and Monarchical Popery Ch. XII A humble Expostulation to the Zealous Antipapists Conformists and Nonconformists whether they have been innocent as to promoting Popery Ch. XIII VVhat is the Duty of all other Christians towards the Papists in order to the discharge of the Fundamental Duties of Love Concord and Peace and the promoting the common Interest of Christianity VVritten to keep Protestants from sinful Extreams and while we cannot come so near them as Cassander Erasmus Grotius and those that are for a Foreign Jurisdiction we may keep and use a Christian Zeal for the better way of Concord of Christs prescribing avoiding all injury to Papists and all others NB. To prevent misunderstanding Citations note That both some Episcopal Drs and some Presbyterians say That the Government of the Church is Aristocratical meaning only 1. Per partes as England is Governed by Justices and 2. Meeting in such Councils as they can for Concord But not as the summa potestas of the Universal Church which is una persona politica in pluribus naturalibus unifying the Body and so Ruling it They speak not properly in the Language of Politicks Chap. I. The true State and just Resolutions of the Controversies about a Foreign Jurisdiction in Sixty Evident or Proved Propositions § 1. HOW great advantage Satan maketh of the deceivableness of ignorant men and of the deceitfulness of the Crafty and of the aptitude of ambiguous or false or artificially-contrived Names and Words to deceive the sad Experience of the deceived World and corrupted and divided Churches openly declare and yet alas how few observe it and escape the snare § 2. If all Men were judicious and stablished Christians when serious Faith and Godliness is made a scorn by the false names of Hereticks Schismaticks Puritans Fanaticks Sectaries or any sensless jears it would no more turn them from the holy performance of their Baptismal Vow and Obedience to Christ than the raving of a Drunkard or a Bedlam or the crying of a Child But ignorant unresolved Persons that never yet know what the bearing of the Cross was nor have learned self-denial are stopt in their convictions good purposes and hopeful dispositions when they hear serious Piety made a common scorn and that by those that were themselves Baptized and profess Christianity Some of them think sure all this reproach is not laid on them for nothing and others that think it but the stinking breath of ulcerated malignant minds yet cannot bear it but draw back and shrink Therefore Christ pronounceth a dreadful Sentence against those that offend that is by such stumbling-blocks turn back and discourage even the least of these childish beginners It were better for that man that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and he were cast into the Sea § 3. But no scandal or snare is so dangerous as those which are made by Rulers or Great Men or by Pastors and Teachers on the pretences of Religion and Divine Authority abusing the holy Name of Christ. § 4. And the same Artifice that Satan useth against Godliness in general he useth against particular Truths Duties and Persons And one of the most dangerous that I now perceive the Protestant Religion assaulted with is putting the Name of Nonconformists and Puritans and Schismaticks on Protestants as Protestants and the Name of Catholick the Church the Church of England the Clergy yea of the Reformed Church and of Protestants on the Papal Roman Sect. The Church of England King Parliament Archbishops Bishops and the rest were sixty years ago and less against that as Popery which now is obtruded on us as the sense of the Church of England against Popery Such Wonders can bare Names do with the ignorant And they go on without any great resistance § 5. Whereas there are great differences among the Papists about the degree of the personal Power of the Pope the Cheat is this To confine the Name of Papists to the one party and to own the Opinions of the other Party and to call them Presbyterians or Nonconformists that are against both and will be no Papists 1. The Italians are for the Popes Sole Supremacy and Councils being but his Counsellors 2. The French Lawyers are for the Councils Supremacy above the Pope as to Legislation and Judgment when they sit 3. The middle greater part are for the Supremacy in Pope and Council agreeing and the Popes Executive power in the intervals not absolute but according to the Church Laws or Canons But all for a visible Universal Supremacy and for the Papal Presidency in General Councils and his prime Patriarchship in the West If in England some be for the Kings Sole Legislative Power and Absoluteness and Parliaments being but his Counsellors and others for the Conjunction of King and Parliament in Legislation and the limiting of the Kings Executive Power by the Laws doth it follow that only the first sort are the Kings Subjects The Controversie is the same Yet the same men that are for Absolute Civil Monarchy take on them to be for Ecclesiastical Aristocracy § 6. Men love not to be tired with tedious Volumes nor can I find time to write more such therefore I shall here lay down what the Reader must necessarily know in some Theses or Aphorisms with so short but sound a proof as is necessary to capable willing Readers instead of puting them into distinct Chapters with numerous proofs to urge the unwilling I. The World is the Kingdom of God who is Eminently the King and all Reasonable Creatures his Subjects under Moral Government as all natural Agents are under Natural Potential Government No man will deny this but the Atheist whom I leave to be disputed with by Sun and Moon and Stars Heaven and Earth and common Reason II. God only is the Unifying as well as Specifying Governor of this Universal Kingdom and tho' all men be of one Nature Species Mould Interest c. yet it is only by their Relation to one God that they are one Kingdom III. God hath made no Universal Supreme Monarch or Aristocracy under him in the World But only appointed to each Soveraign his particular Province or Republick For 1. No Man or Senate is naturally capable of it They do not so much as know the Terra incognita nor can send to the Antipodes and all the Earth as Regiment requireth He would be thought as mad that should attempt it as he that claimed a Kingdom in the Moon 2. No Man or Senate had ever yet the madness to claim it IV. He that should Claim an Universal Supremacy must thereby make all Kings and States and all the World to be his Subjects V. He that doth so proclaimeth himself to be publicus hostis the publick Enemy of all Kings and States while he will make them his Subjects against their wills And therefore all Kings and States are allowed to resist and use him as their common Enemy VI. The whole World is now the rightful Dominion of
Master of a Colledge in Cambridge whom I take for his Mouth being himself present hath published what he would have the World to believe of our Discourse in a Book against me for Universal Jurisdiction And therefore he hath put some necessity on me to publish the Truth which I am confident will not be to the Readers loss of time who will peruse it When I had sent him my Book of Concord he sent me Dr. Saywell's first by Dr. Crowther of which I wrote to him my sence On this he desired me to come speak with him which having done three several days I thought it meet at Night to Recollect our Discourse and send him the Sum of all in Letters that neither he might forget it or any Man misrepresent it These four Letters I have therefore here annexed and with them an answer to Dr. Saywell's Reasons for a Forreign Jurisdiction XXIV I am so far from charging the Church of England with the guilt of this Doctrine or Design that I prove that the Church of England is utterly against it But then by that Church I do not mean any Men that can get heighth and confidence enough to call themselves the Church of England but those that adhere to the Articles of Religion the Doctrine Worship and Government by Law Established XXV And I am so far from uncharitable Censures of the Men whom I thus confute that I profess that I believe Mr. Thorndike Bishop Guning Mr. Dodwell c. to be Men that do what they do in an Erroneous Zeal for Unity and Government and are Men of great Labour Learning and Temperance and Religious in their way And I have the same Charity and Honour for many French Papists yea for such Papal Flatterers as Baronius who joyned with Philip Nerius in his first Oratorian Exercises and Conventicles Yea I cannot think that they that burn and torment Men for Religion could live in quietness if they did not confidently think that it is an acceptable Service to God And I fear not still to profess that were it in my power I would have no hurt done to any Papist which is not necessary to our own defence But I must say that I much more honour such as Gerson Ferus Espencaeus Monlucius Erasmus Vives Cassander Hospitalius Thuanus c. who among Papists drew nearer the Reformers than such among us as having better Company and Helps draw fromward them and nearer to the Deformers XVI And as to you Reverend Brethren Conformists who are true to the True Church of England I humbly crave of you but three things I. That you will by hard study and Ministerial diligence and holiness of life keep up to your power the common Interest of Christianity of Faith and serious Piety and Charity II. That you will heartily promote the Concord of all godly Protestants and therein follow such measures as Christ himself hath given us and as you would have others use towards you III. That you will openly and faithfully disown the dangerous Errour of Universal Legislative and Judicial Soveraignty and bringing the King and Church and Kingdom under any Forreign Jurisdiction Monarchical Aristocratical or Mixt and never stigmatize the Church of England and your sacred Order with the odious brand of Persidiousness after so many Imposed and Received Subscriptions Professions and Oaths against all Endeavours to alter the Government of Church or State XVII And as to the Nations fears of future Popish Soveraignty for my part I meddle no further than 1. To do the work of my own Office and Day 2. And to pray hard for the Nations Preservation 3. And to trust God and hope that he will perfect his wonders in such a deliverance as shall confirm our belief of his special care and providence for his Church But I must tell you that such Reasons as Bishop Gunings Chaplains should not be thought strong enough to make you so secure as to abate the fervour of your prayers His words are these more congruous far to him than to you and me page 282 283. The only means that is left to preserve our Nation from destruction and to secure us from the danger of Popery is to suppress all Conventicles c. Being by this method provided against having our People seduced by the Papists which as yet they are in great danger of the next thing is to consider how to prevent violence that those be not murdered and undone that cannot be perswaded to submit Now to secure this His Majestes gracious promises to conform any Bills that were thought necessary to preserve the Established Religion that did not intrench on the Succession of the Crown do make the way very easie if our People were united among themselves and in the Religion of the Church of England For matters may be so ordered that all Officers Ecclesiastical Civil and Military and all that are employed in Power and Authority of any kind be persons both of known Loyalty to the Crown and yet faithful Sons of the Church and firm to the Established Religion And the Laws that they act by may be so explained in favour of those that Conform to the Publick Worship and the discouragement of all Dissenters that we must reasonably be secure from any violence that the Papists can offer to force our submission For when All our Bishops and Clergy are under strict Obligations and Oaths and the People are guided by them and all Officers Civil and Military are firm to the same Interest and under severe penalties if they act any thing to the contrary Then what probable danger can there be of any violence or disturbance to force us out of our Religion when all things are thus secured and the Power of External Execution is generally in the hands of men of our own Perswasion Nay moreover the Prince himself will by his Coronation Oath be obliged to maintain the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom so Established I am not of a Calling fit to debate the Reasons of these Reverend Fathers some will read them with a Plaudite some with a Ridete some with a Cavete and I with an Orate And he that will abate the fervour of his prayers by such securing words is one whose Prayers England is not much beholden to The words with all their designs are edifying as Diagnostick and Prognostick I only say Seeing we receive a Kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. March 28. 1682. Chap. I. The Protestant Church of England is against all Humane Vniversal Soveraignty Monarchical or Aristocratical and so against all Forreign Church Jurisdiction I Prove this I. From the Oath of Supremacy which saith thus I do utterly testifie and declare in my Conscience That the King's Highness is the only Supream Governour of this Realm and of all other His Highness Dominions and Countreys as well in all
here is no promise to subject himself to a Foreign Jurisdiction but to endeavour Peace and Concord which may better be by drawing the Papists to us than by coming to them The truest Adversaries to Popery are the greatest Lovers of true Concord and Peace § 4. All the lenity that was shewed them after here and the agency of Panzani Con. c. I pass by lest my recital be misunderstood The Reader may see enough if not too much in Rushworth and in Prin's Introduction c. I only add that this King who was so Zealous for Concord and that overcame so many Temptations to Popery distant and in his Bosom and was so firm as not to fear to grant them the audience promised yet was so much against all cruelty to them that he suffered very much for his Lenity and Clemency to them both from themselves and from the Protestants But the most odious injury that ever they did him was by pretending his Commission for that most inhumane War and Massacre in Ireland when in time of peace they suddenly Murdered two hundred thousand and told Men that they had the Kings Commission to rise as for him that was wronged by his Parliament the very fame of this horrid Murder and the words of the many Fugitives that escaped in Beggery into England assisted by the Charity of the Dutchess of Ormond and others and the English Papists going in to the King was the main cause that filled the Parliaments Armies I well remember it cast people into such a fear that England should be used like Ireland that all over the Countreys the people oft sate up and durst not go to Bed for fear lest the Papists should rise and Murder them And this is all that the Papists have yet got by their Bloody Cruelty to necessitate people in fear to take them for their Mortal Foes Bishop Morley saith in his Letter to the Dutchess of York p. 6 7. That by raising and spreading malicious and scandalous reports against the King that he was a Papist and intended to bring in Popery on that account only they raised many thousands against him without whose assistance they could never have overpowered him and oppressed him as they did And the success they had thereby against the Father encouraged them to make use of the same Engine against his Son by giving it out that the King by living so long abroad in Popish Countreys was so corrupted in his Religion that if he were suffered to return he would bring in Popery along with him So that with this groundless fear I found many considerable and very much interested Persons possest when I was sent into England about two Months before the Kings return most of which time I spent in undeceiving all I met with especially the Heads and Leaders of the Presbyterian and Independant Parties who seemed to be most afraid of such a Change by assuring them that those misreports they had heard of the King and his Brothers were nothing else but the malicious Inventions of those that were in fact or consent the Murderers of his Father For to my certain knowledge said I who was almost always an Eye-witness of their actions the King and both his Brothers c. And he was confident that this was the case of the Dutchess of York and that the Papists falsly gave it out that she was theirs to draw people to them And what then could have been more injurious to King Charles the First than this boast and report of the Irish Murderers By which they would make him to have so dreadfully begun for the rebellion was Octob. 23. 1641. and Edge-hill Fight the same day 1642. And hereby they have given the Scots occasion to publish to posterity these Scandalous words in their Books against the Cromwellians called Truth its Manifest printed 1645. pag. 17 19. The King seeing he was stopped by the Scots first in their own Countrey next in England to carry on his great design takes the Irish Papishs by the hand rather than be alway disappointed and they willingly undertake to levy Arms for his Service that is for the Romish Cause the Kings design being subservient to the Roman Cause though he abused thinks otherwise and believes that Rome serveth to his purpose But to begin the work they must make sure of all the Protestants if they cannot otherwise by Murdering and Massacring them p. 19. The next recourse was to the Irish Papists his good Friends to whom from Scotland a Commission is dispatched under the Great Seal which Seal was at that instant time in the Kings own Custody of that Kingdom to hasten according to former agreement the raising of the Irish in Arms who no sooner receive this new Order but they break out c. And I am not willing to believe this A report so dishonourable to the King his Life his Arms his Death and to all that fought for him that the Fifth Commandment forbids us to believe it though the Scots should say They saw the Sealed Commissions Yea though I had seen them my self seeing it is possible for the Irish to Counterfeit the Scots Broad Seal But by this it appeareth what wrong the King had by the Irish boasting of his Commission and the Papists pretending to more countenance than he gave them § 4. And as the said R. Bishop of Winchester was confident they slandered the Dutchess of York in her Life so he conjectureth that the Jesuit Maimbrough hath done since her death and that some of them devised the Confession which he printeth as hers which he professeth to be false as to the accusation of himself The words of Maimbrough translated are these A Declaration of the Dutchess of York translated out of Maimbourg's Histoire du Calvinisme A Person Educated in the Church of England and as much instructed in her Doctrine according to the Opinion of the most able Divines of her Party as her Condition and Capacity could admit ought to expect to be the Object of publick censure when she quits her Religion to imbrace that of the Church of Rome And as I freely confess that I have been one of her greatest Enemies if not in effect at least in will I have thought it reasonable that for the satisfaction of my Friends I should declare the Motives and Reasons of my Conversion and of the so suddain and unexpected change of my Religion yet without engaging my self in the Questions and Objections which might be made on this Occasion I Protest in the presence of Almighty God that since my return into England no Person whatsoever hath directly or indirectly perswaded me to imbrace the Catholick Religion It is a favour which I owe to the alone Mercy of God I dare not even think that the Prayers which I have made him every day since my return from France and Flanders to beg of him to discover to me the Truth have obtained for me It is very true that having seen the
