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DUKE
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF
DUKE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
Frank Baker
• I .»
T h
INDpPENL
O F T H F
CHU
UPON THE As to its Pure
Spiritual Pom
Proved from
The Holy Sgrfptures, anu .. Writings pf the Frimifwe Fathers.
With Answers to the moO: Material Objections.
^y THOMAS B RETT/ LL. D.
As my Father hath fent me^ even fo fend I yoH, ^. John XX. 21.
£^tv '- LONDON: *'^(lc^kI
Printed for H e n R t C l e m e n t s, at the Hulj'-McQn in S. Fahl'S' Church-yard. 1 7 1 7.
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S
• ERRATA.
»"'»
_ , Line t. for Gal. vii. r^ii Gal.vi. l*-*^. J. Litt.xo.
'cad'Wotd. Pag. 12. Li». i+. afier Chrift put « Cehtr.
Lin. I. /or Rum. xiii. rsad Kom. xii. Po^. 2 7< Lin. i.
P«^. 28. Lj». 29. «/ter did, aii not. P«f. 31. L«». 2(J.
P<»^. 34. Lin. 7, /or it, rM^they. J'^giJ- Lin. 23. /ok
P^i^. 4.0. L»». 2f. rf<i^ together. P<»^. 4.8. Lin. 9. read
Ihid. Lin. ^i. for DominktCf read BOjainiMtea. Pag.^i. Marg,
vccouot of Church-CovernmCflt. Pi»g, 60, Li». 2 a. /or deli-
j<4eKated. Fag. 62. Lin. if. after it put a Colon. Pag. 6^.
<r Office p<t a Comma. Ibid. Lin. ult. for to, read or, Pag. 6^.
»fter Men fnt a Comma. Ibid. Lin. ■^o. for may, re«^ might.
Marg. for Cor. xiv. read Cot. iv. Fag.jf. Lin.^. for juft^
h Ibtd. Marg. for Chron. xx^iii. read Chron. xxvii. P^g. 77.
le that. Pag. 9 2. Lin. 11: far thy, read they, Pa^. i o 2 . Lin.^,
ret., .sepatation. P-*^. io+. Lin.tf. dele the. Pag. no. Lt».6. /or pet-
fwaded, r*.*.;^ perfuaded. Pij^. m. Lin. 17. a/te)- Pcrfoa {i<t a Note of
Interrogatim. Ibid. Lin. 1%. AftefYiult j^nt a fHll^Uf.
'' ^mm^^m^^^B&^^^w^b^y^
^m^mm
THE
CONTENTS.
Introduction.
f I. "W" Tis mjttfi to charge Primitive DoBrincs as Popijh^ I and gives the PapijJs great Advantages againfi -* MS. Page i
§ II, Therefore, to injcrm our Flods rphat are the DoBrines of the Primitive Church, is the hfi Method to prefcrvc them from Popery. y
§ III. 7 he prejent andfome folloniKg Treatifes defignd for this Purpoje \i
f IV. The Matters here propofed to be treated of , arethefafxe Primitive Do^rines which I defended in my Vindication of myfelf from the Charge of Popery, nlth the Addition of two other Points, viz. Mixing Water with the Wine in the Z^- ly Euchariji. And the Prafticc of Chrifm in Confirma- tion, ' With a Declaration of my Be fire, that ree fhonld rC' fidre all the Univerfal Cu[ioms of the Church as they were at the Time of the Council of Nice. vii
§ V. This the left Method to introduce C^tholick Unity in the Church. viii
The Indcpertdency of the Church upon thfc State, as to its pure Spiritual Powers.
§ I. \ ]\ 7 ^ ^T^ ^^^ ^^^ spiritual Powers of the
V V Church J as Jet down in Holy Scripture,
^ ^ Pag. I
A 2 J iL
The CoNTisHTs.
H n. ObjeBiM concerning Kings lupg JSJurfiag Fathers ojfi^ Church J eonfie/d. 3
$ 111. The Pope's Encroachments on the State the Occdfion vf fetting up the Regale to Jwh An Height in the Reign of King Henry VIII. 4
§ IV. A Query put at that Time concerning the Regal Autho- rity in Spiritual j^ffairs. And how it rvas then diferently anfivered. 5
^y, Another Query at the Jame titpe, and to the fawtt Purpofe^ Tfith the Anfwers then given. 6
$ VI. This is the .P ginning oj thoje Principles mr» tailed Eraftian. 8
$ Vli. Chrift the Head oj the Church i therefore all Spiritual Power MHjfhe derived from him. 9
§ VlII. Chrifi (ommittedno Part of this Power to the Magi- Jirate, hut to his /Ipo/Ilesand their Succeffors. 10
5 IX. This Powtr not iniplyd in the Civil Magiftrate's Stt- premacy. 12
(J A. Supreme Head of the Church, <« new Title never af- fum'd by any Prince before King Hfui. Vlll. 14
S XI. What Power he affum'd by vcrtue ef this Title. 16
^ XII. He Jeem'd to think Bijhops hut his Deputies ^ even in Spiritual Matters J hut was not fully fatisfyd in that Point. 17
§ XIII. And never durj? take upon him to confecrate a Bifhop.
18
§ XIV. This Title only given to him and his Son, King Ed- ward VI. and repealed by Parliarnent in the next Reign, nor ever c.jter re/hrea. ip
§ XV. Strange therefore that any, efpecially Clergy-men, fhould now give oar Kings this Title. 20
$ XVI. Kings have, however, a Civil Authority over Spiritual Perfons. 21
§ XVlI. And in Civil Sanations annex'dto SpiritualCaufes. 2^
$ XVI IT. This the Right of all Princes, whether Heathen or Chrjfiian. 28
§ XIX. Appeals from the Archbifjop to the King, aPuJed in this Realm, conjider'd. 2p
§ XX. The ^dependency of the Church, as to pure Spiritual Matters, ajferted by the Homilies. 3 1
§ XXI. And alfo in an AU of Parliament. 34
$ XXII. How the Spiritual and Ttmptral Governor may, and infome Cafes mujfj both judge the fame Perfon, and in re- lation
The Contents.
Utim to the fame Gtufcy and yet neither interftre vUh tht
ttber. 36
§ XXin. The Gvil Magiftrate cannot give or tah may 4 Spiritual Office: ^o
§ XXIV. The Kings naming or rgfommending 4 Per/on to he- confecrated a Bifhop, dees not give Jfich an one tht Epijcopal Commiffiort. 43
§ XXV. ^nd our Bip?ops. though fo nominated hj the King^ yet receive their Spiritual Amhority from Senior Bifhops, and. fo have the fame Porver nhich the yipofiles and Primitive Bifhops had. 4c
f XXVr. Therefore, as the Civil Magiftrate does not give this Porter^ fo neither can he take it ar*ay. aj
f XXVII. The Bi/hop has no Spiritual Superior ih his onn Line or Dijlri^^ as is proved from ScriptHre, < I
5 XXVIIf. This Sttperiottr Authority of the Bi/hop necejfary ti preferve the Unity »f the Body of Chri/r. ctr
§ XXIX. And mlefs this Unity be prefcrv'd, all Gifts and Graces are nothing rforth, as S. Pauji teaches. c-r
5 XXX. For, the Breach of this Unity makes a Schifm^ and dejiroys the Band of Charity : And the People had no Povfer to depofe their BifJjop^ or put another in his Place. 59 $ XXXI. Neither had the Civil Magijfrate any fnch Poii>er. lb. § XXXU. Ntither did the Bifhops Non-Refidence, or Necef- fary Abfencc, deprive him of his A^nhority over his Flock. 60 f XXXIK. Njor the Gvil Magjjirate's Prohibition. 61
§ XXXlV. The Intruders into another Bifhop'j DifiriU mre SchifmaticiSy though fupported by the Civil Kiapijirate. 62 § XXXV. All this prov'd from SVRuYsDoflrrne. ^
<) XXXVf. Dr. Htidy's Amotion about Deprivations hyhre- fiftible Force, contrary to S, Paul's Dotlrine. 65
f XXXVII. His Mifreprefentation of the Novatianrfw^ Do- natift Schifms. 68
§ XXXVIII. An Account of the Novatian Schifm from S. Cyprian and others living at that Time. Ibid.
§ XXXlX. An Account of the Donatift Schifm from Con^ temporary Authors. 72
§ XL. No Irrefiftible Force can he ufed to depofe a Bijhop. 74 $ XLl. The Cafe of Abiathar faid to have been depos'd by So- Jomon. y:
5 XLl I. That Cafe confider'd. y6
$ XLIIf. An Anftfer to Jeveral Queries, I. Whther Chri,f
A 5 appointed
The Contents.
pointed, or his ^pofiles, left any Rule inthefacred Writings for the Depofing a Bi/hopf -jg
% XLIV. 2. Whether the Judging And Depofing a Bijhop by Provincial Synods y vas not in the Beginning a mere Pruden- tial, and no Divine, Infiitution i 80
§ XLV. 3. Whether it jvas not a mere Favour of the firfi Chri- ftian Emperors to yield the Caufes of Ml/hops as formerly to Synods f 83
§ XLVI. 4, Did not the firjl Chriflian Emperors, when they
-. Jaw Rea forty interpofe in the Cattfes ofBi/hops, and determine them in another Way from the fir ft Provincial Plan ? 84
§ XLVII. 5. Did not the Emperor Gratian order^ by his Civil Authority^ that Damafus, Bifhop of Rome, and any five or feven Bijhops with him, fhould befufficient to depofe Bi- (heps i 86
5 XLVII I. 6. Was the Church of England Schifmaticl under Queen Elizabeth, whenjhs, in Parliament^ deprived feve- ral Bijhops f 89
§ XLIX. 7. If Schifm renders the Adminifiralion of all Afi- niJierUl Offices inejfetlual ; and if the Pretenfwns of more than one to a See, makes a Schifm, if hat (hall be f aid for the Orders of the Englifh, and indeed of the whole Weftern Church i J74
9 L. 8. There rfias a Schifm kept up in the Weftern Church 70 Tears. Were the People all this Time, and fince, depri- ved of all Benefit of Divine Ordinances i 106
$ LI. LI I. A general Recapitulation of what has been proved.
114, to 122
§J^.lrThe clergy are not proud and ambitious for maintaining this Independency of the Church-, but when they do not do it^ are unfaithful to their Truji. 122
<<9
THE
THE
INTRODUCTION.
OME Time fince, I wrote a VindicAtion of myfelf from the Charge of Popery, ca(t upon me very unjuftly by fome of the News- Writers ; and tho' I fee no Occafion to add any thing more in my own Vindication againft that groundlefs Afper- fion, having there To fully renounced every Arti- cle of the R^w//Z> Creed, and fufficiently declar'd my juft Abhorrence of the many Corruptions in that Church ; and tho' I do not know that any one has fince pretended to renew that falfe Ca. lumny againft me, yet I think it may be proper to fay fomething more with regard to the Do- ^rines I have there alfo vindicated : Which being ancient Do£lrines of the Church, and to which the Praftice of the truly Primitive, Catho- lick and Apoftolick Church was conform and agreeable, cannot be too frequently inculcated into the Minds of the People, in order to reftore the like Pradice in the prefent Age. And thofe who have oppofed thefe Doctrines as Po^ijh or A 4 favouring
ii The IntYoduBion.
favour i/tg of Popery ^ according to the Modern Phrafe, do not confider what Service they do to Popery by fuch Suggeftions: For if the Doftrinc and Pradice of the Primitive Church be P^/'fr;, then is Popery the true Religion ; becaufe, ("a^ as TertullUn fays, That is Truth rvhich ts firfi : That isfalfe which is after. (J?) That is the Truer rvhich is former ; that is the former rvhich is from the Beginning ; that is from the Beginning which is from the ApofiUs, Agreeable to that of the Prophet, (c) Thus faith the Lord, St and ye in the Ways, and fee ^ and ask for the OLD Paths, where is the good Way, and walk therein, and )e fball find Refi for your Souls. If therefore Popery be the €)IU Ipatft, if it be from the Beginning, if it be from the Apoiiles, then is it the true Chri- 0ianity, and not a moft corrupt Religion, as we have held it to be ever fince the Reforma- tion. We Ihould then, for this R(?afon, take great Care not to give the Name of Popery to that which is Primitive fforafmuch as what is truly Primitive is and muft be the Truth/ whereas by Popery we underftand Corruption and Error) left we give great Advantage to the Emiflaries of Rome^ who having proved fome Dodrines, called Popifb, to be indeed Ancient,
(a)Idcftverum quodcunque primura: Id eft adultcrura qnodcunquc pofterius. 7ertul. adverf. Vtax. prope primip.
(b) Conftar id vcrius quod prius, id prius quod ab initio, ab initio quod ab Apoftolis. TcnitL adverf, ManioTj. Lib. 4. frefe ^rincip, (c) ^er. vi. i6> '
Catho-
The htrodu&ion. ill
CatfioUck and Apoftolical, may thence take Occafion to perfuade thofe who have not Op- portunities and Abiliries to examine the Record* of the ancient Church (which arc much the greatcft Number of Men) that even their real Errors and Corruptions are as Ancient, Catho* lick and Apoftolical as thefe. Thus, for In- ftance, The Independency of the Church upon the St^tCy as to its pure Spiritual Powers^ is a Do- ftrine which fome have been pleafed to charge as Popifb. Now this being (as I truft I Qiall be able to prove) moft certainly and evidently a true Chriftian Doftrine, may not a Romijb Emiflary make great Advantage from fuch an unjuft Charge ? •• You fee here, fays fuch an ono to an honeft well-meaning Perfon, how your Teachers inspofe upon you, and affright you with a mere Bug- bear Word. They have trained you up to be afraid of the Name Po- perjiy but if you come to examine what they mean by that Word, it is plain they only un- der ftand fomething which they do not like, and which therefore they would not have you like; not that the Thing is, in itfelf, corrupt and erroneous, but they have fome Ends to ferve by making you think it is. They tell you, for Inftance, That to believe the Church has any Powers- independent on the State, is Poptry : Up- on which you immediately conclude, that it is an abominable, wicked DoQiine, and re- \^^\t without farther Rxamination. But now I will (bew you that this is the Do£lrine
' of
iv The Introdu&ion.
* of Chr'tfi, of his Apoftles, and of the whole
* Chrijlttn Church downwards : ' And accord- iiigly plainly (hews and convinces the Man that the Thing is fo. And having fo convioeed him, which may very eafily be done even from the Scriptures themfelves, he then proceeds and fays, * You fee now how your Guides deceive
* you, they have bred you up from your In-
* fancy to an Abhorrence of the Name Popery ^
* and now you fee what they call Popery is no ' other than C/}r//?/4»//>itfeIf, the very Do£^rine ' of Chrifi and his Apoftles. I have fhewed
* you this in one Point, I will now fhew it you
* in others.' Then he proceeds to other Points lately charged as Pop/Jb^ and (hews them alfo to be the Do£lrine of Chrifi^ and his Apoftles ; and then fays, Will you any longer truji to Guides wlx> have fo deceived you f*
What (hall a plain honeft Man do in this Cafe? He finds his own Guides have deceived him, this Romtffj Emiflary has undeceived him in fe- veral Points. He has not Tirne or Opportunity to examine all the Particulars of the Romifi Religion , but confiders that it is not proper to truft thofe any longer with the Care of his Soul, who have \o evidently impofed upon his Un- deriianding: And that it will be better for him to be guided by the Man that has undecei- ved him in fo many Particulars. Hereupon he gives himfelf up to the Guidance of this cunning EmifTary, who, by this Means, draws him in yo be reconciled to the Romafi Communion, and
being
The Introdu&ion, V
being fo reconciled, he then embraces all their corrupt Doclrines without any farther Exami- nation. This is the natural Efe£l of giving the Name Popery to fuch Dodrines as are not really fo, but are fo plainly and evidently the Dodrines of the truly Primitive Church.
5 11. Whereas on the other hand, would we rightly and truly inform our People what are the Dodrines of the truly Primitive Church, would the Governors of the Churdi reltore thofe Farts of the firfl reform'd Liturgy, in King Edward the Vlth's Days, which were expung'd chiefly to gratify Foreign Presbyterians, who never- thelefs did then, and ilill do refufe to comfi into the Epifcopal Communion ; and which Li- turgy was, by the Firft A^ for Vn'formity, de- clared to have been irilUfljeti bp tlje ^tO Ct" tlje lj)0.p=»&ya(t; whereof we have no Reafon to doubt, fince the Compilers of that Firfl: Liturgy had fo great a Regard to the Holy Script ure^ and the Ufages of the Primitive Church for the firft Four Centuriesof Chriltianity ; all which Time it muit be allowed that the Church continued in its greateft Purity-: Would we, in our Ser- mons and Difcourfes, Hiew the People, that what we call Popery is a Corruption and Devi- ation from thefe Dodrines and Pradices of the Primitive Church, introduced fmcethatTime by the Bifhop of Rome and thofe of his Commu- nion : Would we (hew them what thofe Cor- ruptions are, and how they have been fummed up by the Pope himfelf in the Additional Ar- ticles
vi The Introducim,
tides to the Apoftles Creed, of which I have given an Account in my Vindication : WoM we thus inform the Flocks committed to our Charge what Popery is, and what is true Primitive Chri- ftiamty^ we fhould certainly deprive the Romifb EmifTaries of many Advantages they now have of feducing People to their Communion.
§ III. In order therefore to give People right Notions of thefe Matters, and as far as lies in me to deprive the Romijh EmifTaries of the Advan- tages they may take from fome Peoples calling thofe Things Pcpijh which really are not fo ; fmce the giving the Name of Popery to that which is truly Chriftian and Primitive, may fo naturally give thofe EmifTaries an Han- dle to reprefent fuch Guides as Deceivers, and thereby to feduce well meaning , but unwary perfoos to their abominably corrupt Religion ; as I have, in my Vindication^ fliewed the World, from the Creed of Pope Pius^ what are the corrupt Doctrines of the Ronttfh Com- munion, and alfo that fome Dodrines of Pri^ mitive Cbrifiianity , which have lately been pleaded for, are not Popery nov favouring of Poperyy as fome would mifreprefent them to be ; I fhall now, in farther Profccution of the fame Argutncnr, re-confider thofe Doftrines, more fuljy prove them to be Primitive and Chriftian, fliew the Ufefulnefs of them, and how all the People may be trained up to the Knowledge and Underftanding of them, and thereby be the better fecured from the Subtlety of Romflj EmiiTaries. $ IV.
The TntroduBion. vii
$ IV. I (hall take them in their Order as they are laid down in (^3 my Vindtcation^ adding only two more Particulars which I am fenfible are of equal Antiquity and Univerfality with the others : Which are, ift, The mixing Water with the Wine in the Celebration of the Holy Eu» ch/trift : And, adly, The Pra^ice of Chrifm in Confirmation, And if any other Matters, net yet received or praftifed in our Church, fhould be found to be of equal Antiquity and Univer- fality, I declare it to be my hearty Defire that they alfo may be reftored : For I am well a flu- red, that from the Beginning of the Gofpel of Chrijiy to the Time of the Council of N/ff, and long after, during the* Fourth Century, the Catholick Church, all over the World, was uni- ted in one Holy Doftrine, Difcipline and Man- ner of Worfhip. It is certain that the Bifhops, who met in that celebrated Council, came from all the known Parts of the Chrijlian World, and were all entirely of the fame Communion : For although there were two or three Jrims who differed from the reft in the Senfe of an Article of Faith, yet neither then nor after does it appear that they differed in their Manner of Worfhip ; nor, till the Church thought fit to expell them for their Heretical Fravicy, did they innovate any thing in the Publick Offices. Indeed, during ihefe firft Ages, there was feme
(dj r^g. 22, 2 J,
Dif.
viii The Introduction.
Difference between the Jjiaticks and fome other Chriflian Churches, about the Day whereon EApr fhould be kept ; but even that Difference was adjuftcd by this Council, and all were brought to an Uniform Pradice alfo in that Point. The Praftice of the Church therefore at the Time of the Council o^Nice, is certainly bed fitted to be the Standard for every Refor- mation of the Church. And when I confider what was done by our Reformers in the firft Liturgy of King Edward VI, I am fully con- vinced they intended to make the firll three or four Centuries the only Pattern for themfelvcs , and purpofed to reform all the corrupt Do- ^rines and Pra£lices of the Roman Church, to make them agreeable to the Pra8ice of thofe Ages : But were induced afterwards (as we have Reafon to believe) upon Political Reafons, to lay afide divers of thofe ancient Doftrines and Pra(3:ic€s,to gratify Calvin^Bucer, and other Foreign Presbjieriansy in order tofecurea Party abroad : But that Party abroad, inftead of af- fixing and defending our Church, which had yielded fo much to gratify it, and gain its good Will, on the contrary raifed fuch a Party at home agarnll our Conftitution, both in Church and Stare, as once prevailed fo far as to over- turn both, and haveever fince been as Thorns in our Sides, and a Snare unto us.
§ V. Since then wehavefeen and experien- ced tlie Folly of deviating fo far from the Pri- mitive PlaOj to gain tbofe who cannot be gained
by
The Introdu&ron, ix
by any thing but the utter Extirpation of Epif- copacy and Liturgy, and all that is not accord- ing to their own Novel Fancies, why (hoiiJd we not entirely reftore our Liturgy to the Pri- mitive Standard, and revive thofe Ufages which were retained by our firll Reformers before they had any Thoughts of gratifying the Cahi-, niin Party ? Which has been fo far from being gained by thofe unwary Conceflions, that it has only given them an Opportunity to do us the greateft xMifchief. But by returning to thofe Ufages, we (hall plainly lead the Van for the Introdudion of Cathollck Unity into the Church of Chri[i : For we rnali then want no- thing (as we now moft: certainly do) that is agreeable to the Prr.flice of the Primitive Church, when a Catholick Uniformity was uni- verfally preferved. Whilft ihefe Dodrires and Ufages I am now pleading for were ob- ferved, the Church»Univerfal was united in the fame Faith, Difcipline and Worfhip. The laying them afide has been the Caufe of our Dif- union. The only Means to remove this Dif- union, is by every Church's returning to a clofer Union with the Primitive Church in Doftrine, Difcipline and Worfliip: For as the Church never was fo ftri([tly and firmly united as in the Primitive Times, and particularly a^ bout the Time when the Council of A^ice was celebrated, becaufc whatever Differences mtghc then be between particular Churches about faft- ing upon the Saturday^ or any other indifferenc Rite or Cuftom, ye: this made no Difference
be-
X The Introduction.
between them as to Faith, DifcipHne and Wor- (hlp ; that was one and the fame in all Places : So if ever the Church be as firmly united again, it muft be upon the fame Principles and Pra» dlices. The Church never was united but upon the Principles and Ufages which obtained at the Time of the Nicene Council : And we have therefore good Reafon to la^elicve that it never can be united, but upon thofc Principles and Ufages. That Church then which fhall firft reftore all thofe Principles and Ufages, may be juftly faid to lead the Way to Catholick Union. And this is the Reafon why I cannot forbear to plead fo earneflly in Behalf of thefe Primitive Do£trines, and am fo defirous to fee them revi- ved amongft us, if poffible.
POSTSCRIPT.
WHereas, in the Second Edition of a Book called, y^n AccOHtit of Chnrch-Giivernmtnty Sec. which I pubJifh'd in the Year 1710. 1 have, Page 3S, &c. charged the Non" jurors with Convent kling and Schifm ; I do here, in the face of the World, recall that Charge,'^frr^(r//>^( as I then declared Ifhotdd he ready to do upon better Jnjorm4tion) whatever 1 have there, or any where elfe, kid down or alferted in Oppofition to my prefent Pra£tice, or in Vindi- cation of that Compliance to which I then thought it my Duty to fubmit : Referring all thofe who have been mifgui- ded by the Erroneous Arguments made ufc of upon that Oc- Oifion to this fmall Trcatife of the Jndepcndency of the church; and another 1 lately publifh'd, entituled, I>r. BennetV G«- ccffions to the Non-jurors^Scc. Load. 1717. In which they will find the Reaions and Grounds of that Accufation fuf- ficiently anfwered and confuted, and the Non-jurors vin- dicated rVom the Imputation oi Schifm. And to this End, I earneftly i^^itreat them to give ihem both an impartial Rc^diiig. -• ' ^ •
THE
THE
INDEPENDENCY
O F T H E
C H U R t^ M
U PO hi THE
STATE; ire.
