Pattern of order and unity will be the most confused body in the World every body will become his own Lord and Master and will live and do as he lift but how opposite is this to that command of our Saviour If he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican and to that of the Apostle obey them that have the Rule over you when at this rate no Man has any other Ruler but his own peevish will Our Saviour therefore to prevent this confusion as he had Authority immediatly from God so he gave his Apostles full Commission to send others with the like power of appointing new Bishops to the end of the World as fast as any should dye or the places become void And to this purpose he says as my Father sent me Joh. 20. that is with power of sending you so send I you with power of sending others And lo I am with you alwaies unto the end of the World accordingly we find Paul and Barnabas ordained by the appointment of the Holy Ghost Act. 13.2 3. and they again when they had received this power goe about ordaining Bishops in every Church where they were wanting Acts 14.23 and then Acts 20. the Apostle exhorts the Bishops to feed the Flock of Christ over whom the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops Thus Timothy was ordained by St Paul and he had power to ordain others but he is charged to lay hands suddenly on no Man 1 Tim. 5.22 Titas also was left in Crete to ordain Elders and set in order the things that were wanting So that Christ he first sent forth his Apostles the Apostles they ordained and sent forth Bishops they were to judge of their abilities and so to give them charge of Souls and the People were to hearken to them and obey them as appointed by the Holy Ghost Act. 20. and so other Priests and Officers that follow their orders and directions 2 Cor. 7.15 What method was observed in appointing Bishops and Governours of the Church after the Apostles dayes 'T IS not to be expected that the Names of all the Persons that were called to be Governours in the Church and the places and bounds within which every Man was to exercise his Authority should be set down in Scripture no more then the Names and Places of Kings and Printes and Civil Governours are The common rules of prudence and order are enough to direct in this as well as the other matters so that all things be done decently and in order and to the edification of the Church Now the Rules of decency and order do require that Persons should be appointed peaceably and therefore no Man must thrust himself into any Government till he be duely called and set apart for that Office neither must any one usurp anothers place and disturb him in the quiet discharge of his duty And then that all may be done to edification t is fit the Persons should be able and well qualified to do their Office so there must be Persons who have power to appoint and judgement to examine and discern the fitness of the Men who are to be called to so high a dignity as to be Teachers and Governours of the Church how they are for life and conversation that Magistrates and People can bear witness to and are allowed to except against ill Men. But whether they are sound in Faith and indued with knowledge and understanding rightly to divide the word of God and discharge their duty that was ever the Office of the Bishops to enquire as also to ordain and appoint them for they must lay hands suddenly on no Man 1 Tim. 5.22 but are to commit this Authority to faithfull Men who are able to teach others also 2 Tim. 2.2 again how shall they Preach except they be sent Rom. 10.15 no Man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 Now that was after a solemn and orderly manner by Gods appointment he was legally consecrated and set apart for that Office Exod. 28. so were the Apostles so were those sent abroad by the Apostles and so Persons were appointed in all ages of the Church being first examined and tryed and then Ordained and sent forth by the Bishops according to certain Canons and the same order is observed at this day in all Churches that stand established in any setled Government And thô there be a dispute in some places whether Bishops and Priests be of the same order and upon that supposition that every Priest is a Bishop and has Originally in him fullness of all Authority and Power some do take it upon them to ordain thô meer Presbyters yet it is upon that principle and supposition that a Presbyter is equal to a Bishop and has Authority from Christ to ordain others by virtue of his Office and so still they maintain that Men must be examined and appointed by Bishops in a Regular manner before they ought to be allowed to take upon them any Office of Preaching and Governing in the Church And suppose a Bishop and Presbyter were one Order and a Presbyter had equal Authority originally to Ordain as well as Bishops which in the judgment of most Churches they have not yet what an unreasonable thing is it to make use of a power of Ordination which was never owned and allowed for 1500 years in the Church and which does create many doubts and disputes and great confusion in the Church when they may have Ordination from the Bishops which all confess is sound and valid and thereby