hath been formerly of a contrary perswasion I do not mean only when he was Ordained by a Bishop and did or ought to swear Canonical Obedience to him as his Lawful Governour but in his more mature and serious Age when he had studied the controversie I mean in his Christian Directory p. 127. part 7. Where having proved the particular Orders of Presbyters and Deacons He gives his reasons for a larger Episcopacy as the Margin tells you And N. 4. Thus he says Besides this in the Apostles days there were under Christ in the Vniversal Church many general Officers that had the care of Governing and Overseeing Churches up and down and were fixed by stated relation unto none Such were the Apostles Evangelists and many of their helpers in their days And most Christian Churches think that though the Apostolical extraordinary Gifts Priviledges and Offices cease yet Government being an ordinary part of their work the same Forms of Government which Christ and the Holy Ghost did settle in the first Age were settled for all following Ages though not with the same extraordinary gifts and adjuncts Because 1. We read of the settling of that Form viz. General Officers as well as Particular but we never read of any Abolition Discharge or Cessation of the Institution 2. Because if we affirm a Cessation without proof we seem to accuse God of Mutability as settling one Form of Government for one Age only and no longer 3. And we leave room for audacious Wits accordingly to question other Gospel-Institutions as Pastors Sacraments c. and to say that they were but for an Age. 4. It was General Officers that Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 Now this will hold true or not says Mr. Baxter If not then this general Ministry is to be numbred with humane Additions to be next treated of If it do then there is another part of the Form of Government proved to be of Divine Institution I say not another Church but another part of the Government of both Churches Vniversal and Particular because such General Officers are so in the Vniversal as to have a general Oversight of the particular As an Army is Headed only by the General himself and a Regiment by the Colonel and a Troop by the Captain but the General Officers of the Army as the Lieutenants General the Majors General c. are under the Lord General in and over the Army and have a general over-sight of the particular Bodies Regiments and Troops Now if this be the Instituted Form of Christs Church-Government that he himself rule absolutely as General and that he have some General Officers under him not any one having the charge of the whole but in the whole unfixedly or as they voluntarily part their Provinces and that each particular Church have their own proper Pastor one or more then who can say that no Form of Church Government is of Divine appointment or command So far Mr. Baxter with whom I find other Non-conformists to agree in the Notion of Diocesan Bishops which is enough not only to confute this Objection against the Order of Bishops but all that Mr. Baxter hath said in his late Writing against the Constitution of National Churches and the Government of Diocesans with so much partiality and passion And though Mr. Baxter deny it here that having diligently read the Holy Scriptures and Ancient Authors yet Three Orders and Offices are not evident to him yet it is evident he hath proved it solidly enough even from the Scripture alone to which whoever shall joyn the Practice and Testimony of the Primitive Church as a help to explain the sense of the Scripture must needs be perswaded of the Truth of these Three Orders in the Church of Christ and therefore this Objection from the Preface to the Book of Ordination is of no weight In all the fardle of Mr. Baxters impertinencies there is not a more trifling Objection than that which follows against the Bishops inviting the people in the Name of God to come forth and shew what Crime or Impediment they know in the Persons to be Ordained p. 196. For seeing no Person is to be Ordained without a Title to some Cure seeing there are solemn days set apart for Ordination and Prayers ordered to be Used the preceding Week-days for Gods Blessing on that Ordinance seeing every Person is to produce Testimonials under the hands of Three Persons to whom he is known of his Life and Conversation seeing any person may if he please be present at the Ordination and the Bishop may personally enquire into his Ministerial abilities I know not what further caution is necessary than to pronounce a Liberty to the people who generally meet on that occasion in the greatest Congregations and in publick Places to come forth and shew if they know any impediment in the Person to be Ordained upon which I my self have known several Persons to be repulsed in the Face of the Congregation and when the Ordained Person is to continue a Deacon for a year before he is admitted a Presbyter the people have a competent time to inform the Bishop of any Crime that they know by him which may render him an unfit Person without such a call from the Bishop which is but Abundans Cautela P. 197. He objects against these words in the Form of Consecration Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office and Work of a Priest c. The doubt is saith Mr. Baxter whether this be not