inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 the faith hope obedience charity humility and patience of many by this fiery trial hath been made more conspicuous SECT 1. The words of the Letter Of the vile and virulent head the Pope 1. FIrstly hath not the long provoked Lord begun in this Island and in Ireland to pull down lowest that loose that lofty and lawlesse Church which the corrupt Clergie had lifted up highest namely the Oecumenical or Romane Catholick Church whereof the sinne-pardoning or rather soul-poysoning Pope was the Vile and Virulent head who was therefore and upon that account publickly declared and generally though not universally beleev'd to be a horrible Monster as well as a very abominable beast because of his ten hornes Witnesse what is written Revel 17.3.5 The Reply To what you say of the vile virulent head the Pope I assent and so did and do all Orthodox Divines of our English Church holding his claim to be Universal Bishop to be Anti-Christian profane proud foolish blasphemous by vertue whereof he doth ingrosse to himself full power and authority over all Christians in the world both Ecclesiastical and saecular the principal actions whereof are 1. To frame and set out for all Christians the rule of faith and good manners to point out the books of Canonical Scriptures and the traditionary word and to deliver the sense and interpretation thereof and to determine all controversies in religion with an unerring sentence 2. To prescribe and enact laws for the whole Church equally obliging the conscience to obedience with the divine Law 3. To exercise external power of directing and commanding and also of censure and correction of all Christians 4. To grant dispensations indulgences absolution from oaths and vows 5. To canonize Saints institute religious orders to deliver from Purgatory 6. To call and confirm general Councels 7. To dethrone and conculcate Kings c. All this we disclaim as well as you and you needed not have said that it begun in this Island and Ireland as if it begun with you for it begun more then one hundred years since assume not therefore that to your selves which was done to your hands to take down this head was the work of the National Church you so slight and had it not been done to your hands I doubt whether all the power you could make had ever been able to have done it And for this that head being of a revengeful nature hath ever since been plotting which way it might unroot us that unrooted it For the proof of this I shall acquaint you with what a friend acquainted me and others about five years since A good Protestant he is now but about 30. years before was as he confess'd reconciled to Rome by one Meredith an ancient and learned Jesuite for he was one of those that Dr. Featly had to deal with in France This man told him that in England they had been long and industrious about their work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would till they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their businesse to a full effect They must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose room they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common Prayer book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list Thus much the man offer'd to make good upon his Oath before any Magistrate he should be call'd And now I pray tell me out of what shop do you think your work comes That generation are a sly subtle people as the devil they can transform themselves into an Angel of light If many printed books lye not there have been many among you and they know to insinuate their poyson under guilded pills Positions they have many like your's and beware least when you think you suck in the Truth you drink not poyson Verbum sat Sapienti They owe us a splene for casting off their head and they will never give over to seek a revenge We were the men that cut it off and take heed least unwittingly you set it not on again 'T is too true I speak it with grief they have won to their side in the time of our dissentions more proselites then they did in divers years before The Laws are now silent and any man may be now any thing so he be not an old Protestant of the Church of England that if he professe then there will be a quick eye upon him An Ordinance shall be sure to reach him which for ought I heard is but brutum fulmen to a Papist Boast not then of your taking down that same vile and virulent head the Pope when it is permitted to stand in more favour then a Protestant whose work hath been to take down that abominable beast with his ten horns as you call him SECT 2. The British King the Violent Head Mr. Matthews 2. SEcondly hath not Christ hid his face from and bent his brow against the National Church as being that very next naughtinesse Whereof the British King was although not an invincible yet a violent Head which was therefore lesse victorious and more vincible partly because the head not only of a very uncanonical but also of a very unspiritual corporation and partly because of the said national-corporations inconsistency with the Scripture precepts Matth. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place seconded and aggravated by its notorious inconformity to the Scripture patterns Eph. 2.19.22 Philip. 2.15 Revel 5.9 where the Scripture Combinational Church is call'd not a whole nation but a holy City a growing Temple a Spiritual house or a sin-enlightning and a soul-enlivening Church gathered built framed cull'd and call'd out of and from a carnal and crooked nation which was both dark and darknesse it self witnesse what is written Ephes 5.8 The Reply That Christ hath hid his face from and bent his face against this National Church you have reason to lament and grieve and not to stand by and clap your hands at it Rather take up the Lamentation of David for Saul and Jonathan The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places how are the mighty fallen 2 Sam. 1.19.20 Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon least the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce least the daughters of the uncircumcised Triumph c. Posterity will have cause to mourn when you and they shall be invaded and set upon by those uncircumcised Philistims of Rome who will smile at the armour wherein you trust and the speares you brandish against them as a dart of a bulrush 'T is not your Sophisms that will prevail with them nor your popular arguments that they will regard and they as smoke being vanished set upon you they will with armour of proof and so inviron you that
cheated out of their native rights and inheritantes as they must if you deny a National Church for that power is in vain which hath no subject to work upon on the Church National it cannot because in your opinion it is not on the Combinational it may nor because that is absolute and to be order'd and disciplin'd by its own Elders non datur tertium and so the supremacy which all Superiours challenge is frustrated To this the British King did never yield nor would and I beleeve his Highnesse will be as little perswaded by you For this you make him lesse victorious and more vincible but you cast up your accompt too soon for had you said for the male administration of his supreme power this had fallen upon him that might have carried some colour of sense with it which will also happen to any that shall not use it as they ought but to affirme that the claim to the power and exercise of that power was the cause of his fall is rash false inconsiderate dangerous But you go on and endeavour to make it good by two reasons Mr. Matthews The Admonitory Letter 1. Partly because the head not only of a very Uncanonical but also of a very unspiritual corporation BY Corporation I conceive you mean the body of Professors within this Land or at least the Clergy upon whom you bestow these two Epithites that they were very uncanonical very unspiritual How can you be ever able to make good this charge Had you said seemingly only such it might have been passed over but that they were verè truly such is a high part of presumption in you for peremptorily to prononounce such a sentence belongs to a higher judicature The judgement is Gods alone But to remit unto you that slip of your pen Why I pray uncanonical Those are uncanonical who reject and throw aside the Canon either in judgement or practice Why unspiritual Those are unspiritual who have not received the Spirit neither of which you can with a good conscience more affirme of this corporation then of your own 1. For what other Canon can you name for Christians then the books of Canonical Scriptures Gal. 6.16 Phil. 3.16 2 Cor. 10.13 which appellation was taken up after St. Paul who thrice calls the Scripture the Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet more plainly he saith we stretch not our selves beyond our measure meaning the doctrin of the Gospel but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the measure of the rule or Canon which God hath distributed to us And Chemnitius hath observ'd that the word is derived from the Hebrew word Chan Chemnitius Exam. Concil Trid. part 1. de script Can. which signifies that perpendicular line which Masons use in building by which the exorbitancy or evennesse of their work is prov'd And the Metaphor is very apt For the Church is the house of the living God the builder is God the Ministers of the Word the Architects that then their work go evenly and conformably on they had need of a Canon or a rule by which the Architects examine their work lest the building should just too far outward or lean too much inward and so deviate from the just order and proportion For the proof of this the Master Builder hath left to his under workmen his line and level which is the Canon of the Scriptures the doctrin of the Prophets and Apostles whatsoever agrees to this rule is right and sound and Apostolick what is not every way conformable to it but either in excesse or defect swerves from it that is supposititious adulterine erroneous And now I pray hath not this Corporation you mention professed to the world that they receive the books of the Canonical Scriptures and only those books for their rule and Canon do they not confesse that they fully comprehend all things that are needful for our help that they are the sure and infallible rule whereby may be tryed whether the Church do swerve or erre and whereunto all Ecclesiastical doctrin ought to be call'd to account and that against these Scriptures neither Law The English Confession art 10. nor Ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard no though Paul himself or an Angel from heaven should teach the contrary How unadvised then and inconsiderate is this Epithite of yours by which you brand us for an Uncanonical Corporation who stick so close to the Canon and have and do maintain it against the Church of Rome who would with it as if it were imperfect obtrude another Canon upon us God give you repentance for this your uncharitable Censure and make you as Canonical as we are In doctrine I am sure as for the practice we have both too much to answer The Lord have mercy upon us miserable sinners 2. Now you thought