intimations of Scripture and the discord of these reporters among themselves Only it is certain that nature it self would so restrain them that as they could be but in one place at once so they could not be in perpetual motion and prudence would keep them longest in those places where most work was to be done And therefore Pauls three years abode at Ephesus and the neighbouring parts of Asia did not make him the fixed Diocesan Bishop of Ephesus And what I say of the Apostles I say also of many such Itinerant unfixed Ministers which were their helpers as Silas Apollo Barnabas Titus Timothy c. For though Timothy be called by some Anâ—ients the first Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of Crete yet it is apparent they were no such fixed Ministers that undertook a Diocess durantâ— vita as their proper charge which were then called Bâ—shops but they were â—tinerant helpers of the Apostles in gathering planting and first ordering of Churches And therefore Titus was left in a whole Nation or large Island to place Bishops or Elders in each City and set things in order and this but till Paul come and not to be himself their fixed Bishop and Timothy is proved by Scripture to have been unsetled and itinerant as a helper of Paul after that he is by some supposed to be fixed at Ephesus I will not needlesly actum agere let any man that is unsatisfied of this read impartially Mr. Prins unbishoping of Timothy and Titus and note there the Itinerary of Timothy from Scripture Texts If therefore our Bishops would have been of the Apostles and their General helpers race they should have gone up and down to gather and plant Churches and then go up and down to visit those which they have planted or if they live where all are Enchurched already they should go up and down to preach to the rudâ—r sort of them and by the power of the word to subdue men further to Christ anâ— to see that all Ministers where they come do their duty reproving and admonishing those that neglect it but not forbidding them to do it as a thing belonging only to them And by Spiritual weapons and authority should they have driven Ministers to this duty and not by meer secular force of which more anon 2. And as for the fixed Bishops of Apostolical Institution our English Prelacy are not like them For the fixed Bishops established by the Apostles were only Overseers of one particular Church But the English Prelates were the Overseers of many particular Churches Therefore the English Prelates were not the same with the old Bishops of the Apostles institution The course that the Prelates take to elude this argument is by giving us a false definition of a particular Church That we may not therefore have any unprofitable strife about words I shall signifie my own meaning By a Particular Church I mean an Associated or combined company of Christians for Communion in Publick Worship and Furtherance of each other in the way to heaven under the Guidance of Christs Church Officers one Elder or more such as are undivided or Churches of the first order commonly called Ecclesiae Primae as to existence and which contain not divers Political Churches in them A family I mean not for that 's not a Political Church having no Pastor An accidental company of Christians I mean not For those are no Association and so no Political Church Nor do I mean a National or Diocesane or Classical Church or any the like which are composed of many particular Churches of the first order conjunct It is not of Necessity that they alway or most usually meet in one Congregation because its possible they may want a capacious convenient room and its possible they may be under persecution so that they may be forced to meet secretly in small companies or there may be some aged weak people or children that cannot travail to the chief place of Meeting and so may have some Chappels of ease or smaller meeting But still it must be a number neither so big nor so small as to be uncapable of the ends of Association which enter the definition how ever weaknâ—ss age or other accidents may hinder some members from that full usefullness as to the main end whith other members have So that they which are so many or live at such a distance as to be uncapable of the ends are not such a Church nor are capable of so being For the number will alter the species In a word it cannot I think be proved that in the Primitive times there was any one fixed Bishop that Governed and Oversaw any more then one such particular political Church as was not composed of divers lesser political Churches nor that their Churches which any fixed Bishop oversaw were more then could hold Communion in Worship in one publick place for so many of them as could ordinarily hear at once for all the families cannot usually come at once they were not greater then some of our English Parishes are nor usually the tenth part so great I have been informed by the judicious inhabitants that there are fourscore thousand in Giles Cripple-gate Parish in London and about fifty thousand in Stepney and fourty thousand in Sepulchres There cannot any Church in Scripture be found that was greater nor neer so great as one of these Parishes No not the Church at Ierusalem it self of which so much is said No not if you admit all the number of moveable Converts and Sojournours to have been of that particular Church which yet cannot be proved to have been so I know Bishop Downam doth with great indignation Dispute that Diocesses were beâ—ore Parishes and that it was more then one Congregation that was contained in those Diocesses We will not contend about the name Diocess and Parish which by the Ancients were sometime used promiscuously for the same thing But as to the thing signified by them I say that what ever you call it a Diocess or a