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B02463 A modest apology occasioned by the importunity of the Bishop of Derrie, who presseth for an answer to a query, stated by himself, in his second admonition: concerning joyning in the publick worship established by law. In answer to the query, the pondering of some weighty exceptions is first desired: and then such a resolution is given to the query, as the word of God, and thereby the safety of our consciences will allow. / By a minister of the gospel, at the desire of some Presbyterian dissenters. Craghead, Robert.; King, William, 1650-1729. 1696 (1696) Wing C6794; ESTC R171586 54,814 122

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●eing he was to Ordain Elders in the plural num●er in every City and by the Scripture these El●ers are Bishops then mo Bishops then one was ● be in every City which is contrare to the Epis●opal Constitution 4. If it be said that Titus ●as Archbishop or Metropolitan Answ This ●cketh nothing but Proof which no where can ●e had For the primitive Gospel-Church knew ●o such thing as either a Diocesan Bishop Arch●ishop or Metropolitan long after the Death of ●imothy and Titus there being no certain Rule ●or modeling of Diocesses until the Reign of Con●antine the Great at which time the Church did ●ollow the Civil Government as to Diocesses this ●ishop Stilling-fleet maketh out in his Irenic page ●76 377. 5. There is nothing to be found in ●e Scriptures to countenance this Assertion that ●itus was Archbishop of Crete all that can be said is ●at he was sent to Crete upon a piece of special ser●ice for the Church which made him no more Bi●op there then when he staid some time in other ●laces Aquinas run into the same Mistake as ●o Dalmatia for because Titus went to Dalmatia ●herefore he calls him the Bishop of Dalmatia 6. ●f it be said that the least that Bishops can Gain from Titus being left to Ordain Elders is that ●shops have sole Power of Ordination seing T● alone ordained Answ This is but to beg● Question for we deny that Titus was a Bish● let that first be proved And 2. That he orda●ed as a Bishop And 3. That he ordained alo● For his ordaining of Elders makes him no Bisho● no more then the Apostle Pauls ordaining ma● him a Bishop they ordained as Extraordina● Officers in the Church making way for Bisho● or Pastors and though Titus was invested wi● extraordinary Power above any Bishop or Pasto● yet that it self will not prove that he ordained s● paratim without Presbyters Because he was Ordain Elders in the same manner that was the ●stablished Way of the Church in conjunction wi● Presbyters as the Apostle Paul did lay his han● on Timothy conjunctim with the Presbytry th● is joyntly with a Presbytry Object 2. The Epistles to the seven Church of Asia are directed to the Bishops of these Chu●ches because each of them is directed to one si●gle Person called the Angel of the Church Answ That these Epistles are directed to t● Bishops of these Churches in the Scripture se● we easily acknowledge but then no advanta● to the Episcopal Cause is gained For if these A●gels be Bishops and Bishops the same with Pr●byters then ye are just where you were not li● ●d one step higher than a preaching Presbyter or ●ospel-Pastor 2. Whereas the Angel is spoken unto in the sin●lar number you have no advantage by this either ●r you shall find one and the same Angel spoken ● in the plural number As to the Angel of the ●hurch of Smyrna Rev. 2. 10 The Devil shal cast ●me of you into Prison the Speech is directed un● the Angel yet the plural number is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ●ew that it 's not one single Person only that is de●ted by the Name of Angel so also to the Angel ●f the Church of Thyatira but unto you I say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●ere the Angel is expresly spoken unto in the plu●l number So that any Argument from the ●ame Angel utterly faileth you For though an ●gel be named in the singular number yet that by ●e Name Angel is understood a collective Body ● Ministers is evident otherwise let any Man ●nder a Reason why the Angel is spoken to in the ●ural number as mo than one And hereby we ●ve solid ground to think that the Angel is spo●n to in the plural number purposly to obviat or ●rrect the Misapprehensions of any who would ●ink that a Bishop over Presbyters is understood ● the Word Angel Object 3 But the Government of the Church ● Bishops having Authority Jurisdiction over ●esbyters is so Antient that we cannot judge it ● any lower Derivation then from the Apostles