it not enough to put us out of the Canon except you deprived us of the Spirit also We are in your judgement an unspiritual corporation What Sirs have you such a Monopoly of the Spirit that none can partake of it except he be a member of one of your corporation Pray shew your Charter produce your Grant that the Spirit would not descend upon any nor impart his gifts and graces to any except he were within your Church Covenant For if that be not the sole impediment I see no colour why you should call us unspiritual The graces of the Spirit are by all Divines reduced to two heads either they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one peculiarly call'd Graces the other more properly stiled Gifts The Graces are media salutis immediata such by which the good will of God shapes the heart within freely justifies a sinner by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse wonderfully converts a heart of stone into a heart of flesh clears the conscience towards God and settles a welcome peace These are gratiae gratum facientes are bestow'd upon all Gods Saints The Gifts are media mediorum which it pleaseth the wisdome of God to use as fit means to perfect in all his those former gifts of grace such as are gifts of prophesie eloquence utterance knowledge of tongues depth of learning wisdome in government functions and ability to discharge these functions c. And now consider which of these endowments whether gifts or graces of the Spirit hath not been as eminent and evident in our National corporation as ever it was or ever will be in your Combinational I cannot therefore with any patience heare that you should call us unspiritual and you had you had any of the meeknesse of the Dove in you would not have done it since you know that those who have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his and that you cut us off from Christ can you think that we can take it patiently There was lesse charity in this word then when you writ it I believe you were aware of
thereof was Domestical because every father was to teach his houshold and off-spring yet the government thereof was Paternal He that was set over the rest being to be a father to the rest and to performe all Natural Civil and Ecclesiastical offices to them and they again to do all duties to him by which they are bound by the fifth Command Honour thy father 2. Your next words are that this Domestical Church was guided and governed by the first-borne of the family But this must be understood with a graine of salt for this though for the most part yet is not alwayes true for what will you say to Abel who was younger then Cain to Sem younger brother to Japheth as Junius intimates in his notes Gen. 5.32 and proves chap. 10. verse 21. which is therefore thus dubiously rendered by our Translatours Unto Shem also the father of all the children of Eber the brother of Japheth the elder even to him were children borne What will you say to Jacob to Ruben when his primogeniture was lost Necessary then it is that you limit your words that they carry this sense God did consecrate the first-borne of the family as holy to himself to be Priest in his Church and increased their dignity with this princely prerogative that they should be Lords over their brethren and honoured by their mothers children as succeeding their fathers in the government and priesthood unlesse they were rejected from that honour by Gods secret counsels or manifest judgements and others named by God himself to sustaine that charge Thus the clause is clear and true 3. Againe you say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints What then is every professing Saint a King a Priest a Prophet in his own house This I dare not assent to and I hope you will not there were no more words to be made of a Presbyterial Church if this were true for every man might officiate at home and need not subject himself to any Presbytery he might baptize administer the Sacrament c. being authoriz'd by this Type I should rather then say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus who is the King Priest and Prophet in his Church and yet executes all these offices for her good and salvation then make them types of professors in their several houses who nor may nor can ex officio undertake these functions It follows 4. As doth plainly appear to all that do deliberately weigh what is expressed and what is necessarily implyed in Gen. 4.4 Exod. 12.7 These texts I have deliberately weighed and finde not in them neither expressed nor yet necessarily implyed what you produce them for In Gen. 4.4 I reade that Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering but can any man either expressely or by necessary implication ever prove from hence that the first visible Church was a domestical Church or that it was governed by the first-borne of the family that they were types and shadows of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints Or that this Church did continue from Adam and Abels dayes to the time of Moses and Aarons pilgrimage in the wildernesse That Abel sacrificed to God that the offering he brought was of the best that God respects loves and is reconciled to the person before he accepts his gift and service may easily be collected from hence But I cannot discerne which way to deduce from this text any of the former propositions This text you compare with Exod. 12.7 When I thus reade and they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eate it An injunction I finde here concerning the use of the blood of the Paschal Lamb but not a syllable that can be drawne to your purpose But the best is that what you say for the substance is so clear in the book of Genesis that no man need question it Let the mistake be but notified and we agree and therefore I proceed SECT IV. The words of the Letter THe Chuch of the second sort was a National Church consisting meerly of Jewish persons and their Proselytes for its members who were instrumentally enlightned and led by the Priests and Levites as their ordinary Ministers the which kinde of Church-government lasted among them from the life of Moses to the death of the Messias and no longer as it is exceeding plaine and cleare to any one that can finde in his heart advisedly to compare the several testimonies of the Old and New Testament together which will contribute pregnant light to this particular point such as are Exod. 19.6 Num. 8.10 Deut. 7.7 with Gal. 4 9 10. Coloss 2.14.17 and Heb. 7.12 The Replication THe substance of this Paragraph is agreed on also To wit that the Jews with the Proselytes were a National Church taught and led ordinarily by the Priests and Levites extraordinarily by the Prophets and when they ceased and the Urim and Thummim God spoke sometimes to us so by the Bath Col or silia vocis And that kinde of government began with Moses and ended at the death of the Messias or a little after as I hinted before and rather encline to think For I am sure actually till then it did not howsoever it ought to have done Christs death upon the Crosse putting an end to all the rites and sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law Many things I could here observe about their Proselytes their Priests and Levites their whole government which yet I passe by as not so necessary to the present question One thing onely give me leave to tell you that some of these texts are not so conclusive to your purpose as you conceive For first out of that of Exodus that the Jews were a holy Nation and people will easily be deduced and as much may be said of the Christians is as evident if you compare the place with the first of Peter 2.9 for to this place of Exodus I make no doubt the Apostle alludes when he affirmes of the Christian Church that it is a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar priesthood c. I would gladly know why I may not out of these words as well conclude a National Church of Christians as you do out of the other a National Church of Jews and Proselytes And then your National Church will not be proper to the Jewish State but communicable to the State of Christianity also 2. Out of Heb. 7.12 you conclude rightly that the Priesthood being chang'd there must be a change of the Law that the Ceremonial Law of Moses was quite abolished no more sacrifices to be offered legal purifications to be observ'd no nor dayes moneths times years in a Jewish sense to be kept up Gal. 4.9 10. In a Jewish sense I say for this
Mystery there is an Indument and a stripping Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 which the ancient Church reduced to two words Credo Abrenuncio In the first there is the putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ For as many as are baptized have put on Christ First as Lord acknowledging no other Master whose voice to hear whose doctrine to rely upon but onely his Secondly as Jesus assuring themselves that there is no other Name given under heaven whereby they may be saved Thirdly As Christ as well their anointed King submitting themselves to his will giving their names in to fight under his banner and swearing themselves his subjects As also their anointed Priest resting in his one sacrifice as the onely sufficient in his sole intercession as the onely powerful Secondly In the Abrenuncio or stripping part they renounce and forsake the Devil Gal. 5.20 and all his works the pompes and vanities of the wicked world the sinful lusts of the flesh among which are all Heresies and Schismes 2. For the forme it is by our Saviour appointed in the name of the three persons of the indivisible Trinity and so it is performed neither of Cephas the sirnamed Rock nor of Paul a great Apostle Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 1.13 The reason wherof you may read in my exposition of the Church Catechisme page 172 173. 