affection to a Party perverted his judgment I shall now put an end to this long Letter by a few reflections on these matters 1. I could heartily wish Mr. K. and all that approve these passages in his Book to consider seriously Whether they are acted by true Christian charity and love whilst they deny so many Christian Churches in these Kingdoms living under the Pastoral care of Orthodox and pious Ministers never justly silenc'd to be any part of the Catholick Church and that upon such Principles as pass the same hard censure on all the Reformed Churches that were set up as separate from Popish National Churches To unchurch true Churches is the most opposite to that love which is the life of Christian Unity and is the highest degree of Schism How much more to unchurch so many and those so eminent for the purity of Faith Worship and Practice nay for their charity too towards those parts of the Catholick Church that are less pure than themselves I should heartily rejoyce if any one could shew me any Churches on this earth wherein there is a more pure peaceable and credible profession of Christianity made as to its integrals as well as essentials than in those Reformed Churches abroad and those at home which I have here been obliged to defend from the Assault of a Protestant Divine I am farr from denying our Parish Churches to be true parts of the Catholick Church and I hope all that account themselves oblig'd on the reasons suggested in this Paper to frequent other Christian Societies do esteem them as such and own all the credible profession of Religion made among them Tho there are many things wherein they cou'd desire them reform'd especially they cou'd wish them that liberty of consenting to their own Pastors which was the general practice of the Catholick Church in its purest Ages and was confirm'd by the judgment of so many Councils See Mr. Baxters Church History passim and his Answ to Dr. Stillingfl p. 128 129 c and Blondel de jure plebis c. And they would be glad to see some tolerable exercise of that true and godly discipline which the Common-prayer book acknowledges was practic'd in the primitive Church and the restoration whereof it saith is much to be wished But the mischief is tho they have a profest assent and consent to this 't is only to wish it for they have sworn to endeavour no alteration how desirable soever 2 I wou'd hope that long experience will convince us all of the necessity of more large and comprehensive terms of Christian Concord as farr as that is to be expected or attain'd on earth I hope the Churches unity will no more be lay'd by Protestants on such humane Canons as are not only unnecessary but contrary to the Churches interest and edification Nor the breach of such a sinful unity be branded as Schism and Church-Rebellion Mr. Hales of Eaton and Dr. Stillingfleet once were of another mind and lay'd the charge of Schism in all such cases at the right Door viz. the Imposers 3. Tho I can expect no perfect cure of our divisions unless the Churches in these Nations were cemented on a more wide and Catholick foundation I mean not the schismatical terms of the Roman Church Yet I wou'd humbly propose it to the Consideration both of the sober charitable Conformists and Nonconformists whether something may not be done to promote some considerable degrees of Concord even while the differences of our judgment and practice do remain May they not publickly declare they own each others Assemblies for true Christian Churches May not their members to testifie a true Catholick charity maintain occasional Communion shou'd it not be own'd scismatical on either hand to confine that part of Christ's Catholick Church which is in these Kingdoms to either party May not the Pastors own each other for true Ministers of the Gospel and Pastors to such as consent to their Pastoral relation I speak of such as want not the necessâ—â—y qualifications May they not rejoyce in the success of each others labours for promoting that common Interest of Christianity wherein both â—re agreed For sure that ought to be infinitely dearer to us then the narrow Interest of a party or the Interest of more dubious Opinions aâ—d modes of Worship May they not concur to promote each others just esteem and reputation in order to the success of their labours May they not maintain a more amicable correspondence in order to a nearer union of their affections and if possible of their judgment and practice too May they not forbear unjust Caâ—umnies and reviling language to render each other odious May they not love and honour in each other whatever there appears of the Image of their Lord and Master his gifts and graces May they not both joyn in the defence of the Reformed Religion upon the common principles wherein the Protestant Churches agreed And would not so much of mutual affection and concord tend more to credit true Religion and strengthen its real Interest then the contrary uncharitable narrow and irreconcileable Temper I doubt not but the truly moderate on both sides are acted by this truly Catholick and Christian Temper And it wou'd be a comfortable presage to these Churches to see this temper more generally diffus'd and prevalent among us But for those that will still fancy Christ has every where committed the government of his church to Diocesan Prelates and by catholick Vnity mean a subjection to all their cannons and censures and make all disobedience to their commands when contrary to the commands of Christ Schism and Church Rebellion They may long talk of Catholick Unity and Peace But they are next to the Papists the most dangerous enemies of it For they have too deep a tincture of their humour who make a mighty noise about Vnity but when we come to enquire where it lies They mean a subjection to a certain Gentleman that dwells at Rome or at best to that Clergy who adhere to him in all the corruptions of Christian Doctrine worship and Practice Lastly I wou'd advise all of Mr. K's mind to consider well the Catholick principles suggested in this paper in opposition to his schismatâ—cal ones to the case of a popish convocation in Eng. or Irel. shou'd such a convocation suspend him from preaching his protestant doctrine administring prot sacraments as D. M. calls them and he go on to do it By his own Notions he wou'd be a schismatick and Church-Rebel by mine a faithful pastor to his Flock and a Loyal subject of Jesus Christ And therefore whether his principles or mine be more honest more agreeable to the holy Scriptures more serviceable to advance the Authority and Interest of Christ more conducive to the welfare of Souls I leave to his own conscience to determine on second thoughts And doubt not but most of his own Brethren will acknowledge mine to be so I cannot but reflect on
the sole power of Church-Government in a Nation and exercise it against the will of Christ to the nâ—torious detriment of souls as by unjust silencing of faithful Pastors when their labours are highly conducive to the Churches good by imposing on the people sinful conditions of church-Church-communion by obtruding unqualifi'd Pastors on the people against their consent c. To separate from such Bishops so far as to disobey these unjust commands is no separation from our lawful Governors and is no more a Rebellâ—on in the Church than 't is a Rebellion in the State to disobey one that usurps a Power he never receiv'd from the King and which he exercises against the laws and interest of the Kingdom And therefore I would propose these two Questions to Mr. K. in reference to this Head. Q. 1. On supposition the Presbyt's and Indep's have made an unjust separation from their lawful Governors whom they should have submâ—tted to Whether â—his be such a crime as will exclude them from being Catholiâ—k members of the Church To resolve that We must consider the nature of their separation Their Ministers separate from the Bishops i. e. they are not willing to obey them in what they account a sinful and dangerous usurpation viz. the assuming the sole power of Church-Government and depriving the Pastors of particular Churches of an essential part of their Office and suspending them unjustly Their people separate from the Parish-Ministers but 't is not by disowning them as no true Ministers but by refusing to receive them as theirs because they judge they have a right to choose a Physician for their Souls as well as for their Bodies and therefore think not themselves bound to acquiesce in the Patrons or Bishops choice when contrary to their own edification especially when there are terms of parish-Parish-communion impos'd to some unlawful to others greatly suspected and all true Church-discipline is cast out or neglected They separate not from the conforming Churches as no true Churches but as preferring the ordinary communion of purer because they judge the laws about Parish-order do not oblige when injurious to the interest of Religion and Souls Now suppose them mistaken in these matters through the weakness of their judgment will this sort of separation make them cease to be Catholick membeâ—s of the Church 'T is not a separation from any thing Christ has made necessary to the unity of his Church 't is only a separation from some humane order which they dare not comply with because they apprehend it contrary to the laws of Christ And is this to be compar'd to a Rebellion in the State as he is pleas'd to do p. 6. Is the convocation Christ or their Canons equally obligatory as his laws or do those that disobey the Canons of the Convocation because they judge them opposite to the laws of Christ renounce their Allegiance to him as the Head of his Church Are their Canons even about things they call indifferent as necessary to be obey'd as the undoubted Rules of the Gospel by all that wou'd be Catholick members of the Church when those that are requir'd to obey them fear the things commanded are unlawful When I read such expressions as this about Church-Rebellion I cannot but lament the effects of humane ignorance and pride and observe in such as Mr. K. some degrees of that spirit that has acted Papal Councils who made no scruple of treating all that would not pay them a blind obedience with such characters as these And I know no better way to convince Mr. K. of the folly of this Principle I am opposing than by shewing him how pernicious the consequences of it are to his own Party For if this sort of Schism which he supposes the Dissenters guilty of prove them to be no Catholick members of the Church then sure more heinous Schism will prove those to be in the same condition who are guiâ—ty of it Greater Schism is more opposite to Catholick Vnity than lesser But the Prelates are guilty of more heinous Schism than this of the Dissenters supposing it to be Schism and consequently if Mr. K's principle be true are no Catholick members of the Church That the Prelates are guiâ—ty of more heinous Schism I offer this Argument to evince Those who impose unnecessary and and