i. e. To have done it by honour and dishonoâ—r by evil report and good report as a deceiver and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. I never thought that Contreversies were to be written for Controversies sake but rather what in us lay to put an End to them And I should not think my self unfortunate under all the Caluinnies and Sufferings in the World if I could be in the least Instrumental to Advance the Sincerity of Religion and Promote the Peace of Gods Church But if I may not be Capable of Endeavouring it to any purpose I will never cease to pray for it And therein I doubt not to have the Concurrence of all good Men whatsoever otherwise may be their Perswasions And thus Protesting my Integrity before God and freely leaving my self to the Censure of all Men. I am Yours in all Christian Offices S. G. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Of Obligations to Unity among Christians 1. REasons of the Enquirie 2. Obligations from the Nature of the Christian Religion 3. From Christians Considered as a Body with Remarks thereon 4. An Objection Answered 5. From the Honour of the Christian Religion 6. From express Precepts of the Gospel 7. From the Rewards of Preserving and Punishments of the Breach of Vnity 8 From the Encouragements Helps and Succours to Attain it CHAP. II. Wherein this Unity Consists 1. Mistakes concerning Vnity and the Reason thereof 2. A Caveat against the Plea of extraordinary Cases 3. The first Step towards or the Foundation of this Vnity 4. That our Vnity must be suitable to our state what that is and that it must be in the visible Church 5. An Inference thence 6. In Respect of our State-Vnion with the invisible Catholick Church by Vnion with the visible Catholick Church and Vnion with the visible Catholick Church by Vnion with some true Part of it i. e. a particular Church 7. That Admission into all Societies is by some known Ceremony or formal Way of Proceedings this in the Christian Society is Baptism Reflections on the Anabaptists 8. That Admission into a Sociâ—ty implies Submission to the Rules of the Society and an Obligation to the Duties thereof and to whom these have Regard in the Christian Society 9 Duties of particular Christians towards each other 10. That Duties of particular Christians must be Practised in Conjunction with Duties Relating to Worship and Communion 11. Communion though of necessity it be in particular Churches yet thereby it is in and with the Catholick Church 12. Communion in Worship supposeth a Necessity of Communion with lawful Pastors which is further Proved by several Arguments and Instances 13. That the Pastors ought also to maintain Communion with each other and the Nature thereof or by what means it is maintained briefly Examined 14. An Objection Answered and what is the Duty of particular Persons in such Case declared CHAP. III. Of the Nature of Schism 1. What hath inclined Men to maintain ill Principles and particularly Schism 2. The General Notion of Schism 3. 4. 5. Several Separations which are not Schism 6. The distinguishing Note of Schism and an Inference thence 7. 8 9. Several Ways whence Schism Ariseth 10. What Schism is sinful with a Defiâ—ition thereof 11. The Authors Aâ—knowledgment and the Assertion in Relation to the Controversie which he undertakes to prove and his Request CHAP. IV. Of the Liberties and Priviledges of the Britannick Churches and of the Actual Separation 1. Two General Objections against our whole 〈◊〉 and a General Exception against both 2. The first Objection Consists of two Branches whereof the first at present put off the latter Proposed to be Examined 3. The Title of Patriarch at this time set up as a Sham Device 4. Granting a Patriarchate to the Pope it is denied to Extend to the Britannick Churches 5. How Patriarchates came in and that they possessed no all Places 6. 7. The Bisbop of Rome not possessed of anâ— such jurisdiction in these Isles but aâ—ter Patriarchâ—tes were set up 8. Britain a Church before Rome and Reasons of the different Observation of Easter both in them and other Churches 9. The Reasons of the Britons mistake at to Easter such as ought not to have made a Breach and that they were not Quartodecimani 10. Augustines Mission and Helps for the Work That the Kâ—ntish Saxons were beâ—ore Prepared for Embracing the Gospel how He and the Brittish Bisâ—ops Meet in Councel to no Effect 11. The Reasons of the Brittons for not Relinquishing their old Vsages and for Refusing to Admit Augustine their Archbishop their Perseverance therein and the unhappy Effects of their second Meeting him 12. Both Britons and Irish Agree against Laurentius Augustines Successor 13. The Agreement of the English Irish and Scots in Religious Rites 14. The Irish prevailed with to Assist Laurentius and his Successâ—rs in Converting the Saxons but Adhere still to the Brittish Customes which in the End makes a Breach An Account of the Disputation between Coleman and Wilfrid 15. A doubt whether any Missionariâ—s from Rome into this Island before Augustine the Monck 16. Particular Friendship between the Gallican and Brittish Churches and an Inference thence 17. Continuance of the Brittish Liberties 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Sir Francis Hastings John Fox c. Vindicated against the Cavils of F. Parsons 25. Expiration of the Brittish Liberty 26. An Answer to the Plea of Jurisdiction from the Conversion of the Saxons 27. That no Plea of Prescription Lies against these Isles in this Case 28. This further proved from the Eighth Canon of the Councel of Ephesus 29. The Erection of Patriarchates when by what means and how Received 30. Patriarchal Authority 〈◊〉 â—erviceable to the Pope 31. Whether a Patriaâ—chate be Forfeitable And whether the Pope have not Actually Forfeited his 32. That supposing the Bâ—sâ—op of Rome's Patriarchate had taken in these Isles yet it is now ceased and become void and null even by the Laws oâ— the Ancient Church 33. The Churches of these Iâ—â—es free aâ—d Invested with Power to Reform themselves and how that Power hath been â—sed Proposed to Consideration 34. The Condition of great Actions with an Answer â—o the Plea of Sacrilege 35. They themselves the Authors of many things whereof they Accuse us 36. Notwithstâ—nding the Reformation no Schism â—ill the Pope made it 37. Queen Elizabeth a Legitimate and Lawful Soverâ—ign 38 The present Church defended 39. What things must be Considered to Justifie our Church particularly our Ordination defended 40. The Way of Trying Doctrine and the Insufficiency of the Roman Way 41. The Reason of Negative Doctrines 42. Soundness of our Doctrine proved from the Concessions of our Adversaries 43. Sufficiency of the Scriptures and our Canon defended against the Roman 44. The Vse of Traditâ—on with several Cautions and Distinctions whereby to judge of it 45. Answer to an Objection CHAP. V. Of the Councel of Trent 1. The Power Vse and Rise of General Councels 2. Difference between the First
And doth interpret the disobedience or neglect of them to be an Affront to Himself For thus our Saviour Teacheth us Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me And he that despise hâ— you despiseth me And he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And therefore though such Despisers may not seem to suffer any thing here yet they stand Accountable to a higher Tribunal and do run a greater hazard then any temporal punishment when their Cause is forejudged by their Spiritual Governours Hence saith Tertullian Apol. Summum futuri Judicii Prâ—judiciurâ— est si quis ita deliquerit ut à Communicatione Orationis Convenâ—û◠Omnis Sancti Commercii Relegetur The Wickedness indeed of Spiritual Governours is of very dangerous Consequence the Influence of it makes many bad and will not suffer others to be so good as they would And as we read that the Lâ—wdness of Eli's Sons made the People even to Abhor the Offering of the Lord So by Moses Law the Offering for the Sin of the Priest was the same as the Offering for the Sin of the whole People and much exceeded the Offering for the Sin of the Civil Ruler Levit. 4 It is sad with Gods Church when the Complaint lies at that Door But yet even this will not Absolve Christians from their Obedience to them in Matters which are within the just Bounds of their Authority and properly belong to their Office Even our Saviour himself who so often warns his disciples to Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisces yet Commands them to obey the same Men so far forth as they satt in Moses Chair And doubtless he doth not Require less Observance of those who Sit in his own Chair And though People are very apt to begin the Quarrel here yet methinks they should be more fearful of breaking Communion with their Pastors if they did Consider That this is the Door by which always Schism enters for it is not Conceiveable how they should forsake Christian Communion but by deserting their Pastors in their Pastoral Office Hence the Fathers especially St. Cyprian them whom no man better understood or wrote of this Case upon all Occasions as they usually describe a particular Church by the Union of the Flock to their Pastor so they define Schism by a Separation from the Bishop Not that they meant it is no more but that that is the Act which makes the Schismatick and that by leaving his proper Bishop he forsakes not only the Communion of that particular Church but of all other Churches of whose Communion that Bishop is And Consequently the Communion of the Catholick Church if he be truly a Catholick Bishop And hence I think it may Appear that for Maintaining Christian Communion in Christs Body the People must be United to their Pastors and that not only with Resoect to Preaching the Word publick Prayers and the Use of the Sacraments but also with Regard to Matters of Discipline and Government without which Order and Regular Proceedings in the Church it cannot be upheld Upon this Score the primitive Christians were so Observant of the Rules Orders and Censures of their Bishop That if any Man fell under the Sentence of Excommunication they for so much as Related to them vigorously put it in Execution and not only would not suffer such a One to joyn in Communion but would not so much as Eat Drink Couverse or ordinarily Traffick with Him Which Practice seems to have had its Foundation from that of St. Paul 2 Thes 3. 14. If any Man obey not our Word by this Epistle Note that Man and have no Company with him that he may be Ashamed As also from that 1 Cor. 5. 11. Now I have written unto you not to keep Company if any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such an One No not to Eat XIII But that a Firm Christian Unity may be in the Church of God it is not sufficient that the Flock continue in a due Subjection to and steddy Communion with their Pastor unless the Pastors themselves Maintain a fair Correspondence and keep due Order one amongst another For if the Trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall Prepare himself to the Battel as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 14. 8. how is it possible that an Army should be Unanimous in it self or Employ its full force against the Enemy if the Commanders Agree not but give out contrary Orders Nor is it possible That the Unity of the Church should be preserved if the Pastors Govern their Flocks not in Conjunction but Opposition to each other and set up such termes of Communion as other Churches cannot approve but must withdraw from It is indeed true That every Bishop in his particular Church hath a kind of Sovereign Authority and is to Govern his Flock Rationem Actûs sui Domino rediturus as St. Cyprian more then once phraseth it Hence it is That in some things a Christian Man is bound to Observe the Orders of his own Church and obey his own Bishop before any if not all the Bishops in the Christian World But then this Authority must not be stretch'd beyond the Bounds of his own particular Church And hence arose those several different and often contrary Usages and Customes in several Churches which were not excepted against because they belonged to the Power of each particular Church and consisted in such things That he that Communicated after the one Manner in one Church might Lawfully Communicate after the contrary in another Of this Nature was that known different Usage of old between the Churches of Rome and Millan In the former they Fasted on Saturdays in the latter not And therefore St. Ambrose who was truly as stout a Bishop as ever the Church had though he strictly Required Obedience to the Orders of his own Church yet at Rome was as Observant of theirs and Advised St. Augustine's Mother Monica to do the same The Reason must be fetch'd from the Nature of the Things which being indifferent in themselves might be Lawfully practised either Way and therefore were in the Power of every Church to determine or not determine as She found most for her good and Advantage But when these Things are determined Obedience put on the Nature of Duty and Disobedience of Sin But though every Bishop in Respect of his particular Church or Flock hath according to the Old Ecclesiastical Language his Throne yet in Relation to the Catholick Church he is but a principal Member who in Conjunction with Others of the fame Authority is to Share in care of the whole And therefore in Matters which have an Influence on Catholick Communion he is Accountable to his Colleagues or Fellow Bishops and for any Misdemeanour herein may by them be Suspended Deposed or Censured as they or a convenient part of them shall â—udge Meet for the prefervation of the Churches Peace And
