great fruits of Government and if it may be agreed that it is very expedient and will be taken in good part that Governours hereafter be more severe as well as more diligent more couragious as well as more laborious in using the Weapons of their warfare to cut off or to cure without any respect of persons wheresoever there is need of them I shall hope this objection will then be throughly answered if as yet it be not A second consideration apportioned to the former head will be this whether supposing Government of the Church to be a considerable part of Religion the change of it from established Episcopacy to any other namely to that of Presbytery by many without any Superiour over them or as that is opposite to Episcopacy be not a sinne against Religion That it is or will be so I shall endeavour to convince the gainsayer by these steps or degrees of proof which though perhaps not each single yet all being put together will I beleeve where prejudice doth not hinder be sufficient to doe it 1. Because this Government by Bishops superiour to Presbyters is of Apostolicall institution But this being an affirmation as demonstrable by Ecclesiasticall Records as any thing can be or as the Canon of Scripture which we receive is demonstrated to be the Canon of Scripture and in regard it hath by others been sufficiently proved I shall therefore wholly spare the repeating of that trouble and adde unto it 2. That it hath the example though not the distinct precept of Christ who with his twelve Apostles and the many other Disciples in time of his residence upon Earth superiour one to the other are the copy of which the Bishops Presbyters and Deacons in the following age were a transcript who are therfore by S. Ignatius S. Iohns Contemporary allowed to receive honour the Bishops as Christ the Presbyters as the Apostles the Deacons as the Seventy 3. That as farre as concernes superiority of one order to the other which is sufficient to eject the Presbytery which supposes an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or equality of all it is authorized by sacred Scripture-practice where it appeares that when Judas fell Acts 1. from his orbe of motion the dignity of being one of the twelve is by the direction of the Spirit and by lot bestowed upon Matthias who though before a Disciple of Christ was not till then assumed to that dignity Fourthly that supposing it to be in this manner Apostolicall there is little colour of reason to doubt but that the preserving of it is of as great moment as many doctrines of Christianity not onely because many doctrines were not so explicitely delivered by Christ but that they needed farther explicating by the Apostles and are therefore by the Church grounded not in any words of the Gospell but in the Epistles of the Apostles but also because it was in Gods providence thought fit that Government should be setled not by Christ personally but by the Apostles that is mediately by Christ as doctrine was by Christ immediately Christ in his life time gives them the ground of a Church divine truth the word of his Father the acknowledgement of which is the rocke on which his Church is built on this the Apostles are to build and gather members and to settle the whole edifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or ordinately and that they may not erre in that worke the Holy Ghost is promised to descend upon them and Christ by that power of his to be with them in eminent manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end of the world And Government being necessarie to this setling was undoubtedly thus referred and left to them by CHRIST and so their Authority in instituting that which they instituted as evidently deduced from CHRIST as their power of Preaching what they preached or baptizing whom they baptized And having gone thus farre I cannot but resume my consideration thus farre made more considerable and appeale to any sober conscience whether it be not some irreligion thus to displace or remove that which the Apostles to whom only by Christ it was intrusted according to Christs owne Samplar and Scripture-grounds thought fit to settle in the Church supposing it to be a matter of Religion which is spoken of as before we proved nay whether if an Angell from Heaven were to be anathematized for teaching any other Doctrine then what one Apostle had taught it would not be matter of just terrour to any that should have any part in the guilt of instituting any other Government then that which the Apostles had instituted especially when the acts of Councells tell us that what S. Paul denounces against the heterodox Angell the Church did practise against Aerius anathematized him for impugning this Government which now we speake of And if still the Authority of all this be blemisht by this one exception that this institution of the Apostles is not affirmed in Scripture or there commanded to posterity to continue and retain for ever To this I answer by saying that which may be a fourth Argument to prove the irreligiousnesse of such change That there is as much or more to be said in both those respects both for mention of this institution in Scripture and for Apostolicall precept for continuing of it for this