of all Nations and maintaining all Sâ—ates in their rights of this World pretendeth not to any power of this World to maintain it self by It becometh Visible by the free will of Christians beleeving it a piece of their Christianity to live die members of one Visible Church The Unity of the Jews State tending to a temporal end of enjoying the Land of promise answereth not the invisible unity of Christian souls but the Visible Unity of a Catholick Church according to that rate in which the Law answers the Gospel And so is this point of Christianity no less clearly delivered by the Old Testament then other points of the Christian Faith are CHAP. VI. How far the Scriptures are clear to bee understood of themselves Tradition limiteth the sense of the Scripture Difference between the Tradition of Faith and Ritual Traditions The difference between Haeresie and Schisme The dependence of Churches evidenceth the Vnity of the Whole Church The forme of this dependence throughout the Roman Empire No exception to bee made to it for the British Church Episcopacy by this form inviolable in all Opinions And the Church a standing Synod The Church Visible by disowning Haeretickes and Schismatickes The breaches that have come to pass evidence the same FOr though all that is necessary to bee known for the salvation How far the Scriptures are clear to bee understood of themselves of all Christians bee not onely sufficiently but abundantly contained in the Scriptures yet how clearly there laid down depends upon the purpose for which God declares that hee gave the several parts of it It is manifest that God intended to vaile the New Testament in the Old and to reveal the Old Testament by the New Therefore Christianity cannot bee clearly delivered in the Old Testament Till our Lord was to leave the world hee declared not the condition of Christianity by which wee are saved Hee declared not that which hee declared when hee was to leave the world to wit that it was thenceforth to consist in undertaking to profess the Faith of the Holy Trinity and to live by Christs precepts though ones life lye upon it For he declared not the promise of sending the Holy Ghost till hee was ready to leave the world And therefore the Baptisme of Christ by which Christians do make that prosession which saveth us was not instituted till his departure And though our Lord had clearly preached the precepts of Christian life from the beginning yet is the Visible estate of his Mystical Body the Church as well as the invisible estate of particular members darkly figured and typified not only by the parables of the Gospel but as well by that which befell him as by that which he did during the time of his preaching Therefore neither is Christianity clearly delivered by the Gospels To them to whom the Apostles writ their Epistles the substance of Christianity must needs bee known for they had been made Christians upon the professing of it But their Epistles therefore suppose it and therefore cannot pretend to deliver it Besides the greatest part of them is spent in proving that wee are saved by Christianity out of the Old Testament And therefore by that correspondence in which the Law answers the Gospel the Church the Synagogue and the Kingdom of Heaven the Land of promise And though our Lord opened his Disciples hearts thus to understand the Scriptures yet are not all that shall bee saved able to make out this correspondence the professing and performing of that Christianity whereby they are saved not requiring it Therefore neither are the Apostles writings clear in things necessary to salvation but supposing the knowledg of that Christianity whereby wee are saved nor absolutely clear but to those that are able to make out that correspondence Without this limitation it is not to bee granted that all things necessary to salvation are clear to all that seek salvation by the Scriptures alone For what mark is there extant in the Scripture to distinguish that which is necessary to salvation from that which is not Nor is there any inconvenience in all this to them that are Tradition limiteth the sense of the Scripture content to lay prejudice aside and to see that which they cannot but see For it will appear by the writings of the Apostles that they committed the Doctrine of Christianity to them whom they trusted with the founding and governing of the Church for the instructing of them that were to bee baptized and formed into Churches whereof the whole Church was to consist So that as they to whom the Apostles writ having received their Christianity from those that were so trusted were to limit the meaning of their writings within that Faith which they had received So is all interpretation of Scripture still to bee confined within that which the Church from the beginning hath received by their hands Which is not to make any man lord of any mans Faith For this Tradition of the Faith is before the very being of the Church Because whosoever became a Christian and so a member of the Church it is supposed that hee undertaketh