Men may avoid giving scandal to many Churches and raising Scruples in the minds of People at home which all charity does require good Christians to prevent Now this Succession of Bishops down from the Apostles time to our dayes Luther T. 4. p. 6 7 8. Twenty years after his first appearing against the errors of the Church of Rome The Apostles were called by Christ himself the Apostles afterward called their Disciples as Paul called Timothy and Titus Who afterward called the Bishops the Bishops called their Successors and that Call continued to our times and shall continue to the end of the World and 't is a mediate call because it is by Men yet it is Divine and this is the generall call all over the World after the Apostles neither is it to be changed but highly esteemed by reason of some fanaticall Men which despise it and boast of another better call whereby they say they are moved by the Spirit to teach But such impostors lye they are moved by a Spirit indeed but not by a good but a wicked Spirit Wherefore we must not run into another Man's charge as the Devil does stir up his Ministers to run where they are not called has run as clearly and as evidently as the Succession of our Kings in England since William the Conquerour still one succeeding another as any died or
to read through and consider the meaning of the Scriptures so as to be able to satisfie themselves in all doubts and scruples that cunning Hereticks raise to pervert them from the Truth Therefore Christ Jesus left Pastors and Teachers and founded a Church to continue a constant Pillar and Monument to expound to us all difficult and hard places and to condemn and censure false interpretations and stop the mouths of Seducers from spreading abroad damnable Heresies to the ruine of your Souls and then that her Authority might not be despised Matt. 18. The Scripture says if any one refuse to hear the Church let him be unto Thee as an Heathen man and a Publican And for our better encouragement to hearken to her instruction our Lord has promised that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it Matt. 16. And then to direct the unlearned and unstable he has set Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints Ephes 4.11 12 13 14. for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that we may henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of Men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive c. So that we do not take off from the fullness and sufficiency of the Scriptures if rightly expounded and understood but for the satisfaction of the unlearned and unstable which are the greatest part of Mankind we must remember that God has kept up a Church and constant succession of Bishops and Ministers in an Orderly way to teach us the true meaning of his Word and to keep up Discipline and Order and so to preserve us from the Heresies and false Interpretations of Schismaticks that lead Men unto errour and destruction While Men therefore keep within the City they are in no danger of being a prey to the wild Beasts but if they run into a Wilderness they may easily be destroyed by them While they keep within the Ship they are secure from drowning but if they forsake that and commit themselves to the unconstant Waves 't is Ten Thousand to One if they do not miscarry So while Men keep within the Communion of the Church and follow the guidance of those Pastors which God has appointed to keep them steady there is no danger of their Salvation but if they forsake the Church and run into Conventicles Psal 91.11 they go out of Gods way and so out of his protection and are exposed to all Heresie and Confusion If their Teachers do not Sin wilfully and lead them into Heresie yet they may mislead them through ignorance and unskilfullness WHO can tell how oft he offendeth nay the Heart above all things is deceitfull therefore 't is an easie matter for Men that follow the guidance of their own understanding and neglect the command of the Church to be deluded by the Devil who often appears as an Angel of Light and yet is still busie to seek whom he may devour Neither can they hope for the blessing of God and depend upon the promise of his direction when they go into by Pathes and pursue their own devices How many plain things may such presumptuous Men overlook how often may they misunderstand some parts of Gods word which want more care and attention Besides who can be sure that they come with all Languages and other helps to reading them or take such pains to read and compare all Texts as not to be ignorant in many duties of great necessity to be observed And if the blind lead the blind they both fall into the ditch And no wonder if People perish for want of vision when they wilfully run away from the instruction of the Church and follow such ignorant guides who had need to be taught the first Principles of humility and understanding Thô therefore by good Words and fair Speeches they may deceive the hearts of the Simple and may gather many excellent expressions out of the Holy Scriptures yet 't is a great rashness and want of Judgment for Men to trust their Souls upon the skill and understanding of such private Seducers who by their ignorance