the Right of the Bishop upon the account of exercising the Ministry where he is the Pastor 4. That I make a Schism in the Church 5. That I violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate To these particulars the several Heads of my Defence following are a direct Answer 1. That I have received from Christ the Office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. and that I am bound in my present state to fulfil it 2. That I am not obliged either by the nature of my Office or by any oath or promise or by being under the regulation of Authority to exercise my Ministry no otherwise than as in subordination to and as authorised and regulated by the Bishop of the Diocess 3. That I invade not the Right of the Diocesan Bishop in exercising the Ministry where he claims the right of being the Pastor 4. That I do not violate any true bonds of Church-Unity nor in any respect cause divisions and offences 5. That I do not violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate § 1. That I have received from Christ the Office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. And that I am bound in my present state to fulfil it THE Ministry that I have received is the sacred office of Presbyterate to which I am ordained according to the form of Ordination that was established in the Church of England That this office is of divine right I take for granted and that according to the Scripture it is the office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. I thus prove 1. Wheresoever this office is set forth in the Scripture it is set forth as the office of a spiritual Pastor or Bishop which is to feed the Flock of God by teaching and ruling it And a Presbyter who is a sacred Officer of the Christian Church but not a Bishop or Pastor is no where mentioned in Scripture If it be said that this Office is otherwise set forth in Scripture or that a Presbyter who is a sacred Officer of the Christian Church yet no Bishop is there mentioned let the Assertor shew the place or places If it be said that this Order of Presbyterate may be of divine instâ—tution yet not defined or expressed in Scripture I desire satisfactory proof from some other Authority both of its being of divine institution and what its nature is 2. To have the Power of the keys of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining sins in Christs name as his commissioned officer is to have Episcopal or Pastoral Power and this Power belongs to the said Office of Presbyterate Forasmuch as some distinguish the Power of the keys into that which is in in foro interiore or the Court of Conscience within and that which is in foro exteriore in the exterior Court to wit that of the Church the former of which is said to belong to the Bishop and the Presbyter and the latter to the Bishop only I further inforce my argument 1. The Scripture makes no such distinction and where the Law distinguisheth not we may not distinguish 2. The distinction in this case is vain for all power that belongs to the Pastors of the Church purely respects the Conscience and it respects the Conscience as having the conduct of the outward man and that in reference to Church communion as well as other matters 3. If Presbyters may in the name of Christ bind the impenitent and loose the penitent as to the conscience which is the greater and primary binding and loosing then by parity of reason and that with advantage they may bind and loose as to Church-communion which is the lesser secondary and subsequent binding and loosing 3. That Officer is a Pastor or Bishop that hath a power of Authoritative declaring or judging in Christs name that this or that wicked person in particular is unworthy of fellowship with Christ and his Church and of charging the congregation in Christs name not to keep company with him as being no fit member of a Christian society also a Power of authoritative declaring or judging in Christs Name that the same person repenting of his wickednes and giving evidence thereof is meet for fellowship with Christ and his Church and of requiring the congregation in Christs Name again to receive him into their Christian fellowship for these powers are no other than the powers of Excommunication and Ecclesiastical absolution Now the Presbyter hath apparently the said Powers as he can undoubtedly declare and judg and charge as aforesaid touching this or that person or particular all particulars being included in the general he hath undoubtedly a Power of applying the Word in Christs Name as well personally as generally 4. For the further clearing of what is already argued let it be considered that an Authoritative Teacher in the Church commissioned by Christ is also a Pastor for the government of a Pastor is only by the Spiritual Sword which is the Word of God and the discipline which he exercises is no more than the personal application of the same word to judg the impenitent and to absolve the penitent in Christs Name and he that Authoritatively teaches in Christs Name as the Presbyter doth can do so much in the personal Application of the Word 5. The Pastoral Authority of Presbyterate is further cleared by many passages in the publick forms of the Church of England touching that order In the very form of my ordination according to the ancient use of this Church I received the office of a Pastor and Successor of the Apostles I mean not in their Apostolick but Pastoral office The form was this Receive the holy Ghost whose sins thou remittest they are remitted and whose sins thou retainest they are retained and be thou a faithful dispenser of the Word of God and his Holy Sacraments in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Now the former part hereof is intirely and compleatly the form of Words used by our Saviour Joh. 20. 22 23. towards the Apostles expressing their Pastoral Authority and the latter part Be tbou a faithful dispenser c. is no derogation or diminution from the Power granted in the former part If the Presbyters are not the Apostles successors in the Pastoral Authority how could they have right to that form of ordination In the form of ordering Priests or Presbyters in one of the prayers after the mentioning of Christs sending abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors Pastors there follows thanksgiving to God for calling those that were then to be ordered Priests to the same Office and Ministry of salvation of mankind Whence it appears that this Office is the same with some of the forementioned kinds And what can it be but that of Doctors and Pastors This Church did before the last alteration made Anno 1662. in solemn form of words require the Presbyters when they were ordained to exercise the discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded
and this Realm received the same according to the commandments of God And that they might the better understand what the Lord hath commanded therein this Church did appoint also that at the ordering of Priests there be read for the Epistle that portion of Acts 20. which relates St. Paul's sending to Ephesus and calling for the Elders of the Congregation with his exhortation to them to take heed to themselves and to all the flock among whom the Holy Ghost hath made them Overseers to rule the congregation of God Or else 1 Tim. 3 which sets forth the Office and due qualifications of a Bishop These portions of Scripture this Church appointed to be read to the Presbyters as belonging to their Office and to instruct them in the nature of it And afterwards the Bishop speaks to them that are to receive the office of Priesthood in this form of words You have heard brethren as well in your private examination as in the exhortation and the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel and the Writings of the Apostles of what dignity and of how great importance this Office is whereunto ye are called That is to say the Messengers the Watchmen the Pastors and Stewards of the Lord to teach to premonish to seed to provide for the Lords Family I acknowledg that the passages here alledged are taken out of the old Book of Ordination that was established in this Church till the late alterations made Anno 1662. if those alterations signifie another meaning about the several Holy Orders than what was signified in the old Book then the sense of the Church of England in these times differs from the sense of the same Church in all times preceding the said Alterations but if they signifie no other meaning than what was signified in the old Book my citations are of force to shew what is the sense of this Church as well of the present as of the former times about this matter Here I must take notice that in opposition to part of what hath been alledged it was asserted That that part of 1 Tim. 3. which contains the office and qualification of a Bishop was read at the Ordination of Presbyters not because it belonged to their Office but because it was joyned with that which follows touching the office of a Deacon then likewise read as properly concerning the office of a Presbyter pretended to be no other than the Deacon there mentioned To this I answer If the Presbyter in the Church of England be indeed no other than the Deacon spoken of 1 Tim. 3. it seeâ—â— strange that this Church yea and the Universal Church should so miscall an Officer as to give him a name viz. Presbyter which the Scripture always appropriates to another Officer as is pretended and to neglect the Scripture name of this Office viz. Deacon It is strange that an Officer said to be no other than the Deacon there spoken of should have the power of the keys the same form of Ordination which Christ used towards his Apostles If it were so it is likewise strange that the qualifications of the said Deacon should be appointed to be read at the Ordination of a Presbyter as properly belonging to him and also at the Ordination of a Deacon inferior to a Presbyter as properly belonging to him the former part of the Chapter touching a Bishop being omitted Besides all this the new Book of Ordination puts the matter out of doubt and evidently refutes the aforesaid evasion For in it the latter part of 1 Tim. 3. beginning at verse 8. touching the Office of Deacon is appointed to be read at the ordering of Deacons and the same is not appointed to be read at the ordering of Priests but another portion of Scripture viz. Eph 4. 7 c. Furthermore if the Deacon mentioned in Timothy be no other than the subject Presbyter I would know in what place of Scripture the Deacon of the Church of England inferior to a Presbyter is set forth And be it noted that the Deacon of this Church is not so much the Deacon of Tables as of the Word and therefore a Presbyter must needs be degraded in being made no more than a Deacon of the Word Hitherto I have insisted on the nature of my Office and have proved it to be the Office of a Pastor Now I proceed to prove That in my present state I am bound to fulfil it Being dedicated to this Ministry I stand under a perpetual obligation to fulfil it according to my ability and opportunity and as the necessity of souls requireth of me And whatsoever some think the thing is most evident That the souls of men cry aloud for all the help that can possibly be given them by those whom Christ hath qualified and called to the work of the Ministry whethâ—r Conformists or Nonconformists This apprehension reflects no dishonour upon conscientious Conforming Ministers for whose ability and industry I bless God But the number of them is not so proportionable to the people of this Land as to make the labours of those that are cast out to be needless The harvest is great and the labourers are too few As for this City in which are six Parishes within the Gates besides two in the Suburbs I leave it to the consideration of those that know the state thereof whether there be sufficient care taken for the preaching of the Gospel when