of mistake and Ignorance Of Zeal against Popery alledg'd therein The Con 〈…〉 PART I. Of the Duty of Pastors to Exercise their Spiritual Powers and to afford the People Orthodox and Holy Ministrations CHAP. I. Of the Differences here Treated of and of the Schism consequent thereon REvolutions of States and Kingdoms when they have put them into the Possession of New Masters are wont to bring on New Oaths of Allegiance for Security of the New Possessors and also to bring on Alterations of Publick Prayers and Liturgies so far at least as concerns the Cause and Interest of the Governing Persons that Religious as well as Civil Offices and Ministrations may espouse and serve their Cause who have got the Power into their Hands These Impositions of such New Oaths and of such Alterations and Ordering of the Publick Worship pursuant to the Design thereof are usually followed with Acts of State for Deprivation of those Bishops and Clergy who Refuse and Stand off from the same and for Substituting opposite or Anti-Bishops and other Clergy that will conform thereto into their Places And when these are executed accordingly especially in much disputed Cases it may be an afflictive Sight to many good Christian Minds in just acknowledgement to the extraordinary and perhaps generally celebrated Merits of Some and in due Compassion to the hard Measure of all the Sufferers But it will be much more impressive and lamentable on the Score of that terrible Rent and Schism thereby like to ensue in such Churches which is so generally and deservedly dreaded and bewailed by all Sincere Promoters of Unity and unfeigned Lovers of Peace and of the Prosperity of the Church This Breach being thus made on One Side The Sufferers will be press'd to Submit in Regard to the Deprivation of the State And moreover supposing themselves injured they will be put in Mind of the justly magnified excellency of the Desirableness and Necessity of Unity and will be call'd upon as Good Pastors who prefer the Flock before themselves to give up Private Claims to Publick Peace and Personal Quarrels and Pretences to the Advantage and Edification of the Church And this Preference of Peace to private Interests they must own to be the Duty of all good Pasters and as becomes such profess to set these things above all Worldly Profits and Considerations being ready when call'd thereto To lay down even their Lines for the Sheep after the Example of the Great Shepheard And 't is not improbable but that at such times they may wish withal that their Admonishes had been as ready to follow this Advice as they are to give it and had like good and conscionable Christians reflected seasonably and seriously themselves upon these Duties of Peace and Unity before they had acted so much against them in rushing Head long as they may alledge into that Breach which in the End the generality see so great cause to lament but which the Sufferers have no Power to Remedy Or that in Just and Necessary Remorse for what they have done they would penitently return whence they are fallen and seeing their Error so unhappily over-looked before by coming into the old Paths re-unite themselves to then Brethren again But on the Other hand they will be ready to put their Brethren and Accusers in Mind that neither a State Deprivation nor a Synodical Deprivation had there been one can discharge a Bishop from standing up to keep off Damage and Danger to Religion and to the Souls of Men or from preventing their being nursed up in immoral Practices and Devotions And that True and Faithful Pastors are not so straightly bound to keep up external Unity and Peace as to keep up necessary Truth and Righteousness and holy and unpolluted Worship in the Church Their Charge is first To provide against all things that endager or destroy the Souls of Men and damnifie Religion and when that is done then to look how they may provide against all Schism or breach of external Unity with their Compastors or Brethren but never seek to salve and secure this by letting those alone Besides as to Peace and Union instead of carrying themselves off from Truth and Righteousness at such times or any good People off from them they will alledge that they oblige all who will make Conscience thereof and observe them as they ought to stick to them For the Unity which Christ requires is to keep united upon the Profession of true Doctrine and holy Worship not of any damnable Errors and Corruptions thereof And under our own Lawful and Canonical Bishops and Pastors not under any opposite or Anti-Bishops and Pastors Schismatically set up against them and violently intruding into their Places The determination of this Debate at all such times on all such Emergencies is both of highest account and of most general Concernment And the design of these Papers is to set down those things whereon in my Judgment the clearing of it must depend and by the help whereof Sincere Christians in such Divisions may be enabled to resolve both what is the Duty of the Sulfering Bishops and Clergy in those Cases and also what is the Peoples Duty and with which of the concern'd Parties Men who desire nothing so much as to please God and to keep a good Conscience ought to unite and joyn themselves As to the deprived Bishops and Clergy at such times the question is Whether not withstanding their Deprivation they are Bound still to go on in the Exercise of their Ministry Or sitting down under it and letting fall their Spiritual Ministrations they Should content themselves to keep United the Anti-Bishops and to their Adberents as Lay Communicants If it be their Duty still to insist on their Spiritual Powers and as they can and at their Perils to exercise their respective Ministrations those Churches are unavoidably left in a State of Flagr anâ— Schism For the opposite or Anti-Bishops are set up against them in their respective Churches as New Heads And if the Old Ones are not only still in place and Bishops of their Flocks 〈◊〉 and still bound to stick thereto and to act as Heads of those Churches each Church will stand divided between Two Heads which drawing opposite Parties and Members after them must unavoidably make two Bodies and roâ—d one into two Churches And besides one having the Protection and Countenance of the State and the other wanting it they must not by divided and separate Ministrations One in the way of an Incorporate Church encouraged by Legal Places and Preferments and foâ—â—â—fied by secular Laws and Priviledges But the Other in the way of a Destitute or Persecured Church stript of the Publick Churches and of secular Benefices and of all Temporal Aids and Methods directing and fortifying the Spiritual Jurisdiction in the Ecolesiastical Courts and left meerly to its Spiritual Powers When the State deprives them they must take up with what is independantly and originall their own and
of the respective Bishops and Pastors thereof All Orthodox Bishops and Churches keep this up 1. By Receiving each others Members as if they were their own Members 2. And in like sort by refusing each others Schismaticks And Excommunicates And admitting each others Reconciliation and Re-union of Members Of Communicatory Letters fox those Purposes CHAP. III. Of just Grounds to break off Communion Particularly of making impious and unlawful Things or unrighteous Usurpations and Incroachments the Terms of their Communion JUst Ground to break off Communion from any Churches 1. When they put impious or unlawful Things into their Sacred Offices Reasons hereof Faith and Worship spoke of as the great Ligaments which Bind us to any Church 2. More still if they admit none to Communion in the good Parts unless they particularly concur in the corrupt ones too 2. A Second Ground is if they make unrighteous Usurpations the Condition of their Communion CHAP. IV. Heresie a just Ground to break off Communion CHrists first end was to Publish a Religion Next to Incorporate â—â— into a Church or Society for the Profession of it Christian Doctrine the Foundation of Church Society and Unity So we are not Bound to Associate or Unite with any longer than they keep to this Doctrine but are discharged by their Heresie And on the Evidence of the Fact it self before Synodical Sentence This Liberty 1. For the People and Clergy towards their own local Guides and Bishops 2. For Clergy and People of one Church towards those of another