against all malignity that would charge these errors on the innocent for a cloak of hatred and cruelty and oppression that I know not one meer Nonconformist that holdeth any of these errors and I verily believe that the Independents that I am acquainted with are true servants of Christ and many called Anabaptists sober godly Christians and that some called Separatists retain Christian charity and meerly for fear of sinning flye too far from others And as for all the rest it is not mens calling them all Dissenters nor their suffering together that can make the innocent responsible for the faulty who perhaps do more against their mistakes than ever such Accusers did to cure them And I must tell the Abaddons that the opposition that hath been raised against them among those that I was acquainted with before 1641 and 1642 was caused chiefly by the badness of those that made it their trade to preach against strict and serious obedience to God as Puritanism and Hypocrisie and made it the Ladder of their aspiring Ambition to make such odious and to hunt with jealous severity those that used for mutual help in the ways of Salvation to pray together especially if they fasted or consulted how to obey Gods Law Justacting over the part of the Bps that Martin separated from described by Sulpitius Severus rendering all suspected of Priscillianism that were more than others in reading the Scripture Fasting and Praying and clapping on the back with encouragement the Drunkards and prophane ignorant rabble who in every Town were the haters of the godly Conformists and Nonconformists and making these the instruments of their malice and praising them and the multitude of ignorant reading Priests as more worthy Subjects than men fearing God Ri. Hooker in his Preface describeth these and he that readeth his Europae Speculum may know that it was no better Conformists that his most beloved Pupâ—l Sir Edwin Sandys was against while he was one of the zealous Parliamentarians It 's true that many were very hot against Bishop Laud and the Arminians and against Dr. Heylin and Dr. Pockington for proving Sunday no Sabbath and calling the Table an Altar and the Ministers Priests and the Sacrament a Sacrifice Blame not men that had read of their principles and practice how Rome is a Leech that must live on blood and cannot stand without it if they were afraid of coming thither again or drawing too near it Upon my knowledg the debauchery and malignity of many that hunted them and would not let them stay at home in peace and the terror of two hundred thousand murdered in Ireland was it that drove most that ever I knew into the Parliaments Army And fear doth often drive men to seek for self-defence to that which seemeth next at hand Had those whom they feared been such as their functions obliged them to be men of Holiness Love and Peace they would have been less prejudiced against the rest they bore easily with Dr. Chappel Mr. Mayâ—en and some other godly charitable men that were reputed Arminians I here adjoin it to my confessions 1. That I thought worse of that called Arminianism than I should have done and have proved in my Catholick Theology not yet writ against by any that I know of that the difference is not in any great and intolerable error on either side 2. That the practice of them that prophaned the Lords day and the malignity of their abettors made me too much offended at the books that called the Lords day no Sabbath and the Ministers Priests and the Table an Altar and the Sacrament a Sacrifice For I now know that these allegorical Names were usual with the best of the ancient Churches without contradiction And that the Lords Day is indeed never called the Sabbath in the New Testament and that the word Sabbath in the Bible signifieth a day of ceremonial Rest which was a Jewish Ceremony and that all such are by Paul said to be put down and that the Lords Day is a day of holy Assemblies and rejoicing in spiritual Evangelical Worship Ignorance and prejudice in these controversies prevailed not from argument but from the experience of the quality of too many that opposed them They thought it a most improbable thing that God should illuminate vicious worldly haters of Godliness and desert those that most desired to please him And of late times what abundance have been driven from the publick Churches by those that rail at them when they come there and would get the Birds into their Net by throwing stones and bawling at them and would get the fish to take the bait by beating the Waters The Bishop of Worcesters silencing me and preaching as he did and the imprisonment of many of the people after affected my old hearers with so much distast of that sort of men that all the Writings and perswasions I could use would not reconcile them nor scarce keep them from falling out with me for my perswasions And now they have a Worthy Pious preaching Bishop a Man of Love and Peace and a good Minister they all crowd the Church and are like to fall in love with such Bishops And I must testifie that with the generality of the Nonconforming Laity I never found but it was good preaching and good living that won their Love And they will honour and follow such men whether Bishops Conformists or Nonconformists XV. Since the writing of this I understand that some timerous persons have been afraid to communicate in publick or joyn with the Liturgy by hearing that some that have done it have been so troubled in Conscience that they have fallen into despair and a doleful state of trouble To this I answer 1. You shall never prove that I have perswaded any Minister to give Christs body and blood as a Drench to the unwilling or to make the Sacrament of Love the Instrument of Malice or Cruelty or a snare to strangle Souls It must be that Offence must come but wo to them by whom it cometh The old Church made men beg for Church-Communion if any withdraw from it and excommunicate themselves they did not send them to Goal for their Conversion to force them to say that they repent and to force them to Communion 2. But I must say that these Ministers or people that have so ill taught these troubled Souls by Doctrine or Example as to tempt them to take their Duty or a lawful thing for so deadly a sin are far from being guiltless of their Trouble Distraction or Destruction If any should make them believe that it were such a dangerous thing to pray by a Book to sing Davids Psalms to Communicatie with Presbyterians not to be rebaptized not to keep the Saturday Sabbath c. And then when he hath affrighted one to make away himself in melancholy despair should use this instance as an argument to affright away others also from their duty I should think that he were too blame This were
