and know themselves but men It is a thing that cannot be denied because stories of all times do manifestly prove it that sometimes errours and heresies have so much prevailed that the most part of them who held and possessed great places of office and dignity in the Church of God either for feare flattery hope of gaine or honour or else mis-led through simplicitie or directly falling into errour and heresie and departed from the soundnesse of the faith so that the sincerity of religion was upholden and the truth defended and maintained onely by some few and they molested persecuted and traduced as turbulent and seditious persons enemies to the common peace of the Christian world To say nothing of the times of Christ and after him of the first Churches in the Acts. This was the state of the Christian world in the time of Athanasius when in the Councell of Selencia and Ariminium the Nicence faith was condemned and all the Bishops of the whole world were carried from the soundnesse of the faith save Athanasius and some few Confessors banished with him So that Hieron contra Luciferam Ingemuit totius orbis miratus est factum se Arrianum So Hilarius contra Aux Episc Mill. complained that the Arrian faction had confounded all Paphnutius in the Councell of Nice for the marriage of Ministers was alone But yee are gone out of the way Though they succeeded them in their places yet not in their faith not in the truth of doctrine Doctrine There may be an ordinary and externall succession of place and person without succession of faith and truth of doctrine Manifest here in these Priests who held the places and did ordinarily succeed the Priests who were specially approved of God yet did not succeed them in faith and in soundnesse of truth And as it was in the times before often a succession of the one without the other And this is first manifest by the former doctrine for when it often happened that all the ordinary Priests such as had the outward succession were in errour God exciting extraordinary Prophets to reprove them as Isaiah Ieremie c. It must needs be that there was a separation of these two In particular it is manifest in the time of Elijah 1 King 19.14 So when wicked Ahaz was King 2 King 16.11 Vriah the high Priest corrupting the worship In the Church of the Jewes in Christs time it was so for they condemning Christ and his followers as schismaticall Joh. 9.22 and 12.42 This is further proved Acts 20.29.30 These had their succession from the Apostles and held the same seats the same places which the Apostles held yet had not the same truth and faith So out of the Ecclesiasticall stories it is manifest that the Arrian Bishops as Eusebius Nicomediens and Eustathius and others did derive their succession of place persons seats and Churches from the Apostles For they were called chosen and ordained after the custome of the Church and had no new but the lawfull calling So of the Donatists and Paulus Samosatenus in the Church of Antioch succeeded Peter as well as they did at Rome And the Greeke Church judged by the Papists schismaticall hath her personall succession not onely 1200. yeares as they confesse from Constantines time but long before from Andreas the Apostle as Nicephorus lib. 8. Chronol cap. 6. Reason 1 Because the grace of God and the truth is not hereditary that men should leave it at their pleasure to their heires and successors as they can their places and seats for John 3. as the winde so the Spirit blowes where it lists Not living men can make others whom they gladly would partakers of their faith and truth how should the dead and departed living men more likely Reason 2 Because as in a common wealth new Lords new lawes and succeeding men have different mindes affections wills desires ends c. and so change many things so it is in the Church And though they should leave them it as an inheritance yet we see children hold not their patrimony but many spend all so of this And as is said of Himeneus and Alexander that they made shipwrack of faith 1 Tim. 1.19.20 So of others Vse 1 Then falls to the ground the doctrine of Popery making this externall and personall succession a note of the Church and by it would prove theirs to be the true Church But if there may be such a succession without true faith and if true faith onely makes a true Church then can it be no true nor certaine note Besides it is not certaine nor expressed in the word of God that the Pope was Peters successor no not in place but to be proved onely by tradition and not to be deduced out of the Word as Bellarmine de Rom. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 12. confesseth And so the maine point whereon the government and Hierarchy of the Papacie dependeth hath no word in the Scriptures to prove it and so the whole is hanged upon the conjectures of men as upon a rotten threed For the Scripture not affirming it what assurance can there be for matter of faith the matter must needs be suspitious and doubtfull Againe even the histories which is their proofe are in such various opinions that a man can hardly tell whom to follow touching Peters comming to Rome and his immediate successors Some say he came to Rome in the first yeare of Claudius the Emperour some in the second some in the fourth some in the tenth and it may be that none of these is true sure it is all cannot be true For his successors Tertullian maketh Clement his next successor Optatus nameth Linus and then Clement Irenaeus maketh Linus then Cletus then Clement If they differ thus what certainty where should faith finde any sure ground If then the succession at best is questionable and doubtfull if it may be certaine and yet be dis-joyned from the succession of faith as it is most certainly in them and true faith onely makes a Church then can