the nearer we come to the first Settlement the surer we are to be in the Right But some Men so doat on their fond Devices and are so bewitched with the pleasure of Coyning New Notions that not content to delude themselves they labour all they can to perswade others that every thing that is old is ugly and to be Abominated Thus that sweet Harmony of the primitive Christians whereby they preserved their Body Sound against the Malice of Hereticks and Schismaticks enjoyed free Communion in all Places and were no where destitute of Comfortable Support and Assistance whether Spiritual or Temporal this I say has either been imputed to the folly of the first Converts or the Tyranny of Hereticating Bishops But if there was any thing ill and of Mischievous consequence to Religion for this they became zealous Advocates were ready to tell us That the Devil is not so black as he is Painted and so palliate the Matter that at length they would draw it in to be useful Amongst Matters of this Nature nothing hath found more Patrons then Schism Some have shuffled it to and fro till they have lost it and some have Trick'd and Trimm'd and Sett it out for such a pretty harmless thing as would almost tempt One to be in love with it But being I have said enough in the first Chapter to prove Schism a Sin of a deep Dye I shall forbear to inveigh against it and Sett my Self rather to make a discovery of it that the Rock appearing we may be the better able to avoid it II. Schism in its general Notion signifies any Rent Rupture Division Separation or Solution of Continuity But in an Ecclesiastical Sense as applied to the Church it denotes some Breach or Separation among the Members or parts of that Body growing so high as to cause Bandying into Parties and setting up distinct and opposite Communions or the like But because all Separation is not Schism and that which is is not always sinful therefore it may be convenient to enquire by what means Separations are made what Separation is Schism and what Schism is sinful III. Those Persons who are so far from any Communion in the Church that they never did or would receive and embrace the Gospel of Christ Jesus are really separated and excluded from his Body the Church But then in this they cannot properly be said to depart from it or make any Schism in it because they were never of it nor any way Related to it And therefore their Crime is not stiled Schism but Infidelity And the Persons Infidels or Heathens not Schismaticks IV. Some Persons have Professed the Faith and Lived in the Communion of the Church but through the powerful Instigations of the Devil the strong temptations of Worldly Advantages Sense of Torments dreadful Apprehensions of Danger or the like ill Motives have Renounced not only the Communion of the Church but the Faith of Christ But these are not properly Schismaticks for Schism doth import some Relation still to the Church though it suppose a disorderly behaviour in it and a Breach and Violation of its Peace and Unity But these are wholly gone off and their Crime is in it self of a higher Nature though many times not so Mischievous in its Effects And it is commonly called Apostacy and the Persons Apostates or in the Modern Language Renegado's V. There is a third Sort of Persons who profess the Faith and live in the Communion of the Church but through Pride Discontent Wantonness or the like Causes are not careful to Attend to sound Doctrine but fall into Errours and Entertain and devise Opinions prejudicial to the Gospel of Christ and the Salvation of Souls But if these Men keep their Opinions to themselves whatever damage they may bring to their own Souls they can make no Ecclesiastical Schism but if they Broach or Propagate them then Schism is usually the Effect and Consequence of such doings but their Denomination is from the particularity of their Crime or obstinacy in their ill Opinions which is called Heresy and the Persons Heretâ—cks VI. Now though Heresy is of that â—uâ—â—ulent Natuâ—e thâ—t it seldom fails to produce Sâ—hism yet it may soâ—e that Persons may be Sound in the Faith and yet through Pâ—ide Discontent Ambitâ—on or the like ill Motives may violate that Unity and Conjunction which ought to â—e â—mongst â—hristians in the Profession of the Faith and Duties it Requires So that Heresy seems to be opposed to the Verity and Soundness of Religion Schism to the Union of Persons amongst themselves professing Religion Now because the Acts of this Unity consist in Christian Communion and it cannot be otherwise expressed and manifâ—sted but by such Communion therefore a departure or Separation from that Communion must be that which we call Schism Hence Hesychius explains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Signifies a Secession or Separation And hence it appears That every Heat Quarrel or Brabble how faulty soever it may otherwise be doth not Amount to Schism unless it so influence the Communion as to make a breach in that And therefore neither that Contention between Paul and Barnabas nor that Contest between Polycarp and Anicetus nor that Difference between Chrysostom and some who had been his Auditors nor that sharp Conflict between the same Chrysostom and Epiphanius nor that long debate between Stephen and Cyprian were any of them to be Accounted or brought under the Notion of Schism because the Communion of the Church was still kept up and Maintained by all the Parties But when this Communion is violated and broken then it comes to a direct and open Schism And this may be done several wayes all of them I pretend not to reach and those I shall mention I shall not dwell on VII Some there are who forsake the Communion of the Charch but go not so far as to set up any opposite Communion not that they have any honour for or regard to Church-Communion but that they think it unnecessary if not prejudiciaI These though they seem not to Fly so high as others in that they Vex not the Church with opposite Communions yet they really overthrow all Communion and destroy the whole publick Worship of God wherein his People are United for his glory and their own benefit And therefore these are nothing such harmless Creatures as some think them Amongst these we may Reckon those Rank Enthusiasts who have overgrown Ordinances and account themselves far above all such weak Helps and beggerly Elements VIII I shall further propose it as a Question whether some Men by their particular Opinions or Declarations may not make themselves Schismaticks even whilest they continue in the Communion of a Church that is truly of Catholick Communion for though the Pastor and Officers of the Church walk never so Canonically and Perform all Services with relation to and dependance upon the Catholick Church yet if any Member shall so awkwardly adhere to this particular Church as to
oppose it to all others and condemn all others and refuse Communion with any other he seems to Me to make himself a Schismatick For though the Church be of Catholick Communion yet he communicates in it upon Schismatical Principles and makes it Schismatical to him The Church indeed is in Communion with other Churches but he communicates in it in opposition to other Churches And this seems in some Measure to have been the Case of the Church of Corinth Paul and Apollos and Cephas were all Ministers of the same Christ great Master-Builders in his Church and zealous Maintainers of its Communions and yet several in the Communion of this Church seems to have communicated upon narrower termes then the Constitution of it Required For some were for Paul and some for Apollos and some for Cephas and they that were for one were against the other two and against all others who did not joyn with them in the same quarrel I will not say but that it might go higher and that there might be opposite Communions That St. Paul there Planting the Gospel might leave so many Congregations in that Church as the Number of Converts required That Apollos coming after upon the increase of Converts might leave them more Church-Officers and increase the Number of their Congregations And the first might stand stiffly for Paul and the other for Apollos However the first is not improbable and indeed both might be true successively They might first clash in the same Communion and then break into opposite Communions But this I leave to the further Consideration and Censure of Others IX Where there is such a Renunciation of Communion as to set up opposite Communions it may be Effected several Ways Sometimes the Layety have forsaken their Pastors Congregated into Bodies and of their own Authority Raised distinct Communions I will not here dispute whether they deserve that Name but certainly this is the Height of Presumption and Madness for though it be true which Cerah said Numb 16. 3. That all the Congregation are holy yet the sad Story that follows assures us That they are not therefore all Priests and Levites and that they may not presume to enter upon and promiscuously discharge that Sacred Office and Function Sometimes Subject Presbyters and other Church-Officers have forsaken their Bishop carried away many of the Members of his Church and gathered Sheep from all Quarters out of the true Fold And this is the more Mischievous as carrying along with it some Shew of Authority Sometimes Bishops and their Churches have Rejected the Communion of other Bishops and their Churches Sometimes in like manner Metropolitans have opposed Metropolitans National Churches National and Patriarchal Patriarchal And the Schism is ever the more Mischievous according to the Considerableness of the Persons concerned in it or the Extent of their Jurisdiction or the Cause they divide upon Too much of all this is in the present Divisions of the Christian World which are managed with that Bitterness and Height and have torn the Church so all-to pieces that it is a Subject fitter for our Lamentation then Discourse X. And yet after all it must be Acknowledged that all Separation is not sinful for then wherever there was a Separation they would be faulty on both Sides as well they that made as they that suffer by the Separation Nay if that should be granted a Man might be necessitated to Sin which he never is or can be For if unsufferable Corruptions or sinful Usages be brought into a Church whereof any Person is a Member and set up as termes of Communion He cannot Communicate without Sin nor can he Depart without Sin but unavoidably must Split upon one of these two Rocks if all Separation be sinful And therefore to discover that Schism which is Sinful or Criminal we mast bring it not only a Physical but a Moral Consideration Such the Case may be that the Separation may not only be lawful but necessary It was Gods Command to the Israelites concerning Babylon Jerem. 5. 45. My People Go ye out of thae midst of her and deliver ye every Man his Soul from the fierce Anger of the Lord. And St. Paul having described a Sort of ill Men which in the latter times should infest the Churcâ— he gives this Charge to Tsmothy concerning them 2 Tim. 3. 5. From such turn away Actual Separation therefore may sometimes be a Duty when it is a Departure from those who have before departed from the Right and violated the Unity and corrupted the Communion of the Church But being there ought to be no Separation but upon the score of Avoiding Obligations to Sin and no further then may secure us in that matter there can be no Separation but there will be Sin on the one side or the other And being the bare Separation may not only be lawful but duty the Sin of Schism must Lie where the cause and evil is found and they are the Schismaticks who unjustly cause the Breach And indeed simple Separation doth not include the whole Nature of Schism in an Ecclesiastical Sense For though those who depart from any true Church of God as it is a part of the Catholick Church do break off from the Body yet those who depart upon just and warrantable Grounds though they depart from the Schismaticks yet they do not forsake the Church of God but continue in its Communion and are Members of that Body and therefore cannot be Schismaticks But I need not Discourse this any further because I think it is Agreed on all Hands that the Sin of Schism follows the Cause Now from all that hath been said this or the like Definition of Schism may be Gathered That it is an unjust Violation Breach or Solution of the Unity of the Church Or to express it more plainly a Causeless Separation from Ecclesiastical Communion XI How far some more moderate Person in the Church of Rome may be willing to go along with Me in these Considerations I cannot tell the Generality of them I know go further but that will not be the least part of that Controversie However here we must part But because I do profess my self a Person who doth deeply Mourn over that dismal state of the Church to which thefe Divisions have brought it and that God who knows the Secrets of all Hearts knows that I say true and do wish an End of their Broils and would Contribute the utmost of my Endeavors to Repair the Breaches And do moreover freely confess That Schism is a Sin of a very dangerous Nature it will therefore Concern Me to discharge my self from being either a Partner in or an Abettor of that Mischievous Evil of which I Complain And therefore now I shall endeavour to prove not only that the Cause of the Schism between the Church of England and the Church of Rome lyes at the Church of Rome's door But further that let them pretend what they will that Schism was first made
