You say that you feare the Non-conformists do study more to convince us of the need of Christs Righteousness then of having any of our own 'T is answered this your suggestion is a great confirmation of my reflection on your last passage I have already shewed that the fear whereby you usher it in hath no reall nor palpable ground none were more serious sound and powerful in the pressing of holiness then the men you would accuse Neither do I stand to appeal to the fruites of their Ministery notwithstanding of your cavilling at our practice but I have a greater fear of your fear that it prove only proud reason spurning at the righteousnes of Jesus Christ and aspiring to adde a Mantissa an addition of your own to his sole purchase If I could conceive you a man to propose feares both groundless and designless I might be judged uncharitable but the certainty of the first by removing the second too plainly justifies my apprehension beside your fear is so solicitous for your own righteousnes that it doth not so much as allow the righteousness of Jesus Christ to be more pressed and yet you know that not only his righteousnes as being the price spring and acceptation of ours doth therefore acclaime an infinite preference but that the conviction of its necessity by reason of the untoward reluctancie of the pride of reason and blindness of unbeleefe doth require a more powerful perswasion And therefore I must again tell you that I almost suspect your insinuation of a very deep tincture of a greater Sophistrie then that which you give warning against but seing you do profess to beleeve that Christ came to lay down his life a ransome for our sins and Non-conformists are perswaded that without holiness we shall never see the face of God it is certainly the better part for me to applaud your good agrâ—ement Only that you may be assured of this necessarie holinesse and also of its acceptance see that you hold fast Jesus Christ as the sole foundation for he it is who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousnes and Sanctification and Redemption And remember that although Non-conformists love not to talk much of their own righteousnesse at best both freely bestowed and as in us Viatores while we are in the way such as of it self can no wayes endure the consuming fire of divine jealousie yet they not only subscribe to your necessity of holinesse but further do beleeve with joy that it is impossible for any man to lean truely and entirely unto Christ who doth not imbrace him and have him both his Redâ—emer Lawgiver and Sanctifier 4. You suggest that Non-conformists think they may quite the communion of the Church If in their opinion nor in the truth in every point at least you will have this to be the case betwixt you and your Non-conformist Really might it not offend your reverence I would remit you to Eph 4. 25. and abide the reproof of the 26. without more answer but because 't is like the sottishnesse of the person you confer with hath induced you to this mistake beleeve me in name of all true Non-conformists that as they do not think they may quite the Communion of the Church if in their opinion not in the truth unless the difference be both reall in profession practice so it is not every reall difference in profession or practice that they hold to be a sufficient cause Nor do they judge that even the cause being sufficient the separation should be alwayes carried to the extremity but the sound and clear rule which they propose for Christian practice in this matter is that where the controverted difference is such as would render a conjunction therein either sinful or contagious then a just and proportionat sepaâ—ation precisely and with all tenderness Commensurate to the exigence is the safer course As for your conceit stating the cause of Separation upon difference of opinion in a truth of greater importance then the article of our faith the Catholick Church the communion of Saints the examining of it by what I have said plainly discovers both its mistake and ambiguitie In the next place let me tell you in behalf of honest Non-conformists that the true reason of their present withdrawing is none other then what you allow That they account themselves bound to obey God in adhering to their true Pastors and disowning Intruding-hirelings rather then man commanding the contraire I will not digress to a more particular inquirie since you are pleased to carry your Non conformist by it but if you had made him give this answer together with a clear condescendence I doubt not but either he or I had made it out I might here take notice how smoothly and perswadedly you suppose that Non-conformists do separate from the Church although they for the most part think your conceiting your partie to be the Church no better founded then the rest of your usurpations but because this point will againe occurre I proceed to your 〈◊〉 hint that in former times Non-conformists repressed some sins specially these of the flesh but fcâ—rce in a Gospel way and for other sins were very gentle to them nay were themselves guiltie of them Sir your suggestion being so general and groundless I only wish that its latter part were as void of malice as its former is farre from truth I know that all men are sinners and heartily desire that all Non-conformists may be serioussly warned throughly and impartially to search and examine their wayes and unfainedly to repent of their transgressions Nay though the frequencie and high import of your generall accusations render the sinceritie of your meeknes in forbearing particulars many wayes suspected yet I urge it not Only remember that as I disown the Patrocinie either of mens failings or infirmities so I do as little hold the work of God chargeable with any such extrinsick and accidentall objections but should thy impudence make men hold their peace and when thou mockest shall no man make thee ashamed When you offered to reflect upon the infirmities and failings of former times might not and should not the present irreligion and wickednesse every were abounding which are not only connived at by your Church-men but do visibly go forth from them into all the Land for they commit lewdnesse and walk in lies they strengthen also the hands of evil doers that none doth returne from his wickednesse have confounded you unto silence Certainly this your procedour cannot but suggest to all sober men that too applicable passage of the Gospel And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye And thus Sir I am arrived at your plain and set impugnation of the N. C. courses And to begin
appeared For the declaring of what is dutie or not dutie in the exigence of the first innovations tending and leading unto the setlement of these abuses is very deceitfull and dangerous If in this ye be doubtfull my charity I hope shall give you satisfaction what before the Reformation were the gross corruptions of the Romish Church both in its Ministers Worship and Sacraments is to you well enough known And yet that many pious and devout Souls and some of them convinced and mourning for its abominations did nevertheless therein sincerely seeke and serve the Lord and found the strength and joy of his presence shall never be by me denied If then it should happen that in your high pretensions for Union Peace a Popish Ministerie or other abuses should be set up and enjoyned among us would you think it just to require our conformity and to offer to square dutie in such a case to any of these particular precedents to be found in the times of the former darkness I am confident you would not If our Lord when on Earth did for a while connive at certain corruptions in a dispensation drawing to its period and if at the times of ignorance God sometime wink and according to the obscurer light and witnessing thereof do allow the endeavours of such who happily may feel after him and finde him for any man thence to conclude that the change unto the Gospel administration made no alteration in dutie or that in a greater measure of revelation whereby we are commanded either to repent of former or to resist returning corruptions we ought to be stinted to the old rule and make no further advance are wide mistakes It ought to be the study of Gods Servants to discerne times and to know in this their day the things which belong unto their dutie as well as unto their peace to ty up practice that ought to be advertent unto and hath a dependence upon every circumstance unto generals abstracted and concluded from the particular instances of other times is altogether fallacious 3. Let me remember you of what I have already hinted at viz. That seing Separation is a departing from an Union once acknowledged even in these things which are not in themselves condemned which certainly is of great importance and of a very weighty and various consideration whereas non-conforming to or non-compliance with the introduction of things that are clearly sinfull and unlawfull hath a manifest warrant and is of no such extent from instances of not Separating to conclude against Non-compliance and from denying the Majus of Non-separation to deny the Minus of a tender forbearance is bad Logick nay so ill doth this parity hold that on the contraire the very aversion that every true Christian ought to have for Separation doth mostly recommend this Non-compliance which being a soveraigne and prescribed antidote against these evils which if once received may go on to greater corruptions and necessitat a sadder division is therefore to be timeously adhibite For clearing of this let me but ask you this one Question The allowed Separation of the reformed Churches from that of Rome doth it not plainly inferre that it had been better and was the dutie of these informer ages to have seasonably resisted and not complied with the first beginnings of these errors and evils which afterward did procure the rent And however you may judge that the causes of that Separation were no more then sufficient and could have laked nothing yet I am assured that you and every rationall man will say that a timeous Non-conforming warrantable upon lesser motives might have proven the better course