in the Church about the Episcopal Office did thereupon constitute Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for the future ordered the Rule of Succession for them that when they themselves or the Bishops constituted by them should happen to dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other Persons of approved worth might be substituted in their places Irenaeus confirms the same for says he habemus annumer are eos qui ab Apostolis instituti sunt Episcopi in Ecclesiis Successores eorum we can name the very Men whom the Apostles Lib. 3. cap. 3. Basil 1528. made Bishops in several Churches and the Successors of them down to our selveâ— giving us thereby to know that the Office of Episcopacy was as truly of diâ—ine Institution as the Apostolate itself 4. And as there must be one Bishop to head and unite the several Christians into one so if primitive Institution and Practice may umpire in the case there ought to be but one single Bishop in one single Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is saith Ignatius but one Flesh of our Lord Ep. ad Philadelph cap. 4. and Saviour Jesus Christ one Bloud of his shed for us all one Bread broken to us one Cup distributed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one Altar to a Church and one Bishop Deus unus Christus unus There is saith St. Cyprian but one God one Christ one Church one Chair Ep. 43. founded by our Lord another Altar besides that one Altar and Priesthood cannot be erected And again Christ warneth and teacheth us in his De unitat Eccles Gospel saying there shall be one Flock and one Sheepherd and can any man think aut multos Pastores aut multos greges there can be in one place either many Sheepherds or many Flocks The Bees saith St. Jerome Ep. ad Rust Mon. Edit Basil 1565. have their King the Cranes fly after one there is one Emperour one Judge of a Province singuli Ecclesiarum Episcopi one single Bishop to one single Church Were there many Bishops of one City saith St. Hom. 1 in Ep. ad Philip. Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by no means God saith St. Ambrose singulis Ecclesiis singulos Episcopos hath determined to 1 Cor. 12. every Church one proper Bishop It cannot be saith Theodoret that many Bishops should be at one and the same time Pastors of one and the same Church In 1 cap. ad Philip. Thus it was carefully provided against by the Fathers of the first Nicene Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That two Bishops should not be Can. 8. placed in one and the same City The like determination was made in the Council of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That no Bishop should be constituted in a Church where one that is alive and had not voluntarily resigned is presiding And so it was also decreed by the fifth Aurelian Council Nulli viventi Episcopo Can. 5. alius superponatur aut superordinetur Episcopus That no Bishop be ordained or placed over the Head of another whilst that other is living The like in the Cabilon Council ut duo in una Civitate penitus in uno tempore nec Can. 4. ordinentur nec habeantur Episcopi That two Bishops are not to be ordained and placed together in one and the same City at one and the same time To this Custome and particularly to the aforesaid Canon of the Nicene Council Pope Innocent had respect when writing to the Clergy of Constantinople he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soz. l. 8. c. 26. Edit Col. Allobr We never knew any such thing to be acted by our Forefathers but rather forbad that any should have power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ordain another into the Place of one that is living 5. And this of one Bishop and but of one Bishop in a place was a Rule so generally known and so universally received in those early days of Christianity that Cornelius upbraids Novatus that Father of Puritanes and pretending Gospeller as he calls him for being ignorant of it Euseb lib. 6. cap. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that but one Bishop ought to be in one Catholick Church As if it had been a Rule as necessary to be known and practiced for the well governing of the Church and for keeping it in lasting Peace and Unity as any one Canon throughout the Scriptures besides And therefore St. Augustin though it was his fortune to be ordained Bishop of Hippo whilst Valerius lived would by no means suffer Eradius and perhaps he at that time needed a Coadjutor no less than Valerius did to be superordained upon him because he then knew it to be an Act uncanonical his Words are these Scio quod scitis vos I full Ep. 166. Edit Paris 1531. well know what ye also know that Eradius is a deserving Man and every way qualified to be made a Bishop sed nolo de illo fieri quod de me factum est but I would not have that done to him which was done to me adhuc enim in corpore posito for I