thence that who ever Exercised any Ministerial Office out of this Line of Succession and had not Episcopal Ordination No true Ordination out of the line of Succession could be no other than a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic then I inferred further and consequently all Societies of Christians who with-draw themselves from the Government of their Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and from Communicating with those Presbyters lawfully set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution and frame themselves into any other sort of Government are guilty of Schism such Societies are Schismatics and cut themselves off from the Catholic Church but can in no sort properly be call'd Churches and therefore I understand not his Logic in this viz. If by Schism Men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church therefore Schismatical Churches are no Churches ‖ The Donatists were such Churches they are thô Schismatical whilst they retain the Apostolical Succession they retain also the power and Authority of Ordination Preaching the Gospel and Administring the Sacraments and so retain the name of a Church * Dissenters no right to the Succession But what are our Dissenters concerned herein They disclaim the Succession and deny any power or Virtue to be derived from it and therefore have no Commission to preach the Gospel or Administer Sacraments c. and consequently no right to the name of a Church but by the word Societies they would have Churches understood that thereby their Unlawful Assemblies might pass under that Title I must here put one question to these Dissenters many of the Clergy of the Romish Church have embraced Communion with the Reformed Churches I desire to know whether Re-ordination in this case was ever required the answer must be in the Negative their Ordination being derived from the Apostles Successors in vain then is this Gentleman's attempt to Un-church the Church of England as in his p. 25. for that our Bishops have derived their Consecration from the Church of Rome it being the Judgement of all Reformed Divines that formal Schism cannot invalidate the power of Regular and formal Ordination In p. 26. he says I would Exclude all the Reformed Churches beyond Sea that have not those Governors c. by those Governors I suppose he means Diocesan Bishops To this I answer That many very Learned and Pious persons among them have declared their longing desires for the Episcopacy but living in Popish Dominions cannot have any but those of the Romish Communion Others there be that approve of it yet live in Republic Governments and they will by no means admit of Episcopacy in that Regiment invincible necessity is upon these and therefore in Charity cannot be charged with Schism being in their desires Catholic but as for those who with you and your Brethren in England deny its Authority and obstinately refuse Subjection to it they with you are notorious Schismatics and can in no wise be excused As for that fanciful supposition of a Company of Christians cast upon a remote Island which he talks of in p. 26. or if all the Pastors in a Country should be put to death c. He cannot bring one instance of either and if it should so happen all the Lay-men and mere Presbyters in the World cannot make one Evangelical Priest cannot impower them to Preach the Gospel not Consecrate Sacraments c. but what can be expected from Invincible necessity They have a God to pray to whose mercies are infinite who will fulfil the desires of them that fear him and will hear their cry Psal 114. v. 19. In his 27 p. he saith But if we assent to the Whimsie of a constant Succession as if power were conveyed like water in a Conduit after a Phisical manner by contact passing through the Fingers ends of the Prelate into the noddle of the person Ordain'd c. A Whimsie I take it signifies some Phantastic Device or the Creature of an unstable or unsettled brain which being applyed or imputed to Prelates who bear the Authority of Christ deriving it Originally from him can be no less I think than Blasphemy for our blessed Savior saith to his Apostles and in them to their Successors He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 18. v. 16. no man that has not arrived to the highth of wickedness and given himself over to a reprobate mind would thus revile the Ambassadors of God he can be no better than a filthy Dreamer who thus despiseth Dominion and speaks evil of Dignities Jude v. 8. How wantonly does this man sport himself in holy things and by vilifieing and contemning the Evangelical holy Priest-hood make void and a kicshaw as much as in him lyeth of our holy Religion exposing and prostituting it to the contempt and scorn of Infidels and Atheists What he mentions in p. 28. viz. The Leud Extravagant Caresses that have happened between the ambitious Princes and astiring Church-men concerns us not for he cannot name any such aspiring Church-men that have been in England since the Reformation and thô he