of Worship in the nerves and sinews of Discipline and in the bones and strength of Government which no true Son of the Church of England can without indignation reflect on Thirdly it striketh at the very beeing and safety of it For first this will both nourish and breed Papists and Separatists when they shall consider that by this Oath we have acknowledged that there is no one part Isa 1. wholly sound in this Church but that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there are wounds sores and putrifying corruptions And being the expressions are indefinite they cannot tell what in any part is sound nor know what to cleave unto and so are prepared for apostacy from it 4. Schismaticall illegal oppressive to to the Government of the Church or confirmed therein 4. This Covenant sweareth a Schisme and is an unjust Oath as it is injurious and oppressive to the Government of this Church and the express Law whereby it is established to wit Episcopacy not to insist on the ranking of it with Popery and Superstition The Church of England is founded in Prelacy saith the Luws Of which before And the King in his Oath swears to defend the Rights of this Church Yea this order is by the Laws in force before 17 Car. 11. the very next the King himself in Parliam for so the style runneth the Lords Spiritual and Temporall The right of Episcopacy out of Scripture Antiquity and the late Reformers hath been shewed before and out of the Law of England also Now to swear against a main point of the Law of the Land wherein we have the suffrage of the whole Church and against that order of men both under which Bishops as Cranmer and others special instruments of the Reformation and by influence whereof we first received the Gospel and several whereof sealed it in opposition to Popery and Superstition with their blood Five Bishops being burned viz. Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Cant. Ridley Bishop of London Hooper and Latimer Bishops of Gloucester and Wortester and Ferrar Bishop of St. Davids is such a piece of unchristianity injustice and ingratitude yea and perjury also in those that have subscribed the three Articles and taken the Oath of Canonical obedience that I should wish mine eyes a fountain of tears to bewail it and my quill the pen of a more ready Writer to describe it Pudet haec opprobria nobis c. What shame is it that this should spoken be And nothing to be said to th' contray 5. It is of most dangerous insinuation 5. Of most dangerous insinuation against the dignity person and authority of the King in respect of the Kings Authority Dignity and Person First To his Dignity in putting him after the Parliaments and Kingdoms and yet put the Parliaments before the Kingdoms as if he were inferiour unto both whereas by our Oath of Supremacy we do acknowledge him to be over all persons within these his Realms and Dominions Supreme Governour And have in that and in the Oath of Allegiance and in the Protestation sworn and engaged to maintain his honour and priviledges Secondly It insinuates most imminent danger unto the Kings Person and Authority whilest it engageth to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms Openly implying that both the one and the other may be deserted in case he do not or seems to some not to defend true Religion and the Liberties Thirdly And for his Authority we swear obedience thereunto in the former Oaths indefinitely without such limitations as these are whence these appears to be no less then a treasonable limitation 6. It swears to betray and oppress contrary to Law 6. Is oppressive of the K. faithful subjects and true members of the Church 7. It bettaies the Liberty of the Subject in setting up an Arbitrary power against Law the Kings faithful Subjects and the true sons of the Church because they would keep faith with the one and unity with the other Artic. 4. under the names of Malignants and Hinderers of Reformation 7. It owneth the Houses of Parliament in opposition to the King to be the Supreme Judicatories and acknowledgeth a power in them of punishment to life and estate which is a betraying the Subjects Liberty as also that they may punish as they judge convenient or a Committee from them What is this but to pluck up Magna Charta by the roots which gives this priviledge that no free-born English man shall be punishable in life liberty or estate but by a Jury of his equals c. So that this is an erecting of an Arbitrary Government and destructive to the Fundamental Laws of the Land The same error is committed in the fift Article against those that should any way oppose this kind of union between the two Nations 8. In the sixt and last Article 8. Obliges to a blind a betting of all attempts in the pursuance of it 9. Engages against Repentance it obliges to defend all those that enter into this Covenant in the pursuance thereof which what it infers cannot be foreseen nor how far that clause may be extended 9. It engageth against Repentance which in an Oath of that nature and newness ought not to have been done but that juvat impiis as well as miseris socios habuisse It pleaseth them that have the plague to see That others as themselves infected bee 10. 10. Hypocritical blasphemous towards God scandalous and dangerous to other Churches and Nations Prov. 24. Eccles 10. Matth. 22. Prov. 13. 1 Pet. 2. Lastly In the Epilogue and close of it It is Horridly Hypocritical Blasphemous towards God Scandalous and Dangerous to other Churches and Nations First It is Horridly Hypocritical in acknowledging that we profess before God and the world our unfeigned desire to be humbled for our sins and the sins of these Kingdoms against God and Christ his Son c. And yet at the same time swear to dishonour both and transgress the Gospel which commands obedience of Subjects to their Princes especially in doubtful cases the King holding forth not force but law as well as they and as I am perswaded with better evidence Ezek. 20.27 Secondly It is most blasphemous and a high temptation of Almighty God to pray most humbly unto him to strengthen us by his holy Spirit to live and dye in opposition to the just Laws of the Land in sedition against our natural Prince in schism against the Church and in oppression and violence against our innocent brethren Thirdly It is Scandalous to other Nations and Churches whereby through us the name of God as called upon and professed by the Reformed was blasphemed even among the very Turks Ezek. 36.20 yea our Nation the members of it in peril wheresoever they came as Merchants and Travellers know Lastly Dangerous unto the same Churches First
crediderint quà m fecerunt à nobis divortium Vnde haec fides An non ex praedicatione in nostra Ecclesia nunquid autem praedicare quis potest nisi mittatur Rom. 10.13 Quid ergo verbum propter labem aliquam externae vocationis tam perverse respuunt cujus vim divinam in cordibus sentiunt c. Are they ashamed saith he to sit down there where they see Christ is not ashamed Will they be holier and purer than he But why do they not convince themselves by their own experience They cannot deny but that they did beleeve in Christ before they made this divorce from us Whence had they their Faith Was it not by the preaching in our Church But can any man preach except he be sent Rom. 10.13 Why do they therefore so perversly despise the Word for some defect supposed in the outward Call the heavenly force whereof they feel upon their hearts What he there immediately adds Object Etiamsi fructus iste non magis culpa liberat depravationes nostras quà m vera proles adulterium That is Resp Notwithstanding this fruit of conversion doth no more excuse our Corruptions he means in Church Government especially than a true Childe doth Adultery This passage was both inconsiderately and as it implyed untruly spoken Inconsiderate it was for the Separation against whom he there writes do acknowledge That they had their Faith and Grace indeed in the Church of England but according to his own expression Jo. Robins Apol. for Separation cap. 12. p. m. 94. that did no more excuse the Church or prove it to be a true Church than a true Childe doth excuse Adultery or prove that the Woman is a true Wife They retort his own Metaphor upon him But again it was an unproper similitude and untrue in the implication of it for it implieth That there may be a true Conversion where there is no Church as there may be a true birth where there is no wedlock But we must remember That Christ doth not stand in relation to a Church In what relation Christ stands unto his Church as a man doth unto a woman by conjunction of whom there issues a natural birth whether their meeting be matrimonial or no God therein operating according to that course which he hath setled in Nature without respect unto his positive Law in that case provided but Christ stands in relation to his Church as a Husband to the Wife in spiritual and legitimate Matrimony the bond whereof is the Covenant of Grace according to that of the Apostle I have espoused you as a chaste Virgin unto Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 And again Ephes 5.23 The Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church wherein he implies that he is the Husband also Now the Childe is not the Husbands unless begotten in Matrimony To imply therefore That there may be Conversion by those who are no Church were to make as it were the Spouse of Christ an Harlot a thing horrid to imagine But to return to our Evidence from the Fruits of our Church and Ordinances There is a demonstration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from effects if they be so properly and not consequences accidentally onely which I say to prevent that crambe non saepius cocta and why was it not so of late when great proof was taken from success and issues careat successibus opto c. To this therefore we may add those speeches both of our Saviour and our Apostle in this way of reasoning from the proper effects unto the causes You shall know them by their FRUITS Mat. 7.16 saith our Saviour Do men gather Figs of Thorns 1 Cor. 9.2 or Grapes of Thistles And the Apostle If I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am unto you for the seal of my Apostleship are ye in the Lord That is Your Conversion proves me a true Minister of Christ Gal. 3.2 And elsewhere This onely would I learn of you Received you the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith It was good consequence in our Saviours and S. Pauls Logick to prove a true Church and Ministry by the effect of Conversion and why not in ours On the contrary the Assemblies of the Separation 1. None or rare conversion in the Separation Independency Anabaptism First negatively No conversion is found or rarely in them from prophaneness to grace but it is confessed by themselves Salvificam fidem veram pietatem multorum cordibus in Ecclesia Anglicana Robins Apol. cap. 12. p. m. 93. per Evangelii praedicationem ingenerari foveri absit ut vel negemus nos vel non eo nomine ingentes gratias Deo opt max. NOSTRUM ipsorum aliorum respectu debitas fateamur God forbid saith Mr. Robinson of whom we may well say Contr. Parmen l. 1. cap. 1. as Austin once of Tichonius viz. ' That he was a man acri ingenio praeditum uberi eloquio sed tamen Donatista i. e. endued with a sharp wit and good utterance but yet a Donatist a Separatist God forbid saith he that we should deny but that saving Faith and true Piety is both generated and maintained by the preaching of the Gospel in the Church of England yea we give most vehement thanks to the great and gracious God in this respect both for OUR SELVES and others They are generally converted before they fall to those ways and have an actual sense of Religion upon them Habitual Conversion for their habitual Conversion was in their Baptism and in their relation to the profession of Faith under which they were born upon which ground they have a right unto Baptism as we saw above out of Calvin Epist 285. Secondly Positively There grow such sowre Grapes 2. The sowre grapes of Separation such Rents Contentions loose practices especially these three noted above out of Bucer Pride Contempt of others and Opinions Add also what my self by long and much experience have observed of which above Whose Prayers are oft-times Prefaces to other matters as our Saviour hath it Mat. 23.14 Not but that there are such among us also but yet as the Lord noteth A proselyte unto such persons becomes twofold the Childe of Hell more than he was before Vers 15. as adding and colouring his corruptions with Religion and yet perhaps himself not seeing his hypocrisie as he did clearly see his prophaneness and his danger before They indeed do neither enter into the Kingdom of God themselves that is the Church nor suffer others to abide quiet in it Vers 13. as our Saviour in the same place And may in this be compared unto Beggars that steal the children of others and carry them about as their own Object Answ To conclude this point then Seeing Conversion is fully and plentifully had in the Church of England seeing it cannot be shewed to any
1â— Quis non his pollicitationibus non alliceretur praesertim adolescentis animus cupidus veri Who would not have been inveigled with these promises especially the mind of a young man thirsty for truth As Austin once of himself in refeference unto the Manichees SECT IV. Of the Contents of Independency and in particular of the second and third of them viz. congregation and non subjection The Ingredients of Indep coll g ble out of the Apologetic Narration of the 5. Br. BUt to come neerer and to particulars There are three things in Independency especially First separation viz. from full and constant fellowship and communion with the Parochial Assemblies Secondly Congregation or collecting and constituting themselves into another body Lastly Independency and assuming or usurping of intire Ecclesiastical power into that body so as to be judicially and of right subject unto none other which is the esse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Independency Of the two latter viz. Congregation and non subjection I shall speak here because I shall have occasion of much more large Discourse about the former namely separation And now for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that they do so congregate that is visible for they do by a certain covenant constitute themselves into a distinct body And that they arrogate an Independency also Apologet. Narrat pag. 23. although in words they reject the name saying That proud and insolent title of Independency was affixed unto us yet in as much as they do in terminis affirm first that any other particular Church hath only power to declare non communion with an offending Church pag. 19. Secondly that a Classis or combination of Churches have no juridical power over any particular one Pag. 15. pag. 17. Thirdly that the Magistrates power is of another nature though of use over the Church doth it not follow They also rightly denying a Catholick visible Church unavoidably that as a Church and as to Ecclesiastical jurisdiction they depend on none and therefore are Independent That therefore such they are as to congregating and Independing is beyond all contradiction Now then for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their grounds why they are so to shew the unsufficiency of them or which is all one that they ought not so to do is the next thing to be evidenced And 't is not so hard nor needs so long a proof if we consider their own grounds already yeilded and the unlawfulness of separation which shall the Lord assisting be cleared in the consequent and which themselves also seem to damn For we had likewise the fatal miscarriages and shipwâ—aâ—ks of the separation say they as Land-marks to forewarn us of those rocks and shelves they ran upon Apologetic Narrat pag. 5. And would God it had done it for the Independents have split upon the very same divisions First then for their concessions If it be true that all that conscience of the defilements say they we conceived to cleave to the true worship of God in them pag. 6. Concessions of Independents against Independency or of the unwarranted power in Church Governours exercised therein did never work in us any other thought much less opinion but that multitudes of the Assemblies and Parochial Congregations thereof were the true Churches and body of Christ and the Ministry thereof a true Ministry Then doubtless first their habitual Separation from such though in some acts rarely they did communicate with some of them was ipso facto unlawful and a Schisme evident This the foundation falling their superstructure of congregating into a body and binding themselves to that society which implies a constant renunciation of the former Churches is as drunkenness to thirst and their arrogating of a self-sufficient and independent power is as the fastening their iniquity with cords of vanity So that there seems no more needful for this place then that ex ore tuo serve nequam Matth. 25. out of thy own mouth thou shalt be judged Dost thou confess that notwithstanding any defilements in the worship any usurpation in the Church-Governours any pag. 6. mixture in the Congregations that yet multitudes of them were the true Churches and body of Christ and wilt thou separate thy self constantly and draw others from the true body of Christ Joh. 15. Are not the branches when broken off from the true Vine cut off from the * Quicquid à matrice discesserit seorsim vivere spirari non poterit substantian salutis amittit Cypr. de Simplic prolator p. edit Erasm 1520. 173. juice sap and life of the tree must they not needs wither and in the end be gathered to be burned I end this with that knock of the Hammer of this headless Schism for they are Independent St. Austin Hoc ergo Tichoâ—ius cùm vehementer copioseque dissereret ora contradicentium multis magnis ac manifestis sanctarum scripturarum testimoniis oppilaret non vidit quod consequenter videndum fuit Parmenianus autem ceterique Donatistae viderunt hoc esse consequens maluerunt suscipere obstinatissimum animum adversus apertissimam veritatem quam eâ concessâ superari ab Africanus Ecclesiis Aug. contr Ep. Parm. l. 1. c. 1. Independents This that the Church was not in Africk onely 1. their Inconsiderateness but diffused through the whole world when as Ticonius had earnestly and copiously discoursed and by many weighty and evident arguments of the holy Scriptures stopt the mouthes of the gain-sayers yet did not see that which by consequence did clearly follow 2. Or their Obstinacy On the other side Parmenian and the rest of the Donatists the separation saw the consequence and would rather assume a most stubborn resolution against manifest truth than by yielding to it be overcome of the African I may add in reference to those we speak of the English Churches But secondly toward satisfaction unto others if not to them What kind of Independency is here condemned I must explain my self All Independency of Churches is not denyed For then we must condemn the Church of England and other reformed who do not act as acknowledging any superior body on whom they do depend But according to the confession of this Church every particular or National Church Artic. 34. hath authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or rites of the Church ordain'd onely by mans authority so that all things be done to edifying So Article 57 The Queens Majesty hath the chief power unto whom the chief government of all estates of of this Realm in all causes doth appertain and ought not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction It speaks of causes Ecclesiastical Vindiciae Catholicae or the Rights of particular Christian Churches asserted Which kind of Independency I have elsewhere sufficiently if I mistake not vindicated But the Independency here opposed is that whereby Christians being before incorporated as members
into Congregations such as themselves also acknowledged to be true Christian Churches and bodies of Christ do read off themselves and incorporate into new ones of their own for the most part small and inconsiderable For the detecting further of which error we are to note one or two particulars First Ecclesiastical power may be lost we must distinguish between the original state of a Church as it might be at its first collection and the after-condition of it and present being When it was first gathered it might be free as was the family of Jethro Numb 10. but not so afterward when incorporated with another Church All the several Heptarchies in this Nation and many Provinces else-where were once free and Independent doth it follow they must be so still or rend themselves from the Kingdom if they could to be so again By this the 120 names that were the Church in the beginning should still have assumed their first liberty Act. 1. For we must note that Ecclesiastical power is as well disseasable as civil and may be lost so as it is not lawful to resume it and that not only by a voluntary concession or providential falling in with other Christians or Churches but even by force also As if by publick Edict two or more Churches should be constrained to unite into one As in England all the Christians in one Parish are made members of that Church and all the Parishes of that Diocess one Diocesan Church and all the Diocesan Churches one Metropolitical from whence they are aggregated yea incorporated into one National Church Now being thus joyned together by God and good order it is not lawful for themselves again to put assunder This is one of their fundamental errors A fundamental error of Independency to fancy a reducement of the Churches to their first infancy Why attempt they not the same in civil Societies Common-wealths and Kingdoms yea and families also there is the like reason rule and example for the one as for the other The strange consequences of it And so this flabel of Schism in the Church shall also be the bellows of Sedition in the Common-wealth For if Ecclesiastical original right of liberty and independency cannot be taken away neither can Civil and then the with-holding it is but usurpation no title Conference at Hamp Court pag. 82. 1 King 12. and then as there must be no Bishop so no c. King James his inference To conclude Look what right the ten Tribes of Israel had to separate from the Church of their brethren and to congregate and incorporate into one of their own and to make themselves Independent from any other the same have these Brethren Neither do they seem to have any better if so good for there was an appearing divine approbation of their recess from the Kingdom of Judah and their own reason prompted them to think that this must imply a withdrawing from the Church also Now that they became Idolaters first that was accidental Again they went not so far Ezek 16. as utterly to non-Church themselves for God did still acknowledge them for his people Thirdly the occasion of their separation seems to be more just from the Church than the Common-wealth 1 King 11. and 12. for by Solomon's apostacy it was fill'd with all manner of Idolatries Lastly some of those that have begun at Independency have proceeded as far in re and deed if not farther than they For they have apostatized from all communion with our Churches or any Reformed from thence to Anabaptism from that to Quaking and so not onely denying the Lord that bought them Jude vers 5. as the Apostle speaks but also the whole Scripture and are become worse some of them than Infidels and Idolaters even plain Atheists Whereof perhaps some instances and examples of this kind might be given if it were requisite to name places and persons By which things and through their hoâ—rid shipwracks by sub-divisions providence asketh the question now as it did once in another case of Apostacy from the Church and their unsuccessfulness thereupon Jer. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord And Is it not of the Lord that the people weary themselves in the fire for very vanity And in them is fulfilled that They bite and devour one another Gal. 5. till they be consumed one of another And as he said of such Christians of old Nullae tam infestae hominibus bestiae Am. Marcell ut sunt sibi ferales plerique Christiani There are no beasts unto man so mortal enemies as are most of that sort of Christians implacable one unto another I conclude this with that of the Father concerning their Ancestors Sic sic necesse est ut minutatim secti conscissique despereant Aug. contr Epist Parmen lib. 1. cap. 4. in fine qui surorem animositatis suae Catholicae pacis sanctissimo vinculo praetulerunt So so is it just that they should crumbling and cut in mamocks perish and come to nothing who have before the most holy band of the Churches general peace preferred the swelling of their own high stomachs Which leads me to the first point of Independency but last to be spoken to viz. Separation CHAP. II. Of the grounds of Separation with an Examination and Refutation of them And first in general TOuching Separation I shall speak first in general 1. In general and then descend to some more special causes of it In general thus It hath in it The evil of separation of all the three ingredients of Independency the most malignity not onely as it ariseth from pride scorn and hypocrisie the Sal sulphur and Mercury of this subterraneous body but especially because it suggests unto the hearts of the common people that most horrid temptation that they are not in a way of life and wherein they may be saved This provoked the Apostle so in the like case 2 Cor. 5.13 Gal. 1.8 9. chap. 5.12 that they thought he was besides himself And to curse the Authors of Schism and wish they were cut off To declame against them as those that served their own bellies Rom. 16.17 2 Cor. 11. As false Apostles and ministers of Sathan Yea our Saviour upon this ground of separation and scattering of the flock calls them wolves in sheeps cloathing Matth. 7. Joh. 2. 1 Tim. 6. and thieves and robbers The Apostle else-where that they are proud knowing nothing doting about questions and strife of words that they count gain godliness and that the root of all this evil is pride How we may know when Separation evil Eph. 4. and the love of mony which is covetousness That where there is professed one God one faith one baptism one Lord one Spirit c. those that perswade separation from such are cunning and crafty men that lie in wait to deceive with several other the like 〈◊〉
