phrase the Brownist vnderstandeth ordinarily a Society of People Really Sanctified for the whole testified in obedience to the whole of Gods will reuealed Such a Communion can they finde me one In Adams few it was not so In Noahs Eight it was not so With Rebeccaâ—s Twins it was not so With Israels Conuention it was not so With Iudahs assemblies it was not so With Christs Twelue it was not so With Corinths Church it was not so Fiue of Asiaes seauen Churches were not so And as for 〈◊〉 Philadelphia they be praised for the Generall of their obedience not for euery particular for In many things as the Holy Ghost witnesseth we sinne all That the Catholike Wheate-field or Church euen Christs possession through the World For by World there is intended the Earths Largenes as in Psa. 2. 8. that in it should be Weedes yea inseperable Weedes our Sauiour teacheth in Math. 13. from which parable may be obserued 1 That it is the Kingdome of Heauen neuer taken in the ill part as some times the word World is which is there compared 2 That the seed of the Kingdome is sowen through the World 3 That in the midst of that good seed the Tares be sowen and not without the Church as some Schismatikes would 4 That such euill is sowne when Christs seruants are a sleepe into the midst of Gods temple the aduersary so got 5 The Seruants awaking see these personall Euils keeping-vnder the personall Good And therefore the euill ones visible euen as visible as the Wheate and not onely Hypocrites as some badly haue taught 6 A purgation of all such Visible euill cannot with the Churches good be made till the Lord in the worlds end do come vnto iudgment And therefore meane time to be permitted which without rending the church cannot be seuered That for the estate of the Church Catholique That a Particular Church is no more priuiledged then the Totall or vniuersall must necessarily follow for that Sathan as an enuious man sowes his Tares Ana méson tou sitou euen through the middest of that Wheate his malice being no lesse against the partes then the whole as may appeare in Reuel 12. where not preuailing against that Woman hee goes and warres with the remnant of her seed And no maruaile it be so seeing euery particular person still sinneth whereupon still that petition is in force Forgiue vs our trespasses In which respect also it is that in Leuiticus is appoynted sacrifice both for the whole Congregation erring and for the partes of that whole as Priest Prince People So Gregories Decretall concludes Iudicium Dâ—â—veritatâ— quae non fallit nec fallituâ— sâ—â—peâ— iâ—nititur Iudicium autem Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 Opinionem sequitur quam fallere saepe contingit fallj â— propter quod contingit interdum vt qui ligatus est apud Deum apud Ecclesiam siâ— soâ—utus qui liber est apud Deum ecclesiastica sit sententia innodatus Particular Congregations are therefore called Communions of Saints or Holy-ones not because they all Really and indeed be such but for that they be called to be such as also haue vndergone the outward Signes and Meanes of sanctitie or holines Heereupon Israel became an Holy-nation though not al of them indeed holy So Israel after the Schisme from Iudah is called Gods sonne and Gods people and yet the most of them turners aside to grosse Idolatry which of all sinnes diuorceth froÌ„ God So the Corinths are Saints by calling yet amongst theÌ„ grieuous kinds of sinners both against Faith and good Manners This I speake not as the Schismatique raileth for iustifiing faults but for iustifying the Churches true-being notwithstanding such faults Let the Schismatique looke into himselfe let him search into the meanders and turninges of his heart and then let me see if he can say vnto God My heart is cleane there is no spot in mee If he be of the minde whereof one in Lyn-regis was that Dauid did lie of himselfe when he sayd to the Lord I was borne in iniquitie c. then I will say to sir Schismatique as I sayd to him I am too lowe to talk with one that is so hie Or as Constantine the great vnto the Nouatian Bishop Acesius Prouide thee a Ladde◠ô pure Puritane and thy selfe aione climbe vp into heauen CHAP. v. Touching the Churches Visibilitie in the earth OVR Sauiour saying that vpon that Rocke which Peter then preached and that was Christ himselfe hee would builde his Church against which Hel-gates should not preuaile cannot be vnderstood that hee speakes of this or that particular Church but of the Catholique body whereto himselfe is the Head For the Church of Rome it was chased away from that seat many yeares togeather by the Gothes and Vandales witnesse the Stories which cannot be gainesayd And no maruaile for from that place not onely proceeded the power whereby Christ was crucified but also whereby the great persecutions flowed for the extirpation of Christianitie Vpon which foresight no doubt S. Iohn hath left that Citie vnder the deepest curse in his Booke of Reuelation For the 7. Churches of Asia-minor which S. Iohn saw to be as Starres in Christes