Poverty and many Miseries And let it be noted The like is gratefully acknowledged by the Godly and Reverend Bishop if Co k of a Nonconformist p. 73. that I am obliged to acknowledg the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit upon the preaching of several of them towards my Salvation and having known the proof and Power of Christ speaking in them I dare not deny them before Men lest I also deny Christ Jesus my Saviour in them There are several learned holy laborious and successful Ministers that were our Instructors in our younger time who have conformed but not so many as refused to conform within my Knowledg as I could name but for offending them and some other Reasons of my Silence and in those times of Liberty these seemed to be all of one Mind in the Lord. I and many more rejoyced in their Light and some of them were among Preachers as Solomon saith As the Apple-Tree is among the Trees of the Wood we sate under their Shadow with great Delight and their Fruit was pleasant to our Taste I could name the wise Master-builders that laid the Foundation other than which no Man can lay I could name the Paul and the Apollos and the Peters that preached to the Heart the Barnabas and the Boanerges the Friends of the Bridegroom that woed and besought us and would not be denied till our Souls had received Christ Jesus the Lord some of them are at rest in the Lord and let their Names be blessed and others are in the Cloud and Storm and Warfare and to add Bonds to their many Afflictions is no small unkindness to Religion We know of what Spirit they were that digg'd up the Bodies of Wikcliff and other Saints it is not hard to find of what Spirit they are that rake into the Ashes of the Dead and sprinkle them with their profane Wit which is like Salt that has loss its Savour not good for the Dunghil it proceeds not from that Charity which covers a multitude of Sins 5. Whether they who are called of God to the Work of the Ministry should forsake and renounce their Calling and look upon themselves as Lay-men and be but as Lay-men because they are ejected out of their Places and conform not to the Injunctions of the Law Many of the Nonconformists have Episcopal Ordination shall they forbear all Ministerial Acts and do but what any Master of a Family should do instruct their own Family and admit four more to a Participation of the Benefit shall they renounce their Calling who declared their Trust that they were moved by the Holy Ghost to take the Office of Deacon whom the Arch-Deacon declared when presented to the Priesthood he thought them apt and meet for their Learning and godly Conversation and the Bishop declared after due Examination We find not the contary but that they be lawfully called to their Function for whom the Bishop prayed and whom he hoped that they have determined by God's Grace to give them wholly to this Office whereunto God hath called them and also called to declare and profess before God Angels and the Congregation that they were truly called according to the Will of the Lord Jesus Christ give faithful Diligence always so to minister the Doctrine and Sacraments and the Discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded and this Church received according to the Commandments of God to drive away erroneous Doctrines to use both publick and private Monitions and Exhortations to sick and whole within your Cures as need shall require c. Can any discharge them from God's Call but God that called them Can they sit still and do no Ministerial Work These other Arguments are urged by heavenly Mr Jos Allen say to Archippus c. that have been devoted to the Ministry that have been prayed for and exhorted to give themselves wholly to it Or do they cease to be Ministers except it be in that Cure to which they were instituted and inducted Then are we made tho not Independent yet Congregational Ministers and are Ministers only in that particular Congregation If they ought not to renounce their Ministry then they may preach and do other Ministerial Offices as they have opportunity Others are not Episcopally ordained but if they are moved by the Holy Ghost are learned exercised in the Scriptures are of Godly Conversation and give themselves to the Work are not they called of God If not what 's the meaning of the fore-cited Word in the ordering of Priests and Deacons Then shall the Bishop say unto the People Good People these are they whom we purpose God willing to receive this day unto the Office of Priesthood For after due Examination we find not the contrary but that they be lawfully called to their Function and Ministry and be persons meet for the same Doth not the Bishop look upon them as internally called and that internal Calling declared and signified and therefore receives them And tho they have not Episcopal Imposition of Hands if they have Imposition of Hands of Presbyters and are set apart by Fasting and Prayer are they not more than Lay-men or private Believers They who say they are but Lay-men have no better Reasons than the Romanists had who called our Reformed Bishops no true Bishops nor Priests Anthony Champney dedicated or rather directed his Book of the Vocation of Bishops c. to Arch-Bishop Abbot with no higher Title then To Mr George Abbot called Aroh-bishop of Canterbury And the most eminent Defenders of our Protestant Religion tho they asserted a Power of Ordination to reside in the Bishop as without whom there was no regular Ordination See Mr. Fran Mason §. 