whence it takes its first Rise and Beginning is that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints And he that doth unfeignedly embrace it is so far forth united both to all those whoever heretofore received it And all those who now live in Profession of it but yet we must go a great way further or else we shall come short Home IV. For though this Unity principally relates to the Catholick Church of God Comprehending all Ages and places which is that Body whereof Christ is the Saviour and to whom the great and precious Promises are primarily made yet if we would speak rather os fully then magnisicently we are not so much to Consider in this Case the Church we are united to as the means whereby we are united to it and therefore as Men on Earth we are to consider our selves in statu viatorum as Men that are not only bound to believe but to profess the Faith of Christ Crucified for our Blessed Saviour hath told us That if we be Ashamed of Him and his Words He will be Ashamed of us when He cometh into the Glory of his Father Mark 8. 38. as Men so indispenseably bound â—o that Profession that they must not only hazard but even Actually lose all that is near and dear to them rather then depart from it for the same Christ hath told us That if a Man come to him and hate not Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be his Disciple Luke 24. 26. as Men who are bound to embody in a common Fraternity and Society that they may joyntly as well as openly make this Profession not forsaking the Assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 10. 25. In a word seeing we here live in expectation of the Promises we must submit to all the termes and conditions of the Covenant upon which God hath made their Performance to depend And being the whole tenure of the Gospel doth oblige us on Earth to joyn in a visible Fraternity to a visible Profession to particular duties to visible Professors and to a real not imaginary Obedience to them who Rule over us and Watch for our Souls I see not how we can Challenge the Name of Christians whilest we cast off all Care of these Duties And hence it is Apparent That we cannot be United to that great Catholick Mystical and Invisible Church of God but by becoming Members of his visible Church on Earth as being that part of his Church wherein he hath placed and to which the greatest part of our Duties do particularly Relate To Arrive to the state of Glorified Saints and Angels that Church without Spot or Wrinkle is our Hope and Endeavour But whilest we are on Earth we are only on our Way towards it and are particularly of that part of Gods Church wherein grow Tares as well as Wheat to be distinguished and separated in Gods good time And by our faithful sincere Obedience in this we do through Christ Jesus Require and Preserve a Right and Title in time to be made the immediate Members of the other V. This being our present state and condition our Unity ought certainly to be agreeable and suitable to it and therefore must be visible amongst the visible Professours of the Gospel and what that is or wherein it consists is my present Business to describe But first from the foregoing Premisses I would make this Inference That a Believer at large is only a Christian in Fieri his Faith alone without the other Duties and Accomplishments which the Gospel prescribes to all Christians is not sufficient to give him the full Title of a Christian 'T is true he hath laid a good Foundation but unless he proceed to build thereon he can no more be said to be a Christian then an Artificer can be said to have Erected a fair House when he hath only laid the Ground-Work And the Reason is plain because Faith in its own Nature doth not only incline but oblige to Obedâ—ence And I therefore not only more chearfully Obey Gods Commands because I believe Him faithful who hath promised but I must condemn my self as utterly inexcusable if I disobey Him at the same time that I pretend to believe in Him Hence it is observeable That the word Faith taken Objectively is often in Scripture-phrase used to Signifie not only Revealed Truths but Precepts of Life even the whole Gospel of Christ Jesus or the Law of Faith And where it speaks distinctly of it yet it will have the other to follow it Commanding us to add to our Faith Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5. And to Shew our Faith by our Works Jam. 2. 8. And accordingly the first Converts to Christianity upon their Owning the Faith thought themselves Obliged to go on to what the Law of Faith Required Thus the â—unuch â—hen Convinced by Philip that Jesus Christ was the Son of God doth not Acquiesce in that Faith but proceeds as far as his present Circumstances would permit and of his own Accord bespeaks Philip See here is Water what doth hinder me to be Baptized Acts 8. 36. And consonantly hereto it is Observable That the primitive Church did Vouchsafe the Title of Fideles to no Adult Persons but such as were in full Communion And did Men perswade themselves that their Faith did so indispenseably oblige them to all Christian Duties that without their sincere Endeavour even Faith it self became defective it would make a fair Advance towards Unity And till they do so I see no Reason to hope for it VI. But now to Return to the thing in Hand As we are Men on Earth and Probationers for Heaven our Unity must be such as is Required by this our state and consequently must consist in such matters as Unites all the visible Professors of the Gospel into such a Body or Society which God hath instituted and designed for his Worship on Earth But then we are to Consider That as we are United to the Catholick invisible Church of God by being United to his visible Catholick Church on Earth so we are United to this visible Catholick Church by being United to some true part of it or by becoming Members of some particular Church for no Member can be United to the Body all over or to the whole immediately but is United to the Body by being United to it in some part For the Body is not one Member but many 1 Cor. 12. 14. And as these fitly Framed altogether make the whole so by Vertue of this Union each Member hath a Communication with the Whole and is both capacitated to discharge his Duty to the Whole and to Receive Supplies from and claim an Interest in the Whole VII Now being that our Belief in the Son of God and that he is the Head of the Body his Church if considered Antecedently to and separately from other Christian Duties doth rather
Church the Patriarchate is only an Ecclesiastical Gift or Institution whereby the Bishop of a certain place is Entrusted with the oversight of more Churches for the Enlarging Communion and securing Religion Now if any Bishop go against the Canons or teach false doctrine or encourage lewd Practices and preach up ill Manners his Flock might desert Him and joyn in Communion with such as were Orthodox If a Metropolitan took such Courses the Bishops of his Province might cast Him off and Govern their Churches by themselves independently of Him And of a Patriaâ—ch who hath somewhat a greater trust shall at the same Rate abuse it he ought the more speedily to be Renounced to Avoid the greater Mischief and Detriment which will otherwise befal the Church of God Ecclesiastical Constitutions must give way to Divine and when instead of serving them they overthrow or frustrate them they are ipso facto void and null Let us suppose that a Person were Recommended to the Pope to be Consecrated or Instituted Archbishop of Gaenterbury besides the tedious Waiting and large Feeing that must be in the Case his Holiness will have for First-Fruits 10000 Florens and for the Pall 5000 for these were the old Rates And besides all this to secure the New Archbishep to be at his devotion at all times for the future will force Him to take an Oath not of Canonical Obedience but of Fealty for that they have brought it to Now perhaps the King may not be willing that such great Summs of Money should from time to time be dreyned out of the Nation And as much more Averse that his Subjects should Swear Allegiance to another Prince as thinking it prejudicial to his absolute Sovereignty and inconsistent with the safety and peace of his Kingdoms What shall be the Issue of rhis Either the Person Recommended and King too must yield or we must have no Metropolitan and the King shall be Excommunicated And if he continue stubborn and obstinate in the Right perhaps the whole Kingdom shall be put under an Interdict And so if your Purses be not at the Popes service and your Persons his Slaves you shall not be suffered so much as to Worship God Now is not this a fine Patriarch And would it not be a great Sin to cast Him off and serve God whether he will or no This Power the Pope has used this Power he still pretends to and he that Claims an Authority against God and his Worship who was only Entrusted for it hath Forfeited his Trust and fallen from the Honour of it XXXII I shall now only Advance one step higher and then leave this mighty Patriarch till we Meet him again in another disguise Let us still suppose the Roman Patriarchate to have extended over these Isles Nay more be it supposed that the Pope is his Holiness indeed and that he could be accused of no ill Management yet I doubt not but his Patriarchate hath of it self in course failed ceased and become void at least so far as Relates to their Churches And that too by those very Laws and Canons of the Ancient Church which may seem to have Erected or Countenanced it The Motives Reasons and Ends of a Law ought to be well Considered because It is not the Words and Phrases but the Sense and Meaning which is the Law And therefore we commonly say That Ratio Legis Lex est Now nothing can be more plain then that the Bounds of Eccsesiastical Jurisdiction were Framed on purpose that they might not interfere with the Civil Power And as hereby the Church manifested her Tenderness and Regard to it and the Subjection of her Members so She Reaped no small Benefit by it Hence the Limits of Jurisdiction in the Church followed the Divisions of the State Where the Governour of the Province had his Residence there of course the Metropolitical Authority placed it self and the Bishop of that City was he whom the Apostles Canons Can. 35. call the First to whom all the other Bishops of the Province are to have such a peculiar Regard that they are to Act nothing of Common Concern without his Corcurrence And so after the Division of the Empire into Diocesses suddenly rose up that Rank of Men since called Patriarchs But by the way we must observe that this did not take in all places For in some Cities where the Vicars of the Empire Resided were not of Strength Interest and Power sufficient to Mount their Bishops into Patriarchs Besides the Bishops of the Church were exceeding