Baal Joshua 5. c. howbeit they remained the sheep of his flock in the depth of their disobedience and those very children they offered unto Moloch were his sonnes and his daughters born to him Jer. 13.11 Ezek. 16.20 Hic children because born within the Covenant of which they yet retained the seal Let it be shewed that ever the child of any wicked Jew was uncircumcised or therefore not admitted to be circumcised because his father was wicked And certainly there is so much strength in the instance of circumcision Josh 5. for this large right of Ordinances from Covenant relation that it will hold out against all that can be said against it 3. Those who have a right to the Covenant have also a right to the seal But Christian children have a right to the Covenant therefore a right to the seal The Major is manifest in reason for it were a strange thing to say a man had right to Land and yet had no right to the evidences and the seals of the Writings by which that Land was conveyed over unto him Minor probatur But Christian children have a right to the Covenant be the Parents never so ungracious Gen. 17.7 Ishmael circumcised and Esau Acts 2.38 To you and to your seed among whom were Ananias Sapphyra Simon Magus But thus I prove it yet more clearly Those who are holy have a right to the Covenant 1 Cor. 7.14 This is granted But children of Believing Parents are holy Therefore c. You can in this Minor except only at two terms beleeving and holy and I shall justifie both For perhaps you may say Idolatours profane persons are no beleevers but you are mistaken for in the number of beleevers they are to be accompted till they renounce their faith The denomination of a beleever is as well derived from a right object beleeved as from the holinesse of the subject beleeving And I have my ground for this out of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.14 Where the unbeleeving husband is said to be sanctifyed by the beleeving wife where beleeving and unbeleeving and opposite terms and therefore as by unbeleeving you are to understand a 〈◊〉 by a beleeving wife you are to understand a Christian who might 〈◊〉 guilty for ought you know of some of those sinnes for which Saint Paul 〈◊〉 the Corinthians and yet because she was a Professour of Christianity and within the visible Church therefore he saith your children are holy 2. Holy which is the other terme which being not possibly to be understood of inherent holinesse because the child of the best Saint at his birth is no more holy than another there being an equal guilt of original sinne upon both must be understood of a relative holinesse that is as they who stand in relation to the Covenant into which they are actually admitted by Baptisme And then again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unclean are in Saint Peters sense Acts 10.14 the Gentiles such who might not be received into the Church and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy being such as are opposed to it must necessarily signifie those children who may be admitted Lastly if this were not the importance of that place there were no priviledge imaginable no sanctity which could be attributed to the infants of Christians which could not belong to the infants of Heathens which is affirmed of the one and denyed of the other by the Apostle Lastly They who by their iniquity lost not their right and priviledge in the Covenant cannot be the occasion that their children lose it But profane persons lose not their right as I proved before because notwithstanding their iniquity they remain still Members of the visible Church therefore there is no reason for their sakes their seed and children should lose their right Divers other reasons I could give you for this did I not study brevity Our application then of Baptisme to the children of profane persons is not groundlesse but hath its foundation in that gracious Covenant that God made with Abraham and his seed which was extended to the whole Church of Christ whither invisible or visible which last because it takes in all professours as well as believers their seed also no less then the other as they have a right to the Covenant so also have they a right to the seals of the Covenant may be baptized and admitted to the Lords Supper whatever you think to the contrary To Baptisme you would have no children of profane persons admitted supposing they have lost their priviledge and to the Supper of the Lord none but his faithful friends and followers For thus you say 2. If none but Christs faithful friends and followers were admitted to be fed and physick'd at his Supper Feast The Reply That all who come to be fed and physick'd at the Lords Supper were Christs faithful friends and followers is as much desired by us as can be by you and as much endeavoured by us as can be by you Why is it else that the Church hath prefixed those several exhortations before the Communion in which the negligent are checked and excited to their duty the presumptuous scandalous and obstinate sinners presented with their danger and punishment if they approach unworthily in their sinnes all that come exhorted to judge themselves to repent them truly of their sinnes past and amend their lives To have a lively and stedfast faith in Christ our Saviour to be in perfect charity with all men and above all things to give humble and hearty thanks to God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost for the redemption of the world by the death and passion of his Sonne and for the institution and ordination of the holy mysteries What rules can you give beyond these or what cautions can you prescribe that if observed can make men worthy communicants All this you will easily grant but of all this you will have a certain knowledge before you admit of any and that knowledge shall be grounded upon their conjunction with your Combinational Church and the Covenant then entred not with the Covenant God made with Abraham So that uncharitably you exclude all those who have right unto the seal by the tenour of Gods Covenant except he have a new acquired right arising from your Covenant also These I know you mean by Christs faithful friends and followers and none but these your practice shews you would have admitted That then the mists may be dispelled and the mistakes rectifyed that have prevailed too farre about the admission to and exclusion from the Lords Table necessary it is that we distinguish between the right which any man hath to this seale and the use that a man may make of his right and how he may be debarred of it 1. The right that any man hath to this or any other Ordinance of God ariseth out of the Covenant of God made with Abraham and his seed Mr. Humphryes that is with the visible Church so that
is very well and he will I doubt not still do better when a more concerning argument is managed by so excellent a hand Sir be pleased when the Book is printed in case you think it fit and that it be approved by authority to send me a Copie of it into the farre distant place of my retirement that I may be recreated with the worthiest productions of my friend for it will be instruction and refreshment too to Your very loving friend and Brother J. T. TO THE Reader THe Prince of peace knows who bequeathed peace as his last Legacy to all his followers that I am not a man of contentions or have loved to strive this being the first time that ever I set pen to paper in a contestation with any man And to this kinde of any other I have been most averse because I have found by experience in falling upon and passing through the controversies Theological the ardour of devotion hath been abated and many hours that might have been better spent in piety and the study of necessary fundamental doctrines surreptitiously stollen from me When therefore I had set up my resolution to meddle no more with the Polemicks I was awaked by an importunate Letter in which finding many foul aspersions to be cast on my Mother or rather the Catholick Church I mean not the Romane for I never did nor do acknowledge her to be worthy of that name in whose steps the Reformed Church of England hath troden in her Doctrine and Discipline legally constituted I thought my self bound according to my Talent to vindicate her in her constitutions If any man shall say this needed not it having been so often so vigorously done by abler pens yea and confirmed to be wisely constituted by the distractions and divisions which have fallen upon it since those foundations have been shaken and removed by aery brains then which there cannot be a stronger plea for the necessity of that Discipline which is here opposed and vilifyed I must confesse this is true and that by all wise and sober men our Mother hath gained hence thus much advantage that Plus colitur placet atque viget laudatur amatur Yea and her greatest Adversaries were they unbiassed might come to know quae recta sunt although Athenian like for some reasons they are all for news and therefore facere nolle Yet being provoked I held my self bound to answer yea though I did but say over again those things which Wise Learned Pious men had said before me for I intended not to impose upon my Reader which is usual by obtruding that for my own which indeed I have but borrowed from other men Easie it had been for me to vary phrases and in other words so to have dressed up the judicious determinations of the Learned before me who have in this discourse said so much that little can be added that men might have attributed something to me But neither the subject upon which I was to write would suffer it nor yet mine own inclination For suppose I should magisterially deliver the self same truth as from my self with those Worthies yet when were I able to do it with the same vigour and eloquence how could an equal credit be given to my words as to their grey hairs and impartial relations of Church-practice who were eye-witnesses of what they have delivered Besides it more sharply strikes the mind and more deeply seizes upon the understanding and wins belief sooner what the Pillars of the Church have left to us in their Monuments then what I or Cluvienus shall set down And this is the reason that where I found any thing opposite either in Ancient or Modern Divines I have expressed it in their own words and not in such as I could easily have disguised And in this I have followed the judgment and authority of the gravest men who have taught me that in eo laborare quae semel rectissimè dicta sunt nova orationis forma enunties intempestivae est ostentationis Moller praefat in Psalm Therefore whatsoever the Reader shall observe in this Apology spoken to the point in hand I desire he would not attribute it to me but to those who have laboured before me upon that subject whose Disciple I willingly professe my self to be and a Pigmy upon their shoulders Only if the Reader shall find their allegations more aptly and vigorously applyed and pressed home or more perspicuously opened and closely laid together or some defects here supplied and looser discourses fortified I have my aime This Apology had not appeared in publick had not the publication of the Admonitory Epistle call'd it forth For my intent in it was first to satisfie my friend that sent it an old acquaintance though alwayes of a dissenting judgment which yet I hoped had been better bottomed and then to put into the mouths of my brethren of the Clergy to whom I understood the Copy was sent as well as to my self what to reply But when I found it abroad I conceived my self bound to let the World know what might be returned to the imputations for I conceive to the considerate Reader they will appear no more after he hath perused the Reply So fairly I have dealt with the Admonitor that I have not here and there catched at pieces or taking any advantages by wresting any expressions in the letter But deduced the whole into parts and the parts into several paragraphs and resolved every paragraph into distinct propositions framed in the very words of the Letter which the writer cannot deny to be his own assertions and annexed a several answer to them that so the Authour of the Admonitory should not complain that any wrong is done him or his sense mistaken as is usual among Litigants in this kind And I hope withall I have so demonstrated the Truth where the matter was capable of a demonstration that there wil be left no more just cause to wrangle And my hope is in part confirmed by this that the first part of it being sent to the Authour of the Admonitory more than sixteen months since it received no return which gives me just occasion to suspect it is not subject to any notable exception The other two parts have lien by me ever since that was sent and that they were not made companions with the first some reasons there are which I hold it not necessary to make known From any bitternesse of language though sometimes justly provoked to it I dare say the frowardst adversary will acquit me Sarcasms you shall meet with none Astîsmi now and then and that cannot be imputed for it was the honour of Socrates the gravest and wisest of the Philosophers that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Tully said of old age cannot be disliked in any stile severitatem in senectute probo acerbitatem nullo modo That sharpness which having over-much of the sowre will distaste being brought to a right temper pleaseth the palate and
Ecclesiastique Numb 11.16 Nay Godw. ant l. 5. c. 1. it is distinguished from it for in the Civil Consistory the Judges were called Elders in the spiritual priests Matth. 21.23 26.3 The chief Priests and Elders of the people are named as two distinct Consistories though Vossius Doctor Hammon Downham and Weames admit not this distinction 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament sometimes but rarely is taken in the same sense as in the Old But most commonly it is attributed to an Order of Ecclesiastiques whether in a higher or a lower Order and degree 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the maintainers of the Congregational and Consistorial Church taken for a mixed company of Lay men and Ecclesiasticks to whose government they suppose the power of the Keys is committed and this they call the Presbyterial Church and if I am not deceived of this you speak in this place But against this I affirme that there never was any such Presbyterial Church before Calvin and to that purpose I here propose and hope to make good these Propositions against any opponent 1. That there must be government in the Church 2. That Christ instituted this government and Governours for it 3. That this government must be perpetual 4. That the Apostles were those Governours for the time and for perpetuity their Successors appointed by them 5. That their Successors were Bishops in Name and Office 6. That for the execution of this Office Christ gave to the Apostles the Keys and they to their Successors onely 7. That this power consisted in Ordination and Jurisdiction and therefore that they onely could ordaine and juridically proceed 8. That at first the Apostles and after the Bishops did both without a Presbytery 9. Yet that by the Apostles a Presbytery was instituted in some Churches who were Ecclesiastiques onely 10. That yet none of these Presbyters were Bishops but assistants onely being distinct from them 11. That this Presbytery without the Bishop could not use the Keys 12. That no Lay-man was of the Apostolical Presbytery nor no Lay-man after for 1500. years 13. That at first the people elected not any Church-Officer All these Propositions will require much time to be made good I shall now therefore omit the demonstration of them and go on to you fourth and fifth Proposition where I shall use some of them Proposition 4. Viz. That this prescribed Ministery must consist of Presbyters or Teaching and Ruling Elders THe subject of this Proposition is the prescribed Ministery and it hath two Attributes 1. The Presbyters 2. Teaching and Ruling Elders and both must be distinctly considered 1. The prescribed Ministery consists of Presbyters If by Presbyters you mean Presbyters in the second acception as it comprehends those of an higher and those of a subordinate degree this part of your proposition is most true and it shall be granted you But if you exclude the Bishop properly so called I absolutely deny it For the Apostles were Bishops Matthias elected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.20 There you have the Name and accordingly the Fathers of the Church called them Apostolos i. e. Episcopos Dominus Elegit Cyprian Epist 9. lib. 3. Cyprian They had the power of the Keys promised Matth. 16.19 Matth. 18.18 and actually estated on them John 20.23 In these texts you have the power which lay in jurisdiction and ordination In that was the office The Apostles were then in Name and Office Bishops This is performed in the second part I will give you a breviate of what I could say at large for the first Government of the Church I finde onely in Scripture mention of three Church-Officers Bishops Presbyters Deacons 1. The highest function which was Episcopal the Apostles reserved to themselves for some time and that for three reasons At first there were but few convicted Acts 14.27 1 Cor. 16. whence their labour was imployed in turning the first Key in opening the dore of faith that great and effectual dore and all the helps they could make either by Prophets Evangelists Coadjutors Pastors Doctors Planters Waterers to this purpose was little enough But none of these qua tales were Bishops 2. After the conversion of Jews and Gentiles yet in many Churches they yet setled not a Bishop first because a Presbyter fit for a Bishops office is not so easily found it is Saint Pauls rule that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan a Novice one newly come to the faith be not made a Bishop Secondly because while the Apostles remained in or near any place they reserved the power 1 Tim. 3.6 there being no need of Bishops The Apostles for that time supplying the wants of those Churches either with their presence letters or messengers as the cause required 3. And yet there is a third reason The Apostles suffered the Churches to make a trial what equality of many Governours would do but when they found the fruits thereof to be dissension and that every one would be master parity and plurality breeding dissension and confusion they committed the Church to one I shall set you down this in Hieromes words Hieron Com. in Epist ad Titum even in those very words which are produced against Bishops Idem est Presbyter quod Episcopus autequam diaboli instinctu studia in religione fierent diceretur in populis Ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego Cephae communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur Post quam vero unusquisque eos quos baptizabat suos putabat esse non Christi in toâ—o orbe decretum est ut unus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur cateris ut Schismatum semina tollerentur Haec diximus ostendimâ—s eosdem fuisse Presbyteros Episcopos ut Episcopi noverint se magis consuetudine quam Dominicae dispositionis veritate Presbyteris esse majores in communi debere Ecclesiâ—m rege e. I have recited these words of Hierome at full because in them there be many thâ—ngs clearly for me and some other passages seemingly against me to which I will give light Note here then first the cause of the Bishops creation 1. The causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or occasion was factions and Schismes and the end that Schismes might be taken away so his words are cum diceretur ego Pauli c. ut schismata tollerentur Secondly The time when the Bishop was ordained old enough for it was in the Apostles dayes for then it was said ego Pauli ego Cephae c. 1 Cor. 1. a sufficient authority I suppose for the Bishops institution it must needs be granted Apostolical if it began then Thirdly this institution was Decretum and pray say who then could decree except the Apostles or durst decree without them Fourthly that this Decree was generally assented to for Decretum est toto orbe it must be then Apostolical and Oecumenical Fifthly now consider the words of the Decree ut unus de Presbyteris
to you in the least That I have made use of the common distinction Lay and Clergy and Presbyters or Elders of both sorts I have been forc'd to it because I could not otherwise speak intelligibly and distinctly enough in this point And that in this I speak in the language of the Ancientest of the fathers so speaks Clemens in that famous Epistle to the Corinthians so cryed up by antiquity and lately set forth by Master Patrick Young Clem. Rom. Ep. 1. ad Cor. Ignat. ad Philip. ad Magnes Just Martyr Apolog 2. prope finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Justine Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Canons attributed to the Apostles Si quis Clericus abscindens seipsum c. Can. 22. Laicus seipsum abscindens c. Can. 23. Tertull. de prescript In exhortat ad castitatem Tertullian Hodie Presbyter cras Laicus and again nisi Laici observent per quae Presbyteri allegantur I should trouble you to reckon up infinite variety of other testimonies down-ward By these it sufficiently appears that these two termes Presbyters and Laicks were opposite termes so that Presby ers were not Lay-men nor Lay-men Presbyters they were mâ—mbra dividentia and 't is a Logick rule that membra dividentia must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so disjoynd that they never interfeer which will not be so if Presbyters and Lay-men may be affirm'd of the same person What should I tell you that if you approve not this distinction of the Primitive Church you may read it plainly in the Prophets so that it is not profane nor strange Isaiah 24.2 It shall be as with the people so with the Priest Hosea 4.9 There shall be like people like Priest And also Jeremy divides the Church into Prophet Jerom. ad Nepotiaâ— Priest and People cap. 23.34 and cap. 26.7 As for the Clergy-men Jerome shall give you the reason of the name propterea vocantur Clerici vel quia sunt de sorte Domini vel quia ipse Dominus sors i. e. pars Clericorum either they are the Lords portion to do service in the Church of Christ or that the Lord is their portion and part that is to live on such things that are dedicated to the Lord. And thus have I stopped two gappes with one bush Proposition 5. That these Presbyters Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Professing Members own voluntary Election and regular Ordination Of the Presbyters Teaching and Ruling Elders as you call them I have spoken hitherto Now of that which you require in them which are 1. That they be of the Professing Members voluntary Election 2. That they have their Ordination frnm them and that it be Regular In neither of which I can assent to you 1. Of Election of Presbyters and Ruling Elders THe Debate about Elections of Church-Ministers cannot be better determin'd than by the Scriptures let us look then how it was ab initio I finde three sorts of Election mention'd in the New Testament By the Spirit by lots by voices 1. By the Spirit speaking in his own person were Paul and Barnabas called from Antioch to preach to the Gentiles By the Spirit speaking in the Prophets Acts 13.2 1 Tim. 4.14 was Timothy design'd Neglect not the grace which was given thee by prophesie with imposition of the hands of the Presbytery And again 1 Tim. 1.18 This commandment I commit to thee according to the Prophesies that went before of thee that is by direction of the Holy Ghost and not by voices as Oecuminius Theodoret Chrysostome Throphylact expounds the place For this kind of Election was usual in the Apostles times the Spirit of God directing them on whom they should lay their hands By that Spirit were Peter and John directed on whom they should lay their hands at Samaria And so was Paul at Epheses when he laid the foundation of that Church so that he might truly say Take heed to the flock Act. 20. whereof the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers For it was the Holy Ghosts doing to notifie unto Paul the persons that should receive imposition of hands and to poure out his wonderful blessings on them to make them meet Pastours and Prophets whereto he had chosen them Yea this dured some time after Pauls death as Eusebius reports Euseb lib. 3. cap 23. ex Clem. Alex. even in the time of John the Apostle for after his return out of Patmos to Ephesus being requested he went to the Churches adjoining some were appointing Bishops some were setting whole Churches in Order some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. d. Supplying the Clergy with such men as were signified or marked out for that purpose by the Spirit Or if you read it as Hanmer translates it choosing by lot then this was done to avoid ambition and contention however it was of those who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the mix'd multitude chose not whom they pleased 2. For secondly by lot I graunt it might be done and then Saint John followed the pattern in the Election of Matthias to the Apostolate Act. 1. which is the sole example that can be given in Scripture in this kind And in this the people could have no voice if you will weigh the circumstances of the Text. For first the company that were then present were onely one hundred and twenty of which eleven were Apostles seventy two disciples Ver. 15.14 divers women with Mary the mother of Jesus now if you deduct eighty three and the women out of one hundred and twenty what a small remnant will there be of the people left to vote Secondly it is recorded indefinitely they appointed two not determinately expressing who they were Ver. 23. and so it might be the Apostles alone or the Apostles and disciples together for ought any man can say to the contrary Thirdly make what can be made of it yet here is no more than presentation which falls very short of Election for it is written they presented the two Fourthly they committed the Election to God Shew whether of the two thou hast chosen Ver. 24. and so it was reason for the place to which one of them was to be advanced Gal. 1.1 17 18 c. was an Apostles place and an Apostle might not be chosen by men but by God alone And here to remove a mistake I shall intreat you to observe this distinction that the name of an Apostle hath a double acception 1. In a strict sense for an eye-witnesse of our Saviours actions life death and one immediately chosen and sent by God and so there were no more but twelve Whence saith Peter Act. 1.20 21. of these men that have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us Must one be ordained to be a
to practice what you declaime I must professe I understand nothing But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive what you may answer but I will not now reply to it 2. The other part of your Proposition is that these Presbyters and Ruling Elders be of the Professing Members Regular Ordination THat the Presbyters and Ruling Elders in the sense above given of them have a Regular Ordination is necessary but that they shall have this Ordination from or by the Professing Members I cannot yield That Ordination is an act of the Keys I suppose is an axiome that will be granted on all hands For otherwise your Professing Members can have no right to Ordain who make their claim to it because they are subjectum clavium Rutherfords plea for Presbytery Sect. 6. But that they are not so Rutherford and Bâ—res demonstrate whence it will necessarily follow that they cannot ordain Presbyters and Ruling Elders Before he proves the minor he thus distinguisheth The power of the Keys is given to the Church of believers two wayes First As to the end and object and thus we acknowledge the Keys may be given to the whole Church because it is the object upon which the power of the Keys is to be exercised for what have we to do to judge those that are without and then it was the end why Christ gave the Keys 1 Cor. 5. he gave some to be Apostles c. for the perfecting of the Saints c. Secondly The Keys may be said to be given to them who are the subject Ephes 4. that is to such in whom the power doth rest to use them and who have authority to weild them and in this sense the beleevers in the whole body is not the formal subject of the Keys neither may they authoritatively use them And this is demonstratively thus prov'd For that which is primum proprium subjectum cum suo accident reciprocatur The attribute agrees to it primò Rutherford p. 12. per se adaequatè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as rationale or risibile agrees to man all these wayes so that a man onely is the first and adequate subject of reason or laughter and consequently every individual man reasonable and risible To apply this to my purpose if the body of any visible Congregation be the adequate and proper subject of the Keys the power must of right belong to every individual of that Congregation so that every one hath a power to use them women young men and all for quod competit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 competit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but such a power I dare say you will not put into women and childrens hands Then you must not make the whole Church the subject of the Keys but that some Professing Members have the keys in their hands and that these onely have power to ordain Now let us enquire who these Ordainers must be You say your Presbyters and if I mistake not ruling Elders We say Bishops Austin in Psal 22. or at least Bishops with their Presbytery As Augustine said excellently in another case so say I in this Fratres sumus quarè litigamus non intestatus mortuus est pater fecit testamentum mortuus est tamâ—iu contenditur de haereditate mortuorum quamdiu testamentum profetatur in publicum cum testamentum prolatum fuerit in publicum tacent omnes ut tabulae aperiantur recitentur judex intentus audit advocati silent praecones silentium faciunt universus populus suspensus est ut legantur verba mortui non sentientis in monumento Iâ—c sine sensu jacet in monumento valent verba ejus Sedet Christus in caelo contradicitur ejus testamento Aperi legamus fratres sumus quare contendimus pl cetur amicus noster non sine testamento nos dimisit pater And for this Will the search will not be long nor the trouble much 't is extant John 20.21 As my Father sent me so send I you and presently he enstates them in the power of the Keyes Whose sinnes you remit they are remitteâ— c. John 20.23 Matth. 28.20 And this power was to be perpetual to remain and continue till his second coming for these are his last words Lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world With them personally he could not be for the Apostles are dead this promise then must be made good to them and their Successours They then questionlesse had the Keyes which consisted in Jurisdiction and Ordâ—nation of which I am now to speak And out of our Fathers testament I shall shew you how they used it Act. 8.14 17. Peter and John were sent down by the Apostles from Jerusalem to Samaria to lay their hands on them that should receive the Holy Ghost Philip preach'd and baptizd but he could not give the graces of the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands to make fit Pastours and Teachers for the work of the Ministry The like we finde of Paul and Barnabas in the fore-cited place Acts 14.23 who visited the Churches where they had preached and supplyed them with Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wh re it were absurd to say that this was done by lifting up of the hands of the people since it was the work of Paul and Barnabas alone And by the way Act. 10.41 though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie extensio manuum yet alwayes it doth not so for Acts 10.41 we thus read That God shewed Christ openly after he was raised not tâ— all the people but unto Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordain'd by God and I could shew you that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a hundred places of the Greek fatheâ—s and Councils But to let this passe I go on 2 Tim. 1.6 Tit. 1.5 Timothy was ordain'd by Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.6 and Titus by him left in Crete to Ordaâ—n and therefore Ordain'd himself For nihil dat quod non habet All these Ordinations we finde in the Scriptures by the Apostles themselves 2. Now if you shall demand by whom these Ordinations were perform'd afterwards I shall answer you by their successours Yea but who were they I answer that it being a matter of fact and story later than the Scripture can reach to it cannot be fully satisfied or answered from thence any further than the persons of Timothy and Titus Epaphroditus c. and the several Angels of the seven Churches who by all the Ancients are acknowledged to be single persons that had power over all other in those Churches but will in the full latitude through the universal Church in those times be made clear by the next and best evidences we have viz. From the consent of the Greek and Latine fathers who generally resolve that Bishops were those Successours So writes Clemens Ignatius Iraeneus Tertullian Cyprian Theodoret Hilary Chrysostome who not Whose Testimonies shall be produced with a wet finger
