Honourably rather by Disuse then Contempt And this Practice continued for some time after the Conversion of divers of the Gentiles by the Disciples who were dispersed by the Persecution at Jerusalem And therefore I take that Plea of Polycrates for his different Observation of Easter from Victor Bishop of Rome to be a Testimony of the very early Conversion of those Asiatick Churches and that they were of the First fruits of Christianity But after that God by bestowing the Holy Ghost on the Gentiles and other clear Signes and Indications of his Will had Convinced all the Apostles and Ministers of the Word that it was not only lawful but their Duty to make known the Words of Eternal Life unto the Gentiles and the Gentiles upon their Preaching in all places did plentifully Flock into the Church then in those Gentile Churches Christian Liberty began in a greater Measure to be Maintained against the Mosaical Rites And now Paul who Circumcised Timothy refused to Circumcise Titus yea even the Council at Jerusalem disburthen of all those Matters except some few things which the Necessity of the Times would not permit them to take off unless they should have utterly disobliged the Jews of whom they had some Hopes And about this time it is probable began the strict Observation of the Lords Day with the Neglect of the Sabbath And the Celebrating the Resurrection not on the precise time of the Jewish Passeover but on the first day of the Week Called the Lords Day from his Resurrection on that day next following the Fourteenth of the Moon And yet though this was Allowed in the Gentiles yet in Communion with the Christian Jews a greater Regard was had to the Lâ—w And therefore when that great Assertor of the Gentiles Liberty St. Paul came up to Jerusalem though the Disciples Approved what he had done yet they Advise Him to go purifie himself in the Temple and do such other Matters that he might Appear according to the Opinion of the Jews to Walk orderly and keep the Law Acts 21 But when neither Pains Patience nor Arguments could prevail but the Jews became more obstinate then â—ver in Adhering to the Mosaical Rites and obtruded them upon all Others with the Opinion of such absolute Necessity that they became a Scandâ—l to the Gospel and mâ—de the Death of Christ in vain and upon this Account were the Implâ—cable â—nemies of the Christians in all Places Then to Vindicate the Gospel the Chrâ—stians were under a Necessity to depart from them And those who before Complyed all that could be with them now lest they should seem to Countenance the Opiâ—ion That Salvation was by the Law of Moses not by the Faith of Christ Jesus Fled as far as they could from them and wouâ—d not joyn with them in or Practise any of the Ritâ—s peculiar to the Law of Moses for the Matter was now come to that pass that they could not do it without betraying the Christian Religion so that now ceased the Obligation to these Matters which the Council at Jerusalem had formerly imposed in favour of the Jews and Hopes to Win them And hence it is probable many Churches took Occasion to turn the Great Festival of the Jews the Sabbath into a Faâ—t And for this Reason amongst Others viz. That they might not Ground their Festival from any Jewish Rite or because they thought the Account not exact they declined the Fourteenth of the Moon and began that Feast on the Lords Day reckoning from the Fifteenth to the One and Twentieth of the Moon Now not to Run over the Stories of Simon Zelotes Joseph of Arimathea and Others who are Celebrated for the first Planters of the Christian Religion in these Isles From these Premisses it is not irrational to Conclude that the British Churches observing the Feast of Easter after the Usage which obtained before the Separation from the Jews and the Roman Church more exactly as was devised afterwards the Gospel in all probability must have been Preached and Received in Brittain some time before any Considerable Church was Gathered at Rome And being this Usage continued for several Hundreds of Years though the Bishops of Rome were so far from suffering it in that they would scarce suffer it out of their Jurisdiction it will follow that these Churches were neither of Roman Conversion nor Roman Jurisdiction IX This Matter will be much clearer if we now descend to Consider the Debates Behaviour and Actions of the Brittish Bishops towards Augustine the Monk who was sent hither by Pope Gregory for the Conversion of the Saxons But first to prevent mistakes I must tell you that I have no design either to Vindicate the Brittish Bishops in the Observation of Easter or to condemn the Roman It Matters not to Me who was right or wrong but it is the Difference and the Grounds whereon it was Maintained which serves my Ends. The Britons were not Quartodecimani as some have supposed for those kept the Feast on the Fourteenth of the Moon on what day of the Week soever it fell but the Britons expected the Lords Day But I suppose none now will Contest it but that the Romans were most exact and right in their Observation but then that arose from this Nicety That the Law of Moses Commands the Paschal Lamb to be slain in the Evening of the Fourteenth day of the first Month Now according to the Jewish Account who Reckoned the foregoing Night to the following day that must be on the Beginning of the Fifteenth day But the Britons who Reckoned not from