this be no true note of the Church Vse 2 To teach us not to be deceived with the glorious shew and great boast of such succession specially when there is an apparant digression from the faith or a probable doubt of corruption in it For what succession soever be it never so long or glorious as a greater could not be then these Priests and people could have objected unto the Prophet yet if it be without truth of doctrine and true faith which is the very soule of succession it is nothing else but a very dead carkasse whereas true faith without any such outward succession establisheth and maketh a Church And indeed one of the purest and most excellentest Churches was without such a succession For the Church of which Christ in his owne person was Authour and Master in which the Apostle was brought up instructed had no succession And yet none will or dare deny that it was the best and
corrupt this must needs be hurtfull unto us unlesse we learne that wisdome from the Serpent to cast our poyson before we come to drinke Out of the peoples fault comparing outward things with inward the type with the truth we have gathered that the people that bring offerings to God they who perform any service to him ought to be holy and pure for if their sacrifice much more they Now out of the Priests fault we may gather that if they ought to reject unclean and unfit sacrifices then those also who brought them being unclean yea they ought to put a difference and to distinguish betwixt the clean and unclean to receive the one and refuse the other as Levit. 10.10 And so from the proportion we may gather some observation for our times Doctr. The Ministers of the Gospell and new Testament ought to make difference betwixt the godly and the wicked as much as lyeth in them to accept and receive the one and to reject and exclude the other from the publique prayers of the Church and from the sacred Table of Christ Hence is the command to the Church of Corinth and to the Pastor as the principall-man 2. Cor. 5.13 Jer. 15.19 the Liturgie of our Church commendeth Ambrose then Bishop of Millaine for dealing so with the Emperour himselfe Theodosius the younger till he shewed himselfe sorry for his sinnes So 1 Tim. 1.20 Reas 1 Because if they under the Law Priests and Prophets ought to doe it much more they in the Gospell For as many things were then tolerable which now are not because saith Augustine Many things are tolerated in the darknesse and dawning which are not in the day when the Sunne is up so must it follow that that which was not tolerable then cannot be now Reas 2 Because by their continuance and suffering them and not censuring them they may by many meanes be hurtfull and infect the cleane and holy these being more capable of the others evill than they are able to communicate their good to them As health is not so communicable as contagion 1 Cor. 5.6 then if they desire to keepe them whole from pollutions they must separate the wicked as Shepherds saith Chrysost separate the infected and scabbed from the whole Object Christ admitted Judas to the Supper a devill after he knew he had taken money to betray him Answ First it is denyed that he was admitted to it but say he did as to the Passeover yet this follows not that a Minister must not as much as in him lyeth exclude the wicked for first this was a hidden sinne not open but smothered and kept close Christ tooke notice of it by his divine power not humane nature Now the exclusion is for knowne sinnes not secret those must be left to Gods judgment and this crosseth not the excluding for known sinnes And it is probable that our Saviour admitted him to the Passeover because his hypocrisie was not yet unmasked whereas after when he had unmasked him by giving the sop to him as St. Hilarie well observeth and so made him knowne what he was to the rest he sent him out of the way while he celebrated the new Passeover Vse 1 This sheweth what manner of men they ought to be who must exclude and shut out others if not without sinne yet without open scandall and blame as St. Hierome Sine crimine non sine peccato Hence was it ordained that whosoever of the Priests or Levites had erred and beene defiled by Idolatry in the time of the Captivity or of any of the Idolatrous Princes and so became a scandall should not serve any more in the Temple Ezek. 44.10 12 13 15. Neither yet the Levites that are gone back from me when Israel went astray which went astray from me after their Idols but they shall beare their iniquity Because they served before thee Idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity therefore have I lift up mine hand against them saith the Lord God and they shall beare their iniquity And they shall not come neere unto me to doe the office of the Priest unto me neither shall they come neare unto any of my holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abhominations which they have committed But the Priests of the Levites the sonnes of Zadok that kept the charge of my Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me they shall come neare me to serve me and they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood saith the Lord God 2 King 23.9 And this the Church after Christ did observe for Cyprian Epist 2.1 mentioneth a Canon made by him and other of the Bishops of Africk that no Bishop or Priest that had beene ordained in the Church and after either had fallen into heresie or beene touched with Idolatry should be received againe upon their repentance otherwise than as lay-men And Epistola 1.7 he chideth Fortunatianus who once was a Bishop and had in the time of persecution burnt incense to Idols and after came home againe to the Church and would have kept his place still Audet sibi sacerdotium quod prodidit vendicare quasi pest aras Diaboli