truly defined by St. Paul to be a departing from the faith it shall be evident that these are no Popery It is prudently uttered by King James Conf. Hamp Court pag. 75. Answ when the like was before him objected of some of these matters That no Church ought further to separate it self from the Church of Rome I may add or from any other Church either in Doctrine or Ceremony than she had departed from her self and from Christ her Lord and head And indeed it is a Popish and superstitious principle to take nothing of those Churches that are opposite to them which is an issue of their pride and arrogance R. Hook Eccles pol. l. 5. §. 68. p. 368. Calv. Epist ad Socinum 1549. vid. Et Instiâ— lib. 4. cap. 2. § 11. which some now imitate on the other side Now it must be noted ' Thot those that hold the head the confession of faith do all joyn in the root though they separate above and in the branches Hence Ecclesiam aliquam manere in Papatu There is some Church remaining in the Papacy saith Calvin Others I might name but take Zanchy's notable word for all Nescio quo singulari beneficio Dei hoc adhuc boni in Romanâ Ecclesia servari nemo non vidit nisi qui videre non vult Quod nimirum sicut semper sic nunc etiam constans firma in verâ de Deo deque personâ Domini nostri Jesu Christi doctrinâ persistit Et Baptizat in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Christumque agnoscit praedicat pro unico mundi Redemptore futuroque vivorum mortuorum judice qui veros fideles secum in aeternum vitam recepturus incredulos autem impios in aeternum ignem cum diabolo Angelis ejus ejecturus sit Quae causa est cur Ecclesiam HANC pro Ecclesia CHRISTI etiamum agnoscam sed quali Qualis ab Osea aliisque prophetis Ecclesia Israelis sub Jeroboamo deinceps fuisse describitur nunquam enim resipuit à suis fornicationibus That is I know not by what kind of special mercy of God Zanch. ep dedic ante confess suam Tom. 8. but so it is that thus much good remains in the Church of Rome which every man sees but they that will see nothing Namely that as always The Roman Church what remains found in it so now it persists firm and constant in the true doctrine concerning God and concerning the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ And Baptizeth in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost And doth acknowledge and preach Christ for the onely Redeemer of the world and he that shall be the Judge of the quick and the dead Who also shall receive unto himself all true believers unto eternal life and who shall reject unto everlasting fire with the devil and his angels all unbelievers and wicked men For which reason I do in some sort acknowledge THIS for a Church of CHRIST But what kind of one namely such as the Church of Israel is described to be under Jeroboam and afterwards by Hosea and other Prophets for she never repented of her fornications Thus he Some kind of Church of Christ then it being Hence it follows first that all things in Popery are not superstitious for if a Church there must be somewhat of the Spirit of God and of Christ in them Joh. 1. Joh. 16. to guide and keep it in these truths Else why do these Brethren read the Popish writers the Jesuites and Schoolmen as some of them have the best spoak in their cart from thence and preach much of their matter and notions to their people The superstition may be either in the opinion that they had of them or the abuse they made of them which being removed the thing may be lawful even in individuo As the flesh that had been consecrated to an Idol 1 Cor. 8. even that very flesh might have been bought or eaten by the strong and those that knew the truth As God be praised our people do in the things excepted against no man putting any confidence in them but in Christ alone observing them onely for order edification and decency Secondly Some kind of respect must have been given to that Church as a Church of Christ in some sense by the Reformers both for preventing offence in respect of them abroad and for the regaining of the brethren of this Nation amongst us misled that way as the Apostle saith I become all things to all men 1 Cor. 9. ad fin that I might by all means win some If therefore what could not be thâ—n or cannot be now without danger in those respects left off be retained still the doctrine of the Church in the mean time being fully opened and professed it is charity not Popery and wisdom godly not superstition ' for we must have respect unto the weak 1 Cor. 14. Object Before we leave this If it be objected that the Church of * Homily on Whitsunday part 3. Homily of Rebellion in several places and in other Homilies England doth seem to hold the Church of Rome the seat of Anti-Christ and the Pope to be his very peson It is answered suppose it do so Answ yet doth it not therefore follow but that the Church of Rome hath something in it of a true Church 2 Thess 2. else how should Antichrist sit in the Temple of God which is his Church if the seat of Antichrist were not in some respects a Church And that the Church of England doth acknowledge that Rome hath something of a Church in it it s retaining the Baptism and Ministery of that Church it s not re-baptizing or new-ordaining those that come to it from that 2. The Mass-book doth plainly shew This for Popery and the Church of Rome in general Secondly for the Mass-book in particular Cic. Joh. 1. De Justific lib. 5. cap. 7. sit tertia propositio Missale Rom. edit Paris 1787. The Mass-book against merits Let us see whether any gold be in Ennius dung whether any good thing can come out of Nazareth and whether any truth and piety out of the Mass-book Bellarmine who knew its meaning well and in a cause wherein if any where he should have pass'd it by proves out of the Mass-book that we can have no trust nor confidence in our own work and merits for salvation but onely in the mercy of God In which as in the Master-vein doth run the life-blood of all Religion The words are a] Collectâ in sexagessimâ Deus qui conspicis quia ex nulla nostrâ actione confidimus Item b] Collect. secreta dom Adventus 2. ubi nulla suppetunt suffragia meritorum tuis nobis succurre praesidiis Item c] In canone post consecration in orat prox post comemorat pro defunct de multiâ—udine miserationum tuarum sperantib c.
men The Br. object Tyranny to Q. Eliz. and the Parl. which is not to be imagined To this first in general If this Reason be admitted it doth not only overthrow all constitutions that concern Religion whether made by Church or State whensoever any turbulent spirit shall fancy them not to be according to the Word And to all States and Churches But it condemns also all the Reformed Churches yea all the Churches and Christian States that are or ever have been I think in the world And particularly majorem in modum and in a special manner the Church of Geneva Ch. of Geneva requires conformity by Oath Revel 13.11 and Calvins Discipline where they are obliged thereunto by oath But to the dilemma in particular neither of the two Horns of this Lamb that speaks like a Dragon have any strength Have they forgotten or never learned that boyes are taught in the very rudiments of Logick and reasoning Kek. Log l. 3. c. 12. can 7. Quod per bonam consequentiam ex testimonio aliquo divino elicitur id EANDEM cum eo vim habet That what by good consequence is drawn from Scripture hath the same force that Scripture hath Did not our Saviour and all the Apostles prove their Doctrine so unto those that received nothing from them but what they proved Do not the Brethren think their Sermons and this their Book ought to be obeyed absolutely and in all the points they have excepted And indeed a good consequence is nothing but a natural effect Consequences And an effect is of the same nature with its cause yea as one saith nothing else but the cause in act or at least the cause is in the effect R. Hook l. 5. so is Scripture in the true consequénces of it And yet subscription to such conclusions do not argue the Authors to be infallible but only to be eyes unto the weaker-sighted to see the light by Tert. Advers Haeret. Omnia quidem dicta Domini omnibus posita sunt quae per aures judaeorum ad nos pervenerunt Gods Word is propounded unto all but it comes to us by the ears and so by the eyes of others And because men are called to subscribe and not children who should have their eyes their subscription only acknowledgeth that the Church and State have taken a true sample from the original leaving this still as the standard as prior tempore ordine naturâ dignitate Such are all the true determinations of Judges in reference to the Law as Deut. 17. They shall expound the Law to thee And the disobedient there was punished with death for contempt of the sentence of the Church and State and yet their determinations were not of equal authority but of equal force with the Law it self So here Secondly To the other horn of this Lamb or dilemma That else the statute did intend to tyrannize over the conscience which they say is not to be imagined Oportuit esse memorem Answ Did not the Brethren in the very lines immediately going before acknowledge yea urge it as an argument out of Sir Edw. Coke who saith He heard Wray Chief Justice of the K. Bench Pasch 23 Eliz. quoting Dier 23 Eliz. 377. lib. 6. fol. 69. Greens case Smiths case report that where one Smith subscribed to the 39 Articles of Religion with this addition so far forth as the same were agreeable to the Word of God that it was resolved by him and all the Judges of England that this subscription was not according to the Statute of Eliz 13. Because the Statute required an absolute subscription and this subscription made it conditional And that this Act was made for avoiding diversity of opinions c. And by this additâ—on the party might by his own private opinion take some of them to be against the Word of God and by this means diversity of opinions should not be avoided which was the scope of the Statute and the very Act it self made touching subscription hereby by of none effect Thus far their own quotation So then it is evident by the words themselves quoted just before and by the sentence of all the Judges of England that the Statute requireth absolute subscription which if it do they say it did intend to tyrannize over the consciences of men So then Q. Eliz. and that Parl. with all the Kings and Parliaments since that have confirmed that Act were Tyrants It concerns the present Parl. to vindicate their predecessors in this point also To what they add concerning mens subscribing when they are young Subscription of young men and before their judgments be mature It is answered first Those admitted to the Ministry though they may be as Timothy was but young in age yet they are not to be Novices in knowledge And Subscription is a good bond upon them Use of subscription both for the peoples good and their own to preserve them from novelties and apostacy But so that no man is engaged against the Word of God I hope then they will not urge the obligation of the Covenant upon those who have not had time or solidity throughly to ponder and weigh all the Articles thereof in the ballance of the Sanctuary and in the scale of the Law as they phrase it To the last of this head The liberty given to tender consciences Liberty to tender consciences is to be in things of lesser not of fundamentall consequence and in the Articles of the Faith for then how should the Magistrate be custos utriusque tabulae How should the Prince perform his trust of the souls as well as the bodies estates and names of his people How should there be one God one Faith one Baptisme in a particular Church and we all with one mouth glorifie God This is also against the practice of all Churches we have no such custome 1 Cor. 11. nor the Churches of God Thus much in reply to their three general first object against the Articles 1. Their doubtfulnesse 2. Their erroniousness and 3. The exacting of subscription to them I come now to the fourth viz. Their defectiveness and imperfection Defectiveness of the Artic. Where the first Exception is that Art 6. it is said that In the name of the holy Scripture we understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament of whose Authority there was never any doubt in the Church The Brethren oppose that some Books and passages of the New Testament have been doubted of as the Epistle of James the second Epistle of Peter The Article they say is defective in not enumerating all the Books of the New Testament as it had done those of the Old and of the Apocrypha comprehending them only under this expression All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received These words of the Article being the former contains no matter of doctrine namely those of which there was never any doubt in the
as few as may be and that we leave mens judgments free in many things by reason that the obscurity in a number of them is exceeding great I have done with the first general head the Doctrine and Articles wherein as being the foundation the more time hath been expended CHAP. IV. Of Worship and of the Directory there of the Liturgy SECT I. Of Worship THE next is Worship 2. VVorship 1. In it self wherein the thing especially to be observed is Purity as in Doctrine Truth Now the purity of worship I take it Purity of it wherein consisting is defin'd by the matter whereof it is composed the object whereunto and medium or mean by which it is directed if these be right the Worship it self is pure For the evidencing that ours is such consider we it first in it self and then in the Appendixes of it the Ceremonies 1. In it self That of the Church of England such and so our Worship in the Church of England is directed onely to the onely true God in the Unity of Essence and Trinity of Persons the Maker and Governor of all things And the Worship which we tender unto him is for matter according to his will as shall be proved Lastly it is by the onely and alone medium and mediation of God manifested in the flesh the Man Christ Jesus but of the Creatures whether the blessed Virgin although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mother of God or Saint or Angel we joyn none with him as is to be seen in the frequent closure of our prayers in the publick Liturgy The second Collect in the Letany Through our ONELY Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ our Lord. Which is also proved negatively because there is in the Liturgy no prayer neither directly nor indirectly to any but God himself nor by any other but Jesus Christ 2. In the Ceremonies which destroy not the substance of worship 2. In respect of Ceremonies which are annexed to it Now Ceremonies being but the appendixes and circumstances of Worship either as ornaments or advantages to it unless they be such as at least imply either another object or person to be worshipped than God or another Mediator than Christ and so a contradiction to the worship whereon they hang How should they destroy the purity of worship Perturb and trouble it they may by their multitude or unusefulness but vitiate it they cannot Now all our Ceremonies are so few in number and so explained eâ—ther by Doctrine or Canon or other publick writings for their * Dr. Burgess of the three innocent Ceremonies See the form of private Baptism and Can. 30. with the Rubricks Mr. Ph. N. innocency and use that they seem not capable of the former evills though they had been all urged But for the matter of our worship the most weighty men of the other ways do not much except against it I am sure I have heard one of the best of them acknowledge lately That there was nothing in the Common-prayer-book for the matter of it against the word of God Now all separation is a division all division tends to dissipation But to commit this against a Church whose worship is for the matter sound and the Ceremonies not opposite thereunto because some of them have been abused formerly to superstition savours of worse then their weakness 1 Cor. 10.25 28. who refused the meat though in the shambles because it had been once consecrated unto an Idol But rather take we his advice misericorditer igitur corripiat homo quod potest Aug. contr epist Parmen lib. 3. cap. 2. quod autem non potest patienter ferat cum dilectione gemat atque lugeat donec ille desuper emendet corrigat aut usque ad messem differat erradicare zizania paleam ventilare Let a man therefore gently amend what he may and and what he cannot let him bear with patience and lament with love until God from above do reform it or correct it or defer until the harvest the rooting out of the tares and the winnowing of the chaff But in particular the Ceremonies are but four especially Bowing at the naming Jesus The Cross in Bapt. Keeling at the Communion And the Surpliss in reading Service Omitting what hath been satisfactorily discoursed on these by others as [a] Conser Hampt Court King James [b] Can. 30. The Canons of 1603. Can. 30. [c] Eccles Polit. Mr. Hooker [d] The three Innocent ceremonies Hieron in Isa 45.23 Mr. Burgess and divers more I shall for the first recite the Judgment of Antiquity represented by St. Jerome on those words of Isaiah By my self have I sworn that every knee shall bow to me c. Hoc jurat quòd Idolis derelictis omne genu ei flectat coelestium terrestrium infernorum omnis per illum juret lingua mortalium In quo perspicuè significatur populus Christianus Moris est enim ecclesiastici Christo Genu flectere Bowing at the name of Jesus Quod Judaei mentis superbiam demonstrantes omnino non faciunt This he swears That forsaking Idols every knee should bow to him of things in Heaven in the Earth and under the Earth and every tongue of mortal men swear by him in which is clearly signified the Christian people for it is the custome of the Church to BOW the KNEE to Christ Which the Jews declaring the pride of their hearts will by no means do Wherein Explained we may note two causes of refusing to bow at the naming of the Lord Jesus First Jewish unbelief and secondly The like haughtiness and pride of spirit To which we may add in respect of some I hope a needless fear of superstition Touching the next the Cross in Baptisme Although I cannot hope to satisfie those whom the Canon of the Church hath not satisfied Against which Canon Cross in Bapt. Can. 30. the late Authors of the Treatise of the necessity of Reformation have this Exception that it hath not with its reasons Pag. 60. Ed. 2. added either Scripture or Fathers Whereas it mentions both though naming none By this reason they may decline all the Articles yea and most Confessions in Europe which generally omit both as being too paedantical for a confession or the Canons of a Church Wherein also their iniquity as well as unskilfulness appeareth Who say of the Rubrick explaining the use of the ceremony of kneeling at the communion Pag. of the inserted sheet the third that the Compilers had solidly and excellently declared in what sense they intended kneeling at the Communion omitted in the Book of Q. Eliz. and yet that hath neither Scripture nor Father alledged But this pleased because it ministred quarrel against the present Common-prayer-book I might refer for more ample satisfaction to the exact diligence in this point also of that hyperaspistes of our Church in these matters Mr. Hooker Eccles Polit. li. 5. §
