dilemmatically either by Peace and Union you mean inclusive Union with Christ and the Unity of the Spirit one Faith one hope and Union of Christian Love and by Communion a Communion in things necessary to salvation or you do not If you do then this is the true Paraphrase of your words They may have all the Essentials of a true Church except all the Essentials for those they have not If you do not include these then this is the Paraphrase They may be true Believers and penitent and love God and Man sincerely and be Members of Christ and have his Spirit and one Baptism and one true hope of Heaven and the pardon of sin and yet be Rebels and damned for want of somewhat ese which I call Unity Peace and Catholick Communion I think you mean subjection to such as you in all your Canonical Impositions In short the plain truth of this Case I before opened viz. When disobedience to true Church-â—astors proveth tâ— be as Adultery and Murder sins signifying such Predominance of the Flesh and absence of Divine Faith and Love as is inconsistent with 〈◊〉 then it is damning as other grâ—ss and reigning sin is But else it â—uts not off from Christ and if the Prelates pretend to cut off such they are liker to cut off themselves § 33 His rare distinction he fullier openeth which is Between the Visible Church and the one true Catholick Visible Church The Visible Church comprehends all Societies of professed Christians Hereticks Idolaters or whatever they be Tâ—e one true Catholick Church 〈◊〉 not Ans. I have answered this before It 's well the distinction is not commonly observed as the Coyner saith for it would be a common abuse Hitherto we have known but one Universal Church considered as Mystical in Believers or Visible in Prosessors of the same and not another Faith Profest Idolaters or Hereticks that deny the Essential are no Members of it as Visible But this Doctor hath forged an One true Catholick Church less than the Visible and yet Visible Could he have spoken sence he would but have said The Universal Visible Church hath some Members that are sound orderly and peaceable and some that are erroneous disorderly and unruly even as it hath some holy and some Adulterers Thieves and Persecutors In a great house are some Vessels of Earth to dishonour § 34. I fear if I should survey but half the confused passages of this book I should tire the Reader as well as my self I will be briefer with the rest P. 94 95 c. He giveth us an allay against the tenor of his Excommunications and Damnations to shew that he is not so uncharitable as he seems to be and that his Canon that maketh so great a noise hath but Powder without Bullet I look he should say I misunderstand him and therefore I will not tell you his meaning but the sum of his words viz. p. 87. to shew us why Those that believe in Christ repent of their sins and lead an holy life in all godliness and honesty may yet be excluded from all the ordinary means of salvation He first blames them that in these days have thought Holiness so sufficient and would cheat his Reader by citing Austin as of that mind who hath no mention in the words which he cites of Faith Holiness Love to God or to his Saints or Service but only a Catalogue of such Virtues as Heathens or â—nfidels plead for viz. Chastity Continence not coveâ—â—us not serving Idols not contentious patient quiet emulating and envying none sober frugal But yet an Heretick who is without the Christian Faith and Love so far is he from including these in his Description But no doubt he will have some Readers that will swallow all such Hooks as these Then supposing men have no Love that communicate not on his terms nor love the Peace and Unity of the Church unless they joyn in such Principles as his that would destroy it he tells us truly that Heaven is only the Gift of Christ as merited by him and therefore can be had only on his terms and that is only in Communion with his Church and by his Sacraments Ans. And what Christ's Terms are he hath told us Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved John 3.16 Whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life c. The Whole Gospel is a Charter of salvation to all that have true Faith Hope Love and Holiness And all such are in the Church of Christ. 2. And as ordinarily doth the Scripture tell us that the preaching of the Gospel is the means of faith and holiness by which God saveth them that believe and that by the hearing of faith preached the spirit is given Gal. 3.2 c. Rom. 10.14 17. John 5.24 Acts 18.8 Acts 10.44 The holy ghost fell on all them that heard the word before they were baptized even the miraculous gift of the Spirit Matth. 13.18 Mark 4.20 Luke 8.13 21. and 11.28 Christ himself preached but did not baptize He sent forth his Disciples to convert men by preaching Matth. 10.7 and 11.1 Mark 1.38 and 3.14 Luke 4.18 19 43. and 9.2 60. Acts 5.42 and 10.42 and 8.5 25 35 40. and 9.20 1 Tim. 3.16 1 Cor. 1.17 Paul saith he was not sent to baptize but to preach the Gospel John 15.3 Ye are clean through the word c. John 6.63 The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and life John 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 6.68 and 8.30 2 Cor. 5.19 20. 1 Tim. 5.17 and 1.2 John 4.2 It is able to save souls James 1.21 1 Pet. 2.2 John 8.31 Heb. 4.12 It is able to make us wise to salvation It is by the word of God that men are born again as an incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 It is that abiding in us that is our continued life 1 Iohn 2.14 There is no mention in Scripture of any one that was converted and made a Believer by Baptism or the Lord's Supper The Adult were all to repent and believe before they were baptized and God promised them forgiveness thereupon He never bid men baptize Infidels nor graceless men Baptism was but the publick solemnizing of the Covenant which they consented to before and the solemn investing them in that relation to which they were before entered And entring them by Baptism stated them in the Universal Church before ever they were setled under any particular Pastor in a particular Church as the case of the Eunuch Acts 8. shews But that which I call his Allay is that he copiously tells us that Heaven is a supernatural state of happiness and not the natural reward of an eartly creature p. 92 93. It is but an earthly happiness that Nature was made for and was promised to Adam in Paradise an immortal life on Earth An immortal life after death cannot be the natural Reward Innocent flesh is flesh Were it not for Heaven
Episcopacy by Palladius a damning Schism by separating from the former or a Reformation is just Reformation Schism LXIII 13. When the Church first set up Patriarchs Metropolitans General Councils Monasteries Parish Churches distinct from Cathedrals Organs New Liturgies and multitudes of Ceremonies this was a departing or separating from the contrary Church way which was there before was it therefore Schism LXIV 14. When Socrates tells us of some Countreys that had Bishops in the Countrey Villages like our Parishes was it a damning Schism to separate from this custome by decreeing that even small Cities should have no Bishops Ne vilescat nomen Episcopi or when the Chorepiscopi were put down where they had been LXV 15. If a man separate not from any thing essential to the Church of England he separateth not from that Church though he refuse that which is its Accidents or some Integral parts We are charg'd with separating from the Church of England as if it were a matter of fact beyond dispute and scorn'd for denying it even by them that will not tell us what they mean by the Church of England or by Separation By the Church of England we mean the Christian Kingdom of England or all the Christians in England as living in one land under one Christian King who Governeth them by the Sword which includeth their Concord among themselves in true Christianity we are Christians we profess agreement in Christianity with all Christians we are under the same King as they are and profess subjection and take the same Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy yea we are not charged with differing in any thing called Doctrinal from their Thirty Nine Articles but we disown certain late Covenants and Oaths which are not Twenty three Years old and the Subscription to one Canon about the Innocency of all in their Liturgy now either these new Oaths Covenants and Canon Liturgy and Ceremonies are essential to the Church of England or not If yea then 1. It 's a poor humane Church made by them that made these Oaths Liturgy and Ceremonies 2. And then it 's a new upstart Church and no man can answer the Papists where it was before Luther or before Henry 8. yea if its essentials were made by this King and Parliament 1662. then the present Church is no older But if these things be indifferent or not essential to the Church then to separate only from these is not to separate from the Church If it be said That for the sake of these we separate from the Church it self and therefore from its