I am also very remote from mannaging any opposition unto it I thinke it necessary by vertue of precept and that to be continued in a way of succession It is I say according to the mind of Christ that he who is to be ordained unto office in any Church receive imposition of hands from the Elders of that Church if there be any therein And this is to be done in a way of succession that so the Churches may be perpetuated That alone which I oppose is the denying of this successive ordination through the Authority of Antichrist Before the blessed and glorious Reformation begun â—nd carried on by Zuinglius Luther Calvin and others there were and had been two States of men in the world professing the name of Christ and the Gospell as to the outward profession thereof The one of them in glory splendor outward beauty and order calling themselves the Church the only Church in the world the Catholike Church being indeed and in truth in that state wherein they so prided themselves the mother of harlots the beast with his false Prophet The other party poore despised persecuted generally esteemed and called Hereticks Schismaticks or as occasion gave advantage for their farther reproach Waldenses Albigenses Lollards and the like As to the claime of a successive ordination down from the Apostles I made bold to affirme that I could not understand the validity of that successive ordination as successive which was derived downe unto us from and by the first partie of men in the world This Reverend Authors reply hereunto is like the rest of his discourse pag. 118. He tels me this casts dirt in the face of their Ministry as do all their good friends the Sectaries and that he hath much a doe to forbeare saying The Lord rebuke thee How he doth forbeare it having so expressed the frame of his heart towards me others will judge the searcher of all hearts knowes that I had no designe to cast dirt on him or any other godly man's ministry in England Might not another answer have been returned without this wrath This is so or it is not so in reference to the ministry of this Nation If it be not so and they plead not their successive ordination from Rome there is an end of this difference If it be so can Mr. C. hardly refraine from calling a man Sathan for speaking the truth It is well if we know of what spirit we are But let us a little farther consider his answer in that place He asketh first Why may not this be a sufficient foundation for their Ministry as well as for their Baptisme if it be so be so acknowledged whence is that great provocation that arose from my enquiry after it For my part I must tell him that I judge their Baptisme good and valid but to deale clearly with him not on that foundation I cannot believe that that Idolater murtherer man of sin had since the dayes of his open Idolatry persecution and enmity to Christ any authority more or lesse from the Lord Jesus committed to him in or over his Churches But he addes secondly That had they received their ordination from the woman flying into the wildernesse the two witnesses or Waldenses it had been all one to mee and my party for they had not their ordination from the people except some extraordinary cases but from a Presbytery according to the institution of Christ So then ordination by a Presbytery Is it seemes opposed by me and my party but I pray Sir who told you so when wherein by what meanes have I opposed it I acknowledge my selfe of no party I am sory so grave a Minister should suffer himselfe to be thus transported that every answer every reply must be a reflection and that without due observation of truth and love That-those first reformers had their Ordination from the people is acknowledged I have formerly evinced it by undeniable testimony So that the proper succession of a Ministry amongst the Churches that are their off-spring runs up no higher than that rise Now the good Lord blesse them in their Ministry and the successive ordination they enjoy to bring forth more fruit in the earth to the praise of his glorious grace But upon my disclaiming all thoughts of rejecting the ministry of all those who yet hold their ordination on the accompt of its successive derivation from Rome he cries out egregiam verò laudem and saies that yet I secretly derive their pedigree from Rome well then he doth not so why then what need these exclamations we are as to this matter wholly agreed nor shall I at present farther pursue his discourse in that place it is almost totally composed and made up of scornefull revilings reflections and such other ingredients of the whole He frequently very positively affirms without the least hesitation that I have renounced my own ordination adds hereunto that what ever else they pretend unlesse they renounce their ordination nothing will please me that I condemn all other Churches in the world as no Churches but who I pray told him these things did he enquire so far after my mind in them as without breach of charity to be able to make such positive and expresse assertions concerning them A good part of his book is taken up in the repetition of such things as these drawing inferences and conclusions from the suppositions of them and warming himselfe by them into a great contempt of my selfe and party as he calls them I am now necessitated to tell him that all these things are false and utterly in part and in whole untrue and that he is not able to prove any one of them And whether this kind of dealing becomes a minister