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A29281
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The mysterie of the true ministry unvailed as it was to be before, under, and shall be after Antichrists time, and the unlawfulness of the call of the now ministry. By a witness of the gospel, John Brayne.
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Brayne, John.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B4329; ESTC R224004
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12,193
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21
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thing of any Priest should rise out of that Tribe 2. They had the overseeing of the Ministry during their time committed to them 3. If they had not authority to teach the People were not to hear but to avoid them Now Christ answers their Question not by an answer but by proposing another question to them to answer which question concerns not himself but the Baptist nor doth it concern teaching but baptizing in which the authority of the Baptist for his baptizing is implyed though not expressed by a Dilemma 1. In the words from Heaven that is whether it were immediately from God and so be extraordinary 2. In the words or of men that is whether it were by an ordinary call from men according to Church Constitution or not 1. Which proves that all publick ministerial Acts whether preaching or baptizing ought not to be executed without authority from God mediate or immediate 2. All Authority delegated of God to man is comprehended under one of these The Baptists authority was from God extraordinary 1. He did that the Legal Priests did not hence was he called the Baptist as being the first ever did that ministeriall Act hence now was he himself baptized as Mat. 3.14 I have need to be baptized of thee 2. Mat. 11.13 The Law that is the legal Ministery and the Prophets were until Iohn Now in that they ceased in Iohn it proves he was none of them nor did they acknowledge him Now that Iohns Authority was from Heaven though he did no Miracle Ioh 10.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is clear a way by which God again will restore the true Church-Ministry into the world 1. It was prayed from Heaven without a signe by the Prophets predictions Mal. 4.5 and confirmed by Christ Mat. 11.14 This is Elias which was for to come if ye will receive him 2. Esa 40.3 Mat. 3.3 This is he was spoken of by the Prophet Esaiah These very predictions were Miracles themselves and so he needed none for confirmation Conclusion is That God because hath foretold in the Scripture that he will send one to restore the faln Church and the Church Ministry He will not do it by miracles but leave men to the Word to be directed to receive him that is to do it when he that shall do it is sent therefore That we may receive him when he comes consider 1. He is that Elias which is to come There are two persons spoken of by Christ under that name Mat. 17.11 Elias shall first come which is that that is to come so much looked for of the Jews and neglected of us And then vers 12. Elias is already come c. which was John the Baptist Now how and by what he is to be known is by Malachi set down cap. 4 5. said here by Christ to restore all things O how welcom should he be to us 2. Rev. 18.1 His glory is said to lighten the earth so that he cannot be hid 3. He comes after the desolation of Antichrist so soon that it is his work to publish the fall of Babel I may more abundantly describe him but this sufficeth 2. Conclusion In that God in this Angel sends authority from Heaven 1. It proves there is no ordinary Authority in the world left either that is lawful or sufficient 2. There being now no new Administration or Priesthood to be at all it sheweth the present is unclean and not to be made use of as was done in the Legal Ministry which was put an end unto changed or swallowed up in the Evangelical The ordinary authority in Scripture is called by the name of Moses Chair which is that succession the Priests proved their Ministry from Moses by Mat. 23.3 to which Christ alludes in the illative therefore Therefore whatever they bid you observe that is because they sit in Moses Chair inferring that if they had not sit in Moses Chair there were no tye on the people to hear them nor no authority in that Ministry to teach them 1 Conclusion That as the Priests were to prove their Call to the then Ministry from Moses which had the extraordinary Call so are we to prove our ordinary Call to the Ministry to be derived successively to us from the Apostles who had the immediate or extraordinary Call from Christ 2 Conclusion is That the succession must be true and in a true constituted Church which Rome claims though falsly in Peters Chair which indeed once was Pauls but never Peters Vid. Zanch. cap. 19.4 Praecep Now our succession being no lawful nor true Ministers these Queries 1. Whether any ministerial act doâ—â— by that Ministry be Evangelically authoritative 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in what Authority sheweth not all Authority is sufficient to minister by some may be false and counterfeit as Antichrists is or none is 3. On the demand in the text Who gave you this authority must be answered 1. Either that it is from Rome 2. Or by succession of a Gospel Church-Ministry set up in this Kingdom Reason I know that Text Heb. 6.4 will not allow any man to take this honor in the Church to himself unless he be called of God as Aaron was For the clearing of which Scripture observe these things 1. That in the Church ordinarily none can minister without authority from the Church for here he speaks to a Church and of Church-administrations 2. It is bounded by an exception unless extraordinarily he be called of God 3. This Call he reduceth to Aaron and not the Apostles though Aaron were a minister of the Law which not without a mystery prophetically sheweth any thing 1. That some unlawfully would take this honor to themselves 2. That God hath ordained under the Gospel to call some as Aaron was by Moses that is God will have the Magistrate set up that Ministry he hath appointed to restore the Church by Applic. 1. Such a thing must be revealed in the Word to be or the Magistrate cannot do it Moses not doing but by command as in this and elsewhere 2. If such a thing be not to be accomplished how vain were this exception if made of such a thing as is not to be under the Gospel at all That Ordination from Rome is not to be proved Evangelical 1. Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God as God 2 Thes 2.4 and how as God but in his authoritative giving Commission to the Ministry of his false Church setting up Laws and appointing the Administrations in his false Church to be according to his and not the Will of Jesus Christ 2. If succession from â—â—me be truly Evangelical how can the Church be said to be hid yea that bloody harlot made her to be hid to the world 3. God in his Word hath declared Antichrist to be the fallen star Rev. 9.11 Therefore we cannot prove our Ministry thence unless we will prove one abomination by another yea he is the murtherer not the Minister of the Saints and shall
