to the People And apply to this what I have before shewn in the words of St. Clement whose Name is written in the Book of Life That the Evangelical Priesthood is as surely fixed in the Bishops of the Church and its Succession continu'd in those Ordain'd by them as the Levitical Priesthood was confirm'd by the Budding of Aaron's Rod and to be continu'd in that Tribe III. And here let our Korahites of several sizes take a view of the Heinousness of their Schism and let them not think their Crime to be nothing because they have been taught with their Nurses Milk to have the utmost abhorrence to the very Name of a Bishop tho' they cou'd not tell why Let them rather consider seriously the misfortune of their Education which shou'd make them Strangers to all the rest of the Christian World but themselves in a Corner and to all the former Ages of Christianity They have been told that Episcopacy is Popery because the Papists have Bishops So have they Presbyters too that is Parish Priests They have the Creed likewise and the Holy Scriptures and all these must be Popish if this be a good Argument But are they willing to be undeceived Then they must know that Episcopacy has none so great an Enemy as the Papacy which wou'd Engross the whole Episcopal Power into the single See of Rome by making all other Bishops absolutly dependent upon that which only they call the Apostolical Chair And no longer since than the Council of Trent the Pope endeavor'd with all his Interest to have Episcopacy except only that of the Bishop of Rome to be declar'd not to be Jure Divino By which no other Bishops cou'd claim any other Power but what they had from Him But that Council was not so quite Degenerated as to suffer this to pass And the Jesuits and Others who Disputed there on the Pope's part us'd those same Arguments against the Divine Right of Episcopacy which from them and the Popish Canonists and Schoolmen have been lick'd up by the Presbyterians and others of our Dissenters They are the same Arguments which are us'd by Pope and Presbyter against Episcopacy When the Pope cou'd not carry his Cause against Episcopacy in the Council of Trent he took another Method and that was to set up a vast Number of Presbyterian Priests that is the Regulars whom he Exempted from the Jurisdiction of their respective Bishops and fram'd them into a Method and Discipline of their own accountable only to Superiors of his and their own contriving which is exactly the Presbyterian Model These Usurpations upon the Episcopal Authority made the Famous Archbishop of Spalato quit his great Preferments in the Church of Rome and Travel into England in the Reign of King James I. to seek for a more Primitive and Independent Episcopacy Himself in his Consilium Profectionis gives these same Reasons for it And that this shameful Depression and Prostitution of Episcopacy in the Church of Rome was the cause of his leaving her He observ'd truly that the further we search upward in Antiquity there is still more to be found of the Episcopal and less of the Papal Eminency St. Ignatius is full in every line almost of the high Authority of the Bishop next and immediately under Christ as all the other Writers in those Primitive Times But there is a profound silence in them all of that Supremacy in the Bishop of Rome which is now claim'd over all the other Bishops of the Catholick Church Which cou'd not be if it had been then known in the World This had been a short and effectual Method whereby St. Paul or St. Clement might have quieted the great Schism of the Corinthians against which they both wrote in their Epistles to them to bid them refer their Differences to the Infallible Judge of Contreversy the Supreme Pastor at Rome But not a word like this Especially considering that St. Peter was one for whom some of these Corinthians strove 1 Cor. i. 12. against those who preferred others before Him The Usurp'd Supremacy of the later Bishops of Rome over their Fellow-Bishops has been as Fatal to Episcopacy as the Rebellion of our yet later Presbyters against their Respective Bishops And indeed whoever wou'd write the true History of Presbyterianism must begin at Rome and not at Geneva So very Groundless as well as Malicious is that popular Clamour of Episcopacy having any Relation to Popery They are so utterly Irreconcilable that it is impossible they can stand together For that moment that Episcopacy were Restor'd to its Primitive Independency the Papacy that is that Supremacy which does now distinguish it must ipso facto cease But enough of this for I must not digress into various Subjects I have shewn in Answer to the Objection of the Ages of Popery in this Kingdom that all those Errors even Idolatry it self does not Un-church nor break Succession And 2dly I have Exemplifi'd this from the Parallel of the Jewish Church under the Law Then applying of this to our Case I have vindicared Episcopacy from the Imputation of Popery I will now go on to further Reasons why the