us the Britains rejected them and the Scots would not eat or converse with them The Abassine Empire was never under them nor those of India and Persia And the Councils in which they had the first seat were but of one Empire as is after proved And as for the first three hundred years under Pagan Emperours their own Writers confess the Church of Rome was little set by that is it had no governing power over the rest nor is there any pretence to think they had The first that talk'd very high was Leo the first who called himself the Head of the Catholick Church But by Catholick was then meant usually the Churches in the Empire only and by Head he meant the prime Bishop in order but not the Governour of all Nor was his claim if he meant any more approved by the Churches in that Age. Though the Council of Chalcedon highly applauded him and his Epistle as an advantage to carry their Cause against Dioscorus who had excommunicated the Pope and took him for the prime member of their Council yet they thought meet in their Canons to declare that it was but by humane mutable right in the Roman Empire Let them shew us if they can when and where the universal Church on Earth ever subjected themselves at all to the Pope Much less can they bring any pretense of it for the first three hundred yeas Had they any Meeting in which they agreed for it Did they all receive Laws Ordination or Officers from Rome or from its Emissaries If we were so foolish as to believe that his precedence in General Councils was a proof of the Popes Monarchy yet it 's easie to prove 1. That for 300 years there was no General Council 2. And that it was not the Pope that presided at Nice 3. And that those Councils were but Imperial and not truly Universal But if all the Church ever had been subject to the Pope as being at first except Abassia almost confined to the Roman Empire it doth not follow that it will ever be so again when it is dispersed into so many Kingdoms of the World The Jesuites at first were all under the King of Spain and the Mahometans at first all under one Prince but they are not so now Is it likely that ever all Christian Mahometan and Heathen Kings will suffer all their Christian Subjects to be under the Government of a Foreign Priest But their own Writers agree that the Apostles at first were dispersed into many Countreys besides the Roman Empire and that Ethiopia was converted by the Eunuch mentioned Acts 8. initially its like before Rome and fullyer by St. Matthew And you may see in Godignus Alvarez Damianus a Goez and others full evidence that they were never Subjects to the Pope of Rome I conclude then 1. That Rome is not owned this day as the head of Unity by all Christians 2. That it never was so taken for the Governing and Uniting Head 3. And that the reason of the thing fully proveth that it never will be so I may adde that indeed it is not known among themselves who are the consenting Subjects of the Pope or Members of their Church It is indeed Invisible or a Church not knowable For 1. They are not agreed nor ever like to be what is the essential qualification of a Member of the Church Or what that Faith is that must make a Member Some say it must be the Belief of all the Creed explicitely others of some few Articles others that no more is necessary ad esse than to believe explicitly that God is and that he is a Rewarder of good works and to believe that the Church is to be believed Of which see Fr. a Sanct. Clara in his Deus Natura Gratia 2. And their forcing men into their Church with Tortures Fire and Sword leaveth it utterly uncertain who are Consenters and who are in the Church as Prisoners to save Limbs and Life And if they ever recover England Scotland Ireland Germany and the other Reformed Churches it must be by the Sword and Warrs and Violence and never by force of Argument And if they should conquer us all which is their hope and trust it will not follow that men are of their minds because they cannot or dare not contradict them no more than because they are dead Experience Reason and Scripture then do fully prove to men that are willing to know the truth that the Universality of Christians will never be united to the Roman Papacy Yea that this Papacy is the greatest of all Schisms 1. By setting up a false Head of Union and 2. By cutting off or renouncing three parts of the Christian World even all Christians except the Subjects of the Pope CHAP. V. The Vniversal Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any other humane Form of Church-Government Sect. I. WHether or how far such Forms may consist with Union is a Question that I am not now debating any further than shall be anon intimated by the way But that they will never become the Bond of Union or be received by all and that to make any such thought Necessary to universal Unity is Schism I am easily able to prove Sect. II. And this needeth no other proofs than what are given against uniting in the Papacy in the former Chapter As 1. Patriarchs and other humane Institutions being not of God but Man the whole Church can never unite in them 1. Because they will never all agree that any men have true Authority given them by God to make new Church-Officers and Forms that shall be necessary to the Unity or Concord of the Church Universal 2. They will never agree who those men are that God hath given such power to if they did suspect that such there are A Prince hath no Power out of his Dominions 3. They will never agree that if man made such Forms or Offices they may not unmake them again if they see cause or that their Acts bind all their Posterity never to rescind or change them 4. They will never find that all the Christian World ever agreed herein and so in all Posterity is obliged by their Ancestors 5. Much less will any ever prove that the Institution was Divine Sect. III. If any say that the Apostles settled this Form by the Spirit the Universal Church will never believe it For 1. No Scripture saith so 2. No true credible History saith so 3. If the Apostles settled Patriarchs it was either as their own Successors or as a new Office And it was either by joynt consent or man by man each one apart But 1. Had they settled them as their Successours they would have settled twelve or thirteen But there were but five settled at all besides some new petty Patriarchs as at Aquileia when they cast off Rome 2. No Writer tells us of any meeting of the Apostles to agree of such a Form 3. No nor that ever they settled them 4. History assureth
down Sect. XI 3. They turn all the Parish-Churches into Chappels or meer parts of one Church and Unchurch them all in the judgment of those that take a Bishop to be essential to a Church And all will not agree to Unchurch all such Parishes Sect. XII 4. It maketh true Discipline as impossible as is the Government of so many score oâ— hundred Schools by one Schoolmaster or Hospitals by one Physician without any other Schoolmaster or Physician under him but Ushers and Apothecaries which all Christians will not agree to Sect. XIII 5. It is contrary to the Practice of the Primitive Churches and casteth out their sort oâ— Parochial Bishops as I have elsewhere fully proved 1. From the Testimonies of many such as that oâ— Ignatius before cited 2. From the custom of choosing Bishops by all the People 3. And of managing Discipline before all the Church 4. By the custom mentioned by Tertulliâ—â— and Justin Martyr of receiving the Sacrament onely from the hand of the Bishop or when he Consecrated it 5. By the custom of the Bishops onely Preaching except in case of his special appointment 6. In every Church the Bishop sate on a high Seat with the Presbyters about him 7. The Bishop onely pronounced the Blessing 8. Many Canons after when the Churches grew greater command all the People to be present and communicate with the Bishop on the great Festivals These and many more Evidences prove That in the Primitive Times the Bishops had but single Churches and every Altar and Church had a Bishop Sect. XIV 6. The very Species of the old Churches is thus overthrown and the old office of Presbyters therewith which was to be assistant Governors with the Bishop and not meer Preachers or Readers And all these Changes all Christians will not agree to Sect. XV. 7. Especially the sad History of Councils and Prelacy will deter them from such Concord when they find that their Aspiring Ambition and Contention hath been the grand Cause of Schisms and Rebellions and kept the Church in confusion and brought it to the lamentable state in East and West that it is in Sect. XVI 8. And constant Experience will be the greatest hinderance As in our own Age many good Men that had favourable thoughts of Diocesans are quite turned from them since they saw Two thousand faithful Ministers silenced by them and that it is the work of too many of them to cast out such and set up such as I am not willing to describe And such Experience After-Ages are like to have which will produce the same effects When Experience persuadeth Men That under the name of Bishops they are Troublers Persecutors and Destroyers they will account them Wolves and not agree to take them for