that in all Parts and Circumstances it should be without Exception He may so look for such a thing in the Kingdom of Heaven but if ever he can find it on Earth I dare engage my self to be his Bondslave and therefore unnecessarily to put ill Constructions upon Matters to pick little Quarrels to Call in every mean and slight Failing and to Rave against the Miscarâ—iages of particular Persons though disallowed this is only to fling dirt and calumniate not to draw up a just Accusation If therefore they cannot Wound our Reformation in the Essentials Christian Charity would teach them to cover a multitude of small faults and Common Prudence would Advise them not to strive to no purpose The most Celebrated Theme upon this occasion is Sacrilege And here even those whose prosound Ignorance suffers them not to stir a step further then their Guides Conduct them and yet with a blind Obedience follow whither soever they lead them can be not only Eloquent but bitter But as for those who have the Reins in their Hands and would fain be Bâ—idling us never any Subject yielded Matter for More Tragical Exclamations But if Railing against Sacrilege would do us any good we are as ready to do that as themselves We are â—o far from allowing it that with sorrowful Hearts we bemoan it and openly Avow that we detest it And indeed of all other persons it is we who suffer most under it Some Benefices if they deserve the Name are so wofully impoverished that they will scarce afford the Curate Bred so that if for the sake of a bare Livelihood he do not give up himself right or wrong to Sooth up his Parishioners every Plough boy will trample upon him and they will set up some Mongrel Teacher or other of their own on purpose to torment him And again we being destitute of a tolerable Maintenance for so great a stock as the Universities send abroad amongst us which would be none too few had not the Church been Robb'd of her Revenews many discontented Spirits Fly over to the Church of Rome not for Religion but in Hope of Preserments or through Vexation of Mind or driven by want So that this Sacrilege hath Fill'd their Seminaries and plagued us with domestick Schismaticks In the mean time that we suffer with patience the spoiling of our Goods I think may rather deserve any Mans pity then blame But for the Spoylers themselves I shall as little plead for them as any Son of the Church of Rome And I wish there were not too many who are still Gaping after and Work all their Wits in contriving how they may seize the poor Remainder But however the Catholicks as they call themselves ought to be extreamly wary how they accuse or point out the guilty Persons in this had Cafe lest they Condemn themselves For if some such Parable as Nathas put to David were offered to the Romanist it would be said in the Conclusion Thou art the Man For let them deal fairly and ingenioufly with us and the most Considerable Persons who made such a squander of the Churches Rights will be found to be Men who died in the Roman Communion XXXV And upon this Account it seems strange to Me why they should so strictly enquire into and so nicely insist upon Matters done by Henry the Eighth and his Clergy for if it be with a design to Charge us with them it is much the same thing as when a Villain cuts anothers Throat and as soon as he hath done slips the bloody Knife into an innocent Mans pocket For who were they that yielded up or seized their Monasteries and made such havock of Church Lands Who were they that first set up Henry the Eighth's Sâ—â—remacy and Wrote in defence of it Who was it that Maintained the Supremacy beyond the Seas in so gross a sense that even Calvin Himself thought his Prerogative invaded and was out of patience at it These Men all lived and died in the Roman Communion And if they were not Roman-Catholicks what were they Henry the Eighth after the Affiâ—ming the Supremacy was judged so good a Catholick even by the Pope Himself that he could find no Fitter a Person â—o Recommend for a Pattern to the Emperour What Heresie soever there might be in detaining the Peter-pence or setting up his own power it seems he was Catholick enough in his Proceedings upon the Six Articles Any thing they imagine to be ill must be Ours But make Enquiry after the Authors and they are all their own Methinks it should concern them to Acquit themselves before they fall foul upon us Nay if we proceed forward so far as to the Reign of Queen Mary the Persons who had the greatest Influence on those Revolutions will be found Men of their own Persuasion for except some few whose Proceedings were more easily Answered with Fagots then Arguments thofe on our part will not be very Considerable throughout the Reigns of Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth Searce any two Persons seem to be deeper dipt in Sacrilege then the Vicar-General Cromwell and Dudley Duke of Northumberland yet how profound Hypocrites soever they might live our Oxford Church-Governour will have them both Roman-Catholicks at their Death Others if they think it worth their while may Contest it with him But for Me he may take them both and make his best of them Only I think it a Reasonable Request that since he will needs have their Persons he would be pleased to take their faults along with them and not accuse us for the Crimes of his Brethren XXXVI But let particular Persons whether theirs or ours Answer for their own demerits I can be heartily sorrowful for the Men but never will be an Advocate for their Mis-deeds The only Matters of any moment for which we can be concerned I conceive must be either Doctrine Discipline Worship or Government Now though the Pope might think himself obliged to stickle for his profits and above all for his Supremacy yet the Roman Catholicks themselves did not think the Changes in Religion of such Weight that upon that Account they should make a perfect Schism For till Felton â—ixed the Bull of Pius the Fifth upon the Bishop of Londons Palace Gate the Roman Catholicks freely frequented our Churches and joyned in Communion with us And this was no small time for this was not done till the eleventh or twelsth year of Queen Elizabeth So that a small matter would have made her Catholick if she could have digested the Roman Supremacy And though the Romanists so far as concerned Religion thought themselves bound to obey the Pope yet the discreeter sort of them were not a little offended that they were thus thrust headlong into so dangerous a Schism For this we have the Testimony of Mr. Cambden a Person beyond Exception not only as he was a Man of Singular Judgement and Learning and a faithful and prudent Historian But as being personally Acquainted with the
progress and Growth in Christianity is Attributed to that Nourishment which as Members is Communicated to us by this Body the Body it self being Fitly Framed and Joyned together by all parts drawing it from Christ the Head Eph. 4. 15 16. Col. 2. 19. Hence the Church of God is said to be his Body Col. 1. 24. and this Church not to be many Bodies but one Eph. 4. 4. and that we might understand That Salvation is not to be acquired but by being Members of this Body We are Taught That Christ Works our Salvation by Reconciling us into one Body Eph. 2. 16. And for this Reason the Apostle calls Him The Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5. 23. from these and many other places of Scripture of the like Nature hath arose that common Axiom Extra Ecclesiam non est Salus Which the Ancient Fathers have upon occasion Excellently Explicated pressed and proved against Schismaticks But I have no mind to make a Flourish with Citations in a matter so well known though I wish it were better Heeded Only before I pass away I shall take the boldness to leave these Remarks 1. That all particular Christians as Members of the same Body are Reciprocally bound to each other not only in the Common Offices of Justice but even of Love Kindness and Christian Succours So that if the Man live in England or Armenia at Rome or Geneva in the Enemies Countrey or our own if he be a Christian I ought to wish and pray for his good and if occasion be offered in no case to decline the Promoting the good of his Soul And if Circumstances will permit of his Body and Estate also Secondly That Christs Church and his Body being terms convertible it must consist not only of the Present but of the past Ages even of all that either have or expect Salvation by Christ So that no Person by any Endeavors whatsoever can in the ordinary way duely hope for Salvation as being a Member uf this or that particular Church otherwise then as that particular Church by a Succession of Doctrine and Worship and consequently of Lawful Pastors and Governours without whom such Worship cannot be duly Performed is united to and Embodied with the Catholick Church of God for even the present Church diffused over the Face of the whole Earth though it may be said to be Catholick in respect of particular Churches and of its Authority as to the present living Persons yet in it self it is not Catholick otherwise then as deriving from and united to the Church of the foregoing Ages running up unto Christ their Head Neither can any that comes after be accounted Catholick but as an accession to the former And this if well Weighed might be a means to make Men very cautious how they gathered separate Bodies without extraordinary good Grounds Thirdly that though every Schismatick do affront and injure the whole Church of God yet the greaâ—est ' detriment is to himself The Church may lose an unprofitable Member but he loseth himself For if Christ be only the Saviour of the Body none can divide from it without apparent hazard of their owâ— Salvation So dangerous a thing is the Sin of Schism though so lightly esteemed in our dayes IV But here some who are ready to catch at every Twig and think themselves just drowning and lost if they must be bound to live peaceably and to be wise only to Sobriety will Object That such are the various apprehensions inclinations interests education and prejudices of Mankind That this Doctrine as meeting with insuperable Difficulties cannot be admitted without very great Abatements and Allowances To these I might justly Answer That in this Case I am not concerned for their Prejudices Interest or anysuch Matters And it were much better if they were less concerned for 'um themselves for that Man that will be a Christian must not follow his particular Inclinations and Interests much less his Humours and Whimseys or any thing of like Nature but must abide by aâ—d keep close to the Constitutions of his Saviour and must cast down Imaginationâ— and every high thing that exalteâ—h it self against the Knowledge of God and briâ—g into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. But because I had rather Untie the Knot then cut it I further Answer That Opinions inconsistent with the Foundation of Faith of a good Life and a just Church Government and Discipline are never to be allowed for these directly tend to the destruction of the Church or our selves or rather of both but in things of remote consequence or private and less Concernment there Vnio Voluntatum non Opinionnm is sufficient we may severally opine as we see cause provided that we severally resolve not to transgress the bounds of Charity In this Case the Apostles Advice is To forbear one another in Love Eph 4. 2. and that the strong should not despise the weak nor the weak judge the strong Rom. 14. 3. and to this purpose it is observable That no Religion or Persuasion in the World ever Canonized Humility and Self-denial for Vertues but the Christian thereby taking care at once both to moderate the Judgement and the Practice The One Teaching us to use the Apostles phrase in lowliness of Mind to Esteem others better then our selves the other not to seek our own but every Man anothers Wealth And by this means Men would not only be Restrained from Running to the utmost Bounds of what may seem lawful but be careful to learn and do what is most expedient whereby the Peace of the Church and mutual love and kindness amongst its Members would be constantly preserved Nor need our Men of Interest fear that this Doctrine will undo them For he who like Ishmael hath his Hand against every Man will most certainly have every Mans Hand against him so that there is odds in the Match that one time or other he will come by the worst on 't But he who by Christian Condescension in a Reasonable Cause denies himself obligeth many others to do him the same kindness on the like occasion whereby one favour to another procures many to himself And were this principle duely practised a man would not only be out of danger in all places but should never want that Comfort Succour and Assistance which an honest Cause and Christian Deportment can expect But suppose as indeed it is more then a Supposal that others will not do their duty herein yet he that Aims at an Heavenly Inheritance must not take the Measures of his Proceedings from those who value nothing above their worldly Interâ—st Nor ought he to think much to Meet with some Rubs in his way when the Crown of Glory he pursues exceeds all that he can imagine And let the worst be sâ—pposed that can be such a Man obligeth all that are good or grateful He enjoys the present satisfaction of a good Conscience and is so
