explain by shewing wherein this Communion doth more particularly consist In my p. 5. viz. in the same Articles of Faith The Communion of Saints in Faith I nam'd the Apostles Nicene and Atharasian Creeds which have been received and used in the Catholic Church from the times they were first published and appoint'd by the Authority of the Church the Creeds are Compendiums and brief Comprehensions of the Objects of our Christian Faith and do contain all things necessary to be believ'd every Article being a principle of the Christian Religion which every Christian is bound to profess and is the Test to distinguish between Heretics and sound Christians and now this profession and agreement of Christians in these Articles of Faith may be truly called the Communion of Saints in point of Faith But my Adversary is not very fond of these Creeds and why not in Scripture says he Why every one who truly believes the Scripture believes the Articles of Faith and every one who believe the Articles believe the Scripture He says They are but Human composition They were Composed by those to whom the Care and Authority of the Church was committed and every Article for the benefit of all even the meanest Christians being formed and Collected out of Sacred Scripture are of Divine Authority He says I shut out the Greek and other Eastern Churches This is but his own Conception for they agree with us in all Articles of Faith they do not indeed express the Article of the Holy Ghost in the very same words but they acknowledge that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Son which differs not in sense and they Worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity so that in Articles of Faith we and they hold Communion Well! I perceive thô my Adversary relishes not and speaks with but indifferent Respect of the Creeds yet he says however he is so far in Communion with us so in this he will be no Schismatic or rather no Heretic The Communion 〈◊〉 Saints 〈◊〉 the Eucharist Another particular which I mentioned requir'd in this Communion is partaking all at the same Table which thô it be not individually yet Spiritually it is the same and being every where called the Lords Table could be no otherwise meant but that this Gent. will be very witty and take exceptions at every thing The Apostle calls it the Lords Table The Cup of Blessing which we bless 1 Cer. 10.21 v. 16. v. 17. is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread All true Christians partaking at the Lords Table are one Body in the Apostles Sense the bread not only signifieing the Body of Christ but the Unity of the partakers also and this is the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table Here says he we are with him still I wonder at his confidence he would say sure hâ—re we ought to be with them for they are not with us By comparing our Church with the Primitive Churches I have proved her to be a Church truly Catholic her Jurisdiction as truly Apostolical as they were from whence it follows as I have said that her Orders are to be equally obey'd her Unity and Peace as strictly maintained and what soever was Schism in any of them must be so in her To refuse Communicating with any of them at the Lords Table and to have set up another Table in opposition to any of them must in this Gentlemans judgment have been criminous Schism then of necessity it holds true against our Dissenters they refuse Communion with that Church which most certainly holds true Communion with the Universal Catholic Church and consequently with the Son of God who is the Head thereof and the Principle and proper Object of all Christian Communion Our Dissenters have set up a separate Table in opposition thereto rob'd her of her Members and broke her Unity all this being notoriously the breach of Christian Charity is in this Gent. and Mr. Hery's Sense too Schism which Mr. Hery calls an Arch-Rebel but not so properly as an Infamous Rebellion in Christs Kingdom and thus they are Schismatics in Separating from the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table What he talks here of deriving our Succession from the Church of Rome is already answered A third particular required in this Communion I affirmed to be Communion of Saints in the same Prayers the joyning all in the same holy Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and giving of thanks according to St. Paul's express Command To this he says I cannot mean that in those Dutys we must necessaryly use the very same words c. for then I exclude all the World but them of my own perswasion and a great many of them too I exhort therefore saith St. Paul that first of all Supplications Prayers 1. Tim. 2. v 1.2 Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all min for Kings and all that are in Authority c. Here is a sufficient ground from Holy Scripture for Liturgies or Forms of Prayers in the public Worship and Service of God and St. Paul gives his reason for it in his Ep. to the Romans that we might with one mind and one mouth Glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15. v. 6. According to this command Forms of Prayers or Liturgies were Composed early in the Catholic Churches and have been used ever since that there might be an Unity in their Supplications and Prayers and in their Thanksgivings and Praises that nothing should be omitted nor any thing more in our Petitions express'd but what our holy Religion requires that there should be no rudeness or undecency in words in which respects conceived and Extempore prayers are very liable to be faulty and in these they were