doubtful terms of Church-Communâ—on nay who declare many thousands of true Christians ipso facto excommunicated are greater Schismaticks than those who only scruple those terms tho through mistake and who unchâ—rch not those Churches which they are thus forc'd to separate from For the Schism of the Imposers is more voluntary and curable by forbearing to prescribe such terms of Communion as are more likely to prove engines of Division The Schism of the Refusers is more involuntary and in doubtful cases often incurable And 't is more opposite to Christian Love to excommunicate thousands of sincere Christians than 't is to prefer those Churches which we upon the best enquiry judge more pure before those that seem more corrupt without unchurching them even tho in so doing we should be guilty of some breach of the Churches peace by vâ—olating a tolerable humane order So that all Mr. K. will gain by excluding Dissenters from the Catholick Church on the account of their Schism will be That by the same reason our Convocation were no Catholick members of it and if so I am sure they are no lawful Governors in it For what I have here asserted that the Convocation have excommunicated thousands of sincere Christians and that ipso facto I appeal to their Canons and to the consciences of any that peruse them and know the Nonconformists in these Kingdoms few whereof are not by some of these Canons ipso facto excommunicated See Mr. Baxter's English Schismatick detected who from p. 42. to the 50th recites the particular Canons Nay if all that are guilty of equal Schism with that of the Dissenters supposing them guilty be no Catholick members of the Church I fear there are few such in the World. Sure the Schism of the Papists is of a more monstrous nature who unchurch aâ—l the Churches on earth besides themselves And the Greeks pay them in the same coyn And if other of the Eastern Churches do not unchurch one another they have lost their old wont What dreadful work Councils have made in hereticating and unchurching one another upon very unjustifiable grounds fills up both pages in Church-History And as such were more heinous Schismaticks than those that are guilty only of passive separation i. e. separation occasion'd by mens scrupling the lawfulness of some humane Canons so according to this notion they were no Catholick members of the Church And at this senseless rate we may soon reduce the Catholick Church to a small compass And what would become even of the Christian World if the compassions of our blessed Lord were as narrow as the charity of such censorious Christians The 2d Quest I wou'd propose to
Vindiciae Calvinisticae OR SOME IMPARTIAL REFLECTIONS ON THE DEAN of LONDONDEREYS CONSIDERATIONS That Obliged him to come over to the Communion OF THE Church of Rome AND Mr. Chancellor KING's Answer thereto IN WHICH He no less Unjustly than Impertinently Reflects on the Protestant Dissenters In a Letter to a Friend By W.B. D.D. 3 Ep. Joh. 9 10. But Diotrephes who loveth to have the Preeminence among them receives us not Neither doth he himsâ—lf receive the Brethren and forbiddeth them that would and casteth them out of the Church DVBLIN Printed by A. Crook and S. Helsham Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty on Ormond-Key and sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster 1688. TO THE READER THOV wilt find the worthy Author of this ensuing Tract opposing two persons of a very different Character M M. whose scruâ—les are so mean and so often answered that as they could have little influence in his Change so they deserved no new Consideration The most material of his Questions may be reduced to this Being that the Church of Rome by her usurping shifts propagated her Apostacy to her neighbour Churches how can any of those belong to the Catholick Church if they ceas that Apostacy and regain their former state The answer is easie unl sâ— infection do for ever subject a Church to that Church which infected it Can any man doubt whether the British Churches had equal authority to reform themselves for Christ's sake as they had to admit these corruptions for the Popes sake The other Person is M K who hath needlesly yea to the apparent dammage of his cause bitterly censured the whole body af Nonconformists Whether his novel notions or the unseasonable publication of matters of debates among us be most culpable it 's hard determining The sad consequences were so obvious that great importunity fail'd to encline my undertaking our vindication though the charge against us is great and the proof attempted from mistaken principles But seeing the Author with others judged a reply needful and represented our silence as turned to our reproach I am perswaded to preface the ensuing Book wherin thou wilt find both evidence and candor I shall only hint at what the Book is concerned in and insist on some Criminations the Author overlooks Mr K's excluding us from the Catholick Church can harm us little when he gives us a discription of this Church so entirely Popish and opposite to the joynt testimony of Protestants S. 68 of the Church in a controversy betwixt the Romanists and us The Articles of the Church of Ireland define the Catholick Church in the Creed 4. Bell de Eccl milit lib 3 Cap 2. to be the invisible body of Elected Saints in heaven and earth But all of M K ' s. description is Bellarmines own who strangely confounds a particular Church with the Catholick Church visible out of which particular Churches are formed unless you admit Infidels for Members and into which they are resolved unlâ—ss they cease to be Catholick Members when their Pastors dy or remove Wheras M K. might have known that the Catholick visible Church as entitive is made up of professing Christians and particular Churches are but secondary members of this body as Organical by Aggregation But the Dissenters will deny his charge by further proving that they are subjects to their lawfull Pastors that such are not their Pastors whom he chargeth them with separation from And they can justify their Seperation to be a duty and so no bar to their Catholick priviledg if they had some times been subject to such Yea it 's manifest the Church of England account us within the Pale of the Church by her calling us Brethren departed in the Faith when dead and too oft Excommunicating us when alive His charge of Ecclesiastical Rebellion cannot yet affect us when we think that we justly deny the Convocation to be a fit Representative of all the Pastors in England and not a supreme power over all our Churches yea and suspect a definition of the Catholick Church by such regent Officers as what favours the Vniversal Headship and may well end in the Pope as principium unitatis His positiveness in our duty to be silent when suspended without regard to justice of the ground of it imports he hath forgotten that Casuists generally determin that an unjust sentence bindes not before God or the Church and that Pastors power in the church is not of the same extent as a Kings in the State but under the limits of many more instituted laws But these matters being debated in the book I proceed M K 's Sarcasm against our cant from M M ' s. allusion to a plain scripture p. 13 may call him to suspect what spirit himself is of Luke 9 55. and others of his sort who redicule scripture passages though used in the sence of the spirit that inspired the writers of the scriptures and condemn in us those principles which were the common sence of Protestant Bishops but yet these must be the only Protestant Successors because they keep up the ceremonies tho they despise many important doctrines which they more vallued themselves by Reader thou maist wonder how M K. that affirmeth no ministers may reform no nor preach against the Establisht Church can publish these thoughts of his so repugnant to the sence of the Church and undertake to reform the very Catholick Church by a definition of it so opposite to that his Church hath published He Reproacheth us with the favours we new recieve from men of M M 's perswasion M K. P 39. Reply We thankfully own the Kings Favours without ungrateful enquiries into the grounds of it nor yet doubting but we shall take care not to forfeit what he thinks meet to grant But why should you that dislike an Inquisition grudg us a little ease I believe you are not for blaming the Magistrate when the Rods and Axes are disused Are not the miseries great enough which we have endured at your hands for refusing to sin in doing things which you had nothing but the bare authority of the imposer to plead for But I heartily wish all our hardships so forgoten by us as that they neither abate charity nor prevent union on Christian Catholick terms I confess it 's no small amazement to hear the Prelatists reflect on the present liberty of Dissenters Are we blameable for meeting now we do it with safty when we suffered so much rather than forbear it Can they that have refused Preferments endured prisons reproach and loss of estates for their principles be suspected apt to renounce or betray them for a smile How can these men that t' other day resolved all law into the Kings meer will now brand our meetings as unlawful But this will convince the world that that party will allways Skrew up the point of Loyalty whose Interest the Government pâ—omotes and yet may challenge their own sentiments when the Throne is
