Metropolitical Church you may learn of the most Reverend Primate Dr. Usher a man I think of great Authority among you also as among all Scholars most justly I refer you to his Geographical Tract of the Asian Diocese Tr. Return to the Text Mat. 18. v. 19. I shall prove it undeniably that a single Church hath an independent power But first will you grant me that two or three may be taken for a small Congregation B. Yes I desire to grant you all I can without injury to the Truth Tr. Then thus I argue Where is the Duty and the Blessing there is the Power But in a small Congregation where two or three c. is both the duty and the Blessing Therefore there is also the Power namely of Excommunication B. Where is the duty c. You leave out a very necessary word Independent For supposing that a power of Excommunication were in a particular Congregation I cannot grant it is there independently but there may be an Appeal But did you ever hear of an Indepent Church of two or three Tr. Yes there may be a Church of so few and that independent B. A private Church I grant not a publick enabled with power of Excommunication a power supreme Lo you here is Popery in a little volume an independent absolute supreme Church made up of two or three H. Did you not grant to Mr. Tr. that two or three may be taken for any small number now you recall your words You know if there be twenty in a company we sometimes say there be two or three B. No indeed that 's too far wide Let the people judge of this whether any will say there be two or three if there be twenty persons met in a room Two or three that is twenty silence I pray But Sir the words of Christ are verified if there be but barely two And therefore I may justly think it too small a number to make the Church mentioned v 17. It cannot be for this reason The Church in the 17. v. is of more authority and more in number than the two or three mentioned in the second admonition v. 16. But two or three v. 19 20. are not of more authority nor more in number than the two or three mentioned v. 16. Therefore the two or three v. 19 20. are not the Church mentioned v. 17. Answer this and you shall hold your Supremacy to the worlds end for me H. You hold an Appeal from the Church to the Civil Power which is plain Erastianism B. Erastianisme I shall make it appear to be Christianisme But what was Erastus pray H. I came not here to be Catechized by you B. Erastus was one that denied the power of Excommunication in the Church which I do not but desire it may come into practice upon true Rules If you would know Erastus see the Book of Binding and loosing at large And noble Sir you that are a Civil Magistrate let me call you to witness that I stand here an Advocate truly to plead for the Supreme authority of this Land and I undertake to shew that the Highest powers in the Commonwealth have also the Highest Rule of the Church and may receive Appeals from any Christians that complain of wrong in any Congregation whatsoever Col. A. The Highest Powers haply doubt of that Authority and forbear to execute any such till they be more fully satisfied B. Were I worthy I would request them to know their power and use it for the restitution of Primitive Episcopacy They doubt you say but Sir these men flatly deny that authority of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion H. And how I pray do you prove it B. Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers Every man saith St. Chrysostome whether Lay or Clergy Col. A. There is no such distinction of Lay and Clergy in the Scripture All the Lords people are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Portion B. Sir you say most true that All the Lords people are his Portion that is as selected and called out of the World but his Ministers are more peculiarly his as called from among his People and admitted nearer to him being separated for the Ministration of Holy things But however all sorts of men I say whether Ministers or others must be subject to the Highest powers Tr. Yea in Civil things they must be subject not in Ecclesiastical The Powers are distinct B. They are distinct in their Objects or Matters about which they are exercised they are united in the same Subjects or Persons that are supreme in all causes both Eccleclesiasticall and Civill W. You were wont to pray for the King in that stile B. Yes when the King was and now they that have the Kingly power may withall assume the same title if they please W. By no means Temporall Governors power Spirituall B. The power of Civill Magistrates in matters of religion is called Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall in respect of the object of it about which it is conversant not in respect of the manner of operating For the supreme powers do not minister in holy things in the Word and Sacraments and censures but they take care and provide that these ministrations be rightly and orderly performed H. But how prove you an appeal to be made to the highest power in a Church-case B. Saint Paul appealed unto Caesar Acts 25. 10 11. Tr. Yea but that appeal was in a cause concerning sedition B. Hear himself speak For the Resurrection of the dead am I called in question Act. 23. 6. W. That was said in policy to divide the Pharisees and Sadduces B. However the Apostle spake nothing but the truth as appears also by the words of Festus Act. 23. 19. The question was whether he might preach Jesus and the Resurrection Tr. That Caesar was Nero a heathen tyrant and persecutor a fit man to meddle with Religion B. He was it seems fir for Paul to appeal unto for want of a better and had he acquitted the Apostle he had thereby given him a right against the Jews See Grotius of Authority concerning this particular and the whole matter As for the Supremacy of Christian Kings this is one argument If the Jewish Kings had power in matters of Religion then have the Christian Kings the like power But the Jewish Kings c. To. Let me adde another Argument out of the Prophet concerning the Christian Church Kings shall be her nursing Fathers and Queenes her nursing Mothers W. Read out the verse and you are answered They shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth Is 49. 23. Here is subjection rather than superiority To. A superiority of Government and Patronage is included in the name of Father but these Fathers are Sons of the Church too in another sense and subject to the spirituall guides of their soules subjection and Government may consist together in severall respects B. Will you turne to the Text in Matth. 18. once more and hear a
