daily in his own person he therefore takes Care that there should be some left behind him who might and Ephesus being one of the most Populous Cities of Asia in regard of the vast Concourse of People from all Parts to the Famous Temple of Diana and there being many Congregations of Christians there he having by the space of two years continued there so that all they who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks he therefore sends for the Presbyters who resided in that City by virtue of his Apostolical Authority and there declares unto them that for the time to come they were to take that care of the Churches which he had done and that they might not do this of their own heads or fear to do it for want of a Lawful Calling and Ordination he declares the Will of God to them and that the Holy Ghost had appointed them to be Bishops So that they came indeed Presbyters to him but they went away Bishops from him and Bishops not of his own but the Holy Ghosts appointment IT is a Rule among Divines That where the Literal sense of Scripture is plain we are to follow that And that this is the plain Historical and Literal meaning of the Words without the least wresting or violence offer'd to them is most obvious and that by this Power of Episcopacy which the Holy Ghost added to their former of Presbytery they were to take the Care of the Government of the Church as well in Ruling as Instructing there are these Reasons FIRST When he sends for them he calls them Presbyters and not Bishops which if there had been no difference he might as well have done and supposing that the Holy Ghost must foresee that this Controversie would arise in the Church we cannot believe he would contribute to it by such an ambiguity but the contrary that they were only Presbyters as the Holy Ghost calls them first and then advanced to be Bishops by his appointment SECONDLY He puts the Government into their hands by resigning his own in regard he was to see them no more THIRDLY He directs them in their Office which he divides into three Particulars First Vers 28. To feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own Blood to instruct them in the Faith and Doctrine of Christian Religion Secondly To watch against Errors and Heresies Vers 29 30 31. For I know this saith he that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them therefore Watch. Now what signifies Vigilancy without Power and what Power have the Watchmen but to Admonish and Rebuke and at last to Excommunicate the Obstinate And let them shew me this Power ever Exercised in the Church by any besides a Bishop and let them take the Cause Thirdly To Exercise Hospitality to support the Poor and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive According to another Precept of his in which he comprises them all For a Bishop must be blameless 1 Tim. 3.2 the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach Lastly Here is no imperfect footstep of their Solemn Consecration for when he had ended his Message and Direction Vers 36. When he had thus spoken he kneeled down and prayed with them all AND to manifest that though every Bishop be a Presbyter yet every Presbyter is not a Bishop and that the Difference consists in Power and Rule which the Bishops have over the Presbyters as well as the rest of the People I doubt not to make most plain from Scripture and Antiquity For FIRST St. Paul says Expresly That it is one qualification of a Bishop 1 Tim. 4 5. He must be one that ruleth well his own house having his Children in subjection with all gravity for if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the Church of God how shall he rule the house of God and find me but one Example in Scripture or ancient Church History where any one who was not a Bishop as well as a Presbyter ever Exercised this Jurisdiction of Ruling the Presbyters had indeed a Rule but with subordination to the Bishops 1 Tim. 5.17 18. Let the Presbyters that Rule well be counted worthy of double Honor especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine for anciently in the Church every Priest was not a Preacher as is plain not only from this place but from the Church History but that the Presbyters might not be Exalted beyond their Bounds to think this Rule equal to that of the Bishops over the Church he allays the Tumor in the very next words and shews the the difference the subordination and subjection which they owed to the Judicature of the Bishop as Timothy was there Against a Presbyter receive not an Accusation but before two or three Witnesses which is not spoken of Private Adomnition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless there be two or three Witnesses and them that sin Rebuke openly that others may fear To receive an Accusation plainly infers a superior Jurisdiction a power to hear Witnesses and according to their Depositions to rebuke openly is certainly an Effect of Authority And he follows the blow close giving him another Direction about Ordination Vers 21 22. that he should Lay hands suddainly on no man preferring one before another by Partiality So that here is a distinct Power of a Bishop from a Priest To lay on hands or Ordain to receive Accusations against Presbyters to Examine Witnesses and according to their Testimony to proceed to Judgment to give Sentence openly to Rebuke those that Sin even the Presbyters as well as others for if they may be accused and convened and found guilty of sin they also ought and may be rebuked and punished As to that place of the 5th Chap. Rebuke not an Elder it is apparently meant of those who are such by Years and not by Office Presbyters or Priests and to teach us that there is a respect due to the Reverend head Age as is plain from the words Rebuke not an Elder but intreat him as a Father and the younger Men as Brethren the Elder Women as Mothers and the younger as Sisters with all Purity This he further Explains in his Epistle to Titus Tit. 1.5 6 7. For this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in Order the things that are wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appoint Constitute Presbyters in every City making them Bishops as I have appointed thee That Saint Paul left Presbyters there both in Age and Office no doubt can be made but yet something was wanting still and because he would not himself lay hands suddenly upon them and the Affairs of the Church
calling him a-away he leaves Titus a Bishop there to set in order what was wanting that was upon their good demeanour to advance them into the Power of Bishops which was wanting at St. Pauls departure and the following words make it plain that this was the thing wanting and which he appointed Titus to do By the Direction he gives about them Vers 10 11. For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God a high Office and a large Jurisdiction for there are many unruly there was the Necessity of Bishops to Rule whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole Houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy Lucres sake So that Titus was to make Bishops in that Populous Island that so they might have Authority which as Presbyters they had not to stop the mouths of the Seducers And how were these unruly Subverters to be Treated and Governed even by rebuking them sharply Vers 13. and stopping their Mouths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by silencing them And how could that be done but by the Authority of the Bishop who was to let them and the People know that if they persisted in their disobedience Vers 16. They were abominable and Reprobates and therefore to be cast out of the Church For though they profess to know God yet in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good Work Reprobate Therefore abominable because disobedient Silencing then of Subverters of Houses unruly vain Talkers Deceivers is no new thing in the Church nor Bishops Persecutors for so doing Nor is there any way of stopping their Mouths in the Church but by this Authority of Excommunication and if they submit not to this all their Pretences to Godliness will not excuse them from denying him and being Reprobates because Disobedient What must we then think of those who will not have their Mouths stopped either by the Power of the Church or Civil Magistrate but in the highest degree of Unruly and Mutinous Disorder are Disobedience to both Indeavouring to draw Disciples after them that they may first take away from the Bishop the defence of the Magistrates Sword and then with Ease Extirpate Episcopacy Root and Branch Office and Name Power and Authority THUS you see that the Holy Ghost appointed Bishops in the Primitive Church you see their Office and Authority and that Presbyters were their Lawful Inferiors that they had Power to Ordain to Rebuke to acquit or Condemn to stop the Mouths of the Unruly So that here is both the Name and the Thing the Title and the Office confirmed by clear and evident Testimony of Scripture Now let us see what Obedience is due to them We intreat you Brethren saith St. Paul 1 Thess 5.12 13. and his Modest Intreaty â—â—â—y I hope without offence pass for a Command 