Fervour and the Devotion of the Catholicks of those Countries and feeling that I had none of it or very little I have never ceased since that time to ask of God the Grace that if I were not of the true Religion I might be so before I died Nevertheless I had not the least doubt but that the Belief of the Church of England was the true and I never had any scruple or trouble of Conscience on this Occasion until November last that I began to read Dr. Heylin's History of the Reformation which is much esteemed and whereof the reading in the Opinion of all the able Men of the Kingdom is sufficient to free the Conscience from all Scruples and Doubts which might arise about Religion But for my part far from finding in that History what was said of it I found to the contrary that by reading of it it only made me see the most horrible Sacriledges that were ever heard spoken of and that it was not sufficient to satisfie an indifferent understanding nor to perswade it that we had the least foundation or appearance of reason for changing the ancient Face of the Church and renouncing the Catholick Religion I noted in that History first that Henry the Eighth quitted not the Communion of the Church of Rome nor opposed the Authority of the Pope but because he would not let him put away the Queen his Wife to Marry another 2. That King Edward the Sixth being yet a Child his Uncle who governed him abusing the Royal Authority which he had in his hand enriched himself by appropriating to himself and his Family the Lands and Goods of the Church 3. That Queen Elizabeth not being the lawful Heir of the Crown could not keep the unjust Possession which she had taken but by renouncing the true Church because the Purity and Rectitude of her Doctrine was not consistent with the Usurpation of the Kingdom of Great Britain I could not conceive much less believe that the holy Spirit which governs the true Church should be the Author of the Three Points that I now noted which have been the only Foundation of the Subversion of the ancient Religion to favour the Licentiousness of Henry the Eighth the Usurpation of Queen Elizabeth and the Ambition mixed with the extream Avarice of the Uncle of Edward the Sixth Neither could I understand how the Bishops who boast that they had no other design â—n separating themselves from the Communion of the Church of Rome but to endeavour the re-establishing of the Doctrine Discipline of the Primitive Church have not thought of this pretended Reformation but while Henry the Eighth attempted a Separation from the Roman Church that he might satisfie his guilty Pleasures All these Reflections having busied my Mind after the reading of that History I endeavoured to â—nstruct my self in the Points controverted between â—s and the Catholicks I examined them the most â—xactly that I could by the Scripture it self and though I thought not my self sufficient for underâ—tanding it well I found nevertheless some things which appeared to me so clear so easie to be unâ—erstood that I have a thousand times wondred that I have been so long without reflecting on them I was particularly and strongly convinced of the â—eal Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar of the Infallibility of the Church Confession and Prayer for the Dead I was willing to confer of these Matters by way of Discourse with the two most able Bishops that we â—ave in England and both confessed to me ingenuously that there are many things in the Church of Rome which it was to be wished that the Church of England had still observed as Confession which it could not be denied but that God had commanded it and Prayer for the Dead which is one of the most authentick and ancient Practices of the Christian Religion But as to themselves they made use thereof in private without making publick profession thereof As I pressed one of these Bishops upon the other Points of Controversie and principally on the real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar he answered me freely That were he a Catholick he would not change Religion but that having been educated in a Church in which he believed there was all that was necessary to Salvation and there having received his Baptism he thought he could not quit it without great Scandal All this Discourse served but to increase the ardent desire which I had to become a Catholick and I felt inward pains and horrible disquiets after the Conversation I had with these two Bishops Nevertheless that I might not precipitate in an Affair of this Importance and where my Salvation was concerned I endeavoured to satisfie my self entirely I prayed God with all my heart to calm my troubled Mind by making me to know the Truth the search of which had caused my trouble Being in this Condition I went at Christmas to the Kings Chapel to receive the Sacrament which put my Soul into new troubles which continued till I discovered my state of Mind to a Catholick who to procure me the repose and tranquillity which I wished caused a good Priest to come to me and he was the first Ecclesiastick with whom I conferred of my inward condition and the affairs of my Soul The more I spoke with him the more I found my self inwardly perswaded and strengthened by the Grace of the Holy Spirit to change Religion As I could not doubt of the truth of the words of Jesus Christ which assures us that the Holy Sacrament contains his Flesh and his Blood I could not easily believe that he who is truth it self had permitted that the Communion under one kind had been introduced into his Church in which and with which he hath promised to dwell to the end of the World if it sufficeth not for the Salvation of them who communicate under one kind only To conclude I am not able to enter into Dispute with any on these great Truths and though I were I would not engage my self further than in a Discourse of a few words and without contesting to express simply the Motives and Reasons of my Conversion I call God to witness who knows the secret of Mens hearts that I had never thought of changing Religion if I had believed I might obtain Salvation by continuing in the state I was by my Birth and Education and I think it is not necessary that I here declare that it was not Interest nor prospect of Honors or of any fading and perishable Profits which have perswaded me thereunto seeing that on the contrary by changing Religion I exposed my self to the hazard of losing both my Friends and my Credit and freely to confess the truth I considered and examined often whether it was not more expedient for me to keep my Friends my Rank and my Credit in the Court by continuing in the Exercise of the Religion of the Church of England
not too distant may for mutual help and Concord meet in Councils And none should needlesly break their just Agreements because of the general Command of Concord But 1. They hold that these Councils be no representers of all the Christian World 2. Nor have any Universal Jurisdiction 3. Nor any true Governing Power at all over the absent or dissenters but an Agreeing Power 4. And if they pretend any such Power they turn Usurpers 5. And if on pretence of Concord they make Snares or Decree things that are against the Churches Edification Peace or Order or against the Word of God none are bound to stand to such Agreements These being the Judgment of Protestants what do these Men but abuse their words of Reverence to Councils and Submission to their Contracts as if they were for their Universal Soveraign Jurisdiction § 13. And next he saith Whereas Mr. B. doth usher in his Discourse with an intimation that this was only a Doctrine of the Gallican Church he cannot but know that this was the sence of the Church of England in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign Answ. 1. I honour the Gallican Papists above the Italian but I am satisfied that both do erre 2. There is a double untruth in Matter of Fact in your words 1. That I cannot but know that which I cannot know or believe 2. That yours was the sence of the Church of England which I have disproved But what is your proof D. S. For the 20th Article saith The Church hath Power to Decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith and the next Article doth suppose this Authority in General Councils Answ. The Church of England supposeth that Kingdoms should be Christian and the Magistrates and Pastors Power so twisted as that their Conjunction may best make Religion national as it was with the Jews But it never owned a foreign Jurisdiction or the Governing Power of the Subjects of one Kingdom over the Princes and People of another It followeth not that because the Church in England may Decree some Rites here that therefore foreign Churches may command us to use their Rites Our own Church Teachers no doubt have Authority in Controversies of Faith that is to teach us what is the truth and to keep Peace among Disputers but not to bind us to believe any thing against God's Word and therefore not meerly because it 's their Decree Therefore the Article cautelously calls the Church only a Witness and Keeper of holy Writ which we deny not And that besides Scripture they ought not to enforce any thing to be believed for Necessity to Salvation But you would have us believe the Soveraign Universal Jurisdiction of Councils yea and the lawfulness of all your Oaths and Impositions as necessary to escape damning Schism and is not that as necessary to Salvation 2. And one would think there needed no more than the next Articles to confute you which you cite as for you They knew that there had been Imperial General Councils which being gathered and authorized by the Emperors had the same Power in the Empire that National Councils have with us or in other Nations But there 's not a syllable of any Jurisdiction that they have out of the Empire Yea contrary it 's said 1. That they may not be gathered together without the Commandment and Will of Princes And therefore cannot Govern them without their Will nor have any Conciliar Power being no Council And one King cannot command the Subjects of another Indeed if Princes will make themselves Subjects to a Council or Pope who can hinder them 2. They are here declared to be Men not all governed by the Spirit and Word of God and such as may erre and have erred in things pertaining to God Therefore their meer Contracts and Advice are no further to be obeyed than they are governed by the Spirit and Word of God which we are discerning Judges of And it is concluded that things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the Holy Scripture So that even their Expositions of the Articles of Faith which you make their chief Work hath no further Authority than it 's declared to be taken out of the Scripture it self nor yet their decision of the sence of controverted Texts And such proof must be received from a single Man § 14. Such another proof he fetcheth from the Statute 1 Eliz. c. 1. Forbidding to judge any thing Heresie but what hath been so judged by Authority of Canonical Scripture or the first four General Councils or any of them or any other General Councils Answ. As if forbidding private Heretication were the same with the Universal Soveraignty of Councils we are of the same Religion with all true Christians in the World and we are for as much Concord with all as we can attain But is Concord and Subjection all one or Contract and Government § 15. The like Inference he raiseth from a Canon 1571. forbidding any new Doctrine not agreeable to the Scripture and such as the Ancient Fathers and Bishops thence gathered Answ. And what 's this to an Universal Church Soveraignty § 16. The Church of England's Sence is better expounded Reform Leg. Eccles. c. 15. Orthodoxorum Patrum etiam authoritatem minime censemus esse contemnendam sunt enim permulta ab illis praeclare utiliter dicta Ut tamen ex eorum sententia de sacris literis judicetur non admittimus Debent enim sacrae literae nobis omnis Christianae doctrinae Regulae esse Judices Quin ipsi Patres tantum sibi deferri recusarunt saepius admonentes Lectorem ut tantisper suas admittat sententias interpretationes quoad cum sacris literis consentire eas animadverterit § 17. D. S. P. 358. Mr. B. saith The doubt is whom you will take for good Christians into your Communion But this can be no doubt when I except only the Jesuited part of the Roman and other Churches Answ. So you take in the Church of Rome which you cannot do without taking in the pretended Soveraignty Essential to it Was not that Church Papal before there were any Jesuites But hold Dr. It 's France that you are first Uniting with and they say that the Jesuites are there the Predominant part And are you against them there § 18. P. 360. He takes it ill that I suppose him to separate from the Church of England I have fully given him here my proof The Church of England took not it self for a part of an Universal humane Political Church But his Church doth and is thereby of another Political Species as a City differeth from a Kingdom I will not tire the Reader with following him any further Vain Contenders necessitate us to be over tedious § 19. I am loth here to answer the rest of his Book against our Nonconformity 1. Because I would not follow them that
than quit all these things in a view and hope of the good things of the life to come but thorough the Mercy of God which inlâ—ghtens those that seek it I felt no pain or difficulty in making the choice I have I shall only say that all my fear hath been lest the poor Catholicks of this Countrey should suffer much on the occasion of my Conversion and that God should nor give me the Grace to suffee patiently with them the Disgraces and Afflictions of this Life to merit the Eternal At St. James the 8 th of August 1670. Postscript BUt since the first writing of this the Publick Matter of Fact hath taught the World how little Cause those that he calleth the Heads of the Presbyterians and Independants or any others had to believe Bishop Morley's confident Testimony of one or other Or honest Mr. Gache's Letter to me or the rest of the French Letters published with it by Lauderdale I cannot forget Dr. Morley's words to my self in Jan. 1659. before King Charles II. came in that most on this side the Alpes would joyn with the Church of England were it not for the blocks that Calvin had laid in the way And this he knew by his converse with them But this Coalition was not to be our becoming Papists quoad nomen but France forsooth if not Flanders too would turn Protestants as they have done I knew not when I writ this Book 1. Of King James's Paper published as found in King Charles the Second's Pocket and the Testimonies that he died a Papist nor what was witnessed of his Engagement for them 2. I knew not of what King James the Second would after be and do 3. I knew not of Archbishop Bramhall's Letter Printed by Dr. Parre in Archbishop Vsher's Life confidently assuring Archbishop Vsher that on his certain Information the Papists in 1647. got into Cromwell's Army and confederated with the Papists at Oxford in the King's Army to have the King put to Death And whether they sent beyond Sea for Approbation and obtained it Chap. V. The foreign Leaders of the English Conciliaters who are for introducing a foreign Jurisdiction § 1. THe horrid Confusions in the Roman Church by two and three Popes at once some Kingdoms cleaving to one and some to another constrained the Emperor and divers Princes to call a Council called General for remedy The Popes being by this Council condemned and deposed it could not be expected that they should approve them and consent so that the Council was necessitated though cross to late Custom to declare their Power to be above the Popes so far as to judge and depose him if he deserve it This way went the Councils of Pisa Constance and Basil. But the Pope's Upholders still stuck to him and said Parliaments may as well depose Kings The Body cannot cut off the Head And Eugenius 4th though condemned by the Council and deposed as a Heretick Simonist Blasphemer c. kept Possession and their Church succeedeth him to this day § 2. This opinion for the Church Diffusive represented in a Council being above the Pope was kept alive in Bohemia France and other Countries and in Luther's time did much further his Reformation by encouraging Princes and People to disobey the Pope And Luther at the first seemed to go but little further But afterward quite cast off the Pope and denied all his Claim of universal or foreign Jurisdiction § 3. Some that joyned with Luther in reforming many Abuses thought that the whole World or Church must have one Humane Head or Governor