Heathens XXXV Obj. But the Vestry swears never to endeavour any alteration Ans 1. The Vestry was never empowred to give the sense of the Church herein 2. I never lived where any such things as Vestries were but in London unless you will call the Ministers and Church-Wardens the Vestry And what 's London to all England 3. If they are so sworn it is as a new thing since 1661. But then they are sworn whoever is for it never to end 〈…〉 in Popery nor destroying Dioceâ—ans but only not to alter 〈…〉 I doubt with mâ—re Officers than we wish continued 4. And whereas those that I now deal with say That indeed before 1640. 〈…〉 Churches and Pastors but now it doth by 〈…〉 Let it be considered that the Lawmakers are so far from professing any 〈◊〉 alâ—â—ratâ—n that it is only the Long-Parliament and the 〈◊〉 Alteratiâ—â— that they complain'd of and therefore sweaâ— Corporations Vestries Militia Nonconformists by the Oxford Oath and engage all Conformists never to endeavour any alteration So that they thought that it was the old Government that they setled And now all this great part of the whole Kingdom is sworn as I said against Popery and foreign Jurisdiction against Patriarchs and against putting down parish churches and pastors that they will never endeavour it by consent or execution of any mens commands The alterations made before these oaths were not essential XXXI I add one more argument That owning subjection to governing Diocesans as such nulleth not the suâ—ject Churches and Pastors else by parity of Reason Subjectionâ— to Arch-Bishops would null the Diocesan Churches and Bishops which it doth not do nor do you think it doth yea tho all Diocesans solemnly promise to obey their Arch-Bishops in their Consecration XXXII If you do know of any Minister that is for destructive Diocesans that will not nullifie the Offices of all the rest that never were of that mind or consent Yea if the Law so meant as you say but prove not you know how commonly Conformists say that the meaning of the Subscription and Oaths is only against Seditious or unlawful sorts of endeavour to alter Be this true or false it proveth that those men consent not contrary to their sense of the Subscription and so renounce not their Churches XXXIII Indeed the new Laws have made Ministerial Conformity much harder than it was before 164â— And also Lay Conformity with uâ— the Church-doâ—rs by the aforesaid Oaths and also Lay Conformity within the Church seemeth very hard in some particular Offices especially Baptismal Circumstances But I think the ordinary Communion in the Liturgy is better than it was before For 1. The â—pistles and Gospels are used after the new Translation which were used after the old 2. Divers Collects have some mistakes changed As on this day at Easter Whitsuntide when it was not on that day 3. The Minister is newly enabled and required to keep all from the Sacrament who are not ready to be confirmed that is that are not Catechized and ready understandingly to renew their baptismal Covenant which is a very great addition of power And if any practise it not that 's his fault and a neglect of execution of his power and when he puts scandalous Sinners from the Sacrament he may say As a Minister of Christ and Rector of this Church I judg you unmeet for its Communion and forbid it you And no more is essential to his Church Discipline in Excommunication It 's too true that the Exercise of this it clog'd with further Prosecution by him in the Chancellors Court which I think few will undertake And it 's true that such Ministers are required to publish the Excommunications of Lay-men past in the Bishops names tho it be according to such Canons as the 6 th 7 th 8 th c. But a man in Fetters is a man It changed not the Pastoral Office when Heathen Emperors persecuted it and when such Christian Emperors as Anastasius Zeno Basilicus Theodosius 2d Constantius Valens c. vexed or cast out those that were not of their Opinions It nulleth not the Office in Switzerland to have none but the Magistrates Discipline XXXIV The Objectors grant that If any Parish-Church shall by Minister and People consenting be formed according to the Rules of the Gospel they are true Churches tho the Law should be against them or command the contrary Ans 1. Much more then if the Law be for all that is essential 2. And doth not this say as much as I am pleading for Name me if you can any thing essential which all Ministers promise not at Ordination If any after renounce it the crime is personal Prove it before you say it and forsake him and charge not his fault on others I think you are not of their minds that say The Law bindeth every Subscriber and Swearer to the sense of the Imposers when he took it through mistake in another sense because they refused to explain it especially if he declared his sense Much less doth it bind him to your sense against his own XXXV But then say the Objectors such Churches are Dissenters as such you joyn with them and not as setled by Law and so it is but a Conventicle and is excommunicated by the Canon or you excommunicated for saying it is a Church and joyning with it Ans 1. What if all this be true Doth it follow that I must separate from it Are not your private Churches more unquestionably Excommunicate c. by the Canon and yet you separate not from them Can you see but on one side 2. But your Affirmation proveth not that the Law nulleth such Ministers or Churches as use the Liturgy and subscribe in the favourable sence tho it should prove a mistake It must first be tryed and judged to be a mistaken sense and even where they strangely Excommunicate ipso facto the fact must be proved and declared by the Judg before Priest and people are bound to Execution tho the Law be loco sententiae the 〈◊〉 being proved and declared no man is bound to do Execution on himself 3. I would seriously advise these Brethren to think Whether all good Christian Men and Women are bound to study the Laws of England before they may resolve what Church to â—â—mmuniâ—ate with yea whether they must be all so well skill'd in Law as to decide these Law-controversies that you and I are not agreed in and Lawyers themselves do ordinarily differ in that is Whether by Law the Parish-Churches and Pastors be changed and nâ—lled and Diocesses be made the only Churches â—â—simae species Must all forbear Communion till they are so good Lawyers Why may it not suffice to know Christs Law and to profess to obey it and to do nothing against it willingly He that will promise to Communicate with thâ— Church but as it is established by Law should have more skill in the Law than I have to know how it is established and every
I confess one man may possibly live under so intollerable a Minister as is not to be owned And even some of the high adversaries of Nonconformists seem of this mind and break the Canon and having Pastors who they think do not heartily confâ—rm â—ut plead for Peace and Moderation they revile them as Trimmers and will not Communicate wiâ—h them but go out of their own Parishes and thousands seldom any where Other circumstances also may vary mens cases â—ut some Objectors at last tâ—ll us that the great difference which they mean is differeâ—t light Tâ—e â—ld Martyrs Reformers and Nonconformists had not so much light as we and so it wâ—s not thâ—â—r sin but greater light being now mâ—râ— common it will be a common sin to jâ—yn in the Liturgy Ans 1. It is ordinary and easie for men to magnifie their own understandings but Gods Law was then the same as now and they were bound to know it Their ignorance might make sin less and stripes fewer but could not make it none 2. I have many Reasons to think that it is your light that is lâ—ss and the old Nonconformists and Conformists in this that was greater 1. That is the greater light that most agreeth with Gods Word and thâ— universal churches practice accordingly 2. The writings of the old Nonconformists yet extant give better reasâ—ns than the seperatists did and therefore had clearer light What vast difference is there in the writings