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B02463 A modest apology occasioned by the importunity of the Bishop of Derrie, who presseth for an answer to a query, stated by himself, in his second admonition: concerning joyning in the publick worship established by law. In answer to the query, the pondering of some weighty exceptions is first desired: and then such a resolution is given to the query, as the word of God, and thereby the safety of our consciences will allow. / By a minister of the gospel, at the desire of some Presbyterian dissenters. Craghead, Robert.; King, William, 1650-1729. 1696 (1696) Wing C6794; ESTC R171586 54,814 122

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all People we kno● Dissenters in this Diocess do most need suc● help the weakest of them being often acco●ed with Questions more proper for studied D●vines than poor Countrey-People and if th● Answers of these poor People do not relish ●● shall have it published that the Dissenters here are a most ignorant People insulted over and exposed to Contempt Therefore we thought it necessary in our Circumstances because of our Love to the Truth and to the Weakest ●● these who adhere to it to afford what He●● we could Acknowledging that this pres●● Undertaking might have been performed ●● greater Advantage by some abler Pen which i● hoped will yet be done but whatever weaknes appear in this little Tractat shall not be imputable to many but to some of those to whom the Authors Admonition was Directed and thereb● concerned to exoner their Conscience by making it appear that neither trifling Scrupl● Peevishness nor perverse Obstinacy but meer ●y that our Consciences cannot be stretched to ●he Latitude that others take in the VVorship of GOD hath procured the following Reso●ution to the Authors Query If it be displeasing to him it 's that which we could not prevent but himself might have prevented it by permitting us to Live in Peace without such Queries For he could not but foresee our Answer would be conformed to our own Principles and Practice though we have no Pleasure in provocking him or any other being desirous to live Quiet and Peaceable in the Land giving thanks to GOD the Author of all Good and to his Majesties Clemency under whose happy Government we enjoy Protection and to whom we owe most entire Acknowledgements of Gratitude which we are desirous to testifie on all Occasions and at this present are confident that when many are found Guilty of these execrable Conspiracies to take away his Precious Life there shall not one of our Principles be stained with Disloyalty but all in a cheerfull readiness for his Majesties Preservation and Service There is one thing more that the Reader is desired to Notice that notwithstanding the Exceptions hereafter mentioned stand in the Way of our Communion with the Establisht Church yet we doubt not but many of that Communio● are Godly Persons and are known to be of su● a Christian-Conversation that we could free partake with them in Gospel-Ordinances p●viding we could obtain it without danger of Si●ning nor do we take it on us to Judge the● for following their own Judgement only ● cannot see with their Eyes nor they with ou● but must wait untill GOD reveal it to them w● are otherwise minded Perswading our Sel● that the Sober and Judicious of another Pers●sion whom we Love and Honour in the LOR● will not Condemn but rather approve of o● Ingenuity in allowing Men to know the weig● of these Reasons that binds Us up from t● Communion which otherwise we would Co● for the Churches Peace This ingenuous Apology is neither for Ostentation nor Irritation but a necessary Vindication of our Practice unto which we are pressed IN laying open Our Exceptions we shall begin with that which is the Root of all these Eclesiastick-Impositious whereby our Consciences are Burdened and our Selves ●hrust out from Communion with You in the ●ublick Worship of GOD Our Ministers and ●heir Ministry is Rejected if they Subscribe not ●o this Article Cannon 36. viz. That the Book of Common Prayer and of Ordering of Bishops Priests ●nd Deacons containeth nothing in it contrary to the ●ord of GOD and that it may Lawfully so be used ●nd that he Himself will use the Form in the said Book ●rescribed in publick Prayer and Administration ●f the Sacraments and none other Here is a plain and full Extrusion of all Mini●ers who are not for Bishops over Presbyters for ●he Canon mentioneth only such Bishops or will ●se any other Form in Prayer than the Service ●ook to this Form of Service the People must ●lso subject for no other Church-Communion is allowed them but where these are Consented u● to But this our Consciences being Directed b● the Word of GOD cannot Comply with co●plaining of it as a most heavy Imposition And this Jurisdiction of Bishops over