Learning of whiâ—h sort it were easie to name some hundreds were all exposed by the Presbyterians at least as far as in them lay to the utmost extremities of want and beggery without the least Mercy or Moderation Had they been Heapers up of Riches as Presbyterians and Iews are observed generally to be you might have squeez'd them as spunges without much harm And if the men of your party upon the present shifting the scene of things shall be forc'd to feel what they inflicted as some have presaged whilst they were reading your two Dedicatory Epistles wherein you are subscribed a Faithful Subject and wherein you complain of the * Epist. Ded. before Kâ—y for Cath. p 10. Democratical Polititians who were busie about the change of Government they will feel it so much the less by how much the greater the Treasures are which their Avarice and Rapine have raked up for them against their Winter A Vindication of Bâ—shops and D. Hammond's Paraphrase Sect. 36. Your principal Argument against our Bishops by law established in England which you urge from Scripture and Dr. Hammond's Paraphrase from p. 22â—to p. 27. I do the rather think fit for my consideration because I think it not fit at all that so learned a person as Doctor Hammond should ever take it into his own It s pity a Person of his employments should descend to a taske of so little moment And whilst he is doing those things which cannot be done but by himself let me have leave to do that for which your Argument's inability hath made me abâ—e You know the summe of it is this that Preaching Confirming Discipline Care of the poor Visiting the Sick Baptizing Congregating the Assemblies Administring the Sacrament of the Lords Supper guiding the Assemblies Blessing the people Absolving the Penitent and more then these p. 27. are the works of the Antient Episcopall Function But no one man can now performe all these to so many hundreds of Parishes as are in one Dioecess Ergo our Dioecesan Bishop is not the same with the Antient Bishop This being the summe of your chiefest Argument may be enlarged by my consent in the Major Proposition to the utmost pitch of advantage to which your own heart can wish the difficulty improved to wit by urging that the Bishops were at first invested by the Apostles with all manner of Ecclesiasticall both Power and Office And so the Bishop in every Dioecesse being lineally the successor of that numerical Bishop who was ordained by the Apostles is by consequence invested with all this power From whence there flow's another Sequel as unavoidable as the former that not the least part of this Sacred power can be possibly received but from the Bishop 3. All which being granted as very true and my thanks being returned for your service to the truth whilst you resist it for Presbyterian Ordinations are hence evinced to be null I shew you the vanity of your Minor by putting you in mind of a plain distinction per se aut per alium mediatè vel immediatè your meer forgetfullness of which for ignorant of it you could not be made you imagin there was a force where you will speedily acknowledge there can be none For what a Bishop is not able to do by himself he may very well do by the help of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing more obvious then that when Moses is * Exod. 18.18 22 26. overtask'd he should take in others in partem Curae and yet lose nothing of his Preeminence And even for this very reason had the Bishops all power as well as power to communicate it either in whole or in part that what they could not perform alone they might by Proxy whether by Presbyters Deacons Subdeacons Arch-Deacons Chancellors Officials I will add Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor what is done by their Delegates is done by them 4. Now that this was the case in the earliest times of the Church our learned and Reverend Dr. Hammond hath irresistibly * Consulatur Summi viri Disseâ—t 4. p. 210 211. evinced And had you first been well acquainted with his four Latin dissertations you had not stumbled at the light of his English Paraphrase †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Rom. Clemens Romanus would have told you that in the Regions and Cityes where the Apostles had preached and gathered Churches they constituted Bishops to Rule those Churches and likewise Deacons to be subservient to those Bishops Why no Presbyters as yet Epiphanius would have inform'd you out of the oldest Records For whilst there was not saith he so great a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epiph. Haer. l. 3. t. 1. multitude of believers as to need the ordaining of any Presbyters between the two above said orders Bishops and Deacons they contented themselves with the Bishop onely who together with his Deacon whom he could not conveniently be without did then abundantly suffice for so small a Diocesse But when believers did so increase in the single Diocesse of a Bishop as that there needed more Pastors and fit men were to be had then they admitted into the Priesthood I do not say into the Prelacy that other sort of Church-Officers whom we now call Presbyters And I conceive that such Presbyters were ordained in Asia by St. Iohn because Ignatius in Trajan's time throughout his Epistles to those Churches of Asia doth distinctly make mention of all three orders If then the Primitive Bishops did thus communicate of his power to Inferiour Pastors and still reserve unto himself the super-intendency over all what should hinder their Successors from doing according to their example And why should any man presume to take any power unto himself but he whom the Bishop hath first ordained unto the office of a Deacon a kind of secundary Presbyter and after that to a Cure of soules which belongs to a Presbyter plenarius and after