The Neceffity of an infallible living Fudge of Contro verfies: Which is but a different Expreffion for the Authority of the Church in Matters of Faith. Now if this Argument was fo plaufible as to vanquifh, and lead captive fo great a Mafter of Reafon, Multitudes of weaker Minds have, no doubt, fallen by its Force. The other fhall be King James II, of whom Bishop Burnet fays, he gave me this Açcount of the Change of his Religion. All due

Care was taken to form him to a ftrict Adhe"rence to the Church: Amongst other Things "much was faid of the AUTHORITY of the Church,

and of the Tradition from the Apoftles in fup66 port of Epifcopacy. So when he came to obferve "that there was more Reafon to fubmit to the Ca

tholic Church, than to one particular Church; and "that other Traditions might be taken on her "Word, as well as Epifcopacy was received amongst

us, he thought the Step was not great, but that "it was very reasonable to go over to the Church "of Rome •" See how dangerous a Weapon is this fame Church Authority: And how capable of being used to the infinite Prejudice of the Protef tant Caufe!

.

But granting this Authority of the Church, (i. e. of its Paftors and Governors, its Bishops "and Clergy) How, you ask, would our Refor"mation be overthrown by it; which was not car "ried on in Oppofition to Authority, but with the "Concurrence of all the Authority in the Nation p?" Strange, Sir, you should fo foon forget! Did not I remember you that the Reformation under Queen Elizabeth, and the prefent Forms of Worship prescribed in the Common Prayer, were ftrongly oppofed by every Bishop in the Kingdom; and the Convocation then fitting, were fo far from having any hand in it, that they prefented to the ParliaL 2

n Vid. Life of Chillingworth, P. 7. his own Times, Octav. Edit, Vol. I, p. 194.

ment

• Burnet's Hift. of P Def. p. 15

ment feveral Propofitions in favour of Popery, directly contrary to the Proceedings of the Parliament ? The Civil

all, noragifirate, you affirm, has no Power at

all, nor Authority in thefe Matters 9. They are the Paftors and Governors of the Church, in whom alone. it is lodged. But behold, thele Paftors and Governors were zealous for the old Religion! They argued, voted, petitioned ftrenuoufly for it, and against the Reformation. The Reformation then, upon your Principles, is built upon a wrong Bottom: Was carried on, not in Concurrence with, but in avow'd Oppofition to, all the Authority of the Nation. How juftly might I here return your own ungenerous Compliment, It was great Rashnefs (too great in Confcience) if indeed it was not TREACHERY and PLAYING BOOTY, to fet the Proteftant Caufe upon fo fandy a Foundation r. Your Principles, if digefted into proper Form, will ftand thus." The Church hath Power and Authority

to decree Ceremonies and Rites: But by the "Church, obferve, I understand, not the King and "Parliament, not the Civil Magiftrate, who have "no Power at all relating to thefe Matters; but "the Bifhops only and Clergy, who are appointed

and called of God to be its Paftors and Gover

nors But remember, my Countrymen, the "Common Prayer, and Forms of Worship now "eftablished and used amongft you, were intro"duced into this Church, not by the Authority, no, "nor yet by the Confent of the Paftors and Go66 vernors whom God had fet over it, but in direct "Oppofition to them. It was a Change brought about "entirely by the Civil Magiftrate, who had no Au"thority to effect it. It was therefore really no "other than an ecclefiaftical Rebellion, an unjufti"fiable Revolt from the only rightful Rulers and "Governors of the Church in its fpiritual Con"cerns."

This, Sir, I apprehend, is the plain Tendency of your Principles; though I know you have been fo wife as to contradict them again, by allowing, "that if Church Governors will not come into fuch "Reformation, as is according to GOD's Word, but "obftinately perfevere in maintaining their finful Er"rors and Corruptions, the People may reform them"felves s." But this Conceffion overthrows your whole Scheme of Church Authority, makes THE PEOPLE the Supreme and ultimate Judges, as to Points of Faith and Rites of Worship; brings down the Decrees of the most numerous and moft holy Councils, Convocations, and Synods, to ftand at the Bar of every Man's private Judgment; and vefts him with Authority to receive or reject them, as to himself shall feem fit. So powerful is Truth, which will prevail !

