INDEPENDENCY

OF THE

CHURCH

UPON THE

STAT E,

As to its Pure

Spiritual Powers:

Proved from

The HOLY SCRIPTURES, and the Writings of the Primitive Fathers.

With ANSWERS to the most Material OBJECTIONS.

As

By THOMAS BRETT, LL.D. Father bath fent me, even fo fend I you. S. John xx. 21.

LONDON:

my

Printed for HENRY CLEMENTS, at the Half-Moon in S. Paul's-Church-yard. 1717.

ERRAT A.

Pag. 3. Lin. 30.

PAGE 2. Margin, Line 2. for Gal. vii. read Gal.vi. for Words, read Word. Pag. 12. Lin. 14. after Chrift put a Colon. Pag. 21. Marg. Lin. 1. for Rom. xiii. read Rom. xii. read Porphyrie. Pag. 28. Lin. 29. after did, add not. read detefted. Pag. 34. Lin. 7. for it, read they. four, read for. Pag. 40. Lin. 25. read together. Pag. 48. Lin. 9. read compulfory. Ibid. Lin.33 for nominate, read popag. 601 Lip. 23. for deliPag. 1. read of Church-Government.

Pag. 27. Lin, 1 Pag. 31. Lin. 26. Pag. 37. Lin. 23. for

gated, read delegated. Pag. 62. Lin. 5. after it put a Colon. Pag. 64. Lin. 31. after Office put a Comma. Ibid. Lin. ult. for to, read or. Pag. 65. Lin. 18. after Men put a Comma. Ibid. Lin. 30. for may, read might. Pag. 73. Marg, for Cor. xiv. read Cor. iv. Pag. 75. Lin. 4. for just, read unjuft. Ibid. Marg. for Chron. xxviii. read Chron. xxvii. Pag. 77Lin. 3. dele that. Pag. 92. Lin. 11. for thy, read they Pag. 192. Lin.9. read Separation. Pag. 104. Lin. 9. dele the. Pag. 110. Lin. 6. for per fwaded, read perfuaded. Pag. 111. Lin. 17. after Perfon put a Note of Interrogation. Ibid. Lin. 18. after Fault put a full Stop.

T H E

CON TEN T S

TS

I

INTRODUCTION. T is unjust to charge primitive Doctrines as Popish, and gives the Papists great Advantages against

Pagę i 9 II. Therefore, to inform our Flocks what are the Doctrines

of the Primitive Church, is the beft Method to preserve

them from Popers: $ II. The present and some folloning Treatises defign'd for this purpose

vi 9 IV: The Masters here proposed to be treated of, are the same

Primitive Doétrines which I defended in my Vindication of other Points, viz, Mixing Water with insition of two ly Eucharist. And the Practice of Chrism in Confirma tion. With a Declaration of my Defire, that we should rea store all the Universal Customs of the Church as they were at the Time of the Council of Nice.

vit Ý V. This the beft Method to introduce Catholick Unity in the

Churchi 签染發茶楼验楼茶赞赞 楼

000000 The Independency of the Church upon

the State, as to its pure Spiritual Powers.

viii

HAT are the Spiritual Powers of the
Church, As Set down in Holy Scripture.

Pag. I

§ II. Objection concerning Kings being Nurfing Fathers of the Church, confider'd.

3

III. The Pope's Encroachments on the State the Occafion of Setting up the Regale to fuch an Height in the Reign of King Henry VIII.

4

IV. A Query put at that Time concerning the Regal Autho rity in Spiritual Affairs. And how it was then differently anfwered.

5

§ V. Another Query at the fame time, and to the fame Purpose, with the Anfwers then given.

6

VI. This is the Beginning of thofe Principles now called Eraftian.

8

§ VII. Chrift the Head of the Church; therefore all Spiritual Power must be derived from him.

9

§ VIII. Chrift committed no Part of this Power to the Magiftrate, but to his Apostles and their Succeffors.

10

§ IX. This Power not imply'd in the Civil Magiftrate's Su

premacy.

12

14

§ X. Supreme Head of the Church, a new Title never affum'd by any Prince before King Hen. VIII. SXI. What Power be affum'd by vertue of this Title. I XII. He feem'd to think Bishops but his Deputies, even in

16

Spiritual Matters, but was not fully satisfy'd in that Point. 17 § XIII. And never durft take upon him to confecrate a Bishop.

18

9 XIV. This Title only given to him and his Son, King Edward VI. and repealed by Parliament in the next Reign, nor ever after restored.

19

6 XV. Strange therefore that any, especially Clergy-men, fhould now give our Kings this Title.

20

XVI. Kings have, however, a Civil Authority over Spiritual Perfons.

21

§ XVII. And in Civil Sanctions annex'd to Spiritual Canses. 23 XVIII. This the Right of all Princes, whether Heathen or Chriftian.

28

§ XIX. Appeals from the Archbishop to the King, as used in this Realm, confider'd.

29

§ XX. The Independency of the Church as to pure Spiritual Matters, afferted by the Homilies.

31

34

§ XXI. And also in an Act of Parliament. g XXII. How the Spiritual and Temporal Governor may, and in fome Cafes muft, both judge the fame Perfon, and in re

lation to the fame Caufe, and yet neither interfere with the other. 36 XXIII. The Civil Magiftrate cannot give or take away a Spiritual Office: 40

6 XXIV. The Kings naming or recommending a Perfon to be confecrated a Bifhop, does not give fuch an one the Epifcopal Commiffion.

43

§ XXV. And our Bishops, though fo nominated by the King, yet receive their Spiritual Authority from Senior Bishops, and fo have the fame Power which the Apostles and Primitive Bishops bad.

45

§ XXVI. Therefore, as the Civil Magistrate does not give this Power, fo neither can he take it away.

47

S

51

XXVII. The Bishop has no Spiritual Superior in his own Line or Diftrict, as is proved from Scripture. § XXVIII. This Superiour Authority of the Bishop necessary to preferve the Unity of the Body of Chrift.

55

"

57

§ XXIX. And unless this Unity be preferv'd, all Gifts and Graces are nothing worth, as S. Paul teaches. § XXX. For, the Breach of this Unity makes a Schifm, and deftroys the Band of Charity: And the People had no Power to depofe their Bishop, or put another in his Place. 59 XXXI. Neither had the Civil Magiftrate any fuch Power. Ib. 9 XXXII. Neither did the Bishop's Non-Refidence, or Neceffary Abfence, deprive him of his Authority over his Flock. 60 XXXIII. Nor the Civil Magiftrate's Prohibition. XXXIV. The Intruders into another Bishop's District were Schifmaticks, though fupported by the Civil Magiftrate. 62 9 XXXV. All this prov'd from S. Paul's Doctrine. § XXXVI. Dr. Hody's Notion about Deprivations by Irrefiftible Force, contrary to S. Paul's Doctrine. 65

61

64

§ XXXVII. His Mifreprefentation of the Novatian and Do

natift Schifms.

68

§ XXXVIII. An Account of the Novatian Schifm from S. Cyprian and others living at that Time. Ibid. § XXXIX. An Account of the Donatift Schifm from Contemporary Authors.

72

S XL. No Irrefiftible Force can be used to depofe a Bishop. 74 9 XLI. The Cafe of Abiathar faid to have been depos'd by Solomon.

75

76

6XLII. That Cafe confider'd. § XLIII. An Answer to feveral Queries. 1. Whether Chrift

A 3

appointed