an abuse of the words which Christ himself or his Apostles used and so not to be Assented to Now Mr. Baxter grants that Christ or his Apostles used these words that our Saviour used them and when is very observable It was after his Resurrection and before his Ascension that our Saviour endowed his Apostles with this Ministerial Power saying unto them Receive the Holy Ghost which could not be meant of any extraordinary Power of Tongues and Miracles which were not given till Christ was first glorified when the Day of Pentecost was fully come The Power therefore conveyed by these words was an Authorizing of them to the ordinary work of the Ministry as the following words do inforce whose Sins ye remit they are remitted and this Power Mr. Baxter grants to belong to every Minister That the Apostles of our Lord did use the same words is probable from that expression of St. Paul Acts 20.28 Take heed to your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you over seers And Mr. Baxter complains that too little notice is taken of the Holy Ghosts setting Pastors over the Flocks which the Scripture mentioneth p. 310. Which is a conveying of that Authority which Christ at his Ascension left to his Church he gave some Apostles some Prophets c. for the work of the Ministry Eph. 4.11 12. v. 13. Till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith c. P. 198. He excepts
the beginning Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith And the Catholick Faith is this c. And in the end This is the Catholick Faith which except a Man believe faithfully he cannot be saved Answer if our Assent be required only to the Use of this Creed and not to a belief of the Truth of every part of it the controversie will be at an end Secondly The Belief of things as necessary to Salvation is granted by Non-conformists to be not an Assent to the several Phrases and obscure Words but to the general sense contained in them Now the sense of our Church in proposing this Creed may be judged by the Use which she makes of the Apostles Creed not only in the daily Profession of it but in the Office of Baptism as containing all the necessary points of Faith into which we are Baptized And in the Catechism as containing all the Articles of the Christian Faith which doth shew that no more is required as necessary to Salvation than what is contained in the Apostles Creed Thirdly In this Creed some things are propounded as necessary points of Faith which Men of weak judgments may apprehend as that we Worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity Other things are for a clearer explication of that Doctrin and vindication of it from the errors that were then risen in the Church as the Arrians and Nestorians who erred concerning the Divinity of Christ and his two Natures which begin thus For there is one Person of the Father c. After which followeth the necessary Doctrine again So that in all things as is aforesaid the Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is to be Worshipped He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity So that the Doctrine of the Trinity is that Faith which is proposed as necessary to Salvation I know the exception of many against this Creed is in relation to the Heathen who seem by it to be excluded from Salvation In which respect I suppose it is that Mr. Baxter says p. 191. That some R. Reverend Conformists do profess that those Sentences are untrue and not to be approved and he instanceth somewhere in Mr. Chillingworths refusal to subscribe it But if this be the ground of the Exception I conceive that the generality of the Non-conformists who maintain the same Opinion which is consonant to the Scriptures and to the Assemblies Confession of Faith to which Mr. Baxter also hath declared his Assent in this particular will not oppose For in the Assemblies Confession C. 10. Article 4. concerning effectual calling they say That Men not professing the Christian Religion cannot be saved in any way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their Lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess and to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested And I know some Non-conformists have lately blamed some Conformists for seeming to incline to the contrary Opinion Which if this be sense of the Creed our Church doth explode yet some Non-conformists think that by holding the Doctrine of the Athanasian Creed they do not judge the Heathen World and that they dobut not but in every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him so that this obloquie is silenced But it is most probable that Athanasius intended the Explanatory part of the Creed against the Arrians and other Hereticks in the Church who if they denied the Divinity of Christ and dyed in that error who can think they can be saved seeing they make Christ a meer Creature and overthrow the Doctrine of our Redemption by him But that he should condemn all that have a true though but a weak Faith in the Holy Trinity and cannot comprehend the manner of the Eternal Generation of the Son the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the Co-equality of the Trinity cannot be thought to have been the Mind of Athanasius P. 192. N. 20. The Liturgy saith All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer privately or openly not being lett by sickness or some other urgent cause c. Answ That the Primitive Christians did meet daily not only for publick Prayers but to receive the Sacrament is believed and that it is our duty to Pray Morning and Evening cannot be denyed and what should hinder but that such as are specially devoted to the Service of God should Pray openly with the people if not reasonably hindred or at least pray privately for them there are many that do their duty herein and if all did it would be better with us because all Men do not perform their Baptismal Vows is it fit that none such should be made we see this duty is performed in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and in many other places where there is a liberal maintenance provided for the Priests and Deacons where though one only do Officiate yet all those that are present may say the daily Prayers as the Liturgy requires which is another frivolous Objection of Mr. Baxters p. 192. n. 3. The next is a Calumny against the whole Liturgy viz. that the Prayers are disorderly and defective not Formed according to the Order of Matter nor of the Lords Prayer but like an immethodical Sermon which is unsuitable to the High Subjects and Honorable Work of Holy Worship and that the Non-conformists have Offered when it shall be well accepted to give in a Catalogue of the disorders and defects of the Liturgy But all this notwithstanding they think it lawful to Use the Liturgy in Obedience or for Unity or when no better may be Used It is something to go thus far but if they would impartially consider the defects and confusions which were in the Directory as it hath been considered by Doctor Hammond or in Mr. Baxters Eight days exploit for a more correct Nepenthes and shall on the other side read that account which Mr. Comber and others have given of the Methodical order and dependance of the several Prayers and Offices the Grave and Scriptural Phrases and Expressions in the Liturgy he may perceive that this is fitter to guide the Devotion of the Universal Church than those other are for Country Conventicles P. 194. He excepts against the Preface to the Book of Ordination where it is said that It is evident to all Men diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders in Christs Church Bishops Priests and Deacons as several Offices Answ I shall not trouble my Readers with the Arguments of Learned Men for the Order of Bishops in the Church ever since the Apostles days as distinct from Presbyters much less shall I repeat those uncomely Reflections which Mr. Baxter hath made on Diocesan Bishops in both his late Books It may suffice in Answer to this Objection that Mr. Baxter
Either saith he it is a part of the Contents or not If not we must not consent to that falshood that it is If it is O far be it from us that believe a God a Judgment a Life to come and the sacred Scriptures to Assent and Consent to that Act with all its penalties silencing and ruining such as Conform not Answ The Act for Uniformity naming the Book of Common-Prayer always names that Book as distinct from it self and as a thing annexed to it and if the Parliament had injoyned the Use of some New Translation of the Bible and prefixed their Act to that Translation and required our Use of the same under penalties our Assent to such an Act could not suppose the Act it self to be a part of the Canonical Books Secondly The design of the Act in these words To the intent that every person may certainly know the Rule to which he is to Conform in Publick Worship and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England c. be it Enacted c. Plainly shews what are the parts to the use of which we are to declare our Assent which particulars are Enumerated more than once but not a word of the Act for Uniformity or the Act 1. Eliz. which in the Contents is mentioned with it whereof Mr. Baxter ought to be minded for under the Contents of the Book the First thing mentioned is The Acts in the Plural for Vniformity of Common-Prayer whence I argue If the Parliament intended that this last Act should be taken as a part of the Common-Prayer Book because it is in the Contents for the same Reason it may be thought they intended that other Act 1. Eliz. to be a part also which were very unreasonable For then we must subscribe our Assent to the use of Two Common-Prayer Books viz the Old and the New 3. That Act of Queen Elizabeth explains what is meant by Open or Common Prayer By Open Prayer in and throughout this Act is meant that Prayer which is for others to come unto or hear either in common Churches or Chappels or Oratories commonly called the Service of the Church and the intent of that Act was that no Minister should refuse to Vse the said Common-Prayers and Administer the Sacraments in such Order and Form as they are mentioned in the said Book or willfully or obstinately standing in the same Use any other Rite Ceremony Order Form or manner of Celebrating the Lords Supper c. than is mentioned in the said Book This Act was Printed probably to give Light to the other and to shew that the same thing was formerly required of Ministers And if the Conformists heretofore did not take that Act to be part of the Common-Prayer Book then there is no reason why they should take the New Act to be a