〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Vid. Dodw. in Irenae Dis 1. Sect. XVII and that there were no Subordinate Presbyters to do the same thing by the Bishops Order in other Congregations within his Diocess And that there were more Congregations than one under the Bishop of Smyrna is evident from that Passâ—…ge of Ignatius in his Epistle to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ig. ad Smyrn Let no man perform any of those things which belong to Publick Assemblies without the Bishop That Eucharist is to be thought valid which is either under him or at least which he allowed What had he to do to allow the Eucharist in Congregations Independent upon him and to talk of giving allowance to himself in his own is to great a Blunder for Ignatius to be charged with So that all the distinction here made is betwixt a Congregation under the Bishop viz. that where he was Personally present and another Congregation Assembled by his permission and allowance and must consequently imply that in the Church of Smyrna there were several Congregations under one Bishop what relates to Servants is nothing to this purpose in Ignatius whatever it was in our Authors Head Nor is the Second Alligation more regular or just than the former Antistitis manu in Tertullian for thence it came Originally by way of Mr. Baxter to our Author referring not to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitâ—… manu contestamur nos Renunciare Diaibolo c. Eucharistiae Sacramentum in Tempore victus Omnibus mandatum a Domino etiam antelucanis Caetizbus nec de Aliorum manu quam praesidentium sumimus Tert. De Cor. Milit. c. 3. but to the Form of Renouncing the Devil c. which was preparatory to Baptism and the persons to be Baptized did it sub Antistitis manu for ex as this Man quotes it would have made it Non-sence Tertullian does indeed speak of the Lords Supper not to be Received nisi de Praesidentium manu But this will do our Author no Service The word Praesidentium including the Bench of Presbyters as well as the Bishop in Cathedra Vid. Pears Vind. Ignat. p. 2. c. 13. Assert 2. Dod. in Iren. Dis 1. Sect. VII Nor will the Passage out of Irenaeus which he so hastily misapplies if fully cited and understood afford any advantage to his cause Presbyters in that Father oftentimes denoting the Age rather than the Office of those Persons meant by it as divers Learned Men have already observed And in that Sence not only Presbyters but likewise Bishops Deacons and Laymen might be comprehended under that Title And accordingly Irenaeus distinguishes by divers Characters telling them what sort of Elders they were to hearken to Qua propter eis qui in Eccles sunt Pres obaudire oportet hiis qui Successionem habent ab Apostolis sicut ostendimus qui cum Episc Successione charisma veritatis Certum secundum placitum Patris acceperunt Iren. l. 4. c. 4 3. Iren. l. 4. c. 43 viz. First Eis qui in Ecclesia sunt those who are within the Pale of the Church Secondly Hiis qui Successionem habent ab Apostolis c. those who had the Succession from the Apostles and who together with the Succession in their Episcopal Charge did receive the sure Gift of Truth according to the Will of the Father Whence it is plain that Irenaeus in this place means Bishops only when he talks of the Apostles Successors And therefore our Authors Inference in behalf of Presbyters having their Succession from the Apostles as well as Bishops is out of Doors Irenaeus reckons up the Bishops of Rome in order as they Succeeded to Eleutherius then Bishop who was the Twelfth from the Apostles concluding Hac Ordinaâ—…ione Successione c. by this Ordination and Succession that Tradition which is in the Church from the Apostlâ—…s and the Preaching of the Truth is handed down to us From which it is plain that Succession in their days was more than bare Conformity to the Apostles Model in Government and Worship For they Succeedded the Apostles First In Power and Authority So Irenaeus quibus etiam ipsas Ecclesias Committebant quos Successores relinquebant suum ipsorum Locum Magisterii tradentes Secondly In Place So Linus was constituted the Successor of St. Peter and St. Paul at Rome and Irenaeus tells us further that they made him Bishop And therefore if his Successors afterwards mentioned kept up to the Apostles Model they must likewise derive their Office as he did from Persons invested wâ—…th the same Character and Consequently as Linus was Ordained by the Apostles who had that Episcopal Authority in themselves which they conferred upon him So the rest down to Eleutherius must be Ordained by Bishops And if so let our Author consider with himself whether his Notion or ours is nearer in all Points to the sense of those Times When I consider how nice and strict this Gentleman was in the Notion of Succession P. 19. 