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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27068	Whether parish congregations be true Christian churches and the capable consenting incumbents, be truly their pastors, or bishops over their flocks ... : written by Richard Baxter as an explication of some passages in his former writings, especially his Treatise of episcopacy, misunderstood and misapplied by some, and answering the strongest objections of some of them, especially a book called, Mr. Baxters judgment and reasons against communicating with the parish assemblies, as by law required, and another called, A theological dialogue, or, Catholick communion once more defended, upon mens necessitating importunity / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1684 (1684)	Wing B1452; ESTC R16512	73,103	142

against all malignity that would charge these errors on the innocent for a cloak of hatred and cruelty and oppression that I know not one meer Nonconformist that holdeth any of these errors and I verily believe that the Independents that I am acquainted with are true servants of Christ and many called Anabaptists sober godly Christians and that some called Separatists retain Christian charity and meerly for fear of sinning flye too far from others And as for all the rest it is not mens calling them all Dissenters nor their suffering together that can make the innocent responsible for the faulty who perhaps do more against their mistakes than ever such Accusers did to cure them And I must tell the Abaddons that the opposition that hath been raised against them among those that I was acquainted with before 1641 and 1642 was caused chiefly by the badness of those that made it their trade to preach against strict and serious obedience to God as Puritanism and Hypocrisie and made it the Ladder of their aspiring Ambition to make such odious and to hunt with jealous severity those that used for mutual help in the ways of Salvation to pray together especially if they fasted or consulted how to obey Gods Law Justacting over the part of the Bps that Martin separated from described by Sulpitius Severus rendering all suspected of Priscillianism that were more than others in reading the Scripture Fasting and Praying and clapping on the back with encouragement the Drunkards and prophane ignorant rabble who in every Town were the haters of the godly Conformists and Nonconformists and making these the instruments of their malice and praising them and the multitude of ignorant reading Priests as more worthy Subjects than men fearing God Ri. Hooker in his Preface describeth these and he that readeth his Europae Speculum may know that it was no better Conformists that his most beloved Pup●l Sir Edwin Sandys was against while he was one of the zealous Parliamentarians It 's true that many were very hot against Bishop Laud and the Arminians and against Dr. Heylin and Dr. Pockington for proving Sunday no Sabbath and calling the Table an Altar and the Ministers Priests and the Sacrament a Sacrifice Blame not men that had read of their principles and practice how Rome is a Leech that must live on blood and cannot stand without it if they were afraid of coming thither again or drawing too near it Upon my knowledg the debauchery and malignity of many that hunted them and would not let them stay at home in peace and the terror of two hundred thousand murdered in Ireland was it that drove most that ever I knew into the Parliaments Army And fear doth often drive men to seek for self-defence to that which seemeth next at hand Had those whom they feared been such as their functions obliged them to be men of Holiness Love and Peace they would have been less prejudiced against the rest they bore easily with Dr. Chappel Mr. May●en and some other godly charitable men that were reputed Arminians I here adjoin it to my confessions 1. That I thought worse of that called Arminianism than I should have done and have proved in my Catholick Theology not yet writ against by any that I know of that the difference is not in any great and intolerable error on either side 2. That the practice of them that prophaned the Lords day and the malignity of their abettors made me too much offended at the books that called the Lords day no Sabbath and the Ministers Priests and the Table an Altar and the Sacrament a Sacrifice For I now know that these allegorical Names were usual with the best of the ancient Churches without contradiction And that the Lords Day is indeed never called the Sabbath in the New Testament and that the word Sabbath in the Bible signifieth a day of ceremonial Rest which was a Jewish Ceremony and that all such are by Paul said to be put down and that the Lords Day is a day of holy Assemblies and rejoicing in spiritual Evangelical Worship Ignorance and prejudice in these controversies prevailed not from argument but from the experience of the quality of too many that opposed them They thought it a most improbable thing that God should