a Church and I take not Heathens for the Church XIII I believe that in this Universal Church are thousands of particular Churches and this by Christs Institution XIV I believe that there is no particular Church or Christian on earth who is not respectively as Visible or Mystical a part of the Universal Church XV. As every worshipping Assembly is a Church in a larger sense so a Church in a political sense is essentially constituted of the Pastor and People or the Sacerdotal guiding and the guided parts and of such a Church it is that I am speaking XVI As such meeting in transitu are an Extemporate transient Church so fixed Cohabitants ought to be a Church accordingly fixed related to each others as such for longer than the present meeting XVII Every such Political fixed Church should consist of a Pastor at least accordingly fixed to a cohabiting people and as their Pastor more specially related by obligation and authority to them than to strangers or neighbour Churches He is not bound to do that for all as he is for them nor may go into other Pastors Churches with equal power nor officiate where he please XVIII If there be no Church but the Universal than there is neither Parochial Diocesan or National nor are Assemblies Churches Nor is our King the Royal Governour of any Church for of the Universal he is not XIX Christian Princes must do their best to settle faithful Pastors in all Churches that is according to the Laws of Christ but not against them But as they must do their best that all their Subjects may have good Phycisians Schoolmasters Wives or Husbands Servants Dyet Cloathing c. but yet are not trusted by office to choose all these for every one and impose them on Dissenters because the same God that made Kingly power did first make personal and paternal power which Kings cannot dissolve so every man is so nearly concerned for his own Salvation more than for Wife Servant Dyet Phycisian c. that though he must thankfully accept of all the Rulers lawful help he is still the most obliged chooser Nor is it any part of the office of a King to choose and impose on every Subject a Guide or Pastor to whom only he shall trust the Pastoral conduct of his Soul any more than a Physician or a Tutor for him XX. Parish-bounds are not of Primitive or Divine Institution but cohabitation or propinquity is a needful qualification of setled Members gratia finis And Parish-bounds are a useful humane determination according to the general Rules Do all to edification and in order XXI No one is a Church-member merely because he dwelleth in the Parish for unbaptized Infidels Heathens Atheists may dwell there XXII Nor is a stranger a Church-member for coming into the Assembly for such as aforesaid or Jews Mahometans may come in XXIII A Pastor oweth more care and duty to his flock than to the rest of the world as a Physician to his Hospital Therefore he must know who they are better than by knowing that they dwell in the Parish nor may he Baptize them or give them the Lords Supper only because he seeth them in the Assembly or in the Parish else Jews and Heathens must have it XXIV Nor is he to give it to every one that demandeth it for so may Jews and Heathens that take it in scorn or for by-ends XXV Yet a Christian having a valid Certificate that he is such hath right to transient Communion with any Church of Christ where he cometh but for order the antient Churches used not to receive them without some Certificates from the Churches that they came from lest Hereticks and Excommunicates unknown persons should be every where received XXVI No man can be an adult Christian without signified consent nor a stated member of any particular Church without such consent no nor a lawful transient Communicant without consent For so great benefits none but consenters have right to nor can such relations be otherwise contracted XXVII Consent not signified nor known is none to the Church XXVIII A man may be obliged to consent that doth not but that makes no man a Christian or member of the Universal Church else Millions of Infidels and Heathens are Christians And so it maketh no one a member of a particular Church that he is obliged to be one nor am I a Pastor over any men as a Church because they are obliged to take me for their Pastor no more than that is a Husband Wife Servant who is obliged to be so and will not To say that I am a Pastor to Heathens as a Church is a contradiction or that I am their Pastor as my special Christian flock and particular Church-members that consent not XXIX But the same man that liveth among such may be to consenting Christians a Pastor and to Refusers Infidels or Heathens a Teacher The Church ever distinguished the Audientes and Catechumene Candidates from the Fideles who were the Members of the Church XXX No Pastor or people should impose any Covenant on any adult to be Christened but consent to be Christians signified by Baptism nor on any in order to transient Communion among strangers but just notice of their Christianity and understanding consent to that Communion nor on any in order to their being the stated Members of this or that flock and particular Church but due notice of their Christianity and of their understanding consent to what is essential to such members that is to the relation as essentiated by the correlate and ends XXXI No one should be obliged by covenant to continue one year or Month in the station of that particular relation because they know not when Gods providence may oblige them to remove or change it XXXII Though the Peoples consent be necessary to their relation their Election of the Pastor which signifieth the first determination who shall be the man is not absolutely necessary though of old so thought An after-Consent may serve ad esse relationis XXXIII Much less is it necessary that the people choose who shall be ordained a Minister unfixed and only of the Universal Church XXXIV 1. Mutual consent of the duely qualified Ordained and Ordainer determineth who shall be a Minister in the Church Universal as consent of the Colledge and the Candidate do who shall be the Licensed Physician 2. The Peoples consent and the Ministers instituted determine who shall be the Pastor of this particular Flock or Church 3. The King determineth whom he will tolerate countenance and maintain XXXV Though a man may be Ordained but once to the Ministry unfixed in the Universal Church to which I said the Peoples consent is not necessary yet may he be oft removed from one particular Church to another on just cause to which the peoples consent if not Election is still necessary Though to avoid Ambition the old Canons forbad Bishops to remove XXXVI It 's lawful to be ordained sine titulo
Doctrine Worship or Religious Ministration for the Ministration of the word and Sacraments and Keys is already appointed by Christ And the Office or Order is specified by the work and terminus and a new Office hath new work But in the same species of Religious Ministration there are abundance of accidentals and circumstances and Princes or consenting Churches may give men power in those accordingly But not to forbid what Christ commanded nor destroy the works and power of his Institution And if they that are for other superiour or co-ordinate species of Church-power besides what is afore-granted say that it is a lawful humane Ordinance 1. Those that say Princes only may make it confess the Church had none that was lawful for three hundred years And they must prove the Commission 2. Those that say the Inferiour Bishops made it by consent 1. feign Inferiours to have power to make a power above their own which is more than for Presbyters to ordain their like 2. Why may not Archbishops then make Patriarks and they a Pope ad summum ascendendo 3. They must prove their power and that they are so far equal to Apostles who yet were but to teach the Nations what Christ commanded them which these Men know not but by the Scripture 4. What Man maketh Man may unmake And how came we to be less free than our Ancestors that made such Offices XLI In my Book of Concord where this is granted yet I say that let Church-Patriarchs Metropolitans Primates Archbishops or Diocesans like ours that have no Bishops under them be never so probably maintained to be lawful yea and desirable yet the uniting in them by consent and approbation will never become the terms or way of Universal Concord which I have fully proved even all that is true and good will never be the terms of Universal Concord nor just Christian Communion much less that which hath so much matter of doubt and great suspition of evil But I will live in Christian love peace and submission my self on terms uncapable of common concord or my own approbation of the things as imposed or done by all others XLII Lay-Chancellours may do what belongeth to a Magistrate but not use the Church-Keyes nor be the Church-Judges of Mens Communion because Christ hath Instituted the Sacred Office for it XLIII A Church is Ens Politicum in the sense in hand and the form of it is Relative in the predicament of Relation XLIV The parts of the Universal Church are similar and dissimilar more simple or more compound And the word whole applyed to a part disproveth not its being a part of the whole Christian world or Church A whole hand foot head c. is part of a whole Body and a whole Body part of a whole Man and a whole Man part of a whole Family and a whole Family part of a whole street and that of a whole City and that of a whole County or Kingdom A whole Colledge of a whole University c. All Members save Souls and Atomes are compounds XLV When we call all the Christian world The Catholick Church and call e. g. Hippo A or the Catholick Church the word Catholick and The are not univocal In the later we mean only The Church at Hippo which holds the true Catholick Faith and is a true part of the Catholick Church in the first sense Penuria nominum