Death I confess I understand not Latine I thought the Council meant Death by Lex perimi jubet but they would be more merciful which I blamed them not for but noted here what many other Canons instance where they also punish murder but with keeping men from Communion that this agreeth with some Sectaries Opinion I leave Mr. M's great skill in expounding Councils here to any equal Judge But if I ignorantly mistake in all this and neither Capitis sententia feriantur nor Vivas in terra desossas signifie Death but Excommunication yet many other Canons after cited fully tell us of the Bishops Clemency CHAP. VII Mr M's Exposition of Church History tryed by his Exposition of my own words And 1. Of his false supposition that I am only for a Church of one Congregation meeting in one place § 1. IF so many repetitions of my Opinion cannot save Mr M. from so untrue a supposition of my self I must not too far trust him of the sence of those that he is as distant from as I. Yet this supposition running through all his book shews that he wrote it against he knew not whom nor what His foundation is because I define a single Church by Personal present Communion § 2. I do so And 1. Doth he think there is no such thing as Christians conjoyned for assembling in Gods ordinary worship under the Conduct of their Proper Pastors I will not censure him so hardly as to think he will deny it 2. Are these Churches or not I suppose he will say Yea. 3. But is there no Personal Presâ—nt Communion but in publick worship Yes sure Neighbours who worship God in divers places may yet live in the Knowledge and conversation of each other and may meet for Election of Officers and other Church businesses and may frequently exhort reprove and admonish each other and relieve each other in daily wants and many meet sometimes by turns in the same place where they all cannot meet at once We have great Towns like Ipswich Plymouth Shrewsbury c. which have many Parishes and yet Neighbourhood maketh them capable of Personal Communion in Presence as distinct from Communion by Letters or Delegats with those that we neither see nor know And we have many great Parishes which have several Chappels where the People ordinarily meet yet per vices some one time and some another come to the Parish Churches Have these no Parochial Personal Communion To the well-being of a Church I confess I would not have a single Church of the lowest species have too many nor too few No more than whose Personal Communion should be frequent in Gods publick worship Nor so few as should not fully employ more Ministers of Christ than one But to the Being of a Church I only require that the End of their Association be Personal Communion as distinct from distant Communion by Letters and delegates And by Communion I mean not only the Sacrament § 2. It is in vain therefore to answer a book that goeth on such false suppositions and a man that will face down the world that I plead for that which I never owned and so frequently disclaim CHAP. VIII Of his false supposition that I am against Diocesan Bishops because I am against that species of them which puts down all the Bishops of single Churches and those Churches themselves § 1. THis supposition goeth through almost all the book In his preface he saith The superiority of Bishops over Presbyters is acknowledged by Catholicks and Schismaticks Hereticks c. and yet this Church history would have us believe the Contrary And so throughout § 2. And yet to shew that he knew the Contrary in one place he confesseth it and described part of my judgment and saith that none will be of my mind in it but it is singular to my self Yea I had in my Disput of Church Government which he taketh on him in part to answer and in my Treat of Episcopacy which he also pretends to answer in part told them of more sorts of Bishops than one that I oppose not no not A. Bishops themselves And one of them hereupon notes it as if I differed but about the name submitting to Diocesans so they may but be called A. Bishops To whom I answered that A. Bishops have Bishops under them so that though I over and over even to tediousness tell them it is the dâ—posing of all the first or lowest Species of Bishops and Churches and Consequently all Possibility of true Disâ—ipline that I opposâ— and submit to any that oversee many such Churches without destroying them and their priviledges instituted by Christ I speak â—ill in vain to them These true Historians face down the world that I write whole books to the clean contrary CHAP. IX Of his supposition that I am an Independent and yet that I plead for the cause of the Presbyterians § 1. THis is also a supposition that is part of the Stamina of his Book and how far he is to be believed herein judge by the evidence following 1. He knew what I said before for three sorts of Bishops 1. Episcopi Gregis Overseers of single lowest Churches as of Divine Institution 2. For Episcopi Episcoporum or presidents-Presidents-Bishops ejusdem Ordinis non ejusdem Gradus in the same Churches as of early Humane Institution which I resist not 3. Episcopi Episcoporum Overseers of many Churches which I suspect to be Successors of the Apostles and of such as Timothy Titus c. in the continued ordinary part of their work exercising no other Power than they did Insomuch that Dr. Sherlock would be thought so much less Episcopal than I as that he saith It is Antichristian to assert Episcopos Episcoporum § 2. And Dr. Parker hath newly written a Book for Episcopacy which I hear many despise but for my part I take to be the strongest that I have seen written for it these twenty years but to no purpose against me for it is but for Episcopacy in general which I oppose not It excellent well improveth the Arguments of the K. and Bishops at the Isle of Wight even that one Argument that a Superiority of some over others being settled by Christ and his Apostles that Form must be supposed to continue unless we have clear proof of the Repeal or Cessation I have ost said the same I could never answer that Argument But this will not justifie the deposing of thousands of Bishops and Churches and of their Discipline to turn them all into two or three Diocesans § 3. Also he knoweth that I have written these 35 years against Lay. Elders believing that the Colledge of Elders which of old assisted the Bishops were none of them Lay-men nor unordained but of the same Order though not Degree with the Bishop himself § 4. And I have also written that Synods of Bishops or Presbyters are but for Concord and have not as such by a major Vote a proper Government of the minor part
THE TRUE HISTORY OF COUNCILS Enlarged and Defended Against the Deceits of a pretended Vindicator of the Primitive-Church but indeed of the Tympanite Tyranny of some Prelates many hundred years after Christ With a Detection of the false History of Edward Lord Bishop of Corke and Rosse in Ireland And a Specimen of the way by which this Generation confuteth their Adversaries in several Instances And a Preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassia Written to shew their dangerous Errour who think that a general Council or Colledge of Bishops is a supream Governour of all the Christian World with power of Universal Legislation Judgment and Execution and that Christs Laws without their Universal Laws are not sufficient for the Churches Unity and Concord By RICHARD BAXTER a Lover of Truth Love and Peace and a Hater of Lying Malignity and Persecution To which is added by another Hand a Defence of a Book Entituled No Evidence for Diocesan Churches Wherein what is further produced out of Scripture and ancient Authors for Diocesan Churches is discussed London Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1682. To the Pious and Peaceable Protestant-Conforming Ministers who are against our Subjection to a Foreign Jurisdiction The notice of the Reason of this Book with a Breviate of Ludolphus's Habassian History Reverend Brethren WHen after the effects of our calamitous divisions the rejoycing Nation supposed they had been united in our King newly restored by a General and Army which had been fighting against him invited strengthned by the City many others an Act of Oblivion seemed to have prepared for future amity some little thought that men were about going further from each other than they were before But the Malady was evident to such of us as were called to attempt a Cure and neither the Causes nor the Prognosticks hard to be known A certain and cheap Remedy was obvious but no Pleas no Petitions could get men to accept it The Symptomes then threatned far worse than yet hath come to pass God being more merciful to us than mistaken men We were then judged criminal for foreseeing and foretelling what Fruit the Seed then sown would bring forth And since then the Sowers say the Foretellers are the cause of all We quickly saw that instead of hoping for any Concord and healing of the Bones which then were broken it would become our Care and too hard work to endeavour to prevent a greater breach Though we thought Two Thousand such Ministers as were silenced would be mist when others thought it a blessing to be rid of them we then feared and some hoped that no small number more would follow them It was not you that cast such out nor is it you that wish the continuance and increase of the Causes We agree with you in all points of the Christian Reformed Religion and concerning the evil of all the sins which we fear by Conforming to commit though we agree not of the meaning of those Oaths Promises Professions and Practices which are the matter feared We live in unfeigned Love and Communion with those that love Truth Holiness and Peace notwithstanding such differences as these God hath not laid our Salvation or Communion upon our agreeing about the meaning of every word or Sentence in the Bible much less on our agreeing of the sense of every word in all the Laws and Canons of men Two things we earnestly request of you for the sake of the Christian Religion this trembling Nation and your own and others Souls 1. That you will in your Parish Relations seriously use your best endeavours to promote true Godliness and Brotherly Love and to heal the sad Divisions of the Churches We believe that it must be much by the Parochial Ministers and Assemblies that Piety and Protestant Verity must be kept up And what we may not do we pray that you may do it who are allowed 2. That you will join with us against all Foreign Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical or Civil The Party which we dread I have given you some account of in my Reply to Mr. Dodwell By their Fruits you may know them 1. They are such as labour to make our Breaches wider by rendring those that they dissent from odious which commonly is by false accusations They call out for Execution by the Sword against those that dare not do as they do and cry Go on abate nothing they are factious Schismaticks rebellious They might easily have learnt this Language without staying long in the Universities and without all the Brimstone Books that teach it them An invisible Tutor can soon teach it them without Book He that hateth his Brother is a murtherer and hath not eternal Life abiding in him 2. They are for an universal humane Government with power of Legislation and Judgment over the whole Christian World How to call it they are not yet agreed whether Aristocratical or Monarchical or mixt Some of them say that it is in the Collegium Episcoporum governing per Literas formatas for fear lest if they say It is in Councils they should presently be confuted by the copious Evidence which we produce against them And yet they may well think that men will ask them When did all the Bishops on Earth make Laws for all the Christian World or pass Sentences on Offenders without ever meeting together And how came they to know each others minds and which way the major Vote went And what and where are those Laws which we must all be governed by which neither God nor Councils made The Canons were all made by Councils If you say that I describe men so mad as that I must be thought to wrong them I now only ask you whether our Case be not dismal when such men as you call mad have power to bring us and keep us in our ` Divisions or to do much towards it without much contradiction But others who know that such palpable darkness will not serve their cause do openly say that it is General Councils which are the Legislative and judging Governours to the whole Church on Earth as one Political Body For they know that we have no other Laws besides Gods and theirs pretended to be made for all the World But when the Cases opened by me in the Second part of my Key for Catholicks and else where do silence them this Fort also is deserted by them Even Albert. Pighius hath rendred it ridiculous 1. If this be the specifying or unifying Head or summa Potestas of the Universal Church then it is not monarchical but Aristocratical 2. Then the Church is no Church when for hundreds of Years there are no General Councils an essential part being wanting And they that own but the 4 or 6 first General Councils make the Church no Church or to have been without its essentiating Government these Thousand Years And by what proof besides their incredible Word
which was simple Christianity we returned to it by Reformation Besides the Dectrine of Two Natures about which they saw they agreed in sense while the Jesuites Hereticated them three things much alienated the Habassines 1. Denying them the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds 2. Rebaptising their Children 3. Reordaining their Priests This much being done the Papists were by degrees soon overcome 1. The Patriarch is accused for preaching Sedition 2. Then the Temples are taken from them and they break their own Images lest the Habassines should do it in seorn 3. On Sept. 16. 1632. the King died and his Son Basilides was against them 4. Ras-Seelaxus their most powerful friend is banished and others after him 5. Upon more Accusations their Farmes Goods and Guns are seised on 6. They are confined to Fremona Thence they petition again for new Disputations The King Basilides answereth them thus by writing What I did heretofore was done by my Fathers command whom I must needs obey so that by his conduct I made War against my Kindred and Subjects But after the last Battle in Wainadega both learned and unlearned Clergy and Laity Civil and Military men great and small fearlesly said to my Father the King How long shall we be vexed tired with unprofitable things How long shall we fight against our Brethren and near Friends cutting off our Right Hand with our Left How long shall we turn our Swords against our own Bowels when yet by the Roman Belief we know nothing but what we knew before For what the Romanes call two Natures in Christ the Divinity and Humanity we knew it long ago from the beginning even unto this day For we all believe that the same Christ our Lord is perfect God and perfect Man perfect God in his Divinity and perfect Man in his Humanity But whereas those Natures are not separated nor divided for each of them subsisteth not by itself but conjunct with the other therefore we say not that they are two things for one is made of two yet so as that the Natures are not confounded or mixed in his Being This Controversie therefore is of small moment among us Nor did we fight much for this but specially for this cause that the Blood was denied the Laity in the Lucharist whenas Christ himself said in the Gospel except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye shall not have eternal Life But they detested nothing more than the Reiteration of Baptisms as if before the Fathers rebaptized us we had been Heathens or Publicanes And that they Reordained our Priests and Deacons You too late offer us now that which might have been yielded at the first for there is now no returning to that which all look at with the greatest horrour and detestation and therefore all further Conferences will be in vain In short the Patriarch and all the rest were utterly banished out of the Empire Ludolph l. 3. c. 13. I add one but thing ex cap. 14. to end the story As the new Alexandrian Abuna was coming out of Egypt the foresaid Dr. Peter Heyling of Lubeck being then in Egypt took that opportunity to see Habassia and went with him On the Borders at Suagena they met the departing Roman Patriarch where Peter Heyling enters the List with him so handled him as made it appear that it was only the poor Habassine Priests unlearnedness which had given the Jesuits their Success And the Patriarch at the parting sighing said to his Company If this Doctor come into Habassia he will precipitate them into the extreamest Heresie But what became of him is yet unknown And so much for this History of the Roman Conquest in Habassia by the Calcedon Council and the Hereticating the Habassines about the one or two Natures and the Eight years possession Popery got by it and the many bloody Battles fought for it the Prelates powerful Oratory for it and the Peoples more powerful against it the Kings mind changed by sad experience and the Papists finally Extirpated And it is exceeding observable that their very Victories were their Ruine and the last and greatest which killed 8000 was it that overcame them when they thought they had done their work And those that conquered for them drove them out when they considered what they had done But had it not been better known at a cheaper rate This Tragedy is but the fruit of the Council which Mr. Morrice justifieth The fruit of a Church determination above 1200 years ago If you had seen the Fields of blood in Habassia would it not have inclined you to my Opinion against Mr. M. Or if he had seen it would it not have changed his mind I doubt it would not because the Silencings and Calamities in England no more move such men and because they still call for Execution against those that obey not all their Oaths and Ceremonies and will abate nothing what ever it may ost the Land by the strengthening of them that are for our Division And because the 1200 years experience hath not yet been enough to make them see the faultiness of such Bishops Councils â—ay because they yet take not all Gods Laws in Nature and Scripture for sufficient to Rule the Catholick Church in Religion without the Laws of these same Councils which have had such effects But some Bishops and Cleâ—â—gâ— Men yet stand to it that All must be taken as Schismaticks who obey noâ— these same Councils Decrees as the Laws of the Universal Church And if Ludâ—lpâ—â—s and the Abassines can say so much against Here 〈…〉 g those called Eutychians much more may be said for the Nestorians to prove that the Contro vâ—â—sâ— was but verbal There is in Biblioth Pat. To. 6. p. 131. the Missa quâ utuntur antiqui Christiani Episcopatus Angamallensis in Montanis Mallabarici Regni apud Indos Orientales emendata ab erroribus blasphemiisque Nestorianorum expurgata per Alexium Menesium Archiepiscopum Goanum an 1599. I had rather have had it with all its Errours that we might have truly known how much is genuine But it being one of the most Scriptural rational and well composed Liturgies of all there published It would make one think 1. That these Nestorians were not so bad a people as their Anathematisers would have made the world believe them 2. That the Banishment of the Nestorians and Eutychians accidentally proved a great means of the Churches enlargement beyond the bounds of the Romane Empire whither they were banished And this is plain in current History I have given you this account of my Design in both the Books The History of Councils with its Vindication and the following Treatise I add an Answer to a Lord Bishop of Corke and Rosse who hath written many Historical Untruths by his credulity believing false Reporters As to his and others Reprehension of my sharp unpeaceable words my Case is hard My own Conscience at once forbids me to justifie my
Stile or Passion and also tells me that if making odious Gods servants silencing and persecuting faithful Ministers and Perjury should prove as great a guilt and danger of Destruction to the Land as is feared I cannot justifie my long Silence nor that I use no more plainness and fervency in calling the guilty to Repent The CONTENTS I. A Specimen of the Way by which this Generation confuteth their Adversaries in several Instances II. In the General Part § 1. Hard for young men to know what Teachers or History to believe § 7. Tempting Reasons for Papacy § 8. Evident against it § 9. The Steps by which Bishops ascended to Papacy § 15. The different Opinions of Popery in the English § 18. The Case of Fact discerned what Judgment I settled in about Church-Power § 20. For what Mr. M. hath wrote with so much displeasure against me § 22. Instances of above an Hundred Councils besides particular Bishops all before An. 1050. of whom I appeal to the Consciences of all sober Men whether they have not been the Tearers of the Church General Instances of the greater Schisms since then by popish Bps. Some Questions put to Mr. M. and some Reasons to abate his displeasure § 22. Of a late Book of the History of my Life to prove me the worst of men § 24. Whether I be guilty of falsifying History III. The particular Answer to Mr. M's Vindication Ch. 1. The Reason and Design of my History of the Schisms of Bishops and Councils Ch. 2. Whether we ought to tell of the Bishops and Councils Church-corrupting Ways Ch. 3. Of Mr. M's Industry to shew me to be unlearned Ch. 4. Whether I vainly name Historians which I never read Ch. 5. Of my use of Translations and following Binnius Ch. 6. His charge of my own mistranslations and mistakes Ch. 7. His false Supposition that I am only for a Church of one Congregation Ch. 8. His false Supposition that I am against Diocesanes when it 's only the ill species Ch. 9. And that I am a Independent and yet plead for Presbyterians Ch. 10. His false Accusation that I make the Bishops the cause of all Heresies and Schisms Ch. 11. And that I mention all the Bishops Faults and none of their Goodness Ch. 12. His Accusation of Spite Malice and Railing examined Dr. Burnet satisfied Ch. 13. His Supposition that I speak against all Bishops Councils Ch. 14. Some mens Credit about ancient History tried by their History of this Age. Twenty Instances of the History of our times My own experience of it Whether I hate compliance with Superiours or to preach by Licence Ch. 15. Mr. M. Magisterial authorising or rejecting what Historians he pleases His Accusation of Socrates and Sozomene and valuing Valesius Simond c. Ch. 16. His Observation on my Notes of credible and incredible History His Instances of my Railing particularly considered Whether the word Hereticating be railing or causeless An Instance of Fifty five of Bp. St. Philastrius's accused Heresses by which I desire any sober man to judge Other Instances Whether St. Theophilus or Socrates and Sozomene were the Criminals Even Pope Honorius and Vigilius hereticated for being wiser than other Popes Ch. 17. Of his Censure of my Design and Church Principles Whether I be guilty of exposing Christianity more than Julian Lucian Ch. 18. Of his 2d Chap. Who is most against Discipline Of Anathematising Whether Novatus was a Bishop or an ordaining Presbyter Councils for rebaptising His Self-contradictions Some Questions to him Whether the Diocesane Party as Mr. Dodwel who nullifie our Sacraments are Hereticks if the Re-baptisers were such The old qu. was not of Rebaptising Hereticks but of such as Hereticks had baptised Of the Donatists and many Councils Of our Liturgy's Rule to find Easter-day What the Novatians held Petavius and Albaspineus Testimony of them His quarrels about Epiphanius the Arians the Audians divers Synods Antioch Of the Circumcellians Optatus of the Donatists as Brethren His Excuse of the Bishops Ch. 19. Of the 1st General Council at C. P. Whether Bishops followed Emperours Their usage of Greg. Nazianz. Of the Priscillianists the Bishops and Martin Of my Letter to Dr. Hill Of the Council at Capua Jovinian Easter African Bps. Donatists Theophilus Aliars Ch. 20. His 5 Chap. Of the 1st Ephes Council His reviling Socrates and Sozomene as against Cyril Cyrils Story Of the Presbyterians Cruelty Nestorius Case His cavils against my Translations The effects of that Council at this day considered Ch. 21. Of the 2d Ephes Council Of Cyril the Eutychians and Dioscorus Ch. 22. Of the Calcedon Council Pulcheria and Eudocia What one sound man can do in a Council Whether our late Conciliatory Endeavours about Arminianism have been as vain as these Councils Of Theodos 2. and the Eutychians The whole story of that Council Luther as well as I makes the Controversie verbal Of the Bishops Peccavimus Many Accusations refelled More of the Councils Successes and late Conciliators The Westminster Synod Mr. M's way of Concord Of the old Conformity and ours Mr. Edwards Gangrena and the late Sects and Heresies Ch. 24. Of his 7th Chapter Of the old Heresies Whether Projects for Moderation have been the chief distracters of the Church He ost falsly saith that I charge the Bishops with all the heresies in the world What it is that I say of them The true cause of Schism confessed His misreports of the cause and Bishops His false saying of me that I compared Oliver and his son to David and Solomon My profest Repentance which he seigneth me an Enemy to What Nonconformity is and what his misreports of it An explitatory profession of the meaning of this Book against Misinterpreters THE Ready Way OF Confuting Mr. Baxter A SPECIMEN OF THE PRESENT MODE OF Controversie in England Joh. 8. 44. 1 King 22. 22. Prov. 29. 12. 19. 5 9. Rev. 21. 8. 22. 15. IN 1662. Dr. Boreman of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge Published a Book against me as having written to Dr. Hill against Physical-Predetermination to Sin and in it saith That it is reported That I kill'd a Man with my own Hand in cold Blood and if it be not true I am not the first that have been wronged The Man though promoted to the Charge of this Parish St. Giles in the Fields was accounted so weak forbearing his Ministry and saying he was suspended some Years before he died that I thought it vain to take publick Notice of his Words neither imagining whence he had them nor ever hearing of them before But a few Weeks before the late Plot was reported one Mr. P. came to me and told me That at the Coffee-House in Fullers-Rents where Papists and Protectants used familiarly to meet he provoking the Papists to Answer my Books or to Dispute with me was answered by a Gentleman of this Parish said to be of the Church of England That Mr. Baxter had kill'd a Man in cold Blood with his
discern and value that Knowledge in another which he is a stranger to himself Experience tells us that young unexperienced men do commonly receive that man's Opinions 1. Who hath by nearness or some accident the greatest advantage in their esteem and love 2. Or his that speaks most for their fleshly Interest and for that which they would have to be true 3. Or his that hath the last word It cannot be expected that they judge of any thing beyond the advantage of their senses and the Notitiae communes according to Evidence of Truth which must be received by long and serious study and by willing honest minds and by the help of antecedent Verities § 5. In this therefore Divine free Election is very manifest As in giving the Gospel to some Nations in the World when most others never have it so in giving some young persons the blessing of good Education and Teachers and chusing for them that were unable to chuse well for themselves as also in blessing the same helps to one which are despised by another And verily when I have been long stalled with the difficulties about Election and Differencing Grace undeniable Experience hath been my chief Conviction If the Gospel be true the common worldly fleshly sort that are for Christ but by Tradition Law and Custom and are religious for worldly ends and no farther than the Interest of the Flesh and World will give them leave have no true Saving Grace at all And the rest that seriously believe and seek a better Life and live above fleshly worldly Interests are in most places few and made the scorn and hatred of the rest And if de facto God do sanctifie only a peculiar People who can deny his differencing Will and Grace § 6. I was my self in my Childhood ignorant what Teachers among such diversity I should prefer And first God had such a witness in my Conscience that Virtue and Holiness were better than Vice and Sin that it made me think that the sort of Teachers who Traded meerly for the World and never spake a serious word of Heaven nor differed from sober Heathens but in Opinion yea that endeavoured to make serious Godliness to seem but Hypocrisie were not like to be the wisest and most trusty men And yet how to judge among the serious which were right was long too hard for me § 7. When I came to consider of the Divisions of the Christian World and â—eard the Papists pretend to Catholicism and call all others Schismaricks or Hereticks it sometime seemed a plausible Opinion that the greatest Power and Dignity of the Clergy was the Interest of Christianity By Riches Honour and Power they may protect the Godly and keep Religion from Contempt among the worldly sort of men or from oppression at the least 2. And I saw that in all Ages and Countries of the World Historians tell us how rare a thing a wise and holy Prince hath been and how commonly by Wealth and Greatness they have been bred up in that Sensuality and Pride which hath made them the Capital Enemies to serious Piety if not the Persecutors of it 3. I thought with myself if such godly Christians as much value the Interest of Religion had lived in such times and places where Rulers were Persecutors of the Truth how glad would they have been to have had the Power of Church-matters put into the hands of their Chosen Pastors what would they have desired more 4. And I read that till Riches and honours were annexed to the Office the People had still the Choice of their own Pastors and therefore could not chuse but wish their Estates and Lives and all as well as their Religion to be as much as might be in their hands And so no doubt when the Bishops were advanced to great Diocesses and Power it was by the desire of the most Religious Christians who valued most the Interest of the Church 5. And I could not but observe that though Christ gave his Apostles no Power of the Sword he set them above other Ministers not only in Miraculous Gifts and Infallible testifying and recording his Commands and works but in some sort of oversight which seemeth a thing appointed for Continuance as well as preaching 6. And I thought that if Church-Grandure were the Interest of Religion and Unity the strength of the Church it lookt very plausibly to reason that as Bishops were over Presbyters so there should be some over Bishops and that National Churches should by such Government be hindered from Schism and Heresie as well as Parochial And that Diocesans and Metropolitans Power should be derived from a Superiour as well as Presbyters And that when poor Subjects dare not reprove a Prince some that are above fearing his Power may 7. And when I read the Popes Claim I thought it seemed not improbable that Petrus primus and pasce oves meas and super hanc Petram were not spoken in vain And these thoughts pleaded thus for Church-Grandeur in Prelates and Popes § 8. On the other side I saw 1. That Christ said His Kingdom was not of this world and comes not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with observable Pomp. And that when they strove who should be greatest he reproved them and Concluded with you it shall not be so and that the most serviceable is to be accounted the greatest that Peter himself accordingly describeth their office 1 Pet. 5. 2. I find that Christ appointed them another sort of work to do even to Preach the Gospel to all Nations through all streights difficulties and sufferings and to baptize and teach Christians to observe the Laws of Christ And that as he never put the Sword into their hand so an official declaring and applying his Word to voluntary Disciples was all their Office as ordinary Pastors to be continued 3. I find that Christ sent them out by two and two as if it had been done on foresight that men would erect a Church-Monarchy And that no Scripture tells us of any division of the Church into Diocesses where ore Apostle was a Monarch or had Power above the rest or was his Peculiar Province Nor that the twelve settled twelve such or any as the seats of their Successors 4. I find not that ever any one Apostle exercised Government over the rest Nor that ever Christ gave the rest any Command or Direction to obey any one Nor that ever the Contending or Schismatical sort of Christians were directed to end their strise by taking any one for the Head who must determine all their Controversies And that they that said I am of Cephas are reproved with the rest And that all are called Members of the Body and only Christ the Head And if it had been his will that One Universal Head or Power should have been set up as the Principium or Center of Unity it is a matter of so great consequence that it is not to be believed that Christ would not have plainly
commanded it 5. I find that Christ hath himself done the work for which the necessity of Universal Humane Government by Pope or Councils is pretended viz. He hath made and caused his Apostles peculiarly qualified for it to record Universal Church-Laws even as many as are Universally necessary And if so I cannot but think 1. That he hath done it better than Man can do 2. And that to add more unnecessarily must needs be a snare and burden to the Church 3. And that it must be an usurping the Power of Christ For if there be no other Universal Governour there is no other that hath Authority to make Universal Laws Therefore this is Treason against Christ and a making Man a Vice-Christ 6. I found that there is not so much as a Natural Capacity in any one or many for an Universal Government Church-Government being of such a nature as maketh it far more impossible than for one Monarch or Aristocracy to Govern all the Earth And to do it by a truly General Council or by the Diffused Bishops of all the World is further from possibility than to do it by a Pope 7. I searcht the Councils pretended to be General to see whether they had made any better Laws than Christ's or made any desirable addition And I found 1. That while they were not wholly Papists they never pretended to make Canons for any Christians but only those in the Roman Empire 2. And that it had been much happier for the Churches if they had made no more Laws than Christ had made them for holy Doctrine Worship and Church-Discipline and had only as Teachers expounded and applied the Laws of Christ 8. I considered the Present State of the Church Universal and I find it such as no Party of Christians in the World doth own The Pope pleadeth for an Universal Soveraignty and all his Clergy do the same some saying it is in Councils some in the Pope and most in both together or Councils approved by the Pope And Protestants Greeks Nestorians Jacobites and almost all other Christians in the World accuse this Roman Church and Claim The Papists condemn the rest The Greeks Arminians and almost all the rest accuse each other 9. I considered what Popery is that is Clergy-Power in its height and what it hath done in the World And I found 1. A woful description of the lives of multitudes of Popes recorded by their own most credited Historians And 2. I found multitudes of vicious Canons obtruded by them as Laws on the Universal Church 3. I found most doleful Histories of the Wars and Rebellions that they have caused from Age to Age. 4. I found that they have corrupted the Doctrine of Christ in abundance of particulars 5. And that they have lockt up the Sacred Scriptures from the Vulgar as they have not done their Canons 6. And that they have turned God's Spiritual Worship into a multitude of Superstitious Rites and scenical Ceremonies and Shews 7. And that they have turned Spiritual Church-Discipline into a secular sort of Tyranny 8. And that they have most schismatically unchurched the rest of the Churches because they are not Subjects of the Pope 9. And that they have branded the soundest Churches with the name of Hereticks while they are the grand Heresie of the World 10. And that they have been and are the greatest Silencers of sound Preachers and hinderers of true Piety and Reformation in the Church 11. And that they have wofully vitiated the People that are their Subjects so that odious wickedness fed by Ignorance abounds among them and it is their Votaries that are called Religious and a few Canonized persons Saints as if Religion and Sanctity were rarities or any could be saved without them 12. Lastly I find that they have lived upon Blood like Leeches and have been the cruellest Persecutors of holy men on pretence of killing Hereticks And that it is this to which they trust 10. I took not this notice of them upon meer prejudice but have read I think as many Papists Books as Protestants or any other against them Nor have I taken it upon dark Scripture Prophecies suspecting my understanding of them But 1. The matter of fact from themselves 2. Against their Papal Supremacy from such Arguments as are fully collected by Dr. Barrow 3. Against their heinous Church-corruptions from such Moral Evidence as Dr. H. Moore hath fully gathered in his Mystery of Iniquity 4. Against their pretences of Tradition and Antiquity I fetcht my Arguments from the Histories and Authors which they themselves alledge and especially their Councils with the Fathers Writings § 9. Seeing the Church in this sad Condition and the Papal part so greatly vitiated I considered how long it had so been And I found that the Pope and his Bishops grew not up like a Mushroom in a day but had been long in thriving to maturity And I met with no man that could just tell what Year or what Age the disease or tumor did begin Bishop Bromhall thinks if they will abate their last 400 years Innovations we may have hope of agreeing with them Bishop Gunning will own no General Councils but the first six some will receive eight some but four Mr. Morrice here goeth no further in his defence of them whatever he think Some begin Popery with Leo the great some with Gregory's Successour But it is most certain that it was first an Embrio and next an Infant and so grew up from Childhood to maturity by degrees And the first Church-corruption was not that which we now call Popery And it is as certain that the tumor did neither begin nor grow up in the Bishop of Rome alone but in other Bishops who grew up with him were his strength and Councils and he their Head § 10. It is known when the Greeks and Romans began most notably to strive which should be greatest and how the division increased and when and how it came to an anathematizing or excommunicating each other § 11. It 's notorious that it was from the Councils of Calcedon and Ephesus that the great separated bodies of Nestorians and Eutychians now called Jacobites that possess the East and South were broken off with Nestorius and Dioscorus and so continue to this day § 12. I considered who were the Chief Authors of all these lamentable Schisms and Church-corruptions in the several Ages when they rose and who continue them to this day And I found that many Princes were much to be blamed and the People not Innocent no not the Religious Monks But the Bishops that had the main Church-power by abusing it were with their Clergy the principal Causes and so are to this day The breaches might yet be healed in East West and South were it not for them § 13. Finding this in History of undoubted Truth I next considered what was the Cause that the Bishops and their Clergy should become such Church-corrupters and Dividers and still continue the Churches miseries And
by the way of Arbitration and took the Bishop with the Consent of his Clergy to be an Authorized Arbitrator and thus the affairs of all the Christians being cast upon him and he having no power to force any but only to govern Volunteers the Bishops were constrained to make their Rules of Discipline so much the stricter that all that would not renounce Christianity and Church-Communion might be brought to Obedience to escape Excommunication 7. God having made the Great Power and Extent of the Roman Empire so great a means for the propagation of Christianity the Christians thought that the Greater they grew themselves the more it would tend to the Churches deliverance from contempt and persecution And their advancement lay in that advancement of the Bishops which private men could not expect save only by subsequent participation Hereupon the Bishops by the Peoples consent endeavoured to form the Government of the Church within the Empire into a conformity to the Government of the Empire And they contrived that those Cities whose Governours had the chief Civil Power their Bishops should have answerable Church-Power the Glory of the Empire drawing them for seeming Interest into imitation 8. From the like Principles they desired greatly the enlargement of the Churches of which they were Overseers And whereas Christ had made single Churches like Schools and every stated Worshipping Church was also a Governed Church as every School hath its School-Masters one or moâ—â— by degrees these Churches were by degeneration quite altered 〈…〉 o other things First They were like a Parochial Church 〈◊〉 addeth Chappels They thought not so contemptibly of the Pâ—â—â—â—ral work as we do but found enough as is said for many me 〈…〉 a Church of a few hundred or thousand souls And when by Persecution or Numbers or Distance they could not all meet ordinarily in one place they appointed them to meet under several Presbyters in several places but without appropriating a particular Presbyter to each Assembly 2. After they appropriated them to their distinct charges and distinguished a stated Worshipping company from a Governed Church the Bishop and his Consistory ruling all in common and the People tyed to communicate only at the Bishops Altar and elsewhere to be but Hearers and Worshippers 3. After that they set up Altars up and down for Monuments and Memorials of Martyrs and then in the Presbyters Chappels yet so that the People were at Easter Whitsuntide and the Nativity to communicate with the Bishop in the Mother Church or Cathedral 4. Then when Country-Villages distant had a great increase of Christians they allowed Country-Bishops Chorepiscopos proved by Petavius to be true Bishops if they were not Presbyters ordained But they must be subject to the City Bishop 5. After this they decreed that very little Cities should have no Bishops ne vilescat nomen Episcopi whenas before that every City had a Bishop and Elders that had Christians enow And every Town like our Corporations or Market-Towns were called Cities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not signifie only such as we now call Cities distinct from such Towns were they no bigger than Cenchrea Majuma and such others close to greater Cities they had Bishops Yea every Church was to have their Elders and consequently Bishops saith Dr. Hammond where ever it was by the Rule of the Holy Ghost Acts 14. 23. And God never said Let there be no Churches but in Cities Else when an Emperour would put down all the Cities or many he should put down as many Churches 6. After this they set up Patriarks as before they had done Metropolitans And it was three that they first set up but no where out of the Empire And the Papists find in the Institution the mystery of Trinity in Unity For they could not find any where Twelve Seats Successors to the Twelve Apostles and so they feigned that Peter being the Center of Unity The Trinity flowed from him 1. He as Bishop erected the Antiochian Patriarchate 2. By St. Mark his Disciple the Alexandriau And 3. By his final Episcopacy the Roman saith Joh. Dartis de statu Eccles tempore Apostoli pag. 23 24. Imitatur Ecclesia Deum ut trinum in Personis unum in essentia quatenus scilicet una eadem Ecclesia est multiplex ratione locorum nam distributio prima generalis omnium Ecclesiarum fuit in tres Patriarchatus Romanum Alexandrinum Antiochenum ut unum esset per tres Antistites Sacerdotium ad Trinitatis instar cui una est atque individua potestas ut recte interpretatur Symmachus Pap. ad Eonium Dicendum est quod sicut in Trinitate una existente essentia tamen personae differentes existunt it a Ecclesia una est essentia licet plures particulares existant Et sicut omnes Trinitatis personae originem sumunt à Patre qui est origo Filii uterque Sp. Sancti ita Ecclesia origo est Romana aliarum 7. At the same time they began to describe Churches or Bishops Provinces by the Measures of Land which before were described by the Persons of Volunteers inhabiting near each other saith the aforesaid Dartis p. 128. Et sane diu duravit ille mos tanquam Apostolicus in Ecclesiis ut non essent alii termini Episcopatus quam multitudo eorum quos ad fidem convertissent baptizassent which he proveth out of the Canons 8. Rome being the imperial Seat the Bishop of Rome was nearest the Emperour and subordinate Rulers and so most capable to make Friends for Christians under any Accusations and Persecutions by which advantage all Christians through the Empire needing and being glad of such help did willingly give the Primacy to the Romane Patriark 9. The Emperor Constantine turning Christian and taking them for his surest Souldiers resolved to raise them as high as he well could for the interest of Christianity and his own and thereby to work down the Heathens by degrees and accordingly gave them chief Countenance and chief Power and their Bishops being their chief men it must be done by exalting them He made them the authorized Judges of all Christians that desired it even in criminal cases He yet gave not the Bishops the power of the Sword but if any Christians had committed Fornication Adultery Perjury yea Murder the Bishop was to punish them by Pennance and Suspension from the Sacrament Besides which Christians had the chief Preferments as they were capable of in the Armies and Civil Government So that they triumphed over their late Persecutors And now Honour Power and Wealth were most on the Christians side but especially the Bishops 10. Worldly Interest being now on the Churches side much of the World by such Motives crowded into the Church and no man can imagine that it could be otherwise who considers which way the Vulgar go and how apt to be of the Prince's mind and how much nature inclineth to fleshly Interest Who had not rather be
