jejuno and so St. Augustin counsels Januarius Sic etiam tu ad quam forte Ecclesiam veneris ejus morem serva which plainly concludes that Christian peace and order requires that we should conform to the Rites and Canons of that Church in whose Jurisdiction we live The five Presbyters of Carthage were by St. Cyprian sentenced for Schismaticks because being within the Diocess of Carthage and so under his inspection they notwithstanding gathered to themselves Assemblies and exercised Ministerial Offices without his Authority And for the same reason Athanasius accused Ischyras of Schism for modelling a Congregation in Mareoles without any subjection or dependance upon him the Bishop of Alexandria unto whose Jurisdiction that Countrey belonged for he shews us his Title in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. All the Presbyters of this Province have their peculiar Cures or Parishes but all the Churches of this Region are under the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Alexandria And the very same thing Epiphanius tells us in his second Book adversus Haereses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That there were several Parochial Churches in which the Inhabitants might assemble with greater convenience and these Congregations were under the Ministery of peculiar Presbyters but all these Presbyters and their respective Churches were governed by the Superintendence of the Arch-bishop of Alexandria and this was the universal model of unity and order in all other Provinces of the Catholick Church Now the Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York have as much Jurisdiction over the Christians in England as Athanasius had over the Province of Alexandria or St. Cyprian in the Diocess of Carthage for beside the Right of Church-Government which their succession from the Apostles give them they are impowr'd to exercise their Jurisdiction by the Laws of our Christian Prince and therefore those Societies of Christians living under the Jurisdiction of the Arch-bishops and Bishops of England and yet do separate from their communion and Government are Schismaticks from the Church of England To conclude this if the Novatians and Donatists if the five Presbyters of Carthage if Ischyras in Alexandria were Schismaticks if from the Ascension of our Lord to his second Advent there was or can be a Schismatick then the Sectaries of England are Schismaticks not only from the Church of England but from the whole Catholick Church Having thus stated the antient notion of Schism and found it a henous impiety though our Non-conformists sport with it as an Ecclesiastical Scarecrow I shall next do them the justice to examine the Doctors Plea and see how well he vindicates them from the guilt of Schism First He denyes that there is any such creature as a National stated governing Church of England If the Doctor means by all these rumbling Epithets of stated National governing organical Church of England that there is no such distinct organical Church in England that is a separate body from the Catholick Church I am then of his opinion But if he means that the Bishops of England have no power of Government over the Christians in England it is a very foul mistake to speak in the modestest phrase for I have already prov'd that the Arch-bishops and Bishops have as much Jurisdiction in their respective Provinces and Dioceses of England as any other Patriarchs and Bishops of the Catholick Church ever had in theirs and if the Act of Uniformity be a Law I am sure there is such an establish'd being as a National Church In Pag. 30. his gravity drolls and gives us a very merry Argument to prove that there is no such creature as a National Church of England for sayes he Whoso will erect a stated National governing Church in England must find us an Officer clothed with Authority to excommunicate from Michael ' s Mount in Cornwall to Carlisle in Berwick Now Sir let this pass for a piece of wit though it is as wide from reason as Cornwall from Berwick What though the Bishop of Antioch could not excommunicate from Antioch to Constantinople and from thence to the borders of Persia must there therefore be no governing Church in Greece and might the Christians in Antioch by that Logick separate themselves from the communion and jurisdiction of their proper Patriarchs without Schism If our Author could have prov'd that there were any Provinces or Natives of England that were de jure exempt from the Canons of this Church and the jurisdiction of the English Bishops then there had been something of argument But if the Doctor for contumacy and disorder should be excommunicated from Church of England in Berwick I am sure without absolution de jure he could not communicate with any Assembly of the Church in England though he travail'd from Berwick to Carlisle and from thence to Mount Michael in Cornwall and this I fancy does strongly conclude That the Church of England is such a part of the Catholick Church which hath a proper and peculiar jurisdiction over all the Christians in this Kingdom Our Doctor