ad altaâ—e Dei fas sit accedere c Dares he challenge that Office or Priesthood which he hath betrayed as if it were lawfull after he hath served at the Idoll stoole of the Devill to draw neere to Gods Altar Novatianus and Novatus made a Schisme from the Church because one Trophimus a Priest with some other were received after they had fallen for feare in those horrible times Cyprian answereth Epist 4.2 * Susceptus est Trophimus sic tamen admissus ut laicus communicet non quasi locum sacerdotis usurpet Cyprian Trophimus is indeed received but admitted onely into the place where Lay-men communicate not into the place of a Priest All reach that such should not be received for what if Peter and Paul the example of the one and the calling of the other extraordinary were received yet the equity is great that those who must judge the leprosie of others should be free from it themselves or if they be not should be expelled as Vzzah when the leprosie once sprung out of his forehead And that the Church should not receive Popish Priests to be Ministers at Gods table besides that it is like to be hurtfull because the mystery of iniquity workes thus cunningly as they Ezra 4.2 They came to Zerubbabel and to the chiefe Fathers and said unto them we will build with you for we seeke the Lord your God as you doe and we have sacrificed unto him since the time of Esar Haddon King of Ashur which brought us up hither To whom answer should be vers 3. Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chiefe of the Fathers of Israel said unto them it is not for you but for us to build the House unto our God for we
And though men may thinke their faithfulnesse may hinder them from honour as Balaak said to Balaam Numb 24.11 Therefore now flee unto thy place I thought surely to promote thee to honour but loe the Lord hath kept thee back from honour yet it is not so for that is the true honour which God gives and will give and no man can take and they ought as it is 2 Cor. 3.12 seeing they have such hope to use boldnesse of speech Vse 4 This may teach what manner of men Ministers ought to be how sanctified of what puritie and integritie seeing God hath taken them to be so 〈◊〉 unto himselfe therefore ought they to be carefull that offer them to God and they that receive them when they offer and when they receive not for favour or money or kindred or any such thing A man will be marvellous carefull whom he commendeth but for a common servant to a mean man his friend more to a Prince most to be so nigh to him If the Steward of a house be permitted and trusted to admit such as are fit how carefull will he be If the President of a Princes Councell to take in such as are able men how vigilant and inquisitive will he be that they be such as be competent for the place So should it be in this the like care should be had and wo unto him that hath not And men that are in the place ought to looke marvellous carefully to their conversation to keep themselves holy It was taught Lev. 22.2 ad 10. how unblemished the Priest should be for if the whole people must be holy more they And if they must be darefull of their offering and sacrifices more of themselves And if they be not then ought authoritie like Ashpenaz Dan. 1.3.4.5 to chuse out the most unblemished and looke to them and suffer not them to be good fellows gamesters and such like Covenant with Levi. They took not this calling to themselves but were chosen to it of God and he made the agreement and covenant with them Doctrine None may take this calling upon them to be Gods Ministers Gods Messengers and to meddle in these spirituall things which are proper to the Ministers but he that is called of God and with whom God hath made this covenant The affirmative inferres the negative Hereto belongs that Numb 1.51 and 16.10 and 4.15.20 Ezra 2.62.63 Heb. 5.4 This made the Apostles ever avouch their calling Gal. 1.1 Jam. 1.1 Pet. 1.1 Hereto is that Rom. 10.15 There are three kindes of callings when men are called by men and not by God as first all reachers Secondly of God by Ministery of the Word all ordinary Ministerie Thirdly by Christ immediately as Apostles Gal. 1.1 The first to be abhorred the third to be admired the second to be expected of all in an ordinary planted Church Rom. 10.15 The calling is double or hath two parts the first inward ability for gifts and aptnesse for minde willingnesse and abilitie The second is outward the calling by man and the Church Hereto belongs the descriptions of a Bishops and Ministers set out by Saint Paul 1. Tim. 3.2 whereto else may it tend if every one may intrude himselfe into the Church and the calling without the call of it and that 1 Tim. 5.22 Reason 1 Because it is a sin unto them who shall and a curse belongs to them for medling with things that are holy when they are not separated and appointed for them They are thereby liable to Gods judgements as was Vzzah 1 Chron. 13.10 and Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.18.19 Reason 2 Because else the Church should be too much burdened for when as 1 Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour Therefore many for ambition and ease would chalenge the Ministery and take it upon them for the honours sake Reason 3 Because 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order Therefore must there be a calling and chusing of them by the Church for the other is to make all confusion and disorder Vse 1 This serves to confute all Anabaptisticall dreames who contemne all ordinary callings vocations and thinke that every man may at his pleasure and when he list take this calling and those Ecclesiasticall functions upon them For if this be found and true that must needs be false and corrupt that any should take any part of this calling without warrant from God and besides