Belial But the unhappiness of it is that this Mission from Rome or Romane Bishops will as soon Watrant the Sermons of a Popish Fryar as those of your Predecessors And as to your pretended Ordination from Rome there is one Difficulty in it that I confess I cannot resolve Was it not Episcopal Ordination if any they received from that Church And was such Ordination good and valid yea or no If good wherefore will you needs abolish it as repugnant to the Word of God If not what will become of your Orders And further I would gladly understand are any persons sent to go and preach the Gospel after their own sense If so then he that hath received Mission from your Kirk may when he list become an Independant or Anabaptist Preacher and justifie his new Doctrine by your Commission As for Calvin Beza who wrote his Life informs us that he was never Initiated into any Orders of the ROMANE Church Nullis erat Pontificiis ordinibus initiatus are Beza's words who being his great Acquaintance and Successor at Geneva could not but know it very well I was of opinion that your Founder Calvin had been in some Orders until your own Beza inform'd me to the contrary Farrellus also and Viret his fellow Preachers in Geneva you will find in the same querpo without Orders as for John Knoz he was saith Mr. Clark a Presbyterian Minister who writes his life put into orders very young that is when he was professedly of the ROMAN Catholique Religion he was made Deacon or Priest of that Church by Episcopal Ordination but all this while we are to seek for their Presbyterian Mission did John Knox receive any Authority to ordain other Presbyterians could he confer a power on others which he had not received of ordaining Ministers to say there was necessity for it is an answer that will excuse also other dissenters pleading the same necessity of their Ministry of all which our Church is so sensible that she will admit none of your Brethren to her Eclesiastical Functions without Reordination Presbyteri Diaconi praeter Episcopum nihil agere pertentent Saith the Fortieth Canon of the Apostles a Canon which if it were not Apostolical you cannot deny be very ancient and do not Epiphanius and Saint Austin recount it among the Heresies of Aerius that he affirmd Bishop and Presbyter were the same thing Aerius cum esset Bresbyter saith Saint Austin doluisse fertur quod Episcopus non potuit Haeres 53. ordinari c. Aerius being a Presbyter resented his disappointment of a Bishoprick and to satisfie his humour of revenge would needs assert that they are the same office Thus for ought I can see your Presbyterian Ancestors had no Mission at all or no more then other Dissenters who all derive themselves from Christ and his Apostles from the Spirit of God c. Sleidan a Protestant Historian reports in his Commentaries that Luther hearing of the multitudes assembled by Thomas Muncer the famous Prophet of the Anabaptists wrote an Epistle to the Magistrates of Mulhusen a City in Germany where the said Muncer remained advising them to require of him who sent him to Preach the Gospel and if he answered God that he evidence it by some sign or extraordinary token otherwise that he be rejected hoc enim proprium familiare est Deo said Luther ut quoties consuetam ordinariam viam velit immutari tum voluntatem suam aliquo signo declaret The same quaere Sir you may at your leisure do us the favour to resolve in reference to your self You cannot alas plead any necessity to Reform Episcopacy but all the other Sects will plead the same to Reform you Nor will it relieve you to say that by this Argument the Jewish Church rejected Christ and his Apostles The case not being the same betwixt Christ and the Jewish Church and between us and you To satisfie the Jews and their question By what authority doest thou these things Our blessed Saviour appeals to the Miracles which he wrought If you believe not me believe the works which I do Nor will it avail you to return the question upon our selves who sent us to Reform the Church of Rome This truly is no answer but a desiring us to answer for you Be plkas'd to know then that the Church of England was never of your froward and uncharitable humor in relation to that Church to Reform our selves saith Mr. Hooker is not to sever from the Church we were of before Eccles Pol. Lib. 3. Sect. 1. We are very sensible of their Errors and yet we confess with St. Austin there is no just necessity to divide the Unity of the Catholick Church because Separations in the Church tend to no other end but to discredit the Christian Religion and render it less considerable if not contemptible to its Adversaries Turks and Infidels He that will admit no Church saith Primate Bramhall but that which is spotless with Acesius must provide a Ladder for himself to climb alone to Heaven But as to your Party Sir I pray who gave them any Authority to Preach their Reformation to these Kingdomes Give me leave to observe to you this passage in the Racovian Catechism