of the Gospell a person professing Godlinesse I leave it to himselfe to judge For my owne part I must confesse that as yet I was never so dealt withall by any man of what party soever although it hath been my unhappinesse to provoke many of them I do not doubt but that he will be both troubled and ashamed when he shall review these things That whole Chapter which he entitles Independentisme is Donatisme as to his application of it unto me or any of my perswasion is of the same importance as I have sufficiently already evinced I might instance in sundry other particulars wherein he ventures without the least check or supposition to charge me with what he pleaseth that may serve the turn in hand so that it may serve to bring in he and his party are Schismaticks are Sectaries have separated from the church of God are the cause of all our evills and troubles with the like tearmes of reproach and hard censures lying in a faire subserviency to a designe of widening the difference between us and mutually exasperating the spirits of men professing the Gospell of Jesus Christ one against another nothing almost comes amisse His sticking upon by matters diverting from the maine
he will yet proceed and Sec. 13. informe his Reader that in that Treatise I aver that two things are required in a teacher as to formall ministeriall teaching 1. Gifts from God 2 Authority frō the Church well what then I am of the same mind still but now I cry down ordination by Presbytery what is not this a great alteration and signe of inconstancy Truly Sir there is more need of humiliation in your selfe then triumphing against me for the assertion is most untrue and your charge altogether groundlesse which I desire you would be satisfied in and not to be led any more by evill surmises to wrong mee and your owne soule He addes sect. 14. two cautions which in that treatise I give to private Christians in the exercise of their gifts and closeth the last of them with a Juvenile Epiphonema divinely spoken and like a true Presbyterian and yet there is not one word in either of these cautions that I do not still own and allow which confirmes the unhappinesse of the charge Of all that is substantiall in any thing that followes I affirme the same as to all that which is gone before Onely as to the liberty to be allowed unto them which meet in private who cannot in conscience joyne in the Celebration of publike ordinances as they are performed amongst us I confesse my selfe to be otherwise minded at present than the words there quoted by this Author do expresse But this is nothing to the difference between Presbytery and independency and he that can glory that in 14. yeares he hath not altered or improved in his conception of some things of no greater importance then that mentioned shall not have me for his rivall And this is the summe of M◠C. Appendix the discourse whereof being carried on with such a temper of spirit as it is and suited to the advantage aimed at by so many evill surmises false suggestions and uncharitable reflections I am perswaded the taking of that paines will one day be no joy of heart unto him CHAP. 3. A Review of the chargers Preface HIs first chapter consists for the most part in a repetition of my words or so much of the discourse of my first Chapter as he could wrest by cutting off one and another parcell of it from its coherence in the whole with the interposure of glosses of his own to serve him to make biting reflexions upōthem with whom he hath to deale How unbecoming such a course of procedure is for a person of his worth gravity and profession perhaps his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} have by this time convinced him If men have a mind to perpetuate controversies unto an endlesse fruitlesse reciprocation of words and cavils if to provoke to easie and facile retorsions if to heighten and aggravate differences beyond any hope of reconciliation they may do wel to deale after this manner with the writings of one another Mr. C. knowes how easie it were to make his owne words dresse him up in all those ornaments wherein he labours to make me appeare in the world by such glosses inversions additions and interpositions as he is pleased to make use of but meliora speramus Some particulars that seem to be of any importance to our businesse in hand may be remarked as we passe through it pag. 1. He tels us the Donatists had two principles 1. that they were the onely Church of Christ in a corner of Africk and left no Church in the world but their owne 2. That none were truly baptized or entred members of the Church of Christ but by some Minister of their party These Principles he saies are againe improved by men of another party whom though yet he name not yet it is evident whom he intends and pag 3. he requires my judgement of those principles Because I would not willingly be wanting in any thing that may tend to his satisfaction though I have some reason to conjecture at my unhappinesse in respect of the event I shall with all integrity give him my thoughts of the principles expresséd above 1. Then if they were considered in reference to the Donatists who owned them I say they were wicked corrupt erroneous principles tending to the disturbance of the communion of Saints and everting all the rules of love that our Lord Jesus Christ hath given to his disciples and servants to observe if he intend my judgment of them in reference to the Churches of England which he calls independent I am