the order that God hath appointed Yet I deny not but there is a difference where a Church is not yet planted where every one that knowes Christ may preach him and labour to gaine others that are ignorant of Christian religion and are not to look for an ordinary ordination For then is he chosen by the silent suffrages and voices of those who heare and that is his calling yet is he not to refuse the ordinary calling if after it be to be had But when a Church is already planted and established because all things must bee done in order then is required an apparant ordination by voyces or imposition of hands that trouble and confusion might be avoided Neither do I deny but sometime there is an extraordinary function as were the Prophets not of the Leviticall stocke not ordained of the Priests which God stirred up when ordinary Ministers could not reforme the corruptions of the time but what he did extraordinarily is to be admired rather then imitated For we must follow the prescript rule that is given us which is that every man have his ordinary calling which is from God by men Object 1 Cor. 16.15 Now brethren I beseech you know ye the house of Stephanus that it is the first fruits of Achaia and that they have given themselves to minister unto the Saints Answer The meaning is not that they called themselves but that they set themselves apart to the Ministerie of the Saints in the purpose resolution of their owne hearts and not contemning or neglecting the calling of God by the Church Vse 2 To let private men and women see their danger in medling with those things which are proper to the Minister when they have not a calling to it If Vzzah if Vzziah were smitten how shall they escape whether they can pretend the authority of the Church as in the Romish Church they can for women to baptize yet shall they not escape for excuse of necessitie it will not serve because that it is not from God but it is from mans folly or ignorance If it be objected that it is not then a Sacrament which is given by them when they have no authoritie to deliver a Sacrament I answer yes for the Seale is the Princes though some other then the Lord Keeper set it to by some indirect dealing And though such a Minister sinne in dealing with the Word and Sacraments yet are they such to the hearer and receiver Againe that which S. Augustine * Vera sacramenta licet non
purest Church For whom succeeded Christ and his Apostles Did he succeed Aaron and the Leviticall Priesthood Did he elect his Apostles out of them Nothing lesse For he succeeded not Aaron but Melchisedech being a Priest after his order not the others and so the succession was interrupted for many hundred yeares and so may be still And on the contrary there may be succession and no true Church when the faith is corrupt and not sound which made the Fathers when they speake of succession not urge a naked and externall succession but a true succession and such as was joyned with the succession of faith and religion * Non sanctorum filii sunt qui tenent loca sanctorum sed qui exercent opera eorum S. Hierom. They are not the children of the Saints who hold their seats but who follow their workes * Non ex personis fidem sed ex fide personaes probari oportet Tertul. lib. de Preser avers Haeret. We must not prove the faith from the persons but the persons from the faith So say we let them prove the persons from the faith and not faith from the persons They have not the inheritance of Peter who have not the faith of Peter All which shewes they would not have us to stand upon the succession of the place and person but the faith and doctrine * Non habent haereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent Ambr. lib. 1. de poenit c. 6. Vse 3 This wil prove our Church to be a true Church though we have no succession externall and personall which separated from faith makes no Church but we have succession of faith which makes a Church for if these may be separated if there may be a Church where there is no personall succession as before If a personall succession and no Church as also before we holding the true faith of Christ the true doctrine of salvation are notwithstanding the want of personall succession the Church of Christ If they understand an extraordinary succession such as hath oftentimes been in the Church we say we have it Neither hinders that which the adversaries object that an extraordinary succession ought to be confirmed with miracles which we have not for the calling of the Prophets was extraordinary yet had they no miracles to confirme it let them shew us what miracles Ieremy Ezekiel Ioel Hosea Amos had who were called extraordinarily or Iohn Baptist John 10.41 Besides what miracles needs there when as our Pastors either deceased or living bring in no new doctrine or new faith nor erect a new Church but restore the old faith and repaire and purge the Church foully corrupted And whereas they deny us any ordination of Ministers because they which are lawfully ordained must be by an Apostle or one succeeding him immediately they be all fictions of their owne without a word of the Scripture for they are true Pastors which are called of their flockes and of the lawfull Magistrate teaching the people and doing those things which good Pastors should do And for Bellarmines distinction of calling or election which he acknowledgeth was sometime alone of that the people did chuse and grants may be good but not ordination It is answered if election be good we contend not much about ordination for they who have authoritie to chuse and call have to ordain If an orderly ordination be not to be had And finally if all Bishops should be Arrians and such as would ordaine none but them of their owne sect as sometimes they were must ordination by them be necessary or