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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A42763 CXI propositions concerning the ministerie and government of the Church Gillespie, George, 1613-1648. 1647 (1647) Wing G752; ESTC R21587 30,033 52

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touching the outward man or the outward disposing of divine things in this or that Dominion as was said not as they are Spirituall and Evangelicall Ordinances piercing into the conscience it self But the object of the power Ecclesiasticall is a thing meerly and purely spirituall and in so far as it is spirituall for even that jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall which is exercised in an outward court or judicatory and which inflicteth publike censures forbiddeth from the use of the holy Supper and excludeth from the society of the Church doth properly concerne the inward man or the repentance and salvation of the soul 56. Surely the Faithfull and Godly Ministers although they could doe it unchallenged and uncontrolled and were therein allowed by the Magistrate as in the Prelaticall times it was yet would not usurpe the power of life and death or judge and determine concerning mens honours goods inheritance division of Families or other civill businesses seeing they well know these things to bee heterogeneous to their office But as they ought not to entangle themselves with the judgeing of civill causes so if they should bee negligent and slothfull in their owne office they shall in that bee no lesse culpable 57. To the object also of Ecclesiasticall power belongeth the assembling of Synodes so far as they are spirituall Assemblies proper to the Church and assembled in the holy Ghost for being so considered the governours of Churches after the example of the Apostles and Presbyters Acts 1 5. in a manifest danger of the Church ought to use their owne right of meeting together and conveening that the Churches endangered may be relieved and supported 58. Thirdly Those powers are differenced in respect of their formes and that three wayes For first the Civill power although in respect of God it bee Ministeriall yet in respect of the Subjects it is Lordly and Magisteriall Ecclesiasticall power is indeed furnished with authority yet that authority is liker the Fatherly then the Kingly authority Yea also t is purely Ministeriall much lesse can it bee lawfull to Ministers of the Church to bear dominion over the flock 59. Emperours Kings and other Magistrates are indeed appointed fathers of the Countrey but they are withall Lords of their People and Subjects Not as if it were permitted to them to bear rule and command at their own will and as they list for they are the Ministers of God for the good and profit of the Subjects yet it belongs to their power truely and properly to exercise dominion to hold principality to proceed imperiously It is indeed the duety of Ministers and Rulers of the Church to oversee to feed as shepherds to correct and rectifie to bear the keyes to bee Stewards in the house of Christ but in no wise to bee Lords over the house or to governe as Lords or Lordlike to rule yea in brief this is the difference between the civill Magistrate and the Ecclesiasticall Ministery in respect of those which are committed to their trust that the lot of the former is to bee served or ministred unto the lot of the latter to minister or serve 60. Now we have one onely Lord which governes our souls neither is it competent to man but to God alone to have power and authori●y over consciences But the Lord hath appointed his owne Stewards over his own Family that according to his commandment they may give to every one their allowance or portion and to dispense his mysteries faithfully and to them hee hath delivered the keyes or power of letting in into his house or excluding out of his house those whom hee himself will have let in or shut out Matth. 16. 19. and 18. 18. Luk. 12. 42. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Tit. 1. 7. 61. Next the civill power is indued with authority of compelling But it belongs not to the Ministery to compell the disobedient If any compulsion bee in or about Ecclesiasticall matters t is adventitious from without to wit from the help and assistance of the Magistrate not from the nature of Ecclesiasticall power from which it is very heterogeneous and therefore if any Suspended or Excommunicate person should be found who shall be so stiffe-necked and so impudent that at once he cast off all shame and make no account at all of those censures but scorne and contemne the same or peradventure shall insolently or proudly engyre and obtrude himself upon the Sacrament or being also filled with devillish malice do more and more contradict and blaspheme the Ecclesiasticall Ministery in such cases hath nothing more to do by way of jurisdiction But the Magistrate hath in readinesse a compelling jurisdiction and externall force whereby such stubborne rebellious and undaunted pride may bee externally repressed 62. Last of all the power of the Magistrate worketh onely politically or civilly according to the nature of the Scepter or Sword maketh and guardeth civill Lawes which sometimes also he changeth or repealeth and other things of that kinde hee effecteth with a secular power But the Ecclesiasticall power dealeth spiritually and onely in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by authority entrusted or received from him alone neither is it exercised without Prayer or calling on the Name of God nor lastly doth it use any other then spirituall weapons 63. The same sinne therefore in the same man may be punished one way by the civill another way by the Ecclesiasticall power by the civill power under the formality of a crime with corporall or pecuniary punishment By the Ecclesiasticall power under the notion and nature of scandall with a spirituall censure even as also the same civill question is one way deliberate upon and handled by the Magistrate in the Senate or place of Judgement another way by the Minister of the Church in the Presbytery or Synode by the Magistrate so farre as it pertaineth to the Government of the Common-wealth by the Minister so far as it respects the conscience for the Ecclesiasticall Ministery also is exercised about civill things spiritually in so far as it teacheth and admonisheth the Magistrate out of the Word of God what is best and most acceptable unto Gods or as it reproveth freely unjust judgements unjust warres and the like and out of the Scripture threatneth the wrath of God to be revealed against all unrighteousnesse of men So also is the Magistrate said to bee occupied civilly about spirituall things 64. Therefore all the actions of the civill Magistrate even when hee is imployed about Ecclesiasticall matters are of their own nature and essentially civill he punisheth externally Idolaters Blasphemers Sacrilegious persons Hereticks Prophaners of holy things and according to the nature and measure of the sinne hee condemneth to death or banishment forfeiture of goods or imprisonment he guardeth and underproppeth Ecclesiasticall Cannons with civill authority giveth a place of habitation to the Church in his territorie restraineth or expelleth the insolent and untamed disturbers of the Church 65. Hee taketh care also for maintaining the
