do these or such like make us to be of two Religions? Do I change my Religion, if I read with a pair of spectacles, or if I look towards the South or West, rather then the East &c.? We see what these men would make the Christian Religion to be. Were the Apostles no Christians, because they had no kneeling at the Eucharist, nor Cross in Baptism, nor Surplice, nor (at least our) Common Prayer-book, &c? Dare you say they were no Christians? or yet that Christian Religion was one thing then, and another thing now? And for our Churches, we do not only meet in the same places, but we have the same doctrine, ⟨p. 344⟩the same worship (in every part, though he talk of our no true worship; as if Praying, Praising God, &c. were no true worship:) the things changed were by the imposers and defenders (see Dr. Burgess Rejoinder) professed to be no parts at all of worship, but mere accidents; we have the same people, save here and there a few that separate by yours and others seducement, and some vile ones that we cast out; we have abundance of the same Ministers that we had. And yet must we have no worship, Ministry, Communion of Saints, or Salvation, because we have only a Parochial and not a Diocesan Episcopacy? Forsooth we have lost our Religion, and are all lost men, because our Bishops have but single Parish-churches to oversee (which they find a load as heavy as they can bear,) and we have not one Bishop to take the Government of an hundred or two hundred Churches. At Rome he is a damned man that believeth not in the Pope: and is out of the Catholic Church, because he is out of the subjection of the Pope: and with these men, we are lost men, if we never so much believe in Christ, because we believe not in an Archbishop, and are out of the Catholic Church and Communion of Saints, because we will not be ruled by such Rulers as these. And what's all this, to such Counties as this where I live, and most else in England that I hear of, that know of no Bishop they have (and they rejected none,) nor doth any come and command them any Obedience? Must we be unchristened, unchurched and damned, for not obeying, when we have none to obey, or none that calls for our obedience? But I shall let these men pass, and leave them in their separation, desiring that they had Catholic spirits and principles.
do these or such like make us to be of two Religions? Do I change my Religion, if I read with a pair of spectacles, or if I look towards the South or West, rather then the East &c.? We see what these men would make the Christian Religion to be. Were the Apostles no Christians, because they had no kneeling at the Eucharist, nor Cross in Baptism, nor Surplice, nor (at least our) Common Prayer-book, &c? Dare you say they were no Christians? or yet that Christian Religion was one thing then, and another thing now? And for our Churches, we do not only meet in the same places, but we have the same doctrine, ⟨p. 344⟩the same worship (in every part, though he talk of our no true worship; as if Praying, Praising God, &c. were no true worship:) the things changed were by the imposers and defenders (see Dr. Burgess Rejoynder) professed to be no parts at all of worship, but meer accidents; we have the same people, save here and there a few that separate by yours and others seducement, and some vile ones that we cast out; we have abundance of the same Ministers that we had. And yet must we have no worship, Ministry, Communion of Saints, or Salvation, because we have only a Parochial and not a Diocesan Episcopacy? Forsooth we have lost our Religion, and are all lost men, because our Bishops have but single Parish-churches to oversee (which they find a load as heavy as they can bear,) and we have not one Bishop to take the Government of an hundred or two hundred Churches. At Rome he is a damned man that believeth not in the Pope: and is out of the Catholike Church, because he is out of the subjection of the Pope: and with these men, we are lost men, if we never so much believe in Christ, because we believe not in an Archbishop, and are out of the Catholike Church and Communion of Saints, because we will not be ruled by such Rulers as these. And what's all this, to such Counties as this where I live, and most else in England that I hear of, that know of no Bishop they have (and they rejected none,) nor doth any come and command them any Obedience? Must we be unchristened, unchurcht and damned, for not obeying, when we have none to obey, or none that calls for our obedience? But I shall let these men pass, and leave them in their separation, desiring that they had Catholike spirits and principles.