Parish there were not near so many souls as in some English Parishes nor take one with another their Churches commonly were no more Numerous then our Parishes nor so numerous A Diocess then and a Parish were the same thing and both the same as our particular Churches now are that is the Ecclesiae primae or Soceities of Christians combined under Church-Rulers for holy Communion in Worship and Discipline And there were no otherwise many Congregations in one Church then as our Chapples of ease or a few meeting in a private house because of rainy weather are many Congregations in one Parish The foresaid Learned and Godly though angry Bishop Downame saith Def. li. 2. cap. 1. page 6. that Indeed at the very first Conversion of Cities the whole Number of the people converted being some not much greater then the Number of the Presbyters placed among them were able to make but a small Congregation Call that Church then a Diocess or a Parish I
of any other Church Congregation or Elders De facto this is plainly yielded Well this much being yielded and we having come so far to an agreement about the actual Church Constitution and Government of the Scripture times we desire to know some sufficient reason why we in these times may not take up with thaâ— Government and Church order which was practised in the Scripture times And the Reason that is brought against it is this Because it was the Apostles intention that this single Bishop who in Scripture times had but one Congregation and Governed no Presbyters should after Scripture times have many settled Congregations and their Presbyters under them and should have the power of ordaining them c. To this I answer 1. The Intentions of mens hearts are secret till they are some way revealed No man of this age doth know the Apostles hearts but by some sign what then is the revelation that Proveth this Intention Either it must be some Word or Deed. For the first I cannot yet find any colour of proof which they bring from any word of the Apostles where either they give power to this Presbyter or Bishop to Rule over many Presbyters and Congregations for the future Nor yet where they do so much as foretell that so it shall be As for those of Paul to Timothy and Titus that theâ— rebuke not an Elder and receive not accusation against them but under two or three Witnesses the Reverend Author affirmeth that those Eâ—ders were not Presbyters under such Bishops as we now speak of but those Bishops themselves whom Timothy and Titus might rebuke And for meer facts without Scripture words theâ—e is none that can prove this pretended Intention of the Apostles First there is no fact of the Apostles themselves or the Churches or Pastors in Scripture time to prove it For Subordinate Presbyters are confessed not to be then â—nstituted and so not existent and other fact of theirs there can be none And no fact after them can prove it Yet this is the great Argument that most insist on that the practice of the Church after Scripture times doth prove that Intention of the â—pâ—stles which Scripture doth not for ought is yet proved by them that I can find at all express But we deny that and require pâ—ooâ— of it It is not bare saying so that will serve Is it not possible for the succeeding Bishops to err and mistake the Apostles Intentions If not then are they Infallible as well as the Apostles which is not true They might sin in going from the Institution And their sin will not prove that the Apostles intended it should be so de jure because their followers did so de facto If they say that it is not likely that all the Churches should so suddenly be ignorant of the Apostles Intention I answer 1. We must not build our faith and practice on Conjectures Such a saying as this is no proof of Apostolical intentions to warrant us to swerve from the sole practised Government in Scripture times 2. There is no great likelihood that I can discern that this first practised Government was altered by those that knew the Apostles and upon supposition that these which are pretended were their intents 3. If it were so yet is it not impossible nor very improbable that through humane frailty they might be drawn to conjecture that that was the Apostles intents which seemed right in thier eyes and suited their present judgements and interests 4. Sure we are that the Scripture is the perfect Law and Rule to the Church for the Establishing of all necessary Offices and Ordinances and therefore if there be no such intentions or Institutions of the Apostles mentioned in the Scripture we may not set up universally such Offices and Ordinances on any such supposed intents De facto we seem agreed that the Apostles settled One Pastor over one Congregation having no Presbyters under his Rule and that there were no other in Scripture time but shortly after when Christians were multiplied and the most of the Cities where the Churches were planted were converted to the faith together with the Country round about then there were many Congregations and many Pastors and the Pastor of the first Church in the City did take all the other Churches and Pastors to be under his Government calling them Presbyters only and himself eminently or only the Bishop Now the Question between us is Whether this was well done or not Whether these Pastors should not rather have gathered Churches as free as their own Whether the â—hristians that were afterward converted should not have combined for holy Communion themselves in particular distinct â—hurches and have had their own Pastors set over them as the first Churches by the Apostles had They that deny it and Justifie their fact have nothing that we can see for it but an ungrounded surmise that it was the Apostles meaning that the first Bishops should so do But we have the Apostles express