jealous of this new start-up Power as savouring more of Worldly Pride then Episcopal Care and therefore kept it out wherever they could And the wary African Bishops made a Decree against so much as the Use of the Name And great Reason they had for it for it would be no hard Matter to prove that by this means crept in those Abuses and Corruptions into the Church which are now Maintained with a Pretence of Authority and therefore the more Remediless Moreover as this new Honour was dangerous so it was needless for the Diocesses though they seemed to swallow up yet they did not destroy the Provinces So that the Metropolitical Authority remained still Suited to the Government of the State and was much more safe and better Fitted to keep out Secular Pride Vanity and Worldly Pomp out of the Church And though it was thought requisite that the Ecclesiastical should Comply with the Civil Government so far as to be useful in the State yet it was never thought needful to run out into all Divisions of Civil Government so as to be prejudicial to the Church But however if those Laws of the Church which Erected or Confirmed Metropolitical or Patriarchal Power proceed upon this Grand Reason That the Government of the Church might be Agreeable to the State then it is Apparent that they never did immoveably Fix such Authority to any particular places for Alteratioâ—s often happening in States that might be clear contrary to their designes But thâ— End Sense and Meaning of those Laws must be this that the Governours of the Church should always be careful that the Limits of Church mens Jurisdiction should be made to Comply with the Divisions and Limits of the Civil Government under which they live that both may Sit easie and be useful to each other And doubtless the God of Order never intended that his Church should Fill the World with Disturbance and Confusion which will be unavoidable if those two Powers be always Clashing If then such Civil Divisions are abolishâ—d and the Government ceased or altered for whose sake such Metropolitical or Patriarchal Power was Erected then those very Laws themselves which first Erected it do in their professed Design Reason and Intention not only disannul it but direct the Governours of the Church to establish or procure the Establishment of such other Limits of Jurisdiction as may be more satisfactory to the State and beneficial to the Church Indeed
AN Historical Account OF THE Antiquity and Vnity OF THE Britanick Churches CONTINUED From the Conversion of these Islands to the Christian Faith by St. AVGVSTINE to this present Time By a Presbyter of the Church of England Imprimatur Z. ISHAM R. P. D. HENRICO Episc Lond. Ã Sacris LONDON Printed for W. Whitwood at the Angel and Bible in Little Britain MDCXCII The EPISTLE to the READER Courteous Reader FOR Right or Wrong so we Call all Not that we Believe they will be so but because we would have them so For when a Man hath been at no small Pains at least as he thinks for the Benefit of Others he is very prone to expect as his due a Return of Kindness or Candour But on the otber Hand He who is at the trouble to Peruse takes it to be his Privilege to Judge and so far he judgeth rigbt if he proceed not further thinking he cannot be a Judge unless he be malicious And that the Business of Reading a Book is to find or make more Faults then there is not to make an honest Advantage of what may be found useful Vpon this Score he that Adventures on the Press brings Himself like a Bear to a Stake where though he may Fancy he Creates Others great Diversion yet He himself is sure to be the Sufferer and becomes liable to be Baited at every ones pleasure But be it as it will I have wrote my Thoughts freely and I Envy no Man the same freedom of speaking his Only I could wish all Men would Consider That sometimes Men run down-Hill faster then is for their own Convenience and that Liberty loseth its Nature when it degenerates into Licentiousness or becomes a Cloak of Maliciousness I will not waste time in fruitless Aâ—ologies For if this small Tract hath nothing in it self to Buoy it up it must certainly Sink for it is not all the Daubing and Flattery in the World that will Perswade Honest Sober or Judicious Men to embrace Senseless Impertinence And as for Others I desire not the Scandal of their good Opinion If this little thing should be any whit taken Notice of in the World I know it will be bitterly Objected That I seem inclineable to the Exercise of a more severe Discipline then hath at least oâ— late been Exercised amongst us or then this loose Age will bear in which perhaps there is too much Truth But I could wish the Reader would suspend his Censure till he hath Considered these few things I shall Return in Aâ—swer First that in an Age wherein all Men are Caâ—vers to themselves for Religion it is but equal that they sbould not deny me who am very sparing of using it the same Liberty with themselves especially since a wanton or loose Practice of Religion may be as uneasiâ—â—o me as the strictest Rules Order or Decency can be to them Secondly because in this I am not Singular but have not only the Judgement of the Fathers and Practice of the Primitive Church but the Constitutions of our own Church on my side which to Avoid Numâ—rous Instances is evident from the Preface before the Commination Aâ—pointed to be Read on Ash-Wednesday Thirdly that the more ungratefuâ— it may be to Vn-governable tempers So much the more necessary it is foâ— the Safety and Peace of the Church and perhaps also of the State For for want of this all things Run into Disorder and Consusion Discipline being not only the Fence about Doctrine but the Prâ—curer and Preserver of good Manners and sober Conversation And in vain shall Men Reason Talk or Preach whilest the Corruptions Discontents Pride and various ill Humours of the greatest part of Mankind knows no other Awe then the simple Restraint of bare Perswasions Both Romanists and Dissenters frequently with open Mouâ—h upbraid us that we have not that Influence on the Lives Manners and Actions of our People which they have and that meerly for want of Discipline which indeed is true though we do not desire so much as they have For by woful Experience we find that they can as powerfully Influence them to ill Actions as good But at the same time they forget to tell us that they Joyn all their Forces and make all possible Interest that we may be Tied up from the Exercise of the most just and necessary Discipline and that purely in fear lest a Discipline as primitive as our Doctrine joyned together should get Ground so fast in the World that in time they might become Ashamed or grow weary of their Trade What is here wrote is only a Preparatory to my principal Design which was to shew That notwithstanding all the High and Specious Pretences of the Romanists when Matters are thoroughly Examined the only true Reason of their difference with us would be found to be Interest and that such an interest as to say no worse is very unbecoming the Professors of Christian Religion This alone was first in my thoughts and the rather because I observed that many had touched upon it in their Way but no Man so far as I know had ever yet made it his Business But upon second Thoughts though I did not depart from my first Design yet I thought fit to Enlaâ—ge it not only because some would think that alone would look more like a Libel then a just Plea but because I my self did think that to Common Apprehensions it would leave things in the dark and not be very profitable to any and perhaps to some hurtful For as some vain Mindes are Apt to take Occasion from our Dissentions to Burlesque all Religions so some Persons Addicted to the Reading of Controversies have Learned Skill enough to Condemn others but not to know themselves and they can tell you what they are not but not what they are Now a purely Negative Religion at best is next to no Religion if it be any at all Now though this be not the fault of those Authors who are bound to follow their Adversaries Steps but of those Men who will only Busie themselves in such Authors yet whâ—n my Method and Matter was wholly at my own Choice and in my own power I could not think my self excuseable if I should procced only in a destructive way And therefore in reference to the Parts which are to follow I did propound to my self to state the Case between us in each particular to set down positively what we do Hold or can Allow And then to Enquire into the Reasons of the Controversie both pretended and real for that Method I take to be best which leaves Men not at a Loss for Right whilest it sortifies them against the Wrong But my Comfort under my afflictions is this that my Share is inconsiderable in respect of my Great Master's or his true Follower St Paul who underwent the full Trial of all those things whereby he Teacheth us to Approve our Selves Ministers of God amongst which I think I have some peculiar Interest in these
i. e. To have done it by honour and dishonoâ—r by evil report and good report as a deceiver and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. I never thought that Contreversies were to be written for Controversies sake but rather what in us lay to put an End to them And I should not think my self unfortunate under all the Caluinnies and Sufferings in the World if I could be in the least Instrumental to Advance the Sincerity of Religion and Promote the Peace of Gods Church But if I may not be Capable of Endeavouring it to any purpose I will never cease to pray for it And therein I doubt not to have the Concurrence of all good Men whatsoever otherwise may be their Perswasions And thus Protesting my Integrity before God and freely leaving my self to the Censure of all Men. I am Yours in all Christian Offices S. G. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Of Obligations to Unity among Christians 1. REasons of the Enquirie 2. Obligations from the Nature of the Christian Religion 3. From Christians Considered as a Body with Remarks thereon 4. An Objection Answered 5. From the Honour of the Christian Religion 6. From express Precepts of the Gospel 7. From the Rewards of Preserving and Punishments of the Breach of Vnity 8 From the Encouragements Helps and Succours to Attain it CHAP. II. Wherein this Unity Consists 1. Mistakes concerning Vnity and the Reason thereof 2. A Caveat against the Plea of extraordinary Cases 3. The first Step towards or the Foundation of this Vnity 4. That our Vnity must be suitable to our state what that is and that it must be in the visible Church 5. An Inference thence 6. In Respect of our State-Vnion with the invisible Catholick Church by Vnion with the visible Catholick Church and Vnion with the visible Catholick Church by Vnion with some true Part of it i. e. a particular Church 7. That Admission into all Societies is by some known Ceremony or formal Way of Proceedings this in the Christian Society is Baptism Reflections on the Anabaptists 8. That Admission into a Sociâ—ty implies Submission to the Rules of the Society and an Obligation to the Duties thereof and to whom these have Regard in the Christian Society 9 Duties of particular Christians towards each other 10. That Duties of particular Christians must be Practised in Conjunction with Duties Relating to Worship and Communion 11. Communion though of necessity it be in particular Churches yet thereby it is in and with the Catholick Church 12. Communion in Worship supposeth a Necessity of Communion with lawful Pastors which is further Proved by several Arguments and Instances 13. That the Pastors ought also to maintain Communion with each other and the Nature thereof or by what means it is maintained briefly Examined 14. An Objection Answered and what is the Duty of particular Persons in such Case declared CHAP. III. Of the Nature of Schism 1. What hath inclined Men to maintain ill Principles and particularly Schism 2. The General Notion of Schism 3. 4. 5. Several Separations which are not Schism 6. The distinguishing Note of Schism and an Inference thence 7. 8 9. Several Ways whence Schism Ariseth 10. What Schism is sinful with a Defiâ—ition thereof 11. The Authors Aâ—knowledgment and the Assertion in Relation to the Controversie which he undertakes to prove and his Request CHAP. IV. Of the Liberties and Priviledges of the Britannick Churches and of the Actual Separation 1. Two General Objections against our whole 〈◊〉 and a General Exception against both 2. The first Objection Consists of two Branches whereof the first at present put off the latter Proposed to be Examined 3. The Title of Patriarch at this time set up as a Sham Device 4. Granting a Patriarchate to the Pope it is denied to Extend to the Britannick Churches 5. How Patriarchates came in and that they possessed no all Places 6. 7. The Bisbop of Rome not possessed of anâ— such jurisdiction in these Isles but aâ—ter Patriarchâ—tes were set up 8. Britain a Church before Rome and Reasons of the different Observation of Easter both in them and other Churches 9. The Reasons of the Britons mistake at to Easter such as ought not to have made a Breach and that they were not Quartodecimani 10. Augustines Mission and Helps for the Work That the Kâ—ntish Saxons were beâ—ore Prepared for Embracing the Gospel how He and the Brittish Bisâ—ops Meet in Councel to no Effect 11. The Reasons of the Brittons for not Relinquishing their old Vsages and for Refusing to Admit Augustine their Archbishop their Perseverance therein and the unhappy Effects of their second Meeting him 12. Both Britons and Irish Agree against Laurentius Augustines Successor 13. The Agreement of the English Irish and Scots in Religious Rites 14. The Irish prevailed with to Assist Laurentius and his Successâ—rs in Converting the Saxons but Adhere still to the Brittish Customes which in the End makes a Breach An Account of the Disputation between Coleman and Wilfrid 15. A doubt whether any Missionariâ—s from Rome into this Island before Augustine the Monck 16. Particular Friendship between the Gallican and Brittish Churches and an Inference thence 17. Continuance of the Brittish Liberties 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Sir Francis Hastings John Fox c. Vindicated against the Cavils of F. Parsons 25. Expiration of the Brittish Liberty 26. An Answer to the Plea of Jurisdiction from the Conversion of the Saxons 27. That no Plea of Prescription Lies against these Isles in this Case 28. This further proved from the Eighth Canon of the Councel of Ephesus 29. The Erection of Patriarchates when by what means and how Received 30. Patriarchal Authority 〈◊〉 â—erviceable to the Pope 31. Whether a Patriaâ—chate be Forfeitable And whether the Pope have not Actually Forfeited his 32. That supposing the Bâ—sâ—op of Rome's Patriarchate had taken in these Isles yet it is now ceased and become void and null even by the Laws oâ— the Ancient Church 33. The Churches of these Iâ—â—es free aâ—d Invested with Power to Reform themselves and how that Power hath been â—sed Proposed to Consideration 34. The Condition of great Actions with an Answer â—o the Plea of Sacrilege 35. They themselves the Authors of many things whereof they Accuse us 36. Notwithstâ—nding the Reformation no Schism â—ill the Pope made it 37. Queen Elizabeth a Legitimate and Lawful Soverâ—ign 38 The present Church defended 39. What things must be Considered to Justifie our Church particularly our Ordination defended 40. The Way of Trying Doctrine and the Insufficiency of the Roman Way 41. The Reason of Negative Doctrines 42. Soundness of our Doctrine proved from the Concessions of our Adversaries 43. Sufficiency of the Scriptures and our Canon defended against the Roman 44. The Vse of Traditâ—on with several Cautions and Distinctions whereby to judge of it 45. Answer to an Objection CHAP. V. Of the Councel of Trent 1. The Power Vse and Rise of General Councels 2. Difference between the First
and still Maintained and Upheld for such Reasons as ought to be Strangers to the Christian Religion and do drive on and keep up such an unwarrantable and fulsom Interest as is not Consistent with the true state of Gods Church If any Man shall give me better Information upon due Consideration I shall bâ— willing to receive it and thankful for it But if any Man shall please to seâ— himself against Me I would desire him to deal with Me as a Man who is of the Communion of the Church of England in sense of duty who never gave up my self to any particular Party of Men and who in all my Studies have had a Special Eye to the Advancement of the Peace of Gods Church and the Satisfaction of my own Conscience CHAP. IV. Of the Liberties and Priviledges of the Britannick Churches And of the Actual Separation HE who would Build true will first clear the Ground And therefore I must crave leave to Remove some old Rubbish out of my way before I can descend to some such particular Matters for I pretend not to take in all as I think may Justifie that Separation which we now Maintain for we are not the Mâ—n who made it but defend that Church which we found and were born and bred in and therefore ought not to desert it without just Cause Two things with no lack of Confidence are Urged as a Prejudice against our whole Cause First That these Churches and even all their Bishops did owe a particular Subjection to the Bishop of Rome either as Sole Vâ—car and Plenipotentiary of Christ Jesus on Earth or at least as the Western Patriarch Secondly that supposing this to be otherwise yet since the Separation Matters have been decided by a General Council viz. That of Trent to which all ought to submit I shall Endeavor to give a fair Answer to both these Objections But first must premise That supposing not granting the truth of either or both these Objections yet of themselves they do not overthrow our Cause for no Plea of any exorbitant Authority or Conciliar Determination can oblige us to a Sinful Communion And if that Plea be made good against them all their other Arguments Vanish into Air For the Holy Ghost never Assisted any Council to make wicked Determinations Nor did the Ancients know of any such Exotick Power in the Pope as that he might be Obeyed in every thing for though several Mátters contributed to gain him an extraoâ—dinary Respect in and Influence on the Churcb yet they held him to the Canons And if he deviated from them or 〈◊〉 Truth they without scruple opposed him When Basilides and 〈◊〉 two Spanish Biâ—hopâ— justly deposed fled to Stephen Bishop of Rome And by Lyes and Flattery so prevailed with him that he not only admitted them to Communion but endeavored to restore them St. Cyprian smartly opposeth it writes not only to the Bishops but even to the People there to refuse Communion with them Commends the Substituting two other Bishops in their Room and says That the Faults of Basilides in Endeavoring his Restitution by Stephen's means were Non tam abolita quà m cumulata Epist 68. dd Pam. I could bring Instances enough of this kind but this being a by-matter in this place I will leave it and Return to the Objections II. Two Titles are set up the better to secure us But the one is purely forged and the other is crackt weak and bad and not able to support the Claim which is Founded on it It is hard to say what Authority the Bishop of Rome doth not Challenge under the Notion of Christs Vicar His Flatterers will scarce allow any Bounds to be Set to it and Examine his Actions and you will find that he â—ets himself none On this score not only we but all the Christian Churches in the World which are not of the Roman Communion are stigmatized for Schismaticks On the contrary I think that there is no one thing that doth better Justify our Separation then the Challenge and what in him lies Exercise of such an Arbitrary and boundless Authority over all the Churches of God Upon this Account this Matter will fall under a particular Consideration as one of the principal Grounds and Reasons of our Separation And therefore at present I will leave this great Vicar-General and try if we can come to any better termes with the Western Patriarch III. This latter Title as less liable to Exception hath been insisted upon of late by some who would seem to be of more moderate Principles and more tender both of the Liberty and Authority of particular Churches nor is it to be denied That the Bishop of Rome had a Patriarchate in the Western part of the Roman Empire but by what Authority he came by it and how far it was extended and whether he hath forfeited and justly fallen from it and other Questions of the like Nature will fall in of themselves in the Series of our Discourse In the mean time I do think this Title to be set up at this time only as a Blind to Amuse the more unwary and well Meaning Persons who are willing to submit to Ecclesiastical Constitutions though they detest all unjust much more all insolent and shameless Usurpations for if by a Charter from Christ he be his only Vicar over the Universal Church it is not only a Lessening of his Holiness but a direct Affront to our Saviour to Cope up his Deputy within Bounds and to Give Him a limited Jurisdiction by Ecclesiastical Authority when he is Invested with all by Original Right and needs not any which they can Give And it would certainly be much greater Satisfaction to the Christian World to prove his Authority to be of God rather then Men. Besides I would gladly know whether the Bishop of Rome will Acquiesce here and Rest Contented with the Title and Authority of the Western Patriarch For Patriarchal Authoâ—ity is by Ecclesiastical Constitution and was at first Suited to the Divisions of the Empire and the Grandeur of some principal Cities in it And by the same Authority it was Given may be taken away or placed elsewhere as shall be judged most useful and beneficial to the Church of God Now though all this may be easily proved yet being applied to the Bishop of Rome and according to the present state of the Question it is as applicable to him as any other Patriarch I fear the whole College of Cardinals Neminâ— Contradicente would Cry out Heresie damnable Heresie And therefore the starting this Title at this time I only look on as a Sly Device to let in the Cats Head that she may with greater Ease draw in her Body after IV. But be it as it will without any regard to any such ill Designes which some Men may covertly Manage let the Objection have its due force and let us Examine whether the Bishop of Rome as Western Patriarch so called in Relation to other Patriarchates