less auspicious Finally why will these persons thus clamor as if they bewailed they had lost an opportunity to inflict the same evils by the interposal of a power we might well have expected less kindness from Have we any thing but immunity from punishment Do we enjoy your preferments or places Is it no favour you reap whilst you enjoy your Revenues and publick opportunities of service you will esteem it so and more pitty others if ever you come to endure the penury hazard and contempt of other faithful Ministers which tho I suggest in order to a more sober judgment yet I desire never to behold M K p 72. Reply M K. Brands us as friends to the Popish Party Through the weakness of the Clergy this silly reproach is propagated among the people the faâ—shood wherof time may discover more than a present flash of heat for low interests can do But whâ—rin â—yeth this friendship unless thâ—t you will not suffer us to be friends with you and therfore you conclude we must needs be one with them â— heartily wish all could acquit themselves of culpabâ—e friendship with them as we can I am sure we agree not in principles with them in any thing wâ—erin we differ from you and we blame you for nothing but wherin you agree with them Let us reform your Church and We promise we wi l remove nothing but what is Popish Let them reform your Church and I 'le engage they 'l take away nothing but what is Presbyterian Do you condemn us for any thing but that which Popery would relieve us in is it we that bow to the East and to the Altar do we use vain pageantry in Consecrating of Churches and utensiâ—s baptiseing them with saints names Do we frisk from place to place in reading our Service use the sign of the Cross kneel at the Sacrament which never obtained in the Church before Transubstantiation Have we Absolution of sins to the uncensured Is private Communion our manner Have we Organs Singing-boys unscriptural Confirmation preaching Deacons Reading over the Dead Holy days Surpluses Responsa's and twenty more appendants to worship The Romish Church hath all these wheras we worship God without all this stuff added to Gospel institutions and are content with that that for decency the contrary wherto is indecent by natural light or common usage Further whether most countenanceth the universal Headship your Diocessans or our plain Presbyter Have we Deans and Chapters Chancellors of Bishops-Courts the prime managers of Discipline Pluralities c. What common interest can we have with them unless as subjects to the same King how little some of the N. Conformists befriended their interest these very men lately reproacht us with and its Christian and Generous in his Majesty to overlook Few considering men will think that we who have endured so much under you for dislike to the remains of Popery will espouse that Church Form where we must meet with all your fauâ—t and much greater Nor is it probable we should do any thing unbecoming sinceer and discerning Protestants though we profess due Loyalty both from Conscience and from Grateful Resentments What then can be the matter that whiles the Hind commends you as next of kin your worship practices Costitutions yea Doctrines of late do so exceed in Harmony with the Popish party abovâ— Us while Mr M. tells you their Flowers are your ornament yea the world knoweth they love most of you your wayes better than us and many of your own proclaim they would be Papists rather than Presbyterians that yet we must sti l in taâ—k Sermons and Print have this character of great friendship fastned on us It seemeth to have its rise from this you had cast us out of all places and possessed them your selves whereby you apprehend us now less envied and so less exposed to the first attack of Covetousness or ambition in your rivals But is it fair in you first to set us below envy and then fret that we are not made a sacrifice to preserve your grandure I shall conclude these remarks I have made on M. K's unseasonable provocations with my hearty prayers to God that he would discover to the Church of England and to us whatever our mistakes have been that by his present dealings he would dispose us to true repentance for our foolish as well as sinful heats and our valuing any interest above Christs and that he would give all a more truly Catholick spirit which will be found the serviceable as well as Christian temper and is so needful to revive the bleeding interest of Religion among us That I may contribute my mite to this and the peace which would result therefrom permit me to hint 1. The terms imposed on the Nonconformists were amazingly severe and certain to make the number of the scrupulous considerable No Church under heaven except the popish ever imposed assent and Consent to so many disputable things We must solemnly assent to many Doctrines we cannot own and to many practices which we always scrupled and much more their revival after they were once removed We must be reordained we must solemnly declare the covenant bound no man when as a vow it must bind to all that was lawful in it and we know some who were sui juris when they took it we must swear never to endeavour alteration in the Church as established whereas it owns in its preface to the curses in the liturgy that its Discipline is defective and we believe the same of many other things to say nothing of the many disorders apparent in it The Presbyterians on the Kings return proposed to use the Liturgy with some amendments and to submit to the Model of Episcopacy drawen up by the peaceable Bishop Vsher but availed not 2. The Consequences of the divisions produced by these severe terms have been dismal How much of mens Ministry hath been wasted on these matters which might have been employed to more edifying purposes the prophane have had an engine to exert their inbred emnity against the serious Was it not come to that pass that one was jeered as a Phanatick if he dared not to be prophane Yea under the shaddow of zeal against Nonconformists men became light in their gravest employs Heterodox in their notions and too many did ridicule all Religion in the most probable evidences of it as Cant and Hypocrisy What need I enlarge any more Were the things contended for by the imposer valuable so as to countervail the least of these mischiefs 3. It is necessary for Church and State that the union of Ministers and communion of Sts. be provided for on more comprehensive terms All our study and prayers back'd with sore hardships have not nor ever can bring us to comply with these the Churches strongest arguments for them be that they are indifferent and surely the Churches necessity will at last convince her that 's a poor Plea Religion must decay and the
because they prefer those Pastors who teach his Doctrine and administer his Sacraments and discipline according to the Rules of the Gospel before those who grossly corrupt them and impose those corruptions He must have a very odd understanding that can assent to so senseless not to say so wicked an assertion For this were no better than to set up a point of meer human Order in opposition to the interest of Truth and Holiness I might here instance again in the Arrian Bishops who had not only the countenance of the Emperors but got Imperial Councils call'd General as that of Armini and Syrmium on their side and according to this Principle they were the only lawful Pastors and those that separated from them were no part of the Catholick Church I know not how Mr. K. will like these consequences But he cannot avoid them unless he will say That where there are in a Nation two divided parties of Christians fixt under different Pastors those are the only lawful Pastors who are on the side of Truth in the Points controverted betwixt them whether they have the Civil Magistrates countenance or no. And if he say this 't will follow on the other hand that in those Popish Kingdoms where there are any Protestant Ministers they are the only lawful Pastors and the Popish Churches that live not under them no part of the Catholick Church Nay in those parts of Germany where there are Lutherans and Calvinists if the Calvinists be in the right the Lutherans for separating from the Calvinist Ministers forfeit all relation to the Catholick Church And to add no more if the Non-Conformists be in the right in the matters debated betwix them and the Conformists about Church-Government c. they are the only lawful Pastors and the Prelatical Churches no part of the Catholick Church Or lastly Must the Laws of Christ determine who are lawful Pastors then those are the only lawful spiritual Governors in his Church whose Office he has instituted who have all the Qualifications requir'd 1 Tim. 3. ch 1 Tit. Who are ordain'd to their Office by such as he has entrusted the power of Ordination to where such Ordination can be had and who have the consent of that Flock they take the oversight of If these be the laws of Christ as it were easy to prove if that were deny'd then all Diocesan Prelates must be cashier'd from the number of lawful Pastors unless they can prove their Office instituted by Christ and so must all the Parish-Ministers who want the Qualifications mention'd 1 Tim. 3. or who are impos'd on the people without their consent nay too often against it And if Mr. K's Notion of the Catholick Church be true then all the Churches that live under Diocesan Prelates as their spiritual Governors or such unqualifi'd obtruded Parish-Ministers are no part of the Catholick Church So that if he retract not this new description of the Catholick Church 't is like to fall heavy on his own Party and because I would not be so uncharitable to the Church of England as he is to the Churches of Dissenters I advise him the next time he undertakes to define the Catholick Church to leave out this dangerous mark of it At least he ought to apply this mark to the Papists as well as Dissenters whereas among the Latin Questions The 14th is Whether that be a true Church which has not lawful Pastors And Mr. K. thus answers It may be a true Church witness the Church of Rome which has had so many haeretical schismatical simoniacal ones who were not all lawful Pastors But did there therefore cease to be a Chureh at Rome But I perceive this is a true mark when he would vent his spleen against the Presbyterian Churches at home and abroad but a false or uncertain one when it would unchurch the Papists The best of it is if it be a true mark the Papal and Diocesan Churches are most concern'd in the dangerous consequences of it All therefore I shall add on this Head is a brief Answer to Mr. M's Question What that Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church is which we profess to believe in the Creed Answ We need go no farther for the resolution of this Question than the Text quoted by Mr. K. 4 Eph. 3 4 5. Only I must premise that the Catholick Church in its true extent includes the Church Triumphant as well as the Church Militant nay all the Saints that have been are or shall be on earth to the end of the world see Mr. Claud's Reponse au livre de Mon sr l' Evesque de Meaux c. p. 7 8 9 c. But if we speak of the Catholick Church as militant on earth it must be considered either as measured by the judgment of God which discerns the truth of things from all hypocritical disguises or as measur'd by the judgment of humane Charity As measur'd by the judgment of God 't is according to the fore-quoted Text One body or society animated by one holy Spirit having one heavenly hope subjected to one Lord Jesus believing the same revealed Doctrine as to all necessary Articles and devoted by one Baptismal Covenant to one heavenly Father This Body is call'd Invisible or Mystical from that internal Faith and Holiness which are invisible and 't is also Visible by the external profession of that true Faith and Holiness And this is that Church which we profess to believe in the Creed in which alone we can expect to find the true Communion of Saints And to this Church alone all promises of saving Blessings are made in the holy Scriptures * The judgment of several Fathers to this purpose and particularly St Aug see quoted in that forecited discourse of Mr Claud from p 45 to 68 But the Catholick Church as measur'd by the judgment of human Charity comprizes all that make a credible profession of Christian Faith and Holiness For we are incapable to distinguish the true and living members of the Church from those that only appear to be so And therefore the Catholick Church as estimated by our charity is more large and comprehensive than the real Body of Christ For Hypocrites are no true members of his Body tho mixt with them in the same external Society by their external Profession or as St. John distinguishes they are among them but not of them 1 Joh. 2. v. 19. They are but blasted Ears not the true Wheat they are members of the Church Catholick in appearance not in reality The Church Catholick as measur'd by our charitable judgment is I know commonly call'd the Church-Catholickâ— Visible i. e. the Church Catholick as estimated by an external or visible profession But I wou'd choose rather for avoiding confusion to call it the Visible Church Catholick mixt For the Church Catholick in the proper sense as constituted of its living or as the Schools speak its univocal members real Saints is also Visible because its members not only