in Religion and that we must not separate from subjection to the Pope but only keep him to govern by Church Canons and not Arbitrarily as being singulis major but universis minor And so the Controversie came to be the same as between Monarchs that will be above Law and those that are limited by the Laws The Italians and some others are for the first but the French and some others are only for his limited Power Of these in Luther's time were Erasmus Julius Pflug Sidonius Agricola the Authors of the Interim and Wicelius Cassander Haffmeister and after Fr. Baldwin and divers others And in France some excellent Lawyers yet more moderate as the Chancellor Mich. Hospitalius Thuâ—nus and a great Party with them § 4. Joh. Gerson Chancellor and a Member of the Council of Constance before these was so moderate though he was for burning Hus and Jerome of Prague that in the great Point of the sufficiency of God's own Laws he condemneth even most of these Moderators I will insert his words in Sermone in die Circumcisionis Domini habito Trasconae coram Papae in the Pope's own hearing Schismatis praesentis sedationem invenire non sufficient leges humanae jam conditae nisi superior Lex Divina vivae architectonica consulatur Quod fortè non satis actum est usque in praesens Obliget quod ait Dominus in Isaia Timuerunt me mandato hominum doctrinis ideo ecce ego addam ut admirationem faciam populo huic miraculo grandi stupendo Peribit enim sapientia à sapientibus ejus intellectus prudentium ejus abscondetur Ex quo loco sumpsit Jesus illud improperium contra Pharisaeos quod irritum faciebant mandatum Dei propter suas traditiones Audirent utinam ista auribus suis hi qui legem Evangelicam legem Divinam cum professoribus suis deserentes humanis traditionibus incumbant toti adeo ut ad superiorem legem illam oculos attollere vel non valeant ex ruditate vel nolint ex iniquitate vel negligant ex inerti segnitie cum tamen rebus leges humanae non sufficiunt prout in schismate praesente compertum videtur ad Legis divinae radicem interpretationem Consultatio referatur secundum eam conscientia formetur necesse est Quid autem mali quid periculi quid Confusionis attulerit contemptus sacrae Scripturae utique SVFFICIENTIS PRO REGIMINE ecclesiae Alioquin Christus fuisset Legislator imperfectus Interrogetur experientia consideretur clerus cui desponsari debuerat Sapientia quae de sursum est purifica pudica an ipse fornicatus est cum adultera illa meretricula sapientia terrena animali diabolica Status insuper ecclesiae nonne factus est totus brutalis monstrosus ubi coelum deorsum hoc est id quod spirituale est terra sursum spiritus serviens caro dominans Principale accessorium accessorium principale usque ad hoc ut quidam delirare non dubitent quod per inventiones humanas etiam melius quà m per legem divinam Evangelicam regeretur Quasi minus sit anima quà m Corpus spiritualis quà m carnalis fructus Haec assertio per meam fidem blasphema est nedum falsa Evangelica quippe doctrina per suos professores dilatavit Ecclesiam usque in Coelum quam filii Agur exquirentes
Recusants of the Church of Rome p. 234. The Recusants being for the most part of the Good Families of the Nation will take it for a part of their Nobility freely to profess themselves in their Religion if they understand themselves Whereas the Sectaries being people of mean quality for the most part cannot be presumed to stand on their reputation so much In his Book called The Forbearance of Penalties c. 3. p. 12 13. he makes the foundation of all Union to be the Government and Laws of the Church as visibly Catholick which Laws must be one and the same the violating whereof is the forfeiture of the same Communion And here I crave leave to call All Canons All Customs of the Church whether concerning the Rites of God's Service or other Observations by one and the same name of Laws of the Church P. 23. As for the Canons of the Church it was never necessary to the maintenance of Commumunion that the same Customs should be held in all parts of the Church It was only necessary the several Customs should be held by the same Authority That the same Authority instituted several Customs for so they might be changed by the same Authority and yet Unity remain Whereas questioning the Authority by questioning whether the acts of it be agreeable to ☞ God 's Law or not how should Unity be maintained It is manifest that they the Fathers could not have agreed in the Laws of the Church if any had excepted against any thing used in any part of the Church as if God's Law had been infringed by it It followeth of necessity that nothing can be disowned by this Church as contrary to God's Law which holdeth by the Primitive Church Page 27. He saith as Mr. Dodwell It is agreed on by the whole Church that Baptism in Heresie or Schism that is when a man gives up himself to the Communion of Hereticks or Schismaticks by receiving Baptism from them though it may be true Baptism and not to be repeated yet it is not available to Salvation making him accessory to Heresie or Schism that is so Baptized Pag. 28. The promise of Baptism is not available unless it be deposited with the true Church nor to him that continueth not in the true Church that may exact the promise deposited with it Page 33. It is out of love to the Reformation that I insist on such a Principle as may serve to reunite us with the Church of Rome being well assured that we can never be well reunited with our selves otherwise Yet not only the Reformation but the common Christianity must needs be lost in the divisions which will never have an end otherwise Pag. 111. If it be said that it is not visible where those Usurpations took place I shall allow all the time which the Code of the Canons contains which Pope Adrian sent to Charles the Great pag. 128. which I would have this Church to own In Mr. Thorndike's large folio Book there is yet much more for his Universal Legislative Aristocracy mixt with Regular Papacy The sum of all is The Pope Governing at least in the West by the Canons in the intervals of General Councils that is alwaies and as the chief Member with Councils making Laws for all the World Thus the French and Italian Papists differ whether the Pope shall Govern the World as the King of Poland doth his Land or say some as the Duke of Venice or rather as the King of France But Protestants know no such thing as an Universal Legislative Church nor owns any Universal Laws but Gods unless you mean Nationally Vniversal as in the Empire Councils and Laws were called I refer you again to Dr. Barrows Confutation of the rest of Mr. Thorndikes Chap. XII The Judgment of Dr. Sparrow Bishop of Norwich and divers others BIshop Sparrow Pref. to Collect. As my Father sent me so send I you Here committing the Government of the Church to his Apostles our Lord Commissions them with the same Power that was committed to him for that purpose when he was on Earth with the same necessary standing Power that he had exercised as Man for the good of the Church Less cannot in reason be thought to be granted than all Power necessary for the well and peaceable Government of the Church And such a power is this of Making Laws This is a Commission in general for making Laws Then in particular for making Articles and Decisions of Doctrines controverted the power is more explicite and express Mat. 28. All power is given me Go therefore and teach all Nations that is with authority and by virtue of the power given me And what is it to teach the Truth with authority but to command and oblige all people to receive the Truth so taught And this power was not given to the Apostles persons only for Christ then promised to be with them in that Office to the end of the World that is to them and their Successors in the Pastoral Office To the Apostles or Bishops that should succeed them to the end of the World To this One holy Church our Lord committed in trust the most holy Faith c. commanding under penalties and censures all her Children to receive that sence and to profess it in such expressive words and forms as may directly determine the doubt Thus she did in the great Nicene Council This authority in determining Doubts and Controversies the Church hath practised in ALL AGES and her constant practice is the best Interpreter of her right I shall not tire the Reader with the needless recitation of many more late Divines that lived since 1630. enough are known Those that have defended Grotius of late I pass no judgment on you may read their own Books and judge as you see cause viz. Dr. Thomas Pierce now Dean of Salisbury and the famous Preface to Archbishop Bromhall's Book against me c. I fear all this History is needless Men now laugh at me for proving by Mens writings their endeavours to subject the King and Kingdom to a Foreign Jurisdiction when they say it is more sensibly and dreadfully proving it self Chap. XIII Dr. Parker's Judgment since Bishop of Oxford THE last mentioned Author Dr. Sam. Parker besides what he hath said against me in his large Preface before Archbishop Bromhall's Book hath since gone so far beyond all his Fellows that finding himself unable to answer this Argument otherwise The World must not have one Universal Humane Civil Governor King or Aristocracy ergo It must not have one Humane Priest or Church Governor desperately denieth the Antecedent and saith that though de facto the Kings of the Earth have not one Soveraign over them all that is meer Man they ought to have Audite Reges I cannot conjecture who he meaneth unless it be the Pope and he be of Cardinal Bertrand's mind that God had not been wise if he had not made one Man
Communion of the Churches 8. But I supposed that none but those who were called to it immediately by Christ or endued with the gift of Infallibility therein were to be as his Mouth and Hand in so delivering the Gospel and writing the Holy Scriptures as should be his Word or Law to all the Christian World and to all future Generations 9. But as Prophets of old were the bringers of all new Revelations and the Priests were but the Preservers Expounders and Appliers of the Word which the Prophets had brought So the Spirit in the Apostles Evangelists and Prophets infallibly delivered that Word and Law which all succeeding Pastors must Preach Practise and Rule by as the only Universal Law This being hitherto my Judgment if you are not mistaken I am no Member of the Universal Church and so no Christian and therefore am uncapable of Communion and have not Christ's Spirit nor title to Salvation and therefore it concerneth me speedily to try and receive Instructions However we are of two Religions and Churches if you are in the right II That which I have hitherto denied herein is 1. That there is any Vicarious Constitutive or Governing Head of the Church Universal or Soveraign Power Personal or Collective having Supream Universal Legislative Judicial and Executive Power under Christ which all Christians are bound to be Subjects of and to obey 2. That Obedience to such an Universal Church-Soveraign or Power is not the necessary means or terms of Universal Concord or Communion 1. Because there is no such Power 2. If there be it cannot be Universally known by Christians 1. That it is 2. What it is 3. And in whom it is 3. Nor can the Measure of Obedience to such Power necessary to Concord and Communion of all be Universally known 4. And de facto there is no such Concord or Communion Universal in the World nor ever was at least since the Apostles days Of these in order I. If there be any Vicarious Universal Supream Power that all must obey that will be Members of the Church the Institution of it is to be found in Scripture or in some other Divine Record But no such thing is found in either we have no other Divine Record that notifyeth this and Scripture doth not It is the Apostles Power that is the thing hence alledged But 1. While they were near the whole Church in its Infancy or small Number Men could have sent to them for their Judgment But so they could not had they lived to see the Church in its present extent If the twelve Apostles were now at Jerusalem and we doubted of the Nestorian Eutychian Monothelite Controversies and the rest in Epiphanius and Philastrius Catalogue Could all the Christians in America Africa Asia and Europe know that the major Vote of the Apostles met at Jerusalem had thus or thus decided How few would live long enough for that Satisfaction 2. The Apostles singly by an infallible Uniting Spirit were the Mouth of Christ to deliver obligatorily his Laws and Doctrine without meeting to Consult and Vote it Paul professeth Gal. 1. that he received not his Gospel from the Apostles but from Christ And his Epistles need not a proof of their Authority from the Votes or Consent of the rest but were otherwise received And so of other parts of Scripture 3. The Apostles were to be dispersed about the World and not to stay long together to Govern the World as a College And while they stayed at Jerusalem we read not of their doing any thing in a College and Conciliar way save that Act. 15. 11. which was 1. No General Council from all the Churches 2. Nor done by Apostles only but the Elders and Brethren also of the Church at Jerusalem 3. And was not laid on the Authority of a major Vote but on the Apostolical Spirit of Infallibility and their special knowledge of Christ's mind in which they all concurred 2. Therefore their Authority of Teaching the World all Christ's Commands M-28-20 being proper to them by these two advantages being chosen Ear-witnesses and having the Spirit to guide them into all truth in this they have no Successors though they have in the continued parts of their Work They were Christs Instruments in Universal Legislation and the Scripture written by them is his Word and Law and they were accordingly enabled to Seal it by Miracles and giving the Holy Ghost by Imposition of their Hands This Law of Christ all Christians own But if in this they have Successors 1. The Church hath a larger Law than we have thought on and Gods Word is a greater Volume 2. And Miracles are as necessary to Seal the new Word as to Seal the old II. The Scripture denieth a Vicarious summam potestatem or Soveraignty over the Universal Church having a Legislative Power 1. In that it saith that There is One Law-giver Jam. 4.12 that is But One. 2. In calling Christ only the Head Lord and King and calling Apostles but Members 1 Cor. 12.27 and Stewards and Ministers by whom we believe 3. Baptizing us only into the Name of Christ and not of the Apostles and Baptism is Christening and sheweth all that is necessary to make us Members of the Church and Body which Christ is the Saviour of 4. Paul decryeth it as Carnality and Schism to think of Men above what is written as if they had been Baptized into the Names of Men. 5. The Apostles did not Convert Men by preaching up themselves as Soveraign but Christ only professing themselves Witnesses and Messengers of his Words and Deeds The Eunuch Acts 8. was Baptized by Philip upon his bare believing in Christ without hearing the â—ote of a Colledge of Apostles Nor did the Preachers that Converted Men do it by the Argument of the Authority of such a Colledge As Dr. Hammond saith on 1 Tim. 3. And such are all particular Churches of the whole World considered together under the Supream Head Christ Jesus dispensing them all by himself and administring them severally not by any one Oeconomus but by the several Bishops as Inferior Heads of Unity to the several Bodies so constituted by the several Apostles in their Plantations each of them having an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a several distinct Commission from Christ Immediately and Subordinate to none but the Supream Donor or Plenipotentiary Neither to a Personal nor Collective Soveraign Power The Judges of England have a Power which limitedly in their several Courts and Circuits respecteth all the Kingdom But 1. They have no Legislative Power 2. Nor are they Constitutive Essential parts of the Kingdom It would be the same Kingdom were their Power changed 3. Therefore the Constitutive Oaths or Bond is only between King and Subjects and we are not to Swear Allegiance to any other than the King 4. Nor are they Judges out of their several Courts and Circuits 5. Much less in other Kingdoms 6. Nor is any a Judge to all the World so is
