our Learning In the end of p. 17. and in 18. he lays to my charge that I distinguished not betwixt the extraordinary power which was properly Apostolical and that ordinary Pastoral Power which was eminently comprehended in the other The Authority and Government of the Church must have expired with the Apostles had not this Power been conveyed by their Delegation to their Successors by virtue whereof the ordinary Pastoral power viz. Power to Preach the Gospel Administer Sacraments Absolve Penitents c. was and is confer'd upon the Presbyters the extraordinary and Apostolic Power of Ordaining and Governing of Binding and Loosing being intirely reserved in the Bishop the Apostles Successors and this too of the ordinary Pasteral power is to use his own words eâ—inently comprehended in the Diocesan Bishops as it was in the Apostles Other distinction than this cannot be truly made as I suppose Then he maliciously mentions the Arch-bishop of Canterâ—ury what Christian temper or good manners he shews therein let the Reader judge For it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People The Nature and Extent of the Episcopal Office being fuily stated answers what he saith in the bottom of his 18 p. He says Dr. Hammond tells us that all the Elders we read of in the Scripture were Bishops and that every particular Church had one of these This Gent. has this quality he never mentions the place where the thing may be sound in any Author he quotes which is not fair Dr. Hammond says indeed That the Bishops in every City were the Successors of the Apostles Dissert 3 c. 3. In his Anot. on Acts c. 11. b. and in his Tracts of the Power of the Keys Asian Bishops called Angels and Bishop and Elder terms equivalent which were written in Vindication of his Dissertations from the exceptions of the Assembly of Divines as they were called wherein he has by Scripture the Primitive Fathers and undeniable Arguments evinced to the silenceing of the Assemblers that the word Bishop in Scripture did always signifie a Prelate or a Diocesan Bishop and that the word Elder had the same signification so that if this Gent. will be concluded by the Author he has cited his pretentions to Parochial and Congregational Bishops are at an end P. 19. he says t is pritty to hear him say these two that is Timothy and Titus were ordained Bishops by the Apostles was there any Apostle concerned besides Paul in it Here lies the trick c. Whether they were Ordained by St. Paul alone or with others conjunct it was all one being I was only to prove that their being Ordained Bishops was by Apostolic power which being done thô by St. Paul alone is sufficient Nothing but prejudice and ill nature could see any thing of a Trick in this Then he puts the Question and how pray could Timothy and Titus succeed the Apostles in the See of Ephesus and Crete whilst the Apostles were living And then he is pleased in his 20 p. to Droll and scoff at 'em and then says to be the Apostles Successors the Apostles yet alive and in plenitude of Power is a very great Mystery so is all the Gospel then he closes making himself merry with the ignorance of a Vicar of Newport who by the way is said to have been a Nonconformist which in a matter so momentous carries too much levity for a Minister of the Gospel I said in my p. 3. this Apostolical Succession was begun in Timothy and Titus c. They could not have been said to be Successors of Apostolical power if the Apostle moved by the Holy Ghost had not whilst living confer'd it on them could the Apostle have Ordained them after he was dead The Apostle by Ordaining them in his life time secured the Succession to them and the Government too in the Apostles absence even whilest he was living so that it was not improperly said that this Apostolic power was begun in Timothy and Titus they being the first mentioned in Scripture who were invested with Episcopal power of Jurisdiction by Apostolical Ordination that this Succession of Bishops is as he scossingly calls it a very great Mystery is very true the Bishops being by virtue of this Succession as truly the Representatives of Christ Jesus as Ambassadors are of Kings In p. 20. he says I affirmed that no Presbyters had power to Ordain He desires me to try how I will reconcile this with Dr. Hammond who says these Presbyters were all Bishops 1 Tim. 4.14 or with Scripture it self that says even Timothy received the Gift by the laying on the Hands of the Presbitery I have try'd and find it easily reconciled with Dr. Hammond for his Judgment is that those Presbyters who joyn'd in that Ordination were Apostles which you may see in his Paraphrase on the above-mentioned Scripture and he refers to Note on Acts chap. 11. f. for his reasons Mere Presbyters a â—umea power to Ordain first found in the Church of Rome The first clear Instance of mere Presbyters assuming the power to Ordain is to be found in the Church of Rome as the learned Primate Bramhal tells us p. 164. and in p. 431. he saith We may justly ascribe the reviveing of the