their Shepherds It will be said That Good Bishops are not such It 's true and that there are Good Ones no sober Man doubteth But when 1300 years Experience hath told Men That the Good Ones are few in comparison of the Bad Ones ever since they had large Dominions and Jurisdictions And when Reason tells Men That the worst and most worldly Men will be the most diligent seekers of such Power and Wealth and that he that seeketh them is liker to find them than he that doth not and so that Bad men are still likest to be Diâ—cesans And when the divided scattered persecuted Flocks find that the work of such Men is to silence the most conscionable Ministers and to be Thorns and Thistâ—es to the People though they wear Sheeps cloathing Men will judge of theâ— by their fruits and the Churches will never be united in them Sect. XVII 9. The greatest Defenders of Episcopacy say so much to make Men against them as will hinder this from being an uniting course I wiâ—l instance now but in Petavius and Doctor Hamâ—â—d who followeth him and Scolus who saith 〈…〉 Clara led them the way These hold That the Apâ—stâ—â—s setled a Bishop without any subject sort of Presbyters in every City and single Congregational Church And Doctor Hammond Annot. in Act. 11. Dissertat adversus Blondel saith That it cannot be proved that there were any subject Presbyters in Scripture-times but that the word Presbyter every where in Scripture signifieth a Bishop And if so 1. Men will know that the Apostolical Form was for every Congregational Church to have a Bishop of its own 2. That no Bishop had more setled Congregations than one For no such Congregation could worship God and celebrate the Sacrament of Communion as then they constantly did without a Minister And one Bishop could be but in one place at once and so without Curates could have but one Assembly 3. And Men will be inquisitive By what Authority Subject Presbyters and Diocesan Bishops and Churches were introduced after Scripture-times in which they will never receive universal satisfaction If it be said that the Apostles gave Bishops Power to make a subject order of Presbyters and to turn Parish or Congregational Churches into Diocesan and so to alter the first Forms of Government when they were dead this will not be received without proofs which never will be given to satisfie all Nay it will seem utterly improbable and Men will ask 1. Why did not the Apostles do it themselves if they would have it done Was not their Authority more unquestionable than theirs that should come after If it be said that there were not qualified Men enow it will 2. Be asked Were there not like to be then greatest Choice upon the extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit 3. Do we not find in Corinth so many inspired gifted persons in one Assembly that Paul was put to limit them in their Prophecying yet allowing many to do it one by one And Acts 13. there were many Prophets and Teachers in Antioch And at Jerusalem more and at Ephesus Acts 20. and at Philippi Phil. 1. 1 2. there were many Bishops or Elders And such Deacons as Stephen and Philip c. would have served for Elders rather than to have none 4. Doth not this imply that after-times that might make so great a change may also do the like in other things 5. And that Diocesans and subject Presbyters be but humane Institutions and therefore Men may again change them 6. Doth it not dishonour the Apostles to say that they setled one Form of Government for their own Age which should so quickly be changed by their Followers into another species All these things and much more will hinder Universal Concord in Diocesans Sect. XIX Yet I must add that there is great difference between Diocesans both as to their Government and their Persons whence some Churches may comfortably live in Concord under them though 〈◊〉 be divided and afflicted under them 1. Some Diocesans have Diocesses so small that Discipline is there a possible thing Others as ours in England have some above a thousand some many hundred or score Parishes which maketh true Discipâ—â—â— impossible 2. Some Diocesans exercise
party that is in power In Japan and China and Heathen Lands they can copiously declaim against the mischiefs of tolerating Christianity The Papists think tormenting Inquisitions and burning Christians and murdering thousands and hundreds of thousands better than to tolerate Protestants The Lutherans cry down the toleration of Calvinists What need I name more As the Papists say that every Sect pleadeth the Scripture so we may say that every powerful party be their cause never so false cry out against tolerating others though in the truth § 6. And doubtless Concord even in perfection is so desirable that it 's easie for a man to set forth the beauty and excellency of it And discord is so bad that it 's easie to declaim against it But for him that Causeth it to do it is self-condemnation And for him that falsly describeth the cause and justifieth the Schismatick and accuseth the innocent to write Books and preach Sermons against Schism and Toleration is but delusion tending to their own shame and others deceit and ruine § 7. And he never was a good Musician Builder Watch-maker nor good at any Art or Science that thought all diversity was discord He that would with zeal and learning write a Book to prove that a Lute or Organs must not be tolerated if each string and key be not of the same sound or that all the parts in a Clock Watch Building c. must be of the same shape and magnitude or all men of one language or complexion c. would scarce get so much credit as most of our Hereticaters do when they call for fire and faggot and Jaylors as more meet and able confuters of error than themselves § 8. The men on whom they cry for vengeance either are really religious or not If not it 's a marvel that they are not of the accusers mind being supposed to follow the upper side It 's possible that some advantage may turn a man that hath no religion out of the Kings high-way into some Sectarian cottage especially in some storms But it 's very rarely that Gain goeth not for Godliness and the way of reputation ease and profit for religion with such as indeed have none at all But if they are seriously religious they take it as from the Law of the Almighty the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to whom all men are less than the vilest worms to us and they take it to be that which they lay their salvation and everlasting hopes on believing that God will bear them out and if they dye for it will reward them with the crown of Glory They believe that they shall be damned in Hell for ever if they break Gods Law and obey man against him And in this case it should not be hard to reasonable men especially Bishops and Teachers to know what means and measures are meetest to be used with such men and when he that must suffer hath flesh that is as unwilling to suffer as other mens it should be considered how far Satan useth the flesh for his interest and how far the Pastors of the Church should take part with it when as St. Paul saith He that doubeth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith § 9. There is no heed to be taken by mens crying out against error or schism to discern who is the erroneous or Schismatick None more cry out against them than the guilty Who condemneth error and schism more than the Papists and who are greater causes and authors of them than the Pope As our common prophane rabble are so great hypocrites that they live quite contrary to their Baptismal Vow and the Religion which they nominally profess and yet commonly crâ—â—ut against hypocrisie and call all men hypocrites that seem to be serious in living as they vowed and profess even so the greatest Schismaticks and Hereticks partly in blindness and partly to avert both men and conscience from accusing themselves do usually first cry down Schismaticks and Hereticks and perhaps preach and write most vehemently against them I take a man to be never the more Orthodox Catholick or of the true Church for crying up the true Church Catholicism and Orthodoxness and crying down the contrary and accusing others § 10. I have long observed with the best judgement I have that usually those Divines that write most for Peace and Reconciliation of hot contenders are men of clearer judgement than others and usually see further into the cause than either of the fierce contending parties Though the Turks in policy give some liberty to Christians as a necessary preservation of their Empire and the Socinians have much pleaded for peace and concord partly by necessity for themselves and partly from common light of reason yet among real Reformed Christians the greatest judgement is found in the greatest Pacificators such as Le Blank Amyrald Phaceus Camero Lud. Crocius Bergius Martinius Calixtus Dallaeus Blondel Vsher Davenant Hall Morton Chillingworth and such others Darkness doth best fit the Spirit of contention § 11. There is nothing in humane actions that is free from inconveniences especially actions of publick consequence And the collecting and aggravating of such inconveniences and making tragical exclamations