essence we abhor the accusation and challenge them to prove it If we separate from the Church essentially it is either Locally or Mentally not Locally for we are yet in England nor is Local distance only a sin not Mentally for we own it for a true Christian Kingdom called a National Church bound to serve Christ in Love and Concord to their Power We deny not the King to be the Governour nor Christians to be Christians no nor the particular Churches and Ministers to be true thô culpable Churches and Ministers nor their Sacraments to be true Sacraments we profess to hold with them one Catholick Body one Spirit one God one Christ one Faith one Baptism in the essentials and one Hope and are ready to promise to live in Concord with them in all other things as far as will stand with our Obedience to God so that we separate not from the Church of England as such but from some of its Accidents which we dare not be guilty of LXVI 16. The same I say of a Parish Church he that locally removeth e. g. from a Church that hath Organs to one that hath none separateth from a pair of Organs but not Mentally from the Church unless the Organs be its essence LXVII 17. They that are for the true antient Episcopacy e. g. as much as Arch-Bishop Vsher's Reduction which we offer'd did contain but dislike the Lay Civilians power of the Keyes and Officials Surrogates Arch-deacons Government c. do not separate from the Church as Episcopal but from the humane Novelties which they disown LXVIII 18. If a Parishioner fall out with his Priest and they goe to Law about Tythes Glebes Words c. and the Suit be long and the man dare not Communicate with him believing that he hateth him thô the animosity should be culpable being but personal his going from him to another Church is not separating from Christ for I hope that even Mr. Dodwell himself will not say that every Priest is Christ. LXIX 19. Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius surely there is some qualification essential to the Ministry if a man want that qualification it is a Duty to separate from him as no Minister e. g. When I came to Kederminster after my subjection to six or seven worse I found the Vicar one reputed ignorant of the Fundamentals he was brought in by Sir Henry Blunt a Papist who Preacht but once a quarter which most thought he might better have forborn and his Curate Mr. Turner at Mitton Preacht once a day whom I found ignorant of the Catechism Principles by Conference and he confest he had but one Book Musculus common places in English and he said some of that to the People and they took it for a Sermon he lived by unlawful Marrying infamous for Drinking and Quarrelling he that had taken these for no Ministers and separated from them had not thereby separated from Christ or his Church Catholick LXX 20. If it prove as hard to know who is the true Pastor in a competition of Pretenders as it was to know which was the true Pope when there were two or three above twenty times or whether e. g. Optandus was true Bishop of Geneva that knew not Letters or whether Duke Heriberts Son consecrated in Infancy was Arch-Bishop of Rhemes or any other Infant consecrated be a Bishop officiating per alios Surrogates Chancellours Officials c. it is not here a Separation from Christ to separate from either of the Pretenders He that mistaketh not is not liable to the Charge he that mistakes doth not erre in an Article of Faith but in a difficult point of humane title and the qualification and right of a single man and my Opinion is that if such a title were tryed before our Judges or King and they should mistake and give Judgment against him that had right this were no separating from Christ nor proof that they are Infidels LXXI 21. If the Case of two contending Bishops or Presbyters come before a General or Provincial Council and they mistake and give it to the wrong and so separate from the right I do not think that thereby they separate from Christ or the Church Catholick e. g. The Constantinopolitan Council first gave the Church of Constantinople to Nazianzene and after judged him out as having no right if by this they separated from Christ they that take them for the
proper Authority but only in such matters as concern the Unity of the Episcopacy or the Peace and Communion of the Catholick Church If a Bishop be convicted of Heresie or Schism or some great wickedness or impiety they may depose him and forbid his people to communicate with him and ordain another in his stead because he subverts the Unity of the Faith or divides the Unity of the Church or is himself unfit for Communion Ans. 1. Either these are meant as acts of Government or not If yea then why do you so oft disclaim it and call it only Advice and Communion Then you place this governing Power in Forreigners when they are no further off than with ease and convenience we may confederate with them And whither this will lead I 'le not enquire If nay then it seems men may depose Bishops and set up or ordain others in their stead without any governing Power over them If so then by Authority you must mean Authoritatem Doctoris vel Nimcii and so I confess Pastors may in Christ's Name require other Churches to do their duty and not Authoritatem Regentis And if so it 's as true that when there is just cause a few may depose many as many depose a few But men use not to call it deposing and ordaining in his place when men do but charge others in Christ's Name to do their duty I find not thaâ— St. Martin excommunicated the Bishops and Synods in Ithacius and Idacius time but I find that he renounced Communion with them and so may Equals do § 43. P. 140. he saith The sensless imputation of Cassandrianism and French Popery is managed so knavishly by Mr. Lob and with such blind fury by Mr. Baxter with so much confusion c. Ans. The Terms I wonder not at but whatever we are for Knavery or blind Fury if this man help us against Confusion it 's strange § 44. P. 173. he grants that the Bishops are not the Governours of the Church as united in one common regent Head over the whole Church but as every Bishop governeth his own share And this of true Bishops who denieth him P. 183. It is but a voluntary combination and stricter associasion for preserving Unity by advice c. All this is good tho damned by him in the Independents if they would combine to rule according to the Laws of Christ and not make any of their own without authority nor so as to accuse Christ's Laws of insufficiency nor make dividing noxious snares § 45. Saith he p. 189. That this Church is Universal is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Ans. No Humane Laws make the Church Universal Men may make their own Subjects or Confederates unite in accidents either just as in one Translation of Scripture one time and place and meeting c. or unjust when it 's hurtful vain or belongs not to them but it is only he that maketh the Church a Church who thereby maketh it One Church in Essentials And in Integrals he that maketh it entire by institution or efficiency 2. This Union is founded in mens Unity in Christianity Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. § 46. P. 192. He saith The Association and Confederacy of Neighbour-Churches is founded on the Law of Catholick Communion and the Catholick Communion cannot be maintained without it Ans. Not without Baptismal Confederaâ—y in the necessary Duties commanded by Christ But as to your Confederacies in Humane new Church-Forms Patriarchal Metropolitan c. was not the Church One without them before they were invented Here he maketh voluntary Confederacies to make new Church-Canons or Laws of Discipline necessary to Unity and that Unity necessary to Salvation all being cut off from Christ that break it As if Christ had not made Laws enough necessary to salvation and he that only kept his Laws and not mens Canons could not be saved Can he tell us then where to fix our Religion On what Bishops and on what Canons I am certain that his Religion will not stand with certainty of salvation when no man can be certain what is necessary to salvation nor what de novo will by Bishops be made necessary the next year nor who those Bishops must be 2. See here again When he made it a renouncing our Christianity to confederate and associate to do mens duty in a particular Church he yet maketh it necessary to Unity and so to salvation by confederacy to make new Humane Church Forms All this is to bring all mens salvation opinionatively into the power of those that can get uppermost as if men could as easily damn others as themselves § 47. P. 200 201. saith he If the Church cannot be a Political Society without one constitutive Regent Head then the Church is not a Political Society for it neither has nor can have any such on Earth over the whole Ans. We thank you for that much But the Church is a Political Society and to deny it is to deny an Article of the Creed and to unchurch it quoad ipsam formam And Christ is its constitutive regent Head The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named by him from whom the whole compacted body is increast and edified And it 's dangerous false Doctrine worse than breaking one of your Canons to hold that the Church cannot be a Political Society unless it have an Head on Earth § 48. He adds when I shewed that all Episcopal Writers as Hooker Spalatensis c. of Church Polity take the Church for one Body Politick But what is this to the purposo Does Hooker set up one Regent Head Ans. 1. Yes Christ. 