need not take it very ill that he useth me with Contempt and Scorn when he p. 208. putteth the Excellent Buchannan among the highest Order of Devils It was said that our Author saith as much as that the Holy Days are the Power of God to Salvation He Answered p. 209. he looketh on them as the Publick and Stated Seasons wherein the Power of God to Salvation is manifested This is far below what he had before said that they are necessary to the Beeing of Religion c. and this Expression he Apoâ—ogizeth for ibid. blaming his Antagonists ill Nature because he understood it not of the External Profession of Religion and that it was meant that they are very useful for it as the Exercises of Religion must be performed sometimes with Ordâ—r Uniformity and Society I confess neither is my Nature so good as to applaud this Answer nor is my Understanding so good as to comprehend how this can be the Meaning of that Aâ—â—ertion Would he have us so good Natured as to think all is sound that he saith whither it can be reconciled to any sound Sense or not I am sure he doth not set us a Copy of such good Nature We have the Mercat fallen very low from the Holy Days being necessary to the Beauty and Beeing of Religion first to this that inward Religion may do well enough without them next that they are not necessary but only very useful to the External Profession of Religion And then that External Religion needeth them only sometimes Further that it may subsist always without them but it will not in that Case be so Orderly as were needful Yet again it is but for the Uniformity of External Religion that they are any way useful so as the Beeing and Beauty of it may be kept where they are not observed only these Churches are not like their Neighbours And lastly Religion Internal and External may have both its Beeing and Beauty in particular Persons though they observe no Holy Days only it is useful that if they think fit to go to Church and to Worship God in Society on these Days that they should observe them If he will allow us thus to understand all his big Words it will tend much to Compromise our Differences He taketh it amiss that it was said that he Damned them all to Hell who do not observe Christmass and this he disowneth The Ground of that Inference was for it was not charged on him further than that it followeth from his Principles that he maketh the Observation of it necessary to the beeing of Religion I think they who are without the Beeing of Religion are in the Way to Hell yea though they understand it of External Religion which they are capable to Practise what can we think of the State of Presbyterians who do not yea will not and think they ought not observe the Holy Days if the Observation of them be necessary to the Beeing of Religion It is not imaginable that a Person of such Sentiments can have any Degree of Charity to them with respect to their Salvation unless he think a Man may be Saved without all External Religion SECTION X. Of Schism THe Enquirer falleth next upon the Presbyterian notion of Schism as one of the New Opinions the Opinion of the Presbyterians in this he taketh from one Person who never pretended to Write in the Name of all the Presbyterians neither did ever Write of Schism of set Purpose or fully but only endeavoured to take off that odious Charge that his Party had laid on Us by Answering their Arguments However I am willing to Account for what he Opposeth in that Author or to yield to the Force of Argument if there be any thing which cannot be Defended My Antagonist hath treated on this Subject so indistinctly that there is a Necessity to give a more clear Account of the Nature of Schism in general without which we may wrangle but not Dispute It hath been an ancient Practice and is frequent in later Times and in ours for different Parties to brand one another and that with fierey Zeal with the odious Name of Schismaticks without considering or at least Defineing what it is that they call Schism The bitter Epithets among the Ancients given to them whom they imputed this Blame to did sufficiently shew their Zeal against Schism but did more shew that there were Schisms among them and that they were Angry one with another and hold â—urth some particular Causes of these Heats than lead us to a distinct Knowledge of the general Nature of Schism Some modern Authors have Written more disâ—inctly of it yet the particular Cause they were concerned for hath distorted their Thoughts of the Nature of Schism into one side and wrested its Essence to serve their Hypothesis It is Observed by the Learned and Reverend Stillingfleet Irenic p. 108. that the word Schism though it sound harsh it being often taken in an ill sense as it importeth a separation from a Church is not a thing intrinsically evil in it self but is capable of the Differences of Good and Evil according to the Ground Reasons Ends and Circumstances inducing to such a Separation the withdrawing from a Society is but the Materialitie of Schism the Formalitie of it must be â—etcht from the Grounds on which that is built He citeth also another Author Observing that Heresie and Schism as they are commonly used are Two Theological Scarcrows with which they who would uphold a Partie in Religion use to fright away such as making Enquirie into it are readie to relinquish and oppose it if it appear either Erroneous or Suspicious § 2. Before I come to search into the Opinion of the Fathers and others about the Nature of Schism it is needful to premise a few things 1. Schism is a Breach of Unitie and therefore there can be no Schism where there ought to be no Unitie yea where there need be no Unitie or where there can be no Unitie Wherefore that we may understand what Schism is it is needful to Consider what Unitie should and must be amongh Churches and among Christians There are several sorts of Unitie that we cannot have with all Churches as local Communion some that we need not have as Identitie of Rites some that we ought not to have with some Churches as Communion in false Doctrine or impure Worship 2. The Unitie of the Church may be Considered in all the Notions in which the Church is considered or in all the sorts of Churches In the Catholick Church visible and invisible in all the Combinations of Churâ—hes among themselves National provincial classical and in particular Comgregatious It is an undue Notion of Unitie and Schism that Independents have that they are only to be Considered as in a particular Congregation 3. Unitie consisteth in Joyning with and câ—eaving to the Church in all these Acts of Communions with her that the LORD hath made our Dutie so that it is not
only Schism to depart fâ—om a Church without just cause that we have been joyned to but not to joyn with some Societie of Christians when it is possible for us and when we can do it without Sin the former may be called a â—ositive this a negative Separation 4. Schism may be also called Positive or negative in another Sense the former when a Partie in a Church doth not joyn with the Church yet setteth up no Church in a separated way from that Church whereof they were Members the later when they set up such a distinct Societie there may be just Causes for both The first When I cannot joyn with the Congregation I belong to because of some Corruption that I must partake of if I joyn but I partake with some other more pure Societie The second When a Body of People cannot joyn without Sin nor can they have the occasion of a Societie where they might joyn they must either live without Ordinances or set up another Religious Societie on this Ground Protestants did thus separate from the Popish Churches 5. There may be a partial Separation when one Ordinance is so corrupted that we cannot joyn in it and yet can joyn with the Church in all other Acts of Communion and a total Separation when either the Church will not suffer us to joyn with her in any part of her Service unless we joyn in all or she is so Corrupt that we can joyn with her in nothing that is Religous The former by most wise and sober Men is not reckoned such a Schism as that any are to be blamed as Schismaticks on that account but the Author I now Debate with aggravateth that even to a very high degree of Schism as also do many of â—is Partizans driving many Consciencious and good Men from them for the sake of some Usages which themselves count indifferent and the others apprehend to be unlawful 6. The Differences in Opinion about Religious matters especially when Managed with heat and animosities may be called Schiâ—m according to the import of the Word yet in the usual Ecclesiastical notion of Schism they are not to be so reputed unless some kind of separation or shuning the ordinarie Church Communion one with another follow upon them Diversitie of Opinion and of Affection are sinful evils but it is diversitie of Religious Practice following on these that maketh ChurchiSchism 7. When a separation falleth out in a Church the Guilt of it doth certainly ly on the one side or the other and often neither side is wholly innocent they who have cause to separate may manage their Good cause by evil Methods and in a way that is not wholly Commendable now to know on which side the blame of the Schism â—ieth we must not always conclude that they are in the fault 1. Who are the fewer Number otherwise most Reformations of the Church were sinful Nor 2. Who separate from the Church Rulers themselves being in Possession of Church Authority for this should condemn our Reformation from Poperis Nor 3. Who separate from that Partie that hath the countenance of civil Authority and hath the Law on its side not only because it is the Gospel not the Law of the Land that is the Rule of our Religion and Church Practice but also because that is variable and by that Rule they who were the sound Partie one year may be Schismaticks the other without any Change in their Principles or Practice which is absurd Wherefore the blame of Schism in that case lieth only on them who hath the wrong side of that controverted Matter about which they divide or who though their Opinion be better than that of the opposite Partie yet depart from the Communion of their Brethren without sufficient Cause every thing that we may justly blame not being sufficient for making a Rent in the Church Hence it plainly followeth that Mens assuming to themselves the name of the Church is not sufficient Ground for them to Brand such as Schismaticks who depart from their Communion Where Truth and Gospel Puritie is there is the Church and they who have most of these are the soundest Church § 3. Having laid this Foundation for Discerning what is truly Schism and where the Blame of it lieth I shall next enquire into the Opinion of the ancient Church about Schism it is evident that they did Oppose it and set forth its Sinfulness and sad Consequences with a great deal of Zeal and that justly for it is not only a sinful thing on the one side or the other but is a great Plague and Judgment from the LORD on a Church and tendeth to the of Ruine of Good Order of the inward and outward Practice of Religion and of Mens Souls and herein I shall make no Debate with my Antagonist in what he Discourseth p. 211. 212. He is in a vast Mistake if he reckon it among the New Opinions of Presbyterians that they think well of Schism that is truely such or speak diminutively of the Evil and Hazard and Fatal Effects of it nay our Principle is that a Man should part with what is dearest to him in the World to Redeem the Peace and Unitie of the Church yea that nothing can Warrant or Excuse it but the Necessity of shuning Sin It is also evident that the Ancients were very Liberal in bestowing on one another the odious Names of Schismaticks as also of Heretick and that often proceeded from a true though mistaken Zeal for lovely Truth and beautiful Unity at other times it might arise from some sinful Infirmities that they as all Men are were Subject to Good Men may be Zealous for their own Opinions because they take them to be the Truths of GOD. The Father 's called several Practices Schism and shewed a great dislike of them all As 1. They blamed Dividing from the Universal Church as Schism and there are many things wherein Men may be blamed under this Head which I shall not now mention it being my Work at present only to Enquire into the Opinion of the Fathers in this Matter I find they were not of my Adversaries Opinion in this many things he maketh a heavy out-cry about and blameth People for as Schismaticks and Sectaries which they laid no such stress on They bare with one another though they Dissered in Rites and several Customs They did not fall out about what they counted indifferent but maintained Peace and Concord notwithstanding of different Practices in one Church from another Euseb. lib. 5. C. 23. citeth Irenaeus reproving Victor of Rome where Usurpation and imposing on others early began for Excommunicating other Churches which kept not Easter on the same Day with him and he setteth before him some Differences between Polycarpus and Annicetus so as neither could perswade the other to be of his Mind and yet they did lovingly Communicate together The Words of Iren. as Eusebius hath them are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Some think they should
