be made a tormenter of mens consciences which serves to preserve and confirme Faith and to comfort afflicted consciences and son these ends was ordained by God I hope you will bear with us patiently if in this we differ from you And a little after In the second held there is yet a greater difficulty for though we know that one should be excluded yet wee see no reason why he upon his repentance should bee longer suspended from the Communion for seeing the Lords Supper is a publike thanksgiving and belongs to the Confession of Faith we thinke it a hard case that a Christian should be forbidden to doe that which in it selfe is just holy and a Christians chiefe duty you rely upon that place Matth. 18. of which much may be said but for brevities sake I forbeare But let us yeeld that such an excommunication is there commanded yet by that place can be meant no longer time then till he confesse his repentance and acknowledging his fault desire reconciliation with the Church For he that said Let him be to thee as a Publican and Heathen the same commands us to forgive our offending brother seventy times seven times by which precept there the Church is bound I hope you will not deny for there also you will say Excommunication is handled For why should the Church which consists only of Christians be more rigid in punishing of offences then becomes private men Or by what reason shall she call him a stranger from the Lords Family whom the Lord himselfe of the Family hath received into grace We would faine see some example to prove that God will not presently receive converted Penitents Did not that prodigall sonne publikely offend against his Father his elder Brother the whole Family yea against heaven it selfe Did not he give scandall both at home abroad yet upon his repentance and confession of his sinne his Father presently pardons him restores him to his former dignity honours him being restored with the ring of reconciliation and for him will have that fat Calfe killled that hee might feast and rejoyce with his whole Family Why then should we debarany longer from that joyfull and saving feast of the Church those that make the same confeshon with her why then should we exact new satisfactions But there is danger you 'l say least they counterfeit repentance I confesse it But shall we avoid this danger if whole yeares they be kept off from the Communion Truly no length of time will reclaime a wicked Hypocrite Neither let us feare to be deceived whilest we imitate God the Fathers Gentlenesse If Hypocrites deceive us it s to their own danger they will to themselves eate and drinke damnation we shall be blamelesse But I beseech you Brother may not we our selves bee deceived and in our rash zeale exclude him from the Supper who being truly converted Christ feedes with his owne body and bloud How unfitting is it to cast him into a new sorrow whom the Sonne of God will have to rejoyce in him How shall we excuse that rigidnesse in rejecting him whom the Lord receiveth into his armes Here surely we may fear lest wee be found companions of that naughty servant who having obtained mercy of his Master used his fellow servant hardly c. And shortly after what you write concerning setting up of Presbyteries in Churches we will easily admit where there is no Christian Magistrate For some there must be by whose authority they may be contained in their duty who are apt to offend lest Religion bee exposed to scorn among strangers But under Christian Princes this care will bee fitter and safer committed to them who sit at the sterne of Government And I know not how safe it may be to create a new Magistrateship for many inconveniences may follow which are tedious now to renearse But this I cannot dissemble in the Palatinate the greatest scandals fell out by the fault of the Elders erected there And who I pray will endure such censures hereafter who suffered the Sicilian an impure Sodomite and a most pestiferous calumniator to escape unpunished that hee might not be drawne before the lawfull Judges For they thought it fit to proceede slowly that they might be the Judges of that mâ—tter Upon this reason an Italian one well knowne to you and a good man excused them when I objected this example to him Now what is it to claime the Magistrates office to themselves iâ— this be not Mans ambition truly is unsatiable and few are found who grow not insolent upon any power committed to them And if we will look upon ancient stories we shall finde that the greatest and most dangerous scandals of the Church proceeded from the Bishops and other Ministers which wee may now see in Germany among the Lutheran superintendants who think they may do any thing being armed with too much power but what shal we hope of them who in Heydelberg plead this cause This one boldnesse doth suffâ—ciently admonish us by which they accuse all men of Atheisme that will not subscribe to their opinion and indeed such men as excell in faith doctrine and holinesse of life If then we feare least a new tyrannie be set up in the Church upon these principles who will say our fear is without cause But as I wrote else-where wee will not hinder them to enjoy their own meaning who thinke they can profitably use this forme of Discipline We only tell them this that they must not goe about to put or to thrust the same shooe upon every mans foot and for a point yet in controversie and whose forme cannot bee every where the same pull the Churches asunder and by making new controversies make themselves ridiculous to the common-enemy To this purpose serves that which Bullinger wrote in a certain Epistle to Peter Dathenus where amongst many other passages he writes thus What we think and what we have ever thought of Churches discipline you cannot be ignorant whereas we have briefly touched it in that confession of the Helvetian Churches but lately published wee never taught that there should bee no Church Discipline at all which we confesse to be needful Concerning the manner and way of this Discipline all men are not nor have not been of the same opinion Our Church never mingled Christs mysticall Supper with Church-Discipline neither hath she been for ought I know therefore accused of impiety by any one neither had we ever a Presbytery or any such Ecclesiastick Senate which examined Communicants or admitted to the Communion or excluded from it sinners those I mean who by their comming to the Supper after serious and grave admonitions do as it were promise amendment of life and desire to give thankes with all their hearts for their redemption We think that wicked men and such as offend the Church should be curbed some other way and amended For we suppose and believe that the Lords supper was instituted by him not to be a Fan
