City or Mountain prescribed no Postures nor Dresses it threw down all Inclosures and was a Gospel sit to be Preach'd to every Creature Our Saviour taught in Synagogues and in Mountains and in a Coat woven from the top throughout The Apostles wore the Habits of the Places where they dwelt and taught in the Synagogues that were built Both Christ and they used the Septuagint Translation and complied with the Customs and Hours of the Jews And in short the Apostles Rule was to become all Things to all Men 1 Cor. 9.22 and to comply with the innocent Usages of all Places but when those Customs or Usages Gal. 2.3 4 5. Gal. 5.1 2. were added to Christianity or impos'd they always rejected them with Abhorrence Thus were Matters left by the Apostles and the Disciples of the First Age followed their Example and hence the Christians among the Jews complying with their Customs and the Christians among the Gentiles with theirs the Christian World might within one Age be distinguish'd into the Judaizing and Gentilizing Christians Paul Circumcised Timothy among the Jews And Church-History tells us That Fifteen Jerusalem Bishops were Circumcised And the Empire of Habbasia which was Discipled by the Aethiopean Eunuch a Jewish Proselyte continue Circumcision to this Day though as no Religious Rite On the other side the Roman Christians and others among the Heathens used several of their Customs by that General Rule of becoming all Things to all Men. But as in the Apostles Time some used their Liberty for an Occasion to the Flesh and this Charitable Principle occasioned Differences among the Apostles themselves for Paul withstood Peter to the Face at Antioch for withdrawing from the Gentiles to please the Jews so in the following Ages Gal. 2.11 12. when the Power of inward Religion grew more cold the Customs which were taken up as convenient such as keeping Days in compliance with the Jewish and Heathenish Festivals distinguishing the Clergy by Habits as both Jews and Heathens used to do their Priests became at last to be accounted Sacred and the Days were taken for Holy Days and the Clothes for Holy Garments But the greatest Depravation of Christianity came from the Agreement that was between Jews and Gentiles in their setting up of High-Priests The shew of Order and Unity Mark 8.27 Luke 9.18 that appear'd therein was very tempting When our Saviour had told Simon Mat. 16.13 to 24. that he should be call'd Cephas and that the Church should be built on his Confession of Faith it is probable that the Apostles began to think of his being the Chief for the Question was soon after started among them Matth. 18.1 Mark 9.33 Luke 9.46 Ibid. and Mat. 20.25 Luke 22.25 Mark 20.42 Heb. 7.23 24. which of them should be greatest that is to say the Pope And had not our Saviour Positively and Catagorically resolved the Question both on that Occasion and in Answer to the Ambitious Sons of Zebedee Hierarchical Domination in greater and lesser Popes might have been thought Justifiable from the Example of the Jews whose Hierarchy was of Divine Institution But that our Saviour is our only High Priest is most evident That by that Rule of his It shall not be so done amongst you he hath taken away all colour of Domination among his Ministers on Pretence of his Institution seems a reasonable Opinion for the several Evangelists do so expresly agree in that Prohibition that it is impossible to evade it by the common Distinction viz. That our Saviour there forbids Tyranny and Ambition but not Superiority especially since the Evangelist Luke speaks not of the Authority exercised by Tyrants but Benefactors It doth no where appear that the Apostles were the Governors of the Seventy nor is any Difference in Order to be found in Scripture between Bishops and Presbyters for the Difference between the Apostles and the Seventy appears to be this that the Apostles were Persons chosen to be Witnesses of all that Jesus did or taught and of his Resurrection and Ascention they were of the Family of our Saviour and Privy to his whole Conversation in which Respect they neither had nor can have Successors No more than the Evangelists ☜ whom no Man pretends to have had Successors as Evangelists And it seems most reasonable to believe that whereas Dr. Hammond and others hold that the Presbyters mention'd Acts xx were also Bishops So they were Apostles also in the sense of St. Chrysostom Epiphanius Theodoret and others and Luke x. 1. and divers other Places the same word