2. Was it not directly to my purpose to prove it a Polity which was that which I alledged it for But saith he do any of them prove That Civil and Ecclesiastick Polity is the same thing Ans. Yes in genere Do they use the word equivocally Is not Polity or Government in Civils and Ecclesiasticks Polity in genere How can these else be distinct species of it Was this ever denied by Conformist before Saith he ' Do not the Civil and Ecclesiastick Commonwealth differ as much as the Church and the State Ans. And do not Church and State differ in specie as being both Politick Bodies sub uno genere He adds Therefore he must still prove That as one supreme Regent Head is necessary to the Unity of a State or Kingdom so it is to the Unity of the Church which will be a fair advance towards Popery Ans. 1. Every Christian holds That Christ is the Head over all things to his Church But every Christian says not That this is an advance to Popery Is Christianity Popery 2. Is one State and Kingdom all the World All that I have to prove is That as all the Earth is one Divine Kingdom God being the absolute Soveraign and each particular Kingdom is part of it a Political Body subordinate informed by its One Humane Soveraign even so the Universal Church is one Body
thingt in their three Books that would not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If a Lay-man could prove it unlawful to trust other men with his Child in Baptismal Covenanting as far as the Church here doth or sinful to joyn in avoiding the Communion of all such gâ—dly men as the Canons or a Lay-Civilian may Excommunicate This will not prove the Church of England no part of the Catholick Church If any Church will deny men Communion unless they subscribe to some one small Untruth as the Liturgies false Rule to find out Easter-day or a mis-translation or the denial that Christ died for all c. this doth not unchurch them all But men have made so many snares by their numerous invented sinful forms of Communion that by such schsmatical Censures as this one scarce knows what Church on Earth is â—ot unchurched § 54. He saith Where there is 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ach of Communion no declared 〈…〉 act of communiâ—n between 〈…〉 be in communion with each 〈…〉 You may say of them what you will But all these Negatives speak no positive Act And is Communion nothing but Negations All this I may say of those that never heard of each others being 2. There may be an express disowning of each as the Romans did the Asians about Easter and the Africans about rebaptizing and the Britains disowned Augustine and as some disown a Pair of Organs or neglect of Discipline c. And yet both be parts of the Catholick Church § 55. P. 326. He is so Catholick in Doctrinals as to say that We may safely communicate with any Church how different soever our Opinion in other Matters may be when we agree in all the Fundamentals of Christian Faith and Essentials of Worship Answ. What could one wish more Is this the same Man May you not then admit those that so far agree with you Are all your humane Associations and Confedearcies and all the Laws for Church-Discipline and Government made by men that have no Legislative Power Essentials of Worship or Fundamental Doctrines of Faith Are all that your foresaid Canons Excommunicate Men for such Essentials If this much be enough in the Church notwithstanding all other Sins and Errors why not in those that you should receive But it seems by this that Matters of Divine Faith and Worship besides bare Essentials are small things to him in comparison of Bishops Rules and Canons § 56. Pag. 395. He saith To separate causelesly from any true and sound part of the Catholick Church cuts such Separatists off from the Church If they will justifie their Separation they must prove that what is Enjoyned is Sinful Answ. 1. Have you answered what they have said and said again towards a Proof Remember that you call them to it and justifie their Separation if they prove it 2. But your Conclusion is false and odious leaving it doubtful what part of the Christian World you damn not If I could prove that you separate causelesly from the Nonconformists doth that certainly cut you from all the Church I doubt there are too few Christians on earth who do not in some degree separate causelesly from others Grotius joyned with no Church locally in Worship long before he died Most of the Church in East West South and North is damned falsly by this Rule He that doth but causelesly separate pro tempore from a Preacher by Passion or Mistake as Mr. Martin aforesaid from Mr. Lapthâ—rne separate causelesly from a true and sound part of the Christian Church His words make me think so sadly of the Case of the Church that must be tempted and distracted by such men as puts me far from a sporting frame But as Dr. Twisse and some of the Gravest Writers sometime divert their Readers with a sad Story that hath somewhat in it ridiculous why may I not put him another such Case At Bridgenoth before 1639. One Parson Crosse a thorough Conformist Preacht a Sermon In which inveighing against Marriage he said If you marry a Widow She will be like a Banbury Cheese when all the Paring is cut off there 's little left So when all Portions and Legacies are paid â— Whoever Maid or Widow if you will hope for a Wife and virtuâ—us Woman you must be like a Man that will find out one Ele in a Barrel of Snakes It 's a hundred to one you miss her But if you light on her you have but a wet Snig by the Tail a slippery handful Now the Women were angry with the Preacher he was an Orthodox Licens'd Man They separate from him Quere Whether they separated from the Catholick Church Reader I am tired with following this Writer and Mr. Crosse's Sermon makes me think of his Book By that time all the wordy mistakes are pared off the good matter is like his pared Banbury Cheese And if you fish for them at a venture it 's great odds but you meet with some scurvy words or matter instead of them Or if you light of that which is better his Sence is so uncertain in undistinguisht words that you have but Mr. Crosse's wet Snig by the Tail But not to seem more incredulous and indifferent from him than I am I subscribe to his words to Mr. Humphrey pag. 226. Ignorance and Insensibility is as great a security to some Men against Shame as Impudence is to others And to his words to Mr. Lobb pag. 388. What a blessed thing is Ignorance which helps Men to confute Books without Fear or Wit And I do acknowledge That this â—r hath helpt me more sensibly to understand St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.6 Not a Novice lest being lifted up with Pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil FINIS UNNECESSARY SEPARATING disowned in the Reasons of the Authors Censured Practice § 1. WHEN I see 1. How many suffer for refusing Communion with the Parish Churches 2. And how many are offended with Me and such others for Communicating with them censuring Us as mistaking compliers with Sin The Cause and some good Peoples request invite me to answer these following Questions I. Whether Men should be compelled to Communicate with any Church by Corporal Penalties II. Whether they who consent to Communicate with some Church may chuse their own Pastor and Company or may by force be confined to their Parish Priest and Church III. For what Reasons I and such others Hear in and Communicate with the Parish Churches And whether so to do be a Sin or a Duty or a thing Indifferent § 2. I. To the first case I answer 1. It were happy if the Sword could compel Unbelievers to Believe but it cannot nor is a way which Nature or Scripture ever allowed Man to use for such an end 2. To force an Unbeliever to Lie by saying he Believeth is a Sin 3. An Infidel must not be Baptized till he profess with seeming Seriousness and Willingness that he Believeth in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and will Vow