Succession of our present Bishops is not hurt by that Deluge of Popery which once cover'd the face of this Land IV. The end of all Government as well in the Church as State is to preserve Peace Unity and Order and this cannot be done if the Male-administration of the Officers in the Government did Vacat their Commission without its being Re-call'd by those who gave such Commission to them For then 1st Every Man must be Judge when such a Commission is Vacated and then no Man is bound to obey longer then he pleases 2dly One may say it is Vacated another not whence perpetual Contention must arise A Man may Forfeit his Commission that is do those things which give just Cause to his Superiors to take it from him But it is not actually Vacated till it be actually Recall'd by those who have lawful Power to take it from him Otherwise their cou'd be no Peace nor Certainty in the World either in Publick or in Private affairs No Family cou'd subsist No Man enjoy an Estate No Society whatever cou'd keep together And the Church being an Outward Society as shewn in the Discourse of Water Baptism must consequently subsist by those Laws which are indispensible to every Society Sect. iii. â— 1. And tho' Idolatry does justly Forfeit the Commission of any Church in this sense that God's Promises to Her being Conditional He may justly take her Commission from her and Remove her Candlestick Now tho' her Commission be thus Forfeitable yet it still Continues and is not actually Pacated till God shall please actually to Recall it or take it away For no Commission is Void till it be so Declar'd Thus tho' the Jews did often fall into Idolatry yet as before has been said God did bear long with them and did not Un-church them tho'
to return again to the Peace of the Church and the Participation of the Blessed Sacraments of Christ and the Inestimable Benefits which He has promis'd to the Worthy Receivers of them Lastly Let me observe that this Error of the Donatists and Quakers borders near upon Popery nay rather seems to exceed it For the Church of Modern Rome makes the Validity of the Sacraments to depend upon the Intention of the Priest but his Intention is much more in his own Power and ther are more evident Sâ—â—â—s of it than of his Holiness VIII I wou'd not have the Quakers imagine that any thing I have said was meant in excuse for the ill Lives of the Clergy of the Church of England as if the Dissenters were unblamable but our Clergy wholly Prostitute to all wickedness and that for this cause we plead against the Sanctity of the Administrator as Essential to the Sacrament No That is far from the Reason I do not love to make comparisons or Personal Reflections If all Men be not as they shou'd be pray God make them so But I think ther is no modest Dissenter will be offended if I say that ther are of our Bishops and Clergy Men not only of Learning and moral Honesty but of Devotion and spiritual illumination and as much of the Sobriety of Religion and can give as many Signs of it Equally at least to speak modestly as any of our Dissenters of what Denomination soever IX And I hope that what I have said will at least hinder the Succession of the Bishops from the Apostles to be any Objection against them And they being possess'd moreover of all the other Pretences of our Dissenters the Ballance must needs lie on their side and security can only be with them because ther is doubt in all the other Schemes of the Dissenters if what I have said can amount but to a Doubt If the want of Succession and outward Commission upon which Christ and His Apostles and the whole Christian Church in all Ages till the last Century and in all Places even at this Day except some Corners in the west and the Mosaical Institution before them did by the Express Command of God lay so great a stress if all this make but a Doubt it is strange that it shou'd at least that it shou'd not in the mind of any considering Persons then can they not with Security Communicate with any of our Dissenters because if he that Eateth and Doubteth is Damned Rom. xiv 23. much more he that shall do so in Religious matters wherein chiefly this Rule must stand that whatsoever is not of Faith is sin X. But now to argue a little ad hominem suppose that the Succession of our Bishops were lost and suppose what the Quakers and some others wou'd have that the Thread being broke we must cast a new knot and begin again and make an Establishment amongst our selves the best we can Well When this is done ought not that Establishment to be preserv'd Ought every one to break in upon it without just cause Shou'd every one take upon him or her to Preach or Baptize contrary to the Rules Establish'd This I think no Society of Men will allow For the Members of a Society must be subject to the Rules of the Society otherwise it is no Society And the Quakers of Grace-church-street Communion have contended as Zealously for this compliance as any Now then suppose that the conscientious Quakers to whom