still holy who give and receive yet I cannot see how with their sanctities they can beware of the terminus per quam for not onely may that objective sanctity be violated if Lay-men touch the almes which he much feares but many other doubts will arise to wit whether if the Preacher himselfe or Deacon be a thiefe or a knave such mischances they say fall out somtimes in Walachria shal not that sanctity then be altogether prophaned Again if that money should be sent over to Ireland or elswhere and cannot be touched or handled but by holy men whether this treasure can without sacriledge be committed to a Servant Post or Money-changer For it seldome falls out that in such sore of men is found positive or comparative much lesse superlative holinesse which if required so rigidly to the receiving and distributing of this Elâ—â—mosynary collection innumerable accidents will fall out among the Walachrians by which they will bee forced to pollute their own sanctity so that the Stilt-walker hath borrowed from the Pope that rotten Impostor all these lurking holes of sanctity who every where hath scraped together Chymeras that he might blind Lay-men as it were with the smoke of sanctity and might bring them into subjection to himselfe Apolonius had never been so contentious for this vizard of sanctimony if hee had not been willing rather to imitate Antichrist then Christ For Christ excellently understood how great the sanctity of almes was which by holy men was given to holy men yet hee was so little sollicitous that this sacred money should passe onely through a sanctified hand that he committed this busines to Judas whom he knew to be a Divel whereat it had been as easie to him to have committed this to some more holy If he will preferre Judas a Thiefe a Traytor a Divell in sanctity to the pious Magistrate the Stilt-walker for me may enjoy his owne paradox He spends much time in commending the example of the Apostolicall Church in which Almes were handled onely by Ecclesiastick persons as Deacons and no wayes by Lay-men who then were no part of the Church but her enemies this he cries out is to be held for an inviolable and perpetuall law But I have shewed already that in this Apolonius playes the foole for the Apostles did not any thing concerning the circumstances of divine worship which were changed in processe of time yea they themselves did change them otherwise let him tell me why first did Christians bring their goods and lay them at the Apostles feet and afterwards this custome was abolished Why at first had the Apostles care of the poore and charge of the Tables and afterwards eased themselves of this care Why againe as occasion served did they take this care upon them Why were Bishops of old Paul himself maintained by the collections of the church afterwards stipends were received of Lay-men as now it is Do Christians at this day violate Pauls precept 2 Cor. 6.3 whilst they goe to law one with another about worldly busisinesse which he forbad the Corinthians grievously reproving them Custome and time can change many things in the circumstances of worship for main causes without offence If we beleeve Apolonius Lay-men were not admitted into the Church under the Apostles if this be perpetuall why are they not now kept out Who seeth not a plain cause of this change Of old they were not admitted within the Church because they were enemies and wolves after wards they were admitted because they became friends keepers and nursing Fathers of the Church The like must we say of Almes the Apostles did not demand them of any without the Church the reason because they were enemies they would not take them Now because they may without controlment give and as faithfull members of the Church will give them why should their bounty be rejected But saith he this is Arminianisme and so all the offices of divine worship may to the ruine of religion be transferred upon Lay-men As though forsooth Arminius desired the ruine of religion who however he had his errors yet in this he was the friend of Religion because he was a stout enemy against the Pope For he if ever there was any in the world is the over-thrower of Christs worship and religion Now whereas the Stilt-walker doth in every thing imitate him he hath also borrowed from him this whorish impudencie imposing upon another the ruine of Religion which hee himselfe by all the meanes hee can endevoureth to overthrow But in this hee followes his old masters the Pharisees in casting odious names upon the truth as they injuriously called Christ a Nazarite a Samaritan a Carpenter Surely Religion should not be ruined if godly Magistrates at this day being furnished with faith and spirituall gifts should performe and help all the Offices of the Church in which I have shewed there is no speciall sanctity now which should cause them to forbeare if they had fit gifts and the matter it selfe required it in this case Religion should no more perish then when Saul was among the Prophets Apolonius is afraid lest his pride will bee brought down for like a new Papist he will have some mysterious sanctity to lye hid in his Church-businesse not to be medled with except by Church-men of his own stamp Which device because he sees his lay-men to despise herailes and is more foolishly mas then heretofore Moses his servant when he saw Eldad and Medad prophesie in the camp being but ordinary men which he conceived to be an absued thing and disgracefull to Moses therefore sayd Moses forbid them but Moses being possessed with a better spirit then the Stilt-walker at this day Num. 11. answered would to God all did propheste However these things are consonant to truth yet he needs not fear that godly Magistrates have either leasure or desire to thrust themselves upon Church-businesse and confufedly to performe them they have left this care for order sake to Preachers to whom for this end they have collected Stipends and a privat life but yet they must not beleve that Magistrates are not to look into Church-businesse nor to care for religion and if need be to perform religious duties and to punish negligent and gâ—ady-hearded Ministers as their hirelings The Magistrates of Middleburgh did think of nothing lesse as they say then to put off the care of the poor or to forbid the Church or the Dâ—acons to meddle with it as the Stilt-walker accuseth them in his writings but onely to crosse Apolonius in his Popish pride which was That the care of the poore belonged onely to him and his Church-men by sacred and divine right and with such rigor that he openly writes that Magistrates do oppose Gods word the divine right of the Church and their nationall oath and 〈◊〉 they give occasion to wrong divine worship and Religion if they offer to undertake the care of the poore either alone in the Churches name
