Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n
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A43806
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The rites of the Christian church further defended in answer to the appeal of Dr. Wake : with a letter to Mr. Hill ... on the account of the Municipium ecclesiasticum, as also an answer / by Sam. Hill ...
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Hill, Samuel, 1648-1716.; N. N.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing H2011; ESTC R5805
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16,492
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62
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not only his Darlings the Sectaries his serviceable tools to Irreligion and Scepticism but even the Papists against whom however he inveighs sufficiently nay the very Heathens are very Lambs and Saints and another Anti-Ecclesiastical and Anti-Academical Lawyer of the same bran †Author of the Letter to a Member of Parliament c. and this discernibly enough tho' not so raging but more tect and sly in his Methods of Mischief Of this fraternity all along have been those worthy Monitors of the Convocation at their last Session and those raging Calumniators of it that malign it ever since because not waxen enough for some Mens Impressions Which sawcy Treatments if offered to the Guardians of our Civil Liberties would have brought the Adventurers under the Zeal and Inquisition of the State while the grand depository of Christianity is securely vilified and used as our Lord and Master which is however the greatest honour in the sight of God though otherwise intended by malicious and vexatious Men. And yet while open Enemies do us this dishonour we can the better bear it but to be betrayed trayed up to the scorn of all our Enemies by those that eat the same bread and drink of the same cup is that which calls back the saddest Example of horrour in this kind to our Remembrance and Resentments All which being considered will easily justifie the Municipium Ecclesiasticum from the suspicion of a causeless and incendiary Undertaking Nor can we think that even the Civil State will conceive any offence at it since they that undermine the Authority of the Church in Spirituals overturn the Superstructure of the Magistrates Interest in the Civil Conduct of Religion For no Man can think that a Secular Authority has a more Interiour Right in Ecclesiasticals than the Church its self and therefore the illustrious Author of the Essay above-mentioned has with the same hand destroyed all Civil as well as Ecclesiastical power in matters religious which when the State shall be at leisure to recollect it will no doubt be jealous for its own Authority in the most important Concern and when it shall appear that this is overturned by destroying the Foundations of the Church what will be thought of those Church-men that have supplied these Caitiffs with Match and Powder And if the Church shall not disclaim such Proditors of her own how can the State think that we will be true and trusty to the Civil Rights and Liberties of the Nation that are so negligent and prodigal of our own and hereby at once become the publick scorn and scandal But if we are not to sollicit the cares or sentiments of the State as to their own Matters yet we think we may be permitted to resent and correct the Insolencies of Clergy-men making all possible sail to preferment by a spiteful and contemptuous Carriage toward the supreamest powers in the Church who can traduce the use wisdom and gravity of all Ecclesiastical Synods in general (1.) Author of Christ Prine p. 306. by Reflections that will destroy as much the Authority of Parliaments (2.) p 317. not sparing any as far as appears of the great Constantines Synods (3.) p 307. for the sake of those that were corrupted purely on the Court Interest which he fraudulently conceals who in the times of Popery scouts the Convocations even when opposing the avarice of the Pope (4.) p. 195 197 198. as well as for asserting their immunities against the King upon the Authority and Injunctions of the Pope (5.) p. 205 350 to 356. and 298 to 303. while yet his own historical Deduction ascribes the first Introduction of the Papal Authority to the Acts and Contrivances of Kings against the Domestick Power of the Church on which however he passes no censure (6.) p. 178 179 181 182 186 187 194 195 197 199 203. above the bare relation of fact and an intimation of Weakness who beside all this is more Satyrical upon the Reputation of Convocations even now in a state of Reformation and vast Learning and