part of the New Book 4. The Book of Common-Prayer was compleat before the Act was made it was first presented to the King who approving it offered it to the Parliament who approved of it and afterwards made their Act for Uniformity in the Use thereof And whoever gathered the Contents of the Book did no more intend to have all things named therein to be parts of the Book than they that set forth the Bible with Contents to the Chapters and Psalms intended that we should take those Contents for Canonical Scripture The Contents of Ps 149. says the Prophet exhorteth to praise God for that Power which he hath given to the Church over the Consciences of Men. But that is no part of the Text neither the Acts Prefaces Rubricks c. which come not into Use in the Administration of Prayer Sacraments c. any part of that Book to the Use whereof we give our Assent and Consent This Act doth exclude the Use of any other Forms when it injoyns those prescribed in the Book for publick Worship but it doth not include those previous Acts Prefaces and Instructions which only tend to justify and inforce the Use of the Common-Prayer But Mr. Baxters Dilemma may be answered to the advantage of Conformity thus Either the Acts for Uniformity and the Prefaces are parts of the Book to which our Assent is required or not if not then our Assent to them is not required if they be then our Assent will be more facile upon this account First because in that Preface concerning the Service of the Church it is thus said for as much as nothing can be so plainly set forth but doubts may arise in the Vse and Practise of the same to appease all such diversity if any arise and for the resolution of all doubts concerning the manner how to understand do and execute the things contained in this Book the Parties that so doubt or diversly take any thing shall always resort to the Bishop of the Diocess who by his discretion shall take order for the quieting and appeasing of the same so that the same order be not contrary to any thing contained in this Book And if the Bishop of the Diocess be in doubt then he may send for Resolution thereof to the Arch-Bishop Here is a way opened to such as think that the Acts and Prefaces are to be Assented to to clear their doubts to their satisfaction the several Bishops within their Diocess have a Power by Law to explain any doubts that may arise concerning the Use and Practise of Uniformity and their determinations are declared to be as Valid as the Law it self Now doubtless if sober Dissenters did consult their Diocesans in such Cases as concern their Practise in the publick Worship they might easily obtain satisfaction Again it is said in the Preface before the Liturgy We are fully perswaded in our Judgments and we here profess it to the World that the Book as it stood before established by Law doth not contain in it any thing contrary to the Word of God or to sound Doctrin or which a Godly Man may not with a good Conscience use and submit unto or which is not fairly defensible against any that shall oppose the same if it be allowed such just and favourable Construction as in common equity ought to be allowed to all humane Writings especially such as are set forth by authority and even to the best Translations of the Holy Scripture it self If these Mitigations be admitted a great many of the Objections made by Mr. Baxter and others would vanish And if they be not admitted Mr. Baxter himself will grant that they cannot safely subscribe this Assent and Consent to all things contained in the Bible according to any Translation But says he if they might but say we Assent to all things contained that are not by humane frailty mistaken they would soon conform herein See the Plea p. 166. Now the Church of England declares here and in the Preface to the Articles 1564. that they prescribe not these Rules as Laws equivalent with the Word of God and as of
Sections and this is the result of all If every Pastor might be a Bishop in his Parish Independent and free from any Superiour to controul him if he may have an arbitrary power if they may be arbitrary in exercise of the power of the Keys without appeal such as he says p. 265. the Jews had where there was a Village of Ten Persons there was a Presbyter that had power of Judging Offenders Then we should be so far says he from using the controversie about the Divine Right of Episcopacy as a distinct Order from Presbyters to any Schisme or injury to the Church as hitherto they have done that we should thankfully contribute our best endeavours to the Concord Peace Safety and Prosperity thereof i. e. they would give the Bishops leave to exercise their Authority in Vtopia having provided that they shall have nothing to do in England But the Magistrates must yield to them also Might we be freed from Swearing Subscribing Declaring and Covenanting unnecessary things which we take not to be true and from some few unnecessary practices which we cannot justify And if they might have power of Ordaining such as they please and of Confirming the Adult not according to the Order of the Church of England for that comes too near to Popery but according to Mr. Baxters or Mr. Hanmers Model that is May the power of altering the Laws in Church and State then and not till then when these necessary terms are