THE GOOD Old WAY Defended Against the Attempts of A. M. D. D. in his BOOK Called An Enquiry into the New Opinions Chiefly propogated by the Presbyterians of SCOTLAND Wherein the Divine Right of the Government of the Church by Presbyters Acting in Parity is Asserted and the pretended Divine Right of the Hierarchie is disproved the Antiquity of Parity and Novelty of Episcopacy as now Pleaded for are made Manifest from Scriptural Arguments and the Testimony of the Antient Writers of the christian-Christian-Church and the groundless and unreasonable Confidence of some Prelatick Writers exposed Also the Debates about Holy-Days Schism the Church-Government used among the First Scots Christians and what else the Enquirer Chargeth us with are clearly Stated and the Truth in all these Maintained against him Likewise some Animadversions on a Book called the Fundamental Charter of Presbytery in so far as it misrepresenteth the Principles and Way of our First Reformers from Popery where the Controversie about Superintendents is fully handled and the Necessity which led our Ancestors into that Course for that Time is Discoursed By GILBERT RULE one of the Ministers of the City and Principal of the College of EDINBURGH EDINBURGH Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson Printer to the King 's most Excellent Majesty Anno DOM. 1697. To the Right Honourable PATRICK EARL of MARCHMOUNT Viscount of BLASONBERRY LORD POLWARTH of POLW ARTH REDBRAES and GREENLAW c. LORD High CHANCELLOR of the KINGDOM of SCOTLAND My Noble Lord I Have presumed to Prefix your Lordships Name to this Work hoping that your Lordship will count it no dishonour for the Greatest of Men to Patronize the least of the Truths of GOD and knowing your Zealous and Pious Concerns as for the State so for the Church of CHRIST as now Established in this Nation My Design in this Dedication is not to seek the Rulâ—rs Favour having had for many Years the Honour to be more Regarded by Your Lordship than ever I could deserve nor to Engage your Lordship to own our Church against her open and secret Enemies knowing how steadily you have appeared for the True Interest of the Church and of the Nation In utraque fortuna and how fixed your Principles are with respect to both But what I aim at is to express the true Sense I have as I know my Brethren also to retain of your Lordships Wisdom Zeal and Fortitude encountering the Greatest of Hazards and enduring the most grievous of Hardships for that Holy Religion that ye Profess and for the Liberties of your Native Countrey The eminent Post your Lordship is now in as it is a Token of your Princes Favour and His Majesties Wise Choise of a sit Instrument for High and difficult Work So it is the LORD'S Reward for your hard Services and his giving you the Opportunity to do him further Service of another Sort and his Trying you whether ye will Eye GOD'S Glory above all things when ye have the Occasion and Temptation of seeking your own Things as ye did when ye Ventured and lost your All in this World for him GOD expecteth that ye will now Pay your Vows made in your Trouble and that ye will be singly and actively for him the Time is short wherein we can Walk or Work and Occasions are uncertain There will be great Peace in Reflection when our Work is at an endâ— on sincere Endeavours and Application of Mind to the Work that the LORD hath put in our hand That the LORD may long Preserve your Lordship and continue your Capacity to do Him Service and that he may Blessyour Noble Family with His best Blessings is the earnest prayer of Edinburgh December 20 1697. My Noble Lord Your Lordships Devoted and most Humble Servant G. R. TO THE READER THat I again appear publickly in this Paper War being for my Age Miles emeritus needeth no other Apology than the Necessity that the Months that were so Widely Opened against the Truth and right Ways of GOD should be Stopped and I knew of no other Endeavours this Way when I entered on this Work nor till I had finished it After it was in the Press and some Progress made in it I read the Learned and Industrious Mr. William Jamesons Nazianzeni Quaerela Voâ—um Justum wherein the same two Authors that I Deal with are solidly Refuted and the main Subject that I Treat off is Handled which made me think that Bâ—ok might Supersede mine Yet the Advice of others Wiser than my self and my own second Thoughts finding fewer Coincidences in them than might have been Expected And that the one Work is more Historical the other more Argumentative so that they may make up a complete Answer to what our Adversaries have now thought sit to say and Considering that some Debates are here insisted on which he hath not touched and that two Witnesses are better than one these Considerations I say determined me not to stop the Press And indeed the Unaccountable Confidence of these Authors on the slenderest Grounds should be exposed as much as may be while they Build so Important Truths and Practices and press them so warmly on Phrases Words and Modes of Speaking used by the Ancients which signified quite another thing then than what now they are commonly applyed to The Learned Clericus in his Preface to Ars Critica Sect. 3. at the end hath these Words here very apposite Quot quanti viri crediderunt se Historiam Christianarum Ecclesiarum Opiniones eorum qui S. S. Patres vocantur in numerato habere qui revera Hospites ea in re fuerunt nempe Vocabula nuda didicerant aut Voces quibus ex Hodiernis placitis Significationes tribuebant If we lay such Weight on Ways of Speaking of old used as sufficient Arguments for Prelacy it is reasonable to allow the same with Respect to Popery And in that Case Thou art Peter and on this Rock will I Build my Church and I will give to thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven c. shall infer the Popes Supremacy with as good Reason as the Fathers Ascribing Jurisdiction to the Bishop without mentioning the Presbyters at the same time doth infer his sole Power seing as our Lord in another Place giveth the same Power to the rest of the Apostles that here He seemeth to give to Peter alone so do the Fathers often speak of the Ruling Power of Presbyters as well as they several times mention that of Bishops without mentioning Presbyters No Protestant will admit the Consequence in the one Case wherefore neither ought we so to Argue in the other Case ERRATA PAge 1. line 16. read Principle p. 5. l. 25. r. Theorems p. 50. l. 5. r. James p. 136. l. 8. r. Matters of Fact p. 146. l. 7. r. Praeses p. 150. l. 36. r. them p. 181. l. 37. r. approved p. 186. l. 37. r. great p. 194. l. 11. r. Struggling p. 198. l. 38. r. Rank p. 199.
Reply but the words of Psalms 12. 3 4. The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud things who have said with our tongue will we prevail our lips are our own who is Lord over us and Psal. 120. 3 4. What shall be given unto thee or what shall be done unto thee O false tongue We can answer his Arguments and are willing to be Instructed by him and attacked that way But who can stand before this kind of Topicks I have not met with any Person who is of opinion that Presbyterians think to make their Calling and Election sure only by Division and Singularitie save this Author p. 8. Who seemeth to take the same Liberty to himself of speaking all the ill he can devise of Presbyterians that the Author of pax vobis doth against Protestants of all sorts I am not at leasure to enquire how much he hath borrowed from that Author But it is evident that the strain of both is the same I shall take little notice of his confident insinuation p. 9. That Prelacy was revealed by our Saviour taught by his Apostles and received by all Churches in the first and best Ages For the truth of this is to be tryed in the following Debate But I cannot overlook his suposing that we reject certain Ritualls and practises which by the plainest and most undenyable consequences are agreeable to the general Rules of Scripture and the uniform Belief of all Christians If he can prove the Contraverted Ceremonies to be such we shall correct our Opinion about them § 8. He layeth some Foundations p. 10. and 11. For his following Dispute which we cannot allow as first that the first Christians were agreed among themselves about not only the great Articles of Religion but also about the General Rules of Ecclesiastick Order and Discipline under which Head he plainly includes the Rituals of the Church It is to be lamented that even in Doctrine there was not that Unitie that was fit in the Primitive times we read of many Heresies early broached for Order it was not the same among all there were sad Schisms as well as Heresies and for Ritualls we find no General Rule they agreed in for Ordering them save the Word of GOD contained in the Scriptures For General Councills that medled most with these were later than the times we speak of And it is well known what Fatal Contentions there were about some of them such as the time of observing Easter Yea the first Churches had different Ritualls about which they made no Divisions but used Christian forbearance Socrates hath a whole Chapter to prove this which is C. 21. of lib 5. of hist. Ecclesi Iraeneus reproving Victor for Excommunicating the Quarto Decimani hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And at large sheweth that the Primitive Christians did not censure one another for difference of Rites and Customs observed among them Every one knoweth how far the Churches of the first Ages were from uniformity in their Fasting Some abstaining from that which others did not Scruple to eat in the frequency of Communicating about the time and manner of Baptising about the time and degrees of publick penance placing the Altar or Communion Table c. It is evident then that the first Christians did not look on Ritualls as that about which Christian Concord should be judged of They minded things of higher moment and greater necessity § 9. Another Paradox that he Advanceth is that by this uniformity in Doctrine and Rituals they the Primitive Christians strenghned themselves against Infidels and Hereticks This Assertion with respect to Rituals is wild and absurd not only because such Uniformity was not found nor much regarded among them as hath been shewed but also because this Uniformity in Matters so extrinsick to Religion could afford them no strength more than an Army is the stronger by all the Souldiers wearing Coats of the same Fashion and Colour It was their Unity in the Truths of God their Managing the Ordinances of God by one Divine Rule and their Love and forbearance of one another in the different Practice of such Rituals as were not Instituted by Christ in these as the Means did their strength ly Yet another strange Position he supposeth the Constitutions wherein he and we differ to have been received among all Christians which never hath yet been proved and affirmeth that despising these overthroweth the Foundations of Peace and Charity and consequently we exclude our selves from the visible Fellowship of Christs Houshold and Family His Supposition which p. 11. and often else where he considently layeth as a Foundation of his whole Debate is groundless as I hope will appear in the Progress of this Disquisition His Assertion is false and dangerous For 1. There was Peace amongst the primitive Churches where several of the Constitutions he talketh of were practised by some and neglected or despised by others as may be Instanced in the Trina Immersio and many others 2. Even about some Truths and Ordinances of God there were Debates in the primitive Churches and some differed from that which was generally held and yet they were not Excommunicated but dealt with by more soft Means and born with till the Lord should enlighten their Mind according to the Apostles direction Phil. 3. 15 16. 3. It is the way of the Antichristian Church but of few others to unchurch all Sister Churches who differ from them in any thing even in Rituals this is not the Spirit of the Gospel If he understand that they only exclude themselves from the Church who differ from what all and every one hold who are Christians his Assertion cannot be contradicted yet it may be Ridiculed for that is impossible for any who is a Christian to do but if he speak of what is commonly received this very Assertion doth Sap the Foundation of all Peace and Unity in the Church that all they were to be Treated as Apostats from the Church and Christianity who have a singular Sentiment about any one Point of Doctrine or Ceremony even though they Dissent never so modestly and this will Authorize all the Severities of the Inquisition Whether will mens furious Zeal for Humane Devices carry them § 10. What followeth doth surmount all that we have heard p. 11. Whatever is uniformly determined by the wisest and best of Christians their learnedst Bishops and Presbyters must be received as the infallible Truth of God else we have no certain Standard to distinguish the Catholick Church in former Ages from the Combinations of Hereticks And a little below The uniform Voice of Christendem in the first and purest Ages is the best Key to the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles and their Successors I make here two Observes before I consider the thing that is thus boldly Asserted The former is that may be through oversight he giveth Presbyters a share in Determining or decisive Power about what must be received as the
