The Fundamentals of the Hierarchy Examined and Disproved, Treatise · Part 1 · Section 10
Section X.
Some of the manifold inconveniences and noxious Qualities of Prelacy briefly mention'd.
I Might, in the next place, enlarge on its Concomitants and Qualities: a few whereof I shall only name. One of these was a direfull Spirit of Persecution, which still rag'd during the Prelatical Government, the sad effects whereof, through no small part of this Kingdom, on both Bodies and Consciences of the best part of Protestants therein, and that for their refusal of the very things which many of the Urgers acknowledg'd to be altogether indifferent, are but too well known.
§. 2. Another of its Qualities, little better than the former, is their Schismatical Practice and Principles; as for instance, at the last return of Prelats, the Church of Scotland, whatsoever Differences might have been therein, yet was but one, and not Altar against Altar: did they not then become the Authors of a compleat National Schism, while they broke the whole Church into Parties, to the end (only) they might establish such things as many of themselves acknowledg'd to be indifferent? Again, their re-entry into Scotland was so far from being Legal, that it wanted the very colour of all Order & Law: for no General Assembly of whatsoever kind introduc'd them. Seeing then this Church has, ever since her return from Rome, held General and National Assemblies for her supream Judicatory, and Prelats were extruded by full National Assemblies, they ought, for their re-entry without the like Authority, to be accounted, by all true Members of the Church of Scotland, manifest Violators of all her Laws and Authority. And while they upbraid us with the Crime of Separation, are exactly like these, who, having overturn'd all fundamental Laws of a Society, and ruin'd all both Officers and Members cleaving thereto, should moreover reproach them, upon this very account, that they would not subscribe to the overthrow of their fundamental Laws and Constitution. But marvel not tho' they made so wide a Breach here; for they give but too much ground to judge, that they have separated themselves from the Body of the reform'd Churches; as appears, amongst other things, in their Doctrine and Practice of Re-ordaining all who come over unto them from these Churches. Some indeed would perswade us, that they hold this but as a small Ceremony; but yet it's such an one, as, for ought I can learn, they will never quite with, notwithstanding of all the Scandals giv'n or taken thereby. And the most earnest Asserters of Episcopacy have their Episcopal Ordination in such esteem, that they account none true Ministers without it; and so look on most of the Reform'd Churches as being without all true Ministers, & consequently without either true Preaching or true Sacraments. And is not this too like a Donatistick Schism? And is it strange then that our Church did still, with greatest care and vigor, tho' on this account only, oppose Prelacy and Prelatists, they being generally leaven'd with such dangerous Principles?
And here observe that all the Heats and Debates that were in our Church since her Reformation from Popery, owe their Original, either more directly, to Prelacy, while she strove to keep or drive it out of Scotland: or more indirectly, while some (if on good ground or otherwise, I determine not) greatly feared that some Persons or Practices would prove introductive thereof; and therefore, against the mind of others, sought to have them laid aside. And thus Prelacy, whither present or absent, hath still been the bane of this Church. And there's little doubt, but that they were so wise, in their Generation, as both to kindle and blow at the fire of any Division that happen'd.
§. 3. And, as they give but too evident signs of their separating from the Body of the reform'd Churches, so, in too many things they but too nigh approach the Romanists. Their Government and Hierarchick Scale is one and the same, save one roundle, with that of Rome. All their Arguments they bring, either from Scripture or Antiquity, are learn'd from Bellarmine and such Romanists, and admit no less improvement for the evincing a papal Authority, than the Episcopals have made thereof for the establishing of their prelatical Power. The Romanists affirm, that the Apostles and Evangelists were Prelats of particular Diocesses, and that a power properly Apostolick still remains in the Church. In these and other such Positions too many of our Episcopal Men are ready to follow them. But leaving the Apostolick times, descend to the subsequent Ages call'd Antiquity, there, they're Pylades and Orestes, mutual Supporters of one another, and have, in arguing from this Fountain so great a resemblace, that you shall scarce know with whither of the two ye are dealing. Neither, as we have already touch'd, in the Topicks they pretend to draw from Reason, as that of Order and the like, is there between them any less Consanguinity.