I speak shou'd lay no stress at all upon the Succession of our Bishops and consider our Constitution no otherwise than of an Establishment by agreement amongst our selves yet even so by their own Confession while they can find no fault with our Doctrine or Worship they ought not to make a Schism in this Constitution which they found Established and they ought to return to it and if a new Knot was cast upon the broken Thread of Succession at the Reformation from Popery that Knot ought not to be un-losed without apparent and absolute Necessity lest if we cast new Knots every Day we shall have no Thread left un-knotted and expose our selves to the Derision of the common Adversary XI Consider the grievous Sin of Schism and Division it is no less than the Rending of Christ's Body and therefore great Things ought to be born rather than run into it even all things except only that which is apparently sinful and that by the Express words of Scripture and not from our own Imaginations tho' never so strong And tho' ther are some Impersections in our Reformation as to Discipline and all the High Places are not yet taken away the Lord of His Mercy quickly remove them yet I will be bold to say that in our Doctrine Worship and Hierarchy nothing can be objected that is contrary to the Rule of Holy Scripture or any thing Enjoyn'd which is There Forbid to be done And nothing less can warrant any Schism against our Church XII Now to come to a Conclusion upon the whole matter If you cannot get Baptism as you wou'd have it take it as you can get it If you cannot find Men of such Personal Excellencies as the Apostles take those who have the same Commission which they had deriv'd down to them by regular Ordination who Reform'd from Popery and have been the Established Church of this Nation ever since And moreover are as un-exceptionable in their Lives and Conversations as any others These are all the securities you can have without new Miracles for Receiving the Sacraments from Proper hands And therefore ther is no doubt but God will accept of your Obedience in Receiving them from such hands much rather than your Disobedience of His Command to be Baptized because you are not pleas'd with those whom His Providence has at this Day left in the Execution of His Commission to Baptize as if the weakness of His Minister cou'd obstruct the Operations of His Spirit in making good His part of the Covenant which He has promised XIII Ther is an Objection against Baptism which is not worth an Answer but that I wou'd condescend to the meanest and leave nothing behind which might be a stumbling block to any I have heard it urg'd that ther is no visible Effects seen by our Baptisms that Men remain wicked and loose notwithstanding and therefore some do conclude that ther is no vertue in Baptism Answ To make this Argument of any force it must be prov'd that none do receive any Benefit by it For if some do receive Benefit by it and others do not this must be charg'd upon the Disposition of the Recipient according to the known Rule that whatsoever is receiv'd is receiv'd according to the disposition of the Receiver Thus the same Meat is turn'd into good Nourishment in an healthy and into noxious Humors in a vitiated Stomach Simon Magus receiv'd no Benefit by his Baptism and after the Sop the Devil entred into Judas yet the other
Christ Page 35 II. That the whole Reformation even Calvin Beza and those of their Communion were zealous Asserters of Episcopacy Page 58 A DISCOURSE Shewing who they are that are now qualify'd to Administer BAPTISM and the LORD's SUPPER SECT I. The Necessity of an Outward Commission to the Ministers of the Gospel SOme Quakers having perus'd my Discourse of Baptism think the Quaker Arguments against it sufficiently Answered And they have but one Difficulty remaining that is who they are among the various Pretenders that are duly Qualify'd to Administer it And if satisfaction can be given to them herein they promise a perfect Compliance to that Holy Institution The Chief thing they seem to stand upon is the Personal Holyness of the Administrator thinking that the spiritual Effects of Baptism cannot be convey'd by the means of an Unsanctify'd Instrument But yet they Confess that there is something else Necessary besides the Personal Holiness of the Administrator Otherwise they wou'd think themselves as much Qualify'd to Administer it as any others because I presume they suppose themselves to have as great a Measure of the Spirit as other Men. This Requisit which they want is that of Lawful Ordination But the Presbyterians Independents and Baptists do pretend to this Therefore their Title to it is to be Examin'd And that we may proceed the more clearly in this Matter with Respect still to that Difficulty upon which the Quakers lay the stress we will Inquire concerning those Qualifications which are Requisit in any Person that shall take upon him to Administer the Sacraments of Christ's Institution And These Qualifications