Government as for some other things whose change would be acknowledged very irreligious I will onely instance in one the institution of the Lords day of which there is nothing can be said to the setting up the Authority and immutability of it which will not be said of Episcopacy A ground of it there was in nature some Time to be set apart to the speciall publique service of God and the like ground there is in nature for this that some Persons should be designed to and rewarded for the speciall publique service of God A patterne of that there was among the Jewes one day in the seven defined for Gods Quotum or portion the like patterne there is among the Jewes for this a Government by High-priests Priests and Levites That was an institution not of Christ in his life time immediately but of his Apostles after his departure invested with such power the like institution there is of this by the same Apostles after Christs ascension directed and assisted by the holy Ghost The occasion of pitching on the first day of the weeke was a solemne action of Christ his Resurection on that day the occasion of this the severall distinct orders in the Church in Christs time Christ Apostles Disciples and the manifest superiority of him before all of them who affirmes himselfe their Lord even when he speakes of his office ministerialll his coming to Minister to them and of the Apostles before the Disciples as even now was shewed The mention of that was found once in the Revelation distinctly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords day and twice or thrice more in equipollent termes the first day of the week
CONSJDERATJONS of present Use concerning THE DANGER Resulting from the CHANGE OF OUR Church-Government By H. H. D. D. Printed in the Yeere 1646. CONSIDERATIONS OF PRESENT USE concerning the danger resulting from the change of our CHURCH-GOVERNMENT TO Him that being satisfied in judgment of the lawfulnesse of Episcopall Government doth yet conceive that the parting with it is no change of Religion and consequently that the standing for it at this time when it is opposed is but the preferring the interests of some inconsiderable men before the inconveniences and common wishes of all I earnestly desire in the bowells of compassion to my bleeding Countrey and from a sincere passionate wish that the cure of this dangerous wound may not be a palliate imperfect cure to present some few sad considerations which I shall cast under two heads proportionable to the two parts of the former ungrounded suggestion the one That parting with the present Government is no change of Religion the other That standing for it at this time is the preferring the interests of some before the common wish of all the peace of this Nation Concerning the former I offer to consideration First whether the Government of the Church be not a considerable part of Religion That it is so I shall make appeare by these reasons 1. That Government is as necessary to the preservation of the Church as Preaching the Gospell was to the plantation of it and that therefore it was alwaies the Apostles practice assoone as ever they had converted a City or Province or any considerable number of men in it to leave it in the hands of some faithfull Persons to dresse and tend and water what they had thus planted and therefore though it were possible for a Christian to be deprived of this benefit and yet to remaine Christian as to want some limbs or to abound to monstrosity in others is yet reconcileable with life and being of a man to retaine the doctrine of Christianity without any Government to be a Christian in the Wall or in the Wildernesse a Stylita or Anachorite Christian in which case there is no doubt the use of the very Sacraments instituted by Christs himselfe would not be necessary to Christianity yet would it be little lesse then fury for any to designe or hope the prosperity or duration of a Church or visible society of such Christians without this grand necessary though not of single being yet of mutuall preservation this principle not of essence but of continuance without which it is the learned Breerewoods observation from S. Augustine that the preservation of a Church was once by experience found to be an impossible thing no other engine being able to repaire the want or supply the place of that A second reason may be drawne from the concurring pleas of all the most distant pretenders for the severall Forms of Government in the Church as well those that have espoused the Papall the Presbyteriall the Independent as those which are for the present English Form by the King and his Bishops c. all vehemently contending for the necessity of that Government which they affect in the Church and none so calme or modest in their claimes as the assertors of the English Prelacy which moderation or want of heate is sure one reason that so many sonnes of this Church are now tempted to thinke Government so unconsiderable a thing and so extrinsecall to Christianity though this thought thus grounded be a double injustice 1. In suspecting that truth for want of asserting which is therefore not so vehemently asserted because it is a supposed truth 2. In encouraging heat and violence of disputers the