reap the greatest advantage by our Disorders As you therefore love God love your Country love your Childrens Souls keep them from Conventicles and be carefull in training them up in the constant Communion of the Church of England God does particularly commend Abraham because he did command his Children after him that they should keep the way of the Lord. Gen. 18 19. And Joshua does not only take care for himself but says As for Me and my House we will serve the Lord. Josh 24.15 And it is the Command of God in the New Testament Ephes 6.4 That you should bring up your Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord And what that is I have here set before you to prevent your falling into the Errours and Confusions of the times And how can you better spend your Dayes then in promoting the Glory of God and Peace and Love round about you and obtaining happiness for your Selves and Families to all Eternity God be thanked the Pious Zeal of the Sons of the Church has had so good effect in the City of London that daily Morning and Evening Prayers Weekly and Monthly Communions are Reverently and Devoutly celebrated and frequented in many Churches and Chappels I hope their good example will stir up People in the Countrey to change their careless behaviour to be reverent and constant in doing their Duty and attending the Prayers and Sacraments of the Church Calvin de necess Reform Eccles LET them give us such an Hierarchy in which Bishops have such a preheminency that they do not refuse to be subject to Christ wherein they depend upon him as their only Head and are referred unto him in which let them maintain Brotherly Charity one with another and be united together with no other Bond than of his Truth Then I will confess there is no Anathema that they are not guilty of if there be any such that do not observe it Reverently and with the highest Obedience Calv. de vera Reformand Ration That no Man may raise a Calumny against us that we are too morose and froward concerning external things and do so precisely take away all Liberty I do here testifie that I do not contend about Ceremonies which serve for Order and Decency or else are Simbols and Incitements of that Reverence which we pay to God Calv. Ep. 87. Protect Angl. I do highly approve that there should be a certain Form of Prayer and Ecclesiastical Rites from which it should not be Lawfull for Pastors themselves to discede or vary 1. That provision may be made for some Peoples ignorance and unskilfullness 2. That the consent of all Churches amongst themselves may more plainly appear 3. That Order may be taken against the desultory lightness of such who delight in innovations Thus there ought to be an established Catechism an established Administration of Sacraments and also a Publick Form of Prayer THE Necessity of adhering TO The Church of ENGLAND as by Law established c. I Hope I have made it evident to you that I have a tender regard for the glory of God and the good of your Souls by the great pains and the charge I was at to send you Books to stir you up and direct you to the serious practice of the duty of Godliness for t is not hearing all the Sermons and melting discourses in the world can bring you to Heaven unless you do truly Love God with all your heart Deut. 6.5 Matt. 22.37 with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength which is not done by running now and then into a Conventicle and sighing and groaning at a passionate expression of the Preacher but by a constant and steady doing of your Duty There are in the world many errours in opinion destructive of salvation and there are more in practice But of late years since my coming to this Office our Churches have been much more filled and the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper better frequented and the generality of the People seemed to be very well satisfied with the Doctrine and discipline of the Church of England as by Law established and there need nothing but a hearty conformity to the rules and order of it to make us all instruments of Gods glory here on earth and happy to all eternity in the kingdom of Heaven And that I might more effectually perswade you to live in all Christian obedience to the will of God I thought some motives to the duty of Godliness with short directions and prayers would be a means to make you more ready and willing to lead a holy and Religious life This was my real design and intention in sending that little Book amongst you which if you would often and carefully read over and observe the directions contained in it you would and more solid comsort and satisfaction upon your death bed or when you come to examine into the hopes you have of Salvation then in all the passionate Sermons that ever you heard in a Conventicle for then you would do your duty as God hath commanded you whereas now most men content themselves with hearing only and that not as they ought to doe neither and so deceive their own selves Jam. 1.22 Since the coming abroad of that little Book when I thought I had little else to do but to call upon you to do your duty which you did already own and profess I am how put upon another care by the change of affairs in the State in order to the faithful discharge of my Office that is to endeavour to recall some and secure others in the unity and communion of the Church now when you are ready to hear every new Man that sets up in a Conventicle and read erroneous books to lead you to destruction I hope you will read and consider what your Spiritual Governours who have as great a concern for your good as They have a blind Zeal for your hurt have to say for the truth and your obedience to the Laws of the Gospel And 't is from the earnest desire I have of your peace and welfare and the salvation of your Souls that I do now again apply my self to you and require you as you will answer it at the Day of judgement when I must give an account how I have done my duty to was do you seriously to consider how you that run into schism will answer this Charge which I now draw up against you when the scoffs and jears of your Leaders the all I urements and threatnings of your companions and of your friends in errour will stand you in no stead but you must each stand by your selves to be Judged at the day of your death according to the word of God which I now offer to your consideration The pretence of Conscience and being satisfied in their way without assurance from the Scriptures is an unsafe foundation I Know it is the temper of many of you to say we are