Experience (7.) p. 42 43 82 112 270 271 272 297 316 317 320 325 329 330 337 343. Appeal p. 121. as if they were the most peevish untractable spiteful imprudent and dangerous Societies to Kings and States that can be imagined in no wise to be trusted but under Guards and Irons who can when no provocation is given not only vilify his Adversary and even at the same time pretend a tenderness in this point (8.) Dedi p 3 4. Pref. p. vij Book p. 5. p. 261 262 296 304 305 339 345 346 347. Pref. to Appeal p. xxiij xxiv compared with the whole malicious Book but even take occasion where none offered it self to render the present Clergy or a great part of them odious as Men quarrelsome and barbarous (9) Author of Princ. Pref. p. vij viij Book p. 332 333 334. hypocritically perjured for the sake of their Preferment and yet Seditious against the Government (10) p. 349 355. Dedic to Appeal p. 2. to which they have Sworn and some associated as if he were not contented with the fall of those unhappy Clergy-men who have sunk under false Notions and Principles of Allegiance but had an appetite to exasperate the Publick unto more discriminating and more distracting Tests in order to a more Numerous and Tragical Evacuation of Churches for certainly that Spite and Wickedness of surmise against such a supposed mischievous Party yet remaining in the Bosom and Communion of the Church can import no less that so we might have an History of the Persecution of the Church of England in all things conformable or in no wise inseriour to that of Scotland Hence is it that this Inhumanity of Design as well as Corruption of Principles has exposed it self to the just scorn and detestation of the Clergy of this Kingdom and there is no Charge in the Municipium equal to the Malignity of the Project And having thus given you as I think sufficient Reasons why such a malicious and calumnious Book should be refuted we think little need be said for the Municipium's being nameless to purge it from the imputation of Libellous For if a Book be good that concealment cannot impeach it if it be naught the prefixing a Name does not so much excuse the Libel as attest and aggravate the Impudence the Opinion of which the Municipium was willing to decline with those who would be sure or likely to reproach the Author with that Aspersion and if to avoid this Rock he has dashed upon the other he must bear his Fortune as well as he can and commit his Cause to him that judgeth righteously From these Provocations come we now to the Appeal it self to consider both the Exteriour Pretence as well as the Interiour Weight and Substance of it that so the Readers may be able by easie and obvious Views to discern its Pertinency and its Justice First Then
that they are contrary to the Principles establish'd and Notions receiv'd in this Church what does he else but betray his Church to contempt and confess that the Arguments in the Municipium have overthrown the Senses of this Church by Scripture Reason and Ecclesiastical Antiquity on which the Dr. was not able to reply one word To such Absurdities indeliberate Rages use to betray Men. From the Titular Form of this Appeal proceed we now to the inner Part and Body thereof if perhaps he has therein discharged himself from the Convictions of the Municipium which challenged him of two dangerous Principles one for disowning the Church to be a Society or to be endued with any Synodical Authorities till Incorporated into the State * Auth. of Christi Princ. p. 265 266 267. cit ap Munic Eccles p. 2 3 4. the other in asserting to all Christian Princes on the meer Right of their Magistracy all those Authorities in and over Synods Collected into the Nine Aphorisms p. 108 109. of the Municipium To refute the first Principle of the Doctor the Municipium spends its Eight first Chapters upon Reason Scripture and Antiquity and shews him that by this Principle of his he unwittingly denies the Unity of the Catholick Church to which so civil and benign are Men when baffled the Learned Doctor replies not one word But hereupon we must challenge him to Answer those Eight Chapters effectually or we must conclude upon his persistence in this Errour that he will obstinately renounce one Article of his Creed and one part of his Baptismal Vow and Liturgy the 8th 19th 20th and 34th Articles of our Religion to which he has given assent in all his Elevations the penal Consequences of which even in this World he may remember from those objected to the Municipium in this pretended Appeal In the mean however here being no defence made against these Eight Chapters for the Churches Divine Powers we crave Right and Justice