20 that he could not allow Two Bishops to Succeed One Apostle nor One to Succeed Two I cannot but wonder that in the Writing of 16 Pages his Head should grow so loose as to make it no more than Conformity to the Apostles Model in Government and Worship Surely if this be the truest Sence as the Gentleman affirms One Bishop may Succeed Two Apostles or One Apostle be Succeeded by Twenty Bishops without any such absurdity or Blunder as our Author cries out against in the fore-quoted Pages We all grant that for Persons wilfully to withdraw themselves from such particular Churches as are framed according to Scripture Rules and impose no new or needless Terms is to Act Schismatically because such willfull Separation when nâ—… cause is giuen cannot be without breach of Charity with our fellow Christians Page 37. Yes it may through the prejudices of Education or for want of understanding People may take that to be New which is very Old and that which is very Decent and Fit to be Imposed to be altogether Needless and withdraw themselves from particular Churches fram'd according to Scripture Rules when purely out of mistake they think them otherwise They may be led by Interest or won over by perswasion to a new Communion and yet have no hard thoughts of that Church or its Members which they left I cannot believe that every Dissenter at his first going off from the Church of England does immediately hate us I find several of 'em very Kind aâ—…d Affable Persons And yet if our Author has granted Right all their Charity though a very good and commendable thing cannot excuse 'em from the Guilt of acting schismatically And because our Author has granted this I shall grant likewise That Schism is frequently the Effect of Uncharitableness which perhaps was all that honest Mr. H. meant when he call d it formalis ratio People
many other Apostolical Churches were the same The Churches of Rome and Corinth and most others were made out of Jews and Gentiles who had the same different apprehensions about Jewish Ceremonies as well as that at Jerusalem And therefore the difference was not betwixt Church and Church but betwixt the Members of the same Churches who were left at liberty by the Apostolical Synod except in three things And for that Reason the Gentile Dissenters cannot possibly be the Patrons of ours unless the Vindicator can shew that the Jewish Ceremonies were impos'd as ours are by some Christian Church If he can prove that Rules were given and Matters of Decence impos'd and that any Christians in that Age refus'd to submit to 'em let him name 'em as the Precedents of his Cause and Party I dare say That every Churchman will allow 'em to be so In the next Paragraph he is fond of the Notion which he quarrell'd with in the last so inconstant are those people that know not what they would have It fits the Independents as exactly as if it had been made for 'em for they hold a Vnity for Substance tho not for Circumstances they are united to all true Churches tho for condemning Bishops who are doubtless the principal and most necessary Members they partake of the same Table tho they set up Altar against Altar they are the same with us in the External Worship and Service of God tho in Covenant against us and they refuse to communicate with us either in Sacraments or Prayers They are all united to the Head tho not into one Body either among themselves or with others For that part of Unity I observe the Gent. passes over and with a great deal of Reason it being hard to find several Members united into One Body and yet still remaining all independent That wherein they differ from others is according to the Apostolical Mode That wherein others differ from them is nothing but Innovation Otherwise they are the same with all true Churches if you will believe this Gent. To all which I shall only apply and argue in the plain words of St. John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 1 John 2 1â—… Touching the Continuance of the Church he agrees with us p. 17. Only about the Authority of the Apostles he is pleas'd to fall out not apprehending how any Man can succeed the Apostles in their Apostolical Power If he means the Authority they had in the Church i. e. over the Presbyters and other Members we affirm Bishops to be their Succ ssors it being not reasonable to suppose that any Branch of Auth rity given by our Saviour to his Apostles died with them for if their Authority over the Presbyters expir'd with their Persons why should that over the People continue after 'em unless the Gentleman will suppose which I suppose he will not that the Laity are the only persons that need the Regulation of Superiours All Multitudes must have Governours and the common Presbyters are certainly oo Numerou a Populace to be all independent Let 'em submit therefore to Bishops their Successors as they did to the Apostles themselves especially till such times as you can find a Text to prove That