him making it as unlawful to recede from the Presbyterian Discipline as from the most Material Points in the Christian Faith 3. The Self-ends and Ambition of some Ministers affecting the Parochial Episcopacy or Supreme Ministerial Power in their own Parishes 4. The Covetousness of some Great Persons who thought thereby to raise to themselves great fortunes by the Spoils of the Bishopricks and for the attainment of these Ends they stuck at nothing whether the deposing of Kings or subverting the Fundamental Constitutions of all Civil States where-ever they came and it 's observable that that very thing which the English Dissenters at this day insist on as the Articulus Stantis vel cadentis Presbyter the very basis on which their Nonconformity doth stand as Popery doth on the infallibility was the main rule which Calvin went by in all his Reformation work viz. That there ought to be nothing and consequently no ceremony in the Worship of God Lib. 6. n. 3. which is not warranted and required in Gods Word or which hath not particular and express command in Scripture for its use An Error which Mr. Baxter himself hath soundly confuted by many substantial Arguments in his Defence of the Principles of Love Part 1. p. 97 98 99 100 c. Calvin having compleated the settlement of his new Discipline in Geneva about the Year 1541. thought himself of such grand assurance that no Church could be reformed without his interposal He offers his Assistance to Arch-Bishop Cranmer as soon as he heard of the Reformation intended here in England but the Arch-Bishop knowing the Man refused the offer whereupon he took Order with Martin Bucer at his first coming into England to give him some account of the English Liturgy which was no sooner done but he presently makes those Exceptions which afterward became the main ground of those many Troubles those horrible Disorders and Confusions with which his Faction had involved the Church of England from that Time to this Prevailing nothing with that Holy Martyr he tampers with the Lord Protector with the King himself and the Lords of his Council had his Agents in the City and Country N. 15 16. the Universities and Convocations all of them Practising in their Several Provinces to decry the use of Kneeling the Cross at Baptism c. and to bring the People to a dislike of the Common-Prayer-Book which at its first composure was looked on by the People generally as a Heavenly Treasure says Mr. Fox in his Acts and Monum Preface sent down by God in great Mercy to the English Nation all moderate Men beyond Sea applauding the Happiness of the Englanders in having such an Excellent form of Gods Publick Worship Lib. 6. n. 3. And an Act of Parliament declared it composed by the special Aid and Assistance of the Holy-Ghost But all Mr. Calvin could do would avail nothing nor could his Presbyterian Discipline get any footing in England till 1. Popery introduced it by Queen Mary's banishing most of the most Eminent of the English Protestant Divines into Embden Basil The first rise of Pres out of Popery Strasburgh Geneva Frankford and where the Presbyterian Discipline and Government was from whence they returned into England tainted when the Persecution was over Lib. 6. n. 14. and had preferment given them in the Churches whereby they got opportunity of preparing the minds of People for such innovations as they hoped when Time served to bring into the Church But the Fabrick of the State was joined together with such ligaments of Power and Wisdom that they were able to act but little and to effect less About this Time died Calvin having sat 28 Years in the Moderators Chair at Geneva and was succeeded in the same Year 1564. by Beza who tho at last he recanted very far at first endeavoured the settlement of the Presbytery in England with more Zeal and forwardness than Calvin had done He presently brought it to an open Schism and a resort to Conventicles which himself takes notice of in a Letter to Bishop Grindal Rem tandem in pertinax schisma evasisse Nonnulli tam seorsim suos caetus habent c. Bez. Ep. 23. Having by this means got some footing in England as also by the connivence of some Bishops and by the Queens indulgence to'ards them particularly in tolerating the French church in London where the Geneva discipline was exercised they became so insolent as to publish those pestilent Pamphlets called the Admonitions wherein they proceeded so far as to tell the Parliament that it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them and that if they would not countenance the Geneva Discipline themselves would be their own carvers Lib. 7. n. 23. 