others in place and office as well as in reverence whereof we cannot expect a better proof than the Universal practice of the Churches of Christ even in the Apostles days and immediately after their decease For unless we could conceive that all the Churches should even in those Primitive times conspire together to cast off some other government appointed by Christ and admit of this to which they could have no temptation or inclination the People and Bishops both being then as sheep appointed to the slaughter we must needs conclude that a superiority of office and government as well as of reverence was their due Now not only the Persons that were set over the Churches and had the Characters of Episcopal Power and Jurisdiction are plainly recorded in the Writings of the Ancients but their power and superiority over Presbyters and Deacons their supreme care and inspection of the affairs of the Church are so fully explained as if they had been written on purpose to prevent the objections of these later days For instance we read in Authentick Authors of St. James at Hierusalem St. Mark at Alexandria Timothy at Ephesus Titus at Crete Crescens at Galatia Archippus at Caloss Epaphroditus at Philippi Gaius at Thessalonica Apollos at Corinth Linus and Anacletus at Rome Ignatius at Antioch Papias at Hierapolis Dionysius Areopagita at Athens Yea the Ancients tell us particularly who were those seven Angels of the Asian Churches that are either approved or reprehended for their government Viz. Antipas at Pergamus Polycarp at Smyrna Carpus at Thyatira Sagaris at Laodicea Melito at Sardis Onesimus at Ephesus And Ignatius gives the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia the like character as the Spirit of God doth though I find not his name It were no great difficulty to set down the Successors of divers of these Bishops through many ages of the Church together with the dignity and power they had as well over Presbyters as People Ignatius and Clemens Tertullian and Irenaeus Eusebius and Clemens Alexandrinus speak largely of them I shall hope to satisfie the Reader with a passage or two out of St. Hierome who is thought no Friend of Episcopacy yet in his Epistle to Evagrius he says Whatever Aaron and his Sons and the Levites could vindicate to themselves in the Temple the same may Bishops and Presbyters and Deacons challenge to themselves in the Christian Church Here you have a plain distinction of Orders And in his Epistle to Riparius you have a distinction of Power for speaking of Vigilantius an Heretical Presbyter he saith Miror sanctum Episcopum in cujus parochia esse Presbyter dicitur acquiescere ejus furori non virgâ Apostolicâ virgâque ferreâ confringere vas inutile tradere in interitum carnis ut spiritus salvus fiat I wonder the holy Bishop in whose Diocese the Heretical Presbyter is said to be doth not restrain his madness and with his Apostolical rod as with an Iron rod break that unprofitable Vessel and deliver him for the destruction of the flesh that his Soul may be saved So that there was a sub and supra by Christ's institution it did not all come from composition and agreement of Men among themselves as Mr. Hobs and our Author do affirm But if there were indeed a superiority of reverence due to Bishops by Christ's institution I fear the Author sinned against that institution when he spake so irreverently of them as in Page 226. speaking of contentions between Bishops Private and indifferent Persons may as securely be spectators of those contentions in respect of any peril of conscience as at a Cock-fight where Serpents fight who cares who hath the better the best Wish is that both may perish in the fight I know not under what temptation the Author was when he wrote this nor did he himself consider from what spirit it came St. Jude tells us v. 9. that Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation but this Author whether Aerius revived or the Ghost of that Monster Smectymnuus become incarnate no Archangel I am sure doth not only despise Dominions and speak evil of Dignities but breaths out fire and utter destruction against Episcopacy root and branch Who the contending Bishops were of whom he speaks I have told you in the controversie between Victor and Polycrates the one contending too violently for a truth the other too tenaciously defending an ancient but erroneous custome The errors of both would extract pity and prayers from any Christian spirit that were sensible of humane infirmities When there arose a contention among Christ's own Disciples Luk. 9. 