displeased God so sore and filthily defiled his holy house and his place of prayer Which last words the Brethren refer to piping singing and playing on Organs Whereas 't is evident that passage hath respect especially to that before where it spake of Images Idols Altars with gross and filthy corrupting the Lords holy Supper and the Gazeing sights Again It condemneth not all piping singing or playing on Organs but such as they were wont to have which was both superstitious for kind and too much for quantity Matth. 6. He that forbad us to pray as the Heathen either for babling or length did not forbid us to pray soberly and upon just occasion largely Thirdly If you take all in concreto and together then singing is also condemned by the Homily for it is ranked with piping and Organs Therefore it must be understood with the former restriction such singing as was then and so such piping such organing namely such as took up so much time and was fitted more to please the fancy than for godly delight and spiritual excitation of the affection and edification Lastly The Composers of these Homilies were Bishops the Homil. were approved by Bishops and by Princes and Parliaments who had Organs and singing in their Chappels and Cathedrals besides the Royal Chappel And therefore cannot be understood to condemn that thing in Doctrine which themselves did allow in practise unless we should compare them to him * Deletum in Autographo repositum ab operis who having an Altar in his Chappel yet wrote strenuously for The holy Table Name and Thing This detorting therefore of mens words against their scope and meaning by the Brethren savours of their folly who as he speaks Job 13.7 will lie for God which he as little owns as stands in need of To the last The Bishops omitting the Pastoral Staff which by the 2 Edw. 6. he is enjoyned to have in his hand or to have it born by his Chaplain First the Common-prayer in the Rubrick referrs to that Act of 2 Edw. 6. onely in respect of ornaments to be used in the time of the Communion Rubrick before the Confession of sins and other times of his Ministration not to other things or times as this which is an ornament to themselves which for humility's sake they have omitted and to avoid ostentation but this is no example for otheâ—s to neglect the things that concern the more immediate worship of God In the former things the Law gives it as a priviledge in these it puts it on as an obligation A Knight shall wear his Spurs and Sword that is he may but He shall serve the King in his Wars that is he must I shall end this discourse with that which Austin ended his de Ritib Ecclesiae concerning the Ceremonies of the Church Ep. 119. Januar cap. ult Sic itaque adhibeatur scientia tanquam machina quaedam per quam structura charitatis assurgat quae maneat in aeternum etiam cùm scientia destruetur quae ad finem charitatis adhibita multum est utilis per se autem ipsam sine tali sine non modo superflua sed etiam pernitiosa probata est Let us therefore so make use of knowledge as we would do of an Engine by which the building of Charity may be raised which abideth for ever even when Knowledge shall be destroyed Which knowledge when it is applyed to charity is very useful that of it self without such an end and use is not onely found to be a supersluous but even a pernitious matter Saith this Father I add Vade tu fac similiter And thus we have found mighty and vehement informations K. James Proclamation for the uniformity of Com. prayer supported with so weak and ssender proof as it appeareth unto Us and Our Councel that there was no cause why any change at all should be made in that which was most impugned the Book of Common-prayer neither in the Doctrine which appeared to be sincere neither in the Forms and Rites which were justified out of the practice of the Primitive Church saith King James I conclude with an Admonition an earnest Suit 1. An Admonition and an humble Supplication My Admonition is to all first that they beware lest this * Let not every wanton Wit be permitted to bring what fancies he list into the Pulpit c. Dr. Ushers Serm. before the Commons Feb. 18. 1620. pag. 6. Exod. 32. Amos 8.11 wantonness arising from spiritual fulness as it is in the bodily They ate and drank and then rose up to play be not punished with a famine not of bread and water but of hearing the Word of God either in the letter or in the saving power of it and of enjoying his holy Worship Next That they would apply to this in its proportion what one of the learned Professors of Tigur hath concerning the Scripture on an occasion of the curiosities of some about that Quis enim alius in Scripturis praeter Dei cognitionem fidem vitae nostrae officium scopus nobis esse vel possit vel debeat non video * R. Gualter presat in 3. Tom. operum Zuinglii VVhat things we are to aim at in reading of Scripture More then the knowledge of God Faith and the duties of our life what other end we should aim at in Scripture I say or in a confession of faith and form of Worship I see not Now these by the Articles and Liturgy as they are that we have as plentifully enjoyed as any other Church is acknowledged by other Churches as shall appear and is on all hands owned My earnnest suit is unto these Brethren 2. A Suit Isa that now labour of this Book that they would not travell to bring forth but wind That they would consider the water is now troubled on both sides the penny in the bottom will not be seen That in paring of the nails too near there is peril of cutting of the flesh And that if any thing in it self considered may need amendment yet as in some diseases at least in some remedies Medicina est morbo pejor The medicine worse than the malady Plutarch de sanitat inenda non procul à fine According to that of the Philosopher Longissimè a recta ratione absunt qui ejiciendorum è corpore redundantium humorum causa qui familiares corpori sunt consueti in corpus inficiunt coccos Gnidios scammoniam aliaque medicamenta a temperie corporis aliena saeva Accustomed humors though not so good in the body are yet better grapled with then scammony 3. An humble Supplication unto Authority Isa 49. Revel 12. My humble supplication is to those who are in power if so be that this voice shall by any eccho ascend their ears That they would be as 't is promised nursing fathers unto this child-birth of the Church That they would be as a wall to
this Vine that it may grow up and flourish and as a sense unto this Vineyard full of choice plants both from breaking in upon it by odious calumnies and from others breaking out and making it but a stalking-horse to shoot at further game That they would preserve it sarta tecta which hath for its matter the sacred Doctrine for form the divine Worship for use both a Sanctuary for a godly soul and a Bulwark against the lesser Vermine and greater beasts of Separation and Popery And in a word hath been consecrated unto us and came swimming in the bloood of Martyrs and sealed by the holy Ghost unto our hearts and by the presence of God on our outward blessings Finally Act. 5.6 Edw. 6. 1 Eliz. 1. That they would please to reflect on and revive that wherein the Kings most excellent Majesty the Lords Temporal For establishing the Book of Common-prayer and all the Commons in this present Parliament assembled doth in Gods Name earnestly require and charge all the Arch-bishops Bishops and other Ordinaries that they shall endeavour themselves to the uttermost of their knowledge that due and true execution hereof for establishing the Liturgy may be had throughout their Diocesses and Charges Note as they will answer before God for such evils and plagues wherewith Almighty God may justly punish his people for neglecting this good and wholesome Law I have done with the two first the Doctrine and Worship the Articles and Liturgy CHAP. VI. Of the Assemblies their matter and mixture SECT I. The means of preserving them from corruption COme we to the third that is the Assemblies the impurity whereof is a grand motive unto Independents and Separation wherein the Church is clear the guilt must lie either on the negligence of persons entrusted or the necessity of times and the condition of the Church The Laws The Laws do meet with all both criminal and penal offences and evils if these be executed there can be no notorious offendors And there are but two things necessary to preserve an Assembly pure Instruction and Correction or Discipline upon offendors Now the Church hath strictly appointed Catechism through all the grounds of Christian Religion prohibiting any to come unto the Lords Table Rubrick after the Confirmation who cannot give an account of them and for the better ripening thereunto hath ordained confirmation as a preparative And for Discipline to preserve the Congregation pure the Rubrick before the Order of the Holy Communion hath these words So many as intend to be partakers of the Holy Communion Rubrick before the Communion shall signifie their names to the Curate c. And if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver or have done any wrong the Curate having knowledge thereof shall advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lords Table until he have openly declared himself that he hath repented truly and amended and that he have recompensed the party whom he hath wronged or at the least declare himself to be in full purpose so to do The same order shall the â—urate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth malice and hatred to reign NOT SVFFERING them to be partakers of the Lords Table until he KNOW them to be reconciled Wherein you see there is full provision made for the purity of the Church The Authors of necessity of Reformation pag. 48. say of this Rubrick for its fulness in point of Discipline What is this but as much and as high Jurisdiction as any Bishop can use in that particular Object But I am not ignorant that this Rubrick hath not served for a Plea at all seasons Cases may so fall out Respons that summum jus may be summa injuria and as in the Civil so in the Ecclesiastical Judicatories there may be cause to fly to the Courts of Equity for the moderation of the rigor of the letter of the Law But the intention of the Church is plain and if it can not always attain its end yet Est aliquid prodire tenus Independents Acknowledgement si non datur ultra Yea and the congregational Brethren themselves acknowledge That whatsoever defilements they apprehended in the Worship or Government of the Church yet it did never work in them any other thought much less opinion but that MULTITUDES of the Assemblies and PAROCHIAL Congregations Apologet. narrat pag. 6. were the true Churches and Body of Christ And again in the same page We always have professed and that in these times when the Churches of England were the most either actually overspread with defilements or in the greatest danger thereof that we both did and would hold a COMMUNION with them as CHURCHES of Christ Which reminds me of a speech of one in his dealing with persons of these Principles Aug. contr Parmen lib. 1. cap. 8. Et adversum nos loquuntur nobiscum loquuntur cum eos obmutescere compellat veritas silere non permittit iniquitas that is They speak against us and they speak for us and when truth constraineth them silence yet their iniquity will not let them hold their peace But touching the purity of the Assemblies it is no doubt with the Church in this life as it is with every member of it who if sensible hath cause deeply to cry out with the Apostle under the sense of the mixtures of corruption Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. Would we have mixtures born with in our selves if Hanc veniam petimus demus vicissim let us yield it to the Body especially seeing we have for our warrant not onely the state of the Jewish Church which in its greatest Apostacy was owned by the Lord as his Spouse and the Members of it for his Children Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement Isa 50.1 Ezek. 16.20 And thou hast taken my children which thou hast born unto me and offered them to idols Neither is it sufficient here to say Robins Apol. for Separat cap. 12. That this Church was holy in Abraham and also a typical one for it was to be holy in it self and a real Church too as well as typical for they did eat the same spiritual meat c. 1 Cor. 10. And the Catholick Church comprehends the Jewish as well as that which is Christian properly as is truly asserted in the seventh Article of the Confession of the Church of England We have not onely this president but also the example of our Lord and Saviour who communicated with that Church and did not gather another out of it till the consummation of that Polity and till they had declared themselves open adversaries to the scope of Scripture both in Doctrine and Worship In the mean time both going up to their feasts and commanding his Hearers to attend upon the Doctrine of their Teachers Mat. 23.2 3. and himself living and dying a member
resentment of the premises and which hath wrought this repentance may never be repented of nor that there ever be cause that I retract these retractations Amen Yea there may be those who having lost me may by some artifice effect that I shall lose those whom they think I now intend to win that so being by both deserted I might be ruined But God who sees their plots and my plainness in this affair will I hope disappoint them But if he shall for his glory and my further mortification permit them I hope my suffering shall be like that of Mephibosheth for even David may be abused by a treacherous Ziba for my Loyalty 2 Sam. 19.27 1 King 2. not like that of Shimei for my Apostacy And that I shall never prove either * Qui Sacr. libros tradebancâ— ethnicis Traditor or Proditor false to this Church or faithless to my Country Quia qui in pace militibus suis futuram praenunciat pugnâ—m dabit militantibus in congressione victâ—riam Because he that hath warned his Souldiers of the approaching Battel Cypr. Epist 2. l. 1. will also in the conflict assist to victory And I may give them this taste of my spirit and his grace That whereas upon his Majesties return by prayer I was often importuned to ask and assured to have I wilingâ—y let slip the season that I might evidence I did not follow Christ for the Lâ—eaves nor the King for a Living As also that I might by the publishing this being not onely my retractation but confession also of my faith clearly be known and so no error personae or ignorantia facti be complained of afterward Besides Providence hath so disposed in outward matters that I may in the state I am perhaps not uncomfortably subsist without much addition Sect. 6. Proof that the Author went no further Now for close and confirmation that my lapse was not so exorbitant through the mercy of God as to my principles in either of the former causes I shall subjoyn a passage touching each out of those my actings which were most eminent in these particulars and first for the War Serm. on Judg 5.23 Jun 19 1642. at Trin. Ch. in Camb. Prov. 19. In that Discourse wherein I gave Answer in the University unto Dr. Feams Book at its first appearance there are these words Object 3. But the King forbids this help viz. by the War and commands the contrary Now where the word of a King is there is power and his wrath is as the roaring of a Lion Eccles 8. Ibid. And I counsel thee obey the Kings commandment and that because of the Oath of God vers 4. Rom. 13. And who shall say to the King What dost thou And He that resists resists the Ordinance of God c. Answ We are not to take notice of the Kings commands as they look upon the publick but by his Laws which are his deliberate will and by those whom the Law hath appointed interpreters of it And then indeed when a King comes in his Laws he is more than a man for he is the Minister of God and whosoever resists resists the Ordinance of God and he that resists shall receive to himself damnation Object 4. But the King saith He proceeded according to Law who shall judge Resp The same body rightly gathered that made the Law i. e. the Common-wealth can best judge of its own meaning And seeing Law is not declared by the King but in his Courts and the higher Court being that of Parliament we are to rest in their declaration unless we see manifestly to the contrary By which passage it doth appear that there was this especially that did misguide me viz. The misapplication of some true principles First That the Law of Nature allowing self-preservation to a Nation as well as a Man it might be endeavoured in case of necessity as to particular Laws illegally Which is untrue Rom. 3. for We must not do evil that good may come thereof Secondly That the King being always to be obey'd in his Laws declared in his Courts and the Parliament being the highest Court therefore what the two H. H. did declare to be Law was so wherein there was a doubble mistake 1. That the two Houses were the Parliament in exclusion of and opposition to the King that I say not a lesser part for number of Lords and Commons though enough in formality of Law 2. That it was Law which they declared to be so See the Declaration of 2 H. H. Novemb 2. 1642. in answer to that of the Kings May 26. pag. 22. though no Law was shewed but a sentence out of Bracton who wrote in Hen. 3. in the time of the Barons Wars and who in another place hath the clean contrary as shall appear and it may be a sentence or two out of some other private Lawyer against the constant sentence of Lawyers and the known practice of the Law and Parliaments This for the War that I might shew that Law the Authority of Parliament mistaken and no private headiness did transport me Next for Independency In the Tract I published on that Argument Vindiciae Catholicae cap. 1. p. 3. there is this passage Now the scope of this Treatise is not to unfasten the ground of all Church-combination and to lay a foundation for absolute Independency The conveniency and sometime the necessity of Classes and Synods for direction and determination and that by Divine Authority is freely acknowledged though no with power properly Juridical yea I add that Episcopacy it self was and might be maintained as also Presbytery if confined to a particular Church and not subjected to Superior Ecclesiastical power which was the most antient way of it might both consist together in a particular one Again The violation of Parochial limits oft-times manifestly prejudicial to edification yet am not I for the drawing of any godly able pag. 69. and faithful Ministers people from him who is for the substance of Reformation though with many defects in lesser things Again But this is not their my own and some others opinion pag. 79. that it is essentially requisite to the being of a visible Church that it meet in one place they hold it de benè esse for conveniency not absolutely necessary From which passages it is evident first That not such an Independency as some practised was pleaded for but such as might agree not with Presbytery onely but with Episcopacy and not onely with a Parochial Church or the Church of a City but such as might agree with a Nation also As indeed the Church of England and other National Churches are independent as to right of Jurisdiction from all other Churches There being no such thing in re as an universal Visible governing Church as I have I think evinced in the Treatise above mentioned but every expression in that passage I own not But to conclude I repeat that of Bucer
means Thus far he St. Paul himself gives testimony to some of the Heathen Poets Ti◠1. and calls one of them a kind of Prophet and also a true witness and gives a high Elogy of zeal to the Jews and Pharisees Rom. 10.2 even then whilst he writes against them St. Austin in that notable Directory of his for the study of Divinity Austin 's Directory namely his Books de Doctrina Christiana commends a Book of one of his Adversaries and an Heretick containing certain Rules for the understanding of the Scripture unto the reading of his hearers and inserts much of it into his own Tractate and calls it Elaboratum utile opus De doctr Chr. lib. 3. cap. 30. an elaborate and useful work Quod ideo dicendum putavi ut liber ipse legatur à studiosis quia plurimùm adjuvat ad intelligendus scripturas Which I therefore say saith he that the Book it self may be read by the studious for it very much helpeth to the understanding of the Scripture Our Lord and Saviour by his own example hath instructed us upon just occasion to declare our selves very freely against the vanities that be in men whether vice or error and yet to exosculate and kiss their vertues as 't is said himself did He loved or as * Casaubon in Marc. 10.21 ex Origine some read it he kissed the young man for the good things that he saw in him and yet inveighed against his covetousness So did our Saviour acknowledge what was commendable in those Churches whose Candlesticks Rev. 2.2 3 4 5. for the things he had against them he was ready to remove yea in that Church which he was ready to spew out of his mouth Laodicea chap. 3.16 for 't is said He loved it According to this our late Soveraign speaking of some Ministers against whom about the late contests in Church and State he had conceived some displeasure yet saith of them Whom I respect for that worth and piety which may be in them Eicon Basilic Medit. 24. Finally My opinion of the persons of many of those whom I have left and of those whom I now cleave unto both in the Civil and Ecclesiastical affair I shall represent in the words of one in repute with the best of both parties Who having effectually and with full acrimony written in a certain point against the Papists concludes thus Neque sic mihi succenseant viri inter Papistas probi honesti honorati Non enim in ipsos Zanchi de divortiis lib. 2. in ipso sine sed in ipsorum haec à me scribuntur religionem propter qùam unam religionem fit ut ill neque fratres à nobis appellari possint Cùm interim non diffitear nec diffiteri possim illorum permultos maximis dignos esse laudibus quòd Dei sint timentes quòd aequitalis studiosi quòd honesti quòd denique variis virtutibus ornati sicut contra inter nostros quam plurimos esse minimè negamus qui hac tantum de causâ inter fratres censeantur quòd eandem Christi puram religionem nobiscum profiteantur Cum alioqui nihil minus revera sint quà m fratres propter innumerabilia quibus scatent vitia But let not any worthy honest and honorable Papist saith he be offended with me for what I have written is not against them but against their opinions in Religion For which cause of Religion alone it is that we cannot call them Brethren he means in a strict consideration whereas in the mean time I do not den◠nor indeed can do but that there are very many of them worthy of the highest commendations as being men fearing God studious of equity just men and in a word adorn'd with many vertues Whereas on the contrary we cannot deny at all but that there are exceeding many of ours whom for this onely cause we acknowledge for brethren because they profess the same pure Religion of Christ with us Whereas otherwise they are nothing less than brethren by reason of the innumerable vices wherewith they even swarm Thus far he 3. Personal Engagements 3. But unto the personal worth and useful labours of some whom I recede from my own private engagements oblige me unto acknowledgment Austin doth confess that he obtained a place of employment and subsistence by the favour of the Manichees even then when he desired to be freed from them which was in part my own condition Aug. confess lib. 5. cap. 13. Ego ipse ambivi per eosdem ipsos Manichaeos vanitatibus ebrios quibus ut carerem ibam I endeavoured to obtain the place saith he by those same persons that were drunken with the errors of the Manichees and I went that I might be delivered from them ibid. Et veni Mediolanum ad Ambrosium Ad eum autem ducebar abs te nesciens ut per eum ad te sciens ducerer And so I came to Millan unto Ambrose unto whom I was brought by thee unwitting to my self that by him I might be brought to thee O God on better knowledge ibid. appropinquabam sensim nescivi I did thereby draw near unto thee by degrees and knew it not The like hapned to my self also For the absence from those wanderers and the privacy of the Country and the urgences of the affairs of the place Note together with the unfaithfulness of those who failed in their engagement to do all offices for me in the Church affair but preaching occasioned me that as I was awakened before in the Civil affair and wambled also in that of the Ecclesiastical upon farther consideration reading and prayer God let me hear a voice behind me Isa 30. saying ' This is the way walk in it So that though through the desertion of those who should have assisted me and promised so to do I have been considerably detrimented in my 〈◊〉 condition by the place they commended me unto Col. 3. 2 Cor. 4. yet by this means my inward man in true knowledge as the Apostle speaks hath been renewed day by day What hand God will lead us home by is in his disposing sometimes by our own wandrings and sins as Onesimus was brought to Paul Philem. and my self to the opportunity of light by those who were themselves in darkness But yet we must remember Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian Deut. 23.7 because thou wast a stranger in his land From whence we learn That differences in Religion must not obliterate the duty we owe to our natural or civil relations and such as have done us good although by accident This as to persons SECT 2. Nor hope of outward things 2. NExt for things and advantage worldly I may usurp here and I hope truly that expression of the Apostle above mentioned Our exhortation was not of deceipt nor of uncleanness nor of guile