illuminate vicious worldly haters of Godliness and desert those that most desired to please him And of late times what abundance have been driven from the publick Churches by those that rail at them when they come there and would get the Birds into their Net by throwing stones and bawling at them and would get the fish to take the bait by beating the Waters The Bishop of Worcesters silencing me and preaching as he did and the imprisonment of many of the people after affected my old hearers with so much distast of that sort of men that all the Writings and perswasions I could use would not reconcile them nor scarce keep them from falling out with me for my perswasions And now they have a Worthy Pious preaching Bishop a Man of Love and Peace and a good Minister they all crowd the Church and are like to fall in love with such Bishops And I must testifie that with the generality of the Nonconforming Laity I never found but it was good preaching and good living that won their Love And they will honour and follow such men whether Bishops Conformists or Nonconformists XV. Since the writing of this I understand that some timerous persons have been afraid to communicate in publick or joyn with the Liturgy by hearing that some that have done it have been so troubled in Conscience that they have fallen into despair and a doleful state of trouble To this I answer 1. You shall never prove that I have perswaded any Minister to give Christs body and blood as a Drench to the unwilling or to make the Sacrament of Love the Instrument of Malice or Cruelty or a snare to strangle Souls It must be that Offence must come but wo to them by whom it cometh The old Church made men beg for Church-Communion if any withdraw from it and excommunicate themselves they did not send them to Goal for their Conversion to force them to say that they repent and to force them to Communion 2. But I must say that these Ministers or people that have so ill taught these troubled Souls by Doctrine or Example as to tempt them to take their Duty or a lawful thing for so deadly a sin are far from being guiltless of their Trouble Distraction or Destruction If any should make them believe that it were such a dangerous thing to pray by a Book to sing Davids Psalms to Communicatie with Presbyterians not to be rebaptized not to keep the Saturday Sabbath c. And then when he hath affrighted one to make away himself in melancholy despair should use this instance as an argument to affright away others also from their duty I should think that he were too blame This were

Communicant hath not so much more than I. XXXVI But say they then you are bound to av●●d s●andal by professing openly that you Communicate 〈◊〉 a Dissenter and not with the Church as established by Law Ans 1. Then I should falsly say that which I either think is otherwise or am not resolved in I tell you Few can truly say this if any 2. What need this when the open Profession of all Christians is That it is a Church and Worship of Christs making which they own and intend and none that is against them And when the Articles of the Church of England and the Ordination covenant own Scripture-sufficiency and disclaim all that is against Gods word Must we be supposed to renounce Religion when we meet to profess it And surely for disowning any thing which the Nonconformists judg unlawful all the Books written by them and all the notorious sufferings in twenty two years Ejection and Prosecution are no obscure Notification of their Judgments without speaking it at the Church ●oors or before the Assemblies Must I openly protest against Independency Anabaptistry or Presbytery if I dissent before the face of their Congregations if I will Communicate with them 3. But to stop your demand bef●re I Communicated in the Parish ●hurch where I now am I went to the Incumbent and told him that I would not draw him into danger or intrude against his will I had been ●●iled by the Kings Commission and after by the Lord Keeper to debate about Alteration in the Liturgy and Worship and Discipline and I thought that thereby I wa● by 〈◊〉 6 7 8. ipso facto Excommunicate but not bound to do Execution on my self and therefore if I were separated it should not be my act but I left it to his will He took time and upon advice admitted me Obj. But you must tell them that the Parish Church hath no dependance on the Bishops but as the Kings Officers and that it is Independent and then you fall not under our opposition Ans 1. How many Lawyers and Civilians do openly say as Crompton before Cosins Tables that all Church Government floweth from the King And doth that satisfie you 2. And why must the Parish Church and Pastor needs be Independent Will you have no Communion with Presbyterians 3. And what if it be dependent on the Diocesan as governour tho not as destroyer Is it any more destructive of its Essence than to be governed by a Classis or Council XXXVII As for your telling us W●●m the Canons e●c●mmunicate or 〈◊〉 Lay-chancellors Officials Surrogates