§ ^* fS^^^^f^ ^ ^ P"^^ Spiritual Powers of the Church are, (aj to pvblifi the Gofpel of Chrifi-, and thereby to make Converts to his Religion | (b) to admit fuch Converts intb the Church BySaptifm ^ (c) to im^ fdfe Hands on them for their Re- teption of the f/oty GhoJ}, which we call by the Name of Confirmation'^ (d) to ordain Bifhops^ or other inferlour Tafiors^ in every City or other Place^. as there Jhall be Occafiony to feed and watch over the Flocks committed to
(a) Mifttfe. xxviii. 19. Mir. xvi. 15.
(b; M/jrii. xxviij; 20. Mar. jcvi. 16. Acl. \u 3^*
(c; y^tv. viii. 17. and xix» 6. Hebr.\\.2. ^
id) A^.y'u j,6' and xiv. 23. 1 Tim. iy. 14, 2 tim> u ^» tit, u ^l
3 The Independency of the
their Charge \ {t) to re/juire the Peofle to receive and obey the Spirit ttal Gutties thus fet ovtr them i (f ) tv give them a fujjicient Maintenance ; (g) and to account of them as the Minifters ofChrifi^ and Stewards of the My' fieries of God '^ (hj to keep fie dfajlly in the Communion of their Rightful Pafiors^ to ajfemhle with them for Reli- gious Worjijif to offer vp Prayers and Praifes to God, and to receive from their Hands the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Chrifi j (i) to excommunicate 9r re- pell notorious Offenders from the Communion of the Churchy and to re-admit them again upon due Teftimonies of Re- pentance. Thefe are plainly the Spiritual Powers of the Church j and it is evident from the Scriptures, that Chrifi committed all this Power to hisApoftles *, that they likewife committed the fame Power to o- thers whom they iet over the feveral Churches which they founded in the feveral Parts of the World, with Authority to continue this Succeflion of faithful Pa- ftors throughout all Ages j and this without anyAp- plication to the Roman Emperor, or any other Civil Magillrate whatfoever,for his farther Commifiion to authorize or empower them to do thefe Things. Kay, the Civil Magiftrate frequently impeded them in the Exercife of thefe Powers ; and it was foon made Death by the Imperial Laws to exercife or obey any fuch Powers, that is,to be either a Chrifiian?Tki. or Laick ^^ and thefe Laws continu'd in Force againfl them ( only as they were for feme fhort Intervals fufpended, or the Non-Execution of them connived at) for three hundred Years : In which Space Chri-
st) Phil. n,2g. i thejf. v. 12,1"^. iTVwi. v. 17. //eir.xiii. 7,17.
(0 I Cor. ix. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, II, 12, 13, 14.. Gal. v4| 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I Tim. V. 17, 18.
(g) I Cor. iv. 1. Col. i. 2";.
(h; jiS. ii. 42. and xi. 26. i Cor. x. i5. and xi. 20. Hdr, J. 25.
(i; I Cor, V. 3, 4, 5, 2 C9r, ii. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Jiiani
church upon the State^ &c. ?
ftans endured ten very fevere Perfecutions. Yet all that time the Church not only continu'd to exiflr, but wonderfully increased evety Diy, till at laft it brought both Emperor and Empire into its Commu- nion, and obtain'd the Protedion of the State. But did this transferr any of thefe Powers to the Empe- ror, or any Civil Magiftrate whatfoever? By no means. The Emperor or Sovereign, by becoming Chnjlian, did not acquire any Spiritual Power or Authority ; he could neither preach the Word, nor adminifterSacraments,norcommifnon any Perfon to perform thofe Offices, who had not before derived an Authority from Chrifi^ or according to his Infti- tution in that Cafe. The Emperors were admitted into the Church, by no other Means, nor on any other Conditions, than other Men : Their Admif- fion, like that of all others, was by Baptifm, admi- niftred to them exactly in the fame Form as to all others ^ confequently they could acquire no more Spiritual Rights or Privileges by it, than any o- ther Men. They were thereby, indeed, made Spi- ritual Sons of the Church, but by no means Spiritual Fathers : That is a Power to be acquired no other- wile than by Ordination.
§ II. It has been objecled by fome (weakly enough) that the Scripture itfelf (k) tells us, That Kings and Queens jhall be the Nurfn?- Fathers and Mothers of the Church. From whence they would inferr, that every Chri^ian King and Oueen is a Spiritual Father and Mother. But after all, there is no fuch Words as Father or Another in this Text, except in our Eng^ lifj Tranflation \ and there it is far from meaning what fome heedlefly and unwarily would gather from it. For the Tranflators fairly tell us in the
(k) Ifi, xlix. 23,
B 2 Margin
4 .* The Independency of the
Margin of the Bible, that the Word which they tranilite Nurfrg- Fat hers, in the Hebrevo, or Original^ is no more than Novrijhers-, and they might alfo have told us, that the Word which they tranflace Niirfing-A4 others^ fignifies only Nitrfa giving Suck', and fj all other Tranflitions, but ours, have rendred both thefe Words. So that thofe who would build any thingof a Spiritual Facherhood or M6therhood from this Text, have nothing but a meer AngUclfm on which they can lay their Foundation. But read the whole Text, and the Matter will be yet more clear. Kinas Jlmll be thy Nurjina- Fathers, and their Oueens thy Nurjing- Mothers : They Jljall bow to thee, tpith their Face towards tht Earth, and lick up the Dufi of thy Feet. What can be plainer from hence, than that Kings and (>jeens, like true Kourilhers and GheriOiers, fhould proied and defend the Church from all outward Wrong and Violence, and fhocfld bow down before the Guides and Governors of it^ to receive the Word and Sacraments at their Hands, and to fubmit to the Dodtrine and Difcipline of Chrifly as miniftred by them? And ought not allChriftian Kings and Princes to do this? Nay, have not all godly Frinces ackd in this manner?
§ III. However, the Pope, the gfafrfd Gorrnpter of Chriffianity, taking upon him, under Pretence of maintaining the Independency of the Church, to.exempt fomeCaufes, and fome Perfons, from all Civil Subjection to their Princes, gave the Princes a juflOccalion to rejed this ufurped Power : And at the Reformation, when divers Princes and States, and ours among the red, not able to bear thefe Ufurpations and Encroachments, found it necef- fary to Oiake off the Papal Yoke, gave Occaiipn to many Controveffies on this Subject, and many Books were written, and Laws made concerning this Mat- ter. And becaufe the Pope had ftrained the Mattel
too*
Church upon the State^ &c. ^5
too high on the Church fide, thofe who wrote of the other fide, thought it impofllble to carry Mat- ters too high that way. Hereupon, when thefe Things were debated here in the Reign of King Henry VIII. feme ftrange and particular Notions were then firft advanced-, of which an Account is given us by Bi (hop 5ttr»f f, in the firft Volume (/) of his Hiftory of the Reformation.
§ IV. Here the Queflion was put in this Man- ner, Whether the j4poJtles lacking a higher Power ^ as in pot having a Chriflian King among them, made Bijhops If) that Necejfityj or by Authority given by God? Arch- bifhop Cr^w^wer gave a long Aafwer to this, which would be tedious to recite here. But the Subftanqp of it is, That all SiJJwps, Parfons, yicars, and fuch other iPriejls, are to be appointed to their feveral Offices by the Prince^ in fuch A^fanner as Civil Officers are, and that they have no Power or Authority in Spiritual Matters^ hut what they receive from the Prince : That the Apo- files and Bijhops of the Primitive Church exercifed this Power only through Necejfity., as being chofen by the People for that Purpoje^ becavfe there was then no Chrtjiian Prince. An Opinion for which he cou'id not pro- duce the lea ft Authority from Scripture \ nor did-h.e. pretend to give any. But he knew it would be very agreeable to the Humour o^ that arbitrary Prince, whofe Plcafure fcems generally to have had a great Influence on the Principles of this Prelate. But I find no other Bilhop or Divine came entireljr up to this Opinion, except the Bilhop of S. David-i, who declared, That becaujf they tacked a Chrifiian Prince, by that Necejfity they ordained other Bijhopsi Others, who could not come up to this Opinion en- tirely, when they had declared That the j^pofll'es made
( 1 ) CeMion of l{ecords, Book III. mm. 2 s. ^cfl. g.
B 3 Bifiops
i The Inde^ndency of the
^ijhofs and Triefis by Authority given vnto them of Chrifi •, yet, to mitigate the Matter, put in a Suppo- sition ot their own, without pretending any other Groimd for it, That they fuppoCelJ they ought to have asked Licence of their Chriflian Governors^ if then there had been any. But others plainly faid. That the Apo- files made Triejis by their own Power given them by Gody and that tljtp l)atl nO nSEtl of any other Power. And if the Power was given them by God,as all the reft alfo confefs'd, except the Archbifhop of Ciwrey/^ary and the Bifhop of S. David's-, they could have no need of any other Power : For certainly no Human Power can be needfvL to confirm or corroborate a Power given by God.
§ V. The next Qiieftion but one is put in thefe V^ oxdiS^Whether a Bijhof hath Authority to make a Priefi hy Scripturey or no f And whether any other but only a iijhop may make a Prtefi ? Archbifhop Cranmer an- fwers as before, A Bifhop may make a Priefi by the Scri' fture^ and fo may Princes and Governors alfoy and that hy the Authority of God committed to them-, and the Peo' fie alfo by their Ele^ion : For as we ready That Bijhops have done it, and the Peoplcy before Chrijlian Princes Tperey did commonly eU5i their Bijlwps and Priefts. It feeras, this great Man could not diftinguifh between Nominating or Fleming, and Afaking or Ordaining a Bifliop or Prieft. But, fure, every Body elfe muft fee the Difference. A General of an Army, for Inftance, has a Friend whom he is willing to oblige in any Re- queft, or whom perhaps for fome particular Rea^ fons he dares not difoblige; this Perfon recommends one to him to be made an Officer in the Army, and accordingly the General gives that Perfon a Comraifr Hon j will any one fay that it was the Recommen- dation or Nomination made that Perfon an Officer, and not the Commiffion ? Whereas had he been re- pofljraended or nomiaated ten thoufand times over,
yet
church upon the State^ See. 7
yet without the General's Commiffion he could have had no Command in the Army. So alfo Princes have generally had fuch an Influence over the Bifliops that have been their Subjects, that they have not dared to refiife toconfecrate or ordain fuch as they have nominated to them \ but ftill it was not theNomina- tion made thofe Perfons Priefts or Bifbops, but the Confecration or Ordination. And where theBifhops have refufed the Perfon fo nominated, which has fometimes happen'd, the Nomination has been of no Service to him ^ it has been found that could not make him either Bifhop or Prieft. But this Learned Archbifliop (for fo undoubtedly he was, however in this and many other Inftances his Judgment feems to have been byaffed by his King) pretends it may be proved' by Scripture, that Princes and Governors may make a Prie/t, whereas there is not an Inftance of a Prince or Governor in all the Scripture,that did make a Prieft,except Jeroboam the Son oi Nehat \ and this was fo far from being approved or allowed by God, that it is exprefly recorded, (jn) that this Thing became Sin vnto the Noiife 0/ ^jctolioaill, even to cut tt off\ and deftroy it from off the Face of the Earth. He adds, the People alfo may do it by their Election. And there is indeed one Inftance («) of the People's ejed:- ing feven Men to be made Deacons or Minijlers. But it is plain, that it was not the People's Elediion, but the Apoftles Appointment and Ordination which made thofe Men Minifters. The Apoftles Words are, Look ye out feven Men ofhonefi Report-, full of the Holy Ghofi and Wifdom. And what follows ? Do they fay, when you have chofen thefe Men, they will, by vertue of this Eledion, have Authority to execute the Office to which they are defigned ? No fuch Thing. But look ye out Men., not whom ye^ but whom
(ra; I ^"wrg, xiii. 34. (n> AS* vi.
B4 WE
8 The Independency of tH
W E w^y appoint over this Bvjtnefi. And accordingly tbey chofe feven according to theApoftlespiredion, whom they fet before the Apoftles: ^4 Tvhn theji had pxay(dj they^ the Apoftles, laid their Hands m tkfm''' ^<> that here js a plain Difference between Choofing o^ ISIominating, and Making or Ordaining a Miniftep ' The Apoftles gave the People Leave to* nominate or choofe fit Perfons to be Minifters or Deacons, but referved the Making, Appointing, or Ordaining them to that Office entirely to themfelves. Wnd it was plainly not the Eleftion, but the Ordi- nation,or Appointment by Inipofitioh of Hands, that rnade them Deacons. Had they been only elected by tlie P.eople, and not appointed or ordained by the Apoftles, they had been no Minifters of the Church. And Archbifhop Crunmsr hirafelf was inconfiftent with the Opinion which he gave in this Anfwer^ for in another Anfwer of his to this fame Queftion given us by (<») StryfCy he fays. We x^^A oot^ that any other^ riot being a Bip^op^ hath fince the Beginning of Chrifi^s Church ordjiirted a Priefi. However, the Bilhop of ^.David's thought fit to fay upon this Occafion,T/?4<; ^ifljops have no Authority to rnahe Vriefis^ withaut they ke author izjed of the Chrijltan Prtnce- But in this he Was lingular-, for the others, all of them, did fay, that JBi^jops be authorized oj God to make Priefis. Some of them indeed did add, That they cannot ufe this Autho-^ tity^ without their Chrifiian Prince does permit them\ but the Majority did not give their Opinion with that Limitation,
§ VI. Now this being the moft material Point with relation to the Independency of the Church vpot/ the State., Viz. Whether Bijhops^ who are the chief Cof pernors of the Church-) d^nve. their Authority from Goit
io) Xettifix. of jin^bijhop Crans^cr, AppetJiliXiNum'^^^'^'Ai S ^i"
Church upon the State^ &c. 9
pr from the Chrifltan Prince ? I could not but think it proper to be very particular in this Matter. And the Reign of King/Zf^r^VlII. being, I am perfuaded, the firft time this was made a Queftion, 1 judged it convenient to give an Account how the Queftioa was then propofed, and what Anfwers were made to it. But as the Anfwers were then various, and contrary to one another, fo have the Opinions beea f ver llnce : That is, there has ever fince been a Party, who have cfpoufed the Opinions then given by Archbilhop Cranmer and Bifhop Barlow^ (though it is evident Cranmer did not always hold that Opi* nion) who, from Thomas Erafius^ a Dutch Phyfician, ( who I think was the firft that wrote a Book on puf- pofe to pretend to prove it) have been called Mra- ftians : Who has fince been followed by Pr^npe and Bohbs^ and the Author of the Book falfly called The Rights of the Chrifiian Churchy and many others. But it is not my Purpofe at this time to examine th« Arguments thefe Men, or any of their Followers, have brought to prove their Opinion in this Cafe ; \ think it will be fufficient to Ihew, that it isdiredly contrary to the Scriptures \ and then every one that believes the Scriptures, rauft fee, that whatever Ar- guments they have, or can produce, mull be falfe and groundlefs.
§ VII. The Scriptures teach us, {p) that Cl^jitt is the Head of the Body^ the Church. Confcqiiently, whoever has any Power in that Body, miift derive it from him. For no Man can challenge a Power in a Body, Society, or Corporation of Men, but he who derives it from the Head of that Corporation. And Chrijl tells us, (^) that all Power is given unto h.m koth in Heaven and in Earth -^ that is, all Spiritual
(p) C«l, u 1 3. Cq) M.iUb. xxviii, i8.
Power,
lo Tfje hdepencency of the
Power, all Power relating to his Spiritual Body the Church, as S. Paul explains it, who tells us, (x) That God put all things under his Feet-, and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church. For as to Tempo- ral Power, our i^aviour exprefly difclaim'd it, when he laid, (y) Who made me a Judge or a Divider over you ? Though he had before declared {z.) all things ta have been deUver'^d to him of the Father. And again, a little before his Death, he denied all Pretenlions to Temporal Power, faying to P^/^ff, (a) My King^ dom is not of this World. He did not fay, My King- domisnot in this World: For his Church which is here on Earth, is his Kingdom, but not of this Worlds hecaufe it is govern'd in another Manner than the Kingdoms of the World are, and its Rewards and Punifhmentsare to be diftributcd in another Place. Therefore, as he is a King, and in this World too, with regard to his Church, and as all ^otoccin that rcfpect is committed to him., therefore all Spiritual or Church-Power mull be derived from him : For if any one can have a Spiritual Power not derived from him, then has not Chrifl: ^U Spiritual Power. But he has ^U-, therefore whoever has any, muit have it from him. We have then nothing more to do, but to enquire to whom he committed this Power.
§V^ni. It is certain, he committed it not to the Magiftrate : For there was no Magiftrate at that time, that would or did receive and acknowledge Chrtfiy but all generally oppofedhim. Neither did he commit it to the People, or to his Difciples in general \ for though (b) as many as received him^ to them cave he Power to become the Sons of God, yet he did not make all (cj his Mlniflers and Stewards of his
(x) £pfc. 1. 22. (y) Luk. xW. 14.. ( z) Luk. x. 22.
\i) fob. xviii. 36. (b) ^ok i. 12. (c) 1 Cor, iv. 1.
Myflerits»
Church upon the State ^ &c. 1 1
Myfieries. (d) But he fet only fame in the Church to hefirfiy^poJlleSj fecondarily Prophets^ thirdly Teacher s,^C» whereas had he equally commifllon'd all his Difci- ples, then «// would have been yfpojlles, all Prophets, &c. That is, as S. Paul obferves, (c) All \ponld have been one A'fember : And where then were the Body ? Now,our Saviour had a great Multitude of Difciples in his own Life-time ; ib that the Phartfees com- plain'd of it, and faid, (f) Behold, the World is gone after him •, yet opt of all thefe he at firft (g) ordained but Twelve^ that they jJjould be with him, and that he might fend them forth to preach. {\\) And afterwards he appointed other feventy alfo. He did not autho- rize all his Difciples promifcuoufly to go out and preach in his Name, but only fnch as he himftif chofcand fent. And when he was about toafcend into Heaven, then he delegated this and all other Spiritual Powers to his Apoftles, faying, (^\ ) As my Father hath fent me, ezen fo fend I you. And accord- ingly we find the ApolUes did choofe and fend ia like manner, (k) and ordained them Elders in every Church: And alfo committed the fame Power of choofingand fending Presbyters, Priefts, or Elders to others: AsS. PaulitWs Titus, faying, (/) For this caufe left J thee in Crete, that thou Jliouldfi fet in Or- der the Things that are wanting, and ordain Eh'ers in every City, as I appointed thee. And no Inftance can be given throughout the whole new Teftament, of any Perfons being fent to preach the Gofpel, or to perform any Funftions belonging to the Miniftry of the Gofpel, that is, to e.vercifc any Spiritual Powers, who was not commifTioned to do fo by Chrifi or his Apoflles, or by forae Perfon, fuch as
(d) 1 Cor. xii. 28. (e) 1 Cor. x\\. 1 9, (0 "^oh. xii. 19. (g) Mur. \\\. 14. (h) Luk. X. I. CO ^oh. xx.2i.
(k) >4i7jxiv. 23. (0 ^'>' i- 5«
Timothy
1 5 The Independency of the
."Ximothy or Ti>Mj, veiled by the Apoftles, with Apo- ftolical or Epifcopal Authority. Nay, the whole iiiftory of the Church will not afford an Iiiftance of any Perfons being allowed to be a Biftiop or Prielt iti the Church of God, but fuch as have received their Ordination from Bifhops deriving their Succeffion fi'om Chrifi and his Apoftles, tiW Luther^ ZuingUuSy Calvin^ and their Followers, ( who have met with too many Difciples in this Realm) taught new and i^r.inge Doftrines, and would derive all Church- Power either from the Prince or People, juft as it fitted their Purpofe belt. Bat whence could the Prince or People derive this Power? Ic is certain, ^il Spiritual Power is veft^d in phrifi. He gave it to his Apoftles and their Succeftbrs the Bifhops, as th? Scripture plainly teaches, and to no others, neither Priace nor People : How then can either Prince or .People come by this Power?
§ IX. They tell us, that it muft be in the Prince, hecaufe all Power is in him, and therefore he muft have a Spiritual as well as a Temporal Power •, an(| ic is a Contradiction to fay. That any Supreme Powei^ fhould have aRother Power within his Do- minions, independent on hioi- This is their maia Argument,' and all they have faid on this occalioa depends on this. But this is contradictory to Scrip- ture, and therefore fa Ifc. For our Saviour ( who utterly difclainrd all Temporal Power, as has been fhewed ) yet claimM tMs Spiritual Power, and ex- ercifed it here on Earth as long as he continued with us,independent on the Civil Magiftrate •, for he claimed it as (mj dd vered to him of the Father. The Apoftles alfo claimed it as f») committed to them by God, and therefore to be exercifed by them,
(m) Mil. xf. i;. (n) Aclsiv, <9.
not-
church upon the State^ 8cc. i g
notwithftanding any Ptohibition from the Civil Wagiftrate ^ therefore to fay. That no Power, and particularly this Spiritual Power, can be exercifed independent bn the Supreme Civil Magiftrate, ii diredtly to contradict the Scriptures: And muft be falfe. It is evident, from the Scriptures and Eccle- fiaftical Hiftory, thatChrift^ his Apoftles, and their SuccefTois the Bifhops of the Primitive Church, ex- ercifed this Authority which is now claimed ^s be- longing to the prefent Bilhops of the Church at thii Day : And it is as evident,that they did not receive it, or any Part of it, from the Civil Magiitrate, who was fo far from allowing them any fuch Authority, that he perfecuted them for extrcifing it. Now, if they had not a Divine Right to this Authority in- dependent on the iMagiftrate, then that which they called a Perfecution, was but a due and legal Ex- ecution of the Laws upon them, and (o) they fufFer'd not as Martyrs for Chrijiiariity, for they had no Com- mifllon from the Emperor to preach, baptize, con- fecrate the Euchariit, ofdain, or excommunicate^ but were exprefly forbidden to do any of ihofe Things by many Emperors, particularly by Nero^ Domitian, Declui^ and Diode fiari\ confequently, if they would do thefc things, and fuffer for it, ha- ving no independent Authority with relation to fuch Matters, they ^11 fuffer'd juflly, and as Bufy- Bodies in other Mens Matters. But if we believe that Cfcr//?, and his Apoftles, and their SucceOors, were Martyrs, (p) and bore Witntfs to the Truth^ then muft we believe that they all held rhis Spiri- tual Power 1 have been treating of, Independent oii the Civil MagiftratCj fince it is fo evident, from the Scriptures and Eccleiiaftical Hiftory, th^t ih^y
(0} I Pit. iv. 1 5, i6. CpO ^ob. XTiii-. 37,
all
I i^ The Independency of the
all both claimed and exercifed it, even though the Civil Magiltrate not only gave them no Commif- fion for that purpofe, bat direclly prohibited and hindred them in the Exercife of it, as much as he was able.
