Places where there was no Oecumenicall Council to command it no secular Power to enforce it no want of Pride and Ambition to controul it had it not been commended to their reception and made currant by a Divine Signature No arbitrary contrivance checked with difficulties and destitute of all externall advantages to promote the Propagation of it even found so sudden uniform and generall an Establishment Had it been a Usurpation upon the rights and immunities of Presbyters it being it matter not latent but apert and manifest no doubt some would have been so just to themselves as to have stood up in their own Defence and so zealous as to have encountered it with a direct opposition yet we read nothing of this nature till three hundred Years after in Aerius's time and then all the recompence which he received was the infamy of Heresie Heresie being an errour in the Foundation and the foundation being inclusive of that which relates to Practice and Government as well as Doctrine in Religious government as well as Civil there is something which is Fundamental he advancing an opinion diametrically opposite to what was then reputed the basis of Ecclesiasticall Policy did take a compendious course to expose himself to this imputation His separation from the Communion of the Church was not the reason of this charge that being if we may be allowed to speak properly Schism and not Heresie Nor his Arianism S. Austin and Epiphanius assign him in their Catalogues a place distinct from that which is appropriated to Arius And it will be difficult to find a more authentick Testimony for the identity of their Heresie than those two have given for the diversity Had the Episcopall Constitution been in any respect a defection from the institution of the Apostles how comes it to pass that they themselves should give countenance to it by the performance of many acts peculiar to a Prelate as hath been already declared If their practice was not designed for imitation how came the best of Men in the second and third Century not to understand so much but fall so roundly to a Conformity and without the least hesitancy stile their Bishops the Apostles Successours as most evidently appears by Irenaeus and Tertullian Adv. Har. l. 3. c. 3. de praes c. 32. Though a desire to prove a Succession in Apostolicall doctrine gave occasion for what they assert in this particular yet upon this occasion they plainly own a Succession in Power and Authority Irenaeus proves that the Apostles would not conceal any of the Mysteries of Christian Religion from them because they left them to be their Successours suum ipsorum locum magisterii tradentes delivering to them the same Power Authority they themselves had It will hardly gain belief in the thoughts of those who are acquainted with the consequences of Reason that they who made it their election to endure the greatest torments rather then to violate the least of the Precepts of Christ should so soon as He and his Apostles had left the World erect a government contrary to his Institution that those who were willing to die for the Mystery of Godliness should make it their choice to live under a branch of the Mystery of Iniquity I know the Israelites in a short time in the absence of Moses and after the death of Joshua made a notorious revolt yet this is no argument that these pious and holy Men did the same after the death of the Apostles What the Israelites did was known to be a defection because it was opposite to the practice of Moses and Joshua and encountred with opposition from the Best of men then living But this which some think fit to stile a defection in the Primitive Christians is exactly conformable to Apostolicall practice and was submitted to by those heroick Spirits who by Martyrdom gave the World an undoubted assurance of their Sincerity and Goodness If the practice of the universall Church must be totally set aside as a matter of no consideration in order to the conducting of us into an understanding of the Mind of God one pillar of our Belief will be very much shaken I mean the Authority of some particular Books of Holy Writ for the knowledge of which we are without controversie in no mean degree indebted to it No small diminution will be made in our assurance that Clemens's Epistle to the Corinthians is no part of the Canon and that S Paul's is that Ecclesiasticus is Apocryphall and Ecclesiastes not If custom be of no signification it is strange that S. Paul should appeal to it as no unfit Arbitrator to put a period to those contentions which did molest the Church 1 Cor. 11.16 Indeed it is said that of whatsoever consequence it may be in other cases yet in this before us it cannot be safe to deduce the Divine Will from it because those who were ingaged in it did not look upon themselves as obliged thereunto by any Divine Precept but on the contrary by enlarging the Church's power as the Churches did enlarge by conforming Ecclesiasticall Government to the Civil by managing Spirituall concerns according to the Canons of Synods by acknowledging a Subordination to