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christian_n	church_n	particular_a	pastor_n	2,231	5	9.9163	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85043	The churches and ministery of England, true churches and true ministery. Cleared, and proved, in a sermon / preach'd the 4th of May at Wiviliscombe; before a numerous congregation assembled together to hear the opposition, which had been long threatned to be made that day, by Mr Collier and others of his party, who, with the greatest strength the West would afford them, were present at the sermon. Wherein were these five things undeniably proved: 1. That a mixture of prophane and scandalous persons with reall saints, is not inconsistent with the Church of God or a true church. ... 5. And then, they also must needs be guilty, who forsake true churches and a lawfull ministry, to follow and hear unsent preachers. By Francis Fullwood minister of the Gospel at Staple Fitzpane in the county of Somerset. Before it there is an epistle and preface, shewing the manner, and a narrative subjoyned shewing the substance of the dispute after the sermon, (both which lasted nine hours.) Set forth by the ministers that were at the dispute, and attested under their hands.	Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693.; Darby, Charls.; Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1652 (1652)	Wing F2498; Thomason E671_2; ESTC R202166	72,915	100

examination ordination and inauguration to the Magistrate nomination presentation confirmation to the people consent suffrage approving or as circumstances may require postulation Not willing to give all to the Minister with Papists to the Magistrate with Erastians or to the people with Libertines Anabaptists Brownists c. and to the purpose Amesius speaks who goes as far in this as we desire for the care that all things saith he touching ordination of Ministers he means be done rightly belongs to the Magistrate whose care and power doth contribute to us and disown you 'T is but vain to say that this is to fetch our power from the earth for we rather look on the favour of Magistrates and their assistance as a plain performance of that Gospel-promise Isa 49. 23. And Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and their Queens thy nursing Mothers which I know not how can come better to passe then by their providing the sincere milk of the Word for us Now thus far we are come having stept beyond you four degrees into the approbation of indifferent men we are found to have for our wartant in preaching what you have or allow and over and above what may well be required by any other men yet one thing remains of greater concernment then all the rest for further yet we excell you in this that we have besides what the Word requires either to make or manifest us true Ministers the sum of the following Section SECT III. And we are not allowed true Ministers only by our adversaries We have what the Word requires principles by our own Congregations by all the Reformed Churches in the world and by a Christian Magistracy as hath largely been shewed but by the Word of God besides we having whatever the Word requires to make us Ministers or to evidence us such 1. To make us Ministers We have first whatsoever the Word requires to make us Ministers viz. Ordination according to the Word of God now The nature of Ordination that this may appear I shall briefly unfold the nature of Gospel-ordination of Ministers and for that end I pitch on and desire you to turn to that of Act. 13. 1 2 3. where we shall learn two things 1. What the nature of Ordination is 2. In whose hands the power of ordaining lies 2. Ordination is described here with respect to its substance and so it is a separating v. 2. or a sending v. 3. as also with respect to its Ceremonies v. 3. which are fasting and prayer and laying on of hands Now from both these we have this Rule That ordinary Gospel-ordaining of Ministers is a sacred separating and setting them apart for the work of the Ministery which ought to be solemniz'd and distinctly signified by fasting and prayer and laying on of hands Concerning which I lay down these rules 1. This Ordination is more or lesse necessary the more or lesse Rules touching the necessity of Ordination the means thereof may be had 2. Therefore it is not simply necessary or with a necessity of means as if in no case a man might be made a Minister without it 3. Yet it is necessary secundum quid by Apostolicall instruction 4. Whole Ordination is of necessity required in a constituted Church on the Ordainers part not on the part of the person ordained I mean though God requires they observe his rule in ordaining yet the omission of some circumstances doth not null the substance of any ordination had without them upon this Rule * M. Seaman In talibus non est aliquid iterandum saith a Canon of the Papists themselves Note Because Calvinists and Lutherans place so much in a Christian Magistrate the edification of the Church is so necessary that it must be endeavoured as providence makes way and I had rather have the substance only viz. a setting apart by lawfull Ministers authoriz'd thereto by the Civill Magistrate without the other convenient ceremonies then to have full Ordination both substance and ceremonies from men not allowed by publike Authority 5. We must then distinguish betwixt the substance and ceremonies of Ordination and then we say that the substance which I take to be neer the same with vocation is far more necessary then the circumstance of fasting and prayer and imposition of hands 6. The substance of Ordination is absolutely