whence it takes its first Rise and Beginning is that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints And he that doth unfeignedly embrace it is so far forth united both to all those whoever heretofore received it And all those who now live in Profession of it but yet we must go a great way further or else we shall come short Home IV. For though this Unity principally relates to the Catholick Church of God Comprehending all Ages and places which is that Body whereof Christ is the Saviour and to whom the great and precious Promises are primarily made yet if we would speak rather os fully then magnisicently we are not so much to Consider in this Case the Church we are united to as the means whereby we are united to it and therefore as Men on Earth we are to consider our selves in statu viatorum as Men that are not only bound to believe but to profess the Faith of Christ Crucified for our Blessed Saviour hath told us That if we be Ashamed of Him and his Words He will be Ashamed of us when He cometh into the Glory of his Father Mark 8. 38. as Men so indispenseably bound â—o that Profession that they must not only hazard but even Actually lose all that is near and dear to them rather then depart from it for the same Christ hath told us That if a Man come to him and hate not Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be his Disciple Luke 24. 26. as Men who are bound to embody in a common Fraternity and Society that they may joyntly as well as openly make this Profession not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 10. 25. In a word seeing we here live in expectation of the Promises we must submit to all the termes and conditions of the Covenant upon which God hath made their Performance to depend And being the whole tenure of the Gospel doth oblige us on Earth to joyn in a visible Fraternity to a visible Profession to particular duties to visible Professors and to a real not imaginary Obedience to them who Rule over us and Watch for our Souls I see not how we can Challenge the Name of Christians whilest we cast off all Care of these Duties And hence it is Apparent That we cannot be United to that great Catholick Mystical and Invisible Church of God but by becoming Members of his visible Church on Earth as being that part of his Church wherein he hath placed and to which the greatest part of our Duties do particularly Relate To Arrive to the state of Glorified Saints and Angels that Church without Spot or Wrinkle is our Hope and Endeavour But whilest we are on Earth we are only on our Way towards it and are particularly of that part of Gods Church wherein grow Tares as well as Wheat to be distinguished and separated in Gods good time And by our faithful sincere Obedience in this we do through Christ Jesus Require and Preserve a Right and Title in time to be made the immediate Members of the other V. This being our present state and condition our Unity ought certainly to be agreeable and suitable to it and therefore must be visible amongst the visible Professours of the Gospel and what that is or wherein it consists is my present Business to describe But first from the foregoing Premisses I would make this Inference That a Believer at large is only a Christian in Fieri his Faith alone without the other Duties and Accomplishments which the Gospel prescribes to all Christians is not sufficient to give him the full Title of a Christian 'T is true he hath laid a good Foundation but unless he proceed to build thereon he can no more be said to be a Christian then an Artificer can be said to have Erected a fair House when he hath only laid the Ground-Work And the Reason is plain because Faith in its own Nature doth not only incline but oblige to Obedâ—ence And I therefore not only more chearfully Obey Gods Commands because I believe Him faithful who hath promised but I must condemn my self as utterly inexcusable if I disobey Him at the same time that I pretend to believe in Him Hence it is observeable That the word Faith taken Objectively is often in Scripture-phrase used to Signifie not only Revealed Truths but Precepts of Life even the whole Gospel of Christ Jesus or the Law of Faith And where it speaks distinctly of it yet it will have the other to follow it Commanding us to add to our Faith Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5. And to Shew our Faith by our Works Jam. 2. 8. And accordingly the first Converts to Christianity upon their Owning the Faith thought themselves Obliged to go on to what the Law of Faith Required Thus the â—unuch â—hen Convinced by Philip that Jesus Christ was the Son of God doth not Acquiesce in that Faith but proceeds as far as his present Circumstances would permit and of his own Accord bespeaks Philip See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized Acts 8. 36. And consonantly hereto it is Observable That the primitive Church did Vouchsafe the Title of Fideles to no Adult Persons but such as were in full Communion And did Men perswade themselves that their Faith did so indispenseably oblige them to all Christian Duties that without their sincere Endeavour even Faith it self became defective it would make a fair Advance towards Unity And till they do so I see no Reason to hope for it VI. But now to Return to the thing in Hand As we are Men on Earth and Probationers for Heaven our Unity must be such as is Required by this our state and consequently must consist in such matters as Unites all the visible Professors of the Gospel into such a Body or Society which God hath instituted and designed for his Worship on Earth But then we are to Consider That as we are United to the Catholick invisible Church of God by being United to his visible Catholick Church on Earth so we are United to this visible Catholick Church by being United to some true part of it or by becoming Members of some particular Church for no Member can be United to the Body all over or to the whole immediately but is United to the Body by being United to it in some part For the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. 14. And as these fitly Framed altogether make the whole so by Vertue of this Union each Member hath a Communication with the Whole and is both capacitated to discharge his Duty to the Whole and to Receive Supplies from and claim an Interest in the Whole VII Now being that our Belief in the Son of God and that he is the Head of the Body his Church if considered Antecedently to and separately from other Christian Duties doth rather
And in these we do most clearly own and profess our selves Christians and visibly unite in the Body And from hence it will follow that all Christians under the penalty of excluding themselves from this Body are bound to joyn in all the publick Offices of the Church and to bear their part in all Acts and Duties of Christian Communion and therefore Attendance to Ordinances is not only the benefit but the necessary duty of every Christian And as Members of the Society they must do their parts joyning in the publick Prayers Praises Thanksgivings Confessions and the like And especially ought to be careful to be duely partakers of the Lords Supper as being that Act whereby of all others we are most strongly firmly and closely united both to â—hrist oâ—r Head and to each other Hence it is by way of Eminence sometimes called The Communion And hence it is That amongst the primitive Christians though a Man had openly professed the Christian Faith had been admitted by Baptism was not only an Auditor but does Communicate in the Prayers of the Church yet they did not Account him compIeatly a Christian till he did partake of the Lords Table And there is the same Reason for this still and perhaps greater Reason now then ever to urge it when the most weighty Duties are most neglected and People are so apt to set up their Rest far short of what our blessed Saviour hath made their Duties XI That this Communion is maintained by Communicating with that particular Christian Church being neither Heretical nor Schismatical where every Christian lives seems to me out of â—oubt For if he do not Communicate there it is not possible he should actually Communicate any where else and therefore whatsoever Preparations of Mind may be pretended the wilful or careless neglect of this seems to Amount to no less then a Renunciation or Under valuing of all Communion which strikes at the very Heart of the Christian Religion But yet for all this our Communion in that particular Church is Communion with the whole whereof that is a part by which we are United to the whole in which we express our Communion with the whole and by which we draw Supplies from the whole For our Communion in particular Churches Arises from the Necessity of our Natures and the Condition of Humane Beings which are not capable of Communicating with the whole altogether but only by parts And though particular Churches in respect of particular Christians and the Offices and Authority therein Exercised are truly called Churches yet in respect of the Catholick Church they are but Members whereby we are United to the whole and Communicate with the whole Both the Name and Benefit of Christianity comes to us from joyning in Communion with that Church which is Christs Body And that is the Catholick Church and it is to that we desire to be United and in that to Communicate by joyning with some true part of it which is all our Natures allow us to do and in Act can Compass But if any Man Unite himself to or joyn in Communion with any particular Church either in opposition to all others or without any relation or obligation to any other Church As to Catholick Communion he must suppose that particular Church to be that Body whereof Christ is the Head and Saviour or else he cannot Hope for Salvation in it and then unless he have the Impudence to affirm that there is no other true Church of God he must make Christ have more Bodies then one and in the immediate consequence overthrow an Article of our Creed which acknowledgeth but One Catholick Church Our Communion therefore though in a particular yet by means thereof is both in and with the Catholick Church And hence it is that the Members of particular Churches have an equal Right all the World over to Communion in all other Christian Churches And when they come to other Churches are then actually bound to Communicate with them Upon this Ground it was that the primitive Christians proceeded for though they did debarr Strangers from Communion till they did produce their Communicatory Letters or Credentials whereby it might appear that they lived in some particular Church of Catholick Communion that they might not be imposed upon by Hereticks and Schismaticks yet when the Church they came to was satisfied in that particular they were not only acknowledged to have the same right with their own Members but also to lie under the same Obligations And if very satisfactory Reasons were not given of their forbearance if they did not then actually Communicate they were Treated as Schismaticks so that that Schismatical Distinction of such an Occasional Communion as leaves Men at liberty where and when to Communicate and that even in separate and opposite Communions was altogether unknown to the primitive Church or if it had been started would never have heen endured XII From what hath been said it may Appear That in the Practical Notion Unity Uniformity and Communion are words much of the same Importance The two latter only more clearly Explaining the Nature and Manner of the former And if it be true that our Unity consists in our Communion in the Solemn Acts of Worship and publick Offices and Duties the Christian Church it will then unavoidably follow that we must be United and firmly adhere to the True and Lawful Pastors of the Church without whom those Offices cannot be Lawfully discharged and for want of whose Support and Ministry the Solemn Worship and daily Sacrifice would fail And the greater Reason have all Christians to take Heed to this good Order of Men both because our Saviour hath Invested them with his own Authority so far forth as is necessary for the Officiating in and Governing of his Church and also because he hath made them a special Promise of his Assistance in the discharge of their Offices in Relation to the first he thus Commissionates his Disciples As my Father hath sent Me even so send I You John 20. 21. In Respect to the latter he hath said I am with you alway even unto the End of the World Matt 28. 20. So that if not under the Law much less under the Gospel may any Man take this Honour to himself but he that is Caâ—â—ed of God And he that intrudes into this Office without a derivation of just Authority comes not in by the Door but climbs up another way And for that Reason ought to be Esteemed a Thief and a Robber This Authority of theirs is indeed of a spiritual Nature They have no power of Coercion they cannot by force lay a Restraint upon any Mans Person but yet their Authority is real and in some sense higher then theirs who by Gods Commission carry the Temporal Sword for the terrour of evil Doers and Defence of those who do well For the same God who gave Authority to the Pastors of his Church hath Commanded the people to obey them Heb. 13. 17.