also shewed a great measure of spirituall gifts in themselves so that not without cause their authority was great in the Church yet not as Christs proper and immediate Legates but of the Apostles yet they were divine and excelled in the gifts of the Spirit Since their departure that glorious way of calling and conferring of gifts by imposition of hands ceased that scarce three hundred yeares after Christ did there any whit of this rare vocation remaine yea Antichrist breaking out in the place of gifts all sorts of corruption and vices succeeded And yet if we look upon the lights of ancient times namely Austin yea Bernard in the yeare 1300. shining as a light in Cimmerian darknesse we must confesse that this Walachrian Jugler is but ice to compare to those fires of whom I think none durst venture to proclaime himselfe Christs immediate Legate as this trifler every where doth He is like those Painters Luke 2. which picture the Virgin Mary in Princely robes and with rich hangings because she was descended of the royall blood of King David of whose riches she had nothing when Christ was born but was destitute of all riches The titles that remaine are as blasphemous as fallacious 9. Pontisicis the Apostle in that notable place to the Hebrewes willing to exalt above all humane reach Christs incommunicable and ever to be adored vocation Heb. 5.4 to his eternall Priesthood and Mediatorship for the whole race of mankinde doth chiefly illustrate it by the excellency of the manner which he declared by the typicall calling of Aaron in glory exceeding the inauguration of all the Leviticall High Priests that succeeded him which notwithstanding the manner of Christs eternall Priesthood did infinitely excell in that he received his inauguration not from any earthly man but from heaven for to none of the Angels was it said Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee of which the Apostle speaks plainly when he saith Heb. 1.5 no man takes unto himselfe this honour but he who is called of God as Aaron was and Christ whence it is apparent that it is temeritie for any man after Christ to take upon him the priviledge of this title yet Antichrist the old Romish Pope durst doe it priding himselfe in this as in many other things that he hath succeeded Christ as his Vicar and high Priest in the Militant Church Our Stilt-walker following the foot-steps of his Predecessor doth not indeed as yet brag that he is high Priest but desirous to make an impression of the excellency of his preaching function upon unskilfull and superstitious people he is so often commending it that he would have all men believe what the Apostle speakes of Christ alone and Aaron to be meant of himselfe and such as he for he takes this for a generall rule that no man is called to a sacred function except also this belong to him that he hath not assumed this honour but hath received it of God This indeed did appeare in Aaron typically in Christ truly But he that will search for this in the Popes naughty vocation or in that vicious and humane calling of Apollonius as I have described it will wrong Christ 10. Titâ—â—â— spousi quad sit maritus Ecclesiae and will make us believe that to be true which we see and know to be contrary Apollonius thinks it also no meane title for a Bishop to be called the Bridegroome and Husband of the Church if this be true they will suppose that the Church whose lesser and meaner part is the Magistrate must bee subject to the Minister as a wife to the husband because it is plainely said to the woman thy will shall bee subject to thy husband But these parabolicall allusions are of little weight among wise men if in Scripture sometimes the title of Husband or Bridegroome were given to Ministers but it is so farre from this that in it we find the Baptist conferring this honour on Christ alone that he is the Bridegroome because he hath the Bride reserving to himselfe the title of friend onely which modesty is farre different from the pride of moderne Papists who boldly prate that they are the Bridegroomes and therefore have the Bride I think that it is more injurious to Christs incommunicable honour for one to call himselfe a Vicar Bridegroom or Husband then the Ministeriall head of the Church Concerning the indignity of this last many books have been written against the Pope whereas notwithstanding it is evident that this involves no dishonour to Christ if he have under him a Ministeriall held but it containes obscoenity for one to be called Vicar Bridegroome or secondary Husband of Christs Church upon earth But I will not spend time about this as any great matter I will only drive this Walachrian Papist to quotlibetary fooleries by which he may with his old friends delight or vex himselfe For first I will aske if a Pastor or Preacher be the Bridegroom or Husband of the Church what kind of Husbands were the Apostles who had no particular Church but had the care of all If he say they were not Husbands or Bridegroomes which they themselves would have easily acknowledged he will make them lesse worthy then the Walachrian night-birds but if on the contrary he doe confesse it he will bring upon them the suspition of bawdrie as though they had power every where to lie with other mens wives Which monster Mahomet in his Alcoran did challenge to himselfe that according to his propheticall majesty he might have power to leap into every womans bed Againe if he saith that the Church is married to ordinary Pastors I aske whether it be not an unseemly thing for one woman to have many husbands which no Law doth allow and yet in this spirituall marriage there is nothing more common for many Churches have two three foure Pastors and perhaps the Church of Middleburg hath many more and consequently husbands which if he shall make use of as his Vicars to lie with his wife Apollonius himselfe will make her to be suspected of adultery except he be assured that she will be loyall to him as the cheif husband yet he shall carrie the hornes when he gives way to his colleagues as his underlings to make use of her But if one Church be duly married to one husbands I aske again if any thing can be more proper for marriage then indissolubility but in this holy and spirituall wedding there is nothing more absurd for no sooner doe young men leave the Schoole but out of the heat of their youth they begin to be suiters neither is there any Church so meane and poor to which they will not make suite as if shee were the fairest Bride in the World if so be shee will confer upon them a pastorall Cloak and a stipend but this is not with any intention to stay alwayes with this wife but like insects they gather company till they can