there is controversie in the Church Yet is hee questionlesse judge of his own civill act about spirituall things namely of defending them in his own Dominions and of approving or tolerating the same and if in this businesse hee judge and determine according to the wisdome of the flesh and not according to the wisedome which is from above he is to render an account thereof before the supream Tribunall 98. However the Ecclesiasticall Discipline according as it is ordained by Christ whether it bee established and ratified by civill authority or not ought to be retained and exercised in the Society of the faithfull as long as it is free and safe for them to come together in holy Assemblies for the want of civill authority is unto the Church like a ceasing gaine but not like damage or losse ensuing as it superaddeth nothing more so it takes nothing away 99. If it further happen which God forbid that the Magistrate do so farre abuse his authority that hee doth straitly forbid what Christ hath ordained yet the constant and faithfull servants of Christ will resolve and determine with themselves that any extremities are rather to be undergone then that they should obey such things and that wee ought to obey God rather then men yea they will not leave off to performe all the parts of their office being ready in the mean time to render a reason of their practise to every one that demandeth it but specially unto the Magistrate as was said before 100. These things are not to that end and purpose proposed that these functions should be opposed one against another in a hostile posture or in termes of enmity then which nothing is more hurtfull to the Church and Commonwealth nothing more execrable to them who are truely and sincerely zealous for the house of God for they have not so learned Christ but the aime is First and above all that unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ the onely Monarch of the Church his own prerogative Royall of which also himself in the World was accused and for his witnessing a good confession thereof before Pontius Pilate was unjustly condemned to death may be fully maintained and defended 101. Next this debate tendeth also to this end that the power as well of Ecclesiasticall censu●e as of the civill sword being in force the licentiousnesse of carnall men which desire that there be too slack Ecclesiasticall Discipline or none at all may be bridled and so men may sin lesse and may live more agreeably to the Gospel Another thing here intended is that errours on both sides being overthrowen as well the errour of those who under a fair pretence of maintaining and defending the rights of Magistracie do leave to the Church either no power or that which is too weak as the errour of others who under the vaile of a certaine suppositious and imaginary Christian liberty do turne off the yoke of the Magistrate both powers may enjoy their owne Priviledges adde hereto that both powers being circumscribed with their distinct borders and bounds and also the one underpropped and strengthned by the help of the other a holy concord betweene them may be nourished and they may mutually and friendly imbrace one another 102. Last of all seeing there are not wanting some unhappy men who cease not to pervert the right wayes of the Lord and with all diligence goe about to shake off the yoke of the Ecclesiasticall Discipline where now t is about to bee introduced yea also where it hath been long agoe established and as yet happily remaineth in force it was necessary to obviate their most wicked purposes Which things being so let all which hath been said passe with the good leave and liking of those orthodoxe Churches in which the Discipline of Excommunication is not as yet in use neither can any offence easily arise to them from hence yea if the best conjecture doe not deceive they cannot but rejoyce and congratulate at the defence and vindication of this Discipline 103. For those Churches doe not deny but acknowledge and teach that the Discipline of Excommunication is most agreeable to the Word of God as also that it ought to bee restored and exercised Which also heretofore the most learned Zachary Vrsine in the declaration of his judgement concerning Excommunication exhibited to Prince Frederick the third Count Elector Palatine the title whereof is Judicium de Disciplina Ecclesiastica c. Excommunicatione c. 104. For thus he In other Churches where either no Excommunication is in use or t is not lawfully administred and neverthelesse without all controversie it is confessed and openly taught that it ought justly to bee received and bee of force in the Church and a little after Lest also your Highnesse by this new opinion doe sever your self and your Churches from all other Churches as well those which have not Excommunication as those which have it Forasmuch as all of them doe unanimously confesse and alwayes confessed that there is reason why it ought to bee in use 105. To the same purpose it tendeth which the highly esteemed Philip Melancthon in his Common places chap. of civill Magistrates doth affirme Before sayeth he I warned that civill Places and Powers are to bee distinguished from the adhering confusions which arise from other causes partly from the malice of the devill partly from the malice of men partly from the common infirmity of men as it cometh to passe in other kindes of life and Government ordained of God No man doubteth that Ecclesiasticall Government is ordained of God and yet how many and great disorders grow in it from other causes Where he mentioneth a Church Government distinct from the civill and that jure divino as a thing uncontroverted 106. Neither were the wishes of the chief Divines of Zurick and Berne wanting for the recalling and restoring of the discipline of Excommunication So Bullinger upon 1 Cor. 5. And hitherto faith he of the of the Ecclesiasticall chastising of wickednesse but here I would have the brethren diligently warned that they watch and with all diligence take care that this wholesome medicine thrown out of the true Church by occasion of the Popes avarice may be reduced that is that scandalous sins bee punished for this is the very end of Excommunication that mens manners may be well ordered and the Saints flourish the prophane being restrained lest wicked men by their impudencie and impiety increase and undoe all It is our part ô brethren with greatest diligence to take care of these things for we see that Paul in this place doth stirre up those that were negligent in this businesse 107. Aretius agreeth hereunto Problem Theolog. loc. 33. Magistrates doe not admit the yoke they are afraid for their honours they love licentiousnesse c. The common people is too dissolute the greatest part is most corrupt c. In the mean while I willingly confesse that wee are not to despaire but