Christ did who is before all for we must not follow tho Custome of men but the Truth of God Chrisost Homil. 13. in 2 Cor. sub finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Let us not carry about the Opinion of the Multitude but try things ye have the Scripture the exact Standard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Index 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaving what this or that man thinketh about these things enquire of all these things from the Scripture Here is another Standard than what our Author mentioneth Origen Homil. in Jerom. It is necessary that we call in the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures for our Opinions and Discourses makes no Faith without these Witnesses Cyril Catehes 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Do not believe me saying these things unless I have them out of the Scriptures Ambros. lib. 1. de fide ad Gratianum Nolo Argumento nostro credas c. I would not ye should believe our Reasoning let us ask the Scriptures the Prophets the Apostles let us ask Christ. § 13. To say that all this is to be understood of what one or a few Fathers say not of that wherein they all agree This hath various absurdities in it for 1. It is falsly supposed as in the Progress of the Debate will appear that the Fathers are agreed about the Prelacy our Author contendeth for 2. If every one of them may erre why may they not all erre seeing the Collective Body of them is made up only of infallible men Christs promise of being in the midst of two or three gathered together in his Name doth not free them from all Mistakes The Fathers together and the same men apart are the same persons under different Notions and therefore they cannot be both fallible and infallible 3. The Testimonies above brought do not only make single Fathers fallible but whatever Combinations of them ye can imagine for they are still men and the Fathers above cited make infallibility to be peculiar to Christ speaking in his Word Augustine doth often and plainly bar this Distinction contra Faustum lib. 11. c. 5. id genus c. We must read that kind of Writing not with necessity of Believing but with liberty of Judging And Ep 112 ad Paulinam Quod Divinarum Scripturarum c. That which is confirmed by the Authority of the Holy Scriptures is without doubt to be believed but for other Witnesses or Testimonies whether single or Combined he maketh no difference as to this ye may receive or reject them as ye shall judge they have more or less weight Also Tom. 2 Ep 19 Solus Scripturarum libris c. I have learned to give this honour and reverence to the Books of Scripture only to believe there is no errour in them but I read others however learned or Godly they be see how exactly he meeteth with our Authors notion of ascribing Infallibility to what is Determined by the most Wise learned and Godly Bishops and Presbyters I so read them that I do not believe any thing to be true because they thought so but because they prove it by the Scriptures that it is so This forced a Confession from Occam a Papist of profound Learning a Disciple of our Country man Joannes Dans that Augustine here maketh no difference amongst other Writers beside the Prophets and Apostles whether they be Popes or others whether they write in Council or out of it I shall refer the Reader to the Protestant Writers who have collected the Errours and Mistakes even of General and also more private Councils § 14. The second Proposition that may be drawn out of this Authors words is that an infallible Judge of Truth and Errour is necessary in the Church besides the Scripture for he telleth us that without the uniform Determination of Truth by the wisest best and learnedst Bishops and Presbyters we have no Standard whereby to judge of the Catholick Church from the Combination of Hereticks this Principle falleth with the former for if there be no Infallibility but in the Scripture such a Judge cannot be necessary for the Church doth de facto subsist without such a Judge Again the chief ground on which his Partizans the Papists assert the necessity of such a Judge is because the Scripture cannot hear Parties nor can it pronounce a Sentence which the contending Parties may hear and be obliged by I ask him if his wisest best and most learned Bishops and Presbyters can hear him and me and audibly pronounce a Sentence for either of us they being now all dead as well as the Apostles and Prophets and nothing of them extant but their Writings as are also the Sacred Writings The one is not a visible Judge more than the other and if we Appeal to the Writings of the Fathers why not rather to the Scripture it self which I have proved to be of more yea of the only infallible Authority And indeed there can be no visible Judge but the present Church to which therefore the Papists flee And even that cannot be such a Judge to all Christians for they cannot all hear the Pope or Council pronouncing a Sentence and therefore must be content with their Writings or Report of their Priests who pretend to no Infallibility and it is strange that more certainty should be expected from either of these than from the Divinely Inspired Scriptures A visible Judge we own to wit the Guides of the Church lawfully conveened an infallible Judge we also acknowledge vix God speaking in his Word but a Judge that is both infallible and also now visible to us we cannot find The Protestants Arguments against this Popish Errour I shall not insist on they are 1. That the Spirit of God in Scripture sendeth us not to men but to the written Word of God for Decision in controverted or doubtful Points Isa. 8. 20 Luk 27 29 Mat 22 29 John 5 39. 2. Christ and his Apostles did always appeal to Scripture and to no other Judge 3. All men may erre as hath been shewed and therefore they cannot be an infallible Judge 4. If there were such a Judge sure the Lord would have told us who he is and that there is such a one but not one word of either of these in the Bible 5. Neither the Papists nor such as this Author can tell us where we shall find this infallible Judge they are not agreed whether the Pope alone or a general Council alone or both concurring must be this Judge He telleth us of the wisest best and most learned Bishops and Presbyters but leaveth us to guess who these were it is a hard case if our certainty of Faith must hang upon this Pin who were the best the wisest and most learned among them who have Instructed the Cherch The third Proposition above mentioned cannot stand the other two being taken away it hath been made appear that Scripture is the only Standard and therefore
Act that he had committed ob illatum per summum nefas Virgini stuprum was driven away from the Communion of the Church by his own Father on which occasion he came to Rome and attempted to be received into that Church he was rejected by the Presbyterie after which he preached his Errours in that City and made great Disturbance Now the Argument that we draw from this Passage is not only that the Presbyterie did not reject his Petition as being incompetent Judges in that Case but their Answer implyeth a Recognition of their power in this Matter for they tell him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot do it without the permission of thy worthy Father nor this because of his Fathers Episcopal power but because there is one Faith and one Agreement the Bond of Unity between Rome and that Church in Pontus I think its Name was Sinope and was that which they gave as the reason of their Refusal seing he was cast out of one Church it was not reasonable that he should be received into another without her consent Romes Headship was not then known But what followeth is yet stronger for our Cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we cannot go contrary to our excellent Collegue or Fellow Labourer thy Father where Presbyters look on a Bishop as their Collegue and in no higher Degree and that when they are speaking of the Exercise of Church Authority they plainly suppose that they had the same power to take in that he had to cast out but they would not irregularly exerce that power as they must have done if they had recived Marcion § 9. Another of Blondel's Citations our Author answereth with a great deal of slighting and contempt it s taken out of Justine Martyr's Apology for the Christians where he giveth an account of the Church Order that was among the Christians and mentioneth no Officer in the Church but Praepositus Diaconus His Answer to this is Justine's design was only to vindicate the Christians from the Reproaches cast upon them about their Meetings he had no occasion to speak of the Hierarchy the Christians concealed their Mysteries as much as they could and the Names of Bishop and Presbyter as well as their Offices were known to the Heathen How to make the parts of this Answer hang together I know not if the Heathen knew their way why did they conceal it Neither is there any ground to think that they concealed their Mysteries the Knowledge of which was the mean of convincing Heathens Yea the design of his Apology was to make their Mysteries known that it might be seen how excellent they were And to say that Justine had no occasion to speak of the Hierarchy here is a mistake for he did mention some of the Church Officers and because he mentioned no more it is like he knew no more He seems now to be weary of his undertaking and no wonder it hath succeeded so ill with him and therefore p. 60. he telleth us how nauseous it is to repeat more and hudleth up some other Citations cited by Blondel in a general Answer that it is a silly Quible to found an Argumen◠on Dichotomies and telleth us the Names as well as the Offices were distinguished in the earliest Monuments of the Church and for this he citeth Usher mentioning Acta Martyrii S Ignatii but is not pleased to name Book nor Page of that learned Author who hath written many things The same he doth with Clemeus Alexandrinus Tertullian and Origen but neither words nor place he mentioneth such arguings are to be neglected Blondel also citeth Papias calling all the Ministers of the Word Apostles and others from whom he had learned what he wrote Elders or Presbyters This Author will have it to be meant of their Age not Office I lay not much weight on this Testimony more than he doth But that Papias doth not mean the Age only of them whom he mentioneth may be gathered from what he saith of the second John whom he mentioneth for after he had named John among the Apostles he nameth another John after Aristion and him he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This cannot be meant of his Age when he saith John the elder for John the Apostle was older than he It must then be understood of his Office And Euseb lib 3 c. 35. telleth us that there were two Johns buried at Ephesus and that the Monuments of both remained in his time Being now weary with arguing and it seems fretted with what he could not well answer He falleth to downright Railling p. 61. he putteth on a Confidence beyond ordinary this is the way of some when they are most at a loss This Conduct will not take with wise and considering Men. He telleth of the unconquerableness of Prejudice in the Presbyterians no doubt because they will not yield to his Dictats and what he looketh on as an Argument and of their miserable Condition in reading the Ancients with no other design than to distort their words Before he taxeth us for not reading them now we read them but with an ill design I must tell him it is too much for him either to judge how we are employed in our Closets and what Books we read or what inward designs we have in our reading We think he distorteth the words of the Ancients we judge not his designs in reading them he thinketh we distort them let the Reader judge Next he representeth us as having sold our selves to the Interest of little Parties and shut our Eyes against the express Testimonies of these Fathers whose broken Sentences we torture and abuse to support Novelties and more of this Stuff which it is not fit to answer because of the Wise Man's Advice Prov 26 4. § 10. Now he will p. 62. have the Reader to make an Estimate of the Presbyterian Candor from two Instances The first is Blondel citeth the Gallican Church sending Irenaeus to Rome and calling him a Presbyter when he was Bishop of Lyons Our Author contendeth that he was not then Bishop and that Photinus his Predecessor was not then dead This piece of Chronology though maintained by Eusebius and Jerome Blondel disproveth by many Authentick Records as he thinketh And now where is the want of Candor in this case Is every man who after diligent search into History doth mistake in Chronology about a Matter of Fact so disingenious and that to such a Degree as this Author's Clamour would represent This I say supposing that Blondel doth mistake in this Matter I think it not worth the while to examine the large Discourse he hath and the manifold Citations to confirm his Opinion finding that Debate somewhat Intricate whether Photinus was then alive or not when Iraeneus was sent to Rome and called a Presbyter and the Matter of it is of no great Consequence It seems our Author hath been at as little pains as I am at leasure now to take about this Debate but referreth
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest in Thyatira is not there a plain Intimation of a Plurality under the Name of the Angel by the rest in Thyatira must needs be understood them who are distinct from the Angel and the Angel must be who ever is distinct from these who are called the rest and yet beside the rest there is a Plurality you My Antagonist hath an Answer to this Passage such as it is which I shall consider when I come to Examine his Vindication of his Argument Smectym Sect. 13. out of Fox Meditation on the Revelation which I have not seen citeth August Ep. 132. Sic enim saith he in Apocalypsi legimus Angelus c. Quod si de Angelo superiorum Coelorum non de praepositis Ecclesiae velit intelligi non consequenter dicat habeo adversum te c. And Homil. 