I shall not enforce this consideration by suggesting the evill tendencie of your way nor do I tell you that it is a reviving of the same causes that in processe of time did produce all Romes abominations and that these floods of Error and Superstition had their visible rise from smaller aberrations so that if God should suffer the course of your defection to prosper and weare out the present opposition the Ages to come might more justly take up against us the complaint of our not timeous resisting then we can regret the too easie compliance of these who should have withstood the beginnings of Romes backsliding On these things I say I do not insist but that you may the more plainly understand the difference that I conceive to be betwixt Non-compliance and Separation I freely acknowledge that if God had permitted this whole Church to slide into the present evils of your Prelacie and corrupt Ministers and thereafter had blessed us with a discovery yet I would not in that condition allow the same necessity and expediencie of a Separation that now I finde to plead for a Non-compliance in as much as our present Non-compliance is not only a more certain seasonable and safe dutie but is also attended with a faithfull and edifying adherence to our true and sent Teachers who though removed to corners do still remain the Lords Ministers and our Pastors which things do much difference it from the case of a proper separation as above descrived and do not a little justify these more tender practices which you would disprove Now though these few things premised do obviously satisfy the difficulty objected yet to render the application more full and easie you may further consider that your instance from these corrupt High Priests set up by the Româ—ns doth not help you 1. Because that the high Priest was ordained by the Lord as in order to Sacrifice so also for Rule and Judgement and that not only in matters purely Religious but also in all things determinable by Moses Law at least as to the Ministerial declaring of the Ius which albeit in a great part meerly civill are yet in this respect termed the matters of God and jubjected to the high Priest his judgement in the respect mentioned 2. There is no statute in Moses Law affixing as you alleage the high Priest-hood to the Eldest Son of Aaron's line who possibly might have happened to be an Infant or legally incapable but only to his race in generall so that there was a necessity that the determination of the choise should be in the hand of the Sanhedrin thus Eli Abiathar and Ahimelech were all of Ithamar and not of Eliazer his branch As for the promise made by the Lord to Phineas it is neither made to the eldest Son of his posterity nor did it give any proper right but only an assurance whereof the accomplishment is sufficiently performed in the return of the Priest-hood to Zadock and his line notwithstanding the preceeding interruption 3. Not to enter into a particular debate anent the form and power of the Jewish Church as distinct from the State and wherein the differences did consist this is the received opinion of the Orthodox that though at the first institution their supreme Church-sanhedrin was as to causes and several other particulars distinguished
speak and they saw themselves ready to be sisted before the righteous Tribunal of God and that for no other cause but because they durst not do as you would have them in adoreing your Dagon and upon the other hand to compleat your wickedness thrusting in Men upon these Flocks who were bereft of such as did stand and feed in the strength of the Lord without any thing else to commend or qualifie them save that ye knew them to be of such mettal and complexion as they would not decline nor dispute your impositions which is certain as to matter of fact that I might here appeal to your own Conscience to the Conscience of the chiefe men who are chiefe in the transgression persecuting them who adhere to their Covenant keep the Commands of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ because they will not ackowledge and submit to such obtruded Intruders as the sent called Ministers of Jesus Christ if they would committ the keeping of their dogs the careing for their swine or the feeding of their horses to persons who had so little skill to do and faithfulness to performe it as most of these have to whom the flock of God purchased with his own Blood is committed Sir this is an over-rating with a witness and such as if ye will rate right and reflect upon it may and certainly will fâ—ll your Soul with horrour if the wrath of God be come upon them to the uttermost who forbid his Sent Servants to speak unto his people these words by which they must be saved it only argues a judicial blindness of minde benumnedness of Conscience in the chiefe of your partie and promoters of that interest that their lyableness to the wrath of God Almighty for the desolations made in his Sanctuary by them doth not make them roar by reason of the disquietness of their heart and cry out as persons against whom the terrors of God have sett themselves in array I might tell you of an over-rating also of which ye as we have in part heard already and your companions glory wherein the very fundation of our Salvation is struck at viz such an over-rating of works and our pitiful performances as advances them to the altitude of being the condition of the justification of a sinner before God and is utterly inconsistent with the tenoâ— of the Covenant of Grace the unhappie Author whom we last named hath led you and your companions into this ditch also and ye glory in this shame but I shall forbear the discovery of your dangerous folly and false-hood about this great foundation of Salvation by you put out of course till I come to examine your sixt Dialogue It was only fit here to give the Reader an hint and let him see what over-raters ye are But Sir why are ye so shye as to shun the true known and common definition of Superstition given by Godly and Learned Men ye know that that excellent definition given by Zanchy and followed by other great men makes Superstition to consist in the addition of Ceremonies in the worship of God not instituted by Christ as well as in the addition of more substantial matters but easiely foreseing that this would not serve your evil designe of loading the Servants of Christ with reproach and calumnie and that the bulk of your burdensome Ceremonies must be rejected as reprobate mettal if nothing pass for current as a part of worship in the Church but what hath the Seal and impress of God upon it ye substitute in its place one wherewith ye are at present better pleased but with what advantage to your cause I leave it to be judged But sir since you do not ingage further upon the head of Superstition then first to cast it into such a mould as may sute your designe and having done so then to cast the iniquitie of it upon us I shall at present satisfy my self with what is said and for your further satisfaction I will give you all the assurrances you can require both in my own name and in the name of all the N C. that when ever you are able to instruct your challenge we will thank you for your charitie And if your evidence as to proof answere your confidence in the charge yee shall find us so far from a pertinacious obstinacie that we will abandon with a blush whatsoever of Superstition we might through ignorance have indulged in our way and in the mean time rest confident that as in demonstration of my reality in what I undertake I shall endeavour henceforth to affect my own heart more and more into a deep abhorrence at and detestation of all your abjured usurpations Antiscriptural methods and Episcopal impositions in the matters of God and so far as I am able shall interpose with all the People of God to do the same Yet Sir there is one thing more before we part I must tell you that when I consider your straine thorow the whole by the superstitious over-rateing of things imputed unto us in your first and our being charged with our overprizing of Ordinances in the next with the neglect as you say of your Moralitie and your stretch of charity for Papists with your insinuat censures of all who have stood up in the defence of the absoluteness and immutabilitie of the Decrees of God the efficacie of his Grace c. against Arminians which is to your moderation and latitude but a digladiation about niceties and curiosities I say Sir when I consider these things and grant you the common Privilege acclaimed by every man to be optimus interpres suorum verborum the best expounder of his own words I must take this to be your meaning that we are superstitious over-raters of things in standing at so great a distance from Papists and in contending with Arminians about these things in controversie betuixt them and uâ— and because we are not cast into that new convenient mould of yours whereby you can coutch under and comply with any mutation in the matters of God and in your profound heights deep silences abstractions and novell latitude â—ush at all these things as not to be contended for and despise all the men who are not cast in the new mould of your perfection as pitifull Puntes of the lowest sise this we see is manifestly your meaning and truely Sir I only regrate we are so litle worthy of your indignation and that the truths of God are not more deare to us and that the Zeal of his house doth not more eat us up And while you contemne these things as not to be contended for to make the world beleeve your holy fire is not extinguished though nothing of its flame appear about the conservation of these to us precious things though to you despicable ye would make all these stirrings for them and striveings about them to be the sparkles of a superstitious wild fire and not a flame of God I cannot