Institution and the Churches practise during Scripture times for the other way We doubt not but Christians in the beginning were thin and that the Apostles therefore preached most and planted Churches in Cities because they were the most populous places where was most matter to work upon and most disciples were there and that the Country round about did afford them here and there a family which joyned to the City Church Much like as it is now among us with the Anabaptists and Separatists who are famed to be so Numerous and potent through the Land and yet I do not think that in all this County there is so many in Number of either of these sects as the tenth part of the people of this one Parish nor perhaps as the twentieth part Now if all the Anabaptists in Worcestershire or at least that lived so neer as to be capable of Church communion should be of Mr. T 's Congregation at Bewdley or of a Church that met in the chief City Worcester yet doth not this intimate that all the space of ground in this County is appointed or intended for the future as Mr. T 's Diocess but if the successive Pastor should claim the whole County as his charge if the whole were turned to that opinion no doubt but they would much cross their founders mind And if the comparison may be tolerated we see great reason to conceive that the Ancient Bishops did thus cross the Apostles minds When there were no more Christians in a City and the adjoyning parts then half some of our Parishes the Apostles planted fixed Governours called Bishops or Elders over these particlar Churches which had constant communion in the worship of God And when the Cities and Countreyes were converted to the faith the frailty of ambition co-working thereto these Bishops did claim all that space of ground for their Diocess where the members of their Church had lived before as if Churches were to be measured by the
Certainly if subject Presbyters were not till after Scripture times nor any settled Worshipping Church without a Presbyter unless the people preached and administred the Sacraments then there could be no Worshipping Church that had not their own proper Governour nor any such Governour fixed that had more Churches then one Reason 4. The contrary opinion feigneth the Apostles to have allotted to each Bishop a space of ground for his Diocess and to have measured Churches by such spaces and not by the number of souls But this is unproved absurd 1. Unproved For there is no place in Scripture that giveth the Bishop charge of all that space of ground or of all the Christians that shall be in that space during his time Indeed they placed a Bishop in each City when there was but a Church in each City But they never said there shall be but one Church in a City or but one Bishop in a City much less in all the Country region 2. And its absurd For it s the number of souls that a Church must be measured by and not a space of ground so they do but co-habite For if in the same space of Ground there should be twenty or an hundred times as many Christians it would make the number so great as would be uncapable of personal communion and of obtaining Church Ends. If a Schoolmaster have a School in the chief City or Town of this County and there come as many from many miles compass as one School can hold and there be no more there so long all that space may belong to his School not for the space sake but the number of Schollars For if there be afterward an hundred times as many in that space to be taught they must set up more Schools and it were no wise part in the old Schoolmaster to maintain that all that Country pertaineâ—h to his School because that it was so when there were fewer So that to measure our the matter of Churches by space of ground and not by number of souls is plainly against the Reason of the Relation Reason 5. The opposed opinion doth imply that God more regardeth Cities then Country Villages or that Churches are to be measured according to the number and greatness of Cities rather then according to the number of souls For they suppose that every City should have a Bishop if there be but twenty or fourty or an hundred Christians in it but if there be five hundâ—ed Country Parishes that have some of them many thousand souls in them these shall have no Bishops of their own but be all ruled by the Bishop of the City Now how unreasonable this is methinks should not be hard to discern For 1. What is a City to God any more then a Village that for it he should make so partial an institution Doth he regard Rome any more then Eugubium or Alexandria more then Tanis for their worldly splendor or priviledges No doubtless it is for the multitude of inhabitants And if so its manifest that an equal number of inhabitants elsewhere should have the same kind of Government 2. Is it probable that God would have twenty thousand or an hundred thousand people in a Diocess and in some a Million to have but one Church-Ruler and yet would have every small congregation in a City to have one though there be none else under him What proportion is there in this way of Government that an hundred or fifty men shall have as many Governours as a Million as if ten thousand or an hundred thousand Schollars ouâ— of a City shall have no more Rulers then an hundred in a 〈◊〉 and all because one part are in a City and the other not Or a Physitian shall have but an hundred Patients to look to in a City and if there be a Million in that City and Country he shall also upon pain of Gods everlasting wrath undertake the care of them all Let them that strive for such a charge look to it I profess I admire at them what they think 1. Of the needs of men souls 2. Of the terrours of Gods wrath 3. And of their own sufficiency for such a work Were it my case if I know my own heâ—rt at all I should