Union of Soul and Body makes a man and an Embryo before it be organized 2. The Union of the Body maketh it capable of the Souls further Operation 3. The Union of the Organical chief parts as Heart Lungs c. to the rest make it a true humane Body compleated to the nutriment and action of Life 4. That it have Hands and Fingers Feet and Toes and all integral parts makes it an intire Body 5. The due site temperament and qualities of each part make it a sound Body 6. Comely colour hair action going speech c. make it a comely Body 7. To have all parts of equal quantity and office would make it uncomely And to have the same hair colour c. is unnecessary at all 1. The Union of King and Subjects as such makes a Kingdom 2. That the People be agreed for one conjunct interest and Government maketh them a Community capable of Politie or Government 3. That there be Judges Maiors and Justices and subordinate Cities or Societies maketh it an Organized Body in which Kingly Government may be exercised to its end the common good 4. That no profitable part be wanting Judge Justice Sheriff c. maketh it an entire Kingdom 5. That all know their place and be duly qualified with Wisdom Love Justice Conscience Obedience to God first to the Sovereign Power next to Officers next c. maketh it a sound and safe Kingdom 6. That it be well situate fertile rich eminent in Learning Skill c. maketh it an adorned beautiful Kingdom 7. That all be equal in Power and wealth is destructive and that all be of one Age complexion calling temper degree of knowledge c. is impossible And that all have the same language cloathing utensils c. is needless at least VII Jesus Christ is the only Universal Soveraign of the Church both of vital influence and Government nor hath he set up any under him either Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt Pope Council or diffused Clergy that hath the Power of Legislation and Judgment as governing the whole Chorch but only Officers that per partes govern it among them each in his Province as Justices do the Kingdom and Kings and States the World nor is any capable of more VIII To set up any universal Legislators and Judge Pope or Council is to set up an Usurper of Christs Prerogative called by many a Vice-Christ or an Antichrist and as bad as making one man or Senate the Soveraign of all the Earth and to attempt the setting up of such or any forreign Iurisdiction in this Land is to endeavour to perjure the whole Kingdom that is sworn against it in the Oath of Supremacy and sworn never to endeavour any alteration of Government in Church or State in the Corporation Oath the Vestry Oath the Militia Oath the Oxford Oath with the Uniformity Covenants And if any should endeavour to introduce such a forreign Jurisdiction who themselves have had a hand in driving all the Kingdom to all these Oaths against it I doubt whether all the Powers of Hell can devise a much greater crime against Clergy Cities and all the Land Good reason therefore had Doctor Isaac Barrow to write against it as he hath done and to confute Mr. Thorndike and all such as of late go that pernicious way by the pretence of Church Union and Communion As if one universal Soveraign and Legislator and Judge were not enough to unite Christs Kingdom or man could mend his universal Laws and could not stay for his final judgment and Churches and Kingdomes might not till then be ruled without one humane universal Soveraign by necessary and voluntary agreement among themselves XI To be a true Believer or Christian or the Infant seed of such devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the sense of the Baptismal Covenant uniteth each Member first to Christ himself directly and consequently to his Body or Church and this coram Deo as soon as it is done by heart consent and coram Ecclesia regularly as soon as he is invested by Baptism which Baptism when it may be had so is regularly to be administred by none but an authorized Minister or Deacon but if through necessity or mistake it be done by a Lay-man the Ancient Christians took it not for a nullity much less if the Baptizer was taken for a Minister by mistake being in his place and if no Baptism can be had open covenanting is vallid X. The Papists and their truckling Agents here have here hampered themselves in a fatal contradiction To make themselves masters of the World they would perswade us that Sacraments only regenerate and sanctifie and that God saveth none by any known way and grant but by his Covenant Sealed by the Sacraments and that he authorizeth none to administer this Covenant but Prelates and their Priests and none can validly have it from other hands And so if you will but abate them the proof of many things that stand in the way Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation are at the will and mercy of such Prelates and Priests But unhappily they cannot retrieve their old Opinion but maintain that Lay-men and Women may baptize in necessity validly and that Baptism puts one into a State of Salvation XI As he that swears and keeps his Allegiance to the King is a Subject and Member of the Kingdom though he be no Member of any Corporation so though he disown a thousand fellow Subjects yea though he deny the Authority of Constable Justice Judge so he that is devoted to Christ truly in the Baptismal Covenant is a Christian and a Member of the Universal Church though he were of no particular Church or did disown a thousand Members or any particular Officer of the Church XII All faults or crimes are not Treason A man that breaketh any Law is in that measure Culpable or punishable but every breach of Law or wrong to fellow Subjects or Justices as it is not Treason so it doth not prove a man no Subject though some may be so great as to deserve death and make him intolerable And so it is in the case of our Subjection in the Church to Christ. XIII To own Christs Instituted species of Church Officers is needful to the just Order Safety and Edification of the Church as to own the Courts of Judicature Justices c. in the Kingdom but to own this or that numerical Officer as truly commissioned is needful only to the right administration of his own Province XIV As Christ did his own work of universal Legislation by himself and his Spirit eminently in the Apostles and Evangelists who have recorded all in Scripture so he settled Churches to continue to the end associated for Personal Communion in his holy Doctrine Worship Order and Conversation with authorized Ministers subordinate to his administration in his Prophetical Priestly Kingly and Friendly Relations And thô these may not always or often meet in
matter 2. God gave Christ to be the Mediator and Head 3. God made by Christ the Covenant of Grace by which as by a Law and Gift he determineth of the Conditions of Church-Relation and Benefits and commandeth Man's belief and consent and professeth his own acceptance of such consenters 4. His Ministers and Word perswade Men to believe and consent 5. His Spirit efficiently causeth Men to believe and consent 6. At that time God's conditional grant becometh actual and giveth them actually a right and relation to Christ and his Benefits 7. Thereupon Christ's Ministers solemnize this Covenant declaring God's acceptance and by Baptism investing the person in the visible possession of his relation to Christ and all his Members the person professing his believing which maketh it a mutual Covenant the Parent doing it for Infants These Seven Acts go to make up the total efficient Cause of the Churches Essence and Unity and each Members Union therein And if you exclude any one of them you will be a false Teacher Is there any room here for a Controversie among Christians The Father the Son the Holy Ghost the Covenant and Law the Consenter the Minister and Baptism all make up the efficient Cause of the Churches Essence And that which maketh it a Church maketh it One Church As that which maketh it an House a Ship a Family a School a Kingdom maketh it thereby One House One Ship One Family c. for eus unun convertuntur § 17. But tho his Question How that ambiguous Syllable enquire not of the Churches Essence and of what who knows yet p. 43. he ventures to enquire of it upon my words it is only essential to the Church that there be an organized Body of Pastors and People united to Christ the Head saith he Here I agree with Mr. B. if he would add One Body for that is the thing in dispute Whether Christ have one or a thousand bodies Ans. I pray you remember this happy agreement that we agree of the Churches Essence But is not A Body the Singular Number If I say that a man is corpus organicum and a rational soul united do I need to put in One Body or One Soul while unum is entis inseparabilis affectio Good Doctor why must not Verum and Bonum be named with every eus in a definition as well as Unum Can it be a Body and not One Body O! what a Jest will School-boys make of us for such disputing 3. But the pretended disagreement is much worse asserted Is that the Controversie Whether Christ have One Body or a Thousand Would you make men believe that we deny the Unity of the Universal Church If you would prove it or blush 2. Do you your self deny the being of Thousands of particular Churches which are parts of the Universal When you have seemed long to do it you come again and confess such Churches and condemn us as separating from them 3. Is the Controversie whether these single Churches de nomine may be called so many Bodies of Christ 1. Name the men that so call them and prove it or confess your self a false Accuser 2. If they did an unfit Name is not an error de re I never heard man so speak We say that the word Church used for the Universal and the Particular is not univocally used but analogically expenuriâ nominum As oft the whole and part have one Name We say that as an hundred Cities and Counties may make one Kingdom and were they all equivocally called Republicks or Kingdoms it would be no change in the Doctrine All the Christian World call the universal and the particulars by the name of Church And yet if to help us out of the Equivocation you will invent a better Name and get men to consent to it not reprehending the Scripture-use we will hearken to you But as One Kingdom is individuate by One King and yet subordinate Societies may have subordinate individuating Heads so is it here And it 's grosly unfit to say Christ hath many Bodies tho he have many Churches in one as the King hath many Cities but one Kingdom here But he adds If but One how do all the Christians in the World make up that one Body How must not be explained If by how he meant by what efficiency I have told you If it mean by what constitutive Causes it is by Form and Matter united If it be any Mode that you mean vouchsafe to tell us what § 18. P. 43. he goes on thus reciting some of my words In this definition Christ only is the supreme constitutive summa potestas or regent part The organized body of Pastors and People is the pars subdita and the Union of Christ and that body maketh it a Church And saith he This is very well But the main doubt still remains untouched What is it that makes all the Christian Pastors and People in the World to be but One Church Ans. Contra negantem principia non est disputandum This intimateth that eus unum non convertuntur And that besides that which maketh it a Church somewhat else must go to make it one Whether your obstinate equivocation in the word make shall be by you expounded of the efficient or constitutive causes in this it 's all one That which maketh it a Church doth thereby without any more causality make it one Church This is as if he said We are agreed what maketh a Man an House a City a Book c. but we agree not what maketh him One Man and so of the rest Nothing but that which maketh him a Man and causeth the existing Essence Matter and Form united constitutively And efficiently all that which causeth Matter and its Disposition which Aristotle calls Privationâ— and Form and their Union But Reader it 's so hard to understand such a Speaker that we must â—ift every doubtful word lest he come again and say we wilfully mistake him Who knows but the Doctor hath a Câ—tâ—urnus in the word but and the question be What maketh this the only Church or that God hath no other but one As if the question were What made Adam at first the only man in the World or the Israelites the only peculiar Nation I answer Nothing in Adam nothing in Israel and so nothing in the Church can be the cause of Nothing No Man no Nation no Church speak Nothing Not to make another is nothing but the words are a meer Negation And Nothing hath no Cause What is the Cause that there is not another Sun Why Nothing hath no Cause But if we must give any other Answer it must be only by calling the Negation of a Cause by the Name of a Cause and saying that the Cause why there is but one Sun that we know of and one Church Universal is because God made no more § 19. The Doctor proceeds Nor does his similitude help him out which is so admirable in its Philosophy and
the only Remedy against Schism to be the chiefest cause They have made Associations and Confederacies of Men to set up New Forms of Churches Church-Government or Communion by multitudes of Clergy-Laws or Canons of their own to be necessary to Ministry and Communion and consequently to avoid Schsm and consequently to Salvation By which Arrogancy and Impositions and Arbitrary Laws and Censures thereupon the Christian World is now almost all broken into Sects condemning and censuring one another into Greeks Muscovites Armenians Georgians Nestorians Jacobites Abassines Maronites Papists Protestants c. And of all these the Papists pretend to a Power of Government by Legislation and Iudgment over all the Christians on Earth some placing it in the Pope as chief some in a Council or the Colledge of Bishops as chief of which the Pope is the prime Member most in Pope and Council agreeing This Sect unchurcheth all Christians save themselves and have made so many Canon-Laws as none can understand and keep Some that yet do not own the Pope tell us That yet the Church on Earth is one Political Body not unified by its Relation to Christ the Head and Form He is not Visible enough say the Papists to Head a Church that may be called Visible But it is unified by a certain Confederacy of Communion among themselves which sometime they call an Universal Government and say they have power to make Universal Laws and sometime say It is not One Unifying Government but One Communion and yet make Laws which all must hold Communion with They say and unsay and know not what to say They cannot tell us what are the necessary terms of that Communion nor how to know with what Nations and Churches we must hold it But this they agree in That Christ the Finisher of our Faith hath left Faith Worship and Government so unfinished that Bishops of all the World or many Nations they know not who must make us more Laws and when they will have done and compleated Religion no man knows And that all that will be Christians must on the Terms of these Canons have Communion with them and refuse not one thing that they command And therefore must all be learned enough to know that all that they command is lawful And if any withdraw for an Oath or Covenant or Ceremony tho he mentally own them as true Churches or if for dissent he be excomunicated by them he must worship God in no other Assembly but live like an Atheist till he be convinced of the Lawfulness of their Impositions else all that so worship God are damnable Schismaticks and so are all that communicate with them So that I know but few on Earth that they damn not for breaking their Canons tho they would keep all the Laws of Christ And every where they that have strength and possession presume that it is they that must thus be the Standers and Rulers of all others about them It is an utter Maze which they make the Terms of catholick communion and consequently of Salvation instead of the few plain certain things which Christ made necessary We can get but few of the vulgar to understand the sense of Baptism the Creed Lords Prayer and Ten Commandments And our churches are much made up of such and our Parishes have too many Sadduces Infidels and Hobbists yet all must be supposed to know 1. That all the Bishops and Priests are truly called and authorized when few know what maketh them Pastors indeed 2. And that all their words ceremonies and impositions are not repugnant to God's Word 3. And that all are to be avoided whom their Canons and Lay-civilians excommunicate 4. That it is a company of true Bishops and Churches in other Nations whose communion they own 5. That all are Schismaticks that they so judg and their churches no true churches of The English Schismatick detected and confuted Occasioned by a Resolver of Cases about Church Communion CHAP. I. SAITH THE RESOLVER § 1. THE Church is a Body or society of men separated from the rest of the World and united to God and to themselves by a Divine Covenant A. He saith this is the plainest description he can give That is not the fault of his Auditors or Readers 1. As to the Genus a Community of equals without Rulers is a body but I suppose he meaneth not such 2. Is it enough that it be of Men sure now they should be Christians 3. Many are separated from the rest of the World secundum quid that are no Christians some in one respect and some in another and none in all respects 4. Vnited to God is an ambiguous word no Creature is Vnited to him perfectly so as to be thereby what he is God in the created Nature Only Christ is united to him Hypostatically in his created Nature All are so far united to him in natural being as that in him they live and move and have their being And the Nature of man is one sort of his Image All things are united to him as effects to their constant efficient The Church should not be defined without any mention of Christ The Churches Union with God is by Christ. 