1. in Apocaly◠Quod autem dicit Angelo Thyatirae habeo adversum te pauca dicit praepositis Ecclesiarum And Greg. moral lib. 34. in Job 4. Saepè sacra Scriptura praedicatores Ecclesiae pro eo quod Patris gloriam annunciant Angelorum nomine solere designare hinc est quod Joannes in Apocalypsi septem Ecclesiis scribens Angelis Ecclesiarum loquitur id est praedicatoribus populorum Also Primasius Haymo Beda Richardus Thomas and others are cited by Mr. Fox to this purpose § 23. I shall now examine what my Adversary bringeth offensively or defensively for his Opinion about these Angels 1. He falleth on Walo Messalinus who p. 184. interpreteth Angel by Church calling V. G. the Angel of Ephesus the Church of Ephesus and he giveth the reason because the Christians in each of these Towns were purior sanctior pars urbis atque adeo magis spiritualis therefore that part was compared to an Angel Tho I do not owne this Notion of the Learned Salmasius yet I judge our Authors calling it a silly Subterfuge and his ridiculing of it to be pretty ridiculous he maketh the meaning be the seven Stars are the Angels of the seven Churches that is the Churches of the seven Churches By his favour it hath no such sense Salmasius can hardly be Taxed with Nonsense even by Men of more Critical Skill than this Author is it should be thus Paraphrased the seven Angels are the Churches of the seven Towns and it is evident that according to the Opinion of that Learned Writer the Angels are not distinguished from the Churches but from the Towns wherein they were Also when the Epistle is addressed to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus the meaning is not to the Church of the Church of Ephesus but to the Church which is at Ephesus even as the Virgin Daughter of Israel is not the Nation of the Nation of Israel but that Nation which is called Israel Mystical Expressions must not be strained by Critical Wits some Atheists by this method have endeavoured to draw Nonsense out of the most Profound and Instructive Parts of Scripture Our Author hath not dealt very fairly with Salmasius in this matter for he understandeth by Angel the Church Guides signanter and also the whole Church his words are per Ecclesiam having said that Angelus was Ecclesia non tantum Ecclesiasticum ordinem intellexit Joannes sed universum in quaque civitate fidelem populum ut mo◠est Apostolis loqui And if he will ridicule Salmasius the same Censure must fall on Aretas Bishop of Cesarea Cappadociae whom Salmasius citeth p. 183. Discoursing at large to the same purpose I cannot understand what he designeth by telling us p. 115. That the Church cannot be called a Company a Multitude or a Colledge of Angels but one single Angel praesiding in their Ecclesiastical Meetings For no Man doth so sense the word but by Angel some understand a Multitude of People others a Plurality of Elders but none of them make Angel to be a Multitude of Angels § 24. He next telleth us that tho there be Instructions in these Epistles in which others are concerned yet the Epistles are no less to single Angels tha◠the Epistle to the Philippians is to the whole Church there tho particular Compellations he used as I intreat thee true Yoke Fellow Ch. 4. Here is an odd Consequence there is an Apostrophe used to a single person in an Epistle expresly Directed to a Community and that in plain and proper Language Ergo when in a Mystical Speech an Epistle is Directed in the singular Number in a borrowed Term we may not understand a Plurality tho when the Writer of the Epistle speaketh more properly he speak expresly to a Plurality What tho the Conclusion of the second Epistle to Timothy had been to a Plurality doth it thence follow that a Mystical Word in the singular Number may not be Plurally taken the contrary would seem to follow more natively But he is guilty of a double Mistake here one is that the Conclusion of that Epistle is to all the Faithful the last words are The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit grace be with you Where he is mentioned expresly as the Person to whom the Epistle is Directed and the People of God with him are remembred also expresly it is not alike when the Word is used in the Direction of an Epistle which tho singular is capable of a plural Sense and in the Epistle a Plurality is expresly spoken to His next Fancy is most groundless that the Bishops of the Asiatick Churches are called Angels in Imitation of the High Priest who was Dignified with that Name and for this he citeth Mal. 2. at the 7. v. For tho we should grant that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be Translated Angel as well as Messenger yet this is a Description of the Priests Work and Authority telling us what he is it is not a Name by which he used to be Designed Again what Warrant is there to say that this is meant of the High Priest peculiarly it is evidently to be understood of Priests in common the Priest that is every Priest For Deut. 27. 9 10 11. whence that Axiom seemeth to be taken Ascribeth this Priviledge to a Plurality of Priests and not to the High Priest alone Further it is a bad Consequence the High Priest was called an Angel and the Church Rulers are called Angels Ergo every one of them had the same Jurisdiction that h ehad this is a loose way of Reasoning and either will fix the Pope in his Chair or is Insignicant He hinteth very superficially and obscurely an Answer to one of our Exceptions p. 116. That the Faults of the Churches are imputed to the Angels because they had Spiritual Power to reform them Reply it cannot be so understood for some of the Faults are such as no Church Discipline can reach nor any Ministerial Care prevent or amend as having a name to live when they are dead Hypocrisie is not properly the Object of Church Censures but such Scandal as are the
even in this matter Who knoweth not what Debates are among Learned Men on this Head and how Conjectural all the Knowledge is that can be attained by the most diligent Search And surely it is no Wisdom to build our Opinion in a Matter of Religion wherein we either please God or sin against him on such a Sandy Foundation Of this Opinion was Theophilus Antiochenus who flourished about an 130. and is said to be Sextus a Petro in the Church of Antiochia lib. 3. ad Autolycum near the beginning he is shewing the Certainty of what Christians believed compared with the Stories about the Heathen Gods and hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. It was needful that Writers should be Eye Witnesses of what they affirmed or that they have exactly learned the truth of things from them who were present when they were done for they who write Uncertainties that they themselves know not do as it were beat the Air his work is to be found Biblioth Patr. T. 2. This Passage is p. 151. of the Cologn Edition 1618. 4. It is acknowledged by the best Antiquaries that the History of the Ages of the Church next to the Apostles is defective dark and uncertain This is not only found now at this distance of time but it was early complained of by Eusebius who had far more help to a certain and distinct knowledge of these things than we have lib. 3. C. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how many and what sincere Followers or Successors have Governed the Churches planted by the Apostles it cannot be confirmed but so far as may be gathered out of the words of Paul Where he layeth the Certainty of our Knowledge of what concerneth the Government of the Church on Scripture and not on the Fathers And in his Preface to his History he telleth us he had gone in a Solitary and Untroden Path and could no where find so much as the bare Steps of such as had passed the same Way having only some small Tokens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and there as it were Also that he had not found any Ecclesiastical Writer who unto this day and it was the Interval of three hundred years have in this behalf he is speaking of the Succession of Bishops imployed any Diligence Is there not then great Certainty to be expected from this or any other Writer concerning these times that we should look on their Accounts as sufficient ground to build our Faith on in a matter that Religion is so nearly concerned in The Learned Scalliger hath this Observation to our purpose Intervallum illud ob ultimo capite actorum Apostolorum ad medium Trajani imperium quo tracts Quadratus Ignatius florebant plane cum Varrone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocari potest is quo nihil certi de rebus Christianorum ad nos pervenit praeter admodum pauca quae hostes pietatis obiter delibant Swetonius Tacitus Plinius quem hiatu◠ut expleret Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clementis nescio cujus non enim est ille eruditus Alexandrinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hegesippi non melioris scriptoris sine delectu ea deprompsit Tilenus no Friend to Presbytery saith full as much he telleth us of the Lacunae and Hiatus of these times and that a fine actorum Apostolorum ad Trajani tempora nihil habemus certi Shall we then take the broken and uncertain Accounts that we find of these times for a sufficient Foundation of our Faith about what is the Will of God concerning the Government of his House § 33. Our fifth Argument we take from the Fathers disowning each himself and all others beside the Prophets and Apostles from having sufficient Authority to determine in the Controversies of Religion not exempting that about Church Government This our Writers have made so evident against the Papists that it is a wonder that Protestants should use such a Plea And indeed the Papists get much advantage by this Conduct for the same Arguments that our Author and his Complices use in this Debate they improve in the other Controversies and with the same advantage For if the Scripture be not sufficient Light to us in this I see not how it can be thought perfect in some other of our Debates if unwritten Traditions be found necessary in the one case it will be hard to lay the same aside in some others I have adduced some Testimonies of Fathers to this purpose Preface to Cyprianick Bishop Examined to which I shall now add August lib. 2. contr Manichae of the Scriptures he saith 161. Si quid velut absurdum noverit non licet dicere author hujus libri non tenuit veritatem sed aut codex mendosus est aut interpres erravit aut tu non intelligis In opusculis autem posteriorum quae libris innumerabilibus continentur sed nullo modo illi sacratissimae Scripturarum Canonicarum excellentia conquantur etiam in quibusdam eorum invenitur par veritas longe tamen est impar authoritas Jerom is much and often in this strain Ep. 62. ad Theoph. Alexandr Scio me aliter habere Apostolos aliter reliquos tractatores illos semper vera dicere istos in quibusdam ut homines errare Et Ep. 76. Ego Originem propter eruditionem sic interdum legendum arbitror quo modo Tertull. Novatum Arnob. nonnullos scriptores Ecclesiasticos ut bona eorum eligamus evitemusque contraria juxta Apostolum dicentem omnia probate quod bonum est eligite The same he saith also of his own Writings in Hab. Zech. Si quis melius imo verius dixerit nos libenter melioribus acquiescemus Ambros. de incarnatione C. 3. Nolo nobis credatur non ego dico a me quia in principio erat verbum sed audio non ego affingo sed lego c. Cyril Hierosol Cat. 12. Meis commentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non attende possis enim forte decipi sed nisi de singulis Prophetarum testimonia acceperis ne credas dictis c. Yea the Papists themselves reject the Authority of the Fathers when they please and teach in general that they are not always to be followed as Dally and Turretin shew out of Cajeton Canus Maldonate Petavius and Baronius who often reprehendeth the Fathers even in the Historical Accounts they give of Matters of Fact and doth not this very Author so far forget himself as to say that Jerom erred in his account of the practice of the Apostolick Age p. 73. as I above observed and if Jerom did mistake why might not the rest also the Opinion of the Learned and Excellent Bradward de Causa Dei lib. 2. C. 3. corroll p. 601 602. is consonant to what I have said He sheweth that the Fathers did often seem at least to favour Hereticks particularly Pelagius and p. 602. E. Et quis theologus nesciat alias scripturas quorumcunque scriptorum non tanta firmitate
that a great Change there was by compareing the Practice and some Canons of Cent. 5 6 7. c. with the Apostolick Writings 2. We think there is no impossibilitie in such a Change as I have acknowledged considering the corruption of Men yea the sinful infirmities of good Men some of whom may be apt to Usurp and others to overlook evils that are not easily observable in their Progress And considering how suddenly Changes to the worse have fallen out in the Church see Moses Praeâ—ictiâ— Deut. 31. 27 28 29. see also Exod. 32. 8. and the frequent Apostacies of Israel after the death of their good Kings made this so evident that it can never be denied nor ought to be wondered at 3. This Change did not come suddenly nor all at once and therefore was not so obvious to everie ones Observation that it was not complained of by any we cannot say not having the compleat and distinct Records of the first Ages farre less can it be affirmed that it was not observed by some who might Lament it in Secret but for Peace sake and because the things they had to Complain of were dark and doubtful and but small and almost insensible Declensions from what had been before they would make little noise with their dissatisfactions It is well known that thus Degeneracie hath grown in latter Ages of the Church and I wish it be not at this Day Verie often a well Reformed Church doth thus degenerate whose Maladie is like latent Diseases which are little observed till they be past Remedy § 43. I adde 4. The true Account of this Change of the Church is given by way of Praediction by our Lord himself on the Parable of the Tares of the field Matth. 13. 