upon him to contradict those Learned men who think the Angels mentioned in the Revel by St. John were Bishops he having granted this is all my desire and therefore all his witty Animadversions which follow are not worth my answering It would be but needless Repetition to say any thing to his following Paragraph in his 14. p. having fully answered it before In his p. 15. he says What do I mean in saying in these Multiplyed Churches there was no Variation and then very disingenuously changes my word for a word very different in signification and asks Was there no variety at all in any Circumstance of Worship and says the contrary may be prov'd even in the Apostles times and instances that which he calls a Scuffle Acts 15. betwixt the believing Jews and Gentiles about Jewish Ceremonies Here were no such different Circumstances as to divide their Communion therein there was no Variation their Unity was preserved the Jewish Ceremonies which the Converted Jews would have imposed on the Christian Gentiles were no Circumstances in the Christian Worship the Council at Jerasalem thought therefore necessary to forbid those Impositions now in this very Case the necessity of Apostolic Jurisdiction doth appear that by a decisive and definitive Sentence of Ecclesiastical Authority it may not be in the power of private Christians to impose their different Sentiments upon one another and that there may be no Variation nor breach of Unity in the public Worship of God So that this Instance is not at all for his purpose He says if I mean there was no variation from Scripture Rules tho we are afraid that will scarce hold yet we wish it had been so still By Scripture Rules here he certainly means the New Testament if this Gent. had any regard to Ecclesiastical Antiquity he would never have talked of Scripture that is New Tâ—â—â—ment Rules before they were written He says We have a Notion of Vnity lâ—yed down in my p. 2. in which we freely concur with him these are my words for he has not transcribed them fairly They are all one with that Church first mentioned at Jerusalem and which he omits all one with one another being all United into one Spiritual Society or Body under one Head Christ Jesus c. and which he has omitted too and are in all things the sune with that first Church United in one Baptism and one Faith and all partakers at the same Eucharist c. That says he is the same for substance for in that they all agreed in the Primitive times in the same Circumstances such a Vnity we hold and doubt not but in our Congregations this Vnity may be found And so he runs on in his 16. p. and endeavours to perswade all men just like the Donatists that these Dissenters are more truly Catholic than we That the Power delegated by our blessed Saviour to his Apostles was to be confer'd upon their Successors is certainly implyed in the promise Mat. 28.20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world The Church of England truly Apostolical That the Church of England was Planted either by some of the Apostles or some of their Successors and that the Succession of Bishops has continued in this Church from that first propagation by as strong proofs as human Authority is capable of viz. by Records and Histories may appear and consequently that the Church of England is as truly an Apostolic and Catholic Church as Jerusalem Alexandria Antioch and those other Churches which were of the first Planting Her Orders then are to be equally obeved Her Unity and Peace as strictly mantained and whatsoever amounted to Schism in any of them must be so in her your Uniting then in a Communion Separate from this Church bears no similitude with Primitive Unity being contrary to their Practice And being that in your Congregations the Divine Authority is wanting there can be no such Unity found among you as Primitive Unity He Says the Eucharist was the same for Substance in the Primitive Congregations and that they all agreed in the same Circumstances It is very true for no difference would be allow'd Christians then durst not entertain so wicked and uncharitable a thought as that of setting up a Separate Congregation as you do They devoted themselves to the Command of their master to have Peace one with another Mark 9.50 Heb. 13.17 They for Conscience sake observ'd the Command of the Apostle Obey them that have the Rule over you If you would tread in their steps you would as Relgiously observe the Unity and Peace of the Established Church wherein you live in all Circumstances as they did All his next Paragraph Pa. 17. is the same in different Phrases He says the description I have given of Church Vnity ruins my whole Book and Cause an hasty Sentence for says he if this be the true proper Vnity of Churches then there may be true Church-Vnity without the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers and People into one Diocesan Church under the Jurisdiction of a Prelate and his Officers c. Then he is not much against the conveniency of Parochial-Precincts but says