there I remember the question is put Num ii qui docent in ecclesia Sociniana ut singulari aliqua ratione mittantur opus habent Whether the Preachers of Socinian Doctrine have need of any extraordinary mission The Answer is Nullo modo quia nullam novam nec inauditam afferunt doctrinam c. That is not at all because Socinians preach no new nor strange Doctrine but that onely which is Primitive and declared in the Holy Scriptures The same is affirmed by Mr. Calvin concerning his own Reformation in the Preface to his Institutions which the Lutherans you know will by no means admit for truth See Conradus Scluselburg de Theologia Calvinistarum Indeed it had been somewhat if it were not the matter in question or if Socinians Behemists and all the Sects that ever molested the Church did not urge as much for themselvs boasting of Gospel truth To say that your Party agree with us in all the Vital Articles of Religion is to say what perhaps few of you believe for I doubt not if opportunity serv'd every Sect of you would advance its respective Religion as if that onely were Gospel and all other but Lyes and Superstition Or if you do believe it the more is your unhappiness to molest the Church about opinions which you do not esteem of any vital importance I wish I could oblige you to consider whether you ought to take upon you to Reform that is suppress the universal order of Christs Church by Bishops c. Banish all ancient Liturgies the use of the Creed the Lords prayer and ten Commandments out of your publique Devotions all Anniversary Solemnities of Christs Nativity Resurrection c. all Reverence or Kneeling at the holy Sacraments of
Christs Body and Blood revile the Church whereof I cannot say you but your Ancestors were made Members by Baptism with the Names of Superstition and Idolatry Preach your desperate Doctrine of absolute Reprobation and the impossibility of keeping Gods Commandments introduce your own extemporary inventions instead of Liturgy Levy Warr against your Soveraign and all this without any Authority For all these strange things I should think Sir your Ancestors had but need of some extraordinary Mission But perhaps you will Answer and tell us That there have been extraordinary Prophets sent into the World without Miracles as John the Baptist And 2ly That Miracles are no certain Signs of true Prophets As for John the Baptist you may remember the words of the Angel Luke 2. 15. he was filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb he shall go before in the Spirit and power of Elias a Character to which your Brethren will not pretend he was a person prophesied of many Ages before his Birth Isa 40. 3. The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness make strait the way of the Lord c. 2ly That Miracles are no certain Evidences of true Prophets because there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets which shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the Desert go not forth behold he is in the secret Chambers believe it not Math. 24. 24. That false Prophets can work any miracle but deceptio visus I do not believe The meaning of our Saviours words is this That if any other Prophet after him shall arise assuming to be that Christ or Messias sent from God though he may pretend to strange things believe him not go not forth after him If new Prophets Sir though they come with a shew of miracles are to be suspected shall we presently receive all the Preachers of new Lights that have not so much as the pretence I find a late Writer asserting That in holy Scripture there be two marks by which together not asunder a true Prophet or one newly sent from God is to be known One is the doing of miracles The other is the not teaching any moral Doctrine adverse to that which hath been already preach'd of old Asunder he saith neither of these is sufficient and for proof alledgeth two places of Scripture Deut. 13. 1 2 3. compared with Matth. 24. 24. Our blessed Saviour and his Apostles fulfilled both these marks First in their Miracles Acts 2. 22. Secondly they taught no Doctrine of Morality opposite to that which they found already established Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it saying none other things then what Moses and the Prophets did say should come to pass But he Preached a Doctrine which had all the obliging Characters of Vertue and Goodness of Peace and Love witness his excellent Sermon on the Mount non vox hominem sonat There he presses the necessity of Moral Goodness and keeping the Commandments of God otherwise methinks then Calvin hath done I shall instance a remarkable passage in the Second Book of his Institutions the seventh Chapter and fifth Section Quod autem impossibilem legis observationem diximus id est paucis verbis explicandum simul confirmandum Solet enim vulgo absurdissima sententia videri ut Hieronimus non dubitavit Anathema illi denunciare at quid visum sit Jeronimo nihil moror impossibile appello quod nec fuit unquam ne in