by mistake XIII I know that the main Cause of Church-Divisions is seeking a Union on false and sinful terms And I know that the opinion That Parish-Communion is unlawful is an Error and therefore unfit to be the Condition of our Union And I see many would make it such a Condition And false terms of Concord are the great and certain means of Discord for the wisest Christians will refuse them And some Impose them by Doctrine and Censures as others do by Laws and Sword And I will not countenance dividing terms Obj. That is the chief fault of your Doctrine and Practice That it will cause Divisions among us when some will do as you do and others cannot and so our Congrâ—gations are divided Ans. 1. Can I cause that which is caused already is not so much Division known still to be among us 2. As I said Do not some write against the Lawfulness of Parish-Communion And some against Infant Baptism and the Lords Day And do not they divide by Writing against them And did Mr. Tombes and Mr. Nye forbear as aforesaid for fear of Division If we are already divided in Judgment and Practice sure giving each other an account of our reasons is rather the way to heal us 3. But I confess this Objection seemeth so sad and ugly to me that it hâ—th no small hand in urging me to what they object against Alas what are such come to They that separate because of the Liturgy Ministry or People do virtually separate as I said from almost all the â—hurch on Earth For it is on a cause common to almost all Yea not only all the Churches in the Eastern Southern and Northern parts and all in the West save themselves have Liturgies or separate not from them But even of the Non-conformists in England those that of old or of late have pleaded their Cause have taken the Liturgy for no sufficient cause of separation Nay even the old Separatists called Brownists denied not the lawfulness of forms of Prayer nor refused to join with the Parish-Churches in our Liturgy sometimes only they thought that when Crossing or such Ceremonies were used they were bound to disown them And shall men that separate from the Communion of almost all the Churches on Earth as unlawful pretend that their way is the way of Unity and that the contrary doth divide Is our shunning Division from the Christian World a dividing Practice In Holland Mr. Smith thought no man capable of Baptizing him and so Baptized himself and some others have done so since thinking none fit for Communion but the few that are their Flocks Yet these that divided from all the World cryed down Dividing from themselves But were all dividers that were against them This is the saddest of all Objections XIV Yea I am loth to do that which condemneth groundlesly the Reformers the Martyrs the Godly Conformists the old Non-Conformists the later and the Brownists themselves as being all for unlawful Communion 1. If it be simply unlawful to have Communion in the Liturgy and Parish-Churches then it was unlawful to have Communicated in their way of Worship with Luther Zuinglius Melanchton Bucer Pet. Martyr and the like Reformers And also with the English Martyrs in Queen Marâ—â—s daies or in King Edward 6. And also with such Holy and Excellent Conformists as Grindall Pilkington Downame Bâ—â—ton Sibbs Preston 〈◊〉 and abundance more such 2. And it 's well known that the old Non-Conformists wrote and practised against the Brownists in this case The Books of Hildersham Brightman Bradshaw Ball Paget Gifford c. are yet visible Mr. Hildersham in his Lectures chides them that will not come to the beginning of the Common-Prayer The old Non-Conformists begin the reasons of their Non-Conformity in refusing Subscription in these Words We protest before Almighty God that we acknowledge the Churches of England as they be established by publick Authority to be 〈◊〉 visible Churches of Christ That we desire the continuance of our Ministry to them above all Earthly things as that without which our Lives will he bitter and wearisome to us That we dislike not a set-form of Prayer to be used in the Churches And finally that whatsoever followeth here is not set down of any evil Mind or of purpose to deprave the Books of Common-Prayer Ordination or â—â—milies but only to shew some reasons why we cannot subscribe to all things in the same contained 3. I before told you Mr. Tombes the Anabaptist hath written at large for the Lawfulness of Parish-Church Communion And Mr. Nye for hearing the Parish-Ministers 4. The late Non-conformists that treated with the Bishops in 1660 and 1667. have left their Judgments fully on Record many of them being yet alive 5. The old Separating Brownists have these Words Confession and Protestation of Faith Touching the true visible Political Churches which we acknowledge are in England we profess and declare that each company of true visible Christians associated together in one place viz. a Parish and Professing to serve God according to his Will in Faith and Order so far as they know such as there are many in England the same is a true visible political Church in some respects And therefore we communicate also with them on occasion while in such communicating we countenance no evil thing in them which in many places and many times we need not do Lastly it being no evil nor any appearance of evil in us to join to the Parish Congregation and Ministry in such respect and so far forth only as aforesaid we ought as we believe sometimes on weighty occasion so to join and we sin if we do not Luke 17.32 Heb. 10.25 1 Cor. 10.32 We believe concerning Prayer That though every form of prayer prescribed by Men be not absolutely and simply a Sin neither as we judge are Idols nor an Invention of Man nor a trangression of the second Commandment yet a prescribed Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer by Commandment forced on a whole Church rightly constituted to be used still in the same Words whenever they assemble in comparison of other praying is not so profitable and we judge that it is best and most agreeable to the last Apostolick practice that even where many Pastors in one Church are yet that One have during Life a precedency and priority in order and place not in power before the rest I will not be more for separation than the Separatists themselves XV. If joining with the Parish Ministry be simply unlawful most or almost all England comparatively must cease all publick Worship of God The Nonconformists were but about two thousand 1662. Most of them I think by this time are Dead and not so many sprung up in their stead Those that are remaining for the most part are either in a few places quieter than the rest or hindered from any numerous Assemblies In 1636. I do not think there were many more than we have Counties and those few in
Kingdom under one King 3. And as it is a Confederacy of many Churches to keep Concord in lawful Circumstantials as well as Integrals In all these sences it is a lawful Association 4. But if any Church go beyond these bounds and on good pretences shall agree upon any error or evil it is a mistake to hold That all that incorporate with them in the Three foresaid lawful respects do therefore confederate with them in their error IV. Error This is your Fourth Error I will give you a general Instance and a particular one 1. You cannot name me one combined company of Churches from the Apostles days till now that had no error You take Episcopacy to be an error in the very constitution Name one Church from the 3 d or 4 th Century for a thousand years that was without it either Catholicks or Hereticks that were indeed a Church And must Christians have forborn associating with any of them Or might not own the good in their Associations without owning the evil 2. The Independents gathered a Synod at the Savoy and there among their Doctrinals or Articles of Faith laid down Two Points expresly contrary to Scripture 1. That it is not Faith but Christ's Righteousness that we are justified by when as it is both and the Scripture often saith the contrary 2. That Christ's Righteousness imputed is our sâ—le Righteousness Whereas the Scripture doth many hundred times name also our inherent and practical Righteousness I asked some yet living why they consented to these and did not rather expound the Scripture than deny it And they said That it was Dr O's doing Now doth it follow that every one that there conâ—ederated with you owned these errors The Churches of Helvetia are a very honourable part of the Reformed Churches They are commonly such as we call Erastian for no Discipline but the Magistrates Are ail that confederate with them as Churches guilty of this error 2. But I further distinguish between the many Parish-Churches and the Diocesan and the Church of England as constituted of such Diocesan Churches The Old Nonconformists commonly owned the Parish-Churches and the Church of England as made up of such but not the Diocesan This they openly professed It is therefore another of your Mistakes that owning the Parish-Churches and Worship is an owning of the present Diocesan Constitution Also it is your Mistake to say That Communion by the Liturgy is the Symbol and Pledg of the foresaid Incorporation in the Church of England in its present constitution V. Error It is only a part of the Communion commanded but no such Symbol VI. Error For 1. The Rulers openly declare that they take multitudes to be none of their Church who joyn in the Liturgy And it is subscribing declaring and swearing Obedience which is the Symbol yea they excommunicate many that come to the Liturgy-Service 2. And many come to it who openly disown the Diocesan present constitution So did as I said the Old Nonconformists and many Forreigners French Dutch c. that come over