could the order being of Divine Institution cannot be dissolved for any mans miscarriage if by this he means any thing of the Church of Rome we abjure her Jurisdiction over us Dr. Sancroft Arch-bishop of Canterbury with six other Bishops in their Address to K. James declared against the Vsurping of any absolute Empire over the Civil and Religious Rights of men and this was done so publickly that it is more than probable the fame of it is gone thrô the World so that this Insinuation of his is a mere malicious calumny In my p. 4. I proved that to love as Christians in Scripture sence is to love as members of Christ and that this obliges Christians to preserve the Body i. e. the Church from Rents and Schisms which says he we never deny He implicitly confesseth that they ought to preserve the Church from Rents and Schisms and yet shamefully denys it in practice every day I have so fully spoken of this before that I need say no more in this place And here again are the Ceremonies objected which thô I have proved to be no sufficient ground for their Separation yet for further satisfaction I will here Recommend the Reasons given by the Convocation why the Ceremonies were retained They are affix'd before the Book of Common Prayer and are important enough to satisfie the Conscience of any sober Consciencious Christian In p. 29. he says for our further Conviction we are told the Communion of Saints is one External visible Communion in the Christian Church which is so far from explaining the thing that it makes it much darker what I said above had reference to the Christian Church when it was first called Catholic And was not the Communion of the Church then One and ought it not to be so still and was not the Union External and Visible but I did a little after
upon him to contradict those Learned men who think the Angels mentioned in the Revel by St. John were Bishops he having granted this is all my desire and therefore all his witty Animadversions which follow are not worth my answering It would be but needless Repetition to say any thing to his following Paragraph in his 14. p. having fully answered it before In his p. 15. he says What do I mean in saying in these Multiplyed Churches there was no Variation and then very disingenuously changes my word for a word very different in signification and asks Was there no variety at all in any Circumstance of Worship and says the contrary may be prov'd even in the Apostles times and instances that which he calls a Scuffle Acts 15. betwixt the believing Jews and Gentiles about Jewish Ceremonies Here were no such different Circumstances as to divide their Communion therein there was no Variation their Unity was preserved the Jewish Ceremonies which the Converted Jews would have imposed on the Christian Gentiles were no Circumstances in the Christian Worship the Council at Jerasalem thought therefore necessary to forbid those Impositions now in this very Case the necessity of Apostolic Jurisdiction doth appear that by a decisive and definitive Sentence of Ecclesiastical Authority it may not be in the power of private Christians to impose their different Sentiments upon one another and that there may be no Variation nor breach of Unity in the public Worship of God So that this Instance is not at all for his purpose He says if I mean there was no variation from Scripture Rules tho we are afraid that will scarce hold yet we wish it had been so still By Scripture Rules here he certainly means the New Testament if this Gent. had any regard to Ecclesiastical Antiquity he would never have talked of Scripture that is New Tâ—â—â—ment Rules before they were written He says We have a Notion of Vnity lâ—yed down in my p. 2. in which we freely concur with him these are my words for he has not transcribed them fairly They are all one with that Church first mentioned at Jerusalem and which he omits all one with one another being all United into one Spiritual Society or Body under one Head Christ Jesus c. and which he has omitted too and are in all things the sune with that first Church United in one Baptism and one Faith and all partakers at the same Eucharist c. That says he is the same for substance for in that they all agreed in the Primitive times in the same Circumstances such a Vnity we hold and doubt not but in our Congregations this Vnity may be found And so he runs on in his 16. p. and endeavours to perswade all men just like the Donatists that these Dissenters are more truly Catholic than we That the Power delegated by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles was to be confer'd upon their Successors is certainly implyed in the promise Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The Church of England truly Apostolical That the Church of England was Planted either by some of the Apostles or some of their Successors and that the Succession of Bishops has continued in this Church from that first propagation by as strong proofs as human Authority is capable of viz. by Records and