kept from the Sacrament and Communion for a crime till he profess Repentance than to be hanged or banished or ruined for it But especially the Temptation was strongest to the Bishops whose baits were the most alluring And ever since then they that most loved Wealth Power and Honour that is the worst most worldly men have been the most eager desirers and seekers of Bishopricks And while humble holy men must rather be sought to such earnest seekers are like to be the ordinary finders and possessors 11. But yet three things kept up for some time a considerable number of godly Bishops in the Churches which with the humble Presbyters kept up the Interest of sound and practical Religion 1. Those that had been tryed worthy men before Constantines conversion and the Bishop's exaltation kept their Integrity in the main though in the Nicene Council their contentious Libels shewed that we are more beholden to Constantine than to them that they fell not into such strife as their Successors did Good men may be carryed too far in Pride and Strife but they will not be mastered by them and turn against the Power of Godliness 2. The People and Inferiour Clergy had the choice of their Bishops And so though they oft had tumults as in popular Elections it will be yet the worst ambitious men were long kept out and the best oft chosen till the People and Presbyters themselves were corrupted 3. And divers good Emperours arose that took some care to promote the best But alas this had sad and frequent interruptions 12. For the Arians possest Constantine himself with hard thoughts of Athanasius and his Adherents And it could not be expected that Julian should countenance the best when Constantius and Valeus had done so much against them and got most of all the Churches headed by Arian Bishops to say nothing yet of after times 13. But now two things became matter of Contention among the Bishops and their Clergy and increased the strife from time to time The first and chief was the Old Cause greatly strengthened viz. Who should be greatest Who should have the largest fattest and most Ruling Diocess and Seat The other was Who should be taken for the most Orthodox and whose Explications of the Faith should be taken for the soundest especially about the description of the Person and immanent acts of Christ Or briefly 1. Jurisdiction and Greatness 2. Wisdom and hard words 14. Now also Constantinople contended with Rome and being the Seat of the Empire which they judged to be the true Reason of Church-preheminence they at first modestly took the second place And now the Trinity of Patriarchs was turned to five Jerusalem being made the fifth At all this Rome grudged 15. All this while the old Discipline of the Church was tolerably kept up 1. Because though much of the world had got into the Church yet a very great part were tenacious of their Heathenish Customs and prejudiced against Christians by their Contentions odiously described by Am. Marcellinus and many others and prejudiced against Constantine for his Son Crispus and Sopaters death c. and against Constantius for the Murder of Julian's Relations and being taken with the plausible parts of Julian and with the great Learning and highly extolled Lives of Plotinus Porphyrius Jamblichus Aedesius Maximus Proeresius Libanius Chrysanthius and such others described by Eunapius c. so that except Rome and Alexandria for 200 years and some few of the very great Churches for 400 the Churches were no greater than one Bishop and his Consessus might tolerably govern by the Keys 2. And all this while all the Presbyters were Church-Governours as well as the Bishop though he was their Chief and all Excommunications were to be done by joint consent And so many Church-Governours may do more than one 16. Then Councils called General having by the Emperours Grant and the Clergies Desire and Consent the Supreme Church-Power it was in these Councils that the Pride Ambition and Domination of all the worldly Prelates that were too soon got in did exercise it self as the valour and wit of Souldiers in a field of War And as 1. The good men yet among them 2. And the Articles of Faith yet retained by them did cause them to do much good against some Heresies and Disorders so the Pride and Turbulency yea ignorance of the rest caused them to become the occasions of the doleful Schisms and Heresies and Enmity of Christians against each other which continue to this day unhealed 17. These hurtful Contentions in Councils at first prevailed but little and that at Nice did much more good I think than harm And after at Constant a little more hurt was done and much good And those that followed did worse and worse till the proud worldly Spirit contracted Malignity and so much prevailed that for a thousand years at least the Bishops with their Prelatical Clergy and their Councils have been the grand Corruption and Plague of the Church which many of the most Learned Expositors of the Revelation take to be the Image of the Beast and Dr. H. Moore calls it a Heathenish Christianity which they have made their Religion 18. In their progress to all this as the Diocesses first grew up from our Parochial Magnitude towards that of the present Diocesan so the very Pastoral Power of all the rest of the Presbyters was by degrees taken away so far as that they had no consenting power in Ordinations or Excommunications unless the Bishop would chuse a few for his Council so that the proper power of the King 's was confined to one Bishop over many hundred Parishes and so Discipline became an impossible thing save as it served the Bishops against some that they disliked And so the Church which was as the Garden of Christ became like the Commons and good and bad were little differenced in Communion 19. Yet because the Power must still be useful to the Bishops ends as he sees cause some shadow of the old exercise must be kept up But the Bishop having not leisure for the tenth part of the labour which this very shadow required Lay-men are made his Chancellours to decree Excommunications and Absolutions and to Govern by the Church Keys like a secular Court And Commissaries Officials Surrogates and other hard names and things are set up instead of the Presbyters and their Antient Office 20. By this time the Antient Species of the Churches was altered and whereas it was long held that a Church and Bishop were Correlates and there were no more Churches than Bishops now many hundred or a thousand Parishes are become no Churches but parts of one Diocesan Church which is the lowest and many score or hundred of the old sort of Bishops all cast out and swallowed up by one Just as if a thousand or some hundred Schools should have but one Governing Schoolmaster and be but one School but each part have an Usher to read to the Boyes
and tell the one Schoolmaster as a Monitor what they did amiss but might correct none nor put them out 21. By this time they began to live on blood and even as they swelled in the beginning cruelty grew up equally with Pride For Reason and Scripture were not on their side nor would justifie their Cause and them and therefore violence must do it They desired not the bare title of Power but the exercise of it to promote the Issues of their Wit and Will They began with rash silencing ejecting and deposing Dissenters and thence to anathematizing them and thence to banishing till at last it grew up to tormenting in the Inquisition and burning them 22. And whereas notwithstanding the petty Heresies among Christians too early the glory of the Antient persecuted Christians was their entire Love and Concord and the shame of the Philosophers was their discord it came to that pass that whereas a Heresie of old did start up among a few for a small time like our Ranters and Quakers who shame Religion no more than Bedlams shame Reason Now the great Continents of the Earth have been the Seats of the millions of those called Hereticks and Schismaticks by each other about 1400 or 1300 years Eusebius in Praepar Demonstr copiously sheweth that the Philosophers were all confounded in dissention and yet did not persecute each other but that the Christians were all of one Religion cleaving to one Sacred Word of God Of which also see Raym. Breganium in Theol. Gent. de Cogn Dei Enar. 5. cap. 8. To be Lovers of good men was the character of the old Bishops To be dividers and haters and slanderers and silencers and persecutors and murderers of them grew up with corrupters Pride 23. And with these did gradually grow up corruptions of Doctrine even while they pretended a burning Zeal against Heresie and corruption of God's publick Worship till it grew up to all the Mass and Roman Impurities 24. And to secure all this against Reformation ridiculous Legends and falsification of Church-History made it hard for posterity what to believe or whom § 15. Being thus far sure of the matter of fact by what degrees Prelacy grew up to the height that it hath now attained in the World abroad I considered what men thought of it now at home I am speaking yet but of matter of fact and I found great diversity in mens thoughts of it 1. As to the Roman height I found that the Church of England since the Reformation till A. B. Laud's time took the Pope to be the Antichrist It was in their Church-books Many other Bishops as well as Bishop Downam have written for it What Bishop Morton and Hall and Abbot and abundance such have written against Popery I need not name 2. I found that then the stream began to turn and the name of Antichrist was put out and our Reconciliation with Rome was taken to be a hopeful work and actually endeavoured which by their conversion all good men desire 3. I found that many among us of greatest reverence and name had laid down such tearms as these That the Catholick Church is one Visible Society under one humane Governing Soveraignty That this Universal Soveraign hath power of Universal Legislation and Judgment That the Colledge of Bishops through all the World are this one Supreme Universal Soveraign That they exercise it in General Councils when they sit That every Bishop is by Office the Representative of his Diocesan Church and these Bishops may or must have Metropolitans and Patriarchs and by these Patriarchs and Metropolitans per literas formatas and their Nuntii the Universal Supreme Colledge may exercise their Power over all the World And what they do thus the Church or Colledge doth in the intervals of General Councils That the Pope of Rome is to be acknowledged the Principium Unitatis to this Universal Church and Colledge of Bishops and the Ordinary President of General Councils ex Officio That Councils called without the President who hath the sole power are unlawful Assemblies and punishable Routs That the approbation of the President if not of the most of the Patriarchs is the note by which an authoriz'd obliging Council is to be known from others That the Pope is to be obeyed accordingly as Prime Patriarch Principium Unitatis President of General Councils and Patriarch of the West That all that will not unite with the Church of Rome on these tearms are Schismaticks and so to be accounted and used That those that thus unite with the Church of Rome are no Papists But a Papist is only one that holdeth all to be just and good that is done by Popes or at least one that is for the Pope's Absolute Power of Governing above Canon-Laws and Church-Parliaments or Councils And that if they will but abate their last 400 years Innovations or at least not impose them on others we may unite with the Church of Rome though they claim as Peter's Successors the Universal Supremacy at least to be exercised according to the Canons of Councils And that it is not the Church of Rome but the Court of Rome which at present we may not unite with That the Church of Rome is a true Church and hath had an uninterrupted Succession and its Sacraments true Sacraments But none of those Protestant Churches are true Churches that have not Diocesan Bishops nor any of their Pastors true Ministers of Christ who have not Diocesan Episcopal Ordination nor any that have such unless it hath as such been conveyed down from the Apostles by uninterrupted Succession by such Diocesans That such men have no true Sacraments God not owning what is done by any not so ordained That therefore they have no Covenant-promise of or right to Pardon and Salvation because such right is given only by the Sacrament That therefore all such Protestants Sacraments are but nullities and a prophanation of holy things And that the Holy Ghost being the Instituter of these sacred things it is the sin against the Holy Ghost to undertake and exercise the Ministry celebrate Sacraments without such uninterrupted successive Ordination That an Ordained Minister hath no more power than was intended him by his Ordainers That in such Presbyterians or Episcopal Churches which have their power from the Ordainers and so far for want of Succession are nullities it is safe for men as e. g. in France to be rather of the Roman Church than theirs § 16. And as I found this Doctrine in the ascendent in England so I met with such as were for using Protestants accordingly even for the silencing of them by thousands if they would not swear profess promise and do all that And for using the People accordingly And abating neither big nor little an Oath or a Ceremony to unite or save them And I lived in an Age where these things were no idle speculations § 17. Being thus far sure of the Matter of Fact I studied as well as
I was able to know which of these waies was right And I saw that either Popery that is the Popes universal Headship or Government is of Divine Institution or elss it is a heinous Usurpation and formeth a sort of Church which is not on any pretence of Concord to be owned And as to the first I have said before and in many Books what I have to say against it which is all summed up in Doctor Iz. Barrow and Doctor H. Moore and largely told the world by Chamier Sadeel Whitaker Jewel Usher Morton White Chillingworth Crakenthorne and abundance more And I thought it strange if either Papacy or that Tympanite of the Clergy which tended to it were of God that the Persons should be ordinarily so bad and it should introduce so great mischief in doctrine worship and practice over the Christian world and bring the Church into such a divided and polluted state and that as the Clergy swelled the Body should pine away and the Spirit of holiness and Love be turned into the Skelleton of Ceremony and Formality and into hatred cruelty and tearing and tormenting pains § 18. Upon all such thoughts I concluded in these resolutions 1. That I must not accuse any Office made by God for mens abuse of it 2. Nor must I accuse the good for the faults of the bad 3. Nor Confound the Office it self with its disease and the accidental Tympanite 4. Nor aggravate humane infirmities in good men as if they were the crimes of malignant Enemies 5. Much less lay any of the blame on Christianity or Piety when nothing in the world is so much against all these Evils nor would they have been so far limited restrained or resisted had it not been for that Christianity and Piety that was kept up against it nor is there any other cure of it It is not by Religion but for want of more true and serious Religion that all these mischiefs have so lamentably prevailed § 19. I therefore resolving to avoid extreams concluded thus 1. That it is most certain that Christ is the only Head of the Church 2. And that as such he himself did make universal Laws and will be the final universal Judge and there is no other that hath universal Legislative and Judicial Power but he 3. As such he instituted necessary Church-Officers first extraordinary ones to be his Instruments in Legislation as Moses was to the Jews giving them his Spirit extraordinarily for that use to bring all that he taught them to their remembrance and guide them to deliver and record all his Commands And ordinary Ministers as the Priests and Levites to the Jews to teach and apply these Commands or universal Laws to the end of the World but not to add diminish or alter them 4. That the formal Essence of this continued Sacred Ministry consisteth in a derived Power and Obligation in subordination to Christ as Prophet Priest and King to Teach to Guide the Churches in holy Worship and to Rule them by the Pastoral Power which maketh them Ministerial Judges of mens capacity for Church-Communion but they have as such no forcing power of the Sword 5. That there are two sorts of these Ministers accidentally distinguished 1. Such as are only ordained to the Ministry in general and not specially related to any one particular Church more than other whose work is to do their best to Teach Infidels and baptize them and gather Churches and occasionally to Officiate orderly in such Churches where they come as need their help 2. Those that have moreover an additional call to be the stated Pastors Overseers or Guides of particular Churches as fixed Officers of Christ All which have the three foresaid Essentials of the Office to Teach Worship and Rule 6. That the Office of these men is to be performed by themselves and no Lay-man may do any Essential part of them by their deligation and therefore as in Physicians Tutors c. necessary Personal abilities are as essential as the necessary dispositio materiae is ad receptionem alicujus formae And ex quovis ligno non fit mercurius 7. That it is very much and great and most important work which these Ministers have to do To Preach God's Word understandingly faithfully constantly fervently to resolve the doubtful to reprove the scandalous to persuade the obstinate to confute gainsayers to comfort the sad and strengthen the weak particularly as there is occasion To visit the sick Catechize Baptize besides all acts of publick Government Therefore one man cannot possibly do all this for too great a number of souls but great Congregations must have many Ministers And so they had in the Primitive Church where the most able Speakers preacht usually in publick and the rest did more of the personal and more private work 8. And whereas it was very early that most single Churches had one that had a preheminence amongst the rest not as of another Office but as a President in a Colledge of Philosophers Physicians or Divine Students to be a Governour over those of his own profession by moderate Guidance and it is not unmeet that when one worthy Teacher hath gathered a Church and brought up younger Christians to Ministerial abilities that they when they are ordained should take him for their Father I will never gainsay such an Episcopacy in single Churches that is societies of Christians combined for personal Communion in Doctrine Worship and Holy living under such Pastors as aforesaid 9. And because I find that the Apostles and Evangelists had a Ministerial care of many Churches to teach reprove exhort the Pastors and People And though the Apostles extraordinary power and work ceased yet Church-Oversight as well as Preaching being an ordinary continued work and when I find Christ hath instituted some Teachers over many Churches I dare not say that he hath repealed this till I can prove it And the nature of the thing tells us that if some grave holy men have the care of counselling and warning and reproving the Ministers of many Churches who are below them in parts and worth It may do much good and can do no harm to the Churches while they have no power of force or tyranny Therefore I resolved never to speak or do any thing against such Bishops of Bishops though Diocesan § 20. Thus far I have oft declared my self for Episcopacy But finding in all the aforesaid History how the Church came to the woful State that it hath been in these 1200 years and what it suffereth by the Bishops and their Clergy in almost all parts of the Christian World and that even the English Diocesans can endure no more Parochial Pastoral Discipline than they do I mean such as Bucer in Script Anglic. prest so vehemently on King Edw. and the Bishops and that they cannot contentedly hold their Lordships Wealth and Honours without silencing and ruining Two thousand such as I or better and using many thousands of godly Christians as they do
and finding that I and such others are accused as being disobedient to them and for not swearing and covenanting never to endeavour any alteration of their present Church-Government and all excommunicate by the Canon that say there is any thing in it even from the Archdeacon downward to the rest in Office repugnant to the Word of God I took it at last to be my duty to give the Reasons of my dissent in a full Treatise of Episcopacy And because I perceived young men and strangers to former times deceived by the general noise How Antient and Universal Episcopacy hath been as if all that is called Episcopacy were but one and the same thing or as if we were against the Primitive Episcopacy therefore I suddenly and too hastily for want of time bestowed a few weeks in summing up the Heads of the History of Bishops and Councils out of a few Historians which were most common next at hand and of most credit with those whose faults I opened That it might be truly known How much the tumified degenerate sort of Prelacy had caused the Divisions and Calamities of the Church § 21. For this Mr. Morrice as fame saith and many more are so greatly offended with me and say of me herein what they do And on pretence of Vindicating the Primitive Church which untruly implyeth that I who vindicated it against corrupters did oppose it he defendeth the corruptions and sinful miscarriages and diseases of the Prelates And this he doth 1. By striving to make me contemptible as unlearned as if that would excuse the sins which I rehearse and lament He findeth in one place through my haste and heedlesness a word of Theodoret misplaced and the word Calami translated Quills which he thinks should be Reeds and one or two more such as if he prevaricated and had a design to extol the Book which he finds no more and greater fault in than he really hath done And he proveth it likely that I never saw the Histories that stood by me near twenty years because the Printer put a Comma between Marquardus and Freherus I think there are a dozen Comma's misplaced in my whole Book when he himself saith of his own Book The faults that have escaped are almost infinite But of these things more anon 2. He loudly and frequently chargeth me with malicious falsifying History and when he cometh to the proof I have shewed you who the falsifier is 3. The great thing I am accused of is making the Bishops more the causes of Heresie Schism and Violence than they were And of that I have said nothing but what I think I have fully proved And let the Reader judge by this following Catalogue Domineeâ—ing Pride hath been the chief cause of Heresies and Schisms especially working in the Clergy to tumid Prelacy and Tyranny I. I before noted how the Apostles began to strive who should be greatest till the effusion of the Spirit after Christs rebukes had cured them And what tiranny Diotrephes used through love of Preheminence II. If the doubtful stories of Simon Magus be true his tumor was more than Papal And Epiphanius makes Menander Saturnilus Basilides to be but his Off-spring The Original of the Nicolaitans and Gnosticks who Epiphanius saith had ensnared himself once is utterly uncertain Carpocras Cerinthus Ebion Valentinus Secundus Ptolomaeus were all but Birds of the same Gnosticks Nest a crazed sort of men that mingled Christianity Platonism and Magical Imaginations and what they were themselves is not known Such was Marcus Colarbasus Heracleon the Ophitae the Cainites the Sethians Cerdo Marcion was a Bishop's Son cast out for vice and Lucian Apelles and Severus his Off-spring the Heads of their little Sects whether Bishops or not is unknown What kind of Hereticks Tertullian Tatianus and Origen were and how many faults as soul Lactantius and many not numbered with Hereticks have is well known And among all these in those early daies till there were Popes and Diocesans such as now in the world none such could be Hereticks III. Many Councils contended about the time of Easter and Victor with one part of Bishops excommunicated Polycrates and the Arian Bishops while as Socrates and Sozomen tell us the Churches that left it indifferent had peace IV. A Council of the best Bishops at Carthage decreed Rebaptizing V. A Council of the Bishops of Cappadocia Cilicia Galatia c at Iconium for Rebaptizing those Baptized by Hereticks And Stephen Bishop of Rome excommunicated them all VI. A Council at Synadis and divers others decreed the same Rebaptizing VII Divers more African Councils of good Bishops with Cyprian decree the same whom Stephen Bishop of Rome condemneth VIII Divers Bishops are said to be Sabellian Hereticks IX Paulus Samosatenus Bishop of Antioch was a Heretick X. The Council of Bishops at Cirta in Numidia under Secundus Mr. M. calls worse than I do XI A Carthage Council of 70 Bishops An. 306. set up the Donatists Schism striving for the preheminence who should be Bishop of Carthage XII An. 308. Another Donatists Council had 270 Bishops Many more Councils they had XIII The first General Council at Nice we honour and assent to its Creed But thank Constantine for burning all their Libels and keeping peace by his presence and speech XIV The Schism made by Meletius and Peter Bishops is well known XV. The Heresie of Arius a Presbyter that would have been a Prelate quickly infected Eusebius Nicomed If not Eusebius Caesariensis and divers other Bishops XVI Epiphanius saith that Audius was driven to his Heresie by being long abused beaten and at last excommunicated for reproving the Bishops and Priests for their Covetousness Luxury and other sins And so he became a Bishop himself XVII Eusebius Nicom made Bishop of Constantinople whom you tell us Valesius thinks was no Heretick hired a Whore at Antioch to father her Child on Eustathius the Bishop there and got more Bishops to depose him and the Emperour to banish him XVIII A Council of Bishops at Tyre unjustly condemn and persecute Athanasius XIX Three Bishops saith Mr. M. overcome with too much Wine and persuasion ordained Novatian falsly Bishop of Rome before this aforementioned XX. A Council at Jerusalem An. 335. tryed and approved Arius Faith and restored him XXI A Council at Constantinople condemned Marcellus Ancyranus and Athanasius and justified Arius XXII A Council of near 100 Bishops at Antioch 36 being Arians deposed Athanasius XXIII Another Council at Antioch make a new Creed without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 XXIV A Council of 376 Bishops at Sardica decree Appeals to Rome which Augustin and the African Bishops were against XXV The Semi-Arian Bishops went to Philippopolis and condemned such as the other at Sardica had absolved but cast out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as not scriptural and cast dreadful accusations on Athanasius Paulus C. P. and Marcellus XXVI An. 350. A Council at Milan received Ursacius and Valens Arians XXVII Stephen an Arian Bishop hired a
Whore to go in to Bishop Euphratas and this Euphratas after turned Photinian XXVIII An. 353. A Council at Arles condemn Athanasius XXIX An. 355. A General Council at Milan of above 300 Western Bishops though the Eastern that were most Arian could not come where Athanasius was condemned and communion with the Arians subscribed XXX An. 356. A Council at Byterris condemned and banished Hilary and condemned them as Separatists or Schismaticks that renounced the Arian Communion XXXI A General Council at Sirmium of 300 Western Bishops besides the Eastern made three different Creeds condemned Athanasius left out the word Substance made P. Liberius and old Osius subscribe against Athanasius XXXII The Oriental Bishops at Ancyra were only for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with Macedonius against the Godhead of the Holy Ghost XXXIII A General Council 400 Bishops met at Ariminum of whom most at first were Orthodox but after when the Emperour interposed subscribed to the Arian Party XXXIV The rest sate at Seleucia and were more Orthodox but divided into Acacians who were for leaving out Substance and Semi-Arians who were for Like Substance Sulp. Severus tells us that many Bishops quieted their Consciences by subscribing in their own sense and so deceived the Arians that thought they had won them XXXV A Council at C. P. made a Ninth Creed leaving out Substance and Hypostasit The Semi-Arians for this banished the Authors XXXVI A Council at Antioch cast out Miletius and made a Tenth Creed worse than the rest XXXVII Julian Reigning Athanasius calls a Council at Alexandria which had almost divided East and West about the names Hypostasit and Persona but that some wise men persuaded them that the words were both of the same signification which yet was hardly entertained afterward XXXVIII A Council at Antioch of Semi-Arians Petitioned Jovianus to cast out the Acacians till they knew his mind and then the Arian Bishops turned Orthodox XXXIX At a Synod in Tyana Eustath Sebast denied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Godhead of the Holy Ghost XL. An Arian Council of Bishops in Caria under Valens And another at Singeduni in Misia XLI Damasus in a Roman Council condemneth Sisinnius for Conventicles For at the Election in the Church they fought for these two And Damasus his Party one day left 137 dead bodies behind them and got the better XLII Valens by cruelty set up Arian Bishops in a great part of the Eas◠XLIII The first General Council at C. P. is commonly called the Second General when yet that at Sardica Ariminum Sirmium Milan were General also They were many good men and did good But how they used Nazianzen to the great grief of the Church of C. P. and how Nazianzen describeth them I desire the Reader to take from his own words and not from mine or Mr. M. XLIV The Council at Caesar Augusta did that which made Martin separate from them and all their Councils after to his death XLV A Council at C. P. set up Flavian at Antioch and a Council at Rome were for Paulinus The former advance C. P. and Jerusalem XLVI Many Schismatical Councils of Donatist Bishops followed XLVII For Theophilus case I refer you to Socrates and Sozemene XLVIII Epiphanius his Schismatical usage of Chrysostom is unexcusable XLIX And so is Theophilus prosecution of him and a Synod of Bishops casting him out and Cyril's resisting the restoring of his name when dead and reviling the Joannites that kept separated Meetings for his sake L. The Diospolitan Council absolved Pelagius Divers Carthage Councils condemned him P. Innocent condemned him Zosimus once absolved him and condemned his accusers The Bishops cast out for Simony I will not number here LI. The Contentions between Bonisace and Eulalius and others after them to get the Bishoprick of Rome are so many as I will not number them And the striving of three Bishops successively against the African Fathers for the Roman super-eminence and Appeals to Rome are commonly known LII One of Bishop Boniface's Decrees is That No Bishop shall be brought before any Judge Civil or Military either for any Civil or Criminal Cause LIII What the first General Council at Ephesus did in the Cause of Nestorius I have fully opened Derodons Evidence is undeniable that Nestorius was Orthodox as to the Matter though he mistook as to words in thinking that Mary should not be called The Mother of God but of Christ who is God which Luther also shews Yet since that Councils anathematizing him a great body of Christians in many Eastern Kingdoms to this day are a party hereticated by the rest Is not such an effect of 1200 years continuance a witness of the failing of that Council LIV. The Bishops of C. P. and Alexandria striving which should be greatest a Council at C. P. decided it for C. P. where Theodoret was for Alexandria and fell under displeasure LV. Leo M. Bishop of Rome claims the title of Head of the Catholick Church LVI Two Councils at C. P. one against Eutyches the other for him LVII The second Council at Ephesus is so heavily accused by Mr. M. and such others that I need not accuse it more Flavianus of C. P. was there hurt to death Yet Bellarmin confesseth it wanted nothing of a true General Council but the Pope's approbation LVIII A Council at Alexandria under Dioscorus excommucateth Leo. LIX What the Council of Calcedon hath done I have shewed Instead of reconciling the Nestorian and Eutychian Controversies by a skillful explication of their ambiguous unfit words they Anathematized both and banished Dioscorus And ever since to this day the Eutychians and Nestorians are separated Dissenters LX. At Alexand. the Bishops party that the Council was for Proterius and Timothy whom Dioscorus party were for so reged that they murdered Proterius and dragg'd his carkass in the streets and bit his flesh And each party still accused the other LXI Pulcheria Theodosius's Sister and Martian's Wife being for the Council and Eudocia Theodosius's Widdow for Dioscarus they animated the several Parties of Bishops and Monks And in Palestine Juvenal Bishop of Jerusalem was expelled Severianus Bishop of Schythopolis killed c. LXII Leo the Emperour commanding obedience to the Calcedon Council at Alexandria and Antioch the Armies of contending Bishops were in continual war calling each other Nestorians and Eutychians one Bishop banished by the Emperour the contrary Bishop murdered by the people and cast into the River the next getting the better again c. LXIII In Martian's and Leo's daies most Bishops subscribed to the Council When Basiliscus usurped and was against the Council saith Niceph. three Patriarchs and five hundred Bishops renounced it most before having damned its adversaries Basiliscus recanteth his Commands and commandeth all to be for the Council and the Bishops obey him save those of Asia Zeno recovereth the Empire and is for the Council and the Asian Bishops turn for it and say they subscribed
to Basiliscus at first for fear Zeno seeing it impossible otherwise to make Peace leaveth all indifferent whether they will subscribe the Council or not Then the War grew hotter between the Bishops and their Armies against each other specially the Patriarchs all being in Confusion at Alexand. Antioch and C. P. and no Emperour wise enough to quiet them LXIV Anastasius a peaceable man made Emperour leaveth all to think of the Council as they will Then the Bishops fall into three Parties some for every word in the Council some anathematizing it and some for the indifferency The East one way the West another and Lybia another yea each Country divided among themselves Saith Niceph. So great confusion and blindness of mind befell the whole World The Emperour falls upon the impeaceable of both sides At his own place C. P. the Sedition of the People overcame him for their Council Bishop which turned the Emperour more against the Council and that Bishop and the rest LXV At Antioch the Armies of two Bishops fought it out and the Council Party getting the better killed so many Monks as to save the labour of burying them they cast their bodies into the River And after another Party of them made as great a slaughter For this blood the Emperour banish'd Flavianus the Council Bishop This was called Persecution Pet. Alex. being dead the Bishops of Alex. Egypt and Lybia fell all into pieces among themselves and had separate Meetings The rest of the East separated from the West because the West refused Communion with them unless they would anathematize Nestorius Eutyches Dioscorus Moggus and Acacius And yet saith Niceph. Qui germani Dioscori Eutychetis sectatores fuere ad maximam paucitatem redacti sunt Note that Flavian the Council Bishop for fear with his Fellow Bishops threatned by Bishop Xenaias subscribed an Anathema against Theodore Theodorite Ibas as Nestorians The Isaurian Bishops yield to anathematize the Council Severus a fierce Enemy of the Nestorians made Patriarch at Antioch forced many Bishops to renounce the Council and many to fly The Isaurian Bishops repent and condemn Severus The Emperour commanded out two Bishops for condemning their Patriarch The People defend them and force the Emperour to desist because he would shed no blood for Bishops Helias Bishop of Jerusalem saw all the Bishops in such confusion that he would communicate with none of them but the Bishop of C. P. The Monks at Jerusalem proclaim Anathema to all that equal not the four Councils to the four Evangelists and write to the Emperour that they would make good the conflict to blood and went about to engage men to the Council The Emperour commanded the Bishop to reform this He refuseth The Emperour sendeth Souldiers to compel them and the Bishops and Monks forcibly cast them out of the Church He sent Olympius with a stronger band who cast out the Bishop The next Bishops and more Souldiers had yet more conflicts after this and the Souldiers driven away by force LXVI Faelix of Rome with 77 Bishops excommunicate Acacius of C. P. with a Nunquam Anathematis vinculis exuendus and their own two Bishops that obeyed the Emperour in communicating The Schism between Laurentius and Symmachus came to blood-shed when five or six Councils laboured to heal it Symmachus excommunicateth the Emperour and Bishop of C. P. as communicating with Hereticks but not an Arian King then at Rome LXVII A Council of 80 Bishops at Sidon anathematize the Council of Calcedon The striving Parties keep up still in great Bodies and the Melchites as they call those that obeyed Kings and the Council have one Patriarch at Damascus the Eutychian Jacobites one at Mesopotamia the Maronites one at M. Libanus all called Patriarchs of Antioch and the Romans make a fourth of the same title and the Nestorians have their Patriarch at Muzal Of the many Heresies or Sects that rose up from the intemperate opposition to Nestorius and the woful ruines they made in the East after the Calcedon Councils and all caused by Pride and Prosperity and wantonness of Wit and stopt only by the Conquest of the Sarazens and Arabians and how orthodox now in their Captivity and Poverty they all are even the Jacobites the Nestorians the Armenians the Cophti the Abassines the Indians and the Maronites see the notable words of Brierwrod Enquir p. 180 181 182 183. As also how the Persian King was a great cause of the spreading of the Nestorians through his Dominions LXVIII The East and West were divided in Justin's Reign on the Question whether the names of two Orthodox dead Bishops should be restored into the Dypticks even Euphemius and Macedonius whom the Pope had damned as communicating with Hereticks the Bishops of the East being for it and the West against it LXIX Justin turning the stream for the Calced Council the Bishops in a Council at Jerusalem and another at Tyre are for it and condemn Severus And a Roman Council condemneth the three dead Bishops of C. P. Acacius Euphemius and Macedonius LXX So far were the Bishops yet from Peace that Justinian being Emperour headed the Council Party and his Wife the adverse Party About 30000 they say were then killed in C. P. at an Insurrection LXXI A mischievous Schism for the Bishoprick at Rome between Boniface 2. and Dioscorus and Agapetus after Boniface LXXII In Justinian's time a Controversie arose whether we may say One of the Trinity was crucified Hormisda Bishop of Rome said No. The Nestorians took hold of this and said Then we may not say Mary was Mother to one of the Trinity Justinian sent for a Council about it to Pope John He and his Bishops concluded contrary to Hormisda that we may say One of the Trinity was crucified And say Baronius and Binius Ita mutatis hostibus arma mutari necesse suit Faith changeth as occasions change Reader if thou seest not here how Bishops have broken the Church in pieces I must not tell thee lest Mr. M. be angry I intreat the Reader to see what I said Hist p. 132. of the Conference of Hypatius and the Eutychians LXXIII A Council at C. P. calls their Bishop Patriarcha Oecumenicus and condemn divers Bishops as doth a Council at Jerusalem LXXIV At Rome the Arian King made Silverius Bishop and others chose Vigilius that murdered him Vigilius excommunicated Menna of C. P. which Justinian revenged LXXV A new Controversie is stated whether Christs body was corruptible The denyers had Gainas A. Bishop The affirmers had Theodosius The first were called Phantasiastae the other Corrupticolae Most were for Gainas but the Soldiers for Theodosius They fought many daies and the Soldiers killed many and many of them were killed and the Women with stones from the top of the houses and the Soldiers with fire continued the war And the division continued in Liberatus's daies Justinian was so zealous for the Council of Calcedon that he murdered thousands as they say in Egypt and
yet dyed a reputed Heretick himself being for the Corrupticolae and Evagrius saith when he had set the whole world in tumult he was damned himself But God best knoweth that LXXVI A Council at Barcelona Decree that Priests must cut their beards but not shave them LXXVII By the Cheat of an Eutychian Bishop Justinian was persuaded that the condemning of some Writings of Theodoré Mopsuest Theodorite and Ibas would reconcile the Bishops He calls a General Council at C. P. to that end usually called the 5th His Letters are read opening the doleful divisions that the Churches had no Communion with one another c. The three Bishops writings are read Theodorite charged by this General Council with that salt Epistle against dead Cyril and a like Speech at Antioch and none vindicated him Binius and Mr. Morice and others say the Letter is forged I know not But the Tria Capitula are condemned And now this General Council hath made a new dividing snare Many that were for the Calcedon Council feared this was a condemning of what they did in receiving Theodorite c. The Adversaries were never the more satisfyed but saith Binius himself The end was not obtained but a most grievous mischief added to the Church The whole Catholick Church was torn by Schism and worse the Emperour stir'dup Persecution deposed or banished P. Vigilius But lest the East should all forsake the West he recanted and consented to the Council Doth either the work or the effect commend this General Council LXXVIII A Council of Jerusalem save one Bishop presently received this Decree LXXIX A Western Council at Aquileia condemn this 5th General Council at C. P. and saith Binius separated from the whole Catholick Church even from Rome for an hundred years till Sergius reconciled them Q. Were the Western Bishops or the Pope then the Western Church So many separated that Vigilius being dead there could but two Bishops and a Presbyter be got to ordain Pelagius his Successor But the Emperour and his Pope persecute the Bishops and the Schism seemed desperate LXXX Another Council at C. P. An. 587. decree that John Bishop of C. P. be called The Universal Bishop which greatly increased the Churches divisions LXXXI King Gunthram called a Council at Mascon An. 589. finding all things grow worse and worse all long of the Bishops only saith Binius LXXXII Even Great Gregory called a Synod against the dissenting Bishops and they not obeying his summons the Bishop of Aquileia was ruined the Western Head Sabinian that succeeded Gregory would have had his Books burnt Boniface the third got Phocas the Murderer to declare Rome the Chief Bishops Seat He to whom Greg. had sung Laetentur coeli exult et terra c. LXXXIII Next rose up the Monothelite Controversie Cyrus Bishop of Alexand. to end the Controversies aforementioned was told that to use the word Dei virilis operatio voluntas would unite them all which past as satisfaction in a Council at Alexand P. Honorius persuaded them to silence One and Two But this Counsel was rejected and now whether Christ had One or Two Wills and Operations became as de fide the new War of the Bishops through the world Some were for One and some for Two as if Will and Operation and One or Two were words that had but one signification When every Novice in Philosophy must grant that Christ's Will and Operation in some sense was but One and in other senses Two as I have proved But Sergius Bishop of Const set it on foot Heraclius being for it and Pyrrhus his Successor followed it on And Sergius by a Council of Bishops at C. P. decreed for One Will. The Opinion and the Emperour Constans his silencing both are condemned at Rome The Pope Emperours and Bishops are all condemned and persecuting each other about it LXXXIV Const Pogonat called a General Council at C. P. called the 6th which condemned Macarius Bishop of Ant. and the pacificatory Epistles of P. Honorius and Sergius as Heretical and all that were for One Will and One Operation of Christ 1. As denominated a naturis earum principiis seu facultatibus the Divine and Humane Will and Operations were and are Two 2. As denominated ab unitate persona they are the Will and Operations of One person and so far may be called One 3. As denominated ab unitate objectiva they are One The Divine and Humane Nature will the same thing so far as the Humane willeth and do so far the same work But if any will make a new Heresie by disputing whether the Divine Nature alone do not will and act somewhat without the volition and action of the Humane since the Incarnation they shall have no company of mine in it 4. In the sense as the Operation of the principal and instrumental Cause are One producing One Effect so Christ's Divine and Humane Operations are One 5. As Consent denominateth Unity and the Old Christians are said to be of One heart and soul One mind and mouth and Christ prayeth that we may be One in him so his Will and Operation are One 6. Yea if there be a sort of Union between Christ his Members and between the Blessed in Heaven which is quite beyond our present comprehension it is much much more so between Christ's Divine and Humane Will and Operations And now Reader whether it was well done to pass over these and many other needful distinctions and to put men barely to say that Christ's Will and Operations were not One but Two when really they were both One and Two and to make the Pope himself a Heretick for one of the wisest Epistles that ever Pope wrote I am no such enemy to a Pope as to be partial and to divide the very Western Church from Rome and make Aquileia its Head for an hundred years and to set all the Roman Empire in a flame anathematizing and separating from one another because they had not skill or sobriety enough to ask each other by such distinctions what they meant I say if this be wisely and well done and be a praise to Prelacy and I be to blame for blaming it then good and evil is but what every diseased soul will make it Mr. Morrice and his Masters that honour their Leviathan for such works as these do tell us that they would do it themselves were it to be done again And let it be their work and the reward be theirs For my part I abhor and renounce it LXXXV Faith and Salvation now depended so much on Arithmetick that the Bishops of Spain raised another Arithmetical Controversie asserting Three Substances in Christ his Divinity his Soul and his Body and say A Will begat a Will that is the Divine the Humane These things are true But the wise Pope was so affrighted with Arithmetical Controversies by experience of the mischievous Effects that he cautioned them much about it and for that some judged him
