and being in daunger without he runneth in for by faith which is inwarde and the spirite that is inwarde hee woulde iustifie an outwarde churche Againe by an outwarde false and corrupt profession he will iustifie the inwarde spirite and faith of professours to bee syncere Thus with turning and returning to and fro he woulde establishe his errour but hee doeth wearie him selfe in vaine Nowe as his dealing herein is ridiculous so hee increaseth it vnto a shamelesse and blasphemous doctrine For he sayeth that there being but one onely true Christian in a church or congregation and all the rest wicked yea and so wicked that they haue but a bare profession in worde onely without any good workes they shoulde all be counted the church of God for that one mans cause I maruaile howe his penne coulde droppe downe such poyson and he not smell the stinch thereof as he wrote it For by this doctrine euery faithfull christian shall bee aboue Christ. For Master Cartwright doeth giue them power to loose those on earth which God doeth binde in heauen and this power Christ neuer had For if the faith of one or a fewe beleeuers in an assembly be of force to make them all the Church though the rest be grosse offendours then neede they to bynde none in earth And why shoulde Saint Paule alleadge this power of our Lorde Iesus Christ if all may bee taken for the Church by the faith of some For Master Cartwright will giue vs a contrary power namely to reckon all for the churche But will you steale murther commit adulterie and sweare falsely c. sayeth the Lorde and come and stande before me in this house whereupon my Name is called and say We are deliuered though wee haue done all these abominations If Master Cartwright shoulde answere this question we shoulde heare those lying wordes for so the Prophet tearmeth them namely The Temple of the Lorde the Temple of the Lorde allis the Temple and Church of god But a denne of thieues is not the house and Temple of God And if the faith of fewe will make many wretches to be the church then the vnfaithfulnes of many shoulde be of force to make them all no Church But as my wickednesse condemneth no man but my selfe except they partake with me in my wickednes so my faith iustifieth no man to be of the church except they hold with me an outward good profeâ—sion according to faith For shew me thy faith by thy works saith S. Iam. 2 as who say he would not beleue there were faith if he saw not the works of faith And Paul ioyneth the beleefe of the heart and confession of the mouth both together as needeful vnto righteousnes saluation and by the confession of the mouth he meaneth al outward profession agreeing to faith because the professioÌ„ by mouth is chiefest He can not turne his words as if he spake of one truly faithful and all the rest secret hypocrites for he speaketh of the outward profession of the outward works and of the outward church granteth also that there are many outward grosse abuses further he nameth that in wordes only they hold the true faith as who say be the deeds neuer so abhominable yet for that faithful mans sake they are al to be called one church with him If Master Cartwright had sayde cleane contrary he had spoken more truely namely that if among many good liuers one wicked man were founde as a mâ—rtherer an idolater or an adulterer and the rest become so negligent or wilfull or are helde in such spirituall bondage that any one such open and manifest offence is incurable then the couenant is broken and disanulled with them all till they repent and redresse such wickednesse Proofe there is by the 7. of Ioshua the 13. of Deuteronomie the 9. of Ezra the 20. of Iudges the 3. of Ieremie and 1. verse By the punishment of the whole land for Sauls offence 2. Samuel 21. By the ceremonies of leprosies Of touching vncleane things By the leauen named of Paul that leaueneth the whole luÌ„pe 1. Cor. 5. by sundry other places Wherefore this doctrine of his as it maketh for the Pope that a whole wretched multitude may be the Church and depende on one man cleane ouerthroweth the discipline of the church so it is so contrary to God and all godlinesse that I wonder anye man shoulde haue the face to auouche it If M. C. say that hee meaneth not a profession altogether corrupted but a good profession in other dueties though that bee nought which iustifieth such abuses in assemblies I maruaile howe he dare pronounce it an apparant sanctification or an holy profession in other dueties where there is so corrupt and polluted a profession in publique assemblyes Doth not the Prophet teach vs That that man can haue no name of a righteous iust and holy man which offendeth in any one grose sinne If he sinne in any one of these thinges saith the Prophet though he doe â—ot all these thinges he is a wicked man all the righteousnesse which he hath done shall not be mentioned but his wickednesse shall be vpon him And if it be true that Iames saith cap. â— 