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-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
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
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.
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
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
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 Succeeding General Councels and of the Subject of Infallibility 3. 4. 5. In what Sense a Councel is the Church-Representative and the Reason of the different force of their Decrees 6. How long time taken to Contrive the Couneel of Trent 7. 8. 9. 10. General Exceptions against the Lawfulness of the Councel of Trent and that their Determinations bind none 11. Aparticular Reason to prove that of what force soever they may otherwise be yet they bind not us ERRATA Sic Corrigenda PAge 12. line 17. for pactâ— â—ead pact p. 25 l. 27. for That r The. p. 34. for Lindhardus 1. Luidhaâ—dus p. 35. l. 2. Luidhardus again for Lindhardus p. 38. l. 1. for Scithia r. Sythia p. 42. l. 3. for their r these p 44 for Pasca r Pâ—scha p. 46. l 2. after Answer add A. p. 46. for not r. no more which for Pope r. Popes p. 47. for on r. or p. 50. for their r. these p. 52. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 53. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 55. after true add it p. 56. for rhis r. this and for Their r. These p. 57. in redundat p. 59. l. 4. for each r. such p. see redundat p. 62. for praecesserâ—t r. praecesserat p. 66. for of God r. if good p. 70. l. r. for these r. theirs p. 71. for Roinanists r. Romanists ☜ p. 73 for the Work of a Christian r. the Worst Work of a Christian p. 74. for sec r. so p. 75. ac prâ—terea viderent redundaet p. 83. for should r. could p. 87. for as r. or p. 90. for their r. these p. 95. for quem r. quà m and for early r. wily p. 101. for iâ— r. it CHAP. I. Of Obligations to Vnity amongst Christians I. SO Vehement and Implacable have been the Divisions amongst Christians Managed not only with Tongue-shot Disputations and all manner of Calumnies and Reproaches but even with base Arts most bloody Wars and barbarous and inhumane Cruelties that it might move an Enemy of our Religion yea perhaps an inconsiderate Person amongst our selves to think that that saying of our Saviour I Come not to send Peace but a Sword Mat. 10. 34. was not designed to forewarn his true Disciples of the Persecutions they are to expect from the wickedness of others but rather to instruct and animate them in Quarrels and to live as Cut-throats amongst one another And whatever are their Pretences yet by daily Experience we see That this is too much the Practice of many who are so devoted to their Factions that they startle at the Name of Peace And we have been told of some whose Furious Raptures have Inspired them with such a blasphemous Impudence as to affront God with their impious Prayers That he would Heighten and Increase the Divisions of the Church These and other such like Extravagancies have moved Me in the first place to Consider what Obligations to Unity Christians Lye under for if they Lye under no such Obligations it is most certain That the Name of Schism can hardly be so much as a Theological Scare-crow And they who keep such a Goil for Peace will be found the greatest Violaters of it as attempting to bring all Men to that which they are nothing bound to But on the contrary if there be such Obligations then it is as certain That all dividing and unquiet Persons do incur a Guilt proportionable to the Measure of their Proceedings and the strength of those Obligations And if it further Appear That the Christian Religion doth lay the strongest Obligations to Unity upon all the Professors of it Threatens the breach of it with the highest Penalties Rewards the Observation of it with the utmost Advantages and Affords the best Means and Hâ—lps to preserve it then all that Own the Name of Christians must confess themselves to be indispenseably and eternally bound to the Peace so as to continue in it and procure it upon any termes but that of Sin with which no Peace is to be had But though I propound this particular with this very design That the General Concernment and Obligations of Christianity might make Men bethink themselves and abate their over-eager Propensions and obstinate Adherence to their particular Parties yet I shall be very brief because unless it be some Religious Madmen whose Brains are Heated with Enthusiasm beyond any Hope of Cure even those who are too Active and too Guilty in promoting Division do yet upon any sober Discourse freely Acknowledge That it is not only a good and a pleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in Unity but also that it is a duty incumbent upon every Christian in his Station by all honest means to promote it not only amongst his own party but with all Others who have Given up their Names to Christ And I wish they were as serious in their Practice as they are free in their Acknowâ—edgments and would not amongst themselves Teach some private Tenets to Ensure their Partizans whilest they discourse at another Rate with those whom they are too apt to Esteem their Adversaries II. And in the first place If we Consider the Nature of the Christian Religion what can be more evident then that all its Principles and Doctrines as they are most inseparably Knit together and subservient to each other so they tend to Effect and Confirm the strongest Unity amongst the Professors of it Saint Paul beseeching the Ephesians to Endeavor to Keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace presseth them more particularly with this very Argument There is saith he Eph 4. 4. c. one Body and one Spirit even as ye are Called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all And in this Profession we have all Engaged our selves to be the faithful Servants of God and of Christ and therefore ought joyntly to Serve the Interest and Maintain the Honour of our Gracious and common Master Nay we not only hereby become Servants but have the Honour of being Friends of Christ Adopted Sons of God and are taken into the same Family and Houshold And of how heinors and insufferable a Crime they are Guilty who are troublesome in this Family and make Factions in this Houshold we may Learn from that Saying of our Saviour Matth. 3. 25. If a House be divided against it self that House cannot stand III. But possibly it may deserve our particular Consideration That the Holy Scriptures speak of all Christians as being incorporated into one Body and that in such a manner that the Hopes of our common Salvation depends upon our being Members of that one Body Hence in relation to our first Admission or Infition we are said to be all Baptized into one Body and that whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 1 Cor. 12. 13. Hence also our