sorry that he should thinke he hath any reason to make this inquiry I know not that man in the world who is lesse concerned in obteining Countenance to those principles then I am Let them who are so ready on all occasions or provocations to cast abroad the solemne formes of reproach Schismaticks Sectaries Hereticks and the like search their owne hearts as to a conformity of spirit unto these principles It is not what men say but what men doe that they shall be judged by As the Donatists were not the first who in story were charged with Schisme no more was their Schisme confined to Africk The agreement of multitudes in any principles makes it in its selfe not one whit better and in effect worse For my part I acknowledge the Churches in England Scotland and France Helvetia the netherlands Germany Greece Muscovia c. as far as I know of them to be true Churches such for ought I know may be in Italy or Spaine and what pretence or colour this Reverend person hath to fix a contrary perswasion upon me with so many odious imputations and reflections of being one of the Restorers of all lost Churches and the like I professe I know not These things will not be peace in the latter end shall the sword devour for ever I dare not suppose that he will aske why then do I separate from them he hath read my booke of Schisme wherein I have undeniably proved that I have separated from none of them and I am loath to say though I feare before the close of my discourse I shall be compelled to it that this Reverend Author hath answered a matter before he understood it confuted a book whose maine and chiefe designe he did not once apprehend The rest of this chapter is composed of reflections upon me from my owne words wrested at his pleasure and added to according to the purpose in hand and the taking for granted unto that end that they are in the right we in the wrong that their Churches are true churches and yet not esteemed so by me that we have separated from those churches with such like easie suppositions He is troubled that I thought the mutuall chargings of each other with Schisme between the Presbyterians and Independents was as to its heat abated and ready to vanish wherein he hath invincibly compelled me to acknowledge my mistake and I assure him I am heartily sorry that I was mistaken it will not be
an interest in this church of Jesus Christ Our Reverend Author professes that he hath but little to say to these things some exceptions he puts in unto some expressions used in the explication of my sense in this particular that which he chiefely insists upon is the accommodation of that promise Matth. 16. 28. upon this rock will I build my church to the Church in this sense which he concludes to belong to the visible Church of professors now as I am not at all concerned as to the truth of what I am in confirmation of to which of these it be applyed so I am far from being alone in that application of it to the Catholick Church which I insist upon All our Divines that from hence prove the perseverance of all Individuall believers as all do that I have met withall who write on that subject are of the same mind with me Moreover the Church is built on this rock in its Individuals or I know not how it is so built The building on Christ doth not denote a meer relation of a generall body to his truth that it shall allwaies have an existence but the union of the Individualls with him in their being built on him to whom the promise is made I acknowledg it for as unquestionable a truth as any we believe that Christ hath had and ever shall have to the end of the world a visible number of those that professe his name and subjection to his kingdome because of the necessary consequence of profession upon believing but that that truth is intended in this promise any farther but in respect of this consequence I am not convinced And I would be loath to say that this promise is not made to every particular believer and only unto them being willing to vindicate to the Saints of God all those grounds of consolation which he is so willing they should be made partakers of As to the union of this Church and the breach of it our Reverend Author hath a little to say because there may be some decaies in true grace in the members of this Church he affirms that in a sort there may be said to be a breach in this union and so consequently a schisme in this body He seemed formerly to be affraid lest all schisme should be thrust out of the world If he can retrive it on the account of any true believers failing in grace or falling for a season I suppose he needs not fear the losse of it whilst this world continues But it is fit wise and learned men should take the Liberty of calling things by what names they please so they will be pleasd withall not to impose their conceptions and use of tearms on them who are not able to understand the reasons of them It is true there may be a Schisme among the members of this church but not as members of this church nor with reference to the union thereof It is granted that schisme is the breach of union but not of every union much lesse not a breach of that which if there were a breach of it were not Schisme However by the way I am bold to tell this Reverend Author that this Doctrine of his concerning schisme in the Catholick invisible Church by the failings in Grace in any of the mēbers of it for a season is a new notion which as he cannot justify to us because it is false so I wonder how he will justify