that too to the Episcopal Office of Ordination 5. Having shew'd you the full agreement betwixt the Ancient and modern Bishoâ—s I hope you see your Inadvertency and acknowledge the vanity of your Argumentation For 1. In the Infancy of the Church * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— Epiph. l. 3. t. 1. none were worthy to be made Bishops in diverse places and in such the Apostles did all themselves at least the place remained vacant †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. Ibid. 2. Where need requir'd and worthy persons were to be had in such the Apostles ordained Bishops But 3. Whilst the Churches were so thin as that the Bishops with their Deacons could well discharge the whole work Epiphanius tell 's us expresly and that from the eldest of the Church Histories there was not yet a constitution of single Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And of this we have the first instance in Iames the Bishop of Ierusalem to whom
were added seven * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 6.1 2 3 4 Deacons without the least mention of any Presbyters Yet 4. Many meer Presbyters were ordained not with a priviledge to ordain but to diâ—â—ense the Word and Sacraments as soon as the number of Believers had made it needfull And I pray Sir forget not to take due notice that what is spoken by Epiphanius is against the Heretick Aerius the very first Presbyterian that ever infested the Christian Church 6. After the levity and unfruitfullness consider the danger and unlawfulness of thiâ— your arguing It being just as much against all the Monarchs as against any one Bishop throughout the world For ' tiâ— the duty of every King and of every other supreme Magistrate let his Dominions be never so large to reward to punish and to protect to deale out Justice to every subject whether corrective or distributive as their merits or offences shall seem to challenge Now comes a Disputant like your self who first displayes the severall parts of the Magistrate's Office next he proposeth to consideration how many hundreds of Parishes and how many Myriads of Men may probably be found in his Dominions and then conceiving it impossible that any one Mortal should know them all much less be able to perform his several offices to each he presently sends the chief Magistrate his writ of ease and then forsooth in every Parish one or other of his subjects who thinks himself able to be a Ruler must take upon him to play Rex within that Territory or Precinct Never remembring or regarding the famous Division of the Apostle much less his Precept with which the division is introduced Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supreme or unto * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. From which words I intreate you to make this pertinent observation that as a single supreme Magistrate may well be qualified and fitted for the largest Taskes of the widest Kingdom by all those Emissaries and Envoyes who are deputed to act by his Commission so with a greater force of reason is every Bishop in his own Diocess very sufficiently enabled for every part of his office to every person by the assistance of those Presbyters and other officers under them who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him sent out into their several charges 7. You see how unhappy you have been even in that way of Arguing in which you seem to have taken the greatest pleasure there being less force in it against the Bishop of a Diocess than against that person to whom you dedicated your Book and acknowledged your self a faithfull subject May you be faithfull to those Superiours who are not onely permitted but appointed and Authorized to Rule over you in the Lord. You see the people of this Land will no more be ridden by your Presbyteries For though you found amongst them some patient Beasts for a while who lov'd the novelty of their Riders if nothing else yet rideing them as you did with switch and spur as soon as you got into the saddle you provoked your tamest creatures to reprove the * 2 Pet. 2.16 madness of the Prophets Saying implicitly to your selves as you did frequently to them and with every whit as much reason remember them which have the rule over you Heb. 13.7 That is to say saith our learned Paraphrast set before your eyes the Bishops and Governours that have been in your Church c. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves v. 17. that is be subject unto the Bishops as St. * See the Note of Dr. Haâ— on Heb. 13.7 A resutation of the prime Argument for Presbyterian Ordinations Chrysostom and the said Paraphrast do well explain it Sect. 37. As this may serve for a specimen of your voluminous medlings against our Bishops in which you say little against them which your enemies may not say with greater reason against you and with as much pretense of reason against the Ministry it self and with much more reason against their maintenance by Tithes so it sufficeth for a specimen of what you plead in the defence of your Schismaticall Ordinations to use the word of the Lord Primate that I acquaint you with the absurdity of your first and chief Argument In your second Dispute of Episcopacy ch 7. p. 199. l. 8 9 10 c. You strive to prove your Ordination is by Scripture-Bishops Meaning your titular Ordination without Dioecesan Bishops whose Episcopal Office you sacrilegiously invaded And you think you prove it by this sad Syllogism The Scripture-Bishops were the Pastors of particular Churches having no Presbyters subject to them Most of our Ordainers are such Pastors Therefore most of our Ordainers are Scripture-Bishops The major of this Syllogism you prove from Dr. Hammond and the minor from Mr. Pierce At least you are confident that you prove it though I shall prove you prove