authority and gifts I think was done in Scripture times and might have been after if it had not then And my judgement is that ordinarily every particular Church such as our Parish Churches are had more Elders then One but not such store of men of eminent gifts as that all these Elders could be such But as if half a dozen of the most judicious persons of this Parish were Ordained to be Elders of the same Office with my self but because they are not equally fit for publick preaching should most imploy themselves in the rest of the Oversight consenting that the publick preaching lie most upon me and that I be the Moderator of them for Order in Circumstantials This I think was the true Episcopacy and Presbytery of the first times From the mistake of which two contrary Errors have arisen The one of those that think this Moderator was of another Office in specie having certain work assigned him by God which is above the reach of the Office of Presbyters to perform and that he had many fixed Churches for his charge The other of them that think these Elders were such as are called now Lay-elders that is Vnordained men authorized to Govern without Authority to Preach Baptize or Administer the Lords Supper And so both the Prelatical on one side and the Presbyterians and Independents on the other side run out and mistake the ancient form and then contend against each other This was the substance of what I wrote to Mr. Vines which his subjoyned Letter refers to where he signifieth that his judgement was the same When Paul and Barnabas were together Paul was the chief speaker and yet Barnabas by the Idolaters called Jupiter Nature teacheth us that men in the same Office should yet have the preheminence that 's due to them by their Age and Parts and Interests c. and that Order should be kept among them as in Colledges and all Societies is usual The most excellent part of our work is publick preaching but the most of it for quantity is the rest of the Oversight of the Church in Instructing personally admonishing reproving enquiring into the truth of accusations comforting visiting the sick stablishing the weak looking to the poor absolving answering doubts excommunicating and much more And therefore as there is a necessity as the experienced know of many Elders in a particular Church of any great number so it is fit that most hands should be most imployed about the said works of Oversight yet so as that they may preach as need and occasion requireth and administer Sacraments and that the eminent Speakers be most employed in publick preaching yet so as to do their part of the rest as occasion requireth And so the former Elders that Rule well shall be worthy of double honour but especially these that labour in the Word and Doctrine by more ordinary publick preaching And such kind of seldom-preaching Ministers as the former were in the first times and should be in most Churches yet that are numerous Sect. 6. When I speak in these Papers therefore of other mens Concessions that there were de facto in Scripture times but One Bishop without any subject Presbyters to a particular Church remember that I speak not my own judgement but urge against them their own Concessions And when I profess my Agreement with them it is not in this much less in all things for then I needed not disspute against them but it is in this much that in Scripture times there was de facto 1. No meer Bishop of many particular Churches or stated worshipping Congregations 2. Nor any distinct Office or Order of Presbyters that radically had no Power to Ordain or Govern or Confirm c. which are the subject Presbyters I mean Sect. 7. Specially remember that by Bishops in that dispute I mean according to the Modern use one that is no Archbishop and yet no meer Presbyter but one supposed to be between both that is a Superior to meer Presbyters in Order or Office and not only in degree or modification of the exercise but below Archbishops whether in Order or Degree These are they that I dispute against excluding Metropolitans or Archbishops from the question and that for many Reasons Sect. 8. If it were proved or granted that there were Archbishops in those times of Divine Institution it would no whit weaken my Arguments For it is only the lowest sort of Bishops that I dispute about yea it confirmeth them For if every combination of many particular Churches had an Archbishop then the Governors of such Combinations were not meer Bishops and then the meer Bishops were Parish Bishops or Bishops of single Churches only and that is it that I plead for against Diocesan Bishops that have many of these Churches perhaps some hundreds under one Bishop of the lowest rank having only Presbyters under him of another Order Sect. 9. If any think that I should have answered all that is written for an Apostolical Institution of Metropolitans or of Archbishops or of the subject sort of Presbyters or other points here toucht I answer them 1. In the former my work was not much concerned nor can any man prove me engaged to do all that he fancieth me concerned to do 2. Few men love to be contradicted and confuted and I have no reason to provoke them further then necessity requireth it 3. I take not all that I read for an argument so considerable as to need Replyes If any value the Arguments that I took not to need an Answer let them make their best of them I have taken none of them out of their hands by robbing them of their Books if they think them valid let them be so to them Every Book that we write must not be in folio and if it were we should leave some body unanswered still I have not been a contemner or neglecter of the writings of the contrary-minded But voluminously to tell the world of that I think they abuse or are abused in is unpleasing and unprofitable Sect. 10. And as to the Jus Divinum of limited Diocesses to the Apostles as Bishops and of Archbishops Metropolitans c. I shall say but this 1. That I take not all for currant in matter of fact that two or three or twice so many say was done when I have either cross testimony or valid Reasons of the improbability I believe such Historians but with a humane faith and allow them such a degree of that as the probability of their report and credibility of the persons doth require 2. I take it for no proof that all that was done in all the Churches that I am told was done in some 3. I take the Law of Nature and Scripture to be the entire Divine Law for the Government of the Church and World 4. And therefore if any Father or Historian tell me that this was delivered by the Apostles as a Law to the Vniversal Church which is not contained in Scriptures
