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A05689
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Cartain obseruations of that reuerend, religious and faithfull servant of God, and glorious martyr of Iesus Christ, Mr. Randal Bate, which were part of his daily meditations in the time of his sufferings, whilst he was prisoner in the gatehouse at Westminster
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Bate, Randal.
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1625
(1625)
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STC 1580; ESTC S117192
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109,500
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280
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Lord to anger That you sâ—ould dare to send such a lâ—me and bl nde mâ—ssâ—nger to the Lord of Frosts and such sacrâ—fices withall comming from the drowned in ignorance and superstâ—tâ—on and that you should put the Lords name upon such a Mâ—nister which is not sâ—â—t nor allowed by him Doe you nâ—t depriue your seluâ—s of those excellent and pâ—ecâ—ous treasures in the Gospell of Christ because you want a man to preach them Epâ—es 3 Doe you not hereby â—ndanger and loose your soules which liue in ignorance 2 Thess 2. Doe you know the anger of the Lord will be upon you for this Hos 6. Would you chuse for the bodies sake such a Physitian as hath no skill at all nor any good report to haue cured any under his hand Or such a Counsellour as could not advise but reade you a statute or book-case at all adventures Would you trust your sheep with an Idoll-shepheard that cannot tend them And will ye make so small account of your soules thus to passe them over O return and seek the Lord ye haue hitherto sitten in ignorance and in the shadow of death you never knew what the Gospell meant nor what a God the Lord is witnesse the base and wicked conceiving of him and carriage towards him in publique and private Wherfore let this moue you to provide you a man of understanding that may be able to fâ—ed you Turn you therfore from all your evill waâ—es that yee may be brought to Sion the place where the Lord will be found and seen of all his people Let none be so hardy as to maintain these in their Callings SECTION XIIII THe next sort of Minâ—sters wherof some doubt whether they may hear them or no are such as conforme to these ceremonies now controverted Which howsoever it come in them from an utter hatred of Popish devises and an heart carefull to keep themselues unspotted of the world yet without all questâ—on they erre Concerning thâ—s therfore that morâ— clearly the truth may be boulted out we will propound some grounds to stay upon 1 The Ordinances of God remain pure and holy though men be corrupt that administer them and so are like the Lord. 2 Private men are bound to try the doctrine of Mâ—nâ—sters and look to that rather then be examinâ—ng of their entrance into that Calling they are in this all the Scriptures run upon 3 God doth good to his Church by the gifts he hath given to wicked men for his people For they are fâ—om the Holy Ghost given to restore the Saints and for the work of the Ministry These things considered it may appear upon sufficient grounds that men may lawfully hear 1 Such as are conscionable in their Ministery though they erre in judgement for the Ceremonies and be ordained according to the manner of the times For first these haue the substance of a lawfull calling electâ—on and approbation from the people 2 Dissention in lesser matters hath never hindred either Communion nor estâ—emâ—ng one of another twixt the servants of God Phil. 3. 3 These are sent of God though not by this way they are not unlike to Iacob whose the blessing was though he should not haue sought â—t by lying 4 Their sin in admission is their own personall sin and cannot hurt others not partaking with it 5 Men may and ought to receiue their sendâ—ng not from men but from the Lord of the Harvâ—st Object It seemes to approue theiâ— sinne since men pertake with them in their Ministery which they haue gotten unlawfully Is it not to communicate in stollen goods Answ No for they ought to be admitted and the Ministery is theâ—rs and the Congregations choosing them onely it is their errour to come in by a wrong way Now to stâ—al is to take from men that which doth not belong unto them which cannot be applyed to them A second sort of Ministers are bad and corrupt in doctrine and manners these preaching many truths from God may be heard For 1 They sit in Moses chair Matth. 