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
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
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-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
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
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
our Learning In the end of p. 17. and in 18. he lays to my charge that I distinguished not betwixt the extraordinary power which was properly Apostolical and that ordinary Pastoral Power which was eminently comprehended in the other The Authority and Government of the Church must have expired with the Apostles had not this Power been conveyed by their Delegation to their Successors by virtue whereof the ordinary Pastoral power viz. Power to Preach the Gospel Administer Sacraments Absolve Penitents c. was and is confer'd upon the Presbyters the extraordinary and Apostolic Power of Ordaining and Governing of Binding and Loosing being intirely reserved in the Bishop the Apostles Successors and this too of the ordinary Pasteral power is to use his own words eâ—inently comprehended in the Diocesan Bishops as it was in the Apostles Other distinction than this cannot be truly made as I suppose Then he maliciously mentions the Arch-bishop of Canterâ—ury what Christian temper or good manners he shews therein let the Reader judge For it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People The Nature and Extent of the Episcopal Office being fuily stated answers what he saith in the bottom of his 18 p. He says Dr. Hammond tells us that all the Elders we read of in the Scripture were Bishops and that every particular Church had one of these This Gent. has this quality he never mentions the place where the thing may be sound in any Author he quotes which is not fair Dr. Hammond says indeed That the Bishops in every City were the Successors of the Apostles Dissert 3 c. 3. In his Anot. on Acts c. 11. b. and in his Tracts of the Power of the Keys Asian Bishops called Angels and Bishop and Elder terms equivalent which were written in Vindication of his Dissertations from the exceptions of the Assembly of Divines as they were called wherein he has by Scripture the Primitive Fathers and undeniable Arguments evinced to the silenceing of the Assemblers that the word Bishop in Scripture did always signifie a Prelate or a Diocesan Bishop and that the word Elder had the same signification so that if this Gent. will be concluded by the Author he has cited his pretentions to Parochial and Congregational Bishops are at an end P. 19. he says t is pritty to hear him say these two that is Timothy and Titus were ordained Bishops by the Apostles was there any Apostle concerned besides Paul in it Here lies the trick c. Whether they were Ordained by St. Paul alone or with others conjunct it was all one being I was only to prove that their being Ordained Bishops was by Apostolic power which being done thô by St. Paul alone is sufficient Nothing but prejudice and ill nature could see any thing of a Trick in this Then he puts the Question and how pray could Timothy and Titus succeed the Apostles in the See of Ephesus and Crete whilst the Apostles were living And then he is pleased in his 20 p. to Droll and scoff at 'em and then says to be the Apostles Successors the Apostles yet alive and in plenitude of Power is a very great Mystery so is all the Gospel then he closes making himself merry with the ignorance of a Vicar of Newport who by the way is said to have been a Nonconformist which in a matter so momentous carries too much levity for a Minister of the Gospel I said in my p. 3. this Apostolical Succession was begun in Timothy and Titus c. They could not have been said to be Successors of Apostolical power if the Apostle moved by the Holy Ghost had not whilst living confer'd it on them could the Apostle have Ordained them after he was dead The Apostle by Ordaining them in his life time secured the Succession to them and the Government too in the Apostles absence even whilest he was living so that it was not improperly said that this Apostolic power was begun in Timothy and Titus they being the first mentioned in Scripture who were invested with Episcopal power of Jurisdiction by Apostolical Ordination that this Succession of Bishops is as he scossingly calls it a very great Mystery is very true the Bishops being by virtue of this Succession as truly the Representatives of Christ Jesus as Ambassadors are of Kings In p. 20. he says I affirmed that no Presbyters had power to Ordain He desires me to try how I will reconcile this with Dr. Hammond who says these Presbyters were all Bishops 1 Tim. 4.14 or with Scripture it self that says even Timothy received the Gift by the laying on the Hands of the Presbitery I have try'd and find it easily reconciled with Dr. Hammond for his Judgment is that those Presbyters who joyn'd in that Ordination were Apostles which you may see in his Paraphrase on the above-mentioned Scripture and he refers to Note on Acts chap. 11. f. for his reasons Mere Presbyters a â—umea power to Ordain first found in the Church of Rome The first clear Instance of mere Presbyters assuming the power to Ordain is to be found in the Church of Rome as the learned Primate Bramhal tells us p. 164. and in p. 431. he saith We may justly ascribe the reviveing of the Aerian Heresy to the Dispensations of the Court of Rome who Licensed Ordinary Priests to Ordain and Confirm c. In p. 20. he further saith for propagation of Apostolical Succession c. I inform 'em that Linus by Apostolical Consecration Succeeded the Apostles in the See of Rome here is a double blunder again Linus succeeded whilst the Apostles were alive How else could he have Apostolical Consecration c. The best way to determin this is to observe the Rule which in great Wisdom our Law hath appointed for Jurors to bring in their Verdict according to their best Evidence The best Evidence in this Case are the writings of the Fathers who lived in the next Age among whom Irenaeus is accounted the most exact Notary of the Succession of Bishops to the Apostolic Sees L. 3. C. 3. he affirms that Linus was made Bishop by the Apostles and that he Succeeded St. Peter in the See of Rome and that next after him Cletus by some called Anen Cletus Succeeded in that See and with him ‖ Lib. 1. adv Her Sect. 6. Epiphanius agrees and with these diverse others now this is so far from being a blunder that it is a clear Manifestation of the great care the Apostles had of providing for the Succession in their life time which no man can object against much less profanely Ridicule as my Adversary does who will consider that otherwise the Succession must have failed and been extinct if neglected whil'st the Apostles lived In the 21 p. at the bottom he saith That my affirming that this line of Apostolic Succession of Bishops hath continued in all Ages to this present time Succession of Bishops from the Apostles without
