that may not be eaten Whereby we see why some of the beasts were said to be cleane and some of them vncleane namely because some might be eaten and some might not be eaten Lastly in the Booke of Genesis Chapter 9. Where the eating of flesh is most of all expressed and mentioned there seemeth to bee made no new grant in those particulars which in that place are remembred but onely the old priuiledges renewed as the fruit of multiplication the dominion ouer the creatures and the replenishing of the earth Wherefore seeing all these were in vse before it is very probable Gen. 9.3 that as the greene hearbes were eaten before so was the flesh of fish and of the beasts albeit there be not expresse mention of them made before Euery moouing thing that liueth shall be meate for you euen as the greene hearbe haue I giuen you all things These things being true the former sect of the peeuish and peruerse Nazarees are more strongly conuinced and ouerthrown forasmuch as they make that vnlawfull which from the beginning was vsed and practised as lawfull These were the sects among the Iewes which they inuented vnto themselues when they departed from the purity and simplicity of the word of God D. Willet Hex in Gen. 1. qu. 35. This we may reade largely and learnedly handled else-where Vse 3 Thirdly this reprooueth the hierarchy of the Church of Rome from the highest to the lowest their Popes their Cardinals their Abbots Monkes Fryers Priors Nunnes Iesuites and the rest of that race and rabble which are as croaking frogges or deuouring locusts that couered the face of the earth and ascended out of the bottomelesse pit of which the word hath not spoken any thing but quite ouerturneth that whole generation For to set the gouernement of the whole Church vpon one mans shoulder and to put all other vnder his feete is a burden able to breake his necke and to cracke his shoulders which no man is able to beare This man of sinne they make the head of the Church The Pope is not head of the Church and the vicar of Christ This is to thrust downe Christ from his dignity and to depose him from the headship of the Church or else they make it a monster of two heads or rather of many heads For this is an high honour peculiar to Christ to be the head of the body which is his Church Ephes 1.22 23. and 4.12.15 and 5.23 Coloss 1.24 and 2.19 And that for these causes First by way of excellency Secondly by reason of fulnesse of grace Turrecrema sum lib. 1. cap. 44. Thirdly because from him floweth all graces of faith and other blessings into his members He it is that gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers to build vp the Church to the end of the world These he thought to be sufficient without Popes and Cardinals that is without such heads and shoulders He called his Apostles and made them all equall none superiour none inferiour to other but commanded them indifferently to preach the Gospel to euery creature The Commission which he gaue vnto them was equall in feeding in binding in loosing in remitting and retaining none was before or after other as Luke 9. He calling the twelue Apostles gaue them power ouer all diuels and to heale diseases and sent them to preach the kingdome of God They had all of them the keyes of it equally committed vnto them But they wil obiect Obiect the words of Christ to Peter Matth. 16. I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heauen whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Answer These words we acknowledge to be the wordes of Christ howbeit they are too weak a pillar to beare vp the Papacy First let vs speake of Peter and then of the Pope that claymeth to be his successor For if Peter himselfe in those words had no superiority or Monarchy bequeathed vnto him or sole regiment of the Church then hee could not leaue it as a legacy to the Bishop of Rome nor make him his heire of so faire a patrimony that he might claime authority and supremacy from him This is without all question and both sides yeeld vnto it that Peter could giue no more then hee had himselfe and the successour can haue no more iurisdiction then hee had into whose roome he succedeth Now touching Peter obserue this as another rule which also is receiued without cōtrouersie that nothing in this place is giuen to Peter but promised only as appeareth by the forme and phrase of speech that is vsed and by the words vttered in the time to come For Christ saith vnto him I will build my Church vpon this Rocke I will giue vnto thee the keyes of heauen the gates of hell shall not preuaile whatsoeuer thou shalt binde whatsoeuer thou shalt loose so that the manner of speaking in the time to come argueth that nothing is heere really granted but onely graciously promised to be granted He doth not say vnto him I do build my Church I doe giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but I will builde I will giue Bellar. lib. 1. de Pontif. Roma cap. 10. This is so plaine that our aduersaries are necessarily constrained to yeeld vnto it So then I aske the question and demaund of them where this is giuen and how this promise is performed Whatsoeuer Christ promiseth his word is not yea and nay he cannot lie hee will not faile his people Obiection If any reply it is no great matter where we reade the promise to haue been performed seeing no doubt Christ meant to be as good as his word Solution I answere It mattereth much to vnderstand where it is forasmuch as there can be no better way to make tryall of the promise then to know the gift To which purpose they are wont to alledge two places and we are content to stand to both of them The one is in the Euangelist Matthew chap. 18.18 Verily I say vnto you Whatsoeuer ye shall bind on earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Where we see Christ speaketh to all the Apostles and not to Peter alone or to him more then to any other but applyeth the same power of binding and loosing to euery one without exception or limitation The other place is in the Gospel according to Iohn chap. 20. where Christ standing in the middes of them saith vnto them Receiue ye the holy Ghost Ioh. 20 22.23 whose soeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them whose soeuer sins ye retaine they are retained In which words Christ also doth equally
speake vnto them all whose sinnes ye remit whose sinnes ye retaine not whose sinnes thou Peter remittest or retainest so likewise he saith whatsoeuer ye all bind on earth whatsoeuer ye all loose on earth not whatsoeuer thou Peter alone bindest or loosest on earth And this is acknowledged to be the power of the keyes by the Romanists themselues The vse of keyes is to open and shut so then they that haue their sinnes forgiuen and as it were the bands loosed haue the gates of heauen opened wide vnto them and contrariwise the dores of heauen are barred fast as with lock and key against them whose sinnes are retained So that we may rightly conclude that seeing the power of binding and loosing is the power of the keyes and giuen to all the Apostles that it is not peculiarly and properly bestowed vpon Peter alone excluding and shutting out all the rest If then here were an headship promised and bestowed we must haue a body with twelue heads according to the number of the twelue Apostles for euery Apostle must be an head as euery of them had authoritie to binde and loose to remit and retaine that is had the keyes of the kingdome of heauen deliuered vnto them Obiect But it wil be further said Christ speaketh by name to Peter I say vnto thee Thou art Peter Solution To thee I will giue the keyes c. I answere he saith indeed he will giue them vnto him but he saith not I will giue them to thee alone he will bestow them vpon him but not vpon him alone for heere is nothing either expressed or vnderstood to exclude the other Apostles The Lord saith to Ioshua I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Iosh 1.5 shall wee conclude from hence that he will leaue other of the faithfull because he speaketh particularly vnto him will God renounce or disclaime others that feare his Name No in no wise for albeit he vttered it vnto him yet it is to be stretched to all beleeuers and as true toward them all as toward him as appeareth euidently in the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb 13.6 It is one thing therefore to speake vnto Peter and another thing to speake vnto him onely But will some say Obiection why doth not Christ name others as well as him if he vnderstood others as well as him for that might haue put the matter out of all doubt and stayed much contention that hath beene about these wordes in the world I answere Answer the words are not doubtfull but to those that purpose to make them gainefull They are plaine to such as will vnderstand Peter spake in the name of the rest as the mouth of the Apostles Christ answereth to him also in the rest Hee had asked the question of them all Matth. 16.15 Whom say ye that I am All of them could not answere without confusion and disorder it was necessary that one should be the speaker as it were the foreman of the Iury and Peter in the behoofe of others as well as of himselfe confessed that he was the sonne of the Liuing God Shall we say the rest did not beleeue as much A like example we reade in the second Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where they being filled with the holy Ghost and speaking with diuers languages are derided of many and accused to be drunken Peter standing vp with the eleuen did lift vp his voyce and say vnto the Iewes Be it knowne vnto you and hearken vnto my wordes Act 2 14 15. for these are not drunken as ye suppose c. Doth he pleade onely for himselfe and not rather vndertake the common cause of them all yes he is only the mouth of the rest and speaketh for the rest So in this place he made a free confession of his faith and the faith of the Apostles who beleeued no lesse then himselfe and Christ suiting and shaping his answere according to Peters confession speaketh vnto him but in him vnderstandeth all the rest Neither let vs goe about to gather more from them then Christ scattered or the Apostles collected For they did not conceiue that Christ by those wordes before remembred gaue any supremacy or superiority any primacy or principality of power to Peter for then they would neuer afterward haue contended which of them should be the greatest and the chiefest forasmuch as this whole controuersie had beene decided and determined by the mouth of Christ But long after this there arose a great strife among them Luk. 22.24 which of them should bee accounted the greatest Therefore they acknowledge no more authoritie giuen to Peter by those keyes of the kingdome of heauen then to themselues Neither doth Christ build his Church vpon Peter nor call him the Rocke for it is builded vpon the Rocke which Peter confessed that is vpon the Sonne of the liuing God Cor. 10.10 so that the Rocke as the Apostle saith is Christ Hence it is that Matthew distinguisheth betweene Peter and the Rocke Peter is one and the Rocke is another otherwise Christ would haue said Thou art Peter vpon this Peter I will build my Church or vpon thee will I build it he speaketh not after this manner but Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke which must necessarily be referred to his former confession the name and person being changed Againe there is an expresse place in the Apostle which teacheth that no man can lay any other foundation then hath bene laid which is Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Paul inspired by the Spirit of Christ can finde no other foundation of the Church then Iesus Christ they then that acknowledge and receiue and teach any other are moued by the spirit of Satan and speake in the spirit of Antichrist Furthermore Peter was one of the master workemen or master builders of the Church as he is bidden to feed the flocke of Christ 1 Cor. 3. so that he cannot be called properly the foundation of the Church and a builder of the Church the foundation being one and the builder that layeth the foundation another for that were to confound the workeman and the worke the founder and the foundation the builder and the building The builder buildeth vpon the foundation and therefore it is against naturall reason that the Carpenter which layeth the foundation should himselfe be the foundation vnlesse peraduenture by a new kinde of transubstantiation neuer heard of before this time as senselesse as the olde if that may be called olde which had no footing in the Church for a thousand yeeres after Christ whereby they turne the labourer into his labour and the builder of the house into the ground-worke of the house But suppose all this had beene spoken to Peter alone that to him alone had beene giuen the keyes that he alone should open and shut binde and loose remit and retaine at his owne pleasure and that the Church had beene builded vpon him as vpon a sole foundation
