many other Apostolical Churches were the same The Churches of Rome and Corinth and most others were made out of Jews and Gentiles who had the same different apprehensions about Jewish Ceremonies as well as that at Jerusalem And therefore the difference was not betwixt Church and Church but betwixt the Members of the same Churches who were left at liberty by the Apostolical Synod except in three things And for that Reason the Gentile Dissenters cannot possibly be the Patrons of ours unless the Vindicator can shew that the Jewish Ceremonies were impos'd as ours are by some Christian Church If he can prove that Rules were given and Matters of Decence impos'd and that any Christians in that Age refus'd to submit to 'em let him name 'em as the Precedents of his Cause and Party I dare say That every Churchman will allow 'em to be so In the next Paragraph he is fond of the Notion which he quarrell'd with in the last so inconstant are those people that know not what they would have It fits the Independents as exactly as if it had been made for 'em for they hold a Vnity for Substance tho not for Circumstances they are united to all true Churches tho for condemning Bishops who are doubtless the principal and most necessary Members they partake of the same Table tho they set up Altar against Altar they are the same with us in the External Worship and Service of God tho in Covenant against us and they refuse to communicate with us either in Sacraments or Prayers They are all united to the Head tho not into one Body either among themselves or with others For that part of Unity I observe the Gent. passes over and with a great deal of Reason it being hard to find several Members united into One Body and yet still remaining all independent That wherein they differ from others is according to the Apostolical Mode That wherein others differ from them is nothing but Innovation Otherwise they are the same with all true Churches if you will believe this Gent. To all which I shall only apply and argue in the plain words of St. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 1 John 2 1â—… Touching the Continuance of the Church he agrees with us p. 17. Only about the Authority of the Apostles he is pleas'd to fall out not apprehending how any Man can succeed the Apostles in their Apostolical Power If he means the Authority they had in the Church i. e. over the Presbyters and other Members we affirm Bishops to be their Succ ssors it being not reasonable to suppose that any Branch of Auth rity given by our Saviour to his Apostles died with them for if their Authority over the Presbyters expir'd with their Persons why should that over the People continue after 'em unless the Gentleman will suppose which I suppose he will not that the Laity are the only persons that need the Regulation of Superiours All Multitudes must have Governours and the common Presbyters are certainly oo Numerou a Populace to be all independent Let 'em submit therefore to Bishops their Successors as they did to the Apostles themselves especially till such times as you can find a Text to prove That the Apostles Commission was only a Patent for Life it being a Matter of such Consequence in the Vniversal Church that few will believe you upon your own bare Word As the Authority of the Apostles was Vniversal and extended to the whole World and was the same in all Churches p. 18. so Bishops do succeed them in the same Authority And if it were not for those Humane Agreements which the Vindicator cannot disallow the Government Ecclesiastical must be so exercised And I could wish the Gentleman would be pleas'd to consider whether a Bishop is not as truly a Bishop and a Presbyter as much a Presbyter in any other Man's Diocess or Parish as he is in his own Is he suspended or deprived when he 's out of his own bounds If not I hope he may be a Minister like the Apostles all the World over And yet the exercise of his Ministry confin'd within certain limits Nor do's this Notion give the Pope any greater power in England than it do's the Archbishop of Canterbury at Rome which is none at all On the contrary if Ordinary Pastors are Pastors only within their own Precincts Mr. H. and his Vindicator tho Ordain'd can be none because they exercise their pretended Ministry in other Mens Parishes He will not dispute the Episcopal Jurisdiction of Timothy and Titus but he tells us it signifies nothing till the nature and extent of that Office be first determin'd out of Scripture p. 18. As if the Epistles to Timothy and Titus were no Scripture We find Timothy appointed by St. Paul to examine the Qualifications of such as were to be Ordain'd to lay hands suddenly on no Man to receive Accusations and proceed judicially and to rebuke before all even Elders themselves if there were occasion Titus was to ordain Elders in every City to set things in order to rebuke with all authority to admonish and reject heretics