no Obedience which the Pope could lawfully Claim nor Cast off any Authority that he was possessâ—d of in Right For being there were then Churches in these Illes setled under their Bishops according to the primitive Forme and Usage and Owed no Subjection to the Bishop of Rome either as Metropolitan or Patriarch as hath been proved then whatever Pretences he can now make â—or any Authority over us are by the Councel determined to be void And what Usurpatiòns soever he hath made are Adjudged to be Restored So that if they have no better Arguments then the Bishop of Rome's Authority as Patriarch that will do them no service here but it will rather Appear That we have proceeded very Canonically in our Reformation XXIX Thus much will clearly Appear That as the Bishops of those populous and powerful Cities Rome Antioch and Alexandria were ever and Anon making Inroads upon other Mens Jurisdiction So the Three First General Councels were very careful to Fence the Liberties of the Church against their and all others Encroachments For as for the Second General Councel which I have Omitted any Man may be abundantly satisfied who will take the pains to Read The Account of the Government of the Christian Church written by the Learned Dr. Parker late Bishop of Oxford Yet either Tyred with endless strugling or over-born with power or out-witted by Cunning or rather wrought on by all these means theÌ„ Fourth General Councel did plainly Amplifie their Power For after the Translation of the Seat of the Empire to Constantinople the Bishop of that place by the favour of the Emperour by the Power of the City by the Assistance of Dependants and by a lucky Opportunity offered from the New Division of the Empire suddenly starts up from a mean Suffragan to be the Second and perhaps most powerful Bishop of the Empire And now a Councel Meeting at Chalcedon just under his Nose and Consisting mostly of Eastern Bishops and many of them his Dependants and where the Emperour some time Appeared in Person and his Ministers all along bore a great sway This he thought was the time if ever to get that done which no Councel before would hearken to And to obtain a Confirmation of that exorbitant Jurisdiction which that Ravenous See had seized in few yeares space But in doing this he is constrained to do Others Business that he might do his own And here first we find one set over the Head of the Metropolitan and an Appeal from Him Ratified by Canon And thus the Bishops of those great Cities Mounted into Exarchs afterwards called Patriarchs and the Bishop of Constantinople got the best Share There was doubtless no mean Artifice used in the Managery of this Matter for it seems to be rather Slurr'd upon the Councel then Acted by them And the Foxes themselves the Bishop of Rome's Legats were here caught and all they could do was afterwards to Protest against Proceedings in this Matter But when Leo heard of it at Rome he fell a Roaring at no Rate not that he had too little but taht the Bishop of Constantinople had too much He was in a bodily fear of such a dangerous Competitour who on a sudden had from almost Nothing Risen to such Greatness that he was able to Cope with Him And by the Grandeur of his City his Interest in the Clergy and favour of the Emperour might in a short time be able to over-top Him It is not unlikely that Leo might think that he could have scrambled well enough for Himself without the Help of any such Canon and might possibly look on it as a Confinement But whatever he thought his Plea is clear contrary and that he might depress the Rising Constantinopolitan he is Tooth and Nail for the Nicene Canons and the power of Metropolitans which by the Way is an Argument that it was not then thought that the Nicene Canons Erected Patriarchates as some since Maintain The Issue of this Quarrel I am not concerned to pursue But granting the Bishop of Rome to be here made Patriarch you see he doth not care to accept it But suppose him to be Nâ—lens Volâ—ns invested with it yet the Churches in these Isles were out of the Reach of it and lived long after in their former state and freedom and therefore may still Challenge the Benefit of the Ephesme Canon against Usurpations XXX But now let us for once suppose what can never be proved viz. That the Patriarchate of the Bishop of Rome was Legally and Canonically extended â—ver these Isles yet what Feats will this do for him even under Patriarchates for they did not obtain in all places of the Empire the power of Metropolitans was still Reserved they still Ordained the Bishops of their Provinces they did Convene and hold Provincial Synods and determined Matters as formerly Only whereas the Metropolitan was before Ordained in his Province by his Suffragans now he was to be Ordained by the Patriarch or at least with his Consent and there lay an Appeal from him and his Synod In short the Power of a Patriarch Consisted in certain known lastances but chiefly in Conjunction with the Bishops of his Diocess or Exarchate Now what a pitiful shrivel'd thing would the Pope think this if it were offered him How would he fret and storm if we should thus Admit Him and Tye his Hands behind Him And yet as Patriarch this is all he can Claim But to Claim that and ten times more where he hath not so much as a Patriarchal Right is such a Piece of Impudence as none would be guilty of but those who can blush at nothing And therefore it will be best not to trust him but hold our own as long as we can XXXI Upon the same Supposition we may still proceed further and Enquire whether a Patriarchal Power do Entitle a Man to all he can Grasp or lay his Hands on Are we so fast bound that there is no getting quit of Him though he Command such Matters as dishonour God disturb the Church mislead Christians out of the true Way and does Actually Tyranâ—ize over Mens Souls Bodies and Estates Patriaschal Autherity was first Instituted for the good of the Church that Order might be preserved Purity of Religion secured all Persons contained in and held to their Duties and Heresies and Schisms prevented But now if this Power be made use of against all these Ends must the good of the Church give way to 〈◊〉 of it to the good of the Church That it has been and is abused by the Bishop of Rome contrary to all these Ends might be fully proved by an Induction of Particulars but that would lead Me into too large a Field And I shall therefore Omit here because it will be done hereafter when I shall insist on those particular Heads which prove the Romanasts guilty of the Schism Besides a Patriarch is only a Bishop with an extended Jurisdiction The Bishop is the highest Order in Gods
the Root And therefore right or wrong they Resolvâ— to stick on this which may Win some to them keep Others from us and Alarm all And though their Arguments be never so weak yet being Managed by subtile Heads they will Appear the more Considerable because few Persons are able to judge of a Case of this Nature But if we were reduced to that state that they thought themselves out of all danger from us our Ordination might easily pass A pretty instaâ—ce of this hapned in the time of the Rebellion The Loyal Clergy of this Châ—rch being either starved at home or driven out into other Countreys and little or no Hopes appearing that thâ—y should ever be Restored Dr. Basier amongst other places any place being then better then Home Travels to Jerusalem And after the mention of his Reception from the Grtcks he thus sets down his Entertainment by those of the Roman Way Aâ— for the Latins they Received Me most Courteously into their own Convent though I did openly Prosesi my self a Priest of the Church of England And aâ—ter some Vâ—lâ—â—ations about the Validity of our Ordination they procured Me Entrance into the Temple of the Sepâ—lchre at the Rate of a Priest that is Half in Half left then the Laymens Raâ—e And at my Departure from Jerusalem she Pope's own Vicâ—â—râ— Called Commissarius Apostolicus Generalis gave Me his Diploma in Parchmeno under his own Hand and pâ—blick Seal In 〈◊〉 stiling Me Sacerdotem Ecclesiae Anglicanae S. S. Theologiae Doctorem But there was no need to have Travelled so far for an Instance it being well known that King Edwards Bishops were Admitted in the time of Queen Mary without Re-oâ—dination so that it is not the Validity of Ordination but our Non-submission to the Pope which lies at the bottom It is true that a Dispensation â—rom Rome was talked of but that was only a Blind A Dispensation may Reâ—ch Circumstances but not Essentials If their former Ordination had been invalid and null they ought to have been Reoâ—dâ—ined for no Dispensation nor all the Popes in the World can make those to be true and valid Orders which never were so in themselves He may as well Build Castles in the Air or Erect stately Palaces without any Materials as to make those really and truly to be Orders which never were so It is one thing to Dispense another to Ordain Seeing he did only dispense it is plain that he aceused them of no more then some Irregularities in the Circumstances of their Ordination which though we shall not yield yet I think it unnecessary to dispute because not being Re-ordained their former Ordination must be supposed good 'T is true they very devoutly burnt Ridley and one or two others without dâ—grading them as Bishops And thence Conclude that they were never truly such i. e. They set up a Novel Opinion and prove it by their own wicked Actions And the proof will be good when they are as infalâ—ible in Matter of Fact as they pretend to be in Matter of Right But it is no New thing for the Court of Rome to make quite contrary Determinations as to the self-same thing as their present Interest leads them When Queen Mary first came to the Crown and they wanted Help then King Edwards Bishops are to be Invited in and Acknowledged with the slight Salvo of a Dispensation that the Pope might seem to do something But when they were