Christian Magistrate and yeeld it to the Church when a wicked Magistrate is set ouer it forasmuch as there is like reason and office of them both If it bee farther obiected Obiection that there are some sinnes which an euill Magistrate will not meddle withall as blasphemy against Christ heresie and such like as Gallio the Deputy of Achaia accounteth the mystery of religion concerning Christ a question of words and names and professeth hee will be no Iudge of such matters whereas if it were a matter of wrong he would heare theÌ„ Acts 18 15. Wherefore vnder a wicked and idolatrous Magistrate excommunication may be vsed not otherwise I answer Answer from the lawfulnesse of it vnder a Magistrate that is no Christian we cannot conclude the vnlawfulnesse of it vnder a Christian Magistrate for this is no good consequent neither is it a sufficient cause against the expresse commandement and institution of Christ Zanch. de redempt li. 1. c. 19 The cause of the institution of excommunication is not the punishment of sinne but the saluation of a sinner the edifying of the Church and the glory of God But the scope of the ciuill Magistrate and his office is to punish sinne and respecteth not either the saluation or damnation of the sinner so that albeit he repent yet he spareth him not but suffereth the law to proceede against him The Church according to the doctrine of Christ smiteth none with the spirituall sword but such as are impenitent and doth not this vnto death but vnto life and therefore receiueth them that repent Againe the manner that they both vse in correction is diuers the Church correcteth by the word the Magistrate by the sword or such like outward punishment To conclude this point The vse of excommunication ought to be perpetuall in the church the vse of excommunication ought to be perpetuall in the Church whether it haue a Christian Magistrate or not whether he doe his duty or do it not For first the doctrine of reprouing our brother betweene vs and him alone as also of taking two or three witnesses ought to remaine in the church and haue continuall vse whether the Magistrate be a Christian or Pagan Therefore that also which followeth If he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an heathen or a Publican whereby the doctrine of excommunication is established ought to be perpetuall If one part of this discipline stand in force at all times then doth the other also forasmuch as Christ maketh no exception betweene the one and the other Againe it is lawfull for the Church whether the Magistrate be a Christian or no Christian to loose them that are bound and to receiue into the Church such as are cast out for their contumacy and continuance in sinne when once they repent Therefore also it is lawfull to cast out and to binde those that are impenitent and as the first is alwaies ratified in heauen so also is the latter For Christ without any difference or distinction gaue both these iurisdictions authorities to the church Whatsoeuer yee shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen Mat. 18 18. Lastly Paraeus coâ—ment in 1 Câ— â— where the causes of the Law are perpetuall vniuersall there the law must also be acknowledged to be perpetual and vniuersall But the causes of this power of the church are perpetuall vniuersall as first the comandement of Christ Mat. 18 18. 1 Cor. 5 5. Secondly that obstinate sinners being made ashamed may bee brought to repentance Thirdly that no others should be infected by their euill life and corrupt example Fourthly because it is the ordinary office of the Church to iudge them that are within Therefore 1 Cor. 5 12. the Church hath this authority when it hath christian Magistrates as well as when it is without them Thus farre touching the remouing of obiections Vse 1 The doctrine being cleered from all doubts that might distract vs let vs now come to the vses And seeing there ought to be excommunication of scandalous and impenitent offenders it should moue vs to enquire and learne what excommunication is not as it is commonly vsed but as it ought rightly to be practised to the end we may esteeme of this censure and sentence and stand in feare of it Excommunication therfore is a sentence of the Church whereby a member thereof Excommunication what it is conuicted of some greeuous crime and by no means brought to repentance is driuen out of the Church and cut off from the communion and fellowship of the faithfull that thereby he may be driuen to repentance This description consisteth of diuers parts first it is a sentence of the Church secondly it must be executed vpon him that is a member of the Church Thirdly the party delinquent must be conuicted of some greeuous crime or crimes Fourthly it stretcheth to him that cannot bee otherwise brought to repentance Fiftly he is driuen from the visible and outward communion of the Saints Lastly the end or vse of it is to make him ashamed that hath offended These sixe seuerall points touched before in the former description haue euident confirmation out of the word of God which I will breefely prooue and then make vse of euery particular First I say that excommunication is a sentence of the Church â—irst part â—e descripâ— Our Sauiour commandeth to tell the Church Math. 18 17. Loe here to whom he sendeth vs. Againe he saith If he heare not the Church c. So the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5 4. When ye are gathered together in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ From hence wee learne sundry points first such as are themselues out of the Church and no true parts of it haue nothing to doe with it They haue no authority committed vnto them and therefore whatsoeuer they shall do in this behalfe is of no force and no better then a sword in a mad mans hand The keyes of the Kingdome of heauen are committed to the Apostles and to their successors by Christ himselfe that they should open the gates of heauen to the penitent and beleeuers shut the gates of hell on the other side open hell to receiue the impenitent and shut vp heauen against them Secondly we are taught from hence the honour and dignity of the Ministery how great it is to binde and loose offenders to open and shut heauen to remit and reteine sins so that it belongeth not to priuate persons It is accounted and most worthily a myracle to be wondred at that Elias did by his prayer shut vp heauen that it rained not on the earth and againe opened it so that the heauen gaue raine â—es 5 18. and the earth brought foorth her fruite But this power of the Ministery is more maruellous inasmuch as he brought onely a temporall punishment of famine vpon the land but they inflict an euerlasting
is a seruice that is well pleasing in his sight forasmuch as we shew thereby that we do not depend on the pleasure of men but rely our selues vpon the authority of God And as it is the praise and triall of a good subiect who is content to beleeue and obey the lowest messenger and least officer that commeth vnto him with a message and commandement from his Prince so heereby it appeareth that we are true Citizens of the kingdom of God his adopted children if we heare his word with feare and reuerence albeit it be preached vnto vs by the meanest and poorest of all Gods seruants On the other side as it is a note of contempt toward the Magistrate himselfe to disobey or resist any Serieant or seruant that commeth from him how base soeuer he may seeme to be so wee make our selues guilty of rebellion and high treason against GOD when wee despise such as speake in his Name and contemne them that haue authority committed vnto them from the most high All such as loathe the truth for the Teachers sake when their owne consciences conuince them that it is the word of God which soundeth in their eares let them assure themselues and perswade their owne hearts that the contempt of their persons redoundeth to the Sonne of God yea to the Father himselfe Let them marke this point weigh it diligently who take it hainously when they are reprooued of men equall vnto them or inferiour to them or if they be contemptible to the world by reason of their poore estate The fourth reproofe Lastly it reproueth those that go about to shake the faith of many and to weaken the assurance and certainty of our saluation hauing the promises thereof propounded vnto vs in the doctrine and by the writings of the Apostles Hence it is that sundry scoffers and prophane spirits aske the question who is Paul and who is Peter or what is Iohn that wee should of necessity beleeue them Who gaue them authority or whence haue they power in the Church to set downe and prescribe vnto vs a rule of faith The doctrine that now we deale withall serueth very fitly to stoppe the mouthes of these Atheists and containeth a soueraigne preseruatiue against the poison that they offer vnto vs inasmuch as Christ the eternall Sonne of God maketh them his messengers his witnesses his heraulds to spread abroad his sauing health and auoucheth that he speaketh in them acknowledgeth himselfe to be author of that truth which they deliuer Gal. 1 8. so that if an Angell from heauen should preach any other Gospel then that which they haue preached to the Churches hee must bee holden accursed This therefore we ought to apply vnto our selues and gather as an argument of great comfort that when remission of sins and eternall life are promised to them that are truely penitent and lay hold vpon Christ by a liuely faith according to the doctrine of the Apostles we must assure our selues it is the voice of Christ and he will ratifie it in the highest heauens Neither is this true onely touching the Apostles themselues that had their calling from God and not from men and were conuersant with Christ in the daies of his flesh but likewise of all the faithfull Ministers of Iesus Christ that haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen committed vnto them When we assure forgiuenesse of sinnes to those that haue contrite and broken hearts it is no doubtfull or vncertaine assurance but grauen with a diamond and written as it were with a pen of steele to continue for euer forasmuch as it is the assurance of Christ and of God himselfe The voice of the Minister is not the voyce of a priuate man but of one that is a publike person it is as the voice of Christ himselfe Art thou humbled and cast downe for thy sinnes and doth thy soule cleaue vnto the dust He sendeth his Minister vnto thee and putteth the word of reconciliation into his mouth so that if thou vnfainedly turne vnto God be as well assured of the mercy of God toward thee as thou heardst Christ himselfe say vnto thee as he did sometimes to the sicke of the palsie Sonne bee of good cheare Math. 3 2. thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Againe when the Ministers of God on the other side doe threaten and thunder out the sentence of condemnation against the vnbeleeuers and such as cannot repent this also is no lesse the voice of the Sonne of God which no power of the world nor authority of man can hinder or call backe forasmuch as whose sinnes they reteine they are reteined Iohn ◠This iudgement howsoeuer it be either denied or derided or doubted off among the vngodly yet will Christ make it good and execute the same vpon them to their confusion This doctrine reacheth to the true Ministers of the word who haue their calling from God his word As for the Bishop of Rome that challengeth sole authority to forgiue sinnes and will haue all his decrees and decretals no lesse acknowledged then the word of God it is more then childish and ridiculous For he hath nothing common with the Apostles and cannot proue his succession wherein he glorieth by any sound reasons and yet arrogateth more vnto himselfe then GOD gaue or the Apostles tooke or the Church acknowledged to be due vnto the Apostles forasmuch as the Lord tied thē by an expresse commandement that they should teach the people to obserue those things which he had commanded them Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to informe the Ministers that it concerneth them much to adorne their calling and to magnifie their Ministery that it bee not blemished and euill spoken off through their default This ought aboue all other things to be a spur vnto vs in our sides and as a fire kindled within our bowels to inflame our hearts with a zeale of Gods glory with a loue of his people with a care to discharge our office committed vnto vs with an earnest desire to encrease the kingdome of Christ Iesus For seeing God accounteth vs as his owne Embassadors sent out to do his wil and vouchsafeth to ioyne our labour with mans saluation we are bound in duty and conscience to preach the Gospel truely purely painefully sincerely and soundly It is required of vs not onely to teach but to teach the truth and to teach the truth with a right affection For we can neuer challenge the names and titles of being the Messengers of God vnto our selues and to be respected as the person of Christ himselfe except we preach the pure word of God and commend to the Church the pure doctrine of Christ If wee preach corruptly and make merchandise of the word of God and mingle wheat with chaffe and good corne with darnell or that which is worse we are not to bee accepted receiued as Christ but to be reiected and refused as false teachers that speake in their owne
Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God Our aduersaries teach that the Church is the supreame Iudge of the Scriptures and hath absolute authority to expound the same and by the Church they vnderstand the rabble of Priests and Iesuites and Cardinals and Councels and by them all at last the Pope whoe holds the Oracles of God shut vp in his brest whose iudgement also they hold to bee infallible so that he cannot erre Thus they will haue Scriptures Fathers Councels and the Church it selfe passe vnder the sentence of his Consistory Thus b Reason why the â—pists refuâ—â— the Scripâ—â—â—â— to be Iudâ—â— all controâ—â—â—sies they do partly because they know and their hearts condemne them that the greatest number of the causes controuersies debated between them and vs haue no foundation of the Scriptures to leane vpon and therefore must of necessity stagger fall downe c Andrad thod expliâ— vnlesse they bee supported by traditions and partly because they woulde make themselues Iudges in their owne cause which notwithstanding is against all Law of God and man For they disable the Scriptures from being the rule of our faith and cast them downe from the chaire of honour in which they were seated by the author of them and cast all power vpon the Church and then they define the d Bristo 〈◊〉 12. in maâ— Catholike Church to bee the Romane Church Rhem. annot in Rom. 1 8. and make the Catholike and Romane faith all one who seeth not heereby and smileth not at it that seeing the Church is made the rule of faith and their Romane Church the true catholike Church of Christ that they meane to stand to no iudgment but their own and bee iudged by no other Iudge but themselues and to receiue nothing for trueth but their owne opinions Indeed we cannot deny but they cast many shaddowes to blinde our eyes and pretend at euery word the Catholike Church but they meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination which verifieth in them the common Prouerbe Aske my fellow if I bee a theefe Thus they are made Iudges that are parties and partially referre all thinges vnto the tribunall of their owne iudgement Wee teach and affirme that the Holy Ghost and the Scripture it selfe haue chiefe authority to interprete the Scriptures the Scriptures must expound the Scriptures and out of themselues the meaning of them must be taken Our Sauiour teacheth a Iohn 5 47. that they which beleeue not Moses writings will not beleeue him The Apostle teacheth b Ephes 2 20 Wee are all built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himselfe beeing the Head-corner-stone in whom all the building is coupled together by the Spirite 2 Tim 3 15 and that the Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation Thus it is saide c Nehe. 8 8 that the Leuites read distinctly the Lawe to the people and gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand it by the Scripture it selfe Thus did the men of Berea reade the Scriptures d Acts 17 11. and by them tried the Apostles doctrine whether