3. For the end they which are baptized are thereby made the sonnes of God by Adoption and Grace invested with an inheritance everlasting Gal. 3.26 Rev. 1.5 Mal. 1.11 Rom. 12.1 Col. 3.5 made Priests to God to offer and slay To offer that mundâ—m oblationem pure offering or living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is their reasonable service viz. the cleane and unbloody sacrifice of prayers and thanksgiving and then to slay themselves mortifying their affections and lusts Yea but men may be minded of all this by a new Covenant and upon a second engagement made more watchful to keep their first vow Be it so for this also the Church had provided without this separating combination when she ordained that all baptized children when they could say their Catechism should be brought to the Bishop to be Confirmed which order were it in use and restored to its original purity the wrangle about the formality of a Church Covenant and collecting of members might be quieted and composed There being in Confirmation the substance of what is so much and so hotly contended for and that farre better grounded and bottomed than any new device can be as I shew you in my Catechisme page 6. Thirdly This Elogy you give to your Combinational Church that it is their opinion and practice quietly and cordially to subject their earthy erring and unruly wit to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ That so it should be I confesse and desire but how it is we see and feele ever since the Combination But what now is this but an opinion and onely commendable I thought it had been necessary de fide that it must be so and could not be otherwise For Opino is eutis vel non eâ—tis You shall have it in Amesius words Assensus ille qui praebetur veritati contingenti propter rationem pracipuè probabilem ab intellectu apprehensam Medulla 1. Thes de fidei divina unitate opinio vocatur The truth must be contingent and probable onely of which a man retaines an opinion it may be it may not be if no other reason can be produced for it but a Topical But that all men must subject their earthy will to the heavenly Will of Christ is so certain that it cannot be denyed by any good Christian Hereafter let it passe then for necessary and let it be a principle of faith which is more than opinion 2. But you go on and say This hath been the commendable practice of your Combinational Church But here you must give me leave to think for if I would say what I know I should fetch blood and perhaps pay for it too Your Combination was for the worship of God and that cultus naturalis institutus Amesius so divides it the principles of the first are faith hope charity the acts hearing of the Word and Prayer under which is an Oath Of the last Gods prescribed Will or his Word This is the Rule but what 's become of the practice I will not meddle with your faith which yet you know in many of your Combinational Churches is not sound nor in the Socinians nor Antimonians nor in the Brownists Familists nor the Anabaptists nor the Quakers nor the Singers These you le say are not of you but are gone out from you yet you cannot deny that these are Combinational Churches The practice then of all the Combinational Churches is not commendable in Gods worship in this respect Your hope may be great but I fear it may be presumption when the foundation of faith upon which it should be built is so uncertain and tottering As for the charity of your party in general I finde it dying rather â—uite dead charity teacheth a man to love his neighbour as himself charity to be just and to do to all men as he would all men do to him Amongst your Combinational Churches what 's become of this charity this justice Religiously observant a man may find divers of you of three of the Commandments of the first Table but of the third your practice shews you make little accompt and as for the second Table he who shall lay to heart your actions must needs conceive that you esteeme it but for a cypher I will no farther rake into this wound I wish you had not given me occaâ— on to do it when you affirmed that it was the commendable practice of your Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will quietly and cordially to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ to which I finde their practice so contrary I pray presse me not for instances for I am resolved not to give theâ— you but if you are desirous to be satisfied of the opinions and practice of the Combinational Church I aime at be pleased to reade a book written by Robert Baily a Scot entitled A Disswasive from the Errours of the times Printed in London 1645. and published by Authority Where he makes a large Narrative of the opinions and practices of your Churches in New-England and whether he sayes true or no you can best judge because you were upon the place If true all is not gold that glisters 2 A Presbyterial Church THis is your other Epithet and I suppose you mean by it a Church to be governed by Presbyters The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivocal and therefore till it be distinguished nothing can be concluded from it 1. Presbyter in the Old Testament properly belongs to the Elders of the people either in a common notion or as members of the Sanhedrim not any body or persons peculiarly
Levites that served the Priests 1 Chron. 24.18 31. ch 25.26 ch 27. The Musicians also were divided into as many and the Dore-keepers There were also of every course that served the King twenty four thousand Seeing then the whole Congregation of Levi and the people that served the King were divided by twenty four it might be a shadow and type of that number who were made Kings and Priests unto God to serve Christ under that number the whole people under this the whole company of the redeemed are contain'd Couper 3. And Couper saith the same that under this number the whole Church both Militant and Triumphant is contain'd though he make his allusion otherwise for he divides the twenty four into two halfs the first he makes to consist of the twelve Patriarchs from whon descended the Jews the other of the twelve Apostles who converted the Gentiles the Elders then of both Nations that is the professours in both were about the throne and he proves this sense out of the fifth Chapter Ver. 9. where the twenty foure Elders fell down before the Lamb Rev. 5.8.9 having harâ—s in their hands and they â—ang a new song saying Thou art worthy O Lord. For thou wast slain and thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation 10. and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. Beza 4. Beza conceives these Elders to be Prophets and Apostles Summus judex saith he comitatu honorificentissimo instructus Prophetarum Apostolorum tum veteris tum novae Ecclesiae Greg. lib. 4 in reg 1. ch 9. 5. Gregory expounds this of the Preachers of Gods holy Word being graves moribus sensu maturi 6. But most interpret this of the Saints departed out of this world Bullinger Traberâ—n Marlorat and now reigning with the Lord Jesus in heaven Indeed their number is without number chap. 7.9 But the set and certain number is put for the full and compleat number of the Saints under the Law and under the Gospel discending I say from the twelve Patriarchs or begotten by the twelve Apostles The Jewes and Gentiles with their twenty foure Elders are to sit upon twenty four seats cloathed with white rayment having on their heads crowns of gold I leave it now to your choice which sense to follow and it is evident if you will follow any of them that your Ruling Elders can never be fetch'd out of any of these Among the company I confesse they are in the Church Militant or Triumphant because they are professours but in a districtive notion to call them Elders and prove them so from these three texts is toto errare caelo that I say no worse Conclusio Parainetica All this while you have bestowed your labour in the building and erecting a Presbyterial or Combinational Church and having set it up as you supposed you have call'd me to view your goodly fabrique I with heed looked upon it searched into the foundation and considered the walls and columns and at last judg'd that it could not stand because the foundation was laid in the sand and the pillars and supporters over-weak the materials you have dugge out of your own fancy not out of the true Rock and cemented them together with mortar of your own making Whether this be so or not I leave it to them to judge who shall sadly weigh those stones you have collected and brought out of the quarry of Gods book to set out this your work You in the Acts finde an Election by the Church of Deacons will it thence follow that all future Elections for Presbyters must necessarily proceed by and from their votes and voices or that such Election is of the necessary constitution of a Church the Apostles to avoid an imputation that might be laid upon them in medling with many matters and that they might attend more seriously a greater businesse suffered it to be then so done and is it a good consequent that therefore it must be alwayes done Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church can any man thence rationally conclude that the Presbyters and Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Combinational Churches Regular Ordination What were Paul and Barnabas of the people or were they the Combinational Church A twisted cord will never draw and knit the premises and the conclusions together The Apostle to the Romans to the Corinthians gives a large Catalogue of the gifts and graces of the Spirit and must there therefore be so many functions in the Church He speaks of governments must they be of necessity in the hands of such governours as you suppose In the Revelation he mentions twenty foure Elders and will you thence deduce that they must be necessarily such Elders as you fancy in your brains Had all or any of these texts inforced your conclusions a wonder it is to me that none of the ancient fathers none of the reformed Churches a Barrow Cann Robinson Johnson Syons Prerogative voted by Bayly page 35. 36. Vide etiam eundem p. 104. 105 108 109 c. Bayly page 53 54 55. for you set them all by as well as the Church of Old England in this your device should out of these Mines digge such stones for the building In labours they were indefatigable for piety exemplar in judgment acute for learning very eminent in defence of Religion couragious great talents and measures of the Spirit they no question received content they were to hazard all life limbs goods preferments as many at this day do for the truth and can it be conceived that the Spirit of our good God would suffer them all to be blinded or hood-winked in this necessary of Church-government till you arose It is not yet full twenty six years since Robinson the first perswader of this way arrived at Plymouth in New England from him Mr. Cotton took it up and transmitted it thence to Mr. Thomas Goodwin who helped in this our land to propagate it you see then your Discipline hath not yet the third part of the full age of a man 'T is so youthful that as yet the beard is not well grown and will you then say that all parochial cathedral provincial national oecumenical Churches are degenerated from it you must adorne it with more gray haires and make it Apostolical which you can never do before any man will believe you Your indeavours I have frustrated by restoring the Scriptures you produce to their genuine sense about which I have not relyed wholly upon my own private spirit but upon the judgment of the learnedst gravest and most pious Divines new and old indeed upon the concurrent judgment of the whole Church Tantum veritati obstrâ—pit adulter sensus Tertullian quantum corruptor stilus And indeed I am possessed with such fear when I am to interpret the Word of God lest I should say thus saith the Lord when he