was made a Bishop with him whilst he was living and sate with him in the same See quod ergo reprehendum est in me nolo reprehendi in filio meo what therefore was reprovable in me I will not have to be blamed in Eradius my Son erit Presbyter ut est quando Deus voluerit facturus Epâ—scopus he shall continue a Presbyter in the station he is and when God wiâ—â— by taking me away he shall be a Bishop Whence we may observe 1. That he looked upon his being consecrated Bishop whilst Valerius his Father and Predecessor lived to be an act reprehensible in him and altogether uncanonical 2. That afterwards knowing the Canon he would not act contrary to it by having Eradius superordained upon him though his declining Age needed it and both Clergy and People desired it 3. That it was done at the Request of the Bishop of the Place with the approbation of the Primate of the Province and as Possidonius relates the matter non tam succedere quam Consacerdos accedere not to dethrone the former as now a days it s done but De vitâ Aâ—gust cap. 8. to come into the Copartnership of the Bishoprick with him and thereby to assist in his old Age that the Affairs of the Church might not be suffered to run to Ruine by reason of his Infirmities and Inabilities The onely Case perhaps wherein two Bishops may be allowed in one Church yea and not then neither as Gratian makes out the Matter unless the infirm one particularly requests it the Church rather chusing to Caus 7. q. 1. cap. 11. bear the Infirmity of oâ—d Age in a Biâ—hop than to force an Assistant upon him lest thereby Opposition should arise betwixt them Now the Reason of all this was to prevent the Mischief of Schism
because it is very probable that this anonymous Treatise now published against us was written upon the occasion of this Schism The Emperor Theodosius Lascaris the second Son of Theodorus Ducas Lib. 3. by Irene Daughter of Theodorus Lascaris the first dying in the 36th year of his Age left John Lascaris his Son a Minor of six years of Age under the Tutorship of Muzalon and Arsenius the Patriarch of Constantinople But Muzalon a Man of inferior Quality perceiving he was envied by the Nobles and common People offered to resign his Trust into the hands of the Nobles convened for this purpose but they refused to let him part with his Trust and not long after with the whole Army took an Oath to him under the highest Imprecations to themselves and their Families that without any Treachery they would maintain him in the Wardship of the young Prince and reserve the Empire for him and his Posterity But notwitstanding this Oath some of the Nobles six days after set upon Muzalon in the Church and slew him and his two Brothers at the Altar whither they had fled for Shelter Upon this Arsenius very much perplexed consults with the Nobles what was to be done for the Safety of the Prince in which Consultation they chose Michael Paleologus to take the Administration upon him under the Title of Despot during his Minority After this the chief among the Nobles declare him Emperour which Lib. 6. troubled the good Patriarch exceedingly who thereupon had thoughts of excommunicating the Usurper and all his Adherents but upon farther deliberation he thought it more advisable to give way and bind both him and them by new Oaths to give Security to the Prince both as to his Life and Succession to the Throne when he should come to Age. Shortly after he had taken this security from them he was forced at the instance of the Senate and Clergy to tie the Diadem upon the Head of Paleologus with his own hands but when he did it he made him swear again that he should recede from the Government and lay by all the Regalia to make way for the Prince when he came of Age. But after this the good old Man seeing the Prince his Pupil despised retired from his Church into a Monastery and was succeeded by Nicephorus Bishop of Ephesus who died after he had enjoyed his dignity a year Soon after this Paleologus being peaceably setled in Constantinople and the Government calls back Arsenius and makes him Patriarch again upon the vacancy of Nicephorus And not long after resolving to keep the Empire for himself he persisted to marry the Sisters of the Prince to inferior persons and without any regard to humanity or his repeated Oaths he puts out the Eyes of the Prince and sent him to be safely kept in a remote Prison The Patriarch upon this excommunicates the Emperor Peleologus who in a seeming humble manner desires to be absolved from the excommunication but not being able to obtain absolution from the Patriarch he calls a Synod to meet in the Palace to try him for some pretended Crimes which he pickt up here and there against him The Synod met and the cowardly time serving Bishops strove which should be most forward in having their Patriarch acâ—used and accordingly they cited him to appear and