Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A26195
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The arraignment of rebellion, or, The irresistibility of sovereign powers vindicated and maintain'd in a reply to a letter / by John Aucher ...
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Aucher, John, 1619-1701.
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1684
(1684)
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Wing A4191; ESTC R14611
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67,159
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122
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principle which restrained the interpretation of Scripture from a particular man's conscience so that particular man always holding the analogy of Faith as St. Paul enjoyns would be contented to be a particular man still not subverting her publick Order or by publishing and dissembling his private interpretations make himself popular and tumultuous And who will have reason to complain of this save such who under the name of Christians take it ill that they may not make Gospel of the Alchoran Or who can call this Tyranny in our Church which she would gladly submit to and accept and that is sufficient to wipe off the Tyranny from any other And I dare proclaim it in the name of my Mother the Church of England though the youngest and very meanest of all her children that if the Church of Rome with whom she has had the longest and sharpest contention of any would go no farther as to necessary matters of Doctrine than what was so esteemed and taught by the Church Primitive nor stretch her discipline beyond that pattern leaving the rest of her Articles how true soever she may think them and so under that name worthy of all commendations yet as no necessary conditions of her Communion or of absolute necessity to Salvation She would then heartily draw together with her in the same yoke And yielding her the right hand of Fellowship and that Primacy of Order and dignity due unto her Bishop as being Primae sedis Episcopus carefully maintain the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace But while the Church of Rome absolutely refusing any such conditions and scorning to be confin'd does still press her new Articles equally to be received and submitted to as the old truths of God and his Church We have this to answer for our selves That it seems very unreasonable that we in this latter Age of the Church of Christ and so at farthest distance from those times of Miracles and extraordinary visible gifts of God's Spirit in Confirmation or his Truth should be tied to believe so much more upon so much less Evidence And what was left at liberty then to believe or not to believe as many Articles of the present Church of Rome confessedly were should now without any pretention of new proof or immediate revelation from Heaven nay though in appearance at least contradicting the manifest truths of God and our own best Reason be required of us under pain of Damnation And while all other Topicks failing them They heap up testimonies from the Fathers in defence of such their additional Articles accounting them thus as the Gibeonites with mouldy bread and clouted shoes to make us believe that they came from afar and are of ancient standing in the Church of God We have apparently this advantage supposing we could not drop Fathers with them if they themselves be not too much convinc'd already to suppose any such thing That if any one Father say but as we say in this point wherein we differ and another in another and so of the rest which an Easie Undertaker might be able to produce we are not prejudic'd at all by the Number against us For that from hence it must needs follow That the contrary to what is so asserted or but admitted as probable by any one Father was not then received as an Article of Faith or of necessity to Salvation in the Church of Christ Which yet now they are not content under any inferiour Character and Superscription to obtrude upon us And have withall so weav'd and mingl'd many of them into their Devotions as if they delighted to stand alone thereby forcing and restraining all the rest of the Christian world from their Communion Whereas the Church of England when put to compile a Liturgy even in Separation and distinction from the Church of Rome by whom she was cast out was so far from heat or spight or animosity nay so full of Charity and Catholick spirit not in Word or in Name onely which the Church of Rome does so much glory in but in deed and in truth that she agrees unanimously upon such a Form as whereby she might gather together into One all that were scatter'd abroad as having nothing in it offensive or contrary to the Romanist or so siding and agreeing with him as thereby to distaste the rest of Christians but acknowledged and approved by both And surely if the Lord's Prayer which was designed for the Common Prayer of the whole Christian Church and the very badge and cognizance of Christ's disciples may be allowed to hold its place and made the pattern of all Church Liturgies as it ought that Liturgy must needs be acknowledged most Christian and Catholick as coming nearest to that Form and most suitable to that design not which is most particular and minute but which is most comprehensive and large and wherein the several differences of the heads and judgments of Christians are least suffered to work a Division upon their Hearts and Spirits or come into their Prayers Which I must take leave again to commend as the particular Excellency of this Church of Ours beyond all the Churches either of the Romanist or Reformed as having nothing either in the matter or ministration of it to be quarrelled at by either Whereas the Romanist in his matter and the Reformed in his ministery are mutually at distance from each other But our matter being apparently good and innocent in both their esteems the Romanist must acknowledge our Ministery a lawfull Ministery as being the same and from the same Mission originally with his own And so the Reformed however rejecting Episcopacy some of them and the order of Bishops which we embrace yet acknowledge those whom they reject as Bishops to be truely Priests Veri sacerdotes and so to have lawfull power of Ordination and Authorizing others to that Function In a word neither the Ministery nor Ministration of our Church could ever be made criminous by any Party or Division of men whatsoever professing the Name of Christ save such of this present generation who together with Ours reject all Forms and all Ministery Condemning upon that very account the Lord's Prayer and arguing against any set and distinct office of Ministery in the Apostles So that our indictment in their mouths runs thus That not having the fear of God before our eyes we have sided with Christ in a set Form of Prayer and succeeded to the holy Apostles in a select and authorized Ministery But to return from whence I have thus largely digress'd You are contented at last to see and acknowledge the excellency of Monarchy and that according to the establishment of England in an Hereditary way above all other ways and Forms of Government whatsoever SECTION VII The strongest Babel say you that can be devis'd to keep a people from being scatter'd into these Confusions is that Form of absolute Monarchy and that in an Hereditary way Well let that be stood too and then