those things were so or not So then we conclude that the iudgement of all men is vncertaine and doubtful that resteth vpon their sole authority and that the Scriptures are to bee expounded by the same Spirit whereby they were written for heereby onely we can know assuredly the vndoubted meaning of them and from hence we can appeale to no superior iudge Vse 3 Thirdly from this consideration of the Author of the Scriptures we haue a direction to the Minister what he must preach vnto the people not the inuentions of his owne braine not the conceits of his owne wit not the excellency of wordes not the entising speech of mans wisedome e 1 Cor 2 14 which Paul disclaimeth and disalloweth in his owne practise but he must come in the plaine eu dence of the Spirit and of power that the knowledge of God may be furthered and the conscience informed in the wayes of godlinesse He must deliuer nothing to the people but the pure and precious word of God hee must content himselfe with the simplicity thereof and bee able by the scriptures to warrant the doctrine that he deliuereth so that hee may truely say with the Prophets Thus saith the Lord. Thus doth the Apostle ground his doctrine as vpon a sure and certaine foundation f 1 Cor. 11 23 1 Corinth 11 23. I haue receiued from th Lorde that which I also haue deliuered vnâ—o you This doth the Apostle Peter require at his hands 1 Pet. 4. g 1 Pet. 4 11 If any man speake let him speake as the words of GOD. VVee see therefore what must be the matter and subiect of our Sermons and from whence as from a plentiful store-house we must furnish our selues not from Fathers or Councels or Doctors of the Church much lesse from Poets Philosophers Orators Historiographers to paint our exhortations with the flourishing colours of humane learning which may for a season tickle the eare and delight the outwarde man but can carry no weight to the Conscience nor transforme the inward man into the obedience of the will of God Such as seeke to please men that haue itching eares doe beate the aire and labour in vaine neither must they thinke to winne a souâ—e thereby to the knowledge of the Gospell This doth the Prophet Ieremy set downe chap. 23. h Iere 23 22 If they had stood in my counsell and had declared my words to my people then they should haue turned them from their euill waies and from the wickednesse of their inuentions Heere then we haue a direction what to do and in what manner to furnish our selues to the worke of the ministery wee must bee as good Stewards set ouer the Lords house to feede the family with bread not with wine with wholesome food not with chaffe that wee may discharge our duties with comfort and the people bee builded vppe in knowledge and obedience Lastly seeing God onely is the Author Vse 4 of the whole Scripture and of euery particular booke and branch contained therein which are the rule of our life and the foundation of our faith it belongeth as a speciall duty to the people of GOD to reade them to receiue them to study them to reuerence them to obey and keepe the doctrines deliuered in them forasmuch as they proceede from such an Author Wee learne to put a difference betweene the speeches of person and person and wee vse to giue better audience and greater reuerence vnto the word of a Prince then to others wee will not lose a worde willingly that commeth from his mouth and according to the Maiestie of the person so is our respect and so wee attend vnto him If one shoulde contemne a Prince and not regard him speaking vnto him hee would bee iudged worthy of death or of some sharpe and seuere punishment
Euery worde of God is the word of a great person and euery part and parcell of it is the Decree of a King nay of the King of Kinges to whom all Kinges and Princes are subiect and must rise vppe from their Throne when they appeare before him whose Throne is the Heauen and though they bee Lordes of the Earth they must resigne their Crowne vnto him that hath the earth for his footestoole and therefore the greatest regard and respect must be giuen vnto it For a Heb. 2 2 3. as the Apostle teacheth Hebr. 2 2 3. If the word spoken by Angelles was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receyued a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him Woe vnto them therefore that reiect the food of their soules and surfet of this heauenly Manna and do not hunger and thirst after the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby Neither let any obiect Obiection If God did speake we would heare and if he did call wee would answere if hee did threaten wee would feare and if hee did teach we would obey but so long as all proceedeth from man as sinfull as our selues wee cannot be so affected Answere This was the Obiection of the Reprobate rich man in the Gospell who albeit his Brethren had Moses and the Prophets yet hee would haue Lazarus sent from the dead vnto his Fathers house to testifie vnto them b Luke 16 28 29 30 31 Lest they should come into that place of torment But what was the answer of Abraham If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded to amend their liues though one arise from the dead againe If we reason on this manner with the rich man and put on his affection let vs also take heede lest wee haue that recompence of reward that the rich man had He supposed that extraordinary meanes would worke extraordinarie effects and vndoubtedly procure the conuersion of those to whom they were sent but therein hee was vtterly deceyued and if wee were not Fooles and blinde we would not follow so foule and fearefull an example Wherefore to informe our iudgement aright and reforme our affection we are to obserue two points first we must acknowledge that it is Gods mercy to speake vnto vs by men like vnto our selues and subiect vnto the same infirmities and passions that we are who applyeth himselfe to our weakenesse and respecteth our capacity who are not able to abide his presence who is so glorious in holynesse fearefull in praises doing wonders We see this in the Israelites at the deliuerie of the Law when the voice of God sounded in theyr eares they ran away and could not abide it they feared to be consumed at once cryed out vnto Moses c Exod. 20 19 Talk◠thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs lest wee dye When the Lord reuealed a part of his glory sitting vpon an high throne the angels couered their faces were not able to abide the beauty brightnes of his maiesty the lintels of the doore cheeks moued the house was filled with smoke the Prophet himselfe said d Esay 6 5. Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell in the middest of a people of polluted Lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In like manner if God should appeare vnto vs and vtter his voice from heauen we should feare and quake and fall downe as dead men and cry out with great astonishment Alas we shall dye beecause we haue seene and heard the Lorde as many of the Fathers did then we would make request to haue the Ministers of the worde speake vnto vs whom now we despise and whose word wee contemne as base and contemptible It is therefore to bee accounted and receyued as a notable token of his great mercy toward vs that he sendeth vs to school to learne of our Brethren to whom wee may freely and familiarly resort for counsell in our doubtes for comfort in our afflictions for knowledge in our ignorance for instruction in godlinesse and for resolution in all our wants Secondly we must labour to perswade our owne hearts that it is his word which we heare and his Ministers that speake vnto vs and that it is our duty to heare them as the Lord himselfe whose Messengers they are whose calling is from him and whose mouths he hath opened to speak his word with boldnesse as it ought to be spoken Let vs craue this mercy at Gods hands to resolue vs of this point and to settle our consciences in the full assurance of it This will be a forcible means to make vs heare it and regarde it as Gods owne ordinance ought to bee heard and regarded And vntill wee haue learned this Lesson we can neuer reuerence the preaching of the worde as is required of vs either for the aduancement of Gods glory or the comfort of our owne soules Let vs therefore perswade our selues of this and set it downe as a principle and firme conclusion that as the words of the Prophets and Apostles are of great authority euen the word of the eternall God most vndoubtedly to bee receyued and most assuredly to bee beleeued so likewise the words of all Gods true and faithfull Ministers truely expounding and faithfully giuing vnto vs the naturall sense and meaning of the Scriptures and gathering sound doctrine out of them for the instruction and edification of the people of God grounding all they teach on the sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles the words I say of Gods Ministers in these dayes are no lesse to be esteemed and acknowledged the word of God himself then if Esay or Ieremy thē if Paul or Peter or any of the rest did write or speak vnto vs. For the Scripture standeth not in words letters or syllables but in the sense vnderstanding So long then as the Minister vttereth not the conceits of his own brain nor deliuereth the traditions and precepts of men but holdeth himself to the doctrine of the Scripture which is the touchstone to try truth from falshood to descern the word of God from the word of man hee is no otherwise to bee heard and the Gospell no otherwise to be receiued from his mouth then if some Prophet of God or Apostle of Christ were among vs. For wee must not haue the Faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons but when the same faith the same truth the same word is preached both by the former Prophets and Apostles and by the ordinary Ministers of the Church of the times wherein wee liue if it should bee receiued when it is published by them and reiected when it is deliuered by these a
Epistle to the Hebrews teacheth touching the faithful Heb. 11 33 34 that through faith they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the aliants All these testimonies and examples of the old and new Testament set forth expresly this truth that it is a lawfull thing and allowed to the godly to follow the warres The reasons to confirme this truth do follow Reason 1 First God doth command it and therefore doth allow it as iust and lawfull For hee doth not will things because they are iust but they are iust because he willeth them Now the holy Scripture affoordeth sundry testimonies of this truth and setteth downe the precepts commandements that God gaue to his people to bee their warrant to vse their weapon So he commanded them to destroy the Canaanites Deut. 7 2 3. The Lord thy God shall giue theÌ„ before thee and thou shalt smite them thou shalt vtterly destroy them thou shalt make no couenant with them nor haue compassion on them Thus he commanded Saul to slay the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15 2. who set vpon the people of God when they were come out of the Land of Egypt and as God commanded the worke so he gaue a blessing vnto it so that those enemies were brought to destruction For we reade in the holy history that God said vnto him I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laid waite for them in the way as they came vp from Egypt now therefore go and smite Amalek and destroy ye al that pertaineth vnto them and haue no compassion on them but slay both man and woman both infant and â—uckling both oxe and sheepe both Camell and Asse Many other precepts are found in the word of God which we cannot stand vpon But God the Lord of hoasts commandeth nothing that is vniust vnlawful therfore war rightly vsed is lawful warranted Secondly as God gaue direct and expresse Reason 2 commandement so the people of God going forth to battell were to call vppon him for a blessing and to sanctifie the worke by prayer and in so doing haue beene heard Things in their owne nature vnlawfull are so foule and filthy that no prayer and inuocation of Gods name can cleanse them nay they make such prayer foule and abhominable If an idolater going to worship his Idol and serue the creature which is the work of mans hands should poure out his praiers all day long 1 Kin. 18 26. as the Priests of Baal did to bee heard O Baal heare vs what were this but a bellowing or beating of the aire or what profit should they receiue by it But the people of God hauing praied for good successe building themselues vpon the commandement of God vpon the promise of blessing and vpon the example of the faithful haue earnestly praied and effectually obtained that which they asked and desired This we see in the practise of the sonnes of Reuben and of Gad and of halfe the Tribe of Manasseh 1 Chr. 5 19. Valiant men able to beare shield and sword and exercised in war when they made warre against the Hagarims they were holpen against them they deliuered into their hands for they cryed to God in the battell he heard them because they trusted in him Seeing therefore God commandeth and blesseth and heareth and deliuereth such as go to warre it must needs follow that war true religion may well stand together so that one and the same man may bee both a warriour and yet religious Let vs make vse of this point First it serueth Vse 1 to conuince the cursed sect of the Anabaptists and other spiritualists who glory of the Spirit and vnder a colour of seeking peace and establishing vnity and concorde ouer all the world do bring in detestable doctrines and absurd opinions as if none were the true Church but onely themselues True it is it were to be wished that all persons and nations maintained amity and league one with an other and that there might be no more vse of the sword but this is rather to bee wished then expected and may sooner bee spoken then it will be obtained and effected They obiect the Lawe of God Thou shalt not kill Obiection 1 Exod. 20 and the words of Christ Resist not euill Answere Math. 5. But these and such like places must be vnderstood of priuate persons and of priuate reuenge It is vnlawfull for any person without a publike calling to that duty to kill another but a publike Officer may and ought to do it So did Moses kill the Egyptian Exod. 2 12. with Act. 7 25 Numb 25 8. 1 Kings 18 40 so did Phineas those that committed fornication as appeareth afterward in this booke so did Eliah to the Priests of Baal that committed Idolatry and seduced the people And thus it is in all lawfull warres for souldiers haue a publike calling they seek not priuate reuenge and therefore the battell is saide 2 Chro. 20 15. Not to be theirs but the Lord of Hoasts Likewise there is a priuate reuenge which Christ forbiddeth and condemneth but the publike reuenge committed to the Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine must bee duely and diligently executed that euill may be taken away out of the City of God For as in necessity it is good for mans body to cut off a rotten and dead member betimes lest the sound parts be corrupted and the whole body perish so it is profitable for the safety and security of humane society to sweepe away as dung hurtfull and noysome Citizens before they infect others that liue among them Wherefore so long as wicked men liue vp on the face of the earth and so long as the Diuell stirreth vp his instruments to set themselues against God and his truth and his seruants so long there will be vse of the sword and of the Magistrate to handle it Wherefore the Apostle calleth vpon vs to cal vpon God for Kings and Princes and them that are in authority that vnder them wee may liue a peaceable and quiet life 1 Timoth. 2 2 Ro. 13.1.2 3. in all godlines honesty If then these be the ends of Magistracy to maintaine peace to settle quietnesse to establish religion and to confirme honesty of manners surely it may be discharged and perfourmed by one that is religious and fearing God Besides God promised as a speciall grace and fauour to the Church of Christ in the new Testament that Kings should be the nursing Fathers Queenes the nursing Mothers of it Esay 49 23. which could not be vnlesse a godly and faithfull man might beare the Office and discharge the calling of a Magistrate and take vengeance of the wicked maintaine the cause of the righteous Secondly wee learne heereby that no calling Vse 2 and