Aerian Heresy to the Dispensations of the Court of Rome who Licensed Ordinary Priests to Ordain and Confirm c. In p. 20. he further saith for propagation of Apostolical Succession c. I inform 'em that Linus by Apostolical Consecration Succeeded the Apostles in the See of Rome here is a double blunder again Linus succeeded whilst the Apostles were alive How else could he have Apostolical Consecration c. The best way to determin this is to observe the Rule which in great Wisdom our Law hath appointed for Jurors to bring in their Verdict according to their best Evidence The best Evidence in this Case are the writings of the Fathers who lived in the next Age among whom Irenaeus is accounted the most exact Notary of the Succession of Bishops to the Apostolic Sees L. 3. C. 3. he affirms that Linus was made Bishop by the Apostles and that he Succeeded St. Peter in the See of Rome and that next after him Cletus by some called Anen Cletus Succeeded in that See and with him ‖ Lib. 1. adv Her Sect. 6. Epiphanius agrees and with these diverse others now this is so far from being a blunder that it is a clear Manifestation of the great care the Apostles had of providing for the Succession in their life time which no man can object against much less profanely Ridicule as my Adversary does who will consider that otherwise the Succession must have failed and been extinct if neglected whil'st the Apostles lived In the 21 p. at the bottom he saith That my affirming that this line of Apostolic Succession of Bishops hath continued in all Ages to this present time Succession of Bishops from the Apostles without
A little further he saith For some in â—eed there are who own the Bishop in name but do all things without him such men appear to me to â—e men of no good Conference because they hold Meetings not established by Commandment c. I could heap up many more Instances but that would be tedious I will therefore conclude with the Council of I aodicea Can. 55. which I find by an eminent Doctor in our Church thus Translated The Presbyters must do nothing without the Consent of the Bishop That the Authority I have brought to prove that the ancient Goverment of the Christian Church was by Bishops and that it was an Order Superior and had power of Jurisdiction over the Presbyters and Deacons should be undeniably and firmly receiv'd and Submitted to by all Christians I offer these Reasons 1 First It was this same Authority which gather'd all the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles and declar'd them to be the word of God the dictates of the Holy Ghost and all Christians have so receiv'd them and do hold them to be Canonical and use them and reverence them as such to this very day 2 It was by the same Authority that the first day of the week was Declared to be the Lords Day there being no Precept Commanding it in Scripture and all Christians have yeilded Obedience to it and do set apart that Day to Celebrate the Worship of God in a most Solemn manner as if Commanded by Holy Scripture 3 And lastly this Authority of the Ancient Fathers and first General Councils which affirm the Government of the Church to be Episcopacy is one great means by which the Pious and Learned Divines of our Church if this Gent. will give me leave to call 'em so have clearly evinced and discoverd the Innovations and Corruptions imposed by the Church of Rome on all in her Communion to be fictitious and no way agreeing with the practice of the Primitive Church Now if upon the Authority of the Primitive Fathers and Councils Obedience was universally given to acknowledge and receive the New Testament as the Word of God and the Lords day celebrated as if commanded by Divine Precept which is infallibly true Is it reasonable now to dispute their Writings and Decrees their practice and usage concerning the nature of the Government of the Church which they were fully assured was established by the Apostles themselves And now I return to wait upon this unknown Gentleman In his 2. p. he says Some have fancied the severe Execution of Penal Laws by Fines Imprisonment Exile c. would have put an end to that Separation c. but Experience hath convinced them of a quite contrary effect This Gent. will carry all before him if credited I could certainly procure a Certificate under some hundreds of Hands of very Honest and Good men in Chester that the Penal Laws when executed there had brought all the Presbyterians except a very small inconsiderable number to Conformity ay and one of the oldest and stoutest of them acknowledged to the Rector of the Parish he liv'd in that he viz. the Rector had so throughly satisfied him that he did not partake at the Eucharist out of fear of the Law but for the satisfaction of his Conscience and that he would continue to do so but no sooner came the Indulgence out but this old Puritan and pretended Convert set the Church at defiance and with many more of that Tribe returned to their Separation and thus it was said to be in most part of England it 's certain that