the times of its Original. The Chriftians of those Ages, to which I confine my Enquiry in the fecond Letter, had as great Men among them as ever lived fince, and much greater and more celebrated Ciwilians, than the reputed Author of the Rights; and yet they were fo blind as not to fee the monftrous Faults and Defects, in the Building and Oeconomy of Chrift's House, and the Polity of his Kingdom, which this Man hath fpyed in it; or if they did, they were fuch ill-natured Timons of human kind, as not to discover them betimes, to undeceive the deluded World, for the Interests of the Christian Religion, and the good of Mankind. This Difcovery, it feems, was referved for this bleffed Age, and in Perfection for this incomparable Book. In which, fuppofing the Conftitution of the Church to be fuch in fact, as ancient Christianity in all places, believed and took it to be, then the Author hath charged God, the Founder and Architect of his Church, with all the Faults and Flaws he pretends to find in its Fabrick and Conftitution, highly blafpheming his infinite Wisdom and Goodnefs, in foolishly forming a Polity, and Government, fo abfurd in its Nature, fo deftructive to it felf, and fo inconsistent with the great ends for which it was framed, the Propagation of Christianity, and the Good of the World. At this bold, and most impious way of writing, he may make another fuch golden Book, if he pleases, against the Jewish Church, and Priesthood, of which I do not doubt, but he hath the fame worthy Thoughts as he hath of the Chriftian, viz. That, like the fuperftitious Inftitutions of Numa, they were both but pretended Revelations, and in reality the Inventions of crafty, and designing Men. Nay at this rate he may write a ferious Satyr * Such as Tribonianus, Theophilus, Dorotheus, Madhi himinum Floraupimwgridnaqulusa Celfit &c. against against the natural Constitution of Man, and blafphemously charge his Creator with want of Wif dom and Goodness in making a Creature fubject to two fuch different and jarring Principles,and Powers as Flesh and Spirit, Senfe and Reafon, whereof the one is contrary to the other,and whereby the unhappyCreature is at the fame time, as he speaks, under different Obligations, as when one commandeth him to go to Church, and the other to lye in Bed at home; or the one bids him keep a Day holy, and the other bids him work, or the one wou'd have him feaft, and indulge his Genius, but the other wou'd have him faft. But not to infift longer on the Impiety and Blaf phemy of his Undertaking, wou'd you not think a Man mad, that fhou'd write a Book in good earnest, to prove that there cannot be two fuch contrary Principles, and contending Powers in one and the fame Creature? That the Doctrine of the TO HTHMONIKO'N, is an abfurd, uncharitable Doctrine, which restrains Men from the Pleafures, for which they were born; that it hath caufed infinite Vexation and Mischief to Mankind, and that it, and the Doctrines of Mortification, Self-denial, and Refignation to the Will of any God,are of Pagan Original, borrowed from Heathen Priefts, and Philofophers, from the Druids in the West, or the Brahmins, and Faquers in the East,and that it fets the wretched Creature at Strife with himself, and,by its unnatural Severities, is utterly inconfiftent with the Wisdom, and Goodness of God, and the true Happiness of Man? Wou'd you not, I fay, think a Man far gone in Frenzy, that fhou'd fet himself to write fuch a Book? And yet our Author is that Man, as King David was the rich Man in Nathan's Parable. For he hath written a Book against the Frame, and Conftitution of the Church in all the parts of it, tho' it is as cer The Rights, p. 33, 34, 35. Edit. 3. tain, that God was the Maker and Contriver of it, if the general Voice and Testimony of ancient Christianity is to be believed, as that he was the Creator of Man. I fay, the general Voice of ancient Chriftianity; because Hereticks and Schifmaticks, as well as Catholicks, bore witness to that very Conftitution of the Church against which he writes. When they difputed Matters of Doctrine, they never quarrelled about the Epifcopal Frame of Church Government and Difcipline; and though they were often divided into different Parties and Communions, yet they were all religious Obfervers of the fame Church Polity (except Aerius and his few Followers) which he attempts to fubvert, because they all alike believed it to have been inftituted by Chrift. But what need have I to appeal to the Testimony of Christianity? What need I produce Antiquity, Univerfality, and Confent, against an upstart bold Writer, fupported by no fuch Authority? The Teftimonies of the early, and