senex ad illorum adspectum etiam corpore commoveretur Dignitatum magnarum divitiarum contumax contemptor neque quicquam prius otio habuit ac libertate And I think as it is said of Cuspinian Ratus se satisfacturum ingenuo Lectori siquae verissima esse comperisset simplicissima oratione mandaret posteritati satis enim est historico ut praeclare dixit apud Ciceronem Catullus non esse Mendacem And as to my ends and expectations I am not so vain as to write with any great hope of persuading many if any who are possest of large Diocess Wealth and Power to forsake them much less to cure the common Thirst that corrupted Nature is possest with and to be the means of a Publick Reformation If I may satisfie my Conscience and save some from being deceived by false History about the Causes of the Antient Schisms it 's all that I can hope for Had I lived in Alb. Crantzius daies I might perhaps have said as he of Luther Frater Frater abi in cellam tuam dic Miserere mei Deus Et de Canonicis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictis Nunquam posse eos reduci ad meliorem srugem nisi prius a viris doctis expugnata arce i. e. Papatu And for my self none of the Interested mens reproaches are unexpected to me Anger will speak I know what the Papists say of the Reformers and all the Protestants And yet I expect that all at last will turn to the disgrace of falshood by putting men to search Church-History for the Truth The case of Capnio is worth a brief recital A covetous Jew pretending Conversion contrived with the Fryers and Inquisitors to get a great deal of money from the Jews by procuring an Edict from the Emperour to burn all the Jews Books that so they might purchase them of the Fryers The Emperour will first hear what Capnio a great Hebrician saith Capnio adviseth to spare all that only promoted the Hebrew Literature and burn only those that were written against Christ Hockstrate and the Fryers were vext thus to lose the prey and accused Capnio of Heresie The cause is oft tryed especially at Rome All the Learned Hebricians were for Capnio The Fryers raged the more This awakened many Learned men to search into the Cause and armed them against the Fryers Galatinus Hutten Erasmus c. are for Capnio The Fryers accuse them also of Heresie But by this they stirred up such a Party of the most Learned men against them that when Tezelius came to vend his Indulgencies Luther had so many ready to joyn against the Inquisitors and Mercenary cheating Fryers as greatly furthered the Reformation And two or three ingenuous Conformists who have lately written against the violent battering Canoneers do tell us that some are like to be excited by the Overdoing of the Accusing silencing Party to search better into the matter of Fact and Right till they can distinguish between an Eucrasie and a Tympanite Or if this world be incurable they cannot keep us out of the heavenly Jerusalem where there is no Errour Schism nor Persecution because no Ignorance Malignity or Pride but the General Assembly of perfect Spirits are united in one perfect Head in perfect Life and Light and Love The particular Defence of the History of Councils and Schisms An Account to Mr. Morrice why my mentioning the Church-distracting sins of the Clergy when worldly grandeur corrupted them is not a Dishonouring but a Honouring of the Primitive Church And to vindicate those sins is no Vindicat ion of the Primitive Church CHAP. I. The Reason and Design of my History of Bishops and Councils § 1. THEY that know the men with whom I have to do and the Cause which I have in Controversie with them will easily understand my purpose The Persons with whom I am to deal are such as hold 1. That a General Council of Bishops or the Colledge of Bishops Governing per Literas formatas out of Council are the Supreme Governing Power over the Universal Church on Earth having the Power of Universal Legislation and Judgment 2. That among these the Pope is justly the Patriarch of the West and the Principium unitatis to the whole and the ordinary President in such Councils And say some It belongs only to the President to call them and they are but rebellious Routs that assemble without a just call 3. That there is no concord to be had but in the Obedience to this Universal Governing Church But all Persons and all National Churches are Schismaticks who live not in such Subjection and obedience 4. That such as the Diocesan Episcopacy which is over one lowest Church containing hundreds or multitudes of Parishes and Altars without any other Bishop but the said Diocesan is that Episcopacy which all must be subject to while it is subject to the Universal supreme 5. That every Christian must hold subjective Communion with the Bishop of the place where he liveth And say some must not practise contrary to his Commands nor appeal for such practice to Scripture or to God 6. That if this supreme Power silence the Diocesans or these Diocesans silence all the Ministers in City or Country they must Cease their Ministry and forsake the Flocks 7. And say divers of them They are no true Churches or Ministers that have not ordination from such Diocesans yea by an uninterrupted succession from the Apostles And for want of this the Forein reformed Churches are no true Churches but the Church of Rome is Much more of this Nature I have already transcribed and confuted out of A. Bishop Bromhall Dr. Heylins Life of A. Bishop Laud Mr Thorndike Mr Dodwell and divers others § 2. The first thing then in my intention is to shew that the Roman Grandeur which is thought to be the Glory of the Church on Earth and the necessary means of its Unity safety and true prosperity hath proved clean contrary even the means of Church corruption in Doctrine Worship Discipline Conversation the Soil of the most odious crimes the means of tyranny suppression of true piety and persecution of Gods faithful Servants and of rebellious War and cruel bloodshed § 3. To this end I described the steps by which the Clergy ascended to the Papal height For as all Protestants justly maintain that their Corruption of Doctrine Worship came not in at once but by slow degrees so do they also of the Papal Government and discipline And they commonly shew the vanity of the Papists demand who ask us who was the man and which was the year as if the world had gone to bed in simple Christianity and awaked Papists the next morning Whereas it is most evident in all Church history that the Clergy leaving the Christian Purity Simplicity and Love did climb the ladder step by step till they ascended to the Papal height And it 's a meer dream of them that think it was the Bp. of Rome alone
for Knowledge and Life can they bear with in their Communion who cannot bear with such as they silence and ruine in this Land And the Papists can receive even those that know not Christ if they do but profess obedience to the Clergy-Church Luthers words are harsh but I will recite them de Concilâ—â—s Pâ—â—t 3. Pag 291. Si monstravâ—rint mihi unum aliquem ex tota illa multitudine qui possit aequare unum alphabetarium in aliqua erudita Schola aut in summa doctrinae Christianae vel in Scriptura Sacra tantum profecerint quantum uâ—a aliqua puella septem aâ—norum tunc illis concedam palam nisi quod plus callent traditionum humanarum Sycophantiarum Quod valde credo firmius quam in Deum credâ— cum me convincâ—nt facto ipso ut credam To this pass did the Clergies aspiring then bring the Church when worthy men were silenced and persecuted And we are unwilling of any thing that looketh towards a differencing men so contrary to that which Christ will make at last CHAP. II. Whether we have any reason to report the Faults of some Bishops and Councils from the beginning of their Depravation till the last § 1. THat I had great reason for it I think what is before said will evince when we see men destroying Christian Love themselves and us and the Land could they prevail by their erroneous endeavour to grant no Concord Communion nor Peace to no Christians how conscionable otherwise soever who cannot unite in a species of Prelacy which they believe by such evidence as I have given to be contrary to the Law of Christ To the saving men from Heresie and Schism now our opposers and we do judge it useful to know how Hereticks and Dividers miscarried heretofore that others may beware And is it not as true if Bishops be the Dividers And also when the Clergies Ambition and Usurpation have brought that upon the Christian World which it languisheth and groaneth under in East and West is it not needful to open the beginning and progress of the disease by such as had rather it were cured than the Church destroyed by it § 2. Among the multitude of Protestant Church Historians and Chronologers how few are there that do not do the same though in various degrees He that will read the Magdeburgenseâ— or Lucas Osiander Illyrici Test Verit. Melancthon himself and Carion Funcâ—ius yea peaceable holy Bucholtzer Micrelius Meander Phil. Pareus Hen. Gutâ—erleth c. yea or Julius or Jos Scaliger Salmasius Hâ—ttoman Hottinger Morney shall see the faults of Bishops opened before this day § 3. The pious and moderate Papists themselves report and lament them Such as Clemangis Pelagius Alvarus Mirandula Ferâ—â— Jos Acosta Lud. Vives Gerson Erasmus and many other such § 4. The antient Godly Bishops are they who for the most part have been freest in reprehending the vices of the rest especially Greg. Nazianzen and Chrysostom and many antient godly Presbyters have been as free as Gildas Isidore Pelusiota Salvian Sulp. Severus Bernard § 5. And if I have wronged the Bishops or Popes in this Abridgment their own Historians yea their chief flatterers have wronged them One Pope angered Platina by imprisoning him Yet if he be partial it is for the Clergy and not against them But who will believe that Binnius Baronius Crab Genebrard Bellarmine Petavius and such others have spoken too hardly of them There is no one man that I took so much from as Binnius And what should move him to name so many of the miscarriages of the Councils but the necessity of reciting the Acts of the Councils historically as he found them § 6. The Sacred Scriptures record the Crimes of the best men in all the Ages of which they write even Adams Noes Lots Aarons Davids Solomons Hezekiahs Josiahs Peters all the Apostles c. And it was not done out of spite or malice but as a necessary warning to us all § 7. The falshood of History is an intollerable abuse of mankind To know nothing done before our times is to shut up mankind in a dungeon and false History is worse than none And it may be false and deceitful in defect as well as excess He that should record all that was good in the Popes and omit all the rest would be a dangerous deceiver of the world and do more than hath been done to make all Christians Papists You tell us your selves that he that should write the History of Cromwell c. g. or of any Sect that you are against and should leave out all their faults would be taken for a false Historian § 8. They that write the History of mens Lives do use to record their Parentage Birth and Education And so must he that will truly write the History of Church-Tyranny Persecution and Schism The end is not well understood without the beginning Who is it that heareth how many Ages the Christian world hath been divided into Papists Greeks Jacobites Nestorians Melchites c. and that seeth what work the Papacy hath made but will ask how all this came to pass Did the man that died of Gluttony swallow all at one morsel or rather one bit after another And when the Clergy have ventured on one merry Cup or one pleasant morsel in excesa it 's easie to make them believe that one and one and one Cup more one and one and one bit more is no more unlawful than the first Principâ—is obsta is the Rule of Safety If Papists intending the recovery of England to the Pope should say Let us but first get them under the Oaths Covenants and Practices which we will call Conformity and so cast out most that dare not sin and by this engage them as two Armies in contrary Interest to fight against each other and it will be an easie matter to bring the swallowing Party to go further by degrees and to believe that as a Parish Church must not be independent as to the Diocesan nor the Diocesan to the Metropolitical or National so neither must a National be independent as to the Universal And that the Universal therefore must have it s known stated Government as well as the National Were it not necessary here for him that would save the Land from Popery to shâ—w the danger of the first degrees The usual Method is not to use Boccalines Roman Engine which will help a man to swallow a Pompion that he may get down a Pill but to swallow a lesser Pill first and a bigger next till the Pompion will go down Infancy is before manhood § 9. But the great necessity was as aforesaid from the revived or rather Continued attempts of imitating the fatal ambitious and Contentious malady If Priscillians or Gnosticks should rise now among us were it not our duty to set before them the history of the miscarriage of their predecessours And when men are so much set on restoring an Universal Supremacy is it not meet to shew
names that I most forget why I gave not the Christen names of Reuberus and Pistorius whether because I forgat them or because I minded not so small a thing not dreaming what would be inferred from it I remember not But when I wrote that abridgment I made use of none that I thought the Papists would except against For the first ages I gathered what I remembred out of the Fathers and out of Eusebius Socrates Sozomen Evagrius Theodoret the Tripartite Nicephorus Liberatus Brev. Victor Utic Beda and such others as are by them received Besides which I principally followed and Epiâ—omized Binnius and Crab and partly Baronius with Platina Onuphrius Panunius Stella Petavius and others of their own And I resolved I would not so much as open Goldastus or any Protestant Collector that they might not except against their Credit and reject them as malicious cursed Hereticks as Labbe doth Melchior Goldastus and almost all such others as he mentions and as Gretser Sanders and other Papists commonly do Therefore even those Histories which be in Goldastus I would not take as out of him but some of them from the books published by others and some as cited by Binnius Petavius or other such And this is now the proof of my Vanity § 2. It is a mistake if he think that I intended as he speaks to be a Compiler of General Church History When I professed but to acquaint the English Reader with the true matter of fact out of the Papists themselves what the ambitious part of Bishops and Councils have done and by what degrees the Papacy sprang up and whether subjection to the ascendent exort Prelacy be absolutely necessary to Concord and Salvation § 3. As to his saying I am the first that ever reckoned Nazianzen among Historians I take the writings of the Fathers especially Justin Clemens Alex. Tertullian Cyprian Eusebius Basil Nazianzen Hierom Chrysostom Augustin to be the best part of Church History especially their Epistles And of this opinion I am not the first CHAP. V. Of his Accusation of my citing Hanmer and other Translators and being deceived by Binnius and such others § 1. 1. HE accuseth me for not using Valesius his Edition of Eusebius and those Editions of the Councils which he accounteth the best To which I say 1. I am not Rich Enough to buy them nor can keep them if I had them Must none write but Rich men The French Councils would cost more than many of us are worth We have had no Ecclesiastical maintenance these 19 years and we cannot keep the books we have Luther wrote his book de Conciliis when it seems he had never read many of the Councils Acts but as related by Eusebius Socrates Sozomen and the Tripartite History 2. Dr. James hath long ago warned all Scholars to make much of Crab and other old ones and the Fathers as Printed at Basil by Erasmus Amerbachius c. and not to trust much to new Editions as coming through untrusty hands 3. Is Valesius a man of so much credit with you Do you believe what he saith of Grotius as being in judgment for the Papal Church and only in prudence delaying his visible Communion with them that he might draw in many with him Vales in Orat. de Petavio If he lye in this and the success of Petavius on Grotius why should he be more trusted than others If not I need not tell you what to think of those Bishops and Drs. who profess to be of the same mind and Church as Grotius nor again to tell you who they be 4. My design led me not to make use of Criticks but only to tell the world what the Papists themselves confess such as I have throughout cited § 2. As for my using Hanmers Translation of Eusebius and Socrates my case was â—s before described Valesius I had not Grineus I made use of heretofore But since I was by constraint deprived both of my books and money to buy more when I wrote that Abridgment I had only Hanmers Translation left me And if that sort of men that forced me to give away my books to keep them from being distreined on will make use of this to prove me ignorant of them the matter is very small to me If you say I should not then have written I answer could they so have silenced us in the Pulpit they had more answered their own judgment than mine I had no use for Criticks nor for any thing in Eusebius and Socrates that depends on the credit of the Translator § 3. As to his oft noting that in Translations and sometime in Chronology I err by following Binnius I answer had I written a full Church History I should better have examined him and others But I lay no stress of my cause of any of Binnius his Translations nor will I undertake for any Historian that I cite My business was but to tell those that believe Binnius and Baronius and such other what they say Nor do I yet intend to bestow any time in examining whether he wrong Binnius or not it being nothing to my cause nor me whether he mistook a year or the meaning of a word of the Authors whom he citeth § 4. He saith I use an old uncorrect Edition of Binnius 1606. Ans It is that which is in most common use entituled Recognita Aucta notis Illustrata dedicated to the Pope and to C. Baronius ejus monitu scripta qui veterem illam mendosam mutilam confusam compilationem mille locis illustravit c. commonly Preferred before Crab Surius Nicolinus c. But any quarrel serveth some men CHAP. VI. Of his Accusations of my own Mistranslations and Mistakes § 1. OF these are two real Oversights which he nameth committed by too much hast and heedlesness The one is that I misplaced Vere in the Translation of a Speech of Theodorets a gross oversight I confess The other that I put Episcopi as if it had been the 〈…〉 tive case when it was the Nominative plural which also was a heedless oversight And about the death of Stephanus he noteth my mistranslating Calami and I imagine yet he is scarce certain what it signified himself As for his note of my use of Scripture about the Ephesine Council I purposely kept to the literal Translation that none might say I did mistranslate it but I never said that by the Scriptures was meant the Bible § 2. This Accuser puts too great an honour on such a History as mine which goeth through so many Ages and Acts in noting so few and such little things I never pretended to be as good an Historian as he is yet I do not think that it was any thing but a slip of memory that made him put Eustathius instead of Flavian as kickt to death at Ephesus And me thinks he that thus begins his Errata of his own Book The faults that have escaped are almost infinite should not for one false Comma of the
or absent Much less that Classes and other Assemblies are the stated Church-Government which all must obey And are the Presbyterians of any of the three forementioned Opinions § 5. I ever held a necessity of manifold dependance of all Christians and Churches As all depend on Christ as their Head so do all the People on the Pastors as their authorized Guides whom they must not Rule but be Ruled by 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Heb. 13. 17 24. And all these Churches depend on each other for Communion and Mutual Help as many Corporations in one Kingdom And frequent Synods well used are greatly helpful to these ends And the Command of doing as much as we can in Love and Concord doth bind all the particular persons to concur with the Synods in all things that tend to the Peace and Edification of the Church or are not against it And more than so if the general Visitors or Bishops that take care of many Churches do by God's Word direct instruct reprove admonish the particular Bishops and Churches they ought with reverence to hear them and obey them And if Independents really are for all this why do these Accusers represent them odiously as if it were no such matter but they were meerly for Church-Democracy Either you are not to believed in what you say of them or of me § 6. I know we have men that say that on pretence of acknowledging all this Episcopacy I put down all because I take from them the power of the Sword and leave all to despise them if they please Ans This indeed is the power that under the name of Episcopacy now too many mean Bishop Bilson knew no Power but Magistrates by the Sword and Ministers by the Word But why name I one man It is the common Opinion of Protestants and most sober Papists that Bishops as such have no power of force on Body or Purse But we deny not the forcing Power of the Magistrate 3. But we heartily wish that they would keep it in their own hands and never use it to force unwilling men into the Church or to Church-Communion high Priviledges which no unwilling person hath any right to This is my Independency CHAP. X. Of his Accusation That I make the Bishops the Authors of all Heresies and Schisms as distinct from Presbyters Monks and People § 1. THis also runs throughout his Book and must such Books be answered or believed I never denyed the guilt and concurrence of others with them I only say That as Bishops were the Chief so they had the chief hand as far as I can yet learn in Heresies and Schisms since they came to their height of Power and specially in those grand Heresies and Schisms which have broken and keep the Churches in those great Sects and Parties which in East and West it consisteth of to this day I never doubted or denyed but that 1. The Heresies that were raised before the Church had any Patriarchs or the turgent sort of Bishops were certainly raised without them 2. And afterward sometime a Presbyter began a Heresie 3. And the Bishops were but as the Generals of the Army in all the Church Civil Wars But I never denyed but the Prelatical Priests Monks and multitude were their obsequiâ—us Army § 2. Mr. M. saith That those Bishops that were Hereticks were mostly such or inclined to it before Answ 1. Was there then a good Succession of Ordination when the World groaned to find it self Arian Were all these Arians before their Consecration Answ 2. Were they not all Prelatical Presbyters that aspired to be Bishops and so as they say had a Pope or Bishop in their bellies I never thought that Prelatical Priests that studied Preserment and longed to be Bishops had no hand in Heresies nor Schisms no more than that the Roman Clergy are innocent herein and the fault is in the Pope alone What a deal then of this man's Book is lost and worse on such suppositions CHAP. XI Of his confident Accusation that I mention all the faults of the Bishops and none of their Goodness or Good Deeds § 1. THis also is a chief part of the Warp or Stamen of his Book In his Preface he saith This History of Bishops is nothing else but an Account of all the faults that Bishops have committed in the several Ages of the Church without Any Mention of their Good Actions of their Piety and Severity of their Lives of their Zeal for the Faith c. Answ 1. Whether this Fundamental Accusation be true or false let the Reader who loveth Truth see 1. In the very first Chapt. from § 41. to the end 2. Through all the Book where I oft praise good Bishops good Councels and good Canons and good Books and Deeds 3. In the two last Chapters of the Book written purposely to hinder an ill use of the Bishops faults In the first Chapter Very many of the Bishops themselves were humble holâ— faithful men that grieved for the miscarriages of the rest Though such excellent persons as Gregory of Neocaesarea Greg. Nazianz. Greg. Nyssen Basil Chrysostom Augustine Hillary Prosper Fulgentius c. were not very common no doubt but there were many that wrote not Books nor came so much into the notice of the World but avoided contentions and factious stirs that quietly and honestly conducted the Flocks in the waies of Piety Love and Justice And some of them as St. Martin separated from the Councils and Communion of the prevailing turbulent sort of the Prelates to signifie the disowning of their sins Of the Antients before the world crowded into the Church I never made question Such as Clemens Polycarp Ignatius Irenaeus and the rest How oft I have praised holy Cyprian and the African Bishops and Councils he sometime confesseth What I say of Atticus Proclus and other peaceable Bishops you may see p. 17. and very oft Yea of the Bishops of many Sects much of the Albigenses c. p. 17 18. Yea of the good that was done by the very worldly sort p. 18 19 20. Yea of the Papists Bishops that were pious p. 20. § 46. And § 47. I vindicate the excellency of the Sacred Office And § 53 58 59 60. I plead for Episcopacy it self in the justifiable species of it § 2. But perhaps he will say that at least I say more of their faults than their 〈◊〉 I answer of such good Bishops as Cyprian Basil Greg. Nazianzen Chrysostom Augustin Hillary Martin c. I speak of their virtues and nothing at all that I remember of their faults Of such as Theophilus and Cyril Alexandri and Epiphanius c. I speak of their virtues and some of their faults as the scripture doth of many good mens Of the more ambitious turbulent sort I speak only or mostly of their faults For I profess not to write a History of their lives but to inform the ignorant what Spirit it is that brought in Church tyranny and divisions I denyed
fact yea the most publick of the persons place and time which our senses have given us notice of that we must believe them with as great difficulty as we must believe Transubstantiation even in opposition to all our senses and experience And whether those men be fit Vindicaters of the Bishops and Councils above a Thousand years ago which are blamed by the Historians of their own Age and by their own Confessions and by their most servent Defenders who notoriously misreport the persons and actions of their own Place and Age I think it is not hard to judge I will instance in Twenty particulars of publick notice for those against particular persons even my self are not to be numbred I. It is now commonly taken for true that the present Nonconformists who gave in their Desires for Concord 1660. are of the same Judgment as those called Nonconformists heretofore and whatever can be raked up out of Christ Goodman Knox Kilby or is reported by Bancroft is partly chargeable on them when as their proposed Desires yet shew the world that they never made any motion against many things by those aforesaid scrupled in Doctrine Worship and Ceremony And it is commonly supposed by them that the present Conformity is but the same as the Old and the Case no harder to us And this notwithstanding all the still visible Acts and Alterations and Additions which attest the contrary to all the world II. In most of their Invectives the present Nonconformists are argued against as if they had been in the Civil War against the King or had been guilty of it more than the Conformists And that War is made a Reason of their Silencing whereas so few of them had any hand in it that I have many times told them that if they will Silence none but those that they can prove guilty of any War or Rebellion or Sedition the rest of us will give them a thousand Thanks though we suffer our selves Few of the present Nonconformists were then in the Ministry and of those few that were few now living meddled with War III. They are so confident that the Parliament and Army that began the War in England were Nonconformists yea Presbyterians and not of the Church of England that Mr. Hinkley here Mr. Morrice make a renouncing of their Senses or Understandings necessary to the believing of it And yet they might as well tell us that they were all Turks or Papists Are not a Parliament and an Army things publick enough to be known in the same Age When we name to them the Chief Lords and Commons and Chief Commanders yet and lately living who are known still to live in their own Communion and when we challenge them to name Three Presbyterians that were then in the House of Lords or the House of Commons or many that were at first Commanders in the Army and we name them the Men that then Commanded who were commonly known to be Conformists of the Church of England And if they will not believe their present practice and profession they may yet go to them and be satisfied from their own mouths what were their former Principles I have told them of a most credible Member of that Parliament yet living who hath ost profest to me that he knew but one Presbyterian in the House of Commons when the war began and I have named that one man to them to try if they can name another I expect not that they should believe me or such other concerning those whom we knew But they may believe the men themselves yet living their most familiar Friends Yea the Records of many foregoing Parliaments with Laua's Life written by Dr. Heylin fully sheweth them that the difference arose 1. About the fear of Popery and Arminianism as they thought tending towards it 2. About Property Loan-mony Knight-mony and after Ship-mony c. 3. About Imprisonment of members and other Gentlemen And these were still the quarrel But saith Mr. M. How then shall we believe our senses Ans See Reader whether his most confident Errours about past things be any wonder He is not so sure of what he saith of the old Prelates or the Nestorians Eutychians c. as he is that he must believe his Senses And his very senses tell him that a Parliament even Lords Commons and an Army many of whom are yet living were of another opinion in Religion than ever they were then acquainted with and which was known to very few in England till afterward And this contrary to their Profession and practice and the senses of their acquaintance Lords are Persons of so publick notice that they may easily yet be informed of the living and the dead In the Army the Chief Commanders were the E. of Essex the E. of Bedford yet living Sir John Merrick the E. of Peterborough Dolbiere the E. of Stamford the Lord Hastings E. of Huntington the Lord Rochford E. of Dover the Lord Fielding E. of Denbigh the Lord Mandevile E. of Manchester the Lord Roberts now Earl of Radnor and President of his Majesties Council the Lord St. Johns killed at Keimâ—n Fight Only the Lord Say and Lord Brook were known Independents and whether the Lord Wharton yet living was then for Bishops or against them I know not but all the rest were of the Church of England And so were the other Collonels Sir Henry Cholmley the late Lord Hollis Col. Will. Bampfield Col. Tho. Grantham Col. Tho. Ballard C. Sir William Fair fax Col. Charles Essex Col. Lord Willoughby of Parham Col. Sir Will. Waller Col. Edwin Sandys Cap. Lord Grey of Grooby and I think then Sir Will. Constable and Col. Hampden What mind Sir Will. Balfoore was of I know not But I know his Country man Col. Brown was too far from a Puritane But saith Mr. M. 1. It 's well the Bishops had no share in it Ans Let Heylin tell you what hand the difference between A. Bishop Abbats Church of England and Laud's then little Party had in the preparations 2. And was the A. Bishop of York no Bishop who afterward was a Commander for the Parliament But saith he I pray where were the Presbyterians when the Parliament took up Arms Were they not then in being Ans An excellent Historian that maintaineth Parliament and Army were such as he knows not whether they were then in being Yes Sir they were in Holland and France and Geneva and Scotland and in England there was one John Ball and one Mr. Langley and a few more such old Nonconformists that never were in Arms and old John Dod and one Mr. Geree that was against the war and dyed for grief of the Kings death But among those called Puritans few knew what Presbytery was till the Scots afterward brought it in Much less did Lords Commons and Army know it In your sense Sir they were not then in being and therefore could not fight It appears by Bancroft and others that there had been once
Presbyterians in England But they were dead and few even of the few Nonconforming Ministers succeeded them in the Study of that point But saith he Were they none of them in the house Ans Yes one or did they protest against the proceedings of the Episcopal and Erastians Ans That one went with them And Non entis non sunt accidentia But saith he Can Mr. B. believe or think any one else so weak as to be imposed on in a matter so notorious that it was a Parliament of Episcopals and Erastians and not Presbyterians that began the war Ans Thus youngmen that know not whom they talk of can controle the most publick matter of fact by their conjectures Go ask the worthy Master of the Rolls Sir Harbottle Grimston whose Speeches were then printed Ask Sir Joh. Maynard His Majesties Sergeant at Law who was one of them or any other of them yet living Ask them whether they knew themselves and their companions better than you who it seems knew them not But saith he Were they Episcopals that voted down Episcopacy Root and Branch before the war begun Ans 1. Have you proved that they did so 2. Do you think that acontradiction 1. They had got a belief that Bishop Laud had got such men into the Seats as were for a Syncretism with the Papists described by Heylin and against the Subjects Property and Liberty And it was the Men and not the Office that offended them 2. But because they were willing of the favour of the Scots and those Londoners who were against the Bishops they pleased them by voting down the present frame intending to set up a moderate Episcopacy in its stead Yea long after this when many Learned Divines in the Assembly declared themselves for Episcopacy but not for Deans Chancellors c. They altered the Covenant so as to describe the present frame only And when the House of Lords took the Covenant Mr. Coleman an Erastian gave it them openly declaring that it was not meer Episcopacy that this Covenant renounced but only the English described Complicate form And could they have had such Bishops as Abbot and the old Church of England they had never gone thus far 3. And they thought not Episcopacy itself so necessary though if moderate the best sort of Governments as to hazard all for it which they thought had been in danger Even in 1640 July 17. They Voted a Diocesan in every County with Twelve Divines to Govern But saith he Were they Episcopals that Petitioned the King at York for Reformation in Discipline and Worship then i. e. for abolishing Episcopacy and Common-Prayer Answ 1. Reforming is not Abolishing 2. I answered that as to the last When they feared that the Old House would fall on their heads they were for pulling of it down and building a New one after such a Model as Bishop Usher after gave and the Germane Swedish and Danish Churches have which they called the Primitive Episcopacy But before they could do it they needed the Scots help who brought in the Covenant which they chose rather than to fall into the hands of those of whom they had such thoughts and fears as I need not now describe Prin's History of Laud's Tryal describeth them I would ask this confident Historian whose senses tell him what Religion men were of contrary to their daily practice of communicating in the Parish-Churches conformably whether the Longest Parliament of all which made the Acts of Uniformity the Corporation and Vestry Acts the Two Actâ— against Conventicles the Militia Act c. were Presbyterian or Episcopal Verily if these were Presbyterians I am none nor ever will be We shall then have a strange definition of a Presbyterian such as will take in Bishop Sheldon Bishop Morley Bishop Gunning and such others If not did not the fear of Popery make that very Parliament begin to look so sowrely on the Clergy as produced that which I need not tell you of And did not most of the same men meet in the next Parliament after and look yet more suspiciously on the Clergy And the next yet more And doth it follow that they were not Episcopal but Presbyterian But some men are confident against the Sun-light and the most notorious Publick Evidence But I must confess that such have shaken my belief of the meer Moral Evidence of most History and left me only certain of that which hath Evidence which is truly Natural in the Natural Impossibility of Conspiracy in a Lie There were men heretofore that would swear that man was a Puritane who would not swear and drink with them and would pray in their Families and read the Scriptures on the Lord's Day while others were dancing And the word Puritane is now vulgarly changed into Presbyterian by the Clergies Conduct And there are some Clergy-men that will say a man is a Presbyterian who reproves them for Drunkenness and Swearing and other Crimes specially if he would not have Nonconformists ruined and laid in Gaol with Rogues In this sense I deny not but Lords Commons and Army had many Puritanes or Presbyterians among them who yet never knew what Presbytery was But saith Mr. M. Were they Episcopal who pray the King at Oxford to abolish A. Bishops and Bishops c. that entred into a Solemn League and Covenant against Episcopacy and for Reforming the Church after the Presbyterian Platform and set up Presbytery by so many Ordinances Answ Distingue tempora is none of this Historians Principles How long after the War begun was this Petition at Oxford this Covenant and these Ordinances He proveth them Presbyterians at first when they knew not what it was because they were for Presbytery a year or two after Negatur Sequela The Scots taught afterwards the Assembly and them that which they never knew before 2. And all these Petitions Ordinances shewed not what they preferred as best but what they preferred before expected ruine The Issue proved this and Heylin confesseth it and saith They never set up Presbytery in any one place which yet is not true though they did not force it 3. Do you not know now living those Episcopal Conformists who refuse no part of your Conformity and are much against Presbytery who since the Discovery of the Papists Plot are so much afraid of Popery and so confident that too many of the Clergy are prepared for it that a little more would turn them from you though they love Presbytery as little as they love your selves In a word The Old Clergy and the Parliament Men agreed The New Clergy in Bishop Laud's time distasted them the Scots Presbyterians helping them in their straits partly turned some of them and partly imposed on them unpleasing conditions But saith he The Erastians and Independents were at first inconsiderable and acted joyntly with the Presbyterians c. Answ Thus is History delivered to the deluded World Neither Independency nor Presbytery were understood by many till the War was
begun The Scots Commissioners by degrees acquainted them with Presbytery and Mr. Burton's Protestation Protested and the five Dissenters with Independency Two or three Independents were in the House of Lords and some few in the House of Commons It was Episcopal-men that made up the main Body These were of two sorts The one sort thought Episcopacy of Divine Institution but not Chancellors Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons Officials c. The other sort thought that Episcopacy not rampant was the best Government Jure humano But that the Magistrate being Chief might set it up or take it down as he see most for the common good These were called by some Erastians And that these at first were inconsiderable is History written in despight of Evidence Let any man 1. Read what Parliaments formerly said 2. And what many English Divines wrote for the Jus humanum against the Jus Divinum and what Testimony Prin hath given of it 3. And what Dr. Stillingfleet hath produced for it in his Irenicon 4. And how commonly it was owned by Conformists then in Conserence 5. And how commonly the Lawyers were for the Humane Right 6. Yea and the Civilians themselves and then let him take this Historian's word if he tell Posterity that the Parliament and Army were not English men IV. These Historians candidly tell the world that the Nonconformists who offered their Desires for Concord 1660. were Presbyterians and so are most of the Nonconformists now Whereas they never made one motion for Presbytery for Lay-Elders for Ruling Classes or Assemblies nor against Episcopacy but only offered the Paper called A. Bishop Usher's Reduction of Episcopacy to the Primitive Form wherein neither A. Bishops nor Bishops nor Deans and Chapters Archdeacons were taken down or any of their Revenues Lordships or Parliament-Power This is Presbytery with these Historians V. They make the world believe that the main Body of the Conformists are such as suffered for the King or complied not with the Directory and Times of Usurpation Whereas it 's publickly notorious that there are about 9000 Parish-Churches in England besides many hundred Chappels many Churches that had more than one Minister And almost all these complied with the Times or Directory as the Nonconformists did And of all these it was but about 2000 that Conformed not so that 7000 or 8000 of them that had kept in did on a sudden turn Conformists And divers that had been in Arms for the Parliament Yea some that had written for the Engagement when I wrote against it yea some that had spoken or written tantum non a Justification of the Killing of the King And of those that joyned with us in our Proposals for Concord Dr. Worth and Dr. Reignolds were made Bishops and divers others did Conform VI. These Historians would make the world believe that the Present Church and such as they did more than the Parliamentarians and Presbyterians and Nonconformists to restore the King when it is notoriously known how oft their Attempts were defeated and what the Scots Army under Hamilton underwent to say nothing of the next and of the Lord Delamore's Attempt and what the Restored Parliament did But sure I am that the Old Parliament Souldiers and Presbyterian Commanders and Souldiers in General Monk's Army with those in England and Ireland that joyned with him and Sir Thomas Allen Lord Mayor with the Londoners at the persuasion of the Presbyterian Ministers drawing General Monk to joyn with them did the main work which the Council and Parliament after finished When most of these men that will not endure the oblivion of Discords nor the Reconciling and Union of the King's Subjects do but start up to revile others and blow the Coals again and reap the fruit of other mens labours that desire but to live in Peace VII That there are able worthy men that Conform we are far from denying and we earnestly desire their Concord and the success of their Labour and I hope love them as our selves But whereas the History of this Party doth proclaim how much better and abler Ministers than the Nonconformists are generally put into their Places that are no Novices or Ignorant Youths no Drunkards nor scandalous but more laborious skilful Labourers I will say nothing but let the Countries judge VIII And whether it be true that there is no need of the Nonconformists Ministry but the Churches are sufficiently supplied without them both as to the number and quality of their Teachers I have in my Apology enquired and with godly men it 's easily judged IX And whether it be true that it was only for the Kings or Bishops cause that the Parliament put out all or most of them that were heretofore removed I leave to the Witnesses and Articles against them I am sure I and my neighbour Ministers petitioned that none that were tolerable pious Ministers might be put out for being for the King or Bishops X. It is commonly now recorded and reported that the Presbyterians and those that now conform not put down Catechizing and turned the Creed Lords prayer and Decalogue out of the Church Service Whereas if some few Independents did any of this it is more than I know but in all our Countrey and where I came I remember no Churches that did not use the Creed openly at their baptizing any and the Decalogue frequently read out of Exod. 20. or Deut. 5. and the Lords prayer frequently as we did constantly But some thought that we were not bound to use it every time they prayed And the Directory commendeth all these to them And all our Countrey agreed not only to Catechize publickly but to take larger time on the week daies to Catechize every family XI These Historians say that I and such others take the things which we conform not to to be but inconveniences and not sins And that we keep the Nation in Schisme while we confess the things to be but Indifferent And our writings are visible in which we profest the contrary and laboured by many arguments to prove it and protested that we would conform if we took them not to be sins And we gave in a Catalogue of what we judged to be sins And this before the New Conformity was imposed And since the fiercest displeasure is against us for telling them what we account Sin and how great When many years together our Rulers and the People were told that we confessed them indifferent and refused them but to avoid offending our followers XII We frequently hear from them that we oppose Episcopacy because we cannot be Bishops our selves When it s known that nothing could more put men out of all such hopes than the Presbyterians Endeavours that both their power and wealth should be taken down And he that hath any desires of a Bishoprick should sure be for the keeping of them up And the same men reprove us for refusing Bishopricks and Deanries and say we did it to please the People XIV The
