to the Presbyters or to the particular Bishops or all 1. If they do but urge the performing of some duty already made such by God in Scripture or Nature who ever doubted but Presbyters may do that even to teach and charge the people from God to obey his Laws And note that God daily maketh new duties by the Law of nature even providentially altering the Nature of things And so he maketh this or that to become Decent and Orderly and so a duty And maketh it my duty to speak this or that word to this or that person or to do this or that particular good work Even by varying occasions accidents and circumstances of things 2. But if these Canons make new duties which God hath not made 1. If it be to the Laity the Presbyters may do the like for they are Guides also of the Laity unless they are forbidden by a superior power If it be only to the Presbyters that will not reach our present case as shall be further shewed afterward 3. If it be to the Bishops themselves they cannot be Laws but meer agreements because one Bishop is not the proper Governour of another nor many of one nor the present in Council of the absent as such And here by the way it is worthy to be noted how much the Diocesanes contradict themselves in this claim of Government They say that they are of a distinct order and office from meer Presbyters because they have power to Govern them And yet they make 1. A Council of Bishops to have as high a governing power over particular Bishops of the same order 2. And an Arch-Bishop to be the Governour of Bishops 3. And a Primate or Patriarch to be the Governour of Arch-Bishops and yet not to be of a distinct Order or office but only of a distinct degree in the accidentals of the same order If Government prove a distinct Order or Office in one it will do so in the other And why may not the Magistrate make all the same Canons who ruleth them all But let us consider what these Canons may be 1. The Bishops make Canons how often Synods or Councils shall be held and when and where and when they shall be dissolved But 1. May not the King do the same And can that be proper to Bishops which the King may do Yea which all Emperours have formerly used 2. And is not this Cannon made to rule Bishops themselves who is it but Bishops or so much as them that you think should be called unto Councils And are the Bishops in Council of another order than themselves out of Council Need we an office of Bishops to rule Bishops of the same office 2. Canons are made about Temples Buildings Tithes Glebes Bells Pulpits Seats Tables Cups Fonts and other utensils And 1. who doubteth but the Magistrate may do all this yea that it belongeth to him to regulate such things as these 2. And who knoweth not that even Bishops are under these Canons also who are of the same order 3. And that Presbyters even in England are members of these Synods and so make Canons to rule the Bishops Ergo they are of a superior order to Bishops by your reasoning 3. Canons are made for the regulating of Ministers attire in the Church and out and for officiating garments as surplices c. And of these I say the same as of the former The King may do the same as Bishops may do and Bishops themselves are bound by them and Presbyters make them which three things prove that it is not the proper work of Bishops as a distinct order from meer Presbyters 4. Canons are made for worship Geâ—ures in what gesture to pray to receive the Sacrament to use the Creed c. And the same three answers serve to this also as to the case in hand 5. Canons are made for Holidaies publick Fasts and Thanksgivings and Lecture daies And the same three considerations fall in here 6. Canons are made for the ordering officers fees and such like in Bishops Courts And here all the same three things fall in 1. The King may do it 2. It is Bishops that are ruled 3. Presbyters also make the Canons therefore it is not jure divino the proper work of a distinct Order 7. Canons are made for the choice of what Translation of the Bible shall be used in all the Churches and what version or meetre of the singing Psalmes And of this also the three former things hold true 8. Canons are made to impose a Liturgie in what words Ministers shall speak to God and to the people And 1. This also the King may do and doth 2. And it obligeth Bishops 3. And Presbyters make it 9. Canons are made against Schismaticks new Discipline and constitutions non-subscribers unlicensed Preachers for the book of Articles of ordination for Catechizing Preaching Marrying Burying Christing and such like In all which each of the said three answers hold 10. Canons are made to keep Parents from open covenanting to God for their Children in Baptism that they shall not be urged to be present that God-fathers do that office and not they As also that none be baptized without the transient Image of a Cross and such like whether this be well or ill done the three former answers all hold in this 11. All the Canons that are for the restraint of sin as neglect of Church worship prophaning of it and other abuses have the same censure 12. The circumstantiating Canons how oft Bishops shall confirm and whom they shall
plainness and simplicity of those that are described and of their writings I speak not in any contempt of them for this perhaps we value common learning now too highly But only to tell you the true History of those times No doubt but many poor men among us divers Weavers and some Plowmen of the Church which I was removed from for instance are able to pray and teach as well as most of those who are by Eusebius extolled as the famous Bishops of the second and third age and to write as Methodical pious weighty tractates as any that were then written by men that neither conversed with the Apostles nor had been bred up in Philosophy That I say rot as Clemens Romanus himself or Ignatius or Irenaeus yea or Cyprians Epistles are Yea or as many of the ages following even as holy Macarius Epherm Cyrus Synisius a Philosopher Isidore Pelusiota and many more have written since If this be not believed how many Lay-men could I name who have written more accurately and judiciously and as far as the writings shew as piously as any of these And that not only Learned Lay-men but men that had neither many Languages nor Philosophy And if the books then written were very few and of those very few that were written by any but Bishops or Philosophers and those few so plaine as we see they are the best of them far below the writings of abundance of late Latin and English and French writers that were but Presbyters you may easily judge of what parts the rest of the Presbyters of those times were that never wrote And from hence you may gather the reasons 1. Why so few Volumes are left us written in the two first ages 2. And why the Churches had then so many Presbyters Whatever Doctor Hammond say to the contrary without any proof It was easy to find such Christians as aforedecribed who might competently guide the rest by Doctrine worship discipline and example Though to find Learned men was hard 3. And you may see why so many Hereticks boasted so much of their higher knowledge and Platonical c. speculations as accounting the Orthodox to be ignorant men 4. And you may see why so few were Champions for the truth 5. And why there were so many parties and divisions when the Elders were many and less judicious 6. And you may see how the opinion of Ecclesiastick meer Ruling Elders came up and how to expound Pauls 1 Tim. 5. 