23.2 Moses chair is the doctrine of Moses otherwisâ— they should haue sit in Aarons chair if he had spoken of the Calling 2 Otherwise we should not yeeld absolute obedience to the doctrine taught except it were Moses doctrine 3 The main cause why the people should hear these is manifâ—sted by our Saviour but this is not so much succession in Calling as succession in Doctrine 1 These Pharisies had corrupted their Callâ—ng 2 They perverted the Law with their Glosses 3 Were ignorant of the righteousnesse of faith 4 Hipocrites in life and bitter enemies to the Kingdom of Christ 5 They preached the Word without authority coldly as did not stir affections 2 Arguâ— Doctrine and gifts are the Churches who may take their own from a very theife Yet these Cautions must be observed 1 That we be able in some measure to discern and try the spirits 2 That wâ— be compelled by necessity 3 That we bâ— careful to get what pâ—ivate and pubâ—â—que help possibly we can 4 That we hunger after other powerfull meanes and as soon as the Lord offers any we remoue and follow the light 5 Refuse private conversing with them 6 Contend for the truth in any paâ—t oppuâ—ned by them Object May not Popish Iesuits or the like then be heard Answ Thâ—se are the professed servants of the beast not of Châ—â—st for they haue quite changed the Ministery into a Priâ—sâ—hood 2 We are quite separated from this false Church by the commandement of the Lord and the Magistâ—ate and all Chuâ—ches assenting to the same 3 Thâ—se doe plainly seek to seduce us and withdâ—aw us from the worâ—hâ—p of the true God all which cannot be found â—n these of our own Church from which wee haue â—o such warrant to seperate nor doe seeke to draw us quâ—te from Christ in fa th Yet thus far let me speak to you of the Ministry thus corrupted that are negligent and doe not sorwaâ—n the peopâ—e of God of danger You that look to your own wayes and make your belly your God You that preach as they Ier. 5 that other Lords may â—ule over the flock of Chr st Considâ—r what you are Are you not men of God Should not you be holy that draw neer to the Lord Should you trouble the waters with your Tâ—aditions that none can drink almost w th a good conscâ—ence Should you make the sacrifices of God abhorred by your dâ—ssolâ—tenesse Should you smite with your tongues your fellow sâ—rvants whose Minâ—stery and conversation you know is better then your own Should you use the flock of Chrâ—st as you doe never visiting of them many of you If woe be to them that joyn house to house what shall become of you that joyn Congregation to Congregation and to these prebenships Dâ—anries c. Should you be terrible to the humbled and afflicted soules Surely the Lord will judge for his people Hear you that force men to things against their
HAving hitherto treated of some mayne grounds of the Magistrates authority the pillar of arbitrary government It remaines to come to the controversie concerning the persons by whom the Church is to be governed In handling whereof I desire the Christian Reader well to weigh the grounds against the form so much extolled now a dayes I know there are three special things that make men otherwise not evill-minded quâ—te rejâ—â—t our cause whâ—ch hee that wâ—ll jâ—dge â—â—ght of must lay aside else he shall bâ—â— blâ—ndâ—d so as he cannot dâ—scern the truth 1 The first is long and ancient custom in the Church of Christ wh ch to many is a law standâ—ng in great force For thâ—s first poâ—nt know there is no prescription against the King mâ—ch lesse against the King or heaven and even the best Churches haue had bad customes wâ—tnesse the Patrâ—aâ—kes Polligamy in doâ—ng evill and the omission of the feast of Boothes which was not kept from Ieshua till Iosiah Therfore thou must not so look what this or that man that were before thee haue done as what Christ the ancient of dares hath commanded thee to doe And the longer by any forged evidence his right hath been kept from him the more sâ—ould every one striue in his place to set him in possesâ—â—on again 2 A gâ—eat Obstacle is the allowance of the Magistrate of this government therfore sâ—ch as stand aga nst this form seem to derogate from Pr ncâ—s authority For thâ—t then though I know t dangerous to meddle w th â—uch persons yet the controversie being twâ—xt God and man who feares not the Lord more then all men Therefore this must firmly be held ever That the best Princes are subject to command appoint things unlawfull and hurtfull to the people Thus did David in numbring of the people thus Salomâ—n 2 The Magistrate is overborn with shews of reason as though this were the most profitable form So the sinne lies heavy upon them that perswade him 3 They that are the Defendants farre more incroach upon the Magistrates right then we doe As God willingâ—â— all be shewed in the things that follow hereafter 4 Reade in Hos 