26. that not to refraine a mans tongue is to proue his religion vaine then to haue a filthie polluted profession in publique assemblies is to make all other profession filthy and polluted And so reasoneth the Prophet Haggi That as any holy meate was made vnholy and vncleane if a polluted person did but touch it or the skirt of a mans garment did but touch it so much more vncleane was that people and nation and all their holy exercises and sacrifices and all the workes of their handes becuase they polluted them selues but in one thing namely in slacking and fearing to builde the outwarde Temple which was but a figure of the outwarde Church of god at this day But we come to another of Master Cartwrights proofes which hee giueth thus They haue the couenaunts of the churches of god namely the spirit and the worde of god put in their mouthes therefore they are the Churches of god We doe not denie but that there are sundry churches of god but the question is of a corrupt profession by Popish Lawes and of vnlawfull assemblyes made thereby But whatsoeuer corruption there is as he granteth diuers yet they haue the couenant saith he of the spirite and the worde of god in their mouthes So without shame he abuseth that place in Isaiah 59 For he leaueth out one part of the couenant which is That the Lorde will come vnto Zion and to those that turne from iniquitie in Iacob and with them will hee make his couenant wherefore the worde is not the couenant to establish a Church except it reigne and rule in the Church to subdue it in obedience to the Lorde for the Lorde maketh no couenant but with
the outward Church when there is a wicked profession contrary to the doctrine of faith Againe a man may beleeue be wonne to faith by meanes of some godly brother and that before he haue outwardly ioyned him selfe to the Church so in gods secret election he is of the church yet because he hath not the outwarde profession can not be sayde to be the outwarde Church But here Master Cartwright though he dare not iustifie the blind reading Ministers yet he doeth praise them as doing some good But of this matter also it followeth afterwarde to intreate as whether he that doeth so much hurt and mischiefe can be saide to doe any good at all Likewise it is a trifling to no purpose that he sayth the Church ceaseth not when a minister faileth or wanteth for we knowe that euen two or three agreeing together in the trueth separate from wickednesse if none other will ioyne with them euen they are an outwarde and visible Church and haue this power of Christ euen to binde men on earth and to loose them on earth that they may be bound or loosed in heauen For though by persecution they be driuen into corners yet their good profession is outward and visible in it selfe and yet hidden from their enemies which are vnworthy to see it for the church may increase into thousandes and decrease also in this worlde euen to a litle householde and to foure or fiue persons For Ierusalem fell away and became as Sodome and Egypt and the Lorde did blot out the whole name and church of the Iewes and called his people by another name as it is written Isay 65. Actes 11. But in these latter dayes it is prophecied that the Church shoulde be small hidden and driuen into corners So that as in Noas time eight persons onely escaped euen so when the sonne of man shall come he shall not finde faith on the earth those dayes before his comming shall be so hard that scarce any flesh shall be saued Indeed one person will not make a church for the Church must needes be a number but where two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ there is he in the middes of them And the housholde of Philemon is named a Church Likewise the housholde of Olymphis of Aquila Priscilla and others For if they haue the power which Paul calleth the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ and doe meete together fewe or moe in the Name of Christ they are surely the Church of Christ. Therefore this doctryne is still agaynst Master Cartwright for neyther the word in the preachers mouth nor the Sacraments can make an outwarde Church except they haue the power of Christ to separate the vnworthye For Master C. confesseth that the name of a Church shall remayne though the preacher and his preaching doe cease and is wanting for a tyme. But without this power of binding that is of declaring mens wickednes and forsaking their fellowshippe to leaue them vnto Satan being open and grieuous offendours there is no name nor shewe of the church of Christ remaining If he demaunde proofe hereof the scriptures are manifest For God hath giuen this power not onely to the preachers but to all the saintes of god as appeareth by that Psalme namely By the worde of god in their mouthes to binde euen the Kings and nobles of the earth and to execute vpon them his spirituall iudgement the text followeth that this honour shall be to all the Saintes Wherefore it