Archdeac●ns c. exc●mmunicate what Oaths they imp●se c. tell them of it and not us who are not responsible for other mens deeds It no more concerneth our cause of Parochial Lay-communion than to tell us how bad men some Ministers are nor so much neither For I that willingly joyn in the Liturgy will not willingly if I know it so much as seem to own the Ministry of any man that is notoriously Insufficient Atheistical Heretical or so Malignant or Wicked as to do more hurt than good Avoid such and spare not XXXVIII Obj. They want the Peoples c●nsent and so are no Past●rs Ans The People shew their consent by ordinary Submission and Communion Obj. The People must be supposed to consent to the Law which maketh them no Pastors but the Bishops Curates Ans Both the Suppositions are before confuted both that the People are supposed to consent to any Law against Gods and that the Law maketh Curates to be no Pastors XXXIX To conclude the Objections about the Essence of Parish Churches 1. The question is not Whether there be not a sort of Diocesan Prelacy which nulleth them 2. Nor wh●ther there be not some men in England that write and plead for such Diocesan Churches as have no true Episcop●s pregis much less Episcopus 〈◊〉 under them but are 〈◊〉 Bishops in that Diocess Nor of what number power or interest these men are of against whom I have oft written 3. But whether the Law be on their side or against them for the old Diocesan Government of subordinate Pastors and Churches is to me n●w uncertain I did once incline most to the fi●●t sense of the Law but on sec●nd thoughts hope better of it and am not Lawyer good enough to be certain 4. But if it should be so I verily think ●●e main 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 not to renounce their P●rish ●overnment ●ut only to use it in subordination to the Bishop 5. And I am p●st doubt that all the Communicants of England are neither ●ound to decide this Law-doubt nor to understand it nor to believe that the Law hath altered the Government 6. And if they did believe it they ought to keep on in Church Assemblies according to Christs Law taking all that 's against it as void as long as they are put ●n no sin themselves nor the Church notoriously renounceth its ●ssentials 7. And if they were stated Members of other Churches e.g. the Gre●k the Dutch the French they might ●ccasionally Communicate in our Parishes transiently without examining the Pastors call and discipline but judging by possession and practice 8. And if they should prove no lawfully called Ministers their Office would be valid to those that blamelesly were deceived and knew it not 9. And if they were sure that they were no true Ministers they may joyn with them in all Worship belonging to Lay-Christians 10. But if they prove able godly Ministers of Christ tho faulty setled by Law to the advantage of Religion in a Christian Kingdom where all are commanded thus to maintain national Concord and the upholding those Churches is the very National possession of the Protestant Religion and it goeth for publick Disobedience and Scandal to forsake them and that at a time when many forsake them too for unjust grounds and by suffering for it stand to unwarrantable Accusations of them and sharply Censure those that do not as they and oppugne Peacemakers and all this after the old Nonconformists full Confutation of the Separatists unwarrantable way and the doleful experience of Subversion of all sorts of Government by the Prosecution of such mistakes I say If all this should be the case it is deeply to be considered XL. But the most effectual hindrance is the opinion of unlawfulness in j●yning in the Liturgy yet my last Objectors confess that It is lawful to some and that it is n●t Communion in it much less in all forms which they call unlawful t● all And the sober sort are loth to say t●at the Millions of Christians in England and Scotland who live where they can be in no other Churches should rather like Atheists live without all Church-Worship and local Communion And in gaining this I have gained the better half of what I pleaded for And they confess and so do I that publick Communion may be one mens duty and anot●●rs sin as circumstances vary

Catechism the R●f●rmatio Legum Ec●les the Canons and the licenced books of the Protestant Bishops and Doctors such as Arch-bp Cranmers Bp. H●●pers Arch-bp ●arkers Arch-bp Grin●als Arch-bp Abbots Arch-bp Edward Sandys Arch-bp Whitgift Bp. Pilk●nton Bp. Jewel Bp. Ally Bp. Babingt●n Bp. M●rt●n ●p Hall Bp. Davenant Bp. ●rideaux Bp. Br●wn●ig B. ●otter Bp. Miles Smith Bp. Carl●on Bp Bayly Bp. Parry Bp. C●wper and many more such besides those in Ir●land aforesaid And such ●rs as Dr. Wh●taker Dr Field Dr. Crakenth●●pe Dr. Sutlive Dr. Mas●n Dr. VVhite Dr. ●i●y Dr. Chaloner Dr. VVard Dr. VVillet Dr. Holland and abundance more besides all other old licenced Writers I think that all these do fitlier notify and denominate the Church of Englands Judgment than the Writings of one Irish Arch-Bp and