greatest plague in a Church by shewing them that the Eagerest pretenders shall be most heeded and that meeknesse shall not inherit the earth though both David and Christ promised it should A third argument may be had from the judgement of our State which hath thought fit to make the Governement of the Church matter of one of the Articles of our Religion and so to joyne in honour the care of it with the care of the Doctrine and to require as strict a subscription to the establish't Government as to the rest of the 39. heads of Doctrine by which you may evidently see that to change the Government is to change the Doctrine and where Doctrine and Government both are changed can we possibly think the Religion to be the same I shall add no more Proofes of this because I conceive them unnecessary the contrary misapprehension being as I suppose not grounded by Arguments but of it owne accord arising from an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an experiment which many men especially persons of quality thinke they have made that in their whole lives they never reaped any benefit from Government never received anie accession or increase to their spirituall weal from that as from the Doctrine and Liturgy of the Church they acknowledge to have done To this ground of misprision as being perhaps the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of the whole mistake it will not be amisse to make some answer 1. That many benefits wee receive from Government which we do not visibly discerne and that therefore when wee discerne our selves to have received some growth and cannot but know that it was wrought by meanes wee should rather confesse our want of sense or gratitude to the true means then imagine those not to have been the means only because we have not that sense of them 2. That those meanes which have been more visible to us the dispensation of the Word and Sacraments have beene reacht out to us by the hand of Government to which therefore we owe our acknowledgements in the second place for our preservation and growth as to the hand of supreme providence for our being or life spirituall 3. That if the benefits of Government have not been really verie discernible and notable to all that is not yet in any justice to be imputed to any defect that way in Governement it selfe to any barrennes in the nature or particular temper of it but to some default which will deserve observing and reforming in the Persons either of the Rulers or of those which are under rule or of a third sort whose duty it is to be the Rulers perspectives and Otacousticks to present to their knowledge the wants of inferiours which till they are knowne are not likely to be repayred The defaults in each of these severals are or may be so many and so obvious to common observation that it will be much more reasonable for each to resolve to amend his part for the future and so to make it a businesse of Reformation then to charge the defaults of persons to the defaming of Government and so to undervalue and scorne what our sinnes first then our phansies have defamed The comfort is that it hath been the clemency as well as the sloth or cowardice of Governours which have deprived men of the
were no other but this that the indeavouring to bring it in at this time hath brought this tempest and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon this Kingdome and that this hath beene but the generall consequent of that Government wheresoever it hath but begun to heave casting out Peace and obedience to lawfull authoritie together it would well deserve to have this marke of reprobation or non-election set upon it if it were but for this that the prosperity of such attempts should not encourage others to the like This and the like inconveniencies are of such weight that for men to be willing to exchange the certaine benefits of the one for the uncertaine advantages and strongly-probable calamities of the other is a sin that may provoke and tempt God to punish them yet further with greater and unexpected curses and therefore may deserve in its place to be considered 4. Is is an Act of infidelity and practicall Atheisme for those especially who being convinced with the former reasons to acknowledge any irreligion or sin in such change to sacrifice any thing to our owne present conveniencies to make any change in sacred matters meerly out of intuition of our owne secular advantages Atheisme in thinking that God cannot as easily blast that convenience so acquired as those many which came more directly to our hands and infidelity or distrust in thinking that God will not in his time give us those conveniences and advantages if they bee such indeed by meanes perfectly lawfull which now we covet by unlawfull To which might be added the wants and omissions of those duties of confession of Christ in not defending and standing to those truths which we are convinced to be such in time of their being oppugned and persecuted selfe-denyall in not depositing our owne carnall secular aimes and interests and of taking up the Crosse in not suffering willingly and cheerfully when it lyes in our way to the performing of any act of obedience to Christ But I would not inlarge to these but only