the same And therefore being in force before there bee any Church it cannot depend upon any authority to bee claimed by the Church And the evidence for it is the same ground into which the reason of beleeving resolveth The consent of all Christians Which as it could not have been preserved and obtained had it not been required to make a man a member of that Church which by professing it stood visibly distinct from all that profess iâ— not So since as much as is necessary to salvation hath been already declared by the consent of the Church to confine all interpretation of Scripture within that which all the Church every where at all times hath received can make no man lord over the Faith of the Church But there is a vast distance between this Tradition of Faith Difference between the Tradition of Faith and Ritual Traditions and other Traditions which may have proceeded from that authority and trust for founding the Church which our Lord left with his Apostles and they with the Church For that being the condition upon which all Christians are saved remains alwaies the same neither to bee encreased nor diminished till the Worlds end But the productions of Ecclesiastical power vested in the Apostles and their successours can bee no more then the limiting of circumstances according to which the publick Service of God is to bee performed and those powers exercised which God hath granted the Church for the maintaining of Unity in serving God according to that Christianity which our Lord teacheth Christianity is concerned in them but two waies The first when they are so far from advancing the service of God which Christianity requireth that it is impaired and destroyed by corruption in them The second when a part of the Church proceedeth to a change in them upon pretense that
as it is lawful to plead for the abolishing of the Laws of this Kingdom For as it is manifest that our Ecclesiastical Laws are the Laws of the Kingdom So would I not open my mouth for improving them were it not to make them the Laws of Gods only true Church THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. IF the Church of Rome bee a true Church Reformation is the restoring of that which hath been If the Pope bee Antichrist and the Papists Idolaters the Church of Rome no true Church If no Visible Church then no sin of Schisme Antichrist may bee an Idolater but cannot bee the Head of a Church Though it were Idolatry to worship the Host yet to kneel at the Communion would bee Holy That which the Church of Rome professeth is not Idolatry if it bee a true Church They that separate from the Church of Rome as Idolaters are thereby Schismaticks before God pag. 2 CHAP. II. The supposition of Antichrist and Idolatry prejudicial to the truth The supposition of one Visible Church the ground of Communion as well within the Reformation as in the whole Church What the Romish Missionaries get by the charge of Haeresie and the pretense of Infallibility What we get by the charge of Idolatry and Antichrist Immoderate charges vain on both sides The charge of Schisme on both sides moderate as to the Church The sin of Schisme as to God horrible The Schisme of the Donatists in charging the Catholicks to bee Apostates The sad consequences of that Schisme 8 CHAP. III. They that hold by One Visible Church are to own the consequences of it Nothing to bee changed but upon that ground Wee cannot bee the same Church with that which was otherwise Though that which shall be setled will find advocates Civil Laws of Religion to bee changed till this Rule bee attained The beginning and rise of our differences The present state of them What terms of agreement with the Presbyterians wee ought to allow The Laws of the Primitive Church the Standard of all change Our present Case is â—ot the Case of our Forefathers The Acts of Henry VIII no Acts of our Forefathers in Religion Imperfection of Laws in Religion no imputation to our Forefathers The pretense of tender Consciences is no Rule It serves Papists as well as Puritans 15 CHAP. IV. Erastians can acknowledge no Visible Church founded by God Their opinion inableth Sovereigns to persecute Gods truth by Gods Law Persecuting the truth is the use of a Power which no Sovereign can have If any Sovereign may punish for the Religion which hee professeth then are Subjects bound to renounce Christ if the Sovereign command it No offense but charity in declaring the true ground of reconcilement or punishment Why it ought to bee declared The declaring of it no offense to Superiors 24 CHAP. V. Wee have the same evidence for the Visible Vnity of the Church as for the truth of the Scriptures The Church founded upon the Power of the Keys The Vnity of the Church Visible by the Laws of it The Law which endoweth the Church with consecrated Goods How the Vnity of the Church is signified by the Scriptures How in the Old Testament 29 CHAP. VI. How far the Scriptures are clear to bee understood of themselves Tradition limiteth the sense of the Scripture Difference between the Tradition of Faith and