it to himselfe because it is new And what hath been obtained by the Author against my principles in this chapter I cannot perceive The nature of the church in the state considered is not opposed The union asserted not disproved the breach of that union is denyed as I suppose no lesse by him then my selfe That the instances that sōe Saints as mēbers of this Church may sometimes fail in grace more or lesse for some season that the members of this Church though not as members of this Church yet on other considerations may be guilty of Schisme concern not the businesse under debate himselfe I hope is satisfied CHAP. 7. OUr progresse in the next place is to the consideration of the Catholick Church visible Who are the members of this church whereof it is constituted what is required to make them so on what account men visibly professing the gospell may be esteemed justly devested of the priviledge of being members of this church with sundry respects of the church in that sense are in my treatise discussed The union of this church that is proper and peculiar unto it as such I declared to be the profession of the saving doctrine of the gospell not everted by any of the miscarriages errors or oppositions to it that are there recounted The breach of this union I manifest to consist in apostasy from the profession of the faith and so to be no Schisme upon whomsoever the guilt of it doth fall pleading the immunity of the Protestants as such from the guilt of the breach of this union and charging it upon the Romanists in all the waies whereby it may be broken an issue is put to that discourse What course our Reverend Author takes in the examination of this chapter the severalls of it whereon the strength of the controversie dothly is now to be consideed doth he deny this church to be a collection of all that are duly called Christians in respect of their profession to be that great multitude who throughout the world professe the Doctrine of the Gospell and subjection to Jesus Christ doth he denie the union of this church or that whereby that great multitude are incorporated into one body as visible and professing to be the profession of the saving doctrines of the Gospell of subjection to Jesus Christ according to them Doth he denie the dissolution of this union as to the interest of any member by it in the body to be by apostasy from the profession of the Gospell Doth he charge that apostasy upon those whom he calls Independents as such or if he should could he tolerably defend his charge Doth he prove that the breach of this union is under that formality properly Schisme nothing lesse as far as I can gather might not then the trouble of this Chapter have been spared or shall I be necessitated to defend every expression in my book though nothing at all to the main businesse under debate or else Independency must goe for a great Schisme I confesse this is somewhat an hard Law and such as I cannot proceed in obedience unto it without acknowledging his ability to compell me to go on further then I am willing yet I do it with this ingagement that I will so looke to my selfe that he shall never have that power over me any more nor will I upon any compulsion of useless needlesse cavils exceptions do so again so that in his reply he now knowes how to order his affairs so as to be freed from the
supposition that it is a Church which yet I utterly deny to be a schismaticall Church upon the account of the intestine divisions of all sorts or what other accounts other men urge them with the same guilt I suppose he knows by this that I am not concern'd Having finished this exploit because I had said if I were unwilling I did not understand how I might be compelled to carry on the notion of Schisme any farther he tells me though I be unwilling he doubts not but to be able to compell me but who told him I was unwilling so to do do I not immediately without any compulsion very freely fall upon the worke did I say I was unwilling Certainly it ought not to be thus of his abilities in other things I do not doubt in this discourse he is pleased to exercise more of something else There is but one passage more that needs to be remarked and so this Chapter also is dismissed He puts in a Caveat that I limit not Schisme to the worship of God upon these words of mine the consideration of what sort of union in reference to the worship of God where he inserts in the repetition marke that is instituted by Jesus Christ is the foundation of what I have further to offer whereto he subjoined the designe of this in that he may have a fair retreat when he is charged with breach of union in other respects and so with Schisme to escape by this evasion this breach of union is not in reference to the worship of God in one assembly met to that end I wish we had once an end of these mistakes and false uncharitable surmises By the worship of God I intend the whole compasse of institutions and their tendency thereunto And I know that I speak properly enough in so doing I have no such designe as I am charged withall nor do I need it I walke not in feare of this Authors forces that I should be providing before hand to secure my retreat I have passed the bounds of the precise notion of Schisme before insisted on and yet doubt not but God assisting to make good my ground If he judge I cannot let him command my personall attendance on him at any time to be driven from it by him let him by any meanes prove against me at any time a breach of