Monarchy even without that contradictory term of Mixt monarchy adjoyned to it being next to Theocraty God's own immediate rule the constant standing way deputed by him for Israel As appears plainly by Moses who from the mouth of God before the people in likelihood thought of any such thing though always forbidding them a conformity with the Nations in sin and generally for their greater separation even in their innocent and harmless customs Yet in the way of Government says He if when ye be settled and gather into a Body and grow weary to be govern'd as at this day and make choice rather of that usage among the Nations Inter omnes per circuitum nationes among all the Nations round about thee to be ruled by a King What then Doth he presently declaim against it as Babylonian and Antichristian Or does he name any better Form to intervene And supposing them to dislike Theocraty as too far removed out of their sight yet propound them some clearer image and representation of it than Monarchy as Divorce was found out to prevent Murther No. But sets himself onely to directions That they should follow God's choice in the election of the Person And the Person so chosen should follow God's rule in the discharge of his Function And therefore that God is afterwards offended with them in asking a King 't is onely that they did this in distrust and dislike of his own immediate rule among them Ye said Nay but a King shall reign over us when The Lord your God was your King Which otherwise and being laid together in the scale with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all humane ordinances and modes of Government by men is apparently the best And which God therefore summs up by the Prophet Ezechiel as the crown of beauty and perfection which he had put upon the head of Israel I put a beautifull Crown upon thy head and thou didst prosper into a Kingdom A kingdom or Monarchy and that of God's putting on too was the excellency and perfection of that people honoured and commended by him not onely by those many Worthies whom he raised up to this Kingly Office and Calling among them as David Solomon Hezekiah Josiah and the rest who were certainly none of them Babylonians and Antichrists virtute Officii but also in making choice out of all the Tribes and Families in Israel that Christ should be born of the Tribe of Judah and the house of David the Tribe and bloud Royal to whom the Kingship did peculiarly belong And that this was absolute Monarchy or that these Kings were sacred and inviolable in their persons which is all you can charge upon us by the No Power you speak of to bound or limit our King against his will does appear at large in the sacred story This being the Manner of the King desired by Israel qualem habebant vicini who were all under a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or absolute Monarchy as is observed by the learned Grotius And so likewise when Samuel describes Jus Regis the right and manner of their King in conformity to those Nations round about He leaves the People no possible weapon against him but Prayers and Tears Thus then the Vizzor being taken off and no such Antichrist as you would fright us with appearing under this Form of Monarchical Government or the King 's unlimitted power as you call it in Civils We will next take a view of that implicit Faith in Spirituals the evil principle as you say of our Church Government whereby we are become Antichrists eo Nomine and oppressours of God's people And herein give me leave to premise That you have either discover'd in your self an Evil eye and enmity towards our Church beyond our greatest adversaries of Rome by coining a new slander and reproach against us more than ever was hammer'd in their forge Or if true and no slander you have then discover'd a monstrous blindness and stupidity in those Eagle-eyed Doctours who being so continually urg'd and argued and condemn'd by us for this very principle of implicit Faith and which is indeed the very characteristical difference and distinction between Us and them could never yet after all their poring and diligence be able to spy it in This Church or to justify themselves by returning it upon Us for Protestant doctrine But let us hear your proof and by what symptoms and indications you judge of the disease By that evil principle say you which denied any power to be above the Church in the Interpretation of Scripture to a particular mans Conscience Truely Sir One had need be very far gone in the disease and highly infected with the implicit Faith you mention to believe either the truth of this your Instance in one sense or the weight and consequence of it in another For if by Church be meant the Church in its whole latitude and due extent as it is Catholick and comprehensive of all persons and all times then the Apostles and Primitive Saints being likewise included under that Aera to submit implicitly to their Doctrines and conform to their practice Universal in point of Discipline will not be of weight to accuse us But is certainly more explicit and reasonable than any reasons or conjectures of our own to the contrary as being founded upon the veracity of God himself who is Primus credibilium and Principium credibilitatis and so infinitely to be preferr'd a by us before our selves But if by Church be meant the church of any one Age exclusively to the First and Purest or of any one particular Place and Denomination Then let the Calumny light where it properly belongs Romana Ecclesia est infallibilis The Church of England is endued with more modest principles never attempting to make a new Article of Faith but carefully preserving the Depositum committed to her trust whole and entire has out of this extracted onely what she apprehended most plainly contained in it and especially conducing to good life Which yet in an humble opinion of her own judgment she imposes upon none as Truths universally necessary to Salvation no nor generally to be believed Onely requires of her Clergy Sons before she entrusts them with the Power of the Keys and the Government of the House of God That they would thus far own and honour Her for their Mother by testifying under their hands That there is nothing in such Her Articles and Enunciations contrary to the word of God a rare and singular example of Christian meekness and moderation leaving in the mean time the rest of her children free from any personal or particular attestations Being abundantly satisfied if agreeing with her in the main and wherein she has manifestly the express and explicit Doctrine of the first times for her warrant they behave themselves in the rest as her children in their places and callings without disturbance of publick peace or seduction of others And where then is that evil