should not only hold any errour or practise sin but require men to subscribe and approve it and say it is no sin no man ought to do this nor yet to live like an Atheist and forsake all Worship because men forbid him if it were but to subscribe one untruth But alas this is no rare Case In one Emperours Reign all were Anathematized that subscribed not to the Council of Chalcedon and quickly after all that did or that would not renounce it The same division and changes were made by the Councils against and for the Monothelites de tribus Capitulis Images c. And when all Men living have many Errours and the Church of England disclaimeth her Infallibility and yet will receive no Minister that will not subscribe that there is nothing in her Books contrary to the word of God the Case is hard But when all the things mentioned in the Plea for Peace are proved lawful we shall be more yielding in this Case XLV 9. If true and sound Christians mistakingly think one or many things to be heinous sins as Perjury Lying Renouncing Obedience to God and Repentance c. which are things indifferent but of so great difficulty that most Learned and Godly and Willing Men cannot discern the Lawfulness and agree and yet are not necessary nor just conditions of Ministry or Communion and so it is the Imposer that entangleth them by difficulty in their dissent it is not lawful for these men therefore to forbear all Church Worship but must use it as they can XLVI 10. If any Church unjustly excommunicate such men or others they must not forbear all Church order and worship because men so excommunicate them No man must Sin to escape Excommunication and every man in the World is a sinner And therefore all the World must be excommunicated if all Sinners must be so As I before said the times oft were when almost all the Bishops in the Empire were excommunicated by one another Councils and Popes have oft excommunicated some for trifles and some for Truth end Duty And such must not therefore renounce all Church Worship and Communion The Church of England do by their standing Law ipso facto excommunicate all as aforesaid that affirm any thing to be repugnant to Gods Word or sinful in their whole Church Government Articles Liturgy and Ceremonies and so to stand till they Publickly revoke this as a wicked Errour Now many Lords and Commoners in Parliaments have spoken against some of these particulars and some out of Parliament Many Ministers have done the like when the King Commissioned them to treat for Alterations And many when the Accusations or demands of others have called them to give a Reason of their Actions Some have maintained that it is repugnant to Gods word that Lay Civilians should have the decretive Power of the Keyes and that the Parish Minister must cast out of Communnion all that the Lay Doctors or Chancellors excommunicate and all that dare not receive kneeling and that they should deny Christendom to all that scruple the English sort of God-Fathers Covenants and the transient Symbolical Image of the Cross with abundance such things Now all these are ipso sacto excommunicate And thô they be not bound to avoid the Church till this be applicatorily declared yet actually excommunicate they are and that by a higher authority thâ—n the Bishops and they know the Churches decree and the Priests are sworn to Canonical Obedience And he that will not tempt them to be forsworn nor come into a Church that hath excommunicated him seems therein excuseable But must he therefore renounce the Church of God XLVII 11. If the People are so set against one Bishop for another as that half being for one and half for the other and both Orthodox they cannot be perswaded to unite in one A Council at Rome determined in the Case of Paulinus and Flavian at Antioch that both of them should hold their distinct Churches and so live in love and peace And though one or both parties in this were mistaken Sinners so are all morral men who yet must not live like Atheists XLVIII 12. An undetermined accident must be so determined as most serveth to do the greatest good and avoid the greatest Evil But whether divers Churches shall promiscuously live in the same City or Diocess or Parish is an Accident not determined by God and either way may be for the greatest good as circumstances vary e. g. When in a Church half cannot consent to condemn the words of Theodoret Theodore Mopsuest and Ibas and half will condemn them with the Council if these can serve God quietly in Love and Peace in different Congregations but cannot endure one another in the same it is most for the Churches Peace that they be permitted to joyn with those of their own Mind When one Pope declared that it 's sound Doctrine to say One of the Trinity was Crucified when another had declared that it is not sound Doctrine they that held with one Pope and they that held with the other might both be true Churches in different Assemblies When Iustinian raised the bloody controversie between the Corrupticolae and the Phantasiastae wise men thought both sides were true Churches Yea and so did many wise men think of the Orthodox and Nestorians and many Eutychians XLIX 13. It 's a common case under Turks and Heathens that they give liberty of Conscience for Christians of all parties Now suppose that in Aâ—â—ppo in Constantinople or elsewhere there be partly for Countrey sake and partly for Language but most for different Judgments one Church of Armenians one of Greeks one of English-men c. what Law of God makes only one of these to be a true Church and which is it L. 14. Suppose that the setled Church e. g. in Holland Sweden Saxony is for Presbytery or for an Episcopacy that arose from Presbyters ordination or that had none or a short Liturgy and the Prince would tolerate English men as Frankford did to set up a Church of the English Form and Liturgy I think few Prelatists would deny it to be lawful LI. I omit other instances and come to the matter of Separation which word serveth this man and such other in so general and undistinguished a sence as would make one think he were of Mr. Dodwell's mind That words in dispute have but one signification which all are bound to know that use them Even a Bell by the same sound sometime signifieth a call to Church and sometime a Funeral and sometime Joy but Separate Separate is rung over and over with these men as if it signified but one thing 1. He that heareth half the Sermon and Service and goeth out of Church doth Separate at that time from the rest When a Protestant Heretick was doing Penitence with his Faggot at St. Maries in Oxford and the Fryer was Preaching a mistaken Voice in the street made them think the Hereticks had set the
Bare Unity is more intelligible tho no one know wherein it must be § 39. He adds To preservt the Peace and Unity of Episcopacy it 's necessary that every Bishop do not only observe the same Rule of Faith but especially in matter of weight and consequence the same Customes and Usages and the same Laws of Discipline and Government and when any difficult case happens for which they have no standing Rule to consult Ans. The longer the worse If I ask him whether he mean such Customs and Usages as are part of God's Word materially commanded or commended in Scripture I know not what he will say but I strongly conjecture he will say No It is Tradition and Church-Customs not there mentioned If I ask how these come espcially to be mentioned as matter of weight and consequence he confesseth that God and not Man made the Church And is not God's Law sufficient to be its Universal Rule If man make these matters of weight man may unmake them 2. But is it not Universal Church-Communion that he is speaking of I provoke him to tell me if he can who on Earth hath power beside God and our Saviour to make Laws the same of Discipline and Government to the Universal Church Is not Legislation the prime part of Government Have not you oft denied any Humane Supreme Government under Christ over all the Church Do you not here say the contrary Know you not the difference between the Contracts of a Community and the Laws of a Polity It 's no true Law if it be not the act and instrument of a Rector to govern his Subjects If Twenty Kings meet or School-Masters Physicians c. and agree on certain Points of Government this maketh them not One Polity Kingdom or School Their Contracts are neither Laws to each other nor to their common Subjects but every King may make them a Law to his own Subjects 4. If you should mean only National Laws of Discipline and Government how come all the Churches in the World to be obliged to observe the same Laws e g. our Canons This as to Traditions is expresly contrary to our Articles of Religion which you subscribe And when the Church-Laws of all Countreys differ so much which must all be reduced to If you say They must all agree to those called the Codex Ecclesiae Universalis or the Four or Six first approved Councils c. I answer 1. It 's gratis dictum And how prove you those universally obligatory and no other And how will you satisfie Conscience which are the obligatory Laws indeed 2. Why do you then cast all from Communion that observe the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice 3. What power have dead Bishops over us and all Christ's Church They were Canons for one Empire which is dissolved and of which we are no part 4. Is Christ so insufficient a Lawgiver even for Laws necessary to the Unity of his Church as that we must have more Laws of Government and Discipline which the Catholick Church must unite in or be no Church And shall that man plead for such Laws that yet saith There is no universal Governor I never said you are a Cassandrian or a Papist But it was such ignorant Doctors that saddled the Horse and held the Stirrup while the Pope got up § 40. This saith he makes it highly reasonable for Neighbour-Bishops at as great a distance as the thing is practicable with ease and convenience as the Bishops of the same Province or Nation to live together in a strict Assâ—ciation and Confederacy to meet in Synods to oblige themselves to the same Rules of Discipline and Worship There may be a primacy of order granted to some Bishops and their Chair by general consent and under the regulation of Ecclesiastical Canons for the preservation of Catholick Unity Ans. You make this Catholick Unity essential to the Church And yet doth it lie in Humane Canons and Assâ—ciations Did Christ leave things so essential to Humane Invention And is concord in your Canons necessary to salvation And yet the proof of all this is but this and such Doctors Assertion that it's highly reasonable And so Unity and Salvation must lie on all that such will think highly reasonable 2. If Subjects may thus make their own Laws no doubt they will make them suitable to their Natures and Inclinations And it 's confest that oft the most even of Bishops are bad and worldly men and suitable to their Ends and Interests How many would be glad if Soveraigns would thus let Subjects make their own Laws 3. But how were the Canons or Laws of a National Church to be a Rule to all the Church on Earth and necessary to its Unity 4. And how comes this man that made it damnable in the Independents to make a Church-Covenant as if they renounced Baptism now to make Church-Associations and Confederacies to be so necessary to Catholick Unity Truly I know no answer for the man but the same that Binnius giveth us when Pope Iohn and Hormisda gave a contrary determination de fide on the question Whether it may be said that One of the Trinity was crucified One said Yea But the Nâ—storians taking hold of it the other said Nay Ita mutatis hostibus saith Bâ—â—nius arma necessario mutanda sunt That 's true when it 's for themselves which is false when it 's for others 5. But it was modestly done to confine these Confederacies to the greatest distance that the thing is practicable with ease and convenience And so he fairly denieth General Councils and after more plainly But when the Armenians Syrians Abassines Greeks c. cannot with ease and convenience go above Five or Six Hundred miles at most and so each Countrey hath different Customs Laws and Canons Can the Catholick Church obey them all § 41. P. 127. This saith he seems to be the true Original of Archiepiscopal and Metropolitical Churches Ans. If so I will not believe that they are necessary to Catholick Unity and Salvation till I know who invented them and whether they had as good a Commission as the Apostles 2. If Bishops made the first Achbishops and parish-Parish-Bishops say others the first Diocesans and Presbyters the first Parish-Bishops then 1. Inferiors may make Superiors and give the power which they never had 2. Why then may they not ordain Equals and propagate their species 3. Then Presbyters or Bishops are of God and Archbishops of Men. § 42. Page 128. Saith he Every Bishop is the proper Governour of his own Diocess and cannot be regularly imposed on against his consent Ans. Yet even now He that causelesly breaks this Union is no Catholick Bishop It seems then it goeth not by Vote but a Dissenter may be a free Catholick I pray you then impose not on others against their conâ—ent The whole Authority saith he of any Bishop or Council over other Bishops is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Therefore they have no
Duty 4. Sure it is not meer Place but a mutual Relation of Pastors and People that distinguisheth these Churches The Presbyterians preach't once in the same Places that you do and yet you take them not for the same Church Pastors If one from York or Cornwall come into your Pulpit without consent do People stand as much related to him as to you Some men are of extraordinary sufficiency to resist and conquer the clearest evidence of Truth But he addes every Act of Communion thô performed to some particular Church is and must be an Act of Communion with the whole Catholick Church A. And who denyeth this No sober Independent or Presbyterian that ever I met with It 's a weighty Truth § 17. P. 14. Saith he Praying and Hearing and Receiving the Lords Supper together doth not make us more in Communion with the Church of England than with any other true and Orthodox part of the Church thô in the remotest part of the World A. I think that 's not true With the remotest parts you have only Catholick Communion with the Church Universal In England and London you have that and more even special subordinate Communion with your own King Bishop and Flock 2. And hath not the Church of England such Communion in obedience to its own Laws as the Act of Uniformity Convocation and Canons which you have not with all abroad Do your Bishops in Convocation make Canon Laws for all the World Do you Swear Canonical obedience as much to the Bishop of Paris or Haffnia c. as to your Ordinary Do the Canons of all Churches impose our Liturgy or ipso facto excommunicate all that affirm any thing in it or our Ceremonies or Church Government to be against Gods word Sure this is a peculiar kind of Communion 3. If not why are all the Nonconformists cast out that offer to officiate and Communicate on such terms as are common to all sound Churches Pag. 15. Saith he There is nothing in all these Acts of Communion which does more peculiarly unite us to such a particular Church than to the whole Christian Church A. What neither in these Acts nor any other Then we are no more bound to hear you or maintain you as our Pastor than to hear and maintain the whole Christian Church § 18. P. 20. Saith he There is no other Rule of Catholick Communion for private Christians but to communicate in all Religious Offices and all Acts of Government and Discipline with Christians those with whom they live A. 1. Elsewhere you added sound and Orthodox Else they that live with Arians Socinians Papists in Spain France Italy c. are bound to communicate with them in all Religious Offices and obey them 2. This concludeth that where Presbytery or Independency is the way of the place where we live all must thus communicate and obey The King and Custom then may make any way to become our Duty 3. If you tell us that it 's only with the Sound and Orthodox you were as good say nothing unless you tell us who must judge that whether the People themselves or who for them 4. But if this be the only rule for private Christians what shall they do e. g. in Aethiopa Egypt Syria and many other Countreys where the Churches are such as General Councils and other Churches judge Hereticks or Schismaticks And what shall they do when at Antioch Alexandria Constantinople c. one party is uppermost by the Judgment of Councils and Prince one Year and another contrary party the next And what shall