The Design and Nature of Historical Mistakes Found in Stillingfleet, Argument 3
3. Argument.
The Diſſenters oppoſe Epiſcopacy and Innocent Ceremonies, notwithſtanding their Antiquity. 'Tis aſſerted by the Dr. Pref p. 4, 5. That when the People find the undoubted practices of the Ancient Church condemned as Popiſh and Antichriſtian by their Teachers; they muſt conclude Popery to be of much greater Antiquity then really it is; and when they can trace it ſo very near the Apoſtles times, they will ſoon believe it ſetled by the Apoſtles themſelves. For it will be very hard to perſwade any conſidering men, that the Chriſtian Church ſhould degenerate ſo ſoon, ſo unammouſly, ſo univerſally, as it muſt do, if Epiſcopal Government, and the uſe of ſome ſignificant Ceremonies were any parts of that Apoſtacy. Will it not ſeem ſtrange to them, that when ſome humane policies have preſerved their firſt Conſtitution ſo long, without any conſiderable Alteration, that the Goverment inſtituted by Chriſt, and ſettled by his Apoſtles, ſhould ſo ſoon after be changed into another kind, and that ſo eaſily, ſo inſenſibly, that all the Chriſtian Churches believed, they had ſtill the very ſame Government, which the Apoſtles left e'm; Which is a matter ſo incredible, that thoſe who can believe ſuch a part of Popery ſhould prevail ſo ſoon in the Chriſtian Church, may be brought upon the like Grounds to believe, that many others did. So mighty a prejudice doth the Principles of our Churches Enemies, bring upon the cauſe of the Reformation.
I Anſwer, There are theſe things to be diſtinctly conſidered.
1. Whether the not embracing the Epiſcopacy doth any way advantage the Papiſt.
2. Whether there is any ſuch ſtrength to be found in the Drs: reaſoning. Firſt, From the Antiquity of Epiſcopacy. And Secondly, From the Argument produc'd to prove its Antiquity, to wit, the Improbability of introducing Epiſcopacy, and Ʋninſtituted Government, into the Church without ſome noiſe and clamour. I ſay, Whether there is any ſuch ſtrength in theſe reaſonings, that none can oppoſe them, without giving too great an advantage unto the Papiſt.
To the firſt, Namely, Whether the non-embracing Epiſcopacy doth any way advantage the Papiſt.
1. From what hath been already ſaid, 'Tis ſufficiently proved, that the non-embracing Epiſcopacy doth rather prejudice then profit the Papal intereſt; for which Reaſon.
2. When attempts have been made by Franciſe. a Sancta Clara for the accommodating the differences between the Church of Rome, and the Church of England, he ever with indignation excepts againſt the Puritane, as a people no way reconcileable to their Church, yea, when he proves it eaſie to heal the breach between them, and the Epiſcopal.
Moreover, 3. Whoever conſults*Becan, opus. Tit. 10. Calviniſtae in Scotia & Anglia vocantur Puritani quia puram Calvini Doctrinam per omnia ſequuntur. Becanus the Jeſuite, will find; how he ſeems to honour the Church of England, by giving credit to the reports they make againſt the Puritans (who are ſo called by the Jeſuit, becauſe they embrace the pure Doctrine of Calvine) to the end they may thereby from the mouths of ſome Proteſtants, viz. of the Church of England, condemn all the Reformed Churches abroad, the Jeſuits malice being the more inflam'd to ſee ſo many Diſſenters in England, that juſtifie the Reformation made beyond the Seas.
2. The Doctors diſcourſe about the Antiquity of Epiſcopacy; and the argument enforcing it, muſt needs be of great weight with the Doctor, it having been for divers years a furbiſhing in the Jeſuits School; and is the Diana of the Roman Church at this very time, the great foundation, and Baſis of that tottering Superſtructure, this is their only Alpha and Omega, their firſt and the laſt, whence if the Reformed oppoſe their Hierarchy, their Ceremonies, their Inventions, their Corruptions; this is that unto which they ſlie, tanquam ad Aſylum, viz. Theſe things muſt be Apoſtolical, becauſe 'tis impoſſible they ſhould be introduced into the Church without any noiſe. Really the Doctor hath done this argument the greateſt honour imaginable, but whether the Church of England are owing unto him for this piece of ſervice, I much doubt. That this is†Bellar. de notis Eccleſ. lib. 4. c. 5. In omni inſigni mutatione Religionis ſemper iſta ſex demonſtrari poſſunt. Primo Auctor ejus. II. Dogma aliquod novum. III. Tempus quo caepit. IV. Locus ubi caepit. V. Quis eam oppugnaverit, &c. — Nihil autem horum adverſarii unquam de noſtra Eccleſia post Apoſtolica tempora demonſtrare potuerunt. — Nunquam oſtenderunt, quis eam oppugnaverint, tamquam nuper ortam. — Hoc argumentum ab Antiquitate ſemper uſi ſunt veteres Patres contra Haereticos ad oſtendendam veram Eccleſiam. Bellarmine's Thunderbolt againſt the Hereticks, conſult him, and you will find him exactly ſo. To rehearſe the many Arguments produced by the Reformed in beating down this Popiſh Errour, would be endleſs, whoever reads any learned Proteſtant cannot but be furniſhed with a multitude of Convincing Conſiderations, that are urg'd againſt this Doctors Argument.