it in the Case in question yet were they Apostles to the Universal Church that which none are since their time III. If there be such a Vicarious Governing Soveraignty over the Universal Church it is either the Pope or a General Council or some Colledge of Pastors But it is none of these 1. As to the Pope you say that he is so far from being Head of the Church that he is not a Member So that I need not say more of this to you 2. That General Councils are no such Soveraign Power which all must obey that will be Christians or in a Church seemeth to me past doubt for these Reasons 1. Because there is no such thing in the Creed though the Catholick Church and Communion of Saints be there But it would be there were it of such necessity to Christianity 2. Because there is no such thing said in all the Scripture which would not omit so necessary a point What is said from Acts 15. is answered before it was no General Council A General Council was not then the necessary means of Concord or Communion 3. There never was one General Council representing the Universal Church in the World I have fully proved in my second Book against Johnson that the Councils called General were so only as to the Roman Empire and few if any so General and that the Emperor called all the Chief Councils who had no Power without his Empire nor called any that were without 4. I have oft proved the unlawfulness of calling General Councils now as the Church is dispersed at such distances over the Earth and under Princes of so contrary Interests and Minds 5. I have oft proved the Impossibility of such a Councils meeting to attain the ends of Government in question being to pass by Sea and Land from all quarters of the World by the Consent of Enemies that rule them and through Enemies Countreys and Men of Age that must have so long time going and sitting and returning and of divers Languages uncapable of understanding one another and a number uncapable of present Converse with other such insuperable difficulties 6. If such Councils be necessary to the Being of Christianity Church or Concord at least the Church hath seldom had a Being or Concord it seldom having had such a Council in your own esteem And you cannot say that it ever will have any 7. If General Councils have Supream Government visible it is 1. Legislative 2. Judicial 3. Executive But I. If Legislative then 1. Their Laws are either Gods Infallible Word or not If not all Men must disobey them when they err If yea Gods Word is not the same one Age as another and is Crescent still and we know not when it will be perfect 2. Their Laws will be so many that no Christians can know them obey them and have Concord on such terms 3. If they could agree who should call them and whither yet the Prince whose Countrey they meet in would be Master of the whole Christian World and so of other Christian Countreys by Mastering them 4. Princes would be Subjects 1. To Foreign Powers 2. Yea to the Subjects of other Princes 3. Yea of their Enemies 4. And to such Preâ—ates as they are uncapable to know whether they are truely called to their Office 5. Or whether they are erroneous or sound in Faith 5. And then the Ecclesiastical Laws of all National Churches and Kings might be destroyed by such Councils as Superior Powers 6. And no Princes or Synods could make valid Laws about Religion till they knew that no Law of any such Council were against them 7. The Laws of Christ recorded in Scripture would by all this be argued of great insufficiency â—f more were Universally necessary he that made the rest would have made them whose Authority is to the Church unquestionable 8. The Christian World is divided so much in Opinion that except in what Christs own word containeth plainly they are in no probability of agreeing So much of Legislation II. As to Judgment 1. To judge the sence of a Law Scripture or Canon for the common Obligation of the Church is part of the Legislative Power and belongs to the Law-makers 2. To judge the Case of Persons e. g. whether John Peter Nestorius Luther Calvin c. be a Heretick an Adulterer a Simonist c. requireth that the Accuser and Accused and Witnesses of both be present and heard speak But he that would have all Hereticks Criminals Accusers Witnesses travel for a Tryal to Jerusalem Nice Constantinople Rome even from America Ethiopia c. will not need any Confutation III. The same I say of Executive Silencing Ejecting Excommunicating c. II. A Soveraign Power that cannot be known is not necessary to Christianity or the Constitution Communion or Concord of the Church But General Councils so impowered cannot be known I. I have shewed that it cannot be known by ordinary Christians that there are any such Authorized by Christ. I know it not nor any that ever I was familiar with The main Body of the Reformed Churches know it not for they ordinarily deny it as the prime point of Popery They cannot prove it who affirm it Therefore they know it not as others may judge Millions are Baptized Christians that never knew it II. It is not to this day known which were true General Councils that are past Some say those were Latrocinia and Conventicles that others say were Lawful Councils Some are for but four some for six some for eight some for all so called there is no agreement which are true and obligatory Grotius is for Trent and all which others abhor 2. It is not known who hath Power to call them and whose call is valid 3. Nor what Individuals or Particular Churches are capable of sending and chusing and obliged to it Almost all the Christian World is judged uncapable by the most of Christians The Papists are so judged by the Greeks Protestants c. The Eastern and Ethiopian Christians are excluded by the Papists Greeks c. as Jacobites Nestorians Schismaticks c. The Greeks are excluded by the Papists and others as Schismaticks and Erroneous The Protestants are judged Hereticks and Schismaticks by the Papists and many Greeks c. How Lutherans and Calvinists Diocesans and Presbyterians c. judge of one another I need not tell And can all or any of them know which of these must make up a Legislative Council of the whole Church on Earth 4. It is not known how many must Constitute such a Council nor in what proportions If there be innumerable Bishops under Philippicus for the Monothelites out of the East as Binnius saith and few out of the West was that a true General Council If at Nice Ephesus Constantinople Chalcedon there be not one out of the West to twenty or forty or a hundred others is it a true representative of the whole Church If there be two hundred at Trent or a thousand at
were and therefore that he should be more for them than for the Jesuites And withal that they would begin where Laud was interrupted and would attempt a Coalition or if that failed would yield to Liberty for the Popish Religion which joined with their power would soon prevail § 5. At that time Mr. Calamy and I motioned a Treaty with the Prelatists for Union and Concord with which the Earl of Manchester and the Lord Orery acquainted the King which he presently accepted as an Opportunity to quiet Men till his Absoluteness was settled He promised us that the Church Bishops should meet us in the mid-way if we would come as far as we could without Sin The Drs. that were for the nearer approach to Rome and the defenders of Grotius his design were the chief Agents Commissioned by the King to Treat with us viz. Dr. Sheldon Dr. Guning Dr. Peter Cousins Dr. Sparrow Dr. Heylin Mr. Thorndike Dr. Tho. Pierce Dr. Hinchman Dr. Lany Dr. Stern and such other but by their Power with the Lord Chancellor Hyde Dr. Morley Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Guning over-ruled all the Work When we told them how great a number of the most Godly and Loyal people of the Land would be undone for nothing by the Impositions which they seemed to resolve for and how unavoidable a Division it would cause throughout the Nation and what Encouragement Prophaneness and Popery would thence take and what mischievous Effects among the Clergy and People would unavoidably follow and how easily all this might be by them prevented and the Love and Honour of their Persons and Order hereby won Dr. Guning and others told us plainly that they had a greater party than we are to consider that must not be alienated to please us And when Dr. Bates said that abundance more of the Popish Ceremonies might be introduced by the same Reasons as were pleaded for those imposed Dr. Guning answered They must have more and not fewer And Dr. Morley told me That he had good reason to believe that most of the Roman Church on this side the Alpes that is France would have joined with us were it not for the stumbling Blocks that Calvin had laid in the way They charged us with Sedition for telling them how many would dissent and suffer and what a weakening such a Division and the Penalties that must enforce it would be to the Protestant Interest and to the Land And they all agreed save Dr. Gauden that they would not abate one Ceremony to prevent all this Yea lest they should not cast out enough of the Ministers they put in more and harder Impositions and made the Terms of Concord and Ministry such as they knew would turn out more Sheldon and others of them saying They were afraid too many would Conform and if this much would not turn them out there should be more for Enemies in the Church were more dangerous than without § 6. It is likely that the Drs. and Bishops that had been with him beyond Sea knew the King's Religion and Designs and to keep up their worldly Greatness Dominion and Wealth resolved to please him that he might please them What Religion King Charles the Second was of at his Death his Brother hath told us And what he was before his Return I marvel not that Huddleston tells us so obscurely But I had rather believe his own words and deeds than the reports or conjectures of others It was the Opinion of the wisest Papists that Liberty for all Religions with the Power of Disposing of all Offices of Government and Preferments would be enough to bring in Popery and that there was no other way And that till the King could safely declare himself for Popery his way was to do all as a Protestant that might advantage them Especially to divide and break the Protestants and root out those of them who were most unreconcileable to Rome and to engage the other to persecute and destroy them that it might not be doneas by the Papists but they might seem their Fellow-Dissenters and might come whenever the Necessity of others should open the Door The King had the Choice of the Bishops and Deans and other Church Preferments and of the Masters of Colleges and of the Judges and other Civil Powers and Honours Accordingly he made those Bishops Deans Masters of Colleges c. who were known to be the most obedient to his Will and the greatest Enemies to those called Puritans and those that Philanax the Papist called Protestants of Sincerity And by the help of the Lord Chancellor Morley Sheldon and the rest got the mastery of all the Dependent Clergy when it was seen that all their preferments came much by their Wills And that those called Puritans and Presbyterians might end with that Generation they laboured to place all the Students in the Universities under such as would possess them with the greatest contempt and hatred of those men and to perswade them that all that Conformed not to all their Oaths Covenants and Impositions were but a pack of Fanaticks Schismaticks and Rebels And by their great Industry the Universities Dignities and Clergy in most Power were much thus constituted And the Nonconformists being men who were noted for more seriousness in Religion than the common sort of men and accordingly for a more serious way of Praying Preaching Discoursing and Living than the Multitude of Hypocrites that are Religious but as far as pleaseth their Bellies their Purses and their Masters it unhappily fell out that the doors of Preferment being open to those that had no Scruple of Conscience against any of the imposed Covenants or Practices the main Body of those that had truly no Religion became an engaged Party against the Nonconformists and took the powerful Bishops for their Captains and so Prelacy and Hypocrisie and Prophaneness united their Interests and became the strength of one another And this is become the fatal Odium of Prelacy among the most Religious of the Land and I fear will either finally root it out or a Worldly Prelacy confederating first with the Prophane and after with the Papists will root out from the Publick Churches true serious Religion § 7. From first to last King Charles shewed his own Judgment I. In his Declaration for Toleration at Breda II. When he granted us his Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs which was to try whether we would consent to a commoner Toleration In the Conclusion of the Day the distaste fell on me The Lord Chancellor drew out another Paper desiring a Liberty of Religion for all others that lived peaceably And said He knew not what to think of it himself but desired the Company to speak their Minds Neither Lords or Bishops or any of their Drs. said a word to it After twice or thrice asking no one answered Dr. Wallis standing next me said I pray thee say nothing It is an odious Business I forbore till I perceived that they would take our Silence for Consent
the Papists or Greeks or Moscovites that cannot Preach at all O how happy a Church do you Dream of VII And it is yet more incredible that this popular Majority should be so right in such small Matters as Rites and Ceremonies and Discipline as that their Practice should be a Law to all the rest of the Christian World And that the Unity or Concord of the Universal Church must be built on such Sand as cannot so much as be gathered into one Heap And all must be Schismaticks and so far separate from the Church that obey them not I remember when Dr. Hammond proceeded Dr. I heard Dr. Prideaux in the Chair argue against the Churches Infallibility that John and Thomas and so every Individual was fallible Ergo a company of fallibles were not infallible Especially in such Matters as a Ceremony Those that Paul wrote to Rom. 14. 15. were not taken for infallible or Legislators by him VIII And you no where prove that Paul meaneth by the Churches have no such Customs that none in the World had any other nor must have any other but only that what Garb and Habit the Custom of all those Countries had placed Decency in the general Rule of Decency would oblige all to in the solemn Assemblies as it obligeth us to be uncovered You must needs know that by your Exposition and Inference you Condemn your own Church that hath the contrary Custom Especially your noble Patrons that wear Periwigs IX And how impossible a work do you set us all as a Law to know what these Ceremonies are without which we separate as Schismaticks 1. Must all good Christians be so great Historians as to know what Ceremonies have been used in all Ages by the Major part 2. Must they be so Skill'd in Cosmography as to know what Countries make the Major part 3. Must they have so good intelligence of former Affairs as to know who have now the greater Vote in Councils and out of them 4. But you say It must be of such Rites as ab omnibus ubique semper have been used we like Vincentius Liri's rule well as to things necessary that may aliunde be so proved But how shall any man know that ab omnibus ubique without more Knowledge of the World than Drake or Candish had or any Traveller Except Negatively that we must not affect causeless Singularity from the most of the Godly as far as we can know them And how shall we understand the semper Must it respect all time to come Then none can know his Duty till the End of the World If it be only as to time past then how knew they that lived in the first Age how long their Customs would continue And then all the after Changes which were many were Schismatical X. Do you not too hardly censure the Church of England as Schismatical You know Epiphanius hath a peculiar Treatise to tell us what then were the Customs and Ceremonies of the Universal Church And how many of these are forsaken by us yea and by almost all the Churches Do you now clothe the Baptized anew in White Do you dip them over head in Water Do you anoint them as they did and cross them with the Ointment Do you give them to taste Milk and Honey Do you exorcise them Do your Bishops only make that Chrysme Do all here and in other Churches worship only versus Orientem Do you all forbear and forbid Adoration Kneeling on any Lord's Day or any Week Day between Easter and Whitsunday What! when you cast out of the Church those that will not Kneel at the Sacrament You know that the Council of Nice and that at Trull and the Fathers commonly make this a Rite of the Universal Church And Dr. Heylin saith that Rome it self kept it for a Thousand Years and it was never reversed by any other General Council Do you keep the Memorial of Martyrs at their Graves as then they did Do you use their Bones and relicts as they did Twenty more you may see in Epiphanius and others O condemn not the Church of England as separated from the Universal Church And our Reformers too XI What a case would you bring this Church and Kingdom to by your Law of the Custom of the Major part Must we have all the Opinions Rites or Ceremonies which the Greeks Moscovites Armenians and Papists have many Hundred Years in their Ignorance and Superstition agreed in as to the Major part Must we be able to confute their pretensions of Antiquity and Custom as to all these He that readeth the Description of their Customs methinks should be loth that we should be such XII And your Doctrine of Traditions as certainly received from the Apostles when the Majority use them is so much against the Church of England's Judgment and so copiously confuted by the whole stream of Protestant Bishops and Drs. and foreign Divines that I will not stay now to repeat that work were all the Traditions forementioned since laid by received from the Apostles About Genuflexions Milk and Honey Chrysme the white Garment You instance in Synods meeting and making Laws To meet for worship or necessary consultation and Concord is no unwritten ceremonial Tradition but the obeying of Christ's written Law which requireth such mutual help and that we do all to Edification Concord and Peace But Communion of many Nations is one thing and a Government over all is another thing It was the Emperor's Commission and Power that made Canons to be Laws And do you not here write against the King's Commission by which you sit which declareth from that Act of H. 8. that your Canons are no Laws till King and Parliament make them so Ask the Lawyers Were not the Canons of 1640. cast out even by your own long Parliament XIII But the worst is that while you set us a new Universal Church Legislative and Judicial Soveraignty you deny the sufficiency of Scripture if not the Soveraignty of Christ himself while you feign unwritten Universal Laws as part of Christ's Law a supplement to the Scripture give Christ's Prerogative to a Usurping Soveraignty utterly uncapable of that Office Scripture we know where to find but where to find your Universal Additional Laws and your Church Senate or College they must know more than I that know But so much is written against the Papists as aforesaid for Scripture sufficiency that I refer you thither and to the Articles Homilies and Ordination Books which this Church subscribeth to Alas Sir is not the whole Bible big enough to make us a Religion XIV As to your definition of the Church P. 12. It is tolerable if you make no Head but Christ and set up no Vicarious Head Monarchical or Aristocratical and instead of Provincial parts put National and Congregational or confess that you describe but the Imperial-National Church which was made up of Roman Provinces And gratifie not the Fanaticks by making the Holy Ghost