is used concerning them viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived And if we say that Apostles Bishops or Presbyters and Deacons are Officers of Divine Institution to continue in the Church surely we are right for such only do we find in Scripture and of such did the Governors of the Church at Philippi consist Phil. 1.1 Some indeed in Ecclesiastical History are said to have succeeded the Apostles but they succeeded them not as Matthias did Judas for he succeeded him in the Extraordinary Work of the Apostolate and therefore was chosen out of those who had accompanied with the Apostles all the Time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the Baptism of John unto the same Day that he was taken up and was added to them to make twelve Witnesses of his Resurrection Acts 2.21 22. but the Nature of the Succession was as Apostles Bishops and Presbyters in their several Sees whereas Apostles in the strict Sense as Apostles were not confin'd to any See but were Ministers of the whole Catholick Church and on whom as St. Paul speaks of himself was the care of all the Churches and unless it can be made appear that the Apostles have such Successors and also such as were Witnesses of what our Saviour did and taught as Matthias was the Apostolate as to so much of it must be Temporary from the Nature of the thing The Arguments for a Superiority of the Order of Bishops drawn from the Precedency of James at Jerusalem who there seems to be Superiour to the Apostles tho' he was none of the Twelve concludes only for a Bishops Power in his own Church where he is fix'd but nothing for the Superiority in Order of Bishops above Presbyters as of revealed Institution If Ignatius who tells us that St. Stephen was a Deacon to St. James had told us also of his Presbyters of a distinct Order no doubt but his Testimony had been concluding but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a Bishop are all one in Antiquity And although at first the Twelve Apostles who had the Infallible Direction of the Holy Ghost did ordain those President Bishops perhaps then but certainly afterwards they were made by Election The Epistles of St. John to the Angels of the Seven Churches of Asia prove not this Distinction of Order nor any thing more than shall
Vindicated And the Unreasonableness and Mischievous Tendency of the Odious Distinction of a King de Facto and de Jure Discover'd by the Honourable Sir Robert Howard 8 vo Mr. Addy's Stenographia Or the Art of Short-Writing Compleated in a far more Compendious Way than any yet Extant Octavo Also the Whole Bible in the same Short-Hand curiously Engraven on Copper-plates Cambridge Phrases for the Use of Schools by A. Robinson M. A. Octavo Orbis Imperantis Tabellae Geographico-Historico-Geneologico-Chronologicae Curiously Engraven on Copper-plates Remarks on a late Discourse of William Lord Bishop of Derry concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God Also a Defence of the said Remarks against his Lordship's Admonition by J. Boyse 8 vo A Preservative against Deism Shewing the great Advantage of Revelation above Reason in the Two Great Points Pardon of Sin and a Future State of Happiness With an Appendix in Answer to a Letter of Mr. A. W. against Revealed Religion in the Oraracles of Reason by Mr. Nathanael Taylor 8 vo Mr. Woodhouse his Sermon preach'd to the Societies for Reformation of Manners in the City of London Octavo Mr. Calamy's Sermon to the same Societies Mr. Shower's Sermon to the same Societies 8 vo Mr. Williams's Sermon to the same Societies 8 vo Mr. Alsop's Sermon to the same Societies 8 vo Mr. Shower's Mourners Companion being Funeral Discourses on many Occasions In Two Volumes Octavo Mr. Shower's Sermons on Isaiah LV. 7 8 9. 8 vo A Plea for the late Accurate and Excellent Mr. Baxter and those that speak of the Sufferings of Christ as he does In Answer to Mr. Lobb's insinuated Charge of Socinianism against 'em in his late Appeal to the Bishops of Worcester and Dr. Edwards With a Preface directed to Persons of all Perswasions to call 'em from Frivolous and Over-eager Contentions about Word on all sides 8 vo A Funeral Sermon occasion'd by the Death of Mrs Jane Papillon late Wife of Thomas Papillon Esq preached July 24. 