in this Case the Bishops of other Churches did not only Exhort but Require both the subordinate Clergy and the People to Refuse Communion with their Bishop though in all other Cases the separating from the Communion of their Bishops and the Erecting another Altar or setting up a Conventicle against him was Accounted the peculiar Signature of Schism And the Reason is plain for though they could not hold Communion with the Church but by Maintaining Communion with their Bishop yet they did Communicate in that Church as a part of the whole And if he did break off from the whole or was Injurious to the whole if they should Adhere to him therein they must follow his Fate And therefore here they might desert him and cleave to some other sound part and joyn in Communion Approved by Orthodox Bishops The Reason of the Bishops absolute Power in one respect and his Subjection in another seems to be briefly Couched in that short Saying of St. Cyprian Episcopatus unus est cujus à singulis in solidum pars tenetur do un for though he held but part of that Episcopacy by which the whole Church Concordi multorum Episcoporum numerositate was Governed yet holding that Parte in solidum he had the full Episcopal Authority and was a Catholick Bishop and his Orders according to their Nature ought to be Heeded by all Bishops But then what he held in solidum being but Pars Episcopatûs unius he was Bound to Exercise his Office in Conjunction with them who were equal Sharers with him And herein was Answerable to his Fellow-Bishops for any detriment or injury done by him to their Common Office and Common Charge Hence a Bishop was in some things Obnoxious even to the delebility and loss of his Character as Spalato hath proved against the fond device of the Schools lib. 2. cap. 4. and was bound at his peril not only to Preach the same Faith but to Walk and Act according to the Cannons of the Church And yet in other Things his Act was sufficient to Tye up all the Bishops in the Christian World Both which Things are an invincible Evidence of the Sense of Antiquity of their Participation of the same Office and of their Obligation to and dependance upon each other in the discharge of it Hence it was that when a Bishop was placed in any Vacant See though he was never so Canonically Ordained yet he was bound to send abroad his Circular Epistles to other Bishops to Sigâ—ifie his due Admission to that great dignity and withal to give in a Summary of his Faith that they might Admit him to Catholick Communion and upon occasion might Communicate with him and Assist him in the just discharge of his place If he afterwards fell into Heresie or did any irregular Act he was Tryable by his Peers and might be Censured according to his demerits On the other Hand what wholesome Orders he made for the good of his own particular Church those who came from any other Church thither were bound to observe them And if he justly put any Person under the Sentence of Excommunication upon his Certifying thereof with the Cause all other Bishops and all other Churches were bound to take that Person for Excommunicate wherever he came and to Reject him from their Communion For in Cases of this Nature every Regular Act of Authority in one Church was Regarded as the Act of the whole Church And thus in all things particular Churches Acted in Relation to and Communion with the Catholick and Maintained their Unity Firm and Inviolable XIV My Design hath been to Write a Chapter not a Treatise of Christian Unity and therefore I may be excuseable if I have not Hit every thing though I perswade my self that had we these the rest would not be wanting But my fear is that my Accusation will rather Lye on the other Hand That I have Iaid the Platform of such a Unity as in all its parts is no where on Earth to be found And though the more is the pity yet possibly it is too true But then this Objection Amounts to no more though that God knows is too much then to shew the deplorable state of the Church and the woful degeneracy of Christians For the Religion we profess Requires such an Unity And de facto it has been had and practised in the Church And till it be Restored I see little Hopes that Matters can be brought to Rights and that they are not they must Answer who are the true Cause If any enquire What particular Persons in this Case are to do I Answer that invincible Impediments may excuse à tanto but not à toto where we cannot do all we should yet we must do all we can But more particularly I think First That every Man ought to joyn in Communion with that Church wherein Gods Providence hath placed him if he cannot justly Charge the termes of its Communion with Sin Otherwise there will be no End of Separation and the Breach will daily grow wider Secondly That our Judgements and Censures on those from whom we depart be moderated with Charity that we pick not Quarrels without a cause nor Represent them worse in Opinion or Practice then they are for this exasperates and alienates Mens Hrarts from Peace Some Persons have seemed to Me to have read their Adversaries Books with a Design to mistake them which alas is too easily done without giving our Minds to it Thirdly that in separate Communions Proposals might be made how far they can come up to each other that it may be known how far they do agree and that unquiet Spirits may not bear the Ignorant in Hand that they agree in nothing and then that the true Causes of the Difference may be sett down which would sett generous Spirits on Work to Remove these stumbling-Blocks and make up the Breaches At least it would give opportunity to all Considerate Persons to weigh the Matter to cast off real Scandals and to come nearer together as they saw cause Lastly That all Persons be desirous of true Christian Union and Communion that they heartily pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and to their power in their several Capacities endeavor it That we come short of this Unity is our Unhappiness and no Honour to our Religion But if any do not truly defire it I see not how they can be excused from Schism or somewhat worse fâ—r such seem to be insensible and regardless of the Honour of Gods Church the Glory of his Name the Peace Comfort and Encouragement of Christians one amongst another and the daily Advancement and Propagation of the Gospel of Christ From which kind of temper the Lord preserve every One who calls himself a Christian CHAP. III. Of the Nature of Schism I. OUR Religion is so Unchangeable That if an Angel from Heaven should come and teach any other then what we have already Received he ought to be Accursed And therefore
and still Maintained and Upheld for such Reasons as ought to be Strangers to the Christian Religion and do drive on and keep up such an unwarrantable and fulsom Interest as is not Consistent with the true state of Gods Church If any Man shall give me better Information upon due Consideration I shall bâ— willing to receive it and thankful for it But if any Man shall please to seâ— himself against Me I would desire him to deal with Me as a Man who is of the Communion of the Church of England in sense of duty who never gave up my self to any particular Party of Men and who in all my Studies have had a Special Eye to the Advancement of the Peace of Gods Church and the Satisfaction of my own Conscience CHAP. IV. Of the Liberties and Priviledges of the Britannick Churches And of the Actual Separation HE who would Build true will first clear the Ground And therefore I must crave leave to Remove some old Rubbish out of my way before I can descend to some such particular Matters for I pretend not to take in all as I think may Justifie that Separation which we now Maintain for we are not the Mâ—n who made it but defend that Church which we found and were born and bred in and therefore ought not to desert it without just Cause Two things with no lack of Confidence are Urged as a Prejudice against our whole Cause First That these Churches and even all their Bishops did owe a particular Subjection to the Bishop of Rome either as Sole Vâ—car and Plenipotentiary of Christ Jesus on Earth or at least as the Western Patriarch Secondly that supposing this to be otherwise yet since the Separation Matters have been decided by a General Council viz. That of Trent to which all ought to submit I shall Endeavor to give a fair Answer to both these Objections But first must premise That supposing not granting the truth of either or both these Objections yet of themselves they do not overthrow our Cause for no Plea of any exorbitant Authority or Conciliar Determination can oblige us to a Sinful Communion And if that Plea be made good against them all their other Arguments Vanish into Air For the Holy Ghost never Assisted any Council to make wicked Determinations Nor did the Ancients know of any such Exotick Power in the Pope as that he might be Obeyed in every thing for though several Mátters contributed to gain him an extraoâ—dinary Respect in and Influence on the Churcb yet they held him to the Canons And if he deviated from them or 〈◊〉 Truth they without scruple opposed him When Basilides and 〈◊〉 two Spanish Biâ—hopâ— justly deposed fled to Stephen Bishop of Rome And by Lyes and Flattery so prevailed with him that he not only admitted them to Communion but endeavored to restore them St. Cyprian smartly opposeth it writes not only to the Bishops but even to the People there to refuse Communion with them Commends the Substituting two other Bishops in their Room and says That the Faults of Basilides in Endeavoring his Restitution by Stephen's means were Non tam abolita quà m cumulata Epist 68. dd Pam. I could bring Instances enough of this kind but this being a by-matter in this place I will leave it and Return to the Objections II. Two Titles are set up the better to secure us But the one is purely forged and the other is crackt weak and bad and not able to support the Claim which is Founded on it It is hard to say what Authority the Bishop of Rome doth not Challenge under the Notion of Christs Vicar His Flatterers will scarce allow any Bounds to be Set to it and Examine his Actions and you will find that he â—ets himself none On this score not only we but all the Christian Churches in the World which are not of the Roman Communion are stigmatized for Schismaticks On the contrary I think that there is no one thing that doth better Justify our Separation then the Challenge and what in him lies Exercise of such an Arbitrary and boundless Authority over all the Churches of God Upon this Account this Matter will fall under a particular Consideration as one of the principal Grounds and Reasons of our Separation And therefore at present I will leave this great Vicar-General and try if we can come to any better termes with the Western Patriarch III. This latter Title as less liable to Exception hath been insisted upon of late by some who would seem to be of more moderate Principles and more tender both of the Liberty and Authority of particular Churches nor is it to be denied That the Bishop of Rome had a Patriarchate in the Western part of the Roman Empire but by what Authority he came by it and how far it was extended and whether he hath forfeited and justly fallen from it and other Questions of the like Nature will fall in of themselves in the Series of our Discourse In the mean time I do think this Title to be set up at this time only as a Blind to Amuse the more unwary and well Meaning Persons who are willing to submit to Ecclesiastical Constitutions though they detest all unjust much more all insolent and shameless Usurpations for if by a Charter from Christ he be his only Vicar over the Universal Church it is not only a Lessening of his Holiness but a direct Affront to our Saviour to Cope up his Deputy within Bounds and to Give Him a limited Jurisdiction by Ecclesiastical Authority when he is Invested with all by Original Right and needs not any which they can Give And it would certainly be much greater Satisfaction to the Christian World to prove his Authority to be of God rather then Men. Besides I would gladly know whether the Bishop of Rome will Acquiesce here and Rest Contented with the Title and Authority of the Western Patriarch For Patriarchal Authoâ—ity is by Ecclesiastical Constitution and was at first Suited to the Divisions of the Empire and the Grandeur of some principal Cities in it And by the same Authority it was Given may be taken away or placed elsewhere as shall be judged most useful and beneficial to the Church of God Now though all this may be easily proved yet being applied to the Bishop of Rome and according to the present state of the Question it is as applicable to him as any other Patriarch I fear the whole College of Cardinals Neminâ— Contradicente would Cry out Heresie damnable Heresie And therefore the starting this Title at this time I only look on as a Sly Device to let in the Cats Head that she may with greater Ease draw in her Body after IV. But be it as it will without any regard to any such ill Designes which some Men may covertly Manage let the Objection have its due force and let us Examine whether the Bishop of Rome as Western Patriarch so called in Relation to other Patriarchates
