Government of men and must certa â—â—â—be the truest Touch stone of Sin and Duty c. He says further this is a hopeful begining of Controversy to decline the Sufficiency and Propriety of Scripture as the Standard of good or evil But will this man assigne a better Yes the IXth Article of the Apostles Creed I Believe the Holy Catholic Church the Communion of Saints c. and concludes a happy Omen when the first Paragraph contains a plain affront both to Scripture and common Sense Sr. the holy Scriptures is the great Law for the Government of men and is certainly the truest Touch stone of Sin and Duty But Sr. whoever he be Scripture ought not to be Interpreted contrary to an Article of Faith that expounds Hâ—â—y Scripture in contradiction or not consonant to an Article of Faith his exposition cannot be true and I am assured so by that Article of Faith it contradicts or agrees not with As for example the Socinians have with so much cunning and plausibility expounded even those texts of Scripture which are express for the Divinity of our Blessed Savior in favour of their Heresy that they have staggar'd and perverted many persons of considerable understanding but when the Article of Faith is consider'd viz. And I Believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God God of God very God of very God being of one Substance with the Father c. every Christian is infalliably assured that the Exposition of the Sacred Scripture made by the Sâ—inians are false because it is in contradiction to an Article of Faith So when I saw Mr. H ry had expounded the holy Apostl's Precept I beseech you Bretheren c. 1 Cor. 1.10 that there be no Divisions among you c. and other Texts of Scripture in favor of your Separat Communion to acquit that from the guilt of Schism I was firmly assured that his Expositions were false because they clash'd and agreed not with that IXth Article of Faith I Believe the Haly Catholic Church the Communion of Saints a Separate Communion being altogether inconsistent with that Article of Faith I therfore recomended that Article of Faith as a better and more easie way for him to find out the true nature of Schism than his so unskilful expounding Scripture which the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1 20 is not of any Priâ—aâ—e Interpretation Sr. I know not who nor what you are but I must tell you that to affirm that an Article of Faith is a plain affront to Scripture is the nearest to the language of an Heretic that I have met with In p. 10 he saith I â—ffer to their Consideration the Origination or first Existence of the Catholic Church and that I said it was before the day of Pentecost but he says how long before that day I tell 'em not and then he takes an occasion to let us know that he has read of the Babilonish Captivity I did set down the Text Acts 1.15 The number of the Names together were about an hundred and twenty which was sufficient to denote the time and he owns that he knows my meaning but to exercise his abundant wit he says here is a Discovery worthy of its Author no body can think that I mention'd it as the Discoverer but as necessarily previous to what follow'd But he says had God no Churcheâ— then among the Jews must they be Excommunicated too for what cause pray and then reproachfully answers Not for want of Ceremonies or a Pontiff I hope Then he says the man told us in his Preface the Angels in Heaven were the most Glorious Members of the Church How must we lay these things together were the Angels Originated at the day of Pentecost Had they their first Existence then Or did the Members of the Body Exist before the Body Let the Citizen or any other of his Cabalâ— solve these Riddles and he shall be my great Apollo That God had a Church from the beginning of the World Church not call'd Catholic before the day of Pentecost Psal 2.8 Eph. 2.14 that the Angels in Heaven were from their Existence Members of it being Created for that end anâ— that â—he Church of the Jews was Gods peculiar Church are all infallibly true but untill the Promise was fulfilled Desire of me and I shall give thee the â—â—eathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy Possession Untill the middle Wall of the Partition was broken down which was not ' til the Church was changed from Judaism to Christianity the Title Catholic was never nor could properly be attributed to the Church now unless this Gent. will shew that the Church was call'd Catholic before the Day of Pentecost I mentioned all these Riddles and Philosophical questions are of no more worth and value than his great promise to make me his great Apollo In p. 11. he questions not that the Apostles and Disciples were the Church nor the power Christ gave the Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and says that I well observe Christ's Commission and Charge that in every Natian they that believed might be Baptiz'd and made Members of the Church but says he how well they have observed their Commission who refuse to admit of Church Members upon their profession of Faith unless they will also comply with some significant Rites of their own that are alien to Scripture Rules c. and then in his 12 p. he says its plain from this mans Confession that to be a Disciple or Believer would make a man a Member of the Church in Apostolical times c. It is true that Faith is the necessary Qualification of a mans admission to Baptism and that persons are thereby made visible Members of the Church Members of the Church to observe the Peace Vnity in the Church but this is but the Initiation or beginning of Christianity Obedience to Spiritual Rulers and Governors being in this always suppos'd and impâ—y'd to Faith and Baptism must be added a strict Observation of the Order Peace and Unity of that holy Society into which they are admitted by those Qualifications above mention'd and this is most strictly enjoyned by the Holy Jesus the Prince of Peace and God of Order in the words mentioned in the beginning of this paper and divers other Texts in Scripture As for calling them Rites and Ceremonies of their own that are alien to Scripture Rules what ever tends to Order and the Beauty of Uniformity in the Church is in the Power and Wisdom of the Apostles Successors the Bishops to impose thô not express'd in Scripture there are no express terms in Scripture for Infant Baptism nor for Women to pertake at the Eucharist yet allowed and required by the Authority of the Church and submitted unto from the Primitive times by all Christians except Anabaptists who deny the former And this fully answers his following Paragraph which he closeth with much bitterness
upon him to contradict those Learned men who think the Angels mentioned in the Revel by St. John were Bishops he having granted this is all my desire and therefore all his witty Animadversions which follow are not worth my answering It would be but needless Repetition to say any thing to his following Paragraph in his 14. p. having fully answered it before In his p. 15. he says What do I mean in saying in these Multiplyed Churches there was no Variation and then very disingenuously changes my word for a word very different in signification and asks Was there no variety at all in any Circumstance of Worship and says the contrary may be prov'd even in the Apostles times and instances that which he calls a Scuffle Acts 15. betwixt the believing Jews and Gentiles about Jewish Ceremonies Here were no such different Circumstances as to divide their Communion therein there was no Variation their Unity was preserved the Jewish Ceremonies which the Converted Jews would have imposed on the Christian Gentiles were no Circumstances in the Christian Worship the Council at Jerasalem thought therefore necessary to forbid those Impositions now in this very Case the necessity of Apostolic Jurisdiction doth appear that by a decisive and definitive Sentence of Ecclesiastical Authority it may not be in the power of private Christians to impose their different Sentiments upon one another and that there may be no Variation nor breach of Unity in the public Worship of God So that this Instance is not at all for his purpose He says if I mean there was no variation from Scripture Rules tho we are afraid that will scarce hold yet we wish it had been so still By Scripture Rules here he certainly means the New Testament if this Gent. had any regard to Ecclesiastical Antiquity