§. 4. The Practice also of our Prelats both former and latter bore no small resemblance to that of the Romanists, while they affected so earnestly a secular Grandour, and the sullying the purity and simplicity of the Gospel, with a mass of Superstition and Romish Ceremonies. The affection of too many of that Party to Rome was also visible in their earnestness to get and keep a zealous Papist upon the Throne, and in their melancholick and Pannick-fears at any appearance of our Relief from Slavery and imminent danger of Popery. And lastly, in their excessive Joy when any hope of our Delivery seem to have been crush'd and blasted. All this was most legible in their Practice at the appearance of the Duke of Monmouth and the Earl of Argyle, and the failing of their Designs. They were no less gall'd and vex'd at the most noble and happy Design of his present Majesty, praying, in the chief Churches of this Kingdom, that he, might be sunk as a Stone in the mighty Waters. And after his entry that, as his Army came in one way, it might be scatter'd seven ways.
§. 5. Add to all this, their either more indirect, or down-right calumniating and maligning of the reform'd Churches and first Reformers, placing them in the same Category with Papists. Take for instance the frontispicial Lines of Nalson's Collections,
Like Bifrons Janus next does court your eye
Rome and Geneva in Epitome,
They squint two ways in the main Point agree.
And indeed this is but their kindest dealing. Neither do they then speak as they think; for their Love and Charity is by many degrees greater toward the Romanists, than to the reform'd Churches. They will admit none of the latter to a pastoral Office if they refuse Re-Ordination; but kindly receive a Romish Priest without it. Of the most learn'd and godly Protestant Dissenters from them, they speak most contemptuouslyaDr. Pearson. prooem. ad vind. St. Ignat. terming them Arch-schismaticks. But the Jesuit Bellarmine, and Baron the Popish grand Legendarie, they with greatest deference call most eminent Cardinals. Yea even in the chief Churches of this Kingdom, they repeated their invectives against our first Reformers and Reformation, and in some Churches thereof, they were not asham'd to say, that our Reformation was Deformation: Knox deserved knocks. On the other hand, not a few of 'em all along shew'd no little warmth of affection to Papists, intitulating them to the same God, and Heaven with themselves, and asserting their neighbourhood and conjunction to be infinitely more eligible than that of these whom they-call'd Phanaticks, as appears, for instance, in a printed Sermon of Mr Mcqueen. And Heylin bHist. of the Presbyterians. Page 0.says, that the Genevan Discipline was begotten in Rebellion, born in Sedition, and nursed up by Faction. And indeed this Author is an Enemy so open and implacable to all the reform'd Churches, that Strada, Gretser, Becan, Campian, or the like most fiery and venemous Loyolites could scarce, with all their impudent slanders and infernal rage, out-do, yea or equal him. With such stuff most of his Works, and especially his History of the Presbyterians, are wholly cramm'd. Yea, he doubts notcHist. Quinquart. Pages 5, 6. to call both Luther and Calvin Maniches, i. e. such as hold two infinite Beings, or two Gods. Others of the Faction, as Dodwell, are ready to pronounce all, who dislike Diocesan Episcopacy, guilty of the Sin against the Holy Ghost. But the World hath now seen, that the most fiery of such Zelots at length threw off the Mask, and profess'd themselves Romanists: as for instance L' Estrange or else, which their own Dr. Burnet dPreface to the second Vol. of his Hist of the Reformation.observes of Heylin, one would think they had been secretly set on by these of the Church of Rome. And so, they were, in their profession of Protestancy, hatefull Hypocrites, that they might the more easily bespatter and gore the protestant Religion through the sides of Presbytry. Others of 'em are yet more down-right Atheists, who, if they hear the wrath of God, and Hells torments denounc'd against impenitent Sinners, will tell youeHowel. Fam. Lett. Pages 471, 472. that such a Doctctrine came from a Winter-Preacher, so that if a Schytian or Groenlander, who are habituated to such extream cold, had heard him, they would have thought he preach'd of Paradice. And some call the Doctrine of Communion with God and Faith in Jesus Christ, fine Fables and Stories. Behold the Men who make it their chief Work to adore the Hierarchy, and inveigh against Presbytry: which brings to mind the saying of Tertullian, fApolog. Cap. 5.that Christianity must needs be some excellent thing, seeing only Nero and such Monsters were its prime Persecuters. Some there are also (as their own EdwardsgOf the stile of the Scriptures. Page 34. et seq. relates) even of their Reverend Divines, who turn all the Mosaick History concerning Adam and Eve, the Serpent, Paradice, eating the forbidden Fruit, and all the