as there is no setled preaching on the Lords days or week days in any of the Parish Churches The Parish in which I dwell hath for many years had no Minister at all and the two Parishes without the Gates for many years have had neither Ministers nor Churches in one of which is the house that was licensed by his Majesty for our meeting The only setled preaching is at the Cathedral performed sometimes by the Superior Clergy but mostly by a greater number of others in their courses who generally living at a distance cannot be so well known to the people as their appointed Teachers ought to be and let them that know the place of preaching consider and judg whether it can contain the inhabitants if all should repair thither I pass not to be despised or judged by them who make slight work of the cure of Souls for whom Christ hath given himself a ransom Certainly they are more precious than to be exposed to perish for lack of sufficient instruction and exhortation rather than preachers authorized by Christ if silenced by men when not disobedient to any ordinance prescribed by his word should speak to them that they might be saved The necessary means of saving souls such as is the due publick preaching of the Gospel together with personal instruction is incomparably more valuable than the maintaining of uniformity in little opinions and ceremonies and other accidental forms and orders § 2. That I am not obliged either by the Nature of my Office or by any Oath or Promise or by being under the
heavy on one mans shoulders as he thought it did formerly on the Bishops here But I do not as yet discern the divine Right of Episcopacy in the state and priviledges thereof here following wherein I desire information and would gladly receive satisfaction if there be such divine Rights indeed None can be justly offended with me for examining in my own defence that Right which I am accused to have invaded do not discern that a Bishop infimi gradus I mean one that hath none under him but Parish-Ministers who are pretended to have no Episcopal governing-power I say I discern not that such a Bishop can by divine Right challenge to himself alone the Episcopal Authority over hundreds of particular Churches For every particular Church should have its proper Pastor or Bishop And particular Churches with their proper Pastors are so evidently of Divine Right that some eminently learned men in the Church of England have declared their judgment That no Form of Church-government besides the meer Pastoral Office and Church-assemblies is prescribed in the Word of God but may be various according to the various condition and occasion of several Churches Neither do I discern how it is possible for one man to do the work of a bishop towards hundreds of Churches I mean the work of a bishop infimi gradus under whom there are no subordinate Bishops or Pastors For the work of such a bishop is to oversee all the Flock to preach to them all to baptize and confirm all that are to be baptized and confirmed to administer the Lords Supper to all to bless the Congregation publickly and privataly to admonish all as their need requires to excommunicate the impenitent to absolve the penitent and that upon knowledg of their particular estate If such a Diocesan bishop saith it sufficeth that he perform all this to the Flock by others namely by the Parish-Ministers as his Curates and by other Officers his Substitutes it is answered 1. That the Pastoral Authority is a personal trust 2. It is desired that he shew his Commission from Christ the Prince of Pastors to do his work by others for I am now inquiring what is of divine and not of humane Right 3. None but a bishop can do the proper work of a bishop But if it be said That the Parochial Congregations are not Churches but only parts of the Diocess which is the lowest particular Church I desire proof from Scripture That such Congregations as our Parishes having their proper Presbyter or Presbyters invested with the power of the keys are not particular Churches properly so called The reason of my desire of this proof is because the Scripture is a perfect Rule for the Essential constitution of Churches tho accidents there unto belonging may be regulated by humane prudence 2. It is most evident in Scripture that a particular Congregation of Christians having their proper Pastor or Pastors Presbyter or Presbyters are Churches properly so called And a Parochial Minister I conceive to be a Pastor or Elder according to the Scripture Moreover if a Diocess containing a hundred two hundred five hundred or a thousand Parishes as somewhere it doth do constitute but one particular Church and those particular Parishes be not properly to be accounted Churches but only so many parts of that one Diocesan Church why may not ten thousand yea ten times ten thousand Parishes be likewise accounted but one particular Church and brought under one man as sole Bishop or Pastor thereof In all this I have not argued against the right of an Arch-Bishop or Overseer of other Bishops such as Titus must needs be if he were Bishop of Crâ—te where Bishops or Elders were to be ordained in every City If either Scripture or Prudence guided by Scripture be for such an office I oppose it not and nothing here spoken makes against it If our Diocesan Bishops be in very deed Arch-Bishops or OOverseers of inferior Bishops to wit Parish-Ministers I do not here argue against it but only say that in their Archiepiscopal Diocess or Province they cannot exercise their authority any otherwise than according to the rules of Gods word for the edification and peace of the Church and that they cannot discharge the inferior Bishops from their obligation to Christ whose immediate Ministers and Stewards they are and to whom they are immediately accountable Moreover I do not discern that any Bishop can by divine right so challenge or claim such a circuit of ground for his Diocess as for example the County of Sussex as