the Apostles Commission was only a Patent for Life it being a Matter of such Consequence in the Vniversal Church that few will believe you upon your own bare Word As the Authority of the Apostles was Vniversal and extended to the whole World and was the same in all Churches p. 18. so Bishops do succeed them in the same Authority And if it were not for those Humane Agreements which the Vindicator cannot disallow the Government Ecclesiastical must be so exercised And I could wish the Gentleman would be pleas'd to consider whether a Bishop is not as truly a Bishop and a Presbyter as much a Presbyter in any other Man's Diocess or Parish as he is in his own Is he suspended or deprived when he 's out of his own bounds If not I hope he may be a Minister like the Apostles all the World over And yet the exercise of his Ministry confin'd within certain limits Nor do's this Notion give the Pope any greater power in England than it do's the Archbishop of Canterbury at Rome which is none at all On the contrary if Ordinary Pastors are Pastors only within their own Precincts Mr. H. and his Vindicator tho Ordain'd can be none because they exercise their pretended Ministry in other Mens Parishes He will not dispute the Episcopal Jurisdiction of Timothy and Titus but he tells us it signifies nothing till the nature and extent of that Office be first determin'd out of Scripture p. 18. As if the Epistles to Timothy and Titus were no Scripture We find Timothy appointed by St. Paul to examine the Qualifications of such as were to be Ordain'd to lay hands suddenly on no Man to receive Accusations and proceed judicially and to rebuke before all even Elders themselves if there were occasion Titus was to ordain Elders in every City to set things in order to rebuke with all authority to admonish and reject heretics And this power of Ordination and Jurisdiction wherewith Timothy and Titus were invested is what the Bishops have all along exercised and do still challenge at this day and therefore we justify the present Episcopal Authority by these two Scripture-Instances And as the Congregational Invention allows of no such Officers the most Ordinary Pastors call 'em Bishops or Presbyters or what you will being all independent without ever a Timothy or Titus to supervise and govern 'em by the same Scripture it stands condemn'd and is plainly contrary to the Apostolical Pattern And if the Office of Timothy and Titus was itinerant by reason of their frequent Removes from place to place as the Gent. supposes p. 19. our Bishops are extreamly like 'em in that particular their Office being always very itinerant in their Episcopal Visitations But this is an idle Fancy which he probably learn'd from Mr. Baxter an idle one I call it for if the Office of Timothy and Titus was really itinerant they were certainly out of their Office while they staid at home the one in Ephesus and the other in Crete tho doing that very business for which the Apostles plac'd 'em there which how well it agrees with Scripture and common Sence let every discerning Reader judge If none besides St. Paul were concern'd in the Ordination of Timothy and Titus Sed quod ab uno Apostolo gestum est id ab omnibus simul Apostolis gestum esse dicitur ob Collegium Consortium Apostolatus Vales Annot. in Philosâ—…org H. E. l. 3. c. 15. Sub imperatore Claudio loco duorum unicus Praefectus Praetorio Constitutus
the Instances of Popular Elections that can be found in Scripture but from none of 'em is it evident that the Election of the People did contribute any thing that was Essential to Holy Orders The Reason why it was admitted was that they might confer the Power and Character upon the Best and most Unexceptionable Persons such as were of Honest Report which could not so easily be known without consulting the Multitude Cyp. Ep. LXVIII Ed. Oxon. And this is all the Use that St Cyprian makes of the aforementioned Instances who tells us That it was so order'd in the Case of Eleazar the Son of Aaron and ought to be so that the Crimes of ill Men may be Detected and the Deserts of Good Men Extoll'd And that the Apostles proceeded so diligently and warily in the Choice of Matthias and the Seven Deacons lest any Unworthy Person should creep into the Service of the Altar or obtain the Degree of Priesthood And he adds further That in his Time it was the Custom for the Neighbouring Bishops of the same Province to Meet and Chuse a Bishop in the presence of the People who fully understood each Man's Life And after this manner they advanced Sabinus into the Place of Basilide All this seems to be plainly allow'd by the Council of Laodicea which will have none to be made Bishops but such as are of Known and Approved Conversation Con. Laod. Can. 12. and provides that they should be constituted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Discretion of the Metropolitans and Neighbouring