necessaria reddit aequivoca XLVI Particular Churches are Visible in the Regent and Governed parts The Universal Church is Visible in the Governed part and in the Head only so far as he was once on Earth and is now visible in Heaven his Court and will be visible at last to all and ruleth by visible Laws but not as a Head now visible on Earth nor is this any deformity to his Church nor any reason why it may not be called Visible as I have fully proved in two Books against W. Johnson alias Terret XLVII Those that deny an Universal Visible Church differ only de nowine not de re They only deny any Universal Regent power Monarchical or Aristocratical or Democratical under Christ but I know no Christian that ever denyed the fore-described XLVIII Forma dat esse Divers constitutive forms or specifying differences make divers Essences Therefore the form of a Troop being the Captains Government differs from the form of a Regiment which is the Colonels Governing Relation and both from the forms of the Army which is the Generals The formal Essence of a Colledge is divers from that of an University and of a Family from a Corporation or City and that from a Kingdom And as forma dat nomen they have divers names A Family quatalis is not a Kingdom c. Reader forgive the mention of these things which Children know and till now I never read or heard any man deny or question In that which followeth you shall see the Reasons that excuse me CHAP. III. What Mr. Cheyney saith against these things And 1. Of Church-Forms and Essence § 1. THough it tempt me not to Conformity as the way of Concord where I see the great difference of such as plead for it amongst themselves yet I must do that right to the Conformists as to tell the world that they must not be judged of by Mr. Ch 's opinions and that I know no other Conformist or Non-conformist of his mind about Church-Forms § 2. But I must add that his Case doth increase my Conviction against himself and them that their Conformity is so far from being the necessary Cement that it is utterly destructive of it as so imposed and that it must be on few plain necessary things that common concord must be held or we must have none Mr. Ch. thinks me one who may be endured in the Ministry and I think so by him and yet how far easier and plainer than our Controversies of Conformity are those things in which we differ to the height of his following Accusations If none should be endured that cannot Covenant Swear Subscribe Declare and Practice as is required how much less can such as he and I be endured in one Church if we differ as he saith we do O what pardon and forbearance doth our peace require § 3. Of Church-Forms and Essence hear some of his Judgment Pag. 3. The several Congregations and Assemblies of Pastors and People throughout the Kingdom are not limbs and parcels of a Church but they are so many Churches consisting of a Pastor Governing and people governed joyning together in publick worship It is called the Church of England as all the Christian Pastors and people throughout the world are called the Universal Church One Church of which Christ is the transcendent Head I do not see but it is proper to call all the Christian Pastors and people of England One Church P. 6. Christ is the Head of the Church of England and under Christ all the Parish-Ministers are subordinate Guides and Rulers of their Flocks
all Religion Christianity the Gospel the Church all Government Introducing Popery c. Especially for asserting 1. That Christ hath Instituted one Universal Church of which he onely is the Head and particular Churches as parts of it of which the Pastors are Subordinate Heads or Governours and so formally differenced 2. That neither of them is Constituted without some signification of consent which he never before heard one Christian deny CHAP. I. PREFATORY § 1. COntending though Defensive and made necessary by Accusers is an unpleasant work As I would choose a Prison before a Defensive War were it for no greater interest than my own so I would choose to be in Print proclaimed an Heretick Schismatick Atheist or any thing rather than be at the unpleasing labour of a Confutation of all Accusers were it not for a higher interest than mine For though we must contend for the Faith yet the servant of the Lord must not needlesly strive 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. And experience tells us the good seldome answereth the bad effects § 2. And there are few that call me to a publick Account that I answer less willingly than Mr. Cheney because his Accusations are such gross Mistakes that I cannot Answer them in the gentlest manner according to truth without opening that which will bring him lower in the Readers esteem than I desire and I much fear will be to himself a temptation which he will hardly overcome as I see by this his 2d Book Had he that was my familiar Neighbour thought meet to have spoken with me before his Publications I am past doubt that I could have convinced him of multitudes of Untruths and Errours so as to have prevented such a publication of them for in private he would easilier have born the detection of them than in the hearing of the World which he has chosen But whereas some cast away his Book as a fardel of Dotage and shameless Lyes I must remember such that I am confident he wrote no falshoods with a purpose knowingly to deceive and therefore they are not strictly Lyes but as rash untruths are such in a larger sense which ignorant men assert for want of due tryal It is a great errour to over-value such poor frail ignorant men as we all are Mr. Ch. and I have both over-valued one another and this errour now we have both escaped but not laid by our Christian love And as God will not take Mens Diseases for their Sins his bodily temper is to me a great excuse of his strong confident mistakes § 3. The very Introductory Preface of his Books disowning Cruelty and uncharitable dividing Impositions enableth me to forgive him the multitude of rash untruths and slanders and instead of a Mentiris I shall put but a Putares or Non-putares I have just such a task in dealing with Mr. Ch. as with one that is hard of hearing when I speak to such a one that heareth but one half and mis-heareth the rest he answereth me as he heard and when I tell him his mistake his last reply is I thought you had said thus and thus but if I should dispute a whole day with such a man I should be sharply censured if I printed the Dispute and told the World how many hundred times the man mis-heard and so mistook me And I fear neither he himself nor the Reader that valueth his time would thank me for such exercise of my Arithmetick with Mr. Cheney § 4. For his Preface I thank him It tells me that all our Accusers do it not in meer Malignity and that he hath a few steps further to tumble before he come to the bottom of the hill His Book consisteth partly of a handsome considerable discourse for Prelacie and other Church-Offices of Humane Invention and partly of a new singular Doctrine about Church-Forms partly in a critical discharge of his fancy and unpacking his preparations against the Independant Covenant and Church-Form and partly in detecting my many Atheistical Infidel Impious Errours by which he supposeth I am deceiving the world and partly n a multitude of falshoods of me and others in matter of fact and partly I hope an ignorant plea for the Pope To open all these fully would tire the Reader and me CHAP. II. What the Doctrine is which he accuseth of Atheism Impiety c. § 1. THE Reader that hath well perused my Writings knoweth it but I cannot expect that all should do so that read his Book The abstract is this I. That Jesus Christ is Head over all things to the Church Eph. 1. 22 23. II. That the Mosaical Law as such never bound other Kingdoms and is ceased with their Commonwealth and is abrogated by Christ and that he as King of the Church hath established a sufficient Law for all that is universally necessary for Doctrine Worship and Church-order or Government and was faithful in all his house as Moses and Commissioned his Apostles to Disciple Nations Baptizing them and teaching them what Christ himself had commanded them Matth. 28. 19. III. That he setled the Ministry and Church-Form before he made any Magistrate Christian and that no Magistrate hath power to change them IV. That what his Apostles did by his Commission and Spirit he did by them V. That Church-Forms being so Instituted and Constituted he hath not left them so much to the will of Man as he hath done the Forms of Civil Government VI. That Christ hath One Universal Church of which he is the onely Head and Law-giver and no Vicar personal or collective as one Political person or power of which professed believers and consenters in Baptism are the visible Members and sincere Believers and Consenters the Spiritual saved Members VII That the World and Church are not all one nor Heathens and Infidels the same with Christians nor any parts of the Church properly called VIII That Christs Ministers first work to which they were Commissioned was not on the Church or any Member of it but the Infidel world to gather them into a Church and the first Baptized person was not Baptized into a pre-existent Church but the Church existing Baptism entereth men into it IX That the first Baptizer was no Pastor of such an existent Church but an Organical Minister to gather a Christian Church X. That though at Baptism one may enter into the Universal and a particular Church yet Baptisme qua talis entereth us onely into the Universal being our Christening or Covenant-uniting to the body of Christ XI That a Pastor in the Scripture and usual sense is a Relate to Oves the Sheep or Flock and not to Infidels And a Ministry to Infidels and an Episcopacy or Pastorship of the flock are different notions but if any will use the terms otherwise we contend not de nomine though you call him a Pastor of Infidels or what else you can devise XII To explain my self when I mention a Bishop or Pastor I mean the Bishop or Pastor of
