at their supposed errors which are grown in some so rough and insolent both in words and deeds against poore Ministers that they had need to meet with something that hath good metall and usefull sharpnesse and not with that phlegmatick and sanguine softnesse which impudent men easily baffle and put both to the blush and silence yet hee meddles not save with great respect and tendernesse with any thing of Civill Power which no man may wisely dispute that is not able to resist it is foolish to shake the pen against the sword or oppose armed Legions with flocks of Geese No man may discreetly offend while as he must necessarily so he may honestly and safely be subject Prudence commands private men to leave the accounts of Ruling power to mens own consciences and to the Supream Over-ruler who best knowes as by what means they obtain it so to what ends and in what manner they use it It is enough for private persons at convenient distances to warm themselves by the light and heat of prevailing power neither scorching themselves by too neer approaches nor consuming themselves by indiscreet contestations with it Modesty also forbids such as are in subjection to dispute the actions or disparage the counsels of any that are above them who being many and so stronger are commonly by esteem supposed wiser than any one man and being successefull are usually esteemed blest and happy Although it is most certain That the many beginning from one and combined strength or counsell being but the twisting of single feeblenesse as so many hairs together the united many may be mistaken as wel as the divided unites Yea one sick man may infect many whole especially if his disease hath something catching and pleasing in it But if there happen by the Divine displeasure pestilent airs and noxious breaths in any countrey the strong the wise the great and the many are as liable to contagion and destruction as the weak the few and the foolish yea to Epidemicall and contagious diseases pestered cities and crowds of men are more subject than cels and solitudes No men are so wise but they may have errors And the sooner they see them to amendment the wiser they will be Nor is it the least part of wisdome in inferiours to shew to superiors their misapprehensions and failings rather by obliquely intimating than directly thwarting by great reflexions than rude affronts Especially in those things wherein a private man may be competently versed both by study and education yet no way trenching upon that tender point of civill power and dominion which is not a fit subject for a pen and inkhorn Therefore this Author presumes that the fair and free vindication of so publique an interest as this of the Ministry which is his proper sphear and calling can displease no men that have candor wit honesty honour good conscience or true Religion in them Nor will it anger sober men to be shewed what is amiss and how it may be mended which possibly they may be as unable as willing to doe Diseases may sometimes exceed the Art of Physitians violent Paroxysms are sometimes better left to spend themselves than provoked and encountred with medicines As for others of vain violent and foolish tempers it is better to offend than to flatter them and to suffer from them if God will have it so is more honorable than to be rewarded by them The greatest danger indeed is from those that are stolidè feroces full of those boisterous rude and brutish passions which grow as bristles upon hogs backs from ignorance pride rusticity and prejudice which make men either unable to read or impatient to bear or unwilling to understand the words of truth and sobernesse trusting more to bestiall than rationall or religious strength which most unmanly and unchristian disorders in mens soules how prevalent and epidemicall soever they may be yet they must not be here either flattered or fomented By calling their darknesse light or their evill good their presumptions inspirations their duller dreams high devotion their dissolute licentiousnesse Christian liberty their sillinesse sanctity their fiercenesse zeal their self-confidence and intrusion a divine call their disorderly activity speciall abilities their jejune novelties pretious rarities or their old errors and rotten opinions extraordinary and unheard of perfections When indeed their root is for the most part nothing but an illiterate and illiberall disposition neither learned to morality nor polished to civility neither softned nor setled by good education or true Religion being full of levity vulgarity unsatiate thirst and desire of novelties their fruit also is little else but malice cruelty avarice ambition worldly policy hypocrisie superstition loosenesse and profanenesse all conspiring as upon untrue and unjust pretentions so to evill ends namely to abase and destroy the true and ancient Ministry of the Gospell in this Nation and to bring into contempt all holy duties and dâ—vine Ministrations in this Church of Christ to cry down all good learning to corrupt the mindes of men with error and ignorance to debauch their manners by licentiousnesse or superstition to bring shame upon the reformed Religion here professed to wilder the judgements