formidable examples in the Ministery of those who not without very probable gâ—ounds and weighty advice have receded from their places provided that they could eat their bread in them though perhaps but course or not over-powered with other temptations or distractions Considerable are the words of Calvin to this purpose Ita respicienda est vocatio tua ut ab omnibus avocamentis sensus tuos omnes avertas In Epist ad Philip. cap. 2. 21. Licet alibi opulentiùs vivere At Deus te alligavit Ecclesiae quae tenuitur modò te alat Alibi plus honoris sed eum tibi locum attribuit Deus in quo humiliter vivas A ibi salubrius coelum aut amoenior Regio sed hîc tibi statio ordinata est Optares tibi cum humaniore populo esse negotium offendit te vel ingratitudo vel ferocitas vel superbia denique cum genio moribus Gentis minimè convenit Atqui luctandum est tibi tecum vis quodammodo contrariis votis est afferenda ut spartam quam nactus es colas Which passage truly I left un-Englished but remembring it may do some good unto the * The Wives of Ministers weaker sex 't is this Thou art so to observe where God hath called thee that thou must shut thine eyes from all enticements thence Elsewhere thou maist live more plentifully but God hath bound thee to a Parish which will but keep thee sparingly There is more credit to be had else where but God hath assigned thee a place whâ—re thou must live obscurely The aire is better at such a place and the Country far more pleasant but here thou are appointed Sentinel Thou couldst wish thou hadst to deal with a better natur'd people thou art troubled at their ingratitude at their rudeness at their pride and insolency in a word thou canst not away with the spirit anâ— disposition of the people But thou must wrastle with thy self and offer a kind of force to all opposite affections that so thou maist adorn that Spouse to which thou art engaged Thâ—s far there But the Sauce is not all Vineger He therâ—fore adds in the same place Idem ibid. Eatenus concedendum est Ecclesiae ministris sua quaerere ut non impediantur à quaerendo Christi Regno sed hoc modo jam non dicentur sua quaerere quoniam à praecipuo scopo aestimatur vita hominis Thus far saith he it must be granted unto Ministers to seek their own so as they may not be hindred from seeking the Kingdom of Christ But on this account they are not now to be said to seâ—k their own because we are to judge of a mans way by the scope and end he aimes at Thus he Conc. Nice Can. 16. And the Council of Nice â—ath this Canon Ne de civitate inferiori ad majorem Ecclesiam transire quis ambiat sive Episcopus sive etiam aliùs Clericus That no man be he Bishop or other Clergy-man should endeavour to go from a meaner to a greater place or people Concil Trid. Sess 3. sub Jul. 3. Can. 5. And there is reason for it seeing it is seldom that he can sine magno suo Eccâ—esiae incommodo gregem sibi concreditum relinquere ac non sine Episcopalis dignitatis diminutions Leave the flock entrusted to him without great inconvenience both to himself and them and without disgrace to his ministerial function Psal 92. as the Council of Trent hath it But to return God hath promised to keep us in all our ways whilst we are in our way 2 Sam. 11.1 2. we are under protection Now as was implyed above this degree of spiritual fornication is occasioned sometime as the other was in David Desidosus erat The hand that is not busie will Object the head to wandring still This for the occasion of my Lapse SECT II. The Causes Privative BUt the Causes were as in the former Controversie partly general and privative partly positive and particular The general was that as I had in the former through zeal without knowlâ—dge resisted the Spirit of God so I committed here the same error upon the same grounds against the Word of â—od For why may I not call it the Word of God which was first in it self a truth and that one of main concernment and then spoken when I was leaving my relation and as it were at Farewell when words use to be of most weight and lastly uttered by Dr. Laud Arch-bish of Cant. my honourable Lord and Master one whose place was in solemn manner to declare it Although his person should have been as bad as his who prophesied being the * Joh. 11.51 High-priest It was this viz. An Admonition to adhere unto the Church of England without turnig unto the right-hand or unto the left To which most Sovereign counsel if the Author's self did not in all things correspond as some have published he had therein no servant of me and yet he did confer upon me no common favours By vertue whereof I enjoyed the benefit of the best part of my education and preparation for the Ministery Unto whom living or dead I have not return'd evil willingly But on the contrary being sollicited and that with some kind of intermination to be and afterward cited as a witness against him I appeared not When the Lord Cromwel in Henry the eighth's time Fox Acts Mon. in the life of Cromwel was glaned at by one for having been servant unto Cardinal Wolsey he not onely did acknowledge it but professed also his grateful memory of the benefits he received from him Because his Lordship may have with some though not meriting the like resentment with the Cardinal This for the occasion and cause privative SECT III. Causes Positive THe Causes Positive First 1. Of Recess from the Church I took offence at some things in the Church in the Assemblies the Worship and the Discipline neither perceiving the beam in my own eye nor the beauty of that Spouse that seemed black Cant. 1.4 14. but was comely in the eye of Christ no nor the deformity of the Concubine that was but painted over An adulterous spirit sees beauty in any but his own wife Next 2. Of Access unto Independency I was taken not undeservedly with the good gifts and preaching that I perceived in certain of the Independent way And I did not well apply then what I had sometime done viz. To mark those that caused divisions and offences Rom. 16.17 contrary to the doctrines which I had received and avoid them because they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and with sweet preaching so Mr. Tindal and flattering words deceive the hearts of the Innocents But the main was a love to that beauty of holiness in Order and Ordinances which they predicated and spake so much of Now Aug. de utilit cred cap.
lost the Revenues of a good part of a Bishoprick as 't is said which he had purchased And it may be others of these Brethren are ejected as they had ejected others For these times are like those Ruffin Hist eccl l. 1. c. 21. Ea tempestate foeda facies ecclesiae admodum turpis erat non enim sicut prius ab externis sed à propriis vastabatur Fugabat alius alius fugabatur uterque de ecclesia erat praevaricatio erat lapsus ruina multorum Similis poena sed impar victoria similiter cruciabantur sed non similiter gloriabantur quia dolebat ecclesia etiam illius casum qui impellebat ad lapsum At that time the face of the Church was foul and uncomely indeed for not now as formerly the Church was destroyed by enemies but by her own One is driven the other drives him away and both of them of the Church Offences and falls and ruines there were of many All were like sufferers but not all like conquerors All were tortured alike but all could not glory alike for the Church did lament even his fall that forced another to miscarrry saith the Historian But to leave the men and to come unto the matter 3. Their matter The premises are not established they say because there is Addition Detraction and Alterations made in them since the Originals and first establishment For Answer Object 1 Addit Substract Alterat Answ we may note here a twofold distinction 1. Of persons private or publick 2. Of things lighter or more material to apply these If the Alterations Additions or Detractions alledged be done by private hands and in things of lesser moment Misprisions in lesser things by private hands the main continuing unviolate It would be better thought on whether such a misprision be it casu or consilio unwittingly or willingly ought to invalid a publick act For then perhaps neither the Brethren have an authentick Bible nor any Lawyer a true Statute-Book because there are many faults do happen by the pen and by the press which may have happened in the things we speak of But secondly if such alterations In more material ones and by publick persons c. be made by publick persons or in things material it must be considered what powers the Laws do give unto them in these affairs now it is certain and the Brethren acknowledge it that until 17 Carol. 11. The King had freedome by Law to appoint under his Broad Seal Commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical Reasons for Reform p. 51. to amend whatsoever might be reformable in the Church And in the Act for uniformity of Common-Prayer Act for uniformity of Com. Prayer at the end of it it is granted unto the Queen that if there shall happen any irreverence in the service of God by the mis-using the orders appointed in the Common-Prayer-Book she may by her Commissioners or by the advice of the Metropolitan ordain further rites or ceremonies for the advancement of the glory of God c. Several Acts in K. Hen. 8. Edw. 6. Q Eliz particulaâ—ly that of 1 Eliz. cap. 1. Necessit of Reform p. 50. Now by this and other particular Acts that restored all Ecclesiastical power from the Pope unto the Crown And particularly by the Act of 1 Eliz. cap. 1. wherein having first united and annexed all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical jurisdiction to the Imperial Crown of this Kingdom they are the words of the Brethren it addeth what power shall be given by commission under the Great Seal to exercise the same in this following clause viz. And that your Highness your Heirs and Successors Kings or Queens of this Realm shall have full power and authority by vertue of this Act by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England to assign name and authorise when and as often as your Highness your Heirs and Successors shall think meet and convenient and for such and so long time as shall please your Highness your Heirs or Successors such person or persons being natural born Subjects to your Highness your Heirs or Successors as your Majesty your Heirs or Successors shall think meet to exercise and use occupy and execute under your Highness your Heirs and Successors all manner of jurisdictions priviledges and preheminencies in any wise touching or concerning any spiritual or ecclesiastical jurisdiction within these your Realms of England and Ireland or any other your Highness Dominions and Countries And to visit reform redress order correct and amend all such errors heresies schismes abuses offences contempts and enormities whatsoever which by any manner spiritual or ecclesiastical power authority or jurisdiction can or may lawfully be reformed ordered redressed corrected restrained or amended to the pleasure of Almighty God the increase of vertue and the conservation of peace and unity of this Realm Now howsoever the Brethren would make this Act void after the Act of 17 Car. 1. of which anon yet the things we speak of being transacted before remain in force by vertue of that Act. And certain it is that not only the Kings themselves but the Parliaments also the Judges the Ministry have always thought that by the King some alterations might be made by vertue of these Acts without violation of Law provided nothing were done contrary to any thing in the Book contained Preface to the Com. Prayeâ— Book especially when the King shall be supplicated by his people thereunto Hence the King in his Proclamation for the Authorizing of the Book of Common-Prayer by occasion of the Conference at Hampton Court which having reflected on saith Kings Proclamat for establishing the Book of Com. Prayer And for that purpose namely to satisfie the scruples of some tender consciences gave forth Our Commission under Our Great Seal of England to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and others according to the form which the LAWS of this Realm in like case prescribe to be used to make the said EXPLANATION c. And it is also certain that the same not only Kings successively but also Parliaments and Judges with all the other Magistracy have taken all the premises viz. The Doctrine or Articles of Religion the Worship or Common-Prayer-Book The Discipline and Government to be established by Law Or else how will the Brethren or how can any other free the Kings from Arbitrary Government the Parliaments from betraying the publick liberties the Judges from perjury and perverting Law and other Magistrates from oppressing of the people if men have been punished for disobedience to these if not established by Law But surely we may more safely confide in the judgment of so many Acts of Parliament and Laws of so many Princes By divers Ministers of sundry Counties so in the title K. Ja. Instructions to Preachers 1622. Artic. 4. Parliaments Judges Magistrates then in the conjectures of certain Country or County Ministers what is Law The rather because this being a Prerogative Ecclesiastical
But all this so as that no Article of the Confession no point of Doctrine no part of Worship is altered And yet the Brethren have raised such a hue and cry as if the later Bishops yea and Princes not excepting Queen Elizabeth had a design to corrupt the Articles to poison the Worship to impose unestablished things upon the conscience and liberty of the Subject and to punish men for disobedience thereunto As if all Religion were pessundated and Omnia in pejus ruere retro subâ—apsa referri All goes to ruine Thames to Tyber flows Th' Assembly to a Convocation grows As if as Pauls by the Brethrens fautors so the whole Church were like to be an Augaean Stable Well spake Tertullian of their fathers Prescript adv Heres non longè ab initio Scripturas obtendunt hac suâ audacia statim quosdam movent in ipso verò congressu firmos quidem fatigant infirmos capiunt medios cum scrupulo dimittunt They pretend Scripture saith he and by this their confidence they presently move some In disputation they trouble those that are strong they take the weak and send away the middle sort with doubting I conclude that notwithstanding the exceptions of the Brethren the Common-prayer-book as well as the Articles Act for uniformity of Com. prayer is established by Act of Parliament And that therefore If any manner of Parson Vicar or other whatsoever Minister shall preach declare or speak any thing in the derogation or depraving of the said faid Book or any thing therein contained or any part thereof and shall be thereof lawfully convicted shall forfeit c. I have done with the second Head of Objections viz. The establishing of the Liturgy and Worship Subsect 3. Discipline established Object I Come to that against the third the Discipline which they say is not established neither The discipline not establish'd They instance in the Episcopal Courts and Canons the first whereof is Jurisdiction Now the Bishops are of age Answ let them speak for themselves One of them Arch-bishop Whitgift against T. Cartwright Bishops Courts Lord Cant. speech at the censure of Dr. Bastwick c. in the Preface and the greatest in his time doth acknowledge That they exercise their jurisdiction in their Courts by vertue of the Laws and Commissions Royal onely The next in the same rank goes farther and upon occasion of such calumny makes it his suit unto the King and I do humbly in the Churches name desire your Majesty that it may be resolved by all the reverend Judges of England and then published by your Majesty that our keeping Courts and issuing Process in our own names and the like exceptions * Namely by T. Cartwright and others formerly taken and now renewed are not against the Laws of this Realm as 't is most certain they are not Thus far he What can indifferent men desire more then an appeal to all the legal Interpreters the Judges of that Law which they are said to violate and to the supreme Judge and spring-head thereof the King This for their Courts The Canons of the Church K. James As for the Canons Because the King-craft of that Prince which did confirm them as himself calls it is herein question'd as if he understood not what did touch his own prerogative and the Laws for he by his Authority under the Broad Seal confirmed those Canons I shall not take upon me the vindicatâ—on of so great a Person seeing he hath a Grandson and Successor our present Soveraign to do it for him at whose feet and the Laws I shall let that lie the rather because that point is like very shortly to be determined by publick authority So much for Discipline Subsect 4. Of Government Episcopal THe last is Government Episcopal namely and here 25 Edw. 3. Ann. 1350. Necessity of Reform p. 40. illis adhaeret aqua Themselves acknowledge and cite the Act saying That whereas the holy Church of England was FOVNDED in the estate of PRELACY within the said Realm of England by the said Grandfather Edw. 1. and his Progenitors and the Earls and other Nobles of his said Realm and their Ancestors to inform them and the people in the Law of God c. This then is granted to be according to the constitutions of this Nation Legal which is moreover known to all by this That all Acts of Parliament since that foundation have given the precedency of Baronship unto the Bishops the form usually being The Kings Majesty with the assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Object doth enact c. Nay but though Episcopacy was established by Law 17 Car. cap. 1. Office of Episcopacy ceased yet it is not so now For the Act of 17 Car. 1.11 repeating the clause of the Act of 1 Eliz. 1. which instals the Queen and her Successors with power of Ecclesiastical jurisdiction the onely ground of the Bishops authority and jurisdiction Reasons for necessity of Reform p. 51 52 53. and repealing that clause did besides the taking away their Votes in Parliament take also away their power authority and jurisdiction and so the very office it self of Episcopacy whereupon the Ordinance of Lords and Commons makes all their grants void since 17 Car. 1. because then their Office expired Answ 1 For answer first in general That it was neither in the purpose nor to speak as the thing is in the power with due observance be it uttered of either Parliament or Prince to take away the powers which are essential and unseparable from the Crown and Office of a King which we see of right to have belonged and with praise to have been executed not onely in the Scripture both by Jewish and Heathenish Princes as by Nebuchadnezzar by Cyrus Dan. 3.29 Ezr. 6. Jon. 2. by Darius by the King of Ninive c. as well as by David Jehosophat Hezekiah and Josiah but also in the primitive Church by Constantine and Answ 2 others after him Besides we may not conceive the Parliament intended to countervene an express Article of the Confession of this Church Artic. 37. of the Civil Magistrate which having named the Queens Majesty saith Unto whom the chief government of all estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain That prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scripture by God himself And in particular that it was not the Answ 3 purpose of the King or the two Houses as then they were to take away the office and ordinary jurisdiction of Episcopacy appears evidently in that the King he asserts it to be a main cause of the war Ei kâ—â— Basilic Med. 9. and of his own calamity for that he would not consent thereunto How oft saith the King was the business of the Bishops injoying their antient places Bishops Votes in Parliam and undoubted privileges in the