had not that Indulgence come out in King Charles the Second's time which was procured by the Duke of York for some special Service designed by him for the Romish Church there had been but a few in Conventicles except Anabaptists and Quakers who are incorriâ—aâ—le and above all others hardned almost beyond hope and yet this Gent. so confidently affirms that the Penal I aâ—s by experience had a quite contrary Espect which is much more bold than true In his 2 pag. he says further Others have persâ—aded themselves when ever such enforcements were laid â—â—â—e the controverted Ceremonies would of course fall into Contempt for being by acknowledgment things purely indifferent c. without any native worth or strength they cannot be rationally supposed to stand any longer than they had those external props to bear them up And erâ—in they have not been altogether disapoâ—nted for they hear of five or six of the Clergy and those not of the me â—â—est sort that have châ—sen to quit their preserments 〈…〉 ease of their Consciences c. To he 〈…〉 he says some had I shall again oppose matter of Fact the 〈…〉 times of â—â—â—rpa son which 〈◊〉 â—ed more than Twelve years all which 〈…〉 â—afâ—rcâ—â—â—aâ—s were laid and and the external props were 〈◊〉 and yet even â—â—en the far greater 〈◊〉 of the best people 〈…〉 persevere in their Affection and Communion with the Church of 〈◊〉 man are the great care taken by the then Rulers the 〈…〉 Parliament as then call'd required that no person should have a 〈…〉 Book found in Custody upon pain of being Indicted and Fâ—â—â—d at the pleasure of the then Judges who were their implacable Enemies here the Enforcements were thought necessary on the other fide and the vast numbers of these who retain'd Communion with the Church notwithstanding the Enforcements to the contrary appear'd with hearts full of Joy and Gratitude upon the Restâ—â—ration As for the Five or Six of the Clerâ—â— who he says are gone from us and are none of the meanist I know not who he means had they been Eminent men we should have heard of 'em this is trifling or I can tell him of Dr. Dillinghâ—m Vice Chancellor Dr. Connant Rector of Exeter Colledge Vice Chancellor and Regis Protessor of Divinity and many more thô he perhaps is asham'd to name our Diserters of th' other party who Conform'd notwithstanding the Indulgence In p. 3. he saith That since neither Disputing nor Penal Laws have hitherto brought English Protestants to an exact Vniformity it is worth every honest mans Enquiry how under these different Modes of Worship all men may be induced to live quiet and peaceable lives c. The Apostles Rule is 1 Cor. 1 10. Now I beseech you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that 〈◊〉 all speak the same things and that there be no Divisions among you different Mâ—des of Worship are here forbidden and an exact Vniformity in the Church of Corinth requir'd and I hope that this Gent. will not deny that this Rule is in force in the Church of 〈◊〉 lanâ— and if this Gent. would press this Doctrin he needs not puzzle men with any farther Enâ—â—â—ry how they may be induc'd to live quiet and peaceable lives And I presume here to tell him that against such who will not live quiet and peaceable lives there are Penal Laws still in force And this answers his
interruption to this Age. is saith he an assertion without the least shaddow of proof yea contrary to the acknowledgment of all Church Historians If this Gent had mentioned where any Church Historian of Credit is of his Opinion and shewed when any interruption happened he had done something for the support of his opinion But let him examine from this present age to the days of Lucius King of the Northumbers who is credibly said to be the first King that Embraced the Christian Faith in this Isle and if he can assign one Breach of this Succession he out does his predecessors but if not he stands guilty of bringing a false Accusation against all truly Catholic Churches For not only the Church of England but all other Established Catholic Churches do assert the Succession of their Bishops to descend from the Apostles And it is in every Diocess as sacredly Recorded as the Succession of Rings and Emperors to their Thrones But in p. 22 he says The very Papists themselves confess that there are insuperable difficulties about the Succession of Popes in the Roman See My Adversary would rebuke such boldness in me I never discoursed with any of that Church who did not zealously assirm the Succession and I believe they may challenge him to name any of them or shew any Books of theirs wherein he can find such a Confession as he alledgeth In the days of Valentinian there was great strife about the Claim of that See yet none was put into possession who had not Episcopal Consecration in which respect the Episcopal Succession was preserved so that the insuperable difficulties are but his bare Allegation But pray how can there be a Priest without this Line of Apostolic Succession Can a man receive Priestly i. e. Spiritual Power