new Historians would make us believe that the Reformed Church of England before Bishop Lauds time were of their mind that now call themselves Bishops and Doctors of the Church of England in holding as they do that there is an Universal humane Soveraignty with Legislative and Judicial power over all the Churches on earth and that this is in Councils or an Universal Colledge of Bishops of which the Pope may be allowed to be president and Principium Unitatis c. and that he must be obeyed as Patriarch of the West and so we must be under a forreign Jurisdiction Whereas it is notoriousy known that before Bishop Lauds time the doctrine of this Church was quite Contrary as may be seen at large in the Apology the Articles of Religion the writings of the Bishops and Doctors Yea they writ copiously to prove that the Pope is Antichrist and put it into their Liturgy And Dr. Heylin tells us that the Reason why Bishop Laud got it out was that it might not offend the Papists and hinder our reconciliation with them And the Oath of Supremacy sweareth us against all forreign Jurisdiction XV. The same Historians would make us believe that these mens doctrine is now the doctrine of the Church of England or agreeable to it Whereas the Oath of Allegiance is still in force and so are the Homilies and the Articles of Religion and the Laws and Canons for the Kings Supremacy against all forreign Jurisdiction And there is no change made which alloweth of their doctrine And the Church doctrine must be known by its publick writings and not by the opinions of new risen men XVI The new Historians make the Nonconforming Ministers to be men grosly ignorant preachingfalse doctrine of wicked principles and lives and not fit to be suffered out of Gaols And yet these 19. or 20. years how few of them have been convict of any false doctrine And I have not heard of four in England that have ever been convict since they were cast out of being once drunk or fornicating cheating swearing or any immorality unless preaching and not swearing Subscribing c. be such nor for false doctrine XVII The new Historians have made thousands believe that the doctrine or opinions of the Nonconformists is for sedition and rebellion And that it is for this that they refuse to renounce the obligation of the Covenant as to all men besides themselves and that they refuse to subscribe that it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against any Commissioned by the King Whereas we have at large in a second Plea for peace opened our judgments about Loyalty and obedience and none of them will tell us what they would have more nor where our profession is too short or faulty Nor have they convict any of my acquaintance of preaching any disloyal doctrine XVIII Yea they have by writing preaching and talking made multitudes believe that the Nonconformists or Presbyterians have been long hatching a rebellion against the King and have a Plot to take down Monarchy under pretence of opposing Poperty And how far these Historians are to be believed true Protestants by this time partly understand XIX Yea these Historians have made multitudes believe that the Parliaments that have been disolved here of late years have been designing to change the Government of Church and state under pretence of opposing Popery As if that Parliament that did that for them and against us which is done and made all the Acts which are for the Renunciation of the Covenant and for all the Declarations Subscriptions and Practices Imposed and for Fining us 20 l. and 40 l. a Sermon and laying us in Gaols had been for Nonconformists and against Episcopacy and they that made the Militia Act and such other had been against the King or his Prerogative Or the other following had not been of the same Religion XX. But the boldest part of their History is their description of the two sorts of the People in England those that are for the present Nonconformists and those that are against them Those that are against them they account the most Religious Temperate Chast Loyal Credible and in a word the best people through the Land for of our Rulers I am not speaking And those that are for the Nonconforming Ministers they defame as the most proud hypocritical treacherous disloyal covetous false and in a word the worst people in the Land or as Fowlis saith the worst of all mankind and unfit to live in humane Society How long will it be ere the sober people of this Land believe this Character One would think that the quality of the common Inhabitants of the Land should not be a Controversie or unknown thing All that I will say to this History is to tell the Reader the utmost of my observation and experience from my Youth up concerning these two sorts of men Where I was bred before 1640. which was in divers places I knew not one Presbyterian Clergy man nor Lay and but three or four Nonconforming Ministers Nay till Mr. Ball wrote for the Liturgy and against Can and Allen c. and till Mr. Burton Published his Protestation protested I never thought what Presbytery or Independency were nor ever spake with a man that seemed to know it And that was in 1641. when the War was brewing In the place where I first lived and the Country about the People were of two sorts The generality seemed to mind nothing seriously but the body and the world They went to Church and would answer the Parson in Responds and thence go to dinner and then to play They never prayed in their families but some of them going to bed would say over the Creed and the Lord's Prayer some of them the Hail Mary All the year long not a serious word of holy things or the Life to come that I could hear of proceeded from them They read not the Scripture nor any good Book or Catechism Few of them could read or had a Bible They were of two ranks the greater part were good Husbands as they called them and savoured of nothing but their business or Interest in the World the rest were Drunkards Most were Swearers but not equally Both sorts seemed utter strangers to any more of Religion than I have named and loved not to hear any serious talk of God or Duty or Sin or the Gospel or Judgment or the Life to come But some more hated it than others The other sort were such as had their Consciences awakened to some regard of God and their Everlasting State and according to the various measures of their understanding did speak and live as serious in the Christian Faith and would much enquire what was Duty and what was Sin and how to please God and to make sure of Salvation and made this their Business and Interest as the rest did the world They read the Scripture and such Books as The Practice of Piety and Deut
their Officers and Curates against the aforesaid exercises of Religion occasioned this sad Division so did the sense of this in the minds of those called Puritanes continue too long Many a time have I seen abundance in great Perplexity saying We believed them that professed that they took not Arms against the King but to execute the Law on Delinquents and defend themselves and the Kingdom from them We abhor the Regicides and Usurpers We would restore the King if we were stronger than the Army And yet we are in doubt how far we should actively contribute to our own calamity For though the King deserve more than we can do we doubt not but the Bishops will increase our Burdens and make greater havock in the Church than heretofore And many sate still on this account and as far as ever I could discern next the Power of the Army the fear of the Bishops was the chief delay of the Kings return I knew not all England but according to the Extent of my acquaintance I have truly told you the quality of those then called Puritans and of their Common adversaries And on which side now proportionably are most of the most understanding sober charitable conscionable and seriously religious Persons and on which most of the contrary not speaking of any Magistrates I think it neither my work nor our New Historians to tell For people that live among their neighbours will believe their senses and experience what ever either he or I shall say And I am well assured that this argument which I think was not found We cannot believe that God will suffer the Generality of the Religious to be deceived in so great a case and the most of the debauched ignorant haters of serious Godliness to be in the right did prevail with very many that could not try the Cause by the Laws and constitution of the Kingdom § 2. If I should recite the particular unjust reports of multitudes of these Writers it would be tiresome and loathsome Yea all the mistakes of this Eminent Historian are too many to be named But I will here name one which seems at once to smite and smile Pag. 2â—7 There is a temper which Mr. B. is acquainted with that is not to be prevailed on either by threats or promises from the Magistrate and seems to hate nothing so much as compliance with Superiors There are some that scorn to preach by the Licence of the Government and place the Kingdom of Christ purely in opposition to Law and Magistrates Answ. Note the credibility of this Historian 1. Doth their accusation of my flattering the Usurpers whom I more openly disowned than most of his Fraternity agree with this 2. Did my long and earnest Petitioning to be accepted but in a poor Curates place though I Preacht for nothing yea if it were but in some ignorant obscure Village and only to preach over the Catechism agree with this 3. Doth my large profession of Subjection in my Second Plea for Peace not yet blamed by them herein agree with this 4. I willingly took the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and an Oath to be true to the King as his Chaplain in ordinary and had this any such signification 5. Did my begging in vain a License from Bishop Morley and craving and obtaining one of Bishop Sheldon signifie this 6. But the smile is that one would think by these words I might have preached by the Governours License and would not And is that true Did I not preach by the Kings License and the Clergy blame me for it And as for the Bishops License I do profess that it 's yet in force and I do preach by it If I mistake it is not my refusing it If he intimate as he seems that by the Bishops License I might have had leave to preach in the Parish Churches it 's now too late But I would I had known how to get it I confess one Summer in the Countrey about 25 miles off I did venture upon the Credit of my License at Amersham Chesham Rickmersworth c. But it was too pleasing work to me to be continued One Church in Southwark I was once let into but no more in or near London I once craved leave of the moderate Bishop that now is that without putting down the meeting where I was in that great Parish of St. Martin's I might preach sometime there and once a day at the Chappel which I built which the Parish Incumbent useth and that he would quiet the Justices to that end and thought I had had his consent But the Constables and other Officers stood from that day about a quarter of a year together every Lord's Day at the door of the former place of Assembly to have apprehended me by the Justices warrant if I had gone And never could I hear of a man in London that was willing I should come into his Pulpit but the best have refused it Nor did I much desire it here For it is not to preach to them that have no need that is my request but to such as cannot come into the Parish Church or otherwise truely need our help Once I did try to have got leave two miles out of the City to have preacht a Kinswomans Funerall Sermon on the right of my License But the Minister said He must first ask the Bishop and then denyed me Reader these are the Historians that Charge me with misreport of ancient History visible in the most partial Authors on the other side Judge of them by their Report of the History of our Place and Age. CHAP. XV. Mr. M's way of getting belief by a Magisterial condemning the most credible Historians and authorizing whom he please § 1. IF we had not Eusebius Socrates and Sozomen how naked should we be left and much unacquainted with the case of the Church from the Apostles Besides Theodorets History till 440. And what a shake is given to the Credit of all these by Mr. M. and others of greater name Though Eusebius himself be by Petavius and many other Papists accounted an Arian yea and seemingly proved such and by Bellarmine de Script Eccles it s said that Athanasius so calls him and Jerom calls him the Arian Signifer and Prince and the 7th General Council so judgeth him yet Socrates vindicateth him and thinks he is wronged And indeed though his own Epistle written to his Flock be not justifyable incautelous and unjustifyable words were too Common before his daies as Petavius hath too fully proved with those that we must not yet call Arians But while Bellarmine and Mr. M. charge Socrates and Sozomen as Novatians that is Hereticks themselves they deprive Eusebius of much of their defence and render his History the more suspicious § 2. And though I know Mr. M. hath more partners herein I never saw yet any credible proof that either of them were Novatians Good Christians are not ashamed nor afraid to make profession of their Religion And
they are so far from professing it that they oft speak of the Novatians in disowning words But they praised them for the good that is in them And would not any impartial Historian do the like Must a man rail at any party or hide their Virtues or else be taken to be one of them I confess that such as Mr. M. do fully acquit themselves from the suspicion of being Presbyterians or Nonconformists But so did not A. Bishop Grindall Bishop Jewel A. Bishop Abbot A. Bishop Usher and many more such Sure Candor and Impartiality is Laudable in Historians And Thuanus is most honoured for that And notwithstanding Mr. M's assertions of the contrary I profess my self a lover honourer of the worth of many of the aspiring Bishops that corrupted the Church and of many Popes and of many that continue Church corruptions in the height even many of the Papists Cardinals Schoolmen and Jesuites Who will not love and praise the excellent Learning of such as Suarez Vasquez Victoria Petavius and abundance such Who will not praise the piety of such as Gerson Borromaeus Sales and many others though we nevertheless disown their Popery For my part I highly value the Cleareness of multitudes of the Schoolmen and that they have not in whole loads of their volumes so much malicious railing as the Jesuits and many of our late Conformists have in a few sheets Doth it follow that I am a Papist because I praise them or that Socrates or Sozomen were Novatians because they speak well of their faith and piety There are abundance of Malignants that acknowledge the Good Lives of those they call Puritanes and if he had not had the late Wars between King and Parliament to fill all Mouths and Books against them the Devil by this time might have been at a loss with what Accusations to reproach them For he was put to use the Voices no names of Roundheads Whigs c. when their Revilers were called Drunkards Swearers Dam-me's c. But they that confess the Good reproach them as Hypocrites that do but counterfeit it Doth this acknowledgment prove them Puritanes I suppose Mr. M. knoweth that no small number of Historians and Fathers confess the strictness of the Novatians Lives and yet were no Novatians And Constantine's words to Acesius imply that he thought him singularly strict And Mr. M. saith Pref. The Novatians saith the Author did not suffer much by this Edict being besriended by the Emperour who had an esteem for their Bishop of C. P. upon the account of his Holiness And may not an Orthodox man confess the Piety of others § 3. But Mr. M. is so Magisterial as to say Pag. 322. The story of Theophilus and the Monks of Nitria no reasonable man can believe as it is related by Socrates and Sozomen without loving a malicious Lie So that Socrates and Sozomen either believed not themselves or else Love◠a malicious Lie And Page 319. he saith The story of Theophilus his charging Isidore with double Letters that whoever was Conquerour he might apply himself to him in his name is of the same piece with the rest of Socrates his story concerning that Bishop and in all probability an invention of one of the Monk◠of Nitria It seems this Historian believeth Old Historians as the matters seem probable or improbable to himself And so we may take him for the Universal Expositor of History It is not the Old Historians that we must believe but his Conjectures And thus he deals with divers others § 4. For my part I profess that before I had any Engagement in these Controversies since I first read them I took Socrates and Sozomen to be two of the most credible Historians that the Church had till their Times and of many an Age after them I said of them as I use to do of Thuanus A man may trace the footsteps of Knowledge and impartial honesty and so of Veracity in their very style And there are few of the judicious Censurers of Historians but do tell us of far more uncertainties in Eusebius and after in Nicephorus and most that followed as far as I am acquainted with such Censurers than in these two And if their History be shaken our loss will not be small And I doubt not but the Anathematizing and Condemning Spirit hath done hurt which hath made Eusebius an undoubted Arian and Theodoret first a Nestorian and after at the fifth General Council condemned some of his Writings and imposed it on the whole Christian World to condemn them though many never heard of them and that made Ruffinus and Chrysostom Originists and Origen a Heretick condemned also by a General Council and Socrates and Sozomen Novatians Epiphanius an ignorant credulous Fabler Sulpitius Severus and Beda two pious credulous Reporters of many feigned Miracles and one a Millenary Nicephorus a Fabler Anastasius Bibl. full of Falshoods Philastrius an ignorant Erroneous Hereticator Cassianus a Semi-Pelagian Cassiodori Chronic. est farrago temulentiae inquit Onuphrius Pan. Pene nunquam cum Eusebio convenit inquit Vossius c. I say Though it be no wrong to the Church to take them for fallible and such as have mistakes which the English Articles say even of General Councils yet it wrongfully shaketh all our belief of Church History to call their Credit in matters of fact into question for their Errours or opinions sake without good Evidence that either they were ignorant mis-informed or wilfully lied But if the Novatians were more strict precise than others it 's rather like that they were more and not less credible than others and made more or not less conscience of a lye Certainly that which the rest named are charged with is somewhat more as to Historical Credit than to be Novatians So that if these men had been Novatians I should yet say by the Complexion of their History that They are two of our most useful and credible Church Historians § 5. But when it serveth his turn he can gather out of Sozomen that even in Constantine's time Constantinople was Altogether a Christian City Because he mentioneth the great Enlargement of it and great encrease of Christianity When as no man that lived could be a sitter judge of the number of Christians in his time than Chrysostom And he that considered that there and every where Constantine left all the Jews and Heathens uncompelled to be Christians yea and used them commonly in places of dignity and Government in City Provinces and Armies and that they continued in such power under many Emperours after him will hardly believe that in Constantine's time C. P. had half or a quarter so many Christians as were in the time of Arcadius and Chrysostom And yet then Chrysostom conjectureth the Christians to be an hundred thousand and all the City poor half as many but the Jews and Heathens not to be numbred See him one Act 4. Hom. 11. When he is making the most of their estate and
numbers saith he I pray you tell me How great a number of all sorts of men hath our City How many Christians will you that there be That is will you grant or do you think there be Will you that there be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hundred thousand But how great is the Number of Jews and Ethnicks How many pounds of Gold have been gathered or Myriads And how great is the Number of the Poor that is of the whole City I do not think they are above fifty thousand Commelin hath put an hundred thousand as Erasmus Translation I suppose by the Errour of the Press Now if there was in Chrysostom's daies but an hundred thousand which many say is not near so many as there be in two Parishes here Martins and Stepney it is not like that in Constantine's Time they were half so many at most And yet I am far from thinking that there was then no more than usually met in an Assembly or could so meet § 6. The Jesuites Valesius and Sirmondus I am no fit person to censure But I am not satisfied why their Credit should go as far with me as it doth with him I have before spoke of Valesius's Recording Grotius as one that designed to bring many with him into the Roman Church And Grotius himself saith That many of the English Bishops were of his mind as Bishop Bromhall and many Doctors by defending him seem to be And yet when I wrote my Christian Concord and The Grotian Religion how many censured me as a Slanderer for saying less than Valesius doth Yet I am false with this Historian and Valesius is a credible Jesuite And he vouchsafeth to tell us the Judgment of Valesius that Eusebius Nicomed was no Arian pag. 332. where he saith Eusebius of Nicomedia was no Heretick in the Judgment of Valesius But if he were he was not an Heretick because he did not begin the Arch-Heresie but followed Arius What the meaning is of the latter words I know not If he were an Heretick he was not an Heretick I conjecture it is one of the almost Infinite Errata's of the Printer But he supposeth my Printer's to be mine own But that Eusebius Nicomed should be no Heretick whom all the stream of credible Historians make to be that Arch-Heretick I say not the first who corrupted Constantine his Court and Son which introduced the prevalency of Arianism to the almost Ruine of the Orthodox Church is a thing which he that believeth Valesius in must prefer the Credit of one Jesuite that lived above a thousand years after before the whole current of the best Historians of the same and many following Ages And did I ever so discredit the whole stream of Church-Historians as on the word of one Jesuite to bring them under the suspicion of such a Lie But I confess I am more inclined to believe a Jesuite and a Prelatist when they excuse any man of Heresie than when they accuse him § 7. In the Preface he tells us that Had I consulted Sirmond's Edition of the French Councils I must have wanted several Allegations for the Congregational way which are nothing else but corrupt readings of the ancient Canons of the Gallican Church Nor can we suspect Sirmond as too great a favourer of Diocesan Bishops since it is well known how he is charged by the Abbot of S. Cyran under the name of Petrus Aurelius for having falsified a Canon in the Council of Orange to the prejudice of the Episcopal Order Jesuites care as little for Bishops as our Protestant Dissenters can do Answ I doubt not but Sirmond was a very Learned man and had not the Conformists divested me of all Church-maintenance I had been like to have bought his French Councils In the mean time that notice which others before him gave of the Acts and Canons of Councils sufficed to my furniture fully to prove the Cause I maintained But I confess his pretended reason no whit induceth me to give more credit to a Jesuite than to another man Though Albaspineus was a Bishop there is so much Judgment and Honesty appears in his Observations that I would sooner believe him about Episcopacy than a Jesuite that you say is against it But it 's as incredible to me as the rest of his spurious History that the Jesuites care as little for Bishops as our Protestant Dissenters can do Sure many of those called Presbyterians and Independents would have none at all If this be true then 1. The Jesuites would have no Bishops of Rome though they be his sworn Servants 2. Then they would have no Bishops to be subject to the Pope 3. Then they would have all particular Churches to be without Bishops or to be unchurcht 4. Then they would have Ordination without Bishops 5. Then they think not that an uninterrupted Succession of Episcopal Ordination is necessary to Church or Ministry 6. Then they think that Bishops should not confirm 7. Then they are against the Councils of Bishops General or Provincial 8. And against Diocesans Government of the Parish Priests And yet is a Jesuite a Papist Wonderful that they will venture their Lives in endeavours for the Church of Rome and that they write so much of and for Bishops Councils and yet are quite against them But if really this be so you that take me for incredible who am against but the Corruption of Episcopacy do allow me to take Sirmondus and Valesius and the rest of the Jesuites for incredible who are as much against the very Office as our Dissenters can be But what will not some Historians confidently say CHAP. XVI Mr. M's Observations on my Notes of credible and incredible History Examined § 1. I. BEcause I suppose that common sound Senses are to be trusted He 1. Infers that I was asleep thought that I saw all that I relate that is He that saith he must believe sense implies that he seeth all that he reporteth I am one of the unlearned and this Logick is too hard for me Let it be his own 2. He concludes That we must not believe our senses if they were not Presbyterians but Episcopal that begun the late War in England As if he had seen not only the Parliament Lords and Commons then and the Army then forty years ago almost but had seen their Religion or heard or read them then so profess it Whereas I cannot learn yet whether he was then born or of capable understanding and hath neither sense nor reason for what he saith The Case that we are in is very sad when both sides say they have the Evidence of Sense it self against each other what hope then of Reconciliation They that are yet living that were Lords Commons and Commanders say their internal Sense and Self-knowledge told them that they were no Presbyterians but Episcopal and their daily converse told them that their Companions were mostly of the same Religion and Mind But Young Men that never conversed
with them know them all better and that infallibly by sense it self § 2. II. Because I say the History of the Gospel is certainly credible it is ground enough to say That All is not Gospel that I write as if I had said it is § 3. III. Because I say Prophets were sure of their Revelation he saith It may be Mr. B. heard a Bene scripsisti As if I had pretended to be a Prophet § 4. IV. I said that History is certain even by Natural Evidence when it is the common Agreement of all men of most contrary Interests c. in a matter of fact and sense to all that knew it To which he saith The Superiority of Bishops over Presbyters is acknowledged by Catholicks and Schismaticks and Hereticks men of very contrary minds dispositions and interests and yet this Church-History would have us believe the contrary Answ This is our credible Historian 1. He doth not tell us in what Ages it was so acknowledged when those who doubt of the matter of fact doubt but some of 100 some of 150 or 200 years Doth any doubt whether it be so now 2. He tells us not either what Species of Bishops the question is of nor what Species of Presbyters nor what the Superiority was 3. He speaks without distinction or Exception and so must be understood to say that this Church history would have us to believe that even President Bishops Ejusdem Ordinis had de facto no Superiority at all over Presbyters in the same Churches and of the same order with them which is an untruth so gross as is no Credit to our Historian I have named both more than one ranck of Bishops whose Superiority de Jure I deny not Popes Patriarchs Primates Diocesans who deposed the Bishops of single Churches whose Superiority de facto I fully enough affirm in the ages and degrees in which they did ascend If he say that he meant it Even from the Apostles time and that of such Diocesans as have scores or hundreds of true Churches and Altars without their particular Bishops or any Presbyters that were Ejusdem Ordinis with the Bishops and were Episcopi Gregis and that had such Power of the Keys over their flocks as ours have not or that had so many such Assemblies that were no true Churches if he will be proved a Historian worthy Credit Let him give us any proof that all men described by him agreed de facto that there was so long such a superiority of such Bishops But these men deride distinguishing and banish Logick that is Reason from their History § 5. V. The next Evidence of certainty which I mentioned was from continued Existent visible Effects which prove their Causes And here this undistinguishing Historian is at it again The Superiority of Bishops over Presbyters is proved by the Laws and Customs of all Churches This hath the same answer which I will not repeat Either it falsly reporteth my denyal or it falsly affirmeth that all Churches in all ages have left us visible Effects of the foresaid species And I would he would help us that are ignorant therein with such History and Evidence from the begining of the Churches in Scotland and in the Southern and Eastern Countries that were without the Empire § 6. VI. I said that History is credible which speaketh consentingly against the known interest of the authors and therefore I named few testimonies of the sins of Popes and Councils but of those that are their most Zealous Friends To this he saith that my Characters of ancient Bishops are taken from their professed Enemies as my account of Athanasius Theophylus Cyril and divers others Ans 1. My account of Athanasius is almost all if not all in his praise and is not an enemies testimony there valid If I mention the displeasure of Constantine against him it is not any Character of him but of Constantine the Agent Nor do I think Constantine or Eusebius Caesar meet to be numbred with his Enemies why did he not instance in some words of mine As to Theophylus and Cyril I do not believe that he can prove that Socrates and Sozomen and the Historians that Concur with them were their Enemies And if in reciting the Acts of the Councils I recite their Enemies words so doth Surius Nicholinus Binnius Baronius and all just writers of those acts And I do not find that Chrysostom himself or Isidore Pelusiota had any Enmity to them nor Pope Innocent neither Of the rest before § 7. VII The next degree of credibility that I mentioned is that which dependeth on the Veracity and fitness of the reporter Of which I named nine things requisite Here he supposeth me one that is unfit and particularly saith Whether any hath â—ailed with greater intemperance and less provocation Ans 1. I am not the Author of the History of the mentioned Councils or Popes or Bishops but the Transcriber Let me be as bad as you or any of your tribe have made me that proveth not that Socrates Sozomen Theodorite Nitephorus c. or Binnius Baronius c. have misreported what they write If I have misreported these authors in any material point prove it and I will soon retract it As for my railing I expect that title from all such whose faults I name and call them to repentance He that calls men to Repent calleth them sinners and that is Railing he it never so great His first instanced railing is Pag. 19. A few turbulent Prelates Persecute good men He saith thus I call the present Bishops of the Church of England Doth he mean All or some If All he is an untrue Historian He may see many named before my Apology whom I except And if I have named two I have annexed the proof The next is Pag. 46. silencing destroying Prelates Ans Are there none such Were not about 2000 here silenced Do we not continue so and impoverished almost 20 years Have none perished in prisons or with want Do men call out for the execution of the Law and plead for our Silencing as a good work and take it for railing to have it named Doth not Conscience recoil in these men when in Pulpits press and Conference they maintain it to be a good work and tell the world how sinful a thing it is for rulers to suffer us out of Gaols What are you now ashamed of your meritorious works Sure they are sâ—ant good if it be railing to name them You will not say I rail if I call you Preachers And why do you say so if I call you Silencers if that be as good The next railing is Pag. 73 If all the proud Contentious ambitious Hereticating part of the Bishops had been of this Christian mind to endure each other in small tollerable Differences What sins Scandal and shame what Crimes confusion and miseries had the Christian world escaped And is this railing Hath the Christian world had no such Bishops these 1000 years
Have not whole Kingdoms been forbidden all Gods Publick worship by such even France and England among the rest Is it railing to tell for what little things they not only Silenced men but burned and murdered many thousands Were they not proud ambitious Prelates that deposed and abused Lud. Pius and those that in Council decreed the digging all the dead Bishops out of their graves to be burâ—t as Hereticks who were for the Emperours power of Investitures Do I rail if I say that Greg. 7. was Proud and ambitious when he threatened the Prince of Calaris with the loss of his dominions unless he made his Bishop shave his beard Do not Jewel and all Protestant writers say worse than this of Papist Bishops Is there any such thing as pride silencing burning c. If yea must it never be known reproved repented of and so forgiven to the penitent And if yea than how shall it be known without proper names By what name should I have called Silencing but its own and so of the rest Gods power over Conscience is marvellous that sin cannot endure its own name The next railing is the word Hereticating And how could I have known if he had not told me that this word is railing Did not the Bishops take it for a great service of God and is it railing to name it It 's true I used one word instead of a Sentence for brevity to signifie the Bishops culpable over doing in proclaiming men Hereticks He that doth not believe that they did not well nor do not to this day in Cutting off from the Church of Christ all those whole Countreys of Christians called Nestorians Jacobites Melchites and the Monothelites and many such I cannot save him from himself who will own all such sin and contract the guilt of it Hath not Bishop Epiphanius made us more Hereticks than he needed Hath not Bishop Philastrius made many more than the Devil himself made Lest this pass for railing once more I will name some of them 1. His 11th sort of Hereticks are those that kept Easter-day at a wrong time as our Brittains and Scots did 2. The Millenaries are the 12th such as many of the antient fathers and our Mr. Mede Dr. Twiss c. 3. The 27th Offered Bread and Cheese at the oblation 4. The 28th put New Wine in New Vessels in the Church 5. The 29th Put their fingers on their mouths for Silence 6. The 30th thought that all Prophets ended not with Christ 7. The 33d went without shooes 8. The Novatians are the 34th 9. The 41th thought the Epistle to the Hebrews was not written by Paul but by Barnabas or Clemens and the Epistle to Laodicea by Luke 10. The 42th are the Orthodox Miletians that Communicated with the Orthodox and some Arians too 11. The 46th doubted of the diversity of Heavens 12. The 47th being ignorant that there is another Common Earth invisible which is the Matrix of all things do think that there is no Earth but this one 13. The 48th thought that water was the common matter and was alwaies and not made with the Earth 14. The 49th Heresie denyed that the soul was made before the body and the body after joyned to it and believed that Gods making them Male and Female first was to be understood of the bodily Sexes Whereas saith he it was the Soul that was made Male and Female And the Soul was made the Sixth day and the body the 7th 15. The 50th Heresie thought that not only Grace but also the Soul itself was by God breathed into man 6. The 51st is Origens that thought our Souls were first celestical Intellects before incorporate as Mr. Glanvile and many now 17. The 52d thought that brutes had some reason as Mr. Chambre 18. The 54th thought that Earthquakes have a natural Cause 19. The 55th Heresie learned of Trismegistus to call the Stars by the names of Living Creatures as all Astronomers do 20. The 56th thought that there were not many languages before the confusion of Babel 21. The 57th Heresie thought that the name of a Tongue proceeded first of the Jews or of the Pagans 22. The 58th Heresie doubted of the years and time of Christ 23. The 59th thought as many Fathers that Angels begat Giants of women before the flood 24. The 61st was that Christians were after Jews and Pagans 25. The 62d Heresie saith that Pagans are born naturally but not Christians that is that the Soul and body of men are not daily Created by Christ but by Nature 26. The 63d saith that the number of years from the Creation was uncertain and unknown 27. The 64 thought that the names of the daies of the week Sunday Monday c. were made by God first and not by Pagans and were named from the Planets 28. The 66th was that Adam and Eve were blind till God opened their Eyes to see their nakedness 29. The 67th Heresie imputeth the Sins of Parents to their Children 30. The 68 Heresie was of some troubled about the Book called Deuteronomy 31. The 69 thought that those sanctified in the Womb wore yet conceived in sin 32. The 70th Heresie thought that the World had been first divided by the Greeks Egyptians and Persians 33. The 71 thought there was a former Flood under Deucalion and Pyrrha 34. The 72 saith that men are according to or under the 12 signs of the Zodiack not knowing that those 12 signs are divers Climates and habitable Regions of the Earth 35 The 74 Heresie is that Christ descended into Hell to offer Repentance there to sinners 36. The 75 doubted of the nature of the Soul thinking it was made of Fire c. as many Greek Fathers did 37. The 77 is of Gods hardening Pharaoh c. where he describeth the Dominicans 38. The 79 is that the Psalms were not all made by David and it denieth the equality of the Psalms as if they were not all written and placed in the order that the things were done 39. The 80 Heresie thought that Gods words to Cain Thou shalt rule over him were properly to be understood whereas the meaning was Thou shalt rule over thy own evil Thoughts that are in thy own free Will 40. The 81 Heresie did not well understand the reason of Gods Words to Cain giving him Life 41. The 82 Heresie thought that the Stars had their fixed place in Heaven and their course not understanding that the Stars are every night brought out of some secret place and set up for use and at morning return to their secret place again Angels being Presidents and Disposers of them that is as servants bring Candles into the room at night and take them out again 42. The 83 doubted as some Episcopal Commentators of the Book of Caâ—ticles lest it had a carnal Sense 43. The 85 Heresie thought that the Soul of man was naturally Gâ—ds Image â—efore Grace 44. The 87 Heresie thought that really four living Creatures mentioned in the Pâ—â—pheâ—s
take all you have do not say you hâ—rt us much less you wrong us take not on you to know or feel when you are hurt else we will have an Action of railing against you § 8. That wâ—iâ—h followeth I answered before But after he finds a notable piece of my ignorance The Pope inviting the King of Denmark to conquer a Province of Hereticks I know not who they were unless they were the Waldenses Well guest saith Mr. M. Waldo was in 1160 80 Years after Ans This will serve for men willing to be deceived It was the Persons and Religion and not the name that I spoke of Doth not he know that Rainerius himself saith that those Persons called Albigenses Waldenses and other such names professed that their way of Religion was Apostolical and they derived it down from Silvesters that is Constantines time If I did not guess well I wrong no Bishops by iâ— and I confessed my Ignorance that I knew not whom the Pope meant And why did not this callent Historian tell us who they were § 9. Next he hath met with my Ignorance for saying Vienna near France which is in the Borders of France Aâ—s 1. Is that any slander of Bishops or Councils 2 Truly I had many a time read in Councils that Vienna was in France and had not forgot it if Ferrarius and Chenu had not also told it me And whether it was the fault of the Printer or of my Hand or my Memory that put near for in I leave it freely to his Judgment for I remember it not And if the manner of Binnius naming it made me call Ordo Prophetarum in Gelasius a Book it 's no wrong to Episcopacy CHAP. XVII His Censure of my Design and Church-Principles considered § 1. AS to this his first Chapter I have before shewed how falsly he reporteth my design He saith he never saw any thing which more reflecteth on Religion Lucian and Julian have left nothing haâ—f so scandalous in all their Libels against Christians as this Church-History has raked up Here is nothing to be seen in his Book but the Avarice Ignorance Mistakes and furious Contentions of the Governours of the Church Ans How false that is the Reader may see in all the beginning the two Chapters in the end and much in the midst which are written contrarily to obviate such false thoughts 2. Is the ascendent sort of Prelates that were growing up to maturity till Gregory the Seventh's daies the whole Church of God Are there no other Christians Is all that is written against the Pope and such Ascendents written against Christianity Did Christ speak against Christianity when he reproved them for striving who should be greatest or Peter when he counselled them as 1 Pet. 5. And Paul when he said I have no man like minded for they all seek their own things and not the things that are Jesus Christ's Or when he said Demas hath forsaken me c Or John when he said Diotrephes loved to have the preheminence Or all those Councils of Bishops which condemned each other far deeplier than I judge any of them What have I said of Fact or Canons which Binnius and their other Flatterers say not Was it not there extant to the sight of all And that I Recorded not all their Virtues 1. The History of Councils saith little of them 2. Must no man shew the hurt of Drunkenness Gluttony c. and so of Ambition and Church-corruption unless he will write so Voluminous a History as to contain also all the good done by all the persons whom he blameth I have oft said that I wondered that instead of so greedy gathering up all the scraps of Councils the Papists did not burn them all as they have done many better Books which made against them § 2. I was about to answer all his first Chapter but I find it so useless a work that I shall ease my self and the Reader of that labour 1. He takes on him to answer a Piece of a Disputation written about 23 years ago whereas I have lately written a Treatise of Episcopacy with fuller proof of the same things which he nameth and takes on him to answer some part of it and answers not Till he or some other shew me the mistakes of that let them talk on for me in their little Velitations 2. Most that is considerable which he saith is answered already in that Book As his fiction that Unum Alt are in Ignatius signifieth not an ordinary Communion Table c. And much more out of Ignatius and many more is added which he saith nothing to 3. I have before shewed that he goeth on false Suppositions that I am only for a Bishop of a single Congregation or against all and many such when yet he himself confesseth the contrary yea derideth me for making Twelve sorts of Bishops and being for such as no Party is like to be pleased with 4 The contradictions and mistakes are so many as would tire the Reader to peruse an answer to them And when he hath all done with the numbring of Churches over-passing the full proof of the Primitive Form of them which I gave as before he confesseth that even his great esteemed Jesuite Valesius believes that the City Church was but One even in Alexandria and in Dionysius ' s time p. 64. And while p. 65. he makes Petavius and Valesius so much to differ as to gather their contrary Opinions from the same words and consequently one of them at least understood them not I that profess my self not comparable to either of them specially Petavius in such things am taken for a falsifier if I misunderstand a word that concerneth not the matter of the History This therefore being not about Church-History so much as against my Opinion of the Antient Government when he hath answered the foresaid Treatise of Episcopacy if I live not some one may reply if he deal no better than in this CHAP. XVIII Of his Second Chapter § 1. PAg. 78. He would have men believe that it is Discipline against real Heresie that I find so much fault with and ascribe all mischief to Answ Utterly contrary to my most open Profession It is only making those things to seem Heresie that are none either Truth or meer difference of words or small mistakes or curing Heresies by rash Anathema's without necessary precedent means of Conviction or by Banishment or Blood § 2. Is this it that you defend the Church for and we oppose it for When we would have none in our Churches whom we know not and that have not personally if at Age profest understandingly their Faith And what is the Discipline that you exercise on Hereticks It 's enough that you know them not and so never trouble them Your Talk and Pamphlets truly complain what swarms of Hobbists Sadduces Infidels Atheists are among us Do they not all live in the Parishes and Diocesses Doth the Bishop know them Are any of