the primitive Church yet will never grant you that from thence the Church shall be denominated Presbyterial or that if it should vary from thence that therefore it had no more than the Sceleton fashion face of a true Church All these things should have been better cast up before you had been so positive The degeneration then you dream of is grounded upon a false supposition that there was at first such a Presbyterial or Combinational Church that was conjoyn'd in any Church-Covenant beside Baptisme that had the native power of the Keyes c. which you never shall be able to demonstrate The contrary to which Rutherford hath nervously prov'd more particularly in his seventh Chapter of his peaceable and temperate plea to whom I referre you The summe of whose discourse is that there were at Jerusalem Father f. cap. 7. Conclus 4. at Samaria at Ephesus at Rome at Galatia at Antioch Presbyteries which shall be granted but that these Presbyteries were not of one single Congregation From these then you can never prove that the following Church did degenerate because they were not The manner of this degeneration you make gradual and you give us in five steppes descending from the Parochial till it came to the oecumenical Romane as you call it But supposing a degeneration in the degrees you are mistaken for as I suppose the first should be last and the last first which will appear if we examine how the Church was govern'd from the Apostles times to this our unhappy age But first I will transcribe your whole discourse SECT II. The words of the Letter 1. THE first rise of the rottening of the Church was its falling from a pure poor Presbyterial Church which in respect of its primitive constitution was made up of living stones namely lively Members and laborious Ministers being firmly fastened and united to the Lord Jesus as their onely head by faith one to another by a fraternal Covenant of love according to the pattern that was proposed and prescribed in both Testaments Is 44.5 Jer. 50.5 Ezra 20.37 Zach. 11.7 10 14. 2 Cor. 8.5 Ephes 2.13 19 22. Col. 2.2 19. 1 Pet. 2.5 into an impure and unpolished parochial Church At that time when ceasing to elect and ordain a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon and Diaconesse or a Widow in conformity to the heavenly Canon Rom. 12.7 and 15.4 and 16.1 compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 and Titus 1.5 6. it was well content to admit and accept of a Parson a Vicar a Warden an Over-seer of the poor and a Mid-wife By which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God within a short time after the dayes of the Apostles Christs spiritual house and growing as well as living Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Town or Apostatizing Parish The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus one of them being an Elder of the Church at Smyrna and a disciple of John the Evangelist and the other a Pastour at Lyons and a disciple of that Polycarp as any man may easily perceive that will peruse what is to be observed in Eusebius Ecclesiastical history 4. lib. c. 14.15 16. lib. 5. cap. 23.24 2. The second degree of the Combinational Churches corruptions was the Cathedral Churches generation which did presume to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher Pastour Ruler and Deacon into those unscripture-like titles of Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour and Arch-Deacon who ventur'd to usurp the power of excommunication against the Members and Ministers of many Congregations in their Synods and Councels contrary to what was practic'd in that Orthodoxe pattern Acts 15.24 which is laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages whose work it was by Scripture-proofs to confute soul subverting positions and to confirme Christian-doctrines without any manner of authority to censure any mans person being that that is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Thes 3.15 The babe-age of which usurpation is made mention of as newly appearing in the world by what was exercised by Alexander of Alexandria against Eusebius of Nicomedia as well as against Arius in the reigne of Constantius and Constance the sonnes of Constantine the Emperour as it is to be seen in Lib. 2. Socrat. Schol. c. 3. compared with the 32 cap. of 2 book Evagr. lib. 1. cap. 6. 3. The third degree of the Presbyterial Churches degeneracy was its climbing up to the stile of a Provincial Church whose Pastour was not afrai'd nor asham'd to assume the name and office of an Arch-Bishop and Metropolitane leaving the servile and subservient titles of Prebende Surrogate and Vicar-general as termes good enough to the inferiour Officers his underlings Of which proud and prophane Pest-house that Austin which was sent from Gregory the last of good Bishops and the first of evil Popes of Rome is reputed and recorded to have been the father and founder in this Land even then when he was stifly and stoutly oppos'd by the Monks of Bangor Anno Domini 596. and in the reign of King Ethelbert witnesse Fox Martyrol page 119. together with the rest of the Eng. Hist and Evangr lib. 2.8 4. The fourth famous degree of the Combinational Churches infamous defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church when and whence without controversie arose that Jewish imitation and irregularly Religious observation of five frivolous and foundationlesse customes and traditions of which the first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy working-dayes Cursed-Masse Candle-Masse c. The second was the National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels Church-yards The third was of National persons as the Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests and Diocesan Deacons The fourth was of National pious performances as stâ—nted Worship Quiristers singing of Psalmes with the Rubrique Postures And the fifth was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings tithes and mortuaries the which faithlesse and fantastical fashions were the illegitimate off-spring of National Parliaments in this and the Neighbour-Nations Witnesse the publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in that behalf 5. The fifth and highest degree of Church-deformity is the oecumenical Church otherwise call'd Romane Catholique the which in the apprehension of I know not how many Kingdomes is the very best though in the judgment of Christ Jesus it is the very basest because the beastliest and the most blasphemous of all the bastard-Church constitutions that ever were till now Witnesse what is written Rev. 13.1 3 5 6. whose Pastor and other Presbyters the sinne-pardoning Pope Cardinals Abbots with others were owned and acknowledged for to be and that not a few if not of the summond Councels yet in several Synods in sundry Countries Insomuch that Churches abominable iniquities were so increas'd over their heads and their trayterous
and from hence it was borrowed and brought into the Church that the chief of the Capitulum should be called Decan which I think is Arch-Presbyter 3. I come now to your other two dislik'd Appellations Chancellours and Surrogates That the Bishop was at first the chief Judge in his Church I have before proved and then no dought he might appoint his subordinate Officials This being a confessed rule in the Law that when any cause is committed to any man he is also conceived to receive full authority in all matters belonging to that cause When the Emperours became Christian they judged it equal and pious to reserve some causes to be tried in the Christian Court in which they constituted the Bishop to be the Judge These causes were properly called Ecclesiastical such as were Blasphemy Apostacy Heresies Schismes Orders Admissions institution of Clerks Cooks Reports fol. 8. Rites of Matrimony Probates of Wills Divorces and such like To give audience to these the Bishop otherwise imployed could not alway be present and yet there was no reason that for his absence justice should not take its course And in some of these had he been present great skill in Civil Lawes is requisite that they be ended aright This gave occasion to the Bishop to appoint his Chancellour and Surrogate A Chancellour who had his name à Cancellis within which he was to sit a man brought up in the Civil Lawes and therefore fit to decide such causes that did depend upon those Lawes who being at first a meere Lay-man and therefore having no power of Exommunication therefore the Bishop thought fit to adjoyne a Surrogate to him that in case that high censure were to be passed this man being in Orders and therefore invested with power actu primo and by Commission with the Bishops power actu secundo sub Episcopo rogatus being demanded and an Officer under the Bishop Actu primo might pronounce the Sentence This was the original of their names and power Now prudential necessity first instituted them and prudence where Episcopal power is of force continues them If a Superiour shall be pleased to revoke some of these causes which were by him made of Ecclesiastical cognizance and cause the litigants to take their trial at Common or Civil Law Vide the book of Order of Excommunication in Scotl. Hist of Scot Amon 2. pag. 46. then in the Church I confesse there will be no use of the Chancellour And if the rest shall be tried by the Bishop and his Presbytery as they were at first neither will there need much a Surrogate But now if that rule of the Presbytery should prove to be true who do challenge cognisance of all causes whatsoever which are sins directly or by reduction then they have power if not to nullifie yet to give liberty to play all Courts and Judicatories besides their own and must bring in thither Sollicitours Atturneys Counsellours Procters c. which will be as un-Scripture-like names as Chancellours and Surrogates Cinod de off Eccl. Joannes Epis Citri in respon ad cabasil Naz. Testam 4. The fourth Appellation that offends you is the Arch-Deacon who was a very ancient officer in the Church and of great esteeme in the Greek Church Neither was he chosen to that place by the Patriarch but came to it by seniority the name then gave him no power but onely this prerogative to be chief of the Deacons of the Church as if you would say of the eldest standing In the Church of England he was more than a Deacon for he was a Presbyter and his office was to be present at all ordinations to enquire into the life the manners the abilities and sufficiency of him who was to be ordained and either to reject him if he saw occasion or to present him to the Bishop to be ordained to induct into any Benefice that man who was instituted by the Bishop to have the care of the houses of God were kept decent and in good repair lastly to take account of all who had to do with the poors money And this last was it which gave him the name of the chief Deacon Ambr. lib. 1. de off c. 41. Prudentius for when the charity of the Church was great and ample gifts were bestowed to the relief of the poorer Christians the Church stock was ample as appears by Lawrence the Martyr who was Deacon to Sixtus Bishop of Rome martyred under Valerian This being committed to the Deacons care that no fraud might be committed as it hapned too oft in money-matters the Church thought fit to set one of the Deacons over the rest who might call them to account as ours were to do the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor to whom they gave the name of the Arch-Deacon Now speak impartially what harme was in all this What that may offend you Deacon cannot and Arch should not since you know it signifies no more but chief or prime as in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarch And that you may carry some affection or at least not a loathing to it I pray call to memory that a worthy Martyr of our Church John Philpot adjudged to the fire and burnt in Queen Maryes dayes Fox Martyrol An. 1553. primo Mariae resigned up his soul in the flames being then Arch-Deacon of Winchester And that with him Master Cheiny and Master Elmour that refused to subscribe to the doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Convocation-house were both Arch-Deacons 5. But now I return back again to that Appellation Lord-Bishop at which so many have stumbled and been scandalized that others before you have done it I have reason to attribute to envie an evil eye but in you I shal onely impute it to inconsideration Gen. 24. 