Sun-set but from Sun-rise and so on the contrary joyned the following Night to the foregoing day could not see this but must of course take the Evening following the Fourteenth Day to be part of the Fourteenth Day And therefore their Practice being suitable to their Common Conceptions And having obtained amongst them from their first Entrance into Christianity it was unreasonable that those who had no Jurisdiction over them should impose an Alteration upon them and still worse to raise irreconcileable fewds and make Divisions in Gods Church for such a matter As if a Man could not be a good Christian without being an exact Astronomer and Critically cunning in the Customes of other Nations X. But to Return to our Matter Mauritius according to Beda Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 23. came to the Empire in the Year 582 In the Tenth Year of his Reign Gregory came to the Popedom And he in the Fourteenth Year of the same Emperours Reign sends Augustine to the Saxons so that Aâ—gustines first Mission was about the Year 596 But though he and his Companions seemâ—d to set forth with great Chearfulness and Resolution yet whether from the dread of a Warlike and barbarous People or from an Apprehension of their inability for the Work as not understanding the Language or what other Cause I know not After mature deliberation in Council they fairly tack about and Sail back again
very inconveniently and indiscreetly enjoyned in another And therefore though such Apostolical Constitutions deserve Veneration as being unquestionably bâ—st Fitted to the then present Churches yet it remains in the Power of Church-Governours to lay them aside upon just Occasion and Constitute Others in their Room as may be most for the good of the Churches Again some Traditions concern the Practice of the Universal Church which obtained in all places and these have their Ground and Warrant from Scripture but their particular Determination from Church-Authority which is still preserved to us by Tradition Of this we have a clear Instance in the Fasts and Feasts of the Church as Gods Signal Mercies require our Solemn Thanksgiving so our own Sins especially the publick Call on us openly to Humble our Souls before God and to give manifest Testimony of our Repentance Besides to tame our unruly Affections and Fit us for the discharge of our 〈◊〉 Acts of Mortification are very requisite To this the Scriptures direct us and thereof gives us many Instances But when this shall be done I mean publickly for as to private Thanksgiving or Mortification relating to Mâ—ns private Concerns they may usâ— their â—â—scretion provided that they thwart not the Orders of the Church is partly pointed out to us by the times when such Mercies were received or Evil done and partly determined by Ecclesiastical Authority And this even Natural Reason it self doth so fully teach that there never were any Men of any Religion how barbarous soever but they had their Solemn Fasts and Feasts Upon this Account I was very sorry to find a Relation in Mr. Ricaut St. of Turk to this Effect That certain Fanatical Merchants of ours Residing at Sâ—â—…rna and some other parts of the Turks Domiâ—ionâ— being observed to keep neither Fast nor Feast but to use every day alike all Persons presently esteemed them as Men of no Religion and â—ook'd on them as Persons who thought they had no God against whom they could offend nor from whom they had or might hope to receive Favours But though these Men were of our Countrey they were not of our Communion And we are not to Answer for thâ—ir ill Examples who have forsaken us chiefly for this Reason that they might take their full swinge in Running a Whoring after their own Inventions The most Ancient â—eaâ—ts and Fasts are Appointed by the Constitutions of our Church and 〈◊〉 by the Laws of the Land If we regard not some in the Roman Church it is because they are Apparently of later date and introduced by their own Authority which obligeth not us Besides we much doubt of the Popes Skill in discerning these later Saints but more of his power to make them such If it be observed that our own Fasts and Feasts are ill observed among us I grant it to be true but I say it is not our fault Ill Men and ill Times have been and still are too hard for us and not to Complain of the too many Obstructions of Discipline without which no Church can long stand much less flourish which is the Reason that all Parties whatsoever have unanimously combined to hinder the Exercise of our Discipline that by that means they might have opportunity upon all Occasions to make their full blow at the Church it self though our Church hath had the Laws on her side yet she hath ever had the Lawyers without whom the rest could have done nothing her Enemies who have made even the Laws themselves either insignificant or hurtful to Her I speak not of the whole Body of them for there are many Honest and Honourable Persons amongst them But there want not enough who are sworn Enemies of Church-Discipline and all Ecclesiastical Authority who lay Trains and Snares for the Governours of the Church if they execute it And if any Man be Constrained to defend the Sanctions or Rights of the Church they will encourage Parties and make Interests against Him lead him thorough all the Courts in the Kingdom till they have undone him And expose Him as if he were the vilest Man living