hither 3. If one may joyn in Communion of Worship with a Presbyterian Independent or Anabaptist-Church without owning the Errors of their constitution then so one may with a Parish-Church But c. You mistake when you say It is so by the Law of the Land You mistake again when you say it is so by the Canon You mistake again when you say It is so in the common understanding of all I formerly instanced in one of the sharpest Nonconformists Old Mr. Humphrey Fen of Coventry who would say aloud Amen to all the Common-Prayer save that for the Bishops by which all there knew his mind Whether it were right or wrong VII VIII IX Error I now determine not So here are Three more of your Mistakes 4. You make all other reserves of our own to be allowed neither by God or good men Here are two more mistakes 1. God maketh it our great duty to hold Communion with most X.XI. Error or almost all Churches on Earth with such reserves that is to own them in all that is good and disown all their evil tho their Laws command the owning of them without this reserve I would not joyn with yours or any Church on Earth that is If my Communion were an owning of all their faultiness 2. And it 's an immodest Error to say That none are good men that in this are not of your mind Is there any spotless Church on Earth or must we renounce the Communion with them all or reserve exception against their faults and misperformances D. O. 4. He that joyns in the Worship of the Common-Prayer doth by his practice make Profession That it is the true Worship of God accepted with him approved of him and wholly agreeable to his Mind and Will To do it with other reserves is hypocrisie and worse than the thing it self without them Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth Rom. 14 12. § 5. THis is your twelfth mistake and one that hath dreadful consequents 1. It contradicteth the express Profession of the Communicants who openly tell the World That they take not all in the Liturgy XII Error to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And you are not to feign a Profession of men contrary to their open Protestation 2. It is most direful to your own separating followers who by this are supposed to profess all your Worship to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And so the honest well-meaning people are made guilty of all the Errors which you put into your Worship 3. It is contrary to your own former Profession That you could in charity communicate with Presbyterians or Anabaptists c. And so you approved of all the Errors of their Worship 4. It maketh it a down right Sin to communicate with any Church on Earth For all have their faults and errors even in Worship which you feign all that Communicate with them to justifie as wholly agreeable to Gods Will And to justifie Sin and teach men so to do and to father it on God are sad Aggravations such shall be called least in the Kingdom of God By this rule you would have separated from every Church on Earth that we have notice of for a thousand years yea and to this day and is not that near separating from Christ And when no man knoweth before you speak in prayer what you will say How shall any man that joyneth with you koow but he may be guilty of your Sin at the next Sentence 5. It is a breach of the ninth Commandment thus to charge all the Ancient Churches and Reformers and the Noncoformists with hypocrisie and worse than open sinning who have all communicated on the contrary Supposition 6. It is no friendly act to the Church to lay down such a Principle of perpetual Separation and condemning each others Communion and so to make the Communion and
tells me the pitiful Case of most in the World Your honest Reproofs are founded on abundance of untrue Conceits There are about Twenty Untruths through mistake in matter of Fact in your Letter And how gross are many of them As that I write not against Persecution which I scarce over write a book that hath not much against it and this book it self doth fully confute you And that I oppose not but encourage divers things which I know not the man that hath said half so much against And you carry it all along as if I were your Accuser for not going to the publick Churches when I am a meer Defendent against your Accusations and plead the Cause of the Universal Church as not deserving an Excommunication and of many poor weak women and young people that would be drawn to renounce all Church-Worship in England for fear of Idolatry or a Curse from God If you that have his offered MS's and say This which I answer is Dr. O's were the man that made this MS. which I answer so common I think you did him a great deal of wrong Tho in his Printed Books especially that of Prayer and for Peace c. he owns the ill Principle which I now confute against all publick Worship by Liturgy and against man's power to command any more than Christ hath done in the order and manner of Worship and Church-Government which also is to be seen in his Preface c. of his Original of Churches and his Vindicatian of the Nonconformists c Yet these Printed Books of his especially his Original of Churches c. have so much sound and excellent matter and so many healing peaceable passages in them as did hide this one great Mistake so that I long purposely forbore all contradiction of him in it tho I plainly answered his Arguments in my Cure of Church-divisions for fear lest I should occasion a more common offensive or hurtful notice of them But when that one Error which was thus buried in abundance of sound matter was by some of you not only culled out and made common in MS. by it self but even in a writing in which he goeth yet further towards Non-Communion with all the Churches almost on Earth than ever he did in his Printed Books and this to affright all others into the same Non-Communion you could not sure imagine that no Christian had so much love to the Church to Souls to Catholick Communion to Love and Concord as not to let such a Writing do its worst without any Antidâ—te and Answer You could scarce have wrong'd the Doctor or his Memory mâ—re All his Enemies could not have done half so much against him having no such matter to accuse him of as you have unadvisedly given them And if 〈◊〉 also you will lay your own Fault on others that love the Truth and Church and Souls and Peace better than this Manuscript or its Reputation you will but run further into Error And can you possibly be ignorant how like you are to the other Extream 1. While you excommunicate far more than they do even almost all the Body of Christ as to External Communion 2. And are for silencing us as well as they Why else may not I have leave to render a Reason of my Iudgment and Practice to those that are offended at it 3. And as they would deprive Congregations of sound Doctrine Instruction and Worship for the Cause of the Opinions of their Faction would not you discharge almost whole Counties from all Church-worship where Forms are used and your way is not tolerated Had not the MS. been against all Forms of Liturgy but only against the real or supposed faults of the English one and had it been only against owning the faults and not against Communion in necessary Duty I had not troubled you by my Defence II. I did much approve of your brotherly motion to debate the Case friendly on the perusal of his larger Writings And tho your Letter came to me a week after the Book was printed the Bookseller said he had sold but two and I purposed thankfully to accept your offer and tho to my cost to have done my best to stop the rest and recall those two But not knowing you nor how to send to you I must suppose that you retract your Motions your Messenger not calling for my answer as we appointed Remember I beseech you that the Dr. writeth for mental Communion in Faith and Love with all true Churches tho he write against outward Local Communion with almost all And I crave your perusal of the first and third parts of this Book against the Resolver of three Cases c. And if you find that all the Cases in which I vindicate Local Separation to be no Schism be not enough bethink you what the Scripture meaneth by reprehended Heresie Schism and Division and whether there be any such Sins and whether they that are so much for Scripture-sufficiency as not to communicate with a Mode Order or Form of Words which it prescribeth not should set so light by it as not to fear its many sharp Condemnations of the foresaid sins and its frequent and vehement Exhortations to Unity and Communion of Saints and to receive one another as Christ received us to the Glory of God Lord pardon the faulty imperfections of our Services which we must rather venture on than a total Omission and teach us to pardon one another April 7. 1684. REader I have not time to gather the Errata of the Press or Copy only I intreat you to insert an omitted line page 29. line 35. because the sence is altered by the omission After them add than those of the Opinion which he pleads for Books Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1. MR. Baxter's Christian Directory or Sum of Practical Divinity and Cases of Conscience 2 Catholick Theology Plain Pure and Peaceable 3 Which is the True Church in Three Parts 4 Life of Faith in Three Parts 5 Answer to Mr. Dodwell and Dr. Sherlock 6 History of Councels Enlarged and Defended 7 Catechising of Families A Teacher of Housholders how to Teach their Housholds wherein the Creed Ten Commandments Lords Prayer and Sacraments are Expounded 8 Two Disputations of Original Sin Dr. Horton's 100. Select Sermons Sermons on the 4 th 42 d 51 st 63 d. Psalms Dr. Anthony Burges Sermons on 2 Cor. 3. Chap. Dr. Donn's Sermons Vol. 3. A Discourse of Gods Providence by Dr. Iohn Collings Morning Exercise against Popery Sermons on the Epistle to the Colossians by Iohn Daille Author of the Use of the Fathers A Discourse of the Covenant of Redemption