that thereupon he can by the said right prohibit all other Pastors whatsoever to do the work of the Ministry in any case without his licence within such a circuit of ground or that such a measure of ground is related to his Episcopal office as a propriety for government Ecclesiastical like as certain territories and dominions are as a propriety in reference to Civil government related to the temporal Soveraingty of a Prince The partition of one Church from another by local bounds is not of divine institution but of humane prudence from the convenience of the thing I say convenience not absolute necessity And the state of things may be such as to compel to vary from it in some particulars It is supposed by learned men that in the Apostles times there were several Churches at Rome under their several Bishops or Pastors in the same local bounds as one of the Circumcision and another of the Uncircumcision And if it were not so de facto I think few will deny but that it lawfully might have been so If upon the aforesaid diversity of condition in the persons namely as being of different nations and languages there may be several Churches under several Bishops or Pastors within the same local bounds why not also upon other diversity of condition which may render them as uncapable of being of the same particular Church as if they were of divers nations One instance may be an unmovable diversity of persuasions about points of Religion As for example Why may not Lutherans and Calvinists of the same nation town or village have their several Churches under their several Pastors and live in peace Nothing could hinder the said peace but want of Christian Humility and Charity And consequently why among us may not Christians that have invincible diversity of persuasions in matters of Church Government live peaceably within the same precincts in their several Churches Besides all this if the local bounds assigned for one mans immediate Pastoral charge be so vast and the multitude of Souls therein be so great as to render it impossible for any one man to fulfil that charge towards them can it be judged an usurpation against dwine right if another Pastor without license from him should perform ministerial service within those bounds Likewise let it be 〈…〉 ered what may or may not be done in any circuit of gro 〈…〉 â—here the inhabitants are destitute of competent provision
but divers Churches distinguished by their several places of Assembling as one Parish-church from another and by diversity of External Order as the allowed Congregations of Foreigners in London from the Parish churches The same true Religion for the substance thereof is exercised and the same holy ends are pursued in the one and the other And there will be no opposition between them but what an unchristian Enmity proceeding from Worldly lusts and interests will produce If any object the inconveniencies that may follow the permitting of Church-Assemblies besides those of the established Order I have this to reply 1. Our Rulers may so provide if the Clergy would â—ot gainsay that few may stand in need of that permission in comparison of those that now do and the way is to fix the terms of Church-communion and Ministerial Liberty so as to comprehend all sober Protestants and this is done by requiring no more as necessary to the one or the other than what Christ hath made necessary thereunto 2. After such Comprehension setled the Toleration of all tolerable Dissenters within such limits as will secure publick peace and safety is more agreeable to the wisdom and clemency of Rulers and the charity of Christians than the Rigorous constraining of the said Dissenters to what they cannot bear and the restraining of them from the liberty of serving God according to their eonsciences 3. But if the present state of things must continue the inconveniences that may follow the present practise of the Protestant Nonconformists are far less than what will follow the deserting of their Ministry and the neglect of fouls in so great a need of their help The considerations aforegoing I submit to the judgment of impartial Readers in reference to the case of Protestant Nonconformists of whom I am Moreover I judg it necessary to give some account of my own principles and practice I have not wilfully forsaken my Ministerial station in the established Order but am driven from it I am ready to make Oath before any that have power to administer it to me That my conscience is not satisfied that it is lawful to observe all the terms that are imposed Let it be noted That I do not affirm the unlawfulness of the terms but that they are unlawful to me in regard of my conscience and I am ready to render Reasons of my dissatisfaction It hath been alledged That so much hath been written for Conformity as may satisfie any that have a mind to be satisfied But I profess in his sight who knows my heart That I have a mind to be satisfied if I knew how I set up no Faction or severed Party against the common interest of Religion but according to my mean ability I seek the edification peace and concord of all Christians of all persuasions and the encrease of true godliness among them all I renounce not Parochial Churches as no true Churches I have not forsaken the communion of such Churches nor encouraged others to forsake them but have communicated with them in the Worship of God and so shall do and this my principle and practice I am not sparing to declare to my friends that are of another mind in this particular Nevertheless where a Parish Minister is utterly unmeet for the charge of souls I cannot encourage any to commit the charge of their souls to him But as for all conscientious and faithful Conformists I highly prize them for their works sake and seek to promote their Reputation and the success of their Labours I will thankfully accept the liberty of Ministeral imployment in the said Churches when it shall be granted me And for the obtaining