of the other Ubi videbat cruentum facinus Idem ibid. cap. 1. ibi rursum timebat reatum perjurii Ne Deum offenderet peâ—erando Deum offendit saeviendo Where he saw a bloody villany there he feared the guilt of perjury and lest he should offend God by forswearing there he offended God by cruel murdering saith the same Author Subsect 2. What the Covenant obligeth to THus far hath been shewen that the Covenant in reference to the performance of the contents of it bindeth not Yet doth it bind and oblige very strongly For Ecce sanctus David non quidem juratus sanguinem hominis fudit sed eum falsum jurasse negare quis poterit de duobus peccatis elegit miâ—us sed minus fuit illud in conparatione majoris Nam per seipsum appensum magnum malum est falsa juratio Behold holy David Aug. ubi supra cap. 3. he would not shed a mans blood though he had sworn it But who can deny but that he was forsworn of two evils he chose the least It was indeed the least in comparison of the greater but else of it self false swearing is a great sin Saith the same St. Austin Now great sins do bind and oblige unto deep repentance As Paul in another case 2 Cor. x2 ult I must bewail saith he those that committed these lasciviousnesses and have not repented Job 42. We must as Job did after he had spoken words that he understood not to God even abhor our selves and repent in dust and ashes And with the blessed Apostle we must be humbled as oft as we reflect upon it and think the worse of of our selves as long as we live as he did for his sin though not committed in light as ours was 1 Cor. 15. I am not worthy saith he to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God So every one of us I am not worthy to be called a Christian a subject of the Kings or a son of the Church because I entred into this Covenant But yet with his comfort and some kind of recompence where he had cone the wrong viz. Yet by the grace of God I am what I am that is a penitent and a convert and as a token of it I laboured more abundantly then they all that had not so offended As 't is also prophesied in this cause some should do Eicon Basilic Medit. 27. Prov. 24.21 22. And let us for the future fear God and the King and not meddle with them that are given to change the government of Church and State for their destruction hath come suddenly and who foreknew the ruine of them both i. e. those that have both deserted God in his Church and the King in the State and Common-wealth Prov. 1.10 And if hereafter sinners in that kind entice thee consent thou not no though they should say Come we will have all one purse For they lay wait for their own blood as we have seen And let us not deceive our selves one horn of this dilemma will wound us Either the Covenant is to be literally kept or else repented of Remember palliations expositions and evasions here will do no good Prov. 28.13 Psal 32. Numb 32.23 For he that covereth this sin shall not prosper And whilst we hold our peace our bones will consume through Gods heavy hand upon us And our sin will find us out For there is no darkness nor shadow of death Job 34.22 where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves saith Elihu And thus far of the general exceptions against the Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of England viz. That they are unnecessary inconvenient humane inventions Apocryphal Popish not established by Law And an Engagement and Covenant for the removing or reforming of them CHAP. III. Grounds of Separation and Exceptions particular against the Matter of the Premises SECT I. Against the Articles or Doctrine 2. Exceptions particular against the matter of the premises Independents excepts not Apologet. narrat pag. 29. PRoceed we now unto the Exceptions particular namely against the matter of the Doctrine Worship Assemblies Discipline and Government And first of those against the Articles or Doctrine The Independent or dissenting Brethren acknowledge That in the review and examination of the Articles of our Church so are their words our judgments say they have still concurred with the greatest part of our Brethren neither do we know wherein we have dissented Some Presbyters now do But certain of the Presbyterian Brethren do dissent and object against them first doubtfulness secondly error thirdly tyranny in the act requiring subscription Necessity of Reform pag. 1. c. 1. Doubtfulness and fourthly defectiveness and imperfection First doubtfulness because in the book of Articles now printed and ever since 10 Carol. 1. there is a declaration of his late Majesty to the Articles to this effect 1. That those Articles contain the true Doctrine of the Church of England agreeable to Gods Word 2. That the Clergy upon just occasion may have liberty from the King Kings deelar before the Articles under the Broad Seal to deliberate on such things as make for the establishment of the same doctrine yet so that no varying in the least degree should be endured 3. That no man should put his own sense upon them but take the Articles in the literal and grammatical sense pag. 2. whence the Brethren infer that by this Declaration no Minister shall have liberty to interpret any one of these Articles And therefore they will remain doubtful But first Answ 1 this doubtfulness is not per se and in the Articles themselves but per accidens and in reference to this declaration Again though they are prohâ—bited to put any Answ 2 new sense as the King speaks or their own sense as the Judge in Smiths case Necessity of Reform p. 5. yet are they not forbidden to explain the literal and grammatical sense The Scripture in the fundamentals of salvation also the Laws and Acts of Parliament are so to be taken and yet Divines there and Judges here have ever been allowed to open those senses or else the one must not preach nor the other declare Law Thirdly when unto that liberty Answ 3 granted to the Clergy there is this restraint expresly put upon it viz. That from the Doctrine established the least varying shall not be endured and that nothing shall be concluded contrary to the Laws and Customs of the Land is there not a fair assurance that the present doctrine shall remain fixed and that if any heterodox sense shall be put upon them it shall be lawful to oppose the literal and grammatical sense whether in the Article or Explication Fourthly when the Declaration Answ 4 saith We will that all further curious search be laid aside and these disputes shut up in Gods promises as they be generally set forth unto us in the holy
own shame and therefore needs no other reply But yet that Rubrick or Admonition which gives liberty to change whole Chapters appointed * Adm. before 2 Tom. Homil. doth much more intend that men should speak sense Except 8 The eighth Exception is against those words in the thanksgiving after the proper Collect at the Communion Therefore with Angels Therefore with Angels and Archangels c. we laud and magnifie c. They say this is an uncertainty if not an untruth for the Scripture never speaks of more Archangels than one 1 Thess 4.16 That this one is Michael P. 29 30. n. 8. Jude v. 12. to wit Christ Dan. 10.21 Revel 12 7. where 't is said there was a war betwixt Michael and his Angels and the Dragon and his Angels Answ First If this Archangel be he mentioned in 1 Thess 4.16 where 't is said the Lord himself namely the Lord Jesus shall descend from Heaven therefore this is spoken of the Lord Christ with a shout with the voice of the Archangel then this Archangel cannot be Christ for he shall descend from Heaven with the shout of this Archangel Secondly How doth it appear that this Archangel is Michael mentioned in Jude verse 9. that strove with Satan about the body of Moses Surely Christ needed not to dispute then with the Devil nor to pray The Lord rebuke thee he was yet God onely and might not being as yet actually Mediator have punish'd him And 't is said ' He durst not bring against him a railing accusation Remember Brethren the Devil must not be railed at much less Gods Saints and Servants 'T is not like the language of Christ Thirdly How doth it appear that there are no more Archangels than one seeing first we reade not onely Ephes 1. of Principality and Power and Might and Dominion in heavenly places which surely implies some degrees in the Angelical Hierarchy but also chap. 6. again speaking of the evil Angels as it seems he names Principalities and Powers And in Daniel Dan. 12.1 Michael is assigned as the Prince of the Jewish People but there is also mentioned the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia Chap. 10.13 And another is described to be in his body as the Beryl his face as the appearance of lightning and his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and feet like in colour to polished brass and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude Surely this seems to be an Arch and primary Angel And he says that Michael helped him and he calls him one of the chief Princes Angelical namely he doth not say the chief onely Verse 13. Calvin thinks it not necessary to understand Christ by Michael Calv. in Dan. 10.6 in cap. 12.1 Ezek. 1. and chap. 10. And Mr. Brightman understands by Michael Rev. 12.7 Constantine the Great Again we reade in Ezekiel of four living creatures which he expoundeth to be Cherubins a distinct Order as it seems from the ordinary Angels for this Type seems to answer to that Revel 4. of the four Beasts but they were not the ordinary sort of Angels for these are distinguished from them verse 11. And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the four Beasts Again we read of Seraphims Isa 6. as an order distinct again from the general one of Angels Or if both Cherubims and Seraphims be taken for Angels in general Luk. 1.19 which seems not to agree yet we read of Gabriel Gabriel the Angel that was sent on two the greatest Embassies that ever were or shall be namely to annunciate the conception of John Baptist the messenger of the Messiah and the conception of Christ himself now surely the greatest errands are performed by the greatest persons Very reasonably therefore may we think that Gabriel was one of the very chiefest Angels Rashly therefore and without ground do the Brethren tax the Church for naming of Archangels whereof it hath so many rational probabilities and affirm their is but one whereof they have no proof Except 9 and fail in the very first of them The ninth Exception is against that prayer after the Communion For our unworthiness c. and this expression of it viz. Those things which for our unworthiness we dare not ask They say Why do we pray elsewhere for ought else at all seeing we have the worthiness of Christ and Gods promise and his command But the Brethren might know or remember that this objection was urged long since with more strength vâ—z That it savours of Popish servile fear and not of that confidence and reverend familiarity that the children of God have through Christ with their heavenly Father saith Mr. Cartwright I shall give first my own sense lib. 1. p. 136. Hook eccles pol. l. 5. §. 47. and then refer to the answer returned by that learned Respondent And first in general 1. General answer Two things there are which we are more specially to endeavour to be quallified with to prayer first deep humility and next lively faith By the one we shall with Jacob confess our selves less than the least of all Gods mercies Genes 32.10 By the other we shall with St. John 1 Joh. 5.14 15. know that we shall have the petitions that we ask of him God he resists the proud but gives grace onely to the humble and those that have their whole hope in the mediation of his Son Joh. 14. This makes returns of prayer sweet God lovely Christ pretious the heart humble the conscience peaceable when we are nothing in our selves 1 Cor. 1. but Christ is our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and in a word all in all Col. 3. Secondly 't is surely as lawful to acknowledge our unworthiness as our blindness but that they do not except againâ—t which is in the next clause 2. Answer in particular But in particular the prayers of the Church are so fitted that they may meet with the state and condition of all the members Now in the Church Aptness of the prayers of the Church 1 Joh. 2. there are not onely old men in grace and young men but children also as the Apostle distinguisheth Of thâ—s last sort are those who though they might further ask yet being pressed with their own unworthiness and sense of their sins they are in a manner discouraged till they reflect on the worthiness of Christ Yea the very best are subject sometimes to over much sensibleness of their unworthiness in prayer as also of the contrary of their too much goodness R. Hook Eccles pol. l. 5. § 47. Let us now see what hath been replyed to this formerly which since my writing having now read I observe amongst other considerable things as well he considered what he wrote if any other this That the very natural root of unthankfulness is threefold always namely either ignorance dissimulation
So true is that long since foretold of such persons Their own tongues shall make them to fall Psal 64.8 after the Old Translation insomuch that whoso seeth them shall laugh them to scorn Neither is their sword that of the Spirit as if to curse or rather to recite and read them out of the Word of God 3. Sword were dissonant from the ministery of the Gospel Why read they then though they read but little in the publick those and such like Chapters out of the Bible Besides did not our Saviour curse Woe woe woe unto you Matth. 23. Scribes and Pharisees which he having named once repeats seven times in the same Sermon Unless woe be less then cursing Matth. 10. And did not he teach his Disciples to do so when he charged them to shake off the very dust from their feet as a testimony against them that would not receive them And doth not the Apostle say 2 Cor. 2.16 that the Ministers of the Gospel are as well the savour of death unto death as of life unto life Act. 13.11 chap. 23.3 And did he not curse when he said to Elymas Thou child of the devil and to the High-priest God shall smite thee thou whited wall And of the false Apostles 2 Cor. 11. that their end should be according to their work and wished that the Schismatical Teachers among the Galatians were cut off Gal. 4. Let them seriously consult the second Epistle of Peter and that of Jude But secondly to this Head The Minister doth not any thing more in this than in reading the Ten Commandements where 't is said The Lord will not hold him guiltless c. What is this but a curse express And That thy days may be long in the land which contains a curse implicite The old Divines Old method of Preaching they were wont to teach that Moses and John Baptist made way for Christ the Law for the Gospel Repentance for Faith as the needle for the thread But the Brethren know how to sow more easie pillows under all Ezek. 13.18 elbows Mar. 1.15 Act. 20.21 as the Prophet speaks Christ himself and so Paul did preach repentance before believing of the Gospel and represented the Curse that they might flee to the Blessing But let us try what metall their Shield is of whereby they would defend themselves viz. That was a service of the children of Israel 4. The Shield done but once and that not in the publick worship nor the Answ 1 place of it That no useful thing to others though first appointed to the Jews was peculiar unto them hath Answ 2 been shewn above That this was but once so done formally with that great solemnity of all the Tribes together the whole Nation assembled is granted yet it might be done by them more commonly in a less troublesom way and was in effect by the Prophets afterward And that this was not done as before though not with so great a Answ 3 multitude is not proved Neither if it were doth it follow that what was once commanded and is ever of good use in its season is therefore forbidden for ever Answ 4 because commanded but once That it was not done in publick worship is untrue for it was the most solemn and publick almost of any other They should say it was not done in the ordinary worship and why because it Answ 5 was an extraordinary service Which is an answer unto that It was not done in the place of publick worship that is the ordinary place it being not capable of it But as Mount Horeb was the place of worship at the delivery of the Law so Ebal and Gerizim at this solemn sanction of it by the Blessing and the Curse To the last piece People necessitated to curse themselves The people are hereby necessitated to curse themselves Why do not the Brethren enter an action at their profession the Law for this against God Almighty Answ who did in this Service so appoint his own people to curse themselves Numb 5.19 Exod. 22.11 as also in the suspected woman if guilty and any man that had concealed a thing of trust committed to him The end of which Ordinance then and of this institution of the Church now is most soveraign to the intent viz. That you saith the Commination being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners The use of it may the rather be called to earnest and true repentance and may walk more warily in these dangerous days fleeing from such vices for the which ye affirm with your own mouthes the curse of God to be due But this ground that men must not curse themselves overthrows all civil Oathes for or before the Magistrate lest they should curse themselves For what is an Oath but an invocation of God 2 Cor. 1. An Oath to witness upon our soul that we lâ—e not as the Apostle speaks with an adjuration and cursing of our selves if we lie We may hence perhaps see Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy why some of late have been so backward to swear either Allegiance or Supremacy because 't is to be feared some of them were true to neither Object For their close of Exceptions to the body of the Book where they say Answ That more might be said of sundry other particulars in the Service-book It is replyed above that more for number and weightier for substance have been long since urged by others and received by godly and learned * R. Hooker The Disputants at the Conf. Hamp Court and others men their full answer To which in the like scruples it were good that men would betake themselves * K. James pag. 47. of that Conference One of whom after solemn hearing of all that the Brethrens more modest Predecessors could object Thus concluded Alleadging from Bartolus de Regno That as better a King with some weakness than still a change Note so rather a Church and I add a Liturgy with some faults if such they were as the Brethren note then an innovation And surely saith he if these be the greatest matters you be grieved with I need not have been troubled with such importunities and complaints as have been made unto me some other more private course might have been taken for your satisfaction And surely it would make any man as it did him shake his head and smile And thus far of the matter of the Liturgy as to the substance of Worship SECT VI. Exceptions against the Ceremonies THe Appendixes follow and they are Ceremonies where their Exceptions against them may be reduced unto two heads First against the Imposition of Ceremonies in general Secondly against these in particular Of Ceremonies in general pag. 38. pag. 37. Touching the first they say That Ceremonies being things indifferent can by no command of Authority become necessary especially if they offend tender consciences For proof whereof
Act as not extending to Queen Elizabeths Successors in Ecclesiastical Affairs and the Kings Proclamation till confirmed by Act and reproaching the Doctrine Pag. 62. quer 4 Worship Discipline and Government of the Church publickly These are not sons of peace but of those who as Solomon speaks separate very friends Pro. 16.28 or as others read it Separate the Captain or the Princes For Sunt qui intelligant principem a suo populo ut hic in illum rebellet aut ille in hunc alienore sit animo Mercer in loc vid. et R. Kavenak ibid. There are saith mine Author that by these words understand the separation betwixt the Prince and the People that they should rebell against him and he be disaffected toward them This for the Ministers Next for the godly and sober people Sober Christians Their calamity lyes in following rather those that delight to goe over Hedge and Ditch Answ then to keep the Kings High way But for their suffering though the Father and Mother and Children cannot but be much grieved to afflict or see afflicted a Childe or Brother yet we know some Members must suffer to preserve the whole And sometime the Parents are commanded to bring the sonne forth to justice not only for his vitiousness but for his disobedience Deut. 21.20 And the Magistrate is sometime forced to punish those that have much good worth in them only for some disorder unto Government And let no man reply that these are for vitiousness Inst but remember Answ that heresie and schisme are reckoned among the fruits of the flesh as well as drunkenness and whoredom Gal. 5. And that those whom Paul wished were cut off were not vitious persons for ought appears but schismaticks Ibid. And that our Saviour was much more facile to the Publicans and sinners then to the religious but hypocritical Pharisees Which is not written to discountenance Religion but to make it appear that if we look not well to it strictness may be mixed with much hidden evil as theirs was Col. 2. 1 Tim. 4. who yet were guilty some of Will-worship others of Doctrines of Devils Howsoever no mans piety must patronize his irregularity and disorder Jam. 3.17 for the Wisdom from above is pure peaceable c. The fifth exception against the Ceremonies is That they are burdensome for number insinuated by the citing a place of the Preface of the Common-prayer Book which quoteth * Ep. 119. Januar. cap. 19. The number of Ceremonies in the Com-prayer Book Austin complaining of this evil in his time and saying it was worse then the Jewish Paedagogy But this no way comports with ours which as they are innocent and simple and well explained so are they few in number as kneeling in Prayer and at receiving the Sacrament standing at the Creed for that at the Epistle and Gospel is not in the Common-prayer Book though not against it the Crosse in Baptism the Ring in Marriage the Imposition of hands upon Children to be confirmed and in ordination of Ministers in the Book of Ordination Besides which five I remember no other I am sure there is none material else appointed And but two of these in the ordinary service kneeling and standing and but one in any of the other Some few others there are in Vestiments and Bowing at the Name of Jesus established by Canon and others by custome as the reading the Epistle Gospel standing and at the Communion-Table with some the Vaylings of the Women to be Churched out of use Psal 64.6 which all amount to no considerable number So that after they have searched out or searched for iniquity if they could finde any in this particular and accomplished a diligent search as the Psalmist complains yet all these men whose hands are mighty in these kinde of catchings have found upon the matter nothing Ps 76.5 they have not found their hands able to fasten upon any number to make good the proof of this accusation Their last Exception is that they ought to be removed by the consequence of the 34 Article of the Church Except ult P. 32 33 35 39. Ought to be removed and of the Preface to the Common-prayer-book it self also of the second Homily of the time and place of prayer yea and by the practise of the Bishops themselves Wherein as before they prevaricate and play false For because the Article saith That it is not necessary that Ceremonies be in all places one and that they may be changed 1. By Artic. 34. therefore the Brethren infer they must be changed Answ But they should remember a posse ad esse nedum à posse ad necesse non valet consequentia That from what may be to what is much leâ—s to what must be is no good consequence Again for the Preface to the Common-prayer-book 2. By the Preface of the Com. prayer because it saith That many Ceremonies were removed because some were abused Answ so as that they could not be reformed without the removing of them That others were superstitious others unprofitable others obscured the glory of God others by their multitude were burdensome Hence the Brethren infer That therefore those Ceremonies which the Compilers of the Prayer-book left and were in their judgments profitable innocent clear few in number must be removed also To make the Composers of the Book so simple as they did the Parliament that established the Book as to confute themselves And to the third the second part of the Homily of the time and place of prayer they handled this word also deceitfully 3. By the Homily Answ as no doubt but their conscience might have told them For the Homily having complained first of those who having prophaned and defiled their Churches with Heathenish and Jewish abuses with Images and Idols with numbers of Altars with gross abusing and filthily corrupting of the Lords Supper with an infinite number of toys and trifles of their own devices to make a goodly outward shew and to deface the plain simple and sincere Religion of Christ Jesus Then the Homily saith ' Gods vengeance as for the former so hath been and is provoked because people pass not to come to the Church either through blindness or else for that they see the Church altogether scoured of such gay gazing sights as their gross phantasie was greatly delighted with because they see the false Religion abandoned and the true restored which seems an unsavoury thing to their unsavoury taste As may appear by that a woman said to her neighbour Alas Gossip what shall we do now at Church since all the Saints are taken away since all the goodly sights we were wont to have are gone since we cannot hear the like piping singing chanting and playing upon the Organs that we could before But dearly Beloved we ought greatly to rejoyce and give God thanks that our Churches are delivered out of all those things which