he would never have talked of Scripture that is New Tâ—â—â—ment Rules before they were written He says We have a Notion of Vnity lâ—yed down in my p. 2. in which we freely concur with him these are my words for he has not transcribed them fairly They are all one with that Church first mentioned at Jerusalem and which he omits all one with one another being all United into one Spiritual Society or Body under one Head Christ Jesus c. and which he has omitted too and are in all things the sune with that first Church United in one Baptism and one Faith and all partakers at the same Eucharist c. That says he is the same for substance for in that they all agreed in the Primitive times in the same Circumstances such a Vnity we hold and doubt not but in our Congregations this Vnity may be found And so he runs on in his 16. p. and endeavours to perswade all men just like the Donatists that these Dissenters are more truly Catholic than we That the Power delegated by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles was to be confer'd upon their Successors is certainly implyed in the promise Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The Church of England truly Apostolical That the Church of England was Planted either by some of the Apostles or some of their Successors and that the Succession of Bishops has continued in this Church from that first propagation by as strong proofs as human Authority is capable of viz. by Records and Histories may appear and consequently that the Church of England is as truly an Apostolic and Catholic Church as Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and those other Churches which were of the first Planting Her Orders then are to be equally obeved Her Unity and Peace as strictly mantained and whatsoever amounted to Schism in any of them must be so in her your Uniting then in a Communion Separate from this Church bears no similitude with Primitive Unity being contrary to their Practice And being that in your Congregations the Divine Authority is wanting there can be no such Unity found among you as Primitive Unity He Says the Eucharist was the same for Substance in the Primitive Congregations and that they all agreed in the same Circumstances It is very true for no difference would be allow'd Christians then durst not entertain so wicked and uncharitable a thought as that of setting up a Separate Congregation as you do They devoted themselves to the Command of their master to have Peace one with another Mark 9.50 Heb. 13.17 They for Conscience sake observ'd the Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you If you would tread in their steps you would as Relgiously observe the Unity and Peace of the Established Church wherein you live in all Circumstances as they did All his next Paragraph Pa. 17. is the same in different Phrases He says the description I have given of Church Vnity ruins my whole Book and Cause an hasty Sentence for says he if this be the true proper Vnity of Churches then there may be true Church-Vnity without the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers and People into one Diocesan Church under the Jurisdiction of a Prelate and his Officers c. Then he is not much against the conveniency of Parochial-Precincts but says according to my Definition it is not De essentia Vnitatis It is plain all that he drives at here is that there may be true Church Unity without Episcopacy I have answer'd this before by shewing that all Presbyters with their Particular Congregations that is Ministers and People now resolved into Parochial Churches within the Dioceses of the Respective Cities were United under the Jurisdiction of the Respective Bishop of each City So that the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers People into one Diocesan Church under the jurisdiction of a Prelate is true Church Vnity as used in Primitive times by which it appears that this Gent. Doctrine viz. 1 Cor. 11.16 that there may be true Church Vnity without Episcopacy is a mere Innovation there being no such custom in the Churches of God as the Apostle speaks As for their Officers they have the Sanction of our Laws to Authorize them an Authority far greater than can be shewed for Lay Elders Officers subserviant to the Minister of every Congregation and thô generally ignorant and many of them cannot write their Names yet are made judges of their fellow Christians sufficiency in faith a novelty created by Calvin and how reasonable let the impartial judge He says so a man may plead to the jurisdiction of a Diocessan Prelate may step over Parish bounds c. So did Korah and his Congregation against Moses and Aaron Nam 16.2 10. their Controversie being the very same with yours against the Church they were for leveling the Priest-hood so are you they were for setting up a new model'd Congregation so are you God shewed his displeasure against their Pride and Disobedience by a most terrible destruction and the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for
thence that who ever Exercised any Ministerial Office out of this Line of Succession and had not Episcopal Ordination No true Ordination out of the line of Succession could be no other than a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic then I inferred further and consequently all Societies of Christians who with-draw themselves from the Government of their Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and from Communicating with those Presbyters lawfully set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution and frame themselves into any other sort of Government are guilty of Schism such Societies are Schismatics and cut themselves off from the Catholic Church but can in no sort properly be call'd Churches and therefore I understand not his Logic in this viz. If by Schism Men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church therefore Schismatical Churches are no Churches ‖ The Donatists were such Churches they are thô Schismatical whilst they retain the Apostolical Succession they retain also the power and Authority of Ordination Preaching the Gospel and Administring the Sacraments and so retain the name of a Church * Dissenters no right to the Succession But what are our Dissenters concerned herein They disclaim the Succession and deny any power or Virtue to be derived from it and therefore have no Commission to preach the Gospel or Administer Sacraments c. and consequently no right to the name of a Church but by the word Societies they would have Churches understood that thereby their Unlawful Assemblies might pass under that Title I must here put one question to these Dissenters many of the Clergy of the Romish Church have embraced Communion with the Reformed Churches I desire to know whether Re-ordination in this case was ever required the answer must be in the Negative their Ordination being derived from the Apostles Successors in vain then is this Gentleman's attempt to un-Un-church the Church of England as in his p. 25. for that our Bishops have derived their Consecration from the Church of Rome it being the Judgement of all Reformed Divines that formal Schism cannot invalidate the power of Regular and formal Ordination In p. 26. he says I would Exclude all the Reformed Churches beyond Sea that have not those Governors c. by those Governors I suppose he means Diocesan Bishops To this I answer That many very Learned and Pious persons among them have declared their longing desires for the Episcopacy but living in Popish Dominions cannot have any but those of the Romish Communion Others there be that approve of it yet live in Republic Governments and they will by no means admit of Episcopacy in that Regiment invincible necessity is upon these and therefore in Charity cannot be charged with Schism being in their desires Catholic but as for those who with you and your Brethren in England deny its Authority and obstinately refuse Subjection to it they with you are notorious Schismatics and can in no wise be excused As for that fanciful supposition of a Company of Christians cast upon a remote Island which he talks of in p. 26. or if all the Pastors in a Country should be put to death c. He cannot bring one instance of either and if it should so happen all the Lay-men and mere Presbyters in the World cannot make one Evangelical Priest cannot impower them to Preach the Gospel not Consecrate Sacraments c. but what can be