Ritual Traditions The difference between Haeresie and Schisme The dependence of Churches evidenceth the Vnity of the Whole Church The form of this dependence throughout the Roman Empire No exception to bee made to it for the British Church Episcopacy by this form inviolable in all Opinions And the Church a standing Synod The Church Visible by disâ—â—â—ing Hâ—reticks and Schismaticks The breaches that have come to pasâ— evidence the same 35 CHAP. VII Reformation to bee bounded by that wherein the Visible Church agreeth No change without regard to the Rules of the Catholick Church Regular authority in the Church of Rome the means of Vnity absolute of Schismes How wee are visibly one with the only Church of God reforming without the Church of Rome 45 CHAP VIII What means God hath provided private Christians to discern the true Church The duty of all Estates for the Re-uniting of Schism The ground and extent of Secular Power in Church Matters How the conscience of Sovereign Power is discharged maintaining the Church 49 CHAP. IX Difficulty in receiving the Fanaticks into this Church How their Positions destroy the Faith Absolute Predestination to Glory destructive to Christianity Justifying Faith includeth the profession of Christianity The Nature of Faith according to the Scriptures sheweth the same So doth the state of that Question which St. Paul disputeth The conseâ—â— of the Church â—erein with the ground of it The sense of this Church 54 CHAP. X. Why Justifying Faith is not trust in God through Christ Of Justification according to the Council of Trent Of Justification according to Socinus Wherein his Hâ—resie consisteth How the misunderstanding of Satisfaction and Imputation occasioned it Vpon what grounds hee is to bee refuted The helps of Grace granted iâ— consideration of Christs obedienâ—â— And therefore they infer Original Sin by the fall of Adam Wherein the Covenant of Grace consisteth That the state of Grace is forfeited by hainous sin The danger of the contrary Position according to the ground of it 63 CHAP. XI What Law of God it is that may bee fulfilled by a Christian Of doing more then Gods Law requireth Whether our Lord gave a New Law or not Of the Satisfaction and Merit of Christian Works Original Sin is not Adams sin imputed to his Posterity Wherein Original Sin consisteth What Original Righteousness signifieth What good the Vnregenerate are able to do by the Law of Nature 73 CHAP. XII Vpon what terms that which is possible may become future The difference between necessity antecedent and consequent The difference between freedom from necessity and from bondage Freedom from necessity always requireth indetermination not always indifference The Object determineth the Will saving the freedom of it Whence the certainty of future contingencies ariseth How this appears in the Scriptures God no cause of sin according to the Scriptures Concerning the middle knowledg of God 80 CHAP. XIII No absolute Predestination to Glory Predestination to Grace absolute How Glory is the end of Grace In what terms the Faith of the Church standeth as concerning this point 86 CHAP. XIV Duty of a Christian as a Christian and as a Member of the Church How Anabaptists deny the Faith how they are to bee reconciled with the Church Their Error in rebaptizing for want of dipping What concerns Salvation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist How the Elements are consecrated into the body and bloud of Christ according to Gregory Nyssene The consequence hereof in the Errors concerning the Eucharist How the Eucharist a Sacrifice and yet no ground for private Masses The Eucharist not the Sermon the Chief Office of Gods service 91
bee allowed to forejudge my opinion because it makes our Reconcilement with the Church of Rome easier then they would have it For if division in the Church without evident and valuable cause bee a sin to God it will certainly bee the sin of the Kingdom to bear them out in it by stating our Reformation upon undue grounds For the terms of it must needs bee according to the grounds of it which being either invisible or inconsiderable in comparison of the benefits of Unity must needs translate some part of the blame to rest upon that side which exceeds And therefore to excuse my freedom in publishing that Why it ought to bee declared which follows Let no man grudge me this Plea for my self at the day of Judgement that being convicted that our agreement cannot bee acceptable to God but upon the consequence of those two suppositions according to that which follows I am not at rest till I have said it Could there bee peace had by compounding the Interest of two parties without providing for the Interest of our common Christianity in those two Articles what joy could a Christian expect of that which should bee purchased at so unconscionable a Rate Here is nothing said but that which hath been said when Arbitrary power might have made it a pretense for Persecution had the Interest of Usurpers allowed it It is a short view of that which I have published