They will neither suffer the Censures of the Church to take place nor her Rights to be gotten Nay more I will be bold to say that partly by quite discharging some Tithes and by Erecting lewd Modâ—s's and upstart Customes and other Sly Tricks they have deprived the Clergy of one fourth of what the Bare-faced Church-Robbers left And if they be suffered to go on at this Rate they will in some few Generations insensibly Begger all the Livings in the Kingdom Now what can we do against these and many other powerful and inveterate Opponents whom I will not Name Our Constitutions are good We wish and endeavour what we fairly can that they may be kept They must Answer it to God Almighty who will not suffer it But to leave Complaining where we are like to have no Remedy and return to our Matter As to Traditions of Matters of Practice distinction must be made between the Matter of the Tradition and the Circumstances of it Tradition as to Circumstances may differ in different places and may be Altered by the Power of the Church Thus as to the Feast of Easter all Agreed in the Tradition that it was to be observed But divers Churches disagreed about the time of its Observation so that whilest some were Fasting and had not Compleated their Lent others had Entred upon the Feast of Easter Here the Church interposed her Authority and to prevent Disorder and Confusion reduced the Observation to a certain time though it did not take place without a great deal of trouble so tenacious are people of Ancient Usages and therefore ought Governouâ—s to be very tender of disturbing them without wâ—ighty Reasons But then as for the Matter of such Traditions which are genuine and truly primitive as of the Observation of Easter and the first day of the Week commonly called The Lords Day c I cannot perswade my self that even the whole Church hatb Power to Alter or Abrogate them What may be done in Plenitudine Potestaâ—ts I will not dispute because it is a thing I have no kindness for For when Persons will be judges of the Extent of their own Authority they will be sure to Câ—rve liberaâ—ly for themselves And when they will be Acting to the utmost Sounds of it the odds is ten to one that they go beyond them Lastly other Tradâ—tions there may be whiâ—h relate to Doctrine but this could be nothing but what the Apostles taught and therefore must be fetch'd from those they taught it to And so must be derived from the first primitive Churches If it stâ—rted up after it was an Innovation not a Tradition though older then Augustine or Ambrose for there could be no Tradition but from the Apostles and wherein the Churches immediately following them unanimously Agree as to their Doctrine It serves well for the Explanation of the Sense of Scripture as hath been
whose Brains are Heated with Enthusiasm beyond any Hope of Cure even those who are too Active and too Guilty in promoting Division do yet upon any sober Discourse freely Acknowledge That it is not only a good and a pleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in Unity but also that it is a duty incumbent upon every Christian in his Station by all honest means to promote it not only amongst his own party but with all Others who have Given up their Names to Christ And I wish they were as serious in their Practice as they are free in their Acknowledgments and would not amongst themselves Teach some private Tenets to Ensure their Partizans whilest they discourse at another Rate with those whom they are too apt to Esteem their Adversaries II. And in the first place If we Consider the Nature of the Christian Religion what can be more evident then that all its Principles and Doctrines as they are most inseparably Knit together and subservient to each other so they tend to Effect and Confirm the strongest Unity amongst the Professors of it Saint Paul beseeching the Ephesians to Endeavor to Keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace presseth them more particularly with this very Argument There is saith he Eph 4. 4. c. one Body and one Spirit even as ye are Called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all And in this Profession we have all Engaged our selves to be the faithful Servants of God and of Christ and therefore ought joyntly to Serve the Interest and Maintain the Honour of our Gracious and common Master Nay we not only hereby become Servants but have the Honour of being Friends of Christ Adopted Sons of God and are taken into the same Family and Houshold And of how heinous and insufferable a Crime they are Guilty who are troublesome in this Family and make Factions in this Houshold we may Learn from that Saying of our Saviour Matth. 3. 25. If a House be divided against it self that House cannot stand III. But possibly it may deserve our particular Consideration That the Holy Scriptures speak of all Christians as being incorporated into one Body and that in such a manner that the Hopes of our common Salvation depends upon our being Members of that one Body Hence in relation to our first Admission or Insition we are said to be all Baptized into one Body and that whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 1 Cor. 12. 13. Hence also our progress and Growth in Christianity is Attributed to that Nourishment which as Members is Communicated to us by this Body the Body it self being Fitly Framed and Joyned together by all parts drawing it from Christ the Head Eph. 4. 