to be the authoriser of the Majority for Government For they will think that they have more of the Holy Ghost than you and therefore must Govern you I would all Rulers had the Holy Ghost but it 's somewhat else that must give them Authority XV. Your instance of the Easter Controversie is against you The difference undecided for 300 Years and Apostolical Tradition urged on both sides tells us that it was no Apostolick Law And Socrates and Sozomen tell us that in that and many such like things 〈◊〉 Churches had freely differed in Peace 〈◊〉 you seem to intimate contrary to them and to Irenâ—â—us that the Asians were Schismaticks till they Conformed And why name you Asia alone Were our Brittish Churches and the Scottish no Churches Or do you also Condemn them as Schismaticks for about 300 Years after the Nicene Council What could the Papists say more against them XVI How impossible a thing do you make Church Union to be while the Essentials or great Integrals of Religion are made insufficient to it and so many Ceremonies and Church Laws are feigned necessary which no man ever comes to the true knowledge of that he hath the right ones and all XVII If the Patriarchs must be the Soveraign College I beseech you give us some proof in a Case so weighty 1. How many there must be 2. Where seated 3. Who must choose and make them 4. And quo jure 5. And whether we have now such a College or is there no Church XVIII What Place will you give the Pope in the College I suppose with your Brethren you will call him 1. Principium Vnitatis But that 's a Name of Comparative Order what is his work as such a Principium How is he the Principium if he have no more Power than the rest Must not he call the Councils Though our Articles say General Councils may not be gathered without the Will of Princes Shall he not choose the Place and Time Tell us then who shall Must he not be President Must he not be Patriarch of the West And so Govern England as our Patriarch and Principium unitatis Vniversalis also XIX I pray tell us whether the French be Papists And how their Church-Government as Described from themselves by Mr. Jurieu differeth from that which you are for Tell me not of their Mass and other Corruptions It is Government that is the Form of Popery And they will abate you many other things And must we be Frenchified If the French restore those that we called Papists will disowning the Name and calling them the Church of England chosen by Papist Princes make us sound and safe And when we find Arch-Bishop Laud Arch-Bishop Bromhall Bishop Guning Bishop Sparrow Dr. Saywell Dr. Heylin Mr. Thorndike Bishop S. Parker and many more were for a Foreign Jurisdiction can we think if the French bring in the late Governours that such Churchmen would not embrace the French Church Government and call it the Church of England when since Lauds days they have endeavoured a Coalition If they be Defeated we may thank King James who could not bear delays and would have all or none when Grotius way would have been a surer Game XX. You tell us of Penalties made by Church Laws Deposing Ministers and Anathematizing the Laity But while the Clergy hath no power of the Sword who will feel such Penalties When Rome Excommunicates the Greeks the Greeks will Excommunicate them again What Penalty is it to Protestants to be Excommunicated by the Pope or his Council How commonly did they that were for and against the Chalcedon Council Excommunicate each other And those that were for and against Images And for Photius and for Ignatius Cheat not Magistrates to be your Lictors and Cursing will go round as Scolding at Billingsgate Who is hurt by a causeless curse but the Curser I confess that Dr. Saywell sayeth well If single persons must be punished shall not Nations also Yes But by whom By God the Universal King and not by an Universal Human Soveraign whether a King or Pope or a Senate of Foreign Subjects XXI We are promised by a trifling Pamphleteer that some of you are answering Mr. Clerksons two Books about the Primitive Episcopacy and Liturgies I pray you procure them also to answer my Treatise of Episcopacy and my English Non-conformity and not with the Impudent Railing Lyars to say it is answered already while we can hear of no such thing And see that they prove that all these things following are Traditions of the Vniversal Church received from the Apostles and used ab omnibus ubique semper 1. That most particular Churches for two Hundred or three Hundred years and so down consisted of many Congregations that had no personal presential Communion 2. That Churches infimi ordinis were Diocesan having many Hundred or Score Parishes under them 3. That these Diocesans undertook the sole Pastoral Care of all these Parishes as to Confirmation Censure Absolution and the rest 4. That all these Parishes were no true Churches as having no Bishops but the Diocesans and were but Chappels or parts of a Church 5. That the Incumbents were no true Pastors or Bishops but one Bishops Curates And that there were not then besides Diocesan Arch-Bishops in each single Church Episcopi Gregis and Episcopi praesides 6. That Bishops Names were used by Lay-men that had the Decretive Power of Excommunication and Absolution 7. That such Secular Judicatories far from the Parishes rather than the particular Pastors Tryed and Judged the unknown people 8. That Parish Ministers Swear Obedience to the Diocesans and they to Metropolitans 9. That all People that would have Licenses to keep Ale-houses or Taverns or that would not lye in Jail were Commanded to receive the Sacrament as a Sealed Pardon of their Sins 10. That from the beginning all Churches were forced to use the same form of Liturgy and not every Church or Bishop to choose as he saw Cause 11. That Kings chose Bishops and Deans without the Consent of the Clergy and People 12. That all Ministers were to be Ejected and forbidden to Preach the Gospel that durst not Subscribe that there is nothing contrary to Gods Word in such as our three imposed Books 13. That all Lords Magistrates Priests and People that affirm the contrary be ipso facto Excommunicate 14. That Lay-Patrons that are but Rich enough to buy an Advowson how Vicious soever did choose all the Incumbent Ministers to whom the People must commit the Ministerial Care of their Souls 15. That they that dare not trust such Pastors as are chosen by Kings though Papists and such Patrons and dare not Conform to every imposition like ours must live like Atheists in forbearance of all publick Worship and Church Communion 16. That all may Swear that an Oath or Vow of Lawful and Necessary things bindeth not our selves or any others if it be but unlawfully imposed and taken and had any unlawful part
of the Matter 17. That the Church ever held it unlawful for a whole Kingdom to defend it self against a Prince that would deliver up half the Government to a Foreiner and force them to a Religion which requireth them to be Damned or to Dye When the Clergy and Church at Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch Rome c. did so oft by force and Blood resist even Christian Emperors such as Theodosius II. Zeno Anastasius and many others 18. That all the Churches held it lawful to Swear and Covenant never to endeavour any Amendment or Alteration of any such as the forementioned Church Government If all these things be contrary to the constant judgment or practice of the Church Quaere whether Dr. Beveridge and his Approvers pronounce not the Church of England Schismatical as so far separated from the Church Universal But again I conclude O! What must the Christian World suffer even by Learned and I hope pious Doctors I. Because they will not distinguish National or Imperial Vniversality of Church and Councils from those of the whole World II. Nor Communion from Regiment nor Contracts from Laws nor a Regent Excommunication from a Renunciation of Communion by Equals III. Nor Divine Obligations to Concord and human demands of obeying Usurpers or the hurtful Agreements of an injurious Majority of equal Votes IV. And by their Deposing Christian Kings and Magistrates from their Sacred Power over Bishops in Church-Government and for Mens Souls as if they were made only for the base things of the World and Flesh and Priests only were trusted with Religion and Souls And Kings were not Heads of National Churches V. And their shameless calling them Adversaries to Episcopacy that would have one Hundred Bishops for one and are for the old three sorts Episcopi Gregis Episcopi praesides and Arch-Bishops and calling those the Episcopal part that put down all the Bishops in a Diocess save one As for your self I profess to be so far from Censuring any thing of you save these Mistakes that as I have long so I do still Love and Honour you as a Man fearing God and of a good and blameless Conversation as far as ever I Credibly heard And I thought the like of Bishop Guning though as it is with many Religious Papists his Opinions more prevailed against his Charity for that Mischievous hurtfulness in which he served the Subtilty of Sheldon and the fierceness of Morley and the Designs of Papal Courtiers But I hear that your Piety and Charity prevaileth against the evil tendency of your mistaken Doctrine Though Mr. Thorndike threaten England unless they Reform the Oath of Supremacy I confess I wish it restored and am Displeased with those Scots that have causelesly quarrelled with it and so helpt to open a Door to a Foreign Jurisdiction which the Kingdom is Sworn against Since the writing of all beforegoing I first read your two great Volumes of Canons and your Answer to Dallaeus In the Prolegomena of the first to my Grief I find you more express for an Universal Legislative Power and Foreign Jurisdiction than in your Sermon And yet not at all telling us where to have access to this Universal Soveraignty for Judicature out of the times of General Councils nor how to know but by believing your bare word what Councils are our Universal obliging Laws when you confess the vast difference of the Eastern and Western numbers nor how to know what our Religion is while we know not what be our Laws Nor how to know whether the Church be extinct when it hath no human Head by the Cessation of such Councils nor who must call them nor whence nor what is their Constitutive Matter only you say they must be called out of all the Christian World But need not all be there And will a Call make a General Council if the Men come not And can they come from all the Dominions of the Abassines Armenians Turks Persians Muscovites c. And who hath right to call them hath the Pope Or our Emperors or Kings what power hath he over all other Princes Subjects You confess they were called out of the Imperial Provinces And how few if any other Names are Subscribed But I am sorry that you still so contrary to all Evidence take National or Imperial Universality for Terrestrial Universality of Church and Councils I beseech you if we must be Papists let us be of the more reasonable sort that know where to find a Papal Monarch or Vice-Christ and not sent to seek a Church-Parliament Universal or Universal Aristocratical College that is no where extant in the World nor can be especially now the five Patriarchs are what and where they are How much more Rational to be Governed by the Pope as Patriarch of the West only till we can find out the Aristocratical Head But since the Empire was turned into many Kingdoms who can prove that those many must have all one Human Head But I am yet more sorry that you joyn with Hildebrand in making Princes to be but for the Body and Civil Peace and Bishops and Priests to be the Church and for the Soul Which God willing as I have oft done I shall fullier Confute in a Treatise for true National Churches proving that Christ hath made no Higher Visible Humane Church Power or Form And that Christian Kings are as Sacred Persons and Ministers of Christ as Bishops and Superior Heads of National Churches though the Power of the Keys belong only to the Clergy And that a true National Church is but a Christian Kingdom as such the King being the Head and Confederate Pastors and Churches the Subject Body The Second Part. The Stating of the Controversie and full Confutation of the Pretences for a Foreign Jurisdiction The CONTENTS CHap. I. The clear stating of the Controversie and Confutation of the Pretenders In 60 Propositions proving it a perjurious alteration of Government c. Ch. II. Why Parliaments and the Church of England before Bishop Laud were so much against such a Coalition with the Papal Church Ch. III. The said Coalition is not the way to Catholick Union Ch. IV. The Deceits that are pleaded for an Universal Humane Soveraignty Ch. V. A Foreign Jurisdiction by College or Counsels unmaskt Ch. VI. The Grand Consequential Case Whether it be lawful for Presbyters to Swear or Profess Obedience to those Bishops who profess Subjection to a Foreign Jurisdiction or for the people to own them Ch. VII Of the second part of the design to bring the Papists to our Churches as in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's days Ch. VIII Why it will not serve for a Coalition for the Papists to abate their last 400 years corruptions as Archbishop Bromhall maintaineth Ch. IX Whether the instance of the Apostles Church Government prove an Universal Soveraignty in man Ch. X. Many Questions about Councils to be resolved before we can take them for an Universal Aristocracy Ch. XI A Breviate of both the Aristocratical
Catholick Church and makes that the Body of the Pope which should be but the Body of Christ. 17. It is a certain means of Schism while thereby they separate that humane Society of the Usurper from all the Church that will own no Head but Christ. 18. This Idol Head or Vice-Christ in plain Pride setting up himself as the Governour of the World and setting the World together by the Ears about his Title by Usurping the Government over them must needs make it a hard question at least to Christians whether this Idol be not the Antichrist that is the Pro-Christ while he makes himself the Vice-Christ And especially when it 's considered what men abundance of the Popes have been and how much they have done against the Doctrine Worship Discipline and faithful Servants of Christ. 19. They have no way to give the World any satisfactory certainty who is Pope and who not How then can the World be ruled by him 1. They cannot tell whether the Electors or Consecrators be they that necessarily give him his Power or make him Pope 2. If it be the Electors they cannot tell us who those must be If any will serve the Turk may make a Pope And then ten sort of Electors may make ten Popes If it be tied to any one sort of Men the Papacy hath long been extinct for in some Ages the People of Rome chose with the City Clergy In some Ages the Neighbour Bishops and People chose In some the Emperors In some Cardinals And sometimes General Councils If God had appointed one Vnifying Head to his Church he would have determined who should choose him and told us how to know him If it be Consecration that maketh him Pope God would have authorized some to Consecrate him If any will serve some may Consecrate one and some another and some a third Every one may have three Bishops If it must be both a just Election and Consecration the uncertainty will be the greater when neither of them is certain And none can give Power but they that have it to give But Electors and Consecraters being Inferiors have none to give If they say that God only giveth the Power and the Electors do but choose the Receiver and the Consecrators invest him I answer It is so indeed in the true Colâ—ation of Church-offices and Power Whether Mr. Dodwell and such others will or not But that 's here all one as to our uncertainty Who is the Man 2. And this is no feigned case when in such a multitude of Schisms there have been two or three Popes at once and once six alive at once that were or had been Popes And these made Bishops and Cardinals and those Bishops made Priests and no man yet knows which of them if either had the right 3. And is it the Name of a Roman Bishop or the Thing that is necessary to the being of an Universal Pastor If the Name a Hundred may be so called And bare Names give not so great Power If the Thing how were those Bishops of Rome that divers Score Years did dwell in France and never did any Bishop's Work at Rome nor had Rome's Consent Might not one in Armenia have been as truly called the Bishop of Rome But if it be Possession that gives validity to the claim then the strongest hath the best title And they that have by turns driven out each other were all true Popes And who was Possessor when one was at Rome and another that carried it at last at Avignion or in Germany 20. Tying an Unifying Head of all the Church on Earth to Rome doth leave it in the Power of any Infidel or Arian that can get Rome to set a Head of the Christian Religion on the Church that is To un-church it destroy it or corrupt it For all that know the World know how ordinarily the Present Powers can prevail with their Subjects to Elect whom they please As Theodoricus and other Arians at Rome have done And if the Turk should conquer Rome how easily could he keep them from having any Bishop at all and so the Church were dead as headless 21. Yea Rome hath long been without any true Bishop And the Church is no Church without it's Constitutive Head In divers times of Wars Desolations and Persecutions yea long by the Disagreement of the Electors and many ages by the nullity of uncapable Popes some set up by Whores and Tyrants and some deposed by General Councils as Hereticks and yet continuing as Eugen. 4. And long much of Italy it self deposed the Roman Bishop and set up a Patriarch at Aquileia and took him for their Head 22. Yea it is certain by their Doctrine of necessary uninterrupted Succession that there is now no Pope nor ever can be For when so many false Elections Incapacities by Simony Heresie Schism Infidelity Councils Depositions have interrupted the Succession it can never by their way be restored 23. By all the Canons every City should choose their own Bishop And so Rome oft a Nest of Wickedness would be made the Mistriss or Head of all the World when as Cosmography is not so necessary to Christianity that all the World should be bound ever to know that there is such a place as Rome in the World And it were a strange thing that God should make it necessary to Salvation for them at the Antipodes and all the Earth to obey one City and him that they elect Was it ignorance or craft in Pope Zachary to Excommunicate one for saying there were Antipodes If he knew of no Men on the other side of the Earth he was unlike to Govern them If he perswaded Men that one half of the Earth was uninhabited that he might not be known to be no Governor of them it was vain Craft But it 's liker it was Ignorance He that would have more Proof may find enough in Dr. Barrow XXVIII The Pope by this Claim of Universal Government claimeth so much Power unjustly from and over all Princes on Earth as obligeth them all to take him for a Publick Enemy as one would do that should claim an Universal Monarchy and tell them on pain of Deposition they must be all his Subjects as the Pope doth on pain of Excommunication Deposition and Damnation None ever had the madness to dream of an Universal Schoolmaster or Physicion Gregory long ago made the claim of Universal Bishop to be a mark of Antichrist XXIX Christ bindeth all Christians to live in Communion as Saints as making up one Body Politick of a transcendent Species of which Christ is the Supreme Governor or Head This therefore is none of the Controversie between us All Christians are agreed that as many Members of different shape use and honour make up one Natural Body so do Christians that differ in Gifts Office and Grace make up one Body of Christ. And as every Member contributeth to the good of the whole Body so must every Christian to the good of
