member of Christ a Saint or admit him as a brother amongst them in their praiers ministery contribution This is very strange diuinity to shut him out and yet to hold him in to cut him o◅f from the body yet to hold him of the body this may by logick be proued but yt neuer can be proued by Christs Testament Yet is there an other as strange a mysterie in the matter which I neuer learned in Christs Testament and that is ho◅ a member that is publikly cōuicted of and remaineth obstinate in opē sin should be shut out from the Table of y e Lord yet be receaued admitted as a member vnto the other ministe◅ie of the Church as to praiers contribution c. belike the other ministery praiers of the Church are not so holy as this supper y t such an offendor is held vnworthy to cōmunicate in therfore is shut out from the one but he is worthy inough for therfore is admitted vnto the other this is a strange censure a strange case as euer I heard of I had thought y t after the sin grew once publike being knowne dealt with by the Church if then such offenders remaine obstinate they had beene forthwith to be cut off cast out as dead withered branches not to be thus halfe shut out halfe kept in halfe cut off halfe remaine seperate frō the supper admitted to the ministery of the word praiers This is to make him halfe a brother halfe no brother halfe a christian halfe no christian But yet further seing this suspension is a publike censure of the Church for publike sin a seperation from publike exercises actions c. how chance yt is thus put in one mās power who by his absolute authoritie may keep back any one of the ◅locke from the Table of the Lord without the cōmandemēt yea the ◅riuitie of the whole church yet this me thinkes is the strāgest of al neuer heard of in y e church Testament of Christ. Christ hath giuen and committed his power to censure fault◅s persons as also the interest possession and gouernment of all officers actions to the whole Chur◅h I meane to euery such particular congregation and not vnto one particular special man aboue the rest or more then the rest Euery particular member of the Church hath like interest in the publike actions and ministery of the Church like power to censure the offences of the whole Church o◅ the greatest minister therof in due order and time as hath already in this treatise beene often plentifully proued and therfore cannot in this maner be kept backe by any one man as of his sole authority any more then they may keep back that man whatsoeuer he be I ◅peake not this to raise contentiō betwixt these where there ought to be loue and reuerence so much as to note out the popish pride of these pharisaicall Reformers that take vpon them to be Lords ouer the Church and this feast wherof if they were as good as they would be taken to be they were but seruants and guests at the best The Church yt self can neither receaue nor cast out a member as of themselues they doe yt by the power and commandement of Christ they must see faith profession therof before they receaue they must see sin obstinacie before they cut off vntil these be seene the whole Church nor all the men of the world haue not power to receaue or put by any one yf they doe the actiō is voide and the iudgment wrath of God resteth vpon them for that sin vntil they repent therof Likewise also when this profession of faith or this obstinacie in sinn is found in any then cannot the whole Church or all the men of the world keep out or keep in such without incurring the iudgment wrath abouesaid How great then is the sin iudgment of these popish Priests that not only pluck away the power of the Church from them but euen the power office of Christ from him and assume yt into their owne hands who thus dare innouate and abrogate Christs Testament reiect his wholsome excommunication as too rough bring in their deadly suspēsion in place therof and with that idol toole of that foolish shepheard smite keep out whome yt pleaseth them and as long as they list Their olde popish reason y t they bring from the power of the keies hath beene aboue refuted in y e discouery of their absolutiō proue◅ to be tied neither to the person or office of any man more thē to euery faithfull member seruant of Christ by the power of Gods word c. Yet haue I also sometimes read in some of their bookes of Church discipline as they tearme yt some other reasons for yt namely from y e law of seperation for vncleannes such as were defiled by y e dead by creeping vncleane things by issues c. were to absta◅e frō the Tabernacle for a season yea the Priest also vpon suspicion of leprie or other fowle disease might seclude such a one for certayne daies as we read in the bookes of the law plentifully frō whence they deriue both this power of the Pastor the censure of suspension I haue there read also or els my memorie greatly faileth me drawē frō Mat. 5. 23. 