froÌ„ all other nations to be his people and that he might be their God And as one of the Lords ordinances suits with an other and depends vpon an other so from this nationall Church doth necessarily arise a representative Church For where communion together in the holy things of God is an act and operation of the Church for the mutuall aedification of the parts and that it was impossible that the whole body of a nation should in the intire simple proper or personall parts members communicate togeither the Lord so ordered and disposed that that communion should be had and exercised after a manner and in a sort and that was by way of representation And to this end the Lord made choise of one speciall place in the land which he gave his people to possesse at the first alterable but afterwards constant and vnchangeable where he would haue his tabernacle pitched and his temple built where he would put his name and dwell and which he would honour above all places with his glory and presence There was also one onely tabernacle or temple one high Preist one altar vnto which the whole nationall Church had reference thither must they bring all their sacrifices tithes and offrings thither were causes hard and difficult to be brought that the people might be shewed the sentence of iudgement informed and taught the law by the Preists of the Levites There was the dayly sacrifice offred for the whole nationall Church morning and evening continually there the Lord appointed with the children of Israel sanctifying the place with his glory binding himself by his promise to dwell amongst them and to be their God There was the high Preist to cary graven vpon two onix stones as the stones of remembrance of the children of Israel put vpon the shoulders of the Ephâ—d the names of the children of Israel according to their tribes for a remembrance and againe the names of the children of Israel according to their twelve tribes iâ— twelve stones set vpon the breast plate of iudgement vpon his heart for a remembrance continually before the Lord. There was also set vpon the pure table of Shittim wood in the tabernacle twelve loaves of shew bread continually before the Lord according to the twelve tribes of Israel for a remembrance Now all these were ordinances representative in a Church representative and other Church representative amongst the Iewes I neyther know not acknowledge And the ground of this representation was the necessary absence of the people represented Necessary I call it whether we respect the ordinance of God inhibiting the peoples entrance into the place where the most of these representations were made or whether wee respect the impossibility of the whole nations ordinarie assembling and communicating together And herevpon it comes to passe that all other Churches since so framed and of such qualitie as that they cannot ordinarily assemble together keep communion haue also as their images or shadowes their Churches representative The catholik visible Ch of Rome hath her visible Ch representative the Popes CoÌ„sistory or Colledge of Cardinalls or the generall Council gathered by his authority The nationall Church of Engl hath her nationall Church representative the Convocation house as have also the Provinciall and Diocesan Churches their representations the Archbishops Bishops Consistories But as the bodyes of these Churches are monstrous devises of mens braynes there being no other Churches vnder the new testament but particular assemblies so are their shadowes the Churches representative mere devises of devises And to apply this nearer the purpose Since the Church now consisteth not of one nation severed from all other nations but of particular assemblies of faithfull people separated from all other assemblies which like so many distinct flockes do ordinarily heard together and so communicate in the word prayer sacraments censures and that where the Church grew sometimes greater by the suddayne and extraordinary conversion of more then could well so assemble then was there presently a dispersion of the former and a multiplication of more particular assemblies Act. 2. 41. 42. 8. 4. 5. 6. 9. 31. 14. 23. 27. 15. 22. 30. Rev. 1. 4. 11. this rases the foundation of all representative Churches as eyther politick devises or at the best praeposterous imitations of the Iewish Church and polity For as I have formerly sayd and common sense teacheth it the foundation of representation is the necessary absence of that which is represented whether person or thing And so since there is no necessity that the body of a particular Church should be absent but on the contrary a necessity that the same be present at and in all the publick administrations and actions of communion in the Churches holy things we do therefore disclaym as supersluous and feyned all representative Churches whatsoever Secondly if the outward form of Church government now be fetched from the Iewish Church then as in that representative Ch there was an high Preist set over the rest in whose person and administration the representation of the whole Church was most eminent so must there now be also in this representative Church one officer over the rest and as it were their high Preist And so the catholik representative Church of Rome hath an vniversall Bishop the Pope over it the Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches representative Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops over them And so in all equitie should the Synodes and Praesbyteries accounting themselves properly Churches or bodies Ecclesiasticall have their Officers over them and so there should alwayes be one or more Ministers over the Church of Ministers and whose charge these Synodes and Presbyteries should be to be fed by them And the truth is this reason fetcht from the Iewish Church as it far better fitts the Praelates in England then the CoÌ„sistorians so fitts it the Papists better then eyther of them both for there is one Bishop over the catholick visible Church as they speak as there was one high Preist over the whole visible Ch then Adde vnto this that if the representative Church at Ierusalem be a pattern for a representative Church vnto vs then as there not onely hard causes were opened declared according to the law but also the sacrifices offred and most solemne services performed day by day without the presence of the body of the Church so now in this our representative Church consisting of the officers onely there must be not onely the vse of the keyes for admonitioÌ„ and excommunication but there must also be the preaching of the word and ministring of the sacraments which are our most solemn services whether the people be present or no. And to imagine a power of Christ in the Church of the officers for the vse of one solemne ordinance out of the communion of the body not for an other hath no ground from the Iewish Church Lastly to fetch the form of
the meanes of their aedification salvation how streyt and hard hearted soever you M. B. are towards them or coÌ„temptuous of them they may and must use in cases of necessity their best helpes for the distribution of things simply necessary to the body And dare you say as you haue done in both your books that the officers are absolutely to the Church as the eyes to the body and that there is no spirituall light in the rest of the members save onely in them and that all the body besides and without them is darknes Indeed such a blind beetle your spirituall Lords and you make your Churches and so you lead them But oh you the people of God yet in Babylon partakers of the heavenly illumination trust not these your Seers too much they would be thought all ey from top to bottom and would make you beleeve that you the multitude are stoneblind and can not possibly without them see one step before you that so they might lead you by the lip whither they list but open your eyes more and more and you shall see more and more clearely that the wayes of your Nationall Church are not the wayes which Christ hath left for his visible Churches to walk in but a very by path and take heed that these men which would be thought all and onely light cause not a â—og of earthly ordinances to rise vpon you and a dark mist to cover you To proceed This one scripture Ephe. 4. 11. 12. truely expounded and according to the Apostles meaning serves at one blow to overthrow the whol ministery of your Church of England and all communion with it Your whol plea for your Ministery is that you teach the word of God the true word of God and therewith you invite all your guests vnto your baÌ„quet But now if your ministery be not the Ministery which Christ hath set vp in his Ch noâ— of the gifts which he hath giveÌ„ vnto his Church but of an other sort foundatioÌ„ then it followes that no felowship or coÌ„munioÌ„ is to be had with it vnder any plausible pretense nor vpon any experimentall profit neyther The officers theÌ„ which Christ hath given for the aedificatioÌ„ of his Church to the worlds end are Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers Ephe. 4. 11. 