5. Christ himself as Head is an essential part of the Church and should not be left out of a Definition thô the meer Body may in common speech be called the Church as the People may be called a Kingdom 6. Will any Divine Covenant serve or must it not be only the Baptismal Covenant 7. Is it called Divine only as made by God or as commanded by God and made by Man or as mutual Certainly Gods Law and offered or Conditional Promise is most frequently called His Covenant in Scripture and this uniteth not men to God till they consent and Covenant with him Their own Covenant Act is necessary hereto And that is a Divine Covenant only as commanded and accepted and done by Gods assisting Grace 8. The form of a Church is Relative and the Terminus is essential to a Relation It is no definition that hath not the End of the Association Therefore this is none at all and so the beginning tells us what to expect This description hath nothing in it but what may agree to divers forms of Society and so hath not the form of a Church And if he intended not a Definition but a loose description I would a defining Doctor had had the Chair during this controversie Let us try this description upon a Mahometan Kingdom Army or Navy or suppose them meer Deists 1. Such a Kingdom Army or Navy may be a Society 2. Of Men. 3. Separated from the rest of the World secundum quid ad hoc and none are separated from it simpliciter ad omnia e. g. No man is separated from the common humanity No Deist from any but Atheists and no Christian in believing a God and the Law of Nature and Nations 4. They are Vnited to God so far as owning a God and
a Patron can have right to present to no one as a Church more than to another 2. Then the Parson Vicar or Curate is no more the Parson of one Church than of another nor bound to no more Care and Duty for there is but one 3. Then no one is bound to go to one Parish Church more than another for there is but one 4. Then the Temple and Tithes belong no more to one than another 5. Then no Bishop is the proper Bishop of one Diocesan Church more than of another 6. Then all the revenues of the Bishop of London are no more appropriate to one Church than to another 7. Then you owe no more Obedience to the Bishops of one Diocesan Church than another 8. Then you make the King no more Head or Governour of the Church of England than of another 9. Then a Diocesan oweth no Reverence to a Metropolitane Church if there be none such 10. Then many Churches cannot have Communion nor send Bishops to Councils if there be not many 11. And the charge of Separation from a Church that is no Church is a contradiction 5. I adde from Parity of Reason if many distinct subordinate Societies may make one Civil Body Politick so they may one Universal Church But the Antecedent is undoubted If it be Learnedly said with Mr. Cheny that one whole cannot be Part of another whole One may attain the perfection by that time he hath worn the Breeches but a few years to know that a whole Family may be part of a whole Village and a whole Vicinage be part of a whole City and a whole Colledge be part of a whole University and a whole City part of a whole Kingdom and a whole Kingdom part of the whole Earth And if it be objected that the Names of the whole and parts are here divers but a Church and a Church are the same Name I Answer at the same age one may learn that the same Name proveth not the sameness of the things Named and that ex penuria nominum the Genus and Species the Totum and Parts have oft equivocally the same Name with the Addition of just Notes of distinction Sometimes an Academy of many Schools is called Schola and so are the single Schools therein The City of London is a Society and so are the Societies of Merchant-Taylors Drapers Mercers c. therein § 4. But these Churches must be members of one another or they are Schismaticks A. 1. How can that be if they be all but one 2. This is also above or below the ferula age They are no members of one another but all members of the whole Yet how oft have we this with the sting of Schisme as Damning as Murder or Adultery in the Tail of it The hand is not a member or part of the Foot or the Foot of the Hand or the Liver a member of the Lungs c. but each one of the Man If ever I were a Schoolmaster again I would perswade my Boyes that A is not a member of B nor B of C c. but each of the Alphabet And that one leaf of their Book is not a member of another but both of the Book And if they were ripe for the University I would perswade them that Exeter Colledge is not a member of Corpus Christi nor that of Lincoln c. but all of the Universitie of Oxford And I think that Bristol is not a member of Exeter or Gloucester c. but all of England and that the Company of Stationers are not part of the Society of Merchants or Drapers c. but all of London What a Priviledg is it that a Man may believe this about any such thing without Schisme and Damnation And how dreadful to fall into such Church-mens hands that in their Case make it Schisme Separation and Damnation But there is a Remedy § 5. But he hath reason for what he saith p. 3 4. Indeed it is extreamly absurd and unreasonable to say that the Christian Church which is built on the same Foundation c. who enjoy all Priviledges in Common should be divided into as distinct and separate Bodies thô of the same kind and nature as Peter Iames and Iohn are distinct Persons It 's absurd to say That where every thing is common there is not one Community Ans. Let us not swallow this without Chewing 1. Whether all be extreamly absurd and unreasonable which such Doctors call so I am grown to doubt as much as whether all be Schism which Schismaticks call so Ipse dixit is no Proof 2. What the meaning of this great Decantate Word Separate is must anon be enquired But may not Churches be distinct and not culpably separate He confesseth afterwards both local distinction and separation 3. How far are the Vniversal Church and Particular Churches distinct As Whole and Parts Must the World at last learn that Whole and Parts are not distinct If you take it for absurd to distinguish a Man from a Body or from a Liver Hand or Foot Dissenters do not nor to distinguish a Colledge from an University a House from a Street a Street from a City c. But how are the Particular Churches distinguished one from another Reader so constantly do such men fight with themselves that it 's meet to ask whether they that thus say there are not many distinct Churches do not assert a far wider difference between many than those they dissent from We affirm that there are many and that they differ not in specie but numero as Colledges Cities do among themselves but these men after all this hold not only a numerical but a specifick difference even as Parochial Diocesan Provincial Patriarchal National at least Presbyters and Diocesans differing Ordine vel Specie with them the Church denominated from them must do so too § 6. But he confirms it Peter James and John thô they partake of the same common nature yet each of them have a distinct Essence and Subsistence of their own and this makes them distinct Persons but where the very Nature and Essence of a Body or Society consists in â—aving all things common there can be but one Body Ans. I hope it s no culpable Separation to distinguish things as differing specie numero and this is the Doctors meaning if his words are significant and the common way of expressing it would have been Peter and John differ numerically but not in specie but two Churches differ neither specie nor numero And 1. Reader whereas he said before that the Church is not divided into distinct Bodies as Iames and Iohn c. did you think till now that Iames and Iohn and the Doctor and the several Bishops had not been distinct parts of the Church in their distinct natural bodies 2. And why may there not be distinct Politick Bodies or Compound in one whole as well as natural certainly all things corporeal save Attomes are Compounds A Muscle a Hand
stairs to hatred and destroying it 's his way to cure Schism that is commonly painted with Horns and Cloven feet If a man come from a Countrey Village and be made by Covenant a Citizen of London how prove you that he renounceth King or Kingdom But he saith p. 9. Those who wilfully separate from the Corporation to which the Charter was granted forfeit their Interest in the Charter Ans. What Reader doth this man presume upon that will not ask him how he proveth 1. That Gods Law or Charter to his Church doth not require them to congregate in distinct single Churches as London Charter doth to erect several Companies and the Universities several Colledges 2. And that God hath not in his Word given order or command for such single Churches But that the Apostles and Titus by fixing Elders to their several Churches and Cities separated from the Universal Church 3. And that their subordinate Churches have not need of distinct subordinate consent and duty And that our Diocesan Churches all separate from the Universal Did he think these things need no proof at all It may be he will say that the Diocesan depend on the Vniversal but the Presbyterian or Independent do not I Answer Dependance is either that of Subjects on Soveraign or Magistrates for Government or that of a Community of Equals for Communion In the former respect they depend on none but Christ as Universal Soveraign Nor on any Foriegners for Governments In the latter they depend on all true Churches for Communion And Doctor Hammond and most Diocesans hitherto have said that Diocesan Churches are thus far Independent or National at most And if any be for a Forreign Iurisdiction in Charity before they perswade England to it they should procure them a Dispensation from all the Oaths that have sworn all this Kingdom against endeavouring any change of Government and against a Foreign Iurisdiction For some Fanaticks now Dream that PER is the Mark of the Beast and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the number of his Name is nominal as well as numeral and refers to CH-urch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and STate For as for them that find a mans name in them I abhorr their Exposition more § 11. P. 9. God saith he hath not made any Covenant in particular with the Church of Geneva France or England c. A. 1. God hath made one General Law for Christians congregating with their fixed Elders or Bishops in particular Churches all the World over And his Command is not without Promise of being with them to the End of the World and that Promise becometh a Promise to every Church so congregate God hath not made distinct Laws or Promises to every Christian But the Promise to Justifie all Believers justifieth each single Person when he believeth If the King should make one common Law to command all his Subjects that are Freeholders to live in Corporations or Hundreds described with their priviledges those priviledges would be all theirs that are so incorporated As one Charter may Priviledge every London Company diversified by subordinate Agreements 2. And that God who will have them thus incorporated and distributed into several single Churches doth Covenant or Promise according to their demerits to each Do I need to recite the peculiar Promises and threats to the seven Asian Churches Rev. 2. and 3. which are Covenants to them § 12. Next Pag. 10. He will tell us what Communion is and in many words it is to tell us that Communion is nothing but Vnion I know that quoad notationem nominis Communion may signifie Vnion with others But they that write Politicks have hitherto distinguished Vnion and Communion taking Communion for Actual Communication or exercise of the duties of men in Union But to speak cross to other Writers on the same Subjects and give no reason for it and to confound Vnion and Communion is one part of this edifying Resolution § 13. Pag. 11. Our Communion with the Church consists in being members of the Church which we are made by Baptism saith he Then the Baptized are still in Communion with the Church till their baptism be nullified And hath he proved us Apostates § 14. Pag. 12. Should any man who is no member of the Church nor owns himself to be so intrude into the Church and Communicate in all Holy Offices it 's no Act of Communion c. A. I thought communicating ordinarily in Holy Offices had gone for an owning of Communion If it do not would you would tell us how to know who are of your Church § 15. P. 13. Saith he Church-Communion does not consist in particular Acts of Communion which can be performed among those who are present and Neighbours but in membership Now as a member is a member of the whole Body not meerly of any part of it c. All the Subjects of England who never saw nor converst with each other are members of the same Kingdom A. 1. That word meerly hath more Craft than Justice or Honesty Meerly signifieth Only I suppose and if he would make his Reader think that they that are for single Church peculiar membership and consent do take themselves to be meerly or only members of those single Churches and not of the Universal it is shameless injury 2. Will he ever draw men to conformity by making them believe that because they owe Common Communion to all Christians therefore we owe no special duty to the Bishops Priests Churches or Neighbours where we are setled Do the Men of one Colledge School Corporation owe no more duty to that than to all others Do the Free-holders of Bedford-shire choose Knights for Middlesex or the Citizens of Oxford choose Officers in London These seem strange Resolutions to us 3. But doth he remember that if Communion consist not in Acts of Communion to such but in membership even with the distant then he that is baptized and no Apostate and performeth no other Acts of Communion to the Bishops Parson or People where he liveth than he is bound to perform to them a hundred or thousand miles off is no Separatist Methinks this favours Separation too much § 16. Pag. 14. When he denyed any Divine Covenant to make us members of particular Churches distinguish't from the Vniversal as all National Diocesan and Parochial are as parts from the whole he presently confuteth all again saying The exercise of Church Communion as to most of the particular duties and Offices of it must be confined to a particular Church and Congregation for we cannot actually joyn in the Communion of Prayers and Sacraments c. but with some particular Church A. Oportuit fuisse memorem 1. Reader doth not this man here confess that there are particular Churches 2. If these be not distinct from the whole then each particular is the whole 3. If the Exercise must be in particular Churches must not men Consent to their Relations and Duties Is it a sin to Promise