1. Nothing being more apparent, then that the Scriptures of the New Teſtament, the Antienteſt Writings the Chriſtian Church can produce, as the infallible diſcovery of the firſt Conſtitution of Chriſtian Churches, how ancient ſoever Epiſcopacy or Ceremonies are, if not to be found in the New Teſtament. It is not the Ancient or firſt Conſtitution. This is our Religion, and whoever receeds from it, doth but give too great advantage unto the Papiſt, there being ſeveral Ceremonies in uſe among them, whoſe Antiquity doth equalize that of any obſerv'd by our Church.
2. 'Tis well known, that if we had the fulleſt account of the Riſe of Epiſcopacy and Ceremonies, as to the time when, the place where, the Perſons by whom they were introduced, our Faith could not thereby be more Divine concerning theſe things than now it is, for the Teſtimony would be but Humane, grounding a Faith that is only ſo.
3. We have a very ſhort account of the tranſactions of the firſt 300 years, the perſecution of the Churches being ſo ſevere and bloody, which is enough to evince, (becauſe of the inconſiſtency of Epiſcopal grandeur with a perſecuted ſtate,) that neither Epiſcopacy, nor pompous Ceremonies were then in their Glory.
Again,
4. 'Tis certain that thoſe Errours creept in gradually, the Iniquity being a Myſtery, that began even in the Apoſtles days, and I remember that I have read in the Annals of Said Ibn. Batrick, an Alexandrian Patriarch, who lived about 200 years after the Turkiſh Hegyra, that in Alexandria, the Conſtitution gradually alter'd, firſt from Presbyters to a Biſhop, and thence to a Pope, though not to an Ʋniverſal One.
Is it not then ſad, that there muſt not be an urging Proteſtant arguments againſt the Antiquity, &c. pretended by the Papiſts, but Popery is advantag'd? What advantage is it to them to ſee the Temple of their Diana ruin'd, their City of refuge demoliſhed? I beſeech the Doctor to be ſerious in this weighty and momentous point, and to deal freely, openly and generouſly in this particular, and declare unto the World what his apprehenſions are of Dr. Potter, ſometimes Biſhop of Carlile, or rather of the Learned Mr. Chillingworth, a Son of the Church of England, whoſe excellent treatiſe entituled The Religion of Proteſtants, a ſafe way to Salvation, i… ſo applauded by Dr. Bayly, ſometime Vice-Chancellor of Oxjord; as alſo by Dr. Prideaux and Dr. S. Fell; or rather what would the Dr. rejoyn unto the Anſwer that is found in Mr. Ch…llingworth, unto his great Argument about Antiquity and the Impoſſibility of an Errour's becoming Ʋniverſal in ſo ſhort a time. Though ſome Proteſtants confeſs (ſaith Mr. C. to the Papiſts) ſome of your Doctrines to be antient, ſo long as it is evident, even by the Confeſſion of all ſides, that many Errors, I inſtance in that of the Millenaries, and the communicating of Infants, were more Antient. Not any Antiquity therefore, unleſs it be abſolute, and Primitive, is a certain ſign of true Doctrine. For, if the Church were obnoxious to corruption (as we pretend it was) who can poſſibly warrant us that part of this Corruption might not get in and prevail in the 5th, or 4th. or 3d. or 2d. Age? [This notwithſtanding what Dr. Stil. doth ſuggeſt about the near approach unto the Apoſtles dayes.] eſpecially ſeeing the Apoſtles aſſure us, that the Myſtery of Iniquity was working though more ſecretly even intheir times. If any man ask how could it become Ʋniverſal in ſo ſhort a time? [Attend good Dr. to the anſwer for this is your own Queſtion] Let him tell me how the errour of the Millenaries, and the Communicating of Infants, became ſo ſoon Ʋniverſal, and then he ſhall acknowledge, what was done in ſome, was poſſible in others. Thus we ſee how Dr. Stil. to the end he may be even with the Diſſenters relinquiſheth the good old Proteſtant Principles, unleſs this of Mr. Chillingworth approved of by Dr. Baily, Dr. Prideaux, and Dr. Fell, and the generality of the Church of England be Popery.