supreame Gouernour thereof vpon earth which is the King whom God himselfe hath called by the name of God as hee that hath his royall power immediately from God and not from man contrary to the opinion of Romanes and Geneuians and whose dignity is absolutely the greatest and diuinest of all other and much more eminent then the Priestly contrary to the opinion of the same and whose person and power is mixt of ecclesiasticall and ciuill as he that is not a meere lay-man contrary to the opinion of them likewise and whose Maiestie and dignitie is inuiolable and not liable to any kinde of censure or punishment at the hands of man spirituall or temporall otherwise then both Romanes and Geneuians would make vs beleeue in all which points for all their iumping together they erre most grossely and the Church of England holdeth or thodoxally Now in the next place wee shall prooue the perfection of the same Church by shewing how that she is more Angelicall or Angel-like in respect of the secondary Gouernours of the Church and consequently liker vnto Gods Church in heauen then any Geneuian Church is For like as in the Church of God in heauen God himselfe gouerneth soueraignely and supreamely as Monarch and King and the Archangells doe gouerne the inferiour Angels secondarily as Senatours and the twenty foure crowned Elders which are of the blessed Spirits of men doe gouerne the inferiour spirits as we may learne by some ten chapters of the Reuelation and as all ancient Diuines doe deliuer so in the Church of England the Soueraigne Prince as God and for God doth gouerne it supreamely vpon earth and secondarily the Archbishops Colloss 1.16 1. Thess 4.16 as Archangels doe preside aboue the Bishops which againe as Angels and so are they called in the same Diuine Reuelation seuen times in two chapters doe gouerne the inferiour Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and these againe like vnto those more perfit spirits or soules of men Reuela 45 7 8 9 12 14 15 16 19. cap. Reuel 2.1 8 12 18 3 1 7 14 doe gouerne the lay multitude of men and women So that the Anglicane or English Church is more Angelicall or Angel-like then the Geneuian is which admitteth no such Angelicall distinction and order of Ministers for there they are equall and neither like the Angels in heauen which haue their chiefe Princes Dan. 10.13 12.1 Juâ—e vers 9. Reuel 12.7 Colos 1.16 Reuel 9.11 12.7 and their inferiours as namely Michael the Archangel and his Angels euen Thrones Domimons Principalities Powers as the Apostle speaketh nor like the Diuels in hell which are better ordered as hauing a distinction of degrees for the Angel-king of the bottomlesse pit otherwise called the Dragon hath many blacke Angels vnder him whence it followeth that the Anglicane Church as being the more Angelicall or Angel-like is perfiter then the Geneuian by farre And truly I can not wonder inough of this paritie of theirs from whence they had it for it is more then manifest that they had it not from heauen nor yet from hell as hath beene before shewed belike they haue learned it of the Grashoppers that leape about the banks of the Lemannian lake for they haue no King yet goe they forth all by bands saith Salomon From the Church of God vnder the law they had it not for they had their high Priests their principall or chiefe Priests and their inferiour Priests Exod. 28. Leuit. 8. Numb 3. 4 8 18 1. Chron. 9. 15 16 24 25 26 2. King 23. Nehem. 12. Heb. 5 5 6 10 Mat. 10 1 2 28 16 Mark 3.14 6 7 Luk. 6 13 9 1 Act. 1.22 16 2 14 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 5 6 14 15 16 17 19 1 2 3 4 5 7 Cor. 12.28 29. Ephes 4.11.12 and likewise among the Leuites some were superiours and some inferiours some were as Lords and chiefe Fathers and other some as sonnes and followers Nor had they their paritie and equalitie of Church Ministers from the Church of God vnder the Gospell such as it was in the daies of Christ and his Apostles for our Sauiour himselfe was as the high Priest the Apostles as the chiefe Priests the seuenty Disciples as the inferiour Priests and the Deacons as the Leuites and no man that hath his right wittes will say that the Apostles Prophets Euangelists and Pastours mentioned by the Apostle Paul as ordained of God in the Church were all equall in dignitie and office Neither had they their paritie of pastours from the Church such as it was after the Apostles daies for within the first fiue hundreth yeares we read in the Ecclesiasticall histories how that the Church was gouerned by Patriarkes and Arch bishops representing the twelue Apostles and by Bishops representing the Euangelists Yea in the very Apostles daies there were Bishops which had vnder them inferiour Pastours as S. Iames Bishop of lerusalem S. Peter Bishop of Antioch S. Paul Bishop of Rome S. Marke Bishop of Alexandria and if we will not beleeue the Ecclesiasticall historie of the Primitiue Church yet let vs beleeue the Epistles of the Apostle Paul who enstileth Timothie the Euangelist 2. Tim. 4. Tit. 3. 1. Tim. 5.22 Tit. 1 5 the first Bishop of the Church of Ephesus and Titus another Euangelist first Bishop of the Church of the Cretians and testifieth that by vertue of their function they did ordaine presbyters or inferiour pastours in those Churches for ordination argueth demonstratiuely the superioritie of the ordainer and the inferioritie of the ordained Act. 20 17 18 1. Tim. 3.1 2 5.17 19 Tit. 1 5.6 7 and without such inequalitie their can bee neither ordination nor order And though it be true that in the Scripture the names of Bishop and Presbyter or Pastour be taken indifferently for one and the same office yet that doth argue only that euery Pastor or Presbyter is and may bee called a Bishop in respect of his people or parish ouer which hee is placed so that he may bee called a Bishop aboue the Laitie but it doth not argue that their were no superiour Bishops aboue those Bishops of the Laitie to ordaine order and direct them which were Bishops of a more eminent degree and distinct from the other these Bishops Presbyters and Pastours aboue the Clergie and those Bishops Presbyters and Pastours aboue the Laitie and consequently inferiour vnto the former wherefore I could wish that learned men would not leane so much as they doe to that argument taken from the indifferencie of those two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing the question and controuersie is not verball but reall for the question is not if all the Ministers of the Church may be called by the common name of Pastor Presbyter and Bishop but if all those that are called by the common name ought to bee
Catholikes of the name of Iames by your Maiesties subiect and seruant of the same Name shall be God willing shortly published for the first laïck fruits of that begunne Colledge which beareth the name of King Iames whereof I am to bee a Fellow The which premisses beeing considered I hope the more easily to gaine the Church of Scotlands good opinion and that they shall not charge me with incapacitie to handle such a weighty argument as this hauing written so much in matters belonging to Church and Religion To be briefe thus haue I spent these seuenteene yeares yeares of my priuate obscure life since I proceeded Master of Artes and went beyond sea in giuing my selfe to studie and contemplation endeauouring to know much and to contentation in no wise coueting after much and to Temperance and Continency Whereof I take the all-knowing God and his chaste Angels to witnes And now these my poore labours such as they are I most humbly lay downe at your Royal feet begging your Maiesties most honourable patronage and acceptance and in praying the God of Vnitie and Veritie to giue them a blessing for the furthering of your most Christian desire and glorious designe so that we may euen in your owne happie daies see with our eyes the full accomplishment thereof to the glorie of his name the comfort of his Church the good of great Britaine and your Maiesties eternall honour So prayeth daily YOVR MAIESTIES Most humble subiect and seruant and euen the grandchilde of your most Noble Grandmothers and Mothers household seruant William Maxwell sonne to the Laird of Kirkonnell and in his life man at armes to the most Christian King IAMES MAXVVELL THE CONTENTS OF THESE TWO BOOKES 1 THat Vnitie and Concord in matters belonging to Gods Worship amongst Christians especially Protestants and more especially amongst Britaines both for reason of Church and reason of State is to bee by all meanes desired and endeauoured Sect. 1.2.3 2. That one Churches constitution is more perfit and complete then anothers and that the lesse perfit ought to cōforme it selfe vnto the more perfit Sect. 4.5 3. That the constitution of the Church of England is much more perfit then an Geneuian whatsoeuer or wheresoeuer Sect. 6. 