all obliged to joyn where ever they came together for the public Worship and Service of God Herein they had Communion with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ who was in the midst of them Mat. 28. v. 20. and in whose name they were presented and with one another Uniting all in the same Prayers here is the Communion of Saints in holy Prayers It is true that the Respective Provincial or Diocesan Churches had not every one their set Forms of Prayers or Liturgies in the very same words every Bishop having power to Compose a Form for that Church of which he was Over-seer Yet they were the same for substance so that every Christian was obliged to Communicate not only with the Bishop or his Presbyters under whose Jurisdiction he lived but all Catholics coming to remote Churches did as bound by the Rules of Catholic Unity Communicate with their Fellow-Christians to what Church soever they came That in this the Church of England as in the former particulars holds Communion with the Primitive Catholic Church will appear Pream Quinto
one another that can make them Catholics but Agreement with the Primitive Catholic Church In the truly Primitive Church all true Christians did make a formal Profession of Faith by distinctly repeating the Creeds with an audible voice as we do in our Churches at this day which practice seems to be intimated in St. Paul's Injuction to Timothy Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me c. 2 Tim. 1. v. 13. What ever the Faith of these Separate Congregations may be is unknown to us the formal profession of Faith which was constantly used by the Primitive Christians as the badge of Christianity being in the Congregations of our Dissenters laid aside Now that they in this respect agree with the truly Primitive Church must be denied He says I have not proved that they differ from the Catholic Church in the Essentials or integral parts of Gods Worship or in any considerable Circumstance 2. In the truly Primitive Churches they held strict Communion with their Bishops who were the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution not only in Essential but in all Circumstances in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church also as in the having all things Common to this they yielded Conformity The Love Feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials of Worship yet enjoyned by the Apostles as significative of the ardent Love and Christian Charity which Christians had for one another and continued for some time after the Apostles days till thrô Corruption grown to be Scandal and then thô Instituted by the Apostles were abolished by the Authority of the Church Now our Dissenters denying all Communion with our Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over us by Episcopal Ordination and Institution this together with their Usurping the Priestly Office without Episcopal Ordination sufficiently demonstrates that our Dissenters differ from the Primitive Catholie Church in Essential and considerable Circumstances without any further trial In p. 34. he further saith And that this Divine Worship and Service is Visible and External this Gent. is but too sensible and t is a very great Eye-sore to such as he that it is so much more visible than formerly it hath been That it is visible is true but that it is Separate and out of the visible Catholic Church is as true He is pleased to call it Divine Worship and Service which it cannot be I suppose but only in respect of the Object when they have a lawful Spiritual Authority that is Episcopal Ordination and Institution without which there can be no true Ministry which I have prov'd and consequently no true Ordinances it may be called Divine Worship and Service but till then let they who are best able to judge say what kind of Worship and Service it is 〈◊〉 Sâ— lenatius will resolve him in his Ep to the Sâ—â—rn He saith 〈…〉 That its being more viâ—ble than formerly is a great â—ye â—â—re to such aâ— I am is a mistake I have known it more visible than now it is when all the Churches in the Kingdom were Usurped into the possession of the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. those were evil days to see the Noble debased the base and the vile made Rulers over us Religion the pretence of Rebellion the Church buried in Disgrace and Calumny call'd the Scariet Whore c. He was admired for the Hâ—liâ—â— man the greatest Saint who was most improved in the Art of Revâ—â—ing and Speaking evil of Dignities the quitting Communion with a truly Catnoâ—â—c Church the taking of a Rebellious Covenant see his p. 54. or human Composure with significant Ceremonies submitting to Lay Elders a Novelty not formerly known in the Christian Church these with many other Miseries and Calamities endured in those days were great 〈…〉 to me and such as I am But we have learned by the Doctrin which our Church Teacheth Acquiescence and Submission to the Legislative Power a Lesson which out Dissenters could never yet put in practice Tâ—â—y have granted you a Toleration and we are so far from envying it that we Acquiess and submit so as to me and such as I am it is no otherwise an â—â—eâ—oâ—e than in Christian Charity to pity your mistakes and heartily wish that in your practice you would be more conformable to the Gospel of Peace and that there be Peace in the end In his last Parag. p. 34. he says my asserting the Succession of Bishops from the Aposiles c. is inconsistent with other parts of my loâ—k and savâ— he supposeth he hath sufficiently made it manâ—â—â— and in p. 35. he calls my affirmations in