posterum sit Dei ordinatione decreto impeditur I shall now saith he explain and confirm what I have said of the impossibility to observe the Commandments which commonly seems a very absurd assertion insomuch that Jerom doubted not to denounce it accursed but what seemed to him I do not care I call that impossible which never was and which God hath decreed that it never shall be Vertuous Doctrine if the Commandments be impossible and that God hath decreed them so nemo tenetur ad impossibile Alas we are of our selves too prone to take an allowance of Sin without this License from Mr. Calvin To be short the Church of God may and ought to reform themselves in case of error or corruption of manners But if we once admit others to do it unauthoriz'd or unsent we open a wide door to all Sects and Heresies and another consequence is we shall rest no where but be tossed too and fro as Saint Paul speaks and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine with the various lights of all Pretenders This one would think hath been apparent enough in the experience of our Age. Not that we deny our need of amendment and Reformation in this World of imperfection but we give heed to the admonition of our blessed Saviour John 10. 1. Verily I say unto you he that enters not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Theif and a Robber not entring in at the door signifies entring without any Authority either extraordinary when the Doctrines are new and strange or ordinary when they are already known and confest For grant saith Bishop Sanderson for the suppression of Idolatry in case the Church will not do her Office that it is lawful for any unauthoriz'd Persons such as Knox c. to take upon them to reform what they think amiss there can be no sufficient cause given why by the same reason and upon the same grounds they may not take upon them to make Laws raise Forces administer Justice execute Malefactors Malignants or do any other thing the Magistrate should do in case the Magistrate slack to do his duty which if it were once granted as granted it must be in case your Presbyterian Reformation be justifiable every wise man seeth the end can be no other but vast Anarchy and confusion both in Church and Common-wealth whereupon must un avoidably follow the speedy subversion both of Religion and State Second Sermon ad Clerum on Rom 38. This is our present case you a private Person pretending to no extraordinary things say all things are amiss the Magistrate and he a Christian too is of opinion yea perswaded in his Conscience that you do all things amiss who shall be Judge The Scripture 't is a ridiculous answer The Scripture is a Law and no Law can ever pronounce either for one or t'other but in the mouth of some Judg. From all these premises I perswade my self your Ancestors were no Prophets sent from God but intruded themselves into the Divine Function and as the Prophet speaks they followed their own Spirits and prophecy'd out of their own hearts To add one word more consider all the Prophets mentioned in Holy Scripture Samuel Elias Isaiah Jeremy Hosea c. At the beginning of their Prophecies that the World might understand their Divine Mission they usually declare how and in what manner
they received it Isa 6. the first and second Chap. of Jer. So as their Authority was confessed when the matter of their Prophecies was little regarded Some of them were qualified extraordinarily with the power of Miracles prophesie of future events c. others had the ordinary License from the Schools of the Prophets In the New Testament our blessed Saviour and his Apostles beside the internal excellency of their Doctrine gave the World sufficient external evidence that they were persons sent from God and whereas you say that you Preach no other Doctrine then that of Christ and his Apostles it is the answer of Socinians Anabaptists c. and will serve every mans turn as well as yours But in the last place cannot you justifie your selves by the Sobriety and vertue of your Lives By the Loyalty of your Actions It is a great controversie and I shall not take upon me to pronounce my own sence of it but you have heard of King James his opinion in the matter Ego a Puritanis non solum a nativitate continuo vexatus sui verum etiam in ipso matris utero propemodum extinctus antequam in Lucem editus fui I have been disquieted saith he by the Puritans from my Mothers Womb c. And his Son the blessed King Charles the First from a certain intimate acquaintance with your Party writes thus to our present Soveraign King Charles the Second If ever you stand in need of them or must stand to their courtesie you are undone you may never expect less of Loyalty Justice or Humanity then from those who engage into Religious Rebellion under the colours of piety ambitious policies march not only with greatest security but applause as to the Populacy you may hear from them Jacobs voice but you shall feel they have Esau's hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 