THat the great Name of Dr. Owen, may not beget a Prejudice in the Minds of any well-meaning Rea­ders, against what is here Writ­ten in Opposition to His Schismatical Con­ceits: I shall in the First place Declare, [Page 2] That I shall not Contract Him any far­ther, than where I am Confident to do; otherwise, would be to Contemn the Joynt. Authority of these blessed Men; which next to the Holy Apostles, deserve the Cha­racter of the most Glorious Lights of the World; St. Ignatius, St. Irenaeus, St. Athana­sius, St. Hilary, St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazi­anzen, St. Gregory Nyssen, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostome, St. Augustin.

P. 2. ‘Our First Enquiry, says the Dr. Being concerning what sort of Persons, our Lord Jesus Christ requireth, and admit­teth to be the Visible Subjects of his King­dom, We are to be Regulated in our Determination, by Respect unto his Ho­nor, Glory, and the Holiness of his Rule. To reckon such Persons to be Subjects of Christ, Members of his Body, such as he Requires, and Owns, who would not be Tolerated, at least not approv'd in a well Governed Kingdom, or Common­wealth of the World, is highly Disho­nourable unto him. But it is so come to pass, That let Men be never so no­toriously, and flagitiously wicked, un­til they become Pests of the Earth; yet [Page 3] are they Esteem'd, to belong to the Church of Christ.’

To this I answer, That our Saviour, Re­quires all Men to be of his Church, to submit themselves to his Discipline, and to Profess to all the World, that they do so, by being Baptiz'd in the the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Those that are Baptized, He Requires by the Assi­stance of His Holy Spirit which He conti­nually Offers to them, to Act according to their Profession, to Love the Lord their God, with all their Heart, and with all their Soul, and with all their Strength, and with all their Mind, and their Neighbour, as themselves. He has not declared, That it is His Will, that Baptism should be Deny'd to any Per­son, or that any one being Baptiz'd, should be Depriv'd of the Priviledge of having External Communion with all True Chri­stians, but for such Causes, which are Ex­prest in the Canons, and Constitutions of the Church of England. Those, who remain­ing in External Communion with the Church, have not the Habit, or Fixed Principle of Divine Love, in their Hearts. Our Bles­sed Lord, doth not Own in such a manner, [Page 4] as to receive them into a State of Salva­tion; but He doth Own them, or Take them for His people upon this Account, That He Graciously Confers on them, in an a­bundant Measure, the Means of Knowing what they must do to be Saved. He does not Approve, or Take any Complacency in that Temper of Mind, or Spirit, which they are Actually in; but he is always Well­pleased with the Capacity, He has Graci­ously Endu'd them with all, of attaining to a Divine Temper; that is to say, Of be­ing Sanctified, or having their Wills United to the Will of God in all things. And He approves the Ministers of the Gospel, in the Administration of the Means of Grace, or Sanctification unto them, and in Praying for them.

P. 15. ‘It must be remembred, That Communion with particular Churches, is to be Regulated absolutely by Edification, No Man is, or can be Oblig'd to abide in, or confine himself unto the Communion of any particular Church any longer, than it is for his Edification.’

This is True, But from hence it is most [Page 5] Evident, That those Men are Guilty of most Abominable Iniquity, who Endeavour to Seduce any People from the Communion of the Church of England, in which the Fun­damental Articles of the Christian Religion are so clearly, and fully Exprest, and those most Important Expressions so frequently Repeated; that Persons of the lowest Intel­lectuals, who do not Rebel against the Light, in frequenting our Religious Assemblies; may more easily attain to the Knowledge of all things that are Necessary to their Salvation, than by Hearing, or Reading the best Sermons, that have been, or shall be Preach't by any of the Non-conformists to the End of the World; which Asserti­on, is as Evident, as it is, That any Illi­terate Persons, may more easily Meditate on Truths plainly Exprest, and frequent­ly Suggested to their Remembrance, than Collect the same Truths out of divers large Discourses, if they were therein Imply'd: So that, It can hardly be imagined, how any Man can be in any thing, more ser­viceable to the Destroyer of Souls, than by Teaching People to Despise our Catechism and Common-Prayer. It is now Mani­fest, and shall be so, to all Posterity; [Page 6] that the Multitude of these Despisers, have Encourag'd the Profest Enemies of the Godhead of our Blessed Saviour, to Pub­lish their Blasphemies.

Arise O GOD, Plead thine own Cause: Remember how the Foolish Man, Blasphemeth thee daily.

P. 20. ‘Few there are, who think that any Act, or Duty of their own, is Re­quir'd to Enstate them in Church Order, and Relation.’

Was there ever such a notorious False­hood, Publish't by any Learned Man, Pro­fessing himself to be a Christian! What shall be done unto thee, thou False Tongue! Every Child that is Educated in the Church of England, can tell him this, That it is Requir'd of them that come to the Lords Supper. ‘To Examine themselves whether they Repent them truly of their former sins, stedfastly purposing to lead a new Life; have a Lively Faith in Gods Mercy through Christ, with a thankful Remembrance of his Death, and be in Charity with all Men.’

P. 28. ‘All this Authority, in, and over the Church, is vested in Christ.’

Answer. True; But he Communicates His Authority, to be Exercis'd in Depen­dance upon Himself to those, to whom by the Holy Apostle, He requires our O­bedience, Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you.

P. 40. ‘Every individual Person hath the Liberty of his own Judgment, as unto his own Consent, or Dissent, in what he is himself concern'd.’