by laying on of the hands of them who have not Power to confer it it is St. Pauls question Rom. 10.14 15. how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent c. which is a strong affirmation that no man ought to preach without Divine Mission The great Bishop of our Souls was sent of God the Apostles received their Mission from him and no man can say he is sent that is can truly be a Minister of the Gospel who hath not Apostolical Mission and no man hath power to send who hath not received it by Succession from the Apostles and this Succession must be by an uninterrupted Line from the Apostles or it ceases to be Divine so that the absolute necessity of an uninterrupted Line is a sufficient reason to prove it And now I may affirm that great Catholic truth it remaining firm and unshaken set down in my former paper p. 3. viz. who ever he be that is out of this Line of Apostolic Succession and Exercises any Ministerial Office without the Commission of Episcopal Ordination can be no more or other then a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic and that without exposing Christianity it self as he says p. 23. I do or without leaving the Consciences of all the men in the World at an utter uncertainty whether they have a true Ministry or true Ordinances or no for there is no other way wherein a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances can be found and this is so far from Leaving mens Consciences at an uncertainty that it is the only foundation of certainty and assurance of a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances and from whence we receive real comfort in the Participation for other Foundation saith Saint Paul can no man lay than that is already lay'd which is Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 3. vers 11. Jesus Christ hath founded his Church upon the Holy Apostles and so as not to be demolished or expire with their lives but to continue firm in their Successors to the end of the World to deny this is both to distrust the power and providence of God and to make void the promise of our Lord made Mat. 28.20 But this my Adversary does for says he in p. 24. in how many Cases may this Line be broken and all the Apostolic power conveyed there be spilt and lost c. Is not this mans Faith too weak in the power of God and in the promise of his Son Which is that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. 16.18 that is his Church and shall the devices of men out do the Gates of Hell shall the fancy of this man and his Brethren over-throw that against which God hath promised the powers of Hell shall not prevail And because these men infatuated by Error despise this Church whose Foundation was laid by the blessed Jesus and hath the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to her must she be made a Prey and a Sacrifice to the blind Ignorance Pride and Lusts of these mens minds to make way for the Whimsy and Invention of man not known or heard of in the Church of Fourteen hundred years Must the power of Preaching the Gospel Absolving Penitents Consecrating the Holy Sacraments c. be lost and made void by being translated into prophane hands to be Officiated by those who are not sent of God All which are the unavoidable consequences of this man's Doctrine For he says p. 24. Where this Line is broken all this Apostolic power is spilt and lost The Abbot of Hy was objected by a Popish Writer to prove our Church Schismatical and it is now brought by this Dissenter against the Apostolic Succession which in his p. 25. he names in the Margin The most Reverend Primate Bramball in answer to the Papist writes a just Vindication of the Church of England c. In p. 131 and 135 of his works you have an account at large where he clears the Northumbrian Bishops from Receiving Consecration of the Abbot of Hy and shews that they had their Consecration from the Bishop of Derry then called Derry-magh under whose Visitation this Abbot lived The Primate tells us the Records were to be seen at Derry before the Irish Rebellion and this story you have much to the same purpose in the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph's Historical accompt of Church Government c. Chap. 5. so that this Dissenter has no more advantage with the Popish Writer against our Church by casting this Imputation out of this Story to break the Succession then the Papist had to prove us Schismaticks nor is any intercision hereby proved which my Adversary pretends In the same p. 25. he desires to know of me or any who encourages me to write little Books Whether this Line of Succession may be continued in a Schismatical Church and the Apostolical Power conveyed thereby says he if by Schism men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church then such Schismatical Churches are no Churches c. What occasion I gave him for this question you may see in my 3d. Page after I affirmed the Apostolical Succession of Bishops and inferred from