of Ball Hildersham Amâ—sius Manuductions Gifford Paget Bradshaw c. on that part and Johnsons Cans Penrys c. on the other 3. The Theological writings and labours of the Nonconformists in all other points shewed that they were men of incomparable more light than the Separatists and is it like that God would give men such rare light only in church communion that had so little comparatively in the rest of Divinity except Ainsworth's skill in Hebrew in other things by Paget laid too naked how few old Separatists have left any considerable fruits of great light unto the church Read the writings of Cartwright Dudley Fenner Hildersham John Reignolds Dod Perkins Baiâ— Parker Ames Bradshaw c. Besides Scots and all Foreigners such as Calvin Beza Zanchy Sadeel and hundreds more and compare these with the Writings of the Separatists and judg who had greater light 4. Since 1660. all the London Ministers and others with them tâ—at offered the King to set up in the parish churches the old Liturgy with some alterations were men except my self who shewed in their Writings and preaching as much light as the Separatists have shewed even Brown or John Goodwin himself that wrote Prelatical Preachers are no Teachers of Christ Where do they now shew greater light than others this boast to me deserveth pity more than confutation Anabaptists and others say the same but I find much less light in them both when I read and hear them tho I truly love and honour all that is good in them If you have so much more light than we and all the Reformed churches shew it us in other excellencies XLI But I must more particularly consider of this Authors Allegation of my own words against me especially my Treatise of Episcopacy And I do heartily thank him for calling me to review it For 1. I profess to write nothing which may not be amended And 2. If mens misunderstanding turn my writings to a snare and scandal it greatly concerneth me to remove it by explication or by retractation of any thing that needeth it And 1. I do find that I have incautelously given some occasion to the mistake for thol entituled my Book not against Diocesan episcopacy but against that sort of Diocesan churches Prelacy and Government which casteth out the Primitive church spâ—cies of â—piscopacy Ministry and Discipline and tho to avoiâ— mistake I said in the Preface I â—ere give notice to the Reader that whenever 〈…〉 me speak as against the English Diocesan Prelacy I mean it as described by Cosins and Dr. Zouch and as relating to the Et câ—tera Oaths and 〈◊〉 and not in opposition to the laws of the Land Yet all this was not enough to avoid misunderstanding Indeed I took the church Government to be described and judged of by the churches own sentence more than by the â—â—w and I had read the said Et cetera oath and canons with the words that so it â—ught to stand which I think could mean nothing less than that so by Gods Law it ought to stand and I had read the old canons 6 th 7 th and 8 th Which exâ—ommunicate ipso facto all men withâ—ut excepting Lâ—rds or Parliament Mâ—n who affirm that any thing in the church Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons and THE REST that bear office therein is repugnant to the Word of God And I read the canons that forbid Ordained Ministers to preach till they are further licensed by Bishops yea and in the church or elsewhere so much as to expound any Doctrine or Matter but only to râ—ad Scripture and Homilies c. with much more like this 3. And then I took the stated restraint of the Ministry with Lay-chancellors and officials decreâ—ive power of Excommunication and absolution and the foresaid Civilians denying all Gâ—venment to Presbyters to have been quoad exercitium quantum 〈◊〉 at least an overthrow of parish churches Rectors and discipline 4. And I thought that the Bishops and Chancellors could never have so long done all this and ruled by these canons if the Law had not been on their side 5. And I thought that the Authors of the canons of 1640 being a câ—nvoâ—aâ—iâ—n it was to be called the Church of England and specially when I found the most highly honoured Doctors pleading there was no Bishop but Dâ—â—cesan and no church without its proper Bishop By all these inducements with long sad experience I oft speak so incautelously calling this the English dâ—â—â—â—san frame that the Reader might easily think that I meant it was that frame that was setled by law whereas having read â—ryn Hâ—ntley Leighâ—â—â— and others that deny the law to be for it and being my self a stranger to that case of Law I should have more fully separated the Law case from the new convocation case and much more from the destructive Innovators case who nullified the foreign churches with whom it was that I disputed and specially considering that the canons and oath of 1640. were aâ—ter cashier'd by Parliament and never since restor'd no not by the Parliament of 1662. Upon all this 1. I retract all words that seem to determine the case in Law if any such be there or that by darkness tend so to the Readers error 2. And all words that make the writings of superconformists and subverâ—ers or changâ—rs of the church government or the canons of the convocation 1640 to be the sense of the Church of England when it is said that before its sence was otherwise and alteration is now abjured
for another yet agreeing in the same ordinary external Communion one part may be called national as well as the other The question is de â—omine the name equivocal from diversity of relations I own 1. A Christian Kingdom 2. I own a national association of Parish Churches and Pastors 3. Tho these submit to Diocesan superiority and be parts of a Diocess but true single Churches I do not therefore separate from them 4 A national Church headed by one constitutive pastoral Head I disown call which you will the national Church But saith he of his approved parish Church P. 14. Such a Church aâ—â—iâ—meth to it self all that pastâ—ral pâ—wer that in pursuance of Canon and Statute Law is fixed in the Bishop Ans Incogitantly spoken Do all Independents assume the power of Ordination Jurisdiction over others Citations Licencing Subspendings Degradings silencings instituting inducting c. which are so fixed on the Bishop If none of this be pastoral power then the appropriating it is no depriving parish Ministers of pastoral power and to be under Magistrates power nulls not the pastors XLIX What he saith about unlawful terms of Communion p 21. c. in the instances of kneeling putting off the hat standing up c. I answer 1. The Author all along seemeth to forget that I am not accusing him not telling every man his duty but only giving the Reasons of my own and such others practice so they make a long ado to vindicate him whose Manuscript I answered and say His question was only whether it be lawful to communicate with the churches as setled by Law and not in other respects When I ever told them I meddle with none of their Questions but my own viz 1. Whether I and such other do well or ill in that communion we hold with the Parish Churches 2. Whether all Protestants in England are bound in conscience to renounce and avoid Communion in the Liturgy with all Parish Churches and Chappels and rather to give over all church worship I only gave my Reasons why that Manuscript divulged and boasted of as unanswerable changed not my Judgment and I answered that in