believe with the heart but confess with the mouth to salvation as the Apostle Paul speaks Rom. 10. v. 10. But these real Saints do not make up one distinct external society by themselves but as mixt with a crowd of Hypocrites who joyn with them in the same external profession of Christianity Nor are they exactly distinguishable from Hypocrites in our Judgment which cannot pierce into the hearts of men and only looks at the credibility of their external profession If therefore it be enquir'd what is the true Catholick Church We must answer All sincere Christians who are one body or society by their belief of and subjection to Jesus Christ their common Head and center of Unity If it be enquir'd whom should we in charity judge to be members of the Catholick Church the Answer is obvious All that make a credible profession of that Faith and that subjection If it be askt further what is a credible profession 't is answer'd A profession not contradicted by notorious ignorance of the essentials of Christianity by fundamental Errors or by notorious wickedness And he that would prove any particular Church or Churches that call themselves Christian to be no parts of the Catholick Church must prove that they deny or at least do not profess some essential Article of the Christian Faith or are notoriously ungodly I add notoriously ungodly because subjection to the laws of Christ is as necessary to our being the true members of his Church as belief of his Doctrine and consequently a credible profession of that subjection as requisite to our being esteemed such And therefore D. M. has very little reason to value himself upon this Question And the Church of Rome has so little reason to arrogate to her self the Title of the Church Catholick that a man must be very charitable to allow her to be a part of it but no wise man will allow her to be any other than the most corrupt and unsound part of it For that Church has gone so near towards the subverting the essential truths and laws of Christianity by their dangerous corruptions in Doctrine Worship and Practice that it wou'd be the best service D. M. can do her to demonstrate clearly that there is a credible profession of Christianity left amongst those that practically hold all the Decisions of the Council of Trent exagr To reconcile that Doctrine of their Council that imperfect Contrition or Attrition is sufficient to dispose a man for Absolution in the Sacrament of Penance Council of Trent Sess 4. cap. 4. with that necessary Doctrine of the Gospel Wihout Repentance there is no Remission of Sins To reconcile the worship of the Church of Rome with the second Commandment is a task well worthy of D. M's pains But I hope in many that live in the communion of the Church of Rome the common principles of Christianity which they retain prevail against the poysonous additions of Popery and all the Doctrines of that and other Councils are not practically held by them But their claim to be a part of the Church Catholick is not near so clear and indisputable as that of the Reformed Churches whose Doctrine and Worship compar'd with the holy Scriptures evidence them to be an incomparably sounder part of it tho even all the Reformed Churches are not equal in their soundness and purity This Catholick Church hath only one universal Head Jesus Christ and is one Body only on the account of its union with and subjection to him Nor is there any Vicarious universal Head under Christ to which the Government of the Church Catholick is committed whether Pope General Council or Colledge of Prelates Nor can any such humane Head make Laws obligatory to the universal Church For any to pretend to it is an usurpation of Christ's Legislative power and 't is chiefly on the account of that Vsurpation and employing that usurped power to deprave the Church and destroy its soundest members that the Protestants have call'd the Pope Antichrist Particular Churches are the chief integrating parts of the Church Catholick I speak of it here as measur'd by the judgment of charity As to any of these particular Churches if the Quest be Are they a part of the Catholick Church It must be resolâ—'d by the credibility of their Christian Profession If thâ— Question be Are they Churches regularly constituted or organiz'd 'T is in the resoâ—ution of this Quest We must consider whether they be a society of Christians united under one or more such Pastors as Christ has appointed for personal communion in Faith Worship and holy living and whether their Pastors were in a regular manner set over them And here the dispute about lawful spiritual Governors must come in Fâ—r that a particular Church have a lawful Pastor is not absolutely necessary to its being a true Church and consequently a true part of the Catholick Church as Mr. K. himself acknowledges in the fore-quoted place p. 90. tho how he will reconcile that Concession with his description of the Catholick Church I do not understand 'T is only necessary to its being a Church regularly constituted And who are such lawful Pastors there will be occasion to discuss in answer to the 4th Quest The sâ—cond Quest is Whether by the Church Catholick be meant the Church of England alone or the Church of England in communion with other Churches Mr. K. well replys The Church of England is no more the Catholick Church than the British Seas are the whole Ocean But he does ill to found its being a part of the Catholick Church on its subjection to Catholick Bishops I suppose he means Diocesan Bishops For it wou'd not cease to be a part of the catholick Church if it shou'd disown Diocesan Prelacy And if Mr. K. think otherwise he has these two difficult Propositions to prove First that Jesus Christ has instituted the Office of Diocesan Prelates in his church and secondly that he has made such Prelates the center of catholick Unity and subjection to them necessary to our being members of the catholick church Now if Mr. K. will undertake the defence of these two Propositions he not only unchurches all the Reformed Churches that want Diocesan Prelacy but even the Catholick Church it self for a Century or two at least as I offer to evince if Mr. K. please to demand it For communion with other Churches it must be understood in the essentials of Christian Religion for it can scarce be expected in all its integrals in this imperfect state but much less in unnecessary humane additions to Christianity And we must not confound communion with subjection the former may be due where the latter is not The third Quest is With what other Church does the Church of England communicate in Sacraments and Liturgy Mr. K. well answers That Vnity in Liturgy is no part of communion of Churches and that the Church of England and had his charity been wide enough he might safely have added
founded on the supposition of some vicarious Head of Unity to the Catholick Church which we condemn the Church of Rome for setting up and Mr. K. himself seems to disown p. 55. Nor wou'd that Hypothesis it self justify the distinction because if Christ have made any Vicarious Head or center of Unity to the Catholick Church we cou'd not be united to him as his members without union with that Vicarious Head. So that to be Catholick members of the Church and members of the Catholick Church are the same thing And if Mr K. use that expression in this sense let us consider a little the description he gives of those who are Catholick members of the Church Here are three characters to know them by Their embracing the catholick Faith their making no separation from their lawful Governors their living in charity with their neighbour churches The first is Embracing the Catholick Faith and he shou'd have added Professing catholick holiness of life For this character 't is undeniable and I hope Mr. K. will not exclude any of the forementioned Protestant Churches from being Catholick members of the Church on this score The two latter Mr. K. himself will find too dangerous and too schismatical to own upon second thoughts For from the third viz. living in charity with their neighbour churches I infer 1st That this character does exclude all the Papists from being catholick members of the Church for they are so far from living in charity with their neighbour Churches that their Trent-creed does assert its Articles to be that catholick Faith without which no man can be saved and consequently damns all the Churches in the world besides their own 2. On supposition the Reformed Churches abroad which have not Diocesan Bishops be true Churches this character excludes all those of the Church of England from being catholick memâ—ers of the Church who do with Mr. Dodwell unchurch all those Reformed Churches that want Prelatical Ordination For to unchurch them is not to live in charity with them 3. If the Churches of the Presbyt and Indep here be true Churches as I shall in this Paper evince they are then Mr. K. and all that are of his mind are no catholick members of the Church because they live not in charity with their neighbour Churches And I hope there is not the less charity due to them for being of the same countrey or Nation for Mr. K. makes subjection to lawful Pastors a mark of the members of the catholick Church p. 4. and declares the Presbyt c. destitute of that mark p. 6. And consequently denys them to be members of the catholick church which is the highest breach of charity imaginable And what if the Presbyt shou d treat Mr. K. according to his own principle and declare him no catholick member because he lives not in charity with them They would but use his own weapons against himself But however they have been misrepresented they are not of that schismatical humour as some are who have long made a loud outcry against Schism 4. Nay if this character be true then in all those contentions that have happen'd in the Church where the contending Parties have been so uncharitable as to excommunicate one another ' tho sometimes about meer trifles the one Party or both have ceast to be catholick members of the church And so when Pope Victor excommunicated the Eastern churches for not keeping Easter on the same day with him He and all that joyn'd with him ceast to be catholick