spoke of such Bishops only as we have in question or that he did not plainly speak of Presbyters as such For he speaks of the plenitude of Power and Grace in the Church and therefore intended more then what was proper to a Prelate 2. He mentioneth Elders Majores natu in general without distinction And 3. His praesident is plainly related to the Church as the ubi shews it being the People and not the Elders over whom these Elders are said to preside And 4. Baptizing is first instanced which was known to be commonly the work of Presbyters and never appropriated to the Prelate So that the same persons that did Baptize even the Elders of the Church according to Firmilian did then possess the power of laying on hands and of ordaining But these things are more fully discussed in what followeth And if any either adversary or friend would see the Reformed Churches Ministry and Ordination more fully vindicated I refer them to Voetius against Jasenius Desperata causa Papatus which if I had read before I had written this Disputation I think I should have spared my labour Reader if others are too busie to misled thee I may suppose thee unwilling to be misled especially in a matter of so great concernment For saith Blessed Agustine Multos invenimus qui mentiri velint qui autem falli â—eminem de Doctrin Christ. l. 1. cap. 36. And therefore as thou lovest Christ his Church and Gospel and the souls of others and thine own take heed how thou venturest in following a sect of angry men to unchurch so great and excellent a part of the Catholich Church and to vilifie and depose so great a number of able faithfull Ministers of Christ as those that had not Prelatical Ordination And if you are Gentlemen or unlearned men that for want of long and diligent studying of these matters are uncapable of judging of them and therefore take all on the Authority of those whose Learning and parts you most esteem I beseech you before you venture your souls on it any further procure a satisfactory answer to these Questions 1. Whether the Reformed Churches that have no Prelates have not abounded with as learned men as any one of those that you admire of a contrary judgement 2. If you are tempted to suspect men of partiality whether they that plead for Lorship honour and preferment or they that plead against it and put it from them are more to be suspected caâ—teris paribus 3. If you will needs suspect the Protestant Ministers of partiality what ground of suspicion have you of them that were no Ministers such as the two Scaligers whose learning made them the admiration of the Christian world even to Papists as well as Protestants and yet were cordial friends to those Reformed Churches which these men deny and draw men to disown Such also as Salmasius that hath purposely wrote about the subject with abundance more 4. If these are not to be trusted why should not Bishops themselves be trusted were not Bishop Usher Andrews Davenant Hall and others of their mind as learned pious men as any whose Authority you can urge against them 5. If all this be nothing I beseech you get a modest resolution of this doubt at least whether the concurrent judgement of all the Protestant Churches in Christendom even of the English Bishops with the rest should not be of more authority with any sober Protestant then the Contrary judgement of those few that are of late risen up for the cause that you are by them solicited to own It is a known Truth that the generality of the Bishops themselves and all the Protestant Churches in the world have owned them as true Ministers that were ordained by Presbyteries without Prelates and have owned them as true Churches that were guided by these Ministers and have taken them for valid administrations that were performed by them And are your few Recusants that would draw you to separation of greater Learning authorty and regard then all the Protestants in the world besides I beseech you if you will needs take things upon trust consider this and trust accordingly Though I must say it is pitty that any truely Catholick Christian should not have better grounds than these and be able himself in so palpable a case to perceive his duty For my own part my conscience witnesseth that I have not written the following Disputation out of a desire to quarrel with any man but am drawn to it to my great displeasure by the present danger and necessity of the Churches and by compassion to the souls that are turned from the publick Ordinances and engaged in the separation and also of the Churches that are divided and troubled by these means The sad complaints of many of my Brethren from several parts have moved my heart to this undertaking Through Gods Mercy I have peace at home but I may not therefore be insensible of the divisions and calamities abroad I shall adjoin here one of the Letters that invited me and no more because in that one you may see the scope and tenour of the rest and that I rush not on this displeasing work without a Call nor before there is a cause The passages that intimate an ever-valuing of my self you may charitably impute to the Authors juniority and humility with some mistake through distance and disacquaintance One of the Letters that invited me to this task Reverend Sir UNderstanding by the Preface to the Reader before your Gildaâ— Salvianus that you intend a second part wherein you promise to speak of the way how to discern the true Church and Ministry I make bold to present you with the desire of some Godly Ministers viz. that if you see it convenient you would do some thing towards the vindication of the present Churches and Ministers from the aspersions of the new Prelatical party in England It is a principle much made of by many of the Gentry and others that we are but Schismatical branches broken off from the true body and this by faithfull tradition is spread amongst them the learning of some rigid Prelatical Schollars is very prevalent with them to make them thus account of us With these men we must be all unchurched for casting off Diocesan Episcopacy though we be found in the faith and would spend our selves to save souls and the main substance of our Ordination at least cannot be found fault with yet because we had not a Bishop to lay his hands on us we are not sent from God Of what consequence this opinion may prove if it spread without being checked an ordinary apprehension may perceive I can guess something from what I observe from those of this leaven already that our most serious pains will be little regarded if our people take this infection when we would awaken them we cannot because they take it that we have no power to teach them It must not be men of mean parts that must
But 2. If such an Office can be proved I despair of seeing it proved from Scripture that they have authority to Ordain 3. And how can they have Authority when most of them have not Ability And I think it is supposed that they have not Ability to Preach in them that deny them Authority and if they want Ability to Preach it s two to one but they want Ability to Try and Approve of Preachers 4. And how come they to have Power to Ordain others that are not Ordained themselves but are admitted upon bare Election 5. And this course would prostitute the Churches to unworthy men as aforesaid Sect. 45. And 4. It is not a contemptible Consideration that the chief Pastor of every particular Church hath ever since the second Century at least been Ordained by the Pastors of other Churches And how it was before we have but very defective Evidence except so much as is left us in the Holy Scriptures of which we have spoke before Sect 46. And 5. The Church of Christ is a Chain of many links a Society united in Christ the Head consisting as a Republike of many Corporations or as an Acâ—demy of many Colledges and a greater Union and Communion is requisite among them then among the parts of any other Society in the world And therefore seeing it is the duty of Neighbour Pastors and Churches according to their Capacity to hold Communion with that particular Church and its Pastors it seems reasonable that they have some antecedent Cognisance and Approbation of the persons that they are to hold Communion with Sect. 47. And 6. It is considerable also that whoever is according to