nothing except your forgetfulness of Logick and somewhat else to your prejudice of which anon 2. First for your Syllogisme by the disposition of the medium it appeare's to be in the second Figure and yet which is wonderfull it consist's of three affirmative Propositions which the second Figure cannot indure any more than the First can admit of three Negatives And so again you are obnoxious to the publick assertion of D. Kendal that a little more of the university would have done you no harm 3. Next to know what you have done by disputing thus in figure without all mood observe the Conclusiveness of your Syllogism by an other just like it in all respects Suppose in the person of Diogenes you were to prove that a Cock with his Feathers strips from him alive is a Man as well as Plato though not as able to teach School you may thus argue for him as you have done for your self A man is a living Creature with two feet and without Feathers A Cock deplumed like that of Diogenes is such a living Creaturo Therefore a Cock deplumed like that of Diogenes is a man But then you have taught an ill Sophistry against your self For the plainest person in all your Parish may prove you to be an arrant He athen by the very same Logick which you have err'd by An arrant Heathen is an Animal indued with reason Mr. Baxter is an Animal indued with reason Therefore Mr. Baxter is an arrant Heathen The major at least must be as true as that which you take from Dr. Hammond The minor infinitly truer than that which you take from Mr. Pierce And you know the conclusion is undeniable For if the premises are true Falshood cannot flow from them by any regular
design as this is would make the unity and peace of the Church seem impossible and our Divisions desperate Turpe est Doctori quem culpa redarguit ipsum It should seem by this that in your judgment the true discipline of Christ hath been revealed onely to you or at least that you onely have found it out by your industry Nor are you onely a Presbytâ—rian but an Episcopal Divine an Erastian alsâ— and Independent or if you are not all you are neither Nor indeed can you be either in point of Diâ—ciâ—line unless you are professedly against the Scripture When you say you would cleave to any party that you could perceive were in the right p. 24. you do but say in effect that you cleave to none you having declared your belief that none of those entire wayes is the Scripture-way But why was a National League and Covenant both sworn and fought for and persecutions made use of for non-conformity to the Covenant Why were men so expensive of Blood and Conscience for the pulling down of Episcopacy so well establish'd and for the setting up of a Scotish Presbytery in the room if the former was partly and the lâ—ter but partly the way of Christ's discipline May not the Independents and the Erastians do as much against Presbyterie as Presbyterians have done against the Prelâ—cy of the Church and cite your judgment as one defensative of their own Of all the Ministers in the land the Presbyterians who were Preachers within the Province of London A. D. 1647. and * See the book intâ—tuled A tâ—stimoâ—â— to the tâ—uâ—h of Iâ—â—us Christ and compare it with the Covenanâ— as well as with the â—â—dâ—rs for To. â—raâ—onâ— protested so much against all toleration which did not well comport with their solemn League and Coveâ—ant will least of all thank you for your discovery 'T is true you have also your Pacisick Deâ—ign but so little hath it of Catholicism and so impossible it is to prove effectual that after your having accused Grotius it onely serves to make you fall under your own condemnation When you say that Christ's and the Scripture way is parcell'd out between four parties and that every party hath a piece of the truth in peculiar that is to say not common to it with any one of the other three and so that the whole of the Truth must be compounded of four Ingredients some of your readers will reflect on the onceit of Tamerlane that Religion ought to be like a Posie which smells best when made up of the most variety And I have read that Mahomet of the Tribe of Ishmael thought fit to make up his new Religion Celrenus p. 347. Baronius ad A. D. 629 630. by borrowing and blending with his Inventions one parcel from the Pagans another from the Iews a third from the Arians a fourth from the Nestorians a fifth from the Manichees that so he might with the greater ease reconcile them all unto himself And with pardon to the comparison which is not intended to run on four feet if in the Medlie which you propose the component parts will so temper and correct each other that the whole will be grateful to every party you will not onely grow famous as the first Discoverer of the thing but nature being thus changed and tamed our Lambs will dwell safely within the neighbourhood of the Wolf and the Leopard inoffensively lie down with the Kid. You who have given in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after serious study of the point both in Antiquity and the Scriptures may speak unexpectedly in your account But you have left me to wonder and I suppose some thousands more which ingredient of the four shall be praedominant in the mixture or which shall be the Basis of all the structure so as to give satisfaction to every party or whether in the mixture all parts can be equal and a Structure erected without a Basis. If four distinct parties have the Truth of Christ's Discipline divided betwixt them unlesse it be equally divided they will not all own an equal right to the inheritance on every side Else when the Presbyterian Ministers were so hard put to it by his * See Reliquiae sacrae Carolinae in the Papers which passâ—d c. at Newport p. 275 367 368 369. Majesty at the Isle of Wight to give in their