they seem to have great advantage in the using of your Argument to tell them that would have Preaching that Humility should teach them to esteem the Readers labour above their own And truly Basil and Chrysostom's Sermons which they read are better than the Sermons in very many Churches in this Land which you that honour the Fathers its like will not deny But cheat not your self so as to dream that we are the Assailants when we meddle not with you but by way of Comparison when urged to it in our own defence But because Prejudice and Factious passages yellow Jaundices a Party c. are here accused I could almost find in my heart to send you a Copy of some of the Sermons that I have lately heard But you would but pretend that this were some rare unusual thing O let the World take heed what History they believe I have as much ado to perswade you that many Churches are left in a case which calls for Tears as I have to perswade Bagshaw and others on the other extream that any of them have worthy or tolerable men When yet many hundred thousand Persons have Sense Reason and Experience to decide the Case But these ten years experience and much more have taught me not hastily to believe a Faction though in a matter where the common sense is Judge for Faction is one of the greatest Lyars in the world But you say Just so did Martin Marprelate traduce the regular Clergies Answer Just so is just untruly spoken by you As well may the Papists say to the Lutherans Just so did the Heriticks of old Rather just so did Christ tell some men That they took away the Key of Knowledge and would neither enter nor suffer others And just so he told them That if the blind lead the blind both will fall into the Ditch One of the last Sermons I heard was on Servants obey your Masters in all things and our own Servants being almost wholly past by it was applied to shew That we are Servants to the Bishops and must obey them in all things As if subjection without servitude had not been enough One of the next before it was to prove That the Church may appoint Holy-days because Easter-day which is the Lords-day is a Holy-day of the Churches appointment When most of the people had more need to have been taught the Cathechistical Principles and what they did when they were Baptized I can name you the Man and Place that from the Title of John's Epistle To the elect Lady proved undeniably that then there were Lord Bishops because an Elect Lady relateth to an Elect Lord and there are no Elect Lords but Elect Lord Bishops And if such as you are pleased to approve of the silencing of many hundreds yea of such as Amesius Cartwright Greenham Hildersham John Rogers Egerton Dod Bradshaw Rob. Parker Paget Hering c. O what men and the setting up of such as These or Readers in their stead all is salved by telling us that we must think others better than our selves and that we may profit by all And if God did work by all alike sense or non-sence and made as much use of the Ignorant and Ungodly to procure Knowledge and Godliness in the world I would say as you I believe with K. James they have an ill Spirit that recount Grievances to make themselves popular I suppose Sir Edw. Sands named by you was one he meant so ill do your Allegations agree But I will not therefore consent to their Guilt that make grievances and then declaim against such Popularity They please not God and are contrary to all mens forbidding us to Preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved for Wrath is come upon them to the uttermost was this Popular declaiming against grievances Deny your Children Food and Rayment and then call them such Popular declaimers Again you snatch at your former self-deceiving fiction did these Hebrew Children and Ara bick Lads come out of your School they should have been stroaked for Precious Youthes Answer How pleaseing to you is a selfmade Cheat. Realy Sir I know not one such Lad that is a Conformist your urgency may possibly provoke me to send you if it please you some of our homebred Fruits to tell you whence I fetcht my comparison 1. when you well mourn for your Alehouses Sots and yet say that all our 1800 are not free your Confession on one part is constrained your Accusation on the other side I think is a Calumny 1. Because no one of all the Non-conformists was cast out for Drunkenness but many on the other side were cast out uppon Accusation of that sin seconded by Oathes how just I must not presume to say 2. I that know the Non-conformists better than you know not one Drunkard amongst them all in England 3. I Challenge you to Name one of all the Ministers I Named to you or any other in the County of Worcester where you live Next Page 7. you pretend that I Change my judgement in valuing the Common Prayer and Homilies Answer all false still no change at all I ever valued the Common Prayer and Homilies much before such Preaching as I described to you And realy I think that the Non conformists much more value the Homilies than the Conformists do Next I am glad that you disclaim the proving it of any of our Non-conformists in England that he was silenced for Insufficiency But was this impertinent to one that intimated such Charges of unlearnedness as you did But you say it is of another Nature the reason of our silence that we do not give security to Authority that we will Preach up no more Wars Answer I summon your Conscience to justify you silencing of so many and such in the necessity of so many Thousand Souls one moment after death upon the Charge now given us on these reasons 1. I told you and you could not deny it that if you leave out your Oath and Subscription to the Bishops and Chancellors with the Vast Assent and Consent few Non-conformists will refuse the renuncation mentioned by you about Wars Yet still have you that front to â—ay it upon this The many that took the Oxford Oath upon this and the more that were ready to take it if Judge Keeling had not presently and openly declared it to be a renunciation of the National Vow 2. I again provoke you to prove that there is one Non-conformable Minister of Ten or Twenty that ever was proved or can be to have medled with the War against the King 3. you read and cite my late Writing wherein I say Page 51. Differ of the Pow of Mag. and Past I ascribe all that power to Kings which is given them by any Text of Scripture or acknowledged by any Council General or Provincial or by any Publick Authentick Confession of any Christian Church either Protestant Greek or Papist that ever I yet saw And is all this Insufficient to
an Universal Head or Government over all the Pastors Churches and Christians in the world besides Christ and you say this is of Divine Institution and you lay the concord of all the Churches upon it Do but grant the Papists this one assertion that particular Churches as headed by their respective Pastors are parts and members of the Universal Church as a City is of a Kingdom and overthrow the Popes headship over all if you can It will follow that there must be besides Christ an Universal Ecclesiastical Monarch on Earth either personal or collective who must have the Supreme power P. 96. But indeed you have gone beyond Bellarmine in seting up Papal Monarchy Your other assertion sets up Atheism by making the Holy God the Author and Founder of two essentially different Churches or Church-Forms According to Bellarmines assertion for the Pope there would be Pastors c. But according to your assertion all the world must be Atheists of no Religion at all P. 224 225. Your division of the Church into Universal and particular is plainly against that Rule in Logick Membra omnis bonae divisionis debent esse inter se opposita But in this your division the Membra dividentia are not inter se opposita you oppose the same thing against itself You make the Church at Corinth a particular Church The whole or the Universal Church at Corinth is sound and good You plainly leave out of your description the differencing Form or token of that which you call a particular Church and that is Neighbourhood or dwelling or abiding in this or that place you make a new essential of Church-Membership and Church-Communion and lay the peace of all the Churches on it and say it is Divine sure harmless fitted to the interest of all good men This startles me I strive to be silent and cannot The more I strive the more I am overcome Mr. Cawdrey was lately with me and we had Conference about this point suspecting mine own judgment I have conferred with divers about your other Notions two Churches or two Church-Forms differing essentially and they cannot apprehend how it can stand you make the Universal Church-Form and the particular Church-Form to differ essentially and this by Divine Law I prove to you from the nature of the thing it self and the express word of God that the Universal Church of God at Corinth and the particular Church of God at Corinth are one and the same To oppose the Universal and particular Church and say they differ essentially is to oppose the same thing against itself and make the Lord Jesus Christ the Authour and Founder of selfsubverting Principles P. 226 227. As for that other point of the Church particular being part of the Church Universal it is to say that the whole Church at Corinth is a part of the whole Church which is absurd Reader I must not Transcribe the whole Book the rest is too like this exercise your patience in receiving a short Answer to the several parts which seemeth needful CHAP. IV. A Defence against the foresaid Accusations § 1. WHat Christians heart can choose but mourn for the Church of God and the puzzling confounding temptations of the ignorant that must hear men charged thus publickly with Atheism and the overthrow of all Religion for that which the Christian world agreeth in and this by Preachers of professed humility sincerity and zeal How shall the unlearned know when they are safe yea what snares are thus laid to rob men of their time as well as their Faith and Charity I must not give such lines their proper names but I will say that it remembreth me of Isa 1. 