I am inform'd the common opinion among you is that the power of the Keys is not in the hands of the Presbytery but the fraternity and so you are of Ainsworths opinion Of the power or Keys I see there is no difference betwixt us both are agreed to what end they serve both use them to effect that the sole quarrel is in whose hands they shall be put On all sides the buzzle is who shall be Prelates The Presbyterians would have them in their hands and Johnson fights on their side The Congregation stifly wrangle for their right and Ainsworth and most of New England take their part Cotons Keyes pag. 10. 13. Mr. Cotton and some others sensible of what might ensue by this just power of the people over the Eldership have begun to fall from Ainsworth to Johnson and to plead the authority of the Eldership over the brotherhood and the necessity of subjection of the people by divine right to the Elders as to their superiours Some wiser than some yet he hath such fine evasions and distinctions to blinde and content the people that a man would think he were playing at hocus pocus But be it as it will a blind man may see that the Prelacy is the game that they have all in chase Now this methinks is not fair dealing to put down Covenant and swear down Prelacy and hunt after it themselves to cry out against others that their whole aime is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lord it over Gods inheritance when they would be the sole Lords themselves Now among the heat of these contenders the old Prelate appears and puts in his claime he pleads Scriptures he pleads antiquity and the perpetual practice of the Church for one thousand and five hundred years And by my consent he that can shew best Cards for it let him carry the game Nor this then hereafter shall be any just cause of separation separation O how I hate the syllables the Authour of it sure was taught by the Prince of darkness and came to some a Bolton the first Separatist hang'd himself Brown the second dyed in prison Ephes 4.4 5 6. unlucky end Unity is the child that God blesseth We all acknowledge one Father we all hope in one Redeemer we serve one Lord we are united by one Spirit we professe one faith we were baptiz'd in one water we have but one hope of our calling for we all hope to meet in one heaven Let us therefore endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace And so the God of peace will take delight to dwell with us and bless us And the Son of God who made our peace and left it to us as his last Legacy will give rest and peace peace of conscience and reconciliation with God while we live here and eternal rest with him in heaven Amen To the first part of your letter you have here my answer and if it finde acceptance I shall proceed to satisfie the other First to vindicate the Church in general from those you call corruptions and degenerations in her government And secondly the Church of England in particular touching those enormities you conceive committed by her That I have not now done it there are some reasons which I will conceal A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church and the power of the KEYES The Second Part. The words of the Letter IN case the frequent pondering of this profitable point which is of so much concernment to be throughly versed in should puzzle any one that begins to question how where or when did the Christian Church which at the first was Presbyterial and pure become so corrupt and polluted as that scarce is the sceleton fashion or face thereof as much as to be perceived the more is the pity in most places or as yet amongst most professours of godlinesse I was really perswaded that a little paines might prove not onely acceptable but advantagious to a person that were so puzzled about the particular for to hear and to have it not alone boldly and barely affirm'd but also fairly and firmly confirm'd by unanswerable arguments that it fell to that foul and fearful degeneration under which it now doth or should groan and for which it hath good cause to grieve by no fewer than five distinct degrees whereof the first was into a Parochial 2. The second into a Cathedral 3. The third into a Provincial 4. The fourth into a National 5. And the fifth was into an oecumenical or a Romane Catholique Church SECT I. The Reply IN this second part of your letter you propose a point I confesse of greatest concernment and such which is most worthy of the sad and serious disquisition which is how where and when the Church became so corrupt polluted and degenerate as scarce the secleton fashion or face thereof is to be perceived no not among the professours of godlinesse Good words I pray The Reformed Churches you say cannot shew it the Prelates cannot produce it the Papists are at the same losse and among the professours of godlinesse be they who they will the Sceleton is scarce to be perceived hardly the fashion the face appears among them And where then shall we looke for the substance the body it self of which if any man be not a part 't is but in vain to look for salvation Since out of the Church no man can have hope of salvation no more than that creature had of life who was out of the Ark of Noah God be merciful to us all poor Christians if our Mother that should nourish us be brought to bare bones have but a face and fashion of a Mother and nothing else surely she will never be able to give her children milk while they are babes and strong meat when they come to be men if this be so Now tell me I pray what is the case why she is brought to this pittiful and lamentable condition how came she so corrupt and polluted Oh say you that is quickly discern'd she is fallen from her Presbytery for all the while she was Presbyterial she was pure First I could advise you to take heed of this affirmative except you put Combinational unto it For all the Presbyterians will catch at it and runne away with it in triumph and where are you then and I beleeve your own party will not con you much thanks that have given the adversary so great advantage Secondly it behoved you since you have laid the strength of your cause upon this word to have demonstrated by infallible arguments out of the Scripture that the Church was at first governed by that kind of Presbytery you mean which you have not done before you pronounced all succeeding Churches corrupt and polluted because they degenerated from that Presbytery This is petitio principii the foulest way of arguing Thirdly that the most learned and modest of the Prelacy though they will grant you a Presbytery in
trespasses were so grown up to heaven as that the long-forbearing Lord could no longer forbear but was put upon it and as it were necessitated for to take vengeance on their inventions as on Aarons golden Calf and Samuels grievous connivency at the evils of his sons spoken of Psal 99.6 8. SECT II. The Reply THis is your charge you have brought against our matter and you have loaded it with all the aggravations you could think of It brings to my minde a bill exhibited against me in Chancery about thirty years since being the first and last that I was ever troubled withal and upon no ground for ought I know except for paying another mans debt when it was brought to my hand I began to read and farre I had not past but I found my selfe charg'd with foul crimes of which I was no way guilty This put me into some choler I champed on the bâ—t and vowed to be righted on that man that had so falsely slandered me and cast such foul aspersions upon my credit and reputation All this while my Atturney stood by and smiled I guessing what the truth was that he laughed at me fumed and fretted the more at which he let go the sleider of his sides and burst into an open laughter this set me on fire to know what the cause should be but his immoderate bounds and curvets of laughing made such stops and jumps in his words that as yet I could perfectly understand nothing These delayes were so many spurres in my sides so that I was all this while upon thornes I could have burst for anger that my eares were put off from a having a present hearing But at last this mountain brought forth its mouse for the man composing his countenance gravely told me that such words were usual in these bills and that the Clerks commonly used to do so pro formâ— that they might fill up their sheets and that my good name was no way impaired by it which for the present gâ—ve me satisfaction Had I not been used to read from your party such a bill as this against the Church I should have been as much moved at your charge as I was at my Chancery bill but I am now satisfied 't is pro formâ it must be done and so let it passe for this time Though because I know the particulars in it you will expect an answer I promise you to receive it in its due place To the whole I say you have not drawn up your bill aright for supposing the corruptions and deformities you mention they stole not in upon the Church by those degrees you have thought of It was not the Parish that was first corrupted then the Cathedral after the Province lastly the Nation as for the Oecumenical Church I know none except the Representative in a General Council which whether it may be corrupted or no is a dispute of a high nature Now. I shall set you right that against you frame your bill next you may proceed by a better method The first Church in respect of Discipline was Cathedral the next Parochial the third Diocesan the fourth Provincial and the last National out of all these you may if you please frame the Oecumenical Now if you will fancie unto your self corruptions which I shall not deny you in Paradise but altogether in the constitution which is the true question you must proceed by these degrees and not by the former Now that this was the first constitution of the Church even common reason shall informe and convince you The Cathedral must needs be first yea suppose it had been but only Congregational That you mistake me not do not think I speak of a fabrick or a stately building that came in after for I speak onely of some set place City or Town or house if you will where the people of God were gathered to worship him put case Jerusalem Antioch c. This I say must needs be first and because the Apostles in these greater Cities first gathered Christians and were in them for some time resident therefore these Cities had from thence their Appellations and were called Cathedra Petri Cathera Jacobi Cathedra Pauli Cathedra Marci c. which is no other than the place where any Apostle or Apostolical man seated himself and in that Sede seat or place exercised Apostolical or Episcopal jurisdiction Tertull. to this purpose Apostoli primo contestata fide in Jesum Christum per Judaeam Ecclesiis institutis deinde in orbem profecti eandem doctrinam ejusdem fidei nationibus promulgarunt proinde Ecclesias apud unamquamque Civitatem condiderunt à quibus traducem fidei semina doctrinae caetetae exinde Ecclesiae mutuatae sunt quotidie mutuantur ut Ecclesiae fiant c. Tertull. de praescâ—ipt cap. 20. paulo post cap. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb l. 3. c. 21. cap. 4. c. 11. cap. 31. lib. 5. c. 7. cap. 3. c. 28. cap. 22 23 27. Apud haâ— adhuc Cathedrae Apostolorum suis locis praesidentur 2. That which we can in reason next reflect upon is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly the franchises of that city for it is a foul mistake and abuse of the word to suppose that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports a Countrey Village Hamlet or Township For Parochia in the prime sense of the word and in Church Records containes the Citizens of any great City with all such borderers and strangers as dwelt near and repaired to any chief Church or City Eusebius calls Alexandria Corinth Jerusalem Ephesus Athens Lions Carthage Antioch c. by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that must needs be more than Villages are with us The very same is to be seene in the beginning of Clemens first Epistle to the Romans Now tell me in reason what can be easilier conceiv'd than that the Pastor who had his seate in the City would imploy his endeavour next to bring to the faith those who were his next neighbours and liv'd in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Franchises the Suburbs and neighbourhood This Parochial Church then must be second 3. These being converted no question the chief Pastour did extend his charity and by all possible means sought to win those who were further off dispersed in Towns lesser Cities Vilages and Hamlets what he could not do by himself being to attend the flock in the City out of doubt he endeavoured to effect by those he sent Gods blessing being upon their labours it fell out as at Samaria by Philips preaching Acts 8. that many were converted to the faith and by reason of the number that beleeved they needed a Minister of the Word and Sacraments to be resident among them and were able and willing to maintain one To whom could they repair more fitly than to the Bishop of the next City and desire a fit man to serve their necessity and he appointed them their Pastour
and Minister and he and they became subject to the Pastour of the chief City This is evident to me Acts 8. in the conversion of Samaria Socrat. Schol. lib. 1. cap. 19. and in that story of Adesius and Frumentius that converted the Indians And now the whole viz. the City the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these Villages Towns c. thus converted being under the regiment of this Bishop were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Bishops Diocesse which was the Original of a Diocesan Church 4. But the charity of the first planters of Christianity staid not here they never thought they could bring fish enough into Christs net As they were fishers of men The Romane Provinces as I take it were under Augustus Casar 22. After Marius thus conquered Syria Germany Brittanny c. so they fished still to catch more untill they gain'd whole Provinces Now a province was a large territory conquer'd by the Romanes which they put under the government of a Proconsul or Propretor Such a tract being converted by the foresaid endeavours was put under the government of the foresaid Bishop â—nd so of a Diocesan his Church had the name of Provincial and because the City where he was resident was the Metropolis oâ— Mother-City to that whole Province and under that many lesse Cities with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Towns and Villages so that Prâ—vince being so large that it was not possible or not convenient for the Bishop of the first seat to over-see all as he ought theâ—efore prudence taught the Church to appoint Bishops in lesser Cities and to assigne them their Diocesses over which yet the Bishop of the chief Cities should have a supervision whom they call'd a Metropolitane after a Primate and in some Churches a Patriarch and all the subordinate Bishops under him Diocesan 5. And again if this Church consisted of Converts of a whole Nation in which there were divers Provinces as it fell out in Africk two and Spain three then the Church had the name of a National Church and there might be divers Metropolitans in it and more Primates of which yet one was chief and under these the foresaid Diocesan Bishops with their Clergy These are steppes in the judgment of reason by which the Church arriv'd to its emâ—nency and therefore if it decay and rot by degrees as you will have it the corruption must begin in the Cathedâ—al descâ—nd to Parochial and thence spread to the Diocesan Provincial and National and settle in the Oecumenical if such a local Church can be found Besides that great reason the propagation of the Gospel why the Church was at the first thus setled one was the exercise of government and the more convenient administration of the discipline thereof For being thus disposed the power of the Keys both in Ordination and Jurisdiction might be more easily and prudently turn'd The great Masters of Policy could never yet acquaint us with any more than three kinds of government Monarchy Aristocracy Democracy Monarchy when the supreme power is in one Aristocracy when it is in more but those the noblest the best the wisest the prudentest Democracy when the people have the power and rule which if it be in many of them they call Polyarchy if in a few onely they terme it Oligarchy The two first of these the learned teach us proceeds a jure divino gratiosâ— for our gracious God having all dominion and power in his hands is pleased out of meer grace to impart of it to one or some choice men that they may use his power and rule us for our good But the last they inform us proceeds a jure divinâ— vindicativo from an angry and revengeful God that puts such power in the hand of the many or few to make use of it for our punishment This is the worst of the three and if any man doubt of it let him call to minde the answer that Lycurgus gave to the Lacedemonian that importun'd him for an erection of a Democratical government in that Common-Wealth go saith he Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and do thou make a trial of that kinde of government in thine own family and if thou finde it advantageous to make thy servants Masters in thy family then renew this suit and I will hear it This is absurd in nature in policy In nature any body with two heads is monstrous and in policy a Ship govern'd by two Pilots or an Army sway'd by two Generals with an equal power hath not been reade of to have good successe To apply this to my purpose The Church of God is a society and then it must be govern'd one of these wayes Either by one or by the best oâ— the most If either of the first two wayes then it is a Deo propitio if the last a Deo irato for I could evidently prove to you if I list that Democracy is a consequent of Gods anger Now for the government of the Church there are who strain the pinne too high there are who let it down too low bewixt both lies the medium 1. Those of Rome that they may advance that man of sinne and make him an oecumenical Bishop contend hotly for a Monarchy The Bishop forsooth of Rome must be accounted the sole Monarch of the whole Church and be put into the definition of it so that no Pope no Church But we acknowledge no such Monarchy nor no such Monarch Christ Jesus alone is the sole head of this body as it comprehends the Church Militant and Triumphant Neither are Bellarmines arguments of any validity for Papal Monarchy In a Kingdome saith he is but one King but Christs Church is a Kingdome therefore There be in this syllogisme foure termes for Kingdome in the major is taken for an earthly Kingdome in the minor for a heavenly whence it will not follow that because in an earthly Kingdome there must be but one King or Monarch therefore in Christs heavenly Kâ—ngdome there must be but one also Then besides there is a great disparity betwixt earthly Kingdomes and the Church of Christ For the Church Militant remaining one is spread in many earthly Kingdomes and cannot well be ordered like one particular Kingdome and therefore it follows not though in one particular Kingdome there be many visible Judges and one supreme that in the Universal visible Church there must be one supreme To that his other popular Argument that Monarchical government is the best and therefore that undoubtedly which Christ instituted for his Church 't is sufficient to answer that a Monarchy is the best forme of government in one City or Country but it follows not it is best in respect of the whole world where the parts are so remote and the dispositions of men so various The Courtiers of Rome go too high Arist Ethic. lib. 8. c. 10. 2. On the contrary side all the Combinational Churches fall too low who plead stifly for the peoples
they became a man of a Homogeneous and Inorganical an heterogeneous and organical body At first they were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and authority in themselves for why else did they all this And if this be not an act of Democracy I must professe I understand not the name nor definition of the word I shall take it kindly that any man will informe my ignorance Yea but it may be said that now in organizato corpore this Democracy is at an end for now it is a well shaped creature it hath a head it hath eyes it hath hands and all other parts in a goodly symmetry though I could ask what kind of Church was that of Mr. Canns at Amsterdam which for a time had no Pastour that liv'd a long time without Officers or Eldership yet I spare you Not so neither Answer to the thirty two Questions pag. 48. pag. 44. for the people for ought I can see as they had authority in actu primo to elect and ordain so they have authority in actu secundo to depose and excommunicate their Pastour and Elders and so to reduce themselves to what they were in puris naturalibus from an heterogeneous body to make themselves homogeneous from an organiz'd body to make themselves inorganiz'd and either to remain so if they please or to choose again And for ought I conceive Cottons Keyes Mr. Cotton intends no other by his new-coyned and applauded distinction of power and authority and power of liberty for whatever authority he gives to the Eldership he makes it vain and frustaneous without the consent of the people and notwithstanding all the obedience and subjection he puts upon the people yet he gives to them such a power of liberty that their concurrence with the Eldership in every act of power is not onely necessary but authoritativè In a word if the people have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authority of institution and destitution as your parties say if you should tell me a thousand times over I shall never beleeve otherwise but your Combinational Church is governed by a Democracy I hope I have proved sufficiently what I undertook and now I returne to my purpose for I leave the destructive part and come to build And here I shall lay that in the foundation which none but Papists for ought I perceive will deny That our Saviour Christ left the Church Militant in the hands of the Apostles and their Successours and an Aristocratical government which I shall illustrate unto you by an induction of particulars 1. The first constitute Christian Church we read of in the world Isa 2.3 was that of Jerusalem for the Law was to come out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem There the Apostles and Disciples first preached so that Eve was not more properly term'd the Mother of all living then this Church by Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. the Mother of all believing Churches From thence the Apostle being to depart for that they might execute our Saviors command to preach unto all Nations left the government of that Church unto James the brother of our Lord not the Apostle and ordained him then the first Bishop Euseb lib. 2.1 l. 1.19 Jerom Hegesip Ambr. Euseb 3.11 Hegesip 4.22 Jerom. in Isa 3. Ambr. in 1 Tim. Ignat. ad Trall Acts 21.18 Acts 15. Et post Martyrium Jacobi traditur saith Eusebius Apostolos commune concilium habuisse quem oporteret dignum successione Jacobi judicari omnesque uno concilio uno consensu Simeonem Cleophae filium decrevisse ut Episcopatus sedem susciperet And if I list I could give you in the Catalogue of the succeeding Bishops for the first six hundred years To him I doubt not but there was joyn'd a Presbytery which Jerome calls Senatus Ecclesiae some Collegium Presbyterorum Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he thus describes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were those Elders present with James their Bishop to whom Saint Paul went in And if I shall name Judas and Silas for two of them I am partly assured that I am not mistaken because the Decree made by the Synod at Hierusalem was sent by them The government here then was Aristocratical 2. Acts 11.22 26 27 28. cap. 13.1 Origen in Luc. Hom. 6. Euseb 3. cap. 35 Ignat. ad Antiochen The next instance I shall give you for a constitute Church is at Antioch And in this City being the Metropolis of Syria Barnabas Paul and other Prophets and Teachers Simeon Lucius Manâ—en were sound and hither also Peter came Gal. 2.11 Of this Church Origen Jerome and Ignatius who best knew it for he conversed with the Apostles Socrat. lib. 6. cap. 8. make Saint Peter the first Bishop that Evodius succeeded is the testimony of Ignatius He saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius was the next himself from whom I can give you a clear succession to the terme I mention'd And those I mentioned Barnabas Simeon Lucius c. I shall not doubt to call the Presbytery of which almost in every Epistle Ignatius makes expresse mention as Counsellours Assistants and Co-assessours of the Bishop At Antioch then was an Aristocracy also 3. At Ephesus we meet again with a constituted Church where Timothy was made Bishop by Saint Paul The subscription of the second Epistle shews that he was the first Bishop there Euseb lib. 3. c. 4. and Eusebius who saw the Records of the Primitive Church affirmes the same That he was ordained by Saint Paul by the hands of the Presbytery Calvin conceives is beyond question Now if it be demandâ—d when Timothy was made Bishop it is most probable when Paul was at Miletum When the Apostles departed from any Church which they had planted in that then they appointed a Bishop For while they remain'd in or near the place there was no such need the Apostles supplying the wants of those Churches with their presence letters or messengers as the cause required But when they were finally to forgo those parts then they began to provide for the necessity and security of that Church by setling Episcopal power which in all probability was the reason that they so soon provided a Bishop for the Church of Jerusalem Saint Paul at this time was to take his leave of the Churches at Asia he saith it plainly in that Chapter Acts 20.25 that they should see his face no more most probable then it is that at this time he left Timothy to supply his place of Ephesus yea and that the six other Angels of the Churches were then by him ordain'd Think of these seven Angels of the Churches what you please I shall not doubt to esteem them single persons and Bishops and that upon stronger evidence then any can be brought to the contrary But that 's no discourse for this place I suppose
I have kept my self within the bounds of the Scriptures and out of them clearly demonstrated as I suppose that the first government of the Church was Aristocratical It was in the Apostles and the Bishops which they setled with their Presbyteries Now should I descend lower and shew the practice of the Church especially for the first three hundred years I should fill a volume here I could tell you of those famous Presbyteries of Alexandria in which Origen Clemens Alexandrinus Euseb lib. 6. Euseb l. 6. c. 43. Cypr. lib. 3. Ep. 6.10 14 17 18 19 21 22 24. Pantenus Hieroclas were the Presbyters of Rome in which under Cornelius and Stephen there were forty six Presbyters with many other Officers Of Carthage in which under Cyprian as appeares in many of his Epistles which he writ to them in his exile there were many Presbyters Of Smyrna Antioch Philippi Magnesia Trullis and Ephesus all whose Presbyteries are remembred by Ignatius in the Epistles he writ to those Churches This is so clear that it is written as it were with a Sunne beam and it were ignorance and impudence to deny it To which if those who so hotly contend for their Presbytery would adde but these two things which are as evident in Records as is the Presbytery it self First that none of these Presbyters were Lay-Elders and secondly that after the Apostles dayes there never was any Presbytery without a Bishop the contest were at an end One thing onely more I shall adde about these Presbyteries that they never were erected but in the greater Cities where the Patriarch Primate Metropolitane or Diocesan Bishop had their seats pardon me if I speak in the language of those Ancient times and therefore to distinguish them from the Presbyters dispersed in the lesse Villages and Towns Conc. Ancyr Can. 13. Can. Apollon Can. 37. they were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometime 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyters of the City or Metropolis and their institution was to help the Bishop in sacred actions and to advise him in all judicial and Ecclesiastical proceedings In ordination what they were to do 4. Concil Carthag cap. 3. is set out by the fourth Council of Carthage cap. 3. Presbyter cum ordinatur Episcopo eum benedicente manum super caput ejus tenete etiam omnis Presbyteri qui praesentes sunt manus suas juxta manum Episcopi super caput illius teneant 1. Concil Arel Can. 19. Apollon Canon Can 35. Concil Antioch Can. 9. A custome which was continued in our Church And for their jurisdiction that was limited by another Canon Presbyteri sine consensu Episcoporum nihil faciant The Ancyran Councel was before the Nicene and that of Arles under Constantine So ancient were these provisions about the Presbyters and their power But methinks it were worth enquiry how these Presbyteries that so long continued in the Church became in difuse for I will not say they were ever abolish'd in that I finde them in many Churches after the three hundredth year of Christ I shall deliver what I conceive to be most probable and I conjecture these to be the causes of it 1. Upon the general prevailing of Christianity Synods began to assemble and the Pastours of divers Churches in these meetings conferr'd and agreed upon such rules as they thought needful to be observed in all their Churches which they committed to the over-sight of the Bishops in their Diocesses and in case they were negligent the especial supervision and execution was laid upon the Metropolitane and if he were slack in doing what was enjoyn'd an appeal was permitted to the Patriarch This was the first occasion that gave Presbyteries leave to play by reason provincial Synods undertook the debating and resolving those doubts and ordered those difficulties which before troubled the Presbyteries And reason it was that the consultation and determination of Synods should be preferred before that of Presbyteries as Courts of greater Judgment higher power better experience and more indifferency 2. Another reason may be that when Emperours became Christian all those civil cases betwixt man and man which were to avoid the scandal that might arise by Law-suits among Christians if tryed under Heathen Judges debated and ended in these Presbyteries fell to be decided and adjudged in the Imperial Courts and men had reason to repair to that seat of justice which had a sword and power compulsory to force obstinatemen to do right to any injur'd party which the Church Court had not When the causes grew lesse the lesse respect was had to the Court and now the Presbytery having less to do weakned mouldred away by little and little of themselves 3. And yet I shall venture at a third reason Upon the great peace which the Church enjoy'd with the priviledges immunities and ample endowments granted by Christian Emperours Magnificent Temples and goodly fabriques were erected for the publick service of God some there were before but not so many nor yet so beautiful These commonly were built where the Bishops had their Seas and were therefore after call'd Cathedral Churches In them the Bishop at first with his Presbyters of the City made his residence and to his Court there kept the greater matters of the whole Diocesse or Province referr'd Found it was that in this Presbytery it was too easie a matter for the Bishop to bear so great a sway that matters were ended often as the man was by him friended The dignities in that Church were in his donation the dignified were his creatures were subject to him and many wayes might be displeased by him if he would seek revenge This being perceived brought a great neglect and contempt upon the Presbyters And the Bishop taking his advantage thereby made use of his power more than was fit And if you shall say that by this dore corruption entred into the Church I shall not deny it But then I shall rejoyn that it was not the institution not in that the Church became Cathedral Diocesan or Provincial not in that it was govern'd either by a Bishop a Metropolitane a Primate or a Patriarch with a Presbytery and so was Aristocratical but in that this just and regulated power was ill used It was not the constitution of the Church that was corrupt but the Church-men and then lay the load upon the right horse and fly not violently in the face of your Mother Cant. 6.4 For the constitution was holy good and wise God himself in the Canticles gives this testimony of his Church that she is terrible as an Army with Banners if an Army then she must be ordinata and the order in an Army is that there be a General a Major General Collonels Captains and Under-Officers Wisdome then taught the Church to order her self and yet she sate up no other orders then God had appointed viz. Bishops and Presbyters Deacons these onely she prudently marshall'd some she thought good to place in