members of the church And if to be catholick members of the Church and members of the catholick Church be the same what a vast part of the christian worâ—d has been unchurch'd in every age by the uncharitable censures of proud contentious Prelates I suppose Mr. K. never considered these consequences or else he would never have made living in charity with neighbour Churches a necessary mark of the catholick members of the Church As if the legitimate children of the same Father might not in an angry mood call one another Bastards or the subjects of the same King in a pievish humour nickname their fellow subjects Rebells without any just cause I am sure the Presbyterian Churches both at home and abroad are the least concern'd in this character for they have never unchurcht the Prelatical Churches even when they have met with the most harsh and unreasonable treatment from them But Mr. K. has given us another character to distinguish the Catholick members of the Church by which he imagines will exclude all the Presbyterians Independents c from that number viz. That they are such as make no separation from their lawful Governors All this is founded on his schismatical mark of the catholick Church viz. That its members live under their lawful spiritual Governors Here therefore all those difficulties occur about the meaning of lawful spiritual Governors which were propos'd p 3 4 5 6 7. And which sense soever Mr. K. chooses he will find it does oblige him to unchurch a great part of the Catholick Church i. e. to be a schismatick of the worst sort And if the laws of Christ must determine the debate he will give the Dissenters such an Argument against Prelatical Churches being members of the Catholick as he will never be able to answer And Mr. Baxter's Treatise which proves the unlawfulness of Diocesan Prelacy has according to Mr. K. done what that charitable man never intended unchurcht all our Diocesan Churches and cashierd them from being any part of the Church-Catholick There is no doubt but unjust separation from any lawful spiritual Governors is a sinful practice And particular Churches gather'd by such a sinful separation are not gather'd in a regular way And therefore an unjust violation of due Order is all that Mr. K. can justly pretend to charge the Presbyterians and Independents with and perhaps will find it a more difficult task than he imagines to make good that charge And therefore to clear this matter let me premise Particular Churches are the chief integrating parts of the Church Catholick These Churches consist of one or more Pastors and a Christian Flock associated under his or their oversight for personal communion in Faith Worship and holy living These Churches are obliged by the very dictates of the light of nature and general rules of the holy Scripture to endeavour the preservation of all necessary Unity by the amicable consultations of their associated Pastors The judgment of such associated Pastors should be submitted to by the people under their care when 't is not repugnant to the Word of God and contrary to the interest of Religion But the people do not owe them a blind obedience nor have such Pastors any power but for edification Much less can such Bishops pretend to an higher power whose very Office Christ never instituted whose pretended relation to their Diocess is not founded on the peoples consent to it and if such Bishops should claim
Mr. K. is Vpon what grounds does he assert that the Presbyterians Independents c. have made a separation from their lawful spiritual Governors This Quest relates to the regular constitution of their Churches Who then are the lawful Pastors of these Presbyterians c. from whom they have separated Does he mean the Bishops or the Parish Ministers If the Bishops they must be consider'd either as the King's Officers to execute that civil power which he has circa sacra And so the Presbyterians submit to them and separate not from them Or they must be consider'd as Christs Officers to exercise that spiritual power which his Charter gives and as such the Presbyterians are very ready to submit to them when they have prov'd the divine Right of their Office Or they must be consider'd as the Churches Officers and if so 't is requisie that Church should obey them who assign them their Office or consent to be their subjects not those who account their Office a sinful usurpation and are the more unwilâ—ing to become their Subjects because they cannot be so without complying with sinful Impositions and even approving their usurpation And that any Church may lawfully constitute new Officers whom Christ never appointed and suâ—ject his undoubted Officers to their Authority especially such as Diocesan Prelates who by engrossing the power of the Keys render Church-discipline impracticable is a proposition Mr. K. will hardly prove If the Parish-Ministers be the lawful Governors they separate from I would willingly know how they come to be the lawful Governors or Pastors to those that consent not to their Pastoral relation and have sufficient reasons why they do not Will Mr. K. say that all persons ought to commit the conduct of their Souls to that Minister whom the Bishops or Patron chooses and that 't is sinful separation not to do so I wou'd then enquire What does he think of those Parishes that are so large that scarce the tenth part of the people can enjoy the labours of the Parish-Ministers as Stepney Giles Martins and Cripplegate Parishes in London which have one with another 30000 or 40000 souls in each of them Does he think it an unlawful separation for that part of the people that cannot have room in the Parish Churches to attend the Ministrations of other pious and judicious Pastors Is this such a separation too as will exclude them from the Cathoâ—ick Church To assert tâ—is is to prefer a point of humane order or rather disorder about Parish-bounds bâ—â—ore the salvation of souls and in effect to say that 't were better all those peop e should want the ordinary means of salvation and live like Pagans or Atheists without any publick worship of God than such a point of Church-ordeâ— be violated And if any can believe all this 't is very much to be doubted whether they know what souls and their salvation are Again What does Mr. K. think of such Parish-Ministers as want the necessary quaâ—ifications such as are notoriously ignorant or scandalously wicked Do those in their Parishes who after having sought redress in vain choose other Ministers of eminent leaâ—ning and hoâ—iness make a sinful separation even such as will argue them no Catholick members of the Church If he say this he still prefers a meer point of humane order before the end of it the edification of souls and had rather hazâ—rd their damnation than have a scandalous Parish Minister disown'd whose Life is more likely to debauch than his Doctrine to reform his Hearers I might insâ—st on many such Questions as these but because Mr. K. has not thought fit to give us any reason why he takes the Parish-Ministers for the only lawful Governors even to those Nonconformists that consent not to their pastoral relation I shaâ—l fâ—r their vindication offer this argument to prove that the Nonconformists live under their lawful spiritual Governors or Past rs and consequently make no separation from them I instance in the Presbyterians Those are the lawful spiritual Governors of particular Christian Flocks or Churches who have all the qualifications requisite a valid Ordination the consent of those Churches and who in taking the oversight of them violate no law of God nor any just law of man. But such are the Pastors of the Presbyterian Churches in these Kingdoms E. they are the lawful Pastors of those Churches The minor Prop. alone needs proof viz. That the Pastors of the Presbyt Churches are such as are here describ'd For their Qualifications and the consent of the people that is matter of fact concerning which they may safely appeal to those that know them â—nly I would here suggest that a considerable number of Ministers who prescribe various difficult exercises to a Candidate for the trial of his abilities are as likely to judge of them as one single Bishop who usually commits the examination of them to his Chaplain For the validity of their Ordination I undertake to make that good in answer to the Questions about Mission The only doubt then remaining is Whether these Pastors in taking the oversight of their Flocks do violate any law of God or any just law of Man 1. For the laws of God I cannot understand any that they should be supposed to violate but either that law that enjoyns us to obey Superiors or such as enjoyn the preservation of the Churches peace For the former it falls in with what doubt may arise concerning the laws of men For the latter the precepts of God which concern the Churches peace I need only say these two things to clear them from the suspicion of violating them 1. That the great duties recommended in the holy Scriptures in order to the preservation of the Churches peace are a mutual forbearance in things indifferent and a charitable judgment of each other in lesser differences This is evident from the 14th Chapt. of the Ep. to the Rom. to the 17th ver of the 15th where these duties are at large prest from great variety of Topicks and urg'd on those that had Pastors among them And to say this great Rule on y oblig'd Christians to these duties till the Clergy had determin'd those indifferent things and by their imposing them cast out all Dissenters is too like the confidence of those Gentlemen who own Christ instituted the Communion in both kinds But teâ—l us his Institution obliges not now the Church has pleas'd to command it shall be otherwise And I do appeal to any impartial judg whether the Convocation or the Presbyterians have better observ'd this great Rule that concerns the Churches peace But 2. No Law of God enjoyns us to do any thing sinful for the Churches peace But for the Pastors of the presbyterian churches to desert their ministerial Office when never justâ—y forbidden and when their labours were highly conducive to the Interest of Religion and the Salvation of souls were sinful Methinks those Men that are so zealous to exclaim against all alienation of