last the Majesty of our States the dignity of our University and Place and the honour of our worthy Vedelius did so farre prevaile with mee as that I should briefely vindicate him not that I think it any credit for me to lay hands upon Apollonius what honour can I have to struggle with impudency it self and to seek for sound braines in him from whose pen and lips not onely Wisdome but also Truth it selfe being affrighted is fled My intention onely was good Reader that thou mightest see those things to be most false with which Apollonius doth belye our Worthy Vedelius and his owne Spirituallity and that Apolionius is not the man whom by his vapouring speeches he braggs himselfe to bee amongst the English and Belgicks Farewell WILLIAM APOLLONIVS HIS STILTS CHAP. I. THE Poet elegantly playes upon Thraso Hee that hath the wit which is in thee will by words ascribe to himselfe that honour which another man obtaines with great paines So Apollonius Vapours not only amongst the Walachrians but amongst the Hollanders also and our Frislanders and likewise amongst the Britans so that now Leyden must not trust with Church affaires any more such as Salmasious Tryglandius Polyander Spanhemius nor must our Freezlanders trust such as Sybrandus Amesius Macovius nor Vtricht such as Voetius and Matius neither must the English trust such as Whittaker Reynolds Morton Fox and Iewell for whom they have already mourned except Apollonius the great inspectator and arbitrator of Church businesse rule the rost and like a Sun beam shine over all Truly you are one that have few fellowes whom not only the Parliament but the King also doth highly honour who trusts you with all his councels and I warrant you delights onely to eate and drink with you Our Netherlands would become mouldie our justice-seats ruinous and all the strength of Christs Spouse would pine away if Apollonius did not puffe up his own cheekes and croak every where Physignathus Truly Apollonius your enthymemes may be easily slighted and the smoak of your folies dissipated nor is their any thing in your papers so valid which may not of its own accord tumble down yet because you cease not to play the Crow by your impertinent chatting and impudently to insult Cornicari Ex hoc mustaceo laureolam I will do my best to make it knowen what a brave fellow you are so that you may securely expect for this your trifling peece a crown of Bayes at least or a triumph but be not angry I pray that Anonimus pulls you by the eares there are sometimes just causes of concealment It was some honour and incouragement for those five weake Kings to dye by the hands of warlike Joshuah Josh 5. It 's mere glorious oftentimes to strike privately at him whom we place beneath our arger therfore be not curious to know who speakes but what is spoken and to that priek up your eares First let the reader observe that the hills of Haemon are not fuller of Snow then this hodg-podge of Apollonius is of rayling against all good men so that it were both an endlesse and an unprofitable labour in me to use retaliation seeing hee is so luxuriant in this ranck kind of corne I purpose not to prosecute his fooâ—eries in all places I were as good dig through Isthmus as to number up all his dissemblings impudencies impertinancies tautologies railings improprieties and I may say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 childish solocismes neither will I interrupt the true stating of the question with such trifling chantings I will first briefly touch his facetious conceits wherein he takes no small pleasure And first for his simplicity and modesty never any Davus acted his part better when hee would have himselfe be everie where accounted Oedepus Behold his fine beginning He wrote a Book intituled The right of Majesty in holy things As if he were to yeeld some kind of power and dignity to the Magistrate in modern Church businesse whereas on the contrary he aimes at nothing eise but to upbraid Magistrates with nullity carnall inability and base slavery in Church-go-vernment and that in a tempest of railing speeches * See the Preface He confesseth presently in the beginning that being unaccustomed he hath put pen to paper I might be truly saith he accused of temerity that I will meddle with that cause which deserves a better patronage then my abilities will afford under this vizard of modesty he tells us a story as if he had undertaken this task to write against his will he saith that casually Vedelius his book was brought and read to him and that a certain learned man meaning doubtlesse himselfe for who is worthy of this honour but Haman did note and read to the Wallachran Classes many false passages and if his report be true then the Wallachran Classiaries did with as great ease applaud his trifles as one Mule bites another for they all condemned his Book as hurtfull injuryous to Christ and too inconsiderately published by the Authour and that the priviledges and sacred rites of the Church were unworthily trampled on by Vedelius therefore the Classes resolved least the poyson should spread any further that presently it should be answered so this growing evill suppressed who sees not now what it is this fable aimes at there was no stage-player fitter to act this Comedy then Apollonius who like another Sosia in Plautus was trying the weight of his fists against Vedelius therefore he addes that the Classiares whom he was bound in conscience to obey had imposed on him this taske that he should publsh this dainty patched stuffe nor doth he leave any thing that may colour this fiction of his fidility and modesty The Wallachran Classis Deputie saith he very attentively I warrant you read over both the Tomes and did fully approve them for they subscribed their names * Jodocus Larenus Isacus Horenbequius c. by whose Patronage Apollonius growing insolent in his pamphlet of considerations indeavoured to thrust such monsters on the English using the subscription of the same Patrons to which also were added here the names of Jacob D'herde president of the Classis and Maximilian Ieeling Minister of Midleburgh so that now we need not doubt but that Apollonius is begot of Jupiters Brain who may not without cause say to himself it is too great a misery to be too learned they importune me they wooe me they send for me that they may but see me truly he knows not against what a brave man he speaks who will offer to say that Davus of Trever did faigne all these things The Orator of old spake elegantly against Rullus the Caviller Who pleaded the cause Rullus who made the Law Rullus who was the moderator of the Assembly the same Rullus If Apollonius brings not out his fictions the handfull of the Wallachran Classiaries have betrayed their supine carelesnesse I le warrant you other Classis were quiet
