Last of all I appeal to all sober Ministers whether they do not think that Episcopacy as now it is stripped and devested of all secular greatnesse and reduced to Primitive poverty might be as safely restored as any of their crude and new Associations in their severall stations and formations with their mutable moderators and temporary Presidents either in greater or lesser Circles which are but the thin parings small shreds and weaker shivers of Episcopacy whether they do not in their consciences think that some righteous and just compensation ought to be done to good Bishops and to the case of true Episcopacy which have suffered so hard measure a long time now in England that so we might not in this nation beyond any place in the Christian world cast eternall and indeleble reproches not onely upon this Church since its first plantation but upon the Catholick Church of Christ in all ages and places as if wilfully for ignorantly they could not they had from the beginning swerved from the Apostles prescript and example in the Order and Government Discipline and Authority which was to be in the Church of Christ I will not suspect any honest-hearted or worthy Minister of having been so base and sacrilegious in his Spirit as therefore to cry down Episcopacy root and branch new and old good and bad out of secret hopes of filthy lucre and secular glory expecting some benefit by plundring the personall estates of Bishops or by sequestring the revenues of their Churches or gaging to buy at last some good peniworths of them These temptations were so black and base so sordid and Plutonian that they may not be suspected of any Ministers or other men but those whose notorious actions have put them beyond all suspicion Presuming therefore in charity that those precipitant alterations in Church-Government which have produced so sad consequences and calamities in this Church were from principles of honesty and purposes of integrity in the best Ministers on all sides at first and finding now that the itch of former novelties is past and the pleasure of Ministers scratching one another is now very little because of the rawnesse and sorenesse of all their common conditions besides the distractions and confusions of ordinary people and foreseeing that this painfull posture is not onely very grievous to all honest Protestants but dangerous to this Church and Nation if they be not speedily healed Give me further leave to ask of the greatest Zelots and sticklers against all Episcopacy and the admirers of either Presbytery or Independency whether after they reflect upon the rough meanes used and the sad events which have followed the design of extirpating Episcopacy and introducing any other waies they do still believe was pretended that either the God of order or the Saviour of his Church who is the Bishop of our soules and the exemplary Institutor of Episcopall eminency in his chief Apostles for Power and Authority over all parts of his Church who accordingly transmitted their ordinary power and superintendency to others as Bishops or successive or minor Apostles in all Churches whether I say they do in earnest believe that God or Christ or the Apostles ever were or are such enemies to all Episcopall order and presidentiall eminency as hath been vulgarly clamored and passionately pretended so that now after 1600. yeares prescription and succession of Episcopacy in all Churches God is not to be pleased unlesse Episcopacy be extirpated and Presbytery or Independency as waies of parity and popularity be brought in Can they sufficiently wonder at the patience of God and our Saviour Christ that for 1500. yeares bare with Episcopacy yea continued it in the peaceable possession of Church-Government as to the Primacy and priority of it both in Order and Authority without any notable check from any Martyr or holy man T is strange that Aarons Rod should never bud before nor Presbytery challenge its Divine right in all that time nor Christ ever enjoy the freedome of his Kingdom and Scepter till these last and worst times Do they in earnest think that no Scripture no word of God old or new no precepts and paternes of the Apostles no Primitive practise no true testimonies of Fathers Councils and credible historians do any way favour a right Episcopacy further than they were misunderstood warped and wrested by all antiquity from the mind of God the will of Christ and the way of the Apostles onely to gratifie the ambition of some few Bishops and Clergy-men who made way for Popes and Antichrists T is strange all should conspire thus to eject Christ from his Kingdom and Government or to abuse the whole Christian world from holy Polycarp Polycrates and Ignatius his daies all Primitive Bishops yea from St. Johns dayes and yet none detect or decry the fraud none persevere in the first way if it were as is now pretended Independent or Presbyterian in the many shepherds or many sheep without any prime pastors and Governours among them as Bishops Yea further I demand whether their divisions at least into such a Dichotomy as they now are in be not a just jealousie to sober men that both of these novelties may be in the wrong since both of them cannot be in the right whether regular Episcopacy may not yet be as the virtue or medium between these vicious extremes which are made up either of parity popularity or of Tyrannick and Papall Episcopacy whether they now find that either of thse new waies have any thihg so much to plead out of Scripture for themselves as Episcopacy hath or the thousandth part so much out of any good Antiquity whether they be not pure novelties of later invention and unprosperous use hardly yet formed and never well setled in this or any other famous or Reformed Church that enjoyed its just freedom without the oppression of either sacrilegious Princes or heady and mutinous people Can any learned and sober Minister either Presbyterian or Independent now flatter himselfe that there is no light or shadow no shew of Reason or Religion of Scripture or Antiquity for Episcopacy Can they any longer wonder without ignorance or impudence that learned and moderate Episcopall Divines are so firme to their first principles and perswasions which are not easily answered or with any reason overthrown by any ancient example at least Episcopall men are very excusable in adhering to their ancient and Primitive way till they find these novell opposites to Episcopacy and rivals to each other so well reconciled by a firme Associating together as may wholly supply the Office Power and place of Episcopacy which yet they have not done as to the Order Polity Peace and Unity of the Church or to the satisfaction of the most learned and godly men at home and abroad Where I beseech you O my good and gracious brethren of Presbyterian and Independent principles where do you think were the Eyes the Learning the Wits the Hearts the Honesty the Conscience
upon your posterity If I had the opportunity to see your faces O honoured Gentlemen and beloved Countrey-men I should no doubt easily discover by the clouds and dejections of your looks what your thoughts fears griefs and sympathies are in the behalf of the Reformed Religion and the present state of the Church of England While some of Her destroyers walk with haughty looks triumphant spirits and threatning eyes You are full of tears sighs and sorrows to see the Church of England sometimes so amiable venerable and formidable for the beauty authority and majesty of Christian and Reformed Religion in it so much now divided impaired debased deformed and in danger to be destroyed And this after so many publick protestations so many specious pretensions so many pious precipitations so many Parlamentary heats and votes Ordinances and Acts to maintain the true Religion established in the Church of England After all which little other effects appear save onely these the hypocrisie formality coldness and unprofitableness of some Christians have been punished by the rudeness rashness fancifulness and uncharitableness of others who neglecting cordially to advance the great and joynt interests of Gods glory this Churches peace their own and others souls good have rather raised fomented small factions and carried on the poor concernments of different and divided parties in order to their own private profit and sinister advantages Hence hence these luxations distortions dislocations weaknesses deformities and almost dissolutions which have befaln the Church of England and the Reformed Religion once happily established professed and prospering in it which pejorations as to the piety peace and honour of this Nation no man that hath eyes to see and a heart to be sensible of can behold without sad and serious deploring While he sees not onely the outward order polity and harmony of Religion worsted torn and shattered but the inward bands of Christian love and charity so ravelled broken and cut asunder that almost all people in all places in Cities in Parishes in Families in Churches are full of bitter feuds envies enmities animosities and Antipathies Christians of different principles and parties do not love the presence or aspect of each other they look with jealous supercilious contemptuous evil eyes upon one another they do not willingly meet in one place nor correspond in civil affaires As for religious unity and mutual society they perfectly abhor as needles touched with the different poles of the load-stone any communion with one another in any sacred duties and Christian mysteries they thunder out Anathema's against each other they have different Churches or Bodies different Ministers and Bishops different designs interests different spirits and principles each studying as much to depress and destroy their rivals and dissenters as to advance their own sides and parties which dream much more of swords and pistels of fights and victories of blood and vastation whereby to set up that Empire and dominion which each affects in their new wayes of Religion than of humility obedience charity and other Christian graces The Evangelicall exhortations of Christ and his blessed Apostles to all Christians to love one another to live in peace to be of one heart and one mind in the Lord to speak the same things to walk worthy of their holy calling to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace to be gentle meek courteous tenderly affected forbearing forgiving one another these holy charms these pious and pathetick conjurings these divine prayings and charitable beseechings are much forgotten Those Scriptures which joyn faith and repentance zeal and meekness righteousness and true holiness piety and charity patience and perseverance together are practically interpreted as if they were meer Apocrypha unfit rules blunt tools weak engines to carry on the great designs that some pretend for Christ and His Saints who take their modell for a new Jerusalem more out of the dark descriptions of the Apocalyps than out of the clear revelations of all the Gospels and Epistles So that Christian Reformed Religion being very much resolved into fancy and faction there must necessarily follow great abatings not onely of Christian charity but even of morality infinite degeneratings as of mens passions and affections so of their actions from Christian sincerity to hypocrisie from common equity and humanity to mutual insolencies animosities cruelties Plead to some men Scriptures or Statutes lawes of God or man they reply Providences Power Successes urge the commandements of the second Table the holy Precepts the humble meek and orderly examples of Saints in Old or New Testament there are that retort new lights inward dictates spiritual liberty special impulses extraordinary cases In which they hold as once a person of very supercilious gravity also of versute and vertigenous policy a true Protestant Preacher who had passed through all shapes Episcopall Presbyterian Independent and is now ready for the metamorphosis of a Lutheran Superintendency he told me as his opinion That it is in many cases lawful for Moses to do what Pharaoh may not and for the Israelites to do what the Egyptians as men might not do that there are after the Gnostick principles which Irenaeus tells us of Gospel-liberties which holy men may sometimes take upon heroick motions and extraordinary impulsions upon their spirits fancies which those that are yet under legall bondages and restraints may not venture upon nor are capable of because they are psychici not pneumatici they may have principles of law and reason but have not the privy seal or warrant of Gods Spirit dictating or moving within them This was answered to me by that sage Dictator whose answers have more of the Heathen oracles ambiguity than of divine infallibility when I sillily urged those fixed rules of justice and unflexible bounds of equity and charity of righteousness and true holiness which I simply conceived were impartially given in the written Word of God to all mankind and specially to all Christians to whom that Word is now delivered and owned by them as onely able to make the man of God perfect to every good word and work Certainly it was ever esteemed strange Divinity among Orthodox Christians to hold that there are some special indulgences and providential temporary dispensations given to some sort of Christians above others to act at some times and conjunctures in such wayes as themselves must needs confess to he by the clear letter of the Law and word of God injurious unjustifiable and unwarrantable that is in plain terms unlawfull wicked and abominable which evils ought not in any case to be done that good may come thereby no more than Lot's daughters might lie with their father to prevent their barrenness or the defect of posterity Hence have followed those strange rapes which some mens lusts have endeavoured to commit upon the Christian and Reformed Religion against the known lawes both of God and man hence those presumptuous sins those enormous impieties