to the Arguments taken for ruling Elders from the exhortation to rule with diligence and the enumeration of Helps and Governments amongst other Gifts bestowed on the Church seeing they are not adduced as by themselves so convincingly concludent but as accessory to these other places whereby the distinct office being proved the promise and gift agreeable cannot but add a considerable light Your terming them Sandie foundations is as foolish as your calling Helps and Governments extraordinary giâ—ts is groundlesse But both your N. C. and I inquire what you say to that Scripture let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour Especially they who labour in the word and doctrine That here both the Preaching and ruling Elder are included in the word Elder as I hinted before and that a distinction is made of him who both Preaches and Rules from him that only Rules is manifest from the words and you are so far thereby convinced that you acknowledge the office controverted to be spoken of but you say the Text supposeth its beiâ—g but doth not bear its institution this is truely exact and strict it seems you remember not that although all that was ever pleaded in behalf of your Bishops and the faire likelikood for them which you would draw from the Angels of the Churches proceeds only upon a supposition of the thing in being Yet none of our side do redargue your arguing from that place only for want of an express institution Consider therefore Sir that if the being of our Elders office be in this Scripture supponed and commended its institution is also thereby supponed and commended and this nicety of yours is no evasion but adding that there are five or six glosses put on these words which you protest without any reason to be better then ours you give us your own thus Let such among you as are fixed to rule particular charges be doubly honoured but specially these Evangelists who medle not in rule but labour in word and doctrine Sir I am sorry that having plenty you have made choise of one so many wayes peccant as importing first that at the time of the writing of this Epistle there were Elders fixed to particular charges or Parishes within Ephesus whereof the contraire is most commonly and probably held 2. That either there were at the same time beside your fixed Elders unfixed Evangelists belonging properly to Ephesus or that the Apostle speaks here of these Catholick Evangelists who belonged not to Timothie's inspection but which is worst of all your Gloss plainly destroyes the Text for whereas Paul doth first deliver a General that all well-ruling Elders be doubly honoured and addes a speciall ampliation dâ— Natura regulae of the Nature of a Rule in favours of these who also Preach you expresly say that these Preachers medled not with rule and flatly deny them to be of the number of these well-ruling Elders which are to be honoured Next where the Text makes labouring in the word an additament to well ruling and therefore deserving a special allowance you preferre the sole merit of Preaching to the double deserving of both Preaching and well-ruling but I pursue your raveries too far the words are plain well-ruling Elders Preachers or not Preachers are to be doubly honoured but such who do both Preach and rule well have the preheminence Now whether or not you have shown our Elders to be ill grounded I leave it to your second thoughts But you proceed to surprize your N. C. with a how want you Deacons and then you tell him That we had indeed somewhat called Deacons but they were not Scripture-deacons for such were not Lay-persons but Ecclesiastick separate by imposition of hands for the function and so were to continow whereas we yearly altered our Elders and Deacons Sir though in this point you represent our Leaders as Deceivers Yet really I should be sorry that you were aswell known to be a calumniator as the Deacons used in our Churches are clearly found in our Bibles Their institution Acts 6. is plain specially vers 3. Wherefore Brethren look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and Wisdom whom we may appoint over this businesse viz. the dayly ministration and serving of tables From which Scripture our Practice of chosing honest approved men for the Ministration of Charity there meant and the serving of tables is so exactly copyed out that I cannot but admire your confidence But you say that Scripture Deacons were not Lay-persons but separate by imposition of hands If by separation you mean the solemn appointment and designation of Deacons and hold the same sufficient to make them Ecclesiastick our Deacons as well as these in the Text are indeed Ecclesiastick but if by separation you understand a totall and perpetual sequestration from secular medling as you cannot be ignorant that it was and is the wish of many worthies amongst us that the Church could have been served with such Elders and Deacons so seing inevitable neceâ—â—â—tie through the want of an alâ—mony hath forced both our Church other reformed Churches which observe the same practice with ours to make use of such as they can get it is no commendable practice in you who are such a pretender to modestie and civility to cast up this lamented deâ—ect as our unpardonable blemish since it had become you rather who would be accounted a kindly child of the Church of Scotland to have overtured a way how the Church Patrimony whereby these Officers of the Church might have lived may be recovered from the Harpyes who devoure it now without remorse neither hath the after abuse of Deacons unto a preaching order used in the Roman Church any Scripture warrant as is clear from the Text and the rules therein expressed I grant we finde in Scripture Philip chosen a Deacon in the 6. chap and Preaching chap 8. vers 5. Acts and that it is probable that this and the like practices were there after made the occasion and colour of the formentioned abuse but if you suppose that the first Deacons did Preach by vertue of their institution you have no just ground for it in the word And Philips Preaching is so plainly annexed to an extraordinary dispensation or tacite mission to him and to many others upon the dispersion after Stephens Maâ—tyrdom insinuâ—te in the 4. vers of the 8. chap. that I doubt not but a second reading will convince you Next you add that Scripture Deacons were separate by imposition of hands for the â—unction I grant that was the manner of their first solemn dâ—signation but if the Chuch by reason of the Posterior abuse of which in probability the mistaking of this forme hath not been the lest cause or because of the reason formerly hinted viz. that because of the want of a competent maintainance they could not get such as would be totally and perpetually separaâ—ed foâ— that work hath thought fit notwithstanding
Scripture and your sext to compleat the carier of your delusions Notwithstanding that the clâ—arest light both of Reason and Religion do exact a definite constant portion of time for a rest and this rest to be holy unto the Lord that the Law of God in recommending the celebration of the old Sabbath doth found it upon a perpetual determination of the seventh part of time grounded on Divine Authority and example and lastly that the Scripture in the antiquating of the service and observation of the Jewish Sabbath doth evidently translate the keeping of the perpetual holy rest unto the Lords day the first of the week Notwithstanding I say of these firme grounds your sext attempt darres to unfix this grand Ordinance the reverence or contempt whereof hath in all ages of the Church by experience been found of great moment and unquestionable influence either as to the promoving or decay of true Piety and Godlinesse how justly may it be said of you and your Compliâ—es who endeavour to make void the Divine institution of this day which your predecessours so grosly and wickedly profaned ye be witnesses there ore unto your selves that you are their Children fill ye up the measure of your Fathers But O â—ear lest you do not escape the damnation of Hell I will not take Notice of your own or your Non-conformist's meen reflection on these things That they may prove our Church was not perfâ—ct but will not justify you your answere to that which follows viz. do you mean to lay aside the Scripture 〈◊〉 rather to be considered wherein leaving the retortion of â—ouâ— objected insolence and big pretending to the impartiall examiner of what you have alledged and I replied â— come â—o your summe of the whole matter which you say is That the Scriptures were designed bâ— God for the purifying of the hearts and conversations of Men Most true And therefore it was not necessaire they should contain direct rules for the Church-policie which being a half Civill matter needs not Divine warrants a strange inference whereof almost every word is a ridle for first you grant that the Scripture doth contain Rules though not Direct rules for the Church-policie and yet you adde almost immediatly that it needs no divine warrant Then what mean you by Direct rules if you mean Particular as the subjoined Antithesis of Common doth give us to understand let these Scripture rules Common or not be observed and particular determinations thereto duely squared and it is all we contend for Search therefore the Scriptures and whatever latitude may be left therein as to the regulation of necessary and common circumstances according to decencie and order for Edification Yet I am confident that as to the substance and main of the Officers Discipline and Government of the Church the matters in controversie betuixt us both you shall be found thereby clearly condemned and we justified but if by denying the Scripture to contain direct rules for the Church-policie you understand that it only holdeth out indirect unstraight and ambiguous rules applicable to any forme as may best sute serve the interests and lusts of vain Men this indeed is agreeable to your scope but as far from Scripture as it is dissonant to the truth of God and Great ends of the Gospel 2. What do you understand by the Church policie its Officers Discipline and Government are the things which we contend for If you think these half Civil I would gladly learn what a Church as such can have more Ecclesiastick certainly if a distinct Head Jesus Christ a distinct Authority flowing from that all Power given to him a distinck manner nothing like but wholly opposite to the way of Civil rule distinct effects and ends as Holinesse and eternall perfection are from