of France, Scotland, Holland, Geneva, &c. Eftablish'd themselves on a Presbyterial Polity, or Form of Church-Government? If I conclude right, the reason of this diverfity was this, Thofe Churches who bad, at least fome, Bishops to head the Refor mation, and the Civil Government to countenance it, whofe Creatures and Counsellors the Bishops had for a long time been, and whofe Grandeur might be fuppos'd to ftrengthen the Caufe, and to carry it on with the more eafe and honour, these held their ancient Epifcopal Conftitution ftill; But thofe other Churches, which were the greater number, who had none but Presbyters, that is,Pastors of particular Congregations, and who were, in the true Senfe both of the Scriptures, and of the Primitive Times, Bishops as well as the other, tho' not Diocefans, thefe proceeded no higher in the Polity of their Reformation than their own Order, nor indeed could they do otherwife: Not but that they had the fame Power, as any of the Ancient and more Primitive Churches had, by mutual confent and agreement, to have elected one among themselves, and to have constituted him in a higher Degree of Epifcopal Order and Prefidency over the reft, but as there was no neceffity for it, fo neither would the Times and Circumftances of thefe Churches then bear it; For 'twas the common and invincible Opinion of these Churches, that it was impoffible to be rid of Popery, the yoke under which they had fo long groan'd, unless they were rid of Prelacy too, which was the firft and main Political ftep by which the Roman Antichrift had obtain'd his ufurped Throne in the World. So that it was but by this happy Accident, that the Church of England came to be Epifcopal, having firft a good King, and afterward a good Queen, and with them a few of the Bishops to lay its Foundation, who would be fure not to degrade themselves, nor to renounce that, of which all F 4 Mankind Mankind are naturally fo fond, for the fake of a Reformation; and which perhaps they might hope, would, by this means, be manag'd with the greater advantage. So that the Difference that is between the Proteftant Prelacy and Presbytery,was,in its Original,but accidental, and on the Presbytery's fide of neceffity, as Mr. Hooker himself grants in his Preface to his Ecclefiaftical Polity, Page 5. On this account. I take the Cafe and Call of thefe Foreign Churches to the Reformation to be Extraordinary, that is, not only in refpect of their Qualifications for the Work, but in refpect of the Neceflity they were under of Establishing their Reformation without Bishops, had they been ever fo well fatisfy'd of the Lawfulness or Expediency of a Clerical Prelacy, or Epifcopacy, which was never, by any of the Orthodox, held to be Effential to a Church, nor ever Eftablished by Apoftolical Conftitution, but only by Poft-apoftolical Ecclefiaftical Canon, but is but Humane, and of no obligation in cafes of Neceffity. And was not this our very Cafe too here in En-. gland, in the Inter regnum, when there were none but Presbyters to Ordain? And fo it continues to be our Cafe ever fince, while Episcopal Ordination cannot be obtain'd, but on fuch Conditions as we cannot with the Peace of our Confciences fubmit to. Nay, did we indeed believe (as perhaps fome do) that Epifcopacy were fo far Jure Divino, as being that Form of Church-Government which is most agreeable to the Pattern given us in the New, as well as Old Teftament, yet Government it felf being not of the Effence of the Church, neither this nor that Form of Government can be pleaded against the Law of Neceffity; nor oblige any one to Sin against his own Confcience in Submitting to it, as it fometimes happens when Sinful or doubtful Conditions are requir'd. So then our Call to the Miniftry is in this refpect as Extraordinary,as was that of the Foreign Churches. 3. Having 3. Having thas difmifs'd those few that were Epifcopally Ordain'd, you will now bring us a little clofer to the Business, and confider those Teachers, which, you fay, are our own in a Page 73. more peculiar manner, as being ordain'd by Presbyters, or by fuch as are fo reputed, [for the Title of Presbyter, it seems, is what you can hardly afford 'em, tho' you do to commonly, with Scorn enough, call them Presbyterians] and their cafe, as you fay, being new, and alfo difturbing the Order that was efta blifhed over the World, nothing can fupport it, nothing fhould be offer'd for its Defence, but what is clear Demonftration. Thus runs your firft Paragraph. But by the way, if that which you here call New appear to be Senior to, or but co-equal with that of Epifcopacy, which you plead for, I hope you will have no reafon to charge it as a Novelty, or to