fear that this were but to strive to damn thousands and to be damned with them by undertaking on that penalty to be their Physitian under Christ when I am sure I cannot look to the hundreth man of them and I had rather strive to be a gally-slave to the Turks or to be preferred to rid Chaâ—els or the basest office all my dayes Reason 6. According to the opposâ—d opinion it is in the power of a King to make Bishops to be either Congregational or Diocesan to make a Bishâ—p to haâ—e a Million of souls or a whole Nation in charge or to have but aâ— few For if a King will but dissolve the Priviledge and title and make that no City whâ—ch was a City though he diminish not the number of souls and if he will do thus by all the Cities save one in his dominion then must there be but one Bishop in his dominion And if he will but make every countrey Town that hath four or five hundred or a thousand inhabitants to be incorporate and honour it with the title and priviledges of a City thâ—n shall they have a Bishop Moreover thus every Prince may de jure banish Episcopacy out of his Dominions without diminishing the number of Christians if he do but defranchise the Cities and be of the mind as I have heard some men have been that Cities are against the Princes interest by strengthening the people and advantaging them to rebellions Also if there be any Indian Nations so barbarous as to have no Cities though they were converted yet must they have no Bishops Also it would be in the Princes power de jure to depose any of those Bishops that the Apâ—stles or their Successors are supposed to set up For the Râ—man Emperour might have proclaimed Antioch Alexandria or any of the rest to be no Cities and then they must have no longer have had any Bishops And what Bishâ—ps shall Antioch have at this day Now how absurd all this is I need not manifest that whole Contreâ—eâ— shâ—ll have no Government for want of 〈◊〉 that Kings shall so alter Church Officers at their pleâ—sure â—hen they intend it not meerly by altering the Civil Priviledgâ—s of their people that a King may make one Diocess to become an hundred and an hundred become one by such means And yet all this doth undenâ—ably follow if the Law be that every City and only every City shall be a Bishops Sea where there are Christians to be governed Reason 7. There is no sufficient Reason given why subject Pâ—â—sâ—byters should not have been set up in the Scripture times as well as after if it had been the Apostles intent that such should be instituted The Necessity pretended was
no necessiâ—y and the Non-necessity is but preâ—ended First it is preâ—eâ—â—ed that there were so few fit men that there was a Necessity of forbâ—arance But this is not so For 1. The Church had larger gifts of the Spirit then then now and therefore proportionable to the flocks they might have had competent men then as well as now 2. They had men enough to make Deacons of even sâ—ven in a 〈◊〉 And who will believe then that they could find none to make such Elders of Was not Stephen or Philip sufficiently qualified to have been a subject Elder 3. They had many that prophesied and interpreted and spake with tongues in one Assembly as appears 1 Cor. 14. And therefore its manâ—fâ—st that there were enough to have made Ruled Elders At least sure the Church at Ierusalem where there were so many thousands would have afforded them one such if it had been requisite But secondly its pretended not to have been Necessary because of the fewness of the people But I answer 1. The same persons say that in Ignatius his time all Churches had such Presbyters And its manifest that many Churches in the Scripture times were more populous or large then many or most beside them were in Ignatius time 2. Did the numerous Church at Ierusalem ordinarily meet on the Lords dayes for holy communion or not If they did then it was but a Church of one Congregation which is by most denyed If not then the several Assemblies must have several Presbyters for several Bishops they will not hear of Doubtless they did not celebrate the holy communion of the Church and Ordinances of God by meer Lay-men alone 3. What man that knows the burden of Pastoral Oversight can say that such Churches of thousands as Ierusalem Rome Alexandria c. had need of no more than one man to Teach them and do all the Pastoral work and so that assisting Ruled Presbyters were then needless If they were needless to such numerous Churches then let us even take them for needless still and set up no new orders which were not seen in Scripture times Reas. 8. The Apostles left it not to the Beshops whom they established to make new Church-offices and orders quoad speciem but only to ordain men to succeed others in the offices and orders that themselves had by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost appointed or else Christ before them A Bishop might make a Bishop or a Deacon perhaps because these were quoad speciem made before and they were but to put others into the places before appointed But if there were no such creature in Scripture times as a subject Presbyter that had no power of Ordination and Jurisdiction then if the Bishops afterward should make such they must make a new office as well as a new officer So that either this new Presbyter is of the institution of Christ by his Apostles or of Episcopal humane institution If the former and yet not institututed in Scripture times then Scripture is not the sufficient rule and discoverer of Divine Institutions and Church Ordinances and if we once forsake that Rule we know not where to fix but must wander in that Romane uncertainty If the latter then we must expect some better proof then hitherto we have seen of the Episcopall or any humane power to make new Offices in the Church of Christ and that