according to my Definition it is not De essentia Vnitatis It is plain all that he drives at here is that there may be true Church Unity without Episcopacy I have answer'd this before by shewing that all Presbyters with their Particular Congregations that is Ministers and People now resolved into Parochial Churches within the Dioceses of the Respective Cities were United under the Jurisdiction of the Respective Bishop of each City So that the Vniting of many particular Churches Ministers People into one Diocesan Church under the jurisdiction of a Prelate is true Church Vnity as used in Primitive times by which it appears that this Gent. Doctrine viz. 1 Cor. 11.16 that there may be true Church Vnity without Episcopacy is a mere Innovation there being no such custom in the Churches of God as the Apostle speaks As for their Officers they have the Sanction of our Laws to Authorize them an Authority far greater than can be shewed for Lay Elders Officers subserviant to the Minister of every Congregation and thô generally ignorant and many of them cannot write their Names yet are made judges of their fellow Christians sufficiency in faith a novelty created by Calvin and how reasonable let the impartial judge He says so a man may plead to the jurisdiction of a Diocessan Prelate may step over Parish bounds c. So did Korah and his Congregation against Moses and Aaron Nam 16.2 10. their Controversie being the very same with yours against the Church they were for leveling the Priest-hood so are you they were for setting up a new model'd Congregation so are you God shewed his displeasure against their Pride and Disobedience by a most terrible destruction and the Apostle saith Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetimes were written for
interruption to this Age. is saith he an assertion without the least shaddow of proof yea contrary to the acknowledgment of all Church Historians If this Gent had mentioned where any Church Historian of Credit is of his Opinion and shewed when any interruption happened he had done something for the support of his opinion But let him examine from this present age to the days of Lucius King of the Northumbers who is credibly said to be the first King that Embraced the Christian Faith in this Isle and if he can assign one Breach of this Succession he out does his predecessors but if not he stands guilty of bringing a false Accusation against all truly Catholic Churches For not only the Church of England but all other Established Catholic Churches do assert the Succession of their Bishops to descend from the Apostles And it is in every Diocess as sacredly Recorded as the Succession of Rings and Emperors to their Thrones But in p. 22 he says The very Papists themselves confess that there are insuperable difficulties about the Succession of Popes in the Roman See My Adversary would rebuke such boldness in me I never discoursed with any of that Church who did not zealously assirm the Succession and I believe they may challenge him to name any of them or shew any Books of theirs wherein he can find such a Confession as he alledgeth In the days of Valentinian there was great strife about the Claim of that See yet none was put into possession who had not Episcopal Consecration in which respect the Episcopal Succession was preserved so that the insuperable difficulties are but his bare Allegation But pray how can there be a Priest without this Line of Apostolic Succession Can a man receive Priestly i. e. Spiritual Power by laying on of the hands of them who have not Power to confer it it is St. Pauls question Rom. 10.14 15. how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent c. which is a strong affirmation that no man ought to preach without Divine Mission The great Bishop of our Souls was sent of God the Apostles received their Mission from him and no man can say he is sent that is can truly be a Minister of the Gospel who hath not Apostolical Mission and no man hath power to send who hath not received it by Succession from the Apostles and this Succession must be by an uninterrupted Line from the Apostles or it ceases to be Divine so that the absolute necessity of an uninterrupted Line is a sufficient reason to prove it And now I may affirm that great Catholic truth it remaining firm and unshaken set down in my former paper p. 3. viz. who ever he be that is out of this Line of Apostolic Succession and Exercises any Ministerial Office without the Commission of Episcopal Ordination can be no more or other then a Lay Impostor and a Schismatic and that without exposing Christianity it self as he says p. 23. I do or without leaving the Consciences of all the men in the World at an utter uncertainty whether they have a true Ministry or true Ordinances or no for there is no other way wherein a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances can be found and this is so far from Leaving mens Consciences at an uncertainty that it is the only foundation of certainty and assurance of a true Ministry