called for his accuseâ—s but he refused to appear upon this exception that the Synod was indicted by the Emperor his open Adversary wâ—â— in effect was also his Judge Upon his non appearing he was deposed by the Synod for contumacy and upon 〈◊〉 Deposition banished by the perjured Emperor and Germanus Bishop of Adrianople the â—â—perâ—r's old Friend succeeded in his Throne Upon this a great Schism arose in Constâ—â—â—â—nople among the People who looked upon Germanus as an Usurper counting Arseâ—i◠〈◊〉 be their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or true Patriarch after deposition because he was â—â—justly deposed wherefore Germanus not being able to endure the affronts and reproacâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the people quitted the Throne and was succeeded by Josephus a Monk who dâ—◠〈◊〉 understand Greek but absolved the perjured Emperor and afterwards retired fro◠〈◊〉 See into a Monastery and during his administration there was still a strong Part◠〈◊〉 adhered to Aâ—senius and continued to do so in the time of Becus who after the deâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Lib. 5. Lib. 6. the Emperor privately withdrew from his Station into a Monastery and was succeede◠〈◊〉 Josephus the Patriarch whom before he had succeeded but still the Schism contiâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—ome being for Josephus Arseniús being now dead and others being against him beâ—â—◠〈◊〉 as they prttended Arsenius had excommunicated him in his life time for invadâ—â—◠〈◊〉 See while he was alive and the Parties thus contesting one with another Josephus 〈◊〉 for peace sake and partly because he was old and infirm once more retired and 〈◊〉 succeeded by Gregorius Cyprius who it seems understood the learned Greek well but â—â—â—ther was the Schism suddenly quieted in his time though I suppose this famous Manuscâ—â—â—â— had been written under some of the Successors of Arsenius to appease it and I deâ—â—â— Mr. Hody and Mr. B. his Voucher to tell us how the People of Constantinople came to â—â—pose so many Successors of Arsenius if according to the Greek Manuscript Neither tâ—â— justly deprived Bishop nor the Church ever made a separation from his Successor if he were â— Heretick What! Are they the first that did so No both these Gentlemen and tâ—â— Graeculus esuriens know better but however as he thought it might serve a turn the◠〈◊〉 write his Book so they thought it might serve a turn now to Print it and commend 〈◊〉 an excellent Tract though it is really a trifling piece written with little skill and leâ—â—â—â—â—cerity by an Author of little Antiquity and Authority in a most ignorant and coâ—â—â—â—â— Age when it was counted a mighty thing in a Greek Clergy-man to understand the learâ—â—â— Greek and the Writings of their Fathers that was written in it and when in 〈◊〉 Greek Church it-self there was a great corruption in Doctrine Worship and Discipline â—â— well as in the Morals both of the Laity and Clergy the latter whereof were of such 〈◊〉 Spirits as to court and comply with every base Vsuâ—per to get Preferment and 〈◊〉 every thing to his and their Covetousness and Ambition but their quarrels with the 〈◊〉 and the Possessions of their Church Thus much I have thought fit to say in reference to the Baroccian Manuâ—cript of 〈◊〉 I was bound to take some notice in behalf of my own Book which is taken out of best and purest Antiquity that calls for much more deference and veneration froâ— than the thing Collected by the Author of that Tract And if our New Bishops havâ— better Authorities than those they find in him to justifie and support them The Goâ— Peace and Vnity be mercifull unto them and give them Grace to consider that numbers and strâ—â—â— cannot alter the Primitive notion of Schism nor change the sinfull and direfull nature thereoâ— September 29. 1691. FINIS
Vnity of Priesthood Necessary to the Unity of Communion in a CHURCH With some REFLECTIONS ON THE OXFORD MANVSCRIPT And the PREFACE annexed ALSO Collection of CANONS part of the â—â—id MANUSCRIPT faithfully tranâ—ated into English from the Original but concealed by Mr. Hody and his Prefacer LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCII THE CONTENTS 1. UNdertaken at the News of the new Bishops 2. Plurality of Bishops as fatal as plurality of Kings 3. The Church founded on Bishops 4. But one Bishop in a Church 5. A Rule generally known and practised .. 