24. c. this with other Corruptions grew while the Guids of the Church slept which case in some degree or other is incident to the best of Men and as in process of time the Ministers of the Church grew more remisse this evil had the more advantage to grow Of this I have Discoursed else-where Rational Def. of non conformitie I shall now attend my Antagonist endeavouring to Run down this apprehension of things with many hard Words which amount to no more but this that it was impossible to be brought about because of the observablenss and suddeness of the Change and the Faithfulness of the Guids of the Church that then were set over her All which is already Answered His ingeminating his Question about the possibility of this Change P. 142. his saying that this cannot be imagined if we believe the other parts of Evangelical History are but words that evanish into nothing on supposition of the Account that I have given of it for we deny that the Evangelical History whether Sacred or Humane giveth us Account of such a constitution of Episcopacy as he imagineth in the first Ages That no Historian took Notice of it though it was most memorable p. 143. is still his rotten Hypothesis that this Change should have been made suddenly and all at once and I adde the History of the time of the Rise and Progress of this is defective and uncertain as I have shewed Sect. 32. We do not say that it was Agreed upon by some ambitious Ecclesiasticks as he P. 144. such Men might carrie it on in their several places without Consultation Nature and a corrupt Heart prompting them to it and the World and Satan tempting them yea it might in some degree be promoted by better Men than these unawares taking that for their Due which was not so for its being submitted to tamely which he mentioneth ibid. that was not to be wondered at because of the Humility of some and minding other work for the Peoples Edification leaving the the Ruling part too much to them who inclined to it and their not observing this Change which by in insensible Degrees made its Progress so in the dark § 44. He p. 145 c. draweth some absurd Consequences by which he laboureth to load our Assertion that the Apostolick Government of Paritie was in after Ages changed into Prelacie The 1. is that they who were marked for the Sacred Function by the Lord Christ after some Experience Judged it necessary to Change Parity for Prelacy 2. That this Change was brought about not in any of the ordinary Methods by which things of that nature are transacted among Mankind but instantly and in a miraculous manner 3. That the immediate Successors of the Apostles were all Presbyterians this we hold but that these Presbyterians most of them Martyrs for Christianitie preferred Prelacy to Paritie 4. That in their Opinion there was no other Remedie againstSchism and Confusion He saith these Conclusions are evident and necessarie if their the Presbyterians Hypothesis be allowed Such Consequences from our Opinion we utterly deny and Challenge him to Prove their Dependance on it The judicious Reader will easily see that they all are Grounded on his fond Conceit that we hold that this Change was made suddenly openly and all at once if he find us Maintaing that let him load our Opinion with as many absurd Consequences as he can devise And we neglect his triumphant Repetition of his continual Cant p. 145 146. about the Universal Consent of the Christian Church and its being received without Contradiction But to establish this last Notion he telleth us that none before Aerius opposed Episcopacy of whom and his Actings he taketh the liberty to give such Account as he thought sit for his design that his Motive was Ambition and missing of a Bishoprick was dull had no Parts This in this learned Authors opinion must needs be the native Consequent of his being a Presbyterian for he reckoneth them all such I have given a more true account of Aerius § 16. of § 6. Established on better Authority than he in this Narrative pretendeth to which is none but his own He needed not to spend a whole page to tell us what he meaneth by the Impossibility that he ascribeth to the Change we speak of let him understand it as he will we are not concerned who have given account of that Change which maketh it both possible and easie to be understood p. 148. He hath another Argument if it be different from what he hath said before we must not say that the primitive Church immediately Succeeding the Apostles so soon Apostatized from their Original Establishment else we have no certain Standard to know what is Genuine and what is Suppositions in the whole frame of our Religion This he enforceth by telling us they might Change other things and if the first and best Christians were not to be trusted in matter of Fact they are less to be trusted in matter of Opinion Here we have yet more plainly expressed the Popish Principle that the Churches Authority is the ground of our Faith we do not so Trust the first and best Churches except the Apostles as to make them the
to make it appear that the present Presbyterians have receded from the Principles of our Reformers in 1. The Faith 2. The Worship 3. The Discipline 4. The Government of the Church In stead of this last he insisteth on their laying aside the Bishops from voting in Parliament I cannot now degresse to consider what here he sayeth though he insisteth on them at great length for I diverted into the Considerations of this Book onely in so far as the Controversie I have with him or who ever is the Author in the other Book is concerned And there are some of these that are also there Debated which I intend to consider I have alreadie said that we reverence our Reformers but neither thought their Reformation at first Perfect nor themselves Infallible I hope some or other will take him to Task on these Heads and Defend the Principles of this Church from his insolent Obloquie I wish him a more temperat Spirit than appeareth in his Discourses and particularly in his Ridiculeing of the Administration of the LORD'S Supper as it is managed in the Church of Scotland SECTION IX Of Holy Days of Humane Institution I Return now to the Enquirie into the New Opinions and proceed to his Third Chapter wherein he pretendeth enquire into several new Opinions The first of which is that we are against the Observing the Holy Days of CHRISTS Nativity Resurrection Assention and Commemorating the Piety Faith and Martyrdom of the Saints that are mentioned in Scripture We do not denie the Charge so far as being against the Anniversaries observation of these Days doth reach That this is a new Opinion we denie though at the same time we confess the contrarie Practice is verie old yet we maintain that no such thing was injoyned or practised in the Apostolick Church which is older than the Church that he Appealeth to He is too confident when he sayeth it is certainly a new Doctrine for we are certain on the other hand that there is Warrant for it in the Word of GOD as there is for no new Doctrine He sayeth it flieth in the Face of the whole Christian Church Antient and Modern Reformed and Unreformed and other harsh Words he is pleased to run us down with This is Passion not Reason A modest Dissent from a Church or a Person though of the greatest Veneration that is due to Men is no flying in their Face And if he will needs call it so our Apologie is if they flie in the Face of the Holy Scripture we chuse rather to Differ from them than with them to flie in its Face but we put no such Construction on the Opinions or Practices of other Churches Antient or Modern I am not without hope that it may be made appear that he and his Complices flie in the Face both of Antiquitie and of the Reformed Churches by their Opinion about Holy Days and Differ from them more than we do which will appear when we come to State the Question which he hath never minded though he engageth in the Debate with a great deal of warmth This is Andalatarum more pugnare to Fight in the dark We are now but in the Threshold considering the Opinion of other Churches He will allow us none but the Church of Geneva and that with Calvines dislike For Calvines dislike of the Abrogation of the Holy Days by the Magistrats of Geneva he Citeth two Epistles of his which he doth not distinguish by their Numbers so that I cannot find them not being willing nor at leisure to turne over the whole Book for them But I shall more distinctly point him to other two of his Epistles wherein though he doth not fully declare for our Opinion he doth plainly condemn that of our Prelatists They are ad Mons. Belgradenses Ep. 51. p. 112. edit Hanov. 1597. and Mansoni Poppio Ep. 278. p. 520. I say the same of our Reformers and of the French Protestants § 2. I shall now address my self to fixing of the true State of the Question And 1. We do not with the Anabaptists in Germany for some Anabaptists in this differ from them and with the Petro Brusiani cited by Parae in Rom. 14. Dub. 4. out of the Life of Bernhard lib. 3. cap. 5. disowne all Holy Days The Lords Day we owne as of necessity to be observed being of Divine Institution Pardon a small Digression I see no ground to think that Peter Bruce was of this Opinion all that I find ascribed to him Cent. Magd. 12. cap. 5. and that even by Petrus Cluniacensis his Antagonist is Die Dominica aliis putabat licitum esse vesci carnibus The Centuriators wish Utinam vero ipsius Petri scripta extarent ex quibus multo rectius facere judicium liceret quam ex illis qui in defensionem Pontificiarum abominationum conspirarunt He was one of these famous Witnesses for the Truth against Antichrist who went under the Name of Waldenses Albigenses c. It is like he might disowne other Holy Days but there is no ground to think that he disowned the Lords Day 2. We maintain it to be unlawful to observe the Jewish Holy Days I should bring Arguments for this but I think our Adversaries will hardly contradict this Assertion the Lord having of old appointed these Days and all the legal Rites for Prefiguring Gospel Mysteries and the Apostle expresly condemning this Observation Gal. 4. 10. Col. 2. 16 17. where they are expresly called Shadows of Things to come 3. We hold that not only these Jewish Days are not to be observed as such or on Jewish Principles but the Days ought not to be set apart as Anniversary Holy Days on account of Decency Policy and Order in the Christian Church All the Arguments will have place here that were used by the Primitive Christians against them who keep Easter on the same Day with the Jews 4. Our Adversaries are not one among themselves about observing the Holy Days some count them more Holy than other Days and hold that God's extraordinary Works have sanctified some times and advanced them so that they ought to be with all Men that Honour God more Holy than other Days So Hooker Eccles. Polic lib. 5. § 60. where he layeth a Foundation for Believing that these Days are Holy and to be observed antecedently to the Churches Institution Others of them are of a contrary Opinion Couper Bishop of Galloway in his Resolution of some Scruples about the Articles of Perth which are set down in the History of his Life p. 8. of his Works hath these Words in my Mind no King on Earth no Church may make a Holy Day only the Lord who made the Day hath that Prerogative only he sheweth that a Day may be set apart for Preaching as the Birth Days of Princes are for Publick Rejoycing c. Our Author hath not told us which of these Opinions he owneth 5 It is one Question whither a Day may be set apart for
Commemoration of some Mystery of our Religion by Men and as a part of Gods Worship And another whither such Days may be set apart for Worshipping God merely as a piece of good Order and Policy The first the Papists are for the other most of our Prelatists owne though some of them differ little from the Papists in this Matter 6. The Question is not whither a Day may be set apart occasionally for Religious Worship that is when any special Providence giveth occasion for Fasting and Humiliation or for Thanksgiving and Rejoycing seing in that Case there is a special Providential Call to that Solemn Work but whither a Day may be set apart to be observed constantly and as it recurreth every Year The one maketh a Difference between that Day of the Year and other Days and exempteth it altogether and constantly from Civil Use the other doth not so the one maketh a Difference among Days the other maketh the Difference only in the Works or Dispensations of God which occasioneth such Work on that Day and not on another All that the Church doth in the one Case is whereas the present Providence calleth to the Work as it is expressed Isa. 22. 12. The Church only determineth the Circumstance of Time which must be done in the other the Church determineth more than a necessary Circumstance viz. That there shall be such a Solemnity Which the Lord hath not injoyned neither do we doubt but that the Church may appoint recurrent Days for Solemn Worship to wit while the present Providence that calleth to such Work continueth Weekly or Monthly Fasts may be appointed under a lasting Calamity or Threatning 7. One Question is whither any Anniversary Holy Days should be allowed or may be appointed by Man another whither any are to be allowed in Commemoration of the Saints for some are for the great Days as they call them which respect Christ and our Redemption such as the Nativity Resurrection Ascension and some others who are wholly against Holy Days that respect only the Saints 8. It is a Question whither Days may be Dedicated to Saints as the Papists do and another whither the Commemoration of Saints may be made on set Days this last our Brethren are for though it will be hard to separate these two of which afterward § 3. I shall now set down our Opinion and wherein we differ from others And first we maintain that God hath instituted the Observation of the Weekly Sabbath as a part of that Religious Worship we owe to him I do not expect that our Brethren will directly and expresly controvert this though some of them teach Doctrine not very consistent with it which belongeth to another Head than what we are now upon Only I take notice that they who are most for observing other Holy Days do usually shew least Zeal for the strict observing of the Lords Day either in their Principle or their Practice 2. I assent that the Lord hath not instituted under the Gospel any other recurrent Holy Days nor enjoyned the Observation of them If any think otherwise they must prove what they affirm 3. The Church hath no Power to institute or injoy the Observation of any recurrent or Anniversary Holy Days for Religious Use without a special and present Occasion 4. Any Days that the Church setteth apart occasionally for Religious Work are no further Holy than that Holy Work is the Design of their Appointment they have no Sanctity in themselves nor can Men impart it to them 5. Though we are far from severe Censuring either Ancient or Modern Churches or Persons who are for some of these Holy Days yet we cannot be of their Sentiment in this nor look on these Days as indifferent things as some of them do 6. That the Reader may be undeceived about the Opinion of the Reformed Churches which our Author talketh so much of and blameth us for differing from them he may know that our Episcopal Brethren are at greater Distance from them in this Matter than we are for they condemn the Saints Holy Days so Paraeus in Rom. 14. Dub. 4. so Calvin in both the Epistles cited § 1. The Helvetick Confession of Faith cap. 24. in Cor. Confess p. 54. Baldwin citeth Danaeus disowning all the Holy Days in these Words Dies Christo dicatos tollendos existimo judicoque quotidie nobis in Evangelii