his Arguments which went further than the question put by them and assaulted my own assertions having before in my Christian Directory and cure of Church divisions without naming him fully answered his printed Reasons to prove it unlawful to use an imposed form or Liturgy especially because Ministers must use their own gifts But if any man believe that it is a sin to communicate kneeling or standing or sitting unless he lye down as Christ did or at any time save at a feast or supper or any where save in an Inn or an upper room or with any women or more than twelve or if they think it sin to kneel at prayer or be uncovered or to sing Psalms in our Metre and Tunes whether these men should separate from all the Churches that will not receive them in their own way or how far they do well or ill that will not let every man do what he will is none of the case that I have before me It will not follow that I must separate from a Church that bids me kneel and be uncovered c. because you take it to be sin put not your measures on all others And here because same maketh Mr. Faldo the Author of the Vindication which I answered that I may so far vindicate him as to shew that it 's â—earce likely I ask whether if Mr. Faldo did well as a pastor to keep up a church at Barnâ—â— many years which would not endure the singing of a psalm of praise to God but constantly forbore it tho his Judgment was against them besides that many of them were not only against Infant Baptism but fâ—rther differ'd in other things was this communion more lawful or laudable than with honest parish Ministers in the Liturgy Did he the whole office of a pastor What if the Bishop had forbid him to sing â—salms Is not the Church State more concerned in the whole congregation than in an absent Bishop what greater omission or defect is there in many Parish-Churches I again say that I am so far of the Judgment of Hildersham John Ball c. that I had rather joyn caeteris paribus in a Church that useth the Psalms Chapters and all the Lords-day Prayers in the Liturgy before Sermon than one that only giveth us one Psalm or none and a Pulpit-prayer and a Sermon without all the rest of Church Worship L. I will conclude all with repeating a little of the Explication of my misused writings I. The pastoral Oversight of the Laity by the Elders or Bishops of the several Flocks is of Christs Institution and belongs to all true Presbyters And tho in necessity it may be done by divers transient Ministers pro tempore most regularly every Church should have it s stated Pastors II. Where such Churches are large the work requireth many Ministers where each one hath but part of the Charge III. Reason and Church-consent among these made one a President over the rest and called him the Bishop pecularly if it were in Marks days as Hierom saith it was in John's And tho this be not essential to a Church it is lawful and fit and at last it grew to so great a Reputation and Opinion of necessity that all Churches had such Bishops and gave them a Negative voice and ordained not without them and defined Churches as essentiated by Relation to them Ecclesia est plebs Episcopo adunata If now such men as J.O. Mr. Nye Dr. Goodwin c. should have in one Church six or seven young men of their own training up to be their Assistant-presbyters I do not think an Independent Church would take it for any crime that he should have a Negative voice in acts of Order and Discipline or that they should ordain Ministers therein without his Consent IV. By degrees single Congregations increased to as many as our great Parishes that have Chappels and tho still they communicated in the chief Church at some special times of the year they ordinarily met in divers places and the Presbyters officiated some in one meeting and some in another at first whosoever the Bishop daily sent but after their particular Tyths or Chappels were assigned to each yet all together were esteemed but one Church governed by one Bishop and his Colledg of Presbyters V. When they increased yet more and more fixed Chappels were assigned to fixed Presbyters but not as distinct Churches but parts of the Diocesan Church tho at last they were larger than one Bishop and Colledg could guide according to the first Institution VI. Yet long every Christian City had a Bishop and Church and every incorporate big Town like our Corporations or Market-Towns was called a City not because it had a Market as a reverend Slanderer seigneth me to lay but because Custom the master of Language called all Corporations and great
Catechism the Râ—fâ—rmatio Legum Ecâ—les the Canons and the licenced books of the Protestant Bishops and Doctors such as Arch-bp Cranmers Bp. Hâ—â—pers Arch-bp â—arkers Arch-bp Grinâ—als Arch-bp Abbots Arch-bp Edward Sandys Arch-bp Whitgift Bp. Pilkâ—nton Bp. Jewel Bp. Ally Bp. Babingtâ—n Bp. Mâ—rtâ—n â—p Hall Bp. Davenant Bp. â—rideaux Bp. Brâ—wnâ—ig B. â—otter Bp. Miles Smith Bp. Carlâ—on Bp Bayly Bp. Parry Bp. Câ—wper and many more such besides those in Irâ—land aforesaid And such â—rs as Dr. Whâ—taker Dr Field Dr. Crakenthâ—â—pe Dr. Sutlive Dr. Masâ—n Dr. VVhite Dr. â—iâ—y Dr. Chaloner Dr. VVard Dr. VVillet Dr. Holland and abundance more besides all other old licenced Writers I think that all these do fitlier notify and denominate the Church of Englands Judgment than the Writings of one Irish Arch-Bp and Dr. Hammond and Dr. Gunning since Bp. and a few more such in the points wherein they differ from the rest tho Grotius and their Chaplains be added to the number And now I will add this further evidence in the conclusion besides that as I said before the present Laws put us to abjure alterations and therefore sure they never thought that they so altered the Government themselves that even while they say that the Parishes are no Churches but parcels of Churches and the Priests are no Bps. of the Flock most really acknowledg them the thing that deny the Name And the argument from the definition is stronger than from the Name And here I will but name first the Scripture descriptions of a Bp. and 2. Dr. Hammonds exposition of those Texts 3. And the matter of fact among us The first part of the Bps. office is teaching the flock Under this teaching part 1. the Bishops office is to preach to them 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight Or Episcopacy thereof c. Dr. Hammond The Bps. of your several Churches I exhort Take care of your several Churches and Govern them c. Qust Whom doth the Law require to do more in feeding and guiding the flock The Incubment that preacheth daily or the Bp. that never seeth the most nor ever preacheth to one Flock of many Who are they that are among the Flock the Incumbent that dwells with them or the Bp. that is a stranger to them 1 Thes 5.12 We beseech you brethren to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves Dr. Hammond Pay your Bps. as great a respect as is possible for the pains they have taken among you Qust Who Laboureth among them most in the several parishes publickly and privately The Bp. that never saw them or the Incumbent that layeth out all his Study and Time on them Who are most among them Who most admonisheth them What is meant by among themselves Is it that Lincoln shire Leicester-shire Northamton-shire Buckingham-shire be at peace among themselves from Gainsborough to Oxford-shire or is it not rather that neighbour