Presbyters is the Ground of our first Exception and th● because the Office of a Bishop having Authori● over other Ministers of the Gospel is not foun● in the Scriptures and therefore wanteth Divi● Institution And if such a Bishops Commission ● not found there then We are not obliged to su●ject to him as an Officer in the House of GOD Such therefore as will stand on no lower Groun● for Prelacy in the Church than Scriptural-Auth●rity are obliged to make it appear And We d●sire no more but direct us to any Scriptures wh● this Commission is granted if this could be do● ye would not only save us a Labour of proving Negative but should also find us as comformab● in Point of Subjection as any of your own Co●munion but after frequent and according ● our Measure serious reading the Book of GOD We could never yet observe a Bishop set ov● Presbyters but We frequently find that a Bisho● Presbyter are one office as hereafter shal appea● Reason 1. If Christ had instituted the Offi● of a Prelate or Bishop over Presbyters then t● said Office would be mentioned in some of the● Scriptures which designedly giveth an account● all Church-Officers in the Gospel-Church But in none of these Scriptures is there any mention of a Prelate or Bishop over Presbyters Therefore Christ hath not instituted the said Office For the first Proposition that if there were Institution for such an Officer he would be mentioned in these Scriptures is evident because the Apostle setteth himself to shew what Offices Christ had set in his Church both Extraordinary and Ordinary And who dare say that the Apostle failed in the Enumeration being inspired by the Holy Ghost and how can it be imagined that so eminent a Church-Officer making so great a Figure in the Church could be omitted was it not of great Importance for the Church of GOD in all succeeding Generations to know if there was One appointed to have Authority over many other Ministers without whose placet they should ●either have Power to Ordain other Ministers ●or Govern their Flocks If Christ had instituted such an Officer would he not have given some ●ntimation of Him That other Ministers might ●ave known it was their Duty conscientiously to Obey Him But we have no where any such Inti●ation from Christ or any of his Apostles but the contrary as shall appear And that a Bishop over Presbyters is invisible ●y any of these Scriptures where Church-Officers are purposely enumerated the Reader shall hav● them in ready and full view 1 Cor. 12. 28. And GOD hath set some in th● Church first Apostles secondary Prophets thirdly Teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of Healin● Helps Governments Diversities of Tongues Rom. 12. 6. Having then Gifts differing accordin● to the Grace
that is given to us whither Prophecy let ● Prophecy according to the proportion of Faith or Min●stry let us wait on our Ministry or he that Teache● on Teaching or he that Exhorteth on Exhortation ● that Giveth let him do it with Simplicity he that Ru●eth with Diligence he that sheweth Mercy with Chee●fulness Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles an● some Prophets and some Evangelists and some P●stors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints f● the Work of the Ministry for the Edifieing of the B●dy of Christ As for any other Scriptures alledged to favour th● Episcopal Cause they shall be considered in thei● due place But these Scriptures now mentione● are the places that all Church-Officers do ordinarily betake themselves unto who are willing t● have their Commission and Title tryed by th● Word of GOD because by them we are particula●ly instructed Who they are whom GOD hath s● in his Church and in what order as first second●rily c. now let the Reader demonstrate a Bisho● over Presbyters by any of these Scriptures and ●e shall not want reverence let him appear and ●ell us plainly where he fixeth his claim for he will ●ot for Truth and Modesties sake challenge all ●hese Offices and Gifts to be his and some of them ●eing now out of his reach and ceased as Mi●acles Gifts of Healing and Diversities of Tongues ●t's agreed that all these may be laid aside from ●his Debate as Extraordinary Some of the Offi●es mentioned are too low for a Bishop being the ●owest Set of Church Officers as Deacons under ●he Denomination of Helps giving with Simplicity ●nd Cheerfulness neither will these be concerned ●n this Debate We shall come then to the Highest and First in ●he Roll the Apostles being set down first and Bi●hops now the First and Highest in the Church ●ere some of them fix their Claim as Successors ●o the Apostles and plead it with all earnestness ●ut no successe for lack of Arguments and the ●eight of Arguments against it and that VVe be ●ot amused with big and ambiguous Words not ●nderstood We crave that Justice of those who ●aintain