terms of the Ministry as Christ's own Laws forbid his Ministers to obey If all ought not to forbear their Ministry who are forbidden by an unjust Law What is there in the case of the silenc'd Ministers that shâ—uld oblige them to it I know nothing can be imagin'd but this That obedience to that Law tho unjust would in their circumstances tend more to the good of the Church and sou s than all their ministerial labours And if any can make this good I doubt not but they will forbear For proof of the contrary see p. 27 28. under the former Head. All the Quest therefore will be concerning the conditions of the Ministry that by the foresaid Law were impos'd upon them For the first mentioned the Declaration of Assent and Consent c. Are there not many thousands of sincere and upright Chrâ—stians in these Kingdoms who do really judge kneeling at the Sacrament unlawful because they account it a symbo izing with the Church of Rome in a ceremony abus'd to Idolatry who judge the Cross in Baptism unlawful because 't is a new Tessera or symbol of our Christian Profession of humâ—ne Institution to which those very duties and blessings of â—he Gospel are annext which our Lord has annext to Baptism â—specialâ—y when the words of the Canon are To dedicate them â—y that badge the sign of the Cross to the service of Christ whose benefits â—â—stow'd on th m in Baptism the name of the Cross does represent Or whâ— scruple the use of Sponsors in Baptism to undertake that work which â—s the Parents duty and not theirs unless the Parent be incapable and the more because the 29â—h Canon of the Church saâ—th No Parent shall be urged to be present nor be admitted to answer as Godfather for his â—wn child He that knows not there are many thousands who judge â—hese things unlawful and yet are persons as eminent for their piety as those that are otherwiâ—e minded is either a stranger to these Nations or has very little charity left Whether these persons be mistaken in these scrupâ—es or no I do not now dispute nor is it necessary to my Argument to suppose them in the right But I wou'd hope it will be granted me that their credible profession of Religion gives them a right to all the seals of the Covenant and that 't is not lawful to debar them from the Lords-Supper or their children from Baptism on the account of these scruples To say otherwise were to make it lawful for the Ministers of Christ to reject those whom they have all imaginable reason to beâ—ieve that their Lord receives nay whom he has commanded them to receive Rom. 14.1 Whereas to reject sâ—ch is a heinous degree of Schism and opposite to the great law of Charity and Christian forbearance which Pastors as well as people are concerned in 'T is the very sin Diotrephes is charg'd with 3 Ep. Joh. v. 10. Now if it be unâ—awful to deprive such of external Church-priviledges as in the judgment of rational Charity have a right to them then 't is unlawful to profess our Assent and Consent to a Book which obliges us to thâ—s Uncharitable and Schismatical practice For the Book obliges us to administer the Sacraments only in the manner there prescribed and by the Canons of the Church those Ministers incur the danger of Suspension that do otherwise So that we cannot be Ministers without approving thâ—se Schismatical Conditions of Church-Communion and perhaps excluding the most sober part of a Parish on the account of them Whereas Christian Love forbids us to Exclude such and much more forbids us to Assent and Consent to their Exclusion For the 2d Condâ—tion of the Ministry That Clause in the Oxford Oath wherein we must swear never to endeavour any Alteration of Government in the Church Do's Mr. K think there are no Corruptions in the Government of the Church which if alter'd and reform'd wou'd greatly conduce to the advancement of real Religion Is the exercise of Church-Government by a Lay-Chancellor and the manner of their process in the Spiritual Courts no corruption that needs amendment What when so solemn a thing as the Censures of the Church is manag'd more like a dâ—sign to correct mens purses then either the Errors of their Judgment or disorders of their Practâ—ce and as Dr. Burnet in the life of Bishop Bedel complains That Excommunication had lost all its force as a Spiritual Censuâ—e and was dreaded only on the account of the effects it produc't in Law. And these matters are not since chang'd for the better Is that Discipline by which every particular Church shou'd be as much as possible preserv'd from the infecti n and scandal of notoriously wicked members possible to be exercised by a Bishop or his Lay-Chancellor for a whole Diocess containing 3 or 4 hundred or perhaps as many more particular Churches For Instance Is the Bishop of Lincoln whose Diocess contains in it 1000 or 1100 Parish-Churches capable to calâ— all the scandalous sinners within that vast Precinct to Repentance to examine the crimes alledg'd against them use all the admonitions and reproofs that tend to reclaim them and after due evidence of their impenitency cast them out of Church Communion How many thousands must he have at once in his Court if he exercised Church Discipline as strictly as the H. Scriptures enjoyn or as the Common-Prayer-Book owns it was practised in the primitive Church See Pref to the Commination used in Lent. And does there need any plainer Argument of the impossibility of it then that this Discipline was never actualâ—y exe câ—sed by the Bâ—shops to any purpose nor one scandalous siâ—ner of a thousand in a Diocess ever call'd to Repentance for his notorious crimes or censured for his continuing in them unless it were some scrupulous Nonconformist And does Mr. K. think these things need no alteration If he doth so I would gladly know What Church-Government or Discipline signifies To what purpose then is all this stir about an Empty Name when there is no use to be made of the Thing to the great purposes it 's intended for when 't is not exercised to preserve the honour of Religion by a credible profession of it in particular Churches and to secure those Churches from the pernicious influence of such whom their Haeresies or their scandalous crimes render unfit for Christian Society If these things be gross abuses If the present Church-Government render Discipline impracticable and deprive Parish-Ministers of an essential part of their Office Is it lawful to swear We will never endeavour an alteration of this and that without any limitation signified as in an irregular manner or beyond our particular Sphoere Is it lawful for those who know these to be corruptions which have greatly depraved the Church and dishonoured Christianity to swear they will never eâ—deavour to amend them They might as well bind themselves by oath never to Repent nor Promote the
strangers to the most of them These are so paâ—pable impossibilities as to an unbyast considerer are instead of a thousand Arguments that the Bishops or Elders which these Texts speak of were not Diocesan Bishops i. e. they were not the Overseers or Rulers of many score or hundreds of Churches as their Flocks to whom they were to perform all these Pastoral works and the Flocks to pay them the forementioned Duties But the Pastors of such a number of people as they could thus personally oversee teach rule watch over visit c. and such a number as could pay them that love submission imitation c. prescrib'd in the forequoted Texts Especially when 't is so expresly asserted Acts 14. v. 23. That such Elders were ordained in every Church which Titus is also appointed to do in every City 1 Tit. 5. And 't is well known every Town equal to our usual Market-Towns in England was then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or City and but a few comparatively of the inhabitants at first converted to Christianity I grant that soon after the Apostles time the name of Bishop and Presbyter or Elder begun to be distinguisht and that of Bishop apply'd to a stated Praeses or Moderator of a Presbytery or certain number of Elders But 't is as evident That the Bishop and his Presbyters in the Primitive Church were but the Rulers of one Single Congregation capable of personal communion not of many Score or hundred Churches How plain to this purpose is that known passage of Ignatius whose Authority the Defenders of Prelates have so vainly boasted of who in his Epistle to the Philadelphians gives this certain mark of every Churches individuation viz. There is to every Church one Altar and one Bishop together with the Presbytery or Eldership and the Deacons my fellow servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c The same Author in his Epistle to Polycarp advises that good Bishop to have frâ—quent Churhc-Assemblies and to enquire after all by name and not to despise servants and maids So in his Epistle to the Smyrnenses Fellow all of you the Bishop as Jesus Christ does the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c and the Presbyteâ—y as the Apostles and reverence the Deacons as the appointment of God. Let none without the Bishop transact the affairs of the Church Let that be accounted a valid communion which is in his presence or by his permission for where the Bâ—shop is there let the multitude be 'T is not lawful without the Bishop to Baptize or make a Love-Feast Nothing can more fully evidence that the Church of Smyrna had their B shop Presbyters and Deacons and 't were ridiculous to apply those passâ—ges to a modern Bishop and his Diocess Justin Martyr's known account of Church = Assembâ—ies evinces the truth of this which the learned Mr. Jos Mede in his Discourse of Churches quotes p. 48 49 50. and from thence acknowledges They had then but one Altar or place of Communion to a Church taken for the company or coporation of the faithful as united under one Bishop Tertullian's account of particular Church-assemblies assures us Apol. cap. that Church-discipline was exercis'd in them and that by the probati seniores or approved Elders among whom we own the Preses was called Bishop Even in Cyprian's time his famous Church of Carthage was not so great but that he frequently professes he would do nothing in Church-affairs without the consent of his Presbyters and all the people especially in the censuring of Offendors As in his Ep. 3.6 10 11 13 14 26 27 28 c. Edit Goul And Ep 68. as he there declares the people have the chiefest power of choosing worthy Priests and refusing the unworthy so when he relates the manner of the Ordination of a Bishop he tells us All the next Bishops of the same Province do come together to that people over whom the Bishop is set and the Bishop is appointed tâ—e people being present who fulliest know the life of every one and have thoroughly seen the Act of every one's conversation Which also we saw done with you in the Ordination of Sabinus our Colleague that the office of a Bishop was given him and hands imposed on him in the place of Basilides by the suffrage of the whole Fraternity and by the judgment of the Bishops that had met together c. We may easily gather what the Bishops Church was when all the people must be present and judge of his life and are supposed to be thoroughly acquainted with it A Diocess of the modâ—rn extent would be hard put to it to meet together for this purpose and pass their judgment concerning the life of their Bishop The Constitutions and Canons called Apostolical assign such duties to the Bishop as plainly imply his relation to a Congregation capable of personal Communion as his Charge or Flock And to give a brief summary of those proofs which it would require a large volume to insist fully on if we consider impartially all the duties which the most ancient Christian Writers describe as belonging