1 Kings 18. 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 8. For you are mighty in the Scriptures and therefore might have known that the Hebrew Adoni or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latine Dominus which in the Spanish is Don in the French Sciur in English Sir is onely a name of civility courtesie respect reverence By this Rebecca calls Abrahams servant Drink my Lord. By this Obadiah the Prophet Art thou my Lord Elijah By this the children of the Prophets the inhabitants of Hiericho the Sunamite and Hazael the Prophet Elisha By this Mary the Gardner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord or Sir if thou have taken him hence with this civil respect the Greeks accost Philip John 20.15 John 12.21 1 Pet. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir we would see Jesus In all which places the word imports onely a courteous and respectful compellation And St. Peter commends the woman that shall with this name endear her husband proposing the example of Sarah that obeyed Abraham and call'd him Lord. To a Bishop double honour respect reverence is due for he is comprised under the name of father in the Commandment and whom we
in the Primitive Church And it is evident that they charged the execution of these Canons upon the Bishops first because they had power that to those who by humility and teares and patience Zonaras in Explic Can. 12. Conc. Nic. Alcimus Epist 16. Conc. Nic. Can. 5. Conc. Antioch cap. 20. and alms-deeds did demonstrate their conversion to be sincere and unfeined to remit the severity of the Canon So Alcimus to Victorius the Bishop Authoritatis vestrae est errantium compunctione perspectâ severitatis ordinem temperare And secondly because they ordained that in every Province twice ever year there should be a Synod that all the Bishops of the Province meeting together might in common examine such questions as are occurrent in every place and particularly to enquire si forte aliqua indignatione aut contentione aut qualibet commotione sui Episcopi excommunicati quidam sint This was the Church Ordinance set before the time you speak of which clearly makes against you and now I shall shew you de facto what was done before that time too In Asia there was held sundry Synods about the time of the Emperour Commodus Euseb l. 5. c. 16 19. in which Montanus was excommunicated and his Heresie condemned Victor about the same time held a Synod at Rome and excommunicated all the Easterne Bishops about the celebration of Easter Euseb l. 6.23 24 25. which Act of his though unjust yet it shewes the judgment of those times that such a thing upon a just occasion he might do and that it was no usurpation in a Bishop with his Council to censure any mans person Again under the Emperour Decius there was a Synod gathered together at Rome of 60. Euseb l. 6. c. 43. Bishops besides many Ministers nd Deacons whither also there came many Pastours of other Provinces where by uniforme consent of all it was decreed that Novatus together with such as swelled and consented to his unnatural opinion repugnant to brotherly love should be excommuicated and banished the Church And the same was confirmed by another Synod held at Antioch by Elenus Firmilian Yheoctistus I passe by here the several Censures passed in the Synod held at Carthage upon the Lapsi and Thurificati as may be seen in very many Epistles of Cyprian To give light to this there is not any example more evident than the Synod of Antioch held about sixty years before the Council of Nice where Paulus Samosatenus the Bishop of Antioch was deposed and condemned for Heresie Euseb l. 7. c. 30 The Epistle then written by the Bishops Presbyters c. to Dionysius Bishop of Rome and Maximus Bishop of Alexandria c. is yet extant wherein they write thus Wherefore necessity constraining us so to do we excommunicated the sworn adversary of God viz. Paulus Samosatenus and placed Donneus in his roome c. Farther yet there was a Council of 320. Caranza Platina Tom. 1. Conc. apud Binnium Bishops called together at Sinuessa in Italy where Marcellinus Bishop of Rome was condemnatus anathematizatus accepit Maranatha And all these instances I am able to give you before that yo name so that there it cannot be true which you say that the babe-age of this usurpation is made mention of as newly appearing in the world by what was exercised by Alexander of Alexandria against Eusebius of Nicomedia as well as against Arius in the reign of Constantius and Constance c. In relation of which story you are not exact enough neither For I read not of any power that Alexander usurped over Eusebius nor any Censure he passed upon him he wrote indeed a letter to the brethren of the Churches that they should beware of Eusebius and his Arianisme because he was the patron and ringleader of the Apostates in his letter he sharply reproved him but he censured him not neither indeed could he because he belonged to the jurisdsction of another Patriarch But touching Arius and his adherents he summoned together a Council of many Bishops and deprived him and such as favoured his opinion Achillas Aeithales Carpomes a second Arius c. of the Priestly order And this he might do for they were under the jurisdiction of the Church of Alexandria But the Heresie being not so extinct and matters growing by the contenders to greater heat Constantine thought good to call the Nicene Council where the question was debated the Creed called the Nicene composed the clause of one substance ratified and the 318. Bishops except five subscribed unto it viz. Eusebius Theognis Maris Theonas Secundus These derided the clause Socrates lib. 1. cap. 8. and would not subscribe to the deposition of Arius For which cause the Council accursed Arius and all his adherents and forbade him Alexandria Moreover by the Emperours Edict Arius Eusebius Theognis were banished cap. 14. But Eusebius and Theognis recanted All this was done in the reigne of Constantine while he was alive it was that Alexander first then the Council proceeded against Arius and his adherents cap. 38. and under Constantine it was that that Arch-heretique came to that miserable end Yea and Alexander himself died also and Athanasius was chosen Bishop in his stead before Constantine died cap. 15. So that it cannot be possibly true which you say that Alexander of Alexandria did exercise or usurpe authority against Arius in the reigne of Constantius and Constance for while their father lived they were not Emperours Socrat. l. 2. c. 32 Well as you intimate and direct me I turne to the second book of Socrates cap. 82. but in the Gree. 40. and 41. chap. but there I finde no mention of Alexander nor Arius A Council at Seleucia we there read of called in Constantius's time and that there was hot disputes betwixt the Arians and the Orthodox but at last the Orthodox prevailed deposed Acacius the Arian and his complices and excommunicated divers others among which was Eusebius Socrates lib. ◠cap. 2. lib. 1. cap 23. 29. graec whether it was he of Nicomedia or no it appears not but in all probability it is the same man because after his recantation he relapsed to his Arianisme and was one of the persecutors of Athanasius However this makes against you for here we finde some Bishops deposed others excommunicated by a Council But this by the way In the last place you send me to Evagrius lib. 1. cap. 6. but to seek for what I know not for I pray look again and you shall not finde any thing of Alexander Arius Evagr. lib. 1. cap. 6. or Eusebius no nor their names in that chapter 't is wholly of another matter and nothing to your purpose and therefore I passe it by and set it for a cypher But were your opinion true that it were usurpation for Bishops assembled in a Council to censure any mans person consider I pray what an aspersion you lay upon the first four general
and therefore I hope when you write next you will shew more Christian love To conclude the Corporation of which the British King was head was as I have prov'd both Canonical as adhering to the Canon of the Scriptures and Spiritual as endow'd with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and so your reason hath no reason at all in it Well if this will not do it a second shall which is 2. Partly because of the said National Corporations inconsistence with the Scripture precepts Mat. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place The words of the Letter A Wonderful demonstration ' The Church must be gather'd together in one place to the service of God as that place of the Corinths proves and must be assembled to exercise discipline as in that of Matthew therefore there may be no national Church therefore no head or governour in that Church Baculus in angulo 'T is as if you should argue thus such or such a County must meet together to elect a Burgesse to the Parliament or to see justice done at a Quarter Sessions or at an Assize therefore it is inconsistent that there should be a head over the Nation whereof they are parts Who sees not the absurdity of such an argument But now in particular to these places The first is Matth. 