certain that I am unable to do this to One of an Hundred who can claim a right to that or more 4. But out of this his Doctrine I gather That if all the Christian World have rigâ—â— to communicate with me upon occasion 1. Sure there is some difference between occasional and fixed Local Communion 2. And surely if I refuse any that would communicate on common necessary terms because they will not break the Custom of their several Countries and communicate with me in doubted unnecessary things I wrong all the Christian World and am to them a Schismatick Much more if I presume to Excommunicate every Stranger that cometh into my Precincts and herein differs from me as you do us and most of all if I impose many sinful terms of Communion on him All Christians are bound to hold Communion in Christianity and in all things necessary to the common Communion of them all and to extend this also to as many Integrals as they can reach But there are Multitudes of things in which they are not bound to have Communion much less as necessary to salvation § 10. p. 36. We have all explained by an odd supposition viz. Suppose the whole World were one Family or one Kingdom in which every man according to his rank and station enjoys equal Priviledges the necessity of Affairs would require that Men should live in distinct Houses and Countries But yet if every Man enjoyed the same Liberty and Priviledges wherever he went as he now does in his own House and Countrey the whole World would be but one great Family or universal Kingdom Ans. 1. The whole World is one great Kingdom of God as verily as the Church is the Church of Christ And yet we Non-Conformists think that every Man in it no nor every Saint hath not right to be King of England nor a Judg in our Courts nor Lord Mayor of London nor so much as a Freeman in any City And we think that the Church hath no more one subordinate universal Soveraign than the World And that therefore the case in point of universal priviledg is not by this similitude well explained 2. Your odd supposition of the World being one Family either supposeth one Husband to all the Wives in the World and one Father to all the Children in the World or else that all distinct Husbands Wives Children and Servants are in this one Family In the first supposition I may suppose that you take him to be more than a Man that can be an Husband to all the Women and a Father to all the Children on Earth And therefore if his Wisdom be equal to such a greatness he must be no Fool. And if so whiâ—e Men are his Family he will order and govern them as Men and then they will be distributed into subordinate Families Cities and Kingdoms as now they are But if you suppose many Husbands and Fathers our Opinion is that Husbands and Wives should not be common nor Parents and Children Nay which way ever you take that Childrens Food Rayment and Portions should not be common Nor could any come from India and claim a Lordship or Lands in England as a Member of the Family Fathers distribute unequally as their Will and Wisdom and their Childrens fitness are diversifying Causes Even in a Colledg one cannot claim anothers Chamber Books Cloaths or Food One would think by your scourge for Non-Conformists that you were no Leveller nor against fatherly justice and inequality of right and distribution Even they that come to your Church cannot so much as claim equal right in Seats And verily if all the World that will come to you may claim equal Pastoral oversight from you or any Bishop your equality must be like his to the Beggars that gave nothing to any that he might serve them all alike § 11. P. 38 39 c. he saith He can hardly be so charitable to me as not to believe that I wilfully mistook him it being impossible for any man of common sense who ever read him to mistake his Catholick Communion for some transient acts Ans. Reader it 's hard terms that these Men hold us to I was loath to judg him so void of common Sense or use of Words as to talk of Catholick Communion which was in no transient acts But for the future rather than forfeit common sense or be wilful I will believe him that by Catholick Communion he meaneth Union and that he meaneth neither Baptism nor profession of Christianity nor owning any Article of Faith nor owning Bishops nor any Church-order or Worship of God But do not unsay all this again and call us all to nought for believing you § 12. But he saith Upon a stricter examination he finds me blundered and confounded about the Notion of Unity This Unity I term Union Ans. The Doctor will grow over-critical if he hold on if he mean this as part of my blundering and confusion But it is but Grammar that I am ignorant of I confess my ignorance I thought that Unio had Two significations one active for that act of uniting which maketh One of Two and that also Twofold 1. To unite efficiently 2. To unite constitutively And the other as signifying the same with Unity caused And I thought that Unitas had ordinarily signified by a more abstract word the same Oneness as Unio in the latter sense and sometimes abusively active Union But I am ready to learn better § 13. But saith he He understands it of our Union to Christ not of the Unity or Oneness of the Christian Church Ans. The best is he saveth me from unmannerly telling you that he speaketh falsly by confessing the falshood in the very terms of accusation For if he dare say that it is no Church-Union to be all United to one Christ in our common Christianity he is a very falâ—e Teacher § 14. P. 39. Repeating my words he tells you I misconstrue both terms But you are best take it on his word And he feigneth that I do or must infer ergo the Unity of the Catholick Church doth nâ—t consist in being one Body and Society and Communion of Christians Whereas I infer the clear contrary That it doth consist in one such body it 's Union with Christ making it such an one Yet here he addeth If this be to write controversies we may as well lay wagers and cast lots for major minor and conclusion Which words truly tell you what the Doctor 's Logical strength is like the Woman that told the Doctor that she could make her hungry Pig cry with better Logick than all the Doctors in the University did dispute And could not a Quaker say as much § 15. P. 41 42. He seemeth serious in asking me How the Catholick Church is united in one Body so as to be one Church And when I tell him how many sorts af Union there are he saith he cares not how many sorts there are so I will tell him what the Unity of
Col. 1.18 19. He is the head of the body the Church In him all fullness dwells 2.3 In whom are hid the treasures of wisdom and knowledg 9. In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily 17.19 The body is of Christ the head from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministred knit together increaseth with the increase of God 3.3 4. Your Life is hid with Christ in God when Christ our Life shall appear 11. Christ is all and in all 1 John 1.2 The Life was manifested and we have seen it 4.9 We live through him 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this Life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life We are in him that is true in his Son Iesus Christ. These and many other signifie that Christ is fitly likened both to a Head and to a Soul to his Church and is not a dead Head but a living and that the word Head includeth the Soul operating in the Head for the Sense Reason and Guidance and increase of the body And that he doth operate by the Holy Ghost who is one God with the Father and Himself confirmeth it Even as Christ is said to be quickned by the Spirit and by the Spirit to offer himself to God and to justifie us c. which is far from proving that he did it not himself Chrysostome and Basil and Ambrose need not to have been at so great care to prove that it is Christ himself that is called The Spirit and the Lord the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 18. against the Arians It will prove him God that as he the word in making the World moved on the Waters by the Spirit which is one with him so he doth by his Spirit which is one with his own Godhead sanctifie Souls I hope you are not against the Filioque Briefly He that giveth to his Church and every true Member of it Spiritual Life Light and Love illumination Sanctification Strength increase and Consolation as appointed by the Father to do all this by himself and by his Spirit is the form Essentiating the Church as much and more than the Soul is to the Man But such is Christ Ergo If I were of their mind that anathematized the Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites as damn'd Hereticks for their unskilful words I should much more Hereticate a Doctor in our Age that will say That if Christ be the Head of the Church he cannot be to it as a Soul a forma informans denominans But I am not of that mind 3. But when this Doctor added If Christ be not the Head of the Body the Church must be without a Head or have some other Head than Christ which I suppose is the Reason why he talks so much of a constitutive Regent Head of the Church Reader Can you tell what he means by which is the Reason Which of the two meaneth he that I suppose the Church without a Head When I so oft and largely prove Christ to be the Head Or is it that I hold some other Head When my Book is to disprove it Which ever it be I do not think refusing such a Pastor as makes no more of the Ninth Commandment is a damning Schism The Sin of Church tyranny goes not alone § 20. P. 45 He proceeds But the organized Body is the constitutive matter of the man though other Philosophers used to call the Body a constitutive part but to let that pass Ans. You had not the Wit to let it pass Durst I have accused you of what you bewray and accuse your self Reader Is not the Matter a Part And is not the Form a Part of the man And doth that man speak plainer that barely calleth either of them a Part and tells you not which Part it is Matter or Form If one of his Pupils should say Sir you should not call the Soul the Form but a Part nor the Body the Matter but a Part what would the Boys say to him § 21. He goes on Thus an Organical Church is the constitutive Matter Of what Of Christ or of his Church or of some third compoundâ—d Ans. 1. Did I say An Organical Church or an Organical Body When Aristotle saith the soul is entelechia corporis physici organici doth he say Hominis physici Organici But you are an enemy to vain Philosophy and distinction 2. What if I had said an Organical Church as I sometimes do an Organized who knows not that ex penuria nominum the words Church Kingdom City Family School c. are ordinarily used equivocally sometimes properly for the whole Church Kingdom City c. as a Governed Society including Matter and form united And sometimes improperly for the Material part alone the Kingdom as distinguisht from the King the Church as distinct from Christ and from the Bishops and so of all the rest And when I so oft told you that the Organical Body of Christians is the Matter of the Church and Christ the foâ—m as far as these terms fit Bodies Politick could you not find in such words Of what it is the Matter of the Church of Christ. § 22. He adds But that these parts be duly placed and united is forma Corporis non Hominis which what it means I cannot tell unless that a man would be a man though the several parts of his Body did not stand in their right places nor were united to one another so they were all united to the Soul Ans. Do you not understand what it means What if I had so accused you Whether it be long of your Tutor or You I know not But 1. If you know not the difference between forma Corporis and forma Hominis some body is too blame Forma dat esse nomen The Soul giveth Being and Name to a Man He is no Man without it Do you think it gives Being and Name to the Body What if Lazarus his Body in the Grave were without its Soul is it not Corpus a Body What if such a Body as Mâ—ns had only the Soul of a Brute were it no Body What if Drâ—â—elius made his Engines move constantly by the Sun or Fire Is it not an Engine materially organized before the Sun or Fire move it Hath not a Wind â—â—ll or Water mill its mechanical form which is but the Organization oâ— dâ—e matter when Wind or Water move it not But to what purpose is it to talk to one that tells us he cannot understand it 2. But the addition is shameful misunderstanding Doth he that saith Organization is forma Corporis say that one may be a mâ—n without it This is below puerility Did I not maintain that as Aristotle haâ—h his three principles Matter Privation and Form and by Privation meaneth the Dispositio receptiva of the matter so Politick Bodies by similitude to natural have And that Organization is
Pastors have to the Universal Church will enable any of them more or fewer confederate or not ex authoritate Ministri Nuncii to tell any other Bishops or Churches of heinous scandalous sin and admonish them and renounce Communion with the impenitent and exhort people to forsake Heretick Bishops c. But all this as Equals and not as the fixed Overseers of other Churches nor as Rulers of other Pastors And so one Martin may do by a Synod of Bishops IX Kings are as truly and I think as much obliged to do their work in Concord and Communion The contrary dreadful Doctrine of Dr. Parker for setting up an Vniversal Council of Princes to govern all the Kings on earth is to be confuted elsewhere as also his subjecting Christ to Kings which implieth that they may command reward and punish him as Bishops And Kingship is as truly One as Episcopacy That is 1. It is of the same species 2. Under the same Universal King 3. Governed by the same Universal Laws 4. Bound to regard the Good of all the Church and World above that of their own Kingdoms 5. And bound to contribute the utmost of their Wit Interest and Power for the said common good of Church and World And because all the Kings in Europe may do more to this common good of all than Bishops without them can do I may say That they are bound hereto rather more than less than the Bishops As a rich man is bound to liberality more than a poor man and one that hath the Tutorage of Princes and Nobles Sons or a Physician that hath an Hundred such Patients is bound to more care and more bound to care than another And all Kingdoms are as truly parts of God's Kingdom over men as all Churches are parts of the Universal Church If Justices or Mayors will of themselves make a New Body Politick by Confederacy and Association and say We claim no Superiority but an Authority in order to Communion to make Laws of Government for the Kingdom or many Counties and should say It is One Kingdom as Unified by this Communion and these Laws of ours and not by their Relation to one King I should doubt whether to call them Sots or Rebels or Traitors § 5â— P. 206 207. he boldly repeateth How oft have I told him what it is that makes the Catholick Church One Catholick Church which is the constitutive Form he enquires after viz. Not one superior power over the whole Church but one Communion and this Communion is in Humane Forms and Canons Ans. How oft doth he tell us that which if a Dissenter had asserted I should have thought the Name of an Heretick too gentle for him as coming so near the denying both of the Church and Christ. See here the Church is not made One and so not made the Church by its unitive Relation to Christ the Head He is not the constitutive Regent Form but a Voluntary Agreement to make Laws of Government c. is the constitutive Form And yet he saith before It is not made by Man but God § 51. But p. 220. he disgraceth the Dean by these words Mr. B. indeed says That the Universal Church is headed by Christ himself But as the Dean adds this doth not remove the difficulty For the question is about the Visible Church whereof the particular Churches are parts and they being visible parts do require a visible constitutive Regent Head as essential to them Therefore the whole Visible Church must likewise have a visible constitutive Regent Head Ans. Dangerously false and the Fundamental Principle of Popery When they know how frequently the Papists are answered to this by Protestants and I told them how fully I had answered it to Iohnson and oft why have we no Reply but say over