Dr. Hammond and Dr. Gunning since Bp. and a few more such in the points wherein they differ from the rest tho Grotius and their Chaplains be added to the number And now I will add this further evidence in the conclusion besides that as I said before the present Laws put us to abjure alterations and therefore sure they never thought that they so altered the Government themselves that even while they say that the Parishes are no Churches but parcels of Churches and the Priests are no Bps. of the Flock most really acknowledg them the thing that deny the Name And the argument from the definition is stronger than from the Name And here I will but name first the Scripture descriptions of a Bp. and 2. Dr. Hammonds exposition of those Texts 3. And the matter of fact among us The first part of the Bps. office is teaching the flock Under this teaching part 1. the Bishops office is to preach to them 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight Or Episcopacy thereof c. Dr. Hammond The Bps. of your several Churches I exhort Take care of your several Churches and Govern them c. Qust Whom doth the Law require to do more in feeding and guiding the flock The Incubment that preacheth daily or the Bp. that never seeth the most nor ever preacheth to one Flock of many Who are they that are among the Flock the Incumbent that dwells with them or the Bp. that is a stranger to them 1 Thes 5.12 We beseech you brethren to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves Dr. Hammond Pay your Bps. as great a respect as is possible for the pains they have taken among you Qust Who Laboureth among them most in the several parishes publickly and privately The Bp. that never saw them or the Incumbent that layeth out all his Study and Time on them Who are most among them Who most admonisheth them What is meant by among themselves Is it that Lincoln shire Leicester-shire Northamton-shire Buckingham-shire be at peace among themselves from Gainsborough to Oxford-shire or is it not rather that neighbour Christians that see each other so live in peace 1 Tim. 5.17 The elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they tha● labour in the word and doctrine Dr. Hammond Let the Bps. that have discharged that function well receive for their reward twice as much as others have especially those that preach the Gospel to whom it was news and continue to instruct congregatons of Christians in setled Churches Quest On whom doth the law impose most preaching On Bps. or on parish Priests And who doth most of that work Heb. 13. Remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God Dr. Hammond Set before your eyes the Bps. and governours who have been in your Church and preached the Gospel to you Quest Ask the parishes who those be 2 Tim. 4.2 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the qui●k and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and d●●●rine Not only Dr. Hammond but all that are for Prelacy expound this of a Bps office Quest Ask the people who most performs it 2. The Bps Office is also to watch over all the Flock personally by conference instruction counsel admonition exhortation reproof comfort as every one shall need Saith Bp. Jer. Tayl●r Pref. to Treat of Rep. No man can give account of th●se that he knoweth not Acts 20.10 28 31. I taught you publickly and from house to house Take heed t● your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bps to ●eed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears Dr. Hammond Instructing both in the Synagogues and the private Schools and in your several houses whither I also came Wherefore ye that are Bps. or governors of the several Churches Look to your selves and the Churches committed to your trust to Rule and order all the faithful under you Quest Is this done more by the Diocesans or by the Incumbents Do Diocesans teach from house to house from Southwark to Christ-Church from N●wark to Alesbury or Tame Who doth the law appoint to warn every one in the Church from house to house and night and day c. Col. 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as those that must give account Dr. Hamm●nd Obey those that are set to rule over your several Churches the Bps. whose whole care is spent among you as being to give account of your proficiency in the Gospel Q●st Is it the Diocesan or the Incumbent that the law requireth to preach to and warn every man c. And that watch for their Souls as those that must give account Is not the incumbent of this or that parish fitter to watch and give account of each Soul than the Diocesan for a whole Country or many Counties who never saw them Can he do as Ignatius's Bishops that must take notice of all the Church even Servants and Maids 3. The bishops office is to be a visible example to all the flock of Humility Meekness Patience Holiness Charity and good Works Heb. 13.7 Remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversations Dr. Hammond Set before your eyes the Bishops observe their manner of living Quest VVho can observe his example whom he never saw nor know Or who can make an unknown man his pattern Do the fl●cks see more the Incumbents example or the