to the office of a Bishop viz. To be the ordinary publick Teacher of his Flock a and Baptizer of those that were received into his Church b To confirm the Baptized to reconcile and absolve all penitents to administer the Lords Supper c To receive all oblations c. and distribute them To take care of the poor and sick and strangers as their Overseer and Curator d To try all causes about scandal in his Church with his Presbyters in the presence of his Flock e To Ordain other Bishops and Elders To keep Synods among his neighbour Bishops To grant communicatory Letters f c. And to how great a flock one man is capable to perform them If we consider further that the Bishop and his Presbyters liv'd usually in the same House and in Common at least near the Church and that in the distribution of their maintenance one half of it was destin'd to repair the Fabrick or Temple and maintain the poor the other half to the Bishop and his Clergy or Presbyters g That it was the common custom for the Presbyters to sit in the same Seat with the Bishop in a semicircle and the Deacons below them h That the Deacons are always mentioned as Officers in the same Church with the Bishop i That the Love-feasts were not to be kept without the Bishops permission and he was to have his share sent him if absent k That the way of strangers communicating was by communicatory Letters or Certificates which were to be shewed to the Bishop of the Church where they desir'd to communicate l That a Schism was describ'd by setting up Altar against Altar every communicating Church having its Altar or Table for celebrating the Lords-Supper and Bâ—shop m a Constit Apost c. 26. Just Mart. Apol 2 b Tertull. de Cor Mil. c. 3. c Ignat. Ep. ad Smyrn p 4. Just Mart Apol 2. d
Just Mart. ibid Constit Apost c. 27. Apost Can. 5 e See Cypr Ep. passim Tertull. Apol. c. 39. and many more in Blondel de Jure plebis c. f See Albasp Observ p. 254 255. g See Tolet de sacerd lib. 5. cap. 4. n. 15. and Pad Paul Sarpi's Tract of Church-benefices translated by Dr. Denton h Constit Apost c. 57. Counc Carth. 4 Can 35 i 1 Phil. v. 1. Clem. Rom Ep ad Cor p 54 55 Pius in Ep Justo Episc Biblioth Patr Tom 3 p 15 Constit Apost c 30 44. k Ignat Ep. ad Smyrn forequoted Constit Apost c. 28 l Albasp Observ p. 254 255. m Ignat. Ep ad Philad forecited Cypr. Ep 40 72 73. The ancient description of a Church is well known Plebs Episcopo coadunata See Dr. Still Iren. p. 416. That the Bishop was chosen by the Suffrages or Votes of the people he took the charge of n and as was said before administred Church-censures in the presence of his Flock whose judgment he consulted o That Presbyters did but sedom preach publickly in the two or three first Ages except in Alexandria or some few Churches that had Presbyters of more than ordinary Learning and Abilities Chrysostom's preaching at Antioch and Austin's at Hippo while Presbyters are noted as unusual That every City had its Bishop is granted by all and Dr. Hammond and Grotius own many had two nay some had more as might appear by many instances were it needful And every Town of any bigness was then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or City and the number of Christians did not of a long time even in the larger Cities exceed that of our larger Parishes Nor were Bishops confin'd to Cities or Towns for the Countrey Villageâ— where three were any tolerable number of Christians to mâ—ke a Church or Congregation had long their Bishops also who were not put down till Ambition had begun to deprave the Church and for a reason agreeable to the humour of those that did it ne vilescat nomen Episcopi p If we consider the nearness of Episcopal See's of which we read many that were much nearer one another than our Market-Towns perhaps one two or a few more miles distant q If we observe all the small inconsiderable pâ—aces that were the See's of many famous ancient Bishops not half so big as our lesser sort of Perishes r If we consider the vast number of Bishops mentioned within a narrow compass of ground n See Cypr. Ep. 68 forecited and many more testimonies in Baxter's Church-History Answer to Stillingfl from p. 128 to 133. and in Blondel de Jure plebis c. a See Blondel ibid. p Concil Laod. Can. 57. q To give a few instances In Palestine Diospolis or Lydda was but six miles from Joppa Joppa four miles from Janmia Rhinccoruca four miles from Anthedon and Anthedon not three miles from Gaza and Gaza twenty furlongs from Constantia anciently called Majuma So in Egypt Nicopolis was twenty furlongs from Alexandria and Taposiris Canopus Heraclia and Naucratis not much farther from one another and yet all these Episcopal See's r Mr. Thorndike Right of Churches reviewed tells us p. 53. that in Africa Bishops were so plentiful that every good Village must needs be the Seat of an Episcopal Church and the African Church as Dr. Stillingfleet tells us Iren. p. 373. longest retain'd the primitive simplicity and humility Binnius tells us of Sylvester calling together 284 Bishops of which 139 were out of Rome or not far from it A Council of Donatists at Carthage had 270 Bishops as Austin tells us Ep. 68 about the year 308 and yet they were the smaller number and complain'd of Persecution Victor Vtic in Persec Vand. acquaints us that in that part of Africa 660 Bishops fled besides the great number murdered and imprisoned and many toâ—erated The 6th Provincial Council of Carthage had 217 Bishops And to give an instance of later date which we are more capabâ—e to judge of even Patrick is said to have founded here in Ireland 365 â—hurches ordain'd so many Bishops besides 3000 Presbyters Vsher de Eccles Brit. Primord p. 950. If we add hereto the late date of Parâ—hâ—s as distinguished from the Bishops Church The Government of the Cathedrall by the Bishop with the Dean and chapters being a Relict of the ancient Episcopal Government From these evidencies and many more might be added duly weigh'd Wee may easily judge what the ancient Churches and Bishops were A primitive Bishop had no more then one Church or assembly capable of personal Communion under his Charge which he rul d with the joynt concurrence of his Presbyters or Elders The first that set up more Assemblies under one Bishop were Rome and Alexandria and no other Church can be prov'd to have done so for near 300 years nor many Churches for 4 or 5 hundred And even those Assemblies did but long make up one communicating Church and were but to the Bishops Church as Chappels of ease are to our larger Parish Churches But for Diocesan Churches and Bishops 't is evident from these few remarks That they are entire strangers to the primitive Church in its first and purest Ages 'T was only Ambition striving to modell the Ecclesiastical Government by the Civil that first gave rise to them and from the same ambition in the Empire sprung up Metropolitans Patriarks and Popes The last of these long claiming only a Primacy of order among the rest of the Bishops in the Empire for which Constantinople long vy'd with them 't is but of late they have emprov'd their pretensions into a claim of Supremacy over the Catholick Church as the Vicars of Christ And 't is too observable in Church History that as the Seats of Bishops swell'd and their power encreast by engrossing to themselves that work which a score or hundred Bishops cou'd hardly discharge so all true Discipline was gradually disus'd and lost and the Church miserably deprav'd by the corruption of it as well as divided by the Contentions of aspiring Bishops about their primacy and usurped power If you dâ—sire further satisfaction on this head I referr you to Mr. Baxters Treatise of Episcopacy who in the 2d part 5 6 7 ch has given as Satisfactory an account of the ancient Episcopacy as can be expâ—cted of any matter of fact at that distance The few slender exceptions produc't by Dr. Stillingfl in his Vnreason of Seper which yet do not reach the two first Centuries are so clearly invalidated and expos'd by Mr. Baxters Answer to Dr St. p. 100 101 c. and by Mr. Clerkson in his No evidence of Diocesan Churches in Antiq c that I shall take it for granted that Diocesan Bishops and Churches are Strangers to Antiquity and shall look on that cause as desperate and lost unless some of its Patrons cou'd disprove that full stream of evidence he has brought against it from the most ancient Christian writers in the foremention'd
Treatise There are few considerable defenders of Prelacy whose writings he has not animadverted on And t is strange to observe how farr the most of them mistake the true state of the controversie Some go about to prove a sort of general superintendents Arch-Bishops or Metropolitans who had some inspection over the Bishops of particular Churches within their Province and presided in their Synods but did not put down the Government and exercise of Church-Discipline in those particular Churches as if this were a proof of those Diocesan Bishops that do cast out all Government and exercise of Discipline by the Bishops or Pastors of particular Churches and pretend to be the sole Pastors of the Diocess And yet the jurisdiction of such Metropolitans is of no very ancient date and quite contrary to the judgment of Cyprian who disowns any Bishop of Bishops and owns only Bishops or Overseers of Flocks or Churches Others take a great deal of pains to prove the stated presidency of one by the name of Bishop in a Consessus or Bench of Presbyters who had but all one Communicating Church under their charge which is not deny'd to have begun early in the Church as a Remedy of Schism But that difference of Bishop and Presbyters when both were but joynt-rulers of a Congregation is so far from being a proof of modern prelacy that such Diocesan Bishops have put down the primitive Parish-Bishops and monopoliz'd the power of many score or hundreds of such Bishops to themselves and thereby rendred true Church-government impracticable Nay that very difference betwixt the Bishop and Presbyters of a particular Church seems to have had it's rise wholly in the notorious disparity of his gifts learning age c. above the rest but was never esteemed by them a difference in office or power nor is it ascrib'd to any higher Original â—hen Human Constitution by Jerome Auâ—â—in Ambâ—ose Sedulius Primasius Chrysostom Theodoret c. not to mention â—â—der writers If then Ordination belong to Scripturall Bishops and such be the Pastors of particular Churches 〈◊〉 none else diâ— orâ—â—â—â— in the Primitive Church in its purest Ages Then a l suâ—h Bâ—shops have that power Nor indeed have any power to orâ—â—â— but on the account of their being such Scriptural Bishâ—â—s â—hâ— office of Diocesan Prelates being a manifest Usurpation in thâ— Church which had it's rise in human Ambition That Uâ—u pation cannot rightfully deprive the true Bishops or Pastors oâ— that power of Church-government which is as essential to their office as the power of teaching or being guides in worship And whatever may be said for