heretofore presented to those that may desire to see in one prospect what is the true consequence of it in the composing of those differences that remain still on foot And the danger of being involved in the Crime of Schisme before God obligeth me to declare that opinion which being not declared may render me lyable to that charge in Gods sight Therefore there is no offense to Superiors in declaring it The The declaring of it no offense to Superiors Lawes of Kingdoms go by a Rule that is made of such metal as may bend and be fitted to the body which they are to rule Only they are to aim at an inflexible Rule of Gods truth which is the Inheritance of every Christian And therefore he that sees it made crooked is bound to set it straight This is not to say what publique Authority should do but what it should intend to do A thing necessary to bee said when there bee those who would have it intend that which it ought not to do In fine the difficulty and danger of our case seems to supersede for the present the Rule of Obedience in the Church CHAP. V. Wee have the same evidence for the Visible Vnity of the Church as for the truth of the Scriptures The Church founded upon the Power of the Keyes The Vnity of the Church Visible by the Lawes of it The Law which endoweth the Church with Consecrated Goods How the Vnity of the Church is signified by the Scriptures How in the Old Testament Wee have the same evidence for the Visible Unity of the Church aâ— for the truth of the Scriptures I Say then that the Unity of the Church signifies nothing unless it signifie the Visible Unity of Communion in the outward offices of Gods Service Not onely the Invsible Unity of the heart in Faith and Charity Unless the Church bee founded by God for an outward Society Visible to the common reason of man Not onely for an Invisible Number the Unity whereof onely his own Invisible Wisdom inwardly designeth And I say it because I conceive I have proved it by the same evidence upon which wee accept the Scriptures for the Word of God Upon which wee hold our common Christianity For I have shewed that wee believe the Scriptures for the Scriptures the matter of Faith for the Motives of Faith there related That is wee hold those things which the Scriptures relate sufficient to oblige all the people of God afore Christ to bee Jewes All the people of the world after Christ to bee Christians This in the nature of a reason obliging a man to bee a Christian For in the nature and kind of an effective cause I do not suppose much less grant that any thing is sufficient much less effectual without Gods Spirit â—ut if an Unbeliever should ask mee why I believe that to bee true which being true I grant sufficient to oblige mee to believe It will not serve my turn to say that I find it written in the Scripture So long as the question is why I believe the Scripture My answer must bee that the consent of all Christians in submitting to the Gospel which they would not have done had they not known the motives to bee true for which they did it assures mee as much that they are true as if I had seen the things done which moved them to believe Especially being as much convicted by the light of Reason and Nature that Christianity goes beyond Judaisme for advancing the Service of God and goodness as that Judaisme goes beyond the Religion either of Pagans or Mahumetans For this being the reason why wee believe that must bee The Church founded upon the Power of the Keyâ—s alleged by all that will allege any reason to Unbelievers It must needs have the same force in evidencing the sense that wee allow it in evidencing the credit of the Scriptures If the consent of all Christians in submitting to Christianity upon Motives recorded in the Scriptures assure mee that they are true And therefore the Scriptures the Word of God and Christianity the onely Religion by which wee can bee saved Then the consent of all Christians in owning the obligation of holding Visible Communion with the Church is to assure mee that it is Gods Ordinance For the act or the acts of our Lord upon which the Church is founded I allege the Power of the Keyes described by the effect of binding and loosing and to that effect granted to St. Peter Mat. XVI 18 19 To the Disciples assembled after the Resurrection John XX. 19-23 in the terms of remitting and retaining sinne To the Church Mat. XVIII 15-18 in the same terms as to St. Peter to the effect of rendring him that obeys not a Heathen man or a Publican to him that would bee a Christian Here you have a certain Power deposited with certain Persons the effect whereof is Visible in the succession of Person deriving the authority which they claim from the visible act of those Persons which are here trusted with it And in the maintenance of Visible Communion amongst true Christians by excluding the false It is true Haereticks and Schismaticks exclude themselves out of the Church For they would bee the Church themselves if they could tell how But it is the authority of the Church that obligeth Christians to avoid them as the Jewes to whom our Lord spake did then avoid Heathen men and Publicans And it obligeth by declaring them Haereticks and Schismaticks I know there bee those that would have the imputation of