pag. 10. sect 12. owns it as a confess'd principle That every individual member of the Church Catholick visible is bound in duty both to God and his own soul to joyn himself to some particular Society of Christians with which he may enjoy all the Ordinances of God so as may be for his souls advantage Well then why do they not communicate with the Church of England where all the Ordinances of God are observ'd and solemniz'd with as much gravity and faithfulness as in any other part of the Catholick Church To this he answers pag. 11. That the business is so stated by the Act of Uniformity that they cannot communicate with us without doing what they judge to be sinful There is nothing can justly be called sinful but what transgresses some manifest Law of God or Nature and could the Doctor have prov'd that any thing practised or enjoyn'd by the Church of England did violate any of those Divine Rules his Plea had been allowed and his Party might vindicate their Non-conformity But to Transgress a plain Law of God to disobey the Orders of our Governours and yet to give us no better reason for it than to say they fancy the things are sinful is so far from excusing that it aggravates the guilt For First Their disobedience is an affront to their Governours and then the doing this only upon the account of their own judgement or fancy is an affront to God for private conscience to usurp the Soveraignty of God and to lay such Divine Obligations upon the soul and mind which God never impos'd The nature and guilt of this disobedience is exactly represented by the story of the young Prophet 1 Kings 13. he was sent to prophesie against the Altar in Bethel now Jeroboam having cast off all the Priests and Levites of the Aaronical line and erected a new model of Religion therefore that the young Prophet might have no communion
spoiling all the Trade of England But Sir I hope this dreadful Harangue will not fright you for all is but noise and canting for I dare assure you the Execution of the Law will no way hinder the advancement of the Gospel nor hazard one soul in England for Christianity will be soberly preach'd in England though all these men be silenc'd And besides I should think by the principles of Calvinism that the salvation of souls were more fix'd and fatal than to depend upon the silence or preaching of a few Non-conforming Ministers You know Sir the Decree of peremptory Election was dated long before that Reprobate Act of Uniformity and therefore there is no fear of losing one of the elect though these men be struck dumb and as for the Reprobates all the Oratory of Dr. O. and Mr. H. and the rest of those mighty men can never alter their sadder fate And therefore I think I may conclude from their own Divinity that there is no necessity laid upon them to preach the Gospel Mr. H. solemnly propounds this weighty Question Which will be most for the glory of God either for the Non-conforming Teachers to preach the Gospel to their meetings or to keep the Union of their Parish Churches To which Question there is a very easie Answer for no doubt the God of order is more glorified by Unity Peace and Obedience to our Governours than by disorder and confusion And therefore I shall conclude this by inverting the Argument They may live in the communion of the Church without the least hazard of their salvation and necessity is laid upon them to obey their Governours and wo be unto them if they preach the Gospel in Conventicles and by walking disorderly trouble the peace and order both of Church and State But there is one Plea more for this Schism or Separation call it which you please and that is cunningly insinuated in that famous definition of Schism by Mr. Hales cited pag. 17. Schism is an unnecessary separation from that part of the visible Church of which we once were members That their separation is unnecessary let the Doctor himself judge who pag. 9. tells us they differ from us only in the insignificant fringes and laces of Forms and Ceremonies Now I fancy it were a very unnecessary and undutiful thing for a Son to disown and desert his Mother only because the fringe and lace of her garment did not please his eye But the mysterie lyes in the last words of the distinction A separation from that part of the Church of which we once were members Now Sir there are vast numbers of persons in England who were never baptized by the Ministery of the Church of England or had any communion with her and then by the judgement of Mr. Hales cannot be charg'd with Schism or separation from her But this is already answer'd for I have prov'd that they are bound in duty to live in communion with those Bishops and Priests or that part of the Catholick Church under which they reside and if they never were in the communion of this Church they have been the longer in disorder and disobedience and that is a very ill method of excusing the crime By this Sophistry Schism can only be the sin of the first generation Novatus and his contemporaries that first departed from the communion of the Catholick Church were indeed Schismaticks