expected from Invincible necessity They have a God to pray to whose mercies are infinite who will fulfil the desires of them that fear him and will hear their cry Psal 114. v. 19. In his 27 p. he saith But if we assent to the Whimsie of a constant Succession as if power were conveyed like water in a Conduit after a Phisical manner by contact passing through the Fingers ends of the Prelate into the noddle of the person Ordain'd c. A Whimsie I take it signifies some Phantastic Device or the Creature of an unstable or unsettled brain which being applyed or imputed to Prelates who bear the Authority of Christ deriving it Originally from him can be no less I think than Blasphemy for our blessed Savior saith to his Apostles and in them to their Successors He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 18. v. 16. no man that has not arrived to the highth of wickedness and given himself over to a reprobate mind would thus revile the Ambassadors of God he can be no better than a filthy Dreamer who thus despiseth Dominion and speaks evil of Dignities Jude v. 8. How wantonly does this man sport himself in holy things and by vilifieing and contemning the Evangelical holy Priest-hood make void and a kicshaw as much as in him lyeth of our holy Religion exposing and prostituting it to the contempt and scorn of Infidels and Atheists What he mentions in p. 28. viz. The Leud Extravagant Caresses that have happened between the ambitious Princes and astiring Church-men concerns us not for he cannot name any such aspiring Church-men that have been in England since the Reformation and thô he could the order being of Divine Institution cannot be dissolved for any mans miscarriage if by this he means any thing of the Church of Rome we abjure her Jurisdiction over us Dr. Sancroft Arch-bishop of Canterbury with six other Bishops in their Address to K. James declared against the Vsurping of any absolute Empire over the Civil and Religious Rights of men and this was done so publickly that it is more than probable the fame of it is gone thrô the World so that this Insinuation of his is a mere malicious calumny In my p. 4. I proved that to love as Christians in Scripture sence is to love as members of Christ and that this obliges Christians to preserve the Body i. e. the Church from Rents and Schisms which says he we never deny He implicitly confesseth that they ought to preserve the Church from Rents and Schisms and yet shamefully denys it in practice every day I have so fully spoken of this before that I need say no more in this place And here again are the Ceremonies objected which thô I have proved to be no sufficient ground for their Separation yet for further satisfaction I will here Recommend the Reasons given by the Convocation why the Ceremonies were retained They are affix'd before the Book of Common Prayer and are important enough to satisfie the Conscience of any sober Consciencious Christian In p. 29. he says for our further Conviction we are told the Communion of Saints is one External visible Communion in the Christian Church which is so far from explaining the thing that it makes it much darker what I said above had reference to the Christian Church when it was first called Catholic And was not the Communion of the Church then One and ought it not to be so still and was not the Union External and Visible but I did a little after
explain by shewing wherein this Communion doth more particularly consist In my p. 5. viz. in the same Articles of Faith The Communion of Saints in Faith I nam'd the Apostles Nicene and Atharasian Creeds which have been received and used in the Catholic Church from the times they were first published and appoint'd by the Authority of the Church the Creeds are Compendiums and brief Comprehensions of the Objects of our Christian Faith and do contain all things necessary to be believ'd every Article being a principle of the Christian Religion which every Christian is bound to profess and is the Test to distinguish between Heretics and sound Christians and now this profession and agreement of Christians in these Articles of Faith may be truly called the Communion of Saints in point of Faith But my Adversary is not very fond of these Creeds and why not in Scripture says he Why every one who truly believes the Scripture believes the Articles of Faith and every one who believe the Articles believe the Scripture He says They are but Human composition They were Composed by those to whom the Care and Authority of the Church was committed and every Article for the benefit of all even the meanest Christians being formed and Collected out of Sacred Scripture are of Divine Authority He says I shut out the Greek and other Eastern Churches This is but his own Conception for they agree with us in all Articles of Faith they do not indeed express the Article of the Holy Ghost in the very same words but they acknowledge that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Son which differs not in sense and they Worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity so that in Articles of Faith we and they hold Communion Well! I perceive thô my Adversary relishes not and speaks with but indifferent Respect of the Creeds yet he says however he is so far in Communion with us so in this he will be no Schismatic or rather no Heretic The Communion 〈◊〉 Saints 〈◊〉 the Eucharist Another particular which I mentioned requir'd in this Communion is partaking all at the same Table which thô it be not individually yet Spiritually it is the same and being every where called the Lords Table could be no otherwise meant but that this Gent. will be very witty and take exceptions at every thing The Apostle calls it the Lords Table The Cup of Blessing which we bless 1 Cer. 10.21 v. 16. v. 17. is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread All true Christians partaking at the Lords Table are one Body in the Apostles Sense the bread not only signifieing the Body of Christ but the Unity of the partakers also and this is the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table Here says he we are with him still I wonder at his confidence he would say sure hâ—re we ought to be with them for they are not with us By comparing our Church with the Primitive Churches I have proved her to be a Church truly Catholic her Jurisdiction as truly Apostolical as they were from whence it follows as I have said that her Orders are to be equally obey'd her Unity and Peace as strictly maintained and what soever was Schism in any of them must be so in her To refuse Communicating with any of them at the Lords Table and to have set up another Table in opposition to any of them must in this Gentlemans judgment have been criminous Schism then of necessity it holds true against our Dissenters they refuse Communion with that Church which most certainly holds true Communion with the Universal Catholic Church and consequently with the Son of God who is the Head thereof and the Principle and proper Object of all Christian Communion Our Dissenters have set up a separate Table in opposition thereto rob'd her of her Members and broke her Unity all this being notoriously the breach of Christian Charity is in this Gent. and Mr. Hery's Sense too Schism which Mr. Hery calls an Arch-Rebel but not so properly as an Infamous Rebellion in Christs Kingdom and thus they are Schismatics in Separating from the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table What he talks here of deriving our Succession from the Church of Rome is already answered A third particular required in this Communion I affirmed to be Communion of Saints in the same Prayers the joyning all in the same holy Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and giving of thanks according to St. Paul's express Command To this he says I cannot mean that in those Dutys we must necessaryly use the very same words c. for then I exclude all the World but them of my own perswasion and a great many of them too I exhort therefore saith St. Paul that first of all Supplications Prayers 1. Tim. 2. v 1.2 Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all min for Kings and all that are in Authority c. Here is a sufficient ground from Holy Scripture for Liturgies or Forms of Prayers in the public Worship and Service of God and St. Paul gives his reason for it in his Ep. to the Romans that we might with one mind and one mouth Glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15. v. 6. According to this command Forms of Prayers or Liturgies were Composed early in the Catholic Churches and have been used ever since that there might be an Unity in their Supplications and Prayers and in their Thanksgivings and Praises that nothing should be omitted nor any thing more in our Petitions express'd but what our holy Religion requires that there should be no rudeness or undecency in words in which respects conceived and Extempore prayers are very liable to be faulty and in these they were all obliged to joyn where ever they came together for the public Worship and Service of God Herein they had Communion with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ who was in the midst of them Mat. 28. v. 20. and in whose name they were presented and with one another Uniting all in the same Prayers here is the Communion of Saints in holy Prayers It is true that the Respective Provincial or Diocesan Churches had not every one their set Forms of Prayers or Liturgies in the very same words every Bishop having power to Compose a Form for that Church of which he was Over-seer Yet they were the same for substance so that every Christian was obliged to Communicate not only with the Bishop or his Presbyters under whose Jurisdiction he lived but all Catholics coming to remote Churches did as bound by the Rules of Catholic Unity Communicate with their Fellow-Christians to what Church soever they came That in this the Church of England as in the former particulars holds Communion with the Primitive Catholic Church will appear Pream Quinto
Sexto Ed. 6 ti cap. primi if we consider that the CONVOCATION in the Reign of Edward the Sixth by whom our Liturgie was Reform'd with one consent agreed upon one Set Form of Prayer Administration of Sacraments c. to be used in the English tongue in every Dioces thrô out the Realm In the Reforming and Composure wherof they had before their eyes the Word of God and the Primitive Church for their imitation the Glory of God the Comfort and Edification of the People for their End and all their Supplications and Prayers therein are directed to God Almighty presented in the name of the blessed Jesus and all we supplicate for in them is for no other than what is allow'd of and required in our holy Religion and is a reasonable Service To this I will add two things more viz. Mr. Calvin's Letter to the then Protector of England which is to this purpose For so much as concerns the Prayers and Ecclesiastical Rites I much approve that they be determined so that it may not be Lawful for the Ministers in their Administrations to vary from it and he gives his Reasons That it may be a help to the weakness of some That it may be a Testimony of the Churches Consent and that it may stop the desultorious levity of those who are for new things The other is what their Learned Mr. Baxter saith Disp of Liturgy Prop. 10 viz. The constant disuse of Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and may make men Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with conceits that they delight in God when it is but in these Novelties and Veriety of Expression that they are delighted and therefore he adviseth Forms to fix Christians and make them sound Thus these two great Guides of theirs It being clear that there is a Communion of Saints in Prayers as in other Offices of Divine Worship the refusing to Commnuicate therein is a Breach of Unity and of the Communion of Saints Nor can I stand charged as my Adversary affirms with Excluding all those from the Communion of Saints who use not the Liturgy of our Church every National Catholick Church having equal Authority to enjoyn its own Liturgy in which every Member therein is bound to Communicate by the very nature of Unity required in the Gospel St. John declares Revel 5.9 c. that the Four and Twenty Elders in his vision sung a new Sonâ— and sets down the Form of words wherein the Angels the Beasts and the Elders all with a load Voice glorified the Lamb c. Now what ever else this may signifie it certainly Represents the Uniformity of Divine Service above and it is to be considered that the Church on Earth is the Type of that glorious part of the Catholic Church Triumphant in Heaven and thô the perfection of that Unity which is above cannot be attained unto in this imperfect State which is below yet that which is above is proposed for our imitation and sheweth the great delight the Glorious Trinity the One God hath in the Vnity of his Service The nearer we on Earth Resemble that Unity which is above the more perfect we are The Church of England in Immitation of the Church above enjoyns Unity in Her Prayers Intercessions c. and in all the Worship and Service of God but in contradiction to this our Dissenters can by no means endure it A Fourth particular mentioned by me required in the Communion of Saints is Communion of Saints in subjection to Governors To be Subject and Odedient to our Spiritual Rulers and Governors who have derived their Authority from the Apostles by a due Succession in all things pertaining to Godly Life Decency and Order To this he says in p. 31. and 32. We are very desirous to give due Honour and Obedience to our Spiritual Governors who derive their Authority from Christ which is more proper than to speak of deriving it from the Apostles for Christ is the only Fountain of Authority and the Stream are derived rather from the Fountain than the Cistern it is observable the mans expression is sunk from an Vninterrupted Succession to a due Succession To observe the Apostolical precepts in Government and Worship may make it up a due Succession but there is more in an Vninterrupted one than so now before he can say we want this Qualification for Communion he must prove that Diocesan Bishops are made our Spiritual Rulers by a Divine Command For any man living to affirm that he has Received Authority to be a Minister of the Gospel from Christ Jesus immediately is contrary to the current of the Gospel and the voice of all Antiquity since the Apostles Who but the Apostles can this be attributed unto St. Paul thô after the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the other Apostles had indeed a Commission from Christ Jesus immediately yet it was confer'd in an extraordinary manner by a voice from Heaven that it might appear to be no cheat Acts 13.3 and he entred not upon his Office without the Imposition of the hands of the Church No spiritual Power is received from Christ Jesus by any man immediately it is conferred no other way but from Christ to his Apostles and by a Succession from them to our days the Original and Foundation thereof being Christ Jesus If any man will pretend to an immediate Authority and prove it not by some Miracle or Revelation he can pass for no other than a mere Enthusiast and an Impostor This Doctrin of his is the false bottom upon which many Heresies strange and pernicious Opinions have been built and is the Parent of our Schisms and Separations if a man by this Suggestion can but gull the weak people into a belief of such a Commission to be immediately from Christ How do they follow and admire him With-draw their Obedience from their lawful Governors and Pastors break the bonds of Charity and all the Rules of Peace and Order and all this only to be the Disciples of such a man All the Honor and Obedience these men give is not to Spiritual Governors who are so by the Institution of our Lord. Jesus to whom alone the promise of the Assistance and Operation of the blessed Spirit is given to Guide and Govern the Flock of Christ but to them who enter not by the door but climb up some other way i. e. those who are set up by their own Authority That in many particulars these Dissenters differ from the Church of England wherein she agrees with the Primitive Churches doth by this time fully appear My using the words dâ—e Succession here doth not as he pretends sink the sense of an Uninterrupted Succession for that cannot be called a due Succession which is not an Uninterrupted Succession So this is but a mere â—ingle I have before sufficiently proved the Government of the Church by Diocesan Episcopacy to be the Institution of our Blessed Saviour and
