semper valuit ut quae cunque ab hoc consensu confirmata videam mihi sacrosancta immutabilia videantur Bishop Carleton de Consen eccles cap. 11. cap. 277. and humble Christians do and ever did the constant clear and concurrent which is the truly Catholick testimony of the Church in which so much of the truth Spirit and grace of God hath alwaies appeared amidst the many cloudings of humane infirmities to be far beyond any meer humane record or authority in point of establishing a Christians judgement or conscience in any thing that is not contrary to the evident command of the written word of God However some mens ignorance and self conceited confidence like bogs and quagmires are so loose and false that no piles never so long well driven and strongly compacted by the consent and harmonious testimonies of the most learned writers in the Church can reach any bottom or firm ground in them whereon to lay a foundation of humane belief or erect a firm bank and defense against the invasion of daily novelties which blow up all and break in upon the antient and most venerable orders practises and constitutions of the Church where ever they are yet continued which being evidently set forth to me by witnesses of so great credit for their piety diligence fidelity harmony integrity constancy and charity I know not how with any face of humanity or Christianity to question disbelieve or contradict Under which cloud of unsuspected witnesses I confess I cannot but much acquiesce and rest satisfied in those things which others endlessly dispute because they have not so literal and preceptive a ground in Scripture Quod universa tenet ecclesia nec consiliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi autoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur August cont Donat. l. 4. In Concil Loodic Melito Episc Sard. missus ut autographa ubique decernat c. Constabit id ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecclesias fuerit sacrosanctum Tert. ad Mar. l. 4. however they have a very rational exexemplary analogical and consequential authority from thence which is made most clear as to the minde of God by that sense which the Primitive Doctors and Christians who lived with or next to the Apostles had of them and by their practise accordingly in the ways of Religion Thus the Canonical Books of the Scripture especially those of the New Testament which no where are enumerated in any one Book nor as from divine oracle any where commanded to be believed or received as the writings of such holy authors guided by the dictates or directions of Gods Spirit we own and receive as they were after some time with judgment and discretion rejecting many other pretended Gospels and Epistles antiently received by the Catholike Church and to this day are continued So also in point of the Church Government How in right Reason Order and Religion the Churches of Christ either in single Congregations and Parishes or in larger Associations and Fraternities ought to be governed in which thing we see that sudden variations from the Churches constant patern in all ages and places hath lately cost the expence not onely of much Ink but of much blood and have both cast and left us in great scandals deformities and confusions unbeseeming Christian Religion The like confirmation I have for Christians observing the Lords day as their holy Rest or Sabbath to the Lord and their variating herein upon the occasion of Christs Resurrection from the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath which is not so much commanded by Precept as confirmed by Practise in the Church so in the baptising of the Infants of Christian Parents who profeâ—s to believe in Jesus Christ onely for the means of salvation to them and their children which after Saint Cyprian Saint Jerom and Augustine affirm to have been the custom of the Catholike Church in and before their days so as no Bishop or Council or Synod began it Cypr. ep ad Fidum Aust ep 28. And no less in this of the peculiar distinct calling order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. Afric in Con. Carth. 1. anno 419. Some things in the Church are setled by Canon others by custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con. Nicoen office and succession of the Ministry Evangelical In all which if the Letter and Analogy of Scripture were less clear than â—t is so that the doctrines of those particulars which are among Christians counted divine were â—ike Vines and Honey-suckles less able to bear up themselves in full authority by that strength and vertue which they receive from the Scripture Precept where undoubtedly their root is and from whence they have grown shooted out so far and flourished in all Churches yet the constant judgment and practise of the Church of Christ which is called the pilâ—ar and ground of truth are stayes and firm supports to such sweet and usefull plants which have so long flourished in the Church of Christ whose custom may silence perverse disputes of corrupt and contentious minds And indeed doth fully satisfy and confirm both my believe and my religious observation of those particulars as sacred and unalâ—erable Nor hath any of those things Eucharistia sacramentum non de aliorum manu quaÌ„ prasidentium sumimus Tertul de Coro Mil. Impositionem manuuÌ„ qua Ecclesiae mininistri in suum manus initiantur ut non invitus patior vocari Sacramentum ita inter ordinaria Sacramenta non numero Calvin Inst l. 4. c. 14. sect 2. Amb. l. 