and over the same things Viz. 1. No Kingdom nor thing is Visible simpliciter but secundum quid Our King is not visible in Ireland nor but to â—ew in England His soul is visible to none nor his body save the outward Accidents If he were seen by none but Courtiers it were a Visible Kingdom 2. In all these Respects the Church is Visible 1. The Bodies of the Subjests are Visible 2. Their Oath af Allegiance Baptism and Profession are Visible 3. Christ lived Visibly on Earth 4. He is Visible in Heaven to his Courtiers 5. He hath one Visible Law and Covenant to govern all his Church 6. He hath Visible Officers 7. He hath Visible administrations of Mercy and Justice by himself and his Officers 8. And he is coming to Judgment Visibly and all Eyes shall see him Now the Controversie is either de re or de nomine De re none but a false Teacher will deny any one of these that I say not a gross Heretick 2. De nomine either this much may warrant the Name of a Visible Church or not If not we must go the old way of some former Protestants and say That the Chatholick Church is not Visible And for ought I see we must say That the Kingdom of Ireland if not of England is Invisible because few see the King and no man ever saw the Soul of King or Subjects or their Bodies save the skin If all this warrant not the Name of Visible Church the Confederacy of an unknown Company of Bishops will not But remember that the Controversie is but de nomine and we say more by far to prove it Visible than you do while you deny Popery § 52. P. 2â—5 I Argued That if a Regent Supreme be the informing part of a Diocesan Metropolical c. Church so must it he of the Catholick if the word Church be used univocally Hence he inferreth that I thus argue If there be not a Supreme Head over the whole Church there is no such over any part So little doth he understand an Argument When as I argued only from the parity of Reason That if the summa potestas be not the Form of the Catholick Church then it is not of Diocesan Churches But it is of Diocesan Churches as is confest Ergo This supposeth that they confess Christ to be the summa potestas Therefore I say He must be the Constitutive Form The man blusht not here to say That I infer A Bishop cannot govern his own Church unless one Bishop or a Colledge govern the whole How little Belief is due to such a Man § 53. P. 844. He saith I think it as certain That those Churches cannot be Members of the Catholick Church whose Communion is unlawful Answ. Seeing it is plain That he meaneth not only mental Communion in Essentials of which it's true but local Communion in outward Acts I take him to be one of the grossest Schismaticks that ever I had to do with and one of the greatest Enemies to Christian Catholick Love If any could prove it unlawful to have Ministerial Communion in England where he cannot have it without declaring Assent and Consent to all
all that obey the twentieth Canon of the Nicene Council And from all that obey the Councils that forbid communicating with a Fornicating Priest And from all that obey the Councils which nullifie the Episcopacy of such as are obtruded by Magistrates or not consented to by the Clergy and People And many more such Abundance more instances of their Separation and Damnation I might adde In a word I think their Principles are as I first said for damning and separating from all men living for all men living are gulity of some sort and degree of Schism that is of Errours Principles or Practices in which they culpably Violate that Union and Concord that should be among Christians and Churches Every defect of Christian Love and every sinful Errour is some degree of such a violation All Christians differ in as great matters as things indifferent And no man living knoweth all things Indifferent to be such And these men distinguish not of Schism nor will take notice of the necessary distinctions given in the third Part of the Treatise of Church Concord And solutio continui causeth pain nor do they at all make us understand what sort of Separation it is that they fasten on but talk of Separation in general as aforesaid LXXXVII They seem to be themselves deceived by the Papists in exposition of Cyprians words de Vnit. Eccles. Vnus est Episcopatus c. But they themselves seem to separate from Cyprian as a Schismatick and consequently from all the Church that hath profest Communion with him and with all the Councils and Churches that joyned with him For Cyprian and his Council erred by going too far from the Schism and Heresie of others nullifying all their Baptisms Ordinations and Communions And for this errour they declared against the Judgment of the Bishop of Rome and other Churches and they were for it condemned as Schismaticks by the said Bishop And here is a far wider Separation than we can be charged with 2. And Cyprians words came from the Mind that was possest with these opinions and are expressive of his Inclination 3. Yet they are true and good understood as he himself oft expounds them the Bishop of Oxford citeth some instances many more are obvious in which he opposeth the Bishop of Rome saying that none of them pretendeth to be a Bishop of Bishops and limiting every man to his own Province and saying that they were to give account to none but God with much the like But in what sence is Episcopacie one 1. Undoubtedly not as numerically in the personal Subjectum Relationis One Bishop is not another if you should say Paternity is One none believe that one mans Relation of Paternity is anothers The Relation is an accident of its own Subject as well as Quantity Quality c. 2. Nor doth any man believe that many Bishops go to make up one Bishop in Naturals 3. Nor did ever Cyprian hold or say that all Bishops go to make up one Politick Governing Aristocracie as many go to make one Senate or Parliament that hath a power of Legislation and Judgment by Vote as one Persona politica He never owned such a humane Soveraignty But Episcopatus unus est 1. In specie all Bishops have one Office 2. Objectivè As the Catholick Church is one whose welfare all Bishops ought to seek 3. And so finaliter as to the remote End and are bound to endeavour Concord 4. And as effects all are from one efficient institutor As it may be said that all official Magistracy in England is one 1. As from one King or summa potestas 2. As described by one Law and as Justices of one Species 3. As all their Cities and Counties and Hundreds are but part of one Kingdom whose welfare all are for 4. And as they are all bound to keep as much common Concord as they can if any mean more they should tell us what If any mean that all Bishops make one numerical Universal Government they are heinous Schismaticks and the Kingdom is Sworn against their Judgment And these Men damn them in damning Schismaticks The truth is Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae leaving out the Papists additions is a good Book and worthy to be read of all and take Cyprian's Description of the Episcopacy of the Church which we must unite with and the nature of that Union and we would rejoyce in such But if Cyprian had lived to see either Arians or Donatists the greater number or any Sect after call themselves the Church because that Princes set them up and had seen them depose Chrysostome and such other doubtless he would never have pleaded the Unity of Episcopacy for this but have judged as he did in the Case of Martial and Basilides nor did he ever plead for an universal humane Soveraignty LXXXVIII If we are damned Schismaticks I can imagine no pretended manner of Separation in which our Schism consists but first either Local as such 2. Or Mental as such 3. Or Local caused by Mental If Local as such be it All Christians are Schismaticks for being locally separated from others and absent from all Churches and places save one If Mental Separation be it either all Mental Division is such or but some only if all then all mortal men are Schismaticks as differing in a multitude of things from others If it be not all what is it is it all difference in the Essentials of Christianity we grant it and we are charg'd with no such thing Is it all difference in the Integrals or Accidents so do all differ that are not perfect Is it all want of Love or all Vncharitableness to one another all on earth have some degree of it and those are likest to have most that do as the Bishops did against the Priscillianists bring godly people under reproach on pretence of opposing Heresie or that seek the Silencing Imprisonment Banishment or Ruine of men as faithful as themselves For our parts we profess it our great Duty to love all men as men all Christians as Christians all godly men as godly all Magistrates as Magistrates c. Is it for our separating in mind from any Principles in specie necessary to Communion in the Church Universal or single Churches let it be opened what those Principles be We own all Christianity and all Ministry of Gods Institution and all his Church Ordinances We own Bishops over their Flocks let them be never so large so they be capable of the Work and End and alter not the true species and we submit to any that shall by the Word admonish Pastors of many Churches of their Duty or Sin or seek their good Nor do we refuse Obedience to any humane Officers set up by Princes to do nothing against Christs Laws nor nothing but what is in Princes power in the Accidents circa Sacra Is it because we disown any Numerical Rulers we own the King and his Magistrates we own all that we can understand to be true
Pastors and if we are in doubt of their Calling we resist them not unless obeying Christ before them be resistance But our Accusers loudly profess that Usurpers are not to be owned and if they go on the ground that he hath right that the Prince is for we would know whether that hold in Turky in Italy Spain France or only in England or where If it be where Princes are Orthodox do they make all the People Judges of their Princes Orthodoxness And we would know whether EVERY BISHOPS and PRIESTS right 〈◊〉 a true Minister called of God and set over us be necessary to Salvation to be believed or known by all the People if it be wo to us that ever such men were set over us whose right we cannot know What abundance of things go to make a Bishops or Priests right known 1. That he hath capable sufficiency 2. That he is a just Bishop that 's chosen by the King the Dean and Chapter obediently consenting that the Clergy's and Peoples consent is unnecessary 3. That the Diocesan species over multitudes of Churches without any subordinate Bishop is of Christ or lawful 4. That their work according to the Canon is lawful 5. That all our Patrons have right to chuse Pastors for all the People 6. That they are true Pastors over them that consent not 7. That if they prove worse far than Martial and Basilides and be owned by the Bishops as they were the people may not forsake them plâ—bs obsequens divinis prâ—ceptis which saith Cyprian have most power to chuse or refuse Is every Christian bound on pain of Damnation to know all these and then to examine and judge Bishops and Priests accordingly or if they mistake one or more mens Commission do they therefore separate from the Catholick Church If so what a case was the East in by the difference between Chrysostome and his Competitors Photius and Ignatius and hundreds others and France about the Archbishops of Rhemes when he was put out that deposed Ludovicus 4. and when an Infant was put in and oft besides What if the Alexandrians when Athanasius was banished by Constantine himself were half for him and half against him Or Basil at Caesarea was put down and hundreds more or when Theodosius first and second and Martian and Valentinian and Zeno and Anastasius and abundance more set up and pull'd down and set up again against each other What I say if the People now mistooke who had the best Title Is this separating from the Catholick Church When the Interim cast out hundreds in Germany When Ludovicus cast out Multitudes in the Palatinate and half the People stuck to the ejected persecuted Pastor and the rest to the Magistrates choice which of them separated from the Universal Church Is every Priest the Vniversal Church or an essential part of it then it dyeth when he dyeth and Apostatizeth when he doth How many Ages in above 23 Duplicates or Schisms was the World uncertain which was the true Pope suppose e. g. Arthur Iackson Edmund Calamy and many such were placed in their Incumbency by the Bishops Patrons and Parish consent according to the Law of Christ and the Land and by a new Act of Uniformity they be all turned out the Flock not consenting nor any Bishop accusing trying or deposing them save in Legislation and some of the Parish think this dissolveth not their Relation to him and they cleave to him as before without any change save of Place and Tythes and others forsake such a one and follow the Magistrates choice may not both these be still of the Catholick Church If not I know where the old Canons laid the charge and danger It 's wonderful selfishness in those men that if they can but get into the Seat take it for granted that all must own their right on pain of Damnation And what if in any such Land the Prince change his mind or the next differ and put down all these same men and set up such as differ from them more than we do is it damning Schism for any of their People still to adhere to them LXXXIX Do you find that Mr. Dodwel Dr. Saywel Dr. Sherlock or any of these men do in Pulpit and Press ingenuously tell the People the truth of the Case when they liken men as Schismaticks to Murderers for danger Did you ever hear them say The Canon which is the Churches Voice and Law doth Excommunicate you all that do own your Opinions against Conformity and commandeth us not to admit you to the Sacrament and yet to pronounce your Excommunication for not taking it We confess they have been holy and Learned Men that have thought many things imposed unlawful and therefore we wonder not if it be not in your power to change your judgment no more than to be perfect in knowledge and we confess if you are unjustly Excommunicated or any of the things made necessary to Communion be against Gods Word then it is the Church that is guilty of Schism but because this is not so we accuse you of Schism even of separating from the Vniversal Church and from Salvation XC I do admire that never any one of them would be prevail'd with to prove the Canons Excommunications ipso facto lawful when even Papists have scorn'd all such doings and when the learnedst of all their own admired men that were for comprimising matters with Rome even Mar. Ant. de Dom. Spalatensis de Rep. Eccl. hath so confidently copiously and strenuously damn'd it Christ would have none Excommunicate whatever the Crime be without Impenitency after due admonition for Repentance but these Canons ipso facto Condemn and Excommunicate Godly men without ever admonishing them or calling them to repent or hearing or seeing them Nothing is necessary but the proof of the fact and then the Law is instead of a Judge and to oblige the People to avoid them it must be published If this and all things named in the first Plea for Peace be sinless studying and disputing is not the way to know what is sinful XCI But saith the Resolver Christ hath but one Body and to be a Member of two separate and Opposite Churches is to be contrary to ourselves Ans. But I had hoped your Catechized Boyes had known 1. That one Body hath many parts 2. That particular Churches are parts of this Body as Corporations are of the Kingdom 3. That all the parts are imperfect and made up of none but sinners 4. That every good man is partly bad and so contrary to himself 5. That Churches may be so far separate as to be distinct and yet not so far as to be contrary or opposite 6. That they may be opposite in Accidents and Integrals that are one in specie in Essentials 7. That a man may own several Churches and Communicate with them for that which they agree in and yet not own both or either perhaps in that which they are opposite in 8. That