may leave them without that sufficient instruction which is necessary to Salvation Objections and Questions against Conformity answered BUT some will Object that their setting up Conventicles in opposition to the Bishops and Ministers is no more then what the Bishops did in opposition to the Church of Rome and therefore if they are Schismaticks now the Bishops were also by Reforming the Church without the Authority of the Pope and Church of Rome I answer By the Council of Nice and all other general Councils and the constant Order of the Catholick Church all Provincial and National Churches have power to Govern themselves and reform any abuses or errours that have crept into their Communion And our Bishops and Clergy did in an Orderly way lay aside several errours that are maintained by the Church of Rome but still retain the Faith and unity of the Catholick Church and we do also particularly blame the Roman Church for breaking the Order and rejecting the Traditions of the Primitive Fathers and general Councils but do not at all break the Rule of Christian Charity to the Church of Rome or any other Church in the World we leave them to Reform and Govern their own Churches and do but use the same Liberty over our own Members which Christ has given and the Church has ever maintained which we allow them to use over those of their own Communion for they ought to Reform those abuses as we have done Obj. But is there not a plain rent and division made in the Church by this Reformation and those that were united before in One Communion are broken into several parties Answ That there are and must be Heresies and Schisms in the Church we are taught by the Holy Scriptures 1 Cor. 11.19 That they which are approved may be made manifest But we cannot answer for other Men it is sufficient we break Charity with no body we pay all Love and friendship and all that communion that one particular Church ought to pay to another but we do not intermeddle with their private affairs or disturb and embroyl their Communion and if the Church of Rome and other Churches that hold with her would keep the same temper that we have and still do we should quickly see an end of all our Divisions Can. 30. for we differ from none but where they differ from themselves and depart from the Primitive purity of those Ancient and Apostolical Churches from whence they had their beginning And as for that Obedience and Conformity which we require of our own Members it is no other and upon far
she is a very corrupt part of it and those of that Communion that amongst us set up separate Assemblies do oppose the constant tradition of the Catholick Church the Canons of the generall Councils and follow a private Spirit and are as proper Schismaticks as any of our Fanaticks and Dissenters Obj. But those of the Church of Rome do not only charge us with Disobedience to the Pope but with Heresie and false Doctrine in rejecting many Articles of Faith and other Ancient practices of the Church Answ But if you will consult your Bishops and Ministers they will make it appear that the Points we reject are so far from being Articles of Faith and ancient practices that they are Moddern errours and corruptions not known to or else condemned by the Primitive Church and this we may see evidently made out by severall late Writings and Disputes Obj. I am glad to hear you say the Catholick Church does plainly condemn the Usurpations and Errours of the Church of Rome as well as the Scriptures which seem plainly against them and we think against many Orders of the Church of England also that are meer Humane inventions if not old Popish Superstitions which we cannot Lawfully joyn withall and therefore are forced to serve God in such a Manner as we can and which we think is better pleasing to Him thô in separate Congregations Answ Humane Inventions and Popish Superstitions are frightfull words indeed but so you must remember are Slanderers Schismaticks Hereticks and disobedient to Parents c. as all those are that accuse the Church and cannot prove what they say Obj. But our Preachers have told us that these Orders of the Church are Popish Anti-christian c. and therefore our Consciences would condemn us if we should comply with them Answ But will you run into so great Sins against the plain Word of God because your Preachers tell you so I thought the Word of God had been your Rule but now I perceive you follow your Preachers against the Word of God and will not obey your Governours according to it Obj. We think our Preachers are Good and Holy Men and Teach us the Truth Answ Why should you not have as good an opinion of your Bishops and Ministers But when the Preachers take upon them thus to draw you into Schism Disobedience and teach you to have uncharitable thoughts of your Governours and to condemn the Church and fellow Christians you ought to suspect if not their honesty yet their Judgment and Discretion for they are Men and may be transported by Passion and Interest or else through errour and mistake and lead you into heinous Sins For why should you think them wiser and better then all other Divines Obj. But I hope still they teach us right Answ But it is not enough to say you hope you