24. Whereupon the Queen issued forth her Proclamation for the further suppressing of them so that by means of the Rigor of the Laws the Government being too strong for them their next Expedient was 2. To dissemble Conformity Lib. 7. n. 33 34 35. thinking thereby to breed up their Presbytery under the Wing of Episcopacy till it should be strong enough to subsist of it self Lib. 8. n. 24 26 Next they proceed to libel the Government with such ridiculing Pamphlets as Mar-prelate Ha' y' any work for the cooper the Epistle to the Confocation house c. in which they far exceeded the railings of the Donatists against the Catholicks calling the Arch-Bishop Pope of Lambeth and Belzeebub of Canterbury the rest of the Bishops petty Popes and cogging Knaves c. and the rest of the Clergy worse To stop the Mouths of these Rabshakehs there were several grave Refutals given but all in vain till Tom. Nash the Observator of those Times a man of Sarcastick Wit by some Pamphlets written in the same loose way such as the Pasquil the Counterscuffle Pap with the Hatchet c. stopped their Mouths for ever medling more in that way About the Year 1592. they were busie in petitioning the Queen Their Petitions were such as gave the Queen a full assurance of what restless Spirits they were Lib. 9. N. 22. and that no quiet was to be expected till they were utterly suppressed In order thereto a Parliament was called at their first Sitting the Queen signified it to both Houses that they should keep themselves to the redress of popular Grievances but that they should leave all matters of State to Her and Her Council and all Ecclesiastcal matters to Her and Her Bishops But contrary to her Command Mr. Peter Wentworth a Member of the House of Commons and a great Zealot for the Presbyterian Discipline with Mr. Bromley and others of the House of Commons deliver'd a Petition to the Lord Keeper Puckering desiring that the Lords would joyn with them of the lower House in becoming Suppliants to the Queen for entailing the Succession of the Crown according to a Bill which they had prepared At this the Queen was so displeased that Mr.
Orthodoxy and his Life the very Standard of the Episcopal Function He was saies that Encomiast the most holy Eye and Light of the World a Pillar of the Faith and a second John the Baptist yet did these Meletian Schismaticks when they were otherwise sound in the Faith join with the Arrian Hereticks in loading this holy man with false accusations and hell-bred Slanders calling him Sathanius accusing him as Arsenius Euplus Pachomius and others of the Meletian Schism did of Murder Dan. on Aug. de Haeres c. 48. and the like hellish Crimes as in the Council of Tyre and other places till at last by that black art of Slandering they prevailed with the Emperor to banish him Of the notoriousness of their Slandering there is among many others which a late Writer gives from Sozomen Dr. Cave the Life of Athan. Sect. 5. n. 3. Theodoret and Ruffinus this instance The Meletian Bishops in the Synod of Tyre accused Athanasius of ravishing a Woman whom they had prevailed with to come into the Council and to own and attest the Fact who accordingly declared that Athanasius in her own House violently forced her into lewd Embraces Athanasius came into the Court attended with Timotheus one of his Presbyters who was by agreement with Athanasius to take his part upon him The Judg calling upon Athanasius to Answer to the matter of Fact he stood silent But Timotheus turning to the Woman Woman saies he was I ever in your house did I ever as you pretend offer violence to you Yes yes saies the Woman you are the man that forcibly pressed upon me and stained my Chastity and Honour The cheat thus plainly discovering it self put the Contrivers of it to the blush but no end to their false Accusations They proceed to accuse him of Oppression Murder and like the modern cry of popishly affected of compliance with the Thurificati till at last he was deprived of his Bishoprick and Banished Ibid. Sect. 4. n. 6. The like they did to Eustathius Bishop of Antioch and others of the Catholicks that opposed them and endeavoured the Unity of the Church And tho the Arrian Hereticks joyned with the Meletian Schismaticks in these Diabolical practices against the Orthodox Christians yet were these principal in it Vt Meletiani saies Danaeus pene Soli divinum illum Athanasium conarentur opprimere c. In the first General Council of Nice in which were 318 Bishops besides innumerable Presbyters Deacons and Acoluthi an Assembly of men so venerable for their Age their confessions and constancy in the Faith for the Gravity of their Manners the Wisdom Learning and Reason of their Arguments and Discourses and meeting out of all parts of the Christian World was certainly the most August and Venerable Assembly that ever the World saw either before or since In this Council the Arrian Heresie being condemned they proceeded to take into consideration the Meletian Schism Ep. Synod Nice ap Socr. l. 1. c. 9. ap Dr. Cave the Life of Athan. they deprived Meletius of all his Episcopal Jurisdiction and Power lest he should excite the same Troubles and Factions which he had formerly raised in the Church of God And tho the Meletians were at that time sound in the Faith yet on no other account then the Separation did this venerable Council declare in their Letter to the Church of Alexandria That in strict Justice they deserved no Pity The Council of Sardica did the like Having deposed Gregory a Meletian Bishop they decreed in that Council That all Ordination made