capacitate us to become Christians then denominate us so it will follow That to have the benefit of our Belief we must take care to be Admitted into that Body which it qualifies us to be Members of Now in all manner of Societies of what Nature soever Members are Admitted by some Signal Ceremony and known Form of Proceedings that thereby they may be known to Others to be Members of that Society and may undisturbedly do the Exercises and enjoy the Priviledges of that Society Now this Formal Way of Admission into the Christian Body or Society is by the Sacrament of Baptism And that even by our Saviours own Command and Institution for when they are so well Instructed as to believe he will have them Received by being Baptized Go ye saith he Mat. 28. 19. Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name c. And though Unbelief alone be sufficient to put a Man into a state of Condemnation yet Belief alone without Baptism doth not ordinarily put a Man into the state of Salvation This is our Saviours own Doctrine Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved And he that believeth not shall be damned And the Reason is plain for though Unbelief as rejecting the Covenant of Grace and its Author is alone able to exclude us from all benefit of it yet Belief though it lay hold on the Covenant is not able alone to secure to us the benefits of it if considered abstractedly and separately from the other necessary Conditions of it for he that expects the benefit of a part must observe not one but all the necessary termes and conditions of it from hence it may appear how necessary it is that we be all Partakers of that one Baptism And this Consideration ought to Alarm those Persons to examine well the Grounds whereon they proceed who separate from all other Christians making it the singular part of their Religion to deny Baptism even to the Children of Christian Parents for though God is not bound up to withhold his Mercy where the default is not in the Persons themselves yet we have no certain Rule to assure us that he will afford such Mercy out of the way that he hath prescribed but it is purely in his good pleasure And if Baptism be ordinarily the Way of Admission and Entrance into that Body whereof Christ is the Saviour then such Persons by denying them Baptism do what in them lies to damn them which doubtless is a very unchristian part And though it be true in relation to Persons out of the Covenant that they must first be qualified not only with an actual but a professed Faith without which they are not capable of Admission yet in reference to Persons in Covenant the Case is quite otherwise for the Covenant is not to them alone but to their Seed And the Children being sanctified in their Parents do follow their condition and are born to Priviledges in the Church which those without cannot claim And thâ—refore ought not particularly to be denied this without which they are not by the ordinary Laws of the Covenant Entitled to the Rest But I will prosecute this no further my business being rather with Adult Persons then Children For though their Salvation is by being of the Body yet they have small Influence on Christian Communion and until they lose that Name are scarce able to disturb or break the Unity of the Church which is the thing I am to Explain VIII The Parts of our Christian Unity are so close Knit together that they seem to Lead Us by the Hand from the one to the other so that it may seem somewhat a wonder how Persons should for the Generality be so wofully mistaken about them For having thus laid the Foundation of Faith and being Actually Admitted by the Sacrament of Baptism it will I suppose be easily Agreed on all Hands That Persons are not only Admitted to the Priviledges and Benefits of the Society but come under an Obligation to observe the Laws and do the Duties of the Society for no Society whatsoever whether Sacred or Civil ever admitted any to their Priviledges without Tying them up to their Rules 'T is true that in some Societies there are certain Honorary or Titular Members but it is indeed only a Title For where they are excepted from duty they are excluded from benefit But this is peculiar to the Christ an Religion that it admits none such but whoever doth become a Member professing it must fall under an Obligation to perform the Duties it requires And by this we may perceive what further Progress our Christian Unity must make for we must be United in the Consent Profession and Practice of all those things which according to our several stations in that Society the Laws of Christianity do require from us Now these may have relation either to particular Christians or to them as embodied in particular Societies or to them considered under the Notion of Subjects and Governours Or lastly to the Duty and Behaviour of Governours towards each other IX Every particular Christian is bound to the Sincere and constant Profession and Exercise of all those Christian Duties which the Gospel requires of every one in their single Capacities as Humility Sobriety Temperance Patience and the like And their Concurrence in and due Observance of these things is not only very profitable and Comfortable to Themselves but very Honourable to their Society But above all we are Commanded to Put on Charity Col. 3. 14. and that not only for this Reason that it Virtually conteins and in its own Nature directs and provokes to the Practice of all other Christian Duties on which Account the Apostle in the following words stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also because our Saviour himself hath made it the Character and Badge of his Followers For saith he John 13. 35. By this shall all Men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another X. But here it is to be Considered that these Vertues of particular Christians have been and may be so fairly Copied out and handsomely Exercised by Heathâ—ns and Unbelievers that to outward Appearance the one cannot be distinguished from the other And though the Vertues of Christians are really distinguishable from the like in Heathens from their Principles and Ends yet these Principles and Ends are things in themselves not seen And therefore that those Vertues may appear to proceed from such Christian Principles and Ends they must be practised in Conjunction with such other Duties as do apparently Testifie what Principles we own And that Charity it self may be a Mark of Christs Disciples it must carry them on to those Exercises which he hath Commanded his Worshippers to joyn in Now this cannot be done only by separate well living but by joyning in that Worship and Christian Communion which the Laws of Christ and the Nature of that Church or Society he hath Instituted doth Require
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
in the Empire of another Site had any peculiar and proper Jurisdiction over the Britannick Churches or whether they were any part of his Diocess as the word in its largest Acception signifies A Division containing several Provinces And this I think will be fully Answered if I prove That in Relation to the Britannick Church either he had no such Jurisdiction or none by Right V. That the Government of the Church was left in the Hands of the Bishops I shall prove hereafter But for the more convenient and advantageous Management of the Churches Affairs there began very early a particular Deference Respect and Observance to be paid to the Bishop of the principal City where the Secular Governour had his Residence He at first was called Episcopus primae Vrbis or Sedis Afterwards a Metropolitan But some overgrown Cities whose Numbers Wealth and Interest enabled them to overtop and oppress Others as it were Naturally Infused into their Bishops a Spirit of Ambition to extend their Jurisdiction and Power Answerably to the Grandeur of their City These Mens Encroachments were for a long time stoutly opposed but Power naturally following Strength Wealth and Interest and an Advantage being given them by the New Division of the Empire by Constantine they in the End prevail'd and Grasp'd so large Jurisdiction as to have several Metropolitans under them and obtained their first Ratification in the Council of Chalcedon as our late Learned Bishop of Oxford hath â—lâ—arly proved Account of Church-Govern These at first were called Exaâ—chs