And on Defections from grand and necessary Doctrines of Practice as well as of Faith Chiefly when the Ministerial Defence of either is no longer allow'd in their Communion Being thus set loose from their own Erring Bishops and Clergy they are free to Unite with others who are Orthodox And those others are free to receive them Canonical Rules against intermedling in others Diocess c. no hindrance thereto Rules of Unity not pleadable by such Defectors for vniting with them The Guilt of making the Schism lies on the Defectors Should their Brethren come over that would not Cure but make the Breach from the Catholick Church wider CHAP. V. Of the Communion of good Christians or with whom they are to joyn in Divine Offices under a Schism THeir Obligations to stick to their Orthodox Rightful Bishops and to stand off from the Anti-Bishops and their Adherents in the foremention'd Cases As reta â—â—â—ing their Baptism they may own the Schismaticks as Brethren but as being in a Schism they must stand off from their Communion A great Sence of the Obligations to shuâ— the Communion of Schismeticks and corrupt Teachers in the first Times This was most when Charity was at the hight This will bar Communion 1. with the Electors and Ordainers of such Anti-Bishops 2. With their Clergy and People or the Assemblies of their Diocess 3. With other Bishops and Churches who take their part and communicate with them 4. With the Bishops of a Province who turn over to an Anti-Primate or opposite Metropolitane Of Provincial Union and the Rules for Maintenance thereof 5. When Curch Divisions are made for opposite Ways of Worship and Tenets Men will Unite with such as are of their own Mind and hold Communion with those who are for the same way of necessary Worship and Tenets with themselves CHAP. VI. Of Ordinations of Anti-Bishops which tho' always Schismatical are not always Nullities OF St. Cyprians saying the Anti-Bishop is not Secundus but Nullus That Anti-Bishops are real Bishops and their Ordinations are not Null in themselves but were admitted in the Novatians by the Council of Nice In the Donatists by the Roman and African Councils The same shown in several other Cases Tho' Men have Orders yet they cannot exercise the same in Assemblies of the Faithful without the Communion of the Church Such Offenders Received sometimes to Clerical sometimes only to Lay-Communion as the Church saw Cause The Case of the Anti-Bishops ordain'd by the Schismatick Meletius Ecclesiastical Laws and Discipline asserted or abated in such Receptions as was judged most expedent for the Church The Donatists made Schism to take away the Powers of Orders and are opposed therein by St. Austin How St. Cyprian and the Africanes of his Age seem to have done the same which St. Basil disliked in them Altho' their Nulling the Ministerial Acts of Schismaticks seems to be only in the Way of Asserting Discipline and Canons by denying Communion to them in their Churches not that they thought them Null in themselves How the Admission of Ordination of Anti-Bishops Consists with the Bishops being the Principle of Unity and is not against the Nature of the Spiritual Monarchy A Difference as to this between Secular and Spiritual Monarchies And of Local Limitations in conserring Orders CHAP. VII Of the Excusableness of the Peoples receiving Ministerial Offices from Men in Schism rather than live without any at all THis wants the Malignity of Schism The Excusableness thereof shewn 1. From the Nature and Importance of the things themselves Where of the great Importance of Publick VVorship or of Communion in Ministerial Offices 2. From the Abatements God himself has been willing to make on such Necessity in other like Duties 2. From the Practice of Gods People under the greatest Schisms This Necessity being thought to Legitimate it 1. Among the Ten Tribes whose Ministrations were all in a Shism 2. VVith the Schismatical Novatians in the height of the Arian Persecution 3. In the Schismatical Extirpation of Episcopacy among us in the great Rebellion 4. Under the Schism of Forreign Churches where the Protestants have no Bishops Of the Abatements the Church has made where it had great Reason in the Point of Shunning the Communion of Schismaticks and Excommunicate Persons especially before they were Sentenced by the Church The same Equitably Applicable to this Case How both a due Sence of the Criminallness of Schism and Exercise of publick VVorship is provided for by this Means CHAP. VIII Of Communicating in like Necessity where there are some Prayers Sinful in the Matter of them To concur or go along in any unrighteous Petition or Thanksgiving is most Unrighteous and Prophane Of mixt Prayers where the Mixtures are Idolatrous c. Or where some Immoral Petitions are added to a Service not exceptionable on any other Accounts Of Bearing such Immoral Mixtures whilst they do not particularly concur therein but express Dissent from the same and resorting still to the Assemblyes where they are used in Care of â—â—eping Peace and Union Of Bearing the same for the Necessity of having some Ministerial Offices in want of other Opportunityes Mere Presence at such Immoral Addâ—tions no interpretative Profession of Concurrence thereâ—n Chiefly if Dissent be shewn by some external Sign Of these Concessions of favour and ease All highly concern'd to take the Right way in the Points here Debated Unsofe should they take the wrong to trust to the Plea
many think all may be salved by the Maintainance and Preservation of some other Duties thereby which are of more worth as of Orthodox Faith or of Purity of Gospel-Worship and Divine Service Thus the Jews who Sware by the Name of the Lord but not in Truth viz. Swearing Falsly what they never meant nor intended nor in Righteousness viz. promising to do what was very Unrighteous and Unjust And yet as God taxes them by Isaiah they thought to salve all and would stay themselves upon the God of Israel by calling themselves of the Holy City or by retaining Gods Temple and true Worship still among them Is. 48. 1 2. Such as these are the Doctrinal Salvo's whereby Men who in the General would continue to own and to profess Moral Duties and Precepts do notwithstanding study to reconcile them with some beloved and Justified Practices which are a literal and down-right Breach thereof Now though for Silencing of their own Consciences or in Fear of Worldly Shame in these and the like Cases Men still own the Duty in general Words yet by these opposite Principles and Doctrinal Salvo's do they Elude and Vacate them in Practice That is under Shelter of these opposite Doctrines they practice against those Duties and Justifie themselves therein as if there were no such Duties to restrain nor general Words to forbid them Under the Doctrinal Solvo's of Aequivocations and Mental Reservations for instance they think themselves true Men all the time they are telling horrid Lies And under the aforesaid Doctrinal Limitation of the Damnableness of Resistance to Legal Actings and Administrations of Princes they believe themselves good Subjects whilst they are most wickedly Levying War and Rebelling against God's Ordinance Thus likewise under the Doctrinal Salvo's of the Popes or Peoples Power to Depose Kings and to Discharge their Subjects of their Obedience of Allegiance being Due only to a King in Fact or whilst the Payment of it makes as they conceive for the Publick Good may they think themselves Unreprovable in Duty and Loyalty to their Lawful King though all the while they appear both to God and Man as if they ought him nothing yea tho' both by Prayers and Practice they openly resist him and oppose and set themselves against him And by confining the Obligation of Oaths of Allegiance to their own Arbitrary Senses or by Cancelling them by Antecedent Obligations of Publick Good They may Fancy themselves keeping Faith all the time they are wofully breaking it and that they are observing Oaths tho all the while at their extream Peril they are Litterally Forswearing themselves And under Shelter of the aforesaid Providential Right to what an Invader has unjustly got into his Possession They may take themselves for Just and Righteous Persons whilst all the time they are wickedly and horribly backing Violence and Wrong and helping one to hold what they believe and know he hath unjustly got and keeping the injured and oppressed Person out of his own And this is making God's Laws of no Effect in Practice however they may still be owned in general Names and Acknowledgments since in their Actions Men may do Contrary as Securely and Warrantably as if there were no such Laws at all Thus it was with the Salvo of the Vow Corban among the Jews to get clear of the Duty of Honouring and supporting Parents And with other Salvo's about Oaths and other-Commandments And these our Saviour call'd a making void the Commandments of God through their Doctrinal Traditions Mat. 15. 