are of two sorts Personal or Sacerdotal I. Personal The Holiness of the Administrator And though this is a great Qualification to Fit and Prepare a Man for such an Holy Administration yet this Alone does not sufficiently Qualifie any Man to take upon him such an Administration II. But there is moreover requir'd 2ly A Sacerdotal Qualification that is an Outward Commission to Authorize a Man to execute any Sacerdotal or Ministerial Act of Religion For This Honour no Man taketh unto himself but he that is called of God Heb. v. 4. as was Aaron so also Christ glorify'd not himself to be made an High-Priest But he that said unto him thou art my Son Thou art a Priest c. Accordingly we find that Christ did not take upon Him the Office of a Preacher till after that Outward Commission given to Him by a Voice from Heaven at His Baptism for it is written Matth. iv 17. From that time Jesus began to Preach Then He Began and He was then about Thirty Years of Age Luke iii. 23. Now no Man can doubt of Christ's Qualifications before that time as to Holiness Sufficiency and all Personal Endowments And if all these were not sufficient to Christ Himself without an Outward Commission what other Man can pretend to it upon the Account of any Personal Excellencies in Himself without an outward Commission III. And as Christ was outwardly Commissionated by His Father so did not He leave it to His Disciples every ones Opinion of his own sufficiency to thrust himself into the Vineyard but Chose Twelve Apostles by Name and after them Seventy others of an Inferior Order whom He sent to Preach IV. And as Christ gave outward Commissions while He was upon the Earth Act. xiv 23. so we find that His Apostles did Proceed in the same Method after His Ascension They ordained them Elders in every Church V. But had they who were thus Ordained by the Apostles Power to Ordain others Yes Tit. 1.5 1 Tim. v 22. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest Ordain Elders in every City Lay hands suddenly on no Man c. St. Clement in his first Epistle to the Corinthians writing concerning the Schism which was then risen up amongst them says Parag. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Apostles fore-knowing there wou'd be Contests concerning the Episcopal Name or Office did themselves appoint the Persons And not only so lest that might be said to be of force only during their time But that they afterwards established an Order how when those whom they had Ordained shou'd Die others fit and approved Men shou'd succeed them in their Ministry Par. 43. that they who were intrusted with this Work by God in Christ did Constitute these Officers But this Matter depends not upon the Testimony of him or many more that might be produced It is such a Publick Matter of Fact That I might as well go about to quote particular Authors to prove that there were Emperors in Rome as that the Ministers of the Church of Christ were Ordained to succeed one another and that they did so succeed SECT II. The Deduction of this Commission is continu'd in the Succession of Bishops and not of Presbyters BUT here is a Dispute whether this Succession was preserv'd in the Order of Bishops or Presbyters or whether both are not the same I. Answ 1. This is the Contest betwixt the Presbyterians and us But either way it operates against the Quakers who allow of no Succession deriv'd by outward Ordination II. Answ 2. But because the Design of this Discourse is to shew the Succession from the Apostles I answer that this Succession is preserv'd and deriv'd only in the Bishops As the continuance of any Society is deduc'd in the Succession of the Chief Governors of the Society not of the Inferior Officers Thus in Kingdoms we reckon by the Succession of the Kings not of Sheriffs or Constables and in Corporations by the Succession of the Mayors or other Chief Officers not of the Inferiour Bailiffs or Serjeants So the Succession of the Churches is Computed in the Succession of the Bishops who are the Chief Governours of the Churches and not of Presbyters who are but Inferiour Officers under the Bishops III. And in this the Matter of Fact is as Clear and Evident as the Succession of any Kings or Corporations in the World To begin with the Apostles we find not only that they Constituted Timothy Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of Crete as in the Subscriptions of St. Paul's Epistles to them But in Eusebius and other Ecclesiastical Historians you have the Bishops Nam'd who were Constituted by the Apostles themselves over the then famous Churches of Jerusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria and many other Churches and the Succession of them down all along St. Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna was Disciple to St. John the Apostle and St. Irenaeus who was Disciple to St. Polycarp was Constituted Bishop of Lyons in France I mention this because it is so near us for in all other Churches throughout the whole World where ever Christianity was Planted Episcopacy was every where Establish'd without one Exception as is Evident from all their Records And so it was with us in England whither it is generally suppos'd and with very good Grounds that St. Paul first brought the