of my liberty I am ready to submit not only to whatsoever is in specie or particularly injoined in Gods word but to whatsoever is necessary in genere and left in specie to humane determination if it be determined according to the general Rules of Gods Word I have given an account of my self according to the latitude of my own principles but I have not done it to the prejudice of others that are of sound faith and good life but of narrower principles touching Church-government for by the considerations here propounded their due liberty is provided for § 5. That I do not violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate I AM licensed by the King to be a Teacher and to teach in any place licensed and allowed by him His Majesty hath declared the same to be grounded on his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs In the last Law against Conventicles it is provided That neither that Act nor any thing contained therein shall extend to invalidate or avoid his Majesty's Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs Of my License granted by his Majesty there hath been no Revocation that I know of If upon Reasons of State it hath seemed good to hiâ— Majesty to grant no more Licenses since such a time I do not see that it follows thereupon that he hath made void the Licenses that he hath granted His Majesty hath graciously declared That he had seen better effects of one years Indulgence than of many years severity before that time Tho the Parliament were dissatisfied in the way of the Kings granting the Indulgence yet they approved the thing it self and accordingly passed a Bill for the grant of it tho by occasion of their speedy Recess it passed not into a Law It appears that the Parliament hath the matter of Indulgence or Liberty to Dissenters still under consideration by the Bill of Comprehension which at their last meeting was voted in the House of Lords with the concurrence of divers Bishops but their Prorogation hindered the compleating thereof Now when this is the sense both of King and Parliament about this matter I humbly hope that our Superiors will take it into their prudent consideration and be favourable to honest and peaceable people under their Jurisdiction But supposing tho not granting that my License is not in force I proceed to some other considerations I acknowledg the Kings Supremacy in all causes and over all persons Civil and Ecclesiastical As the power given to Spiritual Pastors is declared in Scripture to be given for edification and not for destruction so the power given to the Civil Magistrate in matters Ecclesiastical is given to the same intent As in Naturals the inferior subordinate causes have no power of acting against the efficacy of the Superior so in Morals the inferior Ruler hath no authority against the Superior Therefore if Magistrates being all of them subordinate to God shall command any thing contrary to his Law such their command cannot beget an obligation on the subjâ—ct to fulfil it tho the subject must not Resist their power The Civil Magistrate notwithstanding his Authority in Ectlesiâ—sticks cannot discharge any Minister of the Gospel from the exercise of his Ministry in those circumstances wherein Christ commands him to exercise it The Civil Magistrate is to judg what laws are fit for him to enact and execute about Ecclesiastical matters and the Ministers of the Gospel have a right of discerning which is called a judgment of discretion about their own pastoral acts what they ought and what they ought not to do according to Gods word otherwise they must be held obliged to a Blind Popish Brutish Obedience But whatsoever the Ministers discern to be their duty to do they ought to do the same only in such ways as are consistent with their Loyalty to God and the King The Bishop hath no external jurisdiction in his publick Courts but what is derived from the King as Supream and the Ecclesiastical Laws by which the Bishop is to proceed are the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws Consequently no Minister that lives under any Bishops Jurisdiction which is but derived can be obliged to obey the Bishop proceeding in his Court any further than he is obliged to obey the King who hath the supreme jurisdiction under God and Christ and that is no further than is consistent with obedience to God I Presented this clear and open defence with desire and expectation of his Lordships answer in writing according to his promise as I apprehended but he refused to receive it I trust through the grace of God that I am ready to renounce any error whereof I shall be convicted and to receive any truth that shall be made manifest to me And I give this account before men in the sense of that great account which I must give to the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of Souls who searcheth the hearts and reins and will give unto every one according to his works FINIS Several Tracts not yet Printed prepared for the Press and left under Mr. John Corbet's own hand-writing intended shortly to be published are as follows 1. THE true State of the Ancient Episcopacy 2. The present Ecclesiastical Government compared with the Ancient Episcopacy 3. A Consideration of the present State of Conformity in the Church of England 4. A Discourse of the Church and of the Ministry thereof 5. A Tract of Certainty and Infallibility 6. Of divine Worship in three parts 1. Of the Nature Kinds Parts and Adjuncts of Divine Worship 2. Of Idolatry 3. Of Superstition less than Idolatry 7. Matrimonial Purity Those already lately Printed of Mr. John Corbet's are 1. Kingdom of God among men with a A Discourse of Church-Unity and Schism 80. 2. Self-Imployment in secret 3. An Account given of the Principles and Practises of several Nonconformists 4. An humble endeavour of some plain and brief Explication of the Decrees and Operations of God about the free Actions of Men. More especially of the Operations of Divine Grace