24. verses because he that had iniuried or offēded his brother was taught by our Sauiour Christ first to make satisfaction be reconciled thē to offer his gift c. that therfore such as had done wrong vnto or were not in charity with their neighbours are by the Priests to be kept from the Altar whervpon they inchanted offred their breaden God and now they popishly apply to the cōmunion table from hence draw their suspēsion But because I haue not their bookes with me would be loth any way to iniurie them or charge them falsly I will briefly shew the insufficiencie of these reasons and so proceed ◅asting to an end From those Leuitical lawes wherby the Priests secluded such as they suspected of vncleane diseases vntill proofe were made one way or other may no conclusion be drawen that therfore the Pastor now may suspend such as he suspecteth or rather knoweth to be infected with incurable deadly ◅bstinate sin from the communion board c. In the Leuiticall tabernacle y e priest◅ did nothing without prescript lawes there was nothing left to his discretion he had his certaine signes set him downe whervpon to seclude whervp on to pronounce cleane as also whervpon to pronounce vncleane But now vnder the Gospell where that priesthood and those lawes are quite taken away we haue now no such cōmandements of suspecting or suspending The causes heere of seperation are not bodily but spirituall not diseases of the bodie but diseases of the soule sinne which sinne when yt publikely appeareth obstinacy be added to the
the filthie do filthilie yet and let the iust do iustice yet and let the holie be sanctified yet Behold I come shortlie and my revvard with me to render vnto euerie one according as his worke shalbe Apoc. 22. 11. 12. SEing we haue receaued a most sure word of the Lord our GOD It behoueth vs to geue heede thervnto as vnto a light that shineth in darke places whiles we trauell in the dangerous wildernes of this world In which word the whole wisdome and conncells of GOD for our direction and instruction in all thinges are fully reuealed vnto vs. So that now we are not to say in our heartes who shall goe vp for vs to heauen and bring yt vs or who shall goe ouer the sea bring yt vs cause vs to heare yt that we may obey yt For loe yt is neere vs euen in our mouth in our heart and set before our eies for to do yt the sound of the Gospell hauing beene long since caried forth through al the Regions of the whole earth So that no nation â—…halbe excused which will not serue obey vnto the Gospell of our Lord IESVS CHRIST which being proclaimed with his owne blessed mouth sealed with his owne heart blood writteÌ„ with the pen of the holy Ghost deliuered incommended by his holy Apostles Prophets vnto vs all posterities as his last wil Testament wherunto nothing may be added nothing diminished aâ—…tered or changed violate or wilfully neglected according to fleshly wisdome or vvorldly pollicie without most heinous transgression sacriledge and impietie For as all degrees of men without respect or exception of any person are bound vnto the same as vnto the Scepter of our soueraigne Lord IESVS CHRIST who is King ouer all blessed for euer Amen so shall all men in particular be iudged by the same of all things done in this mortall life Neither hath any Angel in heauen any mortall man no nor the whole Church power or prerogatiue to alter or neglect the least iote or title therof But GOD hath especially coÌ„mitted these holy oracles to the carefâ—…l custody of the Church there to be inuiolably preserued as in the side of the Arke purely taught expounded deliuered without corrupting mixing hiding obscuring peruerting wresting there to be precisely obserued with all reuerence and feare without any willing or knoweÌ„ transgression or swaruing either to the right hand or to the left of the whole Church or any member therof And heervnto is the whole Church and euerie particular member therof both iointly and seuerally bound both because they haue all of them interest in the tree and riuer of life all are bound to the maintenance of the faith which is giuen is coÌ„mon to al Sainctes and because they are all of them the members of CHRIST and togeather his bodie each others meÌ„bers in him Therfore are they so often by the Apostles charged stirred vp to exhort edifie and admoniâ—…h one an other to staÌ„d vpoÌ„ the watch-towre of their faith to scowte and obserue them diligently which cause diuisions offences coÌ„trarie to the doctrine which they haue learned to trie the spirites to examine the doctrine whether any man teach otherwise coÌ„sent not vnto the wholsome wordes of our Lord IESVS CHRIST to the doctrine which is according to godlines Many waightie and graue reasons are added to induce them to be the more vigilant 〈◊〉 the doctrine being likened to the light of the eies to the food yea to the life of the foule as also error corruptioÌ„ resembled to daâ—…knes leauen poison c. Moreouer such teachers to false and deceitful workmeÌ„ blind vnfaithful guides to greeuous rauening wolues to thieues murtherers c. what counterfeit titles â—…heepes clothing soeuer they take and get ynto them yet the holy Ghost speakes euidently euerie where warneth that these builders shal destroie the Temple of God vvhose howse and workâ—… vve are c. these guides shall seduce mislead vs in the waies of death destruction these thieues and vvolues shal spoile murther vs. Now by how much these goods are spiritual this death of the soule by so much are they more carefully to be auoided shuÌ„ned eschewed Therfore our sauiour CHRIST his Apostles as they were most vigilant faithful ministers did both preuent and foresee diuers dangers great euils to come so gaue they verie earnest and often warnings hereof vnto the disciples vnto the Churches coÌ„manding the porter yea euerie seruant of the house to watch to beware to take heed shewing them that manie false CHRISTES should arise many false prophets shewing great signes woÌ„ders wherby to deceaue if yt were possible the verie elect He fore told them of Antichristes original increase exaltation how he should be haue himself vvhat hauock he should keâ—…p in the Church of God as also of the general defection euen of the verie beginning therof How immediatly after the tribulation of those daies namely the destruction desosatioÌ„ of the earthly material 〈◊〉 the Sunne shoud be darkned the moone should not giue her light the starrs should fal from heauen the powers of heauen should be shaken and thâ—… beauâ—…ie therof wrapped vp as a scroule that the whole world should be drowned in sensualitie and securitie as in the daies of NOAH because iniquitie shalbe increased faith scarse found vpon the earth at his coming So that if those daies should not be shortned there shoud no flesh be saued Yâ—…t that al these things must should vndoubtedly come to pass he shewed yt by the nearer thinges namely the destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem the temple there c. as also confirmed yt by the truth stedfastnes of his word shewing how the heauen earth should passe away but his wordes should not passe away neither should this generatioÌ„ passe vntil al these thinges were fulfilled Of these things the Prophets spake before though more darkly as a far off by diuers types as Isa. 14. 13. 14. Naâ—…um 3. 4. 5 6 7. Daâ—… 9. 27 â—…lso Isa. 13. 10. â—…4 4. Ezek. 32. 7. Ioel 2. 31. 3 14. 15. But the Apostles gaue much more euident plaine warning of these things chiefly they that liued longest and came nearest to these times As the Apostle Paul to the Elders of Ephes ' Act. 20. 29. 30. 31. in al his Epistles pleâ—…tifully the Apostle Peter in his 2. Epistle 2. 3. Chapt. The Apostle Iude Ihon in al his Epistles but especially in that heauenly Book of the Reuelation vvherin he most liuely describeth these thinges euen from the original in seueral visions according to the seueral times y t should ensue vvherin he sheweth the happy estate of the Church whiles Gods glorious throne was in the midst
remedy of their saluation for the humbling of their flesh c Yf Kings be subiect to the instruction and admonition of the Church ◅s Dauid Asa I◅oshaphat Ezekiah c. were why should they not also with Vzziah when the running vlcer◅ of fretting incurable sinne appeare vppon them be cut off from the how◅e of the Lord and seperate from the cōmunion of the Saints as he was least they defile more make the whole offrings and companie abhominable vnto the Lord. Yf in that materiall Temple where the worship consisted in externall ceremonies no degrees of persons were exempted from the obseruation of the lawes the King himself might not enter with his vncleannes vpon him but as you see was cast out according to the law how much more in this spirituall howse of CHRIST ought they to be subiect to the lawes and iudgments of CHRIST as well yea and rather more then any other To this they obiect because the King is the cheefe supreame gouernor here in earth ouer all persons and causes as well of the Church as of the commō welth vnto whome euery soule must be subiect therfore cannot the whole Church much lesfe any member therof all being his subiects censure iudg or excōmunicate the Prince the placing punishing and deposing of whome only belongeth vnto God by whome Kings r◅igne O how great is the blindnes of these Phariseis that cannot put difference betweene the spirituall iudgments of CHRIST in his Church the temporall or rather corporall iudgments of the magistrate in the cōmon welth but most grossely and wickedly oppose the one against the other Might they not as well reason and vpon the same grounds conclude that the Prince is no member of the Church neither y t the Church hath any cōmunion with him because he is supreme gouernour of the Church