praedicatione nascitur circumciditur moritur resurgit Christus Turretin Theolog. Elentic loc 11. cap. 15. Though he allow Liberty enough for observing of the Holy Days that relate to Christ yet he determineth the Controversie about Holy Days far otherwise than our Episcopal Brethren do I shall transcribe his Words after he hath told us that we ought always to remember Christ and his Benefits and should do it in the Word and Sacraments he addeth sed questio est an ad singulorum illorum beneficiorum mysteriorum recordationem certi quidem dies festi Deo sacri annuatim recurrentes a Christianis quotannis celebrandi sint quod nos negamus he also denyeth these Days to be more Holy than others or a part of Gods Worship or to be Celebrated sub ratione mysterii Markius also Compend cap. 12. § 17. He condemneth the Difference of Days that was brought into the Church from the first Christians yearly Commemoration of the Martyrs When my Antagonist hath duly considered these things I hope he will not find cause to represent us as so widely differing from the Reformed and himself so near to them as he would now make the World believe I do not pretend that they are generally wholly on our Side in this for many of them look on the Observation of these Days as indifferent in which we cannot assent to them But I know of none of them who imposeth them with such Rigour and talk so highly of the necessity of observing them being recommended by the Church or of the Religion that is in this Observation as the Episcopal Party in England and Scotland do Our Brethren do also stand by themselves in their keeping of Saints Days and in the Number of their Holy Days which in England is greater than the Number of these that God injoyned to the Jews forthe Primitive Church at some Distance from the Apostolick Times may be they may have some Countenance there yet these Saints Days were not then so so injoyned and urged as they urge and impose them nor made such a Yoke to the People as may be gathered from Socrates histor Eccles. lib. 5. cap. 22. whose Words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I am of Opinion that as many other things crept in by Custom in diverse places so the Feast of Easter prevailed among all People from a certain private Custom and Observation in so much that as I said before not one of the Apostles hath any where prescribed to any Man so much as one Rule of it it was observed not by Canon but of Custom and afterward he
his Point we question the Churches Power to appoint fixed and stated Days for this Commemorating Worship and maintain that Christ hath appointed Ordinances of his own for this Commemoration and he telleth us the Church hath Commanded it also to be done and there is an End § 11. He next bringeth somewhat like Reason the Church may appoint these Seasons which are but Circumstances of time as well as the Jewish Church appointed the Hours of Prayer at which the Apostles were present Acts 2. 15. and 3. 1. for which there was no immediate and express Institution of GOD but were kept by an Appointment and Custom of their own Ans. 1. He doth injuriously insinuate that we require an immediate and express Institution for the Days that we will observe where have we ever said so let him Prove an Institution either by express Words or good Consequence or Apostolick example or by anie good Medium and we shall acquiesce 2. The Appointing Holy Days is more than determining a Circumstance of Time It is a sequestering of these Days perpetually from Civil to Sacred Use it is to give them a relative Holiness as far as Mans power can reach by making a Connection between them and the Solemn Exercises of Religion it is a Dedication of such a part of our time to GOD so as we do not Dedicate other Days of our time and so making a difference among Days which we think can only be done by Divine Authoritie the Apostles Rom. 14. 5. counted it a weakness in some who did no more than what our Author putteth off thus slightlie what they did was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They distinguished days one from another and that with respect to Religion which could not be without judging one of them better and more Holy than another and so it is Expounded by Erasmus and Vatablus Eslius turneth it eligit unum prae alio is this no more but determining a Circumstance Beside the Lord hath not left it to us to determine Circumstances of Worship as we please but when it is Necessarie that a Circumstance that relateth to Worship must be determined and it is not determined by the Lord in Scripture in that case Men may and must Determine it but this is not the Case in hand there is no need that a stated Day be determined for Commemorating anie of the Mysteries of our Redemption seing the Lord himself hath appointed his own Day for that End and his Ordinances as the Means of that Commemoration 3. For the Jewish Church appointing hours of Prayer It is to be Considered that Prayer was joyned with the daily Sacrifice And these Hours of Prayer were appointed by God not the Church It is true Maimnoides giveth account of three times of Prayer that the Jewes were obliged to Observe everie day and on their Festivities they added a Fourth but this was in the degenerat times of their Church as the Papists have their Canonoical hours Maimonides indeed telleth us that Esdras made Forms of Prayer and they appointed the Number of Prayers according to the Number of the Sacrifices but it cannot be Proved that these Constitutions were of that Antiquitie § 12. He further reasoneth thus p. 171. there is something Analogical in the Christian Church to the Free-will Offerings of the Jews which are not the less Acceptable because Voluntarie but rather the more as long as they are within the Circle of these things which he hath Commanded Ans. If we give Scope to our fancie to frame Analogies and make these a Warrant for modes of Religious Worship there shall be no end of devising new Ways of Worshipping God while yet Men keep within the Compass of what is Commanded as to the Substance of their Service In this case the most fancieful Contriver and Inventer of what is New fine and gaudie shall be the best Divine and there shall be no end of Contention for what this Bishop thinketh a fine way and Anological to what is Commanded another shall think unfit We have cause to bless the Lord that he hath given us a more sure Rule for our Direction even the Scripture 2. These Days Invented by Men are not Analogical to the Free-will-offerings of the Jewes for these were Commanded in general and a Warrant given for them and Directions given how they should be Managed Levit. 1. 3. and 3. 16. and manie other places nothing of this can be said of the Holy Days People may Pray as oft as they will and so may the Church meet as oft as she will for Religious Service as the Jews might Offer as oft as they pleased but the Jews were never allowed to set up stated Days and to separate them from other Days for their Free-will-offerings no more are Christians allowed to do so with respect to Prayers and Praises 3. If Modes of Worship or stated Days for them be not less Acceptable because Voluntarie there could be no such thing as Will Worship which yet the Scripture condemneth and it were not Worshipping GOD in vain to Teach for Doctrine the Commandments of Men viz. about Religious Worship which is contrary to Maâ—th 15. 9. I confess Prayer and Praises are not the less accepted because Voluntarie for these are Commanded Duties but to separate Days from Common use to these Exercises and that without special occasion and constantly when GOD hath appointed a recurrent Day for that end this is not Commanded in general nor in particular nor hath any Analogie with the Jewish Free-will-offerings this we Assert not to be within the Power of the Church if he think it is he must Prove it He sayeth the Doctrine of Presbyterians is contrary to all Christian Churches and he telleth us of Citations to this purpose by Durellus No doubt there may be many Citiations brought of Churches differing from us but such an universal Assertion cannot be Proved by a Thousand Instances if we can bring one instance to the contrary and for this we adduce the Apostolick Church I have also § 4. mentioned Churches and Learned Men in them who are as far from his Opinion in the Matter of Holy Days as from ours I shall now add some more Luther lib. ad Nobilitatem Germanicam Art 5. consultum esse ut omnia Festa aboliantur praeter diem Dominicum And lib. de bonis operibus Utinam saith he apud Christianos nullum esset Festum nisi dies Dominicus That Calvin was really against them all though for Peace he yielded to some few of them I have shewed above Bucer in Math. 12. p. 118. hath these Words Ferias alias sive Dei-pari Virginis sive Christi sive Sanctorum Nomine commendatae sint optarem abrogatas universas And he bringeth strong Reasons for his Opinion while he addeth Primum enim constat nullo Dei verbo invectas ubi enim in Apostolicis Scriptis aliquid de Natali Christi de Epiphania similibus facile crediderim Zelo Dei a veteribus introductas
Fast one Day to wit before Easter some two others 40 hours but yet still they retained Peace the Diversity of their Fasting Commended the Unity of their Faith and in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they maintained Peace and none was cast out for that Difference Among Cyprians Epistles one from Firmilian sheweth the same thing iâ— plurimis provinciis multa pro locorum nominum varietate diversa fiunt nec tamen ob haec ab Ecclesiae Catholicae â—ace atque unitate aliquando discessum est § 4. It is also very plain that the Fathers I mean of the first Ages did not place the Unitie of the Church Catholick in being of the same Opinion about all points of Doctrine but did bear with one another and maintained Peace even when they Differed about some of the lesser Truths yea when some of them would impose their Opinions on others and Censure them who Differed from them they were by the rest dealt with not as Maintainers but Disturbers of the Peace and Unitie of the Church Justin. Martyr dialog cum Tryphon speaking of these Jewish Converts who clave to the Mosaical rites if they did it out of weakness and did not impose on other Christians sayeth of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we must receive them and Communicate with them as of the same Mind or Affections with us and as Brethren And we find that in the Difference between Stephen Bishop of Rome and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage about the Validitie of Baptism Administred by Hereticks Stephen was by the rest of the Bishops condemned as a Breaker of the Peace of the Church because he Anathematized Cyprian on this account Firmilian in the Ep. above cited hath these Words on this occasion quod nunc Stephanus ausus est facere rumpens adversum vos pacem quam semper antecessores ejus vobiscum amore honore servabant Irenae lib. 4. C. 62. Condemneth them as makers of Schism who used such Crueltie toward their Bretheren propter modicas quaslibet causas magnum gloriosum corpus Christi conscindunt dividunt quantum in ipsis est interficiunt pacem loquentes bellum operantes vere liquantes culicem camelum transglutientes § 5. But we find the ancient Fathers with a Holy Zeal Charging such as Apostats from the Church and breakers of her Peace who held Opinions contrarie to the Essential and Fundamental or any of the great Articles of the Christian Faith so that they placed the Unitie of the Catholick Church in a Harmonious consent to these great Truths Irenae lib. 1. C. 3. p. 53. edit Colon 1625. having given a short Account of the chief Articles of the true Religion hath these Words hanc igitur praedicationem hanc â—â—dem adepta Ecclesia quamvis dispersa in universo mundo diligenter conservat aâ— si in una eademque domo habitaret ac similiter iis fidem habet ac si unam animam unumque idem cor haberet atque unâ— consensu hoc praedicat docet ac tradit ac si uno ore praedita esset Quamvis enim dissimilia sunt in mundo genera linguarum una tamen eadem est vis traditionis nec quae constitutae sunt in Germania Ecclesiae aliter credunt nec quae in Hispania neque in Galliis neque in Oriente neque in AEgypto neque in Lybia aut in medio Orbis terrarum fundatae sunt sed quemadmodum Sol Creatura Dei unus idem est in universo Mundo ita praedicatio veritatis ubiquae lucet illuminat eos qui ad notionem veritatis venire volunt Eusseb Hist. Eccles. lib. 4. c. 27. Citeth Irenae condemning Tatianus the Author of the Sect of the Encratitae and saying of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reckoned his Opinions a falling from the Church or a breaking her Unitie The same Historian lib. 4. c. 24. giveth Account of Egesippus narrating how long the Church remained a Virgin Teaching and Believing nothing but the Law and the Prophets and what the LORD himself taught and he mentioneth particularly the Churches of Corinth Rome and Jerusalem and then sheweth how Heresies arose whose Authors he calleth false Christs false Prophets and false Apostles and of them he sayeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they divided the Unity of the Church by their corrupt Doctrines against GOD and against his CHRIST Several other Citations might be brought to this purpose but these may be sufficient I do not Question but that there might be other things which might be called Schism even with respect to the universal Church as if any should bring in Idolatrous or Superstitious Worship contrarie to the Rules of the Gospel or should violate any of the necessarie and landable Canons of general Councils and should set up Societies in opposition not only to one or few but to all the Societies of Christians or all the Soundest of them But of the first we hear little of the first Ages neither could the second be because they had no general Councils nor had the Church then begun to make so many Canons as afterward for the Third we find none guiltie of that except some Hereticks who were Noted for their Heresie and their Schism little spoken of as being the Consequent of the other so it was with the Novatian Schism § 6. There is another sort of Unity much regarded among the Ancients which though the Breach of it had as bad influence on all or most Churches and so on the Catholick Church yet it properly respected Neighbour Churches either which were united by the Bond of one Government a Provincial or lesser Synod being made up of them or only living in the vicinitie of one another or having frequent occasion of Correspondence they who were not under any uniting Bonds but these commune to all the parts of the Catholick Church yet had an Unity of kind Correspondence mutual Assistance as occasion offered acquainting one another with their Affairs so far as it was of any Advantage admitting the Members of other Churches to Communion with them on occasion refusing Communion with such Members of other Churches as were by them Excommunicated and this Unity was then broken when these Acts of Friendship were shunned or refused especially when they who were cast out by one were received to another or when occasional Communion was either shuned by them who so joyned in another Church or denied to such Sojourners if they desired it or when one Church shewed Rage Furie and Bitterness against another because of what they differed about Instances of this are many the Difference betwixt Stephen of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage came to that Height that they would not Communicate together one of them Anathematized the other and it spread so far that the Churches of Europe and these of Africk did concern themselves in it Eusebiâ—â— cited Catal. Test verit p. 26. ascribeth the Persecution under Dioclesian chiefly to the