them Excommunicated I could never learn yet how to know who are Members of your Churches Is it all that dwell in the Parishes Then all these aforesaid with Jews and Papists are in it And then why are ten parts of some Parishes suffered without Discipline to shun the Parish Church-Communion Is it all that hear you Then 1. Ten parts in some Parishes and two or three or half in others are not of your Church and hear you not and many Nonconformists hear you 2. And any Infidel may hear Bare hearing was never made a sufficient note of a Church-Member 3. And how can you tell who all be that hear you in an uncertain crowd 4. And why doth not your Discipline meddle with constant Non-Communicants 3. Is it only all that Communicate with you 1. These are yet fewer and so the far greatest part of many or most Parishes here are let alone to be no Church members at all when they have been long Baptized and no censure by discipline past on them 2. How know you your stated Communicants when any stranger may come unquestioned The truth is it is Parish discipline which you will not endure No wonder if you named it Issachars burden Bucer in scrip Anglic. and all the Nonconformists after him long strove for it in vain It is the hated thing Were it possible to prevail with you for this we should have little disagreement about Church Government But the Popes that have been the greatest enemies of it have yet gloried in a Discipline to set up their power over Princes and Peoples and to have their own wills and tread down all that are against them § 2. To extenuate Anathematizing so very Common with Councils he tells us P. 81. that Let him be Anathema imports no more than that we declare our abhorrence of such doctrines and will have nothing Common with those that profess them Ans 1. We may declare our abhorrence of every known sin and Errour in such as must not be anathematized 2. By nothing I suppose you mean not not the same King Countrey Earth Air c. but not the same Church the same Christian Communion familiarity love c Whether you mean not the same God Christ c. I know not But do you think the Anathematizing Bishops so unreasonable as to renounce all Christian Communion with men and not tell why Or to give no better Reason than We abhor their doctrine How few Churches or men have nothing worthy to be abhorred that is No Errour or sin And must we renounce Communion with all the Christian world No they were not so bad You use them hardlier than I. They took them to be no true Christians as wanting somewhat of that faith which is necessary to Salvation and Essential to a Christian and so to have made themselves no Church-Members and therefore are to be sentenced avoided accordingly And how ordinarily do they expound Let him be Anathema that is Cut off from Christ Not only Hildebrand so expounds it often but many before him Whereupon they commonly agree that an Anathematized Heretick is none of the Church nor can be saved without repentance And indeed to renounce all Communion with Christs true members not Cut off from the Church is a greater sin than I charge on them Though familiarity and specially Communion may be suspended while delay of repentance makes the Case of a sinner doubtful § 3. Pag. 82 He begins himself with blaming Bishop Victor for Endangering the Peace of the whole Church upon so light occasion Valesius is of opinion that it was but by letters of accusation Answ I think it could be but by Letters of Accusation Renunciation and persuading others to renounce them For Bishops were not then come up to their Commanding Power over one another But doth not Mr. M's here rail upon a Bishop in saying the same of him that I did if my words were Railing Thus you shall have him all along confessing much of that faultiness by them which he takes the mention of by me to be so bad § 4. He nameth many Councils which he saith I pass lightly over then sure I say no harm of them He thinks it is because I could not as if he knew it were my will And so I am never blameless § 5. But he hath a notable Controversie against Baronius who thought Novatus had been a Bishop such Errours as Baronius was guilty of by Ignorance are excusable in one so far below him in History as I am But I congratulate Mr. M's discovery that he was but a Presbyter But all confess that he Ordained Felicissimus Deacon And here is a Presbyter Ordaining But it was irregularly Let it be so He saith that he ought not to have Ordained but with Cyprian or by his permission I grant it But 1. If Cyprian's permission would serve then it was not a work alien to a Presbyter If a permitted Presbyter may Ordain a Bishop's Ordination is not necessary ad esse Officii and so that which is a disorder is no Nullity 2. And it seems by Novatus's Act that the Necessity of Episcopal Ordination was not universally received And I have not yet met with any that make it more necessary ad esse Presbyteratus quam Diaconatus § 6. Next he mentions another Carthage Council where one Victor dead is condemned for making a Priest Guardian of his Child and so entangling him in worldly Affairs And he tells you that all that I can say against this is the rigour of the Sentence but he dissembleth and takes no notice that I mention it in praise of the Bishops of those Times who were so much against Clergy-mens medling with Secular Affairs What odious Puritanism would this have been with us What I cite in praise our Historian cannot understand § 7. And that you may need no Confuter of much of his Accusation of me but himself who so oft saith I say nothing of Bishops and Councils but of their faults c. he here saith as followeth After this he gives a short Account of Councils called on the Subject of Rebaptization of Hereticks And here to do him right he is just enough in his Remarks The generality of the World was for Rebaptizing Hereticks And considering what manner of men the first Hereticks were it is probable they had Tradition as well as Reason on their side However Mr. Baxter endeavours fairly to excuse these Differences and speaks of the Bishops with honour and respect allowing them to be men of eminent Piety and Worth Had he used the same Candour towards others c. Answ 1. If this be true a great deal contradictory is untrue 2. He greatly misreporteth the Controversie It was not whether Hereticks should be Rebaptized but those that were Baptized by Hereticks and taken into their Churches If a Heretick had been Baptized when found by a sound Minister and after turned to Heresie he was to be restored by Repentance without Rebaptizing and I
think they all agreed in this But I imagine this was but a lapse of his memory in Writing 3. But the Question is Whether the Bishops whose faults I mention were of equal Worth and Innocency with those whom I honour and praise Let the proof shew I would he would freely tell us Q. 1. Whether he think at this day the generality of Bishops in Italy Spain France Germany Poland the Greek Church Moscovy Armenia Syria c. are so commendable as not to be notably blamed Q. 2. If not When was it that he thinks they ceased to be generally so commendable Was it in Hildebrand's Time or any time before Q. 3. Can you believe that the generality turn from good to bad just in one Age Or rather that they degenerated by degrees If they were mostly bad in a thousand or nine hundred or eight hundred can you think that they were not drawing towards it and near as bad a little before Q. 4. What was it think you in which the Corruption of the Clergy did consist Was it not most in a proud domineering worldly Spirit Is it not that that you blame the Popes for Was not their Ascent their Corruption Sure you all agree of that Q. 5. And did the Papacy Spring up in a year Did not Leo begin to arrogate and others after him to say nothing now of those before him rise higher and higher by degrees as Children grow up to manhood till in Greg. 7. it came to Maturity I know no Protestant that denyeth this Q. 6. And can you or any sober man think that in so many hundred years it was only the Bishop of Rome that was sick of this disease and that all or most of the other Bishops were Free Were they not commonly for ascending with them Did not they in the East strive to be greatest And the Bishops of the West strive to rise with and by the Pope Were they not and are they not as his Army And did he prevail against the Primitive Purity and Simplicity without them Did not his Councils and Prelates as his Armies do his greatest works Yea have they not oft out-done him and over-topt him in Mischief as in the deposing of Ludov. Pius against his will say good Historians Tell us then at what Age just we may begin to dispraise the Bishops And from that time forward will you not be as great a Railer as I and scandalize Christianity more than Lucian or Julian § 8. But I somewhat marvel that he is again at it reciting Dionysius's words which he thinks I mistook for Eusebius's That he does not condemn the rebaptizing of Hereticks which was a Tradition of so great antiquity I judge more Candidly of him than he doth of me Though he so oft repeat it I will not believe that he knew not that it was not the baptizing of Hereticks as such that was the question but only of those that were baptized by Hereticks Yet I confess Eusebius phrasing it might tempt one to think so that had not read Cyprian and others upon the questions But when Eusebius and Dionysius mention rebaptizing Hereticks they mean only those that were by Hereticks baptism entered into the Societies and Profession of Hereticks If the worst Heretick yea or Apostate had been baptized by the orthodox Cyprian and all the rest were agreed against Rebaptizing such when they repented This Dionysius telling Xystus Rom. of an ancient Minister that was greatly troubled in Conscience that he had been falsly Baptized by an Heretick being himself no Heretick and doubted whether he should not be Rebaptized yet saith He told him he durst not Rebaptize him that had so long been in the Church and Communicated but bid him go on Comfortably in Communion Much like a forementioned case put to me by some that never were Baptized but in our undisciplined Parish Churches had been without knowledge or question admitted long to Communion whether yet they should be Baptized at all And Dionysius's Reasons against it I cannot answer § 9. And here I may take notice how our new Church-men such as Thorndike Mr. Dodwell and all their partners who nullifie sacraments delivered by one that hath not Canonical Ordination by a Bishop of uninterrupted Succession from the Apostles do make themselves Hereticks in the sense of the Roman Church which they allow For 1. Baptism is the first and most necessary Sacrament in their own opinion Yea Austin and too many of old but specially too many now take it to be necessary to Salvation 2. If therefore Baptism be a nullity all that are Baptized in England Scotland and all the Protestant Churches by such as had no such Ordainers must be Baptized again or be damned 3. If they say They may be saved without it then 1. they confess Mr. Dodwells Doctrine to be false that saith none have a Covenant right to Salvation who have it not by a Sacrament from such hands 2. And they renounce the Doctrine of the Necessity of Baptism to Salvation But if they are for Rebaptizing all such Protestant Countries as necessary to Salvation they are uncharitable that do not speak it out § 10. He passeth by Bishop Stephens Excommunicating all the Oriental Bishops of Cappadocia Cilicia Galatia and Reprobating their Synods for Rebaptization Doth he think that even then some Bishops did not rise too fast § 11. The man that is so angry with me for telling of the faults of Bishops and Councils is pag. 87. angry with me for not saying worse against Secundus his Council of Bishops at Cirta and saith I have not done right to the Catholick Church I perceive the question is not whether I may Rail at Bishops but what Bishops they be that I must Rail at As for the Council at Sinuessa I believed the being of it no more than he doth And when I am but naming the common Catalogue he might pardon my modesty for saying that the being of it is a Controversie § 12. Of the Council of Illiberis he saith but contractedly the same that I do that It hath many good Canons and some that need a favourable Interpretation and is very severe in some cases This measure of just praise and dispraise is practised by him that is condemning it in me § 13. As to his Controversie whether Bishops or such as strove to be Bishops were the very first movers of the Donatists Controversie who should be Bishop it 's not worth the turning over one Book to search as to my business § 14. Next he that accuseth me of Railing at Bishops accuseth me for saying from some good Authors that a Bishop of Carthage Donatus was a good man who he saith was bad It 's little to me whether he were good or bad § 15. Next he noteth that I Err with Binnius and Baronius as to the year of a Carthage Council I undertook not to justifie all the Chronology or History that I transcribe Whether Optatus or Binnius and Baronius hit on the
just year little care I. § 16. I praised a Donatist's Council of 270 Bishops at Carthage for Moderation agreeing to communicate with penitent Traditors without Rebaptizing them and so doing for 40 years Q. What was these mens Heresie He saith This looks liker a piece of Policy than Moderation for it had no tendency to peace but to strengthen the Schism Ans Who knows how to please men When they exclaim against Separation if men Communicate with them they judge it but Policy that hath no tendency to peace 2. And who is it now that most raileth at Bishops I am confuted for praising the moderation of 270 of them and he is their censurer even when they do well and their moderation with him is but Policy Even as they say of me that I constantly Communicate with their Parish Churches to undermine them Near or far off all 's one with this sort of men if you stick at any thing that they bid you say or do But he will not believe that this Council of Orthodox moderate Donatists were so many as 270. Because 1. we have only the Authority for it of Tychonius a Donatist 2. It 's improbable after Constantine's suppression of them that Schism should so suddenly spread 3. Lest it should prove the Churches to be too Small Yet he saith These Schismaticks set up Churches in every City and Village Ans 1. It 's said Tychonius confesseth this Council because the later Donatists would fain have buryed the memory of it But that it depends only on the Credit of Tychonius I think depends only on your Credit 2. Augustine that reports it honoureth this Tychonius and reciteth an Exposition of his of the Angels of the Churches Rev. 2. and 3. which I suppose displeaseth you more than his Donatism 3. It seems you would have believed some stranger that knew it not rather than a Donatist that speaketh against the will and interest of his party 4. It rather seems that the Donatists were the greater number of Christians there before Constantine's time and like the Papists therefore counted themselves the Catholicks and the others the Schismaticks Constantines Prohibition did not suppress them 5. Therefore the numerousness of their Bishops and smallness of Churches rather sheweth what was the state of the Churches before worldly greatness swelled them to that disease which was the Embrio or infancy of Popery § 17. Whether the Donatists be like the Papists or the Separatists much less to the Nonconformists if the Reader will but peruse what I have said and what Mr. M. hath said I am content that he judge without more words § 18. He passeth by divers Councils because he could not say that I blame them And he passeth by Constantine's Epistle to Alexander and Arius which raileth at them more than I do in his sence As to the Council of Laodicea it is not two or three such words as his that will make an impartial man believe that the Churches were like our Diocesses when every Convert before baptism was to say his Catechism to the Bishops or his Presbyters Or that the Command that Presbyters go still with the Bishop into the Church and not before him do not both imply that they were both together in every Church But he will have it confined to the Cathedral And when I say There were long no Churches but Cathedrals he saith he will not differ with me whether they shall be called Churches or Chappels But the difference is de re They say themselves that A Bishop and a Church were then Relatives And when they have put down many hundred Churches under the Diocesan forsooth they will gratifie us by giving us leave to call them Churches As if they put down an hundred to one of the Cities and Corporations and then give us leave to call them Corporations when they are none Yet blush they not to make the world believe that they are that Episcopal party who put down a thousand Churches and Bishops in some one Diocess and I am against Bishops Yea when they have not the front to deny but that every City then had a Bishop that had Christians and that our Corporations are such as they called Cities Yet when we plead but at least if they will have no Chorepiscopi they will restore a Church and Bishop with his Presbyters to every such City with its adjacent Villages hatred scorn and derision goeth for a Confutation of us Though we do it but to make true discipline a possible thing Which they call Issachar's burden and abhor it and then say It is possible and practised § 19. As to the Roman Council which he believeth not he might perceive that I believed at least their antiquity as little as he But the Canons are so like those of following Councils that such it 's like were sometime made And whereas I noted that their condemning them that wrong timed Easter would fall on the Subscribers to our English Liturgy where 2000 are Silenced for not Subscribing the man had no better answers to give than these 1. That I should have said the Almanack-Makers As if he would have had men believe that Falshood that it was the Almanack Makers and not our Liturgy changers that were deceived 2. Alas one year they mistook As if he would Perswade men that their rule faileth but one year which faileth oft 3. The Silenced Ministers have little Reason to thank him or any body else that giveth this Reason of their Separation It 's strange this should trouble their Consciences that Care no more for Easter than for Christmas but only that it Falls upon a Sunday Here see his Historical Credibility 1. Would he perswade men that we give this Reason alone Or why may it not be one with twenty more 2. He intimateth that I give them as reasons of Separation As if to be Silenced were to separate and to be passive were to be active 3. He intimateth that as Nonsubscribers I and such other are Separatists which is false While we live in their Communion 4. He taketh on him to know our judgment as against Easter but for Sunday when we never told him any such thing 5. He intimateth that it 's no credit to us that we make Conscience of deliberate professing Assent to a known untruth in open matter of fact And if the Contrary be their Credit I wish they may never be Witnesses against us 6. He intimateth that a man that is not for keeping Easter is the less excusable if he will not Profess a known Falshood about the time of Easter If Conscience stood a man in no stead for greater Ends than worldly wealth and ease and honour who would not be a Latitudinarian Conformist § 20. Next when I deny belief to these Councils he blames me for making advantage of the History of them As if he saw not that I do it but ad hominem to the Papists who record them as if they were really true For it
is principally the Papists from Infancy to Hildebrands Maturity against whom I write § 21. He next comes to the Novatians as my Favourite sect And Favourite may signifie to the Reader a truth or a Falshood 1. Doth not every Christian Favour them that have lesser Errours more than them that have greater 2. Do I not as oft as he profess my great dislike of every sect as a sect 3. Do I not disclaim this Novatian sect and their opinion and own the Contrary 4. It seems he taketh me to be too Favourable to some Bishops and their followers The question is but who they be that must be favoured I may come to be taken for a Novatian by such men as well as Socrates and Sozomen § 22. Here wiâ—hout railing he bedawbs Novatus and Novatian to the purpose with horrid Crimes a Pharisaical Saint Perjured and what not But what Were they not Episcopal Yes he doubts it not It was for to be a Bishop that Novatian wrought his Villanies what if I had thus bedawbed the Episcopal But yet the very word Puritan is of use to him This saith he of Novatus was the tender Conscience of the author of the Ancient sect of the Puritanes Can you tell who the man aimeth at Is it Nonconformists Novatus Novatian were Prelatists and never scrupled more Ceremonies than our Prelates impose Who then can it be but men that in general though Episcopal do profess Tenderness of Conscience And there I leave them without the application § 23. But this Defender of Surgent Prelacy sticks not to disgrace those whom he seemeth to defend It was three of the Catholick Bishops that Consecrated Novatian and without railing he calls them Three plain ignorant Bishops These good men suspecting no trick and overcome with his good entertainment with too much Wine and perswasions were forced at last to lay their hands on him and Consecrate him Bishop 1. Ignorant Bishops 2. Overcome with too much Wine and entertainment 3. And with perswasion 4. To do such an Act as to Consecrate so bad a Bishop that in such a city as Rome and that without the Churches choice or Consent How much worse have I said of Bishops But yet they were good men But if they had been Nonconformists what names had been bad enough for them No doubt if they had been sequestred and cast out for their too much wine and such ordination how odiously might the agents have been described as enemies to the Church and Persecutors of good men § 24. Yet further this New Bishop engageth men to him by Oaths enough to strike a horror in the minds of the Reader saith he See what a man may do for a Bishoprick It reminds me of many good Canons that forbid Bishops swearing their Clergy to them And of our Et Caetera Oath in 1640 never to Consent to any alteration to say nothing of our times and the old Oath of Canonical obedience It strikes horror into mens minds now that we scruple these § 25. He maketh the Novatian doctrine blasphemous without railing and me too Favourable in representing it As to that I suppose he is not ignorant how great a Controversie it is what they held even among the greatest Antiquaries and Enemies of Schism and Heresie And I use in accusations to meet with most truth in the most Favourable interpretations And here I will tell our Historian that while I take leave to dissent from his accusation it shall be but by the authority of those whom I judge as well acquainted with Church Writers and Customes as any that ever Mr. M. or any of his Masters read not excepting more knowing men than Valesius The first is D. Petavius in Epiphan de Cath. Where first he tells us that no less nor later men than most of the ancient Fathers and Specially the Greeks mistook Novatus and Novatian for one or thought the sect had a single Author naming Euseb Theodoret Epiphan Nazian Ambrose Austin Philastrius yea and Socrates Yet half as great a mistake in me would have been scorned 2. Against Epiph. and Theodoret he saith Non ea Novatiani Opinio fuit eos qui gravioris peccati noxam contraherent ab omni spe consequendae salutis excludi Nam illos ad capessendam poenitentiam hortari solebant Et ut Divinam clementiam lachâ—ymis ac sordibus elicerent identidem admonebant Sed hoc unum negabant ad Ecclesiae fidelium Communionem recipi amplius oportere Neque penes Ecclesiam reconciliandi jus ullum ac potestatem esse Quippe unicam illam peccatorum indulgentiam in illius arbitrio versari quae per Baptismum obtinetur which he proveth out of Socrates Ambrose And he saith that they were not counted Hereticks for wronging the lapsed by denying them Communion but for wronging the Church Power by denying the Power of the Keyes for their Restitution Like enough The other shall be that excellent Bishop Albaspineus Observ lib. 2. Observ 20 21. p. mihi 130 131. Advertant Novatianorum errorem non in eo positum quod dicerent neque lapsum neque excommunicatum in morte à peccatis liberandum sed haereticos ideo habitos quod opinarentur Deum ipsum Ecclesiae neque remittendorum neque retinendorum peccatorum capitalium potestatem copiamque fecisse Atque haec in eo fuit viguitque eorum haeresis qui quanquam illud consequeretur ex-eorum falsa Opinione ut absolutionem non largirentur tamen hoc eorum factum non haeresis nomine afficiendum erat neque ad haeresin accedebat ob aliam causam quam quod à fonte illo quasi capite haresin olente dimanârat eo maxime quod Novatiani crederent id Ecclesiae a Deo non fuisse praestitum concessum quae causa sola fuit cur praxis illa ceâ— disciplinae Novatianorum ratio haeresis nomen notionemque non effugeret The Clergy felt their own Interest and the Novatians denied their Power to retain as well as forgive capital Crimes and thought their Keyes extended not so far And that the Case of the lapsed was it that they began with Epiphanius himself and others agree And Observ 19. he shews that Novatianus did this against his former Judgment in Envy and Faction against the Bishop because he mist of being Bishop himself A Bishoprick was it that provoked him to deny this Pardoning Power in Bishops And Albaspineus hath in many antecedent Observations shewed how little if any thing at all the Novatians differed else from the Antient Church in the strictness of their Communion and avoiding sinners So that he thus begins his fifth Observation Incredibilia prope sunt quae his capitibus dicturi sumus sed tamen ita vera certa quae cujusque animam summam in admirationem rapiant Ecclesiam primis temporibus nulla vel levissima labe inquinatam fuisse quin ita illibatam intactamque ut omni ratione curâ solicitudine prospexerit filii ut sui
quam à Baptismo hauserant puritatem eam nulla aspersam vitii alicujus macula soeditate conservarent Imo ca se veritate adhibita ut fugiendum sibi detestandumque peccatum quovis terrore proposito putarent Non solum autem multa crimina peccataque numerabantur quorum Authores artificesque absolutionem omnem desperabant sed ea quoque quibus ignoscet poenitentiam concedi opertere censuerat peccata ita ulciscebatur â—ut non nisi semel eis qui ea commisissent unius poenitentiae copiam faceret Ecclesia hoc est si post Baptismum lethaliter peccassent Quod si cum Ecclesia reconciliatus in idem aut aliud mortale peccatum iterum prolaberetur ita in perpetuum tribus primis saeculis ab Ecclesia repulsam ferebat ut non nisi poenitentiae in morte precum quae reliqua erant subsidia expectanda sibi duceret nulla absolutione data quae in spem veniae illum erigeret And he adds that many that cannot deny his proofs yet will not believe that ever such a Discipline was used But this was in the three First Ages After when Prosperity and Wealth ticed the ungodly into Bishops Seats and into the Church the Case was altered and as he shews Observ 6. the Case was so altered to the loose extreme that Criminals were admitted toties quoties And in his Notes on Tertullian he sheweth that this was a difference between the Orthodox and the Hereticks that the Orthodox did diâ— multumque deliberare quos in societatem ejusdem Ecclesiae corporis recipere debeant but the Hereticks were ready to take all that came Yet I suppose not near so loose as those Diocesan and Parochial Churches that know not who comes but without question take all that will but come to the Rails and kneel And when by the magnitude of Diocess and other means they have secured themselves against the trouble and possibility of Pastoral Discipline the Priest wipes off all guilt with a word and faith If they were Atheists Hobbists Sadduces Whoremongers common Blasphemers Drunkards it 's no fault of mine I know it not and no wonder when he knoweth not who in the Parish are his Flock That Eusebius himself and others named by Petavius mistook the Novatians is no wonder to those who read the volumes of palpable Falshood written against the Nonconformists in this present age and hear witnesses at the bar swear those Plots and Conspiracies Treasons against men from which grave and conscionable Juries quit them But me thinks when Mr. M. had said that Socrates is an Historian of good Credit and acquainted with them he much forgot his own ends when he recited these words as his Some took part with Novatian and others with Cornelius according to their several inclinations and Course of life The looser and more licentious sort Favouring the most indulgent discipline the other of more austere lives inclining most to the Novatian severity Good still I now see that the Novatians indeed were Puritanes though Episcopal and I accuse not our accusers of any such Heresie But I confess that I shall believe a Novatian Historian who being so strict against sin must be strict against a Lie rather than those that Scorn such Puritanism and deride the Person that cannot swallow a bigger Pill And when Mr. M. labours to shew out of Socrates that it was not only Idolatry that they censured he labours in vain It was the beginning of their Schism that I mentioned and not Socrates his Age. As to the judgment of the Council of Eliberis and all the three First Ages I have told you what Albaspine saith before If you can consute him do I am not engaged to defend him but I believe him § 26. I conclude this and the former Chapter with this Counsel to the Scorners of Puritanes Never trust to your Titles and Order how good soever without a careful holy obedience to the Supreme Law-giver either for Concord on Earth or Salvation in Heaven True Parish-Reformation is the way to satisfie godly persons better than either Violence or Separation But if you still obstinately resist Parish Discipline and Reformation you must have Toleration of such as will not consent to your Corruption or else persecute the best to your own ruine Theophilus Parochialis hath said more for Parish Order against the Regulars and Priviledged than you have done against the Separatists And yet the Confraternity of the Oratorians set up in every Parish was the best way he could devise to recover the state of lapsed Parishes As the priviledging of Fryars was the Pope's last Remedy instead of Reforming his corrupted Church CHAP. XIX Of the Council of Nice and some following § 1. THis Historian having put himself into a military posture seemeth to conceit that every word proceeds from an Enemy And first he feigneth me to make Constantine judge that the Bishops and Councils were of little use when I had no such word or thought but the contrary § 2. Next he himself confesseth that which I blame those Bishops for Even those Libels which they Contentiously offered against one another to have raised Quarrels instead of Peace and which Constantine cast altogether into the fire without reading them And when he confesseth what I say is he not a Railer at the Bishops as much as I in that As to his excuse that It is no wonder considering their great dissentions in Religion c. I easily grant it But in this excuse he saith yet more against them § 3. Because I said that Athanasius differing from Constantine about the reception of Arius his repentance Caused much Calamity he feigneth me heinously to accuse Athanasius which I intended not Even a just action may Cause Calamity as Christ saith his Gospel would bring division All his labour in justifying Athanasius fighteth but with a spectre of his own imagination And yet I am inclined to think that if an Hypocrite Arius had been connived at to please such an Emperor the death of Arius would have left the Church quieter than it did though he here thinks greater rigour had been safer And I think multitudes of Sadduces Infidels and debaucht Persons in one of our Diocesses yea or Parishes is worse than one Arius while Hypocrisie restrained him from Venting his opinion § 4. And here he that dreamed I accused Athanasius really accuseth Constantine as imposed on by a Counterfeit Repentance and restoring the incendiary to opportunities of doing mischief and being against the means that might have ended that fatal mischief But I confess Constantine was no Bishop and therefore this is not an accusation of Bishops or a railing at them § 5. Next when I had fully opened the Case of the Melâ—tians out of Epiphanius on pretence of abbreviating he leaves out that which he likes not and tells us how the Nonconformists have advantaged the Papists If I thought the man believed himself I would try to undeceive
him In the mean time I desire him to think again which party most befriends the Papists They that are for a reconciliation with them on these terms that there may be acknowledged an Universal supreme human Power over all the Church on Earth and the Pope to be Principium Unitatis and Patriarch of the West and he shall abate us the last 400 years Impositions and all be accounted Schismaticks that unite not into this Church and that all the Preachers in England shall be silenced that will not swear promise profess and practise all that which is here imposed on them though they think it heinons sin and others think it but matter indifferent and all the people shall be prosecuted that hear them and that this Division shall rather weaken the Kingdom and advantage the Papists than the Consciences of men as wise and faithful as themselves shall be eased of such Impositions or they suffered to Preach the Gospel of Christ Or those that being condemned to such Silence Prisons and Ruine had rather be delivered though a Papist be delivered with them than be destroyed Methinks we are used by these Church-Fathers as if they should determine that a great part of the Protestants who are most against Popery shall be hanged unless the Papists will beg their pardon or cut the Rope which if these Protestants accept they shall be said to be the Promoters of the Papists § 6. As for all his Exceptions against Epiphanius they are nothing to me who did not undertake to justifie his words but transcribe them nor think it worth my labour now to examine the Case of so small concernment § 7. When some have blamed me for condemning the Arians too much he saith that I say some what very much to the disadvantage of the Doctrine of the Trinity but he was so gentle as not to tell what it was unless it be telling what Petavius the Jesuite saith About that I am wholly of his own mind But the express words which Petavius de Trinit citeth out of all those Old Fathers cannot be denied And verily they are so many and so gross that unless his Argument satisfied me viz. The Votes of the Council of Nice shewed what was the Common sence of the Church better than the words of all those Fathers I should think as Philostorgius in point of History that there were no sufficient confuting of the Arians from those Fathers though sometimes they have better words Visible words cannot be denied even where they must be lamented That 's the difference between Mr. M's Opinion of History and mine § 8. As to the Audians I recite but Epiphanius's words who in other cases is greatly valued by these Accusers They will believe what he saith of Aerius And as to what he saith to the contrary out of Theodoret he may see that he saith all by hearsay and saith that They hid that which he accuseth them of and were Hypocrites professing too much strictness l. 4. c. 9. which is still the common way of accusing the best against whom instead of proveable faults they turn their strictness into a crime Epiphanius is much more particular than Theodoret in the story § 9. The rest which he noteth of my words of the Council of Nice have nothing needing a reply Petavius hath fully proved that the Chorepiscopi were true Bishops But now we are odious Presbyterians if we would but have a Bishop in every City that is Corporation Desiring only that Discipline might become possible And for this we are proclaimed to be against Bishops that is saith this sort of men They that would have but One Bishop over a thousand or many hundred or score Churches are for Episcopacy and they that would have every Church have a Bishop as of old or at least every great Town and so would have twenty or forty or a hundred for one are against Episcopacy And that which is strange is These men are believed § 10. I praised the Council of Gangra for condemning some Superstitions and he saith I have nothing against it Whether it be a Common Mistake that Arius was here received to Communion I 'le not stay to examine § 11. When he hath weighed all he can for the Synod at Antioch he is forced to confess that they were a packt company of Bishops that complied with Constantius and Eusebius's Contrivance And what do I say worse of them than he As to the Canon against Priests or Deacons not gathering Assemblies against the Bishops will I am for it as much as he if the Bishops and Churches be such as they were then but not in France nor Italy He saith I leave my sting behind me and end very angrily for these only words This is their strength mentioning the Councils that was against Athanasius suppressing Dissenters as seditious by force I see angry men think others angry when they are and are stung if we do but name their stinging us As if Prisons and Ruine were not so sharp a sting as these four words If it be not their strength why do they so trust to it as to confess that their Arguments and Keyes would do little to uphold their Prelacy without it In the daies of the Usurpers I moved for a Petition that when they granted Liberty of Conscience for so many others they would grant Liberty for the full exercise of the Episcopal Government to all that desired it But the Episcopal Party that I spake to would not endure it as knowing what bare Liberty would be to their Cause unless they could have the Sword to suppress those that yield not to their Reasons § 12. Next he saith I spare my Gall for about a dozentimes not regarding how it contradicts his former Accusations But whereas I recite the horrid Accusations of the Council at Philippopolis against Athanasius Paulus and Marcellus of open Matters of Fact as Murder Persecutions Burning of Churches Wars Flames Dragging Priests to the Market-place with Christs Body tyed about their necks stripping Consecrated Virgins naked before a concourse of People and offering to send messengers on both sides to Try the Fact and to be themselves condemned if it prove not true he is offended that I seem staggered at this Athanasius having detected before so many Subornations c. Answ I did not say that I was staggered much less doubted which of them did the wrong But that a Reader may by such a Temptation be astonished and confounded whom to believe But d d I ever rail more at Bishops than he here doth What 1. So great a number of Bishops 2. Deliberately in Council 3. To affirm so vehemently 4 Such matters of open Fact 5. And offer it to the Trial of Witnesses of both sides and all this to be false 6. And to be but the consequent of former Subornations and Perjury can you name greater wickedness Obj. But they were Arians Answ But they were Bishops The worse for being Arians 2. Yet called but Semi-Arians
and renounced Arius and pretended Reconciliation 3. And they were the Oriental part of the Council at Sardica called General by the Papists 4. And they were believed against Marcellus by Basil and Chrysostom But all that I cite it for is to tell the Reader what a doleful case the Church was faln into by the depravation of the Bishops Did none of these profess before to be Orthodox I do not say that it was quatenus Bishops that they did all this but that multitudes of Bishops were then become the shame and calamity of the Church § 13. Next he scorningly accuseth me for giving too soft a Character of the Circumcellians and saith My Moderation and Charity may extend to John of Leyden And he calls them The Most barbarous and desperate Villains that ever defamed Christianity by assuming the Title Ans 1. This is the man that saith I rail I named so many and great sins of theirs that I little thought any Reader would have thought that I spared them too much 2. Yet they were Donatists and of them Optatus himself saith lib. 5. Apud vos apud nos Una est Ecclesiastica conversatio Communes Lectiones Eadem Fides ipsa Fidei Sacramenta eadem mysteria that is saith Albaspine Una Ecclesiastica disciplina Eodem modo Scripturas Explicamus Ipsa Regula Fidei Idem Mysterium quod confertur significatur eadem res visibilis per quam res spiritualis datur in lib. 5. p. 153. And saith Optatus lib. 1. Nequis dicat me inconsiderate eos fratres appellare qui tales sunt Quamvis illi non negent omnibus notum sit quod nos odio habeant execrentur nolunt se dioi fratres nostros tamen nos recedere à timore Dei non possumus sunt igitur sine dubio fratres quamvis non boni Quare nemo miretur eos me appellare fratres qui non possant non esse fratres Obj. But the Circumcellians were worse than the rest Answ They were of the same Religion but the unruly furious part in their practice And Optatus saith Though they would rail in words sed unum quidem vix inveuimus cum quo pâ—r literas vel hoc modo loquatur And so goes on to call Parmenian his Brother And it 's worth the consideration how much Albaspine includeth in Fraternity note first in Observat 3. And they were Orthodox fierce Prelatists doing all this for the preheminence of their Bishops And what if some Prelatists now should hurt their Brethren more than the Circumcellians did must I call them therefore the most barbarous Villains that ever defamed Christianity Angustine saith They made a Water of some Salt or sharp thing and cast in mens Eyes in the night in the streets No man can think that this barbarous action was done by the most or any but some furious fools They say that they would wound themselves to bring hatred on the Catholicks as if they had done it or drove them to it He that knoweth what Self-love is will believe that this was the case but of a few and an easier wrong than some that abhor them do to their Brethren And must we needs Rail indeed against such numbers of hurtful Prelatists What if any rude persons of your Church should be Whoremongers Drunkards Blasphemers and seek the Imprisonment of their Brethren yea their Defamation and Blood by Perjury should the Church be for their sakes so called as you call them I speak them no fairer than Optatus did § 14. When p. 57. I commend the many good Canons of the African Councils and the faithfulness of the Bishops he noteth none of this because it proveth the untruth of his former Accusations And when I name twenty five or twenty six more Councils of Bishops some General and some less which were for Arianism or a compliance with them he defendeth none of them but excuseth them and saith that they were not much to the honour of the Church Yet the evil Edicts and Consequences of them are rather to be charged on the Arian Emperour than the Bishops Answ 1. This is the same man that elsewhere so overdoes me in accusing the Arians 2. The Emperour was Erroneous but said to be otherwise very commendable And is it not more culpable for Bishops to Err in the Mysteries of Divinity than a Lay-man And for many hundred to Err than for One Man And do you think that the Bishops Erring did not more to seduce the Flocks than the Emperour's But he saith that If many fell in the Day of Tryal they are rather to be pitied than insulted over for we have all the same infirmities c. Answ I wrote in pity of them and the Church without any insulting purpose If any now to avoid lying in Prison and starving their Families by Famine should surrender their Consciences to sinful Subscriptions after a Siege of Nineteen years I shall pity them and not insult over them Nay if I speak of those that lay the Siege and call out for more Execution I do it not insultingly but with a grieved heart for the Church and them But when I largely recited Hillary's words of them he saith The Account is very sad and what said I more But saith he yet such as shews rather the Calamity than the Fault of the Bishops Answ Nay then no doubt it 's no fault to Conform Hillary then and all that kept their ground were in a great fault for so heavily accusing them And so the World turned Arians in shew as Hierom and Hillary speak is much acquit and the Nonconformists are the faulty Railers for accusing them It had been enough to say It was no Crime but to say no Fault is too gentle for the same man that so talkt of Perjured Arians before § 15. Yet because he is forced to confess that it was most by far of all the Bishops even in Councils he of Rome not excepted that thus fell he must shew how it offended him to be forced to it by telling the world how contentious I have been against all sorts and Sects the first is false and he knows it I think and the latter is true formally of a Sect as such even his own Sect. And some judge me such a stranger to Peace as to need a Moderator to stand between me and the Contradictions of my own Books Answ Yes the Bishops Advocate Roger L'Estrange where nothing but gross ignorance or malice or negligence could have found Contradictions were the whole places perused And where I am sure my self that there is none I have somewhat else to do than to write more to shew the Calumnies of such Readers Who most seeks Peace you or those that you prosecute One would think it should not be hard to know if men be willing CHAP. XX. Of the first General Council at Constantinople His Cap. 4. § 1. HE begins with accusing me of imitating the Devil Doth Job serve God