they do where the Prince equally tolerateth both and it 's hard to know which is the more numerous as in Zeno's and Anastasius Reign c. And what shall they do when many Churches in one City are of divers Tongues as well as Customs Have the Greeks French and Dutch in London no rule of Catholick Communion but communicating in all Offices with the English and obeying all your Bishops Courts § 19. P. 21. Saith he Distinct and particular Churches which are in Communion with each other must have their distinct bounds and limits as every member has it's natural and proper place and Situation in the Body A. Why may not the Greeks Dutch and French live in Communion with the Churches London though they live dispersedly among them In Brandenburg Hassia and many free Cities and Belgia where Lutherans and Calvinists as called live together and own each other as Brethren why may not both be Churches of Christ § 20. P. 21 22. A great deal more he hath of the like making Schismaticks at his Pleasure This is plain in the Case of the Presbyterian and Independent Churches and those other Conventicles They are Churches in a Church Nothing can justifie the Distinction of Christians into several Churches but only such a distance of place as makes it necessary c. p. 22. Distinct Churches in the same place can never be under the same Communion A. These things are repeated so oft and the word separate so deceitfully rolled over and over that I will answer all together under his third Case at the End § 21. P. 27. See how openly he recanteth most aforesaid There is a sence indeed wherein we may be said to be members of one particular Church considered as distinct from all other particular Churches But that principally consists in Government and Discipline Every Christian is a member of the Whole Christian Church and in Communion with it but he is under the immediate instruction and Government of his own Bishop and Presbyters and is bound to personal Communion with them and this constitutes a particular Church in which all Acts of Worship and all Acts of Discipline and Government are under the Direction and conduct of a particular Bishop A. Omitting that he seemeth to make the Parochial Churches no Churches but parts of one here he saith all that he seemed to write against and that those that he reproacheth hold allowing the difference of the extent of Churches And is it Edifying to read such a discourse that saith and unsaith by self-contradiction And he adjoyns 28. p. how by agreement Patriarchal and National Churches are made And is not Agreement a humane Contract CHAP. II. Of his first Case § 1. PAge 31. His first Case Whether Communion with some Church or other be a necessary Duty incumbent on Christians And he thinks the Resolution of this is as plain as whether it be necessary for every man to be a Christian For every Christian is baptized into the Communion of the Church A. In this I know no Christian adversary to him But it being the Vniversal Church that he giveth his proof of necessary Communion with it 's odde to say We must have Communion with some Church or other As if there were more than one Universal Church 2. But we grant more that all that can well should be also members of some single Church § 2. P. 32. He saith External and Actual
Communion is an Essential duty of a Church-member meaning a Christian. A. 1. And yet before he denyed that Communion lay essentially in this Exercise but only in Vnion Yea and Nay is his Custom 2. Some few Christians as those that live where such Communion cannot be had without sin c. are not bound to it therefore it is not true that it is Essential to Universal Church-membership And I think sickness endeth not the essentials that disableth men 3. Note Reader that by this mans Doctrine we are all unchristened and damned if we do not gather into disallowed Churches if we be unjustly cast out of the allowed ones For all must be Church members that will be Christians and an unjust Excommunication cannot disoblige us from Christianity nor bind us to consent to be damned Now read the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Canons of the Church of England which ipso facto Excommunicate all that affirm any thing in their Liturgy Articles Ceremonies or Government sinful and answer Spalatensis arguments against Excommunicating ipso facto and prove all this just and you may prove what you will just But you see where he layeth the Controversie If any be Excommunicated without sufficient cause or by Lay Civilians to whom God never gave that power or by such Bishops or Pastors as have no just Authority for want of a true call or Consent or if any unlawful thing be made necessary to Communion all such persons must by his own confessions hold Church-communion whether these imposers will or not for all Christians are bound to be of some Church § 3. p. 33 34. He saith that None but publick Prayers are the Prayers of the Church properly and acts of Communion that is such as are offered by the hands of men authorized and set apart for that purpose c. Ans. Who would have thought that we are more for the Liturgy than he I undertake to prove that all the Responsal Prayers and all the Litany Prayers in which the Minister names but the matter to them and the People make it a Prayer by speaking the petitioning parts are all the publick Prayers of the Church and so are all the petitioning Psalms spoke or sung by the People and not only that which is offered by the Priest I do not think that he believeth what he carelesly saith here himself But the Independents are stiffer for his first Thesis of the necessity of Church-communion than he is his unfit words I pass by CHAP. III. Of his second Case § 1. THE next question of Occasional Communion as distinct from fixed he turns out of doors as if there could be no such thing and it 's very true as to the Church universal but as to visible actual Communion with this or that particular Church it is not true 1. A Traveller of another Country who on his journey communicateth with every Church where he passeth is not a fixed Member of that Church for 1. The Pastor or Bishop hath not that peculiar Charge of him as of fixed members 2. He is not bound where he passeth to take such notice of the lives of Communicants or Pastors and to admonish the Offenders and tell the Church as fixed members are 3. He hath not the right in chooseing Pastors or Deacons as the fixed Members have 4. An itinerant Bishop in transitu is not their fixed Bishop ergo an Iterant Lay-man is not a fixed Member The same I may say of one that is a fixed member of another Church in the same City and cometh to that only to signifie universal Communion or neighbourly which though he deny to be lawful I shall further prove anon And the same I may say of those that dwell where there is no fixed single Church at all for want of a Pastor but they congregate only when some strange Minister passeth through the Town CHAP. IV. His third Case § 1. PAge 48 49. He resolveth his third Case Whether it be lawful to Communicate with two distinct and separate Churches negatively and saith It is contrary to all the Principles of Church Communion as any thing can possibly be it is to be contrary to our selves it is Communicating with Schism That the Presbyterian and Independent Churches have made an actual separation from the Church of England he hath evidently proved and they are Schismaticks and to communicate with them is to partake in their Schism and if Schism be a great sin and that which will damn us as soon as Adultery and Murther then it must needs be a dangerous thing to communicate with Schismaticks And p. 42. There cannot be two distinct Churches in one place one for occasional and another for constant Communion without Schism Ans. To save those that are willing from the Poyson of these Schismatical Doctrines lapt up in confusion by men that abhor distinction or understand not what they say I will first lay down that truth that he fights against with convincing evidence and then shew you the mischief of his false Doctrine and Application § 2. The confusion of these words Church Communion Separation and Schism which every one signifie divers things is the chief means to blind and deceive his Reader whether it do so by himself I know not I. The Word Church signifieth sometime the universal Church sometime a single Organized Church as part of it and sometime humane combinations of such single Churches and that into Diocesan Classical Provincial Patriarchal National and Papal II. The Specification and Nomination of Churches is from the formal cause and the proper Government is that form And the Individuation is from matter and form but principally from the form III. The Union of Pastor and Flock in Relation makes that which is a form aptitudinal as the Soul to the Body to be the form in act as the Union of Soul and Body and Gods command and consent with the consent of the necessary relate and correlate cause that union IV. Union is in order to Communion which is primary by the exercise of the formal powers on the matter and secondary by the action of all the parts according to their several capacities and Offices V. The Union of the Church is of divers degrees 1. The formal Union of the Head and Body which maketh it essentially the Christian Church 2. The Vnion of the parts among themselves as Christian which maketh them a Body capable of Union with the Head 3. The Union of the parts as unequal Organized the Official with the rest which maketh it an Organized Body fit for its special use and welfare 4. Union in integrity of parts which maketh it an intire Body 5. Union in due temperament and Qualities which maketh it a healthful Body 6. Unity in Common Accidents which make it a Comely Beautiful Body joined with the rest But 7. Union in mutable Accidents is unnecessary and impossible VI. These several degrees of Union are found in Bodies natural and Politick 1. The
the same place their neighbourhood maketh them capable of Personal presential Communion as men that may know and admonish each other and meet by turns and in presence manage their concerns which differenceth single Churches of the lowest order from associated Churches of men that have Communion only by others at distance XV. As Logicians say of other Relations the matter must be capable of the end or it is not capable of the name and form so is it here e. g. It is no Ship that is made of meer Sponge or Paper or that is no bigger than a Spoon it is no Spoon that is as big as a Ship One House is not a Village nor one Village a City nor a City a meer House So twenty or an hundred or a thousand Parishes associate cannot be a single Church of the first or lowest Order being not capable of mutual Knowledge Converse or personal present Communion Nor are two or three Lay-men capable to be such a Church for want of due matter But supposing them capable thô a full and rich Church have advantage for Honour and Strength yet a small and poor one is ejusdem ordinis as truely a Church and so is their Pastor as Hierom saith of Rome and Eugubium so Alexandria and Majuma c. Gregory Neocaesar was equally Bishop of nineteen at first as after of all save nineteen in the City XVI If the Apostles have Successours in their care and Superiority over many Churches it will prove that there should yet be men of eminent worth to take care of many Churches and to instruct and admonish the younger Ministers But it will neither prove 1. That they succeed the Apostles in the extraordinary parts of their Office 2. Nor that they have any forcing power by the Sword 3. Nor that one Church hath power over others by Divine right for the Apostles fixed not their power to any particular Churches but were general Visitors or Overseers of many Yet if the same Man who is fixed in a particular Church have also the visiting admonishing oversight of many as far as was an Ordinary part of the Apostles Office and be called an Archbishop I know no Reason to be against him XVII There be essential and Integral Acts of the Sacred Ministry instituted by Christ These none may take the Power of from any Ministers nor alter the species or integrity of the Office by setting up any such Superious as shall deprive them of that which Christ hath instituted or arrogating the like uncalled But as in worship so in Order and Church Government there are undetermined accidents As to choose the time and place of Synods to preside and moderate and such like And these the Churches by agreement or the Magistrate may assign to some above the rest And if the Magistrate affix Baronies Honours Revenues or his own due Civil forcing Power and make the same Men Magistrates and Ministers whether we think it prudent and well done or not we must honour and obey them XVIII Some call these humane Accidental Orders forms of Church Government and affirm as Bishop Reignolds did and Dr. Stillingfleet in his Irenicon and many excellent men by him cited that no form of Church Government is of Divine Command Which is true of all this second sort of Government which is but Accidental and humane but not at all of the first sort which is Divine and Essential to Christ himself first and to Pastors as such by his appointment so that the essential Government of the Universal Church by Christ and of each particular Church by Pastors specified by him if not of Supervisors of many as succeeding Apostles and Evangelists in their Ordinary work are of unalterable Divine right But the humane forms are alterable Such I account 1. The Presidency and Moderatorship and accidental Government of one Bishop in a single Church over the other Presbyters Deacons c. 2. The accidental Government of a Diocesan as an Archbishop over these lowest Bishops and Churches 3. And the Superiority of Metropolitans and Patriarchs over them so it be but in such Accidentals and within the same Empire not imposing a forreign Jurisdiction These tota specie differ from the Divine Offices XIX All these single Church being parts of the Universal are less noble than the whole and are to do all that they do as members in Union with the Whole and to do all as Acts of Communion with them XX. The General precepts of doing all to Edification Concord Peace Order c. oblige all the Churches to hold such correspondencies as are needful to these Ends And Synods are one special means which should be used as far and oft as the Ends require And if National Metropolitans and Patriarchs order such Synods I am not one that will disobey them But if on these pretences any would make Synods more necessary than they are and use them as Governours by Legislation and Judgement over the Particular Bishops by the use of the Church Keyes and will affixe to them or Metropolitans besides an Agreeing Power and the said Government in Accidentals a proper Church Government by making and unmaking Ministers or Christians excommunicating and absolving as Rulers by the said Keyes it may be a duty to disown such usurpations As the King would disown an Assembly of Princes any where met that would claim a Proper Government of him and his Kingdom Thô it were much to be wisht that all Christian Princes would hold such Assemblies for the Concord and Peace of Christendom XXI The Essentials of Faith Hope and Loving Pracâ—â—ce essentiate the Church objectively And these are all summarily contained in the Baptismal Covenant explained in the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalouge and all with much more even Integrals and needful Accidentals in the Sacred Scriptures which taking in the Law of Nature are Gods Universal Law XXII There is no Church on Earth so sound and Orthodox as to want no Integral part of Christian Religion Proved There is no man on Earth much less any multitude so sound as to want no Integral part But all Churches consist only of Men And therefore if all the Men be so far defective all the Churches are so It is not their Objective Religion Generally and implicitely received that I mean but their Subjective Religion and their explicite reception of the Objective The Scripture is our perfect Objective Religion in it self and as an Object proposed and in general and implicitely we all receive it But as a man may say I believe all that 's in the Scripture and yet be ignorant of the very Essentials in it so a man may explicitely know and believe all the Essentials and more and yet be ignorant of many Integrals All things in Scripture proposed to our Faith Hope and Practice are the Integrals of our Religion But no Christian understandeth all these proposals or words of Scripture Therefore no Christian explicitely believeth them all or practiceth all To hold the contrary