4. That the Church of England is more Diuine and God-like in the supreme Gouernor the Soueraigne Prince then the Geneuian Sect. 7.8 5. That the Kingly power is immediately from God and not from man as both Romanes and Geneuians doe hold prooued by eight testimonies of Scripture and three irrefragable arguments Sect. 9. 6. That the kingly dignitie is absolutely greater then the priestly and of all other the diuinest contrary to the opinion of Romanes and Geneuians prooued by eight arguments Sect. 10. 7. That Kings are not meere lay-men but mixt of an ecclesiasticall and secular condition contrary to the opinion of Romanes Geneuians prooued by three arguments ten examples of Kings that haue exercised spirituall power for the good of the Church Sect. 11. 8. That Kings are Law-giuers to their people and haue power of God to make lawes for the good both of Church and Common-weale prooued by sixe arguments Sect. 12. 9. That Kings are to be honourable and magnificently maintained and that God hath allotted them a certaine portion of their subiects goods Sect. 13. 10. That Kings are indued with a Sacred immunitie from all manner of coercion and censure spirituall or temporall at their subiects hands prooued against Romanes and Geneuians by 17. arguments Sect. 14. 11. That the Church of England is more Angelicall or Angel-like in her secondary Gouernours of Archbishops and Bishops Sect. 15. 12. That their is an imparitie or inequalitie amongst Gods Ministers in the Church triumphant in heauen and that their hath beene alwaies the like imparitie in the Church militant on earth first vnder the Law then vnder the Gospel and aswell in the time of Christ and his Apostles as of their successours Sect. 15. 13. That the Church of England is more heauen-like for holinesse where the conueniency of holydaies besides the Sunday is prooued and demonstrated by vnanswerable arguments Sect. 16. 14. That the Church of England is more heauen-like then the Geneuian for humble reuerence where the conueniencie of the gestures of standing vp at the reading of the Gospel capping or bowing at the name of Iesus of kneeling at the rehearsing of the Law and especially at the receiuing of the holy Sacrament is declared and prooued Sect. 17. 15. That the Church of England is more heauen-like then the Geneuian for harmonie where the conueniency of Church-musicke consisting of voices and organes and other instruments is declared Sect. 18. 16 That the Church of England is more heauen-like then the Geneuian for habite where the conueniencie and decencie of Church-habites as of the Surplisse and Rotchet is prooued Sect. 19. 17. That the Church of England is more Heauen-like then the Geneuian for locall decencie Church-implements conueniency Church-seruice solemnitie and sacrament all ceremony where the conueniencie of a Font or the Ministration of Baptisme and of a standing Table for the celebration of the Lords Supper is declared and the vse of the ceremonie of the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme prooued most lawful and commendable by 13. arguments Sec. 20. 18. That the Church of England is more heauen-like then the Geneuian for honour of the Ministerie where the lawfulnesse of the stile of Priest amongst the Ministers of the Gospel and likewise of the stile of Lord conferred on the reuerend Gonernours of the Church is declared and the Geneuian-church gouernors of Lay-elders prooued to be a thing vnlawfull and absurd Sect. 21. 19. That the maintenance of the Ministerie is more diuine heauen-like and honourable in the church of England then in the Geneuian where the perpetuall maintenance of Tithes is prooued and the Geneuian sinne of sacriledge exagitated and shewed to be more hainous then heathenish Idolatrie Sect. 21. 20. The diuersitie and repugnancie of the opinions of diuines touching our Sauiours descending into hell breifly propounded Tract 2. 21. The doctrine of the church of England touching the foresaid point demonstrated to be only orthodoxall by a Ten-folde probation Tract 2. A Primitiue patterne for the Church of Scotland Sect. 1. VNitie and Concord amongst Christians especially amongst Protestants or reformed professours but more especially amongst Britaines Psal 133.1 2 3. Ioh. 17 20 21 22 23. 1. Pet. 3.8 Heb. 12.14 as they that are the worshippers of one and the same true God the seruants of one and the same only Sauiour Iesus Christ the children of one Church and the subiects of one and the same Soueraigne is in the iudgement of all them that are truely wise of all other things most to bee desired and endeauoured as a thing most pleasing to God and most profitable to man Sect. 2. Vnitie and Concord is to bee desired and endeauoured in all things but especially in those things Psal 122.6 Rom.
15.6 1. Cor. 1.10 11 3 3 4. Eph. 4.3 4 5 Phil. 3.16 that concerne Gods worship the saluation of mens soules and the good constitution of the Church because by the meanes and occasion of discord and dissention such as be without are scandalized and still kept out of the Church and those that are within are so pittifully distracted that either they are driuen out of the Church or if they stay still in it they prooue no better then dull or dead members of the Church much like the parts of a blasted body for lacke of true deuotion and spirituall life For whilest wee contend about veritie wee loose vnitie and striuing about the shaddowes of ceremonie and circumstance we slip from the body and substance opinion oppresseth pietie faction vndermineth faith controuersie quelleth charitie and reasoning rooteth vp religion Sect. 3. The procuring furthering and preseruing of Vnitie and Concord in the Church appertaineth principally vnto the Christian Prince Isay 49.23 Exod. 4.16 22.8 Psal 82.1.6 Ioh. 10.34 35 Math. 5.9 2. Tim. 2.24 25. whom God hath called to be a nursing-father vnto his Church and hath honoured most highly with the stile of the Son of the most high and euen of a God to put him in minde of his care and studie for the things of God and the good of his Church which principally consisteth in the Vnitie thereof and next it appertaineth vnto the Pastors who are to ioyne with the Prince in this glorious worke whom of all other it becommeth least to be men of strife and contention or instruments of discord and diuision seeing that the God of peace hath called them to bee Messengers and makers of peace and Vnion Sect. 4. Amongst the many particular Churches that are at this day diuided from themselues one from another whether in doctrine or discipline in substance or circumstance there is a difference in perfection and I thinke no man doubteth of it but that one Church may be of a more perfit and complete constitution then another Church yea we are so farre from doubting any thing of this point that euery professour holdeth the Church that he is off to be the more perfit then that which hee disclaimeth Sect. 5. It beeing most certaine that the particular diuided Churches are not alike perfit it standeth the lesse perfit in hand to conforme it selfe vnto that which shall by the light of Gods word and good reason appeare to bee more perfit both because our Sauiour Christ commandeth all Christians to aspire vnto perfection saying Mat. 5.48 Phil. 3.15.16 Coloss 1.28 Heb. 6.1 Bee ye therefore perfit as your Father which is in heauen is perfit and the Apostle exhorteth all men to bee led forward to perfection and because that this is the only way to knit vp the Churches in Concord and Vnitie and to draw them to an vniformitie Sect. 6. Amongst the particular reformed Churches that of England is more perfit and complete in many respects then any Church reformed after the fashion of Geneua contrary to the petitioners assertion and namely then that of Scotland whose forme and constitution was meerely Geneuian before that our sacred Soueraigne diuinely enspired began the second reformation thereof tending to the conformation of it with England or rather with the Primitiue whereunto it is much