necessary to make a Minister a lawfull Pastor to any particular flock though not so to licence a mans teaching to heathens out of a Church for suppose the highest case a company of Christians are cast upon the shore among heathens and there is no returning for them to the true Church again one of these may be made Pastor and overseer to the Church none doubt but how it must be by the calling of the rest whereby they separate him for the work which is the substance of Ordination and without the same no man among them may take that honour unto himself All these ceremonies of Ordination are to be gladly received The necessity of imposition of hands in some respects either for orders sake or to avoid scandal is acknowledged by these Protestant Divines who make least account of laying on of hands M. Seaman p. 74. Note Our Ordination is such as the word holds out when they may be had and readily submitted to not as the practice but the plain institution of the blessed Apostles and that that therefore will render a mans call into the Ministery most clear from scandall or any touch of offence These Rules I doubt not to lay before you as the conclusions of Protestant Divines and very much favoured by holy Scripture which would easily appear should I not exceed the bounds of a Sermon Now as these do keep the middle way 'twixt Papists upholding the absolute necessity of Ordination in all cases and Socinians and Anabaptists that deny it to be any way necessary at all so do they allow and maintain the lawfullnesse of out Ordination and calling to the Word of the Ministery both now and heretofore in the Church of England being no other but what is most clearly and evidently gathered from the Text before us this Act. 13. 2 3. with many other places Object But how shall we know that the way of ordaining in the text is the ordinary way for the Churches of Christ to walk in since the persons ordained seem to us to be extraordinary men Barnabas and Paul Answ That very thing proves it for if both these men had a call extraordinary before this their call then must needs be ordinary The Ordination of Barnabas and Paul was ordinary which is more plain too if we consider the work is the work of ordinary Ministers hereunto they are called viz. to preach ver 5. and to ordain others cap. 14. 23. they having an extraordinary call before that need not be repeated but they being to be sent about the work of ordinary Officers they have therefore moreover an ordinary call

THE CHURCHES and MINISTERY of ENGLAND True Churches and true Ministery Cleared and proved In a SERMON preach'd the 4th of May at Wiviliscombe before a numerous Congregation assembled together to hear the opposition which had been long threatned to be made that day by Mr Collier and others of his party who with the greatest strength the West would afford them were present at the Sermon Wherein were these Five things undeniably proved 1. That a mixture of prophane and scandalous persons with reall Saints is not inconsistent with the Church of God or a true Church 2. That then the Churches that are now in England are Churches of God and true Churches 3. That then the Ministry of those Churches is the Ministry of God and the true Ministry 4. That then there is a great and heavy sin lying at the door of all such as do presume to preach publikely among us without a Call who have true Churches and a setled Ministry 5. And then they also must needs be guilty who forsake true Churches and a lawfull Ministry to follow and hear unsent preachers By FRANCIS FULLWOOD Minister of the Gospel at Staple Fitzpane in the County of Somerset Before it there is an Epistle and Preface shewing the Manner and a Narrative subjoyned shewing the Substance of the Dispute after the Sermon both which lasted nine hours Set forth by the Ministers that were at the Dispute and Attested under their Hands LONDON Printed by A. M. for George Treagle at Taunton and are to be sold at London by William Roybould at the Unicorn in Pauls Church-yard 1652. TO HIS Honoured Friend Collonel JOHN PINE A Member of Parliament and one of the Commissioners for the Militia of the County of Somerset Honoured Sir TRuth though above this sixteen hundred years of age and hath learned long since to stand alone yet experience hath found it doth ever goe the better into the world when imboldened with the care and gracious protection of a nursing Father and I need not dawb with untempered mortar to tell the world what the whole West of England well nigh knows that the potent influence and pleasant shade of so noble a Tree will better protect and secure those truths against all the heat of present opposition then these poor contemptible following Leaves can do Now Blessed be the God of Truth that hath inclined your heart to own his truth and more particularly to embrace an opportunity wherein you may do his shaken Churches throughout the world so great service a bold expression I must needs confesse yet Worthily Honoured Sir give me leave to be bold and I shall adde That there is nothing more certain then this that these mens principles we speak against would at once strike down I say not the credit but being and truth of all the Churches and Ministery and Ordinances of Christ that are either now or ever have been in the world since the Primitive times and who is not affrighted from horrid principles But since the designe lies so deep I beseech you Noble Sir to consider a little who they are that undertake it and with what Engine they think to effect it First Who and what are the men of so great an adventure Methinks Fame should carry them to be