is not peculiar to some one or to â—ome fewe alone but it belongeth to all yea this is the heritage of all the Lordes seruants as Isaiah testifieth In deede it is true that we ought ioyntly to execute this power but if others will not or bee in bondage that they can not ioyne with vs therein then they are not the Church but the bondslaues of men For this power belongeth to euery one seuerally to forsake wicked fellowship and there is a coÌ„mandement giuen to euery one to forsake the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse to be no companions with such to haue no fellowshippe with them to withdraw our selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately yea and to turne away from all which hauing a shew of godlinesse doe deny the power thereof For if we walke in darknes and say we haue fellowship with god we lye sayth S. Iohn and doe not truely But if we walke in the light we haue fellowship one with another otherwise that fellowship holdeth not And in Hosea commandement is giuen vnto all euen to pleade against the mother church if it fal away that as god doth forsake it so euery one also should stand against it if it become abhominable And so also all are commanded to saue them selues from a froward generation But it may be here obiected howe we answere to the place in Matth. 18 that we must complaine to the Church and then if the offender heare not the Church we must take him for a heathen and publican I grant that if the offence be priuate he must be first priuately dealt with But this proueth not that either for priuate or open offences we must waite on them for redresse which are enemies of the Church and which haue no power to binde and lose as hath the church Wherefore let not Master Cartwright accompt so much of the assemblyes he speaketh of for what is a Church without this power we spake of yea what are those assemblies which in steade of it do holde that Antichristian power of the spirituall courtes or rather are helde in bondage by it But Master Cartwright alloweth not onely those assemblies but also those vile courtes and officers and Bishoppes set ouer them to be all the Church of God For he sayeth afterwarde namely in the sixt page that the calling of the dumbe ministers whichis by them is a calling of the church and sufficient to make them ministers yea and he seemeth to allowe also their suspendings of preachers as if it were done by the Church so that both for complaint and for redresse of defaults for establishing and gathering the churches hee alloweth or tollerateth those officers and courtes to haue the power and authoritie of the church But God hath appointed no such kinde of complaintes in the Church neither such kinde of redresse nor ordering of matters First because they redresse and order matters by money Brybes Fees Ciuill penaltyes c. wherein the Church discipline ought not to meddle For the weapons of our warefare sayeth Paul are not carnall He meaneth that the Church maye not deale in matters of reformation as doeth the common wealth and this present worlde The Church can deale no further then onely by rebuke warning and exhortation out of gods worde and by forsaking casting of fellowship in grosser sinnes And therefore rightly may the word and his
right hande wherefore then doeth hee reach vs that in his right hande as taking it vnlawfull which we choose as lawfull If he saye that wee condemne that ordinarie abused and corrupt profession of the most I aunswere that the Lawes doe also the same For the common Lawes are against the cannon Lawes in many hundreth poyntes one giueth checke to the other as two Dames at variance in one house the cannon is as fire in the house to burne it the common is as water powring downe to quenche it The Popishe courtes esteeme all sortes of christians for churches of Christ much like those harlots that woulde haue many children though it were by fornication that they myght rule ouer many but the Common wealth reiecteth her children as beyng children of Death euen for smaller Theftes Felonyes Roginges and Wanderinges without honest Trades and laboures as for the right corrections of Adulteryes those Whoorish courtes haue taken so much vpon them that the Ciuill Magistrates coulde not so well see to it before this time But nowe euen for this matter they haue giuen a great checke to the cannon Officers Also for persecuting the brethren and sundry worthye men their authoritie and cannon power hath receiued a great blowe and wounde If there be contrary lawes one against another as through change of tymes variaunce of people and other necessities it may fall out yet through fauour and helpe of good Magistrates the lawe shall still be with the Church and not against it As for the Maiestracie of Byshops there is no lawe to warrant it but only her Maiesties permission likewise for the common forme of seruice and prayers there is exception by the lawe and it is set downe also in the