a little setled in the Saddle and could Ride over all who stood in their way Then none of his Bishops were to be Acknowledged who did not fully Comply with them i. e. those who joyned with them were good Bishops those who opposed them were no Bishops though the Orders of both stood upon the same Foundation and were either valid or null for the same Reason But to avoid the tediousness of discussing the whole Matter I shall now only Give this General Answer That in this Way of Arguing they take the Course to undermine and destroy all Succession and Church-power This I am apt to think that many of them well enough see But they think that we either do not or will not and so they are safe enough whilest it only serves to Route us The Arguments whereon they lay the greatâ—st strâ—ss in this Matter are such as may with equal if not more advantage be teturned upon themselves 'T is true we are not desirous to Molest others we wish Peace to the Churches Reasonable things would Content us and therefore we generally keep on the defensive part and stand all their Attacks and Opposition But if by such foul dealing they will continually provoke us till we change the state of this Scribling War and bâ—ing it into their own Countrey what Work will this make â—or if they will Vouch those Arguments to be good against our Orders And we prove that they are of no less force against their own or that we have other stronger Reasons against them whither will they then go â—or Ecclesiastical Authority their pride and stomach is too great to Truckle to the Greek or any other Church or to Borrow any Authority from them But if they should they ought to Consider whether the same Arguments will not follow them yea more â—hâ—ther divers of their Hot-spurs have not Carried them thither already â—f so all their Labour is in vain And if their Arguments be good all 〈◊〉 power and Succession is lost This indeed doth not so fatally affect 〈◊〉 as it doth them because we for good Reasons deny those Arguments to â—e good and so keep up our Succession and Ecclesiastical Authority But â—hat will become of that Church or what Remedy is left for it which obâ—â—inately maintains the Validity of such Arguments when they are proved as valid against her self especially it being a Church of that pride and amâ—ition as to scorn to own any Authority in any other Church which she â—â—th not more fully in her self Now if rather then not destroy our Ordâ—â—s they will what in them Lies overthrow all Ecclesiastical Authority and Succession though thanks be to God they cannot do it yet it is Apparent that they will hazard the very Worship of God and shake the very Foundations of Religion rather then be frustrated in their malicious Purposes and ambitious Designes And this I take not to be any strong Temptation 〈◊〉 prefer their Communion before all Others XL. As for our Doctrine we are willing it should come to the Trial And I know no better Way to Try it then by its Agreement with what was â—aught by our Saviour and his Apostles This is the Way Tertullian presâ—â—ibes us both for the Security of the Church and Exclusion of Hereticks 〈◊〉 after some things premised he makes this Inference Constat proinde omnem â—â—strinam quae cum illis Ecclesiis Apostolicis Matricibus Origiualibus Fidei 〈◊〉 Veritati deputandam id sine dâ—bio tenentem quod Ecclesiae ab Apostolis 〈◊〉 Ã
the Weakness the Heedlessness or the Malice of some Persons may mistake or corrupt it Thus the Millenary Errour sprang from Papias misunderstanding John the Elder And his Authority again seems to have Influenced Irenaeus and Justin Martyr But this Meeting with Opposition in the Church and being in the End Exploded it hath only the Reputation of a very early Mistake and serves well for an Instance to shew how quickly Tradition may be Corrupted unless the Churches of God be exceeding vigilant What the Apostles taught for the Common Concern of our Salvation in anâ— one Church they taught the same in all and therefore unless they all Agree that there is a Mistake is certain whether there be a Tradition or where it lies is uncertain and so at least it is useless But though here and there a Man might in some particular things mistake the Apostles and by their means Others might be deceived yet that all Persons of all Churches should clearly mistake the Apostles in any necessary matter notwithstanding they lived so long and daily so Laboured in the Word and Doctrine is a thing incredible And therefore wherein they unanimously Agree concerning the Doctrine of the Apostles no doubt but it is the best Exposition of the Doctrine in the Scriptures the same things being written for our perpetual Instruction which were at first preached for the benefit of the then living Generation Fourthly That Traditions be always deduced from the First Ages of the Church for Traditions are received not made And if they proceeded not from Apostles and Apostolick Persons they can never become genuine Traditions afterwards What was delivered to the â—â—â—st Churches though since neglected lost or forgotten was a true and genuine Tradition and is so still if it can be discovered But if any thing be Vouched as a Tradition though of a Thousand yeares standing and more yet if it came not from the First Churches it is not a Tradition but an Imposture And such are most of the Roman Traditions much like those of the Pharisees of whom our Saviour saith That they had made the Commandment of God of none effect by their Traditions Mat 15. 6. and yet they called them the Traditions of the Elders verse 2. and stood then up for their Antiquity as stoutly as the Other do now But as Tertullian observes lib. de Praeserip Veritas mendacio prior est And therefore here we are to follow not quod Antiquum but quod Antiquissâ—num Lastly that a Difference be observed as to Traditions according to their Nature and Rise There are Traditions of particular Churches arising mostly from the Orders and Constitutions of some Venerable Apostolick Persons made and prescribed to the Churches which they respectively Governed These Claim a Respect not only upon the Account of their suitableness to Order but also in Honour of the Persons from whom they came but yet they oblige not other Churches None indeed ought to contemn them but they may lawfully either use or disuse them as their present Churth-Governours shall think Fitting for the benefit of the present Churches Some Traditions are more Universal as proceeding from the Apostles themselves but if they be only concerning things in their own Nature indifferent neither are these immutably binding That some such were is Apparent from that of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 34. The Rest will I set in Order when I come But if any Man can certainly tell Me what Orders he made Erit mihi magnus Apollo And perhaps the Apostle never Committed them to Writing lest an over-great Veneration to Apostolical Authority should Run other Churches into an inconvenience For those very Orders though most wisely Fitted to the Church of Corinth might at the same time be inconvenient for other Churches yea for the very self-same Church in following times For though some indifferent things must of Necessity be determined because otherwise the Solemn Worship will unavoidably he disorderly and indecent yet such Orders can never be so Fixed for all Churches as to be of a perpetual immutable and unalterable Nature For Climates Customes Times Persons do variously alter the state of Matters so that what is prudenrly Constituted in one Church may be very inconveniently and indiscreetly enjoyned in another And therefore though such Apostolical Constitutions deserve Veneration as being unquestionably best Fitted to the then present Churches yet it remains in the Power of Church-Governours to lay them aside upon just Occasion and Constitute Others in their Room as may be most for the good of the Churches Again some Traditions concern the Practice of the Universal Church which obtained in all places and these have their Ground and Warrant from Scripture but their particular Determination from Church-Authority which is still preserved to us by Tradition Of this we have a clear Instance in the Fasts and Feasts of the Church as Gods Signal Mercies require our Solemn Thanksgivings so our own Sins especially the publick Call on us openly to Humble our Souls before God and to give manifest Testimony of our Repentance Besides to tame our unruly Affections and Fit us for the discharge of our Duty Acts of Mortification are very requisite To this the Scriptures direct us and thereof gives us many Instances But when this shall be done I mean publickly for as to private Thanksgiving or Mortification relating to Mens private Concerns they may use their Discretion provided that they thwart not the Orders of the Church is partly pointed out to us by the times when such Mercies were received or Evil done and partly determined by Ecclesiastical Authority And this even Natural Reason it self doth so fully teach that there never were any Men of any Religion how barbarous soever but they had their Solemn Fasts and Feasts Upon this Account I was very sorry to find a Relation in Mr. Ricaut St. of Turk to this Effect That certain Fanatical Merchants of ours Residing at Smyrna and some other parts of the Turks Dominions being observed to keep neither Fast nor Feast but to use every day alike all Persons presently esteemed them as Men of no Religion and look'd on them as Persons who thought they had no God against whom they could offend nor from whom they had or might hope to receive Favours But though these Men were of our Countrey they were not of our Communion And we are not to Answer for their ill Examples who have forsaken us chiefly for this Reason that they might take their full swinge in Running a Whoring after their own Inventions The most Ancient Feasts and Fasts are Appointed by the Constitutions of our Church and Conâ—â—rmed by the Laws of the Land If we regard not some in the Roman Church it is because they are Apparently of later date and introduced by their own Authority which obligeth not us Besides we much doubt of the Popes Skill in discerning these later Saints but more of his power to make them such If it be