of universal and standing necessity Till then we shall think they ought to have made but such Presbyters as themselves Reason 9. If there be not so much as the name of a Ruled Presbyter without power of Ordination or Iurisdiction in all the Scripture much less then is there any description of his Office or any Directions for his ordination or the qualifications prerequisit in him and the performance of his office when he is in it And if there be no such Directory concerning Presbyters then was it not the Apostles intent that ever any such should be ordained The reason of the consequence is 1. Because the Scripture was written not only for that age then in being but for the Church of all ages to the end of the world And therefore it must be a sufficient directory for all The second Epistle to Timothy was written but a little before Pauls death Surely if the Churches in Ignatius daies were all in need of Presbyters under Bishops Paul might well have seen some need in his time or have foreseen the need that was so neer and so have given directions for that office 2. And the rather is this consequence firm because Paul in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus doth give such full and punctual Directions concerning the other Church-officers not only the Bishops but also the Deacons describing their prerequisite qualifications their office and directing for their Ordination and conversation Yea he condescendeth to give such large Directions concerning Widows themselves that were serviceable to the Church Now is it probable that a perfect Directory written for the Church to the worlds End largely describing the qualifications and office of Deacons which is the inferiour would not give one word of direction concerning subject Presbyters without power of Ordination or Rule if any such had been then intended for the â—hurch No nor once so much as name them I dare not accuse Pauls Epistles written to that very purpose and the whole Scripture so much of insufficiency as to think they wholly omit a necessary office and so exactly mention the inferiour and commonly less necessary as they do Reason 10. The new Episcopal Divines do yield that all the texts in Timothy Titus and the rest of the New Testament that mentitn Gospel Bishops or Presbyters do mean only such as have power of Ordination and Iurisdiction without the concurrence of any superiour Bishop The common Inerpretation of the Fathers and the old Episcopal Divines of all ages of most or many of those texts is that they speak of the office of such as now are called Presbyters Lay both together and if one of them be not mistaken they afford us this conclusion that the Presbyters that now are have by these texts of Scripture the power of Ordination and Iurisdiction without the concurrence of others And if so then was it never the Apostles intent to leave it to the Bishops to ordain a sort of Presbyters of another order that should have no such power of Ordination or Jurisdiction without the Bishops Negative Reason 11. We find in Church History that it was first in some few great Cities especially Rome and Alexandria that a Bishop ruled many settled worshipping Congregations with their Presbyters when no such thing at that time can be proved by other Churches therefore we may well conceive that it was no Ordinance of the Apostles but was occasioned afterwards by the multiplying of Christians in the same compass of ground where the old Church did inhabite and the adjacent parts together with the humane frailty of the
meant of the same sort of Presidents and then you may soon see what Bishops were in Tertullians dayes For we have no reason to think that they are not the same sort of Officers which he calleth Presidents and of whom he there saith Praesident probati Seniores So in the foregoing words in Tertullian ibid. it s said Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquando prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitiâ— manu contestamur nos renunciare Diabolo Pompae angelâ—s ejus Where it seems that there were no more thus initiated then the Antistes himself did first thus engage in the Congregation And I believe they take this Antistes for a Bishop And here by the way let this argument be noted Seeing its past doubt that the first sence of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Catus or holy Assembly it self why should the Meeting place be so often called also Ecclesia in those times in the borrowed sence but only in Relation to the People there assembled and it s plain that it was but one Congregation and not many that assembled in that place and therefore it was from that one that the Place is called Ecclesia That it is oft so called besides this place of Tertullian which seems so to use the word I refer you to Mr. Meads exercitation of Temples who proves it distinctly in the several Centuries That saying of Theophilus Antiochenus ad Antolychum seems to intimate the whole that I intend sic Deus dedit mundo qui peccatorum tempestatibus Naufragiis jactatur Synagogas quas Ecclesias Sanctas Nâ—minamus in quibus veritatis doctrina fervâ—t ad quas confugiunt veritatis studiosi quotquot sâ—lvari Deique judicium iram evitare volunt So that the Churches of those times which were as Noahs Ark and where safety was to be found for the soul were Synagogues or Assemblies So Tertul. de Idololatr c. 7. pag. mihi 171. Tota die ad hanc partem zelus fidei peroravit ingenuuÌ„ Christianum ab Idolis in Ecclesiam venire de adversaria officina in domum Dei venire See more places of Tertullian cited by Pamelius on this place num 29. page 177. specially see that de virg Veland cap. 13. p. 224. Clemens Alexandrinus hath divers passages to the purpose now in hand Stromat li. 7. in the beginning he mentioneth the Church and