so it is though indeed it bee otherwise The first is the plea of the Reformation against the Church of Rome The second the plea of the Church of Rome against them as to this point of Traditions And the issue is the same that is to bee tried between the Church of England and those that stand at this distance from it For the Unity of the Church being a part of the common Christianity the breach of it will bee chargeable upon that side which makes such a change as the rest have not reason to embrace If the pretense thereof bee either not evident or not sufficient the fault is in them If both in those who refuse to joyn in iâ— The Rules and Customs and Rites of the Church which are called Traditions are not commanded because good but are good because commanded And therefore even the Traditions of the Apostles being of this kind may cease to oblige by the change that may-succeed in the state of the Church for which they are provided Instances hereof recorded in the Scriptures have been produced They therefore that break from the Church upon any point The difference between Haeresic and Schisme of the Tradition of Faith which is before the Church as being requisite to make a man a member of the Church are properly called Haereticks For if they only disbeleeve in the heart they may bee counted Haereticks to God but that is nothing to the Church of which wee now speak But they that will not stand to the authority of the Church in maters subject to it are Schismaticks For those things to which the authority of the Church extendeth are the mater of Schisme Not that this difference is alwaies observed For many times the name of Haeresie extendeth to all Sects which mans choise not the will of God createth But because there is that difference visible in the mater of Christianity which many times appropriateth the common name of Haeresie to the most eminent that Separate upon mater of Faith These things are here premised to make way for the evidence which I tender for the Visible Unity of the Church from the consent of all Christians Hee that sticketh at any point of it may have recourse to the proofe which I have made in due place taking all therefore here for granted But I will advance another assumption tending â—o set the The dependence of Churches evidâ—nâ—eth the Unity of the Whole Church same evidence in better light by stating the form in which the whole Church from the Apostles hath alwaies been governed without repeating the proofes whereby it appeareth A Church then in the sense of all Christians before the Reformation is the Body of Christians contained in a City and the Territory of it For the Government of such a one the respective Authority of the Apostles conveyed by the overt act of their Ordination was visibly vested in a Bishop in a number of Presbyters for his advice and assistance and in Deacons attending upon them and upon the executing of their Orders I say the respective authority of the Apostles because as less Cities are subject to greater in Civil Government so have the Churches of less Cities alwaies depended upon Churches of greater Cities throughout Christendom Rome Alexâ—ndria Antiochia were from the beginning of Christianity visible heads of these great resorts in Church Government which the Council of Nâ—câ—â— made subject to them by Canon Law for the future The eminence of other Cities over their inferiour Churches appears in the Records of the Church as soon as there is any mention of them to make it appeaâ— In these Churches and in the Governors of them the whole Authority of the Apostles was vested For they constituted the Church In process of time the Government of the Roman Empire The form of this dependence throughout the Roman Empire was moulded anew under Constantine otherwise then it had been by Augustus But this new model was designed by Adrian It made the chief Cities of the chief quarters of the Empire the Residences of the chief Commanders of the Armies with civil Jurisdictions respective Which civil Jurisdictions Constanâ—ine left them when hee took from them their commands over the Armies Carthage for Africk Milane for Italy that part which was not under Rome Triers for Gaule Thessalonica for Illyricum Ephesus for Asia Caesarea Cappadociae for Pontus the pre-eminence of the Churches is as visible over the Churches of their inferiour Cities in the records of the Church as the pre-eminence of the Cities in the records of the Empire And according the course of all humane affairs must not this pre-â—minence of necessity bee further limited enlarged or abated in process of time whether by written Law or by silent custom For the effect hereof I present to your consideration the Canons of the Council of Sardica whick I take to bee the greatest advantage that ever lawfully and by regular means accrewed to the Church of Rome toward that