15 16. Col. 2. 19. Hence the Church of God is said to be his Body Col. 1. 24. and this Church not to be many Bodies but one Eph. 4. 4. and that we might understand That Salvation is not to be acquired but by being Members of this Body We are Taught That Christ Works our Salvation by Reconciling us into one Body Eph. 2. 16. And for this Reason the Apostle calls Him The Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body Eph. 5. 23. from these and many other places of Scripture of the like Nature hath arose that common Axiom Extra Ecclesiam non est Salus Which the Ancient Fathers have upon occasion Excellently Explicated pressed and proved against Schismaticks But I have no mind to make a Flourish with Citations in a matter so well known though I wish it were better Heeded Only before I pass away I shall take the boldness to leave these Remarks 1. That all particular Christians as Members of the same Body are Reciprocally bound to each other not only in the Common Offices of Justice but even of Love Kindness and Christian Succours So that if the Man live in England or Armenia at Rome or Geneva in the Enemies Countrey or our own if he be a Christian I ought to wish and pray for his good and if occasion be offered in no case to decline the Promoting the good of his Soul And if Circumstances will permit of his Body and Estate also Secondly That Christs Church and his Body being terms convertible it must consist not only of the Present but of the past Ages even of all that either have or expect Salvation by Christ So that no Person by any Endeavors whatsoever can in the ordinary way diely hope for Salvation as being a Member uf this or that particular Church otherwise then as that particular Church by a Succession of Doctrine and Worship and consequently of Lawful Pastors and Governours without whom such Worship cannot be duly Performed is united to and Embodied with the Catholick Church of God for even the present Church diffused over the Face of the whole Earth though it may be said to be Catholick in respect of particular Churches and of its Authority as to the present living Persons yet in it self it is not Catholick otherwise then as deriving from and united to the Church of the foregoing Ages running up unto Christ their Head Neither can any that comes after be accounted Catholick but as an accession to the former And this if well Weighed might be a means to make Men very caâ—tioâ—s how they gathered separate Bodies without extraordinary good Grounds Thirdlâ— that though every Schismatick do affront and injure the whole Church of God yet the greaâ—est detriment is to himself The Church may lose an unprofitable Member but he loseth himself For if Christ be only the Saviour of the Body none can dividâ— from it without apparent hazard of their own Salvation So dangerous a thing is the Sin of Schism though so lightly esteemed in our dayes IV. But here some who are ready to catch at every Twig and think themselves just drowning and lost if they must be bound to live peaceably and to be wise only to Sobriety will Object That such are the various apprehensions inclinations inteâ—ests education and prejudices of Mankind That this Doctrine as meeting with insuperable Difâ—iculties cannot be admitted without very great Abatements and Allowances To these I might justly Answer That in this Case I am not concerned for their Prejudices Interest or any such Matters And it were much better if they were less concerned for 'um themselves for that Man that will be a Christian must not follow his particular Inclinations and Interests much less his Humours and Whimsey or any thing of like Nature but must abide by and keep close to the Constitutions of his Saviour and must cast down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteâ—h it self against the Knowledge of God and bring into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. But because I had rather Untiâ— the Knot then cut it I further Answer That
appear abroad lest it should have bâ—en Knock'd o' th' Head for a Monster Popes themselves in those days pleaded the Canons and were iudged by them And this Canon hath a peculiar evil Aspect upon him for it is directly contrary to his declared Opinion and Determination in behalf of the Bishop of Antioch So that if the Popes now do not regard the Canons it seems heretofore they as little regarded him The second Reason of the Canon is expressed thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Pride and Vanity of Secular Power may not enter the Church under a pretence of Discharging the Ministerial Function which seems directly to point to that Saying of our Saviour to his Disciples Matth. 