thereupon without looking to the mischiefs that men imagine must be the remedy or seeing the evils on the other side is the common practice of these Church-Mountebanks How easie is it to say If we be not all of one Religion it will cherish contention bring Ministers into contempt scandalize the weak harden the enemies raise factions shake the peace of Kingdoms and more such like How easie is it to say If men be tolerated to break the Laws and gather Conventicles souls will be poysoned error propagated Christianity disgraced c. When in the mean time 1. Their course tendeth not at all to make men of one Religion 2. Nay they plead for that which is the great divider where do fire and banishment or prisons cause true faith or make men think that their persecutors are in the right Is there any thing in the nature of the thing so to perswade men nay what more inclineth men to think that other mens opinions are false than to feel that their practice is hurtful All will say Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles By their fruit they may be known If it be forcing some to dissemble and destroying the rest that they mean by making men of one religion thus saith Tertullian did the Heathen persecutors Solitudinem faciunt pacem vocant But 1. This will not do France Ireland Belgia and Queen Mary in England cryed it in vain God will still have some that shall be seriously religious and shall fear him more than man and not sell their souls to save their bodies If you have no hope of making men to be of one Religion but by making them to be of no Religion as all are that fear not God more than man your hopes are vain
voluntarily came or were duly brought 2. And if men will stay without or keep their Children out they wrong themselves and theirs but this breaketh no unity of the Christian Church § 8. There have been also factious persons that tye the validity of Baptism to their sects such as were specially the Donatists supposing that their Prelates had the truest call and power and that all others were Sectaries or Hereticks and therefore their baptism null and void and to be iterated But though in other arrogancies some follow them to this day yet few if any in the nulling of baptism § 9. But a greater and longer stir there hath been about Creeds and professions required as Tests to excuse men from heresie But yet it is to be noted that few of them by these altered the form of baptism but there took up with the ancient Creed the Apostles and the Nicene or Constantinopolitane and required no more but only imposed the rest on Bishops Priests or other afterwards § 10. And is there now any cause of discord here 1. All Christians have been made such by baptism from the Apostles dayes till now Is there any thing in the world that ever came down to us by more certain uniform consenting tradition The very same words of baptism which Christ did institute are every where used to this day And if all ages and Countreys have still baptized persons as believers or Christians and yet be not agreed what Christianity is or what the faith is that baptism requireth it will be a strange incredible shame to them But even Hierome and Hillary that cry out of their new Creeds do tell us that in Baptism the old one was still used to which they did appeal And though the Greeks and Latines differ about their filióque and some small new clauses are found in the Creed that were not in the old Copies which are now found on Record they are not so factious or vain as to nullifie Baptism by any of those differences For the Creed is but part of the Exposition of Baptism and Baptism is true Baptism if no other Creed or words were used but it self 2. And there are few Christians yet that will refuse any of the truly ancient Creeds of which more anon § 11. 3. It is true that there are some humane ceremonies which some Churches adjoin to Baptism and by others are rejected or omitted The most of the ancient Churches used the tasting of milk and honey the wearing of a white garment and Chrisme and now some use the transient Image of the Cross as a symbol of our engagement to a Crucified Christ which others omit as taking it to be so far participant of the nature of a Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace as that it is an usurpation of Christs prerogative for any men without his institution to appoint But yet all these Churches that differ in these Ceremonies agree that the validity of Baptism dependeth not on them Whether they be used or omitted the person is nevertheless baptized § 12. Qu. But what is it that is necessary to the being and validity of baptism Answ This was partly answered before 1. It is necessary to the validity of it in foro Ecclesiae that both the baptizer and the adult baptized or the person that is authorized to Covenant for the infant do Profess to intend real Baptism and not to do it in jeast or to other ends And it is necessary to its efficacy to pardon and salvation that this profession of the Baptized be sincere and that he do it from the heart And it is necessary to free the baptizer from Gods displeasure that his intention be sincere 2. It is necessary that the words of Baptism be such as express all the Essence of it such as are those of Christ which all Christians use I Baptize thee in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And that no contradictory words which nullifie these be added 3. It is necessary to the validity of it in the judgement of the Church that the adult person and the Parent or pro-parent for the Infant do seem or profess to understand all the words of Baptism so far as is essential to it For ignorantis non est consensus 4. It is necessary to the validity of it to real pardon and salvation that he not only seem to understand it but really do so 5. It is accordingly necessary that the person consent to all the essence of the Covenant that is seem and profess to do it to the Church and really do it to satisfie God and obtain pardon and life by it 6. It is not absolutely necessary to the validity that the Creed or any other profession be used by the baptized besides the words themselves I believe in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and give up my self to him in this Baptismal Covenant Because understanding and consent may be expressed by those words 7. But it is usually necessary to the bene esse or the best performance of baptism that the adult person or the Parent of Infants do in larger words profess his understanding belief and consent to baptism And it is best that these words be not too many nor too few and that they be for the most part one unchanged form Lest ignorance or heresie deprave baptism by change and variety of words 8. To this end the Churches of Christ have still used the Creed as the summary form of Profession of faith As the Lords Prayer is a summary form of our Desires and the Decalogue of our rule and profession of practice But because Assent is supposed to imply Consent to the particulars Assented to though but Generally professed therefore the Church hath more rarely omitted the Creed in the profession of Assent when yet they have accepted of a more General profession of Consent to the Covenant and promise of obedience 9. But if the adult do before-hand as a Catechumen learn the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue and give the Pastor a satisfactory account of his competent understanding of them then that may be supposed and only a General profession of faith consent and subjection be used at the time and in the words of baptism And so much of the constitutive causes of baptism § 13. II. Though no more than Baptism be essentially Necessary because so great a work should be well done and ignorance and errour are very common it is meet that the Church require an understanding Assent to the common Articles of the Creed and an understanding Consent to the Lords Prayer and Decalogue and in general to all that he understandeth to be Gods Word Belief and sincere Obedience And therefore that the adult person and Parent of the Infant be one that hath before been Catechized or examined herein § 14. Though I consent to Ger. Vossius and others that there is no proof at all that the twelve Apostles made the twelve Articles of the