we must have no Ministers Vse 4 Then ought men to labour for knowledge that they be not deceived by the face of men and the Church but that they may know what is the true faith and who they are that bring it knowing them to be the Pastors of the Church by their doctrine Mat. 7.15.16 This fruit is doctrine Yee have caused many to fall by the Law The second thing reproved in them in seducing or mis-leading others making them to fall into sinne Doctrine It is a manifest corruption in the Ministers of the Church a thing wherein they are farre unlike to their faithful predecessors whereby they are made unacceptable unto God when their preaching or carriage is such as men by them are kept in sin caused or occasioned to sinne As this proves it and Isaiah 3.12 Ezek 13.22 And this is done either by not preaching or very negligently that they cannot know what to doe and so must needs sinne and offend Or by not reproving by which they doe not thinke thir sinnes to be sinnes but remaine in them according to that Levit. 19.17 or by dawbing as Ezek. 13.10 and promising life unto them notwithstanding their sinnes as vers 22. or by bad example as Gal. 2.12.13 Reason 1 Because it is against the main and principall end of his calling which is to turne men from sinne and Satan to God and godlinesse and righteousnes As then it is a fault for men to go contratry to the main end of their calling or trade any Artificer as when he should build to pull downe when he should make to marre when he should cure to wound And if we may speake familiarly as we complaine of Tinkers for making two holes when they undertake to stop one or of Chyrurgions that make two wounds when they professe to cure one made already so must it needs be a corruption in these Reason 2 Because he crosseth the desire of God who delighteth much in the conversion of a sinner and would have men converted from sinne and not kept in them Vse 1 This will convince many Ministers of corruption degenerating from the Prophets faithful Ministers of God who so walk in their Ministery as men are hardened by them caused and occasioned to sinne they preach so seldome and carelesly instruct the people they have charge of they reprove so little or smooth so much or are so corrupt and licentious And this not in the Church of Rome only but in the reformed Churches which haue justly separated from her so that sinne abounds every where Now woe be to such watchmen for they shall answer for the bloud of those perishing soules and that which perisheth shall be made good foule for soule And woe unto such dawbers Ezek. 13.13 Vse 2 This may serve for an Apologie for the Ministers of God when they preach and exhort and reprove and threaten but with small thankes from those that heare them yet seeing the contrary is corruption and a degenerating from the faithfull and their steps and a meanes to make them unacceptable to God their Lord and Master It may speake for them if they thus preach and practise It may be if they preached all peace all placentia and waken never a secure man out of his sinne they would cunne him more thanke and all speake well of him But woe unto you when all men speake well
but had a morall equity Now how can they have an example of greater authority and more worthy to be followed Againe because it affoordeth competent sustainance for the one when he shall live of the tenth and not of the twentieth or fifteenth part which were too little and not grieving and oppressing to the other when he hath the nine parts reserved to himselfe Because the Ministers lives are subject to the same wants that other mens lives are it is fit and convenient that what they provide for themselves thereof they should affoord a part to him that laboureth in another great worke for them Because 1 Tim. 3.2 he must be given to hospitality which shall be performed better of him if he have things in their kinde and so have his provision Because when the Minister should receive all good things for his maintenance and necessity and that as Galat. 6.6 It might bee a present and palpable admonition to him that hee also should Minister in their wants in spirituall things committed to his charge Because that as the blessing of God was upon the people their lands and labours or denied to them he also might be partaker of their aboundance and want to abound with them and to want with them for where much he was to receive much and where little the lesse alwaies proportionable to them Num. 18.27 that out of this fellow feeling he might praise God with them or pray more earnestly for them Now as for Cities where there are few or no things titheable there the maintenance is and must be such as the law hath provided if it be sufficient to maintaine a Minister that laboureth amongst them in such sort as he may not be distracted with want or burdened with cares or his Ministery disgraced by his poverty which if it be not either by reason of his charge or the hardnesse of the times there ought to be an addition according to mens abilities and in places where the law hath provided little or nothing there are the people bound to provide their labourers their hire not upon charity or almes but as a matter of justice according to that 1 Cor. 9.1 As he that goeth to warfare may of duty and justice require his wages of those for whom he fighteth he that planteth a vineyard may of duty chalenge to eate thereof or he who feedeth a flocke may of duty chalenge to eate the milke of the flocke Then the Minister doing all these may chalenge his maintenance of duty and they in justice are bound to give it him yea part of their goods being due to the Lord as a homage or quit rent of all their goods acknowledging that they hold and have all things they possesse and enjoy from him and therefore owe all service