for nought because I say that the reason why the West was freer from the Arian Heresie than the East was not as the Papists say that Christ prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail but because the Emperours in the West were Orthodox and those in the East Arians And the Bishops much followed the Emperour's will What saith he can be more unchristian Answ 1. I never said that this was the Only Cause 2. I proved that this Priviledge of Rome was not the meaning of Christ's Prayer 3. Is not this the same man that even now â—â—id the fall of far more Bishops even most in the World on the Emperour as overcoming them by force and fraud 4. Doth not God himself keep men usually from strong temptations when he will deliver them from sin 5. Were not the Eastern Bishops and the Western of the same mold and temper And if the Eastern followed the Emperours had not the Western been in danger if they had the like temptation 6. Doth not Basil that sent to them for help complain of them as proud and no better than their Brethren 7. Did not Marcellinus fall to Idolatry and Liberius to subscribe against Athanasius with the Arians 8. Did not the West actually fall to Arianism when tempted for the most part Judge by the great Council at Milane and by Hillary's complaints 9. Hath Rome and the West stood faster to the Truth since then What! all the Popes who are by Councils charged with Heresie or Infidelity and all wickedness and those many whose Lives even by Baronius and Genebrard are so odiously described Is the West at this day free from Popery and its fruits 10. Do you think in your conscience that if we had not here a Protestant King but a Papist many of the Clergy would not be Papists Why then are they so in France Spain Italy Poland c And why did the most of them turn in Qu. Mary's daies I do not insult but lament the Churches Case which ever since Wealth and Honour and too much Power corrupted it have had Bishops far more worldly and less faithful than they were the first three hundred years Though I still say that ever since God hath in all times raised some serious Believers that have kept up serious Piety in the Church And as I doubt not but there are so many such among the Conformists as is our great Joy so I hope that though foully blotted with Superstition and Errour there are many such among the Papists themselves § 2. Yet he saith I do the Bishops Right again without thinking of doing them Justice while I tell how many were murdered Answ 1. Doth he know my thoughts 2. It 's true I intended not to do any other Justice than to praise Christ's Martyrs and Confessors while I lament the Case of Persecutors and Revolters Is the praise of Confessors any honour to the Hereticks But perhaps he means I right the Order of Bishops Answ Did I ever say or think that there were no Bishops that kept the Faith Do I say All fell when I say Most fell The Man speaks as his imagined Interest leads him and so interpreteth my words to his own sense not as written And if that be the right way I think he will grant that there were more Martyrs and Sufferers under Valens Constantius Hunnericus and Gensericus in the East and in Africk by far than were when their Tryal came in all the West that is now subject to the Pope And what moved the man to dream that when I so describe and praise their constancy in Suffering I did it as at unawares That the greater part of the Bishops of the Empire were Arians I will not offer by Testimony to prove when it is so commonly by Fathers Historians by Papists and Protestants agreed on How many of them were Bishops before and how many but Presbyters or Deacons I 'le not pretend to number The turning of multitudes all agree on The Constancy of many he falsly intimateth that I deny and saith I injuriously represent them and cannot tell a word wherein that Crime is found § 3. Naming the things that were done by the Council at Constantinople I mention both the setting up and after the putting down of Gregory lest any Caviller should carp at the word putting down I presently open particularly what it was that they did toward it that resolving on his deposition they caused him though unwilling rather to give it up than stay till they cast him out This great Historian had no more manlike an Exception here than to say that against all History and against my own Explication I say that They Deposed him I said They put him down in the manner and as far as I explained § 4. While he here himself accuseth the Times then of General Corruption and the Church of Divisions adding What Age hath been so happy as not to labour under those Evils he accuseth me of making misuse of Gregory's words to represent the Council in an odious manner Answ It is to represent the worser part in a lamentable manner as far as Gregory did and no further And as to his quarrel at my citation I shall say no more but if the Reader will but read Gregory's own words I willingly leave all that Cause to his Judgment If he will not my words cannot inform him Yet he himself saith He doth indeed in several places find fault with this Council And can you forgive him I think I find no more than he did But for this you find fault with him He did resent the Injury And was it an Injury and did not bear the deprivation of his Bishoprick with the same generosity he proposed which made him a little more sharp than was decent in his representation of the Bishops What wonder if sharpened with discontent he exclaim with somewhat too great a passion against the administration of the Church which he had been forced to quit Ans All will be confest anon when I have been accused for saying it before him That 's his way But it was not for leaving a high and fat Bishoprick that he was grieved but for being separated from the People that he had partly served in their lower state and partly won from Heresie and who came about him with tears intreating him not to forsake them And though it were morethan generosity to set light by the Honour and Wealth it is treachery to set light by Souls And they changed to their great loss He resigned much to quiet the People lest they should do as they did for Chrysostom after him It is no new thing for the Major vote of the Clergy to Envy those few that are better and more esteemed than themselves nor yet for the Godly People to be loth to leave such pastors § 5. He saith His censure of Councils that he knew none of them that have any happy End was not the fault of the expedient but of
the men Ans And what did I ever say more It is his custom when he hath stormed at me to say in Effect the same that he stormed at Some Papists would persuade men that it was only Arian Councils that he meant but most Protestants that Write about Councils against them do cite vindicate these words of Gregory And the impartial Papists confess that it was the Councils also of the Catholicks that there and else where he spake of § 6. In the Case of Meletius and Paulinus two Bishops in a City and the Case of Lucifer Calaritanus made a Heretick for separating from lapsed Arians he saith over the same that I do that good men cannot rightly understand one another and so it ever hath been and it 's the Effect of humane frailty and not Episcopacy In all this I agree But 1. If humane frailty make Bishops swell in pride and ambition and domineering it hath far worse Effects than in other men 2. And Bishops are bound to excell their flocks in Piety humility Selfdenyal peaceableness as well as in knowledge If the Physicians of this city should prove unskilful and yet confident where they err it is not quatenus Physicians that they are such But if it be qui Physicians that are such they may kill thousands while the same faults in all their neighbours may kill few or none If your Interest made you not smart and angry without cause you would not cavil against such plain truth § 7. About the Priscillianists he saith I all along observe this Rule to be very favourable to all Hereticks and Schismaticks be they never so much in the wrong and to fall on the Orthodox party and improve every miscarriage of theirs into a mighty crime Ans If all along this accusation be false then all a long your History serveth such a use But in France Spain Italy he is favourable to Hereticks that takes not the orthodox for such or that is not for racking and burning them And in England he is favourable to Schismaticks that taketh not the greatest lovers of Piety and peace for such and the Church Tearers for Church-Healers As Mr. Dodwell phraseth it they are Schismaticks that suffer themselves to be excommunicate for unsinful things in the Bishops account and heinous sin in theirs and so that are not so ripe in Knowledge as to know all the unsinful things to be such which may be imposed § 8. What would this enemy of railing have had me said more than I did of the Priscillianists viz. that they were Gnosticks and Manichees Was not that bad Enough No I favour them still And what say I more of the Bishops and the whole cause than Sulpitius Severus the fullest and most knowing Describer saith Why doth he not accuse him for the same description Yea and their Mr. Ri. Hooker who in the Preface to his Eccl. Pol. saith of Ithacius the like Yea Baronius himself consenteth Where I say that to the death Martin separated from the synods of these Bishops I said not from all Bishops in the world he saith he renounced only the Communion of Ithacius his Party and that others did as well as he Reader it will be thy folly to take either his word or mine what an Author saith when we differ without looking into the Book it self Read Sulpitius Severus I will transcribe some words lest he say I mistranslate them Priscillianus familia nobilis praedives opibus acer inquies facundus multa lectione eruditus disserendi disputandi promptissimus vigilare multum famem sitim ferre poterat habendi minime cupidus utendi parcissimus Was it a crime to say so much good of him But proud of his Learning set up a Heresie and two Bishops Instantius and Salvianus ioyned with him and made him a Bishop At Caesar Augusta one Synod was gathered against him The Story I before recited Next a Synod at Burdeaux tryeth them Saith Sulpitius Ac mea quidem sententia est mihi tam reos quam accusatores displicere Certe Ithacium nihil pensi nihil sancti habuisse definio suit enim audax loquax impudens sumptuosus ventri gulae plurimum impertiens Hic stultitiae eo usque processerat ut omnes etiam sanctos viros quibus aut studium erat lectionis aut propositum erat certare jejuniis tanquam Priscilliani socios aut discipulos in crimen arcesseret Ausus etiam miser est ea tempestate Martino Episcopo palam objectare haeresis infamiam Imperator per Magnum Ruâ—um Episcopos depravatus à mitioribus consiliis deflexus So he tells how many were put to death Caeterum Priscilliano occiso non solum non repressa est haeresis sed confirmata latius propagata est Namque sectatores ejus qui eum prius ut sanctum honoraverant postea ut Martyrem colere câ—pâ—runt Ac inter nostros perpetuum discordiarum bellum exarserat quod jam per quindâ—â—im annos â—oedis dissensionibus agitatum nullo modo sopiri poterat Et nunc cum maxime discordiis Episcoporum turbari aut misceri omnia ceâ—nerentur cunctaque per eos odio aut gratia metu inconstantia invidia factione libidine avaritia arrogantia somno desidia essent depravata Postremo plures adversus paucos bene consulentes insanâ—s consiliis pertinacibus studiis certarent Inter haec Plebs Dei Optimus quisque probro atque ludibrio habebatur So ends Sulpitius History Do you not see Mr. Morrice that there have been Prelates and Puritanes even Episcopal Puritanes before our Times Doth not your stomach rise against Sulpitius as too Puritanical and severe Is not my Language of most of the Bishops soft in comparison of his Yet he was so early as to live in that which you now call the most flourishing Time of the Church Sir I hate Discord and love Peace but I never look that the Enmity between the Woman's and the Serpent's Seed or Cain and Abel should be ended or that the holy Title of Bishops and Priests should reconcile ungodly men to Saints Sir England knoweth that though some factious persons have done otherwise the main Body of those that your Law doth Silence Ruine and Revile have a high esteem of such Bishops as have been seriously godly such as were many in Antient and late Times And deride it as long as you will the seriously religious People in England are they that are most against Church-Tyranny and which Party most of the debauched and prophane are of hath long been known § 9. But the Reader shall further hear how little you are to be trusted Saith Sul. in Vita Mart. Apud Nemausium Episcoporum Synodus habebatur ad quam quidem ire noluerat There 's another Synod Et pag. 584. In Mon. Pat. Maximus Imperator aliâs vir bonus depravatus consiliis Sacerdotum post Priscilliani necem Ithacium Episcopum Priscilliani accusatorem caeterosque illius socios quos nominare non est necesse
of Albemarle to expect to be at last called to account for his original sin § 11. But his passion makes him say he knows not what P. 142 I need not call Mr. B. to rememberance who compared Cromwel to David and his Son to Solomon But this has transported me a little too far Ans He saith this plainly of me afterward to shew the credibility of his History Did he know it to be false If so there 's no disputing with him If not why did he not cite my words Yea he after transcribes the Epistle meant where he saw there were no such words But others had told that tale before him and that was Enough Even as one of his tribe hath written that I have written in my Holy Common-wealth that any one Peer may judge the King If these Episcopal Historians tell forreigners that we have all Cloven Feet and Horns and go on four legs yea and if some swear it we have no remedy They can prove our noses horns and our hands Feet I again tell them If Martins Angel and Miracles be credible woe to those Prelatists that are for ruining violence and silences against men better than the Gnosticks If they be not true let them not trust too much to the best Historians § 12. Of the Council at Capua I said that they decreed that the two Bishops and their People should live in loving Communion Mr. M. finds me mistaken here The words in Binnius are Ut tam Flaviani quam Evagrii fautores in Communionem Catholicam admittantur modo Catholicae fidei assertores inveniantur I thought Catholick Communion had been Loving Communion And I thought if their fautors were to be received so were they And I thought Antioch had been a part of the Catholick Church and Catholick Communion had extended to Antioch But if Mr. M. deny these I will not contend with him § 13. He tells us that No man with his Eyes open ever saw the Condemnation of Bonosus by the Council of Capua for denying the Virgin Mary's perpetual Virginity Answ It is Criticism and not History that the man is best at They did it mediately while they referred it to them that did it Saith Binnius Causa Bonosi cujusdam in Macedonia Episcopi haeretici negantis delibatam Dei genitricis Mariae Virginitatem post partum in judicium deducta est Synodus cognitionem causae Anysio Thessaloniensi cum Episcopis ipsi subjectis aelegavit Ab Anysio Bonosum damnatum eorumque quos ordinasset communione privatum esse testatur Innoc. P. And he knows it's a Heresie now Yet this Council condemned Reordinations § 14. That Jovinian a Monk was called a Heretick for Doctrines judged sound by Protestants is no strange thing That one not a Bishop was the Head of a Heresie was somewhat strange then but not before they got too high As to the Question Whether Bishops were the Chief Heads and Fomenters of Heresie I crave his impartial Answer to these Questions 1. Do not your selves maintain that all Churches in the world had Bishops and that the Bishops were the Rulers and of Chief Power If so can you imagine that after they had such Power Churches could be usually made Hereticks without them Q. 2. Do not Councils and all Church-History tell us how many Councils of Hereticks there have been that were Bishops Q. 3. If any Presbyter broke from his Bishop to set up a Heresie was it not one that sought to be a Bishop Or did they not make presently him or some other their Bishop and Head Heresie or Popery had made but small progress had it not been for Bishops § 15. When I commend the Novatians Canon which allowed all men Liberty for the Time of Easter as better than burning men as Hereticks he takes it for an Immoderate Transport that I say as loud as I can speak If all the Proud Ambitious Hereticating part of the Bishops had been of this mind O what sin what scandal and what shame what cruelties confusions and miseries had the Christian world escaped That is had they left such Indifferent things as Indifferent And is this against Moderation I would such Zeal of God's House had more eaten me up Dare you deny but that this course would have saved the Lives of all those thousands of Albigenses Waldenses and Bohemians that the Papists killed And the death and torment of multitudes by the Inquisition And the burning of our Smithfield Martyrs And it 's like most of the Wars between the Old Popes and Emperours about Investitures And the blood of many thousand more And it would have saved more Nations than ours from the Tearing and Division of Churches by the Ejecting and Silencing of hundreds or thousands of their Pastors as the case of the Germane Interim and other such actions prove And is it Immoderate Transport to wish all this Blood Schism Hatred and Confusion and weakning and shaming of the Church had been prevented at the rate of Tolerating Indifferent things No wonder if you had rather England still suffered what it doth and is in danger of by Schism than such things Indifferent shall be tolerated It is not for nothing that Christ and Paul repeat that some have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not c. § 16. And here he again would make his Reader think it's true that the Nonconformists pretend that their Silencing is for not keeping Easter Day at the due Time as if this man that liveth among us did not know that it is the avoiding of deliberate Lying by subscribing to a known untruth which is the thing that they refuse and they mention it only as an appurtenance of the Imposition ad homines that it would bind them to two different times Whether as he saith our disease be a wantonness sed by concession and we are most violent when we know not what we would have those men are no credible Judges that for seventeen years would not endure us to speak out our Case and when before we debated part of it would not vouchsafe to answer us and at last when we tell it them do but accuse us with a sharper storm instead of giving any thing that a man can call an Answer that ever knew the Case e. g. to our Pleas for Peace and my Treatise of Episcopacy § 17. He confesseth that I praise the African Bishops as the best in the world though it contradict his former charge As to the Magnitude of Diocesses when he hath answered my Treat of Episcopacy some body may be edified by him I agree with him that Good men will do much Good in a great Diocess But 1. Worldly Bishops are so far bad And worldly Wealth and Honour will ever be most sought by the most worldly men And usually he that seeks shall find Ergo And 2. A good man cannot do Impossibilities The best cannot do the work of many hundred Forty two years ago some wisht for the Restoring of Confession Theophilus
Parochialis brings copious Reasons and Orders of Princes Popes and Prelates that all should confess to the Parish-Priest If you had set this up here how many men must have gone to it in the Parishes of St. Martin Giles Cripplegate Stepney c But how much greater work hath Dr. Hammond and Old Councils cut out for him that will be the sole Bishop of many hundred Parishes I have named it elsewhere And if any man of consideration think I have not proved against Mr. Dodwell that Bishops Government is not like a King 's who may make what Officers under him he please but depends more as a Physician 's or School-master's on Personal Ability I will now add but this Question to him Why is it that Monarchy may be hereditary and a Child or Infant may be King but an Infant may not be Bishop nor any one not qualified with Essential Ability I have at large told you how sharply Baronius and Binnius condemn that odious Nullity of making a Child by his Father's Power A. Bishop of Rhemes If I heard twenty men say and swear that one man is sufficient to be the only Master of many hundred Schools or Physician to many hundred Hospitals or that one Carpenter or Mason may alone build and rear all the Houses in the City after the Fire or one man be the sole Master of an hundred thousand Families what can I say to him but that he never tryed or knows the work § 18. When I note that the Donatists took themselves for the Catholicks and the Adversaries for Schismaticks because they were the greater number he very honestly saith that Multitude may render a Sect formidable but it 's no Argument of Right Very true nor Secular Power neither But what better Argument have the Papists and many others that talk against Schism § 19. He thinks the Donatists Bishops Churches were not so small as our Parishes Answ Not as some But if as I said before Constantinople in the height of all it's Glory in Chrysostom's daies had but 100000 Christians as many as three London Parishes have judge then what the Donatists had § 20. His double quarrel with Binnius and Baronius let who will mind What I gathered out of those and other Canons of the smalness of Churches then I have elsewhere made good His Reviling Accusations of Envy to their Wealth deserveth no Answer § 21. He comes to St. Theophilus's Case of which we spake before The Monks that reported evil of him were it may be saith he downright Knaves The Reviling is blameless when applied to such Doubtless they were ignorant rash Zealots But one that reads what the Egyptian Monks were in Anthony's daies and after and what Miracles and Holiness Sulpitius Severus reporteth of them and why Basil retired into his Monastery c. may conjecture that they had much less worldliness than the Bishops and not greater faults § 22. I think it not desirable or pleasant work to vindicate the credit of Socrates and Sozomen accusing Theophilus But if his Conjectures in this case may serve against express History of such men and so near let him leave other Histories as loose to our Conjectures Postâ—umianus Narrative in Sulpitius is but of one piece of the Tragedy He thinks it improbable that Origen should be accused for making God Incorporeal and such Conjectures are his Consutation of History But Origen had two sort of Accusers the Bishops such as Theophilus and Epiphanius had worse charges against him But the Anthropomorphite Monks were they that brought that Charge against him that God had no face hands eyes And Theophilus before them cryed down Origen in general to save his life by deceiving them that they might think he did it on the same account as they did This is Socrates his Report of the Case He saith that the Impudent Mutinous Monks were not ashamed to tell all the world that all that were against them were Anthropophites Answ It was other Monks that I here talk not of that he means It was these Monks that were Anthropomorphites themselves and would have killed Theophilus for not being so till he said to them Methinks I see your faces as the Face of God And the name of the Face of God did quiet them Hierom was a Party against Chrysostom it was for not passing that Sentence on Origen that Epiphanius would by masterly Usurpation have imposed on him that Chrysostom was by him accused § 23. Could any Sobriety excuse that man Epiphanius that would come to the Imperial City and there purposely intrude into the Cathedral of one of the best Bishops in the world for Parts and Piety and there play the Bishop over an A. Bishop in his own Church and seek to set all the Auditory in a flame at the time of Publick Worship and require him to say that of Origen which he there without any Authority imposed on him I know not what is Pride Usurpation Turbulency if not Malignity if this be not But at last he saith I do not intend to excuso Theophilus in this particular Thank Pope Innocent He did certainly prosecute his Resentment too far But he was not the only man Epiphanius a person of great Holiness Hierom and several other persons renowned for their Piety were concerned in the persecution of this Great man as well as he And to say the truth this is their weakness for that Severity which gives men generally a Reputation of Holiness though it mortifie some irregular heats yet is apt to dispose men to pâ—evishness But true Holiness ever sincerely loveth holy men and specially such as are publick Blessings to the Church And though I censure not their main State your Holy Persecutors of the best of Christ's Servants will never by Christ be judged small Offenders Alas it's too true that Theophilus was not alone A Council of Bishops were the Persecutors And it 's hard to think that they loved Chrysostom as themselves When the forementioned Council at Constantinople had turned out Nazianzen even the great magnifiers of General Councils Baronius and Binnius thus reproach them that they drove away a holy excellent man that a man was set up in his stead that was no Christian that it was the Episcopi Nundinarii that did it the Oriental Bishops first leaving them and going away with Gregory And if the Major Vote of that General Council were Episcopi Nundinarii what Châ—ysostom's Persecutors were may be conjectured Do not these Papists here say worse of them than I do § 24. Yet though he confess as much as is aforesaid and bring but his Conjectures mixt with palpable omissions against the express words of Socrates and Sozomen he hath the face to make up his failing with this Calumny I have dwelt so long on this not only to vindicate Theophilus but to shew once for all the manner of our Author's dealing with his Reader in his Church-History Any scandalous Story though it be as false and improbable as
any in the Anni Mirabiles or Whites Centuries of Scandalous Ministers any Fiction that reflects with disgrace on Bishops and Councils is set down for autâ—â—ntick no matter who delivers it friend or foe Answ Are not Baronius and Binnius friends to the highest Prelacy Doth not he himself say that Socrates is a credible Historian Is his Authority weighty enough to discredit them whom he contradicts Hath he proved one word false that I have said of Theophilus Is not Chrysostom as credible as he Doth he not know how ill he is spoken of by a great number of Chrysostom's Defenders And how smartly Isidore Pelusiota reflects on him But who could have disgraced him more than he that will imply that the things mentioned of him are as true as what is said in White 's Centuries of Scandalous Ministers or the Anni Mirabiles I know not all or most things in either of them But he was a stranger in England that had not credible Testimony of divers of the things in the Anni Mirabiles And Mr. White the Chairman of that Parliament-Committee was commonly reputed a grave and godly credible man and if he lied the whole Committee must concur in the Lie and the Witnesses must all be false I will not further meddle in so unpleasant a business than to tell you that all that I knew accused of Scandal had Witnesses of it that in the places where they lived were thought to make as much conscience of a Lie as the best of their Neighbours And whether such a mans scorn that was then in the shell is in History a sufficient proof that Committees of Parliament and Witnesses were all Lyars I leave to consideration I well know what School-masters and Curates I was bred under and what the two Ministers were that were sequestred in the place where I after came And all the Country can tell you They constrained me to name them and the Case in my Apology for our Preaching and my Answer to Mr. Hinkley It 's yet the same Age Any may enquire of them § 25. As to his Note of Altars I doubt not but there were at the Memorials of Martyrs Commemoratory Altars erected in the third or fourth Centuries But what 's that to Communicatory Altars and those in the first and second Century § 26. I suppose he wrote against my Book upon some others Reading I did in a Parenthesis say Innocent Excommunicated Theophilus Arcadius and the Empress And of another matter added yet did this pass without contradiction And he confounds them and saith Any thing passeth with him for History This Epistle of Innocent is all forged Answ I see not his proof But I had rather it were proved false than true But when I speak against Papal Usurpation be the men never so good I think to such Binnius and Baronius are meet Witnesses § 27. Boniface's Decree of exempting Bishops from Civil Judicatures he thinks not so Antient and saith We have only the Authority of Gratian for it But his Conjecture and a flirt at me is all the Confutation And he cannot doubt but that Exemption hath sufficiently priviledged Bishops since then As is after proved CHAP. XXI Of the first Council of Ephesus c. His Cap. 5. § 1. OUR Accuser in his Fifth Chapter passeth by the just Praises which I give to Peaceable Bishops as crossing his Slander that I dispraise all or such as well as the unpeaceable whose Justification it is that he undertaketh § 2. He begins with an Accusation that to prejudice the Reader against Cyril ' s Council I give the worst account of him that I could patch up out of all the Libels and Accusations of his Enemies Answ If by Prejudice be meant Informing him of Hâ—story and by Worst is meant Impartial Recitation of what History saith and by Patching up be meant such Reciting and by Enemies be meant the best and most credible Historians that have written of it then this is true Else it is the work of that Undertaker that is engaged to call Evil Good and Darkness Light and preserreth speaking good of bad actions before speaking truly § 3. And that you may know by what Spirit men that will not reproach the best that differ from the Prelates are themselves reproached by this Sect and also what sort of History this man giveth the Lie to on pretence of giving it me and how far he is from Railing he thus proceedeth The first thing he is charged with is the Oppression of the Novatians This was enough with Socrates or Sozomen to paint him as ugly as men do the Devil or Antichrist and therefore there is no great credit to be given them in these Relations as manifestly espousing the Cause and Quarrel of the Novatians Answ 1. Just as Thuanus or Erasmus espoused the Cause of the Protestants by Truth and Peace when others hated and belied them 2. Methinks the man revileth me very gently in comparison of Socrates and Sozomen the two most impartial and credible of all our Antient Church-Historians with Theodorot But who can wonder that he imitateth that which he defendeth § 4. But he saith It may be the Novatians deserved it and it 's not unlikely that they were very troublesom and seditious Answ It 's not unlikely now that others will say it was so But mark Reader which of these Historians is most credible Socrates and Sozomen lived with those that knew the things and persons They have told us Truth in the rest of their Histories If they had been Novatians Mr. M. saith They believed sinning after Baptism had no pardon or absolution And were they not like then to fear such Lying and false Accusing as paints a Saint like the Devil or Antichrist On the other side Mr. M. liveth above a thousand years after them He is one of the Party that take it to be not only lawful but a duty to say and swear all that is imposed now which I will not here describe How truly he writes the History of his own Age even of Parliament and Wars and living persons I have told you He saith no more against the Historians credit here but it may be and it's not unlikely and they were Novatians Schismaticks Alexandrians Even so their Counterminer and many Conformists that have many years reported us to be Raising a War against the King had their May-be'â— and It 's not unlikely and they are Schismaticks to prove it And others soon rose up and swore it And when some lament their Perjury it stops not the rest But some have such Free-will that they can believe whom they list § 5. Socrates saith he makes it part of his charge that he took on him the Government of temporal Affairs This was not the Usurpation of the Bishop but the Indulgence of the Emperour And he shews the Churches need of it Answ That which he is charged with is that he was the first Bishop that himself used the Sword And 1. Do you
of Hereticators and misery of the Church thereby he tells us how men in these times call them Papists that are none Ans If it be ill done why condemn you your self by defending those that did the like If it was well done in Bishops Councils why not in them 2. But what 's this to me if it be not me that he means If it be 1. If you will read but the last part of my Cathol Theolog. judge of the mans front 2. It is none but those that are for a humane Soveraignty over all the Church on Earth that we judge Papists And if you judge them not such we will thank you to tell us what a Papist is in your own sense § 18. His saying p. 225. that John Comes that gives a sad account of the Council is much to be suspected c. doth but tell us that he would have your belief of History guided by the Interest of his Cause § 19. As to his scorn against my translating the words the Scripture and Sacred which mean that imperial Scripture I did think a litteral Translation could not have been judged a misunderstanding or mistranslation Why may they not be called in English what they are called in Greek And he had a strong imagination if he thought that Haumers Translation of Eusebius c. afforded me such materials as these § 20. His conclusion of some that scorn to preach by the Licence of the Government I before mentioned The Truth and ministerial Honesty of it is much like as if Thousands should petition the Bishop that their sick families may have licensed Physicians and he rejecteth all their Petitions and prevaileth with the Parliament to do the like At last the King pittieth them and licenseth the Physicians and the Bishop and his Clergy are offended and get it revoked and the Physicians practise at their peril without license And our credible Historian should record it that they scorned to practise as licensed by the Government even while still they make all the Friends they can to the Clergy to be licensed and are not able to prevail But the ages that knew not them and us that are to come may possibly believe these men as they believe their Predecessors § 21. To conclude Reader if now thou have any sense of Christian Interest Unity and Love judge of the whole case impartially and begin with notorious matter of fact 1. We find at this day a great Body of Christians called Nestorians inhabiting the Countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Partbia and Media yea spread Northerly to Cataya and Southerly to India abundance of them even in Tartary saith Paulus Venet. See Brierwood p. 139. And we find that they are by the Western Churches if not the Greeks called Hereticks and at the easiest Schismaticks And yet as those very Friars that have lived among them say they are commonly free from any such Opinions as are charged on them but only honour the name of Nestoriaus and condemned the Councils that condemned him This Mr. M. nor no Prelate will deny that retaineth humanity 2. We find that this woful fraction hath continued about one Thousand two Hundred and thirty Years 3. We are put to enquire what was and is the cause and we find that on both sides it is the Bishops and their Clergy that now continue it and it was Patriarchs and their Bishops that at first caused it 4. We enquire how they did it And Mr. Morrice confesseth that it began in a dispute between the two Patriarchs whether the Virgin Mary was to be called The Mother of God or rather The Mother of Jesus Christ who is God and Man and that on this occasion Cyril charged Nestorius as making Christ to be two Persons and he himself said Christ incarnate had but one Nature but had no more skill in speaking than by one Nature to mean one Person though Derodon labour to prove that he meant worse that Nestorius professed two Natures in one Person And Mr. M. saith Nestorius when he spake well meant ill and Cyril when he spake ill meant well And upon this a General Council itself is first divided about them even to blows and after by the importunity of Cyril's party Nestorius is banished and the Bishops divided some for one and some for another to this day Another Council is called at Calcedon and confirmeth the Condemnation and the Nestorian Bishops condemn that Council and for many Ages the Bishops were divided also about that one part condemning it and the other subscribing to it and honouring it Judge now what these Bishops have done to Christian Religion and the Church of Christ and continue to do And if you dare join with our Canoneers in making the guilt your own by justifying such dismal work the further you go the more of it you have to justifie till your Souls have guilt and load enough Honest Dr. Moore charged with Nestorianism is fain to accuse Nestorius out of his Enemies words to clear himself That he owned not a Physical Union of Natures is an ambiguous unsafe word A Physical Union seems to signifie one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not to be said He never denied a personal or Hypostatical Union And if he had as he did not opposed the word Hypostasis so did Hierom that was no Heretick and many more for a long time I suppose Mr. M. is not more zealous against Nestorianism than the Hereticating Church of Rome is And how great they really thought the Nestorian Heresie the story which I mention of P. Hormisda tells you which I will repeat There arose a controversie whether it might be said that One of the Trinity was crucified Pope Hormisda said No because they that were for it were suspected to be Eutychians The Nestorians laid hold on this and said Then we may not say that Mary was the Parent of one of the Trinity This was a hard case Justinian sent to Pope John about it His infallibility and Hormisda's were contrary he and his Council say that we may say that One of the Trinity was crucified Hereupon Baronius and Binnius give us a useful note Ita mutatis hostibus arma mutari necesse suit What should the World do if we had not had such a Judge of Controversies I hope Mr. M. will not be so heretical or schismatical as to say that either of these Popes erred against an Article of Faith But will rather recant his Accusation of Nestorius and number this with Things Indifferent which the Church hath power to change at her pleasure CHAP. XXII Of the Council of Ephesus 2d § 1. THat our Historian may justifie the Dividers he makes himself a Party and by downright mistake against both saith 1. That Nestorius fell into Blasphemy denying Christ to be true God 2. And that Eutyches denied Christ to be true Man This is our Reformer of History when both of them professed Christ to be true God and true man I doubt not
but the Man can write another Book to justifie this for what is it that some cannot talk for Yea he is at if again p. 230. that Eutyches held Christ not to be true Man § 2. He confesseth again that Cyril affirmeth but one Nature and meant but one Person and that Eutyches used the same words but saith sure they cannot be so mad as to fall out so violently when they say the same thing words Flavian could not be so foolish or so wicked c. Ans I justifie not the words of Eutyches or Cyril but if I have great reason to believe that as he confesseth Cyril so gross as to use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Eutyches who had far less Learning than Cyril did word amiss the conceptions which were the same with Cyrils I leave it to this mild Censurer to call them Fools and mad and wicked It 's taken for railing in me to blame them § 3. He saith Cyril never said there were two Natures in Christ before the Union Ans I have twice cited his words Find a true difference between them and those of Eutyches if you can I believe they both meant better than they spake § 4. But the Spirit of detraction useth to fetch Accusations from Hearts Thoughts and secret Actions and so doth he against Eutyches and he saith this hath been done of late times To deliver that in select Meetings which they will not in publick promiscuous Assemblies as evil Spirits are under restraint in consecrated places Ans Therefore it is that the Nonconformists have 20 or 19 years so earnestly beg'd for leave to preach in publick consecrated places to promiscuous Assemblies that they might be out of suspicion but could never obtain it of this sort of Masters Ex ore tuo Thus they that cast the stone at others oft find it hit themselves Mr. Edwards Gangrena is here commended to those that are for Toleration As if all differences were equally intolerable or tolerable And he that saith Tolerate not those that preach Blasphemy or intolerable errour said no worse than he that saith Silence Two Thousand Preachers unless they will Profess Promise and Swear and do all that is oft described imposed on them § 5. In his Narrative he is no more tender of the honour of Bishops it seems than I am nor so much of Emperours for when he had said the Emperour was too much addicted to this kind of Vermine Eunuchs and shews his bitterness against Flavian he saith that the Letters which called this Council suggested sufficiently what it was to do and that their business was to condemn a Bishop the Emperour did not care for though without any just ground nay for his honesty I deny none of this But were the Bishops of the Catholick Church in a good case then that when they knew before that they were called to such a work as this would meet in a General Council and do it No he accuseth them himself I need not do it The Emperour he saith knew how to choose Bishops and yet his Summons was general to all to come and the President if half be true that is said of him and if that be a doubt how credible are your Historians was one of the most wicked profligate Wretches in the World yet he was one of the Patriarchs and all the Council Bishops and till they met were not thus accused You see the man is a far greater railer than I even against Bishops But it is but against those that are against his Interest and side § 6. He describes those Bishops as using violence forgetting that it is it his Party trusteth to continually just with the front as Baronius and Binnius and many other Papists justifie Martin for being against putting Hereticks to death and condemn Ithacius while their Kingdom is upheld by that which they condemn and worse even the burning of true Christians as Hereticks and it 's Heretical with them to imitate Martin just as those Matth. 23. Your Fathers killed the Prophets and you build their Sepulchers and say if we had lived in the days of our Fathers we would not c. § 7. But in the passage I find our Historian in a more charitable mood to this Ephesine Council of Bishops than his Brethren How bad soever Dioscorus and this Council were yet they are in my judgment to be looked on rather as favourers of Heresie than Hereticks they followed the meaning I believe as well as the Words of Cyril Ans And now I may hope I am Orthodox and Charitable when I have no less than his Judgment to justifie mine And Anatolius justifieth us both § 8. But Sir now you are in a good Mood will you consider 1. Whether those Bishops and Councils that set the Christian World in that Flame that burneth dreadfully to this day after above 1200 Years were not guilty at least of a peccadillo or venial sin 2. Whether they are imitable 3. Whether this General Council had a supream Legislative and Judicial power over all the Church on Earth which all must obey and none must appeal from No saith Bishop Gunning It was a meeting of violent Robbers Ans But it was a General Council which it seems then may be such CHAP. XXIII Of the 4th General Council at Calcedon § 1. HE begins his Chapter comically and notably derideth me for saying Pulcheria was the same that before at Ephesus had set the Bishops against Nestorius Is this so ridiculous It 's well known that Historians make her very powerful with her Brother she chose his Wife Eudocia They were long of two minds It 's no wonder that she that got him condemned at Ephesus got the same further done at Calcedon when she was Empress her self having made Martian Emperour and her nominal Husband for they were not conjugally to know each other Is there any thing in this that deserveth the stage Though Theodosius be reproached by Popish Historians as an Eutychian or a favourer of them if credible honest Socrates may be believed there have been few such Princes in the World for Piety his House was a Church for Patience never seen angry for Compassion would never let a man die for Treason-against himself But his Sister a Woman eminent for Wit and Piety was thought to govern him very much specially in the severities against Nestorius Evagrius who bitterly reproacheth Nestorius tells us of some writings of his that fell into his hand in which he saith that the Emperour was his friend and would not sign his banishment and laies the cruelties that he underwent on his Officer and considering the case of a suffering man I see nothing unseemly in the Letter to him which Evagrius chargeth with contempt § 2. My wish for the Churches Peace that the unskilful words of Nestorius and Eutyches had been silenced by neglect rather than the flame blown up by honouring them with two General Councils disputation