albeit we have it not by express Scripture Answ 1. If you have such a Government the Church by due consequence from any Scriptu● of the New Testament We are ready to ye● Subjection albeit ye cannot Prove it by expr● Scriptures ye shall not be so hard put to it ● for you only to Affirm and Assert it Apostoli● without any Proof cannot convince Mens Judg●ments and satisfie their Conscience in a matter so great Importance Your selves being Judge if you have Proof for it make it appear Bish● Laud and some other Bishops with him said o● publickly if Prelacy were not the Apostolick G●vernment they would forth with throw away th● Rotchets But they kept them as long as th● could and the Proof went no further upon whi● Mr. Pryne did challenge them for breach of P●mise VVhy do ye not stop all our Mouths ●proving your Assertion and so satisfie a great B●dy of Protestants at Home and Abroad Who gi● Reasons from Scripture contrare to your Asser●on And to say it must be Apostolick because its Antiquity is little less then to say we will ha● it from them whither they will or not their D●ctrine and Practice refuse and yet it must be ●torted from them 2. We have made it appear already that the ●postles did prescribe another Form of Governmen● be managed by the Ministers of the Gospel in ● ●ty of Ministerial Power and how to impose u●on our own Reason and Belief that by some in●isible Prescription they have contradicted all ●is were hard measure should we or can we ●ject what they have Recorded by Inspiration of ●e Holy Ghost and betake our selves to some fan●ed Tradition Could this be a safe Way for our ●onsciences Or could we Answer to GOD for ● Your selves being Judges 3. If the Antiquity of Prelacy be at last its only ●ea and strongest Defence Cyprian will soon An●er for us that Antiquity without Verity is but mouldy ●rror and as Sir Francis Bacon termed it a Cypher ●ithout a Figure 2. If this Plea should hold Good then there ● a Door opened for the most Antient Errors ●herewith the Church was infested even in the A●ostles times and such as soon after endangered ●e renting of her Bowels 3. And however Antient Prelacy be found yet may and doth suffice us that it hath no Institution ● the Gospel-Church by Christ or his Apostles ●nd therefore can claim no better than Humane Appointment for which Appointment no Commis●n was granted to the Church Object All that is Alledged by you against E●iscopacy is but your own late Sentiments For ●e Antient Fathers who understood the State of ●e Primitive Church better than you do generally bear Testimony that Bishops have been in all Ag● of the Gospel-Church Answ We are of the same mind with Aug●stin who being urged with the Authority of ●prian answered That what he spoke according to ● Scriptures he would
a little nearer the propo●d Query being required to give it a positive ●esolution And as hitherto so GOD willing in ●hat remains nothing shall be said in Heat or ●itterness but with that Temper and Modera●on which becometh Christians sensible of the ●o by our continued Rent and Divisions only ● the Matters of GOD it 's not in our Power to ●me and go at pleasure But that nothing may ●e wanting on our part for convincing and if ●ossible satisfying all concerned We shall ad●yn these Considerations following First Concerning fixed Communion with the Parish Ch●ches Secondly Concerning occasional Comm●nion And Lastly When these of our Perswa●on want Ministers of their own For the First We humbly Assert that in t● Communion whereof we are Members our Mi●sters are Elected and Ordained according to Sc●pture-Patern VVe have the VVord and Sac●ments administred in their native Simplicity a● Purity according to the Rule of the Gospel A● therefore have no Reason to Desert our own a● Joyn in another Communion wherein so ma● Administrations are exceptionable as hath be● already instructed And be not offended if ● Assert farther the Way of our Worship to be n● only more agreeable to the Scripture but also bear a greater Semblance to the primitive Chur● in Her purest Ages though Antiquity be oft● pretended as the strength of your Cause It w● the Advice of a Great Man of your own Perswa●on that you should not go too far back lest you be fo● pecking toward the Scots Presbytery 2. Seing GOD in his great Mercy hath b●stowed on us his Ministers and Ordinances in p●rity without the mixture of humane Inventio● and hath by his good Hand upon us ever since t● Reformation kept us in the Possession of th● his great Benefits though not always alike ●berty for publick Administrations we should ● ●e