12. Now the first three sorts of these abovenamed were extraordinary extraordinarily endued for the first publishing of faith and planting of Churches and so as temporary are ceased with their endowments and this you graunt in effect pag. 184. of your last book And for the Pastorâ— and Teachers here spoken of you Mr B and the Ministers of your order would be thought the men Of what sort then I pray you are your grand Metropolitans your Archbishops Bishops Suffraganes Deanes Archdeacons Chauncelours Officials and the residew of that Lordly Clergy They must needs be of some other order then is here named and the gifts of some other cheif Lord then of Christ when he ascended on high and gave his gifts that is Antichrist whose gifts they were when he ascended on high even to the throne of his Apostasy And now for you which are set over the particular Parishes to teach the people as I confesse you of all the rest to be likest vnto the true Pastours so by your own confession are you excluded froÌ„ that rank The Officers which Christ hath appointed when he ascended have received power by your own assertion not onely for preaching and administring the sacraments but for government also The want then of the power of government bewrayeth you to be anothers gift then Christs even his and none others which hath devised an other order and distribution of giftes then ever came into Christs hart to appoint Lastly as it is true you affirm that Christ never sayd to the body of the congregation viz in expresse termes go preach so is it most vntrue which you intend viz that he never gave libertie and charge to any out of office to teach in the exercise of prophesy This point I have touched formerly but will more fully handle hereafter The same I also affirme in the second place touching the power of government not opposing your words well interpreted but your meaning which is that none but men in office have power eyther to reforme any abuse in the Church or to perform any other necessary Church duty without them And for shutting vp of this fourth Argument let it be considered that here is a great difference in administration of doctrine by teaching and of admonition excommunication in the order of discipline Onely one man in the Church doth teach at once and all the rest both Elders people are taught by him but the whol Church may admonish or excommunicate one or more at once or by one act and so though Christ never say to the Church goe teach yet he sayth to the Ch admonish excommunicate Mat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. In doctrine one man teacheth the whol Church the whol Church is taught in disciplyne the whole Church reproveth and excommunicateth one man and hiâ— censureth And thus your light Mr B. which you boast is as clearâ— as the sun in the firmament of heaven is darkened your sun is gone downe at noon day Amos 8. 9. The fifth reason is thus layd down It is never to be found in all the old testament that the people but princes and ecclesiasticall governours men in authority were reproved for suffring holy things to be abused Ezech. 22. 26. 1 Sam. 2. 27. 1 King 13. so in the new testament Math. 23. Rev. 2. 1. 8. 12. 18. and 3. 1. 7. 14. no meÌ„tion in these places is made of the people It seems Mr B. hath learnt of them which give counsel to affirme all things peremptorily vnder hope to find some men with whom a confident affirmation will go as far as a modest proof But here as alwayes I do except against as a corner stone of Babylon your vnequall yoaking of ecclesiasticall Officers Ministers in the govermeÌ„t of the Church with Princes Magistrates in their civil authority there is no proportion betwixt them A Lyon and an Ox will payr better then these two kinds of governours and governments Neyther can it be rightly sayd of Church officers that they are men in authority they are men in service and charge whether we respect God or the Church They have power I graunt for they have the gospell to preach minister which is the power of God to salvation they are to speak with authority and that also in the order of office and by speciall commission And so the Evangelists testifie of Christ that he taught as having authority and not as the scribes the reason was that where the manner of teaching amongst the Scribes was very corrupt and degenerate affecting the peoples harts with no reverence of God Christ on the contrary did manifest
Prophet must first haue his hand vpon him whom the rest of the people must follow in putting him to death The last words Publican and Heathen do not declare that Christ speakes of the Iewes at that time eyther onely or civily but serve for other purposes as I shall presently manifest taking Arguments from these words as from all the rest to prove that Christ here speakes of sinne and of excommunication for sinne My first Reason I draw from the cohaerence wherein I have formerly manifested Christ speakes not of private injuries onely but of all such scandalles as are to be found in that streyt way to heaveÌ„ no nor of injuries at all as they hurt the outward man but as they are sinnes and hurt and hinder the soul in the way of godlynes and so by the consequence of cohaerence if Christs words hang one vpon an other he speaks v. 15. 16. 17. of sinne and the carying of it 2. I reason from the terme brother which since it apperteyned at this tyme froÌ„ the disciples to many which might not be brought before the Iewish Synedrion as to the beleeving Romaynes Samaritans and the like cannot be meant as is pretended but speaks of a religious fellowship to which any brother may be brought of what country or condition soever As the word haâ—artáno turned offend is of generall signification by your own graunt and so cannot be restreyned to that particular kind of offence so is it most properly vsed for sinne and that vsually by this Evangelist Mat. 3. 6. 9. 2. 12. 31. and 26. 28. and which is specially to be observed when Luke would speak of trespasses or offences as sinnes against God he vseth this word but when in the same place he speaks of them as of injuries against men he vseth another word Ch. 11. 4. And see how soundly Mr B. deales when he should shew that the word turned offend is not meant of sinnes but of injuries he brings in foure principall writers varying as he sayth about the word and yet the vnadvised man considers not that all four of them as he himself alledges them vnderstand it of sinne and not one of them of injuries so speak against him If Christ here spake of injuries where he sayth if he heare thee thou hast wonne or gayned thy brother he would haue sayd thou hast wonne or gayned thy goods or good name wherein he injuryed thee If these words be meant of injuries and wrongs then Christ commaunds his disciples not to suffer wrongs at their brethrens hands but to deal with them in the order here prescribed for Christ expresly commaunds to tell the Church and so Christs doctrine and Pauls teaching the suffring of wrong should contradict the one the other By this exposition one Iew might account an other as an heathen which was vtterly vnlawfull he might not refuse religious communion with him in the temple into which no heathen might come he might not deny him a portion in the land of Canaan the type of the kingdome of heaven he might not account or call him other then a brother whatsoever he were till the time came of the Iewes defraction or breaking off for vnbeleef Act. 7. 2. 22. 1. 33. 1. Rom. 11. 17. This interpretation confirmes a point of Anabaptistry namely that it is not lawfull for brethren so remayning to sue at Caesars barre where it is most evident that brethren alwayes might and may yea such a case may fall out ought to sue without any alienation of affection or such heathenish thought one of another as Mr B. would have Christ in this place to commend vnto them for even these last words let him be to thee as an heathen and publican are a commaundement as let your speach be yea yea nay nay hundreds others delivered in the scriptures vnder the same form of words And to conclude Christ our Saviour in these words describes excommunication by the effects of it which are withdrawing from the brother obstinate in sinne both in religious and civile fellowship and familiaritie as the Iewes did withdraw both froÌ„ the Heathens and Publicans in both Ioh. 4. 9. Act. 10. 3. 31. 28. Luk. 15. 2. 15. 10. 11. And this very phrase Paul most clearely expounds when he directs the Church 1 Cor. 5. 11. not to be commingled with obstinate offenders nor to eat with them this ever provided that no excommunication or other act in religion whatsoever may dissolve eyther civil or naturall societie The next Reason is drawne from verse 18. where Christ ratifying in the hands of his Church this his power speaks in expresse terms of binding and loosing not onely in earth but in heaven also which words me thinks alone should satisfie the conscience of any godly minded man yea and stop the mouth of the most shameles that Christ speaks of sinne and sin onely Yet is Mr B. neyther satisfied nor silent but replyes that binding and loosing in this place is not properly or onely to be vnderstood of Christs Ministers but is allowed to private persons and for this pag. 223 he brings sundry reasons Consider Reader this severe censurer of Mr Smythes vnstablenes Mr B. in his former book pag. 95. will have this power of binding and loosing spoken of in this place to be in the officers of the Châ— two or three and at no hand in private persons and for this there he brings sundry reasons in this his next book this power is â—lâ—tâ—ed to two or three private persons and must not be drawne to the Ministerie onely and for this he brings as many reasons Observe further the very sum of Mr B. answer is that Christ speaks not here of binding and loosing in the office of Ministerie So we affirm that by two or three having this power cannot be meant two or three Ministers considered severally from the body which alone are not the Church for any publick administration but the officers of the Church but by two or three are meant the meanest coÌ„munion or societie of saints whether with officers or without officers And is this a sufficient answering of an adversary to bring sundry reasons to prove the very thing which he affirmes Adde to all these that where the injuries offred to Christs disciples and such as would respect his direction were vsually for the profession of Christ it had been a most idle course to have complayned eyther to the Iewish Synedrion or Romish Magistracy which would have added injurie to injurie Lastly where Christ v. 23. in his answer to Peters quaestion makes the protasis or first part of his comparison the kingdom of heaven which is the Church he shewes plainely that all the while he hath spoken of Church affaires and the carying of them And thus much to prove that the Lord Iesus the King of his Church hath left in this 18. of Math a rule order