certain that I am unable to do this to One of an Hundred who can claim a right to that or more 4. But out of this his Doctrine I gather That if all the Christian World have rigâ—â— to communicate with me upon occasion 1. Sure there is some difference between occasional and fixed Local Communion 2. And surely if I refuse any that would communicate on common necessary terms because they will not break the Custom of their several Countries and communicate with me in doubted unnecessary things I wrong all the Christian World and am to them a Schismatick Much more if I presume to Excommunicate every Stranger that cometh into my Precincts and herein differs from me as you do us and most of all if I impose many sinful terms of Communion on him All Christians are bound to hold Communion in Christianity and in all things necessary to the common Communion of them all and to extend this also to as many Integrals as they can reach But there are Multitudes of things in which they are not bound to have Communion much less as necessary to salvation § 10. p. 36. We have all explained by an odd supposition viz. Suppose the whole World were one Family or one Kingdom in which every man according to his rank and station enjoys equal Priviledges the necessity of Affairs would require that Men should live in distinct Houses and Countries But yet if every Man enjoyed the same Liberty and Priviledges wherever he went as he now does in his own House and Countrey the whole World would be but one great Family or universal Kingdom Ans. 1. The whole World is one great Kingdom of God as verily as the Church is the Church of Christ And yet we Non-Conformists think that every Man in it no nor every Saint hath not right to be King of England nor a Judg in our Courts nor Lord Mayor of London nor so much as a Freeman in any City And we think that the Church hath no more one subordinate universal Soveraign than the World And that therefore the case in point of universal priviledg is not by this similitude well explained 2. Your odd supposition of the World being one Family either supposeth one Husband to all the Wives in the World and one Father to all the Children in the World or else that all distinct Husbands Wives Children and Servants are in this one Family In the first supposition I may suppose that you take him to be more than a Man that can be an Husband to all the Women and a Father to all the Children on Earth And therefore if his Wisdom be equal to such a greatness he must be no Fool. And if so whiâ—e Men are his Family he will order and govern them as Men and then they will be distributed into subordinate Families Cities and Kingdoms as now they are But if you suppose many Husbands and Fathers our Opinion is that Husbands and Wives should not be common nor Parents and Children Nay which way ever you take that Childrens Food Rayment and Portions should not be common Nor could any come from India and claim a Lordship or Lands in England as a Member of the Family Fathers distribute unequally as their Will and Wisdom and their Childrens fitness are diversifying Causes Even in a Colledg one cannot claim anothers Chamber Books Cloaths or Food One would think by your scourge for Non-Conformists that you were no Leveller nor against fatherly justice and inequality of right and distribution Even they that come to your Church cannot so much as claim equal right in Seats And verily if all the World that will come to you may claim equal Pastoral oversight from you or any Bishop your equality must be like his to the Beggars that gave nothing to any that he might serve them all alike § 11. P. 38 39 c. he saith He can hardly be so charitable to me as not to believe that I wilfully mistook him it being impossible for any man of common sense who ever read him to mistake his Catholick Communion for some transient acts Ans. Reader it 's hard terms that these Men hold us to I was loath to judg him so void of common Sense or use of Words as to talk of Catholick Communion which was in no transient acts But for the future rather than forfeit common sense or be wilful I will believe him that by Catholick Communion he meaneth Union and that he meaneth neither Baptism nor profession of Christianity nor owning any Article of Faith nor owning Bishops nor any Church-order or Worship of God But do not unsay all this again and call us all to nought for believing you § 12. But he saith Upon a stricter examination he finds me blundered and confounded about the Notion of Unity This Unity I term Union Ans. The Doctor will grow over-critical if he hold on if he mean this as part of my blundering and confusion But it is but Grammar that I am ignorant of I confess my ignorance I thought that Unio had Two significations one active for that act of uniting which maketh One of Two and that also Twofold 1. To unite efficiently 2. To unite constitutively And the other as signifying the same with Unity caused And I thought that Unitas had ordinarily signified by a more abstract word the same Oneness as Unio in the latter sense and sometimes abusively active Union But I am ready to learn better § 13. But saith he He understands it of our Union to Christ not of the Unity or Oneness of the Christian Church Ans. The best is he saveth me from unmannerly telling you that he speaketh falsly by confessing the falshood in the very terms of accusation For if he dare say that it is no Church-Union to be all United to one Christ in our common Christianity he is a very falâ—e Teacher § 14. P. 39. Repeating my words he tells you I misconstrue both terms But you are best take it on his word And he feigneth that I do or must infer ergo the Unity of the Catholick Church doth nâ—t consist in being one Body and Society and Communion of Christians Whereas I infer the clear contrary That it doth consist in one such body it 's Union with Christ making it such an one Yet here he addeth If this be to write controversies we may as well lay wagers and cast lots for major minor and conclusion Which words truly tell you what the Doctor 's Logical strength is like the Woman that told the Doctor that she could make her hungry Pig cry with better Logick than all the Doctors in the University did dispute And could not a Quaker say as much § 15. P. 41 42. He seemeth serious in asking me How the Catholick Church is united in one Body so as to be one Church And when I tell him how many sorts af Union there are he saith he cares not how many sorts there are so I will tell him what the Unity of
mine § 29. Saith he I had at large proved the necessity of one Catholick Communion to make one Catholick Church and instead of answering the proef he asserts the contrary upon his own naked authority and that must pass for confutation Ans. Could a man have spoken more untruly that had studied it 1. While he tells us that by Communion he means Union did I ever deny it No nor ever met with a Christian that denied it 2. Yea I said more than he That besides Union some Communion in transient acts is necessary which he placeth not his Communion in Is not this an hardened Disputer Who can doubt but Union and Communion is necessary to one Church But the doubt is wherein it doth consist whether in Essentials Integrals or Accidents and what these be We are far more for Catholick Union and Communion than you We are for Communion with all true Christians even those that you represent odious and excommunicate and ruin and you are for Communion with a Sect that will honour you and obey your will We know that to have one God and Christ and Holy Spirit one Faith and Hope of Heaven one Baptism and a true Love to one another and to be all under one Law and Covenant of Christ and in our several Assemblies to read the same Scripture use the same Sacraments and the same Rule of Prayer the Lord's Prayer and Praise this is a most excellent Catholick Communion We believe that true Christian Unity is the Unity of the Spirit that is mental in Faith Hope and Love but that it must be held exercised and preserved in the bond of peace Eph. 4 3. And therefore if any Christian take it for a sin to joyn with us in the circumstances of Worship if we can we 'l alter them to satisfie them If we cannot we will gladly allow them to