6. and it cryeth out unclean unclean How few words of Truth and soberness and soundness can you number among all these Had he written and published it in his sleep as some talk and walk it were some excuse But for a Man a Minister awake and after publick admonition deliberately on consultation a second time to talk at this rate in the Press And yet cannot we be endured without their Ceremonies c. When the Friendly Debater and Mr. Shurlocke have compared such Books as this with those that they reprehended perhaps they will say Iliacos intramuros c. To begin at the end I am sorry to read what he saith of the Divers he Conferred with c. 1. I never till now read or heard Papist Protestant or any Christian of his mind And alas are divers of it now Are Conformists come to that Either they were at Manhood or in breeches at least or not If not he should have chosen other Counsellers If yea were they Laymen or Clergymen He was to blame if he took up with the former alone in such a case If the later he greatly disgraceth them But we must say somewhat of our Atheistical Errours The beginning of his words which say the same thing which he so abominateth I will not charge with contradiction in sence from the rest for if he mean the same thing by One and Two A Church and no Church A part and no part Yea and Nay they are no contradictions in sence And indeed I cannot perceive that he understandeth what he readeth and answereth nor well what he saith And therefore I am not sure when I understand him but I will review some of the things that his words seem to accuse in order § I. The Universal Church as I defined it is a True Church Proved Where there is a true Church-Head and a Body of all Christians on earth united and subjected to that Head by mutual consent and Covenant there is a true Universal Church but such is that which I named and defined as the Church Universal Ergo. The Major is from the definition to the thing denominated As to the Minor 1. That Christ is the True Head 2. And all Christians the Universal true body visible as Baptized and mystical as Heart-Covenanters 3. And that mutual Covenanting is a sufficient bond for this Church-union the Christian Reader will chide me if I stay to prove § 11. Particular Churches existent are true Churches in Essence Proved to him 1. He oft confesseth this and the former 2. A true pars dirigens pars subdita necessarily qualified ad esse and united in those relations for Church-ends are a true particular Church But such are many existent particular Churches and all that I defined Ergo. 1. That a true Bishop at least with his Presbyters is a true pars dirigens 2. And a qualified flock a true pars subdita 3. And that such are found united in these relations I will take for granted with the Reader except Mr. Ch. And the Major is the definition § III. That the Relative union of the governing Part or nearest Head to the Governed body is the specifying form The proof being de Ente politico notione Logicâ is the consent of all Politicks Logicks and use of speech by the professours
humane policie that he denied and that they differed but about words Did ever Christian before you deny particular Churches to be distinct policies and parts of the Universal Have we so many Books written of Ecclesiastical Policie and is there no such thing or no Churches that are Politick Societies § XXXVII He adds According to your assertion all the world must be Atheists of no Religion at all Answ Then all the world of Christians are so for as far as writings notifie they are generally of this mind Alas Brother did you shew this to any man before you Printed it for their honour I must think you did not and for your sake I wish you had § XXXVIII He adds Your division of the Church into Universal and particular is plainly against that Rule in Logick Membra omnis bonae divisionis debent esse inter se opposita but you oppose the same thing against it self Answ Thus do men humble themselves by forsaking humility Had it not been better for your to have let your Logick alone than to bewray that which you might have concealed Are not diversa distinguishable as well as opposita And is there no diversity in parte essentiae as in subalternis where there is not a diversity in totâ essentia as there is in summis generibus is there not both diversity and opposition inter totum partem and between the species of an universal and particular Society Are they not Relative opposita May you not distinguish Army and Regiment and Troop Kingdom and City Christ and a Bishop c. § XXXIX He adds You make the Church at Corinth a particular Church Answ And do not all Christians Is it all the Christian world § XL. You plainly saith he leave out of your description the differing form or token of that which you call a particular Church and that is Neighbourhood c. Answ Anne putares 1. Have I so oft exprest it and yet will you say so 2. But it was in descriptions indeed and I was far from your Logical belief that Neighbourhood is the differencing form And I hope no one else is of your mind 1. If Neighbourhood be the differencing form then all Christian Neighbours are particular Churches But that is false Ergo. 1. Those that dwell together only for Trade are not therefore Churches 2. Those that hold that there are no particular Churches or Pastors but that all Christians are as Priests 3. Those that hold that the Minister of the Parish where they live is no true Minister nor the Parish a true Church 4. Those that profess themselves Members of no particular Church 5. Those that profess to be no Members of that Church but of another 6. Papists and Sectaries that stand in opposition to that Church 7. Those that dwell near another Parish-Church and many miles from their own are not Members by proximity 8. Those that are Excommunicated which is de facto all professed Non-Conformists 9. In places where the Magistrate tyeth not Churches to Parish-bounds persons of the same street and house may be of several Churches 10. No man that consenteth not is a Church-Member 11. And who knoweth not that proximity is but dispositio materiae and not the differencing form All these singular novelties should have had better proof than these dry assertions contrary to all Christian sense § XLI This startles me I strive to be silent and cannot saith he and the more I strive the more I am overcome Answ If you are so far gone I shall hereafter I think without any striving with my self let that which is within you talk on and not resist you For who can hold that which will away But I wish you the benefit of some stiptick remedy and a sober mind § XLII I prove to you saith he when there is nothing like one proving word c. you make the Lord Jesus the authour and founder of subverting principles Answ Read the Ninth Commandment I conclude with these requests to him as my true friend viz. to consider Qu. 1. Whether a man so far from persecution and yet condemning us of Atheism blaspheming and destroying all Religion c. be not much more uncharitable than they that charge no such thing upon us but trouble us for refusing Forms are Ceremonies or is it not the same spirit Qu. 2. Whether he justifie not the silencing and ruining of all whom he so accuseth should not such impious Atheists be silenced Qu. 3. If he knew that the generality of the Christian world in all ages hold what he thus censureth what will he call it to charge all Christians so far with Atheism and casting out all Religion and making God and Christ a deceiver If he knew it not what will he call it to venture thus to publish such an accusation before he knew that which an ordinary Inhabitant of the world might so easily have known As if he had published All that say a City is specified by its subordinate Form of Government and is a part of the Kingdom specified by the Monarch are Traytors and depose the King or make him a deceiver and no King and deny all obedience What will you call this dealing Qu. 4. Was it well done to write such a Book while he understood so very little of the very plainest passages which he wrote against Qu. 5. Was it excusable to confess some errour of the last and to add far worse and after warning a second time so to speak evil of what he understood not Qu. 6. Was it humility to make ostentation of the Logick he understood not Qu. 7. Doth not the extreme bold confidence of the falsest of his own conceptions shew a very unhumbled overvaluing of his own understanding To be ignorant is common to Mankind yea and to be much ignorant of our ignorance and to think that we know more than we do But to have so little sense of this calamity and so little suspicion of ones own understanding as to be confident to such a height of accusation of the grossest falshoods where a lad of fourteen years old that had read any thing of Logick and Politicks might have better taught him that I say not the reason and use of Mankind this seemeth somewhat beyond the common measure of self-conceitedness Qu. 8. Whether the great number of asserted untruths here shew not some want of necessary tenderness or care of writing CHAP. IV. Mr. Chenies Accusations of me about Church-Covenants and rigid Independencie and the odiousness hereof considered § 1. WHen he had said that it leads to two contrary Gods which is to make no true God p. 69. He proceedeth Mr. B. hath devised and framed two Covenants the one to make a man a Member of the Church Universal the other of the particular p. 97. I will shew 1. That this is the same with the upstart way of the Independents 2. The unsoundness of it p. 101. Mr. B. and the Independents now are contrary to