Histories may appear and consequently that the Church of England is as truly an Apostolic and Catholic Church as Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and those other Churches which were of the first Planting Her Orders then are to be equally obeved Her Unity and Peace as strictly mantained and whatsoever amounted to Schism in any of them must be so in her your Uniting then in a Communion Separate from this Church bears no similitude with Primitive Unity being contrary to their Practice And being that in your Congregations the Divine Authority is wanting there can be no such Unity found among you as Primitive Unity He Says the Eucharist was the same for Substance in the Primitive Congregations and that they all agreed in the same Circumstances It is very true for no difference would be allow'd Christians then durst not entertain so wicked and uncharitable a thought as that of setting up a Separate Congregation as you do They devoted themselves to the Command of their master to have Peace one with another Mark 9.50 Heb. 13.17 They for Conscience sake observ'd the Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you If you would tread in their steps you would as Relgiously observe the Unity and Peace of the Established Church wherein you live in all Circumstances as they did All his next Paragraph Pa. 17. is the same in different Phrases He says the description I have given of Church Vnity ruins my whole Book and Cause an hasty Sentence for says he if this be the true proper Vnity of Churches then there may be true Church-Vnity without the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers and People into one Diocesan Church under the Jurisdiction of a Prelate and his Officers c. Then he is not much against the conveniency of Parochial-Precincts but says according to my Definition it is not De essentia Vnitatis It is plain all that he drives at here is that there may be true Church Unity without Episcopacy I have answer'd this before by shewing that all Presbyters with their Particular Congregations that is Ministers and People now resolved into Parochial Churches within the Dioceses of the Respective Cities were United under the Jurisdiction of the Respective Bishop of each City So that the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers People into one Diocesan Church under the jurisdiction of a Prelate is true Church Vnity as used in Primitive times by which it appears that this Gent. Doctrine viz. 1 Cor. 11.16 that there may be true Church Vnity without Episcopacy is a mere Innovation there being no such custom in the Churches of God as the Apostle speaks As for their Officers they have the Sanction of our Laws to Authorize them an Authority far greater than can be shewed for Lay Elders Officers subserviant to the Minister of every Congregation and thô generally ignorant and many of them cannot write their Names yet are made judges of their fellow Christians sufficiency in faith a novelty created by Calvin and how reasonable let the impartial judge He says so a man may plead to the jurisdiction of a Diocessan Prelate may step over Parish bounds c. So did Korah and his Congregation against Moses and Aaron Nam 16.2 10. their Controversie being the very same with yours against the Church they were for leveling the Priest-hood so are you they were for setting up a new model'd Congregation so are you God shewed his displeasure against their Pride and Disobedience by a most terrible destruction and the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for
explain by shewing wherein this Communion doth more particularly consist In my p. 5. viz. in the same Articles of Faith The Communion of Saints in Faith I nam'd the Apostles Nicene and Atharasian Creeds which have been received and used in the Catholic Church from the times they were first published and appoint'd by the Authority of the Church the Creeds are Compendiums and brief Comprehensions of the Objects of our Christian Faith and do contain all things necessary to be believ'd every Article being a principle of the Christian Religion which every Christian is bound to profess and is the Test to distinguish between Heretics and sound Christians and now this profession and agreement of Christians in these Articles of Faith may be truly called the Communion of Saints in point of Faith But my Adversary is not very fond of these Creeds and why not in Scripture says he Why every one who truly believes the Scripture believes the Articles of Faith and every one who believe the Articles believe the Scripture He says They are but Human composition They were Composed by those to whom the Care and Authority of the Church was committed and every Article for the benefit of all even the meanest Christians being formed and Collected out of Sacred Scripture are of Divine Authority He says I shut out the Greek and other Eastern Churches This is but his own Conception for they agree with us in all Articles of Faith they do not indeed express the Article of the