17. Especially them that labour in the Word and Doctrine For it was but here and there a Learned or special gifted Christian that was able solemnly and ornately to Preach decide hard cases and controversies confute Hereticks and guide the Churches in difficult cases And the rest did sit about the Bishop as his assistants and Preach and officiate at his direction and oversee the people from man to man being of the same order and office with the Bishop but not of the same parts and therefore not equal in the exercise 7. And therefore lastly hence you may see the reasons of the first fixed particular Church Episcopacy Those few that were Philosophers or eminently qualified being scarce enow to make one for every Church did by their gifts overtop the rest in the due esteem of all the people who were bound to esteem him wisest that was wisest and to yield more to his judgment than to others that knew less And this inequality of gifts usually lasted as long as life and therefore so did the inequality of esteem and reverence And both the people and the inferiour gifted Pastors obeyed the Law of God in nature and readily gave honour to whom honour was due And when one was dead finding another still to excel the rest they accordingly preferred him before the rest even as an excellent Physician would be by the patients and by all the younger and more ignorant Physicians that are not carryed away with pride And this did easily as all things else turne into formality under pretence of order and come to seem a kind of Office But when difference required it I know not but that all this was well done except that they foresaw not the degenerate tyranny that would afterward hence arise This present experience openeth to us to the day What did set up Luther and Melancthon and Illyricus but their eminent parts What else gave Zuinglius and 〈◊〉 the Presidencie at Zurich What else did set up Calvin and Beza at Geneva And Knox and Henderson in Scotland And all our Parishes that have Chappels and Curates shew it here in England Where one man for his worth is thought meerest to have the Benifice and chief cure but others may be chosen by him and placed under him and maintained by him by the Bishops allowance as his curates And indeed it was so long before Academies made a sufficient store of men of sufficiencie for every Presbyters place that for four or five hundred years there were few bred up to competent Learning except either under Heathens or else in a Bishops house or here and there as an Auditor of some one rare Teacher Clemens Alexandrinus as a Disciple of Pantenus and Origene of clemens and some few others came to Learning as auditors in that Alexandrian School But few other places besides Alexandria had any such School of a long time in so much as Nazianzen Basil Greg. Nissen Chrysostome c. were taught at Athens by Lybanius and such other Heathens And Ambrose Augustine and many others were in a manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self taught so that it was not possible then to have many Learned men ordinarily for one Church or congregation And yet many Presbyters certainly they had Which is the true cause that one Learned man was made an Overseer and Guide to the rest who were his Curates or Assistants gifted like our wiser sort of the Laity but of the same Office and order with him And this Bishop was the usual Preacher and the other did learne of him to Preach and grew up under him as Scholars and he that came to greatest abilities under him was chosen for a Bishop to another Church that wanted but not without his own Bishops consent which made the debate in Councels so frequent whether a Presbyter might remove to another Church or be chosen for a Bishop of another Church And an African Council giveth it as a Reason why that Bishop that had able Presbyters should not refuse to let one go to be a Bishop elsewhere because where there were many fit to be Presbyters there were but few men fit to be made Bishops which implieth that they took it not then for a meer place of order where one man of equal parts was for Unity to rule the rest but for a necessary difference of exercising the same Office because of the different abilities of the Officers Which was not only to keep an order by disparity of places but to educate the Presbyters to greater
only Church of the same Species with a Diocese If they say that it is because one man is not capable of doing the work of a Bishop for so many Countreys I Answer Per se he cannot do it for the hundredth part of a Diocese Per alios he may do it for all Europe It is but appointing some who shall appoint others who shall appoint others and so to the end of the chapter to do it There is but one Abuna in Abassia to Ordain though numerous Bishops who have not the Generative faculty which Epiphanius makes to be the difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter that the one begets Fathers and the other but Sons Their Countrey was converted by an Eunuch It would be a notable dispute whether all the rest be true Bishops or not I think Yea the Prelatists must think Nay And yet Brierwood saith that Abassia after all its great diminutions is as big as Italy France Spain and Germany And doth not the Pope govern per alios yet far more and pretend to govern the whole Christian World while he sendeth one to Goa another to Mexico and Oviedo to Abassia would they but have received him Obj. But he hath other Bishops under him therefore he is not ejusdem speciei as a Diocese Answ But the Abuna hath no Ordainers under him And the Bishop hath Chancellors Deans Arch-deacons Surrogates Officials and sometimes in the days of old had Suffragans too under him Quest Was a Diocese then One Church or two And what if a Patriarch or Pope put down all Bishops under him and exercise his power only by other sorts of officers They that can demise grant let what parts they please of their own office may devise enow And seeing it would not alter the species what if it should please the King and Parliament to put down all the Bishops of England save One I hope the Bishops would not take that to be against the Canon of 1640. nor against the Oxford Oath of never endeavouring to Consent or Alter the Church Covernment if it could have been past to be taken by the Parliament Because the species is not altered And they tell us Nonconformists to draw us to Swear that they mean but the species I make no doubt but at the rates of our present Ordinations One Bishop or Abuna with Chaplains enow may Ordain Priests enow and too many of all conscience for all the Kings Dominions and may silence preachers enow and may set up Chancellors Surrogates and Arch-deacons enow to do the present work And it 's pity that the land should be troubled with so many when one would serve I confess I would either have more or fewer had I my wish And as for my Minor proposition let him that thinketh it wanteth proof when he hath considered what is beforesaid and how personal present Communion in all Gods Church-worship differeth from the Communion of associated Congregations by messengers c. think so still if he be able so egregiously to err But I must