the Scripture and Canons 1. A constant publick Teaching them which they owe not to all others or any 2. Constant Government by the Keys 3. Constant Administration of the Lords Supper 4. Constant leading them in publick Worship Prayer Praise c. 5. A special care of the Poor 6. Ordinary Visitation of the Sick 7. Comforting the Afflicted admonishing Offenders watching over all The Canons will tell you much which every man oweth more to his own Charge than to others V. It is certain that this Flock oweth a more special attendance and account and obedience to these Pastors than to Strangers or others of other Churches 1. To hear them 2. To receive the Communion ordinarily of them 3. To maintain them and so in the rest V. I. It is certain that none of this was done or can be done without mutual Consent VII It is certain that this Church-state Office and Duty was setled by Christ's Apostles and continued by the common consent of the Churches on Earth from age to age § 28. That it was an Apostolical Establishment is plain in Acts 14. 23. They ordained them Elders in every Church To omit the sence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the most usual sence includeth Suffrages it is evident that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implieth the fixing of the several Elders to their several Churches so as to make them the stated Elders of those Churches as their Flock in pepeculiar Acts 20. 17. Are they called the Elders of that Church over which as their Flock the Holy Ghost had made them Overseers to feed the Church of God to imitate Paul that taught them publickly and from house to house and was this no peculiar pastoral relation or were any but Consenters Members of that Church Tit. 1. 5. when Titus was to ordain Elders in every City it is equal to every Church And it stated them as their peculiar Pastors even Bishops as Gods Stewards over them in particular v. 7. more than others Jam. 5. 14. the sick that must call for the Elders of the Church were their proper Flock as is supposed The Angels of the seven Churches Rev. 2 and 3. were not equally the Angels of other Churches Phil. 1. 1. the Bishops and Deacons of the Church at Philippi had a fixed peculiar relation to them as theirs Archippus had a proper Ministry at Colosse Col. 4. 17. And Laodicea had a peculiar Church v. 16. 1 Thess 5. 12 13. sheweth the common state of the Christian Churches Know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake And be at peace among your selves Here Pastors to labour and admonish and be over them are to be known owned esteemed beloved persons dwelling among them and knowing their own Flock and the peoples duty to them and one another laid down And shall a Christian Minister say O but do not promise no nor signifie any consent to do it for that is to be rebaptized and is damning to the practisers The Bishops and Elders that Timothy is instructed about were such as had their proper Flocks and took care of them as the Church of God that were to rule them well and labour in the Word and Doctrine to preach the word in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine c. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. the Elders that Peter writeth to were to feed the Flock of God which was among them taking the oversight of them more than of all the world not by constrain but willingly and may they not signifie willingness not as Lords but Examples to their Flocks and Shepherds under the chief Shepherd Heb. 13. 7 17 24. fully expresseth it Obey them that have the rule over you they watch for your Souls as those that must give account not of all the world but of that Flock that they oversee The same Church had Bishops that had Deacons and some Deaconesses Widows c. but it was never known that Deacons were to be indefinite Overseers of the poor of all Churches but they had ever relation to particular Churches This is the ordering of the Churches appointed by the Holy Ghost Tit. 1. 5. And yet this man maketh it an abuse or injury against Christ and overthrow of the Gospel § 29. II. As for the constant judgement and practice of all Churches I am ashamed that such usage should put me to such a work as to prove that they ever held and practised that which this man condemneth in me He knoweth nothing of the Churches state and History and Canons that knoeth not 1. That all Churches were Societies of Christians united under their proper known Bishops or Pastors fixed to those Flocks by proper relation though also related to the World and the Church Universal 2. That the people did not onely Consent but Chuse their Pastors and he was to be no Bishop that had not their consent 3. That the Laity of other Churches promiscuously had no power to chuse them but onely those whom they were set over 4. That the Bishops as Ignatius speaks were to know the particular Members of their Churches and see that they came constantly to the Assemblies even to enquire after Maids and Servants saith he by name 5. That they made multitudes of Canons for exercising particular Discipline on each person that needed it by long suspending some from Communion restoring others taking care of the poor and of all 6. That they took not the Catechumens for the Church but Candidates and prepared and tried them before admittance 7. That it was not mere baptizing that made them of that Flock for they preached and baptized in other places 8. That it was not mere neighbourhood of Christians for there were sometime divers Churches in one City as in Meletius case at Alexandria and Dr. Hammond thinks the Jewish and Gentile Christians at first had several Bishops and Churches in the same Cities ordinarily And the Audians Luciferians Donatists and others that were of the same Religion had divers Churches besides such as the Novatians that had some little Doctrinal differences and none till now ever thought that these were all the same Pastors special Flocks and the same particular Churches Yea I have elsewhere cited that Council that decreed that if any Bishop neglected to convert the Hereticks c. he that converted them should have them as his Flock or Church In a word all Church-history and Canons describing their particular Churches and their Elections Orders Offices Priviledges Discipline c. and limiting them that strove for the greatest from encroaching one on another tell us so fully that they were so many incorporate Christian Societies consisting by mutual Consent of their proper Pastors and Flocks that Et pudet piget that such a task as the proofs should be thus imposed on me by a Minister § 30. The same is still continued even
and are hunted and laid in Jayls with Rogues 2. Can I expect that men that never were studious or bookish especially in matters of Divinity and Holiness but have been bred up in fulness and pleasure in courtship and converse with such as themselves who will take him for a Fanatick that doth but talk much and seriously of Heaven or Scripture or things Divine that scarce ever heard what a Nonconformist hath to say for himself nor ever seriously examined the cause or read a Book which openeth their case in all their lives I say can I expect that such should be able or willing to understand us I mean not as if All were such but it hath been my hard hap to meet with few persons even of Gentile Education who ask me Why do you not Conform that do not presently shew me in Conference that they are quite out of their Element when they meddle with such matters and talk of things which they never studied or understood and indeed do not think it belongeth to them but to the Church And that is to those Church-men that the King and the Patron please to chuse which maketh the Papists say the Laity of the Church of England cry down our believing as the Church believeth when they do the same by their own Church-men The Question is but whether it be our Church-men or theirs that are to be believed And when Kings were on out side it was our Church-men that were to be believed and when they are on their side it is theirs And Mr. Hutchinson alias Berry spake harshly when he said in Print that there was so little of conscionable Religion in the people of the Church of England that if one were but toucht with the Conscience of Religion he turned Puritan o◠Papist I shewed him the injury of his Speech but I would he had much less occasion for it Dr. Stillingfleet told me that there was scarce an◠of his Hearers or Readers how mean soever ther◠capacities were but could discern the weakness of no Evasions I dwell near the Verge of his Parish I have talkt with some of his Auditors and enquired of many others and I think verily he is more in the right than I at first believed For I finde that abundance of his Auditors hear him some once some twice some thrice a year and some of them know not whether Christ be God or man or both or whether he had a humane Soul or what a man differs from a Beast nor what is the true sence of many if any Articles of the Creed And I am perswaded these whom he calleth of the meanest capacity are the likeliest men to discern the weakness of My Arguments I have talked also with divers of his Readers and I found that they understood this much that Dr. Stillingfleet wrote his Sermon against the Nonconformists and that he is a Dean and may be greater and is a man that can talk with any of us It may be some that I have not met with know more as being of a higher Form and some few I have met with that indeed know more and those lament the Doctor 's undertaking and when they have read my Answer or Account confess that they cannot justifie his Charge Could I but tell how to get most of the Church of England to know what Religion is and to be seriously of any Religion and to understand Baptism and the Lords Supper the Creed Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments how boldly should I expect their Christian sense and candour in our Cause But till