to wast the comforts to shipwrack the conscience and to damn the soules of poore people Where the Apologist meets with this black guard these factors for error and sin these agitators for the Prince of darknesse these enemies to God to Christ Jesus to all good Christians and to mankind God forbid he should give place to them or not charge them home and resist them to their face His duty and design is to detect their frauds and wickednesse to countermine their deep projects to frustrate their desperate counsels to fortifie the mindes of all good Christians against their strong delusions and oppositions to pull down their high imaginations to demolish their self-conceited strong holds to maintaine the honour of this Nation the glory of this reformed Church and the worth of its godly learned and industrious Ministry against their envious cavils and ungratefull calumnies If any men apart from fanatick presumptions secular interests popular applauses rusticall clamors and ignorant confidences shall upon rationall prudent and religious grounds propound any thing in a more excellent way either for kinde or degree whereby to advance the glory of God the honour of Jesus Christ the reall propagating of the Gospell the exercise of usefull gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in this Church r the encrease of charity or comforts among Christians for the encouragement of learning vertue and godlinesse for the welfare of this Nation or the serious reforming of Religion and the Ministry of it beyond what hath been still is and ever may be had from the gifts and graces the order and office the labours and lives of those that are the chief professors preachers and pillars of learning and religion in this Nation which are the able and faithfull Ministers of a due succession and right
if judicious choise and well grounded Christians did not as they doe seriously consider these things which may establish them in that holy profession of this Church wherein they have been baptized and educated First the naturall levity and instability of mens mindes which can have no fixation like the magnetick needle but onely in one point or line where it is in conjuncture with its Loadstone the Truth of God from which while the minde is wandering and shaking it is prone to love noveltie with lies and detriment rather than wonted things of religion with truth and benefit The itching humors of mens lascivient fancies and lusts chuse to scratch themselves to bloud and sorenesse rather than enjoy a constant soundnesse which distempers among those of the reformed Churches never want vigilant and subtill fomenters whose design is to spread any infection among Protestants to the most pestilent contagions that so they being sick and ashamed of themselves under the scandals and madnesses of that profession they may at last seek to Rome for cure and entertain forain Physitians who will easily perswade such diseased Protestants that those old sores and lingring maladies with which the Romish party hath a long time laboured and with which it is justly charged however it refuse to be healed are much safer for soules than these new quick feavers pestilent Agues and desperate Apoplexies among us which threaten utterly to kill all piety to destroy all Christianity to extirpate all charity and dissolve all society both as men and as Christians while neither morals nor rituals of Christianity are observed neither the superstructure of Catholick customes nor the foundation of Scripture commands neither truth nor peace things of p ety or Christian polity are inviolable but all old things must be dissolved and passe away that some men may shew their skill to create new heavens and new earths in which not order and righteousnesse but all injuriousnesse and confusion must dwell Secondly besides this innate fondnesse of men which is alwayes finding out new evill or vain inventions as unwholesome bodies are ever breaking out there are also crafty colourings and politick affectations of piety which grow as scurfe or scabs over those prurient novelties of opinion by which unwonted formes as with severall viZards and plaisters hypocrisie seekes as to amuse the vulgar so to cover and hide its cunning and cruelty its avarice ambition revenge and sacriledge still avoiding the discoveries of its deep plots and wicked designes by specious pretensions of serving God in some more acceptable way and better manner than others have done when indeed every true factionist who is Master of his Art at last winds up the thread of that Religion he spins upon his own bottom so as may best serve his own turn nor is he ever so modest so mortified or so self-denying with his pious novelties but that he will possesse himself and his party of any places for worldly profit power or honour to which he can attain though it be by the violent and unjust ruining and outing of others which is no very great symptom of an amended or heightned Christian Lastly sober Christians doe and ought to consider those just judgements of God either as diseases or medicines usually falling upon Christians as here in England when they are surfeited with peace and plenty cloyed with preaching and