46. which should be the greatest And when the dispute about circumcision somewhat like this arose between Paul and Barnabas and them that came down from Judaea did Christ or his Apostles think themselves as unconcerned at these contentions as at a Cock-fight or had it been a fit option to wish that they might all perish How destructive are the curses of such men when their prayers their best wishes are for destruction There appears more of the Serpent in this rash vote than in all Victor's contention But our Author thinks he may be well excused for this uncharitable vote against Bishops seeing they had so little charity as by their frequent contests to make butter and cheese of one another p. 220. It is a sad story to read the great violences acted by some Bishops and the indignities and tortures indured by others in that period of time to which Socrates confines his History for in the close of it he says it contained the History of 140. Years from the beginning of Constantine's Empire unto the 17. consulship of Theodosius In all which time Socrates relates with as much sorrow as our Author seems to do with merriment what agonies and convulsions the Arian Heresie made in some Churches and the Schism of the Donatists in others where the Factions being cruel and implacable as often as they got any power did not only make butter and cheese but shed the bloud of the Orthodox and more peaceable Bishops There are still some such as would gladly reduce them again to butter and cheese and like vermin corrode and devour them too If any be of the Authors mind I hope and pray that God would give them repentance that they may live so peaceably under the Bishops of the Church here that they may live eternally with the Bishop of their Souls hereafter Or if they shall despise my advice I intreat them to consider that of Mr. Hales p. 223. It being a thing very convenient for the peace of the Church to have but one Bishop in one See at one time neither doth it any way savour of vice or misdemeanor their punishment sleeps not who unnecessarily and wantonly go about to infringe it I meet with one observation more fit to be animadverted on under this head which
far as I understand the greatest part if not three for one of the English Ministers are of this mind That unordained Elders wanting power to preach or administer Sacraments are not Officers in the Church of God's appointment of this number I am one and Mr. Vines was another Of Bishops As for Bishops viz. a Diocesan ruling all the Presbyters but leaving the Presbyters to rule the People and consequently taking to himself the sole or chief power of Ordination but leaving censures and absolution to them except in case of Appeal to himself I must needs say that this sort of Episcopacy is very ancient and hath been for many Ages of very common reception through a great part of the Church And if I lived in a place where this government were established and managed for God I would submit thereto and live peaceably under it and do nothing to the disturbance disgrace or discouragement of it You may see how far Mr. Vines and Mr. Baxter did agree in the notion of a Bishop over many Presbyters Of which Grotius in his Commentary on the Acts and particularly chap. 17. saith that as in every particular Synagogue many of which were in some one City in Jerusalem 480. there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such was the Primitive Bishop And doubtless the first Bishops were over the community of Presbyters as Presbyters in joynt relation to one Church or region which region being upon the increase of believers divided into more Churches and in after-times those Churches assigned to particular men yet he the Bishop continued Bishop over them still For that you say he had a negative voice that is more than ever I saw proved or I think ever shall for the first 200. Years and yet I have laboured to enquire into it That makes him Angelus Princeps not Angelus Praeses as Dr. Reinolds saith Calvin denies that and makes him Consul in Senatu or as the Speaker in the House of Parliament which as I have heard that D. B. did say was but to make him foreman of the Jury As touching the introduction of ruling Elders such as are modelled out by Parliament my judgment is sufficiently known I am of your judgment in the point There should be such Elders as have power to preach as well as rule On this Mr. Baxter reflects p. 353. Though Mr. Vines here yield not the negative voice to have been de facto in the first or second age nor to be de Jure yet he without any question yielded to the stating of a President durante vitâ if he prove not unworthy which was one point that I propounded to him and I make no doubt but he would have yielded to a voluntary consent of Presbyters de facto not to ordain without the President And the difficulties that are before us de facto in setting up a Parochial Episcopacy which he mentioneth I have cleared already in these Papers shewing partly that the thing is already existent and partly how more fully to accomplish it The Instances which he gives are in the Episcopacy of the Protestant Churches in Poland from Adrian Regenvolscius Hist Eccles Sclavon l. 3. p. 424. N. B. Whereas from the first reformation of the Churches in the Province of the lesser Polonia it hath been received by use and custome that out of the Elders of all those Districtus Divisions which are 36. in Number one Primate or Chief in Order who is commonly called Superintendent of the