afterwards Patriarchs and sometimes Primates Of this new Booty without fail the Bishop of Rome as Bishop of the most Renowned City in the World and the Ancient Seat of the Empire carried away no small Share for he was always of Kin to the Lion in the Fable who when the Prey came to be divided made the Beasts that Hunted with him Content with a very small pittance if he was so gracious as to allow any thing But yet this New Exorbitant Power did not swallow up the whole Church but in many Places they still Lived in their Ancient Liberty Governed by their Bishops and Metropolitans without being subject to any Pratriarch of which the Cyprian Churches are a famous Instance in the East and I can yet see nothing to perswade me to think otherwise of the Britannick in the West VI. Never any Succession of Men have stood so constantly on their Guard and have been so watchful diligent and industrious upon all occasions to depress others and Exalt themselves as the Bishops of the Roman See All was Fish that ever come to their Net If they could at any time steal into a Jurisdiction though never so unjustly they would never quit it or not without strong Tugging and eternal Claiming And therefore Considering this Temper it were a fair Proposal that Setting aside Flams and Impertinencies they would produce any fair Footsteps of a proper Jurisdiction exercised by the Bishop of Rome over the Britons within the space of a Hundred years after the Council of Chalcedon For when Men have always been so busie in Acquiring so tenacious in Keeping so severe in Exercising Jurisdiction and want no Records unless what themselves have either falsifyed or abused That these Men can produce no good Evidence for such a Jurisdiction to Me it seems a good Argument that from the Beginning there was none If bare Claims and those coming after were enough no Man could live in Peace And therefore he that will thrust another out of possession for his own benefit must well and clearly prove his Title Had these Islands belonged to the Roman Patriarch there was no strength in them to have kept out his Power when it was back'd with the least Shew of Right If therefore it cannot be proved that the Bishop of Rome was in possession of such Jurisdiction here at or near the time that Patriarchates were setled he may let his Suit fall unless he have more Hopes from force or fraud then Right In this Cafe if in any that Common Rule Idem est non esse non apparere hold good And the rather because the Canon that Confirms Patriarchates supposeth the former Exercise of fuch Jurisdiction by Custom What by degrees he gained long after may serve well enough to prove him an Usurper but can Create him no Right as I shall prove Anon. VII Now though it be all the Reason in the World that if the Romanists will pretend a Title they should prove it yet I will not barely insist upon Possession on our part without giving some Reasons that may manifest our Right to it If the Patriarchate of the Bishop of Rome was Confined to the Suburbicary Churches it is most certain that the Britons lay too far off to be Hook'd in by that Title What other Evidence can be brought for the certain Bounds of his Patriarchate I cannot tell I have met with no better And this having been plainly Assigned to him it will concern them to bring their Proofs who will extend it further and therefore I will not longer insist on it Yet this among other Reasons moves me to think that as Patriarch he had no proper Jurisdiction either over the Gallican or Spanish Churches and divers others otherwise then as he might sometimes interpose as an Honourary Arbitrator or at other times upon a nicking Opportunity with the diligence of a watchful Usurper invade their Rights That the French Churches came not under his Authority in the same way and manner that some Others did the Liberties of the Gallican Churches so stoutly Maintained to this very day are an irrefragable Instance And perhaps that is almost the only Church of the Roman Communion which affords us any Hope that the Cause may one day come to a more equal Hearing and Matters be brought more to Rights in the Church of God But as for our selves if the Bishop of Rome never Exercised any such Patriarchal Jurisdiction over the Britons nor would they own or submit to any such considering the low Estate of the One and the Power Arts and indefatigable Industry of the other it will be a Convincing Argument to any unprejudiced Person that he never had any such Jurisdiction here That he did Exercise any such Jurisdiction I deny And it will Concern them to Convince Me by clear Instances of the contrary who will Assert it But if it were possible that they could tell me Five Hundred Tales of Persons sent over hither by the Bishop of Rome I shall not Value it one Rush For if wherever he sends one of an Errand he Requires the Jurisdiction of the place as he hath the Privilege which never Man had so if he hath not been very negligent and false to his own Interest he might long since have gained the Jurisdiction of the whole World and that is certainly too much for a Patriarch which is our present dispute But though I am not bound to prove the Negative yet
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
then his Predecessor And he in Zeal for the Propagation of the Faith Attempts to perswade not only the Britons but the Irish to joyn with him in the Work only he seems very desirous that they would all unite in observing Easter at the same time But as for the Britons they were so far from any Accommodation that they would not Allow of any Communion with him Nor was his success at present much better with the Irish for though he Hoped to find them otherwise yet he was deceived and upon Discovery it is Acknowledged with some Grief Scottos i. e. the Irish for Beda's Scotti are Irish nihil discrepare à Britonibus in eorum Conversatione Bed Ecc. Hist lib. 2. cap. 4 and the Behaviour of Digamus an Irish Bishop did not a little trouble him of whom he has this Complaint Ad nos venienâ— non solum cibum Nobiscum sed nec in eodem hospitio quo vescebâ—mur sumere voluit id ib. so that it seems the Roman Bishops would have been content to have Communicated with the Brittish and Irish Bishops and allowed them Orthodox but the other would not own them to be so XIII By the Way give me leave to observe That the Britons Scots and Irish all unanimously Agreed in the same Religious Rites As to the Irish and Britons it appears from what hath been said already and will be more evident from what shall follow As fâ—r that part of the Island now called Scotland it was then inhabited partly by the Scotti who Flockt thither out of Ireland and from whom it afterwards took its Name And partly by the Britons under the Name of Picts For he that Considers Mr. Cambdens Reasons to prove them Britons will never be at the pains to fetch them so far as Scithia Brit. tit Picti And when Beda tells us of Columbanus an Irish Abbot going to Convert the Picts he Confesses That the Southern Picts had been Christians long before and so might the Northern too though it is probable that living in those wilde Countreys and continually Exercised in Wars and Rapine they might be so far degenerated that the Recovering them to the true sense and state of Christianity might not unfitly be called a Conversion Now as Columbanus was an Irish Man so Nynias who long before Converted the Southern Picts was a Briton And therefore doubtless both Taught the same Rites wherein both People Agreed But perhaps much stress is not to be laid on the Story so far as it Relates to Nynias For Beda tells