must be sure the Governours of the Church are in the wrong or else you are in a most miserable condition to run your selves into so many Sins and dangers by separating from them Obj. But my Conscience tells me I am in the right Answ But 't is not your Conscience will excuse you unless you have some Command of God to build upon Now turn your Bible over and over you will not find any thing in the Scripture against any duty required by the Church Obj. But pray where have you any Command of God for your Common-Prayer and Ceremonies Answ We are commanded in Scripture to make Prayers and Supplications for all Men 1 Tim. 2.1 and to see that all things be done Decently and in Order and since the Words and Ceremonies are not determined in Scripture 't is better the Governours should consider and make Rules and Orders then to leave it to every bodies Fancy so that we have command in Scripture for what we do But pray where have you any command of God for your irreverent Prayers and disorder in Gods service Obj. Why do you call our Prayers and Service irreverent and disorderly Answ Because they are so and cannot be generally otherwise for when every Preacher is to follow his own heated and Rambling fancy and every Hearer is lest to Sit or Kneel or Stand or Lye along to put on his Hat or put it off what can commonly be expected but irreverence and disorder Obj. As for these Modes Gestures and Postures which you call Irreverent we matter not them Answ But thô you matter them not yet the Scripture does require all things should be done Decently and in Order 1 Cor. 14.40 and we find that our Saviour and his Apostles did kneel down and shew all outward Reverence and therefore we think the Church of England has good reason to require People to imitate their examples in behaving themselves Reverently and Orderly when they are in the House of God and not let their Service be more rude there then when they are at their houses at home so that nothing is commanded in this kind but what civility and good breeding would teach Men to observe and for which we have the command of God and the example of Christ and his Apostles and other Holy Men. Obj. Perhaps it would be better if People were more Reverent at their Meetings Answ But how can that be expected when all your Prayers and the whole Performance is left to the Arbitrary pleasure and discretion of every Preacher amongst you who are Men and those none of the ablest neither and may err and be ignorant Obj. But we think they Pray by the Spirit Answ What do you mean by Praying by the Spirit do you mean that the Holy Ghost does put all those words immediately into their Mouths and so they use no other Prayers but what are dictated by the Holy Ghost Obj. We do think so and our Preachers keep us up in that belief Answ But how do they prove this For if that be true all their Prayers are as Divine and Infallible as the Word of God it self For the Holy Ghost is as Infallible now as when he did guide the Apostles to write the Holy Scriptures But it is evident to all the World that these Prayers are often so far from being Divine that they sometimes are such as scarce become a sober Man Therefore you may see what Men your Preachers are that abuse you in this manner and cheat you with false stories if your Preachers are dictated by any Spirit 't is generally by the Spirit of delusion for it is not to be thought that the Holy Ghost will work a Miracle at every Conventicle to inspire every dissenting Preacher when ordinary gifts are sufficient not only for such but much more excellent Prayers And any One that will but attend those Meetings and weigh their Prayers with Judgment will find more of the errour and weakness of the Man then of the least evidence of the Holy Spirit Obj. But we have heard other Men Pray and Preach but could never find so much satisfaction and comfort as
easier Terms then all Churches do require of those that are under their respective Jurisdictions So that we are neither the cause nor party in any Division Other Churches that break communion with us deny that Christian Charity that One Member of Christs Body ought to pay to another and those of our own Members that run into Conventicles set up Altar against Altar and divide themselves from our Communion go against the plain word of God which requires them to obey them that have the Rule over them See my Evangel and Cath. unity c. against the constant Order of the Catholick Church and general Councils and contrary to the Doctrine and Command of all other Churches in the World Obj. But are there no Reasons then for Men to refuse the Communion of their particular Church and Bishop and must every private Christian alwayes comply with their Governours whatsoever they say or do Answ They must obey their particular Church in all things Lawfull which are in all things not contrary to the word of God and the Catholick Church Obj. But who shall be Judge in this Case Answ The sense of the Catholick Church in Cases of doubt is to be consulted Obj. But is it not hard to know where she may be consulted and how to understand her Sense in any matter Answ God has promised that the way shall be so plain that a wayfaring Man though a Fool