worship God together in their own circumstances and there we will love and pray for one another We will not cut men off from Christ or the Catholick Church and damn them for not swearing or saying that they will obey us and that there is nothing sinful in any of our Government Liturgies Forms or Ceremonies Our Union is in greater matters common to all Christians and not in wearing the same fashions and reading the same forms and obeying the usurpers of the power of the Keys that are Lay-men c. And as for having obligation and right to Communion with all other Churches which is all that I can gather he placeth it in save obeying the same Bishops and Canons we make no doubt of such right to be used in due order And therefore we condemn all Church Tyrants that deny men their right And we do not believe that our right is in the power of Prelates to take from us unless we forfeit it and cast it away And we grant obligation to due Communion as well as right and therefore will be no such Separatists as you are that refuse Communion with Dissenters in their Churches yea condemn all that do but call them Churches And seeing no man is obliged to sin we disown their crime that will not let men preach nor communicate unless they will make a solemn Covenant to sin The Catholick Communion that he seems to aim at is to receive and reject the same persons in every Church that are received in or rejected by any one We are for as much of this as is needful to the purity and peace of the Church But we do not believe that all the Christian World is bound to take all the godly persons for excommunicate who shall be excommunicated here according to the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Canons of the Church of England nor to silence all Ministers that you silence When we were newly silenced 1662. some great men were imployed to affirm That if we would go and preach to the Americans it was an excellent work and they would bear our charges I told them that our lives would be spent e're we could learn their Languages as fit to preach to them But it seems if we had gone Catholick Communion would have silenced us there too and have obliged the Americans if we converted them to reject us What if Bishops excommunicate men for not paying the Civilians their Fees or for not repenting of a truth or silence us for not assenting and consenting to all in their book must all the World reject us in conformity to them It 's an heinous crime for any one man to draw a Nation to sin with him but much more to engage all the Christian World to sin with him yea and that on pretence of Catholick Communion Christ saith by his Spirit in his Apostle Him that is weak in the faith receive and receive one another as Christ received us If Bishops silence and excommunicate even them that ate strong in the Faith must all the World disobey Christ to obey them If you grant that clave errante they bind not must we take their bare words that claves non errant or must we become Tryers and Judges of all the World that they will judg And how shall all Churches receive the same that some receive when you know not whom you receive your selves Are all the score thousands that are in some of your great Parishes in your Church Must all the World take all the Sadduces Hobbists Infidels and Damners that dwell in your Parishes into their Communion No nor all that come to the Altar when the Priest knows not who they be and never saw them before Do you use to write Testimonial Letters for every one of your Communicants when he travelleth into other Parishes or Diocesses Any man save a Nonconformist that had rather take the Sacrament than lie in Goal is admitted unless some rare Minister stop a notorious scandalous man till the Court absolve him If you make a Prison of your Church and say to all men Chuse this or Newgate c. must all the World receive such because they chuse the Church-Prison rather than the other And if we cannot possibly know which of our Neighbours be of your Church and which not in the same Parish e. g. Martins Giles c. how shall we know who hath right to Communion all the World over You must needs cast us on believing the Bishops words when as 1. They use not to give the World such notice 2. If they did we know not forreign Bishops credibility in France Spain Italy Poland Germany c. they most separate from one another § 30. P. 50. He proceeds He takes that for granted which I can never grant him That the Churches which are divided from one another by separate and opposite Communions may yet be all united to Christ for Christ hath but one Body one Spouse one Flock one Church and if we be not Members of this one Church as no Schismâ—ticks are we are not united to Christ Ans. 1. The Lord have mercy then
Laws and Man's interfere Christ's are to be obeyed against Man's 4. And we take not the Church of England to be cut off from Christ's Church if it should be proved that they observe not all the Laws and Institutions of Christ In this you preach Separation too blindly There are some Laws and Institutions of so low a Nature that Error and Offence against them cuts not Men off from the Church But what is his other Notion of a Christian Church Why It 's that which contains the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks which are a middle thing between the true Catholick Church and the World of Infidels as Rebels in a Kingdom Ans. This is the effect of Confusion When such men are got into a Labyrinth they go the further the worse The Truth of the case is this The Church is usually likened to a Corn Field that hath 1. Corn 2. the Straw and Chaff that feeds and covers it 3. Stricken Ears in whole or in part 4. Weeds All is but one Corn Field so denominated from the Corn But the Straw and unsound Ears are Integral Parts and Accidenâ—s But the Weeds are no part at all but noxious Adjuncts So 1. True Believers and Heart-Covenanters are the Christians in famosiore propriâ significatione analogati to whom the denomination of the Church is ordinarily given in the New-Testament 2. Verbal profession and covenanting is common to the sound and unsound as the Straw and Chaff to the Grain and Ears It constituteth the Church as visible matter as it is supposed to serve and contain the Grain 3. The Ears totally and visibly smitten are but equivocally parts that is the persons whose profession or notorious practice containeth a renunciation of their Baptismal Covenant or Christianity are but equivocally called Christians and Church-Members 4. Those that deny some Article of Faith consequentially nororiously and ignorantly thinking their Opinion consistent with all the Essentials which they practically profess are not thereby cut off from the Church but they having made their Title litigious may be suspended from some Communion till it be tryed 5. All good Christians are sinners and have errors and if any judg them Hereticks and Schismaticks for such they are still in the Church of Christ. The word Heretick and Schismatick are now become what the speaker please He is a true Heretick that separateth from something essential to Faith Love or Obedience to Christ and from the Church for that or thereby Persecutors separate from Christian Love and Communion So that here is but one Catholick Church and some called by men Hereticks and Schismaticks are true Members but all that notoriously renounce any Essentials are no Members of it Rebels is a word that may signifie such as cast off the Soveraign By which renouncing subjection they renounce being Members of the Kingdom and are as an Army of invading Enemies who are in the Land but not of the Kingdom But if any will call those Rebels that do but break a penal local Law or that are disobedient to a Constable a Justice or a Master this proveth them not to be no part of the Kingdom But he numbreth the excommunicate with those that are cut off from Christ. Ans. Yes upon these Suppositions following 1. That they be excommunicate not only for sin but for such sin by which they first cut off themselves from Christ the Excommunicator only declaring it by his Sentence else Excommunicators will be worse than Devils if they damn men or cut them off from Christ who do not first cut off and damn themselves 2. That it be not only proved an heinous sin in it self but that they are proved after due instruction and patient warning to be so impenitent in it by wilful ignorance or obstinacy against Knowledg as will not stand with sincere Faith and Obedience to Christ. 