Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Chapter 10
Chap. X. Dr. Peter Heylin's own Judgment.
§. 1. BEcause we come newly from repeating Dr. Heylin's words of Archbishop Laud, though they fully shew his own Judgment, I will …ere annex some more.
1. There is a Book written by a Papist, called Historical Collections of the Reformation, gathered most out of Dr. Heylin's own words (and some …ut of others) describing the Reformers and Reformation so odiously, as greatly serveth the Priests to turn Protestants to their Church: And …s the Jesuit Maymbourgh maketh Dr. Heylin's Writings to have Converted the late Dutchess of York, it's like it was this Collection out of him.
2. In his Book on the Creed, speaking of the Catholick Church, he saith,
Pag. 407. Such is the Ambition of the Pope of Rome, that unless he may be taken for the Catholick Church, he passeth not for being reckoned a Church at all: And yet this is of the two the Lovelier Error. Better the Church be all Head, than no Head at all: And such a Church that is all Body and no Head at all have some of our Reformers modelled in their late Platforms.].
Answ. Is Christ no Head at all? Or is any other Person or Court capable of Governing all Christians on Earth? All Protestants hold that the whole Church hath no Head but Christ.
Pag. 408. Speaking still of the Catholick Church he saith [The Government of the Church not being Monarchical, as our Masters of the Church of Rome would have it, nor Democratical as the Fathers of the Presbytery, and Brethren of the Independency have given it out, both in their Practice and their Platform, it must be Aristocratical.
Answ. This is a gross Slander of the Presbyterians and Independents. Did ever the Presbyterians or Independents say, that All Christians on Earth must Govern the whole Church▪ in one Meeting▪ or by Delegates? where be the Laws that any of them pretend all Christians made? Or the Judgments they past on any Persons after exploration? The Presbyterians are for an Aristocratical Government of National Churches, and some few Independents are for popular Government in single Congregations; but no further.
2. Is the Church now Governed by One Aristocracy, that is, per Optimates that are One Persona Politica by Vote ruling all the Christian World? Where is their Meeting? What be their Laws? Whom do they so try and judge? An Universal Governing Aristocracy is more impossible and irrational than an Universal Monarchy Civil or Ecclesiastical. Every Bishop and Presbytery Governing his own Church, and these keeping Concord by just Correspondency, is no liker an Universal Aristocracy, than an Assembly of Princes for Concordant Government of their Dominions, or than all the Mayors and Justices ruling their several Corporations and Provinces make the Government of England Aristocratical.
Pag. 409. Saith he, [Every Bishop, where-ever he be fixt and resident, hath like St. Paul an universal Care over all the Churches, which since they could not exercise by personal Conferences, they did it in the Primitive times, before they had the benefit of General Councils, by Letters, Messengers, and Agents for the Communicating of their Counsel, and imparting their Advice one to another as the emergent Occasions of the Church did require the same. These Letters they called Literas formatas & Communicatorias.
Answ. Thus Bishop Gunning and others. But, 1. St. Paul's Apostolick Power enabled him to do the Work of an Apostle (which is, to plant Churches in as much of the World as they could, and deliver them Christ's Doctrine and Laws infallibly as receiving them by sight and hearing or miraculous revelation.) And this Power each Apostle could exercise singly, and not only by Voting as part of a College; the Spirit of Christ teaching them all the same Doctrine. But Bishops have no such Office or Power.
2. There are several ways of expressing a Care of all the Churches. Every Christian must do it by private Endeavours. Every Official Preacher by Preaching where he is called. Every Pastor by guiding his Flock in Concord with all true Christians, in the things which Christ hath made necessary to their Concord: And if Archbishops have right to a larger Province, they must do it in their proper Province, per partes, & not as one Aristocracy.
3. It is granted, that as all Christians and Bishops must have a Love to all the Churches, and a Care to do them good in their several Places, so Concord in things necessary is a great means of that good, and the ancient Pastors endeavoured it by Messages, Letters and Synods; and so must we. But what Universal Laws were made by Literae formatae? What formal Judgments were past by them? Where did the Writers meet first to hear the Accused and examine Witnesses? Or must all believe the report of every single Pastor? And was it all the Bishops on Earth, or a major part, that wrote these Legislative and Judicial Letters? What strange things can some Men gather from meer Communion and Concord? Bishops had then a Necessity of getting the common consent of as many of their Order as they could, to make their Government of force to the People, that were all Volunteers, and not constrained by any Magistrate? And it's useful still to the same end.
4. And we grant them that every Bishop and Presbyter, that giveth counsel to other Churches doth not do it as a meer private Man, but as a Bishop: that is, One that by Office is authorized to give such Pastoral advice to such as he is called to give it to; But not as one that hath the charge of Governing other Mens Flocks, or is a Member of an Aristocratical, Supream Senate, Parliament, Court, or Voting States. Suppose each Hospital have its allowed Physitian, who in doubtful Cases consulteth with many others; Their counsel is the counsel of Physitians; that is, of Men licensed for that Work and Care: But it proveth them not to have any proper Governing Power over his Hospital or Patients.
5. If every Bishop be a Governor not only in, but of the whole World or Church, it is either Singly, or Collectively as part of a Governing Company. If singly, it's a monstrous Body that hath so many thousand Universal Heads. If collectively, then no one is a Supream Governor, but a part of that Body which is such. And no one on Earth can act as such a part of One Aristocracy, without presence with the rest, hearing what they say, and what Actors and Witnesses say, and gathering Votes.
Pag. 411. He confesseth out of Socrates about the Emperors Power in Church Matters, that [from the time in which Emperors received the Faith, Ecclesiae negotia ex eorum nutu pendere vis… sunt Socr. l. 5. Proem.
And if so, why is Mr. Morice angry with me for saying, That Bishops used in Councils much to follow the Emperors minds. 2. And then it will be but an odd Universal Legislative and Judicial Soveraign Power over all the World, which dependeth on the consent of so many Princes, Protestants, Papists, Mahometans Heathens, Jacobites, Nestorians, &c. as a General Council must be called by or depend on. And it will be an endless Controversie, what Princes have or have not a Power to consent or dissent, that their Subjects shall go to such Councils. But also Consultation, is not Government.