and consequently true Ordinances and from whence we receive real comfort in the Participation for other Foundation saith Saint Paul can no man lay than that is already lay'd which is Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 3. vers 11. Jesus Christ hath founded his Church upon the Holy Apostles and so as not to be demolished or expire with their lives but to continue firm in their Successors to the end of the World to deny this is both to distrust the power and providence of God and to make void the promise of our Lord made Mat. 28.20 But this my Adversary does for says he in p. 24. in how many Cases may this Line be broken and all the Apostolic power conveyed there be spilt and lost c. Is not this mans Faith too weak in the power of God and in the promise of his Son Which is that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Mat. 16.18 that is his Church and shall the devices of men out do the Gates of Hell shall the fancy of this man and his Brethren over-throw that against which God hath promised the powers of Hell shall not prevail And because these men infatuated by Error despise this Church whose Foundation was laid by the blessed Jesus and hath the power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven committed to her must she be made a Prey and a Sacrifice to the blind Ignorance Pride and Lusts of these mens minds to make way for the Whimsy and Invention of man not known or heard of in the Church of Fourteen hundred years Must the power of Preaching the Gospel Absolving Penitents Consecrating the Holy Sacraments c. be lost and made void by being translated into prophane hands to be Officiated by those who are not sent of God All which are the unavoidable consequences of this man's Doctrine For he says p. 24. Where this Line is broken all this Apostolic power is spilt and lost The Abbot of Hy was objected by a Popish Writer to prove our Church Schismatical and it is now brought by this Dissenter against the Apostolic Succession which in his p. 25. he names in the Margin The most Reverend Primate Bramball in answer to the Papist writes a just Vindication of the Church of England c. In p. 131 and 135 of his works you have an account at large where he clears the Northumbrian Bishops from Receiving Consecration of the Abbot of Hy and shews that they had their Consecration from the Bishop of Derry then called Derry-magh under whose Visitation this Abbot lived The Primate tells us the Records were to be seen at Derry before the Irish Rebellion and this story you have much to the same purpose in the Lord Bishop of St. Asaph's Historical accompt of Church Government c. Chap. 5. so that this Dissenter has no more advantage with the Popish Writer against our Church by casting this Imputation out of this Story to break the Succession then the Papist had to prove us Schismaticks nor is any intercision hereby proved which my Adversary pretends In the same p. 25. he desires to know of me or any who encourages me to write little Books Whether this Line of Succession may be continued in a Schismatical Church and the Apostolical Power conveyed thereby says he if by Schism men and Societies are cut off from the Vniversal Church then such Schismatical Churches are no Churches c. What occasion I gave him for this question you may see in my 3d. Page after I affirmed the Apostolical Succession of Bishops and inferred from
Government of men and must certa â—â—â—be the truest Touch stone of Sin and Duty c. He says further this is a hopeful begining of Controversy to decline the Sufficiency and Propriety of Scripture as the Standard of good or evil But will this man assigne a better Yes the IXth Article of the Apostles Creed I Believe the Holy Catholic Church the Communion of Saints c. and concludes a happy Omen when the first Paragraph contains a plain affront both to Scripture and common Sense Sr. the holy Scriptures is the great Law for the Government of men and is certainly the truest Touch stone of Sin and Duty But Sr. whoever he be Scripture ought not to be Interpreted contrary to an Article of Faith that expounds Hâ—â—y Scripture in contradiction or not consonant to an Article of Faith his exposition cannot be true and I am assured so by that Article of Faith it contradicts or agrees not with As for example the Socinians have with so much cunning and plausibility expounded even those texts of Scripture which are express for the Divinity of our Blessed Savior in favour of their Heresy that they have staggar'd and perverted many persons of considerable understanding but when the Article of Faith is consider'd viz. And I Believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God God of God very God of very God being of one Substance with the Father c. every Christian is infalliably assured that the Exposition of the Sacred Scripture made by the Sâ—inians are false because it is in contradiction to an Article of Faith So when I saw Mr. H ry had expounded the holy Apostl's Precept I beseech you Bretheren c. 1 Cor. 1.10 