more eminent degree Will you then ask me what are Metropolitans Primates Patriarchs I readily answer gradus in Episcopatu all set in the chief places of the Army for the safe guard of the whole and for the better advantage to fight against the enemy Yea but who set them there Prudence and 't is nere the more to be disliked for that it was prudentially done for I must tell you that prudence is to bear a great sway in Church-Discipline The substance it may not alter neither hath it but in the circumstantials it hath a power and if Saints Pauls rule be observed 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order all 's well What more decent among Church-governours then that some be superiours some subordinate how can order be better observed then making the Church like an Army Even among the twelve were there not chief Apostles They were all equal Apostolatu all equal in power yet some priority and precedency might be among them For Peter James and John are call'd Pâ—llars Gal. 2. Chrysost in loc Victor Antioch in Mar. cap. 9. Hieron ad Evagr Cyprian de simplicitate Praelatorum hi tres tanquam Coriphaei prÃmas inter Apostolos obtinebant Thus is it with their Successours the Bishops they are all pares potestate in the power he at Eugubium is as great as he at Rome he at Tanais equal with him of Alexandria for he is ejusdem meriti ejusdem sacerdotii that rule of Cyprian being undoubtedly true Episcopatus unus est cujus a singulis in solidum pars tenetur But yet for all this one Bishop may be set in a higher degree then another and one set over another and I shall make little doubt to make m words good out of the Scriptures for what was Titus and Timothy were they not more than ordinary Bishops Titus had the charge over the whole Isle of Crete Miraeus lib. 4. de Notitia Episc pag. 181. Chrysost Hâ—m 1. in Titum in which there were seven Bishops besides This was Pauls companion saith Chrysostome that was approved otherwise Paul would not have committed unto him all whole Island and the trial and judgment of so many Bishops To Timothy if we beleeve Theodoret and other Ancients was committed all Asia the lesse in which were questionlesse instituted by the Apostles many Bishops Of the last example there may be some scruple of the first there can be no doubt to any one that lists not to be contentious but the Ancient evident and constant course in the Primitive Church to admit of these degrees in Episcopacy and to have Primates and Metropolitanes for the calling and guiding of Synods in every Province is to me a pregnant proof that this order was either delivered or allowed by the Apostles and their Scholars oâ— found so needful in the first government of the Church that the whole Christian world till some of late fell from it ever since received and continued the same If you suppose it came from Rome you are much mistaken for it bore sway in all the Eastern Churches before the Romane Bishop was of any great note power or reputation or at least had any more precedency then any of the Eastern Patriarchs Socrates relates that the first Councel of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordain'd Patriarchs Socrat. lib. 5.8 may be the title was then given to those who were onely call'd Primates or Metropolitans before and bounds set to their jurisdictions which any man will judge that considerately reads that place in Socrates The truth is this The name of Patriarch I finde taken in a double sense largely or strictly Largely for a Primate of any Province that was under the chief Patriarch and so there are manâ— at this day Brexwoods enquiry of Religion and Languages as the Abannah the Patriarch of the Aethiopians or the Primate of Mosco who is the Patriarch of all Christians under the Muscovites Empire The Primates of Sic and Sebasha who are the Patriarchs of the Armenians The Primate of the Jacobites who hath his Patriarchal Church in the Monastery of Saphran near the City Merdin in Mesopotamiâ— The Primate of the Maronites who resides in Mount Libanuâ— The Patriarch of the Nestorians who hath his residence in Muzal or Mosal I could give in a list of many more of this kinde as well in Europe as in the Eastern Churches by which it appears that in a large sense the Prime Bishops set over one or more Provinces may be called Patriarchs Spalat lib. 3. c. 10. Sect. 43.44 And it is the judgment of a learned but unhappy man that were there more of this kinde erected in Europe who should have no dependence on Rome that it would be a ready way to restore peace and unity to the distracted Church and to shut out the confusion we groan under All which are under one or other of those Patriarchs of the Church as their jurisdictions were limited in the fiâ—st erection for that is the strict acception of the word 2. And three they were onely at first The fiâ—st at Rome the second at Alexandria the third at Antioch the first had the power in Europe and in the West the second in Africa and in the South the third in Asia and over the East Neither were their seats there placed as Baronius would perswade us because that the Apostles founded those Churches for were this reason good we should have more Patriarchates than these three there being more Churches planted by the Apostles than these neither were all the Churches they founded Patriarchates Hegesipp de excid Urb. Hieros lib. 3. c. 5. not Corinth not Ephesius not Philippi Smyrna the reason then is that which Hegesippus the younger hath given because these three Cities were the three Metropolies of the Empire and so the Church in the institution for the seats of their Patriarchs followed the secular power of the Roman Empire The dignity of the Cities gave them the dignity and priority of their Seas And it should seeme the erection of these three was very ancient in that when the Alexandrian Patriarch began to incroach upon his neighbours Concil Nic. can 6. the Nicene Council made this Decree Mos antiquus perduret in Aegypto Lybia Pentapoli ut Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem quoniam quidem Episcopo Romano parilis mos est similitèr autem apud Antiochiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Canon it seemes even then 't was an old custome and the Council of Antioch in the like case though it names not the Churches Concil Antioch c. 9. yet provides to secure the rights 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum antiquam consuetudinem à patribus nostris constitutam And again upon the unjust claime of the Patriarchs of Antioch over the Bishops of Cyprus the Ephesine Council decreed ut singulis provinciis pura inviolata manerent quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes Conc. cap. 8. from the beginning upward they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to old prevailing custome You see I do not exspatiate beyond the bounds of the first three Oecumenical Councils all which confesse that these Metropolitans afterward Patriarchs were no late nor new device first authorized by the Council of Nice but their right and preheminence was even then an ancient usage and Canon of the Church even from the beginning Now if I may take liberty to conjecture I may strongly presume that the fathers of these three Councils had an eye to the constitution extant in the Apostolical Canons The Bishops of every Nation must know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest the first Apost Can. can 35. the Primate and willeth him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as head among the Bishops of that Province who in the Africane Council is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These three were the three first and most ancient of the Patriarchs To whom the fi st Council of Constantinople erected that Bishop into a Patriarch and for the honour of that City being now called Nova Roma gave the Bishop the second place next after old Rome who remains a great Patriarch to this day and thus there became four As for the fifth it was of Jerusalem and it obtained the priviledge of a Patriarchate in the fifth general Council 1. Concil Constantinop can 5. G. Tyrius de bello sacro l. 14. c. 12. Nic. coue can 7 Thus the case stood Jerusalem being destroyed by Vespasian Caesarea was made the Metropolis and so is acknowledged in the Nicene Council and the Bishop Primate even to â—erusalem A great honour they are content should be yielded to the Jerusalem Bishop or Aeliae as he is there called according to the old custome yet manente metropolitanae civitatis propria dignitate meaning Caesarea In the Council of Chalcedon there was a trial past betwixt the Bishop of Antioch and Juvenal Bishop of Jerusalem about jurisdiction in which it was decreed that the Phaenicia's and Arabia should be given to the Patriarch of Antioch and all Palestina Concil Chalced. Act. 7. jure Metropolitico should be under Jerusalem and so Caesaria lost the Metropolitical right and Jerusalem was preferr'd which afterward in the fifth General Council as I said was advanc'd into the first Patriarchate And now if you shall aske me why I have so enlarged my self to discover the rise the antiquity the institution of these Patriarchs it was that you may see how the Church was govern'd at first There was no Monarchy in it no Democracy but an admirable Aristocracy it was like a well marshall'd army indeed it had the Primates after call'd Patriarchs as it were the Generals the Metropolitans as Major General the Bishops as Colonels The Bishops again with their Presbyteries as a Council of warre The Presbyters of the Câ—ty and Countrey as Captaines and under-officers the people as the souldiers under obedience but without command Never tell me this was a corruption for thus it was ab incunabulis Ecclesiae if credit may be given to all Church stories to Acts of Councils to Records to Fathers and thus it was not in one but in all Churches throughout the four quarters of the world And if you shall yet demand upon what ground of Scripture this Hierarchy was taken up Saint Paul shall informe you where he commands Let all things be done decently and in order Calvin being to set down the forme this very forme of government in the Primitive Church in the beginning premiseth these words Calvin instit cap. 8. Sect. 51 52 53 54. Tametsi multos Canones ediderunt illorum temporum Episcopi quibus plus viderentur exprimere quam sacris litterâ—s expressum erat ea tamen cautione totam suam oeconomiam composuerunt ad unicam illam Dei normam ut facilè videas nihil ferè in hac parte habuisse à Dei verbo alienum And again Sect. 54. Quod autem singulae provinciae unum habebant inter Episcopos Archiepiscopum quod item in Synodo Nicaena constituti sunt Patriarchae qui essent ordine dignitate Archiepiscopis superiores id ad disciplinae conservationem pertinebat By this means all inferiour Clergy were better kept in order informed in their duty contentions were composed which to use his words ex aequalitate nascerentur confusion was avoided dissentionum semina tollerentuâ— cum ad unum omnis sollicitude est delata which he hath out of Jerome Hieron ad Evagrium and if antiquity of the institution may satisfie Jerom derives it from the Evangelist Saint Mark. This form of Government the ancients call'd the Church Hierarchy and it is true that Calvin conceives the name improper but then I pray mark how with in four lines he shuts up his discourse Verum si omisso vocabulo rem intuemur reperiemuâ— veteres episcopos non aliam regendae Ecclesiae forman voluisse fingere ab ea quam dominus verbo suo praescripsit and he means that which I have set down Men are much mistaken Calvin Epist ad regem Polon pag. 140 141. edit Genev. an 1576. who conceive Calvin to have been an enemy to this ancient Church-government let them but reade his Epistle that he writes to the King of Poland about the Reformation of the Kingdome and they will tell me another tale for he there sets down to the King the order of the Primitive Church for a patterne where saith he there were Patriarchs and Primates and subordinate Bishops to tye the whole body together with the bond of concord And adviseth the King to establish Bishops in every Province and over them an Arch-Bishop and Primate of that Kingdome Calvin Instit lib. 4. c. 12. artic 6. and if the Popish Bishops were true Bishops he would allow them some authority not as much as they challenge but as much as he thinks would serve for the right governing of the Church Not so much as they challenge good reason for that for this would set up regnum in regno Independent for sooâ—h then they must be of any but the Pope which Princes have no reason to take well but if they shall be content to move within their proper Orbe of Church-government he is not against it Now with Calvin agrees that learned and judicious Zanchy his words are Non improbamus patres quod juxta variam tum verbi dispensandi tum regendae Ecclesiae rationem Zanch. de relig Christ cap. 25. Sect. 10 11. varios quoque ministrorum ordines multiplicarint quando iis liberum fuit sicut nobis quando constat id ab illis factum honestis de causis ad Ordinem ad Decorum ad aedificationem Ecclesia pro eo tempore pertinentibus And thus he begins the next paragraph Novimus enim Deum nostrum Deum esse Ordinis non confusionis Ecclesiam servari Ordine perdi
strong as you may read in Rutherford and Bayly out of him yet this one drawn from this Apostolike Synod I suppose were unanswerable No Synod can impose Decrees upon any Combinational Church That 's your own Maxime But this Synod did impose her Decrees upon those Churches which you say were Combinational This proposition is evident in the Scripture Acts 15. and verse 22 and 35. Therefore now if this Church of Antioch were subject to the authority of Synods what Church might plead a freedome from the like subjection and consequently none is Independent Thus have I as it were in a Table presented you with the plain face of Truth and sent it you bare and naked as Truth should be If the visage seem old the better 't is as I intended it that hinders not but she may be comely venerable amiable for he that will reverence and love truth he must do it because she is an Ancient Matron For Quod primum verum sed enim in omnibus veritas imaginem aniccedit pâ—stremo similitudo sucoedit Tertull. Praes c. 29. cap. 31. Ex ipso ordine manifestatur id esse Dominicum verum quod sit prius tradijtum id autem extraneum falsum quod sit posteriùs immissum A rule which that learned father often inculcates but nowhere more clearly then in this fourth book against Marcion where he hath these words by aggravation Tertull. l. 4. adversus Marcion c. 5. In summa si constat id verius quod prius id prius quod est ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis pariter utique constabit id ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolicas fuerit sacrosanctum which Chapter is worth your reading for there the learned man refers the Original of Bishops to the Apostles intimates their succession which in many Churches he doth more clearly in the thirty second Chapter of his prescriptions This prime Truth I have here represented with her Ancient Officers about her the Bishops with a Presbytery of which in wisdome she thought fit to raise some higher not in Office but in Degree ne quid detrimenti Ecclesia capiat And this advancement was no new device neither for we read of Metropolitans and Primates before the Nicene Council as I have prov'd after of Patriarchs Yet all this while the Church remain'd a pure Virgin Thebulis being the fiâ—st that corrupted the Church Hegesipp apud Euseb l. 4 c. 21. Tertull. because he could not be a Bishop as did afterwards Valentinus and Marcion upon the same occasion and I had almost said Tertullian himself This certainly shewes that the Office of a Bishop even then was no contemptible dignity For certainly the rejection of such men from the over-sight of a Congregational Church could never work such men to so great discontent Of such parties they were the chief even after they had failed of their expected hopes No question they were of Diotrephes minde John Epi. 3.10 they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they desired to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primates so old is that word in the Church to which because they could not be admitted they corrupted it with their doctrines Ambition is by Charron call'd the shirt of the soul Charron of wisdome being the first garment that it puts on and the last that it puts off for men while there be men will be of aspiring minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even a beggar will strive to be chief of his company and a tradesman to be Master over those of his own profession this cannot nor ever will be avoided Such thoughts have alwayes tickled Church-men Now to satisfie this desire God hath appointed higher places in his Church and so they be desired in a fair way and to lawful ends it is commendable 1 Tim. 3.1 ver 31. Conc. Afric Chalced. Sardic Naz. in Athanasij vitâ This is a true saying saith the Apostle If a man desire the office of a Bishop he desires a good work and again in the same Chapter they that have used the office of a Deacon well purchase unto themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faire step to ascend to a higher degree as first to a Presbyter then to a Bishop And it is written of Athanasius that he ascended by all these steps till he became Patriarch of Alexandria then he was set upon the highest step and yet this advancement of his or any other cannot hinder the government of the Church for being Aristocratical but confirms it rather since in this eminence he was to guide the Church not according to his own pleasure but according to the prescribed Canons of Synods and Councils from which if he erred he was liable to answer to the supreme Court of an Oecumenical Assemblie I have you see laid the foundation of the Churches government in Aristocracy of which Monarchy and Democracy are the extremes If you can shew me any Church that hath deviated from the middle way I shall confesse it to be corrupt And for the first it is easie to instance viz. the Romane Church whose Patriarch affects a Monarchy and his Courtiers and learned Rabbies the Jesuites plead stifly for it But then you must not take that way you do to prove it for the erection of Cathedral Parochial Diocesan Provincial and National Churches through his Patriarchate will never do it Since these were from the beginning in other Patriarchates and in his too when no Monarchy was ever dream'd of or challeng'd That his challenge I acknowledge to be a corruption And if any Church shall affect Democracy I shall say it is corrupted also in that it observes not that Apostolical rule of government and discipline which was then used as I have demonstrated It is then a great mistake in you to make the Presbyterial or Combinational Church to be the sole pure and Apostolical Church and that all Churches that are fallen off from that government are corrupted This if you can confirme fairely and firmly by unanswerable arguments as you make shew of then you have reason to fasten your degeneration and corruption on Cathedrals Parishes Diocesses Provinces and Nations but if this can never be done as I am assured it cannot then I shall affirme that the casting the Church into Cathedrals Parishes c. was not errour since by that the discipline of the Church might be better administred and the Aristocratical government far advanced and furthered And so having express'd unto you my thoughts in the general I now come to examine what you lay to the Churches charge in particular in the discussion of which I hope you will give me leave to prosecute my own method and I shall begin with the Cathedral which you say was the second degree but I conceive it the first Of this your words are SECT III. The words of the Letter The second degree of the Combinational Churches corruption
the Combinational was not in the erection of either because the combinational never was before either What was it precedent to Saint James his Cathedra in Jerusalem I marvail when it should begin His was then set up before the Apostles departed to preach to the whole world and under him it is not possible to conceive the Church could be Combinational Acts 1. 2. Acts 4.41 Acts 4.4 Acts 5.14 Acts 6.1 for upon necessity in that Church at that time there must be more than one Congregation for from 120. to 3120. to these were added 5000. which makes 8120. and yet more multitudes of men and women were added and still the number of disciples were multiplied And out of doubt the increase staid not here God adding to the Church dayly such as should be saved That so many thousands should meet together in any house to performe their Christian duties was impossible they must be divided into several Congregations Had these been Combinational then Saint James had been by the Apostles made Bishop of Jerusalem to little purpose for he could nor must not have taken the over-sight but of one of them the rest had been out of his jurisdiction which I suppose no wise man will ever think since the Apostles no question had the same charity and would have the same care of the rest as of that one and then would have set up as many chaires as there had been Congregations But of such we hear not of this one we do which is a sufficient evidence to me that all the Christians of that City at least if not of all Palestine were under his jurisdiction and subject to his Cathedra Out of which it will necessarily follow That the Cathedral Church was the prime institution not the Combinational and that therefore the Combinational Churches corruption was not the Cathedrals generation but rather the contrary which we have lived to see that the Combinationals generation is the Cathedrals corruption And what I have said in particular of the Church of Jerusalem is as true of all other Churches the Apostles planted and in others planted by their patterne Antioch Corinth Atheus Rome c. for the same reason holds in all these Cities where the multitudes of beleevers grew so numerous one Congregation could not hold them I aske now had the Apostles put case Peter or Paul there present had they jurisdiction over them all or had they not If they had then the Combination and Independency of Churches is at an end in the Primitive Church If they had not I wonder they should stay for divers years in one place having no more to do than to supervise one single Congregation besides that then there must be as many as there were Pastours in those Churches of equal power in their several Churches with the Apostles which he that can beleeve may digest any thing Ephesus was a great City Rev. 2.3 and had in it those who took upon them to say they were Apostles the Angel be it Bishop or Colledge of Presbyters is commended for trying them and finding them lyers if they were not of his own Congregation what had the Angel to do to try them if your Tenet be true he deserves no commendation at all but rather reproof for being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that they were is more than ever you can prove I am apt to beleeve that if it had been so the Epistle had not been directed to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus but to the Angel of such or such a Congregation in Ephesus Verse 24. And the like may be said of the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatyra Verse 18. the last being reproved for suffering the woman Jezabel calling her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce For if the Angel had not power over all the Congregations of that City say that this Jezabel had taught in another Combinational Church which is very possible and not in his the answer had been easie Jezabel is out of my reach out of my jurisdiction and therefore you have nothing against me for her misdemeanour This that I have said destroyes clearly the subject of your Proposition the Combinational Church and that being gone what you affirme of it will fall of it self I shall therefore hereafter desire you to lay your foundation deeper before you go about to build or to speak more properly to destroy any thing upon such a groundlesse supposition which you and I have reason to suspect were it onely but for this that all the Churches of the Christian world East West North South for these 1600 years and more have been of another constitution Were it Rome alone I should suspect but when all are otherwise none Combinational no not those who scarce ever heard of Rome and all Cathedral I cannot be perswaded that the love of Christ hath been so cold to his Catholique Church to suffer this Cathedral corruption as you call it so long so universally to over-spread her face It seemes to me contrary to his promise behold I am with you to the end of the world And so I end what I had to say to this Proposition I now come to the next in which you tell us what this corruption was viz. Proposition 2. A presumption to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher Pastour Ruler and Deacon into those unscripture-like Titles of Lord-bishop Deane Chancellour Arch-deacon TO this I in the first place shall returne you the words of Zanchy Quid quod in Ecclesis etiam Protestantium non desunt reipsa Episcopi Archiepiscopi Zanchy append de fide Aphorism 11. quos mutatis bonis Gracis nominibus in male Latina convertimus vocant superintendentes generales superintendentes Sed ubi etiam neque illa vetera bona Graeca neque haec nova malè Latina nomina obtinent ibi tamen solent esse aliqui primarii penes quos est authoritas De nominibus ergo fuerit controversia verum eum de rebus convenit quid de nominibus altercamur This first 2. Next to your Distribution I say that perhaps by Teachers and Pastors you may intend two sorts of Ministers in the Church for so I know some distinguish that Pastours in Saint Paul were such as had not onely the office to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments but had also the Church and care of souls committed to them Teachers those who laboured in the Doctrine but received no charge of Sacraments or souls Some make the Teachers to be publike professors of Divinity and Governours of Ecclesiastical Schooles but Pastours to be the Ministers of particular Congregations which I will not deny but it may be true but I shall remember you that four of the Fathers Jerome Austin Chrysostome Theodoret were unacquainted with the nicetie for they thought the Apostle express'd what belong'd to the Pastoral office under two names that the Pastour was to be Doctour to remember he must