that part of it with an ut perhibetur noâ— was he well skilled in the Ancient Brittish Affairs And I am apt to think That for the Honour of the Roman Way which Beda upon all Occasions promotes he patch'd that Piece to his Heard say Tale That Nynias was Romae regulariter Fidem Mysteria Veritatis edoctus for the Britons at that time had little or no Converse with the Roman Christians though they eveâ— kept a kind Correspondence and Friendly Communion with the French Nor can I find one clear instance that any part of the British Scotch or Irish Churches till after Augustines time differed in their Religious Rites especially as to the Observation of Easter Nay it will appear Anon that thâ— Roman Party themselves yielded them to be Unanimous in this thing Yea Beda expressly Affirms That Omnis Natio Pictorum c. The whole Nation of the Picts observe Easter the same Way Ecc. Hist lib. 3. cap. 3. And for the other it is out of Question XIV But to Return to Laurentius He was not only frustrated in his pious Design by the Britons and Irish but fell soon after into a great deal of trouble For after the Death of Ethelbert Religion went backward amongst the Saxonâ— the Pagan Worship and Wickedness got Ground daily and a dreadful Storm seemed to grow up apace and Hang over the Heads of the Christians in so much that Mellitus and Justus the Bishops of London and Rochester discouraged with their ill success and finding themselves not safe Retire into France and Laurentius was once Resolv'd to follow them But it pleased God to be more merciful to these People and propitious to his Endeavours For he seems to have been a Man truly pious and to have discharged all the Parts of a good Christian Bishop And having happily Reclaimed King Eadbald the Son and Successor of Ethelbert he recals Mellitus and Justus And now it is very Reasonable to suppose That he Resolved to lay aside these Punctilio's and little Differences and perswaded Mellitus and Justus who both in their Turns succeeded him to do the same that they might be more serviceable to the main Christian Cause and the Propagation of the Gospel For though the Britons could by no means be Wrought on as either being Jealous of the Roman Clergy or Exasperated by the Injuries which they had and daily did Receive from the Saxons yet the Irish and Scotch who had not the like Quarrel as to their Territories in a short time fall to labour in the Harvest and that very successfully But it should seem that they first Agreed to enjoy their own Liberties and Rites For those who were Converted by them of the Roman Way kept Easter as the Romans did and observed their Rites And those who were Converted by the Irish or Scots followed the Irish Customes which were the same with the Britons and yet both Communicated with each other and joyntly promoted the Common Cause And this with some little Disputes which will always Happen in such Cases continued without any breach of Communion for a very Considerable times Aidan a Scotchman the first Bishop of the Northumbrians preached the Gospel so powerfully and lived so Exemplarily That the Roâ—â—â—istâ— themselves had him in no mean Veneration Nor doth Beda except in the Matter of the Paschal Solemnity in which he forgives no Man afford any Man a fairer or sweeter Character throughout his whole History After seventeen Years toyl God sends him a Writ of Ease and he is Succeeded by his Countreyman Finan who lived in the See ten Years All this time both Romish and British Rites were promiscuously used according as every Man was instructed by him who Converted him and yet both Parties lived in great Charity and Christian Communion And thus it held till the third year of Coleman Finans Successor which was in the Year of our Lord 664. Bed Ecc. Hist lib. 3. cap. 26. And then that turbalent Fellow Wilfrid set it on Foot again and violently push'd on so far that a Synod or Confeâ—ence was had about it where the King the Prince several Bishops and many of the Clergy appear Now Wilfrid had subtilely nickt his time for the King was wavering the Queen and Prince sure on his side and Agilbertus Bishop of the West Saxons a stiff Assertor of the Roman Way was then occasionally come to that Court The King opens the Conference and desires his Bishop
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
Converts then Dogs he might have made it a strong Argument for their professing Obedience and Subjection to the See of Rome In fine he will have their Answer Amount to no more but this That only they would not Acknowledge Augustines Superiority over them seeing be was sent only to the English And that the Authority of their own Arch bishop was not taken away by his coming for any thing they knew but remained as before 3 Conver cap. 2. sect 14. What pity is it that Augustine did not better inform them it seem's they would have been a very obedient People had they known the Pope's Orders and been told the Truth of the Matter But it is an unlucky thing that when a Man with Working his Wits has devised an Answer that would do the Business he should not have the Privilege to make it pass for Truth unless it be so in it self Now all this is spoken by a Figure called Fiction which the rude Vvlgar call Lying For the Britons no more regarded the Pope then they did Augustine I have already set down the Answer of Dinothus Abbot of Bangor to which Jeoffery's words Relate and he who will be at the pains to read it will see That it is as expressly and directly Levelled against the Pope's Authority or Supremacy if it must be so called as could be well fâ—amed They impugne Augustines Authority by denying the Pope and own no Superiour but the Bishop of Caerleon who was to oversee under God over them or according to the Brittish had the only Eye over them under God And this they Confirm by their unanimous Practice despising all Orders from Rome and obstinately refusing all Communion with Augustine and his Successors Yet this and more F. Parsons Chymistry can melt into Obedience and an Acknowledgement of the Pope's Supremacy At this Rate who can doubt of Miracles in the Church of Rome XXIII In the next place he is highly Offended with the Magdeburgenses for speaking so irreverently of Pope Innocent the First and his Testimony That all the West Churches were Founded by St. Peter on his Disciples and Successors And it is no wonder if Pope Innocent spoke out for himself and it may go a great way where they have not to do with such Hereticks as expect Proofs If this be true why has F. Parsons discovered some such First Founders of the Brittish Churches as were none of Peters Disciples or Successors His Forgetfulness sometimes doth his Holy Father as much injury as the Magdeburgians malice neither doth it carry any force of Truth because by rheir own Confession there was a time when Easter was not so exactly observed as now it is whether there was a Stated Church at Rome then or not and that the Conversion of the Britons was at that time I see not any better Account can be Given To Help out this he tells us of Two more Popes Honorius and John the fourth who wrote to the Irish to reduce them from this Errour But Honorius will do him small service because in that Account which Beda gives of his Letter Ecc. Hist lib. 2. cap. 19. it is clearly implied that the whole Nation was involved in it and so we have a Pope on our Side to set against him that follows His Pope John was searce Pope then at Best he was but â—lect And the Letter seems to comâ— as ' I may say from the Chapter in the Vacancy of the See and of those many who joyn in Writing it Hilarius the