external justice and temporal peace and lastly a distinct subsistence of the Church and its Policie not only when disowned but mortally persecute by the Civil Powers may prove the Policie Ecclesiastick to differ from the Civil there can be nothing more clearly disterminat but if by Policie you only mean the externall protection and assistance which the Civil Magistrat may and ought to give to the Church it is not only half but wholly Civil as to its rise and cause and therefore the acknowledgement thereof we render under God heartily and entirely to the Powers which he setteth up I might further question what you call half Civil and how you come to deny that Divine warrant which at first you half grant but I shall content my self to declare the falshood of your inference understood of the Discipline and Government of Gods house the subject of our debate by shewing you that its plain contradictory is a Scripture truth viz. The Scriptures were designed by God for the Purifying of the hearts and conversations of men and therefore it was necessary they should they do contain direct rules for the Churches Policie wholly Ecclesiastick appointed by Jesus Christ The reason of the consequence is clear not only because the Church Policie viz. its Officers Discipline and Government are expresly and directly ordained by our Lord for our Sanctification Salvation as I have formerly shewen therefore their necessity such as cannot without the highest presumption be called in question but also because their usefulnesse in order to these ends is by diverse Scriptures undeniably held forth And he who as the Son was faithful over his own house gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. yea and all the Gifts Power Authority and Directions to be found in Scripture concerning them for the work of the Ministrie the Edifying of the body of Christ and perfecting of the Saints Is a truth so evident that I marvail how you could adventure on this Architectonick reasoning and offer to lay down the end and project of the Gospel and then frame and Modell its institutions and midses according to your own imagination and not rather humbly endeavour in the recognisance of his wonderfull love and fidelity to and care of his Church his own body with all sobriety to pursue the knowledge and practice of what things-soever he hath ordained for its edification I might further remember you that the rebuke and all the Censures of discipline are for Edification the Saving of the soul making sound in the faith and Causing others to fear and that we finde the exercise of the Churches Authority and Government in that Meeting and Decree made at Ierusalem attended with The consolation and establishment of the Churches But if your own concessions be but a little pressed they will easily exhibite the inconsistencie of your vanity you say then That the common rules are in Scripture 1. That there should be Church Officers and are not their Power Degrees and Ministerial Authority as certainly therein defined 2 That these should be separate for that function Ought not then the best among them give themselves continually and wholly to Prayer and to the
therefore left us to the worse Tyranny of mens pretended and corrupted power and deluded imagination God forbid but as the hath set us free for ever so he hath only laid on us his own easie â—â—oke and light burthen of Pure and Evangelick ordinances by which our Liberty is so far from being intringed that it is thereby both preserved and enlarged In the next place you say Since no Allegorie holds it is ridiculous to argue because offices in a Kingdom are named by the King therefor it must be so in the Church It 's answered 1. do you then think that our Lords Kingdom is only Allegorick Or because the symboles and badges usuall in Earthly Kingdoms are in a figure thereto transferred is it therefore wholly a figure but God hath set his King upon his holy Hill of Zion and Know you assuredly that God hath exalted him to be both Lord and Christ bâ—wisâ— therefore and be instructed Kiss the Son lest he be angrâ— and learn to acknowledge his Kingdom in all the parts and privileges thereof by him declared Next it is most evident that not only Christs Kingdom in and over his Church is reall and certain and that Officers truely such vested with his Authority and therefore depending on Christ as King are held forth by the Scripture and to be really found therein but seing he himself hath in the Gospel so expressly founded their mission upon that All power given unto him and Paul so plainly referres the giving of Apostles c unto his Ascension and exaltation are you not ashamed to alledge these things to be only by us concluded from the vain appearance of an Allegory And thus to make your self ridiculous in that scorne you intended for others But poor wretch you adde That we may as wel say that there must be coin stamped by Christ as Officers appointed by him in his Church for this is the runing of your words Lord deliver you from this profane Spirit thinkest thou that the Kingdom of Christ hath need of money as it hath indeed need of Officers Or because money is current and symony a frequent practice in your Church hes it therefore any place in Christs true Church Sir your profane scoffing at the Kingdome of Christ is one passage amongst many that give me Confidence to say arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee dayly But I professe I am confounded in my self when I think of my own provocations and on the iniquitie of his Sons and Daughters for if the abuse of the Glorious Gospel shineing amongst us in so much puritie had not been great he would not have given up the dearly beloved of his Soul into the hand of such persecuting adversaries and such scoffers at him who justifie these malicious mockers in Cajaphas Hall with an over-plus of wickednesse O if he would returne he would quicklie emptie Pulpits and Chairs in Universities of such who bend their tongues for lies and make the world see because they have rejected knowledge he hath also rejected them that they shall be no Priests to him The next thing you subjoin is what King will think his prerogative lessened by constituting a Corporation to whom he shall leave a liberty to cast themselves into what mould they please providing they obey the General Laws and hold that liberty of him Thus you will alwayes aspire to enter into the Counsel of God if your vote had been here asked it is very like you would have bestowed large privileges upon that Church where you might have been a sharer But we bless him to whom the Church is committed and on whom the Government is laid who hath provided better and given unto his Church complete Officers perfect Ordinances true Laws and good Statutes and ordered his house in all things and therefore as we are not to enquire what the Lord might have done but humbly and thankfully to acknowledge what he hath done so in these things for men to disown his Authority and deny his bounty and usurp to themselves a power of altering what he hath established and fashioning the worship and Government of Gods house according to the device of their own heart is no doubt no lawful liberty but a licentious invasion of Christ's prerogative and a jealousie-provoking sin of Laese Majestie Divine That thus it stands betuixt you and us the preceeding passages do plainly witness and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ as a Son over his own house so expresly commended and preferred before the faithfulnesse of Moses is an argument which you will never dissolve You say his faithfulnesse consisted in his discharging the Commission given him by his Father Most certain but you ask who told us that it I suppose you mean the appointing the Officers Ordinances and Government of the house of God was in the Fathers Commission Herein is a marvellous thing You know that Jesus Christ whrist was sent by the Father to redeem gather feed guid and Govern his Church and you see that as the things in question are thereto necessarie so in discharge hereof he sends out Apostles and Ministers Ordains Officers vests them with power and Authority instructs them to a Ministerial and lowly administration and deportment defines Censures appoints his Ordinances and Laws liberats the Worship of God from the shadows and types of the Jewish Pedagogie and cleares its true and spiritual exercise and liberty and finally acquits himself faithfully in all his house do you then question if he did these things or doubt you that he did them by Commission it is a hard Dilemma which you will never evade but you adde that if we argue from Moses it will inferre that all particulars must be determined whereupon you urge that as Moses determines the dayes of Separation for a legal uncleannesse why doth not the Gospel the like for spirituall uncleannesse It 's answered if you had taken up the Argument aright and considered the faithfulnesse of Christ and Moses not in order to the same but with relation to their respective Commissions You had not fallen into this mistake but the Scripture parallel is clear Moses as a servant did faithfully completely order Gods house therefore Our Lord much more as a Son hath thus ordered the Church his own house Whence as it doth no wayes follow that whatsoever things were institute by Moses ought to have been in like manner imitate by our Lord so this is most concludent that as Moses as a Servant did diligently and exactly execute his Commission in order to the Tabernacle its service Ministers and all its appurtinents so Christ both by reason of a command received and of his interest and power hath exceeded the faithfulnesse of Moses in the Ordering and appointment of things appertaining to his Church But for the better confirming our Reasoning and the removing of your Mistake I do only recommend to you this obvious truth viz. that the Commendation of our Lord held