several Titles of Bishops Presbyterians Independents c. to the true Succession from the Apostles That it may thereby be known to which of all these they ought to go for Baptism This I have shewn in behalf of Episcopacy and put the Presbyterians to prove their Succession in the Form of Presbytery which they can never do Because as I have said before the Chronology of the Church does not Compute from the Succession of the Presbyters but only of the Bishops as being the Chief Governors of the Church And therefore tho' in many Bishopricks the Roll of their Bishops is preserv'd from the Apostles to this Day yet there is not one bare Presbyter that is the Minister of a Parish and no more no not in all the World who can give a Roll of his Predecessors in that Parish half way to the Apostles or near it For from the first Plantation of Christianity the Church was Divided into Bishopricks this was necessary for the Government of the Church But it was not so early Sub-divided into Parishes The Presbyters at first attending upon the Bishop were sent out by him to such Places and for such Time as he thought fit and Returning gave Account of their Stewardships or were Visited and Changed by him as he saw Cause And therefore tho' one might come after another in the Place where he had Ministred before yet they cou'd not Properly be said to Succeed one another as to speak Intelligibly to the Quakers many of them do Preach after G. Fox yet none of them are said to Succeed him I have been thus long upon the Presbyterians because they only of all our Dissenters have any Pretence to Succession And what I have said as to them must Operate more strongly against the later Independent Baptist c. who have not the Face to Pretend to Succession but set up merely upon their own pretended Gifts VIII But what are these Gifts which they so Highly Boast 1. An Inward and more than Ordinary Participation of the Graces of the Holy Spirit 2. A Fluency and Powerfulness in Preaching and Praying I know of no other Gifts that any of our Dissenters pretend to unless they will set up for Miracles as G. Fox c. And other Dissenters did likewise pretend to the same at their first setting out to amuse the People but as the Quakers have let it drop afterwards to stop any further Examination of it having already serv'd their Turn by it But as to these pretended Gifts if we may trust to our Saviour's Rule of knowing the Tree by its Fruits we cannot think it the Holy Spirit of which these Men did partake who fill'd these three Nations with Blood and Slaughter and whose Religion was never otherwise Introduc'd than by Rebellion in any Country whither-soever it has yet come And as to that Volubility of Tongue which they Boast as the main Proof of their Mission we have found it by Experience that a little Confidence and Custom will Improve very slender Judgments to great Readiness in that sort of Talent And the Powerfulness which is found in it by some who are affected with a Dismal Tone Wray Faces and Antick Gestures is not more but less if there be either Method or Sense in the Discourse Which shews their Passion to proceed not from Reason but Imagination The Scots Presbyterian-Eloquence affords us Monstrous Proofs of this but not so many as you may have from Eye and Ear-Witnesses Such Course Rude and Nasty Treatment of God as they call Devotion as in it self it is the highest Affront to The Divine Majesty so has it Contributed in a very great Measure to that wild Atheism which has always attended these sort of Inspirations It seeming to many more Reasonable to Worship no God at all than to set up one on purpose to Ridicule Him But this sort of Enthusiasm presumes upon a Familiarity with God which breeds Contempt and Despises the Sobriety of Religion as a low Dispensation I Recommend to the Reader that Excellent Sermon upon this Subject of Dr. Hicks call'd The Spirit of Enthusiasm Exorcis'd And I desire those to consider who are most taken with these seeming Extraordinary Gifts of Volubility and Nimbleness in Prayer that the most Wicked Men are capable of this Perfection none more than Oliver Cromwell especially when he was about some Nefarious Wickedness He continu'd most Fluently in this Exercise all the time that his Cut-throats were Murthering of his Royal Master And his Gift of Prayer was greatly Admir'd Major weir of Edinborough was another great Instance who was strangely Ador'd for his Gifts especially of Prayer by the Presbyterians in Scotland while at the same time he was wallowing in the most Unnatural and Monstrous Sins See his Stupendous Story in Ravillac Redivivus There are many Examples of this Nature which shew that this Gift is attainable by Art Dr. wilkins the Father of the Latitudinarians has