1698. and now publish'd at his Request by John Woodhouse 8 vo A Brief Concordance to the Holy Bible of the most Useful and Usual Places which one may have Occasion to seek for In a new Method by Samuel Clark M. A. Mr. Nathaniel Vincenes Funeral Sermon Preached by Mr. N. Taylor A Sermon Preached at a Publick Ordination in a Countrey Congregation by Mr. S. Clark London-Dispensatory reduc'd to the Practice of the London Physicians Wherein are contained the Medicines both Galenical and Chymical that are now in use Those out of use omitted and those in use and not in the Latin Copy here added By John Peachy of the Colledge of Physicians in London Mr. John Shower's Discourse of Tempting Christ His Discourse of Family Religion in 3 Letters His Life of Mr. Henry Gearing Mr. George Hammonds and Mr. Matthew Barker's Discourses of Family Worship Written at the Request of the United Ministers of London Mr. Gibbon's Sermon of Justification Comfort in Death a Funeral Sermon Preached upon the Death of Mr. Timothy Cruso late Pastor of a Church in London who Died Novemb. 26. 1697. by Matthew Mead. Mr. Samuel Slater's Earnest Call to Family Religion being the Substance of Eighteen Sermons Mr. William Scoffin's Help to true Spelling and Reading Or a very easie Method for the Teaching Children or elder Persons rightly to Spell and exactly to read English Monro's Institutio Grammaticae Clavis Grammatica Or the ready way to the Latin Tongue containing most plain Demonstrations for the regular translating English into Latine Mr. Hamond's Sermon at Mr. Steel's Funeral Mr. John Mason's little Catechism with little Verses and little Sayings for little Children Catholicism WITHOUT POPERY The Second Part. In a LETTER to Sir Humphrey Mackworth Occasioned By his late Discourse ENTITULED Peace at Home By John Hooke Serjeant at Law LONDON Printed for J. Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard and J. Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey 1704. TO THE Christian Reader ABout the Year of our Lord 375 Themistius the Philosopher who was also Consul at that time told the Emperor Valens that there were 300 Opinions or Sects among the Philosophers far more than there were among the Christians and yet they never Persecuted one another This he said to dispose that Emperor who was a Persecuting Arian to be favourable to the Orthodox And soon after the Emperor Theodosius being incens'd by the Bishop of Rome against Flavianus Bishop of Antioch the good Bishop thus appli'd to tho Emperor as 't is reported by Theodoret Lib. 5. Cap. 23. O Emperor if any Man do blame my Faith as perverse or my Life as unworthy I am content to be Judged by my Adversaries but if the Disputation only be concerning Principality and eminent Places I will not contend with any Man but denude my self of all Superiority and commit the Chair of Antiochia to whom you like best Had the Spirit of this Philosopher and of this Partriarch prevailed in the Christian World how much Mischief and Misery had been prevented which fill the History of all Ages since that time 'T is now more than 20 Years since I became most deeply affected with the State of Christianity I oft stood in a Melancholly Amazement that since the Blessed Jesus had been in this World 1 Jo. 3.5.8 to take away Sin and destroy the Works of the Devil and altho' his Commission to his Apostles was to disciple all Nations 28. Mat. 19. yet at the distance of above 1640 Years not one fourth part of the World should bear the Christian Name That deducting from that part the Churches that lie in gross Ignorance or gross Idolatry and among the Reform'd Churches the Persecutors the openly prophane the grosly ignorant such as deny the Fundamentals of Christianity and the Ordinances of Christ who yet will be called Christians I was tempted to abuse that Passage of the Apostle 2 Gal. 21. Then Christ is dead in vain But it was not long before I had framed in my Thoughts a more pleasing Scene of Things which I fancied I saw in the Prophetick part of the Scripture and if I be mistaken I own my self exceedingly beholden to the Mistake having in the Years that are since past enjoyed many a comfortable Hour in the prospect of the approaching Glory of the Christian Church Thus when Men in a Storm discover a safe Harbor how chearfully do they cry all hands aloft how diligent is every one to do his utmost to recover the Port. I do not intend to trouble the Reader with any account of my Endeavours to promote what I so much much desire further than is necessary to justifie or at least to excuse setting my Name to the following Discourse I have been long perswaded that Christianity must recover it's Primitive Purity before it can obtain its promis'd Peace I don't mean its Primitive Poverty or Persecution but its Comformity to the Scriptures which are the only Means of Vnion and Peace and its