I am loth to cite them § 32. X. The next lamentable Schism and Cursing arose from the Decree of the Constantinopolitan Council de tribus capitulis The Cursing one another for owning or not owning the Council of Chalcedon still continuing and Learned Theodoret with Theodore of Mopsuest and Ibas having been formerly by Dioscorus Ephesine Council condemned and deposed as Nestorian hereticks and the Council of Chalcedon having restored them upon their just subscriptions a crafty Eutychian perswaded the Emperour that he might reconcile all the Eutychians to the Council of Chalcedon if he would but condemn some ill words in the writings of these three Bishops which the Emperour called a General Council together presently to do The one half the Bishops absent thought this was a condemning in part of the Chalcedon Council And Vigilius Bishop of Rome being then at Constantinople refused to subscribe and after excommunicated Menna the Patriarch The Emperour caused him to be dragg'd through the streets by a rope to reconcile him The flames of the Church were by this Council much increased and by condemning three dead mens writings the living were more engaged in a doleful war At last Pope Vigilius consented to the Council whereupon a great part even of the Western Churches and Italy separated from and renounced the Pope and chose them another Patriarch at Aquileia to be their chief Church-Ruler in his stead And this continued about an hundred years till Sergius reconciled them so far was the universal Church even then from taking the Pope or Church of Rome for the Head or any essential part of the Church-Universal And all this was about the Exposition of some doubtful words in three mens writings And can any sober man now think that the right or wrong Exposition of every mans or those three mens writings was a thing that salvation lyeth on or that these are the terms of Christianity and Church-membership § 33. It would be but matter of shame and sorrow to go on and add the later and more shameful instances of Anathematizing especially about Images several Emperours and Councils hereticating each other What an Engine the Pope and Prelates made Cursing men from Christ to get dominion over Emperours and Kings to subdue Kingdoms and to turn Love and peace into wrath and wars and bloodshed and pernicious divisions To recite their damning of Loyalty under the name of the Henrician heresie their damning all that about Transubstantiation renounced not the belief of all their senses and rational perception of sensate things and that renounced not also the belief of all the sound mens senses in the world and consequently the belief of God as he is the God of Nature making his revelation to our understandings by our senses making it necessary to salvation to take God for the deceiver of the senses or apprehensions by sensation of all the world How they have decreed the burning or exterminating of all others that do not thus believe Transubstantiation and deposing temporal Lords that will not exterminate them and absolving their Subjects from their Oaths and Allegiance and giving their dominions to others Did I but recite to you how ridiculously they hereticated Gilbert Porretane and some other learned men and how such exposed the Councils of Bishops to scorn by detecting their ignorance by some questions which they could not answer should I tell you what work their long and numerous Schisms and two or three Popes at once made for the great Councils of Constance and Basil and also what work those Councils made themselves it might melt the heart of a lover of Christianity into grief and tears § 34. I conclude this that the hereticating and Cursing men for doubtful words or want of skill in aptness of expressions yea or for errours which consist with saving faith in Christ is so far from being a means of the Churches good that it hath been the grand engine of Satan to exercise Tyranny excite hatred and Schism and Rebellions and do most lamentable mischiefs in the world and therefore carefully to be avoided § 35. II. And what I have said of words I may partly say of actions Anathematizing men for doubtful actions or for such faults as consist with true Christianity and continued subjection to Jesus Christ is a sinful Church-dividing means § 36. More particularly I shall shew after in the third part of this book that it is not all the same things that make a man uncapable of present Communion in this or that single or particular Church or in a compound Church Diocesane Metropolitane Provincial or National or Imperial which make him uncapable of continuing in the Universal Church Much less doth every continued disobedience to a Bishops or Councils Canons or Commands make him Excommunicable from the Church Universal § 37. But most abominable was it in the Roman Popes and Prelates to shut up all Churches interdict whole Kingdoms and excommunicate the innocent people because a King displeased them or denyed them subjection or obedience And as old Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln in his Epistle to Pope Innocent IV. recorded by Matth. Paris truly tells them It is the work of Satan and next Antichristianity one of the greatest sins in all the world thus to silence Christs Ministers and hinder the preaching of the Word of God and the exercise of his publick Worship Which it concerneth all unjust Silencers to consider § 38. But yet somewhat more tyrannical and abominable is it for one man the Bishop of Rome to damn all the Church of Christ on earth that will not be his Subjects as the Vicar-General of Christ and own his Usurpation and so to cut off and damn the far greatest part of the Christian world But the best is procul à Jove procul à fulmine the remote Churches feel it not and do but deride it and to the nearer parts his thunderbolt doth not kill all so many nor kindle so many fagots as once it did nor is any one ever the more condemned by God for such Papal condemnations § 39. But when I speak of particular Church-Communion I shall shew that there is some lawful suspension called by some the Minor excommunication which cuts not a man off from Communion with any Church much less from the universal or from Christ § 40. Not approving of or practising a doubtful or indifferent humane form of Liturgy or ceremony or circumstance or mode is no just cause of cutting off a man from the Universal Church Because notwithstanding that he may be a true Christian and a member of Christ and his Church and therefore must not falsly be declared to be none § 41. Not taking this or that man to be ones Bishop or Pastor who is obtruded yea or justly set over that Church nor yet particular acts of disobedience to him meerly as such are no good proofs that a man is no true Christian or member of Christ and his Church and therefore are no just cause
Presbyters chose the Bishop and the Bishop and people consenting chose the Presbyters III. The Magistrate was judge whom he would countenance or tolerate But Gods Law was the Rule which all these were to observe in judging § †But all men are corrupt and some more than others And they like those best that are likest themselves or at least most agreeable to their interest and desires This chain hath been long broken sometimes the Bishop of Rome hath claimed the choice of Bishops and given the Bishops the choice of the Presbyters sometime he hath given the people the choice of their Bishops but claimed to himself the power of investing and instituting them Sometime Emperours and Kings have used this investing power leaving still the people to choose In England now the King really chooseth all Bishops commending them to the Dean and Chapter pro formâ And the Bishop only chooseth whom he will ordain a Minister in specie And one called the Patron chooseth who shall be the Parish Priest and the Bishop must institute and induct him but according to the Law and the choosing and consenting liberty is wholly taken from the people § 5. 1. How the Popes formerly chose and yet choose where it is in their power I need not tell them that know history and the world nor yet what Presbyters such Bishops chose nor is it any wonder that such choosers served their own interest nor that the chosen serve it 2. How Princes and Patrons and Prelates have chosen history tells us And Christ who saith How hard it is for the Rich to enter into the Kingdom of heaven teacheth us to expect that ordinarily Rich men should not be the best to speak softly And the Rich will rule and will choose according to their interests and their appetites 3. And when the people had their choice in some places they chose hereticks or ignorant men In other places they chose vitious men In most places they followed the Court or Great men whenever they interposed and too often divided from each other by disagreement or caused tumults in the choice And then what wonder if the sacred office was corrupted to the doleful detriment and danger of the Churches when the choosers were but such as these § 6. The things necessary to the sacred Ministry Bishops or Presbyters are I. Either to the Being II. Or to the Well-being III. Or to the Exercise § 7. I. To the Being are Necessary I. A true efficient cause II. The true constitutive causes III. A due Terminus or End § 8. I. The true efficient cause here is necessary to the effect it being the Fundamentum of the Relation And this is 1. Primary or Principal which is Jesus Christ the Lord Redeemer and the Churches King and Head 2. Instrumental and that is The Law of Christ which is as a Charter to the Church first telling the Choosers and receiver what to do and then Giving the Power and Imposing the Obligation on the person chosen consenting and ordained § 9. II. The necessary Constitutive Causes are I. Matter or the subject II. The necessary Disposition of that Matter III. The form as in Physical beings it is so so Relations have somewhat answerable § 10. I. The Subject or Matter is A Man II. The necessary Disposition is 1. That it be a Male and not a Woman 2. That he have the use of