§ X. But at the Beginning of the Reformation, a new and before unheard-of Title was invented for the Civil Magiftrate, and our King Henry VIH. would be called »>upicine l^eati lit (iactlj of t^e Ctucclj of Cnglanti, and forced all Perfons {q) by his Ads of Parliament, under the fevereft Penalties to acknowledge him to be fo. And from this ftrange and before unknown Title, which the Chrifiian Church never heard of till that time, are derived all the Pretences to Spiritual Power, which fome fuppofe to be lodged in the King or Su- preme Magiftrate. And indeed, if the King had a juft Right to this Title, it might imply that the Church cannot be in any refped independent on him. For if he be tt)C onlp Supreme ^cati in datt^ of tijc CCljurcl) of (Sntylanti, as the Statute (' but God be praifed it is a Statute long fince repealed) declares him to be, then all that have any Authority in the Church of England^ muft derive it from him : The Word of God can- not be preached, the Sacraments adminiftred, or any Perfons authorized to minifter thofe Ordi- nances, but by him: Becaufe, if they can derive an Authority from any one elfe, independent on him, to preach, and minifter the Sacraments, then is he not tlje onlp feupjeme l^cati* According to this Doftrine, there was no occafion for Ordination of a Prieft, or Confecration of a Bifliop, for any Spiritual Purpofes ^ the King's Commiflion alone
C<1) *^ H. VIU. c. I. & 2S Hen. VIII. (, 7. & 10.
was
church upon the State^ &c. 1 5
was fufficient. And fo Archbifliop Crantner de- clared about that time, as appears from his An- fwer to the Queftion before cited. ^// Chriftitttt F'inces^ fays he, have committed into them imme- diately of God the whole Cvrc of all their SuhjtTiSj as well concerning the ^dmimfiration of Code's Word, for the Cure of Souls^ as concerning the Miniflration of Things lolitical^ (fnd Civil Gcuernance : Jind in both thefe Mi- njl rations^ they mvft have fundry Mm fters vnder them to fupply that, which is appointed to their feveral Of* fit es. The Civil Minifiers vnder the Kin£s AJajefly^ tn this Realm <?/ England, be thofe whom it flialt pleaje his Highnefs for the Time to put in Authority vnder him : As for Example^ The Lord Chancel/or^ Lord Treafur€t\ Lord Great Mafler^ Lord Trivy Seal, Lord Admiral ^ Mayers, Sheriffs, SkC The Minijfers of God's Word^ vnder his Majefly, be the Bijliops, P/irfons, Ficars, and fuch other Prtefls, as be appointed by his Highnefs to that Min'ifiration : As for Example, The Bifl^op of Canterbury, the Bijhop of Durefme, the Bifljop of Winchefter, the Parfon o/ Win wick, &c. ALL the faid Officers and Mintfiers, as well of that fort as the other, be appointed, affigned^ and eleBed, and in every Place by the Laws and Orders of Kings and Princes. lit the Admiffion of many of thefe Officers, be divers comely Ceremonies and Solemnities vfed, which be not of Ne^cef- fity, but only for a good Order and feemly FaJJ?ion ; for tf fuch Offices and Mimflrations were committed withoi.t fuch Solemnity, they were neverthelefs truly committed : And there is no more Promt fe of God^ that Grace is given tn the Committing of the Ecclefiaffical Office^ than it is tn the Committing the Civil Office. Now, this Dodrine deliver'd by this Archbilhop, is a very natural plain Confcquence of making a King or other Civil Magi- llrate Supreme Head of the Church : For if he be fo, all Spiritual Power as well asTemporal muft be deriv'd from him, and he may commit it to whom he pleafes, and in what Manner he pleafes. But then, as ic is
agreeable
1 6 The Independency of the
agreeable to that Supreme Headjljlp, which was it that time fiippofed to be vefled in the Chriftiart Prince by A*^ of Parliament, it i? plainly oppo- fite to the Ho'y Scriptures , which give no fuch Autiiority to Kmgs^nd Princes, but declare Chri/t alone to be thfe Supreme He" ad of his Churchy and teach us that he committed no Part of this Autho- rity to any Civil Magiftrate, but to his Apolllcs only, and to their SuccelTors tphdm he fent, as he wai fent of the Father^ as has been already proved. And whereas Archbifhop Cranmer fays,ifefre is ho more Pro- mife of Gody that Grnce is given In the Committing of the EccUfiaftical Office^ than it is in the Committing of the Civil Offcey that is alfo contrary to plain Scri- pture. For vvhen Chrijl committed the Ecclefiafti* cal Office to his Apoftles, and fent them forth to preach and baptize, he promifed them (r) to be with them dway , tven vnto the End of the World, Which is as clear a Proraife as he could riiake, that his Grace and Holy Spirit fhould accompany the Mi- niftrations theh comriiitted to them, not for their Lives only, but throughout all Generations •, which muft necefiarily imply the like Grace to be continued to the Miniftrations of thofe who fhould fucceed them. But we find no fuch Promife of Grace made to the Civil Magiftrate^ or to any commiflioned by him.
§ XI. Hov^ever, King Henry VIlI. having taken upon him the Title of Supreme Head of the Churchy thought it propef- toexercifeitin its full Extent: (/) And accordingly made the Bifhops take out a Jlranae Commiffion ( as Bilhop 5«r»er.hirafelf ftyles it) nhich might give ji'fl Occafion to call them the King^s
Cr) Mmh. xxvili. 20.
(sj Burnett Hi ft. of R^f or* 4th Edition, f. 255. Collier's Hift, Vol. II. /). 169. Ctl. 2.
BiJl)OpS>
Church upon the State^ &c. 17
Bifjops. The Subftance of it was, That Jtnce allju- rifdiihion^ both Civil and Eccleflajiical^ flowed from the Ktng as Supreme Head, and he was the Fountain of all Power j it became thofe who exercifed it only ( pre- cario ) at the King's Courte/y^ gratefully to acknowledor^ that they had it only of his Bounty ^ and to declare that they would deliver it up again-, when it Jljould plea/e him to call for it. And fince the. King had confiituted the Lord Cromwell his Vicegerent in Ecclejiaflical Affairs \ yet becaufe he could not look into all thofe Matters^ therefore the King^ upon Bonner'/ Petition^ did empower himy iQ 1)10 OtDU fe)tCaD, to ordain fuch as he found worthy^ to prefent and give Inflitution^ with all the other Parts of the Epifcopal Authority^for which he is duly commiffionattd ; and this to lafl during the King's Fleafure only. And all the Parts of the Eptfcopal FunBion being reckon d vp^ it concluded with a flriB Charge to the Bifliop to ordain none but fuch ofwhofe Integrity^goed Life^ and Learnings he had very good Affurance. Bifliop Burnet pretends, that only 5owfr took fuch a Commifllonj h\it Atf thcny Harmer has ftiewn, that Crammr and many others, and probably all the Bifliops of that Time did the fame.
§ XII. It appears by this Commifllon, that the King looi^ed upon himfelf to have full Authority, by vertue of his Supreme Headfup^ to ordain Bifliops, Priefts, or Deacons \ for he plainly authorizes the Bifhops, to whom he gave this Commiflion, to do this in his own Steady which necefl^arily implies that he might have done it himfelf, if he had pleafed: I>4ay, that the Lord Cromwell his Vicegerent might have done if, for it feems,it was only becaufe he was not at Lcifure to look into thefe Matters, that the King was induced to grant thefe Commiflions to the feveral Bifliops. And yet after all, it appears from this very Commifliion, that King Henry VIII. him- felf was not fatisfy'dthat he really had <i//chat Power
C which
1 8 The Independency of the
which he here pretended to, or that the Bifhop had no manner of Power or Authority but what he rc- ceiv'd from him, and therefore found it necefiary to throw thefe Words into the Commiflion, (as Mr. Col- Her obferves ) Prater & ultra ea (ju<t tibi ex facris li- ieris Divinitui commijfa tjfe dignofcuntur : Over and above thofe Things which are known from the Holy Scri- ptures to have been committed to you by Cod. Which Words do efiedually overthrow that boundlefs Su- premacy pretended to in the other Parts of theCom- mifTion. For,if the Bifhops and Pallors of the Church have any thing immediately committed to them by God, independent on the Civil Magiftrate, as this Claufe affirms, then all Spiritual Power is not deriv'd from the King, as is pretended in the other Parts of this Commiflion ^ confequently, King Henry was not fuch a Supreme Head as he was defirous to be thought ♦, and by this very Claufe declares the Scri* ptures to be againft that pretended Headpip.
§ XIII. Alfo, though in this Cofmmiffion he de- clares all Epifcopal Power to be deriv'd from him- feif, and that Cromwell, his Vicegerent, was veiled with the Authority of all the Bifhops in England ^ yet, when he made his Aft of Parliament ( which was about the lame time thefe CommifTions were granted j for the Election and Gonlecration of Arch- bifhops and Bifhops, he did not pretend to make Bifhops otherwife than they had been made before. For though he carry'd his Right of Patronage, or of Recommending or Nominating the Perfon to be made a Bifhop, to its full Height, beyond the Ex- ample of former Ages, and decreed, (r) that if the Dean and Chapter deferr or delay their Eletlion above twelve Days next after the Licence and Letters Afijfivd
:t) 2$ ffcTiry VIII. Cap. V.
church upm the St ate ^ &c. ^9
HY* to thtm delivtredy that, then for every fuch Default.^ tht Kin^s Highnefs^ his Heirs and Succejfors, at theit\ Liberty and Pleafure^ piaU nominate and prefent, by their t>9tters Patents under their Great Seal^ fuch a Perfon id the. faid Office and Dignity^ as they jliall think able and convenient for the fame. But then, if the Arch- bifliops or Biihops ihall rcfufe or negled to confe- crate him, the Statute does not fay, that he Ihall be taken or reputed for a Bifhop not with/landing. It lays indeed fuch Archbiftiop or Bifliops refuling under the Penalty of a Premunire j but if they had Courage andConftancy to bear that Penalty, even this5tt« preme Head of the Church did not think himlelf ca- pable of making a Bifhop without them, notwith- ftanding Archbifhop Cranmer's Opinion, that thefe Ceremonies of Confecration orlmpofition of Epifcd- pal Hands were not neceflary.
§ XIV. This Title of Supreme Head of the Church continu'd the remaining Part of King Henry Villus Reign, and throughout that of his Son King Edw. VI. but was repealed («> by Qiieen Mary^ and never iincc revived. For Queen EUz^abeth nevef was, nor would be called Supreme Head of the Church-, but con- tented herfelf with the Title of Supreme Governor of this Realm., and of all other her Highnefs*s Realm:, Do^ minions and CountrieSy A} well in all Spiritual, or Eccle-^ fiafiical Things or Caufes, ,as Temporal : And allowed alfo, that it Ihould be declared in (w) the. Articles puhlifh'd by her Authority;, that where we attribute, to the Queen^s Majefiy. the chief Gov^rnmenty by which Titles we vnderjland the Minds of fame fanjerous Folk^ to be offended : We give not to our Princes the A'finiftring (ither of Cod's Word^ or of the Sacraments, .the which. Thing the InjunBions alfo lately ft forth by Elizabeth
h) I ^ ifklU & Mat, Cap yiU. (w) ArU 37. ,,uf
C 2. Otiy'
20 T^e tndej^endency of the:
cur Quten-, doth mofl fUinly tejlify : But that only Pre- rogative which we fee to have been given always to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himfelf^ that itj that they fliould rule all Efiates and Degrees committed to their Charge by Gody whether they be Ecclefiaftical or Temporal^ and refirain with the CIVIL Sword the Stulf horn and Evil- Doers. Whereby the Regal Supremacy over Ecclefiaftical Caufcs and Perfons is plainly de- clared to be no other than aCivilPower, and not that Spiritual Power which Chrifi committed to his Apoftles, and is deriv'd from them to the Bifhops and Paftors of the Church, and which the Words Supreme Head of the Church feem'd to veft in the Crown.
§ XV. Since, then, that Title o^ Supreme Head of the Chtirchwai a Title axTum'd by King Henry V III. continu'd only by him and his Son, who liv'd and died in his Minority, and was then repealed by Aft of Parliament, and never fince reftored or made Part of the Regal Title-, that it is alfo a Title never known or heard of till that Age, and liable to very itrange Conftruftions, even to the utter annulling and deftrdying all that Power which Chrift commit- ted to his Apoftles, and from them to the Bifhops and Paftors of his Church*, I have often wonder'd, how fo many Learned Men have to this Day conti- nu'd to give this Title to our Princes, and how fo many of the Clergy, in their Prayer before Sermon, ihould call our King, next and immediately under Chrifi:^ Supreme Head : Since neither our Laws nor our Canons do at this timc,or have for thefe hundred and fifty Years and upwards given him this Title. I am perfuaded, that nothing has more contributed to the fprejding of Erafltanifm^ than this unwary Cu- ftom of ftylinp our King Supreme Head of the Churchy which I am allur'd has no Law or Canon now ill Force to oblige us j and, I am well fatisfy'd, has nei- ther
Church upon the State^ &c. 7 1
thjer Reafon, Religion, nor Gofpcl to induce us to liie it. For if the King be Supreme Head of the Churchy then it is impolTible tlie Church fhould fubfi ft with- out the King; for no Body, ix) and fuch the Scri- pture tells us the Church is, can fubfifl: without its Head. ButtheChurch,weail know,did fubfilt during ihe Time of Chrifi and his Apoftles, and above two hundred Years after their Deaths, without having any Sovereign Prince of its Communion \ and con- fequently, without any Headfhip of anyTemporal Prince \ for no Man can be Head of a Communion of which he is not fo much as a Member. And how a Prince can become Head of a Church, by being made a Member of it, I cannot fee. The Prince is admitted into the Church, juft as others are,by Bap- tifm •, but that only makes him a Son or Member of the Church : But it is Confecration or Ordination alone, that makes Fathrrs or Heads. And therefore Religious Chriftian Princes have always efteemed Bifhops as their Spiritual Fathers^ and to this Day they, as well as other Members of the Church, cail them their Right Rezerend Fathers in Chrifi. But are they Fathers to the Supreme Head of their Church? This feems to be a kind of Contradiction.
§ XVI. Kings then have a Civile not a Spiritual Authority over all the Members of the Church. No Man, by becoming a Chrifiian^ gains any Exemption from that Obedience and Duty which every one owes his Prince, as he is a Subject. Even Bijlwpf themfelves, to whom Chrfiy as Succeflbrs to the Apofilesy has committed the chief Government of his Church, are not thereby freed from that Allegi- ance, or any Part of it^ which as Temporal Subjecls
('x) Eph. i. 22, 23. Rom. xiii. 4, 5. i Cor. xli. 27. Efh. It. 12. {cv, 23, ;o. Col. i. 24,
C 3 thpy
3f The Independency of the
they owe to their Sovereign : Much lefs therefor© can the Inferiour Orders ofPrieJts and Deacons clainii any fuch Exemption. They are all as much Sub- jed to the Supreme Temporal Authority of the Country where they live, as they were or ought to have been before their Ordination. And they are bound to this Obedience even by the Rules and Precepts of that Gofpel which they are to preach to others. The fame Lord who has committed to them the Spiritual Authority over his Church, has alfo commanded them to. be fubjecft to the State, not only for Wrath, but alfo for Confcience fake. ]^either our Saviour nor his Apoftles pretended to ail Exemption from that Obedience which all Sub- jedsowcto the Civil Powers ^ but upon all Occa- jions fubmitted to, and acknowledged their Autho- rity, and put thofe in mind who were committed to their Charge, to be fubjeft to Principalities and powers, and to obey Magiftrates. It is true, where their Religion was concerned, v/here the Magiftrate Commanded what God had forbidden, or where he forbad what God had commanded, they would not obey, becaufe it is necelTary to obey God rather than Man; yet even in fdch Cafes they did not re- fill and oppofe the Higher Powers with the Sword, or with any Carnal Weapons which God had put into the Temporal Magiftrates Hands, and forbad them to tak:e into their own Hands in Oppofition to them j but committing their Caufe to God, fubmit- ted to, and patiently bore fuch Puniftiments as the Magiftrate thought nt to lay upon them, and coun- ted it an Honour wh^n they were thought worthy to fulFer Perfecution for the Name of Chrifi \ for they knew that he alone had the Power of the Sword, and that although he abufed that Power in thf perfecution of themfelves, and other Inno- cent or Well-deierving Perfons ; yet they had ;io Commiffion or Authority to wrell the Sword out -^■- - ■ ■ ■■ ■ cf
Church upon the State^ &c. 3^
of his Hands, and therefore were obliged peaceably to bear his unjuft Proceedings againll them •, which they always did readily and chearfiilly, as knowing that God, whom they had chofcn to obey, was Lordalfo of the Magiftrate, and would in his own Time, and by fuch Means as he thought belt, do Right to thofe that fuffer'd Wrong, and give that unjuft Magiftrate Caufe to wifh that he had made a better Ufe of his Power.
§ XVII. And as Spiritual Per fans ^ fo neither arc the Temporal Rewards or Punifhments annex'd to Spiritual Caufes exempt from the Civil Jurifdiftion of the Magiftrate. It is he alone, that, by Civil Sanctions, can oblige his Subjects to receive even Chriftianity itfelf. For though Chrifi defcended from Heaven, and took our Nature upon him that he might publifh this Religion to the World, and fettle and eftablifh it by proniifing the highcft Re- wards to thofe which fhould receive it, and live according to his Dodrine and Precepts i^ and threat- ning the fevereft Punifhments to thofe that (hould rejeclit, even to the Magiftratcs as well as others j yet he took not upon him to make any Cu-il or Temporal Laws concerning his Religion, any more than concerning other Matters. The Rewards which he promifed, and the Penalties which he threatncd, were not Temporal but Eternal, and. related not to this Life,but to another i^/^r his KiKf- domis not of this. World. Therefore Civil Rewards or Punifhments cannot be given or intli-flcd even ia Spiritual Caufis^ but by the Magiftrate, a;id he r.mil be the judge whether it be proper to heftow the one, or to inflict the other. Thus, for inftance, when the Arch-Heretick j4rius was convened and tried before the Council of Nice ^ concerning a Spi^ ritual Caufe, even an Article of Faith of the higheft Confequence, as whether our Saviour was True and
C 4 Eternal
24 The Independency of the
'Eternal God^ of one Subftance with the Father ^ though the Bifljops were the only Judges whether this was an Herefy and Crime for which he deferved to be expelled from the Communion of the Church •, yet Conft amine the Emperor was the fole judge, whether he fliould alfo be expelled his Native Country, and fent into Banifhment. It is true, the Bijhops might reprefent to him how dangerous it would be to the Peace of the Church, to let fach a Man return to Mexandria^ where he had done fo much Mifchief al- ready \ but if he would not have hearkened to them, they had no Means to compell the Emperor to banifh him, or to inflict that Punifhment on him them- felves. As Banifhrnent was a Penalty which none but Conft antine could lay upon Arius^ fo was he the only Judge whether he (hould order that Penalty to be executed. For llnce Chrift has annexed no Temporal Punifhments to the Breach of his Laws, the Civil Magiftrate is, and muft be Judge of fuch Matters, i. e. whether it be proper to decree a Temporal Penalty againft thofe who are only guilty of a Spiritual Offence, and likewife to determine what that Penalty fhall be. But whether the Ma- giftrate will decree in fuch a Cafe or not, or whether he decree according to Right or not, the Matter is itill the fame •, the Perfon expelled the Communion of the Church by the Bijhops, to whom alone Chrifi has committed his Keys, will continue an Alien from the Church, and lie under the Spiritual Cen» fures of it, notwithftanding the Magiftrate fhould directly declare the contrary, {y ) Thus in the Cafe before-mentioned, when Conftantine thought fit to recall Arivs from his Banifliment, as believing him to have fincerely repented of his Herefy, yet he
(y) Socrat.Hift. Ecclef.Libi I, cap. 26, 27, 28, 29, lo> 3»»
did
church upon the State^ Sec. 5 5
did not pretend to leftore him to the Peace of the Church by his own Authority, but fent him to his own BiHiop At hanafius to be by him received into the Bofcm of the Church. Indeed, the Emperor didalfo fend a Mandatory Letter, requiring Atha- nafws to receive him ^ but that Bijlwp refufed to obey fuch a Mandate^ and flill denied Communion to j4rius and his Adherents. Kor did the Eufebians^ who fccretly favour'd Arius and his Caufe, and for that Reafon bore a deadly Hatred to Athanajins^ and had at that time a great Interefl: with Confian- tint,, pretend to fay, that Atbanafins had not a Right to judge in this Cafe, notwithftanding the Orders of the Emperor, or to make his Refufal of Com- munion to Arim after thofe Orders, a Matter of Ac- cufation, however they might ufe it as a Motive to incenfethe Emperor againft him. But though they refolved to depofe him, and get him banifh'd, they were forced to frame Accufations againit him of an- other Nature, fuch as his demanding Tribute to be paid by other Churches to his Church of Alex- andria^ his Breaking a Communion Chalice, Burning Sacred Books, Cutting ofFa Man's Hand, Stopping Corn which was going from Alex^mdria to Conftanti- tjople^ Matters which belonged to the Cognizance of the Civil Magillrate. And for thefe things, (though falfly laid to his Charge, and fufficiently difproved by him ) a Synod of Bifhops, headed by his profefTed Enemies, was packed at Tyre^ that might have the Pretence of a Spiritual Authority to depofe him, and the Emperor was prevailed with to banifh him. But his Refufal to admit Arivs to Commu- nion notwithftanding the Emperors Orders to do it, though Notorious and Publick, and fnch as he neither could nor would have denied, was not charged upon him as an Offence j he was allowed to be the proper Judge whether that was to be done or not. But then, as he maintained his own
Riaht
^6 *The Indepencency of the
Kight and Authority with relation to the Spiritual Cenfure pafTed upon Arius for his Herefy, fo he allowed the Emperor to be the Temporal Judge, in relation to the Worldly Punifhment annexed to the fame Caufe, and blamed not Conftantint for re- calling him from Banifhment, notwithftanding he had not in his Opinion fufficiently retraced hisError, or renounced his Herefy. Thus both Athanaflus and Conftamine^ in their refpective Spheres, judged the fame Perfon for the fame Offence \ they gave different Judgments, the one Spiritual, the other Temporal, and both had their Effeft. Arius ftill continued bound by the Cenfures of the Church, becaufe Athanafius refufed to abfolve him ; but was releafed from his Banifhment, becaufe Conftmtine had thought fit to recall him. The Bifhop could not continue Arius in his Banifhment, neither could the Emperor reltore him to the Peace of the Church. Indeed, Confiantine^ urged by the Eufebian Faction, who had worked themfelves into his Favour, did proceed fo far as to command Athanafius to rcftore him, and to threaten him if he would not^ but though Athanafius perfifted in his Refufal, Cenjiantine did not take upon him to do it himfelf. And after- wards, when Arius czmQ to ConftantinopU^ and there the Eufebian Party had refolved to force Alexander y the Bifhop of that Place, to receive him \ juft as they were carrying him into the Church by Violence, a- gainfb that Bilhop's Confent,God himfelf waspleafcd toiiiterpofe,and in a miraculous Manner to vindicate the Honour of his Servant, who refufed to receive that Arch- Heretick to Communion, though required to do it by the Emperor. For as Arius was tri- umphantly going towards the Church, attended by the Eufebian Fadion, like Guards, through the midft of the City ^ infomuch that the Eyes of all People were upon him : When he came near that Place which is called ConJi:mtine% Forum^ where the
Pillar
Church upon the Suite^ &c. 07
Pillar of Porphyric ftood, a confcious Terror, accom- panied with a Loofenefs, feized Arius himfelf; hereupon, he enquired for an Houfe-of-OiHce, and being told there was one behind Conjiamlne\ Forum^ he retired thither. A Fainting- fitt feized him, and together with his Excrements, his Fundament alfo fell down, and a great Flux of Blood followed, and his Small Guts and Blood guftied out, together with his Spleen and Livor^ whereupon he immediately died. Thus, whilfl: the Emperor aded only in his. own Sphere, and judged as a Temporal Magiflrate, whether y^nwi ought to be continued in hisBanifh- mentor not, though it was for a Spiritual Crime, the Bifhops made noOppofition^ but when he broke thofe Bounds, and took upon him to determine that jirius ought to be received into the Communion of the Church, and though he would not pretend that it belonged to him to abfolve him, yet attemp- ted to oblige the Bifhop to do it by Secular Force \ then God thought fit to interpofe, and by infiiding. a molb fignal Judgment upon Arius himfelf, vybo had been the prime Caufe of all thefe Diflurbances, fhewed that the Bilhop, and not the Emperor, was the proper Judge whom he fhould admit into the Communion of the Church. Thus then we fee, how the ^Mperor or King is Svpreme Governor in all Cauffs, as well Sp'ritual as Temporal ^ that is, his Power, in tojat Caufe fociJec, is only Civil or Tem- poral, and he can only determine whether that Perfon, whofe Caufc he tri^s, deferves to be pu- nifhed with the Civil Sword or not, which is all the Power, that according to the Declaration in our own Articles, our Kings challenge to them- felves, viz,, to punijlj^rvith the Cibll »>tl30ilJ, the fiidb- horn and Evilmdoers^oi what Nature foever the Caufe be, whether Spiritual or Temporal-
§ XVIII.
l8 The Independency of the
§ XVIII. And this Right of Princes to judge, with relation to Spiritual Caufes^ in a Civil Manner, that is, to judge whether they deferve a Civil Pu- nilhmentor a Civil Encouragement, is not peculiar to Chrifiian Princes^ but is the undoubted Right of all Sovereigns whatfoever, and whatfoever Religion they are of; and was allowed to be fo even by the Apoflles themfelves. Thus (z,) when S. Paul was carried before Felix the Roman Governor, and after- wards before Feftus^ though he was called in Que- Ition concerning an Article of Faith, even the Re- furre^ion efChrft^ ( which was certainly a Spiritual Caufe) yet the Event of the Tryal being only to have the Governor's Judgment whether he fhould be kept in Bonds and receive farther Punifhoient, or whether he fliould be releafed ♦, he made no Ex- ceptions to the Jurifdidion, but acknowledged that he ftood at C<tfars Judgment Seat^ where he ovaht to be judged^ and therefore readily anfwer'd for him- feif, and gave an Account how, and in what man- ner he was called to his Apoftle/hip by a Voice from Heaven, and how God had fent him to preach that Doctrine; and appealed to Cxfar himfelf to de- termine whether he deferved a Temporal Penalty for doing that which a greater than Cafar had com- mifTioned him to do. It is true, Felix aded the Part of an unjaft Judge in not releafing him, but leaving him in Bonds to pleafe the Jews \ yet ;t^ forafmuch as he di4^releafe him, and his SuccelTor Feflus feemed inclinable to tread in his Steps , to curry Favour with the Jews^ S. Taul did not pretend to have any Authority to releafe him- felf by his Spiritual Power, or to require thofe who were under his Spiritual Government to take up Arms to deliver him out of Prifon, but made his
(^) Aft, xxiy, XXV. xxvi.