Bishops In which Poâ—…nts it agrees exactly with St. Cyprian s Model Can. 13. anâ—… yet the Canon immediat ly following will not allow the People to chuse those that are to be advanced to the Priesthood and therefore surely their Consent was not then thought Essentially Necessary to the making of a Bishop Nay so far was the Church from the Opin on of this Author that upon the Death of Auxentius Theod. H. E. l. 4 c. 7. the Arian Bish p of Milan the Synod petition'd the Emperour That he would chuse one to suc eed him in that See which certainly they would not have done if they had thought that his Nomination would have made him such a Monster as our Author speaks of viz. A Creature not to be found in Scripture or the Primitive Times I might add several other Instances of Bishops Metropolitans and Patriarchs chosen to their respective Charges by the Discretion of the Emperour and other Princes but I suppose it is not necessary As to the Nomination of our English Prelacy suppose it had been of right Originally in the Clergy and People yet they by their Representatives in Parliament 25 H. 8. c. 20. have confirm'd it to the Prince So that it is his by Law And for my part I know no Reason why it should not so continue Episcopacy is the same chuse who Names it being not the Nomination but the Ordination that makes the Bishop And if that be the same now which it was in the Primitive Times our Episcopacy must needs be the same with theirs Page 33 and 34. The Gentleman is willing to be try'd by the Pattern of those Churches which are truly Primitive but I find he dares not venture far among 'em for fear of losing his Cause He complains That a Century or Two made a considerable Change in the Features of their Government and Worship but in which Century that Change was wrought he durst not inform us However if he pleases to venture his Cause upon it let him take any of the first Fifteen to prove Congregational Episcopacy and provided he will allow the Writers of that or the next Age to be credited before those that liv'd later I shall freely joyn issue with him We have a Specimen of his Abilities already page 34 and 35. where he tells us That Ignatius charges the Bishop to take a personal cognizance of every Member of his Church not excepting the very Servants And Secondly That it was the Custom then in every Congregation to receive the Sacrament every Lord's Day and that they never receiv'd it nisi ex antistitis manu but from the Hand of the Bishop What could such Bishops be more than Pastors of single Congregations To which I Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Polyc. First That Ignatius does indeed require of the Bishop to discourse people singly as God should enable him But how does this prove That he was to take a Personal Cognizance of every particular Member of his Church Had he no body to assist him in the Remoter parts of his Charge Why could no Man else acquaint him with the Frailties and Misdemeanors of particular persons but all must depend wholly upon his own Cognizance and Observation Or because he was not to content himself barely with Publick Preaching but was to discourse 'em particularly as he found occasion Does it therefore follow that he must needs be acquainted with every Member o his Church How if they were too numerous or liv d too remote to be all Personally discours'd with All that Ignatius requires is so far as God shall enable him Which kind of Expression methinks implies some difficulty Let Assemblies be held often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. Enquire after all by their Names do not despise or behave thy self insolently towards the Men-Servants or Maid-Servants This I suppose is the Passage to which our Author principally refers Though if he had been able to have quoted it we might have been abundantly more certain However from this it is not to be concluded that he must take a personal Cognizance of every Member of his Church or that he was the Pastor only of One single Congregation For how does he prove That those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were to be only at One Place Why might not the several Assemblies in his Diocess be as well comprehended under that Title Again how does our Author prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies no more but the Ordinary Congregations Why not the more Extraordinary Assemblies when the Bishop Visited Perhaps the Bishop had a Scroll wherein the Names of Christians were enroll'd and in calling them over at his Visitations might enquire into the Faith and Manners of particular Persons and call for the Men themselves and as he found Occasion discourse 'em 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Doct ine Admonition or Reproof Or peradventure he might call over the Nâ—…mes of the Congregation where he himself was present that he might hereby discover who were heretically inclin'd For even then such Persons began to withdraw from the Communion of the Church and to hold Conventicles though very privately And if we take it in the latter Sence it will contribute little to his Cause unless he could first prove That the Bishop's Congregation would not be a Pattern to the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id. ad Smyr