this Apostolick succession to let us know ●hat they understand by it if it be that Prelats ●● the Gospel-Church have succeded to the intire ●ffice of Apostles or 2d if they have fucceded un●o the Doctrine of the Apostles or 3d. unto such ●ospel-Administrations performed by the Apostles as were necessary to continue in the Gosp● Church as Preaching administration of Sacrame● Discipline c. or 4th if by Apostolick Succ●sion they understand Apostolick Institution T● is such as have Commission from Christs Apostl● to Feed his Flock If the first of these be affirmed that Bishops ●ver Presbyters succeed to the Apostles intire Off● Then First we have many moe Apostles than e● Christ did Institute for all Diocesan Bishops m● be Apostles 2. Then they have all immediat Commissi● from Christ as all the Apostles had For we m● see that when one Apostle was wanting the Det●mination who should fill his Room the imme●at Decision thereof was left to GOD by Lots ● Acts 1. When Mathias was appointed to take p● of the Apostleship from which Judas fell by Tra●gression This manner of Election our Bishops w● not pretend 3. If Bishops Succeed to the very Office a● Commission of Apostles then they are infallible Doctrine and may write Canonick Scriptu● which their modesty will not challenge 4. If Bishops succeed the Apostles Office th● shall all lose their Diocesses for the Apostles ● no Diocess but the wide World they had no li●ted Bounds but the Bishop is restricted by L● limited Bounds for as Diocesan his Power exten●eth no further then the circumscribed Diocess ●hereof he is Bishop Secondly If it be said that Apostolick Successi● is by succeeding to their Doctrine then all Gos●el-Ministers have the same claim for they also reach the same Doctrine feeding the Flock with ●e same sincere Milk of the Word So that e●ery faithfull Gospel-Pastor preaching sound Do●rine neither Corrupting Diminishing nor Ad●ing to the Word of GOD may put in his Claim ●r this Kind of Succession And that with great● confidence than such as make Additions of do●rinal significative Ceremonies of their own In●ention For the third manner of Succession to these Go●el-Administrations which were to continue in the ●urch tho' performed by the Apostles Consider ● First That all Gospel-Ministers partake equal● of that manner of Succession As they are Pa●rs entrusted by Christ with the feeding of his ●ock Let the Maintainers of imparity among ●ospel-Ministers shew a Difference or what Mi●sterial Acts are reserved to some and denied to ●hers 2. These Gospel-Administrations now to be ●erformed by the ordinary Pastors of the Church ●ke not their Original Authority from the Apo●olick Office but from Christs Commission and Precepts to the Pastors of his Church to perfo● these Ministerial Acts the Pastor being a disti● Officer in the House of GOD dependeth not ● the Apostolick Office nor is there any need for ● Because the Pastor hath his Commission disti● from the Office of an Apostle though the matt● of their Administrations in some things coincid● yet that maketh not the two distinct Offices coi●cide the Pastors Office being entire by it self the Gospel Charter Fourthly If by Apostolick Succession be mea● only Apostolick Institution that is that these a● the Apostles Successors whom the Apostles d● Institute and Appoint to be the Pastors of t● Church This manner of Succession we ackno●ledge to be most firm and therefore whosoev● can instruct their Office in the Church to be Apostolick Institution have the true Right a● Title and therefore shall now most willingly jo● Issues for its Trial knowing that Bishops ov● Presbyters were never instituted by the Apostl● as shall hereafter appear Object Some Bishops can draw the line of ●piscopal Succession from the Apostles days un● this day Answ A line of Episcopal Succession that is the Succession of Diocesan Bishops for its Bisho● of that new Cut Model who are concern'd this Debate such a Line of Succession can no M● draw from the Apostles Times The Reason is ob●ious because there were no Diocesses and there●ore no Diocesan Bishops long after the Apostles ●imes For the first three Centuries the Church was under Heathnish Persecutors incapable of a●y Diocess for a Bishop and therefore Euseb commonly calleth the Bishop a Bishop of a Parish the Church knew not what a Diocess was before Con●tantin appeared and then began to follow the Mode of the Civil Government 2. Tho' a Line of Succession could be drawn from the Apostles Times that is of Scriptural Bishops having no greater Charge then they could personally oversee Yet as this maketh nothing for Diocesan-Bishops so it proveth nothing of Apostolick Succession because a Succession from the Apostles Times can never prove a Succession to the Apostolick Office the one cannot infer the other Object Some Apostles came