honour and obedience unto him Now tseeing he hath no need of these things himselfe but hath given hem to others his Ministers by whom he will receive them and communicate by them spirituall things also not taking his own for nothing these must know that though no law of man binde them yet are they bound to give of their goods and with some proportion of the tenth for a better rule they cannot have to the maintenance of the Ministery Vse This accuseth and convinceth all those of sacriledge and impiety who have their hands defiled with the spoile of the Church and of God al which we may reduce to these two heads that they are such as doe it under the covert of law or without law First such as have impropriations or appropriations the one arguing that they are improperly theirs the other that they are taken from the right owners and appropriated to them call it what you will it is apparent sacriledge specially in those places where an hundreth pounds is taken away and but ten pounds left for the Minister And so no man of parts and sufficiency will take the place but an unlearned Minister that the people perish for want of knowledge and here I would have them consider whether they having the provision shall not assure and give account for those soules that perish for want of spirituall foode which comes by their meanes of which I make no doubt but they shall As Dan. 1. And will they buy their sweet morsells thus deare if they pretend the law allowing them if I were before the law-makers I would say somewhat to it but to them I say if it be jure fori it is not jure poli as Saint August in another case and we shall all appeare before such a Judge as no law but the law of the highest can be pleaded And all the lawes of men shall lye in the dust as themselves To these may I adde donatives which at the suite of these parasites the Pope would give to one man or moe the fruit of the Church to be used at his pleasure yea reserving nothing for the Church but left the care to his devotion if he could get a man for forty shillings or a canvas doublet yea of this sort are these leases allowed by them to be let by the patron Bishop or incumbent to alienate these things from the Ministery and then rob the Church spoile the Lord. To these I may adde portions pensions immunities priviledges customes and prescriptions which also came from them have crept into reformed Churches All which are their kind and measure guilty of this sacriledge but there are other without pretence of law which rob God and the Church As patrons who taken for the defence of the Church who thinke they may bestow the living of the Church as they thinke best and therefore lay them to their houses for provision and get a Chaplaine like one of the knights of the post that cares not for an oath Vpon hope of better preferment to swear he is free from simonie when he hath agreed for a living of an 100. pound per annum as the Levite Judg. 17.10 which ariseth from either the blindnesse of their minds or the love of wordly things or envy and evilnesse of their eie and heart but whatsoever the cause is the fact is no lesse then sacriledge and they to answer as before such also as abuse their Ministers by fraud or cunning or power to detaine part of the due or for the quality of the tith to pay the worst and vilest unto them VERS IX Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have spoiled me even this whole nation YE are cursed with a curse This verse containes the event Gods curse upon them for that they had done as a proofe they had sinned else had not such a thing come from the just God he cursed them with penury and want and famine they pinched him and he them yea they had thought in the famine to have kept the more to themselves and they had the lesse for keeping from him that which was his for spoiling him he justly and worthily spoiled them and so by their owne
Creed and the Sacraments in the English tongue Can. 10. see S. H. Spelmans margin ad locum this Canon is inserted afterward by Egbert into his Excerp 6. See also the Ecclesiasticall lawes of Canutus cap. 22. apud Spelman page 549. an excellent and serious exhortation to this purpose but too long here to transcribe And the Canon 23. of Aelfric pag. 578. Yea it seemes by the Capitula incertae editionis which by Sr. H. Spelmans placeing of them should bee about Anno. 1050 cap. 28. to have beene the custome of our Bishops here when they met in their Synods with their Clergy to examine them in the manner of their teaching and how they profited their people After these times Catechising was not much heard of till after Luthers preaching when perceiving that the Protestant Churches wanne much ground by this kinde of diligence the practise was renued by a decree of the Councell of Trent in the Romish Church For our part what ground we got by Catechising wee are most likely to keepe and hold it by the same course and to lose it all againe by the neglect which was the observation of our judicious King Iames That the cause why so many fell to popery and other errors was their ungroundednesse in points of Catechisme Upon such a reason as this it was that an elder Article of a former Synod was renewed in the Synod at Dort That all pastors should Catechise in the afternoone on the Lords day Acta Synodi sess 14 15. The very same with his Majesties Injunctions to the Clergy of England and which is provided for by Canon and enquired into by the Articles of Visitations but on all hands too too much neglected which hath given mee occasion to transgresse my purpose in these shorter notes and to enlarge this discourse which yet I cannot leave till I have noted that observeable passage of the present Reverend Bishop of Exeter in his Preface to his Old Religion That there is nothing whereof hee