my former paper Crude and Coâ—â—â—â— apprehension he is so kind as to plead my capacity to excuse me for my Blunders as he calls 'em but says it will by no means lesseâ— the fault my Oâ—â—â—ious and Confident iâ—â—â—â—râ—â—enâ—y in meddleing with things I so little understand This is but Condemning me by the lump and being past his skill to shew such â—â—â—â—sistency in my Book it is false and those which he calls my Blunders I have proved to be undeniable Truths all the ill is that what ever these men speak or write be it ever so repreachful or false their Disciples believe and swallow it for truth But with Impartial men Railing will never pass for Conviction nor morose uncharitable Censures for true Judgment nor can the Imperious Language he so liberally bestows upon me add one mite to their Cause nor one mite lessen that esteem how undeserved soever I have among many good men but I have learned to forgive him should be offend Seventy times seven Having made the Episcopacy Established in the Church of England appear to be an exact paralel with the Catholic Churches in the Primitive times what I mentioned of the Fathers in my p. 7. holds good against my Adversary by his own Allowance as you may see in his p. 35. at the bottom his words are these We are no way concerned iâ— the Citation of the Fathers â—roâ—â—ht in against us till he has proved that Episcopacy then was the same thing it is mâ—â— and that the Terms of Communion we scruple were ever impesed 〈◊〉 them The former part that the Episcopacy in our Church is the same as it was then is proved That the having all things common the Love-feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials in Religion yet were Terms of Communion in the Apostles time being very plain That the Ceremonies appointed by our Church tho they are not specifically the same which this man seems to insist upon yet being in Nature the same with those above mentioned and being enjoyn'd by the same power and Authority derivatively which the Apostles had this Gent. or any other ought no more to scruple the Terms of Communion imposed by our Church than the Primitive Christians did scruple the Terms of Commanion imposedâ—â— the Apostles In the
Ceremonies without any native worth or strength yet were made Terms of Communion in the Apostles days and continued for some time after The Ceremonies in our Church are of the same Nature only have so much worth and strength that they beat the pleasant fruit of Decency and Order they are falsly called New being Customs of great Antiquity in the Church and being enjoyned by the same power derivatively which the Apostles had by my Adversatys good leave cease to be needless It necessarily follows that all persons within the Jurisâ—iction of the English Church have the same Obligation to submit to her Terms of Communion as the Christians had to submit to the Terms o. Communion with the Apostles Seeing then that there 's nothing amiss in our Church i. e. not any thing that can give any just occasion to separate from her Communion Seeing too that She is a Church framed according to Scripture Rules and that her Terms of Communion are neither New nor Needless the Conclusion necessarily follows that whoever they be within her Jurisdiction that Separate from her Communion do Separate for Separation sake and have no other Motives thereunto than those in â—atâ— Vices of the mind mentioned by Mr. Hery viz Ambition Animosity c. to close this These men are Notorious Schismaticks from their own Principles thereby give themselves the Title of Arch-Rebels in Christs Kingdom I will tâ—â— this Question upon the Dissenters and Examin what account they can give or their being a Church framed according to Scripture Rules and whether all they impose as Terms of Communion be by express Rules in Scripture That Church cannot be framed according to Scripture Rules where the Priestly Office is exerciâ—ed without the Divine Mission my Author may as trâ—â—l â— affirm in respect of his â—atural Generation that be is an immediate Son of Adam as what be in his 31 p. affirms of Ordination viz. that their Spiritual Governâ—rs i.e. their Pastors derive their Authority from Christ which by the words subâ—oyned must be immediately from Christ for he says it is mere proper than to speak of deriving it from the Apoâ—lâ—â— c. No Commission was ever known to come immediately from Heaven without some extraordinary Testimony to evince the Truth of it The immediate Mission which these men pretend to requires an extraordinary Testimony or no man in his right Wits can believe or assent to its Authority or esteem it for any thing but mere Delusion or Usurpation The Cretian Church must be allowed to be framed according to Scripture â—â—les I keep to this Gentlemans term in that Church St. Paul appointed Titus to Ordain Elders in every City none in the Scriptural Churches as this Gent Phrases it was to enter upon the Pastoral or Priestly Office without Episcopal Ordination Our blessed Saviour saith Jâ—â— 10.1 Verily I say unto you he that entreth not by the door into the Sheep sold but climbeth some other way the same is a Thies and a Robber Not entring in at the Door signifies entring without that Authority which the Author of our Religion hath Ordained in his Church without this Mission i. e. Episcopal Ordination no man hath Authority to Preach the Gospel administer Sacraments or exercise any thing appropriate to the Priestly Office unless these men can manifest that they have this Mission they are so far from being a Scriptural Church that our blessed Saviour pronounceth them