27. Thus I have given you the reasons of my dissatisfaction cerning the validity of your Presbyterian Mission and I must confess that I have here expressed only some wishes not any hopes of convincing you all my expectation is that perhaps some unprejudic'd persons will believe that your Presbyterian KIRK hath no advantage in point of a solid Foundation over Independents Anabaptists c. If instead of a pertinent answer to all this discourse you shall please to pass your censure on the Author and say that he is some Papist I must reply to you in the words of the excellent Bishop Sanderson concerning the Puritan Preachers Some of them especially such as betake themselves to preaching betimes and have not the leisure and opportunity to look much into controversies understand very little of the true state of the question betwixt the Church of Rome and us and yet to shew their Zeal against Popery are forward enough to be medling with it in the Pulpit but with so much weakness and impertinency that they leave the question worse then they found it and the hearer if he brought any doubts with him to go from Sermon more dissatisfi'd then he came Preface to 14. Sermons Printed Anno 1657. Sect. 18. Now if you please let us confer a few words about some others matters first concerning that principle of yours that nothing is to be done about the Worship and Service of God without express warrant or precept in the holy Scriptures and I pray inform me where has our blessed Saviour or his Apostles enjoyned a Directory for publick prayer Hath the Spirit any need of a Directory what Divine warrant can you produce for your Singing to God in a set Form refusing to pray in a set Form for speaking to him your sudden and extemporary thoughts but speaking to the people with a studied and composed Sermon In which of the Gospels are to be found those three significant Ceremonies required at the taking your solemn League Covenant First that we must be uncovered Secondly that we must stand up Thirdly with our right hand lift up bare what express Scripture have you for your form of publick pennance called the stool of repentance This principle of yours as hath been already observed by the Friendly debate makes that unlawful which the Scripture allows in which we find many holy men doing those things without any censure in Gods worship which he had no where commended for instance what Commandment had David for his Design of building a Temple Or Solomon for keeping a Feast of seven days for the Dedication of the Altar For erecting an Altar to be ascended by steps expressly forbidden in the 20. of Exod. verse 26. Thou shalt not go up by steps unto mine Altar Or what warrant had Hezekiah for continuing the Feast of unleavened bread seven days longer then the time appointed by the Law 2 Chron. 30. 23. If you say that all these things possibly were warranted though not by Scripture but now Scripture warrant is necessary since extraordinary inspirations are ceas'd I pray tell us what Scripture have you for this very assertion That extraordinary inspirations are ceas'd In a word This Principle of yours makes the worship of God impossible The time the place the Vesture in which it shall be performed being no where appointed Do not the Quakers retort it upon your selves Demanding Scripture for standing in a Pulpit for Preaching upon a Text and that by an hour-glass stinting the Spirit for wearing a Cloak or Gown c. Another thing I would intreat you to reflect upon is the reason of your displeasure at the temporal Revenues and encouragement of the Church of England that which Dissenters if I understand them aright would be at is this that the Clergy be reduced to their primitive poverty and dependance on the People and methinks Judas hath very well expressed their sence John 12. 4. To what purpose is all this waste of precious ointment on the feet of Christ might it not have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor This he said not that he cared for the poor but because he had the bag and was a Thief They do not consider how many vertues there are requisite in a Church-man which can have no place in the house of Scarcity how little exemplary charity temperance or humility can be expected from a narrow estate that we cannot say he is a temperat man who is so having scarcely wherewithal to satisfie his thirst or an humble person whose fortune gives him small temptation to be proud Are not all Christians under the same obligations of humility and contempt of Riches as the Clergy Lay not up for your selves treasures upon Earth was said to all and is it not true in experience that the poverty of Priests must be attended with ignorance or very slender knowledg The necessities of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles upon Earth were supply'd by Miracles and therefore their case and our's not the same Give me leave to commend to your consideration those excellent words of King Charles the First