easier Terms then all Churches do require of those that are under their respective Jurisdictions So that we are neither the cause nor party in any Division Other Churches that break communion with us deny that Christian Charity that One Member of Christs Body ought to pay to another and those of our own Members that run into Conventicles set up Altar against Altar and divide themselves from our Communion go against the plain word of God which requires them to obey them that have the Rule over them See my Evangel and Cath. unity c. against the constant Order of the Catholick Church and general Councils and contrary to the Doctrine and Command of all other Churches in the World Obj. But are there no Reasons then for Men to refuse the Communion of their particular Church and Bishop and must every private Christian alwayes comply with their Governours whatsoever they say or do Answ They must obey their particular Church in all things Lawfull which are in all things not contrary to the word of God and the Catholick Church Obj. But who shall be Judge in this Case Answ The sense of the Catholick Church in Cases of doubt is to be consulted Obj. But is it not hard to know where she may be consulted and how to understand her Sense in any matter Answ God has promised that the way shall be so plain that a wayfaring Man though a Fool shall not err therein Isa 35.8 1 Tim. 3.15 and for our direction tells us the Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth And thereupon he has commanded us to hear and obey the Church and there is no doubt it will be an easie matter to understand what her Sense is in all Cases needfull for us to know Obj. But have not Bishops and Scholars themselves many disputes about the Church and about her Sense in several points and how then can People know the Sence of the Church Answ Men of some Judgment and little Reading are willing to despise that Authority which is above their capacity and Men of great Reading and little Judgment do not know how to reconcile the seeming differences in the Church but if you consult your Bishops and Ministers they will satisfie you concerning the Sense of the Catholick Church in all parts of your duty For since God has made it our duty to hear and obey the Churches he will order matters so that all People that are willing to follow her direction may be guided by it for God does not reveal any thing to us that we cannot believe nor command any thing which we cannot perform in the manner it is proposed to us Quest What plain Rule will you give us to go by in this matter for we would willingly know the Truth and hearken to the Church Answ First in all Lawfull and in most doubtfull matters it is your duty to follow the command of your particular Church Quest But what must I do in things that seem to me contrary to the Word of God when such are commanded by my particular Church Answ The second Rule then I would give you is that if you think or are credibly told you ought not to joyn with your particular Church in this or that Doctrine or practice before you make a Schism enquire of learned Men what was the Sense of the Primitive Fathers and generall Councils and what is the generall opinion of other Churches and most learned Divines about it and be sure you have good Reason and Authority before you depart from your own Church in which you live and were Baptized Obj. This is the way to put me upon a tedious endless work more then either I or the Persons I consult will be ever able to go through Answ No no such matter the Sense and Consent of the Scripture and of the Church is so clear in all points of duty that People are concerned to know and practice and the Controversies are so few when rightly stated and understood that want to be decided in Order to your doing your duty that it will be no hard matter to receive full satisfaction for they are either such that have been long agoe decided or the Church is wholly silent about them and there is no evidence of Scripture to oblige you to depart from your particular Church upon that account Now consider in how many matters all Churches are agreed and the Controversies long agoe setled First against the Arrians and Socinians Consess August which are long agoe condemned for Hereticks and the Three Creeds that expound the Catholick Faith See my enquiry into the means of a happy union contrary to their perverse interpretations are generally received by all Churches So likewise the Anabaptists and Quakers who deny Infant Baprism are likewise condemned by all Churches and 't is the constant Doctrine of the Catholick Church and all Reformed Churches that to separate from their Lawfull Bishops upon the account of their requiring of them to joyn in stated Forms of Prayer and for enjoyning decent Ceremonies not contrary to the Word of God and thereupon to set up Altar against Altar and run into private meetings is that Schism condemned in the Holy Scriptures So that not only from the Holy Scriptures but from the interpretation of the Church it is most evident that they hold pernicious if not Damnable errours and in these points it will be an easie matter for every body to find satisfaction and to know the Churches Sense concerning them So that to joyn with such Dissenters and to profess their Doctrines is manifestly to oppose the Catholick Church as well as the Word of God Obj. But if you put us to enquire into the Ancient ways and consult the Sense of other Churches and give us that Rule for our direction in matters of Controversie we fear you have a design to lead us back to the Church of Rome for they talk much of the Church and the old Religion and tell us all the World is on their side Answ That is the great weakness of some to imagine so and by their speaking meanly of hearkning to the Authority of the Catholick Church make many Suspect indeed that the Church of God has been altogether corrupted and lost or else no where to be found for many Ages but in the Church of Rome Whereas if you will inquire of your Bishops and Divines of the Church of England they will tell you that the pretended Authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is contrary to the generall Councils rejected by the whole Church for the first Six Hundred Years and upwards and condemned by the major part of the Bishops and Christian Churches from the Apostles times to this very day nay the Church of Rome is the only Church by Name warned to take heed least she be Cut off from the Body of Christ as the Jews were Rom. 11. So that the Church of Rome is so far from being the Catholick Church that