Christians that see each other so live in peace 1 Tim. 5.17 The elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they thaâ— labour in the word and doctrine Dr. Hammond Let the Bps. that have discharged that function well receive for their reward twice as much as others have especially those that preach the Gospel to whom it was news and continue to instruct congregatons of Christians in setled Churches Quest On whom doth the law impose most preaching On Bps. or on parish Priests And who doth most of that work Heb. 13. Remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God Dr. Hammond Set before your eyes the Bps. and governours who have been in your Church and preached the Gospel to you Quest Ask the parishes who those be 2 Tim. 4.2 I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judg the quiâ—k and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and dâ—â—â—rine Not only Dr. Hammond but all that are for Prelacy expound this of a Bps office Quest Ask the people who most performs it 2. The Bps Office is also to watch over all the Flock personally by conference instruction counsel admonition exhortation reproof comfort as every one shall need Saith Bp. Jer. Taylâ—r Pref. to Treat of Rep. No man can give account of thâ—se that he knoweth not Acts 20.10 28 31. I taught you publickly and from house to house Take heed tâ— your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bps to â—eed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears Dr. Hammond Instructing both in the Synagogues and the private Schools and in your several houses whither I also came Wherefore ye that are Bps. or governors of the several Churches Look to your selves and the Churches committed to your trust to Rule and order all the faithful under you Quest Is this done more by the Diocesans or by the Incumbents Do Diocesans teach from house to house from Southwark to Christ-Church from Nâ—wark to Alesbury or Tame Who doth the law appoint to warn every one in the Church from house to house and night and day c. Col. 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as those that must give account Dr. Hammâ—nd Obey those that are set to rule over your several Churches the Bps. whose whole care is spent among you as being to give account of your proficiency in the Gospel Qâ—st Is it the Diocesan or the Incumbent that the law requireth to preach to and warn every man c. And that watch for their Souls as those that must give account Is not the incumbent of this or that parish fitter to watch and give account of each Soul than the Diocesan for a whole Country or many Counties who never saw them Can he do as Ignatius's Bishops that must take notice of all the Church even Servants and Maids 3. The bishops office is to be a visible example to all the flock of Humility Meekness Patience Holiness Charity and good Works Heb. 13.7 Remember them who have the rule over you who have spoken to you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversations Dr. Hammond Set before your eyes the Bishops observe their manner of living Quest VVho can observe his example whom he never saw nor know Or who can make an unknown man his pattern Do the flâ—cks see more the Incumbents example or the
Diocesans It is their example that sak to them thword of God that the Apostle sets before them And who be those Perhaps it will be said that Fame may tell the Diâ—cess of the example of their Diocesan tho they see him nâ—t I answer 1. But the Text speaketh of those that preach to them Fame may as well tell us of the good works of any other bishop as of the Diocesan Many bishops in London live near us it may tell us of any other good mans life What is this to the Text 1 Pet. 5.3 Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being examples to the flock Dr. Hammond VValking Christianly and exemplary before them Q. VVhat Before them that never knew them nor could do Doth the Diocesan or the Incumbent more walk as a known example before the Parish flock for their imitation 4. It is part of a bishops office as a general Minister not only to teach the Church but to preach to those that are yet no Members of the Church Matth 28.19 Go and disciple me all nations 1 Tim. 5.17 They that 〈◊〉 in the word and doctrine Dr. Hammond To preach the Gospel to whom it was nâ—ws Acts 26.17 18. To whom I send thee to â—pâ—n their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the pâ—wer of Satan unto God c. Not that fixed Pastors must wander to do this as unâ—ixed Missionaries but within their reach Hence Dr. Hammond noteth out of Clemens Râ—m That they are made Bishops over the Infidels that should after believeâ— And bishop Dâ—wname saith that the City and Territories are their Diocesses when the Christians were but few and as Dr. H. saith But one Congregation whicâ— one bishop only with a Deacon or two served So that either a Diocess was no Church or it was a Diocesan Church of Heathens save that Congregation Our great Parishes that have 70000 or 60000 or 40000 or 20000 souls have not the sixth part that I say not the tenth so many Communicants Who is it that preacheth most for the Conversion of the rest Atheists Sadduces Infidels Hereticks Bruitists and impious ones Is it the Diocesan or the Incumbent Who doth the Law most require it of 5. It is part of the Boshops office to Catechize or Teach the Novices that have need of milk and are as Children in danger of being tost up and down and carried to and fro with every wind of Doctrine See Eph 4.14 15 16 Heb. 5.11 12. With Dr. Hammonds Paraphrase Quest Doth the Law and Church lay more of this on Diocesans or parish Pastors 6. It is the Bishops work to defend the truth against gainsayers and confute adversaries and stop the mouths of Hereticks Infidels and other enemies as is confest by Dr. Hammond on many Texts to Timothy and Titus as 2 Tim. 2.24 25 c. Not by force but by evidence of truth And doth not the Law and Church lay more of this on the Incumbents than the Diocesans who are not Uâ—iquitaries II. The Second part of the Bps. office is Guidance and officiating before the Church in publick worship in subordination to Christs Priesthood 1. By confessing sin and to be the subintercessor or the mouth of the Church in publick prayer thanksgiving and praise to God 2. In Consecrating and Distributing and giving in Christs Name the Sacrament of Communion 3. To bless the Congregation in the name of the Lord c. All these Dr. Hammond maketh the Bps. office and so doth the Scripture and so did Justin Martyr Tertullian c. Citations in a confessed case would but be tedious Quest. And who doth this most in all the Churches Who confesseth sin prayeth for mercy praiseth God administreth the Lords Supper blesseth the people c. The Bp to many hundred Churches or each Incumbent to each Church And on whom doth the Law most impose it And what doth the Diocesan in it more than any one of the rest 2. Dr Hanmond on Acts 2. And Acts 4.33 34 35. Sheweth that it was the Bps. part to receive all the offerings of the Communicants and all the tythes and first fruits c. Who doth this most The Diocesan in all the Parishes of his Diocesse or the Incumbents 3. Dr Hammond and many old Canons before him tells us that the Bp. was out of the Church flock to take care of all the poor orphans widows strangers Deacons were herein but servants under them Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor 12.28 The supreme trust and charge was reserved to the Apostles and Bps. of the Church But the poor will starve if the Incumbent with his assistance do not more in this than the Diocesan 4. It is the Bps. office to visit the sick Jam 5. Call for the elders of the Church and let them pray over him c. Dr. Hammond in v. 14. Because there is no evidence whereby these may appear to have been so early brought into the Church that is Subpresbyters and because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural doth as way conclude that thâ—re were mâ—re of these elders than one in each particular Church and because elders of the Church was both in the Scriptures style and in the first writers the title of Bps. and lastly because the visiting of the sick is anciently mentioned as one branch of the office of Bps. therefore it may very reasonably be resolved that the Bps. of the Church one in each particular Church are here meant Quest Is it the Diocesan perhaps 50 Miles off that the sick must send for or that the Law and Church impose this on to visit the sick and pray over them c. or is it the Incumbents III. But the great doubt is who hath the Power of Government and who actually governs not by the sword but with the Ministerial Pastoral Government And here it must still be remembred 1. That this particular power of the Keys or Government is only by the word of God opened and applied as Bp. Bilson hath proved and is commonly confessed some call it Perswasive some Directive some Doctrinial But it is not such meer direction or perswasion as any man may use to another but such as is the part of one commissioned to it as his office An Authoritative perswasion and a Judicial decision as by an intrusted steward of Christ but only on Conscience and on Voluntiers and not by any power to exercise force on body or purse 2. That Governing and unjust restraining this power is not taking it away from the Pastor and laying penalties on men for exercising some part of that which Christ hath given doth but bind men to bear that penalty when the exercise is necessary Now let us consider wherein the Governing Power doth consist 1. It primarily consisteth in judging who is capable of Baptisme and so Baptizing them This is the first and great exercise of the Keys and that 〈◊〉 foro exteriore To judge who shall be taken publâ—ckly for a Christian and in
destroy it but their sin may consist with the true office that is hindred If we cannot pray without penalty we are yet bound to pray And if any such penalties should prevail with any Ministers to cast off so much of Discipline as is indeed their duty their office is so far destroyed as to its exercise But it is not every ill Council Canon Bishop or Priest of old when they began to be corrupted that changed and nullified the Pastoral Power and Office as from Christ I have repeated things over and over here because I would not be misunderstood nor leave a snare behind me to mislead men The sum again is 1. The Pastoral Office in specie is instituted by Christ and his Spirit therefore the essence of it is unchangeably fixed by him and no Bishops or Churches may change it by pretending they may give Presbyters as their servants what degree or kind of power they please or make the office another thing II. The said office in mutable accidents or circumstances may be altered by Princes Laws or the several Churches Agreements and thus far it is humane Of the Divine sort was the Apostolick and other extraordinary Prophetick offices And the ordinary Presbytery commonly called Priesthood and Elders setled over particular Churches were Episcâ—pi Gregis Bishops over the flock And of the humane sort is the Presidency of one in every single Church over the rest of the Presbyters who was the Episcopus Presbyterorum a Bishop over the Presbyters of one single Church as well as over the people This was the old Episcopacy of the first three Centuries this is it which I say our Diocesans have put down and we that would have them restored and would have such a Bishop and Assistant Elders in every Church are by the heighth of impudency said to be against Bishops because we would have them restored to each Church tho not as essential to it as hath been thought of old yet as a way of peace to comply with Antâ—quity and avoid singularity and they that put down many score or hundred Bishops and instead of them would have but one call themselves Episcopal III. Whether Arch-bps Diocesans as successors of the Apostles in the ministerial care of many Churches by the word and not the sword be of Divine or Human Institution I am in doubt IV. The cogent Power by the Sword is only the Magistrates and if Diocesans appropriate this only they are Magistrates and thereby take none of our office from us V. The â—ssence of the Parish ministerial oversight being of God de specie and the accidents that are mutable from man the existence of the office in individual persons is not without consent of the Pastors so that no man can be a Pastor against or without his will nor yet without a capacity in qualifiâ—atiâ—n so that if you prove any person to be uncapablâ— or else to have truly disclaimed and renounced the essentials of his office I am not about to perswade you that such a man is a true Pastor VI. But then we must know that indeed it is such an incapacity or renunciation and not a tollerable defect nor subscriptions and Oaths which by unseen consequences may seem to renounce it when the man took them in a sense which renounced it not For tho such a man may greatly sin by taking Oaths or subscriptions in a forced sense which plainly taken would infer worse yet his sin is not a renunciation of the office if he declare that he meant it in a better sence and took it on such mistake for we must not for bare words against mens meaning quibble or dispute our selves into unwarrantable separations out of Christian Communion especially when it is specially necessary VII And if any lay-men or men unauthorized will usurp the Keys or any Councils will make hurtful Canons and hinder men in the work appointed by God we must be faithful and patient and God in due time will judg and decide all causes justly VIII The office-power is essentially related to the work so far as Parochial Incumbents are allowed the work as of Christ they are acknowledged to be Pastors and Bishops of the flocks tho the name were denied them and so far as the Bishops office may be delegated to Lay-men or to Clergy-men of another Order so far it is Humane and not proper to them by Gods Institution They therefore that say All Diocesans Jurisdiction may be so delegated to them that are no Bishops but that the Pastoral Rectorship by Word Sacraments and Keys cannot be delegated to any men that are not of the same office do thereby say as much as that the Diocesan government is of men and may be changed by men but the Pastoral Incumbency is of Christ and cannot be changed The Lord that instituted it protect it and save it from Satans most dangerous assault which is by getting his own servants into it by error and malignity and strife and cruelty to do his work as the Ministers of Righteousness and as by Christs Authority and in his name London Aug. 13. 1684. POSTSCRIPT Aug. 25. 