the civil Power they did manifest that they were acted not by the influence of a Supernall command but by some occasionall and prudentiall considerations To all which I reply in order 1. The Regiment we contend for was universall acknowledged to have its basis in a Divine right as most evidently appears by the twenty ninth Canon of the fourth generall Council 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to depress a Bishop down to the degree of a Presbyter is Sacriledge It will be very difficult to explain how the Synod could pronounce this to be sacrilegious except there was a generall belief that the difference betwixt a Bishop and Presbyter was made by a Sacred Institution Upon this account the Author of the Book of Questions in S. Quae. vet Nov. Test Q. 97. tom 4. p. 775. Frob. Austin affirms Nemo ignorat c. no man is so ignorant but he knows that our Saviour appointed Bishops over Churches for before his Ascension into Heaven he putting his hands upon the Apostles ordained them to be Bishops S. Epist 27. Cyprians words are of the same importance Lege divina fundatum c. it is founded upon a divine Law that every act of the Church should be governed by Bishops Apostolos id est Epist 65. Episcopos Praepositos Dominus elegit Our Lord hath chosen Apostles that is Bishops and Church-governours This is the reason why Prelates in after-ages are sometimes stiled Apostles as Epiphanius in the epistle of Acacius and Paulus and Athanasius in the Coptick Calendar Tom. 1. Petav. Seld. de Synâ—d l. 3. c. 15. This name was used with a design to preserve the memory of the Primitive Institution 2. The enlarging Church-power as the Church did encrease is no argument against the
These were ordained in every Church Act. 14.23 and now an Inspection is to be made whether their demeanour be sutable to the import of their sacred Function At their Ordination the Apostles did not divest themselves of their authority to govern in those places St Paul saies 2 Cor. 11.28 that the care of all the Churches was upon him They conveyed a power as the Sun doth light without being losers by the communication The Elders were ordained to be Episcopi Pastores gregis but the Apostles remained to be Episcopi gregis pastorum Acts 20.17 And therefore St Paul at his Visitation at Miletus cites the Elders to make their appearance and left his Apostolicall injunctions with them and in his instructions to Timothy how to demean himself in the Church of God one branch of his advice is not to receive an accusation against an Elder without the testimony of two or three witnesses which plainly intimates a superiority over them residing both in Himself and Timothy These with the Laity are the Persons to be visited Let us visit our Brethren 4 Here is the place where the Visitation is to be held In every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord. In every City The plantation of the Church was first begun in Cities insomuch that the words Infidell and Pagan that is one inhabiting in a village became Synonimous or terms of the same signification When the Disciples were made fishers of men they cast their nets where there was the greatest confluence and expectations of success When the converts were increased to such a number that one place had not capacity enough to entertain them they were not like Bees when they swarm put into a hive which had no dependance upon that from which they came Though they worshipped God in their apartments yet they continued to be one and the same Society The Unity of the Church was no more prejudiced by this division into divers congregations then the unity of Faith by the division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses In the most eminent Cities although there must necessarily be more Assemblies then one yet we read of the Church in the singular number as the Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 1.2 Acts 13.1 Acts 8.1 the Church at Antioch the Church at Jerusalem All of them being imbodyed under the same Numericall Government made but one Community Elders were constituted to take the immediate care of them yet what they did was onely in a subordination to and dependance upon the Apostles to whom the power of Ruling was so far appropriated that nothing could be Authentick and have the impress of Authority without their consent and therefore notwithstanding the Presbyters in every City St Paul and Barnabas did challenge to themselves the power of Visitation This power did not extend to all Cities but those onely where they had preached the Word of the Lord. The Apostolicall jurisdiction was not exercised in every place but confined to a certain precinct Every Star did move in his own Orb. When St Paul speaks of his boasting according to the measure of the rule 2 Cor. 10.16 and not in anothers line he intimates that every Apostle had his Bounds and Province The words allude to the measure whereby Surveyers use to adjust the rights of others and assign to every one their proper allotment or to the white Line which the Agonisticall law did oblige Racers