labour in doctrine as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which often signifies to rule And then your third word Rulers will come under that notion also and so Teachers Pastours and Rulers will not denote three distinct sorts of Church Officers which I have some reason to think you aime at but one and the same man qualified both to teach and to rule At Geneva Calvin and Beza were made both Pastours and Readers of Divinity being men so able to discharge both and yet no man did say that they did not content themselves with their pastoral votation or alledge against them He that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation For as I have often told you and have proved Lay-Ruling Elders except you mean Arbitratours there were never any in the Primitive Church The last word you use is Deacon Hieron ad Evagrium Epiph. lib. 1. Tom. 1. de adventu Christi in carnem And under that name are properly comprehended those who by the first institution were onely mensarum viduarum Ministri who if we beleeve Epiphanius were chose out of the seventy of which two of them did preach Stephen and Philip they were more than Deacons they were Evangelists and so Philip is stiled But he that shall heedfully consider Saint Pauls precepts and the conditions required by him in those that should be Deacons would easily collect that their Office was not onely a charge to look to the poor but that they were to attend the sacred services and Assemblies and even to be a step to the Ministry of the word I shall therefore willingly admit of the distinction that there were in the Primitive Church two sorts of Deacons One of the first institution who were to have a care of the poor and of a second kinde deputed by the Church who were to attend on the Church give unto eve y one present of the sanctified bread and wine to command the people silence attention Concil Ancyr Can. 2. Cypr. lib. 3. Epist 9 â—ust Apol. 2. Ignat. ad Heronem and devotion all which may be collected out of the Council of Ancyra Cyprian Justin Martyr and Ignatius who mentions his own Deac Heron at Antioch and Stephen to be the Deacon to Saint James at Jerusalem Thus much it was necessary to premise before we joyn'd issue now you charge us with presumption in removing the Landmarks that we have altered the places and appellations by bringing in of new names unscripture-like titles So belike it is not lawful to use any titles of honour or command but such as are used in Scripture The Jewes then belike offended when they used these unscripture-like titles of Reschignim Tsadikim Chasidim and so after the captivity they divided the people The Reschagnim were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked the Tsadikim their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their just men the Chasidim their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their good and holy men And yet Saint Paul serves himself of this distinction for questionlesse he alludes to it Rom. 5.6 7. amplifying the great love of Christ dying for us Scarcely for a righteous man will one dye yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye the gradation is this Some peradventure would dye for one of the Chasidim the good men scarcely for one of the Tsadikim for the just or righteous men But for Reschagnim or ungodly none would dye In this then appeared the love of Christ that when we were Reschagnim ungodly sinners Christ dyed for us A man is a Ruler of an Army and he shall not call some Majors some Colonells some Centurions Pentacurions Decurions c. because these are unscripture-like titles Nomen is rei notamen invented it was to denote the thing neither do I know which way it is possible to understand and distinguish but by names vox being rei conceptuum signum and therefore must necessarily be admitted if we will not confound our selves in the understanding of things But now to the names you mention Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour Surrogate Arch-Deacon The end of two of these I finde in Scripture Bishop and Deacon but you 'll say the syllables Lord and Arch are unscripture-like I must confesse that I finde not Lord before Bishop in the Scripture nor Arch before Deacon but this will not prove that we have altered the places and appellations for what place have we altered either of Bishops or Deacons by calling one Lord-Bishop or the other Arch-Deacon Still the place and office is the same for the Lord-Bishop hath no other power than he had at first which is potestas clavium nor the Arch-Deacon any more than he had to be oculus Episcopi and see that all be well administred that concerns the poor and service of the Church To be offended with a title is to pick straws especially when the substance is observed For how have we alter'd the places when we have yet in our Church Bishops who are Pastours Teachers and besides these publick Professours of Divinity Doctours Catechizers whom Saint Paul saith Saint Ambrose meant by Teachers such as were in the Churches of Alexandria Clemens Pantonus Origen Hicroclas As for those other three appellations Dean Chancellour Surrogate no Scripture can be brought for them nor needs it it being lawful no question to give fit names to things though no text can be produced otherwise your parties were to seek who call him who is to preside in a Synod by the name of a Proloquutor and those that govern in your Combinational Churches Lay-Elders and are not these unscripture-like for I finde no such titles in the Scriptures As for the name of Deane it is ancient and it signifies no more than that Presbyter who was the chief in any Collegiate Church and was to have a care that the Statutes of the Church were observed being like the the Principal Warden or President of a College and you may as well be offended with any of these Appellations as with this with which yet it is evident many of your party are well pleased for they enjoy it and the honour and profits notwithstanding the names are not found in Scripture And should any man lay this objection against any of them I dare say he would answer him with a smile I am confident he would who being a prime man among you at this day enjoyeth a Deanery and doubtlesse hugs himself applaudÃt sibi ipsi domi Aha I am warme I have been at the fire That you like the name nere the worse it was fetcht from the Militia The Romane souldiers were when drawn to their winter quarters to lodge by companies and so many as lodged together being commonly ten were called Contubernales the chief over them was called Decenus or decurio Hadrian Junius being praeses manipuli dexinier en guerre Gall or the Corporal from the Italian word Caporale or Spanish Corporal We in Enlglish Corporal
must honour in heart and deed why not in words shall the lips neglect whom the heart regards especially when the tongue is the interpreter of the minde within And what do we more when we call a Bishop Lord 't is but respect honour reverence that we then tender unto him And if Rebeccah signified to a servant if Obadiah and Hazael to a Prophet if Mary to a Gardner if Hellenists to Philip if an obedient wife to a Mechanick a hard-handed Artisan may attest her reverential regard by this word Lord authorized in Scripture why should the same word be called an unscripture-like compellation when affix'd before the name of those who are by their place and office to be the lights of the Christian world and really endued with power for the regiment of the Catholick Church Had they yet assumed this name and fastned it upon themselves there had been some exception to be laid against it For 't is but reason he who exalts himself should be abased but they were others and those no mean ones that thought them worthy of this honourable title To omit other Kingdomes the Princes of this Nation who were the fountains of honour thought it fit that no Lawes should passe for the government of the Nation to which they gave not their vote and for that end call'd them to their Parliaments by the same Writ that they call'd other Lords And I am certain before some mens heat had corrupted good manners it was the guise of Christendome not to speak of Bishops fine praefatione honoris in particular this honour I shall give you an instance or two The inscription of a letter to Julius Bishop of Rome from some of his brethren Sozomen lib. 3. cap. 23. Nazianz. ad Greg. Nyssen Theodoret. lib. 5. c. 9. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man speak untruths of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gregory Nazianzene And the Synodical book of the Council of Constantinople is inscribed Dominis Reverendissimis ac piissimis fratribus ac Collegis Damaso Ambrosio c. and they were Bishops I spare more testimonies these may suffice that the title Lord-Bishop was not new nor invented in this Land Yet that those who were honoured among us might bear this title without any derogation to Scripture even by Scripture testimonies I have said enough I am not ignorant that there be two places of Scripture produced as if they were a prohibition to this title Luke 22.25 1. Pet. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he that shall considerately weigh both places will never be able to inferre any such conclusion For let it be thought on what was the occasion of our Saviours words Zebedees wife comes and petitions for her sonnes that one might sit at the right another on the left hand in his Kingdome which out of a Jewish opinion they then thought must be earthly and temporal At this ambition of the two brethren the Disciples murmured they thought they had deserved as well as mother Zebedees children and knew no reason why they should be preferr'd before them To still this contention our Saviour tells them that this his Kingdome was not to be like that of the world in that the Kings of the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominantur so Junius so Beza translates it do domineere rule and govern with a high hand in potentia gladii or as it is in Saint Matthew Mat. 20.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do pro arbitrio exercise dominion and exercise authority over them but with you it shall not be so You no such Lords as they are use no such domineering power as they do A power you are to have but not like theirs your's is to be spiritual their 's temporal their power they use with pride rigour sometimes tyranny and against the good of their subjects for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the genitive case and the Scholiast upon Nazianzene observes Scholiast Nazianz in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any compound Verb with a genitive case signifies against But your power must not be so used vos non sic It must be with mildnesse meeknesse humility he who is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you let him be your servant It is not the word it is the ambitious seeking of a temporal principality as an affix of the Apostolate that Christ interdicted his Disciples Bern. lib. 10. de Consider Forma Apostolica haec est Dominatio interdicitur indicitur Ministratio Dominatio is forbid is therefore the word Dominus were this so a temporal Lord must go without his title of honour as well as the Lord-Bishop for the dominion they use may possibly be more rigorous arbitrary Lordly tyrannical than ever was that of the Bishop Well however they use it who can help it with them it must not be so though they have and may be allow'd in civility to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they never were allowed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tyrannous rigorous Lords Saint Peters words are clear against that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle would not that any superiour should lord it over or against Gods inheritance That service that humility that meeknesse which our Saviour prescribes his Apostles is against that and who so shall make use of the text to any other purpose goes about to finde in it that which our blessed Saviour never intended he may as soon fetch gold out of a pibble One thing yet doth amaze me that those men should be so much startled at a civil title who yet make use of the power even in the most rigid construction They who first prest it against Bishops were the Anabaptists of Germany nothing was so frequently in their mouths as the Kings of the Nations but these at length had Consuls and Kings of their own erection among themselves To them succeeded the Presbyterian consistory and so eager they are for this government that they call their Discipline the Kingdome of Christ the Tabernacle which God hath appointed and where this Ecclesiastical Synod is not erected Browne in a Treatise against one Barrow they say that Gods Ordinance is not performed the office of Christ as he is King is not acknowledged and in this Kingdome who were like to bear most sway are they not the Ruling Elders This Brown not I calls a Lordly Discipline and saith that instead of some Lord-Bishops in name we should have a thousand Lordly Tyrants indeed which now do disdain the name for saith he if you could but once get up the names of Elders and Presbyters what mischief cruelty and pride would not stream from that name with much more to that purpose At last we feel into whose hands the power is come and this I may be bold to say that the loyns of the Lord-Bishops were not so heavy as have been the little fingers of
his deeds i. e. as all Expositors agree by his Apostolical power to proceed against him From the Apostles I descend lower First to the Angels of the Churches who were commended for not bearing with them that were evil and for trying them who said they were Apostles Revel 2.2.6.20 1 Tim. 5.19 20 21 22. Tit. 3.10 but found upon tryal lyars and again blamed when they neglected their duties They were neither worthy of praise nor yet blame-worthy had they not had authority in their hands Timothy is commanded to do the like at Ephesus Titus at Crete Yea but perhaps it may be replyed these directions were not given to Timothy and Titus as single Bishops but as chief of a Presbytery well then the conclusion will hence easily follow that a Bishop with his Presbytery may excommunicate If so then I pray tell me what usurpation it can be for Bishops assembled in a Synod or Council to do the like They being chief cannot want that authority which the Presbytery hath and why then should they not use it From an inferiour to a superiour power the argument follows strongly The Justices may punish such or such a Malefactour much more the Judges but much more the Superiour that empowred them The reason is the same The Bishop with the Presbytery may cast a scandalous person out of the Church therefore much more the Bishops themselves assembled in Councils because among them there is a subordination And what a lesser power may do that a higher may which is empowred to that end Thus have I wrestled with your assertion and foil'd it I come next to grapple with your reason and if that prove to be weak your affirmation will fall of it self You say Proposition 4. That this was contrary to what was practised in the Orthodox pattern Acts 15.24 which was laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages FIrst I thank you that you grant this Synod to be a pattern for after-ages to imitate and be informed by For first then we have from this a sufficient authority to call Synods and Councils Secondly a pattern to imitate in making Decrees that it be by way of deliberation declaration and decision Act. 15. ver 7. For the acts of this Council which the Presbyters and brethren used were disputative or in genere deliberativo they disputed Saint Peters act was declarative and when there had been much disputing Verse 12. Ver. 19. Peter rose up and said c. and the like was that of Barnabas and Paul But Saint James his act was decisive wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I judge or give sentence Thirdly There ought to be a President in a Council who is to moderate the whole action and to pronounce the sentence Fourthly That the Synodical decrees materially and Ecclesiastically are obligatory Ver. 22.23 Acts 16.4 Acts 21.25 and tye the absent as this did the Churches of Syria Cilicia yea and all the Churches of the Gentiles who had no Commissioners in that Synod as well as those of Jerusalem and Antioch Fifthly that the chief man of a Council is that you say by Scripture-proof to confute soul-subverting positions and to confirme Christian doctrines as it was in this But this was not the sole end for another there was viz. to cast out of the Church Disturbers and Hereticks as I shall by and by make good unto you and so your position of usurpation in Bishops of the rod will not prove true But this you say was contrary to the orthodox pattern how so I pray if a contrariety then it must be opposite and I have never yet heard that subordinate ends come under any species of opposition A man bindes his son Prentice his end is that he learn and be skilful in his profession but yet he hath a farther reach which is that he may get a livelyhood the first he intends lesse principally the last chiefly and can a man say now that these two ends are contrary or thwart one the other when indeed they are but subservient the one to the other and the like is to be said of all intermediate ends For that rule of the Civilians is most true finis principalis non tollit accessorium to apply this the chief end of the Apostolical Synod was to confute false positions and establish the truth suppose now that they had there pronounced an Anathema against those Jewish Christians who would be still zealous for circumcision and the observation of Moses Law after the publication of their decree had this been contrary and opposite to their first and prime intent you cannot say it Neither is it then contrary when a company of Bishops meet in a Synod or Council to illustrate and hold forth the truth and condemn heresies that they passe also a censure upon the Hereticks I can finde no contrariety or opposition in this Yea but you 'll say here 's no pattern for it Neither is it necessary it sufficeth that here is a pattern set to compasse the chief end of all Councils as for the accessories they may be regulated by prudence A Prince calls a Parliament in it there be good Laws established for the peace of his Territories and not one delinquent punished or censured Must this particular Session be such an absolute pattern to all following Parliaments that shall onely make good Laws and never call to question or passe sentence upon any offender I hope you will not say so neither can you say it in this case For I find the Apostles singly as I have proved and out of Council to have done it and therefore I doubt not that if being in Council assembled they had done it it had been no errour Yea but this you 'll say could not be done For it follows Proposition 5. To censure any mans person is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Thes 3.15 PRiviledges and Prerogatives are tender things and it behoves those who stand for them to produce infallible Records lest it appear their claim be louder than their right A Corporation struggles hard for a priviledge fees a Lawyer to plead their Charter he picks out some weak words in it that may look that way at last the Judge tells him that he hath betrayed his Clients cause for the words in the Charter carry no such meaning The like I must say to you A priviledge you plead for your Corps the Presbyterial Church the evidence you give for it is out of Gods great Charter 1 Cor. 5. 2 Thes 3. Now if you had studied to betray your case you could not I believe have lighted upon two more weake evidences For doth Saint Paul assert a priviledge of the Presbyterial Church in that place of the Corinths where he makes himself the Judge where he passeth censure himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have decreed or judged he asketh not their consents he prayeth not their aid he referreth not
true in your sense yet one example will make no rule again a servant she might be and yet not such as you intend for if you will admit of Ignatius description of those servants and he was near the Apostles age and could best describe them I dare say you will not acknowledge your Deaconesses to be such his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Antioch But to yield to you all you can ask Aretius gives you a reason why they may be spared You advise that these places be compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 I suppose it should be the 11. And then Expositours will tell you that Saint Paul speaks not all of Deaconesses but of the wives of Deacons and other Church men enjoyning that they be grave Matrons no Slaunderers but sober faithful in all things Your last place Tit. 1.5 6. makes clearly against you for if Titus were left in Crete to ordain then the Combinational Church was not to elect and ordain Pastours Teachers c. Here I can finde no Canon for that Logicians observe that those arguments have little force in them that mutatis mutandis may be returned for they are but like Tennis balls that are banded from hand to hand and serve onely for sport Will you have but patience then while I return your discourse The first rise of rottening the Church being it's falling from a poor pure Apostolical Church which in its primitive constitution was made up of living stones c. was at that time when ceasing to elect and ordain Bishops Presbyters Evangelists Teachers Catechizers in conformity to the heavenly Canon 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4. Titus 1.5 6. Ephes 4.11 2 Tim. 4.5 Gal. 6.6 it was well content to admit accept of Approvers Ruling Elders Lecturers Itinerants by which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God in this last age of the world long after the Apostles dayes Christs spiritual house and growing as well as spiritual Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Congregation an Apostatizing Combinational Church No question the argument thus returned will displease and yet there is as much strength in this as in the other This may make us both wary how we make use of such Cothurni reasons that as buskins may be drawn on either leg That which in the last place you alledge is 4. The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus WHat 's this I read a Parish Church of that antiquity Parsons Vicars Wardens Over-seers of the poor then What these while Saint John might be for ought we know yet alive For Polycarp you confesse was his Disciple and in it you say true for thus Irenaeus witnesseth Polycarpus non solum ab Apostolis edoctus Iren. lib. 3. c. 3. conversatus cum multis ex eis qui Dominum nostrum viderunt sed etiam ab Apostolis in Asia in eâ quae est Smyrnis Ecclesia constitutus Episcopus This is greater antiquity for a Parish Church in that sense you intend then I or any body else could ever finde before That which deceived you as I am apt to beleeve is the translation by Hanmer who renders the words of the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna unto the Parishes throughout Pontus Euseb l. 4. c. 15. not understanding that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word is often taken and most usually in the eldest of the Greek Writers for regiones suburbicariae the neighbouring habitations before there was any distinction of Parishes Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in respect of secular jurisdiction so also in Ecclesiastical regiment when then the Smyrneans directed their letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant no other then those Churches which were under the Smyrnean jurisdiction But admit it were true in your sense what have you gained by it nay rather what have you not lost for to say your Combinational Church should fail in the Apostles or his Disciples time by the setting up of the Parochial will give such encouragement to the adverse party that they will not doubt to say That was well done which was then done especially when they cannot finde for sixteen hundred years any man that opened his mouth against it And the self-same answer will serve to your other instance of Irenaeus Of these two worthies you affirme that one of them was an Elder of the Church of Smyrna the other Pastour of Lyons And I pray why could you not as well have called them by other names I am sure your Authour Eusebius doth For of the last thus he saith Euseb l. 5. c. 5. that when Pothinus of the age of ninety years had ended his life Irenaeus succeeded him in the Bishoprick He was a Bishop then but if you take Pastour in that sense as it is almost taken in Church Records we agree But yet I must remember you that Lyons was a great City and somewhat more than a Parish as you mean As for Polycarp your Authour tells you that he was President of the Church of Smyrna and so Irenaeus calls him Episcopus ab Apostolis constitutus and under that title Ignatius writes to him Ignat. Epist ad Polycarp and in all probability he is that Angel of the Church of Smyrna to whom that Epistle was written Rev. 2. He was then capable of a higher title then of an ordinary Elder he had indeed in his Church many Elders even a whole Presbytery and therefore Ignatius gives this direction to those of Smyrna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Epist ad Smyrn In this elegant gradation you see he makes a distinction of Laicks Deacons Presbyters and a Bishop and therefore Polycarp was more than a common Presbyter to whom he perswades all the Presbyters to be in subjection And which is yet more which makes clearly against your Combinational Churches for you grant there were Parishes at Smyrna in the close of his Epistle to Polycarp he perswades them to continue in the unity of God and the Bishop his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which unity had we remained we had not lived to see the Church so rent and overcome with so many Heresies as we behold and lament at this day I come to your third degree of corruption SECT V. The words of the Letter The third degree of the Presbyterial Churches degeneracy was its climbing up to the stile of a Provincial Church whose Pastour was not afrai'd nor asham'd to assume the name and office of an Arch-Bishop and Metropolitane leaving the servile and subservient titles of Prebende Surrogate and Vicar-general as termes good enough to the inferiour Officers his underlings Of which proud and prophane Pest-house that Austin who was sent from Gregory the last of the good Bishops and the first of the bad Popes of Rome is reputed and recorded to have
been the father and founder in this Land even then when he was stoutly and stifly oppos'd by the Monks of Bangor Anno Domini 596. and in the reign of King Ethelbert witnesse Fox his Martyrol page 119. together with the rest of our Eng. Hist and Evagr. lib. 2. c. 8. Reply Sect. 5. YOu so promiscuously use these termes Presbyterial and Combinational that I know not readily how to shape my answer for were I to deale with the Presbyterians I should reply one way but to you I must returne another answer You say here that the third degree of corruption was when it degenerated into the Provincial Church But this is not likely for when the Church became Cathedral and Parochial your Combinational Church vanished it was no more now what hath no existence cannot by degrees degenerate since degrees belong to qualities which have must have some subject to exist in Had you then said the Church by these degrees rottened it had been sense but to say that that which long before this was not did rot and degenerate is not intelligible But to omit this I shall now consider in what you place this Degeneration 1. This was when it climed to be stiled a Provincial Church 2. When the Pastour was not afraid nor ashamed to assume the name and office of Arch-bishop and Metropolitane 3. When he left the servile and subservient names or titles of Prebend Surrogate and Vicar-General to inferiour Officers 4. That of this proud and prophane Pest-house Austin sent from Gregory was the father and founder in this our Land This is the summe of what you deliver To which I returne you this answer with what brevity I can 1. The degeneration was when it climbed up to be a Provincial Church But what if this prove no Degeneration at all For every thing is said to degenerate when it is changrd to the worse whereas this change if there were any which I shall not easily grant you was into the better for by this the Church was better ordered and governed than it could be without it At first the Church was so small that an upper roome was able to containe it it enlarged in Cities then in Countries after into whole Provinces Governed it must be when small or great and governed it was by the Apostles while they lived and by those whom they appointed These Governours by them placed were seated in chief Cities as at Jerusalem Antioch Ephesus Corinth c. And because they had the Provinces allotted to them the Churches were called Provincial This I have shewed before clearly in Titus who was set over Crete But it may be said the Provinces were not then converted how then could such Governours be set over them This is not material For as the Apostles might rightly be called the Governours of the whole world because Christ committed all Nations to their charge though at first a small Congregation did obey them actually So that Governour that was placad in any Metropolis or chief City by them though actually he had in his communion and subjection some few yet he had in Charge the conversion of the whole Countrey and being converted they were under his government and he was called their Metropolitane That you startle not at the word I have told you before that it was very ancient to be found in the Apostolical Canons in the Nicene Antiochian Conc. Ephes edictum post adventum episc Cypri and Ephesine Councils the words of this last Council being these It seemeth good to this sacred and Oecumenical Council to reserve unto every Province untouched and undiminished the rights which they have had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the first beginning every Metropolitan having liberty according to the old custome to take the copy of our Acts for his security I know well what you will cast in my teeth that this was the wisdome of the flesh and the wisdome of the flesh is enmity with God But first consider that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a custome of old and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a custome from the beginning and the period of that may be for what we know to the contrary set in the Apostles Secondly I deny it absolutely to be the wisdome of the flesh For there is flesh that is unregenerate and the wisdome of that flesh is enmity with God for ambition that is a corrupt quality residing in it will prompt it to desire honour covetousnesse to aime at wealth selfe-love to promote and serve its lusts But there is flesh again that is regenerate and borne anew which is contented to be guided by Gods Spirit instructing a man to obey Gods will revealed in his Word and this is not enmity with God I shall never think that Grace outs any man of his reason it may perfect heighten enlighten it but darken or dimme it it can never do Whatsoever therefore a man shall do by the light of reason raised by Grace to this pitch I shall not call it the wisdome of the flesh nor be perswaded it is enmity against God The first Fathers of the Church were men very eminent for the graces and gifts of the Spirit men who were signal for illuminated reason Even reason taught them that there must needs be confusion where there was no order where there was equality there could be no order and therefore in an equality it was not possible the Church should continue They saw that there was in one family but one Master in one Army but one General in one ship but one Pilot in one Bee-hive but one King reason taught them that there must be and experience that there was sub supra in all Societies and therefore that it must be so in the Societies of Gods people Thus farre nature But Reason improved by Grace taught them again that God would not be served according to mans inventions and therefore they must look that though Reason suggested this or that yet nothing must be done that was contrary to Gods will revealed in his Word They here then cast about to finde if they could any thing contrary to what reason dictated now this appeared not but rather the contrary for they found it written Let all things be done decently and in order all to edification and that this was a precept for the regulating of the Church And upon it it was established 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the beginning to this day that in all Provinces there should be one chief Bishop which from the mother City was called a Metropolitan to whom all the other Bishops should be subject and who to him should be accomptable for what was done through the whole Province This then was not the wisdome of the flesh but the wisdome of God who would have all things done in order If any man did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach other things than he taught or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach any new things and not according to the