not so leave our Prelatists I know that it is the common trick of Sophisters when they cannot make good an ill cause to carry it into the dark or start a new controversie and then they are safe A Papist will wheel about into the wilderness or thickets of Church history and ask you what names you can give of your Religion in all Ages that one proposition of your Syllogism may contain much of a Horse load or a Cart load of Books and then I trow he hath done his work if women be the judges And others use to carry the question a rebus ad verba And so it is in the case in hand But it is not the name of a SPECIES that shall serve your turn We know how hard it is in Physicks to determine what it is that specifieth and much more in Morals Politicks and other Relatives But Let the Logical notion of a species lie at your mercy It shall suffice us that you may not make so great a change of the Church-orders and Government of Gods institution as to turn a thousand or hundred Churches into one and to deprive all Parishes or Churches Consociate for presential Communion of the priviledge of having a Bishop of their own to Teach Worship and Govern them presentially and per se As if all the Arch-bishops in the Ronan Empire had put down all the Bishops and called themselves the Bishops of the Churches Of which more anon CHAP. X. Whether any form of Church Government be instituted by God as necessary or all left to humane prudence Obj. BUt Doctor Stillingfleet hath invincibly proved that God hath made no one form of Church Government necessary but left the choice to humane prudence Answ I. If so Why should we all swear to this one form that we will never endeavour to alter it or as the caetera Oath never consent to the alteration of it when we know not but the King may alter it or command us to endeavour it Must there be such swearing to the perpetuating an alterable unnecessary thing II. The word Form signifieth either the essentials of Church policy or the Integrals or accidents which Christ himself hath setled Or else it signifieth only some mutable accidents or modes which God hath left to humane prudence Of the first we deny mans power to change them Of the later we grant it 1. It is undeniably of Divine institution that there be ordinary publick Assemblies for Gods solemn worship and the peoples edification 2. And that Ministers of that office which Christ hath instituted be the officiating Guides in these Assemblies 3. And that Cohabiting Christians be the ordinary stated bodies of these assemblies and not live loosely to go every day as they please from Church to Church but ordinarily when they can be setled members of some one Church To which cohabitation or vicinity is one dispositio materiae 4. And that each of these Churches have their proper fixed Pastors and should not take up with unfixed various passing Ministers unless in cases of necessary unsetledness 5. And that these setled Pastors should live among the People and watch over them personally and know them and be known of them in doctrine and ensample as to the main body of the flock 6. That these Relations and Communion be by mutual consent of the Pastors and the body of the flock 7. That these mutual Relations of Gods appointment and their own consent do constitute them a spiritual society of Divine institution 8. That this Communion must be as our Creed calleth it a Communion of Saints that is of men professing Christianity and Holiness and seeming such And must extend to a free Communication to each other for the supply of corporal necessities And to a mutual assistance of each other in holy living 9 That therefore there must be some to discern and judge whether the persons that would enter this Society and
shall there tell him whom to Baptize where there is no Bishop And the power of Baptizing is the first and greatest Key of the Church even the Key of admission And they that do among us deny a Presbyter the power of judging whom to Baptize and give the Lords Supper to do not give it to the Bishop who knoweth not of the persons But the Directive part they commit to a Convocation of Bishops and Presbyters and the Judicial partly to the Priest and partly to a Lay-Chancellor X. Epiphanius Haeres 75. saith The Apostles did not set all in full order at once And at first there was need of Presbyters and Deacons by whom both Ecclesiastical affairs may be administred Therefore where no man was found worthy of Episcopacy in that place no Bishop was set By which it appeareth that he thought that for some time some Churches were Governed without Bishops And if so it there belonged to the Presbyters office to govern Whereto we may add the opinion of many Episcopal men who think that during the Apostles times they were the only Bishops in most Churches themselves And if so Then in their long and frequent absence the Presbyters must be the governours XI That many Councils have had Presbyters yea many of them is past doubt Look but in the Councils subscriptions and you will see it A Synod of some Bishops and more Presbyters and Deacons gathered at Rome decreed the Excommunication of Novatianus and his adherents Euseb lib. 6. c. 43. Noetus was convented judged expelled by the Session of Presbyters Epiphan Haeres 47. c. 1. See a great number of instances of Councils held by Bishops with their Presbyters in Blondel de Episc sect 3. p. 202. Yea one was held at Rome praesidentibus cum Joanne 12 Presbyteris An. 964. vid. Blond p. 203 206 207. Yea they had places and votes in General Councils Not only ut aliorum procuratores as Victor and Vincentius in Nic. 1. but as the Pastors of their Churches and in their proper right I need not urge Selden's Arabick Catalogue in Eutych Alex. where there were two persons for divers particular places or Zonaras who saith There were Priests Deacons and Monks nor Athanasius a Deacon's presence Evenof late the Council of Basil is a sufficient proof XII The foresaid Canons of Carthage which are so full are inserted into the body of the Canon Law and in the Canons of Egbert Archbishop of York as Bishop Usher and others have observed XXIII Hierom's Communi Presbyterorum Concilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur seconded by Chrysostome and other Fathers is a trite but evident testimony XIV That Presbyters had the Power of Excommunications see fully proved by Calderwood Altar Damasc p. 273. XV. Basil's Anaphora Bibl. Pat. Tom. 6. p. 22. maketh every Church to have Archpresbyters Presbyters and Deacons making the Bishop to be but the Archpresbyter CHAP. XIV The Confessions of the greatest and Learnedest Prelatists 1. THe Church of England doth publickly notifie her judgment that Church Government Discipline and the power of the Keys is not a thing aliene from or above the Order of the Presbyters but belongeth to their office 1. In that they allow Presbyters to be members of Convocations and that as chosen by the Presbyters And whereas it is said that the Lower house of Convocation are but Advisers to the Upper I answer All together have but an advising power to the King and Parliament But in that sort of power the lower house hath its part as experience sheweth 2. There are many exempt Jurisdictions in England as the Kings Chappel The Deanry of Windsor and Wolverhampton Bridgenorth where six Parishes are governed by