very vigilant and active doth then move most potently upon the face of our English waters when there is to be seen nothing but a sea of confusion a meer Chaos of the Christian and Reformed Religion Which feared deluge and by wise men foreseen devastation of the Reformed Religion once wisely established honourably maintained and mightily prospered in the Church of England is already much spread and prevalent among many people under the plea and colour of I know not what liberty to own any or no Minister any or no Religion any none or many Churches in England The visible decayes and debasings of the true and Reformed Religion in England as to piety equity unity and charity as to the authority of its Ministry and solemnity of its Ministrations are so palpable both in the outward peace and profession also in the inward warmth and perswasion that it is high time for all sober and wise men that love God Religion and their Countrey mightily to importune the mercies of God that breathing upon us with a spirit of meeknesse and wisdome truth and love humility and honesty he would at length asswage that deluge of contempt and confusion the troubled and bitter waters of wrath and contention which have over-whelmed the highest mountains of this Church over-topping by their salt waves and aspersions the gravest wisest most learned and religious both Preachers and professors of the Reformed Religion in this Church and Nation Which licentious insolencies have made all sober Christians so sick weary and ashamed of them that they cannot but be infinitely grieved to see and foresee the low ebbe to which the Reformed Religion in its purity and power must in time fall in England while the pristine dignity and authority of the Evangelicall Ministry is so invaded baffled and despised while the authentick derivation and Catholick succession of that holy power is so interrupted innovated divided destroyed while the reverence of primitive customes and examples is so slighted abated by fanatick innovators while the cords of Christian harmony and Church-polity are so loosened and ravelled on every side while the just honour and encouragements of learning and learned men are so much damped and exhausted while the Ecclesiastick Glory of this Nation which was its chiefest in being and owning it self as a true and Reformed Church of Christ is so much eclipsed to the great reproch of this present age and the infinite hazard of posterity which will hardly ever recover the honour order beauty and unity of Christian and Reformed Religion formerly enjoyed in this Church and Nation when once the Jewels of it the learned ordained orderly and authoritative Ministers of the Gospel with all their Ministry and Ministrations come to be either trampled under feet by Schismaticall fury or invaded and usurped by vulgar insolency which in time will rake them all up and bury them in the dunghill of Romish superstitions and Papal usurpations CHAP. XIX HOw far in humane policy or reason of State this popular liberty or rather insolency usurpation and anarchy in Religion is to be indulged I know not as not pretending to any of those depths of secular wisdome which will be found shallow at last if Gods glory and the good of mens souls be not in the bottom of them But thus far I conceive I may after so many years sad experience which all sober Christians have had of the retrogradations of the Reformed Religion in England appeal as to you who are the most generous and judicious persons in this Nation so to all prudent and well-advised persons of all sizes and conditions who are capable to weigh the true interests and future concernments of their Countrey and Posterity both as to Piety and Peace Honour and Happiness by way of an humble and earnest expostulation Hath not I beseech you this English world Prince and peasant Pastors and people great and small had enough both in cities and in villages of these late Hashshes Olives and Queckshoes of Religion in the mixture and dressing of which every foul hand must have a finger Do you not perceive a different face of Christian and Reformed Religion from what was heretofore in England when it had less experience of vulgar licentiousness but more true Christian liberty when in my memory most of yours Engl. was so full and flourishing with excellent Christians of all sorts young and old plain and polite learned and illiterate noble and ignoble in the Nobility Gentry Yeomanry and Peasantry whose setled judicious piety was the fruit of the labours cares counsels and inspection of those learned grave and godly Ministers both Bishops and Presbyters with whom you were blessed Have not all of you had enough and too much of these new flashes these fluttering squibs these erratick Planets these wandering Stars these pretenders to rarities novelties superfluities super-reformings raptures revelations and Enthusiasmes in Religion To all which you may easily see that a fancifull invention a melancholy pride a popular itching a profane spirit a loose temper and a glib tongue are very prone to betray men being as sufficient to furnish them in those trades as a little stock will go far to make up a pedlars pack yet have they so great confidence of themselves as if they exceeded not onely all former Christians all Ministers all Councils all Churches but even all holy Scriptures themselves whose darkness or incompleteness must as some men say be cleared and supplied by their speciall illuminations an old artifice of the Devil most used by those men and in those times which being most destitute of true reason good learning and Religion did most vapour of their visions and revelations their traditions and superstitions witness those Cimmerian Centuries or blinder ages of these Western Churches in which there were as many visions revelations and miracles daily obtruded on the credulous vulgar as there were Monasteries and Nunneries which in stead of Seminaries and Nurseries became dark dungeons wherein Christian Religion and Devotion were for many ages sadly confined and almost smothered with superstition idleness and luxury Have we not had enough too much of vulgar playings with piety of triflings with Christian and Reformed Religion of baffling abusing and abasing the Christian Ministry of buffetings of Christ of mockings of God by impudent pratings and insolent intrudings by confused rhapsodies and shuffling sanctities by endless janglings and refined blasphemies vented in some mens writings preachings prayings practisings so far from the light weight and height the sobriety sanctity and majesty of true Religion that they are most-what void of ordinary reason and common sense of equity and modesty of humanity and civility being little else but the froth of futile and fanatick spirits who blind poor people to enlighten them captivate them to make them free and ruine them under pretense of building them after new wayes and models of Religion sanctity salvation Have we not had enough of passionate transports popular
heavy sharp persecutions fixed by the solidity and patience honoured by the charity and constancy of Christian people even all these solid supports of Religion are sought by some men to be either sawn in sunder or to be cut into chips and shavings by their infinite scrupulosities by their importune longing after novelties by their affectations of Schisms and separations and usurpations Alas how many poor souls rather weak than wicked of easie heads yet honest hearts have in these later years since the vertigo of Religion befell this Nation ravelled out their time and ended their dayes in Obs and Sols in cavilling and contending in shifting their sides and parties in seeking and shaking in ranting and raving in quarrelling and jangling about their Religion What new models of Churches what new methods of worshipping God what new forms for Ministry and Ministers have distracted and distorted them while they have been picking and chusing what way they could best fancy and with most advantages follow Thus poor mortalls who have infinite sins to be pardoned and infinite wants to be supplied who have precious and immortal souls to be saved by the happy improvement of their short uncertain moment are by a pragmatick vanity continually itching and scratching while they should be cleansing and healing sceptically and miserably disputing and doubting while they are decaying and dying while they should in all piety and prudence by sound faith and serious repentance be doing that great work which is evidently set forth in the Word of God and faithfully delivered unto them by the Ministers of his Church Behold the terrours of death prevent them Eternity presseth upon them before they are resolved what side to take when to begin where to fix what to hold fast the flower of age passeth gray hairs are here and there giddiness in their heads stupor in their minds hardness in their hearts searedness in their conscience a Manichean dotage and delirancy seiseth upon them before ever they are resolved whether the Scriptures be the true onely and sufficient revelation of the Word and will of God whether it be their duty to live righteously soberly and holily in this present world toward all men whether this Church of England and all the Churches of Christ in all ages have not till now cheated them and all the world whether there be any Ministers in the Church of England that are duly set over Christian people in the Lord to whom they owe double honour whether they may not in some cases follow their own fallacious fancies and other mens flattering suggestions rather than the Scriptures plain and pregnant precepts in order to carry on the covetous ambitious factious fanatick and novell designs of such as call themselves godly whether they may not in some junctures of times and things when opportunity suits with their lusts and worldly interests dispense with Gods revealed will in his word that they may fulfill his secret will hinted as they suppose by his providences whether in order to advance the glory of God men may not sometimes break his express commands presuming that then they please God best when they most please or profit themselves as the onely people of God These strange scrupulosities or extravagancies rather in Religion do ordinarily not onely intangle but debauch the minds of common people when once they please themselves with inordinate liberties and ramblings in Religion which fill their heads and hearts with such snarlings and intrigues as resemble those deformed knots of burres which colts get upon their manes and tails when they run loose upon heaths or commons they are easily got on but very hardly shaken off or cleared mens interests lusts and passions once leavening their Religion and blinding no less than biassing their judgments it is not imaginable what sport the Devil makes with them and with what compasses and fetches of godliness he plays his game by them Have we not enough and too much hitherto in England of verball sanctity and titular Saints not after the Catholick Christian account which was Scripturall and orderly unblamable and charitable most imitable and honourable in an uniform and constant holiness full of equity and charity purity and sincerity but upon new notions names and factions We have sects of self-canonizing Saints as well as self-ordaining Ministers every petty Schismatick every solitary Seeker every extatick Quaker every Independent Noveller every Presbyterian temporiser each of these have learned of late to tip their tongues crown the heads of their parties with these precious names which are the ambition of Angels the beauties of heaven and glory of God himself And this they do not in a way of charitable communion and Christian emulation as allowing others with them an interest in that honour which I have the charity to believe some of the soberest in most of those sects may deserve but peculiarly and exclusively as if none that had or still have communion with the Church of Engl. either as Bishops or Presbyters or people