they who best might do not Magisterially give us their Naked Decrees and Definitions for though they had the Holy Ghost and in their Decree did say It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us yet they do not say this before they had undeniably proved that it did seem good to the Holy Ghost and therefore ought to them For St. Peter clearly proves that God Himself had already determined the Matter in the Case of Cornelius And then Barrabas and Paul as clearly proved Gods further Confirmation of it by Miracles and Wonders wrought amongst the Gentiles whilest they Preached the Gospel to them So that here was nothing left for Men to say against the Decrees of the Councel unless they would Argue against God And though the same degree of Evidence and fulness of Authority do not Attend after Councels yet it would be a great means to procure submission to them when their Imitation of the Apostles and Care of the Churches did Appear by their Accompanying their Determinations with the clearest Evidence that might be II. Some Romanists will needs have every General Councel i. e. such as they Call Lawful to be as infallible as that of the Apostles but methinks they should allow some difference if it were only for this Reason That the Arostles did infallibly and fully discover to us the whole Truth of God in order to the Salvation of Man All that come after them have nothing more to do then to enquire after that Truth which they taught and which Rests upon their Authority as Inspired by the Holy Ghost And therefore certainly there is a great difference between them and those who follow them and are bound to build upon them and are certainly in the wrong whenever they depart from them Infallibility is a word that sounds high and promiseth all that Man can deâ—ire And therefore the Romanists themselves would have it upon no other termes but so that they may have both the possession and the use of it But when we come to look for this Salve for all Sores we know not wheâ—e to find it for they themselves are so miserably divided that they know not where to place it And then how can we or indeed they themselves be any thing the better for it Some say it is in the Church some say in Tradition some say in a General Councel some in a Councel together with the Pope some in a Councâ—l Confirmed by the Pope though these two last are often odly Jumbled together and some say in the Pope alone when he defines pro Cathedrâ— and that is a Mystery too Now in all and each of these they entangle themselves in some palpable Contradictions and woful Absurdities that a Man might wonder that ever such Learned Men should Appear in their Defence did we not see by Experience that extravagant interest as well as great Oppressions often makes wise Men mad The truth is all these are set up as a blind as shall appear in its proper place And if their General Reasons to prove that there must be some sort of personal Infallibility be good there must be another sort of Infallibility set up then any of these and such as they themselves will by no means approve and which none have pretended to but the worst of Enthusiasts And yet their Reasons must prove this if any Such lewd Opinions do Men Run into when they will take upon them to prescribe to God rather then obey him And indeed it hath sometimes struck Me with horrour to see how boldly they tell us what God must do and how presumptuously they charge him with breach of Promise as Neglect of his people if he do not make good all their Contrivances As if God were bound to do whatsoever their working Brains can think fit to Advance their unworthy and unchristian Interests No doubt but God will not fail on his put if we neglect not our own But to Tye Him to serve our humours or baseness is to provoke Him to desert us in those things which are really most needful for us But these things I must not here particularly pursue nor shall I engage in the Dispute concerning the Infallibility of General Councels both because whatever they pretend it is not that which they would have as also because they have Received such Answers already in that Matter from Spalato the most Reverend A. B. Laud the Learned Dean of St. Pauls and others that it is now altogether a Needless Labour III. He that takes his Aim though never so carefully yet may sometimes miss his Mark And if that should be my Misfortune in what I write in this place I may in Equity expect the more favourable Usage For though in a good Sense a Councel may be said to be the Church Representative as I shall shew anon Yet I have Considered and Considered again and can by no means Reconcile to Reason that Notion or Proposition in the sense which some Men take and Explain it That a General Councel is Representative of the diffusive Body of the Church For if it be so it must either be by Institution from God or Delegation from Men. But that God in any Case hath Appointed the whole Body of Christians to choose certain Persons as their Representatives whose Acts by vertue of such Election shall be as â—inding as if it had been done by all and every Man I think can no where be found for my own part I could never see any Footsteps of it or any thing like it If on the other Hand it be by an unprescribed spontaneous Delegation from Men it must either be by the whole Body of Christians Met together for that purpose or by Parts Assembled in particular Churches The First I think if it be not impossible is altogether impracticable as the state of the Church now is Nor was it ever put in Practice when the Church being less closer and better united did not labour under those difficulties which now it doth As for the second it hath neither Scripture nor Antiquity on its side and for that Little which some may wrest to look that way it is so very little that it may thence Appear that the Churches of God never thought it necessary For though Paul and Barnabas and certain others were sent up to Jerusalem about the Controversie between the Jews and Gentiles Acts 15. 2. Yet there is not any Circumstance to lead us to think otherwise but that they went by Order or Agreement of these Governours of the Churches among whom that Controversie had been debated but could not be finally decided by reason of the turbulency of the Jews and not by Election of the People And when the Councel Met at Jerusalem though all Christians had freedom to Appear in it yet when the Apostles and Elders are said to come together to Consider of the Matter verse 6. they Met by their own Authority And further if a Councel be so the Church Representative that
such Churches If there be no Prospect of another General Councel near at Hand a Provincial Councel of their own who understand their state and necessities may Relieve them by making other Orders more Fit and Practicable sor them but always with Honour and Observance of those Constitutions where they do take place and without any Contempt or disrespect where they are laid aside To this Effect is that Answer of our Learned Dr. Beveridge to his fâ—oward Observator Nemo nescit Synodos Posteriores saepe alia nonnunquam contraria câ—nstituisse ac quae prioribus constituta fuerant idque licèt Priores illae aecuenenicae siâ—e Vniversales Posteriores singularium tantummodò Provinciarum Synodi â—ssent quod sexcentis sinecâ—sse esset exemplis demonstrare licet Cod. Can. Ecc. â—â—i lib. 1. cap. 3. In these things if I mistake not consists the greatest anâ— most direct Power of Councels for these things are to be received and observed by vertue of their own Authority And hence it is Observable That in most ancient Councels the greatest Part of their Canons relate to Discipline and Government And they never Cared to meddle with Matter of Doctrine â—â—less the Troubles of the Church and unquietness of Hereticks constrained them to it And though in this Case not only Men in inferiour Orders but even prudent Laymen may be Consulted with and have liberty â—o Advise and freely spâ—ak their Thoughts that the state of the Church may be the better known yet the decisive Voice is in the Bishop And that the Contrary Asserted by Spalato is a great Mistake I shall happily have Occasion to prove when I come to speak of the Nature Power and Rights of Episcopacy in opposition to the Roman See whose Usurpations have not only diminished but in a manner destroyed that Order to the irreparable damage of Gods Church and without the Restoration of which to its just Rights I see not how the Church can hope for either Unity or Peace V. But though in Relation to Government and Discipline the Power of Bishops in Councel is very great yet in Matters of Doctrine it is by no means the same For he that Committed to their Trust the Government of his Church gave them no Power over the Faith Rules for Discipline may alter as Cases alter But the Gospel of Christ Jesus must be yesterday and to day and the same for ever No Monckish Evangelium aeternum nor Fanatick Evangelium armatum must be suffered to thrust this out of doors What Christ and his Apostles delivered to the Saints at first must be the Rule to the last And therefore here the Business of Councels is not to Appoint but Enquire Not to Constitute but declare They have no Authority to make us a New Gospel or any New Article of Faith but to discover the Old And therefore here their Authority goes equal pace with their Sincerity Diligence and Skill And if these Qualifications be truly in them and duely used It is all the Reason in the World that we should Acquiesce in their Determinations and that not only because we cannot have any better or more able Body of Men to decide the Controversie But also because we have good Grounds to believe that God will Afford them his Assistance sor the Promise made to the Disciples of being with them always to the End of the World is not capable of any other Construction but of his Affording not only to them but to their Successors sufficient Aid and Assistance to preserve discover teach and declare that Truth and Doctrine which our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles taught and left with them to be taught to the End of the World for the Salvation of Souls And though even Laymen as being all Concerned in the Common Salvation may Challenge a Right to Appear in Councel in oâ—deâ—ly Manner and Number yet certainly the greatest Authority lies in them to whom God hath Committed the Care of all the Churches and who must Answer sor others Soâ—â—s as well as their own Where therefore the Pastors of the Church are Met together about Matters relating to the Necessâ—ties of the Church and are Honest Industrious and able I doubt not but that in Matters of Religion their Authority is the greatest of any Men on Earth God I think would not suffer such Men so qualified to decâ—ive us in any thing of necessity to Salvation and therefore they are not lightly to be regarded And if these things could be truly said for the Councel of Tâ—â—nt I should have a better esteem â—or it then I am like to have in haste But on the other Hand if any Pastors of the Church how many soever though never so able and industrious Meet together and be not Honest and Sincere but at least by the prevailing Number for base Interest labour by subtile and unworthy Arts not to Amend but Establish gross Errours Abuses and Corruptions These Men not only Offer the greatest Affront to God and his Christ but Attempt to put the most