trust the conduct of their Souls Nor did they think so that forbad men hearing fornicators Nor Cyprian that required the People to forsake Basilides and Martial Peccatorem Praepositum XXXV So full was the proof given in the Book called The first Plea for Peace that the Church from the beginning denyed Princes and Magistrates to be entrusted with the choice of Bishops or Pastors to whom the Churches were bound to trust the conduct of their Souls that he who denyeth it is not worthy to be therein disputed with And yet we doubt not but they may force Infidel Subjects and Catechumens to hear sound and setled Preachers and Catechists And may dispose of the Tythes Temples and many other Accidents of the Church and may drive on Pastors and People to their Duty XXXVI It is false Doctrine that two distinct Churches may not be in the same Precincts or City This being a meer Accident which abundance of Cases make unnecessary and unlawful Which I shall prove That which is no where commanded by God is no duty But that there shall be but one Church or Bishop in the same Precincts is not commanded of God Ergo c. Divine of Gods making They own the Major in the case of Indifferent thing If they deny the Minor let the affirmers prove any such command We grant a command of Love and Concord and a prohibition of all that is against them But in many instances to have several Churches in the same precincts is not against them If they fly to the Canons of foreign Councils the reason of them we shall weigh and duely regard But they were National and had their Legislative Power only from their own Princes and their Counselling Power only from Christ And we disown all foreign Jurisdiction XXXVII In all these Cases following and more two Churches may be in the same precincts yea and a City 1. In Case that several Bishops are called justly to dwell in the same City or Diocess and many of their Flock be with them e. g. Many Bishops of England dwell long yea mostly in London or in London Diocess e. g. The Bishop of Eli dwells in the Parish of St. Andrews Holbourn Qu. Whether there he be a Subject to Dr. Stillingfleet as his Pastor and bound to obey him or whether many out of his Diocess thousands may not as Lawfully dwell half the Year in London as he And whether when he preacheth to them he do it not as their Bishop in London Diocess And so of many other Bishops that here reside XXXVIII 2. Either our Parish Churches are true Churches or not If not the Separatists are so far in the right And separate not from true Churches eo nomine because they separate from them If yea then many Churches are in the same City and Diocess Of their agreement and dependance on the same Bishop I shall speak anon XXXIX 3. In case that in one City there be resident Stranges that are sent on Embassies or live for Merchandize or flee from Miseries and are the Subject of other Princes whose Laws and Customs they are under e. g. At Frankford Hamburgh Middleburgh Dantzick Constantinople there have been English distinct lawful Churches And in London there are Dutch and French Churches And if the King allowed a Swedish Church a Danish Church a Saxon Church c. with their several Bishops who is so weak as to need proof that this is lawful and they true Churches XL. 4. In case men of different Language are not capable of mutual converse by personal communion or help As Dutch French Italian Greeks Germans c. Grotius and Dr. Hammond oft in Dissert and Annot. do maintain that Peter at Rome had a Church of Iews and Paul a Church of Gentiles And that the like distribution of Churches of Iews and Gentiles there was at Antioch Alexandria and other places And by this they Salve the Contradictions in Church History about the Succession of Linus Cletus and Clemens And the Apostles setled not a sinful Church way XLI 5. Yea Grotius maintaineth that the Apostles setled the Churches at first not like the Jewish Priesthood but in the order of their Synagogues de Imper. sum Patest and in Annot. And that as there were divers Synagogues in a great City with their Archisynagogus and Elders so there were divers Churches in a City with Bishops and Presbyters XLII 6. When there are a greater number of Persons in one City or precinct than can have any just personal Knowledge and Communion and more than any one Bishop with his Presbytery can perform the needful Pastoral oversight to it is lawful and a duty to gather another Church in that City or Precinct But this is truly the Case of many great Cities though worldly Wisdom have at Rome and other places oft denyed notorious evidence and experience He that will gather up all the duties that Dr. Hammond saith were charged on the Bishops in his Annotations on all the Texts that name Elders and Bishops if he can believe that any Bishop can perform the tenth part of them to all in the Diocess of London York Lincoln Norwich c. I will not dispute against him if he maintain a Bishops Ubiquity or that at once he can be in twenty places But if they say that what then was commanded them to do personally they may do by others I say that if they may change the Work they may change the Power that specifieth the Office and so it is not the same Office in specie instituted in Scripture And then Lay-men may have Power to preach and administer Sacraments and do the Office of Priests and yet be no Priest as Civilians do of Bishops which is a Contradiction Certainly if there be more Scholars in the City than one Master can Teach and Rule it is no Schism to set up more Schools and Schoolmasters but a duty And if the Lord Mayor on pretence of City Government should put down but as great a part of Family Government as those Diocesans do of Parochial Church Government who allow none under them to be truly Episcopi Gregis and have the power of their Church Keyes I think that it were no Schism to restore Families so that the City might have more than one entirely XLIII 7. If the Soveraign Power upon Politick or Religious Reasons should determine that e. g. Dr. A and Dr. B and Dr. C. shall all be Bishops in London to such Volunteers of Clergy and Laity as shall choose each of them to be their Bishop and this without altering their dwellings no man can prove it sinful And of his reasons the King is judge XLIV 8. If the Bishop or Clergy of a City Diocess or Nation do agree by Law or Canon to admit none to the Ministry or Communion that will not commit a known sin deliberately as the Condition of his Communion it is a duty to congregate under other Pastors in those precincts This is confest If they
Jurisdiction by right in this Land And all that by mistake say the King hath not chief Power in all his Dominions meaning in France of which he professeth to be King and we so call him even in our Prayers to God All that say contrary to Art 38. that it is not their Duty liberally to give Alms according to their ability All that contrary to Art 39 think men in conforming may swear upon trust of their Superiours words without judgment and true understanding of Justice and Truth Aâ—l these are already ipso facto Excommunicated by this one Canon and if they elsewhere worship God are called Separatists and Schismaticks in danger of Damnation as Adulterers and Murtherers are And how great a number are these 10. All are ipso facto Excommunicate by the sixth Canon who affirm that the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England by Law established are superstitious or such as now commanded men who are zealously and godly affected may not with a good Conscience APPROVE use and subscribe as occasion requireth That is all that thus mistake kneeling at the Sacrament on the reasons aforenamed to be against the second Commandment or that judge so of the Surplice or that think the Cross as described by the Canon and Liturgy hath all the Essentials of a humane unlawful Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace And all that are against the Rites of Godfathers that never owned the Child as theirs to be the only Sponsors in its Name and to Vow its Christian Education when I never knew one living that so much as made the Parents believe that he intended it And all that think the words of the Liturgy making Imposition of hands an assuring sign of Gods Gracious acceptance make Confirmation a humane unlawful Sacrament and say so All these are cut off 11. By Canon seventh all are ipso facto excommunicate that affirm that the Government of the Church of England under his Majesty by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and THE REST THAT BEAR OFFICE in the same is repugnant to Gods word that is all Bishops Ministers Noblemen Gentlemen or People that say that it is against Gods word for Lay Civilians or Chancellours to govern by the Church Keyes excommunicate or absolve And all that think it unlawful for Surrogates that are not Bishops but Presbyters either as a Cryer pro forma to pronounce all excommunicate or absolved who are so decreed by the Lay Chancellor or else for them or a Priest-Chancellour to govern a Diocess by the Keyes of Excommunication and Absolution being no Bishops and all that think it sinful for Archdeacons Commissaries Officials c. who are no Bishops to exercise the same Government by the Keyes over so many Pastors or Churches or for a Bishop to do his Office by others that are no Bishops any more than a Priest by those that are no Priests or for a Diocesan with his Lay Court to Govern many score or hundred Churches under him without any subordinate Bishop in those Churches that is to set up the Name and shew and make Christs Discipline impossible Or for Lay Chancellors or Surrogates to publish Excommunications in the Bishops Name which he never knew of nor tryed the cause Or for such Chancellours to oblige all Parish Ministers to publish all their Excommunications which are agreeable to these Canons What quality and number they are of that call any of this sinful I pretend not to know But they are all now excommunicate men 12. The eight Canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that affirm that the form and manner of making and consecrating Bishops Priests and Deacons hath any thing repugnant to Gods Word c That is all those that hold Bishops and Presbyters to be the same Order contrary to the words of that Book Which yet even the Church of England while Papists declared in King Aelfriks Canons see Spelman And all such as Thorndike who say the People and Clergy should choose their Bishops or that say the Peoples consent is necessary to the Pastoral Relation to them and that the old Canons for this are in force 13. The ninth Canon ipso facto excommunicateth the Separatists 14. The tenth Canon excommunicateth all that affirm that Ministers that refuse to subscribe to the Liturgy c. and their Adherents may truely take to themselves the Name of another Church not established by Law and dare publish that this their pretended Church hath long groaned under the burden of imposed grievances by the Church of England and the Orders and Constitutions therein by Law established Ipso facto is not here This reacheth to all that confine not Gods Church in England to the Party that subscribe and their Adherents If any say that if such as Blondel Rivet Amesius or any other the most Learned holy peaceable men that dare not subscribe as aforesaid should with any Christians worship God together and that these are a true Church though he judge them faulty and that these Canons are grievances such are to be excommunicated Though it be gross Schism in others to confine not onely the Purity but the Verity of a Church to their own Party For such to feel and groan loud here is Excommunication 15. The eleventh Canon much to the same purpose requireth the Excommunication of all that affirm that any Subjects in England may rightly challenge the Name of true and lawful Churches besides those allowed by Law though the King should License them 16. The twelfth Canon ipso facto excommunicateth all that make Rules and Orders in Causes Ecclesiastical without the Kings Authority and submit to them e. g. All that without the Kings authority agree to turn the Table Altar-wise to require People to kneel at the Rails or to bow toward the Alter or East or to set up Organs c. All these are now excommunicate by an Authority above the Bishops which no Bishop or Priest can dispense with but only forbear to publish and execute it but not nullifie it no nor absolve any that publickly repent not of it as a wicked Errour 16. By Canon fourteenth if any Minister shall diminish any part of the Orders Rites Ceremonies Prayers c. in regard of Preaching or ANY OTHER RESPECT or shall adde any thing in matter or form e. g. If he let the Parent express the dedication of his Child to God or lay any charge on any Parent he breaketh the Church Law and so far separateth from it 17. By Canon fifteenth when twenty or thirty thousand are commanded to come to a Church that cannot receive six thousand and the Alleys and Pewes are wedg'd so that they cannot all kneel yet all that kneel not at the Prayers and all that say not audibly the Confession Lords Prayer Creed and Responses disobey the Laws of the Church and so far separate from it 18. When twenty thousand Persons are commanded to come in more than can if ten thousand of them or any number should come to the
Convocations govern but as their Representatives 2. All that say that it is only the Bishops and not the Presbyters in Convocation that are the Governing Canon-making Church 3. All that say that the Clergy represent not King Nobles Parliaments Laiety and that these are true parts of the Church of England All these are ipso facto excommunicate 45. The 140. Canon Excommunicateth them that deny the Canons obligation of absent Dissenters which yet even many Papists deny of Councils Canons 46. The last Canon Excommunicateth all that contemn these Canons as taking them to be the work of a Company of Persons that conspired against Religious Godly men All this huge Catalogue are here excommunicate 47. If any part of all this be Schism Mr. Dodwell and this man seem to teach Separation from the Church of England Or if the late silencing hunting and ruining of two thousand Ministers were Schism and as bad as Bishop Taylor in Duct Dubit Mr. Hales of Eaton Chillingworth c. say of the like then these men make all the Church of England to be in as damnable a State as Adulterers and Murderers Yea they make all damnable Schismaticks that hold Communion with the Church of England for that is their Sentence on them that communicate with Schismaticks viz. that they are guilty of their Schism 48. They unchurch and damn the Churches of Corinth Galatia Laodicea Ephesus Smyrna c. in the Apostles dayes For the Scripture tells us of many guilty of Schism in all these and yet the rest communicated with them for the Scripture speaks more of Schism in a Church than of Schism or Separation from a Church Rom. 16.17 1 Cor. 1.10 3.3 11.18 Mat. 12 25. Luke 12. 52 53. 