Churches of lesser Poland and doth preside over the Provincial Synods be chosen by the Authority consent and suffrage of the Provincial Synod and that he be inaugurated and declared not by imposition of hands to avoid the suspicion of Primacy and the appearance of authority and power over the other Elders only by benediction and fraternal Prayers and by reading over the offices which concern this function and the prayers of the whole Synod for the sake of government and good order in the Church of God c. The other instance is of the Churches of the Bohemian Confession who have among the Pastors of the Churches their Conseniors and Seniors and one President over all related by the same Regenvolscius p. 315. The Elders or the Superintendents of the Bohemian and Moravian Churches c. are for the most part chosen out of their Fellow-Elders and are ordained and consecrated to the office of Seigniory by imposition of hands and publick inauguration c. Those that treated with the Bishops 1660. did yield to such an Episcopacy as the old Non-conformists would scarce generally have consented to i. e. to Bishop Usher's model Episcopacy is not such an upstart thing nor defended by such contemptible reasons as that the controversie is like to dye with this age undoubtedly there will be a godly and learned Party for it while the World endureth And it is a numerous party all the Greek Church the Armenian Syrian Abassine and all others but a few of the Reformed For Denmark Sweden part of Germany and Transylvania have a Superintendency as high as that I plead for p. 11. If you know no godly persons of the Episcopal way I do and as my acquaintance increaseth I know more and more and some I take to be much better than my self I will say a greater word that I know those of them whom I think as godly humble Ministers as most of the Non-conformists whom I know p. 12. and I believe there are many hundred godly Ministers in the Church of England and that their Churches are true Churches And I am confident most of the Ministers in England would be content to yield to such an Episcopacy as you may find in the published judgments of Bish Hall Usher Dr. Forbes Hodsworth and others Preface to the Five Disputations p. 9. Of Sacriledge Qu. 171. What is Sacriledge Ans It is a robbing God by the unjust alienation of Holy things As deposing Kings silencing true Ministers the unjust alienating of Temples Utensils Lands Days separated by God himself and justly consecrated by Man Mr. Vines his Letter to Mr. Baxter p. 35. of the 5. Disput concerning Sacriledge As for your Question about Sacriledge I am very near you in the present Opinion The point was never stated nor debated in the Isle of Wight I did for my part decline the dispute for I could not maintain the cause as on the Parliament side And because both I and others were unwilling it was never brought to open debate The Commissioners did argue it with the King but they went upon grounds of Law and Polity and it was only about Bishops Lands for they then averred the continuance of Dean and Chapter Lands to the use of the Church Some deny that there is any sin of Sacriledge under the Gospel and if there be any they agree not in the definition Some hold an Alienation of Church-goods in case of Necessity and then make the necessity what and as
Heylen with whom he was acquainted told him that he found the Arch-bishop whom he knew before to be a nimble Disputant to be as well versed in Books as business That he had been ferreted by him from one hole to another till there was none left to afford him further shelter That he was now resolved to be Orthodox and to declare himself a true Son of the Church of England both for Doctrine and Discipline p. 361 362. If it be demanded why our Author did not refute this Tract in his life-time I answer 1. he did do it as effectually as the Philosopher confuted him that denied motion when he arose from his seat and walked up and down before him for his long profession and practice contrary to what was there written was Protestatio contraria facto 2. The Tract carried its confutation with it as appears in the examination 3. It 's not impossible that he foresaw how it might be serviceable to the Royal Party whom their adversaries had begun to revile and persecute as Arminians and Papists and in some cases poyson well tempered and rightly applied may become medicinal 4. He might be confident such weak arguments as he made use of though they might please the factious multitude who knew no better yet they could do no great hurt among Judicious men And because we cannot guess at the Author's aim which is secret we ought to judge by his actions which were publick The learned Bishop Taylor made use of a like Stratagem to break the Presbyterian power and to countenance Divisions between the Factions which were too much united against the Loyal Clergy for in his Liberty of Prophesying he insists on the same Topicks of Schism and Heresie of the incompetency of Councils and Fathers to determine our