albeit Iacob promised the crowne and kingdome to that tribe yet it is not by and by accomplished so that albeit his promises shall all be performed yet they are not straightway verified but are oftentimes long deferred True it is that the tribe of Iudah surmounted all the rest of the tribes at such time as God deliuered them out of Egypt yea Nahasson had the preheminence when the people were to be numbred when the Captaines of the tribes were to be chosen and when the offerings were dedicated in the Sanctuary Notwithstanding all this was but a darke shadow of the former prophesie for Iuda still remained without kingdome and principality Besides the former propheticall speech might seeme to many to carry little trueth or likelihood with it inasmuch as wee see God appointeth Moses of the tribe of Leui to be the gouernour of them After his death and decease Ioshua was Captaine and ruler ouer them who was of the tribe of Ephraim after him succeeded the Iudges who were extraordinarily stirred vp to iudge his people deliuer thē out of the hands of their enemies sometime of one tribe and sometime of another Then came Saul who was chosen king of the tribe of Beniamin all this while there is no mention of Iudah as if the prophecy were buryed in deepe silence and the birthright were vtterly forgotten yet in the end the Lord declareth that his word is not a iest and that Iacob though he were old yet did not dote when he foretold the same But to omit those things let vs obserue that God prouiding heere for the good of his people and the ordering of them appointeth officers and Magistrates ouer them and leaueth them not vnto themselues which would haue bene the occasion of all contention Thus we see how he appointeth a captaine and leader Doctrine 2 ouer euery tribe Magistrates and rulers are needfull to be set ouer the people of God From hence we may obserue that God giueth to his people rulers to fight their battels and to guide them in order and godlinesse Faithfull Magistrates are needfull for Church and Common-weath who are not onely a portion among beleeuers but the chiefe parts and stay of them in well-doing not onely in peace but in warre This we see plentifully proued vnto vs in the booke of Iudges where it is testified that the Lord raised them vp Iudges Iudg. 2 16 18. who deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressors and afterward when the Lord had raised them vp Iudges the Lord was with the Iudge and deliuered them out of the hand of their enemies all the dayes of the Iudge for the Lord had compassion of their gronings because of them that oppressed them and tormented them This is it which Iethro the father in Law of Moses saw to be profitable and necessary for the people when he admonished him to prouide men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating couetousnesse Exod. 18.21 and to appoint such ouer them to be Rulers ouer thousands Rulers ouer hundreths Rulers ouer fifties and Rulers ouer tennes and to let them Iudge the people at all seasons This is it which Hiram acknowledgeth 2 Chron. 2. Because the Lord hath loued his people 2 Chron. 2.11 he hath made Salomon king ouer them This doth the Prophet Esay testifie chap. 22. Esay 22.20 22 In that day will I call my seruant Eliachim the sonne of Hilkiah the Key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder so he shall open and no man shall shut and he shall shut and no man shall open To these testimonies we might adde infinite others but in fo plentifull an argument these shall suffice to teach vs that the people of God stand in need of Rulers to go in and out before them and to order them in the duties of piety and honesty The reasons are euident First they are as the proppes and pillars of the house and Reason 1 the cause of good order among the people of God and the meanes to keepe them in all obedience On the other side through want of them many abuses are committed and much iniquity is practised While Ioshua liued and the Elders that out-liued Ioshua Iudge 2.7 the people serued the Lord all their dayes which had seene his great workes that he had done for Israel but when they were gone and gathered vnto their fathers the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim And againe chapter 4. Chap. 4.1 The children of Israel began againe to doe wickedly in the sight of the Lord after Ehud was dead And before Chapter 2. Ch. 2.19 and 8.33 and 17.6 and 19.1 and 21 25. When the Iudge was dead they returned and did worse then their fathers in following other gods to serue them and worship them they ceased not from their owne inuentions nor from their rebellious way Adde vnto these the conclusion of this booke In those dayes there was no king in Israel but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes Whereby we see that so long as God blesseth a land with Princes and Magistrates it is stayed from ruine and destruction but when they are taken away it falleth Reason 2 to the ground and cannot stand vpright Secondly no society can continue without Magistrates neither defend it selfe If an hoste be without a Generall or a city without a Ruler or an house without a gouernour it needeth not forraine force to pull it downe and dissolue it it sufficeth in short time to destroy it selfe and from among themselues will men arise that shall bring it to nothing Parity is the mother of all mutiny and confusion whiles euery one vnderprising anothers value and vertue denyeth to be commanded and being wedded to selfe-loue esteemeth himselfe the best able and most worthy to command in all the company So then whiles men ouervalue their own worth esteem better of themselues then others contrary to the rule of the Apostle Phil. 2 3. they are cast away by the tempest of dissention and torne in peeces as a body without a head by mutual emulations These diseases of a diuided and distracted multitude without vnity and authority of gouernment caused the Lord to take order for his people that when they should come vnto the land which he had promised to giue them Deut. 17.14 and that they should possesse it and dwell therein they should set a king ouer them from among their brethren Wherefore seeing Magistrates are a stay to the people in all well-doing and the want of them is the occasion of all confusion we cannot but conclude them to be so necessary as that they cannot be wanted or spared Vse 1 The vses remaine to be taught and learned of vs. The first reproofe of the Anabaptists First it reprooueth the hellish and more then heathenish Sect of the Anabaptists that ouerturne this order that God hath setled
Samaria were deuoured of Lyons he commanded that one of the Priests which had been brought from thence 2 Ki. 17 26 27. should be carried thether to teach them the manner of the God of the Country so that the superstitious King thought it his duty to see them instructed in the truth A notable example of a godly and religious care this way is in Iehosaphat who 2 Chron. 17 6 7 8 9 10. so soone as hee had taken away the high places and the groues out of Iudah hee sent out sundry of the Leuites that they should teach in the Cities and they taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the LORD with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This is the foundation and stay of all Kingdomes to giue entertainment to the word of God this maketh a wise King and a wise people So long as Magistrates countenance the truth and Preachers of it they secure theyr owne estates and are blessed of God which ought to bee an encouragement vnto them not to bee slacke or slothfull in spreading abroad the Gospell of Christ Lastly because it were troublesome and tedious to go about to rehearse all their duties we breefely number vp the rest It is their duty therefore to be good examples of piety and godlinesse of life to the people and to prouide for them al things necessary for the body to aske counsell of the mouth of the Lord in theyr weighty affaires that is the ministery of the word and to yeeld obedience vnto it to exhort their inferiors in time of publike calamities to earnest repentance and to expresse the same by prayer and fasting to know the cause throughly before they proceed to giue sentence to punish euill dooers and defend the innocent and to establish such positiue lawes as are necessary for the maintenance of order and decency in the Common-wealth Vse 4 Lastly seeing Magistrates are necessary for the Church and Common-wealth it putteth those that are vnder them in minde of theyr duties partly in regard of themselues partly in regard of the Magistrates and partly in respect of God Touching themselues they must know they be no burdens to the Common-wealth nor superfluous parts that may be spared they are as the head or heart of the body or as the eye in the head all depend vpon their welfare so all depend vpon the Kings and Princes welfare If he be vpholden the Common-wealth standeth if he be vnregarded the Common-wealth falleth He is as necessary as the Sunne in the Firmament yea as fire and water and breathing without which we cannot liue If we iudge otherwise of this ordinance of God we are deceiued wrong both them and our selues Againe we learne that their life and continuance is greatly to bee desired of Gods seruants It is the part and duty of all Subiects to craue their safety and protection that they may safe-guard and protect both Church and Common-wealth Yea Rulers themselues in regard of this end which ought daily to bee before their eies may desire of God to lengthen their daies and to continue their happy reigne that together with the Saints they may do seruice to God in his Church in this respect I say they may desire life not so much aiming at their owne priuate good for in that respect it were better to bee dissolued to be with the Lord as respecting the generall vtility of their people What greater glory what higher honour can they haue then this to be the stay and defence of the church that otherwise were like to decay and goe to ruine and to continue the seuerall parts of it in well-doing That good King Hezekiah foreseeing by the word of the Lord the miserable estate of the Church that should bee after his death and considering with great anguish of heart the wofull effects that were like to follow he turned himselfe in his bed to the wall and wept and was greeued to depart hence Esay 38 18 ◠saying The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that go downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I do this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth He desired of God to liue and prayed vnto God to prolong his daies not to lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren not to glory in the smoke of lofty titles not to tyrannize ouer the people not to command the things that are vniust or to punish such as do not deserue it but to do good to the Church and to set foorth Gods praise Death indeede which bringeth the dissolution of nature is a welcome guest to them that are the Lords all the godly do make themselues ready to receiue him to meete and entertaine him and so Kings Princes among the rest howbeit in this respect that the Church may bee benefited by them it is no matter of impiety to desire a longer continuance among Gods people much more then is it the duty of such as are vnder them and gouerned by them to desire their continuance as the daies of heauen and as the course of the Sunne to bee Nurses to the godly This was wont to be a common salutation vsed of the people toward theyr Princes not onely of the Infidels but by the faithfull seruants of God Dan. 2 4 and 6 21 and 3 9 and 5 10. When the King came to visite Daniel being cast into the den of Lyons the Prophet so soone as hee heard him saide O King liue for euer that is GOD grant vnto thee a long life Last of all whensoeuer we haue a wise and worthy a godly and religious Prince giuen to vs it is our duty to be thankfull If the Lord grant vnto a Land a prudent and prouident Prince to reigne ouer thē whose heart is bent to seeke the Lord and to serue the GOD of his fathers the people that breathe vnder his shadow must praise the holy name of God It is their duty to pray that princes may be such and to commend them to God with all faithfulnesse For if they must pray for others much more for them When Salomon was annointed with oyle taken out of the Sanctuary they blew the Trumpet and all the people said God saue King Salomon 1 King 1 39 So the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorteth that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority 1 Tim. 2 1 2 3 that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour Now as we are to pray for them so wee are to praise God for them wee are not to forget the least blessings nor to be vnmindfull of smaller benefits and therefore we are much more bound to be thankfull