To this I answer, That every Person who in Matters Spiritual or Ecclesiastical, Acts according to his own Private Judg­ment, viz. without a due Regard to the Judgment of them that have the Rule over him, Acts contrary to the Mind of Christ.

P. 88. ‘If the World doth not dwell with Power in us, it will not pass with Power from us.’

This is most horrible False Doctrine, and of mischievous Consequence to the Souls [Page 8] of Men, making them to Conceit, That the Efficacy of Sanctifying Truth, Depends upon the Sanctity of the Preacher, thus Assisting the Devil in his Temptations in the Minds of the Hearers, wholly to Neglect, or to Lessen their Attention to those Sanctifying Truths, that come to their No­tice from the Tongues, or Pens of such Persons, whom (truly, or falsely) they suppose to be Irregular in their Lives; whereas we are Bound by our Christia­nity, to Love whatsoever is of GOD, in whomsoever we find it, from whomsoever we receive the Notice of it. This I con­ceive to be so plain a Truth, That there is no need I should Insist any longer on it, but only to beseech the Christian Rea­der, by the Mercies of God, by all the Love he bears to the Truth of the Gos­pel; That he would Beware of the Sophi­stry of all sorts of Schismaticks; And that he would be more Ardent in his Devo­tions, than ever yet he has been; Pray­ing thus with all True Christians: ‘Give Grace, O Heavenly Father, to all Bishops, and Curates, That they may both by their Life and Doctrine, set forth thy True and Lively Word, [Page 9] and Rightly, and Duely Administer thy Holy Sacraments.’

We grant that our Communion with the Church-Catholick, Chiefly, and Prin­cipally, Consists in this. ‘That we have all one, and the same God, and Father, (as Dr. Owen speaks, pag. 242.) one Lord Jesus Christ, one Faith, and one Doctrine of Faith, one Hope of our Calling, or the promis'd Inheritance, one Regeneration, one Baptism, one Bread and Wine; United unto God, and Christ in one Spirit, through the Bond of Faith, and Love. But then,’ we Declare to all the World, That those Persons who own an Aversion from the Communion of the Church of England, are Guilty of a most Heinous Violation of the Bond of Christian Love; and Se­parate themselves from the Church-Catholick, in Separating from the Pub­lick-Worship of so Sound a Member of It; there being nothing Requir'd, as a Condition of this Communion, but to make Publick Confession of that Faith, which was once Delivered to the Saints, (which none but the most Execrable sort of He­reticks [Page 10] can any way Disgust): And to Use those Words in Publick Prayer, which are as certainly Expressive of the Power and Virtue of all Holy Desires, as it is cer­tain that our Saviour is the Only Wise GOD; and to Receive the Blessed Eu­charist in both Kinds, according to Christ's Institution, in such a Posture of the Body, as best suits with the Humility of a De­vout Soul, Adoring the Majesty of Her Crucified Redeemer.

P. 285. ‘Unto the Communion of all particular Churches in the World, there is nothing requir'd, but a Belief of the Scripture to be the Word of GOD, with a professed Assent unto all Divine Relations therein contain'd.’

To this I Answer, That since there sprung up a sort of Creatures, who pre­tend to Prove by Scripture, That our Blessed Saviour, is not the True, and E­ternal GOD; it became Necessary for the Conservation of the Purity of Christi­an Communion, That all who Profess Christianity, should make Solemn Con­fession of their Faith in such Terms, as [Page 11] Manifest their Belief of this Fundamen­tal Truth, contain'd in the Holy Scrip­tures, That Jesus Christ, is the True and Eternal GOD. This Assertion, Dr. Owen does in Effect, Consent unto in these Words. ‘Altho' any Society of Men, should Profess the Scripture to be the VVord of GOD, and avow an Assent to the Revelations made therein; yet by the Conceptions of their Minds, and mis-understanding of the Sense of the Holy Spirit therein, they may embrace, and adhere unto such Errors, as may Cut them off from all Communion with the Catholick-Church in Faith.’

Very well: But does it not follow from what he has here said, That a Profession of Belief, that the Scripture is the Word of GOD, &c. is not sufficient to Enstate us in External Communion with the Church-Catholick, since some of the most horrid Enemies of the Church, make the same Profession? My Charity prompts me to Believe, That if this Man had Lived to see Socinianism shew its Head amongst us, as it does in these Days, it would have Frighted him into a better [Page] Opinion of the Church of England.

Here I shall most Earnestly beseech the Christian Reader, seriously to Consider, and with all his Heart, and with all his Strength, to Abhor, and Detest the Pha­natical Contempt of the Order of the Church of England, for the Use of the Lords-Prayer, since 'tis so Notorious, That it has been the Inducement to so many Blasphemies. The Author of a Book, Entituled, Essays towards a Union between Divinity, and Morality, pag. 73. Despises the Order of our Church, for the fre­quent Use of this most Perfect Form of Prayer; and in the 84, and 85. pages, he openly Blasphemes GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghost. I will not here Re­cite the Words: But I shall most Ear­nestly Beseech all True Christians, to use their utmost Endeavours, to procure such a Mark of Infamy, to be fixt upon this most Execrable Book, which the Univer­sity of Oxford has lately fixt upon the like Essay of Satanical Impudence.

I cannot but fore-see the manifold Ca­villations and Wranglings, that will be [Page] raised against this Paper: But, Blessed be GOD, I fear not the Reproach of Men, nor am afraid of their Revilings: Daily, and Hourly, pondring in my Heart, the weighty Sense of those Sacred Words, Rev. 22. 20. ‘He which Testifieth these Things, saith, Surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so, Come Lord Jesus.’