to be Thieves and Robbers By this account of the Frame of their Church supposing but not granting it to be a Church it appears to have no Foundation of a Scriptural Church but on the contrary is Condemned in the Hâ—ly Scripture Let it now be examined whether All they impose as Terms of Communion be by express Rules in Scripture 1. First Then I desire they 'l inform us where did our blessed Saviour or his Apostles appoint the first day of the Week for Celebration of the Public Worship 2. What precept have they in Scripture for choosing a Text as is now used to Preach upon or the erection of a Pulpit 3. What Divine Command have your Brethren for the Form of Public Penance the Stool of Repentance imposed by the Kirk of Scotland and the Presbyterians in England These are I suppose Terms of Communion with you I am not disputing against the Practice of these things but hence it appears how unreasonable and false that Principle you so much contend for is to wit that nothing is to be done about the Worship and Service of God without Rules and express Command in the Holy Scripture But I farther demand of you 4. What Divine Warrant or where in Scripture did your Predecessors find those three significant Ceremonies imposed without the Regal Authority at the taking the Solemn League and Covenant which you at this day justifie First the Takers must be uncovered 2ly they must stand up 3ly The right hand must be lifted up bare all these Ceremonies in this Religious Solemnity signifying the Submission and Assent of the parties to that Rebellious Covenant were Instituted by the Presbyterians In his 37 p. he says We desire the Rules of the Gospel may be carefully looked into and a model of Government and Worship taken from thence such as may be likely to answer the great ends of Church Societies c. Here 's our Government and Worship supposed to be inconsistent with the Rules of the Gospel thence a necessity of Reformation and who can deny so fair an Offer The Model these good men will set up shall be a Model for Church Government and Worship not like our Vnscriptural Church but taken from the Rules of the Gospel But here it s demanded 5. What Rule or Command is there in all the Sacred Scriptures for private and Unauthorized persons such as these men are under pretence of Reformation to supplant a Catholic Church truly Reformed in Government and Worship to primitive purity as I have shewed and established by all the Authority that can be had on Earth from God or Man Conceited men Think ye that those Pious Martyrs who Reformed our Church inspected not the Rules of the Gospel as carefully and Conscienciously as you and are not the â—reat ends of Church Society answered viz. the Christian Faith truly professed and maintained the Holy Sacraments duly administred and such an Unity and Christian Charity observed and practiced according to the Rules of the Gospel in our Church as exactly and amply as in any Church on this side Heaven His next words in p. 38. are That nothing may be imposed but what is either expressly commanded or has a natural and proper tendency to promote that which is so c. This is Answered before He saith farther Then would the Worship and Service of God appear like itself Rational Grave and Majestical becoming reasonable Creatures c. Here are all men to be perswaded that the Worship and Service in their Conventicles is eminently more Rational Grave and
Enemies that will not contribute their utmost to quench them Men who are not mad will go far for Water to quench those Flame which else would destroy their dwellings They will not contribute to quench them but these men need go no farther but do their duty and the flames are out To disobey the Orders of our Governors is to transgress a plain Law of God If these men have any thing imposed on them by our Governors that is sinful let them shew it and their Plea must be allow'd but they are forced to confess the Terms of Obedience impos'd are but indifferent things mere trifles Now for a man to disobey his Governors and have no other plea but this it is too mean to excuse him from the transgression of a known Law Obey them that have the Rule over you is the command of the holy Apostle Heb. 13.17 Nor can indiffernt things or what they acknowledg mere trifles be a pretence sufficient to bind the Conscience against an express Law of God for as if the blessed Apostle had foreseen these mens Plea he Commands Obedience to our Governors for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 I hope by what is said it will be allowed by all impartial men and sound Christians that I may conclude without breach of Charity that the Dissenters in England are they who kindle the unhappy Flames about Church Government and Worship and that they are the great Enemies that will not contribute the least not so much as do their Duty to quench them and that notwithstanding all the Writing he talks of the fault of all our Divisions lies at their door He goes on The word Schism has been toss'd like a Tennis-ball from one side to another till by such motion those violent heats have been caused that have much endangered both our Church and State By this Rhetoric I suppose is meant the Opposition and Disputes made by these men against the established Church of England that by these means these men not only endangered but for some years involved both Church and State in Ruin and Desolation had I brought no arguments yet by sad experience is sufficiently proved He says Great endeavours have been used to fasten the Guilt upon such as impose unnecessary and suspected Terms of