to conform their course unto and by no means to run over They did not visit in every City but those in which they preached Though they had a commission to teach in all the world yet they had none to govern but where they taught with success gained Proselytes to the Faith Those who lived without the pale of the Church like the earth before propriety was settled were primi occupantis The Apostles who took the first possession of their minds had a peculiar right to the Government of them The vanquished did lie under an obligation to submit to the laws and regiment of their Conquerour St Chrysost observes that these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the necessity of Inspection What they planted they were obliged to water and by a prudent discipline to eradicate every thing whereby the growth of it might be impeded They standing in a paternall relation to such who were begotten again by the Word which they had preached it would have been an omission of Duty not to have interested themselves in the nurture of them 5. Here is the end and design of the Visitation to see how they do Though in the Greek we have onely these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the Syriack version is as full as ours ut videamus quid agant These Apostles knew that those whom they converted to the Faith were obnoxious to many distempers In the converted Jews there were remaining some faeces of their former disease They nauseated the Bread of Life and made it their choice to pick and eat the rubbish of the partition Wall which Christ had demolished The Rights of the Law which expired at the death of Christ and by this time had an honourable interment they attempted to pull out of their graves and give a resurrection to them The converted Gentiles were not totally delivered from the power of former custom and education Amidst these circumstances the infernal Spirit was not backward to act his part The Sun of Righteousness could no sooner in any place appear above the Horizon but he did endeavour to raise his mists in order to the obscuring of him Some of his Instruments were animated with so much confidence as to arrogate to themselves the dignity which is peculiar to the Son of God Simon Magus who is stiled his first born Epiph. l. 1. tom 2. p. 55. did not content himself with this usurpation but invaded the Rights of the Sacred Trinity He asserted he was the Father among the Samaritanes the Son among the Jews the Holy Ghost among the Gentiles In the new Heavens there were some Planets which did affect an erratick motion In the new earth some weeds presently sprang up In Paradise regained the temptation began at the Tree of Knowledge There was a science falsly so called which gave denomination to the Gnosticks They pretended to know how to secure their Title to the Heavenly Purchase and yet to deny the Lord that bought them The Grace of God which teacheth sobriety they found a way to turn into wantonness and make it a Pander to their impure appetites They were impatient to sit under the government of the Apostles being desirous to invest themselves with the Preeminence They did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trample under foot the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or order which was of Divine Erection In these circumstances among the influences of so many infectious examples the Brethren being not exempted from the peril of contagion the Holy
to challenge obedience to his institutions Justin Martyr in his Apology to Antoninus observes Apol. 2. ad Ant. pium p. 89 90. that before the Incarnation he made use of the Poets to speak many things of the sons of Jupiter very agreeable to the character of the Messias as that Perseus was born of a Virgin Aesculapius cured all diseases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 died a cruel death on purpose that when these things should be reported concerning the true and onely Son of God he might with the greater facility induce the world to believe they were nothing but Poeticall fables L. 3. c. 25. p. 369. Col. Eusebius in the life of Constantine says that by his contrivance the dark recess of Venus was built upon the place where our blessed Lord was buried and execrable Sacrifices offered upon her impure Altars certainly not onely with a design to obliterate the memory of his Sepulchre but likewise to insinuate an opinion that he had obtained the conquest and the worship of his erection was superiour to that which our Saviour had instituted He that considers the morbifick matter which is in all by Nature the faeces and remains of it in the best of Men during their militant state the endeavours of the Prince of the air to infect it with his impure temptations will not wonder that those who breathe in it should be obnoxious to distempers So much of the Disease in generall supposed in the Text. And now for our more distinct information I shall nominate some particular distempers which have no favourable aspect upon the peace and prosperity of the Church These are in corde in ore in aure in opere 