passages relating to them, into Parable, yea into Ridicule; saying that Moses only so talked in complyance with the blockish, and thick skull'd Israelites, but not a syllable of truth is in all that he saith. This is very strange language (subjoins Edwards) from a Reverend Divine, who thereby destroyes the whole system of Theology, and of Christianity it self. And yet, for such black and hainous Crimes we cann't hear that they undergoe the least degree of Censure. In my Judgement, (saith Edwards) if there be no publick Censure pass'd upon such a daring Attempt as this, by a Member of our Church, Athiests will have just ground to laugh at our Discipline. And here in Scotland, all along during their Reign, how closely did they connive at such Irreligion, as also, at all the growth and progress then made by the active Spirit of Popery: and in stead of being providers against such Pests, some of our Prelats at Court prov'd Mediators in their behalf, saying, that there was less to be fear'd from Papists than from Phanaticks. And in answer to some imputing gross Enormities to the Church of Rome, said, that such things were only to be ascrib'd to the Court of Rome, not to the Church of Rome. Add hereto the great love of not a few of 'em to the Pelagian, Jesuitick or Arminian Doctrines, Hypotheses clean contrary to the belief of all the reform'd Churches; and more especially to that of the Church of Scotland. They pretend notwithstanding, as if the establishing of Prelacy were the debarring of Popery. Episcopacy (sayhBurnet's Confer. Page 323. they) was so far from being judg'd a step to it, that the ruine of the Episcopal Authority over Presbyters, and the granting them exemptions from the jurisdiction of their Ordinary, was the greatest advance the Roman Bishop ever made in his tyrannical Vsurpation over Churches. I need not here tell so known a matter, as is that of the exemption of the Regulars, who being subject to their own Superiours and Generals, and by them to the Pope, were sent through the World in swarms; and with great shows of Piety, Devotion, and Poverty, carried away all the esteem, and following from the secular Clergy; who were indeed become too secular, and these were the Popes Agents and Emissaries, who brought the World to receive the Mark of the Beast, and wonder at her. For before that time, the Popes found more difficulty to carry on their Pretensions, both from secular Princes and Bishops: but these Regulars being warranted to Preach and Administer the Sacraments without the Bishops licence, or being subject and accountable to him; as they brought the Bishops under great contempt, so they were the Popes chief Confidents in all their treasonable Plots against the Princes of Europe. And when at the Council of Trent, the Bishops of Spain being weary of the insolencies of the Regulars, and of the Papal Yoke, design'd to get free from it. The great Mean they proposed, was to get Episcopacy declared to be of Divine Right, which would have struck out both the one and the other. But the Papal Party fore-saw this well, and opposed it with all the Artifice imaginable: and Lainez the Jesuit, did at large discourse against it; and they carried it so, that it was not permitted to be declared of Divine Right. And by this, judge if it be likely that the Papacy owes its rise to Episcopacy. The emptiness of which discourse is apparent. For,
First, The tendency and nature of Prelacy, and the Topicks whereon they Found it, aiming no less at one Head over all, then at one Prelat over a few Churches, make evident, that he touches not the Argument in hand, only giving out that some time by one accident or other, the humbling, and depression of the Prelats prov'd the Popes exaltation.
Secondly, Strange, I'm sure, and most demonstrative must the Reasons be that make null clear Matters of Fact, or perswade Men that such things have never been; and 'tis undeniable that the Councils and other Caballs, which from time to time rais'd the Pope gradually to his present hight, were all consisting of, or manag'd by Bishops; and if any hapen'd to spurn at his rising, the Pope got still far more then a plurality to crush them: and indeed 'twas impossible the Pope should have risen by any other means, the whole sway of Church Affairs and guidance thereof being then in the hands of Bishops: wherefore if the Pope was rais'd to despotick Soveraignity, whereby he might absolutely dispense of Church Affairs, and trample at pleasure on the fairest mitres, they only are to be blamed, having themselves advanc'd him to this transcendental Preheminency.
Thirdly, Neither are the Bishops less guilty of this the Popes exaltation, upon the account of their profound sloth and negligence: the Author well observes, that they were become too secular, and indeed they were so immers'd in Luxury and Ambition, that providing they might wallow in their Lusts, and obtain from the Pope a Domination over other Churches, they little valued any thing else.