a Court held by a Presbyter and many more which shew that it is consistent with the Presbyters office 3. The Archdeacons who are no Bishops exercise some Government And so do their Officials under them The Objection from Deputation is answered 4. The Surrogates of the Bishops whether Vicar General Principal Official or Commissaries are allowed a certain part of government 5. They that give Lay-Chancellors the power of Judicial Excommunication and Absolution cannot think a Presbyter uncapable of it 6. A Presbyter proforma oft passeth the sentence of Excommunication and Absolution in the Chancellors Court when he hath judged it 7. A Presbyter in the Church must publish that Excommunication and Absolution 8. By allowing Presbyters to baptize and to deliver the Lords Supper and to keep some back for that time and to admit them again if they openly profess to repent and amend their naughty lives and to absolve the sick they intimate that the Power of the Keys belongeth to them though they contradict themselves otherwise by denying it them 9. And in Ordination the Presbyter is required to exercise discipline And the words of Act. 20. 28. were formerly used to them Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers or Bishops to feed or Rule the Church of God Whence Bishop Usher gathereth that the Churches sence was that the Presbyters had a joynt power with the Bishop in Church Government And though lately Anno 1662. this be altered and those words left out yet it is not any such new change that can disprove this to have been the meaning of them that made the book of Ordination and that used it II. Archbishop Cranmer with the rest of the Commissioners appointed by King Edward the Sixth for the Reformation of Ecclesiastical Laws decreed the administring Discipline in every Parish by the Minister and certain Elders Labouring and intending by all means to bring in the ancient discipline Vid. Reform Leg. Eccles tit de Divinis Officiis cap. 10. And our Liturgy wisheth this Godly Discipline restored and substituteth the Curses till it can be done And the same Cranmer was the first of 46 who in the time of King Henry the Eighth affirmed in a book called The Bishops Book to be seen in Fox's Martyrology that the difference of Bishops was a device of the ancient Fathers and not mentioned in Scripture And of the opinion of Cranmer with others in this point his own papers published by Dr. Stillingfleet Irenic p. 390 391 c. are so full a proof that no more is needful III. Dr. Richard Cosins in his Tables sheweth how Church Discipline is partly exercised by Presbyters and by the Kings Commission may be much more And it is not aliene to their office IV. Hooker Eccles Pol. lib. 5. pleadeth against the Divine settlement of one form of Government And lib. 7. Sect. 7. p. 17 18. he sheweth at large that the Bishops with their Presbyters as a Consess governed the Churches And that in this respect It is most certain truth that the Churches Cathedral and the Bishops of them are as glasses wherein the face and very countenance of Apostolical antiquity remaineth yet to be seen notwithstanding the alterations which tract of time and course of the world hath
and as his instrument that he doth not in the distinct person of a Presbyter He that payeth money or delivereth possession in his Masters name doth it not in his own So that if really they mean as they say that quoad personam legalem quamvis non naturalem it be the Bishop that doth Teach and Officiate per alios then no Presbyter is indeed endued with any power of Teaching Officiating or Ruling in the person of a Presbyter but only to be the Servant and Instrument of the Diocesane 2. No Presbyter hath power to judge whom he shall Baptize or whom to refuse but is to Baptize all without any exception that have Godfathers and Godmothers who will but say the words in the book The Canon 78. is No Minister shall refuse or delay to Christen any Child according to the book of Common prayer that is brought to the Church to him upon Sundays or Holidays to be Christened Else suspended three months from his Ministry Yea that is it that pays for all So Can. 79. he is bound to do in houses in case of danger Yet Can. 29. No Parent shall be urged to be PRESENT nor be admitted to answer as Godfather for his own child Now the Liturgy requireth not any Godfather to Adopt the Child and take it for his own Nor doth it allow us to refuse the Children of Turks Jews or Heathens And if these Godfathers be known Atheists Turks Jews or Heathens or the filthiest Adulterers or wicked persons if they did ever in their lives receive the Sacrament and will say as the Book bids them the Priest cannot refuse the Child But if the godliest Parent can get none to be such Godfathers or Godmothers his Child must not be Baptized I told the Bishops my self that I had a notorious Infidel boasted that he would bring his Child to be baptized and say the words of the book and see who durst refuse it And I was answered that if the Child had Godfathers there was no scruple but I should Baptize him But when I ask what if these Infidels professedly such be the Godfathers and say before-hand I will say those words and refuse me if you dare they have nothing to say that common reason should regard Now he that is but sent to Baptize those even all whomsoever that others bid him baptize and hath no more discerning or judging power of the persons capacity than a Lay-man hath is in this no Presbyter but a Prelates messenger or servant 3. They have no power to instruct admonish or reprove in secret or publick or in their own houses any one Ignorant Heretical Infidel Atheistical or scandalous wicked man that will but refuse to speak with them or to hear them And yet he must give this person the Sacrament at least till he prove that by him which his refusal to speak to him maketh impossible to be publickly proved If I have great reason by some private occasional speech or report to believe that many of the Parish know no more of Christ than Pagans do or that they among their own companions who will not accuse them profess Atheism Infidelity or Heresie or if after scandalous fames I would admonish them to repent If they refuse to speak with me or suffer me not to come and speak to them I have no remedy but must still continue them in the Communion of the Church Obj. You would not have such men forced your self Answ But I would not be forced then my self to give him the Sacrament of Communion as his Pastor who refuseth to speak with me or to hear me as his Pastor but would have power to refuse that Pastoral administration to him that refuseth the rest 4. They have no power to judge of the fitness of any one for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in point of knowledge faith or Covenanting with God nor whether he understand what the Sacrament is any more than an Infidel or ideot so be it the Bishop do but confirm him in his childhood or he will say that he is ready to be confirmed Indeed all are required to send their children to be Catechised But 1. few Ministers use it 2. few persons in a parish come 3. If they refuse we cannot prevent their further communicating 4. It is but to say over the words of that Catechism which they are called to which experience tells us children will do like Parrots without understanding