Christs institution Ordained a Minister of a particular Church is withall if not before Ordained a Minister simply that is one that may as a separated Messenger of Christ both preach for the Conversion of those without and gather Churches where there are none and pro tempore do the Office of a Minister to any part of the Catholike Church where he cometh and hath a Call And therefore as he is simply a Minister and the Unconverted world or the Universal Church are the Objects of his Ministry the Pastors or Members of that particular Church where he is settled have no more to do in Ordaining him then any other As a Corporation may choose their own Physitian Schoolmaster c. but cannot do any more then other men in Licensing a man to be in general a Physitian Schoolmaster c. So may a Church choose who shall be their Teacher but not who shall be simply a Teacher or Minister of Christ any more then an other Church may do that 's further from him Sect. 48. And 7. It is also considerable that it is the safest and most satisfactory way to the Church and to the Minister himself to have the Approbation of many And it may leave more scruple concerning our Call when one or two or a particular Church only do Approve us Sect. 49. And 8. It is granted in their writings by those that are for Ordination by a particular Church only that the Concurrence of more is Lawful and if Lawful I leave it to Consideration whether all the forementioned accidents make it not so far convenient as to be ordinarily a plain duty and to be preferred where it may be had Sect. 50. Yet do I not plead for Ordination by Neighbour Pastoâ—â— as from a Governing Authority over that particular Church but as from an interest in the Church Universal and all its Officers within their reach and from an interest of Communion with Neighbour Churches Sect. 51. And it is observable in Scripture that the Itinerant Ministers that were fixed and appropriated to no particular Church for continuance such as the Apostles and Evangelists were and Titus Timothy and such others had a Principal hand in the work of Ordination whereever they came It was they that Ordained Elders in every City in every Church Sect. 52. Prop. 3. If any shall cull out two or three or more of the weakest injudicious facile Ministers and procure them to Ordain him his course is irregular and his call unsatisfactory though the formal part be obtained to the full For it is not for meer formality but to satsfie the person called and the Church and to secure the Ministry and sacred works and souls of men from injury by Usurpers that God hath appointed the way of Ordination And therefore it is fraud and not obedience for any man so to use it as to cheat himsef and the Church with a formality and frustrate the Ordinance and miss its ends Sect. 53. Prop. 4. If any man avoiding the Orthodox and Unanimous Ministry shall apply himself for Ordination to some divided schismatical or heretical persons that will Approve him and Ordain him when the others would reject him this also as the former is fraud and self-deceit and not obedience upon the last mentioned grounds It is the basest treacherous kind of sinning to turn Gods Ordinances against himself and to sin under the shelter and pretence of an institution By using the means in opposition to its end they make it no means and use it not as a means at all Though Pastors must Ordain yet is it not all kind of Pastors Ordination that should satisfie an honest meaning man but that which hath the qualifications suited to the Rule and end Sect. 54. In such cases of unjust entrance if the People sinfully comply and the man have possession it may be the duty of some particular persons that cannot help it having done their own parts in disowning it to submit and not therefore to separate from the Church except in desperate extraordinary cases not now to be enumerated And all the administrations of such a man shall be not only Valid to the innocent but without any scruple of conscience may be used and received with expectation of a promised blessing Sect. 55. But yet quoad debitum it is the Churches duty except in Cases of Necessity to disown such intruders and to suspect and suspend obedience to those that indirectly enter by a few ignorant or schismatical Ordainers refusing the tryal of the unanimous abler Orthodox Ministry till they have either perswaded the man to procure their Approbation or have themselves sought the Judgement of the said United Ministers concerning him And seeing all the Churches of Christ should be linkt and jointed together and hold communion and correspondency according to their capacities the Members of a particular Church are bound in reason and to those ends to advise in such suspicious cases with neighbour Churches and not to receive a Pastor that comes in by way of Discord or that neglecteth or refuseth the concordant way For he that entreth in a divisive way is like to govern them accordingly and still to shun the Communion of the Brethren Sect. 56. This Cyprian fully shews in the fore-mentioned Ep. 68. p 201. perswading the people to shun the
of which was in some one City there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such was the Primitive Bâ—shop and doubtless the first Bishops were over the community of Presbyters as Presbyters in joint relation to one Church or Region which Region being upon the increase of believers divided into more Churches and in after times those Churches assigned to particular men yet he the Bishop continued Bishop over them still For that you say he had a Negative voice that 's more then ever I saw proved or ever shall I believe for the first two hundred years and yet I have laboured to enquire into it That makes him Angelus princeps not Angelus praeses at Dr. Reignolds saith Calvin denies that makes him Consul in Senatu or as the Speaker in the house of Parliâ—ment which as I have heard that D. B. did say was but to make him fore-man of the Iury. Take heed of yeilding a Negative voice Aâ— touching the Introduction of ruling Elders such as are modelled out by Parliament my judgement is sufficiently known I am of your judgement in the point There should be such Elders as have power to preach as well as rule I say power but how that will be effected here I know not except we could or would return to the Primitive nature and constitution of particular Churches and therefore it must be helped by the combination of more Churches together into one as to the matter of Government and let them be still distinct as to Word and Sacraments That is the easiest way of accommodation that yet occurs to my thoughts Sir I fear I trouble you too long but it is to shew how much I value you and your Letters to me for which I thank you and rest Yours in the best bonds R. Vines Septemb. 