any union instituted by Jesus Christ and I will promise him that with all speed I will retreate from that state or thing whereby I have so done I must professe to this Reverend Author that I like not the cause he mannages one whit the better for the way whereby he mannageth it We had need watch and pray that we be not lead into temptation seeing we are in some measure not ignorant of the devices of Sathan Now that he may see this door of escape shut up that so he may not need to trouble himselfe any more in taking care least I escape that way when he intends to fall upon me with those blowes which as yet I have not felt I shall shut it fast my selfe beyond all possibility of my opening againe I here then declare unto him that when ever he shall prove that I have broken any union of the institution of Jesus Christ of what sort soever I will not in excuse of my selfe insist on the plea mentioned but will submit to the discipline which shall be thought meet by him to be exercised towards any one offending in that kind yet truely on this engagement I would willingly contract with him that in his next reply he should not deale with me as he hath done in this neither as to my person nor as to the differences between us CHAP. 6. HAving declared and vindicated the Scripture proper notion of Schisme and thence discovered the nature of it with all its aggravations with the mistakes that men have run into who have suited their apprehensions concerâ—ing it unto what was their interests to have it thought to be and opened a way thereby for the furtherance of peace among professors of the Gospell of Jesus Christ for the further security of the consciences of men unjustly accused and charged with the guilt of this evill I proceeded to the consideration of it in the usuall common acceptation of the word and things that so I might obviate what ever with any tollerable pretence is insisted on as deduced by a parity of reason from what is delivered in the Scripture in reference to the charge managed by some or other against all sorts of Protestants Hereupon I grant that it may be looked on in generall as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a branch of union so that it be granted also that that union be an union of the institution of Jesus Christ To find out then the nature of Schisme under the consideration of the condescention made and to discover wherein the guilt of it doth consist it is necessary that we find out what that union is and wherein it doth consist whereof it is the brcadth and interruption or is supposed so to be over and above the breach above mentioned and described Now this union being the union of the Church the severall acceptations of the Church in scripture are to be investigated that the union inquired after may be made known The church in scripture being taken either for the Church Catholick or the whole number of elect beleivers in the world for we lay aside the consideration of that part of this great family of God which is already in heaven from this distinction or else for the generall visible body of those who professe the gospell of Christ or for a particular society joining together in the celebration of the ordinances of the new testament instituted by Christ to be so celebrated by theÌ„ The union of it with the breach of that union in these severall respects with the application of the whole to the businesse under consideration was to be enquired after which also was performed I began with the consideration of the Catholick invisible Church of Christ and the union thereof having declared the rise of this distinction and the necessity of it from the nature of the things themselves as to the matter of this church or the church of Christ as here militant on earth I affirme and evince it to be all and only elect believers the union of this church consists in the inhabitation of the same spirit in all the members of it uniting them to the head Christ Jesus and therein to one another The breach of this union I manifested to consist in the losse of that spirit with all the peculiar consequences and effects of him in the hearts of them in whom he dwels This I manifest according to our principles to be impossible and upon a supposition of it how remote it would be from Schisme under any notion or acceptation of the word so closing that discourse with a charge on the Romanists of their distance from
that 's the phraseology this Author in his love to unity delights in have broken the union of their churches which we have no more done then they have broken the union of ours for we began our reformation with them on even tearms and were as early at work as they yet what coulour what excuse can be invented to alleviate the guilt of the latter part of it that we have separated from all the reformed churches as no churches and yet he repeats this again pag. 106. with especiall reflexion on my selfe I wonder not saith he that the Doctor hath unchurched Roome for he hath done as much to England and all forraign protestant churches and makes none to be members of the church but such as are by covenant and consent joyned to some of their congregations Now truly though all righteous laws of men in the world will afford recompence and satisfaction for calumniating accusations and slaunders of much lesse importance then this here publickly ownd by our Reverend Author yet seeing the gospell of the blessed God requires to forgive and passe by greater injuries I shall labour in the