conclude this proof with a fift difficulty of separating sinne from changes when they are great and in matters of weight It is the wisemans advice that occasioned this observation My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them which are given to changes The changes are sure changes in Government and those are named indefinitely without any restraint and the verie medling with them that are inclined to such is opposed both to Piety and Loyalty Fearing of God and the King I have done with the considerations proportioned to the first part of the suggestion I proceed to the view of the second part of it and there the consideration shall be only this whether The change of this Government be not a common interest of all as well as of those who are now Clergy-men That it is so may appeare probable because the revenue or honours which belong to them in Government are not the sole or main part of Government there is a weight and office which our fore-fathers thought worthy to be encouraged and rewarded with those payments and if any man shall thinke them ill proportioned I shall not doubt to tell him S. Chrysostomes judgement that the burthen of a Bishop was formidable even to an Angell to undergoe and if the corruptions of latter times be affirmed to have changed that state of things I answer that the restoring Episcopacy to its due burthen as well as reputation were a care worthy of reformers and it is so farre from my desire that any such care should be spared that it is now my publike solemne Petition both to God and man that the power of the keyes and the exercise of that power the due use of confirmation and praevious to that examination and tryall of youth a strict search into the manners and tempers and sufficiencies of those that are to be admitted into holy Orders and to be licentiate for publique Preachers the visitation of each parish in each Diocesse and the exercise of Church-discipline upon all offenders together with painfull mature and sober Preaching and Catechizing studies of all kindes and parts of Theologicall Learning Languages Controversies Writings of the Schooles and Casuists c. be so farre taken into consideration by our Law-makers and so far considered in the collating of Church-preferments and dignities so much of Duty required of Clergie-men and so little left arbitrary or at large that every Church-preferment in this Kingdome may have such a due burthen annexed to it that no ignorant person should be able no lazy or luxurious person willing or forward to undergoe it And if this might be thus designed I should then resolve that the direct contrary to the fore-mentioned suggestions would be truth that the setling and continuing of this present Governmen would prove the common interest of all and onely the burthen of those few that have those painfull offices assigned them and least any may think this word a boast which I can safely venture with the world at this time and not have reason to feare a surprisall or being taken at my word I shall venture another offer in the name of my brethren of the Clergy not that I have took their particular Votes but that I perswade my self so farre of their Piety That rather then the Glory should thus depart from Israel by the Philistims taking the Arke of the Lord laying wast this flourishing Church of ours or transforming it into a new guise every one single of us that have any possessions or titles worthy any mans envy or rapine and so are thought now by our own interests to have been bribed or fee'd Advocates in this cause may forthwith be deprived of all that part of the Revenues of the Church wherein we are legally invested and he that shall not cheerfully resigne his part in the present prosperity of the Church on the meere contemplation and intuition of the benefit that may now and after his life redound to others let him have the guilt of Achans wedge laid on him and the charge of being disturber of the State I hope we have learnt to want as well as to abound and to trust God that can feed the young Ravens when the old have exposed them for the feeding of us and our families though all our present meanes of doing it were taken from us If this may serve turne to satisfie the thirst of those that gape and the suspicions of those that look unkindly on us we offer to free you from all blame of Sacriledge ot oppression or injustice from one of which no other meanes imaginable can free a change of Government by our owne voluntary Cession or risignation as farre as our personall interests reach and shall thinke the peace of this State and continued prosperity of this Church a most glorious purchase most cheaply bought if it may be had upon such terms as these And if the Function it selfe with the necessary adjuncts to it be not swept away in the calamity we shall be perfectly pleased whatsoever befall our Persons and desire that tryall may be made of the Ingenuity of Clergy-men whether we have not thus farre profited under Gods rod as to be willing to yeeld to any possible proposition which will bring no guilt of sin upon our consciences toward the averting the judgements of Heaven which are now I wish I might say for our sinnes onely most sadly multiplyed upon this Land FINIS