mightily skil'd in the Originall tongus or deeply read in the History of the Church whereby they had discovered something there that was never found out before or some Saints or Angels or Christs sent down from heaven to open some truths that had been lockt up and kept secret from the Church for so many hundred years but alas they pretend not to be any such but what are they even men of like infirmities with us and in a word no betterthen the Apostle describes unlearned unstable wresting the Scriptures But surely they have some weighty Arguments though the men be weak they would never undertake so great a design as to overthrow all Churches Ministers Ordinances and that ever since the Apostles times unlesse their Engine were somewhat answerable O yes they have allowed Infant-baptism Ministers that baptize infants are anti-Anti-christian Members that were baptized Infants are Anti-christian and consequently Churches and Ordinances are all Antichristian Ah poor shift and yet you have nothing else will hold an Argument but this Let me now in the Name of God and all the Churches entreat these men to consider a few things or answer a few brief questions touching Infant-baptism and then they will see how desperate and unadvised they have been in a matter of so great moment 1. Suppose we should grant the baptizing of Infants an Errour May not the true Church erre may not the whole Church erre may it not erre in judgement and then what doth hinder but it may erre in practice too and yet be still a true Church to affirm the contrary is rank Popery Again If the Church may erre it may erre in circumstance without dispute and what is the errour of Infant-baptism if it be an errour more then a circumstantiall errour for have we not ever kept the substance of it the matter water and the form In the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost how then I pray you can the errour of Infant-baptism destroy our Churches or nullifie our Ministers or ●●her Ordinances 2. But alas who told you that Infant-baptism was an errour before the Anabaptists of Germany did who told you when this errour came first into the Church What Precept or Precedent have you against it in all the Scripture or what command have you to shew for the baptizing beleevers only alas poor men who among you dare answer to any one of these questions and how then wilt thou be able to answer them all and much lesse can you warrant the desperate conclusions you have built upon so weak so tottering a foundation But why do I trouble these poor men alas they are but the weapons and Organs of Jesuites who play their game under these mens cloaks Methinks I see them instilling their damnable doctrines into these mens ears and venting them again at their mouths how naturally do all the abominable errours of these our times if you follow them a little kindely saluting each other and joyning in one stream tend and flow to the Sea of Rome the Seminaries are sowing their Tares among us which indeed spring too fast all the Land over and if they be not rooted up and stopt in time the Pope it 's to be feared will shortly reap too large a harvest among us in England which Canterbury I remember warned us off who know more of their plots and methods perhaps then he should or we do in his speech upon the Scaffold Honoured Sir give me leave I beseech you to point a little at the Jesuites drift as I conceive among us His generall last end is to advance the Pope and bring in Popery which hath been hatching many years The means he makes use of for this great end is to

bring in a generall Toleration and to put down the Ministers in a generall Toleration there being no hedge of Discipline to keep him out he hopes to crowd in with the rest and then trusts to his learning and parts to do well enough especially can he but get his greatest enemy the able Ministry down Which he attempts by rendring it odious to the people because of maintenance and to the Parliament by making them what in them lies to be enemies to the State But doth not the Parliament very well know that every County of the Land can produce divers Ministers that have been true to their Cause ever since they first sate to this very day but I need not blaze the friendship of Jesuits or indeed of our adversaries more immediate to civill Authority both in principle and practice and in this I am sure they agree that the Christian Magistrate hath nothing to do with matter of Religion which casts a greater blur upon Parliamentary proceedings of that nature for these many years past then the worst of the actions I think I may say that the Ministry hath done Honoured Sr I am too bold and tedious take this I beseech you as a pawn and pledg of that honour and gratitude I owe to you and the Lord inspire you with the spirit of discerning to search into these things more and more discouraging error and owning his truth who hath said those that honour me I will honour to whose grace and glory I am bold to commend both you and yours and subscribe my self as indeed I am Most Honoured Sir Your very much obliged and most humble servant FRAN FULLWOOD A Preface to the Reader CHRISTIAN READER FOr such a one I suppose my self speaking unto one who knowest thy self concerned in all the affairs of Christianity and upon that ground art the Lords Remembrancer at the Throne of Grace not only for thy self but for all others also who are partakers of like precious faith with thee and hast powred out many a prayer and tear for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem Thou art it may be lately come out of thy closet where thou hadst sweet communion with him whom thy soul loveth and thou sawest so much of his comelinesse and beauty that thy heart was taken therewith more then ever and then thou hadst many such holy breathings as these Whom have I in Heaven but thee c I will suppose Psal 73. 