but then those who were baptiz'd and educated by that faction were never in the communion of the Catholick Church and so by this argument were free from Schism and so downwards from generation to generation Now this looks like Magick for it teaches us an art how to split the Church into a thousand pieces and to continue this division for ever and yet in a little while there should be no dis-union for it is only the adventure of the first Authors to break off from the Catholick Church but then as many as they propagate to the end of the world are no Schismaticks because they never had any personal communion Now Sir having asserted that the Unity of the Catholick Church consists not only in the unity of faith but in a succession of Bishops and Priests and a regular obedience to their inspection and conduct give me leave to reflect and consider what direful conclusions our Adversaries may draw from this notion First This will be accused of too much kindness to the Church of Rome for they having continued their succession of Bishops from St. Peter this will acquit them from Schism and place them within the body of the Catholick Church I hope Sir it will not offend if we be as kind to the Pope as we are to the Devil and allow him his due No doubt the Church of Rome is in the communion of the Catholick Church but yet this is no argument for any to desert the Church of England and remove to that of Rome for our Apostolick Succession of Bishops is as authentick as theirs and our Doctrine more Pure Primitive and Catholick and therefore it is irrational for the Romish Church to accuse us of Schism for whatever they can justly plead for their Unity will equally establish ours with the Catholick Church I cannot better represent the present State of the Catholick Church than by an allusion to the Jewish Temple The Church of England we are able to prove is the purest part of the Catholick Church being most refined from error and superstition and therefore that may be resembled to the Sanctum Sanctorum The Greek Church though something defiled yet still preserving the Apostolick faith and succession of Patriarchs and Presbyters may be compar'd to the Middle Temple The Church of Rome like the Outward á Court is most profan'd with the Tables of the Money-changers and defil'd by abominable superstitions but yet though it be filthy it is a part of the building and within the Area of the Temple But for any to desert the Church of England to communicate with that of Rome is such a frantick humour as for a man to quit the neatest appartment and exchange for the most sluttish room in the same house Secondly That which will raise the greatest clamour is That by this notion I unchurch all the forreign Reform'd Churches who have no Bishops of the Catholick line to govern them and ordain their Ministers To this I answer That if any of the forreign Churches have continued a succession of Presbyters who can derive their Origination from Episcopal Ordination it something lessens their dis-union and gives them a remote alliance to the Catholick Church yet this is but private charity and will not justifie them from Schism by the Canons of the antient Church But if any of them have a Ministry which have no other Orders than their own Usurpation or popular Election I know not how to acquit them from being Schismaticks from the Catholick Church And why do not the States of Holland send their Professors from Leyden
invaded the Rights and Revenues of the Loyal Clergy should have been content with the publick remission and charity of the Act of Indemnity and not expect a Miracle that the Act of Oblivion should quite destroy the Church-mens memories for these ploughers had ploughed such deep furrows upon the Churches back that it was impossible such impressions should soon wear out The Doves were driven from their nest and their feathers of Gold pluck'd off by those ravening Vultures and they were forc'd in the Psalmists language to lye among the pots And yet after all this they must not so much as reflect upon all those rapines nor express any prudent caution against these Birds of prey but they must presently be accused of having too much gall His next charge is against the Zeal of Church-men to continue some Bishops the repute of Martyrs who had suffer'd for the vigorous inforcing of some of the things now enjoyn'd I observe the Doctor very warily covers the Blood of Charles the First but dares dip his fingers in that of the Bishops and yet I believe the King as well as the Bishop is left out from his Martyrologie Had the Bishops impos'd such Rites and Innovations as had been inconsistent with the reverence of Religion and the nature of Christianity had they urged such Observances which had never been practis'd in the Catholick Church nor required by the Church of England truly then the blood of Arch-bishop Laud should have no Rubrick in my Kalendar for then he had suffered as an evil doer But when those things required were founded upon good reasons of Religion the custom of the antient Church and enjoyn'd by the just Authority of