quasi tradita ab Apostolis asseruntur percutiuntur Gladio Dei Hier. in Agg. long after the 4th Century All those things which are asserted as delivered by the Apostles without the Testimony of the Scriptures are smitten with the Sword of God For it seems when Irenaeus and the other ancient Fathers had exposed all Vnrevealed Parts of Revealed Religion the Lovers of Priest-craft would have introduced some things as Revealed tho' not written but conveyed down by Tradition But I must not enlarge at least at this time on this Subject only having some Reason to know the Original of the Charter granted by the late Glorious King Willian Establishing a Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge I earnestly intreat the Reader to consider the Consequence of these Additions to Christianity with respect to that Design If I were now to apply my self to an Indian to instruct him in the Christian Religion I would appeal to his Experirience that Nature is corrupted and shew him the History thereof in the Scriplures 3 Gen. 5 Rom. 12.18 I would appeal to his Reason that Sin deserves Punishment and that Justice must be a Divine Attribute and shew him the same things in Scripture 34 Ex. 7. 45 Is 21. 3 Rom. 26. I would appeal to his Reason and shew him in Scripture what a loss Mankind was at to find out an Atonement that thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl would not suffice 6 Mic. 6.7 8. not the First-born the Fruit of the Body for the Sin of the Soul But that notwithstanding all that Man could do 49. Ps 7.8 the Redemption of the Soul was so precious that it must have ceas'd for ever Then I would shew him only by Revelation out of the Word of God That faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners and so proceed to Preach the Gospel to him and to instruct him out of the New Testament The suitableness of such a Propitiation for our Sins sufficient to satisfie Divine Justice and the Cravings of a wounded Spirit seeking Means to make Satisfaction thereto was in my Opinion the true Reason of the Progress of Christianity in the first Ages of the Church and will be so when rightly enforced to the yet Vuchristianiz'd Part of the World And the Man by this time would be very willing to believe those Scriptures to be the Word of God And the Proof thereof would be very agreeable to him Account of the Proceedings of the Society by Mr. Stubbs or as an Indian King lately exprest himself that there was a Saviour born for Mankind But when he had rejoyc'd in Christ Jesus and hugged his Bible and read in the end of it and elsewhere Deut. 4.2 22 Rev. 18.19 Prov. 30.6 the Curses pronounc'd against those that diminish from it or add to it and desired to be Baptized with what Face could I tell him that he must not be admitted to have any benefit thereby unless he will constantly submit to divers things not to be found there and that unless he did so he was both for God and Baal Wou'd he think it a decent thing to add to the Institutions of such a Redeemer But I will not enter into Particulars if the Design of the following Discourse do prevail these Matters will be considered by wiser Heads but by none who wish more the Glory of the Christian Church and particularly of that part of it in England than Your Christian Friend J. HOOKE CATHOLICISM WITHOUT POPERY SIR IN your Preface to your late Discourse Entituled Peace at Home you have rightly observed That the Controversie which is the Subject Matter of that Discourse ought not to be carried on with Heat and Passion but fairly debated with Reason and Moderation not by unknown Persons who may be Jesuits or Deists but by such as dare own their Principles and will endeavour to Reconcile our Differences and not inflame them I hope that an Acquaintance of some Years hath sufficiently convinc'd you that I am neither Jesuit nor Deist And I dare appeal to your Conscience whether I have not given you undeniable Evidence of an Affection to the Church of England and a desire not to keep up but to reconcile our Differences not to promote Parties and Factions but Peace and Unity not for the sake of any private End or Interest whatsoever but for the sake of Truth and for the general Good Thus far therefore I conceive my self to be such a Person as you wish your Answerer should be But because you and the