Orthodox man but Apollonius for an Heterodox condemnes him He clears him from innovation this cries out that hee spreads abroad new Tares and poyson He saith that he asserts the truth but this that he defends sacrilegious falshoods He witnesseth by his hand-writing that Vedelius hath deserved well of the Church but this by many subscriptions shews that he is a betrayer of the Churches rites and a trampler upon the blood of Christ Lastly he saith that no Orthodox man should trouble him but this on the contrary by an Order of the Walachran Classis and of the whole Synod accuseth him as a destroyer of and a most bloody wolf to the Church Hath not then Apollonius in this somewhat of that lying spirit which deceived Kings so that he hath writ more of his Classiary brethren then they knew themselves which is ordinary among the Apollonian spirituall men One of these must be true to wit that either the Apollonians are convicted of ignorance negligence and false tenets or else that Vedelius Macovius Rivet were widely mistaken for my own part I had rather be sick with these men in divinity then to enjoy the best health with the Walachran Apollonius for he slights and despiseth all men weighing them in the ballance of his judgement as if he alone were the man that could hold the scales or were onely skilfull to note vice and to discern right from wrong Hee acknowledgeth that hee oweth much to Waleus and Thysius his Masters and yet he doth with Junius plainly reject them he contemneth Musculus he saith That Pareus and Gualter doe germanize it â—o much and that this cause is made so intricate by the Germans and Helvesians that you cannot finde any Idaea of exact divinity and that the English judgements are for the most part enslaved to great men and of our Diâ—mes you shall finde few that have handled this matter without admitting confusion and collaterall combination of both Powers In another place thus this troubles us that so worthy a man he understands Vedelius should esteem of the Reformed-Church-doctrine according to the testimony of some learned men c. Amesius Martyr Sybrand this honour he gives onely to Confessions Catechismes and formes of concord and yet he slights the Decrees of the Synod of Dort as humane and extorted from Ministers against their wills so that like a Snake feeding on naughty grasse he hisses at every thing as he pleaseth therefore the ghost of our famous Vedelius against which Apollonius pisseth hath no great cause to be angry since he is not ashamed to spit in the face of all learned men There is nothing that both sacred and profane Laws do more detest punish then the contempt of Princes and superior powers of which this Night-bird was not ignorant who presently in the preface desires the Magistrates good will for he saith that he carryeth a free spirit in the maintenance of their Magistracy and as it were calling God to patronize his dissimulation that with most fervent prayers he honours God for them when as notwithstanding with full cheeks he blows out contumelious speeches against Princes and Magistrates and as if he were another Rhadamanthus he assumes power to appoint what limits Magistrates must contâ—ine themseâ—ves within beyond which if they offer to goe he calls them Symoniacks and wicked and like irreligious Princes that they break in upon the rights and prerogatives of the Church with tyrannicall lust and violence for which prerogatives he saith Christ did shed his Hood and such Princes he calls civil Popes But whilst he divides this booty and power he acts the Lion in Aesop who dividing the Veneson with the Asse and the Fox he killed the Asse affrighted the Fox and so took all the booty to himself Apollonius here playes the Jugler and with counterfeit superstition deterres the Magistrate from touching any of the modern Ecclesiastick affaires For he teacheth that the power of the Magistrate is not in but about the Church and that the internalls of the Church doth not belong to him either formally or eminently or totally or partially that his power extends onely to the externalls and not all these neither but only the externals externally but not the externals internally for in these distinctions he is very exact and seemingly carefull of the conscience of Magistrates He warnes them that they beleeve not the judgements of the learned nor the authority of man in exercising of their power earnestly urging his decisions as consonant to Scripture among which these are some The power of the Civill sword is without the Spheare of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction The Godly Magistrate is not the prime member of the Church but of the baser sort yea of the basest That it is dangerous to call the Magistrate the Keeper or nursing Father of the Church because it is impossible for him to nourish the Church with true milk which is onely proper for Church-men That the Magistrate is onely a separable accident of the Church which may be present or absent without destroying the subject That the end and intent of the Magistrate was not the saving of soules but properly and onely the temporall things of this life That the office of the Magistrate was onely of earthly not of heavenly things That the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot execute any spirituall or Ecclesiasticall worke because it is impossible that hee should bee elevated above his own nature which is altogether worldly carnall and corporall Or if he seem to doe any Ecclesiasticall businesse that this hee doth onely objectively not formally imperatively not elicitively in respect of worldly circumstances and not in regard of the substantials of the Church And that they who will attribute more than this to the Magistrate incline to Pelagianisme Lastly he speakes every where of the Magistrate as of a naturall and carnall man of whom Paul saith That he is not subject to the Law of God nor can be nor doth he comprehend the things of Gods Spirit Hee cites often Gersom Bucerus who was to cunning in these trifles and withall insenced King James against him so that he was like to suffer had not the States protected him But this our Apollonius unwilling to yeeld to any man so bold is ignorance hee leapes over all the tearmes of Bucerus and railes against his own Magistrates and States subscribing to no mans opinion except Calderwoods the sum of which he else-where cites out of him Kingly authority saith he is onely measured according to the Churches benefit yet he doth warne Church-men that they should not trust too much Magistrates for he compares them to a crafty servant but Church-men to a generous Horse openly warning his fellow-Ministers that they suffer not the Magistrates to ride them any more and that their main aim was to bring them under subjection But if once they get the Mastery that Ministers shal never be able hereafter to shake off the civill yoak So then Apollonius thinkes