Ecclesiastical controversies and of scrupulous Consciences and urgeth far more cogent arguments than our Author did but still he had prepared his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Antidote to prevent any dangerous effect of his discourse Not unlike to some Mountebanks Pardon the Comparison who to amuse the vulgar and to effect their own ends do administer to their Merry-Andrews a certain Dose of Poison but immediately give them such an Antidote as causeth them to cast it up again and hinders the mischievous operation of it For the Judicious Reader may perceive such a reserve though it lay in Ambuscado and be compacted in a narrow compass as may easily rout those Troops which began too soon to cry Victoria and thought of nothing else but dividing the Spoil And if the learned Bishop did this and was blameless the goodness of the End in such cases denominating the Action I see no cause why our Author whose ends as we ought in charity to believe considering the integrity of the Person were for the restoring of peace seeing he represented the causes of War so frivolous and inconsiderable ought to be represented as a Criminal or adversary And thus I have endeavoured to rescue the Author's Person as well as his Papers from the Enemies tents according to the advice of Tully in the case of Muraena Tolle Catonem de Causâ that by any means he should take off Cato from appearing as an Enemy or an Evidence against him lest the Opinion of Cato's vertues should create him more prejudice than the strength of his Arguments were like to do I have only to acquaint the Reader that the reason why in the following Censure I have sometime named the Author as distinct from Mr. Hales is because I believe it is applied by too many to such intents as the Author never thought of and as the Epigrammatist saith of ill repeating so shall I say of ill applying other mens books Malè dum recitas incipit esse tuus I cannot certainly calculate the time when this Tract of Schism was first penned but I suppose it to be about Forty Years since it being quoted by Mr. Chillingworth in his Answer to Knott which wants but little of that age And unless my conjecture and credible information do both fail me the occasion on which it was written was this Mr. Hales and Mr. Chillingworth were of intimate acquaintance and beside a constant correspondence by Letters they had frequent converse with each other but more especially when Mr. Chillingworth came so far in his Answer as to Vindicate our Church from Schism which was charged on her by Knott He consulted with Mr. Hales concerning the nature of Schism and after discourse he desired Mr. Hales to write his thoughts about it which he did in this Tract out of which Mr. Chillingworth urged some arguments which I think are the worst in all his Book Sure I am that they caused ill reflections not only on the private reputation of Mr. Hales and Mr. Chillingworth but on the Church of England as if that did favour the Socinian Principles The Author of Infidelity Unmasked writing against Mr. Chillingworth tells him that his arguments concerning Schism were conceits borrowed from a Letter of Mr. John Hales of Eaton written to a private Friend of his as I am credibly informed saith that Author by a Person well known to them both at that time and who saw the Letter it self And he farther affirms of his own certain knowledge that Mr. Hales was of a very inconstant judgment One Year for Example says he doubting of or denying the blessed Trinity and the next Year professing and adoring the same And another Person in a Pamphlet called the Total Summ written against Mr. Chillingworth reviles him on the same account in these words In this you shew the Adamantinal hardness of your Socinian forehead and Samosatenian Conscience The truth is that some arguments borrowed from the Socinians and urged first by Mr. Hales and from him by Mr. Chillingworth gave occasion to that imputation But as for Mr. Chillingworth he had sufficiently secured his reputation in the Preface of his Book where he thus professeth I believe the Doctrine of the Trinity the Deity of our Saviour and all other Supernatural verities received in the Scripture as truly and as heartily as any man And whereas he dyed in the Faith of the Church of England he hath given assurance that he was then no Socinian As for Mr. Hales whatever he was when he wrote this Tract of Schism and some others yet as his Adversary says he did afterward profess and adore the blessed Trinity And for the Reader 's satisfaction as well as for Mr. Hales his Vindication I shall transcribe that account which he gives of his Faith concerning the Trinity in his Golden Remains Mr. HALES's Confession of the TRINITY The Summ of whatever either the Scriptures teach or the Schools conclude concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity is comprised in these few Lines GOD is One numerically one more one than any single Man is one if Unity could suscipere magis minus yet God is so One that he admits of distinction and so admits of