that there be no Divisions among you c. and other Texts of Scripture in favor of your Separat Communion to acquit that from the guilt of Schism I was firmly assured that his Expositions were false because they clash'd and agreed not with that IXth Article of Faith I Believe the Haly Catholic Church the Communion of Saints a Separate Communion being altogether inconsistent with that Article of Faith I therfore recomended that Article of Faith as a better and more easie way for him to find out the true nature of Schism than his so unskilful expounding Scripture which the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1 20 is not of any Priâ—aâ—e Interpretation Sr. I know not who nor what you are but I must tell you that to affirm that an Article of Faith is a plain affront to Scripture is the nearest to the language of an Heretic that I have met with In p. 10 he saith I â—ffer to their Consideration the Origination or first Existence of the Catholic Church and that I said it was before the day of Pentecost but he says how long before that day I tell 'em not and then he takes an occasion to let us know that he has read of the Babilonish Captivity I did set down the Text Acts 1.15 The number of the Names together were about an hundred and twenty which was sufficient to denote the time and he owns that he knows my meaning but to exercise his abundant wit he says here is a Discovery worthy of its Author no body can think that I mention'd it as the Discoverer but as necessarily previous to what follow'd But he says had God no Churcheâ— then among the Jews must they be Excommunicated too for what cause pray and then reproachfully answers Not for want of Ceremonies or a Pontiff I hope Then he says the man told us in his Preface the Angels in Heaven were the most Glorious Members of the Church How must we lay these things together were the Angels Originated at the day of Pentecost Had they their first Existence then Or did the Members of the Body Exist before the Body Let the Citizen or any other of his Cabalâ— solve these Riddles and he shall be my great Apollo That God had a Church from the beginning of the World Church not call'd Catholic before the day of Pentecost Psal 2.8 Eph. 2.14 that the Angels in Heaven were from their Existence Members of it being Created for that end anâ— that â—he Church of the Jews was Gods peculiar Church are all infallibly true but untill the Promise was fulfilled Desire of me and I shall give thee the â—â—eathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy Possession Untill the middle Wall of the Partition was broken down which was not ' til the Church was changed from Judaism to Christianity the Title Catholic was never nor could properly be attributed to the Church now unless this Gent. will shew that the Church was call'd Catholic before the Day of Pentecost I mentioned all these Riddles and Philosophical questions are of no more worth and value than his great promise to make me his great Apollo In p. 11. he questions not that the Apostles and Disciples were the Church nor the power Christ gave the Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all the World and says that I well observe Christ's Commission and Charge that in every Natian they that believed might be Baptiz'd and made Members of the Church but says he how well they have observed their Commission who refuse to admit of Church Members upon their profession of Faith unless they will also comply with some significant Rites of their own that are alien to Scripture Rules c. and then in his 12 p. he says its plain from this mans Confession that to be a Disciple or Believer would make a man a Member of the Church in Apostolical times c. It is true that Faith is the necessary Qualification of a mans admission to Baptism and that persons are thereby made visible Members of the Church Members of the Church to observe the Peace Vnity in the Church but this is but the Initiation or beginning of Christianity Obedience to Spiritual Rulers and Governors being in this always suppos'd and impâ—y'd to Faith and Baptism must be added a strict Observation of the Order Peace and Unity of that holy Society into which they are admitted by those Qualifications above mention'd and this is most strictly enjoyned by the Holy Jesus the Prince of Peace and God of Order in the words mentioned in the beginning of this paper and divers other Texts in Scripture As for calling them Rites and Ceremonies of their own that are alien to Scripture Rules what ever tends to Order and the Beauty of Uniformity in the Church is in the Power and Wisdom of the Apostles Successors the Bishops to impose thô not express'd in Scripture there are no express terms in Scripture for Infant Baptism nor for Women to pertake at the Eucharist yet allowed and required by the Authority of the Church and submitted unto from the Primitive times by all Christians except Anabaptists who deny the former And this fully answers his following Paragraph which he closeth with much bitterness