The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Warning to the reader
A Premonition.
Reader,
UPon the review of this book I find ſome things, which may be to ſome an occaſion of offence, if this premonition prevent it not.
I. Some may think when I ſay [Dioceſan Prelacy, Arch-Biſhops and Patriarchs are not to be made neceſſary to Univerſal, or ſubordinate Church Concord, as being uncapable terms or means thereof] that I ſpeak againſt the Lawfulneſs of all Epiſcopacy, when I ſpeak but againſt ſuch neceſſity of that ſort. Know therefore 1. that I meddle not with the queſtion, Whether every particular Church (of Paſtor, and people aſſociate for perſonal Church Communion, ſuch as Ignatius deſcribeth) ſhould have a Biſhop with his Presbyters and Deacons.
2. Nor with the queſtion whether theſe ſhould have Arch-Biſhops over them, as ſucceſſours to the Apoſtolical and other general Overſeers of the firſt age, in the ordinary continued parts of their office.
3. Nor whether Patriarchs, Dioceſans and Lay Chancellours as officers of the King, exerciſing under him ſuch Government of the Church as belongeth to Kings (according to our Oath of Supremacy) be lawful, to which in ſuch exerciſe all ſubjects muſt for Conſcience ſake ſubmit.
4. Nor whether it was well done (or of Divine appointment) that about temporal matters as well as Church Controverſies, the Biſhops were choſen arbitrators by the ancient Chriſtians, and ſo did that which Chriſtian Magiſtrates now muſt do, till upon the converſion of Princes and States the ſaid Power of externals circa ſacra fell into their hands.
5. Nor yet if Dioceſans become the ſole Biſhops (infimi ordinis) over many hundred Pariſhes, all the Biſhops and Pariſh Churches under them being put down, and turned into Curates and Chapels (partes eccleſiae infimae ſpeciei), whether a Miniſter and every Subject ought yet to live quietly and peaceably under them. It is none of theſe that are the queſtions which I decide.
II. In my confutation of Mr. Dodwell, ſome may miſtake me, as if I denied that our Religion had come down to us by a continued ſucceſſion from the Apoſtles, or that the miniſterial office in ſpecie, or that the Vniverſal Church had ever been without a true Miniſtry or Religion: I have proved where our Church was in all ages before Luther, in my ſecond book againſt Johnſon alias Terret: Nor do I ſay what I do, to avoid deriving our Miniſterial ſucceſſion from Rome: For Hiſtory puts me out of doubt, that the multitude of uncapable Popes and Schiſms will prove a far greater interruption of Canonical and Legitimate ſucceſſion at Rome, than can be proved of England, and perhaps than hath happened to almoſt any other Church in the world. And I am fully ſatisfied that the preſent Church of England as National, deriveth its ſucceſſion from the ancient Brittiſh and Scottiſh Church, and not from Rome; and that Chriſtianity was the Religion of England long before Gregory, or Auguſtine the Monks days; and that notwithſtanding Gildas his ſmart reproofs, when the Brittiſh and Scottiſh Clergy and people diſclaimed all obedience to the Pope, and would not ſo much as eat or lodge in the ſame houſe with Gregory's Clergy, the perſons were better, or at leaſt their doctrine and Religion more ſound, than that which Rome did afterwards obtrude. And as the blood of this nation though called Engliſh, will upon juſt conſideration be found to be twenty, if not an hundred fold, more Britiſh than either Roman, Saxon or Norman, ſo the Ordination of the Biſhops is derived ſo much more from the Brittains and Scots than from Rome, as that Auguſtine the Monks ſucceſſours were afterward almoſt quite extinct, only one Wini a Simoniſt being left in anno 668. the reſt of the Biſhops being all of Brittiſh ordination: All which with much more of great importance is ſo fully proved (after Uſher) by M. T. Jones of Oſweſtree late Chaplain to the Duke of York, in an excellent Hiſtorical Treatiſe hereof, called [Of the Heart and its right Soveraign] that I am ſorry that book is no more commonly bought and read.