of our Judges and desire a clear dismission as to this Article because this Synodical and Rectoral Authority in the Church before any Civil Incorporation is asserted also in the Testimonies and Authorities 1 Can. of 1640. Appeal p. 8. Dr. Heylin ibid. p. 88 89. Bishop Taylor p. 97. Bishop Parker p. 98 100. Dr. Falkner 103 104. Dr. Barrow p. 160. produced in this Appeal as well as by our 20th and 34th Article of Religion and 139th Canon So much then and so little for the first Matter charged on the Dr. by the Municipium come we now to enquire what he has done for his Nine Aphorisms which we must here transcribe with a little Verbal Correction and Expunction of the word Canons in the 7th because he pretends himself wronged in it tho' he that considers his 89th page referred to in the Margin of the Municipium will find that the word Constitutions imports the same with Canons and that every where else he Assigns a far greater Power over Canons than a bare Suspension of their Execution which yet he neither disowns nor dares to disown Municip Eccles Chap. 9. § 4. Now the Doctrine of the Dr. chiefly consists in these Aphorisms 1. 1 p. 14 41 48 76. That under the Dominion of the Christian Magistrate the Church has no inherent Right or Authority to Convene in Synods but what it derives from the express Concession of the Christian Prince 2. 2 p. 84 85 136 to 139 289 38 286. For that all Synods are but of Counsel to the Prince and entirely in his hands and so 3. Not any to be sent to the Synod but such as he shall allow nor 4. 4 p. 79 to 83 106 107 110 112 c. 132. When convened to Sit Debate Propose Deliberate or Conclude or Decree any Matter of Doctrine or Discipline whatsoever 5. 5 p. 44 53 54 71. Nor in any Form Method or Manner whatsoever save what the Prince admits and that 6. 6 p. 81 to 86 133. The Prince may Ratifie Annihilate or Alter all their Acts and Procedures or as many of them as he pleases and 7. 7 p. 85 to 89 125 126. Suspend the Execution of all or any of their Constitutions and Sentences 8. 8 p. 288. The Authority of their Acts being entirely and only his and lastly that 9. 9 p. 77 to 79 No Synod hath Right to dissolve it self without the Kings License Now these Aphorisms he pretended to support sometimes and rarely by interspersed Intimations or hints of Reason but professedly by Ecclesiastical History As to his Reasons they are all answered in the Ninth Chapter of the Municipium to which he has not given one Syllable in order to Refutation The Ecclesiastical History is reserved for a second Part only in preparation thereunto the Tenth Chapter does examine what Legal Grounds there can be to justifie Regal Interpositions in Synodical Concerns without which they must be taken for injurious Acts of Domination which Chapter lays down such Principles as will destroy all Pleas of general Prescription or Justification from those Acts of Princes which go beyond the Lines of Regal Authority allowed in the Munictpium p. 105 106 123 124. where a particular Contract with a particular Prince cannot be proved or well presumed But this is nothing to the general Right of all Princes for whom the Doctor would prescribe from some Facts recorded in History which cannot presume a Contract for all Princes with all Churches universally Now to this tenth Chapter laid as a bar and prejudice to all his Inferences for the general Omnipotency of all Kings in Spirituals what replies the Doctor Truly to be Uniform and all of a Piece not one Syllable or Gape But only shifts and juggles that he has said no more And defended no other Authority in the Prince meaning our King than what both he and we and every other Clergy-man of the Church of England have solemnly declared our Assent to and are obliged to our Power to maintain †Pref. to App. p. vj vij 39 Can. First Can. But this is nothing to the purpose for the Question is not what our Kings peculiar Prerogative is as King of England in Vertue of our Laws but what is the general Right of all Christian Sovereigns as such and hereof we desire a proof that we have Assented to all those Aphorisms and are bound to defend them to our utmost If this can be done 't will be a good Argument against us though not with all the World that have made no such Subscriptions not so much to assert Truth as to muzzle our Mouths But even as to our own King we desire that it may be proved accordingly to the second Aphorism That all our Synods are but of Counsel to the Prince and entirely in his hands and that as in Aphor. 8. The Authority of their Acts is entirely and only his and moreover that That we have subscribed an Assent and Promise to defend it This