are sometimes froward and peevish and apt to take Peâ—… at little things and when they are once angry and out of charity will forsake the best friends in the world tho perhaps for worse Company And the new Acquaintance if he be not very dull will be ready enough for his own advantage to find out Suggestions true or false to confirm and improve the Quarrel Again Uncharitableness is otherwise the Effect of Schism when People have no way to justifie their Separation from an Orthodox Church and to support and propagate the Cause which they have engaged in but by vilifying and aspersing its Members and abusing every thing that belongs to its Communion And when by the long continuance of these Practices they have so far wrought upon their own belief as to think those Objections right which at first were only taken up to serve a Passion or Design and that both Persons and Things are really as bad as they have been us'd to represent 'em When they look upon others as the Enemies of God and Opposers of his pure Worship as Reprobates and Damn'd themselves and Hinderers of the Salvation of others It is no wonder if they make no Scruple of the most Violent and Uncharitable Practices Especially when Ambition Covetousness and Vain-Glory go along with these Conceits And yet in the very height of Violence and Cruelty it will be no mean Task to perswade 'em That they are uncharitable nor consequently Schismaticks in Mr. H s Notion For Charity is seated in the heart which no Man can look into and therefore the breach of it not otherwise Visible than by outward Practices And as to those be they never so Villainous yet it is in vain to object 'em while they are committed under the Patronage of a Rjghteous Cause and also with a great Appearance of Devotion and Sobriety If you are robb'd and plunder'd by One of these People you are not to call him a Thief or to say he was Uncharitable for thus undoing his poor Neighbour for it was only the spoiling of an Egyptian or in another Phrase the weakening of the wicked If they kill you it cannot be Murder so long as the Example of Phineas stands upon Record Or if he destroys his Prince yet if he can but once pass Tyburne he 's no Traytor there is Scripture enough as he thinks to discharge him from that Guilt And as for the more puny Instances of Uncharitableness such as Lying and Slandering and raising Tumults and the most Grave and Solemn Perjuries to promote the Cause either the Love of Good Men or Zeal for Reformation will easily excuse 'em among Friends And to prevent Scandal among other People if they be done one Day they may be denied the next If any Tradesman appears more than ordinary in Defence of the Church no Schismatick is to have any Dealing with him and if you say he is Uncharitable he tells you No surely He has the Management of his own Purfe and may lay out his Money where he pleases If any injur'd Catholick goes about to Right himself in a Court of Judicature get a Jury of Donatists and he is so far from obtaining any Relief or Benefit of Law that he is sure to be Condemn'd And if you say the Jury was Unjust they will bring their Action Take Warning by your Neighbour for they went according to their Consciences and you are not to question their Reputation If any Clergyman appears against 'em in Defence of the Church it shall be their whole â—…usiness to make him Odious to expose his Faults in case he be any way oâ—…noxious which Charity would rather cover and by Detraction and Calumny to lessen and deprave the Character of the most Excellent Persons If he be of a Grave and Reserv d Conversation they shall accuse him of Pride if more chearful and free he shall be Reputed Dissolute if Thrifty Covetous if Liberal and Charitable it shall be said that he does it out of Vain-Glory or the hopes of Merit And if he be more than ordinarily strict in the Duties of Fasting and Prayer he shall be reckon'd Superstitious and the best Title he can obtain will be that of a very great Formalist In fine be they Clergy or Lay-people the violent Schismatick he that either manages the Faction or hates the Church will never speak well of 'em where he can find the least Occasion or pretence to speak ill And as in all these Instances the Charge of Uncharitableness is confidently evaded so I would know of these Gentlemen how Schism in their Notion may be discover'd so as that a Dissenter may be Convicted if he be really Guilty For if it be one of the blackest Crimes the Arch-Rebel of all in Christ's Kingdom it is