greatness which since it hath irregularly obtained For it is visible that they were the means to extend the superiority thereof over Illyricum which continued till the Eastern Empire having the Church of Rome in jealousie laid that whole Jurisdiction under the Church of Constantinople The encrease of which Church upon the seating of the Empire at that City the ground which I allege for the superiority of all Churches as it hath been unjustly opposed by the Church of Rome so it is justly owned by those who protest against the Usurpation of it They that would except Britaine out of this Rule upon the No exception to bee made to it for the British Church act of the Welsh Bishops refusing Austine the Monke for their head should consider that St. Gregory setting him over the Saxon Church which hee had founded according to Rule transgressed the Rule in setting him over the Welsh Church For the Canon of the Apostles maintains every Nation to bee governed by their own Bishop Which the Welsh had reason then to insist upon because of the jealousie which appeared from the Saxons of their incroaching upon the Nation if their Bishop should bee owned for the head of the Welsh Church Setting this case aside the rest of that little remembrance that remains concerning the British Church testifies the like respect from it to the Church of Rome as appears from the Churches of Gaule Spain and Africk of which there is no cause to doubt that they first received their Christianity from the Church of Rome And if so they did then is there reason to conclude that they owed it the respect which was due to their Mother Church But that they either owed it or shewed it the respect of a Subject to the Sovereign which none is challenged none at all As for Illyricum which shewed the same respect after the Council of Sardica it cannot bee thought to have owed it before because it received not Christianity Episcopacy by this formâ—
kneele at the Communion would bee Holy That which the Church of Rome professeth is not Idolatry if it bee a true Church They that separate from the Church of Rome as Idolaters are thereby Schismatickes before God SInce the time that I could understand the Dispute about If the Church of Rome bee a true Church Reformation is the restoring of that which hath been Religion when it was demanded on the behalf of the Church of Rome Where was your Church before Luthers time The Answer hath always been Even where it is now The answer was That it is the same Church that it was A Church which was sick and is now cured Which was corrupted and now is cleared of her Corruptions This answer supposeth that the Church of Rome was a true Church when that Change which wee call Reformation was made And therefore granteth as it hath always been granted that so it is at present For it cannot bee questioned that it is the same Church now which then it was Though the Council of Trent may have encreased the corruption of it And upon these terms all dispute of choice in Religion comes to trial upon this issue Whether the change that is made hath restored that which was in the beginning or not An issue not to be tried but by going to trial upon the particulars in which the change consisteth But are wee all content to goe to tryal upon this issue It If the Pope bee Antichrist and the Papists Idolaters the Church of Rome no true Church were good that wee did understand one another whether wee bee agreed upon it or not For if wee bee then may wee expect to build Solomons Temple without any noise If not wee shall bee the Builders of Babel Wee shall never understand one anothers Language For of a truth there is another reason alleged for the breach between us and the Church of Rome to wit that the Pope is Antichrist and the Papists Idolaters If this pretense bee true wee need not seek farther for the reason of the distance Wee are to owne the Separation for our own Act and to glorie in it For it is done by Gods expresse Command Come out of her my People As to the Jewes in the Captivity of Babylon so to the Christians in the Apocalypse If it bee the Church of Rome that Babylon there signifieth But if this plea bee good it may bee inconsistent with that which the former plea supposeth And though wee cannot goe to trial upon the truth of it without going to trial upon the particulars in difference Yet it is necessary to provide that wee contradict not our selves It is necessary also to consider the importance and consequence of it Whether the reason of the distance amount to so heavy a charge or not It is necessary that wee understand our selves whether wee admit the consequence of our own supposition or not And indeed it concernes us to the purpose Wee all beleeve If â—o â—isible Church thâ—n no sinne of Schismâ— one Catholicke Church for an Article of our Creed upon which the hope of our Common Salvation hangeth If any man be allowed to say I beleeve it not I must be allowed to say I must not bee of that Church in which hee is allowed â—o say it It were good to understand Whether the Unity of the