a Religious Conversation but differed from the Church without cause in matters of lesser moment The Episcopal Church had no Pity on such as differed in indifferent Ceremonies acknowledged to be such but drave them away from their Communion unless they would comply in these which they could not do without wounding their Conscience If he can Prove that we deny Communion with the Episcopal Church on on frivolous pretences as he supposeth p. 222 he gaineth what he contendeth for but he findeth it easier to suppose this than to Prove it It was said by his Antagonist that the Donatists forsook their lawful Pastors which Presbyterians do not the Bishops being none of our Pastors He saith this is the very Crime of the Presbyterians in their Erecting Altar against Altar Answer 1. That is not all that we plead for as is clear from what hath been said I have shewed § 8. Cases in which even lawful Pastors may be forsaken and ibid. that this may be done when they require unlawful conditions of Communion with them But I say 2. That the Bishops set up in Scotland were none of the lawful Pastors of the People over whom they pretended to Rule And I am willing that Matter be Determined 1. By the strength of Argument if he can Prove the Warrantableness of the Power that they Claim to we must yield 2. By the Suffrage of the ancient Church which was positive plain and unanimous in this that the People should chuse their own Bishop and other Church-Officers see Instances Enquirie into the Constitution c. of the Primiiive Church c. 3. p. 63. Append. ad Catalog Test veritat p. 33. The ancient Church did never own a Pastoral relation in any Man to a People on whom he was thrust by the Magistrat or any Power not Properly Ecclesiastical and without their own Consent This is our case the Church of Scotland was in Peaceable Possession of Presbyterian Government the Magistrat not the Church made a Change and set Men over the People to be their Bishops whose Office they could not own and whose Persons they had no concern in I Question whether the Primitive Church I mean the first Ages would have counted it Schism to disown such and to cleave to their own lawful Pastors who had been called by them setled by Church Authority among them and laboured among them to their Comfort and Edification His denying the Donatists to have taken their Name from Donatus a casis nigris is contrarie to Petavius rationar tempor lib. 6. p. 249. I know not what Vouchers he hath for him his Assertion p. 220. that Presbyterians have thrown Deacons out of the Church is so false that it is a wonder how he could have the Confidence to Affirm it If he understand it of Preaching Deacons he should have said so and proved such an Officer to have been appointed by CHRIST to be in his Church § 14. His Fifth Reason to prove the Presbyterians Schismaticks is from the Doctrine of Cyprian of which he is so confident that he maketh my asserting that a Bishop in Cyprians time was no more but a Pastor of a Flock or a Presbyterian Moderator not a Diocesan to be a plain Demonstration that I have never read Cyprians Writings If I had read much more than either he or I have I should not so often nor so superciliously vilisie others If I have read little he will find it the easier to refute what I have Written Another Learned Author of his Partie hath taken to task these few Lines in my Def. of Vindic. which he now undertaketh to refute Which Book I have Answered with such reading as I could attain both of Cyprian and other ancient Writers in a Book Intituled the Cyprianick-Bishop Examined where I have endeavoured to Answer all that he hath here Written before I saw it I am not willing to Transcribe it being the most part of that Book He may read it if he thinketh fit and if he or any other will refute what is there said of Episcopacie in Cyprians Age I shall be willing to be Informed by him His Triumphant Conclusion p. 225. evanisheth into smoak if what hath been said be duly Considered He begineth another Debate about Preaching Moralitie which he passeth in a Word overlooking all that had been said in Refutation of his former Book on that Head While it was told him that not all the Clergy but he and such as he was so blamed Also that Preaching Moralitie was never Censured but Applauded and lookt on as necessarie but what we Quarelled was that some do only Preach Moralitie and neglect holding forth to the People the aids of the Spirit by which they should obey the Law acceptably and the Righteousness of CHRIST on account of which they and their Works that are moraly Good should be accepted and a great deal more to this purpose was Discoursed to shew his Mistakes in that Matter to all which he maketh no Return but that his Antagonist had seen no Sermons of his in Print nor heard him and therefore could not tell what sort of Doctrine he preached I think there was sufficient ground for thinking that he useth to Preach in that strain seing he so doth Defend and Applaud it but much more occasion was given for so thinking from a large Discourse in his Book that I was then Refuting Vindicating their way of Preaching in which their is nothing of that which is the Marrow of Gospel Preaching viz. the imputed Righteousness of CHRIST and the influence of his Spirit by which we must do that which pleaseth GOD. His so often Rehearsing as he hath done the Third time an Error of the Press which maketh a Passage that is unexceptionable to be Nonsense and Blasphemie after it had been Solemnly disowned by the Author this I say sheweth the Mans temper I am sure this silly shift will Reflect more on himself in the Eyes of them who are not Malicious than it will on the Person whom he would Defame SECTION XI Of the Government of the first Christian Church of Scotland ANother Debate my Antagonist Engageth in wherein what we hold must be reckoned among the New Opinions of Presbyterians is what way the Christian Church of Scotland was at first Governed whether by Bishops or the Pastors of the Church acting in Parity We cannot give a distinct and paricular Account of their way in this Matter because of the Silence and Defectiveness of the History of these times and therefore it is a Mis-representation when he saith that we hold that they were Presbyterians if he understand Presbyterian Government in the the usual Sense as made up of Kirk-Sessions Presbyteries Synods and General-Assemblies we suppose they had a Government in that Church and that it was Managed by Church Officers and directed by the Word of GOD as they then understood it for this we can bring no other Proof but that they were Christians and we owe them that Charity having
of their own Time as many of the Historians that our Author layeth much Weight on have done but consider Things as then they were Stated and bring probable Grounds either from the Histories written by credible Persons in or near that Time or from any other Medium § 4. I now proceed to the Vindication of our Argument from History for the first Christians in Scotland being Governed without Bishops He mistakes when he saith that I bring Blondel as a Historical Witness of this I mentioned him only as Citing these Authors which assert it Which are Joan. Major de gest Scotor lib. 2. c. 2. Per Sacerdotes Monachos sine Episcopis Scoti in fide sunt eruditi and before him Fordon Scoto-Chronicon lib. 3. c. 8. Ante Palladii adventum habebant Scoti fidei Doctores Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solummodo vel Monachos Ritum sequentes Ecclesiae Primitivae It is true Blondel citeth also Boet who was later than either of them But what he citeth out of him seemeth not to be so much to his Purpose wherefore I wave that Testimony Our Authors Answer to the other two Testimonies is they were not competent Witnesses living at so great a Distance from the Time they speak of To which I Reply First they cannot be esteemed Partial Witnesses being both of them Papists and not Presbyterians and it may be rationally thought that if they had no sufficient Ground for what they said they would rather have either said what made for the Way they owned or at least suppressed what they had no good Warrant to assert against their own Way To this he saith p. 245. that the Monks advanced this Fable to gratifie the Popes Design of Exempting the Religious Orders from Episcopal Jurisdiction Reply This doth not meet with our Case for Major was no Monk and so not concerned to tell a Lie to please the Pope in that Design And for Fordon whatever Temptation he might have to endeavour the Lessening of the Extent of the Episcopal Power he would not design to root out Episcopacy wholly out of Scotland which this Testimony tendeth to for the Period he speaketh of contrary to the universal Sentiments of that Church whereof he was a Member Wherefore that Consideration doth no way derogat from the Credibility of his Testimony Secondly We have no Ground to think that these Historians spake by Guess or that they invented this Story for the contrary of it cannot be proved and the thing it self is not impossible yea Sir George Mackenzy in his Advertisement before his Book against Saint Asaph maketh it appear that in our Countrey there were very Ancient Manuscripts and that the Priests learned our ancient History from the Druids and he maketh it clear p. 2. c. that our Histories of which that of Fordon and Major are a part being received by the Generality of Mankind especially by Criticks Antiquaries and Historians ought not now to be called in Question And I must still think for all that he hath said in Opposition to it that the History of our Nation falleth if these Authors are not to be believed seing without them he shall never be able to make up a Scots History out of Roman Authors Thirdly The same Author p. 5. sheweth that Men satisfie themselves in most things with the general Belief and Tradition of a People that Manuscripts infer no Mathematical Certainty but the Authors of them might mistake that the Histories of all Nations are no better founded All which sheweth how unreasonable it is to Question the Authority of these Histories especially when none do so but one who is straitned with an Argument brought from their Testimony against a Cause that he is fond of It is also much to our Purpose that the Learned Usher de primord Eccles. Brit. 808. citeth the same Passages with Approbation he citeth also Balaeus de scriptor Britan. affirming that Palladius was sent ut Sacerdotalem Ordinem Romano Ritu institueret which we may rationally think was to set up Bishops Also the Learned Doctor Forbes Iren. p. 157. citeth the same Passage of Major and addeth of his own adeo ut Ecclesia Scoticana plus quam 230 annos erat absque Regimine Episcopali and Forbes was Zealous for Episcopacy § 5. The Testimony of these Historians is supported by other Historians who shew Palladius was the first Bishop that Ruled in the Scots Christian Church and that Church had Subsisted and had Government and others of Christs Ordinances in it above two hundred years before Palladius came among them This is Attested by Baronius and his Epitomator Spondanus ad ann 431. and by them taken out of Prosper see Spondan p. 592. this is more fully cleared first Vind. p. 4. His Answer to this I now consider He saith p. 244. that the Controversie cometh to this whether Prosper saith that two hundred years before Palladius was sent to the Scots there was a Presbyterian Church in Scotland this is a ridiculous State of the Question and made by none but himself we affirm that Prosper said that Palladius was the first Bishop sent to the Scots and we aliunde prove that there was a Christian Church in Scotland two hundred years before that time Whence the Consequence is clear that during that Space the Scots Christians had no Bishops I must ly under his Charge of Supine Negligence in not Reading the Authors I cite I only may be bold to require him to make that appear That he thus attempteth Baronius saith in the same Place of Palladius Quem perductum etiam ad Hiberniam Insulam sed cito mortuum Probus in rebus gestis Sancti Patricii scripsit dictum est superius Hibernorum quidem Conversionem Deus Sancto Patricio reservavit I hope the Judicious Reader will neither think it a Token of Supine Negligence nor of my not Reading the Books I cite that I did not Transcribe this For it was no ways to the Purpose in hand it might as well be so Constructed that I did not write over all that followeth in Baronius about Saint Patricks Descent about his Ordination his Instruction in Divinity c. But the Weight of his Objection lyeth in this that Baronius and Spondanus understood Prosper so as that Palladius was sent to Ireland and not to that part of Britain that we call Scotland Here the Enquirer giveth me Occasion to return the Civility of a good Advice to him that he would consider what he Readeth and what he Citeth out of Authors for it is against all Sense and Reason to make Baronius and Spondanus either mean this in this Passage or so to understand Prosper of a Mission to Ireland and not to Scotland It is to make a flat Contradiction between their Meaning and their Words Whereas they say Sanctus Prosper missum ait Palladium ordinatum Episcopum ad Scotos quem perductum etiam ad Hiberniam c. The Meaning then must be to our Author tho he