very fit that it should be reprov'd and discountenanc'd But I cannot see how this can be done till we first know how to fix it upon particular Persons We desire therefâ—…re a plain Answer First of all by what Rules that is to be done And Secondly Whether those who are concern d in the fore-mention d and such like Practices are not realâ—…y Schismaticks For if they are we hope that Mr. H. and the rest of his Way who boast what Power they have within themselves to Admonish Suspend and Reject Scandalous Persons will so order the matter that thâ—â— may be no such People in any of their Congregations For otherwise if we see a Book written to prove Uncharitableness to be Schism and the Crime of Schism therein aggravated to the highest degree and yet the Author 's own Congregation crowded with Uncharitable People what can we think of the Discourse but that it was all meer bantâ—…r And that all the Power of Admonishing c. which they so eagerly challenge is to be employ'd only for the Advantage of the Conventicle but never against any of those Practices though never so violent or scandalous that serve to promote its Interest What he says to p. 40. has been already Answer'd as far as it is material And there ends his Vindication of Mr. H's Notion So that having examin d him hitherto with as much Patience as he did T. W. I shall pursue him no further hoping that I need not trouble my self about the Remarks on either side FINIS
Apostle's authority and order 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. to be delivered unto Satan by being excommunicated out of the Church for the destruction of the flesh that Satan having him in his power might torment his body with diseases and pains For such a power as this the Apostles had whereby they were more especially enabled to convict Heretics of Imposture who pretending to Miracles as well as the Apostles it was not easy for the common People to see which were in the right unless something extraordinary appeared on the one side more than the other And in this case nothing could be so proper as that power of inflicting punishments upon the very persons of the Wonder-workers They might equal the Apostles themselves in their pretences to Inspirations to Mystery and Knowledge Their Tricks and Conjurations might perhaps seem as strange to the common People as any true Miracles But when the Apostles inflicted miraculous punishments and yet they could neither save nor avenge themselves by all their power it would be plain enough to every one who it was that acted by the power of God and consequently which side were in the right and which Cheats and Impostors Thus St. Paul threatens the elated Gnostics to know their power 1 Cor. 4.19 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power i. e. it will not be so easy for you to judge by disputations c. who are the orthodox members of God's Church as by these more evident demonstrations of power which make the case plain to every man And yet the Apostle was always tender how he used those rigorous methods this power being given for edification and not for destruction 2 Cor. 13.10 it was only to be exerted upon the most notorious and incorrigible Offenders And this is the reason why we meet with so few instances of it and why the Apostle leaves it to their choice how he should deal with them What will ye shall I come unto you with a rod or in love and in the spirit of meekness 1 Cor. 4.21 And this power seems to be appropriate to the Apostles and their Successors the Bishops of that early Age For why else does the Apostle in the case of the incestuous Corinthian affirm himself to be present in spirit at the meeting of the inferior Ministers of the Church When ye are gathered together 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. What matter whether the Apostle were present any way or not if his presence were no way necessary why should his spirit with the power of Christ be so emphatically mentioned ver 4. if the Assembly had that power of Christ so as to do it without him perhaps one reason might be because the Corinthian was a Doctor And we find the same authority over persons of that degree appropriated to the succeeding Bishops So Timothy might bestow the marks of Honour and likewise receive Accusations against an Elder and rebuke them that sinned before all so as to terrify others 1 Tim. 5.17 19 20. Titus was to rebuke sharply the Gnostic Prophets those who bore the like character in the Christian Church to that of Epimenides among the Heathen i. e. were Priests and Diviners to stop their mouths which was surely to silence them Tit. 1.11 12 13. So that the Apostles and Bishops who succeeded them in Authority had power to silence the schismatical Teachers which is all we contend for But neither they nor we are for silencing those Ministers that being duly ordain'd are sound and orthodox according to