bottom of his 35 p. he says Ignatius charges the Bishop to take Coâ—â—nizance of every Member of his Church not excepting the very Servants and that it was the Custom then in every Congregation to receive the Sacrament every Lords day and that they never received it but from the Hand of the Bishop Hence he concludes that such Bishops must be the Pastors of single Congrezations and adds that this Argument has been copiously mannaged by Blundel Baxter Owen Clarkson and others This Gent. as in all other Quotations leaves me to find this I have met with the passage in St. Ignatius's Ep. to Polycarp Bishop of the Smyrmans where he saith Converse with all man by man as God shall enaâ—â—e thee he saith further Let nothing be done without thy Sentence c. A little farther he saith Let Congregations be gather'd more frequently and take the names of all Persons Let neither Men nor Maid Servants be despised by thee And in the same Ep. he saith Be mindful of the Bishop that God may be mindful of you I could give my Life for those persons who are Subject to the Bishop Presbyters and Deacons Let the Reader consider all the parts together and then Judge how reasonably Congregational Bishops can be hence inferr'd 1. It is evident that Polycarp was not Bishop of one Single Congregation only by these words call the Congregations together c. in the Plural Number 2. His Jurisdiction and Authority over the Congregations is manifest in these words Let nothing be done without thy Sentence 3. The Subjection 〈◊〉 to the Bishop from these Congragations contain'd in this Exhortation to them Be mindful of the Bishop that God may be mindful of you 4. The Distinction of the three Sacred Orders in the Church about which these men have made such a bussle in the world are plainly set down and overthrows all their pretentions to Congregational Bishops for saith he J could give my life for these persons who are Subject to the Bishop Pres yters and Deacons Here is a plurality of Congregations and a plurality of Presbyters and Deacons and but one Bishop From his not reading or concealing the most material parts in this Ep. wherein lye the true Sentiments of St. Ignatius how Triumphantly does he conclude for Congregational Bishops whereas the whole is altogether against it Then he glories in the copious management of this Argument by Blundel Baxter Owen Clarkson and others Alass all these have been judiciously Answered by Bramhal Hammond Morris Stillingfleet Dodwell c. In his 36. p. saith he It is observable in the passage cited out of Irenaeus the Presbyters are said to have their Succession from the Apostles and infers from thence that the Presbyters are the Apostles Successors as well as Bishops and must conseq ently have the same power How frequently in the writings of the Fathers and in Scripture are Bishops called Presbyters as that word signifies Seniority or Dignity and are not they sometimes called Deacons too but as it would be very absur'd to infer from hence an Equality of Bishops and Deacons so would it be unreasonable to conclude concerning Bishop and Presbyter That our Author is mistaken in St. Irenaeus's sense of the word Presbyter appears by the words immediately subjoyned which are these Qui cum Episcopatus Successione Charisma veritatis certum Secundum placitum Patris acceserâ—nt L. 4. C. 43. Who that is the Presbyters above mentioned with the Succession of Episcopacy have received the Infallible Gift of Truth according to the Will of the Father It is plain that no other can be here ment but those of the highest Order in the Church Bishops My Author p. 37. accuseth me that I designed not fair dealing with Mr. H-ry it was a great omission in me I therefore take his thô very sharp Rebuke very kindly Mr. H-ry in his 19 p. Parag. 6. very Orthodoxly saith Separation from Communion with those that we have joyned our selves to without a Cause give me leave to call it Separation for Separation sake without any regard had to any think amiss in the Church we Separate from or any thing better in that we joyn our selves to is Schism Then he proves the truth of this Proposition from his own description of Schism and then concludes When we quite cast off Communion with our Brethren out of Ambition Animosity to their persons affectation of Novelty and Singularity and the like Now our Author lest this truth so plainly set down by Mr. H-ry should carry too sharp an edge upon 'em in p. 37. brings in his Insinuation as he in vain supposeth to guard them from the stroke they must naturally receive from the applying of it to them For says he We all grant that for persons wilfully to with-draw themselves from such particular Churches as are framed according to Scripture Rules and impose no new and needless Terms is to act Schismatically because such wilfull Separation cannot be without the breach of Charity The difficulties which my Author which indeed are none at all would put lyes in Churches framed according to Scripture Rules c. It is Schism in Mr. H-ry's Judgment to Separate from a Church without any regard had to any thing amiss Let it be Examined if in our Church there be any thing amiss Are not all the Arcicles of saving Faith truly taught No just cause of Separation the Holy Sacraments duly Administred the Moral precepts and all the Rules of the Christian Religion plainly and constantly recommended unto us and prest upon us for our Excercise in the whole Course of our lives in the Sermons of our Clergy in all our Churches are not all things pertaining to a Godly Life and Salvation by our Church fully exhibited to us so as that no man can miscarry but by his own fault Here then sure can be nothing amâ—ss Can these men maintain and justifie then the truth of their Doctrine and separate themselves from us without pronounceing themselves Schismatics either their Doctrin is not true or these men are Schismatics in practice by their own shewing All the false and shiftless pretence they have is that the Church of England is not framed according to Scripture Rules and imposeth new and needless terms and therefore Separation from such a Church is no Schism That our Church is truly Apostolical and as truly framed as Jerusalem Antioch Alexandria and all other Primitive Churches according to Scripture Rules according to Christ Jesus's own Institution is fully proved in these papers So that that Objection is clearly Answered and is indeed vain and frivolous Now let his other as vain and frivolous Objection be considered viz. the Imposing new and needless Terms by which is I suppose meant Geremonies I must here crave leave to mention what I have before viz. the Love-â—cast the Holy kiss had no intrinsic vertue in them were no Essentials of Religion see his p. 2. mere Ceremonies and as this Gent. calls our
A REPLY By T. W. Citizen of Chester To a VINDICATION of Mr. M. H's Brief Enquiry into the true Nature of Schism from the Exceptions of T. W. c. By a Person who conceals his Name THE Prince of Peace Blessed for ever laid this Command upon his Disciples Mark 9. v. 50. Have Peace one with another and that this Command might have the deeper impression in their minds he left it as his Legacy Joh. 14 v. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you how numerous soever they might in all Succeeding Ages come to be this was to be the Badge and Character by which his Disciples were to be known to the world and to one another now whosoever he bâ— that in any Case violates this Command and sets at naught this Legacy is no longer a Disciple of the Holy Jesus the Prince of Peace unless he repent and return Yet notwithstanding all this there has scarce any Age since the Church of Christ had a being been free from some or other who have pretended to be the Disciples of Christ in an extraordinary manner and yet have had no regard to this holy Command nor any value or esteem for this Sacred Legacy For they are most notoriously Guilty of breaking this Law and contemning this Legacy who revile and oppose that Government of the Church which was instituted by our Blessed Saviour founded in his Apostles and convey'd by them to their Successors and so has continued in a right Succession to this present time of this sort our Dissenters in England are and some or otâ—â—r of them are frequently putting out Pamphlets wherein they endeavour to acquit themselves of this great Crime by Justifying their Separation from the Government of the Church To this purpose Mr. M. H ry Printed a Pamphlet the last year which he called a brief Enquiry into the true Nature of Schism there was not much