Parish-Bishops submitting for peace sake to the usurpation of a Diocesan ex gr when he claims the sole power of Ordination where the true ends of it are attain'd yet they have no reason to submit to it when Diocesan Bishops shall so abuse that usurped power as to corrupt and deprave the Ministry by imposing sinful terms and hazard the ruin of Souls by neglecting to provide a number of faithful Pastors suitable to their real necessities The Ordination therefore of the Pastors or Bishops of particular Churchâ—s is more agreeable to the holy Scripture and primitive Antiquity and consequently more unexceptionably Valid then that of a single Diocesan From whence it follows That the ordination of Pastors in the Presbyterian Churches is Valid because either they are ordain'd by Diocesan Bishops who had power to ordain on the account of that office they have in common with scriptural Bishops tho they have none as Diocesan or they are ordain'd by a concurrence of scriptural Bishops to whose office the power of Ordination was annext by divine Institution and and cannot be alienated by any humane usurpation For Christ has given none power to change his Institutions Nor can the will of the Ordainers debar his Officers from any part of that Authority which his Charter conveys to them And if the validity of Ordination by such scriptural Bishops be deny'd the Church had no ordained Ministers for a Century or two at least Having laid down these Notions about Mission I come to examine D M's Quest's Quest 1 What priesthood or holy Orders had the first Reformers but what they received from the hands of Roman Catholick Bishops Answ If D M mean that their priesthood or ministerial office was convey'd to them by the Bishops as the Givers of it they receiv'd it from none at all nor has any that power to give 't is given by Christ in his Charter But if he mean that the Roman Catholick or Popish Bishops did invest them in that office 'T is own'd that most of the Reformed Ministers were ordain'd by them and 't is not material whether they were R man Catholick Bishops of the same rigid stamp as those of the present Age or no for the validity of their Ordination depends on the Essentials of the Pastoral office retain'd and not on their horrid corruption of it And as Mr. K. well observes they ordain'd as Christian not as Roman Bishops But what if some of the Reformers became Pastors to the people upon their necessities and call who durst not comply with the sinful terms of Ordination in the Church of Rome and yet could have no other They would not be in this case destitute of a true Mission For the evident necessities of the peoples souls who earnestly desir'd to have the Truths of the Gospel purely preach'd and divine Worship purely celebrated and who could not with a safe conscience continue in the Communion of the Roman Church and their Qualifications for so necessary a work were a sufficient signification of the will of Christ that they should undertake it For the precept about the ordinary regular way of Admission to the Ministry did not oblige where it cou'd not be lawfully observed and where there was a far greater necessity of a pure untainted Ministry then of that positive point of Order For else on supposition no Pasâ—oâ—s had embraced the Reformation The people who did woud have been obliged to have lived like Aâ—heists without publick worship 2 Q Who authorized the first Reformers to preach their Protestant Doctrine and administer their Protestant Sac aments Answ It does not belong to the Ordainers to determine what Doctrine the person ordained shall preach but to Christ who has determined that matter already And therefore if the Doctrine which our first Reformers preacht and the Sacraments they administred be Christ's as Mr. K. well argues 't is ridiculous to ask who authoriz'd them to preach the one or administer the other Christ did and no men can authorize any to preach any other Doctrine or administer any other Sacraments The Bishops or Priests in the Roman Church had no right or Mission from Christ to preach Popish Doctrine or administer Popish Sacraments or celebrate Popish Woâ—shâ—p so far as these are contrary to the Doctrine Sacraments and Worship contain'd in the Gospel These were gross corruptions of their office
them their Office. Many of them try'd his remedy they represented these things to their Ecclesiastical Superiors as Luther to the Archbishop of Mentz and the Bishop of Brandenburg and the Pope himself But they soon learnt by dear experience how averse the Court of Rome was to any Reformation and how little it was to be expected from the Prelates who either had no will or no courage to attempt a Reformation against the will of the Pope Luther and all his followers in stead of prevailing with those that had the conduct of the Church were excommunicated as Hereticks Now according to Mr. K's principle these Reformers being censured and suspended by the Prelates to whom they were subject were discharged from the execution of their Office and should no more have made a Schism in the Church to regain it than one must make a Rebellion in the State to regain a Civil Office. And since they did not desert their Office but went on to preach against the Constitution of the Romish Church and the will of their Superiors the Popish Prelates they were no better than Schismaticks and Church-Rebels Nay if his Notion of the Catholick Church be true the people that separated from the Popish Prelates and adher'd to their excommunicated Pastors ceast to be members of the body of Christ And how great a part of the Reformed Churches and their Pastors fall under this heavy charge And will Mr. K. own all these unavoidable consequences upon mature deliberation What if we should once more have a Popish Convocation in England and these should restore the Romish Religion and suspend aâ—l the present Parish-Ministers whom Mr. K. thinks now lawful Pastors According to his Principle they being but Presbyters and the Bishops Subjects must not preach against the Constitution of the Church of England declaring her judgment by a Convocation in whom the supreme Government of the Church is lodg'd they must therefore cease their Ministry and no more make a Schism by the exercise of it than they must make a Rebellion in the State to regain a Civil Office. Nay to separate from such Governors of the Church of England will prove those that do it no Catholick members of the Church The same principles may be apply'd to the Arrians who got Imperial Councils and consequently the Government of the Imperial Church into their hands and for such Pastors as Athanasius to preach against Arrianism which was then the Doctrine of the Church was Schism and Church-Rebellion In a word According to these Principles 'T is in the power of a Convocation to damn many thousand souls by suspending an Orthodox and substituting a corrupt Ministry and for those Orthodox Pastors when suspended to endeavour their salvation by the exercise of their Ministry is to be Schismaticks and Church-Rebels And what is this less than to set up the will of such Church-Governors above the will and laws of Christ above the Salvation of Souls and above the Interest of Truth and Holiness Therefore 3. Let us examine the Grounds of this strange Assertion viz. Because there is a regular way for reforming abuses And for particular Presbyters to do it against the will of the Bishops whose Subjects they are is like reforming abuses in the state in spight of the King a remedy generally worse then the disease c. Answ 1. All that these reasons prove is that Reformation shou'd be first sought by humble addressing to our Superiors But Mr. K. plainly leaves it impossible if they refuse 2. They are founded on this wretched mistake that the Authority of Bishops in the Church does resemble that of a King in the State and so to reform abuses in the Church against their will is like reforming abuses in the State in spight of the King. Whereas t is Christ's Authority in the Church that does resemble the King 's in the State. And therefore if he wou'd rightly state the comparison it runs thus Christ the King of his Church requires all his Officers to preach the pure Doctrine and administer the pure institutions deliver'd in his Gospel which is his universal law Let us suppose there are in this or that particular part of the Church dangerous corruptions crept in The law of Christ obliges these his officers to disown them and reform them but the Major part of these will not but presume to silence those that do it according to his command Now the Quest is whether those that obey the command of Christ be the Rebells against him or those that neither will obey his commands themselves nor allow others to do so One wou'd think that such as refuse to reform and silence all that in their own place attempt it according to the tenour of their Commission are like to prove the Church Rebells But no doubt the Pastors of a Church may disown and excommunicate one that abuses his office to the perverting the Church and for him to continue to p rvert the Church by such male-administration is to Rebell against Christ and his laws The charge of Rebellion therefore must arise from the vioâ—ation of Christ's Authority not mens which the Major part of Pastors may be guilty of in a Nation as well as the lesser 3 He seems to confound a private and a publick Reformation 4. The Reason given why a Bishop or Presbyter when censur'd is discharg'd from his Office viz. Because to regain it is like making a Rebellion to regain a Civil Office does suppose two great mistakes 1. That the Ordainers give a Spiritual office in the Church as the King gives a Civil office in the State And this is no less a mistake then to set the Ordainers in the place of Christ T is his Charter gives the sacred office as the King 's does the Civil and the Ordainers do but for orders sake approve and ceremonially invest the person as the Recorder does the Mayor of a Town whom the Burghesses choose And herein Mr. K. seems to own that very error which is the ground of all Mr. M's impertinent Questions 2. He supposes that the Bishops who ordain Presbyters have equal power to depose them from their Ministerial office as the King has to take away a Civill Commission And thus p 27. he teâ—ls us That the present Dissenters were the Bishops subject accountable to them as their Superiors and liable to be discharg'd from their office and the benefits of the Communion of the Church by their Censure Whereas T is plain that it is the Charter of Christ gives the sacred office as the King 's does the Civil And as none can take a Civil Commission given by the King to any Subject but by the King's orders and Command So none can take away that spiritual Commission Christ has given any officer in his Church but by his orders But now he has given none leave or Authority to depose his officers but for evident Male-administration as preaching Heresie gross scandal c. And if in any part