5. ep 32. ad Valentin Commends that sentence which the Emperours Father had wrote touching judicatories and Judges in Church matters In causa fidei vel Ecclesiastici muneris eum judicare debere qui nec munere impar nec jure dissimilis constanter assero more clear evidence from Scripture or Catholick practice than this of the calling and succession of the Ministry of the Gospell hath wherein some men after due tryall and examination of their gifts and lives made by those who are of the same function and are in the Church indued with a derivable Commission and Authority to ordein an holy succession of men in the Ministry for the Churches use are by fasting prayer and solemn imposition of hands in the presence of the faithfull people publikely and peculiarly ordained consecrated set apart sent and authorised in the power and name of Christ to preach the Gospell to all men to administer the holy Sacraments and respectively to dispense all those holy duties and mysteries belonging to Christian Religion among Christian people that is such as profess to believe that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of Sinners Which holy and most necessary custom of ordaining some fit men by others of the same function to be Ministers in the Church hath not only the unanimous consent and practise of the Orthodox Christians and purest Churches in all ages from the Apostles times But no Hereticks or Schismaticks who owned any
Hemlock very hurtful or death in the pot being judged by the wisdom of the Church and State here and by the most learned Divines abroad to be within the liberty and compass of those things of Order and Decency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut ordinata acies As an Army with Banners in Rank and File where nothing may be deformed by being disorderly which by that one grand charter 1 Cor. 14.40 are allowed by God to be ordered by the prudence of any particular National Church And in which all Churches in all ages and places have esteemed their several Customs as Laws to them without any breach of Charity or prejudice of Christian Liberty or blemish of the Faith yet never perhaps without the offence of some particular Members in the Churches whose fancies easily finde fault with any things whereof themselves are not Fathers or at least Gossips Humble Christians will thank God for moderate enjoyments nor are they bound to contend for what they think best to the perturbance of the publick Peace Patience is a remedy always near easie and safe nor is it likely that the state of any Church on Earth will ever be so happily compleated as to have nothing in it which may displease any good man Cato optimè sentit sed nocet interdum reipublicae Tacit. or which may not exercise his tollerancy and charity which are generally more commendable and unsuspected virtues than those of zealous activity and publick opposition which commonly draw somewhat upon the dregs of self either as to Passion or Interest Et multis utile bellum Luc. Party or Concernment For who is so mortified that doth not hope to get something of credit profit or honor by adhering to any side or new faction against the former setlings How many learned and godly men are and ever will be till better grounds be produced from Scripture Reason and practise of the Primitive Church unsatisfied with the parity and novelty yet pretended Divine Right of the sole-headless-Presbytery which chalenges to it self as from Christ such a supreme power as is exclusive and destructive of all Episcopacy that is of the constant Presidency of one among other Presbyters so placed by their own choice and consent And no less unsatisfied are thousands of learned and good Christians with that power of Lay Elders for so they are best called for distinction sake and not Ruling Elders lest by that title of Ruling they should fancy and usurp the sole power of rule to themselves which undoubtedly is equally if not eminently due to the Preaching Elders who labor in the Word and Doctrine Touching which point of Lay Elders in the Church I have read two Books written above thirty years since by a very learned godly and impartial Divine Master Chibald of London In the first of which he proved these Lay Elders to have no place office use Mr. Chibalds two Books of Lay Elders power or maintenance assigned them by Scripture nor ever in any Church of Christ which he demonstrates in the second Book which is full of excellent reading as to the Fathers Councils and Histories of the Church In none of which he findes them to have any footing as to office and power upon any Divine Right ever owned in the Church nor can they now have in every little Parish or private Congregation where the Country plainness may afford careful Over-seers for the Poor and Church-wardens but not fit men to match with the Minister and to fit as Rulers to govern their other Neighbors who will hardly believe they have authority from Heaven to rule them unless they see more abilities in them than usually can be found What use may be made of such Elders in the way of Prudence among greater Representations of the Church as in Synods and Councils he leaves to the wisdom of those that have power in such Conventions to call and regulate them But he denies any thing as of Divine Right belonging to them so as to binde every Parish or Congregation to have them which would be ridiculous and most inconvenient Both these Books being seven years since committed to the hands of Master Coleman