Holy Ghost in the very same words but they acknowledge that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father by the Son which differs not in sense and they Worship the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity so that in Articles of Faith we and they hold Communion Well! I perceive thô my Adversary relishes not and speaks with but indifferent Respect of the Creeds yet he says however he is so far in Communion with us so in this he will be no Schismatic or rather no Heretic The Communion 〈◊〉 Saints 〈◊〉 the Eucharist Another particular which I mentioned requir'd in this Communion is partaking all at the same Table which thô it be not individually yet Spiritually it is the same and being every where called the Lords Table could be no otherwise meant but that this Gent. will be very witty and take exceptions at every thing The Apostle calls it the Lords Table The Cup of Blessing which we bless 1 Cer. 10.21 v. 16. v. 17. is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread All true Christians partaking at the Lords Table are one Body in the Apostles Sense the bread not only signifieing the Body of Christ but the Unity of the partakers also and this is the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table Here says he we are with him still I wonder at his confidence he would say sure hâ—re we ought to be with them for they are not with us By comparing our Church with the Primitive Churches I have proved her to be a Church truly Catholic her Jurisdiction as truly Apostolical as they were from whence it follows as I have said that her Orders are to be equally obey'd her Unity and Peace as strictly maintained and what soever was Schism in any of them must be so in her To refuse Communicating with any of them at the Lords Table and to have set up another Table in opposition to any of them must in this Gentlemans judgment have been criminous Schism then of necessity it holds true against our Dissenters they refuse Communion with that Church which most certainly holds true Communion with the Universal Catholic Church and consequently with the Son of God who is the Head thereof and the Principle and proper Object of all Christian Communion Our Dissenters have set up a separate Table in opposition thereto rob'd her of her Members and broke her Unity all this being notoriously the breach of Christian Charity is in this Gent. and Mr. Hery's Sense too Schism which Mr. Hery calls an Arch-Rebel but not so properly as an Infamous Rebellion in Christs Kingdom and thus they are Schismatics in Separating from the Communion of Saints at the Lords Table What he talks here of deriving our Succession from the Church of Rome is already answered A third particular required in this Communion I affirmed to be Communion of Saints in the same Prayers the joyning all in the same holy Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and giving of thanks according to St. Paul's express Command To this he says I cannot mean that in those Dutys we must necessaryly use the very same words c. for then I exclude all the World but them of my own perswasion and a great many of them too I exhort therefore saith St. Paul that first of all Supplications Prayers 1. Tim. 2. v 1.2 Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all min for Kings and all that are in Authority c. Here is a sufficient ground from Holy Scripture for Liturgies or Forms of Prayers in the public Worship and Service of God and St. Paul gives his reason for it in his Ep. to the Romans that we might with one mind and one mouth Glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15. v. 6. According to this command Forms of Prayers or Liturgies were Composed early in the Catholic Churches and have been used ever since that there might be an Unity in their Supplications and Prayers and in their Thanksgivings and Praises that nothing should be omitted nor any thing more in our Petitions express'd but what our holy Religion requires that there should be no rudeness or undecency in words in which respects conceived and Extempore prayers are very liable to be faulty and in these they were all obliged to joyn where ever they came together for the public Worship and Service of God Herein they had Communion with God the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ who was in the midst of them Mat. 28. v. 20. and in whose name they were presented and with one another Uniting all in the same Prayers here is the Communion of Saints in holy Prayers It is true that the Respective Provincial or Diocesan Churches had not every one their set Forms of Prayers or Liturgies in the very same words every Bishop having power to Compose a Form for that Church of which he was Over-seer Yet they were the same for substance so that every Christian was obliged to Communicate not only with the Bishop or his Presbyters under whose Jurisdiction he lived but all Catholics coming to remote Churches did as bound by the Rules of Catholic Unity Communicate with their Fellow-Christians to what Church soever they came That in this the Church of England as in the former particulars holds Communion with the Primitive Catholic Church will appear Pream Quinto