its officers which he divideth only into two sorts Presbyters and Deacons But I will name no more particular persons but come to some intimations of the point before us from customes or Practices of the Church and the Canons of Councils And it seems to me that the dividing of Parishes so long after or of Titles as they are called doth plainly tell us that about those times it was that particular Polâ—cical Church did first contain many stated Congregations And though it be uncertain when this began Mr. Thorndike as we heard before conjectureth about Cyprians dayes yet we know that it was long after the Apostles and that it was strange to less populous places long after it was introduced at Rome and Alexandria where the number of Christians too much ambition of the Bishop occasioned the multiplication of Congregations under him and so he became a Bishop of many Churches named as one who formerly was Bishop but of a single Church For if there had been enough one hundred or fifty or twenty or ten years before to have made many Parishes or stated Assemblies for communion in worshâ—p then no doubt but the light oâ— Nature would have directed them to have made some stated divisions before For they must needs know that God was not the God of Confusion but of order in all the Churches And they had the same reasons before as after And persecution could noâ— be the hindrance any more at first then at last For it was under persecuting Emperours when Parishes or Titles were distinguished and so it might notwiâ—hstanding persecutions have been done as well at first as at last if there had been the same reason It seems therefore very plain to me that it was the increase of Converts that caused this division of Titles and that in planting of Churcheâ— by the Aposâ—les and during their time and much afâ—er the Chuâ—ches consisted of no more then our Parishes wâ—o being most inhabitants of the Cities had their meetings there for full communion though they might have other suborâ—inate meâ—tings as we have now in mens houses for Repenting Serâ—â—ons and Prayer And as Mr. Thorndâ—ke out of Nâ—nius tells us of 365. Bishopricks in Ireland planted by Patrick so other Authors tell us that Patrick was the first Bishop there or as others and more credible Palladius the first and Patrick next and yet the Scots in Ireland had Churches before Palladius his dayes as Bishop Vsher sheweth de Primordiis Eccles. Britan. 798 799 800 c. Iohannes Major de gestis scholarum li. 2. cap. 2. prioribus illis temporibus per Sacerdotes Monachos sine Episcopis Scotos in fide eruditos fuisse affirmat Et ita sane ante Majorem scripsit Johannes Fordonus Scotichron li. 3. cap. 8. Ante Palladii adventum habebant Scoti fidei Doctores ac Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solummodo vel Monaches ritum sequentes Ecclesiae Primitivae N. B. Of which saith Usher Quod postremum ab iis accepisse videtur qui dixerunt ut Johan Semeca in Glossa Decreti dist 93. ca. Legimus quod in Prima Primitiva Ecclesia commune erat officium Episcoporum Sacerdotum Nomina erant communia officium commune sed in secunda primitiva caeperunt dinstigui nomina officia So that it seems that some Churches they had before but Palladius and Patrick came into Ireland as Augustine into England and abundantly increased them and settled withall the Roman Mode So that it seemed like a new Plantation of Religion and Churches there Yet it seems that the Bishops setled by Patrick save that himself an Archbishop was like our Bishops were but such as were there before under the name of Presbyters saith Fordon after the rite or fashion of the Primitive Church And saith Vsher ibid. p. 800. Hector Boethius fuisse dicit Palladium primum omnium qui Sacrum inter Scotos egere Magistratum à summo Pontifice Episcopum creatum quum antea Populi suffragiis ex Monachis Caldeis pontifices assumerentur Boeth Scotorum Histor. lib. 7. fol. 128. b. And he adds the saying of Balaeus Scriptor Britanic centur 14. cap. 6. A Caelestino illum missum ait Johannes Balaeus ut Sacerdotalem ordinem inter Scotos Romano ritu institueret Habebant inquit antea Scoti suos Episcopos ac Ministros ex verbi Divini Ministerio plebium suffragiis electos prout Asianorum more fieri apud Britannos videbant Sed haec Romanis ut magis ceremoniosis atque Asianorum osoribus non placebant By these passages it is easie to conjecture
changed our Religion nor our Church What if he read his prayers and I say mine without book or what if he pray in white and I in black or what if he kneel in receiving the Eucharist and I sit or stand or what if he use the Cross in baptisme and I baptize no better then the Apostles did without it do these or such like make us to be of two Religions Do I change my Religion if I read with a pair of spectacles or if I look towards the South or West rather then the East c. We see what these men would make the Christian Religion to be Were the Apostles no Christians because they had no kneeling at the Eucharist nor Cross in Baptism nor Surplice nor at least our Common Prayer-book c Dare you say they were no Christians or yet that Christian Religion was one thing then and another thing now And for our Churches we do not only meet in the same places but we have the same doctrine the same worship in every part though he talk of our no true worship as if Praying Praising God c. were no true worship the things changed were by the imposers and defenders see Dr. Burgess Rejoynder professed to be no parts at all of worship but meer accidents we have the same people save here and there a few that separate by yours and others seducement and some vile ones that we cast out we have abundance of the same Ministers that we had And yet must we have no worship Ministry Communion of Saints or Salvation because we