to all Churches therefore hee reprooued them because they neglected an ordinary duty Secondly he commandeth them that themselues should take him away saying Put him out from among you but it had beene vnreasonable to require a myracle at their handes which he knew they were not able to worke Thirdly if he had intended such a miraculous action as they performed against hypocrites and enemies of the truth what neede had there beene of a solemne assembly and consent of the Church But in putting of him out the Congregation had an interest ver 4. When ye are gathered together c my spirit with the power of our Lord Iesus Christ â—r 5 4. Fourthly this appeareth also by the ende for which he was to be deliuered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saued in the day of the Lord Iesus â—r 5 5. that is that he may repent of his wickednesse in this life and so be saued in the life to come This also is noted to be the end wherefore he deliuered Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme that is that they might renounce their heresies and imbrace the true faith and so repent of their former impiety and iniquity Therefore hee would not haue him smitten with sudden death and taken out of this life and so the time and gift of repentance to be cut off from him Fiftly what it is to deliuer to Satan and to take away the Apostle expresseth in other places keepe not company with them with such eate not purge out the old leauen that they may blush and be ashamed so amend their euill waies Sixtly if this had beene meant of such extraordinary punishments the Apostle might haue done this by his Apostolicall authority and needed not to haue troubled the whole Church with it Seuenthly that which the Apostle heere commanded the Church no doubt practised but they did not take him away out of this world by any myracle neyther deliuered him to bee possessed and punished bodily by the diuell but rather proceeded against him with the censures of the Church as appeareth in the second Epistle where he willeth them to comfort him being afflicted â—or 2 6 7. to receiue him being penitent and to cure him beeing wounded Lastly if he had willed them to kill him he had willed them to rush into the Magistrates seate which he would neuer doe for this is proper to the Magistrate alone that beareth the sword Seeing therefore we haue the commandement of Christ and the practise of the Apostle to warrant the sentence of excommunication there shall alwayes bee place for it in the Church euen where the Christian Magistrate is setled established Paul would haue them assemble together in the Name of Christ â—or 5 12. that is by his will commandement and afterward hee sheweth that the Churches office is to iudge them that are within albeit the Magistrate haue a sword put into his hand by the ordinance of GOD. What then There is a twofold sword materiall and spirituall he taketh vp the materiall sword and striketh with it The Church handleth the spirituall sword which is the word of God so that the Magistrate taketh away the wicked one way the Church another way The Magistrate killeth and taketh away life if the cause require the Church medleth not with corporall punishment and shedding of blood The Magistrate proceedeth directly according to the Lawes against offenders albeit they repent because he respecteth the execution of iustice and the reuenge of the dishonour done to God The Church proceedeth not in that order but obserueth the degrees appointed by Christ Math. 18 15. If thy brother shall trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene him and thee alone c and if the offenders repent they are ready to forgiue theÌ„ For this is the marke whereat excommunication aymeth and the end whereto it tendeth that the sinners being ashamed may be brought to repeÌ„tance that such as liue in the church might not be corrupted forasmuch as a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe Lastly it may be said that we should rather Obiection 3 labour how and which way to bring more into the Church then to exclude any out of the Church Men are ready to goe faâ—â— enough out of it but they returne slowe enough to it We are to endeuour to call men to the Sacraments which are encouragements to godlinesse rather then to keepe them froÌ„ them for their wickednesse It is a signe we lacke charity toward them when wee hide from them that which should do them good I answer Answer it is our duty to do both of them to wit both to encourage them to godlines and yet to keepe them from them so long as they lye in open wickednes not repented of not the first without the latter nor the latter without the first lest wee bee compelled to giue that which is holy to dogges Did the Lord himselfe want charity toward Adam wheÌ„ he sent him forth from the Garden of Eden Gen. 3 22. lest he put foorth his hand and take also of the Tree of life and eate liue for euer The Sacraments of God cannot profite or helpe wicked men The Supper of the Lord is onely auaileable and comfortable vnto them which come worthily to wit with true repentance with sound faith and with vnfained charity touching others it turneth to greater iudgement and condemnation This doth the Apostle teach 1 Corin. 11 27. Whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Is it not a worke of charity to stay his course that is running into daÌ„ger and like to hurt himselfe to hinder our brother from such an action as that he eateth iudgement to himselfe and maketh himselfe guilty of horrible sinne This were a strange kinde of charity to suffer a man to thrust himselfe through with his sword or to cast himselfe downe headlong from a steepe Rocke when we may hinder him from so doing The Apostle Iude giueth vs other direction in his Epistle that we should haue compassion of some making a difference and others saue with feare Iude 22 23. pulling them out of the fire Wherefore there is no wrong done to impenitent persons if they be excommunicated and consequently barred from the Supper but rather a great benefit is bestowed vpon them and their saluation furthered by this means Neither let any say Obiect that the Church vsurpeth vpon the Magistrate and taketh from him his office For if this were a good reason Answer it was neuer lawfull neither euer shall bee for the Church to excommunicate any offenders because it belongeth to the Magistrate as his duty to punish offences whether he be a Christian or no Christian How then is it that wee take away this authority from the Church in the time of a
thinke others to be starke blind For seeing Christ sent his Apostles into the whole world Math. 10. that they should preach the Gospell vpon the house tops that is openly and euidently who will be so foolish as to imagine that this can be vnderstood of Auricular confession This authority is ioyned with the Ministery of the Gospel as the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 5 verse 18 19 20. God hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Christ and hath giuen to vs the ministery of reconciliation to wit that GOD was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe c. Thus we see that sinners are reconciled to God and obtaine remission of sinnes by the Ministery of preaching the Gospel appreheÌ„ding and receiuing the benefit thereof by faith not by confession forasmuch as we haue in the word neither precept nor example of reckoning our sinnes in secret vnto the Priest to the ende we may obtaine forgiuenesse of them All the examples and commandements mentioned in the Scriptures call vs with a loud voice and carry vs the direct way vnto God aduising vs to speake to him who we are sure will answer vs to craue of him who we are certaine will heare vs. The Prophet saith I saide I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest me Psalme 32 verse 5. The same we reade in Hosea chap. 14 verse 2. Take with you words and turne to the Lord say vnto him Take away all iniquity and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lips Yea the seruants of God were so farre from binding themselues to number vp all their sinnes that Dauid saith in the Psalme Who can vnderstand his errors Cleanse thou mee from secret faults Psalme 19 12. and 38 5. True it is many of the ancient doe oftentimes speake much of confession but it is of publike confession in the face of the Church made by him that had committed some publike and notorious crime and giuen scandall to the whole Church whereas there was no law set forth of this auricular confession before Innocent the third who first of all made an act and decree touching the same For they call men backe from running vnto men to tell them their sinnes Chrysâ—â—â— Laz◠〈◊〉 Gâ—â—â—â—â— who may put them to shame and rebuke make them blush and hit them in the teeth with them and also bring them to the knowledge of others but to the Lord that careth for vs to him that is our Physition and cureth our wounds as the seruant when he hath offended craueth not forgiuenesse of his fellow-seruant but at the hands of his master And why should we feare to vnburden our conscience of that which we feared not to commit in his presence If we come vnto him we may be assured he will turne away his face from our iniquities Againe some obiect the words of the Apostle Obiect 2 Iames chapter 5 verse 16. Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed Loe say they heere is an expresse commandement giuen vnto vs to confesse our sinnes And we see the practise of it to Iohn Math. 3 verse 5 6. To whom went out Ierusalem and all Iudea and all the regions round about Iordan and were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sinnes These are the Scriptures that the Rhemists vse to establish their error as the groundworke of their building I answer Answer vnto them both and first to the commandement then to the example or practise of it Touching the precept or commandement howsoeuer it may carry some shew yet if we marke it the place rather marreth their market then helpeth the matter For the confession of faults heere spoken off is in time of sicknesse at the priuate houses of the diseased when the sicke person acknowledgeth to the standers by that come to visite him wherein and in what manner he had offended them the standers by wherein they had offended him and both of them desired to be reconciled one to another and so depart hence in peace Math. 5 verse 23. It was not made therfore alone and apart in the Church in time of health in the eare of the Priest in the supposed holy time of Lent a little before Easter or before they prepared themselues to heare Masse Secondly here he requireth that we confesse our sins and offences one to another not all to one so that this text belongeth to mutuall confession not to sacramentall confession Whereby we may euidently proue that their popish Priests are as well bound to confesse themselues to lay-men as the lay-men are bound to confesse themselues to popish Priests Otherwise how can we be said to confesse one to another If any confesse vnto me and I confesse vnto none how haue we kept this rule How haue we confessed our faults one to another Thirdly as we are commanded to confesse our faults one to another so we are also charged to pray one for another for the Apostle ioyneth these two together But they are ashamed to say that this pertaineth onely to the Priest to pray for others wherfore then should confession pertaine vnto him more then the praier heere spoken off forasmuch as there is a like respect of both these Confesse one to another and pray one for another This point therefore is so cleere that the Rhemists themselues confesse â—em Annot. â—lam 5. that it is not certaine but onely probable that the Apostle speaketh here of sacramentall confession and besides Cardinall Caietane in his Commentaries vpon the same place obserueth that it cannot be vnderstood of the Sacrament of Confession â—etan comâ—n in Iam. 5. because the Apostle doth not say Acknowledge your faults to the Priest but one to another Touching the practise of the people that came to Iohns baptisme they confesse their sinnes in generall and not all of them in particular not compelled vnto it but voluntarily moued For if they had confessed their sinnes particularly Iohn must haue stood from morning to euening many yeares together because Ierusalem and all Iewry and all the Country about Iordan came vnto him in which number no doubt were many thousands and an innumerable company that were neuer shriuen before so that their confessions must be very long he must of necessity haue shriuing worke enough all the daies of his life therfore it was vnpossible there should bee a particular enumeration of all their sinnes â—he second â—proofe Secondly it reproueth such as hide their sinnes and cannot be brought to confesse theÌ„ Such as do deny them faile in this duty and are farre from true repentance and consequently from free forgiuenesse They haue skill and will to set out other mens sinnes and to stretch them at large to the vttermost that they may make them seeme greater then they are but touching their owne offences either they will not vnderstand them or they will excuse them and you shall be sure to get theÌ„