more like then the other Sect. 7. The perfection of the english Church is apparent whether we compare her with the Church of God and the blessed Spirits in heauen or with the Church of God beleeuing men on earth before Christs time in his time or after his time or whether we respect the warrant and authoritie of Gods word or mans of diuinitie or humanity of Scripture or nature of religion or reason or whether wee respect her essentiall perfections and parts for piety or charity faith or repentance deuotion or reuerence illumination or sanctification doctrine or discipline substance or circumstance seruice or ceremonie order or decency the honour and dignity of Prince or of Pastors with the edification and consolation of the whole people Sect. 8. Considering that the pregnantest proofe that can be brought of a particular Churches perfection The Church of England more diuine and God-like then the Geneuian and painting out as it were to the life the analogie and affinitie likenesse or resemblance that it hath with that Church which is knowne to bee absolutely the most diuine compleate and perfit I shall therefore prooue in this present discourse by many places of Scripture especially of that most diuine part of it called the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the diuine that the Church of England is much more diuine and farre liker the Church of God in heauen then any Geneuian Church is and therefore much more perfit contrary to to the Petitionerslate assertion For seeing that as oft as in praying the Lords prayer we say Mat. 6.9.10 thy will bee done in earth as it is in heauen wee doe desire of God with all our hearts that his Church on earth militant may bee euery day more and more conformable and like vnto his Church in heauen triumphant which wee beleeue and confesse to be the most perfit it must needs follow that the more conforme a Church on earth bee vnto the Church in heauen the more it findeth and feeleth the efficacie and force of our Lords prayer and the neerer that it doth resemble the Church in heauen the perfiter must it be for that thing is the more perfit which is the more like vnto the most perfit And that the Church of England is much liker the Church that is aboue then the Geneuian is it may appeare by comparing the constitutions of the two Churches together And first I say that the Church of England is liker vnto Gods Church in heauen then any other Church Geneuian or Romane as beeing more diuine and God-like in respect of the supreme Gouernour For like as the Soueraigne gouernour of the Church in heauen consisting of those blessed Spirits which Saint Iohn saw almost beyond number in the presence of the throne of God seruing him day and night in his Temple Ruele 4 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 5.8 9 10 11 14. 7.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 19.1 21.1 2 3. Exod. 15.18 1. Sam. 8.7 Psal 2.6 30 9 22.28 24.7 8 9 10. 29.10 Gen. 2.20 Exod. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. 4.16 7.1 22.28 Psal 82.1.6 95.3 50.1 is such a one as is both God and King so the Soueraigne Gouernour of the Church of England is such a one as is both a King and a God on earth for in the holy Scripture wee know that Kings are called Gods as God himselfe is called a King And euen God himself hath called Kings by this name not any creature for Adam gaue al other things their names but could not giue this for none but God can giue this
in well doing if any man to wit beeing a brother obey not our sayings note him by a letter and haue no compante with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as abrother And though it bee true that the beleeuing Soueraigne aswel as the Subiect is a brother in Christianitie and might well haue beene so called by our blessed Sauiour and his Apostle yet I say it doth not appeare that they vnderstood by the title of brother in those places but such as did then beleeue the Gospell who were all subiects for as yet there were no beleeuing Soueraignes yea both our Sauiours and the Apostles words doe euince that a King though hee bee a beleeuer and so a brother yet that he can not bee brought in amongst those excommunicable brothers because the excommunicated brother must be vnto the other brethren as an Heathen and a Publican as our Sauiour commandeth that is to say they must auoide his conuersation and decline his companie and flee his familiaritie as the Aposlle expoundeth it But so it is that subiects can not by any meanes shunne or abhorre the presence and conuersation of their Soueraigne both because of duty and because of necessitie As for duty the lawes of nature and of Scripture of reason and religion of Church State doe oblige subiects to doe their duty to their Soueraigne be he neuer so bad and therefore they must repaire vnto his presence and conuerse with him whensoeuer it pleaseth him to command And as for necessitie subiects can not choose but repaire to the Prince to haue iuslice and such other helpe as they sland in need of at his hands And therefore I say though both Rome and Geneua should ioyne their iarring and warring wits together yet they shall neuer bee able to solue or satisfie this argument Mat. 18.17 1. Cor. 5.5.9.11 2. Thess 3.14 1. Tim. 1.20 all excommunicated persons presence societie and companie is to be shunned as a Heathens a Publicanes or which is worse as a man 's deliuered to the Diuell But no Kings presence society and conuersation can bee shunned of their subiects for both duty and necessitie binde them to the contrary Ergo no Kings can be excommunicated or thus the effects of excommunication can not haue place in the person of a Prince as for example his presence and conuersation can not be declined of his subiects without both sinne and their great hurt and therefore the censure it selfe hath no place in Princes Ninthly the excommunication of an vniuersalitie or multitude as of a whole citie Body Common-wealth or kingdome is in the iudgement of all thought a thing vnlawfull and semblably the excommunication of the Soueraigne as he that representeth the whole Body of his kingdome must bee vnlawfull neither can the head be punished without the sensible hurt of the whole body Tenthly God is a God of order not of disorder or confusion 1. Cor. 14.33 as the Apostle speaketh and therefore hee hath not giuen the inferiours power to punish corporally or spiritually their superiours for this were most contrary to order consequently he hath not giuen subiects any power vpon their Soueraigne nor Priests any power to punish Princes for both people and priests be inferiours and their Soueraigne is their superiour they are as members of the body taken seuerally the commons as feete the Nobles as hands the Priests as eyes or they are as the bodie being taken coniunctly but the Soueraigne is as the head higher then all the other members and aboue the whole body and as the soule more diuine excellent and eminent then the whole body the subiects are as seruants the Soueraigne as the Master or Lord the people as the children and the Prince as their common father It is against good nature and order for the inferiour members to rise or rebell against the supreame member for the body to beate or breake the owne head and it is repugnant both to good nature and grace for children to stretch forth the hand to chastise or punish their father bee hee neuer so furious And as for the chiefē Priests and Prelates they are as Angels and Archangels indeed but the Soueraigne Prince is as the God of Angels and Archangels farre aboue their reach Eleuenthly if it belongeth not vnto one man or more men to beate punish iudge or condemne another mans seruant as the Apostle S. lames teacheth saying Who art thou that iudgest another man Iam. 4.12 Rom. 14.4 and the Apostle S. Paul likewise saying Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant then it belongeth much lesse to one man or more to iudge punish excommunicate depose or condemne Gods chiefe seruant Rom 13 4. now the Prince is Gods seruant saith the same Aposlle and in the same Epistle to the Romanes and I wish that both Romanes and Geneuians would weigh those words better then they do and therefore who is hee that condemneth such a seruant as is not only another mans seruant but euen the best mans seruant to with Christs and his chiefe seruant yea Gods seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne master saith the Apostle and that is neither the Pope of Rome nor the master Minister of Geneua but God and Christ who will not haue his seruant subiect to the proud censure eitheir of the Romane Consistorie or of the Geneuian Presbyterie The Apostle would not presume to iudge them that are without the Church because they belonged to Gods iudgement in propriety what haue I to doe to iudge them also which are without saith he doe ye not iudge them that are within but God iudgeth them that are without and shall we thinke that he would haue presumed to iudge those that God hath placed aboue the Church I meane Christian Princes 1. Cor. 5.12.13 who though they be within the bosome of the Church as Christians yet are they without or aboue the reach of the hands of the Church as the nursing-fathers and heads of the Church on earth vnder Christ the Soueraigne King of the Church whose immediate seruants they are and therefore as his peculiars are subiect to nones iudgement but his only Twelfthly if seruants must be subiect to their masters with all feare and not only to the good and courteous but also to the froward as the Apostle Saint Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 2.