5 6. and Cap. 22. And where this is the Case it must not be said on the Account of their still Owning and Preaching up the Moral Duties under their general Names that Men have made no Change of Moral Doctrines They may have made none but say the same as to general Doctrines viz. that in the General there lies an Obligation upon Men to keep Faith and Oaths and to be Obedient and Passive under Governors and to do Justice to Proprietors and the like And so the Phariseâ—â—s would in the General own the Duty of Supporting Parents and those other Duties which they made void in Practice But these general and abstracted Doctrines lie further off and some other Doctrines more circumstantiate give them their proper Limitations and teach the Obligation thereof and how far they are Duties in particular Cases must come between them and the Practice of Men which lies all in such particular Cases And in these nearer and more limited and circumstantiate Doctrines about the foresaid moral Duties there is a Change when Men fall to start the foresaid Salvo's Yea such a Change as intercepts all the Force of the General Doctrines and teaches and authorizes Men notwithstanding those general Doctrines to Practise otherwise And such as the Pharisees made for which they are charged by our Saviour for making void God's Laws which certainly is to make a woful Change thereof These salving Doctrines are all changes of Doctrine and the Preachers thereof at such times make as great a change of Moral Doctrines as is necessary to make a change of Moral Practices And tho' they may not all Agree in any one of these Salvo's or changes of Moral Doctrine as Men are not so like to do when they are going wrong the ways of Error being Infinite tho' the way of Truth is but One. Yet if once they all Agree not only in following but in justifying and teaching the Immoral Practices they must all do it upon one or other of these new salving Doctrines which Men not hardy enough to decry moral Duties under their general Names must each of them chuse for themselves as they see Cause Now when such changes of Practical Doctrine are introduced and Moral Duties and Precepts are thus eluded and vacated by Doctrinal Salvo's and Limitations 'T is more highly incumbent still on the Ministers of Christ to stand up in his Cause and to administer his Word in Defence thereof They are Ministers of Religion and must not see it suffer in any of its Articles or Duties but as its appointed Officers and Advocates must guard and maintain them These Articles and Duties are a Trust divinely committed to them The glorious Gospel was committed to my Trust 1 And we are allow'd of God to be put in Trust with the Gospel faith St. Paul They are intrusted in their Hands as things which they are to keep and hold fast O! Timothy keep that which was committed to thy Trust saith he again 1 Tim. 6. 20. Hold it fast and in the Form of found Words wherein it was delivered 2 Tim. 1. 13. He trusts to them not only to keep and retain them but to defend and plead for them I am set for the Defence of the Gospel Phil. 1. 17. To take care that they be transmitted down to others who shall come next in Succession The things that thou hast heard of me the same commit thou to Faithful Men who shall be able to
advanced for Practices against any of his Commandments The Pharisees had invented many doctrinal Salvo's to justifie Men in the Breach of moral Duties and to vacate several of Gods Holy Commandments Thus they dealt by the Breach of Oaths which they cleared by several arbitrary Limitations and nice Distinctions of their own about the Obligation of them or Mens becoming Debtors i. e. bound by them Mat. 23. 16 18. And by the Denial of Relief or Help to Parents which they said was discharged of the Obligation laid by the Fifth Commandment and free from Sin if it was salved by the Vow Corban i. e. if they had made a Vow before that they would never Relieve them Mat. 15. 4. 5. 6. Thus Frustrating the Commandments of God as he tells them and making them of none effect through their undermining Salvo's and Traditions Mat. 15. 6. and Mark 7. 9 13. Not to mention their Limiting the Obligation of all Righteousness to external Acts or other ways of their exempting many Offences forbid by their own Law as well as by that of the Blessed Iesus But when the Ministers of Christ met with these Salvo's it was their Part not to suffer them but to rescue moral Precepts from being corrupted and Mens Consciences and Practices from being insnared by them They were to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees in these and other Points not only as private Christians to beware of imbibing it themselves but. as Pastors of suffering others to be tainted or corrupted therewith When by these and such like Glosses the Lawyers had taken away the Key of Knowledge and shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men as our Lord saith they as Ministers of that Kingdom were to unlock and open it to them and to make these Duties which were the Paths thereof plane for all who were sincerely desirous to walk in them They that are made Pastors and put in Station to be Great in the Kingdom of Heaven must both do the some themselves and teach others to observe even the least of Christs Commandments when others not only transgress them in their own Practice but teach Men to transgress them Mat. 15. 19. St. Paul afterwards speaks of False Apostles who corrupted the VVord of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that adulterated it as Vintners do their VVines by corrupt Mixtures blending their own Arbitrary Salvo's and Conceits therewith or Mixing their own Doctrines with Gods as St. Chrysostom comments 2 Cor. 2. 17. Who handled the VVord of God deceitfully 2. Cor. 4. 2. And spoke Lies in Hypocrisie pretending them consistent with or sometimes promotive of Duty and Piety 1 Tim. 4. 2. And perverted the Gospel of Christ Gal. 1. 17. But when the true Ministers met with any of these corrupt Infusions and Adulterations of Christian Doctrines instead of Treacherously conniving at these Adulterations they were by a purer and more sincere Ministration to cure and teach Men better They were to make full Proof of their Ministry in Preaching the VVord and to reprove and rebuke all that was contrary to it among those that would heap to themselves Teachers of Errors and Adulterations of the Truth according to their own Lusts 2 Tim. 4. 2 3 5. When others fell to speak Lies in Hypocrisie they were not to neglect the Gift that was in them that is their Pastoral Power and Function but to stir it up and put the Brethren in Remembrance of the pure and saving Christian Truths and Duties that they may discharge the part of Good Ministers of Iesus Christ 1 Tim. 4. 2. 6. 14. When Vain Tâ—lkers and Deceivers started up Teaching Things they ought not for Filt by Lucres sake they were call'd upon not only to hold fast the Faithful VVord as they had been taught and to keep to it themselves but also by Sound Doctrine to exhort and teach others and to convince and stop the Mouths of Gain-Sayers Tit. 1. 9 10. 