Answer to these Queres 1. Whether there be a certain Form of Government left by Christ or his Apostles to be observed by all Christian Churches 2. Whether it bind perpetually or be upon occasion alterable in whole or in part 3. Whether that certain form of Government be the Episcopal Presbyterian or some other differing from them both and we know how shamefully they did again and again decline answering the Queres though they confessed them to be of great importance your quadri-partite way might have serv'd their turn had it not been for their usual boast that since the times of Christianity their own is the onely Divine Model in the World To the glory of which priviledge the Episcopal party laying claim with fairer reasons for their pretension how will you do for the share of the other two the Independent and the Erastian and reconcile Extremes of so great a distance If I say not in civility that the terms imply a contradiction yet I know there are of your Presbyterians who will say that the mention of such terms doth carry in the Forehead it s own confusion Sect. 13. Your following reasons of dislike from p. 15. to p. 19. are at least as feeble as your two first Grotius doth not cut off the holiest parts of the Church they having nothing to support them but your particular wants of apprehension if not the strength of your prejudice against Grotius his Doctrine and Design For first when you say that in the name of a peace-maker he divideth and cutteth off the holiest parts of the Church on earth p. 15 16. it is gratis dictum without so much as a shew of proof and a pitiful begging of the Question which no man living will grant you who is not partially addicted to all you say You fitly confesse in a Parenthesis you do but speak your own judgment And what is your judgment compar'd with that of immortal Grotius who knowingly judged those men to be the greatest subverters of Church and State and that incessantly by their Principles as well as frequently by their Practice even as often as they have power to reduce their Principles into Practice whom you affirm without scruple as without colour of excuse to be the holiest part of the Church on earth What you say and but say of my reproching Puritans throughout my book very politickly forbearing to cite so much as one page or passage doth not belong to this place and shall be duly spoken of in a peculiar Chapter And when you tell me that Grotius doth make the name of the Reformed or
he goes on p. 179. the Church of England is not invisible It is still preserved in Bishops and Presbyters rightly ordained and multitudes rightly baptized none of which have fallen off from their profession 7. To your preposterous Demands then Especially to the Eâ—iscopal whose sufferings have made them the more coâ—formable to the primitive Christians why we separate from you and refuse to go to your Communion the first and shortest Answer is this that we are passively separated because you actively are separatists We by remaining as we were are parted from you and you by your violent departure have made our Difference unavoidable We are divided by necessity and you by choice we from you our Dividers but you from us and between your selves You like Demas having forsaken us and having embraced this present world it is our lot as it was Paul's to be unâ—voidably forsaken It is God's own Method to turn away from his Deserters When the Times are changed by some and others are changed by the Times you must at least excuse if not commend us that we * Prov. 24. â—1 meddle not with those who are given to change For you to go from us and then to chide us for being parted is the greatest injustice to be imagin'd because it requires us to verifie the two Extremes of a contradiction A second Answer I shall give you in better words than mine own even the same which Dr. Hammond once gave the Papists Sâ—e Dr. Hammond of Schism p. 180 181. The Night-meetings of primitive Christians in Dens and Caves are as pertinent to the justifying of our Condition as they can be of any and 't is certain that the forsaking of the Assemblies Heb. 10.25 is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our wiâ—ful fault v. 26. but onely our unhappy Lot who are forced either not to frequent the Assemblies or else to incourage and incur the scandal of seeming to approve the practises of those that have departed from the Church That we do not decline Order or publick communion and consequently are not to be charged for not enjoying those Benefits of it which we vehemently thirst after is evident by the extensive Nature of our persecution the same Tempeâ—t having with us thrown out all Order and Form Bishops and Liturgy together And to that Curstnesse of theirs not to any Obstinateness or Vnreconcileableness of ours which alone were the guilt of non-Communion is all that unhappiness of the constant Sons of the present English Church to be imputed Lâ—y-elders condemned by such as had sworn to assert them Sect. 30. I am glad to find you thinking that unordained Elders wanting power to preach or administer the Sacraments are not Officers in the Church of God's Appointment and that as far as you can understand the greater part if not three parts for one of the English Ministers that we stand at a distance from are of this mind and so far against Lay-Elders as well as we of whom you confess your self one and Mr. Vines another p. 4. But I am not glad to find you excusing what you condemn 'T is true ye all swore when ye took the Covenant to preserve the Discipline and Government in the Church of Scotland and to reforme the Church of England in Discipline and Government according to the example of the best Reformed Churches of which the Scotish was implied to be the chief yea to bring the Churches