5 the great sin of the Isâ—aâ—lites for following the command of the Prince in subjecting themselues to the Trad tions then in force For Magistrates as they haue all authority from the God of heaven so ought they and all others to obey absolutely so far as may stand with his good pleasure Men must not like flattering Athiests imagine that Princes commands eâ—ther justifie evill or abolish the nature of that whâ—ch is good A third let is old Adam yet raignâ—ng in men which is the greatest enemy to the Kingdom of Christ and in this â—gnorance in many makes them stand for the present government dreaming that we would haue a strange confusion in the Church of Chrâ—st not conceiving what order was established in the Apostles time and that this order now in place keeps out the order which the Lord himselfe hath established Therefore reade first I beseech you brethren and then judge righteous judgment we would haue Christ raigne over all and each keep in that compasse he hath appointed doing their severall offices without intermedling with strange businesses which weaken and unfit them for the Churches service A second argument of corrupt nature is carnall desire of liberty which is the strongest adversary to beat down and vanquish For men haue ever resolved to break the bonds of Christ and not to haue him raign over them This makes many to rage and blaspheme the contrary form to these times because they are like untamed heyfers that cannot bear the yoke of Christ This should rather perswade against this present form of government since men naturally are enemies to God and cannot brook the Ordinances rightly to be administred and sâ—condly that to suffer men to haue their own will is a thing most dangerous to them as to the Israelites in choosing their King or obtaining Quailes Oh consider thou man that art called a Christian how thy disobedient life causeth the way of God to be evill spoken of and so thou layest stumbling blocks before Papists and Turkes and bringest fearfull woes upon thy selfe This comes in part for want of strict discipline and therefore be content to deny thy selfe and fall not upon Christ And ô yee that sit in the throne of God make way that Christ this King of glory may come in and set up his throne amongst us outwardly Many objections against this truth are brought especially the antiquity of Diocesan Bishops which haue been even since the Apostles times the seven Angels Rev. 2.3 they say were Diocesan Bishops and Histories mention the being and continuance of them in the Church To this it is and may be truely answered That there are divers kinds of Bishops 1 Apostolicall which onely are parishionall these were Pastors Teachers and Elders 2 Such as were Pastors onely though over many Churches such were the Bishops of the Primitiue times 3 Diocesan Bishops which came in afterwards and so they rose till they came to the Popedom That Diocesan Bishops were in the Apostles times it wants all shew of reason as is proved sufficiently before For that out of Rev. 2. 3 I referre the Reader to the discourse betwixt Mr. Downam and the Answerer of hâ—s Sermon Onely consider that cannot possibly be meant of Diocesan Bishops For Acts 20 Paul left none such but there all Elders are Bishops 2 All Ministers are Angels therfore it cannot be meant of Diocesan Bishops 3 It is against all hâ—istorie both Divine and Ecclesiasticall to bring in any such consoc ation of Churches witnesse the Centuries 4 The Lord if there had been divers Congregations in those places would haue spoken as Paul doth Gal. 1 To the Churches of Galatia to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus c. 1 It may be demanded how these could creep into the Church and men never espy them Answ Those first times were very troublesome which cunning and deceitfull men make their advantage for they fish in troublâ—d waters best of all 2 In Cities there was but one Congregâ—tâ—on when the churches were first planted and so but one Pastor which was called Bâ—shop onely which when the Church increased more congregations were established yet continued his carefull oversight which was then his Bishoprick not so much for desire of preeminence as either of ignorance of his duty in this kinde or provident care and respect such had of their brethren 3 Men gaue reason and caâ—nall policy too great rule both in ceremonies and discipline and the Church then labouring with contentâ—ons thought that the appointing of one over the rest would bee a meanes to still all and keep them in order 4 Men being chosen at first as arbitrators rather then Iudges for the excellency of their graces and deserts to the Church then for any authority of their places Others following in the same