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 Works-sake and be at Peace among your selves How know these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these Rulers For they could not be ignorant of their Persons or Names but know their Office know their Power that so by submission you may maintain Peace BUT the Author to the Hebrews is plain and Positive Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word will carry more than some Envious People will well like of in Bishops and will not only intitle them to Rule but their Honour too as will appear to any who is not a stranger to the Greek Language For it signifies not only a bare Ruler or a Guide but a Captain and a Prince and warrants a Bishops being so in the New Testament as well as a Priest under the Old But to avoid Offence I know there are none of those Reverend Fathers of the Church but will be pleased to derive their Titles from another Fountain of Honour I speak this to shew that God Almighty by his Spirit in Scripture is pleased to Honour them with the high Character of Princes and Governors and that therefore they are not to be Vilified and Despised as sonâ—n Wanton and other Virulent Tongues and Pens too frequently do But to proceed He continues to shew what kind of Obedience this must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 submit your selves without resisting be in Subjection And he adds the Reason For they watch for your Souls as they that must give an Account that they may do it with Joy and not with Grief Does God expect an account of Souls from these spiritual Guides and Rulers Then certainly he cannot in Justice leave them Destitute of Power and Authority to Rule and Guide as means to enable them to give a good Account of their Charge And to suppose the contrary were to suppose an End without a Way And since they have such a Charge all those who are within their respective Jurisdictions are bound to yield Obedience to them as they will answer before the Bar of Divine Justice for the Guilt not only of Destroying their own Souls but those of others whom they teach to Refuse to Obey those who have the Rule over them and are appointed Bishops by the Holy Ghost AND whereas St. Peter calls himself a Presbyter and by ranking himself among them seems to intimate they are all one this does not at all prove that he was not a Bishop too 1 Pet. 1.1 For he calls himself Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ and his Humility in calling himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 5.1 their fellow Presbyter does no more prove that a Bishop and Presbyter are the same than that a Presbyter and Apostle are for though they were his fellow Presbyters yet they were not his fellow Apostles and further it appears that these Presbyters of which he calls himself a Sym-Presbyter were Bishops as well as Priests for Writing to the several Churches scattered through Pontus Galatia Cappadocia and Bithynia and calling the Governors of those Churches Fellow Presbyters argues as much but the second Verse puts it out of doubt for he says they must Episcopize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feed the Flock of Christ as Bishops and therefore this place will never prove that the Authority of a bare Presbyter is equal to that of a Bishop or one who was a Fellow Presbyter of Saint Peter LET us see now what the next Age thought of it I will not run through the whole Church-History but content my self with the Testimony of Ignatius who was the Scholar of Saint John the beloved Apostle and Disciple of our Lord who leaned on Jesus's Bosom and one may well suppose therefore knew his Breast and what Government his Lord appointed in the Church and had Episcopacy been Antichristian would not have failed to tell us so and when he tells us there are many Antichrists he would have told us that this was one if he had believed it to be so and
Soul with peace of Conscience here the World with happiness and all those who follow it with Eternal Joy unspeakable and full of Glory in Heaven CHAP. XII THUS far I have indeavoured to follow Truth by manifesting that Vnity in Faith and Vnity in Government in a National Church are absolutely necessary both to the salvation of Mens Souls and to the Happiness Peace and Security of any People in their Politique Capacities As there can be nothing in the World more desirable so there is nothing that all good Men ought more sincerely to indeavour to promote Blessed are the Peace-makers says the Eternal Prince of Peace for they shall be called the Children of God who is the God of Peace and the Author of the Gospel of Peace Let us therefore in Order to it in the next place see what Expedients have been propounded to restore this Peace to this Church and Nation IT has been already manifested that Vnity in point of Faith is the Bond of the Catholique Vnion among all distinct Churches which are Members of the Catholique or Universal Church but this Faith must Work by Love Gal. 5.6 It has been also shewn that though this Vnity of Faith which works so by Love as that though distinct Nations and Churches disagree about Ceremonies and Circumstances of Religion yet they may all agree in the substance of Faith yet that it is impossible this should be in the same Nation and that therefore Vniformity of Government in the Church is absolutely necessary to maintain Charity and Vnity And though this might be sufficient to shew the Unreasonableness of Tolleration of different Forms of Divine Worship under the same Magistrate yet since there is such a Cry among all Dissenters both Papists and others for Tolleration and Liberty of Conscience as an Expedient both Politique Religious and Necessary let me be permitted freely to speak my impartial sense concerning it THOUGH all Parties whose private Opinion makes them Dissent from the Establisht Government both in Church and State must of necessity be desirous of a Tolleration yet I find the Papists and the Presbyterians are they who appear most solicitous for it and yet of all others they seem least to deserve it For no man ought in reason to demand that for himself which he would not think it lawful to grant to any other if in his Circumstances Now Experience has given us Demonstration of the violent Tempers of both these and there is not a Possibility of doubting but if either the Papist or Presbyter were in Power they would not allow any Tolleration or Indulgence to other Dissenters but the one would Establish the Scepter of the Pope and the other of Christ as they call their New Government with the most unlimited Soveraignty both over the Faith and Actions of All Princes as well as Peasants and since they would compel all People by the utmost Severities and Rigours of Penal Laws to Carry the Yoak which they would Impose upon them what reason can they have to Expect for themselves what they would deny all others for their Practice has made it evident to the lowest Understanding that they who have so little Charity for their Brethren in the Common Christianity as to damn them without remedy to the bottomless Abyss of Hell for dissenting from them in any one point which they have decreed to be De Fide will look upon it as an Effect of Compassion rather than Cruelty to convert them and save their Souls though with the loss of their Lives Liberties and Estates or if that cannot be effected to confound them to Extirpate and destroy them lest they should lead others by their Doctrines or Example to Damnation WHEREAS in truth and reality nothing but Blasphemy Atheism and such Immoralities as are destructive of Humane Society render men obnoxious to Temporal Punishments Insidelity or not believing aright being Crimes or Defects rather of the Understanding fall no further under humane Cognizance or Penal Laws than by their Consequences and Effects they may or do prejudice those Laws and the Common End of Society and therefore they are reserved for the Punishment of a future state and the Church can proceed no further than to Exclude them from her Communion but not out of the Possession of their Lives or Estates which God Almighty as the Common Father of Mankind thinks fit to permit them to Enjoy making his Sun to shine upon the Just and Unjust with an equal influence and benignity BUT since a Papist has undertaken the Common Cause of all Dissenters The Advocate of Conscience Liberty c. and it may be has said as much for them as the subject will bear and more in behalf of his own Party than any other Dissenters can pretend to for themselves Papists having the specious plea of Prescription as the Religion of our Ancestors the ancient Form of Government in the Church and the Ancient Faith had they permitted it to continue so Intire and Undefiled unmixed with their Apochrypha and Tradiditions I will indeavour to answer what is most material in his Discourse in order to discovering the Weakness of his Plea not concerning my self with the sincerity of his Intention which though appearing for all is only Designed for the benefit of his own Party IN the first place therefore I desire that Notice may be taken how he states the Question in the Prooemium