7 9. Defence of Ordination yet they justified the calling of Forreign Divines and Churches by Presbyters without Bishops and the Reasons they used to vindicate them will serve to vindicato those among us D. Jo. White 's Works way to the true Church §. 53. p. 211. that have no other And when as he the Jesuit saith They Luther and Calvin succeeded no Apostolick Bishops neither had any Calling to preach that now Faith I answer That for the External Sucecssion where of we have spoken we care nor it is sufficiont that in Doctrine they succeeded the Apostles and Primitive Churches It is the Custom of the Catholick Church See Dr. Field of the Church Book 3 c. 39. Consensus Eccles Cathol centra Trident. pralectionibus c. 11. de Ecclesia R. 289. Bishop Biron of Subjection Par. 3. p. 535. 4o. ut Episcopi legitime ordinent sed siquis a Presbytere ordinats fuerit Ordinatio illa etiam vera est ex ejusdem Ecclesiae Catholicae judicio saith the Reverend Bishop Carlton and Bishop Bilson that learned Defender of Bishops Answers Philander Phil. The Apostles Commission we know but yours we do not know Theop You cannot be ignorant of ours if you know theirs so long as we teach the same Doctrine which they did we have the
to them and if he cannot exercife his Ministry after he is called unto it what doth it profit him to be a Minister or what is the Church the better for his Office If one acknowledged to be a Minister of the Universal Church may not administer in a particular Church then is it not because that particular Church requires some Conditions which are not so large as the Rules and Conditions of the Universal Church This may put us to search whether different Rules stricter Laws prescribed as Conditions of Entrance and Continuance in the Ministry and Church-Communion be not the Cause or Occasion of Schisms in particular Churches These Catholick Rules and Conditions are to be taken and received from the Apostles who went into all the World to gather and to found Christian Churches They gave us Laws enow to govern any particular Church who were sent into all the World And no Decrees of General Councils are of equal Observation with the Scriptures not only because of their Sanctity but because of their Universality and the very Errors and Mistakes of them in some Particulars are tolerable that do what they can to find out and follow the Will of God in Scripture And this Diversity can be no Inconvenience to any Church because of the plain Injunctions and Commands of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace of loving and forbearing one another in Love But to return What shall we say Are they but Lay-men or but quasi Lay-men that were once ordained by Diocesans or what it others can prove by the Holy Scriptures and the Catholick Rules of Faith that they are called of God and make proof of their Gifts which make there serviceable to the Souls of poor Sinners and only scruple some late implicating perplexing Terms what shall they do in this case They would enter into the Service according to the uncontroverted general Rules of Christ the Soveraign Law-giver of his Church but that will not serve the turn they must do more They have received Gifts from the Spirit of the same nature with other Ministers they 'l submit their Gifts to the Trial to free them from the Fanaticism imputed to them These Gifts are for some use they are their Talents and they must give an account of them to the Giver of them at his appearing Whither can any of them go and not be serviceable Is there any City Town Parish or noble Family in England in which there is not need or where such as they may not be exceeding profitable but in some Places there is a crying need O how few few Labourers are there in very large Fields yea as offensive as the presence of the Brethren are in many places there is not an useless Man among them nor one place hardly where is not need if not extream need What shall they do conform to the Church as Lay-men only What if the Bottle be so full that its ready to burst what if the Fire of Zeal true Zeal kindle must they not speak with their Tongue What if the Breast be full and they who were begorten in Christ Jesus by their Ministry cry cry to them O give us of the sincere Milk of the Word shall they say No my Breast is full but I must not draw it out What if they have Bread enough and can divide it and see a Company of poor Souls ready to starve and pine for Want and yet they must not give them a piece of Bread City Ministers are most quarelsome and contentious with them but if from their high Places they saw and knew but what I know instead of charging them with Separation and Schism they would beg of Authority that they would send them into many places of the Land which are more like a Wilderness than the Garden of the Lord but instead of doing this some have written to prepare a prejudiced People to entertain them with Stones or beseech them to depart out of their Coasts and not to open their Doors to entertain them or their Ears to hear them Oh! how are many of the Servants of God true Subjects able Preacers at this day forced to hide and many