to order and administer the affaires of Gods House signifying the territory or circuit of a Bishop So Creet may be well called the Diocese of Bishop Titus having under his inspection as t is plaine the Elders of the Cities there W. The Cities were not under Titus his Government he was not a Ruler of the Iland B. He was Ruler of all the Christians I mean onely them through all the Cities and Country Tr. But Titus was an Evangelist Therefore no Bishop B. I deny the Consequence He was an Evangelist while he went about Preaching and Planting the Gospell And he was the Bishop of Creet when he was fixed there by Paul to Ordaine Elders and put in order the things that were wanting H. We find Titus in other places beside Creet and Bishops of those times were not non-residents Therefore he was not Bishop of Creet B. Bishops may lawfully be and were antiently non-resident for some time to wit while they attend the business of Religion abroad and procured the greater good of the Church In which time of their absence their places are supplyed at home by their Deputies Tr. But Sir I pray consider Titus was an extraordinary Governor and therefore no Diocesan Bishop And you dispute fallaciously unless you put in the word Ordinary B. I say he was a Diocesan Bishop or if you will rather an Archbishop For I conceive the Elders of every City to have been Bishops and Overseers of severall Ministers and Congregations therefore he was an ordinary Governour Thus I argue He that ordaines Elders and orders the things in the Churches is an Ordinary But Titus ordaines Elders and orders things in the Churches Therefore Titus is an Ordinary Tr. But I mean he was called to that office in an extraordinary manner B. No neither He was called in the same manner as Timothy and others by Imposition of the Presbytery Therefore He was called in an Ordinary manner Col. A. Timothy was called saith Paul in another place by the laying on of his hands B. Noble Sir you say very true and the places are easily reconciled thus Divers Elders laid hands on Timothy among whom S. Paul probably was chief H. And was Paul too a Diocesan Bishop B. The Apostles common Diocese was the whole world which by agreement they divided among them and S. Paul was especially the Apostle of the Gentiles But in the Apostles I grant some things are extraordinary Tr. Pray make it out cleerely that Titus his case is not extraordinary otherwise you dispute fallaciously B. Truth needs no sophistry Thus I make it out The office that is to continue in the Church and to be succeeded in through following ages is no extraordinary office But this office of Titus is such Therefore c. H. What is it to continue to the worlds end B. Yes to the worlds end For it is Christs Promise I am with you alway even to the end of the world Mat. ult ult What say you to my argument Ordination and Jurisdiction are Offices or Powers needfull to the Church in all Ages This Office of Power or Titus was Ordination and Jurisdiction Therefore this Office of Titus is needfull to the Church in all Ages and therefore no extraordinary Office And my Brethren I would have you to know we are able to shew out of the best Records and Monuments of the Antient Church that there was a succession to the Apostolicall Bishops in these parts of their Office And the Catalogues of succeeding Bishops in severall Apostolicall Sees are yet extant And the Fathers and Councills and Ecclesiasticall Histories come in here with undeniable evidence that Diocesan Bishops are successors of the Apostles in the Government of Churches H. See godly Brethren the subtilty of this man He will not contain himself within the Holy Scripture but tells us of Fathers and Ecclesiasticall Stories and human Authorities B. Who succeeded in the government of Churches after the Apostles we must learn out of the writings of the next Ages And I tell you not only Fathers and Church-story but all other good learning is requisite in a compleat Divine Mark this you bold unlearned new-speakers and expounders of Scripture Mark it and remember it well And for the question of Church-government especially it is impossible to find a better way to understand the Scripture than by the practice of the primitive times of the Christian Church H. Expound Scripture by the practice of the primitive Church Do ye heare him brethren as if Scripture needed the help of the Church We thought we should finde him enclining to Popery B. I detest all Popery charge me not so ignorantly Upon my life I will make it good by the judgment of the most learned and sound Protestants that the practice of the primitive Church is a great light to Scripture But this requires the searching of Books which at your lesure I should be glad to shew you W. Protestants Whom do you mean by Protestants B. I mean those that protest against the Errors Innovations of the Roman Church in latter times and endeavour to reform Religion according to the Scripture and the primitive pattern H. You see he takes in the practice of the Primitive Church again B. I do and must and thus I argue That Government which in the primitive Ages took place in the Churches planted by the Apostles is the Apostolicall and Scripture Government But the Government of Diocesan Bishops took place in the Churches planted by the Apostles Therefore the Government of the Diocesan Bishops is the Apostolicall and Scripture