pernicious Cheat upon the Christian World And in stead of Assistance from God they may rather expect that in Judgement he should give them over to strong delusions to believe a Lye And these are to be Abominated and with as great indignation Rejected as good and lawful Councels are with Reverence to be received and followed And in which of these Rancks the Councel of Trent ought to stand I shâ—ll now Enquire VI. And in the first place it may not be Amiss to Consider what time was taken to Frame and Mould this Councel to the Popes Mind The Councels of Constance and Basil having Eclipsed the Roman See in the very Height of its Greatness and Glory the Popes ever since have looked with a malignâ— Aspect upon General Councels and the very Naming one was enough to put any of them into a Fit of a Feavour And indeed this made following Councels not only useless but noxious For if the Necessities of the Church seemed at any time to Require a General Councel the Pope would never suffer it to be but in such place that he could Command And always took care that it should Consist of such Persons who at least for the greater Number were at his devotion And yet even then was wofully uneasie till it was Finished so unwilling are Popes to trust themselves with a Councel though themselves have the packing of it But that Spark which first fell through the Clashing of Luther and the Pardonmongers being blown to such a Flame that no Common Help could quench it a General Councel seemed necessary But to Manage it for the Advantage of the Roman See and to hold it in convenient place was a Matter of no small difficulty in such times of Confusion so that it seemed to be as dangerous to the Pope as it was necessary for the Church It was well for the Court of Rome that the greatest Princes of those times were perswaded that it was
quibuscunque clausulis verbis quae de Morum Reformatione atque Ecclesiasticâ Disciplinâ tam sub fel. vec Paulo 3tio ac Julio 3tio quèm sub Beatissimo Pio 4to Pontificibus Maximis in hoc Sacro Concilio statuta sâ—nt declarat it a decreta fuisse ut in his Salva semper Auctorità s Sedis Apostolicae sit esse intelligatur cap. 21. Now if they had done any thing as to the Pope before this had undone it all And this with the Help of such a Construction as the Pope may put upon it may enable Him to do what he will He is now left to Carve for Himself and if he want any thing it is his own fault By what Surprize this Decree was obtained the Historian briefly tells us When a Councel was just Shutting up few Men gave their Minds to Heed or stick at any thing and therefore in the Close of the day this is passed as a thing granted though it had never been mentioned in any Congregation Hist C. T. lib. 8 pag. 812 Now what the Authority here deâ—â—gned is you may give a shrewd Guess by the Acclamation in the Shutting â—p of the Councel Beatissimo Pio Papae Domino nostro Sanctae Vniversaliâ— Ecclesiae Pontifici c. What can he desire more It seems the Dispute about Vniversalem Ecclesiam and Vniversas Ecclesias was out of their Heads now VIII As to the Authority of Bishops it was the Contrivance of the Councel all along by all Arts possible to bring it in a manner to nothing 'T is true some were sensible of the Mischief of this and amongst such the Spaniards deserved no mean Commendation especially Gramata then whom there was not a more brave and Magnanimous Prelate in all the Councel 〈◊〉 wanted not much once but that they had out-witted the early Legats bâ—t their honest Plot being discovered they were quickly over-born by the â—â—â—ians and Pensioners who never Consider what is Right but what will â—â—ive the Pope's Turn And to exalt him it was necessary to depress all other â—â—shops for if other Bishops be Christs Vicars as well as the Pope they will 〈◊〉 in danger to be his Fellows but if they be only Vicars or Delegates of Christs Vicar then they must submit to Him as their Head from whom they â—â—ive all their Authority And to bring it to this Pass they used many â—rts though none more effectual then this which shall be the only Instance I shall produce in this place In the Matter of Reformation it was necessary 〈◊〉 seem to do something though God knows their Reformation was much 〈◊〉 Boccaline's in Parnassus which after a mighty Bustle and vast Expectations Amounted to no more then the Moderating the Price of Cabbages and â—ayons Now though in things of greatest Concern the Reformation was lâ—ft to the Pope which was Magno conaâ—â— nihil agere yet all could not be so Referred and the Execution of such things had been always left to the Bishops Now to have Committed them to any other Hands would have been not only to bring themselves under Eternal Infamy but to put the World in a Mutiny On the other Hand to leave it to them would seem to infer a Right if not a Divine Right in prejudice of the Pope One would think here they had been taken in a Noose but they slip the Knot with ease And certainly never any thing was more Neatly taken away in the very giving For when Matters came under debate which did Require the Exercise of Jurisdiction upon the place they then Committed it to the Bishops but with this Restriction As Delegates of the Apostolick See Here indeed the Bishops Received a Power to Exercise some Authority but in the very Accepting it they gave up their Right and placed all Authority Originally in the Pope so that if he pleased at any time to undelegate them he did in effect unbishop them And yet the only Reason which moved the Cardinals St. Clemens and Alexandrinus to persevere in their Opinioe to the last against the Confirmation of the Councel was this That too much Authority had been Given to Bishops in that Councel Hist C. T. lib. 8. p 817. So Jealous is the Roman Court of the Authority of Bishops that they are not willing to Allow them the Shadow of it And indeed they have Reason for it for if every Bird had her own Feather those Jolly Cardinals now Princes Mates would Appear to be only a parcel of bald Cootes For this and some other Reasons the Councel of Trent might have Waited for a Confirmation had not Hugo Buonâ—cmpagno Bishop of Bestice not only clearly Convinced the Pope that he was no Loser by the Councel but also taught Him a Trick how He might make what he pleased of it and become no small Gainer by it Hist C. T. p. 816. To all this the Bigoted sort of Romanists will Return that it is the Pope's Right But if it be not his Right then both He and that Councel are guilty of a World of Wrong done to the Churches of God But that Dispute is not proper in this place but will be fully Handled in the Particular of Supremacy And if they be cast in that they must be so in this IX It hath ever been Held to be one necessary Qualification of a General Councel That it be free And therefore I may Reasonably put in this Exception against that at Trent That it was in manifest Slavery all the time If there were nothing more to be urged but the Decree Proponentibus Legatis that alone were sufficient For by this means the Bishops who best knew the state of their Churches could not offer any thing in Councel how needful soever they knew it to be And what should be debated was wholly left to their pleasure who either could not understand the state of the Churches Or if they did yet did not regard it but made it their whole Business to Advance the Interest of the Court of Rome And though it was Pleaded that this was a New Thing never before done in any Councel though at several times strong Reasons were brought to prove that it Infringed the Libâ—rty of the Councel And from time to time great Intercession was made to take off that Decree yet it could never be obtained And we may Reasonably believe that it was Resolved it never should whatsoever they might pretend For when this Decree with no small Art had passed the Pope was so well pleased with the News that he wrote privately to the Legats That they should Maintain it firmly and put it in Execution without Releâ—ting one jote Hist C. T. lib 6. p. 470. But though this was too much yet this did not satisfie them But they took still a greater Liberty to Enslave all the Rest For when they had proposed any Matter if the debate did not proceed to their Mind they took upon them to interrupt Men in their speaking and to Check
Reproach or Threaten Others so that feveral died of Grief or Indignation for the Disgrace and Abuse Received â—â—nd some pretended Necessity of Business or want of Health and Asked leave to depart and were not a little glad they were got away If this did not do then by Proregations and Delays they wearied Men out and would do nothing till an Opportunity Presented for their purpose Neither was the Councel under less Restraint as to time then Matter they were so far from having any Power to Sit till they had dispatched the weighty Affairs they came about that they could not Sit an Hour longer then they pleased their Masters the Legats For they had a Bull by them empowering them to prorogue transfer or dissolve the Councel as they should thin Fit So that let the Necessities of Christendom be what they will if the Designes of the Legats were not carried on all the Bishops in Councel must either Sir still and cool their Heels or March off and be gone And that they were Resolved to take this Course if they could not Compass their Ends is manifest from that rude Translation of it to Bologna And yet one would think there should be little need of all this Caution For the Councel consisted wholly of Persons sworn to the Pope in as full and ample Manner as any Oath of Allegiance can be made by a Subject to his Lawful Prince as is plain from the Form of the Oath set down by our Learned D. of St. P. Vind. A. B. L. cap. 8. p. 491. so that they couid Practice nothing contrary to the Pope's Will without being guilty of Perjury And the Legates upon Occasion did not fail to put them in Mind of it Indeed it may more properly be called a Faction then a Councel for there were none Admitted but the Pope's Party And was it likely that they should do right who were Complained of for doing all the wrong The Protestants are not suffered to Come and Sit as a Part of the Councel but to be heard as Criminals And they had great Encouragement to come who were Condemned before hand Three Safe Conducts were Granted to the Protestants Two under Julius â—tiuâ— and one under Pius 4tâ—s but not one of them will Admit them as Members of the Councel but supposeth them to come as Offenders with a Liberty to make the best of their Cause they can But he who shall Heedfully read the first Safe-Conduct will see that it was rather intended for a Snare to Trepan them then an Instrument to Secure them That Phrase Quantum ad ipsam Sanctam Synodum spectat looks suspitiously as if they intended it as a Reserve for another to do that which they were