no Papists in your kingdom I may say in your Parish or are Papists become no idolaters with you as Rome was right now no false Church nor Iesuites false subiects The face of your charity Mr B. is so full set towards Rome and Papists as no marvayl though you be so vnequall towards vs as you are The truth is you are in the most streyt bond of civil society with Popish idolaters that may be Ther is nothing more common amongst them of your Church then to ioyn in mariage with them neyther is there to my knowledge amongst all your canons any one against this prophane commixture Neyther is it any thing you speak of living vnder a Christian King or with a people professing Christ for idolaters may live vnder a Christian King and professe Christ too in a measure as both many others and all antichristiaÌ„ idolaters do Yea I have formerly manifested that you live not onely in civill but even in religious society with Papists and you your self graunt as much of Atheists in the beginning of your book and will you say that visible Atheists are true visible matter of the Church and capable by the word of God of true visible fellowship and communion with Christ and the true members of his body The scope of â—e scripture followeth which say you iâ— that the beleeving Corintâ—ians may have no fellowship with the infidels and vnbeleevers to their evill works but that they reprove condemn hate and avoyd them Belike then they might haue had fellowship with them in any good work and so if any of the heathen or infidell Corinthians would haue communicated with the Christian Corinthians in the sacraments or prayer they might not haue refused their fellowship or communion herein For by your exposition the Apostle onely forbids partaking with them in evill works the works of darknes Of which more hereafter And here in our names you frame an obiection the sum whereof is that if all the godly would separate from all the wicked then there should be no wicked of the Church Vnto which you answer sundry things but how sufficiently will appear in the particulars First you say God commaunds not his to separate wholly from all the wicked but from Infidels Gentiles Idolaters Iewes Turks Papists whose very societies are to be left as no people of God Well then I perceive all religious fellowship with Papists is vnlawfull and that their societies are no people of God And how agrees this with your other affirmations that Rome is a true Church Papists true Christians though under corruptions as it was true Iob though vnder soars baptism there a true sacrament and seal of the covenaunt yet here the societies of Papists are no people of God that is in no covenant with him Or how doth this separatioÌ„ thus wholly to be made from Papists agree with that you write pag. 91. of ioyning in prayer with such Papists as though they be of the Church of Rome yet sorrow for the abhominations and as are come out from it in their soules the best part though not so in their bodyes The distinction you put between Infidels and idolaters and men of prophane life wee shall consider of in due place for your speach of all the Church falling into the estate of infidelity and so â—â—dged of the Church eyther it is without sense or I which vnderstand it not Now to that you adde of separating from the private familiarity of the wicked living in the society of the godly and that if they will not be reformed other courses are to be taken with them as their sin of obstinacy deserves I answer these things First that as there is a case wherein private withdrawing from a brother is warrantable namely when his offence is private and he privately obstinate that his sinne eyther cannot be or is not yet made publick publiquely â—vinâ—â—d so to separate from men privately and that onely for publick offences is a course without ground either of scripture or rea son You say pag. 144. that alvin so expounds 1 Cor. 5. 11. and therevpoÌ„ do take an occasion to accuse our practise as Brownisticall vs of Luciferian schisme Pharisaicall pride As I leave your raylings to be iudged by the Lord so do I give the reader to vnderstand how you grossely abuse Calvins authority who expounds that scripture as all men know it is meant of excommunicates and of mens private cariage towards them with which publick separation is also to be joyned I suppose you your self will not deny it And where you speak of an other course to be taken with wicked men that wil not be reformed you should also shew what that course is and what is to be done if that course be not taken but you have thought it a point of your wisdome to be silent in these things least by opening them too particularly you should discover your own shame The course to be taken is the censuring of such incorrigible offenders by the particular congregation whereof they are being gathered together in the name of Christ by the power of Christ with which power divine and heavenly priviledge he hath furnished his Churches every one of them as well as that one of Corinth neyther doth any true Church of Christ want this power or neglect the vse of it without sinne And if any Church of Christ would neglect to vse this power against scandalous sin manifestly proved and coÌ„vinced would obstinately continue notwithstanding all good meanes vsed to the contrary this sower leaven vnpurged out the whole lump were levened and with leven might not the Passeover be eaten And as the Church if sin do arise is first to endeavour the casting out of the sinne by the sinners repentance and if that will not be in the last place to cast out the sinne and sinner together so if the Church do wickedly bear out and boulster iniquity amongst themselves such as are faithfull are first to quit themselves of that Church-sin by testifying against it and reproving it and in the last place to quit themselves of the Church if it remayn incurable Now here you bring in certayn differences distinctions of separation but without application The first I omit as being before handled so much as concerns the present purpose The 2. difference is between the wicked remayning amoÌ„g the godly the godly being of the felowship of the wicked this differece I acknowledg withall affirm that the latter part of it notes out the estate of your nationall Church wherein a few godly mynded in comparison live in the fellowship of a wicked and sinfull nation And if persons excommunicate by the Church be not of her fellowship then certaynly the number of the godly in your fellowship is very small since your nationall Church representative the convocatioÌ„ house whose Act also pag 147. you avouch to be the Act of all the Church so to be
he so much as commaund them any thing and here the Lord sets a people apart to be his and separates them from others in respect of some special peice of service appointed them The things you speak are contrary but neyther of them true The Lord never did nor will take people vnto him but by their submission and obedience vnto his commaundements and for that speciall service of God enioyned the Israelites it was an effect of their separation from other people and covenaunt with God and no cause by or for which they became the Lords separated people We must alwayes consider the Church of God principally and properly in the persons of men and secondarily in their works as we must first consider the vineyard in the trees and afterwards in the fruites they bring forth And so was Israel separated and set apart from other people Your addition thaâ— by other people is meant such as worshipped nâ—â—â—he true God which is nothing to you which worship Iesus Christ c. and that there is no place to prove that Israelites were to separate from other Israelites for their corruptions as false matter is like that which goes before For first Papists and Anabaptists with Idolaters and Heretiques many mo do worship Iesus Christ from whose societies notwithstanding you professe separation 2. The Ismaelites Edomites did worship the true God though not after a true manner and yet the Israelites were a people separated from them so as an Edomite though he had voluntarily joyned himself to the people of God might not beare any publick office amongst them to the third generatioÌ„ which you too ignoraÌ„tly expound pag. 248 of his admission into the Church Yea I do further adde that even Israelites and those which came of Israel or Iaakob were coÌ„maunded to separate themselves from Israelites and that for an vsurpation in the ministery as the scriptures make it playn Num. 16. as afterwards also vpon Ieroboams defection in the ministery worship holy dayes which he forged in his own hart 2 Chron. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. with â— King 12. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. And thus is the exposition cleared against your frivolous exceptions of such scriptures in Levit and els where as make mention of the separation of the Iewish nation from all other nations which do fitly also serve to confirm justifie the separation of all the Churches in the new testament from such people and assemblies in all nations as of whom the Lord by his revealed will cannot besayd to accept as I am sure he cannot prophane and godles persons Now bycause the yssue of all controversies depends vpon the true exposition of the scriptures whose letter men will bring on both sides and that Mr B. takes speciall exception in this place against the expositions we give of such scriptures as seem to vs most materiall for our separation I wil therefore take in his exceptions as I return whence I came and make manifest as God inableth me the insufficiencie of them The next place that comes into coÌ„sideratioÌ„ is Act. 2 40. where â—ayth Mr B. Peter speakes to the Iewes of such Iewes as denyed Christ renounced the very foundation even Iesus Christ which is if we will beleeve him nothing to them that profesie him to be the true Messias It seemes then that separation is not to be made from the Papists for they hold Iâ—sus Christ to be the true Messias the very foundation yea even the merit of their works do they found vpon the merit of Christs obedience derogating lesse in truth though far too much from theÌ„ vertue of his Preisthood then you do in the constitution of your Church from the dignity of his kingdom in the outward government administration of it 2. Your nationall Church is so farre from being separated from them that deny Christ as it is indeed for substance compact and gathered of such to wit of impure and prophane persons who whatsoever they do professe â—â— word do deny in deed and visibly both God and our Lord Iesus Christ as the scriptures do expresly testifie And to deny that apparant wicked and prophane men or Churches do rayse the foundation of religion is a prophane errour tending to libertiuism and which foundeth all religion and Christianity in the brayn and nothing in the heart Lastly Peters exhortation vpon the occasion in hand was that the faithful Iewes should separate from that froward generation wherevpon the generall doctrine is rightly raysed that the faithfull at all tymes must be separated from all froward generations And of this duty wee are to make the greater conscience considering the words of the Apostle which are that we save our selves from such froward generations as indeed considering the duty we ow vnto our brethreÌ„ for their humbling if they be froward in sinne the discomfort wee haue in continuing communion with them the want of that godly furtherance wee should haue by our brethren in our holy communion and lastly the daunger wherein wee stand eyther to be corrupted by them or at least to haue our zeal and other graces of God decayed in vs our salvation doth not a little consist in our departure from the assembly of the prophane as Beza rightly notes vpon this scripture Of the same nature with the former place is the next in order where the Apostle Paul both departs himself separates the disciples from such as were hardened and would not obey but spake evill of the way of the Lord before the multitude Act. 19. 8. 9. But this you say proves not our purpose and your exceptions are First that our way is not the way of God 2. that if is were yet wee have not spoken to all your Church made it known to all nor haue found all hard hearted and 3. that the place teacheth separation from such obstinate wicked which will not bee wonne to the Church and that here is a departing of some true members of the Church from such as be not the Church but not of members of the true Church forsaking meÌ„bers of the true Church That our way is the way of God appeareth by this very scripture amongst many others wherein also wee haue both the reformists at home and reformed Churches abroad giving testimony with vs for the substance of it But put the case ours be not yet if the way of the reformed Churches be the way of God our separation is justified by this scripture For first your convocatioÌ„ house Church representative is hardened against the way of the reformed Churches blaspheming and persecuting it and all them that eyther seek or plead for it And their act being the cheif is by your own graunt to be accounted the act of all though the rest come not to consent so that you are all by your own words to be acounted a disobedient and hardened people vpon the former praemises namely that the way of the
reader may see in both his books from their gifts and aptnes to teach from their holy graces their painfull and zealous preaching their suppressing of Popery and conversion of soules with other the like effects of the truthes of the gospel published and taught by them which things since he dares not affirm of the scandalous vnpreaching Preists he cunningly passeth them by as some small moat faln into the Church by the covetousnes of Much-wormly patrons but contrary to the true meaning of the lawes and without the least default of the Bishops or Archbishops as though the covetous Patrons could present them except the vngodly Bishops had first ordeyned them If he had undertaken the justification but as true though not as good both of the vnpreaching and preaching Ministers he must have sought and produced such Arguments as would haue agreed to both but finding himself able to make no shew at all for the ignorant idle and scandalous sort having no colours to paynt no morter to dawb over those filthy stones no not to any shew he smothers all them though far the greater both in number and authority and in deed the almost onely true formall ministers according to the Church canon and constitution and presents to the reader a few dispersed disgraced tolerated and tolerating persons and vndertakes their defence manifesting himself a right naturall merchant of that great whore in shewing some handfull of tolerable wares thereby to deceive the simple buyer with the whole peice or heap of rotten stuffe which goes with them Now on the contrary if Mr B. should not haue defended men of lewd conversation as true visible matter of the Church and members of Christs body he could not haue justifyed with any colour the Nationall Provinciall Diocesan and Parish Churches or any one of them as true since they were all at the first collected and do still consist for the greatest part of such people and so disposed He therefore takes liberty vnto himself to make such defence and for so much of his Church and Ministery as will serve his turn amongst the deceived multitude and of no more But the mayn point in this place about this matter in hand to be considered of is whether ability to preach be a qualification and so preaching a work necessarily required in the ministery of Engl according to the true meaning of the lawes ecclesiasticall civil and the book of ordination This Mr B. takes for graunted affirmatively and vpon it as a mayn ground builds his whole treatise about this matter but I on the contrary do affirm that this is so is known to be to all that mind it with wisdom good conscience cleane otherwise and that neyther this ability nor practise of preaching is of necessity required to the true and naturall constitution of the English ministery in the meaning of the lawes established in that case And for the confirmation of that I affirm against this mans presumptuous asseveration these proofs suffice First the books of Homilies published and confirmed by law to be read of such ministers as cannot preach do evidently declare that ability to preach is not necessarily required of all in the true meaning of the law 2. By the statute law of the land and in particular by one statute enacted for the prevention of vnworthy ministers though wanting the book I cannot set down the title tyme or order of it he that is eyther a Bachilour of arts in one of the Universities or can give an account of his faith in latin or hath been brought vp in a Bishops house though he haue been his porter or horsekeeper or hath a gift in preaching is capable of orders and may be by the Bishop ordeyned a minister so that by the expresse letter and playn meaning of the law aptnes and ability to teach is not necessarily required in the English ministery If he haue any one of the three former qualifications the law approves of him and being ordeyned the Patron may present him to any congregation in the land whom the Bishop also must institute the Archdeacon induct and the people receive and may be therevnto compelled whither they will or no. Adde vnto these that your canons and constitutions framed by the convocation house and confirmed by the Kings royall assent so being the lawes ecclesiasticall of your Church by your doctrine Mr B. the Act of all the Church though the inferiours come not to consent do not onely approve an vnpreaching Ministery but also lay deep curses and Anathemaes vpon all that deny eyther the truth or lawfulnes of it To this also I might annex that it is a very common doctrine with your Prelates and their Chaplins and faction that preaching is no necessary annexum or appurtenance vnto Orders which they also offer to defend against all gainsayers But it seems you haue speciall reference to the book of ordination let vs therefore see what it makes for you or your purpose That you build vpon I know iâ— these words of the Bishop when he orders his Preist and delivers him the Bible in his hand Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy sacraments in this congregation where thou shalt be so appointed The words I hear and acknowledge but the true meaning of the book I deny it to be that every Minister should be able to preach It may as wel be sayd it is the meaning of the book that that every Preist should be ordeyned in the particular congregation where he is to minister bycause of the latter words in this congregation where thou shalt be so appoynted and that he is to minister the discipline of Christ as well as the doctrine and sacraments bycause such words passe betwixt him and the Bishop in another place of the same book It is not the least delusion of Sathan or mistery that such formes of good wordes are reteyned both in the Romish English Church without any truth eyther of purpose or practise in those which vse them for by them the eyes of the simple are easily bleared by such deceivable merchants as right now I spake of though it be not without a speciall providence of God that these the like forms of words should be vsed for the more full conviction and condemnation of them that chuse to be deceived as I have formerly noted in this book To conclude this poynt The reading of the service book in form and maner the celebrating of mariage churching of women burying of the dead conformity and subscription are more essentiall to your ministery and more necessarily requyred by the lawes of your Church both civil and ecclesiasticall then preaching of the gospel is The wearing of the surplice and signing with the crosse in baptism are of absolute necessity without partial dispensation yea I may ad violation of oath by the Bishops whereas preaching of the word is no