given us the Receipt in his Gift of Prayer Yet none of the Performances of these Gifted-men are any ways Comparable as to the wonderful Readiness in which they Boast to the Extempore Verses of Westminster School which Isaac Vossius cou'd not believe to be Extempore till he gave the Boys a Theme which was senes bis Pueri and he had no sooner spoke the Words but he was immediately Pelted with Ingenious Epigrams from four or five Boys So that this Volubility in Prayer which is the Gift our Dissenters do most Glory in may be deduc'd from an Original far short of Divine Inspiration But suppose that they had really those wonderful Gifts which they pretend to yet were this no ground at all to Countenance or Warrant their makeing a Schism upon that Account This Case has been Rul'd in a Famous and most Remarkable Instance of it which God was pleas'd to permit for the future Instruction of His Church at the first setting out of the Gospel in the very Days of the Apostles Then it was that Christ having Ascended up on High gave many and miraculous Gists unto Men which was necessary towards the first Propagation of His Gospel in Opposition to all the Established Religions and Governments then in the World and under their Persecution But these Gifts of Miracles did not always secure the Possessors from Vanity and an high Opinion of themselves to the disparagement of others and even to break the Order and Peace of the Church by advancing themselves above their Superiors or thinking none Superior to themselves The Great Apostle of the Gentiles was not free'd from the Tentation of this whom the Messenger of Satan was sent to buffet least he shou'd be Exalted above measure thro' the Abundance of the Revelations which were given to him 2 Cor. xii 7. Nay more our Blessed Saviour tells of those who had miraculous Gifts bestow'd upon them and yet shou'd be finally Rejected Matth. vii 22 23. Therefore He Instructs His Disciples not to Rejoyce in those Miraculous Gifts which
he bestow'd upon them but rather that their Names were written in Heaven Luke x. 20. which supposes that they might have such Gifts and yet their Names not be written in Heaven And when He taught them how to Pray He added no Petition for such Gifts but only for the Remission of their Sins and the Sanctifying Graces of the Holy Spirit which are as most Preâ—itable to Us so most Precious in the sight of God Now some who had these Miraculous Gifts made ill use of them and occasion'd a great Schism the first in the Christian Church at Corinth They were Exalted above Measure in their own Gifts and therefore Refus'd to submit themselves to those who were their Superiors in the Church who perhaps had not such Gifts as they had but set up for themselves and drew Parties after them who were Charm'd with their Extraordinary Gifts thinking that the Participation of the saving Graces of the Holy Spirit must there Chiefly be Communicated where God had bestow'd such wonderful Gifts And they laid more stress upon the Personal Qualifications of these Ministers of God than upon the observance of that Order and Constitution which He had Commanded which was in Effect preferring Men to God and trusting to the Instruments rather than to the Author of their Religion as if thro' the Power and Holiness of the Administrators of God's Institutions and not from Him alone the Graces which were Promis'd to the due Observance of them were convey'd Act. iii. 12. And this as it turn'd Men from God to Trust in Man so as a necessary Consequence of it it begot great Emulations among the People for one Teacher against another even sometimes when it was not the Fault of the Teachers For People being once let loose from Government and Order to follow the Imaginations of their own Brain will run farther than their first Seducers did Intend and will Carve for themselves Thus in the Schism of the Church at Corinth one was for Paul another for Apollos another for Cephas c. much against the Minds of these good Apostles but having been once unsettl'd by the Pride and Ambition of Seducers they Heaped to themselves Teachers having itching Ears and made Divisions among themselves Pretendingly in behalf of Christ and His Apostles but in Effect tending to Divide Christ and His Apostles as all Schisms do Against these St. Paul Disputes with wonderful force of Reason and Eloquence particularly in the xii Chap. of his first Epistle to these same Corinthians wherein from the Parallel of the Unity of Members in the same Body he admirably Illustrates That the many Different and Miraculous Gifts which were then Dispensed all from the same Spirit cou'd be no more an Argumeut for any to Advance himself beyond his own Station in the Church than for one Member of the Body tho' an Eye or a Hand the most Useful or Beautiful to Glory it self against the Inferior Members who are all Actuated by the same Soul or not to be Content with its Office and Station in the Body and due Subordination to the Head Thence the