as then a Licencer were unhappily either smothered and embezzled or carelesly lost to the great detriment of truth in that particular For truly in my best judgement and in other mens of far better to whom I imparted them never any thing was written of that subject more learnedly more uprightly more copiously or more candidly especially considering the Author was one that scrupuled some things of Conformity In like maner how few Christians in any Reformed Church are satisfied with those new and strange Limbs rather than Bodies of Independent Churches which word of bodying into small Corporations is as a novel so a very gross expression and hath something of a Solecism not onely in Religion which owns properly but one Body of Christ Rom. 12.5 We being many are one body in Christ 1 Cor. 12.13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body which is Christs which is his Catholike Church whose communion with Christ the onely Head and one another as Members in several Offices and Operations is by the same Faith the same Scriptures the same Ministry the same Ministrations and as to the main and substance the same Christian Profession But it is also incongruous and absurd in ordinary significancy of Language while by such a singular Bodying they mean a Spiritual Union of those that pretend to be most Spiritual Christians Which names and novel inventions about constituting and compleating Churches in so many fractions parcels and places a part from all others by the means of an explicit Church Covenant as they call it how unscriptural how unconform to the examples of all ancient Churches how impertinent as to Piety how dangerous and destructive to the Truth Union Harmony and Dependance which ought to be among all Christians 1 Cor. 12.25 That there be no schism in the body i. e. In that one Body of Christ the Catholike Church and all Churches to avoid Schism in that one Catholike Body of Christ do they seem to many judicious and gracious Christians who think themselves and all others that profess to be Christians sufficiently added and united to the Church as the Primitive Believers being once baptized were without any more a do yea and declaredly bound by their * Acts 2.42 They that gladly received the word were baptized and the same day there were added to the Church about 3000. souls Baptism and Profession to all Christian conversation charitable communion and holy walking by these Publick Bonds and Sacraments of Religion which they owned and of which they were publickly partakers and professors So that not onely in these but in many other things we see the remedies which some men apply to former seeming distempers do to many men seem worse than the diseases ever were The little finger of grievances scruples
their judgements conceive or in their upright consciences laying aside all partialities and obliquings to worldly interest but meerly regarding the glory of God the good of soules and the honour of the reformed Religion if they shall conclude that there is indeed more evidence and power of Gods Spirit both in gifts Ministeriall and in holy successes in those men that stile themselves inspired men speciall Prophets and new modelled Preachers if they be found to have more of godly learning of sound wisdome in the mysteries of Christ of sincere piety zeal and charity to the glory of God and mens soules good if they are filled with divine endowments for praying preaching duly exhibiting the holy Mysteries for edifying the Church for maintaining the truth of the reformed Religion and the peace of this Church and Nation if they have greater courage constancy industry and conscience to carry on the great worke of saving soules if they have more authority from the word of Christ from the Apostles practise from the Catholick precedents of the Church of Christ in all ages and places by which to clear their call to the work of the Ministry beyond what is produced for the ancient and ordained Ministry of this Church Truly we do not desire to be further injurious or hinderances to any mens soules God forbid the Ministers of the Church of England should be so much lovers or valuers of themselves or envious to other mens excellencies or enemies to your and the Churches welfare as not to be willing to be laid aside that these new mens more immediate and greater sufficiencies higher inspirations and diviner authority may doe that work to which we are found so unsufficient defective and unworthy But if these pretenders to more spirituall prophecying preaching and living be by wise and godly men who love not to mock God or dally with matters of salvation and eternity which is the end of Religion weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary of the divine institution of Christs mission of the Apostles succession of the primitive custome and of the Catholick order in all ages and Churches if the grounds of right reason of good order policy and government be duely considered which require distinction in all societies sacred and civill and avoid confusion most in the things of God if the judgement of the most learned usefull and holy men in all ages be pondered if these new mens Spirits and gifts be throughly tryed by the touchstone of Gods Word if their secular aims and warpings to the world be narrowly looked into if the deformitie of their words and works be considered if their simple or scandalous writings be duly examined if the successes of their endeavours and essays hitherto in many