of that Church challenging them all John 8.46 exp if they could tax him of sin that is of failing in any duty that he owed to the Church as well as other things which they would have readily done had he failed We have besides this his Precepts and Directions in this very case That namely where the peril is Mat. 13.37 c. that the Corn should be plucked up it is his will that the tares should rather be suffered to grow until the Harvest which himself expounds to be at the end of the World which place is with more mirth Apolog. cap. 12. p. m. 90. than either strength or modesty derided by Mr. Robinson in his Defence of Separation Object 1 For although it be said The field is the World yet it is onely the World where the Gospel is published Resp and where the Corn and Cocle grow together as those that are generated by the Word Vers 47. as evidently appears by the Parable of the Draw-net which is said expressy to gather both good and bad and that the Separation should be made at the end of the World Again when he saith That that Particle Suffer them to grow till the Harvest Object 2 is not repeated in the expounding of that Parable of the Tares by our Saviour Resp it is answered That it is impliedly repeated and expounded in that he saith The Harvest is the end of the World having said before that the Tares if the Wheat be in peril by their plucking up should be suffered till then there was therefore no necessity of repeating that Particle Object 3 That he saith The Text it self and Reason sheweth that he speaketh not of Excommunication but of final rooting out unto perdition Resp This is begged not proved nor can be granted For it is a general expression and may include all cutting off in such case either in this World or at the end of it Lastly whereas he saith Object 4 Though that should be granted yet the very Constitution of our Assemblies which he makes the ground of all others the corruptions in them being naught Resp because the Members were constrained by Laws whether they were good or bad willing or nilling to embrace the Gospel and that therefore this Parable is not applicable to them SECT II. Causes constitutive of the Church of England WE reply That whereas unto the constitution of any thing in its proper Being there is required onely two things first right matter and secondly the due form And the matter of the Church being indeed as he cryeth A holy people Rom. Corinth Galat. and sanctified in Christ Jesus as by the Titles and Directions of the Apostolical Epistles and otherwise doth appear The Form also being a profession of repentance and faith or the Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus owned and an association thereby in the Society of Saints Robins ubi supra p. 81. The Church of England will appear a sound Church in both and not to be separated from First 1. Matter of the Church of England for the matter of the Church A holy people and sanctified in Christ Jesus or visible Saints We must here premise a twofold distinction First of the Church which is either mystical or visible then of Saints which are either real or appearing Now the matter of these Churches are correspondent to the nature of them The members of the Church mystical are real Saints onely the members of the visible are Saints visible Now a person visible in any profession A visible Professor is he who understandeth the general grounds of it owneth them and acteth accordingly nor doth any thing whereby the main of that Profession is overthrown Now the people of the Church of England do generally know the grounds of the Faith expressed in the Creed and expounded in the Catechism which the Church appoints to be taught to all before they come to the Communion and to be professed by them Next they own this Profession And they neither in opinion nor practice do that which necessarily overturneth this Profession generally though in many things they and we as Saint James speaks offend all James 3. And this Principle is owned by other Reformed Churches Epist 284. pag. 322. edit 2. The Church of Geneva and Calvin among them doth acknowledge That forasmuch as men remain in the visible Church till they utterly renounce the Profession of Christianity Church of Geneva's Judgement in this point we may not deny unto Infants their right by withholding from them the publick sign of holy Baptism if they be born where the outward acknowledgement of Christianity is not clean gone and extinguished Vbicunque non prorsus intereidit vel extincta fuit Christianismi professio fraudantur jure suo Infantes si à communi symbolo arcentur And this also is acknowledged in practice even by the Belgick Churches Apol. cap. 12. Belgick Christian Church Judgement also which Mr. Robinson so predicates for the liberty they have for they also Baptize the Infants of all which surely they could not do if they judged not their Parents matter of the visible Church and Saints by calling in respect of their outward profession The general Profession of a Jew though he should do some things contrary and of a Turk and the partaking of those signs and symbols which are notes of that Profession doth constitute them such Our people therefore owning the Christian Faith and partaking of the Ordinances and living visibly under them and not living so as if they did beleeve nothing of their profession though failing much doth constitute them visible Saints and the matter of a Church If any be very exorbitant the Discipline of the Church and the Laws of the Nation which are a part of christian Discipline are to reform him 2. Form of the Church of England constitutive Next for the Form The profession of Faith and Repentance and formal covenanting We are here to note That there is a formal and a virtual Covenanting or rather a Covenanting immediately in our own person or by a Deputy as in Law a man may answer by his Attorney So all the Churches of England do formally make Profession of their Faith and Repentance and enter into Covenant at their Baptism and do personally repeat it themselves in the rendering account of their Catechism at confirmation and before the Lords Supper which is the express Injunction of the Church Rubrick after Confirmation if it be neglected this is not to be imputed to the Church though indeed for substance it is not neglected neither are any usually admitted to the Holy Communion but such as give an account of their faith and are not scandalous in their lives As for the Objection That they were forced to this Object 1 by the Law at the Reformation We are to consider ibid. Answ 1 First Forcing to Religion That Christianity was received voluntarily in
the Church of Corinth And we know that Diotrephes exercised his Government with such insolency that he cast out whom he would 3 Epist John vers 9 â— Cor. 11. admitted whom he would opposed the Apostle John himself yet no news of Separation And all this which much excuseth our Churches even whilest the Church was as it were a Virgin and newly espoused to Christ and in the midst of company viz. the Heathen and under the Rod of Persecution and the Apostle yet living what Degeneration followed we know And yet those that then separated are noted with the highest characters of Heresie and Sedition that can be which leads me to the next the primitive Churches SECT IV. The Primitive Churches TOuching which I shall produce onely a witness or two whereof the first shall be Cyprian a man of rare sanctity who preserved the integrity of his conscience with the loss of his life yet a severe enemy to Separation First He acknowledgeth the corrupt mixtures of the Churches of his time and place and acknowledgeth the just hand of God in the Persecutions of those times for it His words are Studebant augendo patrimonio singuli Cypr. Serm. de lapsis 5. prope ab initio obliti quid credentes aut sub Apostolis antefecissent aut semper facere deberent insatiabili cupiditatis ardore ampliandis facultatibus incubabant non in sacerdotibus religio devota non in ministeriis fides integra non in operibus misericordia non in moribus disciplina Corrupta barba in viris in foeminis formafucata adulterati post Dei manus oculi capilli mendacio colorati ad decipienda corda simplicium callidae fraudes circumveniendis fratribus subdolae voluntates Jungere cum infidel bus vinculum matrimonii prostituere cum gentilibus membra Christi Non jurare tantum temere sed ad hoc etiam pejerare Praepositos superbo tumore contemnere venenato sibi ore maledicere odiis pertinacibus invicem dissidere Episcopi plurimi quos ornamento esse oportet caeteris exemplo divina procuratione contemptâ procuratores rerum seculorum fieri derelictâ cathedrâ plebe desertâ per alienas provincias oberrantes negotiationis quaestuosae nundinas aucupari Esurientibus in Ecclesia fratribus habere argentum largiter velle fundos insidiosis fraudibus rapere usuris multiplicantibus foenus augere Quid non perpeti tales pro peccatis ejusmodi mereremur 1. The state of the primitive Church before Persecution in Cyprians time That is Every one set their minds to increase their means and forgetting what Beleevers either did in the Apostles times or should do at all times they felt themselves with an incredible thirst of covetousness to increase their estates No serious Religion in the Ministers no faithfulness in discharge of their places no Mercy in Works no Discipline in Manners Men through pride new-fangled their beards Among the women the face was painted Their eye-brows after God had done his work adulterated with colours Crafty plots devised to deceive men in bargaining that meant plainly Cunning shifts to circumvent their brethren The marriage bond entred into with Infidels and the Members of Christ prostituted unto the Heathen Not only was there swearing rashly but moreover forswearing The Governors with swelling pride contemned and with a venomed tongue reviled The Bishops and Ministers who should be both an ornament to the rest and an example they neglecting their Spiritual Work their Seats their People flew up and down the Countreys to Fairs and Markets for Gains sake When the Brethren were empty with poverty and hungry they would have full Bags they studied to catch by fraud and force Lands and Livings Use upon Use to increase their Principal We that were such for such Sins what did we not deserve Thus far he as to the first point of corruptions in the Church 2. Bâ—â— no Seâ—â—â—â—n 2. Next for his distance from Separation notwithstanding all this Various are the Allegations that might be brought out of him I shall mention one or two Si videntur in Ecclesia esse zizania non tamen impediri debet aut fides aut charitas nostra 〈◊〉 pâ—t 3. 〈◊〉 ut quoniam zizania esse in Ecclesia cernimus ipsi de Ecclesia recedamus nobis imò laborandum est uâ— frumentum esse possimus c. i. e. It should not hurt our Faith and Charity that we see Tares in the Church so as that we should depart from the Church but we must labour that we our selves be Wheat Again elsewhere Quantus arrogantiae tumor est â—â—b 4. Ep. â— pâ—â—pe sinem quanta humilitatis lenitatis oblivio à rrogantiae suae quanta jactatio ut quis aut audeat aut facere posse se credat quod nec Apostolis concessit Dominus ut zizania à frumento putet se posse discernere aut quasi ipsi paleam ferre aream purgare concessum sit paleas à tritico conetur separare cum que Apostolus dicat In domo autem magnâ non solum vasa aurea sunt argentea sed lignea fictiliae aurea argoâ—tea vasa videatur eligere lignea verò fictilia conterere abjicere Cùm non nisi die Domini vasa lignea divini ardoris incendio concrementur sictilia ab eo cui data est ferrea virga frangantur That is How great a swelling of pride is it how great forgetfulness of humility and gentleness how great a boasting of their arrogancy that any man should dare or beleeve that he can do that which was not granted no not to the Apostles to do namely That a man should think that he is able to separate the Tares from the Wheat or as if it were given to him to carry out the chaff and to purge the Lords floor and so endeavor to separate the chaff from the wheat And whereas the Apostle saith But in a great house there are not onely Vessels of Gold and of Silver 2 Tim. 2. but also of Wood and of Clay he would seem to select the golden and silver ones but to contemn and cast away the wooden ones and those of clay whereas those of wood are not to be burnt but in the Day of the Lord by the flame of divine scorching and those of clay to be broken by him to whom is given a Rod of Iron Thus far Cyprian The other witness both to the mixtures of Church Assemblies and to the opposition of Separation notwithstanding it is Saint Austin who as he wrote whole Volumes on this Argument so for the first 1. Corruptions of the Church in S. Austins time Epist 64. namely the Corruptions of the Members of the Church we have him often among the rest In an Epistle unto Aurelius where he thus writeth Multas carnales foeditates aegritudines quas Africana Ecclesia in multis patitur in paucis gemit consiliorum gravitate tua possit
religionem nobiscum profiteantur cum alioqui nihil minus revera sint quà m fratres propter innumerabilia quibus scatent vitia i. e. We do not deny saith he but that there are very many that for this cause onely are counted brethren because they profess the same pure Religion with us whereas otherwise they are indeed nothing less than brethren by reason of the innumerable vices wherewith they swarm Thus he It is then the Profession of the true Faith that makes a Brother from whom then till ejected from and by the Church we may not in matters of Religion and Worship withdraw and separate although in private converse we may because as Austin notes this may be done without danger of Schism but that cannot Nam in domibus suis quique boni fideles ita disciplinam suorum moderantur Aug. contr Parmen l. 3. cap. 2. regunt ut ibi quoque obtemperent Apostoli praecipienti cum ejusmodi nec cibum simul sumere sed non tam facilè malorum multitudo non potest à bonorum commixtione separari i. e. For in their houses all the Faithful do so order the government of those that belong unto them that they obey the Apostles Precept commanding with such a one no not to eat but not so easily a multitude of bad men are separated from the mixture with the good as to wit a bad member of a family may The next shall be Calvin whom some would make a Patron in their way of separating he discoursing of this point among other vehement expressions hath this Instit lib. 4. cap. 1. s 9. Vbi reverenter auditur Evangelii praedicatio neque sacramenta negliguntur illic pro eo tempore neque fallax neque ambigua Ecclesiae apparet facies cujus vel authoritatem spernere vel monita respuere vel consiliis refragari vel castigationes ludere nemini impunè licet multo minus ab ea deficere ac ejus abrumpere unitatem c. i. e. A true Church Wheresoever the preaching of the Gospel is reverently heard and the Sacraments are not neglected there for that time there appears neither a deceitful nor a doubtful face of a Church whose authority they that despise or contemn its counsels or reject its advice or make sport with its chastenings they shall never escape unpunished much less if they fall off from it and rend the Unity of it And afterward Sect. 16. Quanquam autem ex inconsiderato justitiae zelo haec tentatio bonis etiam interdum oboritur hoc tamen recipiemus nimiam morositatem ex superbia magis factu falfâque sanctitatis opinione quà m ex vera sanctitate veroque ejus studio nasci The Cause of separation That is Although this temptation doth arise sometimes even in good men by an inconsiderate zeal of Righteousness yet this we shall finde That too much strictness doth grow rather of pride and height and a false opinion of Holiness than of true Holiness or a true zeal for it Thus he And he doth in that Chapter Sect. 14 15 17 18 19. by examples not onely of the Church of the Jews and in the time of our Saviour Christ but also in the Apostolical Churches demonstrate That greater Vices in Manners and fouler Errors in Doctrine to have been tolerated than are in those Churches that Separation is now made from And adds this memorable Note viz. Quondam autem sacrum unitatis vinculum solvunt nemo justani impii hujus divortii poenam effugit quin se pestiferis erroribus ac teterrimis deliriis fascinet The punishment of separation i. e. But because they dissolve the sacred bond of Unity no man shall escape this just punishment That he shall intoxicate himself with most pestilent Errors and most pernicious fancies Thus he The truth whereof with horror we see at this day in the Anabaptists and Quakers who first began with Separation But the whole discourse in that Chapter is well worth the serious perusal The last Witness from these Churches shall be his Vide Sleid in lib. 15. Ad Ann. 1543. unto whom as the Forreign so our own Church ows much of its Reformation As besides his other Writings appears in that excellent Liturgy of the Church of Colen composed by him Melancthon and Pistemus of which before As also in his censure of our own Common Prayer Book he as I said Bucer Script Anglic. in his Commentary on Zephany Chap. 3. it is at the end of his Exposition on the Evangelists and the Psalms hath a vivide practical and experimental Discourse most effectual to this purpose part whereof is as followeth Indubiè haud temerè factum est Bucer in Zeph. 3.15 c. ut nullum ferè pietatis exemplum scriptura paulo magnificentius praedicet in quo non uno Christo excepto simul insignem lapsum notavit Quà m foede lapsus fuit Aaron David Petrus sed ne Moses quidem perpetuo stetit aut quisquam sanctorum alius Vult enim Deus ex suorum infirmitate bonitatis suae gloriam illustrare Equidem al quot novi qui proximo sexennio quo Evangelium Christi mundus iterum coepit persequi pro Christo mortem fortissime oppetierunt in quibus paulo ante vitam severiorem nemo non desiderabat ita tamen corda eorum timor Dei possederat ut licet plus nimio carni per omnem fere vitam indulsissent ubi eo ventum fuit ut vel negandus illis Christus erat vel semeltota caro igni tradenda alacri vultu confidenti pectore mortis durissimos cruciatus vitae admodum lautae delicataeque quam eis mundus promittebat protulerint That is Doubtless it is not without cause That the Scripture doth not make mention scarce of any great example of piety Christ onely excepted who is not noted for some remarkable failing For how fouly did Aaron David and Peter fall Yea Moses himself did not always stand no nor any other of the Saints For God will by the infirmity of his Saints take occasion to illustrate the glory of his goodness Truly I have known some within these six last years wherein the world hath begun again to persecute the Gospel who have couragiously undergone death for Christ in whom a little before there was no man but could have wished a more sober life But the fear of God had so possessed their hearts that though they had too much indulged the flesh almost all their life yet when it came to that point that they must either deny Christ or else deliver the whole flesh to the fire at once they did with a chearful countenance and a confident spirit prefer the most cruel torments of death before a dainty and delicate life which the world proffered them Thus he And having mentioned others such who at that time of his writing did undergo most grievous sufferings for the Truth he adds Vt enim
purpose among them and yet if it may be How there may be Conversion in a Schismatical Assembly yet it is by that Doctrine and Worship which they had in this Church and have abused unto Separation as Austin once of the Donatists Quasi vero ex hoc generet unde separata est non ex hoc unde conjuncta est Aug. de Bapt. contr Donat. lib. 3. cap. 10. Separata est enim à vinculo charitatis pacis sed adjuncta est in uno Baptismate Itaque est una Ecclesia quae sola Catholica nominatur quicquid suum habet in Communionibus diversorum à sua communitate separatis per hoc quod suum in eis habet IPSA utique generat non ILLAE As if saith he those Assemblies did convert as they are separated and not as they are conjoyned They are separated from the bond of charity and peace with the Church but they are joyned in one Baptism and so in the other Sacrament and Administration of the Word Therefore there is one Church which onely is called Catholick and whatsoever it hath in the Assemblies of those that are separate from its Communion by THAT which it hath of its own in those Companies IT doth beget and generate A Summary of the former Arguments and not THEY Thus he most truly But as I said seeing Conversion is acknowledged by them to be true and frequent in the Church of England seeing it is rare if at all among the Separation seeing if it be 't is by vertue of what they have had from this Church seeing the fruits are fruits of the Flesh and not of the Spirit that grow most among them as such and that of the worst kinde also 1. Against separate Assemblies as we saw before And the Apostle reckons fornications which I have known some among them to defend under the notion of plurality of wives variance hatred heresies seditions Gal. 5. among those works And our own experience in this Nation of late daies hath abundantly lessened us Seeing I say this Church is their Parent and the Ministers of it their Fathers in the Lord 1 Cor. 4.15 as the Apostle saith of himself to a Church that cast him off as these do them And lastly Seeing they do so vilifie though some of them gives good words with their mouth as the Psalmist speaks yet they curse with their heart that is Apol. Narrat pag. 6. Psal 62.4 they labour the division and ruine of it let them remember that Hee that curseth his Father Prov. 30. and chaseth away his Mother the Crows of the vallies shall pick out his eyes as they have done the eyes of some that way of late Isa 45.10 For woe unto him that saith unto his Father what begettest thou or to the Woman Ephes 6.12 what hast thou brought forth There are spiritual wickednesses Those that said unto their Brethren stand off Isa 65.5 I am holier than thou were a smoak in the Lords nostrils all the day Our Lord and Saviour declined those Separatists for that may be the Etymology of the word Pharisee Mat. 9.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Separavit Luke 18.9.14 as we saw above and did eat with the Publicans and Sinners And the Penitent one of them went down to his house justified rather than the other I have insisted the longer upon this point the matter and members of the Assemblies first because in nature it is primum essentiae constitutionis principium the first thing in every being as also because the adversaries do say it is Fundi nostri calamitas prima praecipua ex qua plerasque alias oriundas crederem i. e. Robins Apol. pro separat cap. 12. p. m. 92. The main calamity of our Church the first and chief from whence they beleeve most of the other corruptions do arise To which I have also adjoyned discourse touching the form of it also namely its covenanting with the Lord in the professing and owning the Covenant of Grace both in Baptism and at riper years at Confirmation before admission to full Communion in the Holy Sacrament that so it might appear that the whole Essence of this Church is sound the causes constitutive viz. the matter and form of it being so I shut up this touching the Assemblies and our experience of the presence of God in them notwithstanding whatsoever matter and mixtures of them with that of Mr. Brightman Brightman in Apoc. 3.20 touched in part above to the Separation of his time Quamobrem redite ad unitatem Ecclesiae quae vos genuit aluit si fugiatis hunc Christum qui cum Electis in nostris coetibus coenat ac eos vicissim excipit profecto nusquam invenietis Wherefore saith he Return ye again into the Unity of that Church which hath both begotten and bred you up If ye flee from this Christ who doth sup with his Elect ones in our Assemblies and again receiveth and entertaineth them assure your selves you shall finde him no where Thus Mr. Brightman A man otherwise not over zealous for the Church of England And thus I have done with the first three things considerable in the Church and offences which have been occasions of separation to Independency namely the Doctrine the Worship and the Assemblie CHAP. VII Of Discipline 4. Cause of Separation Discipline I Come now unto the fourth to wit the Discipline wherein I shall indeavour brevity because of the former largeness and because the Main is already dispatched First Therefore to the persons wee deal against 1. The persons for Discipline Buc. in Zeph. 3. 20. pag. ult then to the thing it self for the former Certè ab Amicâ fraternâ admonitione incipiendum est hac pretermissa de excommunicatione quaeritari plusquam Pharisaicum est ne dicam Satanicum saith Bucer that is Certainly man ought in Discipline to begin at loving and brotherly admonition if this be neglected to complain of the want of Excommunication and Discipline is more than Pharisaical that I say not Satanical Thus hee Now with those that depart for want of Discipline they shoot with white powder as they say and the Bolt comes before the Thunder they separate and excommunicate the whole Assembly before they see if they can reform it 2. The Matter Secondly For the matter it self And first for the thing then for the manner and persons that have executed it For the thing There is in the Church of England as much Discipline both in Law and execution before Late-times as is usually executable in so great a body either by the Laws of the Common Wealth or the Canons of the Church Civil Laws in a Church are Church-Laws and seeing Church and Common Wealth are incorporated into one as was that first Church of God the Jewish seeing the work is done in the whole body for the preservation of its being and purity what