Church out of which no man is saved bee the Visible Unity of those that communicate in the Offices of Gods Service Or whether it be enough that being invisibly United to Christ they are invisibly United to one another by Christ For if the Visible Unity of the Church be not founded by God then is there no crime of Schisme in breaking that Unity But onely of Heresy in breaking it upon an errour in the Faith If there bee such an Unity And therefore such a crime in breaking it Care would bee had that wee ground not our selves in this state of Separation upon that which will render us accessory to it Now I do not doubt that whosoever hath gone about or Antichrist may bee an Idolater but cannot bee the Head of a Church shall goe about to perswade the Jewes that hee is the Christ whom they expect must needs ipso facto bee Antichrist For the word signifies no more than one that pretends to bee Christ in opposition to the true Christ And therefore to Christians who beleeve in the true Christ a false Christ and an Antichrist are both one And S. John 1 John II. 18 22. IV. 3. II John 7. signifies nothing else by that name but those whom our Saviour calls false Christs Mat. XXIV 24. Mark XIII 22. And therefore hee that pretendeth to bee such a Prophet and a Prince as the Jewes expected that their Christ should bee in opposition to the true Christ in whom Christians beleeve As hee is a false Christ so is hee Antichrist For there is no other mention of Antichrist in all the Scriptures but this Other Scriptures are onely supposed to speak of Antichrist But presumption without evidence must not bee taken for truth I do not doubt then that Mahomet is really Antichrist Though the Mahumetans expected no Christ Because hee is the author of a Law which they take for Gods Law And of a power founded upon that Imposture As the Jewes expect that their Christ shall restore Moses Law and the power which God first founded upon it But neither can the Jewes Antichrist nor the Mahumetans Antichrist bee Idolaters without rooting up the Alcoran or the Law of Moses which was not the way to win either the Jewes or those whom Mahomet had to do with Notwithstanding I believe Manicheus was Antichrist and an Idolater both I believe he taught the Idolatry of the Persians in his two Gods the principles one of good the other of evil He pretended indeed to come from Christ as having his Spirit And therefore sent out his twelve Apostles as our Lord Christ had sent his But yet that he brought in his own new Law instead of Christianity no man that knows his positions can doubt And is not hee Antichrist that pretends to do what Christ indeed hath done Therefore I deny not that the Pope may bee Antichrist though the Papists bee Idolaters But I do not grant that the Pope can bee Antichrist granting the Church of Rome to bee a true Church For to bee a ttue Church presupposes the profession of so much Christianity as is necessary to the salvation of all Christians But the salvation of no Christian can stand with the profession of a false Christ And therefore granting the Pope to be Antichrist they that own him can bee no Church So this plea will bee inconsistent with the former which supposeth the Church of Rome a true Church when the Separation fell out As for the charge of Idolatry it is at present alleged in Bar Though it were Idolatry to worship the Host yet to kneel at the Communion would be Holy
banishing those Prayers out of the Pulpit And because the Communion will not bee renewed so frequent as to meet with all those occasions which in the Antient Church it did serve for It must needs bee a Christian design to enlarge the first and daily Service with such forms as may serve for most of such occasions preventing the offenses which have been For the hope of prevailing with God for that which presseth particular persons is the charity of the Congregation in equally desiring the necessities of all Christians When the Eucharist was celebrated upon some particular occasion according to the custom of the antient Church it appears that the general form was throughly observed the particular occasion only mentioned The Eloquence whereby the Church hoped to prevail which God was the devotion and unity which it celebrated the Sacrament with But I must by no means leave this place till I have paid Of the Commemoration of the dead in particular the debt which I owe to the opinion which I have premised and openly profess again and again that wee weigh not by our own Weights nor mete by our own Measures if believing one Catholick Church and enjoying Episcopacy and the Church Lands upon that account wee recal not the memorial of the Dead as well as of the living into this Service There is the same ground to believe the communion of Saints in the prayers which those that depart in the highest favour with God make for us in the prayers which wee make for those thaâ— depart in the lowest degree of favour with God that there iâ— for the common Christianity namely the Scriptures interpreted by the perpetual practise of Gods