Appeal
Church ufon the State^ 8cc. 29
Appeal to Crf/^r, as the Supreme Judge, who ought to determine concerning all Temporal Punifhments, for what Caufe foever to be inflicfled. But which way foever Cafar judged in that Matter, his Decree could have only a Civil Temporal EfFedt ^ he had ic in his Power to keep S. Paul a Prifoner if he thought fit, or to put him to Death, or to enlarge him ; the Apoftle was in his Hands, and as he was his Subjcdt could not employ the Civil Sword againft him: But all this had no EfFed upon S. Paurs Spiritual Powers he was neverthelefs an ApoHle of Jefus Chrifi, his Preaching, his Miniftration of the Sacra- ments, his Spiritual Cenfures, his Epifcopal or Apoftolical Letters, which he wrote, during his Im- prifonment, to divers Churches or fingle Perfons, were of as full Authority, as if he had been at large, and Cafar himfelf had protected and encouraged him in the Performance of thofc Miniftrations.
Princes ought to be very tender and careful hovr they take upon them to judge about Temporal Pu- nifhments for Spiritual Cavfes', for if they give a wrong Judgment, and condemn thofe whom Chrifi has fent to a(f\ in his Name, that is, if they inflidt Tempo- ral Penalties on them for ex'ercifing their Spiritual Power, according to the CommifTion they have re- ceived from our BleiTed Saviour, they will be found to fight againft God : And though thofe Bilhopsand Paftors, or other good Criftians who fuffer under them, arc barred from lifting up an Hand againft ' them to avenge themfelves^ yet God will not tail to take Vengeance of them in fome other Way, as he did of Nero, Domitian, Decius, Diccle[ian, Galer.Uf^ Maxlmin, Licinim, Julian, and Others that raifed a Pel fecution againft his Church.
§ XIX. It may perhaps be faid, that according to our Laws Appeals may be made from the Bi(hop to the Archbiihop, and from him to the King in his
Higli
5© TTje Independency of the
High Court of Chancery, who fhall appoint De- legates to re-examine the Matter, though the Caufe be purely Spiritual, and that Determination (hall be final. Confequently, the King is Supreme Spiritual Judge^zs, well as Temporal *, for this Court may reverfe even the Spiritual "judgment of Excomr^uuication. To this it may be anfwered, that our Laws having an- nex'd a Temporal Penalty to the Sentence of Ex- communication pronounced by the Spiritual Judge, k is but reafonable, that the King fhould enquire into the Caufe for which he is to inflicl: a Temporal Punifliment, and to fatisfy himfelf in the J u ft ice of the Proceedings. The Judgment of the Court of t>elegates is therefore expedient and realbnable to fatis^ the Prince, whether he fhall proceed to fine, imprifon, or outlaw the Perfon whom the Church has cenfured *, becaufe thofe are Punilliments which he and only he can execute, nor has the Spiritual judge any Authority to require him to execute any of them, but as he fees it fie himfelf. But 1 do not conceive, that th^s Court can fo take ofFthe Cenfure in a pure Spiritual Caufe, as to reflore a Perfon to the Communion of the Church, whether the Bifhop will or not. Yet whatever they may do in Foro Ex- terno^ where the Civil Magiftrate bears the Sword, and will do what he pleafes, fuch a Determination proceeding only from thePrinceinaMatter of which God has not made him the Judge, cannot bind in Fore Internoy or give Satisfa(f^ion to the Confcience. Nei- ther is it my Purpofe upon this Occafion to vindicate all the Laws of this Realm, or to fhew that any of them are not agreeable to the Laws of God. What- ever they are, private Perfons (and fuch are even the chief Spiritual Governors with relation to the State) mult fnbmit to them aftively or paCively : Where they are not coiitrary to the Law ol God, or to that Authority which is derived from Chrift alone as Sole Head of his Church, we ought to yield aa
entir^
Ojurch ufon the State^ &c. 3 1
entire adlive Obedience to them : But where they are contrary to the Law of God, or to the Authority of Jefui Chrifi^ we muft, as we fhall be thereto called, bear our Teftimony againft them, and obey God and his Chrifl rather than Man : Though at the fame time, as becomes Martyrs and Confeflbrs, we dare not lift up an Hand againft the Authority, by which that Law is made or executed, but muft chearfully fubmit to theTemporal Penalty it lays us under. For what is it to be a Martyr or Confefror, but to bear Teftimony to the Truths of the Gofpel againft any Humane Law or Force oppofing them, and at the fame time patiently to fuffer the Penalty which that Law or Force Ihall lay us under ? And this would be bur Duty, upon Suppofition that any of our Laws were Erajiian^ when fuch Laws Ihould be put in Exe- cution againft us.
§ XX. But farther, by the Doftrine of the Book of Homilies^ which, by Act of Parliament, is made the Law of the Land, if any Humane Law be oppo- fite to the Law of God, it is not to be obey'd. There«^ fore, in particular, even by our Laws, if there be any Law of the Land which is repugnant to the Law of God, it is not to be obeyed. For, in the fecond Part of the Sermon of Good Worh^ the following Do- ctrine is taught. This Arrogancy God dete^iedj that Man Jlwuld fo advance his Larvs, to make them equal ivith GodHs Laws, wherein the true Honouring and Woy' flipping of God fiandeth, and to make his Laws for thsm to be left off'. God hath appointed his Laws^ wherein his Tleafure is to be honoured : His Pleafure is alfo^ That all Mens Laws-, not being contrary unto his LawSj flyall be obeyed-, and kept as good and necejfary for every Common- wealth J but not as Things wherein principally his Honour refleth^ and all Civil or Aian's Laws either be cr fliould be made, to bring Men better to keep God^s Laws, thatj iionfequently or folhwingly-, Cod f.:ould be the better ho-
noiired
^1 The Independency of the
mured by them. Therefore, if I fhew that Spiritu/tl Governors have a Jurifdi^lion or Authority commit- ted to their Trufl by the Law of God, ( which being a Trufl:, cannot by them be alienated to the Civil Powers) in proving this, I alfo at the fame time prove it to be the Law of this Realm. But the Law of this Realm has not only thus declared that the Law of God is above all Humane Laws what foever'^ but has alfo particularly declared, that the Church has a Spiritual Power and Authority within itfclf, which it may exercife even over the greatelb Perfons themfelves , Kings or Emperors not excepted : And confequently muft be fuch a Power as is not derived from the Civil Magiflratej for a Power derived from the Magillrate cannot be cxercifed over him from whom it is derived. Thus in the fecond Part of the Sermon of the Right Vfe of the Churchy after the mentioning our Saviour's Whipping the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple, this Do5;rine is declared to refult from it : According to this Ex- ample of our Saviour^ in the Primitive Churchy which was mofi Holy and Godly ^ and in which due Dtfcipline with Severity was vfed againft the Wicked ^ open Ojfen* ders were not fuffered once ts enter into the Houfe of the Lordf nor admitted to Common- prayer^ and theZJfe of the Holy Sacraments with other true Chrifiians^ until they had done open Penance before the whole Church \ anU
tljiis toajs pjattifeD, not onl^ Upon mean ^ccfon?, I)ut upon tlje Eict), il^ioble, anti Q^iffljt;? l^ecfonsJ -> ?ea, upon Theodolius, tl)at ^uiffant anti ^t^iuljtp
d^mperoj, whom for committing a grievous and wilful Murder^ 5. Ambrofe Bijhop of Milan reproved fharpfy^ and did alfo Excommunicate the faid Emperor^ and brought him to open Penance 5 and they that were fe ji'flly exempted and banijhed {as it were) from the Houfe of the Lord^ were taken ( aS tl)£J) beintlCCtl) for Men dlv.de d and feparated from Chrifl^s Churchy and in moji dangerous Pfiate j yea.^ as S. Paul faith^ even given
unte
church upon the State^ &c, 33
unto Satan the Devil for a time, and their Company was jhunned and avoided of all godly Men and Women, until fuchtime as they^ by Repentance and Puhlitk Penanccy were reconciled. That is, all godly Men and Womea fhunned Communion with them as with Chnfiians^ but the Cenfures of the Church were never fuppofed to make void any Natural or Civil Relations. And Theodofi^^ the Emperor, whilft he was excluded from Communion by S. Amhrofe, exercifed his whole Im- perial Authority, as he did before or after \ neither his Council, nor any of his Subjects declined his Com- pany in any Civil Senfe, but reforted to him, and received his Directions and Commands in the fame Manner as they had been wont to do^ he was only kept from the Publick Prayers and Sacraments of the Church, and was not permitted to afTociate with the Godly Chriftians, when they met to celebrate Divine Offices. I thought proper to make this Obfervation, becaufe the Adverfaries to the Independency of the Church generally mifreprefent this Church-Cenfure of Excommunication, as if it deprived Men of their Civil Rights, or pretended to hinder other Perfons from performing thofe Duties to the Perfon ex'com- municated, which he might claim from them by any Natural or Civil Right. For the Spiritual Cenfure affects not any Natural or Civil Rights, and if any of thofe are affedled by it according to our Confti- tution, that flows purely from the Law of the State," and therefore the Civil Magiftrate is allow'd to be the proper Judge how far any Civil Rights fhall be affeded by it. Coafequently, whenever fuch a Spi-. ritual Cenfure is executed on a Supreme Magiftrate, as it was on the Emperor Theodojius, they can have no other than a pure Spiritual Effed : As indeed it can have upon no other Perfon whatfoever, other- wife than the Civil Laws, of which tne Magiftrate is. the Judge, may annex Temporal Penalties^ to it.
D § xxi;
34- 1*he Independency of the
§ XXI. And not only our Homilies^ whofc Do- £^rine, as I have (hewed, is the Law of the Land confirmM by Statute as well as the Doftrine of this Church, eftablifli'd by the Bifhops and Clergy in Sy- nod or Convocation, alTert the pure Spiritual Powers of the Church Independent on the Civil Powers, and that it may be exercifed even upoa the greateft Per- fons *, but the fame is owned even in the Body of an Aft of Parliament, where both Lords and Commons have acknowledged, that neither they nor the King claimed any Spiritual Power, but only a Civil Pow- er, (a) Thus When an Ad was made by King Hm^ ry Vlllfwhen the Regal Authority in Spiritual Mat- ters was ftrctched to the height) comerftwg Peter- fence and Diffenfations^ it was in exprefs Terms provided^ That this JiSiy net any jloing or Things therein contained^ jhall not be hereafter interpreted or expounded, t\)£lt pOUC <5l(ltty jour jl^OhUjS anil feulijettj^, intend by the fame tp decline or vary from the Congregation of Chriji's Churchy in any Things concerning the very Articles of the Cat ho-
tick /^iVfeo/Chriftendom, o^ in anp ot^fc 'vtljingjS BecIatfU f>p ^olp Scripture ant tl)r^o?u of (BO0, neceffacj foj ^our anti tljeic Salvations \ bht only
to make an Ordinance^ by Policies necejfary and convenient^ to reprefs f^ice^ and for the good Confervation of the Realms it* Peace, Vnity and Tranquility, from Ravin and Spoil, enfning mnch the old, ancient Cuftoms of this JKealm in that Behalf, not minding to feek for any Re* lief. Succours, or Remedies for any CilOjlDlj '(E^inffjJ, but, within this Realm, at the Hands of your Highnefs^ your Heirs and Succejfors, Kings of this Realtit • ivhich have and ought to have an 3|mpcrial Power and jiutho- rityinthe fame, and not obliged in any JisUi^lW.'^ CaU= fe0 to any Superior. Here I think it is evident, that
(4)25 Hen. %,Cap.7i,%, 19.
the
Church upon the State^ &c. 55
the King, Lords and Commons, the whole Legifla- tive as well as Executive Power of this Realm, claims no Authority in other than in Worldly Things of Caiifes^ and that they would not have the Ad which they then made to be interpreted or expound- ed to intend more, confequently they difclaimed all
Judicature in Spiritunl Things arjii Canfes^VJhzvz Worldly Things andCahfes arc not affedtcd by them : As indeed they are not, by fuch Matters wherein the Church juftly claims a Jurifdiftion as derived from Chrift. For the Spiritual Power which is claimed by the Church, affefts only thofe Matters which concern jirticks of the Catholick Faith of Chrifi^endom and other Tnings decUred by the Holy Serif ture and the Wtrd of God to be neceffary to Salvation : Which Things are in this Ad difclaimed by the Civil Power j and they will not have any thing decreed by them to be in- terpreted or expounded to intend any fuch Thing. And though the fame is not declared in all other Ads which concern Religion or Religious Perfons, yet being thus difclaimed in this Ad, which remains to this Day unrepealed, it is plainly implied in all others : And proves, that the Supreme Power of this Realm claims no other than a Civil Authority over all Perfons with relation to all Caufes, and. a Right to judge when and where Civil Penalties fhall be inflided, and as it is expreffed in the Thirty feventh Article (confirm'd alfo by Ad of Parliament) to reflrain with the Cltil ^VdOJU the fiubbom and evil Boers. And this Civil Authority of the Magiflrate is and was always allowed to belong to him, and to him only, whether he was Heathen or Chriftian. Our Saviour and his Apoftles fubmitted to it, neither did they deny his Jurifdidion to judge whether they had done anything which might deferve Death or Bonds, or any other Temporal Penalty. And fo al- fo did the Primitive Chriltians under the Heathen Emperprs. They complain indeed of the Unrighte- D z oufnefs
56 TTbe Independency of the
oufnefs of the Judgments given againft them, but never deny'd or excepted againft the Jarifdiftion of their Judges. But it is only the Civil Authority of the Magillrate was allowed or acknowledged ia thofe D'avs, all Spiritual Power under Chifl was then btlieved and owned to be in the Bilhops and Paftors of the Church ^ nor did the Erapeior pre- tend to it. And as no Subjefts of the State were more obedient to Kings and Temporal Magiftrates, fo no Subjefts of the Church were ever more obe- dient to their Spiritual Governors than the Primitive Chriftians, having both the Example and Precept of Ck//f and his Apoftles for, this double Obedience.
§ XXII. Our Bleffed Saviour, though he renoun- ced all Civil Power, as has been already obferved, and was himfelf fubjeft to it, yet exerciled his Spiri- tual Authority without asking any Licence from the Civil Magiftrate on that Occafion, made and baptized Multitudes of Difciplcs, and out of them chofe twelve, Apoftles, and after that feventy others whom he fent to preach the Gofpel and bring more into his Church, and commanded Obedience to them, faying, (c), H^ ^^^^ heareth you^^ heareth me, and he that defpifethyoii^def^ifethmc'^ and he that deffifeth me^ de- fpifeth him. that fent me. And he alfo threatens the fe- vere.ft Judgments to thofe that ftall be difobedient ai^d not hearken to thofe font by him, faying, [d) who- foever JhaJl not receive yoniind hear your. Word^^ when ye depart out of that Houfe hr City^ (Jjake of the Dtifi of your Feet. F'erHy I fay unto you ^ it fliall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the Day of Jiidament^ than for that City. St* Panl alfo, though he acknowledged the Magiltrates Civil Jurifdiction and his Authority to judge, whether he would inflid a Temporal Penalty on him or not, yet claimed a Spi-
(c; Luke X, 16, (d) M^r. x. 14, 1$.
ritual
Church upon the State^ Sec. 57
ritual Jurifdiftion to himfelf as derived from Chnjl- and independent on the Magiftrate, and by virtue of this Authority he threatens the (0 Cenmhians, and asks them if they vpHI that he (hall come unto them Wttt" a JRod^ or in Love and the Spirit of Meeknefs And tells them alfo, that he (/) writes theje things being abftm^ lefi being p-e fern he flwftld i^fe Sharpnefs^ acco-'dag'to the Power which the Lord had given him to Edification and not to DeflruElion. Here he plainly claims a Power^ not given him by the Civil Magiftrate, but by the Lord^ that is, by Chrifi. And his Precepts were alfo agreeable to his Pradice : For as in the thirteenth Chapter to the Romans he very ftridly enjoins Obe- dience to the Civil Magiftrate, fo in other Places he enjoins Obedience to the Spiritual Governors, fay- ing, (^) Know them which labour among yon^ and are over y OH in the Lord ^ andadmonifhyoHy and efleem thern very highly in Love for their Works fake, (Jo) Remember them which have the Rule over you^ who have fpoken unto you the Word of God : whofe Faith follow^ confidering the End of their Converfation. Obey them that have the Rule over you, and fubmit yourfelves : For they watch four your Souls^ as they that mufi give j4ccount: That they may do it with Joy, and not with Grief', for that is un^ profitable fcr you. And he himfelf, by virtue of his Authority received from Chrifi, appointed thefe Spi- ritual Rulers, without asking the Civil Magiftrates CommilTion for it, {i)ordainir?g Elders in every Church, And not only did this himlelf, but commiflioned others to do the fame, as we learn from his Words to Titus, to whom he fays, (^k) For this Caufe left I thte in Crete, that thou fimddfi fet in Order the Things that are wanting^ and ordain polders in every City^ as I
(e) I Cor. ly, 21. (" f) 2 Cor. xiii. 10. (g) i TheflT. V. I2,'i-?. (h) ffeb. xiii. 7. 17. (i; ^il. xiy. 23.
D 3 fippointf^
3 8 The Independency of the
Appointed thee. Therefore, for Men to fay, that there cannot be two Independent Powers, the one Spiritual and the other Temporal in the fame Place j and that the fame Perfon cannot be fubjed to one Man in Spi- rituals and to another in Temporals, is direftly con- trary both to our Saviour's Dodtrine and Praftlce, and to that of his Apoftlcs alfo, and is confuted by plain Fa(fts teflified by the Holy Scriptures. And Matter of Fad is a fenfible Demonftration. And therefore they muft either 4eny the Faft, they muft deny the Scriptures and Chriftianity itfelf, or mult grant that two Independent Powers, the one Spi- ritual, and the other Temporal, may exift at the fame Time and in the fame Place, and be exercifed over the fame Perfoas : For we have the fame Evi- dence for this that we have for Chriftianity itfelf. Neither is it in any Refpeft contrary to Reafon : For what Ihould hinder but the fame Man may be fubjeft to his Bifhop and his King at the fame Time, and when guilty of an Offence, liable to be punifhed by both, by his King corporally, and his Bifhop fpiritu- ally? Thus for Inftance, Suppofe a Man is guilty of Theft : He may and ought to be punifh'd in the King's Courts according as the Law in that Cafe Ihall direft ; but this does not hinder but that he may and ought alfo to receive a Spiritual Cor red ion from his Paftor, to be reproved, rebuked and exhorted by him, and to be denied the Benefit of the Body and Blood of Chrifi, till he give fufficient Teftimonies of his fincerc Repentance V nay» his Paftor ought to treat him in that Manner even though he fhould be pardoned by the Prince. And I conceive it muft be manifeft 'to every Body that fuch Proceeding of the Paftor no way impedes or interferes with the Prince's Autho- rity : For if the Prince fees it fit to punifh fuch an Of- fender according to the utraoft Severity of the Laws, and the Paftor at the fame time fees it convenient, upon due Teftimonies" given of fincere Repentance, . ^ _ ,. r - . ■ to
church upon the State^ &c. 59
to declare and pronounce to him the Pardon and Re- miflion of his Sins, and to fign and feal that Pardon by communicating to him the Reprefentative Body and Blood of Chrifi ^ or if the Magiftratc fhall fee it expedient entirely to pardon the Offence, and to reftore him to all the Rights and Privileges he before cnjoy'd ^ but at the fame time the Paftor thinks it proper to deny him the Abfolution of the Church, and to admit him to the Participation of the Body and Blood of Chnfi^ becaufe he has not feen fuch due Tcllimonies of Repentance as he judges to be necef- fary on fqch an Occafion, both Powers, Spiritual and Temporal, are then duly cxercifed on the fame Per- fon and in the fame Caufe, and yet one does not at all interfere with the other. Such Proceeding as this can raife no DifTention between the Spiritual and Temporal Powers, whilft they are both thus kept within their proper Bounds. But if the Temporal Magiltrate will alfo pretend to a Spiritual Power, and becaufe he fees it expedient to pardon the Male- faftor the Temporal Puaifhmcnt due to his Crimes, (hill therefore judge and determine that his Spiritual Governor muftalto give him the Abfolution of the Church, and adminifter the Body and Blood of Chrifi to him as a Seal of that Abfolution, or (hall either pretend to give fuch Abfolution himfelf, or to force the Spiritual Goverqor to do it, or perfecute him for his Refufal \ Or if on the other hand the Spiritual Governor, becaufe he fees the Man has given due Teftimonies of his Repentance, and for that Reafoa judges it fit to give him the full Abfolution of the Church, fliall therefore require the Magiftrate to re- mit the Temporal Punifhment due to fuch Crimes, or (hall cither pretend himfelf to pardon fuch Tem- poral Punifhment, or to oblige the Magiftrate to do It by threatuing him with S» iritual Cenfares, if he refufes^ in fuch a Cafe indeed the two Powers will 5>hinly interfere with each other, ©ut the Caufe of D 4 ' thif
40 The Independency of the
this is not that the two Powers cannot exilt indepen- dent on each other *, but becaufe thofe who have the Exercife of thefe two Powers are not contented with the Boundaries fet to each Power, but will make En- croachments one upon the other; Whereas when each keeps vvithin his proper Bounds, Ihey may, and will not only exift very well together, but will mu- tually prefervc and fupport each other. Thus th^ Spiritual Governors will fupport the Civil Magl- ftrate by teaching the feveral Flocks committed, to their Charge the Principles of Loyalty and Obedi- ence, and enforcing the Praftice of them by threat- ning the Penalty of Damnation : And the Civil Ma- giftrate will fupport and proted the Church by ma- king Laws in its Favour, and corroborating her De- crees and Canons by his Temporal Authority. But if the Magiftrate will exercife a Spiritual Power, and take upon him to minifber the Word and Sacraments, and to judge when and to whom they (hall be mi- niftredj or the Spiritual Governors fhall challenge a Temporal Power independent on the Magiftrate, and pretend to judge and determine when Civil Pe- nalties fhall be inflided \ then indeed two Indepen- dent Powers a<f^ing in fuch Manner will not fubfift tagether, without frequent Contentions j but thefe Contefts cannot arife from the Powers themfelves, but from the Ufurpations of one Power upon the other j for, let each keep within the Bounds of his own Power, and not ufurp upon the other, and there will be no interfering.
§ XXIH. Again, as thefe two Powers are thus plainly diftind, and may very well exift together independent of each other in the Exercife of their feveral Powers on the fame Perfon and in the fame Caufes, and were plainly fo defigned to be by our SavioBr> fo alfo are they independent with regard to the granting Spiritual or Temporal Commiffions. fpr as aBifcop caa giyeao TfinporalCpmHiiffion, or ' • - ' • : =^ . '-"■''' ' ' : '" ' autho-
church ufon the St ate ^ &c. 41
authorize any Perfon to execute a Temporal Office ; fo neither can the Civil Magiftrate give a Spiritual Commiilion, or ordain any Perfon to a Spiritual Of- fice in the Church : And as they cannot give, fo neither can they deprive any one of fuch Office as it belongs not to them \o beftow. The Civil Magi- ftrate can no more take away the Office of a Bijljop^ Triefl or Deacon^ than any one of thofe can deprive him of hi* Office. Feflus had certainly no more Pow- er or lawful Authority to deprive St. Paul of his Apoftlefhip, than St. Paul had to deprive him of his Prefidency of Jndea : Neither had Fejlns^ any more Power to' make St. Pnd an Apoftle,' thaa St. Paul had to make him a Piefident or Procura- tor of a Province. And as the Magiftrate cannot give or take away a Spiritual Office, fo neither can he forbid a Spiritual Officer the Exercife of his Office \ {I) for when the Suyihedrim of the Jews called the Apoflles, Peter and John^ before them, and forbad them the Exercife of their Apoftlefhip, and commanded them not to [peak at ally nor teach in the Name Cy'^Jefus, Peter and John anfwered and faia unto thsm^ Whether it be right in the Sight of God to hearken untf) yon more than m>to God^ jndge ye. And again, when they were taken up (w) and examined, why they ha4 jiot obeyed this Command, Then ?tiQx and the other jipoftles anfrvered and faid^ We ought to obey God rather than Men. And though (») they v;ere beaten for this Anfwer, and again commanded^ that they jljould not [peak in the Name 0/ Jefus ^ yet they judged it their Duty not to obey in this Cafe, And they departed from the Prefence of the Council^ rejoycing that they were coimt" ed worthy to fnffer Shame for his Name. And daily in the Temple and in every Hunfe they ceafed not to teach and preach Jefus Chrift. Nor let it be faid, that though the Apoftles might thus exercife their Coinmiffion,
i\) AS. iy, i8, 19, ixa)A^, y. 29, (n) AB, v. 40,41, 42.
