An Apology for the Discipline of the Ancient Church, Part 3 · Section 3
SECT. III. The words of the Letter. Of the Provincial Church and its haughty head the Arch-biſhop.
THirdly, did not Christs own mouth marvellouſly condemn the prevailing corruptions of the Provincial Church; whereof the chief Prelate or Arch-biſhop was the haughty and horrible head? which was therefore ſo much the more abſurd and bold head, becauſe of its baſe and blaſphemous blindneſſe, in daring to take up and aſcribe to its ſelf, ſuch a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature, but is proper and peculiar to Chriſts own ſacred perſon, being that beſides himſelf none can be ſafely ſaid to be an Arch-biſhop or chief Shepherd; if one of the Eminenst of the Apostles may be believed, whoſe words imply no leſſe, 1 Pet. 5.4. When the chief Shepherd ſhall appear, ye ſhall receive an incorruptible crown of glory. Who was that Church Minister? what was his name? or where did he dwell, who came once into a capacity to be accounted ſuch a Superlative Counſellour or Comforter, as was indued either with ability or authority, as to confer a ſpiritual Crown on any one of the ſincere Elders of a Church of Saints, which is ſuch a matter, as a dying ſonne of man ſhould not dare to have, much leſſe to make any mention of, without ſome meaſure of amazement in his very ſoul.
The Reply.
Two of your heads I have conſidered already, and now out of your own ſhop you preſent me with three more; for I never heard any one of them call'd heads before. And the firſt of theſe is the Arch-biſhop, about whom you are pleaſed to open your purſe, and very liberally to beſtow your benevolence; preſenting him unto me, for a haughty, a horrible, an abſurd, and a bold head. He is haughty, that is, puff'd up with pride; horrible, that a man cannot without ſome amazement approach; abſurd, that acts againſt reaſon; bold, that will attempt any thing. I will not deny, that it is poſſible to meet with ſuch an Arch-biſhop; but then blame the man, fly not upon the Office. Only before you be over haſty to do it, look at home: And perhaps you may find that true, which hath been obſerv'd, That there hath been more haughtineſſe, horrour, abſurdity, boldneſſe found in ſome of your Paſtours; then you can exemplifie in any Arch-biſhop. If among you or us any Prelate were guilty of theſe foul enormities; I excuſe him not, only object not theſe faults of particular perſons, till you be free.
But how do you prove your aſperſion? by a demonſtrative reaſon no queſtion. It was ſay you in daring out of baſe and blaſphemous blindneſſe, to take up and aſcribe to its ſelf ſuch a ſtile and title as is not communicable to any creature, &c. To this I have given you your anſwer before, and I liſt not to repeat it.
The reſt of this Section I underſtand not well, not your interrogation; who is that Miniſter? what was his name? where doth he dwell? &c. To the Arch-Biſhop ſure they belong not, for none that I know, that was ever in that place, did conceive himſelf in a capacity to be accounted ſuch a ſuperlative counſellour or comforter, that was endued either with ability or authority, as to conferre a ſpiritual Crown on any one of the ſincere Elders of the Church. Among us there never was, nor never will be any ſuch man; if you can finde him in the ſociety of your Combinationals, you ſhould do well to name him; for to us he is a non ens. Theſe words therefore I paſſe by, as I would the noiſe of a ſounding braſſe, or a tinkling Cymbal, that make a great diſturbance in the eare, but ſignifie juſt nothing.