And this power of Ordination and Jurisdiction wherewith Timothy and Titus were invested is what the Bishops have all along exercised and do still challenge at this day and therefore we justify the present Episcopal Authority by these two Scripture-Instances And as the Congregational Invention allows of no such Officers the most Ordinary Pastors call 'em Bishops or Presbyters or what you will being all independent without ever a Timothy or Titus to supervise and govern 'em by the same Scripture it stands condemn'd and is plainly contrary to the Apostolical Pattern And if the Office of Timothy and Titus was itinerant by reason of their frequent Removes from place to place as the Gent. supposes p. 19. our Bishops are extreamly like 'em in that particular their Office being always very itinerant in their Episcopal Visitations But this is an idle Fancy which he probably learn'd from Mr. Baxter an idle one I call it for if the Office of Timothy and Titus was really itinerant they were certainly out of their Office while they staid at home the one in Ephesus and the other in Crete tho doing that very business for which the Apostles plac'd 'em there which how well it agrees with Scripture and common Sence let every discerning Reader judge If none besides St. Paul were concern'd in the Ordination of Timothy and Titus Sed quod ab uno Apostolo gestum est id ab omnibus simul Apostolis gestum esse dicitur ob Collegium Consortium Apostolatus Vales Annot. in Philosâ—…org H. E. l. 3. c. 15. Sub imperatore Claudio loco duorum unicus Praefectus Praetorio Constitutus
Apostle saying there is one God one Christ one Faith one Baptism And St. Austin confirms the same thing 1st of all distinguishing aliud est non habere aliud pernitiose habere aliud salubriter habere Aug. l. 2. Cont. Ep. Parmen and then telling us concerning those that are separated from the Unity of the Church that there is now no question but that they both have and may confer both Orders and Baptism Sed pernitiose habent pernicioseque dant quia extra Vinculum pacis sunt and the same Father asserts the same Doctrine a little before in two cases First If any of the Schismatical Clergy be reconciled to the Church tho it seems expedient to allow them the exercise of their former Function yet are they not to be Reordained c. and Secondly If on the contrary the Church judges it not convenient to allow them any Ministration Vid. Tim. Proâ—… C. P. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ap Coteler Ec. Gr. Mon. T. 3. p. 420. E. Niceph. C.P. Epist Canonic Ibid. p. 459 c. Mason Brâ—…mhal Burnets Vind. p. 60. yet their Ordination is not hereby made void but continues with them still c. To this I might add the practice of the Greek Church in former Ages and the opinion of the Romanists at this day who altho they are as little friends to those they call Schismaticks as any People in the World yet the most Learned of them declare that no Man indeed ought to receive Orders from either Hereticks or Schismaticks and that both he that gives and he that receives them sin greivously yet where Hereticks or Schismaticks that Ordain were truely Ordained themselves and the Ordinations made by them according to the Forms of the Church such Ordinations are valid and Hereticks or Schismaticks so Ordained need no new Ordination but only to be reconciled And this we find alledged by Protestants against those Popish Enemies who sometime have urged the very same Argument against our first Bishops which this Vindicator makes use of now I wish this were the only instance wherein the Papists and Dissenters are agreed against us And now let the Gentleman take his Answer to this difficult question Whether Schismaticks can Ordain It being generally given in the Affirmitive if we may be allowed to believe as most People do the deriving of our Orders through a Schismatical Church can be no prejudice to the line of Succession And yet all those Persons who have thus determined concerning the validity of Schismatical Ordinations think Schismaticks out of the Church as much as T. W. Perhaps our Author expected to Triumph in this Concession and that made him call so earnestly for an Answer to this Question Supposing that if Ordinations made by Schismaticks are granted to be valid our present Non-conformists may find a place among the Clergy when ever Mr. Baxter and can obtain a Comprehension without a new Ordination but this we deny For although Schism do's not invalidate any mans Orders when they are really given yet this will be no plea for those who never were Ordained which must needs be the case of many of you who deny the Order of Bishops For we believe with St. Jerome that the Power of Ordaining belongs only to the Bishop and your Ordinations made by Presbyters are all Void and Null and till you can prove the contrary we take you for no more but a parcel of Lay-intruders into those Holy Functions to which you