what they say And we must not ask them any other questions It is true also that they who are confirmed by the Bishop should bring a Certificate from the Minister that they can say the Creed Lords prayer Commandments c. But they may choose and not one of many doth it I went my self at thirteen years of age or fourteen to the worthy Bishop Morton with the rest of the School-boyes without any Certificate and without any examination he hastily said as he passed on three or four lines of a prayer over us when I knew not what he said And after this no Minister can refuse any one at age the Sacrament The Rubrick saith They should openly own their Baptism c. But few do it and none can be refused for not doing it And so the transition from the number of Infant members into the number of the adult is made without the Ministers Consent Though the Kings Declaration once yielded to the contrary And Communicants croud upon him in utter ignorance because they were Baptized in Infancy Nay few in a Parish not one of many hundred of my acquaintance is ever confirmed by the Bishop at all so much as ceremoniously or regard it 5. They have no power to choose what Chapter they will read to the Church in publick though a word before the Homilies lib. 2. seemed once to allow it them But every day in the year even week-days and Holidays they are tyed up to the Chapters imposed on them though Bell and the Dragon Judith Susanna Tobit and other Apocryphal writings be appointed for Lessons even about 106 Chapters of the Apocrypha in two months And though any scandal or other occasion in his Church would direct him to choose some other subject for the peoples good 6. He hath no power to choose what words to use in his publick prayers to God no not to use any that are not written for him to read out of the book And though custom hath so used Ministers to pray without book in the pulpit yet this is but connived at because it cannot easily be remedied One of them wrote a book against it as answering that part of our Savoy Reply 1660 Dr. Heylin hath largely laboured to prove that it is contrary to the Canon which indeed doth seem express against it And that 's not all However their Consciences digest it all the Conformists in England do subscribe as ex animo a covenant or promise that they will use the form in the said book prescribed in publick prayer and
time And that though he was made a Bishop and great when the King was restored yet he was the only Bishop of them all that in our conference at the Savoy did desire and endeavour by such concessions to have reconciled us altogether VII I must not tire the Reader with more such long citations I next wish him to see Mr. Alesburies Treatise of confession p. 21. 24 28 104 105 169. Where he describeth the ancient discipline and sheweth from our own Prelates that it is every particular member of the flock that the Pastor should personally know and counsel And see how far we are from this VIII But none of these speak of the times that we are now fallen into It can hardly be expected that any of their own party should yet dare to speak against them yet in private talk how common is it But because it will be too tedious to recite the words I desire the Reason to peruse a Book called Icabod or the five groans of the Church which in sharpness and high charges upon the Prelates since their return exceedeth all that are before cited And that you may know that he is sufficiently Episcopal one of his accusations of them is for accepting so many into the Church now that were lately against conformity I know the man who is said to be the Author and know him to be conformable to this time and in possession of a benefice in the Church IX Let the Reader remember that the division between the Conformists and Non-conformists began at Frankford in Queen Maries days and that Dr. Ri. Coxe was the man than began this stir against the English Church there by his forcible obtruding the Common-Prayer book on them and that long led that party And let him read in Cassander his 20th Epistle where he will find that the said Dr. Coxe when he was made Bishop of Ely in Queen Elizabeths time wrote to Cassander for directions about setting up Cruciâ—â—xes or crosses in the Churches and Cassander instructeth him in what shape the Cross is to be made And his Prec Eccles gave us some of our Collects X. Yea when the Popish Prelacy is described it is so like to ours that when Dr. Bastwick and others wrote against the Italian Bishops ours take it as spoken of them Hear Bishop Jewl Serm. on Mat. 9. 37. 38 But the labourers are few I say not there are but few Cardinals few Bishops few Priests that should be preachers few Archbishops few Chancellors few Deans few Prebendaries few Vicars few Parish priests few Monks few Fryers For the number of these is almost infinite And p 198. And what shall I speak of Bishops Their cloven Mitre signifieth perfect knowledge of the old and new Testament Their Crosiar staff signifieth diligence in attending the flock of Christ Their purple boots and sandals signifie that they should ever be booted and ready to go abroad through thick and thin to teach the Gospel But alas in what kind of things do they bear themselves as Bishops These mystical titles and shews are not enough to fetch in the Lords harvest They are garments more meet for Players than for good labourers whatsoever apparel they have on unless they will fall to work Christ will not know them for Labourers Pag. 144. The Christians in old time when they lived under Tyrants and were daily put to most shameful deaths and were hated and despised of all the world yet never lacked Ministers to instruct them It is therefore most lamentable that Christians living under a Christian Prince in the peace and liberty of the Gospel should lack Learned Ministers to teach them and instruct them in the word of God This is the greatest plague that God doth send on any people To which I add on the by that if any say we would labour if the Bishops would give us leave Though the charge against them thus intimated is grievous and it were better for that man that offendeth one of Christs little ones much more that hindereth multitudes from their duty in seeking mens salvation that a Mill-stone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the depths of the Sea yet that this will not excuse men from the preaching of the Gospel to the utmost of their power see Bishop Bilson himself Asserting viz. that silenced Ministers should not therefore give over preaching in his Christian subject XI Yea read but Caesars description of the Heathen Druides and tell us whether their Character agree not better with the Prelacy which hath prevailed in the Churches these seven hundred years at least than Christs Character in the Scripture save onely that it is Christianty which they profess Caesar Comment lib. 6. p. 72 In omni Gallia c. In all France there are two sorts of men in some number and honour for the common people are accounted almost but as servants which of themselves dare do nothing nor are used in any consultations most of then being pressed with debts or the greatness of tributes or the injuries of the more powerful do give themselves in servitude to the nobles who have all that power over them as Lords over their servants And of these two sorts