by him should be null and void which is in effect to decree that a Schismatick is ipso facto divested of his Ministerial Function and no true Minister on the account of his Schism DONATISTS THE light of the Gospel had scarce been well fix'd and diffused in the World but the Devil stired up the Pagan Emperors of Rome to extinguish it by persecuting the Professors of it with the most grievous Torments and Tortures that the most twisted Malice and Subtilty of Earth and Hell could devise and that in such measure that in the Dioclesian Persecution which lasted for ten years there were put to Death Seventeen thousand in a Month. And of the Decian Persecution Nicephorus saies It was as easie to number the Sands of the Sea as to reckon up all that suffer'd Martyrdom in that one Perscution under Decius This bloody work continued with its little Intermissions for about 250 years viz. from the Reign of Nero Anno Dom. 54. to the Reign of Constantius Clorus Anno Dom. 304. These Flames of Persecution were scarcely extinguished and peace and quiet restored to the Church but new Heats and Lights were raised by the pride and discontent of Schismaticks which infested the Church of God till Mahometanism and Popery divided the greatest part of the World and were more pernicious to Christiany than all the ten Persecutions Among these Schismaticks the Donatists were chief who were as St. Augustine shews at large sound in the Faith but as ‖ Ep. 50. let O. P. he saies De sola communionae infaeliciter litigarunt contra unitatem Christi rebelles inimicitias perversitate sui erroris exercuerunt They quarrelled only about Church-Communion as the Novatians and Meletians in another part of the World did and through the Perversness of their Error exercised saies he Rebellious enmity against the Unity of the Church For the right understanding of the rise and progress of this Schism we must note that Dioclesian in the heat and heighth of his Persecution had put forth an Edict that Christians should deliver up their Bibles and the Writings of the Church to be burnt which Edict was prosecuted with so much rage and vigor that many Christians to avoid the Storm deliver'd up their Bibles to the great Scorn of their Enemies for which they were called Traditores The Persecution being over some of the Orthodox refused to receive them into Communion notwithstanding the greatest evidence that could be given of their true Repentance the difference broke out into open Schism and Faction and gave Birth to that unhappy Sect of the Donatists in the year 298 which was about twelve years after the Meletian Schism was made when Constantine the Great was Emperor and Silvester Bishop of Rome in this wise Botrus and Celesius two Presbyters being in Competition with Cecilian for the Bishoprick of Carthage Cecilian a man of note for Learning and Integrity was by the general Suffrage of that whole Church chosen Bishop Botrus and Celesius discontented hereat Opt. p. 14. Danae on Aug. de Haeres c. 69. with some others that had been proceeded against by Cecilian refused to hold Communion with him and particularly Lucilla a Spanish Lady rich and factious thinking her self affronted by Cecilian's sharp reproof of her Superstitious practice in kissing the Reliques of some Martyr before her receiving the Sacrament in Discontent and Anger joyns her self to Botrus and
great Learning and good Life was chose in his stead who after the Election declared himself to be a Catholick whereupon they persecuted him grievously causing the Circumcellians to pull out his Tongue and to cut off his Hand They dragged Restitutus a Presbyter Aug. de gestis cum Emerit through a Channel of Mud and after twelve days cruel Torment killed him They murdered Maximianus Bishop of Vaga in like manner for nothing but demanding of them the Possession of a Church which they had took of him and which he recovered of them at Law They put out the Eyes of others and poured Lime and Vinegar in the Holes Aug. Concresc Possid in vit Aug. in Hist of the Don. They terrified with Fire and Sword all the Churches of Africa insomuch that the Catholicks were afraid to Travel for fear of their Circumcellians They not only silenced the Catholicks but proclaimed it by the common Cryer that whoever did Communicate with Maximianus Aug. Ep. 166. lett E. should have his house burnt They laid wait for Possidius Bishop of Calame with a design to kill him and because he escaped their Snares as St. Augustines word is they fired the house twice in which he took Sanctuary The like outrages did these Pseudo-Zealots commit upon Marcus a Presbyter of Caspalia on Marcianus Vrgensis Ibid. and innumerable others In a word so long as they had Power no good Catholick that lived among them could be secure of his Possessions or Life its self C. 62. Obvios quosque erroribus suis alienos saies Danaeus all that were not of their Party and Opinion they made no Conscience of Killing and yet themselve would cry out of Persecution upon the least touch of restraint A further account of these Donatists may be seen in the 48 50 68 166 167 168 