repents so much as that hee had not bestowed more houres in publique Catechising And That in regard hereof hee could quarrell his very sermons And his sermons are excellent ones as all know that know them to two of them namely his Columba Noae preached to the English Clergy in their Convocation here in England and to another upon Eccles 7.16 preached to the Divines at Dort at their 16th Session I refer the Reader where hee shall finde an eloquent and zealous exhortation in this matter But of this point enough I returne to the Text. And they should seeke the law at his mouth Here the Vulg. reades as before as if it were a promise of their infallibility But it is onely an intimation of the peoples duty and the reason followes For hee is the messenger of the Lord of hosts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lxx and the Vulg. reade The Angell The Priest is called so 1. Because hee ministers to God as the Angels doe before him who stand before him and prayse him but 2. specially and here bccause hee is Gods messenger to men from God and from men to God Accordingly the Tigurine here Hee is Gods Legat or Embassadour And that learned Knight in his Glossary or Archaeolog hath observed to us out of Ekkehard that the name hath been given even to the Embassadors of Kings Cedamus Angelo Imperii We have seen how the former Priests caried themselves The next is Verse 8 III. The degenerating of these Priests from the practise of their fathers in regard of their covenant verse 8. In three particulars First that they were gone from their piety But yee are departed out of the way or out of that way as the Article is in the Hebr. that is either out of my way or out of that way in which your fathers walked You have diverted or turned out or as the Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Declined Your course is opposite to that of your fathers They caused many to returne to me you are returned and gon from me But this opposition is more direct in the next member Secondly that they caused many to fall by their example partly and partly by their corrupt glosses Yee have caused many to stumble at the law Or To fall in the law The Geneva reades it By the law The Vulg. Yee have scandalized many Montanus Yee were a stumbling block or an offence Others yee have caused that men should stumble at the law or goe against the law and so fall into sinne and consequently into calamities So Piscator Lxx. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee have weakned many in the law yee have offended snared caused to strike or dash or stumble for all these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will beare Thirdly that they had in summe broken the covenant Yee have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts Geneva yee have broken Vulg. yee have made void The Lxx reade as we doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupted The Covenant of Levi that is the covenant made with Levi. A metonymy of the efficient Thus we have seene the threatnings more largely Verse 9 II. Those threatnings are repeated more briefely again together with the justnesse of them shewed also in the repetition of the causes verse 9. where we have 1. The judgements Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people the Geneva to bee despised and vile To be abject and humble not in affection but condition 2. The causes According as yee have not kept my wayes but have been partiall in the law According 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not OS the mouth as Pagnin and Tremell c. render it Secundum Os c. but an expletive particle which useth to be added to the servile letters ﬥ and ב to make them distinct words as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here and elsewhere as Num. 6.21 Iob. 33.6.30.18 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 16.18 Genes 47.12 and then they signifie as not onely our translators in all those places and here but the Lxx also have exprest it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propterea quod Because that or according as Yee have not kept my wayes or watched my wayes or beene as it is in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 watchfull or watching to keepe my way For so the word is Esa 62.6 But have been partiall in the law Or lifted up the face against the law Or Accepted faces in the law The first of these is the text reading of our English Bibles the two later are in the margin To the last of these agree the Lxx Vulg and Pagnin and Deodates Italian yee have regard to the qualitie of the person in the law To the second Montanus Most agree in the sense you Priests that should judge according to the law you accept persons you respect the rich you deale partially in the law in expounding of
rebellious people But thus much of the sixth Contestation VII The seventh Contestation Seventhly hee contests with them for their Sacriledge vers 8 9 10 11 12. both I. Arguing against their sinne vers 8. and 2. Expostulating with them that it were better for them yea even in their outward estates to deale righteously with God vers 9 10 11.12 Vers 8 I. He argues against their sinne vers 8. 