booke of Common prayer that the prayers may be changed intermitted and left off by occasions as when the Minister is to preach or applye him selfe to his studie for preaching Further whereas the lawe doeth binde vs to come to the church it doth well for no man ought to refuse the Church of God yet if when we come to the church we finde there an vnlawfull minister and a wicked confusion of all sortes of people the fault is not nowe in the law but in the Byshoppes which place such ministers and in their spirituall courtes which are authours of such confusion for the Lawe commaundeth that the Minister should be Doctus and Clericus which wordes doe require learning sufficient and godlinesse meete for a cleargie man otherwise howe shoulde he be Clericus that is one of the Lordes inheritance But the Bishops count him learned if he can but reade onely and answere to a catechisme as doe children wherefore good Magistrates will execute the lawe according to the true meaning and not according to the extremitie of the wordes and if they see to it that men shall come to Church they will first see that the church be better ordered that men may come with comforte and not with heart burning to their conscience Also for discipline in gathering the worthie from the vnworthy the lawe appointeth it and giueth leaue to make exception both in publique iudgement and in churches against vnworthye persons as against Drunkennesse fightings murther adulteryes stealth slaunders c. and that before the Constables Iustices of Peace Iudges and Iustices of Assises and yet also doe giue libertie to the Church to vse their owne discipline But eyther the Popes cannon lawes and his officers doe quite ouerthrowe it or the Ministers are so seruile and foolish that they can not or dare not execute it It were too long to rehearse what libertie the lawes do yeelde to vs and what outwarde profession there is by the lawes but thus we conclude that seeing very many of the Bishops doings and their officers are vnlawfull and yet very vsually and ordinarily professed helde and practised we must needes say that such an ordinary profession is vnlawfull Nowe followeth the chiefest and greatest matter in controuersie namely Whether the ordinarie assemblies of the professors in Englande be the Churches of Christ. A part of this question he must make as he doeth the vsuall outward profession What Master Harrison did write in his letter and vpon what wordes Master C. doeth gather this question I can not tell for I neuer sawe Master Harrisons letter but I hope Master H. did not condemne any assemblyes but abused assemblies neither any professors but false professors wherefore let him take his right meaning namely The ordinarie abused assemblyes of false professors But he will admit no such distinction for belike he will haue no such assemblyes yet in a time of better reformation then is now in Englande as in the dayes of King Iosiah the Lord witnesseth that Iudah had not returned vnto him with their whole heart but faynedly If they then were false professors whose hypocrisie was in their hearts why should not they be false professors which doe shewe foorth in practise a false profession and that chiefely in their assemblyes but whatsoeuer false profession they haue and howe grosse soeuer their abuses be Master Cartwright will prooue them to bee churches of Christ. But goe to let vs examine his prooâ—es those assemblyes haue Christ for their head and foundation for saith hee they beleeue in Christ and haue the spirite of Christ therefore they are the churches of Christ. Nowe to prooue that they beleeue he bringeth in their profession so that all Master Cartwrights arguments falleth from one to one till it come to nothing at all for from the head and foundation of the church he descendeth to the spirite and to faith and so at last to the outwarde profession Nowe the outwarde profession must chiefely be shewed and iustified by the lawfull vsing of publique assemblyes If they then be so shamefully abused by meanes of the bishoppes and their officers then his proofe of the outward profession also falleth to the ground Thus of necessitie he must iustifie many grosse corruptions both in the assemblyes in sundry their practises and customes or else laye by his proofe as vntrue But what neede hee haue fetched about and made suche adoo touching faith and the spirite and the head and the foundation of the Church and then to haue no other proofe but the question to prooue the question For the question is whether the assemblyes bee lawfull outwarde Churches being helde according to so corrupt profession or whether the outwarde profession of the false professours standing as it doeth the assemblyes that are according bee lawfull or no Thus he prooueth idem per idem it is so because it is so it shall bee so because it shall bee so But marke his turning and shifting to and fro in this matter For from the outward church and the outwarde profession he leapeth and fleeth to the spirite and faith which are inwarde and from the inwarde graces he returneth to the outwarde profession Thus as one that is hunted with his enemie within he runneth out