Magistrates doe not prevent it For all that the Walachrian Stilt-walker hath said tends to this that the lesser Censure was instituted by Christ in his Church and therefore is spirituall holy and of Divine right and onely committed to Church-governours but denied to Magistrates who if they doe offer to touch it they become sacrilegious and trample on the blood of Christ If godly Magistrates suffer themselves once to bee seasoned with this perswasion these new Papists will quickly prey upon their Majesty Fame and Estates Which worthy Vedelius smelling out warnes Magistrates and all Christians that they would not suffer themselves to be deluded Hence the Stilt. walker growing fierce against him upbraids him for his lavish expressions and falsly sayes that all good men are grieved that such Books should be vented out of our University which call in question the sanctity of Church-Discipline yea else-where playing both the Prophet and the Disputer useth direfull imprecations against Macovius and I know not who else who dare affirm That the Church-Difcipline at this day is a Civill businesse under pretence of which Ministers will prey upon the goods and fame of every man if prevention be not used and prephesieth that that Writer will one time or other bee intangled with the terrors of his conscience when he lieth down securely Thus the Cuckooe sings concerning the Conscience and a Stilt-walker puts worthy Vedelius in mind of piety so the Sow will teach Mâ—â—erva but his actions and railings shew that conscience is farre from him neither is there any thing sacred to him except honours and worldly profit Therefore Balâ—ams cursings and Shemeis tailings are to no purpose I wish him to beware lest hee bee punished for so many wicked deeds by the hands of some Noble Ioshua or some wise Solomon Therefore let him look to it this I 'le say that the lesser Censure doth not onely contradict the Institution of the Apostles and agree with Papisticall tyranny but also totally consisteth in this That it is prejudiciall to the honour and profit of good Christians and chiefly to the Majesty of Princes and Magistrates as Church-men are maliciously affected For since Christians have learned to dissemble and under the Vizard of Religion to hunt after honour and profit Magistrates have begun to serve the pride of Churchmen that being honoured by their commendations they may attain the repute of Godly men Time also and an evill Genius have taught spirituall Clergy-men to bee mercenary and to make bargaines of their Ecclesiastick Functions which they will not performe without wages and familiar accesse to the Persons and Tables of great men as when either the Preacher himselfe or some of his neere friends doe gape at some preferment in the Church or State the Magistrates help and suffrage is expected This hath been no where more practiced then in the Walachrian Classis that such a Bargain being made any man though never so infamous and wicked may bee protected by the Churches Target and so defended by their censuring Sword that though hee be guilty of sedition fraud drunkennesse and most grievous scandals hee shall not bee debarred from the Communion or from keeping company with the Clergy but for his most notorious evill deeds shall to the griefe and reluctancie of good men attaine to places of Honour in the Church and of profit in the State Nor is this spirituall Sword defensive onely but offensive also For if some grave man sit at the Helme of Government in the State whose life and faith are unblameable onely defective in not supporting Apolonian Church pride hee must expect some mischiefe intended against him by under-hand dealing and corrupting of Suffrages And I heare that cheating perfidiousnesse and perjuries cannot be practised so impudently but if occasion serve the holinesse of the Wallachrian Ecclesiastick Discipline will sanctifie them all in the Apolonian Clergie If in the Civill Court the thing succeed not then they flye for help to the censure and lesser excommunication by devising something which may bring him in disgrace among the people For this impaires not their sanctity that they know they obtrude upon the people falshoods and fictions if they can but obtain credit neither matters it whether or not one be accused in that Court of true or false crimes It is an old practice there First to punish then to enquire into the cause or to devise a cause of punishment as the Scribes sayd of Christ If hee were not guilty wee had not delivered him to you we have a Law by which he must dye So that no man can live there so warily but that Walachrian Classis will trouble him by the Arbitrary Sword of their lesser Censure For they thinke that they can by their lesser Censure make a Publican of a Christian that is a great sinner and hatefull to all the people Which therefore they call The Publicans excommunication So it is most evident that there is no other use of the lesser Censure there but that these unhappily new up-start Papists may satisfie their owne perverse affections and by indirect wayes remove them from the Helme of Government in the State against whom they have any spleen by lessening their esteeme among the people and wronging them by their slanders perswading ignorant people that they never make use of this Censure but upon just and weighty causes Apolonius cannot bee so ignorant but must know that by his help this Play hath been acted an hundred times Whence the godly and prudent Magistrate may conclude that the causes of inspection and examination of mens actions by the lesser Censure are no lesse then by the greater for this they commit not to Church-men alone for some politick respects lest they should rashly insult over the fame of their subjects Because this is no lesse aimed at in the lesser Censure the whole intent of which is that they may intrap indirectly not onely Subjects but Princes themselves and may mock them after the old Papists example they must provide that the Common wealth receive no prejudice and that men bee not affrighted by faigned pretences of sanctity whereas this lesser Censure is a meere humane invention equall to the figments of old Popery as it is maintained by the Walachrian Stilt-walker For not onely hath it there rumated the Church and Religion but also hath brought the Civill Magistrate into subjection from which thraldome the High and Mighty States will not be long free if the rest of the Ministers follow the example of these Walacrian Papists in daring to insult by words and deeds over them But this lesser Censure wil not suffice Apolonius who is as wise as mad Ajax that killed his sheep to please his minde and therefore hath a high esteeme of the greater censure by which he thinks he hath power given him by God to make Heathens of Christians Which way of censuring is the very old Popish way nor is it more like Christs institution and the Apostles practice