ever had or have any right or claim to be called or esteemed Saints yea some of the most noysome weeds of late grown up in the garden of this Church the most vile polluted and profane wretches affect to style themselves the onely herbs of grace hereby causing the silly people to mistake hemlock for parsley and to gather hen-bane for hearts-ease Thus while either with great superstition many men scruple or with great pride they disdain to give the name honor of Saints to those holy men and women whom the judgement of the Catholick Church or the Scripture-Records have ever counted and called Saints yet they very superciliously and Pharisaically arrogate nay some monopolize these Titles to themselves and their comrades as absolutely and magisterially as Popes have done that of His Holinesse though they be never so black and abominable as some Popes even by Roman writers are reported to have been in the darkness and degeneracy of times very monsters of men and prodigies of all impiety such as Guicciardine describes Pope Alexan. the sixth a Father worthier of such a Son as Caesar Borgia or the Duke of Valentinois was than to enjoy so high a place of paternal presidency in the Church of Christ For what I pray can be more unsaintly than to desire yea delight and glory as some in England now do in most unjust and uncharitable actions in immoderate revenges in the poverties disgraces and dejections of their lawfull Pastors in the divisions distractions and destructions of that nobly Christian and Reformed Church in whose bosome they were duly baptized and instructed legitimately begotten wholsomely nourished and carefully educated as Christians and as Reformed to all excellent proportions of piety What is less Saintly than for Christians to mutiny nay rebell as S. Cyprian calls it against those reverend Fathers orthodox and godly Bishops and other worthy yea excellent Ministers to whom they and their fore-fathers do really owe themselves as
its strength and materialls from the Scripture its model manner and composure from the counsell wisdome experience and authority not onely of this Church of England but of the Primitive Ancient Catholick Church in all ages and places against all which few men had heretofore the confidence or indeed impudence in any grand part much lesse in the whole to oppose their private fancies and suggestions Now no petty people are so clownish or inconsiderable but they dare to cavil question or deny almost every point owned as Religion in the Church of England I shall not need to instance in the grand Mysteries of the Trinity Christs Divinity his satisfaction to divine justice in the resurrection of the body or the souls immortality nor yet in the point of Originall Sin or naturall depravedness and defects of the necessity of Divine Grace of Christians imperfection in the best state of this life of the right use of the Morall Law and the true bounds of Evangelicall Liberties All which with many other grand concernments of Religion are daily not onely ventilated and discussed but contradicted and denyed by many Modern Arrians Socinians Pelagians Antinomians Novatians and others besides the constant Controversies of Papists so far that nothing almost is left sound or setled among us nothing that any Minister can preach or practice as Religion but somewhere or other it finds much snarling quarrelling and gain-saying Every crosse-grain'd piece of pride or peevishnesse or ignorance adventures to bark at what they list yea to bite tear and worry the reputation and integrity together with the learning and ability of any yea all the true Ministers of England who are become miserable not onely by that great and unintermitted pains which they must take if they will be faithfull to their own and other mens souls nor yet by that biting poverty or tenuity of their worldly condition for the most part of them which is so hardly to be relieved by those dribliting pittances which with tedious attendings and shamefull importunings they can get in But beyond both these Ministers are in such a state of perpetuall inquietude as is like that of very poore people who are onely rich in vermine and so troubled with them that they are not permitted night or day to take their rest or to enjoy that sweet sleep and quiet repose indulged to all creatures by which they might sometime deceive their sore labour and forget both their miseries and their sorrowes For when all is done that belongs to a sober Ministers ministeriall duty and charge after indefatigable paines continuall studies invincible patience which like Ostridges must digest the iron morsels and manners of this age when despairing and made incapable of any honorary rewards in Church or State answerable to his gravity and merit every way he onely covets for some ingenuous rest and tranquillity under the shadow and protection of that Church and State which he hath a long time faithfully served yet then even in his age and at all times he must be summoned with daily alarmes and provoked to successive duels by all sorts of factious and fanatick Spirits new or old who list to be contentious T. though he be wearied and almost tired with the long and constant fatigations of his Ministery though he be almost naked and unarmed as to the polemick or controversall part of Divinity yet must he be compassed with Briars and Thornes frequently molested with the perverse disputes and endlesse janglings of those who have no reverence to this Church nor the Catholick Churches constant opinion or practise grounded upon Scripture and manifested by undeniable Tradition The Ministers of England are the common Butt at which every fooles bolt is presently shot If any be lesse apt for disputation through unwontednesse weaknesse depressions poverty and infinite dis-spiritings and so possibly lesse able on the sudden to defend that truth and that Church for which he hath dared to be a suffering Martyr and Confessour against the bitter arrowes and subtill Sophistries of his many-mouthed Adversaries modern Sectaries who make what use they can of the Philistines files and grindstones the wonted cavils sophistries and fallacies of the Papists and Jesuits against this Church the seeming disadvantages of any one Minister when he is publickly surprized and in the very Church assaulted by such impudent Antagonists these are presently voted among the vulgar as the totall rout baffle and disparagement of the whole Ministeriall order yea and of the Church of England As if none of its Fathers or Sons its Bishops or Presbyters so cried up heretofore for their excellent learning dexâ—â—rous fortitude were able to encounter these doughty Champions these men of Gath whose glory now is rather to defie and over-awe the Israel of God by force than to fight lawfully by the rules of right disputation from Scripture or Reason If the enemies of the Church of England would lay aside their Swords and Pistols their Troopers and Musketeers their Guns and Canons which have been so oft their Seconds and so alwaies a terror to the true Clergy of England if they would keep to the lists and weapons of Scripture and reason of Catholick example and constant tradition which armes are proper for Religious contests I believe they would be easily so matched in every point that they would have no cause long to boast of having the better of any Learned and Grave Minister who undertakes to assert the cause of the Church of England both in its Doctrine and Discipline Which is indeed assisted not onely by the Spirit and suffrage of all estates in this Church as Christian and reformed as ancient and modern but also by the wisdome and consent the judgement and practise of all the famous and flourishing Primitive Churches throughout the world so that the justification and honour of the Church of England depends not upon any one Ministers weaknesse or ability but upon that solidity juncture and conformity it hath in all the main parts of it with the Catholick Church of Christ in all Ages He that fights against one fighteth against all he must confute them all before he can justly condemn the Church of England which hath for so many years laboured between the Furnace and the Anvill under the restlesse files and hammers of its various Adversaries who have resolved sooner to die than to suffer the Church of England or its orderly Ministers to live in peace CHAP. VI. AMong other Sects that like swarms are of late risen up against the Church of England and its ancient Ministery none are more numerous petulant and importune none more busie bold and bitter than the haughty-spirited and hotter-headed Anabaptists For all of them have not at least shew not the like horns and hoofs some are persons of more calm grave and charitable tempers These novel Disputers against and despisers of all Infant-Baptisme whom no ancient Church ever knew no lateâ— Reformed Church but ever spewed out and abhorred
the Scripture as to the name Infant were then as obvious as now nor were there wanting heretical spirits of the Jews and Gnosticks who would have cavilled in this as other points against the true and Orthodox profession if they had not been so palpably over-born and convinced by the pregnancy of the Churches practise and judgement agreeable to the Apostolical Tradition in this point who without doubt had baptized many Infants some years before there was any part of the New Testament written which the Anabaptists so much urge that it had been an intolerable impudence to doubt or deny Infant-baptism or to oppose the after-letter of the N. Testament against the constant and precedent practise of the Apostles and their Successors whose actions were a clear and sufficient yea the best interpretation in the world of the letter of the Scripture in case of any thing that seemed lesse explicite or any way dubious Nor do I doubt but the Church was ever in this so far commendable as it was conformable to the Apostles practise and went upon the same grounds as they did not once erring so Catholick and great an errour as to apply a Sacrament to such as Christ never intended yea denied and forbad it as is pretended and onely therefore pertinacious in all ages after yea so stupid as not to be sensible of so grand an errour or misapplication that it might not be thought to have erred but rather the Church continued constant and without scruple in the doctrine of the Apostles and practise of Infant-baptism as S. Austin urges against Pelagius because they were assured from the beginning it was the mind of Christ which the Apostles best understood and according to which they did constantly practise the baptizing of Infants from the beginning where once the faith was planted in the parents the branches or seed being presently holy in Gods claim or covenant and by the childrens relation to them and to God so soon as the parents were believers and had by receiving the faith and being baptized been brought into the visible fold or flock of Christ The Scriptural Religious and rationall grounds which this and all true Churches went upon in baptizing Infants of believing parents not apostated or excommunicated were these which I oppose to the petty and capricious cavils of the Anabaptists as a mighty wall or bulwark planted with great canon against so many pot-guns or bulrushes CHAP. IX 1. FIrst The Church of God considered the nature of that Evangelical and perpetual Covenant which was explicitely made with Abraham and his seed also confirmed to him and his children by another parallel Ceremony or Sacrament namely of Circumcision which Sign or Seale being as the Anabaptists confesse long ago abrogated rather by the consent practise of the Church than any personal command of Christ that can be alledged who himself was both circumcised and baptized yet 't is certain that the Covenant still continues to Abraham and his seed as eminently contained in Christ by relation to him derived not onely to the Jews after the flesh but to those that are Jews inwardly the Israel of God or spiritual seed of Abrah as he had his name augmented and was to be the Father of many nations not by natural succession but by fiduciary imitation of his faith who is called and commended to Christians as the father of the faithfull whose priviledges Evangelical descend to all those who after Abrahams example do believe the Evangelical promises of blessednesse by Christ these being of the household of faith Abrahams children have right to Abrahams covenant the priviledges of his spirituall seed which reached as to the naturall sons of Abraham and their Infants Jews so to these imitative sons and their infants whom since no word of restraint or forbidding hath excluded from the relation covenant rights priviledges comforts Evangelicall once given to Abraham and to all the family of Faith there was no cause for the Church-Christian to exclude infants of believing parents from partaking that Evangelicall new sign and visible seal which is Baptism set to the ancient Covenant with which either Anabapt