1 Cor. 12.25 Iam. 3.15 16. And yet no one was commanded to separate from those Churches no not from those that had Heresies among them such as denyed the Resurrection and taught Fornication and eating things offered to Idols that were drunk at the Sacrament or Love-Feasts nor those that had Jewish Schismaticks who talkt like ours Act. 15. Except ye be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses ye cannot be saved The Churches were not all unchurcht and damn'd that communicated with such Yea Peter was guilty of encouraging them in Schism that would not eat with the Christian Gentiles but he was not unchristened by this 49. They separate from or unchurch almost all the Ancient Churches in the dayes of the most famous Emperours and Councils For I have manifested past doubt that they almost all did Hereticate or separate from one another It was Schism either in Victor to Excommunicate the Asian Bishops or in them to deserve it and be excommunicate The owning or disowning several Councils specially that of Calcedon and that at Const. de tribus Capitulis c. was the Schism of almost all the Imperial Churches one part condemning the other And if either were in the Right it salves not the Case with them For most of the same men that went that way call'd the Right in one Princes Reign went contrary in the next and so condemned each other round especially about Images adoration 50. Hereby they cut off that Succession of that sort of Ordination which they say must be uninterrupted while it came down from Churches excommunicated by one another or make the Proof of it impossible 51. They separate from all the Greek Church at this day as guilty of Schism both in their Succession from Schismaticall Bishops at Constant Alexand. Antioch Ierusalem c. and in their excommunicating not only the Church of Rome for a wrong cause the filioque but other Churches and for divers Acts of Schism 52. They must by their Principles Separate from the Abassines Aegyptians Syrians and all the Eastern and Southern Churches that are called Iacobites and Nâ—storians For Councils and other Churches condemn them And they condemn the Councils of Ephesus and Calcedon and all since And they must separate from and condemn the Churches of Armenia Georgia Circassia c. because they separate from others and are separated from 53. Their Principles utterly unchurch the Church of Rome 1. Especially because it is guilty of the greatest Schism on earth by setting up a false Church form and head 2. And because they Schismatically condemn and Unchurch three parts of the Church on earth even all save their Sect 3. And for their many other Schismatical Doctrines and Practices 4. And as being condemned by the Greek Protestants and most Churches and separated from by the Church of England which they own 54. They separate in Principles from all or near all General Councils save the first as having separated from other Councils and condemned them and being again condemned by them 55. Some of them condemn and separate from all the Protestant Churches that have Bishops in Sweden Denmark Germany Transylvania c. because they had not their Ordination Successively from Bishops but Presbyters at the Reformation And because they have been guilty of Schism against others 56. The Principles of Mr. Dodwel and his Associates condemn the Church of England as Schismatical 1. Those that claim Succession from Rome whose own Succession hath been oft and long interrupted by incapacities and Schisms 2. For holding Communion with those Protestant Churches which these men call Schismaticks 57. They condemn and separate from all the Churches called Presbyterian in France Holland Geneva Scotland formerly and those in Helvetia that have no Bishops Thô some would threat kindness on them by saying that they would have them and cannot And why cannot they 58. Their Principles make the Bishop of Oxford Bristol c. Schismaticks For their Dioceses are Churches taken out of Churches being lately parts of other Dioceses 59. And they condemn all the Parish Churches in England as Churches distinct from Cathedrals For they are all Churches gathered out of Churches At first the Cathedrals were the only single Churches Next Monasteries were gathered and next our Parish Churches And the Parish Church of Covent-garden is a Church taken out of a Church 60. Their Principles damn St. Martin that separated to the death from all the Bishops Synods and them that were near him save one Man because they perswaded Maximus to use the Sword against Priscillian Gnosticks and brought men of strict Religion under Suspicion of Priscillianism And sure the ruined persecuted Protestants here are more Orthodox than the Priscillians And they damn Gildas that told the English Clergy that he was not eximius Christianus that would call them Ministers Do they not disgrace the many Churches dedicated to the Memory of St. Martin if he be a damned man I doubt they damn Paul and Barnabas for local angry separating from each other Whatever they do by Peter and Barnabas for the Separation blamed Gal. 2. 61. If all are Schismaticks that here conform not all those called Conformists are such that conform to the words in a false sence 62. They separate from
in Accidents as in Patriarchs Metropolitans extended Diocess's c. Nor are they bound to take account of the Ordinations Presentation Titles and Rights of all the foreign Churches of other Kingdoms with whom they are to hold Communion nor to be Tryers or Judges between contending Parties which is the true Pastor Though in the same Kingdom and under the same Laws order may require this oft times Possession and Profession may satisfie them V. Though the Churches had all the degrees of Union besides yet nothing maketh them One Church in the proper political Sense as it signifyeth One Governed Society but their Union with Christ. But their own Capacity is necessary to the reception of this Unity with Christ. All Politicks difference a meer Community from a publick Body A hundred or a thousand persons agreed together to manage their affairs by a common Stock and Converse are a Community but not Civitas or Respublica No though they purpose to set up a Government But when they are formed into a Body under one supream Government they are a XII They are all obliged to use Pastors Church-Assemblies Word Prayer Praise and Sacraments that are the same of Christ's institution Now Reader judg whether all this be no Union and Communion among our selves And whether his Cant of Catholick Communion undistinguisht be intelligible Qu. But wherein lieth your difference then Ans. Let him that maketh it and accuseth us tell For my part either his confused head cannot tell what he would have or my dull head cannot understand him But I can tell you what it is that I deny I. Tho we are all sanctified by one Spirit and have one faith and hope there is great difference among us in the degrees of these II. Tho we are all under one Universal Law of Love Peace Concord and Obedience every man breaketh this Law in some degree but every breach doth not out-law us or prove us Rebels against God Whoever so far breaks the Law of Christian Love Peace and Concord as will prove that he hath not the sincere Love of God and his Brethren it is as truly damning in its degree as Murder or Adultery specially if it be notorious in silencings revilings of godly men and persecution to the hinderance of the Gospel and the encouraging of prophane unconscionable men But whoever breaks the Laws of Christian Love Peace and Concord only so far as may proceed from meer imperfection of Knowledg Love and Obedience in a sincere heart where Love is predominant God pardoneth him tho he may correct him and it doth not Unchurch him III. He that despiseth the Ministry out of predominant pride or prophaness or unbelief doth it damnably But so doth not he that in uprightness of heart for fear of guilt flyeth further from an ignorant false or malignant Teacher than he ought IV. If Hereticks or other uncapable men get uppermost and in possession that binds not all Christians or any to own them V. If Power impose men without fitness and without the Flocks consent to be all the Peoples Pastors so that they are Usurpers or such as wise men cannot safely trust their souls with as Pastors it is no sin much less damnable to choose better Pastors if they may be had without more hurt than benefit It hath ever been Satan's way against Christ to thrust his Servants into the Sacred Office to butcher the Flocks and then cry out against all as Schismaticks that would save their souls and others from them VI. The Laws of Rulers that set up Patriarchs Metropolitans and other Humane Orders in the Church if they be but to do what man can impower them to do must be as far obeyed as other Humane Laws not being against Gods Laws But the breach of them unchristens not nor is punishable but as the breach of other Humane Laws which some Casuists say bind only in case of scandal if we break them others only if they be for common good but I say if they be not against it and be things which belong to their Office to determine VII In the Roman Empire the Christian Pastors at first had no such way to preserve the people from Heresie as by keeping close Concord among themselves and agreeing that all should disown those that were regularly rejected by their own Pastors which in case of Controversie Councils were to try And Christian Emperors added their civil sanction to this power of Councils and banished such as the Councils condemned as Heresiarks And this combination they called the Catholick Church in the Empire to distinguish it from all the Heresies that brake from them And Emperors not using the Sword to compel any to Communion nor enabling the Bishops to do it this course was needful and did great Service to the Church as long as the Majority of the Clergy kept sound But when worldly Baits drew worldly men into the Bishops seats this turned clean the other way and Arians and every Sect that by power could get uppermost called themselves the Catholick Church and persecuted the rest as Schismaticks In this case the Orthodox durst not plead Majority but 1. They fled to the Scriptures to try which was the sound part 2. And they appealed to the Nicene and first Councils when the Church was sound But the Second Council at Const. began a breach the Third at Ephesus made it wider and was rejected by a great party The Fourth at Ephesus made it yet wider and was utterly disowned by the soundest part The Fifth at Calcedon call'd the Fourth made it yet wider and rent the Church almost into equal parts And the following Councils went on till they set up Images and Popery and tore all to pieces Therefore I conclude that uniting on the Decrees of General Councils as such is no necessary nor sure way of Catholick Communion But while godly Pastors use Synods really for Love and Peace and the Churches welfare it is the duty of all the People finis gratia and in obedience to their proper agreeing Pastors to keep such bonds of Peace But a failing therein is not an unchurching crime tho a fault VIII If Councils of Bishops will arrogate a Legislative power over all the Church or over those that are not of their Flocks it is part of our duty to Christ and means of Concord to disown their Usurpation IX If a company of uncalled usurping obtruded Pastors keep Councils their Pastoral Authority bindeth not X. If lawful Bishops will make Agreements for needless or noxious things on pretence of Concord or Ornament and lay on them such necessity that none shall communicate without them and make them dividing Snares and Engines particular Bishops ought to disown this and their authority binds none to obey such Canons whatever the end the Churches peace may do XI Bishops and Pastors in the same Kingdom may well be used to try what Pastors are fit for their Communion But as I said before were we bound to disown the
on this miserable Priest and save him from his heinous Schism that out of his own month he may not be condemned as no Member of Christ. 2. Reader while the Piper Harper or Trumpeter giveth no distinction in the sound 1 Cor. 7.7 8. but thinks that crying Communion Communion should charm men into the same Disease of Confusion and Schism which he is sick of If thou be awake I invite thee still but to use thy Reason in these three distinctions 1. Between Subjection and Communion 2. Between local Separation and mental 3. Between mental Separation in and from meer circumstances accidents or integrals and in and from essentials necessary to Christianity and Christian Communion And then if thou canst not Answer this Doctor and escape Schism which he tempts thee to without any further Confutation I dispair of curing thee 1. None are of Christ's Church that separate from any thing Essential to it 2. All Congregations are locally divided and separated frome one another 3. All Churches and Persons that differ in a Translation a Form a Word a Ceremony in their Communion by opposite Opinions or Practises are so far mentally opposite in their Communion E. g. They that were for observing Meals and Daies Rom. 14. and they that were not Peter and Barnabas that separated from the Gentile Christians while the Jews were there and Paul that reproved them for it Yea those that for small Mental difference separate locally A Prelatist that scruples taking one Parish Priest or Bishop for his Pastor suppossing him insufficient or a false Teacher separateth by removing his dwelling to another Diocess or Parish These Schismaticks have not yet dared to say that this man separateth from Christ. The Convocation caused Godfrey Goodman to be imprisoned 1640 His Diocess and the next were Separate in their Separate Heads Victor Excomunicated the Asian Churches Here were opposite Churches and Communion the Greeks and Romans the Abassine Syrian Assyrian Armenian Georgian c. Churches censure and Separate from others in their Communions to this day so do some Lutherans from other Protestants hold Communions opposite in point of Consubstantiation and Images So do such as Mr. Dodwell condemn all Communion that hath not uninterrupted Episcopal Succession You write against him and Archbishop Bramhall so far are your Communions opposite Doctor Gunning in the time of Usurpation was against the Parish-Communion then practised and separated from it Archbishop Usher Bishop Browning and multitudes of Episcopal men did not Did all these separate from Christ. Was Cyprian and all the African and Numidian Bishops separate from Christ or the Pope in Augustin's daies when there was so long opposition between three Popes and Aurelius Augustine and the rest of the Africans which party was unchristened Was it Miracle-working St. Martin that was unchristened or the Synods of Bishops whose Communion he renounced to the Death Epiphanius giveth so high a character of Audius that wise men think his Separation from the Bishops that abhorred his reproof unchristened him not Socrates and Sâ—zomen tells us of great diversity and opposition in the Communions of many Countries about Easter and other things that yet unchristened them not When the Scots and Britains would not communicate with Gregories Austin nor eat in the same House with the Romans which party was cut off from Christ Was it Chrysostomes Ioannites or the Council that deposed him and the Cyrillians that were cut off from Christ Was it the Party of Meletius Paulinus or Flavian at Antioch that were not united to Christ Not only Socrates and Sozomen but Atticus and Procluus and other men freer from Schism and Ignorance than our Dr. thought the Novatians were united to Christ. Was Lucifer Calaritanus cut off from Christ for gathering a Church separate from the Bishops that he thought too hastily received the returning Arians Was it Zachary and Boniface that were cut off from Christ or the Two Presbyters that they excommunicated for holding Antipodes c Was it the Church of Canstantinople or of Rome that was unchurch't when Vigilius and Menna and other Patriarchs excommunicated one another If David Derodon have proved that Nestorius spake Orthodoxly and Cirilas was an Eutichian or if I have undeniably proved that they meant the same thing or Iob Ludolphus that the Eutychians were sound in the faith which of the parties that these 1300. years have condemned each other are cut off from Christ When the Italians set up a Patriarch at Aquileia an hundred years against Rome which side was unchurched When the Pope Alexander 3. Innocent 4. c. interdicted whole Kingdoms France England c. and part of the Churches obeyed the Pope and part the King and when in the Wars with Frederick Henr. 4 th and 5 th Oâ—hâ— c. part of the Bishops were for the Emperor and condemned the rest and the other part condemned them as Henrician Hereticks which side was unchurched When all the Truths that Philastrius calls Heresies in palpable ignorance had parties condemned for holding them as Hereticks was it the feigned Hereticks or the condemners that were unchurched But if this man's words be true and Priests can so easily damn men it 's time to think what those men do that have made such damning Canons as ours before-mentioned and that damn all that differ and obey them not in every word and ceremony which they will command on those damning terms And were this true whether it were not wisdom for all men to pack up and leave the Land to the Priests themselves and those that are ductile and sequacious enough to follow them to the last For my part I believe not that he that goeth from one Church to another as separating from a pair of Organs or Cathedral singing or Copes or from a sorry Priest for a better or from an undisciplined Church to one that useth true Discipline not judging the Church that he goeth from worse than it is doth any thing inconsistent with his Christianity nor is separated from Christ What the seed of Cain do that hate and persecute their brethren and whether they separate from Christ when they fight against Love I leave to others â— 31. Page 64 65. But the man hard put to it hath a new notable subterfuge He that hath said all this for One Church hath found Two Universal Visible Churches in the World besides the Invisible One câ—nsists of all those Christians and Churches who profess the true Faith of Christ observe his Laws and Institutions and live in Communion and Fellowship with each other This he owns Ans. So do we with these Suppositions 1. That no man observeth all Christ's Laws and Institutions without sin but true Christians profess and practice the observation of them sincerely so far as they know them 2. Those that you damn and persecute profess to do this to the best of their understanding and say it is for doing it that you revile and ruin them 3. We suppose that when Christ's