Communion and it has been is furâ—â—ly retorted upon those who comply not with those Terms Here the Terms of Communion are Vnnecessary and Suspected only but who are to â—e Judges of what things are necessary or what Vnnecessary they that bear Rule over us or they that owe Subjection Government always implies Subjection and how can bare suspicion discharge a man from the dury of Obedience This is certain that if a Father command his Son to do something which is in it self not Unlawful and if the Son tell his Father it is Vnnecessary and that he Suspects it to be so and if only for that Reason will not obey that Son is a Transgressor against the fifth Commandment and it s as certain that this is truly applicable to these men all their Expositers affirm that Obedience to their lawful Rulers Pastors is required by that Commandment But because the whole Controversie which these Dissenters have against our Church mainly depends on these two perticulars mentioned by this Gent. viz. Church Government and Worship it will be very necessary to lay down some irrefragable Instances to prove what was the Practice of the Church in respect of its Government in the times next after the Apostles Episcopacy the Government of the Church in the times next after the Apostles and this I do because by referring thereto I shall answer many passages which follow in this Gentlemans Book I begin with the Canon of the Apostles which I find thus Translated by a person of great worth both for Learning and Veracity Let not the Presbyters or Deacons do any thing without the Consent of the Bishop for he hath the people of the Lord intrusted to him and there shall one day be required of him an account of their Souls Here the Bishop has the Power of Governing the Presbyters and Deacons Of what Authority these Canons are Justellus has made evident in his account of the Code of the Universal Church Clemens Romanus who was an Adjutor of the Apostles and as Linus Succeeden St. Peter and Cletus Lanus so he Succeeded Cletus in the Bishopric of Rome where all others in Holy Orders were called Presbyters except Deacons only who speaking of the Apostles in his Ep. ad Corinth p. 57. saith That they foreseeing that there would be Contentions and Emulations about the Name or Dignity of Bishop or Episcopacy they set down a List or continuation of Successors that when any dyed such a certain person should Succeed him Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Martyr who saw Jesus and liv'd in the Apostles age whose Authority many of later times Enemies to Episcopacy have opposed yet never could suppress the plainness of it In his Epistle to the Smyrneans he saith But avoid Divisions as the beginning of evils and be all of you observant of the Bishop as Jesus Christ was observant of the Father and observe the Presbyters as the Apostles and reverence the Deacons as the Command of God Let no man presume to do any thing in the Church without the Bishop And let that Eucharist only be accounted firm which is either performed by the Bishop himself or by his Licence And a little further He who honoreth the Bishop honoreth God but he who doth any thing without the Bishop's approbation performs a Service to Satan c. In his Epistle to the Ephesians Therefore pursuant to something before it becomes you every way to glorifie Jesus Christ who glorifies you that being perfected and knit up in the same Subjection and being of one mind and of one judgment you may all speak the same things and being Subject to the Bishop which Onesimus then was 〈…〉 Presbyters may be Sanctify'd in all things Again in the same Epistle As Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 who is our into uparable life did follow the judgment of the Father and the Bishops who are designed to the ends of the Earth follow the judgment of Jesus Christ therefore it is a comely thing for you to concur in the â—â—â—â—ment of the Bishop as also you do for your Presbyters most worthy of Praise and of God is so adapted to the Bishop as strings are fitted to the â—â—rp insomuch that Jesus Christ is Celebrated through your unanimity and agreement in Love And in the same Ep. Therefore let us endeavour to be in subjection to the Bishops that we may be Gods Subjects In his Epistle to the 〈◊〉 For I was accounted worthy to see Damâ—s your Divite â—â—â—â—op and the worthy Presbyters Bassuâ— and Apolliaâ—s and Sâ—tiâ—n the Deacon my Fellow-servant whom I would enjoy because 〈…〉 subject to the Bishop as to the Grace of God and to the Presbyters as to the Law of Jesus Christ
Sexto Ed. 6 ti cap. primi if we consider that the CONVOCATION in the Reign of Edward the Sixth by whom our Liturgie was Reform'd with one consent agreed upon one Set Form of Prayer Administration of Sacraments c. to be used in the English tongue in every Dioces thrô out the Realm In the Reforming and Composure wherof they had before their eyes the Word of God and the Primitive Church for their imitation the Glory of God the Comfort and Edification of the People for their End and all their Supplications and Prayers therein are directed to God Almighty presented in the name of the blessed Jesus and all we supplicate for in them is for no other than what is allow'd of and required in our holy Religion and is a reasonable Service To this I will add two things more viz. Mr. Calvin's Letter to the then Protector of England which is to this purpose For so much as concerns the Prayers and Ecclesiastical Rites I much approve that they be determined so that it may not be Lawful for the Ministers in their Administrations to vary from