thence that who ever Exercised any Ministerial Office out of this Line of Succession and had not Episcopal Ordination No true Ordination out of the line of Succession could be no other than a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic then I inferred further and consequently all Societies of Christians who with-draw themselves from the Government of their Bishops who are the Apostles Successors and from Communicating with those Presbyters lawfully set over them by Episcopal Ordination and Institution and frame themselves into any other sort of Government are guilty of Schism such Societies are Schismatics and cut themselves off from the Catholic Church but can in no sort properly be call'd Churches and therefore I understand not his Logic in this viz. If by Schism Men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church therefore Schismatical Churches are no Churches ‖ The Donatists were such Churches they are thô Schismatical whilst they retain the Apostolical Succession they retain also the power and Authority of Ordination Preaching the Gospel and Administring the Sacraments and so retain the name of a Church * Dissenters no right to the Succession But what are our Dissenters concerned herein They disclaim the Succession and deny any power or Virtue to be derived from it and therefore have no Commission to preach the Gospel or Administer Sacraments c. and consequently no right to the name of a Church but by the word Societies they would have Churches understood that thereby their Unlawful Assemblies might pass under that Title I must here put one question to these Dissenters many of the Clergy of the Romish Church have embraced Communion with the Reformed Churches I desire to know whether Re-ordination in this case was ever required the answer must be in the Negative their Ordination being derived from the Apostles Successors in vain then is this Gentleman's attempt to Un-church the Church of England as in his p. 25. for that our Bishops have derived their Consecration from the Church of Rome it being the Judgement of all Reformed Divines that formal Schism cannot invalidate the power of Regular and formal Ordination In p. 26. he says I would Exclude all the Reformed Churches beyond Sea that have not those Governors c. by those Governors I suppose he means Diocesan Bishops To this I answer That many very Learned and Pious persons among them have declared their longing desires for the Episcopacy but living in Popish Dominions cannot have any but those of the Romish Communion Others there be that approve of it yet live in Republic Governments and they will by no means admit of Episcopacy in that Regiment invincible necessity is upon these and therefore in Charity cannot be charged with Schism being in their desires Catholic but as for those who with you and your Brethren in England deny its Authority and obstinately refuse Subjection to it they with you are notorious Schismatics and can in no wise be excused As for that fanciful supposition of a Company of Christians cast upon a remote Island which he talks of in p. 26. or if all the Pastors in a Country should be put to death c. He cannot bring one instance of either and if it should so happen all the Lay-men and mere Presbyters in the World cannot make one Evangelical Priest cannot impower them to Preach the Gospel not Consecrate Sacraments c. but what can be expected from Invincible necessity They have a God to pray to whose mercies are infinite who will fulfil the desires of them that fear him and will hear their cry Psal 114. v. 19. In his 27 p. he saith But if we assent to the Whimsie of a constant Succession as if power were conveyed like water in a Conduit after a Phisical manner by contact passing through the Fingers ends of the Prelate into the noddle of the person Ordain'd c. A Whimsie I take it signifies some Phantastic Device or the Creature of an unstable or unsettled brain which being applyed or imputed to Prelates who bear the Authority of Christ deriving it Originally from him can be no less I think than Blasphemy for our blessed Savior saith to his Apostles and in them to their Successors He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 18. v. 16. no man that has not arrived to the highth of wickedness and given himself over to a reprobate mind would thus revile the Ambassadors of God he can be no better than a filthy Dreamer who thus despiseth Dominion and speaks evil of Dignities Jude v. 8. How wantonly does this man sport himself in holy things and by vilifieing and contemning the Evangelical holy Priest-hood make void and a kicshaw as much as in him lyeth of our holy Religion exposing and prostituting it to the contempt and scorn of Infidels and Atheists What he mentions in p. 28. viz. The Leud Extravagant Caresses that have happened between the ambitious Princes and astiring Church-men concerns us not for he cannot name any such aspiring Church-men that have been in England since the Reformation and thô he could the order being of Divine Institution cannot be dissolved for any mans miscarriage if by this he