is in page 218 c. The third thing I noted for matter of Schism was Ambition I mean Episcopal ambition shewing it self in two heads one concerning Plurality of Bishops in the same See another the Superiority of Bishops in divers Sees Aristotle tells us that necessity causeth but small faults but Avarice and Ambition were the mothers of great crimes He instanceth in the Sees of Alexandria Constantinople Antioch and Rome I am glad our Author found no instances of Episcopal ambition nearer home if there had been any in all probability he would have told us of them If he had been a friend to the Episcopal Order he would rather have done as Constantine said he was ready to do with his Bishops make his royal robes a covering for their infirmities than like a Cham discover the nakedness of those Fathers The best of Bishops are but men and so are subject to the like passions and infirmities as other men I have already instanced in the Apostles and other disciples of Christ and certainly it is not christianly done so to aggravate the faults of particular persons as to reflect upon the whole office Besides our Author might have mentioned as many and as dangerous Schisms made by covetous and ambitious Presbyters as by the Bishops Novatus and Novatian Aerius and Arrius Donatus and his fellow Presbyters who assumed the Episcopal power to themselves and shed more bloud and committed more outrages than were done under any instance of Episcopal ambition I will not insist on any foreign comparisons our late Schism at home is so fresh in our memories and the wounds made by it are yet so open that there needs no other Rhetorick than our own experience to teach us that the little finger of the Presbyterians was heavier than the Episcopal loins Let any person sum up together the mischiefs occasioned by the avarice and ambition of Bishops for 500 years together in this Nation of ours and I dare engage to demonstrate that for wickedness in contriving for malice and cruelty in executing for pride and arrogance in usurping for obstinacy and implacableness in continuing and endeavouring still to perpetuate our unparalleled confusions though many Bishops have done wickedly yet our Presbyterians have exceeded them all For let me be informed whether for a Juncto of Presbyters who had often sworn obedience to their lawful Ordinaries as well as allegiance to their Prince to cast off all those sacred obligations and dethroning one incomparable Prince to advance many Tyrants and by covenanting against one Bishop in a Diocess erect 100 or 200 in the same See and expose all to contempt and misery that would not partake with them in their sins whose tender mercies Mr. Hales himself found to be cruel being deprived of that plentiful estate which he enjoyed under the Episcopal Government and reduced to that extremity that he was forced to sell his books for the supply of his necessities let me be informed I pray whether this be not more than any Bishop ever did or could be guilty of Such indignities perjuries usurpations and cruelties against an Equal as these men have acted against their just lawful and excellent Governors both in Church and State I believe have not been acted since Judas betrayed his Master P. 225. Our Author infers from the Scriptures before mentioned That those sayings cut off most certainly all claim to superiority by title of Christianity except men can think that these things were spoken only to poor and private men Nature and Religion agree in this that neither of them hath a hand in this heraldry of Secundum Sub Supra All this comes from composition and agreement of men amongst themselves The first Scripture referred to by our Author is I suppose Gal. 3. 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek bond nor free male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus Here is not a word of high nor low in this nor any other Scripture that I can find in our authors sense for the Apostle only shews that as to our acceptance by God in Christ there is no respect of persons but as he had said verse 26. ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus No difference from country relation sex or condition but as the King's Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye are all Christs i. e. of his mystical body utcunque alia sunt diversa as Calvin observes the relation of King and subject Parent and child Husband and wife Master and servant notwithstanding Not that these relations are destroyed for then Christian Religion would be of all factions the most intolerable Estius on this place intimates that lest the Galatians should think they got advantages by being in Christ he tells them the Jew if he believed was as good as the Gentile the bond as the free which is therefore first named And if this sense could be applied to this Scripture which our Author gives then might the Quakers use it to defend all their rudeness because there is neither high nor low and the Family of love for all their carnality because there is neither male nor female in Christ Jesus The second Scripture is Rom. 12. 