to shew that he could have no such Jurisdiction I shall produce two Arguments the one taken from the different Rites and Usages of the Britons from the Romans The other from the Brittish Bishops downright disclaiming such Authority and Asserting and Proving their Liberty VIII Doubtless it doth more Concern us to be truly thankful that God hath Vouchsafed us the Light of his Gospel and to be careful to live acccrding to it then scrupulously to enquire after the precise time when the Britons Received the Christian Faith But if Enquiry should be made which in our present Case may not only be allowable but useful I am prone to think it would appear That the British Churches were so far from being the Slave that they were the Elder Sister of the Church of Rome And if neither the Gift of Christ nor the Canons of the Ancient Church have dealt her any hard Measure in this Matter certainly the Prerogative of her Birth-right ought to invest Her with some Honour and Priviledge at least to Shield Her from Truckling too much to the Power and Petulance of her younger Sister And the rather because she hath not been unfruitful as having brought forth the first Christian King furnished the World with the first Christian Emperour afforded the first call her as you please Christian Queen or Empress and of all Others first so Received the Faith that it was the publick Allowed and Authorized Religion of the place in which Respect she hath sometimes been Honoured with the Title of Primogenita Ecclesia But to pass by these Honourary Titles it is generally Agreed That the Britons as in several other Matters so especially in the Observation of the Feast of Easter did differ from the Romans And to find out the true Reason of this I think the best Way will be to look still higher even to the first times of Christianity Our blessed Saviour was so far from separating from the Jewish Church that he made them his particular Care and Charge and seems to have so designed all his Labours for their Conviction and Reformation that all Nations might have been Aggregated to them in his Name And therefore he was generally shy towards Others and being Urged with Arguments in favour of the Woman of Canaan plainly Answers Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel This Honour towards the Jewish Church the only Church of God then on Earth and Care that it might not be lost â—at rather that the Wall of Separation being broken down all Others might be let in to Her continued with the Apostles and Difciples of Christ after his Death and Resurrection for they remained still at Jerusalem preaching to the Jews And when the Cruelty of Herod and Malice of the Jews followed them so close that they were many of them forced to Fly out of Jerusalem to save their Lives yet their kindness to the Jews and Hopes of their Conversion still stuck clofe to them in so much that those who were scattered upon the Persecution of Stephen and went as far as Phenice Cyprus and Antioch Preached the Word to none but the Jews only Acts 11. 19. And there was need of no less then a Miracle to perswade Peter to go and instruct Cornelius a Gentile in the Way os Truth Acts 10. and though he did go upon such unanswerable Motives yet he was called to an Account for it The going in unto Men Uncircumcised was thought a Crime not to be suffered unless extraordinary Reason could be given for it And perhaps this Tenderness towards the Jews might be no small cause of Peters Judaizing at Antioch Now whilest the Disciples did Adhere so close to the Jews it is not only Reasonable to suppose that they Used their Customes and Rites But we have Scripture Testimony of some Instances wherein they did so as in the matter of the Sabbath though they kept also the Lords Day and Circumcision and some other things And therefore it is likely that they did observe with them their other Fasts and Feasts especially that which was Accounted the Principal the Passeover For as they look'd upon these things as in their own Natures to be matters then indifferent so tbey did hope to draw off the Jews by degrees and to let the Law of Moses go off Honourably rather by Difuse then Contempt And this Practice continued for some time after the Conversion of divers of the Gentiles by the Disciples who were dispersed by the Persecution at Jerusalem And therefore I take that Plea of Polyerates for his different Observation of Easter from Victor Bishop of Rome to be a Testimony of the very early Conversion of those Asiatick Churches and that they were of the First fruits of Christianity But after that God by bestowing the Holy Ghost on the Gentiles and other clear Signes and Indications of his Will had Convinced all the Apostles and Ministers of the Word that it was not only lawful but their Duty to make known the Words of Eternal Life unto the Gentiles and the Gentiles upon their Preaching in all places did plentifully Flock into the Church then in those Gentile Churches Christian Liberty began in a greater Measure to be Maintained against the Mosaical Rites And now Paul who Circumcised Timothy refused to Circumcise Titus yea even the Council at Jerusalem disburthen of all those Matters except some few things which the Necessity of the Times would not permit them to take off unless they should have utterly disobliged the Jews of whom they had some Hopes And about this time it is probable began the strict Observation of the Lords Day with the Neglect of the Sabbath And the Celebrating the Resurrection not on the precise time of the Jewish Passeover but on the first day of the Week Called the Lords Day from his Resurrection on that day next following the Fourteenth of the Moon And yet though this was Allowed in the Gentiles yet in Communion with the Christian Jews a greater Regard was had to the Law And therefore when that great Assertor of the Gentiles Liberty St. Paul came up to Jerusalem though the Disciples Approved what he had done yet they Advise Him to go purifie himself in the Temple and do such other Matters that he might Appear according to the Opinion of the Jews to Walk orderly and keep the Law Acts 21. But when neither Pains Patience nor Arguments could prevail but the Jews became more obstinate then ever in Adhering to the Mosaical Rites and obtruded them upon all Others with the Opinion of such absolute Necessity that they became a Scandal to the Gospel and made the Death of Christ in vain and upon this Account were the Implacable Enemies of the Christians in all Places Then to Vindicate the Gospel the Christians were under a Necessity to depart from them And those who before Complyed all that could be with them now lest they should seem to Countenance the Opinion That
Salvation was by the Law of Moses not by the Faith of Christ Jesus Fled as far as they could from them and would not joyn with them in or Practise any of the Rites peculiar to the Law of Moses for the Matter was now come to that pass that they could not do it without betraying the Christian Religion so that now ceased the Obligation to these Matters which the Council at Jerusalem had formerly imposed in favour of the Jews and Hopes to Win them And hence it is probable many Churches tooâ— Occasion to turn the Great Festival of the Jews the Sabbath into a Fâ—â—t And for this Reason amongst Others viz. That they might not Ground their Festival from any Jewish Rite or because they thought the Account noâ— exact they declined the Fourteenth of the Moon and began that Feast on the Lords Day reckoning from the Fifteenth to the One and Twentieth of the Moon Now not to Run over the Stories of Simon Zelotes Joseph of Ariâ—â—athea and Others who are Celebrated for the first Planters of the Christian Religion in these Isles From these Premisses it is not irrational to Conclude that the British Churches observing the Feast of Easter after the Usage which obtained before the Separation from the Jews and the Roman Church more exactly as was devised afterwards the Gospel in all probability must have been Preached and Received in Brittain some time before any Considerable Church was Gathered at Rome And being this Usage continued for several Hundreds of Years though the Bishops of Rome were so far from suffering it in that they would scarce suffer it out of their Jurisdiction it will follow that these Churches were neither of Roman Conversion nor Roman Jurisdiction IX This Matter will be much clearer if we now descend to Consider the Debates Behaviour and Actions of the Brittish Bishops towards Augustine the Monk who was sent hither by Pope Gregory for the Conversion of the Saxons But first to prevent mistakes I must tell you that I have no design either to Vindicate the Brittish Bishops in the Observation of Easter or to condemn the Roman It Matters not to Me who was right or wrong but it is the Difference and the Grounds whereon it was Maintained which serves my Ends. The Britons were not Quartodecimani as some have supposed for those kept the Feast on the Fourteenth of the Moon on what day of the Week soever it fell but the Britons expected the Lords Day But I suppose none now will Contest it but that the Romans were most exact and right in their Observation but then that arose from this Nicety That the Law of Moses Commands the Paschal Lamb to be slain in the Evening of the Fourteenth day of the first Month Now according to the Jewish Account who Reckoned the foregoing Night to the following day that must be on the Beginning of the Fifteenth day But the Britons who Reckoned not from Sun-set but from Sun-rise and so on the contrary joyned the following Night to the foregoing day could not see this but must of course take the Evening following the Fourteenth Day to be part of the Fourteenth Day And therefore their Practice being suitable to their Common Conceptions And having obtained amongst them from their first Entrance into Christianity it was unreasonable that those who had no Jurisdiction over them should impose an Alteration upon them and still worse to raise irreconcileable fewds and make Divisions in Gods Church for such a matter As if a Man could not be a good Christian without being an exact Astronomer and Critically cunning in the Customes of other Nations X. But to Return to our Matter Mauritius according to Beda Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 23. came to the Empire in the Year 582 In the Tenth Year of his Reign Gregory came to the Popedom And he in the Fourteenth Year of the same Emperours Reign sends Augustine to the Saxons so that Aâ—gustines first Mâ—ssion was about the Year 596 But though he and his Companions seemâ—d to set forth with great Chearfulness and Resolution yet whether from the dread of a Warlike and barbarous People or from an Apprehension of their inability for the Work as not understanding the Language or what other Cause I know not After mature deliberation in Council they fairly tack about and Sail back again This much troubled the good Pope who by all Circumstances seems to have Set his Heart on this Work And he had the greater Reason for it because it was already half done to his Hands And therefore he gently Reproves those faint-hearted Souldiers but takes greater pains to encourage them And that they might want nothing to Fit them for the work he Sends and Recommends them to Etherius Archbishop of Arles who furnisheth them with Interpreters de Gente Erancorum Bed Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 24. 25. And now away they go for good and Land in the Isle of Thanet and perhaps there was no great difficulty in Converting King Ethelbert for it was now about 150 Years since the Coming in of the Saxons And though their Quarrel was with the Britons yet they could not in all that time but understand somewhat of the Christian Religion from them Besides Ethelberts Queen was a Christian and de Gente Erancorum Regiâ as Beda phraseth it And it was Conditioned at her Marriage That She should have the frâ—e Use of her Religion And the Condition was duely kept for whereas the King had his Court in Canterbury the Queen had for her Use the then Ancient Church of St. Martin standing at the Towns-End and her Bishop Lindhardus who Officiated And any Body will suppose That both She and her Bishop would do all they could to Influence and perswade the King Further Beda Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 25. saith expressly though somewhat mincingly That Antea fama ad eum Christianae Religionis pervenerat And Gregory the Great in one of his Letters saith They were desirous of it And whosoever shall duely Consider the whole Behaviour of King Ethelbert will find in him no Aversion to the Christian Religion but that like a wise Prince he only â—ook care so to manage the Matter that he might Receive it with the Satisfaction of his Subjects and draw them to it after him Well in a short time the King is Convertâ—d and Augustine becomes his Favourite And yet before this with the true Industry of a Monck he Lends the Honest Bishop Linhardus a Lift who had prepared Matters for him and by the Kings Favour gets Possession of St. Martins Church And here I know not well how to excuse Beda from Partiality For he saith as little as could be beâ—ore but henceforward not a word of the endeavors of the Queen or her Bishop nor a tittle of all the labor and pains of the French Intetpreters without whom this our English Apostle could have done nothing But Augustine like a true Son of the Râ—man Church goes away both with