" " though
4.1 The Independency of the
though forbidden by the Cieil Power, yet it docs not follow, that other Minifters of the Gofpel may do the fame, becaufe the Apoftles were immediately fent by Chrifi himfelf •, but thofe who come after them are not fo fent. For the CommifTion which Chriji gave to his Apoftles was not Perfonal.to them only, but to them and their Succeflbrs, as appears from the very Commiffion itfelf, wherein (o) he pro- mifes to be with them alway^ even to the end of the WorU. What Chnfi therefore committed to them, the fame did they commit to others, giving them Commmdment to commit the fame to others alfo af- ter them in a continued Succefiion. Thus particular- ly St. Paid (/)) committed this Charge to his Son Timo- thy, and commanded him to give Attendance to read- ingy to Exhortation and to Do^rine^ not to negleU: the Gift thit was in hinty which was given him by Prophecy witla the laying on of the H^nds of tioe Presbytery. And likewife directs him to give the fame Gommifllon to others, faying, (cj^The Things that thou hafi heard of me amon? mxny iVttneffes^ the fame commit th:}ii to faith- ful Men^ rvho (hall he able to teach others alf(h And Ecclefiaflical Hiftory Ihews, that thefe Succeflbrs of the Apoftles were forbidden the Exercife of their Miniftry as well as the Apoftles themfelves had been ^ and yet that they did not forbear to preach and teach in the Name ofChrifi^ and to minifter his Sacraments and executehis Difcipline, notwithftand- ing thofe Prohibitions. A fare Argument, that they did not think the Civil Magiftrate had any Authority cither to deprive them of their Miniftry, or to for- bid the Exercife of it : For they endured ten feverc Perfecutions, rather than fubmit to fuch Civil De- privations and Prohibitions *, and God fliewed his Approbation of their Condud in this Matter, not only by giving them Grace and Strength to fuffer the
(o) Mat. xxviii. 20.
(p) I tm> I 18, tni ivi 1 3} 14. (j) 2 Tim, I'u 2
greatelt
Church uj^on the State ^ &c. 45
greatcft Tortures for his Name's fake, with a moft undaunted Courage and Conftancy, but alfo enabling them to work Miracles, and to conquer by their Suf- ferings : So that jnftead of being fupprelTcd and quel- led by thcfe violent Pcrfecutions, they increafed and multiplied till they had brought even their Enemies into the Churchy and thofe tfet ntoft hated and per- fccuted them became their great Friends and Pro- teftors.
§ XXIV. Indeed after the Empire was come into the Church, and Princes and States had given large Endowments to it, and had vefted the Bilhops with many Civil Privileges, then indeed they thought it proper to know before-hand on whom fuch Privile- ges (hould be bellowed, and took upon them to no- minate or recommend fit Perfons to thofe Bifhopricks they had endowed, as others of the Laity alfo no- minated or recommended a fit Perfon to be made the Minifter or Prieft of fuch a Parifh-Church as he had endowed with Manfe and Glebe. But as the Patron of a Parifh Church never pretended to give his Clerk whom he nominated, or prefentcd to a Parochial Cure, a Spiritual Commifrion, or to veil him with the Cure of Souls, or give him the Orders of Priefl- hood ^ fo when a Prince or State nominated or re- commended a Perfon to a Bifhoprick, they never pretended to make him a Bifhop, but only prefented him to the Bifhops as one whom they judged a fit Perfon to be advanced to fiich an Office- But in ons Cafe as well as the other, if the Bilhop or Bilhops to whom fuch Perfon was recommended or no- minated to be made a Priefi: or a Bilhop, did not fee fit to ordain or confecrate him to that Office, the Patron, King or State did not pretend to make hini a Prieft dr Bifhop notwithftanding. And as we have many Inftances of a Bifhop's refufing to ordain a l^an Priieft, who has been recommended or nomi- nated by a Patron to a Parochial Cure, fo we want • '. - m%
44- ^he Independency of the
not Inftances of Perfons who have been nominated to Bifhopricks by Sovereign Princes whom the Me- tropolitan arid College of Bilhcps have refufcd to confecrate •, and he that has been fo refufed was tbr- ced to continue what he was before j the Prince could not make him a Bifhop., But although Recom- mendation or Nomination m\\ not make a Bifhop or Prieft without Confecration or Ordination, yet Confecration or Ordination will make a Prieft or Bifhop without any Recommendation or Nomination-, and Priefts are to this Day frequently made fo •, and fo were Bifhops ilfo in the Primitive Church both before and after the Empire became Chriftian*, Cbri- fHan Princes having no more Right to grant a Spi- ritual Power or Commiffion than an Heathen Empe- ror. But any Prince, whether Chriftian or Infidel, may recommeiid or nominate a Man to be made a a Prieft or a Bifhop, and there is no Harm in the Bifhops accepting and ordaining him, if they find him qualified for the Oflice. But then it is not the Prince, but the Metropolitan or the College of Bi- fhops that makes fuch Perfon a Bifhop. Sovereign Princes, whatever they be, will have that Influ- ence ovtr Bifhops, their Subjfds, that they will not lightly refufe what they ask of them ; and upon this Account when S^^yeieign Princes had obliged their Bifhops by their liberal Endowments of the Church, the Bifhops would not lightly refufe to confecrate whomfoevef they recommended or nominated to them. And when fuch Nomination was become a Cuftom, then Princes began to challenge it as their tjfldoubted Right : And the Bifhops having fo long complied with it^ knew not at laft how to recede from it. And at this time, as our Laws now ftand. they cannot recede from it without incurring a grie- vous Temporal Penalty.
Church upon the State^ Slc. 45
§ XXV. However, though Bifhops are now thus
nominated by the Temporal Magiftrate, yet foraf-
much as fuch Nomination neither does nor can make.
them Bifhops, but they are fo made by a regular
Confecration or Ordination, as appears from what
has been already faid, and alfo from the very Form
of Confecration in our Liturgy, where the Archbi-
fhop fays to the Perfon to be confecrated, Receive
the Holy Ghofi for the Office ^tnd Work of a Bijliep in the
Church of God J noto committed unto thee hj t|c ^impOs
Qtion of OUCl^anti0, it is evident, that our Bifbops
have the fame Spiritual Power which the Apoftlcs
and Primitive Bifhops had, and hold it Independent
on the Civil Magiftrate, without deriving any part of
it from him. His Epilcopal Office and his Spiritual
Relation to his Flock are (till conferred upon him
by the Spiritual Governors of the Church. The
Metropolitan, as Head of the Epifcopal College, or
four Bifhops, in cafe there be no Metropolitan, con-
fiim the Perfon nominated and eleded, and thereby
give him the Spiritual Government of that See to
which they fo appoint him by that Confirmation j
and if he have not been confecrated before, they alfo
then confecrate him to the Epifcopal Office. Thus
every Bifhop of our Church receives all Iiis Spiritual
Power and his Spiritual Relation to his Fleck from
the Spiritual Governors of the Church only : For
without this be done by them all, the Temporal
Powers of the World are not able to veft him with
a Spiritual Authority over any People whatfoever.
They may recommend, they may nominate, and
whether the Bifhops will confecrate him or not, if
they are refolv'd to ftretch and abufe their Power,
they have Strength to put him in PofTeffion of the
Epifcopal Houfe-, nay, and the Cathedral or Epifcopal
Church too •, they can fine, imprifoa, or even put to
Death the Bifhops who have refufcd to confirm and
confecrate
4-6 The Independency of the
confecrate him ^ but all this cannot make him a Bifliop, or give him any Spiritual Authority over the People they would have to be commit- ted to his Charge. The People would lie under no Obligation to receive the Word and Sacraments at his Hands, or at the Hands of any that fliould pre- tend to be his Presbyters : Nay, if fuch pretended Biihop or any Presbyters pretendedly ordain'd by him, fhould prefume to minifter the Word and Sa- craments, they would be guilty of the highefl: Pro- fanation of thefe Divine Ordinances : And the Peo- ple which knowingly receive them at their Hands would reap only a Curfe and not a Blefling from them- And therefore even King Henry VIII. who would be called feupjcmc l^eaD oC tl)e Cljucc!), (>•) {a Name^ which his Daughter Elizabeth declarM, could net be qiven to any mortal Man^ and therefore refufed herlelf to be fo called) never pretended (as has been already obferved) to make a Bifhop himfelf, if the Bilhops (hould refufe to confecrate him. All that he thought himfelf capable of doing in that Cafe was to punifh the Bilhops who fhould refufe the Man he or his Succeflbrs (hould nominate. It is true this is a great Stretch of the Temporal Power, and fuch as former Ages have no Precedent for ; but ftill it gives no Spiritual Power to the King: For if all the Bilhops Ihould ever have the Courage to face a Fr^mmire^ upon the Nomination of an unworthy Perfon to a Bilhoprick, all the Power of the King-
(r) Regina non vult appellarl aut fcribi, Caput CBCCU^ Cee ^ngltcanc^ : gravlterenimrefpondic, illam dignitatem foil elTe attributam Chrifto; ncmini autem mortdlium convenire* See a Letter of Bijlwp SucllV ro BuUingcr, dated May 22, 1559. that is in the firft Tear of £ueen EVuibctby publijh'd by Bijhip Burnet in the ^d Volume oj bis Bijlory among the J{ecords, Book 6. Num. 48. Arid by Strype inkis Appendix to bis Hijiorj of the J{e- formxtion^ Num. ic.
dpm
church upon the State^ Sec. 47
dom cannot make him a Bifhop. And it the Blfhops who refufe to conrecrate fuch a Perfon fhould fuffer the Penalty of the Laws for fo doing, they would fuffer not as difobedient rebellions Subjects, but as Confeflbrs or Martyrs. And the Prince who fhould execute this Law upon them in fuch a Cafe where the Perfon nominated was apparently unworthy or unqualified for the Office, would be a Perfecutor of the Church of God : And though no Power in this World could call him to an Account for it (fox the Apofllcs and Primitive Chriftians never pretended they could depofe an Emperor becaufe he perfecuted them) yet he would be liable to the juft Vengeance of God, and anfwer for it in the other World. But if the Perfon be worthy or well qualify'd for the Office of a Bifhop, the Nomination of the Prince can by no means make him lefs worthy or lefs fit for that Office. And therefore fo long as Princes name only thofe that are worthy and qualified (though poffibly others might be found more worthy or bet- ter qualifiedj it is no Fault in the Bifhops to receive and confec! ate them, and fo to commit the Spiritual Power to them.
§ XXVL And as it[is thus evident that a Prince or Civil Magiftrate can give no Spiritual Power to a Bifhop, or vefl him with the Spiritual Care of a Dio- cefe or Bifhoprick, but he muft receive that Power from the Biihops of the Church j fo it is no lefs evi- dent that when he is veiled with fuch a Power he cannot deprive him of it, or take it from him during his Life. His Authority will be the fame as to all Spi- ritual Matters, and his Spiritual ASs as valid after any fuch pretended Deprivation as they were before it : And the People which were committed to his Charge by the Authority of the Epifcopal College will be as much obliged to acknowledge him for their chief Governor in Spirituals as ever thsy were. In- deed
48 The Independency of the^
deed the Temporalties and Revenues of a Bifhoprick being outward and vilible Things, may happen in Fad to be taken from a Si(hop, even as any Man's Eftate may happen to be taken from him, though he have never ^0 good a Right to it : That is, it may be taken or detained from him by unjuft Force and Violence. And when a Bifhop's Temporalties are fo taken and detained, he cannot repel that unjuft Force by any outward compulfery Method other- wife than by applying to the Civil Magiftrate for his Prote-ftion and Afilftance. And therefore though our Kings as Protestors and Guardians of the Church, when a Biflioprick is vacant, take the Temporalties into their own Hands till the College of Bifhops have filled the See : Yet the Bifhop who is fo put in- to that See fues the Temporalties out of the King's Hands as of Right belonging to him : And if the King will not then deliver them to him, he is guilty of the fame Injuftice, at leaft, as if he detained any other Perfon's Eftate which of Right belonged to him. And a like Aft of Injullice will that King be guilty of who fliall feize the Temporalties of a Bi- flioprick and take them into his own PoITefTion, or give them to another, vvhilft the Bifhop to whom they were granted is living, and has a juft: Claim to them. And thus the Independency of the Church upon the State as to its pure Spiritual Powers is very plainly preferved amongit us, notwithftanding that our Bilhops are nominated by the King, and ufe to receive their Tenfporalties or Revenues from him, and to pay him Homage for them- For though the King nominate the Perfon, and gives him the Lands and Lordfhips bclonging^ to his See, yet it is the Me- tropolitan or other Biihop? only that give him his Spiritual Power and a Spiritual Jurifdiftion over that Flock which they commit to his Charge. And for this Reafon, when a Bifiiop is confecrated and appointed to his Charge, he from that time becomes
the
church upon the State^ &.C. 49
the Spiritual Father of his Diocefe, and the People are obliged to receive the Word and Sacraments at his Hands and at the Hands of his Presbyters, al- though the King fhould refufe to veil him with the Lands and Lordfhips belonging to his Biihoprick : And the Cafe is the fame if the King fliould after- wards think convenient by Ad of Parliament, or by a Judgment in any of his Courts to divefl or deprive him of any or of all thofe Lands and Lordfhips, or other Revenues which may have been fettled on the Bifhoprick : He will flill continue the rightful Pa- llor of that Flock, he will be the true Bifhop and Spiritual Father of that People, and they will be obliged to receive the Word and Sacraments from him and his Presbyters, and from no other inOppofi- tion to him, notwithftanding any fuch Deprivation or Diveflment ^ for the Spiritual Relation of a Pallor to his Flock has no Dependance on his Temporal Revenues: (fj For though r/^f Lord hath ordained thuc they which preach the Gofpel fl^oiild live of the Cofpely yet if the Pallor have no Maintenance from thofe to whom he preaches the Gofpel, this does not by any means deprive him of his Spiritual Relation to his Flock. St. Paul, though he told the Corinthians^ that he had fuch a Right to a Maintenance from them, yet at the fame time declared, that he h/id ttfed none ofthefe Thirds • that is, had received no Temporal Subfiftencc from them •, but fays he, (t) I robbed other Churches^ tdking IVa^e^ ofthem^ to do you Service. Aid when I Vfas prtjent with yon^ and wanted.^ I was chArge^ able to no Man : For that vphich was Lnkinir to me the Brethren which came from MiCcdotlldfupplied: and in all Things / have kept my ftlf fromieing burthen font unto you^ andfo will I keep my fclf. And yet he infilled upon his Spiritual Relation to them as their only Father
(s) I C^r. ix. 14. (t) 2 Cor. xi.8,9,
E ia
JO The Independency ef the
in Chrifi, notwithftanding his receiving no Tem- poral Advantage by it, faying, («) Though ye have ten thoitfand Inflriiciers in Chrift, yet have ye not memy fathers ; Vor in Chrift Jefus 1 have begotten you through the Gofpel. Wherefore I bcfeech yon be ye Followers of me. Which is an evident Proof that the Spiritual Rela- tion a Bi(hop bears to his Flock has no Dependance upon the Maintenance to be receiv'd from that Flock. Ar.d that although God have given the Bilhop a Right to fuch Maintenance, yet if he has it not, he is no lefs the Father of that Flock than if he had it. Confequently when a Bilhop (of this Realm for In- ftance) is veiled by the Metropolitan to whom the Spiritual Power of every vacant Diocefe devolves, he from that time becomes the Spiritual Father of that Diocefe, and the People are obliged to obey him in Spirituals even before the King has reftorecl the Temporalties to him. Which is an Evidence that even according to our ov;n Conftitution the Spiritual Relation of a Bifhop to his Flock has no Dependance upon the Crown, or the Civil Magi- ftrate. They are diftinft Things, and upon every Vacancy are under the Guardianlbip of different Powers. For as upon the Death of a Bifhop the Guardianfhip of the Temporalties of the Bilhoprick is taken by the King as the Sovereign Protet^or of all Worldly Things, whether they belong to the Church or the State, fo the Spiritualties devolve to the Me- tropolitan as Head of the Epifcopal College ; or if there be no Metropolitan, they devolve in thefe lat- ter Centuries to the A^etropoUtical Chapter as Guar- dians of the Spiritualties for that time. And as the Metropolitan now lays no Claim to the Guardian- fhip of the Temporalties, fo neither does the King or any other Civil Magiftrate lay any Claim to the
Spiritualties .
Church upon the State^ &c. 5 '
Spiritualties of a vacant Biihoprick. Confequently if the King or the whole State afTembled in Parlia- ment, take upon them to deprive a Bifhop, fuch De- privation cannot affed his Spiritualties which they lay no Claim to, even in a Vacancy. It can only deprive him of their Proteclioa as to the actual keep- ing the PoiTeflTion of his Teoiporaltiss : His Spiritual Relation to his Diocefe, aqd his Spiritual Power over it, has another Original, being derived to him di- redly from Chrifi himfelf, and conveyed to him by Impofition of Spiritual Hands in a regular Succeflion. The People of that Diocefe are ftill obliged to adhere to him as their Spiritual Father, notwithftanding the Temporal Magiftrate has thought fit to take away the Revenues belonging to his See and to give them to another.
§ XXVII. It is the Apoflle's Command, that the People fhould know, receive and adhere to their Bi- Ihop or chief Spiritual Father. And therefore when St. Paul fent home EpaphroMtus (w) the Bifhop of the Philippians to his Flock, he required them to receive him in the Lcrd with all GUdnefs'^ and to hold fuch in Re- futation. For that Epaphroditus was their Bifhop or chief Spiritual Governor is manifeft from what goes before, where he fays, I fuppofed it necejfary to fend to yoH Epaphroditus, my Brother and Companion in Labour and fellow-Soldier^ but your yipofile. For thofe whom wc now call Bijlwps were in the firft Age of the Church called Jpojlles, (.vj as I have elfewhere pro- ved. For it is evident from the Scriptures, that the Apoflles were the chief Governors of the Church, as the Bifhops have been ever fince their Times : And that not only the Twelve and St. Paul, who were
(w) Philip ii. 29. (x) jiccounx c* ''mh-Gtvemmtm ini Governors^ Cbsp. 4.
E 2 imme-
5 1 Tha Independency of the
immediately chofen and fent by Chrifi himfelf, but divers others alfo (y) as Barnabas^ Epaphroditus al- ready merktioned, (2-) /indronicus and Juma^ (a)TJtus and others. Our Tranflation indeed calls EpaphroiH' tiis^ Titus and bis Brethren, in the Places quoted, Mejfengers of the Chm-ches, but why, or for what Rea- fon I know not, for in the Original they are called j^pfdss^ and it is the Original that is properly the Scripture or Word of God, and not our Tranflation where it differs from it. Now the Scripture teaches, that the JpoJiUs were the chief Governors of the Church, each in his own Line, Dift'ift or Diccefe, as St. Paul teaches, who plainly claimed this chief Government in Spiritual Matters over the Cotimhl' ans and the other Churches which he had planted, but pretended not to the like Authority in any other Apoflle's Line or Dillridl, faying, (i?) We wUl not hoafl of things ■without our Meafnre^ hat according to the MeafHre of the Ride (or Line^ as it is in the Margin) which God hath dejiributed to ;//, a Aieafnre to rca:h even nnto you. For vpe fir etch not our felves beyond our MeA- fure^ as though we reached not untoyoit : For we are come as far as to yon alfo in preaching the Gcfpd of Chrifir : Not toafiing' of Things without our Aieafarc^ that is^ of other Mens Labours. From whence it appears, that each u^poflleox chief Governor of the Church, which we now call a Bi^jop^ had his proper Diocefe, Rule, Line or Diftrift, in which no other might claim a Spiri- tual Jurifdiiftion iudependent on him: For this would be to make a Schifm in the Church. And therefore as St. Paul claims a Spiritual Jurifdidion over the Corinthians^ as within his Rule or Line, with- in that Diftr id which v/as committed to his Charge, fo he challenges it exclufive of all others who pre-
(y) Ms x'w. 14, I Cor. ix. 5, 6. (z) l{pm. xvi. 7.
(a) 2 Cor. viii. 23. (b) 2 Cur. x. 13, 14, 15.
' • tended
I
Church upon the State^ Scc,^ 5 J
tended to ad there independently on him. And therefore though he very well approved that Apollos and Cephas^ or any fcnt by them, fhould aflifl: him either in the Converfion or Inftrudion of the Corw' thians^ yet he could not allow that any under Pretence of being fent by thofe Apoftles fhould undertake to execute a Spiritual Power in that Diftrift in Oppo^ fition to hira, or to draw away the People from their Obedience to him, and encourage them to follow fbme other Spiritual Guide in Oppofition to liim. Not that j4pcUos or Cephas^ had really themfelves done any thing in Oppofition to St ?W, for they only watered what St. Pani had planted, and aded in tJnion with him as Friends and Afliftants. But foijie other made ufe of the Names of thofe Apo- ftles, and pretended a Commiflion from them to aft independently on St. Paul v;ithin his Jurisdidion. And this was what he declared to be contrary to the Will of God, and what he could by no means allow : (rj For, fays he, though ye have ten thoufand Jtiflru[}ert in Chrifl, yet have ye net many ifatl)Cr0 : For in Chf jit Jefus I have begotten you through the Cofpel. Wherefore Jbefeech you beyefclloxvers ofrne. That is, be obedient and fubjedt to me as your rightful Father or Spiri- tual Governor, for you cannot rejeft and call me off to follow other Spiritual Guides in Oppofition to me without a grievous Sin- And then he adds, For this Caiife have J fent unto yon Timotheus, who is my beloved Son^ and faithful in the Lord^ who [hall bring you into Remembrance of my Ways rvhfch be in Chrift, as I teach everywhere in every Church. As if he had faid, 1 have, for this Reafon, fent Timothy as my Deputy to take the Care and Charge of you under me, and inftrudt you what you ought to .do till I can come my felf amongft you. J)]ow fome arepijfed up as though I
(c) I Cor. W, K, 16,
E } vrsiild
54 Tf^^ Independency of the
roonldnct come to you. Some I underfland have enter- tained an Opinion that 1 will come no more amongft you, and that I have abdicated my Charge ^ and therefore fuppofe they may take it upon themfelves as if I had no longer any Authority over you- But I ivill ceme to you jlmrtly^ if the Lord ip/7/, and will knew not the fpeech of them which are puffed np^ hut the Power, By the Grace of God I intend to be with you in a little Time, and Ihall then make it my Bufmefs to enquire, not what Doftrines thefe Men which have afted in Oppofition 16 me have taught, but by what Power or Authority they have taken upon them to come and ad. within my Diftrift independent on me the chief Spiritual Father. For the Kino dam of God is not in Word hut in Pawer. For the Church of Chrifl^ that Society which our Saviour has chofen out of the World to be his peculiar People, does not fubfilt upon Doftrines and Opinions only, it is not fufficient that Men believe fuch and fuch Things as Matters of Faith, this alone makes not a Kingdom, Corpora- tion, City or Society of Men : For every Society or Corporation of Men, as the Kingdom of God is (q- therwife it cannot be a Kingdom) rault have a Pow- er and Authority within itfelf derived by Commif- Tion from the Founder of the Corporation, which Commiflion is certainly given to me as your proper Father in Chnjl^ and thofe that are puffed upagainft ine are by confequence puffed up againft Cbrift^ what- ever Dodrines they teach : Upon which Account I (hall have no Occafion to examine their Daftrines, but to enquire whether they have a legal Power and Authority to aft as Minifters of Clr//? within ray Ju- jifdidion in Oppofition to n\e ^ or whether they liave a Commiffion that fuperfedes mine, for other- wire they are no better than Intruders and Ufurpers. What will ye f JJjall I come unto yen with a Rod, or in t-ove and in the Spirit of Mtehufs ? Will you fubmit
to m^ quietly and peaceably, or niuft 1 l)e forced to
exercifq
church upon the State^ &c. 5 5
e.xercife that Authority araongft you which I have received from Chrifl^ to inflift fuch Spiritual Cen- fures as I fhall judge you deferve ? Will ye return to your Duty by fair Means or not ? Thefe Words of St. Pad to the Corinthians J who were a Part of his Charge, very plainly (hew, that he claimed a chief Spiritual Pov/er over them independent on all Pow- ers of the Eirth, and that he could allow none to aft there as Pallors of that Flock, unlefs it were as his Friends and Aflbciates, or as Minifters under him : And that he had Authority to correfi fuch as did fo or fided with them with Spiritual Cenfurcs, fuch as fhould exclude them from the Kingdom of God.