Fourthly, But 'tis yet more admirable how he can alledge, that the Regulars brought the World to receive the Mark of the Beast: as if the Bishops (for this he must intimat or he says nothing) had been innocent; he's too learn'd not to know that gross Papal Darkness had over-spread the World ere ever any such Exemptions were giv'n, or the Regulars distinguished from Seculars. 'Tis true indeed that the swarms of Friers were amongst the most pestiferous Locusts, the World hath been pestered withall, but, to lay all or the greatest share of this Guilt of exalting the Pope, on their shoulders, is a shrewd evidence of partiality; nothing being more notour, then that as the Bishops were the main Assistants and Supporters in every Innovation he decreed, so they with the greatest care, rigour and fury press'd them on both Clergy and People.
Fifthly, That the wicked fraternities in the several Orders of Regulars, were the Popes Agents in contriving, and sometimes effecting the ruine of Kings and Princes, is but too well known and evident enough; yet that the Prelats were no less guilty, and far more efficacious herein, is no less deniable. Were there no Bishops supporting the Pope in his War against the Emperour Barbarossa? Did not a crew of the same Cattel join him in Dethroning Henry the IV? And at a word, where did ever the Pope make his impresses, but he was strengthn'd by their arm and support.
Sixthly, But tho' Episcopacy at the Council of Trent had been declar'd of Divine Right, what great relief had this been, either from the Papal Yoak, or insolencies of the Regulars; it might perhaps for the time have procur'd some more Honour to the Bishops for the Pope's Italians of other Orders: but might not the Pope notwithstanding, by his boundless Authority and Supremacy he pretends over all Bishops, have continued to gall and oppress their Order, and also send, especially where the negligence of Prelats invited him, his Missionaries through the World, yea thus the Pope's power paramount had not once been touch'd at that Council, or hurt by such a Declaration. Was his infallibility ever there question'd by the Bishops? Did they at all endeavour the removal of the unsupportable Burdens and Slavery the Church groan'd under? And should it not have been a great benefite to the Church, or diminishing the Pope's power, tho' his Holiness had pleased to declare the Divine Right of their Office?
Seventhly, But whatever it was the Bishops aim'd at in the Council of Trent, I'm not much concern'd; only I would gladly know, how from this their Action it follows that Bishops had never been the Men, or Episcopacy one of the means whereby the Papacy had been brought into the World; which is the Author's Inference, and is just as one should reason thus: some of Alexander's Macedonian Souldiers, vex'd with his tyranny and insolence, and his preferring of Strangers, attempted his down-throw: (the like may be said of some of the Souldiers of Julius Caesar, Galba, Didius Julianus, Maximinus and others) therefore they had not contributed to the raising and absolute Supremacy of these Princes. And should not such an one be reckon'd an admirable Logician? And yet this Inference should be far more pardonable than the former; in so much as the thing the Bishops aim'd at against the Papacy, if it can be call'd any thing, came infinitely short of what these Conspirators attempted upon the powers they deem'd unsupportable.
And by this, judge if the most earnest efforts of their chiefest Authors make it in the least improbable, that the Papacy owes its rise to Episcopacy: and if such pitifull paralogisms proclaim not, that they can really find nothing wherewith to cover Prelacy from the heavy; but just imputation of being the certain introductive of Popery.
§. 6. This odd reasoning of the Doctor minds me of another of his of his Essayes, or Retorsions which is of Kin to this Argumentation. May not one (saith heiPage 321.) that quarrells a standing Ministry, argue on the same Grounds, a Ministers Authority over the People, gave the rise to the Authority Bishops pretend over Ministers, and so the Minister will be concluded the first step of the Beast's Throne? But this retorsion, being once handl'd, shall hurt us no more, then what we have already removed; for take a Gospel Ministry unconfounded with a papal Hierarchy, and then there is not the least colour or pretext for any Man's ascribing to it the first rise of Popery, the parity we plead for among Pastors of Flocks secures a Gospel-Ministry from any force or appearance of reason in any such assault: whereas (on which I'm not now to dwell) the Topicks establishing Prelacy, tend no less to assert a Papacy. But again the belief of a Gospel-Ministry as a thing altogether necessary for the Being of a Church, is so well and so universally rooted in the hearts of all Christians, that they, compar'd with the rest, have scarce amounted to a handfull who had the holdness to deny it; and so there's little hazard to be fear'd from these few contemptible Objectors: and tho' there seem'd to be, and the Objection should appear never so pungent, yet it could be really of no weight against so necessary and indispensible an Ordinance. Whereas on the other hand, there's so little necessity of Prelacy, that the far greatest and best part of its Abettors, and in these the Author himself (as in due time shall appear) grants, that 'tis no different Order from Presbytry, has no footing in the Word of God, and in a word to the overthrow of his Principles, confounds a Prelat with a parochial Pastor.