11. Thus are the Faithful Ministers of Christ obliged to Feed the Church with the pure Administration of Moral or other Gospel Duties when the False Guides by doctrinal Salvo's and undermining Propositions are shewing Men how they may securely Vacate and Transgress them They are not to connive at such Corruptions and Adulterations of moral Precepts but to cry out and warn against them Nor to smother and keep up the real and injured Duties but to Preach and Minister them out to those Souls who are like to perish through their Ignorance and Breach thereof And this as they will answer Gods repeated Calls and Injunctions or approve themselves True and Faithful to their Ministerial Trusts To neglect it or fail therein would be Treachery and Falseness to that Sacred Doctrine which had been deposited with them and to those Souls which had been committed to them And this Ministration they are bound to tho' these corrupt Salvo's are only the Doctrines of the Pastors and Teachers as those foremention'd Salvo's of the False Prophets and of the Pharisees too I suppose were among the Jews and are not yet made the Determinations of the Church 'T is not enough on such Justification of Immoral Practices or advancement of Immoral Salvo's by the Guides of Souls to say the Church hath not altered its Articles nor justified nor salved the ill things so by any Synodical Confession For 't is a call to them for their Ministration if these things are done by the Churchmen Their Ministration is to provide against the dangers of Souls And they are allways endangered by damnable Practices whosoever teach them whether their particular Guides or whole Synods But particular Guides are the Directors which the generality of Men have for their Consciences and Practices So that the Consciences and Practices of the generality are endangered when they fall generally to teach them the Breach of Moral Duties by corrupt Salvo's And then true Guides are to warn them of these Dangers VVhen Speakers of perverse things shall arise from among themselves the Pastors are bid to take heed to their Flocks and to feed them with the VVord of Truth and Righteousness Act. 20. 28 30. And instead of abating this Obligation it will add to it if amidst all this Prevarication of the Church Men by such corrupt Salvo's the Church it self continues right in these Points and says the same it did in its publick Acts and Articles For then in these Ministrations those Faithful Pastors have as the Authority of Truth so also the Authority of their own Church on their Side Therein they only minister out among the Members what their own Church teaches and show themselves as Faithful Ministers of Christ in standing up for his Truths So Faithful Ministers of their own Church in standing up for its Doctrines As to the Point of separation from the Church I Grant that true Ministers must not separate from a Church for any Doctrines if the Church it self holds and maintains them tho' the
Churchmen should generally and shamefully defect from them But this Ministration of those deserted Doctrines is not to separate from it but to stick Firm and Constant to it yea and to keep it up still as a Visible Body for all its true Members to Adhere to And I hope true and faithful Ministers of a Church may stand by it in maintenance and ministration of the Truths and Laws of God tho' that continue on a Breach and keep them at a distance from those Revolting Pastors who have defected and seperated themselves from both The foresaid Justification of Immoral Practices in such particular Cases and maintainance thereof by Doctrinal Salvo's will make the Consciences of Transgressors Easy and in Rest at Sin They will by this Means see no Breach of Duty in what they do nor danger of Punishment for doing it They are taught in these Cases to call Evil Good and to put Darkness for Light whereto such Heavy Woes are denounced by the Prophet and so under the greatest Load and Danger of Sin and Guilt think themselves Safe and Innocent This God calls Speaking Peace to the wicked or to those who should have no Peace but Terror and Indignation in their present Evil Ways And Sewing Pillows to bolster up Evil Doers to make them Easy and at Rest in their Unrighteousness And Strengthning the Hands of the VVicked making them bold and forward in their Ungodly Courses and barring their Repentance and Return from their Wickedness by leaving in them no Conscience of Guilt no Relentings or Remorse for their going on therein Now all this is a direct Ministration to destroy Souls And whilst False Prophets and Devouring VVolves are ministring Lies for their Destruction it is evidently and highly Incumbent on true and faithful Pastors who are set to Save Souls to minister the word of Truth for their Salvation Accordingly amidst all these Preachers of Peace and Strengthners of Evil Doers God tells the Prophets of Israel that they should not like Subtile Foxes have studied only how to slip aside and shun danger by silently Conniving at these Doings But ought to have gone up into the Gaps and have made up the Hedges Seeing they were publick Ministers deputed by God to act for him and for the good of Souls their part had been to stand in his Counsel and to have caused his People to hear his Words and thereby to have turned them from the Evil of their Doings When the People run thus to do Evil in such Cases without any Sence of Guilt or by calling Evil Good they heap up Sin and Death to themselves and know it not and so Perish for want of Knowledge But the Priests Lips must keep up Knowledge among the People and they must have the Knowledge of the Law at his Mouth Mal. 2. 7. And if my People are destrayed for lack of Knowledge because thou hast rejected Knowledge and the Communication thereof to my People I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me saith God Hos. 4. 6. Such is the Obligation incumbent on true Pastors to Minister moral Truths when immoral Practises are justified in particular Cases and all the moral Duties opposite thereto are vacated and taken off by undermining Propositions and Doctrinal Salvo's And they are still more strictly obliged to this Ministration if the Practises justified by such Salvo's are 1. In immoralities of Great and general ill Fame and in things extreamly Scandalous to Religion All gross Violations of common Honesty and Justice and Breach of Faith especially when confirmed by Solemn Oaths and renouncing of Duty and Subjection to Superiours more particularly to Patents and Princes and such others are immoralities that all Sober Men think they ought to account Scandalous and of highest Reproach For the Duties transgressed thereby are generally known to be of greatest Importance for keeping up Society and for securing the Comforts of humane Life Which therefore all Mankind that feel such need of Society and would find Comfort in Life cry up and utterly decry the Breaches of them So that these Immoralities are sure to bring the most general Infamy upon any thing that is Guilty of them yea and upon Religion it self should it ever be found or represented as allowing or giving Countenance thereto Now the Ministers of Religion are to be especially careful to preserve its good Name and to keep up an honourable Opinion and Reverence for it among Men. He has nothing of the Ministerial Care or of a Ministerial Spirit who is careless and unconcern'd how ill and irreverently Men think of Religion Indeed if they would keep Religion if self up in the World they must keep up this Reverence and good Opinion of it For if once Mankind come to think ill or despicably of it they are never like to trouble themselves much therewith nor to Labour after much thereof And if they would preserve Religion reputable and secure of Mens Reverence and honourable Opinion they must watchfully keep all those things out of it which deservedly loose and lessen Mens good Opinion They must have a jealous Care to preserve it pure not admitting or justifying any thing that in the common Sense of Mankind is Infamous or of bad Name And therefore if any such things as all the foremention'd immoralities are in an High-Degree offer to creep in or if Satans Ministers are Busie to introduce them they must Oppose and Minister against them with all their Might and presently disclaim and purge them out that Religion may be clear of them They must Watch as far as they are able to keep them out of the Practice of Men least from such Practice of its Professors the Lookers on should Harbour a Presumption or Suspition as if Religion had some Toleration or Allowance for them Let Servants count their own Masters worthy of all Honour and Let Wives be keepers at Home and obedient to their own Husbands c. that the Word of God and his Doctrine be not Blasphemed faith St. Paul directing Timothy and Titus in that Pastoral and Ministerial Care which they should have of the Church But when these ill and infamous things appear not only in Practice but in Doctrines and come not as the blamed and prevaricating Acts of Professors but as Justified and Preached up by their Guides and Leaders Then Religion is more directly and planely brought in and the true Ministers thereof are more highly obliged to oppose them in its behalf to prevent its incurring any Scandal or Reproach thereby Or 2 If they are generally Preached up by Seducers and Men are every where Taught and perswaded to them Instead of giving any Discharge to those few Faithful Ministers that remain at such times the general falling away and Corruption of others adds to their Obligation For God and these moral Truths then have more need of their Ministration And they can have no Pretence left of puting off this Service to other