right hand a priuiledge neuer giuen to Rome they quickly vanished Which among other reasons doubtles was for keeping vs from tying faith to any particular place or person And if God spared not his owne peculiar people the Iewes but rooted them out for their sinnes sake what reason is there that he should spare any wilde branches inserted in the place of that naturall Oliue That promise therefore in Math. 16. must euen by euidence of Consequent be vnderstood of the Catholique Church which howsoeuer it might be beat downe in some part yet should continue in some other Euen as the Moone whereto she is compared might to some part of the Earth be eclipsed when to some other part she shyned brightly This I note against the Romanist which would not only tye the Church to some one place but also conclude that the Church hath beene to this part of the world alwayes visibly glorious Besides I conclude the Euer-visibilitie of the Church though in such defectiue manner for conuincing of some who haue not knowne how to answere the Romanist otherwise then by denying all visibilitie through some misunderstanding of some Scriptures in 2. Thess. 2. as also in the Reuelation Whereas indeed a great departure was to be made from the Fayth but yet meane time it should not cease to be Gods Temple though the Aduersarie vsurped a chiefe place in it for as S. Iohn foresaw some Trees should keepe greene in the Lordes court hauing the sauing Seale of Gods Grace printed vpon them And were it not so how should sauing Grace be conueyed vnto vs without new Apostles furnished extraordinarily from heauen And how should we come by Gods Booke contayning his written will if the Lord reserued not a Remnant
followers that now are come to make Pastors and Doctors without any Imposition of hands for so was Fr. Iohnson and M. Greenwood made of some in London True it is that about some fiue or sixe yeares after Fr. Iohnson comming to Amsterdame had handes there imposed by the lay people his owne children they know who then writ against it contrarie to the Apostles Canon which runnes thus Without all contradiction the Lesser is blessed of the Greater And so without all contradiction the Father asked the Children blessing and so his or any the like ordination more Antichristian and more crosse to the Canon then any Ordination issuing from the Pope euer hath been I know they will for them selues plead thus In the beginning of a Church the case is changed For seeing there is no other Minister to ordaine the people may doe it as in Numb 8. The Israelites lay hands vpon the Leuites I answere 1. First it can neuer be prooued by Scripture that of Christians there ought to be such a Replantation though a Reformation 2. Second hee after so many yeares comming by his Ordination it must follow that before hee was no Pastor but a priuate man and so a prophaner of Gods ordinaunce 3. The Israelites did that they did vpon a direct precept from God so did not the Lay people in this For as the Ministerie of the New Testament begun without all Lay-ordination Christ himselfe installing the first and they installing others so neither to the Lay people was left any such necessitie seeing there should alwayes be a stretcht out line of Imposition so well as of Baptisme 4. Fourthly the Israelites doe not there Ordaine the Leuites for neither any Leuite might nor yet durst he come vnto the Alter vpon that laying on of handes Their laying on handes was but their Approbation as sometimes holding vp of hands and scrutinie of voyces be for the Ordination came after that as Peter Martyr well obserueth when as Aaron the Hy-priest takes them at the handes of the people and then with his handes shaketh them before the Lord and to the Lord giues them And thus the Separist is to seeke for a Minister notwithstanding whatsoeuer is sayd of H. l. for the lacke of that Ceremonie Vnto the sayd Laying on of handes it is not of absolute necessitie to haue moe or fewer handes And therefore it is that sometimes all the Apostles doe it as in Act. 7. for in Act. 1. we read not of the Ceremonie and yet well may be it was vsed so well as in Act. 13. 3. so sundry of them tearmed a Presbyterie in 1. Tim. 4. 14. Sometimes againe it is performed by two as in Act. 14. by Paul and Barnabas Sometimes by one there being no other to assist as by Timothy or Titus in their places The equitie whereof was deliuered by Moses when as Aaron alone Ordained the Leuites as Aaron himselfe was before ordayned of Moses And so betweene the Mother and Daughter Churches the Harmonie still holdeth For Deacons there is required in Act. 6. that 1. they be men of honest report 2. full of the Holy Ghost and of Wisedome And in 1. Tim. 3. hee presseth them two in moe particulars The very proportion of qualities considered it can neuer reasonably be thought that such diuine guifted persons should onely attende on Tables or in taking and giuing a litle Money or Meate to the poore There need no such wisedome and learning for that And when it is further remembred as afore that