Christs Name to invest him solemnly in the number of the faithful delivering him a sealed pardon of all his sins and a grant of right to grace and glory Can there be a higher exercise of the Keys Matth. 28.19 20. It is the Apostles work Disciple me all nations baptizing them c. And Dr. Hamm●nd thinketh that in Scripture-time there were no Baptizing Presbyters but Bishops and indeed it is so great a use of the Keys that this chiefly condemneth Laymens and womens Baptizing at least the trying the Catechized and judging of their capacities must needs be the prime great act of Church-Power whatever be said of the execut●●n Now Papists and Protestants generally place this Power in Parochial Incumbents yea and in all other ●resbyters Even those that convert Countreys of Infidels and are under no particular Bishop must baptize and judg of the Catechumens capacity for baptism and are Parish Incumbents denied this Office power of the Keys and is it the Diocesan or they that use it by baptizing Obj. The Canon requireth them to baptize all Infants brought according to law and so not to be the Judges Ans You should say and so command● them how to judge The Magistrate may command men how to do their office-work and yet neither be the maker nor unmaker of the office tho he mistake If Rulers misgovern that 's their sin but the office of Pastors is still the same and we must not misobey but suffer and as B●shop Bilson saith Go on with our work as long as we can 2. And to bid them do more than they would is not to null their power of doing less And to punish a man for his duty is not to di●oblige him from it till it truly disable him 2. A second great exercise of the Church Keys is Ministerially as from Christ to declare his Laws and charge men to obey them both the Church together and particular persons singly As Legislation is the first and great part of Christs Government before Judicature so the Ministerial declaring Christs commands and demanding obedience is the great act of Government The same word therefore comprehendeth feeding and ruling 1 Pet 5.2 3. c. Matth. 24.45 46. Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due sea●●n It is ruling by seasonable feeding 1 Thes 5.12 To be over them is exercised by labouring amongst them and admonishing them 1 Tim. 5.17 Ruling well is nothing greater than labouring in the word and d●ctrine 1 Tim. 3.2 A Bish●p must be apt to teach Dr. Hammond One that is able and ready to communicate to others the knowledg that he him●elf hath Heb. 13.7 ●7 24. Ruling the fl●ck is by teaching and watching over th●m To be the greatest is to be most serviceable to all to be ruled by them is to know them to esteem them highly in love for their works sake to obey Gods word delivered by them and their conduct in mutable circumstances Heb. 13.7 1 Thes 5.12 And to imitate their good examples 1 Pet. 5.3 And what law forbids Incumbents to promulgate Christs commands and charge men to obey them Or to go to any negligent person of his Flock with the same charge or to go to any Drunkard Fornicator Railer and to tell him from God of h●s sin and danger and exhort and command him to repent and amend And who most doth this work among us 3. Another part of Government is to judg professing Christians capable of Sacramental Communi●● and admit them and deliver it them as Christs Ministers b● his com●●●si●● an● from him And therein to renew their publick abso●ution and the●r Co●enant p●i●●ledg and their delivered part in Christ and right to life No●e dare d●●y that this is a high part of the power of the Keys and proper Governme●t to judg who is capable of Church Communion and receive them and deliver them from Christ the pledg of life And all Papists and Protestants almost judg this power essential to the Priesthood and common to all Parochial Incumbents And the Church of England as I said before 1. Delivereth it to them in Ordination 2. Requireth them to catechize and cert●fie for such as shall be confi●med and methinks the Diocesan here useth less of the judicial power than the Incumbent for he doth but lay his hands on them and say a prayer over such as come to him for no man can dream that he can examine all the people in his Diocess so far as to judg whether they are fit for Communion Therefore he is supposed but to execute the judgment of the certifying Incumbent If he take all at a venture without a certificate or knowledg or if the Incumbent be unfaithful I cannot help or excuse that 3. They are required to keep away all that be not confirmed or ready and desirous of it 4. They may hear any just accusation of the scandalous 5. They may admonish him if he will speak with them 6. They may refuse him if obstinate and impenitent 7. They may declare the reason why they do so as Christs Ministers by his Authority and tell the Church their duty to avoid the Communion of such 8. They