must affirm no Infants now have any thing to do no right to it or the benefits by it or they must think infants have this in so tacite blind implicite a way as they nor their parents have any visible sign seal and token of it now in the Christian Church unless they will fall to circumcise their children again who so obstinately deny baptism for that end to infants whatever they think of it as to those of riper years 2. However the Anabaptistick flourishes ratlings as to the crambe of their negations that neither precept nor practise is found in Scripture mentioning Infant-baptism make a great shew noise with common people of small capacities and short-sighted yet the Anabapt have no cause to flatter themselves that they are wiser than all those Divines of Engl. other Churches who can render valid cogent unanswerable both Historick instances and reasons for the Catholick practise of this all Churches in this point and these drawn from the twisted and concurrent sense of Scripture set forth in the words of Christ confirmed by his actions best interpreted by the constant practise of the universal Church as in the second Cent. Orig. tells us the Church alwayes used Infant-bapt which may not be thought to have erred from the Apostles practise in this any more than the Apostles did from Christs mind 3. So that the Anabaptists erre partly by not understanding the Scriptures partly by wresting them They wrest the letter of one or two places to an exclusive sense contrary to the meaning of many other which are inclusive of Infants upon very great reasons and to avoid many absurd consequences as to the state Evangelicall They urge against Infants Baptisme the Scriptures not expresly naming them in precept or practise We might as well urge for them the like silence of Scripture no where by name excluding forbidding or excepting Infants where in common sense they are included as in all nations whole families or housholds where they are either actually baptized or commanded to be baptized by the Apostles without any reserve limitation or exclusion as to Infants 4. The usual parallel also of Circumcision and Baptism which S. Paul urgeth and S. Austin oft observes is of great force to those who consider that this latter Sacrament or sign of Gods covenant to his Church-Christian succeeding to the former as to its end use and vertues may not in reason be thought lesse extensive to Infants in the Church of God than the former was nor may the Antitype be straitned short of the Type In this all the Jewes Church even Infants as well as others were baptized to Moses in the red Sea and the cloud so must all to Christ in the Baptisme of his Blood now in the Church
which was by that sea represented 5. Nor is it inconsiderable in this point the custome of washing or baptizing among the Jews as a religious ceremony used in admitting proselytes of the Gate which were not circumcised these were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptized with their whole houshold servants and children as the Talmudists report This usuall ceremony and custome of Baptisme chosen by Christ for an Evangelical Sacrament or sign of admittance to his Church may justly be thought in Christs use and intention to extend to the like latitude in its use or applying to Infants among Christians as it did among the Jewes especially where neither Christ nor the Apostles make any restraint or exception in the case of Infants 6. Who under the Gospel as S. Austin proves against the Pelagians are in as much want by nature of Evangelical mercy as they were under the Law and Jewish polity Nor is it to be imagined without great absurdity that Christ lessened Gods mercy or favour to them under the Gospel short of what was under the Law seeing they are every way as capable of this new Sign and Seal as they were of the former and want this as much which Origen urgeth as the ground of Infant-baptisme 7. Neither the Analogie of the Scripture nor the proportion of Gods dispensations of grace to his Church-Christian will allow us to think that God under the Gospel denies to believing parents or their children such latitudes of mercy and holy priviledges in the visible means of grace and salvation which were in another form afforded to the Jews that God hath no regard or makes no claim to children as his or any parts of his Church till they come to years of discretion that he would have the children of Christians while Infants now in no better state and capacity of his mercy by Christ than the children of meer Heathens and Infidels that either no Infants are now to be saved or not by the Blood of Christ or by no visible sign and means or by the Spirit alone without Water which Christ joyns together affirming that none can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven either the Kingdome of Grace or Glory the visible or invisible Church in the ordinary methods of Gods dispensation of grace now under the Gospel unlesse they be born again of Water and the Spirit 8. If children are capable to be sanctified by the Spirit they are no lesse capable to be washed by baptismall water which is consecrated by the Word and Spirit or power of Christ in his Church to so holy an use and spirituall washing away of sin as is attained by his blood represented by baptismall water for the sign is of less value than the thing signified as the wax and parchment are far less than the land or estate consigned and conveyed by them Since then Christ hath joyned these together in so full express and large a manner extending to all it must needs appear not onely a petulancy but arrogancy in any Christians to separate them and in order to gratifie a novell fancy or exotick opinion to run counter to all these proportions of Evangelicall Truth and Mercy which evidently crosse all those mentioned absurdities as inconsistent with Evangelicall promises favours and dispensations of grace which are much ampliated and enlarged but no way straitned or abated 9. This general tenour and scope of the Scriptures so highly favouring Christian Infants as a great part of those many nations and families which are prophecied and promised shall come in to Christ is in my judgement sufficient to satisfie all those that list not to be contentious especially where the words and actions of Christ do further expresly intimate yea largely declare his speciall favour indulgence toward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little Infants in his Church as Irenaeus justly urgeth in favour of them who lived anno 150. Christ having himself been an Infant and received then the seal of Circumcision as an Infant to denote his grace for them and favour to them suffering and shedding his blood in infancy for infants he afterward as three Evangelists tell us invited infants to come or be brought to him testified a favour for them blessed them and declares them capable of the Kingdome of Heaven as members of the Church both in grace and glory For as Infants have the spirit and principles of reason even then when they cannot exercise or exert them so may they have as Tertullian observes the spirit and principles of grace and glory of sanctification and salvation even then when they are as under Circumcision onely passive receivers not active employers of the grace of God given them by Christs merits The magnetick vertue may be communicated to a needle although it be not presently put into such an even posture or aequilibrium as will actually shew it so is the grace of God in Infants Which mercy and indulgence of God to the Infants of his Church is a gracious counterpoizing of that native misery and pravity which as Origen and Austin observe they derive from the old Adam to which they are not actively contributive but passively receptive In like manner by the second Adam Christ Jesus the Antidote or remedy is early and so preventive of their agency that as S. Cyprian urgeth the means of life and salvation is dispensed to them also in Baptisme before they can know their calamity CHAP. X. 10. ALl which weight and strength of reasoning drawn from Scripture in many instances and most conform to the love grace philanthropy mercy and benignity of God through Christ to his Church under the Gospel are sufficient to out-weigh those two small and weak cavils urged by the Anabaptists either from the Scriptures silence not naming Infants in the precept or history of Baptisme or limiting as they fancy for ever which was but in the first planting of Churches Baptism only to such as are taught and actually believe which is true as in Abrahams case and such as were men grown in his house he and they were first taught of God the meaning of that Evangelicall mystery but the Infants who in the second place received it could not be instructed and yet were circumcised that is owned for Gods dedicated to him distinguished by this visible sign from the children of Aliens and by this means of grace brought no doubt to glory so is it in Baptisme where the root of parents believing is once holy by baptismall relation and dedication to God keeping communion with Christ and his Church there the branches or children are also holy and belong to the Lord. 11. Nor is this reasoning from Scripture as to the harmony and concurrent sense of it either scepticall or curious or infirm but farre more pregnant and potent in Religion both as to faith and manners than any urging of one or two particular places contrary to this tenour and Analogie of faith or those proportions
were in it self free and indifferent so as men might be baptized when they will and so baptize their children sooner or later as they please deferring it as some of old did even to their decrepit age and death-beds because they would not sin after it if this were left to an indifferency which I doe no way think it is any more than all other duties of the Lords Supper prayer hearing the Word preached c. are which have no precise measure and limited time set because they oblige alwayes as opportunity is offered Gods favours and indulgences import mans duty to accept and use them as soon as the Lord offers them to us and ours though Baptisme be not as S. Cyprian tells Fidus confined to the eighth day after infants birth nor yet to the eighth year yet when it may be duly had in the way of Gods providence it may not be delayed to the death of the child unbaptized without a great detriment to the infant so dying and crime to the parents or guardians so delaying and by their sottish negligence depriving the child of that visible means of grace which God hath allowed in his Church both to parents and their children which is the judgement of Gregory Nazianzen one of the ablest Divines that the Church ever had As a due debt unlimited to any day of payment is every day due so the favours of God and priviledges of his Church not precisely confined but daily offered us and not accepted contract upon us a great sin either of unbelief under the means or affected negligence undervaluing and ingratitude toward Divine Mercies sins under which no Christian of a truly tender conscience will dare to lie seven yeares no nor seven dayes meerly upon the delayes and scruples of his own or other mens both foolish and sluggish hearts As that soul among the Jews was precisely cut off from the Church of God both parents and children who was not unlesse in Gods connivence and speciall dispensation as in the fourty yeares pilgrimage in the wildernesse circumcised the eighth day so may those among Christians justly seem to be cut off from the Church of Christ here and hereafter which do presume to slight neglect and so not at all use Baptisme to their children according as God gives them in the uncertainties of life both opportunity and conveniency Gods leaving some things to our choice discretion and ingenuity must not be any remission but an excitation to speedy duty especially in setled Churches where daily at least weekly opportunities are offered which if denied by hot persecutions the delay is more excusable and it may be in some cases commendable where parents have just cause to fear lest their baptized children shall never attain by their paternall care such education as is correspondent to their Baptisme In which cases I conceive it was of old deferred not because it was thought either unlawfull or undesirable in it self to baptize infants born in the Church but for feare of the mischiefs attending persecution and sometimes the parents were cold and negligent in their duty If I say the time of Baptisme were left to our freedome which it is not as I have shewed yet still the black brand and grosse impudence of such a reproch contempt and errour as the ruder and spitefuller sort of Anabaptists cast upon this and all other Christian Churches is most intolerable while they dare to re-baptize such who have been once duly baptized if it be indifferent when in their infancy which re-baptizing of such as were once duly baptized in the Church was ever judged as much a monster and most insolent in all