that our Diocesan Bishops in the Church of England are invested with this Divine Authority by an uninterrupted Succession and so are made our Spirituaâ— Rulers by the same Divine Authority Now these Dissenters having this Divine Authority among 'em it follows by my Adversary's acknowledgment that the Dissenters in England want this Qualisication for Communion by which Communion must be understood the Communion of Saints In the same p. he says A single person taking upon him to Govern some Thousands of Congregations by such Rulers and Officers as our English Prelacy uses and this by the Nomination of the Civil Magistrate without the consent of the people or the Ministers within the Diocess is a Creature we find not in Scripture nor in Primitive times and therefore can be no Spiritual Governors of ours by Divine Right c. That the Jurisdiction of English Prelates is of Divine Right being proved this Creature as he scoffingly calls it which he says they can neither find in Scripture nor in Primitive times is evidently found in both and no other Creature that is no other Government of the Church can be found in either so that his objections against Congregations being numerous in a particular Diocess comes to nothing Their Rulers and Officers are mentioned before But it is worth Observation to see how the Regular Accession of a Bishop to his Diocess is maliciously called by him a single Person taking it upon himself as if it were mere Usurpation But that which he seems to be much Scandalized at is their Nomination by the Civil Majestrate without the consent of the people or the Ministers of the Diocese If it would not swell my papers too much I could give him very many Instances to prove that for many Ages the Nomination of Bishops hath been in the Right of Christian Emperors and Christian Kings and that it hath been so very Anciently in England and ther 's great reason it should be so for they were the Founders of Bishopricks who else then can of Right lay claim to the Patronage of presenting to them what confusion would be the result how endless the Feuds and Animositys in every Dioces were their Elections Tumultuary and Popular By the Presbyters of the Dioces they are Elected the Dean and Chapter in every Dioces being their Representatives and this is to prevent Animosities and Divisions among the Clergie in the Election of Bishops and the Clergie or any other Person as well without as within the Dioces have liberty to put in any Allegation they have against him and the Crime if proved Judicially invalidates the Election and all proceedings therein So that all their Quarrel in this is only against the Ancient Right of the Crown and the wisdom of the Clergie in preventing strife and contention That Diocesan Bishops are our Spiritual Rulers by Divine Authority being proved answers all he says in his 32 and ends in his 33 P. His words are these When this man or any one for him has made it appear that the Authority of a Diocesan Prelat Dean Lay Chancellor c. over all in the Diocess is as Sacred as that of Moses and Aaron we will not dare to dispute it for seare of Corah's doom c. I hope he will not take it amiss if we be not frighted out of our wits by such misapply'd passages c. The Dean Lay Chancellor c. are Prudential Officers and have not a Divine but a Legal thô humane Authority But the Authority of a Diocesan Prelate conferr'd by and derived from the Son of God must be as Sacred as that of Moses and Aaron for the Apostle St. Paul in his Epist to the Hebrews puts a far higher value and esteem upon the Evangelical than the Aaronical Priesthood then certainly to set up Congregations in defiance and combination against Evangelical Priesihood viz. Diocesan Prelacy is a Crime of as deep a Dy as that of Corah and his Congregation Now thô I have more Charity than to have these men frighted out of their wits yet I heartily wish that they may be frighted into a sence of their guilt and into a fear of disputing the Crime being of the same Complexion with that of Corah for althô God doth not now usually avenge himself against such proud and obstinate Offenders as he did to Corah by the imediate execution of his Judgments yet he hath reserved a Day wherein his wrath against all despisers of his Authority and all other unrighteousnesses of obstinate and impenitent Sinners will be revealed He says Such misapply'd pasages viz. as that of Corah they have often heard urged to back the Doâ—rin of Non-resistance and all those Principles of Slavery some men have bee endeavering to instil into our minds c. Be the consequences what ever they may happen to be the Doctrine of Non-resistance was the Doctrin of the Holy Apostles These are the words of St. Paul Let every Soul be Subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are Ordained of God Whosoever