Spirituall graces be called the weapons of our warfare Also in the church there can bee no recompence made for sinne by money For the sinner is the murtherer of his owne soule And therfore the law of god is that for murther or killing any there caÌ„ be no recoÌ„pence made saue only by the death of the maslayer him selfe or the high Priest which figured thus much that except we see in any transgressour open repentance and faith in the death of Christ we are to iudge him still dead in his sinne and that money can not make him to liue nor redresse his wickednesse And the officers that take money in such a case doe euen eate vp the sinne of the people as it is written and lift vp their mindes in their iniquitie Also because the Iudges and officers of the court doe wrest Gods Lawe by their Popish cannon Lawe and respect persons and take rewarde which is forbidden in Deuteronomie and by their profession they must needes doe so or else they can not holde their office howe shal any make complaint vnto them for Church matters which can be counted none of the church And seeing Christ hath commanded to complaine to the Church against the sinner howe shall Christs ordinance be broken by complaining vnto such wretches Furthermore seeing the Scripture sheweth that the church hath nothing to doe to iudge those which are without how shal any complaine of such a number of wicked men as neuer were worthie to be couÌ„ted the church Againe seeing no godly man may seeke iudgement vnder the vniust as Paul sheweth if he haue a matter against a brother why shoulde we seeke vnto such for iudgement Further the rebuke and reforming of a brother ought not to be delayed till the time of keeping their courtes For we knowe perfectly saith Paul that the day of the Lorde shall come as a thiefe in the night and as he that sinneth ought not to delay his repentance and promise safety to him selfe least sudden destruction come so he that seeth his brother sinne ought to hast his repentance and reformation For thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart sayeth the Scripture but thou shalt plainely rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne vpon him And the Corinthians are sharpely rebuked of negligence because they hasted not to cast out of the Church the incestuous person and likewise because they made too long delaye in receiuing him againe being penitent Againe because those cannon officers are straungers neither knowen to the Churches not dwelling among them no maruaile though Christ say that his sheepe will not followe nor seeke to strangers but will flee from them Moreouer Because they bring the Churches into bondage as it is written because they deuoure because they take their goods because they exalt them selues and as it were smite the people on the face and cast them them in prison they do all these things besides the church gouernment and therefore ought to be reiected and in no case to be uffered Thus it is manifest by the worde of God that such proude prelates and Antichristian vsurpers haue no authoritie nor power of the church neither is their suspendings to be counted suspensions by the church nor their calling of Ministers a calling by the Churche Nay surely the least in the kingdome of God shalbe able by the worde of God in their mouthes to plucke vp and roote out such plantes if none other will ioyne with them I meane they shall pronounce them by the worde of god to be abhominable haue no felowship with theÌ„ in the church so to theÌ„ they are vtterly plucked out of the Church For they are kings and priests vnder Christ to execute the lords gouernement against such and therefore they ought not to loose their right which is euen their heritage and glorie Isaiah 54. or rather the glorie or kingdome of god euen the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to binde and loose Mat. 18. The power of Christ Iesus to deliuer vp the wicked to Satan 1. Corinth 5. The scepter of his worde for rebuke doctrine exhortation promising life denouncing iudgement For this is a right scepter which subdueth the people vnder vs and the nations vnder our feete Psalme 45. He alleadgeth another proofe by peraduenture For he guesseth that peraduenture we will say it were better for an assembly to haue no minister at all then to haue a blinde reading minister And then he reasoneth thus that hauing none at all but yesterday they are the church or may be the church then hauing a dumbe minister to day they are still the Church of god and can not so suddenly be made the synagogue of Satan This is a slender proofe and borowed by imagination for we make not the minister whether duÌ„be or not dumbe to be the essence substance or life of the outward Church