25. this to have been thy last exercise as it is sometimes if thou art a Christian indeed Let me intreat thee then to retire to thy closet again and after thy former raptures and extasies let it not seem unseasonable to reflect a little with sad thoughts and weeping eyes upon the great distractions in the Church the spouse of Christ. Spirituall joy doth not use to streighten the heart but enlarge it and make it the fitter and freer to mourn nor doth it dry up the eyes but rather open the fountain of tears Beleeve me this would be a seasonable exercise nay it is the mark of a Saint The gracious soul as he grieves more for that he hath sinned against his God than for any Crosse which reacheth his person or estate so also he is much more troubled for the schismes and heresies wherewith the Church of God is rent and torn than for his own private afflications If thou hast a publike spirit and esteemest the honour of Christ and the promoting of Religion far more dear unto thee then thine own interest credit or preferment Tell me Would it not be lamented if possible with tears of bloud that the good Spirit of God should be grieved by reason of that Eph. 4. 30 31. Ut excontextu patet bi●ternesse and wrath and anger which are secretly fomented and too often break out into clamours and evil speakings of Christians one against another Se●meth it unto thee a small matter that the joy in the heart of Christ Jesus now in Heaven should be diminished by reason of the decay of love in those who are his members Certainly Joh 15. 10 11 12. Quondam est illud gaudium Christi in nobis nisi quòd ille di natur gaudere de nobis Aug. in loc when Christians are fruitfull in their lives and abound in love one towards another Christ rejoyceth over them even in Heaven And I see no reason why the contrary may not be implied viz. That when the love of the bretheren shall grow cold one towards another as wofull experience sufficiently sheweth that difference of opinion doth if not make a breach yet secretly withdraw affection the joy in Christs heart over them is lessened which how great an evilit is I leave to them to judge who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Again Is it nothing to thee that the Diamonds of the Lord cut one another That the servants of Christ should as it were set the Spirit against it se●f misimploying those precious gifts which they received from him for mutuall help and furtherance in bitter invectives unsavoury discoveries of each others infirmities fruitlesse and endlesse logomachies so that instead of composing they widen the breach and instead of terminating rather perpetuate strife and contention Canst thou without a sigh remember how by this means our Religion suffers in its reputation abroad our profession is scandalized our hopeful Reformation flouted as if the holy endeavours of our Reverend Assembly had all this while produced a solemne Nothing or which is worse had midwived only to the birth of that monstrous brood of errors which now swarm and roar among us Doth not thy heart bleed to consider how the common enemy danceth at our discord which makes a pleasing harmony to them how the Jesuites triumph in our divisions feeding themselves with assured hopes of prevailing against us according to their old principle Divide impera How much 1 Pet. 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kingdom of Satan is hereby promoted How many souls he hath drunk up how the power of godliness is almost laid aside and working out our salvation turned into talking praying into disputing and preaching into railing How much dirt hath been cast into the face of the most glorious Ministry that ever next to the Apostles the Church of Christ enjoyed And how some of them who at least pretended to the Ministry have cowardly shrunk from their station nay traiterously run to the enemy and as it is said of the Janizaries that they are the worse enemies to Christianity for having been once Christians so these are the most eager and violent sticklers against the Ministery Reader here are considerations which if thou hast a tender and gracious spirit may well make thee cry out My bowels Consider further how few faithfull labourers there are in the Lords harvest How many deceivers and impostors are newly started up What hideous blasphemies are now vented What a multitude of errours and heresies are now broached which are

due time administer'd to you in a true Much lesse Ministers Church by a lawfull Minister for the bare repeating of it by one that is neither a Minister nor member of the true Church O which way can you then become true Ministers or be allowed so to be by any lawful Church out this should seem to be according to your principles which is so agreeable to many of your practices I mean to be Preachers before you are Christians there are two fellows within our knowledge here within a few miles of this place that were publike preachers and one of them to my knowledge hath taken a Church a Parish a Pulpit upon him for a long time and yet were not rebaptiz'd though long before against Infant-baptism till about a moneth ago I do not affect to relate such stories but the passage was so full to my present purpose though so gross and ridiculous I could not hansomely leave it out Then no wonder if all Christian Churches and Christian Councils renounce and condemn such unworthy