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. then must subiects be loy all and dutifull to their Soueraigne and not only to the good but also to the euill for as the family is a little kingdome and the master of the family a little king and the sonnes and sernants of the family are the subiects of this little kingdome so is the kingdome a great family the King the great master of this great family and his subiects are the children and seruants of the same family Thirteenthly if the Angels of heauens Church from their heauenly seates
and almost necessarie to vse that gesture which doth most signifie and declare and vsually accompanie the greatest humilitie and reuerence and what other gesture can this bee but kneeling which is more reuerent then standing like as this is more reuerent then sitting and therefore Saint Iohn sawe the foure and twenty Elders first sitting vpon seates then rising and standing Reuel 4.4 10. 5.6 7 8 14 and after that falling downe or kneeling before the Lambe in imitation whereof all good Christians ought to kneele before the holy Lambe when they receiue his blessed body as it were out of his owne heauenly hands for the spirituall foode of their soules which do assuredly feede vpon his flesh by faith in a mysticall spirituall and sacramentall manner Againe I aske of our Geneuites if it be not lawfull to thanke God in receiuing of the Sacrament of thanksgiuing which I thinke wil not be denied In the next place I aske if it bee not lawfull to vse in our thanksgiuing the gesture that the seruants of God haue alwaies vsed in their other religious thanksgiuings and if not why shall that gesture which is lawfull in all other religious thanksgiuings bee vnlawfull in this and if it be lawfull in this aswell as in all other then let them shew me what other gesture it was but kneeling and if kneeling be the fittest gesture for the expressing of a most humble thanksgiuing such as we should offer vnto God in this Sacrament of thanksgiuing then why doe we not kneele with the Church of England rather then sitte or stand after the homely yea vnholy and vnhumble manner of Geneua Sect. 18. Fifthly The Church of England more heanen-like for harmonie Reuel 5.8 9. 14.2 3. 15.2 3 4. 19. the Church of England is more like the Church of God in heauen for heauenly harmonie then the Geneuian is for in Gods Church in heauen those holy and vnspotted Priests are painted out in seauen or eight places of the Reuelation singing new songs vnto God in most melodious manner both with voices and instruments and namely with Harpes and answerable thereunto in the English Church wee haue the harmonious consort and musicall concord of voices and instruments especially of Organes in the praising of God with Hymnes Psalmes and songs The which kinde of musicall instrument beeing as it were animated with the melodie of Singing-mens voices doth most of all other represent that which Saint Iohn heard in heauen like a voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of strong thundrings saying and singing HALLELVIAH Of the which my sticall musicke I shall God willing deliuer many notable considerations and most comfortable Contemplations in our worke called Dies Domini And there I shal prooue both by Scriptures and Fathers authoritie and by irrefragable reasons euidencie the lawfulnesse and commendablenesse of the musicall consent of voyces and instruments in the seruice of God and that the alternatiue Church singing of the Quire diuided into two parts is conformable vnto the manner of the heauenly Churches musicke as may be gathered out of the prophecie of Isay who in his vision of the maiestie of God and his glorious Seraphims Isay 6.1 2 3 saith that one cryed to another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of Hostes the whole world is full of his glory And truley the Doctours of the Church and other ecclesiasticall writers doe witnesse in expresse words as shall be shewed in our said worke that the first Christians were wont to sitte one for against another as wee see they doe now adaies in the Quire and to inuite or cohort alternatiuely or by turnes one another to the praising of God by singing of Psalmes So that I cannot but wonder how our Geneuians can say any thing against so auncient and christian a custome or yet against the vsing of some instruments in the singing of Psalmes especially when as the word Psalme doth signifie either the melodie of the instrument or Organ alone or else the harmonie of the instrumentall noise and the musicall voice going together so that indeed there cannot be a Psalme there may well be a Song without an instruments sound and if we haue our Psalmes originally from Ierusalem and not from Rome from the Prophet Dauid and not from the Pope why may we not with the same Dauid vse in struments and organes especially when as the Spirit of God by him exhorteth men thereunto so often in the same Booke of the Psalmes which wee reade and sing euery day in our Churches yea with such an exhortation hee shutteth vp his Psalmes saying Praise ye him with Virginals and Organes Psal 150.4 1. Cor. 14 26 Ephes 5.18 19 20 Coloss 3.16 And that we might know that the praising of God vpon instruments was not a meere lewish Ceremonie and to last only vntill the comming of Christ and no longer the Apostle Saint Paul writing to the Corinthians sheweth that the Christians in his time in their assemblies were wont to sing Psalmes that is to say to ioyne the melodie of instruments with spirituall hymnes and songs for somuch doth the word Psalme in Greeke signifie and therefore the same Apostle distinguished betweene Psalmes and Songs both in his Epistle to the Ephesians and in his Epistle to the Colossians where hee exhorteth the faithfull to the melodious singing of Psalmes Hymnes and Spirituall Songs But if neither the example of king Dauid and the Church of Ierusalem both in King Dauids time and Saint Iames the first Bishop thereof nor the practise of the Primitiue Church within the first 500. yeares can induce vs to a liking of this kinde of Church musicke and of Organs melody yet let this mooue vs to like it that the Pope doth dislike it for otherwise hee would not want Organs in his chappel as he doth whereof I gather this new argument in fauour of Organs at least for the Kings Chappell If it be fit that our Kings Chappell bee vnlike vnto the Popes then is it fit that their bee Organs in our Kings Chappel for there are none in the Popes but the former is fit at least in the opinion of Puritaines and Precisians which would faine wee were vnlike the Pope in each indifferent thing and therefore the latter is fit likewise Sect. 19. Sixtly The Church of England more heauen-like for habite as the English Church is more heauenly for harmonie and therein resembleth neerer the Church of God and Angels then the Geneuian doth so is shee more heauenly for habite The ministers of the triumphant Church euen those blessed spirits that doe offer vp incessantly the sweet incense and sacrifice of praise vnto God are said to bee suted in pure white linnen as wee may reade in the Reuelation in some ten or eleuen places in sixe seuerall chapters Reuel 3.4 5.18 4 4 6 11 7 9 13 14 15 6 19 8 14 Dan.