and all the Church are his subiects yea doe they not as much whē they giue vnto Princes s◅ch blasphemous titles popi◅h prerogatiues dispensatiōs as SVPREME HEAD OF THE CHVRCH to make lawes for the Church concerning the worship ministery ministration whole gouernment of the Church and those such as are not read of in the booke of God to be exempt from the iurisdiction cēsure of Christ in his church Now which way in this estate can they make the Prince a subiect of Christ or member of his Church whē both in titles power pregatiue they exa◅t Princes into the chaire of Christ or to say as yt is rather into the chaire of Antichrist But to come to this pollitike impediment and intollerable inconuenience that would ensue if Princes should be subiect to the excōm◅nication of y e church then say they he should be subiect to the Church and so subiect to his subiects I denie the sequele of their Argument for this censure is not the censure of the Church so much as of CHRIST in his Church so that though CHRIST vse the ministerie of his Church the Church the ministerie of some most fit memb◅r vnto this action y◅t is y◅ still the censure iudgment of CHRIST vnto which euery seruant of CHRIST member of the Church must be subiect So that they might as well reason that the Prince is subiect to the Church c. because he must be subiect to the Gospell which is also the ministerie of the Church The least member of the Church is not subiect to the church neither to follow yt further then yt followeth CHRIST But whiles some without all feare of God haue indeuored to draw and others not doubted to yeild that honour which is due vnto God vnto the persons of men herehence hath al this exaltation of Antichrist pride of the prelac◅e arisen yea these impious collections and blasphemous conclusions against Christs holy ordinances ensued to such a measure and heigth is this sin now growen that they not only cast off Christs yoke them selues but assoile Princes of their allegeance vnto him yea proclaime this most peaceable spiritual censure of CHRIST to be sed◅ious intolle◅able contrary vnto the magistracie c. Then which assertion what can be more heathen barbarous Is yt not to set their state expresly against Christ yea Christ against God cannot these carnal men consider that Christ himself whiles he was heere on earth as also his Apostles were subiect in al lawfull things vnto the ciuile magistrate taught the churches so to be vnto the worlds end yet both CHRIST his Apostles gaue perpetuall often commandements for the diligent vpright vse of this spiritual censure vnto the wo◅lds end Are they so Anabaptisticall to thinke y t there neuer were or should be magistrates of the Church or thinke they that these lawes were made for the church before the magistrates were called to the faith were not Nicodemus Ioseph of Aramathia Sergius Paulus Cornelius Dionisius Erastus c. magistrates and called to the faith yet in their tune was the vse of excommunication inioined and practised No where can they shew in all the Testament of CHRIST any exception or immunity of any one person from this spirituall censure gouernment of CHRIST which is no way contrary vnto the temporal estate ciuil degree of the Prince or magistrate Who though they be excōmunicate yet still retaine their ciuil estate dignity wherin God hath placed them and still are reuerenced and obeied of the whole church as such magistrates whome God hath set ouer them only members of the Church they cannot be held whiles they presumptuously trāsgresse or obstinately disobey CHRISTS voice It is not in the power of the Church to receaue or cast out any member before they see faith or transgression accordingly nor yet hath the Church power to keepe in any member longer then he keepeth the faith walketh orderly So then vntil they can proue that there can be no magistrates but such as are of the church or that this ecclesiastical excommunication is a depriuing deposing of the ciuil magistracy they do but reproch the truth and seduce the magistrate As these spirituall iudgments extend not vnto so the Church that pronounceth executeth the same no way medleth with the office or person of the Prince or magistrate They are taught not to lay violent hands vpon the Lords annointed but to be obedient vnto the death It alwaies hath beene the custome of the Pope his ofspring to encroch both vpon Churches and Princes to assume this antichristian power ouer both into their hāds to bind to loose to curse assoile whome they list Neither can I see the sin of these Antichristian BBs these ympes of the Pope to be lesse in discharging Princes from this holy censure of CHRIST thē◅heir Sires was in tyrannizing oppressing them therwith neither yet how these men can beate downe the tyrannous vsurped power of the Pope when they ass◅me into their owne hands and execute the self same power ouer the whole Church