may bind him over to answer his contumacy at the Bar of God and what of this is denied by the Church to belong to the Incumbents Office and who else is capable of doing this in Parishes that have multitudes of ungodly persons If all this should be made so difficult by the multitude and badness of delinquents or by bad Canons or bad Government of the Church by Diocesans Officials c. and thereby be almost all left undone I cannot help that nor excuse it but what I have said against such doing is too little And if Priests be so bad that they will any where sooner scorn it than practice it at the rate that it must cost them I am as much against such Priests as others are But I will not therefore make the Office of Christ● Ministers the creature of man and mutable at his will nor will I forsake faithful Ministers for the sake of the perfidious no nor for their own tolerable faults or imperfections And now consider seriously 1. Whether there be any essential part of the office of a Pastor denied by that which may justly be called the Church of England to the Parish Incumbents 2. And whether incomparably more of it even of the government of the flocks by the K●ys of Christs Institution be not by Law and Canon required and in fact performed by the said Incumbents than by the Diocesans And whether any use it if they do not If it be alledged that I have in my Treatise of Episcopacy named many instances in which they are deprived of the exercise of the very essentials I still answer that if any shall by misgoverning Canons or practise lay penalties on them that will perform their office these do their part to

destroy it but their sin may consist with the true office that is hindred If we cannot pray without penalty we are yet bound to pray And if any such penalties should prevail with any Ministers to cast off so much of Discipline as is indeed their duty their office is so far destroyed as to its exercise But it is not every ill Council Canon Bishop or Priest of old when they began to be corrupted that changed and nullified the Pastoral Power and Office as from Christ I have repeated things over and over here because I would not be misunderstood nor leave a snare behind me to mislead men The sum again is 1. The Pastoral Office in specie is instituted by Christ and his Spirit therefore the essence of it is unchangeably fixed by him and no Bishops or Churches may change it by pretending they may give Presbyters as their servants what degree or kind of power they please or make the office another thing II. The said office in mutable accidents or circumstances may be altered by Princes Laws or the several Churches Agreements and thus far it is humane Of the Divine sort was the Apostolick and other extraordinary Prophetick offices And the ordinary Presbytery commonly called Priesthood and Elders setled over particular Churches were Episc●pi Gregis Bishops over the flock And of the humane sort is the Presidency of one in every single Church over the rest of the Presbyters who was the Episcopus Presbyterorum a Bishop over the Presbyters of one single Church as well as over the people This was the old Episcopacy of the first three Centuries this is it which I say our Diocesans have put down and we that would have them restored and would have such a Bishop and Assistant Elders in every Church are by the heighth of impudency said to be against Bishops because we would have them restored to each Church tho not as essential to it as hath been thought of old yet as a way of peace to comply with Ant●quity and avoid singularity and they that put down many score or hundred Bishops and instead of them would have but one call themselves Episcopal III. Whether Arch-bps Diocesans as successors of the Apostles in the ministerial care of many Churches by the word and not the sword be of Divine or Human Institution I am in doubt IV. The cogent Power by the Sword is only the Magistrates and if Diocesans appropriate this only they are Magistrates and thereby take none of our office from us V. The ●ssence of the Parish ministerial oversight being of God de specie and the accidents that are mutable from man the existence of the office in individual persons is not without consent of the Pastors so that no man can be a Pastor against or without his will nor yet without a capacity in qualifi●ati●n so that if you prove any person to be uncapabl● or else to have truly disclaimed and renounced the essentials of his office I am not about to perswade you that such a man is a true Pastor VI. But then we must know that indeed it is such an incapacity or renunciation and not a tollerable defect nor subscriptions and Oaths which by unseen consequences may seem to renounce it when the man took them in a sense which renounced it not For tho such a man may greatly sin by taking Oaths or subscriptions in a forced sense which plainly taken would infer worse yet his sin is not a renunciation of the office if he declare that he meant it in a better sence and took it on such mistake