have only a Parochial and not a Diocesan Episcopacy Forsooth we have lost our Religion and are all lost men because our Bishops have but single Parish-churches to oversee which they find a load as heavy as they can bear and we have not one Bishop to take the Government of an hundred or two hundred Churches At Rome he is a damned man that believeth not in the Pope and is out of the Catholike Church because he is out of the subjection of the Pope and with these men we are lost men if we never so much believe in Christ because we believe not in an Archbishop and are out of the Catholike Church and Communion of Saints because we will not be ruled by such Rulers as these And what 's all this to such Counties as this where I live and most else in England that I hear of that know of no Bishop they have and they rejected none nor doth any come and command them any Obedience Must we be unchristened unchurcht and damned for not obeying when we have none to obey or none that calls for our obedience But I shall let these men pass and leave them in their separation desiring that they had Catholike spirits and principles This much I have said to let men see that there is no possibility of our union with this sort that are resolved on a separation and that it is not these Novelists and Dividers but the antient Episcopal party of England that we can easily agree with § 7. The next that I shall instance in that was agreed with these Principles of ours is the late Reverend and Learned Bishâ—p Vsher of whose Concord with us I have two proofs The one was his own profession to my self The other is his own writings especially his Propositions given in to King Charls now printed called The Reduction of Episcopacy to the form of Synodical Government received in the ancient Church which consisteth of four Propositions having first proved that all Presbyters have the power of Discipline and Church-government the first alloweth the single Rector of the Parish to take notice of the scandalous reprove admonish and debar them from the Lords Table The second is that in every Rurall Dâ—anry all the Pastors within the Precinct may by the Chorepiscopus or Suffragan be every month Assembled in a Synod and according to the Major part of their voices he conclude all matters that shall be brought into debate before them as Excommunication c. The third is for a Diocesan Synod once or Twice a year where by the consent of the Major part of the Rectors all things might be concluded by the Bishop or Superintendent call him whether you will or in his absence by one of the suffragans whom he deputes to be Moderator The fourth is for Provincial and National Synods in like sort § 8. And when I had perused these papers in M. S. I told him that yet one thing was left out that the Episcopal party would many of them stick at more then he and that is a Negative voice in Ordination in the President to which and the rest I proposed this for accommodation in brief 1. Let every particular or Parish Church have a Bishop and Presbyters to assist him where possibly they can be had 2. Let all these Associate and their several Associations have a stated President 3. Let all men be at liberty for the name whether they will call him a Bishop President Moderator Superintendent or the like 4. And for the Negative voice in Ordination let all Ministers of the Assâ—ciation agree that de facto they will not Ordain without him but in Cases of Necessity but let every man be left free to his own Principles on which he shall ground this practice and not be bound to consent that de jure a Negative vote is due to the President These terms did I propose to the Bishop for Accommodation and intreated him to tell me plainly his judgement whether they are satisfactory and sufficient for the Episcopal party to yield to for Peace and Communion and his answer was this They are sufficient and modâ—rate men will accept them but others will not as I have tryed for many of them are offended with me for propounding such terms And thus this Reverend Bishop and I were agreed for Peace in a quarter of an hour the truth of whâ—ch I solemnly profess and so would all the Ministers and Christians in England if they were not either wiser or foolisher honester or dishonester then he and I. And this I leave on Record to Posterity as a testimony against the dividers and contenders of this age That it was not long of men of the temper and principles of this Reverend Archbishop and my self that the Episcopal party and their dissenting Brethren in England were not speedily and heartily agreed for we actually did it To no honour of mine but to the honour of this peaceable man and the shame of the unpeaceable hinderers or refusers of our Reconciliation let this testimony live that Posterity may know whom to blame for our Calamities they all extoll Peace when they reject it and destroy it § 9 For a third witness of the Reconcileableness of the Moderate Episcopal party on these terms I may well produce Dr. Holdsworth who subscribed these same Propositions of Bishop Vsher to the King and therefore was a Consenter to the same way of