Reason or natural wit and speech 3. That he be a Christian 4. That he have necessary abilities for the essentials of the office-work And those are 1. The understanding at least of the Essentials of Religion and Ministry 2. A Will to perform the work of the Ministry 3. Ability of utterance to do it and all the necessary executive power § 11. III. The Form of the Office is 1. In general AUTHORITY and OBLIGATION conjunct 2. In special Authority to perform the Office-work and obligation to perform it Which work is 1. To be a Teacher under Christ the chief Teacher 2. To be a Priest or Intercessor to guide the Church in worship and speak in their name and on their behalf to God and intercede for them and as from God to administer his Seals or Sacraments 3. To Rule the Church and particular Believers in things spiritual not by force or sword but by opening and directive applying Gods Word and exercising the Church Keyes as Judges who is to be received or cast out loosed or bound according to the Word of God The Form consisteth of these parts § 12. III. The End or Terminus of the Sacred Office that is of the Authority and Obligation is 1. Proximately the Work to be done 2. the necessary objects of that work 1. Particular persons 1. Infidels and ungodly men to be converted 2. Christians and godly men to be edified 2. Societies 1. The Churchâ—Universal to be increased and edified 2. Particular Churches to be taught and guided and led in worship and discipline 3. The necessary effects here named to be intended All that I have named and no more is necessary to the Being § 13. About all these there are divers errours brought in by the arrogance and ignorance of men which hinder the concord and peace of Christians And I. About the Efficient Cause Too many falsly perswade the world that the ORDAINERS are the efficient Causes of the Power or Office yea that their Intention can alter the species instituted by Christ in the conveyance of it to this or that person As if when Christ and his Apostles have described the office in its parts and commanded that a Bishop or Presbyter be chosen and ordained to such particular work and ends an Ordainer might now give him half this power without the rest And when he maketh Bishops or Presbyters they shall have no more power than the Ordainer was willing or intended or did particularly express Than which nothing is more false For it is Gods Law that is the specifier and donation and the Ordainer doth but ministerially invest and deliver possession of what the Law gave and commanded him to deliver The Kings Law or Charter giveth power to the Citizens to choose a Major and describeth all his power and work and ordereth the Recorder to Swear him and deliver him the insignia Here now 1. The Electors do but determine of the person to receive the power but do not at all give it 2. The King by his Charter as the instrument giveth it It results hence as every Jus à titulo seu fundamento juris 3. The Recorder only Ministerially delivereth possession by investiture Now if the Recorder or Choosers shall say We choose you or deliver you power as Major according to the Kings Charter but you shall have but so much less than the Charter giveth this diminution is a nullity For they have no power to choose another kind of Major than that described in the Charter nor to make his power more or less but he may exercise what the Charter
as that they forfeit their Toleration § 47. Those are to be accounted Intolerable who do more hurt than good and whose silencing and suppression will do more good than harm All men are faulty and do some harm And few are so bad as to do no good But that which prevaileth must prevail in the judgement of the Magistrate And yet when the suppression of a hurtful person will do by accident much more hurt to the Church or Commonwealth than the doth as it may fall out he is not to be so hurtfully suppressed § 48. Those therefore are intolerable in the Ministry 1. who through ignorance or disability are utterly insufficient for the necessary acts of the office and so will marr and disgrace the work appointed them and make Religious exercises scorned 2. Those that are hereticks in a strict sense that is that deny any Article of faith or practice necessary to Salvation or preach that which plainly overthroweth it 3. Those that are against or utterly corrupt any necessary part of Church-order or of the publick worship of God so as that God accepteth not worship so corrupted or that it tendethto more hurt than good to the assembly 4. those that will not profess the Essentials of Christianity Ministry and Church Communion 5. Those that live such scandalous and wicked lives as disgrace the Ministry and do more hurt than they do good 6. Those that will not promise and perform necessary diligence in the work of the Ministry which they undertake but idly neglect the flock 7. Those that by malignity and misapplication of truth turn their preaching or discourse to the reproach of serious godliness making people think that it is needless or hypocrisie 8. Those that will not promise and perform subjection to the supream Governours of the Kingdom or Republick 9. Those that will not forbear such reviling of Tolerable dissenters as tendeth plainly to destroy love and peace and to turn publick assemblies into stages of malignant strife 10. Those whose Religion or opinion is for burning destroying or exterminating either all dissenters or the innocent or tolerable while they call them Hereticks or that are for the subjecting of Kings or States or people to foreign Usurpers or for giving such a foreign Usurper power to excommunicate depose or murther Kings or temporal Lords and absolve their subjects from their Oaths of allegiance or force them to destroy or exterminate their innocent or tolerable subjects and that exempt the Clergy from subjection to Kings § 49. The Approved Tolerable and Intolerable thus distinguished and thus used by the Magistrate will best answer the ends and interest of Christianity and the Laws of Christ and will do as much to preserve Love Unity and peace as is on earth to be expected which all other contrary ways will unavoidably violate CHAP. IX Objections answered § 1. 1. SOme object against any restraint in Religion and the countenancing and preferring of one sort before others and say that the Magistrate should equally tolerate all or else he will discontent those that are but tolerated and much more those whom he useth as intolerable But this is so unchristian and unreasonable that I think it needless to say much against it Few men that believe there is a God and a life to come and that religion is mans duty and interest can believe that God hath appointed Government for no higher ends than our bodily peace and safety If men once believed what divers Popes have written that the office of the Priest excelleth the Kings as far as the soul excelleth the body and as the Sun excelleth the Stars it would cause religious people to set as light by Kings as they do by these worldly things which Kings have power over § 2. 2. Obj. But each party think themselves in the right and Kings and Parliaments are fallible and if they trouble those that are in the right they are persecutors if others yet they shall be accounted so Answ Being is before Thinking either the King is in the right or the sufferers If they are in the Right either their cause is evident and such as a willing diligent person may understand or not If it be clear the Prince is a persecutor that troubleth them If it be too hard for him he is unfit to be an active man against them for he cannot do it in faith and therefore sinneth and may be a persecutor for ought he knoweth If he or they be ignorant through wilfulness or negligence it will not excuse them If their cause seem clearly good to them and clearly bad to him one of them must needs be sinfully erroneous and it is the erring party that God is against who will be the final judge § 3. 3. Obj. But it is a thing that Princes and Statesmen are ignorant of they are not bred up in the study of Religion Bishops and Clergy-men are liker to understand such matters and it is their work Ans 1. God hath commanded that Kings and all Rulers study his word As Justices should know the Kings Laws the King and they should know Gods Laws It is as truly their office to Rule by them as it is the Ministers to Teach and Guide by them Government by the Sword and Church Government by the word and Keys are to be exercised according to the same Law of God and both have their use about causes Ecclesiastical in which we swear the King to be supreme as to that part which is to be done by the sword or corporal force 2. This objection long used by Popes and their Prelates hath been sufficiently confuted by themselves Church history putteth us quite past doubt that it went ill with the Church while the Clergy had all the power of Religion It hath been Popes and Prelates and Priests that have worse corrupted Religion and disgraced the Church and embroiled the world in religious quarrels and Schisms than ever Emperors and Kings have done Thirteen hundred years lamentable experience confuteth such thoughts as many have and as I have sometime been tempted to my self how well it would go with the Church if the disposal of all matters of Religion were rather in the hands of the Bishops and Clergy than of Kings and Parliaments Nay rarely are any Magistrates so hot for persecution and religious cruelty as the Bishops and Clergy or those that are stirr'd up by them against dissenters or one another The doleful devastations and Schisms about Nestorianism Eutychinnism and such like were caused more by the Bishops than the Magistrates And though Constantius and Valens did much against truth and peace it was by their Clergies instigation He that will consider the lives of Constantine M. Theodosius Senior and Theodosius Junior Aâ—astasius c. and of Charles Otho the Henries and others since in the West will see how much ado the Emperors had to keep the Prelates from Schisms and confusions And he that readeth but the Laws of the Spanish French