there being somewhat opposite in all men and Churches on Earth you damn your selves for Communicating with them 9. That a man may have more Communion with the Church which he Locally separateth from even for sin than with that which he is present with E. g. A Congregation or Nation of men of eminent Sanctity and Order â—ound Doctrine and Worship may by humane frailty take some one falsehood or uncertain thing to be necessary to Ministry or Communion as they say some Churches unhappily of late reject all that own not the Antiquity of the Hebrew Points I cannot have local Communion with that Church for they will not receive me unless I subscribe either a falshood or that which I judge false but yet I highly honour and love them and have mental Catholick Communion with them when perhaps necessity may make me Locally join with a Church of far worse men and Order that will impose no sin on me 10. And I would advise these men did they not despise my advice for the Church of Englands sake and their own to retract their Errours and not lay such a Snare before the People Should you say in the Pulpit If the Church be guilty of any Schism by her Impositions oft-named Excommunications and silencing of Christs Ministers and afflicting good people without just Cause then I and all that communicate with it and me communicate in the guilt of Schism and are all in as much danger of Damnation by it as Adulterers and Murderers tell not your hearers this for if you do some will think you bid them separate or be damned and only make a doubt whether most men have Noses or not XCII Qu. But is not the Inference true Ans. No it 's false There are twenty cases in which 1. One may be guilty of Schism and not be a Schismatick as denominated from what predominateth 2. And as many in which he is not at all guilty that communicateth with the guilty And let the world that is sober and awake judge now whether these men or we be the greater Schismaticks and which more condemneth or separateth from the Church of England We say that all Churches have some degree of Schism and so hath the Church of England as it hath imperfection Errour and Sin but that it is not therefore no Church nor is it unlawful to communicate with it All Christians and Churches must not be separated from that are guilty of some degree of Schism If any will turn these Serious matters into Jest and say as Dr. Sayâ—â—ll that they will receive Greeks Lutherans c. that come to their Communion his Serious Readers will tell him that so will most Sects receive those that approve of their Communion and come to them Joyning with you signifyeth that they are of your way therein But will you go to their Churches and Communicate with them You will receive the damned Schismaticks if they come to you when yet you make it damnable to joyn in their meetings with them This quibbling beseems not grave men in great matters To conclude Reader God having allowed more Legislative Power to men in things Secular than in Religion I may say this case is like ours in debate I. Some Judges and Lawyers say that the Oath of Allegiance makes a Subject in this Kingdom that the Renouncing or Violating it by Treason or Rebellion or deserting the Kingdom overthrows the Relation But that other particular faults or quarrels against Neighbours Justices Judges yea the King himself are punishable according to the Laws but are not all Rebellion nor dissolve Subjection nor oblige the Subjects to renounce civil converse with each other though some contempt and obstinacy may outlaw them Such is our Judgment of Church Relation and Communion which I need not rehearse II. Suppose a sect of Lawyers and Judges arise that say no men are the Kings Subjects but are Rebels that break any of his Laws that Shoot not in long Bows that Bury not their dead in Woollen that swear prophanely that eat flesh in Lent unlicensed that have any unjust Law-Suit that wrong any Neighbour that oppress any Poor man all these are Rebels yea all that plead opposite Causes at the Bar and all Judges that judge contrary to one another and all that misunderstand any point of Law and Practice accordingly and all that besides the Oath of Allegiance do constitute Marriages Families Schools Societyes by any other Covenants of their own and all that are of different Cities and Companies parts of the Kingdom or all whose Justices Mayors Sheriffs c. differ from one another in any point of Law and practice Or all that obey not every Constable and Justice or that go to divers Justices in the same Precincts or that go from one Justice to another to avoid unrighteous Judgment or that go from the Physician of the Place for Health and from the Schoolmaster of the Town for greater edification or that Travel beyond Sea for Knowledge yea all that understand not every word in the Law that may concern them If any say none of these are the Kings Subjects but Rebels opposite to him and one another and deserve to be all hang'd as Murderers and so are all that have Communion with them Quaere 1. Whether these men are for the Unity of England 2. And are Friends to the King that deprive him of all his Subjects as much as those that would have him have no Subjects that be not of the same Age Stature Complexion and Wit 3. And whether they are Friends to Mankind 4. And whether they condemn not themselves if they live not as Anchorets out of humane Society 5. And whether that Nation be not by infatuation prepared for Destruction that would believe them and would hate scorn and ruine them that are of the first mentioned opinion according to the saying Quos perdere vult Iupiter hos dementat As to the more dangerous Doctrine now threatning this Land that would subject England to a Foreign Jurisdiction on pretence of a Necessity of either an Universal Church Monarch or Church-Parliament Senate or Council or of all the Church on Earth represented by Patriarchs or Metropolitans or that plead for Subjection to them under the Name of Communion they require a distinct Answer But Dr. Is. Barrow and Mr. Beverley's Catholick Catechism have effectually done it FINIS THE SECOND PART AGAINST SCHISM BEING ANIMADVERSIONS On a Book famed to be Mr. Raphson's LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1684. TO THE READER Reader WHEN I had Written the first of these Discourses I came after to know more of the Authors Iudgment by another Book against me which I also Answered but it lyeth by unprinted I also wrote for the use of some private Friends my Reasons for Communion with those Parish-Churches who have Capable Ministers which many Importuned me to Print but that also is yet undone But a Book famed to
Application that I cannot let it pass His words are these As in the constitution of man 1. The rational soul is the real form which is principium motus The organized body is the constitutive matter That there be Heart Liver Stomack is but the bodies organization That these parts be duly placed and united is forma corporis non hominis and make the body but materia disposita 3. The union of soul and body is that nexus like the copula in a proposition which may be called the relative form or that which maketh the soul become forma in actu Reader Dost thou know as a Philosopher what a man is and dost thou doubt of ever a word of this If this Doctor be ignorant of it had he not been a Doctor and overgrown Humility and Learning I might have expected either thanks or silence from him But what saith the Man to it Had this Philosophy been known in St. Paul's days I should not much have wondered that he warns men against vain Philosophy was not Aristotle known in Paul 's days Aures erigite The Confutation will come anon I shall avoid disputing with Mr. B. as much as I can too late Sir and therefore will not quarrel with him for saying The Soul is Principium motus to the Body though it may be some Cartesians will not like it Hitherto we are quiet The Doctor is so modest that he will not deny that Fâ—rma is Principium Motus And it is but a May be whether a Cartesian will I have met lately with University-men that cry'd up Cartesius as if they had been quite above Aristotle and Plato and when I tryed them I found that they knew not what Aristotle or Plato said nor what Cartesius neither Nor saith he for affirming that the Union of Soul and Body is but like the Copula in a proposition which is but a spick and spang nâ—w Notion Ans. The man is pugnacious enough but somewhat restrains him Is Novelty here the fault More than this was Nâ—w to him within these twenty years and much is yet The terms of a Proposition are no Propositon till the Copula make them one by making the Predication And a Soul and a Body are no Man but as United which maketh the Soul to be Forma in actu Hath the man confuted this ' But saith he I shall only consider how he applies this to the Church Ans. How Sir do you accuse the Philosophy and now will you only question the application of it Christ it seems thâ—n is the Soul and Christians the Body though in Scripture he is represented as the Head of the Body and the Divine Spirit as the Soul which enlivens and animateth it And if Christ be not the Head of the Body which I think the Soul was never affirmed yet the Church must be without a Head or have another Head than Christ which I suppose is the reason why he talks so much of a Constitutive Regent Head of the Church Ans. It 's easie to suppose that the cause of these Words was a want of somewhat both in your Head and Heart that should have been there 1. Is this any Confutation of my Philosophy Could not a Quaker have talkt against it at as reasonable Rates as these 2. Do you not think that every understanding Reader doth know that both the term Head and Soul here are Metaphors as spoken of Christ Both of them signifie the form of the Society because the Head is the seat of the Soul in its Rational Regent Acts the King is called the Head of his Kingdom that is He is forma Regni for the Politick forms of Society is their forms of Government And so as the Church is a Politick Society Christ is the form of it But it is nobler than all meer humane Policies and his Headship is Essentiated by the three parts of his Office in One as he is Prophet Priest and King and as the principle of Knowledge Love and Practice and his Church is together Dominion Kingdom and a Society of Friendship or Family And the Head which is the seat of the Soul as operative by Intellection Sense and Motion most aptly representeth all this in Christ. But while the Head-part of the Body is this Seat the Soul is in it the operator And Christ as Man is part of the Church in and by whom his Divine nature performeth the operations And as the Soul is the form of the Man Christ is the form of his Church quae dat esse nomen And that the Holy Ghost illuminateth and quickneth and comforteth is so far from being against this that it is the chief proof of it For the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is the Spirit of Christ sent by him and what he doth herein Christ doth by him Opera trinitatis ad extra sunt in-divisa Who would have thought that a Christian durst deny Christ to be forma Ecclesiae as the Soul is of a Man and the King of a Kingdom Doth the Man give you the least proof but his vain word that Christ cannot be both as a Head and a Soul that is forma informans to his Church or that Christ is not the Soul because the Holy Ghost is But I think neither is called by the name of a Soul in the Scriptures But I pray you tell us what these Texts import Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you the spirit is life John 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one 5.26 He hath given the Son to have life in himself 21. He quickeneth whom he will 6.51 57. I am the living bread he that eateth me shall live by me 1 Cor. 6.15 Your bodies are the members of Christ. 17. He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 8.6 Our Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 12. As the body is One and hath many members and all the members of that One body being many are one body so also is Christ. 27. Ye are the body of Christ. 2 Cor. 3.17 The Lord is that Spirit 18. We are changed into the same Image from glory to glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 1.4 In him was Life and the Life was the Light of men 2 Cor. 13.5 Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Gal. 2.20 Not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 3.19 Till Christ be formed in you Eph. 1.22 23. Head over all things to his Church which is his body the fulness of him that filleth all in all Eph. 3.15 17. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 4.15 16. May grow up into him in all things who is the Head Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joint supplyeth maketh increase of the body Eph. 5.30 We are the members of his body of his flesh and of his bones
Laws and Man's interfere Christ's are to be obeyed against Man's 4. And we take not the Church of England to be cut off from Christ's Church if it should be proved that they observe not all the Laws and Institutions of Christ In this you preach Separation too blindly There are some Laws and Institutions of so low a Nature that Error and Offence against them cuts not Men off from the Church But what is his other Notion of a Christian Church Why It 's that which contains the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks which are a middle thing between the true Catholick Church and the World of Infidels as Rebels in a Kingdom Ans. This is the effect of Confusion When such men are got into a Labyrinth they go the further the worse The Truth of the case is this The Church is usually likened to a Corn Field that hath 1. Corn 2. the Straw and Chaff that feeds and covers it 3. Stricken Ears in whole or in part 4. Weeds All is but one Corn Field so denominated from the Corn But the Straw and unsound Ears are Integral Parts and Accidenâ—s But the Weeds are no part at all but noxious Adjuncts So 1. True Believers and Heart-Covenanters are the Christians in famosiore propriâ significatione analogati to whom the denomination of the Church is ordinarily given in the New-Testament 2. Verbal profession and covenanting is common to the sound and unsound as the Straw and Chaff to the Grain and Ears It constituteth the Church as visible matter as it is supposed to serve and contain the Grain 3. The Ears totally and visibly smitten are but equivocally parts that is the persons whose profession or notorious practice containeth a renunciation of their Baptismal Covenant or Christianity are but equivocally called Christians and Church-Members 4. Those that deny some Article of Faith consequentially nororiously and ignorantly thinking their Opinion consistent with all the Essentials which they practically profess are not thereby cut off from the Church but they having made their Title litigious may be suspended from some Communion till it be tryed 5. All good Christians are sinners and have errors and if any judg them Hereticks and Schismaticks for such they are still in the Church of Christ. The word Heretick and Schismatick are now become what the speaker please He is a true Heretick that separateth from something essential to Faith Love or Obedience to Christ and from the Church for that or thereby Persecutors separate from Christian Love and Communion So that here is but one Catholick Church and some called by men Hereticks and Schismaticks are true Members but all that notoriously renounce any Essentials are no Members of it Rebels is a word that may signifie such as cast off the Soveraign By which renouncing subjection they renounce being Members of the Kingdom and are as an Army of invading Enemies who are in the Land but not of the Kingdom But if any will call those Rebels that do but break a penal local Law or that are disobedient to a Constable a Justice or a Master this proveth them not to be no part of the Kingdom But he numbreth the excommunicate with those that are cut off from Christ. Ans. Yes upon these Suppositions following 1. That they be excommunicate not only for sin but for such sin by which they first cut off themselves from Christ the Excommunicator only declaring it by his Sentence else Excommunicators will be worse than Devils if they damn men or cut them off from Christ who do not first cut off and damn themselves 2. That it be not only proved an heinous sin in it self but that they are proved after due instruction and patient warning to be so impenitent in it by wilful ignorance or obstinacy against Knowledg as will not stand with sincere Faith and Obedience to Christ. 