places be seriously thought of which are evidently proved to be very sad and bad little promoting either truth or peace holinesse or comfort to any peoples souls nor any prosperity and advancement to this Church or any Christian reformed Religion if they be found in ignorance and weaknesse or in factiousnesse and insolencies or in pride and avarice or in erroneousnesse and licentiousnesse so farre too light that they are not so much as the dust of the ballance compared to the reall excellencies of those true Ministers of this Church which have been and still are and may be in this Church if men be not all given over to lusts and strong delusions God forbid any excellent Christians should be tempted by fear or flattery or any fallacy of novelty gain or liberty to desire or endeavour or approve a change which will be so shamefully and desperately pernicious both to themselves and to their posterity BUt these Antiministeriall adversaries 4. Calumny or Cavill Against humane and secular learning in Ministers who would fain impose upon the credulous world with the pretentions of some speciall gifts and Inspirations of Gods Spirit which are as yet no way discovered by them in word or deed as I have shewed being conscious to themselves that indeed they come short of those common endowments by which the mindes of men are oft much improved through study and good learning they seek to oppose and decry that in all Christians and especially in Ministers which they despair of themselves So that not a dumb spirit but a silly prating and illiterate one possesses them which cryes out against all humane learning and usefull Studies as the divels did against Christ What have we to doe with thee Matth. 8.29 Great calumnies and contempts are raised by these men and their Disciples against all liberall Arts and Sciences all skill in the tongues and histories against all Books but the Bible and some of them can hardly dispense with that too since they take all books to be of the same nature with those conjuring Books which were burnt Act. 19.19 against the Schooles of the Prophets and all Vniversities as heathenish Antichristian marks of the Beast as deformities darknings and impertinencies where we have Scripture light Also prejudiciall to that more immediate divine teaching or Institution to which they pretend and by which they say they learn and teach all true Religion which they tell us is so sufficiently furnished and fortified as the new Jerusalem with its own walls Revel 21. made of pretious stones the impregnable strength of truth and the splendour of the Spirits gifts that it needs none of these mudwalls and bulwarks of earth which men have cast up Beautified enough with its own native innocency and glory it desires not any of these raggs and additionall tatters of humane learning which they say hath so tossed and torn Religion with infinite and intricate disputes that the solidnesse and simplicity of true Divinity is almost quite lost and confounded Christ is almost oppressed by the crouds and throngs of such as are called Rabbies and learned men who may well spare their pains in the Church of Christ Isai 54.13 Ioh. 14.26 Ioh. 16.13 where the Lord hath promised that all shall be taught of God that his Spirit shall teach them all things and lead them into all truth Answ I see the Devill is never more knave Answ 1. The craft and folly of this cavill against humane learning than when hee would seem to turn fool How willing is he to have all men as ignorant weak and unlearned as these Objecters are that so none might discern his snares and gin◠of which these Ignato's are to be his setters fain would he have all Christians yea and Preachers too such * Hos 7.11 silly birds without heart that they might easily be circumvented by his strategems and catched with his devices The better to act those Tragedies which he intends against the Reformed Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. he would have the windows shut up and the light shut out These are the Fauxes with dark lanthorns to blow up all and the Judasses who are guides to them that
such small stuffe as thâ—se Antiministeriall Teachers intend to brew whereby to keep all Christians as they pretend in a sober simplicity which project is among their other weak and silly conceptions For the fames and â—entâ—sities arising from ignorance emptinesse and want of good sustenance may more trouble the brain with giddy whimseyes and dizinesse than can ever be feared from competent repletions unlesse men have very foul stomachs or hot Livers Wise men know to keep the mean between the riot and the want of learning There are faith Plato two diseases of the Soul of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 madnesse and ignorance Plato in Timaeo Madnesse is from the abounding with pride and passion Ignorance from the want of knowledge and instruction Ignorance is but a tamer madnesse mad men have lost their wits and ignorant men never had them Learning and Religion cure both The highest and most incurable madnesse is an ungracious hatred of learning and an irreligious love of ignorance We see by sad experience That true Religion is as subject to be drowned by inundations of barbarity and deluges of unlettered people fit to be followers of Goths and Vandales or listed with Jeek Cade and Wat Tylar or subjects to the titular King of Sion John of Leyden as it is to be scorched by the hotter beams of those Phaethons who unskilfully manage the