Analogy or rule of faith or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 teach any vaine things he might according to that direction that Saint Paul gives Timothy have his mouth quickly stopt For Discipline is the preservation and hedge of Doctrine and Discipline can never be well administred among them that have an equal power I pray tell me what was the reason that moved his Highnesse the Lord Protector to take upon him the government of this Common-wealth was it not because he foresaw that all would come to ruine in a parity of Governours which was the aime of those who fancied a fifth Monarchy This is the very reason that he himself assignes And say what you will to the contrary this is and will be the fate of the Church except in one Province there be one chief Could I give no other instances of it yet that which we have lived to see is enough This Calvin Bucer Zanchy in their testimonies before alledged foresaw Bezae responsio ad tractatum de ministrorum evang grad fol. 143. and therefore commended and allowed the ancient Primitive institution I shall onely adde the testimony of Beza and so shut up this point especially having said so much before about it when I spoke of Patriarchs Dicamus ergo Primatum illum ordinis per mutuae successionis vices for such the Presbyterians plead for ipsa tandem experientia compertum fuisse non satis virium nec ad ambitiosos pastores nec ad auditores quidem vanos alios vero adulatorio spiritu praeditos compescendos habuisse communicata viz. singulis pastoribus per vices hujus primatus dignitate Itaque quod singulorum secundum successionem commune fuit visum fuit ad unum eum quidem totius Presbyterii judicio delectum transferre quod certe repraehendi nec potest nec debet quum praesâ—rtim vetustus hic mos Presbyterum deligendi in Alexandrina celeberrima Ecclesia jam inde à Marco Evangelista esset observatus c. Yea but say you say 2. This man was not afraid nor ashamed to assume the Name and Office of an Arch-bishop and Metropolitan AND what fear or shame then should be in this assumption I see not The Office was very useful and the Name not so impious and profane as you imagine 1. His office was to call the rest of the Bishops of the Province to the Synods which were to be held twice every year Concil Antioch Can. 19. Conc. in Trullo cap. 8. Antiochenum Can. 9. Conc. African cap. 127. 28. Concil Sard. cap. 14. to appoint the place of their meeting when the Ordinations of Bishops were examined and determined and the deprivation and rejection of all such as were found unworthy of that honour and place was handled In the Synod he sate as President and things were so moderated that neither the rest might proceed to do any thing without consulting him nor he without them but was tyed in matters of difference to follow the major part when they assembled but once a year many causes that abide no delay were committed by them to the Metropolitan hearing the judgment To him then lay Appeales And yet his power was not absolute and arbitrary for he was to execute the decrees of the Synods onely and to judge according to the Canons And if he neglected his duty he was by the Canons lyable to Censure and punishment in a general Council And the Church story is a plentiful record that by Councils Metrapolitans have been punished censured deposed Now say truly what is there that in this Office or Order that should offend any discreet man 2. Oh but his name is profane and it is blasphemy to assume it and for this afterward you give in this reason because it is such a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature but is proper and peculiar to Christs own sacred person being that besides himself none can be safely said to be an Arch-bishop or chief Shepherd I shall first encounter your reason and invalidate it For first you impose upon me for Saint Peters word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.4 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly were it so yet it is but an argument à notatione nominis which of all Topick arguments is the weakest Thirdly if this reason were good then it would hold as well in all other names of Christ and it were profane and blasphemous for any man to bear any of them And yet I read there is not one of them except Immanuel which hath not been attributed to man Psal 105.15 Matt. 2.6 Heb. 2.17 Heb. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.25 Jesus is attributed to Joshua Hebr. 4.8 Christus to Kings and Patriarchs Nolite tangere Christos meos He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so are the praepositi Heb. 13.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet how many in the Gospel are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he the Apostle and High Priest of our profession and yet Saint Paul often calls himself an Apostle he by Saint Peter is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet under him the Ministers of the Church are often stiled Shepherds and Bishops There can be no strength then in this reason which is everted by so many examples it must needs be as much profaness and blasphemy for any creature to bear any of these appellations since they were the names of Christ as it can be for an Arch-Bishop to take that name if it had been his which it was not But it was no profanesse or blasphemy in them and therefore not in him But that the name may the lesse offend you call to minde the antiquity of it and what kinde of men have born it and yet the Church never held them for profane persons It is as old as are Metropolitans and they are as old as Metropolies or chief Cities where Christianity was planted Chrysostome sticks not to call Titus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and well he might who had seven Bishops under him Cypr. Epist 45. Edit Pammelii Cyprian was Arch-Bishop of Carthage a Martyr a great Arch-Bishop for he saith latè paâ—et nostra provincia habet Numidium Mauritaniam sibi cohaerentes Athanasius who stood against all the world for the truth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had all the world against him was Arch-Bishop of Alexandria What should I tell you that the first thirty two Bishops of Rome who were all Martyrs except one bear that name and that Chrysostome Epiphanius Basil Nazianzene Cyril c. were all called Arch-Bishops And that you be not quite out of love with it that glorious Martyr of our Church Cranmer dyed Arch-bishop of Canterbury I can never be drawn to imagine that had there been profanesse and blasphemy in the name such glorious lights of the Church such pious good learned men such pillars of the Faith such Martyrs in defence of the
Truth would ever have owned it been once stiled by it And so you see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. When he left the servile and subservient names of Prebend Surrogate Vicar General to inferiour Officers his underlings THese names or titles I never heard the Arch-Bishop or Metropolitane had therefore I know not how he could leave them Under him perhaps these were but for the Prebend he was no Officer The Bishop and his Colledge of Presbyters first lived together and were maintained out of a common stock or treasury of the Church the Bishop allotted to every one his salary monthly which in Tertullian is called stipes in Cyprian sportula Tertull. Apol. c. 39. 42. and it was an honourable stipend or portion as appears by the words of Cyprian when he would have Clemens and Aurelius who were Confessors admitted into the Colledge of Presbyters that they might be honoured with this stipend Sciatis nos honorem Presbyteris illis jam d signasse Cypr. Ep. 34. Edit Pammel 27. 36. ut iisdem sportutis cum Presbyteris honorentur and in another Epistle he calls these menstrae divisiones agreeing with his Master Tertullian who saith these stipes were given menstruâ die Thus it was at first but afterward when Cathedral Churches were built these Presbyters were called Prebends and their salary Praebenda Spalatens lib. 2. cap. 9. Sect. 6. not that they had a separate part or portion of that Church revenue to themselves as afterwards it was thought fit sed quod cuique ex communi illius Ecclesiae reditu alimenta praebebantur Now this was the Original of Prebends neither was he any more a Church Officer then as a Presbyter which if you take in the old sense you have no reason to carp at 2. As for the Surrogate I do not finde that ever any Arch-Bishop had such an Officer I suppose that you should aime at Conc. Ancyr Can. 13. Neoces 13. Antioch 10. Conc. Sardic cap. 6 Laodic cap. 56. Socrat. Schol. lib. 5. cap. 21. Possidon in vita Aug. Aug. Ep. 110. Naucler Vol. 2. Generat p. 667. is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Rural Bishops who were brought into the Church to supply the Bishops place in absence or sicknesse who because they abused their power were disliked and timely abrogated Or if not these yet the suffragan Bishops or Coadjutors for such then were as it appears in the Church Records Agelius the Novatian Bishop being ready to dye first imposed hands on Sisimius to succeed him but upon the request of the people made choice of Marcian then of Sisimius the story is worth your reading in Socrates Austin was also made the Suffragan to Valerius in Hippo and afterward Austin himself took for his Coadjutor Eradius Thus you may see a Coadjutor was allowed but such a one as should be onely a Presbyter while the Bishop lived and therefore long after the time of Augustine when Zachary Bishop of Rome associated another Bishop as a Coadjutor to Boniface the Bishop of Mentz he confessed it to be a thing forbidden by the Canons and worthy reprehension but that upon his importunity of special favour he had yielded so much unto him that he might have such a Coadjutor whom with the advice of his brethren he might appoint to succeed him when he should dye Now if you do aime at these there could be no great errour in the institution if the Bishop either when he was in remotis agendis as the Lawyers speak or disabled by infirmity or age he made choice of some worthy person to be his Coadjutor no otherwise then the High Priests among the Jewes did of their Saganim For I read not of any expresse text of holy writ that could or did warrant them to do it 3. Thirdly the last name that doth displease is the Vicar General but neither was he properly any Church Officer A Judge he was in the Arch-Bishops Court for such matters as were reserved by Princes to the Christian judicature to visit for the Metropolitane the whole Province and and so came into the place of them whom the Laodicean Council calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caranza translates the word Visitatores but Meursius Circitatores Lustratores quorum munus esset circumire per omnes universae regionis Ecclesias Laodic Conc. Can. 57. Meursii Lexico mixobarb Balsam in Can. 57. Conc. Laodiceni inquirere de illarum statu And of these Balsamâ—â— upon the Canon of the Laodicean Council hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Commission to this purpose I finde given by Henry the eighth to Thomas Cromwel after Earle of Essex that great instrument of expulsion of the Popes power out of England by which authority he visited all the Abbies and Monasteries of the Land and finding in them foul enormities opened them in Parliament the next year in which he sate with the title of Vicegerent or Custos spiritualitatum this power was not much unlike a Vicar General And were it safe to utter my thoughts I should not stick to put you in minde of those who have lately done the same work under other names For what else I pray were the Propagators of the Gospel what else the Commissioners for scandalous and ignorant Ministers what else the Committee men under whom I am sure the Clergy felt a sharp visitation yea and sharper then that of the Custos spiritualitatum for then the ejected had a competency of maintenance allowed them for their lives which by these is not done Lastly if I should call your Approvers Vicar Generals too I should not much erre for have they not the care of all the Churches Modesty retains me or else I could say that some of your Pastours of Congregational Churches have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and been Informers or Agents to the prejudice of many an honest and laborious Minister But you say these Officers were Underlings how otherwise could it be if they were Officers for Officers must be under they were subservient so they must be also for indicitur ministratio whosoever will be great among you Mat. 20.26 let him be your Minister To be under was humility to be subservient their duty but if among them any were servile so slavish as to be at the Arch-Bishops or Metropolitans beck and to drudge for his ends this was basenesse and if you note the men they shall not be defended but condemned by me as well as you But while I go along with you in the pursuit of these I finde my self in some danger for I finde a Pest-house nigh in which plaguey people are used to be put and to this those you mention are sent for their pride and profanesse and I wish that all who are infected with the same Leprosie were placed there with them for then 't is possible we might meet with Corah Dathan and Abiram there as well as Moses
30. Bede lib. 2 c. 2. Galfr. Monum lib. 11. cap. 12. Godw. page 45. But the answer which the British Bishops gave to Austin being summoned to give him a meeting where by perswasions threats and all manner of means he endeavoured to draw the Britaine Bishops to an entire conformity to the Church of Rome is so clear an evidence that I cannot see how it can be evaded for the answer was short and peremptory that they might not submit themselves to him having an Arch-Bishop of their own c. And in a second meeting being offended with his pride Sir H. Spelman Conc. Britan An. 590. ex Manusc Saxon. Bed lib. 2. c. 2. Bale Cent. 1. fol. 35. Bede lib. 2. c. 2. because he would not rise to them at their coming into the Assembly they gain-said him in every thing for say they si modo nobis assurgere noluit quanto magis si ei subjici ceperimus nos pro nihilo contemnet This repulse occasioned the slaughter of the Monks of Bangor over whom Dinoth was the Caenobiarcha as Bale calls him who as it is supposed was that holy man in Bede that taught them how to discern whether he was sent of God to them or no. For saith he if he be a meek and an humble man it is an evident signe that he bears the yoke of Christ and offers the same to you but if he be stout and proud he is not of God you may be sure and his deportment was such as I said which alienated the Bishops minds and the Monks with them Our adversaries of Rome take it very ill that Austin should be thus accused of pride and cruelty and use all their wits in his excuse They would perswade us he was dead when this Massacre was committed but Bishop Juel hath evidently confuted their allegations and made it appear that in that Warre he was alive Juel defens Apolog quinta pars cap. 1. divisio prima and the instigator of it Had you then set the saddle upon the right horse and fixed those Epithites of proud and profane upon Austin you had some colour for it But to fasten it upon the whole order upon Arch-Bishops and Metropolitans for one mans sake is want of charity of which he was not the founder neither in this Land as I have proved to you Nor Fox nor any English Historians nor Evagrius say any such thing Evagrius could not for nor Gregory was Bishop of Rome nor Austin sent hither when he writ ended his History All that Fox or any other Historian can say is that Austin was the first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and that shall readily be yielded you now when I hear how you can improve that concession to your advantage you shall receive an answer I could if I pleased anticipate your objections but I will not now do it because I hasten to what follows SECT VI. The words of the Letter THe fourth degree of the Combinational Churches infamous defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church where and whence without controversie arose that Jewish imitation and irregularly Religious observation of five frivolo s and foundationlesse customes and traditions of which the first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy working-dayes Cursed-Masse Candle-Masse c. The second was of National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels and Church-yards The third was of National persons as the Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests or Diocesan Deacons The fourth was of National pious performances as stinted Worship Quiristers singing of Psalmes with all the Rubrique Postures And the fifth was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings tithes and mortuaries all which fruitlesse and fantastical fashions were the illegitimate legal off-spring of National Parliaments in this and in the Neighbor-Nations Witnesse the publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in that behalf The Reply SIr that affection which I have alwayes borne you as a friend and that duty which I owe you as a Christian moves me in plain words to tell you that the indulgence you bear to the Combinational Church hath in this Paragraph transported you beyond the bounds of moderation and truth For to omit your common Sophisme petitio principii which is the foulest in all Logick that there was at first a Combinational Church and that this did precede a National which is as if you should say the parts are before the whole when the contraty in nature hath hitherto been received for truth that omne totum sive universale sive integrale est prius partibus But to omit this you over-load your assertion with many unnecessary Epithets and those sometimes unapt whereas attributes are ornaments and where they are not decently affixed they become our speech no more than a fair gold lace doth a coarse garment or a rich jewel fastned to a straw hat Thirdly the five frivolous customes and traditions you reckon up are no proper accidents of the National Church but were common to the Provincial Cathedral and Parochial and so no distinct notes to know that the National Church was corrupted more than they should I yield them to be corruptions Lastly you say they were brought in by a Jewish imitation which if granted it would not at all help your cause as I will after make appear These are your undertakings in this Section and I shall not need to analyse it as I have done before because you have methodiz'd it to my hand for which I thank you The first thing then I shall prove unto you is that there is such a thing as a National Church and that it was before your Combinational so that it cannot be true which you affirme that the fourth degree of the Combinational Churches defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church 1. That there is a National Church and that this was first is consonant to Scripture to reason to experience 1. FIrst it is very consonant to Scripture God after Adams fall made a Covenant with mankinde for salvation The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head The words of the Covenant were obscure and therefore God was pleased to adde light to them Gen. 3.15 Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.8 in that promise he made to Abraham In thy seed i. e. Christ shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed That this promise was made to the Church is beyond all question and who were this Church but all Nations not to Abrahams seed after the flesh Rom. 4.13 9.8 but to Abrahams seed through the righteousnesse of faith was the promise made not to the Jewes but to the Gentiles also was the promise made and both go here under the name of Nations and what should hinder now but the Church into which both should be gathered should be called a National Church The argument is drawn à Denominatis Natio is Denominaus National denominativum Jewes and Gentiles Denominatum
the proposition then is true that Jewes and Gentiles make one National Church Hence it is that what God said of the Jew Exod. 19.6 ye shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation is by Saint Peter affirmed of the Christian Church ye are a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a royal Priesthood an holy Nation Which when effected our Saviours words were fulfilled other sheep I have which are not of this fold John 10.16 them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice that there may be one fold and one Shepherd Farther yet a prophesie is extant Isa 2.2 Isa 2.2 Mic. 4.1 2 c. Jer. 4.2 Isa 65.1 Zach. 2.11 Zach. 14.9 Psalm 2.8 Psalm 22.27 Matth. 21.43 Rom. 4.17 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Let other texts be compared with this which speak the same thing Thus it was foretold and that what was foretold might accordingly be fulfilled our Saviour gave his disciples a Commission in these general words Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost c. Matthew 28.19 And I pray call to minde that when Peter baptized the penitents Acts 2.39 he comforted them with these words for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as our Lord God shall call And yet after this even Peter himself and the Apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea of this had but a confused notion for when Peter came up to Jerusalem Acts 11. Acts 10. they that were of the Circumcision contended with him about it to whom he was feigne to make his Apology opening to them the vision of the sheet which when they heard these things they glorified God saying then hath God also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life In effect they attested the truth of Peters words Verse 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons looks now no more upon a Jew than he doth upon a sinner of the Gentiles but in every Nation he that feareth him and doth righteousnesse is accepted of him The partition wall being broken down what could they be but one church I can never sufficiently wonder at your words when you call this accesse of all Nations a naughty enlargement What is that which God by Covenant with Abraham promised naught that naught which he foretold should be that naught which Christ gave Commission to his disciples to do that naught which the Disciples did All Nations Isa 2.2 All flesh Isa 66.23 All the kindreds of the earth Psal 22.26 27. A multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people Rev. 7.9 are said to be the people of God under the New Testament and yet you will not allow them the name of a National Church But a stronger foundation for this Truth there cannot be than that which Saint Paul hath laid under the similitude of an Olive which had two kinds of branches natural verse 21. and wild 17. Rom. 1â—â— The natural were the Jewes the wild the Gentiles the natural were broken off through unbelief and the wild by faith graffed in These wild now being naturalized are in the same condition that the Natural were before they were broken off But the Natural branches were in the Olive totally the whole Nation they and their children which made the National Church of the Jewes and therefore the wild branches must be so inserted they and their children also which will make the National Church of the Gentiles which is the full scope and intention of the Apostle in that chapter Finally the very same Covenant that was made with Abraham 2 Cor. 6.16 is made with the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.16 I will be their God and they shall be my people As that then was extended to the whole Nation of the Jewes Lev. 26.12 Levit. 26.12 so also is it now to be extended to the whole Nation of the Gentiles so that all those Nations that have had the Gospel preached unto them and answering that Gospel have received the doctrine of Christ submitting to his Ordinances in the profession of his Name are to be reckoned as they were 1 Pet. 2.10 Acts 8.12 13. John 6.66 Acts 11.26 1 Cor. 1.2 1 Cor. 12.13 Matth. 8.11 the people of God 1 Pet. 2.10 Beleevers Acts 8.12 13. Disciples John 6.66 Christians Acts 2. Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 The Church of the Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.13 The Kingdome of Christ Matth. 8.11 Thus have I shewed you that since the whole Church quoad materiale doth consist of Nations there can be no impropriety or absurdity in it when we call any part thereof a National Church or the Church of Beleevers in any one Nation And now let us see what help you can have for the confirmation of this besides Scripture out of the principles of reason 2. We believe in our Creed the Catholique Church and Catholique it is called in respect of all ages and times because before under and after the Law it alwayes was and secondly in respect of persons for there is not any person of what degree sex condition or age that may not be a member of it And thirdly in respect of places in that as formerly the Jewes so now all persons in all Nations have a capacity to be of the Church of Christ Universality then being an attribute of the Church it cannot be found in any one Church limited either in respect of time or place Either then make your Combinational Church the Catholique or you must extend it farther and if so why not to a Province and if to a Province why not to a Nation nay many Nations And be it you should assume the name of Catholique and fasten it to every particular Combinational Church yet particular Societies of Christians can lay no farther claime to it than they can demonstrate themselves to belong to that Church that hath a true and a just title to it which no particular Church can do but by proving that it holds the common faith once delivered to the Saints without heretical innovation Ames lib. 1. c. 31. Sect. 20. or schismatical violation of the Unity and Peace of the Christian world This being the way for particular Churches to demonstrate themselves to be Catholique necessary it is that they be united at least to those Congregations of that Nation whence we may infer that there must needs be a National Church which also that must do and shew clearly that it maintaines whole and undefiled the foundations of faith before it can be acknowledged to be Catholique 2. That which makes men mistake in this point is that they make the Church to be species
and heady animosities fall asunder and break into several fractions and subdivisions so that they by reciting a certain forme of words seem to meet as pieces of wood finely glued together which a little spittle or wet dissolves Then again it is uselesse to them who are bound already by a higher and more solemn Covenant for this is as it were to binde a man with wisps of straw that is already bound with chains of gold For every true and conscientious Christian knows and owns himself to have upon his conscience farre more strict and indissoluble ties not onely of nature and creation but of the Law and word of God yea and of Christian Covenant and Profession by his Baptismal vow besides that bond of the other Sacrament that I speak not of his vowes renewed by often promises in his prayers and repentant promises All which binds the consciences of all good Christians to all duties of piety and charity according to the relations wherein they stand to God and man farre more firmly than any external profession in a Church way can do An external I say for so it is and being meerly external it cannot ingredi rei essentiam make any man formally a Church member that which doth this is the call of God and not the profession of man And now having removed this rub out of my way I shall go on to give you a fourth argument for a National Church 4. That to whom the proper essential and inseparable notes of the Church belong is a Church but to a National Church these notes belong therefore a National Church is a Church The major is certain for it is nota proprii the minor I easily prove The essential notes of the Church as Junius hath excellently demonstrated against Bellarmine Jun. de Ecclesia cap. 16. Doctor Field of the Ch. lib. 2. cap. 2. Whites Orthodox cap. 3. Sect. 6. first the entire profession of these supernatural verities which God hath revealed in his Sonne Secondly the use of such holy Ceremonies and Sacraments as he hath instituted and appointed Thirdly an union and connexion of men in this profession and use of these Sacraments under lawful Pastours and guides appointed authorized and sanctified to direct and lead them in the happy wayes of eternal salvation Now do not these belong to a National Church is there not in it a profession of supernatural verities is not the Word of God publickly preached in it are not holy Rites and Sacraments administred according to Christs institution is there not a succession of lawful Guides and Pastours in it as I have elsewhere proved what then can hinder but there should be a National Church Whatsoever you can say against these notes I have so clearly as I conceive proved that I hold it superfluous to adde any more and therefore I come unto my third proof experience 3. Experience is that wisdome and knowledge of any thing that a man hath by the trial of particulars For when upon a sad examination he finds that so many Individuums agree in aliquo tertio he presently concludes that they all partake of the same nature Let us then take a view of several Churches and those most eminent at first and if it appear that those were National we may from hence easily inferre that the constitution of a Church may be National It is in all Church Histories most evident that as soon as the Gospel was first planted it spread from great Cities into the Neighbour Territories and adjacent Countries which Christians so converted though they exercised the acts of Religion in particular Congregations yet still continued in a fraternal subjection and filial submission to that Bishop and Presbytery which resided in the Mother City It is a foule mistake for men to conceive of the Church of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatyra c. of Corinth Antioch Jerusalem Rome c. as confined to that City whereas he who is acquainted with Histories profane and sacred must know that under these Cities were principalities and so the jurisdiction of that Church was extended to all Christians in that Territory Which to deny is to sleight all Records and to preferre his own single imagination before all antiquity Titus was Bishop of Crete an Island Timothy of Ephesus a Province Polycarp of Smyrna a Territory and what is true of these is as true of all the rest whence we may conclude that a Church may be National for if jurisdiction of one Bishop may extend over so great Cities as they were being then the chief of the world why not then to a Province why not to a Nation especially since by this way mutual peace truth and good order is best preserved This consideration caused the first small company of believers multiplyed from a Church in one family to a Church in many Congregations that could not meet together in one place yet as branches to continue still united to the root Christ Jesus and also to the main body and bulk of the Church by union to that part whence they descended and to which they related For reason taught them that they should be weaker and exposed to more danger if they should be disunited and rent from the body and quickly wither as boughs separated from the stock I need not minde you of that old Apologue of Menenius Agrippa that the head and feet quickly starved and windred away when they would not hear of any longer dependence upon the belly He that would be magnified for Simon Magus or magnus Simon the great and wise for his invention of rarities and Paradoxes in any art or science ought to furnish himself not with popular and specious but with solid and sound arguments if he intend to winne prudent and sober men to be of his judgment for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise men will not be catch't with those sophisms with which it is easie to take the multitude After the flood there were but eight persons in the world they lived together in a family for some time and Noah as a Prince ruled them But they quickly encreased spread multiplyed grew into those Nations that now live and being dispersed over the earth they yet joyned in societies and for their mutual preservation thought it fit to be governed that way that we now behold Suppose now some great and wise Magus should in these words charme and bewitch the people Non sic fuit ab initio in Noahs dayes the ordering of the world was not as we see it now there were then no mighty Monarchs no surly Lords no Judges no Magistrates Who then spoke of National societies or civil confederations Oh 't was a brave world then when the government was domestical a golden age when no man ruled beyond his own doors but every one was a King at home Could we but contrive a way and live to see it so in our dayes 't would be no question a brave world again When Adam dugge and Eve span who was