cannot now resile from that degree of Refor●ation which GOD hath mercifully brought us ●nto without sinfull Defection on our Part but ●ratefully retain what we have attained unto not ●aring to take the Guilt upon us of deserting pure Ordinances and Joyn with others unless you can ●onvince us that our Exceptions are Groundless ●r give sufficient Reason for such Conviction ●hich We are alwayes ready to Hear But bare ●aying they are Groundless cannot convince us ● it be said that neither your Church-Communi●n nor ours is fully Perfect it shall be readily gran●ed yet we are commanded to hold fast that which ● Good and to stand fast in the Liberty where●ith Christ hath make us free and not be in●ngled again with the Yoke of Bondage 3. If there were nothing in Difference between ●e two Communions but things Indifferent which ●ight be done or not done without Sin then we Confess there were no Cause to keep up separate ●ssemblies but one should be made of both But ● is not a Matter of indifferency what Govern●ent of the Church a Christian is obliged to own ●nd subject to by the Laws of Christ nor can it ●e a Matter indifferent what Worship a Man ren●reth to GOD whether commanded or not ●any Ignorant People are deluded by telling them ●here is nothing between you and us but a few ●armless indifferent Ceremonies that no man should make a Scruple of And thereby impressing th● with an uncharitable Opinion of Dissenters ● Men straining at Gnats But are not so just as ● tell them that Dissenters neither think nor o● them Indifferent but Sinfull and Prove them ● be so being obtruded on GOD as Worship wit●out His Command 4. There is no just Cause to Censure our ● Joyning in publick Worship Communion w● you For ye have cast us out of your Communi● by the Canons of the Church you Adhere to ● appeareth by Can. 10th and Can. 11th whe● it 's said such as maintain other Meetings then ● allowed by the Laws of the Land and call themselv● true Churches are to be Excommunicated but so it ● that we freely Confess frequent Meetings not a●proved by the Laws of Men though in no Co●tempt of the Laws but judged our Selves bou● rather to Obey GOD than Men and to hold ● publick Worship to GOD for his Glory and o● own Edification So far as we were not imped● by our Persecuters And for our being true Chu●ches we do also Assert it being Members of t● true Catholick Church adhering to Christ t● Head his Word and Ordinances And as ● are particular Churches of Pastors and Peop● assembling together for the Worship of GO● are integrating parts of the whole and Canon ●● we are actually Rejected because it 's said such ● affirm the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Engl. ●ay not with good Conscience be used and subscribed un● are Excommunicated ipso facto this is hard mea●re for hereby we are Excommunicated before ●e be heard and without any Reason to convince ●s that it 's a wicked Errour to Deny the Use or ●ubscription to these Rites and Ceremonies But ●hus we stand Excommunicated and shall not accor●ing to the Canon be restored untill we Repent Publickly and Revoke such wicked Errours Though we cannot be convinced that it is an Er●our yet we shall not be restored except we come ● as Penitentiares which is no great Encou●agement that suffering Penance must be the first ●tep of our Conformity if you keep by your ●ules And how come ye to Invite or Quarrel ●s for not Joyning in your Communion seing you ●nnot receive us before we publickly Repent ●nd we in the mean while declare our selves not ●uilty so that we can neither Repent Privately ●or Publickly for denying the Use or Subscrip●ion to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church 5. It 's a great Discouragement to be of your Communion that your Ministers enter not their Charge by the Election and Call of the People being ●heir Priviledge by Scripture-Patern to chuse Church-Officers as Acts 6. The which Priviledge ●as allowed and continued for several Centuries ●n the Primitive Times Cyprian presseth it with great Vigour and as we heard from him alread● that a Bishop or Pastor was to be Elected in t● sight of the People and by the Suffrages of t● whole Fraternity It 's thought unreasonable t●● a Man should be constrained to trust the Health ● his Body to a Physician of whom he has no kno●ledge whether he be either Skilfull or Faithfu● when he may have others of whose Judgment an● Fidelity he approveth How much less should M● be forced to trust the Charge of their Souls ● Men whom they know not approve not nor ev● consented unto or desired to be their Minister● Yet they must take him who is Appointed wh●ther they will or not or want if it were to the● Lives end they shall have no Liberty to Elect ●nother If any Object that People may erre in their ●lection It 's soon answered that so may one M●erre in his peremptory Determinations as well Hundreds or Thousands many of whom may b● judicious Christians Rationally