Christian Churches as it would have been to renew or repeat circumcision among the Jews which was not so much in expresse letter of Scripture forbidden as made indeed impossible in nature nor is repeating of Baptism so expresly forbidden in the Word of God where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Baptisme is mentioned which place the Hemerobaptists or daily dippers slighted as indeed it is and alwayes was excluded by the interpretation tradition and practise of the Catholick Church which no more allowed any to be twice baptized in Religion or twice ordained to the Ministry than twice born in nature yea this fancy heresie and novell insolency was looked upon as the setting up of a new Gospel another Jesus and more Gods than one as the ancient Councils and Fathers alwayes determined even in the case of S. Cyprians candid errour Against whose judgement for invalidating and so repeating Baptisme where administred by Hereticks and obstinate Schismaticks the Councils both of Africk Europe and Asia determined upon the ground of Scripture and Primitive custome both as to the use of Infant-baptisme and the not repeating of that or any other true baptisme once received Both which being such Catholick determinations of the Church it is with me not in the least degree disputable whether I should chuse to conform to the Churches universall testimony constant practise and primitive tradition in this and other modern disputes as that of the government of Churches in larger distributions by Bishops above Presbyters and Deacons so the use of the Lords day instead of the Judaick Sabath c. which are conforme to the generall scope tenour and direction of Scripture or rather comply both sillily and shamefully with those modern captious novelties and perverse disputings of some private spirits of yesterday who dare to cast so great jealousies blame and dishonour upon the Catholick Churches of Christ in all ages and places as not onely to suspect but to proclaime them both socially and singly to have been either grosly ignorant or most basely unfaithfull as to what the Apostles had delivered to them for the mind and will of the Lord either by Epistle word or Example No I had far rather with humility and charity though in infirmity and ignorance conform to the Catholick Church in errours and mistakes not fundamentall or immorall of which it never was guilty nor will be rather I say than by proud and pernicious curiosity or by scepticall and schismaticall novelty either blemish the Churches Integrity or break its Unity Both which the Anabaptists ever have done and ever will doe since their first eggshell and spawning in Germany by their endlesse and peevish litigations touching Infant-baptisme which though to some it seem but a small and circumstantiall businesse in point of time yet the scorn contempt and abhorrency of the Sacrament as applied to infants is an errour as I have shewed of so spreading a venome and dangerous consequences that it tends to overthrow all that is or hath been of religious polity and power too of essence and order in this and all true Churches of which we have any record in Scripture or other Writers CHAP. XIII BEsides this poysonous and now so swoln errour of the Anabaptists in Engl. against Infant-baptism is further sowred by other seditious principles
without which the welfare of this polity and intire Nation both in secular and religious regards could not be preserved by honest Magistrates conscientious Ministers or wise and valiant Princes Yet as our wise godly and sober Reformers first and last did worthy of the Honour and Piety of this Church and Nation vindicate the civil and religious Rights of both in all necessary points and interests of Doctrine and Government so their charity was no less cautious and commendable than their courage in this that as they did duly reforme what they thought amisse and establish what they judged in Piety and Prudence best so they did not by any heat and fury of popular transport either unnecessarily or uncharitably affect to give any offence to the Romanists by such distances as needlesse and groundlesse Innovations must needs occasion either to that or any other Christian Church in the world with all whom they ever aimed by their moderation to preserve merit a Christian communion correspondency not intending to schismatize or separate from them or their Christian Predecessors as to any Christian band and tie of Christian Verity or Charity not as to any point of Faith Morality or Sanctity not as to any right Order and Catholick succession of the Evangelicall Ministry not as to that Apostolick Government Inspection and Authority which either was of old or still is preserved in the Roman Church or any other nor last of all did they intend to vary from them in those things of honest policy and decent ceremony which were most commended by the Prudence and Piety of Antiquity onely they retained and rejected as they thought most became this Church in the use of its Liberty in matters Ceremonial wherein the Roman as all Churches have like freedome left them to be used with that Modesty Conscience and Charity which becomes all Christian Churches without giving or receiving any offence as St. Ambrose long ago expressed his sense to S. Austin But the aim of our wise Reformers who rather chose to be Martyrs Confessors for the Truth than popular Praters or Compliers with State-policies and private interests was onely this to purge away that drosse and dust which Christs floor had contracted by slovenly labourers in his husbandry They cast away the chaff but retained the wheat well winnowed they reformed those grosse Superstitions in Prayer Sacriledges in Sacraments Superfluities in Ceremonies Usurpations as to this Churches liberty and authority with all blind Innovations of later date compared to true primitive Antiquity all which were as evidently discernable by the reformed or restored light of Learning and Religion which God then brought into the Christian world to be upon the face of the then Roman Church as the leprosie of Naaman was upon Gehazi's forehead if neither they nor we may be judges but the pregnant testimonies of holy Scriptures evidently setting forth the institutions of Christ the Doctrine and Practises of the Apostles and the primitive constitutions of Churches All these further cleared to us if any thing be dark or dubious by the joynt and concurrent suffrages of the first Councils the ancient Fathers and all Ecclesiastical Historians which together ought to be valued far beyond the sense or example of the Roman or any one particular Church as the immovable bounds and unalterable measures of true Religion as to the substance and essentialls of it Nor doth any particular Church though heretofore never so justly famous as that of Rome was merit the honourable name and title of Christs Church or Catholick but rather of so far Apostatick and Antichristian when the Pastors and People of it do not by insensible degrees unawares slide into venial errours and small abuses but after so clear a light and conviction as the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regeneration of Learning and Religion hath afforded these parts of the world they yet wilfully and obstinately persist to corrupt no lesse than pervert the Doctrine and Institutions of Christ Jesus who is the great Pastor of his Church and chief Bishop of our Souls whose voice all parts of it ought readily to heare and humbly to obey at all times without regard to the antiquity or prevalency of any errours or abuses in former times to which no time or use can give authority or validity against the first appointments of Christ which are every way as the ancientest so the best for Truth Comfort and Safety to any Church and to every Christians Soul CHAP. XVI I Shall not need here to enumerate at large and in particular points those many and great differences in Religion which make your and your posterities return to the Roman compliance and communion impossible if you have judgements to understand or consciences to act according to their dictates out of the Word of God understood in the sense of the Catholick Doctors and Councils of the first 600 years after Christ The work is already done by so many able Writers in this Church that it is needlesse to repeat and scarce possible to adde more weight to what hath been by them alledged to justifie their protestation against and reformation of the errours abuses and corruptions of the Church of Rome He that seriously considers the Fraud Falsity and Pertinacy of the Romanists in that one grand point the Canon of the Scripture which is and must be when all is done that Policy and Art can invent the main pillar and standard of true Religion cannot but grow very jealous of their honesty in particular points of lesser concernments when he shall see beyond all reply or forehead that they have in the Council of Trent under the highest Anathema's or Curses of all that differ from them assumed into the Canon of Scriptures divinely inspired written and delivered to the Church as the Word of God those Apocryphal Books which however we with the Ancient Churches value according to their Worth Truth Credit and use yet we receive them not into the canon or rule of Faith because we find for certain that neither the Greek nor Latin Churches of old neither Jews nor Christians Councils nor Fathers for 1400 years did ever so own or receive them Which Truth after many others and beyond any other if I may say it without envy is exactly and fully cleared of late by a person whose reputation formerly clouded by some popular jealousies as to his Sincerity and Constancy in the Reformed Religion of the Church of England deserves to have its true lustre for Love and Honour with every true Protestant at home as he hath abroad for that learned Industry Courage and Honesty which he hath shewed in that particular to assert the main hinge of Religion the Canon of the Scriptures against the Papists effrontery in that particular which hath engaged them in such a Dilemma as is hard to be avoyded by the greatest sophisters of the Roman party For if the Canon of the Scriptures be such as
once the North-wind ceased to fill its sailes Besides this Independency confining all its authority to a little body and narrow compasse of one Congregation hath a stroke or knack in it of greater popularity than Presbytery it self which having many heads and hands soon grew terrible to great men as well as common people threatning them not onely with one sword or scepter but with the combined force of many Presbyters and Presbyteries with appeales from one Consistory to another which looked like dew-rakes and harrowes armed with so many teeth that none great or small should escape them but he must needs fall under the first second third or fourth Consistorian Power either Parochiall or Classicall or Provinciall or Nationall new names and great words which common people would hardly learn in one yeare nor understand in seven Furthermore the Magistratick genius and Emperiall spirits of this Nation intending intirely to govern it both in Civil and Ecclesiasticall respects began in time to be better advised and so to be aware how they or the Nation fell under the Discipline of any Populacy or Presbytery whose Rods nay Scorpions castigated King James during his pupillage or minority in Scotland so severely that he could never forgive or forget their insolency to his dying day as he bitterly complains in his Basilicon Doron every petty Presbyter that had twenty Marks a year salary to live upon fancying himself a Peer not onely to the Lords but to the Prince himself This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many-headed Hydra of Government King James did and so might all wise men see cause enough perfectly to abhorre both in Church and State that it was not onely folly but madnesse to buy the experience of it in England at the charge of our own miseries when we had our neighbours late examples so near us that they were enough to have scared any wise men from such an hare-brain'd and plebeian Presbytery as King James and others describe specially the Learned Reverend and Impartiall Arch-bishop of S. Andrews who modestly sets it forth in his late excellent History of the Church of Scotland in its rise progresse activity and recesse which was a Government popularly at first extorted from Bishops Peers and Princes by a company of minute Ministers or petty Preachers whose extravancies the wisdome of King James after reduced to a well-regulated Episcopacy under which Scotland as well as England enjoyed I believe its best dayes Thus when Presbytery had lopped Episcopacy to the stumps in Engl. yea and thought it had grubbed it up by the Mattock and Pickax of the Covenant when it self from a small Shrub had set it self up began to take root and to fill the land against the will of the chief Cedar in the Forrest fancying it was now full of sap both of Divine and Humane Right as if it