1. In corde as pride When S. Paul prophesies of perilous times in the last days 2 Tim. 3.1 in his catalogue of those who make them the proud and high-minded are mentioned This is a distemper which those who challenge a right to be enrolled among Christians are not exempted from and hath a Minatory aspect upon the true interest and welfare of the Church When men make proud reflexions upon their own imaginary Worth and are possessed with high thoughts of it they are presently surprised with desires that others may be of the same opinion this puts them upon excogitating methods how to make themselves known and finding that this cannot be done so long as they continue in the crowd they being not tall enough to make themselves more conspicuous then other men they resolve upon a separation and for the justification of it set their wits a work to condemn that Church which their own ambition hath divorced them from Thus with an unusuall degree of confidence pretending to be wiser then others they do by degrees insinuate an Opinion into those who are weak and of a more innocent meaning that they are so indeed By this means they gain a Party to themselves set open a door to Ataxy bring contempt upon Government expose publick Worship to neglect and like the Calves at Dan and Bethel hinder the people from going to Jerusalem It is said Herostratus that the temple of Diana was set on fire by one who had no other inducement but to make himself a name and that when Tiberius moved the Senate to put Christ into the number of their Gods the onely reason why they did it not was because that they themselves did not make the first motion There is nothing more injurious to our blessed Lord and that Temple which is of his erection then this distemper By this means Idols are preferred before Him his Church put into flames and all that is Sacred and devoted to his honour calcined and converted into ashes But let all such persons have a care The Lord of Hosts is their enemy He sets himself in battel against them and that disdain which they constantly breathe disobliges all men no man loves to be contemned and that Person is but in an ill condition who hath neither the love of God nor Man 2. In Ore When pride hath formed men into parties the next step they take is by reproaches to ruine the reputation of those who differ from them and impede the accomplishment of their design Reputation being to actions what feathers are to arrows making them fly the better and pierce the deeper they desire to deprive their adversary of this advantage The Stars in Christs right hand they endeavour to obscure with clouds of contumely and make his Embassadours as ridiculous as Hanun did Davids There is some affinity in the Hebrew betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the plague These by their pestilentiall words and impure breath desire to infect the good names of others that they may be in no capacity to withstand them Such in the Prediction of S. Paul concerning the last times are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They participate much of that temper which he is of who is usually known by the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He has been active in all Ages in defaming the Established Worship of God and those who have been peculiarly devoted to the advancement of it Before the coming of Christ he raised a report that the Jews worshipped a Swine Symp. l. 4. q. 5. p. 670. Tac. Hist l. 5. p. 425. Lip Jos cont Apion l. 2. p. 1067. This gained so much belief that it is disputed in Plutarch what should be the reason of so deep an Infatuation It was with equall confidence asserted that they gave Divine honour to an Ass Apion affirmes that when the Temple was ransacked by Antiochus Epiphanes the head of an Ass was found in the Holy of Holiest Christian Religion after it came to be settled by our Blessed Lord and his Holy Apostles received the same measure with advantage It was credibly reported that those who embraced it when they did convene used to kill an infant as a token of their confederation Commentaries of the Acts of Christ and Pilate were forged Min. Fael Eus Hist l. 9. c. 4. p. 259. Col. full of reproach and blasphemy and two infamous Women compelled to assert that they had once been Christians and that they knew by their own experience those things to be true which were contained in them The same temper of Calumniating still remains The evil spirit takes no delight in Order and therefore where he finds it settled he endeavours to load it with disgrace crying out of Antichrist in the institutions of Christ and that those who adhere to them are arrived at Rome when they are no nearer then Jerusalem If there be any failings in their conversation they are sure to be represented in the blackest colours and by all the advantages of art improved into a condemnation of the whole Constitution This distemper in the Tongue hath communicated a great strength to Atheism Publick Religion like matter always existing under some form and every form being discredited by the railery of one