renounced by Ministers but to lie before the Church Rulers to tell them what to forbid Ministers to preach and moderately and wisely to rebuke or restrain the offenders as wisdome shall direct them according to the quality of the persons and the offence and their frequency obstinacy or impenitency in offending Not that every one should be ejected or silenced that holdeth or preacheth any one such errour but only those who consideratis considerandis are found to do more harm than good The Third Part OF SCHISM OR The False Dividing Terms and Means OF UNITY and PEACE CHAP. I. What Schism is and what are its Causes and Effects Sect. I. SCHISM or Divisions among Christians is by the Common Confession of all Christians a sin against God and a dishonour and hurt and danger to the Church but especially to the guilty But what it is and who are the guilty men are not so much agreed on Each Party laying it upon the other and one taking that for Damnable Schism which another taketh for his greatest Duty And while the guilty are no better known the Division is continued and few repent Sect. II. SCHISM or Division or Rents among Christians is considerable I. As to the Agents when it is by 1. Many 2. Few 1. The Pastors or Rulers 2. The People either 1. The Learned 2. The Ignorant II. The Terminus as it is dividing 1. In a Church and not from it 1. From their Government 1. Of one 2. Of More 1. Few 2. Many 1. Sound 2. Unsound 3. From the Universal Church 2. Communion 2. From a Church III. The Act As 1. In kind 2. In degree which both are either 1. Inward 1. Of Mind 1. Dividing Opinions 1. Of Doctrines 1. Of Faith 2. Practice 1. Worship 2. Conversation 2. Of Persons by consent 2. Ignorance of necessary means of Unity 2. Of will and passion 1. Wrath and uncharitableness 1. To things 2. Persons 2. Love to 1. Division 2. Dividers 2. Outward by 1. Words 1. Of Persons 1. Single 1. Rulers 2. People 2. Collective the Church 2. Things of 1. Doctrine 2. Practice 1. Towards God 2. Towards Men 2. Deeds 1. Separating 1. Morally by merit 2. Actually 2. Promoting Schism 1. Drawing Others 2. Resisting 1. Uniting Persons 2. Uniting Means Doctrine Acts IV. The Effects 1. On Christians 1. Single 1. The Dividers 2. Others viz. 1. Pastors 2. People 1. Weak 2. Strong 2. Collective 1. That Church 2. Other Churches 1. Church 2. State 3. Families 2. On those without 1. Unbelievers 2. Enemies All these things should here distinctly be considered A large Scheme of the Causes Nature and Effects of Schism and Contentions with the Remedies c. I have prefixed to my Book called Catholick Theology Sect. III. Of all the sins that men charge on one another there is none used by Accusers more partially and less regardably than the charge of Heresie and Schism the words usually signifying no more but that the accused differ in judgment from the accusers and are not so obedient to them in matters of Religion as they expect Insomuch that whoever can but get uppermost or get the major Vote doth usually make it his advantage to call himself Orthodox and Catholick and all Dissenters Hereticks and Schismaticks By which means Heresie and Schism are greatly promoted while many that else would hate and oppose them are tempted by this usage to take the words to be but proud mens reproach of the innocent Sect. IV. The full opening of all the parts of Schism will be a work so long as may tire the Reader I will therefore first give some notice of them transiently and briefly and then examine some things that are by others supposed to be the Causes and shew how uncapable divers means are of being terms of real Union and Concord which some men venditate as the only or necessary terms Sect. V. 1. A Schism made by Many is in some repects worse than by Few and in some not all so bad The sins of many hath more guilt than of one Their ill success is like to be greater Those will fall in with the multitude who would despise a singular tempter The Donatists prevailed in Africa by their number It seemeth by their Bishops in their Councils that they were the greater part It is not impossible for the far greater number to be the Schismaticks But yet the guilt of singularity is more upon a single Separatist or few that dare separate from the whole or most of the Churches Sect. VI. 2. The Bishops and Pastors are liable to the sin of Schism as well as the ignorant people Yea as Mutinies seldom happen in an Army at least to any great danger unless they be headed by some Commander so seldom hath there been any Heresie or Schism in the Church of which some Bishops have not been the Leaders or Chief Promoters since Bishops were great in the world at least and before they or some Elders were the Chief To instance in Paulus Samosit Apollinarius Novatus and his followers Maximinus and the Donatists Nestorius Dioscorus Severus and the multitudes more which Church-History mentioneth and which made up the Councils at Ephes 2. Arrinene Sinnium Milan divers at Constantinople Alexandria and multitudes more would be but to suppose my Reader a stranger to such History which here I must not do for then I cannot expect that he should take my word Sect. VII It is a far greater sin in Bishops and Pastors to be Schismaticks than in the People because they are supposed to know more the Good of Concord and the Means and the Mischiefs of Schism and the Causes and Remedies And it is their Office to be the Preachers of Unity and Peace and to save the People from the temptations which would draw them into such guilt Sect. VIII Bishops and Pastors have greater temptations to Schism than the People and therefore have been so frequent in the guilt especially Pride and Covetousness in them hath stronger Faith And 1. Striving who shall be Greatest and have Rule 2. Who shall be thought Wisest and most Orthodox have been the cause of most of the Schisms in the world And 3. Sometimes especially with the Presbyters and People it hath been who shall be thought the Best and Holiest persons But the two former have done much more than this Goodness being that which corrupt nature doth not so much contend for or the reputation of Holiness as for Greatness and Wisdom the commoner baits of Pride Therefore Controversies and Power and Riches have been the usual matters of Dissension Sect. IX 3. True Learning tendeth to prevent and end Controversies which Ignorance cherisheth as it did with the Egyptian Monks that turned Anthropomorphites But a smattering in Learning which amounts not to solidity and a settled mind is the common cause of Heresies and Schism while praters must needs be taken for wise and to know more than others while they know nothing as they ought to know
the Church Keys of Excommunication and Absolution only themselves Otheâ—â— delegate them to Presbyters and thereby tell the People that Presbyters are capable of them Others which is the Case with us in England do commit them to Lay-Chancellors who Excommunicate and Absolve by Sentence commanding a Priest to publish it 3. Some Diocesans may if they please allow the Parish-Priest to be Episcopus Gregis and to exercise so much of his true office in his Parish as shall keep up some tolerable Purity Order and Discipline themselves receiving Appeals and being Episcopi Pastorum 〈◊〉 this is rare I know none such But they leave the Parish-Priest no power so much as to suspend his own Act in administring Baptism or the Eucharist or pronouncing decreed Excommunications or Absolutionâ— when it is against his Knowledge and Conscience no though the People profess that they take him not for their Pastor or Guide at all or refuse to speak with him in case of Ignorance suspected Heresie or Scandal 4. Some Diocesans are learned good and holy Men and set themselves to promote Godliness and encourage the best Ministers such we have had in England as Grindall Jewel Usher and many more excellent Men. But others in jealousie of their places power and interest suspect and set themselves against painful Preachers and strict Men especially if they dissent from them and take them for dangerous Enemies and persecute them and countenance the ignorant Rabble to strengthen themselves against them So that particular Concord will be promoted by some