alwayes agreed in this that Discipline is necessary in the Church which we confesse yea we urge and shall urge so king as God will spare our life But for the manner and forme thereof it is to be left free for every Church that she may use the forme which will build up and not which may shake and overthrow thus he who in another Epistle to count Lodovic Witgensteinius thus writes Whereas you reckon Church Discipline among the outward meanes of salvation although I doe not altogether reject it yet I beseech your excellencie not to take it ill if I shall say somewhat of this matter which by many at this day is controverted and if the ambitious rigidnesse of some men be not tempered by the prudet authority of Princes they will raise greater troubles then will be easily appeased and will bring into the Church a new tyrannie as intollerable as that of the Popes We all confesse that Churches cannot subsist without Discipline and that it is altogether necessary that it bee religiously ordained and preserved But for the forme of this all men doe not agree your men place the maine point of Discipline in excluding from the Communion besides they propose a certain time for those who are excluded how long they must abstaine and that they may maintain the Discipline they say there is need of an Ecclesiastick Senate to which men of all rankes and orders yea Princes themselves must be subject But these things are of such a nature that godly and well affected men doubt much of the truth of them for it is demanded not without cruse if the Lords Supper instituted by Christ for a Symboll of Christian Society and Communion and to preserve Faith should be converted to any use not onely different but quite contrary to Christs institution so that it becomes the instrument of exclusion and dis union and the torturer of consciences Againe whether this doth not fight against Pauls rule who commands every one to prove himselfe and not to make curious scrutinies over other mens Consciences Besides whether it be not a hard an unjust case that a sinner who seriously repents and whom Christ feedes with his owne body and bloud as being doubtlesse received into favour should be driven from the Table yea prohibited that hee shall not declare the Lords death publikely with the Church whereof he is a true Member Moreover is it not like a Monster to set up two Magistrateships among the same people and a little after Hence then arise the hornes of new tyramie and by degrees ambitious Ministers will list up the crest who may easily draw the assessors to side with them when as they are the chiefest among them And that I doe not speake this without reason your excellencie will understand if you will be pleased to enquire diligently what tryals these your Ministers have already made among your people For some men notable for piety and goodnesse have been commanded by them to abstaine from the Supper who could never yet know why they were commanded this but this seemed a sufficient answer to those new Lords of other mens faith that they could not admit them with a safe conscience Must therefore a godly man abstain from the holy Communion and neglect his duty in preaching the benefit of Christs death for the conscience of a peevish and importunate Minister The Popish Bishops are more tollerable towards us who treely shew the cause why they account us Schismatics Excommunicates neither doe they hinder us from clearing our selves what shall we hope for then when they have established their Kingdome Whereas the first fruits of their Discipline for which they so much quarrell are such I think it were much fitter that Ministers containe themselues within their bounds and that they leave to Magistrates what belongs to the Discipline of life and manners I know they object that the Magistrate doth not alwayes his duty and therefore there is need of another Senate who may contain them within compasse But I deny this consequence whereas they cannot prove what they say by any example Prophericall or Apostolicall It is indeed the Ministers part to reprove the vices and corrupt manners of Princes and Judges to admonish them of their duty as the Prophets did of bad But I never yet read that they should subject them to any other Magistrate to receive punishment or excommunication because they were negligent in their office or offended by their old example It is certaine the Prophets never did any such thing Of the Apostles we need not speake for in their time there were no Christian Magistrates which was the cause of making blders in the Church that should have inspection of mens manners which ought also to be done at this day under tyrannicall Persecutors of the Faith But there is a farre different reason of our Churches who have by Gods special favour christian Princes which though they have their blemishes yet Ministers should maintain their authority and not make publike spectacles of them At last in the end of the same Epistle This I rather wish that the confusion which is brought in by some Innovators may by degrees be abolished which will bee easily done if those who are of a right moderate opinion may be suffered to live quietly and to propose their thoughts freely for others to judge And let Divines be sent away from governing the state from medling with councels of Warre matters of the court to the Pulpit and the Schooles which is their proper ground and wrestling place There is yet another Epistle of the same Gualter worth the noting in which writing to Beza he sets down these heads of the whole controversie 1. Whether the Lords Supper which hee calls the Symboll of communion a joyfull and publike thankesgiving for the benefit of redemption performed to us should serve for excommunication and so be converted to another use then what Christ hath shewed or the Apostles delivered to us 2. Whether such as repent should be for some time debarred from the use of it when they desire with the Church to declare the Lords death 3. Whether it is not sufficient for him that comes to the Lords Table to prove himselfe and to finde in himselfe a lively faith joyned with the spirit of serious contrition and repentance 4. Whether where there is a christian Magistrate there ought to be set up a Presbytery wch may have power over the public Discipline of many to remove frō the cómunion whom they think have deserved it These things I say seeme to be the chiefest which are controverted in this cause for I suppose we differ not about Infidels the enemies of christian Religion impenitēt siners whose incurable cn̄tumacy is too wel known Now of the first some not without cause doubt when they see how dangerous it hath been in all ages to abuse Gods Ordinances though with a good zeale nor can I see why out of that should