3. That it 's no cutting off a man's self from Christ to say that there is somewhat sinful in your Church Government Liturgy or Ceremonies or to be afraid to assent and consent to all imposed or to take an Oath never to endeavour any reforming-alteration of Church Government nor will it prove a renouncing Christ to separate from a Usurper or a false Teacher or run out of Dunstans Church as they did for fear it should fall on their heads If therefore any will cut men off from Christ for any such thing or for observing the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice or for the fashion of his Cloke or for not paying the Court his Fees they either condemn themselves instead of others or do much worse than the Devil that can damn none such It 's Two to One but this Doctor that here damns the excommunicate without distinction will next say he meant well tho he said ill and that he supposed the Excommunication just The best is it 's no great matter what he meaneth while he is none of our Judg except as to himself and the seduced 1. And I add That we will suppose the Excommunicator to be no Usurper but a justly called Pastor and not a proud ignorant Obtruder nor a Stranger that cannot try the Cause nor is called to try it Much less a Lay-Civilian usurping the power of the Keys These men have so many things to say before they can accomplish their work as bespeâ—ks such Auditors whom darkness and interest hath made monstrously credulous As 1. We are yâ—ur lawful Pastâ—rs 2. The Patron 's had power to choose and the 〈…〉 us so whether you 〈…〉 3. No 〈◊〉 are your lawful 〈◊〉 buâ— we 4. We have power to câ—mmand things indifferent and if we câ—mmand a Suâ—â—lice or a pair of Oâ—gans or â—â—ruâ—ue you are cut off from Christ if you 〈◊〉 us or at least if we excommunicate you for it 5. If yâ—u think any of our Oaâ—hs or other Impâ—sitions to be sins that would damn you yet if you refuse them and we excommunicate yâ—u fâ—r it you are cut off from Christ and in a state of damnation 6. If one Chancellor or Priest cut you off all the Church on Earth must judg you accordingly Reader when so small a part of Christians in a thousand years have escaped Excommunication from one or other what have these men done in the World Is it any wonder if Kings and Kingdoms were subjected by Excommunication and to say St. Peter will be angry else frightned the Nations into obedience Did not Christ and Paul speak gently when they called such grievous Wolves in Sheeps cloathing devouring the Flocks § 32. Yet p. 69 70. his cause leads him to say that this Church which is wider than the Catholick taking in Rebels yea those Rebels themselves and Hereticks and Schismaticks May have the power of Orders or else I know what would follow and Officers rightly constituted Christian Sacraments and all the Essentials of a true Church except Christian Peace and Unity and Catholick Communinion Ans. Reader pretend not to understand him but answer him
Bare Unity is more intelligible tho no one know wherein it must be § 39. He adds To preservt the Peace and Unity of Episcopacy it 's necessary that every Bishop do not only observe the same Rule of Faith but especially in matter of weight and consequence the same Customes and Usages and the same Laws of Discipline and Government and when any difficult case happens for which they have no standing Rule to consult Ans. The longer the worse If I ask him whether he mean such Customs and Usages as are part of God's Word materially commanded or commended in Scripture I know not what he will say but I strongly conjecture he will say No It is Tradition and Church-Customs not there mentioned If I ask how these come espcially to be mentioned as matter of weight and consequence he confesseth that God and not Man made the Church And is not God's Law sufficient to be its Universal Rule If man make these matters of weight man may unmake them 2. But is it not Universal Church-Communion that he is speaking of I provoke him to tell me if he can who on Earth hath power beside God and our Saviour to make Laws the same of Discipline and Government to the Universal Church Is not Legislation the prime part of Government Have not you oft denied any Humane Supreme Government under Christ over all the Church Do you not here say the contrary Know you not the difference between the Contracts of a Community and the Laws of a Polity It 's no true Law if it be not the act and instrument of a Rector to govern his Subjects If Twenty Kings meet or School-Masters Physicians c. and agree on certain Points of Government this maketh them not One Polity Kingdom or School Their Contracts are neither Laws to each other nor to their common Subjects but every King may make them a Law to his own Subjects 4. If you should mean only National Laws of Discipline and Government how come all the Churches in the World to be obliged to observe the same Laws e g. our Canons This as to Traditions is expresly contrary to our Articles of Religion which you subscribe And when the Church-Laws of all Countreys differ so much which must all be reduced to If you say They must all agree to those called the Codex Ecclesiae Universalis or the Four or Six first approved Councils c. I answer 1. It 's gratis dictum And how prove you those universally obligatory and no other And how will you satisfie Conscience which are the obligatory Laws indeed 2. Why do you then cast all from Communion that observe the 20 th Canon of the Council of Nice 3. What power have dead Bishops over us and all Christ's Church They were Canons for one Empire which is dissolved and of which we are no part 4. Is Christ so insufficient a Lawgiver even for Laws necessary to the Unity of his Church as that we must have more Laws of Government and Discipline which the Catholick Church must unite in or be no Church And shall that man plead for such Laws that yet saith There is no universal Governor I never said you are a Cassandrian or a Papist But it was such ignorant Doctors that saddled the Horse and held the Stirrup while the Pope got up § 40. This saith he makes it highly reasonable for Neighbour-Bishops at as great a distance as the thing is practicable with ease and convenience as the Bishops of the same Province or Nation to live together in a strict Assâ—ciation and Confederacy to meet in Synods to oblige themselves to the same Rules of Discipline and Worship There may be a primacy of order granted to some Bishops and their Chair by general consent and under the regulation of Ecclesiastical Canons for the preservation of Catholick Unity Ans. You make this Catholick Unity essential to the Church And yet doth it lie in Humane Canons and Assâ—ciations Did Christ leave things so essential to Humane Invention And is concord in your Canons necessary to salvation And yet the proof of all this is but this and such Doctors Assertion that it's highly reasonable And so Unity and Salvation must lie on all that such will think highly reasonable 2. If Subjects may thus make their own Laws no doubt they will make them suitable to their Natures and Inclinations And it 's confest that oft the most even of Bishops are bad and worldly men and suitable to their Ends and Interests How many would be glad if Soveraigns would thus let Subjects make their own Laws 3. But how were the Canons or Laws of a National Church to be a Rule to all the Church on Earth and necessary to its Unity 4. And how comes this man that made it damnable in the Independents to make a Church-Covenant as if they renounced Baptism now to make Church-Associations and Confederacies to be so necessary to Catholick Unity Truly I know no answer for the man but the same that Binnius giveth us when Pope Iohn and Hormisda gave a contrary determination de fide on the question Whether it may be said that One of the Trinity was crucified One said Yea But the Nâ—storians taking hold of it the other said Nay Ita mutatis hostibus saith Bâ—â—nius arma necessario mutanda sunt That 's true when it 's for themselves which is false when it 's for others 5. But it was modestly done to confine these Confederacies to the greatest distance that the thing is practicable with ease and convenience And so he fairly denieth General Councils and after more plainly But when the Armenians Syrians Abassines Greeks c. cannot with ease and convenience go above Five or Six Hundred miles at most and so each Countrey hath different Customs Laws and Canons Can the Catholick Church obey them all § 41. P. 127. This saith he seems to be the true Original of Archiepiscopal and Metropolitical Churches Ans. If so I will not believe that they are necessary to Catholick Unity and Salvation till I know who invented them and whether they had as good a Commission as the Apostles 2. If Bishops made the first Achbishops and Parish-Bishops say others the first Diocesans and Presbyters the first Parish-Bishops then 1. Inferiors may make Superiors and give the power which they never had 2. Why then may they not ordain Equals and propagate their species 3. Then Presbyters or Bishops are of God and Archbishops of Men. § 42. Page 128. Saith he Every Bishop is the proper Governour of his own Diocess and cannot be regularly imposed on against his consent Ans. Yet even now He that causelesly breaks this Union is no Catholick Bishop It seems then it goeth not by Vote but a Dissenter may be a free Catholick I pray you then impose not on others against their conâ—ent The whole Authority saith he of any Bishop or Council over other Bishops is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Therefore they have no
proper Authority but only in such matters as concern the Unity of the Episcopacy or the Peace and Communion of the Catholick Church If a Bishop be convicted of Heresie or Schism or some great wickedness or impiety they may depose him and forbid his people to communicate with him and ordain another in his stead because he subverts the Unity of the Faith or divides the Unity of the Church or is himself unfit for Communion Ans. 1. Either these are meant as acts of Government or not If yea then why do you so oft disclaim it and call it only Advice and Communion Then you place this governing Power in Forreigners when they are no further off than with ease and convenience we may confederate with them And whither this will lead I 'le not enquire If nay then it seems men may depose Bishops and set up or ordain others in their stead without any governing Power over them If so then by Authority you must mean Authoritatem Doctoris vel Nimcii and so I confess Pastors may in Christ's Name require other Churches to do their duty and not Authoritatem Regentis And if so it 's as true that when there is just cause a few may depose many as many depose a few But men use not to call it deposing and ordaining in his place when men do but charge others in Christ's Name to do their duty I find not thaâ— St. Martin excommunicated the Bishops and Synods in Ithacius and Idacius time but I find that he renounced Communion with them and so may Equals do § 43. P. 140. he saith The sensless imputation of Cassandrianism and French Popery is managed so knavishly by Mr. Lob and with such blind fury by Mr. Baxter with so much confusion c. Ans. The Terms I wonder not at but whatever we are for Knavery or blind Fury if this man help us against Confusion it 's strange § 44. P. 173. he grants that the Bishops are not the Governours of the Church as united in one common regent Head over the whole Church but as every Bishop governeth his own share And this of true Bishops who denieth him P. 183. It is but a voluntary combination and stricter associasion for preserving Unity by advice c. All this is good tho damned by him in the Independents if they would combine to rule according to the Laws of Christ and not make any of their own without authority nor so as to accuse Christ's Laws of insufficiency nor make dividing noxious snares § 45. Saith he p. 189. That this Church is Universal is founded on the Laws of Catholick Communion Ans. No Humane Laws make the Church Universal Men may make their own Subjects or Confederates unite in accidents either just as in one Translation of Scripture one time and place and meeting c. or unjust when it 's hurtful vain or belongs not to them but it is only he that maketh the Church a Church who thereby maketh it One Church in Essentials And in Integrals he that maketh it entire by institution or efficiency 2. This Union is founded in mens Unity in Christianity Eph. 4.3 4 5 6. § 46. P. 192. He saith The Association and Confederacy of Neighbour-Churches is founded on the Law of Catholick Communion and the Catholick Communion cannot be maintained without it Ans. Not without Baptismal Confederaâ—y in the necessary Duties commanded by Christ But as to your Confederacies in Humane new Church-Forms Patriarchal Metropolitan c. was not the Church One without them before they were invented Here he maketh voluntary Confederacies to make new Church-Canons or Laws of Discipline necessary to Unity and that Unity necessary to Salvation all being cut off from Christ that break it As if Christ had not made Laws enough necessary to salvation and he that only kept his Laws and not mens Canons could not be saved Can he tell us then where to fix our Religion On what Bishops and on what Canons I am certain that his Religion will not stand with certainty of salvation when no man can be certain what is necessary to salvation nor what de novo will by Bishops be made necessary the next year nor who those Bishops must be 2. See here again When he made it a renouncing our Christianity to confederate and associate to do mens duty in a particular Church he yet maketh it necessary to Unity and so to salvation by confederacy to make new Humane Church Forms All this is to bring all mens salvation opinionatively into the power of those that can get uppermost as if men could as easily damn others as themselves § 47. P. 200 201. saith he If the Church cannot be a Political Society without one constitutive Regent Head then the Church is not a Political Society for it neither has nor can have any such on Earth over the whole Ans. We thank you for that much But the Church is a Political Society and to deny it is to deny an Article of the Creed and to unchurch it quoad ipsam formam And Christ is its constitutive regent Head The whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named by him from whom the whole compacted body is increast and edified And it 's dangerous false Doctrine worse than breaking one of your Canons to hold that the Church cannot be a Political Society unless it have an Head on Earth § 48. He adds when I shewed that all Episcopal Writers as Hooker Spalatensis c. of Church Polity take the Church for one Body Politick But what is this to the purposo Does Hooker set up one Regent Head Ans. 1. Yes Christ. 2. Was it not directly to my purpose to prove it a Polity which was that which I alledged it for But saith he do any of them prove That Civil and Ecclesiastick Polity is the same thing Ans. Yes in genere Do they use the word equivocally Is not Polity or Government in Civils and Ecclesiasticks Polity in genere How can these else be distinct species of it Was this ever denied by Conformist before Saith he ' Do not the Civil and Ecclesiastick Commonwealth differ as much as the Church and the State Ans. And do not Church and State differ in specie as being both Politick Bodies sub uno genere He adds Therefore he must still prove That as one supreme Regent Head is necessary to the Unity of a State or Kingdom so it is to the Unity of the Church which will be a fair advance towards Popery Ans. 1. Every Christian holds That Christ is the Head over all things to his Church But every Christian says not That this is an advance to Popery Is Christianity Popery 2. Is one State and Kingdom all the World All that I have to prove is That as all the Earth is one Divine Kingdom God being the absolute Soveraign and each particular Kingdom is part of it a Political Body subordinate informed by its One Humane Soveraign even so the Universal Church is one Body