Who knoweth how many must come to make it a General Council § 9. Against what I have proved against Johnson alias Terret that Councils were General but as to the Orbis Romanus as National I never heard but one Objection regardable and that is out of Tâ—rrians or Pisanus Arabick Canons of the Council of Nice which place Ethiopia under Alexandria But 1. Dr. Beveridge and many others have told us how little credit is to be given to those Canons lately vended by ignorant unlearned Men. And is it credible that all the Eastern and Western Churches should be ignorant of them 2. Ludolphus in his new Ethiopick History labours to prove that the first planting of Religion in Habassia was by Frumentius and Edesius and that the old Writers mistook Habassia for India And if so Habassia could haâ—â— no Bishop at Nice and certainly had none there nor any to be subject to Alexandria save Frumentius whom Athanasius ordained and so by a voluntary Submission depended on him as a Child on his Father But whereas Ludolphus thinks Christianity was not in Habassia till Frumentius days because they had no Bishops or Pastors before I answer 1. His Conjecture that it was Habassia that Frumentius went to and is called India is uncertain 2. He confesseth the Ethiopick Tradition is that Christianity was there before 3. And it is not improbable that both agree viz. That the Eunuch Act. 8. brought Christianity thither but being a Lay man ordained no Pastors and so they had none before Frumentius 4. But whoever well considers the whole History of the Southern and Eastern Churches may easily discern that Habassia was never subject before to the Imperial Alexandria but began their subjection voluntarily to Dioscorus who had been Patriarch of Alexandria after he was Banished § 10. It is a dreadful Judgment of God that the Understandings of Learned men should be so far forsaken as to make the Major part of the Christian World not only the Pattern but the Law-givers to the rest renouncing hereby the common Experience of Mankind It is God's great Mercy that all Christians agree in the Essentials of Christianity else they were not Christians In Christianity we are united to them all But 1. Even among the Heathens few were Philosophers And among the Philosophers few sound and few of one Mind And others as well as Seneca said A wise man must be content with few Approvers The Multitude will not understaâ—â— 2. Even Nature maketh but few Men of strong Wits 3. Education giveth few Men the advantage of sound teaching and great helps and leisure 4. Few Men have patience to hold on in hard Studies till they digest the truth 5. Few Men escape the snares of Temptations to byass them to some corrupt opinions or way 6. Few Men escape the fleshly worldly inclination which ever followeth worldly interest 7. He would be thought no Wise Man himself who would refer a Controversie about the Translation of a Hebrew or Greek Text or a difficulty in Divinity Philosophy Astronomy Criticism c. to the Major Vote of the University or Ministers of England or Drs. either K. James had more wit than to make the Majority of the Clergy the Judges of his Translation of the Bible 8. We see among Godly Persons what various degrees of Knowledge and Virtue and consequently different Opinions there be 9. It 's actually known that most of the Churches and Clergy in the World are very ignorant and erroneous The Abassines Copthies Syrians Armenians Georgians Circassians Mengrelians Greeks Moscovites generally unlearned Ignorant men The multitude of the Parish Priests among the Papists are so And too many among the Protestants If King James had not chosen Six extraordinary men for the Synod of Dort there had been worse work there than was And must we condemn God's Law of Insufficiency to be the Universal Law that we may come under the Universal Legislation of such men as these Should we not rather pity and pray for the Ignorant erroneous Majority of Churches and study how the few that are wiser may help them into a clearer light And how should it be otherwise who chooseth the Clergy In a great Part of the Churches the Turk who is their Enemy chooseth them or as bad He receiveth into the Patriarchates of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Jerusalem unlearned Fellows that give most Money and they dare not displease him And all the Bishops of his Dominions in the entrance and exercise of their Office accordingly are liable to corruption by servile dependance on the Infidels In Moscovy and other Countries ignorant and barbarous or tyrannical Rulers choose them Among Papists and Protestants the Pope and Princes choose the Bishops and Lay-Patrons choose the Priests for the most part § 11. To Unite in Sin as the necessary terms of Universal Concord is foolish and sinful But to Unite in all that is held by the greater part of Christians is to Unite in much Sin Ergo § 12. It is only Vniversal Laws which are the Rule of necessary Vniversal Concord But it is only Christ's own Laws Proclaimed and Recorded by the Spirit in his Apostles and Evangelists which are Vniversal Laws Ergo it is only Christs own Laws which are the Rule of necessary Vniversal Concord I challenge all the Church Usurpers in the World to answer this Argument better than by deceiving words The Major is grounded on the natural Notice of Mankind It is Duty only which we speak of Duty is made Duty by a Law or Command of Authority Universal Duty must be made such by an Universal Law The Minor is thus proved No Universal Law can be made but by a rightful Vniversal Law-maker But there is no rightful Vniversal Law-maker but Christ Ergo no Vniversal Law can be made but by Christ. The Major is undeniable The Minor is thus proved 1. None can be a rightful Universal Law-maker but such as hath a rightful Vniversal Power of Government and that in Soveraignty For Legislation is the first and chief part of Soveraignty But none but Christ hath a rightful Universal Power of Government or Soveraignty Ergo Minor None can be a rightful Universal Governor or Law-maker to whom God never gave such Power But God never gave such Power to any but Christ Ergo c. None can be a rightful Universal Law-giver and Governor who is naturally uncapable of it But all on Earth are naturally uncapable of it Ergo c. If there be any rightful Universal Governor on Earth it is either a Pope or some Patriarchs or a General Council or the Pastors of all the Church on Earth diffused But it 's none of these Four as I have oft proved and am ashamed to repeat Chap. 4. The Deceits that are Pleaded for an Vniversal Humane Soveraignty § 1. THE great means by which the Popish Clergy have been themselves deceived and then deceived much of the Christian World are especially these following I. By a false Notion
of the Vnity of the Catholick Church As if it were Vnified by One Humane Political Soveraignty Monarchical or Aristocratical Pope or Universal Council which hath Power of Governing all Christians on Earth by Universal Legislation and Judicature and not only by Christ who indeed is its only Universal Governour II. By extolling Monarchy as the best means of Unity and so inferring the Papal Monarchy so did Carolus Boverius to our late King Charles in Spain As if Princes were so weak as not to distinguish a National and a Vniversal Monarchy Let them try this Argument with any Papist King on Earth Monarchy is the best Government Ergo there should be One Monarch of all the Earth whose Subject you and all other Kings must be and see whether they will be so fooled into Subjection III. By dreaming of such a difference between Civil Government and Church Government that though no man in his wits pleads for one Humane King or Senate to Govern the whole Earth by the Sword yet it is our Religion to be for and under One Soveraign Church Governour Pope or Senate of all the Earth whereas he is unfit to Govern one Church who knoweth not that It is more impossible for the whole Earth to be Governed by One Church Soveraign Pope or Council than by one King or Parliament by the Sword IV. By confounding the Universal Roman Empire and Church and the Vniversal World and dreaming that what is said of the first was said of the last and when the Church is called Catholick or Universal and Councils General only as to the Roman Empire they would perswade men that it 's meant of all the World V. By pleading that Possession which Pope and Patriarchs and Councils had in the Empire as if it obliged the same Countries to them when they are fallen under other Princes And by pleading to the same Ends all the Possession which Popes or Patriarchs or Councils have got by deceiving any Nations of the World VI. By mistaking the Nature and Extent of the Pastoral Office because as every Christian so every Pastor is related to the Universal Church therefore they gather that there is one College or Council consisting of all Bishops in the World the Pope being President who as an Aristocracy must soveraignly Govern all the Christian World by Legislation and Judgment As if because Physicions are Licensed to Practice any where in the Land as they are called therefore they might gather into a General Council and Command all the Land to obey them as Law givers in all Matters of Health and Physick and might invade the Hospitals at their pleasure And so all the Churches and Church Affairs on Earth must be governed by Priests of Foreign Lands VII By first mistaking and then falsly claiming Apostolical Power Because Christ chose a few whom he first personally taught his Will and then endowed with the Gift of Infallibility by his Spirit to Preach first and Record after his Doctrine and Laws to oblige all the World therefore they pretend that ordinary Bishops who had no such Spirit Office or Commission may also make Laws to bind all the World And when every single Apostle had this Office Power and Spirit but they yet a while lived together at Jerusalem till their dispersion they pretend that at Jerusalem they were a General Council and that all Bishops therefore may Govern as a General Council whereas the Apostles Mission was Indefinite and not Universal else they had sinned in not going into all the World And it was easie to Guide the Universal Church while it was almost all at Jerusalem or near them And their Office as to Legislation differeth from common Pastors as Moses the Legislator's did from the Priests who were but to govern by his Laws and not to make more VIII By pretending a necessity of Judging and Ending Controversies and therefore of having one deciding Judge or Judicature for all the World As if any would be so mad as ever to expect that all Controversies about the Mysteries of Supernatural Revelation and the unseen World should be ended in this Life As if Ignorance would be without Errour And is he a Man that knoweth not how little it is that the wisest know and how much Ignorance all Mankind is guilty of Have these Pretenders yet ended Controversies Are there not many Horse-Loads of Volumes of Controversies among themselves Have they yet written any Infallible or Determining Commentary on the Bible Did not St. Paul write Rom. 14. 15 c. for bearing with tolerable Differences Is it not the Great Wisdom and Mercy of God to lay mens Salvation upon a few plain things though a multitude besides remain as Controversies Christ will decide them all at the Great approaching Judgment And is there any on Earth that can decide them all that hath either so great Knowledge or so Universal a decisive Power Why is the Christian World these Thousand or Twelve hundred Years divided into Greeks Armenians Nestorians Jacobites Papists Protestants c. if there be a Humane Judicature to End all Controversies And are such Popes as reigned from a Thousand to Fifteen hundred and such Bishops as made up their Councils Men of Ignorance and Vice fit to end all Controversies on Earth IX In order to these Ends they make a great cry of the Sects and Divisions which are among Protestants to draw men that love Unity to come for it to the Church of Rome And first they impudently falsifie the History of the Matter of Fact and perswade Men that the Differences among Protestants are ten times greater than they are They have thus pleaded it to my face when I had a Pastoral Charge at Kidderminster where we were all of one Religion and lived in love and Peace and had not one separating Assembly in a great Town and Parish And where to this day they live in Piety Love and Peace and I hear not of one person that for any difference breaketh this bond of brotherly love and liveth in any opposition to the rest Yet Strangers are told that we are mad in religious Sects and Strife Indeed zealous people that account all the Matters of the World but trifles in Comparison of things everlasting do make a greater Matter of them than men of no Religion do If among them one or two turn to any dangerous Sect or Course it stirs up much censure and opposition when in undisciplined Churches corrupted like the common World multitudes in a Parish may abstain from Sacraments and in Coffee-Houses or at Visits familiarly talk against the Immortality of the Soul and against the Scripture and all serious Religion and it maketh no great noise An Act of Fornication once in many Years among chast religious persons is a Scandal scarce ever to be expiated when among known Stews it 's little talkt of Weeds are not suffered in a Garden But in the Commons who pulls them up And what wonder if they strive most about
and Jesus Christ which I add because some think they may lawfully be subject to those Bishops that are subjected only to Universal Councils or Church Parliaments so they do but disclaim the Roman Papacy X. Though some may think that subjection to a pretended Universal Council may stand with Loyalty to Christ because such a Council is a Chimera or Non Ens and never will be in the World and so can do no harm as one may be true to the King who yet Sweareth Obedience to an Assembly of Mortal Angels yet the case is otherwise For 1. These Men that profess Subjection to Councils cannot be supposed to take such Councils for Chimera's or things impossible without being taken for mad Men. Therefore it is not a true General Council but something possible that they mean And they use to say themselves or as General as can be well had So that such a one as that at Trent or as they will call General as they do the old Imperial Councils will serve their turn 2. And let them disclaim Popery never so loudly they mean still that the Pope must be the ordinary Caller and President of these Councils and the Chief Patriarch and Principium Vnitatis Vniversalis And so all will come but to a limited Pope instead of an Absolute One And is he not a Monarch though he must Rule by Law For they intend not that there be no Catholick Church all the time that there are no Councils and therefore they intend some Unifying Constitutive Executive Supreme XI Obj. But if we may not own a Bishop that subjecteth himself to the Pope or other Foreign Vsurper of Vniversal Government then if the King be a Papist it will follow that we must not be subject to him Which all Protestants confess to be false Ergo so is the Antecedent as of Bishops Ans. I deny the Consequence speaking only of such a Kings Religion Nero was a Heathen and it was lawful for Christians to be subject to him for Conscience sake But it was not lawful to subject themselves to Heathen Bishops a contradiction A Heathen may be Gods Minister to preserve the common Peace and Execute the Laws of God in Nature and the Just Subordinate Laws But the Office of a Bishop consisteth in another matter viz. In teaching the true Doctrine and Laws of Christ and guiding the Church by them and keeping out all that is against them And therefore no other man can be a Bishop that doth not this as to the Essentials If the King command us to be Papists we must disobey him But if he command us to do things good and lawful we must obey True Christianity is Essential to a Bishops Office but not to a Kings as King But if any put the Question Whether a Ruler of a Protestant Kingdom who taketh himself bound by the Laterane or other Council on pain of Damnation to destroy all his Kingdom that will not forsake their Religion be Publicus Hostis And whether by the Law of Nature every Nation have a right of self-defence against open Enemies I meddle with no such Cases as these XII To conclude I advise all Christians to live peaceably in their places but to take care whom they trust with the Pastoral Conduct of their Souls and not to be seduced to enter into a Confederacy against Christs Prerogative by any pretences of Humane Authority or Catholick Vnity which really are against Divine Authority and the true Unity of the Church in Christ For a thousand years experience even by our Bishops confession who own but the Six