onely to a speciall work but not called to any office 3. It appeareth that Paul and Barnabas were not separated sent by the governours onely but by the Church with them wherin they ministred and which joyned with them in prayer and fasting and so consequently in dismissing or letting them go ver 2. 3. though most like the ceremony of imposition of hands was performed onely by the Teachers and Prophets but with the foregoing consent of the Church according to the expresse direction of the holy Ghost And that not the governours severally but the Church with them separated and sent them vnder the Lords expresse nomination appears evidently Act. 14. 27. where vpon their return they made relation not to the officers but to the Church gathered together for that purpose what things the Lord had wrought by theÌ„ that so not onely the grace of God towards the Gentiles might be taken knowledge of and magnified but also that their service ministration might be approved to the Church which sent them And thus all may see how injurious this man is to the right and liberty of the brethren as formerly in the censures so here in the choise of officers making the governours alone the Church both in the one and the other And being both of them Church matters and parts of the publique administration of Christs kingdom the same scriptures which demonstrate the peoples interest in the one do conclude the same in the other In the beginning the Lord Iesus and his Apostles by his spirit appointed none other true visible Churches but particular coÌ„gregations of faythfull people for of the vanity of representative Churches in the new testament I have formerly spoken but as knowledge puffeth vp so within a few ages the officers and governours of the Church being men of knowledge began to swell with that poysoned humour of pride ambition wherewith Antichrist had infected them especially when they were once setled in peace and plenty and taking withall partly advantage by the peoples negligence in themselves and superstitious admiration of their guides and partly occasion by the abuse of their liberty have been bold to engrosse the liberties of the whole Church into their own hands and with them the name They alone must haue the keyes of the kingdome of heaven hanging at their girdell for the opening shutting of heaven gates which is all one as if in playn termes they should affirm that to them alone were committed the oracles of God the gospel of salvation see Rom. 3. 2. Iude 3. They alone must speak in the Church to adifâ—ing exhortation and comfort and so all the brethren must be silenced in the exercise of prophecying To them alone must the complaints of sinns be brought and they alone must be heard in the reforming of them and thus must the bottomles gulf of the governours authority svvallovv vp the brethrens liberty in the reproving and censuring of offenders They alone are to separate and chuse the ministers and of this branch of the povver of Christ amongst the rest must the body of the Church be stript And as there is no end of errours vvhere they once begin especially of those vvhich tend to the advancement of the man of sin in his Ministers above all that is called God so hath this iniquity prevayled yet further even to the bereaving of the people of the cup in the Lords supper and of the very scriptures in their mothers tongue the Preists alone communicating in both parts of the supper and inclosing the scriptures themselves vvith in the Romish or Latine language vvhich they alone to speak of vnderstood Yea to conclude so effectuall hath the delusion of Satan been this vvay that it hath been vniversally taught and beleeved that an implicite faith vvas sufficient in the lay people that no more vvas required of them then to beleeve as the Church that is the guides and governours of the Church beleeved though they were vtterly ignorant what their fayth was And what lesse in effect doth M. B. affirm in his 2. book where he writes that if the cheif do voluniarily receive professe proclaym a faith or religion it is to be accounted the act of all though the inferiours come not to consent he might as well haue added though they be ignorant of it or what it meanes Yea doth not this conclusion follow vpon the former ground that the officers are the Church Mat. 18. for the reproving censuring of offenders and for the binding loosing of sinns If the Officers be the Church for one religious or spirituall determination why not for an other And if the censures agreed vpon and ministred by the Officers be by way of representation the censures of the Church without the actuall consent of the people why is not the faith agreed vpon and published by the officers the fayth of the Church by way of representation before the peoples distinct knowledge of it or actuall consent vnto it Put the case the officers change their auncient fayth in some mayn point wherein the body of the Church still abideth and so differeth from them and that they take occasion to excommunicate some brother or brethrâ—n that most opposes them if this excommunication of the officers be the excoÌ„munication of the Church representatively without the peoples consent then is this new faith also of the officers for which this excommunication is practised the faith of the people notwithstanding their not onely not consenting vnto but their vtter dissenting from the same Now as the governours did thus engrosse the power and libertyes of the Church so no marvayl though with them they assumed the name Hence is it that they alone are called the Church the Clergy the spiritually the prophane idiotish laity are excluded both from the title and thing Symon the Sadler Toâ—â—kâ—â— the Taylour Belly the Bellowes-maker must be no Church men nor meddle with Ch matters As though it were eyther not true or to no purpose which is written that Christ himself vvas a Carpenter Paul a â—enâ—maker Peter Andrew Iames Iohn Fishermen One onely thing more I vvill adde so conclude this point which is that the Preists vvere not more eager at the first vpon the people till they had svvallovved vp their liberty then they vvere afterwards one vpon an other till one had gotten all from whom as from the Catholick visible head all power should issue and be derived to the severall partes of the body And hovv clean a vvay Mr Bern. and others vvhich knovving better have the more sin make to this mischeif in pleading that Paul alone 1 Cor. 5. the severall Angels alone in the severall Churches Rev. 2. 3. vvere to reform and censure abuses let the vvise reader judge The 2. allegation made by Mr B. against vvhich I except is that the Ministers vvith them have all things in substance required by the word of God for
people then were very iudicious and able to make a choise whereas it is now far otherwise with many it is of some consideration for the people Church of England but of none at all for the people Church of God If the people in the parish assemblies there should vsurp this power it would be far otherwise with them indeed for the most part then with people iudicious or able to make a choise Can blind men judge of colours or naturall men of spirituall things If a man would prophesie vnto them of wine and strong drink he were a Prophet for such a people It is certayn they would chuse Ministers like themselves ignorant loose fellowes for the most part the saying of the Prophet would be verifyed as is the people so is the Preist And yet worse then are made and chosen by the Bishops and Patrons generally they could hardly find But observe your self Mr B. when you plead for the ignorance and prophanenes of your own people you write that the Apostles received into the Churches persons very ignoraÌ„t and of lewd conversation Now when you come to plead against the liberty of the people of God you make them in the Apostles tymes to have been very iudicious able to discern of things far otherwise then the people now are Now for the exception it self it is of no valew But as the ordinances and administration of the Iewish Church remayned the same and vnalterable though the peoples knowledge were not alwayes the same but sometimes greater sometimes lesse so is it in the estate of the new testament with all theÌ„ which deem that Christ the Sonne is worthy of as much honour in his ordinances as was Moses a servant of the house in his And if this devise were admitted of that the liberty of the people should eb and flow according to the measure of their knowledge then should not all the brethren in the same Church haue the same Christian liberty in the choise of officers censuring of offenders and the like ordinances for all have not the same measure of knowledge nay it may be scarce two of all so divers