more of the Nature of Schism than of the Philosophers Stone in it however the not Answering it gave it the more Credit and swell'd his Disciples with Triumph so as some of them boasted in my hearing that it could not be answered by any Clergy-man this made me uneasie and considering how unsuitable it was to any Clergy-man to concern himself with it and withal considering that this might be an Argument to proselite the weak and more unstable people I under took it in hopes that the Catholic truths laid down thô by so mean and weak a hand might put a stop to their boasting and it had these effects First few believed but that it was done by some Clergy-man who prevail'd with me to print it in my name And secondly that Mr. M H ry for all the fulness of Gifts his Disciples boasted to be in him thought as I may reasonably from his calling in aid suppose it was above his Talent to meddle with Now lest the neglect of a Reply should be fatal to them and stagger their blind Proselytes in Chester and parts adjacent they sought and found out a man of great Size to attack me a chosen Vessel one of the First rate who has fired all his Guns at me and shot a great deal of Venom and little else which I hope in this following Paper shall make to appear This great man conceals his Name and perhaps not without good reason In the front of his Book he tells us That man must be a great stranger in England who knows not what unhappy Flâ—mes have been kindled among us about matters of Church Government and Wâ—rship and he must be as great an Enemy that would not contribute his utmost to the extinguishing of them a great deal has been writ on both 〈◊〉 to convince the world where the fault of our Division lies That the Government of the Church by Episcopacy was of Apostolic Institution and Ordination is evident 〈◊〉 Government of the Church by Epiâ—copacy is of â—ivine Institution for that Timothy was made Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of Crete by Apostolical Ordination and Institution is very clear in St. Paul's Epistles to them both That the seven Ciâ—ies in Asia which received the Christian Faith had each City a Bishop in eâ—ident by the Title St. John gives an his Letters to them contain'd in the Second and Third Chapters in the Revelations And that after the Apostles time wherever the Christian Faith was received in the early Ages of Christianity this Government was set over them and that then all Christians own'd and submitted to this Government is sufficiently proved by the concurrent Testimonies of all the Fathers in those Primitive times and from those times this Government received no interruption nor was at any time controverted or questioned except by Aerius Ischyras and one or two more who were condemned for Schismaticks till the last Age and then by this sort of Men by setting up a new mistaken Notion of Parochial and Congregational Episcopacy with Lay Elders to share in the Government of the Church never heard of before To Church Government disputed he adds Worship by which I suppose he means the Worship of God which chiefly consists of the unfeigned belief of the Articles of Faith deliver'd by the Apostles the Offering up Prayers Intercessions The Worship of God in the Church of England as â—ure as in any other Church whatsoever Thanksgiving and Praises unto God Almighty according to his Will declared in the Holy Scripture presented in the name of his Son Christ Jesus with all Reveence and Humility and Gestures expressing the same the word of God read and duly and truly preach'd the holy Sacraments Babtism and the Eucharist rightly and duly administred Now all this is done with as much Reverence and â—ravity Simplicity and Gospel purity in the Church of England as in any Church whatsoever own'd to be so and highly honored and esteem'd for it among all the Reformed Churches except those men of Violence your Brethren of the Kirk of Scotland with whom we have nothing to do only to pray for them They of Rome indeed Dissenters kindled the flames of Division were the only men who first oppos'd the reformed Worship of our Church purified and cleansed from their Innovations and Corruptions as it stands established both by Canon and Statute Laws and these Dissenters have pursued Their Game and in this made themselves Their Partners by continuing and increasing those Flames to this day not without hopes to compleat what the Papist so much endeavoured and still with these men earnestly desire viz. the overturning and suppressing of this reformed Worship So the Flames were kindled by the Papists first and then by these men by their Disputing and Arraigning the Established Worship The Church Government and Worship being thus stated it easily appears that the Dissenters in England are they who kindled the unhappy flames this Gent. talks of among us Now let us see how they may â—e extinguished where the fault lies and who are the
Enemies that will not contribute their utmost to quench them Men who are not mad will go far for Water to quench those Flame which else would destroy their dwellings They will not contribute to quench them but these men need go no farther but do their duty and the flames are out To disobey the Orders of our Governors is to transgress a plain Law of God If these men have any thing imposed on them by our Governors that is sinful let them shew it and their Plea must be allow'd but they are forced to confess the Terms of Obedience impos'd are but indifferent things mere trifles Now for a man to disobey his Governors and have no other plea but this it is too mean to excuse him from the transgression of a known Law Obey them that have the Rule over you is the command of the holy Apostle Heb. 13.17 Nor can indiffernt things or what they acknowledg mere trifles be a pretence sufficient to bind the Conscience against an express Law of God for as if the blessed Apostle had foreseen these mens Plea he Commands Obedience to our Governors for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 I hope by what is said it will be allowed by all impartial men and sound Christians that I may conclude without breach of Charity that the Dissenters in England are they who kindle the unhappy Flames about Church Government and Worship and that they are the great Enemies that will not contribute the least not so much as do their Duty to quench them and that notwithstanding all the Writing he talks of the fault of all our Divisions lies at their door He goes on The word Schism has been toss'd like a Tennis-ball from one side to another till by such motion those violent heats have been caused that have much endangered both our Church and State By this Rhetoric I suppose is meant the Opposition and Disputes made by these men against the established Church of England that by these means these men not only endangered but for some years involved both Church and State in Ruin and Desolation had I brought no arguments yet by sad experience is sufficiently proved He says Great endeavours have been used to fasten the Guilt upon such as impose unnecessary and suspected Terms of Communion and it has been is furâ—â—ly retorted upon those who comply not with those Terms Here the Terms of Communion are Vnnecessary and Suspected only but who are to â—e Judges of what things are necessary or what Vnnecessary they that bear Rule over us or they that owe Subjection Government always implies Subjection and how can bare suspicion discharge a man from the dury of Obedience This is certain that if a Father command his Son to do something which is in it self not Unlawful and if the Son tell his Father it is Vnnecessary and that he Suspects it to be so and if only for that Reason will not obey that Son is a Transgressor against the fifth Commandment and it s as certain that this is truly applicable to these men all their Expositers affirm that Obedience to their lawful Rulers Pastors is required by that Commandment But because the whole Controversie which these Dissenters have against our Church mainly depends on these two perticulars mentioned by this Gent. viz. Church Government and Worship it will be very necessary to lay down some irrefragable Instances to prove what was the Practice of the Church in respect of its Government in the times next after the Apostles Episcopacy the Government of the Church in the times next after the Apostles and this I do because by referring thereto I