first Councils have told us by the sad confusions of the Christian World that such Pretenders to Unity in a Humane Universal Soveraignty have but caused divisions and offences contrary to the Apostolical Doctrine not serving Christ but their own bellies and by good words and fair speeches deceived the hearts of the simple Our Unity consisteth in One Head Jesus Christ One God one Body or Church of Christ one Faith one Baptism one Hope one Gospel and Universal Law of Christ and that we live in Love and Peace and Order in Learning and in Worshipping God in several Congregations under their respective Guides as consenting Volunteers and that the conjunction of such under Christian Kings makes Christian Kingdoms where by the Counsels of Pastors in their own Dominions they may keep that Church-Peace and external Order which is left to the trust of their determination and that in cases of need the Counsel and Help of Foreign Churches be desired and that Communion in Christianity be professed with all the true Christian World and that we wait for perfect Unity in Heaven But that Princes and Kingdoms be not brought under a Foreign Jurisdiction specially if pretended Universal instead of Foreign Counsel Communion Peace and Aid Chap. VII Of the second Part of the Design to bring the Papists into our Communion as they were in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign § 1. Dr. Heylin saith That this was much of A. Bishop Laud's design and that it was in order to this that he made the Changes which he made And Dr. Burnet saith That even Queen Elizabeth thought that if she could some how bring all her Subjects into one Communion tho' of different Opinions in one Age they would come to be of one mind And therefore she was desirous to have kept up Images and other such things in the Churches till the reasons and importunity of some Divines prevailed with her § 2. If this be done it must be either by the Papists turning Protestants or the Protestants turning Papists or by meeting in some third State of Religion between both or by continuing in the same Church-Communion without change of their Religion § 3. I. If the Papists come into our Churches by Conversion it is not then Papists but Protestants that come in There is no true Protestant that is not earnestly desirous of this But bare coming in to our Churches and Communion is not a renunciation of Popery § 4. II. That the Protestants should turn Papists for Union is not openly pleaded for by them that we have to do with The name of Papists they earnestly disown § 5. III. If it must be by meeting in some middle way it must be by a change in the Papists or by a change in the Protestants or both 1. If the Papists change any thing of theirs it must be either the Essentials of Popery or also the grosser errours and sins which are its most corrupt Integral part or only some mutable Accidents or lesser faults and errours 1. If the Papists hold still that there ought to be one Universal Soveraign Power of Legislation and Judgment under Christ on Earth and that either the Pope himself with a General Council or a Council where the Pope is President and Principium Vnitatis is this Soveraign this is the Essence of Popery continued 2. If the Papists should quâ—t this Universal Soveraignty and yet
hold their other grossest Errours as Transubstantiation Image-Worship Praying in an unknown Tongue forbidding to read the Scripture translated and such like They would be still Hereticks though not Papists 3. But if they only retain some tolerable Errours we should be willing to receive all such to our Communion 2. If the change must be in the Protestants what is it that they must change If it be any Truth or Duty which they forsake or any Sin which they must commit they cannot honestly so change But if it be any Errours or Sins that we must forsake that is a very desirable Change Some men do ignorantly charge some Errours on the Papists which they are not guilty of or lay the Errours of some few upon the most Some make Errours which are but de nomine to seem to be de re and lesser Errours seem great Some take divers Truths to be Errour And some are ready to call some lawful Customs of the Papists by the name of Popery and Antichristian Some would deny Papists the common Civilities and Liberties which are their due All such things as these we would have changed And if altering any indifferent Practice of ours would win them from their Errour to the Truth we should so become all things to all men to save some § 6. IV. But if Papists must come to our Churches whilst Papists without any other Profession of a Change 1. If it be but to hear Sermons which Heathens may do and if they voluntarily do it I know few that will be against it 2. But if it be to our Sacramental Communion I have these Reasons following against it § 7. I. Local Presence will make us really no more of one Church if different Religions make us uncapable than if we met at several places Turks and Hereticks are not of our Church if they should receive the Sacrament with us if they renounce not their Infidelity and Heresie if it be known II. The Bishops say now that the Conformists whose hearts are against Conformity are more hurtful and dangerous to the Church than the Nonconformists as using the publick Encouragements against them How much more will Papists be more dangerous among us than without our Churches III. It will be a Prophanation of God's Ordinance to give that Sacrament to an uncapable person And if they be forced against their will to Communicate the Prophanation will be the greater The Sacrament delivereth to the due Receiver a Sealed Pardon of all Sin and a gift of Christ and right to Salvation And unwilling Persons are utterly uncapable of these willing consent even to the forsaking of all for it being the condition IV. It must be gross hypocrisie and dissembling in the Papists to come to our Communion They take Protestants for Hereticks and Protestants take them for Hereticks And their Doctrine is against admitting Hereticks to Communion They must hear with us their own Doctrines and Practises condemned and they must hear ours asserted which they abhor And what Peace will this hypocrisie keep V. It will tempt the Preachers to give over Preaching against any of their Popish Errours when they know how offensive it will prove to the Auditors And so the Protestants also will be wronged VI. It will overthrow all serious true Church Discipline when our Church Communion is crouded with men that hold the same Principles which Protestants take to be Heretical and Treasonable against Christ and practise what they call Idolatry and are indeed of another Church and under a Foreign Jurisdiction How can our Church Governours censure and cast out any others that be not greater Sinners than these men whom they would draw in And what a Church will that be that taketh in all Sinners not worse than these VII How will it look in the Eyes of God and all just Men that our Church should ipso facto Excommunicate all those Protestants how Learned Pious and Peaceable soever that do but say that any thing in the Church Government Liturgy and Ceremonies is unlawful according to the Can. 5 6 7 8. and silence Protestants for scrupling Subscription or a Ceremony at the same time offer Communion to all the Papists that will accept it and come in VIII It will unavoidably cause a far greater Schism in the Church of England than hath yet been made For it will drive out the best if not the greatest part from its Communion Can they think that such men will Communicate with the Papists meerly because they come into our Churches who have charged them with Antichristianity and such a Mass of Heresies and Errours as have done Bishop Downame Archbishop Vsher Bishop Morton Bishop Hall Bishop Jewell Bishop Carlton Dr. Whitaker Dr. Willet and a multitude of such Will they joyn with them that have charged them with Idolatry as Dr. Reignolds Dr. Stillingfleet c. have done What though they commit not Idolatry in our Churches will that expiate the guilt of all the rest IX Will this do more to Convert the Papists or to Confirm them when they hold us to be no Church they will not take themselves to be Constitutive Parts of the Church they come in To tell them that all their Errours and Sins are no greater than are consistent with our Communion and when we shall tell them that their Roman Church is a true Church and we come so much over or nearer to them sure they will rather look we should come one step further than that they should come to us X. If we think it hard to keep out Popery now how much harder will it be when they are one Body with us and have the most familiar Conversation with us and stand on equal terms When masked and Church-Papists have served them most effectually For my part I fear no mans Censure for my open profession that I hate all Cruelty to Papists or by Papists and that I would have nothing done to their hurt unless our own necessary defence against their hurting us will hurt them And I am so far from desiring that they may be forced to our Communion either by the Writ de Excommunicato Capiendo or any other way that I would not give them the Sacrament if they voluntarily came to it without profession of a change of their Understandings Hearts and Lives If the two Parts of the Design Conjunct 1. Subjecting the Church and Kingdom to a Foreign Jurisdiction 2. And opening our own Church Doors wide enough for the Papists to come in and be imbodied in our Communion be the way to Cure or keep out Popery I confess I am mistaken in the way Chap. VIII Why the Papists abating their Innovations of the last Four hundred Years or keeping them to themselves will not make a Coalition lawful as Archbishop Bromhall thought § 1. AS to their keeping them to themselves and not imposing them on us it leaveth them still as guilty of Rebellious Heretical and Schismatical Doctrine as before and as Antichristian in Usurping
that those Popes were true Popes and continued the valid succession and were Governours of all Christian Souls whom General and Provincial Councils condemned as Simonists Hereticks Infidels Atheists or Devils Incarnate and yet that Councils are to be believed as the Proposers of our Faith § 23. VVe must believe that General Councils have Universal Jurisdiction when there are none such nor ever can be nor ever were § 24. VVe must stay for the ending of our controversies till we know that which cannot be known viz. what the Major Vote of all the Bishops on Earth Judge of them or till such Councils end them as caused them their continuance § 25. When we have such Infallible Proof of the Scripture History as we have of the former Kings and Laws of the Land by evidence of Natural certainty we must exchange it for the uncertain determination of Popes and Councils depending on their Authority Knowledge and Honesty And the Infallibility of these who in all their lives else do shew much fallibility And were either Pope or Council Infallible no man that is not Infallible himself in judging of their Infallibility and also in knowing what it is that they propose as de fide is ever the nearer an Infallible Faith § 26. They must make it necessary to us to know that the Greeks the Armenians and all oâ—her Christians who are twice as many as the Papists have some way forfeited their Authority and Credit or else how shall we know that they being the Majority are not to be believed before the Pope and his VVestern Councils § 27. They make more Cosmography and History necessary to Salvation than God made or Vulgar Heads are capable of The name of Rome is not in the Creed It is not necessary to Salvation to know that there is such a place as Rome in the World Much less to know all Countreys on Earth where Christians dwell and which of them are of this Opinion or that and which part hath the major Vote of Bishops and is to be believed If you say They are Nestorians Jacobites Greeks c. the People be not bound to know what any of these names signifie Chap. XII A humble Expostulation to the zealous Antipapists Conformists and Nonconformists whether they are innocent as to promoting Popery THIS is not written to cast on you any contempt or reproach I acknowledge that I take you for the best Ministry that any Nation on earth enjoyeth But it is to try if it may be to promote our common Repentance and to Reform the Nominal mistaken Reformation of those that have sinned by extreams which by the assumed name of Reformation have wronged God and Truth and mens Souls with the greater advantage and success But especially if it may be yet to stop such from a sinful progress that they may not ignorantly set up Popery by crying down the name and persons § I. We have not sufficiently considered how the Popes came to the Greatness that they have attained and how and by whom it is kept up I mean how much the zealous Godly Christians did and do contribute thereto 1. It was the great shame of other Churches by multitudes of Heresies Sects and Contentions that made Rome seem as a Post for those to hold by that had by turning round become so giddy that they could not stand 2. When the best Pastors were persecuted by proud Courtiers erroneous Councils factious Bishops and Arrian Hereticks because Rome had more Concord Quietness and Power they used to seek help from the Bishop of Rome in their necessity and he was ready to take the advantage by helping them to get the reputation of Supremacy So did he by Athanasius and Chrysostom and the Eastern Bishops under Valens and Constantius though Basil complaineth of the Western Bishops for minding them no more The Popes owning of Augustine and Prosper was a great help to him against Pelagius 3. When the Bishops under the Pagans had endured Martyrdom and Torments and Banishments for Christ their godly Flocks when Christianity had conquered thought none so fit for honour and power to govern and protect them as the tryed survivers And who could then be so fit And so it was first the most pious Christians that advanced the Bishops and over-advanced them And specially the Roman Bishops because very many of their Predecessors had been Martyrs and Confessors Tho' we had many able Lay-Magistrates here which Constantine had not quickly yet those that put down Bishops were glad that the Power of Institution and Induction and of Universities and Church Maintenance should be in the hands of Dr. John Owen Dr. T. Goodwin Mr. P. Nye Mr. Bridge Mr. Sydrach Sympson and such other And if the disposing of such advantages for Religion were now committed to Dissenters whom would they sooner chuse for Power therein than their most esteemed Pastors 3. When Emperors Kings and Lords did pill and oppress the poor Commons as in England in the Reign of William the Conqueror W. Rufus c. the Bishops were the only men that by the Power of the Pope were able to controul them and for the honour of their Office oft attempted it And therefore the innocent oppressed People were glad of the Pope's help and theirs to ease their yoke 4. It was the Godly People to promote Christianity and honour the memory of the Martyrs and Saints that bring in the Praying at their Graves and building Altars first and Churches after to retain the honour of their names and that carried and kept their bones and cloaths as honourable Relicts and recited their names in their Service and kept and honoured their Pictures and after prayed to them Much of that Superstition that is now most decried by us was brought by the most religious sort 5. Almost all the Societies of Fryers and Nuns Benedictines Franciscans Dominicans Carthusians Jesuits Oratorians c. have been set up by the most zealously Religious when any fancied a peculiar way of strictness the Bishops being against it they made friends to the Pope to give them his Licence to serve God in their own devised way and to have Government in their own Society without the Bishops controul And the Pope craftily granted it that they might all be his own and maintain his Power which they were necessitated to depend on So Dr. Goodwin and Dr. Owen told King Charles 2. that they desired of him but what the Religious Orders had of the Pope To serve God according to their judgment and hold their Liberty from the King and not to be under the Bishops or Presbytery More such instances I might produce to shew you by what sort of men much of Popery came in but Pride and Worldliness did most § II. I humbly desire it may be thought on whether some have not ignorantly given up the whole Cause to a Foreign Jurisdiction by their Prophetical Exposition of Christ's Epistles to the seven Asian Churches Rev. 2. 3. while they