exercises He hath indeed given us the Lords Prayer which is our Rule for matter and Method and a lawfull form for words but he hath not tyed us to this only nor told us what words we shall use besides this whether we shall use words long before premeditated call'd a form or only such as are immediately or neer before our speaking premeditated or in speaking adapted to the matter in hand whether our premeditated prayers shall be expressed in our own words or such as are prescribed us by others whether such forms shall be expressed in Scripture words or not whether we shall sing the Psalms of David or compose any Evangelical Hymns our selves whether many Churches shall use one and the same form of words or various whether our Sermons and Catechisms and Confessions of faith shall be a studied or prescribed form of words or the matter and method only studied c These with many other such like are left by God as things undetermined that men may determine of them prudentially as occasions require according to his directions § 17. 11. He that hath commanded us to express our minds in severall cases about his worship as in Confession of our sins in Profession of our faith in choosing of our Pastors in Consenting to the casting out or taking in or restoring of members in renewing promises of obedience and the like hath hereby made a Profession necessary in general and so hath made it our duty to signifie our Consent in all these cases by some convenient sign For mans mind is not known to others but by signs But he hath not tied us absolutely to any particular sign If a Confession of faith be read and we are called to signifie our Consent or if we are called to signifie our Consent to be Church members or to be guided by our Pastors or submit to Discipline God hath not tyed us in such Cases whether we shall signifie this Consent by speaking or by subscribing our names Isa. 44.3 4 5. or by lifting up the hand or by laying it on a Book as in swearing or by standing up or such like A sufficient signification or Profession of our minds is necessary but the special sign is left to our own or our Governors determination Of which I shall speak more anon § 18. To this end and on these terms was the sign of the Cross used heretofore by Christians and to this end they used standing in publick worship every Lords day forbidding kneeling and afterward standing up at the Creed as also adoring with their faces towards the east c. They used these only as significations of their own minds instead of words As the Prophets of old were wont by other signs as well as words to prophesie to the people And as Eusebius tells us how Constantine measured the length and bredth of a man on the earth with his spear to tell the Covetous how little must serve them only a grave place after death And I dare not condemn the Cautelous use of such Professing signs as these Though the tongue be the chief instrument yet not the only instrument to express the mind and though words be the ordinary sign yet not the only sign Dumb men must speak by other signs And usually more silent signs are fitter for Assemblies to avoid disturbance And sometimes more Permanent signs as subscription or a stone or pillar of Remembrance as Iosh. 24 c. are more desirable And this is left to humane prudence § 19. And therefore I durst not have reproved any of the ancient Christians that used the sign of the Cross meerly as a Professing signal action to shew to the Heathen and Jews about them that they believed in a Crucified Christ and were not ashamed of his Cross. The occasionall indifferent use of this when it is meerly to this end I durst not have condemned Nor will I now condemn a man that living among the enemies of a Crucified Christ shall wear a Cross in his hat or on his breast or set it on his doors or other convenient place meerly as a professing sign of his mind to be but instead of so many words q. d. I thus profess my self the servant of a Crucified Christ of whom I am not ashamed Whether these things be fit or unfit the time place occasion and other circumstances must shew but the Lawfulness I dare not deny § 20. 12. He that hath commanded us to celebrate the publick worship and to preach pray praise God c. doth imply in this command that we must do it in some Gesture or other For it is impossible otherwise to do it But he hath not tied us to any one In prayer we may kneel or stand In singing Praises and Petitions to God we may kneel stand or sit At the Lords Table though we have an exmaple of sitting at the celebrating and receiving that Sacrament yet no express command nor a certain obligation It is therefore left to humane prudence to order our gestures by the general Rules of Order Decency Edification c. in Preaching Praying Hearing Singing Receiving c. For God hath not tied us himself to any one particular gesture § 21. 13. God that hath required us to celebrate his worship doth imply that we must do it in a decent Habit Nakedness is a shame Cloathing we must wear but he hath not told us what it must be Whether Linnen or Woollen whether black or white or of what shape and fashion This therefore is left to humane Prudence § 22. 14. God that hath commanded us to celebrate his Praise and other publick worship hath left it to our Liberty and Prudence to make use of such Helps of Nature or of Art as may most conduce to further our obedience and stand in a due subserviency to his institutions As for instance he that hath commanded us to study his word and works hath not prescribed me a certain Method for my studies nor told me what Languages or Sciences I shall learn or first learn nor what Authors I shall read in Logick Physicks Metaphysicks c. It is implyed that in all I use the best helps and in the best order that I can So he that bids me read the Scripture hath not tyed me to read only a Printed or only a Written Bible nor to read with spectacles or without He that hath commanded me to Preach hath not told me whether I must write my Sermon before or not or use Notes for the help of my memory or not but hath left these to be determined as general Rules and emergent accasions and circumstances shall direct us And he that hath commanded us to preach and pray hath not told us whether we shall use the help of a Book or not nor whether we shall use an hour-glass or a clock to measure our time by He that hath commanded us cheerfully and joyfully to sing his Praises hath not told us whether we shall use the meeter or