one are Druides the other Knights The former are interested in Divine affaires they procure publick and private sacrifices they interpret Religions To these flock abundance of young men for discipline and they are with them in great honour For they determine of almost all controversies private and publick And if any crime be committed if murder be done if there be any controversies of inheritanc or bounds these men determine them and do award rewards and punishments If any private person or the people stand not to their award or decree they forbid them the sacrifices This is with them the most grievous punishment Those that are thus interdicted are accounted in the number of the ungodly and wicked All men depart from them and fly from their presence and their speech lest they get any hurt by the contagion nor is any Right or Law afforded them when they seek it nor any honour done them And over all these Druides there is one in chief who hath the highest authority among them When he is dead if any one of the rest excel in worthiness he succeedeth But if there be many equal he is chosen by the suff age of the Druides And sometimes they contend for the principality by Arms. At a certain time of the year in the borders of the Carnuli Chartres which is counted the middle of all France they have a Consess or Convocation in a consecrated place Hither come all that have controversies from all parts and obey their judgments and decrees It is thought that this Discipline was found in Brittain and there translated into France And now they that more diligently would know that business for the most part go thither to learn it The Druides use not to go to the Wars nor do they pay tribute with
Socrat. l. 7. c. 44. Joh. 5. 22. Gen. 3. 15. Joh. 17. 2. Mat. 28. 18 19. Eph. 1. 21 22. * The London Ministers Thanksgiving to the King is to be seen in Print As also their desire of B. Usher's Primitive Model of Government * Now 18 years this being written 9 years ago Whitgift â—aâ—avia Vid. p. 104. 110 111. 120 121. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Bilson Hooker answered as far as our cause requireth Remember also that Hooker's third Book is written to prove that no one Form is commanded in Scripture Therefore not the Prelatical How little doth this agree with Dr. Hammond ☞ And yet must I sweat never to consent to any alteration Bishop Downame Answered He fell after under the frowns of Bishop Laud himself his Book of perseverance being prohibited * Ambrose in Eph. 4. Aug. qu. in vet N. Test q. 101. Cypr. l. 3. ep 17. Concil Carth. Graec. c. 43. Carth. 2. c. 4. Conc. Arausic c. â— * The Prelates pretence for innovation All the cause is laid on Magistrates †Doth a publick Church Pastor govern but privately what meaneth he by that which can be good sence A private man may rule privately that is by Counsell Judicium publicum is the Officers judgment †In my Treat of the true way of Concord I have also disproved the Instances of Rome and Alexandria Bish Hall Petavius Bish Andrews B. Usher †Lib. 3. c. 30. de Doctrin Christian which Augustine seemeth to approve The Dispute at the Isle of Wight John Forbes Grotius ☞ Be it known to posterity that if the Prelates would have granted us but so much liberty our distracted Churches might have had Concord J. D. c. M. Ant. de Dom. Spalatensis †Yea never into one Parish of ten or twenty ☞ ☜ Dr. Hammond answered The Annotations * Quemad modum hodiâ— ab aliquâ—t seculâ—s Antioch in a sides Patr. noâ— est in ea uâ—be unâ—â— nomen habet sed in Meredin ad ripaâ—n Châ—bar in finibus Mesopotainae Jos Scaliger Animad in Euseb pag. 211. Yet I confess that he that converteth many caeteris paribus is fittest to be chosen for their Pastor on which account Greg. Nazianz. was chosen at Constantinople for the Success of his Ministry against Arianism And in my Church-History I have told you of a Council that decreed that if a Bishop neglected to turn any of his City from heresie he that converted them should have them for his flock which sheweth that there might on just cause be then more Bishops and Churches than one in a City and that they were not necessarily measured by the compass of ground but Churches might be mixt among each other as to habitation on such occasions â—â—â—â— Chrysostom de sâ—cerdotio cap. 17 p. 57 Even about so small a part of a Bishops or Pastors charge as the care of Virgins saith But if any one say that there is no need of a Bishop to meddle with such things as these Let him know that upon him will fall all the cares of Virgins duty and so all the accusation which shall be cast on Virgins And therefore it is much better if he administring the business himself he shall be void of those causes which he must susteine by others offences thus leaving that administration to live in fear of giving account or being judged for the sins which others do commit Adde also that he that performeth this office by himself transacteth all with great facility But he that is necessitated to do it by the vicarious labour of others besides that it is a great business to him to perswade all mens minds well to performe the work certainly he himself hath not so much remission of his labour by abstaining from that office as he must sustaine business and troubles from them that resist and strive against his judgment and opinion And if so great a Bishop as the Patriarks of Constantinople must not do so small a part of his work per alios alas what a life do our Diocesans live â—â—at Christ Mat. 18. in his â—â—â—l the Church â—â—anâ—th â—â—ll the congregation assembly or multitude and not only â—â— tell an absent Diâ—â—â—san Bishop when â—erâ—aps â—ne â—â—â—â—â—â— 20 4â— 6â—â—â—les to tell him see Grotius himself in his Aâ—â—t on the Text and his â—â—â—â—ort of sertullian and others See also Eâ—â—â—mus on the place And many others say the same though some would have the Church to be only the Bishop or as others the Presbytery Ruâ—herfords contrary reason is but a fallacy viz. The same Church that must be heard must be told but it is not the Congregation but the Elders that must be heard Ergo c. Ans The Church consising of the Pastor and people must be told and they have all ears that without confuson can hear at once but they cannot without confusion all speak at once therefore one must speak for all For this argument would equally prove that it is not any Presbytery or Court or many Ministers that should be told if it be but one that is to speak to the â—inner And it is not necessary that theâ— all speak to him As the chief Judge speaketh for all the Bench and the Prosecutor for all the Synod and yet the Court or Synod may be complained to so is it hear The samâ— man â—ay see with two eyes and hear with two ears and yet speak but with one tongue yet this reason once deceived me Seeing then that Christ instituted thus much of discipline in each particular Church it is clear that by his iâ—stitution every particular Church associated for presential Communion should have one or more â—â—â—tors authorized for so much discipline which is that which we plead for * Disput of Church Gover 2. That unjust excommunications bind not see the judgment of the most approved casuists in Bapt. Fragoso de Regim Reipub. p. 1. l. 1. pag. 112. Col. 2. Gregor Sayrus To. 2. l. 1. c. 17. num 2. 5. 8. c. And indeed they conclude that out of the case of scandal Magistrates Laws unjust materially that is to the Common hurt or that are against common good bind not in Conscience ut Id. Fragoso ib. p. 112. n. 234. 336. Wâ—â— citeth the consent of Silvest Tabien Bald. Bartol Hostiens Doctorum Communiter So that Mr. John Humfrey is not singular in his resolution of this Case though I gave him many cautions and limitations in the Letter part of which he hath printed in the end of his book 2 Cor. 5. 19. Act. 26. 18. Mat. 28. 20. * Hierome saith he dyed in the eighth year of Nero. aid â—oi Scaliger Anim. in Euseb Dorothaeun resutantem pag. 195. 1. Petavius 2. Bishop Downame 3. Master Mede 4. Bilson 5. Grotius 6. Bishop Jeremy Tailor 7. Doctor Hammond 8. All the Divines in the same Cause Cyprian in the Separation of Feliciss and sive Presbyters Epist 44. ed. Goul pag. 93. saith Deus unus