with their hands in dishonour of Christ yea more for an instrument of his destruction Almightie God hath made it the in strument of their highest honour and happiest condition euen of their saluation and therefore the outward expression of this confession by a gesture Mat. 28 18 19 externall act or signe of the hands must needs be Christian and commendable Fourthly our Sauiour Christ commanding to teach and baptize both Iewes and Gentiles commandeth questionlesse to expresse and declare the nature and vse of Baptisme and consequently commandeth to vse the signe of the crosse for this ceremonie serueth to declare the nature and vse of this Sacrament in that thereby wee are baptized into the death of Christ vpon the crosse and that our olde man is crucified with him and euen nailed to his crosse as the Apostle speaketh saying Rom. 6.4 5 6 7 8 Philip. 2.8 Coloss 2.12 Galat. 2 19 5 24. Know ye not that all we which haue bin baptized into Iesus Christ haue beene baptized into his death we are buried then with him by Baptisme into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so wee also should walke in newnesse of life For if wee be planted with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall wee bee to the simi-litude of his resurrection knowing this that our olde man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed Whereby wee are taught that in Baptisme their must bee a three-folde similitude or representation to wit of Christs dying burying and rising bodily and of our dying burying and rising spiritually with him Now I aske what similitude there is in Baptisme of Christs ignominous death vpon the crosse or of his bodily crucifying and of the spirituall crucifying of our old man with him setting aside the signe of the crosse The sprinkling on of the water doth represent only a shedding of his blood but not necessarily a shedding of it vntill death for Christ might haue shed his blood without dying And as for the immersion or dipping of the baptized body into the water it doth represent his burying directly like as the emersion or rising of the body out of the water representeth his rising out of the graue but it doth not directly represent his dying and though it doth by way of consequence represent his death in respect that ordinarily none are buried but the dead yet it doth not for all that set before our eyes the kinde of his death nor yet the accursed and ignominious manner thereof which are two circumstances of especiall moment and consideration For our Sauiours death was not a natural death for he died not in his bed as we say and so was buried but the death that hee died was a violent death and wrought by the hand of man Neither was it an easie or an honest violent death but the most painefull and shamefull of all other and euen an accursed death as both in the law and in the Epistle of the Gospell wee are taught all which circumstances are represented and set before our eyes only by this ceremonie of the signe of the crosse Deut. 2.23 Gal. 3.13 Fifthly if it be lawfull for a Minister to expresse the mysteries and meaning of the Scripture of God by a Sermon as euery one will grant that it is then shall it bee as lawfull to expresse the mysteries of Gods Sacrament by a ceremonie for there is the like reason for the one and for the other For seeing the Sacrament of God aswell as the word of God hath something to bee explicated and declared and that the best explication and declaration is made by things of the like nature it followeth that as the audible word is explicated and declared by a sermon and by words to the eare so the visible Sacrament being a ceremonie is to be explicated and declared by a ceremonie to the eye such as is the signe of the crosse hee that addeth vnto word or Sacrament for perfection is a blasphemer and a deceiuer but hee that addeth vnto word or Sacrament either other words and rites for explanation and declaration is a true Doctor Sixtly by this signe the Church doth confesse her owne miserie and wretchednesse in that wee did euen crucifie Christ with our sinful hands by our sinnes as much as the Iewes did that set vp the crosse with their vnhallowed hands this confession is lawfull and good and therefore the declaration of it by a sensible signe can not be vnlawfvll or euill Seauenthly Galat. 3.13 Ephes 2.14.15 16 17 by this signe the Church confesseth her faith in Christ crucified that hee hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law by the curse of his crosse and reconciled vs vnto God by the blessed peace of his crosse as the Apostle speaketh this confession is Christian and therefore the declaration thereof by a sensible signe externall act or gesture of the bodie cannot bee Antichristian as our Geneuians would haue vs to beleeue Eightly by this signe the Church declaclareth her Christian disposition and resolution of fighting vnder the banner of Christ against sinne and Sathan and of suffering persecution for the crosse of Christ as the Apostle speaketh shee declareth her Christian endeauour in crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Galat. 5.24 6 12 14 and testifieth her faithfull affection in not being ashamed of the crosse of Christ but that shee glorieth and reioyceth in it according to that of the Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce Mat. 26.39 Mark 14.35 Act. 7.60 9.40 20.36 Ephes 3.14 Luk. 18.13 Mat. 14.19 Ioh. 11.41 17.1 1. Tim. 2.8 1. Cor. 11.4 but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto mee and I vnto the world This disposition resolution endeuour and affection is most commendable and Christianâ— and therefore the testification declaration or notification thereof must needs be so likewise For if it be lawfull and laudable for the Church to declare the inward humilitie of the heart by the outward bowing of the body or knees and the casting downe of the eyes the inward sorrow of the soule for sinne by an externall beating of the breast the inward confidence or affiance in God in expecting at his hands euery good thing by the visible lifting vp of the hands and eyes vnto heauen and finally the internall reuerence of the heart by an externall bare head why may not the same Church aswell declare the inward reioycing and glorying of the heart in the crosse of Christ by such a sensible signe made with the hands especially it being made with the hands of the Minister who is the likest to vse it aright and the best able to free it from abuse Ninethly the Church may and ought to vse that outward act which the Spirit of God himselfe doth designe Eze. 9.4 5 6. Reuel 7.1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8. for the expressing of his owne inward action but the Spirit of God doth designe the outward act of signing for the expressing of his owne inward action of spirituall sealing as both Ezekiel in the olde Testament and Saint Iohn in the new doe witnesse and therefore the Church may and ought to vse the same outward act of signing Tenthly the Church is bound to declare and notifie the grace of Gods Spirit working in men and euen to make men as sensible of the workes of Gods Spirit in them as they can conueniently now it is one of the workes of Gods Spirit and a chiefe worke too to seale men in their soules inwardly and to stampe them as it were with the print of his Image vnto the day of redemption 2. Cor. 1.22 5.5 Ephes 1.13 4.30 as the Apostle speaketh and therefore for the Church to make men sensible of this internall and mysticall sealing of Gods Spirit by the meanes of such a conuenient and decent sensible signe as that of the Crosse though there were no particular mention at all made in the whole Scripture of any such externall gesture or act of signing on the fore-head must needes be lawful and commendable Eleuenthly by this Signe the Church putteth her children in minde of their owne miserie and of Gods mercy of Christs loue towards them and of their duty and affection towards him for his vnspeakeable loue and therefore it tendeth to edification Twelfthly this ceremonie was receiued and practised of the primitiue Church neither is there any ecclesiasticall writer or Father Greeke or Latine but maketh honourable mention of it as we shall shew particularly in our Commentaries of the persecution and peace of the Church and therefore we ought to vse it now if it were no more but to shew