then I confess that the Accusers have the advantage of us and their Books unread will do more than ours § 5. And it is a great advantage which they have got by the Oxford-Act of banishing above five Miles from Cities and Corporations all that swear not as is there required For though the King's Wisdome and Clemency have let down he Floud-gates and somewhat stopt the impetus of the Clergy-stream yet it was many years before Nonconformists durst be openly seen in Cities or Corporations much less at Court or among great Men and modesty and prudence yet obligeth them to abstain from the presence of their Superiours where the Law forbids it so that the Ears of Country-Nobles and most of our Rulers hear but what our Accusers say and have no knowledge of our Cause but as described by them whose descriptions are many of them no more credible than if they said that we are Turks § 6. And their Art hath got us to such a straight that whether we speak or are silent we are guilty and whatever we do except swearing saying and doing as they require it shall turn to our Accusation For instance Do some think that Dr. Stillingfleet is in the right that pronouneeth Damnation without Repentance against them that prefer not the purest Church and thereupon come not to the Parish-Assemblies Against such they cry out Separatists Schismaticks preparing for Rebellion away with them execute the Laws But if others do as I do who daily joyn with the Parish-Church in all their Worship and Communicate in their Sacrament and oppose Separation Some say Such are like Ap◠that are the ugliest Creatures though likest unto men while they are not men And others say We know not what to make of Mr. B. he is neither Flo◠nor Fish He is like one that will go one step on one side the Hedge and another on the other side to avoid Uniformity And the men are not altogether mistaken I profess that I once made it the most earnest action of my life to have prevented the building of a separating Wall or a dividing Thorny-hedge in the midst of this part of the Vineyard of Christ to separate one part of the faithful Ministers and people from the rest And that I earnestly desire to see that Wall or Hedge pull'd down that Christ's Flock among us may be one And I will do the best I can whilst I live to get it down that there may be no such separation And seeing this is a work above my power I will go sometime on both sides the Hedge though by so doing I be scratcht and a Thorn in the Flesh by a buffetting Messenger of Satan reprehend me But reverend Doctors hear my Reasons It is not to avoid Uniformity but Separation I am a Catholick and not a Sectary I am for Communion with the Universal Church If you will hedge in one corner and the Anabaptists another and the Separatists another and so other Sects that must have their peculiars and turn Christ's house into your several Chambers and his Common-field into your little Inclosures and then say Keep onely in our Room and go into no other Keep onely in our Enclosure and go not on the other side of the Hedge I shall tell you that I abhor your separation I have business on both sides I believe the holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints and not onely your
that they are ruined if we be but suffered to Preach Christ's Gospel and to live out of a Jayl and think that if we offer to refel the Slanders that render us odious to them and do but speak for our Ministry and Liberties as every Malefactor is allowed by the Judges to speak for himself we seek the ruine of our Clergy-Accusers Do not Heathens abhor such Injustice as this My Purse is less to me than my Ministry and all that any man can take from me will be much less than Fourty Pound a Sermon And yet if any men on the High-way or in my House should not only take away all that I had but afterward prefer a Bill against me as seeking their ruine because by Reason I intreated them to forbear and that in vain it would be one of the oddest Cases that hath come into Westminster-Hall I was once neighbour to a valiant Knight who yet was so gentle that when the Hookers in a Moonshine-night were hooking his Cloaths and Goods through the window and he lay in Bed and saw them he lay still and mildly told them Gentlemen This is not well done These things are not yours If you are taken you may be hanged for it And by that time his Sermon to them was done they had got what they came for and were gone But I never heard that they entred a Suit against him for seeking to ruine their Trade by his reprehension But if any of you have such a trade as will not endure the Plea of innocent Sufferers for Peace or Mercy without your ruine I would some one that you have more regard for would perswade you quickly to lay by that trade lest when Christ is Judge and saith Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me your Clergy will not save you from his Sentence were it but the devouring of Widows houses it is not the longest Liturgy that will excuse you by a Legit nor will you escape with Burning in the Hand unless Repentance now prevent it The evil Servant that stuffs his guts and beats his Fellows presuming on his Lords delay you know is threatned with a sharper penalty § 11. Impl. p. 4. No person of any Note that I have heard of in all that Party who were in places of Trust and Publick Employment did on the late Test refuse to communicate with the Church of England Answ 1. How far doth your hearing reach 2. How many of that Party have you known in such places of Trust I suppose you know when the Test in the Corporation-Act was imposed that Party were then turned out of all Corporation-power In some places not two of the old staid in And is it any wonder then if none of that Party be in such Power 3. And is Communicating in the Lords Supper all the Conformity that is scrupled And what 's all this to our Controversie § 12. Impl. When all our United strength is too little to withstand the attempts of our common Adversaries it is a wonder to me with what Confidence and what Designe he should not only proclaim Conformity on the Ministers part to be impossible but endeavour also with all his might to withdraw the Laity from our Communion m. 14. Answ 1. Is it a Truth that one that holdeth Communion with your Church and speaketh and writeth for it and disswadeth none from it doth endeavour with all his might to withdraw the Laity from it Can you not forbear this ill custome a few Lines together 2. Ex ore tuo See Reader the man confesses the need of our United strength Hold him to that word And I repeat If he and the rest of that Tribe do believe that it was morally possible that the two Thousand Silenc'd Ministers and all that came after them should believe all the things which I named in my Plea for Peace and all the rest which many scruple are lawful for them to do I wonder not at any Confusion Calamity or Corruption that shall befal a Church that is conducted by such men Who would have thought that there had been such men among Christians and Pastors of a Reformed Church But I do not believe that there are many such that think it morally possible that we should all believe all Conformity lawful they would never else have trusted so much to Mulcts and Jails as to think their Church undone without those Helps They are not such strangers to Sence and Conscience It is the wearing out of the present Generation of Non-Conformists and alluring or affrighting Youth from following them which the men of any Brains have trusted to Judge by these Evidences of this mans Wit and wondering 1. By the great number of the things which we judge sinful They might dispute men into their Opinion in some few differences that cannot in so many 2. The Sins feared are so heynous as that Conscience will not quickly universally swallow them 3. The number of the Dissenters To dispute a few men out of their Judgments in difficult cases proveth hard much more many hundreds or thousands 4. Consider the quality of the silenced Ministers Could they think that such men as Anthony Burges Sam. Hildersham Mr. Hughes Dr. Manton Dr. Seaman c. did not consider what they did neither in their Health nor before their Death Did they never read or hear what might be said for the New-Conformity Had they not Learning or Wit enough to understand it Or had they no Conscience living or dying So many hundreds that after their best enquiries and hearing all remain Non-Conformists are unlike to be all brought to Conform 5. Judge by old experience Were old Hildersham Ames Dod and hundreds like them brought to Conformity heretofore Mr. Sprint Dr. Burges and some others were but more were not Did not even the Westminster-Assembly of old Conformists forsake it assoon as they could 6. Judge by the change of the Case and the Writings even of the old Conformists Such things are put into the New-Conformity as Bilson Hooker Usher and other old Conformists have written against And would they also repent and change their minds if they were alive I again profess that I am bound in Charity and Reason fully to conclude that had Usher Bilson Hooker Jewel Preston Sibbes Whately Bolton and all such yea Dr. Jo. Burges Sprint and such others of their minde that writ for the old Conformity bin alive they would all have bin Nonconformists to our new Impositions 7. Judge by the means that are used to convince us Is there any thing said that hath such cogent Evidence as to convert so many hundred men to your Opinions Did such men as Dr. Twisse Mr. Herle Mr. Gataker Mr. Vines c. want the Instruction of our present Lords to make them wise enough to Conform When I know none of the Conformists writings that have so much as named some of the things that we think worst of 8. Judge by present