then a Gentleman The like argument to this is used by those of the Combination At Rome they finde a houseful of Christians at Corinth another handful met together in the house of Cloe. Rom. 16.5 1 Cor. 16.29 1 Cor. 1.11 In Asia there is mention made of single Churches but by the way that these were bourd together by a Church Covenant and a separate and Independent Congregation that had no relation to the Presbytery in those Cities that is not mentioned not a word of that Then there were no National Churches this was afterwards brought in by lordly Prelates Oh if we might but see the Church restored again and all things done according to the pattern in the Mount then it would be a glorious Church Gods people precious people all Kings Priests and Prophets within their own doors You then of the people even the poorest Plow-man and ignorantest Mechanick should recover his right primo questu and be subject to no other Pastours and Elders then were of your own choosing nor to them no longer then pleased you Now is not this kind of arguing very plausible in the peoples ears Oh how they will hugge themselves when they shall finde themselves to become some body Let us say they but joyne our selves in this Combination and then God knows what goodly great things we may come to be we may come to be Pastours to feed we may come to be Elders to rule the flock we may come to be Deacons and carry the bag and if we sail of these our hopes yet however we have voices in the Election of Church Officers and the highest of them all must depend upon us This is that which tickleth the multitude to reduce the Church to the house of Cloe as those Sophists would do the world to the Ark of Noah Now one of these is as absurd as the other as contrary to reason to bring back the Church to particular houses and Combinations as it is all the societies of men to domestical government Shall an example or two which yet comes not home neither be pleaded against a cloud of witnesses to the contrary when we can instance in Presbyteries constituted by the Apostles in chief Cities which were heads of whole Provinces shall we plead that two or three houses were patterns in the Mount This is so childish a fancy so weak and unreasonable an imagination as if they would reduce themselves to their infants Coats now they are grown men or think they are bound to wear a leathern girdle because Saint John Baptist did so To conclude this point we dare appeal to the consciences of any of these bodying Christians whom charity may presume to be godly and judicious Dr. Gauden whether they finde in Scripture or have just cause to think that the blessed Apostles ever constituted such small bodies of Covenanting Churches when there were great numbers and many Congregations of Christians in any City Province or Country so as each one should be thought absolute independent and no way subordinate to another Whether ever the Apostles required of those lesser handfuls those peti-toes and fingers of the body which might and did Convene in Cloes house any such explicite forms and Covenants besides those holy bonds which by beleeving and professing of the faith by Baptisme and Eucharistical communion were upon them Or whether the blessed Apostles would have questioned or denyed them to be true Christians and in a true Church or have separated from them or cast them off as not engrafted in Christ or growing up in him who without any such bodying in small parcels had professed the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the due use of the Word Sacraments Ministry who endeavoured to lead a holy life themselves and sought by all means which charity order or authority allowed them to represse the contrary in others The wisdome of these first planters of Religion was so great their charity so warme their perswasions to unity so earnest the Character they set upon those who separate so black that it cannot be beleeved that ever they would admit of a rent in that body which was instructed by one head enlived by one spirit formed by one faith and quickned by one and the same hope And if these excellent Christian vertues had continued we had not seen the seam-lesse Coat of our Saviour rent into such small shreds as we behold and lament at this day And so much of this 2. The next thing that in general you charge the National Church withal is that they took up the customes you name by a Jewish imitation COncerning which I have divers things to reply First if we must be accused for this apish imitation of the Jews yet we are not the only Apes since you for this are no lesse guilty than our selves and then you know qui alterum incusat probri ipsum se tueri oportet For do you not imitate the Jewish Sanedrim in your Elderships why is it else that from it most of your party fetch their defence why from it do they borrow their light to expound dic Ecclesiae Again that the Scripture is not to be read except expounded is your common tenet we presse you for a precept for this and none you do nor none you can bring only you produce the example of Ezra the Scribe Nehem. 8.8 that he read the book and gave the sense and upon this example you do it and tell us it is to be done now what is imitation but the following of an example Besides you your self would have all your Elders stand and sit together in the face and full view of the whole Assembly now what command can you finde for this all you can say for it Verse 4. is the pattern in the former place of Ezra and then I hope you will not deny but you in this are to answer for a Jewish imitation also Your letter bears date the 22 day of the eighth moneth which is you know to speak the language of the old Jew Secondly I ask how ever you can make good that in most of the instances which you alledge that the Christians took their pattern from the Jewes after they were formed into a National Church and were put under the Ceremonial Law If in these they imitated any I may as easily say that they took their pattern from the Patriarchs for these before the Ceremonies of the Law were imposed as you can reflect upon the Nation of the Jews For the Patriarchs had their feasts their places whether to bring their offerings Gen. 8.20 13.18 28.22 33.20 Gen. 2.2 Exod. 5.1 They acknowledge a high Priest Gen. 14.18 They paid tyths Gen. 14.20 28.22 Four then of these five frivolous traditions as you call them were in use before the Jews were a setled Nation and to those old and first people of God the Primitive Church might have an eye when they admitted these usages as well as to
will-worship hath set the mark upon it the Jew may lie in his grave and yet our holy-dayes live These are like the good and vertuous Ladies of our Land few they are and being observed they make us happy Suffer them but to depart and you will deface the splendour and dignity of Christian Religion You will blot out the memorial of ancient Truth give a great impediment to the encrease of faith give an occasion of ingratitude obstruct the praises of God hinder the Hymns and Psalms we ought to sing to his honour in a word deprive your selves of the shadows of your future felicity I come to your second exception of places 2. The second was of National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels avd Church-yards BEfore you fell foul upon the times now upon the places of Gods service I see nothing can please but what is according to your minde Quod volumus sanctum est That seems to befall you which happens to eyes over-runne with the icterisme every thing they behold seems to be yellow or to such who are in a high feavour whose palate is so affected with the overflowing of choler that the most pleasant Dose seems bittet to their taste How comes it else to passe that these innocent but necessary circumstances for the performance of Religious duties should so strangely disgust you Time and place are such necessary circumstances of all individual actions that they cannot be done without them And therefore if men will serve God some time must be set out when and some place where to do it where God hath assigned none there the choice is left in their own breast if the service be private a private time and place is to be chosen if publick and in conjunction with others a publick time and place must be thought on To this last onely I am now to speak of publick service to be performed for which there must be designed a publick place which you in scorn are pleased to call a meeting house Tye Cwrdd but I pray do you not unawars Judaize in the name for tell me what 's the English of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Synagogue is it not the place where the Jewes first met together pray take heed that you turn not Jew on a suddain by erecting of meeting houses instead of Christian Churches In these there is nothing can escape your rigid censure not the Porches not the Chancels not the Church-yards Alasse what have these done The Porches were set up for beauty for shelter upon the same reason you may find fault with the Trees growing in the Church-yard which serve only to beautifie the place defend the Church from injury of wind weather But Zanchy in precept 4. Loc. 2. in Thesi Sect. 3. gives us another use of these Porches that in them the Ostiarii stood Horum enim officium erat primum temporibus quibus sacra publicè peragebantur cavere ne indigni admiscerent se sacro cetui ne quod sanctum canibus Deinde Catechumenos jussos per Diaconum egredi è Templo educerent foresque occluderènt post sacra peracta clauderent Templum ne cuivis in illud pateret accessus Quid ita quia quae usibus sacris destinata sunt in alios usus profanos usurpari non debent The Chancels were thought fit to be separated Cancellis from the body of the fabrick that in them the Tremenda mysteria and the action belonging to them might be celebrated with the greater reverence The Church-yards were inclosed that in them the dead bodies of Christians might decently be compos'd laid to sleep in their beds of dust And what harm is there in all this what subject to so sharp a censure must the Combinational Church be corrupted if all this be done certainly not for even you who were wont to assemble in other places can now be content to make use of these notwithstanding the Porches Chancels and Church-yards You meet in them you preach in them you bury your dead in them without any scruple that I can hear of Nobis non licet esse tam profanis Oh but you say these were consecrated Grave crimen Caie Caesar and to it I shall return you my answer by and by But first I shall shew you that the Christians borrowed not their pattern from the Jews to erect houses and places for the publick service of God Even that light of reason which taught the whole stock of men before and under the Law I had almost said Heathens themselves that publick places must be set apart for publick Religious duties directed them to set up these structures Before the Law the Patriarchs had their set places to serve God Adams sonnes a place where to sacrifice In Enos dayes there were Assemblies Noah and Abraham had assigned Altars Jacob his Bethel with which place God was so well pleased that he would be called the God of Bethel as you would say the God of Gods house to which this title was given Haec est domus Dei porta caeli that you be not quite out of love with Church-Porches Well Jacobs children are carried into Aegypt and become bond-men there all that while we read not of any designed places for Sacrifice for Prayers for Religious performances and no marvaile for they were in bondage and to look after publick places then were as if you seek for Solomons Temple in the Captivity 't was enough that then they met as they could assemble by the Rivers side and sit down and weepe by the Waters of Babylon Flebile nescio quid queritur Lyra flebile lingua Murmurat exanimis respondent flebile ripae But when once God had delivered them from that servitude and brought them into the Wildernesse even in that vast Desart when they had no setled habitation yet a moving Tabernacle they had for Gods worship Exod. 26.27 After they were brought into the Land of Canaan this Tabernacle was first fixed for five years at Gilgal in the sixth it was translated to Shilo Rivet in Hos cap. 4. 15. where it remained till Eli's dayes when taken but after restored it was set in Kiriathjearim and last in Misphat Israel then was never to seek whether to resort for their publick service And when they were dispersed in the Land and setled in their divisions that they might acquaint themselves with Moses Law and offer up their petitions and thanks to God they built themselves Synagogues even before the Temple was erected For they were in Davids time that appears by his complaint Psalme 74.8 They have burnt up all the houses or Synagogues of God in the Land But when God had chosen Jerusalem and in Jerusalem Mount Moria there to have his standing habitation made it was in the chiefest of Davids desires to have performed so good a work but Solomon built him a house The Temple then was like a great Cathedral Sigon de rep Hebr. lib.
inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 the faith hope obedience charity humility and patience of many by this fiery trial hath been made more conspicuous SECT 1. The words of the Letter Of the vile and virulent head the Pope 1. FIrstly hath not the long provoked Lord begun in this Island and in Ireland to pull down lowest that loose that lofty and lawlesse Church which the corrupt Clergie had lifted up highest namely the Oecumenical or Romane Catholick Church whereof the sinne-pardoning or rather soul-poysoning Pope was the Vile and Virulent head who was therefore and upon that account publickly declared and generally though not universally beleev'd to be a horrible Monster as well as a very abominable beast because of his ten hornes Witnesse what is written Revel 17.3.5 The Reply To what you say of the vile virulent head the Pope I assent and so did and do all Orthodox Divines of our English Church holding his claim to be Universal Bishop to be Anti-Christian profane proud foolish blasphemous by vertue whereof he doth ingrosse to himself full power and authority over all Christians in the world both Ecclesiastical and saecular the principal actions whereof are 1. To frame and set out for all Christians the rule of faith and good manners to point out the books of Canonical Scriptures and the traditionary word and to deliver the sense and interpretation thereof and to determine all controversies in religion with an unerring sentence 2. To prescribe and enact laws for the whole Church equally obliging the conscience to obedience with the divine Law 3. To exercise external power of directing and commanding and also of censure and correction of all Christians 4. To grant dispensations indulgences absolution from oaths and vows 5. To canonize Saints institute religious orders to deliver from Purgatory 6. To call and confirm general Councels 7. To dethrone and conculcate Kings c. All this we disclaim as well as you and you needed not have said that it begun in this Island and Ireland as if it begun with you for it begun more then one hundred years since assume not therefore that to your selves which was done to your hands to take down this head was the work of the National Church you so slight and had it not been done to your hands I doubt whether all the power you could make had ever been able to have done it And for this that head being of a revengeful nature hath ever since been plotting which way it might unroot us that unrooted it For the proof of this I shall acquaint you with what a friend acquainted me and others about five years since A good Protestant he is now but about 30. years before was as he confess'd reconciled to Rome by one Meredith an ancient and learned Jesuite for he was one of those that Dr. Featly had to deal with in France This man told him that in England they had been long and industrious about their work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would till they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their businesse to a full effect They must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose room they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common Prayer book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list Thus much the man offer'd to make good upon his Oath before any Magistrate he should be call'd And now I pray tell me out of what shop do you think your work comes That generation are a sly subtle people as the devil they can transform themselves into an Angel of light If many printed books lye not there have been many among you and they know to insinuate their poyson under guilded pills Positions they have many like your's and beware least when you think you suck in the Truth you drink not poyson Verbum sat Sapienti They owe us a splene for casting off their head and they will never give over to seek a revenge We were the men that cut it off and take heed least unwittingly you set it not on again 'T is too true I speak it with grief they have won to their side in the time of our dissentions more proselites then they did in divers years before The Laws are now silent and any man may be now any thing so he be not an old Protestant of the Church of England that if he professe then there will be a quick eye upon him An Ordinance shall be sure to reach him which for ought I heard is but brutum fulmen to a Papist Boast not then of your taking down that same vile and virulent head the Pope when it is permitted to stand in more favour then a Protestant whose work hath been to take down that abominable beast with his ten horns as you call him SECT 2. The British King the Violent Head Mr. Matthews 2. SEcondly hath not Christ hid his face from and bent his brow against the National Church as being that very next naughtinesse Whereof the British King was although not an invincible yet a violent Head which was therefore lesse victorious and more vincible partly because the head not only of a very uncanonical but also of a very unspiritual corporation and partly because of the said national-corporations inconsistency with the Scripture precepts Matth. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place seconded and aggravated by its notorious inconformity to the Scripture patterns Eph. 2.19.22 Philip. 2.15 Revel 5.9 where the Scripture Combinational Church is call'd not a whole nation but a holy City a growing Temple a Spiritual house or a sin-enlightning and a soul-enlivening Church gathered built framed cull'd and call'd out of and from a carnal and crooked nation which was both dark and darknesse it self witnesse what is written Ephes 5.8 The Reply That Christ hath hid his face from and bent his face against this National Church you have reason to lament and grieve and not to stand by and clap your hands at it Rather take up the Lamentation of David for Saul and Jonathan The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places how are the mighty fallen 2 Sam. 1.19.20 Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon least the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce least the daughters of the uncircumcised Triumph c. Posterity will have cause to mourn when you and they shall be invaded and set upon by those uncircumcised Philistims of Rome who will smile at the armour wherein you trust and the speares you brandish against them as a dart of a bulrush 'T is not your Sophisms that will prevail with them nor your popular arguments that they will regard and they as smoke being vanished set upon you they will with armour of proof and so inviron you that
you will wish again for those worthies of the National Church to fight your battles These were the men that stood up in the gap these have bore the burden and heat of the day these have beaten these Philistims at their own weapons from the blood of the slain from the fat of the mighty the bow of Jonathan turned not back and the Sword of Saul returned not empty Verse 22. Rejoyce not therefore at their fall since after ages may have occasion to say if we had been in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Matth. 23.31 2. Yea but you say Christ hath bent his brow against this National Church as being next in naughtinesse Next to what to the Romane Church That 's to be proved And 't is more than ever you shall be able to make good that quâ National or quâ a Church in her constitution she was naught It was the acknowledgment of that great and learned Casaubons then whom there was none more skilful in all the Records of antiquity that there was not any Church in the Christian world that came nearer in her Doctrine and Discipline to the Primitive than this of England His words in his Epistle Dedicatory to King James are these before his exercitations to the Annals of Baronius Casaub Ep. de die ad Annales Tuum est proprie tuum pro veteris Ecclesiae disciplina pugnantes regii clypei quem pro sincere pietatis defensione gestas umbone propugnare Qui Ecclesiam habeas in tuis regnis partim jam olim ita institutam partim magnis tuis laboribus ita instauratum ut ad florentis quondam Ecclesiae formam nulla hodiè propiùs accedat quam tua inter vel excessu vel defectu peccantes mediam viam sequita This man lived in and was brought up in the Reformed Church in France and might be therefore thought to encline to a Presbyterial Discipline and yet after he came into England and took notice of the constitution you hear what he attests that was no question able to judge that had seen and read so much And in this point he stands not single nor alone for from Alexandria we have like approbation from Cyril the Patriarch there in his Letter sent to my sometimes Lord George Abbot Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Cyril Litt. ab Aegypto missae 1616. Fix not then this naughty terme upon the Church of England because National The naughtinesse that was in her I have confessed and for which we justly suffer under the hand of a just God and for which when you come to be as naught as we think not you shall escape 'T is not your Combination shall priviledge you from the Cup of Gods wrath Think you that those Galileans on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners then all that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 3. You go on to the British King Placida compostus pace quiescat Soyle not his ashes Invincible he was not nor any man ever thought him so For thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory ◠Chr. 29.11 and the Majesty for all that is in the heaven and earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all But whereas you say that he was a violent head was therefore less victorious and more vincible you are a little too quick with your ergo More can never be in the conclusion than is in the premises and say he had been a violent head which I shall by and by prove he was not yet it will never necessarily follow that thence he should be lesse victorious For how many violent heads in your sense meaning National Churches have their bene who yet have obtained victories Sometimes God punisheth a people for the transgression of a King sometimes a King for the transgression of his people Israel is smitten with the pestilence for Davids sinne and Eli is cast off and the Ark taken for the sinne of his sons Where therefore there may be divers causes of a discomfiture is overmuch rashnesse to fix upon one nay to imagine that to be the cause which was not viz. because he was 4. A violent head For what I pray is it a sinne for a Prince to be the head that is the governour of a National Church so you seem to affirme Beware look about you and consider with whom at unawares you joyne for the Jesuite will make you a low Congee and thank you that you shall assert their rebellious position that Princes and supreme Magistrates have nothing to do in the Church in temporal things supreme and Lords they are but in spiritual matters they may not meddle The difference lies onely in this that they would draw the Supremacy to one even that man of sinne and advance him to the head-ship You draw the Supremacy to the Pastours and Elders in every Combinational Congregation and so there should be as many supremacies and heads as there be of these Churches For which his Highnesse the Lord Protectour hath little reason to thank you for of what Church will you make him a governour Not of the National that was the Kings sinne a violent head he was and God forbid that according to your tenet any should come into that place again His headship and government can extend no farther than the Combinational that very Combinational of which he is a member in which he must act not as Protectour or the Supreme in the Nation but as an Elder only In all other Combinationals he hath nothing at all to do for they have a supremacy among themselves He may not then order National Fasts nor dayes of Thanksgiving he may not make Ordinances to eject scandalous and ignorant Ministers he may not set up Approvers of Ministers for the whole Nation he may not punish Papists imprison Blasphemers ask any man out of his Combination why he doth so or so if your position be true 'T is violence 't is usurpation 't is tyranny Supreme he is now in the Nation and by the power of the supremacy all these things are done and you and I or any body else would be smiled at if not frowned upon that for this should call him a violent head And what did the British King more than this It may be thought that I have put in this plea in favour of the British King he needs it not for he hath long ago answered for his violence if there were any I tell you plainly I plead for his Highnesse and for as many who are supreme in any Nation be they Potentates Princes or governours over any Christian Church For the cause is alike in all and they have external government of the Church in charge and to say the contrary is to open a sluce to the over-flowings of impiety
and therefore I hope when you write next you will shew more Christian love To conclude the Corporation of which the British King was head was as I have prov'd both Canonical as adhering to the Canon of the Scriptures and Spiritual as endow'd with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and so your reason hath no reason at all in it Well if this will not do it a second shall which is 2. Partly because of the said National Corporations inconsistence with the Scripture precepts Mat. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place The words of the Letter A Wonderful demonstration ' The Church must be gather'd together in one place to the service of God as that place of the Corinths proves and must be assembled to exercise discipline as in that of Matthew therefore there may be no national Church therefore no head or governour in that Church Baculus in angulo 'T is as if you should argue thus such or such a County must meet together to elect a Burgesse to the Parliament or to see justice done at a Quarter Sessions or at an Assize therefore it is inconsistent that there should be a head over the Nation whereof they are parts Who sees not the absurdity of such an argument But now in particular to these places The first is Matth. 18. vers 17. And if he shall neglect to hear thee tell it to the Church which is so difficult that St. Austin saith of it dicant qui possunt si tamen probare possunt quae dicunt ego me ignorare profiteor And the reason is because the word Ecclesia is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a term of divers acceptions and from terms aequivocal nothing can be concluded till distinction be made But this I must tell you by the way that no man by Ecclesia understood the Combinational Church til you arose and therefore you can never conclude out of this place that a head of a National Church is inconsistent with Christs precept For the Pope Presbyter Praelate all acknowledge a National Church and a head of a National Church and yet never thought that they did transgresse Christs precept Your proof therefore cannot stand secure til you have everted the claim of every one of these no more then til he who pretends a right to a piece of Land which is in other mens possessions hath shew'd his own title to be only good and all the rest of no force Be not so hasty then with your inference for there 's not one of these who will not say you are an intruder It would fill a book to tell you what is written and what I have read upon this place Whether by the Church you are to understand a civil or an Ecclesiastical consistory or whether a mixt because our Saviour alludes out of question to the Jewish Sanedrim Beza Annot. in locum Rutherf cap. 8. Then whether by the Church again you are to understand the whole Congregation or the chief in that Congregation the Elders say the Presbyters only you as by Rutherfords disputes against you I guesse the whole body of believers or as the Prelates contend those to whom Christ gave the Keys meaning the Apostles and their successours Yet farther whether the wrong to be here tryed by the Church be only that which is private because of those words If thy brother trespasse against thee Lastly whether our Saviour speaks here of any Church censure at all because our Saviour saith not let him be excommunicate but sit tibi Let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican Among many interpretations of these words I shall propose one which I preferre above the rest as that which to me carrieth the fairest evidence with it The Jews were at this time conquered by the Romans under their power and judicatory yet they left unto the Jews so much power as to judge betwixt man and man according to the Law of Moses reserving strangers and Publicans to be tryed in the Romane Court. This being the state of the Jews when our Saviour spoke these words in private quarrels and actions Christ proposeth three degrees of proceeding The first by the Rule of charity If thy brother trespasse against thee tell him privately of the wrong offered thee betwixt thee and him alone and if this prevail not in charity go one step further call two or three Witnesses and rebuke him before them manifest the wrong if he hear thee thou hast wonne thy brother there ought to be an end of the debate This is the first direction 2. But say he be yet refractory then thou mayst proceed further even by the order of Moses Law then convent him before the Mosaical Magistrate the Triumvirate the 23. or the great Sanedrim the 71. Dic Ecclesiae 3. But if he will not hear them to which he is bound by Moses Law then take help from the Romane Soveraignty Let him be unto thee as a Heathen or Publican esteeme him for a brother Jew no longer but proceed against him in that Court where Heathens and Publicans were to take their trial This is the natural and genuine Exposition of these words the precept belongs to the state of the Jews at that time and cannot be applyed to the Christian Church except by the way of Accommadation For it is clear that the case Saint Peter put was of private wrong Master how often shall my brother sinne against me and I forgive him and the case is put of a private wrong if thy brother shall trespasse against thee c. Whereas those cases in which the Church ought to proceed must be notorious and scandalous in which it is not necessary that the two admonitions precede either that private or the other under Witnesses neither after sentence past by the Church is the man to be accompted in the state of a Heathen or Publican for Christ and his Church did never refuse to converse with either So that it as not proper to understand these words of the Christian Church which then was not That yet they may be referred thither I gain-say not but then that which will be collected from hence can be no more but this that in the Church of Christ there must be a Court erected And so there alwayes hath been that it be Combinational onely there is not any man who looks upon this place with an unpartial eye can ever say that in this place there is a precept for it He may with more reason conclude the contrary because the Church concerning whom the precept was given Dic Ecclesiae was the Jewish Church which is confessed at that time to have been National not Combinational In this place then you missed your mark As for the other That to 1 Cor. 14.23 I wonder what you can pick out of it for a Combinational Church much lesse a precept for it The words are If therefore the whole Church be gathred together in one place