some of the 70. Disciples were chosen to this Deaconship and they being all of them Preachers it can neuer enter into the heart of a reasonable man to thinke that they should be pulled downe from an higher Chaire to a lower Nam qui prouehitur prouehitur a Miâ—oâ—j ad Majus Doubtlesse then they as their name signifieth did seruice not onely to the people in case of Meate and Money but also to the Bishops in the case of Doctrine and Sacrament And hereof we are further assured in that all Antiquitie puts no other kind of Deacons into our hands and for such respect doth diuers times call them Leuites And thus the old and new Testament is still more harmonious If since the Ten grieuous Persecutions the Ministers of the one and other Order haue come in the world to greater estate in outward thinges a grieuous thing to soare eyes what wonder is it when for 300. yeares after Christ the Church was vnder the gouernment of Heathen Tyrants enemies to Christianitie Soone after 300. yeares Constantine the Great became Christian by whose example and motiue many inferiour Kinges became Christians also Whereupon followed freedome of the Fayth and peace and plentie in all Churches Then our Fathers counted it an holy duetie to builde materiall Churches and to endowe the Spirituall with euery good thing wanting True it is that such temporarie blessinges haue since that time been foulely prophaned What then So hath Heauen and Earth and all their continentes shall we therefore spurne at the creature Indeed while some so spurne others sacrilegiously snatch to themselues all To the Minister it should be but an Idolathite but to my Church-robber it is a very good commoditie The Fathers giuing they say did sinne and the Sonnes snatching all away it may be to maintaine a Hound an Whore they must be sayd to commit a vertue But while I liue let me imitate that supposed vice of my Father rather then this vncouth vertue of my Brother CHAP. ix Touching Word and Sacraments THE Word whereabout the Minister is to be imployed is that Booke called Bible of the Greeke word Biblos a Booke as being the peculiar Booke aduanced aboue all as Israel aboue the Nations This Booke is distinguished into two partes Old and New The Old part contayneth not all the wordes that God spoke to the Fathers and Prophets but the substaunce of all which he spake vnto them till the promised Messiah came The New part commonly called the New Testament it contayneth likewise a substaunce of all Gods Will deliuered thencefoorth by Christ and his Apostles or neare followers The Old part was written in Adams tongue the language of succeeding Israel The New part was written in the tongue of Iauan the fourth Sonne of Iaphet it beeing in Christes time a tongue very vniuersall This Booke being a Creature and in the handes of sinful Creatures it necessarily followeth that sometimes it is likely to vndergoe some iniurie Yet such is the watchfull prouidence of God ouer this his Booke as stil it hath been preserued to the Churches assured comfort magre euery Epimanique Tyrant and Heretique The Minister out of this Booke is to take knowledge of Gods Will for workes of holynesse and righteousnesse and afterwardes deliuer the same vnto the people specially euery such day as Saint Iohn calleth the Lordes day But because no Minister since the Canonicall writers that is since the
and therefore must preuaile notwithstanding their distinction some workes be Legall some Euangelicall seeing the Free fauour of God excludeth all our workes howsoeuer tearmed for iustifiyng onely Christes merit-worke for our iustification Obiection Fayth is a worke being iustified by Fayth we are so iustified by a worke Answere It is a worke in vs but not of vs for Fayth as the Holy Ghost witnesseth is the Guift of God and so our iustification to saluation the free guift of God and not of our selues onely nor also For if we will plant our thresholds by his thresholds Ezekiel will proclaime it an abhomination And because Christ doth not onely begin the worke but also perfect it the Author to the Hebrewes calles him The Author and finisher of our Fayth The premisses considered and sound in the iudgment of a Romanist were he to die the death for his Fayth against the Turke and not to maintaine a sworne opposition against vs let me put downe the following Positions 1. First these Schismatikes be most hereticall that by reason our outward forme of Discipline likes them not do affirme as some chiefe of them haue in my hearing that the Church of England neither holdeth nor teacheth the Ghospell of Christ. And yet the same people holdeth no other Ghospel then heere they receiued except they make their Lay-eldership their Ghospell or some of their outward workes to giue beeing to the Ghospell And then they fall vpon the Rocke of Poperie which they would seeme to sayle so farre from establishing not onely a Iustification with God by Fayth onely at first but after that a second iustification with God by works also Nor indeed is it better with them if themselues will