And if with Respect to any of these they see them going wrong or see Seducers busie to mislead them as their true and faithful Guides they must set them Right and call out to them to have a Care of Wandring or if they are got out of the Way to come back again When others guide them into an Immoral Worship or Immoral Practices or into the Belief and Maintainance of such corrupt Salvo's as vacate Moral Duties they must Guide them out of the same And they would be very unfaithful Guides should they suffer Men either on their own Heads or at the Call of Seducers and False Guides to run into wrong Ways and should not diligently Discharge their Ministry and do their Part to lead them better and set them Right in such Cases 4. As Pastors or Shepheards The Evangelical Ministers St. Paul calls Pastors Eph. 4. 11. They are set to Feed Christ's Sheep and under him the Chief Shepheard as St. Peter Speaks 1 Pet. 5. 2 4. Of these God foretells that they should be Pastors after his own Heart Jer. 3. 15. And the Priests of Israel God calls the Pastors and Shepheards of Israel when he sends to denounce VVoes against them Jer. 23. 1 2. Ezek. 34 2. Now the Part and Office of Shepheards and Pastors is to Feed their Sheep Should not the Shepheards Feed their Flocks Ezek. 34. 2. And Feed the Flock of God which is among you 1 Pet. 5. 2. The Food of Souls are Divine Offices and the Word of Knowledge These are represented as the Milk which they are to Suck 1 Pet. 2. 2. as the Bread of Life wherewith they are to be Sustained Jo. 6. 35. and as the Meat which perisheth not but endureth to Eternal Life ver 27. and ver 47 48 51. And therefore the Feeding of the Shepheards of Souls must be their Administration of this Spriitual Food or Feeding the People with the Ministry of the Word or of Divine Offices Feeding them with Knowledge and Understanding as God promises the True Prophets should do Jer. 3. 15. His part is also to keep them together the best he can for joynt Participation of these Ministrations that as one Flock they may be Fed therewith This Gathering and Keeping them together God takes notice of in Shepheards He that Scatter'd Israel will gather him as a Shepheard doth his Flock Jer. 31. 10. When he carries them out to Feed or to Minister this Spiritual Food to them he calls to all his Sheep that will know and hear his Voice and not Run after strange Voices and leads them out and goes before them the Sheep among the Iews being used to Follow not as with us to be driven before their Keepers that as one Flock they may Feed together thereon he himself Administring it at the Head of them Jo. 10. 3 4. 5. And if any Woolf comes to break in to Destroy or Scatter any of his Fold he doth not Flee away as the Hireling but stands to them at his Peril to keep them together the best he can and to Guard them against the Wolf by a diligent Ministration ver 11 12 13. He takes heed as St. Paul directs to Feed and Arm all the Flock that they may not become a Prey to grevious Wolves Act. 20. 28 29. And if any of them are lost in the on-set he seeks after that which was Lost to recover it again if any by the Fright were driven away or Scatter'd he endeavours to bring it back He Strengthens what was Diseased and Heals what was Sick and Binds up what was Broken in the Conflict And without such Care in Getting and Keeping their Flocks together by such Ministrations God declares they are not Shepheards that Feed his Flock but that Feed themselves and that he is against them and will require his Flock at their Hands Ezek. 34. 2. 3. 4. 8. 10. As Pastors and Shepheards of the Flock therefore they must see what Spiritual Food is Administred to it If there is a want of Necessary and Saving Doctrine and Worship they must not see the Children starve for want of Bread or the Fold pine away for want of Food but lead out all that will know their Voice where they may have it and there Administer the same themselves and supply it to them Or if others would Feed them with poyson'd Food as immoral Doctrines and immoral Worship are they are to warn them of the Harm design'd and to Minister purer and more wholesome to them in its stead And their Care must be as much as the Case allows to keep their Flock together with these Administrations So that as Shepheards who would shew Care of the Flocks or approve themselves Faithful Pastors they are bound to Feed and keep their Flocks together by due and diligent Exercise of their Pastoral Ministrations in the foresaid Cases 5. As Doctors or standing Teachers of the Church He has given them to the Church as Pastors and Teachers saith St. Paul Eph. 4. 11. And requires that they shall be able to Teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. and apt to Teach 1 Tim. 3. 2. and 2 Tim. 2. 24. This Teaching must be of the Things that thou hast heard of me saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 2. of the Depositum or of that good Thing which was committed to â—â—ee 2 Tim. 1. 14. Of all that is Needful in the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Church and for the Perfecting of the Saints in the Unity of the Faith and in the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man in Christ Eph. 4. 11. 12. 13. It must be a Teaching these Faithfully and Incorruptly as they have been Taught them Holding fast the Faithful Word as they have been Taught it that their Exhortation may be by Sound Doctrine Tit. 1. 9. And in this Work of Teaching all these Things with Fidelity and Incorruptness from Time to Time as need requires they must lay themselves out and give Attendance Let him that Teacheth wait on Teaching and him that Exhorteth on Exhortation Ro. 12. 7 8. Give Attendance to Exhortation to Doctrine i. e. Teaching or Instructing others 1 Tim. 4. 13. They are to Labour in Administring this Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. To give themselves wholly to these Things and to continue in them that by so doing they may both save themselves and those that hear them 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. They are to slip no Seasons when People need to be Taught any of these Matters But to Preach the Word and to be instant in it in Season and out of Season 2 Tim. 4. 2. And as Good and Faithful Rulers and Stewards of the House-Hold to give them their proper Portion of Meat in due Season Luk. 12. 42. Particularly in those Seasons when False Teachers lead them to do ill Things and seek to Poyson them with corrupt Doctrines For then by Sound Doctrine they are to stop the Mouths of vain Talkers and