proper Authority but only in such matters as concern the Unity of the Episcopacy or the Peace and Communion of the Catholick Church If a Bishop be convicted of Heresie or Schism or some great wickedness or impiety they may depose him and forbid his people to communicate with him and ordain another in his stead because he subverts the Unity of the Faith or divides the Unity of the Church or is himself unfit for Communion Ans. 1. Either these are meant as acts of Government or not If yea then why do you so oft disclaim it and call it only Advice and Communion Then you place this governing Power in Forreigners when they are no further off than with ease and convenience we may confederate with them And whither this will lead I 'le not enquire If nay then it seems men may depose Bishops and set up or ordain others in their stead without any governing Power over them If so then by Authority you must mean Authoritatem Doctoris vel Nimcii and so I confess Pastors may in Christ's Name require other Churches to do their duty and not Authoritatem Regentis And if so it 's as true that when there is just cause a few may depose many as many depose a few But men use not to call it deposing and ordaining in his place when men do but charge others in Christ's Name to do their duty I find not thaâ— St. Martin excommunicated the Bishops and Synods in Ithacius and Idacius time but I find that he renounced Communion with them and so may Equals do § 43. P. 140. he saith The sensless imputation of Cassandrianism and French Popery is managed so knavishly by Mr. Lob and with such blind fury by Mr. Baxter with so much confusion c. Ans. The Terms I wonder not at but whatever we are for Knavery or blind Fury if this man help us against Confusion it 's strange § 44. P. 173. he grants that the Bishops are not the Governours of the Church as united in one common regent Head over the whole Church but as every Bishop governeth his own share And this of true Bishops who denieth him P. 183. It is but a voluntary combination and stricter associasion for preserving Unity by advice c. All this is good tho damned by him in the Independents if they would combine to rule according to the Laws of Christ and not make any of their own without authority nor so as to accuse Christ's Laws of insufficiency nor make dividing noxious snares § 45. Saith he p. 189. That this Church is Universal is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Ans. No Humane Laws make the Church Universal Men may make their own Subjects or Confederates unite in accidents either just as in one Translation of Scripture one time and place and meeting c. or unjust when it 's hurtful vain or belongs not to them but it is only he that maketh the Church a Church who thereby maketh it One Church in Essentials And in Integrals he that maketh it entire by institution or efficiency 2. This Union is founded in mens Unity in Christianity Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. § 46. P. 192. He saith The Association and Confederacy of Neighbour-Churches is founded on the Law of Catholick Communion and the Catholick Communion cannot be maintained without it Ans. Not without Baptismal Confederaâ—y in the necessary Duties commanded by Christ But as to your Confederacies in Humane new Church-Forms Patriarchal Metropolitan c. was not the Church One without them before they were invented Here he maketh voluntary Confederacies to make new Church-Canons or Laws of Discipline necessary to Unity and that Unity necessary to Salvation all being cut off from Christ that break it As if Christ had not made Laws enough necessary to salvation and he that only kept his Laws and not mens Canons could not be saved Can he tell us then where to fix our Religion On what Bishops and on what Canons I am certain that his Religion will not stand with certainty of salvation when no man can be certain what is necessary to salvation nor what de novo will by Bishops be made necessary the next year nor who those Bishops must be 2. See here again When he made it a renouncing our Christianity to confederate and associate to do mens duty in a particular Church he yet maketh it necessary to Unity and so to salvation by confederacy to make new Humane Church Forms All this is to bring all mens salvation opinionatively into the power of those that can get uppermost as if men could as easily damn others as themselves § 47. P. 200 201. saith he If the Church cannot be a Political Society without one constitutive Regent Head then the Church is not a Political Society for it neither has nor can have any such on Earth over the whole Ans. We thank you for that much But the Church is a Political Society and to deny it is to deny an Article of the Creed and to unchurch it quoad ipsam formam And Christ is its constitutive regent Head The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named by him from whom the whole compacted body is increast and edified And it 's dangerous false Doctrine worse than breaking one of your Canons to hold that the Church cannot be a Political Society unless it have an Head on Earth § 48. He adds when I shewed that all Episcopal Writers as Hooker Spalatensis c. of Church Polity take the Church for one Body Politick But what is this to the purposo Does Hooker set up one Regent Head Ans. 1. Yes Christ. 2. Was it not directly to my purpose to prove it a Polity which was that which I alledged it for But saith he do any of them prove That Civil and Ecclesiastick Polity is the same thing Ans. Yes in genere Do they use the word equivocally Is not Polity or Government in Civils and Ecclesiasticks Polity in genere How can these else be distinct species of it Was this ever denied by Conformist before Saith he ' Do not the Civil and Ecclesiastick Commonwealth differ as much as the Church and the State Ans. And do not Church and State differ in specie as being both Politick Bodies sub uno genere He adds Therefore he must still prove That as one supreme Regent Head is necessary to the Unity of a State or Kingdom so it is to the Unity of the Church which will be a fair advance towards Popery Ans. 1. Every Christian holds That Christ is the Head over all things to his Church But every Christian says not That this is an advance to Popery Is Christianity Popery 2. Is one State and Kingdom all the World All that I have to prove is That as all the Earth is one Divine Kingdom God being the absolute Soveraign and each particular Kingdom is part of it a Political Body subordinate informed by its One Humane Soveraign even so the Universal Church is one Body
Union of Soul and Body makes a man and an Embryo before it be organized 2. The Union of the Body maketh it capable of the Souls further Operation 3. The Union of the Organical chief parts as Heart Lungs c. to the rest make it a true humane Body compleated to the nutriment and action of Life 4. That it have Hands and Fingers Feet and Toes and all integral parts makes it an intire Body 5. The due site temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound Body 6. Comely colour hair action going speech c. make it a comely Body 7. To have all parts of equal quantity and office would make it uncomely And to have the same hair colour c. is unnecessary at all 1. The Union of King and Subjects as such makes a Kingdom 2. That the People be agreed for one conjunct interest and Government maketh them a Community capable of Politie or Government 3. That there be Judges Maiors and Justices and subordinate Cities or Societies maketh it an Organized Body in which Kingly Government may be exercised to its end the common good 4. That no profitable part be wanting Judge Justice Sheriff c. maketh it an entire Kingdom 5. That all know their place and be duly qualified with Wisdom Love Justice Conscience Obedience to God first to the Sovereign Power next to Officers next c. maketh it a sound and safe Kingdom 6. That it be well situate fertile rich eminent in Learning Skill c. maketh it an adorned beautiful Kingdom 7. That all be equal in Power and wealth is destructive and that all be of one Age complexion calling temper degree of knowledge c. is impossible And that all have the same language cloathing utensils c. is needless at least VII Jesus Christ is the only Universal Soveraign of the Church both of vital influence and Government nor hath he set up any under him either Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt Pope Council or diffused Clergy that hath the Power of Legislation and Judgment as governing the whole Chorch but only Officers that per partes govern it among them each in his Province as Justices do the Kingdom and Kings and States the World nor is any capable of more VIII To set up any universal Legislators and Judge Pope or Council is to set up an Usurper of Christs Prerogative called by many a Vice-Christ or an Antichrist and as bad as making one man or Senate the Soveraign of all the Earth and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign Iurisdiction in this Land is to endeavour to perjure the whole Kingdom that is sworn against it in the Oath of Supremacy and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State in the Corporation Oath the Vestry Oath the Militia Oath the Oxford Oath with the Uniformity Covenants And if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign Jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the Kingdom to all these Oaths against it I doubt whether all the Powers of Hell can devise a much greater crime against Clergy Cities and all the Land Good reason therefore had Doctor Isaac Barrow to write against it as he hath done and to confute Mr. Thorndike and all such as of late go that pernicious way by the pretence of Church Union and Communion As if one universal Soveraign and Legislator and Judge were not enough to unite Christs Kingdom or man could mend his universal Laws and could not stay for his final judgment and Churches and Kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal Soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves XI To be a true Believer or Christian or the Infant seed of such devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant uniteth each Member first to Christ himself directly and consequently to his Body or Church and this coram Deo as soon as it is done by heart consent and coram Ecclesia regularly as soon as he is invested by Baptism which Baptism when it may be had so is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized Minister or Deacon but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a Lay-man the Ancient Christians took it not for a nullity much less if the Baptizer was taken for a Minister by mistake being in his place and if no Baptism can be had open covenanting is vallid X. The Papists and their truckling Agents here have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction To make themselves masters of the World they would perswade us that Sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie and that God saveth none by any known way and grant but by his Covenant Sealed by the Sacraments and that he authorizeth none to administer this Covenant but Prelates and their Priests and none can validly have it from other hands And so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation are at the will and mercy of such Prelates and Priests But unhappily they cannot retrieve their old Opinion but maintain that Lay-men and Women may baptize in necessity validly and that Baptism puts one into a State of Salvation XI As he that swears and keeps his Allegiance to the King is a Subject and Member of the Kingdom though he be no Member of any Corporation so though he disown a thousand fellow Subjects yea though he deny the Authority of Constable Justice Judge so he that is devoted to Christ truly in the Baptismal Covenant is a Christian and a Member of the Universal Church though he were of no particular Church or did disown a thousand Members or any particular Officer of the Church XII All faults or crimes are not Treason A man that breaketh any Law is in that measure Culpable or punishable but every breach of Law or wrong to fellow Subjects or Justices as it is not Treason so it doth not prove a man no Subject though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable And so it is in the case of our Subjection in the Church to Christ. XIII To own Christs Instituted species of Church Officers is needful to the just Order Safety and Edification of the Church as to own the Courts of Judicature Justices c. in the Kingdom but to own this or that numerical Officer as truly commissioned is needful only to the right administration of his own Province XIV As Christ did his own work of universal Legislation by himself and his Spirit eminently in the Apostles and Evangelists who have recorded all in Scripture so he settled Churches to continue to the end associated for Personal Communion in his holy Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation with authorized Ministers subordinate to his administration in his Prophetical Priestly Kingly and Friendly Relations And thô these may not always or often meet in
is to hold that some Church is perfect in Understanding Faith Hope and Practice without Ignorance Errour or Sin that is not to know what a man or a Christian on Earth is XXIII Much less do all Churches agree in unnecessary indifferent accidents nor ever did nor ever will or can do XXIV The measuring out Churches by limits of Ground Parochial or Diocesan is a meer humane ordering of a mutable accident and no Divine Determination And if all were taken for Church members-because they dwell in those precincts it were wicked But if it be but all in those precincts that are qualified Consenters it is usually a convenient measure But such as in many Cases must be broken XXV If a Church with Faithful Pastors be well setled in a place first where there are not more than should make up that one Church it is not meet for any there to gather a distinct Church thô of the same Faith without such weighty reason as will prove it necessary or like to do more good than hurt 1. Because Love inclineth to the greatest Union 2. Because a Great Church is more strong and honourable than a small if the number be not so great as to hinder the Ends. 3. And the Ancient Churches kept this Union XXVI If Magistrates make such Laws about Church Accidents as tend to further the Churches wellfare or are so pretended and not against it we must obey them But if they will either invade Christs Authority or cross it by making Laws against his or such as are proper to his Prerogative to make or invade the Pastors Office and the Churches proper right given by Christ or determine Accidents to the Destruction of the Substance the Church Doctrine Worship or Ends these bind the Consciences of none to Obedience but Christ must be obeyed and we must patiently suffer XXVII Self-interest Self-Government and Family-Government are all antecedent to Publick Government which Ruleth them for the Common good but hath no Authority to destroy them No King or Prelate can bind a man to do that which would damn his Soul nor to omit that which is needful to his Salvation All power is for Edification They are Gods Ministers for Good XXVIII As it belongs to self-government to choose our own Dyet and Cloaths and Wives and Physicians thô we may be restrained from doing publick hurt on such pretences And it belongs to Family Government to educate our own Children and choose their Tutors Callings Wives c. so it more nearly belongs to self-government to choose the most safe and profitable means of our own Salvation which no man may forbid us and to avoid that which is pernicious or hurtful and to Family-Government to do the like for our Children XXIX It is false Doctrine of those late Writers who tell us that only Sacraments sanctifie or give right to Salvation The whole Tenor of the Gospel tells us that men are brought to Faith and Repentance and to be Christians and Godly men and by Faith to be justified by the Preaching of the Gospel and that Gods word is his appointed means of Salvation which his Ministers must preach skilfully instantly in season and out of season to that End And if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost XXX The Gospel saveth not like a Charm by the bare sound or saying of the