7. THough Mr. Vines here yield not the Negative Voice to have been de facto in the first or second age nor to be de jure yet he without any question yielded to the stating of a President durante vita if he prove not unworthy which was one chief point that I propounded to him And I make no doubt but he would have yielded to a voluntary Consent of Presbyters de facto not to ordain without the President but in case of Necessity But thâ—t I did not propound to him And the difficulties that are before us de facto in setting up a Parochiall Episcopacy which he mentioneth I have cleared up already in these papers shewing partly that the thing is already existent and partly how more fully to accomplish it All would be easie if Holy Self-denying Charitable hearts were ready to entertain and put in execution the honest healing Principles that are before us and obvious to an ordinary understanding Or if still the Pastors will be contentious if Holy Peaceable Magistrates would seriously take the work in hand and drive on the sloathful and quarrelsome Ministers to the performance of their duty The Episcopacy of the Protestant Churches in Poland ADrian Regenvolscius Histor. Ecclesiast Sclavonicar Provinc lib. 3. page 424. N. B. Quoniam à prima Ecclesiarum in minoris Poloniae Provincia Râ—formatione usu consuetudine receptum est ut è senioribus hisâ—e omnium Districtuum quorum nomina 36. recensuimus unus Primarius sive in ordine Primus qui vulgo Superintendens Ecclesiarum minâ—ris Poloniae vocatur Synodisque Provincialibus praesidet totius Synodi Provincialis authoritate consensu ac suffragiis eligatur ac non quidem per impositionem manuum propter evitandam Primatus alicujus suspicionem aut juris ac potestatis alicujus in caeteros seniores speciem benedictione tantum fraterna apprecatione Officiorum quae hocce concernunt munus praelectione piisque totius Synodi precibus Regiminis duntaxat Ordinis boni in Ecclesia Dei causa inauguratur ad declaratur Nomina Primariorum â—orum Seniorum sive Minor Polon Ecclesiarum superintendium The Churches of the Bohemian Confess called Vnitatis Fratrum have among the Pastors of the Churches their Conseniors and Seniors and one President over all Id. Regen Vols p. 315. Seniores sive superattendentes Ecclesiarum Bohemicarum Moravicarum c. plerumque è Consenioribus eliguntur ac per impositionem Manuum publicamque inaugurationem in munus Senioratus ordinantur ac consecrantur Et longa consuetudine in Ecclesiis trium harum provinciarum receptum est ut è senioribus unus Primarius sive in ordine Primus quem vulgo illi Praesidem vocant non eligatur quidem nec peculariter Ordinetur sed post decessum aliorum ipso Ordinationis tempore prior succedat FINIS The Fourth DISPUTATION Of a Form of LITURGY How far it is Necessary Desirable or Warrantable In order to a Peace between the Parties that differ herein and too uncharitably prosecute their difference By Richard Baxter LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster Anno Dom. 1658. Qu. Whether a stinted Liturgy or form of Worship be a desirable means for the Peace of these Churches UNnecessary prolixity is not so acceptable to the Reader that loves both Truth and time but that I may take it for granted that you desire me to leave out superfluities in this Dispute 1. The Etymologists shall be better agreed among themselves of the derivation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before I will trouble you with their judgements But we are commonly agreed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is oft used for any Ministration but more strictly and usually for a publick Ministration or any work of publick office and yet more strictly from the Septuagint Ecclesiastick writers have almost confined it to Holy Ministration or publick service or Worship of God The several uses of the word in Scripture and prophane and Ecclesiastick Writers you may find in so many Lexicons at pleasure that I shall pass by the rest Bellarmine doth too grosly pretend that when it s applied absolutely to holy things the word is taken alwayes in the New Testament for a Ministration in sacrificing A little observation may confute that mistake Nor is it agreeable either to Scripture or the use of the Antient Church to call only Forms of publick worshâ—p that are written by the name of a Liturgy Whether it were Form or no Form Writren or not written Premeditated or extemporate Words or Actions all the Publick holy Ministration or service of God was of old called The Churches Liturgy And so men may be for a Liturgy that are not for a Prayer Book But latter times have most used the word for those stinted forms that some call Offices containing both the Rubrick or Directory and the Form of words prescribed as the matter of the service And seeing that those that now we speak to understand it in this sense we must speak as they do while we are speaking to them 2. Note that it is not any one part of Publick Worship that we speak of alone
valid 6. The Old Episcopal Divines thought it lawful to joyn in actual Communion with the Pastors and Churches that were not Prelatical But the New ones separate from their communion and teach the people to do so supposing Sacramental administrations to be there performed by men that are no Ministers and have no authority 7. The Old Episcopal Divines thought it meet to suspend silence imprison or undo those Godly Divines that did not bow towards the Altar or publish to their People Declarations or Instructions for Dancing on the Lords Day or that did preach twice a day But many of the New ones practically told us that this was their judgement Of these differences I have given you some proof hereafter and would do here in the express words of the Authors on both sides were it not that I should be needlesly tedious and that I should unnecessarily offend the particular Divines of the New party who are among us by reciting their words More of the differences I pass by I. And now I would know of those of you that follow the Ancient Episcopal Divines what hindereth you from a charitable peaceable Communion with those Orthodox Ministers now in England that some of you stand at a distance from Doctrinal differences at least requiring such a distance you cannot pretend B p Hall tels you in his Peace-maker after cited that there is none between you and the Forrein Presbyterian Churches And as for the matter of Episcopacy if you will insist upon the late English Frame as necessary viz. That there be but One Bishop over many hundred Churches and that he have the sole power of Excommunication and that he rule by a Layâ—Chancellor c. and be a Lord and seconded with a forcing power c. then you will forsake the Iudgement of your Leaders For they will tell you that some of these are but separable appurtenances some of them corruptions and blemishes and some not Necessary What need we any more ado You see in the published Iudgements of B p Hall B p Usher D r Holdsworth Forbes and others after cited that they would have all Presbyters to be Governors of the Churches one of them having a stated Presidency or Moderatorship and this will content them And are we not then agreed I am confident most of the Ministers in England would be content to yield you this But what if there be some that are not of your mind concerning the stated Presidency which you desire will you therefore uncharitably refuse communion with them so would not your Leaders In this therefore you will forsake them and forsake many holy Churches of Christ and forsake charity and Christ himself that teacheth you another lesson Will it not content you that you have freedom your selves to do that which seemeth best in your own eyes unless all others be of your opinion But perhaps you will say that you have not Liberty your selves to practise according to this your judgement To which I answer 1. Your Brethren of the Ministery have not the power of the Sword and therefore do neither deny you Liberty nor can give it you It is the Magistrates work And will you separate from us for other mens doings For that you have no rational pretence If you know of any that