6. More makes a Schism 7. Novatianus at Rome did so 8. So did Meletius at Lycopolis in Egypt 9. Majorinus at Carthage and others elsewhere 10. Unity of Priesthood under the old Law 11. The second Bishop makes the Schism 12. His Ordination null 13. His Person and Office censured 14. Not sufficient to be of the same Faith with the first 15. Though an Assertor of and Sufferer for it 16. Is rejected by all 17. The Bishops renounce Communion with him 18. The Laity his Presidency 19. The Compliers guilty 20. The Ordainers worst of all 21. A Digression touching the Oath of Canonical Obedience 22. The Schism aggravated 23. Through the unjust Deprivation of the Bishops as contrary 24. To the Primitive Canons 25. To the Proceedings and Rescripts of Christian Emperours 26. To the Methods of England Saxon or Norman 27. Not innovated by the Reformation 28. State Deprivation a novel and wicked Invention 29. Through the Primate's being one of these Bishops without whom 30. Nothing is to be done in the Church 31. No Ordination counted valid 32. The Case of Abiathar considered 33. As to the being of two High Priests at once 34. As to his Deposition by Solomon 35. Regal Depositions fatal to the Church 36. They proved so to the Jewish 37. They proved so to the Greek 38. An Apology for both 39. The Case of the deprived Bishops not the same 40. With those in K. Edward the Vâ—th 's days as touching 41. Their Investitures 42. Their Crimes 43. The Manner of their Deprivations 44. Nor with those in Q. Elizabeth 's days 45. Preliminary Observations respecting the same 46. The number of the deprived 47. Their Titles faulty 48. Their Crimes inexcusable 49. The Authority unexceptionable 50. The Parliament cannot authenticate Schism 51. No Act of Submission to them 52. Ecclesiastical Matters out of their Sphere 53. Neâ—er more unhappy than when meddling in them 54. The Necessity of the present Separation evinced 55. Mr. Hody and his Prefacer detected and confuted Vnity of Priesthood Necessary to the Unity of Communion in a Church SIR 1. OF all the Ill News you have sent me since the beginning of the late Revolution none sits so close upon me nor hath created such deep Thoughts of Heart within me as the News of a new Primate and a new Bishop the old ones being living and neither canonically heard nor judicially deprived A Project utterly dissonant to all primitive Practice to the antient Constitutions and Canons of the Church and which if not timely compromised must necessarily beget and perhaps unavoidably propagate a lasting Schism among us ad natos natorum qui nascuntur ab ipsis 2. The antient Cry was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one God one Theodor. lib. 2. cap. 17. Hom. Iâ—id lib. 2. Christ one Bishop answerab le to that of the Poet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let there be but one King one Supreme intimating that it will be as fatal to the Church to have Bishop against Bishop as for the State to have opposite Kings The one ever fills a Nation with Bloodshed and Devastation the other the Church with Faction and Sedition The former ruines the Peace and disturbs the Quiet of the Common-wealth disposing it to most certain Anarchy and Confusion the other ever confounds the Unity and Concord of Christians till it turns the House of God into a Den of Thieves and of a Bethel makes it a Bethaven And if by either of these means we come once to be unsettled and to have our corner Stone displaced we mâ—y soon expect that Saying of our Saviour to be verified among us that an House divided against it self cannot stand Mark 3. 25. 1 Cor. 3. 4. This was the fate and sad condition of the Church of Corinth some were foâ— Paul others for Apollos and others again for Cephas which at length caused sâ—ch a Division among them that had not the Apostle come in 1 Cor. 4. 21. with his superintending Authority the Church it self had probably been overlaid and stifled in its Infancy 3. There might indeed be many subordinate Ministers and Assistants in a Church some â—or bringing in new Converts some for perfecting the oâ—d ones all for the Work of the Ministery and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Cornelius Bp. of Rome reckons up under him in his time no less than * Euseb Hist lib. 6. cap. 35. Edit Col. Allob. 1612. forty six Presbyters besides seven Deacons and many other ecclesiastical Officers Epiphanius tells us that at Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every Church there was an appointed Haeres 68. S. 4. Presbyter but Bishop there could be but one to superintend and preside over the Church And therefore St. Cyprian tells us in his Epistle ad Florentium Puptanum That a Church is Pâ—ebs Sacerdoti adunata Pastori Ep. 66. suo grex adherens a People united to their Bishop and a Flock adhering to their Pastor and that Heresies and Schisms therefore arise quod Sacerdoti Ep. 59. Cornel. Edit Oxon. Dei non obtemperatur because the Bishop is disobeyed and not acknowledged to be the onely Bishop and the onely Judge for the time being under Christ in the Church Nay Ignatius makes this union between a Bishop and his People so absolutely and indefeasably necessary to a Church that he will not allow it to be a Church without it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without these