§ XXVIII. After this he Ibews them, that this Sub- ordination otone Member or Minifter of the Church to another is ^bfolutely neceflary to preferve the Union of the Body, and that whatever Spiritual Gifts or Graces one Member may have above another, yet this does not give him a new or different Station in the Body of Chrift: from what he had before. And this he demonftrates by comparing the Church or Body of Chrifi to the natural Body of a Man, fay- ing, (di) As the Body is one and hath many Member Sy find all the Members of that one Body, being many are one Body^ fo alfo is Chrifi. For by one Spirit we are all baftiz,ed into one Body^ whether we be J^WS •r Gentiles^ whether we be bond or free^ and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the Body is not one Member, but many. Confequently Chrifi^ as to his Body the Church, mult confifl; of many Members alfo, and every Member muft have its proper Station thai it may be ufeful to the Body. Confider therefore. If, in the Natural Body, the Foot p^allfay, Becaufe I am
(d) I Or. xil. 12,13, 14.
E 4 nop
56 The Independency of the
rot the Hand^ I am not of the Body 9 is it therefore not of the Body? And if the Ear fhall fay^ Bccaufe 1 am not the Eye^ I am not of the Body \ is it therefore not of the Body f If the whole Body were an Eye where were the Jr/earin^ ? If the whole were hearin^^ where were the Smel" ling ? Bxt now hath God fet the Members, every one of rhem in the Body, as it hath plea fed him. And if they •were all one Member, where were the Body ? Bnt now are J hey many Members, yet but one Body, And the Eye cannot fay unto the Hand, J have no need of thee : Nor again the Head to the Eeet^ I have rto need of yon. But God hath tempered the Body together^ that there fl}Ould be no Schifm in the Body \ but that the Members jhould have the fame Care one for another* And whether one Member fpsffer, all the yl<f embers fifftv with it ', or one Ji^emher be honoured^ all the Members re Joyce with it, ^om ye are the Body o/Chrill and Members in particular. That is all Chriitians, all that are Ijaptized into his Church make one Body, and every fingle ChrU jftian is a Member of that Body, and helps to make up the whole whatever his Station be. And he that is in the loweft Station of the Church can no more fay he is no Memberof it, becaufe he is not higher advan-r ced, than the Foot, becaufe it is the lowefl; Part of the Body, can fay that it isnot ofthe B:-dy, becaufe it is not the Hand. And as it would be unnatural and monftrous in the Natural Body for the Foot to be placed where the Hand (Viould be, and to perform the Offices of the Hand, and to drive down the Hand in- to the Place of the Feet ; fo it would be as monftrous and unnatural in the Body of Chrifi, that is in the Church, for any Member of it to execute the Fun- ^ions not belonging to his proper Station. For this would be to make ali one Member, which mull de- Itroy the Body, which neither does nor can confift of one Member, bet of many. Not of many huddled together in a Lump, but tempered and difpofed in a due Order for the life and Beauty of the whole. ' '" ' He
I
church upon the State^ &c. 57
He therefore that breaks this Order and puts any Member out of its proper Place makes a Schifm in the Body, and deftroys the Beauty of it, and hinders the Members from performing their proper Fua- dtions,
§ XXIX. S. Panl having, by this Comparifon of the Church to theNatural Body of a Man, fhewn how abfurd and monftrous it is for all Men to luppofe that they have every one the fame Office in the Church, but that there mult be different Stations and diffe- rent Employments for the feveral Members, or elfc that it can be no Body, proceeds then to go on, and particularly names the feveral Fundions at that time allotted by God to fuch as he had appointed to offi- ciate in his Church, faying, (f) God hath fet [owe in his Churchy firfi j4fofiles^ Jecondarily Prophets^ thirdly Teachers^ after that Miracles^ then Gifts of Healings /Jelps^ Governments^ Diverfities of Tongues. Are all Apofiles ? Are all Prophets ? Are all Te.nhers ? Are all Workers of Afiracles ? Hxve all the Gifts of Healing ? Do all [peak with Tongues? Do all interpret ? But covet eameflly the hefi Gifts. And yet J pew unto you a more excellent Way. As if he had faid. It is indeed very commendable in every one to defire the belt Gifts, and to ftrive to qualify himfelf for the higheft Offices in the Church, yet the Way that i now Ilievv you, which is to keep your proper Stations in which you are placed till you are regularly called to an high- er O0ice, and not to make a Schifm in the Body of ChriJ}^ which cannot be avoided if all will be Apo- ftles, all Prophets, all Teachers, ct-c. is much more excellent than the bare obtaining fuch Gifts. For, as he goes on, f/) Though J fpeak with the Tongues of
(e) 1 Cor. xil. 28, 29, 30, 3 1. (0 lOr. xiii. 1,2, 3,4,5, <5, 7.
58 The Independency of the
Men and of j^ngels^ and have not Charity^ (that IS, aS is evident from what goes before, do not prcferve the Unity of the Church or Body ofChrifi, by keeping to my proper Station in it, but ufurp another's ON fice, or fupport and affift or joyn my feif to thofe thatdo^ I am become as founding Brafs or a tinklinfr Cymbal. Jnd though I have the Gift cf Prophecy, and undtrfiand all A^yfieries and all Knowledge, and though I have all Faith, fo that I could remove Mountains, and have not Charity (do not preferve that due Subordi- nation of one Member to another in the Chriftiaa Church) / am nothing. And though I bejioro all my Goods to feed the Poor^ and though I give my Body to be burned, and die a Martyr for theChriftian Faith, af?d have not Charity, but difunite the Church by Schif- rnatical Communion, it profit erh me nothing. Charity fuffereth Long and is kind. Charity envyeth not^ Charity ^aanteth net itfelf, is not puffed up, (He that refolvcs to preferve the Unity of the Church will bear any wrong or Injury rather than make a Schifm, and re- turn Good for Evil, he will not be envious to fee another advanced above him, he will not over-value himfclf, or be guilty of any Infolence towards his Superiors or any clfe,) doth not behave itfelf unfeem- ly, feeketh not her orvn, is not eafily provoked^ thinketh no EviL Rejoyceth not in Iniquity, bat rejoyceth in tht Jruth. Beareth all Things, believeth all things, hopeth all Things, endctreth all Things. He that makes the
Unity of the Church his main Care and Concern will do nothing unbecoming a Member of Chrijl's Body, nothing which may tend to injure that Body or any Member of it, but will ftudy to do and bear every Thing for Chrifi and his Church's Sake. Charity never faileth, but whether there be Pro-- phecies, they jljall fail, whether there be Tongues theyfl)all ceafe, whether fhere be Knowledge it jhall vanijh away. This Unity of the Church, this Communion of Saints, or of all the true Members of Chrifl\ Body fhall
never
Church u^on the State ^ &c. 59
never have End : When all the Gifts and Graces be- fore-mentioned fhall ceafc, this {hall continue toever- lafting Ages.
§ XXX. Thus did S. PauI vindicate his own Power and Authority over ihtCorihthtans^^^vi'mg them, that If they withdrew their Obedience from him to fet up oppofite Paftors independent on him, they mult and would entirely deprive themfelves of all the Benefits of Chriftianity : For to fct up other chief Spiritual Governors in Oppofition to him who was their pro- per Spiritual Father in Chnfl, would be like putting the Feet of the Natural Body into the Place of the Hands, or the Ears into the Place of the Eyes, which muft make SiSchifm in the Body j and that fo doing they would break the Band of Charity, and fo render all their Gifts and Graces, all their Spiritual Fun- dions and Miniilrations, nay even their Faith and Sufferings, even Martyrdom itfelf, of no Value. Which plainly Ihews, that he did not fuppofe the People could, at their Pleafure, remove one Apoftle, Bifhop or Paftor, and put another in his Place ; but on the contrary he lets them know, that if they did fo they would become Schifmaticks, and dellitute ot that Charity which was neceffary to make them ac- ceptable to God, and without which nothing could ir.ake them acceptable.
§ XXXI. And if the People could not depofe ens? Bifhop or chief Spiritual Governor, and fet up an- other in Oppofition to him, or in his Stead, aij S- Paul has fo plainly taught us, it is certain the Ci- vil Magiftrate cannot do it j for as to Spiritual Power or Authority he is but one of the People and a Subject: of the Church- His Civil Power indeed may be exercifed over Spiritual Perfons alfo where the Church needs his Protedion and Affiftance againft putward Force ^ but the ApoItoUcal or Epifcopal
Authority
6o The Independency of the
Authority is a Spiritual Power derived immediately trom Chrij}^ and confequently cannot be vacated by any Civil Powe . And therefore though the Civil Magiftrate (hould renounce his due Obedience to his RighttuI, Spiritual Father, and fet up another in his ftead, and command the People to do fo too, threat- ning them with Civil Penalties if they do not y yet this will not juftify fuch a Revolt and make it: no Sin : Such Depolltion of the Frightful Pallor, and joyning in Communion with the Intruder, will be neverthe- Jefs a Schifm and a Breach of the Band of Charity, and acco-ding to the Apoftle's Doctrine, written by the infallible DircLtion of the Holy Gholt, will ren- (Jcr all their Doings as nothing worth.
§XXX1I. Neither did S. /'Ws Abfence or Non*
Refidence amongrt them defeat his Title to their Obedience ^ for though he was fo long abfent that ibme fuppoled ;,,(?) he would not vifit them any more, yet he, eVe^ii during that Abfence, challeng'd their Obedience : (^) He was indeed ahfem from them in Body ^ but he was prefent in Spirit'^ that is, in his Spiritual Power and Authority delegated to the Refi- dent Presbyters that aded under him, or to fomc Bifhop, fuch as (f) Timothy^ or {k)%tiis vyhom he fent to vifit them in his own Head- And it was during his Abfence that this Faftion in the Charch ot Corinth was fet up againft him, for which he fo much blames them from one end of his Epiftle to the other : Nei- ther was he prefent with them when he challeng'd their Obedience to him. A t-'lear Evidence that he was as much the Bidiop or chief Pa^Qf of the Corin- thians when he was at Philippi in A'facedonia (from^ whence the Poftfcript fays his two Epiflles to that
Cg) I Cor. \v. 1 8. (!i) I Cor.v. 3.
(i) I C9r. iv. 17. (k; iCor, xii. 18.
Churcl)
church ufon the State^ Slc. 6 f
Church werd writfcn) as wlien he was in any Part of jichaia^ or even at Cor/wr/? itlclf. His neceflary Ab- fence from that Part of his Charge did not take away the Relation he bore to that Flock. W'hofocver aft- ed there as a Spiritual Guide independent on him broke the Unity of that Church and the Band of Cha- rity, and became a Schifmatick, and fo were alfo all thofe that communicated with fuch an Intruder.
§ XXXni. Neither did the Interpofltion of the Civil iMagiftrate, who forbad liim to execute his Office in that or any other Place, make any Altera- tion in this Matter, or authorize thofe that were S.PanCs Spiritual Subjects to withdraw their Obe- dience from him and confer it on another. The Magiftrates (/) frequently imprifon'd him, and there- by rendred him uncapable of difcharging his Fun- (flion either at Corinth or cUewhere ; yet this, by no means difcharged the People committed to his Charge from their Duty to him : He was their Apo- llle, their Bifhop, their spiritual Father as well when he was in Prifon, and not only forbidden, butadlually reflrained by the Civjl Magiftrate from theExecutioa of his Office, as when at Liberty. Thus was he depo- fcd or barred the Exercife of his Fundi ion by an Irre- Ctflihle Pariy^ for thcy who could im prifon, fcourge and ftone him, and in ffiort handle him juil as they pleafed, were certainly irrtfijiible. And by fuch a Party S. P*f«/ waschendepofed as far as it lay in their Power to depofe him, u hilii thofe that were puiTed up againll him had Liberty to preach and exeicife their Functions in his DiiUift or Diocefe. Yet this, as he has plainly taught us, aid not deprive him of his Right over the CLnmhians^ or any other Part of his Charge, or jultify thofe that joined with the In-
(1) 2 Qor, xi. 23.
truders
63 The Independency of the
truders againfl him. The Intruders and all thofe that adhered to them were neverthelefs Schifmatich^ although the Civil Magiftrate, with an irrefiftible Force, hindred S. Paul from officiating to his Flock, and permitted them to do it, S. Paul did not allow that they Ihould be rightful Pallors of the Church of Corinth^ becaufe they had got Pofleffion there, and he by Reafon of his Abfence might feem to be out of PolTeflion •, nay, feemed not likely to come a- mongft them any more, being fo often imprifoned for executing his Pafloral Office, {m) and in perpe- tual Danger of being put to Death, as he more than '<pnce tells them. And yet thefe Men who had got Polfeflion of S. Pmlh Chair at Corimh were other- wife Orthodox ; for he charges them with no falfc Dodirine other wife than as they made a Schlfm^ and intruded thcmfelves into bis Diftrid, in Oppofition to him. However, he lets the Corinthians know, that by joining with fuch Men, and yielding Obe- dience to them as their Spiritual Fathers, they brake the Band of Charity •, and therefore though they fpoke with the Tongues of Men and of Angels, it would not profit them.
§ XXXIV. Thefe Intruders had the Civil Power on their fide, and though it does not appear that the Magiflrates diredly authorized them to cxercife the Office of Spiritual Guides at Corinth-^ yet it is mani- felt that they connived at them, and tolerated them, which they would not do by S. Pad or any of the Apoflles. So that the Corinthians could not adhere to S. Paid^ but they mufl fuffer Perfecution for it : But to thofe Guides that were fet up in Oppofition to S. Pml^ they might adhere without any fuch Danger. This that Apoftle obferves, faying, (w) Nowye are
(r»> I Cor. XV. 31. 2 Cor. xi. 23. (n) i Cor. iv. 8,
full
Church upon the State^ Sec. 65
fuUf now ye are richj ye have reigned as Kings without MS. As if he had faid, Now ye have caJ} me off and got new Guides todireftyou, you live happily and at eafe •, you are not dilturbed either by the Jews or by the Heathen.^ but eojoy all the Liberty and Free- dom you can deilre. j^nd I would to God ye did reigv^ that we alfo might reign with you. I heartily wilh thaC you had obtained or preferved this Freedom by juftifiable Means, and that it was not granted you oa Account of your Oppofition to me, and becaufe ye have rejeded my Authority, that I might enjoy it with you. For I think that God hath fet forth us the j4^oJiles lafi, as it were Men appointed unto Death : For we are made a Spe[}acle to the World ^ and to Angels^ and to Men. We Apoftles feem to be the only Men now ftruckat, others may preach with fafety and with- out Danger. But we are expofed to Dangers, Con- tempt and Scorn. We are Fools for Chrifi^s Jake^ but ye are wife in Chriji \ we are IVeak, hut ye are Strong j y are honourable^ but we are defpifed. We are viie and defpifed for doing our Duty, and continuing to ex- ercife our Apoftolical Office notwithftandiag ail the Dangers and Hazards we incurr by fo doing, but ye arc wife Chrillians that leaving our Communion and joining yourfelves to thofe that know how to make an Intereft with the Magiftrates can fecure your- felves and avoid Perfecution. Hereby you live ho- nourably and creditably in the World, whilit we are contemptible. E-ven unto this prefem Hour we both Hunger andThirfly and are naked^ and are buffeted^ avd have no certain Dwelling-Flace. And Libaiir^ nor king with our own Hands \ being reviled we blefs ^ being per- fccuted wefiijffr it ^ being def:m?d we intreat^ and pray to God for them that Calumniate or falfeiy accufe us \ we are made as the Ftlih of the Worlds and the Ofj- fcouring of all things unto this Lay. J write not thefe Things to fiame yon^ but as my beloved Sons 1 warn you.
Though 1 hav« been thus ufed fince thefe Schtjms
have
64. The Independency of the
have come in amongft you, yet I do not now men- tion it in order to reproach you for the ill Ufage I have received at your Hands, in that you have for- faken me, becaufe I have been perfecuted by the Civil Powers, and thereby hindred from coming to you, and have fet up others to communicate with as Guides in Oppofition to me. For though you have ten thott- fund InftrMciers in Chrifl:, yet have ye not many Fathers ; for in Chrifl Jefus / have begotten you through the Cof- pel. Wherefore^ J befcech you be ye Followers of me. Though yoLi have had never fo many Preachers a- mongft you, yet have you not many Spiritual Fathers, Apoltles or Bifhops \ for I am your proper Apollle or Bifhop, having a Right to your Spiritual Obe- dience, by planting the Gofpel among you, and there- fore no other can challenge that Authority over it, 'till I deliver it to a Succeflbr, either by Death or Refigmtion^ or at leafl: by fome juft Forfeiture : And for this Reaiun I miifl: flill intreat you to adhere to me as your proper Bifhop. For this Caufe have I fent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved Son and faithful w the Lord^ who JJj^ll bring yon into remembrance of my Ways^ whuh be in Chrifl:, m I teach every where in every Church. Now fame are puffed up^ as though I veould not come to you. I will fend Timothy to fupply my Place for the prefent, and forafmuch as feme by reafon of my Abfcncc take occafion to defpife me, / will come to you Piortly, if the Lord will,
§ XXXV. From hence we may juflly conclude, that neither S. Paufs Abfc nee, nor the Civil Magiltrate's forbidding him to execute his Office whilft he per- mitted others. Orthodox enough in all other refpeds, (for ought that appears to the contrary ) to fupply his Place, and take the Care of his Church in Oppo- lition to him, could really take away his Right to the Spiritual Charge of that Difl:rift which was his peculiar Care, to Authorize the People to join with
thofe
Ckurck upon the State^ Sec. 65
thofe Intruders, fince it is the main End of his Epiftlcs to the Corinthians to convince them that they were in the wrong in fo doing. Not that he was for hin- dring anyone from coming thither in his Abfence, or even when he was prefent, to teach and inftrud: the People in Conjunction with himfelf, nor was he offended that ylpoUos or Ceph,is or any other Mini- fter ofChrifl ftiould water what he had planted, whilft tliey afted only as Brothers, Companions or Fellow- Labourers, if they were Apoftles of the fame Order with himfelf^ or as Minifters under him, if they were of an Inferior Order- But he could not approve that they fhould do thus within his Line, in Oppofition to him, and without any Dependence upon him, without any regard to his Jarifdidion there, as the true Apoftle or Bilhop of that Flock ; nor could he like of the Peoples joining in Communion with fuch Men as their Paliors. Hence it is manifeft, that the Civil Magiftrates forbidding an Apoflle or Bi- fhop to cxercife his Funftion, and not only threat- ning, but adually executing the fevereft Temporal Punifhments upon him, if he fliall difobey in this Cafe, does not really divefl: fuch Apoftle or Bilhop of his Spiritual Authority over his Flock, or Autho- rize an Intruder to take Pofleffion of his See ; nor will it juftify the People that (hall join with fuch an Intruder in this Cafe.
§ XXXVI. Thofe who firft engaged in this Argu- ment of late Years, did not undertake to juftify Lay- Deprivations, but only pretended we may comply with them, though fuppofing them to be not only VnJMfi, but Invalid, ifimpofed by an irtefftible Power^ pro- vided thofe be otherwife Orthodox, who take Pof- feffion of their Places. Dr. Hody indeed has told us, that he referved (o) the Vindication of the Authority of
(0) Vref<ife to the Cafe of Sees Vacant, (^f.
F the
66 7%e Independency of the
the Civil Power ^ in depriving a Bijljop for Political Crimes f for a particular Treatife. But upon farther Confi- deration, he thought it better not to make any fuch Attempt. But that which he did think proper to maintain, was, thdit granting all Lay- dt privations were invalid \ nay^ f^PP^fi'^^ them not only nncanonical hut nnjufi ^ nayjfuppofe the Depriver not only a Lay-man but donbly unqualified by being likervife an Heretick : Snppofe be (ides that the ejeEied Bifiiop was deprived for adhering to the Truth, and for oppofmg f^ice or Herefy : Notwith- frandin^ all this, he ajferts. That if he was deprived by a Power irrefiflible, a SHbmiJJJon to the prefent Pojfejfor^ ( ifotherwife unexceptionable ) is lawful and warranted by the general Pra^ice of the Ancients. And in order to prove this, he gives us a long Catalogue of Examples from the Pradtice of the Ancient Church, as he calls it. But his eldeft Inftances come not up to the fourth Centtiry, and all before are diredly againfl; him as has been fhewed by the Learned Author of the Hiflorical Colle^ions. They are all Inftances taken from the Corrupt Ages of the Church, and were they all fairly reprefented ( and they are many of them far from being fo ) would not be proper Precedents for us to follow. Indeed the Cafe of En fiat h ins oiAn^ tioch, and of S- fohn Clnyfoflom come within the fourth Century j and might be allowed as good Precedents, but he has fhamcfully mifreprefented them, for be- ing rightly ftated and confidercd, they are diredly aeainlt him. But if they were not, this Inflance of S. Paid the Apoftle and Bilhop of the Corinthians, is a Precedent beyond all others •, and if he did not think tne fecultir Power, which is what Dr- //o-o')' means by his lrr?(i(liblc Force, could depofe him from his Spi- ritual /4uthority over the Corinthians, then can they notdepo ~&iny of his Succellbrs, that is any Bifliop o<-* /jJs Authoricy over his Di<icefe. Now that the ^cwlai* Cicvprnovs depofed S. Paul, as far as it was in tfjeir T<r>vver tc do, is moft certain from what
I have
\
church ufon the St ate ^ &c. 67
I hare already produced. For they forbad him to exercife his Function of an Apoftle or Bifhop; and when he did not think fit to obey them, being of the fame Opinion with the other Apoftles, that he ought to obey God rather than Man, they imprifon'd him, they fcourged him, they threatned him with Death, and had adually put him to Death if he had not made Efcapes from them by getting out of a Window in a Baslcet or fuch like way. Whilft S. Vaul lay un- der this State Depoution, under this irrefiftthle Force^ Tome Perfons came to Corinth^ which was S. PWs Diftrift or Diocefe, and took upon them to govern that Church Independent on him, the Magiftrates give thefe Men no Difturbance, but permitted them to perform the Offices of Chrillian Priefts in that Place, and that Church was free from Perfecution, v^hilft thev withdrew from S.Paurs Communion- Yet thisSubmiffion of theirs to the prefentPofleflbrswhilfl: S. P--iid was kept from them by an irreffiible Power^ wasthe very thing he condemned them for *, the thing for which he blamed them in both his Epiftles, and told them that whilft they continued in this Schifm, all their Gifts and Graces-, nay, all the good Deeds they could perform under fuch a Breach of Charity or Unity of the Church, would profit them. Nothing. And thefe Epiftles of S. Pad, contain not his baT« Opinion, but were written by Infpirationof theHol/ Ghoft. They are the V/ord of God, and therefore the Dodrines contained in them are of Divine Au- thority, and are not to be cancelled by any humane Reafons or Precedents. And the Praftice of the truly Primitive Church, was agreeable to this very Doftrine,as is evident from their afting, with regard to the Novatians^ XhQ DomtlftsavA thQ Meletians.
o
F 2 § xxxvir.
68 TTje Independency of the
§ XXX VII. It'sa!ledged,(p') {^^y^Dv. Hody)by one of our Adverfaries that the Novatians, the Donatifts, ^nd the Meletians of Egypt were Schifmaticks in the Opinion of the Churchy hecanfe the Bifhops who firft headed them^ were fecond Bifhops •, bnt this is eafily art" fvoer'^d: Fcr the Bifhops whom they followed^ were not fet Hf by any Sovereign coercive Power, in the room of others depofed^ but were fet up by Inferiour Perfons^ a- gainfi others poffejfed of the Sees. J have already faid^ that it is not every one whom a fmall tumultuous Party ji) all get to be ordained J that ought to be received as aBijljop^ hut that which we maintain is thisy That where the lawful Bijhop is depofedby an irrcliftible Party, there the SuC' ceffor may be acknowledged,
§ XXXVin. But it is evident from S. Cyprian ( an Author who lived in the time of Novatian, and has given a fuller Account of the Rife of that Schifn than any other) that the Novatians were not a fmall tumul' thoHf Party., but a very numerous Body., and alfo had the Protection of the State when the Orthodox had it not. And if they were notatfirll fet up by the Sovereign Power^ they were foon received and pro- ted^ed by it^ they were allowed to pnrchafe Lands and Houfes, to build Churches and enjoy them, and were protected in the Execution of their Spiritual Fundions, whilftthe Catholicks were perfecuted by the Emperors Galau and yolufianus. That they were a numeious Body, diffufed in all Parts of the Empire, S. Cyprian fhews when he tells us, (^) That whereas
Cp) Cafe of Sees Vacair-, pig. 195.
(q) Cumq; jampridcrm per omncs Prorincias & perUrbes fin^uias Ordinjti fin: Einfcopi, in aecare ariLiqui, in fide inte- gri, in Prcifura Prcbati, in Perfccutione proicripti; llle fu- per coscre^e alios Pieudoepifcopos aU'.lcar. Quail poflir aut Tocum Orbcm novi conatusobftina clone ^cn^rmefCj^r. £.prji, 55- f. U2.
lon£
Church upon the State^ S(^c. 69
Ivngfince Bifljofs venerable for yige^ found in Faith^ ap- f roved by Opprejfiony prefer ihed in Perfecittions^ have been ordained in all Provinces^ and in every City ^ he [^OVSL- tian 3 dares to ^ut over their Heads other Vfeudom JRlJfjopf^ as if he rcas able to over-run the World by per' fifiing in his nexp Attempt. For a fmall tumultuous Party could not immediately fet up Bilhops in all the Provinces and Cities of that large Empire, which contained the greateftpart of the then known World. That they were allowed to purchafe Lands and Houfes, to build Churches and enjoy them; nay, afld to take Pofleflion at leaft of fome Churches, and Church- Lands or Houfes belonging to theCatholicks, which it is certain they could not have done, had they not been protefted and encouraged by the Secular Power, appears from a Law oiConft-antine the Great, made about SoYears after ih^Schifm began^O) where- in he confirms to the A'oz/rff^/fw/, all their Podeffions which they had a long time enjoy'd, excepting only thofe which belonged to the Catholicks before the Schifm. That they were alfo protected in the Ex- ercife of their Fundions whilft the Catholicks were perfecuted by the Emperors Callus and Volufianus^ is evident from S. rypr/^w, who in an Epiftleto Corner Uhs the true Bifhop of Fome^ againft whom Nova- tijtnus was fet up, having congratulated Ccrneliks for his bold Confeflion of the Chriftian Faith, and for his fuffering Banifliment in fo good a Caufe, fays,
(r) Itaq; Ecclcfiae fuse Domoi, & ioca fcpulchrii apta, fine inqutetudineeos firmiterpraecipiBiQs: ea fcilicer quae ex diu- turno tempore vel exemplo habuenint yel qualibet quasfierunc latione. ProvideBdum crit ne quid ufurpare conencur ex his quae ante difcidium, ad Ecdeiiaspcrpetuxran^icatjs per* f jnuiflTc maoifcftum cfr. Coi, Ibeniof. 1. 1. lit, 5.
F 3 (s; Bnt
yo The Independency of the
Cs) B^tt what fays Novatian to thi.< ? Does he yet
ackaoivUdge who is GoeCs Priejis ? Which is the Church anA Houfe of Chrifl ? Who are the Servants of Chrtfi^ Vphom the Devil Perfecutrs ? Who are the Chri(tians whcm jintichrifi fights aaainfi i For he does not feek after thofe whom he has already fnb due d\ or endeavour to overturn thoje whom he has already made his owH' The Foe and Enemy of the Church contemns and faffe f hy thofe whom he has alienated from the Churchy and lead out of it as already his Bondfmen and Captives : He goes on to provoke thofe in whom he fees Chrifl to drceli. Now, if No^a^ tian^ or any of his Party had fuffer'd in this Perfecu- tion under Callus and F'olitfian^ or had not been per- mitted to exercife their Fundtions and Miniftrations, S. Cyfian could not have made the Sufferings of Cor» rtehus and his Adherents a Teftimony of the Righ- teoufnefs of tlieir Caufe above that of the Novatians. Would Novatian have had any Reafon to think Cor- nelius to have been God's Prieft, upon the account of his Sufferings, rather than himfeU, if he had alfo fuffered as the other did ? It is plain then, that the Emperors Gallus and f^'oiufianus^ perfecuted the Ca- tholicks and let the Novatians alone. Yet. although Cornelius was baniihed, and To depofcd or turned out of his Bifhoprick by a Soveraign^ Coercive^ Irre- fifiihlc Power, the Catholick Chriftians did not for that Reafon think they might accept Novatian for their Bifhop : But immediately after the Martyrdom
(0 Quid adhaec Novatianus, jf'rater Chariflimc ? — Agnof- dtne jarn qui fit facerdos Dei ? Qiias fit Ecclefia & Domus Chrifti ? Qj;' lint Dei fervi quos diabolus infeftet? Qui fint Chriftiam quos Antichriftus impugnet ? Neq; cnim quawi{ illos, <juos jam fubegic, aut geftic cvertere, quos jam fuos • fecit. Inimicus & hoftis £cc!eiiag quos aliena?it ab Ecclefia ^ forasduxit, u:. captives & vinflos contemnit& praeterit; cos pergit laccffcrc in quibus Chriftuui (crnit habitare. Cm,
of
' church upon the State^ &c. ^l
^iCorndlus^ which happened in afhorttime after his Banifhment; LHciH": was confccrated in his ftead, who was alfo banifhed, but lived to return from his Ba- nifhment, upon the Death of GMIhs and Volafiany ivhich happened not long after, for they did not Reign a whole Year j and then the Perfecution cea- fed for a time. To this Lucius^ S. Cyprian alfo writes and Congratulates him upon his Return from his Banifhment; and amongft other things fays thus, (t) We underfland.^ our dearefl Brother^ and fee with the rvhole Eye of our Hearty the faint ary and holy Counfels of the Divine A'fajejly • whence that fudden Perfecution fo lately arofe •, whence the fecnlar Power fo fnddenly fell upn Cornelius the Bifhop and bleffed A^artyr^ and upon all of yon : That to confound and repel the Hereticks God pewedy which was his Church, who ha own Bifhop^ cho- fen by divine j^ppointment ^ who the Presbyters joined in the Honour of the Priejihood with the Bifljop ; which the united and true People o/Chrift, joined to£ether in Cha- rity as the Lord^s Flock j who they were whom the Enemy contended with, who on the contrary^ whom the Devil /pared as his own. Thus we fee that from the Begin- ning of this Perfecution to the End of it, the Nova* tiahs bore no (hare of it. For it is plain by thofe he calls Hereticks m this Paflage, he means them •, for his Words here are much the fame in Senfe, with thofe
(0 Intelligimus, frater ChariflTirae, & tota cordis noftri luce perfpicimuiidirinag MajeftatisfalULaria& fancta confiTia ; unde illic rc'^cntina pcrfdcutionuperexorta fit, unde contra Ecckfiam Chrifti & Epifcopum Cornclium bcatum Marty- rem, vofq; omnes fajcularis poteftas fubito prorupcrit ; ucad. confundendos Hsereticos & retundcndos oftcndt-rit Dominus^, quae cffec Ecclefia, qais Epifcopus ejusunus, diviiia Ordina- tione dclcftus ; quicum EpifcopoPrcsbyteii Saccrdorali ho- noreconjunfti; quis adunatus & verus Chrifti populus Dumi- nici Gregis Chariratc conncxus: Qui cflent quis inimicus lacciTeret, qui contra, quibus diabolus uc fuis parcerer, Cjpr, £p. 60.
F 4. beforf
7 1 The Independency of the
before quoted from the former Epiftle, which arc exprefly applied to Novatian and his Followers by Name : Then thofe Words, who is one Bidiop^ mufl; refer to Novatian^ who fet up for the other Bljhop. We cannot therefore fay, that the Novatians were a fmall tumultuous Party who had no Sovereign coer- cive Power to fupport them : For it is plain, the Em- peror was of JSJovatian\ Side : For he banifh'd Cor' nelim^ his Competitor, and put him to Death*, and when Lhcihs was ordained his SuccelTor, he banifti'd him alfo, leaving the fole Pofleflion to Novation ^ and yet the Church looked upon Novatian and his Followers to be as much Schifmaticks whilft they had the fole PoITeflion of the Chriftian Churches as they were before or after.
§ XXXIX. Then as to the Donatifts^ though they were indeed a titmultuoHs Party^ they were far from being a fmall Party, for they had as many Bifhops in Africa as the Catholicks themfelves : And by Means of their CircHmcelUons or Banditti were very often an Jrrefftihle Party : And in the Reign oi Julian had the Sovereign Coercive Power on their Side, as we may lejrn from Optatus and S. Anfiin^ and all that have given us any Account of that Schifm. Neither were the Meletians of Egypt a fmali Party ^ for they were too many for the Bifhop of Jlexavdria^ the Primate of that Country, to deal with ^ nor could the Coun- cil of A^'c^itfelf effectually quell them. («j Dr. Hody fays, The only Quefiion is^ whether Paul or Apollos may be follow'd ip/?f« Cephas is in Prifon^ and is rendered uncapable of atiing as an Apofile ? And I fuppofe it is the fame thing if w^ ask, Whether it be lawful to follovf Cephas or Apollos ip/jf» Paul is in Prifon. For the Cale is juft the fame, and the Anfwer is very eafy, and
(u) Cfife of Sees vionu Pag, 1 2.
fnadc
church upon the State ^ Sec. 75
made by S. Panl himfelf. (w) If j4po!!os or Cephas come in to water what S. ?aul has planted, they do well. If they come in as Friends or Afliftants to S. Paul to feed his Flock whilfl he is difabled from doing it himfelf, and aft therein only as his Compa- nions and Fellow-Labourers, they may and ought to be followed, for fo to follow tliera is to follow Pad alfo, whether he be in Prifoa or not, whether he be prefent or abfent. But \? Cephas or Jpollos come into S. P/td's Diftridl, and one of them tells the People he is now their Spiritual Father in Paul's flead, and they are no more to look upon Paulas their Apo- ftle or Bifhop, becaufe he is imprifoned and rendred uncapable ofaftingasan Apoftle among them, this S. Pad would fay is (x) (i-retchina themfelves beyond their Meafiircy and hoafiing in another Mans Line, And whether it was ApoHos or Cephas that did this, be would be a Schifmatick, and break the Band of Charity, and therefore though he fpake with the Tongues of Men and of Angels, he ought not to be followed, for he could profit them nothing. S. Paid was frequently imprifoned, and yet,a8 1 have fiiewed, he did not think that he thereby loft his Right of Spiritual Obedience from the Corinthians , and (^y^ therefore befeeches them to he Followers of him. And indeed it would be a very hard Cafe if a Pallor was to lofe his Right over his Flock, becaufe he is imprifon'd, as S. Pad was, for doing his Duty .• Yet this is what the Doftor has pleaded for. Snppofc^ fays he, that the ejefied Bipop was deprived for adherincr to the Truth, and for oppofin^\J\Qt or Herefy : Not- with(landing all thiSy J ajferty That if he was deprived by a Power Irreftible, a Submijfion to the prefent PoJftJJor (ifotherxpife unexceptionable} is lawful and warranted by the general Practice of the Ancients. But wc have feen
^w) I Cor. ill. 5. (x; 2 Cor, x. 14. \6, (y) i Cor^ xiv. \6.
that
74 7X^ Independency of the
that it is not warranted by the Scripture, nor by the moft ancient Church in the Cafe of the Nova, tiftns^ Donatifis^ and MeletiavSj who were the firft that formed a Schifm by bringing in a fecond Bi- fhop into a full See. And we have feen that S. Cy~ frian was fo far from thinking that the Imprifon- ment of Cornelius Or Lucius Could give Novatim a Right to the Bifhoprick o^Rome^ becaufe they were thereby incapacitated to aft as Bilhops, and Novation was left as the fole Biihop in full PoflefTion of that Church, as far as a Sovereign coercive Power could give him PonelTion, by permitting him at leaft, if not authorizing him, to polTefs the Houfes and Churches belonging to the Catholicks before the Breach (as 1 have proved from the Law of Conjlan- tine^ which commanded them to be reilored) and by leaving no other Bifhop to ad in Rome but him- felf, that he makes this very Thing an Argument that Ctrnelim and LuctMsvjQXQ the true and rightful Bifhops, and iU^t Novatmn was, not io-^ that God ap- proved of thofe two as his Bifhops, becaufe he per- mitted them to be imprifoned, and did not approve of Novatian, becaufe he let him and his Party efcape the Perfecution. So far is the Dodor's AlTertibn, ihit thoufh a BiOiop be deprived by a Sovereign coercive Power for adhering to the Truth^ yet it may be lawful to comply with the Succeffor^ who is permitted or autho- rized by that Sovereign Power to fupply his Place, from being agreable to the Senfe of the Ancients, that no- thing is more contrary to the Senfe of truly Pri- mitive Antiquity, as well as to the Scriptures them- felves.
§ XL. But after all there is no fuch Thing in this Cafe as Lrefifiible Force. Lawful Sovereign Powers are indeed always Jrrejifiible, fo as they may not be oppofed by Arms though we had fufficlent Strength
to
Church upon the State ^ &C. 75
to refifl: them ^ (^)for all fuch Rehftance is forbid- den under the Penalty of Damnation : But if by Re- 0Ancewc underftand not complying with or yield- ing Obedience to their jufl; Commands, then no hu- mane Power can be rrreJIfiiNc •, for we may choofeto obey God rather than Man, and fuffer Perfecution snd all Temporal Penalties they will inflift with Pa- tience and Refignation to the Will of God, and by Prayers and Tears commit our Caiife to him, as the Primitive Chriftians did. And by this Means they at laft, in God's good Time, which is always the beft and molt proper Time, overcame their Perfecutors, and brought the Powers of the World into the Church. But fhameful Compliances againft the Truth, which is what the Dodor pleads for, never proved to the Advantage of the Church, how likely foever in humane Reafon it might appear proper to produce fuch an Effedt.
§ XLI. It is further objeded by fome, that the yevpiJJ) Priefts were of Divine Inftitution as well as the Chrifiia-riy and therefore as to their Priefthood as much independent on the Civil Power, yet King So- lomon depofed the Kigh-Prieft A'oUthar and put Za-, ^.?Hn his Room. But if we look into the Story as related in the Scripture, we fnall find that Solomon did notdepofe y^e'/^Tf/W, as that fignihes, depriving him of his Priefthood^ or even of the Station he held in the 7? wi/7; Church. For in the firit place, it is certain Abiathar was not the Hioh-Friefi^ but Zadok* For in the Time of David^ {a) Zadok was over the Aaronites^ or whole Family of the Priefts. And when David fled from Ahfalom, and the Priefts fol- lowed him with the Ark, though AhtaihA/ was there, yet the Charge of the Ark plainly belonged to Zadok^
(z) Kom. xiii. 2. (a) i Ch'on, xxviii. 17.
(^)for
7 6 The Independency of the
(b) for it was he, and not Ahiathar^ conduced thofe that bore it *, and he, and not Ahi:ithar^ was required by the King to carry it back to Jerufalem. And when thefe two are named together, (c) as they are in fe- veral Places, Zad<.k is always named firft-, and it cannot be thought it (hould always have been foif jibiathar had been the Superior : Yet we never read Ihat AhUthttr and Zadok were the Priefts, but always ZaJok and Abiaih.ir. A fure Argument that Zadok was the High-Prieft^ and Abiathar but the Second Prieft. It is alfo evident that the Hereditary Right to the High-Priefthood was in Zadoh^ {d) who was defcended from EUaz^ar the cldeft Son of Aaron^ and not in Jbi^thar^ (e) who was defcended from Ithtc mar the youngeft Son o{ Aaron. It is therefore a great Miftake to fay, that Ahiathar was the High- Priefi^ when it is fo evident that not he, but Zidoi, was fo all along in the Days of David^ and before this pretended Depofiiion by Solomon. However, was he the firft or the fecond Prieft, they fay it is plain that Solomon depofed him. Let us then examine that Matter, and fee whether he was properly depofed or not, that is, either deprived of his Priefthood or of liis Station in the Jerpijii Church.
§ XLII. Adonijah, Joab znd Ablathar^ had entrcd into an open Rebellion againfl; I>*<Wand Solomon^ for which Solomon thought fit to put the two former to Death ; and if he had done the fame by Abiathar he had done no more than he had Right to do. For an Ecclefiaftical Funf^ion gives no one an Exemptioa from a due Obedience to the Civil iNiagiftrate, or puts him out of the Power of the Temporal Laws. And
fb) 2 Sim. XV. 24, 25.
(c; 2 Sm. XV. 29, 35, 36. xvli. 15. xix. ii. xx. 2^. iCkr.xv. 1 1, (ci; i Cbron. vi. 53. (e) 1 Chrtn, xxiv. 3, 6.
there-
church upon the State^ Sec. 77
therefore Solomon had an undoubted Right to infli(fl what Temporal Punifhment on Abiathar for his Trea- fon that he pleafed. But he thought fit to fpare his Life, and only confine him to a gentle Imprifon- ment within his own Lands. T/) ^'^^ ''"''' Abiathar the Priefi faid the KiTig, Get thee unto Anathoth thine 0wn Fields', for thou art worthy of Death : But Ivrillnot At this time fut thee to Death. This was Solomon''^ Sen- tence which he pafied upon this Priefl:-, and was plainly no other than a Civil Sentence : For Confine- ment or Imprifonment, whether clofe or large, is undoubtedly the Right of the Civil Magiftrate to inflicl, and of no other \ and this was all that Sclvmm did : He did not To much as take away his Lands from him which belonged to him as a Prieft, but com- manded him to go and live upon them. But if he had deprived him of his Priefthood, he mufl have deprived him of thofe Lands which were given by God to the Priefts, and which therefore none but a Prieft could erijoy. But then fay the Adverfaries, it follows in the next Place-, So Solomon thitfl out Abiathar/rcwj being Priff unto the Lord. Very right, by confining him to Anathoth he difabled him from executing his Office of a Priefl in the Temple at Je- y tifalem : But Solomon pafied no Sentence of Depofition or Deprivation upon him, w hich is the Eccleliaftical Sentence^ he only pafied the Sentence of Confine- ment. It is true, that Sentence of Confinement, whilft he lay under it, hindred him from cfiiciating in the Temple, but fo would a fit of Sicknefs or a broken Leg have done, yet furely no one will fay that a broken Leg or a fit of Sicknefs depofes or de- prives a Priefi; or Bifiiop that it puts him out of the Station he held in the Church, and yet it will difable him from officiating tor the Time, and effectually
CO I ^^l' i"'- 26.
keep
78 The Independency of the
keep him from executing his Office fo long as it lads- And therefore, notwithftanding this pretended Dc- pofitinn, Abiathar was ftill reputed to be the fecond Prieft in the Days of Solomon^ even as he was in tise Reign of Davids for after this Confinement. to Ana- thotio^ we read [g) that Z^dok and Aoi^thar were the Priefts \ which would not have been if he had becQ deprived of his Prieflhood, or of his Station in the Church, as well as hindred from executing his Of- fice by Confinement. But they tell us, that he mull have been deprived, becaufe another was put into his Room : For fo fays the Text, (/?) And Zadok the Pnefl- did the Kin^ fut in the Room of Abiatliar- But the Original is, ^And Zadok the Priefi did the King give far Abiathar- Which cannot here mean, that he put Zadok into Abiatharh Place, for that would have been to have degraded him from the Office of High-Prieft to that of S(\'ond Prieft. But as Z^dok was High-Prieft, it belonged to him to fee that all Offices in the Temple were duly perform- ed i confequently if any Pried was, upon any Ac- count, difabled from officiating, he was obliged to fee that Charge performed by himfclf, or fome other Prieft whom he fhould appoint. Therefore the King having, by confining Abiarhar to Anathoth^ difabled him from performing the Office of Second Prieft in theTemple, direded Zad^k^ the High-Prieft, to take care that the Office of the Second Prieft might not be omitted by Reafon of the Difability of ^/?/<»- th:ir. Thus he gave Z.idok for Abiathar^ by requi- ring him to fee Abiathar's Duty performed. As if our King ftiould, for fome Temporal Crime, impri- fon the Bifliop of London, and then bid the Archbi- Ih'jp of Canterbury fto whom it belongs of Courfe during the Difability of the proper Biffiopj to take care of that Diocefe. This would be giving the Peo-
pie
church upon the St ate ^ &c. 79
pie o^ London the ArclibiHiop of Camerbury for their own Bidiop, but would neither be depoling the Bi- fhop of London^ nor putting another in his Room, And yet this is plainly all that Solomon did with Re- lation to j^hiiithar.
§ XLIII. The Adverfaries to the Independency of the Church finding their AiTertions to fail, and not to be maintainable, have fince come to putting of Queries. And we are asked, // ChrifJ- appointed^ or his ^poJlUs lefty any Rule in the [acred Writings for de^ fofmg ofBifliops'^. To which it may be anfwer'd, That it having been proved, that Chrifi himfelf ordain'd his Apoftles, and Urt them as he was fe fit by the F^ther^ he thereby gave them Authority to ordain others to that Office as he had ordain'd them : And that it appears from the Sacred Writings, that they adually did inveft others with the fame Office whom we now call Bifhops : Therefore if neither he nor his Apo- ftles have left any Rule for depofing Bifliops, or given Amhority to any to depofe them, there can- not a Biffiop be depofed ; for being made by an Au- thority derived from C/;r;y?, they mult be depofed by an Authority derived from him, or not at all, otherwife we mafl fet up an Authority in the Church above Chrifi: For if any Power on Earth can de- prive a Man of a Power derived from Chrifi^ with- out deriving that Power of Deprivation from him alfo, then has not Chrifi- a Supreme Power over his Church, for there is another above him that caa undo what he has done , which it would be both ab- furd and blafphemous for any Man to fay. But the Sacred Writings have taught us, that a Bilhop may fall from his Bilhoprick by Tranfgreffion, (*) for fo they declare that JudHs{G\\ from his Apoltlelhip •, and that when a Bifliop fo falls by Tranfgrefljon, then an-
(i; ^5. i, 25.20,
other
8o The Independency of the
other (hall take his Bifhoprick. And as Cfer//?, by fending his Apoftles and their Succeflbrs as he was fent by thj Father, plainly gave them Authority to make and ordain Bifhops ^ fo he alio as plainly gave them the Power to judge and declare when a Bifhop was fallen from his Bifhoprick by Tranfgr^fllon. Thus (k) Peter and the other Apoftles judged and de- clared in the Cafe of Jndas. It is true, Judas was then dead, and fo his Bifhoprick vacant another Way; but they did not declare the Vacancy to have accru- ed from his Death^ but from his tranfgrejfton : That was fufficient to have made his Place vacant, though he had been ftill alive. Here then is a Rule in the Sacred Writings for dcpofingof Bifhops ; do one has Authority to depofe a Bifhop arbitrarily or without juft Caufe, bat when he is guilty of fuch Tranfgref- fion as juftly makes a Vacancy of his Bifhoprick ; then the College of Bifhops are to declare and judge con- cerning the Matter, and put another into his Place.
§ XLIV. Another Query is, Was not the judgini And depoftng of BijJ}ops by Provincial Synods i» the Begin- ttincr^ a Prudential J no Divine Inftitittion^ ftch a one as the Church thought to be heft in their CircumftanceS'^ ms was the Divifton of the whole Church into DiftriBSy called in our Modem Terms-, Diocefes and Provinces^ after the Plan of the Civil Empire ? It may be anfwered. That I have already fhewed, that the Divifion of the Church into D^ftrids, which we now call Diocefes or Provinces^ was made by the Apoftles themfelves, and that not meerly upon Prudential Reafons, as is here fuggefted, but by the Diredions ofthe HolyGhoft^ and therefore St. Paul (I) calls his Diflrid, the Mea- fuie of tke Rule or Line which God haddiftributea to him. And if herein they followed the Plan of the Civil
(k)^/?.i. 13,15. (OiCor. X. 13.
Empire,
Church upon the State^ &c* 8i
Empire, what follows from thence ? Only that they faw no Occafion to make new Meafures and Bounda- ties for the World when they faw it already welt bounded to their Hand. But ftill they did not go to the Civil Magiftrate to know which Province He Would be pleafed to allot to each Apoftle. They firft made S. James the Bilhop of Jerhfalem^ allotting to him that City aiid its Territory •, and the othet Apoftles difperfed themrelves into the other Parts oi the World, each taking fuch a Province or Number of Provinces as was thought proper among them- felves. And when any of them had made fuch a Multitude of Converts as were too many for his owti fingle Infpeftion and Government, then he ordain'd fome other Perfon to be Bifhop or chief Spiritual Rii- ler of fuch a Diftrift or Diocefe within his Province as he thought fit to commit to his Charge \ and they took care that no one fliould meddle in another's Diftrid, or (jm) fir etch himfelf beyond his Meafur'e. Thus the whole Church was divided into Diftrids or Diocefes by the Apoltlfes, as appeats from the Sacred Writing^; and therefore this was a Divine, not an Humane Inffi- tution, as the Qucrift pretends, made upon Prudential ReafOns or by an Humane Authority, the Apoftles in this, as in the other Settlements of the CKurch^ following the Directions of the Holy Ghoft. So alfo the Meeting of Provincial Syr;ods, that is, Synods 6f Neighbouring Bilhops, to judge aiid determine con- cerning the Affairs of the Church, was not a meer Prudential Inftitutionj but derived from the Practice of the Apoltles \ who, by the Diredtioas of the Ho- ly-Ghoft, fettled that Method for deterraioing fuch ControverHes as might arife. Thus^ when a Con- troverfy arofe concerning Circumcifien, i^n) the Apollles met in Councii at Jemfalem to determine the
G Quenior^^
8 i The Independency of the
Qiieftion. And that they aded herein not upon Prn- dential Reafons only, but by Divine Appointment^ is evident from the Decree then made ^ wherein they fay, (oj it feemed good to the Htly'Choft and to us. And if the Holy-Ghod had not dire^ed them to that Method of ending this Matter, they vyould not have enforced their Decree with his Authority. Is the Holy-Ghofl: to be made the Author 6f a meer Prudential Conflitution ? They had alfo an exprefs Warrant from Chrifi thus to determine Controver- iies of the Church by meeting together in Synodical Aflembliesii and he had promirecl,(/>)71?/i? vphere two 4>r three JJionld fo meet together in his Name^ he wonld he in the midfi of them. Not only to determine Matters of Faith, Doctrine or Praftice, fuch as are mention'd to have been determin'd in the Apojftolical Synod, but to hear and determine Differences between Man and Man, (^^and to examine Witnefles, confequent- ly to judge of all Matters wherein the Church may be concerned. And therefore as the Chnrch is con- cerned to know whether a Bifnop is fallen from his Bifhoprick by Tranrgrcflioa or not, they niuft there- by receive a Power to determine that alfo. For finccthe Scriptures teach us, that the Apofclesand their SuccefTors the Bi/hops, were fent by Chrifi even as he was fent by the Father, that is^ were appoint- ed to govern the Church under him as the fupreme Head, for {o the Words muft mean, or they mean: nothing ^ and he had before direckd, that in Matter^' of Spiritual Judicature, they fnould meet two or three, or more, to hear and dctei mine fuch Caufes, and promifed to be in the midlt of them to ratify and confirm their judg,ment when fo met in his Name, fr) and to hind or loofe in Heaven what theyjljould at fu€h
(o) j4(l. XV. 2o. (p) Mjctt. XY ii. 20.
(q> Matt, xviii, 16. (rj tA.ttt. xviii. i3.
Meetinz^
Church upon the State^ &C." 8 ^
Meeiings hind or loefe on Earthy it is plain that, he authorized them to meet in Synods Provincial, Na- tional or Oecumenical, according as they cbnve- nienily might da, to judge all Spiritual Caufes., And whether a Bifliop has been guilty of fuch a Tranf- greflioii as may forfeit his Bilhoprick, is certainly a Spiritual Caufe, and which the Apoftles did judge ia the cafe of Judas • it is evident then that the Judging and Defoftng of BiJJjops by Provincial Synods in the Bearn" ning^ was not a meer Prudential^ but aDizl^e Infiituticn^a^ was alfo the Divijion of the whole Church into certain Di" firths called in our Modern Terms Diocefes and Provinces^ after the Plan of the Civil Empire. As I have already proved. .
§ XLV. It isalfoasked. Bid not the Emperors when thty became Chrifiian^ yield the Craifes of BijhopSy asfor^ merly to Synods y out of meer Favour^ and oa looking upon them to be abler Judges of Matters that concerned the Faith and Difcipline of the Church than the Heathen Ma» giflrates^ who were then moflly pcjfiffed of thofe Offices under the Chriflian Emperors ? I have already proved in the Anfwer to the former Queftion, thatBilliop^ bad a Divine Right, or a Right by Divine Inftitu- tion, given by Chrifl: himfelf, to meet in Synods, to hear and determine Spiritual Canfes. And therefore when Chriftian Emperors confirmed that Right by their Civil Laws, it was not a Matter of meer Favour, but, what they were obliged to as Chriftians \ if they had not done it, but had gone about to have taken that Right from them, they would in that particular have reje(f\td the Authority of Chrifl who gave theai that Right fome hundreds of Years before there was a Chriftian Emperor. For he made them, and not the Emperor and his Officers, v/hether Heathen or
(r) >»lat. xviii. 18,
G 2 Chrillian4
84 The InJependsncy of the
Chriftiao, the only Judges of what concerned the Faith and Difciplineof the Church.' Chn/I and his Apoftles fettled the Faith andDifciplineot the Church without the Empeior or any other Civil Magiftrate whatfoever : And (s) coMmitted the fmne to faithful Aien-^ the BiHiops and Paitors whom they appointed to fucceed them, who p)0!tld he able 10 teach others al/o. And when the Emperors became Chriflian they re- ceived and embraced the Faith and Difcipline thus fettled by Chrift and his JpoflLs^ and conveyed down to them by the Bifhops who fucceedcd them. There- fore thcChriftian Emperors yittdtng the Cunfcs of RU Jljnps to Syfiodf^ M to what concerned the Faith and Difci- pline of the Churchy w;is no matter of meer Favour, but a Right which they received from Chrifl. But their yielding the Caufes ol" Bifhops concerning Civil Ivlatters to Synods, was, 1 confefs a Matter of meei* Favour, and that the firft Chriilian Emperors did, as jndging it not fo proper to permit the Heathen Officers to be Judges of Bifhops in any Matters. And inany Governors of the Provinces were Heathen long after there were Chriflian Emperors. And this Di- llindtion will help to folve the next Queflioti. Which is,
§ XLVI. Did not the Chr'flian Emperors however^ iohenthey faw Reafon^ interpofe in fhe Caufes of BiJljopSy and determine them in ancther Way from the firfi Frt- 'vincial Flan ? Did not Conftantine;i'>' Inftanee^ the fir (i Chrijiian Emperor^ order the Caufe of S- Athanafius, Jl^etropolitan of Egypt, to be heard by certain Esfierrt Bifhops^ whom he appointed^ and at a Place remote from the Province of Athanafius? To this it may be an- fwer'd. That a Civil Cognifance of all Caufes, even the moft Spiritual that can be imagined belongs to
"^ > - I — — ■ >
(s ) 2 Tim. ii, 2,
every
Church upon the St ate ^ &.C. 85
every Sovereign Prince^ as I have (hewed in the Be- ginning of this Difcourfc, whether he be Heathen or Chrifiian^ and he may take Cognizance of it in fuch Manner as to him feems moft Expedient. And there- fore if an Emperor wasdifpofed to take Cognizance of the Faith ofanyBifhop, he was not bound to do it in a Synod of that Province, where the Bifhop lived, which was the regular EcclefiafticaJ Method ^ bujt might examine him by himfelf, or appoint his Privy Council, or an Inferior Magilt: ate to do ic j or if he thought it proper to have him examined or tried by Bifhops, he might pick out or Name what Bi(hops he thought fit for that purpofe •, for fuch Trial would be only for the Emperoi s Satisfadion, and enable him to judge whether he Ihould pafs a civil jiidicial Sentence upon him or not:^ as whether he ihould condemn him to Fine, Imprifonraent, banilh- mentor Death, or any other Temporal Punifhment which the Civil Magiftrate only can inflict. And vyhen a Civil IMagiftrate is applied to on fuch Occa- lions, he muft inform himfelf in the Matter by fuch Methods as he thinks befl", and is no more tied up by Ecclefiadical Rules in the Cafe of a Bifhop, than in the Cafe ot any other Man- Now the Complaints againit j^thanajim^ which were made to Ccrijiariuue.^ and tor theExamination of which, he called a Council of the Eiftern Bifhops, ai^d ordered them to qllcmble at 7}rf, (which is the cafe particularly referred to by the Queriflj were of this fort, (t) Ihey firit ac- cufed AthanafiHs oi levying Mpney in r.^^yft for the ufe of one that was going about to ufurp ihe Empire •, for which Athur/aJJus was immediately fummoiied to Cof7jiafit!f7ople^ heard and tried by the Emperor him- felf, and being acquitted, was fcnt back to I -is Dioccfe. Then he was accufed of cutting off a Man's Hand, of getting a Wench with Child, and Other Matters, which deferved not only d Spiritual
(c) Theod. Hifl. Ecclel'. tap. 26, 27, a8, 29)30, 31.
Q 3 Cenfurq,
86 The Independency of the
Cenrure,but to be correded by the Secular Judge,if they could be proved : Thefc things Conflantine or- dered to be tried before the Council of Tyr<r, where [Athanafms alfo cleared himfelf, by (hewing that thq Man whom he was accufed to have maimed, had both his Hands fafe and found. And when the Wench who pretended he had got her with Child came to give her Evidence againlt him, it appeared that (he knew him not, and calling another Man by bis Name, charged that Man with it. Then Athtt^ nafius went to the Emperor to fatisfy him concern- ing thefe Matters ♦, and there his Adverfaries brought a new Accufation againft him, as that he had prohi- bited the Carriage of Corn from ^gyff to CajUmU nople! The Emperor hearing this, and believing it, without any further Examination of the Matter, haniihedi ^thar?afii(s to Trevts la GaUU. Now what was there in all this but a meer Civil or Secular Ju- dicature, which undoubtedly belonged to the Em- peror ? And he might try fuch Caufes in what man- ner he thought fit^
§ XLVII. But then it is asked, DU not the Em- peror Gratian in the fourth Century^ when the Jlcmnefs 6f Proceedings by Synods^ wm become a Grievance^ ordain hy his Civil Ahthority^ that Damafus Bijljop of Rome, and any five o^ feven Bifoeps with him^ Jhould be fuffi-^ cient for depofm^ of Eijhops ? And did not the Roman Synod then fitting readily accept that ConfUtution ? Now, for my part, 'tin I fee a Subftantial Proof of this pretended Ordinance of Gratian^ ( but it is not the Bufinefs of a Querift to prove any thing) 1 ftiall fay that Emperor never made any fuch Decree, por was there any Council of Rome that accepted it. But this I do find, («y That as foon as Gratian, upon the Death of his Uncle yaUnsy came to the Ponellion of
(n) Theodo Hift. tcclef. 1. < . c. 2c'
the
Church upon the Stat£^ Sec. 87
the whole Empire, he thought fit to take the Catho- lick Church which f^detis had perfecuted into his Pro- tedion. And forafmuch as Salens had banifbed al- mofl: all the Catholick Bilhops within his Part of the Empire, or at lead puttheraout of the PofTefrion of their Churches, Gratian thought proper to reltore the Catholick Bifhops to thofe Poltcffions out of which they had been unjuftly ejcded- And foraf- much as all the Catholick Bifhops were known to be of one Communion, and to hold no Communion with the Arians^ or any other Hereticks or iichifmaticks : Therefore whoever held Communion with a Catho- lick Bifhop was efteemed to be a Catholick himfelf by all Perfons i For thi« PvCafon, that the Governors of the feveral Provinces of the Empire might know- to what Bifhops they were to give PofTtfllon, he made a Law by which he ordered nil the ejeth'd Vaflcrs to return from BHnijhment, and that they f-iouldbe rcftored to thetr Flocks • and that the Holy Churches jlxiidd be dc' l/vered to fuch as embraced the Commid'fiion of Damafus. This is the whole Decree of the Emperor Gratitin that I can find conce.rning this Matter •, not a Word vA Damafus ov any fve or jcven Bi(Jwps with him to de- pofc a BiJJjop ^ not a Word of afiy Roman Sy/iod fttltia at [hat Time^ and accepting this, CorifrltHti.on \ that is all Dream and Fidion. And now what is there in all that Gratianii\(S but what is purely fecular, and be- longs to the Civil MagiHrjate? and therefore he might proceed in it in fuch a Way as liked him bell. He neither made nor depofed any Bilhop : He prcteiidr ed not to tike away the Relation between a Bifliop and his People, but only rcftored thcriglitfijl Pallors to their prcpxT Flocks, from which they hjd been banifhed. And becaufe fojiic might, upon this Im- perial Favour, pretend to be Catholick Billiops that really were not fo, what better Pvule could he give the Governors of his Provinces on this Occanori, than to direct them to rellore fuch Bifnops as were G 4 ia
88 The ladependency of the
\a the Communion of Damafns^ the Catholick Bi- Ihop of th« Imperial City? The Church even in the Kcign of Heathen Emperors never pretended to cje<5 Hereticks out of Houfcs, Lands or Edifices which they had got or kept Pofleffion of, though they were fuch Things as were notorioufly known to belong to the Church •, (tp) as we learn from the famous Cafe pf P aulas Samofntenus : He being accufed of Herefy, a Council was alTembled to try and examine that Matter : They found him guilty, and accordingly depofed him and ordained Dcmnus in his Room. But Tml having PoftelTion of the Epifcopal Houfe would pot quit it. Neither did the Bifh^^ps pretend that by their own Authority they could f jed him from it: But they applied to the Emp^^ror Aitrelia^^ an Hea- then and noc long after a Perfccutor of the Church \ and he ordered, that PolRITiOii Ih^uU be given to hin^ to whom the Bifliop oi Rome and the other Bi- flops of Italy Ihoulddireft *, which was done accord- ingly, and Domnus obtain'd the PoflefDon. May it not now as well be asked. If ^urclian, an Heathen ^mperor, did not authorize the Bifliop of Rome^ and the Bifliops of Italy to depjfe the Bifhop of j4nti' och^ as to ask if 6'r^f //«« did not authorize jD^m^i/^/, and Five or Seven Bilhops moretodepofe any Bifhop?. ^ut the plain Anfwer is, That the Bifhop was depofed and the Communion fettled in a regular Eccletiaftical ftjethod according to Divine Inftitution, before Jure- lian was applied to in the Cafe. And then when he Was t6 judge concerning the Right of PodefTion, he took fuch a iMethod for examining the Merits of the Caufe (as far as he was conceded in it) as to him feemcd moft proper- And if ylurelian would have given no judgment at all, or had given a wrong Judgment, and confirmed Pauhsin his mijuft PoflTejU
Q\i)^ufeb. mfi. Etclef. I. 7. c. 50.
lion,
Church. upon the State ^ Sec S^
flon, this would have made no Alteration in the Mat- ter of Communion. Thofe that had communicated with Domnus^ would have been the Cathclkks^ and thofe who had adhered to Pmlns^ the Schifmaticks, which way foever the Emperor had judged. And foit was in the Cafe or Gratian the Chriftian Emperor. His Decree did not make the Orthodox of the true Communion, nor the Arians of the falfe one. The Orthodcx were as much the true Communion under Valens, who perfecuted and ejefted them, as they were wnd^zxGratian that reftored and proteded them. The different Edicts of thefe two Emperors made no Dif- ference in this Cafe. And the ArUm were as much Hereticks and Schifmaticks under an ArUn Emperor, who gave them PoirefTion of the Churches, as they were under an Orthodox Emperor, who ejeded them out of the Churches. And the Cafe was the fame here under Queen £liz.ab(th^ which is the next Query 1 fhall confider.
§. XLVIII. It is asked. Was the Church of EngUnd Schifmntick under Queen Elizabeth, when flie in ParlU' mem deprived fever at Bi(ljofs for not ackporvledging her $Hpremacy ? Did even the Roman Catholicks that que- fiioned the Queen s Title at that Time or afterwards an that Score of depriving the Biflmp feparate from the eff^a- blifljed Prayers ? Were the Acis of the Bifliops that filled the Sees of the deprived Bifljops Invalid^ or their Ordina- tions under this imagined Schifm null ? But I defirc the QueTift to inform me who imagines that there was ^ny Schifm made at that Time? And I fhall anfwer in dired Terms, That the Chmch ©/England rvas not fchifmatick under Qheen Elizabeth, though /J;e and her Parliament deprived fever d Bifiiops for not acknov?ledgin<T her Supremacy. And therefore the Atls of the Bifjiops that filled the Sees of the deprived Bifljops were not Invalid or Null in any refpe^. And as to what the Roman fatholicks did upon that Occafion, 1 think our Caufe
not
9© The Independency of the
not at all concerned in the Cafe. If they were guilty of any Inconfiftency in their Aftings, what is that to thofe who are not of their Communion ? I fliall therefore proceed to confider this Cafe more par- ticularly without any Regard to the Compliances of the Romamfis in the firft Year of Queen EUz^abeth\ Reign ^ for none of them that we read of came to the Publick Prayers after the Tenth Year of her ^leign. But if they had all come to them even to this Day, what is it to the Purpofe ? Arc we that have folemnly renounced Popery and all the Corruptions of the Romiflj Church to be diredcd by the Pra(fi:ice of thofe who continue in that Communion ? No, it is the Scriptures and the Pradice of the truly Primitive Church f:>unded on the Scriptures that muil be our Guide in this as well as other Matters. But I fuppole this Qaeriil: would have the World think that: all who are for the Independency of the Church upon the Strife are Favourers of the Church of Rome. Whereas it was the Church of Rome which firft de- llroyed the true Primitive Independency of the Church, and l.et in the Regale upon it, that by join- ing with the Princes of the V/orld to fupprefs the Power of other Bifhops, they might raife the Pontifi- cate or Power of the Roman Bllh)p to an higher Pitch thaa it could have obtain'd by any other Me ins. And Were the Church reftored to her true Primitive in- dependency, Popery mud fall of Courfe. For Po- pery is built on the Deftrudion of Provincial Synods, which was the higheft Handing Authority of the Church, till the Patriarchs firft, and then the Popes ufurped upon them.
But to return to the Affair of Qpecn EUzjiheth. The Englip Church having long groaned under the Papal Tyranny which had, by gradual Methods, been permitted to ufurpupon thciljghts of all the Jhlhops of the ' if ''<?//, as well as upon Princes, tiie Bifliops of tlih Realm in the Reign of King //<?»-
church upon the State^ Sec. 91
ry Vlll. joined with that Prince to caft off that Yoke fo contrary to the original Rights and Privileges of all Provincial or National Churches, and to renounce that Obedience which the Pope, contrary to the Laws of God and Man, had exadled from them. They found, that in the Primitive Church all Pro- vincial Churches were fo far independent upon each other as to own no Superiority of one Provincial Church or Metropolitan above another ^ but Matters were finally determined in the Synod of each Pro- vince, and they held a fraternal Communion without any other Subordination, than that of the Suffragans of each Province to their refpedive Metropolitans or Archbilhops ^ that when they nuet in larger Sy- nods, as they fometimes did, it was in a Fraternal way ; and though at fuch Times it was ufual to give the Primacy of Honour or Place to the Bifhop of the greatefl See, fuch as at that Time were Rome^ j4n. tioch and Alexandria ; yet this gave them no Jurifi didion over other Metropolitans or their Synods ; nor was any Province bouiid by the Decrees of thoftf larger Synods any further than they had bound themfelves by their Delegates whom they had fent thither to confent for them, or afterwards freely received them. This, when Learning began to re- vive, our Biljiops difcovered, and therefore juftly refufed to allow the Pope or any other foreign Bi- fhop any Jurifdidion in this Realm, though they fe.emed not unvvillinjg to have held a fraternal Com- munion with him, if that would have been accepted ; but nothing but a Submiffion to the pretended Ju- rifdidion of the See of Rome would fatisfy the Pope, and tbst being juflly denyed, the Communion was broke and a Schifm formed. But the Schifm is not to be laid to the Charge of the Englijij Bilhops v;ho only afrerte4 thcif own Independent Right, and re- fufed not a Fraternal Communion with the Pope, but he with them : So that from that Time the Pope
and
9 5 T^he Independency of the
and his Adherents commenced Schifmaticks with relation to the EngUjlj Church, and the Schifm muft be charged upon him for refufing to communicate with this Church, only becaufe fhe would no longer bear bis Ufurpations and Encroachments upon her "Primitive Liberties. After this, upon further En- quiry into the Scriptures, and the Practice of the Primitive Church, our Biihops alfo found that many Errors and Corruptions both in Doftrine and Difci- pline had been introduced, thefe in the Reign of King Edward V\. thy took care to reform, endea- vouring to reduce all to the true Primitive Pattern about the Time of the Council of iV/Vf ^ and in all Pro- bability had reduced it exaftly to that Plan if they would have depended on their own Learning and judgment, and had not fent for A^anyr and Bucer to confult with on this Qccafion. However, as it was, 'twas a very good Reformation, and brought this Church nearer to the Primitive than any Church at that timq or now in the World. And thouglj I conceive, that it has fome Defeds, and might be made more Primitive ^ yet it has all Things ne- ceflary to Salvation. But this Reformation of our Church more enraged the I'aiifis^ who inllead of be- ing brought to a Sight ot their Errors by it and to. the Corre(fiion of them, became more obfiinate and conhrm'd all their Corruptions and Errors in th^ Council of Trent^ making them alio Articles of Faith, and thereby adding Herefy to their Schifm. So that our £w^//j7j Church became the only Church in this Part ot the World with w'ich a Man could fafely communicate, all the reft havin;^ either no BiQiops tp be the Centres o.f Unity and Communion, as the Reformed abroad, both iMthtrans znd Cdvinijf:^ or oaly fuch Bifhopsas were both Hereticd 2i\-[^ Schifma- tical as the Fapifis, wborefufcd Communion with us meerly becaufe we thought proper to edit off the Pa-
pal
I
C\mch upon the State^ &.C. 95
al Ufurpation, and thote corrupt Novelties they ..ad introduced, and refolved to be guided by the Scriptures and Practice of the JPrimilive Church. When Qiieen A'fary cattie to the Crown (he turned out the Catholick and Orthodox Biiliops which her Brother King Edward left in PofielTlon of the Bifhop- ricks. Soriie of thefe, as Crahmer^ ^id!ey^ Latimer^ Bcoper and Farrar^ file condemned to the Flames •, others, as Barlnvp^ Scory^ and CoverdaU, fhe forced to fly 10 fave their Lives. Bat it was the Catholick, Orthodox refoimed BiPnops that were (till the right- ful Bifhbps c^'the Church oi EmUnd^ and the Bifhops with whom the Martyrs of that Reign held Communi- on and owned for their Bifhops. The Popifh Bifhops, though pbHelled of the publick Churches and Reve- nues, and undet- the Protection of the State, were iieverthelefs the Schifmaticks as well as Hereticks who intruded into the Sees of the Catholick and Orthodox Bifhops. So that whenQjieen EUz^aheth came to the Crown, and with the Coiifent of her Parliament turned out the Popi(h Biftiops arid rcflo- red the Catholick Orthodox Bilhops to their Flocks : She acted but as a good Prince ought to do, reftoring and protefting the true Bifliops and the true Reli- gion, and e)e(!!ting and difcouraging falfe Bifhops and falfe Religion. And had Qs^z^^ EUz^abeth ftill continued the Popiih Bifhops in their feveral Bifhop* ricks as Qiieen Ma-^y did, no true Catholick and Or- thodox Chriflian who held fafl' to the Communion of the truly Primitive, Catholick, and ApoHolick Church of C/>7/y?, to which Coniihunion our reform- ed Bilhops had returned, could haVe commuriicatrd with them without Sin, both as they were Schifmati- cal by Intruding into full Sees, Or had joyned Com- munion with thofe that did fo, and as the Terms of Communion which they imj (k'.j^upon their Spiri- tual Subje(^ts, Were fin'ul, and lucii as could not be lawfu-lly complied tviih. i>o that v\hcn Qjiwen Elh.abeth CdnrjC to the' Cr jA'ii \\v.i did not p sKe Ihe
B;ihop-
94 *t'he Independency of the
Biftopricks vacant, but found them fo as to all Spi» ritual Power ; for an Hcretick or Schifmatick cannot fill a Biftiop's See though he get PoUefTion of it. But fhe found feveral Heretical and Schifmatical Bifhops poiTelTed of the Temporalties of the E^jfllf,] Bifhop- ricks, and that fhe and her Parliament deprived them of, and put Catholick and Orthodox Bifhops into them. And we all agree, that PofllfTion of Tempo- ralties, when unjuftly and forceably detained from the right Owners, muft be given by the Civil Magi- ftrate, who alone has the Power to do Right to thofe that fuffer Wrong in fuch Cafes. And the Primitive Chrijiiam allowed this even to Heathen Princes, that they alone could forceably ejedt fuch as had gotten a wrongful PofTefTion of the Temporalties of a Church, as we have feen before in the Cafe of P aulas Sawofatc^ nhSf when they applied to the Em\)eror Karelian to eje& him out of the Epifco^al Houfe at Amioch.
§ XLIX. But then it is further asked, IfSchifm ren^ ders the