of his Book Note saith he by Persecution Imposition and Restraint we only mean the strict requiring to believe this to be true and that to be false c. and upon refusal to Swear or Conform to incur the Penalties Enacted in such Cases but by these Terms we do not mean any Coercive Let or Hindrance into publique Meetings By Liberty of Conscience we understand only a meer Liberty of Mind in believing or disbelieving this or that Doctrine so far as may refer only to religious matters in a private way of Worship which are not destructive to the Nature and Grounds of Christian Faith nor tending to matters of an External Judicature in abetting any Contrivances or disturbance to common Peace or Civility As to the First of these I would gladly be shewn when or where the Government did ever in this sense persecute in any thing which is purely the subject of Faith without relating to Practice or the Consequences of such Faith or where any person for refusing to Believe or Swear or Conform to any thing which did not insluence the Civil Affairs of State was ever punished was ever any man fined imprisoned or banished because he would not swear to believe any Theological Point as of Free Will Merit of Works c. which had no relation to Political Affairs there cannot be one Precedent found in all the Records of all our Courts of Judicature though we can shew many out of that Legend as he calls Bishop Fox's Martyrology who were put to death without any other Crime than that they did not believe the Theological Point of Transubstantiation and when nothing else would do then the killing Question What say you to the Sacrament of the Altar was sure to turn them over to the Secular Power for
Bishop Patriarch and Pope of his Congregation BUT these People having no Pretensions to a National Government appear not so Dangerous to the State as to themselves nor so troublesome as those who contend for Soveraignty and endeavour to pull down the Pillars of the Church to Establish their own Synagogue and Spiritual Sannedrim of Lay-Ecclesiasticks and whereas the other will be contented with a Chappel of Ease these make the World Uneasie because they may not have the Cathedral and Mother Church And this People the most Industrious of all Mankind the most Vigilant and Indefatigable who compass Sea and Land to make Prosylites and a Party as they are the most Numerous and most powerful so are they most Dangerous both in their Positions and in their Actions and whilest they Clothe Episcopacy with the Title of Idolatry and Superstition as the Heathens did Christians with the skins of Wild Beasts to make the Lyons and Tygers fall upon them so do they Then animate the Populace to Worry them by Tumults Clamours and Outcries against them And under pretence of Destroying Idolatry take Commission from the Law of Moses to break the Commands of the Gospel For a late Instance of which I refer the Reader to the Printed Narrative of Mitchel and his Field Conventiclers the Whigs of Scotland and to their former Practices in England both against particular Persons and the Publique State which fell a Sacrifice to this great Idol of Idolatry and fear of Popery I will therefore endeavour to give a true Account of the Office and Institution of Episcopal Authority in the Church being not without Hopes but that Men of Calm and sober spirits will submit to Truth how contrary soever it may appear to those Prejudices which for want of better Information they have been so long accustomed to THAT there ought to be Government in the Church I presume no Judicious Person will make the least scruple of in regard God Almighty took such particular Care of his Church in the Jewish Nation And we cannot think that under the Gospel which is a better Covenant he would leave it to Anarchy and Confusion The Controversie is What manner and Form of Government Now that it was Episcopal is the thing which we maintain and I hope to prove and not only that but that it is of Divine Institution And first for the Name of Bishop which in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Overseer Christ himself was the first Bishop and is so styled by St. Peter The Bishop of our Souls 1 Pet. 2.25 St. Paul makes frequent mention of the Name in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus and calls it the Office of a Bishop and affirms that if any man desire it he desires a good Work This is a true saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a faithful saying And what is by the Mouth of Divine Verity pronounced not only an Office and that implies Power but a desirable Office and good Work cannot without Sacrilegious Blasphemy be styled Antichristian and it is no modest Impiety to Combine against God and solemny Covenant and Vow the Extirpation of it Root and Branch Rom. 2.22 Thou that aborrest Idols dost thou commit Sacriledg Our Blessed Lord tells us Every Plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up one would Judg by that Rule that Episcopacy in the Government of the Church were a plant of Gods own planting since for 1600 years and upwards all the Power Malice of Men and Devils have not been able to pluck it up But he has graciously been pleased to Protect it Psal 104.16 so that it has been Like the Cedars of Lebanus which the Lord hath planted And he has made good his promise to be with them to the End of the World And Those that be planted in the House of the Lord Psal 92.13 14 15. shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall bring forth more fruit in their Old age they shall be Fat and flourishing to shew that the Lord is upright just to his Promise he is their Rock and there is no unrighteousness in him And what for all this Root and Branch O vain Men If ye have run with footment Jer. 12.5 and they have wearied you how can ye contend with Horses If you have fought with Men and have not been able to prevail how will you be able to fight with God Remember Gamaliel's counsel For if this work be of God Act. 5.39 you cannot overthrow it your selves you may and will be found to fight against God And you will find that Impar Congressus a very unequal Combat The Giants who thought to Conquer Heaven Purchast Hell Heaven is not to be had by such violence as opposes it but Hell and Damnation certainly will I hope the greatest part of those who do so violently persecute this Name and Office are like St. Paul and may with him find Mercy though they be Blasphemers and Persecutors provided like him they did it ignorantly and cease to kick against the Thorns And this they cannot do unless they acknowledge both the Name and Office of a Bishop to be of Divine Institution Take heed saith St. Paul Acts 20.28 therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers the Translating of which Word hath occasion'd a world of Mischief and Mistakes and was certainly a great oversight having made so many oversee the Bishop in it for it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over which the Holy Ghost hath appointed or placed you Bishops So that however the Name of Bishop is not to be rooted out nor is it Popish or Antichristian as the Credulous Vulgar are made believe I know what will be the answer The same Saint Paul in the same Chapter Vers 17. calls them Presbyters And this they think above all the places in Scripture concludes against Episcopacy and proves not only the Parity but Aerian Identity of Bishops and Presbyters But stay my Masters let not Passionate Opinion outrun Truth and Reason St. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God having Preached the Gospel in all the Cities of the lesser Asia being upon his Journey to Jerusalem he comes to Miletus and from thence sends to Ephesus and calls for the Presbyters of the Church upon their coming he acquaints them with the sorrowful Message that he was to leave them for ever and take his last farewell of them And now behold I know that ye all says he among whom I have gone Preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more Whilst he was conversant among them he was their Spiritual Guide and Ruler but now that he was to leave them and could not discharge that part of the Apostolical Function of Government which he calls elsewhere 2 Cor. 11.28 The Care of all the Churches which came upon him