time being not taken as it is now with us strictly for one determinate Town as London Bristol c. but for a whole people which enjoyed the priviledges and immunities of that republick as in A hens Lacedaemon Corinth c. and is now at Florence Venice and divers other places A holy Temple you say it is and what of that must it therefore be of necessity a Combinational Church this would shrink your Combination to a small number nay to principium numeri to one alone if you presse the Metaphor too far for St. Paul asks every Christian Know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16.17 2 Cor. 6 16. him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are You see then out of this Metaphor you cannot conclude a Combination Yea and much lesse out of that which followeth a spiritual house For the house of God is taken for the whole Church nay a National Church Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. 3.2.5 and that I am sure was a National Church Again judgement shall begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 what shall judgement the judgment of afflictions begin at the Combinational Church only I have hitherto thought it the cup of which all that are of Christs houshold must taste for datum est vobis pati for our Saviours words must be verified Philip. 1.23 Joh. 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation And to return to this very house of which the Apostle speaks that of the Ephesians over which Timothy was appointed the Bishop St. Paul writes his Epistles to him that in case he tarry long he might know how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God which is the ground and pillar of the Truth St. Paul calls the Church indefinitely without addition 1 Tim. 3.15 either of National or Combinational the house of God and who can conceive that the Combinational as put case that of Swansea Ilston c. should be the pillar to hold out or the foundation to support the Truth This is somewhat worse then those of Rome who plead these words for their Church with more colour with more reason and yet we believe them not because they are but a particular Church and why then should we believe you Observe farther the absurdity that would follow upon your collection The Church of God is a house therefore it must be a Combinational Church Possibly it may fall out that a house may consist of two persons only Tota domus duo sunt an old man and an old woman and thus much you confesse when you bring your proof for it when two or three are gather'd together Now say that one of these two trespasse against his brother what will become of Dic Ecclesiae to whom shall the Plaintiff complain where be the witnesses he shall bring with him who shall be judge Do not then use to presse Metaphors too far for they will bring you into inextricable difficulties I shall therefore put you in mind of an old rule Kecker 1. Syst log part 1. c. 4. Similitudo seu parobola adaequetur principali scopo intentioni declarantis atque extra eam non extendatur To which had you had a regard you would never have brought these comparisons of a City a Temple a house to prove your Combinational Church Similitudes do very well in a Pulpit they are of excellent use to illustrate to amplifie a doctrin but they are of little use in the Schools because they prove nothing that is not true without them The position must be true in proper and plain words before it can have any truth at all in the improper and Tropical As for example it must be true that the Minister was not to be debarr'd of his just allowance and maintenance before St. Paul could prove it by that text out of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Co n. And so you must prove there is a Combinational Church before you produce these allusions to prove it Then indeed I shall give you leave to illustrate your position by them and descant as you please by these excellent Metaphors upon them but not till then For nulla Theologia symbolica est argumentativa and the reason is Chrys in Mat. hom 65. because omne simile est etiam dissimile Whence saith Chrysostome excellently In parabolis non oportet miniâ in singulis verbis curá angi sed cum quid per parabolam Dominus intendat dicimus inde utilitate sumptâ nihil ulterius anxiis cogitationibus investigandum And so as I have shew'd out of your Metaphors is nothing prov'd SECT III. The words of the Letter Of the Provincial Church and its haughty head the Arch-bishop THirdly did not Christs own mouth marvellously condemn the prevailing corruptions of the Provincial Church whereof the chief Prelate or Arch-bishop was the haughty and horrible head which was therefore so much the more absurd and bold head because of its base and blasphemous blindnesse in daring to take up and ascribe to its self such a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature but is proper and peculiar to Christs own sacred person being that besides himself none can be safely said to be an Arch-bishop or chief Shepherd if one of the Eminenst of the Apostles may be believed whose words imply no lesse 1 Pet. 5.4 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory Who was that Church Minister what was his name or where did he dwell who came once into a capacity to be accounted such a Superlative Counsellour or Comforter as was indued either with ability or authority as to confer a spiritual Crown on any one of the sincere Elders of a Church of Saints which is such a matter as a dying sonne of man should not dare to have much lesse to make any mention of without some measure of amazement in his very soul The Reply Two of your heads I have considered already and now out of your own shop you present me with three more for I never heard any one of them call'd heads before And the first of these is the Arch-bishop about whom you are pleased to open your purse and very liberally to bestow your benevolence presenting him unto me for a haughty a horrible an absurd and a bold head He is haughty that is puff'd up with pride horrible that a man cannot without some amazement approach absurd that acts against reason bold that will attempt any thing I will not deny that it is possible to meet with such an Arch-bishop but then blame the man fly not upon the Office Only before you be over hasty to do it look at home And perhaps you may find that true which hath been
though not utterly incurable yet in respect of its present posture in its numerous abominations altogether unapprovable because its rejecting the Commandments of God that it may observe the traditions of men Against which hateful offence Jesus Christ doth sadly complain Mark 7.7 9. And concerning which offensize hatred Christs sincere servant doth seriously caution Col. 2.8 18. Beware lest there be any man that spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit through the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you by humblenesse of minde c. which holy watch-words and wholesome warnings had they been heedfully hearkned unto by such as were Church-Officers would without question have restrained the multitude of Church hearers from many such observations and aberrations as must of necessity be either amended timely or mourned for eternally witnesse what is written Revel 14.9 The Reply Hitherto you coupled your heads together the virulent and the violent the haughty or horrible and the idle and the addle and now you have one odde which I think you so call it because it is the fifth five being an odde number For other reason I can guesse at none This is the poor Parish Parson who might have escaped your fingers sure for any injury that I know he hath done you but that you are resolved to break every head that comes in your way 'T is enough that you will have him the head of a Parochial Church which he never was nor never took upon him and upon that you take up your quarrel against him His sin if any was his submission and obedience unto his superiours in those indifferent things that they had power to command him and therefore you for charity sake might have past him by No no that may not be to his trial he must come too for being an odde an old nay the eldest evil head Pity him for his gray haires sake if it be but because he is an Elder a Presbyter though not odde nor yet eldest as you may suppose For there was an Elder before him old Polycarp an Elder of Smyrna and his Cathedral before this his Parochial as I have proved unto you But against him and his Church you say Christ hath proceeded kick't at and cast contempt and that not a little upon them both Easie it is for men to cast what they do maliciously upon God Isa 36.10 Am I come up now without the Lord against this Land to destroy it said Rabshekah Many things God permits to be done of which he is not the doer it is therefore over hastily said that Christs own foot hath kick't at the Parochial Church had you said only that he hath suffered you in justice for our sinnes to kick at it and cast it into contempt I would not gain-say but do not attribute the action to Christ before you have better warrant for it God hath nothing to do in the malice of men except it be to restrain it that it break out no farther then he is pleased I will put a hook into his nostrils c. except it be to order objects and means in such sort that they may be by way of occasion incentives to provoke the wicked to exercise that maliciousnesse which is in them and from themselves where when and how God will have it so break out for punishment correction example trial Your censure was here over-rash 2. But those following scorns and insultations you bestow upon the Parish Churches those ill-favoured and condemned Churches yet standing which it seems you grieve at that yet are remarkably reeling and ready to fall which I suspect you joy in I read not I say these words without passion and compassion without a deep passion of sorrow in respect of them without the bowels of compassion in respect of you When our Saviour beheld Jerusalem foresaw that one stone of the Temple with the City should not be left upon another he wept when Gods people remembred Sion it pitied them to see her in the dust When David heard Gods adversaries roar in the midst of the Congregations Psal 74. 56 7 8 9. Psal 84.1 and set up their Banners for signes when he saw them break down all the carved work thereof with Axes and Hammers then his heart was moved within him sadnesse and astonishment surprized him and he prays Lord how long shall the adversary do Thee this dishonour He that loves God will love his Sanctuary it is an amiable dwelling you must pardon me therefore if you finde me in a melting affection when I finde them in that reeling tottering condition ready to fall For I am as much affected to the Cathedrals and Parish Churches as ever Jew was to their Temple and Synagogues for there is an equal reason both erected by prudence not command what I say I will justifie if you doubt of it both equally the houses of prayer both of equal holinesse for not one nor other capable of inherent holinesse but holy only as applyed to holy uses lastly a promise of audience to both Blame me not then if I be strook into much sadnesse heavinesse and sorrow to see the stones of these lie in the dust You have the cause of my passion sit down and mock on which if you do it matters not I am resolved to mourn still And next I shall give you the reason of my compassion that is for you for my bowels yearn within me that any man who bears the name of a Christian should call that ill-favoured which God will call the beauty of holinesse that should be glad that that is condemned which Christianity through the whole World hath hitherto approved that should stand by and clap his hands that those sacred buildings are reeling and ready to fall which the piety and bounty of our forefathers hath erected to the service of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a proud sinne but to rejoyce and in this is a superlative degree of it a sin out of measure sinful The charity therefore that I owe you stirs my very inwards to be compassionate toward you and to sollicite the Almighty for you that you may repent of this wickednesse and pray to God Acts 8.22 23. if perhaps the thoughts of your heart may be forgiven you for I perceive you are in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity for else your gall had never so overflowed against the houses of God And I pray yet satisfie me in one thing more if they be such abominable places such unhallowed buildings how comes it to passe that you I had almost said solely make use of them Two or three years since Sheer Halls Market Houses private Conventicles were the only lawful meeting houses but now these are of no esteem none now to the old Fabricks these you frequent these you invade in these you preach censure and break bread So that it seems now that
to proclaim as a Herauld the Word of God now whether this be within or without book is not material The Sheriff reads a Proclamation what then does he not therefore proclaim it And a man reads a Sermon to the people and this materially is the Word of God such that for the truth of it you dare not except against shall you then disavow it barely for the reading This is a childish exception yea and very dangerous also Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 5. pag. 51. For then it would necessarily follow that the vigour and vital efficacy of Sermons doth grow from certain outward accidents which are not in them but in their maker his virtue his gesture his countenance his zeal the motion of his body and the inflection of his voice who first uttereth them as his own is that which giveth them the form the very nature the essense of instruments available to eternal life Put case a man cannot read but desires to have a Sermon read unto him of Mr. Cottons Mr. Burroughs c. I would now ask you whether any good might come of it or no if not to what end are they published what meerly to publish to the world that the man is a man of rare parts and to no benefit of the Reader But if this last in earnest tell me why that the auditory may not be as much benefited by the Church Homilies read unto them as they may be by any private mans works should you nor I find any profit by what we read we might cast away our books Had indeed the reading of these Homilies quite excluded Preaching you had had some colour to except against them but the words of the Rubrick are these If there be no Sermon then shall follow one of the Homilies already set forth So that it presupposeth there should be a Sermon but in case there be not as if you look into the paucity of Ministers able to preach when that Constitution was made it was not possible there should be then it ordains Homilies to be read which only differ from a Sermon in this that the man hath it not without book Put case one of your own should in one Church read a Sermon that is in print and in another having committed it to memory preach it to the people would you not say that he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proclaim Gods Word in both places Indulge as much to us and then we will say he that reads and after committing the same homily to memory delivers it without book Preacheth In a word Impartially consider these Homilies that they are found for doctrin plain for the stile composed of the most necessary points of Religion and framed to the capacity of the vulgar so that those Ministers that were wont to read them had taken the pains to have learned them without book viva voce have delivered them to the auditory you had wanted what to say against them 3. Canon-Book-swearing This exception might have been well spared First because the Canons were not to be sworn too but subscribed as was the engagement Secondly because the holy Covenant and the negative oath were pressed upon us You must then acquit yout party for what they did before you can justly lay the pressure of the conscience upon us 4. If all bare heads were barred out from these places and utterly rejected for ever for ever being any spiritual Over-seers again afore they were inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifying and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience and also outwardly and orderly called by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church The Reply To cover or uncover the head in these places in the time of divine service is a Ceremony and therefore if the observation or non-observation of Ceremonies be a superstition he that uncovereth not his head may be as superstitious as he who is bare-headed The reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we usually translate superstition hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fear in it which proceeds from an imbecillity of the understanding which fears where no fear is is afraid that God will be displeased if such or such an external act be omitted or such or such an act done when one and the other may be omitted and done as occasions and circumstances offer themselves and God no way displeased The covering or uncovering of the head is one of these Ceremonies and he that thinks he may not be uncovered out of a fear to offend God is superstitious yea while he speaks against all Ceremonies is Ceremonious And he that thinks upon no occasion he may cover his head is Ceremonious also and yet for his superstition he hath a fairer excuse than the other For the one doth it for the most part out of contempt and perversenesse and in a disobedience to some higher power the other out of a kind of necessity which his present condition may put upon him and 't is a certain rule that charity dispenseth with all Ceremonies The one by it may give occasion to suspect his irreverence the worst that can be made of the other is that he desires to serve his God with fear and reverence as judging himself in his presence before whom he cannot be too vile The one hath no countenance nor colour of any Scripture for what he does the other looks upon those plain words of the Apostle Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered dishonours his head 1 Cor. 11.4 and thinks he is obliged to it as indeed he is till the meaning of the Text be otherwise cleared to him The question then ought to be this whether a man ought to be covered in the service of God If uncovered why do you jear at our bare-heads If covered why do you not keep your own rule but sit covered at one part of service and uncovered at another covered when a Chapter is read and expounded covered all the time of Sermon which yet I hope you will not deny is a chief part of Gods service which if you should deny I know not how you serve God and yet uncovered again at the singing of a Psalm at your extemporarie prayers before and after Sermon at the administration of the Sacraments Tell me what priviledge you have to dispense with this Ceremony in one part of divine service more than another Let it then be but considered who it is that speaks from heaven unto us that in voce hominis tuba Dei that it is God that speaks by mans mouth that the message is his and man onely the Embassadour to deliver it and then I think no man deserves a scoffe that hears it with a bare head When some of your party were prest with this argument at last they came to this result Bayly pag. 122. that there was a necessity for all men to keep on their hats all the time of divine actions more particularly at the time of the Celebration of the
now upon you to shew where the errour lies and that the prescriber had not an eye to those general limitations in Scripture before you cast out these humane constitutions and explode them as inventions of men But now let us go on and examine Qui viri what kind of men these were who brought these Rites into the Church they were no men of yesterday they were not any way infected with the Romane leaven They were the Primitive fathers and some of them Apostolical men men who hazarded their lives for Christ These were the Inventers of those Rites you speak of as I shall now shew you by induction of particulars being guided by your own thread 1. Matrimonial Bands 'T is a Rule of Zanchy that since there is nothing clearly prescribed about Matrimonial Rites in the Word of God Zanch. de sponsalibus Thes 4. â—itus hi petendi sunt ex consuetudinibus Ecclesiasticis constitutionibus quae nihil cum verbo Dei pugnans contineant You must shew then that in the publication of these Bands there is somewhat repugnant to the Word of God or else this custome may be well retained And you have no reason at all at this time to except against them since you know that there is an Act of Parliament extant at this time made by your own party that before the solemnization of marriage the parties names who are to be joyned in wed-lock shall be openly proclaimed either in the Market or in the Church three several times It seems by this Act the self-same reason which prevailed with our fore-fathers prevailed with them viz. that thereby all clandestine marriages should be prevented divorces upon pretences of former Espousals by contract voided and the surreptitious stealing away of Orphans and children without the consent of their Parents hindred When therefore you finde fault with this custome and constitution you finde fault with you know not what and reprehend you know not whom 2. Marriage Rings If you think this to be a Popish Rite you are very much deceived For it was used before the Romanes were Christians and yet is nere the worse for that neither For the Jews though prohibited some yet were not forbidden to be like in nothing to the Nations for that was impossible Among the Romans the Ring of marriage was used Pliny Hist lib. 33. cap. 1. Tertull. Apol. cap. 6. and it was first of Iron and afterwards of gold Whence Tertullian commending the temperance and modesty of the old Romane Matrons saith Aurum nulla norat praeterquam unico digito quem sponsus oppignorasset pronubo annulo Among the Romans jus annuli right to wear a Ring belonged not to every man at first it was conferred upon men of honour this then might be one cause of continuing this custome that whereas marriage is honourable the husband by giving the Ring shewed that he had bestowed honour upon the woman she every whit as honourable as he was ubi ille Cajus ibi illa Caja But then the bed must be undefiled and that it be so kept so often as she looks upon her Ring she may well be admonished for by this pawn given and received she pledged her faith and fidelity to keep her self onely to one This will be never done except their love be endlesse and continue of which the Ring is an apt symbol for a circle knows no end Whether then we consider the honour done to the woman by her husband or that mutual love and fidelity in heart and minde agreed on betwixt the married couple this harmlesse Ceremony needs not be cast aside with a scoft 3. The signe of the Crosse This is a Ceremony at which you are wont to be affrighted as the Devils of old But you must know that this was a Rite used in the Church many ages before Popery was heard of There was a two-fold kinde of Crosse used by them either transient or permanent the transient was made with the motion of the hand but left no signe behind This was of common practice in the Primitive Church as appears to any man who hath ever read Justin Martyr against Tryphon the Jew and his second Apology and used after Baptisme is evident in Tertullians Apology in his book de Corona Mil de resur carnis in Cyprian de lapsis and other fathers But till Constantine the great carried it with enriched gold and pearls for his Standard I read not of a permanent Crosse erected after his time the erecting of these was frequent in all Christian Kingdomes so that the Papists were not the Authours of either but abused both And that the abuse of any thing should take away the use of it seems to me unreasonable We have it in no other esteem than the Ancient Christians we carry it in our flags and on our coyne we glory in it as a Badge of Christianity we signe our children with it after Baptisme But to give the same honour to it as unto Christ to pray to it to burn incense before it we utterly reject as superstitious errours and ungodly vanities Let the Papists answer for this their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Thomas calls it we have it in no other use honour than what we may justifie and if you are desirous to see upon what grounds I refer you to Mr. Hookers Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. Sect. 65. a Tract that was never yet answered And to Dr. Mortons defence of the Ceremonies of the Church of England because it were over-long and needlesse to transcribe them The summe of which yet I shall be ready to give you if you shall require it at my hands 4. White-Surplice To this Ceremony I answer I see not why that vesture should be more excepted against than I should that a Minister should preach or officiate with a black cap on his head a Cloke or a Gown for I know there is Scripture equally to be alledged for both But for fuller satisfaction for this I refer you to Master Hooker Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. Sect. 29. 5. Quiristers singing To this I have answered before 6. Funeral Sermons This is the first time I ever heard any exception against them that the dead were decently composed I know and that the Church carried them to their graves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Chrysostome hath taught me Chrys Hom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that Constantius was brought from Nicomedia where he died to Constantinople where he was buried in that solemn manner But I never heard before that it was not lawful to have a Funeral Sermon in which the vertues of the man might be proposed as an example to the living by which also we might shew our love to the party deceased which nature requires of us then to do him that honour that is fit for his person and lastly to comfort the living with the hope of the resurrection to which end that office appointed for the burial of
the dead especially tended For which purpose let any man of a reasonable judgment consider whether it be more convenient to bring a dead Corps in a dumb show to the grave and cover it with earth then to hear those Lessons and Psalms sounded in their ears that may put them in minde of their estate and condition both now and hereafter At that time our hearts softned with mourning are become more malleable and the Lessons then heard and exemplified by the sight of our departed brother may make the deeper impression Say then there were no more but this in it viz. a discharge from the imputation of rudenesse and incivility which Christianity teacheth no man to those bodies which shall have their part in the resurrection yet I see no cause why these exiquies should be so cast aside reviled imputed to us David himself followed the Beire of Abner and lift up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner and the King lamented over Abner and said dyed Abner as a fool dieth 2 Sam. 3.31 32 33 34. c. where we have not a dumb shew but words of commendation expressed over the dead I never conceived that the mourning for Jacob at the threshing floor of Atad was a silent spectacle seven dayer it continued Gen. 50.10 11 and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation insomuch that the Canaanites called the place Abel-Mizraim Now that such mournings may be accompanied with words is evident by the Lamentations of Jeremy which was composed as it were a Funeral Sermon for the good King Josiah For Jeremy lamented for Josiah 2 Chr. 35.25 and all the singing men and singing women spake of Josiah in their Lamentations to this day and made them an Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations God never ordained that his servants should be laid in their graves with the burial of an asse And the fear that some men conceive that we be thought to pray to or for them over whom or near whose Hearse or toward whom we thus pray is a mormo fit to scare children When 't is sufficiently testified even by the prayers set out to be then read that we pray not for the dead but comfort the living with hope of the resurrection and expectation of the consummation of all things 7. Idol-sureties of Godfathers and Godmothers Of the antiquity and benefit of these sureties Godfathers and Godmothers I have said sufficient in my Catechisme pag. 11. whether I refer you But now I wonder why you should call them Idol-sureties If you had only noted them for their idlenesse and carelessenesse in that they take so little care for the Religious education of those for whom the Church accepts them as sureties I would not have gain-said you but lamented it But that you make them Idols is unsufferable for what is an Idol it is nothing in the world a meer invention and fiction of mans brain set up to be an object of adoration and were these brought in for any man to worship what child was ever encouraged to adore his Godfathers and Godmothers But to make the best of it the calmest meaning of this odious word can be but this that many have given these an higher estimation than they deserve So you have done to many things to Preaching to Ruling Elders to your Combinational Church to your Ministerial Pulpit and yet I know it would sound very harsh in your ears if we should fix the name of Idol before them How would you storme to hear of Idol-preaching Idol-Elders Idol-Combinational Church Idol-Ministerial-Pulpit And yet there is as much reason for the one as the other For if the estimation of any thing beyond that it ought will presently make it an Idol you have made Idols of all these and so are equally guilty of Idolatry with us 8. Or groundlesse application of publick or private Baptisme unto the infants of profane parents Mr. Matthews and if none but Christs faithful friends and followers were admitted to be fed or physick'd at his supper feast The Reply That this popular exception put in as a a bar of applying the Sacraments to infants of Christians and other persons may be removed necessary it is that we fetch our principles farther then at the first view may seem requisite for we must look as farre as Abraham when God renewed his Covenant with man the words are I will establish my Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant Gen. 17.7 to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee That is whereas other Nations have their several gods yet I will be thy God thou shalt have no other Gods but mâ— and I will be a God unto thee for I will reveal my will unto thee according to which thou oughtest to live for I will write it in thy heart Heb. 8.10 11. Secondly I will pardon thy transgressions and be merciful to thy unrighteousnesse and sinnes ver 12. Thirdly I will give grace or strength which though it may not enable thee to live without sinning yet such as is sufficient to performe what is necessary under this Covenant Rom. 10.8 Deut. 30.11 14. This Covenant I make with thee but not with thee only but with thy seed Now can we but know who was this seed we might easily discern to whom this Covenant doth extend In the primary sense thereof it was Christ Gen. 3.15 Gal. 3.16 For this Covenant was made in Christ sealed in his blood and in him made Yea and Amen verifyed and ratifyed Secondly thy seed takes in all men whether Jew or Gentile as Saint Paul evidently proves Rom. 4. For Abraham had two kind of sonnes ex carne or ex fide of the flesh and under the Law as the Jews Rom. 4.8 9. of faith and under the regiment of the Spirit as the Gentiles also For is this blessing come on the circumcision onely or the uncircumcision also For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousnesse and that it was reckoned so to him when he was in uncircumcision evident it is that it belonged to the uncircumcised as the Apostle argues The Covenant we see and with whom it is made Abraham and with his seed the Jew and to all that are a farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call as Saint Peter openeth the promise Acts 2 39. Now let us see upon what conditions this Covenant was made with Abraham that is expressed also Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect which is also required of all his seed if they mean to have benefit by the Covenant They then are to walk before God in faith and obedience as Abraham did and be perfect not that either can be exact and perfect in this life but it is required by this Covenant that we become new creatures renewed in sincere honest and faithful obedience to the