words nor the Sacrament like an Amulet But as a Moral means specially blest by him that instituted it to work on man as Mâ—n by informing his Mind perswading his Will and exciting his Affections as Men are wrought on in other Cases which methinks those called Arminians should least deny who are said to lay more of the Spirits operation on Moral suasion than their Adversaries yea and those that account it Fanaticism to expect any other gift of Prayer from the Spirit but what is given morally by use And the contrary Doctrine feigneth God to Work even constantly by Miracle And as the Papists make every Mass-Priest a Miracle Worker in Transubstantiation so do they that make the bare saying over the Words and doing the outward Acts in the Sacrament to save us ex opere operato and the Pastoral teaching and oversight of an ignorant drunken Lad or Reader to be near as great a help to Salvation as the Ministry of a wise skilful Holy and exemplary Pastor and the clear affectionate Preaching of Gods word And that tell us as Mr. Dodwell how sufficient a man is to administer the Sacramental Covenant that understands what a Covenant is in matters of Common Conversation XXXI If a Wise and Skilful and Conscionable Ministry be as needless to Edification and Salvation as some Men pretend it is as needless that they should study to be such and vain to Glory that they are such and that the Church of England hath such a Ministry and vain to expect that men should pay them any more respect than I owed my Master that never preacht but once and that drunken and divers very like him Or that they should use this as an argument to draw men to hear them XXXII If the King or Law should settle a Physician of his or a Patrons choice in every Parish it were well done if it be but to have help at hand for Volunteers But if he command all to use them and to use no other before them or against them where unskilful or untrusty men are placed no man is bound to obey this command No mens Law can dissolve the Law of Nature nor disoblige a man from a due care of his Life nor bind him to cast it away upon Obedience to ignorant or bad and treacherous Men. And a mans Soul is more precious than his Health or Life and he is bound to greater care of it and is no more to trust it on the will of his Superiours How vast is the difference between an ignorant rash Physician or Pastor and one that is wise experienced and trusty They that scorn Men for going for greater edification from one to another do not so if a man prefer a skilful Physician to one that kills more than he cures or a skilful and careful Tutor for his Son yea or a Farrier for his Horse XXXIII If one Preacher be not for Edification to be greatâ—â— preferred before another then One Book is not And so it 's no matter what Book they read or value and what a Student will this make And what a Trade for the Booksellers And why then should their own Books be so valued And why then do they silence hundreds or thousands and forbid them to preach on pain of ruine thô no false Doctrine be proved against them if they think not that the difference is very great XXXIV When Councils hereticated and condemned Thousands or Hundreds of Priests and Bishops whom Christian Emperours and Princes owned as Orthodox they did not then think every Patron Prince or Prelate a competent Judge with what Pastor Men should
they cannot change their mindes 1. Whether they will be damned as Excommunicate and practical Atheists that give over all Church Worship 2. Or as damnable Schismaticks for worshipping God in Churches when they are excommunicate 3. Or as perfidious Lyars that will make false Confessions Profession and promises to get off an Excommunication When Mr. Dodwel numbers those with Schismaticks that suffer themselves to be excommunicate if they have no other means in their Power to hinder it it seems these great Enemies to absolute reprobation do think all Christians being unavoidably born to imperfection of Knowledg are as unavoidably born to damnation whenever Prelates or Priests please thus to precipitate them LXXXVI 2. Particularly 1. The first and second Canons ipso facto excommunicate all that say that any manner of Obedience and Subjection within his Majesties Realms and Dominions is due to any usurped and foreign Power By this all Papists and all pretended Protestants such as Dr. Barrow confuteth who hold any manner of Obedience and Subjection due to Pope or Foreign Councils are Excommunicate 2. Those that say that the Book of Common Prayer containeth any thing in it repugnant to the Scriptures are ipso facto excommunicate Which now by the new Laws are interpreted of the present Books 3. In this all are excommunicate who say the Mis-translations in Psalms Epistles or Gospels of which many instances have been given to be any thing repugnant in the Scripture 4. And all that say It is against the Scripture to deny Christendom to all Infants that have not such Vowers in their Names and for their Education as we call Godfathers and Godmothers thô the Parent who is forbidden it offer his Child by Sponsion 5. And all that say it is against Scripture to deny Christendom to all that refuse the Covenanting transient Images of a Cross. 6. And all that say that it is against Scripture for all Ministers to profess that it 's certain by Gods Word that baptized Infants without exception so dying are undoubtedly saved when no word of God is cited that saith it and adding to Gods word is dreadfully threatned and when it 's certain that all Ministers are not certain of any such thing and I think no one 7. All are ipso facto excommunicate that say It is against Gods Word to deny Church Communion in the Sacrament to all that dare not take it kneeling for fear thô mistaken of breaking the second Commandment by Symbolizing with Idolaters that are seeking to reduce the Nation to their Sin and that live round about us 8. All are excommunicate that say it is against Scripture to pronounce all saved that are buryed except the unbaptized self-murderers and the excommunicate while thousands of Sadducees Hobbists Infidels Papists Perjured Adulterers Drunkards c. dwell among us 9. By the fifth Canon all are ipso facto excommunicate that say Any of the Articles are in any part erroneous or such as they perhaps as doubters may not with a good Conscience subscribe to and consequently all the aforesaid Conformists that think the sence erroneous while they subscribe those words and shall affirm e. g. that Canons are made necessary to Salvation thô the matter cannot be proved by Scripture contrary to Art 6. Those that contrary to Art 8. say any thing in Athanasius Creed may not be subscribed Such as Bishop Taylour that against Art 9. deny Original Sin Those that say contrary to Art 10. that the Word no Power excludeth Common natural Power or maketh Nature to be Grace Those that write against our being accounted righteous only for Christs merits and say that another subordinate Righteousness is named many hundred times in Scripture contrary to Art 11. Those that contrary to Art 13. say that works done before the Inspiration of the Spirit may make men meet to receive Grace Those that with Dr. Hammond write for works that are not commanded but counselled and Free-will-offerings contrary to Art 14. All they that take Infants and new baptized Persons to have no sin contrary to Art 15. All that say that after we have received the H. Ghost we cannot depart from Grace given contrary to Art 16. Those that deny the Doctrine of Election in Art 17. Those that say any on Earth may be saved by diligent living according to the light of Nature without knowing the name of Christ contrary to Art 18. Those that contrary to Art 19. reject that Description of a visible Church which reacheth to such as our Resolver damneth All that contrary to Art 20. say that the Church may not enforce any thing to be believed for necessity to Salvation besides the Scripture even those that say it 's necessary to Salvation by avoiding Schism to believe that all imposed Tyths Covenants Practices and Ceremonies are not sin All that contrary to Art 21. say that General or other Councils may be gathered without the command and will of Princes and deny they may erre and things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they are taken out of Holy Scripture Those that deny Art 23. that those are lawfully called and sent into the Ministry who have publick Authority given them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard are chosen and called hereto for want of Canonical Succession Those that contrary to Art 24. would have Gods Worship performed to them that understand not the language to avoid the Schism of having many Churches in a City Those that take Confirmation or Penance or the other three for Sacraments of the Gospel contrary to Art 25. Those that contrary to Art 26. would not have it believed to be the Peoples duty who know the Offences of Bad Ministers to accuse them All that contrary to Art 27. are against Infant Baptism as agreeable to Christs Institution All that contrary to Art 28. say the Body of Christ is given and taken and eaten in the Sacrament otherwise than in a Spiritual manner by Faith All that say that in some wise the wicked are Partakers of Christ in the Sacrament contrary to Art 29. All that contrary to Art 30. say There is other satisfaction for Sin besides Christs Blood All that say that Men justly Excommunicate may be reconciled and received by the multitude without open penance which is ordinary contrary to Art 33. All that contrary to Art 34. think that a General Council may ordain such Traditions or Ceremonies as shall in all places be one or the like and that every Particular or National Church may not abolish those Ceremonies or Rites which the General Council or Colledge ordained Many things in the Book of Homilies especially against peril of Idolatry are blamed by many Conformists contrary to Art 35. All that contrary to Art 36. say that the Book of Ordination wants some things necessary All that contrary to Art 37. think that Pope or foreign Bishops have any
us that he did not place this Communion in any transient Acts but in a fixed permanent state Ans. But 1. Taking the Bishops for true authorised Pastors and the Church for a true Church are transient acts Believing in Christ and repenting of sin are transient acts quoad objectum tho immanent quoad subjectum effectum Baptism and Profession of Christianity and of love and obedience to others are transient both quoad objectum effectum Coming to Church communicating obeying Bishops and departing from Schismaticks are transient in both respects You see that by Catholick Communion the Doctor meaneth none of all these 2. What meaneth he then a fixed permanent state But 1. Which Predicament can you conjecture that word state is in It 's commonly applied to Relation Quality and Scite and Place These latter I am confident he meaneth not If he mean Quality it is Dispâ—sitiâ—n or Habit sure But those come by Acts and he tells us not what he meaneth nor is it probable that this is it Relation is most likely to be that fixed state which is indeed the true form of a Church and a Church-Member and saith Durandus is meant by Baptism's indelible Character Supposing this his meaning 2. Are not transient acts the fundamentum of this Relation as verily as of Paternity Marriage-Relation c. Is any Man a Church-Member or Christian but by the transient acts of Baptism Profession Covenanting c. And do you define a Relation without the Fundamentum 3. But if Relation be all wherein lieth our damning Schism We profess Catholick Communion then somewhat more than you do For as we profess the same Relation that you do to Jesus Christ so we profess our Relation of Fellow-Members to all his Body even to those that in such Matters depart from each others and if I can understand you to the greatest part of Christ's Church on Earth which you damn as Rebels This is our profest Relation If you can disprove it 〈◊〉 § 9. He adds I conclude it 's sufficient to let you understand what the Ancients meant by Christian-Communion which in a large Notion signifies the Christian Church or Society which is called Communion from Communication which all the Members of it had with each other The plain and obvious sense is All the Churches of the World are but one Church or Society and have the same right and the same obligation on them to communicate with each other for the sake of which Christian Churches are instituted as the members of a particular Church are Ans. 1. Such large Notions may be sufficient to you but they signifie little more than noise to me Here we are told that by Communion he meaneth the Church And so when we read of Communion with the Church it meaneth the Church with the Church and Church-Communion are Two Synonimal words and signifie Church Church And in the Creed the Catholick Church and Communion of Saints is a Tautology 2. But the Church is called Communion from Communication And is Communication no transient act but a fixed state 3. If the plain sense be That all Churches in the World are one Church as parts in the whole who differs from you in that We are all then of one Catholick Communion and shall believe that all true Christians are of one Church till the Excommunicators better disprove it 4. But have all the same right and obligation to communicate with each other 1. All do actually communicate with each other 1. In their Union with and Relation to our Saviour and Head 2. And in having one holy Spirit 3. Being the adopted children of one God 4. Being of that one body formally related to Christ. 5. Believing in the same God and Father Saviour and holy Spirit And 6. Consenting to the same Baptismal Covenant 7. Having the same hope of everlasting life These are the Instances of Christian Union and Communion in Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. And 8. They have also Communion in the same common benefits Pardon and Justification and right to life 9. And besides all this when they may be had they have Communion in the same species of necessary worship the use of the same Gospel and Sacred Scriptures and Creed of the same sort of Eucharistical Sacrament and Prayer and Praise and Thanksgiving in all parts of absolute necessity and holy Assemblies to that end consisting of several Pastors with their Flocks 10. Yea and all true Christians love one another as such and live in sincere tho imperfect obedience to the same holy Laws of Christ. In all this all Christians have Communion 2. And all have right to such measures of Local Communion where they come as they are in a more immediate capacity of 3. And all are obliged to exercise so much Mental and Local Communion as is necessary to edification and to the exercise of Christian love and peace besides what is forementioned But yet 1. All Churches on Earth are separate by distance as to Local Communion 2. No Two Churches or Men on Earth are perfectly united as to Mental Câ—mmunion There are Multitudes of degrees of differences in this 3. There are very many just causes of diversifying Local Communion in the same City Diocess or other Precincts and of diversifying individual Pastoral Relation and single proper Church-Communion Diversity of Languages is a cause that no man can deny The excessive Magnitude of a Church that is the Multitude of Persons is another Suppose that I were first and alone made Pastor of a Church in Mexico or Quinsay and I am not able to do the work of a Pastor for a Thousand Souls I get the help of Three or Four Presbyters and Deacons and we all are utterly unable to do the Pastoral work for Four Thousand may Four Thousand or Forty Thousand more claim of me the performance of the Pastoral Office Am I bound to undertake Tenfold more than I am able to perform Then Men may not only enslave me but damn me at their pleasure and pretend their right to Communion with me If you say I am bound to multiply Presbyters in the same Church to sufficiency I answer 1. What if I can neither have Men nor Maintenance 2. What if I think that when the Multitude is so great that I cannot know them nor they ever speak with me or know one another any more than Men of several Countreys that I ought not to undertake a personal oversight of them but perswade them to associate in Churches capable of such oversight It 's no breach of Charity for one School-Master or Physician to refuse a personal Relation as School-Master to Five Hundred Schools or Physician to all the City or Five Hundred Hospitals tho he have Apothecaries or others under him No Man hath right to more of my labour than I am able to perform If I be a Bishop and bound to hear and try the Causes of all that ought to come under Church Censure in a whole Diocess and am