our conformitie with the primitiue Church for the daughter ought to follow the footesteps of her mother in all lawfull and commendable actions and ought not to depart from her otherwise shee shall both dishonour her mother and discredit her selfe And questionlesse the want of this primitiue ceremonie and others the like in some reformed Churches hath brought a most dangerous discredite vpon the reformation and made it obnoxious vnto the suspition and odious imputation of the same noueltie in the very substance which it carrieth amongst them in the out side circumstance And therfore those venerable Bishops that reformed the Church of England considering wisely with themselues how that men are so apt to censure of the inside by the outside especially in Church matters and to iudge of doctrine and pietie by the externall discipline and ceremonie retained stil the primitiue discipline and auncient ceremonies of that Church but banished the abuses And would to God the Church of Geneua had done the like for so our common aduersaries should not haue had so good and iust cause as they haue to hit them in the teeth with their noueltie as though their Church had newly crept or leapt out of the Leman nian lake or had beene conceiued of Caluin and borne of Beza Thirtenthly and lastly the enemies of the signe of the crosse can not bring so much as one good authoritie or probable argument for their opinion not the letter of the Scripture for they see that the letter fauoureth it both in the olde Testament and new not the sense of the Scripture as it hath beene deliuered by the fathers of the Church for they know that they are all for it and as for reasons deriued from the light of nature or Scripture from Theologie or Philosophie Diuinitie or humanitie they can bring none worth the hearing for I haue read diligently their bookes and was once a Puritane my selfe except it bee this one The Church of Rome hath abused the signe of the crosse and therefore the reformed Church ought to forbeare it least wee should seeme to fauour or follow their abuses But I wonder but they should remember better that olde maxime abusus non tollit vsum some folkes abusing of a thing doth not hinder or let but that others may vse it aright And doe they not thinke that the Church of Rome doth abuse praying and preaching and Churches and pulpits and kneeling and Godfathers and Godmothers aswell as crossing and yet we doe not forbeare these things because of their abuse neither is there any reason why we should doe so but rather great reason to the contrary The Church of Rome doth abuse ceremonies therfore the reformed Church ought to vse them aright to the end that in so doing shee may both show her selfe like and conforme vnto her Mother the Primitiue Church and by her good example doe what shee can out of Christian charity to reforme and amend her straying sister the deformed Romish Church And so I end this my plaine disputation for the signe of the crosse in Baptisme beseeching my countrymen to take it in good part euen for his sake that suffered vpon the Crosse The Church of England more heauen like for honour of the Ministery Sect. 21. Eightly the Church of England is liker then the Geneuian to the heauenly Church in the dignitie and honourable estate of the Ministerie In heauen Gods Ministers are honoured with the holiest stile of Priests and with the highest stile of Princes for as vnder the highest of Priests they are Priests so vnder the highest of Princes they are Princes And therefore we reade in the Reuelation how that blessed Saint Iohn calleth the Bishops of the seauen Churches by the honourable stiles of Kings and Angels Reuel a. 1.4 5 6 2. 3. 5.3 9 10 12 13 14 7 10 12 8 3.4 and the foure and twentie Elders doe magnifie the Lambe for making them vnto God Kings and Priests to raigne or rule vpon the earth Answerably whereunto in the Church of England the reuerend Fathers of the Church are graced by the Soueraigne Prince representing the Lambe and the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah with the honourable title and dignitie of Lords and Barons And good reason surely seeing that the Gouernours of the Church vnder the Gospell are to be rather more then lesse honoured then were the Gouernours of the Church vnder the law in so farre as the Ministerie of the Gospell is much more honourable and glorious then that of the law 2. Cor. 3.7 8 9 10 11. as the Apostle expressely auoucheth And that the Ministers and Gouernours of the Church vnder the olde Testament were called by honourable titles it may appeare in that Moses a prophet Exod. 3. 4 16 18 1. Sam. 1.3.9 15 7 8 9 10 15 16 17 Deut. 17 8 9 10 11 12 2. Chron. 17 7 19 8 9.10 11 Ezech. 44 24 1. Sam. 1.9.14 15 16 17 18 26 4 18 1. King 17 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.21 22 23 24 18 3 4 7 9 12 13 2. King 1.13 14 4
1 2 16 27 28 37 5 15 16 17 18 8 9 12 Act. 10.25 16.24 25 26 27 28 29 Gen 40.8 41 14 15 16 25 40 41 42 43 44 Dan. 2.28 29 30 36 48 49 5 29 6 1 2 3. Psal 45.9 13 16 was likewise a Prince Eli and Samuel Priests were Princes and Iudges and the Priests iudged of some ciuill causes together with the other temporall Iudges The chiefe Priests which taught the people of Iuda are called Princes whom King Iehesophat had appointed to be Iudges vnder him both in ecclessiastical and temporal causes as betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept statutes and iudgements Anna called Eli the the chiefe Priest her Lord the widdow of Zarepta the widdow of Bethel the Shunamite Gentlewoman Obadiah King Achabs steward the good Captaine sent by King Ahaziah Naeamen the King of Syrta his Generall Hazael one of the Princes of Benhadad King of Aram did all of them honour the chiefe Prophets of God Eliah and Elisha with the stile of Lords and bowed before them And so did Cornelius the Captaine and likewise the Iaylor to the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul to passe ouer that Ioseph a Patriarke and a Prophet of the Church was likewise a chiefe Prince vnder the King of Egypt euen the next vnto the King Daniel another chiefe Prophet of the Church was likewise a Prince and the next person to the King of Babel Nebuchadnezzar and his three fellowes Shadrach Messach and Abednego were made Gouernours ouer the Prouinces of Babel and the same Prophet Daniel was by King Belshazzar made the third Ruler in the kingdome and by King Darius the first and chiefe Ruler ouer the whole kingdome And the Prophet Dauid prophecying of the splendour and dignitie of the Fathers of the Church vnder the Gospel vseth these words In stead of thy Fathers shall thy Children be thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth meaning that of the Children of the Church there should be chosen such as should bee Fathers and Rulers of the Church as Arch-Bishops and Bishops which should bee honoured throughout the whole Christian world as Lords and Princes For the holy Prophet as hee describeth typically Christ as the King of the Catholike Church and none but he to be King and the Church as the Queene and Spouse of this King so doth be signifie vnto vs that the Princes of this King and kingdome are the Rulers and Gouernours of the Church aboue named which of the Children of the Church should bee made Fathers of the Church and should be honoured as Princes as hath binsaid And this prophesie is most cleerly accōplished and verified in the Church of England not of Geneua nor any Geneuian vnto whose Ministers God hath not graunted so much honour as they who haue vnhappily dishonoured and debased themselues in bringing in their Lay-elders to bee Church gouernours in stead of the Bishops I say they haue debased themselues most ridiculously because that they haue submitted themselues who should be as Fathers and Schoolemasters vnto their owne children and Schollers for by those Lay-elders they are elected they are iudged and censured in matters both of life and doctrine they are suspended or remooued from their ministerie and yet they are but meere Lay-men generally voide of learning as being for the most part tradesmen and artificers and some country gentlemen So that there is as great disorder in the Geneuian Church and as grosse absurditie as if the children should command their Fathers in the house or the Schollers correct their Masters in the Schoole or as if the Sheepe should pull the pastorall crooke out of their Sheepheards hand And though that our Geneuians do deriue their Lay-elders and Eldership from the Synedrie of the Iewes for I graunt them with all my heart that the chiefe perfections of the Iewish Church ought to bee found in the Christian Church which thing if they vnderstood well they should see their grosse errours yet I must tel them that they haue nothing like but the name For first the Iewish Elders were inferiour magistrates ordained primarily by the Soueraigne and chiefest magistrate Moses to assist him in matters of Iudgemēt Numbers 11.16 17 Ezr. 10.8 Luk. 22.66 Act. 5.27 wheras the Geneuiā are not Iudges or any such publike persons appointed by the Prince but priuate persons picked out of the Parish by the Preacher and some other with him Secondly the Iewish Elders iudged and censured the Laitie and therefore were called the Elders of the people wheras the Geneuiā presume to censure correct their Clergie Thirdly and lastly the Iewish Elders concurred with the Princes of the Priests as their assistants or officers in matters of iudgement and debate but the Geneuian haue no Princes of Priests Deut. 17.8.9.10.11 12,2 Chron. 