was the Will of GOD that such an Officer as a ●shop over Presbyters should be in the House ● GOD that they might obey him in the LOR● 3. The Apostle in the following Words give● Warning that after his Departure grievous Wolv● shall enter in among them not sparing the Flock a● verse 30. of their own selves shall Men arise spea●ing perverse things to draw away Disciples after the● Yet for all this Danger he giveth no Direction set up a Bishop over other Ministers for pres●ving the Flock nor any Intimation that it w● the Will of GOD to provide such a Remedy a●terwards But requireth the Pastors to Watch a● commendeth them to GOD and the Word of h● Grace which was able to Build them up whe● by we may see they are remitted to the word for D●rection in what concerneth his Church and n● to invent without the Word a Remedy of the● own devising 4. From the same Scripture ● are also instructed that the instituted Pastors ● the Church are to feed and take heed unto all ● Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath ma● them Overseers And therefore Gospel-Ministe● are to have no greater Charge than such as th● may perform all the Duties belonging to a Pasto● to all the Flock And if any Minister assum● greater Charge than he can perform these Du● unto then it is not that Charge that the Holy Gh● hath committed to him If it be said that the Bishop feedeth the Flock ● his Substituts such as he is pleased to appoint Answ But quo jure by what Right or Autho●ty can he substitute another to do that which he ●th assumed for his own Work and personal Per●rmance it was a doubt that the learned Sir Fran● Bacon said he could never be resolved of how a Man that had a Trust committed to him for his per●nal Faithfulness could delegate that Trust to another ●d if a Bishop say he never engaged to Feed so ●any then it may be justly replyed he was never ●astor to so many Why then should he presume ●e Title and Name of their Pastor When he ●●weth it simply impossible for him to Teach ●d Feed them or the twentieth part of them ac●rding to the Duty of a Pastor It 's also to be observed that as by this and ma● other Texts the Ministers of the Gospel have ●ual Pastoral Authority de jure so we find in the ●riptures that de facto they are placed in Possessi● of this Ministerial-Power and exercise it with ●vine Approbation For Presbyters ordain Mi●sters as 1 Tim. 4. 14. and are therein approved ● the Apostle Timothy being charged not to ne●ct the Gift he had thereby received 2. A Com●nity of Presbyters exert their Power in Church ●scipline and are required by the Apostle so to ● 1 Cor. 5. 4. and 5. verses This Sentence was ●icted by many not by one assuming the sole Power of Jurisdiction to himself which is c●sonant to our Saviours Doctrine Matth. 18. 1● who requireth the offended Brother to tell ● Church not a single Person if Christ had co●mitted the Power of Discipline to One than ● Complaint of the offended Brother should h● been to that One for to whom should he Co●plain but to such as had Power to do him Justi● and remove the Offence But we see Christ's ●pointment is not to make Application to One ● to the Church Therefore it 's no Institution Christ that authoritative Church-Power be lo●ed in one Person So also we find that Presbyters are Constitu● Members of that famous Juridical Synod at Je●salem Acts 15. the Apostles and Elders came to ●ther to consider the Matter in which Assem● there is not one found to Over-rule the Rest ● assuming a negative Voice Though some pres● had more just Authority in the Church than ● now on Earth can pretend to yet all had f● liberty to speak their Judgement and all car● by Suffrages and that which was concluded pl●ed the Apostles and Elders and is published in ● Name of the Apostles and Elders whereby it's parent that in the Apostles time Presbyters ● in the actual exercise of Church-Government ●therwise the Decrees of the Synod had never ● published in their Name We shall not at pr● multiply Arguments but let these three be duely ●nsidered 1. That the Office of a Prelate can●t be found in the Roll of Church-Officers 2. ●rists Discharging his Ministers to be one of ●em Greater than another And 3. The Di●e Institution of parity