in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and Uniformity in Church-government c. Lay-elders in Scotland were pretended to be by Divine right The Platforme of Geneva was highly magnified that I say not blasphemously for the Pattern shew'd in the Mount The Scepter of Christ and Evangelium Regni Dei were noted expressions of their Device But since you have printed your own opinion that therâ— were no such Lay-elders of God's appointment you should rather have recanted your having sworn the Scotish Covenant than have tryed by all means to make the best of so bad a matter Whilst you believe a fourth part of the Presbyterians are directly against the other three in thinking Lay-elders of God's appointment you give us to hope that your Kingdom will never stand And indeed if you will read but the first 5. Chapters of Bishop Bancrofts Survey of the pretended Holy Discipline you will find that no Sect hath been more divided against it self See what is said by Dr. Gauden in his excellenâ— * p. 17. Dendrologia concerning the Pertness and Impertinenâ—y the Arrogancy and Emptiness the Iuvenility and Incompetency the Rusticity and Insolency of some Ruling and Teaching Elders too the disagreement that was found betwixt High-shoes and the Scepter of Church-government especially mark what he †p. 18. saith of the Decoy and Fallacy the Sophistry and Shooing-horn of bringing in Lay-elders by Divine Right and perhaps when you have done you will hardly excuse your own Excuses much less the manner in which you make them for to excuse the Lay-eâ—ders as men not preaching Sect. 31. You say A Calumny cast upon our Preachers to the sole disgrace of the Calumniator In that our Readers are much like them p. 4. And again you speak of our Ignorant Drunken Worldly Readers and Lazy Preachers that once a day would preach against doing too much to be saved p. 16. But 1. that any have so preaâ—hed of the regular Clergy is your ungrounded Intimation for which you are answerable to God They have commonly been accused of having preached for the doing too much to be saved Their earnest pressing for the Necessity of Universal Obedience to the Law of Christ which carries along with it all manner of good works hath very frequently procured them the name of Papists Socinians Pelagians Moralists any thing in the world to express the dislike of your Presbyterians The Antinomians are the chief men who preach against doing too much to be saved and as the Fautors of that Heresie you your self have accused both Mr. Pemble and Dr. Twisse who were not Prelatists but Presbyterians And such were they who applauded The Marrow of modern Divinity which you have sharâ—ly written against for the like dangerous positions Nay you your self are more liable to undergo your own censure than any Prelatist I ever heard of for teaching the people how greaf a wickedness may well coâ—sist with their being Godly Of this I have given so many Examples that I shall adde but one more You put the Question Wâ—ether if men live many years in swearing or the like sin See Disp. of right to Sacram 3. p. 330. it is not a certain sign of ungodliness To which you answer in these words A godly man may long be guilty of them as 't is known some well-reputed for Godliness are in Scotland Reputation doth much with many even that are godly to make sin seem great or small With us now a swearer is reputed so great a sinner that he is
the chief Fathers and Pillars of the Church of which the Dioeces of London can have but one And so the plain Country-man doth no exactly understand you Sect. 32. Whil'st you say that some Protestants A fâ—ir Confessiâ—n how far a Protâ—stant mâ—y go and be still a Protestant as Bishop Bramhall and many more do hold the Pope may be obeyed by the Transmarine Western Churches as the Patriarch of the West and be taken by us all to be the Principium unitatis to the Catholick Church and the Roman determinations still may stand except those of the last 400. yeares and those if they obtrude them not on others p. 7. You help your Reader to conclude that Grotius might well have been a Protestant by the very allowance of his accuser And supposing my Reader to be intelligent I shall make no other use of your large Concession Sect. 33. You very confidently say Of Bishâ—ps â—nd Presbytery that in the pulished judgments of Bishop Hall Bishop Usher Dr. Holdsworth Forbes and others they would have all Presbyters to be Governours of the Churches one of them having a stated Presidency or Moderatorship and this will content them p. 9. I know not what they have declared in other parts of their writings which I have never yet seen Nor am I sure I know your meaning by the word Presbyters Presidency and Governours of the Churches much less am I sure that you your self do know theirs But I know what Bishop Hall hath done and suffer'd for that Episcopacy which had been established in this land with Christianity it self and had also been confirmed by 32. Acts of Parlament nor need I tell you how much an Act doth differ from an Ordinance and was abundantly provided for by Magna Charta which by statute is * 25. of Edw. 1. ch 1 2. declared the Common Lâ—w of the land I say I know what he hath done against the many-headed Smectymnuus in which are compendiously represented the chiefest sâ—icklers for the Presbytery as Dr. Gauden hath expressed in that crooked low shrub which ambitiously supplanted the well-grown Cedar Again I know what he hath suffered by his imprisonment in the Tower where yet the reason of his imprisonment made it a comfortable restraint I farther know what he was for when he writ his Peace-maker See Bishop Hall's Peace-maker p. 48 49 c. to wit the Primitive Government universally agreed upon by all antiquity for which he refers you to the writings of Clemens and Ignatius