Arch-Presbyter not John is first mentione but for once let John have the Credâ—t of it and he then will tell us That this Heresie i.e. concerning Easter was but lately sprung up amongst them and only some sew infected with it But now how John and Honorius will Agree about this I cannot tell For once I will be so kind to F. Parsons as to try if I can make them Friends The Brittish and Irish Usage was in this Western part of the World a great Singularity in those days Now if John had a Mind to draw them off from it who can blame him from speaking favourably and representing the Matter as inoffensively as could be The Way to Win Men is not to provoke them and we sometimes seem not to believe that a Man is so bad as we know he is because we would not harden him with shame but have a defire to make him better But when Men purposely and designedly speak sparingly their Words are not to be brought as an Evidence of the whole Matter But the Truth is they had little knowledge of our state but by uncertain Relations Gregory the Great himself when he saâ— the English Children Sold in the Market knew not whether their Nation was Christian or Pagan Augustine even for some time after his Coming hither knew not the Usage of the Britons yea even Laurentius his Successor had much such an opinion of the Irisb as F. Parfons till Time and Experience undeceived him And therefore such Forreigners as were far more ignorant of our Affairs we may justly except against as incompetent Witnesses especially they being the very Men who taught these Men their Errour which their Eyes and Eares after Convinced them of XXIV But now comes the Knocking Argument to this Effect That neither Damianus and others sent by Eleutherius nor St. German and his Fellows who came twice hither to oppose the Pelagianâ— make any mention of this Usage which they would have done and Amended it too had they found it here Because saith he both Pope Pius and Pope Victor had before Condemned it for Heretical I could thank the Jesuite for this Argument for it mortally Wounds his own Cause I will not again dispute the Mission of Damianus or Deruvianus or what other Names the Jesuite will give Him nor will I insist on it that Germanus and Lupus were sent by the French at the Request of the Britons and not by the Pope But if that Usage was universally practised by the Bâ—itttish and Irish and no good Instance appear that it was ever otherwise as I have already proved and that it continued for a long time after then it will unavoidably follow that the Britons were not under the Roman Jurisdiction nor thought themselves bound to stand to the Popes Determination Yea fuâ—â—her that these very Men whom he saith the Pope sent were of the same Mind or else dealt very unfaithfully in making no stir about it Nay being the French Churches did Communicate both with Brittisb and Irish at that time when they not only Maintained this Usage in opposition to Rome but refused Communion with their Bishops It is an Argument that they neither thought the Bishop of Romes Decrees did bind the Britons nor that the thing was so Heretical in it self For certainly they would never have so freely and Friendly Maintained Communion with them had they stood in open opposition and professed disobedience to their proper Patriarch By this a Judgement
no Obedience which the Pope could lawfully Claim nor Cast off any Authority that he was possessâ—d of in Right For being there were then Churches in these Illes setled under their Bishops according to the primitive Forme and Usage and Owed no Subjection to the Bishop of Rome either as Metropolitan or Patriarch as hath been proved then whatever Pretences he can now make â—or any Authority over us are by the Councel determined to be void And what Usurpatiòns soever he hath made are Adjudged to be Restored So that if they have no better Arguments then the Bishop of Rome's Authority as Patriarch that will do them no service here but it will rather Appear That we have proceeded very Canonically in our Reformation XXIX Thus much will clearly Appear That as the Bishops of those populous and powerful Cities Rome Antioch and Alexandria were ever and Anon making Inroads upon other Mens Jurisdiction So the Three First General Councels were very careful to Fence the Liberties of the Church against their and all others Encroachments For as for the Second General Councel which I have Omitted any Man may be abundantly satisfied who will take the pains to Read The Account of the Government of the Christian Church written by the Learned Dr. Parker late Bishop of Oxford Yet either Tyred with endless strugling or over-born with power or out-witted by Cunning or rather wrought on by all these means theÌ„ Fourth General Councel did plainly Amplifie their Power For after the Translation of the Seat of the Empire to Constantinople the Bishop of that place by the favour of the Emperour by the Power of the City by the Assistance of Dependants and by a lucky Opportunity offered from the New Division of the Empire suddenly starts up from a mean Suffragan to be the Second and perhaps most powerful Bishop of the Empire And now a Councel Meeting at Chalcedon just under his Nose and Consisting mostly of Eastern Bishops and many of them his Dependants and where the Emperour some time Appeared in Person and his Ministers all along bore a great sway This he thought was the time if ever to get that done which no Councel before would hearken to And to obtain a Confirmation of that exorbitant Jurisdiction which that Ravenous See had seized in few yeares space But in doing this he is constrained to do Others Business that he might do his own And here first we find one set over the Head of the Metropolitan and an Appeal from Him Ratified by Canon And thus the Bishops of those great Cities Mounted into Exarchs afterwards called Patriarchs and the Bishop of Constantinople got the best Share There was doubtless no mean Artifice used in the Managery of this Matter for it seems to be rather Slurr'd upon the Councel then Acted by them And the Foxes themselves the Bishop of Rome's Legats were here caught and all they could do was afterwards to Protest against Proceedings in this Matter But when Leo heard of it at Rome he fell a Roaring at no Rate not that he had too little but taht the Bishop of Constantinople had too much He was in a bodily fear of such a dangerous Competitour who on a sudden had from almost Nothing Risen to such Greatness that he was able to Cope with Him And by the Grandeur of his City his Interest in the Clergy and favour of the Emperour might in a short time be able to over-top Him It is not unlikely that Leo might think that he could have scrambled well enough for Himself without the Help of any such Canon and might possibly look on it as a Confinement But whatever he thought his Plea is clear contrary and that he might depress the Rising Constantinopolitan he is Tooth and Nail for the Nicene Canons and the power of Metropolitans which by the Way is an Argument that it was not then thought that the Nicene Canons Erected Patriarchates as some since Maintain The Issue of this Quarrel I am not concerned to pursue But granting the Bishop of Rome to be here made Patriarch you see he doth not care to accept it But suppose him to be Nâ—lens Volâ—ns invested with it yet the Churches in these Isles were out of the Reach of it and lived long after in their former state and freedom and therefore may still Challenge the Benefit of the Ephesme Canon against Usurpations XXX But now let us for once suppose what can never be proved viz. That the Patriarchate of the