Politick informed by Christ the Divine-Humane Head and particular Churches are subordinate Bodies Politick parts of it as such but not as Christian constitutively informed by their proper Pastors which all those Episcopal men believed that used the old description Ecclesia est plebs Episcopo adunata This is all plain to other men § 49. P. 201 202. He finds nothing like proof but my Assertion That the Regent part is the Informing part and if it have not one Regent part it is not one Society as Political If it have none it is no Polity If it have many it is many Ans. Reader his own words are What a Drudgery it is to dispute with such If he had talkt of these things at School he would not have challenged his Master to prove the signification of the words in his Dictionary but now he is a Disputer there is no end with him If he challenge me to prove that Rex signifieth a King and Subditus a Subject and so of the rest he will get the better by tiring me I can only refer him to books and use and men of that profession And so I do here If Politia do not signifie the Government and Governed Societies informed by Government all the Politicks and Dictionaries and use of Politick-Professors have deceived me I know Politria is sometime used Tropically for any cause of life any rules of living yea for good works by Chrysostome c. But I said enough to make him know that I spake of it in the usual proper sense of Politicians And so it is taken 1. For the stated Form of â—â—vernment in Civiiate 2. For the administration of that Government 3. For the Ius Civitatis or Burgesship in a governed City 4. For the â—nverâ—ation of men in such a governed Society What is Politica but civilis scientia What is Politicus but civilis respublicae gerendae peritus or â—ui rempublicam gerit Tho it be called Respublica a fine from the publick â—â—od yet men of that profession have appropriated the Names of Respublâ—ca Civitas and Politia to governed Societies only and analogum per se pâ—situm stat pro famosiâ—re analogato Saith he ' This I grant is true of such Societies as are One by one supreme 〈◊〉 power but not of such a Society as is One not by one supreme power over the whole but by one Communion And such a Society the Church is Ans. This is downright Heresie But he meaneth not as he speaks For he often confesseth that Christ is the Soveraign Head of the Church And to confess that and yet say That tho Christ be the Regent Head and Soveraign yet this doth not inform it or unifie it is gross contradiction as if the Fâ—rm did not give the specifying and unifying esse nemen We may next come to deny that Master and Scholars are a School or King and Subjects a Kingdom or Soul and body united a Man or that Two and Two are Four 2. He here plainly makes the Church to be but a Community which is false 3. And yet he will have it a Political Society For he saith That for a Politicaâ— Sâ—ciety to be informed by the One Regent part is not true of the Church which plainly includeth That the Church is a Political Society and yet hath not One Regent Head which is a contradiction He saith The Church must be excepted from Mr. B 's Rules and Definitions of 〈◊〉 Ans. You see to what a pass these men would bring us As we must have New Rules and Laws of salvation if we will be of their Church-state so we must have New Politicks and New Dictionaries The Church cannot be a species of a Politick Society without New Definitions of Polity Next say God's Laws are no Laws unless you make a New Definition of Laws in genere and Christians are no Men without a New definition of a Man I will not pretend to teach this Doctor but if he will go to School again I may hope he may meet with a Tutor that will teach him these Things following I. That a meer Community is not a proper Body Politick Civitas vel Respublica but an ungoverned Society of Equals in hoc associated for common good So are a company of men that venture all their Goods and Lives in one Ship as Equals agreeing on some means of common safety or any combined Body without Government 2. That no Community can make a true Law in proper sence but meer contracts tho the Names of Laws may be abusively so used For a Law is only the signification of a Rector's Will making the Subjects duty with due reward or punishment And it is the first part of the Administration in Government Legislation is the Prerogative of Rulers and never belongs to Equals in Community III. That a proper Political Body is only a Society consisting of Governour and Subjects united relatively IV. That if Twenty Governors Kings or States that are each supreme in their Republick confederate so as to set up one in rule over all the rest or the Major Vote of themselves to be Governor of the rest they make a new Kingdom or Republick by it But if they only confederate for the strictest Concord Offensive and Defensive this makes no new Polity nor Law but meer Contract of Equals tho all are Kings each one may make Laws for his own Kingdom according to those Contracts but they are Laws only by the Authority of their proper Soveraign V. That Cities are Bodies Politick and in a Kingdom are subordinate parts headed per modum formae by their proper chief Governour but supposing the superior Headship of the Kingdom and that Kingdoms are informed by Union with their Soveraigns specified as the Soveraigns are Monarchical Aristocratical Democratical or mixt and unified by them But no man's Soveraignty is unlimited independent or absolute God being only such over all and Earthly Soveraigns more dependent under him than Mayors and Justices under the King VI. That even so it is in the Church which is one Political Body under Christ containing particular Churches subordinately inâ—ormed by their proper Pastors VII That a Confederacy of these Pastors is very useful for agreement to observe the Laws of Christ and to make such Local By-Laws as Corporations may do by Charter to determine their own Circumstances which the Law of the Land determines not each Church hath power which many may agree to use allowing necessary variety And the Magistrate may determine that which is not proper to the Pastor's Office for many But the concord of these Associated Confederates can make no Law but contract nor any proper new Church-form save as improperly called a Church from Accidents If the Saxon Heptarchs had agreed to govern all their Kingdoms by strict consent this had not made another Kingdom or Law they had not been made One Kingdom by such a Confederacy but many Kingdoms agreeing as one Community of Equals VIII The Relation that all
judgment entangleth a man in sin whether he follow it or not And there is no possibility of avoiding the sin but by using God's helps till his judgment be set right For Conscience is not the Maker of the Law but the Discerner of it And the Law-maker changeth not his Law because men change their thoughts of it But while men are under a self-made necessity of sinning the lesser sin and the greater may be distinguished e. g. If you mis-judg it unlawful to keep a Saints day holy to eat Flesh on Fridays to use a Cross as a sign of Christianity it is a greater sin to do these than to omit them But if you judg it unlawful to pray or hear God's Word or worship him or to feed your self or children your error is the aggravation and no extenuation of the sin And if you think it a duty to keep a Fast once a week to wear a course garment or to do any indifferent thing it 's a greater sin to omit them than to do them But if you take it to be a duty to lie slander steal be drunk murder persecute it aggravateth the sin that both mind and practice are defiled with it 4. I perswade no one to own the Ministry of an uncapable Person viz. one utterly Insufficient Heretical or Malignant who doth more harm than good The Conformists own this Rule while they silence so many and tell men that those that have not Ordination by Diocesans are not to be communicated with or owned as Ministers Both sides then confess that uncapable persons are not to be owned 5. I perswade none to be indifferent in the matters which concern their souls as whom they hear or chuse to be their Pastor nor in what manner they worship God nor to prefer any person or mode which all things considered is worse before better nor to deny themselves the great help of a learned skilful godly faithful Pastor to teach them publickly and counsel them privately when they may have such meerly because it is forbidden them by men and the Patron hath chosen them another who hath no such qualifications 6. I am perswading none that are under the government of their Parents or Masters to disobey them in the choice of the Pastor whom they shall ordinarily attend as long as they perswade them to a safer choice than the Patron hath made for them 7. I perswade none by Profession or Subscription to justifie as true or good the least untruth or evil in the Doctrine or Worship or Discipline of any Church or in any extemporate performance of the Minister 8. I perswade no Minister to conform to the Act of Uniformity and all the Canons 9. I perswade none to make light of any Church-corruptions nor to forbear endeavouring by lawful means in their place and calling to reform them much less to swear or promise it were that any where required or to renounce any Oath as not obliging them to any thing which God had made their duty 10. I perswade none to the sinful fear of man or to abate Christian fortitude constancy and patience in a good Cause nor to be over-tender of the Flesh or make too great a matter of their suffering Alas what are Worms that in the way to the Grave they should be feared more than God Poverty and Prisons may be as safe and near a way to Heaven as Wealth and Liberty None of all these are the things that I am for § 8. II. That you may know the Reasons of my own practice I shall next tell you what it is that my judgment is for which leads me to it And 1. I think all persons are visible Christians who are Baptized and profess their continued consent to the Baptismal Covenant and are not proved to have renounced or forsaken it by Word or Deed. 2. I think that the Pastor is by Office made the Church-Judge whether the persons Profession be understanding serious and credible or not and whether he be proved to forsake it And if the man dissemble or the Pastor judge falsly it 's their Sin and not mine if I contribute not to it by omitting any Monitory duty of my own nor is it lawful for me to usurp the Pastors judging power Nor am I bound to know my self the Case and Lives of all in the Church that I joyn with much less where I occasionally or seldom come 3. I think that a tollerable man though unduly chosen yet after received and consented to by the Parish Communicants is a true Pastor supposing his own Consent And that he and they are a true Church 4. I hold that Christ commanded his Apostles to endeavour to Disciple to him all Nations and Baptize and Teach them Mat. 28.19 20. And that we should pray and endeavour that the Kingdoms of the World may become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. And that all Christian Kings are bound to do their best to make all their Subjects the Subjects of Christ more than the Jewish Kings were bound to promote the Iews Religion And that Christian Kingdoms are much more honourable and desirable than Christian Churches in an Heathen Kingdom And that the Civil State and Interest should be sanctified and made religious and more than a Shell or Body to the Religious State as the Kernel or the Soul And so they should be as far coherent and commensurable as can be procured Yet not so as to corrupt the religious state on that pretence by crookening it to any carnal interest The Body formeth not the Soul nor is it to be cut meet to the Cloathes nor the Foot fitted to the Shooe I intreat those that be not sensible of the great importance of National Christianity to read a little Book called The whole Duty of Nations written by a Conforming Minister who is much more Honourable by his Extraordinary Worth than his Great Estate and Birth which will bear down dissent by a stream of Evidence 5. In order to the promoting of this National Concord in Religion I have still resolved to conform to all the National Laws and Orders about Religion which corrupt it not nor command any sinful thing 6. Tho I renounce all Forreign Jurisdiction Monarchical or Aristocratical and usurpation of an Universal Government over all the Christian World which hath no civil or religious Universal Lawgiver or Judg but Christ neither Monarch nor Senate being capable of it yet I much more value the concord of the Universal Church than of one Nation And do more abhor doing any thing which is a sinful separation or discord from the Church Universal And I take the unchurching of the Univerâ—al Church to be a denying or deposing Christ. 7. All Christians must be known to be Christ's Disciples by loving one another as themselves And love judgeth no evil till constrained 8. Therefore I will separate from no Christian or Church without necessity no further than they separate from Christ. 9. I do not
City-Engines need not be fetcht to quench Ignorant Preachers must have some forbearance in their Self-conceitedness and petulent Temerity of what Sect or Faction soever they be Conformists or Nonconformists II. I do it much to go as far in National Concord in Religion as possibly I can and for the avoiding all that makes against it The foresaid Book The whole Duty of Nations will convince any impartial capable Reader of what great Duty and Advantage National Countenance and Concord is to the interest of Religion And though it bring in multitudes of Hypocrites God makes some use for the Church of such I would ask the Dissenters but two Questions 1. Would you not wish the prosperity of the Church your Selves and that all Power and Laws promoted Godliness and true Reformation No doubt you wish it And would not that bring in multitudes of Hypocrites They are like Vermin and Flies who swarm most in the warmest Seasons 2. If all the Hypocrites in the World should renounce Christianity and leave none to profess it but the sincere would not those few be left as a wonder and a prey O what a blow would it be to Religion in the World Will you root out not only the Tares but the Straw and Chaff on pretence to save the Corn III. I do it to keep up Brotherly Love amongst us which certainly censorious accusations of one another doth destroy When you fly from them you seem to accuse them as men uncapable of your Christian Communion and this seemeth hatred or contempt And as sure as Fire causeth Fire and Water quencheth it Love causeth Love and Hatred destroyeth it and causeth hatred And Christian Love is no small Duty IV. I do it very much to avoid the scandal of seeming to judge Parish Communion an unlawful thing and seeming to separate from them on that account That they err who judge it so unlawful I am satisfyed And that scandal is a great Sin the second Commandment and Christ's dreadful threatning of the scandalous and Paul's abhorrence of it satisfies me The second Commandment forbids Corporal Scandalous seeming to be Idolaters what ever the Heart be And I must not seem to unchurch ot sinfully censure what ever be in my Thoughts I know it is no such Scandal that I go not here to the Greek Church to the French Church or the Dutch Church For no man hath any reason to interpret it to signifie that I separate from their Communion as unlawful But there is great reason to interpret my total avoiding the Parish Churches to signifie that I judge it unlawful to Communicate with them as is evident in these Particulars 1. There are divers Nonconforming Separatists who have lately written to prove it unlawful 2. Multitudes suffer much upon the publick accusations because they will not Communicate with them who tell the people that they take it to be Sin 3. I and Others are censured by such as Sinners for doing it 4. Parochial Churches are the settled National order 5. The Laws command our joining with them 6. The Magistrates accuse and prosecute the refusers 7. The Parish Ministers are offended at our refusal and accuse it as sinful separation and so interpret it All this set together maketh it past all denial that after all this to avoid all Parish Communion is by our Actions to say that we judge it unlawful whatever is in our Hearts Had we all these calls to go sometimes to the French and Dutch Church supposing that we understood them and would not go it were a scandalous