19 8 9 10.11 Ezech. 44.4 or Prince-Church gouernours as Primates Archbishops or Bishops to giue assistance vnto whereby it doth appeare that the Iudges and Iustices of Peace in England are like those Elders of the Iewes especially the Iudges of Ecclesiasticall courts called by the names of Chancellour Commissary Deane of the Arches Officiall and the like and in no wise the Elders after the Geneuian forme Moreouer as the Ministers of the heauenly Church are called Priests so are the Ministers of the Church of England honoured Reuel 4.8 9 10.11 5 8 7 10 12 8 3 4 Heb. 13.15 Hos 14.3 with the same holy title and stile Those Angelicall Priests doe offer vp vnto God the spirituall sacrifice of prayer and praise and answerably thereunto our English Euangelicall Priests offer vnto God the like spirituall sacrifice as the Apostle prescribeth saying Let vs therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name Publike prayer and praise is a sacrifice and therfore the Minister that offereth it is a Priest neither could he blesse publikely the people except hee were a Priest for Church-benediction is a part of the Priests function nor yet Minister any of the two Sacraments in both which there is a spirituall sacrifice for by Baptisme our bodies and soules are offered vnto God by the hand of his Priest Rom. 12.1 Mat. 26.27.28 29 30. 28 19 Ioh. 6.32 33 41 51 Reue l. 2 17 a reasonable and liuing sacrifice and in the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper he offereth vnto God in our name the spirituall sacrifice of thankesgiuing for giuing the substance of his blessed body both corporally for vs a bloodie sacrifice vpon the crosse and spiritually vnto vs in the Sacrament of bread wine and euen for feeding of vs in a my sticall and supernaturall manner with his flesh which is that hidden Manna of heauen Reuel 1.4 5 6 5.10 Heb. 7.15 17 21 24 26 28 8 1 2 3. promised in the Reuelation to those that ouercome To bee briefe the blessed Apostle
Saint Iohn writing vnto the Angels or Bishops of the seauen Churches of Asia calleth them Priests like as the foure and twentie Elders in heauen doe call themselues Priests and Iesus Christ himselfe is called a Priest yea more an high or chiefe Priest and consequently must haue inferiour Priests vnder him And such are the Ministers of the Gospell in England the which stile whilest our Genenians cannot endure no more then the white Surplisse and the artificiall singing I wonder what they meane to do in heauen where Saint Iohn saw so many Priests so many white habits and heard such harmonie and musicall melodie Now the honourable titles that God hath vouchsafed his Ministers doe show that it is his will Deut. 10 9 12 19 24 23 25 Numb 18.12 13 17 18 19 20 21 2 23 24 1. Cor. 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Heb. 10. 1. Tim. 5.17 18 they should haue a more honourable maintenance then Geneua doth allow them in their beggarly contributions The Priests and Ministers of the Gospell haue succeeded into the roome of the legall Priests and Ministers of the Tabernacle and therefore they haue succeeded to their maintenance and so much the more because these serue him in a more excellent manner then the other did And if hee would not haue his Ministers to begge vnder the law or yet to depend vpon popular beneuolences shall wee thinke that hee would haue his Ministers vnder the Gospell to be subiect to such a beggarly condition Euery prouident wise master prouideth for his houshold and seruants Leuit. 27.30 31 32. Deut. 12.17 18 19 14 22 23 27 29 26 Numb 18. Nehem. 10.35 36 37 38 39. Iosh 13.14 33. 2. Chron. 31.4 5 6 7 8 Ezech. 44 28 29 30 2. Tim. 2.6 Luk. 10.2.7 1. Tim. 5.18 Mat. 9.37 38. wherefore it followeth that God who is the most prouident and wise Master of all other hath prouided for the maintenance of his houshold seruants and we know none other but first fruites and tithes all labourers haue certaine standing wages the Ministers of the Gospell are Gods labourers therefore they ought to haue their standing wages likewise and wee read of none other except first fruites and tithes And therefore we see how our Sauiour forbiddeth his Apostles to goe from house to house telling them that the workeman is worthy of his hire And truly if hee would not haue his Apostles to goe from house to house euen in that time when tithes were withholden from them by the Iewish clergie shall we thinke that now when the Iewish clergie is abolished he would haue his Ministers of the Gospell to goe from house to house or yet to send from house to house to begge the peoples beneuolences Those that withheld from Christs Apostles and Ministers the duty of first fruites and tithes were such as persecuted both them and Christ and crucified him in the end Deut. 10 9 12 19 14 23.29 2. Chron. 31.4 Prouerb 3.9 10. and such God spoiling Gospellers as doe now adaies withhold the Church-rents from Churchmen what doe they else but persecute Gods Ministers and crucifie Christ daily in his members The ends of paying first fruites and tithes vnto Gods Priests are perpetuall to wit that the Ministers of God may bee maintained and not forsaken but more and more encouraged in the seruice of God that God may be honoured with our riches and acknowledged to bee our great Land-lord and good Lord that we may learne to feare the Lord and that hee may blesse vs in all the workes of our hands that so our store may be increased and our barnes filled with abundance are not Christians Gods tenants farmers and vassals as well as were the Iewes and doe we not hold all that we haue of God as well as they and are we not bound to pay our annuall rents vnto God as duly and truly as they and what reason haue Christians to forsake their Ministers more then the Iewes had and doe not the one deserue aswell to bee liberally maintained and encouraged in their worke as the other and haue not Christians as great cause to learne to feare God as the Iewes had finally doe not Christians desire as earnestly as the Iewes did to be blessed in the workes of their hands and in the encrease of their store wherefore it followeth necessarily that we Christians must pay our Tithes as truly and duly as did the Iewes 1. Tim. 5 17 18. 1. Cor. 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. And therefore the blessed Apostle as he commendeth vnto Christians the honourable and liberall maintenance of the Mininistery right diligently writing to the Corinthians and euen prooueth by the law of Moses the right that the Ministers of the Gospell haue vnto our carnall things and euen vnto such carnall things as both Moses doth prescribe in his Law and the Apostle himselfe doth mention entreating of this matter comprehending them vnder these two kinds the fruits of the field and the flockes of the fold so writing to the Galathians he enioyneth in expresse words Heb 13.7 Galat. 