is the dispensation of grace to the severall members Then should scarce two severall Churches in the world injoy the same Christian liberty the one with the other no nor any one with it self any long tyme since one Church differeth from another yea from it self at divers times in the measure degree of knowledge and other graces of God Besides if we should wey together in the ballances the Churches of Christ now and in the Apostles times the Christian liberty of the people would rather sway the ballance this way then the other way and to the people now then in the Apostles dayes For first there were present with the people in those first times besides other extraordinary officers extraordinarily indowed the Apostles themselves those great Maister-buylders which if any other in the world might lawfully haue deprived the people of their power in this the like cases which notwithstaÌ„ding they did not but on the coÌ„trary did faithfully inform direct theÌ„ according to the coÌ„maundement of Christ in the right lawful vse of the same And yet notwithstanding the Bishops of the Romish and English Church though not worthy so much as of the name of daubers in the Lords house in comparison of those other Maister-buylders dare without fear or shame engrosse all into their owne hands and haue their proctours this man and others many a one to plead for them in their vsurpation 2. The Churches in the Apostles tyme were newly converted froÌ„ Iudaism and Paganism and had still cleaving vnto them much ignorance in many great poynts And in particular the disciples or Church at Ierusalem after they were both possessed and had vse of this power of chusing officers were ignorant of no lesse a point then the calling of the Gentiles of which or the like mayn ground of religion no true Church of Christ now is ignorant as that Ch then was And thus it appeareth that the choise of Officers by the people in the primitive Churches was not a matter casual or of the Apostles courtesy but a commaundement of Christ left penned by the H. Ghost as is the rest of that story and of those Acts of the Apostles for our direction and the direction of all the Churches of Christ to the worlds end One shift more Mr Bernard makes from which he must be put and that is that the Patron chuseth for the people a fit man whom the Bishop finding fit by examination ordeyneth and that this is a lawfull calling To let passe that the Patrons vsually choose not for the people but for themselves and their own profits and pleasures which though it be apparant to all men is not without cause winked at by the Bishops considering how and by what meanes they procure their own choise I answer first that the patron doth not chuse for the people that is as the people did chuse in the Apostles tymes For the people then made choise of such as were before private persons but by their election to be ordeyned into office where the Patron chuseth a Clerk who is in office already and ordeyned by the Bishop before the Patron make choise of him The Bishop doth at the first make him a Minister at large and not of any particular Church and so sends him as it were to graze vpon the Commons till afterwards he be found by or rather find some Patron which by his presentation makes a gap and lets him into some vacant Vicarage or Parsonage there to minister accordingly But admit in the 2. place that the Patron stood in the room of the people to choose for them I would demaund who set him there or where the scriptures do eyther teach or approve of any such Aâ—â—urney-ships in the matters of religion of Gods worship as you make by telling vs in one place that the officers do make professioÌ„ of faith in another that they censure offenders here that they chuse Ministers for the people If som one maÌ„ in a parish had â—ntaâ—lâ—d to him and his heyres for ever the power of appoynting housbands to all the women in the parrish the bondage were intollerable though in a matter of Civile nature how much more intollerable then is the spirituall bondage of the parrish assemblyes vnder the imperious presentations of those Lord patrons whose Clerks they must receive and submit vnto whither they wil or no Great is the sin of the people which loose this liberty greater of the Patrons which engrosse it but the greatest of all is that for the Ministers which by their doctrine practise confirm both the one and the other in their iniquity all three conspiring together in this that they alter the ordinances and commaundements of Christ by his Apostles and so both diminish of his
sheep aâ— his own the people are very improperly called the Ministers sheep Christ sayth not vnto Peter feed thy sheep but my sheep 2. To take your own exposition Mr B. how can your Praelates whom in the 6. Argument you make sheepheards call their sheep by name or take notice of watch over their whole Diocesan and Provinciall flocks Yea if your self or any one amongst you take notice of your people as the flock of Christ and of their growth in religion they take notice of that which is not I speak of the flock though I doubt noâ— but there are some sheep straying from the right fould in your heards Of the abyding of your Ministers with their flockes wee shall speak hereafter onely this in the mean while that considering how many flocks you your self Mr B. have forsaken me thinks you should haue forborn in wisdome to make this one property of a true sheepheard A 4. property of a good sheepheard you say you have which is to lead forth your sheep viz from pasture to pasture from milk to strong meat c. There are many faire and wholsome pastures in the feild of Gods word into vvhich you do not lead your sheep no nor so much as point to them with the finger neyther indeed dare you because they are hedged in with humain authority your statutes canons ecclesiastical Nay all your care is to keep your people from the knowledg of them least they should break through those thorny hedges at which you stick The 5. and last property for which you commend your selues is your going before the flockes that is in godly conversation As I acknowledge the vnblameable conversation of many amongst you so do many Papists Anabaptists and other vile haeretiques and schismatiques walk as vnblameably this vvay as you and yet are they not true sheepheards of Christs sheep But by the sheepheards going before the sheep in this place is meant as I take it partly the care of the minister in governing the people partly his constancy in danger to which he exposeth himself in the forefront and in these respects he is sayd to goe before the flock Now fâ—ll â—ll do these properties agree vvith the Ministers for whome Mr Bernard pleadeth Who as they govern not the people at all but are themselves the people with them vnder the government of their Diocesan and Provinciall Pastours so do they in the tyme of danger most perfidiously forsake their flockes wherein their sin is the greater considering the faythfull promise which you your self testify they make in the open congregation diligently to watch over their flockes Now howsoever that which hath been spoken vvill appear I doubt not sufficient to force Mr B. from this 10 of Iohn yet bycause he dâ—â—ms it so strong an hold for him as we cannot overthrow it we will adventure a litle further vpon it and see whither there be not to be found in it sufficient of the Lords munition not onâ—ly to batter the wall but even to rase the foundation of the ministery of England for which he pleadeth First then all true sheepheards are set over flocks of sheep to feed them But the ministers in England were not set over flocks of sheep but indeed over heards of swine goates and dogges with some few sheep scattered amongst them Which the wild filthy beastes push worry and defile Therfore the ministers of England are not true sheepheards 2. True sheepheards enter in by the dore Christ v. 2. 7. that is by the meanes which his Apostles at his appoyntment haue commended vnto the Churches act 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. 14. 23. But the ministers in England enter into their charges by the presentatioÌ„ of a Patron the institutioÌ„ of a Praelate the inductioÌ„ of an ArchdeacoÌ„ which is not the dore opened by Christ for the sheepheard to enter by but a lather set vp by Antichrist wherby to clime over the fold 3. The shepheard is by his office to feed and govern the flock as Mr B himselfe testifieth from this scripture But as seeding that is reaching or preaching vnto the people as is his meaning is no part of the parish Preists duety but a casual and super-erogarory work so are they altogether stript of government and therefore no true sheepheards of Christs flocks Lastly the good sheepheard seing danger towards the sheep will rather give his life then â—lee where on the contrary the hireling sâ—ing the wolf comming sleeth because he is an hyreling ver 11. 12. 13. wherevpon it followeth that the ministers Mr B. cheifly meanes leaving their flocks vpon the Bishops vngodly suspensions and deprivations as vpon the baâ—king of a wolfe do evidently proclaym to all the world that they are no good sheepheards but hyrelings And so far am I perswaded of hundreds amongst them that I doubt not but if they thought in their harts they were by Christs appointment set in their charges and by him coÌ„maunded there to minister they would never so fowly as they do forsake their flocks vpon the suspension or deprivation of a prophane Praelate or Chauncelour for refusing conformity or subscription to their popish devises When DAVID was in his greatest trials and that his enemies laboured most eyther to frustrate or deprive him of his kingdom and so to turn his glory into shame his comfort was that God had set him as his King vpon Syon the mountayn of his holynes and that the Lord had chosen or separated him vnto himself Likewise vvhen Iakob was in that great both danger and fear of his brother Esau the thing that susteyned him was that God had sayd vnto him return unto thy country and to thy fathers kindred I will do the good And as it was with these two so is it with all the servants of God both in their generall speciall callings When they haue assurance by the word and spirit of God that he is the authour of their calling then do they with patience and comfort of the H. Ghost suffer such trials and afflictions as are incident therevnto where on the contrary wanting thiâ— assurance they are soon discouraged even in the good things they do if persequutions do arise and being without the Lords calling no marvayl though they want his comfort The Apostle Paul advertiseth the Elders of Ephesus that they are made overseers or Bishops of the flock by the H. Ghost and thereupon takes occasion to exhort them to all vigilancy faythfulnes against the invasion of such wolves aâ— should enter in to devour the flock Now if those men of whom I speak be perswaded that they at placed in their charges by the H. Ghost how do they forsake theÌ„ not being by him displaced or do they think the H. Ghost lisplaceth them for their weldoing or for their refusing to do evil as to subâ—ctibe conform and the like They speak of the seal
circumcision was admitted into the teÌ„ple into which no mâ—n vncircumcised might enter and to the participation of the Passeover whereof none vncircumsed person might eat But that any person should by vertue of his office of Preisthood received in that or the like apostasie have entered into the Lord sanctuary there to have done the Preists office vpon any repentance whatsoever had been an intollerable vsurpation sacrilegious invasion of the holy things of God yea the sonnes of Aaron themselves vnto whom the Preisthood did of right apperteyn if they thus went astray from the Lord after idols were for ever debarred from doing the Preists office notwithstanding any repentance they could make and were to beare all their lives long their iniquity and shame Now by that which hath been spoken of circumcision and the preisthood vnder the law the reader may easily observe the difference betwixt Baptism and the Ministery now The particular application for brevities sake I forbear 4. and lastly the difference betwixt Baptism and the Ministery is exceeding great in respect of that speciall and most necessary relation which the MINISTERY aboue Bapâ—ism hath vnto the CHVRCH whether we respect the enterance into it or continuance in it Wee do read in the scriptures that holy men called thereunto of GOD might lawfully administer BAPTISM vnto fit persons without the consent or cognition of the Church as PHILIP did the SAMARITANS and the EUNUCH ANANIAS SAUL PETER CORNELIUS PAUL LIDIA and the IAYLOUR but now for the appointing of Ministers without the Churches consent and choise that did they not as the scriptures testify M. B. himself coÌ„fesseth And as the enterance of ordinary officers of which we speak doth necessarily praesuppose a Church by whose election they are to enter so doth their coÌ„tinuance require a Church in which as in a subject they must subsist to which they must minister For since the oâ—â—iâ—â— of a Bishop is a work a man is no loÌ„ger a Bb. theÌ„ he worketh It is not with the office of ministery as it is with the order of knighthood that once a Minister ever a Minister The Popish Character is a mere fiction brought in for the confirmation of the sacrament of orders as they call it Whensoever the scriptures do mention Elders or Bishops eyther in respect of theyr calling or ministration they still speak of them as in or of such and such particular Churches and none otherwise And to imagine an Elder or Bishop without a Church is to imagine a Constable without a parrish or hundred a Maior or Alderman without a Corporation or a publique officer without some publique person or society whose officer he is Herevpon also it followeth that if the Church be dissolved by death apostacy or otherwise the Minister ceaseth to be a Minister bycause the Church ceaseth in relation vnto which vnder Christ his Ministery consisteth but on the contrary a baptized person remayns still baptized though the whole Church yea all the Churches of the world be dissolved so long as God his Christ remayn the same into whose name he hath been baptized And of the same consideration is it that a Minister may for some scandalous sin be degraded and deposed from his Ministery as I have formerly shewed as all Churches practise and so that which vvas formerly given him is taken from him and he no more a Minister then he was before his caling yea if he remayn obstinate in his sin he is to be excommunicated so ceasing to be a member he must needs cease to be a Minister of the Church But neyther do the scriptures mention neyther did any Church ever attempt the vn-baptizing of a baptized person And as a man may justly be deposed from his Ministery so may he in cases lawfully depose himself and lay it down as if by the hand of God he be vtterly disabled from ministring as it may come to passe oft tymes doth but for a man to lay down his baptism for any such infirmity were impious as it were sacrilegious for the Church to deprive him thereof To these considerations I might also adde that if a man forfeyt his Ministery and so be deprived of it eyther by deposition or excommunication and be afterwards vpon his repentance judged capable of it he must have a new calling or a confirmation at the least answerable vnto a calling so must it also be with him that is translated from an inferiour office to a superiour but in baptism there may be no such changing or repetition The practise were haereticall Adde vnto these things that as a man once baptized is alwayes baptized so is he in all places and Churches where he comes as a baptized person to enjoy the coÌ„mon benefits of his baptism to discharge the coÌ„mon duties which depend vpon it But a Pastour is not a Pastour in every Church where he comes vpon occasion neither can he require in any other Church saving that one over which the H Ghost hath set him that obedience maintenance and other respect which is due to the officers from the people neyther stands he charged with that Ministery and service which is due to the people from the Officers if you Mr B. say otherwise you make every Pastour a Pope or vniversall Bishop Epaphras though he were at Rome was one of them that is a Minister of Collossus so were the Elders of Ephesus though they were at Miletum the Elders of Ephesus onely but of none other Church and charged to feed the flock over which the holy Ghost had set them but none other for over none other had the holy Ghost set them And as a Maior out of his Corporation a Shiriffe out of his County a Constable out of his Parish or Hundred is no Maior Shiriffe or CoÌ„stable but in relation to that particular body of which he is neither can he perform any proper act of his office without vsurpation so neyther is a Bishop or Elder a Church Officer save in his owne particular Church and charge and in relation vnto it neyther can he without ambitious vsurpation perform any proper work of his Office or Ministèry save in that Church by and to which in his ministration he is designed And thus much to shew the difference betwixt that relative ordinance of the Ministery and that personall ordinance of Baptism in the Church as also to prove that we do lawfully and with good warrant disclaym and renounce the Ministery received in Rome England notwithstanding we reteyn the Baptism received both in the one and the other To which also I could adde if there were need or vse both the judgement of the learned at home abroad and the practise of the reformed Churches where we live for the continuing of the Baptism in Rome received but no more of the Masse preists for Ministers then of the Masse it self for which they were ordeyned But it is
that bycause one thing is done that an other might follow vpon it that therefore the latter which is to follow is also done And for the poynt as it is the work of the spirit to lead men into all truth as all that are Christs or mēbers of his body have his spirit so doth it follow that all the members of the Church have the spirit given them of God to lead them into all truth though it have not his full work by reason of the cōtrary work of the flesh in this life wher all mē know but in part 3. That Mr. Bar holds every truth in the scriptures fundamentall that is as they expound it Pag 147. such as if it be not known and obeyed the whole religiō and fayth of the Church must needs fall to the ground Mr. Ainsworth hath set down his words from which no such collection can be made he directs them that worthily agaynst these deceivers which knowing acknowledging that they want many speciall ordinances of Christ and are burdened in stead of them with the inventions of Antichrist do notwithstanding encourage themselves and others by these distinctiōs that they haue the fundamentall truthes of the gospell and whatsoever is necessary to salvation and the like in a purpose to go on all their life long in disobedience For which men how much better were it to consider how it is written that whosoever shall break one of the least commaundments and teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven then thus to turn vpon them which reprove them for their vnfaythfulnes and misinterpreting their sayings most injuriously to spend thus many words as these ministers do in confuting their owne corrupt glosses Their fourth and last Argument is for that all the known Churches in the world acknowledge