Bishop of Rome was Legally and Canonically extended â—ver these Isles yet what Feats will this do for him even under Patriarchates for they did not obtain in all places of the Empire the power of Metropolitans was still Reserved they still Ordained the Bishops of their Provinces they did Convene and hold Provincial Synods and determined Matters as formerly Only whereas the Metropolitan was before Ordained in his Province by his Suffragans now he was to be Ordained by the Patriarch or at least with his Consent and there lay an Appeal from him and his Synod In short the Power of a Patriarch Consisted in certain known lastances but chiefly in Conjunction with the Bishops of his Diocess or Exarchate Now what a pitiful shrivel'd thing would the Pope think this if it were offered him How would he fret and storm if we should thus Admit Him and Tye his Hands behind Him And yet as Patriarch this is all he can Claim But to Claim that and ten times more where he hath not so much as a Patriarchal Right is such a Piece of Impudence as none would be guilty of but those who can blush at nothing And therefore it will be best not to trust him but hold our own as long as we can XXXI Upon the same Supposition we may still proceed further and Enquire whether a Patriarchal Power do Entitle a Man to all he can Grasp or lay his Hands on Are we so fast bound that there is no getting quit of Him though he Command such Matters as dishonour God disturb the Church mislead Christians out of the true Way and does Actually Tyranâ—ize over Mens Souls Bodies and Estates Patriaschal Autherity was first Instituted for the good of the Church that Order might be preserved Purity of Religion secured all Persons contained in and held to their Duties and Heresies and Schisms prevented But now if this Power be made use of against all these Ends must the good of the Church give way to 〈◊〉 of it to the good of the Church That it has been and is abused by the Bishop of Rome contrary to all these Ends might be fully proved by an Induction of Particulars but that would lead Me into too large a Field And I shall therefore Omit here because it will be done hereafter when I shall insist on those particular Heads which prove the Romanasts guilty of the Schism Besides a Patriarch is only a Bishop with an extended Jurisdiction The Bishop is the highest Order in Gods
Church the Patriarchate is only an Ecclesiastical Gift or Institution whereby the Bishop of a certain place is Entrusted with the oversight of more Churches for the Enlarging Communion and securing Religion Now if any Bishop go against the Canons or teach false doctrine or encourage lewd Practices and preach up ill Manners his Flock might desert Him and joyn in Communion with such as were Orthodox If a Metropolitan took such Courses the Bishops of his Province might cast Him off and Govern their Churches by themselves independently of Him And of a Patriaâ—ch who hath somewhat a greater trust shall at the same Rate abuse it he ought the more speedily to be Renounced to Avoid the greater Mischief and Detriment which will otherwise befal the Church of God Ecclesiastical Constitutions must give way to Divine and when instead of serving them they overthrow or frustrate them they are ipso facto void and null Let us suppose that a Person were Recommended to the Pope to be Consecrated or Instituted Archbishop of Gaenterbury besides the tedious Waiting and large Feeing that must be in the Case his Holiness will have for First-Fruits 10000 Florens and for the Pall 5000 for these were the old Rates And besides all this to secure the New Archbishep to be at his devotion at all times for the future will force Him to take an Oath not of Canonical Obedience but of Fealty for that they have brought it to Now perhaps the King may not be willing that such great Summs of Money should from time to time be dreyned out of the Nation And as much more Averse that his Subjects should Swear Allegiance to another Prince as thinking it prejudicial to his absolute Sovereignty and inconsistent with the safety and peace of his Kingdoms What shall be the Issue of rhis Either the Person Recommended and King too must yield or we must have no Metropolitan and the King shall be Excommunicated And if he continue stubborn and obstinate in the Right perhaps the whole Kingdom shall be put under an Interdict And so if your Purses be not at the Popes service and your Persons his Slaves you shall not be suffered so much as to Worship God Now is not this a fine Patriarch And would it not be a great Sin to cast Him off and serve God whether he will or no This Power the Pope has used this Power he still pretends to and he that Claims an Authority against God and his Worship who was only Entrusted for it hath Forfeited his Trust and fallen from the Honour of it XXXII I shall now only Advance one step higher and then leave this mighty Patriarch till we Meet him again in another disguise Let us still suppose the Roman Patriarchate to have extended over these Isles Nay more be it supposed that the Pope is his Holiness indeed and that he could be accused of no ill Management yet I doubt not but his Patriarchate hath of it self in course failed ceased and become void at least so far as Relates to their Churches And that too by those very Laws and Canons of the Ancient Church which may seem to have Erected or Countenanced it The Motives Reasons and Ends of a Law ought to be well Considered because It is not the Words and Phrases but the Sense and Meaning which is the Law And therefore we commonly say That Ratio Legis Lex est Now nothing can be more plain then that the Bounds of Eccsesiastical Jurisdiction were Framed on purpose that they might not interfere with the Civil Power And as hereby the Church manifested her Tenderness and Regard to it and the Subjection of her Members so She Reaped no small Benefit by it Hence the Limits of Jurisdiction in the Church followed the Divisions of the State Where the Governour of the Province had his Residence there of course the Metropolitical Authority placed it self and the Bishop of that City was he whom the Apostles Canons Can. 35. call the First to whom all the other Bishops of the Province are to have such a peculiar Regard that they are to Act nothing of Common Concern without his Corcurrence And so after the Division of the Empire into Diocesses suddenly rose up that Rank of Men since called Patriarchs But by the way we must observe that this did not take in all places For in some Cities where the Vicars of the Empire Resided were not of Strength Interest and Power sufficient to Mount their Bishops into Patriarchs Besides the Bishops of the Church were exceeding jealous of this new start-up Power as savouring more of Worldly Pride then Episcopal Care and therefore kept it out wherever they could And the wary African Bishops made a Decree against so much as the Use of the Name And great Reason they had for it for it would be no hard Matter to prove that by this means crept in those Abuses and Corruptions into the Church which are now Maintained with a Pretence of Authority and therefore the more Remediless Moreover as this new Honour was dangerous so it was needless for the Diocesses though they seemed to swallow up yet they did not destroy the Provinces So that the Metropolitical Authority remained still Suited to the Government of the State and was much more safe and better Fitted to keep out Secular Pride Vanity and Worldly Pomp out of the Church And though it was thought requisite that the Ecclesiastical should Comply with the Civil Government so far as to be useful