these â—igures have their certain grounds of resemblance and there is not a more conspicuous typifying Character in the person of David then that of his Royall ordering and establishing the house and Church of God whereunto he was raised up and particularly inspired and commanded though the faithfulness of Christ preferred to that of Moses should not Yet his succession in the Throne of David to reigne over the house of Jacob for ever doth undeniably conclude both the Government and complete setlement of the Church by us contended for 4. If you would reflect upon the Lords singular Providence over his People Israel first in that Theocratie whereby in a peculiar manner he Governed them unto the dayes of Saul 2. in their Urim and Thummim and the holy Oracles of God which they constantly enjoyed 3. In the continuall assistance which they had almost in all times of Prophets immediatly inspired you cannot lightly suppose that either Synagogues or any other Lawfull institution concerning their Law and worship were a meer humane invention but though the evidences of their appointment remaining with us upon record were more obscure these passages alone do render it more then probable that their Authority and rise was Divine 5 The comparing of the Church of Christ to that of the Old-Testament is so unfavourable to your cause and there are such manifest disparities in that parallel that it rather maketh against you then for you for as the Ordinances of that dispensation were such as were to be done away and abolished and therefore were appointed by God who in times past spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets at Sundry times and in divers manners in a variant and mutable forme So the Lord having in these last dayes and now in the end of the World spoken unto us by his son to whom he sayeth thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Anointing of the most Holy attended by the sealing up the Vision and Prophecie and the setting up of his everlasting Dominion do infallibly conclude the introducing of a more excellent Ministerie and the full and immutable establishment of all Ordinances requisite to the ingathering and perfecting of the Saints Sir if these things were considered by you and that our Lord hath now at last by himself given and ordered for us a complete and perfect apâ—ointment of all means necessary in his Church you should finde more Soul-satisfaction in walking at true liberty in the observing of his precepts then in the Lascivient fancies of your own vain Imagination which not content to rest in the blessed change that our Lord hath made of the first Covenant not faultles unto this New one and better ordered under the specious aspiring to a liberty equal to that of the Jewish Church doth plainly charge the Christian Church with the imperfections of that which is decayed and vanished Having thus examined and answered the strain and scope of your discourse I shall briefly go over what remains You say Our Saviour and his Apostles countenanced the Synagogues and their Rulers and why not seing not only their first institution appears to have been such as I have declared but also other occasions noted in the Gospel wherein you have no advantage did clearly thereto invite Next you say That this their practice was either founded on divine Tradition which no Christian will grant or that a form of Government not unlawful was devised by Men I answere 1. I have exhibited already warrants for their practice beside tradition 2. Might not the positive manner of the institution of Synagogues have been then more clear while the thing was in observance then now it is after its abolition and the revolution of so many Ages 3. If I were concerned in your parenthesis against Divine Tradition I would ask you why do you thus without distinction make the admitting of it in the Jewish Church so great an absurdity That there were Divine Traditions before the Word was committed to writing and that under the dark imperfect and progressive dispensation of the Old Testament assisted nevertheless by a more immediate presence unwritten traditions might both have been more usuall and were less fallible may be probabely enough held by these who yet now after the full and perfect revelation of the Gospel by our Lord Jesus Christ do upon solid grounds very justly reject unwritten Traditions in the Christian Church By which reasons you may perceive that the one member of your Dilemma labouring so sadly of untruth both in its supposition and the absurdity thence inferred it can no wayes be cogent to enforce the other of the liberty of Mans devising in the point of Church-Government even in the Jewish Church let be in the Christian so many wayes more excellent But in the close you insinuate That the greater liberty you plead for to the Christian Church is in externals That this General ambiguous objection is only intended for a convenient retreat is apparent from all the preceeding discourse seeing if by Externals you understand things in their own nature extrinsick to the constitution of the Church and which in the New Testament have no further use allowed then is conducible to decencie and order we willingly grant that the Christian Church being in effect absolutely liberate from the old burthen of Ceremonies and not as you vainly conceit endowed with a greater and more arbitrarie power of imposing is indeed herein more free then the Iewish was But if by externals you mean as alas the instances premised do too plainly speak all the visible Ordinances of the Church specially that of Government at least what ever is in it visible the liberty that you would introduce is not more contraire to the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament as I have shown then most licentious and irreligious Your last cavill against the exercise of our Lords Kingdom in ordering the visible administration of his Church is That if this were inferred by his headship over the Church his being also the head of the World should argue the same determination in the order of the World as well as in that of the Church And having made your N. C. seemingly and poorly check you by saying that Christs Church is dearer to him then all the World Then you restrict the absurdâ—â—y which you press unto the civil Matters of the Church and proceed in such a rambling discourse that I am at a stand how to medle with it But waving the censure of your impertinencies I answere 1. That the Mediatory Kingdom of Our Lord over his Church and his Natural so to speak Soveraignity over the World are so grosly here by you confounded that I can only intreat you to be more serious in reading and searching what the Scripture doth very distinctly hold forth 1. Of their different rise the one given the other not given 2. Of their different objects and ends the one having proposing the World men in order to a
ensnared and thereafter more cruelly persecute and oppressed not repeating what hath been said by others in their vindication I shall briefly run over what you here subjoin You say then That Separation being a tearing of the Body of Christ to forsake the unity of the Church when there is scarce a colour of pretence for it must be a great sin 'T is answered I will not stand to descant upon the nature and several degrees of Separation and how that non-conforming to and compliance with a prevalent backsliding partie in effect the worst of Separatists which is our present case is very different from the case of Separation from a Church formerly acknowledged and joined with nor love I to inquire how farre a mans entrie into the Ministrie by open perjury and violence and his profane and flagitious deportment therein notourly known may in the perturbed state of the Church supply the want of a declarative sentence making void his mission Nor lastly will I make use of your own plain laws viz. the Act anent the restitution of Bishops and the late Act of Supremacie whereby all Church-power mark it is made dependent upon and subordinat unto the Kings Supremacie to prove your Ministers to be but Court Curats But in this I am plain and confident that if the Prophets who by their lyes and lightness cause the people to erre and speak peace to such as despise the Lord and strengthen their hands who walk in the imagination of their own heart be not to be hearkened unto if we ought to bewarre and flee from false Prophets whose fruits of ungodliness as well as heresie as is clear from the context do discover them to be but ravening wolves destroying Souls under the sheeps cloathing of an exterior call and hypocritical composure if such who cause divisions and offences contraire to the received truth and who serve not our Lord Jesus but their own belly are to be avoided and lastly if these Destroyers and Offenders be the only persons guilty of all the Separation and other inconveniences which ensue then are your Curates as dignoscible by all or one or other of these characters as the night is by darkness justly yea necessarily to be disowned fled from and avoided and only chargeable with that schisme whereof you endeavour to make us guilty But you add That in a schismatical time-serving humour we come sometimes to Church to â—vite the punishment of Law but seldom that we may retain our interest with our partie that we hear some of you but not others that some go to Churches in the Countrey but not in the City and finally some join with you in the ordinary Worship of Prayer and praise yet will not join in the Eucharist which is but solemn praise Sir if you had been candid in this reflection in place of imputing this variety to humour and faction it would indeed have moved you to pity the strait of so many good people redacted to such a multiâ—arious perplexity which yet in its outward appearance is but light in comparison of these inward inquietudes wherewith the contraire workings of the fear of God love of truth abhorrencie of wickedness tenderness toward Authority respect to union and peace and fear of punishment do continually sollicite them If I might presume so farre upon your credite I could tell you that in my certain knowledge some have been against their Consciences forced by violence and spoill to hear your Curates who therefore have mourned many Moneths thereafter and certain of them even unto death That others whom the generality of your Curates did either offend or according to the Lords prediction Ier. 23. v. 