observed that our own Fasts and Feasts are ill observed among us I grant it to be true but I say it is not our fault Ill Men and ill Times have been and still are too hard for us and not to Complain of the too many Obstructions of Discipline without which no Church can long stand much less flourish which is the Reason that all Parties whatsoever have unanimously combined to hinder the Exercise of our Discipline that by that means they might have opportunity upon all Occasions to make their full blow at the Church it self though our Church hath had the Laws on her side yet she hath ever had the Lawyers without whom the rest could have done nothing her Enemies who have made even the Laws themselves either insignificant or hurtful to Her I speak not of the whole Body of them for there are many Honest and Honourable Persons amongst them But there want not enough who are sworn Enemies of Church Discipline and all Ecclesiastical Authority who lay Trains and Snares for the Governours of the Church if they execute it And if any Man be Constrained â— defend the Sanctions or Rights of the Church they will encourage Parties and make Interests against Him lead him thorough all the Courts in the Kingdom till they have undone him And expose Him as if he were the â—ilest Man living They will neither suffer the Censures of the Church to take place nor her Rights to be gotten Nay more I will be bold to say that partly by quite discharging some Tithes and by Erecting Iewd Modus's and nostart Customes and other Sly Tricks they have deprived the Clergy of one fourth of what the Bare-faced Church-Robbers left And if they bâ— suffered to go on at this Rate they will in some few Generations insensibly â—â—gger all the Livings in the Kingdom Now what can we do against these and many other powerful and inveterate Opponents whâ—m I will not Name Our Constitutions are good We wish and endeavour what we fairly can that they may be kept They must Answer it to God Almighty who will not suffer it But to leave Complaining where we are like to have no Remedy and return to our Matter As to Traditions of Matters â—f Practice distinction must be made between the Matter of the Tradition and the Circumstances of it Tradition as to Circumstances may differ in different places and may be Altered by the Power of the Church Thus as to the Feast of Easter all Agreed in the Tradition that it was to be observed But divers Churches disagreed about the time of its Observation so that whilest some were Fasting and had not Compleated their Lent others had Entred upon the Feast of Easter Here the Church interposed her Authority and to prevent Disorder and Confusion reduced the Observation to a certain time though it did not take place without a great deal of trouble so tenacious are people of Ancient Usages and therefore ought Governouâ—s to be very tender of disturbing them without wâ—ighty Reasons But then as for the Matter of such Traditions which are genuine and truly primitive as of the Observation of Easter and the first day of the Week commonly called The Lords Day c I cannot perswade my self that even the whole Church hatb Power to Alter or Abrogate them What may be done in Plenitudine Potestatis I will not dispute because it is a thing I have no kindness for For when Persons will be judges of the Extent of their own Authority they will be sure to Câ—rve liberaâ—ly for themselves And when they will be Acting to the utmost Bounds of it the odds is ten to one that they go beyond them Lastly other Traditions there may be which relate to Doctrine but this could be nothing but what the Apostles taught and therefore must be fetch'd from those they taught it to And so must be derived from the first primitive Churches If it started up after it was an Innovation not a Tradition though older then Augustine or Ambrosâ— for there could be no Tradition but from the Apostles and wherein the Churches immediately following them unanimously Agree as to their Doctrine It serves well for the Explanation of the Sense of Scripture as hath been shewn But then it becomes not our Rule though it is an excellent Help for a Rule ought to be full obvious and useful He that will pretend it full has doubtless an Aking Tooth at the Holy Scriptures to explode them as Useless and then he will leave us no Rule at all for this pretended Rule is neither obvious nor useful as a Rule For to fetch the Doctrines of the Christian Religion from the unanimous Consent of all the Apostolick Churches is a Work for which not one in a thousand is capable Nay take twenty for one of their own Priests and either they are not able or shall not be suffered to Attempt it And is this Fit to be set up for a Rule in a Matter of the Eternal Salvation of all Men which the most cannot and many if they could must not use This and some other Reason I could give make me suspect that the Tridentines in defining the Scriptures and Tradition to be Received Pari Pietatis affectu ac reverentiâ had this in their Eye that under the pretended Authority of Tradition they might foist in those Corruptions which they knew the Holy Scriptures would by no means patronize But to leave this Matter and draw a Conclusion from the Premisses if according to our Constitutions for we are not to Answer for the Miscarriages of any particular Persons both our Doctrine and Discipline our Government and Worship are good and justifiable then we cannot be Hereticks If the Roman Patriarchate extended not to these Isles then the Maintaining or Re-assuming our just Liberties cannot make us guilty of Schism as to his Patriarchship but the first is proved therefore the latter must be true XLV I should now have done with this Matter were there not one Trifle in my Way Men who are Resolved not to be Couvinced will be sure to say any thing rather then be put to Silence And so the Romanist when driven from all his Posts Cryes out You were once of the Roman Communion anâ did Pay Obedisnce to the Bishop of Rome There was a Câ—â—â—ition and therefore there must be a Schism Now though the Answer of this is plain from what hath been said yet some Men must be particularly Answered in every Impertinence or else they will Cry up their Triflings for unanswerable Arguments Whoever denied there was a Schism Do not we bewail it and heartily wish that Peace were Restored to the House of Israel That all Churches held a sweet Correspondence and all Christians might Communicate in all Churches wheresoever they came without any Scruple of Conscience as in the primitive times But our Enquiry is Who are in the fault And that the Romanists are the guilty Party I have in some Meafuâ—e proved and