it a Calumny that I say the Liturgy is defective and Disorderly Answ I did in 1660. draw up a Catalogue of the mere defects and disorders but never offered it to avoid offending them He tells us 1. of the disorders of the Directory And had he proved it is that a justification of the Liturgy 2. And also he tells us of the defects and confusions which were in Mr Baxter's eight days exploit our Additionals or Reformed Liturgy 1661. when as neither this Accuser nor any of the Bishops or Dissenters then said one word of particular accusation against it nor any other that ever I knew of to this day save an impertinent quarrel of Mr. Roger le Strange that we used not more imposing words and such trifles § 35. XVI Next comes the Profession of the Antiquity of Three Orders in the Preface of the Book of Ordination and elsewhere p. 47. And he citeth me Christ Direct p. 127. as against my self falsly intimating that I assert three Orders because I am uncertain whether there be not divers Degrees in one Order I cited out of Spelnian the Canons of Aelfrike shewing that the Church of England even in times of Popery took Bishops and Presbyters to be the same Order as many Papists-Schoolmen do And the man should have known that it is not the Bishops of a particular Church that I mentioned in my Direct but only such as have the care of many Bishops Churches § 36. XVII He next defends the Scenical Call to the people to come forth and shew reason why the person may not be Ordained As if he knew not that it is not the sence of the words that is questioned but that this insignificant Ceremony should be set in the place of the ancient demand of their free consent over whom the Minister is set to seem as if they had still that liberty when it is no such matter nor do the people whose Souls he is to have the charge of know any thing usually of his Ordination nor at his Institution which sets him over them have they any Call Nor are so much as these Shews used at the Ordination of Bishops which by the old Canons was void without the Peoples Consent § 37. XVIII Of the words Receive the Holy Ghost c. he saith less than Mr. Cheny whom I have answered § 38. XIX So have I there answered p. 11 12. what he saith for the Oaths of Obedience to Archbishops Bishops Chancellors c. 1. It 's one thing to Obey them and another to Assent to the Oath of Obedience 2. And it 's one thing to swear Obedience to them as exerciâ—ing the power of Magistrates under the King and another thing as Laymen exercising the power of the Church-Keys c. And I have elsewhere cited divers old Canons that condemn such Oaths as dangerous § 39. XX. In the 20th Chap. to Mr. Cheny I have abundantly answered what he saith here about keeping men from the Sacrament and informing the Ordinary These be the Number of our Exceptions which the Impleader could finde though the rest were as plainly written § 40. XXI As for our Objections against the Declarations and Oaths required by Act of Parliament because it is not the sence of the Liturgie but of an Act of Parliament that we doubt of he refers us to the Executioners of the Law for our Instruction their natural way of satisfaction the Justice and Jailor I suppose Did these satisfie him to Conform herein Doth he take such Arguments for unanswerable Why did he pretend to defend the rest which are imposed in the same Act These are greater matters than the Ceremonies and need as clear a Justification § 41. But that you may see the measure of his Knowledge he can tell you that our mistake is wilful and an act of pure malice and revenge Answ Our Rule oft mentioned is agreed on by Casuists viz. To take such Oaths Promises and Professions in the sense of the imposing makers of them if they are our Rulers and unless they give us another sense we must take the ordinary sense that those words are used in to be theirs Therefore we take on any pretence whatsoever and those Commissioned by him and any alteration of Government in the Church and not at any time endeavour and no obligation on any other person as well as Assenting and Consenting to all things conteined and prescribed to have that meaning which not only our Parents that taught us to speak and our Masters and Dictionaries and the use of such as we hear talk hath taught us to take such words in but also in the sense of the Lawyers and Law-books which we are acquainted with unless any odde persons differ from the rest And this sagacious man hath found that this Exposition is a wilful mistake in malice and revenge Just as others of them can prove before God that it is through Covetousness that we Conform not viz. Two thousand Ministers England knoweth of what sort though the Accusers do not have forsaken all Church-maintenance and their Rulers countenance and put themselves under a Law that mulcts them 40 l. a Sermon banisheth them from Cities and Corporations lays them in Jayl c. reproacheth them as seditious and all this in Covetousness Malice and Revenge I have seen a Child throw away his meat in revenge but he returned to it in less time than 18 years I have heard of a woman that cut her throat and another that drowned herself and Children in a revengeful passion against her drunken cruel Husband but sure if she had 18 years deliberated it would have calm'd her passion But that 2000 such Ministers should chuse ruining Fines and Poverty and Jails and wilfully damn their own Souls by sin and all to be revenged on Parliament or Prelates is somewhat strange Especially when it is that which that Parliament and Prelates themselves are pleased with who chose the terms What kinde of Revenge hath our Malice found out which destroyeth ourselves and pleaseth our Afflicters § 42. And here p. 55. he falls with scorn on my Book of Concord and that his Book may be Conformable to itself describeth my terms of Concord by downright fiction and falshood as if he had thought none would ever open the book to shame his Calumny He tells you that the result of all is That every Pastor be independent free from any superiour to controul him and have an arbitrary Power and arbitrarily exercise the power of the Keys without Appeal to have the power of Ordaining who they will the power of altering the Laws in Church and State c. All which I have expresly written against at large Besides what I have written 1. For Bishops in each Church 2. For Archbishops or general Overseers 3. For Synods 4. Had it been no more than what I have written for the Magistrates Governing of all Pastors and Churches it would prove the falshood of this mans Assertion Yet that you
Henry Cholmley and so through the rest of the Colonels were no Presbyterians though the Lord Say Lord Brook and the Lord Wharton were not Episcopal 10. That except these three last named all the Parliament's Lord-Lieutenants through England that ever I could hear of were men accounted Episcopal and Conformable and these three were not accounted Presbyterians but honest godly Independents or neither 11. That their Major Generals in the several Parts of the Land were commonly Episcopal and Conformable men yea the Earl of Stamford Sir William Waller Mr. G. Brown Mr. G. Massey Mr. Lawghorn Ferdinando Lord Fairfax Mr. G. Pointz Mr. G. Morgan Sir Thomas Middleton Mr. G. Mitton Sir John Gell c. 12. That the Synod at Westminster at first were all Conformists except about nine or ten As Doctor Hammond telleth them in his Answer to the London Ministers 13. That the Scots themselves as may be seen in a late Answer to the Bishop of Dumblanes Accommodation do profess That as England never was Presbyterian so they never supposed that they should immediately be such but only put into the Covenant the general words of Reforming according to the word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches That they might engage them further to enquire what is the Reformation which is most agreeable hereunto that so in time they might attain it So that when the said Bishop now Archbishop of Glasgoe being known to me citeth my own words and other mens to prove that the Assembly or Parliament never intended the Renunciation of Episcopacy but of the English exorbitant Prelacy the Scots Presbyterians deny it not but answer as aforesaid 14. That it is a commonly known thing that the Covenant came in not only after the Wars were begun but when the Parliament was brought so low as to seek to the Scots for aid And that Presbytery was little known in England till the Scots brought in the knowledge of it 15. And it was a notorious thing that the Parliament yielded to Presbytery and to exclude Episcopacy at last not because they thought that a moderate Episcopacy was not lawful and best but because they had no way to hold up their Wars without which they thought they had no way to uphold themselves but by the help of the Scots and such as were against Episcopacy And because they had seen the Prelacy fly so high and now to be so strong against them that they had no hope of moderating it but fear'd it would bear down all Insomuch that Mr. Thomas Coleman gave the Covenant to the Lords with this open profession That it signified not the Renunciation of Episcopacy 16. And it is a notorious thing that before the Parliament 1640 there were not so many Non-conformable Ministers in England Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists altogether as there were Counties in the Kingdom And 17. It is known that few of those few had any hand in raising or promoting the War Mr. Dod in Northamptonshire Mr. Ball in Staffordshire Mr. Langley in Cheshire poor Mr. Barnet of Uppington in Shropshire Mr. Oliver Thomas and Mr. Wrath in Wales that quickly died as almost all the rest did Mr. Augier in Lancashire Mr. Slater Mr. Root and a few more in all England And 18. It is known that when necessity had drawn them to please the Scots and take the Covenant the Parliament would never be drawn though they made Ordinances for it to appoint any to settle Presbytery in the Counties in execution of their Ordinances But purposely delayed and never did it except in London Lancashire Warwickshire and a few more places 19. And it is known