THE TRUE STATE OF THE QUESTION BETWEEN THE REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND THE ROMANISTS, RESPECTING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND THE METHOD OF PRESERVING ITS UNITY.:)

In the former part of this treatise I have stated, and

have endeavoured to defend the true notion of Christ's Catholic Church, viz. that it consists of all Faithful christians, adhering to the communion of their Orthodox Bishops, and those clergy authorised by them, under Christ its supreme head. This definition I have applied to the respective bodies of professing christians which pass under the general name of Protestants, and proved at large that the society of christians in England, Ireland, and Scotland, which is designated by the title of Reformed Episcopal, alone corresponds with the above-mentioned definition.I have, at the same time, vindicated her against the

cavils and objections of Protestant Dissenters, especially those of Presbyterians and Methodists.

It could not, however, have been expected (seeing that the existence of numerous heresies and false prophets has been foretold by our Lord,) that these should be the only adversaries against whom the Reformed Episcopal Church has to contend, and from whose aspersions she is bound to vindicate herself. There is also another party of professing christians, who for several hundred years past have maintained (in the opinion of all Protestants,) the most pernicious errors with respect to the doctrines and worship of real christianity; yet have presumed to assert, that the society of christians or church adhering to the Bishop of Rome is the Catholic Church; that all Bishops, and private christians owe subjection to him by divine right; and that whoever maintains opinions contrary to those maintained by him, are cut off from all ordinary hopes of salvation. Such is the modern system of the Catholic Church, set up some hundred years ago by this aspiring Bishop and his flatterers, in direct opposition to the scriptural and primitive system, as I shall soon demonstrate. In conformity with these notions, each member of that communion is bound explicitly to acknowledge the holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church for the mother and mistress of all churches, and promise true obedience to the Bishop of Rome, successor to St Peter, Prince of the apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ."

In opposition to these novel and schismatical notions I shall lay down a few principles of Catholic Unity, as instituted in the apostles' times, maintained in the primitive churches, preserved by many orthodox

churches during the darkest ages of Popery, and finally adopted by all Reformed Episcopal Churches since the grand reformation *.

I. The first grand principle of unity is, that all Bishops are originally of equal power and authority; and that each Bishop, with his clergy and the laity united to them, professing the true christian faith without the addition of false doctrine, and practising the necessary christian worship without corruption, constitutes a particular church, wherein the Bishop presides as the principle of unity.

II. Every Bishop has the chief power of govern. ment in his own diocese or church, independent of all others. But, in order to understand properly the limits of this power, we must distinguish between the substantial and the ritual part of religion. For it is in the latter chiefly, that Bishops possess an absolute power in their own church, being at liberty to use what indifferent rites they think proper, without being accountable to any other. Their independency was so absolute in the beginning, that it extended to all matters whatever, relating to the internal economy of the church, to rites and ceremonies, to the form of prayer which was used, nay to the particular terms of the creeds, with all that was necessary in order to enforce and to preserve uniformity. In matters of Faith, indeed, when they corrupted the truth by heretical doctrines, or introduced any rituals that were destructive of it; they were obnoxious to the censure of all other Bishops, and every individual of

* See Kettlewell's Works, Vol. II. p.588. 613, Sherlock's Vind. of some Protestant Principles of Church Unity, 2d edit. 1688. Bingham's Antiquities, Book 16. ch. 8. B. 2. ch. 5. 6. 16. B. 16. ch. 1.— Leslie's Works, I. p. 575. Barrow on the Unity of the Church.

the whole catholic college of Bishops was authorised

to oppose

them.

III. Although all Bishops are supreme in their own dioceses, yet they are bound to live in catholic communion, and preserve close fellowship and constant communion with each other. Indeed, this is a consequence of that unity which our Lord commanded to be observed between all his disciples; so that the several particular churches, however almost of necessity having separate and independent rites and customs, yet agreeing in all essential and fundamental points, make up the one Catholic Church of Christ.

It follows also, from this sort of connexion (nay, from the command of Christ to the first Bishops, "Go ye therefore and disciple all nations," &c. Matt. xxviii. 19.) that every Bishop, although only ruling his own church, has a concern in seeing that those articles of faith, by the consent in which the connexion was kept up, and made to answer its proper end, should be preserved. pure and inviolate; and this gives him a warrant to interpose with his advice and remonstrance, whenever, in any of the churches, he perceives a disposition to run into heresy and to corrupt the genuine doctrines of the gospel. In this sense (says Bingham,) every Bishop was an universal pastor and Bishop of the world, as having a common care and concern for the whole Church of Christ *. And this was the

* This power of censuring heretical and schismatical Bishops, does not imply a power and authority of declaring them to be heretics, and obliging all men to submit to their decrees. Therefore the effects of these censures must depend on the opinion of the people, those who believe the censure just, will withdraw from the communion of their Bishop ;-those who do not believe it just, will still communicate with him. For whoever pronounces the sentence,