33. after long triall not profite at all have searched by a choise to remedy the evill for that there are better and worse not only as to private but also as to Publick transgressions you groundlessly deny and lastly that some have prevailed with themselves to hear and join with you in prayer and praise who have yet still scrupled in their Consciences to communicate with you in that Sacrament which beside the adjunct of solemn praise is designedly institute to signify and confirme our communion in as well as our union with Christ from whom we have reason to apprehend that many of you according to Scripture-rules and the grounds which your conversations hold out are at great distance If then these things be so let it satisfy you in this point that as the Generality of the whole land would account it a great reliefe to be delivered of all your Tribe and many of the godly are convinced that your Ministery being neither of nor for our Lord Jesus is not to be owned so all these umbrages of compliance which you observe are only the effects of curiosity fear or some other humane frailty wherewith by you we can neither in Charity nor ingenuity be urged But you are so desireous to win us to this conformity of owning your Curates that you are willing to suppose them to be but Intruders occupying the places of our faithfull shepherds violently torn away and yet you argue that although the high priest-hood was in our Lords dayes violently invaded by the Romans and by them exposed to sale and those Symoniacks did also usurp thâ— right of others yet we find Cajaphas as high Priest Prophesâ—ing and our Saviour answering to his authoritative adjuration and though the Pharisees were wretched teachers and very guilty persons yet our Saviour saith hear them for they sit in Moses chair which you saâ— is unanswerable and was the doctrine of our own Teachers 'T is answered not to insist upon the particular and full answere already made by others for dissolving the apparent force of this objection it is to be considered 1. That as this argument doth proceed upon parallel instances and similitudes for the most part lame and unequal so the Jews their particular customes and observances in the examples adduced are to us so hid and unknown and the Jewish constitution in General of a Church and Nation joined in one special people unto God by virtue of a Divine Law for matters both Civil and Religious committed even in its Civil part to the custody and interpretation of their Religious Officers is so manifestly different from that of the Christian Church gathered in one out of all and every Nation only for things Religious without any alteration in their Civil State under Jesus Christ their Head and King and the Ministers by him sent forth that little light as to our present purpose can be thence concluded 2. That not only in the point of the Churches Ministerie but also in its worship and other ordinances to reason from the dispensations of Soveraigne Providence in the decline of Churches the lawfull compliance of good men with these Churches in owning them in things found and bearing with corruptions which they could not remedy and lastly from the Lords assistance and presence that never the less hath therein
these corruptions and superstitious practices whereunto in a convenient compliance with the present course you cunningly endeavour to subjecte us you make you N. C. preface That there is no good to be hoped from you who are so fierce against us and to add with little serious reverence but God be thanked an ill-willed Cow hath short hornes Whence taking the occasion you tell us of your extreme aversion from fierce and violent courses your love to all Christians your pitie of such as you judge mistaken and that you quarrel with no man for his opinion in these lesser matters Which are but the skirts and suburbs of Religion and so forth Sir if Censure were either my Genius or office how easie were it for me to strip both you and your partie of this your sheeps clothing We have heard in the preceeding Dialogues your frequent accusations of Rebellion and Faction your virulent calumnies of the most inhumane unnatural and barbarous Wickedness that can be paralleled your insolent mockeries at fancied mistakes and lastly all that hath preceeded a continual quarrel about these things which you call lesser matters and all this against the generality nay against the whole of the Godly and sober in the Land but especially the Lords faithful and suffering Ministers and yet you have the boldnes to wipe your mouth and make a boast of your singular gentlenes Christian love compassion upon them that are out of the way and tender forbearance toward dissenters in lesser things But I have already medled too far in this concention only as I would not have men mistaken concerning you so for preventing of their mistake of us from your N. C. suggestion I assure you plainly that though any man may affirme without fear of a contradiction that the Prelatick Spirit mingled in the midst of you is irreligious false fierce jealous cruell covetous and proud and in these few years bygone hath less or more appeared in all these evill qualities yet as the seen fury folly and prophanitie of your Bishops and Curates and a secret conviction in all men of the consistencie of true Loyalty with the Countreys just aversion from them may in politick prudence induce our Governours to restrain some what of the rage of that Partie which we are thankfully to acknowledge so it is our Prayer to God that he would lead them on to a full and just consideration of the true causes of all our grievances and to serious repentance and returning unto God who alone with truth can restore unto us true peace and establishment You subjoine here the late King's advice of Moderation to his Son who now reigneth and would forsooth have us to beleeve that his words to express both your opinion and temper and really though I cannot altogether acquit their strain of prejudice nor carrie their designe higher then the ends of Policie yet they contain so much of sound reason and the later part of them viz. take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion devour not all or the best encouragements of Learning Industrie and Pietie is so sadly verified in the present condition of affaires that I cannot but with wonder reflect how such a rational instruction taught to the Author by long and costly experience should at his Majesties return have been so much neglected and even to this day after so visible an accomplishment so little remembred But the use you make of this passage is only to bewray your N. C. childishnesse and shew a little of your own affectation by causing him first to say It seems you are a Latitudinarian and then by your answering that if by latitude be meant charity you glory in it but as I have already demonstrat in the second Dialogue that it is conveniencie more then sincerity which relaxes and dilates your charity and as it is too too evident that it is the love of Peace more then of Truth which doth recommend men to the favour of your good opinion so I would have you to consider that rectitude and not latitude is the measure and character of the wayes of God Nay when I remember our Lord's words Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life The fairest gloss whereof your latitude is capable cannot reconcile me to the designation It is therefore in the streightness yea and straitnes of this Rule and in the practice of the new commandement of Love that you may truly glory but only in the Lord The assuming of Names other then that of Christian is but an emptie vanity and that of latitude is so little expressive of pure Christian charity that you see it is the very Gospel-epithet of the broad way of damnation In the next place taking as it appears with this new name of Latitudinarian for all your disowning of it within a few lines preceeding you and your N. C. together playing to others hands compound a prettie garland of praises for your self and complices And where he acknowledgeth That you live very good lives are strong witted People sound against Socinianisme clear and free from Popish errors you add on your part That your principles are neither dangerous nor loose that there are none greater haters of and enemies to Atheisme that you give a rational and convincing account of Christianity to all clear witted men that with a due measure of Charity for Papists and regard to the union of the Catholick Church you disclame all errors and give a most clear and scriptural account of the points debateable and lastly that even where the attributes of Gods soveraignity and goodness seem to interfere by faith you stope the mouth of weak reason Certainly then the men of the latitude are sound and orthodox men nay no doubt but ye are the people and wisdome shal die with you Yet if I might a little search you out I would demand 1. Why you thus distinctly characterize your self under a peculiar name for that you do not understand these Epithets of all your partie nay not of your Bishops and most of your Curates is evident even from the first whereby you assert that you live very good lives which I am certain many of them do not so much as pretend to 2. If the principles of you Latitudinarians be the same that we have set down in the preceeding Dialogues viz. that preaching is not to be termed the Word of God and consequently that Ministers are not his Messengers that the Church and we know not what Church may antiquat and cause to cease the obligation of practices such as the washing of feet and anointing the sick with oil though as punctually and perpetually enjoined in the Scripture as either of the Sacraments that Christs Kingdome is so inward and spiritual that Offices and Officers can no more be thence pleaded for in the Church then the stamping