means any thing of the Church of Rome we abjure her Jurisdiction over us Dr. Sancroft Arch-bishop of Canterbury with six other Bishops in their Address to K. James declared against the Vsurping of any absolute Empire over the Civil and Religious Rights of men and this was done so publickly that it is more than probable the fame of it is gone thrô the World so that this Insinuation of his is a mere malicious calumny In my p. 4. I proved that to love as Christians in Scripture sence is to love as members of Christ and that this obliges Christians to preserve the Body i. e. the Church from Rents and Schisms which says he we never deny He implicitly confesseth that they ought to preserve the Church from Rents and Schisms and yet shamefully denys it in practice every day I have so fully spoken of this before that I need say no more in this place And here again are the Ceremonies objected which thô I have proved to be no sufficient ground for their Separation yet for further satisfaction I will here Recommend the Reasons given by the Convocation why the Ceremonies were retained They are affix'd before the Book of Common Prayer and are important enough to satisfie the Conscience of any sober Consciencious Christian In p. 29. he says for our further Conviction we are told the Communion of Saints is one External visible Communion in the Christian Church which is so far from explaining the thing that it makes it much darker what I said above had reference to the Christian Church when it was first called Catholic And was not the Communion of the Church then One and ought it not to be so still and was not the Union External and Visible but I did a little after
and venom against our Clergy and serves only to shew what Spirit he is of In p. 13. he saith But though the Apostles did propagate the Gospel far and wiâ—ie yet that they did actually preach it to all Nations is a thing we never beard of before T. W. told us so and we must have better Evidence before we believe it This is a mere Cavil but he thinks he has sufficiently shewed my nakedness The Gospel preaced to all Nations I did not use the word Actually I said that according to our Saviors Command the Apostles did Preach the Gospel to all Nations I could tell him out of very good Authoritys the vast Countrys in the Roman Empire in which St. Paul did actually preach the Gospel and that St. James did so in the Regions of Palestine St. Mark in Alexandria and the Countries far about it St. John in Asia St. Andrew in Achaja St Thomas in India and of the other Apostles Propagating the Gospel in other Countrys ay and Ordained Bishops and Presbyters in 'em too But the Scripture saith There were dweling at Jerusalem Jews Acts 2 5. devout men out of every Nation under Heaven to these the Apostles preached the Gosple so in this respect what I said is true I had no great reason to fear that I had committed an unpardonable Crime and if upon the Evidence given in Scripture he will not believe it he is at his liberty He goes on Whither the Seaven Churches in Asia had Seaven Bishops Presiding over them neither more nor less is a thing that no way affects our present Controversy nor can any thing be concluded from thence in favor of our English Prelacy till the Pawer of these Bishops the extent of their Diocesses the Quality of their under Officers c. be proved the same with ours viz. or liable to the same exceptions c. I understand not this last Sentence or liable to the same exceptions unless he would make the Primitive Church liable to the same exceptions That there were seven Bishops is unquestionable unless he will not give Credit to St. John's Testimony that the extent of their Diocesses may in some measure be right estimated it will be necessary to consider what this Asia doth signifie which Dr. Hammond describes thus Asia here doth not signifie the fourth part in the Division of the World but in another Notion known to Geographers the Lydian or proconsular Asia thus the word is used Acts 19.26 where St. Paul is said to perswade much People not only at Ephesus but almost thrô all Asia now in this Asia as there were many Cities so there were some Metropoles Chief or Mother Cities to each of which the lesser adjacent were subordinate Of this sort the first was Ephesus saith Vlpian l. Observ D. de Off. Procons Such again was Thiatira saith Ptolemy l. Geog. 1st Cap. 2. Such was Phyladelphia of the Province of the Lydians Of the same Rank are Laodicea Sardis Smyrna and Parâ—amus affirmed by Pliny Nat. Hist l. 6. c. 29. as Cities wherein the Roman Proconsuls residing kept Courts for all the adjoyning Cities to resort to by which it appears that all the Seven Cities here named were Metropoles and accordingly under these Seven all other Christian Churches were contained And it is evident in Ignatius's time which was not long after that Magnesia and Trallys upon the Banks of Meander saith Stephanus Bizantius being consequently included in this Asia were Episcopal Churches or Cities Damas being Bishop of one and Polybius