it and he gives his Reasons That it may be a help to the weakness of some That it may be a Testimony of the Churches Consent and that it may stop the desultorious levity of those who are for new things The other is what their Learned Mr. Baxter saith Disp of Liturgy Prop. 10 viz. The constant disuse of Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and may make men Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with conceits that they delight in God when it is but in these Novelties and Veriety of Expression that they are delighted and therefore he adviseth Forms to fix Christians and make them sound Thus these two great Guides of theirs It being clear that there is a Communion of Saints in Prayers as in other Offices of Divine Worship the refusing to Commnuicate therein is a Breach of Unity and of the Communion of Saints Nor can I stand charged as my Adversary affirms with Excluding all those from the Communion of Saints who use not the Liturgy of our Church every National Catholick Church having equal Authority to enjoyn its own Liturgy in which every Member therein is bound to Communicate by the very nature of Unity required in the Gospel St. John declares Revel 5.9 c. that the Four and Twenty Elders in his vision sung a new Sonâ— and sets down the Form of words wherein the Angels the Beasts and the Elders all with a load Voice glorified the Lamb c. Now what ever else this may signifie it certainly Represents the Uniformity of Divine Service above and it is to be considered that the Church on Earth is the Type of that glorious part of the Catholic Church Triumphant in Heaven and thô the perfection of that Unity which is above cannot be attained unto in this imperfect State which is below yet that which is above is proposed for our imitation and sheweth the great delight the Glorious Trinity the One God hath in the Vnity of his Service The nearer we on Earth Resemble that Unity which is above the more perfect we are The Church of England in Immitation of the Church above enjoyns Unity in Her Prayers Intercessions c. and in all the Worship and Service of God but in contradiction to this our Dissenters can by no means endure it A Fourth particular mentioned by me required in the Communion of Saints is Communion of Saints in subjection to Governors To be Subject and Odedient to our Spiritual Rulers and Governors who have derived their Authority from the Apostles by a due Succession in all things pertaining to Godly Life Decency and Order To this he says in p. 31. and 32. We are very desirous to give due Honour and Obedience to our Spiritual Governors who derive their Authority from Christ which is more proper than to speak of deriving it from the Apostles for Christ is the only Fountain of Authority and the Stream are derived rather from the Fountain than the Cistern it is observable the mans expression is sunk from an Vninterrupted Succession to a due Succession To observe the Apostolical precepts in Government and Worship may make it up a due Succession but there is more in an Vninterrupted one than so now before he can say we want this Qualification for Communion he must prove that Diocesan Bishops are made our Spiritual Rulers by a Divine Command For any man living to affirm that he has Received Authority to be a Minister of the Gospel from Christ Jesus immediately is contrary to the current of the Gospel and the voice of all Antiquity since the Apostles Who but the Apostles can this be attributed unto St. Paul thô after the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the other Apostles had indeed a Commission from Christ Jesus immediately yet it was confer'd in an extraordinary manner by a voice from Heaven that it might appear to be no cheat Acts 13.3 and he entred not upon his Office without the Imposition of the hands of the Church No spiritual Power is received from Christ Jesus by any man immediately it is conferred no other way but from Christ to his Apostles and by a Succession from them to our days the Original and Foundation thereof being Christ Jesus If any man will pretend to an immediate Authority and prove it not by some Miracle or Revelation he can pass for no other than a mere Enthusiast and an Impostor This Doctrin of his is the false bottom upon which many Heresies strange and pernicious Opinions have been built and is the Parent of our Schisms and Separations if a man by this Suggestion can but gull the weak people into a belief of such a Commission to be immediately from Christ How do they follow and admire him With-draw their Obedience from their lawful Governors and Pastors break the bonds of Charity and all the Rules of Peace and Order and all this only to be the Disciples of such a man All the Honor and Obedience these men give is not to Spiritual Governors who are so by the Institution of our Lord. Jesus to whom alone the promise of the Assistance and Operation of the blessed Spirit is given to Guide and Govern the Flock of Christ but to them who enter not by the door but climb up some other way i. e. those who are set up by their own Authority That in many particulars these Dissenters differ from the Church of England wherein she agrees with the Primitive Churches doth by this time fully appear My using the words dâ—e Succession here doth not as he pretends sink the sense of an Uninterrupted Succession for that cannot be called a due Succession which is not an Uninterrupted Succession So this is but a mere â—ingle I have before sufficiently proved the Government of the Church by Diocesan Episcopacy to be the Institution of our Blessed Saviour and