were in high favour both with God and man yet then it suddenly dwindled and looked so withered as if it had been Planet-struck or smitten with a sharp East-wind when indeed it was nothing else but the spirit of Independency and other Novelties which like Palmer-worms or Caterpillers secretly bred in every corner of the land and which have now also made their way even into Scotland it self sometime the great Scene and Throne of Presbytery now very tottering and much weakned as to that part of affected soveraignty in Church-affairs Nor is this young tall and seemingly so thrifty shoot of Independency which is yet but slender and more run up in height than spread in bulk this is not so firmly fixed that it cannot be removed having little root in Scripture or in the true reason of Government and Polity nor more in any Church-patterns or practise of Antiquity being like Jonah's gourd the child of a night of yesterday in comparison of Primitive and Catholick Episcopacy yea and a younger brother to Presbytery which was but a modern shift used among some Reformed Churches when they could not have as they desired Reforming and Reformed Bishops to rule them for else they had never God knows dreamed any thing of such a Presbytery as should tend to the extirpation of Apostolick Episcopacy Nor is Independency with all its easie rootings and windings in our loose and broken soyle of England as yet far spread in the judgements of the most learned grave and sober persons of England looking upon it as incongruous in its Novelty Feebleness Factiousness and popular temper to the Genius and interest of the English people who are never to be long or well ruled by those whom they think their equals or inferiours Even Independency it self which hath a pretty soft phrase and easier cords to bind people together in small bodies will in time find its weaknesse in it self and betray it to others whence will follow other variations from it oppositions against it and contempts of it Who knows what way fierce Anabaptists ambitious Millenaries Seraphick Familists rude Ranters and silly Quakers wil affect for their Church-government or any other new and yet namelesse Faction which may hereafter be spawned more agreeable to the vulgar humour which loves greater Latitudes Indifferencies Loosenesses and Cheapnesses of Religion both in Opinon and Practise than learned and modest Independents will allow Who sees not how much the uncivil confidence and childish clownery of Quakers takes with the vulgar beyond any thing while to set off their Enthusiasmes with a greater emphasis they affect a rude and levelling Conversation with a familiarity of Thouing their betters and superiours at every word fancying great holinesse in their simple and superstitious Yea and Nay which are not the sole and confined but onely the shortest expressions of true and honest meanings disdaining to use any signs of Duty common Courtesie or Respect which by the Laws of God and man are due to Parents Equals or Superiours according to the gentle courteous and humble behaviour of all Christians in all Countreys and Ages yet do these sort of new leaders pretend they come nearer to Jesus Christ and to God because they have no respect of any persons but themselves and no doubt in order further to relieve their Necessities and Obscurities these men would be content to have all things common after the fashion of primitive Charity when the Churches necessities had an empire of love not force over particular Christians proprieties These and the like discriminations of parties in Religion which are but lately grown out of the distempers of the Church of England as wormes out of Job's sores or dunghill have already not onely their Founders and Patrons which must be almost deified by their respective Disciples but they have also their grand Masters Abettors Propagators Followers and Champions each challengeth to themselves the titles of Christians Saints godly people the Church c. not as good fellowes in a charitable community and Catholick correspondency but in a supercilious reserve almost excluding all others and unchurching them who are not just of their
rewards of Valour Learning Industry Parts and as they think of Piety it self onely or chiefly bestowed on those that adhere to and symbolize with the prevailing party which is the onely rising side all others despairing to rise till the great Resurrection unlesse by power or policy they can undermine or overthrow the predominant faction In these nests of Religious differences and zealous emulations are the eggs of all civill discontents popular seditions and pernicious rebellions commonly layed and hatched to the infinite hazard and many times utter ruine of civill States which are never so safe as when all parts of them like the parts of a globe or sphere fairly correspond with each other by the unity and intirenesse of the same Religion whose content or orbe is the holy Scripture whose centre is Gods glory and whose circumference is Christian love unanimity or Charity without any of which Religion is but a Rhapsody of mens opinions passions and ambition From these holy confinements when once Christians come to divide as to their Religion they soon fall to defie to destroy yea to damne one another Every party hath such high paroxysmes of zealous hopes and presumptions for their way that they presently ascend Gods Throne and Christs Tribunall severely judging all men but themselves which judiciall and uncharitable arrogancies have as we see at this day not onely in England but in all the Christian world so filled and inflamed mens minds with cruell counter-curses and angry Anathema's against each other that if Gods last doome should echo after the clamours and censures of Christians passions we must all be damned every mothers child of us notwithstanding that we all professe to believe and serve the same God and Saviour If not every particular person of each party who may have more moderation and charity yet to be sure the froth and scumme the populacy and vulgarity of them which are alwaies boyled highest these mutually condemne each other not to a Purgatory or a Limbo onely but to a very Hell of infernall and eternall torments Thus many Protestants utterly damne all Papists as if God had no people in that Babylon of Popery the Honesty Humility and Simplicity of whose Faith Works and Hearts may bring them out of the contagion of Romes Plagues Policies and Superstitions Papists on the other side universally damne all Protestants though they hold all the ancient Creeds and Articles of Faith though they practise all Christian necessary duties and keep to the Primitive Order of the Catholick Church onely because they will not tye the keyes of Faith Conscience Scripture Religion and Church-Government to the Popes girdle or absolutely submit to him in a blind obedience against Reason Scripture and History as to the surly Jaylour rather than the safe keeper of Christian and true Religon In like manner the violent Lutherans call the Calvinists Devils and the passionate Calvinists defie the Lutherans as luke-warme Protestants and smelling too rank of Rome Look to the eager and acute Arminians the Socinians the moderne Pelagians the Anabaptists Catabaptists Familists the Seekers Ranters and Quakers As the Independent Presbyterian and Episcopall hands so these are generally full either of firebrands from hell or thunderbolts from heaven which are eagerly cast by the more violent Spirits in each others faces as Hereticks or Schismaticks as Antichrists and Hypocrites as deceived and deceiving Nor will the Zealots and bigots on any side make any great scruple if they have power to destroy those whom they account no better than desperate and damnable even in their Religion Amidst and against all which factious discriminations of Religion every Nation and Polity which either is or would seem to be wise must seek to preserve its safety by establishing some Uniformity and Unity in its publick profession For no nation is farre from misery that is pestred with variety of Religions and is fixed at no certainty The sad example of this Church and State of England besides our neighbours is an instance as unanswerable as palpable for the Church of England stood Neuter as to all the sides and factions of Christendom yet held so far Communion with Greek and Latine Reformed and Romane Lutheran and Calvinian Churches as it saw they held communion with the Scriptures and with the ancient Catholick Symbols or Councils which were the best boundaries of Christian Religion It had if not more yet as much Solidity and Sincerity Piety and Proficiency Gifts and Graces Charity and Moderation Order and Good polity as any yea all of them farre lesse of Partiality Popularity Novelty Oppression Superstition and Confusion than almost any one of them while the favour of God and man shined upon her strangely blest with Peace Plenty Honor and Prosperity while it kept its Ecclesiastick Order and Uniformity in Religion which was the chief soder or cement of civill Tranquillity This Palladium once stolne away by the Jesuitick subtilties and other factious policies how have the Temples and Towers of our Troy the Churches and Palaces of our Jerusalem the Oratories and Houses both of God and man falne to the ground not with their own age infirmity or weight but battered and subverted chiefly by those Engines which factious fury and devout ambition puts into all mens hands upon the score of their Religion a fate which still threatens all the remaines of Religion and Peace that have yet escaped if God be not so mercifull to this Land as to shew us some Balsam that may heale the Divisions and Wounds of our Church and Religion which will easily fester and inflame the body politick of any Nation for civil Peace cannot be firm where publick Piety is not sound and setled nor can any Kingdom or Common-weale be established in which true Religion is either baffled or abased by being divided and distracted But suppose that you O my Noble Countrymen and your posterity should enjoy a moments miserable prosperity and a pitifull kind of peace meerly upon the account of a meer Mahometan power and Gladiatorian Prevalency of one side possibly over-awing all other parties and pretensions of Religion or so counterpoising them by secular policies to some consistency as doth rather distort and depresse than advance or encourage the progresse of that true Piety and Christian Charity which are the surest marks of Christianity and of Gods favour to any people yet I presume you are so piously prudent as to consider First that such worldly tranquillity and prosperity are scarce worth owning or enjoying apart from that sweet harmony and fruition which goes with true Religion and flowes from it when it keeps the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace when its sacred oyntment is diffused from the head Christ Jesus not onely to the chief members of his body but even to the skirts of his clothing the use and capacity of the meanest believer in an holy Unity and happy Uniformity not onely of true Doctrine but of comely Order and charitable