precept Let all things be done decently and in order doth clear them from doing any thing in these and the like that was amisse neither do we finde that God or any Prophet ever reproved them for these Accessories taken up without a pattern in the Mount Seeing therefore Saint Pauls rule binds by the edicts of nature which the Jews observing as yet unwritten and thereby framing such Church-Orders as in their Law were not prescribed are notwithstanding in that respect unculpable It followeth that many things may be lawfully done in the Church so as they be not done against the Scripture although no Scripture do command them but the Church only following the light of reason judge them in discretion to be meet And in effect they who first opposed seemed to grant so much For this Cartwright gave forth that nothing ought to be established in the Church which is not commanded in the Word if not by special precepts 1 Cor. 10.32 1 Cor. 14.40 1 Cor. 14.26 Rom. 14.6 7. yet by general rules which are nothing scandalous and offensive All things in order and seemlinesse All unto aedification All to the glory of God So then these Rules being observed all things in the Church may be appointed not only not against but by and according to the Word of God By this large concession for ought I see even that which they oppose may be according to the pattern in the Mount And if you had intended utterly to exclude the use of rectifyed reason and prudence in ordering any thing in Gods house why did you but now say that it is of moral equity and consequently of perpetual observation that a rightly Reformed Church should have all her Elders stand and sit together in the face and full view of the Assembly in reason and prudence I grant you may finde somewhat to perswade it but search as long as you will for a pattern in the Mount for it and it will not be found for what you in the following words alledge are but meer colours as I will make it plainly appear The words of the Letter ANd as in all other points so in this particular concerning the Elders Pulpit they are tyed and limited by their Commission to hold conformity with what is upon sacred Record as this is and that not only necessarily implyed but eminently expressed in several Scripture expressions as Nehem. 8.4 Eccles 12.11 1 Tim. 4.14 Rev. 4.6 5.6 19.4 The Reply To those Elders you speak of I finde no Commission granted upon sacred Record as I have formerly proved They who have received a Commission I grant are tyed and limited to hold conformity with that which is upon Record in all points but neither for those nor these do I finde any thing so eminently expressed about a Pulpit Oh but it seems this Elders Pulpit is a matter of great weight and moment that there should be such several Scripture expressions about it And indeed it would make any man wonder that God who gave an expresse order in the Mount about the Tabernacle and also a pattern for it should not then have given a special direction for the matter and form of this Pulpit also but have left it to the discretion of the Jews to erect it of their own heads after the captivity for then is the first time we hear of a Pulpit of wood and the sole in all the Scripture Nehem. 4.8 The words Nehem. 8.4 are And Ezra the Scribe stood on a Pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose and beside him stood Mattithiah and Shemath and Anajah and Vehad and Helkiah and Maaseiah on his right hand and on his left Pedajah and Mishae and Malkiah and Hashum and Hashbadana Zechariah and Meshullam The Old Translatour reads thus Stetit autem Esdras Scriba super gradum aut turrim ligneam quam secerat ad loquendum Ver. 1. steterunt juxta eum c. Junius and Tremellius thus Stabat autem Ezra legis peritus in suggestu ligneo quem fecerant ad hanc rem c. In which passage I observe many things First That this meeting reading and interpreting the Law was in the street that was before the water-gate Secondly That here was built for Ezra this Chair of Wood which whether it were in strict terms a Pulpit or no is not apparent in that the Vulgar reads it gradus or turris Tremellius suggestus and so it might be a Gallery raised to that end or a little Turret ascended by steps for suggestus is locus editior unde ad populum fit concio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or if you will needs have it a Pulpit that you like it nere the better for that name Varro Glossar Hadri Junius Vitruv. this was at first locus scenae editior è quo tibicines Citharaedi musicá actione populum demulcebant Or as it is in Vitruvius Podij provectior pars seu pergula quaedam Thirdly That those who stood about this Pulpit on the right and left hand were all of the Tribe of Levi as is apparent in many places of this book Fourthly That this for ought we know was but once done and occasionally by the Jews immediately after the Captivity Now lay all this together and you shall see what it will amount to You may be yet to seek for your Elders Pulpit for ought you know for all this place except you will place them in a little Turret or Gallery for such you see it may be And about it the Levites were placed on the right hand and on the left and I know you will not allow your Elders to be of the Tribe of Levi. This Pulpit was erected in the street and will you take it well that your Consistory be erected there This was occasional whereas yours must be as you say of perpetual observation This was done by the Jews at that time and will you take out a Jewish pattern God forbid the Christians should imitate the Jews Remember what for this you before alledge against the National Church Lastly this was but a particular case ex particulari non est syllogizari To collect a necessity of observance for all future ages from one example of the Jewish Church is an argument of a very shallow and short discourse The second place you alledge is Ecclesiastes 12.11 Eccl. 12.11 The words of the Wise are as Goads and as nailes fastned by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one Shepherd In the reading of which words you may see our Translatours were at a stand in that to make up their sense they put in the particles are by which Let us see then how others render them the Vulgar Verba sapientum sicut stimuli quasi clavi in altum defixi quae per Magistrorum consilium data sunt ab uno pastere Jun. Tremell thus Verba sapientum similia aculeis similia clavis infixis lectissima tradita Ã
and Pastour and your reason you here give and your practice also confirms me in it For your Teacher you say must dispense the word of knowledge and information to the judgment and the Pastour the word of wisdome and exhortation to the will and affections Pray tell me what should hinder that one and the same man may not teach and inform the judgment and make wise to salvation exhort and move the will and affections in the same houre Were it otherwise you your self preach by a wrong method who explain and apply who raise a Doctrine out of your Text by which you inform the understanding and then labour to apply it and make it useful to the will and affections of your Auditors Tye up your Teacher to these strict terms and he shall only study positive Divinity and your Pastour no Art more than Rhetorick especially that part that concerns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he must be his master in that before he shall work kindly upon the will and move the affections of men Ille movet dictis animos pectora mulcet Besides were these two Offices so necessary the Teacher should never stretch himself beyond his tether but stint and end when he hath given forth and proved his Doctrine and then your Pastour should enter take his Cue and begin upon what is taught But why do I trouble my self in battering this Trivial since among you it is not strictly observed for I dare say it let a Scrutiny be truly taken and it will be found that not in one among ten of your Combinational Churches a man shall meet with these two distinct Officers your Teacher and Pastour As for us we dislike them not and where conveniently they might be had and maintenance for them they were in use witnesse the Professours of Divinity in our Universities and the Publique Lectures and Readers in our Cathedrals but to binde every Parochial Church to this or else it must be defective in an integral part is more than ever you will be able to prove yea or any man else Next you insist upon your Ruler And whoever yet denied that Rulers were necessary in the Church yea and for that end though not the sole you name But none will content you except they be of your own election and ordination none except the Lay-Elders this also must be proved by you For you know we had and assigned others and upon better grounds then you will be ever able to disprove Your last Officers were Deacons and Widows whom you make to be Receivers of the weekly Contributions and dispensers of it to three uses In the Primitive Church such I grant you there were as is evident out of the Texts you alledge that to the last use they imployed the collected mony But that any of it was imployed to the two first uses either for the maintenance of the Table of the Lord or for the Tables of the Church Elders I put you to prove again And for this last I am perswaded it was not these being likely if ever there had been any as now among you of the richer and abler sort and therefore no reason their Tables should be furnished out of the poor mans box But if you will take Elders for the true Presbyters of the Church such who were to labour in the Word and Doctrine I shall easily grant you that they had their maintenance till there was other provision made for them out of these Collections and Contributions though not from the Deacons but the Bishops appointment These Deacons and Widows are not in our Church now and thereupon infer it wants of its integral parts No such matter for these Officers were but Temporary taken up according to exigence of those times for the necessity being over the Office was at end When once Christian Princes and charitable men provided by wholsome Laws away of relief for the poor and assigned Officers to that purpose where Hospitals Alms-houses Nosecomia c. were erected and endowed to that end there was no farther use of these Officers neither is the Church defective in an integral part though now it want them as I before shewed out of Aretius You have then taken a long day for obtaining mercy and settlement of peace to the Church if neither of these may be enjoyed untill it be reformed and refined in the essential and integral parts according to your fancy For what can she not have her Officers but of your appointment no Rulers except your Lay-Elders no Members but such visible Converts as you will be pleased to admit Lastly be bound to her duty by no Oath but by your explicite Covenant upon this you insist this you labour to prove to the purpose and as if you intended to convince any opponent you here heap Text upon Text out of Old and New Testament which I shall now consider how far they make to your purpose The first is out of Jerem. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Saint Peter teacheth us that unstable souls wrest the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech borrowed from those who put a man upon a rack which causeth the man to speak what he never meant And this is the fault of too too many who strain the Scriptures to a wrong sense Whereas they should first consult the Scriptures and make them the ground of their conclusions they first harbour a strong conceit of the conclusion and then seek out Scriptures to confirme it And this for the most part befalls not yours alone but all other wanderers from the Truth they blot their books and margents with variety of quotations out of Gods Word as if by the inspection only of their Copy this way they purposed to affright the unlearned Reader or Hearer into their opinion who being astonished with the fearful noise of the Chapter and Verse as the Frogs were upon the fall of the Log into the plash of water might presently stoop into a veneration of what is taught Here I meet with seven places alledged for your explicite Covenant but I adjure you as you will answer it at the great day whether you are fully perswaded in your soul and conscience that either the Prophets or Apostles had an eye to it when they wrote those words and what assurance you can give us that this must be the sense and no other For if you have not a certainty of faith in this behalf you do very ill to produce these Texts presse them upon tender consciences and to maintain a Rent a Schisme a Separation in the Church of Christ That which makes me and should you suspect your sense of these places is that having consulted with the best and wisest Expositours I have upon them I finde not one syllable that sounds to that you intend and collect from thence What Masters are
thou that judgest another mans servant ver 4. Imitate good then and shew this weak brother mercy assume and receive him to friendship and communion first then help and cure him from his former defect or disease and labour to bring him to perfect growth and health in Christianity This is the full scope and intent of the Apostle that charity be shewed to a weak brother Now was this Weakling in the Church before the Apostle writ or was he not it were against reason and the purport of the Epistle to say he was without Chap. 1.7 13. Ver. 10.14 21. the Epistle is written to the Saints at Rome in this very Chapter he is said to be in the faith and five times called a brother And if he were within to what purpose do you urge the reception of him that was received already Received then he was to be for instruction for information for cure as you do and may do those who are already in the bosome of your Church and yet I hope you will not be over-hasty to conclude that then he was first received When a Mr. bids one of his better Scholars take such or such a Boy to you and instruct him perfectly in the meaning of this or that Rule will you say that the child was first entred into the School The case is the self-same and therefore you can conclude nothing from this Apostolical direction and much the lesse if you take to consideration the following words take him not to any doubtful disputations take him then to you but not by vain disputes and cavils to raise more doubts in his head but to allay and satisfie those which are already raised But well to grant you more than I need or ever you can prove that the man was to be admitted and to be received now into the Church was there no other way of entrance but your explicite Covenant this you must prove or else this Text will never suit to your purpose which will then be done when any of Anaxogoras Scholars will prove the snow not to be white But I go on as you lead me to 2 Cor. 8.5 And this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God The Reply It is of the Macedonians that the Apostle here speaks and of their ready minde and liberal hand to contribute to the necessity of the poor Saints at Jerusalem Ver. 3. From a people in no plentiful condition such a liberality could not be expected yet saith the Apostle this they did praying us with much entreaty to receive the gift Ver. 4. and take upon us the fellowship of ministring to the Saints their Alms their Contribution they brought to Saint Paul and entreated him earnestly to take the care of it and finde a way to see it disposed of to the Saints necessities Now saith the Apostle such was this their readinesse and bounty that they gave far more than ever we could have hoped from so indigent a people And that you marvail the lesse at this their liberality a thing of a greater price they had than their money their souls their bodies the whole man and this they gave also even themselves first to the Lord then to us to the Lord whose due it was to us as the Lords servant and Minister aliter domino aliter servo to the Lord under whose pover by right we are Muscul in loc being our Redeemer and Saviour but to Paul as the Lords servant and Apostle when they yielded themselves to obey and be lead by his Doctrine These three things chiefly may be collected from this place that fulnesse of piety consists in this First that we give our selves to God Secondly that we give and yield our selves to his Ministers as is the will of God Thirdly that we love the Brethren and according to our abilities supply their necessities All which was done before the Combinational Church was heard of or entring by a Covenant thought of yea and perhaps better too for let it not displease that I whisper in your ear that I never heard any great good report of any of your Combinational Churches for their liberality and bounty to the poor distressed Saints it is observed that you are quick-handed with the Rake but very slow with the Fork But what is it that in this verse you catch at Is it dederunt scipsos nobis 'T is an argument of a desperate cause when men lay hold on any thing that may but seem to make for them as you do here as if you thought that because with such annotations you carry the Vulgar into a belief you must have all other for your followers There be that can tell you and make it good that good Christians may give themselves to Paul and be â—bedient and obsequious to his Ministers and yet never come within the Walls of your Combinational Churches nay I am bold to say it the lesse they come there the more docible and ducible they will be ever since they have came among you they have taken out Corabs Lesson 2 Cor. 9.13 Whiles by the experiment of this Ministration they glorifie God for your professed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men The Reply The end of the example of the Macedonians liberality proposed by the Apostle was to stir up the Corinthians to the like beneficence and it had the hoped effect as is evident in the former and this Chapter of which when the Saints of Jerusalem should have experiment they would glorifie God first for the Gentiles profession of the Gospel and their subjection to it then for their liberal distribution and charitable benevolence which they bestowed upon their needy brethren This is the plain sense of the words And he had need to have a very sharp and piercing brain that can fish out any thing from hence in the favour of a Combinational Church or an explicite Covenant What can there be no profession of Christianity or no subjection to the Gospel except in such a Church so you seem to say in your following words of which I shall consider hereafter O poor Grecians oh miserable Armenians Melchits Russians Cophties Aethiopians that I name not the Reformed Churches that are not within and most of them never heard of your Covenant for by your Rule they are no Professours of Christ neither were ever subject to the Gospel And in what a damnable condition then they are let the world judge I must professe ingenuously unto you that when I read these your proofs for your explicite Covenant that had I been educated among you and one of your Church it would have made me doubt of your whole plat-forme when the very formal cause which is the main principle that gives essence being and operation unto anything is built upon so sandy a foundation a foundation that is not laid upon any pregnant
man that is conversant in the Scriptures will dare to affirme since into heaven no unclean thing shall enter and therefore Revel 21.27 1 John 3.3 2 Cor. 7.1 he that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is holy and to that purpose those directions and exhortations are 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God and Rom. 12.1 2 1 Thess 5.23 with infinite places to the same purpose Do we not teach the Doctrine of Regeneration as well as your selves that a man must be born again if he will enter into the Kingdome of heaven and that of this Doctrine there be two parts John 3.3 Rom. 6. a death to sin and a life to righteousnesse your demand is therefore very unreasonable and I interpret it somewhat like a mock that I would finde in my heart to give you some notice of that which you know I do not defend and acquaint you with the grounds of that which hath no ground and therefore no good ground to stand upon This motion then as touching this part might have been spared and needs from me no farther consideration and meditation except it be to practice it And to that end you and all other Christians have need of it also if they are desirous to have a lively hope that they shall be everlastingly happy Now to that other part of this disjunctive or the seed of unholy parents you by this time know what I will answer that there is a right and priviledge belonging to the seed if the parents though wicked be Professours and Members of the visible Church It is but in vain to repeat the grounds upon which I have formerly defended it and till I see them made nâ—ll I shall defend it still and yet not so frowardly obstinately but that when I am convinced I shall readily yield You conclude all with these words This motion is my heavenly motion for my self the granting of which will engage me yet further to be to remain and also acknowledge my self From my lodging this 22. of the 8. Month. 1656. Your thankful Remembranceâ— In his nearest Approaches To the Throne of Grace The Reply That the motion is for your self I very much respect it because I have ever since I knew you born unto you much affection as judging that dislike you bore first to this my Mother of England to proceed rather from a mistake in judgment than any peevishnesse malice or frowardnesse of will not from any carnal or secular end but from tendernesse of heart But now that you have added heavenly to it it quickens me to embrace it the more for what friend what Christian friend would not lay out himself to help his friend forward in his way to heaven It was Cains churlish answer what am I my brothers keeper this is the voice of a Reprobate not of one guided by the spirit of lenity for such a one knows he ows to his brother consilium auxilium Bernard and that debt I have here paid If it may any way conduce to that end I intend it let God have the honour whom I have often sollicited in my prayers to assist and direct me in it All the weaknesse I take to my self and shall be ready to acknowledge and retract it when discovered Some passages in it you must needs passe by because you begin and a reviled parent hath made a dumb son speak If the words seem many consider how many and several things I had to answer In this length I have studied brevity and said as little as I could to every head and yet not so little but I hope I have cleared up all difficulties If it work not fully to change your judgment yet I hope it may have this effect to make you conceive a little better of our cause then hitherto you or rather yours have done and that it is not without reason that we remain what and as we were Pray let us have your pity if we may not partake of your mercy and think of us yet so charitably as Luther did of the Anabaptists of his t me O quam honesta mente hi miseri errant 't is with a good meaning these poor souls do mistake and therefore made a request unto Frederick Duke of Saxony that in his Dominion they might be favourably dealt withall and spared for that their errour exempted they seemed otherwise very good men The infamy that we were wont to be loaded withall was that we were worldlings time-servers pleasers of men not of God but time hath washed off these aspersions and shewed that we have little regarded the world in comparison of that we are fully perswaded is truth and Gods Ordinance Those indeed among us who were time-servers have served the time and become servants of men and if you look with an impartial eye upon the men you have little reason to boast of your purchase by them being for the most part such who should not have been continued among us but have been ejected by us could the desires of honest men have prevailed The better part have been constant chose rather to lose all then not to follow Christ Nudi nudum Some pity then I beg if it be but for their sake You may perhaps except that in many passages I make use of the Fathers Councels and Church-Records Pray remember that you began the way and cited to my hand Eusebius Socrates Evagrius the book of Martyrs Secondly remember of what the controversie is It is about the Agends and practice of the Church in all ages and of that how can any man be certifyed but by Records he must be held an unreasonable man who would look to finde that in the Scriptures no part of which was written in the Apostles dayes and could not therefore relate what was done afterward If any thing in them can be found contrary to the Scriptures by their own open Confession they may be rejected But when they tell you plainly what they were taught out of the Scriptures and what they finde generally believed and practised through the whole Church have they not reason to take it unkindly to be cast aside If you will examine their veracities by all those circumstances that are usually considered in taking mens depositions you will finde them strong on their side They were gracious and right honest men not only believed but known to be such by all the world They are acknowledg'd on all hands to be so judicious as would more blemish ones judgment than theirs to call it in question What they wrote of were matters of their own cognizance art and profession in which sure they would have a great care not to be mistaken Why then should we brand them in whom there was so much ability and good meaning to inform us of truth with the imputation of falshood and ignorance flattering
7. and the Lion shall eat straw like the Oxe 8. and the suckling Child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his hand to the Cockatrices den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain 9 for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Which that it may come to passe is the hearty prayer of him who is Yours Dâ—o Opt. Max. filio suo Jesu Christo Spiritus sancto sit laus gloria honor in saecula saeculorum Amen Janu. 15. 1656. Amphora caepit Institui currente rotâ nunc uiceus exit FINIS Books printed or sold by William Leak at the signe of the Crown in Fleet-street between the two Temple Gates YOrks Heraldry Fol. A Bible of a very fair large Roman Letter 4. Orlando Furioso fol. Perkins on the Laws of England Wilkinsons Office of Sheriffs 8. Parsons Law 8. Mirror of Justice 8. Topicks in the Laws of England 8. Delamans use of the Horizontal Quadrant Wilbeys second Set of Musick 3 4 5 and 6 parts 4. Corderius in English 8. Dr. Fulks Meteors with Observations 8. Malthus Artificial Fire-works Nyes Gunnery and Fire-works Cato Major with Annotations Mel Heliconium by Alex. Ross 8. Nosce te ipsum by Sir John Davis 8. Animadversions on Lillies Grammer 8. The History of Vienna and Paris 4. The History of Lazarillo de Toroms Hero and Leander by George Chapman and Chr stopher Marlow The Posing of the Accidence Guilliams Heraldry fol. Herberts Travels fol. Man become guilty by John Francis Senalt and Englished by Henry Earl of Monmouth Aula Lucis or the house of Light Christs Passion a Tragedy by the most learned Hugo Grotius Mathematical Recreations with the Horological Dyal by William Oughtred 8. The Garden of Eden or an accurate description of Flowers and Fruit now growing in England with particular Rules how to advance their nature and growth as well in seeds as herbs as the secret ordering of Trees and Plants by Sir Hugh Plat. Knight Solitary Devotions with man in glory by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 12. Exercitatio Scholastica Book of Martyrs fol. Adams on Peter fol. Willet on Genesis and Exodus fol. The several opinions of sundry Antiquaries viz. Mr. Justice Dodrige Mr. Ager Francis Tate William Cambden and Joseph Holland touching the Antiquity Power and Proceeding of the High Court of Parliament in England The Idiot in four books first and second of Wisdome third of the Mind fourth of the experience of the ballance The Life and Raign of Hen. 8. by the Lord Herbert fol. France painted to the life in four books the second Edition Sken de significatione verborum 4. The Fort Royal of Holy Scripture by J. H. the third Edition 8. The summe of what is contained in the answer to the first part of the Admonitory Letter THe controversie about the subject of the Keys opened fol. 1. Sect. 1.2 3 4. The Authour studious of Truth and Peace fol. 3 4. The Admonitours distinction of three Visible Churches improper fol. 5. Some observations about the Domestical Church and some mistakes in the Admonitory rectifyed fol. 9. The alledged Texts examined fol. 10. Sect. 5. The words of the Admonitory drawn into Propositions and answered severally The Propositions out of the Letter these 1. That the Church of the last and longest constitution was a Presbyterial or Combinational Church this examined fol. 13. 2. That it is the opinion and practice of the Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ 'T is examined what truth may be in this assertion fol. 15. 3. That Christ peremptorily wills and enjoyns all Professourâ— to be indoctrinated and disciplined by the present Ministry This granted 4. That this prescribed Ministry must consist of Presbyters and Teaching and Ruling Elders This proposition fully examined and refuted fol. 18. 5. That these Presbyters Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Professing Members own voluntary Election and regular Ordination This also fully examined and refuted fol. 24. 6. That the Ministerial Office must reach from Christs ascension to the dissolution of all things This granted Sect. 6. An answer to all the Texts produced by the Admonitour as Rom. 12.7 8. fol. 31. 1 Cor. 12.28 fol. 33. Ephes 4.14 fol. 36. Revel 4.6 5.6 19.14 fol. 36 37. Sect. 7. A Paraenetical conclusion fol. 39. ad finem The Summe of the second part pag. 46. THe danger to assert the Church brought to a Sceleton Sect. 1. fol. 47. The corruption came not into the Church by such degrees as is supposed in the Admonitory Letter Sect. 2. The government of the Church proved to be Aristocratical 52. ad 59. A Presbytery with a Bishop the Apostles living 59 60. Of Patriarchs Primates Metropolitans Bishops 63. A little knowledge in some men an occasion of errour 66 67. Sect. 3. That the Combinational Churches corruption was not the Cathedâ—al Churches generation 71. Churches at first could not be Combinational 73. Of the names of Teacher Pastour Ruler Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour Surrogate Arch-Deacon 75. No usurpation for Bishops assembled in Synods and Councils to excommunicate offenders 81 82. This was not contrary to the Orthodox pattern Acts 15. 84. To censure any mans person not the priviledge of the Presbyterian Church 85 86. That Alexander of Alexandria began not this usurpation against Arrius 88 89. Sect. 4. That the Presbyterial Church in respect of its primitive constitution consisted not only of living stones 91. That the rise of the rottening of the Church was not its falling from a poor pure presbyterial Church into an impure unpolished parochial Church 92. Of a Parson Vicar Warden Over-seer of the Poor Widow Midwife 94. Of Polycarp and Iraeneus 97. Sect. 5. The original of the Provincial Church the Metropolitane that this was no degeneration nor wisdome of the flesh 99. The name office of the Arch-Bishop not profane and blasphemous but honorable 101. Of the subservient names Prebend Surrogate Vicar-General 102. Of Austin the Monks conversion of Britane and Pope Gregory 105 106. Of the conversion of Britane to Christianity ibid. Sect. 6. That there is a National Church and that this is consonant to Scripture reason experience 108. That the customes charged upon the National Church taken up by Jewish imitation is more than can be proved or if true yet not therefore to be rejected 116. The five instances examined 1. National times and feasts 120 ad 127. 2. National places as consecrated meeting houses c ibid. 3. National persons as universal Preachers Office-Priests c. 132. 4 National performances as stinted worship Choristers c. 135. 5. National payments as Offerings Tithes Mortuaries c. 146. Sect. 7. The charge is upon the Oecumenical or Romane Church which concerns not the Church of England and therefore let them answer it The Summe of the third