ashamed of themselves and there is the greater Reason to think this because the very last words of the Safe-Conduct shew that they did intend to proceed against such whom they should judge Hereticks Only they promise that they shall have Judices sibi benevolos i. e. They shall be Hanged with Silken Halters And what kind of Entertainment they were like to find we may hence Guess that it is sometimes plainly said by some in Councel That their Coming thither was to Condemn the Lutherans And when Vega spake of a Lutheran Opinion as Reconcileable with what they called Catholick the Councel was highly Offended as thinking it a prejudice that any of the Differences might be thought Reconcileable Hist C. T. p. 208. yet they had the best Knack at Reconciling when they had a Mind to it that I ever knew for they could Reconcile differences amongst themselves that were as opposite as Light and Darkness without Condemning either of the Contraries Witness among others the Controversie between the Dominicans and Franciscans about the immaculate Conception They were so bent on this design that they would Admit none into the Councel who were thought in the least to favour the Reformers When Vergerius Fled to the Councel though as a Bishop he had Right to a place there yet the Legats would not suffer him to be there but send him to the Pope to clear himself from the Imputation of Lutheranism And he was glad to be gone and at last to get out of Italy though he did in some Measure Requite the Kindness afterwards For in Revenge he wrote a Book to prove that all Liberty was taken away from the Councel and that it was Called by the Pope not to Estabish the Doctâ—ine of Christ but the Servitude and Oppression of poor Souls Hist C. T. p. 436. And though he had been foully abused and was an angry Man yet in this he was too much in the Right But as some were not Admitted so such as did Sit there were upon their good Behaviour and might by one Device or another be Fetcht out of the Councel at pleasure Even one of their greatest Creatures the Bishop of Bitontâ— was Cited from the Councel to Appear before the Auditor of the Rota at Rome such a piece of Impudence as was never before Practised and enough to have made the Councel Assert its Authority against the Pope if there had been any Considerable Number of â—ny Courage or Honesty But though upon the Bishops modest Complaint he Legats were ashamed of it and the poorer Bishops began to be Muâ—inous yet the Pope made his Advantage of all For laying hold on this Opportunity as it were in Compassion to succour the meaner Bishops he â—ade Pensioners and fast Friends of those who were in danger to be his Enemies and gained a clear Instance of the Pope's Exercising Jurisdiction over a Councel And though this shews Him to have been a dextâ—ous Artist who could so easily turn his danger to his gain and Kill two Birds thus with one Stone yet it speaks little in Commendation of those who what in them lay sold the Liberties of all Christians so Dog-cheap And though the Pope was thus secured oâ— them yet they were not trusted But when the Legats had prepared any thing if it was not treated of in all Points to their liking it was either utterly quashed or laid aside at pleasure When as Matter of Reformation it was proposed to set down the Qualities requisite in the Promotion of the greater Prelates and Ministers of the Church which certainly might have been of great use and profit to so disordered and corrupt 〈◊〉 state as the Churches Affairs were then in It was all presently turned out of doors and that chiefly for this Reason Because more then two Thirds of the â—enâ—fices are Reserved to the Apostolick See unto which it is not Fit to Prescribe a Law Hist C. T. lib. 2. p. 216. When the Matter of Residence was treated of with some little Heat they were all presently cooled and the Matter put off Cardinal Monte after some specious Pretences plainly telling them That the Pope's Wiâ— was Resolutely so Hist C. T. lib. 2. p. 232. And with this they are all struck dumb And as they might
in Order to its being a Representative it be necessary that the Persons Appearing be Elected from the Church-Members of particular Churches the Consequence will be That the first four Famous General Councels were not lawful Councels for they Met by the Emperours Summons not by Election from the People And therefore upon this Supposition could not be duely Convocated Besides if a Deputation of the People or Church-Members be necessary let the Honour or Orders of the Persons deputed be what it will they must Represent mostly as Laymen for such are Incomparably the sar greater Number But we read not of any Bishops Sitting in Councel but as Bishops and subscribing as Bishops and taking place there by vertue of their own Authority as Bishops not by any Deputation unless perhaps some Person Appeared for some absent Bishop as well as himself or as the Legate of some Bishop But then a Commission or Deputation from that absent Bishop was sufficient without so much as Consulting any Church-Members I do not say but that some Persons were Chosen on purpose to be sent to Councels but then they were either such Priests or Deacons as the Bishops thought Fit to take along with them or were pitch'd on by the Advice of their Clergy And we have a Custom amongst our selves that Two out of every Diocess be Chosen and sent to the Provincial Synod or Convocation And thought it is Reasonable that some should be there who by daily Inspection and Experience understand the Countreys Affairs and the Circumstances of the Rural Clergy upon whom not the least part of the Burthen lies yet the great Reason is this That the Determinations of the Convocation may pass into the Law of the Land which they cannot do unless the Convocation consists of such Persons as the Law requires whose Acts must be Ratified by the King also to that purpose But then those Persons so Chosen are only the Proctors of the Clergy not Deputies of the People And Canons for the Church might be made without them though not Laws of the Land And indeed the Romanists themselves though they talk loud of a Councels being the Churches Representative yet sometimes they are as dumb again and willing to let it sleep or to shift it off When they have to do with private Persons or such whom they Call Hereticks then they talk big of their pack'd Councels and what a Madness it is to withstand the Representative of the whole Church of God This looks great and seems to carry no small Authority with it But if Discourse happen of a Councel in Relation to the Pope then they are as Mute as Fishes or Mince the Matter and will by no means be induced to speak out as to any such Authority in Councels of themselves And it is well known That the Tridentines were never suffered to use the Phrase Repraesentans universalem Ecclefiam though many stickled hard for it the Pope being in no small fear that an Inference would be thence drawn That any Member how great soever was Inferiour to the Representative of the whole Body of Gods Church the Consequence of which might have been fatal to Himself But the Question concerning the Right to or Exercise of Authority in any diffusive Body of Men whether Ecclesiastical or Civil perhaps deserves a more thorough Examination then it hath ever yet undergone And consequently whether any can And if any then who and how far they can make a Representative I may perhaps have Occasion to discourse of it hereafter but shall not in this place IV. He that proceeds only in a destructive way gives too much Advantage to Loose Wits and in stead of Instructing unsettles weak Heads It is therefore but just that he who opposeth what he thinks a Mistake should set down what he thinks right lest he do more hurt by leaving nothing to build upon then he doth good by discovering an Errour which perhaps might be harmless if Consequences of too great moment were not Wire-drawn from it If therefore we should say That a Councel ie as far as Relates to such Churches whose Bishops Appear in Councel is the Church Authoritative and in Consequence the Representative as bringing â—ith it all that Authority Christ left in his Church and which he Lodg'd in his Church-Officers by Vertue of which Authority they Represent and not by any Deputation from the People or Church Members I think that with submission to better Judgements it would be much more plain in the Explication and facile in the Reasons of it And thence would Evidentâ—y Appear the true Grounds of the different force of their Decrees and Canons For in what Relates to Discipline and external Government every Bishop hath Power to make Orders in his own Church And when they are Met in Councel together for the Agreement and Harmony of Churches and better upholding Communion they may make Rules binding all those Churches and in all things lawful and honest they are to be obeyed For in their Hands God left the Government of his Church as a Church And it is no less then an Apostoâ—ical Command in reference to Church-Governours Obey them thâ—e have the Rule over you and submit your selves c Heb 13. 17. And this is so clear from the Practice of the Pâ—imitire Church that to bâ—ing a few Instances were only to light a Candle to the â—un But then those â—egimental Rules or Orders were not binding to those Churches whose Bâ—shops were not there either by themselves or their Delegates and Consenting to them though they were bound to observe them whenever upon any Occasion they came to any of those Churches on whom they were laid And also had a Power to Receive and Confirm them if they found them convenient for their Churches and so to make them Obligatory ex post facto though they themselves were not at the Councel And it is further Observable That Constitutions of this Nature were never thought to be so unalterable and binding But that not only following General Councels might alter them but even Provincial Councels in some Cases might Rescind what more General Councels had Appointed For no Laws are binding contrary to their own End and Design Now the End and Design of their Constitutions being the Peace and Benefit of the Churches and for the most part in Matters of themselves by Nature indifferent or mutable It can hardly be that in all things their General Sanctions should Hit the Condition of all Churches for Climates alter Men much And the Humours Inclinations and Customes oâ— People much vary in different places yea not seldom in the same place in different Ages So that what is convenient easie and useful in one place may be inconvenient uneasie and unprofitable in another If therefore by Reason of the Condition of some particular Church or Churches which was not well made known to the General Councel some of their Constitutions should prove to be really and truly Burthensom and Offensive to