speake truth knowes that hee obtained this speciall right of Sanctity by the like mysterie of Vocation and that hee hath no other wayes almost bestowed it upon others I know that somtimes things are carried more conscionably and that the abuse of a thing takes not still away the use thereof yet this I dare say that because at this day are wanting men divinely inspired to call and because the bestowing of spirituall gifts is separate at this day from Imposition of hands though it be done by Christs command and for a spirituall end yet in respect of the manner modern vocation is meerly humane because the whole manner is fallible humane and oftentimes corrupted whence the effects must be also humane and oftentimes most vitious so that we have instead of Apollo Apollonius a Sophister for a Prophet a Sycophant for a Bishop But because this vocation is with Apollonius the chiefe Originall of moderne Church-spiritualitie least we should believe there is more in the effect then in the adequate cause I conclude that the power of excercising Church-affaires at this day is not of divine but of humane right and therefore Apollonius playes the Impostor who prates so at random of the sanctity of his Church-affaires and of the speciall spirituall right of exercising them he is not unlike to them that falsifie coyne who wash brasse leaden or iron pieces with a little silver or gold to impoverish others and inrich themselves I confesse that this is the old Popish garlick sticking close to many but he who will looke over the writings of all Divines as hee brags hee hath done may perceive that the most quick-sighted Reformers have found out long since that whatsoever is so highly talked of the speciall right of sanctity is nothing else but the secondine of the Romish mother and the pollution adhering to her sons since their nativity there is none more stubborne then the Stilt-walker who above all others delights in the polluted blood of that Romish Whore and sips up againe her excrements not being content with common Elogies he prides himselfe so much in the right of this priviledge that he affirmeth every where that the Ecclesiastick power is a kind of Majesty and hath in it some thing that is Regall I confesse that the name of Christians puts us in mind of our Kingly Office which as the Catechist saith consisteth in this that we strive against sin and subdue the lusts of the flesh and this is common to all Christians but the Stilt-walker not content with this Priviledge of a Ministeriall right of vocation he makes a right of commanding and raigning in the Church and that speciall censoriall and nomotheticall so that many times he calls this power under Christ imperiall selfe-sufficient absolute and regall I confesse they are but trifles which he spreads every where yet least he should seeme to be neglected because he is not laughed at it will not bee unpleasing to rub his eares a little Par. 1. p. 8. 25 c. Mat. 13. c. He is wonderfully pleased that Christ calls the Church his Kingdome which is not of this world but heavenly and the Kingdome of heaven whence he concludes that the visible Church is a Kingdome and that the Government thereof is like that of a Kingdome and because the power of this Government is in the Church-Rulers that therefore their power is in a manner Kingly such are the Popish enthymemes concerning a spirituall and Ecclesiastick Kingdome I answer here is a fallacy in the ambiguity of the word when they meane every where by the Church the visible Church for when Christ saith that his Kingdome is not of this world but heavenly he meanes the Catholike Church the greatest part whereof is in heaven and there raignes with Christ But because for the accomplishing of this Kingdome the visible Church here on earth is appointed and her Ministery therefore Christ transfers the name of the Kingdome of heaven to the affaires of the visible Church not as if he meant that the visible Church or her Ministery should be held for a Kingdome or for the Kingdome of heaven but by a knowne Metonymie he transfers the name of the effect and end to the efficient which leads to that end no other wayes then we use to say that a man labours for food and rayment whereas he workes for money not as if money were food and rayment but because by it these things are procured he deserves to be laughed at who in silver seeketh properly for food and rayment because figuratively it is called food and rayment as ridiculous are the Papists when they seeke in the visible Church a regall and celestiall Power and dominion because it is called the Kingdome of heaven for no other reason but because it is the medium by which we attain to that blessed Kingdome in heaven This is the old Papists Logick to seek for literall conclusions out of figurative speeches which art almost every where the Walachrian Bapist borrowes from them and chiefly in this Argument for because Christ calls the visible Church and its Government a Kingdome and of heaven figuratively he concludes that the Church-Rulers have a regall power and that they are really and simply heavenly Kings although I suspect that he wrote this and many other things but in jest yet I will drive out this joculary naile with another naile that any one may see the absurdity If the visible Church be the Kingdome of heaven truly and simply as Apollonius saith then I will infer that of necessity the Church of Midleburg is also literally the Kingdome of heaven which if so then I will conclude with another consequence that that Church is literally heaven for England and France are the Kingdomes of England and France Hence further I conclude that as often as the visible Church meeteth in the temple of Middleburg there heaven is literally and by another consequence as often as the Stilt-walker preacheth in that Church he preacheth in heaven then it must follow that while he is there with his Hearers he is not properly on the earth except he will mingle heaven and earth together And againe it will follow that because he is a Ruler in that Church and hath the power of censuring he is not only a King but the King of heaven too as Rhadamanthus is of hell How blessed then is Apollonius who if he doth not reigne in the earthly Consistory of Middleburg yet he is King of Middleburgian heaven Are not then the Magistrates of Middleburg stupid who yet doubt whether the Stilt-walker be worthy of the earthly Kingdome of his Consistory whom long ago they see to be King of heaven That he may reconcile these absurdities he will be forced to confesse that this word of the Kingdome of heaven is figuratively and improperly attributed to the visible Church But if Apollonius may with Papists expound figurative words literally there will be nothing certain in Divinity but Christians