but the keeping of the couenant by the outwarde discipline and gouernement thereof And the Lorde callâ—th the keeping of the couenant by this discipline his staffe of beautie as appeareth in Zecharie which being broken he disanulleth his couenant with the people and so they become the sheepe of slaughter For he saith I will not feede you that that dyeth let it dye and that that perisheth let it perish and let the remnant eate euery one the flesh of neighbour Likewise in Iere. Ezek. as the breaking of the couenant is set downe to be the death and perishing of the church people of God so the keeping thereof by better discipline and gouernement was the life and renuing of the Church Why then shoulde Master Cartwright reason so fondly as though they that helde the couenant to day might not breake it to morowe and as though any grosse wickednesse committed of all were not the breaking of the couenant by all Did not the people pleade truely against Reuben and God that if they rebelled to daye against the Lorde euen to morrowe the Lorde woulde be wroth with all the Congregation of Israel And they alleadge further that for Achans sinne wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel Howe suddenly and quickely was this sinne committed and howe soone was the Lorde prouoked euen to forsake all the congregation and to be with them no more except they destroyed the excommunicate from among them for so are the wordes of the Lorde him selfe Nowe what was that sinne which Israel calleth rebellion in Reuben and God both against the Lorde and against the rest of Israel And what was the sinne of Achan Surely they thought that the Reubenites and Gadites had broken that commandement which the Lorde had giuen them namely that they should not offer their burnt offerings in euery place which they liked but only in the place which the Lorde had chosen to put his name there Now who knoweth not but that that place of
not beguiled with the Names of Gods house Church and Citie he him selfe hath giuen it a name as it is written the name of that city shalbe from that day The Lord is there And in this respect also it is called in Ieremie the throne of his glorie As who say that amoÌ„g whoÌ„soeuer we see not the Lord to reigne by his gouernement discipline as it were in the throne of his kingdom them we shuld â—â—dge not to be the city church of God And though the church â—o pray that God would not cast downe the throne of his glory nor breake the conant with them yet Ieremie bringeth in those wordes as a complaint of the penitent and not to proue that the wretched sorte either helde the couenant or were the throne of God Wherefore to conclude this matter The path and way of the Lord is holy as the prophet teacheth no polluted shal passe by it there shalbe no lyon no noysome beast shall ascend by it neither shall they be founde there whereby is meant that open and grosse sinners shall not be suffred in the Church For either they shall be separate by excommunication or els all the godly shall withdraw them selues from them and hold them accursed As it is written If any man loue not the Lorde Iesus let him be had in execration yea excommunicate to death And surely they loue not the Lorde but are his enemies as was shewed before which refuse his gouernment that he can not reigne ouer them And againe it is written This is the loue of God that we keepe his commandemeÌ„ts and he that sayeth I knowe god or I loue god and keepe not his commaudements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Not that we can keepe his commandements without all breach or offence for wee are not Donatistes as the aduersaries slaÌ„der vs that we should say we may be without sinne or that the church may be without publike offences or if there fall out some sort of grosser sinnes that therefore it should cease to be the church of God we teach no such doctrine but if in any Church such grosse sinnes bee incurable and the Church hath not power to redresse them or rebelliously refuseth to redresse them then it ceaseth to be the Church of God and so remaineth till it repent take better order And here coÌ„meth in that question to be decided whether without the discipline coÌ„manded of Christ any assembly or church may be called the church of Christ M. C. saith that for want of this discipline we giue al the english assemblies the blacke stone of condemnation Howe truely he writeth this of vs his conscience is witnes for we neuer said that all the English assemblyes doe want discipline Thogh this matter be sufficiently debated before yet let vs weigh Master Cartwrights answere H sayeth that faith in Christ is the essence being or life of the church as for discipline it is but accidental and therefore the Church of God may haue her being and life and be named the church of God without discipline what worde of God doeth he bring for all this we knowe in deede that Christ is the life and essence of the Church