for we must not for bare words against mens meaning quibble or dispute our selves into unwarrantable separations out of Christian Communion especially when it is specially necessary VII And if any lay-men or men unauthorized will usurp the Keys or any Councils will make hurtful Canons and hinder men in the work appointed by God we must be faithful and patient and God in due time will judg and decide all causes justly VIII The office-power is essentially related to the work so far as Parochial Incumbents are allowed the work as of Christ they are acknowledged to be Pastors and Bishops of the flocks tho the name were denied them and so far as the Bishops office may be delegated to Lay-men or to Clergy-men of another Order so far it is Humane and not proper to them by Gods Institution They therefore that say All Diocesans Jurisdiction may be so delegated to them that are no Bishops but that the Pastoral Rectorship by Word Sacraments and Keys cannot be delegated to any men that are not of the same office do thereby say as much as that the Diocesan government is of men and may be changed by men but the Pastoral Incumbency is of Christ and cannot be changed The Lord that instituted it protect it and save it from Satans most dangerous assault which is by getting his own servants into it by error and malignity and strife and cruelty to do his work as the Ministers of Righteousness and as by Christs Authority and in his name London Aug. 13. 1684. POSTSCRIPT Aug. 25. 1684. HE that gave me notice of this Book which I answer did withall send me a Manuscript to be privately answered containing the very same things but somewhat enlarged His displeasure against my former mention of his private Writings to me and the Contents made me confident that he would not have any thing Published which I should answer to his last By which I found my self in a notable strait For if he at once privately sent me his reasons and also in another Book Printed them if I should answer his private papers which reason forbad me doing in my condition for his use alone I should judg my self forestalled from answering the Printed Book because the matter being the very same and 't is likely by the same man I should be supposed to have broken the Laws of Civility to have answered his private papers But having no Amanuensis or Scribe to take any Copy of his papers or my own I thought it the best way to return his unanswered they being Written for my use which Reading will as fully serve as answering them but supposing the Printed papers must be answered I inserted also an answer to the strength of all his additionals in the Manuscript And at last he giveth me some notice of his thoughts of publishing the Manuscript or a vindication of it Which falls well for the Readers use that I have answered that Manuscript before it is Published without taking notice of it and s● avoiding wordy altercations The Author professeth himself my great acquaintance Who he is I know not but he seemeth to be a very rational sober man God forbid that I should ever contribute unless duty do it accidentally to the grievance of such men I doubt not but he speaketh as he thinketh And I doubt I have given him occasions by some uncautelous words in my writings I

not by good words and fair speeches but by bad words and deeds to deceive the hearts of the simple in causing divisions and offences 3. I believe I have had with me in my time many scores that have had such melancholly terrors without any such cause and must the matter of their trouble therefore be proved faulty I have known those that for many years could have no peace of mind while they continued Orthodox and Religious and at last hearing Irreligious Sadduces turned ●ilthy and ranters and were never under trouble more that could be perceived but boasted of their peace Who knoweth not that Melancholly maketh many of the most sound and blameless persons like Spira a weary of their lives thorough desparation 4. I can tell these Objectors of eminent ancient godly men that long forbore publick Communion and at last used it and have had more comfort and edification than ever they had before and the more for breaking through all the sharp Censures of their former company in obedience to their Consciences herein And when they have seen a scandalous person with them at the Sacrament have gone with Humility Love and Tears and told him of his sin and danger and had such success as hath comforted them more than avoiding that Communion ever did yea I know those that being threatned by violent Pastors that use Dissenters with rigor have humbly and submissively so pleaded with them from Scripture and experience against that Spirit and Way as hath overcome them and melted them into a more tender and peaceable mind and course A Postscript on a Book of Mr. J. F's SINCE the Writing of all foregoing I have received another Book sent me by J.F. Whether he will be angry if I expound this J. Faldo I cannot tell I read it over to see if there were any thing