unto the fifth and last thing the Government under which I comprehend the Ministry as well as Episcopacy both in their Calling and employment First The Ministry To whose constitution it is required that he be orthodox in Doctrine able in parts Conditions requisite to the constitution of a Ministry innocent of life examined by such as are in place so to do that he be not excepted against by the People and solemnly consecrated by prayer and imposition of hands thereunto More we shall not finde in Scripture necessary as by the consideration of 1 Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. Act. 14.23 with other places may appear Now if unto all this God do give evident testimony to his Ministry by his presence therewith both on the hearts of his people and conviction of the adversaries All of them observed in the Church of England Book of Ordination of Ministers Book of Canons Can. 34 and 35. and by appearing for him otherwise there is then a further seal of his Ministry The former six Particulars are all observed in the Church of England in the ordering of Ministers as by the Book of Ordination may appear although perhaps not with that exactness at all times as might be wished And for the seventh and last God hath set to his seal in the plentiful blessing of their Labours 'T is true that one of the Ancients saith Cum ipsa plebs maxime habeat potestatem eligendi dignos sacerdotes Cypr. l. 1. ep 4. vel indignos recusandi That the People especially have the power of choosing good Ministers or refusing those who are bad He doth not mean a jurisdiction and authority but a liberty of accepting or refusing upon just ground alledged touching their conversation not as if the power as People and distinct from the Ministery were in their hands for so he explaineth himself in the same place Vt plebe praesente vel detegantur malorum crimina vel bonorum merita praedicentur The people being present that the crimes of those that are evil may be discovered and the merit of the godly may be declared And a little after he expresseth the same thing more fully shewing the Form of Ordination of Ministers in his time De traditione divina Apostolica observatione servandum est tenendum quod apud nos quoque ferè per provincias universas tenetur ut ad ordinationes ritè celebrandas ad eam plebem cui praepositus ordinatur Episcopi ejusdem provinciae proximi quique conveniant Episcopus deligatur plebe praesente quae singulorum vitam plenissimè novit uniuscujusque actum de ejus conversatione prospexit That is It is to be observed and kept as a divine and Apostolical Institution which is also held by us and almost in all Provinces That for the right Ordination of a Minister the Bishops of that Province do assemble unto that people unto whom the Bishop or Minister is to be ordained and that the Bishop or Minister be ordained in the presence of the people who do know perfectly the life of every one and perceiveth their actions by conversing with them But by this testimony it appeareth That the Interest of the People was a liberty from their knowledge of the life of the person to accept or refuse but that the Election was not wholly by them but the Bishops or Ministry were to regulate the Election which he expresseth in the Epistle before also Nemo adversum sacerdotum collegium quicquam moneret Epist. 3. l. 1. nemo post divinum judicium post populi suffragium post coepiscoporum consensum judicem se non jam Episcopi sed Dei faceret No man saith he would if the Brotherhood did obey their Ordinary according to the Institution of Christ move any thing to wit against the Bishop after the Judgement of the Colledge of Ministers after the divine Approbation after the suffrages of the People and after the consent of the other Bishops c. But that the People should have the power of Election of Ministers Instit l. 4. cap. 4. s 12. Calvin cites against it and approves the Councel of Laodicea Can. 13. Est equidem illud fateor optima ratione sancitum in Laodicensi concilio ne turbis electio permittatur Vix enim unquam evenit ut tot capita uno sensu rem aliquam bene componat ut ferè illud verum est Incertum scindi studia in contraria vulgus primum soli clerici eligebant quem elegerant offerebant magistratui tum ad multitudinem res deferebatur Aut si à multitudine incipiebatur tantum id fiebat ut sciretur quem potissimum expeteret Auditis popularium vota clerici demum eligebant Hunc ordinem ponit Leo Epist 87. expectanda sunt vota Civium testimonia populorum honoratorum arbitrium electio clericorum That is That truly I confess is with very good reason decreed by the Councel of Laodicea Can. 13. Popular Elections not allowed That the Election of Ministers should not be permitted to the People For it hardly at any time comes to pass that so many heads do with one consent compose any business well and that is commonly true which the Poet saith ' The common people being weak 'To several Factions quickly break First therefore the Ministers chose then they offered him to the Magistrate afterward the matter was brought to the people or if the business began with the people it was onely that they might know whom especially they desired which when they understood then the Clergy did choose Thus Calvin Beza also De Minister Grad cap. 23. Quod tota multitudo simul fuit convocata suffragium tulit nec essentiale nec perpetuum fuit i. e. That the People were called and gave their voyce was neither of the essence of the Call nor perpetual And with us Book of Canons Can. 31. the Ordination of Ministers is appointed at four times of the year at which time Prayer and Fasting is enjoyned any that will are permitted to be present See the Book of Ordination proclamation made unto them to except against the persons to be ordained And no Bishop permitted to ordain any not of his Diocess without Letters testimonial Canon 34 35. under pain of suspension But if in this there may be any defect or have been abuse yet we are to consider that of the Church of England saying That in the Primitive Church in the beginning of Lent The Commination at the end of the Liturgy and at the beginning notorious sinners were put to open penance and punished in this world in stead whereof until the said Discipline be restored which thing is much to be wished it is thought good c. may perhaps imply that it would if it might without greater peril reform some other things also among which this of the somewhat more particular approbation or acceptation of the people if it should be found
necessary in respect of their Ministry might possibly be one But I determine not onely I do from the premisses conclude seeing there is in the Ministries Ordination in England all the essentials observed and that God by his blessing of their Labours and protecting of their Calling declared his owning of them whatsoever defects may be imagined in their outward Calling Brightman in Apocal. 3.20 with Mr. Brightman in the place above noted Quid ergo verbum propter labem aliquam externae vocationis tam perverse respuunt cujus vim divinam in cordibus sentiunt Why do they for some defect in the external Call so perversly reject that Word and Ministry whose soveraign and divine power they feel upon their hearts I dismiss this particular and pass to the other Branch touching the Governors of these and their Regiment the Bishops SECT II. Of Episcopacy its Right and Title IT is certain ever since God had a formal and instituted Church there have been superior Ministers in it distinguished also by some appellations from the rest As the High Priests in the Jewish and the Apostles in the First Christian Church 1. Scripture And it is as evident that the Church cannot want such by the need that the Church of Ephesus 1 Tim. 1. and those adjacent had of Timothy and the Churches of Crete had of Titus Tit. 1. For Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere porta tueri A Common-wealth hath need not onely at first of a Magistrate but ever after And a Bishop is nothing else but an Ecclesiastical Magistrate And though times may require some things or persons extraordinary as the Church had Apostles at the first of unlimited power yet as Calvin observes Hoc Natura dictat Epist ad Reg. Polon 1554. Vnum ex singulis collegiis deligendum cui pâ—ecipua cura incumbat Nature it self saith he teacheth us That in all orders of men some one must be chosen unto whom the chief care must be committed And this is the esse or substance of Episcopacy Elsewhere he gives the reason of it Comment in Epist. ad Phil. cap. 1.1 Fateor quidem ut sunt hominum ingenia mores non posse ordinem stare inter verbi ministros quin reliqui praesit unus I confess saith he as mens spirits and manners are Order cannot stand among the Ministers of the Word unless one be over the rest But he would have first their jurisdiction restrained the name of Bishop common and the limits of their Government confined unto one City though afterward in his Letter to the King of Poland he acknowledgeth what the primitive Government was and seemeth not to disapprove it as we shall see anon And the best Independent extant hath expressed so much in my hearing viz. D. T. G. The Church would ever stand in need of such persons as Timothy and Titus This for Scripture Next come we to the Primitive Church 2. The Primitive Church wherein the practice is known to be both most ancient and universal Hierom indeed but without proof being himself no Bishop and angry sometimes with some of them and particularly with John Bishop of Jerusalem and even with Austin himself a passionate man Vid. Epist Aug. 8. seq and somewhat high in respect of his eminency for Learning especially in the Tongues in those times saith Hieron in Epist ad Tit. 1.5 Idem est Presbyter qui Episcopus antequam diaboli instinctu studia in religione fierent diceretur in populis Ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego autem Cephae Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur Postquam vero unusquisque eos quos baptizaverat suos putabat esse non Christi In toto orbe decretum est ut unus de Presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris ad quem omnis Ecclesiae cura pertineret schismatum semina tollerentur That is The same is a Presbyter and a Bishop And before that 1 Cor. 1. by the instinct of the Devil Factions began in Religion and these speeches were among the people I am of Paul I of Apollo but I of Cephas The Churches were governed by the common advice of the Presbyters But after that every one reckoned those whom hee had baptized to be his own and not Christs It was determined in the WHOLE WORLD that One chosen out of the Presbyters should be set over the rest unto whom the WHOLE care of the Church should belong and so the seeds of Schism should be taken away Concerning which testimony fore-prizing what others have said there need not be required a better testimony First it comes from an Adversary next it proveth the thing it contendeth against under favour of so great a person for if then and upon that occasion Episcopacy had its rise when Schisms began in the Church and that one said I am of Paul another I am of Apollo and that those whom some had baptized they counted their own Disciples And that this came to pass even in the very Apostles time Vers 12 13 14 15. as Paul complains Epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter the first And that hee grants that it was decreed in the whole world and that for so useful an End It must follow that Episcopacy succeeded the Apostleship And indeed from the end of their institution it appears in Scripture that they did so as to the office by what name soever For Paul saith expresly both to Timothy and Titus To Timothy that hee besought him to abide still at Ephesus that hee might charge some to teach no other 1 Tim. 1.3 and no Heterodox doctrine And to Titus that for this cause left I thee in Crete that hee might stop the mouths of vain that is Tit. 1.5 erronious and schismatical talkers not onely by word and by example but also by authority Hee so commands him to reject an Heretick Chap. 3. that is excommunicate him as may be conceived And indeed wee see by experience in some Churches those that are of latitude where this Government of late hath been suspended what factions have grown As in the Netherland Churches about Arminius so far that had not the Authority of the Magistrate and assistance of Neighbours interposed those Churches and that Republick had been utterly ruined what divisions are growing at this day among the Churches of France some adhering unto the opinion of Amiraldus about these points others opposing of them I hear with grief and have been told that a Minister of no mean note in that Church lately in London and whom I could name should say that some Ministers of France should express so much that had their Churches full establishment from the Civil Power they could not govern them without Episcopacy which it seems both Calvin Beza and of late Diodate foresaw of whom afterward By this Testimony it appears Episcopacy to have been of greatest Antiquity Universality and of such Necessity
Vide Epist l. 2. Tom. 8. with all his Titles and hath other Epistles also wherein hee stiles him and Bishop Jewel likewise Bishops and Prelates 5. Melancthon often Valde reprehendimur à nostris quod jurisdictionem Episcopis reddidimus Nam vulgus assuefactum libertati Epist. l. 5. Ep. 15. Lutheâ—o semel excusso jugo Episcoporum aegre patitur sibi rursum imponi illa vetera onera maximè oderunt illam dominationem Civitates Imperii De Doctrina Religionis nihil laborant tantum de Regno libertate sunt soliciti Again Cives tui ex Norico valde succensent nobis quod reddimus jurisdictionem Episcopis Fremunt alii socii indignantur Regnum Episcopis restitui Lib. 3. Ep. 178. Vito Theodoro Ego tamen etiam duriores conditiones arbitror nobis accipiendas esse propter publicam Ecclesiae tranquillitatem concordiam sed FATALIS aliqua necessitas urget Germanos Again Utinam utinam possim non quidem dominationem confirmare sed administrationem restituere Episcoporum Lib. 4. Ep. 104. Camerario video enim qualem simus habituri Ecclesiam dissolutâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastica video postea multo intollerabiliorem futuram tyrannidem quà m antea unquam fuit adhuc nihil adhuc concessimus adversariis praeter ea quae Lutherus censuit esse reddenda re bene ac diligenter considerata ante conventum Again Quo enim jure licebat nobis dissolvere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasticam si Episcopi concedent illa quae aequum est eosco c dere ut liceat certè non expedit semper ita sensitipse Lutherus Quem nulla de causa quidam ut video amant nisi quia beneficio ejus sentiunt se Episcopos excussisse adeptos libertatem minimè utilem ad posteritatem Again Velim hoc tibi persuadeas de me deque multis aliis nos optare Ep. ad Episc Augustin Dupl Aberd. 12. P. 115. ut pace constitutâ Episcoporum potestas sit incolumis hanc plurimam prodesse Ecclesiis judicamus We are saith hee much reproved by men of our own side because wee have restored their jurisdiction unto the Bishops For the people being accustomed to liberty and having once shaken off the yoak of Bishops can hardly indure those old burdens to be laid on their shoulders again But those who especially hate that Government are the Cities of the Empire As for the Doctrine of Religion they minde it not only of Lordship and Liberty they are solicitous Again Thy Towns-men of Noricum saith hee to another are very angry with mee for restoring jurisdiction to Bishops other of our friends are in a rage also and are highly offended that the Government is restored to the Bishops But for my part I think that even harder conditions should be accepted by us for the publick peace and tranquillity of the Church But there is a kinde of FATAL necessity that hurries on the Germanes Again O I would to God I would to God I were able to restore unto the Bishops not indeed their Lordly domineering he means such as were exercised by some Popish Bishops but their jurisdiction and government for I perceive what kinde of Church wee are like to have when the Church Politie and Discipline is dissolved Note And I perceive moreover a much more intollerable tyranny in the Church like to arise than hitherto hath ever been we have as yet yeelded nothing to the adversaries Note more than Luther himself judged fit to be restored after hee had weighed the matter with diligence and care before the Convention Again By what right can we lawfully dissolve the Church Government whilst the Bishops will yeeld unto us what they ought to yeeld And if it were lawful yet surely it is not expedient And so Luther ever thought whom I perceive some do love for no other cause in the world but for that they see by him they have shaken off Episcopacy and gotten a liberty no way useful unto posterity Again I would have thee think saith hee to the Bishop of Ausburg and perswade thy self concerning mee and many others that wee desire that peace being settled the power of Bishops may continue unshaken And this their power wee judge to be specially useful for the Churches Thus hee as for the Tyranny hee speaks of it happens to the Church as to the State sometimes For Example The Keepers of the Liberties of England was a specious title yet wee know they left us not a dram of Liberty indeed So it is easie for Tyranny to arise in the Church under a new name and a Wolf in a sheeps clothing But as the former Author saith in the same place Zanch. ubi supra Why contend wee about Names when as hee hath truly noted the Necessity and Use of Episcopacy as to the thing and office is acknowledged and improved in all Christian Churches I have done with Zanchy Let mee subjoyn one more and hee of special note and which wee should the more observe him for Bucer de Regno Christi lib. 2. cap. 12. pag. 67. one of the English Reformers though a foreiner it is Bucer whose praises wee heard above lib. 1. cap. 1. Hear him once and again First Note in that book which hee wrote and dedicated to King Edward the sixth for the special use of this Church and Nation and it were well it might be a little looked into the more whose Title is of the Kingdome of Christ Hee saith Jam ex perpetua Ecclesiarum observatione ab ipsis jam Apostolis videmus Visum hoc esse Spiritui sancto ut inter Presbyteros quâ—bus Ecclesiarum procuratio potissimum est commissa Unus Ecclesiarum totius sacri Ministerii curam gerat singularem eaque curâ solicitudine cunctis praeat aliis Qua de causa Episcopi nomen hujusmodi summis Ecclesiarum Curatoribus est peculiariter attributum Tametsi hi sine reliquorum Presbyterorum Consilio nihil statuere debeant Qui ipsi propter hanc communem Ecclesiae administrationem Episcopi in Scripturis vocentur Hi enim sicut dignitate demandata primaria Ecclesiarum solicitudine reliquos omnes sancti Ministerii ordines antecedunt ita debent voluntate studio Ecclesias rite administrandi prae omnibus aliis flagrare omnique facultate eas aedificandi praepollere Now saith hee by the perpetual observation of the Churches Note Episcopacy from the Holy Ghost from the very Apostles it seemed good to the Holy Ghost that among the Presbyters to whom the care of the Church is chiefly committed there should bee One who should specially sustain the cure and Government of the Churches and of the whole sacred Ministery and in that care and burden to be before all other For which cause the name of Bishop is attributed more peculiarly to these chief highest Rulers of the Churches although they without the counsel of the