For except as braunches we abide in him which is the true vine we can bring foorth no fruite we are cast foorth as branches and are to be consumed with fire Christ is the resurrection and the life He is the way the trueth and the life So it is true that Christ is the life of the church as for faith it is but the hand whereby we take hold of this life As it is written he that beleeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he addeth vpon it as a tryall of faith euen our obedience to the sonne and saith he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of god abideth on him Nowe it was prooued before that they which are guilty of such horrible abuses so grossely offende by their corrupt and false profession haue not this faith neither do holde Christ the foundation But see how fondly blasphemously Master Cartwright distinguiseth He will haue a dead Christ or an Idol christ to be the life of the church For he will ioyne the church to Christ without the discipline and gouernement of Christ. He putteth asunder the church and the discipline of Christ and so must â—eedes sunder Christ from his owne discipline or gouernement Nowe Paul calleth this discipline the power of our Lorde Iesus christ So if wee seuer christ and his power what is he but a dead christ Also by his discipline and gouernement he hath ouer vs he is our king as againe it is written the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse So if we seuer christ and his discipline rule and gouernement what is he but an Idol christ If Master Cartwright say that by the scepter there is meant nothing else but the power of the worde of God I graunt it as Paul saith I will knowe not the speach or wordes of these men but the power For the kingdome of God is not in worde but in power saith he and in the psalme The Lorde shall sende the rodde of this power out of Zion And the weapons of our warrefare are mighty through God as againe he writeth So then if the power of the word to bynde lose to remit or refaine mens sinnes to promise lyfe and to rebuke and giue ouer to execration be taken from Christ or the church of Christ what remaineth but an Idol or counterfet christ an Idol or counterfet church Thus while M C. wil haue faith in christ to be the life of the church without discipline he doth leaue christ himselfe without life as one that is dead or turned into an Idol yet further he proceedeth in his absurdities blasphemies saith that fayth only is the essence being or life of the church and that besides faith nothing is necessary to the very essence and being of the church Thus be like children which yet through want of discretion can not haue faith shall be without the essence life of the church How corrupt doctrine this is I neede not heere stand on it If he say that by the faith of the pareÌ„ts they haue life esseÌ„ce in the church the scripture is against him For by the promise the couenant made to the righteous to their seed are their childreÌ„ reckoned in the church not by their faith Therefore the faythful are called by Paul the children of promise For we are sayth he after the maner of Isaac children of the promise and againe to the Romans the children of the promise are counted for the true seede of Abraham But that by any mans faith his children or others should haue life essence in the church is the same false doctrine we refuted
And for this purpose there are appointed these other partes of discipline namely that the Church doe iudge those which are within for it hath nothing to doe saith Paul to iudge those that are without The discipline of the church poceedeth against the brethreÌ„ that offend as was shewed before not agaynst scorners or careles worldlings For the lord doth now take vs of the gentiles for priests leuites as it is written and as wee may not bring into the lords sanctuary strangers vncircamcised in heart to pollute his house that is wicked wretches which haue not the lords couenÌ„at may not be receiued into fellowship of the church so those that are within being fallen to transgression they shal iudge according to my iudgements saith the Lord and they shall keepe my lawes and my statutes in all my assemblies For there is a particular iudging dealing against any in the church as by particular rebuke pronouncing accuâ—sed him that grossely offendeth there is a general iudging of any without the church For it is written that we shal iudge the angels And euery nation that shall rise vp in iudgement against the church shal it condemne this iudging is no part of the particular iudging we speak of And here come in other parts of discipline to be spoken of namely for priuate rebuke of the brethren that priuately offend for open rebuke of open sinnes for casting off forsaking felowship brotherhood with grosse open offenders These partes of discipline although they are prooued made manifest before yet because M C. saith that some part of discipline may bee wanting let