under the Cognizance of their civil Courts as others are And this civil Subjection of Ecclesiastical Persons against the Papal Exemptions thereof is the main thing in the Ecclesiastical Supremacy claimed by our Kings In the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth and in the Canons of King James this Supremacy is called the highest Power under God whereto all Men within the same Realms by God's Law owe most Loyalty and Obedience afore and above all other Powers and Potentates in Earth Her Majesty say the Injunctions again thereby neither doth nor ever will challenge any other Authority than was lately used and was of antient time due to the Imperial Crown of this Realm that is under God to have the soveraignty and rule over all manner of Persons born within her Dominions of what Estate either Ecclesiastical or Temporal soever they be so as no other Foreign Power shall or ought to have any superiority over them By Supremacy or chief Government says the 37th Article of Religion we give only that prerogative which we see to have been always given to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all States and Degrees committed to their Charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal and restrain with the civil Sword the Stubborn and Evil-doers And the Oath of Supremacy as King James the First declared only extended to the Kings Power of Judicature over all Persons as well Civil as Ecclesiastical excluding all foreign Powers and Potentates to be Iudges within his Dominions All which plainly make the Ecclesiastical Supremacy to lye mainly in having Bishops and Ministers or the Ecclesiastical State who were broke off from it by the Papal Exemption under the same common Obligation to the civil Soveraign with other Subjects or under the Tye of civil Subjection In vertue of this civil power over their Persons as his Subjects he can command them faithfully to discharge their Duties and Functions And that not only as Subjects in civil Matters but as Ministers in divine Offices For as he is the civil Soveraign the Temporal Magistrate is the Keeper of both Tables being to keep his Subjects in Godliness as well as in Honesty as St. Paul says And is to use the civil Sword for sins against Religion as well as for sins against the State and in his way to punish Ministers for Neglect or Abuse of their spiritual Functions as well as for Breach of the civil Peace Thus good Kings as Hezekiah and Josiah employed their temporal power to cut off corrupt administrations and to reform Abuses of Worship and Religious Offices in the Jewish Church As Constantine and other good Christian Kings and Emperors did afterwards in other Nations And the 37th Article of our Church declares That by his Supremacy the King with the civil Sword may restrain the stubborn and evil-doers whether Laicks or Ecclesiasticks And on this Account Constantine calls himself the Minister of God for the Coercion and Punishment of wicked Bishops And at his Entertainment of the Bishops tells them That God has appointed them the Bishops of things within the Church and him the Bishop of things without it and that it belongs to him as Bishop of Bishops to see they discharge their duties and be pious Thus the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian say That God by setting them to reign had made them the Bond both of the piety and of the external welfare and security of those who are subject to them the connexion betwixt which two their study was to preserve inviolable And in this Kings saith St. Austin according as God commands them do serve the Lord as they are Kings when they enjoyn good things and prohibit evil things in their Kingdoms And that not only in Matters pertaining to humane society but also in Matters pertaining to our Holy Religion And thus by means of his civil Power over Spiritual Persons has the King the like Power over Spiritual Acts Functions viz. as he can require and by the civil Sword compel them whom Christ has empowered thereto in his Dominions to exercise the same I mean to exercise them according to the Rules of God's Word and of their own Spiritual Function his Power lying in calling them to do their duties not to any Neglect or Breach thereof As we see was observed not only by the Godly Jewish Kings but also by the Primitive Emperors whose civil Laws and Edicts in these Matters still followed the spiritual Rules and Duties and were a secular Enforcement to drive all Ecclesiasticks to keep them not to Transgress them Our Laws do not disdain to follow the Sacred and Divine Canons the civil power in these Matters enforcing that which the Church had first prescribed says the Emperor Justinian And accordingly in the Civil Law for Restraint of Excommunications we forbid our Bishops saith he to Excommunicate any without a just Cause be shewn for it We forbid all Bishops and Presbyters saith another Law to exclude any from the Communion before Proof of such a Cause for which this is commanded to be done by the Ecclesiastical Canons So by his Imperial Power over their Persons commanding their Ministrations and limitting them therein to their own Rules And thus the King like as the Jewish Kings and Primitive Emperors were is supreme in these spiritual Acts and Administrations as in his Dominions they are all to be sped and administer'd not by independant Forreigners but by his own Subjects or as having the supream earthly Command of Bishops and Priests who are bound in civil Obedience to him as their Temporal Soveraign to exercise them when he requires it And this way he can give Final Justice to all his Subjects in all spiritual as well as temporal Matters having Authority to command his Bishops and Clergy to do it in the one as well as his Judges and temporal Ministers to do it in the other And by this power of doing it by their Means or Ministrations is his Supremacy set off Thus in the Statute for the Restraint of Appeals the King is declared to be the one supream Head endowed with plenary Power and Authority to render Final Justice in all Causes because the spirituality or his Bishops and Clergy can administer and determine all that belongs to their spiritual Offices and the Judges and other his temporal Ministers can do the like for Tryal of Property and Conservation of civil Peace The Kings Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Matters doth not imply the power of the Keys which he has not but he may command those who have them to use them rightly says Mr. Mason This Supremacy is preserved if he take care that those who have the power of Ecclesiastical Censures do exercise them says Dr. Burhil He has plenary power to render final Justice that is to receive the last Appeal of his own Subjects without any fear of any
are one Eph. 5. 31. because the Husband is the Head of the Wife v. 23. And so likewise of Christ and his Church that they are one Eph. 5. 31 32. because he is the Head of his Church v. 23. And one way whereby as St. Cyprian observes our Lord sets off the Uniting of his Sheep as one Flock is by uniting them under himself as the one Shepherd Joh. 10. 16. 'T is the joint-union and dependance on one Master of the Family which makes one House and on one General which makes one Army and on one KING which makes one Kingdom And so on one and the same Church-heads and Governours which makes one particular Church For the Apostle compares the Union of many Persons into one Church or Politick Society to the Union of many Members into one Natural Body 1 Cor. 12. Which Union is made by the adherence and dependance of the Members on the Natural Head For the several Members are no longer one Body nor one with each other after once they are cut off and parted from it As to the Unity we take a Body when the Apostle says there is one Body for that which is under one Head So that if there be but one Head there is but one Body saith St. Chrysostom The Union of the Church therefore as one particular Sâ—ciety which Schism breaks consists chiefly in keeping united to Church-Heads and Governours Church-Rulers are the Heads which make the several Parts one with another or as the Scripture sometimes speaks the Joynts and Ligaments which tye the respective Members and compact the whole Body together The whole Body of the Church saith St. Paul is fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every Joynt i. e. each Pastor or Church-Governour supplies Eph. 4. 16. And we are all the Body of Christ and Members in particular as he says again as we are under the same Governours which he has set over that Body having in the Church set as first Apostles so after them Governments viz. Bishops and Presbyters for the standing Governance and Administration thereof 1 Cor. 12. 27 28. More particularly the Heads of Union in any Church-societies are the BISHOPS in their respective Churches They are the Head of the Body of the Church as Presbyters and Deacons are as the Hands thereof as Zonaras observes on the 55 and 56 Canons of the Apostles For since the death of the Holy Apostles the Bishops are the chief spiritual Heads and the ordinary and standing Governours of Christ's Church They above all others are those Guides or Rulers whom the Members of the Church are call'd to remember and obey Heb. 13. 7. 17. The Angels of the Churches unto whom as the Heads thereof our Lord directs himself when he sends the several Letters to the Churches Rev. 2. 