have no right those of you only excepted who have been Episcopally Ordain'd And those who have enquir'd more nicely into your Mission are apt to suspect that many of your first Apostles from whom several of you in all probability do derive your Orders never were Ordain'd and how to distinguish those from others at this day we cannot tell And this is an Observation which I suppose the Vindicator had never met with or else he would scarce have been so confidâ—…nt as to tell us p. 26. that they are in the Line still And yet it is hard to say whether he was not aware of some such thing or else what should make him so earnest as to lose so many Pages aga nst this Line of Succession which if it would do him no good would certainly do him no harm Methinks it is at least a Matter of Reputation to succeed the Apostles and therefore I can see no Reason why this Vindicator should take such pains to oppose it unless being conscious to himself that his Party has no pretence to it he would if it lay in his power make it void or needless to prevent others insisting upon it who he knows can make out a better Claim It has been the common practice of many others besides this Gent. to lay aside those Notions which their Circumstances would not bear and to find out New Devices with which they would more easily quadrate And therefore we cannot wonder that he looks upon Ordination to be no more but a Publick Approbation of Ministerial Abilities by competent Judges p. 26. Most of this Man's Party have no other Ordination and perhaps many of 'em not that Otherwise we know the Saints are as tenacious of Priviledges as other Men. And therefore if they could make any tolerable pretence to the Line of Succession they would magnifie it to the full as much as we do But why only a Publick Approbation of Miniseterial Abilities Does the Publick Approbation of a Man's Abilities invest him in his Office Will a Testimonial from the Inns of Court make a Man a Judge or from the Vniversities a Minister without any Commission from the King or Ordination from the Bishop or any body else But this is such a way of making Clergy-men as never was heard of before And indeed our Author himself puts in Two other Circumstances in the next page viz. That he be chosen by the rest and set apart by the most competent Judges which amounts to a great deal more than only a Publick Approbation And these Judges he supposes may be Lay-men in certain Cases of Necessity As in case that a Company of Lay-men be cast upon an Island or remain in same Countrey when their Pastors are all kill'd or turn'd Hereticks But in the first place I must put him in mind That as no Man is to meddle with the Sacred Offices except he he called of God no Man to preach except he be sent so no Man is to call or send as from God but he that is Authorized by him for that purpose Our blessed Saviour himself when he gave Commission to his Apostles recites his own All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth Go therefore c. Mat. 28.18 19. As my Father sent me so send I you John 20.21 And We hope our Dissenting Brethren when they go about to Ordain will not disdain to follow his Example In all Ages of the Church the calling or sending of persons to the Work of the Ministry
Tartary or as T. W. advis'd them the grand Signior if he pleases if the sanctity of the Preachers the Spirituality and simplicity of Doctrine and Worship after the Congregational way If zeal against Ceremonies without adoring any sort of Religion will do the business We shall soon see whether the Independent or the Jesuit are more successful for there lies the controversie the Divines of the Church of England are no way concern'd having not been much accustomed to travel upon that errand It seems he never heard that the Apostles did actually preach the Gospel to all nations neither do I believe they did to all Countries and to every person in every Nation But if he will give us leave to expound it of some persons out of all Nations which I suppose was all that T. W. meant and the thing is true for St. Peter we read preach'd Acts 2. and his Congregation consisted of people in all probability out of every nation under heaven Acts 2.5 That the primitive Bishops had the power of ordination and government whereby their authority did exceed that of meer Presbyters and that the Churches of several Presbyters were united under the government and care of one Bishop has been sufficiently evinc'd by divers learned Pens particularly that of Ephesus one of the famous Seven in Asia has been again and again prov'd to be so govern'd And this is all that we need to contend for but if nothing less will satisfie him than having every Diocese acred that he may know exactly the extent which he so briskly calls for p. 13. let him be at the charge of it himself we for our parts are well contented with less ado unless it were to more purpose The primitive