troubled at any one that did turn Quaker or against Infant Baptism than some indifferent Persons are at Multitudes And I was one that disputed most against them and wrote against some distant Antinomians mostly Souldiers But our Disputes satisfied and confirmed all our Neighbours more than Prisons would have done We punished none of them and none of our People there turned to them But I confess we were commonly too little sensible how much hurtful Violence hindereth Concord more than loving forbearance of tolerable differences As too many were how much for Peace they should have abated of the Zeal for their private Opinions which they thought to be better than they were We were much like the days that followed the Apostles which had some troublesome Sectaries but the main Body of Christians did cleave together in Love till success had puft up a rebellious Army to make themselves Rulers to the Confusion of themselves and others § 35. At last mentioning the common Dissentions of the Churches he seems to resolve the Question What then must be done But he puts us off only with the Negative Answer that the Rule i. e. of our Uniformity is not to be altered And why We have no assurance that we shall find any Conformity to it more than we have now Ans I must not call this Answer as it deserveth 1. You were about dealing otherwise with the Papists Dr. Heylin tells us how much they were to have altered for Concord Mr. Thorndike threatens the Land if you alter not the Oath of Supremacy for them The name of the Pope and Anti-Christ hath been expunged for them yet you said not We know not that they will come any nearer us 2. By these measures a Rag or a Ceremony should never be abated for the Peace and Concord of any Church or Kingdom You may still say we are not sure that this will serve them The Pope may say so where he refuseth to abate the shaving of the Priests Beards or the least of his Impositions yea he knows that would not serve They said so to the Bohemians four Demands They concluded so at first against Luther This very Argument hath kept them from all Reformation 3. Can you find nothing in your Impositions that in the nature of the thing is worthy to be altered If not you have more or less Wisdom than Bishop Morton and the rest of the Church Doctors who at Westminster motioned so many Alterations â—â— one should but then move you to correct your known false Rule for finding Easterday or to give Parents leave to be the first Promisers for their own Children and Godfathers but their seconds or not to deny Christendom and Communion for that or a Ceremony No come on it what will nothing must be altered lest men ask more And yet you preach against Clergy Infallibility or subscribe at least 4 But if you are so much against altering why did you alter to our greater suffering and add as much more yea five times more to the former Task and Burden You can no doubt say somewhat for all this 5. And when it is the same things that the old Nonconformists still asked and we since 1660 askt yet less what reason had you to raise that suspicion that we will not be satisfied with what we ask Have we given you any cause If you mean that perhaps there be some still that may be unsatisfied will you deny Peace to so many that beg it of you because others will not accept it on their Terms Or will you never agree with any lest some disagreement should arise hereafter Some Travellers were assaulted by the high way by a Captain of Souldiers who took all their Money Swords and Horses and swore he would kill them if they would not take an Oath to conceal him One took the Oath to save his Life another scrupled it They begg'd his Mercy to restore so much as would bring them home He askt them what would satisfie them One would have his Horse another his Sword another part of his Money He told them You are a Company of Rogues that can neither agree what to ask nor give me assurance if I give you this you will ask no more I compare not the Authority but the Reasons of the Denial § 36. But seeing no abatement of their Canons c. must be granted what is it that must cause our Concord He would not tell you but it 's discernible what 's left It must be no Concord but what Punishment can procure And what punishment Sharper than is yet tried for that hath not done it Such Concord as Tertullian nameth Solitudinem faciunt pacem vocant The Concord in Spain is worse than the Amsterdam toleration Again I remember the great Fish-Pond mentioned by Judge Hale that had multitudes of Fish and frie and at last two small Pikes put in when the Pond was drawn there was never a Fish but the two Tyrants as he calls them grown to a huge bigness The fear least Popery and Prelacy should be the two Pikes tempted men irregularly to covenant against them To have such variety as Roch Dace Pierch Tench Carp made it a Schismatical Pond The two Pikes were against Schism and Toleration and for ending the Division by reducing all to unity of Species § 37. As to his Question of Qu. Elizabeths days the Intimation may seduce the ignorant but none else 1. If he know not that it was the Subscription required in the Canons that nothing in the Books is contrary to the Word of God scrupled which broke the Peace and Concord of England he is unfit by his Ignorance to be an Informer of others I have known many that would have yielded to come into the Conforming Church if that one word had been but forborn For when any practice against their Consciences about baptizing Communion or Burials had faln in their way they would have silently shifted it off or been from home and have ventured to answer it so they could but conscionably have got in But our Canoneers are for all or nothing 2. He is sure no English Clergy-man if he know not how much is laid on us that was not known in the days of Qu. Elizabeth Is it to inform men or deceive them that he makes the difference to be between 36 and 39 Articles and saith nothing of all the new Covenants Declarationâ— Oaths Subscriptions Doctrine and Practises § 38. Many make use of Mr. Edwards Gangrena and the London Ministers Testimony against errours to prove the Heresies and Confusions of the late times No doubt all sin is odious But few men living are more competent Witnesses of those things than I. The Errours that sprung up were much more tenderly resented then than now You now have many called Wits and Persons of Quality who at a Club dispute against the Providence of God the immortality of the Soul and a future Life and there is neither Church-Admonition Excommunication nor any great
matter made of it but they are Members of the Church of England the purest Church in all the World Whereas in those licentious times if one Souldier had spoken such a Word it would have rung out through the Land and perhaps his Tongue would have been bored with an hot Iron It was the errours of the proud rebellious Soldiers that made most of the noise that had no considerable number of Ministers left with them I had a hand in Mr. Edwards Book thus An Assembly of Ministers after Naseby Fight sent me into the Army to try if I could reduce them Dayly disputing with them a few proud selfconceited Fellows vented some gross words At Amersham a few Country Sectaries had set up a Meeting in Dr. Crooks Church to dispute and deceive the People A few of Major Bethel's Troop that afterwards turned Levellers and were ruined joined with them I met them and almost all day disputed against them and shamed them and they met there no more I gathered up all the gross words which they uttered and wrote them in a Letter to Francis Tyton and after I found them cited in Mr. Edwards Gangrena And what 's the absurd Speeches of a few ignorant Souldiers that are dead with them to the Heresies and Schisms that these 1000 or 1200 Years continue in all the Roman Communion and they say in all the rest of the Christian World One cheating Papist as a converted Jew got into an Anabaptists Meeting one Maxwell a Scot and all England rung of it But when Bishops have made and keep France Spain Italy c. in the same Errours Dr. Heylin and Bp. Bromhall and such others took them for such with whom a Coalition on the terms by them described was very desirable CHAP. XXIV His 7th Chapter considered § 1. THE Man had not the courage to defend the surgent Prelacy in its Manhood and Maturity but only in its Infant and Juvenile State nor to defend the many hundred Councils which I mentioned after the Council of Calcedon in which either his Modesty or Cautelousness comes short of his Rd. Fathers who some of them own the six first General Councils and some of them eight and some would unite with the Church of Rome if they will abate but the last 400 Years additions § 2. In his Gleanings in this 7th Chap. he over and over and over persuadeth his Reader that I make or affirm that the Bps. were the cause of all the Heresies in the world and of all the Heresies Schisms and Evils that have afflicted the Church And hath this Historian any proof of this Or is it the melancholy fiction of his Brain Yes this is his proof contrary to my manifold Instances because I say in one age We have a strange thing a Heresie raised by one that was no Bishop which I have answered before To be then strange and never to be at all are not words of the same sense But his Answers throughout do mind me of Seneca's Words that a man that is sore complains or cries Oh when he doth but think you touch him § 3. He thus himself accuseth the Bishops p. 276 There have been wicked men and wicked Bishops in all times And p. 277. That some Bishops have abused their Authority and Office and been the cause of Heresie and Schism cannot be denied But yet He hath shewed sufficiently that most of my particular Accusations are void of all truth and Ingenuity Ans Or else those words are so § 4. He saith All Ecclesiastical Writers agree that Simon Magus was Author of the first Heresie in Christian Religion Ans All confess that Judas was before him And if it be a Heresie to buy the Spirit for Money it is a Heresie to sell Christ for Money But I confess some tell us of his after pranks at Rome and imitating Icarus at Peters Prayers If you would see why Dr. More takes this for a toyish Legend see his Mystery of Iniquity Lib. 2. C. 19. § 6 7. p. 447 448. § 5. P. 286 287. Baronius first and Philastrius after are made guilty of Forgery and disregardable History so that I may well bear some of his Censures § 6. P. 290. To confute me effectually he saith much what the same which is much of the sum of all my Book And yet it 's false and malicious in me and true and charitable in him viz. Praising the first 300 years when the Bishops were such as we offer to submit to he adds The following Ages were not so happy but as Christians generally degenerated so did the Bishops too Ans What! Before the Council of Nice That 's a sad Confession I was ready to say as a Roman Emperour said to a flatterer that still said all that he said Dic aliud aliquid ut duo simus But his next words allay it But yet not so much as our Author would make it appear As the Dominicans and Oratorians must say some falshood of Calvine lest they be thought Calvinists And yet he addeth The beginning of the 4th Century was very unhappy to the Church for Persecution without and Heresie and Schism within Meletius an Egyytian began a Schism forsook the Communion of the Church c. Next the Donatists Arians c. Ans It seems that the Emperours Constantius and Valens were without the Church and yet the Arian Priests and Bishops were within it When he defineth the Church we may understand this But is it not this 4th Century that is made the Churches more flourishing state by others § 7. Even the great Historian of Heresies Epiphanius is said p. 292. to be unaccountably mistaken in several things relating to that History And 293. hath a strange unaccountable mistake in diverse other things relating to that matter If I had at any time erred with such a Bishop and Father I might have been excusable for reciting his History § 8. Pag. 295. He opens the very Heart of his Parties Principles and saith The Church is never distracted more by any thing than Projects of Moderation Ans Experience proveth that you speak your Heart The words are no wilful Lye which agree with a mans Mind be they never so false as disagreeable to the matter No man was more of that Opinion than Hildebrand that would not yield the Emperours the Investiture nor as I before said abate the Prince of Calaris the shaving of his Bishops Beard to save his Kingdom Victor began with that Opinion too soon but his Successors have these Thousand Years been as much for it as you can wish 2. But to whom is it that you intend this Sure not to all Was Bishop Laud of that mind toward the Papists if Dr. Heylin say true Was Grotius of that mind toward them Was Arch-Bishop Bromhall Forbes Beziar Thorndike and many more such of that mind No I 'le excuse you that you meant not them and their Projects of Moderation Nor I believe neither Cassander's Erasmus's Wicelius's Sancta
Clara's Leander's c. But towards such as I am you have been as firm to that Principle as any one of our Enemies could wish In 1660 1661. it was most effectually improved and you have attained much of the fruits then foretold and ever since have been unmoveably and prevailingly true to it 3. But this maketh some men the Distracters of the Church if not the greatest which truly I have better thoughts of Such as Junius Paraeus Amyraldus Le Blanke Davenant Ward Usher Holdsworth Morton Hall c. And lately when we were preparing for the Kings Return Bp. Brownrig and after his death Dr. Gawden Dr. Gulston Dr. Allen Dr. Bernard and diverse such did offer themselves to a Treaty for Moderation And since then Dr. Wilkins Dr. Burton Dr. Tillotson and in diebus illis Dr. Stilling fleet have been guilty of this crime of distracting the Church by projects of Moderation But I can name the Bps. that were not guilty of it To abate or forsake the necessary points of Faith and Practice on pretence of Moderation is to destroy Christianity on pretence of Humanity or Peace But to make Laws that men shall preach with Horns on their Heads to signifie the Victory of Truth and to ruine all that will not keep these Laws much more if men should command worse and to say a Project for Moderation would distract the Church would be as far from Wisdom as it is from Moderation And some Prelates have done as bad as this § 9. He confesseth p. 296. that by force and Fraud the whole World in a manner was turned Arian And did I ever say worse of the Bishops than this § 10. He maketh Aerius to speak against Bishops because he could not be a Bishop so that he was of a Prelatical Judgment and Spirit and calleth him The Cartwright of the times by which if he mean that Cartwright would have been a Bishop it doth but tell us that he deserveth little belief in his History § 11. He is a most singular Historian p. 303. in telling us that after the Monothelites in following Ages of the Church the Devil started up but few Heresies till these Ages Swenk feldians Anabaptists c. By this I perceive he believeth neither Papists nor Protestants For the Papists name many Heresies since and the Protestants say that Popery is but a Composition of many Heresies and name us many that concur'd thereto § 12. He there giveth me this serious Admonition It is a much greater wonder that any man that makes Conscience of what he saith should against all truth of History and against his own knowledge charge the Bishops with all the Heresies in the World that a person that seems so sensible of approaching Judgment as frequently to put himself in mind of it should yet advance so malicious and groundless an Accusation There is no dallying with the all-seeing God What Plea shall be made for whole Books full of Calumny and Detraction c. Ans This is not the least acceptable passage to me in his Book I love the man the better for seeming serious in the belief of Judgment and I hope his Warning shall make me search my Heart with some more jealousie and care He seems here to believe himself but being my self far more concerned than he is to know how far I am guilty of what I am accused as far as I can know my Heart and Writings I 'le tell the Reader what to judge of his words and me 1. That I charge the Bishops with all the Heresies in the World never was in my mind nor can I find it in any of my Writings Yet this he very oft repeateth And should a man so often write a falshood about a thing visible and never cite the place where I say it and this while he is thus seriously mentioning Calumny and Judgment 2. Can he make men believe at once that I do persuade men that Bishops or Diocesanes came not up till about 150 years after Christ and yet that I make them the Authors of the Heresies that were in those times Non entis non est actio Could Bishops be Hereticks when there were no Bishops 3. If I had charged the Bishops with all the Heresies it followeth not that I had charged no one else with them and made the Bishops the sole Authors and acquit People Priests and Princes why then doth he name many Monks and Priests that were Hereticks Or Emperours that promoted them as if this crossed what I say Did he think that I excluded the Army if I blame the General or the Prelatical Priests when I blame the Prelates If I took the Bishops of England to be the chief cause of our Church-Schisms and Calamities doth it follow that I acquit such as you and all the Clergy like you 4. That I have done this against all Truth of History which I transcribed out of the Councils and Historians most partial for the highest Prelacie is either a great untruth and unproved by him or I know not what I read or write 5. That I do this against my own Knowledge I am certain is an untruth 6. That my Accusations are malicious I am certain is untruth as being able to say that I speak in pitty to the Church and to save Souls from deceit and malice no man but pray with the Liturgy that God will forgive our Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers and turn their Hearts 7. That I have brought any Groundless Accusation I must take for an untruth till my Grounds produced are better confuted 8. Much more that I write whole Books full of Calumny and Detraction All these and more untruths being heapt up with the mention of Death and Judgment tells us whither Faction and Prepossession may carry men 2. But what is the truth I shall again briefly tell the Reader 1. About 2000 of such Ministers as I confidently take for the most spiritual and conscionable and devoted to God and the good of Souls are silenced and in Law imprisoned and ruined and all the People of their mind are ipso facto if they confess it excommunicated besides their other penalties I accuse not the Law but mention only the matter of Fact which the K. once commissioned Bps. to have prevented 2. The Kingdom is dolefully divided and alas the sad consequents are not to be named 3. Besides all our Penalties the Bishops accuse us as the causes of all and as wilful Schismaticks and call for the Execution of the Laws against us 4. We say we dare not do that which when ever they will give us leave we are ready to give our reasons why we take it for heinous sin against God and tending to the ruine of the Church nor dare we forsake our Ministry while the Churches necessities are to us past doubt 5. We beg of them but to abate us some needless Oaths and Covenants and Professions and a few things called indifferent by the Imposers that we may all live
in Christian Love and Peace and we offer them as unquestionable security for our Peaceableness Loyalty and Orthodoxness as the said Oaths Promises or Professions can be 6. They tell us Nothing is to be abated us and we must cease preaching the Rule must not be altered we will do more harm in the Church than out Projects for Moderation most distract the Church There is no Concord or Liberty to be expected but by our total obedience to the Bishops It is obeying the Church yea the Universal Church of Bishops that is the only way to Concord 7. To confute this Supposition which is the root of our Calamities I transcribe out of History and the Acts of Councils how great a hand in the Schisms and Heresies and Confusions of Christians those Bishops have had who have swelled up above the primitive species by vast Diocesses Wealth and claim of Government over other Churches and Bishops and that it is notorious that this Grandeur and exorbitant power of Bishops singly or in Councils hath been so far from keeping the Church from Schisms that it hath been one of the greatest causes of the Schisms of most Ages since such a sort of Prelacy sprung up and that Popery came not up in a day but rose from that Juniority to its present Maturity This was my work § 13. He truly tells you that the Original of all mischiefs is the Lusts that war in our Members and not this or that Order of Men. When the World had a good Pope if God would bless that Order of men some think he might do more good than any other man But he hath toucht the Core of the Churches Malady Verily the grand Strife is between the Flesh and Spirit the seed of the Serpent and of the Woman And if Patriarchs and Diocesans were but as much set on the promoting of a holy and heavenly Life as those Ministers are whom they silence and imprison they might do much good though the largeness of their Diocess render them uncapable of performing the 40th part of a true Bishops Work No doubt but Bishop Hall and Potter and Usher c. did much good by such preaching writing and good living as others use that are no Bishops But will fire burn without fewel And will it not burn if combustible fewel be contiguous Do not the Lusts that war in our Members live upon that food which we are forbidden to provide Do you think that the Lust of the Flesh doth not more desire Riches than Poverty Honour than a low Estate Domination over others to have our Will on all than humble Subjection Where the Carkass is there will the Eagles be gathered Do not you your self say that the Bishops and Church grew more corrupt after the third Century Do you believe that when a Bishops Power was made equal to a great Lords or more and all his Pomp and Riches answerable that the Lust of the Flesh would not more greedily desire it than it would desire a meer mediocrity Or that a worldly proud man would not seek more for Lordship and Greatness than a Synesius and such others as you say fled from it If the poor retired Monks were as bad as you make them what wonder if great Lordly Bishops were much worse Will not the fire of Lust grow greater as the fewel is greater I am satisfied that Riches and Power well used may greatly serve the Interest of Religion But two things must be considered 1. That the greatest Power and Wealth being far more desired by carnal Worldlings that is by bad men than by mortified heavenly minded men the more men desire them the more eagerly they will seek them by Friends Flattery or any means and therefore the liker they are to attain them except when the choosers are some resolved godly men And so which way can a Succession of the worst men be avoided But a mediocrity that doth not to the Flesh overweigh the labours and difficulties of the sacred Office will encourage the good and not much tempt the bad Or if good men will be never so bountiful to pious uses their bounty and Church-Lands may better maintain Labourers enough for the work than be made a snare to one 2. And that Power which depopulateth and destroys its end is unlawful in its very state as well as in its use The Power of one man to be sole Physician to the City and to have none but Apothecaries under him or of one man to be the only School-Master in the County and have none but Ushers under him is rather to be called Destruction than Power It is Bishops casting out Power that I am against that is the necessary Power of the Keys in the Parish Ministers or putting down necessary Bishops and also a Power to silence Christs faithful Ministers and deprive Souls of the necessary means by imposing things needless in themselves and sinful in the receiver that after his best search believes them such Seeing then that we are agreed that it is the Lust that warreth in men that is the corrupter of the Church let but the face of the whole Romane Clergy these 1000 Years at least tell us whether it be not the swelling of the Power and Wealth of Bishops that hath caused so long a Succession of a worldly lustful tyranical Clergy § 14. And he truly saith p. 306. that the generality of men when they have gained Wealth and Honour are commonly willing to secure the enjoyment of those Possessions by letting things run in their ordinary course The Spanish Proverb is The World is a Carryon and they are Dogs that love it and they will snarle at any that would take it from them and if it lie in the Ditch Dogs rather than Men will gather about it and its pitty such men should by such a Bait be tempted into the sacred Chair And he truly adds that Repulse and Disappointment will end such mens Patience For really as the man is such are his desires It is not only turgent Prelacy but a Prelatical Spirit that troublerh the Church And If Novatianus or Arius would fain be a Prelate it is in his heart and no wonder if he be a Schismatick Trahit sua quemque voluptas Appetite is the Spring of Action All the Popes Clergy are much of his mind for they participate of his worldly Interest and depend on him and therefore participate of the Papal Spirit The Interest of the General and Army are conjunct § 15. And its true that he saith that the Bishops Interest obligeth him to maintain Peace and Unity And so no doubt from that sense of Interest it is endeavoured in Italy Spain France Germany c. when a strong man armed keeps his house the things which he possesseth are in Peace But whether therefore the People did ill that forsook the Bishops and followed Luther or are all bound to cleave to the Bishops Unity is the doubt § 16. Whether it be true p. 310 that
very few if any one were Bishops when they turned Hereticks I have enquired in the Preface though if they ascended from Heresie to Prelacy it 's all one to me But by this I conjecture that he taketh fewer for Hereticks than others do and that he pretends acquaintance with their minds in that antecedent part of their Lives which no History mentioneth I confess I think that for the most part men are Papists before they are Popes or Papist Bishops And yet I think that it is first the desire of Papal and Prelatical Grandeur and next the Exercise of it which is the cause of Schism and Persecution § 17. I verily believe as he doth that Platonick Philosophy and a willingness to win the Heathens by compliance had a great hand in corrupting many Doctrines and not only Monks but others of the most religious Christians had a great hand in many of the ancient Superstitions especially those that tended to the over-honouring of their Martyrs and too much advancement of their Bishops when they came newly from under the Persecution of the Heathens But it came not to be universal nor the Engine of great Corruption and cruelty till the Bishops turned all into a Law Who could make any of all this necessary but Pope Prelates or Princes who pretended a Legislative Power hereto Even Luther and Melancthon were indifferent to diverse Ceremonies so they were made to be indifferently used But when they are made necessary by a Law specially more necessary to a Minister than his Ministry and to a private Christian than his Church Communion who doth more vehemently condemn them than they § 18. That Paschasius Radbertus was the first that broached the Doctrine of Transubstantiation is a doubtful expression Either he meaneth the Name or only the Thing under another Name If the latter he will do more than Edm. Albertinus or Bp. Consius have done if he prove it If it be the name that he meaneth I think by my Memory for I will not for that go read him all over that he will not find the name in Radbertus nor any where before Stephanus Eduensis about 130 years after him and that all that he can truly say is but as Bellarmine doth Hic Author primus suit qui seriò copiosè scripsit de veritate Corporis Sanguinis Domini in Eucharistia contra Bertramum Presbyterum § 19. That the Bishops charged by me with these Corruptions were the only Opposers of them that we find in antiquity as we may see in the Canons of Africk and Spain is a saying very near kin to much of his History I confess that so few Presbyters in comparison of Bishops were publick Actors whose Judgments were notified to the World that it 's no wonder after Constantine's time if there be more proofs of their words and deeds than of other mens But there are a great number of excellent men here slandered against the credit of all Church-History and their own Writings yet in our hands Would it be worth the Readers Price and Labour I could swell my Book with the proof that what he speaketh is untrue Did he think that I could not prove that Justin Martyr Athenagoras Tatianus Tertullian Clemens Alexandrinus Origene Arnobius Lactantius Macarius Maternus Firmicus Ephrem Syrus Faustinus Hierome Ruffinus Prudentius Sulpitius Severus Sedulius Mammertus Cassianus Vincent Lirinensis Socrates Sozomen Isodore Pelusiota c. did something in opposition to some Church-Corruptions Though some of them promoted some others Yea Antonie and abundance of Monks that furthered some opposed others no less dangerous Though many of them may be accused as Bellarmine doth Sulpit. Severus for saying Ecclesiam auro non strui sed destrui Judge of time past by what we see Is it only the Bishops that are against the Popes Church-Corrupting Usurpation in Italy Spain France c. Is it only the Bishops that are against the Mass Corruptions and against all their corrupt Doctrines of Indulgences Purgatory Images c. and against all their Ceremonies and prophane abuse of holy things Was it only the Bishops at Constance and Basil that were against suppressing the Bohemian and Moravian Reformation In the end of Lydius upon Prateolus you may read a Letter subscribed by so great a number of Lords and great men for John Hus and Hierome and the Reformation which yet prevailed not with the Bishops as will tell you who was then the greatest Opposers of Church-Corruption And I think Princes and Drs. opposed it more than Bps. in Luther's time Is it only the Bishops that have opposed warping towards Rome for Church-Unity Have none but Bishops been against corrupting the Churches by silencing good Ministers and ordaining bad ones The things that are have been I confess our difference is great on the case what is to be accounted Church-Corruption For that which in one Country goeth for Corruption in another yea the same goeth for Church-Glory Strength and Beauty Our main difference is about what 's good and what 's bad what 's Virtue and what 's Vice § 20. He next comes to Sedition and asketh What Reign have they disturbed here with their Sedition And because he knoweth that I can refer him to the large Volume of their Treasons written by Prin and abroad to the many Volumes in Goldastus and the many Histories of the Wars of Popes and Councils against Emperours he prevents all my Proof with a downright Untruth that If a man be not blind he may see that my History is only designed against Protestant Bishops under a general name Ans Was it not enough so grosly to write this Untruth of me but he must also reproach all the Readers as blind that will not judge falsly of what they read Doth he know my meaning better than my self He knoweth that I plead for the Primitive Episcopacy and that I profess to intend this History most to discover the Rise Growth and Maturity of the Popish destructive sort of Prelacy Readers can you believe this man that I wrote the case of the Bishops before and under Popery and of the Popes and of above Five hundred Councils and all these before the name of a Protestant Bishop was known in the World and as he saith gathered their faults and all this only against the Protestant Bishops and not against Popes or Prelates or any of the Councils that I named Perhaps he would tempt me to refer him to the History of Bishop Laua's Trial or to what Bishop Abbot George and Robert Bishop Hall and others said against him Or to tell him of A. Bp. Williams Arms for the Parliament But these are not Subjects fit for our Debates § 21. P. 318. When I say that where Prelacy with the Papists is at the highest Princes are at the lowest He asketh Is it the Bishop or the Papist that is here to blame Is this the effect of their Order Ans 1. I thought the Pope of Rome and the Bishop of Rome had been
the same 2. But this Corrector of History taking Untruths not only into the Completion but the Stamina and Scope of his Book among all the rest supposeth me to speak against a Bishop as a Bishop when I have troubled him with my repeating so often that I am for Bishops and that it is not the Office but the tumor and that tumor that maketh another species which I oppose Doth he not think that the Popes Bishoprick is faulty yea as a corrupt species And as it is more tumid than the Patriarchs is not the Patriarchs more tumid than the Metropolitanes and that than the Diocesanes And if Dr. Hammond were not deceived who thought that there were no stated worshipping Assemblies in Scripture times without a present Bishop is not the sole Bishop of a Thousand or a Hundred such Assemblies different from a Bishop of One only And if many Canons speak truly that say a Bishop should be in every City that hath a Church and every great Town like our Corporations and Market Towns was called a City doth not a Bishop of one City and a Bishop of 50 or 40 or 10 differ so far that a man may be against one without being against the other Doth he speak against Patriarchs that speaks against the Pope Or against Diocesanes that speaks against Patriarchs Or against the Primitive Bishops that speaks only against such Diocesanes as put them all down and all their Churches and almost all true Discipline of such Churches like Erastians § 22. P. 319. 322. His Charge on Socrates and Sozomene shaking the credit of Church History as writing that which no reasonable man can believe as it is related by them without loving a malicious Lye I spake to before If such Historians believed not what they write or loved a malicious Lye alas whom shall we believe Is he better than they And his note that Valesius judged Eusebius Nicomed no Heretick I before noted But I will follow that case no further lest he should draw me to seem to charge the ancient Bishops with sedition whom I never intended so to charge but only to desire those that can excuse the Language e. g. of Gregory the great to Phâ—cas of Ambrose to Eugenius of the Bishops to Maximus and many such like not implacably to reproach and hunt those that did no more or not so much § 23. His full Stomach dischargeth itself against me three times over with one charge P. 314 320 352. Oliver Cromwell and his Son the David and Absalom of Mr. B. And He compares the most barbarous villain in the World to King David in his Epistle to his Son Ans Reader if there be no such word in any of my Writings after all these Accusations of this man and many such other I must leave it to thy self how thou wilt name these men their History and their dealings for if I name them they will say I rail Yea what if this very man it 's easie to know why and whence doth even here p. 352. c. reprint the very Epistle which he thus accuseth and cite no such word to tell us that he knew there was no such word there and yet thus affirmeth it what will you call this The words cited by himself are these Many observe that you have been strangly kept from participating in any of our late bloody Contentions that God might make you a Healer of our Breaches and employ you in that Temple Work which David himself might not be honoured with though it was in his mind because he had shed blood abundantly and made great Wars 1 Chr. 22. 7 8. Is here ever a word of Oliver Is he here called David Did I not purposely say David himself and cite the Text lest any should feign the same that he doth Any man may see that he hath nothing to say but to accuse my Thoughts and suspect that I had such a meaning And who made him acquainted with Thoughts that were never uttered Or made him a Judge of them If his and other mens thoughts may be thus by conjecture accused no Enemy need to want matter of Accusation It 's like he will appeal to my Conscience whether it were not my thought And 1. By what authority will he so do 2. But I will shrive my self to him this once It is so long since that truly I remember not what was in my Thoughts any further than my words express But I well remember my former Actions and what was then my judgment of Oliver and his Actions and I use not to speak against my judgment Many knew that he being acquainted the first day that I went into the Army which was after Naseby Fight that I was sent by an Assembly of Divines to try whether I could turn the Soldiers against his subverting Designs then first discovered to me he would never once speak to me while I was in the Army and that ever after I was driven away I openly in Pulpit Press and Conference disowned and warned men to disown his Actions against King and Parliament and his Usurpation and that I wrote against the Engagement And therefore I do not think that ever I meant to call him David and I am sure I never did it But they say old Men can see better afar off than near at hand and so all these notorious Untruths about visible present things may yet consist with such mens credibility about things said and done 1300 Years ago § 24. And now I am here I must not pass by his friendly Admonition p. 357. after his reciting my Epistles If I were as worthy to advise Mr. B. as he was to advise Cromwell I would say It were much more adviseable for a Christian specially for one that thinks he is so near his eternal State to repent and cry peccavimas than to stand on Justification of the fact c. Ans 1. Is was usual for men to choose their own Confessours But it being the Custom of the times for Pastors and Confessors to be forced on Dissenters I will submit now to your way though my former Confessions and my Communion with you have been turned to Reproach and Scorn 1. I do daily beg earnestly of God to let none of my sins be unknown to me and taken for no sin and be unrepented of and that he would forgive that which I would fain know and do not 2. I do not repent of owning Oliver's Actions against King and Parliament or his Usurpation for I never owned them nor the Actions of them that set up his Son 3. I do not repent that I loved the Peace of the Church and that I desired the Governour though a Usurper should do good and not evil 4. I do not repent that seeing the Armies Rebellions and Confusions I stirred up Rulers and People to take heed of favouring so great Sin 5. But I do now by experience of other ways perceive that I was sometimes too eager in aggravating mens
Errours and repent that I used not more forbearance of some of my Accusations of some of them 6. I did think that Richard Cromwell was an Usurper But when we had been twelve Years at least without a rightful Governour I then thought as Thomas White alias Blacklow the moderate Papist wrote that the Land could not subsist in Society without some Government and that No-Government is worse to the People than a Usurped one And that it is somtime lawful to submit and use an Usurper when it is not lawful to approve his Entrance And wherein I was deceived I am willing to be better informed 7. But I do unfeignedly repent that I wrote those two Epistles though it was to put a man on to do good whom I never saw â—or â—â—â—â— had the least to do with 8. And I do more repent of the cause of all viz. that I appointed God a time and limited his Providence and thought that because so many Armies and Endeavours had failed Twelve or Fourteen Years that had attempted the restoring of the King therefore there was no probability of accomplishing it I do not repent that I was not a Prophet to know before what God would do for it was not in my power nor do I repent that I preached Christs Gospel under Usurpers but I repent that I waited not Gods time and did not better consider that want of humane Power is no hinderance to Omnipotency and nothing is difficult to him 9. I was drawn too far by Mr. Harringtons Scorn and the dislike of Sir Henry Vane's Attempts for a Common-Wealth to meddle with matters of Government and to write my Political Aphorisms called A Holy Common-Wealth And I do unfeignedly repent that ever I wrote and published it and had not more confined my self to the matters proper to my Calling and let those meddle with forms of Government who were fitter for it All these besides what 's formerly said to Mr. Bagshaw I declare my unfeigned Repentance of And though it pleaseth you to feign me a Schismatick and hater of Repentance for speaking against the faultâ— that needed it I shall thank you to be a real helper of me in so necessary a work as Repentance is And that I may do the like by you I shall now only requite you with this Advice that before you write next you will set before your Eyes the Ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour And that when you say your Prayers you would be serious when you say Lord have Mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law § 25. A Roman Zeal tells us that Faction and Schism when animated by worldly Interest and grown up to a malignant hatred of the things and persons that are averse to it is hardly bounded but is thriving up towards destructive Persecution as swelling Prelacy did towards the Papacy and the Inquisition It is not one or two Fishes that will satisfie the stomach of a Pike Nor is it the slandering or ruining of one or two men or silencing of one or two of the Ministers of Christ that will satisfie a malignant Spirit One Meal will not make a lean Man fat Whether there be a Legion in those that would destroy a Legion of Christs Servants or one have so much Power I know not but the effects tell us what manner of Spirit they are of But let the Papists pass § 26. When I read p. 337 and 358 359. and such passages it makes me think of them that cried His Blood be on us and our Children together with our Judge's words In as much as you did it or did it not to one of the least of these my Brethren you did it or did it not to me P. 337. he saith There is great reason to value the peaceable Resignation of the Nonconformists when we consider by what Usurpation and Violence they were brought in and what a number of worthy learned Ministers were turned out to make vacancies for these men who were to instruct the People in new Mysteries of Religion which their old Pastors had not the Conscience or Ability to teach them that is of the lawfulness of Rebellion And p. 358 c. There were many of those Ministers Usurpers and had intruded into the Churches of other men who had been silenced and cast out There were many others that were intruders into the Ministry and such not a few of them as Mr. B. himself would not have thought fit to have continued All the rest were such as would not submit to the Rule that was then established in the Church but chose rather to leave their Livings and the Bishops could not help it any otherwise than as they were Members of Parliament for it was the Law that tied them to their choice and not the Bishops If Mr. B. means what happened before the last Civil Wars as it 's likely he may then these ancient Teachers were the instruments of an Antimonarchical Antiepiscopal Faction They would preach but they would not conform to the Established Religion Nay many of them would preach against it and against their Governours too These were such Incendâ—â—ries as no Government would endure c. Ans When you have noted this part of his History it will not be hard to judge of his credibility I. The things that he defendeth is the silencing and prosecuting of three sorts of Ministers 1. Many Hundreds of Nonconformists in the days of Qu. Eliz. K. James and some few in the time of K. Charles 1. 2. Many Conformists in the time of K. Charles 1. under Bishop Laud. 3. About 2000 that conform not to the New Laws of Uniformity in the time of K. Ch. 2. What these Ministers were or are and what the fruits of their silencing have been and what it hath done to the Church of England and to many Thousands of Godly Christians I will not be â—udge Nor will I dispute that which all England sees or feels But it seems so well done to our Historian as that he is willing deliberately to justifie or defend it which as I understand is to make it his own and to undertake to be one of those that shall answer for it What if another had done as much against him as he hath done against himself And for how small a prize II. As he before would insinuate that what is said of the great number of Drunkards and ignorant men turned out was false though so judged upon the Oaths of men accounted the greatest lovers of Religion in their Parishes so he seemeth here to intimate that it was only or chiefly into the places of learned worthy men that the silenced Ministers succeeded whereas it was not one of many that came into any such mens places of them that were silenced at the fatal Bartholomew day III. He seemeth to intimate that when the Parliament suppose by wrong put out either such as he or I describe the Land must be under