Another grand, but just prejudice against the Hierarchy, is the looseness and prophanity most frequently cleaving thereto: how prophane and scandalous they and theirs were, during former Prelacy, has already appear'd: of the latter the matter is no less evident; for at such a height & growth during their Government, yea under their wings did prophanity, abusing of God's blessed Name, and such gross immoralities arrive, that to abstain from such vices and follow piety, was a Crime well nigh able to make a Man pass for a Whig and Phanatick, and what hazard did enshew these Sir-names, none is ignorant. All this and much more was not only evident to the body of this Kingdom, but was also notic'd abroad: and, amongst others, by their Friend R. Coke. Yea his Majesty, whom Divine Mercy sent for our Relief, well knew't, and accordingly, in his Declaration for Scotland, has, amongst many others, this most memorable Sentence. Although (saith He) the Dissenters have just cause of distrust when they call to mind how some hundreds of their Ministers were driven out of their Churches without either Accusation or Citation: the filling of many of whose Places with Ignorant and Scandalous Persons hath been one great occasion of all those Miseries which that Country for a long time hath groaned under. They may pretend that such Enormities were only accidental to Prelacy, which may fall out under any Government: but none versant in Church Story is ignorant how much mischief and scandal this Hierarchy hath cast upon Christianity. Let them read Socrates and other Records of these more ancient times, and they shall find that the Prelats, tho' but beginning to appear, and by far, not so degenerat from the simplicity of the Gospel as afterward by their swelling tympany, and aspiring to Domination, induc'd the People to commit the most lewd and vile Pranks readily imaginable, to the doolfull scandalizing of Jew and Gentile, and their utter abominating of Christianity it self: as is clear from the miserable Havock, Destruction and Slaughter, the contrary Factions of Bishops in the Plea for the Episcopal See between Damasus and Vrsinus prompted the People to commit, from the most scandalous Pranks of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria, the most unhumane and barbarous concomitants and consequents of the Deposition of Chrysostome with many other such open Impieties, all caus'd and occasion'd by the Prelatick pride and insolency, which publick and most scandalous Enormities, had the Christian World retain'd the truly Primitive and Apostolick Parity we plead for, could never have hapned: for had the Superiority, Riches, and Grandour, the very aples of these most unchristian Contentions, been wanting, and had every Pastor been kept at the earnest labour of Teaching, Exhorting, and Catechising a particular Flock or Congregation, with only such a competent Stipend as suffic'd to secure him from the contempt of Poverty, not to feed Luxury, Grandour and such like Vices, there had been no occasion of such lamentable Broyls. This was observ'd by Nazianzen, who himself was Bishop of Constantinople, and therefore he earnestly wish'dkOrat. 28. that there had been no primacy of Place, no Prelacy, no Prerogative, no Superiour or Inferiour Degrees of Pastors. The marrow of Saravia's AnswerlDef. tract. De diversis gradibus Ministrorum Evangelii. C…p. 23. to this most cogent place of Nazianzen, is that he finds no fault with the Order of Degrees themselves but with Men, and with the times wherein the ambition of the Arrians troubl'd the Church. The common and blunt shift of the Romanists whereby to palliat the unlawfullness of their Papacy, and a real and clear contradiction of Nazianzen's plain words. And was not afterward the Papal and Prelatical pride, and affectation of secular rule the prime source of the unspeakable Evils that reign'd all along before the Reformation, and yet continue in the Papacy? Is not that Kingdom where Prelacy is of most account fill'd with the most idle, naughty, and profain Clergy-men that are to be found, at least, in the Protestant World? And how can it be otherwise, seeing things or Offices retaining litle or nothing of what did primitively constitute them, produce quite contrary effects to these design'd by the Authors thereof? But nothing is more plain, than that the simplicity of the Gospel-Ministry is alter'd into a secular Grandour, more by far, resembling the Princes of the Gentiles, than the Apostles of our Meek and Lowly Jesus, who came not to be ministred to, but to Minister. Now the best of things once degenerat become most noxious; what can therefore be expected from such but that they should suit their Government and Policy, change the Spirit of a Gospel-Ministry for that of Pomp and Secularity, grow intirely Carnal, and so become the source of Prophanity in stead of Holiness?