3. That it 's no cutting off a man's self from Christ to say that there is somewhat sinful in your Church Government Liturgy or Ceremonies or to be afraid to assent and consent to all imposed or to take an Oath never to endeavour any reforming-alteration of Church Government nor will it prove a renouncing Christ to separate from a Usurper or a false Teacher or run out of Dunstans Church as they did for fear it should fall on their heads If therefore any will cut men off from Christ for any such thing or for observing the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice or for the fashion of his Cloke or for not paying the Court his Fees they either condemn themselves instead of others or do much worse than the Devil that can damn none such It 's Two to One but this Doctor that here damns the excommunicate without distinction will next say he meant well tho he said ill and that he supposed the Excommunication just The best is it 's no great matter what he meaneth while he is none of our Judg except as to himself and the seduced 1. And I add That we will suppose the Excommunicator to be no Usurper but a justly called Pastor and not a proud ignorant Obtruder nor a Stranger that cannot try the Cause nor is called to try it Much less a Lay-Civilian usurping the power of the Keys These men have so many things to say before they can accomplish their work as bespeâ—ks such Auditors whom darkness and interest hath made monstrously credulous As 1. We are yâ—ur lawful Pastâ—rs 2. The Patron 's had power to choose and the 〈…〉 us so whether you 〈…〉 3. No 〈◊〉 are your lawful 〈◊〉 buâ— we 4. We have power to câ—mmand things indifferent and if we câ—mmand a Suâ—â—lice or a pair of Oâ—gans or â—â—ruâ—ue you are cut off from Christ if you 〈◊〉 us or at least if we excommunicate you for it 5. If yâ—u think any of our Oaâ—hs or other Impâ—sitions to be sins that would damn you yet if you refuse them and we excommunicate yâ—u fâ—r it you are cut off from Christ and in a state of damnation 6. If one Chancellor or Priest cut you off all the Church on Earth must judg you accordingly Reader when so small a part of Christians in a thousand years have escaped Excommunication from one or other what have these men done in the World Is it any wonder if Kings and Kingdoms were subjected by Excommunication and to say St. Peter will be angry else frightned the Nations into obedience Did not Christ and Paul speak gently when they called such grievous Wolves in Sheeps cloathing devouring the Flocks § 32. Yet p. 69 70. his cause leads him to say that this Church which is wider than the Catholick taking in Rebels yea those Rebels themselves and Hereticks and Schismaticks May have the power of Orders or else I know what would follow and Officers rightly constituted Christian Sacraments and all the Essentials of a true Church except Christian Peace and Unity and Catholick Communinion Ans. Reader pretend not to understand him but answer him
Bare Unity is more intelligible tho no one know wherein it must be § 39. He adds To preservt the Peace and Unity of Episcopacy it 's necessary that every Bishop do not only observe the same Rule of Faith but especially in matter of weight and consequence the same Customes and Usages and the same Laws of Discipline and Government and when any difficult case happens for which they have no standing Rule to consult Ans. The longer the worse If I ask him whether he mean such Customs and Usages as are part of God's Word materially commanded or commended in Scripture I know not what he will say but I strongly conjecture he will say No It is Tradition and Church-Customs not there mentioned If I ask how these come espcially to be mentioned as matter of weight and consequence he confesseth that God and not Man made the Church And is not God's Law sufficient to be its Universal Rule If man make these matters of weight man may unmake them 2. But is it not Universal Church-Communion that he is speaking of I provoke him to tell me if he can who on Earth hath power beside God and our Saviour to make Laws the same of Discipline and Government to the Universal Church Is not Legislation the prime part of Government Have not you oft denied any Humane Supreme Government under Christ over all the Church Do you not here say the contrary Know you not the difference between the Contracts of a Community and the Laws of a Polity It 's no true Law if it be not the act and instrument of a Rector to govern his Subjects If Twenty Kings meet or School-Masters Physicians c. and agree on certain Points of Government this maketh them not One Polity Kingdom or School Their Contracts are neither Laws to each other nor to their common Subjects but every King may make them a Law to his own Subjects 4. If you should mean only National Laws of Discipline and Government how come all the Churches in the World to be obliged to observe the same Laws e g. our Canons This as to Traditions is expresly contrary to our Articles of Religion which you subscribe And when the Church-Laws of all Countreys differ so much which must all be reduced to If you say They must all agree to those called the Codex Ecclesiae Universalis or the Four or Six first approved Councils c. I answer 1. It 's gratis dictum And how prove you those universally obligatory and no other And how will you satisfie Conscience which are the obligatory Laws indeed 2. Why do you then cast all from Communion that observe the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice 3. What power have dead Bishops over us and all Christ's Church They were Canons for one Empire which is dissolved and of which we are no part 4. Is Christ so insufficient a Lawgiver even for Laws necessary to the Unity of his Church as that we must have more Laws of Government and Discipline which the Catholick Church must unite in or be no Church And shall that man plead for such Laws that yet saith There is no universal Governor I never said you are a Cassandrian or a Papist But it was such ignorant Doctors that saddled the Horse and held the Stirrup while the Pope got up § 40. This saith he makes it highly reasonable for Neighbour-Bishops at as great a distance as the thing is practicable with ease and convenience as the Bishops of the same Province or Nation to live together in a strict Assâ—ciation and Confederacy to meet in Synods to oblige themselves to the same Rules of Discipline and Worship There may be a primacy of order granted to some Bishops and their Chair by general consent and under the regulation of Ecclesiastical Canons for the preservation of Catholick Unity Ans. You make this Catholick Unity essential to the Church And yet doth it lie in Humane Canons and Assâ—ciations Did Christ leave things so essential to Humane Invention And is concord in your Canons necessary to salvation And yet the proof of all this is but this and such Doctors Assertion that it's highly reasonable And so Unity and Salvation must lie on all that such will think highly reasonable 2. If Subjects may thus make their own Laws no doubt they will make them suitable to their Natures and Inclinations And it 's confest that oft the most even of Bishops are bad and worldly men and suitable to their Ends and Interests How many would be glad if Soveraigns would thus let Subjects make their own Laws 3. But how were the Canons or Laws of a National Church to be a Rule to all the Church on Earth and necessary to its Unity 4. And how comes this man that made it damnable in the Independents to make a Church-Covenant as if they renounced Baptism now to make Church-Associations and Confederacies to be so necessary to Catholick Unity Truly I know no answer for the man but the same that Binnius giveth us when Pope Iohn and Hormisda gave a contrary determination de fide on the question Whether it may be said that One of the Trinity was crucified One said Yea But the Nâ—storians taking hold of it the other said Nay Ita mutatis hostibus saith Bâ—â—nius arma necessario mutanda sunt That 's true when it 's for themselves which is false when it 's for others 5. But it was modestly done to confine these Confederacies to the greatest distance that the thing is practicable with ease and convenience And so he fairly denieth General Councils and after more plainly But when the Armenians Syrians Abassines Greeks c. cannot with ease and convenience go above Five or Six Hundred miles at most and so each Countrey hath different Customs Laws and Canons Can the Catholick Church obey them all § 41. P. 127. This saith he seems to be the true Original of Archiepiscopal and Metropolitical Churches Ans. If so I will not believe that they are necessary to Catholick Unity and Salvation till I know who invented them and whether they had as good a Commission as the Apostles 2. If Bishops made the first Achbishops and Parish-Bishops say others the first Diocesans and Presbyters the first Parish-Bishops then 1. Inferiors may make Superiors and give the power which they never had 2. Why then may they not ordain Equals and propagate their species 3. Then Presbyters or Bishops are of God and Archbishops of Men. § 42. Page 128. Saith he Every Bishop is the proper Governour of his own Diocess and cannot be regularly imposed on against his consent Ans. Yet even now He that causelesly breaks this Union is no Catholick Bishop It seems then it goeth not by Vote but a Dissenter may be a free Catholick I pray you then impose not on others against their conâ—ent The whole Authority saith he of any Bishop or Council over other Bishops is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Therefore they have no