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
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
stand seized of as good Authority to interpret Scripture as any they can justly pretend to And that we use it more duely and rightlâ— may appear hence That we not only diligently use all lawful Means to come to the Knowledge of Truth but Condemn all those ill Arts which obscure or corrupt it We have no Index Expurgatorius to Expunge or Alter any Passages in the primitive Fathers or any other honest Authors if they do not please us yet by this one base unpaidonable Aâ—tifice the Romanists whilst they have been undermining the sufficiency of the Scriptures have shaken the Authority and weakned the Evidence of Tradition and so difarmed the Church of her best Weapons of Defence for certainly a Tradition is best proved by those who lived in or near those times when it was delivered But how shall we believe their Testimony when their Writings are daily Curtail'd Changed and Falsified at pleasure And had not that God who takes Care of his Church caused the Chear to be discovered it would have done more Mischief then all the diligence and pains of all the Romanists in the World could ever have made a just satisfaction for But this it is for a particular Church to set up for Infallibility which is a point that can never be gained without putting out the Eyes of all at present living and stopping the Mouths of all that went before them For though I beleeve that God will never deâ—ert his Church in all parts of it in Matters necessary to Salvation yet he has not given her any Power over the Faith but She is Tied to that and that alone which was at first delivered to the Saints And if the Roman or any other Church or an Angel from Heaven should teach any other doctrine then what we have received they ought to be so far from being regarded that if we follow St. Paul they ought to be Accursed That we Adhere to the Scriptures thâ— Romanists cannot justly blame us because they themselves Acknowledge their divine Authority For see the Council of Trent doth Sess 4. decret de Can ' Script ' but they accuse us as too strict Scripturists upon two Accounts First because we Admit not Tradition to be of equal Authority with the Holy Scriptures Secondly because we receive not several Books as Canonical or of unquestionable divine Authority which they have thrust into the Canon As for Tradition and its Authority I shall Treat of it more distinctly in the next Paragraph and there answer this Accusation As for the Canon of Scripture we own the very same and no other which the Church of God hath Handed down to us after the Canon of Scripture was Compleated As for those Books Called Apocrypha which the Council of Tâ—ent first made Canonical it is Apparent That we do not by that Title utterly Condemn them but rather Repute them of an Inferiour or Ecclesiastical Authority because we Read them in our Churches for Instruction of Manners and inciting to good Living And sometimes use them for the Illustration of Doctrine but never to Introduce or Found any Doctrine upon and this is as much as the Ancients allowed them The Jewish Church was the Keeper and Preserver of the Canon of the Old Testament as much as the Christian is of the Old and New now But they had none of those Books in their Canon And therefore if any Assert that those Books do belong to the Canon the Consequence will be That the Jewish Church did not preserve the Canon of Scripture entire and true and for the same Reason any one may suspect the Christian and so render the Authority of the whose dubious So injurious are the Romanists to the Faith it self whilâ—st they set up their own Authority against the whole Church of God Besides if they will not own that we received the entire Canon of the Old Testament from the Jewish Church they ought to tell us from whom â—e did receive it and to whose Custody it was Committed till the time of Christ and his Apostles But whoever will be at the pains to read the Scholastical History of the Canon of Scripture Written by our Learned Dr. Cosins Bishop of Duresâ—ne will be abundantly satisfied that the Tridentines under pretence of Tradition have Enlarged the Canon of Scripture contrary to the Tradition of the Church of God in all Ages even to their own time Thus when Modern Mens bare word must be allowed a sufficient Authority to Vouch a Tradition a Pretence of Tradition is set up against the truth of it and so Tradition it self rendred doubtful or useless And therefore I shall not trouble my self to pursue those many particular sâ—uffling pleas which they use to Justify themselves in offering violence to the Sacred Canon But if you would know the true Reason which it was their Business to Conceal I believe Spalato hath Hit on it Suas non poterant Nâ—nias ex Sacrâ Scripturâ verè Canonicâ probare ideoque noluerunt permittaere us 〈◊〉 aliae Scripturae etiam non Canonicae eriperentur quo suas qualescunque â—aberent â—â—â—retras unde spicula desumerent ac praeterea viderent ac praeterea ne viderentur â—ein aliquâ Protestantibus