of the other and so subordinate to the Metropolitan of Ephesus After this the Doctor Translates out of Eâ—â—ebius part of which I here insert viz Who can recount the multitudes of Assemblies in every City Who can describe the Confluxes to the Oratories and the spacious Churches which they built from the foundations not contenting themselves with the ancient Edifices To these I will add but two more instances viz. Jerusalem and Rome That the Seaven Churches in Asia Each City in the Primitive times but one Bishop and the Churches in Jerusalem and Rome had each of them but one Bishop is the voice of all the Christian world except the small number of your mistaken perswasion and that each of these great and populous Cities contained very many Congregations nothing can be more evident and further that it was impossible that all the many Congregations in each City could be Administred unto by one Bishop without the assistance of Presbyters And now lay all this together English Prelacy the same with the Primitive and see if in favor of our English Prelacy every one is not forced to conclude That the Prelacy or Diocesan Bishops in England is an exact paralel to the Churches above mentioned Primitive Churches that nothing but Obstinacy Pride Interest can binde or hold my Adversary and his Bretheren any longer in that fond and groundless Opinion of Congregational or Parochial Episcopacy As for the Power wherwith our Prelates are invested it is from Heaven the Son of God to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth was committed Episcopacy of Divine Institution and perpetual Mat. 16. v. 19. Joh. 20. v. 23. Ibid. v. 21. Mat. 28. v. 20. first promised it to St. Peter and I will â—ive thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven afterwards he gave it actually to all the Aposties whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained this is call'd the power of the Keys of binding and loosing the power of Ordaining and Governing is given in these words as my Father sent me even so senâ— I you And that this Power was to continue by Succession until the second coming of our Lord is manifest in these words and lo I am with you always even to the end of the World And accordingly this Power has descended by Succession from the Apostles to this present Age. Now here is Episcopacy both name and thing as you call it according to the Primitive Standard proved which you seem to desire and now be not offended nor angry that you are as you term it run down which is that your Erronious Opinion contrary to all Antiquity is so plainly discovered not as you say by a bare word only but by most firm and undeniable Testimony The under Officers you mention are own'd to be no other than of Prudential Institution for dispatch of business but are established by Law to whom therefore your Obedience is due I wonder you mention your Scotch Presbytery it can be for no other purpose than as a Rod shaken at us to beware of you Scotch Presbytery a Caution to us for they have sufficiently explained what is meant by Comprehention to wit the expultion of Episcopacy and have assur'd us that our Bishops and Clergy will meet with the same barbarous usage here if ever it come into your Power In p. 14. he modestly says he will not take
upon him to contradict those Learned men who think the Angels mentioned in the Revel by St. John were Bishops he having granted this is all my desire and therefore all his witty Animadversions which follow are not worth my answering It would be but needless Repetition to say any thing to his following Paragraph in his 14. p. having fully answered it before In his p. 15. he says What do I mean in saying in these Multiplyed Churches there was no Variation and then very disingenuously changes my word for a word very different in signification and asks Was there no variety at all in any Circumstance of Worship and says the contrary may be prov'd even in the Apostles times and instances that which he calls a Scuffle Acts 15. betwixt the believing Jews and Gentiles about Jewish Ceremonies Here were no such different Circumstances as to divide their Communion therein there was no Variation their Unity was preserved the Jewish Ceremonies which the Converted Jews would have imposed on the Christian Gentiles were no Circumstances in the Christian Worship the Council at Jerasalem thought therefore necessary to forbid those Impositions now in this very Case the necessity of Apostolic Jurisdiction doth appear that by a decisive and definitive Sentence of Ecclesiastical Authority it may not be in the power of private Christians to impose their different Sentiments upon one another and that there may be no Variation nor breach of Unity in the public Worship of God So that this Instance is not at all for his purpose He says if I mean there was no variation from Scripture Rules tho we are afraid that will scarce hold yet we wish it had been so still By Scripture Rules here he certainly means the New Testament if this Gent. had any regard