Government Now let me see who will answer me W. Antichrist Antichrist was working betimes B. Whether it be Antichristianism to establish or to over throw the Function of Bishops let all considering men judge by the Premises W. But why do you take in any thing else with Scripture as if that alone were not sufficient for us H. Yea Scripture Scripture we are contented with Scripture B. Give me leave to explain my self to All and I entreat you Harken The Scriptures perfection I do thankfully acknowledge but the things conteined in the Scripture are some of them conteined in it plainly and expresly to be apprehended by every Reader other things are conteined there implicitely virtually and so as there is need of many helps to make our deductions thence And for the Scripture-government I know no better light to shew it than the practice of the Antient Church I argue thus They that have commended to us the very Books of Scripture are fittest to give us the sense of them especially in point of Government But the Antient Church hath commended to us the very books of Scripture Therefore the Antient Church is fittest to give us the sense c. And I pray Mr. W. how will you prove that the Scripture is the Word of God W. I know it by the Testimony of the Holy Spirit in me B. But how will you convince another that will not believe your
of England The interpretation whereof is to my understanding this that the Calamities under which now we suffer have made us cease to be a Church But Blessed be God the Church of England is not invisible It is still preserved in Bishops and Presbyters rightly Ordained and multitudes rightly Baptized none of which have fallen off from their profession And the only thing imaginable to be objected in this point being this that the Schism hath so far been extended by the force that many if not most Churches parochial are filled by those who have set up a new or a no-form of worship and so that many men cannot any otherwise than in private Families serve God after the Church-way that sure will be of little weight when the Romanists are remembred to be the objectors who cannot but know that this is the only way that they have had of serving God in this kingdom these many years and that the night meetings of the Primitive Christians in Dens and Caves are as pettinent to the justifying of our condition as they can be of any and when 't is certain that the forsaking of the Assemblies Heb. 10. 25. is not our wilful fault v. 26. but only our unhappy lot who are forced either not to frequent the Assemblies or else to encourage and incur the scandal of seeming to approve the practices of those that have departed from the Church See the eminent Doctor in his new Book of Schism last Chapter Master Medes answer to Doctor Twiss touching Holiness of Times and Places p. 660. SIR I Say still there is eadem ratio Loci Tempor is sacri quà talis to wit for the sanctification or discrimination due to them both and the formal reason for which it is due For the formal reason why a thing is to be sanctified or sanctè habendum is because it is sanctum or sacrum and whatsoever is appropriate to God and his service is such be it by Gods own immediate ordination or humane devotion it is all one in this point so the consecration be supposed lawful and agreeable to the divine will For this sanctification depends neither upon the difference of the institution whether divine or humane nor the diversity of natural and artificial Being but upon the formalis ratio of the object because it is sacrum Moreover I believe the one was intended in the fourth Commandement as well as the other not only from that general rule whereby the Decalogue is to be interpreted but because the Lord himself hath conjoined them Lev. 19. 30. Keep my Sabhaths and reverence my Sanctuary Why may not I say Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder And it may be the sanctification of the Lords Day would be urged with more advantage upon the ground I have intimated than upon that other which is so much controverted But it is Partiality that undoes all Of Christian Prudence CHristian prudence forbids us to provoke a danger and they were fond persons that run to persecution and when the Proconsul sate on the life and death and made strict inquisition after Christians went and offer'd themselves to die and he was a fool that being in Portugal run to the Priest as he elevated the host and overthrew the mysteries and openly defyed the rites of that Religion God when he sends a persecution will pick out such persons whom he will have to dy whom he wil consign to banishment whom to poverty In the mean time let us do our duty when we can walking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles phrase is not prevaricating in the least tittle and then if we can be safe with the arts of civil innocent in-offensive compliance let us bless God for his permissions made to us and his assistances in the using them But if either we turn our zeal into the ambition of death and the follies of an unnecessary beggary or on the other side turn our prudence into craft and covetousness to the first I say that God hath no pleasure in fools to the later If you gain the whole world and lose your own Soul your loss is infinite and intolerable Doctor Jer. Taylor Serm. 20. Sum. Of Liturgy and the use of Gifts in Prayer THough I am not against a Grave modest discreet and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publick the better to fit and excite their own and the Peoples affections to the present occasions Yet I know no necessity why private and single abilities should quite justle out and deprive the Church of the joint abilities and concurrent gifts and graces enabling them to compose with serious deliberation and concurrent advice such Forms of Prayers as may best fit the Churches common wants inform the hearers understanding and stir up that fiduciary and fervent application of their Spirits wherein consists the