1 7 8 11 c. They stand to head the Members of Christ and to unite and compact them together under him the chief Bishop appearing at the Head of their respective Churches as his Deputies who represent his Person and supply his place acting in the Person of Christ as St. Paul or vice Christi in his place or stead as St. Cyprian whom we ought to respect as the Lord himself as St. Ignatius says So that for Church-members to keep the Union of any Church is to keep subject and dependant on him who is the lawful Bishop thereof Thus St. Ignatius makes mens return from Schism to the Unity of God to lye in their return to the subjection and consistory of their lawful Bishop They make the Church or one Body who hold on Communion and keep one with him and with those Presbyters and Deacons who adhere to him and officiate under him The Church saith St. Cyprian is a People united to their Bishop or a Flock adhering to their Shepherd Whence you may know the Bishop always to be in the Church and the Church to go along with the Bishop And they break off from the Unity of the Church who break off from him and they go to set up another Church if they go to set up another Bishop against him If any are no longer with the Bishop says the same St. Cyprian they are no longer of the Church And to consent to the setting up of another Bishop is the same as to consent to the setting up of another Church says he to those Confessors at Rome who had agreed to the setting up of Novatian against Cornelius Thus is the one Bishop at the head of his Clergy and People to unite and keep together a Christian Church all the Oblations whereof are to be in his Communion and with his Allowance as the one Altar among the Iews was to keep together the Jewish Church For they were to have but one Altar of Burnt-offering at Jerusalem whither all were to come for Sacrifice and were sorbid to set up an Altar any where else And because of his being set for the same purpose of Unity as that was therefore is the Bishop and his Communion call'd unum Altare the one Altar and making an Anti-Bishop is call'd setting up aliud Altare another Altar in the Ancient Language And therefore in pressing the great duty of Unity on the Ancient Christians the Fathers enjoyn them most strictly to stick to their Bishops This is done by St. Cyprian and before him by Ignatius that blessed Martyr and Contemporary of the Apostles Take care all of you says he to follow the Bishop wheresoever the Bishop appears to be there let the Multitude be with him Like as wheresoever Christ goes the Catholick Church goes too Let my part be with those says he again who keep subject to the Bishop yea let my Soul be pawn'd for theirs As many as are God's and Jesus Christ's keep with the Bishop says he in another place pressing them to Union and warning them against Schism And because the Church is to be but one therefore there is to be but one Bishop in a Church for the Members all to adhere to or for the Body to associate and unite with This was and ought to be the Ecclesiastical Rule as was affirmed by Cornelius saying there ought to be but one Bishop in a Catholick Church And as is also declared by the Great Council of Nice Now as the Union of any Churches lyes mainly in keeping united to the Bishops So Schism which is a breach of Union in those Churches will lye chiefly in breaking off unduly and dividing from them Especially in setting up of opposite Bishops or in making a second Bishop in a Church against a former Orthod x and Rightful Bishop yet living and claâ—ming which makes a most plain and consummate Schisin For in the same Church two opposite Bishops are two opposite Heads And two Heads will make two Bodies those who set up the New One against the Old as likewise all they who afterwards come over to
Church can not oblige or hold all the Members thereof to himself as the principle of Unity yet may he have all that is of the essence of Episcopacy For to be an Head of Union in the Church is not of the essence of a Bishop It may be separate from the Episcopal powers as it is in all Bishops falling into Heresie or Schism For they are no longer Heads of Union since none are bound to follow them but all are to break Communion with them But yet they are Bishops still and do not thereby fall from the powers of Ordination nor on their Re-union to the Church need to be Ordained again 'T is true one main use of Episcopacy is to be a means of Unity But yet it is not so for this use as to be nnll or cease when it misses or fails thereof Even as Baptism or the Eucharist are for Unity We being all baptized into one Body and being one Body as partaking all of one Bread as the Apostle says But yet they do not always cease or fail of their effects when administred in breach thereof and Baptism as was held by the ancient Church and as we all hold now is still valid though performed by Schismaticks When they miss of this they have other uses As the Sacraments besides keeping Unity among the Members enter and ratifie the Covenant of Grace And Episcopacy besides the use of keeping the Church one and unbroken is for administration of the Word of Prayers and Sacraments and for Ordaining others to do the same And though all these ought to be exercised in the Unity of the Church and 't is a great Sin when 't is otherwise yet such sinful Exercises are no Nullities as if the Persons had no powers or as if the Administrations had no effect at all In the State Monarchy I grant that the Regal Powers and this use of their being a principle of State-Unity are more closely and constantly connected And that as he who has the Regal Powers is the principle of State-Union so he who is no such principle and to whom the People are not bound to unite has truly no Regal Authority or Powers And in Elective Kingdoms if whilst the Throne is full the Electors whose power of choosing is only in Vacancies pretend to choose another they really confer no Regal power nor make a King but an Usurper This is because secular powers are more limited to Territories and Precincts and because no King can be a King at large but must only be a King of such or such a Place or Countries But in the Spiritual Monarchy 't is otherwise For the Collation and Reception of the Episcopal Powers is not with precise Limitation to such a particular place or Diocess but indefinite or with respect to the Church at large Or expressed as it is in our Form of Ordination by receiving of the Holy Ghost for the Office of a Bishop for the Church of God Which makes any person not a meer Local but a Catholick Bishop or one vested with Episcopal powers and under no want of inherent Authority to exercise Episcopal Acts if as a Conscientious Lover of Unity he be not otherwise restrained by Rules of maintaining Unity and Order in any part of the World The first Bishops being chosen from among the first Converts were first vested with powers and then by gathering more Profelites were to get Subjects and inlarge Territories being Ordain'd Bishops of those who should afterwards believe as St. Clement says And the Holy Apostles who stood vested with all the Episcopal powers were not tyed to any place but by Christs Commission were left equally and indefinitely to the whole Church And till the great Council of Chalcedon which was held about the Year of Christ 451. were the Periodeutai or Circuitors so called as Zonoras observes because they were to go about hither and thither to keep the Faithful in their Duty not having any fixt Place or Chair of their own At the Synod of Laodicea about the Year of Christ 36â— 't is left to these Periodeutas to supply the want of Fixt Bishops in those places and Countries that were not thought considerable enough to have a Bishop fixed among them And afterwards at the time of the Council of Chalcedon mention is again made of them As of one Balentius whom being a scandalous Liver Ibaâ— is accused in the Council to have Ordained Presbyter and Periodeutes And of one Alexander who in the same Council is styled the most Reverend Presbyter and Periodeutes This great Council of Chalcedon indeed forbids any Presbyter or Deacon to be Ordain'd absolutely or at large i. e. without having and declaring the appropriate place or seat wherein he is to officiate and vacates the Ordinations which shall be made otherwise And the same has been done since by the Canons of other Councils forbidding any to be Ordain'd sine Titulo without a Title to some certain Place or Benefice But these Local Limitations or Appropriations of place in giving Orders come not in for the necessity and essence of Ordination And