one another that can make them Catholics but Agreement with the Primitive Catholic Church In the truly Primitive Church all true Christians did make a formal Profession of Faith by distinctly repeating the Creeds with an audible voice as we do in our Churches at this day which practice seems to be intimated in St. Paul's Injuction to Timothy Hold fast the Form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me c. 2 Tim. 1. v. 13. What ever the Faith of these Separate Congregations may be is unknown to us the formal profession of Faith which was constantly used by the Primitive Christians as the badge of Christianity being in the Congregations of our Dissenters laid aside Now that they in this respect agree with the truly Primitive Church must be denied He says I have not proved that they differ from the Catholic Church in the Essentials or integral parts of Gods Worship or in any considerable Circumstance 2. In the truly Primitive Churches they held strict Communion with their Bishops who were the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution not only in Essential but in all Circumstances in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church also as in the having all things Common to this they yielded Conformity The Love Feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials of Worship yet enjoyned by the Apostles as significative of the ardent Love and Christian Charity which Christians had for one another and continued for some time after the Apostles days till thrô Corruption grown to be Scandal and then thô Instituted by the Apostles were abolished by the Authority of the Church Now our Dissenters denying all Communion with our Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and the Presbyters set over us by Episcopal Ordination and Institution this together with their Usurping the Priestly Office without Episcopal Ordination sufficiently demonstrates that our Dissenters differ from the Primitive Catholie Church in Essential and considerable Circumstances without any further trial In p. 34. he further saith And that this Divine Worship and Service is Visible and External this Gent. is but too sensible and t is a very great Eye-sore to such as he that it is so much more visible than formerly it hath been That it is visible is true but that it is Separate and out of the visible Catholic Church is as true He is pleased to call it Divine Worship and Service which it cannot be I suppose but only in respect of the Object when they have a lawful Spiritual Authority that is Episcopal Ordination and Institution without which there can be no true Ministry which I have prov'd and consequently no true Ordinances it may be called Divine Worship and Service but till then let they who are best able to judge say what kind of Worship and Service it is 〈◊〉 Sâ— lenatius will resolve him in his Ep to the Sâ—â—rn He saith 〈…〉 That its being more viâ—ble than formerly is a great â—ye â—â—re to such aâ— I am is a mistake I have known it more visible than now it is when all the Churches in the Kingdom were Usurped into the possession of the Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. those were evil days to see the Noble debased the base and the vile made Rulers over us Religion the pretence of Rebellion the Church buried in Disgrace and Calumny call'd the Scariet Whore c. He was admired for the Hâ—liâ—â— man the greatest Saint who was most improved in the Art of Revâ—â—ing and Speaking evil of Dignities the quitting Communion with a truly Catnoâ—â—c Church the taking of a Rebellious Covenant see his p. 54. or human Composure with significant Ceremonies submitting to Lay Elders a Novelty not formerly known in the Christian Church these with many other Miseries and Calamities endured in those days were great 〈…〉 to me and such as I am But we have learned by the Doctrin which our Church Teacheth Acquiescence and Submission to the Legislative Power a Lesson which out Dissenters could never yet put in practice Tâ—â—y have granted you a Toleration and we are so far from envying it that we Acquiess and submit so as to me and such as I am it is no otherwise an â—â—eâ—oâ—e than in Christian Charity to pity your mistakes and heartily wish that in your practice you would be more conformable to the Gospel of Peace and that there be Peace in the end In his last Parag. p. 34. he says my asserting the Succession of Bishops from the Aposiles c. is inconsistent with other parts of my loâ—k and savâ— he supposeth he hath sufficiently made it manâ—â—â— and in p. 35. he calls my affirmations in my former paper Crude and Coâ—â—â—â— apprehension he is so kind as to plead my capacity to excuse me for my Blunders as he calls 'em but says it will by no means lesseâ— the fault my Oâ—â—â—ious and Confident iâ—â—â—â—râ—â—enâ—y in meddleing with things I so little understand This is but Condemning me by the lump and being past his skill to shew such â—â—â—â—sistency in my Book it is false and those which he calls my Blunders I have proved to be undeniable Truths all the ill is that what ever these men speak or write be it ever so repreachful or false their Disciples believe and swallow it for truth But with Impartial men Railing will never pass for Conviction nor morose uncharitable Censures for true Judgment nor can the Imperious Language he so liberally bestows upon me add one mite to their Cause nor one mite lessen that esteem how undeserved soever I have among many good men but I have learned to forgive him should be offend Seventy times seven Having made the Episcopacy Established in the Church of England appear to be an exact paralel with the Catholic Churches in the Primitive times what I mentioned of the Fathers in my p. 7. holds good against my Adversary by his own Allowance as you may see in his p. 35. at the bottom his words are these We are no way concerned iâ— the Citation of the Fathers â—roâ—â—ht in against us till he has proved that Episcopacy then was the same thing it is mâ—â— and that the Terms of Communion we scruple were ever impesed 〈◊〉 them The former part that the Episcopacy in our Church is the same as it was then is proved That the having all things common the Love-feasts and the Holy-kiss mere Ceremonies no Essentials in Religion yet were Terms of Communion in the Apostles time being very plain That the Ceremonies appointed by our Church tho they are not specifically the same which this man seems to insist upon yet being in Nature the same with those above mentioned and being enjoyn'd by the same power and Authority derivatively which the Apostles had this Gent. or any other ought no more to scruple the Terms of Communion imposed by our Church than the Primitive Christians did scruple the Terms of Commanion imposedâ—â— the Apostles In the