shall answer many passages which follow in this Gentlemans Book I begin with the Canon of the Apostles which I find thus Translated by a person of great worth both for Learning and Veracity Let not the Presbyters or Deacons do any thing without the Consent of the Bishop for he hath the people of the Lord intrusted to him and there shall one day be required of him an account of their Souls Here the Bishop has the Power of Governing the Presbyters and Deacons Of what Authority these Canons are Justellus has made evident in his account of the Code of the Universal Church Clemens Romanus who was an Adjutor of the Apostles and as Linus Succeeden St. Peter and Cletus Lanus so he Succeeded Cletus in the Bishopric of Rome where all others in Holy Orders were called Presbyters except Deacons only who speaking of the Apostles in his Ep. ad Corinth p. 57. saith That they foreseeing that there would be Contentions and Emulations about the Name or Dignity of Bishop or Episcopacy they set down a List or continuation of Successors that when any dyed such a certain person should Succeed him Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Martyr who saw Jesus and liv'd in the Apostles age whose Authority many of later times Enemies to Episcopacy have opposed yet never could suppress the plainness of it In his Epistle to the Smyrneans he saith But avoid Divisions as the beginning of evils and be all of you observant of the Bishop as Jesus Christ was observant of the Father and observe the Presbyters as the Apostles and reverence the Deacons as the Command of God Let no man presume to do any thing in the Church without the Bishop And let that Eucharist only be accounted firm which is either performed by the Bishop himself or by his Licence And a little further He who honoreth the Bishop honoreth God but he who doth any thing without the Bishop's approbation performs a Service to Satan c. In his Epistle to the Ephesians Therefore pursuant to something before it becomes you every way to glorifie Jesus Christ who glorifies you that being perfected and knit up in the same Subjection and being of one mind and of one judgment you may all speak the same things and being Subject to the Bishop which Onesimus then was 〈…〉 Presbyters may be Sanctify'd in all things Again in the same Epistle As Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 who is our into uparable life did follow the judgment of the Father and the Bishops who are designed to the ends of the Earth follow the judgment of Jesus Christ therefore it is a comely thing for you to concur in the â—â—â—â—ment of the Bishop as also you do for your Presbyters most worthy of Praise and of God is so adapted to the Bishop as strings are fitted to the â—â—rp insomuch that Jesus Christ is Celebrated through your unanimity and agreement in Love And in the same Ep. Therefore let us endeavour to be in subjection to the Bishops that we may be Gods Subjects In his Epistle to the 〈◊〉 For I was accounted worthy to see Damâ—s your Divite â—â—â—â—op and the worthy Presbyters Bassuâ— and Apolliaâ—s and Sâ—tiâ—n the Deacon my Fellow-servant whom I would enjoy because 〈…〉 subject to the Bishop as to the Grace of God and to the Presbyters as to the Law of Jesus Christ
interruption to this Age. is saith he an assertion without the least shaddow of proof yea contrary to the acknowledgment of all Church Historians If this Gent had mentioned where any Church Historian of Credit is of his Opinion and shewed when any interruption happened he had done something for the support of his opinion But let him examine from this present age to the days of Lucius King of the Northumbers who is credibly said to be the first King that Embraced the Christian Faith in this Isle and if he can assign one Breach of this Succession he out does his predecessors but if not he stands guilty of bringing a false Accusation against all truly Catholic Churches For not only the Church of England but all other Established Catholic Churches do assert the Succession of their Bishops to descend from the Apostles And it is in every Diocess as sacredly Recorded as the Succession of Rings and Emperors to their Thrones But in p. 22 he says The very Papists themselves confess that there are insuperable difficulties about the Succession of Popes in the Roman See My Adversary would rebuke such boldness in me I never discoursed with any of that Church who did not zealously assirm the Succession and I believe they may challenge him to name any of them or shew any Books of theirs wherein he can find such a Confession as he alledgeth In the days of Valentinian there was great strife about the Claim of that See yet none was put into possession who had not Episcopal Consecration in which respect the Episcopal Succession was preserved so that the insuperable difficulties are but his bare Allegation But pray how can there be a Priest without this Line of Apostolic Succession Can a man receive Priestly i. e. Spiritual Power by laying on of the hands of them who have not Power to confer it it is St. Pauls question Rom. 10.14 15. how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent c. which is a strong affirmation that no man ought to preach without Divine Mission The great Bishop of our Souls was sent of God the Apostles received their Mission from him and no man can say he is sent that is can truly be a Minister of the Gospel who hath not Apostolical Mission and no man hath power to send who hath not received it by Succession from the Apostles and this Succession must be by an uninterrupted Line from the Apostles or it ceases to be Divine so that the absolute necessity of an uninterrupted Line is a sufficient reason to prove it And now I may affirm that great Catholic truth it remaining firm and unshaken set down in my former paper p. 3. viz. who ever he be that is out of this Line of Apostolic Succession and Exercises any Ministerial Office without the Commission of Episcopal Ordination can be no more or other then a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic and that without exposing Christianity it self as he says p. 23. I do or without leaving the Consciences of all the men in the World at an utter uncertainty whether they have a true Ministry or true Ordinances or no for there is no other way wherein a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances can be found and this is so far from Leaving mens Consciences at an uncertainty that it is the only foundation of certainty and assurance of a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances and from whence we receive real comfort in the Participation for other Foundation saith Saint Paul can no man lay than that is already lay'd which is Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 3. vers 11. Jesus Christ hath founded his Church upon the Holy Apostles and so as not to be demolished or expire with their lives but to continue firm in their Successors to the end of the World to deny this is both to distrust the power and providence of God and to make void the promise of our Lord made Mat. 28.20 But this my Adversary does for says he in p. 24. in how many Cases may this Line be broken and all the Apostolic power conveyed there be spilt and lost c. Is not this mans Faith too weak in the power of God and in the promise of his Son Which is that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. 