Writers of your Party have taken the liberty to accuse Men of my Principles as Hypocrites as unfit to be Guardians of Children or Executors of Wills as dispensing with our Principles for the sake of an Office as setting up an Arbitrary Dispensing Power in our own Consciences as acting contrary to our Original Principles as if Occasional Conformity were such an Offence as in inconsistent with the Publick Safety and Occasional Conformists Persons sit to be rank'd with Papists Deists and Socinians I have thought it my Duty thus to acquaint you that I have also that other Qualification to become your Answerer That I dare own my Principles But alass to what End were your Applications made to Her Majesty on Occasion of the late Bill since by your own Confession the Fears and Jealousies of those who are Members of the Church of England and of those who dissent from it And the Matters in Controversie arising from those Fears seem in a fair way to be determined to the Satisfaction of all Parties by Her Majesties Gracious Speeches from the Throne That Her Majesty will always make it Her particular Care to encourage and maintain the Church as by Law Established and to maintain the Act of Toleration for the ease of Dissenters Give me leave to add alass to what end did you erect a Pompous Frontispiece before an Epistle Dedicatory a Preface a Discourse and a Postscript and all these on a Subject of which you seem to know no more than if you had lived in Turky or under the Great Mogul I mean the Principles of the Occasional Conformists for I had rather impute your unaccountable Mistakes concerning them to Ignorance than Insincerity And unless they be understood your Discourse in behalf of the Establish'd Government in Church and State of Uniformity Establish'd Religion and Establish'd Constitutions seems Calculated and may indifferently serve for the Meridian of Edenburg Geneva Paris Rome or Constantinople and with a small Variation of Names may be publish'd in behalf of the Constitutions in Church and State in all those places I take leave therefore to inform you That the Description of the Occasional Comformists is true which is given by the Author of a Letter to a Clergy-man concerning the Votes of the Bishops in the last Sessions who divides them into two sorts such as prefer the Worship of
Publick Church-Communion since we can read the Gospel at home for I am really a Friend to the Apostle's Creed and believe the Communion of Saints which is an Article founded on express Scripture as well as the other Articles of that Creed and which must be had by joining to some Church or Congregation such as is described in the 19th Article of the Church of England But indeed if you speak of National or Provincial Churches which distinguish themselves by their own or other Mens Inventions I am of the Mind of Diogenes who would not be a Citizen of Athens because they required some separating Ceremonies whereas He took himself to be a Citizen of the World A Passage which the Pious and Ingenious Mr. Burscough in his late Discourse of Schism has Cited but whether to this Purpose let the World Judge I will not for the same Reason confine my Communion to any such Party because I am a Member of the Catholick-Church But for Ordinary Communion certainly every Christian ought to be a Member of some Congregation if he can so be and that which Consists of his Neighbours is most Agreeable to the Ends of Christian Communion And then as to Church Officers the Bible is Plain the Epistles of the Apostles Paul are full of Evidence for Bishops Presbyters and Deacons He left Tinus in Creet to Ordain Presbyters in every City Tit. 5. and 4.4 Eph. 11. He tells us that our Saviour gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints c. The Words are all Masculine and no Place Mentions a she Apostle or Evangelist But here let the Clergy observe the Consequence of pretending to Unscriptural Rights jure Divino which drives Men to Question whether they have any at all But let that Author and all Men know that the Ministers of the Gospel are Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presidents Persons that Preside or as it is rendred are over the Church in the Lord 1 Thess 5.1.2 We read 1 Tim. 5.17 of Elders that Rule well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho' Presiding Presbyters a Passage one would think inconsistent with the Presbyterian Government as Opposed by the Episcopal For I know no better Description of a Bishop then a Presiding Presbyter and yet a Passage that hath been tortured to Prove Lay-Elders and to make that Government Jure Divino Indeed I know no Text so much relyed on except perhaps that 1 Tim. 4. 