learned Saints and Martyrs, which I have cited above in the vith and viith Pages, for the Conftitution, Rights, and Powers of the Church, are abundantly fufficient without any other, to weigh down à thousand fuch Books, as this wretched Man, or Club of Men, hath written in this Day of Trouble,Rebuke, and Blafphemy, to reproach God. God whom he hath charged with Folly, in framing a Church-Polity for Chriftians, moft abfurd and inconfiftent with it felf, and the ends for which it was formed. Ten thousand fuch TEKEL's of modern Books, if weighed in the Ballance, against Scripture, and Primitive Antiquity, will be found defective and wanting, but as a drop of a Bucket, or as a little Duft, plainly as nothing in the Judgment of ferious Men, who will impartially compare them together, The The Deifts, and Atheists of late, by this and other fuch Writers, have exalted their Voices against the Lord, and his Church; but, I hope, he hath heard their Words, and will reprove them, and in his appointed time make the Virgin, the Daughter of Zion, whom they defpife and laugh to fcorn, defpife and Shake her Head at them. It concerns all good Chriftians to diftinguish themselves from them, and to refift them as they would the Devil, ftedfastly in the Christian Faith; which it is their Design to deftroy, if they could, in writing against the Priesthood, and the Church. For if they can once perfuade Men, that Church Government,and Discipline is nothing but the Invention, and Craft of Priests, they will foon perfuade them, that the Christian Do&trines are fo too. And hence it is, that we have their invective Pamphlets against making of Creeds, and Creed-makers, who impofe upon Men Articles of Faith. Thefe Men of large Minds, and free Thoughts, will not have them confined, and tyed up to Forms, and Summaries of Belief, but on they will go in the broad way of thinking, as well as living, out-doing the Devils in Latitude, the Devils, who are fuch narrow-foul'd Spirits,as to believe, and tremble. If they durft, they would write as publickly against Scripture-making, as you may perceive by the Table-talk, which the reputed Author of the Rights, and fome other Gracians had of them, at a Dinner the 29th of November laft. There their Tongues were their own, and without any Restraint to the Liberties of Mankind, and the Freedoms of human Nature, they plentifully vented their Blafphemies upon the holy Writings, which nothing, but the good Intention of creating an Abhorrence of fuch Monsters of Unbelief and Blafphemy, can juftifie the Recital of. They began with Balaam and his Afs, and with Scorn, and Scurrility enough, afferted the Afs to be the fitteft of the two, to fee an an Angel, and to have Divine Infpirations, and Revelations. They faid the Books of the New Testament were a long while kept private, till the Council of Laodicea fell to telling of Nofes, in which their Malice exceeded that of Julian, who never queftioned the Canon of the Holy Scriptures. Hermas's Paftor they defpifed, as the most filly Book that ever was cited for Scripture by the Ancients, with others of the fame ftamp. But thefe Scorners might have spoken with more Refpect of an holy Author, whom God employ'd in fo many Meffages to his Church, and to whom he vouchfafed fo many Revelations, and for whom fo many of the Ancients, as Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, Irenaus, had a great Reverence, even for the Simplicity of his Writings, though they were mistaken in the Authority of them. Not to mention the Learned Men of this Age, as Cotelerius and Dr. Bernard, who have adorn'd this Book with their Notes, and Dr. Wake Bishop of Lincoln, who hath made the Apoftolick Author fpeak pure, and proper English in a venerable Apoftolick Stile. But thefe are a fort of human Race, who neither fear God, nor reverence Men,efpecially Priefts,whofe Office they hate, and their Perfons for their Office fake. By other Books of the fame Stamp, they particularly meant the Book of the Revelations, of which they faid, it had been well if it had been ftill kept private, for there had not been fo many Madmen; and then cited a Sentence of a Learned Divine against the Enthusiasts, who had abused it, as if he had faid the fame thing. Then they faid, that None of the Prophecies could be understood, for multitude of Interpretations, that if they were already fulfilled, we were no farther concerned with them, but if not, the Holy Ghost himself had need interpret them. Then as for the Prophets, they did God, and them the Honour to compare them to the Camifars; and Prophecy to Deliriums in Fevers, and told a Story of a Phyfician, who cured a Patient of his prophe |