therfore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist receive to themselvs Damnation Rom 13.12 These Precepts of the Apostle are to continue eternally and are unalterable irreversible by any human Authority whatsoever To the observation wherof and obedience wherunto all Christians are infallibly oblig'd Now thô this Gent. may be above my advice yet it will be his wisdom not to preach any Doctrin contrary to this Divine Precept not only because it is contradicted by the Court of Rome but because the Government will punish it as Seditious He says in Pa. 33. In what Bounds he will six the Primitive Church we know not certain it is a Century or Two made a considerable change in the seatures of the Goverment and Worship c. Let him and all his Fellow-Dissenters lay their heads together and if they will be so kind to themselves as to search the Histories of the Church and the writings of the Fathers concerning the Goverment and Worship in the Church and shew if they can any change in the Goverment and worship in the three first Ceuturies which until they perform my assertion stands firm As for the change of Government which he so confidently affirms barely upon his own Authority and Fancy is notoriously false for what the Government was then it has continued to be in all Catholic Churches to this day so as that therin there hath been no change at all But says he in Pa. 34. If we must take our measures by these Churches that are truly Primitive we fear not to put our selves to the Tryal c. Well! thô we have no Security that upon this Tryal they will stand to the Verdict yet let it be Tryed He says That our Congregations have this Agreement in Faith none will deny Dissenters agree not with the Primitive Church It is not the Agreement they have in their Congregations with
and venom against our Clergy and serves only to shew what Spirit he is of In p. 13. he saith But though the Apostles did propagate the Gospel far and wiâ—ie yet that they did actually preach it to all Nations is a thing we never beard of before T. W. told us so and we must have better Evidence before we believe it This is a mere Cavil but he thinks he has sufficiently shewed my nakedness The Gospel preaced to all Nations I did not use the word Actually I said that according to our Saviors Command the Apostles did Preach the Gospel to all Nations I could tell him out of very good Authoritys the vast Countrys in the Roman Empire in which St. Paul did actually preach the Gospel and that St. James did so in the Regions of Palestine St. Mark in Alexandria and the Countries far about it St. John in Asia St. Andrew in Achaja St Thomas in India and of the other Apostles Propagating the Gospel in other Countrys ay and Ordained Bishops and Presbyters in 'em too But the Scripture saith There were dweling at Jerusalem Jews Acts 2 5. devout men out of every Nation under Heaven to these the Apostles preached the Gosple so in this respect what I said is true I had no great reason to fear that I had committed an unpardonable Crime and if upon the Evidence given in Scripture he will not believe it he is at his liberty He goes on Whither the Seaven Churches in Asia had Seaven Bishops Presiding over them neither more nor less is a thing that no way affects our present Controversy nor can any thing be concluded from thence in favor of our English Prelacy till the Pawer of these Bishops the extent of their Diocesses the Quality of their under Officers c. be proved the same with ours viz. or liable to the same exceptions c. I understand not this last Sentence or liable to the same exceptions unless he would make the Primitive Church liable to the same exceptions That there were seven Bishops is unquestionable unless he will not give Credit to St. John's Testimony that the extent of their Diocesses may in some measure be right estimated it will be necessary to consider what this Asia doth signifie which Dr. Hammond describes thus Asia here doth not signifie the fourth part in the Division of the World but in another Notion known to Geographers the Lydian or proconsular Asia thus the word is used Acts 19.26 where St. Paul is said to perswade much People not only at Ephesus but almost thrô all Asia now in this Asia as there were many Cities so there were some Metropoles Chief or Mother Cities to each of which the lesser adjacent were subordinate Of this sort the first was Ephesus saith Vlpian l. Observ D. de Off. Procons Such again was Thiatira saith Ptolemy l. Geog. 1st Cap. 2. Such was Phyladelphia of the Province of the Lydians Of the same Rank are Laodicea Sardis Smyrna and Parâ—amus affirmed by Pliny Nat. Hist l. 6. c. 29. as Cities wherein the Roman Proconsuls residing kept Courts for all the adjoyning Cities to resort to by which it appears that all the Seven Cities here named were Metropoles and accordingly under these Seven all other Christian Churches were contained And it is evident in Ignatius's time which was not long after that Magnesia and Trallys upon the Banks of Meander saith