Mr. H's Supposition and whether he and his Vindicator belong to the former or the latter sort we are willing at any time to stand a fair Tryal As for his instance of Apollos it will do him but little service if Antiquity is to be credited which makes this very Apollos the first Bishop of Corinth and it is to be noted that there were Teachers and Ministers before and therefore if Apollos was the first Bishop he was of another Order And their boasted Father St. Jerome expresly tells us that upon this very Schism of the Corinthians * Hiâ—…ron in Comment ad Tiâ—…um In toto orbe decretum est ut unus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret Schismatum semina tollerentur Not that there was no Episcopal Authority before this time it was lodged in the Apostles till now and this was the first time they communicated it to any other person With the like ingenuity Mr. H. expounds the second place in this Epistle where he finds the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 telling us First That it could not be meant of breach of Communion because they all came together into one place v. 20. Secondly That the Schisms were Quarrels and Contentions about some little things relating to the circumstances of public worship Thirdly That the quarrel seems to be obout the time of beginning their worship in every of which conjectures Mr. H. is grosly mistaken and seems not to have understood St. Paul's meaning as will appear if we consider First That altho it is true as I noted before that Schismatics did not as yet hold any separate Conventicles yet there was a most notorious breach of communion even at the Communion-Table and their miscarriages were so great and of such a kind as were scarcely reconcileable with the nature of a Sacramental Feast Insomuch that the Apostle tells 'em v. 20. When ye come together into one place This is not to eat the Lord's Supper and the reason was because they did not communicate one with another For in eating every one taketh before other his own Supper and one is hungry and another is drunken i. e. The rich who contributed more plentifully to the common feast did not suffer the poor to be sharers with them but snatcht up their own oblation and eat and drank it themselves So that those who by reason of their poverty brought little or nothing went away hungry and ashamed v. 21 22. Now this was so much a breach of communion that according to this practice there was really no communion at all The rich lookt upon what they brought as their own Supper to which no man else had any right and for this reason were so hasty to eat it up themselves that the poor had nothing So that while one party had nothing to eat and the rest ate every man his own without communicating one with another there was so great a violation of the designed communion that really they made it no communion at all And yet I can find no quarrels or contentions among them The rich who fed so plentifully had no reason to quarrel for they had their full share even to excess And altho the poor had really a just cause of complaint yet perhaps because they brought nothing they thought it not seemly to mutiny All the Apostle mentions concerning their behaviour is that they were hungry v. 21. and as
may be collected from the next verse out of countenance and ashamed 'T is pretty to see Mr. H. bringing in his little things here again as tho Heresies v. 10. to violate the pious design of a feast of Charity v. 20. to be drunken themselves and starve the Poor v. 21. to expose their poverty and put them out of countenance and all this in the Church at their Agapae or feasts of charity were to pass under the title of little things If there had been any quarrels among 'em these according to the Apostle must have been the occasions which surely cannot be little things in the opinion of any man who has not himself a very large Conscience The reason why the Apostle bids them tarry one for another ver 33. was that they might have communion by eating together and not according to their rude and irregular practice take every one before other his own Supper But it is unreasonable to conclude That they quarrelled about the time of their meeting For altho' the time were fully agreed on by every mans consent yet unless all Clocks c. went alike in those days and all mens speed were equal some would come sooner and others later as well as they do now and the first might devour what they themselves brought before such times as the rest could be there to partake with them I shall observe only two things more before I pass to the next Scripture 1. That Mr. H. in his account of this very ingeniously passes over the next and immediate Context ver 21. For there must be also heresies among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you Now suppose that any man should infer hence that the Schism mentioned ver 20. was occasioned