perswade Magistrates to restrain your Liberty that 's nothing to others Censure none but those that you know to be guilty 2. I never knew that you were deprived of the Liberty of exercising such an Episcopacy as the forementioned Bishops do desire I do not believe you could be hindered and we that are your neighbours never hear of it I know not of either Law or Execution against you If you think that the clause in the Covenant or the Ordinance against Prelacy or the late Advice that excepts Prelacy from Liberty are any restraint to you I think you are much mistaken It is only the late frame of Prelacy as it stood by Law exercised by Archbishops Bishops Deans Chancellors c. and that by force upon dissenters that is taken down You have not Liberty to force any by corporal punishment to your obedience But you have full Liberty for ought that ever I heard to exercise the meer Episcopacy desired by Hall Usher and such like on all that are of your judgement and will submit to it That we may hold constant Assemblies of Pastors we find by experience And in these Assemblies if you will choose one for your stated President who will hinder you No one I am confident Tell us whoever suffered for so doing or was prohibited or any way hindered from it by any force Nay more if you will give this President a Negative vote in Ordination and Iurisdiction who will hinder you yea who can If twenty Ministers shall resolve that they will never Ordain or Excommunicate any without the consent yea or Command if you must have it so of such a man whom they take for their President who can or will compell them to the contrary And all the People that are of your mind have Liberty to joyn themselves with such Pastors on such terms and submit themselves to you if they will But you will say that this is no setting up of Episcopacy while every one that is unwilling to obey us may refuse it I answer This is all that the Nature of Episcopacy requireth And this is all that the Church saw practised even Rome it self for above three hundred years after Christ. And is not that now tolerable for your Communion with us which served then for the Communion of all the Churches on earth Is the Primitive pattern of purity and simplicity become so vile in your eyes as to be inconsistent with Christian Communion Let not such principles be heard from your mouths or seen in your practises Whether the Magistrate ought to compell us all to be of your mind or way I will not now meddle with but if he will not will you therefore separate from your Brethren Or will you not exercise the Primitive Episcopacy on Consenters because you have not the sword to force Dissenters And are you denied your Liberty because you are not backed by the Sword This concerneth other mens Liberties and not yours You have the Liberty of Episcopal Government though not of smiting others with the Magistrates Sword and as much Liberty for ought I know as Presbyterians or Independents have though not so much countenance And how comes it to pass that the other modes of Government are commonly exercised upon meer Liberty and yours is not Is it because you have no confidence in any Arm but flesh If your Episcopal Power be of Divine appointment why may you not trust to a Divine assistance as well as others that you think are not of God If it can do nothing without the Sword let the Sword do all without it and retain its proper honour If it can do less on voluntary Subjects then other ways of Church-government can
abomination to exhort and direct men to preach and pray and praise God If it be the Omission of his forms and Ceremonies that is no Part of the book and if it be some Directions that are against them they that revile the Common Prayer book as most Papists have done or they that count such Ceremonies and Forms indifferent things as others have done have little reason to account that so great an abomination that directeth men to omit them What abominable thing is imposed by the Directory Tell us if you can What excellent things doth Thuanus speak of the Presbyterians or Calvinists and how highly doth he extol the most of their Leaders or Teachers whom he mentioneth But to Mr. Pierce what a bloody perfidious sort of men are they unfit to live in a Commonwealth And to Grotius the Protestants are not only of bad lives but by the Power of their Doctrine they are such I have shewed you in my Key for Catholicks how great the praises of Calvin are in the mouth of Papir Massonius and other sober Papists and the same may be said of others of our Divines who are mentioned by you with most calumniating odious words Even Maldonate the Jesuite when he is railâ—ng at the Calvinists confesseth of them in Matth. 7.15 that Nothing was in their mouths but the Lord and our heavenly Father and Christ and Faith an Oath was not heard nothing appeared in their deeds but Alms-deeds and Temperance and Modesty Is this like your language of them Nay if Satan had dictated to him how could he have uttered more falshood and detestable calumniation then Mr. Pierce hath done p. 73. when he saith were Hacket Lancaster Arthington and others hanged for Non-conformity or was it nothing but Ceremonial which Coppinger c. designed against the lives of the whole privy Council and against the person of the Queen were not Cartwright and Travers and Wentworth and Egerton and other Presbyterian Ministers privy to the plot The Lord will rebuke this slanderous tongue Did ever Cochlaeus or Bolseck go beyond this man How fully is it known that Hacket and his Companions were Grundlâ—tonians or Familists just such as James Nailor and the Quakers who are far nearer the Papists then the Puritans or Presbyterians and that they madly came into London Coppinger and Arthington as his two Prophets proclaiming Hacket to be Iesus Christ and that for obstinate insisting on this Blasphemy Hacket was hanged and dyed blaspheming and Arthington upon his Repentance published the whole Story of the begining and progress of the business as you may see it in the Book called Arthingtons Seduction In which their madness blasphemy or any Treason of theirs or others this man might as honestly have said that Augustine or Luther or Cranmer had an hand or were privy to the plot as Cartwright Travers and such Presbyterian Ministers What he hath read in Bancroft I know not nor much regard till Bancroft himself be better cleared of what he is by writers charged with concerning Ficlerus Dolman c. and while he was known to be the most violent persecutor of the Puritans But I see as the Papists will take it for a currant truth that Luther was fetcht away by the Devil and that Calvin was stigmatized for Sodomy and dyed blaspheming c. if they can but say that one Cochlaeus or Bolseck of their own hath spoke it so such men among us dare tell the world the most odious falshoods of Cartwright Travers and the Presbyterian Ministers if they can but say that Bancroft said it before them And now the rest may take it as unquestionable when Mr. Pierce hath said it Do these men believe that there is a day of Iudgement If they do they make but lamentable preparation for it And his assertion pag. 77. that Excommunicating Kings and killing them is the doctrine of the Presbyterians and much more of his writing is of the same kind To this I have given him an Answer in my Key for Catholicks where he shall see whether Papists or Protestants are for King-killing Had you not gone so far beyond such moderate