Can the Leopard change his Spots c. or they that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well And Rom. 8. 6 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to his Law nor can be I will not here too much contradict him 2. But is it nothing that they could have done in Parliament had they been willing 3. Is it unlawful for us to know if he know it not or deny it how much the Bishops and Clergy did with the Parliament-Men 4. He should at least have stayed till Dr. Bates Dr. Jacomb and I are dead who wrote and disputed with the Bishops by the Kings Commission before he had talkt at this rate to the World Did not the King make his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs And did he not under the broad Seal commission those Bishops and Doctors to treat with us for the making such alterations as were necessary to tender Consciences Did they not maintain that no alterations were thereto necessary and so end the treaty 5. Did they not in their next Convocation lay aside the Kings Indulgent Declaration and make the Additions to the Liturgy And yet could they not help it Nor was it none of their doings 6. Doth not England know that Parliaments since have by experience perceived their Mistake and would have suspended our Prosecution and restored us to Unity and the Bishops and Clergy will not consent but rage against it and preach and write to have us executed according to the Laws and no abatement to be made and as this man think that the Churches Distraction is from Projects of Moderation What name should one give to such Histories as these The guilty cannot bear their names XII He saith It was the Law that tied them to their choice and not the Bishops Ans 1. Suppose the word choice were proper here Is it any justification of the Executioners It was the Emperour Charles the 5th's Edict that tied all the Protestant Ministers to conform to the Interim or be gone It was the Law that tied the Martyrs in Qu. Maries days to profess what they believed not or to be burnt Alas How could Bonner and Gardiner help it 2. But how many Bishops were against the passing of that Bill And who persuaded the Lay-Men to it Must we not know when it 's night if you deny it XIII He tells you that the ancient silenced Teachers before the Civil Wars were the Instruments of Antimonarchical and Antiepiscopal Faction Ans 1. Which of them all said so much as Mr. Hooker Bp. Bilson Bp. Jewel c. have done 2. If you make any Conscience of the 9th Commandment prove the Truth of what you say of those that were suspended and driven out of the Kingdom in the times of A. Bp. Laud Bp. Wren Bp. Piercy c. for not reading the Book for Lords-days Dancing and Sports and that were prosecuted for Preaching twice on the Lords-day and for not turning the Table Altar-wise and railing it in which even Bp. Montague as well as Williams was against Was Bishop Miles Smyth of Gloucester were A. Bp. Abbot or Grindall Antimonarchical or Antiepifcopal 3. Prove if you are able any Antimonarchical Principles Words or Deeds by Mr. Hildersham Mr. Brinsley Mr. Paul Baine Mr. Dod Mr. Knewstubs and hundreds of such I might name The most malicious are fain to talk of one Knox or one Goodman or one Junius Brutus that is Hubertus Languetus Melancthous friend or somewhat in Buchanan not the tenth part so much as is commonly said by the Papists with whom our A. Bp. Bromhall and his Companions so much plead for Concord 4. Doth not Al. Cope and Sanders and Pateson in the Image of both Churches and lately the nominal Bellamy in his Philanax Anglicus and many more such say all the same of the Bishops and Church of England and all that they deride as Protestants of Sincerity as guilty of far more rebellious Principles and Practices thâ—n ever you can prove by the meer Nonconformists old or new And is it enough to accuse XIV He saith They would preach but they would not conform to the established Religion Ans 1. But why should they be forbidden to preach which was good and they were devoted to If a man will not do all that you would have him to do shall he do nothing 2. What was that which he calleth the Established Religion It was the Ceremonies and Subscription that there is nothing in the Liturgy contrary to the Word of God And was this a Crime worthy the forbidding men to preach the Gospel Or why should the Souls of Thousands of the Innocent People be so heavily punished for another mans omission even because the Teachers fear Conformity 3. But still we see what these mens Religion is Had their Religion been the Scripture or any Doctrine or Worship common to the Christian or Protestant Churches the old Nonconformists willingly consented to it But here they shew that their Ceremonies and proper Liturgy forms are their Religion But then 1. Why do Dr. Burges and all that plead for your Ceremonies and Invention build all on this that you make them not any parts of Worship or Religion which they confess man may not invent but meer accidents 2. How old then is your Religion Your Liturgy was made since Luther began his Reformation 3. It seems then that you are not of the same Religion with the Protestants that have none of your Ceremonies Liturgy or Subscriptions 4. Is not then your Church of a singular Religion from all the World and consequently a singular Church And is it the whole Catholick Church then or a Schismatical Church I confess that you shew more evidently than by such words that your self made Rules and Circumstances are your Religion For 1. You make Conformity to them to be de facto more necessary than our Preaching the Gospel or our Church Communion or any publick Church Worship of God 2. And you excommunicate by your Rule or Canon every Member of Christ in England that doth but think and say that any thing of your Imposition Liturgy Ceremonies or Government are sinful 3. And yet when you have done you call all your Impositions things indifferent 4. And thereby you declare that your Religion in part is a thing indifferent 5. And no Man or Woman shall be of your Church that cannot know all the indifferent things in the World which may be imposed on them to be Indifferent and not Unlawful when you know or you know not whom you dwell among that we have much adoe to get one half your Church to know things necessary 6. The Papists that put a greater necessity on their Inventions will deride you for an Indifferent Religion There was a poor Puritane Nonconformist that feared Lying that went about the Streets with Ink to fell and was wont truly to cry Very good Ink very good Ink but once his Ink a little miscarried and he durst not call it
also desire that you call not the next Parliament which consisted most of the same Men Presbyterians or Nonconformists nor the other since them Or at least that hereafter before we dispute we may better agree of the meaning of our terms And I declare to the Reader that nothing in all this Book is intended against the Primitive Church-Government or Episcopacy nor against the good Bishops Clergy Councils or Canons which were many nor against King Parliament Magistracy the Laws or Liturgy or Church Communion nor against our peaceable and patient submission where we dare not practically obey But only against the diseases and degeneracy of Bishops Clergy Councils and Canons and those dividing practices by which they have for 1200 Years and more been tearing the Christian World into the Sects of which it now consisteth and against the whole ascendent Change from the Primitive Episcopacy to Papal maturity and against our swearing Subscribing declaring covenanting professing and practising where we understand not the Imposers sense and are unwilling by our private Interpretations to deceive them and where we are persuaded that it would be heinous sin to us not meddling with the case of Lawmakers or Conformists who have no such fears but think all good Chrysostome before cited in Act. 1. Hom. 3. p. mihi 472. speaketh harder than I ever did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. which Erasmus translateth Non temere aâ—co sed ut affectus sum sentio Non arbitrer inter Sacâ—rdotes multos esse qui salvi fiant sed multo â—lâ—â—es qui pâ—reant His reason is the same which some give why they think most Physicians kill more than they cure because there is so much Wisdom Goodness Watchfulness and Diligence required to their Calling which few of them have Luther is much sharper than I ever was when he saith Hieronymus alii Patres vixerant in temporali Successione Ecclesiae expertes Crâ—â—â—s persecutionis Episcopi enim jam tum coeperant crâ—sâ—â—re 〈◊〉 â—pibâ—s existimatione gloria in mundo Et plerique etiam tyrannidem exercebant in populum cui praeerant ut testatur historia Ecclesiastica Pauci faciebant sua Officia c. Loc. Com. 4. Class p. 79 80. Et Cap. 27. p. 48. de Synodis In posterioribus Conciliis nunquam de fide sed semper de opinionibus quaestionibus disputatum after the first ut mihi Conciliorum nomen pene tam suspectum invisum sit quam nomen Liberi arbitrii What Melancthon thought of the Papal design of magnifying Councils and pleading the necessity of uninterrupted Succession of Episcopal Ordination see in his Epistles especially of the Conference at Ratisbone Dr. Henry Moore in his Mystery of Iniquity saith p. 1â—2 That Principle tends to the ruining of Faith which supposeth that without right Succession of Bishops and Priests there is no true Church and therefore no true Faith and that this Succession may be interrupted by the Misordination or Misconsecration of a Priest or Bishop the Persons thus ordained being Atheists or Jews or ordained by them that are so As if a man could not feel in his own Conscience whether he believed or not the truths of holy Scripture without he were first assured that he was a Member of that Church that had an uninterrupted lawful Succession of the Priesthood from the Apostles times till now Perhaps Episcopius and Curcellaeus will be more regarded Read that notable Preface of Curcellaeus to Episcopius Works p. 12 13. Resp Experientiam docere nullas unquam Controversias de Religione inter Christianos exortas auctoritate synodali faeliciter terminatas fuisse certiorem multo pacis viam esse Next he shews how little good even the Nicene Council did and how much worse things were after Hierome saying that the whole World was Arian And Constantius reproaching Liberius for being with one man against all the World The Vulgar Dicterium being Omne Concilium parit Bellum Whence he gathers that Councils such as the World hath hitherto had non esse idoneum componendis Religionis dissidiis Remedium Et quamdiu illud usur pabitur perpetuas in Ecclesia Republica turbas fore Episcopii praecipuorum emiouit fides animi magnitudo quod ne promisso quidem solutionis ejusdem quo antea fruebantur stipendii induci potuerint ut se ad silentium quod imperabatur servandum obstringerent etiamsi nonnulli in magna rei familiaris augustiâ— versarentur So copious and sharp is Episcopius Qu. 52. p. 56. b. in maintaining that the Magistrate hath no Authority to forbid sacred Assemblies to tolerable Dissenters and that Ministers and People forbidden them must hold on to the death that I will not recite the words but desire his Admirers to read them An Account to Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Rosse in Ireland of the success of his Censure of Richard Baxter in England Detecting his manifold Untruths in matter of Fact § 1. TO give my Character of you whom I know not as you do of me is none of my work But 1. Your Stile alloweth me to say that by it you seem to me to be a man of Conscience fearing God 2. And yet your Matter assureth me that you speak abundance of Untruths confidently I suppose partly by not knowing the persons and things of which you speak and partly by thinking that you ought to believe the false Reporters with whom you are better acquainted § 2. The strait which you cast us into is unavoidable Either we must seem to own all the false Accusations brought against us which will hurt others far more than us or else we must deny and contradict them and that will pass for an intolerable addition to our guilt and we shall be supposed such intemperate fierce abusive Persons as you describe me while you think we give you the Lye or make you Slanderers But we cannot cure your Misresentments but must be content to bear your Censures while we call you not Lyars but only acquaint you with the truth § 3. For my own part my final Judgment is so near and I am conscious of so much evil in my self that I have no reason to be hasty in my own Vindication but much reason to take all hints and helps for deeper search and will not justifie my Stile And God knows I am afraid lest selfishness or partiality should hinder me from finding out my sin and I dayly and earnestly beg of God to make it known to me that I may not be impenitent But either Prejudice Converse or somwhat else maketh a very great difference between your Judgment and mine of Good and Evil And I cannot help it If I err it is not for want of willingness to see my Errour and openly retract it nor for want of an ordinary Diligence to know the Truth The Sum of our difference as far as I can understand you is in these particulars I. Whether there be no sin imposed
it But we are mistaken No doubt men can write learned Volumes to defend any of these and if one do but say They please not God men may be found that can say I believe in my Conscience that you are mistaken and speak unpeaceably God is pleased with it all Sure the day of Judgment will be much to justifie God himself who is thus slandered as the Friend of every mans Sin What wonder is it if there be numerous Religions in the World when every selfish man maketh a God and a Religion of his own fitted to his Interest and Mind But when all men center onely in one God and bring their Minds to his and not conceitedly his to theirs we may yet be One. And if we could make men know that God is not for them and accepteth not of a Sacrifice of Innocent Blood however men think that they do him good Service yet they would not have this known It 's long since unhumbled Sinners turned Church-Confession into Auricular If Saul do say at last I have sinned he would yet be honoured before the People But the time is near when those that honour God he will honour and those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed Few men living can easier bear with others for different forms and Ceremonies than I but I take not the silencing and ruining of 2000 Ministers for Ceremonies were that the worst of it to be a Ceremony § 6. Pag. 69. You say We are not all of one mind yet A sad word from a Bishop Do you think that any two Men on Earth are of one mind in all things Were those agreed whom Paul persuadeth Rom. 14. to receive each other but not to doubtful Disputations and not to judge or despise each other much less to silence imprison and destroy We are agreed in all that is constitutive of Christianity and agreed that all Christians should love others as themselves and do as they would be done by I confess if you have such eminent Self-denial as to be willing if ever you differ from the publick Impositions about the lawfulness of any one thing to be not only cast out of your Lordship and Bishoprick but to be silenced imprisoned and destroyed I cannot accuse you of Partiality but of Errour I have known too many Conformists who needed no Bishop to silence them they never preached But that will not justifie their desires that others be silenced I have oft enough told you in how many things the Conformists are disagreed I now say the Bishops themselves are not agreed of the very Species of the Church of England To say nothing of their disagreement of the Constitutive national Head or Governour they are not agreed whether it be only a part of an universal humane political Church subject to an universal humane supream Power who hath the right of Legislation and judgment over them or whether it be a compleat national Church of it self a part only of the universal as Headed by Christ but not as by Man or as humane Politie having no foreign Governour Monarchical or Aristocratical Pope or Council Overdoing is illdoing and undoing He that would make such a Law of Concord as that none shall live out of Prison who are not of the same Age Complexion Appetite and Opinion would depose the King by leaving him no Subjects The Inquisition is set up in Love of Unity But we know that we shall differ while we know but in part Only the perfect World hath perfect Concord I greatly rejoice in that Concord which is among all that truly love God They love one another and agree in all that is necessary to Salvation The Church of the Conformists is all agreed for Crossing and the Surplice and for the Imposed Oaths Professions and Covenants Oh that all our Parishioners who plead for the Church were agreed that the Gospel is true and that Christ is not a Deceiver and that Man dyeth not as Dogs but hath a Life of future Retribution § 7. P. 69. Asking Were not almost all the Westminster Assembly Episcopal Conformable men when they came thither He can say No not in their hearts as appeared by their fruits And he cites some words of the sense of the Parliament Jun. 12. 1643. Ans 1. See here a Bishop that knew the hearts of hundreds of men whom he never saw to be contrary to their Profession and constant Practice 2. And he can prove by their reporting the Parliaments words what was these Ministers own Judgment 3. And he can prove by those words in Jun. 1643. what was their Judgment a Year or two before and is sure that the Scots Arguments did not change them 4. And he can prove that those are no Episcopal Conformists who are for the ancient Episcopacy only described by Bishop Usher and take the English frame to be only lawful but not unalterable or best And if really he do take him to be no Episcopal Conformist who is for enduring any way but their own it is he and not I that gave them so bad a Character It is he and not I that intimateth that those moderate Conformists who had rather Church-Government were reformed than such Confusion made by silencing and hunting Christians are at the Heart no Episcopal Conformists Their Hearts I confess much differ from the Silencers and Hunters § 8. He maketh me a false Historian for fixing the War on the Erastian Party in Parliament Ans Did I lay it only on the Erastians Have I not undeniably proved that the War here began between two Episcopal Parties Of which one part were of A. Bp. Abbots Mr. Hookers and the generality of the Bishops and Parliaments mind and the other of Bp. Lauds Sibthorps Maynwarings Heylins A. Bp. Bromhalls c. mind And the first sort some of them thought Episcopacy Jure Divino but the English Frame not unreformable And the other sort thought it was but Jure humano and these were called by some Erastians Let him give me leave to produce my Historical proofs even to single men by name that the English War began between these two Parties and I defie all his false Contradiction Only supposing 1. That I speak not of the King nor of the War in Ireland or Scotland 2. That I grant that the Nonconformists were most for the Parliament and the Papists most against them But when I have said so much to Mr. Hinkley already to prove this did this Lord Bishop think to be believed without confuting it § 9. But it transcendeth all bounds of Historical credibility that he answereth this by saying He and all his Abettors must know the Catalogues of that Parliament and that Assembly are still in our hands the Copies of their Speeches and Journals of their Votes c. Ans They are so to the Shame of such Historians You have many of them in Whitlocks Memorials I knew so great a number my self of the Parliament Assembly and Army as makes me pitty the
Paper describing Eight such We did but begin to debate one of them Casting such from the Communion of Christs Church that dare not take the Sacrament kneeling though they be mistaken and our time ended Dr. Pierce undertook to prove it a Mercy to them to deny them the Sacrament and he made a motion to me that he and I might go about the Land to preach men into satisfaction and Conformity I asked him how I could do that when they intended to silence me For though I scrupled not kneeling at the Sacrament if they made any one Sin the condition of my Ministry I should be silenced though they abated all the rest It may be this went for All or Nothing And I am sorry that the Bishops be not of the same mind St. James was that said He that breaketh one is guilty of all And Christ was who said He that breaketh one of the least of these commands and teacheth men so shall be called least in the Kingdom of God So that it was not All Inconveniences but All flat Sins that we craved in vain to have been exempted from Much less was it the Establishment of all that we proposed to have been treated of openly professing our selves ready to alter any thing amiss or needless upon treaty and supposing there would be many such words But they would not touch our offered additions nor entertain any treaty about them And now pitty your self who have been drawn to believe such Reverend Prelates as you say and pitty such as your Writings will deceive § 17. That you take it to be contrary to a Christian temper to be sensible of the Sufferings of the Church and to name and describe the sin that causeth them and that but in a necessitated Apology for the Sufferers is no wonder the Reasons and your Answer I gave you before § 4. and 5. I think it no breach of Peace with Persecutors or Silencers to tell them what they do especially when the Sufferers are feigned to deserve it all and not to sin and that deliberately is made a sin deserving all that we suffer and the Nation by it § 18. But p. 77. tells us yet more whence your Errours come even by believing false Reports and then reporting what you believe You say Some People have talked of a Combination or Pact amongst themselves that except they might have their own Will throughout they would make the World know what a breach they could make and how considerable they were Ans 1. Do you not think that Rogers Bradford Philpot and the rest did so in Qu. Maries days and that it was they that made the Breach by being burnt What is it that such Historians may not say So Luther was taught by the Devil Bucer was killed by the Devil so was Oeclampadius Calvin was a stigmatized Sodomite and what not And even the most publick things are yet uncertain before our Eyes Godfrey killed himself The Papists had no Plot The Presbyterians have a Plot against the King The Nonconformists silenced themselves And did not the Citizens of London burn their own Houses When you that are a Bishop cite other great Bishops for such things as you do may it not come in time to be the Faith of the Church and thence to be necessary to all 2. But how do you think all these that were scattered all over England and knew not one another by name or Dwelling should so confederate 3. Do but think of it as a man There were Nine or Ten Thousand Ministers that had conformed to the Parliaments way in possession They were all to conform or be cast out The Book and Act of Uniformity came not out of the Press till about that very day Aug. 24 Neither Conformists nor after Nonconformists could see it but those in or near London What time was there to tell them all over England in one day How knew we who would conform and who would not when Nine Thousand were equally in Possession If we had written to them all would not One Thousand of our Letters have detected it Or at least some of those that conformed with whom we prevailed not 4. What was it that moved them all to this Confederacy To suffer Ruine in the World To make themselves considerable you say and shew what a Breach they could make And for what Unless they might have all their own Wills And what was their Will Was it to be Lord Bishops Or domineer over any Or to get great Benefices I think no high-way Robbers do any Villanies meerly to shew what mischief they can do much less ruine themselves to shew that they can do Mischief by Suffering Some such thing is said of some odd Circumcellians that they killed themselves to make others thought their Persecutors But Persecution was more hated then than now Did the former Life and Doctrine of these Two Thousand men signifie a Spirit so much worse than the rest 5. And do you think that the other Seven Thousand or Eight Thousand that conformed did confederate beforehand to conform How could they do it who declared Assent and Consent to every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book which they never saw unless they confederated at a venture to do whatever was imposed And if Seven Thousand could agree without confederating why not Two Thousand I could not then have my Post Letters pass without Interception And it 's a wonder that no Letter of this Confederacy was taken And I 'le tell not you but those that believe me how far we were from it When we were all cast out and some new motion was made for our service one weak man moved here that we might draw up a consenting Judgment to how much we could yield that we might not differ I answered that it was not our business to make a Faction or to strengthen a Party nor were we all of one judgment about every Ceremony and therefore no man must go against his judgment for a Combination with the rest If they would abate but so much as any one mans Conscience would be satisfied in that one man must serve the Church accordingly And if any were taken in the rest would rejoyce This Answer silenced that motion and I never heard any move it more And I am fully assured there was never such a Combination But with this exception How far any thought the Covenant bound them against our Prelacy I cannot tell Those that I convers'd with said it bound them to no more than they were bound to before But I confess we did all confederate in our Baptism against willful sin And I know of no other Confederacies but these which indeed was enough to make all men forbear what they judged to be sinful § 19. You add But yet it is not fair to over-reckon knowingly and in ordinary course Two Hundred in the sum as Mr. Baxter and others do p. 155 210. thereby to swell the account to the greater odium by
complaining roundly Two Thousand This I must conclude to be done knowingly for somtimes he only mentions One Thousand Eight Hundred p. 151 c. Ans I am persuaded that it is not knowingly that you speak so much besides the truth but for want of knowing what and whom you talk of I never medled with gathering the number Mr. Calamy did and shewed us a List of 1800 upon which I long mentioned no more and seldom saw him afterward But Mr. Ennis who was more with him assuring me that they had after an account of at least 200 more who were omitted I sometime to speak the least mention the 1800 and sometime say about 2000 and by his last account that was the least Yet with a Lord Bishop that knoweth nothing of all this I knowingly over reckon But if God be pleased with their silencing why do you take this ill § 20. The next and great Accusation is my extenuating the Bishops Clemency and aggravating our Sufferings and that against my Conscience I impute to the Bishops that bloodiness which they never intended but abhor And he will not believe what I say of the death of any by Imprisonment or want Ans The good Lady that pittied the Beggars when she came in out of the Frost and Snow when she had warmed her self chid them away and said it was warm enough I could name you those in London that travelled out of the North in great want and took up with such cold Lodgings here in great want of all things that they were past cure before their misery was known How many poor Quakers have dyed in Prison many know It 's like you never heard of the death of Mr. Field a worthy Minister in the Gate-house nor of Mr. Thompson in the noisome Prison at Bristol nor of Reverend Mr. Hughes of Plimouth's Death caused by his Prison sickness perhaps you never read the Life Sufferings and Death of excellent Joseph Allen of Taunton I will not be the gatherer of a larger Catalogue But I believe some others will But these you know not of § 21. The words in my Book which I speak argumentatively shewing clearly whither their cause will lead them if they trust to bring us to Unity by force you unworthily feign that I speak as accusing the Bishops Inclinations My Argument was If you think by violence to effect your ends it must be either by changing mens judgments or by forcing them as Hypocrites to go against their judgments or else by utter destroying them till there are no Dissenters But none of these three ways will do it Ergo Violence will not do it 1. I prove that force will not change their Judgments 2. I prove they are such men as will rather suffer death than sin against their Consciences and so less Sufferings which cure not do but exasperate the Disease 3. I prove that if when less doth no good you would destroy them that would not do your work but cross it And doth this signifie that I charge the Bishops with bloody purposes They openly tell us that it 's punishing us that must bring us to Concord I tell them Lesser will not do it and greater will but hurt themselves A man would think that I hereby rather infer that Bishops will not be bloody than that they will when I argue ab incommodo Truly Sir I see nothing in your Book which tempted me to lament that I mist the happiness of your Academical Education or Disputes Nor do I envy those that now enjoy it God save his Church from the worser part of them § 21. You say P. 79. You must needs look on my aggravating my own and the Dissenters Sufferings beyond Truth you are sure beyond Probability to have proceeded from want of temper As for saying that some have lived on brown Bread and Water Ans I find still that our difference lieth in matter of Fact done in the open sight of the World And if it were whether we are English-men I have no hope of ending it O what is History My own Sufferings by them are very small save the hindering of my Labour Leave to work is all the Preferment that ever I desired of them What I have had hath been against their Wills who have called out for my greater restraint God hath enabled me by the Charity of others to send some small relief to a few of those whose Case he will not believe Some of them have Seven or Eight Children and nothing at all of their own to maintain them and live in Countries where scarce two Gentlemen of Estates within their reach do befriend them and the People are generally poor and many of these have none to preach to being not permitted And when they attempted to meet with some few secretly to fast and pray in some case of need have had their few Goods carryed away by Distress Good Alderman Ashhurst now with Christ took care of many and hath shewed me Letters and Certificates of undoubted credit in the very words which I named One is now near us that was put to get his Living by Spinning Mr. Chadwick was the last of whom I read those words in a just certificate that he and his Children had long lived on meer brown Rye Bread and Water It is now above a dozen Years since Dr. Vermuxden told me that Mr. Matthew Hill was his Patient with Hydropical swell'd Legs with drinking Water and using answerable Food through meer Poverty But God turned it to good for necessity drove him when a little strengthened to Mary-Land where he hath been almost the only able Minister they have We that know them our selves and beg Money to relieve them are supposed to be Lyars for telling that which all their Neighbours know Through Gods Mercy few in London suffer so much though divers are in great streights But great numbers in the Countrys who live among the poor had not some of them now and then a little Relief from London were like to beg for Bread or fall into mortal Diseases by Food unfit for Nature Even in London they that knew Mr. Farnworth Mr. Spinage and some others and how they lived and dyed understand me I 'le name Mr. Martin formerly of Weedon very poor in London to tell you of your impartiality though he lost one Arm in the Kings Army he had not a day abated him in Warwick Gaol for preaching § 22. As to his repeating all my mention of their dealings and my blaming the Bishops at the Savoy for our present divisions and my aggravating the evils which Violence will produce if they trust to that way I judge it all necessary to be spoken Unknown sin will not be repented of nor forborn nor unknown danger prevented nor the unknown needs of the Peoples Souls relieved He asketh Is this the way to be at Peace with us I answer There is no other way What Peace can we have with them that think they are bound to silence
think that so great a Patriarchate Diocess would not find a conscionable Pastor work enough without joyning with it the Magistrates Office 2. Was not the Church greatly changed even so early from what it was a little before in the daies of Martin and Sulpitius when even Ithacius durst not own being so much as a seeker to the Magistrate to draw the Sword against gross Hereticks and the best Bishops denied Communion with them that sought it And now a Bishop himself becomes the striker not of gross Hereticks but such as peaceable Bishops bore with I remember not to have read that Cyril had any Commission for the Sword from the Emperour Others then had not But I deny it not § 6. He saith that elsewhere I say I shall not dishonour such nor disobey them Answ I say and do so If a Bishop will take another Calling from the King's Grant when he hath undertaken already 40 times more work as a Diocesan than he can do I le honour and obey him as a Magistrate But I would be loth to stand before God under the guilt of his undertaking and omissions § 7. As to all the rest of the History about Cyril's Executions and the wounding of Orestes the Governour I leave it between the Credit of Mr. M. and Socrates And he very much suspects the Story of Cyril ' s making a Martyr of him that was executed for it I leave all to the Reader 's Judgment I think I may transcribe Socrates without slandering Cyril Here his spleen rising saith There are men in the world that honour such as Martyrs for murdering a King Answ You may smell what he insinuates I think he will not say that he ever did more against them than those that they call Presbyterians have done We Wrote and Preacht against them when he did not I know not the Presbyterian living to my remembrance that was not against the Murder of the King and Prin. whom the Bishops had cropt and stigmatized for being against them as an Erastian was the hottest in the Parliament for the Execution of the King's Judges But I knew divers Conformists that have written or spoken to justifie or excuse that Fact § 8. As for the Murder of Hypatia I leave him to his scuffle with Socrates and Damascius in which I interess not my self § 9. I thank Pope Innocent Mr. M. durst not deny Cyril's faults in his Enmity to the memory of Chrysostom and yet he calls my reciting the matter of Fact a reproach He is constrained to confess That the Quarrel was it seems hereditary to him so is Original Sin and he did prosecute it beyond all equity or decency against the memory of a dead man This was a fault and and he that is without any or without any particular animosity specially if he be in any eminent place let him â—ast the first stone Answ Thanks to Conscience We feel your Animosities But is not this man a Railing Accuser of Cyril if I am such What saith he less in the main Yea he now renews his Accusation of his Predecessor saying It was hereditary To prosecute malice against the very name of a holy extraordinary Bishop beyond all equity and decency what will Christianity or Humanity call it But Faction saith it was a fault and he that is without any c. Thus talkt Eli to his Sons So one may say To Silence 2000 Ministers or to hate the best men and seek their ruine is a fault a Prelatical peccadillo and so was Bonner's usage of the Martyrs and let him that is without any cast the first stone And St. John saith He that hateth his Brother is a murderer and none such hath Eternal Life abiding in him and that as Cain he is of the Evil One the Devil And I believe him § 10. But he saith I injuriously charge him with calling Alexander a bold faced man when Atticus was the first Author of that word Answ Atticus mentioned Alexander's confident true and necessary Counsel Cyril contradicting it calls the man A man of a confident face or mouth If another Bishop said the first words before him do I wrong him in saying he said the second O tender men His urging the keeping up the names of such as Nectarius and Arsacius and casting out Chrysostomus is so like our Canons about Readers and Nonconformists and our Canoneers descriptions of their Country Parsons and the Puritanes that I wonder not that you defend him § 11. But he saith that It 's a little unchristian to blast his memory with the faults which he corrected in his life-time Answ 1. It 's necessary to tell that truth which blasteth the Reputation of such sin as was growing up towards Papacy Ans 2. Then Christ was unchristian to tell the Jews of their very Fathers murders of the Prophets while they disclaimed it and built their Sepulchres Mat. 23. And then it was unchristian in the Holy Ghost to blast the memory of Adam Noe Lot David Solomon Peter yea or Manasseh with sins repented of 3. History must speak truth about things repented of or else it will but deceive the world 4. The Honour of God and Goodness and Truth must be preferred before our own Honour Repentance if true will most freely confess a mans own sin and most fully shame it § 12. Whether all his far-fetcht Conjectures that Cyril repented be true or no is nothing to me I will hope he did though I never saw it proved The very last Sentence of Death might do it His retortion is I know no man deeper engaged in the Contentions of the Church than I The writing of his Eighty Books being but like so many pitcht Battels he has fought and most commonly in the dark when he was hardly able to discover friend from foe Answ It 's too true that being all written for Peace the Enemies of Peace have fought against them Nimis diu habitavit anima mea inter osores pacis But pro captu Lectoris c. All men take not the words of such as he for Oracles How much I have written and done for Peace let others read and judge I long laboured and begg'd for Peace in vain with such as he defendeth And it 's admirable if this pittiless Enemy of Sects and Errours can be for all the Sects and Errours that I have written against Have I in the dark taken for foes by Errour the Atheists the Infidels the Sadduces the Hobbists the Quakers the Ranters the Papists the Socinians the Libertines called Antinomians the Anabaptists the Separatists and Sects as Sects Be of good comfort all These Prelatists that accuse us for too dark and sharp Writings against you seem to tell you that they will more hate persecuting or distressing you Yes when they agree with themselves His Prayer that I may have a more honorable opinion of Repentance he calls me to speak to in the End § 13. Whether good Isidore Pelusiota were a man very easy to
Ignorant World which is abused by such Historians as you and yours § 10. As for your assuring me that you look one day to answer for all you say it minds me of the words of your Dr. Ashâ—ton Chaplain to the Duke of Ormond who as going to the Bar of God undertakes to prove that it is through Pride and Covetousness that we conform not The Inquisitors also believe a day of Judgment And what is it that some men do not confidently ascribe to the most holy God § 11. Your praises of me are above my desert I am worse than you are aware of But mens sins against Christs Church and Servants in England Scotland and Ireland are never the less for that § 12. You shew us that you are deceived before you deceive You do but lead others into the way of falshood which you were led into your self when you say I am said to have asserted that a man might live without any actual Sin A Lord Bishop Morley p. 13. told it you and you a Lord Bishop tell it others and thus the poor World hath been long used so that of such Historians men at last may grow to take it for a valid Consequence It is written by them Ergo it is incredible I tell you first in general that I have seen few Books in all my Life which in so few Sheets have so many Falshoods in matters of Fact done before many as that Letter of Bishop Morley's which upon your Provocation I would manifest by Printing my Answer to him were it not for the charges of the Press 2. And as to your Instance the case was this Dr. Lany impertinently talkt of our being justified only by the Act of Faith and not the Habit I askt him whether we are unjustified in our sleep which led us further and occasioned me to say to some Objection of his that men were not always doing moral Acts good or evil and thence that a man is not always actually sinning viz. In a mans sleep he may live sometimes and not actually sin as also in an Apoplexy and other loss of Reason Hence the credible Bishop Morley printed that I said A man may live without any actual Sin Yea and such other Reasons are given for his forbidding me to preach the Gospel And now another pious L. Bp. going to answer it at Judgment publisheth it as from him O what a World is this and by what hands are we cast down Is my Assertion false or doubtful Dr. Bates and Dr. Jacombe who were present are yet both living By such men and means is the Church as it is Arise O Lord and save it from them § 13. You tell me as Bp. Morley of being the top of a faction of my own making neither Episcopal Presbyterian Independent or Erastian Ans So to be against all Faction is to be the top of a Faction I am neither an Arian nor a Sabellian nor an Apollinarian nor a Macedonian nor a Nestorian or Eutychian or Monothelite or a Papist c. Conclude ergo I am the top of a new Heresie and silence and imprison me for it and your Diocesane Conformity will be past all suspicion even at the heart But you will one day know that to be against all Faction and yet to bear with the Infirmities of the weak and love all Christians as such is a way that had a better Author § 14. P. 73 74. As to your extolled Friend a Nonconformist who you say told you that I am not able to bear being gainsaid in any thing for want of Academick Disputes c. Ans 1. Was your great Friend so excellent a man and was it a good work to silence him with which in your Conscience you think God is pleased 2. Now you name him not he cannot contradict you Mr. Bagshaw said somthing like it of Mr. Herle Prolocutor of the Assemblie which his Acquaintance contradict 3. I justifie not my Patience it is too little But verily if you had silenced me alone and Gods Church and Thousands of Souls had been spared I think you had never heard me twice complain Judge you whether I can endure to be gainsaid when I think there are Forty Books written against me by Infidels Socinians Papists Prelatists Quakers Seekers Antinomians Anabaptists Sabbatarians Separatists and some Presbyterians Independents Erastians Politicians c. which for the far greatest part I never answered though some of them written by Prelatists and Papists have spoken fire and Sword Nor to my Remembrance did any or all these Books by troubling me ever break one hour of my sleep nor ever grieve me so much as my own sin and pain which yet was never extream have grieved me one day Alas Sir How light a thing is the contradiction or reproach of man who is speaking and dying almost at once § 15. P. 75. As to my Political Aphorisms I have oft told you I wish they had never been written But all in them is not wrong which Bishops are against The first passage challenged by your Bishop Morley is My calling a pretence to unlimited Monarchy by the name of Tyranny adding my reason because they are limited by God who is over all Ministers were never under Turks thought worthy of punishment for such an Assertion But Bishop Morley is no Turk If Monarchs be not limited by God they may command all their Subjects to deny God or blaspheme him to take Perjury Murder and Adultery for Duties and they are unwise if ever they will be sick die or come to Judgment § 16. You say I was told by a Reverend Prelate that at the Conference at the Savoy Mr. Baxter being demanded what would satisfie him replied All or Nothing On this I reflected on what that gave Divine told me Ans Alas good man if for all other your historical notices you are faln into such hands what a mass of Untruths is in your Brain But why will you dishonour Reverend Prelates so much as to father them on such I never heard the question put What will satisfie you nor any such answer as All or Nothing When the King commissioned us to treat of such Alterations as were necessary to tender Consciences the Bishops 1. Would not treat till we would give them in writing all that we blamed in the Liturgy and all the Alterations we would have and all the additional Forms we desired 2. When thus constrained we offered these on supposition that on Debate much of it would be denied us or altered but they would not vouchsafe us any Debate on what we offered nor a word against our additional Forms Reply or Petition for Peace 3. To the last hour they maintained that No alteration at all was necessary to tender Consciences And so they ended and the Convocation doubled and trebled our Burden and the Bishops in Parliament together Once Bishop Cousins desired us to lay by Inconveniences and name only what we took for downright Sin I gave him a