shall not err therein Isa 35.8 1 Tim. 3.15 and for our direction tells us the Church is the Pillar and Ground of Truth And thereupon he has commanded us to hear and obey the Church and there is no doubt it will be an easie matter to understand what her Sense is in all Cases needfull for us to know Obj. But have not Bishops and Scholars themselves many disputes about the Church and about her Sense in several points and how then can People know the Sence of the Church Answ Men of some Judgment and little Reading are willing to despise that Authority which is above their capacity and Men of great Reading and little Judgment do not know how to reconcile the seeming differences in the Church but if you consult your Bishops and Ministers they will satisfie you concerning the Sense of the Catholick Church in all parts of your duty For since God has made it our duty to hear and obey the Churches he will order matters so that all People that are willing to follow her direction may be guided by it for God does not reveal any thing to us that we cannot believe nor command any thing which we cannot perform in the manner it is proposed to us Quest What plain Rule will you give us to go by in this matter for we would willingly know the Truth and hearken to the Church Answ First in all Lawfull and in most doubtfull matters it is your duty to follow the command of your particular Church Quest But what must I do in things that seem to me contrary to the Word of God when such are commanded by my particular Church Answ The second Rule then I would give you is that if you think or are credibly told you ought not to joyn with your particular Church in this or that Doctrine or practice before you make a Schism enquire of learned Men what was the Sense of the Primitive Fathers and generall Councils and what is the generall opinion of other Churches and most learned Divines about it and be sure you have good Reason and Authority before you depart from your own Church in which you live and were Baptized Obj. This is the way to put me upon a tedious endless work more then either I or the Persons I consult will be ever able to go through Answ No no such matter the Sense and Consent of the Scripture and of the Church is so clear in all points of duty that People are concerned to know and practice and the Controversies are so few when rightly stated and understood that want to be decided in Order to your doing your duty that it will be no hard matter to receive full satisfaction for they are either such that have been long agoe decided or the Church is wholly silent about them and there is no evidence of Scripture to oblige you to depart from your particular Church upon that account Now consider in how many matters all Churches are agreed and the Controversies long agoe setled First against the Arrians and Socinians Consess August which are long agoe condemned for Hereticks and the Three Creeds that expound the Catholick Faith See my enquiry into the means of a happy union contrary to their perverse interpretations are generally received by all Churches So likewise the Anabaptists and Quakers who deny Infant Baprism are likewise condemned by all Churches and 't is the constant Doctrine of the Catholick Church and all Reformed Churches that to separate from their Lawfull Bishops upon the account of their requiring of them to joyn in stated Forms of Prayer and for enjoyning decent Ceremonies not contrary to the Word of God and thereupon to set up Altar against Altar and run into private meetings is that Schism condemned in the Holy Scriptures So that not only from the Holy Scriptures but from the interpretation of the Church it is most evident that they hold pernicious if not Damnable errours and in these points it will be an easie matter for every body to find satisfaction and to know the Churches Sense concerning them So that to joyn with such Dissenters and to profess their Doctrines is manifestly to oppose the Catholick Church as well as the Word of God Obj. But if you put us to enquire into the Ancient ways and consult the Sense of other Churches and give us that Rule for our direction in matters of Controversie we fear you have a design to lead us back to the Church of Rome for they talk much of the Church and the old Religion and tell us all the World is on their side Answ That is the great weakness of some to imagine so and by their speaking meanly of hearkning to the Authority of the Catholick Church make many Suspect indeed that the Church of God has been altogether corrupted and lost or else no where to be found for many Ages but in the Church of Rome Whereas if you will inquire of your Bishops and Divines of the Church of England they will tell you that the pretended Authority of the Pope and Church of Rome is contrary to the generall Councils rejected by the whole Church for the first Six Hundred Years and upwards and condemned by the major part of the Bishops and Christian Churches from the Apostles times to this very day nay the Church of Rome is the only Church by Name warned to take heed least she be Cut off from the Body of Christ as the Jews were Rom. 11. So that the Church of Rome is so far from being the Catholick Church that