Stephanus Bizantius being consequently included in this Asia were Episcopal Churches or Cities Damas being Bishop of one and Polybius of the other and so subordinate to the Metropolitan of Ephesus After this the Doctor Translates out of Eâ—â—ebius part of which I here insert viz Who can recount the multitudes of Assemblies in every City Who can describe the Confluxes to the Oratories and the spacious Churches which they built from the foundations not contenting themselves with the ancient Edifices To these I will add but two more instances viz. Jerusalem and Rome That the Seaven Churches in Asia Each City in the Primitive times but one Bishop and the Churches in Jerusalem and Rome had each of them but one Bishop is the voice of all the Christian world except the small number of your mistaken perswasion and that each of these great and populous Cities contained very many Congregations nothing can be more evident and further that it was impossible that all the many Congregations in each City could be Administred unto by one Bishop without the assistance of Presbyters And now lay all this together English Prelacy the same with the Primitive and see if in favor of our English Prelacy every one is not forced to conclude That the Prelacy or Diocesan Bishops in England is an exact paralel to the Churches above mentioned Primitive Churches that nothing but Obstinacy Pride Interest can binde or hold my Adversary and his Bretheren any longer in that fond and groundless Opinion of Congregational or Parochial Episcopacy As for the Power wherwith our Prelates are invested it is from Heaven the Son of God to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth was committed Episcopacy of Divine Institution and perpetual Mat. 16. v. 19. Joh. 20. v. 23. Ibid. v. 21. Mat. 28. v. 20. first promised it to St. Peter and I will â—ive thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven afterwards he gave it actually to all the Aposties whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained this is call'd the power of the Keys of binding and loosing the power of Ordaining and Governing is given in these words as my Father sent me even so senâ— I you And that this Power was to continue by Succession until the second coming of our Lord is manifest in these words and lo I am with you always even to the end of the World And accordingly this Power has descended by Succession from the Apostles to this present Age. Now here is Episcopacy both name and thing as you call it according to the Primitive Standard proved which you seem to desire and now be not offended nor angry that you are as you term it run down which is that your Erronious Opinion contrary to all Antiquity is so plainly discovered not as you say by a bare word only but by most firm and undeniable Testimony The under Officers you mention are own'd to be no other than of Prudential Institution for dispatch of business but are established by Law to whom therefore your Obedience is due I wonder you mention your Scotch Presbytery it can be for no other purpose than as a Rod shaken at us to beware of you Scotch Presbytery a Caution to us for they have sufficiently explained what is meant by Comprehention to wit the expultion of Episcopacy and have assur'd us that our Bishops and Clergy will meet with the same barbarous usage here if ever it come into your Power In p. 14. he modestly says he will not take
Sexto Ed. 6 ti cap. primi if we consider that the CONVOCATION in the Reign of Edward the Sixth by whom our Liturgie was Reform'd with one consent agreed upon one Set Form of Prayer Administration of Sacraments c. to be used in the English tongue in every Dioces thrô out the Realm In the Reforming and Composure wherof they had before their eyes the Word of God and the Primitive Church for their imitation the Glory of God the Comfort and Edification of the People for their End and all their Supplications and Prayers therein are directed to God Almighty presented in the name of the blessed Jesus and all we supplicate for in them is for no other than what is allow'd of and required in our holy Religion and is a reasonable Service To this I will add two things more viz. Mr. Calvin's Letter to the then Protector of England which is to this purpose For so much as concerns the Prayers and Ecclesiastical Rites I much approve that they be determined so that it may not be Lawful for the Ministers in their Administrations to vary from it and he gives his Reasons That it may be a help to the weakness of some That it may be a Testimony of the Churches Consent and that it may stop the desultorious levity of those who are for new things The other is what their Learned Mr. Baxter saith Disp of Liturgy Prop. 10 viz. The constant disuse of Forms is apt to breed a giddiness in Religion and may make men Hypocrites who shall delude themselves with conceits that they delight in God when it is but in these Novelties and Veriety of Expression that they are delighted and therefore he adviseth Forms to fix