we prove our Ministry from this Jezabel 2. Succession cannot be proved true from any other Church 1. If in all the world the Church were but hid three years and a half Succession could not be proved how then if it be hid 1260 years for how can it be said to be hid when Succession of Ministry can be proved for time place and persons 2. Against those that endeavor to prove their Call from a succession of Ministry set up in this Kingdom in Lucius time I have proved at large in my Treatise called The Resurrection of fallen Churches that there was never any true constituted Church in this Kingdom and then no true Ministry or Succession to be proved hence at all And were it granted a true Gospel Church was set up in the Land in Lucius time or before and that ever since there have been faithful Teachers in the Land 1. For many years they have been but of the two Witnesses whose Ordination of those that were ordained was as corrupt as the Popish Priests nor did they minister in a Church-way 2. Nor was Ordination exercised by them but the Popish Hierarchy who solely exercised the Authority of Church-administrations in publick 3. Nor were their Societies formally and publickly distinguished from the Popish Societies until Luthers time 4. Had they the power of Ordination it must be according to that power ordained them which was Antichristian Object We had Ordination from Luther one of the seven Angels who had his trump from God and was prophecyed of before and so had authority to restore the Ministry 1. We of this Kingdom cannot plead this 2. Could we Yet Luther not changing the Church to its right Constitution nor erecting the Gospel Ministry what ever his Call was the ordinary succession of such as succeeded him could not be Evangelical 3. Nor was the Restauration of the Churches fallen estate given to him to do it being not to be until the flesh of Antichrist be eat and her Antichristian policy burned 1 Cor. 3.15 and she made desolate that is her Ministry took from her Rev. 17.16 Now Luther came as it were at the beginning or in a visible manner seemed to begin these things the fulfilling whereof is reserved for him who as another Luther shall lighten the world but with a clearer and more exceeding glory and none else but he to whom it is given may do it at all Quest If a peoples electing a Minister be not authority sufficient to qualifie him for all ministerial duties Resp. 1. Election is the Peoples Interest 2. Ordination is properly the true Church Presbyteries Interest 3. These two are distinct things and proper to several persons one of which is not to destroy the other nor can one sufficiently qualifie a man without the other 4. Though God hath given the Church as a Church the power of Election yet a company of men in what other state soever have not this power belonging to or residing in them for if they had how is then God said to give it to the Church 5. Now as none have power to elect out of Church-society so Elders ordinarily have no power to ordain any that are not thus elected by a people of and in a Church constituted Estate Applic. To Ministers I beseech you in all humility for Gods Glory and your own Peace in the day of Accompt see if the Odinances of God may be administred without a Call if so what need a Call or Paul's so oft pleading for it and whether an Antichristian Call be not worse then none when we rule in Gods House by the authority of his Adversary how intolerable a thing were this to be admitted in our own houses Illustration As Nehem. 7.67 the Priests and Levites sought their Register amongst those that were recounted by Genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted put from the Priest-hood which if all Churches that cannot prove their true and lawful successions were so dealt withall where would there be a Church or Church-Minister And it is observable that the Lord having set apart a particular Tribe for the Ministry of the Levitical Priesthood succession served to continue them their Corruptions not destroying their ministry It is otherwaies now under the Gospel 2. If the Administrations in the corrupt Church of Corinth were but hay wood or stuble 1 Cor. 3.12 what are ours now administred but their like being as far below those administred in the true Church in a right way as stuble is to precious Stones and Pearls Object We had Ordination neither from Pope nor Bishops but from Presbitery Resp Presbitery is a stream from that Fountain which in no wise cannot be purer then the rest of that Hierarchy Appl. to the People Attend to what the Spirit saith unto you 1 Thess 5.12 that those ye are to obey ought to be over you in the Lord Acts 20.22 and the holy Spirit is to make them Overseers So that where these are not the bonds of Government and Authority in teaching are destroyed there being no Power or Authority to be acknowledged in the Church but what is of Jesus Christ Jer. 23.21 and 29.9 God doth condemn the false Prophets for going and he did not send them And in that 23. Jer. 21. God puts sending before speaking as distinct things in which they began to err Appl. To Magistrates Consider the time you are in even at the period of Antichrists allotted time and it will shew you clearly what God is doing and what you are to doe if yâ—â— goe against Gods will and work you will be broken to pieces as others have been before you you will no longer prosper then ye walk in his way and know Gods device is against Babel Jer. 51.11.29 which he will bring about to be done though against your wills yea against your selves The Lord in mercy be a light unto you and through your darkness guide you and preserve you to see the hoped for salvation of God in the Land Ruth 4.11 and the Lord make you doe worthily in Ephrata and famous in Bethlehem Now in that Christ saith Mat. 13.52 Every Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven bringeth forth of his Treasury new things and old I Commend to you for Confirmation of the aforesaid particulars the 54. Cap. of the Proph. Esa In which these severall estates of the Gentile Church are clearly held out with its estate before it was a Church 1. It s estate before it was a Church is set out in Ver. 1. by not bearing and not travailing with child called desolate which estate can no way be applyed to the Jewish Church 2. This farther cleared in that this estate of the Gentiles is opposed to the Jewes they being the married Wife signifying their Church estate as opposed to the Gentiles desolate Condition The 2. Estate of the Gentiels after calling is their married Estate under the Gospel in the Apostles time 1. From ver 1. where the multitude of