vnderstand themselues Which easily cannot be done God hauing put vpon them the spirit of slumber 2. Secondly I doe faythfully belieue that in the Romish-church since the first plantation of it there hath been and still is a true Christian people holding the maine Foundation layd in Christes blood howsoeuer sometimes they build vpon it Hay Stubble and the like euen as in the thronge of the Tares the Lord had his Wheate and Children of the Kingdome And in Babel euen after the Returnes to Iudah by Zerubbabel Ezra and Nehemiah God there had his Daniel and others also with him God forbid that their malice against vs reforming the Church should beget in vs a deniall of any Grace which God continues amonst them notwithstanding their abode in lamentable Confusion Nor is this trueth of Christianitie which I beleeue to be amongst them onely an inuisible Grace according to secret election as some Scismatikes make it but in the profession visible witnesse not onely many their Writings but also many their Sermons there at home as these can witnesse that haue trauailed amongst them not to speake any thing of such as dayly do offer vp their blood amongst them in testimony against their false Ghospell 3. Thirdly I do verily belieue that a maine cause why the Apostle handleth so largely Iustification by Fayth onely in that Epistle to the Romaines was this for that he foresaw how that Church would quickly be drawing away from that Pillar for establishing a iustification of their owne in the roome thereof That they haue made a foule departure from that Fayth of the Ghospell and that we in that poynt haue recouered our standing let themselues iudge being vnpossessed of Sophistrie reading but the first eight Chapters soberly ouer or but the first foure accordingly as they be translated in their Rhemish Testament And will they be so bewitched as to giue more credeÌ„ce to the writing of any one among them then to the Apostle Paul enforming their first Christian people Let them labour to bring their opinion to the Epistle and not wrest the Epistle to their opinion holding it true Antiquitie to be one with the Apostle and that golden Epistle and not to reiect them for entertayning a Nouelty couered with colour of Antiquity He that teacheth any other Ghospell then that which S. Paul taught we are though he were an Angell from heauen to hold him accursed yea twise accursed as the same Apostle teacheth Galath 1. 8. 9. So much of the Ghospell preached to the Fathers and exhibited to vs the manner of Dispensation being diuerse but the Thing one and the same In noua Lege vetus inclusa tenetur And Vna est veterum ac nouorum patrum fides And one within 200. yeares after Christ writes thus Vnum quidem revera salutare testamentum quod a Constitutione mundj ad nos peruenit per generationes diuersas tempora etiamsi Datione existimatum fuerit esse Diuersum Consequensâ—n est esse vnam jmmutabilem Salutis dationem ab vno Deo per vnum deum quae multis modis prodest Propter quam causam tollitur Maceria quae diuidebat Graecuâ—â— a Iudaeâ— ad hoc vt esset populus peculiaris sic ambo perueniunt ad vnam fidej vnitatem ex ambobus vnae est Electio CHAP. XV. Touching Antichrist and his Oppâ—sition THAT the Greeke word Antichristes doth signifie one Opposite to Christ it is out of all question But wherein he is to be opposite in Fayth or Manners wholly or in part and if in part then in what part is a mightie Question Besides that there should be such an Aduersarie is out of all question but who that Aduersarie or whether One or Many and from whence he should arise is much in question The Fathers take the word sometimes very largely as they thinke S. Iohn doth in his 1. Epistle sometimes strictly as of one and the same person as they thinke S. Paul doth in 2. Thess. 2. vnder the tearmes Man of Sinne Sonne of Perdition Sometimes they vnderstand S. Iohn to call all these Antichristes that be Heades of Heresie vnder the name of Christ teaching thinges that be contrarie to Christ. And such be the violaters of Fayth Sometimes they vnderstand these Antichristes of such as ouerturne all good manners and order And so their Pope Honorius to that purpose writ thus Cast eye vpon the Princes and Iudges behold in them is plaeced the Beastes seat then he numbers vp their wickednesses Turne to the Cleargie and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Pauilion then he numbreth vp their worldlinesse Contemplate aâ—so the Conuentâ—â—les of Moncks and thou shalt see in them the Beastes Tabernacles then he fileth vp their Hypocrisies Behold also the habitations of the Nunnes and in them thou shalt see prepared the Beastes Bed-chamber then goe vp the Nuns abhominations Turne thy selfe to the rest of the people and thou shalt find in them the very Image of the Beast Thus the Maister in that Dialogue and that 's Honoâ—â—us doth teach his Scholler affirming further that the former Many is Babilon and at warre with Ierushalem whose inhabitants be not so Many Thus vnderstood hee of that Second Beast in Reuelatâ—â—