in it that should change my Judgment But I will not promise to do so by any more such Nor will I so much as tell the Reader what my Judgment said of it in the reading much less write down the Answers which readily offered themselves to my understanding as I went on for it would but more provoke him I see and do the Reader little good unless by helping him to lament the churches case through the infirmities of such as I and he are And the more patiently to bear all our present sufferings by considering how unable we are to agree what to chuse for our selves if we had our wills and how far we should be from desired concord I will not write a Book to contend on the question Whether Mr. Faldo or I be the wiser or better man I am conscious of so much ignorance and badness that if it may edifie the Reader let him think of me as ill as Mr. Faldo and all such men would have him If he have a good cause I wish the Reader may be of his mind If not I find not my self obliged to talk on against such Writers any further for his rescue nor do I think I can say any thing herein which at his rate Mr. Faldo cannot answer I only say that he and such other have satisfied me That the Liturgy-VVorship in the common Lords Day office is comparatively purer than the VVorship of many is like to be who oppose it His Counsel is good to know what the VVorship is before I consent to it I have tried what is in the Liturgy I concurred with many better men 1661 in telling the VVorld how far we could approve or use it I find in it much good and in the ordinary Lords Day common service no fault that should alienate me from conjunction with the Church therein To talk of faults in Baptizing Burial Marrying c is to say nothing to this point I never saw any of these used since I joined with the Church in the Lords-Day VVorship But how to try Mr. F. his VVorship before-hand I know not He saith that if we will be at the cost of it we may have better worship And tho he seem displeased for being called a consenter to my catholick communion either he consented that the Parish-Church-Worship should rather be used than none or else which I suspect when I have read his Book I cannot understand so much as what he is for or against what he meaneth by a Meeting of four whether he take it for a Church I know not I take it not for a Church that hath no Minister or Sacrament And if he know of so many score or hundred thousand Nonconformable Ministers as may guide all the People in England as such Churches of four I do not And if Communion in the Liturgy be simply unlawful it is so to all the Land I think there are millions in the Kings Dominions that can have no other Church-Worship than with the Liturgy at what rate soever they would purchase it If his conceits of my self contradictions were as true as they are false I will tell him other reasons of what he counteth unaccountable than that I wrote one Book in 1659 and another in 1684. I am now 25 years elder than I was then and it s a shame to learn nothing in so many years I am more above all worldly hopes than he is I am past all capacity of them I have less cause of fear than he They will hardly confine me to a Prison narrower than my Bed and Couch My glass is almost run If I be not more apprehensive of my speedy account and it awe me not to own nothing but the truth without dawbing with one extream or other I am much to blame And I have seen some more of the experience of both extremes tho alas I saw too much before And after all comparing all together I leave posterity my thoughts 1. That I had rather the Church had a Liturgy to make all foreknow what Worship they meet for with free prayer also in its place than to have either alone 2. If they must be separated when the Minister is of tryed soundness and ability I had rather have his free prayer alone But for many others I had rather have the Liturgy alone And for instance Mr. Faldo hath oft told me that his Church at Barnet as I twice said before not only omitted but renounced or opposed all singing of Psalms for many years that many of them were of such ill opinions that he was put to much work to save them from being Quakers and at what cost they can now have Church-Meetings when he hath left them I know not For Mr. Faldo to hold up such a Church even to suffering and to write against Communion with the Liturgy where there are able godly Ministers is either erroneous partiality in him or I am blind in my unwilling ignorance To which I further add again that I cannot expect that men Preach sounder Doctrine than they studiously Write nor that they pray more soundly than they preach and if Mr. Faldo and all such Writers so pray and so preach and so live much more if also their Churches have such Maimed Worship as aforesaid and some of them unordained Ministers and many Churches men of many contrary doctrines I take the Common-prayer Book Worship and Communion to be much purer than theirs The Lord make our successors wiser better and more peaceable than we are FINIS § 1.