granted they will serve the Church so modelled in poverty and raggs But of so great a mercy says he experience hath made our hopes from Men to be very small and the Reason of the thing makes our hopes as small of the happiness of the Church of England till God Unite us on these necessary terms To what great streights do some Men reduce themselves that they cannot live unless they Rob and ruine their neighbours subvert whole Churches and Kingdoms and grasp all Power and Authority over the Bodies and Consciences of their Brethren into their own hands Did ever any Bishop aspire to such Tyranny as this the Pope only excepted is not the King and whole Nation greatly Culpable not to trust themselves with the Ingenuity of this people of whose Loyalty and Charity they have had such experience and is it not pitty that they should be constrained to attempt these things against Law when they so humbly desire to have them established by Law and when the reason of the thing i. e. their resolution to have it so it being their great concern as he calls it makes the hopes of the happiness of the Church of England to be very small which Men so resolved as they are may foretel as Mr. Baxter doth without a Spirit of Prophecy Sect. 2. p. 207. Mr. Baxter proceeds to the second part of Conformity which he calls Re-ordination and says it was either intended as a second Ordination or not If yea it is a thing condemned by the ancient Churches by the Canons called the Apostles c. If not then they take such Mens former Ordination to be Null and consequently all such Churches to be no Churches their Baptizings and Consecration of the Lords Supper c. to be Null Answ Although the Ordination by Presbyters alone especially when it hath been done in opposition to * P. 237. of the five Disputations We Ordain not presente but Spreto Episcopo and Contempt of Bishops hath been ever condemned in the Church and the validity thereof is still questioned yet granting it to be valid a Submission to Episcopal Ordination is no renouncing of that which was performed by Presbyters no more than the submission of the Disciples of John who had been Baptized by him with the Baptism of Repentance to the Baptism of Christ Nor doth the Law any where require them to declare that their former Ordination was Null because then it would have pronounced their Baptizings and other Ministerial Offices to be Null if therefore we did juge as charitably of our Legislators as we ought and Interpret the Laws by the practice we cannot find any such thing as Re-ordination intended For first the word is no where mentioned but the Ordination required is to qualify them for the exercise of their Ministry in the Church of England and to capacitate them for it Thus in the Preface to the Book of Ordination it is said None shall be taken as Ministers of the Church of England but who are so Ordained It denyeth not but they may be Ministers elsewhere and the Act for Vniformity renders them uncapable of any Parsonage Vicaridge c. in the Church of England But the same Act allows of the Ministers Presbyterially Ordained in other Reformed Churches to exercise their Ministry here by His Majesties Authority Yea the same Parliament permits them to meet and exercise many Ministerial duties so that the number above that of their own Families do not exceed Five and Mr. Baxter knows that the most eminent Divines of our Church ever held the Ordination by Presbyters in forraign Churches to be lawful 2. It is Mr. Baxters Opinion that the outward part of Ordination may be repeated Directory l. 3. Q. 21. And that the Ordainer doth but Ministerially invest the person with Power whom the Spirit of God hath qualified for it by the Inward Call now the Inward Call being the Essential part as he accounts and the Ministerial Investiture of the person with power being the outward part P. 311. of the Plea I see no reason why one Ordained by Presbyters may not submit to Episcopal Ordination by his own Argument Yea Mr. Baxter there affirmes That the mutual consent of the people and themselves may suffice to the orderly admittance into the Office especially if the Magistrate consent and the Ordainers should refuse For which see more in his Dispute of Ordination from whence I propose this case suppose a person fitly qualified for Parts and Piety Chosen and Ordained a Minister by an Independent or Anabaptistical people should afterward submit himself to Presbyterial Ordination I doubt not but the Presbyters would think it lawful to Ordain him and I believe they would not admit him into their Churches without such Ordination which may justifie our Superiours in requiring that they who will be admitted Ministers of the Church of England should be Episcopally Ordained For here is nothing repeated but the outward part or Ceremony of Investiture which by Mr. Baxters Confession may be repeated and is no more than the Marriage of such by a Minister who had been Married before by a Justice of Peace Or as he makes another Comparison it is no more than if a person very expert in Physick should practice without a License Upon which he tells you a story of his great success in Physick which he practiced many years gratis and saved the Lives of multitudes p. 78. of the Third part of the way of Concord and yet he there grants that it