of the first rank afore-described must govern it statedly as present by himself and not absent by others Chap. 12. The just opening and understanding of the true nature of the Pastoral Office and Church Government would end these Controversies about Prelacy Chap. 13. That there is no need of such as our Diocesâ—nes for the Unity or the Government of the particular Ministers nor for the silencing of the unworthy Chap. 14. The true original of the warrantable sort of Episcopacy in particular Churches was the notorious disparity of abilities in the Pastors And tho original of that tyrannical Prelacy into which it did degenerate was the worldly Spirit in the Pastors and people which with the World came by prosperity into the Church Quaere Whether the thing cease not when the Reason of it ceaseth PART II. Chap. 1. THe clearing of the State of the Question Chap. 2. The first Argument against the aforedescribed Diocesanes that their form quantum in se destroyeth the particular Church form of Gods institution and setteth up a humane form in its stead Chap. 3. That the Primitive Episcopal Churches of the Holy Ghosts Institution were but such Congregations as I before described Proved by Scripture Chap. 4. The same proved by the Concessions of the most learned Defenders of Prelacy Chap. 5. The same proved by the full Testimony of Antiquity Chap. 6. The same further confirmed by the Ancients Chap. 7. More proof of the aforesaid Ancient Church limits from the Ancient Customs Chap. 8. That the Diocesanes cause the Error of the Separatists who avoid our Churches as false in their Constitution and would disable us to confute them Chap. 9. The second Argument from the deposition of the Primitive species of Bishops and the erecting of a humane inconsiâ—tent species in their stead A specifi k difference proved Chap. 10. Whether any form of Church Government be instituted by God as necessary or all be left to humane prudence and choice Chap. 11. Argument third from the destruction of the Order of Presbyters of divine Institution and the invention of a new Order of half Sub-presbyters in their stead Chap. 12. That God instituted such Presbyters as had the foresaid power of the Keyes in doctrine worship and discipline and no other proved by the Scriptures Chap. 13. The same confirmed by the Ancients Chap. 14. And by the Confessions of the greatest and learnedest Prelatists Chap. 15. Whether this Government belonging to the Presbyters be in foro Ecclesiastico exteriore or only in foro Conscientiae vel interiore Chap. 16. That the English Diocesane Government doth change this Office of a Presbyter of God's institution quantum in se into another of humane invention The difference opened Twenty instances of taking away the Presbyters power from them Chap. 17. That the great change of Government hitherto described the making of a new species of Churches Bishops and Presbyters and deposing the old was sinfully done and not according to the intent of the Apostles Chap. 18. Argument fourth from the impossibility of their performance of the Episcopal Office in a Diocesane Church And the certain exclusion and destruction of the perticular Church Government while one man only will undertake a work too great for many hundreds when their work is further opened in perticulars Chap 19. The same impossibility proved by experience 1. Of the ancient Church 2. Of the Foreign Churches 3. Of the Church of England 4. Of our selves Chap. 20. Objections against Parish discipline answered The need of it proved Chap. 21. The Magistrates sword 1. Is neither the strength of Church discipline 2. Nor will serve instead of it 3. Nor should be too much used to second and enforce it The mischeifs of enforcing men to Sacramental Communion opened in twenty instances Chap. 22. An Answer to the Objections 1. No Bishop no King 2. Of the Rebellions and Seditions of them that have been against Bishops Chah 23. Certain brief consectaries Chap. 24. Some Testinonies of Prelatists themselves of the late state of the Church of England its Bishops and Clergy lest we be thought to wrong them in our description of them and their fruits Chap. 25. The Ordination lately exercised by the Presbyters in England when the Bishops were put down by the Parliament is valid and Re ordination not to be required jure divino as supposing it null A TREATISE OF EPISCOPACY Confuting by SCRIPTURE REASON And the CHURCHES TESTIMONY That sort of Diocesan Churches Prelacy and Government which casteth out the Primitive Church-species Episcopacy Ministry and Discipline and confoundeth the Christian world by Corruption Usurpation Schismes and Persecution Meditated 1640 when the c. Oath was imposed Written 1671 and cast by Published 1680 by the Call of Mr. H. Dodwel and the Importunity of our Superiors who demand the Reasons of our Nonconformity The designe of this book is not to weaken the Church of England its Government Riches Honour or Unity But to strengthen and secure it 1. By the concord of all true Protestants who can never unite in the present Impositions 2. And by the necessary reformation of Parish-Churches and those abuses which else will in all ages keep up a succession of Nonconformists As an Account why we dare not Covenant by Oath or Subscription never to endeavour any amending alteration of the Church Government by lawful meanes as Subjects nor make our selves the justifying vouchers for all the unknown persons in the Kingdom who vowed and swore it that none of them are obliged to such lawful endeavour by their vow By RICHARD BAXTER a Catholick Christian for love concord and peace of all true Christians and obedience to all lawful commands of Rulers but made called and used as a Nonconformist London Printed for Nevil Simmons at the three Cocks at the West end of Saint Pauls and Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Armes in Ludgate-street MDCLXXXI These Books following are printed for and sold by Nevil Simmons at the three Golden Cocks at the west end of St. Pauls A Christian Directory or sum of practical Theology and cases of Conscience directing Christians how to use their Knowledge and Faith how to improve all helps and meanes and to performe all duties how to overcome temptations and to escape or mortifie every sin in four parts 1. Christian Ethicks or private Duties 2. Christian Oeconomicks or Family Duties 3. Christian Ecclesiasticks or Church Duties 4. Christian Politicks or Duties to Our selves and Neighbours in Folio Catholick Theology Plain Pure Peaceable for Pacification in three Books 1. Pacifying Principles c. 2. Pacifying Praxis c. 3. Pacifying Disputations c. in Folio The Life of Faith in three Parts The first Sermon preached before his Majesty c. The Second Instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith The third directions how to live by faith or how to exercise it in all occasions in Quarto Naked Popery or the naked Falshood of a book called the Catholick naked Truth