170 171 172. and others of St. Augustines Epistles shewing the great agreement of the modern Schismaticks with those of St Augustines time AERIANS AND PRESBYTERIANS PRESBYTERIANS were so called at first for the great share that they assigned to the Lay-Elders in the Government of the Church and State as also for a Parity that they would have among Ministers or a Coaequality between Bishops and Presbyters The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best rendred an Order of Elders an Ecclesiastical Senate or Clasis and so the word Presbyterian signifies one that is for the Government of the Church by Lay-Elders But custom which commands the propriety of words has made it appropriate to such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers in opposition to Episcopal Government Some perhaps may frame the Denomination from Aerius the first of that Opinion thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 old Aerius or Presbyter Aerius who was the first of any Sect that stood up for a Parity among Ministers in opposition to Episcopacy which was on this occasion Dan. on Aug. de Haeres c. 53. Aerius being ordained Presbyter by Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia was afterward by the Bishop made Master of an Hospital as I understand those words of Danaeus Ptochodocheio preficitur The Bishop controuling him in the managery of the Hospital He first quarrels the Bishop and then separates from him broaching this Error Presbyterum ab Episcopo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. ordine gradu non differre sed qui Presbyter est Episcopum dici c. that a Bishop and a Presbyter differ not either in Order or Degree but that a Presbyter is a Bishop c. On which very account Danaeus himself tho a sworn Enemy to Episcopacy confesses that Epiphanius Augustine and Isidore accounted him and his Followers Hereticks Aerianos Haereticorum albo ascripsere Epiph. Aug. Isid in eo quod Presbyteri Episcopi parem dignitatem constituerunt and Epiphanius Adv. Aerium calls the Aerians the most brainsick Hereticks that ever were for holding that Presbyters may ordain Presbyters and that Bishops and Presbyters were all one About the Year 1561. the Presbyterians began to be called Puritans on this account Queen Elizabeth having published a Book of Orders injoining strict Conformity to the Orders and Discipline of the Church in Opposition to Popery and Presbytery both Such as proceeded in Opposition to the Queens Injunctions relating to Presbytery or Nonconformity were called Puritans as the Novatians were Catheri as men professing the greater purity in the Worship of God which they placed chiefly in a shew of great Detestation of the Ceremonies and Corruptions of the Church of Rome above other men But taking the word Presbyterian in its first and most proper Acceptation for all such Protestants as are for a Parity among Ministers in Opposition to Episcopacy and to such Church-Ceremonies as the Episcopal Government requires there is this following account given of them Their first rise was in Geneva a City not above two miles compass governed by a Duke Heyl. Hist of Presb. l. 1. n. 2. n. 4. and a Bishop chiefly a Bishop who as Mr. Calvin confesses had not only the Ecclesiastical but Civil Jurisdiction over it till Viretus and Farellus exceeding studious of a Reformation in Religion laboureth with the Bishop for such Alteration as had been made in the Church of Berne But not able to prevail with the Bishop they practiced on the inferior sort of People and that so effectually that in a tumultuous manner they drove the Bishop and Clergy out of Town and not only alter'd every thing that displeased them in the Church but changed the Civil Government disclaiming all Allegiance to their Bishop or Duke either Ibid. n. 4. for which rebellious Atchievement Calvin calls Farellus the Father of the publick Liberty The Government of the City being thus put into the hands of the Common People by the endeavours of Farellus N. 5 Mr. Calvin was chose one of the Preachers of Geneva and soon after Divinity-Reader which done he presently negotiates with them to abjure all Obedience to their Bishop for the time to come Beza on the Life of Calvin and to admit of such a form of Discipline as he and his Colleagues had devised for them And having prevailed herein the said Discipline viz. the Presbyterian Discipline was generally sworn and subscribed to on July 20. 1537 the very same Year as I remember that the Order of Jesuits was founded and this was the first Extract of Presbytery as my Author says begot in Rebellion born in Sedition and nursed up in Faction No sooner was it setled in Geneva Hist of Pres lib. 1. n. 6. but Calvins next endeavours were to promote it in other places which he did effectually notwithstanding the Jars and Discords that it occasioned by these and the like means N. 11. 1. By the great Reputation that Calvin had attained to for his diligence in Preaching and Writing whereby he became the Oracle of the Times 2. His imposing it on the People on pain of Gods high displeasure and Beza after