Diocesans but Universal Concord will never be so attained by them Sect. XX. There are many Learned Divines who think that Forms of Church-Government are mutable and not necessary to all times and places and that as Prudence may change other Rites Circumstances and Orders so it may do this And some Papists are of this mind Read Card. Cusanus de Concordia and Gorson de Auferibilitate Papae And the Italian Bishops at Trent were for the dependance of Bishops on the Pope as the Maker of their Order or Giver of their Power And if so it is not capable of being necessary to Catholick Unity which may it self be changed And most Protestants and Papists hold that Men may turn Diocesan Bishops again into Parochial if they saw cause And all confess that Man may set up Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every City which in the old sense was in every great Town like our Corporations or Market-Towns which is greatly different from the Roman or the English or the French or the Italian Diocesses Sect. XXI Yea there are very Learned Divines that think no Form of Church-Government is Jure Divino or of Divine determinate Institution so though Doctor Edward Reynolds late Bishop of Nâ—rwich and Doctor Stillingfleet doth not only think so himself but hath cited great and many Patrons of that opinion and brought a great many of Arguments for it in his Irenicon Be these in the right or wrong no Man of this opinion can believe any one Form of Government necessary to the Unity of the Church or fit to be the terms of Universal Concord And it is certain that some will still be of their opinion besides those that account Diocesans unlawful CHAP. VI. The Vniversal Church will never unite in General Councils as their Head or as necessary to Vnion Sect. I. THose that are not for the Absolute Sovereignty of the Bishop of Rome over all the World do yet many of them think that they are very moderate Men if they hold but the Superiority of Councils above the Pope or limit the Popes power to the advice and consent of Councils taking them to be necessary to Unity But the contrary is very easily proved much more their insufficiency Sect. II. 1. It is certain that the Church had Union before there was any General Council The first at Nice was 310 years at least if not more after the Birth of Christ There is none pretended to be before that by any judicious men They that instance in the Consultation of the Apostles Elders and Brethren at Jerusalem Acts 2. may easily see reason to convince them that those were but the Apostles Elders and Brethren that were ordinarily then resident at one City and Church And such as pretended not to be Governours of all the Apostles Elders and Brethren who then were absent about the world The Popes and his Cardinals may say they are a General Council but who will believe them These at Jerusalem were not sent from all the Churches but one of the Churches sent to them as fittest to advise them and as being men most certainly and eminently inspired by the Holy Ghost It 's true that Christ and his Apostles had a Governing power over all the Church And if they will impose on us no other sort of General Councils as so necessary but such as have such office power and infallibility and dwell together in one house or place and are not sent from other Churches as their Representatives and can prove such a Power we shall submit to such a Council Pighius hath said enough of that Novelty and against the Governing power of General Councils That which was not essential to the Church 310 years is not so now Sect. III. 2. If General Councils be the necessary means of Union it is either for their Laws or their Judgment and it is either past Councils or present ones or both 1. If it be the Laws of past Councils then one Council that can make Laws enough at first may serve without any After-Councils And if it be enough that there have been General Councils why is not the Church united by them Then it is no matter if there never be any more And why may not Christs own Laws serve for Church Union 2. But if it be present Councils that are necessary for Laws or Judgment then the Church is now no Church without them Sect. IV. 3. There is now no General Council in the world and yet the Church hath essential Union Nay as it is long since there was one in their own account so we know not whether ever there will be more the Interest of the Pope being against it Sect. V. 4. The great disagreement that is about Councils in the Christian World proveth that they can never be the terms of Universal Agreement 1. It is not agreed who must call them 2. Nor out of what Christian Countries they must come whether all or but some and which the Papists saying that three parts of Christians may be absent or have no right to send being Hereticks or Schismaticks and others think Papists to be Hereticks Schismaticks and Antichristian 3. Nor what Number are necessary to make a Council 4. Nor in what Countrey they must meet 5. Nor what their work is 6. Nor what Power they have 7. Nor how far they are to be believed 8. Nor which are to be taken for approved Councils and which not 9. Nor
Communion 9. This cannot be from God but by a continued Succession of persons orderly receiving Authority from those who had Authority to give it them viz. Bishops from those first times of the Apostles to ours at present 10. That the Holy Ghost is the Instituter of this Order and to violate it by administring without such Ordination is to sin against the Holy Ghost the Sin that hath no other sacrifice and promise of pardon 11. That the Ordained have no more or other power than the Ordainers intend or profess to give them 12. That it is certain that the Bishops of all former Ages intended not to give Presbyters power of Ordaining or Administring out of their Subjection Ergo they have it not Sect. XXI This and a great deal more to this purpose is his matter To gather all the Confusions Contradictions and Absurdities of that wordy Volume would be tedious and little profitable to the Reader only these three things in general I tell such as may be in danger of infection by it 1. That he never agreeth with his Adversaries of the state of the question nor so much as explicateth the terms nor doth any thing beseeming a Disputant to make himself understood 2. That not only by denied false Suppositions he maketh all his Discourse useless to the Nonconformists but also at the first giveth them their Cause and confirmeth them 3. That while in his Preface he disowneth Popery it is the very sting of their Argumentation which he useth And that which yet by consequence overthroweth not only the Churches Ministery Sacraments and Salvation of the Protestants but of all Christians on Earth and of none more certainly than of the Papists All which I undertake when called to prove Sect. XXII It were tedious to mention all his ambiguous confounding terms For a few 1. He that layeth so great a stress on Episcopacy never tells us what he meaneth by a Bishop when he ought to know that with the chief of his Adversaries the Controversie is very much in that For as Grotius de Imper. Summ. Pol. and many others they take the chief Pastor of every Parish-Church especially that hath Curates under him for a Bishop at least if he be Pastor of a City or Town so called of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when others deny him to be a Bishop that hath not many Altars or Parishes under him 2 Some take him for a Bishop that is but the prime Presbyter or different from the rest but Gradu non ordine call'd Episcopus Praeses And others deny him to be one unless he differ Gradu as another Officer in specie 3. Some take him to be a Bishop that hath no Presbyter but Deacons under him and that in a single Assembly as Doctor Hammond on Act. 11. Dissertat Others deny him to be one that is not over Presbyters 4. Some take him to be no Bishop that is not elected or consented to by the people and the Clergy if there be any Others hold him to be one that hath the consent of neither but only the Pope or the Archbishop or the King electing and imposing him and some Bishops consecrating him 5. Some hold him to be no Bishop unless three Bishops Consecrate him Others say one may make him Bishop 6. If three Bishops Consecrate one and 〈◊〉 another he tell◠〈…〉 that Church 〈…〉 see examine◠〈…〉 Church against 〈…〉 Sect. XXIII 〈…〉 repeateth the necessity of being in an 〈…〉 by it when he must need◠〈◊〉 that th◠〈◊〉 or definition of it is the very first point of 〈◊〉 between us and the Papists By the tenor of his discourse the Reader may suspect that he meaneth some Universal Society of Men on Earth under some one visible humane Head either Monarchical or Aristocratical or Democratical a Sovereign who is â—ersona Civilis and Pars Impâ—rans Constitutiva But if so Protestants we at least deny any such thinking this the prime essential difference between us and the Papists the second being whether the Pope or his Council be this Head and he never tells who this supposed Head is So he frequently talketh of necessary Communion with a particular Church and never tells us what he meaneth by it Nor can I gather often