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A32880 Notes upon the Lord Bishop of Salisbury's four late discourses to the clergy of his diocess particularly upon the last, relating to the dissenters, in a letter to a friend. Chorlton, John, 1666-1705. 1695 (1695) Wing C3928; ESTC R21864 13,725 38

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Prayer and Singing with their own solemn Promise to use the Liturgy and no other Form I leave to their own Consciences to determine Nay it is further considerable that where they are agreed to practise alike 't is upon such very different Principles and so destructive of each other that from hence 't is notoriously evident how powerful a worldly Interest is to make contrary Principles sweetly conspire to its own support Let the several opposite Principles upon which the Hierarchy is built be our Instance the poor simple vulgar and many of a better sort that would be thought Champions for the Church take it for granted that all the Learned Men on their side do firmly believe our English Episcopacy to be Jure Divino and in this they think them most unanimous But alass they little imagine how very differently and inconsistently sometimes their great Doctors and those that wear Lawn Sleeves all at once shall argue in its defence Give me leave Sir to name two or three several Opinions on this very Head 1. SOME Church-men tell us that a Bishop and a Presbiter were all one in the Scripture-times and that the Bishops afterwards made the Distinct order of Presbiters or Priests as they are now call'd This I humbly conceive you will say was a great piece of Boldness and certainly it can be call'd no less for any Men to make a New subordinate Office in the Church without Authority from the Great Bishop of our Souls the Lord JESUS CHRIST 2. OTHERS of the same Church and those the most before Laud's time us'd to say that by Divine Institution there were no Bishops over Presbiters but Prebiters to avoid Divisions set up one among themselves above the rest and gave him the Title of Bishop by way of eminency But this sort of Episcopacy is a little too low and mean for our modern Prelates to content themselves with 3. MANY of this high Church think that Diocesan Episcopacy is jure divino and that an uninterrupted Succession of such Bishops is absolutely necessary to the being of a Church and to the Validity of every Ministers Ordination TO these I might add no small names among them who differ from their Brethren in this that they would have the Universal Church govern'd by a Colledge of Bishops by Letters Missive or in Council and the Pope as prime Patriarch to be the Principium Unitatis Are not these very hopeful Churchmen think you and don 't they put us in the ready way to Catholick Unity Roman Catholick I mean 4. THERE are yet OTHERS of this very Church who think that there is not any particular form of Church-government of divine Institution but that in the Communion or Subordination of Churches we can only follow the general Rules of Scripture and the common Principles that belong to the Conservation of Societies This Sort of all others contributes most effectually to the destruction of that common conceit that our Diocesan Episcopacy is of divine Right And of these some ascribe more to the power of Magistrates in this point and some more to the Agreement of Churches among themselves Yet all these must and do subscribe but God knows how to one and the same Position that it is evident to all that have diligently read the Scriptures and the Antient Fathers that Bishops Priests and Deacons have been three distinct Offices ever since the Apostles Times I would to God the whole Levitical Tribe of this divided Communion would seriously lay to heart this one thing But at present I spare our Prelate any further Trouble of this kind and the rather because I am confident by this time you are fully convinc'd and will with me readily conclude That this goodly Church of England which notwithstanding all its Boasts of Unity and Uniformity do's next to the Popish abound with the most Schisms and Separations of any in the world is the least qualify'd and has the poorest Title of any that ever pretended to be the Standard and Center of Union to all other Churches whatsoever And in this Faith I subscribe my self SIR Yours c. FINIS First Discourse against Atheism ☞ Preface p. 11. Preface p. 11 Vide Dr. Burnets Dialogues ☞ Second Discourse against Socinians ☞ Witness opposing the Bill of Exclusion E of Essex Ld. Russel Col. Sydney c. Third Discourse against Papists Vide p. 286 287. Fourth Discourse against Dissenters Doctrine Church Government Vide 4 5 7. Canons Vide 9 10 11 Canons Worship Vide Troubles of Francksort ☜ ☞ ☜ ☞ ☜ Dr. Hammond c. Mr. Dodwell c. Bps. Gunning Bramhal c. Dr. Stillingfleet c. ☜ ☞