all the Honour and all the profit And now being grown too great for a Monck he makes a Journey to Arles and by the Arch-bishop of that place at the Motion of Pope Gregory is Ordained no less then Archiepiscopus Genti Anglorum Bed Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 27. a pretty Fetch before New Converts understood themselves to secure the whole Authority of the Nation to a Roman Missionary and consequently to the Pope whoever should be afterwards at the pains to convert them However after his Return he seems to have Laboured in the business and after the Death of Pope Gregory which Beda Eccl. Hist lib. 2. cap 1. Refers to the Year 605 he obtains a Conference with the Brittish Bishops with a design to get their Assistance in converting the Saxons and withal to Advance Himself by drawing tâ—em under his Jurisdiction But whether in Hatred to the Saxons their Mortal and indeed unjust Enemies or through offence at Augustines Pride and taking too much upon him or in love to their old Customes which Augustine unseasonably would not allow the main Business miscarried and then first Arose the Paschal Controversie in Britain so that at first dash here Ariseth a Prescription of about 600 Yeares for the British Usage XI The Grounds whereon the Britons proceeded seem to be Chiefely these That they would not give up their Ancient Liberties and Customes nor depart from the Canons of the Church And here Beda shews himself little favourable to their Affaires as at other times he appears very ignorant in them for though he studiously Conceals Augustines Ambition yet the Britons Answers plainly discover it For their first Answer is this Non se posse absque suorum consensn ac Licentiâ Priscis abdicare Moribus And in the second Meeting or Synod their Answer is plainly this That they will not Receive Him for their Arch-bishop Bed Ecc. Hist lib. 2. cap. 2. But the Answer of the Abbot of Bangor shews the Reason why they neither could nor ought to do it and is so pat to the purpose that I shall set it down as Sir Henry Spelman hath Translated it from the Brittish Co. pag. 108. Be it known and without doubt unto you That we all are and every one of us Obedsent and Subjects to the Church of God and to the Pope of Rome and to every godly Christian and to love every One in his degree in perfect Charity and to keep every One of them by word and dâ—ed to be the Children of God And other Obedience than this I do not know due â—te Him whom you Name to be Pope nor to be the Father of Fathers to be Claimed and to be Demanded And this Obedience we are ready to give and to pay to him and to every Christian continually Besides we are under the Government of the Bishop of Kaerleon upon Uske who is to Oversee under God over us to Cause us to keep the Way Spiritual This Answer throughout savours the temper of the most early Primitive times and shews That the Afflictions of the Britons had kept their Churches from that Corruption and secular Pride which had then too much invaded Others And from it I will only observe three things First That with a tender Care to express their Communion with the Catholick Church and their duty to all Christians they own no other Obedience to the Bishop of Rome then as Christians they owe to any other Foreign Bishops and their Churches And so the Bishop of Rome owed as much to Them as they to Him Secondly That the Authority which Augustine demanded and the Power of any Foreign Bishop to place him over them was a thing utterly unknown and unheard of to them so little were they Acquainted with the Patriarchate which is now so Confidently Asserted Thirdly that they were so subject to the Arch-bishop of Caerleon That they did not think him subject to the Jurisdiction of any other particular Bishop whatsoever but that he was over them next under God And accordingly we never hear of any Appeals from him to any Superiour See But if any thing concerned them in Common or was too weighty for him it was Transacted Synodically And it is Observeable That though the Brittish Bishops and Clergy Flockt to this Synod with their main strength yet the Arch-bishop of Caerleon absented himself in all likelihood either in indignation at Augustines Claim or lest his Appearance should seem any ways in the least to Countenance that Superiority which he Challenged over him The Effects of this Synod were very unhappy for the Britons went away so Enraged at Augustines Pride and Pretences that they would not Afford the least Assistance towards the Conversion of the Saxons Nay when thâ—y were Converted it is Apparent That they looked on them as Schismaticks or worse and would have no Communion with them And in this untoward Humour they persisted even when the Saxon Kings had brought the Brittisb Kings under some kind of Subjection This is evident from Beda Ecc. Hist lib. 2. cap. 20. who telling us how Carduella King of the Britâ—ns Rebelled against Edwin then principal King of the Saxons and by the Help of Peâ—da King of the Mercians slew both Him and his only Son and utterly Routed his whole Army after he had bestowed some ill words on them both for their pains he has this Remarkable Passage concerning Carduella and the Britons Sed nec Religioni Christianae quae apud eos exorta erat aliquid impendâ—bat Honoris quippe cùm usque hodie Moris sit Britonum Fidem Reâ—igionémque Anglorum pro nihilo habere neque in aliquo â—is magis Communicare quà m Paganis So that hence it is plain That they continuâ—d the same not only after Augustines time but even to Beda's But to Return again to Augustine he being every way defeated of his purpose meditates Revenge and incenseth Ethelbert so highly That he stirs up Edilfrid King of the Northumbrians and they together made that lamentable Slaughter of the Moncks of Bangor which Beda and after him the Romanists as one Man Account as a Signal Jâ—dgement of God upon their Obstinacy But Others say it was a Contrivance and that God more Signally Vindicated their Innocence For three British Princes with their Mirmidons met them both whilest they were Reeking hot with the Blood of these Innocents and killed above ten Thousand of their Men sore Wounded Edilfrid and warmly pursued Ethelbert by which means their sinking Spirits were Recruited their Wrongs in some Measure Revenged and their Borders enlarged as far as the Humber Spel. Co. pag. 111. seq XII Hitherto the Britons preserved their Ecclesiastical Liberties entire though they had lost the best part of their Countâ—ey And neither Augustine's Reasons nor Ethelbert's Armies could prevail with them to give up those just Rights which they had been so long possessed of But when Augustine died Laurentius succeeds him a Man both pious and prudent and of a much sweeter temper
Coleman first to relate upon what Grounds he Relied The Summe of whose Answer is this That he had Received the Tradition from his Forefathers who had all unanimously observed it That herein they followed St. John the beloved Disciple of our Saviour and the Churches which he Governed And that they had also on their side the Authority of Anatolius Now considering how Eusebius relates Matters to have been long before Adjusted by Polycarp and Anicâ—tus viz. That Charity and Christian Communion being preserved each might follow the Ancient Customes of those whom they succeeded Any one would think this so fair a Plea that it might deserve both a Civil and a Satisfactory Answer Yet Wilfrid then but newly made a Priest with a Roman Modesty puts the Fool upon the Good Bishop Coleman and his whole Party His Answer is Related by Beda with all Advantage in which some things are true some false But it is Observeable That he never tells them of any Missionaries from Rome either to the Britons Irish Scots or Picts He never tells them that they had received the Faith by means of the Roman Church He never Charges them so much as with Ingratitude or to have fallen from what they had received Nay he doth not deny such a Tradition amongst them but impugnes it as a too early Tradition as more Ancient then he pretended to or ought to be followed And that they were ignorant of what was established-in the Church after the Separation from the Jews And herein lies the main strength of his Plea But of all things insisted on by Welfrid nothing was so luckily urged as that St. Peter had the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven For the King in no small fear that he might be lock'd out if he displeased the Porter presently gives the matter on Wilfrids side But all this nothing moved Coleman who chose rather to abandon his Bishoprick then forsake his Ancient Customes and seem to betray the Rights of those Churches and Bishops who had Ordained and sent him thither And accordingly he Retires into his own Countrey with many others who were of the same Persuasion And no doubt but Wilfrid and the Romanists were well pleased that they had all to themselves XV. These Considerations amongst Others do with Me not a little shake the Credit of those Stories that tesâ— us how Phaganus and Deruvianus or by what other Names they are Called for they have not less then Twenty between them were sent by Pope Eleutherius to King Lucius Palladius and St. Patrick by Celestine to the Irish or of any other Persons pretended to be sent before Augustines time I do not deny but that there were such Persons who were famous in their Generation and did eminent Service in the Church of God But the Assertions of all our Moncks and as many more will not half perswade Me that these Men were Roman Missionaries For who can believe That these Men should come with Instructions from Rome and yet every one of them should Agree to Establish such Rites as were not only different from the Church of Rome but such as the Bishops of Rome were particular Enemies to If any Man say that these Rites in opposition to each other had not clearly obtained even in Rome it self so early so far as Relates to Easter that early Contest between Polycarp and Anicetus confutes it But if it be said that though such Usages were setled at Rome yet they were not averse but that Others might be Taught and Practised in other Countreys then that bâ—stle which Victor made over all the Christian World will not suffer us to believe this But that those very Men who were sent by the Popes to Convert the Britons should Establish those Rites and Usages which they knew he would never endure is such a Riddle as wants a better Oedipus then Me to unfold it And it is somewhat strange that in all the Contests-between Augustine and his Followers with the Britons and Irish not one of these Men should be Objected to the British Irish or Scots that they should never be Check'd with Ingratitude to his Holiness that it should never be said that they had been taught otherwise and were fallen from their first Principles and Converters It is very Rare that the Romanists forget themselves so much or are meal-Mouth'd in such Cases And therefore it is not unlikely that the Pope in process of time becoming the bold Man who Challenged the Command over all the Moncks of after-times oweing their Privileges and unjust Exemptions from their Bishops to him in Requital made him that busie active Man who had ever done all And therefore when they heard or read of any People Converted by any Person imagining that he must have Authority from the Roman See they without scruple plainly Asserted that he was sent thence And their Fictions must now pass for Historical Testimonies And then as to the Persons pretended to be sent Deruvianus though Trim'd for Sound sake and set off with a Latine Termination carries the plain Marks of a Brittish Name and some write him Dwywan which the Criticks may if they can make Latin at their leisure If it were lawful to Guess in this Case I should think his Name was Durwan The like might be said concerning Phaganus but I pass it by But then after the Conversion of Lucius hâ—w these Men should so readily find their way in Insulam Avalâ—â—iâ— Glassenbury where had been a Retreat for the Religious ever since the Gospel had been Preached in this Isle is somewhat strange Perhaps it was by Miracle but it seems more probable that upon Encouragement they came forth or were sent from their Monastery and having Accomplished their Work either for Reasons to us unknown or as a thing usual in those times retired thither again As for Palladius from whence soever he came it is certain he died too soon to effect any thing Considerable And for St Patrak though there is no smaâ—l striving for him yet the best Reasons Conclude him a Bâ—iton And though some sell him to the Irish some to the Britâ—â—s yet it is most likely that he was Conveyed away young to the Irish like Joseph into Egypt where in his Affliction learning their Language he was the better Fitted for that great Work to which God had designed him These Men all left the Brittish Rites in force and made further Emprovemâ—nts upon the Stock of Chriâ—â—ianity formâ—â—ly plâ—nted in this Island which things considering also that they all along Câ—aimed to derive from St. John are a strong Evidence That this Illand was both of Early and Eastern Conversion And perhaps that may be some Reaâ—on that there are so many Greek words in the Brittish Tongue and in the same Signification in both Languages it being very likely that they might receive them from those who first Converted Then to Christianâ—ty XVI This Digression will not casily be pardoned by some And yet I shall Adventure to follow