signification that we judge it sinful And one may Lie by Deeds as well as by Words V. I take it to be a great Sin to bear false Witness against my Neighbour and wrongfully accuse a single person But much greater so to accuse a Church and much more nine thousand Churches But to say by my action that their worship of God is so sinful that it is unlawful to join with them is as I think so to accuse them I dare not say so of an Anabaptists Church VI. I much more dread to separate from almost all Christ's Church on Earth For if Christ have no Church he is no Head King or Saviour of it And to say that he accepteth not of their Worship is to say that he presenteth it not to God as their intercessor The Article of our Believing the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints is a practical Article If there be no such Body I can be no Member of it And this seemeth a renouncing of my part in the Prayers of almost all the Church when I take them to be intollerably sinful and not accepted by God Whereas I take it to be my great Duty to put up no one Prayer to God but in mental Communion with all the Church on Earth that is As a Member of that Society And I would not take all the Riches of the World for my part in the Love Prayers and Communion of the universal Church If I cut off my self from the Body I cut off my self from the Head and am a withered Branch to be united and baptized into Christ and to the Church are two effects of one action and so would it be to separate And I take it for such a Crime against Christ to say that almost all his Church is not His but Satans as it would be against the King to say that almost all his Kingdoms are none of his but his Enemies I may say that the Irish the Highlanders or Orcades are the most ignorant barbarous part of his Dominions but not that they are none And a slander of almost all the Christian World is a very great one But to separate from our Parrish Churches upon a Cause that is Common to almost all the Christian World is Virtually and Interpretatively to separate from almost all And to separate because of the faultiness of the Liturgy the Ministry in many or the people is to separate on a cause common to almost all 1. The recorded Liturgies of the several Sects of Christians in the World in the Biblioth Patrum and elsewhere shew it evidently that they are all far faultier than ours All the Abassines Coptics Iacobites Nestorians Melchites Maronites the Armenians Georgians Circassians Meugrelians the Greeks and Muscovites have Liturgies far worse than ours Let them that doubt of it go to the Greek-Church in Sohoe-Fields The Nestorian Liturgy is one of the soundest and best that I find recorded which intimateth that they are not so bad as some make them The Papists Mass I think we are agreed is far worse And the Lutheran Protestants Images Ceremonies Consubstantiation shew that theirs is no better than ours 2. And that their Ministers and People in all these Sects are worse than our Parishes alas we must confess with grief Qu. But would you Communicate with all these Ans. I separate from none of them further than they separate from Christ. I mentally separate from the Sin that
would meet about it when they were desired to come to Sion Colledge and after they Printed a Thanksgiving to the King for his Declaration so that then they were not against all imposed Liturgies so that the Imposition had no unmercifulness in it 20. The forreign Churches in Holland France Germany c. are so much used to pray in the same form of words that if they were put to do all ex tempore it would be lamentably done by most even far worse than it is 21. I have formerly told the world That many of the most noted Nonconformists in London met and concluded for communicating in the Parish-Churches about 1664. And two things done by the Conformists stopt them One was a storm then arising against those that could not do it which they feared to seem to countenance by their compliance And Plague and Fâ—re interrupting the purposes of some The Oxford Act of Confinement made it unpracticable because to be seen in a Church would have cast them six Months in the Goal with Malefactors 22. Being thus hindered and delayed the King's Declaration after giving them liberty to have Assemblies otherwise they were then kept from the Parish-Churches by their labours with their own â—locks as the Parish-Ministers be from hearing one another 23. Some in the City and more in the Countries all this while went constantly to the Parish Churches before this liberty and as oft as they could after lest they should by their practice draw the people to thâ—nk that they took it for unlawful 24 Others that thought it lawful judg it not necessary when they might do that which they judged better And finding many Hearers offended at it were loath to displease them and bear their censures till at last by long disuse the people thought their judgment was against it And when necessity driveth them to declare their judgments and change their practice their Hearers and their Adversaries call them unconscionable Temporizers 25. Tho Mr. Tombs wrote for Parish-Communion few Anabaptists followed him and tho Mr. Nye wrote for hearing the Parish-Ministers few Indâ—pendents consented But some of their Ministers took the advantage of the foresaid forbearance of others and so brought Separation to pass for a common duty with many And renewed sufferings made it easier to draw men from the Communion of those that they so much suffered by following the eâ—ample of St. Martin and saying That persecutors obtruded without their conâ—ent were none of their Pastors and that it 's no Schism not to communicate with the Church which causelesly hath ipso facto excommunicated them in Can. 6 7 8 c. This is the true premised History D. O. Some things must be promised to the confirmation of this Position 1. The whole 〈◊〉 of Liturgical Worship with all its inseparable dependences are intendâ—â— For as such it is established by Law and not in any part of it only as 〈…〉 is required that we receive it and attend unto it It is not in our powâ—â— it is not left to our judgment or liberty to close with or make use of any pâ—rt of it as we shall think fit There are in the Mass-book many Prayers directed to God only by Iesus Christ yet it is not lawful for us thereon to go to Mass under a pretence only of joyning in such lawful Prayers As we must not affect their Drink-Offerings of Blood so we must not tâ—ke up their names in our lips Psal. 16.4 Have no communion with them § 2. I Shall now examine the Doctor 's Premises To the first I answer 1. If he will include all that is in the Liturgy the Nonconformists confess that there is somewhat in it which they dissent from as unjuâ—tifiable And so there is in all mens Worship of God 2. He intimateth That it is not in our power to close with some I. Error and not withall This is his First Error Tho Man give us no such power God doth As it is in my power 〈◊〉 believe all that one speaketh truly and well and not that which he speaketh amiss I am not bound to own all that any Preacher or Priest shall say in the Church God put it in the Disciples power to beware of the Leven of the Pharisees and yet to hear them Proving all things is not approving all things 2. Tho the Mass have many good Prayers the corruption by twisted Idolatry and Heresie maketh Communion there unlawful Heathent and Turks have good Prayers Prove any such Heresie or Idolatry in the Church-Worship by the Liturgy and we will avoid it But if I may joyn with your own good Prayers and Preaching notwithstanding your many Failings and such Errors as are here pleaded for why not with others 3. Psal. 16.4 is too sadly abused which speaketh only of sacrificing to and worshipping false Gods D. O. 2. It is to be considered as armed with Laws 1. Such as declare and enjoyn it as the only true Worship of the Church 2. Such as prohibit condemn and punish all other ways of the Worship of God in Church-Assemblies By our communion and conjunction in it we justifie those Laws § 3. THat our Communion justifieth all the Laws that impose the Liturgy yea the penal severeties is too gross an Error to be written with any shew of proof What if the Creed or Lord's Prayer were too rigorously imposed II. Error or Presbytery or Indepency must we forbear them or justifie the Law I can prove Episcopacy excluded too severely by the Covenant But every one that is against it justifieth not the imposition of that Covenant in that rigor What if rigorous Laws should make it imprisonment or death not to use our Translation of the Scriptures our approved Catechisms our Metre and Tunes of the Psalms not to put off the Hat at Prayer not to meet at the appointed Place and Hour c. Doth every man justifie the rigor of the imposition who obeyeth the Law Then a rigorous Law-maker may take away our Christian Liberty by commanding us to use such things too strictly yea he may turn Duty by too strict commanding it into Sin These are your unproved Premises D. O. 3. This conjunction in Communion by the Worship of the Liturgy is the Symbol Pledg and Token of an Ecclesiastical Incorporation with the Church of England in its present Constitution It is so in the Law of the Land It is so in the Canons of the Church It is so in the common Understanding of all men And by these Rules must our Profession and Practice be judged and not by any reserves of our own which neither God nor good men will allow of Wherefore § 4. TO the Third Premise I answer 1. The Church of England is an ambiguous word 1. As it signifieth a part of the Universal Church agreeing in Faith one God one Christ and all essential to the Church so we desire the honour of being parts of it 2. And also as it is a Christian
Kingdom under one King 3. And as it is a Confederacy of many Churches to keep Concord in lawful Circumstantials as well as Integrals In all these sences it is a lawful Association 4. But if any Church go beyond these bounds and on good pretences shall agree upon any error or evil it is a mistake to hold That all that incorporate with them in the Three foresaid lawful respects do therefore confederate with them in their error IV. Error This is your Fourth Error I will give you a general Instance and a particular one 1. You cannot name me one combined company of Churches from the Apostles days till now that had no error You take Episcopacy to be an error in the very constitution Name one Church from the 3 d or 4 th Century for a thousand years that was without it either Catholicks or Hereticks that were indeed a Church And must Christians have forborn associating with any of them Or might not own the good in their Associations without owning the evil 2. The Independents gathered a Synod at the Savoy and there among their Doctrinals or Articles of Faith laid down Two Points expresly contrary to Scripture 1. That it is not Faith but Christ's Righteousness that we are justified by when as it is both and the Scripture often saith the contrary 2. That Christ's Righteousness imputed is our sâ—le Righteousness Whereas the Scripture doth many hundred times name also our inherent and practical Righteousness I asked some yet living why they consented to these and did not rather expound the Scripture than deny it And they said That it was Dr O's doing Now doth it follow that every one that there conâ—ederated with you owned these errors The Churches of Helvetia are a very honourable part of the Reformed Churches They are commonly such as we call Erastian for no Discipline but the Magistrates Are ail that confederate with them as Churches guilty of this error 2. But I further distinguish between the many Parish-Churches and the Diocesan and the Church of England as constituted of such Diocesan Churches The Old Nonconformists commonly owned the Parish-Churches and the Church of England as made up of such but not the Diocesan This they openly professed It is therefore another of your Mistakes that owning the Parish-Churches and Worship is an owning of the present Diocesan Constitution Also it is your Mistake to say That Communion by the Liturgy is the Symbol and Pledg of the foresaid Incorporation in the Church of England in its present constitution V. Error It is only a part of the Communion commanded but no such Symbol VI. Error For 1. The Rulers openly declare that they take multitudes to be none of their Church who joyn in the Liturgy And it is subscribing declaring and swearing Obedience which is the Symbol yea they excommunicate many that come to the Liturgy-Service 2. And many come to it who openly disown the Diocesan present constitution So did as I said the Old Nonconformists and many Forreigners French Dutch c. that come over hither 3. If one may joyn in Communion of Worship with a Presbyterian Independent or Anabaptist-Church without owning the Errors of their constitution then so one may with a Parish-Church But c. You mistake when you say It is so by the Law of the Land You mistake again when you say it is so by the Canon You mistake again when you say It is so in the common understanding of all I formerly instanced in one of the sharpest Nonconformists Old Mr. Humphrey Fen of Coventry who would say aloud Amen to all the Common-Prayer save that for the Bishops by which all there knew his mind Whether it were right or wrong VII VIII IX Error I now determine not So here are Three more of your Mistakes 4. You make all other reserves of our own to be allowed neither by God or good men Here are two more mistakes 1. God maketh it our great duty to hold Communion with most X.XI. Error or almost all Churches on Earth with such reserves that is to own them in all that is good and disown all their evil tho their Laws command the owning of them without this reserve I would not joyn with yours or any Church on Earth that is If my Communion were an owning of all their faultiness 2. And it 's an immodest Error to say That none are good men that in this are not of your mind Is there any spotless Church on Earth or must we renounce the Communion with them all or reserve exception against their faults and misperformances D. O. 4. He that joyns in the Worship of the Common-Prayer doth by his practice make Profession That it is the true Worship of God accepted with him approved of him and wholly agreeable to his Mind and Will To do it with other reserves is hypocrisie and worse than the thing it self without them Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth Rom. 14 12. § 5. THis is your twelfth mistake and one that hath dreadful consequents 1. It contradicteth the express Profession of the Communicants who openly tell the World That they take not all in the Liturgy XII Error to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And you are not to feign a Profession of men contrary to their open Protestation 2. It is most direful to your own separating followers who by this are supposed to profess all your Worship to be wholly agreeable to Gods Mind and Will And so the honest well-meaning people are made guilty of all the Errors which you put into your Worship 3. It is contrary to your own former Profession That you could in charity communicate with Presbyterians or Anabaptists c. And so you approved of all the Errors of their Worship 4. It maketh it a down right Sin to communicate with any Church on Earth For all have their faults and errors even in Worship which you feign all that Communicate with them to justifie as wholly agreeable to Gods Will And to justifie Sin and teach men so to do and to father it on God are sad Aggravations such shall be called least in the Kingdom of God By this rule you would have separated from every Church on Earth that we have notice of for a thousand years yea and to this day and is not that near separating from Christ And when no man knoweth before you speak in prayer what you will say How shall any man that joyneth with you koow but he may be guilty of your Sin at the next Sentence 5. It is a breach of the ninth Commandment thus to charge all the Ancient Churches and Reformers and the Noncoformists with hypocrisie and worse than open sinning who have all communicated on the contrary Supposition 6. It is no friendly act to the Church to lay down such a Principle of perpetual Separation and condemning each others Communion and so to make the Communion and