this Nation I think the Arch-bishop who had the hard fate to fall in doing of his duty may in a sober sense be said to suffer for righteousness sake and be allowed the honour of some kind of Martyrdom Sir I do here declare my self an eternal enemy to that Religion which can consecrate Sacriledge hallow Rebellion and sanctifie Rapine and Injustice Nor will I ever have any communion with those men who Canonize the most infamous Traytors and Murderers for Saints and condemn the best King and Bishop in the World for Malefactors I don't see but by the Theorems of this Jewish Divinity Barabbas might have been Sainted and Christ recorded for an Impostor The next accusation brought against Church-men is their desire of filthy Lucre. I confess covetousness is one of the greatest shames of humane Reason and that it is a most absurd impertinence to see Spiritual men to fond upon the things of earth But if that must be called a desire of filthy Lucre when a man perhaps a little too passionately desires and enjoyes his own just Rights and Properties then sure it was the foulest Lucre for those men no invade the Revenues of the Church to which they had no Title neither by the Law of God nor the Statutes of the Nation Sure none but a Pharisee could have overseen so vast a beam in his own eye and taken such great notice of a little spot in his Brothers The Acts of Uniformity and that against Private Meetings are describ'd as Severe and Tragick as if they had been the Edicts of Nero or Dioclesian I do believe had the very same Laws been by the Roman Emperours imposed upon the Catholick Church in the first three hundred years they would have made a Jubilee and have been celebrated by the antient Christians with Hymns and Hallelujahs The Sentiments of these men differ so much from the judgement of the antient Christians as if they were not of the same Religion And Sir you may remember some Ordinances of Parliament that did more bloody execution than all the Laws and Canons Royal of England Sure you have not forgot when Loyalty to our Prince and faithfulness to the establish'd Religion was damn'd for Malignancy and the Loyal Nobility Gentry and Clergy of England were condemn'd to Axes and Halters Plunderings and Sequestrations Prisons and Banishment And yet all these Tragick Scenes must have a silken curtain drawn over them and must be interpreted as expresses of holy zeal and Rigour and Persecution charg'd only upon the Acts of Uniformity and that against Conventicles From pag. 3. to pag. 7. the Doctor labours to assert the great numbers of Non-conformists and insinuates that the prudence of our Governours could never have passed the Act of Uniformity if they had not been mis-informed that the numbers of Non-conformists were very inconsiderable I confess in State Logick number is a weighty argument and in Politicks it must be thought imprudence to disoblige a numerous party who are able to affront their Governours and cast away their cords from them Cum plurimi peccant impunes sunt But whether the establishing parties and divisions by a Law do consist with the Piety of a Christian Prince I shall leave to your Judgement to enquire But I see by the Doctor 's Maxims of Prudence if the World run after the Beast it is but the duty and wisdom of the Kings of the Earth to fall down and worship him and if the Arrian faction be great and popular it is Prudence in Constantius to Arrianize It is worth observing how these men to serve their Interest can quit their old impropriation of the little flock and to make themselves formidable will appear as the Syrians that cover the Land But this Popish Argument of Number is never urg'd but upon design for it is confess'd Multitude is no infallible argument of truth for Anti-christ will out poll us He complains that there is a vast number of Atheistical livers that seldom or never resort to Publick worship and yet these escape the Indictments of Law Censures of the Church but all the arrows are made ready against the servants of the Living God Whether the Title of the Servants of God which these men appropriate to themselves be not a Presumption I shall leave to be examin'd by Omniscience But I am sure they are guilty of some actions of so bad a tincture that may make the World justly suspect they wear the Livery of another Master But if there be a remisness of Government in England or a connivance to Atheâ—istical Separatists it is our complaint and lamentation as well as theirs The Doctor in the same Section makes the number of the Atheists in England not inferiour to the Non-conformists And then by the late insinuation their number will likewise plead for Toleration and it will not be prudence to molest them And where there are many Sectaries it is no wonder there should be as many Atheists You know Sir it was remarqued by a very observing Gentleman That there were more Atheists in the Seven Provinces than in the rest of Christendom we must now except England and he gives us this reason for his conjecture That there were so many Religions that there were great numbers of men that