it with another for it were manifest Injustice to the Gallican Churches to pass by that Christian Prudence and Moderation which they steadily used during all their Heats and Controversies between the Romanistt on the one part and the Britons Scots and Irisb on the other for as if Irenaeus had left a double Portion of his Spirit among them they did not think themselves bound to break Communion with any for these Matters but did all they could to promote the Common Cause Those of the Roman Way were frequently Ordained by them and indeed without their Help and Assistance at every Turn they seem to have been able to do little or nothing in the Conversion of the Saxons and yet at the same time they shew the same kindness both to the Britons and Irisb Friendly receiving their Bishops Communicating with them and if Occasion required readily Ordaining for them But between the Gallican and Brittish â—hurches there seems to have been a more inward kindness and more close Communion then ordinary And they seem to have depended more upon the mutual Succours of each other then any other Churches Hence we find the Britons Assisting in the Gallican Councils And when the Pelagian Heresie grew too strong for them in Britain they presently have Recourse to the Gallican Churches and receive Succours thence A Gallicanis Antistitibus auxilium Belli spiritalis inquirant saith Beda Ecc. Hist lib. 1. cap. 17. And whereas Pope Gregory in his Letter to Queen Brunechild seems covertly to upbraid both French and Britons for not preaching the Gospel to the Saxons Who he saith were desirous to receive it so that Augustine had no such hard Work of it I know not what better Reason can be given for the Slackness of the French in this Case who were then a Flourishing Church and well stored with Men of Learning Piety and Zeal then their Resentment of that barbarous Usage which their Old Friends the Britons had received from the Saxons I wiâ—l not Heap up more Instâ—nces in this matter but tâ—at which will make it no impertinent Digression is this That the Britons were so inveterate against all Pretences of Roman Authority that they would not so much as â—ommunicate with them aâ—d yet at the same time the Gallican Churches held Communion with the Britons as Orthodox Now had the Roman Patriarchate then either by Council â— Custom extended over these Isles the Galâ—â—can Bishops for this constant Practice wâ—ulâ— have been Condemned as Schismaticks or at least as Schismaticis favente adhaerentes Bâ—t no such mâ—tâ—er was ever Attempted and â—owever 〈◊〉 Stories have since involved things in darkness yet it seems the Matter was than too plâ—in to be denied Noâ— was the Bishop of Rome then got to that Height as to deal with â—ll Churches as he Listed so that here we have the Testimony of a Neighbor Church who were then well Acquainted with the Bâ—itish Affaiâ—s and none of the meanest Churches in the Christian World for the Liberties of the British Churches for betwixt Six and Seven Hundred Yeares XVII But now to return where I left off The Contest with Wilfrid seems to have preduced a Separation and both Parties continued Resolutely in their own way even unto Beda's days who Flourished in the Eighth Century 'T is true they got some little Ground on the Irish and Scots but that â—ery slowly and not without great difficulty as may appear from Beda's Narrative of the Travel and pains of Adamnanus Ecc. Hist lib. cap. 16. But as for the Britons though oppressed on all Hands with their Enemies they not only Asserted but Enjoyed their Ecclesiastical Liberties and by Beda's own Confession even in his time would no more Communicate with the Saxons then with Pagans This Prescription is sufficient to secure the Right of their Liberties from the Popes pretence as Patriarch as I shall presently â—ake appear But yet they lived in possession of these Liberties several Generations after as may Appear from that known Testimony of Giraldus Camâ—rensis Episcopi Walliae à Menevensi Antistite sunt Consecrati ipse similiter ab 〈◊〉 tanquam Suffraganeis est Constitutus nuliâ penitus alii Ecclesiae factâ Professione 〈◊〉 Subjectione i. e. The Bishops of Wales are Consecrated by the Bishop of â—enevia al. St. Davids the prime See and he likewise is Constituted by the other Bishops his Suffragans without any manner of Account Given or Subjection made to any other Church And here by the way take Notice That the Britons kept close to the true and most early Antiquity in paying a jâ—st deference to him who was Episcopus primae Sedis without using the Names of Metripolitan or Arch-bishop which were termes of later date XVIII I was never an Admirer of Personal Quarrels and therefore was â—ever fond of heing engaged against particular Persons But that Arch-Traytor to his Countrey F. Parsons hath made such a Blunder and Bustle in this Matter that it may seem needful to return a particular Answer to some things alledged by him If scurrilous Language and Impudence be necessary Properties in an accurate Lyar scarce any Man was ever better Accomâ—lished Only one Qualification he wanted without which all the Learned â—ave thought a Man can never dextrously Manage that Trade for either he â—ad a very frail Memory or else thought all other Men to be very shortighted and would swallow down all his Assertions without any Examiâ—ation If a Conjecture of any Protestant fall in his Way whether of any moment or not he Teazeth it with all his might and cunning and yet the preatest part of his Proofs are meerly Conjectural and often very â—roundless He is highly Offended with Sir Francis Hastsngs for saying That the fâ—â—st Teachers of Christian Faith in Britain were rather Greâ—ians and of the East Church in Asiâ— then of the West Roman Church And for this he peâ—emptâ—rily says That there is no Author at all 3 Conver. cap 1. seâ— 4. I will not insist on it that they were Grecians they might be of the Jewish Nation But with F. Parsons good leave even the Remans themselves owe their Conversion to the Easterling either Jews or Grecians for they were bâ—fore them in Christianity And considering the early Conversion of the Britons it could come from none other unless Travelling thorough the Western Parts of the World made them of the Western Church and no other And if he were living I would desire him to tell me what Countreymen Sâ—mon Zelotes and Joseph of Arimaâ—hea were whom he himself makes great â—nstruments of our Conversion Besides the Feast of Easter was then Celebrated uncertainly and the Controversie not risen and not determined till long after And it is an Argument that we were not under the Authority of the Bishop of Rome because these Isles did not submit to their Determination But afterwards cap. 3. sect 7. forgetting himself he Acknowledgeth That Coleman Alledgâ—d a Tradition from St. John and Anatolius So
all these Supereminent dignities whereby one Bishop was raised above another were Erected either for he better Management of Affaires in the Roman Empire or for the Grandeur of it Or else sprang up by degrees for the benefit of those Cities which were of greatest Power and Interest in which thing Rome had the most advantage as being the Imperial City and giving Denomination to the whole Empire But now that Empire being broken and Resolved into several absolute and independent Principalities other Measures ought to be taken and for the same Reason that such Authority was set up it ought now to be taken down or Restrained And the Limits of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Confined within the Extent of the Civil Power and Exercised for its Ease Safety and Benefit And it seems to Me to be a Matter not to be despised that though the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament were written under the Government of the Roman Empire and in the time of its greatest Height and Glory yet the word Emperour so far as I can Call to mind is no where to be found there Indeed there is a Precept Relating to Caesar by Reason of a particular Question which determined it to that Name and the word Augustus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Answers it are Historically mentioned But these what use soever After-times made of them were then Gentilitial or Honourary Titles But the Name Emperour was that by which they then Ruled and which Held all along whatever other Titles or Distinctions were devised And that I think is no where to be found in the New Testament at least not in that sense Perhaps the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which mostly Answers it was thought too presumptuous However it is the Security the New Testament gives them is only by Commanding Obedience to the Higher Powers or in the like Phrases never mentioning their distinct Title But though the Name of Kings was odious to the Romans yet most of the Evangelical Precepts which Require Obedience to the Civil Power expressly direct it to Kings so that they seem to be given not only with a Spirit of Prophesie that that great unweldy Body should fall in pieces and be divided into several Kingdomes but also with a special design to secure and oblige all Christians to Obedience and Submission to such Kings And if we further consider that our Blessed Saviour hath told us That his Kingdom is not of this World And that the Christian Religion teacheth Self denial and Renunciation of the World and Requires all Christians especially the Governours of the Church to be of a most Humble peaceable and exemplary Behaviour This kind of Proceedings in its Covernment will seem most agreeable and natural to it For the Business of Church-Governours is to promote the Interest and Power of the Gospel not pertinaciously to strive for Jurisdiction to its prejudice and dishonour If each Changes happen in Mundane Affairs that by Alteration of the Bounds of Temporal Principalitieâ— one Bishop gain and another lose yet the Church of God loseth nothing but hereby gains its Peace and a good opinion amongst the Princes of the Earth And Church-Governours have the greater freedom and more Advantage to do good But the insisting upon Jurisdiction in another Christian Princes Dominion is to take his Subjects from him It ever causeth Disturbances Creates Jealousies in Princes and makes them think those who should be the best Christians to be the worst Subjects And for that cause to have the meaner opinion of Religion it self It would therefore certainly be best with the Church of God and most conduce to its happy Government if this Rule were observed in all Christian Kingdoms that the Jurisdictions of Bishops should Comply with and Conform to the Divisions Boundaries of the Civil Power This was the true primitive Practice and this the Bishops have ever been inclinable to when they have been able to withstand that everlasting Encroacher the Bishop of Rome Of which take this one Instance Immediately after the Synod at Constantinople against Photius a Controversie arose to whose Diocess the Bulgarians then newly Converted to the Faith should belong The Bishop of Rome who never lost any thing for want of demanding it made strong Claim by his Legats Upon this Account there Meets before the Emperour in his Palace Ignatius Patriarch of Constantinople then newly Restored the Vicars of the Eastern Patriarchs i. e. of Alexandria Antioch and Jerusalem the Legats of the Bishop of Rome and the Legats of the Bulgarians But upon debate in spite of all the Endeavours of the Roman Legats it is unanimously given to the Constantinopolitan and such a Reason along with it as might have satisfied any Persons except Messengers from Rome who are never to be satisfied with any thing but with what shall be acceptable to their Masters insatiable Covetousness and boundless Ambition For their joynt Answer is this Satis indecens est ut Vos qui Graecorum Imperium detrectantes Francorum faderibus inhaeretis in regno nostri Principis ordinando jura servetis So that though no sort of Men were more given to Encroachments then the Patriarchs yet of Five and those if I mistake not all that were then in being we have sour to one who are for the old Rule That Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction should be Suited to the Limits of the Civil Power XXXIII What hath been said upon Supposition of the Patriarchship extended over these Isles hath been Argued purely ex Abundanti For having before proved that it did not extend to them we could not be bound to submit to it And though the Pope did by degrees thrust in and possess himself of a Jurisdiction here for a long time yet from the foregoing Arguments it will Appear that he was only Possessor Malae Fidei whom neither the Ecclesiastick nor Civil Laws will suffer by any length of time to prescribe And therefore he was Canonically thrust ouâ— again Hence it follows That the Churches of these Isles are Accountable to no other Church or Church-man as Superiour but remain only in the dependance of Co-ordinate or Sister-Churches to all Others who all are mutually bound to each other what in them lies to uphold Communion and Acquit themselves of doing any thing that may be detrimental or injurious to the whole But for the Matter of Government Order Reforming Abuses and the like the Power is in themselves Others may Advise but cannot Controul unless the Universal Church of God oâ— damnifiâ—d by their Actions And thus having found our Churches invested with a power of Governing and Reforming themselves We now have only to enquire how it hath been made use of which directly leads Me to the Actual Separation and Reformation XXXIV If any Man will set Himself to Examine a great Action which involves variety of Matter is Carried on thorough Multitudes of difficulties Managed by divers Hands and necessarily requires no small time for its Accomplishment And then expects