Papists as Cassander Hospitalius Massonius Bodin Thuanus c. in your enmity and bitterness against the Protestants as clearly to contradict them and to speak blood and venom when they speak charitably and honourably we might have had more peaceable neighbours of you though none of your Communion And I suppose that those who separate from us as having no true Ministry or Churches would have all these Ministers that they take for none to be silenced and cast out I do not think you will deny this to be your desire and your purpose if ever you should have power And if so what men are you and what a case would you bring this Nation in To your Objections I have answered in this book and said somewhat more to you in another Preface And upon the whole matter am forced now to conclude that it is an Enmity to holiness in unsanctified hearts that is the principal cause of our distance and divisions and that the way to convince such men as too many are that we deal with is not Disputing but praying to the Lord to change their hearts And that if we could once perswade them but to the Love of God and Holiness and to a serious practice of Christian Religion and if they be Bishops to a faithful practice of those works of a Bishop which they confess are his duty and to try Church-Government before they plead for what was never tryed by them our Controversies would then be ended they would never more plead for such a Prelacy that destroyeth Piety and Discipline nor never revile the Servants of the Lord nor never desire so much to promote the work of Hell as the casting out all that they account no Ministers and the casting off of all that they account no Ordinances or valid Administrations would be Farewel Disputing with such men in order to their Conviction and an healing peace Hoc non est artis sed pietatis opus POSTSCRIPT WHat the Publisher of Dr. Stewards Sermon doth mean by his Commmending it to my Consideration when there is not a word in it that I am concerned in more then he I understand not If he thereby intimate that I charged Dr. Steward to be of Grotius's Religion or any other that disowneth it he egregiously abuseth his Reader and himself If he intend to argue that none of the Prelatical Party were Grotians because Dr. Steward was not Let him prove his Consequence I disprove it 1. From the testimony of Grotius himself 2. From the mouths and books of those that have owned Grotius among us even since they were acquainted with his judgement and have owned his Votum Discussio in particular If his meaning be that Dr. Steward was a Grotian and yet no Papist therefore Grotians are no Papists one branch of his antecedent is false Either he
undertake more fully to wipe off this reproach for the learned adversaries are tall Cedars in knowledge in comparison of many of us and if men of parts do not grapple with them herein they will easily carry the vote in many mens judgements for they judge that the greater Schollars by far certainly have the better in the contest Sir We beseech you that you would improve your acquaintance in Antiquity for our help in this case Not that we would engage you in wrangling with particular men by name who will not want words but however you would evidence it that our Ordination by Presbyters is not void and of no effect I have this reason ready to give for this request for besides what I had formerly heard I was lately with some of those not of the meanest influence who urged Episcopacy as of absolute necessity affirming that this order the Church of God ever observed and that it was doubtless of Apostolical institution being a thing of Catholick tradition and that 's the best standard to intepret Scripture by What then are we arrived at that have forsaken the whole Church herein Though I am little versed in the Ancients yet I tell them we acknowledge that soon after the Apostles times the name Bishop came up as distinct fâ—om the Presbyters but then I call for their proof that the Primitive Bishops had the power of jurisdiction over Presbyters or that to him only ordination was appropriated I tell them also that we have certain evidence that in some Churches these Bishops were made by Presbyters so was the custom in Alexandria and when did ever the Church judge them to be no Bishops or Ministers And also of Tertullians Praesident probati quique Seniores and of Cyprians Salvo inter Collegas pacis concordiae vinculo and that doubtless if Cyprian be to be believed the Church was then ruled by the joint consent of its Pastors of whom one was indeed the President or Moderator who yet called himself compresbyter and the Presbyters sâ—atres not filios as it was of lâ—te This answer I have had from some of them that the Church in those times was much under the cloâ—d being persecuted and had not that liberty to settle Diocesan Episcopacy in that Glory which the Apostolical institution aimed at and that the Church was then what it could be and not what it would be Do you judge of its weight For my part I am most stumbled at the reading of Ignatius whom Dr. H. so strenuously dâ—fends and cannot tell how to evade that Testimony in the behalf of Episcopacy if it be indeed the testimony of the true Ignatius But methinks his phrase is much unlike either that of Clemens or of Cyprian in this case It s great pity that Dr. Bloudel wants his eyes and so we are hindred of enjoying of more of his labours in this point His Notion of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a very pretty on and it were well if we had fuller evidence added to that which he hath endeavoured after in his Preface to his Apology for Hierom. Or if your judgement about the power of every single Pastor were fully improved it would conduce much to the clearing of these controversies I could methinks be glad of the practice of those proposals which Bishop Usher hath made in a late printed sheet But these angry Brethren who now oppose us are of a higher strain But I run out too far and forget whom I am writing to Truly I am deeply sensible what mischief those seeds which are as yet but thin-sown as I may say may grow up to in time I know not how it is with yoâ— but with us I fear 〈◊〉 for one at least would be easiâ—y drawn to â—uch an opinion of us if the temptation were but somewhat stronger multitudes observing how câ—vil transactions have 〈◊〉 in a round begin also to think we shall also arive at our old Church-customs again now â—f thâ—se Episcopal 〈◊〉 judgement should but be dispersed moâ—e abroad how easily would it make these people think that we have dâ—luded them all this whiâ—â— and so will not regard us Alas that a sad thought is it if I should study and preach and pray for mens souls and yet be reâ—ected as one that had no chaâ—ge of them as a Mâ—nister laid on me for God We thank you for what you said in your Christian Concord and 〈◊〉 you would enlarge further on this Subject as you see convenient That the striplings in the Ministry may be furnished with arguments against our 〈…〉 such able hands as yours are I have doâ—e only I shall desire your pardon for my interrupting you in your other business and if I shall hereafter crave your assistance and direction iâ— some cases I pray you excuse me if uncivil and vouchsafe to let me hear from you for I am about to settle where the charge is great The Lord continue you 〈◊〉 us that you may be further an instrument of good I rest Ian. 8. 