He makes use of the Confessions both of Camero and Beza of Marlorate and Calvin that in a Calvin Inst. l. 4. â— 4. very City there was chosen one Bishop least an equality in thâ— Clergy should engender strife That the Bishop was indeed the very b Marlorat in Apoc. 2. Prince of the Clergy That he was above the Presbyters in point of c Beza de Grad Minist Evang. order That being chosen by the Colledge of the Presbyters he was to be their President and that not without some d I. Camer Myrothâ—c in Tim 4 14. Authority over the rest Now though the Bishop doth consent that he be call'd a Moderator a President a Superintendent an Overseer or by any other such name if the name of a Bishop is displeasing as thinking it pity that words should break square where the things are agreed yet saith he for the fixedness or change of this person Bishop Hall p. 50. let the antient and universal practice of God's Church be thought worthy to oversway And he had said a little * p. 48. before that the President must be constant as well as oâ—e Now had you sworn in taking the Scotish Covenant to change the name of a Bishop and there had stopt you might have cited the Peace-maker with much more reason than now you do But you swore to endeavour the extirpation of the thing of Church-Government it self by law establish'd For that you might not be mistaken you explain'd the word Prelacy by the word Church-Government c. by a good token that in conclusion you superstitiously held it for Anchristian And because you often take the confidence to cite that Treatise of Bishop Haâ—l as if it had yielded you some fig-leaves to cover the shame of your undertakings I pray observe your concernments in his Epistle before the book I will but put you in mind when the Book was first printed to wit in the yeaâ— 1647. and who were the very first men who did quieta movere and then I will give you his Golden Paragraâ—h It is felony by our Municipal Lawes for a man to burn but the frame of a Building intended for an house Bâ—shop Hâ—ll's ceâ—sure of the Dâ—stuâ—bers â—f sâ—tled Goveâ—nment in the Church how hainously flagitious shall the God of heaven account it to set fire on his complete spirituall House the Chuâ—ch whereof every believer is a living stone Doubtless how slight soever the world mak's of theâ—e spiritual distempers it shall be easier in the day of judgement for Theeves and Whoremongers and Adulterers then for the breakers of publick Peace Never was there any so fearfull vengeance inflicted upon any Malefactors as upon Corah and his Combination Surely if we consider the sin it self other offenses had been far more hainous but in that it was a presumptuous mutiny tending to the affront of allowed Authority to the violation of Peace and to the destruction of community the earth could not stand under it hell only is fit to receive it Now Sir consider with your self both what you have done in these times and with what success You did not open your mouthes wider against Moses and Aaron pretending they had taken too much upon them than all the people of the earth have open'd theirs against you Presbytery like Corah was swallow'd up quick If the Bishops you were against did differ so little as you pretend from those very Bishops which you are for why was the publick peace broken for private interesses and ends Let me tell you in the words of the right Reverend Bishop Hall thâ—t you and others of your way who were born and bred under Authority * Ubi supra p. 93 94. should have contented your selves to be Disciples rather than Iudges and have entertained reverent thoughts of those that were set over you not more for the Gravity and Wisdom of their persons then for the Authority of their Places Even Timothie's youth may not be contemned Hereupon it was that holier antiquity even from the daies of great and gracious Constantine thought it very conducible to the good success of the Gospel to put respects of honour upon the sacred Messengers of God Damas. Epist. de Chorâ—piscopis It is too true an observation of Damasus where the name of Church-Governours is grown contemptible the whole state of the Church must needs be perturbed Could you expect any thing less from the common people than
Deduction And if the Deduction is irregular why is your dealing the very same to prove your irregular Ordinations exactly regular 4. Come we now from the Form to the matter of your Syllogism Your major is proved from the words of Dr. Hammond that the * See the whole Annotation on Act. 11.30 B. p. 406. to p. 409. Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture times belonged principally if not onely to Bishops there being no evidence that any of the second Order were then instituted Which words if you observe them do not deny but suppose that as soon as any of the second order were admitted into the Church they were immediately subject unto the First that is to say to the Scripture-Bishops there having been given him in Scripture a twofold power first a power of ordaining inferiour Presbyters next of Governing or Ruling them when so ordained Had you but fairly transcribed the Doctor 's whole Period you must have added to your Citation these following words though soon after even before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches And had you read unto the end of that excellent Annotation you would have found Epiphanius for Bishop Timothy his power or jurisdiction over Presbyters from 1 Tim. 5.1 19. Where whatever the word Presbyter may be concluded to import whether a single Priest in the common notion of the word Presbyter subjected to the Bishop or a Bishop subjected to the Metropolitan it equally make's against you that Bishop Timothy had power to rebuke and to receive an Accusation against a Presbyter which no meer Presbyter can