in the State yet it was never thought needful to run out into all Divisions of Civil Government so as to be prejudicial to the Church But however if those Laws of the Church which Erected or Confirmed Metropolitical or Patriarchal Power proceed upon this Grand Reason That the Government of the Church might be Agreeable to the State then it is Apparent that they never did immoveably Fix such Authority to any particular places for Alteratioâ—s often happening in States that might be clear contrary to their designes But thâ— End Sense and Meaning of those Laws must be this that the Governours of the Church should always be careful that the Limits of Church mens Jurisdiction should be made to Comply with the Divisions and Limits of the Civil Government under which they live that both may Sit easie and be useful to each other And doubtless the God of Order never intended that his Church should Fill the World with Disturbance and Confusion which will be unavoidable if those two Powers be always Clashing If then such Civil Divisions are abolishâ—d and the Government ceased or altered for whose sake such Metropolitical or Patriarchal Power was Erected then those very Laws themselves which first Erected it do in their professed Design Reason and Intention not only disannul it but direct the Governours of the Church to establish or procure the Establishment of such other Limits of Jurisdiction as may be more satisfactory to the State and beneficial to the Church Indeed
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
the Weakness the Heedlessness or the Malice of some Persons may mistake or corrupt it Thus the Millenary Errour sprang from Papias misunderstanding John the Elder And his Authority again seems to have Influenced Irenaeus and Justin Martyr But this Meeting with Opposition in the Church and being in the End Exploded it hath only the Reputation of a very early Mistake and serves well for an Instance to shew how quickly Tradition may be Corrupted unless the Churches of God be exceeding vigilant What the Apostles taught for the Common Concern of our Salvation in anâ— one Church they taught the same in all and therefore unless they all Agree that there is a Mistake is certain whether there be a Tradition or where it lies is uncertain and so at least it is useless But though here and there a Man might in some particular things mistake the Apostles and by their means Others might be deceived yet that all Persons of all Churches should clearly mistake the Apostles in any necessary matter notwithstanding they lived so long and daily so Laboured in the Word and Doctrine is a thing incredible And therefore wherein they unanimously Agree concerning the Doctrine of the Apostles no doubt but it is the best Exposition of the Doctrine in the Scriptures the same things being written for our perpetual Instruction which were at first preached for the benefit of the then living Generation Fourthly That Traditions be always deduced from the First Ages of the Church for Traditions are received not made And if they proceeded not from Apostles and Apostolick Persons they can never become genuine Traditions afterwards What was delivered to the â—â—â—st Churches though since neglected lost or forgotten was a true and genuine Tradition and is so still if it can be discovered But if any thing be Vouched as a Tradition though of a Thousand yeares standing and more yet if it came not from the First Churches it is not a Tradition but an Imposture And such are most of the Roman Traditions much like those of the Pharisees of whom our Saviour saith That they had made the Commandment of God of none effect by their Traditions Mat 15. 6. and yet they called them the Traditions of the Elders verse 2. and stood then up for their Antiquity as stoutly as the Other do now But as Tertullian observes lib. de Praeserip Veritas mendacio prior est And therefore here we are to follow not quod Antiquum but quod Antiquissâ—num Lastly that a Difference be observed as to Traditions according to their Nature and Rise There are Traditions of particular Churches arising mostly from the Orders and Constitutions of some Venerable Apostolick Persons made and prescribed to the Churches which they respectively Governed These Claim a Respect not only upon the Account of their suitableness to Order but also in Honour of the Persons from whom they came but yet they oblige not other Churches None indeed ought to contemn them but they may lawfully either use or disuse them as their present Churth-Governours shall think Fitting for the benefit of the present Churches Some Traditions are more Universal as proceeding from the Apostles themselves but if they be only concerning things in their own Nature indifferent neither are these immutably binding That some such were is Apparent from that of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 34. The Rest will I set in Order when I come But if any Man can certainly tell Me what Orders he made Erit mihi magnus Apollo And perhaps the Apostle never Committed them to Writing lest an over-great Veneration to Apostolical Authority should Run other Churches into an inconvenience For those very Orders though most wisely Fitted to the Church of Corinth might at the same time be inconvenient for other Churches yea for the very self-same Church in following times For though some indifferent things must of Necessity be determined because otherwise the Solemn Worship will unavoidably he disorderly and indecent yet such Orders can never be so Fixed for all Churches as to be of a perpetual immutable and unalterable Nature For Climates Customes Times Persons do variously alter the state of Matters so that what is prudenrly Constituted in one Church may be very inconveniently and indiscreetly enjoyned in another And therefore though such Apostolical Constitutions deserve Veneration as being unquestionably best Fitted to the then present Churches yet it remains in the Power of Church-Governours to lay them aside upon just Occasion and Constitute Others in their Room as may be most for the good of the Churches Again some Traditions concern the Practice of the Universal Church which obtained in all places and these have their Ground and Warrant from Scripture but their particular Determination from Church-Authority which is still preserved to us by Tradition Of this we have a clear Instance in the Fasts and Feasts of the Church as Gods Signal Mercies require our Solemn Thanksgivings so our own Sins especially the publick Call on us openly to Humble our Souls before God and to give manifest Testimony of our Repentance Besides to tame our unruly Affections and Fit us for the discharge of our Duty Acts of Mortification are very requisite To this the Scriptures direct us and thereof gives us many Instances But when this shall be done I mean publickly for as to private Thanksgiving or Mortification relating to Mens private Concerns they may use their Discretion provided that they thwart not the Orders of the Church is partly pointed out to us by the times when such Mercies were received or Evil done and partly determined by Ecclesiastical Authority And this even Natural Reason it self doth so fully teach that there never were any Men of any Religion how barbarous soever but they had their Solemn Fasts and Feasts Upon this Account I was very sorry to find a Relation in Mr. Ricaut St. of Turk to this Effect That certain Fanatical Merchants of ours Residing at Smyrna and some other parts of the Turks Dominions being observed to keep neither Fast nor Feast but to use every day alike all Persons presently esteemed them as Men of no Religion and look'd on them as Persons who thought they had no God against whom they could offend nor from whom they had or might hope to receive Favours But though these Men were of our Countrey they were not of our Communion And we are not to Answer for their ill Examples who have forsaken us chiefly for this Reason that they might take their full swinge in Running a Whoring after their own Inventions The most Ancient Feasts and Fasts are Appointed by the Constitutions of our Church and Conâ—â—rmed by the Laws of the Land If we regard not some in the Roman Church it is because they are Apparently of later date and introduced by their own Authority which obligeth not us Besides we much doubt of the Popes Skill in discerning these later Saints but more of his power to make them such If it be