cedere aâ—t consentire maluerunt etiam falsa tueri 〈◊〉 de Repub. Ecc. lib. 7. cap. 1 Num. 28. XLIV He that doth believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God must of course believe their Sufficiency or that they contain all Matters necessary to Salvation for they give this Testimony to themselves And he that believes them to be the Word of God must believe the Testimony they give either of themselves or others St. Paul saith They are able to make Man wise to Salvaâ—ion 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. But that cannot be so unIess they contain at least all things necessary thereto But though the Scriptures be thus sufficient and contain a certain Sense in themselves yet by reason of the distance of time when they were Wrote through Unskilfulness in Oriental Customes and Phrases where they were Wrote through Ignorance of some particular Tenets which some Argumentative part of Scripture is Levelled against and â—uch like Causes But above all through the Perverseness of evil Men and Seducers it so falls out That those Scriptures which are of a certain Sense yea plain in themselves are made obscure to us and we either become doubtful of their Meaning or follow a wrong Meaning For what is or can there be so plain and easie which some wiâ—ked Men have not or cannot render intricate and perplexed especially to weak Judgements and faciIe Tempers Now for the Discovery of the true Sense of Scripture in this Case true and genuine Tradition is possibly the best Help and surest Refuge and to Wrest the Scriptures out of the Hands of Hereticks and Restore the Rule to its true Force right Use and proper Meaning perhaps there is not a surer nor more effectual way for our Blessed Saviour Himself Wrote
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
AN Historical Account OF THE Antiquity and Vnity OF THE Britanick Churches CONTINUED From the Conversion of these Islands to the Christian Faith by St. AVGVSTINE to this present Time By a Presbyter of the Church of England Imprimatur Z. ISHAM R. P. D. HENRICO Episc Lond. Ã Sacris LONDON Printed for W. Whitwood at the Angel and Bible in Little Britain MDCXCII The EPISTLE to the READER Courteous Reader FOR Right or Wrong so we Call all Not that we Believe they will be so but because we would have them so For when a Man hath been at no small Pains at least as he thinks for the Benefit of Others he is very prone to expect as his due a Return of Kindness or Candour But on the otber Hand He who is at the trouble to Peruse takes it to be his Privilege to Judge and so far he judgeth rigbt if he proceed not further thinking he cannot be a Judge unless he be malicious And that the Business of Reading a Book is to find or make more Faults then there is not to make an honest Advantage of what may be found useful Vpon this Score he that Adventures on the Press brings Himself like a Bear to a Stake where though he may Fancy he Creates Others great Diversion yet He himself is sure to be the Sufferer and becomes liable to be Baited at every ones pleasure But be it as it will I have wrote my Thoughts freely and I Envy no Man the same freedom of speaking his Only I could wish all Men would Consider That sometimes Men run down-Hill faster then is for their own Convenience and that Liberty loseth its Nature when it degenerates into Licentiousness or becomes a Cloak of Maliciousness I will not waste time in fruitless Aâ—ologies For if this small Tract hath nothing in it self to Buoy it up it must certainly Sink for it is not all the Daubing and Flattery in the World that will Perswade Honest Sober or Judicious Men to embrace Senseless Impertinence And as for Others I desire not the Scandal of their good Opinion If this little thing should be any whit taken Notice of in the World I know it will be bitterly Objected That I seem inclineable to the Exercise of a more severe Discipline then hath at least oâ— late been Exercised amongst us or then this loose Age will bear in which perhaps there is too much Truth But I could wish the Reader would suspend his Censure till he hath Considered these few things I shall Return in Aâ—swer First that in an Age wherein all Men are Caâ—vers to themselves for Religion it is but equal that they sbould not deny me who am very sparing of using it the same Liberty with themselves especially since a wanton or loose Practice of Religion may be as uneasiâ—â—o me as the strictest Rules Order or Decency can be to them Secondly because in this I am not Singular but have not only the Judgement of the Fathers and Practice of the Primitive Church but the Constitutions of our own Church on my side which to Avoid Numâ—rous Instances is evident from the Preface before the Commination Aâ—pointed to be Read on Ash-Wednesday Thirdly that the more ungratefuâ— it may be to Vn-governable tempers So much the more necessary it is foâ— the Safety and Peace of the Church and perhaps also of the State For for want of this all things Run into Disorder and Consusion Discipline being not only the Fence about Doctrine but the Prâ—curer and Preserver of good Manners and sober Conversation And in vain shall Men Reason Talk or Preach whilest the Corruptions Discontents Pride and various ill Humours of the greatest part of Mankind knows no other Awe then the simple Restraint of bare Perswasions Both Romanists and Dissenters frequently with open Mouâ—h upbraid us that we have not that Influence on the Lives Manners and Actions of our People which they have and that meerly for want of Discipline which indeed is true though we do not desire so much as they have For by woful Experience we find that they can as powerfully Influence them to ill Actions as good But at the same time they forget to tell us that they Joyn all their Forces and make all possible Interest that we may be Tied up from the Exercise of the most just