1684. HE that gave me notice of this Book which I answer did withall send me a Manuscript to be privately answered containing the very same things but somewhat enlarged His displeasure against my former mention of his private Writings to me and the Contents made me confident that he would not have any thing Published which I should answer to his last By which I found my self in a notable strait For if he at once privately sent me his reasons and also in another Book Printed them if I should answer his private papers which reason forbad me doing in my condition for his use alone I should judg my self forestalled from answering the Printed Book because the matter being the very same and 't is likely by the same man I should be supposed to have broken the Laws of Civility to have answered his private papers But having no Amanuensis or Scribe to take any Copy of his papers or my own I thought it the best way to return his unanswered they being Written for my use which Reading will as fully serve as answering them but supposing the Printed papers must be answered I inserted also an answer to the strength of all his additionals in the Manuscript And at last he giveth me some notice of his thoughts of publishing the Manuscript or a vindication of it Which falls well for the Readers use that I have answered that Manuscript before it is Published without taking notice of it and sâ— avoiding wordy altercations The Author professeth himself my great acquaintance Who he is I know not but he seemeth to be a very rational sober man God forbid that I should ever contribute unless duty do it accidentally to the grievance of such men I doubt not but he speaketh as he thinketh And I doubt I have given him occasions by some uncautelous words in my writings I
truly thank God and him that I am called to review them and to clear my sence before I die And I adjure the tearing persecuting sect to think no more strangely and odiously of our differences in this case than of the sharp contention of Paul and Barnabas or that men should scramble if Gold and Pearls were scattered in the streets where dogs and swine would never strive about them Gods servants would please him we are all of weak understandings The Wisest best know their weakness The rest are nearest the state of the Fool who rageth and is confident It is impossible but offence must come Luke 17.1 But wo wo wo to any who will make canons so extreme hard for men to agree in as terms of their Union and Communion and excommunicate all that say a word against any word ceremony circumstances or office of their train and when they have done cry out against men for not agreeing to every syllable which a thousand to one are uncapable of understanding and the better men understand them the more they dislike them A Short Answer to the Chief Objections in a Book ENTITULED A Theological Dialogue c. THE chief matter of this Book is already answered by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 1.10 1 Cor. 3. Rom. 16.16 17. Eph. 4.4 to the 17. Phil. 2.1 2 3. 1 Thes 5.12 13. John 17.22 23 24. And 1 Cor. 12. And Acts 20.30 The Spirit and Stile of it is answered in the third Chapter of James throughout I have nothing then to do but to answer the pretended argumentation of it For the Author shall not draw me from my Defensive part to play the part of a plaintif against others or to wast my time in altercations and spend many sheets to tell the world that another man hath not skill to speak sence and that he seduceth others by ambiguous words and by confusions Obj. 1. To prove us sinful for being members of the Church of England he saith Pag. 15. Is he not by Communion in the Sacarment of Baptisme made a member Page 13. Is not Baptisme according to the Liturgy a symbol of incorporation into the Church of England Confirmation another receiving the Lords Supper another symbol c. Ans 1. Baptism as such incorporateth no man into any particular Church but only into the universal as it did the Eunuch Acts 8. 2. The ceremonies or circumstantials of Baptism only shew what men submit to rather than to be unbaptized and not what particular Church they are of 3. This objection would insinuate that all that are Baptized in the publick manner in England were thereby incorporated into an unlawful Church which they must by being rebaptized or by open renunciation disclaim And so that it is not Lawful to Communicate with any that were Baptized in the Parish Church till they have repented it or are Rebaptized or Penitent openly And if you must have all in England renounce their Baptism before you will take their Communion for lawful the same reason will hold against your Communion with all the rest of the Churches on Earth And when you cut off your self from all saving a shred are you a Member of the undivided Body of Christ 4. If our Baptism in England doth incorporate into their Church which you suppose is no Church being a false Church doth not Baptism into your Church incorporate Persons into yours And what then if your Schism prove a Sin What if Rebaptizing prove a Sin What if the Covenant descriâ—ed by your Client to obey none but Christ in matters belonging to Worship prove a Sin are they all guilty of all these and such others Obj. II. All that are liable to a Church Excommunication when they have offended are declared Members of the Church But all Communicants and Native Inhabitants are so Therefore the Law hath excepted none How comes it to pass that the Church hath power of excommunicating any Person but by vertue of Incorporation which she hath by the same Law He that is not in the Church how comes he to be cast out Is he not by Communion in the Sacrament of baptism made a Member Ans 1. Doth their esteeming you a Member prove that you are so 2. You know that they excommunicate Papists and Atheists who deride them for it and say It 's a strange Church that will cast us out because they cannot compel us to come in 3. If this be a good argument that all are of their Church that are excommunicate then you are either safe from Excommunication or of their Church whether you will or not If to make good your argument you will aver that no Separatist Independent Presbyterian Anabaptist or Quaker was ever excommunicate or imprisoned as such you will change the Current of Intelligence and comfort many that can believe you and teach them how to escape a Prison for the time to come But if not you make your self and all these parties incorporate Members of the Church of England as well as me 4. Do you think a Lay Civilian by Excommunicating can prove or make a man a member of any Church against his will Then mens Argument against Parish Churches for want of consent is void They may be made such against their wills 5. But tho few men dâ—slâ—ke the Lay-Excommunicators and Absolvers more than I do nor grudge more at the Bishops and Deans who use them and let them put their names to the Excommunications especially of the poor Church-Wardens for not swearing c. yet let us not render them causelesly ridiculouâ— I imagine that they excommunicate not known Papists Anabaptists and such like out of their Church who they know were never in it but out of the Universal Church If this be not their sense let them give it you themselves for I am not bound to be their Interpreter And yet to moderate our Censures of them I 'le tell you a wonder Within this hour I received a Letter of credible Intelligence of a Chancellor who hearing of a Conventicle not presented by the Church-Wardens and being told that they met to repeat the publick Sermon said God forbid that they should be hindered Obj. III. Page 8. A Church in a sense is a Christian Kingdom that is a Royal Nation under Christ their King But there is no such Gospel-Church in your sense for there was neither Christian Kingdom nor King in the Apâ—stlâ—s days Ans The Institution may be in the Gospel before the existence Christian Kings and Kingdoms are neither unlawful nor needless because there were none then The Prophets not only foretel that Nations shall come in to Christ and serve him but that all Nations that do it not shall perish And Christs Commission to his Apostles was To go and Disciple all Nations as much as in them lay baptizing them Nations as such were first to be discipled and then baptized Infants are part of Nations And Matth. 23. Christ would have gathered Jerusalems Children all the Jewish