was Missus and Ordinatus ad Scotos he was not sent to the Scots but to Ireland Do not the Words bear it in their very Face that he was sent to Scotland and was their first Bishop and after he had been there for some time he was brought over to Ireland it is not said Missus nor Ordinatus but Perductus his Mission was to Scotland what Casuality or Design led him to Ireland is not told us neither is it Prosper but Probus that mentioneth his going to Ireland and that he never was in Ireland I have shewed in the Place Cited § 6. He further endeavoureth to overturn our Argument from Prosper as he is Cited by Baronius where he attempteth two things 1. To shew that Palladius in Prospers Sense was not the first Bishop that was in Scotland but the first Bishop that was sent to them by the Pope This he buildeth on Prospers Words both as they are Cited by Baronius and also are in the Augustane Copy the first are Basso Antiocho consulibus ad Scotos in Christum credentes ordinatus a Caelestino Papa Palladius primus Episcopus mittitur And the other Copy is Basso Antiocho consulibus ad Scotos in Christum credentes ordinatus a Caelestino Papa Palladius primus Episcopus missus est I see not what moved him to transcribe the Words twice unless he see a Mystery that others cannot observe in the Difference that is between mittitur and missus est but he will have mittitur or missus est primus Episcopus to signifie that he was not the first Bishop but the first Bishop of the Roman Mission if he be allowed to put what Sense on Mens Words he pleaseth it must be so Baronius and Spondanus did not so understand the Words neither can any Man so understand them unless his Preconceived Opinion do Darken his Mind that he cannot see things as they are If Prosper had thought that there were Bishops in Scotland before he should have spoken more plainly and told us that the Pope sent him to Rule over the Scots Bishops or that whereas Scotland was formerly Governed by their own Bishops the Pope would have them thenceforth Governed by such as he set over them He telleth us of several Bishops sent to other Churches not to introduce Episcopacy but to bring them in Subjection to the Pope This I deny not tho he instanceth only in Austine the Monk who was sent to England but this furnisheth an Argument against himself for none of them is called primus Episcopus of such a Nation except he who was sent to Scotland Augustine is neither called primus Monachus nor primus Episcopus though as Beda hist. lib. 1. c. 23. hath it he was ordinandus Episcopus si a Gente Anglorum susciperetur He saith it is not evident from Prospers Chronicon whether there was any Formed Organized Church in Scotland when Palladius was sent by Caelestine This is wholly beside the Purpose for Prospers Testimony is not brought for that End Is it not enough that it is clearly proved out of Authentick Writers that the Scots were Christians anno 199 and Palladius came to them about 431. Now can he imagine that the Scots Christians all that time were not an Organized Church if he think that therefore they were Unorganized because they wanted Bishops this is to beg the Question § 7. His other Answer is not a Refutation of me but of Baronius who took the Chronicon consulare for Prospers Work whereas our Author saith it is none of his and for this he produceth the Authority of Pithaeus which is not sufficient against that of Baronius And even Pithaeus himself confesseth that Chronicon per consules digestum hactenus in omnibus Hieronomiani Chronici editionibus Prosperi nomine subjungitur All the Ground he hath for denying it to be Prospers is that the Stile differeth from what he calleth the true Chronicon whereof a Fragment only remaineth He telleth us also that Doctor Cave saith that the Chronicon consulare is much Interpolated but that doth not prove the Book spurious neither doth it derogate from the Testimony we bring out of it unless he can say that it is one of the Interpolations may be Foisted in by some Presbyterian which if he say it will make the Presbyterians older than our Author will allow He quarrelleth that I had asserted that the Christian Faith was received in Scotland in the beginning of the second Century and calleth it a Dream because we have no certain Records of any Progress of Christianity made in the Island at that time He should not have been so confident in this Matter without Answering what was brought for that Assertion or Dream whatever he will call it He should have disproved that Donald was our first Christian King that he began to Reign anno 199 that Palladius came to Scotland 431 in all which Space the Scots lived without Bishops If I have brought our Christianity any nearer to the beginning of the Christian AEra I shall confess an Error in Calculation which I deny not that I may readily fall into What he saith of Squeezing of his Words I cannot Answer for he neither tells where nor wherein for my Book lying open to his Remarks the Reader must judge whether it be so or not and what Advantage he hath got against it the Error of my Title Page putting of in stead of for the Clergy is not such as he would represent if they do not owne it he should crave Pardon for making it if they do I have not Miscalled it tho I confess changing his own Word was an Oversight but I hope it is not a Beam but a Mote that he hath discovered by his Critical Skill SECTION XII Of Ceremonies and the rest of the Enquirers Quarrels with the Presbyterians which have not yet been touched THe last Effort made by this Author against the Presbyterians in his fifth Chapter is made up of his Essay against our Opinion about Ceremonies and other Miscellany Purposes which hardly can be reduced to one Head which I shall consider as his Discourse shall bring them in Before I Examine his Dissertation I observe two things in general concerning it The first is the course Treatment he giveth the Presbyterians without Exception as if he had them under his Feet in this Conflict before he enter on the Debate He calleth our Opinion or rather his own mistaken Apprehension of it for it is none of ours as will by and by appear a silly Theorem on which he saith we have broken the Unity of the Church and filled the Heads and Mouths of People with a thousand Airy and Unaccountable Fancies he calls what we say on this Head Raveries and a Labyrinth of Idle Talk Fooleries My other Observation is his odd Representation of our Opinion which he maketh to be altogether new and our own and indeed as he representeth it it is wholly new and none of ours but his
the Worship of God he owneth no such Ceremonies if we speak properly what hath its Use and Significancy from Civil Custom in other Actions is no Ceremony it is a Civil Rite and may well be used in Religion he repeateth also his former Mistake as if we thought that Civil Authority might appoint Ceremonies for Religion but not Church Authority our Opinion in which I have made plain to them who will understand what we say I have also Answered his Question how the Civil Rite used in Religion is Innocent while a Religious Ceremony appropriated to Religion if it be of Humane Appointment whether by the Authority of Church or State is not so I deny what he so confidently asserteth p. 261. that Lifting up the Hand in Swearing is of Humane Appointment neither is his Proof of it sufficient viz. that it hath no Divine Institution for what is brought in and gets its Use and Significany by Civil Custom is a Middle between these 2. I am not at Leasure to repeat my Answer as often as he doth his Objection taken from the Equality of the Civil and Ecclesiastick Authority to institute Ceremonies with which he filleth several Pages with a nauseous saying the same thing in Words little different The Immemorial Possession of any Rite in the Church which he insinuateth as an Argument cannot justifie it if it be appropriated to Religion and had no Divine Original We are not concerned to account for Kissing the Evangel in taking an Oath whether it came in by Civil Custom or Ecclesiastick Authority Let them who use it Answer such Doubts or rather let them shew us any Ground for it from Nature from Civil Custom or from Divine Institution if it be destitute of all these he should prove not barely assert the Stubbornness that is in Refusing it It is absurd to say that the Ecclesiastical Ceremonies having the Civil Sanction are under that Reduplication to be looked upon as Civil Ceremonies for he might say the same of the Sacraments of the New Testament when enjoyned by Law it is not the Civil Authority but Rites being used in Civil Actions and not being peculiar to the the Worship of God it is their having their Use and Significancy from Civil Custom that giveth them that Denomination § 8. He Starteth a Scruple p. 263. which hath no Rise from what any of his Adversaries had ever said nor any where else that I know but in his Imagination It is If a Ceremony have one Signification in Civil Actions and another in Religious Worship Quaeritur Whether it maketh it lawful in Worship A. No. Because its â—awfulness is founded on the Significancy that it acquireth in Civil Actions I gladly would know what Ground was ever given him to say so confidently as he doth that we hold that a Ceremony is lawful in Religion if it hath been used in Civil Solemnities tho in a different Signification If he find any Body asserting that let him call such Persons Absurd Ridiculous Foolish c. at his Pleasure as he very freely calleth us on that Imaginary Account but if no such thing have ever been held by any of us I shall give him no Epithet but leave it to the Reader to call him as he deserveth He hath another Argument for the Lawfulness of Humane Ceremonies peculiar to Religion which he Ushereth in with that Degree of Confidence and Insolent Contempt of his Adversaries that might Fright us into Silence as the Lion by his Roaring Terrifieth his Prey into a Consternation calling all our Exceptions against Significant Ceremonies in the Worship of God little and idle frivolous Impertinencies And no wonder he be so fond of his mighty Argument I believe it is the Birth of his own Brain I never met with it before and I have seen few that are of less weight It is that the Apostle Rom. 6. 4. maketh a palpable Allusion to the Significant Ceremony of Immersion when he saith we are Buried with Him by Baptism into Death c. To strengthen this Argument he telleth us of Immersion being used by Jews and by Christians that it is founded on no Divine Institution but on the Practice of the Jewish Church and thence derived to Christians and was never established by any other Authority but what was purely Humane and Ecclesiastical He telleth us this Custom was so known that all their Learned Neighbours were acquaint with it and for this he very wisely citeth Tacitus hist. lib. 5. speaking of their Circumcision but not one Word of Immersion He calleth for the particular Text where this Ceremony is founded on express Institution also that we should shew where it was used in Civil Actions That Scripture Example for it is but the Consequence of itâ— being Pracâ—ised and supposeth it At last to make all sure he condescendeth to the Jargon of the Schools with which this Soaring Eagle thinks we Poor Worms are only acquainted that is to put his Argument into â—â—gical â—orm and â—igure thus a Significant Ceremony founded upon no Divâ—… Institution and alluded to in Saint Pauls Reasonings Rom. 6. 4. is lawful in it self But the Ceremony of Immersion in the Administration of Baptism was founded on no Divine Institution and yet alluded to by Saint Paul is a thing received in the current Practice of the Apostolical Church Ergo such a Significant Ceremony in the Worship of God founded on no Divine Institution is in it self lawful I shall far more easily dispatch this Argument than he hath framed it If it were not to Hazard his further Despising us as Conversant only with the School Jargon of Syllogising I should observe that he flyeth so high as to take little notice of Syllogistical Form for all his pretending to it for the Major Proposition is the very Conclusion of the Syllogism only he hath altered the Word putting such a Significant Ceremony for a Significant Ceremony alluded to by the Apostle Paul other Informalities in it I pass it is below him to mind them Aquila non captat Muscas For a more material Answer I first deny the Major as thus universally proposed Allusion to a Ceremony is no Proof of its Lawfulness as I have proved § 6. Next I deny the Minor I affirm that Immersion was founded on Divine Institution which I prove 1. Because it is here mentioned as the lawful and approved Way of Administration of Baptism which Ordinance Christ had appointed it were a strange â—ancy to think that Christ had enjoyned baptism and not told them who were to Administer it what He meant by it or what they should do Next Whereas he demandeth a particular Scripture for its Institution tho we be not obliged to that Exactness yet I adduce Matth. 28. 19. where Baptizing is Commanded every one knoweth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth properly to Dip or Plunge in Water and that it is taken more largely for any Kind of Washing or â—insing as Mark 7. 4. it is not to be