Dioceses being never suppos'd to be all equal but some greater and some less as well as the modern Neither is it necessary to shew that their modes of worship were exactly the same with ours the Vindicator himself assures us that they did not agree among themselves about the circumstances of worship and then how can he expect that they should all agree with us That they us'd and impos'd things of the same nature with what he calls our modes and that our Governors are warranted in doing the like by their example and Authority is all we need to shew and that has been done often enough already by divers hands We confess that Bishop and Angel are not convertible terms and yet suppose St. John had said Angels of each Church in the plural number instead of Angel in the Singular I would know how any man could prove Episcopacy from those texts And surely where an Argument may be made from the number in which a word is us'd he is not far amiss that should say such a thing is plain from that word He triumphs in the next paragraph p. 14.15 as if he had found the Independent notion in one of T. W's assertions Nay he cannot see how there should be a multiplication or plurality of Churches till the increase of believers according to the Episcopal model If the Gentleman will be pleased to put on his spectacles I will endeavour to shew him how Suppose then that one parcel of converts were made at Jerusalem another at Corinth another at Ephesus another at Antioch and another at Rome and a Bishop and Presbyters constituted over each particular Church I desire him to consider whether this will not be the thing which T. W. spoke of viz. A multiplication or plurality of Churches by the increase of believers without any necessity of supposing that Churches must multiply like Bees only by sending out a Colony when the Hive is too full And suppose a Colony were sent out under the conduct of a Presbyter and he still under the government of the same or another Bishop I suppose this would do the business without any great service to the Congregational way But why did not the Vindicator give us some Scriptue-instances of this famous notion For if a Colony must needs be sent out under independent Officers when ever believers grow too numerous for one Assembly it may surely be proved that some time or other it was so And therefore I must call upon Mr. Vindicator for matter of fact which unless he can produce and I am pretty sure he cannot he must not expect that much credit should be given to him It being a little too much for him to impose his notions upon us as if they were all according to Scripture and yet not one Text to be found for them I would fain know how many Congregations there were in the Church of Jerusalem when the believers increased to so vast a number in so short a time Three thousand you meet with converted Acts 2.41 More daily added v. 47. Five thousand you find mentioned Acts 4.4 Multitudes both of men and women added c. 5.14 And yet still the word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith c. 6.7 Now I desire him to give me his Answer to these following Queries Whether all this number of Believers did make one Congregation or more Whether or no they were under the Government of only one Bishop Whether each of them was known to his Bishop and to one another Whether they could not be Members of the same Church till they were all personally acquainted Did they all ordinarily meet in one place to worship God And if so where was it Were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so capacious Or did the Jews lend the Temple for an ordinary Meeting-place to the Christians How the Preacher could be heard by all this Multitude at once Whether the vigor and strength of his Lungs or the thinness of Jerusalem air did enable and qualifie him for that loud Performance Or whether he had the Conqueror's Engine or Sir Samuel Morland's Speaking Trumpet Or a peculiar sort of voice like Mr. Baxters Friend who preach'd to a Congregation of ten thousand men so that they could all hear him and yet his voice was none of the loudest I desire his information in these particulars that we may see whether it be likely that the Church of Jerusalem did increase and multiply in the Congregational way but we hope he will not stir a syllable from the sacred Text that being no way proper for a man that receives nothing but express Scripture In the next Paragraph he falls foul upon one of his own blunders And because T. W. affirms that all other Churches were one with that of Jerusalem all united in one body under one head Christ Jesus thinks he confounds him mightily by proving a variety in circumstances of worship as if to say that those Churches were united in one body and that all Members agreed in every circumstance of worship were the same thing and he that confutes the latter confutes the former also He might have consider'd that even in that variety