if by subjection you mean but joyning in their Churches as Christian and Protestant for doctrine and worship notwithstanding the defect which they cannot help yea which they disclaim bare accusation will not prove this a sin but by this we see how much of Christs Church you are for separating from 2. For my part I have oft published That it is not the least part of my charge against Popery that they unchurch almost all the Christian World save themselves But yet they are about a 4th or 3d part of professed Christians themselves and divers of them do not unchurch the Greeks But to unchurch or forbid Communion with all that are as faulty as the Helvetians and all other Protestant Churches that have Liturgies or partial faults is that which I dare not be guilty of I think that to say That a thousand parts to one of Christs Church are none of his Churches is next to deposing him from his Kingdom Much like as it would be to say no part of London is the Kings but Amen Corner nor any part of England but Barnet or Brentford 3. And is it not one of our just accusations of the Papists That they say all the Protestant Churches are no true Churches and the Ministers no true Pastors and that Communion with them is unlawful and shall we now justifie them and say as they tho not on the same Reason but for a far smaller difference Is this our running from Popery 4. Yea is it not the great thing that we accuse the superconformists for That they make us to be no true Ministers or Churches and are we indeed of the same mind One side saith We are no true Ministers for want of Bps. Ordination c. Another side saith You are no true Ministers for having Communion with the Bishops and Churches c. VII I mentioned the Judgment and Practise of the old Nonconformists and Presbyterians not as a rule but as a comparative example To this he saith p. 11. You and they might as well own the Church of England in the form and constitution as it is established as the Parish churches to be particular Gospel churches c. P. 12. To say you join with a quatenus and own not the very constitution and standing of the church with which you join in the sense the church asserts it is the greatest equivocation in practice that is The old Nonconformists nor you are to be no presidents to us in this case So far as the old Nonconformists and the old reforming conformists went forward with Reformation to bring the church out of the wilderness we honour them but when they turn back again and entice the people so to do we are afraid to tempt God in that manner P. 14. Those â—ld Nonconformists that did so are no presidents to 〈◊〉 If they halted and were lame must we be so such communicants are not acceptable to any Church and I know what Church would never admit them were it not to punish and expose them and their profession as ridiculous and inconsistent with its self And as for FRENCH and DUTCH what are they to us c. P. 16 He calls Mr. Fenns joining in the Liturgy with exception of some part The sulâ—en practice of a half-paced doting Noncâ—nformist Ans First to the Cause and secondly to the Persons 1. To call any practice Equivocation or by any ill name is no proof that it is so nor is here a word of true proof given us I ask the Considerate Is it in the power of a Law-maker to make all Worship and Duty to God unlawful by commanding to do it for an unlawful end or upon false principles What if a Law said All people shall worship God not because the Scripture commandeth it but because the State commands it Would this make it unlawful to worship God I would disown the Principle and go on What if the Law should say The Pastoral Office is not of Divine Right but humane must the office therefore be renounced And why can such a Law any more bind me to judg of Church-constitutions by the Lawmakers words rather than by Gods Word Suppose that the Anabaptists say That rebaptizing is the true way of Church-gathering Is it a sin to communicate with them if they will receive me when I profess the contrary I am against the Covenant which you defend as making an Independent Church Is it therefore a sin to communicate with them because it is not as constituted by that Covenant What do Parties more differ in of late than Forms Orders Modes and Circumstances of Church Government and if they be of many contrary minds were it twenty there can be but one of them in the right And is it unlawful to join with all the rest Must we needs be sure which of these is in the right Almost all the Churches that I hear of in the world have their agreed professions published the Protestants are gathered in the Corpus confessionum the English Church Principles and Orders are expressed in the Book of Canons the Liturgy Ordination the 39 Articles the Homilies the Apology c. Must every one stay from their Churches till he hath read and understood all these Books and be sure that there is no fault or error in them What if it be poor men or women that cannot buy all these books and what if they cannot read whom shall they get to read them all and how shall they have time to study them or capacity to understand them when we can hardly get them to learn a Catechism and anderstand it You will say That is their crime that make all these Confessions and Books They will answer but that 's none of our fault We made them not and yet must we not communicate with any Church that maketh such The old Separatists called Brownists published their confession and therein owned many Parish Churches in England and Communion with them I recited their words in my Reasons c. But you are gone beyond them The New England churches printed their confession and all there agreed not to it The English Independents published their Principles and Confessions And the Presbyterians and they agreed in the Westminster Synods confession catechism and Directory Is every poor Man and Woman bound to stay from all their churches when for 14 years they had no other till they understand all these and know that they are faultless Or if there be any fault in any one of all these books is every one guilty of them that cometh to the churches The Anabaptists published their confession The Dutch have theirs Many churches agreed with them in the Synod of Dort The French have theirs the Saxons the Helvetians Geneva the Bohemians the Protestants in general had the Augustane and many more have theirs Reader See with whom these Writers will hold communion who make it unlawful to join with any church that have any fault in their constitutions or agreed Doctrines or Orders