praying wantonly weary of wonted duties and wholesome formes of sound religion though never so holy and comely Burthened with the weekly and daily importunities of Ministers doctrine and examples where the sin and misery was not that people had no true light or no true Church and no true Ministers but that having all these they rejoiced not in them they neglected them and sinned the more provokingly against them Hence it is that squeamish nauseating and glutted Christians easily turn as foul stomachs and wanton appetites all they take though never so wholesome into peccant and morbifique humors to pride and passion to self conceit and scorn of others to ambitious lusts of disputing contending and conquering in matters of Religion endeavouring to destroy all that they and their way may alone prevail and govern which is the last result of all unwarrantable and unjustifiable commotions in Church or State Nor doe men ever intend that such victories which begin with the tongue or pen and end in the hand and sword commencing with piety and religion but concluding with soveraignty and dominion shall be either inglorious or fruitlesse Seditious and schismaticall Champions for Religion will be sure as soone as they have power to carve out their own crowns and rewards the determination of scruples in conscience and differences in opinion must end not onely in imperious denying others the liberties of conscience at first craved or contended for but in the outing others of different mindes from their places callings profits and enjoyments which is very far from that taking up the crosse of Christ and following him from being crucified to the world in its lusts pride and vanity as becomes those that will be Christs Disciples in verity justice and charity To such mountains of changes and mighty oppressions doe little mole-hils in Religiâ—â—â—ually swell when the justice of God suffers piety to 〈◊〉 both poysoned with policies and Religion perverted with humane passions Little differences in Religion like Crocodiles egs bring forth prodigies which are ever growing greater till they dye adding fury to faction passion to opinion cruelty to novelty Self-interests to Conscience Divine vengeance oft punishing sin with sin extravagancies of judgements with exorbitancies of deeds suffering the greater lust or stronger faction like pikes in a pond to devoure the lesser and one error to be both executioner and heir to another Because men obeyed not the Truth in love nor practised what they knew with a pure heart in an humble meek and charitable conversation which alwayes chuseth rather to suffer with peacefull and holy antiquity than to triumph with turbulent and injurious novelty From which have risen those many Church-Tragedies as of ancient so of later times which make the bloud of Christians yea of Jesus Christ too so cheap and vile in one anothers eyes Hence those unstanched effusions those unclosed wounds those irreconcilable fewds those intractable sores those wide gaping gulphs of faction and division malice and emulation war and contention which are enlarged and deep like hell threatning to swallow up and exhaust whole kingdomes flourishing Nations and famous Churches sometimes professing Christian and reformed Religion with order peace and truth Where now countreymen and neighbors kindred and brethren Ministers and people teachers and disciples are so far from that charity sympathy and compassion becoming beleivers in Jesus Christ so as to weep with those that weep and to rejoice with those that rejoice that contrarily there is nothing almost to be heard or seen but such a face of cruelty and confusion as a shipwrack a troubled Sea or Scarefire
and all possible means of Historical belief or faith among men For which the wisdom and providence of the Creator hath afforded to mankinde no other ordinary ground or inducement but onely that of a charitable and rational perswasion which we have That neither the most nor to be sure the best ablest and worthiest men in all Ages and these in several places would conspire in a lie or give testimony to a falshood contrary to their own consciences and the evidence of things as to matter of fact whereof themselves and their forefathers were eye-witnesses beyond any possibility of ignorance or mistake Nor can any thing be alleged or supposed as matter of self-interest or partiality there being in the first Three hundred years no temptation of secular profit or honor to blinde or corrupt their judgment and testimony whereby they should not either fully and clearly see what was judged and acted in the Church or that any thing should so bribe their tongues and pens as not to give a true record and faithful report to posterity Since many of them sealed their love to the truth and charity to mankinde by their blood in Martyrdom At the same rate of obstinate disbelieving and supercilious denying whatever is delivered by writing or tradition to after Ages men may foolishly and madly question the works of every Author the facts and records of all former times Ubi charismata domini posita sunt ibi discere oportet veritatem apud quos est ea quae ab Apostolis successio id quod est sanum irreprobabile