their Church for their sister and giue her the right hand of fellowship This Argum. hath been sundry tymes vrged by Mr. Ber. and so answered sundry tymes both by M. Ainsworth and my self in the former part of my book whether I must refer the reader contenting my self with a breif observation of such vntruthes and errours as these ministers are driven vnto in the prosecuting of this Argument as First that all the known Churches in the world are well acquaynted with their doctrine and liturgy to which they should also ad their book of ordination and canons Ecclesiasticall for their ministery and government then which nothing is more vntrue Beza which was specially interessed in these matters will hardly be perswaded of the true state of things touching dispensations pluralityes the power of excommunication in one man and the like It is most vntrue that God hath sanctifed the testimony of Churches for a principall help in the decyding of controversies in this kind It is though some help yet lesse principall yea the least of many 3. That Paul feared that without the approbation of Iames and Cephas and Iohn he should have run in vayn Paul feared no such thing for he was both assured of his calling from the Lord and had also taken long before that tyme good experience of the Lords blessing vpon his ministery both amongst the Iewes and Gentiles and knew right assuredly that his preaching was not in vayne His care was to take away from the weak all scruple of mynde or iealousy of contention amongst the Apostles he went vp to Ierusalem to confer with them 4 That Paul sought to win cōmendation and credit to the orders which he by his Apostolicall authority might have established by the iudgement of other Churches Whereas the Apostle Paul did by his Apostolicall authority appoynt those orders in all those churches he speaks of as the scriptures quoted testify 1 Cor 4. 7. 17. 16. 1. Besides the Church of England can win no great credit to her orders by the orders of other Churches considering how contrary she is in them to all other Churches departed from Rome whom alone in very many the resembleth Fiftly the testimony which Iohn Baptist gave of Christ is vnfitly brought for the testimony of one Church of an other For it was the proper and principall work of †Iohns calling to give witnes of Christ wherein also he could not erre It is not so with or between any Churches in the world Where it is further affirmed that there are cases wherein one Church is commaunded to seek the iudgement of other Churches and to account it as the iudgment of God for which Act 15. 2. is alledged as it is true that one Church is in cases to seek the judgement and help of an other so is it vntrue that the judgement of that other Church or of all the Churches in the world is to be accounted as the judgment of God Indeed the decrees of the Apostles at Ierusalem being by imediate infallible direction of the H Ghost were to be accounted as the judgement of God but for any ordinary eyther Churches or persons to challenge the like vnto their determinations were popelike praesumption To the Ministers demand in the next place Sayth Christ to any particular congregation of the faythful in our land Whatsoever they bind in earth is bound in heaven Mat. 18. 18. and sayth he it not also to the Churches of other nations I do answer that if Christ have so sayd to the particular cōgregatiōs who hath sayd it to the Praelates their substitutes or to any officer or officers excluding the body of the Congregation Even none but he whose work it is to gainsay Christ to subvert his order 2. If any of your parishes be such congregatiōs why do not you as faythful Ministers exhort thē to guide them in the vse of this power of binding loosing which Christ hath given them Or are not you content to suffer them to go on and your selves to go before them in the losse of this liberty yea in a most vile subjection to their and your spirituall Lords which have vsurped it And for the Argument it is of no force for neyther hath any one Church in the world that power over an other nor all the Churches in the world over any one which the meanest Church hath over any her member or members whomsoever One Church may forsake an other but juditially to censure or excommunicate it may it not The same answer for substance may serve for that which is objected from 1 Cor. 14. 32. Besides no Church can so fully discern of the estate of an other Church as it can of the proper members apperteyning vnto it Yea I ad that in this respect wee are better able to iudge of the Church of Engl then are any forreyn Churches notwithstanding our weaknes bycause they do not in any measure know the estate of it as we do Lastly as that saying
†Math. â— 16. 1 Pet. 2 12. and 3. 1 Rom. 2. 24. V. Mr B. Answ. “ pag. 132. 133. * pag. 290. †2 Book p. â—90 296. “ Rev. 1â— 11. I. II. III. pag. 144. †Mr Col 〈…〉 pag. 244. pag. 131. pag. 141. Mr B. I. Answ. “ 2 Thes. 2. 3. 4. †1 Ioh. 2. 18. 4 3. * 3 Ioh. 9. 10. 1 Cor. â— 4. II. Mr B. Answ. III. Mr B. Answ. pag. 313. IIII. Mr B. †Exod. 18. 21. †pag. 137. 138. pag. 94. †Mat. 28. 19. 20. Aâ—t 5. 42. 6. 4. RoÌ„ 1. 15. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 17. * 1 Tim. 5. 17. †1 Tim. â— 2. “ Act. 1. â—â— 21. ԠAct. 6. 2. 3. * Act. 14 23. Ԡformer book †pag. 325. †pag. 138. * pag. 97. “ pag. 295. Luk. 7. 24. †Separat schism pag. 138. Mr B. Answ. * Act. 13 1 2. 1. 24. 26. * Act. 9. 1 Cor. 9. 1. 2. 6. †1 Cor. 8. â— * 1 Cor. 14 3. “ pag. 145. pag. 197. †Mar. 6. 3. * Act. 18. 3. Math. 4. 18. 21. Mr B. Answ. †Col. 2. 23. “ Heb. 5. 4. 5. Mr B. * Mat. 15. 6. Hebr. 9. 15. 16. 17. Answ †Eph. 2. 20 21. “ Math. 28. 20. ‘* Act 20. 17. 20. 26. 27. “ 1. Cor. 14 40. †v. 37. 38. pag. 296. * Rev. 16. 13. 14. “ Isa. 30. 1. * 1 Cor. 2. 14. * Hos. 4. â— 2. Book 110 114. †Heb. 3 3. Act. 1. 6. Act. 10. 14 15 3â— 35. with Ch. 11 2. 3. 4. 5. â— Mr B. pag. 319. Answ. †Gal. 5. â— * Deu. 4. â— Rev. 22. 18 19. I. II. Act. 20. 2â— 29. Iob. 10. 9. 12. 13. Act. 6. 1 5. 2 Cor. 1. 24 III. IIII. †Rom. 15. 31. 2 Cor. 4. 5. 1. Cor. 9. 14. “ 1 Tim. 5. 18. Mr. B. Answ. “ Mr Ioh. Answ. to Mr Iacob pag. 46. 47. 48. c. 157 158. c. †1 Cor. 3. 11 * Mat. 13. 11. 19. 24. 31. 33. 21. 5. 43. Act. 1 3. †1 Tim. 3. 14. * Ch. 23. 22. ver 11 v. 22. v. 14. 17. I. II. III. * Book of CoÌ„mon pr. Num. 16. Ier. 23. 11. * 1. Tim. 3. 2. †Tit. 1. â— Mr B. Answ. Pag. 298. * Lev. 4. 22 23 27. 28. 19. 17. mat 18. 15. Ioh. 4. 39. Act. 8. 4. with 11. 1â— 20. 21. 1. Cor 14. 24. 25. Iam. â— 19. 20. Mr B. Answ. Mr B. 2. book p. 308 Answ. †Phil. 1. 15 16. ver 18. * Gen. 37. 4 8. 11. 28. Act. 7. 9. ‘* Gen. 45. 1. 7. 8. Psal. 10â— 17. * pag. 321. 1. Book p. 120. 2. Book p. 321. “ 1 Cor. 1. 1 †Ch. 6. 9. 1â— 11. †1 Cor. 4. 15. 3. 6. â— Cor. 10. 16. Rom. 15. 20 “ Act. 20. 17. 28. pag. 308. Mr B. * Eph. 2. 3. “ Psal. 51. 5 * 1 Cor. 7. 14. * Eph. 6. 4. “ Gal. 6. 1. †Rom. 1. 16 * â—Psal 19. 7. *‘ Mat. 13. 19. 23. “ pag. 130. Mr B. Answ. Mr B. Answ. â— â— 11. Mr B. Answ. †Ioh. 21. 15 16. 17. Mr B. Answ. Mr B. Answ. pag. 302. I. * Ioh. 21. 15. 16. 17. Act 2â— 1â— 25. 29. II III. 〈◊〉 â—92 IIII. * Psal. 2. â— 4. 2. 3. †‘ Gen. 32. 9. “ Act. 20. 27. 28. 29. Mr B. pag. 142. 1. book Answ. †pag. 311. Mr B. I. Answ. “ Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2. “ Dan. 2. 30. 32. 33. III. * Esa. 66. 21. Ier. 33. 18 21. †Col 2. 11. 12. 2 Chro. 30. 11. 18. 2â— * Rom. 4. 11. Ezech. 44. 7. Act. 21. 18. †Exod. 12. 48. 2 King 23. 9. Ezech. 44. 10. 11. 12. 13. IIII. †Act. 8. 12. 38. ch 9 18. 10. 47 48. 16. 15. 33. †1 Tim. 3. 1 “ Act. 14. 23. 15. 2. 4. 22. 20 17. 28. 1. Cor. 12. 28. Phil. 1. 1. Tâ—â— 1 5. 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2 “ Col. 4. 12. * Act. 20. 17. 28. †pag. â—â— * pag. 18â— * First book pag. 144. Mr B. Answ. Mr B. Answ. †◠Cor. â—â— 28. * Rev 1. 2. Math. 5. 14 15. Mr B. Answ. “ Ioh. 10. 3 pag. 302. Mr B. Answ. †pag. 125. 126. c. I. * Rom. 3. 2. 9. 4. E. phe 2. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. II. III. Rom. 15. 31. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 5. Col. 1. 24. 25. Mr B. 2. book 186 â— Book 144 Answ. †Col. 2. 5. p. 184. 185. Mr B. Answ. “ Gen. 4. 7. †Exo. 12. 2 Ch. 19. 22. ‘* Ch. 24. 5 * Num. 3. 12. 13. 8 15. 16. c. With Deu. 33. 10. †Gen. 4. 8. 12. 14. 16. “ Ch. 11. 31 with Iosh. 24. 2. 15. ‘؛‘ Ch. 21. 9. 14. * Ch. 25. 31 32. 33. 34. Heb. 12. 16 Gen. 27. 27 †1 Sam. 2. 30. 31. ver 35. * Ezec. 44. 10. 13. †‘ Hos. 4. 6 7. †Math. 3. 9. * 2 Thes. 2. 3. 4. vers 8. “ Rev 11. 3. 7. Pag 186. 187. 188 c. 2. â—ok opâ—g 185. 186. Pag 144. “ â— Cor 3 6. Tit 1. 5. †◠Cor â— 28. Act 15 36. 1 Cor. 4. 17. * Act. 14. 23. Tit. 1. 5 Math. 28. 20. * Rev. 14. â— * Rom 16 17. Gal 1. â— 1 Tim 6. 3. 4. 5. Tit 3. 10 11. †1 Tim 5. 18. 2 Ioh 10. 11. Rev 1â— 4. 1 Cor. 1. 2. â— 1â— 13 pag 145 “ Num 16. 9 1â— 7. 2 Chr 35. â— Ezech 44. 11. Math. â—0 2â— 26. 27. 2 Cor 4. 5. Rom 15. 3â— Bishop Barl. ser b 〈…〉 e the King †Math. 28. 20 Aâ—t 6. 4. 1. Cor. 1 17. T it 1. 5. * pag. 137. â—â—â—st book 2. book p. 311. * Act. 1. 15. 16. 21. 22. 26. “ Ch. 6. 2. 3. 5. 6. * Act. 13 2. 14. 23. * Act. 13. 1. 2. 3. 1 Tim. 4. 14 2. 1. 6. Act. 14 23. The Churches in Scotland * pag. 125. 126. 130. 131. †pag. 142. 143. 144. †pag. 149. 150. 151. †Exod 29. 1. 2. 3 * Act 6. 6 14. 23. “ Heb 5. 4 †Gen 27. â—7 * ch 48 17. 18. 19 20. †Numb 8. 6. 9. 10. c 20. 21. †1 Sam 6. 20. 21. “ Gal 1. 1. 2 8. 9 * Col 4. 17. †Rev. 1. 2. “ Ch. 3. 20 * 1 Pet. 2. 5 †Numb 5 9. 10. 11. 16. 20. * Act. 1. 15 c. †Ch. 6. 2. 3. 5. Ch 14. 23. * Rom 15. 3. “ 1 Cor 5. 3. first book 145. 2. book 296 †2 Cor. 11. 28. Act. 2. 1. 3. 4. c. Mat. 28. 1 Cor. 14. 11. * Gal. 1. 8. “ Symmâ—stam I. II. III. †Act 1. “ ch 6. * ch 14. †first book Pag 92. M B. Answ M B. Answ. “ Luk 4 41 8. 28 †Eph 5. 26. * Iude 20. †Rom. â— 26 “ Math. 6. 9. * Collos. 2.