call it New. And as for that Order which you fay this doth disturb, you should firft have prov'd when, and by whom that Order was establish'd over the World, before you had fo confidently afferted it, and that by as clear Demonftration, as you challenge for the Contrary, or elfe you do but prefume and hector, and not argue like a Scholar. But that you may carry the point by force of Noife, and not of Argument, you lift up the fame cry against us, as the Rabble did against Paul and Silas at Theffalonica, Acts 17.6. Thofe that have turn'd the World upfide down, are come hither alfo. You would have the World believe that we pretend to be set over Nations, and over Kingdoms, and to act what the Prophet Jeremy was but fent to foretell, Jer. 1. 10. to root out and to pull down, to build and to plant. How full of Bug-bears hath your Jealousy fill'd your Head? There were they in great fear, where no fear was, Pfal 53. 5. Who is it that is going about to destroy you, or your Government? Is it as Death to you to let us live in Peace among you ? you; Is it the want of your former Prey that makes you thus to roar against us? Can't you fatisfic your Hunger but with our Blood, but fancy you shall be deftroy'd unless you destroy us? What have we ever done to raise those Jealoufies in your Minds? Or is it the Phantome of Forty eight that doth fo difquiet you? The true and impartial History of that Time would certifie you, what the real Cause and Occafion was, and who both the Seen and the Unfeen Authors of thefe Tragedies were, to the full and eternal Vindication of the Innocency of those whom you call Presbyterians, as to that Matter of which they have been fo invidioufly and falfly accus'd by fome. And fince thefe unhappy days, for thefe Fifty years paft, what Plots or Confpiracies have you convicted us of? Have we not patiently enough born all the Severities and Barbarities that have been practiced upon us; Where lies the Danger you feem to be fo apprehenfive of? Have you not all the Security that the Civil Government can Lawfully or Reasonably give you, for the Establishment of your Church in all that Legally appertains to it? Are you not fafe enough in all your Ecclefiaftical and Civil Rights, Dignities and Properties? Who is about to moleft you? Will that Moderation of Spirit, and Chriftian Charity, and Bearing with your Diffenting Protestant Brethren, in the things which your felves call Indifferent, will the Practice of Love and mutual Forbearance, which Chrift and his Apoftles require of you, destroy you? If you will not your felves be reform'd according to the Pattern of the Holy Scriptures, will your fuffering others to reform themselves, as they are able, in a more Private Capacity, and in the most Peaceable manner, deftroy and overthrow your Church? And whereas you tell us, that Yours is a fort of Government, which hath been tranfmitted down to us from from the Apostles, throughout all fucceeding Ages, and was established in all Chriftian Nations; but that Ours is another, that was unknown to Antiquity, and for above a Thousand years after Chrift was not receiv'd by any Church in the World. This is a high Rant of words, and foon fpoken; but than which nothing can be more untrue. The Question is, Whether Epifcopacy, and that as it is now established and practiced in England, is that Form of Church-Government, which hath been tranfmitted down from the Apostles throughout all fucceeding Ages, and was established in all Chriftian Nations? This is what you, with great confidence affirm; and We on as high a Prefumption of Authority and Reafon do deny. But 1. This being a Matter of Fact, the main proof of it depends on the Authority of Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, and the Judgment of the Orthodox upon the Cafe. But here we find 1. That there are none of the most Learned, Judicious and Inquifitive Doctors, even of your own Church, that dare affirm Epifcopacy, much lefs your Epifcopacy, to be Jure Di He that are Eccl. Pol. 1.3. vino, or Apoftolical. Bishop Stillingfleet Irenie.Par.2. denies that our Lord and Saviour bath p. 176, &c. determined any one Form of Government for his Church, by any univerfally binding At or Law of his. And anfwers all the Arguments brought to prove it. Mr. Hooker is of the fame Opinion, who fays, "He which affirmeth Speech to be neceffary amongst all Men throughout the World, "doth not thereby import, that all Men must neceffarily fpeak one kind of Language. Even fo the neceffity of Polity and Regiment in all Churches may be "held, without bolding any one certain Form to be ne66 ceflary in them all. And that this hath been the concurrent Opinion of the greatest Men of your OW |