in Order to its being a Representative it be necessary that the Persons Appearing be Elected from the Church-Members of particular Churches the Consequence will be That the first four Famous General Councels were not lawful Councels for they Met by the Emperours Summons not by Election from the People And therefore upon this Supposition could not be duely Convocated Besides if a Deputation of the People or Church-Members be necessary let the Honour or Orders of the Persons deputed be what it will they must Represent mostly as Laymen for such are Incomparably the sar greater Number But we read not of any Bishops Sitting in Councel but as Bishops and subscribing as Bishops and taking place there by vertue of their own Authority as Bishops not by any Deputation unless perhaps some Person Appeared for some absent Bishop as well as himself or as the Legate of some Bishop But then a Commission or Deputation from that absent Bishop was sufficient without so much as Consulting any Church-Members I do not say but that some Persons were Chosen on purpose to be sent to Councels but then they were either such Priests or Deacons as the Bishops thought Fit to take along with them or were pitch'd on by the Advice of their Clergy And we have a Custom amongst our selves that Two out of every Diocess be Chosen and sent to the Provincial Synod or Convocation And thought it is Reasonable that some should be there who by daily Inspection and Experience understand the Countreys Affairs and the Circumstances of the Rural Clergy upon whom not the least part of the Burthen lies yet the great Reason is this That the Determinations of the Convocation may pass into the Law of the Land which they cannot do unless the Convocation consists of such Persons as the Law requires whose Acts must be Ratified by the King also to that purpose But then those Persons so Chosen are only the Proctors of the Clergy not Deputies of the People And Canons for the Church might be made without them though not Laws of the Land And indeed the Romanists themselves though they talk loud of a Councels being the Churches Representative yet sometimes they are as dumb again and willing to let it sleep or to shift it off When they have to do with private Persons or such whom they Call Hereticks then they talk big of their pack'd Councels and what a Madness it is to withstand the Representative of the whole Church of God This looks great and seems to carry no small Authority with it But if Discourse happen of a Councel in Relation to the Pope then they are as Mute as Fishes or Mince the Matter and will by no means be induced to speak out as to any such Authority in Councels of themselves And it is well known That the Tridentines were never suffered to use the Phrase Repraesentans universalem Ecclefiam though many stickled hard for it the Pope being in no small fear that an Inference would be thence drawn That any Member how great soever was Inferiour to the Representative of the whole Body of Gods Church the Consequence of which might have been fatal to Himself But the Question concerning the Right to or Exercise of Authority in any diffusive Body of Men whether Ecclesiastical or Civil perhaps deserves a more thorough Examination then it hath ever yet undergone And consequently whether any can And if any then who and how far they can make a Representative I may perhaps have Occasion to discourse of it hereafter but shall not in this place IV. He that proceeds only in a destructive way gives too much Advantage to Loose Wits and in stead of Instructing unsettles weak Heads It is therefore but just that he who opposeth what he thinks a Mistake should set down what he thinks right lest he do more hurt by leaving nothing to build upon then he doth good by discovering an Errour which perhaps might be harmless if Consequences of too great moment were not Wire-drawn from it If therefore we should say That a Councel ie as far as Relates to such Churches whose Bishops Appear in Councel is the Church Authoritative and in Consequence the Representative as bringing â—ith it all that Authority Christ left in his Church and which he Lodg'd in his Church-Officers by Vertue of which Authority they Represent and not by any Deputation from the People or Church Members I think that with submission to better Judgements it would be much more plain in the Explication and facile in the Reasons of it And thence would Evidentâ—y Appear the true Grounds of the different force of their Decrees and Canons For in what Relates to Discipline and external Government every Bishop hath Power to make Orders in his own Church And when they are Met in Councel together for the Agreement and Harmony of Churches and better upholding Communion they may make Rules binding all those Churches and in all things lawful and honest they are to be obeyed For in their Hands God left the Government of his Church as a Church And it is no less then an Apostoâ—ical Command in reference to Church-Governours Obey them thâ—e have the Rule over you and submit your selves c Heb 13. 17. And this is so clear from the Practice of the Pâ—imitire Church that to bâ—ing a few Instances were only to light a Candle to the â—un But then those â—egimental Rules or Orders were not binding to those Churches whose Bâ—shops were not there either by themselves or their Delegates and Consenting to them though they were bound to observe them whenever upon any Occasion they came to any of those Churches on whom they were laid And also had a Power to Receive and Confirm them if they found them convenient for their Churches and so to make them Obligatory ex post facto though they themselves were not at the Councel And it is further Observable That Constitutions of this Nature were never thought to be so unalterable and binding But that not only following General Councels might alter them but even Provincial Councels in some Cases might Rescind what more General Councels had Appointed For no Laws are binding contrary to their own End and Design Now the End and Design of their Constitutions being the Peace and Benefit of the Churches and for the most part in Matters of themselves by Nature indifferent or mutable It can hardly be that in all things their General Sanctions should Hit the Condition of all Churches for Climates alter Men much And the Humours Inclinations and Customes oâ— People much vary in different places yea not seldom in the same place in different Ages So that what is convenient easie and useful in one place may be inconvenient uneasie and unprofitable in another If therefore by Reason of the Condition of some particular Church or Churches which was not well made known to the General Councel some of their Constitutions should prove to be really and truly Burthensom and Offensive to