constant judgement and generall practise of the best of those that were and are of the Episcopall judgement and hold Communion with the Church of England For these do according to the pious and prudent appointment of the Church of England not onely professe but strictly injoyne and seriously exact of others as they practise themselves First competency of sound knowledge in the fundamentals of Religion as to faith and obedience to God and man which may be saving though it be but plaine and no lesse sanctifying and sincere though it have lesse of that subtilty curiosity and sublimity which some preachers pretend to and exact of their Seraphick Disciples who must seem to fly before they can well go Secondly the Episcopall Clergy require pure hearts good consciences faith unfeigned charity without dissimulation an holy and orderly profession and in summe an unblamable life becoming the Gospel In cases of grosse ignorance and reall scandall they abhorre and avoid as much as any to admit men profana facilitate with a profane easinesse as St. Cyprian speakes to the profaning of the Lords body and Blood They do not knowingly and willingly cast pearles before swine or holy things to dogs as the same Father speaks No the learned and Godly Episcopall Ministers are and ever have been as zealously intent as any to preach the Gospel plainly powerfully to all to Catechise and instruct diligently the younger sort to examine carefully the first candidates and expectants before they are entred into the list or Catalogue of Communicants or admitted to the Lords Supper being self-examiners as to their faith repentance charity sincerity they exhort admonish comfort reprove yea suspend and refuse some according to that power which their place and duty requires of them Not that they love or affect to be either arbitrary sole or supreme in their censures and suspensions or excommunications well knowing both their own passionate frailties and other mens touchy impatiencies and therefore they desire and are glad to be guided and governed by others as under authority both to be asserted by and responsible in all things to them as their lawfull superiours to whom appeales properly may and ought in reason to be made either by themselves or any of the people in cases of Ecclesiastick injuries by excesses or defects As for speciall grace and effectuall inward conversion which some men now so much urge as the onely mark of their Members and Disciples the Episcopall Ministers do as earnestly pray for it and zealously labour to effect it as workers together with God in peoples hearts as any the most specious Presbyterians or Independents They are heartily glad to find any signes or shewes of grace much more any reall fruits and effects of Gods Spirit in Christians lives and deeds as the most pregnant tokens of true grace and the best grounds of the judgement of Charity but they do not pretend to any spirit or gift of infallibly discerning grace in other mens hearts nor do they affect either to make or to glory in impossible scrutinies into mens consciences nor do they Pharisaically and pragmatically exercise Magisteriall censures either alone or with others in any consistory conventicle or congregation of Elders or Priests or People as to those inscrutable points of true grace or of the Spirit of God in mens hearts which is the secret of the Lord conceiving that the visible polity and outward communion of the Church of Christ do not depend upon any such characters or discriminations of grace which are inward and invisible known to none but Gods and a mans own spirit but upon such a confession with the mouth and profession in the outward conversation as are both discernable by mans judgement of charity and approvable both in reason and Religion as sufficient grounds for Church-Communion according to the example of Christ toward Judas and of the Apostles toward Simon Magus both which were admitted to visible Church-fellowship to the Lords Supper and to Baptisme not for the true grace they had but for the outward confession and profession they made to believe in Jesus Christ and to embrace the Gospel Whereas the inward grace is as easily pretended by specious Hypocrites as it is believed by credulous Christians when they list to comply with and flatter one another in the way of soft and formall expressions or of false and affected Language which may easily have God and Christ grace and Spirit on mens tongues when these are far from their hearts Da populo phaleras lay aside the late fine words and flourishes used by some Presbyterians and Independents who would seem more precise and devout than all other preachers come to solid truths to holy lives to good works to self-denying and mortifications of potent lusts as the best discoveries of gracious hearts God forbid any of them should in these grand and costly realities whatever cheap formalities or phrases others affect go beyond the practise and experience of worthy Episcopall Divines and other Christians of their adherency and communion who hardly believe that these very professors of such new modes of Religion these exactors of new rigid experiments as to inward grace as if it were to be tried by mans day or Tribunall do in earnest find themselves much improved in any Spirituall gifts graces or comforts since they peremptorily forsooke the Communion of the Church of England In opposition to which they have had either no Sacraments for these twice 7. yeares or onely after such a new way of partiall discriminations as lookes very like uncharitable schisme censorious and imperious faction Divines of the Episcopall perswasion do indeed modesty and humbly content themselves with the Scripture discoveries and Primitive characters of Saintship with what then first intitled Christians to a Christain visible communion or Church-fellowship as Saints in profession They count it no shame to be sometimes charitably deceived as to true grace in others but a great sin and shame to be uncharitably censorious flatteringly confident of some and needlesly severe to others They see that the pretenders to be so great criticks in this new way of trying either Ministers or Church-Members are many times grosly and childishly abused by some mens crafty insinuations and pretensions otherwhile they are unchristianly rigid and incredulously severe against other mens sober professions and unblamable lives They well know that mans eye can look no further than the outward appearance the polished case of mens confessions conversations God onely looks into the Cabinet of mens hearts and consciences They judge it a great pride and popular arrogancy in such pittifull men who were and are but very obscure Masters in Israel to set up this new court or inquisition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heart-discoverie which is a very High-Commission indeed yea a very high presumption when poor men have no such Power Authority or Commission given them from God no precept or pattern in Scripture where we know that
Nice Ephesus Chalcedon and Constantinople besides many other Provinciall and Nationall Synods in Asia Africa and Europe also here in our Britany of which the most learned Sir H. Spelman hath given us a liberall account as Sirmondus of those in France where I say they were lawfully called by the chief Magistrate or freely convened by the Bishops consents and impartially managed with the feare of God and love of his truth so as becomes men of learning gravity and good conscience in so grand concernments as import the peace of the Church the satisfaction and salvation of mens soules in these cases it cannot be denyed nor sufficiently expressed with how happy successes God hath alwaies blessed those meetings their pious results and peaceable determinations being the votes of that publick Spirit of Christ to which the private Spirits of all true Prophets and Preachers no lesse than of Christian people will as they ought be subject Truth and Peace have for many yeares after flourished in those Churches that have been most blest with the frequency of such Synods As frequency of Parlaments when they are as they ought to be the highest fullest and freest Counsel of the Nation is the best preservative of our civill peace and of the vigor of our Lawes so would frequent Nationall Synods rightly constituted and managed be as I formerly demonstrated the best Conservators of the purity peace and proficiency of our Religion as Christian and Reformed When Convocations of Ministers should meet and sit not onely for forme and fashion to be the Umbra's of Parlaments to put on their gownes to tell the clock and to give their monies but to look seriously and effectually into the state of Religion that it suffered no detriment by any practise or pretention by profanenesse or superstition by any defects or excesses under the colours of affected novelty or antiquated Antiquity if the hand that held the scale and standard of Religion were here fixed by Authority that Nationall Synods should be the Conservators of Religion it is not imaginable how much all worthy Ministers would study to improve their studies and imploy their parts to increase their gifts and graces that they might be meet helps in so grand and publick services for God and his Church such as now are like bitten and over-dopped shrubs would then grow to the procerity of tall trees and goodly Cedars What is there so great so glorious so usefull so advantageous for Religion and the good of the Church that might not here by many acute eyes diligent hands able heads and honest hearts be effected 1. How might all new opinions which the luxuriancy of mens imaginations are prone to conceive and bring forth it may be with no evill minds as honest women oft do monstrous births be here timely and duly examined and either smothered or allowed to live being either fully confuted or seriously confirmed 2. How might the purity solidity and profundity of true Doctrine here be contained and maintained as the waters for the Temple were in the brasen Sea 3. How might the first Catechisticall principles or foundations with the second and third storyes of Religion be here methodically digested and prepared for the use of all sorts of people younger and elder 4. How noble an appeale and impartiall a Sanctuary would both Doctrine and Discipline here have which none could in reason or modesty either wave or refuse 5. How might the Devotionall parts of Religion be here admirably composed and so disposed as might supply both the infinite defects which have followed the late indirect Directory and the apparent wants which are found of a fitting publick Liturgy The disuse of which hath not onely exposed the solemnity of publick Prayers and Sacramentall consecrations to each private Ministers Spirit and abilities but to his defects disorders excesses errors indispositions and extravagancies yea they have brought a very great neglect of publick and private duties among all people through the ignorance and indevotion which is grown among us Further they have occasioned infinite partialities whisperings tumults strifes disdaines and divisions among all sorts both of Ministers and people who have not onely the word of God but the water and the blood both the Sacraments of Christ in great respect for mens persons parts and gifts One Minister will have Sacraments another will have none one is cryed up another cryed down as consecrating and officiating better or worse than another one is very long flat and tedious another too short obscure and concise one affects such strange words and odde phrases in his consecration and distribution as either amaze or scandalize the receivers which I have known some Ministers do all by their own either constant or occasionall formes others covet to imitate the patternes and expressions of leading and popular Preachers I humbly conceive much good might be done even in this particular if all Ministers were tyed to use some one grave devout complete and emphatick form such as should be established with all due regard to the former Liturgie and yet permitted with that to use what further prayers and praises they thought convenient or their fervent hearts moved them to for their own and their peoples occasions of the discreet performing of which they should have other judges besides themselves who should not suffer them to be tedious extravagant or impertinent 6. By such Synods moving in a constant orb or fixed sphere how easily might a noble Commentary upon the whole Scripture be composed and commended to the use of this Church for the clearing of the Scripture-sense and meaning and for confirming the Readers of them in the true faith which many not understanding with the Eunuch wrest to their own destructions for want of an interpreter For neither Geneva notes nor Diodates touches nor the late endeavours of some of the Assembly do in my judgement come up to that light and lustre which would be required and might be attained in so admirable and usefull a work whereto much good materialls are already prepared by the excellent labours of English Divines upon most parts of the Scripture To this Commentary might be added such directions for Readers more at leisure as might commend to them those excellent English or other Authors who had wrote well on any one book or chapter or verse with reference to the most remarkable Treatises or Sermons which have been set forth in the Church of England which beyond any Church ancient or moderne had a fulnesse of such spirituall gifts or prophesying powred forth upon it which are now generally shrunk and withered much abated and quite buried chiefly for want of such publick imployment improvement and incouragement as Ministers are capable of and aptest for 7. By the concurrent influence of such publick Counsels all difficulties in Doctrine Discipline and Church-Government might easily be maturely debated gravely resolved exactly stated and wisely composed 8. More compendious cleare easie and constant waies of instilling Religion