strength of his grace to bring my heart unto conformity to his will therein notwithstanding which because by his providence I am in that place and condition that others also that fear his name may be some way concern'd in this unjust imputatiō I must declare that this is open unrighteousness wherein neither love nor truth hath been observed How little I am concernd in his following parallell of Independentisme and Donatisme wherein he proceeds with the same truth and candor or in all that followes thereupon is easy for any one to judg He proceeds to scan my Answers to the Romanists as in reference to their charge of Schisme upon us and saies I do it sutable to my own principles And truly if I had not I think I had been much to blame I referre the Reader to the Answers given in my book and if he like them not notwithstanding this Authors exceptions I wish he may fix on those that please him better in them there given my conscience doth acquiesce But he comes in the next place to Arguments wherein if he prove more happy then he hath done in Accusations he will have great cause to rejoyce By a double Argument as he saies he will prove that there may be Schisme besides that in a particular Church His first is this Schisme is a breach of Union but there may be a breach of union in the Catholick visible church His second this where there are differenccs raysed in matter of faith professed wherein the union of the Catholick Church consists there may be a breach of union but there may be differences in the Catholick or among the members of the Catholick church in matter of faith professed Ergo Having thus laid down his Arguments he falls to conjecture what I will answer and how I will evade but it will quickly appear that he is no lesse unhappy in arguing and conjecturing then he is and was in accusing For to consider his first Argument if he will undertake to make it good as to its forme I will by the same way of arguing ingage my selfe to prove what he would be unwilling to find in a regular conclusion But as to the matter of it 1. Is Schisme every breach of union or is every breach of Union schisme Schisme in the Ecclesiasticall notion is granted to be in the present dispute the breach of the union of a church which it hath by the institution of Christ and this not of any union of Christs institution but of one certaine kind of union for as was proved there is an union whose breach can neither in the language of the Scripture nor in reason nor common sense be called or accounted schisme nor ever was by any man in the world nor can be without destroying the particular nature of schisme and allowing only the generall notion of any separation good or bad in what kind soever So that secondly it is granted not onlie that there may be a breach of union in the Catholick church but also that there may be a breach of the union of the Catholick church by a deniall or relinquishment of the profession wherein it consists but that this breach of union is sehisme because sehisme is a breach of union is as true as that every man who hath two eyes is every thing that hath two eyes For his second it is of the same importance with the first there may be differences in the Catholick church and breaches of union among the members of it which are far enough from the breach of the union of that church as such Two professors may fall out and differ and yet I think continue both of them professors still Paul and Barnabas did so Chrysostome and Epiphanius did so Cyrill and Theodoret did so That which I denied was that the breach of the union of the catholick church as such is Schisme He proves the contrary by affirming there may be differences among the members of the catholick church that do not break the union of it as such But he saies though there be Apostasy or Heresy yet there may be Schisme also but not in respect of the breach of the same union which only he was to prove Besides evill surmizes reproaches false criminations and undue suggestions I find nothing wherein my discourse is concerned to the end of this chap. pag. 109. upon the passage of mine we are thus come off from this part of Schisme for the relinquishment of the Catholick church which we have not done and so to do is not schisme but a sin of another nature and importance he adds that the ground I goe upon why separation from a true church he must meane the catholick church or he speaks nothing at all the businesse in hand is no schisme is that afore mentioned that a schisme in the Scripture notion is onely a division of jugment in a particular assembly But who so blind as they that will not see the ground I proceeded on evidently openly solely was taken from the nature of the Catholick church its union and the breach of that union and if obiter I once mention that notion I do it upon my confidence of its truth which I here againe tender my selfe in a readinesse to make good to this Reverend Author if at any time he will be pleased to command my personall attendance upon him to that purpose To repeat more of the like mistakes and surmizes with the wranglings that ensue on such false suppositions to the end of this chapter is certainly needlesse for my part in and about this whole businesse of separation from the catholick church I had not the least respect to Presbyterians or Independents as such nor to the differences betweē them which alone our Author out of his zeale to truth and peace attends unto If he will fasten the guilt of Schisme on any