he knows more and better what he ought to do than he who has Power to Command him This is the knowledg which St. Paul says puffeth up but Charity edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 2. And therefore he subjoyns If any man think he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know that is if his knowledg occasions a breach of Charity he does not yet know himself or his Duty to God and Man This is so clear a Case with those of the Separation who break both Charity and Unity by their Disobedience that they must shut the clearest beams of Truth out of their Souls if they do not discover it SECONDLY An obstinate adherence to any private Opinion whereby the Peace of the Church is destroyed especially in things no ways in themselves Essentially necessary to Salvation must of necessity proceed from Pride for why should any person prefer his private Judgment before the Determination of his Superiors before that of the Catholick Church in all Ages but because he thinks himself wiser and more able to discern what is for the Publick Good than all that were before him or that are above him though hereby Solomon will tell him from the Spirit of God that he only purchases the Character of a Fool Prov. 12.15 The way of a Fool is right in his own eyes but he that hearkeneth unto Counsel is wise And therefore the Prophet pronounceth a Woe against such Woe unto those that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight Esa 5.21 Which must be meant of private persons for the Wisdom of Superiors is not so much their own as the Wisdom of all former Ages and for this Reason St. Paul commands Rom. 12.16 Be of the same mind mind not high things prompted by Pride or Ambition but condescend to men of low Estate much more to those of high be not wise in your own conceit And for Encouragement to this kind of Private Wisdom once more hear Wisdom it self speak by the wise man Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit Prov. 26.12 there is more hope of a Fool than of him And it is impossible to give any other Reason why men should not submit to Truth and their Superiors when they may be sensible to a demonstration from Reason Scripture and Experience that their private Opinions are unlawful because dangerous contrary to Charity and Gods Command but because they think such a Submission a Retractation or Compliance with Authority would be a lessening of them as to that Opinion for Wisdom and Sanctity which others attribute to them and that dangerous Flatterer Pride perswades them they are Masters of THIRDLY To indeavour to strengthen themselves by making a Party to secure them in their Disobedience and Obstinacy is the certain and unseparable Symptom of Ambition as well as Pride for if I dislike any thing I may do so to my self but to perswade others to it must have respect to a further Design and declares that I intend not only to own my Disobedience but to justifie and maintain it by Power The best Men in the World may Err privately but it is to be suspected they are the worst who make their Errors Publique to draw Disciples after them by Disobedience a man Equals himself to his Superiors for it is a plain denying their Authority over him by Obstinacy he shews his intention to stand his Ground and make good his Incroachment upon their Power and by his making of a Party he does as it were make secret Levies and inrols a Militia to defend himself from the Power of his Superiors and looks as if he meant to struggle with them not only for Precedence but Dominion I wish these were only Suppositions and that we could not from woful Experience say they are but too true but it was this very way that lately laid the Crown as well as the Mitre in the Dust too lately to give us the least reason to doubt that the same Methods may do it again if not in time prevented either by the vigilance of Authority or by reducing the disorderly and disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just and by informing their Understandings to oblige them voluntarily to abandon those Men and Principles whose Practices will infallibly lead them to these Conclusions or oblige Authority by the utmost Severities of Laws to prevent the Danger and Ruine of the whole Frame of Government both in Church and State AND as Pride and Ambition are but too visible amongst the Principles of Dissention amongst us and the principal Obstacles of our Peace and Vnity so are they no less Obstructions to a Reconciliation with the Roman Church for it is the Ambition of Supremacy over all other Churches and over all Temporal Powers and even over our Faith it self the incommunicable Prerogative of our blessed Jesus Heb. 12.2 the Author and Finisher of our Faith which has render'd all Reunion with them not only dangerous but impossible unless we will resolve by believing as that Church believes to disbelieve not only our Sense and Reason but Scripture and all Antiquity and not only those but God himself who has given us them to assist us in our Faith IT is the Ambition of the Clergy which obliges them to keep the Laity in Ignorance so blind that they are not permitted to inquire or doubt And for the Clergy as before was observed in the point of Interest they are constantly fed with the nourishment of Ambitious Thoughts hopes of Dignities and Promotions The meanest Priest or Recluse may come to be head of his House Superior and after General of his Order a Prior or Abbot and it may be a Bishop the Bishop may advance the Mitre to the Honour of a Cardinals Hat and the Red Hat may turn to the Triple Mitre and all this by being a Zealous Maintainer of the Usurped Power of that Church justifying her Incroachments upon the Crowns of Princes and the Mitres of all other Bishops Primates Metropolitans and Patriarchs owning her Monopoly of the Word Catholique avowing her Canonical and Decreed Errors for Rules of Faith and Manners and divulging her fictitious Collusions for real Miracles though to the hazard of rendring the true ones of Christ and his Apostles suspected upon which the sole confirmation of our Religion depends These are the Stairs by which men ascend to the Papal Dignity which now out-flies the Imperial Eagle as well as the smaller Royal Birds of Majesty Et Caput inter Nubila condit for to oppose any of these is a certain way to be prefer'd to the Torments of the Inquisition to be branded with Heresie and Apostacy and to Expire in Flames and Torments So that I hope by this time it is evident how pernioiously powerful the Principles of Interest and Prejudice Custom and Education Pride and Ambition are in the Minds of Men to hinder them from Embracing Truth and her Beautiful Children Peace and
and Religion LOUD and clamorous are the Complaints and Declamations against the vitiousness and Debauchery of the present Age and not without too evident Truth and Reason Impiety which was formerly used to wait for the twilight dare now walk bare fac't and stare upon the Sun St. Paul says of the modest Debauchees of his Age They that are drunken are drunken in the Night but now licentious men are become so impudent as to scorn to throw the Mantle of Darkness over their vitious Intemperance that they take a Pleasure and a Pride to Riot in the day time and to affront God and Men and even humane Nature it self by their prodigious and Publique Sins and Follies They who did ill formerly hated the light but now Men study to affront it and oblige that pure and innocent Blessing to become not only a Witness but an Assistant to their Brutish and shameless Disorders and would loose their greatest pleasure should they not expose themselves and their deeds of Darkness to the discovery of the Day ALL this is laid upon the Government of the Church which though it be as innocent as the light by which they are boldly acted yet must they conspire in the guilt of these horrid Crimes if we will believe Dissenters who blush not to lay this false Accusation to the Charge of the Government that thereby they may render it Criminal and Odious and themselves and Party Clear and Innocent when as in truth and reality the Guilt of these miscarriages will be found to lie at their own Doors and let them wipe their mouths never so demurely and say they have done no Evil Prov. 30.20 with Solomon's Common Woman let them wash their hands with Pilate and say they are guiltless I doubt not to make it appear to the contrary It is a bold Charge and I know they will start at it as much as the Disciples did when our Saviour told them That one of them should betray him and be as forward as they to Cry out Is it I Who we but what if it prove true and be made good against them I will indeavour it and yet with all the Christian Compassion that I am capable of for I have no design to Expose their Persons to hatred but to bring them to true Repentance by shewing them the Danger of those Ways which with the specious shew of Righteousness and Holiness deceive them into a Contempt of the terrible Authority of the Church and others by their Example into all Sensuality and Impiety THAT Christ left to the Governors of his Church the Power of the Keys is most Evident from his own plain and clear Words For when he was to leave this World he called his Apostles to him and Then said Jesus unto them again Joh. 20.23 Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you there is their Mission and Commission for their Function and Government and when he had said this Matth. 