or the Puritan convert to Apostolical Christianity written by W. H. opening their fundamental errours of unwritten tradition and their unjust description of the Puritan the Prelatical Protestant and the Papist and their differences c. To which is added an examination of Roman Tradition as it is urged as infallible c. In answer to a book called A rational discourse of Transubstantiation in Quarto A Key for Catholicks to open the Jugling of the Jesuits and satisfie all that are but truely willing to understand whether the cause of the Roman or reformed Churches be of God and to leave the readerutterly unexcusable that will after this be a Papist in Octavo A Treatise of Justifying Righteousness in two books in Octavo There are lately published of this Authors these two Books following and sold by Thomas Simmons at the Princes Armes in Ludgate-street CHurch-History of the Government of Bishops and their Councils Abbreviated Including the chief part of the Government of Christian Princes and Popes and a true account of the most troubling Controversies and Heresies till the Reformation Written for the use especially of them I. Who are ignorant or misinformed of the state of the Antient Churches II. Who cannot read many and great Volumes III. Who think that the Universal Church must have one Visible Soveraign Personal or Collective Pope or General Councils IV. Who would know whether Patriarchs Diocesans and their Councils have been or must be the cure of Heresies and Schismes V. Who would know the truth about the great Heresies which have divided the Christian World especially the Donatists Novatians Arrians Macedonians Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites c. By Richard Baxter a Hater of False History A Moral Prognostication I. What shall befal the Churches on Earth till their Concord by the Restitution of their Primitive Purity Simplicity and Charity II. How that Restitution is like to be made if ever and what shall befal them thenceforth unto the End in that Golden Age of LOVE Written by Richard Baxter when by the Kings Commission we in vain treated for Concord 1661. And now published not to instruct the Proud that scorn to learn nor to make them Wise who will not be made Wise But to Instruct the Sons of Love and Peace in their Duties and Expectations And to tell Posterity That the Things which befall them were Fore-told And that the Evil might have been prevented and Blessed Peace on Earth attained if Men had been but willing and had not shut their Eyes and hardened their Hearts against the Beams of Light and Love THE English Diocesan AND PRIESTHOOD TRYED c. CHAP. I. The Reasons of this Writing I Am not ignorant how displeasing it will be to the Prelates that I publish these Reasons of my Nonconformity to the Subscriptions and Oaths by which they would have me become an obliged Approver of their Function Nor am I ignorant what Power Wit and Will they have to express and exercise their displeasure And consequently how probable it is that I shall suffer by them for this work And I well know that peaceable subjects should not unnecessarily say any thing against that which is required by their Rulers Laws nor cherish the Peoples discontents but do all that is lawful for the common Peace And I am not of so pugnacious or self-hating a disposition as to be willing of mens displeasure especially my Superiours or to be ruined in this World and all that I may but vent my Opinion in a case wherein I have published already so much that is still unanswered as in my Disputations of Church-Government is to be seen And upon such Reasons but above all that I might not cast away my opportunity for some more useful writings nor put an end to my own labours before God put an end to them I have been silent in this Cause since our publick debates in 1661 above ten years I have lived peaceably I have endeavoured to preserve the due reputation of the publick Ministry and to perswade all others to due subjection love and quietness I have by Word and Writing opposed the Principles of such as are exasperated by their sufferings into the Dividing and Separating extream Though I knew that by so doing I was like to incur the displeasur and bâ—tter cenâ—â—â—e of the Separatists as much as I had before of the Prelates though not to suffer so much by them And I thought that the Prelates themselves who would not understand the true state of the People nor the tendency of their way by our informations and evident Reasons might yet come in time to know all by experience and so to amend what they have done amiss But now I dare be no longer silent for the Reasons given Apol. ch 1. which I will â—tay the Râ—â—der bâ—ieâ—y to sum up 1. I find that experience it self doth not Teach some men but Harden them 2. I perceive that those that are now convinced by experience and wish they had taken another course and rather have united the Ministry than silenced them are not able to undo what they have done nor to amend what is done amiss much less to retrieve all the doleful consequents but the matter is gone out of their hands and beyond their power 3. I see that while we wait the Devil's work goeth on by the silence and by the Divisions of the Ministers Popery greatly increaseth Quakers multiply Atheism and Infidelity go baâ—e faced among those that are accounted men of reputation Malice and bitter hatred of each other with common backbitings censurings and slanders instead of sweet Love and Concord do notoriously encrease Thousands are every day committing these sins to the increase of their guilt and the hastening of Gods judgments on the Land The sufferers call the Prelates persecuters and wolves in sheeps cloathings who are known by their fruits their teeth and â—laws The Prelatists still say that the Nonconformists are unreasonable discontented peevish factious unpeaceable unruly schismaticks that will rather see all confounded than they will yield to things indifferent And shall we still stand by and silently see this work go on 4. And to love and defend Truth Honesty and Innocency is to be like to God It is pity that those that Christ hath done so much to justifie and will so gloriously justifie at the last should have nothing said on their behalf by men But we are much more obliged to justifie a righteous cause than righteous men For all men have somewhat that is unjustifiable but so hath not the truth of God 5. And he that in his Baptismal Covenant is engaged against the Flesh the World and the Devil should be loath to see all their work go on and not oppose it and to see that which he taketh to be no better than deliberate Lying or Justifying sin and Perjury it self and covenanting never to obey God in lawful and necessary Church-reformation to be all called Things indifferent 6. Nature and Scripture teach us to