are oft equal in Argumentation Greatly dishonouring Christ as if so near the end of the World the Albigenses and Waldenses and some Papists that found fault with the Papal Miscarriages had been all the known Church for Eleven hundred Years To tell the Mahometans that the Kingdom of Jesus after so long endeavours was scarce bigger than Wales is not the way to honour Protestants or Christ. And then they think to repair the dishonour by their Prophecy of the Millennial Kingdom which tieth the knot harder than before § X. Running from them into Errours on the other extream and spotting the Reformation with many such Errours hath greatly hardened and increased Papists Especially those Antinomian or Libertine Opinions that overthrow both Christianity and Morality and that which inferreth these which too many have promoted such are the wrong Opinions about Reprobation and the Cause of Sin and the extent of Redemption and the false sence of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness and of Justifying Faith and of the meaning of Works that justifie not and that to Believe we are justified and elected is to believe God's Word or is Fides Divina and that the Covenant of Grace hath no Condition and is made only with Christ and that both obeyed and suffered in our Person in Law sence so that we did in Law sence suffer in and by him and yet fulfil all righteousness by him and were reputatively sinless from first to last that therefore we are justified by the Law of Innocency or Works that condemneth us having perfectly kept it by Christ that our works being not meritorious are not rewardable Too many such Doctrines are Published here and abroad by such as Maccovius Cluto Cocceius and some before them And when Papists find one gross falshood they think all our Religion is such § XI It greatly confirmeth Papists when they find our Writers falsly to accuse them of any Doctrine which they hold not which is very ordinarily done by those that never read them on the meer credit of some Reverend Ministers that so accused them before For instance of the Point of Merit when men read their Books of Self-abnegation Annihilation Self-abasing and Nothingness renouncing Merit even in distributive Justice c. Some have wondered and said How much further are the Papists from trusting to or boasting of their Merits Works and Holiness than we are § XII But Protestants have no way promoted Popery more than by their manifold Divisions and Sects and their mutual enmity and miscarriages I need not name them God hath made Unity and Concord so necessary and amiable to Man that Nature and Grace abhor the contrary Satan is the Divider of Christ's Kingdom and a Kingdom divided cannot stand Multitudes turn and continue Papists not knowing where among so many Sects to fix their choice especially when they see and hear us Revile Censure Silence Imprison and Persecute one another as intolerable they think they may do so by us all and judge of us as we do by one another And to vilifie us is to value themselves Which Sect say they would you have me turn to if I turn § XIII Specially if we fall into odious Scandals as well as Sects the Crimes of Men seem the fault of our Religion When they have recited the Miscarriages here from 1642 till 1660. they think they have decided all the Controversies And also when they can recite the Munster Madness and others such § XIV Hath the Silencing of Two thousand such Ministers and shutting the Church Doors against desired Unity and Concord and keeping out Candidates and giving advantage to Papist Rulers to give full liberty for Popery done nothing to its increase What hath done more to advantage Popery by disabling Protestants and disgracing their Ministers of each Party and keeping up the hopes of Foreign and Domestick Enemies than casting the Nation into a kind of Intestine Hostility and keeping it so by the Dividing Laws and Canons which though it was principally the effects of secret Popish Projects yet had no Anti-Papists by false Prejudice Malice Revenge and worldly Interest had a hand in the effecting and since in defending it they had been more innocent And I would the Provocation had not driven many Nonconformists into harder thoughts of Bishops and Liturgy than they deserve or than they had before the experience of their usage But it 's hard when for Innocency and Duty men must lye and many die in common Jails and have all they have taken from them and be left to Beggary or Charity to keep up as great an esteem of the Authors or Abettors of such Hostility as if they were men of Love and Peace When they see men Hang'd for taking away a small part by Stealth or Robbery it must be more than ordinary Patience and Love that shall cause men to think and say no harm even by honourable and Right Reverend men that even by Law and Judgment said to be just shall take away all and much more than all We had not procured hatred by our importunity in 1660 and 1661. in Pleading and Petitioning to prevent all this if the certain foresight of it in its Causes had not seemed very dreadful to us And yet we do not see the End The Hostility continueth if not increaseth even while the Blood and Flames of Germany Hungary Transilvania Savoy Flanders and Ireland and partly Scotland loudly cry to us Fire Fire and instead of avoiding the like we are as busie as ever to bring more fewel and increase the flame And O dreadful odious Case All is as for God and Religion and the Church that is thus done against God Religion the Church and the whole Land our Posterity § XV. And by our several ways of Unjust and Causeless Impositions we have hardened the Papists in defending their more numerous Snares They say If an Independent Church may bind its Members to take their Covenants to submit to thei◠popular Examinations and Discipline to avoid Communion with the Parish Churches and not to forsake their Church but by tryed Reason or Consent And if a Convocation may impose what is done in England on terms so sharp why may not the Pastors and Councils that have greater Charge and Power do as much and more § XVI The Sectarian weak-headed part of Protestants have greatly advantaged Popery by their ignorant calling every Ceremony and Form and Opinion that they distaste by the Name of Antichristian and saying O this is Popish or taken out of the Mass-Book when some of them know not what Antichristianity is saving as every Sin against Christ is Antichristian nor know they what the Mass-Book is nor what Popery is And it s well if some knew better what Christianity is When men hear that a Bishop a Surplice a sumptuous Church Edifice a Ceremony the Liturgies a Holy-day and it 's well if not the use of the Creed and Lord's Prayer be Antichristian they are tempted to think
is so hard a work that it seldom goeth well down with any party to hear of their sins especially the most heinous because they are most frightful and odious But yet it is so necessary a work to Repent necessary to the sinners and necessary to this Land that a Dying Minister of Christ who daily lamenteth his own sin should not for fear of the anger or reviling of the impenitent omit so necessary a work while Danger and yet Hope seem to tell us that this is the time Having oft done it to the displeasing of many I will though it yet displease add this brief warning If the remembrance of the years 1643 to 1660. of all that was done in England Wales and Scotland against Order Peace Government Ministry sound Doctrine and Discipline by the Sectarian Army and the Antinomian Anabaptist and Separating Ministers and People that encouraged them and the fatal end they came to without any bloodshed to overcome them and the consequent changes I say if all this convince not the Separating Sectarian sort of professors that they have been heinously injurious to the Protestant interest and have ignorantly kept up the life of Popish hopes I know not what means can convince such men II. And if after all the Miseries of former divisions and uncharitable violence before and in the Wars those that have added the greater burdens and revengefully done what I love not so oft to mention by Laws execution and additional reproach upon Corporations Churches Universities Ministers and brought and yet keep the Land by resolved obstinacy in its divided dangerous sinful state and lock up their Church door against desired Unity and Concord and all this for nothing but to justify the revengeful changers and their own complying acts I say again and again if all this after the last thirty years experience added to all before seem to the guilty no wrong to the Protestant interest nor to the Nations Peace and Hopes nor any advantage to Popery nor any sin against Christ in his Servants the Lord take some extraordinary effectual way to convince heal and save so blind and obdurate a people for I see no hope of ordinary means The God of Peace have mercy upon an Ignorant Vnpeaceable World and prepare us by Faith Hope and Love for the World of Love and Peace Amen Postscript § 1. I Perceive some cannot digest it that a Christian Soveraign should be the Head that is the Forma informans specifica unifica of a National Church and that it is not said to be a National Sacerdotal Head either Monarchical in one primate or Aristocratical in several Metropolitanes or Diocesanes as one College Persona politica Or as Mr. Hooker Dr. Beveridge and the Republicane Politicians and most fanaticks think in the Major part of the Body ruling by their Representatives and chosen Proxies which is called a Democracy or mixt of these by natural right § 2. And if any thing with these men were strange it would seem strange that the same men that subscribe to or approve the Canons of 1640 for the Divine making or institution of Kings and that fill Pulpits and Books with Invectives against Rebels Fanaticks and the Parliaments Wars and many Writers of Politicks for holding that the King is singulis Major universis Minor and that the Power of the Head is from the Majority of the Body and that the Legislative Supremacy is in them radically as in the Majestas Realis derived to the King as the Majestas personalis should come themselves to build their Church Power on so rotten a foundation And that the poor Nonconformists long called Rebellious must now become against such Churchmen the defenders of the Soveraigns Power But such is the case of this blind giddy factious World § 3. According to my usual despised method I will distinguish the Controversie de re from that de nomine And I may say That de re all men are agreed of all these following things 1. That Civil Power in genere is of Gods institution and his Laws made their supreme Law and his Will and Glory their ultimate end 2. That as all are thus bound so Christian Soveraigns are both bound and qualified as from God and for God and therefore are sacred persons 3. That the forcing power of the Sword is only committed to Magistrates to be exercised FOR and UNDER GOD and by Christians for under Jesus Christ And therefore such Christian Princes are not to be called Civil as exclusive of Religious or Spiritual work but as exercising their power pro civibus for the good of their Kingdoms even religious 4. That God is the Author or institutor also of the Sacerdotal Office and hath specify'd it in his Word And that the Magistrate or the sacred Ministry can neither of them put down each other nor alter any part of either Office which God hath instituted 5. That it belongeth to the Sacerdotal Office or Clergy to be the official Preachers of the Gospel and to judge by the Power of the Keys who is fit or unfit for Church entrance by Baptism and for Church Communion and to Baptize and administer the Lords Supper admonish suspend and excommunicate from their communion such as deserve it and to absolve the Penitent 6. That the Priesthood or Pastors have no power to use the Sword by force on Body or Estate by Stripes or Mulcts nor yet to force or require the Magistrate to do Execution by the meer Sentence of the Clergy without trying and judging the Cause himself 7. The Pastors that the Magistrate chuseth for the care of his Soul may declare him unfit for Communion if by impenitency in gross scandal he deserve it but may not disable him from Government by a publick dishonouring Excommunication much less send such a reproach abroad in the Land or World 8. The Bishops and all the National Clergy are Subjects to the Soveraign as Physicions and Philosophers c. are And he is Governour over them in matters of Religion which belong to the determination of National Laws as well as in worldly things The Pastor as the Physicion is judge judicio privato personali how to use his own Art and Work and when and on whom But the King is Judge judicio publico of all that is to be the common Rule As that Physicions use no Poysonous Drugs take not too great Fees what Hospital he shall be over c. And so for the Ministry that they preach not Heresie or Schism and Strife that they neglect not their Work that they use a fit Translation of the Bible that they have due Maintenance Place c. 9. The Soveraign is Judge whether his Christian Kingdom shall be divided into Provinces Diocesses and of what extent they shall be or shall have one Primate or all particular Churches shall be equal or some Tolerated and Priviledged from the Diocesans 10. The King may make publick Laws for Family Religion that
part of it and the Parliament another part 3. And one whose Laws are for Popery or his power above Laws used by Commission and one who ruleth by Protestant Laws And so 1. A Kingdom under a total Popish Soveraignty ruling by Popish Laws or Mandates above Law is no Political Protestant National Church tho all the Clergy were Protestants The form that denominateth is Papal And yet it is not a Papal Church or Kingdom Because the matter is essential and its disposition without which non recipitur forma It is a Christian Church neither Protestant save equivocally nor Papist but mixt But if Bishop Morley and those Conformists that give the total Legislation and Soveraignty to the King alone be not in the right nor they that make it traiterous to suppose that the Kings Authority speaking by Law may be set against his Personal Will Word and Commission then the Parliament and Laws remaining Protestant the Kingdom and Church may ye be so called though not in the fullest sence Foâ— then the Laws being the Kings publick voice aâ—d the effect of a Power above his own alone 〈◊〉 them tho' he be a Papist he Ruleth as a Protesâ—ant But it is otherwise if his Commissions e. â— to the French or Irish to Invade the Land be â—bove Law and may not be resisted on any pretence whatsoever So great a stress lieth on this poiâ—t of Conformity § 14. But I will leave another case to the consideration of others â—f Metropolitans or Primates if Diocesans or Convocations be the summa Potestas Ecclesiastica and a Church be truly Societas Politica or governed Qu. Then what Religion was the Diocesan Church of Gloucester while Godfrey Goodman was Bishop Or the Diocesan Churches of Eli of Norwich of Oxford c. while Dr. Guning Dr. Sparrow Dr. Parker c. were Bishops Or the Church of England and Ireland while Dr. Laud Dr. Neale were here the Metropolitans and Dr. Bromhall Primate of Ireland § 15. As to the Learned Dr. now Bishop Stillingfleet that maketh the Church of England to have no visible Informing Constitutive Head or Soveraign but to be Governed by meer Consent of men Agreeing in a Convocation representing the whole body I am sorry I have said heretofore so much against it as if the Consent of all Writers of Politicks regardable had not been answer enough who agree that all Politick bodies are essentiated by the Pars Imperans or summa Potestas and the Pars subdita as the Materia disposita And I so much honour the National Church of England as that I shall not yet grant till it is further deformed That It is no Political Body but a meer Confederating Community likâ— a Confederacy of Kingdoms But if ever it come to that you may say that when the same Land hath many sorts of Confederate Clergies it hath as many Churches and which is the best I think is not known in France or Spain or Italy or here by the Major Vote nor hath Nature put a Ruling Authority in Major Votes of Lay or Clergy as born with them before Contract give it them by Political Constitution All 's well in Heaven The Lord fit us for it March 30. 1691. Since the writing of all this I have read Bishop Stillingfleet's excellent Charge to his Clergy which would give me hope not only of the continuance of the Protestant Reformation here but also of such a further Reformation as may procure our Concord or at last move the Law-makers so far to amend the Act of Uniformity as may procure it were it not that the deluge of the wickedness in City and Countrey and the paucity of Men qualified for his described Work and the Power and Number of the Enemies of it maketh me fear that it will die as unpracticable singularity But I humbly recommend to the Clergy the regard especially of these passages in it I. Pag. 12. Those that have the smallest Cures are called PASTORS and Linwood notes that Parochialis Sacerdoâ— dicitur Pastor and that not only by way of Allusion but in respect to the Cure of Souls but we need not go so far back What are they admitted to Is it not ad Curam Animarum Ask Dr. Fuller Dean of Lincoln then Whether it be Ministerial Truth to publish that Parochus was never called Pastor till the deliraâ—ion of this and the former Age. II. Pag. 25. I hope thâ—y are now convinced that the Persecution wâ—ich they complained lately so much of was carried on by other Men and for other designâ— than they would then seem to believe I am glad that you are convinced of it You are mistaken in us we believed it ever since 1660. But we know that it was Sheldon Morley Guning Hinchman Sparrow and many more such that were the great Agents of it in Court Convocation and Parliament I thank you for disowning it III. I rejoice to find it proved Pag. 37. that The Bishop is judge of the fitness of any Clerk presented to a Benefice which as it puts us in some faint hopes for the future so for the time past it tells the Bishops whose the guilt is of the Institution of all the uncapable Clergy IV. Pag. 40. He proveth that Visitations should be Parochial V. He comfortably purposeth to reduce Confirmation to its true use And tells Ministers their Duty of Certifying the Receivers fitness VI. In a word I intreat the Reader to compare this Charge with the Visitation Articles of Bishop Wren Pierce and such others and the Charge against them in Parliament and observe the difference and be thankful for so much April 3. 1691. FINIS (a) So they are even of that one Body of which Christ is Head (b) They are united in all the 7 terms of Unity required Eph. 4.4 5 6. They desire not to be of any Universal Body but Christs no more than under one Monarch of the World (c) Nor in Kingdoms neither under one Man or Senate But they have a better Union (a) They that Record his death say that he died in Rostok in his too hasty passage from Sweden towards is Wife then absent Quistorpius Pastor of Rostok being with him Yet this Bishop knew Grotius Who saith true I know not (b) How much that is see in their Patriarch Jeremias and in the Council at Florence (c) The very worst of Popery was brought in by Hildebrand long before four hundred years last And he that can receive all that their Councils brought in till 1256. need not stick at any of the rest save Transubstantiation We cannot obey the Pope as Patriarch and Universal Primate though he would quit the last four hundred years additions Nor think this a quitting Popery (d) Did the third tye us to the fourth (e) That was well put in But by whom Convocated (f) Over Councils (g) Did Christ make the Subjects of the Roman Emperors perpetual Law-makers to other Princes and all the World Or to that Empire when it 's