The Nonconformists Plea for Peace, Section 11
SECT. XI.
The Third Part of Conformity.
THE Third Part of Conformity is the Subſcribing againſt the obligation from the Vow [To endeavour any change or alteration of Government in the Church,] with the Oxford Oath [That we will never endeavour any alteration;] and the Articles for our Prelacy; and the Ordination-promiſe, and Oath of Canonical Obedience before-mentioned, as to this point together.
2. Even thoſe Nonconformiſts that are for the lawfulneſs, yea the need and deſirableneſs of Biſhops, and Archbiſhops, have ſo much againſt this Subſcription, as that to avoid prolixity, we will forbear reciting the particulars, any further than to tell you, that while a thouſand or many hundred Pariſh-Churches are all without any particular appropriate Biſhops (great Towns and Villages) when in Ignatius's daies the Unity of each Church was known by having One Altar, and One Biſhop, with the Presbyters and Deacons. And Jerom defineth a Church to be Plebs unita Epiſcopo; and conſequently they are without the Diſcipline and Paſtoral overſight of ſuch Biſhops; and while all theſe Pariſhes are in the old ſenſe become No Churches (for ubi Epiſcopus, ibi Eccleſia) but only Parts of a Dioceſan Church: And while the old form of Churches, Presbyters and Biſhops is thus changed: And while one Biſhop hath now more work of Diſcipline (beſides Confirming and all his other work) than an hundred of the ableſt and beſt men can do; and ſo ſuch Diſcipline is neceſſarily undone: And while the Caſe is as if the Biſhop of Carthage had put down ſix hundred neighbour-Biſhops, and become the ſole Biſhop of all their Churches; or as if all the Schools in a Dioceſs have but one Governing School-maſter, who had power to judge what Scholar to receive, or to refuſe: And while the Keys are to be exerciſed by Lay-men, theſe will be unſatisfying things.
3. The Conformiſts are not agreed of the meaning of theſe Subſcriptions and Oaths; ſome think that they covenant only to ſubmit to them (though they diſlike them:) But others think that it is alſo to approve the Government. Some think that it is only Biſhops that they are bound to: But others ſay, that the word Ordinary certainly ſignifieth more than Biſhops, even Lay-Chancellours. And that the for…cited Canon expreſly nameth many others, even with an & catera, [the reſt that bear Office] And [any alteration] muſt needs mean more: as [any alteration in State] ſure ext…nleth to more than not endeavouring to [change Monarchy or the King himſelf.] Some ſay that by [n…t endeavouring] is m…ant only [not unlawfully endeavouring] but not that all endeavours are forbidden, viz. not petitioning, ſpeaking when called, &c. Others ſay that if exceptions had been allowed, the Law makers would have made us know it, and not have ſpoken univerſally: And that if you expound it of [unlawful endeavours] you leave all men at liberty to judge what is unlawful, and all Schiſmaticks will take the Oath or Subſcription, becauſe they hold their endeavours to extirpate Prelacy to be lawful. Some ſay that one may endeavour in his place and calling, to take the Church-Keys out of the hands of Lay-Chancellours, notwithſtanding this Subſcription and Oath. But others more ingenuouſly ſay, that the very actual Government or Keys being in the hands of Lay-Chancellours, if it bind us not againſt endeavouring to change theſe, it binds us to nothing that can be underſtood: And that if Subjects thus take liberty after Univerſal Oaths and Promiſes to make ſuch exceptions, they reproach the Lawmakers, as if in ſuch tremendous things as theſe they knew not how to put their Laws in words intelligible, and of common ſenſe: And they relax all ſuch ſacred bonds. Some ſay that in [not endeavouring] is excepted [unleſs the King commiſſion or command us:] But others ſay, that if the Law-givers would have had ſuch exceptions, they had wit enough to have put them in: And that if you leave it to men to except from univerſals, you cannot tell them where to ſtop: And that the uſe of the Oath and Subſcription is, that the Church-Government be taken for unalterable.