16.18 that is his Church and shall the devices of men out do the Gates of Hell shall the fancy of this man and his Brethren over-throw that against which God hath promised the powers of Hell shall not prevail And because these men infatuated by Error despise this Church whose Foundation was laid by the blessed Jesus and hath the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to her must she be made a Prey and a Sacrifice to the blind Ignorance Pride and Lusts of these mens minds to make way for the Whimsy and Invention of man not known or heard of in the Church of Fourteen hundred years Must the power of Preaching the Gospel Absolving Penitents Consecrating the Holy Sacraments c. be lost and made void by being translated into prophane hands to be Officiated by those who are not sent of God All which are the unavoidable consequences of this man's Doctrine For he says p. 24. Where this Line is broken all this Apostolic power is spilt and lost The Abbot of Hy was objected by a Popish Writer to prove our Church Schismatical and it is now brought by this Dissenter against the Apostolic Succession which in his p. 25. he names in the Margin The most Reverend Primate Bramball in answer to the Papist writes a just Vindication of the Church of England c. In p. 131 and 135 of his works you have an account at large where he clears the Northumbrian Bishops from Receiving Consecration of the Abbot of Hy and shews that they had their Consecration from the Bishop of Derry then called Derry-magh under whose Visitation this Abbot lived The Primate tells us the Records were to be seen at Derry before the Irish Rebellion and this story you have much to the same purpose in the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph's Historical accompt of Church Government c. Chap. 5. so that this Dissenter has no more advantage with the Popish Writer against our Church by casting this Imputation out of this Story to break the Succession then the Papist had to prove us Schismaticks nor is any intercision hereby proved which my Adversary pretends In the same p. 25. he desires to know of me or any who encourages me to write little Books Whether this Line of Succession may be continued in a Schismatical Church and the Apostolical Power conveyed thereby says he if by Schism men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church then such Schismatical Churches are no Churches c. What occasion I gave him for this question you may see in my 3d. Page after I affirmed the Apostolical Succession of Bishops and inferred from
Majestic than in our Churches The truth of this will best appear from their practice None of their Addresses to K. James the second were presented 'till the Composure and Form thereof was deliberated and well weighed by more than One by the whole Classis of a County The Preacher saith Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy Mouth and let not thine Heart be hasty to utter any thing before God c. But they in their Conventicles Address the Majesty of Heaven they rush upon and approach his presence with the rash and Sudden thoughts of one single person with a Prayer newly Coined but whether Sterling true according to Standard being never tryed is uncertain for the people know it not nor the Orator till it be out they shew'd more Fear and Reverence to an earthly King than they dayly do to God Almighty Is this Rational Is this Grave In their Conventicles at the reading the Holy Scriptures among which the Psalms consisting of the highest strains of Devotion they Sit or Loll and are covered is this Grave and Majestic When the Minister as they call him offer up his rash and unconsider'd Prayers to God the People are in confused and irreverend postures as if there were some unconcern'd and trivial thing in hand is this Grave and Majestical He who Administers in their Divine Worship as they call it has no other Habit than what is due to and becomes a Tradesman or any other Layic in the Congregation and indeed therein they are very modest the Minister for the most part having no more claim to Priestly Garments than his Auditors is this Grave and Majestic The truth is these men are so humorsome that what is Rational they condemn as Senceless what is Grave and Majestical they condemn for Superstition and on the contrary what is Rude Irreverend and Foppish they esteem as Rational Grave and Majestical By this time it is very evident that the Dissenters in England do Separate from a Church wherein there is to use Mr. H-ry's words not any thing amiss i. e. not any thing that can give any just occasion to Separate from her and that the Communion for I cannot call it a Church or Society they joyn themselves to is so far from being better that in many Respects which I have mentioned it is so much worse that its an absurdity to compare them The Inference then drawn by Mr. H-ry from his own Proposition is clearly against them Mr. H-ry p. 19. that their Separation from our Church is clearly for Separation sake and is necessarily an Vncharitable Alienation of Affection and is consequently Schismatical Having also considered my Authors Notion of Schism to wit p. 37. for persons wilfully to with-draw themselves from such particular Churches as are framed according to Scripture Rules and impose no new or needless Terms is to act Schismatically because such wilful Separation when no cause is given cannot be without breach of Charity with our fellow-Christians which is the Scripture Notion of Schism Having shewed that our Church is truly framed according to Scripture Rules and that she imposeth neither New nor needless Terms this Inference of his is necessarily against them too viz. That the wilfull with-drawing of these men from such a particular Church as our Church is is to act Schismatically c. If any thing would prevail upon the Oâ—â—â—inacy of these men here is conviction from their own Reasoning 〈…〉 fair dealing with Mr. H-ry at this time will make an Attoneâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—mer Omission and allay my Adversaries bitter thoughts against me In my 〈◊〉 paper p. 7. I instanced the Authoritys of Ienatius Irenâ—us â—â—â—â—ian and A 〈…〉 who were all Bishops and Mattyrs and agree Tâ—â—â— for 〈◊〉 to disâ—â—ey then Bishops and Presbyters appointed set ever them and to Sâ—parate 〈◊〉 them oâ— to set up distinct Conventicles is 〈…〉 Is not by this understood diâ—â—râ—ty or Separation of Comâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 is not this properly Scâ—â—sm Yet for this my assirmation he does in his 45 p. peremptorily charge me and consequently those Pious Maâ—yrs with giving St. Paul the Lye It St. Paul condemn'd the Corinthians for admiring and barely preâ—â—â—â—ing one Minister before another of Schism shall that far greater and blacker Crime the fâ—â—saking and Separating from them â—o which the 〈◊〉 were not then arrived be excluded from Schism Shall a cut in the Arm be truly call'd Schism or Schissure and shall not the lopping off and Separating the Arm from the Body which is the Dissenters Case be accounted so Wherein do I give St. Paul the lye This Gent. is a topping Accuser The rest of his Book contains chiefly Bitter Invectives and Scurrilous Reflections at his bitter reviling of me I wonder not But stand amaz'd at his hardyness and indeed horrid and gross Impiety with so much Venom and Malice to take into Royal Sepulchers and render our Four Protestant Monarchs Infamous see his p. 61. of K. Charles the 2d he saith not to be paralell'd in Story I Q. Elizabeth's Reign our Church was again Reform'd all the Innovations and Superstitions which by a long series of time the Church of Rome had introduced into the Church and Consecrated with the Title of the Did Religion abolished the inestimable Blessing of the truly Ancient Cathoâ—e Religion revived and established this Religious Queen and all those pious Prelates to whom under God the praise of all that Glorious work was due escape noâ— his malice but in one breath blackens and defames them all these are his words in p. 75. That great Princess had sâ—â—â—thing of the Sire in her and there wanted not Prelatic breath to blow the Spark into a Flame The Universal Fame this Great Princess had for Wisdom and Piety the Turbuâ—en Humor and Insolent behaviour of the Dissenters towards Her you have an account of in Bish Barnet's Aâ—râ—dgment c. the 4th Book p. 381. Now notwithstanding that this man saith in his 2d p. that Penal Laws had a quite contrary effect and in his 3d p. that they have not hitherto brought Protestants to an exact Uniformity this Queen in the year 1592 made Penal Laws which being Vigorously Executed contrary to his maxims had the good effects and proper ends for which they were made supprest the Ring-leaders and put an end to their Conventicles and brought so many of them to Conformity that during Her reign afterwards she had no more disturbances from them and this I suppose to be the chief incentive of this Male-contents displeasure against this Great and Matchless Princess In his 56 p. concerning K. James the first he saith For when King 〈…〉 Englands Throne the Prelatic Party dreading least the Paâ—â—tans 〈…〉 great a share in his Favours upon the account of his Edâ—â—tion 〈…〉 the Scottish Nobility and Ministry might have upon hi◠〈…〉 Studies to creat a prejudice against them and fâ—â—ing no 〈…〉 take with him as the extending of his Authority and enlarging 〈◊〉 Pâ—rogative c.