says he Bishops and their Clergy there can be no Ad Fral c. 3. Church of God no Assembly of Saints no Congregation of Christians So doth the aforesaid St Cyprtan Scire debes Episcopum in Ecclesia esse Ep. 66. ad Flor. Ecclesiam in Episcopo you ought to know saith he that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop and that he who is not with the Bishop is not in the Church And again at Ecclesia super Episcopos constituatur That the Church was to be founded upon Bishops divina lege fundatum Ep. 33. lapsis and was a Sanction at first by the divine Law and by the various Series of Time and successive Ordinations handed down to us A Sanction designed by Christ from the beginning for saith St. Clemens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostles having beforehand fully learned Ep. ad Cor. 1. cap. 44. from Christ that there would arise a Contention
that the Parliament never had or at least cannot now pretend to have any such Power but that when they attempt to meddle and decree in such matters they are perfectly out of their Sphere and Bounds and so far forth too that their Acts can be no otherwise accounted of than encroachments and their Penalties little less than Oppression 53. Mistaken too often they are in their own affairs but never so much as when they arrogate to themselves the full command over Religion A sad instance whereof we have in the late Rebellious Parliaments whose Ordinances though but of small continuance proved far more bloody and undoing than all the Canons that had been made since the beginning of the Reformation Hence being Masters of the Sacerdotal as well as Regal Power they in the first place fell foul upon the Bishops the Fathers and Governours of the Church and not only took away the Lives of some the Liberties of most and the Estates of all but to the everlasting scandal of Christianity they voted away * Scobel Jun. 12. 1643. the whole Order of them sacrilegiously declaring †Oct. 9. 1646. their Government to be evil in it self justly offensivâ— and burthensome to the Kingdom and a great impediment to the Reformation though a Government coeval with Christianity universally received throughout the whole Christian World and continued down to the several Provinces thereof and in Britain as well as elsewhere without the least contradiction from the Apostles days unto our own And in their room and stead set up a company of Schismatical Presbyters supporting Aug. 29. 1648. them with a new Sect of Lay-Elders the former never permitted in the Catholick Church and the latter never heard of in the World for the first fifteen hundred years after Christ Thus advanced they next quarrel the Service Book * Jan. 3. 1644. vote it out of the Church and force the Church-Wardens †Aug. 23. 1646 to turn Traditors and deliver them up to the Committees of the respective Counties to be destroyed permitting the reading thereof soon after to be ranked ‡ Cromw Let. to Judge Gatford's Pâ—t 1655. with the horrid crimes of holding or maintaining Blasphemous and Atheistical Opinions of being guilty of Cursing Swearing and Perjury of Adultery Fornication Drunkenness and such other abominable Crimes with order to the Justices of the Peace to be as carefull to suppress the reading of the same as of Ale-houses and the before-mentioned abominations though a Book eminently ministering to the best Reformation that ever happened in the Church composed by Pious and Orthodox Men who stuck not to seal their Profession with their blood the laying aside whereof in Q. Mary's Reign was declared in the ensuing Reign by the united Wisdom of the Nation in their Parliament to be to the great decay of the due Honour of God and discomfort to the Eliz 1. cap. professors of the truth of Christ's Religion And all this to trump up their beloved Directory a Form of Worship plainly accusing the Primitive Church Direct c. its Pref. of indiscretion and which may be abused by the ignorance or malice of every one that uses it liable to Heresie and Blasphemy as well as to ridiculous Indecencies Folly and Profaneness an Office that never absolves Penitents hath no Blessing no Creed no Hymns no external Adoration no Amen and in truth a form of Prayer without a form or so much as a Prayer in it the Lord's Prayer it self being left to the Caprichio and Pleasure of him that officiates Thus engaged they hurry on to the turning out all the Regular Loyal and Conformable Clergy of the Land under the notion of scandalous delinquent Ministers which upon Aug. 23. 