Christians and make them sound Thus these two great Guides of theirs It being clear that there is a Communion of Saints in Prayers as in other Offices of Divine Worship the refusing to Commnuicate therein is a Breach of Unity and of the Communion of Saints Nor can I stand charged as my Adversary affirms with Excluding all those from the Communion of Saints who use not the Liturgy of our Church every National Catholick Church having equal Authority to enjoyn its own Liturgy in which every Member therein is bound to Communicate by the very nature of Unity required in the Gospel St. John declares Revel 5.9 c. that the Four and Twenty Elders in his vision sung a new Sonâ— and sets down the Form of words wherein the Angels the Beasts and the Elders all with a load Voice glorified the Lamb c. Now what ever else this may signifie it certainly Represents the Uniformity of Divine Service above and it is to be considered that the Church on Earth is the Type of that glorious part of the Catholic Church Triumphant in Heaven and thô the perfection of that Unity which is above cannot be attained unto in this imperfect State which is below yet that which is above is proposed for our imitation and sheweth the great delight the Glorious Trinity the One God hath in the Vnity of his Service The nearer we on Earth Resemble that Unity which is above the more perfect we are The Church of England in Immitation of the Church above enjoyns Unity in Her Prayers Intercessions c. and in all the Worship and Service of God but in contradiction to this our Dissenters can by no means endure it A Fourth particular mentioned by me required in the Communion of Saints is Communion of Saints in subjection to Governors To be Subject and Odedient to our Spiritual Rulers and Governors who have derived their Authority from the Apostles by a due Succession in all things pertaining to Godly Life Decency and Order To this he says in p. 31. and 32. We are very desirous to give due Honour and Obedience to our Spiritual Governors who derive their Authority from Christ which is more proper than to speak of deriving it from the Apostles for Christ is the only Fountain of Authority and the Stream are derived rather from the Fountain than the Cistern it is observable the mans expression is sunk from an Vninterrupted Succession to a due Succession To observe the Apostolical precepts in Government and Worship may make it up a due Succession but there is more in an Vninterrupted one than so now before he can say we want this Qualification for Communion he must prove that Diocesan Bishops are made our Spiritual Rulers by a Divine Command For any man living to affirm that he has Received Authority to be a Minister of the Gospel from Christ Jesus immediately is contrary to the current of the Gospel and the voice of all Antiquity since the Apostles Who but the Apostles can this be attributed unto St. Paul thô after the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost upon the other Apostles had indeed a Commission from Christ Jesus immediately yet it was confer'd in an extraordinary manner by a voice from Heaven that it might appear to be no cheat Acts 13.3 and he entred not upon his Office without the Imposition of the hands of the Church No spiritual Power is received from Christ Jesus by any man immediately it is conferred no other way but from Christ to his Apostles and by a Succession from them to our days the Original and Foundation thereof being Christ Jesus If any man will pretend to an immediate Authority and prove it not by some Miracle or Revelation he can pass for no other than a mere Enthusiast and an Impostor This Doctrin of his is the false bottom upon which many Heresies strange and pernicious Opinions have been built and is the Parent of our Schisms and Separations if a man by this Suggestion can but gull the weak people into a belief of such a Commission to be immediately from Christ How do they follow and admire him With-draw their Obedience from their lawful Governors and Pastors break the bonds of Charity and all the Rules of Peace and Order and all this only to be the Disciples of such a man All the Honor and Obedience these men give is not to Spiritual Governors who are so by the Institution of our Lord. Jesus to whom alone the promise of the Assistance and Operation of the blessed Spirit is given to Guide and Govern the Flock of Christ but to them who enter not by the door but climb up some other way i. e. those who are set up by their own Authority That in many particulars these Dissenters differ from the Church of England wherein she agrees with the Primitive Churches doth by this time fully appear My using the words dâ—e Succession here doth not as he pretends sink the sense of an Uninterrupted Succession for that cannot be called a due Succession which is not an Uninterrupted Succession So this is but a mere â—ingle I have before sufficiently proved the Government of the Church by Diocesan Episcopacy to be the Institution of our Blessed Saviour and