sermonie â—â—nstat Iren. l. 4. c. 45. Edant origines Ecclesiaâ—um suarum evolvant ordinem Episcoporum suorum ita per successiones ab initio decurrentium ut primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris habuerit autoreÌ„ antecessoâ—em Tert. de prae ad Hae. c. 32. left us in History Christians may doubt of their Baptism in their Infancy yea and question their own Natural Fathers and Mothers refusing to own or pay any duty and obedience to them since of these they can have no other assurance than what is told them by others as also of all their forefathers and predecessors from whom these Sceptical Infidels are certainly descended although they never saw them and possibly they enjoy the benefit of their forefathers labors and estates to this day which from those is derived in an orderly succession to these their ungrateful successors Nor is indeed the Series and Genealogy of Natural Parents more necessary and certain in reason that they have been and are gone before us however their several names and successions may be unknown from Noah or from Adam than is the constant and uninterrupted succession of Spiritual Fathers and Predecessors in the Ministry of the Church derived by the holy Apostles from Jesus Christ the second Adam the Everlasting Father of a better Generation Of which there are besides the apparent present succession in this Church of England and all other Churches-Christian now in all the World which lately had or still have a peculiar order of Bishops and Presbyters as holy Ministers in the Church so clear and constant and undeniable Histories from those that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all men or writers the most worthy to be believed for their love to God their zeal for the truth their charity to all men but especially for their care of the houshold of Faith the Church of Christ Non fides ex peâ—sonis sed personae ex fide sunt probandae Ter. lib. de prae ad Haer. c. 3. Cum Episcopatus successione Charisma veritatis certum accipiunt Iren. l. 4. c. 43. Catholici â—â—verint se cum Eeclesia doctores recipere non cum Doctoribus Ecclesiae fidem deserere debere Vinc. Lirin c. 23. Haeretici sunt posteriores Episcopis quibus Apostoli tradiderunt Ecclesias Irenae l. 5. Audivi à quodam Presbytero qui audierat ab his qui Apostolos videraâ—t Irenae l. 4. c. 45. Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 Wherein however it be most true that a bare descent or succession of persons following each other in time and place be not sufficient to carry on the being and honor of a true Church Christian which title is not entailed to any place or any race of people unless withal there be a succession in Christian Doctrine and Institutions according to the Scripture yet it is as true that the custody and tradition of the Scriptures the succession of true doctrine believed in the Church and divine Institutions celebrated never have been nor ever can possibly be in Christs ordinary way to his Church carried on to after generations but only by such a personall succession of Bishops Pastors and Ministers in the Church such as were in the beginning of the Goâ—pell appointed by Christ and ever since hath been orderly and constantly derived from one to another agreeable to the divine constitution Nor are Câ—ristians to expect or presume of daily miracles speciall revelations or Angelick missions to carry on Christian Religion but humbly to content themselves with that once setled Ministry and holy order which God by Jesus Christ hath given to the Church after which example some are still duly tryed ordained set apart and sanctified to this office the dispensation of the Gospell and those mysteries which goe with it Indeed I cannot but esteem as all good wise 2. The esteem to be had of the Catholick custom in the Church Vincent Lyr. Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus tenetur Ecclesiis id demum Catholicum cap. 3. Pro magno teste vetustas Creditur acceptam parce movere fidem Claudian Ratio veritas consuetudini praeponenda sunt sed si consuetudini veritas suffragatur nihil oportet firmius retineri Aust l. 4. cont Donat. de Bapt. c. 4. In his de quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura divina mos populi Dei instituta majorum pro lege tenenda sunt si nec fidei nec bonis moribus sint contratia Aust ad Casulan Traditiones Ecclesiasticae quae fidei non officiunt ita observandae ut à majoribus tradita â— nec aliorum consuetudo aliorum contrario more subvertenda Jeron ad Lucian Si nulla Scriptura determinavit certe consuetudo roboravit quae sine dubio de Apost traditione manavit Tertul. de cor M. Sanctae Ecclesiae sacerdotes Catholicae veritatis haeredes Apostolica decreta definita sectante maluerunt se ipsos quà m vetustae universitatis fidem prodere Vinc. Lyrin c. 8. Si quid hodie per totum orbem frequentat ecclesia hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae st insanâ—ae August ep 118. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas M. Cont. Aâ—ium Sabel c. Otherways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. de Apollâ—nario Post sacrarum Scripturarum canonicam autoritatem Ecclesiae Catholicae consensus tantum apud mâ—