all the water in the riuer Iordan or in the wide sea is not able to cleere him and acquit him of putting the Lord of life to death Now if we desire to know how wee may be accessaries to other mens sinnes and draw them as it were with cart-ropes vpon our selues it may be considered of vs in those few words Iussio consilium consensus palpo recursus Participans mutus non obstans non manifestans Whosoeuer is any cause of any vniust dealing is bound to restore such are they that command or counsell or consent to euill such as flatter any in their euill by commending them for it such as are abetters to them receiuing aiding helping and assisting them such as are companions of them and take part with them he that is dumbe and holdeth his peace as if he neither saw nor heard any euill committed albeit he see it with his eyes and heare it with his eares he that suffereth it to be done and doth not hinder it and withstand it being able to doe it Lastly such as seeke shifts and shelters by all meanes to couer euill and doe not disclose the same when they are priuy to it For he that hideth it doth shew therby that he fauoreth it and furthereth it so farre as he can By all these waies we are made partakers of other mens sinnes and not onely doth he trespasse and offend which executeth and practiseth any sinnes but he that is by any of the former meanes a cause or occasion of them Notwithanding among these there is some difference For flattery and counsell praising them that doe euil and counselling them to doe euill doe not alwayes oblige and bind to restitution but then only when it appeareth euidently that vniust dealing hath proceeded chiefly or onely from these causes where he that is principall in the action is principally bound to restitution to wit he that requireth cōmandeth then he that executeth it And concerning the rest to wit such as doe not bewray or not hinder or not reproue a theefe that stealeth are not alwaies bound to restore but then onely when an absolute necessity lyeth vpon them and no great danger follows by this negligence default Lastly it remaineth to shew this doubt whether a mā be boūd to restore by by or whether he may put off and delay the discharge of this duty No man is to delay restitution but by consent Euery one is charged necessarily to hasten restitution so soone as he is able and conueniently may do it God loueth a cheerefull giuer and restorer whereas delay in any good duty argueth an vnwilling minde It sheweth that we are not throughly resolued to do it It maketh vs euery day more vnfit then other It manifesteth that we are more then halfe willing to keepe it by vs still He that hath hired a poore seruant to doe his worke must giue him his hire before the Sunne goe downe Deut. 24 13. And as it is a sinne against iustice to take away another mans goods so it is likewise to deteine it with vs because the owner thereby is hindred from the vse thereof and so a double iniury is done vnto him but no man is allowed to stay any time though it be short in sinne Neuerthelesse if a man be not able to make present restitution he is to craue pardon and desire respit of him whom he hath wronged but without his consent that is damnified he hath no liberty to keepe euill gotten goods that is of ability to make restitution The counsell that Salomon giueth to the man that hath this worlds goods that he must giue speedily and not bid his neighbour come againe vnto him Prou. 3 28. if he haue at the present for him it must also serue as a good direction to him that hath gotten and ingrossed into his owne hands other mens goods he must not say I will restore them to morrow if he be able to do it to day If we be carefull to practise these things which now haue beene rehearsed we shall finde much comfort in them and assure our owne hearts that we haue truely repented of our sinnes Verse 8. If the man haue no kinseman to recompence the trespasse vnto let the trespasse bee recompenced vnto the Lord euen to the Priest In these words we haue an amplification of the former law by way of preuenting an obiection of which we haue spoken before or rather of many obiections together couched as it were vpon an heape For it may be asked What if the party be dead and gone from whom we haue taken The answer is Restore to his childe What then if he haue no child Restore to his brothers children What if he haue no brother or sister Restore to his next kinseman But put case he haue no kinseman at all Restore it to the Lord euen to the Priest As if he should say Though sometimes it fall out that thou shalt finde no kinseman yet thou shalt neuer haue the Lord to seeke neither the Priest whom he hath set ouer you The point then heere to be obserued is this that the Lord and the Priest are put as both one for it is in the originall To the Lord to the Priest so that the restitution to the Priest was a restitution to the Lord. Doctrine Whatsoeuer is done to the Minister◠done to the Lord. We learne from hence that whatsoeuer is done to the Ministers of the word God accounteth it as done vnto himselfe If we doe good vnto them wee doe good vnto the Lord if we do euill vnto them we do euill to the Lord himselfe We see afterward in this booke chap. 16 verse 11. when Korah and his company lifted vp themselues against Gods ordinance and the authority of Moses and Aaron he saith vnto them Thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him They thought they had to do with his seruant but he sheweth they had to doe with the Lord. When the people required of Samuel that he would make them a King to iudge them like all the Nations the Lord said vnto him 1 Sam. 8 7. Hearken vnto the voyce of the people in all that they say vnto thee for they haue not reiected thee but they haue reiected mee that I should not reigne ouer them Their gathering together against the Prophet was a muster and mutinie and murmuring against God This is that which Christ spake vnto the seuenty Disciples and to the Apostles before them He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10 16. Math. 10 40. Whereby we see that this is the dignity and authority of the Ministery which God hath established that how meane soeuer the persons of the Ministers are yet he so magnifieth their office that what is done to them is offered vnto him The reasons heereof are most
names and not in the Name of God They cannot say Thus saith the Lord but this I say vnto you not heare ye the word of the Lord but heare ye my word not that which God commandeth to obserue that do ye but keepe my word â—h 15 3. the commandements of men the traditions of the Elders the superstitions of the Fathers and such like humane ordinances wherby they make the word of God of none effect This carrieth no authority to the consciences of the hearers but it is as a sword that is blunt whose edge is turned that it cannot cut or enter into the flesh The word thus deliuered can neuer open the corrupt heart of man or do any good vnto the conscience If then we do not teach the flocke of God both by sincerity of doctrine and by innocency of life we shew our selues to be messengers of Satan not the Ministers of God to be false Prophets not true Teachers We are ioynt labourers with God and therefore he will be sanctified in all that come neere vnto him He feedeth the flock by our hands he conuerteth the soules by our Ministery and he saueth the hearers by our preaching and therefore we must not cause our office to be hated and contemned but by all meanes maintaine the dignity and authority of it to the vttermost of our power It is not only the corrupt doctrine but the euill life of the Ministers that maketh their calling to be vile and void in the eyes of worldly men If the persons that preach it be prophane they reiect Ministers Doctrine and Calling they set al at nought and let all alone And this is the deepe pollicy and subtilty of Satan wheÌ„ he dareth not openly oppose himselfe against the doctrine that is according to godlinesse nor encounter with the word of truth hand to hand he goeth to worke another way that he may cunningly vndermine it to which purpose he striueth to make it hatefull and contemptible by occasion of the Ministers and he duely obserueth their errors their faults and failings that with some colour he may cauill and so countenance his euill proceedings Christ our Lord and Sauiour did well and wisely foresee this and carefully did preuent this The treachery of Iudas was well knowne to the Iewes themselues hee betrayed his master forsooke the Apostles Mar. 26 27. ioyned with the Pharisies and in the end hanged himselfe This must needs bring a great scandall and much hinder the proceeding of the Gospel cause the Disciples to be euill spoken off and the truth it selfe to be reuiled Besides the Apostles might be afraid lest all their labour should be in vaine Wherefore to the end the Lord might adde strength courage vnto them and represse the slanders calumniations of the enemies of the Gospel and withall leaue a perpetuall direction vnto the whole Church that no man should refuse the purity of doctrine for the impurity of the liues of such as are the Teachers he vttereth and oftentimes repeateth this sentence Verily I say vnto you he that heareth you heareth mee Math. 10 40. Luke 10 16. Iohn 13 20. and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me In these words he establisheth the authority of the Apostles doctrine and reprooueth all those that iudge of the doctrine by the Ministers and esteeme of the truth by the teachers For euen as Kings and Princes will not lose their right nor diminish the authority of their commandements albeit their Officers or Embassadors should exceed their calling and goe beyond the bounds of their commission in like sort whatsoeuer the Ministers of the Gospel shall be yet the word alwaies remaineth the same the promises and threatnings that are written in it shall be ratified by it we shall be iudged at the last day We must turne vnto it that shall not bow and bend to vs. For all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flowre of grasse The grasse withereth and the flowre thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for euer 1 Pet. 1 24 25. To conclude therefore we must not cast our eyes so much vpon the Ministers that are the disposers of the mysteries of God as vppon the author of the Ministery which is the Lord himselfe neither be so carefull and attentiue to heare their voice as Christ himselfe speaking in them in whose Name they are Embassadors Doubtlesse they shall incurre the displeasure of God and receiue greeuous punishment whosoeuer are euilly affected to the Ministery of the word and their impiety shall detract and diminish nothing from the worthinesse of the doctrine it selfe which directeth vs to one God through our onely Mediatour Iesus Christ and teacheth vs to serue him with a true faith with a pure life with a loue vnfained Vse 4 Fourthly we ought from this ground of doctrine heere deliuered to giue them double honour and not withhold from them the wages of their worke and the recompence of their labours that is due vnto them but as euery labourer must haue his hire so ought the Ministers aboue the rest that labour in the word and doctrine to be maintained of the Church As the Church dependeth vpoÌ„ them for their allowance so they depend vpon her for their maintenance Thus the Pastour and the people do feed one another as a flocke of sheepe nourisheth the Shepheard who eateth the milke of them cloatheth himselfe with the wool of them and againe the Shepheard coucheth them into greene pastures and leadeth them by the still waters The people feed him with the bread of this life he feedeth theÌ„ with the bread of euerlasting life They minister to him in carnall things he to them in spirituall things They cannot lacke him in regard of their soules hee cannot be without them in regard of his body Thus then they do feed one another or at least ought to do If he receiue food of them and giue none vnto them againe he robbeth them of their goods and murthereth their soules If they on the other side receiue food of him so that they be taught of him and yet make him not partaker of a part of their goods they robbe him and cause him to depart from them and so become murtherers of their owne soules as if they did lay violent hands vpon themselues or rather as if they did famish themselues by refusing bread prouided for them inasmuch as where vision ceaseth there people perish Prou. 29 18. Nay the Lord accounteth of this sinne in another kinde and nature he chargeth such Church-robbers to be robbers and spoilers of God no lesse then they that stand by the high way and take a purse I doubt not but very many will be ready to scorne this comparison say What Do you liken vs to theeues Do you make no better of vs We are true
vnto vs. If an earthly Prince should send a messenger vnto any of vs hee is regarded for the Princes sake that sent him We are Ambassadors for Christ saith the Apostle as thogh God did beseech you by vs we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled vnto God 2 Cor. 5 ver 20. and therefore we should bee heard receiued and respected for our Masters sake Again they must submit themselues to our doctrine not onely when wee heare pleasing things precious promises and gracious comforts but when we heare the word sounding an alarme in our eares vttering reproofes deliuering threatnings and denouncing iudgements We see in humane things we are content to accept of the excuse of men that say they are but seruants and messengers they craue pardon because they are seruants and they obtaine it So standeth the case with vs we are sent of God who hath put his word into our mouths The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Amos 3 7 8. Let vs not therefore be blamed we are Messengers we cannot but doe our message for the loue of almighty God of his people constraineth vs. How then shold we hold our peace when we are commanded to speake Lastly this Title importeth a limitation for no more is to be ascribed vnto vs then vnto seruants We are indeede as the Stewards of the house not in the number of the lowest and meanest seruants howbeit yet we are seruants as 1 Cor. 3 5. What is Paul or Cephas or Apollos but the Ministers by whom ye beleeue And therefore when Cornelius ascribed more to Peter then should be yeelded to a seruant he forbad him saying Stand vp for I my selfe also am a man But not many in our dayes offend this way we haue turned honouring of them into contempt and are so farre from falling at their feete that we are ready to trample them vnder our feete and make them our foote-stoole who are for no other cause accounted our enemies but because they tell vs the truth Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying This is it that belongeth vnto the Leuites from twentie and fiue yeare olde c. In these words we haue a limitation annexed by the expresse commandement of God touching the time of entering into the office of the Leuites to wit at the age of 25. yeeres This may seeme to be contrary to that which wee noted before Obiectioâ— chap. 4 23 31 33. where the age of thirty yeeres is appointed If then it be asked how it commeth to passe that in these seueral places seueral times are assigned for their election into the office and how it falleth out that fiue yeeres are cut off which before were granted I answer Answer here is no contrariety these Scriptures are thus to be reconciled The fiue yeeres restrained in this place which were enlarged before serued for triall and probation of such as entred into the office and seruice of the Sanctuary For when they were fiue and twentie yeeres olde they began to ioyne themselues with the rest and to minister before the Lord but being thirty and found fit they entered fully and wholly vpon their calling and therefore Chapt. 