very Life and Soul of Prayer and that so much pretended Spirit of Prayer than any ptivate man by his solitary abilities can be presumed to have which what they are many times even there where they make a great noise and shew the affectations emptiness impertinency rudeness confusions flatness levity obscurity vain and ridiculous repetitions the senseless and oft-times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most tedious and intolerable length do sufficiently convince all men but those who glory in that pharasaick way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 16. Of Moderate Episcopacy THe Abuses of Episcopacy deserve to be extirpated as much as the use retained for I think it far better to hold to Primitive and uniform Antiquity than to comply with divided Novelty A right Episcopacy would at once satisfy all just desires and interests of good Bishops humble Presbyters and sober people so as Church affairs should be managed neither with tyranny parity nor popularity neither Bishops ejected nor Presbyters despised nor people oppressed ibid. 17. Of the Primitive Church and Fathers IF the practice of the Primitive Church and the universal consent of the Fathers be not a convincing Argument when the Interpretation of Scripture is doubtful I know nothing for if this be not then of necessity the Interpretation of private Spirits must be admitted the which contradicts S. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 20. is the Mother of all sects and will if not prevented bring these Kingdoms into confusion And to say that an Argument is ill because the Papists use it or that such a thing is good because it is the custome of some of the reformed Churches cannot weigh with me untill you prove these to be infallible or that to maintain no Truth And how Diotrephes ambition who directly opposed the Apostle S. John can be an Argument against Episcopacy I do not understand His Majesties second paper to H. Of the same MY Conclusion is that albeit I never esteemed any Authority equall to the Scriptures yet I do think the unanimous consent of the Fathers and the Universall practice of the Primitive Church to be the best
Apostles hath given the world such example to the end that men might excell one another not in wealth the pillar of secular Authority but in vertue These men at the first were only pityed in their errour and by a mercifull Toleration they gatherd strength much more than was safe for the state of the Commonmonwealth wherein they lived The means whereby they both allured and reteined so great multitudes were most effectuall First a wonderfull shew of zeall towards God wherewith they seemed to be even rapt in every thing they spake Secondly an hatred of sin and a singular love of integrity which men did think to be much more than ordinary in them by reason of the custome which they had to fill the ears of the people with invectives against their authorized guides as well Spirituall as Civill Thirdly the bountifull relief wherewith they eased the broken estate of such needy creatures as were in that respect the more apt to be drawn away Fourthly a tender compassion which they were thought to take upon the miseries of the common sort over whose hearts their manner was even to powr down showers of tears in complaining that no respect was had unto them Lastly a cunning slight which they had to stroke and smooth up the minds of their Followers as well by appropriating unto them all the favourable titles the good words and the gracious promises in Scripture as also by casting the contrary always on the heads of such as were severed from that retinue Whereupon the peoples common Acclamation unto such Deceivers was These are verily the men of God these are his true and sincere Prophets Nothing more clear unto their seeming than that a New Jerusalem being often spoken of in Scriptures they undoubtedly were themselves that New Jerusalem and the Old did by way of a certain figurative resemblance signify what they should both be and do Here they drew in a Sea of matter by applying all things unto their own company which are any where spoken concerning divine favours and benefits bestowed upon the old Commonwealth of Israel concluding that as Israel was deliverd out of Egypt so they spiritually out of the Egypt of the worlds servile thraldom unto sin and superstition as Israel was to root out the Idolatrous Nations and to plant in stead of them a people which feared God so the Lords good will and pleasure was now that these new Israelits should under the conduct of other Joshuas Samsons and Gedeons perform a work no less miraculous in casting out violently the wicked from the earth and establishing the Kingdom of Christ with perfect liberty Now whatsoever they did in such sort collect out of Scripture when they came to justify or perswade it unto others all was the heavenly Fathers appointment his Commandement his will and charge These men in whose mouths at the first sounded nothing but onely mortification of the flesh were come at the length to think they might lawfully have their six or seven wives apeece They which at the first taught judgment and justice it self to be merciless cruelly accompted at the length their own hands sanctified with being imbrued in Christian blood They who at the first were wont to beat down all dominion had at the length both Consuls and Kings of their own creation amongst themselves Finally they which could not brook at the first that any man should seek no not by law the recovery of goods injuriously taken or withheld from him were grown at the last to think they could not offer unto God more acceptable sacrifice than by turning their Adversaries clean out of house and home and by enriching themselves with all kind of spoil and pilage which thing being layd to their charge they had in a readiness their answer that now the time was come when according to our Saviours promise The Meek ones must inherit the Earth Jan. 6. THE END