among Ministers Object Timothy and Titus are called Bishops in ● Bibles therefore Bishops are by Divine Insti●tion Answ All Gospel Pastors are Bishops accor●g to the Word of GOD and therefore tho' ●ey were Bishops which cannot be granted ●t the Episcopal Cause gaineth nothing because ●shops above Presbyters are never found in our ●bles 2. These Postscripts to the 2d Epistle to Ti●thy and the Epistle to Titus are not Canonick ●ripture but added several Ages after the Canon Scripture was closed and after the Church be●n to degenerat which is irrefragably evinced Mr Pryn in his Unbishoping of Timothy and ●us and is acknowledged both by Papists and ●ers that the most antient Copies have no such ●stscripts and therefore our Bibles have these ●stscripts still at some distance from the rest of ●se Epistles But the Difference is not altoge●er so observable now as formerly when these ●stscripts were purposely Printed in very smal ●aracters to make the Difference discernable by all who read them 3 Timothy is expresly ●led an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4. 5. and therefore co● not be a Bishop neither in Scripture sence a● Pastor to a particular Flock whom he might p●sonally oversee nor in the Prelatical sence as a ●ocesan Bishop because an Evangelist was no●●mited to any particular bounds as hath been cle●ed already And to say that Timothy was Bish● of Ephesus is against reason for Timothy was p●sent with the Apostle Paul when he commit● the Charge of the Flock to the Presbyters in co●mon but no mention of Timothy as their Bishop● whom the Charge had chiefly belonged if he h● been the only Bishop of Ephesus As for Titus he was employed in the like G●pel-Service from one place to another as Tim● was But it 's said Tit. 15. That he was left in Cret● ordain Elders in every City therefore he had Epis●pal Jurisdiction Answ 1. Timothy and Titus were both ex●ordinary Officers in the Church as appears ● their constant Travels from place to place th● Work being to erect Churches and plant Bish● or Presbyters in these Churches but not to Bishops of them themselves their Power be● greater than ordinary Bishops or Pastors as is ● served by Chrysostom on Eph. 4 that their Work ● to plant Churches and Bishops or Elders to be thei●●dinary Pastors 2. Seing Titus was to ordain El●ers in every City of Crete then where was his own ●iocess For it cannot be supposed that he did ●rdain himself Bishop of one of these Cities 3.
obtaining peace to her self 2. Tho' this be the strongest Effort and most ●lausible Argument that the Episcopal Cause can ●aim Yet when pondered in the Ballance of the ●anctuary it 's found light because first Christ did ●re know all the Trials Temptations and Events ●at should befall his Church yet he saw it not fit ● prescribe any such Remedy who is faithfull in ●l his House the Government is upon his Shoul●rs and the House is his own if any Man ac●se him for omitting so necessary a Mean as is ●retended for the good of his Church let him ●onsider how he will give an account when he is ●dged by the same Lord of his House for his ●re and faithfulness hath fully appeared already ● setting so many Officers in his House as he ●ought necessary And therefore if an Oecume●k Council were assembled more full than ever yet appeared in the Christian World they cou● not jure set another Officer in the House of Go● to Command and bear Rule over these Office● whom Christ hath entrusted to Feed his Floc● though Dr. Stilling fleet now Bishop once scepti● as to any particular Form of Church-Gover●ment hath taken much pains in his Irenic to pe●swade the World that it 's left to Humane Pr●dence whither the Church be Governed by B●shops over Presbyters or by Ministers in pari● of Power And strenuously opposeth the Divi● Right of Prelacy yet since he ascended and fi●ed in that Orb himself tempora mutantur nos m●tamur in illis Presbyters are now so contemptib● in his Eye that if his new Labours and Argumen● can prevail they shall not so much as be tollera●ed to Labour in their Masters Vineyard Aureus heu fragilem confregit malleus urna● That his Book is so answered that many dou● his Confidence to give it a Reply but leaving hi● from whom better things were expected 3. Consider that if Bishops be set over Presb●ters for Preservation of Unity in the Church th● some new Order must be set over these Bishops f● they may fall out by the Way as well as other B●thren as they often do and these who are set ●ver them may likeways fall into Divisions for i● rare to see Promotion make Men more Lowly a● Meek Archbishops