to Ecclesiastical Antiquity he would never have talked of Scripture that is New Tâ—â—â—ment Rules before they were written He says We have a Notion of Vnity lâ—yed down in my p. 2. in which we freely concur with him these are my words for he has not transcribed them fairly They are all one with that Church first mentioned at Jerusalem and which he omits all one with one another being all United into one Spiritual Society or Body under one Head Christ Jesus c. and which he has omitted too and are in all things the sune with that first Church United in one Baptism and one Faith and all partakers at the same Eucharist c. That says he is the same for substance for in that they all agreed in the Primitive times in the same Circumstances such a Vnity we hold and doubt not but in our Congregations this Vnity may be found And so he runs on in his 16. p. and endeavours to perswade all men just like the Donatists that these Dissenters are more truly Catholic than we That the Power delegated by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles was to be confer'd upon their Successors is certainly implyed in the promise Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The Church of England truly Apostolical That the Church of England was Planted either by some of the Apostles or some of their Successors and that the Succession of Bishops has continued in this Church from that first propagation by as strong proofs as human Authority is capable of viz. by Records and Histories may appear and consequently that the Church of England is as truly an Apostolic and Catholic Church as Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and those other Churches which were of the first Planting Her Orders then are to be equally obeved Her Unity and Peace as strictly mantained and whatsoever amounted to Schism in any of them must be so in her your Uniting then in a Communion Separate from this Church bears no similitude with Primitive Unity being contrary to their Practice And being that in your Congregations the Divine Authority is wanting there can be no such Unity found among you as Primitive Unity He Says the Eucharist was the same for Substance in the Primitive Congregations and that they all agreed in the same Circumstances It is very true for no difference would be allow'd Christians then durst not entertain so wicked and uncharitable a thought as that of setting up a Separate Congregation as you do They devoted themselves to the Command of their master to have Peace one with another Mark 9.50 Heb. 13.17 They for Conscience sake observ'd the Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you If you would tread in their steps you would as Relgiously observe the Unity and Peace of the Established Church wherein you live in all Circumstances as they did All his next Paragraph Pa. 17. is the same in different Phrases He says the description I have given of Church Vnity ruins my whole Book and Cause an hasty Sentence for says he if this be the true proper Vnity of Churches then there may be true Church-Vnity without the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers and People into one Diocesan Church under the Jurisdiction of a Prelate and his Officers c. Then he is not much against the conveniency of Parochial-Precincts but says according to my Definition it is not De essentia Vnitatis It is plain all that he drives at here is that there may be true Church Unity without Episcopacy I have answer'd this before by shewing that all Presbyters with their Particular Congregations that is Ministers and People now resolved into Parochial Churches within the Dioceses of the Respective Cities were United under the Jurisdiction of the Respective Bishop of each City So that the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers People into one Diocesan Church under the jurisdiction of a Prelate is true Church Vnity as used in Primitive times by which it appears that this Gent. Doctrine viz. 1 Cor. 11.16 that there may be true Church Vnity without Episcopacy is a mere Innovation there being no such custom in the Churches of God as the Apostle speaks As for their Officers they have the Sanction of our Laws to Authorize them an Authority far greater than can be shewed for Lay Elders Officers subserviant to the Minister of every Congregation and thô generally ignorant and many of them cannot write their Names yet are made judges of their fellow Christians sufficiency in faith a novelty created by Calvin and how reasonable let the impartial judge He says so a man may plead to the jurisdiction of a Diocessan Prelate may step over Parish bounds c. So did Korah and his Congregation against Moses and Aaron Nam 16.2 10. their Controversie being the very same with yours against the Church they were for leveling the Priest-hood so are you they were for setting up a new model'd Congregation so are you God shewed his displeasure against their Pride and Disobedience by a most terrible destruction and the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for