4. verse 3. Moses saith Fit to do the worke but in this place they are said to goe in to execute Euen as such as must go to warre are first trained and mustered and taught how to fight and skirmish that afterward they may know how to buckle on their armour in earnest and to looke the enemy in the face so was it in this spirituall warfare they were for a certaine time trained which yeeres once expired they were admitted The Doctrine from hence is this that the Ministers must be proued tried Doctriâ—â— examined before they be admitted to teach the people The miâ—â—â— must be â—â—â—ued and 〈◊〉 before tâ—â— be admiâ—â—â— to teach 〈◊〉 people The Apostles did not by their sole authoritie appoint one to succeed in place of Iudas who was faln from the Apostleship but they broght two forth and presented them or set them vp before the people that they might iudge whither they were fit or not Actes 1 23. The Church ought not to appoint any to the holie Ministery without good triall of their ability and sufficiencie forasmuch as two were set vp and caused to stand before the congregation that it might bee knowne whether they were such persons as ought to be chosen and that any man might obiect against them if he had ought to obiect Obiect But it may be saide Is this apposing or examining necessary at all times and to be vsed toward all persons I answer if they be fully and famously knowne to them that haue the right of choosing and trying it is not needfull howbeit it is necessary that they should offer themselues to this examination We see this in schooles of learning such as are to be preferred to any dignity that is voide there is an examination required albeit the parties to be chosen be neuer so sufficient and their sufficiency fully knowne to such as haue the voices of election in their hands how much more then ought this to be in this most weighty businesse of the Church This is farther apparent out of the Apostle 1 Tim. 3 10. Let these also first be proued then let them vse the office of a Deacon being found blamelesse so that they ought not before they be proued and when he saith Let these also he signifieth that the Ministers of the Church ought to vndergoe this triall Besides they must be without reproofe and haue good report of all Tit. 1 6. But it cannot be knowne whether they bee blamelesse without examination and triall going before And this standeth vpon good reason Reason 1 For first he is to take vpon him a greater charge then they that haue most costly iewels and precious pearles of wonderfull price coÌ„mitted vnto them forasmuch as he is to gouerne the sonnes and daughters of the King of heauen and earth and hath the price of the blood of Christ committed vnto him Acts 20 28. Secondly there be many subtill workers and deceitfull dealers transforming themselues into Angels of light 2 Cor. 11 13 14 and into the Apostles of Christ they haue indeed sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Math. 7 15. They seeke craftily and cunningly to creepe in that they may hurry and weary the flocke and then destroy and deuoure it Acts 20 29 30. They speake peruerse things to draw away disciples after them ver 30. If then there be not a narrow search and triall made of their doctrine and conuersation before they be admitted into the Ministery they haue a gate and gap opened vnto them to enter to the ruine of the Church Thirdly the office of Deacons was a function of lesse duty and danger in the Church they were onely to attend vpon the poore and yet they must not haue admission without due triall and examination as
The carrying of the people in his bosome as a nursing father beareth the sucking childe This was the charge that lay heauy vpon his shoulders Doctrine Magistracy is a great burdeÌ„ and Magistrates are for the peoples good From hence we learne that Magistracy is a great charge and burden and Magistrates themselues are ordained for the peace prosperity preseruation and good of the people This is taught in many places Prou. 11 14 and 29 2. The Prophet Esay ch 3 4 5 6. and the Apostle Paul willeth vs to pray for Princes and all that are in authority that vnder them we may liue a peaceable and quiet life with al godlines honesty 1 Tim. 2 1 2. This truth is euident because Princes were Reason 1 appointed for the people and not the people for Princes As Christ saith The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath so they were instituted for the peoples good and not the people for their good or themselues to serue for their owne good This is the end of their calling and at this they ought to aime as at a marke Secondly they are as breath is to the body While the breath continueth in the body so long the life continueth but if the breath be stopped or to depart the body necessarily must perish Now as breath is to the naturall body so are the Magistrates to the politike body while hee remaineth the Commonwealth is in peace and prosperity in quiet and safety if he be remoued and taken away the Commonwealth is in danger to go to ruine and destruction The people shall bee oppressed euery one by another and euery one by his neighbour Esay 3 5. Lamen 4 20. the childe shall behaue himselfe proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable And the Prophet calleth Iosiah the breath of their nostrils Thirdly the titles giuen vnto them do fully teach thus much They are as fathers that must lay vp for their children not the children for their fathers They are the fathers of the Country of the Commonwealth of their Subiects Hence it is that the Lord comprehendeth al superiours vnder the name of fathers in the law Exo. 20 12. 2 Kin. 5 12. The Prophet prophesieth that Kings should be nursing fathers Queens be nursing mothers to the Church in times of the Gospel Esay 49 23. The Nurse is appointed for the good of the sucking child to keep it in health and strength as Moses speaketh in this place Is not this a great charge to looke to the being and well being of a childe Againe they are called Shepheards This also is a great charge to watch day and night for the good of the flocke that the sheepe doe not wander and go astray and that the wolfe come not among them to make hauocke of them So also are Princes shepheards Es 44 28. Numb 27 17. Lastly they are as Shields to protect and defend them from many blowes that otherwise are like to light vpon theÌ„ Psal 47 9. as Hos 4 18. They may be called the couering of our eies as the husband is said to be to the wife Gen. 20 16 to keepe vs from many dangers that threaten vs. Fourthly they are Gods Lieutenants and Deputies and therefore they haue his owne name commmunicated vnto them Psal 82.6 They sit in his place to doe iustice and iudgement and to him they must giue an account Without them the subiects are subiect to all manner of miseries as we see in the end of the Iudges Euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies when there was no King in Israel Iudg. 17 â— â— 1â— 1 2â— â— This teacheth vs what we are to iudge and Vse 1 esteem of the popish religioÌ„ grounded meerly vpon policy to maintaine themselues howbeit it cannot stand with the policy of any oter state to come vnder that yoke neither with the safety of Princes to stoope downe their neckes to that antichristian gouernment For they are the greatest enemies that a State or Commonwealth can haue Papists woâ— then Anabaâ—tists worse then the Anabaptists themselues and holding more dangerous opinions what said I hold opinions nay execute pestilent practises against Princes seeke the vtter subuersion of states and kingdomes if they will not worship the beast and beare his marke in their forehead They do not onely like Corah resist the gouernment of Magistrates but by their treasonable practises and diuellish deuises labour to suppresse and supplant them to take away their liues and crowns from them and to discharge their subiects of allegeance vnto them Are not they enemies that pull away the foundation of an house Yes doubtlesse for then the whole building must of necessity fall downe For Magistrates are as the head and the heart are to the naturall body if they be whole and sound al the other members are in better safety and consequently if they perish the whole body must perish also Esay 9 14 15. Secondly we must bee truely thankfull to God seeing they are such a blessing and vndergo Vse 2 so great a charge for vs. For notwithstanding the rage fury the fetches subtilties of all our enemies enemies as well to our temporall state as to our spirituall standing the King of Kings hath preserued our King and kingdome in peace safety he hath kept head and heart the breath being in the body we haue a Father to prouide for vs wee haue a Nurse to beare vs we haue a Shepheard to feed vs wee haue a Shield to protect vs whiles our aduersaries gnash their teeth and gnaw their tongues for anger are ready to burst for enuy and despite at our happinesse We are happy and blessed aboue many other Nations We heare the sound of the trumpet in peace and safety we vse it as an instrument of ioy gladnes it soundeth not the alarm to the battell we haue no buckling on of armor no crying nor complaining nor inuasion We sit vnder our vines arbours we walke in our fields gardens and a dog lifteth not vp his tongue against vs. Esay 2 â— We haue beateÌ„ our arming swords into plowshares our speares which we did shake against our enemies into pruning hookes we haue forgotten the vse almost the knowledge of war This is the benefit of a good godly Magistracy this should prouoke vs to take the cuppe of saluation Psal 116 â— and to praise the Lord for his goodnes to vs. We enioy our King our Iudges our Magistrates our peace our religion our meetings and assemblies O how gracious is God vnto vs that hath not deliuered vs as a prey into the hands of malicious enemies who grin and grinde their teeth thus to see vs flourish in peace against all their deuices and endeauours Thirdly seeing Magistrates haue so great Vse 3 a charge and bring so necessary a blessing it is our dutie to perform our duties vnto them We must
possesseth where all things are saide to bee in peace Luk. 11 21. Secondly let vs neuer look Vse 2 for a perfect agreement or perfect vnity in this life Such are falne into a deepe sleep and dreame to finde heauen vpon earth We must embrace the truth before all be agreed or els we shall neuer embrace it forasmuch as there is much ignorance the matter or mother of error euen in the most godly Happy wil it be for vs wheÌ„ there shal be an end of these daies of sin for then shall be an end also of all contention Thirdly let vs follow mens examples Vse 3 no further then they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. There are defects and infirmities in the best We aime at perfection but wee cannot hit it Though we haue multitudes to go before vs we must know whom they follow before we follow and ioyne our selues vnto them Many men may fitly be coÌ„pared to a flock of sheep who at the first make many offers before any will aduenture but if one begin to leap ouer the rest follow amain so is it with diuers men that pinch curtesy at the first and keep themselues entire in the most holy faith but if they see others giue their assent they follow after stick at nothing neither try the spirits whether they be of God or not Lastly it is our duty Vse 4 to cut off all occasions of debate and as it were to take away the fuell that kindleth and continueth the fire 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul beseecheth the Corinthians as brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among them but that they be perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and in the same iudgement Verse 2. And they saide Hath the Lord indeed spoken onely by Moses The true cause of this their murmuring and contention was pride and ambition selfe-loue ostentation vain-glory â—â—â—trine 〈…〉 â—reater â—e to the â—â—â—rch then â—ion Hereby we learne that there commeth no greater plague to the Church of God then by ambition desire of preheminence when men desire to ouer-rule others to haue the sole command of all things in the church and neuer to be commanded This was the sinne that caused our first parents to fall from God and by their fall to ruine all mankinde they would needs be as Gods knowing good and euill Gen. 3 5. The ambition and pride of Amaziah the priest of Beth-el would not suffer the Prophet Amos in the land of Israel but he commanded him to flie away into the land of Iuda and prophesie there Amos 7 10 12. We see this apparently afterward chap. 16. of this booke in Korah Dathan and Abiram This moued the high Priests the Scribes and Pharisies to persecute Christ and his Apostles to wit the loue which they had to their owne kingdome and hierarchy more then vnto the kingdome of God they feared that if all men were brought to beleeue in Christ they shold lose their place and authority Iohn 11 47. Math. 23 6 7. So was it among the Apostles they also stroue who should bee the greatest among them So the Apostle Iohn speaking of Diotrephes sheweth that hee loueth the preheminence 3 Iohn 9 10. Hee was a proud and ambitious man affecting rule and authoritie ouer others and thereby brought much mischiefe and trouble vpon the church of God pratling against the Pastors with malicious wordes and not content therewith neither doth he himselfe receiue the brethren forbiddeth them that would and casteth theÌ„ out of the church Neither is this euill dead with these for this is a great plague of the church to this day and very pernicious Nothing hath more ruined the church of God ouerthrown piety corrupted religion hindered the Gospel discouraged the Pastors and professors of it nothing hath more erected the kingdom of Anti-christ then these petty popes the true successors of Diotrephes such as desire to be vniuersall byshops and to reign alone to haue all the dealings in their owne hands and the whole flocke to stand at their becke and conclude what they list Reason 1 The mischiefe hereof appeareth by sundry reasons First it causeth a great rent and diuision in the church and disturbeth the peace of it Nu. 16 1. Korah and his company went apart as scismaticks caused a great contention to arise where was peace vnity before Reason 2 Secondly it setteth vp men putteth downe the Lord and his ordinances vrging compelling and commanding against the truth Act. 4 18 19. Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and Iohn and Alexander a proude generation of ambitious prelates commanded the Apostles not to preach and teach nor to speake at all in the name of Ieus whoÌ„ Christ had charged and commanded to preach And whereas he would haue them teach whatsoeuer he had commanded them Math. 28 20. they will limit them and stint the Spirit of God how far he shall go and what he shall not do Thirdly Reason 3 it proceedeth from very euill rootes and bringeth forth very euil effects as an euil tree bringeth forth euill fruites The causes from whence it floweth are Satan pride contempt disdaine of others selfe-loue in our selues Zeged loci communes no loue of the truth no zeale of Gods glorie no desire of the good of the church like mother like daughter as the root is so is the branch The effects thereof are trouble disquietnesse feare flattery enuy and subtilty Let vs come to the Vses It reproueth the Vse 1 Byshops of Rome and the Romane Cleargy which beare themselues as Lords ouer the flocke of Christ hauing all things to stand at their becke therefore the Apostle Peter saith the Elders that feede the flocke must not bee as Lords ouer Gods heritage but examples to the flocke 1 Pet. 5 3. and Christ our Sauiour when the two sonnes of Zebedeus ambitiously desired to be aboue their fellowes and stroue among themselues which should bee greatest Christ Iesus therupon sheweth how and which way euery one should be great who ought to bee had in highest regard and reputation euen such and onely such as do the best and greatest seruice to the church Mark 10 42. Lu. 23 24. Whosoeuer wil be great among you shall be your Minister and whosoeuer of you will be the cheefest shall be seruant of all So then the honor and the labour should not be diuided but go together howbeit in the church of Rome they haue most honour that doe the least labour and contrarywise they are least respected who haue most labored and taken greatest paines among the people But howsoeuer this be a common receiued custom it shall bee altogether otherwise in the next life when the great sheepheard of the sheepe shal appeare then shall they be most honored of him that haue laboured most euerie one shall receiue not onely for his labour but according to his labor 1 Cor. 3