the Count of Tholouse was a Peer of France and by Hugo Capetus constitution Peers were rather Vassals then Subjects It is answered ne ultra crepidam if Peers be Vassals as they are indeed being such Peers among themselves only and not with the King that therefore they are of all the most strictly oblidged subjects is notour to all that know the fidelity and gratitude which Vassallage doth import so that whatever priviledge their Peerage may give them over their inferiours yet that in order to their Soveraign and Liedge Lord they are in every respect subjects is uncontroverted But why should I spend time on your triflings Admitting that the Waldenses in this war had not so directly and immediatly resisted the King their Soveraign as not being their direct and immediate Persecutor have we therefore no advantage from this passage And are there not many other precedents in the History of that people which do fully and exactly infer our conclusion And as to the first do we not at least finde even in your own concession the Waldenses persecute for Religion standing to their own defence Now if once you allow to Religion the common priviledge of a defensive resistance the main strength of your arguments founded upon a pretended singularity in the cause of Religion as disowning forsooth all resistance and in a special manner astricted to suffering both by Gospell precept and primitive practice is thereby dissolved and removed I may not here insist on this subject But once for all let me demand you may not Religion be defended aswell as other rights and interests If you say it may but neither that nor any other against the invasion and persecution of the King and soveraign Power This is indeed a consequent but so destitute of all reason that as there is scarce a man in the world so stupid or debauched by flattery that will not in some suppositions grant the lawfulness of resistance so the most precious import of Religion and the atrocity of the injuries whereby it useth to be persecute can not but render it the first and most favourable of all excepted cases But if you say it may not then whether is it your meaning that it may not at all be defended either against Superior equall or inferior And certainly the Scripture and also many of the primitive instances abused to prostrate Religion unto tyranny do seem to run in this latitude without insinuating any distinction so that this generality being manifestly absurd doth of necessity evince them to have an other meaning and to be nothing conclusive to your purpose Or do you understand that in this the cause of Religion is singular that though against persecuting inferiors or equals Religion aswell as other rights doth permit defence yet against the Powers over us it is subject to a special restraint Assigne me for this speciality but any colourable pretext cris mihi magnus Apollo That the Gospel precepts Resist not evill Turn your cheek to the smiter Love your enemies c. Have their holy and Christian use of patience and godliness for all manner of injuries from whatsoâ—ever hand And that these other commands of subjection non-resistance honour and obedience to Kings and all in Authority have also their righteous influence of determining in every occasion our due compliance and submission without the least vestige either in all or any of the places of injoining a singular subjection to Powers persecuting for Religion is obviously evident What speciality you will gather from primitive practices the general mistakes that we find in their opinions as we may understand from Ambrose and Augustine condemning private defence even against Robbers ne dum salutem defendit pietatem contaminet may give us a satisfying conjecture From all which we may assuredly conclude that seing Religion doth lay no speciall prohibition of resistanceâ— in order to Superiors upon Subjects by them persecuted and that the above-written passage of the Waldenses doth at least evince that in other cases it hath the common priviledge your inferring of specâ—al consequences in favours of the Powers from abused generalls is but a politick improving of your lies unto base and selfish flattery Now as to other examples that may be found among the Waldenses Pray Sir was this the only passage in all that History which you conceived did favour our cause or was you loth to follow them over the Alpes unto the valleys of Piemont to meet with instances which indeed you have reason to think can only be best answered by concealing them in the obscurities of the places where acted And really this omission is so grosly supine that you must pardon me to think it designed However the History that I referre you to for a full and particular account aswell of the faith stedfastness and simplicicy of these Waldenses in Piemont as of their many and great persecutions by their own Rulers and Princes and their just and frequent oppositions made against them particularly from the year 1540 to the year 1561. And how in the year 1571 they entered into a League of mutual assistance and from that year did undergo many vicissitudes sometimes of peace and quiet then of cruell and barbarous persecutions wherein they testified great constancy and patience and sometimes of necessary defensive resistances wherein they witnessed no less uprightnesse and courage even until the year 1658 wherein the narration terminates is that of the Evangelical Churches in the valleys of Piemont very faithfully and acuratly collected and written by Mr Morland Where I am confident every ingenuous person will finde the case of defence for the cause of Religion against persecuting Rulers so justly stated so tenderly and submissively proceeded into and lastly so singly and moderatly prosecuted and that not only once or twice but often that as he will be thereby greatly confirmed in the righteousness of this practice so he can not but observe the inexcusable omission of your silence The next instance which you undertake to vindicate is that of the Bohemians under Zisca their fighting and resisting when the chalice was denyed them And for answere to this you bid us consider that the Crown of Boheme is elective in which case certainly the States of a Kingdom share more largely of the Soveraign power But 1. You hereby plainly acknowledge that Religion is not indefendible except by meer subjects against their Soveraign So that again we see it is not from the cause of Religion but from the quality of the persons that you foolishly go about to exclude Religion from defence which yet notwithstanding in several excepted cases all inferior to that of persecution is to subjects against their oppressing Princes by all almost allowed 2. That the States of a Kingdom share more largely of the soveraign Power in an elective then in a successive Kingdom hath no proper dependence upon the way of election but is thereto meerly accidental the Dictators in free Rome were elected and
me to a discovery which rendreth its event so dishonourable to our King's memory Having run thorow so many examples with such success as we have spoken you conclude And thus I have cleared the Churches abroad of that inâ—urious stain you brand them with But seeing I have so mamanifestly discovered your falshood and presumption in this matter I will not insult over this your folly You go on in the next place to our Britain and tell us of the English Reformation and how that it was stained with no blood save that of Martyrs and that indeed was no stain but as you do well correct your selfe its chief Ornament But Sir if the Reformation in other places were no less confirmed and rendred glorious by this zeal and testimony and withall the People by defensively resisting when in a sufficient capacity did evidence a greater and more universal constancy not versatile by every blast of Authority and ambulatory at Princes their pleasure doth it not rather augment then diminish their praise You adde That in England though a Popish and persecuting Queen interveened betwixt the first Reformation of King Edward and the second of Queen Elizabeth yet none rebelled And what then Pray Sir how or wherefore doth Scotland want that glory Sure I am that the Reformation being established in Scotland after a sharp war and by the way you may remember that Queen Elizabeth sided with the subject both by Pacification Authority and determination of a General Assembly yet we received Queen Mary from France a declared violent Papist without the least question anent her right of Government or any opposition moved against her until provoked by such weakness wickednesse as I am ashamed to mention Wherein then in this regard are we inferior to England unless it be that neither for the favour nor fear of a woman we were moved by any publict act let be by vote of Parliament as the Representative of that Nation to deny the â—aith and again take on theyoke of the Romane Antichrist Or how are you not ashamed to reproach your Nation with a nimious fervour specially upon this occasion wherein our worthy Reformers did make the Court complyance back-drawing and lukwarmness of a few temporizers their great and continual complaint In the next place you tell us that all that travelled the World can witness that we were not approven in our late rebellion and passing by Diodat Spanhem Rivet Salmasius Blondel Amerald de Moulin and others not named as all either in print or publick discourse declaring for you you say There was an act made by the Consistory of Charentoun that no man should be barred the communion for the Scots Excommunication except it were for a crime And this forsooth was a loud declaration of their disowning of our practice 'T is answered 1. Though you could give a account of the opinion of the Nations abroad concerning our late wars yet their judgement in matters so remote from their knowledge and wherein the favour generally born to Kings specially when so fatally unfortunat as Charles the first was is able to create in the most part very little inquisitive a very strong prejudice cannot amount to a testimony of any moment 2. That the more knowing among them did both by their Histories and other writtings also by their letters approve our proceedings might be very easily made out by an unanswerable condescendence nay that the generality both of Dutch and French Protestants did condemne the King's party and their practices I am certain none of these to whom you appeal in this matter can justly disown it As for Diodat and the rest you name why do