Pattern of order and unity will be the most confused body in the World every body will become his own Lord and Master and will live and do as he lift but how opposite is this to that command of our Saviour If he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican and to that of the Apostle obey them that have the Rule over you when at this rate no Man has any other Ruler but his own peevish will Our Saviour therefore to prevent this confusion as he had Authority immediatly from God so he gave his Apostles full Commission to send others with the like power of appointing new Bishops to the end of the World as fast as any should dye or the places become void And to this purpose he says as my Father sent me Joh. 20. that is with power of sending you so send I you with power of sending others And lo I am with you alwaies unto the end of the World accordingly we find Paul and Barnabas ordained by the appointment of the Holy Ghost Act. 13.2 3. and they again when they had received this power goe about ordaining Bishops in every Church where they were wanting Acts 14.23 and then Acts 20. the Apostle exhorts the Bishops to feed the Flock of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops Thus Timothy was ordained by St Paul and he had power to ordain others but he is charged to lay hands suddenly on no Man 1 Tim. 5.22 Titas also was left in Crete to ordain Elders and set in order the things that were wanting So that Christ he first sent forth his Apostles the Apostles they ordained and sent forth Bishops they were to judge of their abilities and so to give them charge of Souls and the People were to hearken to them and obey them as appointed by the Holy Ghost Act. 20. and so other Priests and Officers that follow their orders and directions 2 Cor. 7.15 What method was observed in appointing Bishops and Governours of the Church after the Apostles dayes 'T IS not to be expected that the Names of all the Persons that were called to be Governours in the Church and the places and bounds within which every Man was to exercise his Authority should be set down in Scripture no more then the Names and Places of Kings and Printes and Civil Governours are The common rules of prudence and order are enough to direct in this as well as the other matters so that all things be done decently and in order and to the edification of the Church Now the Rules of decency and order do require that Persons should be appointed peaceably and therefore no Man must thrust himself into any Government till he be duely called and set apart for that Office neither must any one usurp anothers place and disturb him in the quiet discharge of his duty And then that all may be done to edification t is fit the Persons should be able and well qualified to do their Office so there must be Persons who have power to appoint and judgement to examine and discern the fitness of the Men who are to be called to so high a dignity as to be Teachers and Governours of the Church how they are for life and conversation that Magistrates and People can bear witness to and are allowed to except against ill Men. But whether they are sound in Faith and indued with knowledge and understanding rightly to divide the word of God and discharge their duty that was ever the Office of the Bishops to enquire as also to ordain and appoint them for they must lay hands suddenly on no Man 1 Tim. 5.22 but are to commit this Authority to faithfull Men who are able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2.2 again how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 no Man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 Now that was after a solemn and orderly manner by Gods appointment he was legally consecrated and set apart for that Office Exod. 28. so were the Apostles so were those sent abroad by the Apostles and so Persons were appointed in all ages of the Church being first examined and tryed and then Ordained and sent forth by the Bishops according to certain Canons and the same order is observed at this day in all Churches that stand established in any setled Government And thô there be a dispute in some places whether Bishops and Priests be of the same order and upon that supposition that every Priest is a Bishop and has Originally in him fullness of all Authority and Power some do take it upon them to ordain thô meer Presbyters yet it is upon that principle and supposition that a Presbyter is equal to a Bishop and has Authority from Christ to ordain others by virtue of his Office and so still they maintain that Men must be examined and appointed by Bishops in a Regular manner before they ought to be allowed to take upon them any Office of Preaching and Governing in the Church And suppose a Bishop and Presbyter were one Order and a Presbyter had equal Authority originally to Ordain as well as Bishops which in the judgment of most Churches they have not yet what an unreasonable thing is it to make use of a power of Ordination which was never owned and allowed for 1500 years in the Church and which does create many doubts and disputes and great confusion in the Church when they may have Ordination from the Bishops which all confess is sound and valid and thereby Men may avoid giving scandal to many Churches and raising Scruples in the minds of People at home which all charity does require good Christians to prevent Now this Succession of Bishops down from the Apostles time to our dayes Luther T. 4. p. 6 7 8. Twenty years after his first appearing against the errors of the Church of Rome The Apostles were called by Christ himself the Apostles afterward called their Disciples as Paul called Timothy and Titus Who afterward called the Bishops the Bishops called their Successors and that Call continued to our times and shall continue to the end of the World and 't is a mediate call because it is by Men yet it is Divine and this is the generall call all over the World after the Apostles neither is it to be changed but highly esteemed by reason of some fanaticall Men which despise it and boast of another better call whereby they say they are moved by the Spirit to teach But such impostors lye they are moved by a Spirit indeed but not by a good but a wicked Spirit Wherefore we must not run into another Man's charge as the Devil does stir up his Ministers to run where they are not called has run as clearly and as evidently as the Succession of our Kings in England since William the Conquerour still one succeeding another as any died or