preachers as you are while we have the commendation allowance and liking of all the reformed Churches in the world and may commend our selves to you and to all people else without vainglory as judged worthy by the spirits of the Prophets whom all the Churches of Christ salute a thing not sleighted by modest men A third particular that men may justly look for in the Ministers 3. A being fixed and setled in the Church 1. In place of the Gospel is that they be fixt and setled and this may commend the Ministers of England above their opposers who are not fixt either with regard to place or time 1. With regard to place we are fixed stars in the hand of Christ having our station and place in the body of the Church every one knowing his particular people and flock over which he is made an over seer while since the Apostolicall times such a steering Ministery was never known in a setled Church not under persecution that could make a lawfull president for our wandering Comets these itinerary ubiquitarian opposers of ours Indeed a setled Church of Christ may sometimes appoint Note some able men whom with safety and prudence they may to preach the Gospel among the heathens or upon some notable exigence and want of Ministers in a true Church that might bear the name and perform the Office of Itinerary Ministers yet in such an extraordinary case as this these men should be sent by the Church and have their bounds and limits too But our Itineraries are without all order bounds and calling but what they allow to themselves and never remember themselves to be in a constituted Church wherein indeed though the labourers be few yet is there no such extraordinary need of such preachers as they 2. We are fit in regard of time while they in all ages that 2. Of time have known such men have risen and fallen risen and fallen risen and fallen like the proud inconstant waves of the sea in a storm raving raging roaring and dashing against the rock the Church the fixt and abiding foundation of our house untill they dashed themselves to pieces fiaming out their own shame and fretting and chasing themselves away into ayr and nothing while the Church of Christ and the setled Ministery hath stood as mount Sion that cannot be moved throughout both storms and ages The Scripture doth more then allude to the difference in hand describing them thus false prophess shall arise 1 Cor. 12. 28. but the lawfull Ministers of the Gospel thus He hath set them in the Church 1. False prophets shall arise i. actively arise Acts 3. 1 Joh. 4. 1. of their own accord raising up themselves while the true ones are passive such as the Lord God shall raise upto us Like to this is that other expression there are many false prophets gone out of their own accord running before they are sent while the true ones stay for Commission and mission for how shall they preach except they be sent yea and thrust out too sometimes 2. False prophets shall arise i. from beneath while the true ones with Paul have their call from Heaven and come down from above as Eliah's mantle and the gifts and blessings of Christs Ascension 3. False prophets shall arise i. of a sudden and unexpectedly while the true ones God hath set i. fixt posuit hath placed in the Church to the end they Eph. 4. Mat. 28. 20. may abide by the blessing of his presence and fellowship with them to the end of the World Now let it be supposed that the scale is even in other respects yet doubtless there 's something of weight in this in the balance of reason indifferently carried for who doth not value staid constancy before uncertainty upstart novelty may please the vulgar while the old and standing truth will onely satisfie solid men The fourth and last particular thing I shall mention here that men may expect in the Preachers of the Word in a Christian Allowance and order from a Christian Magistrate Common-wealth is allowance and order from the Christian Magistrate Which we have and you have not you know well enough that the Laws of the Land and two Ordinances of Parliament never yet repealed are against you so that the disorderly practice of publick preaching by men unsent is is a breach of the Laws of the Land which is manifest sin by the Word of God unlesse the same word doth command you to do what the Magistrate forbids which I am sure you cannot and think you dare not offer to prove but as for us the setled Ministery of Christ in England 't is known to the world we are own'd and authoriz'd by the Christian Magistrate which is more my brethren for the clearing of our call in a Christian Common-wealth then you imagine yea that something is necessarily to be done by the Christian Magistrate for the full and regular Ordination of Ministers is jointly agreed on both by Calvenists and Lutherans Pralatians Presbyterians and Ames the head of the Congregationall way and certainly such as deny it are in this particular no good friends to Ministers or Magistrates to make such a distance betwixt them * Caution The particulars of a Ministers regular call but take heed I say not the power of ordaining is held by them or by us to lie in the Magistrates hands yet they and we say that in a Christian Common-wealth something belongs to the Magistrate to do in order thereunto the Lutherans whom you applaud so much for the making of a full and regular ordination Place some-what in the hands of all the three Orders Classes or Estates as they term them viz. the Ministery Magistracy and people Cura etiam us omuia speaking of the Ministers call rectè siant pertinet ac Magistratum Ames de consu lib. 4. cap. 25. num 27. and to the Ministery they give