1657. Your Affectionate friend and weak Brother M. E. Assert Those who nullifie our present Ministry and Churches which have not the Prelatical Ordination and teach the people to do the like do incur the guilt of grievous sin CHAP. I. Sect. 1. FOR the making good this Assertion 1. I shall prove that they groundlesly deny our Ministry and Churches and 2. I shall shew thâ— greatness of their sin In preparation to the first I must 1. Take some notice of the true Nature of the Ministerial function and 2. Of the Nature and Reasons of Ordination Sect. 2. We are agreed ore tenus at least that the Power and Honour of the Ministry is for the Work and the Work for the Ends which are the revelation of the Gospel the application or conveyance of the benefits to men the right worshiping of God and right Governing of his Church to the saving of our selves and our people and the Glorifying and Pleasing God Sect. 3. So that A Minister of the Gospel is an Officer of Iesus Christ set apart or separated to preach the Gospel and thereby to convert men to Christianity and by Baptism to receive Disciples into his Church to congregate Disciples and to be the Teachers Overseers and Governours of the particular Churches and to go before them in publick worship and administer to them the special Ordinances of Christ according to the word of God that in the Communion of Saints the members may be edified preserved and be fruitful and obedient to Christ and the Societies well ordered beautified and strengthened and both Ministers and People saved and the Sanctifier Redeemer and the Father Glorified and Pleased in his People now and for ever Sect. 4. In this Definition of a Minister 1. It is supposed that he be competently qualified for these works For if the Matter be not so far Disposed as to be capable of the Form it will not be informed thereby There are some Qualifications necessary
and not till then we shall have perfect Holiness so when we come to Heaven and not till then we shall have perfect Vnity and Peace But till then I shall take that which you call Patching as my Duty and our great Benefit If you think one man have not a Negative voice we neither urge you to say that he hath nor so much as to seem to own his claim You shall have leave in the publike Register of the Association to put it under your hand that Not as owning the claim of the Presidents Negative voice but as yielding in a Lawful thing for Peace you do Consent to forbear Ordaining any without him except in Cases of Necessity This you may do without any shew of contradicting your Principles and this is all that is desired § 30. Quest. And may we not for peace sake grant them as much in point of Iurisdiction as of Ordination and Consent to do nothing without Necessity but when the President is one and doth Consent Answ. Either by Iurisdiction you mean Law making or Executive Government The first belongs to none but Christ in the substance of his Worship and the Circumstances no man may Vniversally and Vnchangeably determine of but pro re nata according to emergent occasions the Magistrate may make Laws for them and the Pastors may make Agreements for Concord about them but none should determine of them without need and therefore here is no work for Legislators the Usurpers that have grievously wronged the Church And for Executive Government either it is over the People or over the Pastors To give a Negative voice to the President of an Association of the Pastors of many Churches in Governing the People of a single Church is to set up a new Office a fixed Pastor of many Churches and to overthrow Government and introduce the noxious sort of Prelacy which for my part I intend not to be guilty of And for proper Government of the Pastors I know none but God and Magistrates that have that Power Every Bishop saith Cyprian and the Council of Carthage hath Power of his own will and is responsible for his Actions to God and none of us are Episcopi Episcoporum Bishops of Bishops But there is a Communion among Pastors and Churches to be exercised and so an avoiding or rejecting from Communion and this some call improperly a Government And in this for my part I should consent where peace doth require it that we will not agree upon the rejecting of any Pastor of our Association no more then to the Accepting or Ordaining of them without the President but in cases of Necessity and that just on the terms exprest about Ordination § 31. As for instance in a particular Church there is a Communion to be held among all the members though none of them but the Officers are Governors of the Church And in many cases where the Peoples Consent is needful its common to stand to a Major vote and so great a stress is laid on this that by many of the Congregational way the Government of the Church is said to be in the Major vote of the people and yet 1. This is indeed no Government that belongs to them but Consent to Communion or Exclusion and 2. No Scripture doth require a Minor part to stand in all cases to the decision of a Major vote nor give a Major vote any Rule over the Consciences of the Minor part shew us this voting power in Scripture And yet 3. All agree that upon natural Reasons and General Rules of Scripture the Churches are allowed yea obliged in lawful things for maintaining Vnity and Peace to stand to the judgement of a Major vote in Cases that belong to them to vote in though there be no particular word for it in the Scripture Even so Associate Pastors have not a proper Government of one another neither by Presidents or Major votes though over the people they have but are all under the Government of God and the Magistrate only And yet they may in acts of Consent about Communion or Non-communion with one another prudentially agree to take the Consent of the President or of the Major vote of Pastors or of both where Peace or Order or Edification requireth it except in cases of Necessity § 32. Quest. But what will you take for a Case of Necessity which you will except Answ. 1. If the President be dead 2. Or sick or absent and cannot come 3. Or if he be malignant and wilfully refuse to Consent that the Church be well provided for or Governed 4. And withall supposing that without the great hurt or hazzard of the Churches we cannot delay the business till he be one or do Consent 5. Especially if he be set in enmity against the welfare of the Church and by pretence of a suspending vote would destroy the Church and bring in unworthy hurtful persons or things In all such Cases of Necessity its time to lay by our humane Rules for peace and Order § 33. Object But who shall be judge of this Necessity Answ. The Magistrate only shall be the Compelling Iudge The people shall be the Discerning Iudges the Pastors shall at least have as much power as the People each of them shall Discern so far as they must obey and execute And God only shall be the final Iudge § 34. Object But this will but cause Divisions and Confusions while the President thinks one thing Necessary and the Pastors another and the People another Answ. I answered this before Reason must not be cast by and the Churches ruined and poyson and destruction taken in on pretence of such inconveniences If such a Case of difference fall out each man will execute as he discerneth or judgeth being to answer for his own actions and having none that can undertake to answer for him And when we all come to the Bar of God for final Judgement he that was in the right shall be justified and he that falsly pretended Necessity against duty shall bear the blame § 35. Object But in the mean time the Churches will be divided Answ. 1. I told you there is no more hope of â— perfect Vnity on earth then of perfect Holiness 2. When two evils are before us though neither must be chosen for Evil is not an Object of choice unless as seeming good yet the Greater Evil must be first and most studiously repelled And the deformity and destruction of the Churches and the casting out of the Gospel and Worship of God is a greater Evil then disorder about good actions and differences about some Circumstances of Necessary works § 36. All this that I have said about the Negative de facto though not de jure that I would have Consented to for peace I intend not to extend to those Cases and Countries where peace requireth it not but rather the contrary muchâ—less to encourage any to think such a Negative Necessary in it self Some things may be Lawfully
