bis Wood of Quotations, to fhew only how both Protestants and Papists have taken the liberty of departing fromthe Ancients, in Opinion, Ceremony, and Difcipline; for granting all be contends for, I fay Firft, That in all neceffary Points of Doctrine and Church-Government, we hold with the Primitive Chriftians. Secondly, In fome Ceremonies we differ, and this too by the Authority and Example of the Ancients; tho' I cannot but think that the more we all Conform to the Pattern of the Catholick Church in the eldest and pureft Times, even in the Externals of Worship, fo much the better, so much the more Cordial our Love and Union, the more Beauty, Order, and Harmony, the more like Children of the fame Family, and Servants of the fame Mafter. Thirdly, as to Difcipline; and in this indeed, I cannot fay, we fo much differ from the Ancients, as that we have none at all: For of old, all notorious Offenders of what Quality foever, were immediately cenfur'd and feparated from the Faithful, and by them fo ftrictly avoided, not only in this or that particular Church, but all Chriftendom over, that Shame and Solitude brought 'em to a Sence of their Evil ways, and forc'd 'em to fubmit to a long and severe courfe of Penance; and happy did they think themselves at laft, if with Prayers and Tears they might be admitted to the Peace of God and the Church again, fuch was the Primitive way of reducing Sinners to Confideration and Amendment, many of whom had liv'd on without Reflection till the day of their death, might they have pass'd uncenfur'd as in thefe Times of Relaxation; and had the Church never call'd in the Affiftance of the State, but kept the Powers diftinct, and

acted

acted folely within her Spiritual Jurifdiction, and gravely, maturely, and conftantly, proceeded against fcandalous Offenders; I can fee no Reafon why her Cenfures fhou'd not be as much dreaded now, as in her firft ftate of Independence and Perfecution; and the Power of the Keys, I believe, had been more Venerable without the Axe of the Magiftrate; But by mixing Powers, the Spiritual one, by degrees is well nigh quite fwallow'd up, and 'tis the grand Question now adays, whether the Church has any inherent Power of her own, but only as fhe is Authoriz'd from the State, that is, whether Bifhops ceas'd not to be Bishops after Conftantine's Converfion, or the Sacerdotal Power devolved not upon the Civil Magiftrate upon his turning Chriftian? If then the Number or Quality of Offenders is by long Remiffness grown too great for Cenfure, if for fear of bearing too hard upon Diffenters, the Church cannot proceed against the groffeft Sinners, or obey the Canon in refufing the Sacrament to a Schifmatick without incurring the Penalty of the Law, 'tis not that we diflike the Difcipline of the Ancients, but that our Circumftances will not admit of it, and we hope our Calamity will not be our Crime, until then the faid Primitive Discipline he restor❜d again, (which we fay is much to be wifhed) we must be fure to wait God's good time with the Primitive Patience, and declare God's wrath against Sinners, where we cannot like the Ancients enforce it. For according to * Bernard, We ought not to omit what we can do, because we cannot do as we ought.

* Debeone omittere quod poffum, quoniam quod debeo minime poffum? Bern. Ep. 175.

And

And now I have done with the Seventeen Reafons of the Celebrated Mr. Daillè against the Ufe and Authority of the Fathers, and do hope that this Short Answer may ferve for an Antidote against the Poifon of that long and spiteful Book, and by this time, I dare fay, that the Reader, as well as my felf, has taken a furfeit of Reasons. But neither one nor the other had been troubled with fo many Particulars, had not I found most of the Arguments * Reviv'd of late, and Reinforc'd with fresh Supplies, not only to Invalidate their Reafonings and Teftimonies in the point of Epifcopacy, but in many other unhappy Differences between us and our Diffenting Brethren: And because I wou'd do Justice to the Memory of thofe Saints and Martyrs, who deferv'd much better Treatment from the Chriftian World; and moreover, because I wou'd make way for Cultivating the Study of the Ancients, and for more Tranflations of this kind. For were the Writings of the Fathers, fuch as they are here Reprefented, the Reader, but especially the Tranflator, ought both to be fent to the Workhouse for better Employment. But whoever loves the Sport, will foon find Wit and Dirt enough to Befpatter, and Something to Pin upon the wifeft and beft Man living, to fet Children and Fools a Laughing. Let him but, in Imitation of Mr. Daillè, defcribe Noah only by bis Drunkennefs, or David by his Adultery, or Peter by his Denyal, let him but draw a fhade over the Wifdom, Goodness, or Beauty of the Perfectest in their Kind, and lay on his Colours purely upon their Follies, Vices, and Blemishes, and we shall not find