by mistake XIII I know that the main Cause of Church-Divisions is seeking a Union on false and sinful terms And I know that the opinion That Parish-Communion is unlawful is an Error and therefore unfit to be the Condition of our Union And I see many would make it such a Condition And false terms of Concord are the great and certain means of Discord for the wisest Christians will refuse them And some Impose them by Doctrine and Censures as others do by Laws and Sword And I will not countenance dividing terms Obj. That is the chief fault of your Doctrine and Practice That it will cause Divisions among us when some will do as you do and others cannot and so our Congrâ—gations are divided Ans. 1. Can I cause that which is caused already is not so much Division known still to be among us 2. As I said Do not some write against the Lawfulness of Parish-Communion And some against Infant Baptism and the Lords Day And do not they divide by Writing against them And did Mr. Tombes and Mr. Nye forbear as aforesaid for fear of Division If we are already divided in Judgment and Practice sure giving each other an account of our reasons is rather the way to heal us 3. But I confess this Objection seemeth so sad and ugly to me that it hâ—th no small hand in urging me to what they object against Alas what are such come to They that separate because of the Liturgy Ministry or People do virtually separate as I said from almost all the â—hurch on Earth For it is on a cause common to almost all Yea not only all the Churches in the Eastern Southern and Northern parts and all in the West save themselves have Liturgies or separate not from them But even of the Non-conformists in England those that of old or of late have pleaded their Cause have taken the Liturgy for no sufficient cause of separation Nay even the old Separatists called Brownists denied not the lawfulness of forms of Prayer nor refused to join with the Parish-Churches in our Liturgy sometimes only they thought that when Crossing or such Ceremonies were used they were bound to disown them And shall men that separate from the Communion of almost all the Churches on Earth as unlawful pretend that their way is the way of Unity and that the contrary doth divide Is our shunning Division from the Christian World a dividing Practice In Holland Mr. Smith thought no man capable of Baptizing him and so Baptized himself and some others have done so since thinking none fit for Communion but the few that are their Flocks Yet these that divided from all the World cryed down Dividing from themselves But were all dividers that were against them This is the saddest of all Objections XIV Yea I am loth to do that which condemneth groundlesly the Reformers the Martyrs the Godly Conformists the old Non-Conformists the later and the Brownists themselves as being all for unlawful Communion 1. If it be simply unlawful to have Communion in the Liturgy and Parish-Churches then it was unlawful to have Communicated in their way of Worship with Luther Zuinglius Melanchton Bucer Pet. Martyr and the like Reformers And also with the English Martyrs in Queen Marâ—â—s daies or in King Edward 6. And also with such Holy and Excellent Conformists as Grindall Pilkington Downame Bâ—â—ton Sibbs Preston 〈◊〉 and abundance more such 2. And it 's well known that the old Non-Conformists wrote and practised against the Brownists in this case The Books of Hildersham Brightman Bradshaw Ball Paget Gifford c. are yet visible Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures chides them that will not come to the beginning of the Common-Prayer The old Non-Conformists begin the reasons of their Non-Conformity in refusing Subscription in these Words We protest before Almighty God that we acknowledge the Churches of England as they be established by publick Authority to be 〈◊〉 visible Churches of Christ That we desire the continuance of our Ministry to them above all Earthly things as that without which our Lives will he bitter and wearisome to us That we dislike not a set-form of Prayer to be used in the Churches And finally that whatsoever followeth here is not set down of any evil Mind or of purpose to deprave the Books of Common-Prayer Ordination or â—â—milies but only to shew some reasons why we cannot subscribe to all things in the same contained 3. I before told you Mr. Tombes the Anabaptist hath written at large for the Lawfulness of Parish-Church Communion And Mr. Nye for hearing the Parish-Ministers 4. The late Non-conformists that treated with the Bishops in 1660 and 1667. have left their Judgments fully on Record many of them being yet alive 5. The old Separating Brownists have these Words Confession and Protestation of Faith Touching the true visible Political Churches which we acknowledge are in England we profess and declare that each company of true visible Christians associated together in one place viz. a Parish and Professing to serve God according to his Will in Faith and Order so far as they know such as there are many in England the same is a true visible political Church in some respects And therefore we communicate also with them on occasion while in such communicating we countenance no evil thing in them which in many places and many times we need not do Lastly it being no evil nor any appearance of evil in us to join to the Parish Congregation and Ministry in such respect and so far forth only as aforesaid we ought as we believe sometimes on weighty occasion so to join and we sin if we do not Luke 17.32 Heb. 10.25 1 Cor. 10.32 We believe concerning Prayer That though every form of prayer prescribed by Men be not absolutely and simply a Sin neither as we judge are Idols nor an Invention of Man nor a trangression of the second Commandment yet a prescribed Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer by Commandment forced on a whole Church rightly constituted to be used still in the same Words whenever they assemble in comparison of other praying is not so profitable and we judge that it is best and most agreeable to the last Apostolick practice that even where many Pastors in one Church are yet that One have during Life a precedency and priority in order and place not in power before the rest I will not be more for separation than the Separatists themselves XV. If joining with the Parish Ministry be simply unlawful most or almost all England comparatively must cease all publick Worship of God The Nonconformists were but about two thousand 1662. Most of them I think by this time are Dead and not so many sprung up in their stead Those that are remaining for the most part are either in a few places quieter than the rest or hindered from any numerous Assemblies In 1636. I do not think there were many more than we have Counties and those few in
the King and Laws and the possession of the Parish maintenance and Temples To how sad a state did all the Eastern Churches dwindle when they fell under the Turks How doth meer tolerated Religion thrive in France or any other Land where the Laws and Rulers are against it If we lose all the Parish-Churches some other will have them If Protestants have them not Papists will And the Parochial Religion will be the National and common Religion The most will go thither and attend those Ministers who have the publick Authority and Maintenance Therefore it is most evident that they who would keep up the Protestant Religion must do their best to keep it up in the parish-Parish-Churches And they that would corrupt and undermine it there or drive or draw it thence into meer private tolerated Churches would drive it out of the Land as National and Extensive and let in Popery to be the National Religion And I doubt not the Papists will be the most zealous potent helpers of all them among us who cry down a Comprehension that is the removing of the things which we account sinful that we may live in concord which it makes me shrug to think that ever a religious Protestant should be against who himself counts that sin which we would have removed As if they said Reform none of your publick sins unless you will reform as much as we judg sinful lâ—st And doubtless it pleaseth the Papists that as some Scots refused the Oath of Supremacy as well as they so so many refuse the Parish-Churches and suffer as Recusants as well as they I say as Mr. Hunt There is no happiness for England but by an excellent Clergy and an high a just esteem of them And excellency will cause esteem XXIII There be some honest moderate men of interest if not of power who would endeavour our restauration and peace which they know must be principally by concord if they could see that the terms were possible But while some make them think that nothing will serve us but the casting out of all the Liturgy and Church-Government they turn their thoughts from it as an impossible thing But the perusal of the Treaty 1669. and the Kings's Declaration 1660. and our Agreement by the Lord Keeper Bridgeman's means might have better informed them And I will not contribute to their error XXIV But I have reserved my greatest Motive to Parochial Communion to the last I dare not condemn Jesus Christ and his Apostles who communicated with far more vitiated Societies Christ preached daily in the Temple He there offered according to the Law and sent Lepers cleansed to the Priests to offer tho the Priesthood was more corrupt and degenerated than ours The High Priest that should have been of Aaron's line was any one that could buy it with money or favour of the Heathen Romans And some think there were two at once The Pharisees had corrupted sacred Doctrine and Worship and the Sadduces were far worse than the Mahometans yet Christ did ordinarily joyn in the Synagogues and had he not joyned in their Liturgy as the rest he would have been noted for a Disturber and the Rulers would not have called him to preach as they did others See Luke 4.16 and 6.6 Iohn 5.59 and 18.20 Matth. 12.9 and 13.54 Mark 1.21 31. and 6.2 We find Christ bidding men Take heed of the leven of the Pharisees but yet to hear them delivering the Law in Moses chair They accused him for not separating more from Publicans and Sinners but not for separating from the Temple or Synagogues He told his Disciples that men should cast them out of the Synagogues but never bid them depart themselves And I find Peter Acts 10. scrupling Communion with the Gentiles till God rebuked him and c. 11. the Iewish Christians offended at it till convinced and Gal. 2. Paul reproving him to his face for withdrawing from the Gentiles lest he should offend the Iews And Paul would not himself have conformed so far as to circumcise Tâ—mothy and to shave his head for his Vow and purifie himself in the Temple had it been unlawful It was done by the same Votes Iames and the rest at Ierusalem who made the Decrees Acts 15. And if you say Paul and all these did unlawfully you will shake our foundation He professed to become a Iew to the Iews and all things to all men to save some This moveth me above all § 10. But it is objected 1. That it is in vain to come so near the Prelates For nothing will satisfie them or procure us the least abatement of their cruelty unless you will do all that is imposed Ans. 1. It is not to satisfie such as you describe that I do what I do It is to satisfie my own Conscience in obeying God 2. If but any one of all the forementioned Reasons hold good it is not in vain tho it satisfie not the implacable Do you think I go to worship God only to satisfie men I daily receive that benefit to my self which assureth me that it is not in vain Obj. 2. You that come so near them please them no better and you have suffered with the first Ans. 1. Had I done it to escape suffering I would have done that which I suffered for not doing and not done that which I suffered for But all that I have ever suffered from men is but a Flea-biting to that which I suffer from the Diseases of my own Soul and Body and yet I can love and forgive my self 2. If I suffer for the acts of Piety Love and Peace it is for righteousness And then Christ hath commanded me exceedingly to rejoyce Mat. 5.10 11. But if I suffer for sinful censoriousness and division what will be my comfort 3. I doubt not but I much more displease the Papists by my course of Communion than they do who by unjustfiable Opinions do make their cause indefensible and expose themselves to their triumph Obj. 3. You grieve many good people of the contrary mind Ans. No doubt of it So I have done most good people whose mistakes I ever sought to cure about Antinomianism Baptism and the rest But I please those good people who think as I do 2. Compare these Two sorts together How vast a number do the contrary minded censure They think all our late Parliaments to sin in their Communion even these last which they most praise Mr. Hunt challengeth their Accusers to name any Number of them all that conform not I have not heard of Three if of any One that is liable to the charge of Recusancy and hath not communicated in the Parish-Churches They accuse also all the Common-Council since changed and in a word almost all the Christian World And yet we can easily forgive them and forbear them And if they cannot bear with us if we obey our Consciences and give them the Reason of it yea if we had told them why we judg them to be mistaken and
I durst no longer see Thousands of good Christians misguided into mistakes and like to be ruined for them and hereby hardening their Persecutors rejoycing the Papists who joyn with them in Separation reducing the Protestant Religion into corners and giving it up as publick to we may know whom censuring one another and dividing on these mistakes and fathering all this on God I say I durst not stand by in silence to see all this no more than to see men drowning or the City on fire without endeavouring to save men It is an exceeding great quiet to my Conscience under all the Confusions and Divisions that have befallâ—n us that in 1660 and 1661. I plainly and earnestly foretold the King and Bishops of them and did my best to have prevented them And the Author that I deal with necessitateth me to recite the late fruits of Separation in pulling down all Governments casting out all the Ministers in Wales and were near casting down those of England with Tythes and Universities persecuting and killing godly men and fathering all on God and now flying from the Bishops when they had opened them the door to return He layeth his main Cause on the ill fruits of Liturgies which indeed are rather the fruits of Pride and Malignity and constraineth me to shew the fruits of Separation I dare not bury that in silence which God so dreadfully disowned by their own dissâ—lution without any blood and that when multitudes are running into the old error by mistaking the Iudgment of the Nonconforming Ministers thinking that they took that for unlawful which they did not and condemning all the excellent old Nonconformists and Conformists and almost all the Churches on Earth Let wiser men deal wiselier I use the best wisdom that I have It 's true that abundance of good people fear and distaste Communion in the Liturgy What wonder when such Reasonings as these Twelve Arguments which how gross soever poor people have not the skill to answer perswade them it is false Worship and heinous sin and say others Idolatry They are conquered as the Mexicans were by the Spaniards by the frightful roaring of their Cannons the Militia used Acts 15.1 2. Ye cannot be saved and as the Pope conquered Kings and Kingdoms by threatning to keep them out of Heaven Even as since men tell me that they medicate their Wines with Arsenick and Mercury I am afraid to drink them which before I feared not so are honest souls affrightned from Liturgies and Communion How much in them I dissent from my self I have openly intimated to the World But he that will joyn in no good that is mixt by men with faultiness and evil must separate from all the World and all from him But how will he separate from himself England in her Articles and Ordination professeth to cleave to Scripture-sufficiency as being the Protestant Religion I go to joyn in this profest Religion If the Speaker of any side add any unwarrantable passages by book or without book let him answer for them I own them not Did my presence own all that I hear I would joyn with no man living The Lord fit us for a wiser and more loving World The Twelve Arguments said to be Dr. Owens impartially considered D. O. Posit It is not Lawful for us to go to and joyn in Publick Worship by the Common Prayer because that Worship it self according to the Rule of the Gospel is not Lawful 1. Ans. I Shall use the same Method that he hath used and first give you my Positions and then the supposed Matter of Fact and then consider his Arguments Posit It is not only Lawful but a Duty for those that cannot have better publick Church-worship without more hurt than benefit and are near a competent Parish Minister to go to and joyn in Publick Worship performed according to the Liturgie and in Sacramental Communion And for those that can have better to joyn sometime with such Parish Churches when their forbearance scandalously seemeth to signifie that they take such Communion for unlawful and so would tempt others to the same Accusation and uncharitable Separation The History of the Matter of Fact must be premised for the right deciding of the Case which is as followeth 1. God hath commanded us to Preach Pray Praise him and Administer his Sacraments and Discipline and hath told us what Doctrine we must preach what things we must pray and give thanks for and what Sacraments and Discipline we must Administer But he hath not told us in what Words we must do these nor in what Posture nor in what particular Method nor whether we must use oftest the same words or various nor whether they shall be before prepared or spoken immediately without preparation of words nor whether written or remembred nor whether prepared and composed by our selves or by others with such like 2. God prescribed divers Forms of Prayer Confession and Praise to the Iews in Moses Law and a Prophetical Song which they were all to learn Deut. 32. 