therefore some are excepted therein and allowed still to be Ordain'd without them whose Ordinations are notwithstanding as valid as theirs who are Ordain'd with them Thus Fellows and Chaplains of Colleges and Masters of Arts who have been able to live five years of themselves in the Universities c. are excepted by our own Canon and they who have Patrimony and Provision of Maintenance of their own other ways are excepted by the Canon of the Council of Lateran And if such Limitation of place were of the essence of Ordination they could be but once placed as they are once Ordain'd and not remove from place to place without a new Ordination But they were brought in for a prudent provision to keep the Clergy from being burthensome or to prevent more entring into Orders than are requisite for the Churches Needs or can live upon its maintenance as appears by the Canons themselves Moreover Bishops when for this purpose and for maintenance of Unity and Order they are tyed up to places in their Administrations besides the local relation of Bishops of such a place who are to have a more special regard for their own proper Division they stand also as I have already shewed under another relation of Cathalik Bishops or of Bishops of the Church at large who as there is need of it and as occasion is offered are to have a general inspection and regard too for all the rest The collection of all Churches as St. Cyprian says is but one Episcopate and those many People who are fed and inspected by so many Pastors make all but one Flock Whereof particular Dividends are so intrusted to every single Bishop as to make them stand obliged and accountable not only for their own rata pars that is their proper share or division but as Partners in
him either as his Mouth unto his People or as their Mouth unto Himself in publick Assemblies or Congregations Such likewise are those set and solemn Times for worship which he has instituted both among Jews and Christians and which are all design'd for publick worship in Joynt-Assemblies Yea even our Prayers which are the Acts of worship express communion and joynt-society being put up according to his appointment in the plural number he having taught us to say Our Father which art in Heaven and give us this day c. which speaks the communion and concurrence of more besides our selves And the Holy Sacraments those most eminent Acts and Instances of worship are ordained for Asts of society and partnership or of communion therein We are all baptized into one body And We being many are one bread and one body And The bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ and the cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ as St. Paul says And because by their institution they are not only to be Acts of worship but of publick worship or of joynt-concurrence or communion therein therefore doth our Church allow no Sacrament even to the Sick without three or two at the least to make a Congregation and condemns the private and solitary Masses of the Church of Rome which are eaten by the Priest alone Such is the natural obligation and such the necessity and importance of publick worship which is one of the greatest visible supports of Religion without which 't is to be feared it would sink and be in danger to fail in the Earth Whereas the paying of this worship in Church-Unity and dependance on a Bishop though it be a duty too yet is a duty more of positive obligation For to have Bishops and to pay all our publick worship in communion with them is no natural duty which always was incumbent on all men but came in with Christianity by positive Institution or particular Revelation And besides though important in it self yet in comparison it is of less importance not only the natural parts of the Ministration but the positive too as the Holy Sacranients c. being I conceive of more Weight And though the want of this Union under our own Bishops by the opposite Passions and angry Tempers which Schism introduces doe greatly eat out true devotion yet doth it not make so wide a breach and waste therein as the want of any Ministerial Offices at all would do Now in any competition of Duties the Rule is that things of positive obligation shall give way to things of natural obligation and positives of less importance to positives of more importance in those cases and times where we can not do both The natural there takes place of the positive and the greater sets aside the less Particularly as to the keeping up Religion and Church-unity and Association if in any case we can not maintain both but a competition happens to arise between them the care of Church-unity must give way to the care of Religion We must look then to keep up as much Church-unity as we may do in keeping up Religion which being once lost Church-unity and association signifies nothing And not begin the other way to content our selves with keeping up so much of Christian Religion as we do in strict observance of the Rules of Church-society and Union For Christs first and chief design was to plant and preserve the Religion And that Church-unity which is either valuable or desireable in the sight of God is Church-unity with true Religion not Church-unity without it and we are tyed to keep up Church-union for Religion's not Religion for Union's sake as I shewed before And therefore the duty and obligation to communicate in some Ministerial Offices will be a fair excuse for doing this out of the way of Church-unity or dependance on our own Bishops when both can not have place And thus I think the Scripture determines in such cases and that 2. These abatements are what God himself has been willing to make on such necessity in other like duties He has not required that men should stick so fast to those duties or parts of duty which are inferior or subservient or appendages unto others as that for their sakes they should drop other duties which are principal or superiour to them nor is he willing that in care of preserving their practice of lesser Vertues inviolable they should at any time let the weightier fall So that to think he will abate and relax something of the duty of Church-union when that is necessary to keep on the more important duty of publick Ministration and that he doth not the the People up to such strict care of communicating in the Unity of the Church as must drop and let fall all communion in Ministerial Offices when they are not to be had but at the hands of those who minister in breach thereof is only to think that he is ready to make the same equitable allowance on any competition in these as he doth on like competitions in other duties And that Almighty God is willing to make these abatements on such necessity and competitions I conceive may sufficiently appear by the following Instances Circumcision and Sacrifice and the Sabbath are all positive duties But Circumcision and Sacrifice being of more importance they were to take place of the Sabbath and whensoever it so fell out that they could not observe both men might be excused in breaking the Sabbath Rest to labour in Circumcision as they did whensoever the eighth Day of the Childs Age which was appointed for his Circumcision fell to be on the Sabbath Day or in Sacrifices with the labour whereof the Priests in the Temple continually prophaned the Sabbath and were blameless as our Lord determines And God himself declares I will have Mercy before Sacrifice which imports according to our Lords allegations and applications of it that Men should drop the duty of Sacrifice to attend the duty of Mercy when for the time they must let one fall and could not pay both So making the necessity of performing natural duties an excuse for the omission of positive and the necessity of performing more important duties an excuse for the omission of less important when there is a necessity of letting one fall Thus also it was a positive duty and rule among the Jews that the Priests should kill the Sacrifice according to what is said in the Law Lev. 1. 4 5. The People who brought it as it is there order'd were to lay their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice But it was left to the Priests to kill it as Josephus relates Whence the Priests were able to give the number of the Paschal Sacrifices at any Passover as they did to Cestius Gallus as the same Author testifies And this is the account of the Jewish Doctors