Apostle goes on and makes the Application in the xiiith Chap. That the most Exalted Spiritual or even Miraculous Gifts cou'd not only not Excuse any Schism to be made in the Body that is the Church But that if any who had such Gifts did not employ them for the Preservation of the Unity of the Church which is very properly Express'd by Charity i.e. Love for the whole Body such Gifts wou'd Profit him Nothing loose all their Vertue and Efficacy as to the Possessor and be rather an Aggravation against him than any Excuse for him to withdraw his Obedience from his lawful Superiors and Usurp the Office of the Head and so make a Schism in the Body upon the account of his Gifts which tho' they were as great as to speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels to understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge to have all Faith even to Remove Mountains and such a Zeal as to give all his Goods to the Poor and his very Body to be Burned yet if it be done in Schism out of that Love and Charity which is due to the Body and to its Unity all is Nothing will profit him nothing at all And no wonder when all that Heavenly Glory in which Lucifer was Created cou'd avail him nothing Jude 6. when he kept not his first Principality but Aspir'd Higher and made a Schism in the Hierarchy of Heaven How then shall they who have as St. Jude expresses it left their own Habitation or Station in the Church and advanc'd themselves above their Bishops their lawful Superiors the Heads and Principles of Unity next and immediately under Christ in their Respective Churches upon pretence of their own Personal Gifts and Qualifications and thereby make a Schism in the Terrestrial Hierarchy of the Church which is the Body of Christ Eph. 1.23 the Fulness of him who Filleth all in all How shall they be Excus'd for this whose pretended Gifts are in nothing Extraordinary except in a Furious Zeal without Knowledge and a Volubility of Tongue which proceeds from a Habit of Speaking without Thinking and an Assurance that is never out of Countenance for Ten Thousand Blunders which wou'd Dash and Confound any Man of Sense or Modesty or that consider'd the Presence of God in which he spoke If those truly Miraculous Gifts which were made a Pretence for the Schism at Corinth were not sufficient to justifie that Schism How Ridiculous and much more wicked is the Pretence of our Modern Gifted-men who have pleaded their Delicate Gifts as a sufficient Ground for all that Schism and Rebellion which they have Rais'd up amongst us If the real Gifts and Inspirations of the Holy Spirit were Stinted and Limited by the Governors of the Church to avaid Schism and Confusion in the Church If the Prophets were Confin'd as to their Number 1 Cor. xiv from v. 26. to Two or at the most Three at a time some ordered to hold their Peace to give place to others others to keep silence for want of an Interpreter and the Women tho' Gifted or Inspir'd as many then were totally silenc'd in the Church 1 Tim. 11.12 or Publick Assemblies What Spirit has Possess'd our Modern Pretenders to Gifts that will not be subject to the Prophets nor to the Church nor to any Institutions whether Divine or Humane But if their Superiors pretend to Direct them in any thing they cry out what will you stint the Spirit And think this a sufficient Cause to break quite loose from their Authority and set up an open Schism against them upon Pretence of their wonderful Gifts forsooth That first Schism in the Church of these Corinthians was vigorously oppos'd by the Apostles and Bishops of the Church at that time They like good Watch-men wou'd not give way to it knowing the fatal Consequences of it This produc'd Two Epistles from
Let the Presbyters and Deacons do nothing without the Consent of the Bishop for it is He to whom the People of the Lord are committed and from whom an account of their Souls will be Requir'd Can. 41. We Ordain the Bishop to have power of the Goods of the Church And to Administer to those who want by the hands of the Presbyters and Deacons Can. 55. If any Clergy man shall Reproach his Bishop let him be Depos'd For Thou shalt not speak Evil of the Ruler of the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the Canons of the Apostles I produce next a Great Council of 87 Bishops held at Carthage in the Year of Christ 256 under St. Cyprian Archbishop of that Place which is Published in St. Cyprian's Works before quoted p. 229. where he tells us That besides the Bishops ther met there both Presbyters and Deacons and great Numbers of the Laity Episcopi plurimi cum Presbyteris Diaconibus c. The Council of Eliberis in Spain about the Year of Christ 305. Cap. 18. and 19. Bishops Presbyters and Deacons are Nam'd distinct And c. 32. Presbyters and Deacons are forbid to give the Communion to those who had grievously offended without the Command of the Bishop c. 75. Of those who shall falsly accuse a Bishop Presbyter or Deacon c. 77. It is ordained that those who are Baptiz'd by a Deacon without the Rishop or Presbyter shall afterwards be Confirm'd by the Bishop The Council of Eliberis in Spain about the Year of Christ 305. Cap. 18. and 19. Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi c. Non est Presbyterorum aut Diaconorum Communionem talibus praestare debere nisi eis jusserit Episcopus Si quis Episcopum Presbyterum vel Diaconum falsis Criminibus appetierit c. Si quis Diaconus sine Episcopo vel Presbytero aliquos Baptizaverit Episcopus eos per Benedictionem perficere debebit The Council of Arles in France about the Year of Christ 309. c. 18. It is ordain'd that the Deacons shou'd be subject to the Presbyters And c. 19. That the Presbyters shou'd be subject to their Bishop and do nothing without his consent The Council of Arles in France about the Year of Christ 309. c. 18. It is ordain'd that the Deacons shou'd be subject to the Presbyters And c. 19. Presbyteri sine Conscientia Episcopi nihil faciant The Council of Ancyra A. D 315. A. D. 315. c. 1. and 2. Having Prohibited those Presbyters and Deacons who had in times of Persecution Offer'd to Idols from the Execution of their Office says that notwithstanding the Bishop may Dispence with them if he sees their Repentance sincere for that this Power is lodg'd in the Bishop The Council of Ancyra A. D 315. A. D. 315. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of Laodicea A. D. 321. A. D. 321. Can. 41. That no Clergy-man ought to Travel without the consent of his Bishop Can. 56. That the Presbyters ought not to go into the Church and sit in their Stales till the Bishop come and to go in with the Bishop The Council of Laodicea A. D. 321. A. D. 321. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The First and Great Council of Nice A. D. 325. Can. 16. That if any Presbyters or Deacons leave their own Churches they ought not to be receiv'd into another Church And that if any shall ordain such in his Ch. as belong to another without the consent of his proper Bishop let such Ordination be void The First and Great Council of Nice A. D. 325. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of Gangra 326. A. D. 326. Can. 6. If any have private Meetings out of the Church without their Preshyter let 'em be Anathematiz'd by the Sentence of the Bishop Can. 7. If any will take or give of the Fruits offer'd to the Church out of the Church without leave of the Bishop let him be Anathema The Council of Gangra 326. A. D. 326. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of Antioch A. D. 341. A. D. 341. Can. 3. If any Presbyter or Deacon leaving his own Parish shall go to others and refuse to return when his own Bishop shall summon him let him be Depos'd Can. 4. If any Bishop being Depos'd by a Synod or a Presbyter or Deacon being Depos'd by his own proper Bishop shall presume to exercise his Function let no room be left them either for Restauration or Apology Can. 5. If any Presbyter or Deacon despising his own Bishop shall separate himself from the Church and gather a Congregation of his own and set up a different Altar and shall refuse to submit himself to his Bishop calling him the first and second time let him be absolutely Depos'd Can. 12. If any Presbyter or Deacon being Depos'd by his own proper Bishop or a Bishop by the Synod dare Appeal to the King seeing his Appeal lies to a greater Synod of more Bishops where he is to expect the Examination of his Cause and to teserr the Decision to them But if making light of these he trouble the King with it such an one is worthy of no Pardon nor ought to be admitted to make any sort of Apology or to have hopes of his being ever Restor'd any more Can. 22. That a Bishop ought not to Ordain Presbyters or Deacons in another Bishop's Diocess without his leave The Council of Antioch A. D. 341. A. D. 341. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Council of Carthage A. D. 348. C. xi The Case is put where a Deacon being accus'd shall be Try'd by three Neighbouring Bishops a Presbyter by six and a Bishop by twelve In the Council of Carthage A. D. 348. A tribus vicinis Episcopis si Diaconus est arguatur si Presbyter à sex si Episcopus à duedecim Consacerdotibus audiatur The second Oecumenical Council of Constantineple A. D. 381. Can. 6. Ranks those with Hereticks who tho' they prosess the true Faith yet run into Schism and gather Congregations apart from and in opposition to our Canonied Bishops The second Oecumenical Council of Constantineple A. D. 381. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Council of Carthage A. D. 419. Can. 3. Mentions the three distinct Orders of Bishop Presbyter and Deacon and compares them to the High-Priest Priests and Levites In the same manner they are as distinctly mention'd Can. 4. Bishop Presbyter and Deacon and their Powers distinct For Can. 6. It is declar'd not to be lawful for Presbyters to Consecrate Churches or Reconcile Penitents but if any be in great Danger and desirous to be Reconcil'd in the absence of the