18. vers 17. And if he shall neglect to hear thee tell it to the Church which is so difficult that St. Austin saith of it dicant qui possunt si tamen probare possunt quae dicunt ego me ignorare profiteor And the reason is because the word Ecclesia is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a term of divers acceptions and from terms aequivocal nothing can be concluded till distinction be made But this I must tell you by the way that no man by Ecclesia understood the Combinational Church til you arose and therefore you can never conclude out of this place that a head of a National Church is inconsistent with Christs precept For the Pope Presbyter Praelate all acknowledge a National Church and a head of a National Church and yet never thought that they did transgresse Christs precept Your proof therefore cannot stand secure til you have everted the claim of every one of these no more then til he who pretends a right to a piece of Land which is in other mens possessions hath shew'd his own title to be only good and all the rest of no force Be not so hasty then with your inference for there 's not one of these who will not say you are an intruder It would fill a book to tell you what is written and what I have read upon this place Whether by the Church you are to understand a civil or an Ecclesiastical consistory or whether a mixt because our Saviour alludes out of question to the Jewish Sanedrim Beza Annot. in locum Rutherf cap. 8. Then whether by the Church again you are to understand the whole Congregation or the chief in that Congregation the Elders say the Presbyters only you as by Rutherfords disputes against you I guesse the whole body of believers or as the Prelates contend those to whom Christ gave the Keys meaning the Apostles and their successours Yet farther whether the wrong to be here tryed by the Church be only that which is private because of those words If thy brother trespasse against thee Lastly whether our Saviour speaks here of any Church censure at all because our Saviour saith not let him be excommunicate but sit tibi Let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican Among many interpretations of these words I shall propose one which I preferre above the rest as that which to me carrieth the fairest evidence with it The Jews were at this time conquered by the Romans under their power and judicatory yet they left unto the Jews so much power as to judge betwixt man and man according to the Law of Moses reserving strangers and Publicans to be tryed in the Romane Court. This being the state of the Jews when our Saviour spoke these words in private quarrels and actions Christ proposeth three degrees of proceeding The first by the Rule of charity If thy brother trespasse against thee tell him privately of the wrong offered thee betwixt thee and him alone and if this prevail not in charity go one step further call two or three Witnesses and rebuke him before them manifest the wrong if he hear thee thou hast wonne thy brother there ought to be an end of the debate This is the first direction 2. But say he be yet refractory then thou mayst proceed further even by the order of Moses Law then convent him before the Mosaical Magistrate the Triumvirate the 23. or the great Sanedrim the 71. Dic Ecclesiae 3. But if he will not hear them to which he is bound by Moses Law then take help from the Romane Soveraignty Let him be unto thee as a Heathen or Publican esteeme him for a brother Jew no longer but proceed against him in that Court where Heathens and Publicans were to take their trial This is the natural and genuine Exposition of these words the precept belongs to the state of the Jews at that time and cannot be applyed to the Christian Church except by the way of Accommadation For it is clear that the case Saint Peter put was of private wrong Master how often shall my brother sinne against me and I forgive him and the case is put of a private wrong if thy brother shall trespasse against thee c. Whereas those cases in which the Church ought to proceed must be notorious and scandalous in which it is not necessary that the two admonitions precede either that private or the other under Witnesses neither after sentence past by the Church is the man to be accompted in the state of a Heathen or Publican for Christ and his Church did never refuse to converse with either So that it as not proper to understand these words of the Christian Church which then was not That yet they may be referred thither I gain-say not but then that which will be collected from hence can be no more but this that in the Church of Christ there must be a Court erected And so there alwayes hath been that it be Combinational onely there is not any man who looks upon this place with an unpartial eye can ever say that in this place there is a precept for it He may with more reason conclude the contrary because the Church concerning whom the precept was given Dic Ecclesiae was the Jewish Church which is confessed at that time to have been National not Combinational In this place then you missed your mark As for the other That to 1 Cor. 14.23 I wonder what you can pick out of it for a Combinational Church much lesse a precept for it The words are If therefore the whole Church be gathred together in one place
to proclaim as a Herauld the Word of God now whether this be within or without book is not material The Sheriff reads a Proclamation what then does he not therefore proclaim it And a man reads a Sermon to the people and this materially is the Word of God such that for the truth of it you dare not except against shall you then disavow it barely for the reading This is a childish exception yea and very dangerous also Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 5. pag. 51. For then it would necessarily follow that the vigour and vital efficacy of Sermons doth grow from certain outward accidents which are not in them but in their maker his virtue his gesture his countenance his zeal the motion of his body and the inflection of his voice who first uttereth them as his own is that which giveth them the form the very nature the essense of instruments available to eternal life Put case a man cannot read but desires to have a Sermon read unto him of Mr. Cottons Mr. Burroughs c. I would now ask you whether any good might come of it or no if not to what end are they published what meerly to publish to the world that the man is a man of rare parts and to no benefit of the Reader But if this last in earnest tell me why that the auditory may not be as much benefited by the Church Homilies read unto them as they may be by any private mans works should you nor I find any profit by what we read we might cast away our books Had indeed the reading of these Homilies quite excluded Preaching you had had some colour to except against them but the words of the Rubrick are these If there be no Sermon then shall follow one of the Homilies already set forth So that it presupposeth there should be a Sermon but in case there be not as if you look into the paucity of Ministers able to preach when that Constitution was made it was not possible there should be then it ordains Homilies to be read which only differ from a Sermon in this that the man hath it not without book Put case one of your own should in one Church read a Sermon that is in print and in another having committed it to memory preach it to the people would you not say that he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proclaim Gods Word in both places Indulge as much to us and then we will say he that reads and after committing the same homily to memory delivers it without book Preacheth In a word Impartially consider these Homilies that they are found for doctrin plain for the stile composed of the most necessary points of Religion and framed to the capacity of the vulgar so that those Ministers that were wont to read them had taken the pains to have learned them without book viva voce have delivered them to the auditory you had wanted what to say against them 3. Canon-Book-swearing This exception might have been well spared First because the Canons were not to be sworn too but subscribed as was the engagement Secondly because the holy Covenant and the negative oath were pressed upon us You must then acquit yout party for what they did before you can justly lay the pressure of the conscience upon us 4. If all bare heads were barred out from these places and utterly rejected for ever for ever being any spiritual Over-seers again afore they were inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifying and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience and also outwardly and orderly called by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church The Reply To cover or uncover the head in these places in the time of divine service is a Ceremony and therefore if the observation or non-observation of Ceremonies be a superstition he that uncovereth not his head may be as superstitious as he who is bare-headed The reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we usually translate superstition hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fear in it which proceeds from an imbecillity of the understanding which fears where no fear is is afraid that God will be displeased if such or such an external act be omitted or such or such an act done when one and the other may be omitted and done as occasions and circumstances offer themselves and God no way displeased The covering or uncovering of the head is one of these Ceremonies and he that thinks he may not be uncovered out of a fear to offend God is superstitious yea while he speaks against all Ceremonies is Ceremonious And he that thinks upon no occasion he may cover his head is Ceremonious also and yet for his superstition he hath a fairer excuse than the other For the one doth it for the most part out of contempt and perversenesse and in a disobedience to some higher power the other out of a kind of necessity which his present condition may put upon him and 't is a certain rule that charity dispenseth with all Ceremonies The one by it may give occasion to suspect his irreverence the worst that can be made of the other is that he desires to serve his God with fear and reverence as judging himself in his presence before whom he cannot be too vile The one hath no countenance nor colour of any Scripture for what he does the other looks upon those plain words of the Apostle Every man praying or prophesying having his head covered dishonours his head 1 Cor. 11.4 and thinks he is obliged to it as indeed he is till the meaning of the Text be otherwise cleared to him The question then ought to be this whether a man ought to be covered in the service of God If uncovered why do you jear at our bare-heads If covered why do you not keep your own rule but sit covered at one part of service and uncovered at another covered when a Chapter is read and expounded covered all the time of Sermon which yet I hope you will not deny is a chief part of Gods service which if you should deny I know not how you serve God and yet uncovered again at the singing of a Psalm at your extemporarie prayers before and after Sermon at the administration of the Sacraments Tell me what priviledge you have to dispense with this Ceremony in one part of divine service more than another Let it then be but considered who it is that speaks from heaven unto us that in voce hominis tuba Dei that it is God that speaks by mans mouth that the message is his and man onely the Embassadour to deliver it and then I think no man deserves a scoffe that hears it with a bare head When some of your party were prest with this argument at last they came to this result Bayly pag. 122. that there was a necessity for all men to keep on their hats all the time of divine actions more particularly at the time of the Celebration of the