with his Presbytery But the Bishops themselves were judged by the Synod Moreover when the world began to be filled with Churches and the Metropolitanes themselves stood in need of particular Government over themselves for although they grew in number Patriarches yet all were not according to their places either prudent or vigilant for in all orders of men Note those of worth are but few the Fathers did commend the care of whole Provinces together unto certain Bishops of the chief Cities which persons they afterward called Patriarchs Thus far Bucer there And after noting the abuse of these powers and the usurpation of them by the Bishops of Rome whom hee calleth Antichrist which I note to evidence that a man may be full for Episcopacy yea and Archiepiscopacy and yet be as full against Popery which some should mark hee subjoyns what is very considerable in these times viz. At quia omnino necesse est ut singuli Clerici suos habeant proprios Custodes Curatores instaurenda est ut Episcoporum ita et Archidiaconorum aliorumque omnium quibuscunque censeantur nominibus quibus portio aliqua commissa est custodiendi gubernandique Cleri authoritas potestas sed vigilantia animadversio ne quis omnino sit in hoc ordine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But because saith hee it is altogether necessary that every Minister and Clergy man should have their proper Guardians and Governours both the Authority of Bishops Bishops and of Archdeacons Archdeacons and of all * As Metropolitanes c. other officers by what names soever they be called unto whom any part of the power of guarding and governing the Ministry is committed ought to be restored As also watchfulness and observation least any man whatsoever of this profession be without government and not under rule Thus far hee With whose testimony not onely for his learning and piety both which were eminent in him but also for his reference to this Church as having been one of the reformers of it I close these Allegations and Witnesses Vide Bucer Script Anglican Onely adding this That had the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas observed this counsel of these their own learned men they had not given that advantage to the adversary by making a Schism in Government from the whole Universal Church scandalizing it also Nor had they given occasion to those who out of true or pretended imitation of them have brought Scotland and by it England the glory and refuge of the Reformed Churches and by both Ireland into those horrid confusions which have fallen upon them upon that quarrel as is noted by (a) Icon. Basilic Medit. 17. one who well knew and is not denyed by (b) Ministeâ—s Reasons for Reformation 1660. in the Preface others who had no small activity in blowing those fires some coals whereof they have still retained and by them attempted to kindle new flames as is noted by (c) Kings Declaration Oct. 5. 1660. pag. 7. another Authentique Author And for those our Brethren who had destroyed this Government among us it is to be feared it may be in many of them upon the like ground that the Rabbin saith the Jew the body of them D. Kimchi in Isa 53.9 for so hee expoundeth that Prophecy which the Chaldee Version applies to the Messiah as wee do was slaughtered in the captivity whilst hee explains those word with the rich in his death Hee saith it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Which sentence because it is in Rhyme wee may thus render The Wether had no fault but that His fleece was good and hee was fat Mark 12.7 According to this Come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall bee ours As it hath appeared since SECT III. Exceptions against the Government and Discipline THe Brethren the Authors of the former Tract Reasons of the necessity of Reformation p. 40. except also against the Government and Jurisdiction of the Bishops First That it is not by Divine Right in this Nation but that the Church of England is founded in the estate of Prelacy within the Realm of England by Law and authority of Parliament onely Where first we accept of their Concession Prelacy Episcopacy established by Law in England 25. Edw. 3. Anno 1350. then our Church Government by Episcopacy is established by Law in this Nation Now if they have this office by Law they must also have a power for the Execution of it as a Prelacy that is a superiour order of men to govern in Ecclesiastical Affairs which is their jurisdiction and power to exercise Discipline But the Brethren reply Object that this is taken away by the Act of 17th Carol. I. 11. wherein their sitting in Parliament is removed and the power of the King to authorize Commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical which was granted by an Act 1. Eliz. cap. 1. Reas neces ref Pag. 51. And that there is not any branch or clause in that whole Act that gives more or other jurisdiction to Bishops or any other Ecclesiastical persons whatsoever But Answer unto this is given elsewhere in this Treatise therefore I leave it here and come to that which is more material viz. The Divine Right at least by consequent of that function Which having evidenced so plentifully before out of both Ancient and Modern Testimonies and those of some the greater Lights of the Reformed Churches And replyed to the Objections on the contrary And particularly because the Brethren do not here oppose it I shall need to say the less Onely take a verdict from one whom some of the Brethrens opinion cite as a witness which is St. Cyprian Which will at once carry with it both the Divine Right and also the inseparable adjunct of it though not a sole yet a superiour jurisdiction For that of sole jurisdiction seems a needless quarrel seeing the Bishop doth neither exercise any part of it alone but with others assistance and without which assistance hee cannot orderly administer it And the Church declares her self whilst shee appointeth in the ordering of Priests and consecrating of Bishops one of the greatest Acts pertaining to Government that there shall be other also assistant to the Bishop in Imposition of hands Though in that lesser point of Confirmation of Children and ordering of Deacons it is not so appointed though not excluding it But as I said Cyprian hath these words Neque enim aliunde haereses abortae sunt Cypr. lib. 1. Ep. 3. Vide in eand sentent ips lib. 3. Ep. 1. aut nata sunt Schismata quà m inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur Nec Unus in Ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos ad tempus Judex vice Christi cogitatur Cui si secundum Magisteria divina obtemperaret fraternitas Universa nemo adversum Sacerdotum Collegium quicquam moveret Let not the Reader nauseate this once or twice
salus in summi Sacerdotii dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur Potestas Hieron adâ—ers Luciferiaâ— Circ Med. tot in Ecclesiis efficientur Schismata quot Sacerdotes unde venit ut sine Chrismate Episcopi Jussione neque Presbyter neque Diaconus jus habeant baptizandi The safety of the Church saith hee depends upon the dignity of the chief Priesthood so hee calls Episcopacy unto which unless there be granted an exempted and above all eminent power there will bee so many Schisms in the Churches as there are Priests whence it comes to pass that without the Ordination â—hrismate and Authority Jussione of the Bâ—â—hop neither Presbâ—ter nor Deacon hath power to baptize Which last words exclude the notion of this place its being understood of Christs Again Ut Pontifices Christi qui tamen rectam fidem praedicant Ad Theophilum advers Error Jo. Heros Tom. 2. non Dominorum metu sed Patrum honore reveremur non sumus tam instati cordis ut ignoremus quid debeatur Sacerdotibus Christi c. That wee may saith hee those namely which preach the Orthodox Faith prosecute such Bishops not with the fear of Masters but the honour of Fathers For wee are not so swollen with pride that wee understand not what is due to the Priests of God Now in these places Although hee do sometimes imply Episcopacy to be of divine Authority as where he compares it to the office of Aaron Sometimes Apostolical as where hee saith it of their Tradition And sometimes Ecclesiastical but by the Authority of the whole world yet in all hee acknowledgeth such power in the Bishop to do that in the Church that none other may either in the nature of the thing as the extirpation of Schisms which could not be done before or in the right of Authority as Ordination and imposition of hands without which the Presbyters have no power at all not so much as to baptize So that let Episcopacy and Presbytery differ in order or in degree onely so long as some main parts of Jurisdiction can be performed onely by him or not without his pre-eminent Authority why struggle wee with that truth and that sword of the Spirit on which edge soever whereof wee fall wee are certainly wounded The General is but a souldier to use the Brethrens own comparison but may hee not do something that a common souldier yea the whole Council of Commanders cannot do So the Pylot in a ship not onely for his skill but for his place Magistrates may be said all to bee in the same order and to differ in degree one y But what Protestant is so weak of head and wilde of heart as to top Tyburn for denying the Kings Supremacy It being granted that there is the same use of a Bishop in the Church as of an Emperour or Commander in chief in an Army For the Church is an Army with banners as both Hieron Cant. 6.4 and the Brethren yeeld the question is not in what raâ—k or file but in what pâ—ace and power Not what Name but what Authority hee hath But too too much of this Criticism SUBSECT III. Necessit Ref. p. 44. TO that which the Brethren oppose viz. That there are examples of Ordinâ—tion in the New Testament without a Bishop if the assertion were strong yet is the proof weak For the laying on of the hands of Simeon Niger of Lucius of Cyrene and Mana en mentioned upon Paul and Barnabas Act. 13.1 was no Ordination for the one was an Apostle and the other an Evangelist before It was but a special and solemn mission Imposition of hands in which case laying on of hands was usual in that * Eam ceremoniam mutuati fuerant Apostoli ex veteri gentis suae consuetudine Cal. in 2 Tim. 1.6 Heb. 7. Nation even by those who were not properly Ecclesiastical men as Jacob laid his hands upon Ephraim and Manasseth and even among our selves wee often lay our hands on the head of a childe when wee pray God to bless him This imposition of hands therefore doth not argue â—urâ—sdiction in this place but the symbol of Blessing For if it were and that without controversie the less is blessed of the g eater Then must these Brethren be superiours to the Apostle Paul and Barnabas none of them beiâ—g an Apostle themselves which I suppose the Brethren will not say Mat. 18. Our Saviours laying his hands upon the children and blessing them was according to the custome though with more than common efficacy and authority That afterward it was applied to Ordination and by a Metonymy set for Ordination it self 〈…〉 doth not make it proper unto that but makes that the more solemn by this Again it might be said that these named in the Church of Antioch were Prophets as the Text calls them and Teachers but such as were Apostolical men such as Barnabas who afterward visited in his own name being accompanied by John Mark Act. 15. for societies sakes the Churches of Cyprus and 't is like several others also So that such persons are sometime called Apostles Rom. 16.7 Andronicus and Junia were of note among the Apostles Titus and the Brethren sent to Hierusalem are said to be the Apostles so in the original of the Churches And some were tryed 2 Cor. 8.23 which said they were Apostles but were not Rev. 2.2 which could not be understood of the Twelve nor of Paul Thirdly What might be done by extraordinary power or precept of the Holy Ghost doth not prejudice the observation of order where there is no such foundation Numb 23. Else every man that sees such a thing as Phinees did might do present execution Fourthly What might be done by such as were no Bishops where no Bishop was appointed doth not justifie the usurpation of those who contemn such Authority Moses did consecrate before Aaron was instituted but afterward it had been intrusion for him so to do Exod. 24. And the young men did sacrifice before the institution of the Priesthood might they do so also afterward 1 Tim. 4.14 Calvin in loâ— That Timothy was ordained by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery The text saith But Calvin saith that hee rather thinketh it was the office than the Colledge of the Presbyters But howsoever yet this excludes not the Apostles presence who elsewhere saith it was by the Imposition of his hands Yea so 2 Tim. 1.6 that huc magis inclinat conjectura unum tantum fuisse qui manus imponeret That the conjecture leads rather to think that one onely laid on hands though in the name of the rest saith Mr. Calvin Sole Oâ—dinâ—tion Which may obstruct the Brethrens confidence that say there is no example in Scripture of sole Ordination but for this we contend not To say that the Ordination by the Presbyters made him a Preaching
alteration by the FRIVOLOUS suggestions of any LIGHT spirit Neither are wee ignorant of the inconveniences that do arise in GOVERNMENT by admitting INNOVATIONS in things once SETTLED by mature deliberation and how necessary it is to use CONSTANCY in the upholding of the publick determinations of states for that such is the unquietness and unstedfastness of some dispositions affecting every year NEW forms of things as if they should bee followed in their unconstancy would make all actions of state RIDICULOUS and contemptible Whereas the stedfast maintaining of things by good advice established is the weal of Common-Wealths Thus far of the first point of Independency viz. Separation the second and third Congregation and non Subjection have been spoken to above and of the causes of my recess from the Church thereunto with responsals to them Wherein for the clearing of things I have been much larger than my self intended But yet Absit enim ut multiloquium deputem quando necessaria dicuntur quantalib Sermonum multitudine ac prolixitate dicantur Aug. God forbid dhat I should count that Aug. Prolog in lib. Retract multitude of words when nothing is said but what is necessary although it be uttered with never so great a number of speeches or length of discourse saith S. Austin CHAP. IX The Proof and Tryal of these Retractations SECT I. LEt mee now subjoyn a certain proof and as it were divine tryal or attestation of these Retractations and then I shall conclude and dismiss the Reader It is one of the gracious providences which Almighty God exerciseth towards his Servants to put them to the tryal of their Faith and Profession 1 Cor. 3. 1 Pet. 1. and that by fire So the Apostle That the tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tryed by fire c. Hence hee smites them into the place of Dragons and covers them with the shadow of death that by extremity being put to examine their grounds if they were insufficient they might not dye for Psal 44.20 or in them and if good they might stick the closer to them Hereupon oftentimes sufferings sickness and the approach of death occasions the repenting of those things whereof men have been very confident Vid. The speeches of the Gent. that suffered as communicated by the publick intelligencer Mr. Cook As appeared now of late in the sad Example of those Gentlemen who suffered about the death of our late Soveraign As may bee seen on publication of the speeches of some of them and the wonderful consternation and unpreparedness for death of Mr. Peters And touching Mr. Cook I remember that hee being of the Independent opinion and writing a book for that way wrote also soon after the death of the King a vindication and defence of that his act Wherein hee much glorieth in the office hee performed in that affair Sollicitor as I take it he was and among other things hath these That hee was indifferent whether hee dyed by a stab or a pistol or by a Feaver or Consumption That in his pleading against other malefactors hee used to tremble but that in his actings against the King his blood sprung in his veins Yet wee hear he was of another minde at his death but whether so or no I insist not on it The prophane Schism of the Brownists chap. 7. pag. 41. And there is remarkable story in a Book intitled The prophane Schism of the Brownists written by some that had been in that seduction of a certain Minister one Mr. Gilgate who was misled that way and of Mr. Ainsworths company Who lying on his sick-bed and in peril of death uttered by way of repentance these most savoury and considerable words O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger Psal 6. neither chastise mee in thy wrath for thine arrows have light upon mee and thine hand lieth upon mee There is nothing sound in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there rest in my bones because of my sin c. Having now long time been afflicted with sharp and grievous sickness whereby it hath pleased God to bring mee into more serious and deep consideration of my estate Note in separating from the Churches of Christ and still finding my separation to bee more unlawful the more I consider the same And while I felt my felt at the weakest and sickest and so pressed with the force of my disease that I even doubted of life I left my conscience most pressed with desire Note to revoke my separation And therefore do now think it my duty before I bee taken away hence and bee found no more or howsoever the Lord shall dispose of mee by life or death to give testimony to the truth whereof I am perswaded in my soul And as mine own disease and the hand of God stretched out upon mee The disease of the separation moveth mee to consider and testifie these things so the disease of the separation and the hand of God which I see to be stretched out a-against it doth also draw mee on the other side unto the same thing The disease of the separation is a hot and burning disease that consumeth and destroyeth many with the poisonous and contagious heat thereof of every company among them is a flame of condemnation to devour another The boyl of their contention swelleth and burneth incessantly and they have yet no poultess to break it nor any oyl to mollifie the same Then speaking of Mr. Ainsworth's and Mr. Johnson excommunicating one anothers members with much bitterness hee addeth It appears they never travelled in pain of them Note they never begot them by their Ministry but having seduced and stolen these children from the sides of other true Churches the right Mothers in whose womb they they were regenerate and born anew they are now become hard-hearted c. Like the false Mother that would have the childe divided And a little after I do now by this writing unfeignedly acknowledge my sin to bee great in renouncing the communion with so many faithful servants of God with whom once I lived Church of England Note In the Church of England I sinned against and dishonoured his name in refusing to hear the word of life preached in those Assemblies The life comfort and salvation that I expect and hope for in the Kingdome of Heaven is by the Faith of the Gospel preached in that Church and preached there with more power fruit and efficacy Note than I ever yet heard in the Churches of the Separation Then speaking of the Lady C. that desired to be in that way hee adds But for my part having now had sufficient experience of their waies I do freely acknowledge and profess in this bed of my sickness from which I know not whether ever I shall arise unto my former health that it should bee my great comfort to dye in the communion of those Churches
hoped every good man had his Retractations either actual or intentional that died in true Faith and Repentance howsoever all had not time to write their Retractations as St. Austin did This for Retractations III. An Evidence further of the sincerity of my own For the Truth of my Return unto the Church take part of a Letter written to a dying friend and neer relation Octob. 8. 60. Immediately after my recovery from my dangerous sickness above mentioned the rather because the matter may do good to some others also the words were these viz. The next thing I would remember you of is that you have according to the course of this world lived in Schism and separation from the Church your Minister and the Ordinances of God in the place where you live and particularly from the holy Communion Remember what the Holy Ghost saith 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many are dead If the prophanation then the total neglect of the Sacrament which argues a contempt of it is often punished in this manner Apply this and see the Exhortations before the Lords Supper in the Common-Prayer-Book where you shall see more of the danger of the neglect of this Ordinance Neither is Schism and withdrawing our selves from the Church in the place wherein wee live and the Ministry and Ordinances there a small sin For it is a rending and defiling and destroying of that particular body of Christ and Church of God Now the punishment is If any man defile or destroy so it is in the Margin of your Bible the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Corinth 3.17 God is destroying of you in the midst of your years and this is your sin Your Example makes other stones of the spiritual building as one peece in a house falling makes way for another fall off too If all should do so God should have no Church no Ministry no Worship in that place Your Father did not so but waited humbly on God in his Ordinances and made use of such Ministry as God sent though sometimes mean and none of the best and encouraged them What is it then First ask the Lord earnest pardon Next go and bee reconciled to your * Mr. P. of St. 〈◊〉 A man fully conformable tâ— the Church of England Minister let proud men count never so meanly of him Crave his prayers attend upon his Ministry joyn with him in Publick Worship bee admitted to the Lords Table and go not out of the world as a Heathen of no Church and with no Sacraments If you will think on the premises though your condition should bee as the giving up of the Ghost as Job speaks yet God ordinarily works extraordinary things in such cases ' He brings down to the grave and raises up again 1 Sam. 2. Hee kills and makes alive Hee giveth forth the sentence of death and afterwards quickens again 2 Cor. 1. But so that we acknowledge that wee have sinned Job 33. observe that place and read Psal 107. Howsoever you will depart in peace namely in the Communion of Christ his Church and Ordinances and so with them be gathered into the bosome of Abraham there to expect the second appearance of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ If you neglect these things my soul shall mourn in secret for you yet with this comfort that I have in part discharged it But let mee hope better things of you and such as do accompany salvation Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all * This Letteâ— to have them 〈◊〉 been sent is 〈◊〉 known to seâ—ral persons iâ— Cambr. whoâ— have seen tâ— Original whâ— also I have 〈◊〉 covered Act. 24. things c. Thus far the Letter And now to put a final period to this large discourse in a word I beseech all men to be perswaded first That I do with the Blessed Apostle beleeve all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets in the Evangelists and Apostles next that I have hope towards God that there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and the Unjust And lastly that hereupon I exercise my self to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and towards man alwaies with which Petition and Profession I cease and shut up all Sept. 13 Ann. Dom. 1661. Regni Carol. secundi Magn. Britann Franc. Hibern Regis sereniss 13. sed inaudito Dei Consilio Restituti cum eo Ecclesiae secundo * Aâ—t M. 5 Adulationâ— epto iâ— Maii 29. 〈◊〉 mihi nataliâ— per lavacrâ— generationâ— NOVAE 〈◊〉 excurrit Quod utrique secundissimè faustissimeque in perpetuum cedat Votum ex animo quotidian JOHANNIS ELLIS FINIS