are as shy and close to entertain them as if they were Traitors and the Hue and Cry were out against them But what if these Men cannot think themselves discharged of their Work when their Hire is stopt they cannot but pity those that have no Shepherds or not enow they cannot stop their Ears against the Cry of the poor what if Conscience cry Wo to me if I preach not the Gospel O there are too many that never heard that Preaching in their Bosom Some have pleaded that Wo concerned none but the Apostle what shall they do between two Woes Wo from Christ if I preach not and Wo from Men if I preach Object They must obey the Laws obey Authority Answ So they must and as far they can they do Object But they say they must obey God rather than Men. Answ So did the Apostles who taught Obedience to Governours Neither may any godly Prince take it as any Dishonour to his Estate to see God obeyed before him Defence of the Apology part 1. p. 20. of my Edit for he is not God but the Minister of God saith our Venerable Father Bishop Jewel Object But our King and Magistrates and Laws are not such as They were neither are our Conventiclers Apostles Answ True I cast no Reflections upon the King but acknowledge his Life and Protestancy to be singular Mercies and Priviledges But if the first Christian Churches were planted and the Faith preached where the Rulers were Unbelievers disaffected to it and Persecuters of it then Preachers that preach the Doctrine of the Apostles and live according to the Gospel may humbly expect if not lay some Claim to a Priviledge of preaching and worshipping God as near as they can discern according to his mind The Case of the Brethren is so clear in it self The Canon Law calls their divers Orders Religion but to Christians and Protestants there is but one Religion that some in Power have no other colour for proceeding against them than as Men that exercise another Religion as I can produce which clearly intimates that it is unreasonable to proceed to Confiscations and Banishment against Men that profess the same Religion And whereas Godliness and Honesty may claim Protection they represent them as wicked and dishonest in the highest Degree that is seditious and withdrawing the King's Subjects from their Allegiance c. But this is the old Language Apolog. c. 2. Divis 7. p. 21. as the most Reverend Bishop Jewel writes as objected against them that we be fallen from the Catholick Church and by a wicked Schism have shaken the whole World and troubled the common Peace and universal Quiet of the Church and that as Dathan and Abiram conspired in times past against Moses and Aaron even so we this day have
of Union as natural and political Every Christian is united to Christ by the Spirit of Christ's working Faith and Faith perceiving or seeing Christ to be what he is and what he is made of God to us doth attract Love to him which is intire sincere fervent By Faith and Love the renewed gracious Soul doth confederate with and consent and submit to Jesus Christ according to the Articles of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace Every Member of Christ is a part of the whole and there is the same Spirit in all they are all Members of Christ and Members one of another and that Spirit Faith and Love which unites to Christ doth unite them one to another This Union is from active operating Principles and Graces which are quickened and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ making use commonly of outward Means and Ordinances to that End And these Graces or the New Man so quickened and assisted exercise that Power towards Christ and one another and this mutual Exercise of Grace is our Communion with Christ and his with us and of one towards another according to our various Conditions in mutual Care Sympathy Compassion and Joy 1 Cor. 12.25 26. This Communion with Christ and one another in this Life is but imperfect we understand but in part and our Faith serves and helps us but in an imperfect State and by Consequence our Love is weak and other Graces are at best but in a growing Condition Our Administrations and Communnion in Ordinances have great Imperfections according to the weakness of our Perceptions Light and Judgment and other Graces And suppose our Love were strong and intire to one another yet in this bad Light we are subject to many great Errors and Mistakes And our Union and Agreement lies 1. In one general End God's Glory 2. In one Common Principle of Operation or Efficient Cause the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. In one way and means of Conveyance and Acceptation Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Advocate 4. In one General Rule the Holy Scriptures and the Institutions of Jesus Christ the Law-giver where there are these Ones there is Catholick Unity There is 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 which is above all and through all and in you all Ephes 4.4 5 6 c. The ancient true Bonds of Unity are one Faith one Baptism and not one Ceremony one Polity saith the Lord Bacon Vbi supra p. 4. our Disagrement is in the latter we agree in the first and principal From this Union proceeds Communion for the Church the Body of Christ consisting of living Members quickened by the renewing sanctifying Spirit and exercising the Graces received have Communion with God through and by the Spirit and with one another as Children of the same Heavenly Father and Subjects of the same Heavenly King and Members of the same Family And this Communion is held maintained exercised and increased by Laws and Ordinances in the Observation of which there is a conveyance of many and great Priviledges and Benefits This Union and Communion is either inward or outward inward in being joined to the Lord and to one another in being of one Mind and Heart Outward and that 's twofold 1. In spiritual things 2. In outward and carnal things 1. In spiritual things So the first Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and Prayers Acts 2.42 And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of Bread from House to House did eat their Meat with Gladness and Singleness of Heart praising God c. Vers 46 47. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and to good Works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another Heb. 10.24 25. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all Wisdom admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs c. Col. 3.16 Exhorting one another Heb. 3.13 Comforting one another 1 Thess 4.18 Edifying one another Chap. 5.11 Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 Confessing their Faults one to another and praying one for another c. James 5.16 2. In outward and carnal things Acts 2.44 45. c. 4.32 34 35. c. 5.4 Heb. 13.16 1 Tim. 6.17 18 c. This kind of Communion is beside the Subject now in hand It is said there can be no Union without Communion be it so Is not that Communion both of Churches Pastors and Persons a sufficient Communion to free any Churches or Persons from the Guilt of Schism which is answerable and proportionable to the Union of the Body of Christ and agreeable to the Institutions and Ordinances of Christ His Ordinances are sufficient Means and Instances of Communion without any Additions of Forms and Ceremonies we have his Law and Form of Admission into his Family and Church Baptism And being baptized by one Spirit into one Body we have his Word which is sufficient to make us wise unto Salvation and to make the Man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good Work we have a Form and Pattern of Prayer and Directions and Matter for all manner of Prayer we have a Sacrament for Communion and Confirmation we have what Christ thought sufficient Means of Communion in all and every Nation that should receive the Gospel and by Consequence for the universal and every particular Church And it is observed what the Spirit of Christ did to preserve Unity and prevent Schism He gave diversities of Gifts for divers Administrations and Operations The Church is compared to a Body consisting of different Members in Subordination for Service and Usefulness some to do the Office of an Eye others of an Ear some of a Hand others of a Foot some honourable and some dishonourable that there should be no Schism in the Body 1 Cor. 12. He inspired holy Men and they spake as inspired by him but not the same form of Words without a great variety not the same Form of Prayer in the same Words and Syllables no not the same Form of Words to a word in the Institution of the Lord's Supper St. Mark leaves out Drink ye all of it Mark 14.23 and for Remission of Sins ver 24. St. Luke adds to This is my Body given for you Do this in Remembrance of me Chap. 22.19 20. to the Cup which is shed for you and not as the other two Evangelists And St. Paul delivers to the Corinthians what he received from the Lord and adds to St. Matth. and Mark and varies from St. Luke This is my Body which is broken for you and keeps the words of St. Luke In Remembrance of me but adding As oft as ye do it in Remembrance of me after the Cup 1 Cor. 11.23 24. If either of these Holy Apostles gave the
Salvation our Baptismal Vow Hypocrites and Formalists are the first Rank of Dissenters and Schismaticks that conform not unto the Laws of Christ and Terms of Salvation 2. A conscientious walking after the Spirit Sensual Men that have not the Spirit are the notorious Separatists 3. A studious search into and keeping to the holy Gospel wherein we are taught as the way to Union 1. A setting up or rather acknowledgment of God as in all and above all 1 Cor. 3. 2. An Imitation of Jesus Christ Phil. 2.5 in Humbleness of Mind and Condescention 3. Unity of Mind in the Lord Phil. 4.2 1 Cor. 1.10 not contentious striving in Parties as if Christ were divided 4. By Charity which suffereth long is kind envieth not vaunteth not it self is not pussed up seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh none Evil rejoyceth not in Iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth By these Divine Effects and Properties of Charity we may lay our Divisions upon the Head of Uncharitableness Charity keeps all together as in a Bond of Perfectness Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly Love in Honour preferring one another Rom. 12.10 Rejoyce with them that do rejoyce and weep with them that weep ver 15. 1 Cor. 12.25 26. 5. By Self-denial This is the individual Property and Effect of true Faith and Love and by Consequence the necessary Qualification of a Disciple By this we seek God's Glory and not our own pray that God's Kingdom may come and his Will be done as if we had no Interest nor Concernment in this World but the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom nor Work to do but to do his Will Except we deny our selves we cannot condescend not seek the good of all but please our selves we cannot have a Care of one another as of our selves we shall not seek the things that be of Christ but our own This Factious this Schimatical Self must be denied or we can never be healed nor grow in one 6. If we would unite we must not aggravate Divisions nor multiply Schisms in our own Fancies Opinions and uncharitable Affections looking upon diversity of Opinions as hideous Errors upon Errors as damnable judging others as Deceivers and deceived and admiring our selves as if priviledged with a little Infallibility censuring our Brethren reviling reproaching suppressing and persecuting of them Our Union lies in a Point it is in the Head And they were counted Schismaticks who separated from the Catholick Church by Cyprian ad magnum c. August c. in the Essentials of Christianity of Faith and Worship and in Amen as the Sum of our Prayers An so Schism pernitious Schism lies in a narrower Compass than most Men I will not say would have it but than most do lay it in Schism is a Breach of Union but then it is a Breach of that Union which ought to be among Christians from the Nature and Laws of Christianity But according to some the weaker side is always the Schismatical And so I come to the last Head to shew wherein Schism lies or what Schism is It hath many Branches and Degrees but I 'll take the most authentick Notion of it from the prime Doctors and Fathers of the Church of England by which I dare say our Protestant Dissenters will be tried and judged Hear the Canon and let it be the Reed to measure our Schism by we may stand to their Rule who made our Canons Anno 1603. Can. ix The Title is Authors of Schisms in the Church of England censured Whosoever shall hereafter separate themselves from the Communion of Saints as it is approved by the Apostles Rules in the Church of England and combine themselves together in a new Brotherhood accounting the Christians who are conformable to the Doctrine Government Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England to be prophane and unmeet for them to joyn with in Christian Profession let them be excommunicated and not restored but by the Arch-bishop after their Repentance and publick Revocation of such their wicked Errors Here 's the Nature of eulpable Separation opened 1. It is a Separation from the Communion of Saints 2. Communion of Sains approved by the Apostles Rules 3. Combination in a new Brotherhood 4. The Reason of such Separation and Combination accounting the Christians who are conformable c. to be profane and unmeet for them to joyn with in Christian Profession The Nonconformists both of Denominations Presbyterian and Congregational do declare 1. That they believe and hold Communion of Saints 2. That the Apostle's Rules are the Rules of that Communion 3. That conforming Ministers and Christians are true Churches a true and excellent part of the Catholick Church 4. That they separate not from any Christians because they are or that are Christians conformable to the Doctrine c. There is not a conformable Christian in England or in the whole World but they that are sincere Christians among them do and must hold Communion with them in the Christian Profession The Reason of their Combinations is because of some Injunctions required of them alien from the Apostles Rules as we are Christians and keep to the Apostles Rules they do not judg us to be unmeet for Christian Profession with them As this is clear from the declared Doctrines of the Nonconformists so it is clear in the Practice of many of them as more than my self can testify who have had of them communicate in Prayer Preaching and Sacraments with us There may be some who ignorantly weakly and passionately upon Prejudice and Unacquaintance may be too far estranged from us but as many of these as are Christians dare not withdraw from Christian-Communion with us or judg us unmeet for Christian Profession with them these are to be pittied and rectified but if they believe with the Heart and confess with the Mouth Jesus Christ the Schism is verbal and oral but not fundamental and in the Heart A Man may be shy of another Man's Company through Unacquaintance and Suspition but if he will not keep the same Pace or the same Track in the way to Heaven I 'll own him for a Fellow-Traveller if I see him go on in the beaten Path of Christianity tho not hand in hand with me If he suspect me for a Robber I 'll assure him of my Honesty if I can that we have the Comfort of good Company There are not so many that declare themselves bound for Heaven that I must cut off them that do because we have some Jars and Disputations upon our Journey Let us learn Moderation from the highest Fathers of the Church in their days and learn this Canonical Notion of a Schismatick A Schismatick from the Church is He that separates from the Communion of Saints according to the Apostles Rules as from Christians unmeet for Christian Profession because they conform i. e. as from no Christians but prophane because they conform to the Doctrine Government and Ceremonies of the Church of England