possession To this Moses answereth that albeit it could not be denied and gain-sayed but that the Cities were in former time within the Borders and Territories of Moab yet Sihon had taken them away by right of warre and conquest of the sword so that now they were alienated from the Moabites and appropriated to the Amorites who possessed them and dwelt in them So then the Israelites offered no wrong to the Moabites but recouered the places to their owne vse out of the hand of the Amorites Neither did Moab lay any claime to them for many generations as Iephtah declareth Iudg. 11. And this is the right that Israel had to these Cities Thus we see what dealings passed betweene the Moabites and the Amorites before Israel came to these places both of them were idolaters both wicked men both grosly ignorant of the true worship of God and desperate enemies to the true Church one is ready to cut the throat of another and killeth one another in battell We learne from hence Doctrine God often punisheth one euill man by the hand of another as euil that God punisheth oftentimes one wicked man by the hand of another He raiseth vp and armeth one of them to destroy another to eate vp and consume another This truth appeareth in many other places of holy Scripture Chedor-laomer vsurping dominion ouer other Nations made warre against them Gen. 14 5 6.7 8. and tooke away all the substance as a prey booty out of Sodome and Gomorrha God in his prouidence causeth one euill man to slay another The Sodomites were exceeding sinners against the Lord. He raised vp an enemy not much better then themselues for their destruction The like we see in the example of the Midianites Who sheathed their swords in their owne bowels Iudg. 7 20 22 Indeed Gideon gaue his men at armes that went with him to that seruice Lampes Trumpets and Pitchers and thus he marched against his enemies they sounded their Trumpets they brake their Pitchers they lighted their Lampes then the hoast of the Midianites fled euery mans sword was set against his neighbour their own weapons were their owne bane their owne men were their owne murtherers and so they destroyed one another This the Prophet Habbakkuk Hab. 1 6. sheweth when the Law was dissolued Iustice oppressed cruelty practised and all wickednes was aduanced among them the LORD would worke a wonder among them He wold raise vp the Chaldeans against them a bitter and furious Nation to destroy them a people worse then themselues This is that which Esay the Prophet pointeth vnto when he saith Euery one shall eate the flesh of his owne arme Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh and they both shall be against Iudah Esay 9 21. Likewise he prophesieth the destruction of Babylon by the Medes and Persians chap. 13 17. The destruction of the Egyptians by the Assyrians chap. 19. Yea he would set the Egiptians against the Egiptians so that euery one should fight against his brother and euery one against his neighbour City against City and Kingdom against Kingdom The reasons of this order and manner of Gods working are not hard to finde For first Reason 1 who shall limit him what meanes to vse and what persons to imploy in his seruice Dare any Subiect prescribe vnto his Prince whom he shall send Or shall a seruant teach appoint his master whom he shall entertaine to performe his busines Or will any Magistrate master take well such pride presumption Shall God then the King of Kings the master ouer all men be stinted and limited whom he shal vse As none can appoint him what he shall do or when he shall punish or whom he shall correct no more can we decree or determine the meanes and manner of his proceedings He appointeth the times and seasons of punishing he singleth out the persons to bee punished For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Or who was his Counseller Hee will finde out his enemies in their sinnes and he will chuse out the instruments of his owne iudgements He armeth many times men of euill hearts and of vncleane hands to doe his works diligently and to accomplish his waies feruently When the Lord would smite the house of Ahab and auenge the blood of his seruants the Prophets Iehu is annointed King ouer Israel made the Rod of the Lord who performed his word and will to the full hee slew Iehoram 2 King 9 7. 10 31. cast downe Iezabel and slew the Priests of Baal yet notwithstanding all his zeale which he pretended for the Lord his heart was not vpright before him neither regarded hee to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel neither departed hee from the sinnes of Ieroboam which made Israel to sinne As then the worke is the Lords so is the workman and as the iudgement is his so is the instrument which hee chuseth and fitteth to effect the same without the prescription appointment of any other Reason 2 Againe albeit they be wicked and vngodly men infidels and idolaters that hee imploieth to finish his worke to bring his decree determination to passe yet he frameth their harts to serue his prouidence as seemeth good in his heauenly wisedome He hath the hearts of all men in his hand euen of Kings to turne them about to be instruments of his will If then he can change the hearts of enemies no maruaile if he vse them as his seruants So he vseth the seruice of the diuels and euill spirits and maketh them to do his will and against their will further the saluation of his children whō they purposed to bring to despaire and damnation as appeareth in the History of Iobs Iob 1 and 2. tentations Albeit they be not his faithfull seruants to do his wil cheerefully yet they are his slaues to serue him by constraint and compulsion This the Apostle Iohn declareth in the destruction of that great whore which is drunke with the blood of the Saints with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication namely that they gaue their power and authority to the Beast but they shall hate the whore make her desolate eate her flesh and burne her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the Beast vntil the words of God be fulfilled Reu. 17 15 16 17. Nothing is done without the will of God He holdeth in his hands the hearts and purposes of Princes and great men vpon earth and directeth them by a secret motion to worke what hee pleaseth whether they know his will or know it not the whole action commeth of him and from him For howsoeuer it might seeme hard and harsh that the Angel saith it was GOD that put it into the harts of Kings to aduance the Papacy which was the work of the diuell to seduce the world yet after
the punishment of euill doers c 1 Pet. 2 14. Now let vs come to the vses which naturally Vse 1 arise from hence First we must acknowledge that Magistracie is a notable blessing and by acknowledging of it learne to bee thankfull for it If there were no Magistrate or law euery one would liue as he list and would be ready to cut anothers throat so that better were a tyranny then an anarchy This is sundry times repeated in the book of Iudges In those dayes there was no Knig in Israel but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes Iudg. 17 6 and 18 1 and 19 1 21 25. Then was idolatry common among them without any punishment then they gaue themselues to whoredome and vncleannesse without controllement then murther and drawing the sword one against another was practised bloud touched bloud This confusion and lamentable disorder and want of lawfull Magistracy and gouernment should teach vs to esteeme highly of this order and ordinance of God according to the blessings which we receiue by the same We obtayne great quietnesse by our rulers and many worthy things are wrought through their prudence and prouidence They are the instruments of our peace the breath of our nostrils and the meanes of our preseruation By them we enioy vnder God all the benefites which we haue our liberty our lands our liues our wiues our children our possessions our safety our houses and habitations and aboue all the rest the comfortable vse of the Gospel with freedome of conscience which is as marrow vnto our bones and as the very life of our liues How oft had we beene ouercome and ouerrunne by forraine enemies how oft had we beene surprized by inward rebels if this ordinance of God had not ouershadowed vs and ouerreached them This meditation must draw out of vs all thankfulnesse to God and confession of his louing kindnesse toward vs the practice whereof we haue in Ezra chap. 7 26 27 when hee beheld the forwardnesse of the King to promote the worship of God to publish a decree that whosoeuer would not performe the Law of God of the King should haue the sentence of God pronounced against him without delay whether it wereto the taking away of his life or banishment of his Countrey or to confiscation of his goods or to imprisonment of his body he gaue glory and praise to God saying Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which so hath put in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem This practice of this worthy man must be an instruction vnto vs to teach vs to acknowledge the necessity of this blessing as great as of the Sunne in the firmament whereby all liuing creatures are comforted and refreshed and must cause euery one to returne the praise of this mercy to him that is the giuer of this and of euery good giuing No people vnder the heauens haue better experience of it nor are more bound to walke worthy of this then we Vse 2 Secondly it is their duty to hate that which is euill with an vnfained hatred and to loue that which is good with a speciall loue and liking of it For if he be euill how shal he aduance and countenance the godly or how shall hee chastise and punish the vngodly Can hee haue or hold the reputation of a good Physician that taking vpon him the curing of other mens diseases is not able or willing to cure himselfe or will not euery one vpbraide such with the common Prouerbe Physician heale thy selfe Luke 4 23. How then can he with courage and comfort take vpon him to correct euill doers that is himselfe wholly giuen to all sorts and kindes of euill Can a father for conscience sake rebuke his sonne for sin as for swearing lying drunkennesse and such like disorders when himselfe maketh no conscience to bee a swearer and blasphemer a drunkard and vncleane liuer Or can a Master chasten his seruants for their rioting reuelling lewdnesse wantonnesse and misdemeanors when the guiltinesse of his owne heart cryeth against him and condemneth him as guilty of the same crimes Hee that teacheth another should first of all teach himselfe and he that reproueth another should first of all checke and controlle himselfe otherwise it shal be said vnto vs as the Apostle speaketh Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that condemnest for in that thou condemnest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same things but we know that the iudgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things thinkest thou this O thou man that condemnest them which doe such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the iudgment of God Rom. 2 1 2 3. Let all those whose office is to reforme euill learne to remoue it both head and taile both root and branch out of themselues let them pull the beame out of their owne eyes that they may cast out the more in their brothers eye It is a great blot and blemish in a gouernor that should punish wickednesse in others to nourish it in his own heart Hence it is that Salomon sayth Woe to thee O land when thy King is a child thy Princes eate in the morning Eccl. 10 16. Prou. 31 4. Where the Wiseman teacheth what danger it is to the commonwealth when the rulers are giuen wholly to their lusts and pleasures to surfetting and drunkennesse If the gouernour that sitteth at the sterne of the ship or the coachman that driueth the coach bee drunken and disordered who seeth not that shipwrack is to be feared and the coach ready to be ouerturned This is to bee considered and regarded of all that haue any authority ouer others to be carefull to order and rule themselues by the word of God If we haue families to gouerne we should goe in and out before them in all wisedome and bee examples vnto them in our liues conuersations If we see that those that be in places of superiority iurisdiction negligent herein not so circumspect ouer their wayes as they ought to be it is our duty to help them by our prayers and to call vpon God to assist them with his grace The burden is great that lyeth vpon their shoulders they many times watch while we sleep and are much troubled while we are at ease we must therfore dayly call vpon God for them to bee with them in their gouernment to indue them with the spirit of wisdom and counsell and to inspire them continually with al holy motions needful for their callings that their thrones may be established with iustice This is it which the Apostle vrgeth I exhort that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may liue a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim