or with the Church and Deacons and to supply the Church-stock with recollections gathered from house to house if this Plagiary had read but Calvin he might have easily seen his own folly For hee relates that in the time of Gregory Instit l. 4. c. 4.5.7 the care of all the Church stock was in the Bishops power of which there was a threefold use One that out of it the Poore might bee maintained the other that Churches and such things as belonged to Divine worship might be looked to the third was for the maintenance of the Bishop and his family If all these of old were of Ecclesiastick right it is a wonder that Calvin did not accuse his Magistrates of sacriledge whom he knew had undertaken the charge of the two last hee knew truly that it was all one by whom these things should at this day be â—â—â—ged so that the Church enjoyed the fruit thereof But this turbulent Stilt-walker is mad that the civill Magistrate should have power over the Stipendiary sanctity or the reparations of the Church in which businesse he hath kept a stirre to no purpose But for the third Eleemosynary part he doth not so easily let fall his courage but with all his forces striveth to reserve this at least to himselfe perswading himselfe that if once he get the power in the Magistrates negligence under pretence of almes to lay Taxes on the Church and to distribute them as he pleaseth he will easily take occasion to invade the Office of Aedil or of looking to the Church-reparations and the stipendiary sanctity and so totally bring Lay-men into subjection as that Roman Pyrat did Because the Magistrates of Middleburgh did smell this out they left not off to hinder by all meanes his underminings vindicating to themselves the charge of the publick Deaconship but this naile the Stilt-walker endeavoureth to drive out with another naile for they say that he hath found out a private and most holy Consistoriall treasury into which is gathered whatsoever is given by those who are betrothed the care of which the Ministers alone reserve to themselves excluding the Deacons and Elders I will not assever this for a truth which rumor hath brought to us so farre off but if it bee true I must confesse it is a fine device with which the Stilt-walker may sence and delight himselfe with that pecuniary sanctity neither doe we doubt but that this money is of most sublime holinesse although in respect of the terminus à quo it may have in it some rust of prophanesse yet in respect of the terminus ad quem and chiefly the terminus per quem it must â—eeds be most holy for touching and handling of which the privative and cumulative civill sanctity of Lay-men is not fit neither the Ecclesiastick whether it be the positive of Deacons or the compâ—rative of Elders but the sole superlative of Preachers So that O you Freezlanders we are exceedingly desirous to see some of that superlatively-sanctified money which happinesse if we cannot enjoy by reason of the distance of place yet wee will admire the cunning of this Walachrian who not onely hath drawn the waters of his Eleemosynary sanctity out of Antichrists stinking puddles but seemes also to have learned it from Iudas the traytor who durst accuse as prophane that most holy Almes of Mary in annointing Christ himselfe purposely that his Bagge might be the fuller for him to spend lavishly and steale CHAP. VI. Of Churchmens Prerogatives for performing this businesse HItherto I have examined as briefly as I could all the businesse of our Religion and Worship which is called commonly the Church-dressing or furniture and withall I have shewed that they have in them no speciall sanctity or difficulty as if they were of speciall right or unlawfull for some Christians as the affaires of the Leviticall Temple were of old I confesse they are sacred in respect of the Author God and of the End Gods worship but this onely is a generall sanctity such as is in reading praying and singing Psalmes which are lawfull for all Christians if they be apt to perform them Nor will I deny but that under the Apostles they were exceedingly holy in respect of the manner because they were ordained with gifts of the Holy Ghost such as infallible Truth notable Piety and power of miracles in which those great Master-builders of the Church excelled hence at that time those Church-businesses did almost exceed humane capacity which gifts albeit they have long since ceased in the Church yet the old Papists will not give off to measure their Church-businesse and vizzard of their Ministery at this day out of that sanctity whose footsteps the Walachrian company of new Papists follow which prate of such wonders of the sublime spirituality of their businesse which they daily performe that they would perswade us that no Lay-man or vulgar Christian especially a Magistrate can attaine to the spirituality thereof which how frivolous it is may appeare out of the Ecclesiastick functions being severally examined the exercise of which is not of such difficulty but every common man in the Church may easily performe or if there be any thing of more eminency such as preaching is thought be at this day that also is acquired by humane Arts as mechanicall trades are so that he is thought to excell most in this who hath best learned Aristotles Metaphysicks Quintilians Rhetorick or the acting of Stage-Players If the sanctity of Church-businesse flowes from these fountains it is no wonder if it seldome produce effects truly holy and spirituall in its actors and workmen but rather savouring of the flesh whence they came then of the spirit so that there is nothing more ordinary then for the flower it self of Church-spirituality to fall with such ease into errors strifes pride and luxury that heâ— who with Apollonius and the old Papists at this day will place so 〈◊〉 a mystery of holinesse in the moderne functions of the Church he playes the Cheater and superstitiously makes men believe that in the outward functions and actions of the Church there is that which indeed is not to be found It is ordinary among the old Papists to involve their businesse in phrases of an unknown tongue with wonderfull pômp and gestâ—ulaâ—ons that they may induce unwarie people to superstitious ignorance admiration which the Stilt-walker as he is instructed by them performs very finely when he playes the Philosopher so abstrusely concerning his preaching with authority concerning judiciall and censuring power the decisions of Classes and Synods and the wonderfull assistance of the Holy-Ghost so that from the sanctity of those things he keeps off the most excellent of the Laitie All which things savour of Popish leaven not of the Apostles pure bread who were so little sollicitous of hiding the secrets of then Church Affaires that they admitted the whole Church and every Christian to their Ecclesiastick exercises And after the Apostles it is knowne out
with old dying Priamus to fling weake darts that could not hurt catching at every opportunity which hee thought might either directly or indirectly hinder the Churches Peace or the Magistrates esteem and that not privately but openly entertaining and hugging such occasions as I will shew by one example more Leonard Cepesteyn one of the dregges of Lawyers 5 Example did for a long time gape at the Government of that Common-wealth but being still frustrated and irritated with vaine and long expectation hee was observed for a great while to beare no good will to the Magistrates it fell out that one Lumirius a Knave was found guilty of Treason who having counterfeit himself a foole did first escape the rack and afterward chaines and death Leonard undertook as they say the defence of this fellow partly in hope of booty partly out of desire to raile which hee did so impudently that in open Court hee upbraided the Magistrate with ignorance and injustice so boldly as if hee would have stirred up the multitude which then had filled the Town-Hall to heare this new pleading against the Magistrate The Senate of Middleburgh being moved at this bold and impudent act did a long time resolve to banish this seditious man Yet their revenge went not farther then this to wit that by their Order this Leonard was forbid to meddle with pleading of any more Causes either by word or writ being desirous rather to give then to cut off an occasion of repentance Yet notwithstanding hee being helped by the cunning of Apollonius his spirituality ceased not to search out all the occasions hee could to bee revenged on the Magistrates at last hee found out a notable one by Apollonius his helpe who was able to shake it out of his private Divinity budgets to wit that this turbulent man being debarred from publick pleading or sitting among the Lawyers in open Courts for his sedition and wrongs offered by him to the Magistrate from which publick scandall hee was not cleared might bee admitted among the Elders And truely so farre did this Cepesteyn prevaile by Apollonius his tricks and favour that hee was chosen an Elder of the Church * He was so bad that he was not fit to be employed in the State yet good enough to be employed in the Church c. not that hee might by any goodnesse in him be usefull to the Church but that Apollonius his Presbytery might upbraid the Magistrate with injustice for stopping his mouth from pleading whom they thought fit should bee an Elder But chiefly that the Lawyer might take an occasion to revenge himselfe and wrong all secular Magistrates at least indirectly from the Ecclesiastick tribunall I confesse I write this onely by relation but I doubt not the truth of it For hee that will search the States Ordinances there and the Records or Register of the Magistrates of Middleburgh will finde that I am not further off from Truth then from Reason which doth manifestly shew that Apollonius for a long time with his Walachrians have been striving in thought word and deed by their example to teach other spirituall men of the like stamp to resist Magistrates and Princes and that Pope-like under pretence of the Church-Hierarchie they would dissolve and subject to themselves the carnall authority of secular powers So that now I may seeme to performe funerall obsequies both to the Ghosts of Vedelius as also to keep off the death and buriall both of the â—ivill Government and of the whole Church For experience of all Ages have taught that no sooner hath your authority been rejected but presently these Church-Prelates have ruined and destroyed one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence nothing can be expected but miserable Anarchy except there should arise another Pope and Antichrist in the Reformed Church This Apollonius is very lavish in railing against you and takes no small delight in presaging that you will prove secular Popes and consequently Antichrists if you but offer formally to meddle with or touch the Modern Church-affaires which hee challengeth to him and his alone with that supreme authority which is given you from God But sure hee was never more mistaken then in this For the Pope is in this very regard the Antichrist because hee challengeth to himself the Supreme and Monarchicall power which is proper alone to You and which against the command of Christ hee abuseth to the destruction of the Kingdome of Christ If Apollonius had weighed S. Pauls prophesie of Antichrist hee might have seen that it is impossible for a secular Prince to bee Pope or Antichrist for hee most divinely foretold that he should sit in the Temple but You Princes sit not in the Temple You alone sit by Gods appointment in the chiefe Throne of the World from whence if you dart the beames of Your Majesty upon the Church of Christ You doe but what by daily experience wee finde in the Sun whose beames though placed in Heaven yet make the Earth fruitfull Hee also tells us that this will bee his property to elevate and extoll himselfe above all worldly powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Popes work and Apollonius his desire but when You come to handle Church-matters You doe not exalt Your authority but submit both Your selves to Christ and Your authority also with which God hath solely intrusted You. Lastly Hee sitting in the Church of God must extoll himselfe above all that is called God or Monarch but You Your selves are called Gods and Monarchs You must needs bee exalted above Your selves if You bee Popes and Antichrists However then You may swell with unseemely pride yet if You meddle with Church-matters which Apollonius feareth You shall not bee like Antichrist to whom it is essentiall to bee proud and to exalt himselfe but rather despising the pride and glory of the world You will kisse the Sun and submit your Scepters to him yet not basely and contemptibly as the Pope doth require of Monarchs and Apollonius would faine procure in Middleburgh Which Plague that God may deliver us from I thought fit to write what You see upon his patcht pieces the sum of which I have set out by this Preface so that now I should end this Proem with a wish Feare not the superstitious paintings of Church-holinesse as if some worldly carnality had made you unfit to manage the moderne businesses of the Church as our new Papists prate To you God hath given the spirit of Adoption that You may beleeve and consecrate your bodies and all yours for a holy sacrifice to him to You by speciall warrant hath God given His word that it might never depart from your mouth To you God hath given chiefe power to propagate honesty the Worship of God and Piety cannot You then direct or performe holy things appointed by God without sacriledge of which at this day there is nothing of such consequence which may not be performed by some prophane impostor or young
fact not the effect of the Apostles so that hee who is ordained and confirmed is the same after that he was before imposition of hands But the Apollonians bragge that they are Christs Embassadors This is an arrogant untruth for they have not obtained the gift of teaching in the Church after that divine and spirituall manner that Christs Legates did of old but by humane gifts and humane calling which according to Gods and Christs generall institution serve the now decayed Church that wants these gifts in which shee excelled under the Apostles You are Gods Embassadors and the Churches Patrons to whom for ever by speciall command the care of the Church under Christ is committed Which not to undertake is hainous impiety and to take it from you is sacriledge and now what I have said to the secular Nobility I also say to you that are Religious Ministers Contemne the boldnesse of Apollonius and his fellows for they are seditious and desire innovation They goe about to raise among themselves the Papall Hierarchy to the overthrow of your Honour they hunt after worldly glory and would have you lose the true honour of Christ All honour is due properly to Gods Word not to you Your Calling should put you in minde of your Ministery and burthen not of command and ruling Which of you will bee so proud with Apollonius as to bragge of an inseparable subjection under Christ so that hee truely heares Christ that heares you Let Apollonius be ashamed to bee so often convicted of falsehood that hee is so infabibly subordinate to Christ as if his authority with Christs were the same Lisien rather to Christ the Lord of the whole Church who by command and examples hath taught you not to seek after the Kingdomes of this world much lesse by the Church Apollonius seeks both to wit dominion in the Church and by the Church over Magistrates and the world too Christ said that Kings and Lords were to beare rule but not you Yet hee hath not driven out of the Church the higher power which is exercised with authority but hath forbid you to meddle with that which God hath granted to Magistrates The Pope hath so corrupted this command of Christ that by wresting of it hee first stript Princes of their authority in the Church and then from their temporall Dominions and so procured to himself the dominion of the Church then of the whole World This is it which Apollonius borrows of him Hee debarres Princes from having any authority in the Church from which Christ never debarred them On the contrary hee affects dominion and power over the Church and State which Christ never gave him but plainly forbid him Bee not therefore followers of Apollonius and his Disciples Christ and his Apostles were indued with supreme authority and what the Magistrate doth now by the Sword that could they doe by words and threatning that is to say kill and punish corporally They had power and aptitude to command all in the Church but not to obey notwithstanding they so ruled the Church that they both governed and were governed they taught and were taught they ordered and were ordered they sent and were sent Finally there was none of these things they did much affect for which these proud and contentious spirits strive as it were for Religion it selfe Stephanas and her family served the Church with their goods these were but vulgar people and as they called them Laicks yet Paul wills the whole Church which excelled in so many spirituall gifts to bee subject to them and such as they were for that work How farre was that government from this of Apollonius on whom the Christian Magistrate had beaped all sorts of benefits yet teacheth that hee must not bee subject to them but they to him that hee must not honour but contemne them â—ar 1. p. 30.31 for bee accounts him wicked and a Simonaick out of his Calderwood that shall adscribe any power over the Church to any man for his bounty and charges on the Church Which is a manifest blasphemy both against the Apostle and the Magistrate which neverthelesse these Walachrians esteem as a fine and choise sentence But they say that Christs Kingdome is not of this World Luk. 17.21 I grant it if they mean his internall Kingdome which Christ saith is within us But for externall things which serve for the building up of that Kingdome Christ never taught they were not of this world and surely hee had done that which was far from the nature of his Kingdome when making a whip of coards hee vindicated the purity of Divine worship Yea that Counsell which is given to Kings and Princes of the New Testament to Kisse the Sonne had been in vain but that I may not use my own words longer In comment Deut. 13.5 Let Calvin speak who thus writes God can be without the help of the Sword for the defence of Religion hee wills it not but what wonder is it if God commands the Magistrate to bee the revenger of his glory who will not have thefts whoredomes drunkennesse exempted from punishment nor suffer them In lesser faults it shall not bee lawfull for the Judge to cease when the worship of God is overthrown and all Religion shall so great a sin be cherished by connivence c Besides what can bee more prodigeous but it s in vain to contend by reasoning when God hath once pronounced what hee will have done Wee must necessarily yeeld to his inviolable decree Yet it is questioned whether or not this Law belongs to Christs Kingdome which is spirituall and farre different from earthly Empires And indeed there be some otherwise good men who think that our condition under the Gospel is not like that of the ancients under the Law Not onely because the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but also because Christ would not have his Church in the beginning to bee established by the Sword but whilst Kings in promoting of Christs Kingdome doe consecrate their owne work I deny that therefore the nature of it is changed And although maugre all worldly power Christ would have his Gospell to be proclaimed by his Disciples whem hee exposed as sheepe among Wolves having no other Armour but his Word yet hee did not tye himselfe to an eternall Law but that hee might force even Kings to his obedience and tame their violence and of bloody persecutors make them Patrons and Guardians of his Church In the beginning Magistrates exercised their tyranny against the Church because the time was not yet come that they should Kisse the Sonne and laying aside their violence should become Nursing Fathers to that same Church which they persecutediaccording to Isaiahs Prophesie which doubtlesse hath reference to Christs comâ—ing Nor is it to no purpose that Paul bids us pray for Kings and all that bee in authority hee gives a cause to wit That under them wee may live quietly in all godlinesse and honesty As
Provinces were silent Universites were a sleep learned men commended this one Apollonius was found out one Wallachran Classis which was well pleased with restlesse sloth Idle imployment slothfull businesse yet Apollonius â—ould not trust his businesse with a sinall Wallachran target he defends himself with the large sheeld of the whole Synod and States of Zeland For this he prefixed to his fables this tract was published according to the fourty sixt article of the Church politie established by the authority of the States of Ze land as if this rapsodie had been published by order of the whole Sinod and of the States also I warrant you before Apollonius was known Vitilitigator and borne the Synod pre-ordained that this make-bate or slandeter Apollonius injurious to all good men chiefly to his own Magistrates should without punishment cast abroad his fooleries and swelling words This cannot be true though Apollonius were the Phoenix and fairest of all birds which Heredotus writes doth appear every seventy yeare wee will rather beleeve that he expresseth the nature of Aetna which they say burneth and vomiteth every 70th yeare bals of fire Truly no man hath escaped the burning chalke of his most railing tongue Naphtam sometimes for fashion sâ—ke hee honoureth our famous Vedelius with the Title of Master Professor Master Doctor our worthy Brother and somtimes he calles him sacrilegious full of naughty tares a Parisite a Lyer a Wanton who trampleth on the Churches labours and rites and on the blood of Christ who spreads abroad his poyson and many more such as these to which the Apostle seemeth long agoe to have answered shall curssing and blessing proceed out of the same mouth and shall a fountaine send out of the same place both bitter and sweet water This wisdome descends not from above but is earthly carnall and devillish To these Apollonius addes further we think it neither safe nor lawfull for a few small questions about Church-government to raise troubles but now Vedelius was dissipating the holy rites of the Church and the liberties which Christ hath purchased with his own blood hee had subjected to the yoake of forraigne power hee means of the godly Magistrate secretly spreading his poyson hee gave occasion to Princes not very religious he seems to tax the Magistrates of Middleburgh that they should in their tyrannicall lust flye upon the the rites of the Church It may be asked why all other Churches and Classes sat down when the Church was in such danger he preferring himselfe to all others answers boldly Truly I like not that any of our side in whom the zeale of Gods House is grown cold in a cause of this moment should be luke-warme sit down and say nothing as though he alone of all the notable zelots should bee consumed by the fervent heat of Gods house whom the unbridled lust of railing and custome of lying hath driven to write which hereafter I will shew by divers examples and will prove it by a famous one in this place He feines that the Magistrate of Deventrie suppressed this tract of Vedelius Anno. 1638. which afterwards Vedelius published in our Vniversitie being but twice boyled coleworts That this is a meer fiction is cleare by Dr. Rivers letters concerning this tract which he wrot at the Hague the 28 of February 1638. so that this Davus hath not well distinguished his times for how in the beginning of this yeare could Dr. Rivet at the Hague see and allow this tract of Vedelius if at that time it was suppressed by the Magistrate at Deventre For either Vedelius published it without the knowledge and consent of the Magistrate which is absurd or else the Magistrate did quickly retract his purpose of suppressing it which had been no lesse temerarious and absurd or else it is false what Apollonius saith to wit that either they did or were willing to suppresse it as may be seene by all the circumstances For if Vedelius was such a raverious woolfe against the Church of Christ that then the Magistrate did suppresse his virulent writings what boldnesse was it according to the principles of Apollonius his Hierarchy for the Magistrate to fall upon a businesse of this consequence without the Clergies advice what supine negligence was it that all Divines in all Universities should be silent like dumb doggs untill this Lobster-eating-curre Hylax should first bark from the remote Walachran isle against Church-robbing so that not onely doth he accuse our University professors for too much stupidity and want of prudence in that they did not observe Vedelius his poyson but preferred such a sacriledgious blasphemer to be divinity professour but also accuseth Macovius and Rivet of perversnesse who by their letters openly approved and commended Vedelius his tract and opinion but if Apollonius had not maliciously winked with one of his eyes he would have been more tender of the honour of such worthy men But one were as good seeke for foode in the fire as for modesty in Apollonius Vedelius prefixed to his booke the letters of Macovius and Rivet which Apollonius would not see But that every good man may see them and hee too against his will I 'le set downe a few passages out of them Worthy Sir your disputation concerning the civill Magistrate against Bellarmine I have read with so much the more diligence by how much the more exactnesse it was written c. I doubt not but you 'l do on acceptable work to those that desires to know these things more exactly c. I confesse that by this your learned tract I am resolved of those things I doubted before and am instructed in divers passages which I knew not c. thus far Macovius Rivets judgement is more large which is this I have read and weighed the theologicall disputation concerning the Magistrate against Bellarmine which that famous and learned man N. Vedelius published c. I testifie that I have observed nothing in his answers and resolutions which in my judgement doth not agree with the doctrine of all reformed Churches concerning the same argument but especially that in those passages which hee hath alledged out of my Comentaries upon the Decalogue hee hath not wronged mee but hath fully expressed my meaning and I adjudge his opinion to bee very true c. Therefore by this my hand-writing I would testifie to all men that hee hath deserved well of the Church and who by his most learned lucubrations hath sufficiently proved how farre hee is from the wayes of Innovators c. Hee asserts the truth without prejudicing those things which belong to the Ministers of Gods word and the Church-governours according to Canonicall Scripture and the Ecclesiastick Canons deduced from thence neither can I see any reason why Orthodox men should in this businesse trouble him Thus Rivet Now let the Reader judge whether these men or Apollonius be made Sure they are diametrically opposite for he commends Vedelius for an
Orthodox man but Apollonius for an Heterodox condemnes him He clears him from innovation this cries out that hee spreads abroad new Tares and poyson He saith that he asserts the truth but this that he defends sacrilegious falshoods He witnesseth by his hand-writing that Vedelius hath deserved well of the Church but this by many subscriptions shews that he is a betrayer of the Churches rites and a trampler upon the blood of Christ Lastly he saith that no Orthodox man should trouble him but this on the contrary by an Order of the Walachran Classis and of the whole Synod accuseth him as a destroyer of and a most bloody wolf to the Church Hath not then Apollonius in this somewhat of that lying spirit which deceived Kings so that he hath writ more of his Classiary brethren then they knew themselves which is ordinary among the Apollonian spirituall men One of these must be true to wit that either the Apollonians are convicted of ignorance negligence and false tenets or else that Vedelius Macovius Rivet were widely mistaken for my own part I had rather be sick with these men in divinity then to enjoy the best health with the Walachran Apollonius for he slights and despiseth all men weighing them in the ballance of his judgement as if he alone were the man that could hold the scales or were onely skilfull to note vice and to discern right from wrong Hee acknowledgeth that hee oweth much to Waleus and Thysius his Masters and yet he doth with Junius plainly reject them he contemneth Musculus he saith That Pareus and Gualter doe germanize it â—o much and that this cause is made so intricate by the Germans and Helvesians that you cannot finde any Idaea of exact divinity and that the English judgements are for the most part enslaved to great men and of our Diâ—mes you shall finde few that have handled this matter without admitting confusion and collaterall combination of both Powers In another place thus this troubles us that so worthy a man he understands Vedelius should esteem of the Reformed-Church-doctrine according to the testimony of some learned men c. Amesius Martyr Sybrand this honour he gives onely to Confessions Catechismes and formes of concord and yet he slights the Decrees of the Synod of Dort as humane and extorted from Ministers against their wills so that like a Snake feeding on naughty grasse he hisses at every thing as he pleaseth therefore the ghost of our famous Vedelius against which Apollonius pisseth hath no great cause to be angry since he is not ashamed to spit in the face of all learned men There is nothing that both sacred and profane Laws do more detest punish then the contempt of Princes and superior powers of which this Night-bird was not ignorant who presently in the preface desires the Magistrates good will for he saith that he carryeth a free spirit in the maintenance of their Magistracy and as it were calling God to patronize his dissimulation that with most fervent prayers he honours God for them when as notwithstanding with full cheeks he blows out contumelious speeches against Princes and Magistrates and as if he were another Rhadamanthus he assumes power to appoint what limits Magistrates must contâ—ine themseâ—ves within beyond which if they offer to goe he calls them Symoniacks and wicked and like irreligious Princes that they break in upon the rights and prerogatives of the Church with tyrannicall lust and violence for which prerogatives he saith Christ did shed his Hood and such Princes he calls civil Popes But whilst he divides this booty and power he acts the Lion in Aesop who dividing the Veneson with the Asse and the Fox he killed the Asse affrighted the Fox and so took all the booty to himself Apollonius here playes the Jugler and with counterfeit superstition deterres the Magistrate from touching any of the modern Ecclesiastick affaires For he teacheth that the power of the Magistrate is not in but about the Church and that the internalls of the Church doth not belong to him either formally or eminently or totally or partially that his power extends onely to the externalls and not all these neither but only the externals externally but not the externals internally for in these distinctions he is very exact and seemingly carefull of the conscience of Magistrates He warnes them that they beleeve not the judgements of the learned nor the authority of man in exercising of their power earnestly urging his decisions as consonant to Scripture among which these are some The power of the Civill sword is without the Spheare of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction The Godly Magistrate is not the prime member of the Church but of the baser sort yea of the basest That it is dangerous to call the Magistrate the Keeper or nursing Father of the Church because it is impossible for him to nourish the Church with true milk which is onely proper for Church-men That the Magistrate is onely a separable accident of the Church which may be present or absent without destroying the subject That the end and intent of the Magistrate was not the saving of soules but properly and onely the temporall things of this life That the office of the Magistrate was onely of earthly not of heavenly things That the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot execute any spirituall or Ecclesiasticall worke because it is impossible that hee should bee elevated above his own nature which is altogether worldly carnall and corporall Or if he seem to doe any Ecclesiasticall businesse that this hee doth onely objectively not formally imperatively not elicitively in respect of worldly circumstances and not in regard of the substantials of the Church And that they who will attribute more than this to the Magistrate incline to Pelagianisme Lastly he speakes every where of the Magistrate as of a naturall and carnall man of whom Paul saith That he is not subject to the Law of God nor can be nor doth he comprehend the things of Gods Spirit Hee cites often Gersom Bucerus who was to cunning in these trifles and withall insenced King James against him so that he was like to suffer had not the States protected him But this our Apollonius unwilling to yeeld to any man so bold is ignorance hee leapes over all the tearmes of Bucerus and railes against his own Magistrates and States subscribing to no mans opinion except Calderwoods the sum of which he else-where cites out of him Kingly authority saith he is onely measured according to the Churches benefit yet he doth warne Church-men that they should not trust too much Magistrates for he compares them to a crafty servant but Church-men to a generous Horse openly warning his fellow-Ministers that they suffer not the Magistrates to ride them any more and that their main aim was to bring them under subjection But if once they get the Mastery that Ministers shal never be able hereafter to shake off the civill yoak So then Apollonius thinkes
liberty to adde new Ceremonies to the old Rites so this hath been the old Popish sport multiplying new Church-sanctities The new Walachrian Papists walk the same way For if you ask Apolonius What he calls the sacred Rites and Ceremonies of the Church he will not bee content with those which are directly in Gods Word for then there would be no use of legislative power in the Church but he will have those things accounted for Ecclesiastick Rites that are instituted out of a religious desire or affection For howsoever according to his wonted giddinesse hee defines elsewhere this matter more precisely Part. 1. p. 2 3 c. and withall contradicts himselfe yet in the beginning of his work thus he describes a Ceremony or sacred Rite That it is an action the goodnesse and praise whereof consisteth onely in the worship of God For because it is applied to divine worship in order to that religious will it hath sufficient honesty in which the Ceremony or holy Rite may lay its Foundation This exactly agrees with the Popish intentionall Sanctity Hee addes indeed The Church must diligently search that according to Gods word she appoint Rites and Ceremonies But this is to bee understood according to the Jesuiticall phrase and Diasect that Church-men onely must be Judges whether such or such things be consonant to Gods word or not It is too well known that the Romish Church is full of errours and that the whole dressing of Papall worship is Apostaticall not Apostolicall yet the Jesuites cry out that the Lutherans are liers in that the Church of Rome neither hath failed nor can faile and this they are ready to prove if the Pope may bee Judge in his own cause so that the Church of Rome can never be convinced of errour except she will confesse her errours which is impossible Apolonius playes the Cretian not much otherwise He confesseth that the Church cannot make Lawes in holy things or proclaime Geremonies but according to the Rule of Scripture which hee doth so interpret that the absolute power of judging what is consonant to Scripture is in the Church and Church-men For if any Lay Magistrate by his Authority enquire into Ecclesiastick Statutes or define Ecclesiastick matters or hinder Church-men from defining or making such things at their pleasure he cries out that this is Tyrannicall Simonaicall and Sacrilegious And that Lay-Magistrates like sheep ought modestly to submit themselves except the Clergie will not be reformed And of this also the Clergy must bee Judges For this will never agree with Apolonius his Divinity that the Civill Magistrate should bee Judge in Church-matters Which if true then who sees not a way opened to these new Papists for filling the reformed Churches with Rites and Ceremonies Neither is there any thing more easie then that these Bats should still dreame and finde out new Rites at which if the Magistrates wink there will bee nothing so repugnant to Scripture but will find assent and entertainment among the clergy nor any Monster so deformed which they will not thrust upon Gods people Witnesse the Walachran Classes where a giddy-headed Baawler hath cast out such prophane and seditious stuffe against worthy Vedelius and pious Princes And yet if hee lye not not onely the Consistory of Middleburgh but the whole Classis of Walaâ—rhria hath weighed proved and approved every thing The other thing wherein hee resembles Papists is this When he speakes of the Church sacred affaires he distinguisheth them into Primary and Secundary or dependents where surkes the old mystery of Popery For though Church-men have no liberty to institute primary sacred things yet they have power to impose upon Christians under pain of excommunication what by consequence flow from the former or seem to depend on them If this bee once yeelded to Apolonius and the Apolonian Church-Rulers nothing will be so absurd and prophane which may not put on the shew and Title of holinesse as often as it shall be taught that this is an Apendix of the prime sacred things The matter will be cleare by an example The prime sacred thing in the Church is the preaching of the Gospel Hence if it be gathered that these things are sacred also which necessarily depend from the former doubtlesse there will swarm abroad an innumerable brood of sacred things For there can be no preaching except there bee some Preachers Whence this necessarie consequence will follow That all Preachers even to Apolonius are sacred which I know he will not deny For there is nothing hee labours for more in all this work then to chalenge to himselfe the prerogative of sanctity above prophane Civill Magistrates But I will weave out this Web a little more It is impossible for a Minister to preach without a tongue lips and teeth Therefore it must follow that the tongue lips and teeth of the Minister are holy Now the tongue lips and teeth can frame no conception without the brain Ergo except Apolinius want braines his braines must bee also holy The brain can performe no function if the heart quicken it not by vitall spirits Therefore his heart and vitall spirits also must bee sacred The brain heart and tongue cannot operate except they be nourished by the Liver Veines and Intistines c. Ergo these also in the Preacher must be sacred I will not descend to the excrements of the body and make them also sacred by way of dependency onely this I l'e adde Apolonius can goe no where or stand to preach without feet whence it will follow that his feet are also sacred Now whereas it were immodest that he should come to Sermon bare-footed therefore he ought to be covered with a Cloak Breeches Stockins and Shooes for the better decorum will it not then follow that these also are sacred But what if the wayes be foule through which he walked and goeth up to the Pulpit with dirty shooes will not the Walachrian Divines be troubled with this quotlibeticall knot to wit whether the dirt and filth be not sacred I will not vilifie such things as are truly sacred I purpose onely to explode Apolonius his idle Appendices and sacred consequences by this one example He that will laugh at him may make triall in other things I will affirm this That no such liberty must be granted to any man much lesse to a giddy-headed Stilt-walker to authorize for sacred and holy whatsoever he dreames hath dependence from the primarie and true sacred Rites What mischiefe this produced among the old Papists may be seen by the infatuation of the people with this ridiculous and impious superstition For not onely are Monkes holy amongst them but also by this consequentiall inchantment their Hands Feet Gownes Hoods are kissed with strange veneration so that it is accounted a matter of no small sanctity and merit if one dye in a Monkes Gowne or lousie Wast-coat or if a superstitious Woman wrap about her head the holy Breeches of some Preacher to wit
bee made by spirituall jurisdiction So that necessarily some mystery of spirituality must lye hid in Church-men that the same Lawes of the same things whether these things bee necessary or indifferent may become spirituall if they be given from spiritual that is Church-men but profaine if given by Godly Magistrates This the Stilt-walker did not learne from Calvin but of the Jesuires who are wont to begge much of the spirituall sanctity of their Churches So that Calvin eloquently taxeth them for this whose words I here subjoyne By this pretence false Bishops doe burthen consciences with new Lawes that they are spirituall Legislators appointed by God lib. 4. inst q. 10. s 6. since the government of the Church is committed to them Hence Apolonius may see his disease much like the Popish Scab It is well knowne for what end the Pope doth strive so much for this spirituality in making Lawes For hee would not seeme to be the man he is to wit Antichrist and the destroyer of his Masters Lawes But by pretending spirituality hee challengeth to himselfe power to declare what is properly agreeing to Christs Lawes what not But in saying this doth not belong to Lay-men how can hee prove it when Christ saith Drinke ye all of this Hee saith Drink not all of this CHRIST saith to the People search the Scripture Hee saith search them not under paine of death Again Marriage is honourable among all men the Pope saith it is dishonourable and more unlawfull among Clergie-men then Fornication Many such Lawes hath the Pope given us out of the Holy Scripture But by the helpe of his interpreting Spirituality The Stilt-walker hath publikely manifested that he understands also that Maxime thus That the actions of Divine Worship are to bee taken onely out of Gods Law to wit According to the POPES Dialect that Apolonius and such Spirituall men as he onely are to explaine what is properly to be taken out of Gods Law But civill Magistrates must have no hand in this This is the new mysterie of iniquity which these walachrian Jouglers are breeding that by the priviledge of their powerfull Preaching to them onely must belong this spirituall legislative power of preclaiming Lawes and Statutes every day not against or besides Scripture For this were a disgrace to these new Papists but according to Scripture yet conditionally that under pain of sacriledge no Lay-men presume to enquire into those holy Church-lawes at least not to ordaine or being ordained to abbrogate them of themselves For it is not the part of a good sonne thus to enquire into his Fathers actions but to obey the Lawes however prescribed as being spirituall and given by spirituall men If once godly Magistrates suffer themselves to be blinded with this efficacie of errour in a short time as under the Pope by pretending holy Scripture all kinds of falshoods will bee obtruded upon them that if the Stilt-walker doth not act his Comedy in Walachria as Becholitus did at Monaster yet at least in out confederate Provinces hee must have two separated formes of government whereof the one must be independent from the other yea repugnant in contrary lawes That these things are intended by our new Papists under their spirituall liberty of the legislative power is most apparent as I have shewed already Secondly it is not enough to adhere to the Scripture in ordaining new ceremonies of divine worship but the Church must now take heed that she be not too liberall in inventing of such For as man naturally grows proud by greatness of spirit so of mean dejected spirits ariseth superstition then wil-worship and if we be not wary at last idolatry For seldome here is there a mean kept but men goe from one degree to another which Paul sheweth in the false Apostles who going about to betray the Colossians liberty they first enjoyned them not to eat then higher tast not lastly touch not For it is more strictnesse to abstain from touching then from tasting and again from tasting then from eating so we see in Popery that of small beginnings and those not evill have arisen ceremonies which still increasing are become a yoke more heavie then that of the Jews If the Walachrian Classis did not earnestly desire this they would not be so hot in urging a sacred and spirituall liberty to prescribe lawes to the Church The third thing that I would have to be observed is that lawes be not too rigorous for they are only of things indifferent which properly concern not religion but order only changeable circumstances which to urge with such imperiousnesse is not the part of a Father but of a tyrant An example of greater moderation cannot bee had then that which is extant in the Apostolicall Church For when they were all assembled at Jerusalem to deliberate about the peace and lawes of the Church although they had full power Acts 15. yet they used so little rigour and authority that they determined or ordained nothing but by the consent and decree of the whole body of the Church And they used such moderation in giving Lawes to the Syrian Churches that they did as it were by an intreating way recommend them and left in a manner freedome to every Church to observe and to abrogate them when they became needlesse as I will shew in that which followes Hee that seeth Paul ordaining rites and ceremonies will easily observe that he was carefull of nothing more then that the consciences of Christians might not be oppressed with the yoak of Lawes For thus he sayth This I say not the Lord of this I have no precept This I say to you not by way of command but of counsell judge you if it be decent So at last he concludes that nothing was more averse from his custome or the custome of Apostolicall Churches then to strive eagerly or too imperiously in commanding rites or ceremonies as even then presaging the domintering pride of Church-men which hee would shake off and teach Christians moderation in the observation of things indifferent so that it is to be admired how mens perverse heat of ruling cannot be curbed by his example and admonitions so as not onely mean men but some of great worth have been carried headlong with too much heat A notable example of this we may see in Hooper Bishop of Glocester recorded by Peter Martyr He was so much moved at the wearing of a Surplusse Bishops Cap and other ceremonies which were the Reliques of Popery then in England that he threatned to forsake his Bishoprick whose preposterous fervency learned Martyr appeased in a most wise Tract Worthy Calvin himself when he was first called to Geneva did contend so eagerly with his Magistrates about the circumstance of unlevened bread in the Lords Supper to shew his aversnesse frō Judaisme that rather then he would yeeld suffered himself and his Colleagues to be banished from thence but of this he repented afterward which he did shew when hee
warned the Church of Geneva and other Churches afterward by his writings not to strive about that or any other ceremonies If the Bishop of Rome according to these Rules be examined it will easily appeare that hee is Antichrist For not onely without Scrripture doth he burthen Christians with innumerable decrees and lawes but he is so rigid in maintenance of his Lawes that hee is more severely punished for the most part who denieth obedience to his Statutes then he that transgresseth Gods expresse commands The Stilt-walker followes him close at the heeles whilst he doth so eagerly contend for the right of making Church-lawes so that he cries out Christs blood and all holy things to be prophaned if this power be granted to Lay-men or if Church-men in this be any wayes hindered For who but an Impostor will goe about to perswade men that there is such a mysticall holinesse in ordaining things indifferent as whether we may pray covered or uncovered standing kneeling or sirting with our eyes looking upward or downward what day the congregation must meet whether early or late in what place in what garments must men pray and preach whether at night after Christs example or by day the communion must be given whether the wine must bee powred out into silver or glasse whether levened or unlevened bread must be used whether onely the Preacher must give the Sacraments or the Elders also and any religious man as it was in use among the Apostles whether he only is to preach that is called by imposition of hands or others also who sometimes are better able though accounted but Lay-men whether the right of consecration that is of imposition of hands belongs onely to the Minister or to all the Elders also and other members of the Church so that confusion be avoided and innumerable other things which touch not the substance nor necessary rites of divine worship in ordaining of which whereas there is nothing so eminent but may not be determined easily by lay-men as they call them especially by civill Magistrates yet he so swels with the pretended sanctity of this unspeakable mystery that he wil have us bleeve they overthrow religion and piety who think or doe otherwise in this then he pleaseth Besides in this also hee imitates the Pope for that he is almost more rigid in arguing and venting his Ecclesiastick Lawes then those that are truly Divine This hee upbraids elswhere to the Pope as Antichristian but in this he runs from the Limepit and falls still into the Coal-pit or as wee say he leaps out of the frying-pan into the fire For they say that it is ordinary for this Treverian to beget new dreames especially such as serve for establishing the majesty of the Church and treading downe that of the State in which hee is so zealous that hee contends more about the not observation of Christs Nativity and other Festivall dayes about driving the Harmony of Organs out of the Church about the most spirituall holinesse of Deaconship and other trifles then he is about the whole passion of Christ or urging of his merits so that a whore doth not scold more against an honest woman then hee doth against both Magistrates and Ministers if they crosse him in his trifles On the contrary he offends not that abuseth Magistrates openly or privatly though he be never so infamous seditious an extortioner a cheater and the sink of all wickednesse Yet he is not so cunning in hiding his Popish leprosie but the scabs which he covers in one place he discovers in another He inveighs much against the Pope for making such lawes as bind Christian mens consciences and yet such is his giddinesse not only doth he lavishly extoll the sanctity of Legislative power but every where so prates of the necessity of his lawes that he openly matcheth them with the Lawes of Christ For he cries out that the Lawes and Statutes of the Church at this day are of such authority that if any refuse to obey them he is to be punished with the greater and lesser censure by the Church which every man my see toucheth mens consciences For what more grievous punishment can he denounce against a whoremaster an adulterer a Blasphemer and an open despiser of divine lawes but to punish him with his censuring Rod and excommunication Besides there can be no greater punishment then to be excluded from heaven but if we will credit Apolonius he is excluded from heaven whom he excommunicates I beleeve the Stilt-walker laughs here within himself as often as he affeights simple men with the terrours of his censure which hee knowes to be mockeries and used by him for no other end then to reigne over mens estates bodies and consciences But I now esteem of this thing as it is and as each holy man can judge of it Surely if the greater excommunication be the punishment of Ecclesiastick lawes if excommunication be the Key that truly shuts heaven as the Walachrians say who sees not that the conscience is touched with this when he shall find that heaven is locked against him with the Popes or Stilt-wakers Key except he will subscribe to the ordinances and devices of the Walachrians I confesse Apolonius is not so unskilfull an actor in this Papall Stage-play but he can with a fine distinction cleare himselfe of this blemish for he sayth That punishment is not inflicted for a Law or thing which is indifferent but for contumacie As if a Magistrate should say that the murtherer is not executed for cutting the innocent mans throat but because he died y upon it But I deny that this is contumacy when one resists stoutly and constantly the idle devices of Church-men whether they be obtruded by Apolonius or the Walashrians or the Pope there was never such authority in a lyer as to make a lye become a truth Therefore when the Church obtrudes a falshood or commands a thing indifferent as necessary because she deceiveth he is not contumacious who in this case resisteth the Church but the Church is contumacious herselfe which perseveres in her falshoods So this Walachrian Mom is alwayes dancing upon the Popes Scaffold inlarging the borders or fringes not onely of his preaching and censuring but also of his legislative garment so farre that he would perswade us that he offends as grievously who obeyes not the corrupted word and decrees of his Church as he that resisteth the plain Oracles of Christ He feignes that there is an unseparable subordination between himselfe and other modern preachers of his stamp and Christs and consequently such a selfe-commanding and imperious power of teaching and charging Gods people with no lesse authority then if Christ himselfe commanded so that it is commmon with these pratlers to perswade men with the Pope That they heare Christ who hear them and reject Christ who reject them That the Stilt-walker may see this rash assertion to be taken out the Popes Schoole hee shall doe well to
But that he may not here cosen the English and Netherlanders I fore-warn them that he in this lieth and cheateth them divers wayes He cites the 26. and 23. verses of that chap Act 15. but he who wil read all things attentively shal find that Luke sayth nothing of the Deputies of divers Churches as Apolonius feignes But chiefly observe his errour in alledging to prove this matter Acts 21.16 where it is recorded that with Paul going up to Ierusalem there joyned themselves some Disciples bringing with them one Mnason of Cyprus with whom the Church had lodged but not a word of the Deputies of divers Churches and if any thing be found like this it is too much impudencie and stupidity to confound this going up with that Acts 15. For there is many yeares difference for this was almost in the beginning of Pauls Apostleship but that in the end because shortly after Paul was taken and carrid to Rome so that Davus here hath not well divided his times which is so much the lesse to be indured in one so proudly puffed up who is so luxuriant in urging his own Embassie his authority in preaching and his inseparable subordination to Christ So that there is nothing more likely then that this Walacheian doth belch every day out of the Pulpit in Middleburgh many absurdities and lies by authority who durst obtrude to the learned English both in writing and print such manifest falshoods Now that we may further search out in this sacred Assembly the pomp of a Synod we must see if we can find in Luke any thing of Order of Sessions of letters of credence of the choyce of a Moderator of the right of decision and many other things required in a Synod which the Pope hath finely painted out of whose fetches this our Pope is not a little proud so that hee bewitches the Magistrate with the sanctity of his Dependency Surely Luke makes no mention of these toyes which pride afterwards found out but on the contrary we see that the whole people were present at this Assembly For it is said Acts 15.4 that Paul and his company were received by the Church the Apostles and Presbyters Neither were they there onely to consult but also to decide and to determine For it is sayd v. 22. It seemes good to the Apostles Presbyters with the whole Church Neither is there any signe that matters were carried by votes neither was there any dispute about the Moderatorship There were so many Apostles and pillars of the Church present yet no man impaired the others authority as if there had been need of the Emperour to be there with his Scepter of the Pope with his Crosier staff but every one spake as occasion served sometimes Peter sometimes Paul sometimes Iames others being silent for all without law or command abstained from confusion and tumults so that when one spake the other held their peace None therefore of the Apostles did assume to himselfe any Judiciall power or prerogative such as is bragged of at this day Now if we look upon the event of the Councel there is nothing that favoureth of any pomp or Synodicall pride such as is at this day they concluded not proudly as the Pope doth but thus it seemes good to the Holy Ghost and to us Nor did they impose their ordinances upon all Nations but onely upon the Churches of Antiâ—ch and Syria which had imployed their help and Councel They were so moderate in commanding that they rather perswaded then commanded for in a familiar letter they wrot to them even concerning the piety of their Legats Judas and Sylas praying rather obedience from them then requiring it which they needed not have done if they had purposed with the Pope or the Stilt-walker to command with authority Lastly the lawes which they made were of things indifferent which they did not urge so rigidly as not to leave it free for any to doe as they thought good when occasion served as afterwards we know the Galatians Corinthians and Romans did violate these lawes when theâ— was no danger of offence as Calvin elswhere fitly sheweth This then is that holy Synod this is that first councell of Jerusalem of which both old and new Papists doe so much bragge in which if Apolonius shew me all the the toyes and spirituall requisites in Synods he shall be to me great Apollo such are The calling of Synods the chiefe of Deputies the Letters of credence the power of consulting and dciding the right of Moderatorship the pluralities collections of Votes whether Synods can make Lawes Dogmaticall or Diatacticall whether these Lawes are to be ratified by Magistrates whether Magistrates are to be present at Syneds or if they are to moderate Whether they are to have a sentence definitive or deliberative whether Church-ordinances may become Church-lawes whether they bind the conscience directly or indirectly Whether they oblige by a coactive spirituall power and innumerable other things which hee hath gathered out of the Popes Danghill for Jewels and with them hath stuffed his work Truly if he can draw these things out of this Apostolicall meeting hee will deserve to be made of a poore Walachrian Shepheard an English Bishop or a German Superintendent I can scarce think that this Assembly was a Classis in respect of outward things and not much otherwise to be accounted then if the Church of Snecana or Doccoma should in a different case consult with the Francian or Leowardian Church and should send two or three of their Church and receive from that Church a writing concerning things indifferent They commonly answer that all the Apostles were present which gave to this meeting the honour of a generall Councell I confesse that the authority of this Councell was so great that it exceeded all the Councels of the whole world and if at this day there were a councel in which so many yea if there were but one divinely inspired his authority should bee of greater account with mee then of all the wise men in the world But because it is disputed whether this was such a Synod as the Dependents at this day describe they are no lesse foolish that perswade this then if they should prove the Popes proud Scarlet Robe out of Peters Fishermans garment Truly if all the meetings in which CHRIST and his Apostles were present are to be accounted Councels there were many Councels in the Apostles times But they say more that this meeting did impose lawes upon the whole Church and therefore must be held for a Councell but this is false as I shewed before For if every meeting which ordaines and decrees such things as may be usefull for many Churches bee a Councell then sure many Confistories are to be held for Councels And now I have overthrown the Foundations of Popish Dependency not that I dislike the meetings and conference of one Church with another for the preservation of peace and truth when time and place shall
him nothing is more ancient then to extoll the outward businesse of the Ecclesiastick Ministery for holy spirituall and divine among men * Part 1 p. 116 p. 119. So that every where hee cries out these affaires do belong to heaven not to earth and that the externall things of the Church reach unto the soule and lastly to bee of such a sublime nature that it is impossible the art of Ecclesiastick jurisdiction should be exercised by the authority of the Magistrate so that as often as mention is made of the * Choragium Ampullantur dressing of Church matters they in proud and haughty words affirme that sacred things are not to bee touched Of which notwithstanding there is nothing so high and difficult which is not easie enough to him that is but indifferently exercised For these are preaching and publick Prayer the outward administration of the Sacraments the making of Laws for the outward order of the Church the greater and lesser censure whereof this is by suspending from the Lords Supper that by separation from the whole body of the Church by the uttering of certain words Lastly Election and confirmation to Ecclesiastick Offices All which affaires at this day are known to be performed by ordinary gifts oftentimes in a humane and perverse way even by such who being void of all Christian vertues are laden with nothing else but wickednesse that Apollonius may obtrude superstition after a Popish manner when hee searcheth after such abstruce mysteries of spirituality in the outward works of Ecclesiastick dressing that hee might make men think that what is performed by the Ministeriall function of the Church is of a higher nature then mans capacity can reach unto Whereas the whole dignity of these things as they are performed at this day depends from Christs generall institution and from the common Law of Order Out of these lurking places being driven after the Popish manner he flies to Ecclesiastick Vocation and chiefly to confirmation by imposing of hands which though at this day it be defiled and variously spotted shewing no effects of spirituallity in those on whom it is conferred Yet hee would faine perswade us that it is of wonderfull efficacy for conferring of spirituall right and spirituall prerogative to performe the sacred Offices of the Church that it hath such a speciall prerogative so that hee accounts him * Part 1. p. 87. p. 71. sacrilegious whosoever being destitute of the rights of Vocation and Ecclesiastick Confirmation will offer to put his hand to those internally externall affaires of the Church which hee illustrates by the example of King Uzziah struck with Leprosie Out of which principles at last springs up the speciall Church-Government which though every man may see it to bee in the world and to bee exercised by too worldly meanes and that by them who after confirmation are oftentimes more carnall than any Lay-men yet hee will have us beleeve that this Government is not o◠this world not earthly but heavenly spirituall holy independent from any worldly power in it selfe absolute and as it were of its own * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power by reason of the inseparable subjection of Church-men to Christ as his Legates Whence belongs to them this right to hee Governours Captaines Pastors Fathers under which titles it is lawfull onely for them to proceed to Governe to feed to give laws to punish and that imperiously with power and authority Part. 2. p 323. in the formalities of the Church Whence hee makes a rupture irreparable between the power or government of Magistrates and of the Church Part. 1. p. 91. 93. p. 9◠Because they are so different in the subject end and meanes that he thinks heaven and earth will be confounded if the Magistrate should offer to touch the internall things of the Church For hee will not allow the secular power to bee in but onely about the Church which medleth with the circumstantialls of the Church onely as a separable accident which the Church may easily want and did want under the Apostles and time of the first Reformation So that as hee assevers the Christian and godly Magistrate hath no more to doe with Church-affaires then the wicked hath in respect of right except in cases extraordinary when the whole Clergie wants reformation but yet on this condition too that the judgement of this matter bee left to the Church-men But if the Magistrate should meddle with any thing which hee calls formally Ecclesiastick besides these cases hee cryes out openly that sacriledge and robbery is committed that the rights of Christs Spouse are violated for which Christ shed his blood yea that the state of the Church was happier under the crosse because of her free jurisdiction which then shee used then now if the Magistrate offer to intermeddle with the Church-affaires so that indeed hee counts no better then Gibeonites the religious Magistrates who were not to serve in but about the Sanctuary and were not to meddle with or touch any holy thing but being tide to servile obedience in furnishing necessaries were bound perpetually to acknowledge their fraud and prophanenesse Out of so many naughty rootes of Popery it is no wonder if in Apollonius and some of his followers this fruite proceed not onely in speaking evill of secular Rulers as often as they seeme to Clergie-men to stumble upon the rights of the Church but contrarily they dare in secular affaires prescribe to and command the Magistrate by their Pastorall authority so that no Catechisme seemes to them more holy than that they assure one another that the secular Magistrate is simply to bee debarred from all things which they account Ecclesiasticall and that they are not to be admitted into the meanest part of their modern Ecclesiastick spirituality so faire as they performe the Office of a Magistrate the top of which spirituallity if elsewhere they seem to touch that they must bee resisted with might and maine as profane men either directly or if strength bee wanting indirectly and cunningly Per cuniculos in their private or publick declamations to the people Sure Apollonius seemes in this work to sound the Alarum and by his example to stirre up turbulent Ministers to bee bold upon the Magistrate when opportunity serves and to shake off one time or other their vile and violent yoke I doubt not but such kinde of vermine lurke else-where but dull and as it were sticking fast in their shell of which notwithstanding none doth cherish such dastardly spirits Puliatus but that if this Black coat and rude Wallachrian shall finde good successe in a short time great store of such Zelots will every where appeare I will no more prophesie but now will produce the acts of Apollonius and his fellow Walachrians set out not a few years since which will teach us that long agoe they were resolved and purposed first to prescribe a Law to the Civill Magistrate in
Christ spiritual holy whom Christ bought with his own blood Also when he speaks of the outward Ministery of his Church he saith That she being the Spouse and body of Christ hath certain priviledges sacred rights And sometimes he is so lavish in extolling the outward affaires of the visible Church that he affirmeth Christ to have shed his blood for those priviledges and rights just like a Jugler he goeth about to perswade the Magistrate that when he offers to meddle with the businesse of this Apolonian and visible Church without her order that he commits sacriledge against the true and invisible Church which is the Body and Spouse of Christ So that with no lesse immodesty doth hee keep them off from all outward Church-businesse then if they were Bawds or Pandors offering to deflower Christs holy Spouse if they goe beyond the bounds prescribed by him So that not only doth he contradict himselfe but by a Popish trick endeavoureth to set forth his Ecclesiastick jurisdiction perswading men that his Church which is indeed vislble is to bee accounted for the Spouse of Christ and therefore the Ministery of this Spouse to belong onely to him and his Clergy as if they were the brides Spirituall Paranymphs The other errour of the ancient Papists is that the honour and holinesse of the visible Church which is so largely extended is contracted by them to government and Governours of the Church for those they call properly the representative Church to wit their Bishops and Clergie So that if you ask them who are Church-men And which is properly the Catholick Church Where this spirituall dignity shineth They will not understand the whole body of the Church and all that are called holy 1 Cor. 1.1 o. who adore the name of Christ as the Apostles speak For from this honour they debarre all Christians as Secular and Lay-men onely for their Clergy as if they were consecrated by the Character of holy vocation they reserve the honour of Ecclesiasticall spirituality he then that will seek for the Catholick Church among Papists shall find her no where but in the Clergy that is in their Priests Bishops Archbishops Cardinals and lastly in the Pope to whose government and command if any refuse to be subject though he be never so strict an observer of Christs commands yet shall not be reputed a member of Christs Church For Bellarmine in the place above cited referres the Church government under Pastors and the Pope to the essence or formality of the Church Our Walachran Stilt-walker with his fellowes are not much unlike the Jefuites he is stâ—â—erying out that he strives for the priviledges and holy rights of Christs Spouse the Church the form of which hee placeth in outward profession But because hee perceived this dignity to bee common to the whole body of the Church of which the godly Magistrate is a part lest the mysticall priviledge of Church-holinesse be communicated to worldly carnall and secular Magistrates whose charge is of earthly not of heavenly things he doth accuratly distinguish after the Popish manner between the Church Represented which he makes the body of the Church abstracted from the Governours thereof and Representative which hee makes the Governours separate from the other members of the Church For whilst he gives to each of them incommunicable properties he doth fully distinguish them For these because of their ministration and dignity of ruling he makes the Eyes Eares Hanas and if he durst with Papists he would call them Heads Princes and Kings of the Church whose office is to goe before to oversee to rule with command domineeringly to compell and with authority to punish and no wayes to be subject to be ruled to beled yea not to be subordinate to civill Magistrates in Church matters but immediatly to depend on Christ and to be inseparably subiect to him As for the body of the Church Represented like sheep and subjects even Magistrates themselves as being the basest members which he is still upbraiding them with must modestly submit themselves be content to be ruled and taught and to acknowledge the spirituall power of the Church to which they and theirs must be subject So that in truth the Ministers are the Heads and Monarchs in Church-affaires as for Magistrates and all other Church-members they are onely the taile and meer vassals Every man may see how much different this is from the government of the Apostolical Church if they will but attentively read the Acts of the Apostles For if ever the Church-government were glorious holy it was under the Apostles for they were then the most holy Governours who knew very well the rights and priviledges of their government but yet they so ruled the Church that the whole Assembly was of one heart and one soule Acts 4.32 And they were so farre from contending about the priviledge of jurisdiction or from debarring the body of the Church from medling with Ministerial businesses that they permitted every man to exercise them if so be he were fitted without the solemnity of outward calling and gave way to the whole Body of the Church that is to all Christians to debate about and determine the most sacred affaires of the Church Nor was it held absurd though this Night-bird think it so now by these great lights of the Church for the same to call and to be called to send and to be sent to teach and to be taught to be above and to be under to rule and to be ruled to help and to be helped So that this Stilt-walker hath not borrowed from the Apostles that exact right of Church-government and the prerogative of power in the Church Representing upon the Church Represented that is upon the body and members of the Church but from the Pope the Roman Antichrist For he by a fatall Energie and efficacie of deceiving did first season Christians with an immoderate superstition of the visible Church and outward worship so that they attributed more to her then was fit the care of which afterward he transferred upon the Clergy alone as being consecrated for this work and withall deduced all that reverence to Church-men and the governours thereof as though they alone had right in Church-affaires from which other Christians as being Lay-men were debarred but afterward by degrees he transferred to himselfe the whole dignity of the Clergie and so at length became the Epitome of all Ecclesiastick dignity and sanctity so that now for many yeares hee is reputed and called the head of the Church yea the very Church representative by which he plainly shewes himselfe to be Antichrist That Roman Basilisk did not suddenly but by degrees peep out of small mysteries on whose egges because of late this Treverian doth sit if pious Princes doe not in time fore-see the cunning there will in stead of one arise many Antichrists For if the sanctity of the Catholick Church be in the visible Church if the sanctity of the visible
Church be in the representing Church that is in the governours suppose in the Consistory or Classis c. if the dignity of the Consistory be restrained to Ministers as the eyes and worthy of double honour in the Church for the Elders are for the most part but the Ministers foot-stools if the dignity of many Pastors reside at last in some one chiefe Pastor to whose dreames all other Pastors must subscribe either out of ignorance or negligence as you may see in the Walachran Classis who doth not now see that all the holinesse and jurisdiction of the whole Church flowes into this chiefe Pastor as into a sink-hole To whose impudencie and madnesse if no Minister dare or will make resistance if no Magistrate must under pain of sacriledge shall not he in the end be Pope of that Island or Province The third errour borrowed from the Papists is this they use to obtrude to us their visible Roman Church in stead of the Catholick and for the whole Church that part only which governeth and in lieu of the Church they recommend to us the government thereof Lastly under the title of government and the Apostolicall Church they thrust upon us all the fictions and dreames of their brain-sick Popes so that among them the Church-government is no more like that of the Apostles then a vizard is like a true face or a picture like a man Though this Stilt-walker be not as yet so impudent yet because he is continually brawling with the Magistrates as with worldly men about the right of making lawes in Church matters he doth plainly shew that he is of the Popes mind in imposing upon Christians this yoak and upon Magistrates themselves under pretence of Ecclesiastick dignity so that whatsoever the Apolonian Colledge in Walachran shall judge to be holy and to be fit or necessary for the Church Christs Spouse must be received with obedience under pain of excommunication Which licentiousnesse of Ecclesiastick Conventicles if the godly Magistrate cannot suppresse without sacriledge as he still cryes out who sees not but that Centaures and other ugly Mâ—nsters of Antichrist will quickly break out of these Dedalaean labyrinths Such births have come to light at Middleburgh already as I have shewed in the Preface Hence it is apparent that Apolonius playes the Pope in many respects under the name of the Church For in stead of the Catholick Church the true Spouse of Christ holy and invisible he obtrudes the visible Church defiled with many spots then promising that he will maintain the digniâ—y of the whole Church he fails upon the commendation of the Government and Governours thereof he slights and contemnes the body of the Church Lastly under pretence of a holy and Apostolicall government he endeavours to obtrude a human corrupt and Pope-like tyrannicall Discipline as I will shew hereafter Which Jesuiticall canvasse wares of Apolonius I would have the Reader diligently to mark For he deludes us no otherwise then if an Impostor should brag that he brings us Gold which proves but Tin and this Tin but Quicksilver and at last meer drosse or poysonable Arsenick CHAP. III. Of the divers acceptions of Sanctity AS the word Church so the word Sanctity is ambiguous There is no man so irreligious but highly accounts of the name of Sanctity Hence for a person or thing to be Sacred or Holy is among fearfull superstitious people of no small weight so that not onely Papists of old but also this new upstart as often as he speakes of the Church Church-men he stil vapours having the name of Sacred and Holy in his mouth under this veile he deceives ignorant people whilst he aimes at worldly authority which I will briefly make appeare The word Sanctity signifieth properly the inward and perfect integrity of a thing such as is in God eminently hence in Isaiah he is called Holy Holy Holy to whose nature because the blessed Angels and Soules in heaven come neerest they also are called Holy And although in regard of corporiety Christs humane nature is distant from the divine yet in respect of the incomprehensible priviledge of the Hypostaticall union by which it is personally united to the divine Nature it 's not to be doubted but that the Majesty and dignity of Christs glorious body sitting at Gods right hand in heaven is ineffable so that this body may be justly called Most holy Such are the bodies of Henoch and Elijah but in a lower degree inferiour to which is the heaven and place of the blessed all which notwithstanding are truly inherently and after their manner perfectly holy and free from all pollution This word is also transferred to many other things chiefly to the worship of God because this tends to the glory of the most holy God and is the mean by which men are brought into the possession of that true and perfect holinesse which wee shall enjoy in heaven hence the worship of God and the manner or meanes of this worship lastly the persons conversant about this worship are called and are so in some measure Holy But we must be cautious in using this distinction for the confusion of these things will easily beget pride in the presumptuous and Idolatry in the superstitious There is nothing more sure then that this deserves best the name of Holinesse which hath in it self a perpetuall and inherent perfection and ordination for promoting Gods worship and mans salvation For God is so holy that whatsoever hath him for its Authour and is ordained to his holinesse is to be accounted holy Such are the vertues which by the holy Ghost are infused into us as wisdome hope love and chiefly true justifying faith which therefore in Scripture is called Most holy because not onely is it holy and most divine in it selfe but whosoever also is endowed with it though he had been never so prophane before and most unworthy in the eyes of the world yet with God he is holy and elect because he is inseparably united to Christ but mystically by faith For though Faith doth not presently change a man as to be endowed with inherent sanctity yet he is brought to have a firm hope of attaining perfect holinesse in heaven the beginning of which he obtaines here by sanctification after the infusion of true faith so that the name of Sanctity doth very well belong to justifying Faith as having God alone who is most holy for its Authour and where-ever it is infused it causeth an inseparable holinesse in that man which is the reason that every where in Scripture true beleelvers are called the holy Elect. To these vertues succeeds Gods Word which having the most holy God for its Authour is in it selfe perfectly holy For how can any prophane thing be found in that word which is known to be uttered and written by the instinct and motion of the holy Ghost So that our most holy Faith is begot of this as of an immortall seed but here is the difference
in expressing the one sense of hearing he hath not excluded the other Besides faith comes by hearing either publick or privat reading Therefore Augustine warned the godly that they pray often and read the Scripture For when we pray sayth he we speak to God when we read God speaks again to us The most holy Ecclesiastick meanes then to beget and preserve faith in us is the reading of the Scripture and it is so much the more excellent in that it is not subject to the will or command of any man but most purely conveyes to us the liquor of divine Truth as it were out of a Fountaine of such uncorrupted sincerity that by reason of this sacred Function alone Christ commanded to heare the Scribes and Pharisees in all that they shall say But Apolonius doth not much strive about this spirituality and priviledge because there is in it nothing imperious but servile rather not would hee cry out that his sacred things were prophaned if perhaps the Magistrate should use this office of reading but would rather say that it is a testimony of civil servitude no otherwise then of old the Gibeonites y for deceiving Ioshâ—a were commanded to minister Wood and Water to the true Priests and Levits Next to reading is preaching Stapleton and the Jesuites are so proud of the priviledge of this Function that they claim a power to themselves to save souls for thus they reason No man can be saved without faith no man can have faith without hearing Gods word no man can heare without a Preacher no man can preach except he be sent to send belongs onely to the Governours of the Church Therefore they conclude That the care and power of saving depends on them By which Title they insult over all as if they were lay men if they offer to enquire more narrowly of matters of salvation as if the businesse of heaven did not belong to such This errour Apotonins breathes every where using almost the same weapons that the Jesuites doe to wit that modern preaching is the sanctified and spirituall meanes and by spirituall right Ecclesiastick belonging onely to Ministers by their right of Vocation But for others especially for worldly Magistrates it is neither lawfull nor possible I confesse that preaching is in some fort holy and usefull for the Church but hee that will compare the manner of it as it is at this day with that of the Apostles he will compare the shadow with the body for they were truly inspired by God and taught by God furnished with all the gifts of Knowledge Tongues Miracles by Divine authority as Christs Embassadours they preached and faithfully dispensed the Mysteries of God God speaking by them and therefore they abstained from all pleasing allurements of Arts and humane affections But at this day whasoever declamatory Art is in preaching it proceedes of humane and secular precepts with that pomp that now nothing in the Church is thought handsous but what savours of Quintilians Tropes or of Aristotles Metaphysicks This is no new thing for shortly after the Apostles departure the subtilties of Philosophers unknown to the Apostles were made use of to edifie the Church withall but with this successe that these Arts brought more darknesse then light into the Church for they layd the foundation of many errours and chiefly of Antichristianisme then springing up Which humane Artifices are now vented with such pride that all the Majesty of Gods word consisting in simplicity is by them obscured For although there is some use of these Arts against contradictors of the truth yet we know by experience that more contenttions differences and errours are raised then abolished by them â—â—ther did the Church ever fight with better successe then when the adversaries were confuted with pure Scripture Now if there be such failings in their vertues what shall we say of their vices We find by experience that they are destitute oftentimes of all things requisite by Paul in a Bishop and being armed with impudent Fore-heads as we see in Apolonius they rush upon this work with such pride that they make themselves spirituall holy Christs Legats and in a manner the Apostles fellows whereas they labour not alwayes to furnish the pure milk of Gods Word but rather to vent their own affections inventions and fictions and that with such eagernesse and quarrelling that they can scarce abstain from railing Though these things were mended according to the manner and example of the Apostles yet I would say that Apolonius is swelled with Antichrian pride and so are all our new Papists who place more holinesse and speciall spirituality in their preaching work then was ever held of old under the Levitical law or after under the Apostles For albeit that all were debarred from sacrificing except the Levits yet no man was hindered from preaching neither Princes nor Lay-people Moses Joshua David Solomon and other Princes did preach publickly When Josaphat Josiah and other Kings restored the worship of God they sent Priests Levits to teach and so they did likewise Lay-men When Religion was restored under Nehemiah Esdras and the Levits taught but it is added that Inshua and some of the people did publickly read and teach If this was of such speciall right as the Ecclesiastick and Leviticall Office of sacrificing entring into the Sanctuary separating and discovering of Lepers and other things which God granted to the Priests and Levits why was it so promicuously granted to the people Who will not say that the Levits and Apostles were irreligious and tramplers upon their owne holy Function in giving leave so promiscuously for men to preach that they hindered no man from it either publickly or privatly if hee was apt This may bee shewed by many examples Luke 2.46 First when CHRIST being about twelve yeares of age disputed publickly in the Temple with the Doctors For though he might justly doe this having a Divine calling thereto yet the Scribes and Pharisees knew not so much And indeed they were too proud of the priviledge of their Chaire and of preaching to suffer any much lesse a child to meddle with their y Office of preaching had they known that it was not lawfull for any to preach without the solemnities of calling but simply perceiving the gifts and aptitude in Christ to teach not being sollicitous whether he was called or not did make no scruple in permitting him to teach Such another place there is in Luke Luke 4.16 when Christ being at Naâ—â—reth took the Book and read and then preached all his hearers admiring him with attention Whence I gather that then there was no such need of writings to shew their Orders and Callings to preach but any man might preach that was apt For it is most certain that Christ had no ordinary vocation without which if it had been then so sacrilegious a thing to preach as Apolonius would now perswade us doubtlesse they had pulled Christ out of the Pulpit whom the Scribes and
they be sent Neither doth he send any Embassadour but such as hee furnisheth with sufficient gifts and not without great reason For hee will have his Legats to be of such Authority that he will have absolute obedience to be yeelded to them and not to depart from them either to the right or the left hand under pain of destruction as may be seen by Moses Deut. 17. Deut. 17. Vpon which place Galvin commenting how-ever he may seem a little to doubt or stick yet at last he plainly writes We are not to doubt but God hath furnished those whom he will have excell in Authority with the spirit of understanding and of uprightnesse lest they should utter any perverse opinion which also the promise sheweth they shall answer thee in judgement for it had been absurd that the people should obey God in vaine and to their own destruction 1 Cor. 4.1.2 To this Paul agreeth Let a man so esteem of us as of the Ministers of Christ and dispensers of the Misteries of God Now this is required in Ministers that some may be found faithfull which faithfulnesse saith Calvin signifieth both the right knowledge of truth without error as also a faithfull and godly mind If modern Ministers be examined according to this exact Rule of Gods Embassadors they will be found to come very short of them The Antichristian Popes a bold kind of Vermine as ever the world saw say impudently that they over-flow with these gifts of Gods Embassadours but long since they have been refuted both by the writings of reformed Divines and by experience This Stilt-walker doth in lying exceed the Pope in bragging himselfe to be Gods Embassadour whereas he should confesse as he doth by his writings prove that he is both fallible and fallacious and destitute of the gifts of Gods Embassadours worthy to be checked by the Pens of all Orthodox men Nor will this availe him any thing in saying that the Church hath made him Gods Embassadour by vocation and imposition of hands If the modern Church hee of this mind she is as foolish as the foolish Stilt-Walker For God never gave this power to the Church to conâ—erre the right and dignity of a Legat on whem God hath not before bestowed necessary gifts So that the most excellent Church in the Apostles time by whose imposition of hands oftentimes followed notable gifts of Gods Spirit could doe no more but declare by election and consecration him to be Christs Legat whom they saw to be furnished before by God with the gifts of such an Embassie Which appeares by that famous election of Paul and Barnabas to call the Gentiles where God himselfe commands to set Paul and Barnabas a-part but presently addeth To the work to which I have called them Act. 13.2 so that the Church in calling doth nothing else but subscribe to Gods call declare them to be called whom God manifests hee hath called and this he sheweth by necessary gifts bestowed on them which I will make appeare to be true not only in extraordinary but also in ordinary callings in Calvins words rather then mine which are extant in his Commentaries on this place God commands Paul and Barnabas by the Churches Suffrages to be sent abroad to that he had ordained them Hence we collect That there is no lawfull election of Pastors but where God hath the chiefest voyce For in that he hath commanded the Church to chuse Pastors and Bishops he hath not permitted so much liberty to men as not to be chiefe President and Moderator himselfe Indeed this ordinary election of Pastors differs from that of Paul and Barnabas because it was behoofefull that they who were to bee the Apostles of the Gentiles should be designed by divine Oracle which was not needfull to be done daily in the ordination of Ministers only this is common to both that as God witnessed Paul and Barnabas to be ordained particularly by him to preach the Gospel even so none ought to be called to teach but such as God hath already in some sort chosen himselfe Besides it is not necessary that the Spirit from Heaven should proclaime him to be called of whom we speake because whom God furnisheth with necessary gifts seeing they are fitted and formed by his hand we receive them delivered from him as it were from hand to hand Thus he Hence the Walachrian may see his own fraud that being destitute not onely of the Badges of Christs Embassadours but likewise of ordinary Pastorall gifts supposeth that he is made Christs Legat by the Churches mission or confirmation and therefore demands with authority and power to be heard as an Embassador sent from Christ All which are so many impostures and wrongs offered to the Divine Majesty What Prince I pray will not punish such an Impostor Paraus writes that such a thing happened in his time that one in the name of an Embassadour from England came to the Prince Elector whom the first day the Prince received in State The next day the fraud being detected because he wanted the Badge of his Embassie was cast in prison and thence in chaines was sent to England to be punished If this cheating Walachrian be not thus punished here let him be assured he shall be punished hereafter by Christ the Title of whose Embassie he so contumeliously abuseth as in other things so in the Popes fictions he is fleshed and hardned to wit that it is in Divine and Ecclesiasticall Callings as in Civill that they who have may have and who possesse may possesse that is if any as fit for an Office as an Asse for a Harp yet being chosen and imployed by the Prince acquites this right from God that hee must bee acknowledged for the Princes Legat and must be obeyed no otherwise then the Prince himselfe And thus doth the Pope esteeme of his Offices But we have now seen that God acknowledgeth no man for his Embassadour but he whom he hath first called and then sufficiently gifted Which being wanting in the Stilt-walker wee need not doubt but that the Church in choosing him was deceived through Ignorante but he sinnes doubly and maliciously that being void of gifts dare bragge himselfe to bee CHRISTS Legat and in a higher strain then the Church could be her election afford him Next to preaching is the administration of the Sacraments which at this day is held so holy and in a speciall manner Ecclesiastick that from it as from a Sanctuary they keep off Proponents endowed with the gift of Preaching Which speciall sanctity is not taken out of Gods Word but first coyned in Antichrists Shop and by an indelible contagion is crept upon our Churches in which as men doe most smell of Popish Garlicke so they extoll it as we see in the Stilt-walker who having crawled through the Papists Dunghill more diligently then others he cries out that this part of his Church-furniture is in such a speciall manner holy as that the Leviticall
delivers over to Satan but so that hearing of his repentance hee would not have the sentence pronounced put in execution But now if Paul had consulted with the Walashrian Divines a great question had been moved how the scandall given should be removed For it might seem fit that hee should bee debarred from the Supper for some long time or else some penitentiary punishments inflicted on him But Paul being ignorant of all these new invented Artifices as soone as hee heard of the sinners repentance writes It is sufficient for him that hee hath been reproved of many He wills them to comfort the sinner that he be not swallowed up with too much griefe He addes Whom you pardon I will pardon in the sight of Christ that wee may not be deceived by Satan because his cunning plots are not unknown to us This is true Divinity but farre different from that of the Popes and Walachrians who for lesser faults will not shew such lenity to the penitent but think that Christians must be tortured under pretence of removing scandall not that Christ might bee honored or soules saved but that hence domineering and profit might to them redound I confesse this is no new evill custome but ancient and shortly begot after the Apostles death For the Church-Rulers wanting the Apostolicall gifts of Miracles and of infallible preaching by which the Apostles as Divine Master-builders did curb all consasions being then destitute of the Magistrates help they found out divers Constitutions and remedies for preserving of the Churches peace and removing of standalls which though they had not divine and Apostolicall authority but were found out according to time and place yet through custome by degrees they became Lawes so that not onely did they pertinaciously insist upon them but oftentimes used more rigour to preserve them then in Christs open institutions that they doubted not in defence of them to lose their lives Now these Lawes consisted chiefly in the right of censuring and in Ecclesiastick penalties among which this was ordinary that if any had privatly or publikly offended he was debarred from the Sacrament untill he had satisfied the Church concerning the scandall given in which they were so rigid that oftentimes they would keep men off from the Communion three foure nay ten yeares and sometimes all their life especially if any through impatience of their tortures had denied Christ he was never again or with much difficulty admitted into the Church Which rigour Superstition did so confirme that afore the three hundreth yeare Marcellinus Bishop of Rome who because of his torments had denied Christ came humbly to the Synod of an hundred and fourescore Bishops at Sinuessa and begged pardon for his sin though afterward taking courage he suffered martyrdome for Christ as Cornelius Cyprian and others did So then this right of censuring was at that time so rigid that in many things it exceeded moderation And whilest the Rulers were too carefull of their owne and of the Churches honour the common sort of Christians out of too much credulity did superstitiously subject themselves to Church-Lawes Hence no moderation was observed either by the one in commanding or by the other in obeying which Cyprian and others saw long before the three hundreth yeare of Christ For hee reproving that rigid and penitentiall way of censuring writes thus I wish all may be brought back to the Church I pardon all I winke at many things I wish and desire a Recollection of our fraterniâ—ie I have alwast offended my selfe in to much pardoning offences So Chrysostome later then he writes plainly If God be so mercifull why should his Priest seem to bee so rigid For then they saw that Pastors exceed in their censures and rigorous commands of penitentiary penalties so that they confessed they were against their wills as it were carried headlong by a Turren into by wayes which they could not allow no knew not how to help by reason of the custome then received in the Church A though there might besome use of such Lawes then when Pastors and Bishops did promiscuously submit themselves and the rewards both of ruling and ruled Christians then were tortures benishments and a thousand deaths After that Emperours became Christians and Petern patrimony increased pride and prepostorous zeale ceised on the Teachers so that they ascribed as much to Church-inventions as if they had been Gods Lawes nor did they urge lesse obedience to them then if they had been instituted by Christ which we may chiefly see in Ambrose about the yeare 400. who of a civill Pâ—â—tor was suddenly made Bishop by Theodosius the Emperour Hee exceedingly vexed this Emperour with this censuring Ferula for some offence by him committed whereof notwithstanding hee repented Ambrose willing to let his master see the vigour of Ecclesiastick power forced him to sit among the penitents being secluded a while from the holy mysteries untill he had satisfied the Churches penitentiall rights and his humour which was too dangerous and rash a presumption For if this Spaniard Theodosius had not been then seasoned with that common superstition which fell out well for the Church that Church Lawes must bee obeyed as divine which had he been wise he might have seene that these were not ordained by God and his Apostles but introduced by custome and humane invention he might have by his owne power hipped Ambrase his Hierarchy by disanulling these Church-inventions and yet nâ—â— violating the divine constitutions of religion These were the fore-runners of growing Anâ—â—christ which afterwards increased more and more in Church-Rulers chiefly the Popes For in the yeare 490. Pope Anastasim durst excommunicate Anastasius the Emperour grandfather of Justinian that is debarre him from the Sacraments with Iohn Bishop of Constâ—â—â—â—ple Which censure notwithstanding that Emperour contemâ—â—ed having sent back the Popes Legates in a leaking ship on condition that they should not touch upon any part of the Greek shoare but deliver this message to the Pope That he must know the Emperâ—iâ— is to commâ—◠〈◊〉 the Pope The like censuring fact was performed by Pâ—pe Martin the first under Constantius the Emperour about the yeare 650. But the Emperour by Theodorus Calliopa commanded that Pope to bee brought to him in chaines who banished him into Pontus where he died miserably But Hildebrand or Gregory 7. out-matched all the rest in pride and boldnesse about the yeare 1080. who compelled Henry the fourth Emperour to come bare-footed through Ice and Snow in an humble manner to him that the Pope might receive satisfaction in his censuring right or else Henry had lost his Kingdome Hence then it is apparent that however this lesser Censure is brought into our Churches and permitted by the States yet it is not of divine institution but a meere humane invention which heretofore was devised upon a specious pretence but by reason of the pride and arrogancy of Church-men it hath hatched much mischiefe and will more doubtlesse if religious and wise
alwayes agreed in this that Discipline is necessary in the Church which we confesse yea we urge and shall urge so king as God will spare our life But for the manner and forme thereof it is to be left free for every Church that she may use the forme which will build up and not which may shake and overthrow thus he who in another Epistle to count Lodovic Witgensteinius thus writes Whereas you reckon Church Discipline among the outward meanes of salvation although I doe not altogether reject it yet I beseech your excellencie not to take it ill if I shall say somewhat of this matter which by many at this day is controverted and if the ambitious rigidnesse of some men be not tempered by the prudet authority of Princes they will raise greater troubles then will be easily appeased and will bring into the Church a new tyrannie as intollerable as that of the Popes We all confesse that Churches cannot subsist without Discipline and that it is altogether necessary that it bee religiously ordained and preserved But for the forme of this all men doe not agree your men place the maine point of Discipline in excluding from the Communion besides they propose a certain time for those who are excluded how long they must abstaine and that they may maintain the Discipline they say there is need of an Ecclesiastick Senate to which men of all rankes and orders yea Princes themselves must be subject But these things are of such a nature that godly and well affected men doubt much of the truth of them for it is demanded not without cruse if the Lords Supper instituted by Christ for a Symboll of Christian Society and Communion and to preserve Faith should be converted to any use not onely different but quite contrary to Christs institution so that it becomes the instrument of exclusion and dis union and the torturer of consciences Againe whether this doth not fight against Pauls rule who commands every one to prove himselfe and not to make curious scrutinies over other mens Consciences Besides whether it be not a hard an unjust case that a sinner who seriously repents and whom Christ feedes with his owne body and bloud as being doubtlesse received into favour should be driven from the Table yea prohibited that hee shall not declare the Lords death publikely with the Church whereof he is a true Member Moreover is it not like a Monster to set up two Magistrateships among the same people and a little after Hence then arise the hornes of new tyramie and by degrees ambitious Ministers will list up the crest who may easily draw the assessors to side with them when as they are the chiefest among them And that I doe not speake this without reason your excellencie will understand if you will be pleased to enquire diligently what tryals these your Ministers have already made among your people For some men notable for piety and goodnesse have been commanded by them to abstaine from the Supper who could never yet know why they were commanded this but this seemed a sufficient answer to those new Lords of other mens faith that they could not admit them with a safe conscience Must therefore a godly man abstain from the holy Communion and neglect his duty in preaching the benefit of Christs death for the conscience of a peevish and importunate Minister The Popish Bishops are more tollerable towards us who treely shew the cause why they account us Schismatics Excommunicates neither doe they hinder us from clearing our selves what shall we hope for then when they have established their Kingdome Whereas the first fruits of their Discipline for which they so much quarrell are such I think it were much fitter that Ministers containe themselues within their bounds and that they leave to Magistrates what belongs to the Discipline of life and manners I know they object that the Magistrate doth not alwayes his duty and therefore there is need of another Senate who may contain them within compasse But I deny this consequence whereas they cannot prove what they say by any example Prophericall or Apostolicall It is indeed the Ministers part to reprove the vices and corrupt manners of Princes and Judges to admonish them of their duty as the Prophets did of bad But I never yet read that they should subject them to any other Magistrate to receive punishment or excommunication because they were negligent in their office or offended by their old example It is certaine the Prophets never did any such thing Of the Apostles we need not speake for in their time there were no Christian Magistrates which was the cause of making blders in the Church that should have inspection of mens manners which ought also to be done at this day under tyrannicall Persecutors of the Faith But there is a farre different reason of our Churches who have by Gods special favour christian Princes which though they have their blemishes yet Ministers should maintain their authority and not make publike spectacles of them At last in the end of the same Epistle This I rather wish that the confusion which is brought in by some Innovators may by degrees be abolished which will bee easily done if those who are of a right moderate opinion may be suffered to live quietly and to propose their thoughts freely for others to judge And let Divines be sent away from governing the state from medling with councels of Warre matters of the court to the Pulpit and the Schooles which is their proper ground and wrestling place There is yet another Epistle of the same Gualter worth the noting in which writing to Beza he sets down these heads of the whole controversie 1. Whether the Lords Supper which hee calls the Symboll of communion a joyfull and publike thankesgiving for the benefit of redemption performed to us should serve for excommunication and so be converted to another use then what Christ hath shewed or the Apostles delivered to us 2. Whether such as repent should be for some time debarred from the use of it when they desire with the Church to declare the Lords death 3. Whether it is not sufficient for him that comes to the Lords Table to prove himselfe and to finde in himselfe a lively faith joyned with the spirit of serious contrition and repentance 4. Whether where there is a christian Magistrate there ought to be set up a Presbytery wch may have power over the public Discipline of many to remove frō the cómunion whom they think have deserved it These things I say seeme to be the chiefest which are controverted in this cause for I suppose we differ not about Infidels the enemies of christian Religion impenitēt siners whose incurable cn̄tumacy is too wel known Now of the first some not without cause doubt when they see how dangerous it hath been in all ages to abuse Gods Ordinances though with a good zeale nor can I see why out of that should
be made a tormenter of mens consciences which serves to preserve and confirme Faith and to comfort afflicted consciences and son these ends was ordained by God I hope you will bear with us patiently if in this we differ from you And a little after In the second held there is yet a greater difficulty for though we know that one should be excluded yet wee see no reason why he upon his repentance should bee longer suspended from the Communion for seeing the Lords Supper is a publike thanksgiving and belongs to the Confession of Faith we thinke it a hard case that a Christian should be forbidden to doe that which in it selfe is just holy and a Christians chiefe duty you rely upon that place Matth. 18. of which much may be said but for brevities sake I forbeare But let us yeeld that such an excommunication is there commanded yet by that place can be meant no longer time then till he confesse his repentance and acknowledging his fault desire reconciliation with the Church For he that said Let him be to thee as a Publican and Heathen the same commands us to forgive our offending brother seventy times seven times by which precept there the Church is bound I hope you will not deny for there also you will say Excommunication is handled For why should the Church which consists only of Christians be more rigid in punishing of offences then becomes private men Or by what reason shall she call him a stranger from the Lords Family whom the Lord himselfe of the Family hath received into grace We would faine see some example to prove that God will not presently receive converted Penitents Did not that prodigall sonne publikely offend against his Father his elder Brother the whole Family yea against heaven it selfe Did not he give scandall both at home abroad yet upon his repentance and confession of his sinne his Father presently pardons him restores him to his former dignity honours him being restored with the ring of reconciliation and for him will have that fat Calfe killled that hee might feast and rejoyce with his whole Family Why then should we debarany longer from that joyfull and saving feast of the Church those that make the same confeshon with her why then should we exact new satisfactions But there is danger you 'l say least they counterfeit repentance I confesse it But shall we avoid this danger if whole yeares they be kept off from the Communion Truly no length of time will reclaime a wicked Hypocrite Neither let us feare to be deceived whilest we imitate God the Fathers Gentlenesse If Hypocrites deceive us it s to their own danger they will to themselves eate and drinke damnation we shall be blamelesse But I beseech you Brother may not we our selves bee deceived and in our rash zeale exclude him from the Supper who being truly converted Christ feedes with his owne body and bloud How unfitting is it to cast him into a new sorrow whom the Sonne of God will have to rejoyce in him How shall we excuse that rigidnesse in rejecting him whom the Lord receiveth into his armes Here surely we may fear lest wee be found companions of that naughty servant who having obtained mercy of his Master used his fellow servant hardly c. And shortly after what you write concerning setting up of Presbyteries in Churches we will easily admit where there is no Christian Magistrate For some there must be by whose authority they may be contained in their duty who are apt to offend lest Religion bee exposed to scorn among strangers But under Christian Princes this care will bee fitter and safer committed to them who sit at the sterne of Government And I know not how safe it may be to create a new Magistrateship for many inconveniences may follow which are tedious now to renearse But this I cannot dissemble in the Palatinate the greatest scandals fell out by the fault of the Elders erected there And who I pray will endure such censures hereafter who suffered the Sicilian an impure Sodomite and a most pestiferous calumniator to escape unpunished that hee might not be drawne before the lawfull Judges For they thought it fit to proceede slowly that they might be the Judges of that mâ—tter Upon this reason an Italian one well knowne to you and a good man excused them when I objected this example to him Now what is it to claime the Magistrates office to themselves iâ— this be not Mans ambition truly is unsatiable and few are found who grow not insolent upon any power committed to them And if we will look upon ancient stories we shall finde that the greatest and most dangerous scandals of the Church proceeded from the Bishops and other Ministers which wee may now see in Germany among the Lutheran superintendants who think they may do any thing being armed with too much power but what shal we hope of them who in Heydelberg plead this cause This one boldnesse doth suffâ—ciently admonish us by which they accuse all men of Atheisme that will not subscribe to their opinion and indeed such men as excell in faith doctrine and holinesse of life If then we feare least a new tyrannie be set up in the Church upon these principles who will say our fear is without cause But as I wrote else-where wee will not hinder them to enjoy their own meaning who thinke they can profitably use this forme of Discipline We only tell them this that they must not goe about to put or to thrust the same shooe upon every mans foot and for a point yet in controversie and whose forme cannot bee every where the same pull the Churches asunder and by making new controversies make themselves ridiculous to the common-enemy To this purpose serves that which Bullinger wrote in a certain Epistle to Peter Dathenus where amongst many other passages he writes thus What we think and what we have ever thought of Churches discipline you cannot be ignorant whereas we have briefly touched it in that confession of the Helvetian Churches but lately published wee never taught that there should bee no Church Discipline at all which we confesse to be needful Concerning the manner and way of this Discipline all men are not nor have not been of the same opinion Our Church never mingled Christs mysticall Supper with Church-Discipline neither hath she been for ought I know therefore accused of impiety by any one neither had we ever a Presbytery or any such Ecclesiastick Senate which examined Communicants or admitted to the Communion or excluded from it sinners those I mean who by their comming to the Supper after serious and grave admonitions do as it were promise amendment of life and desire to give thankes with all their hearts for their redemption We think that wicked men and such as offend the Church should be curbed some other way and amended For we suppose and believe that the Lords supper was instituted by him not to be a Fan
or Jewish children For the question is still the same to wit if dead animal things used by the Jewes in their worship are to bee rejected by Christians in their divine service why doth hee onely remove Organs It is to be feared that if such another Night-bird grow as Apolonius that not onely Organs shall be taken away but Books also Tables Pulpits Deskes Garments and other things So that this Walachrian pratler will bee forced not onely to weary himselfe in standing but also immodestly to wander up and down naked This petty Law-giver then is too imperious against Magistrates who dares break in upon their right so rashly and Magisterially declare these things unlawfull which God hath not condemned but hath left free to Christians Besides the Harmony of Organs is usefull to hinder the confusion that many times is in singing The Magistrate indeed makes use of skilfull finging-men to regulate the tunes of the Psalmes but we find by experience that these are not sufficient to hinder the undecent confusion in singing Now if the Harmony of Organs be a decent help against this seandall who will not see that this Walachrian is a railing fellow who so injuriously rageth against Magistrates about an order not prohibited but of long continuance and profit Surely he that will but indifferently think that when there was no publick worship David did drive away the evill spirit from Saul by his musick On the contrary that Micha the Prophet stirred up the good spirit in himselfe He will confesse with me that Christian Minds may be cheered and modestly excited in divine worship as well by the musick of Organs as of voyces So then by this example we may see what wil be the end and effects of this holy and free legislative Church-power for which the Stilt-walker in Walachria doth so much contend to wit that some spirituall Night-bird out of idlenesse and his itching pride may whilst he is farting in his study conceive the creame of some new spirituality and then in his superlatively sacred Consistorial Affembly by the Cockes egge of contention to which presently the Classick Toads crawle together that by cherishing and sitting upon this egge at last the new Basilisk of Errour and dominiering may be hatched Such was the proceeding of this new Apolonian Monster daily such kind of Chickens will increase If all such kind of Vermin be not choked within their Consistoâ—all shell by a plenipotentiary presence before that by their breath and hissing they infect the aire all abroad to the destrnction of all that shall heare or see them The summe of all is this that now there is no speciall or any mysticall priviledge of sanctity in making Church-lawes and statutes from which pious Magistrates are to bee kept off For either these are ordinances of things necessary for salvation and divine worship all which are contained in Scripture and are the ancient Lawes of God not of their modern Church but who will say that it is unlawfull for godly Magistrates to make dicrees and command men to observe Christs Lawes Truly if wicked Magistrates would make such Lawes and enjoyn Curistians to keep the pure commands of Christ they should not be sacrilegious but most worthy of praise Or else the lawes which they make are of things indifferent which concerne the order and decency of the Church But because he confesseth himselfe these things to be free and no way binding the conscience whence I pray proceeds so great a holinesse in ordering things not properly holy but free Or as it often useth to be lawes are made of things faigned false and unusefull as we may see among Papists but these make the law-givers prophane not holy I might now seeme to have put a Bit in the mouth of this huge Beast of Walachrian-Popish-legislative-power but that there remaines yet a halter concerning the facred right of Dependency For the Walachrian Papist is so fruitfull in hatching new sanctities that just like a Potter he makes of the same clay first a Censeriall Platter and then a Legislative Chamber-pot that now nothing is more easie then whilst the wheele is turning there may be framed a cover fit for such a pot to wit the holinesse of Dependency for because it is the charge of Church-men to have care of her and so remove scandals from her Hence is begot among them the power of censuring then of making Lawes according to the spirituall and holy pleasure of the Walachrians Now Church-ordinances cannot be made cursorily in the Market-place Spargere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or streets for this were to shit as dogges do when they are running but there is need of preparation that this high spirituality might be uttered in Consistories Classes and Synods whence among Papists ariseth the sacred right of dependence However I confesse that there is some use of Ecclesiastik meetings yet this I l'e say that these are meere devices which the Walachrian Prates of their precise sanctity for hitherto it is not known by any example or command of Christ that it is a matter of such necessity and sanctity for making up of a Church that there should be meetings in Consistories Classes and Synods as if the Magistate must therfore be called sacrilegious if either hee hinder or joyne with them according to his authority for whilst they keep no moderation in these meetings but ascribe too much power to them they make a Pope of the Church or else run in infiâ—â—iâ—m which I thus demonstrate If a brother saith Christ wrong his brother Mat. 18. the matter must be composed between themselves if that cannot be two others must be imployed if they can do no good they must tell the Church and here Christ stays That is a great argument for Independents in that Christ goeth no higher then a partieular Church Oftentimes experience teacheth us that coÌ„troversies are thus better taken up then in Classes Synods because there they are better known in all their circumstances clearer from affections But the old new Papists wil none of this for so they should want much of their sanctities whence they pleasantly talk by way of comparisons If the Church that is the Consistory should erre then say they accoording to Christs command two or three Churches must be imployed and they wil make a Classis Here is a goodly increase for two or three brothers to be enlarged into two or three Churches This is the Popish increase who of one Peter the chiefe Pastor of the Church have made innumerable successors Popes and Peters as it were But if it should happen that the Classis should erre here the increase multiplies for then two or three Classes must be imployed which makes a Provinciall Synod and if this Synod also should erre then the Synods of divers Provinces must be assembled which make up a general Councel of that Kingdome or State But if this also erre then the Councels of divers Nations must be assembled
are subject to the Consistorial and these to the Classick Prophets the Classick to the Synodal in infinitum and so a greater Prophet must command the lesser subject to him These are the Enthymems of old Papists with which the Stilt-walker doth exactly correspond for polishing the right of his Dependency I answer that he makes a Mountain of a Mole-hill who wil wrest all this out of Pauls words for this is not his meaning that the fewer Prophets should alway subscribe to the vote of the greater number this were a rotten paradox which brought in Antichrist because we find many times that the opinion of one lay-man hath been sounder then of many Clergy-men Neither wil this follow out of Pauls words that the Prophets of lesser authority should be alwayes subject and obedient to those of greater authority This were true indeed if there were present one that were divinely inspired he truly were to be preferred before a thousand others and all others not divinely inspired were to submit to him But whereas divine inspiration is ceased no such superiority or preheminence must be placed in any one to which absolutely other Prophets must be subject For howsoever the Stilt-walker prates with the Papists of the abundant assistance of the spirit which lay-men ought to hope are in their Leaders and Pastors when they meet together in the Consistory Classis or Synod that so hee may procure to himselfe blind obedience yet this is certain that there is no such promise extant which shall continue for ever And all ages teach us that oftentimes dangerous aad most hurtful poyson hath proceeded from them that excell in number and authority as may be seen in the rising and progresse of Antichristianisme So that doubtlesse there is another meaning of Pauls words then this Popish one For he speakes of the government of the Church of his time In 1 Cor. 14 32 c. which was farre different from that which is now as Aretius notes At this day the Minister alone doth all and takes upon him whatsoever is judiciall that hee alone may preach with authority as for other Church Prophets they like women must hold their peace in the congregation neither doe they doubt but he shall be severely punished in Walachria who though a Prophet should take upon him either privatly or publickly to reprove Apelonius for his errours and lies though he deserve it if he were not curbed by the Magistrate So that the whole marrow of modern Dependency chiefly of the Walachrian obttude upon Christians every one of which is now a Prophet what they please and if perhaps hee shall be found in an errour then to betake himself to the Consistorials such Prophets as himself then to the Classiairies as we see in this work at last to Synods of all which if the greater part should be mad with the Stilt-walker all other Prophets must be forced whether it be right or wrong to submit to these mad men It was farre otherwise among the Apostles as Paul intimates in this place every one performed his own part some did speake with tongues others did interpret others did rule the Church as Governours and Captaines others gave almes Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 12. not onely of the Church goods but of their own also some did give comfort others healed the sick others did prophesie neither was this done sparingly or by a few so that not one did take upon him the Office of preaching by authority as the Walachrian would have it but many had the gift of prophesie for God then did so abundantly powre out his Spirit that oftentimes in the congregation they might see one suddenly inspired by God and furnished with the gift of prophesie who before sate among the common sort Yet because Paul was furnished with all spiritual gifts excelling all others in Apostolical dignity lest the Church should imploy too many Prophets without order he prescribes these lawes that by turn every one should utter his prophesies and revelations whilst others hold their peace And left the people should be wearied with too long exercise that they should not prophesie above three at a time lastly that they doe not give themselves to strife and quarrelling For they prophesied by the inspiration of the holy Ghost alone they should never utter contrariety though they spake divers things and in a different way and degree of revelation as might be seen in the Prophets of old an example of this is recorded by Josephus in two famous Prophets Ezekiel and Ieremiah this prophesied at Ierusalem under Zedekiah that King Zedekiah should be carried captive into Babylon the other being captive in Babylon foretold that Ierusalem should be taken and that Zedekiah should not see the King of Babylon These two prophesies did seem to be contradictory but yet by experience both were found true for Zedekiah came captive to Babylm as Ieremie prophesied and yet did not see it as Ezekiel-foretold because the King of Babel had put out his eyes before he was carried away So it fell out among the Apostles that though they preacheddivers things and in a divers way yet they all uttered the same thing Thus then it was alwayes true what the Apostle here saith The spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets so long as they met together being inspired by the holy Ghost For it is impossible that they should not agree among themselves but as soon as the false Apostles did mingle themselves with those who were divinely inspired and when with them began to quarrel Alexander the Copper-Smith Hymeneus Diotrephes speaking evil words then it was no wonder if dissentions did arise among them and that the spirit of the true Prophets did never submit themselves to false Prophets If these things fall out then when men divinely inspired were present how much more intollerable is it that some Walachrian babling fellows should at this day meet together and think that by right of dependency the spirits of all men must be subject to them There be some that expound Pauls words thus The spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets that is to the writings of the Prophets or the Scripture so that the meaning is all the spirits and sayings of the Prophets are to be examined according to the Scripture as the analogy of faith which interpretation is true indeed but makes nothing for the Walachrian independency which goeth about to set up Popish Hierarchy to wiâ— that whatsoever the Treverian Rat dreams the Consistorial Rattle-mouse must approve and what is liking to them must bee received by the Classick Owle by whose consent it will finely fall out that the spirit of the Prophets bee subject to those Prophets that is the Apolonian Prophets must meet in Consistories Classes and Synods as often as they please that there they may perhaps compound old quarrels and beget new ones or at least spend victuals For the perswading of the holinesse of dependency they ascribe much
of Iustin Athenagoras Tertullian c. that nothing hath been more hurtfull to the Churches then that they were forced in times of persecution to exercise their worship privately and in vanite under ground for from thence were raised divers calumnies as that their wives were common amongst them in the darke that they had Thyestean suppers and did feast one with another upon a childs flesh whom they killed which seems to have arisen from misunderstanding the supper For cleering themselves from these crimes they found no better remedy then by publishing all the parts of their Church-businesse and therefore invited Princes themselves to be eye-witnesses of them The precise superstition of concealing and separating Church-businesse was the seed of Antichrist which by a fatall progresse at last exalted that Romish Out-law above all that are called gods 2 Thes 2. and Monarchs of the world which pride because the Walachrian doth admire and follow he thinks to walk in the same high Chapins but he is faine to fall to childrens stilts yet because he brabbles so much of his spirituality which we see is not to be found in the object that is in the Church-businesse it selfe I will go on to inquire whether there is any right of speciall sanctity in the Agents themselves that is in the Church-men For however Apollonius seeks for the lurking holes of sanctity in the object and businesse of the Church yet every where he stayes in the vocation and priviledges with which Church-Governours being adorned excell in sanctity all Christians whether private Lay men or Magistrates so that now we must inquire what prerogative of â—â—â—ctity there is in Church-Governours for performance after any singular manner these Church-functions which he believes ariseth from the dignity of moderne vocation this he presenting to all Magistrates as Minerva's target goeth about to turn them into stones that they may not see what the matter is whence it may be needfull to trie De vocatione what mysteries of holy Church spirituality lurketh in moderne vocation There is nothing that God recommends so much to men as Religion and his Worship which not onely hath he revealed to them but also prescribed and hath ordered that at all times there should be some which should preserve it and instruct men in it so that God in Paradise did not disdaine to be the first Preacher himselfe after this he raised up many at all times whom he imployed as his Ambassadors whom he adorned with so many badges of his Embassie that every one who was not wilfully blinde might see that these were truly Gods Vicaâ— Extraordinaria whose words were no lesse to be obeyed then if God himselfe had spoken from heaven Among these excelled the Prophets and Apostles whom he exalted with extraordinary gifts above humane condition and after a wonderfull manner sent them abroad to preach I confesse that some things were ordinary amongst them when they were exercised in the Schooles of Samuel Esaiah Eliah and other Prophets the children of the Prophets for this function but in Amos and others GOD had oftentimes rejected all ordinary means and whensoever he sent abroad these ordinary men for this work he furnished them with so much power of his spirit that in the gifts of infallibility and miracles they were to be admired and feared of all the world for though wicked men would or might have doubted of their divine vocation yet by their effects and manner of preaching they could easily be convinced to confesse that which â—â—â—bornly these men dissembled so that hence Paul raiseth this generall Maxime How can they preach except they be sent Not as if he meant Rom. 16. that all those were sent by God as his Legats who could preach for this had been a starting-hole for innumerable Cheaters neither was this his meaning that no man though never so fit and furnished with Gods Spirit should be permitted to preach untill he were confirmed by the outward pomp of vocation as at this day the old and new Papists foolishly practise but that Christians might thence firmly gather that there was a true and divine vocation where there was a true divine inspiration and miraculous preaching such as the Apostles wondred was in many places among the Gentiles and the Jewes did not a little storm at This was an extraordinary vocation so divine and powerfull that such as God had chosen for this function were more then men and as it were the Gods of the world yet God did not binde himselfe to such a Law that all whom he designed for his worship should be still called extraordinarily and thus gifted whence it came to passe that the Apostles did accustome Christians to the ordinary way of calling least when this extraordinary manner of calling did faile there should want good Ministers and consequently Preaching and divine Worship or least for want of order wicked men should creep into the Ministery and so confusion should grow in the Church Ordinaria Hence were begot those ordinary rules of calling by which care was taken that none but fit men were admitted into Ecclesiastick Functions and all occasions of precedency or dominion were cut off against which mischief the chief and first builders of the Church could find no better remedy then that Ministers should be called by the consent and approbation of the whole Church in which we see the Apostles wonderfull moderation and spirituall modesty for such was their dignity in the Church and exuberance of all spirituall gifts that they could easily by reason of their authority and infallible judgement appoint and send abroad Governours to whom people might have safely submitted themselves without the suffrages of the inferiour sort and such as were not divinely inspired but yet because they had the spirit of modesty they took not upon them this prerogative nor did they account that vocation ratified except it had been performed by imposition of hands votes lots fastings prayers and by the concourse and consent of all the members of the Church This is so pregnant an example of modesty popular government in that most happy age of the Church Act. 1. Act. 6. part 1. p. 159. that Apollonius and his Bucer were troubled at it That the Apostles gave too much power to the people because of the Churches infancy But they smell too much of Popery who make that the infancy of the Church which was her manhood and greatest strength And this was the more to be admired when the complement and confirmation of callings was performed by imposition of hands this custome being borrowed from the ancient Jewes For though Elders and perhaps all could promiscuously lay on hands yet it was known that then great vertues did arise from the imposition of the Apostles hands which vertues were presently seen in him on whom their hands were laid For on them Christ had powred out such a plentifull measure of his Spirit that their garments handkerchiefs yea the
will have the younger sort to be subject to the Elders but presently adds that they should all submit themselves to one another and to be humble so that I must oftentimes say the Apostles were such Shepheards who were content to be uppermost and lowermost to rule and to be ruled but Papists are such who think it blasphemy and Simony if in Church-matters they be subject to any except to Christ alone immediately The title of Housholder is almost of the same authority 6. Oâ—conemi 1 Cor. 4.1.2 Mat. 24. Part. 1. p. 354. by which the Stilt-walker every where brags and denies that he is subject to the Magistrate for he saith That Ecclesiastick and Pastorall causes are to be judged onely by Ecclesiastick Authority and that it is absurd they should be judged by Civill Power For though he confesse that in some cases Church-men may be subject to the judgement of the Magistrate yet he thinks this is onely extraordinary and when the Clergie will not be reformed and that then the matter must bee judged not by the Magistrates but by Church-men alone as being Masters of the Familie This Divinity he had from Bellarmine who saith that the Pope is the generall Master of the Church-Family Mat. 24.48 who therefore obeys none but commâ—nds all and that by right of this Oeconomie hee is subject neither to Magistrates not to a Generall Councell which the Jesuite finely gathers out of the parable of the housholder for saith Christ if that servant shall begin to drinke and to beat his fellow-servants the lord of that servant will come to which Bellarmine Heare you not who is the Popes judge He faith not he shall be judged by a Councell but his lord will come therefore he is left to be judged by Christ It 's no wonder that the Jesustes do delude Christians with such old-wives fables for they know that the Popes strength now consists not in perswasion but in coaction it 's more to be wondered at that such a â—â—ght-bird should creep out of the Walachrian Classis who being destitute of all secular power dare utter such like yea greater fooleries for the Pootifician fopperies end in Monarchie but the Walachrien in confusion and anarchie For if by the right of Ecclesiastick â—economie no Preacher is subject to the Magistrates judgement but that he depends immediately from Christ It will follow also that he is not subordinate to the Exclesinstick except their immediate dependency from Christ be broken The Stilt-walker will say that this oeconomicall right is not broken by Ecclesiastick subjection 1 Cor. 14. for then the spirit of the Prophets iâ— subject to the Prophets all which depend immediately from Christ which is not repugnant to oeconomicall liberty This faction I have elswhere touched and I will more fully hereafter refell it I ask now whether the Pastor or Housholder of a particular Church who makes such a decree which the housholders of the same or of another Church say is unjust and therefore abrogate it be delivered by authority or not If he say I then he resists the light of nature which teacheth that that hath not absolute authority which may be abrogated by another Judge If he say No then he is forced to confesse that those Housholders of God such as these Walachrians boast themselves to be have no absolute right because by the right of dependency as I said before the Consistory can judge the Brethren the Classis the Consistory and the Synod the Classes and so in infinitum Surely if Paul meanes by these words the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets that we should alwayes rest in the greater number of suffrages as in a truth defined by such Housholders as are at this day then Christians will be forced against science and conscience oftentimes to submit to it which is both false and unjust for how often doth this fall out which Calvin complaines of the Councell of Trent namely that a hundred horned Asses may agree by their votes in a falshood if ninety nine on the other side stand for the truth that greater number must decide I warrant you a matter of such weight Neither should they except here that they were false Bishops and that it is otherwise in those that are pious and reformed For even among such there will be found no certainty except they be all divinely inspired and infallible as under the Apostles or one at least which the Jesuites but falsly say is the Pope and so in this they end all controversies But the Walachrian Juglers because they dare not assever this they must necessarily run round so that they as Masters of the Family must and must not still be believed For however they may perswade unwarie people that their commands are authoritative and unblameable and that therefore they must be obeyed yet if by learned men they be brought to the scales or touchstone they will be forced to confesse that in many things they fall foule and deceive others which we may even see in these patched peeces of the Stilt-walker which not onely this proud Housholder of Christ vents abroad for Oracles but he hath taken for his defence the whole company of Classiaries whom the reader may see have assented to lies blasphemies and toyes It is most sure that now neither in the Church nor in the whole world are there any such Pastors or Housholders to whom she can or should be absolutely subject but the judgement of this remaines in the examination of every one according to the ballance of Gods Word alone I know that a great many Christians are in this point either out of carelesnesse or out of superstition very supine to believe their Preacher in many things with an implicit faith but this supine carelesnesse costs the losse of innumerable soules so that these authoritative and domineering Housholders are to blame who hunt after honour out of Christians blind obedience If the VValachrian Papists had considered with what restriction that elect vessell Paul had given to himselfe the title of Housholder 1 Cor. 4.1.2 the Stilt-walker had not so often to patronize his pride alledged this title for Paul also in that place useth the title of Minister or Servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rowe so that he makes himselfe an inferiour rower But how absurd were it for one to brag that he is a rower or boat-man appointed by the King to sit and rowe in the lower seat The Apostles that were divine Mariners in Christs ship were not ashamed to confesse this of themselves although they were Housholders by an incommunicable prerogative yet they were very farre from pride because they confessed that they would rowe and sit in the lower seat The name Father also containes honor and authority but not always command paternall right is most properly in naturall fathers for it is absolute and indissoluble bâ— similitude it is given to many
then they should though some of the wiser sort smell that these are meere Impostors of which they brâ—gge yet by this their often bragging it comes to passe that the people casting aside all care of salvation in their supine negligence commis the most precious treasure of their soules and of life eternall to blind guides whom the blind people following innumerable souls must needs fall into the pit of destruction The Stilt-walker stretcheth out every where the same way he is not content to receive honour for his well-doing and to be accounted the faithfull man he shews himself to be which Paul speaks of true housholders but though he perceive his own giddines and every one sees his childishnesse yet by the force of his vocation or as the old Papists say by the character he ascribes to himself every where a right to do and teach in the Church by authority and power which he and his followers brag of for no other end but to induce the people to blind obedience to subscribe all that he shall say and command Which if he obtain it will not only come to passe that they shall rest in his authoritative lies and deceits with which his mingle-mangle is filled but also if I be not deceived in the mans nature scarce will that Church continue 14 dayes together in one theologicall opinion For because he prides himself in this that like a bee he flies through all meadows but wanting the true sting of Judgement it must needs be with him as with the changeable Camelion on what tree or plant soever he sits he puts on the shape and colour thereof whence he must daily produce new dreams all which if his sheep and sons are bound to receive by his commanding and authoritative power surely a giddy progenie must arise of such a giddy father and a family fit to be sent to Bedlem Howsoever he may fasten upon ignorant people his fictions Naviget Antyceras yet we here in Frisia cannot believe that he shall so far blind the Magistrates and Governours of Middleburge as not to see his potestative and authoritative frauds and knaveries for the name of Middleburge-Governours is famous here and in other Provinces even in this regard in that by their Mariners they so brake the strength of the terrible name of Dunkirk-Pirats in one year that this one City did shew they might be extinguished whom we thought had been unconquerable And chiefly in that they being troubled with the malice and treachery of strangers on all sides by their happy wisdome have overcome all impediments to the liberty and benefit of the State shewing invincible courage among so many difficulties deserving to sit in the Conncel at the Hague for the common defence of their country so that the Deputies of our Province have long confessed that they seldome repented to have subscribed to the judgement of that City for though at present their advise may seem somewhat hard yet time hath made it appeare that their counsels have oftentimes proved most just and wholsome But I wonder that a City of such constant prudence doth suffer so long such a Viper as as we see by his writings to lurk in their bosome which is still labouring to cast out amongst them the poyson of dissention and to trouble them either with Ecclesiastick or Politick hissing that he might shake and overthrow the foundations of that Government The famous State of Amsterdam was brought once into such a hazard by such a Wasp as this but the Senate by their authority thrust him out of their hive and so restored peace to the Church and State The Walachrian Metropolis shews an example of rare moderation which having got among them a more troublesome Drone have hitherto used no severity but suffer him to grow dull in his own humming so that we have great hopes the Church there shall never be infested with this New Popery for she having such famous Patrons and Nursing-fathers will easily escape the plots of such turbulent fellows as these Walachrians are lest new Popery creep first out of that corner of our confederate Common-wealth where the Popes tyrannical dominion was driven out first I have hitherto done what I can to hinder it and in this last Chapter will proceed to stop the progresse of it CHAP. VII Of the Magistrates duty in Church-businesse WE have hitherto seen the Stilt-walkers eloquence in extolling their modern Ecclesiastick businesses which is done by them who in Walachria are called Church-men and Spirituall as among the Papists Clergy-men And we have shewed that there is not in all their Church-discipline any thing sacred particularly or specially as to keep off Christians by any right of sanctity from exercising them if they be furnished with gifts fit for them And that there is now no manner of inauguration by speciall Divine right for any man to exercise alone these Affairs authoritavely or potestatively as he speaks For Vocation Election and Consecration by Imposition of hands at this day are meerly humane and corrupted means in which we see by experience there is no Spirituall efficacie for they are performed by Simony fraud and wicked wayes that seldome is the fittest man chosen but commonly such as promises bribes and favour promoteth Imposition also of hands retaining the forme but not the force of the ancient institution is not found to conferre any Spirituall gifts only we find that such as have obtained the pomp of external Vocation are puffed up with Apollonian and Papistical pride as if they were filled with new and infused sanctity that is As soon as young Fellows are freed from the lash of the Schoolmasters rod having got Ordination and the priviledge of Ecclesiastick character within three dayes after they think themselves more spirituall then all the Magistrates and common Members of the Church But if they want the knowledge of Tongues Sciences and good Arts they are not found by Imposition of hands to be made more learned Yet if any before his Vocation be a Trifler Cheater Drunkard or wine-bibber it seldome falls out that afterward he leaves these vices but only hides them warily lest he lose his Ministerial stipend A fit example we see in this Walachrian Papist who long hath bragged of the right of his Church-calling and yet hath not forgot to lie cheat and blaspheme the Magistrates I know that in the Apostles time the matter was otherwise because of the plenty of spirituall gifts but now such is the Churches poverty by reason of mens corruptions and Gods just judgements that having lost that true and pure grain with which at first Christians were fed we are at this day reduced to husks of the dispensing of which this Walachrian Night-bird doth now brag much more then they did of their pure corne he deserves the title rather of a swineherd then of a shopherd and fitter for a hogs-sty then for a sheeps-coat He truly that will seriously weigh the matter shall confesse with me
Magistrates cannot rule the Church This argument also is made up of divers lies for it is false that the Civill Government is alwayes Monarchicall the Government of our Country is Aristocraticall such also is that of the Venetians Helvetians and others another lye is that the Church-Government is alwayes Aristocraticall because under Heli Samuel Macchabees and others it was Monarchicall yea in the New Testament it was not still Aristocratical but oftentimes Monarchicall For I ask when Christ lived upon the earth and ruled the Church whether the Church-government was not then Monarchicall Doubtlesse it was if ever it was Again when Paul alone was at Antioch and in Syria was not then the government of that Church Monarchicall For who was to be compared with so great an Apostle Lastly when John the Apostle was alone in the world for he lived longest had not then the Church on earth a notable Monarch Surely if such a Doctor at this day could be found in the world he should be as it were the Monarch of the Church and worthy to whom the whole Christian world should rise and give honour Whence the Pope makes no bad consequence in calling himself the head and Monarch of the whole Church and not Kings and Princes because they rise and give honour to him if it be true what he brags that hee is Peters successor and endowed with the gifts of infallibility as well as Peter But because experience teacheth that he wants all Peters gifts chiefly that of infallibility and on the contrary to be nothing els but a monster and load of all vices hence it is that he is a meere Impostor and a mocker of Christianity and Princes are miserably deluded in yeelding so much to so unworthy and wicked a man All then that the Stilt-walker babbles for Oracles are meere lies But this I will add that though Christ and his Apostles were by right Monarchs of the Church yet they still ruled the Church with that moderation that their government seemed rather Aristocraticall then monarchicall so that hence it appeares there is no necessity that he should alwayes rule monarchically who hath the right of Monarchie for he may use it aristocratically If this be true of Ecclesiasticks why should it not also hold in civill Princes that though they be Monarchs yet they may handle Church-matters in an Aristocraticall way as oftentimes Kings do And so the Kingdome of the Church shall not be monarchicall though a Monarch live in it ruling Aristocratically He ascribes much strength to this Ram which he is still shewing as if it had exceeding great Hornes whereas indeed it is a horn-lesse calfe The power formally Ecclesiastick depends immediately from Christ the Mediator the Churches husband who gave Apostles Prophets Teachers par 1. p. 37. and Pastors to his Church but not Magistrates Ephes 4. And hath placed this power in the Church Mat. 18. But Magistrates are not the Church whence he gathers that the Magistrates office is neither requisite nor belonging to the Church and consequently that it appertaineth no wayes to them to use the Churches power He parted this one Argument into divers I have gathered his fooleries together in one bundle that I may fling them downe together First wee must note that this is an old and oftentimes refuted device of his in perswading us that Ecclesiastick power hath for its author Christ the Mediator and Spouse of his Church but not the Civill Power I have shewed before and now will more at large demonstrate that this is a most notorious lye His principall Argument is par 1. p 37 that while Christ lived on the earth he did all Church functions either by himselfe or by his Apostles but did not meddle with the Magistrates office but refused it and prohibited it to his Apostles whence Anabaptist-like he concludes that Magistracie hath neither Christ for its Author not belongs to the Church all which are a meere heape of lyes For first I aske whence learned he that no Function is required for the Church till the end of the world but what Christ must discharge either by himselfe or by his Disciples living upon the earth The Scripture saith no such thing but is the meere fiction of Apollonius otherwise let him tell me when did Christ or his Apostles performe the Precentors part in the Church because Martyr doubts whether in the Apostolicall Church there was any use of publique singing which wee borrowed at best from the Jewish Church many offices ceased in the Churches upon the Apostles departure to supply which Necessity hath gathered together many things mans industry hath found out without any sin or blemish if Antichrist had not corrupted all with multitudes His other lye is that Christ and his Apostles did not here discharge the Magistrates office that Fiction I have already refelled for they used a co-active externall power equivalent to the sword Christ with a whip purged the Temple Mat. 21. John 8. he suffered the judgement concerning the Adulteresse to be referred to him with his word he cast to the ground the Souldiers that came to apprehend him and chiefly when on the day of Palms sitting upon an Asse he rid to Jerusalem in a Princely but humble pompe suffering the acclamations of the People and their garments to be spread in his way Mat. 21. as if he had been a King which is so manifest that Mathew adds Zacharies Prophesie to be fulfilled Behold thy King cometh to thee meeke c. So the Apostles inflicted in the Church corporall punishments as death blindnes c. All which evince that however they despised and avoided the pride and earthly pompe of Civill government yet the office it selfe they discharged in the Church when necessity required But saith he Christ being exalted gave to the Church gifts and offices necessary for it among which the office of the Magistrate is not mentioned whence he concludes that this is not requisite fore difying of the Church I answer among these offices mention is made of Governours 1 Cor. 12. and of Rulers Rom. 12. which Calvin and Aretius on those places shew to have been censures of life and manners supplying the Magistrates office Lastly suppose that in those places no mention is made of Magistracie did he therefore not ordain it Yea Peter did plainly institute this and chiefly Paul Rom. 13. and 1 Tim. 2. as I have at large shewed before neither needs he tell us that Christ himselfe gave these offices by himselfe but Magistracie he commended onely by the Apostles this is but a frivolous cavill for he sent the Apostles onely immediately then the Apostles instituted the other functions and after them Timothy Titus and others whence it appeares that Christ the Mediator being exalted is no lesse the author of Magistracy then of Church offices because that by a most famous Elogy of the same Apostle is ratifyed in the name and authority of Christ exalted by whose government alone
now all things in heaven earth and under the earth are ordained and ruled as I have often shewed He objects that these offices and gifts were given to the Church but not Magistracy I answer that these were given indeed to the Church or in the Church as it is said 1 Cor. 12. but Ephes 4. the Apostle sayth that they were given to men using a generall word so Paul gave and instituted to the whole world the office of Magistracy but under them also to the Church because he makes him to have the charge of every soul except he will say that Churchmen want foules whence it followes that Paul hath also subjected the Church to the Civill powers so that she must be by them defended in good things and punished in evill What wise man then will deny that Christ hath instituted Magistracy and hath not given it to the Church when as he by Paul hath ordained the Magistrate for his alone Legat upon earth to whom alone he will have all soules be subject and therefore Ecclesiasticks also and that for conscience sake by whose sword and authority he will have the Church defended in good things all these are so cleare in this place of Paul and in other Scriptures that by no meanes can they be darkened I know this Divinity doth not please the Stilt-walker who is possessed with papisticall furie that the Magistrates office is not Ecclesiasticall that is necessary for the edification and conservation of the Church yet he rather placeth this office without the Church not within or in it par 1. p. 24. because that phrase is too ambiguous to him and repugnant to Divine right and therefore placeth the Magistrates office onely about the Church or Churchmen so that he speakes no other wayes of Magistrates then Heccius and other Cornuted Asses of Luther who comming to the Conference at Wormes was not presently admitted into the full Assembly where the whole Quire was of holy Church-men but was lead first apart into a private closet which these Cornuted Beasts said was well done and according to Scripture for it is written Without shall be Dogs and Witches Not much more reverently doth this Walachrian prate of godly Magistrates whom every where he fasteneth to the cares of this world as carnall men but elevates the Church and Churchmen above the world even to the Skies but these are meere chimera's the Scripture on the other side doth so extoll Magistracy as a thing perpetuall in the Church and so necessary that it cannot be parted from her and without this shee cannot subsist but must wither no otherwise then corne that wants earth as Calvin speaketh which I will shew hereafter more at large He prates every where that the Church under the Apostles and at other times wanted the civill Magistrate but these are Lyes which I have already refuted and will hereafter refute more and if this impossibility should fall out that the Church were totally destitute of civill government yet it should not cease to be an office in the Church and as it were a part necessary for the constitution thereof for as a body that hath lost a foote remaines yet without that foote but lame being destitute of a necessary part so the Church may consist without Magistracy but not long and that with much difficulty for presently there would arise Anarchy and every one would do as he listed which because Apollonius doth what he can to bring into his City under hope of a new Popery hence arise so many railing devises by which he endeavours to hisse out the Magistrates as meere worldly men that they must not meddle with Church-businesse how ever the matter be because the Church hath often wanted godly Teachers Sacraments and other things requisite for her I might also as well inferre that these belong not to the Church but are accidents circumjacent which were most absurd to the Stilt-walker Perhaps he will object if this were true then Christ had made the Churches power imperfect and lame which must depend from an outward civill power but this is repugnant with Mat. 18. tell the Church where he hath furnished her with full power I answer That all these are Jesuiticall fictions which they have devised for their Hierarchy and which he hath borrowed from them for first I deny when Christ said tell the Church that he understood by these words as if he had armed Church-men being discriminated from Lay-men with full power of exercising Government among themselves excluding the Magistrate For I said before that by the word Church is understood in Scripture any kind of meeting whether meerly Ecclesiastick or Ecclesiastick and Civill yea any tumultnary Assembly called together to determine businesse Act. 19. Act. 15. and oftentimes the whole body of the faithfull in opposition to their Rulers somtimes the body of the Church with their Rulers but never for ought I know the Rulers separate from the body Now here Apollonius must needs goe to consult with the Delphick three-footed stool that he may divine to us what Christ meant here by the Church seeing he did not define it in this place nor do we see it elsewhere explained in Scripture Apollonius doubtlesse with the Papists having a watchfull eye over his merchandise rather understands it of the Church-Rulers for this is all his care that this wonderfull Ecclesiastick power by many windings and turnings being snatched from the body of the Church and chiefly the Magistrate may be setled onely in the Governours as in the Center that is in the Consistory and because Deacons are onely positively Church-men as bellowes in a paire of Organs Elders onely comparatively as the pipes which of themselves sound not hence at last the whole power ends in Preachers superlatively Ecclesiastick as if they were Masters of the musick and so sing and play upon that Ecclesiastick Organ that every pipe shall yeeld no other sound then what pleaseth these Organists Thus the old and new Papists doe play the Philosophers upon this there tell the Church as if Christ had meant tell the Pope or the Clergie or the Preachers of the Gospell but of this never a word in Matthew yea it is contrary for Christ being so understood should have named a Judge who was neither then nor long after in the world What an absurdity had it been for Christ to have said to the godly that you may free your consciences from strife with your brother go to the Consistory or Church-Rulers which were not then nor to be in many years after Whence it is more likely that Christ by the Church meant there a Judge or Arbitrator in controversies indefinitely and as I said elsewhere without any expresse quality that is such a one as they could repaire to whether consisting of Ecclesiasticks and Civill Magistrates as the Sanhedraham was then or onely of Ecclesiasticks as afterwards under the Apostles or of Civill Magistrates as was in the Church after Magistrates became Christians
members keepers and nursing fathers of the Church Hence we see how much the Stilt-walker is deceived in thinking Magistrates to be excluded from Church-affaires in this place because of the word Church seeing in the most significations of this word Church the Magistrate is included onely one that excludes him which is not onely devised but is not plainely expressed by Christ how vaine then is this his argument wherein he so much prides himselfe Christ gave this power to the Church but the Magistrate is not the Church for if hee deludes us under the collective name of the Church represented or representing then we grant that the Magistrate is not the Church but so neither is Apollonius the Church except he will call himself the Pope and so this power belongs no more to Apollonius then to the Magistrate but if he speak of the Church as it is indefinitely used by Christ then he cannot make it appeare that Ministers alone are more comprehended under this word then Magistrates alone because both are parts of the Church and the Magistrate in respect of his judicatory power the more excellent part The other error is that out of these words tell the Church the old Papists beat out by a strange paraphrase the whole building of the huge papall Hierarchie as if they would shew that the Pope is Judge of all controversies between Kings the donor and distributer of Lands the Monarch of all Monarchs the infallible censurer and poler of all Nations the dispenser of all wickednesse in others and in himselfe all this they think Christ established in these words tell the Church The Stilt-walker instructed in the same Catechisme out of these words tell the Church doth almost draw out every thing to wit that the Magistrates must not meddle with Church-matters and that they are not within but about and without the Church that they have no power of Vocation making of Lawes or decisive censuring of Ministers but that all these belong solely to Ministers who in this are free and immediately depending on Christ and no way depending on the Magistrate so that if they should faile in their life and manners yet the Magistrate if he be a pious son must not presently rise up against the Minister his Father but he must first wink at his vices and then except in some few cases must not punish him but onely he must procure that Church-men as being specially holy punish the specially holy Minister which is as likely that these Walachrians will do as if you should make Elephants clear one another of their Leprofie These and much more doth he conclude out of these three words tell the Church but indeed this is to make a beame of a mote I rather say that Christ in this place ordained nothing else but that a brother who is willing to be reconciled to his brother which is unwilling should and may for ending the controversie implore the Churches help and in this case the Church ought to help him But what I pray is this for grounding that huge Hierarchie of the Church that she must have absolute power of consecrating excommunicating commanding and such like for if the words following if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as a Publican and Heathen ordain the right of excommunication then Christ bestowes it not there on the Church but on the brother who desires to be reconciled For he doth not say let the Church account or declare that brother for a Publican and Heathen but let him be to thee a Publican and Heathen c. that is as a brother thou may esteem him for a Publican c. if this signifieth to excommunicate then Christ gave the power of excommunication not to the Church but to every private brother that I wonder so proud a Divine should so carelesly weigh his owne lawes out of which he drawes so many priviledges One lie more there rests in this Argument to be shewed in saying that Ministers are immediately subject to Christ and depend from him whence he concludes that they are not subject to the Magistrate but this is a meer fiction for I will aske how shall we know this for I never read it in Scripture he will say that Christ is the immediate Anthor of the Church power because he gave the keyes to the Church he said tell the Church and he gave Apostles Prophets c. out of all which it is manifest that the office or as he calls it the Church power is immediately ordained by Christ I confesse this is truly said of the Church functions and it is no lesse true of the civill power which Christ the Mediator also immediatly established saying give to Caesar what is Caesars to God what is Gods especially when by Paul he hath declared Magistrates to be his Legates and hath subjected to them the Ministers for conscience sake so that now the Civill power depends as well immediately from Christ as the Ecclesiastick But how will hee hence prove that all who use this power that is Ministers and Preachers are immediately subject to Christ and depend from him This is a Popish fiction and an old cheat the falshood whereof any may quickly perceive for if all do immediately depend on Christ who discharge any office which Christ or God hath immediately ordained then all Magistrates Fathers Masters Deacons Readers and whosoever exercise any function ordained by God must depend on him immediately and therefore shall be under the command of none in respect of that function but of God or Christ Which fiction the Stilt-walker will finde in himselfe for if all Preachers be subject to none but to Christ because of their free Ecclesiastick power which they exercise how will their dependencie consist and the spirits of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets For he confesseth that the brothers are subject to the Consistory this to the Classis the Classis to the Synod and the lesser Synod to the greater and so in infinitum I know Apollonius teacheth this onely pro forma because he saith elsewhere that he is onely tied to the authority of the Synod as humane But here I hold him fast intangled in his owne gin for either it is false that Ministers in regard of their Ecclesiastick functions are subject onely to Christ immediately or else it is true that the Consistory Classis and Synods are nothing else but Christ himselfe but this last is blasphemy Ergo the first is most false it 's truly ridiculous to say that he is onely subject to Christ immediately who is subject to so many of which none is Christ So we see this Walachrian is carried every where with a Popish giddinesse Whence now I conclude if it be no wayes against the immediate and fictitious dependencie of Preachers from Christ that they are subject to so many Church-men why should this be a hindrance from being subject to the Civill Magistrate he will say I suppose that this subjection
preach what they list make Lawes as they think good at last censure when and whom they will This he thinkes was absolutely done under the crosse and because hee perceives that Magistrates doe meddle with these affaires by reason of the fleshly corruptions and sins which they observe are introduced in these things by Church-men Hence surfeiting with this peace like the dull Oxê in the Port he wisheth for a saddle and with the Horse desires to plough the ground hee thinkes the Church was happier under the crosse when she had no Magistrates then now when she hath such This I will confesse if the Churches happinesse consists in this that new Walachrian Papists domineere in her as they please but this is a childish happinesse For youths are glad when in the absence of their Parents they manage the estate and Family as they will and they wish it might be so still whereas things are never more unhappily managed in the family then in such a case So that it is a Proverb among us when things are in a confusion there is none at home but the children How happy this Ecclesiasticke selfe-government is without the Magistrates inspection may bee seen in Popery where the Magistrate being thrust out onely Church-men rule but how happily When there is nothing there except miserable butcheries both of bodies and soules The Game was not much unlike this which the spirituall king Becholtius played at Munster swelling there with as great pride as the Pope doth at Rome who wanted nothing to make him happy but continuance if the Stilt-walker thirsteth for this he deserveth to consume away with despaire Hee speakes too freely of the Churches happinesse under the crosse Apollonius thinkes it no trouble to leane upon cushions stuffed with other mens bloud and as they say subdue Alexander at the Table if hee had seene but a farre off the whips roddes wounds and tortures all his courage would quickly be cooled I have insisted somewhat long upon this discourse not as if I disliked the Worship of Christians or the lawfull Church-government but that I might shew the impudent foolerâ—es of the Walachrian Stilt-walker whose purpose is not to maintaine true Religion but to introduce a new Popedome therefore I hope impartiall Judges will not thinke I have done amisse that I have with laughter exploded his unsavourie fraudulencies not that I mock at true holy matters but because I would tread downe the Walachrian swelling leven of Popery For no godly Magistrate intends to overthrow the Churches true order to defile the sacred things of Religion or to destroy them this were a madnesse fit for Libertines Atheists from which I am very averse Neither do I thinke that any godly Minister doth seriously beleeve there is such abstruse spirituall sanctity in the affairs of modern Church Discipline as this Walachrian Rat dreameth out of the Iesuites writings read by him without judgement for this were to thrust upon Magistrates in stead of truth the Legends of Frances or the Ottoman trifles of the Turkish Alcheran which we saw lately whom no wise man wil beleeve except he be carryed headlong by Superstition or violently compelled to confesse disseble that to be true which he knowes is false such is the impudency of these Walachrian sticklers who are not content to perswade christians to esteem of that which the Scripture recordeth hath beene by Christ ordered in matters of Religion but they will have men also beleeve chiefly that in the worke wrought in the persons working and in other circumstances there doe lurke wonderfull and secret worth of holinesse with which they so bewitch ignorant men that neglecting the kirnell of truth they doe nothing almost but licke the outward rine of holinessâ— by which madnesse it comes to passe that Church-men are puffed up and obtaine too much respect which is that they hunt for and account superstition Religion I will freely appeale here to the conscience of godly Ministers who will here confesse ingenuously I know that in the whole outward worke of Church-government at this day there is not any such internall mysticall spirituall and untouchable holinesse for where doth this lurke the word of God is read the Psalmes are sung by all prayers are said either by heart or in the booke the Text of Scripture is explained by a humane manner and way knowne to all he that is haptised is besprinkled with ordinary water in the name and after the ordinance of God Men sit at the table common bread and wine are distributed â—ats and drunke by all concerning the order of administring the Sacraâ— eats care is taken that confusion may be avoided they that transgresse in the Church are admonished and reproved or by publicke authority are seperated from the communion of Christians The gifts and alines of Christians are received and as much as can be are bestowed on the poore All these things I rehearse as they are done in a most simple manner and come as neare as may be to the Apostles custome from which wee see how far every day the Wallachrians depart so that almost there is not greater corruption in Popery then there is among them in matters of censure c. Will any ingenuous man say that in these there is such abstruse mysticall sanctitie or in the Ministers themselves and if this were necessarily in them who will say that it proceeds from moderne vocation they are men that choose that call that lay on hands and although the Church at this day useth imposition of hands prayers fastings and other meanes yet Christ never promised that he would so concurre by his Spirit with these actions that the same effects should be prounced which the Apostle she wed by their vocation neither will any man except he be superstitious affirme that he hath upon imposition of hands received suddenly the gifts of tongues and sciences and if this Wallachrian smatterer should brag any such thing of himselfe experience and his owne act ons will refute him who then seeth not that the Stiltwalker is a foole who in such things seeks for the lurking holes of speciall sanctitie that he may beg a domineering power in the Church to the overthrow of all Religionâ—â—â— true piety If it were lawfull to bewith men with such fictions what may not wee beleeve of Magistrates for as soone as they are chosen to the supreame government although they were private men before now on a sudden they become Gods holy Logats Vicegetents and servants every soule to them is presently subject the Sword to them is committed with the power of life and death nest her matters it how they obtaine this power whether by right or wrong how they use the sword whether justly or unjustly and although they since against God yet they must be obeyed by their subjects except they will resist Gods ordinance and bring judgement on themselves Lastly they become Gods not by humane but divine right Who then will wonder if Hered
Alexander and other Monarchs dreamed of themselves that they exceeded humane pitch when they had such infinit power and had the command over so many lives and bodies of subjects so that if superstition can puffe up any with pride it may have a place among Magistrates whom not opinion or superstitions perswasion but Gods Law and manifest oracles make Gods and such as have the charge of all mens soules Yet there is no godly Magistrate so madde I know as thinkes not himselfe to be a man and subject to all humain infiâ—mities that by his supream power hee hath not obtained any suddain sanctitre or divinity but that they are the fame what they were before â—â—â—ly made more honourable and bound to a new service of the State They that have any higher conceits of themselves are mad and deserve with proud Herod to be smitten by the hand of an Angell with Lice and Vermine If then such pride is unseemly and unlawfull for Magistrates to whom both divine and human Lawes have given power to reigne and beare role with power and to have the supreame authority let the old Roman and new Wallachrian Papists be ashamed who place the whole strength of divine worship and Religion in this that spirituall dignitie may â—ecrâ—â—e to them also a superstitious respect and a power grounded on seigned priviledges by the charge which they have of sacred things and the mercinary performing of them so that in this the unhappinesse of human affaires is to be lamented In that from the best things doe most cammonly arise the worst corruptions For whom God hath expresly set over the preservation of Order worship Modesty and Pietie they 〈◊〉 given occasion of Confusion Pride Impietie and contempt of divine worship as experience of all times doe shew God of old made the â—â—vites holy by consecration by his Law and by an accumulation of many honors on them but who knows not that in processe of time of them have proceeded wicked men despisers and overthrowers of Religion Hee gave Vrim and Thommim to the High Priest and speciall priviledges as to the Keeper of the most sacred things but what more hideous mâ—nsters could there be in the world then some of them were It was the High Priest with his company Jer. 23. who would have treacherously put Jeremiah to death excent Abican the Magistrate had resisted Caiphs and the Chiefe Priests put Christ to death unjustly Acts 20. It was Anonius the High Priest whom Paul called a Whited-wall and that deservedly because he went about treaâ—herously to murther him the Scribes and Pharisees had the key of knowledge and a right to sit in Moseâ— his chaire but the world could not shew more pernitious monsters whom Christ for often cursed After the Apostles time for a whilâ— the Bishop of Fome did excellently maintain Religion as we know out of Histories but afterward by degrees Antichrist proceeded of them as wee see at this day in Popery What wonder if the same fall out now That of the reformed Wallachrians there arise a seditious crew breathing Anarchie or papisticall Hierarchy with the contempt of godly Magistrates and the open blasphemy of Potentates I purpose not to wrong the piety and esteem of all there are many godly Ministers who deserve honour whose moderation doth abundantly testifie that they are exceedingly displeased with the wranglings and quarrells of proud men about their devised sanctities they place their chiefe honour in modesty integrity of life and simplicity of doctrine but because the minde of man out of innate corruption is bent upon error except it be strengthened 〈◊〉 the extraordinary assistance of Gods Spirit which God hath seldome done and it is certaine that now for so many hundreth yeares he never did it Hence godly men have endevoured alwayes to finde out and prescribe â—emedies against this spreading disease or carruption of true Religion an evill so fatall that scarce could any Age be so provident as to keepe it from ruinating it selfe and breeding its own moth because it seemed to stand upon firme pillars and to be shut up within a strong Bulwark Our Reformers in the beginning did write Confessions and Catechismes that they might preserve the purity of Doctrine the Laws and Ordinances of Church-Government for the better ordering thereof have not been more exactly looked into as they say then in Zeland where the States by their approbation have ratified the Ecclesiastique Polity The Hollanders and Frislanders have not as yet attained so much happinesse upon a just suspition as they would have it lest this peevishâ— and extravagant kinde of men alwayes seeking one law our of another should deduce right out of right and should force the Law givers by their own Laws and Statutes to become servile by their consequentiast windings and ambiguities Yet as we see in this 〈…〉 Magistrates were never more railed against then there where Apolloniâ— himself confesseth the best Church policy is erected there were never greater rebellions any where then there where the Magistrates have out of piety and gentlenesse most favoured the Clergy so that this like an incurable sicknesse seemes to increfe by the cure Before I give off writing I will briefly according to my ability shew by what meanes this Leprosie and increasing evill may be met with least the force of Religion be weakened by contempt or by reason of too much respect given to the Clergie Instead of Religion we have superstition between these quicksands the Ship of Christs Church hath alwayes with much difficulty failed so that comming too neer either of them she hath indangered her self or made shipwrack This the care of the Magistrate may prevent in matters of Church Discipline Laws and Vocation Let this be held sure in the first place that the Modern Church Ducipline is of order not of Divine right properly or spirituall whose effects are none except on them who are bewitched with superstitious perswasions or are moved with the reverence of the Order but in others who are stubborn it is no wayes effectuall except by the Magistrates secular force it be supported for what had excommunication or discipline been except under the Apostles miraculous force and feare of punishment had curbed the refractory this now passeth to the Magistrate by an ordinary way At this day also the order censure and discipline of the Church had been nothing if refractory and disordered persons were not contained by the awe of the Magistrate and feare of the Sword It had been an unworthy thing in the Church to have excluded the Apostles in whom was the force of all government they are guilty of the same error who at this day would separate the Magistrates Authority from the Church which is indeed the foundation of all order and discipline wherefore godly Magistrates should be confident of this that it is in their power now to give vigour and life to Ecclesiastick order and discipline whence it belongs to them to prescribe Laws
that they have afterward doubted whether pietie true Religion or the Spirit of God could be there where they saw order right and modesty so shamelesly violated he that will truely consider the truth of this will he not bee of my opinion that it will prove a most unjust and calamitous thing if liberty be granted to such meetings to prescribe Laws for mens Consciences and force Christians to observe what they please under pain of the greater and lesser excommunication If this superstition once get hold of Magistrates surewâ—ll Religion Protestants must look for no other Religion then Popery There is no other remedy for this evill but to hinder such Church-men from meeting thus often the end of which meetings can bee none else but to beget one quarrell out of another and to seek out a period for Ruling Let not theâ— the Civill Power be absent not that there you may sit as harmelesse Constitoriall Lambâ— among the cornuted Rams for â—o the Stiâ—â—-walker will by plurality of Votes cunningly deride you but that sitting in the higher seat as Gods Vice-gerents and having the supreme power to which God hath subjected every soule you may take charge of Ecclesiastick soules also least they leaving the charge of soules should gape 〈◊〉 secular businesse and lay shares against your Government Vocation remaines the lurking hole of all sanctitie from this 〈◊〉 Wallâ—thrians earnestly desire to keep the Magistrates by right of 〈◊〉 or at least of 〈…〉 and imposition of hands But wee have shewed that these are fained things to afright men As for the right of election the â—â—â—â—t-Walker though unwillingly grants to the Magistrate Imposition of hands is nothing but a consequence or appendix of vocation neither is it of such a seperated and precise right but that the Apâ—â—â—â—es sometimes used it sometimes not and sometimes it was permitted to divers that were not Preachers as an indifferent ceremony so that Calvin sheweth how the Elders did promiscuously impose hands but pride and custome did at last conferre this upon the Bishop to remove which evill this will bee the remedy that confirmation by imposition of hands may not be superstitiously done by the Preacher but sometimes by the Elder the Deacon the Magistrate or any Christian who is of a knowne godly life and not alwaies one but sometimes more that the old simplicity being restored it may abolish Popish superstition If the Magistrate will effect this by his authority he will cause that inchantment of Ecclesiastick superstitions sanctity of speciall right to cease and will hinder the spirituall knaveries of some Clergy men which are solemne there in their Vocations as I have often shewed and experience doth daily teach us especially that superstition shall cease which the Stilt-walker strives to taint all men with that it is not lawfull for Magistrates to choose their Ministers under paine of Sacriledge and being chosen to remove them without the consent of the Clergy I confesse that when these men become moderate the matter should be handled by their counsells in common but if this come to passe what we see in the Stilt walker and his company that the whole strife be about preheminence that what the Magistrate approves the Church-men by right or wrong disapproves that they may obtain to themselves the whole Church-government if in election of Ministers their intent be to choose such as by secret catechisings and promises they have tyed to them in promoting the Ecclesiastick Liberty as they call it that is to say the Popish Hierarchy which at this day is called the holy Mystery of the Wallachrian Vocation In such a case why should not the Magistrate use his authority which not only Solomon and others did but the Apostles also being supreame and plenipotentiaries who suffered indeed the Church to choose men by prayers lots imposition of hands so long as order continued sincerely but as soone as the people by their carnall choice began to erre and false Apostles intruded themselves perversly and violently when Alexander the Smith Hymeneus and Elymas and other deceivers stirred they failed not by their miraculous Monarchicall authority which they had to force them all to their duty This power is now in godly Magistrates and by them in the Church Who will dreame this to be sacriledge if in calling of a Minister Church-men should desire him who is most unfit looking to their owne private interests who if they be stubborne even to the Churches ruine I say who will thinke it sacriledge if the Magistrate use his authority in procuring betimes for the Church an able man Againe if by fraud such a Foâ— as wants spirituall gifts should creep in and strive mainly for preheminence and goe about to overthrow the civill government sow quarrells and hunt for popular applause that he may raise sedition against the Magistrates when they will not flatter him in his pride who will debarre the Magistrate from curbing such a man with his authority and compelling him to submit to Divine Ordination that is obey the secular Sword not that he should be still thrust out of his Ministery which Solomon did and some of our age Many remedies may be against this evill so that there is no necessity alwayes to use desperate remedies against desperate diseases First let the fault be mended by some mulct or penalty not that ridiculous Church one that the censurer should reprove in words and the party censured shall satisfie with words againe or laughter but let the mulct bee pecuniary which will vex the Church-mans soule Let a command be laid upon the Treasurer to detaine some part of his yearly stipend for neglecting his Ministery and not discharging his duty I know there is no Minister so spirituall as will not feare this sensible penalty There is a higher degree which they say in Ecclesiastick Policy is ordered in Zeland among their acts that who though upon just cause shall stirre up any party in the Church against the Magistrate he shall be silenced from his Ministery in that place and never to be admitted thither again Let it not be amisse if they borrow a remedy from the Gentiles even from the Pope himself as Solomon of old did gold and wood from the Tyrians and Gentiles for the building of his Temple Among the Lacedemonians and Athenians they had their Ostracisme and Petalisme by which they used to banish from their Cities for ten yeares together not those that were infamous but whom the favour of the people made suspected of affecting the tyranny This banishment was not dishonourable nor perpetuall for after the expiration of ten yeares they returned This was the effect thereof that by their long absence they ceased to be burthensome to the State and lesse feared The like custome at this day the pope or Bishop useth when hee seeth any man either for his vertue or preposterous zeale or else for some tolerable fault to be any where suspected or burthensome he sends him away to some