But withal I muſt ſay that this our certain ſucceſſion diſproveth the Papiſts and Mr. Dodwells plea, for the neceſſity of their ſort of Epiſcopal Canonical uninterrupted ſucceſſion: For (as the Biſhops of Denmark have their ſucceſſion but from Bugenhagius Pomeranus a Presbyter his ordination, ſo) Aidan and Finan that came from Scotland out of Columbanus Monaſtery, were no Biſhops as Beda and others fully teſtifie: And after Beda and others, Mr. Jones hath cleared it, that it was not only the Northern Biſhops that were ordained by Aidan and Finan and Dhuma, but that the Biſhops of the whole land had their ordination derived from them and ſuch as they, and thoſe whom they ordained: ſo that the denying of the Validity of the Ordination by Presbyters, ſhaketh the ſucceſſion of the Epiſcopal Church of England; and proveth it on that ſuppoſition, interrupted: And if they derive it from Rome, it will be as much ſhaken.
III. In peruſal I find that I have more than once mentioned ſome things in this treatiſe, and the repetition may be an offenſe to ſome. To which I ſay, 1. That this is uſual in controverſies, where ſeveral objections and occaſions call for the ſame material anſwer. 2. But I confeſs it is the effect of my haſt and weakneſs: And it is my judgement while I think that I write no needleſs books, that I ſhould rather write any one that is truly uſeful with ſuch imperfections of manner and ſtyle as only ſo far diſgrace the author, than for want of time, to leave it undone, to the loſs of others: But if it be needleſs, it is a greater fault to write it, than to write it no more accurately.
My dear friend, and judicious brother Mr. John Corbett hath newly publiſhed a ſmall book to the ſame purpoſe with this, of the true ſtate of Religion and Intereſt of the Church, with a diſcourſe of Schiſm, which I commend to the Reader as much worthy of his peruſal, and which if written on the hearts of Rulers, and Teachers and people according to its certain truth and weight, would heal us all. The Lord forgive our heinous ſins which deſerve that he ſhould excommunicate and forſake us; and ſave England from Engliſh men, and ſave us all from our ſelves, our moſt dangerous enemies, and Chriſtians and Paſtors and friends from one another. For as Mr. Jones his Welſh Proverb ſaith, Though thy dog be thy own, truſt him not when he is mad.
IV. I hear ſome ſay of my book that cometh out with this (of the caſe of the Non-conformiſts) and may ſay of this, that 1. It is unſeaſonable to mention our own differences when we are called to unite againſt the Papiſts: 2. And that too hard-accuſations of conformity are intimated.
I anſwer to the firſt, 1. That it is never more ſeaſonable to write for Vnity than when we are moſt obliged to unite: Though indeed it can never be unſeaſonable. And to take Non-conformiſts for heinous Schiſmaticks and call on Magiſtrates to ſilence and impriſon and ruine them, is not the way to unity; nor conſiſteut with it; and therefore to deprecate ſuch unpeaceable ways, is the neceſſary work of a Peacemaker. 2. I have waited in vain theſe ſeventeen years for a fit ſeaſon; And with me in likelyhood it muſt be Now or Never: for there is no doing it in the grave; and I dare not die, and leave it undone on pretence that it was not ſeaſonable.
To the ſecond I ſay 1. I have profeſſed that I write not to accuſe Conformiſts; but if men accuſe us as enemies to order, obedience and peace, and as fit for ſilencing and utter ruine, and tell the world falſly that it is but Things Indifferent that we deny obedience to, and call on us to tell them what it is that we fear if we conform; and when we tell them, they make this alſo our crime becauſe they think themſelves accuſed, what remedy have we againſt ſuch men? 2. I love and honour all good and pious men that Conform; For I conſider how variouſly the ſame thing is repreſented to and apprehended by men of various educations, converſe, and advantages; ſo that the ſame ſin materially heinous may formally be much leſs in ſome than in others; As was Paul's ignorant unbelief and perſecution: Or elſe, ſaith the Papiſt Anſwerer of the three books for the Jeſuites Loyalty, Moſt Princes muſt be moſt heinous ſinners that make wars againſt each other, in which multitudes are killed, when both ſides cannot have a juſt cauſe, unleſs the ſuppoſition that their cauſe was good by miſtake, excuſe them.