6.6 euery one that is taught in the word to make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods The people must giue a part of their goods vnto their Pastours as the Apostle prescribeth and all doe acknowledge to be reasonable now this part must either be equall vnto the Leuiticall part or greater then it or else smaller To giue them a smaller were a most vnreasonable indiscretion and a more then beastly ingratitude and if they will not nor cannot bestow a greater such as indeed it ought to be 2 Cor. 3.6 7 8 9 10 11. for looke how farre the ministerie of the Gospell is more excellent then that of the law so much the more ample and liberall ought to be the maintenance of the Ministers of the Gospell then was that of the Ministers of the Tabernacle yet at least for shame they must giue an equall portion with that of the legall Priests Lastly to shut vp this our reasoning for the perpetuitie of tithes for the honourable maintenance of Christs seruants for hereof wee haue written more amply in a worke published some fewe yeares agoe called the Golden art or the right way of Enriching dedicated to the two most famous and royall Cities of these two kingdoms I say that the holy Scripture setteth downe the paying of these yearely Church-rents amongst morall duties and accounteth of Sacriledge not as if it were the transgression of a ceremoniall ordinance but euen the violation of a morall law Will a man spoyle his Gods saith the Lord God by his Prophet Malachie yet ye haue spoyled me in tithes and in offerings Malacha 3 8. Prouerb 3.9 10 20.25 Honour the Lord saith Solomon with thy riches and with the first fruites of all thine encrease so shall thy barnes bee filled with abundance and thy presse shall burst with new
descension and ascension are inferred necessarily of the Geneuian doctrine And as the word died in the Creede doth imply our Sauiours descending in soule to the house of death though not to dye for Christs soule could not dye but to ouercome death and to destroy the author of death the diuell as the Apostle speaketh so doth the word of suffering the like 1. Cor. 15.55 Heb. 2.14 For Christ suffered the greatest humiliation and deiection that could be for mans cause and therefore it behooued his soule to be humbled vnto hell and without this hee had not beene subiected to the highest degree of humiliation in his soule as hee was to bee answerably to the humiliation of his body which was in the highest degree euen vnto the death of the crosse like as for that cause God exalted him both in body and soule in the highest degree Philip. 2.6 7 8 9 10 11. as the Apostle teacheth So that we see that Christs locall descending into hell is denied in no Creede but expressed in some and implied in all VII Seauenthly the locall descent of Christs soule into hell is confirmed by the common consent and constant profession of the Doctors of the primitiue Church in their Sermons Homilies Commentaries Expositions and Glosses vpon the places of Scripture aboue alleadged about twenty in number and vpon the Creede especially this article thereof as shall bee shewed more particularly in our Latine worke by the expresse testimonies of these three and forty Fathers Doctours and writers Hebrewes Greekes and Latines Thaddaeus Ignatius Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus Tertullianus Origines Cyprianus Arnobius Lactantius Eusebius Athanasius Hilarius Socrates Basilius Gregorius Nazianzenus Ambrosius Hieronimus Ruffinus Epiphanius Chrysostomus Augustinus Cassianus Caesarius Philippus Presbyter Cyrillus Primasius Euthymius Theodoretus Leo Vigilius Fulgentius Cassiodorus Beda Titus Bostrensis Didimus Ioannes Damascenus Theophylactus Oecumenius Bernardus Prudentius Petrus Chrysologus Rabbi Hoccadosh Rab. Simeon whereunto shal be added some sixe or seauen Councels as of Ephesus Chalcedon Alexandria Constantinople Toledo Arles and others So that if the Fathers of the Church haue any weight or authority amongst the Geneuians they shall soone see themselues in a manifest errour which God grant they may as soone amend VIII Eightly Christs locall descent into hell after death is confirmed by the ingenuous reception and subscription of the most part of learned protestant writers as we shall show in our Latine worke by the testimonies of some thirty to wit Luther Calum Peter Martyr Bullmger Pomeran Pellican Chytraeus Aepinus Bucer Illyricus Selneccer Lossius Hemingius Aretius Rulandus Marlerat Vrbanus Rhegius Lauater Vitus Theodorus Mylius Musculus Mollerus Westhemerus Heresbachius Felinus our countrimen Alexander Alesius or Aeleis Bishop Latimer and Robert Samuel Martyrs Deane Nowell Master Foxe with the reuerend Bishops and learned Doctors of Fngland in the time of King Edward the sixt and afterwards to this present day of the happy raigne of King Iames the sixt together with the whole Lutheran Protestants in Denmarke Norway Sweden Poland Boheme Hungary and other parts of Germany with some of those whome they call Caluinians as namely that most learned and iudicious Italian diuine Hieronymus Zanchius IX Ninethly the doctrine of Christs locall descending into hell is prooued by irrefragable reasons for first the doctrine of the Church of England doth illustrate commend and magnifie the loue of God towards mankinde where as the doctrine of Geneua obscureth ecclypseth and diminisheth it exceeding much For it is an argument of great loue that the Sonne of God would daigne to descend from his throne and seate of maiestie into this earth of vilitie and misery which is his foote-stoole but it is an argument of farre greater loue that for our sakes he would yet descēd lower euen so low as to take upon him the shape of a seruant and in that shape to suffer so shamefull a death as that vpon the crosse but it argueth the highest degree of loue that could bee in that for our sakes hee would descend so low as into the lowest hell the vile and loathsome dungeon of the damned to the end that we should not descend thither nor be damned Secondly the very Ground whereupon the Geneuians doe found their doctrine of Christs suffering the pangs of hell doth prooue pregnantly this very point which they denie of Christs descending into hell in his soule The ground is this It behooued the Mediatour of sinfull mankinde to suffer what was due to sinfull mankinde whereupon it followeth necessarily that he suffered the highest degree of humiliation to wit to be humbled vnto hell in his soule as his Bodie was humbled vnto the shame of the crosse the graue for sinfull mankinde had deserued this deiection and should haue beene humbled so farre for his sinfull and proud rebelling against God if our Redeemer had not humbled himselfe in our stead and for our sakes to exempt and deliuer vs from this ignominie Yea their very doctrine is contradictory to it selfe for they hold that Christ was to suffer the torments of hell in his soule and yet they will not haue him goe to hell which two assertions cannot well stand together for though that the soule may feele the horror or apprehend the feare terror of hell out of hel Psal 18.4 5 Mat. 26.37.38 39 42 46 Mar. 14.33 34 35 36 15 34 that our Sauiours soule did so in the garden and vpon the crosse according as the Prophet Dauid had prophesied of him saying the sorrowes of death and of hell haue compassed me about and as our Sauiour said of himselfe My soule is very heauy euen vnto the death and as the Euangelists doe testifie of him that hee began to waxe sorrowfull and grieuously troubled to bee afraid and in great beauinesse and euen in such an agonie vpon the apprehension of the fearefull cup of Gods wrath that he sweat drops of blood and afterwards cried out that he felt himselfe in a manner forsaken of his Father for our sakes for a while all which soule-suffering the Apostle Peter calleth by the name of the sorrowes of death and Dauid the sorrowes of hell though I say that our Sauiour suffered in his soule for our sakes these horrours and terrors of hell in the very garden and on the crosse yet he could not suffer the pangs paines or torments of hell without being in hell no more then one can enioy the ioyes of heauen out of heauen But the truth is that Christs soule was no more capable of those torments of hell then it was of desperation or damnation And though he descended into hell yet it was not to suffer torment but only the highest degree of humiliation and debasement and with all to begin his highest exaltation in the same very place where his lowest humiliation did end Thirdly the doctrine of the Church of England doth magnifie and set out the Maiestie of Christs victorie and conquest where as the doctrine