10. In giving honour let every one prefer another before himself which place is so far from licensing any Christians to deny honour to those Superiors to whom it is due and strictly injoyned in the next chapter that it obligeth them to give it to equals and inferiors as S. Bernard says The first degree of Christian humility is Inferiorem se exhibere Aequali secundus Aequalem se exhibere Inferiori tertius Inferiorem se exhibere Inferiori in all which the giving honour to our Superiors is not mentioned being a duty that nature it self doth teach The Assembly gives a right sense of this Scripture Christian humility teacheth us not only not to prefer our selves above our equals nor to equal our selves to our betters but in some cases to equal our selves to our Inferiors So that we need not think these things were spoken to poor private men but were to be the common duties of all Christians without prejudice to their particular relations all which Christianity provides for S. Paul instructs Timothy as the Servant of the Lord to be gentle to all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that opposed themselves But withal he incourageth him to teach and to command to rebuke and reprove to see that no man did despise him and leaves to him the government and care of the Church of God at Ephesus Where there is true Christianity there will be as much humility and meekness in the hearts and lives of Kings and Princes Bishops and Priests as of the meanest Peasant And therefore the Monks of Bangor were not advised amiss That they should know whether Austin that was sent by Gregory the Great to be an Arch-Bishop was a servant of God or no if he did meekly salute them and
the Iconoclastae or adversaries to the worshipping of Images we may with more truth account them who were Iconolatrae worshippers of Images Hereticks if not Idolaters By the way let me observe that if it be my duty to withhold communion from such as set up a false way of worshipping God as this Council did it is my duty also to withdraw from the Communion of such as profess false opinions of the true God as the Arrians c. did to whose assemblies the Author sees no reason but we may joyn our selves p. 215. Though this be contrary to his own rule p. 218. It is alike unlawful to make profession of known or suspected falshoods as to put in practice unlawful or suspected Actions I hope the Reader will not think his patience injured if on this occasion I give him a brief account how Images were first brought into the Church of God and what reception they found in the Primitive times of both which I shall speak briefly They were first brought in by lewd hereticks and simple Christians newly converted from Paganism the customs whereof they had not fully unlearned Bishop Usher in his Answer to Maloon p. 508. gives this particular that the Gnostick hereticks had some Images painted in colours others framed of gold silver and other matter which they said were the representations of Christ made while he was in the power of Pontius Pilate The Collyridians who at certain times offered Cakes to the Virgin Mary did also cause Images of her to be made Carpocrates and Marcellina his companion brought the Images of Jesus and Paul to Rome in the time of Anicetus and worshipped them But the more plentiful seeds of this Idolatrous worship were sown by the heathen converts as Epiphanius observes We have seen the pictures of Peter and Paul and of Christ himself saith he for that of old they have been wont by a heathenish custom thus to honour them whom they counted their benefactors or Saviours And the Arrians and Donatists having for a long time rent the Church of God and pulled down the Fences both of Church and State they made way for vast numbers of Infidels to enter among whom the Christians being mixed and living in subjection to them in divers places they learned this custom also of making and honouring the Images of those whom they accounted their Patrons and benefactors Men of heretical perswasions were the first that were tainted worshipping the Graves and Pictures of their Leaders then these painted toyes insnared the vulgar and at Rome under Gregory the Second the worship of them is first practised and defended but at the same time opposed by Leo Isauricus and his successors And in a Council at Constantinople 338 Bishops condemned it Anno 754. the primitive Fathers having before that time constantly disputed against the very making and painting of Images as well as worshipping them whose testimonies against Images it will be in vain to heap up here I think it enough to observe that since Bishop Jewel challenged the Church of Rome to shew but one authority out of the Ancients for setting up of Images in the Churches and worshipping them during the first 600 years there hath not yet been any tolerable reply made But in the year 787. Hadrian being Bishop of Rome and Tharasius of Constantinople like Herod and Pilate were reconciled in this mischievous design and having the opportunity of a female Governess for Dux foemina facti they prevailed with Irene the Mother of Constantine to assemble a Council at Nice which the Papists call the seventh Oecumenical Council but by the Ancients was condemned as a Pseudo-synod This Irene was a Pagan the daughter of a Tartarian King and an Imperious tyrannical woman who in despite to the Council of Constantinople that had decreed against Images summoned this Synod which she so far defended that she caused the eyes of her own son Constantine to be pulled out because he would not consent to the Idolatrous having of Images as Bp. Jewel observes in the Article of Images where you may see more of the ignorance and impiety of this Synod This was the woman that called this meeting of the Bishops and you may guess under what fears they were of the cruelty of that woman who was so unnatural to her Son He that will be satisfied more fully concerning the Ignorance of this Synod may read it in their Acts mentioned by Binius or Surius or in Bishop Jewel concerning the Worshipping of Images ubi suprá Mittens Irene convocavit omnes Episcopos saith Baronius ad annum 787. so that the Pope had not then the power of calling Councils by the Cardinals own confession There was great intercourse of Letters between Hadrian and Tharasius before this Council was assembled which was done at last by Tharasius perswading of Irene and then there met 350 Bishops who agreed in this base decree for the adoration of Images as Bishop Usher calls it In this Synod the question for admission of lapsed Bishops and Presbyters was first proposed and although the Bishops that were readmitted were tainted with Arrianism as appears by the Synods demand that they should in the first place make an acknowledgment of the blessed Trinity yet Baronius slightly passeth over that and makes mention only of their submission to that point which as well the Cardinal as that Synod chiefly designed to advance i.e. the worshipping of images Basilius of Ancyra Theodorus of Myrene and Theodosius Bishop of Amorium are first called and these three post confessionem Sanctissimae Trinitatis of which the Cardinal says nothing more make a large profession of their sorrow for having adhered so long to the Iconoclastae or oppugners of Image-worship and present a confession of the Orthodox Faith as he calls it in opposition to those errors and hereticks to which they had adhered Now what that Orthodox faith was appears by the Confessions mentioned by Baronius wherein they did Anathematize them that broke down the images as Calumniators of Christians and such as did assume the sentences that are in the Scriptures against Idols and apply them to the venerable Images with much more to the like purpose But concerning their reception into the Church the question is greatly agitated and the books being produced by which it did appear that Athanasius Cyril and other ancient Pillars of the Church had received notorious hereticks into the Church a Bishop of the Province of Sicilia objects that the Canons of the Fathers which had been produced were enacted against the Novatians Encratists and Arrians hujus autem haeresis magistros quo loco habebimus but in what rank saith he shall we place the Masters of this heresie To which it was replyed by a Deacon of the same Province that it should be considered Minórne est quae nunc novata est haeresis an major illis quae hactenus fuere whether this new-sprung heresie were greater or less than those that were before it This is
lawful things oft become unlawful when Superiors forbid them yet no reason can be given why a lawful thing should become unlawful because a lawful Superior doth command it else Superiors might take away all our Christian liberty and make all things unlawful to us by commanding them You would take it for a wild conceit in your children or servants if they say when you bid them learn a Catechism or use a form of prayer It was lawful for us to do it till you commanded us but because you bid us do it it is unlawful If it be a duty to obey Governors in all lawful things then it is not a sin to obey them 3. It is not your knowing before hand that makes it unlawful for 1. I know in general before-hand that all imperfect men will do imperfectly and though I know not the particular that maketh it never the lawfuller if foreknowledge it self did make it unlawful 2. If you know that e.g. an Antinomian or some mistaken Preacher would constantly drop some words for his error in praying or preaching that will not make it unlawful in your own judgment for you to joyn if it be not a flat heresie 3. It is another mans error or fault that you foreknow and not your own 4. God himself doth as an universal cause of nature concur with men in those acts which he foreknoweth they will sinfully do yet is not the Author or approver of the sin We the Commissioners 1663. all thought a Liturgy lawful and divers learned and reverend Nonconformists of London met to consider how far it was their duty or lawful to communicate with the Parish Churches where they lived in the Liturgy and Sacrament and I proved four propositions 1. That it is lawful to use a form 2. That it is lawful to joyn with some Parish Churches in the use of the Liturgy 3. That it is lawful to joyn with some Parish Churches in the Lords Supper 4. That it is to some a duty to joyn with some Parish Churches three times a year in the Lords Supper and none of the Brethren seemed to dissent but took the reasons to be valid Were I in Armenia Abassia or among the Greeks I would joyn in a much more defective form than our Liturgy rather than none And this is the judgment of many New-England Ministers conform to the old Non-conformists who did some of them read the Common-Prayer and the most of them judged it lawful to joyn in it or else Mr. Hildersham Mr. Rich. Rogers c. would not write so earnestly for coming to the beginning and preferring it before all private duties And truly I am not able to bear the thoughts of separating from almost all Christs Churches upon earth but he that separates from one or many upon a reason common to almost all doth virtually separate from almost all and he that separates from all among us upon the account of the unlawfulness of our Liturgy and the badness of our Ministry doth separate from them upon a reason common to almost all or the far greatest part as I conceive Those forms of Liturgy which now are most distasted were brought in by the most zealous religious people at the first the many short invocations versicles and responses which the people use were brought in when the Souls of the faithful did abound with zeal and in holy fervors break out in such expressions and could not well endure to be bare Auditors not vocally to bear their part in the praises of God and prayers of the Church I have shewed at large How far God hath given men power to prescribe and impose forms for others and commanded others to obey them when Christ said When ye pray say Our Father c. he bound the Disciples in duty to do as he bid them How forms may be imposed publickly on the congregations of Believers and on the Ministers yea though the forms imposed be worse than the exercise of their own gifts though among us no man be forbidden to use his own gifts in the Pulpit The Pharisees long Liturgy it is like was in many things worse than ours yet Christ and his Apostles often joyned with them and never condemned them I shall now only add that the Lord's prayer is a form directed to God as in the third person and not to man only as a directory for prayer in the Second Person it is not Pray to God your Father in heaven that his name may be Hallowed his Kingdom come c. But Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name c. And it seems by the disciples words that thus John taught his disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. and we have in the Scripture the mention of many Set forms of Service to God which therefore we may well use And I desire the Reader again to Note that though Prayer was corrupted by the Pharisees yet Christ usually joyned in their Synagogues Luke 14. 17. and never medled with our controversie about the lawfulness of Set forms This Mr. Baxter infers from Calvins note on Matth. 6. before the Preface to the Defence Of Obedience to our Pastors We are indangered by divisions principally because the self-conceited part of Religious people will not be ruled by their Pastors but must have their way and will needs be rulers of the Church and them But pleasing the ignorant Professors humors is a sin that shews us to be too humane and carnal and hath always sad effects at last It is a high degree of pride for persons of ordinary understandings to conclude that almost all Christs Chruches in the world for thirteen hundred years at least have offered such worship to God as that you are obliged to avoid it and all their communion in it and that almost all the Catholick Church on earth at this day is below your communion for using forms Mark Is it not more of the women and apprentices that are of this mind than of old experienced Christians I think till we have better taught even our godly people what credit and obedience is due to their teachers and spiritual guides the Church of England shall never have peace or any good or established order We are broken for want of the knowledge of this truth till this be known we shall never be well bound up and healed The people of the new separation so much rule their Ministers that many of them have been forced to forsake their own judgments to comply with the violent Labour to maintain the Ordinances and Ministry in esteem The Church is bound to take many a man as a true Minister to them and receive the Ordinances from him in faith and expectation of blessing upon promise who yet before God is a sinful invader and usurper of the Ministry and shall be condemned for it How much more then to respect their lawful Bishops and Pastors For Lay-Elders As