that the Ministers of England themselves were but few of them indeed Presbyterians and therefore were the backwarder to set up that Discipline And therefore our Worcestershire Agreement to concur in all that the three Parties are agreed in did the more easily and generally take and that the People themselves were so generally against Presbytery except some of the stricter sort that they never would submit to it And so de facto it was never indeed set up save in the few places forenamed 20. Lastly It is visible that the Reasons of the Parliament's War published in their Remonstrances and Declarations do suppose their Consent to Episcopacy and mention nothing of a change And that the Lawyers of the House as Judge Brown Selden Glin c. were generally Episcopal Erastians that thought Episcopacy lawful as being from the Soveraign Power which they thought might appoint Church Government as he please As Dr. Stillingfleet's Irenic pleads and as the Kings late Acts in Scotland intimate so far as to determine that all the external Government belongs to the King And I will not believe though you should swear it that the King is a Presbyterian I did think that these Twenty Evidences set together would have proved to any sober man that on both sides it was Episcopal men and Episcopal Erastians that raised the first War in England But all this Evidence notwithstanding this is to you the strangest Paradox in Historical Transactions that ever saw the light A serious Confutation of it would have shewed you to be in a delirium c. Answ You have hit on the best Confutation of it in those words that the Cause was capable of For now ignorant strangers and Posterity may possibly think that a man would not so confidently deny a notorious thing without some ground But what are those grounds for it is almost all one as to dispute whether the English War was between Protestants or between English-men Why 1. you say That the Spirit of Presbytery and Non-conformity was stirring in those Parliaments though not known by those Names Answ Nay then there is no dealing with you in History We judge of mens Hearts by their Professions and direct practice and take him for conformable that saith he is so and actually conformeth But you see deeper into the Spirit So you may say that it was the Spirit of Socinianism that workt in the Arminians as others say it was the Spirit of Popery that workt in A. Bishop Laud and his Party and others say that it is the Spirit of Democracy that worketh in popular Princes and the Spirit of Rebellion that workt in Hooker and the Spirit of Independency that worketh in the Presbyterians and the Spirit of Anabaptism that worketh in the Independents and so Bagshaw and his Brethren say it is the Spirit of Conformity that worketh in us And so whatever Errour a man runs not as far from as frightned or furious Adversaries do he must be said to have the Spirit of that Error As if a Pythagorean should tell you that you have the Spirit of Ajax Thraso or of some Brute Sir we plain people have hitherto taken a Presbyterian to be one that holdeth That the Church is and ought to be governed by Sessions Classes and Synods the lesser subordinate to the greater to which there lieth an Appeal
and these composed of Pastors in parity and ruling Elders conjunct and that not for meer Concord but direct Regiment These are Presbyterians in the sense of Beza and Saravia Downam and Gors Bucer Bilson Hooker and all that have written on it Whom though I differ from I take to be commonly the most sober religious strict and understanding sort of Christians together with the New England moderate Independents that I know who make up a party in the world And I take my self to be under a rational disparagement to differ from them so far as I do though for truth 〈…〉 will bear that disparagement But now forsooth we have â—â—â—â— professing Episcopacy and Conformity in Parliements that have the Spirit of Presbytery And it was Archiepiscopal and Episcopal Presbytâ—â—ians that began the War Just as among the Paâ—â—sts the poor Jansenists yea the persecuting â—â—â—â— are said to have the Spirit of the Caâ—vinistâ— Ergo they are Calvinists deny it who dare 2. You prove it fully by saving Did you never hear that when these Parliaments weâ—e in their full Cry against the Duke of Buckinghum they secretly moved him to make Dr. Breston Archbishop and then all Complaints should be hushed Answ What still untruths 1. Produce your credible proof if you are able 2. Could a Parliament which doth all things by the major Vote transact such a Business secretly Could it have been proved would not the Duke of Buckingham have alledged it against his Adversaries 3. Would Heylin himself have silenced such a thing and emplyed the contrary if it had been true 4. Would Mr. Thomas Ball that Florid full Historian in the Life of his Tutor Dr. Preston have omitted it when he advanced his Reputation as high in outward respects as possible 5. But what if all this had been true Oportuit fuisse memorem Truth shameth the cunningest and most confident Adversaries Doctor Preston was conformable And is it a proof that the Parliament had the Spirit of Presbytery if they would have had a Conformist made Archbishop Thus we have still your first description of Presbyterians viz. Such Conformists as would be Archbishops and such Parliaments as would have Archbishops We call Archbishops Bishops and so Episcopal and you call them Presbyterians And are we not there like to agree well of the Thing that are not agreed of the Name 6. But he that knoweth that Abbot was then Archbishop of C. will hardly believe you that the Parliament would have had Dr. Preston put in though it be nothing to the purpose What you say of the Infection from Geneva hath this sense Geneva infected the English Fugitives with Presbyterianism Ergo the Parliament 1642 were Presbyterians We deny the Consequence For 1. They infected not all England 2. Nor those individual persons 3. They that were infected were non-conformable Ministers who were after silenced or trodden down by the Bishops and had not any Votes in Parliaments Next when I tell you That Parliament Militia Army Major Generals c. were no Presbyterians You answer me That you meddle not with Lay-men Answ And what need we more were not the Parliament Lay-men And was it not the Parliament that raised the Militia and the Armies and that gave Commissions to Major Generals c. And was it not the Lay-men that were the Commanders and Souldiers that fought against the Armies of the King And yet all this was an Historical Paradox to you But you say The dissenting Brethren were most guilty in blowing the Trumpet Answ 1. Suppose that were true all that you can say were but this That one Episcopal Party raised a War against the King and the other Party because some Non-conformists blew the Trumpet or perswaded them But if Episcopal men are so unstable and simple to be drawn into such a War by a few Non-conformists why do you not acknowledge it But you question whether there were â—hen so few Presbyterians in England because a thousand subscribed a Petition in King Jame 's time Answ This is to write History by conjecture against notorious matter of fact I named you the men I can name you those in the Assembly of Divines Mr. Nie Mr. Goodwin Mr. Simpson Mr. Bridge Mr. Boroughs Mr. Philips Mr. Greenhill and Mr. Caryl after all Independents and Mr. Ash a Presbyterian Name me many more English Non-conformists if you can And name me as many more in the Land then I have named if you can But a thousand subscribed the Petition Bancroft and your other such Conformists tell you that it was not so and that most of them Conformed then or soon after You can believe such men when it serveth your turn The truth is many Conformed and the rest were dead and gone Do you think there were many Non-conformists alive in 1642 who subscribed that Petition when King James came in If Mr. Dod were I suppose not many more But did they not increase and multiply Answ Excellent History Did not we live in the Country with them Should we not have known them Name them as I do They were all consumed to the number that I mention except some that went into New England And of these named divers came back out of Holland Death and Conformity had almost made an end of them when they wonderfully revived from among your selves Know you not that this is the grand hope of your present Generation from old Experience that Non conformity will be but res unius aetatis But Reason Conscience Scripture Duty and Sin will for all that be still the same As to your doubt whether England infected not Scotland Heylin in his Life of Land will tell you plainly They might at last encourage them but it was not for Presbytery but for that which they called Propriety Liberty and Safety from Popery These were the frights of the Episcopal great men of those times But as for any Ministers to infect Scotland hence with Presbytery when it there prevailed and here were next to none at all it is a ridiculous fancy But now you pretend to speak sence and tell me That one of the Propositions sent to the King after Edge-Hill was to abolish Archbishops Bishops c. Ans Unhappy still 1. But how long since after Edge-Hill Fight Was it not long after at the Treaty of Uxbridge that you mean And was that before the raising of the Army 2. Was not the Proposals at Nottingham sent by the Earl of Essex a little before the raising of the Army A surer Proof against you that then they were not for Presbytery but restrained Episcopacy 3. Even at Uxbridge Treaty many thought that another frame of Moderate Episcopacy would not be well set up till the present Frame was taken down 4. And even then they said nothing that I know of for Presbytery 5. But the truth is they saw by that time that they could not stand but by the help of those that were against the Bishops the Scots the Independents and the unwilling