14. Timothy's Gift was given Him by laying on of the Hands of the Presbyters which Place the Learned Calvin himself quits as proving no such Matter Besides 't is Plain that St. Paul's Hands were laid on him too 2 Tim. 1.6 And I cannot but Observe that this Passage in this Second Epistle which was Written about Eleven Years after the First seems to fall from that inspired Writer to prevent the Mistake that Men might be led into by that other Text in the first Epistle and at the same time Insinuate that in Ordination the Bishop and Presbyters where a Church has both do best together so the same Apostle in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians Explains some Passages in his first as also some Things in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians that occasioned Mistakes are set right in the Second On the other Side 't is strange to see the Jus Divinum of Prelatical Government is founded by some on Passages that make most Strongly against it of which I shall Content my self at Present with one Instane Acts 20. 17. St. Paul from Miletus sent to Ephesius and called the Presbyters of the Church who v. 28. He says were made Bishops by the Holy Ghost this is a Place much relied on against the Difference of Order But Mr. Maurice in his Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy endeavouring to Enervate Mr. Clarkson's Argument from that Passage Quotes Ireneus L. 3. Cap. 14. Who he says being Born in the End of the First Century might have Notices from Tradition of more of St. Paul's Visitation than is Recorded by St. Luke and tells us that St. Paul having called together the Bishops and Presbyters of Ephesus and the other Neighbouring Cities c. The Text is the Presbyters Irenaeus says Bishops and Presbyters and Paul tells them that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops Now let the Reason of Mankind Judge whether this Passage of Irenaeus be not much Stronger against Diocesan Episcopacy as it Imports a Difference of Order than the Text it self for some Prelates have endeavour'd to avoid the force of that Text by affirming that those Presbyters were all Bishops But if Irenaeus be in the right both the Bishops and Presbyters were Bishops of the Holy Ghosts making i. e. Jure Divino It seems the Apostles Rule 1 Pet. 5.5 was observed then which was about Twelve Years before that Epistle was Written viz. The Younger Presbyters did submit themselves unto the Elder tho' at the same time they were all Subject one to another and were cloathed with Humility And that this Ancient Father knew no other Difference will appear to the Impartial Reader who will consult these Passages Lib. 4. Cap. 43. Cap. 44. Cap. 52. Cap. 63. Lib. 5. Pag. 299. 322. Surely Mr. Maurice had as good let that Father alone and have wholly slid away from the Objection as he does in another Place for Mr. Clarkson making it his great Argument against Diocesan Episcopacy that it was wholly Impracticable supposing the Bishop the sole Pastor of the Diocess consisting of many Churches Pag. 226. and proving it irrefragably from Reason and the Testimony of Chrysostom and others and having mentioned Gregory Orat. 20. who Applauds the Multiplying of Bishopricks as an Excellent Art Souls being hereby better lookt after he Observes that others would have this less regarded and the Bishops Honour more Now what does Mr. Maurice say to all this why in Truth just nothing at all St. Chrysostom says that a Bishop at the Peril of his Soul is to take exact Notice of the Spiritual State of all under his Charge and constantly to perform all Pastoral Duties to the whole Flock he had need of many Thousand Eyes to look into the State of every Soul under him which of them can Digest bitter Remedies and who for want of them grow Careless Tho' he Order his own Life well if he does not exactly take Care of thee and of all that are under him to Hell he goes with the Wicked And in another Place it is very Burdensom to have the Charge of 150 Souls Now what is to be done These Matters are Plain If a Bishop be the sole Pastor of 500000 and some of them live 3000 Miles from the Bishops Pallace as for the Purpose the distance of the West-Indies from Fulham how is Chrysostom to be answered Why even by denying what he says Bishops says Mr.