* Def. of Moder. Nonconf, p. 1. p. 144, Úc.

one

one Wife, Good, or Beautiful Perfon in the World. 'Tis a much eafier matter to Cut than Cure, to be Witty than Wife, and a very ordinary Hand will ferve to Deface, what a Pearfon or a Grabe only can Reftore and Beautify. And now after all his Pains, and Ambitious Ornaments, to dress up the Fathers once more in the Skins of Wild Beafts, and to Martyr 'em over again, I think I cannot do better than to fhut up their Character in the Words of their Enemy.

First of all, therefore, (fays be) you fball find "in the Fathers, very many earnest and zealous "Exhortations to Holiness of Life, and to the Obfervation of the Difcipline of Jefus Chrift. Secondly, Toufhall there meet with very strong and folid Proofs of thofe Fundamental Principles of "our Religion, touching which we are all agreed: "And also many excellent things laid open, tend"ing to the right understanding of thefe Myfteries, " and alfo of the Scriptures wherein they are con"tained. In this very particular their Authority પ may be of good ufe unto you, and may ferve as a "probable Argument of the Truth. For is it not a wonderful thing to fee, that fo many great Wits, "born in fo many feveral Ages, during the Space "of fifteen hundred Tears, and in fo many feveral Countries, being alfo of fo different Tempers, "and who in other things were of fo contrary Opi"nions, fhou'd notwithstanding be found all of them "to agree fo conftantly and unanimously in the Fun"damentals of Chriftianity? that amidst so great Diverfity in Worship, they all adore one and the fame Chrift; preach one and the fame Sanctifi"cation; hope all of them for one and the fame

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ແ

Immortality; acknowledge all of them the fame Gofpels; find therein all of them great and high Myfteries; and I take the liberty to add, live under one and the fame Form of Church-Government) "For, I beseech you, what probability is "there, that fo many Holy Men, who were endued (as it appeareth by their Writings) with fuch "admirable Parts, with fo much strength and clearnefs of Understanding, fhou'd all of them be fo grofly overfeen, as to fet fo high a Price and Efteem upon this Difcipline, as to fuffer even to "Death for it, unless it had in it fome certain heavenly Virtue, for to make an Impreffion in the "Souls of Men? What likelihood, that feven or eight Dogs, and as many Atheistical Hogs, that "Bark and Grunt fo fottishly, and confusedly against "this Sacred and Venerable Religion, shou'd have "better luck in lighting upon the Truth, than fo

many excellent Men, who have all fo unanimously "born Teftimony to the Truth? What wonder is it if a Whoremafter, or a Bawd, or an ambitious Perfon cry down that Difcipline, that condemneth "thefe Vices to everlafting Fire? To take any notice of what fuch wretched things as thefe fay, is all

up

one, as if you fou'd judge, by taking the Opinion "of Common Strumpets, of the Equity or Injustice of the Laws that enjoin People to live honeft. "But feeing thefe Holy Men were born and brought in the very fame Infirmities with the others; ແ we cannot doubt but that they also naturally had Strong Inclinations to thofe Vices, which our Sa"viour Chrift forbiddeth, and very little Affection "to thofe Virtues he commandeth. Forafmuth therefore, as notwithstanding all this, they have