whether he means a Diocesane Church or a Provincial or a National But I perceive that he meaneth not a Parochial when yet he knew that the Adversaries take those for particular Churches Sect. XXIV 1. So he oft talks of the necessity of Successive Canonical Ordination and never defineth either Ordination or Canonical Ordination when he must know that some take Imposition of Hands to be essential to Ordination and some deny it and hold that Letters may do it on the absent besides other differences 2. And some take those to be obligatory Canons which others contemn as of no authority The Papists are not agreed what Canons are valid And the Dissenters and this Disputer are not agreed in England Many besides Dr. Heylin say That the Popes Canon Law is yet in force in England except some Particulars that were cast out Others believe not this what is said against the Authority of the English Canons I will not recite 3. And some take it for Canonical Ordination if it be done by one Bishop and Presbyters Others say No unless by three Bishops 4. Some say it is not Canonical without the Clergies and Peoples Election or Consent as aforesaid and others find it necessary to their Cause to deny this Sect. XXV He calls Men oft to Catholick Unity and never tells us what it is or how it may be known Abundance more such Ambiguities make his Disputes to me unintelligible Sect. XXVI Or if he be to be understood in these and such like then he goeth all along by a begging of the questions which are denied 1. He should have rather proved than taken it as granted that those are not Bishops whom we hold to be such 2. And that it is not the Visible Church which we take for such 3. And that it is not a Particular Church which we take for such 4. And that it is no Regular Ordiâ—â—tion which we take for such 5. And that it is no Catholick Unity which we take for such And so of the rest Sect. XXVII 2. He supposeth that there is but one Episcopal Communion in the places where Men live or never tells us if there be divers Bishops which it is whose Communion is so necessary when he knoweth that Grotius thought that of old Churches were formed in imitation of the Synagogues and that one City had divers Churches and Bishops as well as divers Synagogues And Dr. Hammond thought that Rome Antioch and other Cities had two Churches and Bishops one of Jews and another of Gentiles and that Peter and Paul had two Churches at Rome And he knoweth I suppose not only that there were Novatian Bishops in the same Cities with the Orthodox but that oft and long Constantinople Antiâ—ch
Clergy And must hearken to wise pious considerate peaceable and experienced Counsellors and avoid the examples both of Rehoboam and of Jeroboam and be neither an Oppressor nor a Corrupter § XV. And to conclude good and wise men may well know their duty whom to silence and eject and whom to tolerate if they are but true to God by this one Rule They may by hearing all the case and knowledge of the Persons discern whether that mans Preaching consideratis considerandis is clearly like to do more good or harm and do accordingly But then they must not judge of good and harm by carnal sinful lusts and interests and by the counsels of selfish partial men but by wise and just reason guided by the Word of God § XVI And in all doubtful Cases choose the safer side and when the danger of overdoing is the greater as in case of Persecution rather do too little than too much And prefer not Ceremonies before Substance nor tything Mint Annise and Cummin before Love Truth and Judgment and the great things of the Law And be sure that you learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice that you may not condemn or accuse the Guiltless CHAP. XV. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Reception and Subscription to every Word Verse or Book of the Holy Scripture as it is in any one Translation or any one Copy in the Original now known § I. THis needeth no other proof than the reason of the thing and common experience 1. All Translations are the work of imperfect fallible men we have none made by the Spirit as working infallibly in the Apostles unless as some think the Greek of St. Matthews Gospel be a Translation The pretences of Inspiration of the Seventy two that are said to be the Authors of that Greek Translation of the Old Testament is not yet agreed on in the Church nor whether it was more than the Pentateuch which they Translated The Authority and Reasons of Hierome still much prevail Sect. II. And the Vulgar Latine most valued by the Papists is yet so much matter of Controversie between them that when Sixtus Quintus had stablished a corrected Edition Clement the 8th altered it in many hundred places after Sect. III. And all Protestants acknowledge the imperfection of all their own Translations English Dutch French c. And in the same Church of England we have the publick prescribed Use of two different Translations of the Psalms one sometime directly contrary to the other as Yea and Nay and one leaving a whole Verse which the other hath Sect. IV. And we know of no man that pretendeth to be sure that he hath a Copy of the Hebrew and Greek Text which he is certain is perfectly agreeable to the autography or first draught And the multitude of various Readings put us out of all hope of ever having certainly so perfect a Copy All therefore have the marks of humane frailty which cannot be denied Sect. V. And no wise and good man should deliberately deny this and so justifie falsly every humane slip But yet there is no such difference among Copies or Translations as should any way shake our foundations or any point necessary to salvation doth depend upon For in all such points they all agree Sect. VI. Object But if Copies and Translations differ and err how can we make them our rule of judgment Answ I say again They agree in as many things as we need them for as a Rule of Judgment And where they differ it being in words of no such use and moment that hindereth not our being Ruled by them where they agree The Kings Laws may be written in divers Languages for divers Countries of his Subjects And verbal differences may be no hinderance to their regulating use no more than the King himself doth lose his authority if his hair turn white Sect. VIII Object 2. But what then must all subscribe to if not to all the Bible Have you any other measure or test Answ We must subscribe That we believe all Gods Word to be true and all the true Canon of Scripture to be his Word and that we will faithfully endeavor to discern all the Canon And we must expresly subscribe to the Essentials of Christianity of which before and after Sect. VIII It was a considerable time before many Churches received the Epistle of James the 2d of Peter that to the Hebrews the Revelation c. And no doubt they were nevertheless true Christians And if now any believe all the Essentials of Religion and should doubt only whether the Canticles or the Epistle to â—iâ—â—mon or the two last of John or that of Jude were Canonical he might for all that be a true Christian and more meet to be a Bishop than Synesius was before he believed the Resurrection or Neclarâ—us before he was baptized c. Sect. IX The Churches are not fully agreed to this day about the Canonical Books of Scripture more than the Papists call some Books Canonical which we call Apocryphal And it is said that the Abassines and Syrians have divers not only as Ecclesiastical but as Canonical which we have not nor know not of Though we have good cause to judge best of our own received number by the proof well produced by Bishop Consins and many others yet have we no cause to unchurch all Churches that differ from us Sect. X. No Church therefore ought to cast out all Ministers that doubt of some words in any Translation or Copy or of some Verse Chapter or Book who hold the main and all the necessary Doctrines No such Test was imposed on the primitive Christians And it 's sad to hear the report that even the sound and humble Churches of Helvetia should lately make it necessary to the Ministery to subscribe to the antiquity of the Hebrew points though it may be a true and useful Assertion CHAP. XVI The Catholick Church will never unite in the subscribing to any mens whole Commentaries on the Bible § I. THis is yet more evident than the former 1. They do not at this day nor ever did agree in any mens Commentary They have great respect to the Commentaries of some of the Ancients and others but subscribe them not as infallible Though the Trent Oath of Pope Pius swear men not to expound the Scriptures otherwise than according to the agreeing Exposition of the Fathers it is well known 1. That they never told and proved to us who are to be taken for Fathers and who not 2. It 's known that few of them have written large Commentaries and fewer on all the Bible if any 3. That they oft differ among themselves 4. And the best have confessed their own Errors 5. And more have been found erroneous by others and are by us at this day 6. Yea they have cast out and condemned one another as the Case of Nazianzene Epiphanius Chrysostom Theophilus Alexand. Cyril and Theodoret and many