Relating to the

CONTROVERSIES

About the

Book of Common-Prayer,

EPISCOPAL GOVERNMENT,

THE

Power of the Church

In Ordaining RITES and CEREMONIES, &c. Defended by Scripture, Reafon, Antiquity, and the Sentiments of the Learn'deft Reformers, particularly Mr. John Calvin.

By Mr. Robert Calder Minister of the Gospel.

gave inward

I had always a great Reverence for the Bishops of your Church, to whom Reverence, as well as outward Respect, and would gladly have served them in fettling of the English Church, and my Judgment is, If we may have Juch an Hierarchy, in which the Bishops fo excel others, that they refuse not Subjection to Chrift, bat would depend upon Him as their only Head, and refer themselves to Him; in which they fo preferve Brotherly Communion among themselves, that they are united by nothing more than the Truth: In this Cafe I denounce him worthy of all Curfes, who does not obferve fuch an Hierarchy with all Reverence and Obedience. And I would to God fuch a Succeffion had continued to this Day, it should easily have obtained from us the Obedience that it deferves. I do account the Government by Arch-Bishops a Moderate Honour, as being within the Compass of a Man's Power to execute, which the Pope's pretended Authority is not, and the Ancient Church did appoint Patriarchs and Primates in every Province, as a Bond to unite Bishops in Concord. JOHN CALVIN. See Numb. 15. P. 59.

His Opinion of the English Book of Common Prayer, in his own Time. It is worthy your Confideration who were the Authors of your Liturgy, and what Teftimonies they gave to it: Dr. Taylor, a famous Martyr, when it was fettled by Authority after its Reformation, affirmed, That it was fo reformed, and fully perfected, according to the Rules of Chriftian Religion in every Behalf, that no Chriftian Confcience could be offended with any thing therein contained. And Mr. Fox fays, It was generally esteemed as a Work of GOD. Doubtless, thefe prudent and pious Martyrs, that died in Defence of it, were well fatisfy'd of the Legality and Purity thereof, at least, that there was no manifeft Impiety in it. See Numb. 16. P. 63.

Let not any think me fo auftere, or ftraitlaced, as to forbid a Chriftian, without any Exemption, to accommodate himself to the Papifts in any Ceremony or Obfervance; for it is not my Purpose to condemn any thing, but what is clearly Evil, and openly Vitious.

EDINBURGH:

See Numb. 17. P. 78

Printed in the Year MDCCXIII.

1717 this digok is from bo Viettinen Seinen Wiliam Pirmae

2064

ADVERTISEMENT.

TH "Hat among the many Errata's, the Reader is defired to mend thefe Words following, viz. In Page 4. about the End, for Except once in one Collect, to read thus, except in the Collects. As alfo, Page 109, for S. Jerom's Prophecy, read, Jeremiah's Prophecy. And alittle after thefe Words, for the worthy Author of that Age, read, the worthy Author of the Cyprianick Age. And for Pope Damafcus, read Damafus. Page 113. Where you read the holding out one M. read by changing M, into S. Again in the laft Number,The Nail ftruck to the Head 2 pag. 54 line, Because the Church of England in her Catechifm defines Marriage to be &c. read, defines a Sacrament to be.

T

HE Hierarchy and the Liturgy, with the Fafts and Festivals of the Church, are the Butt of the Presbyterian Malice, and against which they fpit out their Venome both from Prefs and Pulpit.

I have done my Endeavour in thefe Sheets to show the Lawfulness and Neceffity of these Three: For as to Epifcopacy, I let fee, That no Age fince the Apostles wanted one Order above another, and that the Primitive Bishops were Diocefians; tho' a Diocefs makes not a Bishop, more than a Paroch, Manfe or Stipend, makes a Minifter. It is as neceffary then, to have Perfons in the Holy Miniftry by Apoftolical Succeffion and Ordination, as it is to have Water in Baptism, and Bread and Wine in the Eucharift. The old Schifmaticks, Donatifts and Novatians, were moft fenfible of the Neceffity of Apoftolical Succeffion, that at any Rate they would have it, and ftick by it. Yea, the Prefbyterians were forced by the Independents to run to Apoftolical Succeffion for their Ordination, as may be seen in their Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclefiaftici; tho' now they must defend themselves with Independent Arguments against the Epifcopals. And Sam. Rutherford avows, that they had their Ordination from Rome; but this is fimply impoffible for them to prove : For the Church of Rome never conferr'd that Power on meer Presbyters to give Orders, tho' it does permit Laymen, in cafe of Neceffity, to baptife; which Learned Proteftants are againft. And in the Primitive Times Presbyters never ordain'd; though fome of the Presbyterian Advocates and Agents moft impudently alledge, That the firft Three Centuries were Presbyterian, yet they can never fix upon the Time when this univerfal Change was made through Europe, Asia, and Africa, from Presbytery to Epifcopacy: Nay, they cannot prove their Succeffion from John Calvin in Geneva, nor from John Knox in Scotland; yea, we may condefcend upon Fourfcore Chiefs of Kin in Scotland, that are Two or Three Hundreds of Years older than Presbytery. And what a fad and dangerous Condition muft that People be in, that live under a Ministry which cannot feal the Covenant of Grace, or give the Comfort of Abfolution to a Penitent? Surely, as the Prophet Jeremy faith, Chap. 23. 31. Such a Miniftry cannot profit the People.

And as for Common Prayer and Set Forms, which are Doctrinal as well as Devotional, which inform the Judgment as well as they kindle the Affections; I prove, that it is the People's Right to pray with the Minister, as well as to fing with a Precentor: The People are obliged to know themselves how they worship GOD as well as the Minifter; for they come not to preach but to offer Prayers and Praises, which they should know before hand. And it is as unaccountable Sacrilege, to defraud the People of their Right of worshipping GOD vocally in the Church, as we account it in Papifts to with-hold the Cup from them in the Eucharift; for by this politick popular Trick of Extemporifing, the People are wheedled into grofs Ignorance. A Man may be a Fefuit, Socinian, or the groffeft of Hereticks, and pray his Opinions to the Peple and never be difcovered by them; as one Mr. Emlin was lately in Ireland, who preach'd in one of the Diffenting Meeting-Houfes for a long time, but was discovered in Conversation, to be a rank Soci nian, denying the Divinity of the Son of GOD, and never praying to

GOD