18.18 he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost there is their Unction and Ordination their ability to perform the Duty and discharge the trust reposed in them Whos 's soever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained There is the Office and the Power which was put into their hands the Expedient by which they were to govern and Rule the Church of God And though the Romanists endeavour to Monopolize even in the literal and worst sence this great Power only to Saint Peter and his Successors as they pretend the Roman Bishops only are yet nothing is more clear than that our Saviour intended them all an Equal share and a Power to derive it to their Successors in all Churches to the End of the World His gracious Promise of being with them extending unto all Times Places and Persons who should succeed any of the Apostles as well as St. Peter The Church being built not only upon him but upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ Jesus being himself the Chief and Corner-stone in whom and by whom the whole glorious Fabrique is Vnited and Compleated THIS Power of the Keys of binding and loosing is the Power of Excommunication of Offenders and Absolution of Penitents and is indeed all the Power which Christ left with his Church and the only Jurisdiction which the Governors can exercise in and over it For all Corporal Punishments are properly and peculiarly vested by God himself in the power of the Temporal and Civil Magistrate who carries the Sword and is ordained of God for that very purpose and Design as St. Paul acquaints us Rom. 13. for he beareth not the Sword in vain but is the Minister of God a Revenger to Execute punishment upon him that doeth Evil. AN Instance of this terrible Sentence of Excommunication we have inflicted upon the Incestuous Corinthian and that with a great Formality 1 Cor. 5.5 This is my Determination saith the Apostle In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when yeare gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan as he tells us in another place that he had delivered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan that they might learn not to Blaspheme By virtue of this dreadful Power it was that the Primitive Governors of the Church even when they had no assistance but all opposition from the Secular Powers yet kept the Flock of Christ in all Obedience Subjection good Order and Discipline Then were Christians Miracles of Charity Piety and Devotion to the wondring Pagans when they were obliged to those Duties by no Humane Laws when there were no fears of Prisons Tortures Confiscations or Banishment unless for being and owning themselves to be Christians but the only fear of Excommunication and being put out of thâ— Fellowship of the Saints here on Earth and denyed Entrance into the Congregation of the Faithful of being debarred from receiving the Holy Eucharist and joyning in the publique Service and Worship of God was more forcible to make them Holy Obedient and Vnanimous than all the Torments devised by Persecution were able â—o make them Prophane or Vitious For why They did believe that unless the Governors of the Church the Successors of the Apostles did remit their Sins on Earth they should not find remission in Heaven they therefore believed it because Christ the Eternal Truth had said it They did believe that unless they were United by Communion to the Holy Catholique Church they could never hope for the Remission of Sins the Resurrection of the Body unto Life Everlasting which is the most ancient Confession of the Christian Faith and which with great probability is supposed to be delivered by the Apostles to the Church as a short sum of Faith necessary to Salvation NOR were they more fearful of this formidable Sentence of Excommunication than desirous of the Absolution of
for suffering this which they will call Persecution for Righteousuess sake Now from this way of Procedure these inconveniencies will necessarily follow FIRST The most Notorious Sinners shall be incouraged in their Impenitence and shall be perswaded that to be reconciled to God Almighty there is no necessity of Submission Repentance or Absolution from the Church which they have offended but rather they shall be inspired with principles of Hatred and Revenge against the Church from which they are Excommunicated and though they be denyed Salvation without Repentance in one Church yet they can go to another where they shall certainly meet with the Promise of it upon cheap and easie terms viz. those of Joyning with them in their way of Worship SECONDLY Hereby men come to have a mean and contemptible Opinion of this Power of the Church And value Excommunication from any Church no more than some idle Servants do to be turned out of their Masters Doors who will presently tell you that the World is wide enough and if one will not another will That there are more Services to be had So will this sort of People tell you there are more Churches and no question but where in any Nation this Principle is allowed there would be almost as many Churches as People and when once they are come to slight the Censure and the Church they will never so much as think of being released from the Dangerous Bond of Excommunication or to have their Sins remitted upon Earth by the power of that Church which they have offended THIRDLY Hereby others of the most Loose and Licencious Lives will be incouraged to continue impious and Irreligious though owning no Sect or Faction And coming by their Example to despise this Power of the true Church and to look upon Excommunication as a thing of no Danger they will value no Church but abandon themselves to all manner of Wickedness Irreligion and Atheism and provided they can but scape the danger of Humane Laws they will never trouble themselves about the Ecclesiastical FOURTHLY People will in a little time come to believe that the only Duty of the Minister consists in their abilities to Preach and Exhort and that to Admonish and Correct is no part of their Office and this being so easie a thing to be attain'd and many times Eloquence as before was observed being a Natural Talent Hereby Bold Illiterate Unexamined Unqualified Conceited and Pragmatical Opiniatres will invade the Sacred Function by which means Errors will abound new Heresies will spring up daily and old ones revive flourish and increase without control or contradiction the Holy Sacraments of the Eucharist and Baptism will be either neglected and laid aside or prophaned by unhallowed hands and in short those great Mischiefs which are so much feared must break in upon us either Atheism or superstitious will Worship the Commandments and Traditions of Wilful Ignorant and Erroneous Men and when once the Church is trampled under foot by so many Sects and Heresies Ignorance will daily get ground and that sets the Dore wide open either to the dreaded thing call'd Popery to Paganism or the Turkish Alchoran which comes with the fairest Pretence and the finest Dress to win their Favour I do heartily wish all this were spoken like the Prophecy of Jonah against the Ninivites what was such occasion of grief and discontent to him as to oblige him in a sullen humor to wish to dye would be to me the greatest Joy of my Life But Experience that fatal Mistress has taught us the truth of some of these Effects and may well give us terrible apprehensions of what we may expect For no sooner can an Offender fall under the deserved Censure of Excommunication or but in the danger of it but presently he turns Dissenter is received into the bosom of some Sect or Faction and then he bids Defiance to all the Power of the Church and fears nothing but the Secular Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo Nay I have my self heard some Persons boast of their being Excommunicated and pretend to receive it as a savour to be prohibited coming into the Church from these mens contempt and vilifying of this dreadful Sentence others who have no Religion have learned to despise it too nor is there any thing in it formidable to them besides the expence of their Money to the Lay-Officers of the Ecclesiastical Courts and when once men come to place all their Religion in fear of the Secular Power and have no other bridle upon their unruly Passions and Desires besides the Reins of Humane Punishments and the Laws of the Civil Magistrate it is not to be admired if they run headlong into Brutish Impiety and downright Atheism and they who are taught to believe and easily learn the Lesson both by Example and Precept that the Priest or Bishop has no more Power over their Souls than over their Bodies will not be long before they Despise both the Persons and their Office and when men are arrived at that for my part I look upon their condition to be next to Desperate for however they may please and flatter themselves in their Gay and Jolly humor of despising these contemptible Priests the affront is really done to God Almighty and I cannot see any great security in such Atheistical Drollery Hear ye Despisers and Tremble at what our Great Lord and Saviour says concerning the 70 Disciples whom he sent abroad to Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me and St. Paul is plain 1 Tim. 4.8 He that despiseth despiseth not Man but God WHAT can be the End of this but Misesery here and Eternal Damnation hereafter He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy Heb. 10.28 29. of how much sorer punishment then are they worthy who despise the Son of God which all those do who despise his Servants the Governors of the Church who are sent by him which if I do not prove let them go on and despise but if they are let them have a care of falling into the hands of a revenging God for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 12.28 for our God is a consuming fire This is certainly the utmost despight to the Spirit of Grace and the most unpardonable affront that can be offer'd to the Divine Clemency and against which there is no remedy A dismal Example of which we have in the Nation of the Jews That God who proclaims himself Merciful slow to anger of great Compassion and that repenteth him of Evil after he had born all their Iniquities and Rebellions could not bear with this 2 Chron. 36.15 16 c. For the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them his Messengers rising up betimes and sending them because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling
of a Society into one common Body of which Unity is the Soul and whatsoever be the Cause of this Disunion the Effect is always an Alienation of Affections among those who differ one from another Now as there is nothing that makes so close a Vnion in the minds of Men as their concurrence in the same thoughts Judgment and Sentiments about any Matters especially those of Religion So there is nothing that makes so great and Irreconcilable Distances between People as their being and owning themselves of differing Judgments and Opinions For Religion is like a Common Centre in which all the Lines of mutual Kindness meet and are United together in an indivisible Point And we do more passionately love those who resemble us in our thoughts than in our outward Lineaments and Proportions and have a natural Aversion for those who are unlike us in our Thoughts And the reason is because this Discord robs us of the pleasure of Life which is Society and where the entertainment consists in mutual Jarrs and endless Disputings continual Contradictions of which all men are impatient the Conversation must needs be disagreeable for who ever contradicts another supposes himself more wise and the other foolish and where the knowledg of these differences is manifest even in their silent Interviews it defeats them of all the pleasure of Converse and Society and makes men uneasie in the very Company of those who are neither beloved by them nor love them as all men believe of those who oppose them and differ from them in their Judgments So that it is not to be expected they should be ready to do those good Offices one for another in order to the Common Good of the Society but rather all the Mischiefs and Injuries which they can as Enemies as all esteem those who are not United to them by Love and Kindness and how happy any Society is like to prove that is thus disjoynted in it self is not difficult to conjecture BUT these Animosities are extreamly heightened in regard there is always something more than bare Opinion in the Difference and that it is impossible totally to separate Interest from Religion and that therefore no man can look upon another as directly invading the one without obliquely designing against the other and what ever Passion men may have for their Religion they are inseparably married to their Interest the thred of that is twisted with the Stamina Vitae being indeed esteemed Essential both to the being well-being of the Body For it is not in Religion as it is in Philosophical Contests where how eager soever men may appear to defend a Paradox yet they are not Solicitous whether it be true or false for what matters it between two hot Combatants whether there be any Land in the Moon or not Since though there be they have no Mannors nor Lordships there and if there be not they are never the poorer of a Farthing BUT in the Quarrels of Religion there is always a Meum and Tuum and Men suspect not without good Reason that the difference of Opinion is but the Colour or Pretext it is Interest that is the first Mover and the Ultimate Design and this prevents all hope of Reconciliation till one party do either voluntarily or by constraint relinquish their pretences to the others Right for he who will invade the Possession of what another enjoys by endeavouring to be a Disseisor becomes an Enemy And there are few who arrive to that height of self-denial to hate themselves that they may love their Enemies or to expose themselves to the Inconveniences of cold Nakedness and Hunger which Nature abhors that they may feed and cloth their Enemies nor does Charity command it for though that Compassionate Grace look abroad for Objects of Pity yet she always begins her Work at home nor is any man obliged to pray for or love his Enemies so as not to provide for his own Family 1 Tim. 5.8 and by Charity to deny the Faith and be worse than an Infidel Such Saints are Martyrs of the Greek Calends And no person can Esteem such as endeavour to devest him either of Power Authority Estate or Possession Honor or Profit but as his particular Enemy and an Enemy to God and Religion which commands that no man should invade anothers Right in that great Command Thou shalt not Covet Now where there are several distinct Churches in the same Nation there being both Power and Maintenance annexed to the Office of the Clergy they will necessarily incroach one upon another and because what the one gains the other must loose the contrariety of Interests will widen the Difference between them even to the utmost Extremity of Hatred and Animosity and whilst every Church will labour to agrandize it self both in Riches and Power by lessening the Esteem Honour Power and Revenues of the other it will become a quarrel of Interest as well as Religion and let any person if he can Justifie a Principle that by maintaining Domestique Quarrels must be ruinous to Society and all the Peace and Happiness of the present state of Life under the fair pretence of Religion LET Dissenters tell us what they please and if their dislike of the Government in the Church is purely upon the account of Religion former Experience has made the World sufficiently sensible that the Dignity Power and Revenues of the Church were the greatest Crimes of the Government And that they who could not approve of those Honors Titles and Estates in Bishops and the dignified Clergy could yet very well digest both their Power and Revenues when they came by the Sacrilegious hands of Vsurping Powers to be conferr'd on themselves AND as these Quarrels will be most certain so they will be Endless and Eternal for admit once of many Forms of Church Government in the same Nation and no sooner shall one be uppermost but the Envy of the others and their fear lest they should be crush't or overshadowed by it will make all the lesser Churches conspire for their common Security and Interest to undermine and overthrow it And when they have by that joynt confederation Effected that then will the most Powerful of the Victorious Party step and Exalt it self into the Place and Power of the former which will procure it the Hatred of all the rest who will not fail by the same Arts and Methods to dismount that and Establish themselves by which means there will be no end of Factions Quarrels and Ambitions striving who shall be the Uppermost All this while Religion will be the Pretence but the State shall really suffer and it being as impossible to separate them as to punish the Christian and not the Man it must be under all the most violent Agitations and Tempests and at last suffer most certain Shipwrack THIS was the true state of our Case in England during our late Revolutions the Church and Religion were made to lead the Dance but according
as the Opinions of private Doctors he might have said with Charity Doctrines of Devils those Incendiaries of the World and perpetual Haters of Humane Nature and Happiness but by his favour what he condemns Mariana and Suarez for teaching a Pope was so far from being of his Opinion of condemning that he commends it in the Publique Consistory Pius Quintus was his Name who when Henry the Third of France was murthered by Jaques Clement the Monk gave his Applause to the Tragedy it was Rarum insigne memorabile facinus facinus non sine Dei Opt. Max. particulari Providentia dispositione verus Monachus Fictum occiderat A rare famous and memorable Exploit and not without the particular Providence of Almighty God that the true Monk should murder the false one Well might the Painter make St. Peter's Picture blush for the Crimes of such impious Successors as this I need not repeat the Tumults of Rome nor the Wars of Italy under Pope Boniface the Eighth nor the Reign of Julius John the 12. or 22. nor all the Disturbances occasioned by the Pride and Ambition of Popes grasping at Temporal Power and Soveraignty Here is the Root of the Matter This Canon which has stood unrepealed this 600 Years is the perpetual Foundation of Papal Usurpations to which whoever does not Swear upon Occasion must be a Heretick and whoever does must if the Pope pleases be a Rebel to his Prince and against the Lord and his Christ whose Gospel teaches the quite contrary Doctrine And though notwithstanding this the Catholique Princes and even those of Italy as he says pag. 202. who live under the Pope's nose are not affraid of being Deprived or Excommunicated but are Absolute and Arbitrary in their Dominions Those last words