by their Heresies that their Divisions were only into Sects and Parties some being orthodox and some otherwise as it is among us and that hence proceeded the other irregular practices I would fain know what he has to say to the contrary And 2dly It may perhaps try the wit of Mr. H. and his Brethren to give a clear account how St. Paul's reasonings ver 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 and 32 can any way quadrate or be reconciled to his Notion And yet they must be all brought in or else the 33d verse quoted and urg'd by him will bear no manner of relation to the 18th which he designs it to interpret The last place Mr. H. mentions is 1 Cor. 12.25 That there be no Schism in the body I shall pass over his Remarks p. 14. it being sufficient for us that he is pleased to acknowledge pag. 15. that to be Schism which breaks or stockens the bond by which the members are knit together which thing is so notoriously done by separation and breach of communion that whoever is guilty of that may according to Mr. H's Assertion justly be charged with Schism That Bond he tells us is not an Act of Uniformity neither say I is the obligation of that Bond taken away by an Act of Indulgence And therefore notwithstanding the late Act nay tho' we should have no Act of Vniformity yet all this would not excuse Mr. H. and his Vindicator from being Schismatics according to his own Argument True Love and Charity in point of Affection as Mr. H. assures us is the only Bond by which Christians are knit together And Schism is that which breaks that Bond. That Schism does usually break Charity no man will deny Mr. H. and his Party are sufficient instances of this truth as those persons who have the zeal and courage to oppose their Faction do always find when ever they fall into their hands And that Love and Charity is likewise a means to prevent Schisms as it always pays a just deference to all spiritual Governors cools and abates the violence of Faction makes People humble obedient and docible and causes all to endeavor after peace and unity we do readily acknowledge and for this reason both the Apostles and others have all along in their discourses about Schism pressed men to Charity as a necessary means to bring them over to conformity and unity with a sound and orthodox Church But to infer hence That Charity in point of Affection is the only Bond by which Christians are knit together and that Schism consequently is nothing else but Vncharitableness are Positions only fit for Mr. H. to assert and the Vindicator to justify St. Paul does not say as Mr. H. falsly quotes him That it is the unity of the Spirit that is the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 but exhorts the Ephesians to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace so that the bond of peace must needs be something more than barely the unity of the Spirit And by the unity of the Spirit more is certainly to be understood than only Charity as appears by the References made to it in the Context ver 4.7 11 c. which thorowly considered makes this Text little or nothing to Mr. H's purpose And withal it is to be remembred that the Apostle insists upon several other tyes and obligations whereby Christians are knit together besides Charity viz. they are incorporated into one society one body as well as animated by one spirit ver 4. united in one hope of their blessed calling ibid. united as Subjects to the same Lord as Professors of one and the same Faith initiated into the same Mysteries and Partners in the same Covenant by one and the same Baptism and united by our union and communion with the orthodox Governors and Pastors of the Church which St. Paul tells us were given us for the perfecting of the Saints or according to the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the compacting or knitting together of the Saints ver 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the edifying or building up of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith c. unto a perfect man c. that we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive ver 13 14. From all which it appears that Mr. H. is for one Doctrine and St. Paul for another and therefore having laid both opinions before the Reader I freely leave it to his own choice whether of the two he will follow Charity is certainly the bond of perfectness but what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3.14 Mr. H. has not informed us which surely he ought to have done before he had made any inference from these words whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies mercifulness Hammond in loc as it does Luke 6.36 or perfectness in all the duties of Christianity Charity may either way be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bond of it for Charity is a very large and comprehensive virtue The Apostle tells us it is the fulfilling