pretend to have over another This would imply a contradiction to wit that an equall is not an equall because a Ruler and a Judge to the very same person to whom he is an equall The same use is to be made of what is cited from Theophylact concerning Titus * Ibid. to wit that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudgement as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordination of so many Bishops was committed to him And I pray Sir remember one special Emphasis which evidently lye's on the Doctor 's words Which do not run thus the Title of Presbyters in Scripture times belonged onely to the Bishops but if not onely yet at least Principally to them And therefore however the case might be whether onely or not onely all the course of his arguing will be equally cogent and unresistible 5. Now for your minor that most of your Ordainers are such Pastors you prove it by saying first they are Pastors But this is petitio principii with a witnesse to say they are because they are And 't is a gross transition ab Hypothesi ad Thesin to say they are such Pastors because they are Pastors The word Pastor in our dayes doe's commonly signify a Priest to whom is committed a Cure of Soules And when I have lately so us'd it it hath been onely in complyance with that vulgar Catachresis But in the use of Scripture and antient Writers Pastor signifies him to whom the charge of the Flock is Originally intrusted whereas our English acception of the word Rector which is not the Scriptural or antient stile is wholly extended to a deputed or partiary Government in the Church to wit a Government over part of the Pastors Diocess which Pastor in the old stile hath the plenary charge committed to him Your error therefore was very great in confounding the Pastors with the Rectors of the people unless you spake with the vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and supposing that so you did you spake completely besides the purpose And whereas you say in your Margin Mr. T. P. call's himself Rector of Brington I know not what you can mean by it unless an unkilfull intimation that I arrogate to my self somewhat more then is my due And therefore to undeceive either your self or your Readers I must tell you that in all Records which concern this Church or its Incumbent in all Leases and Compositions and Iudgments of Law in all Directions and Orders which have ever been sent by Supreme Authority the Church hath been stiled the Rectory and the Incumbent the Rector of it You may gather the reason from Mr. Sparrow's Learned Rationale upon the Book of Common Prayer The chief Rector oâ— a Parish called the Cardinal Priest of old quia incardinatus in Beneficio was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the rest under him his Clerks Where there were Chantries as there were in most Churches of England their assisting the Rector of the Church made up that Form of speech the Priest and Clerks And Brington being a Parish consisting of five distinct Members hath occasion'd the Rector in all times to be at the charge of an Assistant I have told you what I mean whensoever I write my self Rector of Brington If Mr. Cawdrey hath meant more when he hath written himself as publickly the Rector of Billing I leave him to give you a Reason for it Having done with your Argument and with your persoâ—all reflection I shall observe but one thing more to wit that whilst you say most of your Ordainers are such Pastors as Dr. Hammond spake of in Scripture-times which yet I hope you will retract you imply a confession that some are not Nor can I see by what meanes you will excuse your selves unto your selves for having admitted of such Ordainers As for your second and third sentences in your Sect. 5. p. 199. You have an answer included in what went before and so you will have in that which follows For Sect. 38. In your seventh Chapter Presbyterians are not Bishops by having Deacons under them p. 203. Sect. 18. You again pretend to fetch an Argument from the words of the Reverend Dr. Hammond Your naked affirmation is express'd in these words Where there are no such Presbyters with a President it is yet enough to prove him a Bishop that he hath Deacons under him or but one Deacon Your pretended proof of this assertion is from the words of Doctor H. which now ensue When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him there being at the present so small store out of which to take more and so small need of ordaining more Reduce this proofe into a Syllogisme which may serve your interest in any measure and it will be like your former most dishonourably false For thus you must form it do what you can if you intend to make it in imitation of a proof A primitive Bishop had no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him A Presbyter hath no more then a Deacon or Deacons to attend him therefore a Presbyter is a Primitive Bishop Here you see are three affirmatives in the second Figure And by an Argument so form'd I will prove you to be anything either Fish or Fowle