chariot of the Sun that is make an ill use of good learning Which is as the light of the world wherein Christian Religion is most honourably and most usefully enthroned when it is guided aright neither depressing reason too low by fanatick novelties nor exalting it too high by intricate subtilties Medio tulissmus ibis Ovid. but keeping the middle way of the necessary plain and most demonstrable verities of Religion which the Compasse of right Reason measures exactly by the scale of Scriptures 9. Object Many unlearned have been holy c. But these Objectors tell us That many holy and excellent Christians of the common and unlettered sort of men have been Worthies in grace and godlinesse who never found any want of Sâ—â—ls armour those * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great incumqrances great volumes nor those perplexed studies in pestred libraries That the * Nulla aconita bibuntur Fictilibus tunc illa time cum pocula sumas Gemmatas c. Iuv. poysons of opinions are seldomer drunk or pledged in these earthen vessels than in those of gold or silver That their simplicity was contented to enjoy that one book necessary The Scriptures All other bookes they would have been contented as these men now to have them sacrificed to Vulâ—an an heathen god and meriting such heathenish oblations Answ No doubt but many very good Christians have been happily instructed Answ setled and preserved in saith and holinesse who never were learned in any book but that of the Scripture * L. 1. de Doctr. Christian S. Scripturas memo ia tenuit intelleâ—it sine scientia literaâ—â—n S. Austin tels that Anthony the Hermite who could not read had all the Scriptures by heart and understood them well yea many who never â—ead any word in the Bible yet have been blest by the Ministry of the Gospell to beleive and obey the truth of it which is indeed the life of religion and the quintessence of all learning Yet it was the happinesse of those honest Christians that they never met with such pragmatick depravers of all good order piety and learning and Ministry as these now are for certainly they had never learned from such as these despisers of learning and Ministers are either the letter or the true sense of the Scriptures which they attained by the learned labours of their Ministers chiefly both reading translating and interpreting and preaching the Scriptures to them They were happily freed from such praters whose pride and folly is heavier than any lead or the sand of the Sea Pro. 27.3 whose ungratefull humour would have taught them first to have cast off all their true Ministers and Teachers next to despise them and lastly to destroy them by a most pious madnesse and spirituall ingratitude They are not only blind but mad men who wanting eyes themselves would have all their guides see no more than they do that so both might fall into the ditch Whereas the humility of all sober Christians was ever such as equalled their piety exceeded their knowledge and compensated their illiteratenesse so as to be farre enough from thinking themselves equall to or above the first three their lawfull Pastors and learned Ministers by whose faithfull endeavours and studies those saving truths and holy mysteries were prepared for them and set before them So that however they did indeed eat clean food the finest of the bread of life yet they could not but consider whose plowing and sowing and gathering whose thrashing and winnowing and grinding whose kneading baking had provided and prepared those savory and wholesome victuals for them which their own blindnesse and feeblenesse like Isaacks could never have provided or catered for themselves That they did alwayes blesse those Ministers and that God who sent such Josephs to provide and distribute the food of heaven to his otherwayes destitute and famished Church which alwayes consisted for the most part of that plebs or community of faithfull and poor Christians who were alwayes happy in this that although they had not provision of learning in their own storehouses and cisternes yet still they might have recourse to and make use of their Ministers fulnesse and store whose lips ought to preserve knowledge and to dispense it without envy or grudging who rejoyced most when their fountaines were most flowing forth to the refreshing of poor soules The abilities of learned Ministers have alwayes been like Jacobs and Moses his strength Gen. 29.10 a means to rowl away the great stones Exod. 2.17 which lie on the wels mouth the Scriptures which are too heavy for ordinary shoulders and to protect feebler Christians from insolent opposers So that as the Eunuchâ—â—â—ked how he should understand Act. 8.31 without an Interpreter to guide him Ministers are therefore set by Christ in his Church for lights that each might enjoy them as much as if each had their sufficicencies As the meanest part of the body hath as much use of the eye Exod. 16.18 as if it were an eye it selfe That as it was in the Israelites gathering Manna so it is in the Church of Christ when setled and flourishing He that gathered much had no overplus and hee that gathered little had no lack So those honest Ideots and Lay-Christians who have little or no learning beyond that faith and plain knowledge of the mysteries of Christ and the holy duties belonging to a Christian yet have no want of learning And learned Ministers who have attained most eminent skill in all sorts of good learning by Gods blessing on their studies have no