and not otherwise and we have done The third place you alledge is Luke 4.16 where we finde that our Saviour read the Text of the Prophet Isaiah and applyed it and so much liberty shall be granted to any Minister if he be able to do it aright The Text was a Prophesie and every Prophesie is obscure till light by the opening of it be brought to it This did our Saviour and this do you and it shall not displease The reading of the Text may be proved from hence and the lawfulnesse of a Commentary or Exposition upon it but that necessity which you would enforce never This is still to be demonstrated The fourth place is Acts 13.15 Which no way proves what you intend for there we thus read after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation to the people say on then Paul stood up and said Men and brethren 1. Tremellius and Beza observe upon this place that first in their Synagogues there was the reading of the holy books that is the Law and the Prophets which they divided into so many Sections as there were Sabbaths in the year and to every Section out of Moses applyed a Section out of some Prophet that was most agreeable unto it These readings then could not be very short for otherwise they could not go through the whole in one year 2. These readings being ended then a Master of the Synagogue they had who gave liberty to preach Upon which Aretius notes that Admonemur hic observandum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 modestiam in proponenda doctrina quod non observant spiritus phanatici qui solent passim discurrere more furiosorum quosvis caetus interturbare suis clamoribus sine certa vocatione 3. It appears not here that Saint Paul preached upon any part of Moses or the Prophets that was then read neither was he moved by the Ruler of the Synagogue to do it but only to make an exhortation So that you can never conclude from this place that the Scripture may not be read except expounded Your last place is out of 1 Cor. 14.23 24. which makes lesse to your purpose then any of the rest the words are If therefore the whole Church be come together in one place and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned and unbelievers will he not say that ye are mad But if all prophesie and there come in one that believeth no or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all The Apostle in this Chapter shews some inconveniences that might happen even upon that gift which then God bestowed viz. an ability to speak divers languages That in this verse is that this their confused ostentation of tongues might alienate two sorts of people the weaker Christians whom he calls Idiots and those who were not yet converted whom he calls unbeleevers For put case that any of these should come into the Congregation and hear them speak confusedly in unknown languages would he not say you were mad for mad men do use to babble that which no man understands but sober men clear words which are intelligible But in Prophesie now there is no such inconvenience to be feared but the quite contrary profit to be expected For if it happen that all in the Church Prophesie that is out of the Oracles of God declare his justice and wrath against sinne his mercy toward the penitent shall enlarge themselves about the true worship of God the obedience and pious life that ought to be in Christians of sanctification of justification by Christ of eternal life a life of joy to the good and believers of a life of pain to wicked men and Infidels These or the like being heard from your mouths Infidels and unlearned men will say God is in you indeed i. e. that you never speak so aptly and wisely of such divine things but by assistance and motion of Gods Spirit This being now the genuine sense of the words I put it to your self to judge whether you can any fair way deduce your conclusion from them That there was then such who did instruct the people and preach unto them all necessary points of salvation may easily be collected from hence and that God bestowed upon them extraordinary abilities to performe that duty But that Scripture may never be read except expounded he that can conclude from hence I shall say that he may as quickly gather that an Ape being like a man in something therefore he is a man The words of the Letter IF there were no news amongst them of any Romish Rites or humane inventions as Matrimonial Bands Marriage-Rings signe of the Crosse white Surplice Quiristers singing Funeral Sermons Idol-sureties of God-fathers and God-mothers c. The Reply Romish Rites are of two sorts either such as are used by the Church of Rome and were of Ancient use in other Churches or such as are meerly Romane taken up and used in the Romish Church after it began to degenerate and was corrupted All those that are of this kinde we have exploded not only because there might be superstition in them but also because they were superfluous burdonsome and full of vanity and folly Those of the first kinde and such are those of which you speak because we have found them of perpetual use in the Catholick Primitive Church we yet retain Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 4. Sect. 3. ad 10. Now whether every Ceremony be to be abolished because it is in use among the Papists be pleased to consult with Mr. Hooker and he will resolve you that it is not And indeed if this were not true we might not kneel and lift up our hands and eyes at our prayers nor enter reverently into the house of God nor put our hand on the book when we take an oath nor sit in our Pues in the Churches when we hear nor preach upon any portion of Scripture because the Papists do so Evident then it is that Ceremonies are not to be excluded quâ Romish but as they have some other vitiousnesse adherent to them 2. Oh but these are humane constitutions that may be granted and yet the Rite nere the worse nor the lesse to be regarded About this point read again Mr. Hookers three first books of Ecclesiastical policy and he will satisfie any man that lists not to be contentious Synod of New Engl. cap. 1. The distinction is your own there are some things essential and some things circumstantial in Religion what is of the essence of it is immutable and must be prescribed by the word but what is circumstantial is circumscribed with general limitations according to the nature of the things themselves and civil Church custome so that if there be no errour of man concerning their determination the determining of them is to be accompted as if it were divine It lies
man that is conversant in the Scriptures will dare to affirme since into heaven no unclean thing shall enter and therefore Revel 21.27 1 John 3.3 2 Cor. 7.1 he that hath this hope purifieth himself even as he is holy and to that purpose those directions and exhortations are 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God and Rom. 12.1 2 1 Thess 5.23 with infinite places to the same purpose Do we not teach the Doctrine of Regeneration as well as your selves that a man must be born again if he will enter into the Kingdome of heaven and that of this Doctrine there be two parts John 3.3 Rom. 6. a death to sin and a life to righteousnesse your demand is therefore very unreasonable and I interpret it somewhat like a mock that I would finde in my heart to give you some notice of that which you know I do not defend and acquaint you with the grounds of that which hath no ground and therefore no good ground to stand upon This motion then as touching this part might have been spared and needs from me no farther consideration and meditation except it be to practice it And to that end you and all other Christians have need of it also if they are desirous to have a lively hope that they shall be everlastingly happy Now to that other part of this disjunctive or the seed of unholy parents you by this time know what I will answer that there is a right and priviledge belonging to the seed if the parents though wicked be Professours and Members of the visible Church It is but in vain to repeat the grounds upon which I have formerly defended it and till I see them made nâ—ll I shall defend it still and yet not so frowardly obstinately but that when I am convinced I shall readily yield You conclude all with these words This motion is my heavenly motion for my self the granting of which will engage me yet further to be to remain and also acknowledge my self From my lodging this 22. of the 8. Month. 1656. Your thankful Remembranceâ— In his nearest Approaches To the Throne of Grace The Reply That the motion is for your self I very much respect it because I have ever since I knew you born unto you much affection as judging that dislike you bore first to this my Mother of England to proceed rather from a mistake in judgment than any peevishnesse malice or frowardnesse of will not from any carnal or secular end but from tendernesse of heart But now that you have added heavenly to it it quickens me to embrace it the more for what friend what Christian friend would not lay out himself to help his friend forward in his way to heaven It was Cains churlish answer what am I my brothers keeper this is the voice of a Reprobate not of one guided by the spirit of lenity for such a one knows he ows to his brother consilium auxilium Bernard and that debt I have here paid If it may any way conduce to that end I intend it let God have the honour whom I have often sollicited in my prayers to assist and direct me in it All the weaknesse I take to my self and shall be ready to acknowledge and retract it when discovered Some passages in it you must needs passe by because you begin and a reviled parent hath made a dumb son speak If the words seem many consider how many and several things I had to answer In this length I have studied brevity and said as little as I could to every head and yet not so little but I hope I have cleared up all difficulties If it work not fully to change your judgment yet I hope it may have this effect to make you conceive a little better of our cause then hitherto you or rather yours have done and that it is not without reason that we remain what and as we were Pray let us have your pity if we may not partake of your mercy and think of us yet so charitably as Luther did of the Anabaptists of his t me O quam honesta mente hi miseri errant 't is with a good meaning these poor souls do mistake and therefore made a request unto Frederick Duke of Saxony that in his Dominion they might be favourably dealt withall and spared for that their errour exempted they seemed otherwise very good men The infamy that we were wont to be loaded withall was that we were worldlings time-servers pleasers of men not of God but time hath washed off these aspersions and shewed that we have little regarded the world in comparison of that we are fully perswaded is truth and Gods Ordinance Those indeed among us who were time-servers have served the time and become servants of men and if you look with an impartial eye upon the men you have little reason to boast of your purchase by them being for the most part such who should not have been continued among us but have been ejected by us could the desires of honest men have prevailed The better part have been constant chose rather to lose all then not to follow Christ Nudi nudum Some pity then I beg if it be but for their sake You may perhaps except that in many passages I make use of the Fathers Councels and Church-Records Pray remember that you began the way and cited to my hand Eusebius Socrates Evagrius the book of Martyrs Secondly remember of what the controversie is It is about the Agends and practice of the Church in all ages and of that how can any man be certifyed but by Records he must be held an unreasonable man who would look to finde that in the Scriptures no part of which was written in the Apostles dayes and could not therefore relate what was done afterward If any thing in them can be found contrary to the Scriptures by their own open Confession they may be rejected But when they tell you plainly what they were taught out of the Scriptures and what they finde generally believed and practised through the whole Church have they not reason to take it unkindly to be cast aside If you will examine their veracities by all those circumstances that are usually considered in taking mens depositions you will finde them strong on their side They were gracious and right honest men not only believed but known to be such by all the world They are acknowledg'd on all hands to be so judicious as would more blemish ones judgment than theirs to call it in question What they wrote of were matters of their own cognizance art and profession in which sure they would have a great care not to be mistaken Why then should we brand them in whom there was so much ability and good meaning to inform us of truth with the imputation of falshood and ignorance flattering