1647. Fowlis Hist of Pret St. l. 3. c. 1. trial proved so constant and steady that Zechary Crofton one of the Chieftains of the Party thought it matter enough to boast of that among the ten thousand Clergy in the Church they had gained six hundred of them a poor pittance God wot to comply and subscribe their Covenant And then rather than be without whosoever would they consecrated making the lowest of the People Priests of the high places The Author of the Dissenters Sayings represents us with a Page 8. Catalogue of some of them and by them you may guess at the rest Godly Painful and Laborious Preachers Fulcher the Egg-Man Hobson the Taylor Gree the Felt-maker Spencer the Coachman Potter the Smith Durance the Wash-ball-maker Debman the Cooper Heath the Coller-maker Rice the Tinker and Field the Bodys-maker Neither could much better upon the outing of the other be expected since the two Vniversities those Seminaries of the Church designed for the supply of Hist Oxon. Quaer Cant. the vacancies thereof were forced to run the same risque and to undergo the same fate as the constituted Clergy of the Land had done And no question like Preachers like Doctrine So leud extravagant and vile that many of themselves being by experience made sensible thereof thought sit to complain and when it was too late seek for redress you have most noble Senators saith Mr. Edwards done worthily against Ep. Ded. part 1. Gang. Papists Prelates and scandalous Ministers but what have you done against Heresy Schism Disorder What against Seekers Anabaptists Antinomians Brownists Libertines and other Sects You have made a Reformation but with the Reformation have we not a Deformation and worse things come upon us than before You have put down the Book of Common-Prayer you have cast off the Bishops you have taken away Ceremonies you have caused the Imagies to be broken down of the Trinity Christ the Virgin Mary and the Apostles and instead thereof there are those rose up among us who throw away the Scripture ridicule the Ministery cast away the Sacraments and overthrow the Trinity deny Christ undervalue the Virgin and disown the Apostles The Sects have been growing ever since the first year of your sitting and have every year encreased more and more and if Schism and Heresy c. be let alone and rise proportionably for one year longer we shall need no Enemy from without to undo us Thus it fared with our oppressed Church in those days till her King and Priests were despised her solemn Feasts and Sabbaths forgotten and the Sanctuary abhorred and I am afraid thus it will prove again if Erastus his Demagogues and his Party ever any more happen to dictate Religion to us 64. And thus I have freely delivered my thoughts concerning this Subject insomuch that if you or others will but seriously reflect and consider what hath been offered thereon from authentick and undeniable Testimonies you may readily perceive the reason why so many of us at present refuse the Communion of the new Bishops and perform our Devotions separate by our selves under the presidency of our old ones The Communion it self was difficult if at all tollerable before the rent was
Bishop in his stead a Man saith Sozomen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist l. 4. c. 10. always reported to be firm to the Nicene Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as to matters of Religion altogether blameless And yet when Liberius was recalled from his banishment Felix was forced to retire nay the People of Rome though requâ—sted thereunto by the Emperor would not so much according to Theodoret as suffer him to Hist l. 2. c. 17. remain Copartner with the other in the Bishoprick From whence it was evident let Mr. Hody say what he will to the contrary that there is something more required in a new Bishop than barely to be Orthodox in the Faith and Catholick in his Belief and that plainly is if the Canons of the Church which were of old looked upon in Sacredness and Authority next to the Evangelists may umpire and determine not to invade another Bishop's See the See not being forfeited made void or vacated by the Canons of the Church A rule of such Catholick Authority in the Church that the known Violaters of it were no less rejected from its Communion than were the Violators of the most holy and sacred Evangels and though otherwise never so deserving a Bishoprick adjudged ever after altogether unfit to preside and govern in the Church Nay I cannot but in the third place observe and still my eye is upon Mr. Hody Thirdly That when Heresy prevailed and made its Bishops and its Party the Canon against Intrusion was no less pleaded against them to render them uncanonical than was their Heresy Hence we find Julius of Rome after he was informed of the Invasion made by Gregory the Arian upon Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria complaining no less of the irregularity thereof than as if there had been no Heresy at all in the case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where saith he in answer to his Letter from Antioch is there any such Ecclesiastical Athan. Apol. 2. p. 201. Canon or any such Apostolical Tradition That a Man who is a Stranger or a Foreigner should be made Bishop at Antioch and sent to Alexandria to be Bishop there introduced not by the Clergy of the City nor by the Bishops of the Province but by a Guard of Russians and Souldiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole Church at that same time being at peace within it self and all the Bishops of the same in perfect Communion and Concord with Athanasius their lawfull and proper Bishop consider I pray you if such a thing had been acted against any of you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Would you not have inveigh'd against it Would you not have required satisfaction for so palpable a Breach of the Canons Believe me and I speak it saith he in the sincerity of my heart and as in the presence of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is no rihghteous doing not according to Equity nor according to Canon Nay so incensed were the Ecclesiasticks at this Invasion of his that none of them would go unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. Ep. ad Orthod p. 171. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except some that were Hereticks like himself some that for their irregularities had been cast out of the Church and some few that had play'd the Hypocrite out of fear yea and so enraged were the People against him that being deprived of their lawfull Ministers so as to have none left either to baptize or to visit them in their sickness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they rather chose to hazard themselves and their Children than to have him and his Clergy to bless them I confess this might arise in a great measure from their disgust to him his dealings and his Arianism but withall something of it cannot but be ascribed to the aversion they had to this uncanonical Promotion for being afterwards under a far worse usage by Count Syrianus they applied themselves to Maximus the Praefect and other of the Magistrates telling them that if it were the Emperor's pleasure to have them persecuted they Pope Alex. Ec. Sub. Athan. p. 240. were willing and ready to be Martyr'd but if not then they that would be pleased to intercede for them that they might enjoy the most Reverend Athanasius whom God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the wonted succession of their forefathers had set over them to be their Archbishop and that no other contrary to such succession might be put upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which rather say they than suffer we have even unto death resisted A zeal that attended the Primitive Christians from the very first to the last and as hard to let go as the Faith it self And this in a manner is confess'd by Mr. Hody himself at least by his Prefacer Vide Pref. who tells us that at the time the Manuscript was wrote there was a Party of Men Friends to the deprived says he but perhaps more to the Discipline and Canons of the Church who adhering to him I suppose because uncanonically deprived gave out that the former was still their Genuine and Canonical Bishop and that it was sinfull to have Communion with the new one And this as he guesses was in the end of the Twelfth or the beginning of the Thirteenth Century It seems the Canon for one Bishop in a Church at a time and the inconveniency of having more unless the first be Canonically deprived even till then was retained in the minds of Men and endeavoured after for the good of the Church if possible to be received Nay I cannot but consider in the fourth place Fourthly That if there be Heresy in the case tho' rising from the more nice and speculative Doctrines of Christianity the deprived Bishops are then according to Mr. Hody to stand upon their Right and the People to adhere to them And if so then certainly much more when the practical Doctrines of Faith Justice and moral Honesty and the Commandments that enjoyn them are concerned which practical Doctrines and Commandments are as holy in themselves as dear to God and the Church as the more speculative Doctrines the consubstantial Doctrine not excepted and more than other nice Theories which occur in the Controversies concerning Eutychianism Monothelitism c. the believing contrary to which is called Heresy Insomuch that if a deprived Bishop in the Greek Church must and would have stood out against an Eutychian or Monothelite Successor and defended his Church against them much more our deprived Bishops to stand out against their Successors in defence of those moral Principles in adherence to which they suffered Deprivation Doubtless a virtuous and good Life was as much intended and promoted by our Saviour in the establishment of his Kingdom amongst us as a good Faith or a right Belief and his Apostles and Ministers to whom and to whose Successors the care of the Church was committed had it as much in charge to propagate the one as the other Dr. Sherlock hath been heard