to our invitations we cannot do less than declare that we cannot help it We are no rigid exactors of Reparation Do but return to our Communion and we are satisfied Do but accept of our forgiveness and we are pleas'd If you cannot agree with us in every act of our obedience to the established Canons of the Church at least come back to that station from whence you fell and no small matter shall ever part us The Church of England jâ—stified by the Confessions of her Deserters 4. You profess to be for Bishops as well as we p. 5. you acknowledge a stinted Liturgy is in it self lawful and that in some parts of pâ—blick holy service it is ordinarily necessary and that in the parts where it is not of necessity it may not onely be submitted to but desired when the peace of the Church requireth it that the Ministers and Churches which earnestly desire it should not by the Magistrate be absolutely forâ—idden the use of a convenient prescribed Liturgy c. p. 358.359 Nay farther yet you do acknowledge That the use of the Surplice bâ—ing commanded by the Magistrate you would obey him and wear that Garment if you could not be dispensed with Yea though secundarily the whiteness be to signify purity and so it be made a teaching sign yet would you obey p. 409.410 Next for kneeling at the Sacrament you say that as sinfully as this gesture was imposed you did for your part obey the imposers and would do if it were to do again rather then disturb the peace of the Church or be deprived of its Communion p. 411. You confess you see no reason to scruple at the lawfulness of the Ring in Marriage Ibid. You say that Organs or other Instruments of Musick in God's worship being a help partly natural and partly artificial to the exhilarating of the spirits for the prâ—yse of God you know no argument to prove them simply unlawfull but what would prove a cup of wiâ—e unlawfull or the Tune and Meter and melody of singing unâ—awfull p. 412. Again for Holy-daies you confess That some time for God's worship besides the Lord's-day must be appointed and God having not told us which the Magistracy may on fit occasions Ibid. Nay for the great Holy-daies of tâ—e Church to which you have the most aversion such as celebrate the memorial of Christ's Nativity Circumcision Fasting Transfiguration Ascension and the like you freely profess to be resolved if you live where such Holy-daies as these are observed to censure no man for observing them nor would you deny them liberty to follow their judgement if you had the power of their Liberties c. p. 416. Yea more if you lived under a Government that perâ—mptorily commanded it you would observe the outward rest of such a Holy-day and you would preach on it and joyn with the Assemblies in Gods worship on it p. 417. For the name and form of an Altar you think it a thing indifferent whether the Table stand this way or that way The primitive Churches you confess used commonly the names of Sacrifice and Altar and Priest and you think lawfully and you will not be he that shall condemn them p. 417. Last of all for the Cross in Baptisme which you have most suspected to be unlawfull you dare not peremptorily say it is unlawfull nor will you condemn the Ancients and Moderns that use it nor will you make any disturbance in the Church about it p. 418. 5. After all these acknowledgments many more in other places I wonder how you can excuse your departure from us The Pâ—esbyterian Sepâ—râ—tists apparently unexcusable or what should keep you from your return Will you not live in Communion with us because we observe the Rites and Orders of the Church which you confess to be very innocent Or do you abandon what is innocent because we use it Are our Bishops the worse for being derived from the Apostles as our Reverend Dr. Gauden hath lately proved by an induction Are they the worse for being in England ever since the first time that Christianity was planted Or the worâ—e for being setled by the fundamental Lawes of the British land They are not the worse for being approved and contended foâ— unto the death by the learnedst part and the most pious of the Reformed Churches of which our Confessors and Martyrs do make up a great and a noble Army That our Church was a true established Church in the year of our Lord 1641. You have so plentifully granted that 't is too late to deny They that * See Bishop Hali's peacemâ—ker Sect. 7. p. 58. flye out from a true established Church and run waies of their own raising and fomenting Sects and Schisms amongst God's people are sent for their Doom by our late Reverend Bishop Hall to those notable words of the Apostle Rom. 16.17 18. And whether or no the Presbyterians have not thus flown out judge I pray by the †See Dr. Ham. of Schism ch 11. p. 178 181. last Chapter of Dr. Hammond's Treatise concerning Schism Or let the men of that way but lay their hands upon their hearts Now when you seem to have profited not a little by that excellent Preface of Dr. Sanderson wherein you are personally concerned in coming up so far as hath been shew'd to the most disputable things of the Church of England what can make you stand off at so great a distance what kind of answer will you return unto your own expostulations Shall the breach be healed or would you have it to continue If it must continue tell us why and how long Would you have it go with us to Eternity Do you censure us to Hell Or will you not goe with us to Heaven I pray return to us in time rather than wish you had done it when 't is too late Thâ—y are obnoxious to men of all sides for thâ—ir sin of Schism 6. You cannot charge any sort of men for having separated from you without incurring the same charge for having separated from us When Mr. Cawdry writ against Independency and gave it the Title of A great Schism I could not but smile at the retortion which Dr. Owen very speedily and â—itly made him Nay it is publickly declared by a great Body of congregationals * Praef. p. 13. That they did not break from the Presbyterians but the Presbyterians rather from them You are so far from agreeing with one another that you can never be expected to be at unity with your selves unless by being reconcil'd to the Church of England whose Calamities have obscâ—r'd but not destroyed Her The sin of Schism is contracted saith the Judicious Dr. Hammond either by some irregularity of Actions loco supra citato contrary to the standing Rule and Canons of this Church or by Disobedience to some commands of Ecclesiastical Superiours And then by whom it is contracted I need not tell you But Blessed be God as