you not eâ—hibite their words You say indeed for some of them very wisely and safely That they did only declare themselves in their Discourses and Sermons And for these I think you must be excused because you heard them not But for the rest I ingage that whatever passages you shall adduce from them on your part I shall redargue either their information in matter of fact or their reasons in matter of Right to the satisfaction of all unbyassed men Beside Salmasius is most exceptionable in respect he was imployed and got money in the cause and yet in the judgement of many though he had unanswerable advantages as to the main design of his defence he was even in that shamefully baffled And for Amerauld read but his own vain and ridiculous Dedication of his paraphrase upon the Psalmes to the King in the year of his restitution and I am certain you will allow us to think the want of his suffrage no prejudice to our cause Now for your act made at Charenton I confess your not producing of it doth the more dissatisfy because you represent it in termes little consistent viz. That the Scoâ—s Excommunication should not debar unless it were for a crime That you take a crime in this place in its larger acceptation for an offense and not in that more strict and proper wherein Lawyers use it it were disingenuity in me for to call it in question But then how Excommunication can otherwise proceed without the allegation of any crime as you seem to accuse us is indeed to me a difficulty inexplicable whereof I am sure our Church could not be guilty and therefore seing the Consistorie could not doubt that the Church of Scotland did hold an offense and obstinacie to be the necessary causes of excommunication for them to have â—lighted the tryal by us made and judged the particular grounds of our procedure not answerable to the general rule had been breach of Christian communion and charity whereof your naked assertion shall never make me think the French Church guilty withal yow know that the Bishop of Galloway whom you alledge to have been upon this act admitted to the Lords Table notwithstanding of his excommunication was excommunicate upon the accusation of clear crimes So that what you call a loud declaration on the Consistories part I apprehend to be only a loud calumny on yours But whatever be in that act or the Bishops admission upon his own information in opposition to all your vain pretenses of contrary Authorities it is certain that not only the truth and right was on our side but also that our practices were approven yea applauded and we therein encouraged by letters from several of the reformed Churches yet extant upon record But in the next place your N. C. Demanding it you undertake to tell him ingenuously what precedents there are in History for subjects fighting upon the account of Religion And the first you say that you know is that of Gregory the seventh arming the subjects of Germanie against Henry the fourth from whom other Popes taking example they made no bones upon any displeasure pretending alwayes some matter of Religion to depose Princes and liberat their subjects As you instance in Frederick the. 1. und 2. Lewes of Bavier and several others but the latest
Kingdome But can you or any man thence conclude that therefore he acted from an ordinary power and facultie a priviledge proper to his office Why then should men be so absurdly unequal as from the like extraordinary interpositions of Princes in Church perturbations to attribute to them a proper inherent right and perpetual prerogative Next you say That the Emperours also judged in matters of Schisme But seing that any judgement given by them was consequent to the Churches determination though perhapes with a little attemperation for conveniency whereof determinations in these matters do very naturally allow the instance is no more favourable then the rest you have adduced But the Code Basilicks Capitulers of Charles the great shew that they never thought it without their sphere to make laws in Ecclesiastick matters 'T is answ This objection shewes that either you are little acquainted with what is in these Books or little advertent to the conclusion you have in hand The laws you mention are either imperial confirmations of the truth owned by the Church or for condemning and punishing of declared hereticks or for authorizing and ordering a slender umbrage of jurisdiction called episcopalis audientia granted to Church-men in charitable and favourable cases or for restraining and correcting their dissolute manners or lastly anent the regulating of Hospitals Alms-houses other things pertaining to the outward policy of the Church Pray Sir what make these for your Supremacie Or was ever this part of his Majesties power by us questioned But where wil you finde in all approven antiquity that ever a Prince by vertue of a pretended inherent right in his Crown or any acclaimed prerogative and Supremacie in causes Ecclesiastick took upon him with one blow summarily to overturne the established Ministery of a Church by himselfe formerly by solemn Oath confirmed introduce new Office-bearers set up a new frame of Church-government declaring himselfe to be the sole head and fountain thereof to whom all others as subordinat must be accountable for their admistrations In what antient record did you ever read of a Commission granted by a King for Ecclesiastick affaires impowering Secular persons to appoint Ministers to be censured by suspension and deposition and Church-men to punish by fining confining incarcerating and other corporal paints What Emperour or Prince did ever assume to himselfe in the right of his royal power at once to impose upon a whole Church a new liturgie and form of service never before heard of among them Or did it ever enter in the heart of a Christian Potentat to declare for a Law that what ever he should please to enact anent Church-meetings and matters should upon the publication be by all obeyed and observed and in suite of it to statute that if either Minister or other person not allowed by his or his Bishops authority do preach expone Scripture or pray except in his own house and to these only of his own family it shall be judged a Coventicle and liable to pains of Law These are a part of the native fruits of your Supremacie If you look back to confirme it by antient precedents pray give us but one parallel I grant that Iustinian in some of his Constitutions after having declared and confirmed the truth received by the Church and dâ—termined by her Councils not only condemnes but anathematizes the contrary heresies But seing his using of that phrase peculiar to the Church and properly importing a power acknowledged not to be competent to secular Athority doth only express his more enixe detestation of these errours and approbation of the Church her censures against them it cannot with any colour of reason be made use of for your purpose But you proceed to tell us that the Bishops not excepting the Bishope of Rome were named at least their elections approven by the Emperours And what then For my part if the Emperour and all Christian Princes should agree at once to reduce them aswell as they advanced them it should not be accounted an invasion of the Churches power or priviledge But because it is like that these Emperours you speak of did indeed regard them as true Church-officers nevertheless medled as is mentioned in their elections I answer further that the true cause of Princes their first medling in the elections of Bishops was either the diffidence of the Bishops as to that office and title wherein not being satisfied from Scripture-warrant they were inclined to apply to the Emperour for the supplement of his confirmation or els their solicitous ambition which in thesearly contests that they had for precedency did prompt them among other artifices to fortify their pretensions by the Emperour's favour and suffrage However this is very certain that whether the Emperour 's medling was first procured by the Bishops address or did flow from their own proper motive had these Church-men contained themselves within the rules and limits set to them by our Lord they had never judged the Emperours confirmation requisite to the validity of their office and title and therefore seing the true account of this matter is that the aspiring of Ecclesiasticks did give the first rise unto this secular medling whether we take it to be no usurpation as being conversant about that which to say the truth is not Christian let be Ecclesiastick or to be a partaking in the Church-men their usurpation either of the two doâ—h equally make void your argument After the reasons which we have heard you conclude That Kings their medling in Ecclesiastick affaires was never controverted till the Romane Church swelled to the hight of tyranny and since the reformation it hath been still stated as one of the differences betwixt us and them It is answered If Princes had at first exceeded and intruded too far in Church-matters and then the Pope acted by a worse spirit and no less aspiring had risen up against his Masters and thrust himselfe into their rooms what would this make for your advantage Or doth it to either of them conclude a right Suppose a Papist debating this question should argue thus that the Pope his headship in Ecclesiastick affaires in England was never controverted till Henry the Eight impatient through lust did arrogate to himself the Supremacy and since that time it hath still been stated as one of the controverted differences would you think this reasoning pungent Why then is not your discerning equall to your judgement But the clear truth in this matter is that although the Emperours of old did at no time lay claime to this Supremacy questioned yet they and the succeeding Princes having too much connived at and countenanced the Antichristian ambition working in Prelacy toward the Papacy it was from the righteous judgement of God that upon its exaltation they were blinded and involved in these contentions and justly plagued by the transcendent insolence of an evill which they had too much fomented And therefore your dating the period of these contests