and Metropolitans ha● been scandalously divided by their own Pride to ●e height of Excommunicating one another ●nd when all these fail so that Unity is not obtain●d whether shall Men go next if not to a principi●m unitatis caput Eclesiae to whom all must sub●ect And thus it was indeed that the Pope ascen●ed his Throne and as many have observed and ●e Groaning Church under that Tyrranny yet ●ndeth the Remedy proved worse than the Dis●ase this manner of Cure to elevate some Mini●ers above the Station that Christ had placed ●em in and Robbing other Ministers of their ●e Right Could never have good Fruit nor ●d ever Men ground to expect GODS blessing ●on such an unwarrantable and audacious Pre●mption Object Presbyters do voluntarly Elect and set ● Bishops to have Authority and Jurisdiction o●er themselves and therefore though they be now ●eprived of Jurisdiction they have no Cause to ●omplain for violenti non fit injuria blame themsves Ans 1. If Presbyters chused and made Bishops ●er themselves as we grant is said to be done at ●exandria then Presbyters had all that Power ● Jurisdiction at first intrinsecally in themselves ●r they could not give that to others which was ●t their own and this of it self is yeelding the ●use when it is acknowledged that Presbyters had the Original Ministerial-Power by CHRIS● Commission 2. It was not in the Power of Presbyters to ●lienate that Power which Christ had conferred ●pon them for id possumus quod Jure possum● Christ having bestowed upon them full Pasto● Authority by what Warrant could they give t● away to another or any part of it For it was g●en to be exerted by themselves in their Person Service according to their Masters Directions their Master had thought fit to lodge that Po● in the Hands of others he would have bestow it himself but never left it to their Option to S● or Give away his Gifts and so disable themsel● for the Trust and Service he committed to th● besides that it is inaccountable Ungratitude ● Contempt of their Master to throw away ● Commission and let others Dispose of it as t● please And whoever have done so we are thereby obliged to the like Practice 3. If this be the deed of Conveyance whereby ●shops over Presbyters have obtain'd a Right ● Title to sole Jurisdiction in the Church then t● cannot say they have this Right and Title f● Christ It 's a Gift of the Presbyters but not a ● of Christ And a very dishonest Gift Dishono●ble both to the Giver and Receiver Yet there are many Reasons to perswade the inadvertent succumbing of some Presby● ●ve great Occasion for the rising of Prelacy pau●tim by Degrees For first Some Ministers being seated in Places of Emi●ncy in the World specially Great Cities in con●rmity to the Civil Government and Jurisdiction ● these Places the Ministers of these Places had ●o early some Titles of Honour not common to ● other Ministers 2. And if they were eminent ●r Abilities and Prudence or of long standing in ●e Ministry When other Ministers and they ●d meet together for the Affairs of the Church ●mmonly such Men were Chosen to preside for ●e orderly Management of their Judicatories as ●olocutors or Moderators Which cannot be ●nting without Confusion yet he who did Pre●e had no power of Jurisdiction over the rest it re●aining in their Power to choose another for that ●rvice as they should see it expedient But 3. his sometimes falling into the hands of ambiti●s Men made interest not only for their conuance but for their farther Promotion usurp● upon other Ministers who were more meanly ●ated untill they had wrested Power out of their ●ands and did appropriate all Jurisdiction to ●emselves the other Ministers sinfully succum●ng under this Usurpation untill there was no ●trieving of what they had Lost Our 2d Exception is your Liturgy which after ●rious Perusal we cannot approve not that we are against a general Directory for decent Order Gospel-Administrations that each part of W●ship have its due place This we acknowledge be necessary And therefore all the Reform● Churches have provided themselves with su● Directories But that which we cannot comp● with is such a Form of Divine Service or Worsh● as is Composed by a few and peremptorily i●posed on others so as that Form of Worship s● be used and no other Our Reasons are First no Liturgy or stinted Form of Worsh● was either Composed Used or Imposed by t● Apostles or any Gospel-Ministers in the first ●ges of the Church If any Affirm there were su● Forms it 's their part to make them appear whi● hath never yet been done but by a manifest F●gery of the Apostle James