vs see which of them may be wanting and the church notwithstanding haue the essence and name of the church First Christ hath gieun power to euery christian to reteyne the sinnes of euery brother whom he knoweth to trespasse against him not to forgiue hym except he see him repeÌ„ So that if any person want this power he is not to be counted a christian And this power reacheth so far not only for open but euen for priuate offences to iudge take any man for a heathen a publican if he wil not be reformed Now this liberty power euery christian must hold or els he is the seruaÌ„t of meÌ„ not of christ If then a particular christian cannot want it how shal the whole church be without it yet be named the church of christ Euery particular christiaÌ„ is a king a priest vnto god a king because he holdeth the scepter of gods word to iudge the offeÌ„ders a priest because in euery place he offreth incense and a pure offring to the name of the Lord as it is Malachy So theÌ„ he is vtterly without the kingdoÌ„ priesthod of christ if that liberty be denied him I mean of iudging rebuking the particular offenders forsaking their fellowship if they wil not be reformed Howe much more shall the Church be without this kingdoÌ„ priesthod of christ so without christ hymself if it want this libertie power Likewise as we shewed before euery christian hath power seuerally to forsake wicked fellowship not to coÌ„pany together with wicked brethreÌ„ And as by this liberty power they vphold their kingdoÌ„ in Christ so without it both they and the whole church do lose their interest in the priesthood kingdom of Christ and so are none of his church For they haue not the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ to bind lose to reteine or remit mens sinnes and therefore what right can they haue in the kingdom of christ If they cannot openly particularly rebuke how shall they openly particularly binde and if they caÌ„not openly particularly cast out or excoÌ„municate the grosser offender how shal they bind For being still reteined as brethreÌ„ in the church how shall they pronounce them to be bouÌ„d in heaueÌ„ How shall they shut the gates of heauen against those whom still they keepe in the bosome of the church If M. C. say that a general rebuke iudging of the wicked is a binding let him knowe that the Church hath more liberty right particularly to iudge those which are within then generally to iudge those that are without And safely if it haue not power to iudge those which are within it hath no power of iudging at all So that it is manifest that no part of church discipline can be wanting but the church doth straightway go to mine thereby For a coÌ„fused gathering of al together was proued to be no church of God Likewise if the couenant of the church the sacraments thereof be broken and disanulled Master C. graunteth that there is no church and nowe it is shewed that without that power of rebuking and iudging those which are within and of excomunicating those that deserue it there can be no church of God As for that his fonde answere that for some default in preaching and some default in obedience the discipline of the church may fayle and yet be the church let him knowe that though some preacher or other person offende yet doeth not therefore the discipline of the church fayle or want except the church be negligent or wilfully refuse to redresse such offences or is brought into bondage that it can not redresse them And yet also the question is not of some weakenes and failing in discipline but a full want and ouerthrowe either of the whole or of some parte thereof Wherefore that proofe they alleadgeby the Corinthians that they wanted discipline yet were the church of God is false very vaine For they wanted it not but were negligent therein They were not vnder the bondage of a popish discipline power which denyed and withhelde the Lordes discipline Nowe negligence was a fault in them yet not an vtter ouerthrowe and failing of discipline For being rebuked of Paul they mended this negligence in so much that their repentance and sorowe for their negligence wrought a great care in them yea as the text saith a clearing of themlselues an indignation a feare a great desire a zeale a punishing of themselues Likewise for their abuses in the Sacrament of the Supper Paul condemneth euen the Supper and sayeth This is not to eate the Lordes Supper And for abusing that Sacrament many of them were plagued of God and dyed So that although for a tyme they turned the Sacrament to be a iudgement against theÌ„ the discipline of the church did fayle yet was it not therefore quite ouerthroweÌ„ debarred from theÌ„ Also whereas some beleeued not the resurrection froÌ„ the dead it was the ignorance of those which had newely imbraced the Christian profession and not the ouerthrowe of the church discipline And here is that answered which M. C. alledgeth that Paul calleth the churches of God by the title of