late Archbishop of Armagh and Lord Primate of Ireland whom I reckon as ours because not onely his ashes and mortal remaines are deposited with us but he lived his last yeares of exile and ended his mortality amongst us in Engl. where besides his constant paines in Preaching even to his last he hath left us many of his Learned works which are enjoyed by and highly esteemed of all worthy men who were blest with the example of his great and unspotted worth which no envy no malice can I think be so impudent as to blemish With this rare and Reverend Prelate this great and gracious Bishop I was rather happy than worthy to be acquainted many yeares so far as to be able more neerly to discover his genius and temper both before and after the storme of blood and Massacre in Ireland had driven this holy man to fly from that Terra irae Dei land of Gods wrath and to take such Sanctuary or shelter as then he hoped might be had in England for Protestant Bishops where he little thought good man he should have found some Protestants in England as fierce to undoe and destroy their Bishops though of the same Reformed Faith and of unblameable Profession as the most Jesuited Papists were in Ireland who were and are sworne enemies against them not as Christian Bishops but as of the Reformed Religion which had nothing in it more Primitive Illustrious and Honorable than this that in England it shined with the glory of those Apostolick Stars Godly and Venerable Bishops which did not depend on the Pope of Rome The reall excellencies of this Bishop every way were such that they exceeded all ordinary measures of humane commendation and capacity extending to something of admiration or ecstasie None but those whose minds are enlarged to some proportions of his accomplishments can be able to comprehend his worth and amplitude so vast so transcendent so astonishing was his Learning and Understanding in all kinds of knowledge Divine and Humane that he was as the Cynosure by which all great Divines steered and as the Sun-Diall by which all great Scholars set their watches Much of this Treasure was discovered in his writings printed and not yet printed of all sorts both of greener and riper studies in all which he was exact and complete He wrote as he studied not in the beaten paths of Plagiary Compilators or Systematicall Collectors as Scriba doctus ad regnum Caelorum but he brought forth out of his large heart and vast reading new as well as old things of rare hidden and untroden observation even out of Manuscripts which scarce any but his Eagle-eye had seen and but few could read All which he judiciously collected methodically disposed clearly explained and aptly applyed yet it was with him as with copious and living springs the least part of his innate acquired and unexhausted fulnesse was to be discerned by any of his outward emanations So accurate was he in all usefull and Learned Languages Occidentall and Orientall so cleare a prospect he had of all History and Chronology of all Controversies ancient and modern that nothing escaped him nor was he onely as a Reader and Spectator but as a Judge and Censor as an Arbitrator and Dictator in Disputes as one that sate in a Tribunall of Soveraigne Learning above all Nothing was new or hidden to him in Philology Philosophy Geography Astronomy Mathematicks and least of all in Theology or Divinity he had conquered all others but in this he Triumphed which was the Trophee Crown and Center of all his other studies There was scarce any Book printed or Manuscript worth reading in private or publick Libraries throughout all Christendome which he had not read either in the Copy or Originall and digested into the method or designe of his studies yea and to a miracle remembred as to the maine contents of it To the Immensity of his Learning there was added excellent principles of Politick prudence as a Governour of the Church and as a Counsellour of State wherein he was conspicuous not for the crafty projects and practises of policy or for those sinister waies of Artifice and Subtilty which are the usuall unreasonable Reasons of State the so admired depths of devillish Hypocrisie but indeed the flats and shallowes of all Truth and Honesty no the Measures and Rules of his Politicks and Prudentialls were taken from that great experience he had gotten and many excellent observations he had made out of all Histories as well Humane as Divine though he alwaies laid the greatest weight upon the grounds and instances of holy Scripture which gives the truest judgement of wisdom or folly These great abilities managed with so much Piety Prudence and Integrity could not but make this Bishop as fit to be a Counsellor of State for so he was in Ireland or a Privy Counsellor to his Prince which other Bishops were who lived in England as any of those Misepiscopists were who most envied and denyed that honour to this or any other Bishops with whose sufficiencies few of their enemies the chiefest of whom I well knew were to be compared either for Wisdom Gravity Goodnesse Learning Experience and Eloquence or for that Sanctity Severity and Integrity which make a complete Counsellour All which are hardly learned by the juvenile Gallantry of a little travelling or by seeing many Men or by courting many Mistresses or by passing through many Cities and Countries in a negligent way or by wearing ample plumes on mens heads or by shewing fair clothes on their backs or by fanciful and affected conformities to all the modes and fashions which may be observable in forreign places all which Leven do usually so puff up many young Gallants who glory most in their Nobility and Gentry with Amorousnesse Futility Vapouring Vanity and Folly that it is a long time before they can throughly decoct them or settle themselves to that clear and serious study of Piety and Policy of Wisdom Divine and Humane which onely can furnish out fit and able Counsellours of State who are to be not onely as the Eyes Guides and overseers of the Publick but even of the Prince whose hand of power if he be wise will steer according to the Card and Compass set before him by his Council which cannot be good if it be not godly nor prudent if it be not pious So that it is not onely my wonder but it will be so to all Posterity what should move any sober and religious wise men to exclude all Bishops and Clergymen from all capacity of being either Members of the great and Parlamentary Council or of the Privy Council of any Prince or State When 1. Religion ought alwayes to be as much under the care counsel and inspection of Christian Princes Parlaments and Councils of State as any secular or civil affairs which never prosper where Religion is put in the rear and Crupper of business or where the Clergy beyond all men must be
the Master of the harvest the blessed God tolerates as to mans Discipline those to grow in the same field of his visible Church in this world who differ as much in point of true grace as wheat and tares do in their nature and worth So that as the curiosity and confidence of Episcopall Divines is far lesse than that of those other preachers so their candor modesty and charity is much more becoming wise grave and sober Ministers whose care must be humbly to do that work which God hath required of them and to leave his own operations discoveries and judgements to his all-seeing eye and Almighty power as St. Cyprian expresseth the sense and practise of Christian Bishops and Presbyters in his time as to Church-scrutiny and examination The strictnesse of worthy Episcopall Divines is such in things that are rationall grave wise and truly religious that no man exceeds their desires designes endeavours and principles in soundnesse and diligence of preaching in the warmth and discretion of praying in the sanctity and solemnity of celebrating Christian mysteries in the serious dispensation of Ministeriall power and the usefull execution of Church-censures or Discipline even to fasting prayers teares penitentiall mortifications in themselves and due restitutions to others in cases of injury so for reconciliation and some speciall works of bounty and charity which may testifie a self-revenge and most satisfaction to others They are ambitious to excell in nothing more than in well-doing and patient suffering in all the waies and offices of Piety Humility Obedience Peace and Charity yea such is their moderation concession and recession from their wonted practise and indulged priviledges or power by mans law that they not onely approve but desire the joynt counsell and concurrence of grave and worthy Presbyters in all things of Ecclesiastick Ministry and publick concernment yea they allow Christian people their sober Liberty as of presence and conscience so of objection and approbation in all proceedings where they are interessed that they may either fairely testifie their full satisfaction or else produce the grounds of their dissatisfaction in all things that concern their advantages in Religion All which the glorious Primate of Armagh testifies in his late printed Treatise of reconciling Episcopall and Synodicall power in the Church-Government If the earnest pleaders for Presbytery and the sticklers for Independency which are the professed extirpators of Episcopacy had the same equanimity and calmnesse in them as the moderate Episcopall men have I do not see what could hinder them from giving the right hand of fellowship to each other certainly it cannot be the reall concernments of Christs glory and the good of Christian soules but particular factions oblique biasses and some partiall popular respects which continue such mis-understandings distances and animosities between the Episcopall Divines the Presbyterian Preachers and the Independent Teachers who thus severed from each other lose all the great advantages and blessings which they and the whole Church might enjoy if they could wisely humbly and meekly close in one subordination and harmonious order as did all Christian Bishops Presbyters Deacons and People in Primitive times of which St. Ignatius Irenaeus Tertullian St. Cyprian St. Ambrose St. Austin St. Jerom with many other writers give us a thousand clear instances and happy experiences The inordinate heates of the chief patrons and ring-leaders as to any of these new waies and parties would soon allay and coole if their petty policies secular interests self-seekings and popular complacencies were wholly laid aside if these wedges were once pulled out of mens hearts their hands would soon close together Momentary advantages would soon give way and vanish if all Ministers were possessed with that great and good Spirit which directs all believers to things that are eternall chiefly looking at Gods glory Christs honor the Churches peace and the salvation of all mens souls Petty spirits opinions and projects are the pests of the Church and of Christian Religion these betray it to the enemies of it such as seek to abase it to divide it and to destroy it CHAP. XI And here because I suspect and see that the designe of the new Associating parties seems chiefly to unite Presbyterian and Independent principles and interests together that Presbyters and people as Teaching and Ruling Elders might fully possesse themselves of all Church-Power though to their own confusion and this Churches desolation excluding all Ministers of Episcopall principles pleas and perswasions further than they list humbly to submit to truckle under and comply with those Ministers who resolve to ordain to censure and suspend to excommunicate and anathematize to dictate and regulate all things in Religion without owning any authority in or making any ingenuous offer or addresse to the venerable Bishops yet surviving in Engl. or to those Divines who are still conform to the Church of England but all the claimes and interests of Episcopacy must be either smothered or slubbered over or shuffled into the meteor of a moderator and the phantasme of a Prolocutor as if there never had been nor yet were any thing considerable either in the persons of these Bishops and Ministers or in those many strong pleas and cleare allegations of Scripture-pattern and divine prescription of Apostolick practise and imjunction of Catholick imitation and perswasion in all the consent of ancient Councils Fathers and Historians yea in the judgment of all the best Christians Presbyters and people of old nay nor in the confessions votes and desires of the most learned pious Reformers both at home and abroad that either enjoy Episcopacy or feel their want of it and heartily wish for it but all must be slighted as childish or popish as obsolete or ridiculous which is brought and believed by so many excellent persons in behalf of Episcopall eminency and authority Yea as if all the losses sorrowes and sufferings of so many pious learned reverend and most excellent Bishops in England together with the miseryes of many orderly and worthy Clergy men that were subject to them and the laws were so just that they were never to be pittied nor any way relieved as if all the insolencies of many Presbyters and the petulancies of many people were highly to be commended as great helps and furtherances to a new Reformation of Religion as if there were nothing of uncharitableness oppression revenge sacriledg and exorbitancy so much as to be thought on or repented by any one of them no lesse than complained of by their Episcopal brethren who are become their enemies because they have told them the truth and charge them with inconstancy immoderation popularity schisme faction sedition and the like so stiffe and unrelenting are some Antiepiscopall men to this day who after all these representations of truth wipe their mouthes and harden their hearts as if there were no error evill or transport in their hands or hearts alwaies aggravating by a vile and vulgar oratory the rigors