1. From a ground of equitie 2. By an application of their fact unto the ground 1. He argues from a generall ground of right and equitie Will a man rob God Yet ye have robbed mee Will fraile weake man Adam doe violence unto or defraud Elohim the great and mighty God Yet you have done so Robbe The French Pillage Geneva Spoile will a man spoile God So also Pagn and Vatab. Crucifie wound or pierce so the Vulgar and the Tigurine and that is indeed the first signification of the originall word So the Translator of the New Test into the Syriack useth the word Coloss 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And nayled or pierced it unto his Crosse But by a Metaphor it signifies to Oppresse or To rob or To spoile as Prov. 22.53 The Lxx. here taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Metathesis for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is To supplant or Deceive reade Will a man supplant his God But in the sense there is an agreement Will a man or is it fit that a man should grieve defraud pierce or spoile his God as you doe who rob his Priests and Ministers of their maintenance whereby you undermine and overthrow even Religion it selfe and Gods worship When the portions of the Levites were not given them the Levites and Singers that did the worke of Gods house fled every one to his field and so Gods work that is his worship was left undone as Nehemiah observed Neh. 13.10 The truth is When the Ministers of God are kept under the burden of Poverty The Lords work is either not done or done deceitfully when the Priests are forced to comply with their humors from whom they expect their maintenance and so serve not God but them flattering them that feed them as it is Micah 3.5 They bite with their teeth and cry peace which I interpret according to the Chalde Paraphrase He that maketh them a feast of flesh to him they preach peace But hee that putteth not into their mouths they even prepare war against him And so they make the people to erre And it cannot bee otherwise whiles as it is in the eleventh verse of that chapter The Priests teach for hire and the Prophets divine for money that is are faine to maintaine themselves with sordid and unworthy flatteries To prevent which it was a most pious and commendable care in King Hezekiah which is recorded 2 Chron. 31.4 He commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem to give the portion of the Priests and Levites that they might attend upon the Law of the Lord so the Vulg. That they might confirme themselves in executing the Law of the Lord. So Tremel but as we reade that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. Dependancie and expectation of arbitrary maintenance is a great Alay to the purer temper and spirit and zeale that ought to be in them that serve at the Lords Altar in whom according to the usuall Apothegme of a reverend Divine of ours Innocencie and Independencie breeds the best couâ—age And by such is God best served The scandals that are given by Ministers doe much diminish the reputation of Religion and undermine it but Scandalous livings are a great cause of Scandalous Ministers Which was the observation of a learned Gentleman and worthy member of the House of Commons in the Parliament Anno 1628. who also promised that he would never give over solliciting the cure and remedie of this while Parliaments and he should live together And well may he or some other effectually pursue it especially having so much encouragement in it by the pietie and tendernesse of our present Religious and most gracious Soveraigne who according to the example of his Royall Father for planting a setled competencie for the Churches throughout Scotland hath shewed so much readinesse and gracious disposition this way that as he deserves it I doubt not but such as shall deliver his reigne hereafter to posterity will among his other vertues give him this Title The Patron and Father of his poore and injuried Clergie and will mention that great Councellour of his in Ecclesiasticall matters with his due honour for promoving it in him with so much zeale to the welfare of this Church But of this obiter and Currente calamo 2. He argues against their sin by an application of their fact unto that ground of generall right Yet yee have robbed mee But yee say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tythes and in Offerings They deny the Assumption and he proves it That they robbed him because they dealt deceitfully about the portion of his Priests The Tythes he had of old assigned unto them There were three sorts of Tythes The first were given to the Levites for their alimonie this was called Maaser Rishon The first Tithe The second was that which every man set apart against his going up to Jerusalem to feast with the Levites and Priests this was called Maaser Sheni The second Tythe And lest that should be omitted the Tythe of the Third yeare was to be given to the poore to Levites to widowes and orphans and this was called Maaser Shlishi The Third Tythe and Maaser aani The poore-mans-tythe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See these three sorts mentioned Tobit 1.7 8. And besides and before all these The fiftieth part was given to the Priests which was called Reschit The first fruit and Terumah gdola The great offering Tythes were intended much unto the same use in the Christian Church one part for the Bishop another for the Clergie a third for the Poore a fourth for the Repaire of the Church according to Walafrid Strabo de exord Eccles cap. 27. published by Ioh. Cochlaeus in Speculo Antiq. Devot The distribution is somewhat otherwise in the Excerptions of Egbert Archbishop of Yorke which the learned St. H. Spelman in his late diligent Collections of our Brittish Councels and Decrees hath communicated Ad Annum Christi 750. the fifth Excerption Let the Priests receive the Tythes and set out the first part for the adorning of the Church the second for the use of poore and strangers the third part let the Priests reserve to themselves The very same order we find in the Canons of Alfrick Bishop of Yorke as Sr. H. Spelm. guesseth at it An. 1052. Can. 24. Hee that would see more concerning the care of our Ancient Kings about Tythes may satisfie himselfe in that industrious and learned Author In Concil Calchuth ad An. 787. where in the seventeenth Canon Vt Decimae justè solventur This very place of our Prophet Malachy