But your Pofitions as to the Civil Magiftrate, deferve a more diftinct and accurate Confideration. "He has no Power at all to decree Rites in divine Worship This Power is not in the King and Parliament, for in this very Article (XX.) which, together with the reft, is confirmed by Act of "Parliament (13 Eliz. c. 12.) and thereby made a Part of our ecclefiaftical Conftitution, they have plainly owned it to be in the Church; and nobody imagines, that by the Church they meant "themselves. The King and Parliament then have

plainly difowned any fuch power in themselves, " and have recognized it to be in the Church u." This, Sir, is a Doctrine, which may be of dangerous and important Confequence, and I believe not founded in Truth, For,

1. As 'twas the Queen and Parliament alone, without, yea in Oppofition to, the Bishops and Convocation, which decreed the prefent Form and Worthip of your Church, and to their Authority alone it owes its very Being, Birth, and Support; by affirming

s Def. p. 13.

t Ibid. p. 18

u Ibid. p. 17.

affirming that they had no Power nor Authority of this Nature, you knock down and demolish the Church of England at once, and lay it proftrate in the Duft. And,

-

2. That the King and Parliament by acknowJedging this Power to be in the Church, have not difclaimed it, nor put it out of their own Hands, is inconteftible hence, that they have at the fame Time exprefly told you, what they mean by the Church; not the Bishops and Clergy, but the Congregation of the Faithful, of which Congregation themselves are not only a Part, but the principal and ruling Part: And accordingly, our Laws and Conftitutions have vefted the fupream Power of prefcribing Ceremonies and Rites, only in them. I ask you By what Authority do the Rubricks of the Common Prayer, bind the Clergy to Obedience; or whence is it, they are obliged to obferve the Rites and Forms prefcribed in that Book? Is it not entirely by the Authority and Act of Parliament? As for the Paftors and Governors to whom you appropriate this Authority, the Bishops and Clergy, they have no Power by our Conftitution to make one fingle Law, to decree one Rite, or to prescribe one Ceremony: When affembled in Convocation, they are abfolutely under the Controul and Direction of the Civil Power. "Even the very Subjects of their En"quiry and Debate, as well as the Extent of their "Ordinances in Point of Obligation, are prefcribed "by Statute Law, that they cannot fo much as at"C tempt any Canons or Conftitutions, without a "Royal Licence; and that none of their Ordi"nances are binding, even against the private "Cuftoms of a fingle Parifh w.' How is it then you affirm, the King and Parliament to bave difowned any fuch Power in themselves, and to have recognized it to be in the Church? But,

w Examinat. of the Codex, p. 114

3. The

3. The Point is if poffible, ftill rendered more clear from the XXXIVth Article above cited; which fays If any Man through his private Judgment, openly breaks the Ceremonies of the Church, ordained by COMMON AUTHORITY, he shall be openly rebuked, as one who offendeth against the common Order of the Church, and burteth the AUTHORITY OF THE MAGISTRATE.-The Authority of the Magiftrate then, is indifputably concerned in ordaining thefe Ceremonies: And your Church, Sir, however loath you are to hear it, is undoubtedly a Parliamentary and Civil Conftitution; made, formed, fupported entirely by the Civil Magiftrate, and by him alone is it capable of being thrown into a new Form.

But you ask," Are not the Diffenting Churches' "in the fame Senfe Parliamentary? Do they not "depend entirely upon an Act of Parliament, the "Act of Toleration ?" No; the Diffenting Churches were formed, fubfifted, and grew without and before, any Parliamentary Authority. We are thankful to the excellent and good Government under which we live, for the Act of Toleration. But would humbly beg Leave to fay, we derive not our Power to aflemble for divine Worship, nor our Minifters theirs to officiate in fuch Affemblies, from any human Law, but from our natural Right as Men, and from the Authority of CHRIST. The Act of Toleration only protects us in the Enjoyment of this Right.

"But above all Things you marvel, that whilft "I was making this Pufh at the Church of England, "I did not reflect how much I laid my felf open: "For if there was ever upon Earth a Church, "which could properly be called Parliamentary, it was the Presbyterian in the Time of the grand "Rebellion y." What you call the grand Rebellion, Sir, a British HoUSE OF COMMONS, fince the Reftoration,