are a good reason of their fearlessness for themselves but an ill one for their Subjects and the subsequent words which he adds a worse for both though absolutely necessary to maintain their right for they are not obliged to the Principles of the Roman Religion or their Peoples Fidelity built upon the Sacred and Solemn Oaths of Allegiance but are obliged to make the Sword give a Constant Security to the Sceptre Whilest they dispute with Sword in hand for their Temporalities So that it seems the Pope puts them upon disputing their Right and if the Sword of Princes be not longer than St. Peters the Pope has the best Argument for even the Temporalities and the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven can open a door to the Kingdoms of the Earth Is not this a rare Principle of Peace which obliges Princes to stand continually upon their Guard against the Incroachments of the See of Rome AND whereas pag. 215. to ballance the Impious Doctrines of Bellarmine Suarez and Mariana he throws into the other Scale Luther Calvin Knox and Buchanan and tells us That their Opinions are at least as dangerous to Monarchy the difference between them being only this That whereas the former lodg the Deposing Power in the Pope only whose person is at a safe and sufficient distance at least from us the latter bring the danger home to the door of Princes and place it in the People whom they make both Parties and Judges in the Case Neither the one therefore nor the other who maintain such Doctrines fit to be Tollerated by any Prince who has not a mind to be deposed either by the Pope or the People But this distance this safe distance was a prety sweetning Parenthesis to dose a Prince with the Opium of being out of Danger As if Popes might not have as long hands now and their Bulls as long Horns as in the days of Henry the 4 th or Otho or King John And as if the Pope were not in the Case of those Soveraigns both Judg and Party particularly that of Henry where the Quarrel was whether the Pope or the Prince had the Right of Investitures of Bishops to their Temporalities BUT what if I shew him that Calvin Luther c. are as good Catholiques as he in this Point of Vesting this deposing Power in the People Vide Avent Polychron Viterben Sabellicus Nauclerus in vita Childerici and all the Historians of that Age. Pope Zachary being consulted whether Childerick being Sine liberis sine ingenio might be deposed and Pepin who was Major du palais Substituted in his room in his Answer to the Peers of France wanting a President for such Power in himself tells them at first that it was of that weight ut non auderet tam magni momenti cogitationem suscipere that he darst scarce entertain a thought of it but tells them in Conclusion That since Princes hold their Crowns and Government of the Peoples Choice in whom it resides absolutely Constituere Destituere a pretty modest word for Deposing to appoint or forsake therefore they might remove him who was unuseful and Elect him who was most Worthy So said so done See here a Lutheran Pope abandoning Supremacy for which now they contend as prò arîs and vesting this Deposing Power in the People A Position no less Treasonable than contrary to plain Scripture in a hundred places and therefore Damnable to make Princes whose Tenure is in Capite of God Almighty only become Tenants at will by Copy of Court Roll of Popular Election and Deposition If these be good Subjects good Christians who lay an Eternal Foundation for Perpetual Changes and Revolutions in Government and Governors by tossing and tumbling Crowns upon the Tempestuous Ocean of the Mobile vulgus let them be cherished let them be Tollerated LET him now which he ought to have done if he could or had meant fairly Shew in all the Doctrine of the Church of England the least Sylable that may any way be construed even by Prejudice it self to encourage Sedition Rebellion or deposing of Princes He nibbles a little at it pag. 261. with What if one should say you were Antichristian Bloody-minded Seditious c Why if he should he would be guilty of a most notorious Calumny and Falshood because he can never prove it For our Doctrine and our Practice suites with our Prayers which are Litany of Ch. of Engl. From all Sedition Privy Conspiracy and Rebellion Good Lord deliver us And if the pure Spirit of Primitive Christianity so Innocent so Vnambitious so Obedient and full of Sincerity and godly Simplicity so Pure and Peaceable and full of good Works be only to be found in the Doctrine and Practice of those who are the true Sons of the Church of England let them be accounted the best Subjects the best Christians And that therefore they deserve the Encouragement the Care and Protection of the Laws and Government and not to be given up to be Wasted Devoured and Destroyed trampled down and troden underfoot by Tolleration of those whose Principles and Practice are so directly contrary to the Peace and Prosperity of the Church and Nation CHAP. XIII THUS it appears
have instructed his Scholar to put down and not Exalt this Antichrist in the Church of God 1 Jo. 2.18 This Ignatius who was afterwards in the Eleventh year of Trajan Crowned with Martyrdom at Rome being torn in pieces by Wild Beasts as Eusebius gives us an account Euseb Eccl. His l. 3. c. 19. 35. he speaks as plain of the Difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter as Pen can write or Heart can wish In his Epistle to the Magnesians Ig. Ep. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Bishop saith he is seated in the first place as in the place of God and the Presbyters as the Senate of the Apostles And in another place of the same Epistle They says he who Act without a Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to such Christ will say Why do ye call me Lord Lord and do not the works which I Command you Such Persons seem to me not to be of a good Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but to be Hypocrites and Dissemblers And in his Epistle to the Trallians he Commands them in the Language of the Author to the Hebrews Ignat. Epist ad Trall To be subject unto this Bishop as unto the Lord for he Watches for your souls And in another place he tells them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is absolutely necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That you should do nothing without the Bishop Thus we see the Sons of the Church in the first Century of the Apostles of Christ being yet living thought of Bishops as we do And therefore it is both Undeniable and Undubitable that Episcopal Government was of Divine Institution and that a Bishop and a Presbyter are two different things in the Primitive Church both as to Power and as to Name I might bring a whole Cloud of Witnesses of less Antiquity but if these will not convince if the Testimony of Scripture and so Primitive a man and a Bishop as Ignatius be of no value I can have little hopes of convincing Gainsayers by multitude who have abandoned Reason THUS stood the Affairs of the Church for above 300 Years no man making the least Question or Dispute but that the Government by Episcopacy was of Gods appointment one Bishop still succeeding another as in the Ecclesiastical Historians my be seen in most of the Principal Cities of the World Epiphan l. 3. Tom. 1. Haeres 25. till Aerius being Educated with Eustathius and being his equal in Learning and Age took it as a great disparagement that Eustathius was preferred before him to a Bishoprick for which they were Competitors upon this discontent he not only fell foul upon Eustathius objecting as our Aerians do against him Pride and Covetousness but his Resentments for the Mortal displeasure broak out against the whole Function contemning the prescribed Fasts of the Church and teaching by the same Arguments with ours that a Bishop and a Priest were all one by the Scriptures of equal Power Authority and Jurisdiction which saith Epiphanius is an Assertion stultitiae plena full of Folly But this being but one discontented Priests Opinion was neither much regarded nor long lived the current belief of the Scripture and the constant Usage of the Church which knew no other Government run so strong that he was drowned in it nor did the Heresie ever float again till this last Age of which St. Clement who was contemporary to St. Paul and his fellow Labourer Phil. 4.3 as he calls him seems to prophecy in that Epistle of his to the Corinthians which I think was never suspected to be spurious where he tells us there would come a time when there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Ep. ad Cor. a contention about the very name of a Bishop BY virtue of this Power it was that the Rulers of the Church ordered and appointed all things which were done which were of an indifferent Nature in Government as about the Observation of Holy Fasts and Festivals the manner of Celebrating the Service and Worship of God the Prayers and Alms of the Church the Postures Gestures and Habits which were to be made use of and all other Rites and Ceremonies following herein the Scripture as the Rule of Faith and Manners and the General Precepts therein contained