3. The Psalms were a chief part of the Iews Liturgie in which there are many Forms of Prayer and Praise some made by David some by Asaph some by others and some in or after the Captivity no one knoweth by whom And those Psalms were not in Metre and sung in Tunes like ours now but loâ—dly said over 4. Iohn taught his Disciples to pray not only as to the Matter but as to the Words and so did Christ his Disciples at their Request who had not then the after-pouring out of the Spirit nay knew not that Christ must die for Sin rise and reign in Heaven c. and he said When ye pay say Our Father c. tho not tying them only to these words yet giving them a Form of Words to be used as they had occasion as well as a perfect Directory for Method 5. Christ himself joyned with the Iews in Synagogues and Temple when they used Forms and so did the Apostles and never blamed them for the use of such Forms 6. Christ prescribed a Form of Words in Baptism and in the Administration of the Lords Supper and used a Hymn in Form 7. There are divers Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving in the New Testament in Luke 1. 2. and the Acts and Pauls Epistles and the Revelations which its Lawful and Laudable to use 8. We are commanded to use Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which are Forms of Prayer and Praise and was not then in Rhime And it was not every one in the Church that composed these Extempâ—re but some made them for the rest to use And if none Impose them by Office Authority or Perswasion the Churches will never use the same Christians in the primitive ages of the Church were known to the Heathen by their constant use of such Hymns sung to Christ and of Christ. 9. The Churches from Christs time to this had a Creed or Form of sound Words or necessary Articles of Faith
publick Church-worship till they have Ministers enough that have learnt to pray better without a Form or Liturgy than with it If this be desired I appeal to any that can difference Christianity from Heathenism Whether Liturgies or such a Separation from Liturgies would do more hurt And I will add yet one question more If there be not above two or three or at last no Church-assemblies in a County which have Nonconforming Ministers and opportunity to worship God as Churches would you have all the rest of the Countries dissolve their Church-assemblies or forbear all and live like Unbelievers If so I am a Separatist from such destructive Principles and Separations D. O. 3. Argument That in religious Worship which derogates from the Kingly Office of Iesus Christ so far as it doth so is false Worship Unto the Office of Christ it inseparably belongs that he be the sole Law-giver of the Church in all the Worship of God The rule of his Government herein is Teach men to do and observe whatsoever I command But the Worship treated about consists wholly in the Institutions Commands Prescriptions Orders and Rules of Men and on the Authority of men alone doth their Impositions on the practice of the Church depend What is this but to renounce the Kingly Office of Christ in the Church § 17. TO the Major of your 3 d. Arguement I answer 1. There is that in Worship as the badness of the men c. which is no part of the Worship and therefore no false Worship 2. True Worship materially may be so abused as to derogate from the Kingly Office of Christ. 3. But it is granted That all your own or other mers Errors or Sin in Worship which no man is totally free from do in some degree practically derogate from the Kingly Office of Christ which should be better obeyed and so is so far false Worship That it belongs to this Office of Christ to be the sole Lawgiver in all the Worship of God XXX Error is another mistake 1. There is that in Gods Worship which is no part of his Worship 2. There is a secondary Worship subservient to Gods Institutions which men may make Laws about 3. There are temporary By-laws and Mandates which have the essence of Law which is to signifie the Rulers Will making the Subjects Duty besides general Laws by Excellency so called And so 1. Princes may make Laws for the Use of the best Translation of Scripture for the Version of Psalms for Ministers due ordering Worship to restrain some Seducers for Time Place Utensils to be uncovered and to kneel or stand at Prayer c. And the Pastor may by Mandate oblige the People to much of the like Matth. 28.20 By saying whatever I command you doth not say Do nothing which your Parents Prince or Pastor command you besides my Commands Sure it was his Spirit that said Heb. 13. Obey them that have the Rule over you Christ never particularly commanded any of the Twenty things in which I instanced to Mr. Raphson Must not Children obey Parents or Servants their Masters in learning any Form of Catechism or chusing any Minister or writing Sermons c. till Christ will particularly command them This is a false Exposition It is another Mistake that the Worship treated about consisteth wholly in the Command c. of men This Worship containeth 1. In General Praying Praising Preaching Is this none of Gods Command 2. It containeth for the Matter signified XXXI Error the Confession of Sins of Omission and Commission the Petitioning for all contained in the Lords Prayer and for all Graces tho Prayers for Faith or its increase was much forgotten save on St. Thomâ—s day or such an odd occasion and for the Church and others as well as our selves for Kings and all in Authority And Thanksgivings for all sorts of Men. I can find little in the Common Publick Worship whose Matter is not of Divine Command And can you find none such at all wonderful difference of Eye-sight 3. The Matter signifying is much of it The Psalms of David the Old Testament and the New Read the Lords Prayer the Ten Commandments Scripture Hymns a Scripture-Benediction Is none of all this commanded by God What Christian should believe it It is also a Mistake that on the Authority of Men alone doth their Imposition on the Practice of the Church depend For 1. The foresaid parts are imposed by God himself 2. The Lawful Modes imposed by Men depend not on their Authority alone XXXII Error but on Gods who Authorizeth Rulers to do it For he hath said Let all be done to Edification in Order Obey them that have the Rule They that obey a Pastor for Time Place Utensils Translations Psalms c. or that obey the King depend not herein on Man alone Your Conclusion also is a Mistake XXXIII Error This is not to renounce the Kingly Office of Christ in the Church no more than you did when you wrote your Savoy-Articles of Confession or when you draw up the Form of a Church-Covenant for your Flock All that is a Sin against Christs Kingly Office is not a renouncing of it D. O. 4. Argument That which gives Testimony against the Faithfulness of Christ in his House as a Son and Lord of it above that of a Servant is not to be complied withall let all his Disciples judge Unto this Faithfulness of Christ it doth belong to appoint and command all things whatever in the Church that belongs to the Worship of God as is evident from this Comparison with Moses herein and his preference above him Hebr. 3.3 4 5 6. But that Institution and Prescription of all things in Religious Worship of things never instituted nor prescribed by Christ in the Forms and Modes of them ariseth from a supposition of a defect in the Wisdom Care and Faithfulness of Christ Whence alone a necessity can arise of prescribing that in Divine Worship that he hath not prescribed § 18. TO your Fourth Argument I answer 1. To the Major Proposition 1. To give Testimony Signifieth either by remote unseen Consequence to cross Christs Faithfulness And so do many of the mistakes of you and every Party Or it signifies a known denial of Christs Faithfulness No Christian complieth with this 2. Complying also is an ambiguous word if it mean an approbation of any Sin so no man must comply If it mean communicating in good where there is a faulty mixture of some evil so he that will not comply must joyn with no Church and with no Man living 2. To your Minor I answer passing by the misforming in your Supposition It is not true that it belongeth to Christs Faithfulness to appoint and command all things whatever in the Church XXXIV Error which belongs to the Worship of God Else he were unfaithful in bidding them appoint many things belonging to his Worship I have named Instances enow which I must not still repeat You
Church-yard or Porch to shew that they are not presentable but would get in if they could the nineteenth Canon commands to drive them away 19. The Liturgy and Canon 22. c. bind all under the penalty of the Law to receive the Sacrament thrice every year If a secret Infidel Sadducee Hobbist Socinian or any Heretick say I am not able to change my Iudgment which is inconsistent with the Sacrament or if one whose Conscience tells him of the guilt of Adultery and that he is not resolved to confess and forsake it yet or one that by Melancholy causelessly feareth unworthy receiving to damnation I say if any of these will avoid the charge of Schism they must run upon worse till grace recover them which is not at their command And yet all notorious Offenders are prohibited it Canon 26. and particularly the Perjured And if the tenth part so many be perjured in England in City and Countrey as many fear it 's a very great number that are uncapable of Communion with the Church 20. By Canon twenty seventh on pain of Suspension no Minister must wittingly administer the Communion to any but such as Kneel or to any that refuse to be present at publick Prayers c. So that all that Kneel not in receiving are rejected and if they worship God elsewhere must be taken for Schismaticks as dangerous as adulterers or murderers 21. The twenty eighth Canon forbids admitting strangers to Communion and commands sending them home to their Parish Churches It 's disobedience to violate this 22. The twenty ninth Canon forbids urging Parents to be Present when their Children are baptized and admitting them to Answer as Godfathers for their own Children and any Godfather to make any other Answer or speech than the prescribed 23. The thirtieth Canon describeth the Cross as a Sacrament as seemeth to us 34. By the thirty sixth Canon no man must be a Minister that subscribeth not that the Book of Common Prayer and Ordination contains nothing in it contrary to the Word of God and that he himself will use no other form in publick Prayer and administration of the Sacraments By which all that refuse this or that use the forms made and imposed by the Bishops on occasions of publick Fasts and Thanksgivings seem all to be under disobedience to the Church 35. By Canon fourty ninth no Person not Licensed as a Preacher may in his Cure or elsewhere expound any Scripture or Matter or Doctrine but onely shall study to read plainly the Homilies So that all Ministers before Licence to preach all School-masters all Parents or Masters that do expound to their Schollars Children or Servants the meaning of Baptism or of any Article of the Creed any Petition of the Lords Prayer any one of the Ten Commandments to fit them for Confirmation or Salvation otherwise than by plain reading the Homilies or Church Catechism doth disobey the Law of the Church And so do all Tutors in the Universities that expound any Scripture matter or Doctrine to their Pupils before they are examined or approved by the Bishop or any Judge on the Bench or Justice that presumeth to do it to the hearers or any Friend or Neighbour in discourse For it is No Person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Diocess How few in England separate not from the Church as far as this disobedience amounts to If by no Persons be meant only no Ministers it 's hard enough that Ministers may not be allowed out of the Church what Lay-men are allowed 36. All those that deny not the validity of Baptism or the Lords Supper when they are done by an unpreaching Minister but yet think that a man utterly unable to Teach otherwise than by Reading may not lawfully be encouraged in so high a function any more than a man in Physick or School-teaching that hath not necessary skill or is utterly illiterate and thinks it a sin to consent to take such an Ignorant fellow for the Pastor of his Soul if he can have better If this man I say go to the next Parish Church for Sacraments he is to be suspended first and next excommunicate Specially if he should judge that Ignorant Reader no true Minister for want of necessary capacity 37. Surplices Hoods and Tippets are made the matter of Obedience Canon fifty eighth 38. By Canon thirty eighth no Minister must refuse or delay to Christen any Child without exception according to the form of the Common Prayer that 's brought to Church to him on Sundaies or Holy-daies though the Parents be both Iewes or Heathens or Atheists or Sadducees The Minister must be suspended that refuseth it 39. The seventy first Canon suspendeth all Ministers that Preach in any private house except to the sick or impotent in time of necessity By which had Paul here preached publickly and from house to house or Timothy in season and out of season as dreadfully adjured or Christ preacht as he oft did they must be suspended And every Minister that preacheth to his Family And no doubt repeating his Sermon is preaching the same again 40. All Ministers must be suspended and then excommunicate that without the Bishops Licence appoint or keep any solemn Fasts publickly or in private houses other than by Law appointed or be wittingly present at any Though it were in time of Plague or when divers of his Neighbours are sick or troubled in Conscience or in preparation to a Sacrament or on some great occasion in Noble-mens Houses and Chappels He is not to be trusted to fast and pray with his own Flock or Friends or come among them lest being excommunicate he be a damn'd Schismatick The same prohibition is for holding meetings for Sermons called Exercises Which Arch-Bishop Grindall was zealous to set up Q. Was he then a Schismatick or is the damning dangerous Engine made since 41. By Canon seventy third if any Ministers meet in any private house as many did by consent in 1660. and 1661. to do any thing that any way tends to impeach the Common 〈◊〉 or any part of the Government and Discipline e. g. to Petition King or Parliament for the least Reformation of it he is excommunicate ipso facto 42. Canon seventy fourth brings all Ministers apparel under Church Laws for the Shape 43. Canon seventy sixth Excommunicateth all that voluntarily relinquish their Ministry and use themselves as a Lay-men And man having free will that is done voluntarily which is done in Obedience to mens command And yet we are ruined in the World if we will not leave our Ministry at their Command 44. It 's tedious to go over all the rest I end at the end of them Canon 139. excommunicateth all them that affirm that the Synod is not the true Church of England by Representation that is 1. All that take it for the Church real and not Representative lest they make the diffused Church People and all to be Chief Church-governours while