Church Therefore there is ground enough for the faith of all Christians that those Prayers are accepted which desire God to hear the Saints for us to send the deceased in Christ rest and peace and light and refreshment and a good trial at the day of Judgement and accomplishment of happiness after the same And seeing the abating of the first form under Edward VI hath wrought no effect but to give them that desired it an appetite to root up the Whole what thanks can wee render to God for escaping so great a danger but by sticking firm to a Rule that will stick firm to us and carry us through any dispute in Religion and land us in the haven of a quiet conscience what troubles soever wee may pass through in maintaining that the Reformation of the Church will never bee according to the Rule which it ought to follow till it cleave to the Catholick Church of Christ in this particular Why the Communion Service at the Communion Table when no Eucharist I am not to expect that this Proposition will take effect because some points of it will seem to bee only one mans opinion though it shall never bee that one mans opinion further then it appears to be the visible Order of the whole Church from the beginning or the necessary consequence thereof in this estate For the Church of Rome obliging all to hear Mass all Sunday and Holyday-mornings and the Reformation of the Abuses which wee protest against in the Mass consisting in restoring the Eucharist the Reformation will not bee able to justifie it self in this point till there bee a provision that all may communicate as they ought to do And for the commemoration of the dead in the Oblation though the Reformation under Queen Elizabeth do silence it yet under Edward the VI. it was retained And they who were gratified afterwards by silencing it do now demand as for Reformation that the Eucharist bee not imposed upon tender consciences for fear they should not have room enough for their arbitary Sermons and Prayers which they can never secure the Church that they shall agree with the Profession of it What they will demand next for Reformation how shall it appear For the standard of tender consciences is as invisible as that of Venners spirit that made the rising for King Jesus And having a visible Rule in the consent of the Whole Church it will bee either want of skill or want of charity not to distinguish the remembrance of the dead which the Whole Church hath alwaies frequented from the opinion of Purgatory and the custom of praying to the Saints which succeeding Ages have added But in the mean time the reason is visible why the Communion Service is to bee said at the Communion Table notwithstanding tender consciences which perhaps many that mean well do not perceive If Christian people being seduced by perverse Teachers cannot bee made sensible of their duty in frequenting the Communion the Church is not to forbear calling them to it and putting them in mind of it Weesee there are those who will needs bee Ministers of the Word and Sacraments that have ministred no Communion to their Churches in so many years Instead of taking shame upon them for such abominable contempt of Christianity this mischief is now imagined for a Law when a Law is demanded by which tender consciences may not bee tied to celebrate the Eucharist once in many years Take away the Communion Service from the Communion Table and what mark shall remain of the duty that lies upon the publick to reduce the Law of the Catholick Church which is Gods Law into force What hope of reducing it if the mark bee once blotted out So much it concerns to hold up a daily Protestation of the Right and Duty of the Church and a Contestation with all publick persons in the Church and State to bend the utmost of their endeavours to redeem such an inconsequence and indecorum in Gods Service as the silencing of the principal Office in it And wee are alive at this day by Gods goodness to call God and man to witness that if Order bee not taken in so great a concernment the fault will bee chargeable on those that do not their parts towards it at the great day of Judgement But if my Proposition may not hope for effect in the next A secondary Propâ—sition according to present Law place I shall wish that all Curates would agree in that which by Law they may do so far as I know the Law Or rather that all Ordinaries would agree to impose it upon them That is to divide the Service of God on Sunday and Holiday Mornings into two Assemblies as it stands divided into two Services That all Housholders may stand accountable for their whole Families to see that they serve God in the Church all Sunday and Holiday Mornings as before the Reformation all people were obliged to do For though by the present Law there is not provision for all Christians to communicate Yet is there Order for the Service of God by Psalms and Lessons mixed with Hymns and by the Common Prayers of the Church perfectly summed up in the Litanies And they who shall have performed it shall have celebrated the Lords day or Festival with