as Rules of Government which were principally these FIRST That nothing imposed should be repugnant or contrary to any Article or Branch of Faith or a Holy Life or to any Customs of the Church recorded in Holy Writ SECONDLY That all their Commands might have a respect to Decency Order Reverence and Edification THIRDLY That All might have a tendency to Vnity Peace and Concord and that diversity of Customs and Opinions might not breed Schisms and Contentions and I shewed before how when in some of these things there was a difference in several Churches yet still they held Communion one with another maintaining inviolably the same Faith and Government in all THIS was the Condition of the Church both as to Faith and Polity till such time as the great Powers of the Earth the Roman Emperours and other Kings became Christians and took up the Cross of Christ as the Glory of their Crowns The first of which was Constantine the Great These Temporal Powers then took the Church into their Protection made Temporal Laws for the better Management of it and to preserve it from the Injuries of Heathen Idolaters without and Hereticks within and having the Sword in their hand undertook as it was their Duty to punish Evil doers who darst transgress the Laws of the Church with Temporal Punishments as well as those who broak the Laws of the Civil Magistrate and to incourage the Peaceable and Religious From the Bounty of these Princes and that of others of plentiful Fortunes and and by their Example the Church came to be Endowed with Temporalties and an Honourable Constant and Encouraging Maintainance was provided and settled upon those who were to serve at the Altar that so they might be inabled and furnished with all sorts of Learning well knowing that proportionate Rewards are the spurs to Learning and Virtue as the Wisdom of God for our Encouragement to Pursue and Obtain her tells us Prov. 8.18.3.4 Riches and Honour are with me yea durable Riches and Righteousness and that length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand Riches and Honour And that according to the Apostolical Command 1 Cor 9.11 14. They which sow Spiritual things should also reap Carnal for so hath the Lord commanded that they which Preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel BY this it appears That now there was a double Obligation laid upon all Christians to be Obedient to the Commands of the Church both because they derive their Power from God and because the Temporal Power did now concur to strengthen the Duty by the Obligations of Humane Laws nor can any thing or any pretence of Conscience authorize
which they are to Govern which is the Word of the Infallible God who cannot lye or be deceived and I suppose that they may act contrary to this Rule and that presumes they are not Infallible but if they follow the Rule then I say they cannot Err and should the Pope do so all Christians over whom he may Challenge a lawful Jurisdiction as their Patriarch ought to submit to him But it is Evident that the Roman Church does Err and has Erred in many things forsaking the Rule setting up the Authority of the Pope to alter and change that Rule by introducing new Articles of Faith new Books of Scripture and old Traditions his own Canons Decretals and Councels for a Rule nay his own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Sentence and Determination for an Infallible Rule of Faith and Life which is as far from me to believe of our Bishops as to say or believe it of him NOR does this Jurisdiction of Bishops either take away that subordination which for convenience of Government is among them or intrench upon the Supremacy of the Civil Magistrate since his Supremacy consists in a Temporal Soveraignty and pretends not to any Pastoral Power but only such Kingly and Civil Authority in Cases Ecclesiastical as Constantine and several other Religious Emperors had and Exercised to whom even Popes as well as other Patriarchs yielded subjection as I can make appear out of the Epistles of Gregory the Great to Mauritius and the Ecclesiastical Historians in a hundred places And nothing is more plain than that Christ himself owned a Subjection as well as Commanded one to Cesar As for the Civil Magistrate and his Power I think nothing more Evident than the Duty all their Subjects whether Laicks or Ecclesiasticks owe them and that they have Prescription the Law of God Nature Nations and those of their own on their side for the Defence of their Titles to their Crowns and Scepters and that the Church and Faith is and ought to be their Particular Care as well as it is their Interest the quiet of the State ever depending in a great Measure upon the Peace of the Church and that they have a Coercive Power by virtue of which they may compel men to Obedience to the Laws both Civil and Ecclesiastical which in conformity to the Law of God are to promote the Peace Happiness Unity and Prosperity of their People Nor was this Doctrine ever deni'd till the Papacy growing great and the Empire declining began to think of a Temporal as well as a Spiritual Monarchy and to Unite St. Paul's Sword to St. Peter's Keys And till the Presbyterians reviving the Heresy of Aerius and his levelling Principle began to indeavour to set up their Spiritual Democracy in the Church in order to their Erecting it also in the State as the sad Probatum which they writ to their late deadly of the Solemn League and Covenant might convince us without the dangerous necessity of a second Experiment Ictus Piscator sapit The burnt Child dreads the fire and we have a great deal more reason to do so than to kindle it again and run our fingers into the Flame to try whether it will burn as hot now as formerly it did CHAP. XVII The CONCLVSION TO draw to a Conclusion I think it is evident from all that any person can in reason desire to give him Satisfaction That the Powers and Government in this Church and Nation are Lawful and of Gods appointment That Vnity in Faith and Obedience to their Government are the only Expedients to secure unto us Peace and Religion and that if these be our Desires the other are our Interest and ought to be our diligent indeavours and our constant Practice It is this Unity this Obedience that must make us Happy at home and Terrible abroad which are the only Ways to procure and Establish a lasting Peace both in our Souls in our State in our Church and with our Foreign Neighbours who may be obliged more by our formidable Vnity than by our feeble Arms or other Alliances I would gladly know therefore of Dissenters who and our sins are the great Obstructors of our Happiness Are you certain that the Government of Bishops is Unlawful and Antichristian Can you prove that any of the Commands of the Church or State are Unlawful contrary to plain Scripture and Publique Interpretation If you can you may pretend Conscience for your Disobedience but if you cannot and I am assured it is impossible how do you think you shall escape the dreadful and Revenging Power of the Judg of all men when he shall come in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on those that know not God and obey not his Gospel Flatter not your selves with the vain Opinion of your Sanctity Many shall say Lord have not we Prophesied in thy Name to whom he will answer Depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity for I know you not and well he may for he says Positively He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and him that sent me is not this Disobeying the Gospel The Holy Ghost says he has made Bishops you say they are Antichristian he sends them to Instruct you in the way of Righteousness and to Watch for your Souls you Watch for their Ruine their Lives Honors and Estates he commands you to Esteem them highly you despise them contemn and Vilifie them He commands you to Obey you not only refuse but teach that to Obey is Damnable He planted them among you to plant the Faith you vow and swear to Extirpate Root and Branch Go on and Prosper said the False Zedechiah with his Horns of Iron but Ahab fell Be not deceived you may Mock the Messengers of God but God is not to be Mocked if you sow the Wind your shall reap the Whirlwind the terrible Tempest of his Wrath and Indignation They that lay Snares for the Innocent shall be Ensnared in the Works of their own hands You believe you know God but in Works you deny him for as Saint John saith of himself and his fellow Apostles and of their successors as all lawful Bishops are and will be to the end of the World 1 Joh. 4.6 We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error The Holy Church of God in all Ages for God has a Church in all Ages according to his Promise acknowledg this to be the sense and Meaning of the Scripture which I have shewn how then will you avoid this guilt with which St. John charges you this spirit of Error which he assures us is to be known by this Character of not hearing those whom God hath sent ARE you certain that you are in the Right and that all the Saints and Martyrs Bishops and Confessors who believed thus lived and dyed in Antichristian Error Ignorance and Superstition strangers to these