them when written and the like after the printing for the collecting the Errata of the Press I find by this hasty review and by some observation of mens readiness to misunderstand me that it is necessary to speak a little more about the following particulars that I may be understood by such as are willing to understand me and the mistakes of others I shall easily bear Sect. 1. Pag. 89. There is somewhat that requireth correction of the pen and somewhat that requireth explication In translating that passage of Ignatius Unus panis qui pro omnibus fractus est must be written next effusus est before unus Calix And for the following objection though it was made by a discreet person yet I know no ground for it unless Is. Vossius his Edition leave out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I have not now at hand but is likelyest I know not of any Greek copy that leaves it out Indeed Bishop Ushers Latine doth and the Vulgar Latine leaves out the translation of the next words before it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which saith Bishop Usher Ex interpretatione hac excidisse videantur And noting the corruption of the Vulgar Translation in this very place I there premised to my Answer that it might occasion a change in the Text that it hath done so in many places I think is easie to prove but that it hath done so here there is no probability if any Greek Copy be as is objected and the Reasons of my conjecture of the possibility are so little for a probability that as I express them not so I think them not worth the expressing but rather bid you take that as non dictum Though of the general I find Bishop Usher himself saying both of his Latine Version Ex eâ solâ integritati suae restitui posse Ignatium polliceri non ausim and of the first Greek Edition Hanc reliqui sequuti sunt editores non ex Graco aliquo codice alio sed partim ex ingenio partim ex vetere Vulgato Latino Interprete non paucis in locis eandem corrigentes Epist. ad Lect. ante Annot. pag. 26. Dissert Sect. 2. I must intreat the Reader to observe that my drift in this writing is not so much to oppose any form of Government meerly as contrary to the Institution or Apostolical Rule as to plead against that which I take to be destructive to the Ends of Government Not that I desire not a careful adhering to the sacred Rule but 1. Because I suppose that many circumstantials of Discipline undetermined in the Word are feigned by some to be substanstantial necessary things and that many matters are indifferent that some lay the Peace if not the being of the Church upon 2. Because I so far hate contention that if any Government contrary to my Iudgement were set up that did not apparently in the nature of it wrong the Church I would silently live under it in peace and quietness and accordingly would be now loth to enter a quarrel with any Writers that differ from us in tolerable things But if I know that their judgement reduced to practice is like to be the undoing of many souls and to cast Discipline almost wholly out of the Church I think it better to displease them then let them undo the Church without contradiction The best is the serious Christians of this age have experience to help them to understand the case and I suppose my Disputation to be unto them as if I Disputed before a man that is restored from want or banishment or sickness whether he should be reduced to the Condition from which he is restored Sect. 3. Some passages here will occasion the Question as p. 5. Whether and how far Church Government is jure Divino But of this in the main I am agreed with them that I dispute To speak further my own judgement is 1. That the Spirit of God hath established all the Officers and worship-Ordinances of his Church and that no new Church-office or Ordinance of worship as to the substance may be instituted by man 2. But that there are many Circumstantials about the Exercise of those Offices and Ordinances that are not determined particularly by a Law but are left to humane prudence to determine of by the General directions of the Law And so I suppose that Bishops and Presbyters are but one Office of Gods institution but in the exercise of this Office if one for order be made a Moderator or President of the rest or by agreement upon a disparity of parts or interest do unequally divide their work between them in the exercise it is a thing that may be done and is fit where the Edification of the Church requireth it but not a thing that always must be done nor is of it self a Duty but a thing indifferent The following Case therefore I hence resolve Sect. 4. Quest. Whether the Order of subject Presbyters might lawfully be created by Bishops or any humane Power and whether the Order of Bishops might lawfully be created for the avoiding of Schism by the consent of Presbyters or Metropolitans by Bishops Answ. If you understand by the word Order a distinct Office none may create any of these but God But if by Subject Presbyters be meant only men of the same Office with Bishops that do for the Churches benefit subject themselves to the direction or Presidency of another upon some disparity in their gifts or the like in the exercise of that Office I suppose that this is a thing that by Consent may be lawfully done And so I verily believe that betimes in the Church it was done of which anon So if by Bishops be meant no distinct Office but one of the Presbyters chosen from among the rest to exercise his Ministery in some eminency above the rest by reason of his greater Gifts or for Peace and Order I doubt not but it is a thing that consent may do And accordingly the Canon Law defines a Bishop that he is Unus è Presbyteris c. So if by a Metropolitan be not meant another Office but one in the same Office by reason of the advantage of his Seat chosen to some acts of Order for the common benefit I doubt not but it may be done but every such Indifferent thing is not to be made Necessary statedly and universally to the Church Sect. 5. When I do in these Papers plead that the Order of Subject Presbyters was not instituted in Scripture times and consequently that it is not of Divine Institution I mean as aforesaid that as a distinct Office or Species of Church ministers as to the Power from God it is not of Divine Institution nor a lawful Institution of man but that among men in the same Office some might Prudentially be chosen to an eminency of degree as to the exercise and that according to the difference of their advantages there might be a disparity in the use of their