20 25. I Cite the Original because there is something peculiar in the words which our Englisb Translation could not easily reach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely if these Fathers had not a Grudge at the Bishop of Rome they had a foresight of his Progress For put together what the Bishop of Rome now Acts and what he Claims And if that Typhus Seculi which the Antients all along so feared and bitterly inveighed against be not brought into the Church by him I will be bold to say that all their Feares were Follies and that it neither is nor ever can be brought in whilest the World stands The third Reason ought to Affect any Man who calls Himself a Christian It is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lest by degrees we lose that Liberty which our Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer of all Men hath purchased for us or bestowed on us with his Blood If so our Churches in stead of being blamed ought to be highly Commended for defending this Liberty And as he who shall invade it ought at present to be discountenanced by all others so it is to be feared that he will have a sad Account to make up in the day of the Lord Jesus though he pretend to be his Vicar Now if Reason could prevail here is sufficient But because oftentimes Men will not be Ruled by Reason therefore the Fathers yet take a further Care to Compel them by Law and determine in the same Canon That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If any Man do Seize anothers Province and subject it to Him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That He shall Restore it And that they might take away all Pretences they Conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That if any Man should produce a Constitution contrary to what is now determined it shall be void or of no Authority Now if there be any Reverence for or force in a Canon so carefully penn'd by so Venerable a Councel then it is plain That we have withdrawn no Obedience which the Pope could lawfully Claim nor Cast off any Authority that he was possessâ—d of in Right For being there were then Churches in these Illes setled under their Bishops according to the primitive Forme and Usage and Owed no Subjection to the Bishop of Rome either as Metropolitan or Patriarch as hath been proved then whatever Pretences he can now make for any Authority over us are by the Councel determined to be void And what Usurpations soever he hath made are Adjudged to be Restored So that if they have no better Arguments then the Bishop of Rome's Authority as Patriarch that will do them no service here but it will rather Appear That we have proceeded very Canonically in our Reformation XXIX Thus much will clearly Appear That as the Bishops of those populous and powerful Cities Rome Antioch and Alexandria were ever and Anon making Inroads upon other Mens Jurisdiction So the Three First General Councels were very careful to Fence the Liberties of the Church against their and all others Encroachments For as for the Sâ—cond General Councel which I have Omitted any Man may be abundantly satisfied who will take the pains to Read The Account of the Government of the Christian Church written by the Learned Dr. Parker late Bishop of Oxford Yet either Tyred with endless strugling or over-born with power or out-witted by Cunning or rather wrought on by all these means the Fourth General Councel did plainly Amplifie their Power For after the Translation of the Seat of the Empire to Constantinople the â—â—shop of that place by the favour of the Emperour by the Power of the City by the Assistance of Dependants and by a lucky Opportunity offered from the New Division of the Empire suddenly starts up from a mean Suffragan to be the Second and perhaps most powerful Bishop of the Empire And now a Councel Meeting at Chalcedon just under his Nose and Consisting mostly of Eastern Bishops and many of them his Dependants and where the Emperour some time Appeared in Person and his Ministers all along bore a great sway This he thought was the time if ever to get that done which no Councel before would hearken to And to obtain a Conâ—irmation of that exorbitant Jurisdiction which that Ravenous See had seized in few yeares space But in doing this he is constrained to do Others Business that he might do his own And here first we find one set over the Head of the Metropolitan and an Appâ—al from Him Ratisied by Canon And thus the Bishops of those great Cities Mounted into Exarchs afterwards called Patriarchs and the Bishop of Constantinople got the best Share There was doubtless no mean Artifice used in the Managery of this Matter for it seems to be rather Slurr'd upon the Councel then Acted by them And the Foxes themselves the Bishop of Rome's Legats were here caught and all they could do was afterwards to Protest against Proceedings in this Matter But when Leo heard of it at Rome he fell a Roaring at no Rate not that he had too little but that the Bishop of Constantinople had too much He was in a bodily fear of such a dangerous Competitour who on a sudden had from almost Nothing Risen to such Greatness that he was able to Cope with Him And by the Grandeur of his City his Interest in the Clergy and favour of the Emperour might in a short time be able to over-top Him It is not unlikely that Leo might think that he could have scrambled well enough for Himself without the Help of any such Canon and might possibly look on it as a Confinement But whatever he thought his Plâ—a is clear contrary and that he might depress the Rising Constantinopolitan he is â—ooth and Nail for the Nicene Canons and the power of Metropolitans which by the Way is an Argument that it was not then thought that the Nicene Canons Erected Patriarchates as some since Maintain The Issue of this Quarrel I am not concerned to pursue But granting the Bishop of Rome to be here made Patriarch you see he doth not care to accept it But suppose him to be Nâ—lâ—ns Volâ—ns invested with it yet the Churches in these Iâ—les were out of the Reach of it and lived long after in their former state