our selves that new and clearer lights shine unto us and that we know better how to regulate Christs Church than they Their private opinions do not interest our belief in such points we are as free as they But when we finde in them an universal concurrence and a constant narration of Apostolical constitutions delivered to Apostolical men and by them practised and so handed over from age to age we are deeply obliged to be well perswaded of it and to embrace it before any new invention whatsoever Had the dispute been of Articles of Faith I had forborn this passage for those are of another consideration but when it is meerly of the Discipline of the Church and that which depends upon that Discipline their authorities sway very much with me as all credible Authours must in matters of Fact with all wise men without which it is impossible for any man to be informed and confirmed in any thing that hath passed in the world before he was born I shall desire you therefore to take this into your consideration and not to passe too hasty a censure upon the fathers nor upon me for producing the testimonies of those Fathers It is now high time for me to beg your pardon for assuming so much license to your trouble To another I would have been more sparing but to you I have thus enlarged my self because I heartily desire your information at least that you may see that though I differ from you yet it is not out of a stubborn and perverse minde nor self-will as hath been imputed to me but upon such solid and evident reasons as it will not be easie for you to revel As I told you at first I am not of a contentious humour nor love not to tug at one end of the saw if you or any other take a delight to tug at the other I am sorry for it Far more comfort it were for us so small is the joy I take in those strifes to labour under the same yoke Hookers preface as men that look for the same eternal reward of our labours to be joyned with you in the bands of indissoluble love and amity to live as if our persons being many our soules were but one rather than in such dismembred sort to spend our few and wretched dayes in a tedious prosecution of wearisome contentions the end whereof if they have not some speedy end will be heavy even on both sides The numerous company of Shakers and other Sectaries that have sprung out of your root and the harvest the Pope hath made by these divisions together with the herds of Atheists and profane persons that as the Locusts out of the bottomlesse pit are risen to over-spread the Nation makes me more than fear what will be the end thereof The manifest godlinesse we glory in is to finde out somewhat whereby we may judge others to be ungodly Each others faults we observe as matters of exprobration and not of grief and then it is no marvail if the witty Atheists stand by and laugh and warme themselves at our fire I have here brought my bucket to extinguish it and my earnest motion is to you to bring another I know your endeavour may contribute very much to the cessation of this flame Lay it to heart and set it forward what you may and the God of peace will reward you for it I have somewhere read of an answer that Bishop Ridly then in prison and condemned to dye returned to a friend being informed that Mr. Knox was discontented with some things in the Liturgy which is worthy of Record and worthy to be well weighed Alas saith he that our brother Knox could not bear with our book of Common-prayer in matters against which although I grant a man of wit and learning as he is may produce popular arguments yet I suppose he cannot be able soundly by the Word of God to disprove any part thereof The like say I about the constitution of our English Church and Discipline though the wits of discontented men have been sharpned to finde out what to say against it and their arguments have prevailed too far on weak judgments yet I know that no man can be able to disprove any thing thereof from the Word of God which as to me it seems very far prevailed after that conference at Hampton Court with Dr. Reinolds who after lived a very quiet peaceable and sedentary life never disturbed the Church-government in the least nor disswaded any man from the embracing of the Discipline of this Church it may be his reputation would not suffer him publickly to recede And this let me be bold to tell you so is a great Remoâ—a that hinders many a learned man to confesse his errour and retract To which if that bewitching sin of profit be added the man is charm'd as is the Chobber Chobberim the old Adder that stops his ears at the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely And yet for all that I will not despair but will make a trial whether it be possible to charm this serpent Every man that undertakes to execute an office must be sure that his calling is justifiable otherwise though the work he does be good and his intent honest yet he commits a grievous sin There is no office in the Church higher than that of the Minister the duties he is to perform are sacred the administrations holy he ought then to be fully upon certain grounds confirmed that he is called to administer which can never be without he derive his power from those to whom God hath given a Commission That of the people as I have proved is a new a slight a fallacious foundation and for such I shall alwayes account it till I see it demonstrated to the contrary With what comfort then can any man execute his Ministry who till his Commission be assured to his conscience upon Scripture principles sinnes very hainously in every action that he does though done with never so honest a minde The punishment of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire of Vzzah for touching the Ark of Vzziah for invading the Priests office ought to sink very deep into the heads and hearts of such men Till they can assure me infallibly that the Power of the Keys is in the people which I am perswaded they will never do I shall never acknowledge their vocation and therefore much fear their doom This I would have seriously weighed and God Almighty give the successe to it then I shall the sooner hope that unity will be restored to the Church peace and prosperity to the Nation Religion will again flourish and the gates of Zion shall be built the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf Isa 11.6 and the young Lion and the Faâ—ling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together
part pag. 149. A Preamble AN ingenuous confession of our just provocation of Gods anger and a justification of his proceeding against us but that Papists and Sectaries alledge non causam pro causâ and the Authour hopes that upon our repentance and amendment God may return and have mercy on us 150. ad 153. Sect. 1. Of the vile and virulent head the Pope ibid. Sect. 2. Of the British King called in the Admonitory the violent head of this National Church 155 156. That this National Church was not next in naughtiness to the Romane ibid. That the British King was no violent head since in his Dominions he was the supreme Governour And every Superiour is in Church-matters Supreme by occasion of which the supremacy of all Superiours is vindicated 156. ad 161. The Reasons of the Admonitour to prove the British King a violent head proved to be very weak 161. ad 168. Sect. 3. Of the Provincial Church and its haughty horrible head as the Admonitour is pleased to call him the Arch-Bishop 170. Of the Cathedral Church and its head the Lordly Diocesan blamed by the Admonitour to be an idle and addle head 172. The vial of Gods wrath poured on the Cathedral justly but not quatenus Cathedral ibid. Of his Epithites idle and addle ibid. The title lordly Diocesan examined 173. The Prophesie of Isaiah 13.19 ill applyed 74. Of the Parochial Church and its head the oâ—de and eldest evil head as he is called in the Admonitory 175. ad 178. The Combinational Church a tradition of men ibid. What is to be thought of traditions 180. ad 182. Sect. 7. Of divers other things jeer'd at in the Admonitory as 183. 1. Communion book praying 185. 2. Homily book preaching 186. 3. Canon book swearing 187. 4. Covering or uncovering the head in time of divine service 187. 5. Of outward calling to be Over-seers in a cleansed Combinational Church 189. 6. Of reading the Scripture in Churches 190. 191 192. 7. Of Romish Rites imputed to us 194. 8. Of humane constitutions imputed to us such as are ibid. 1. Matrimonial Banes 195. 2. Marriage Rings ibid. 3. The signe of the Crosse 196. 4. White Surplice ibid. 5. Quiristers singing answered before part 2. 142. 6. Funeral Sermons 197. 7. Idol-sureties of God-fathers and God-mothers 198. The question discussed whether Baptisme may be applyed to the infants of profane Christian parents 202. ad 205. As also whether such whom our strait-laced men are pleased to call ignorant and scandalous livers may be admitted to the Lords Supper 205. ad 212. Of the Pue called in the Admonitory Monarchical and the Ministerial Pulpit 212. ad 215. A strange priviledge attributed to the Combinational Elders viz. That the Elders must stand and sit together in the face and full view of the whole Assembly 217. An answer to the recapitulation of the whole Letter 224. In the constitution of a Church how far all parties are agreed in what they disagree both in matter and form and integral parts 224. ad 225. That the texts alledged being well examined prove not the Covenant required by a Combinational Church 227. ad 236. A fault on all hands for misalledging the text We make no promise of eternal life to profane persons The conclusion wholly Apologetical 238 c. Place these Tables before fol. 1. Callis learned Readings on the Stat. 21. Hen. 8. Chapter 5. of Sewers The Rights of the People concerning Impositions stated in a learned Argument by a late eminent Judge of this Nation An exact Abridgment of the Records in the Tower of London from the Raign of K. Edward the second to K. Richard the third of all the Parliaments holden in each Kings Raign and the several Acts in every Parliament by Sir Rob. Cotton Kt. and Baronet PLAYES Philaster The Hollander The Merchant of Venice The strange discovery Maids Tragedy King and no King Othellâ— the Moor of Venice The grateful servant The Wedding FINIS