and necessary Discipline and that purely in fear lest a Discipline as primitive as our Doctrine joyned together should get Ground so fast in the World that in time they might become Ashamed or grow weary of their Trade What is here wrote is only a Preparatory to my principal Design which was to shew That notwithstanding all the High and Specious Pretences of the Romanists when Matters are thoroughly Examined the only true Reason of their difference with us would be found to be Interest and that such an interest as to say no worse is very unbecoming the Professors of Christian Religion This alone was first in my thoughts and the rather because I observed that many had touched upon it in their Way but no Man so far as I know had ever yet made it his Business But upon second Thoughts though I did not depart from my first Design yet I thought fit to Enlaâ—ge it not only because some would think that alone would look more like a Libel then a just Plea but because I my self did think that to Common Apprehensions it would leave things in the dark and not be very profitable to any and perhaps to some hurtful For as some vain Mindes are Apt to take Occasion from our Dissentions to Burlesque all Religions so some Persons Addicted to the Reading of Controversies have Learned Skill enough to Condemn others but not to know themselves and they can tell you what they are not but not what they are Now a purely Negative Religion at best is next to no Religion if it be any at all Now though this be not the fault of those Authors who are bound to follow their Adversaries Steps but of those Men who will only Busie themselves in such Authors yet whâ—n my Method and Matter was wholly at my own Choice and in my own power I could not think my self excuseable if I should procced only in a destructive way And therefore in reference to the Parts which are to follow I did propound to my self to state the Case between us in each particular to set down positively what we do Hold or can Allow And then to Enquire into the Reasons of the Controversie both pretended and real for that Method I take to be best which leaves Men not at a Loss for Right whilest it sortifies them against the Wrong But my Comfort under my afflictions is this that my Share is inconsiderable in respect of my Great Master's or his true Follower St Paul who underwent the full Trial of all those things whereby he Teacheth us to Approve our Selves Ministers of God amongst which I think I have some peculiar Interest in these
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
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-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
will not Hold we are gone without more ado But if that be good it is not ten thousand faults of Men who are dead and rotten that can overthrow it XXXIX I have already proved that the Romanists themselves made the Breach And it may be more fully proved if need Require But two Schismaticks may fall out and both be in the wrong And therefore that we may Appear to be in the right something must be said to clear up the Justice of our own Cause To this End I shall briefly Examine these two things The Government and the Doctrine of our Church Government will of course take in Discipline as the Fruits of it And Doctrine will include Worship because there is no Abuse or ill Practice in Worship but it is Founded upon some Errour in Doctrine Government seems to Me therefore to belong even to the Essence of every particular Constituted Church because without it Ordinances cannot be discharged Sacraments Celebrated nor those things Performed which they are obliged to do in joynt Communion and as a Body of Men. That this Government be lawful and warrantable it is to be wished that the Governours might be always good but it is absolutely necessary that they have Lawful Authority and are rightly empowered to do some things which other Men may not do He who saith otherwise must with Corah and his Company lay all in Common which the most Heathenish and Bruitish Religions have ever abhorred to do For this perhaps the Romanists will not much quarrel Me But if it were â—or my present purpose I could accuse him for being false to these Principles by allowing the contrary in Practice But to return to the Business That Authority be lawful it is requiâ—â—te that it be derived from such who were truly invested with such Authority for Nil dat quod non habet And further that they have likewise a Power or Authority to convey and derive it to others for it is often Personally Lodg'd in Men and Incommunicable Knights cannot make Knights nor Lords Lords And therefore a Lawful Church-Authority must be such as desâ—ends from those who received it from Christ with a Power to transmit it Now I find not that our Saviour said to any but his Apostles Aâ— my Father hath sâ—nt me even so send I you John 20. 21. And therefore from those Hands wherein they lâ—st it with the like power to transfer it to others must all Lâ—wful Ecclesâ—â—stical Aâ—thoâ—ity come The Way to Avoid this is either-with Erastus and Hâ—bbs who learnt their Politicks from Jerâ—boams Practiceâ— to place all Authority in the Civil Magistrate or else with the Fanaticks to set up the extraoâ—dinâ—â—y Call and Plea of an Authority immediately from God Now though too many of late have put in Practice M. Hobs his doctrine whilst they Rail against his Person and others are drunk with their pretended Visions Revelations thereby Filling Mens Brains with Enthusiasm and in many places making a Nâ—llity of all Ordinances yet these are not the Men I have now to do with and therefore I will not here engage against thâ—m And as for the Romanists I think I need not dispute it with them for though they strangely doat on Miracles yet I could never observe them either very fond of exeraordinary Missions or very free in allowing any Ecclesiastical Authority to the Civil Magistrate Now if they will take us at this Lock we are ready to Joyn Issue with them And to prove that we have a good Succession of Lawful Authority They cannot sairly Refuse us here becausâ— this is one of the Prescriptions which Tertullian lays down against Hereticks Edant ergo saiâ—h he Origines Ecclesiarum suarum evolvant Ordinem Episcoporum suorum ita per Successioâ—es ab initio decurrentem ut primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris qui tamen cum Apoâ—â—olis Perseveraverint habuit Auctorem Antecessorem de Praescrip Now as for a Succession possibly there is not any in the Christian World so strongly Twisted as that of the English Churches If some of the Apostles and other Apostolical Persons being present in this Isle and planting Churches If Ordination from the Brittish Irish French or Roman Bishops or any or all of these could derive a Lawful Authority to us we do not want it We have more Ways of Conveyance and consequently of God more Evidence of our Authority then the Romanists themselves And if the Rest were laid aside we have the same which they have and so cannot have less so little Reason had the Author of Church-Government to Conclude his Book with such a passionate Invective against our Amocatacresies Indeed could that Infamous Fable oâ— the Naggs-Head Ordination have been made good it would have made a foul Breach in our Succession if not put a full stop to it But never was a most malicious Contrivance more miserably Baffled Several Learned Pens have not only cleared the Matter of Fact but disproved the probability yea the very possibility of such a thing so that if any thing more can nothing more need to be spoken to it If therefore any Romanist will still urge it iâ— this particular I shall leave him as a Man eitheâ— past shame or given up to strong delusions to believe a Lye Their other Objections are of two Sorts Either against the Legality or the Valiâ—ity of our Ordination But because Otherâ— have Answered them fully in eveâ—y minute particular I shall Content my self with two General Aâ—swers First That the Neglect or Oversight if any such were of some Circumstances Required by Law though it may make the Persons obnoxious yet it doth not invalidate the Ordination Our Laws Allow Persons to be Married only betwixt Eight and Twelve in the Forenoon Yet if it Happen that they be Married at Ten at Night the Marriage is good though the Persons be punishable Some Circumstances in the Managery of Ordination may be Regulated by the Civil Power i. e. So fa as it hath Regard to the State But the Ordination it self and the Vaâ—â—dity of it proceeds from a Power so distinct from the Civil that no Civil Authority or Sanction can either make or disannul it And therefore such Objections which are made only against the Legality of our Ordination do tacitely suppose the Validity of it And so if they were true are little or nothing to the purpose As for the other sort of Objections which relate to the Validity of our Ordination those indeed would be fatal if they were sufficient But before I Return my General Answer thereto I desire it may be observed That there is more of Interest then Matter in these Objections For the Church of Rome hath such a Jealousie of this small Church that they think not themselves safe while it is in bâ—ing Now if they could invalidate our Ordination it would take away our Ministry our Ordinances and consequently our Church so that this is a blow at
of the Roinanists The Oath of Supremacy may be lawfully taken and that to no other Sense then what he fetcheth from the 37th of our Articles of Religion And why then all that Labyrinth of Discourse which follows after upon it and serves to no other purpose but to Confound Himself and his Reader For can it be imagined that we our selves should take it in a sense contrary to our Articles of Religion From our Book of Common Prayer might be Extracted a wholesom Body of Divinity And it shews to the World both what our Worship is and how our Worship and Doctrine Agree And if this may be Allowed of methinks we should not be Hereticks Now what Vincentius Parapalia the Pope's Legat proposed to Queen Elizabeth I am apt to think was known to few For on the one Hand the Honour of the Pope was concerned if he suffered an open Repulse On the Other the Queen â—hough she Admitted not his Proposals was unwilling to irritate his Person he being then very Kind and Civil to Her contrary to the Petitions and Endeavors of many powerful Adversaries But that some such Considerable Matters were proposed that he was Jealous the Queen would think they would never be performed or at least not long kept we have some Reason to Guess from the Conclusion of his Letter which is one of the Kindest that ever any Pope wrote to one He Accounted a Heretick For thus He Courts Her Sed hâc de re pluribus verbis idem Vincentius tecum aget nostrum tibi Paternum animum declarabit quem ut benigâ—â— excipias diligentérque audias eandémque ut ejus Orationi Fidem habeas quam habereâ— Nobis ipsis Sâ—renitatem tuam rogamus Annal. Eliz. part 1. p. 48 Mr. Cambdeâ— Confesseth That he could not upon his own Knowledge say what these Proposals were and he believes they would never trust them in Writing but aâ— secret as they were kept it seems they took Air for he subjoyns this following Account â—ama obtinet Pâ—ntificem Fidem dedisse sententiam contra matris â—uptias tanquam injustam rescissurum Liturgiam Anglicam suâ Anthoritate confirmaturum usum Sacramenti sub utrà que Specie Anglis permissurum 〈◊〉 illa Romanae Ecclesiae se aggregaret Romanaeque Cathâ—drae Primatum agnosceret 〈◊〉 haec curantibus aliquos aureorum millia fuisse promissae id ibid. I cannot imagine with what Hopes Pius the 4th fed Himself Or whether he were better Natured then usually Popes are But though after this the Queen would not suffer his Nuncio the Abbot of Marâ—inego to come on English Share yet he continued the same Mildness towards Her which being insuccessful Pius the 5th instigated by the King of Spain and being angry enough Himself tryes a severer Course and Thunders out his Excommunication against Her But that succeeded worse then the other For it not only altogether Alienated the Queens Mind but Compleated the Breach and made a toâ—â— Separation in Communion which had not been till that time And it iâ— probable this might make some succeeding Popes 〈◊〉 for Bishop Bâ—bington though he Refer it to a Pope after both the former yet whence soever he had it he saith plainly That the Pope Offered to Allow the Book i. e. oâ— Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments c. to Queen Elizabeth oâ— Eternal Memory if she would have taken it of Him as so Allowed oâ— Him on Numb 7. But what need of that For as for the Use of the Sacrament in both Kinds It is Christs own Institution And as for ouâ— Prayers being in the Vulgar or known Tongue it is according to St. Pauls Direction And if these two be not Authority enough without the Pope's Licence then have we not the Liberty so much as to serve God even according to his own Appointment and Institution but how and when the Pope pleaseth And so if the Devil at any time should be big enough in Him it will be in his power and at his pleasure whether God shall be openly Worshipped in the World or not As for the Matter of the Book it is such that except some few which all Men of any sober Communion never esteemed otherwise then as Mad-Men Persons of any Communion in the Christian World may safely joyn in it When any bring their particular Objections whether Romanists or Others they shall receive their Answers As for the Romanists I am apt to think that they would rather adde to it But because we think those to be such Matters as would corrupt it That must be Tried by the Examination of Particulars which is not the business of this place XLIII As for the Ways or Means of Coming to the Knowledge of the Catholicism of any Doctrine I know but two whereon the Ancients laid any Stress Scripture and Tradition The Sufficiency of the Scriptures as a Rule of Faith or that they contain all Matters in themselves necessary to Salvation we not only Maintain but further say That since God hath been pleased for the securing us from the frailtie of Mens Memories the Misguidance of Mistakes the Cheat of Impostures and the like dangers to Cause his Will to be put in Writing and Compleat the Canon of Scripture The Scriptures are the only sure and infallible Rule of our Faith And whatsoever is fetch'd from those Fountains cannot but be Oâ—thodox and Right Here is our sure Anchor-Hold and in this the Fathers go along with us Nobis saith Tertull. de Praescrip Curiositate opus non est post Christum Jesum nec Inquisitione post Evangelium And Salâ—ian de Guber Dei lâ—b 3 p. 67. Si scire vis quid tenendum est habes Literas sacras Perfecta Ratio est hoc 〈◊〉 quod legeris He that Affects Citations may heap up enough to this purpose Nor doth it do the Romanists Cause any Service That many of their Authors speak so meanly and disgracefuâ—â—y of the Holy Scriptures for pious Eares do not well bear to Hear the Confâ—ssed Word of God Contemptibly Treated And Mr. Apulton seems to Me to have been very imprâ—dent in Entitling Part of his Answer to Dr. Tenison A Confutation of the Doctors Rule os Faith for the Doctors Rule of Faith was no other then the Scriptures And a Confutation of them would of all others be the Work for a Christian If a difference Arise Who shall Interpret this Rule I Answer First That whosoever Interpreteth he is bound to his Rule And it is not therefore the sense of the Rule because he saith it but he is therefore in the Right because he gives the true Meaning of it If he speak his own and not the Rules Meaning he doth not Interpret but deprave Secondly I Answer That if the Priests Lips ought to preserve Knowledge and the People to seek the Law at his Mouth then we have a Succession of Lawful Pastors duely Authorized who no more depend on the Romanists then the Romanists on them And so we
nothing or at least nothing which he designed to be a perpetual Standard and Rule to all his Followers It is said indeed John 8. 6. That He Wrote with his Finger on the Ground But what that was no Body can tell Eusebius indeed Records an Epistle of his to Agbarus but if the Story be true and I have no mind to derogate from the Reputation of so Learned and Industrious an Historian yet it was to a particular Person in Answer to a particular Request And the principal Contents are a Promise That after his Death one of his Disciples should come and both Cure and Instruct Him Nor was it ever Accounted as any part of Canonical Scripture The Apostles indeed being Led by the Spirit into all Truth not only taught it to the then present Age but Committed it to Writing for the benefit of Posterity But then they Wrote nothing contrary or disagreeing with what they preach'd and taught both before and after they wrote And there is no doubt but that those Doctrines which they Comprized summarily in the Scripture were expounded more fully in their daily Conversation and continued discharge of their Ministerial Function If therefore any doubt or Controversie did Arise concerning the Meaning of Scripture there could be no better way to determine it then by enquiring in what Sense those Churches understood it which the Apostles had planted where upon all Occasions they at large Explained themselves for it is certain That the Apostles best knew their own Meaning And when they were no longer living to tell it let witty or wicked Men make never such a Bustle or fair Shew it will be very difficult to perswade any sober Men but that those must needs best know their Meaning to whom the Apostles themselves most amply discovered it Now it being the great Business of Hereticks to corrupt the Scriptures and wrest them to a wrong sense that they might seem to have a sufficient Authority patronizing their Errours When it so Hapned the Ancient Church usually declined the Nice Way of Cavilling and Captious Disputes and fell to enquire what was the Doctrine and Sense of the Apostolick Churches for it could not be but that those to whom the Apostles had preached all their days must better understand their Meaning then any Upstarts who followed their own Imaginations and were fond of New and pâ—stilent Notions And by this means they not only Silenced Hereticks but wrung the Scriptures and the Interpretations of Them out of their Hands and then turned them against them And whilst Apostolical Men were living this was a sure Way And so far as such Tradition can be proved to have been preserved genuine and true it is still a good Way And when the Romanists have endeavoured to bring the Cause to this Issue I think they have had no great Cause to boast of their Gains Witness to avoid Naming many the Controversie Managed by Bishop Jewel and Harâ—ing But then as to Tradition these Cautions would be observed 1. That this is no prejudice to the Scriptures being the only sufficient Rule of Faith for though the Apostles wrote and taught the same things and so both were alike a Rule to the then living Persons yet when those things were put in Writing it was for this very Reason That a Sure and Certain Rule might be Preserved for Posterity For Tradition might in time be mistaken forgotten or corrupted But the Scriptures would remain unalterable So that the Scriptures are the Rule to us though there are many Helps to lead us to their true Meaning of which perhaps genuine Tradition is none of the worst But this makes nothing against the perfection and sufficiency of the Scriptures which contain all things necessary to Salvation though they do not find us Eyes to see nor Ears to hear nor Brains to Consider though God doth all this and all other Helps abundantly All Arts and Sciences are supposed to be Complete in themselves and to contain Rules sufficient to instruct a Man in them And yet some of the Noblest of them can never be thoroughly Attained unless a Man be first Instructed in the Rudiments of some other Arts or Sciences preliminary and preparatory to them But the Scriptures being the most perfect Rule as proceeding from the All-wise God and leading to the Noblest End why should not Others or rather all be subservient to them yet this is so far from making them less that it argues their greater Perfection Secondly That nothing be Admitted as a Tradition which hath not some Apparent Foundation in Scripture for that being the undoubted Word of God whatever is not Agreeable thereto much more whatsoever is contrary to it ought never to be admitted But by Reason of our own Weakness or Others Frowardness the Rule in some Cases being not so clear a true primitive Tradition in relation to Matters contained in Scripture may be very useful to lead us to the true Sense as in the Cafe of Infants Baptism the Observation of the Lords Day and some other Matters For all the Churches of God from the first times having Baptized Infants and duely observed the Lords Day it must be supposed That the Apostles did unanimously so teach the first Churches and consequently that those General Precepts concerning Baptism in Scripture are inclusive of the Children of believing Parents And that those Scriptural Instances of the Observation of the Lords Day were intended to direct our Practice Nor let any Man think that the Romanists will be Gainers by this for I will never deny any Truth for fear of giving Advantage to an Adversary Whatever they can prove from Scripture Expounded by such truly primitive Tradition as shall be agreeable to the two foregoing and the following Cautions I shall freely yield to them or any other Party But if the Matter come to this Issue they must lose all the most Considerable things for which they Contend with us I know they make great Flourishes and pretend Scripture back'd with Tradition for Purgatory and some other Fopperies But what can I or any Man help it if they will use the best means for the worst Ends They know good Rules but use them ill For as for such a Notion of Purgatory which they have set up and such a Use for it as they have devised as there is not any Footsteps of it in Scripture so was it utterly unknown to the primitive Church or if it could have been known would have been Abominated And if Men will have the Impudence to pretend without any colour for their Pretences yet I will not forsake a good Course because they abuse it Thirdly that nothing be admitted as a genuine Tradition but what was universâ—lly received and wherein all the primitive Churches were agreed according to that known Rule of Vincentius Lyrinensis Quod ubique quod semper quod ab oinnibus or as he otherwise phraseth it Vniversitaetis Antiquitatis Consensio Nothing can be so plainly spoken but
such Churches If there be no Prospect of another General Councel near at Hand a Provincial Councel of their own who understand their state and necessities may Relieve them by making other Orders more Fit and Practicable sor them but always with Honour and Observance of those Constitutions where they do take place and without any Contempt or disrespect where they are laid aside To this Effect is that Answer of our Learned Dr. Beveridge to his fâ—oward Observator Nemo nescit Synodos Posteriores saepe alia nonnunquam contraria câ—nstituisse ac quae prioribus constituta fuerant idque licèt Priores illae aecuenenicae siâ—e Vniversales Posteriores singularium tantummodò Provinciarum Synodi â—ssent quod sexcentis sinecâ—sse esset exemplis demonstrare licet Cod. Can. Ecc. â—â—i lib. 1. cap. 3. In these things if I mistake not consists the greatest anâ— most direct Power of Councels for these things are to be received and observed by vertue of their own Authority And hence it is Observable That in most ancient Councels the greatest Part of their Canons relate to Discipline and Government And they never Cared to meddle with Matter of Doctrine â—â—less the Troubles of the Church and unquietness of Hereticks constrained them to it And though in this Case not only Men in inferiour Orders but even prudent Laymen may be Consulted with and have liberty â—o Advise and freely spâ—ak their Thoughts that the state of the Church may be the better known yet the decisive Voice is in the Bishop And that the Contrary Asserted by Spalato is a great Mistake I shall happily have Occasion to prove when I come to speak of the Nature Power and Rights of Episcopacy in opposition to the Roman See whose Usurpations have not only diminished but in a manner destroyed that Order to the irreparable damage of Gods Church and without the Restoration of which to its just Rights I see not how the Church can hope for either Unity or Peace V. But though in Relation to Government and Discipline the Power of Bishops in Councel is very great yet in Matters of Doctrine it is by no means the same For he that Committed to their Trust the Government of his Church gave them no Power over the Faith Rules for Discipline may alter as Cases alter But the Gospel of Christ Jesus must be yesterday and to day and the same for ever No Monckish Evangelium aeternum nor Fanatick Evangelium armatum must be suffered to thrust this out of doors What Christ and his Apostles delivered to the Saints at first must be the Rule to the last And therefore here the Business of Councels is not to Appoint but Enquire Not to Constitute but declare They have no Authority to make us a New Gospel or any New Article of Faith but to discover the Old And therefore here their Authority goes equal pace with their Sincerity Diligence and Skill And if these Qualifications be truly in them and duely used It is all the Reason in the World that we should Acquiesce in their Determinations and that not only because we cannot have any better or more able Body of Men to decide the Controversie But also because we have good Grounds to believe that God will Afford them his Assistance sor the Promise made to the Disciples of being with them always to the End of the World is not capable of any other Construction but of his Affording not only to them but to their Successors sufficient Aid and Assistance to preserve discover teach and declare that Truth and Doctrine which our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles taught and left with them to be taught to the End of the World for the Salvation of Souls And though even Laymen as being all Concerned in the Common Salvation may Challenge a Right to Appear in Councel in oâ—deâ—ly Manner and Number yet certainly the greatest Authority lies in them to whom God hath Committed the Care of all the Churches and who must Answer sor others Soâ—â—s as well as their own Where therefore the Pastors of the Church are Met together about Matters relating to the Necessâ—ties of the Church and are Honest Industrious and able I doubt not but that in Matters of Religion their Authority is the greatest of any Men on Earth God I think would not suffer such Men so qualified to decâ—ive us in any thing of necessity to Salvation and therefore they are not lightly to be regarded And if these things could be truly said for the Councel of Tâ—â—nt I should have a better esteem â—or it then I am like to have in haste But on the other Hand if any Pastors of the Church how many soever though never so able and industrious Meet together and be not Honest and Sincere but at least by the prevailing Number for base Interest labour by subtile and unworthy Arts not to Amend but Establish gross Errours Abuses and Corruptions These Men not only Offer the greatest Affront to God and his Christ but Attempt to put the most pernicious Cheat upon the Christian World And in stead of Assistance from God they may rather expect that in Judgement he should give them over to strong delusions to believe a Lye And these are to be Abominated and with as great indignation Rejected as good and lawful Councels are with Reverence to be received and followed And in which of these Rancks the Councel of Trent ought to stand I shâ—ll now Enquire VI. And in the first place it may not be Amiss to Consider what time was taken to Frame and Mould this Councel to the Popes Mind The Councels of Constance and Basil having Eclipsed the Roman See in the very Height of its Greatness and Glory the Popes ever since have looked with a malignâ— Aspect upon General Councels and the very Naming one was enough to put any of them into a Fit of a Feavour And indeed this made following Councels not only useless but noxious For if the Necessities of the Church seemed at any time to Require a General Councel the Pope would never suffer it to be but in such place that he could Command And always took care that it should Consist of such Persons who at least for the greater Number were at his devotion And yet even then was wofully uneasie till it was Finished so unwilling are Popes to trust themselves with a Councel though themselves have the packing of it But that Spark which first fell through the Clashing of Luther and the Pardonmongers being blown to such a Flame that no Common Help could quench it a General Councel seemed necessary But to Manage it for the Advantage of the Roman See and to hold it in convenient place was a Matter of no small difficulty in such times of Confusion so that it seemed to be as dangerous to the Pope as it was necessary for the Church It was well for the Court of Rome that the greatest Princes of those times were perswaded that it was